application_number
int64 10.3M
15.9M
| decision
stringclasses 3
values | title
stringlengths 3
468
| abstract
stringlengths 43
4.3k
| claims
stringlengths 44
338k
| description
stringlengths 1.93k
2.86M
| background
stringlengths 0
194k
| summary
stringlengths 0
391k
| cpc_label
stringlengths 0
12
| filing_date
stringlengths 8
8
| patent_issue_date
stringclasses 691
values | date_published
stringclasses 720
values | examiner_id
stringlengths 0
7
| ipc_label
stringlengths 0
10
| npe_litigated_count
int64 0
410
| examiner_full_name
stringlengths 6
34
| invention_title
stringlengths 3
410
| small_entity_indicator
stringclasses 3
values | continuation
int64 0
1
| decision_as_of_2020
stringclasses 6
values | main_ipcr_label_subclass
stringclasses 451
values | filing_year
int64 2k
2.02k
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10,956,107 | ACCEPTED | Controller which controls a variable optical attenuator to control the power level of a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal when the number of channels are varied | An optical amplifying apparatus which includes an optical amplifier, an optical attenuator and a controller. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. The optical attenuator passes the amplified light signal and has a variable light transmissivity. Prior to varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller varies the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level that depends on the number of channels in the light signal prior to the varying the number of channels. While the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, the controller maintains the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator to be constant. Subsequent to varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller varies the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level that depends on the number of channels in the light signal subsequent to the varying the number of channels. | 1. An optical transmission system comprising: a transmitting terminal transmitting a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signal having a variable number of channels associated with different wavelengths; and an optical amplifier which amplifies the WDM optical signal from the transmitting terminal and outputs the amplified WDM optical signal, the optical amplifier including: an optical attenuator which controls a level of the amplified WDM optical signal, and a controller which controls the WDM optical signal to be amplified with an approximately constant gain. 2. An optical transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the optical amplifier amplifies the WDM optical signal with an approximately constant gain during variation of the number of channels in the WDM optical signal. 3. An optical transmission system as in claim 1, wherein the optical amplifier comprises: a first stage optical amplifier which amplifies the WDM optical signal; and a second stage optical amplifier which amplifies the first stage amplified WDM optical signal. 4. An optical transmission system comprising: a transmitting terminal transmitting a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signal having a variable number of channels associated with different wavelengths; an optical amplifier which amplifies the WDM optical signal from the transmitting terminal and outputs the amplified WDM optical signal, the optical amplifier including: an optical attenuator which controls a level of the amplified WDM optical signal, and a controller which controls the WDM optical signal to be amplified with an approximately constant gain; and a receiving terminal receiving the amplified WDM optical signal from the optical amplifier. 5. An optical transmission system as in claim 4, wherein the optical amplifier amplifies the WDM optical signal with an approximately constant gain during variation of the number of channels in the WDM optical signal. 6. An optical transmission system as in claim 4, wherein the optical amplifier comprises: a first stage optical amplifier which amplifies the WDM optical signal; and a second stage optical amplifier which amplifies the first stage amplified WDM optical signal. 7. An apparatus comprising: an optical amplifier which amplifies a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signal having a variable number of channels associated with different wavelengths and outputs the amplified WDM optical signal, the optical amplifier including: an optical attenuator which controls a level of the amplified WDM optical signal, and a controller which controls the WDM optical signal to be amplified with an approximately constant gain. 8. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the optical amplifier amplifies the WDM optical signal with an approximately constant gain during variation of the number of channels in the WDM optical signal. 9. An apparatus comprising: an optical amplifier which amplifies a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signal having a variable number of channels associated with different wavelengths and outputs the amplified WDM optical signal, the optical amplifier including: a first stage optical amplifier which amplifies the WDM optical signal and outputs the first stage amplified optical signal, an optical attenuator which controls a level of the first stage amplified WDM optical signal and outputs the controlled WDM optical signal, a second stage optical amplifier which amplifies the controlled WDM optical signal and outputs the amplified, controlled WDM optical signal, and a controller which controls the WDM optical signal to be amplified with an approximately constant gain. 10. An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the optical amplifier amplifies the WDM optical signal with an approximately constant gain during variation of the number of channels in the WDM optical signal. 11. An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein an attenuation level of the optical attenuator is changed to control the level of the amplified WDM optical signal. 12. An apparatus comprising: an optical amplifier which amplifies a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signal having a variable number of channels associated with different wavelengths and outputs the amplified WDM optical signal, the optical amplifier including: a first stage optical amplifier which amplifies the WDM optical signal and outputs the first stage amplified optical signal, an optical attenuator which controls a level of the first stage amplified WDM optical signal and outputs the controlled WDM optical signal, a second stage optical amplifier which amplifies the controlled WDM optical signal and outputs the amplified, controlled WDM optical signal, and a controller which controls the WDM optical signal to be amplified with an approximately constant gain. 13. An apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the optical amplifier amplifies the WDM optical signal with an approximately constant gain during variation of the number of channels in the WDM optical signal. 14. An apparatus as in claim 12, wherein an attenuation level of the optical attenuator is changed to control the level of the amplified WDM optical signal. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based on, and claims priority to, Japanese patent application 08-111447, filed May 2, 1996, in Japan, and which is incorporated herein by reference. This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/655,027, filed May 28, 1996, and which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fiber optic communication system which uses wavelength division multiplexing to transmit a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. More specifically, the present invention relates to a controller which controls an optical attenuator or an optical amplifier to change the power level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal when the number of channels are varied. 2. Description of the Related Art Wavelength division multiplexing is used in fiber optic communication systems to transfer a relatively large amount of data at a high speed. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional fiber optic communication system which uses wavelength division multiplexing to transmit, for example, four channels through a single optical fiber. Referring now to FIG. 1, transmitting units 20-1, 20-2, 20-3 and 20-4 transmit individual carriers having wavelengths λ1-λ4, respectively. Each carrier is modulated with information and represents an individual channel. The different carriers are multiplexed together by an optical multiplexer 22 into a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. The wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is transmitted through an optical fiber 24 to an optical demultiplexer 26. Optical demultiplexer 26 branches the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal into four separate optical signals having the wavelengths λ1-λ4, respectively. The four separate branched optical signals are then detected by receiving units 28-1, 28-2, 28-3 and 28-4, respectively. While the above optical fiber communication system multiplexes four carriers together, it is common practice to multiplex more than four carriers. More specifically, many different carriers may be multiplexed together. In this manner, a relatively large amount of data can be transmitted through an optical fiber. An optical amplifier (not illustrated) or an-optical repeater (not illustrated) is typically inserted between optical multiplexer 22 and optical demultiplexer 26, to amplify the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal travelling through optical fiber 24. Such an optical amplifier is typically a rare-earth doped optical fiber amplifier which directly amplifies the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. That is, a rare-earth doped optical fiber amplifier amplifies the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal without converting the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal into an electrical signal. Unfortunately, the use of a rare-earth doped optical fiber amplifier causes several problems when the number of channels in the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is varied. More specifically, during the variation (that is, before the variation in the number of channels is complete), the optical power of each channel can undesireably be varied, thereby causing non-linear degradation or S/N degradation of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical amplifying apparatus which reduces non-linear degradation and S/N degradation of a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal when the number of channels are varied. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus which includes an optical amplifier and a controller. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. The controller controls a power level of the amplified light signal in response to variations in the number of channels in the light signal. More specifically, objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a controller which (a) prior to, and subsequent to, varying the number of channels in the light signal, passes the amplified light signal with a varying light transmissivity so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level in accordance with the number of channels in the light signal, and, (b) while the number of channels in the-light signal is being varied, passes the amplified light signal with a constant light transmissivity. Objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing an apparatus which includes an optical amplifier, a controller, a demultiplexer and an automatic level control unit. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. The controller controls the amplified light signal in response to variations in the-number of channels in the light signal. The demultiplexer demultiplexes the controlled, amplified light signal into individual signals. The automatic level control unit controls the power level of a respective individual signal so that the power level of the individual signal is maintained to be approximately constant. Objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing an apparatus which includes an automatic level control unit and an optical fiber amplifier. The automatic level control unit maintains a power level of a light signal to be approximately constant and produces a corresponding output signal. The optical fiber amplifier amplifies the output signal of the automatic level control unit with a constant gain. Objects of the present invention are further achieved by providing an optical amplifier and a controller. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. Prior to, and subsequent to, varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller maintains a power level of the amplified light signal at an approximately constant level in accordance with the number of channels in the light signal. While the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, the controller amplifies the amplified light signal with an approximately constant gain. Moveover, objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus which includes an optical amplifier, an optical attenuator and a controller. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. The optical attenuator passes the amplified light signal and has a variable light transmissivity. Prior to varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller varies the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level that depends on the number of channels in the light signal prior to the varying the number of channels. While the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, the controller maintains the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator to be constant. Subsequent to varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller varies the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level that depends on the number of channels in the light signal subsequent to the varying the number of channels. Objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a method for controlling a light signal having a variable number of channels and amplified by an optical amplifier. The method includes the steps of: (a) prior to, and subsequent to, varying the number of channels in the light signal, passing the amplified light signal with a varying light transmissivity so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level in accordance with the number of channels in the light signal, and, (b) while the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, passing the amplified light signal with a constant light transmissivity. Objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a method for controlling a light signal having a variable number of channels and amplified by an optical amplifier, wherein the method includes the steps of: (a) prior to, and subsequent to, varying the number of channels in the light signal, maintaining a power level of the amplified light signal at an approximately constant level in accordance with the number of channels in the light signal, and, (b) while the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, amplifying the amplified light signal with an approximately constant gain. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: FIG. 1 (prior art) is a diagram illustrating a conventional fiber optic communication system. FIG. 2 (prior art) is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus for a fiber optic communication system which uses wavelength division multiplexing. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) are graphs illustrating the operation of the optical amplifying apparatus in FIG. 3, wherein the number of channels, N, in an optical signal is changed, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an automatic gain control circuit, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating automatic level control circuit, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a switching circuit of the automatic level control circuit in FIG. 6, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating an automatic level control circuit, according to additional embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to a still further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating modification to the optical amplifying apparatus illustrated in FIG. 16, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18(A) is a graph illustrating gain versus wavelength characteristics of a rare-earth-doped optical fiber (EDF) in an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18(B) is a graph illustrating the transmissivity of an optical filter in an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18(C) is a graph illustrating overall gain of the rare-earth-doped optical fiber (EDF) in FIG. 18(A) and the optical filter in FIG. 18(B), according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to a still further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 24 is a more detailed diagram of a portion of the optical amplifying apparatus in FIG. 23, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a fiber optic communication system employing an optical amplifying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is a more detailed diagram illustrating the optical amplifying apparatus of FIG. 25, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a transmission line employing a plurality of optical amplifying apparatuses, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 28 is a timing diagram illustrating the operation of an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating a portion of an optical communication system, according to an embodiment of the present invention. EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus for a fiber optic communication system which uses wavelength division multiplexing, and is similar to that disclosed in related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/655,027, which is incorporated herein by reference Referring now to FIG. 2, the optical amplifying apparatus includes a first part 1000 (sometimes referred to herein as a “rare-earth-doped optical fiber amplifier part”) and a second part 2000 (sometimes referred to herein as an “electrically-controlled optical device part”). First part 1000 includes a rare-earth-doped optical fiber (EDF) 34, optical branching couplers 361 and 362, optical isolators 381 and 382, photodiodes 401 and 402, an optical wavelength multiplexing coupler 42, a pump laser diode (LD) 44 and an automatic optical gain control circuit (AGC) 46. Second part 2000 includes optical branching coupler 363, an electrically-controlled variable optical attenuator (ATT) 48, a photodiode (PD) 403 and an automatic level control circuit (ALC) 50. Optical attenuator 48 is, for example, constructed of a magnetooptical element. However, many different types of variable optical attenuators can be used. A wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is fed to rare-earth-doped optical fiber 34 via optical branching coupler 361, optical isolator 38 and optical wavelength multiplexing coupler 42. A pump light beam is supplied by pump laser diode 44 to rare-earth-doped optical fiber 38 via optical wavelength multiplexing coupler 42. The wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is amplified by rare-earth-doped optical fiber 34 and input to optical attenuator 48 via optical isolator 382 and optical branching coupler 362. A portion of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal branched by optical branching coupler 361 is converted into an electrical signal by photodiode 401 and input to automatic optical gain control circuit 46. A portion of the amplified wavelength-multiplexed optical signal branched by optical branching coupler 362 is converted into an electrical signal by photodiode 402 and input to automatic optical gain control circuit 46. Pump laser diode 44 is controlled so as to maintain a ratio between a level of the input wavelength-multiplexed optical signal and a level of the amplified wavelength-multiplexed optical signal at a predetermined level. More specifically, optical gain control circuit 46 controls pump laser diode 44 so as to maintain, at a constant level, the ratio between the level of the input wavelength-multiplexed optical signal as converted into an electrical signal by the photodiode 401 and the level of the amplified wavelength-multiplexed optical signal as converted into an electrical signal by the photodiode 402. In this manner, first part 1000 conserves the wavelength dependence by controlling the optical gain at a constant level. A portion of an output wavelength-multiplexed optical signal branched by optical branching coupler 363 is converted into an electrical signal by photodiode 403 and input to automatic level control circuit 50. Optical attenuator 48 is controlled so as to maintain the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal at a predetermined level. More specifically, automatic level control circuit 50 controls optical attenuator 48 using the electrical signal derived by photodiode 403 from the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal, so as to maintain the output level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal at a constant level. Unfortunately, when an optical amplifying apparatus, as illustrated in FIG. 2, is used in a fiber optic communication system which uses wavelength division multiplexing, a variation in the number of channels used in the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal can cause significant problems. For example, a predetermined output optical power of an amplifier is generally required for each wavelength (channel) so as to ensure a desired S/N ratio in a receiver. Assuming there are a total of N channels, the total optical output Pc of a rare-earth-doped optical fiber amplifier for amplifying a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is controlled to be N×P. In the presence of a variation of +α or −α in the number of channels N, switching control is effected so that the total optical power is (N±α)P. Because the optical power for individual wavelengths (channels) varies due to the switching control, non-linear degradation or signal-to-noise (S/N) degradation may result. Further, in FIG. 2, the optical output of first part 1000 is to be maintained at a constant level by second part 2000. Therefore, when the optical output of first part 1000 exceeds a predetermined level, second part 2000 maintains the optical output at a constant level. As a result, the use of optical attenuator 48 will require an extra measure of amplification by first part 32, and the output power of pump laser diode 44 for maintaining the optical gain at a constant level should be controlled to be in an exponential relation to a variation in the level of the input wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a relatively high-capacity pump laser diode 44. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The optical amplifying apparatus includes a first part 1000 and a second part 2000. First part 1000 includes a rare-earth-doped optical fiber (EDF) 521, optical branching couplers 541 and 542, optical isolators 551 and 552, an optical wavelength multiplexing coupler 561, photodiodes (PD) 581 and 582, a pump laser diode (LD) 591, and an automatic gain control circuit (AGC) 601. First part 1000 amplifies a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal while conserving wavelength dependance. As an example, a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is typically in the 1.5 μm band. An erbium-doped optical fiber is known to amplify optical signals in this band, and is therefore used as rare-earth-doped optical fiber (EDF) 521. Moreover, to appropriately amplify a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal in the 1.5 μm band travelling through an erbium-doped optical fiber, it is known to use pump light of a 0.98 μm or 1.48 μm pump band. Therefore, pump laser diode (LD) 591 provides pump light in the 0.98 μm or 1.48 μm pump band. Moreover, FIG. 3 shows a forward pumping construction in which a pump light beam emitted by pump laser diode 591 travels through rare-earth-doped optical fiber 521 in the same direction as the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. However, a backward pumping construction could also be used, where a laser diode provides a pump light beam which travels through rare-earth-doped optical fiber 521 in the opposite direction as the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. Further, a bi-directional pumping construction could be used, where two laser diodes provide pump light which travels through rare-earth-doped optical fiber 521 in both directions through rare-earth-doped optical fiber 521. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to any specific type of directional pumping. Second part 2000 includes an electrically-controlled variable optical attenuator (ATT) 64, an automatic level control circuit (ALC) 66, optical branching coupler 543 and a photodiode (PD) 583. Second part 2000 controls the total optical output of a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal to be at a constant level, without conserving wavelength dependence. More specifically, -automatic level control circuit 66 varies the attenuation, or light transmissivity, of optical attenuator 64 so that the power of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal, as output from first part 1000, is maintained at a constant power level corresponding to the number of channels in the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. Moreover, when the number of channels in the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is being varied, a monitor signal processing circuit 70 causes the attenuation, or light transmissivity, of optical attenuator 64 to be maintained constant. Thus, monitor signal processing circuit 70 temporarily “freezes” the operation of optical attenuator 64. After the number of channels has been changed, monitor signal processing circuit 70 allows the attenuation, or light transmissivity, of optical attenuator 64 to be varied so that the power of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is maintained at a constant level in accordance with the new number of channels. More specifically, the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal input to the optical amplifying apparatus is branched by an optical branching coupler 681. The branched portion is provided to a photodiode (PD) 584. Photodiode (PD) 584 converts the branched portion into an electrical signal and provides the electrical signal to monitor signal processing circuit 70. A control signal, which warns of a variation in the number of channels in the wavelength-multiplexed optical transmission system, is superimposed on the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal preferably as a low-speed signal through an amplitude modulation process. However, other methods can be used to superimpose the control signal. Monitor signal processing circuit 70 extracts and identifies the control signal. Monitor signal processing circuit 70 then controls optical attenuator 64 or automatic level control circuit 66 in accordance with the extracted control signal. If amplitude modulation is used, it is relatively easy to extract the control signal by demodulating the electrical signal obtained by photodiode 584. Alternatively, the control signal may be transmitted to monitor signal processing circuit 70 on a dedicated control channel (wavelength). If a dedicated control channel is used, an optical branching filter (not illustrated) should extract the control signal out of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal (as branched by optical branching coupler 681). For example, by feeding the optical signal extracted by the optical branching filter to photodiode 584 so as to be converted into an electrical signal, it is possible to extract the control signal. Therefore, a portion of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal branched by optical branching coupler 681is converted into an electrical signal by photodiode 584 and fed to monitor signal processing circuit 70. Monitor signal processing circuit 70 “freezes” an operation of optical attenuator 64, when a control signal warning of a variation in the number of channels is extracted and identified. In order to ensure that the power level of the attenuated wavelength-multiplexed optical signal matches the number of channels, monitor signal processing circuit 70 causes a set voltage (reference voltage) to be selected. The power level can then be controlled to be at a constant level corresponding to the set voltage. Generally, there are two approaches for monitor signal processing circuit 70 to control optical attenuator 64. In one approach, optical attenuator 64 is directly controlled by monitor signal processing circuit 70, as illustrated by control signal 69 in FIG. 3. In an alternative approach, optical attenuator 64 is indirectly controlled by monitor signal processing circuit 70, as illustrated by control line 71 in FIG. 3. The number of channels may actually be increased or decreased after a warning for a change in the number of channels. In this instance, a control signal, which indicates the completion of the change in the number of channels, is superimposed on the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. Monitor signal processing circuit 70 then extracts the control signal. Alternatively, the control signal may be transmitted to monitor signal processing circuit 70 on a dedicated control channel (wavelength). Upon extracting and identifying the control signal, monitor signal processing circuit 70 allows optical attenuator 64 to resume its control for maintaining the power level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal at a constant level. Alternatively, instead of providing monitor signal processing circuit 70 with a control signal indicating the completion of the change in the number of channels, such completion can be assumed after a predetermined period of time elapses. More specifically, the number of channels may actually be increased or decreased after lapse of a predetermined period of time since the warning for a change in the number of channels is given. In this instance, after the control signal for giving warning of a variation in the number of channels is extracted and identified by monitor signal processing signal 70, a timer (not illustrated) is activated. When a predetermined period of time has passed, optical attenuator 64 is driven again to maintain the power level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal at a constant level. Whether a control signal or a predetermined period of time is used to indicate the completion of a variation in the number of channels, the set voltage (reference voltage) for controlling the power level is switched from one level to another in accordance with information relating to how many channels are added or removed. This information is preferably included in the control signal for warning of a variation in the number of channels. Therefore, by resuming the control for maintaining the total optical output power at a constant level, the optical output is maintained at a constant level that matches the number of channels. Therefore, in response to a change in the number of channels, optical attenuator 64 prevents a radical variation in the optical output power, by having its attenuation frozen at a constant level. At this time, second part 2000 no longer operates to maintain the power of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal at a constant level. After the number of channels is changed, optical attenuator 64 is again controlled to maintain the power of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal at a constant level. Optical attenuator 64 may gradually be driven so that a total output power corresponding to the number of channels is maintained. With this arrangement, it is possible to moderate a variation in the optical output and avoid non-linear degradation and S/N ratio degradation. FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) are graphs illustrating the operation of the optical amplifying apparatus in FIG.3, wherein the number of channels, N, in an optical signal is changed from, for example, four channels to eight channels: Referring now to FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), optical attenuator 64 has a variable light transmissivity, or attenuation, which is controlled by automatic level control circuit 66 an monitor signal processing circuit 70. In FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), a warning of a change in the number of channels is received at time t1, and the number of channels are increased at time t2. Before a warning of a change in the number of channels is received (that is, before time t1), automatic level control circuit 66 varies the light transmissivity of electrically-controlled variable optical attenuator 64 to provide a substantially constant optical signal power at the output of optical attenuator 64. Therefore, before time t1, second part 2000 performs automatic-level control (ALC). When a warning of a change in the number of channels is received (that is, at time t1), automatic level control circuit 66 maintains the light transmissivity of electrically-controlled variable optical attenuator 64 to be substantially constant. In this case, the output of optical attenuator 64 can be seen has having a constant gain which is provided, for example, by first part 1000 or by a later stage (not illustrated) which further amplifies the signal. Therefore, after time t1, automatic gain control (AGC), not automatic level control (ALC), is performed. At time t3, subsequent to a change in the number of channels, automatic level control circuit 66 varies the light transmissivity of electrically-controlled variable optical attenuator 64 to provide a substantially constant optical signal power at the output of optical attenuator 64. More specifically, after time t3, second part 2000 again performs automatic level control (ALC). As can be seen from FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), optical attenuator 64 is controlled to provide ALC. However, when the number of channels is being changed, ALC is halted. Instead, when the number of channels is being changed, optical attenuator 64 is controlled to provide a constant light transmissivity, or attenuation. The operation of optical attenuator 64 can be described as being “frozen” when the number of channels is being changed between times t1 and t3 in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B). As described above, between times t1 and t3, the output of optical attenuator 64 has a constant gain which is provided, for example, by first part 1000 or by a later stage (not illustrated) which further amplifies the signal. Alternatively, as disclosed in additional embodiments of the present invention described in more detail below, second part 2000 can be modified so that it provides a constant gain (instead of providing automatic level control) while the number of channels is being changed. In this case, second part 2000 could include a gain controlled amplifier to provide a constant gain for AGC between times t1 and t3. Therefore, as illustrated in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), an optical amplifying apparatus includes an optical amplifier (such as first part 1000) which amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. Prior to, and subsequent to, varying the number of channels in the light signal, a controller (such as second part 2000) passes the amplified light signal with a varying light transmissivity so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level in accordance with the number of channels in the light signal. Further, while the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, the controller passes the amplified light signal with a constant light transmissivity. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating automatic gain control circuit 601, for controlling an optical gain to be at a constant level. Referring now to FIG. 5, automatic gain control circuit 601 includes a divider 72, an operational amplifier 74, a transistor 76 and resistors R1-R6. Vcc is a power supply voltage, Vref is a reference voltage, and G is the earth or ground. As illustrated in FIG. 5, photodiode (PD) 581 converts a portion of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal into an electrical signal which is provided to divider 72. Photodiode (PD) 582 converts a portion of the amplified wavelength-multiplexed optical signal into an electrical signal which is provided to divider 72. In this manner, divider 72 obtains a ratio between the input and the output of rare-earth-doped optical fiber (EDF) 521. The pump light beam emitted by pump laser diode 591 can then be controlled to produce a constant ratio, thereby providing a constant gain. The configuration of automatic gain control circuit 601 in FIG. 5 is just one example of many possible configurations for an automatic gain control circuit. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating automatic level control circuit 66, for controlling an optical output at a constant level. Referring now to FIG. 6, automatic level control circuit 66 includes resistors R7-R9, an operational amplifier 78, a transistor 80, a switching circuit (SWC) 82 and a reference voltage circuit 84. Vcc is the power supply voltage, Vref is a reference voltage, G is the earth or ground, and cs1 and cs2 are control signals provided by monitor signal processing circuit 70. A control element 86 is a control element of optical attenuator 64 for controlling the transmissivity of optical attenuator 64. For example, if optical attenuator 64 is operated by a magnetooptical effect, control element 86 may be a coil for applying a magnetic field. Moreover, for example, if optical attenuator is operated by an opto-electrical effect, the control element 86 may be an electrode, where the voltage applied to the electrode is controlled. If a semiconductor optical amplifier is used instead of optical attenuator 64, a bias voltage for controlling the gain of the semiconductor optical amplifier can be controlled. A portion of the optical signal output from optical attenuator 64 (see FIG. 3) is branched by optical branching coupler 543 and converted into an electrical signal by photodiode (PD) 583. Then, in FIG. 6, operational amplifier 78 compares the electrical signal with the reference voltage (set voltage) Vref supplied by reference voltage circuit 84 in accordance with control signal CS1. A difference obtained as a result of the comparison is used to drive transistor 80. By controlling a current supplied to control element 86, the attenuation provided by optical attenuator 64 is controlled so that the optical output is maintained at a constant level. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating switching circuit 82. Referring now to FIG. 7, switching circuit 82 includes capacitors C1 and C2 which are individually selected with a switch SW that is controlled by the control signal CS2. Therefore, switching circuit 82 controls the frequency characteristic of automatic level control circuit 66. Moreover, switching circuit 82 controls optical attenuator 64 by controlling transistor 80 by following the level of the output wavelength-multiplexed optical signal with a predetermined frequency characteristic. The control signal cs2 from monitor signal processing circuit 70 changes the frequency characteristic by switching between capacitors C1 and C2 of switching circuit 82. The control signal cs1 switches between different levels of the reference voltages in accordance with the number of channels. More specifically, switching circuit 82, coupled with operational amplifier 78 (see FIG. 6) and resistors R7 (see FIG. 6) and R9 (see FIG. 6), forms a primary low-pass filter. The cut-off frequency, fc, of this primary low-pass filter is: fc=1/(2πR9·CSWC9), where CSWC is the selected capacitor C1 or C2. Therefore, by increasing the value of the capacitance CSWC, the control circuitry shown in FIG. 6 is operated at a lower frequency. That is, the response thereof is slowed down. Therefore, depending on the capacitance of the selected capacitor C1 or C2 of switching circuit 82, the filter cut-off frequency in the high-frequency zone can be changed. As an example, a preferably arrangement may be that the cut-off frequency, which is on the order of 10-100 kHz in the normal ALC operation, be switched to 0.01 Hz when optical attenuator 64 is controlled to provide a constant attenuation (for example, to thereby provide a constant gain when the channels are being switched). Ideally, the control of switching circuit 82 occurs gradually, but a gradual control requires that switching circuit 82 be constructed of a number of capacitors, instead of simply two capacitors. Referring to FIG. 6, the cut-off frequency is high before a warning of a change in channels is received. When a signal warning of a change in the number of channels is received, switching circuit 82 is controlled so that the cut-off frequency is lowered. Accordingly, the attenuation provided by optical attenuator 64 is fixed at an average level. After the change in channels is completed, switching circuit 82 is controlled so that the cut-off frequency is switched again to be high. For example, when monitor signal-processing circuit 70 extracts and identifies a control signal which warns of a variation in the number of channels, control signal cs2 is supplied to switching circuit 82 so that the frequency characteristic of automatic level control circuit 66 is switched to a low frequency zone. As a result, the following performance for following a variation in the signal detected by photodiode (PD) 583 is lowered. That is, the constant-level control of the optical output is temporarily frozen (for example, the light transmissivity of optical attenuator 64 is maintained to be constant). Further, control signal cs1 corresponds to the number of channels to be included in the optical signal, and monitor signal processing circuit 70 supplies the control signal cs1 to reference voltage circuit 84. Reference voltage circuit 84 then supplies a reference voltage Vref corresponding to the number of channels. Therefore, the total optical output power assumes a level matching the number of channels after the variation in the number of channels. For example, the reference voltage Vref is changed such that, when a total of α channels are added to the total of N original channels, the total optical output becomes (N+α)×P. Referring again to FIGS. 6 and 7, the value of the capacitance CSWC may be large enough to freeze the operation of optical attenuator 64. Generally, this purpose may be achieved if, for example, the cut-off frequency fc is dropped from 10 kHz to 0.01 Hz, thereby requiring a drop in the cut-off frequency fc by the factor of 10,000 to 100,000. Such a large drop can be difficult to achieve. Normally, the attenuation provided by optical attenuator 64 is varying from moment to moment to provide an ALC function and to compensate for a polarization variation. Therefore, abruptly fixing the attenuation of optical attenuator 64 at a certain level (such as when the number of channels are being changed) may cause problems. Instead, the attenuation is preferably maintained at an average level. More specifically, FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating automatic level control circuit 66, according to additional embodiments of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 8, a filter 90 for cutting off high frequencies (fc:˜10 KHz) and constructed of a capacitor and a resistor is provided between a switch 92 and transistor 80 so that the response of the automatic level control becomes adequate. For example, the time constant, typically on the order of sub-milliseconds, may be changed to the time constant on the order of 10-100 milliseconds. When the cut-off frequency fc is switched to the high-frequency zone, the filter response becomes quick so that a comparatively high-speed variation, such as a polarization variation, can be cancelled and the output of optical attenuator 64 is maintained constant. More specifically, in FIG. 8, a latch circuit 94 which has a low-pass filter (fc:˜0.01 Hz) stores a voltage corresponding to an average level of the current in control element 86. During an ALC operation, switching of the control loop occurs so that the control loop for controlling the drive current at a constant level is initiated. That is, when the switching of the control loop occurs, the voltage corresponding to the average level of the current is latched in latch circuit 94 so as to serve as a reference voltage. The term “average level” is used because the bias current has a time-dependent variation in order to maintain the level of the beam input to photodiode (PD) 583 at a constant level. More specifically, the voltage obtained by integration using a more extended integral time than that provided by the time constant of the normal control loop is latched in latch circuit 94. Latch circuit 94 may be a circuit for reading the value of the driving current (provided by transistor 80) via an A/D converter, registering the read value and-outputting the registered value via a D/A converter. FIG. 9 is a combination of FIGS. 6 and 8. Referring now to FIG. 9, the capacitance CSWC is switched by switching circuit 82 to cause the cut-off frequency fc to be shifted to a low-frequency zone, to thereby slow the filter response. Thereupon, latch circuit 94 controls the attenuation to the average based on a monitored value. More specifically, in FIG. 9, switching of the control loop is made to occur after increasing the time constant of the normal control loop according to the control illustrated in FIG. 6, so as to reduce an effect caused in the ALC characteristic as a result of the switching of the control loop. As has been described above, monitor signal processing circuit 70 may receive a control signal for reporting completion of a variation in the number of channels after it receives a control signal for giving warning of a variation in the number of channels. Alternatively, however, monitor signal processing circuit 70 may not receive a control signal when the variation in the number of channels is complete. In this case, a timer (not illustrated) would be activated after the control signal for giving warning of a variation in the number of channels is extracted and identified. The control signal cs2 returns switching circuit 82 to the original frequency characteristic after the control signal for reporting a completion of a variation in the number of channels is received, or after a predetermined period of time has passed. Thereupon, the constant optical output control is resumed in accordance with the new reference voltage Vref set by reference voltage circuit 84. The control for maintaining the total optical output at a constant level that corresponds to the number of channels may be resumed in a gradual manner. For example, the output signal of photodiode (PD) 583 may be input to operational amplifier 78 via a time constant circuit 96, or reference voltage Vref may be gradually varied to assume a level that corresponds to the number of channels. While the above-described arrangement ensures that the frequency characteristic is switched as a result of the control effected by switching circuit 82 so that the constant-level control of the optical output is frozen, it is also possible to hold the signal output by photodiode (PD) 583 when the control signal for giving warning of a variation in the number of channels is extracted and identified. In this instance, the held value is input to operational amplifier 78 so that the constant-level control of the optical output is frozen. Other arrangements for freezing the constant-level control of the optical output are also possible. While it is assumed that the electrically-controlled optical device part is constructed using optical attenuator 64, a semiconductor optical amplifier can be used instead of optical attenuator 64. The semiconductor optical amplifier should have a small wavelength dependence. By controlling the semiconductor optical amplifier, the total optical output may be controlled at a constant level. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 10, the optical amplifying apparatus includes first part 1000, second part 2000 and a third part 3000. Third part 3000 includes a rare-earth-doped optical fiber (EDF) 522, an optical branching coupler 544, an optical wavelength multiplexing coupler 562, optical isolators 553 and 554, a photodiode (PD) 585, a pump laser diode (LD) 592 and an automatic gain control circuit (AGC) 602. Third part 3000 also shares optical branching coupler 543 and the photodiode (PD) 583 with second part 2000. As with first part 1000, third part 3000 controls an optical gain to be at a constant level. More specifically, second part 2000 controls the power level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal received by third part 3000 to be at a constant power level. As a result, the optical output power level of third part 3000 is also maintained at a constant power level. Even when the optical signal level is attenuated by optical attenuator 64 of second part 2000, amplification provided by third part 3000 ensures that a desired total optical output is obtained. Therefore, pump laser diode 591 of first part 1000 and pump laser diode 592 of third part 3000 can each have a relatively small capacity, thereby reducing the cost and stabilization of the amplifying apparatus. Although FIG. 10 shows second part 2000 and third part 3000 sharing optical branching coupler 543 and photodiode (PD) 583, it is also possible to provide a separate optical branching coupler and a separate photodiode in each of the second part 2000 and the third part 3000. Automatic gain control circuits 601 and 602 may have the same configuration. Moreover, the optical gains provided by first part 1000 and third part 3000 may be identical. Alternatively, the gains may be varied according to the characteristics of a transmission optical fiber used in third part 3000. In the event of a variation in the number of channels, the optical attenuation provided by optical attenuator 64 is frozen directly by monitor signal processing circuit 70, or by monitor signal processing circuit 70 controlling automatic level control circuit 66. Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, it is ensured that a variation in the optical output in response to a variation in the number of channels is restricted so that non-linear degradation and S/N ratio degradation are reduced. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 11, the optical amplifying apparatus includes first part 1000, second part 2000 and third part 3000, which are the same as that show in FIG. 10. However, the optical amplifying apparatus in FIG. 11 also includes an automatic level control (ALC) correction circuit 98 for controlling and correcting automatic level control circuit 66 of second part 2000. More specifically, a portion of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal output by optical attenuator 64 is branched by optical branching coupler 543, converted into an electrical signal by photodiode (PD) 583 and input to automatic level control circuit 66. Automatic level control circuit 66 controls optical attenuator 64 so that the total optical output power of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is maintained at a constant level. However, the optical output power of the output wavelength-multiplexed optical signal in third part 3000 is not fed to automatic level control circuit 66. Therefore, it cannot be ensured that the total optical output in the third part 3000 is maintained within a predetermined range. Accordingly, a portion of the output wavelength multiplexed optical signal in the third part 3000 is converted into an electrical signal by photodiode (PD) 585 and input to ALC correction circuit 98 as well as to automatic gain control circuit 602. ALC correction circuit 98 determines whether or not the total optical output power is maintained within the predetermined range. If the total optical output power is not within the predetermined range, ALC correction circuit 98 controls automatic level control circuit 66 which, in turn, controls optical attenuator 64 to maintain the total optical output power within the predetermined range. If a semiconductor optical amplifier is used in place of optical attenuator 64, automatic level control circuit 66 controls the gain of the semiconductor optical amplifier so that the total optical output in third part 3000 is maintained within the predetermined level. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The optical amplifying apparatus in FIG. 12 is a combination of the optical amplifying apparatuses in FIGS. 10 and 11. Referring now to FIG. 12, in the event of a variation in the number of channels, monitor signal processing circuit 70 temporarily freezes the control effected by second part 2000 for controlling the optical output at a constant level, so that a variation in the optical output is reduced. Further, ALC correction circuit 98 controls automatic level control circuit 66 so as to maintain the total optical output power in third part 3000 within a predetermined range. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention. The optical amplifying apparatus in FIG. 13 operates in a similar manner as previously described embodiments of the present invention, but also includes an optical branching coupler. 545, a photodiode (PD) 586, a dispersion compensation fiber (DCF) 100 and a dispersion compensation fiber (DCF) loss correction circuit 102. Optical branching coupler 545 and photodiode (PD) 586 can be considered to be included in third part 3000. Dispersion compensation fiber 100 is connected between second part 2000 and third part 3000. DCF loss correction circuit 102 controls automatic level control circuit 66. In a long-distance, high-capacity, wavelength-multiplexing optical transmission system, dispersion compensation in relation to the dispersion level of the transmission optical fiber and the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is necessary. For this reason, dispersion compensation fiber 100 is provided. However, insertion loss due to a distribution compensation optical fiber can cause problems. More specifically, a variation in a loss due to the distribution compensation optical fiber causes a variation in the optical output of repeaters which include wavelength-multiplexed optical fiber amplifiers. Therefore, by measuring a loss due to dispersion compensation fiber 100 and setting automatic level control circuit 66 so as to compensate for the loss, optical attenuator 64 is controlled to provide a constant optical output. The loss due to dispersion compensation optical fiber 100 is likely to vary depending on a level of dispersion compensation. Accordingly, even with the constant optical output control effected by automatic level control circuit 66, the level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal input to third part 3000 may vary. Therefore, a portion of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal output by dispersion compensation optical fiber 100 and branched by optical branching coupler 545 is converted into an electrical signal by photodiode (PD) 586. The electrical signal is input to DCF loss correction circuit 102 as well as to automatic gain control circuit 602. DCF loss correction circuit 102 determines whether or not the level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal output by dispersion compensation fiber 100 is within a predetermined range. If the level is outside the predetermined range, DCF loss correction circuit 102 supplies a correction signal to automatic level control circuit 66. For example, the reference voltage (set voltage) for constant control of the optical output is corrected such that the optical output power is within the predetermined range. Therefore, a variation in insertion loss that results in a construction where dispersion compensation fiber 100 compensates for the dispersion in the transmission optical fiber is corrected, and a predetermined output level of the amplified wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is obtained. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 14, when monitor signal processing circuit 70 extracts and identifies a control signal for giving warning of a variation in the number of channels, the operation of optical attenuator 64 is frozen (that is, the transmissivity or the attenuation is maintained to be constant), so that a rapid variation in the optical signal level is restricted. DCF loss correction circuit 102 controls automatic level control circuit 66 so as to correct a loss that varies depending on the level of dispersion compensation provided by dispersion compensation fiber 100. Thus, the level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal input to third part 3000 is maintained within a predetermined range. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 15, dispersion compensation fiber 100 compensates for dispersion in the transmission optical fiber, DCF loss correction circuit 102 corrects a variation in the loss depending on the level of compensation provided by dispersion compensation fiber 100, and ALC correction circuit 98 controls automatic level control circuit 66 so as to maintain the level of the output wavelength-multiplexed optical signal in third part 3000 within a predetermined range. Thus, the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal in the wavelength-multiplexed optical transmission system is amplified, relayed and transmitted in a stable manner. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to a still further embodiment of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 16, monitor signal processing circuit 70 controls optical attenuator 64 or automatic level control circuit 66 upon extracting and identifying a control signal for giving warning of a variation in the number of channels, so as to freeze constant-level control of the optical output. In this manner, a rapid variation in the level of the optical output is restricted. Further, DCF loss correction circuit 102 controls automatic level control circuit 66 so as to correct a variation in the loss that depends on the level of dispersion provided by dispersion compensation optical fiber 100. ALC correction circuit 98 controls automatic level control circuit 66 so as to maintain the output wavelength-multiplexed optical signal in third part 3000 within a predetermined range. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating modification to the optical amplifying apparatus illustrated in FIG. 16, according to an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, in FIG. 17, an optical filter A1 is provided between the output of optical isolator 552 and optical branching coupler 542, at the input of photodiode (PD) 582. Also, an optical filter A2 is provided between the output of optical isolator 554 and optical branching coupler 544, at the input of photodiode (PD) 585. Optical filters A1 and A2 are optical filters as disclosed, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/655,027, which is incorporated herein by reference, for correcting wavelength dependency of the gain. FIG. 18 (A) is a graph illustrating gain versus wavelength characteristics of rare-earth-doped optical fiber (EDF) 522 in FIG. 17, FIG. 18(B) is a graph illustrating the transmissivity versus wavelength of optical filter A2 in FIG. 17, and FIG. 18(C) is a graph illustrating overall gain of rare-earth-doped optical fiber (EDF) 522 and optical filter A2 in FIG. 17, according to an embodiment of the present invention. If, for example, rare-earth-doped optical fiber (EDF) 522 has a wavelength-dependent gain characteristic as shown in FIG. 18(A), wherein the gain is higher in the long wavelength range, providing a gain correction optical filter A2 at the input of photodiode (PD) 585 ensures that the amplifier has an even gain with respect to wavelength. Providing optical filter A2 ensures that photodiode (PD) 585 receives the corrected multi-wavelength signal so that the unfavorable sensitivity characteristic, wherein the signal sensitivity is low in the short wavelength range and high in the long wavelength range, is corrected. Optical filters A1 and/or A2 may or may not be provided, depending on the use of rare-earth-doped optical fibers (EDF) 521 and 522. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 19, the positioning of the first part 1000 and the second part 2000 are essentially switched. Therefore, a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is controlled to have a constant power level by second part 2000, and is then controlled by first part 1000 to have a constant gain. More specifically, an input wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is transmitted to optical attenuator 64. The wavelength-multiplexed optical signal output from optical attenuator 64 is transmitted to rare-earth-doped optical fiber 521 via optical isolator 551 and optical wavelength multiplexing coupler 561. The amplified wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is output via optical isolator 552 and optical branching coupler 542. A portion of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal branched by optical branching coupler 541 is converted into an electrical signal by photodiode 581 and fed to automatic level control circuit 66 and automatic gain control circuit 601. Automatic level control circuit 66 controls the optical attenuation provided by optical attenuator 64 so that the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal has its level controlled to be within a predetermined range and is then transmitted to first part 1000. A portion of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal branched by optical branching coupler 542 is converted into an electrical signal by photodiode 582 and transmitted to automatic gain control circuit 601. Automatic gain control circuit 601 controls pump laser diode 591 so that a ratio between a level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal input to, and output from, rare-earth-doped optical fiber 521 is maintained at a constant level. Therefore, second part 2000 causes the power level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal to be constant even when a signal input via a transmission optical fiber varies greatly. As a result, a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal having a constant level is input to first part 1000. Accordingly, automatic gain control circuit 601 may have a small control zone and a relatively simple construction. Further, since the power level of the optical signal input to rare-earth-doped optical fiber 521 is prevented from exceeding a predetermined level, it is not necessary to raise the level of the pump laser beam supplied by pump laser diode 591. That is, pump laser diode 591 may have a small capacity. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention. The optical amplifying apparatus illustrated in FIG. 20 is similar to the optical amplifying apparatus in FIG. 19, but also includes optical branching coupler 543, photodiode (PD) 583 and monitor signal processing circuit 70. Referring now to FIG. 20, a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal supplied via a transmission optical fiber is input to variable optical attenuator 64 and has a portion branched by optical branching coupler 543, converted into an electrical signal by photodiode 583 and input to monitor signal processing circuit 70. A control signal for giving warning of a variation in the number of channels may be superimposed on the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal by amplitude modulation or transmitted on a dedicated control channel. Upon extracting and identifying the control signal for giving warning of a variation in the number of channels, monitor signal processing circuit 70 controls automatic level control circuit 66 and retains the optical attenuation provided by optical attenuator 64 at the current level (thereby freezing the operation of optical attenuator 64) so that the optical output power is no longer maintained at a constant level. When the change in the number of channels is completed, monitor signal processing circuit 70 allows optical attenuator 64 to resume its control for maintaining the optical output power at a constant level. With this arrangement, it is possible to reduce or eliminate a rapid variation in the power level of the optical signal. FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to a further embodiment of the present invention. The optical amplifying apparatus illustrated in FIG. 21 is similar to the optical amplifying apparatus in FIG. 19, but includes ALC correction circuit 98. ALC correction circuit 98 determines whether or not the power level of the output wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is within a predetermined range. If the power level is not within the predetermined range, ALC correction circuit 98 controls automatic level control circuit 66 so that the optical attenuation provided by optical attenuator 64 causes the output wavelength-multiplexed optical signal to have a power level within a predetermined range. FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to a still further embodiment of the present invention. The optical amplifying apparatus illustrated in FIG. 22 is a combination of the optical amplifying apparatuses illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21. Referring now to FIG. 22, ALC correction circuit 98 controls automatic level control circuit 66 so that the power level of the output wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is within a predetermined range. Upon extracting and identifying a control signal for giving warning of a variation in the number of channels, monitor signal processing circuit 70 freezes the automatic level control function so that the optical output power is not longer maintained at a constant level. FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 23, instead of controlling (freezing) the optical attenuator 64 so as to provide a constant attenuation when the number of channels is varied, the optical amplifier as a whole is changed to the AGC mode when the number of channels is varied. Such a change can be achieved by controlling the ratio between the input to, and the output from, optical attenuator 64, to be at a constant level. Such an operation is tantamount to maintaining the gain G (0≦G≦1) of optical attenuator 64 or the light transmissivity of optical attenuator 64 at a constant level. Therefore, in FIG. 23, a switch 104 is controlled by monitor signal processing circuit 70 to switch between automatic level control provided by automatic level control circuit 66 and automatic gain control provided by an automatic gain control circuit 603. More specifically, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 4(A), monitor signal processing circuit 70 causes switch 104 to select automatic level control circuit 66 prior to, and subsequent to, a variation in the number of channels. While the number of channels is being varied, monitor signal processing circuit 70 causes switch 104 to select automatic gain control circuit 603. FIG. 23 also illustrates a laser diode (LD) 105 which is controlled by monitor signal processing circuit 70 to transmit information to downstream optical components, such as downstream optical repeaters. For example, as described in more detail further below, laser diode (LD) 105 can be used by monitor signal processing circuit 70 to transmit information to downstream optical components. FIG. 24 is a more detailed diagram of the optical amplifying apparatus in FIG. 23. Referring now to FIG. 24, the operation is as follows: (1) Normally (that is, when the number of channels are not being varied), switch 104 selects automatic level control circuit 66 so that the power level of light output from optical attenuator 64 is monitored and maintained at a constant level. (2) When monitor signal processing circuit 70 receives a signal warning of a change in the number of channels, a gain monitoring signal 107 of automatic gain control circuit 603 is read so that an average gain (attenuation) with respect to a time constant on the order of 10-100 ms is determined. (3) A reference voltage VAGC corresponding to the average gain determined in (2) is output from monitor signal processing circuit 70 to automatic gain control circuit 603. (4) Switch 104 then selects automatic gain control circuit 603. (5) Monitor signal processing circuit 70 receives information indicating the new number of channels to be included in the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. (6) Monitors signal processing circuit 70 provides to automatic level control circuit 66 a reference voltage VALC corresponding to the new number of channels. (7) Monitor signal processing circuit 70 receives a signal indicating that the variation in the number of channels is complete. Alternatively, a predetermined period of time lapses from the receipt of the signal warning of the change in the number of channels. (8) Switch 104 selects automatic level control circuit 66. The relationship between an attenuation provided by optical attenuator 64 and a driving current of control element 86 provided by transistor 80 may depend on a parameter such as an operating temperature, but is generally a one-to-one relationship. Therefore, (2), above, may be replaced by a process whereby the driving current is monitored (with respect to the time constant on the order of 10-100 ms) so as to determine an average gain (attenuation) based on the monitored driving current. The driving current may be controlled so that its average level is maintained constant. FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a fiber optical communication system employing an optical amplifying apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 25, a transmitter (Tx) 108 transmits an SV light beam to a receiver (Rx) 110, where an SV light beam is light that is wavelength-multiplexed with a main signal. The main signal is used to transmit information downstream. An optical amplifier (O-AMP) 112 amplifies the SV light beam. Main signal control 114 and monitor signal processing 116 are performed. FIG. 26 is a more detailed diagram illustrating an optical amplifying apparatus which includes optical amplifier 112, main signal control 114 and monitor signal processing 116 of FIG. 25. The optical amplifying apparatus in FIG. 26 is similar to the optical amplifying apparatus in FIG. 3, but includes laser diode (LD) 105 for sending an SV light beam downstream. More specifically, monitor signal processing circuit 70 inserts, in the SV light beam, information indicating when the attenuation, or light transmissivity, of the optical attenuator 64 will be held constant, or “frozen”. The SV light beam, carrying that information, is transmitted by laser diode (LD) 105 to the transmission line. FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a transmission line employing a plurality of optical amplifying apparatuses, according to embodiments of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 27, a wavelength-multiplexed optical communication system includes transmitters Tx 120, wavelength-multiplexed optical fiber amplifiers/repeaters OAMPs 122 and receivers Rx 124. When a variation in the number of channels is processed, all the OAMPs 122 in the upstream (or downstream) line in the system are set into a constant optical gain control. A wavelength-multiplexed optical postamplifier (not illustrated) that may be provided in each transmitter Tx 120 and a wavelength-multiplexed optical preamplifier (not illustrated) that may be provided in each receiver Rx 124 are also set into a constant gain control. When all OAMPS 122 are in a constant gain control state, the power of an optical signal fed to a light receiving element in receivers Rx 124 may vary. In a transmission line having optical amplifying apparatuses as illustrated in FIG. 25-27, it is possible to determine whether or not all the optical fiber amplifiers in the path managed by a receiving end (Rx) on the transmission line have their attenuation fixed and their optical gain maintained at a constant level. Once it is determined that all the optical fiber amplifiers have their optical gain maintained at a constant level, information indicating the same is sent to the transmitting end (Tx) via the backward path, whereupon a variation in the number of channels can be started. The following is an example of the operation flow in a transmission line having optical amplifying apparatuses as illustrated in FIGS. 25-27, for processing a variation in the number of channels. (1) A signal warning of a variation in the number of channels is issued from the upstream SV transmitting end (SVTx). (2) Monitor signal processing circuit 70 of each OAMP receives the signal warning of the variation in the number of channels. (3) Each OAMP starts “freezing” the operation of the associated optical attenuator. (4) Each OAMP completes a freezing operation of the associated optical attenuator and sends downstream information indicating that the constant optical gain control is started by carrying that information on the monitor signal (an identification number for identifying the individual OAMPs is also inserted on the monitor signal). (5) The upstream SV receiving end (SVRx) acknowledges that all of the upstream OAMPS are in the constant optical gain state. (6) The downstream SV transmitting end (SVTx) announces that all the upstream OAMPs are in the constant optical gain state. (7) The downstream SV receiving end (SVRx) acknowledges that all the upstream OAMPS are in the constant optical gain state. (8) The upstream transmitting end (Tx) actually varies the number of channels. (9) The upstream SV transmitting end (SVTx) issues information indicating that the variation in the number of channels is completed. (10) The monitor signal processing circuit 70 in each OAMP receives the information indicating that the variation in the number of channels is completed. (11) Each OAMP cancels the freezing operation for freezing the operation of the associated optical attenuator and proceeds to the constant optical output control. (12) Each OAMP sends downstream information indicating that a shift to the constant optical output control is completed, in the form of the monitor signal (an identification signal identifying the individual-OAMPs is also sent). (13) The upstream SV receiving end (SVRx) receives the information indicating that all the OAMPs have processed the variation in the number of channels. (14) The information indicating that all of the OAMPs have processed the variation in the number of channels is sent to the transmitting end. FIG. 28 is a timing diagram illustrating the above-described operation flow. Therefore, in the processing of the variation in the number of channels, a wavelength-multiplexed optical fiber amplifier is temporarily stopped from performing an automatic level control function and, instead, is made to perform a constant gain control function, or to cause the optical amplifying apparatus, as a whole, to perform a constant gain function. However, in an optical communication system, it is usually necessary to maintain the power of an optical signal supplied to a light receiving element at a constant level. Although a variation in the input power due to polarization variation occurs under conventional circumstances, the control for maintaining the optical gain of the optical fiber amplifier at a constant level causes the power of the optical signal supplied to the light receiving element to vary. This problem can be overcome by demultiplexing the optical signal into individual channels, and controlling the power level of the individual demultiplexed channels. More specifically, FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating a portion of an optical communication system, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 29, a demultiplexer (DEMUX) 125 demultiplexes a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal into individual channels to be received by individual receivers 126. An optical preamplifier 127 and an automatic level control unit 128 is provided for each channel, so that the associated receiver 126 receives an optical signal at a constant power level. According to the above embodiments of the present invention, an optical attenuator or an optical amplifier can be controlled to provide a constant gain while the number of channels in a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal are being varied. In this case, the gain G can be in the range (0≦G≦1). Thus, an optical attenuator can be controlled to provide a constant gain by maintaining a constant ratio between the input and the output of the optical attenuator. According to the above embodiments of the present invention, a rare-earth doped optical fiber used in an optical amplifier, where the dopant is erbium (Er). However, the present invention is not intended to be limited to an erbium (Er) doped optical fiber. Instead, other rare-earth-doped optical fibers, such as a neodymium(Nd)-doped optical fiber or a praseodymium(Pd)-doped optical fiber, may also be used, depending on the wavelength involved. Further, for example, the various photodiodes disclosed herein can be replaced by phototransistors. According to the above embodiments of the present invention, specific embodiments of automatic gain control circuits and automatic level control circuits are disclosed. However, the present invention is not intended to be limited to any specific circuit configuration for these circuits, or for other circuits disclosed herein. Instead, many different circuit configuration can be used. Moreover, according to the above embodiments of the present invention, an optical attenuation is used to provide a variable attenuation. There are many different types of known optical attenuators, and the embodiments of the present invention are not intended to be limited to any specific type of optical attenuator. Although a few preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fiber optic communication system which uses wavelength division multiplexing to transmit a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. More specifically, the present invention relates to a controller which controls an optical attenuator or an optical amplifier to change the power level of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal when the number of channels are varied. 2. Description of the Related Art Wavelength division multiplexing is used in fiber optic communication systems to transfer a relatively large amount of data at a high speed. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional fiber optic communication system which uses wavelength division multiplexing to transmit, for example, four channels through a single optical fiber. Referring now to FIG. 1 , transmitting units 20 - 1 , 20 - 2 , 20 - 3 and 20 - 4 transmit individual carriers having wavelengths λ 1 -λ 4 , respectively. Each carrier is modulated with information and represents an individual channel. The different carriers are multiplexed together by an optical multiplexer 22 into a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. The wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is transmitted through an optical fiber 24 to an optical demultiplexer 26 . Optical demultiplexer 26 branches the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal into four separate optical signals having the wavelengths λ 1 -λ 4 , respectively. The four separate branched optical signals are then detected by receiving units 28 - 1 , 28 - 2 , 28 - 3 and 28 - 4 , respectively. While the above optical fiber communication system multiplexes four carriers together, it is common practice to multiplex more than four carriers. More specifically, many different carriers may be multiplexed together. In this manner, a relatively large amount of data can be transmitted through an optical fiber. An optical amplifier (not illustrated) or an-optical repeater (not illustrated) is typically inserted between optical multiplexer 22 and optical demultiplexer 26 , to amplify the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal travelling through optical fiber 24 . Such an optical amplifier is typically a rare-earth doped optical fiber amplifier which directly amplifies the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. That is, a rare-earth doped optical fiber amplifier amplifies the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal without converting the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal into an electrical signal. Unfortunately, the use of a rare-earth doped optical fiber amplifier causes several problems when the number of channels in the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is varied. More specifically, during the variation (that is, before the variation in the number of channels is complete), the optical power of each channel can undesireably be varied, thereby causing non-linear degradation or S/N degradation of the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical amplifying apparatus which reduces non-linear degradation and S/N degradation of a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal when the number of channels are varied. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus which includes an optical amplifier and a controller. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. The controller controls a power level of the amplified light signal in response to variations in the number of channels in the light signal. More specifically, objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a controller which (a) prior to, and subsequent to, varying the number of channels in the light signal, passes the amplified light signal with a varying light transmissivity so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level in accordance with the number of channels in the light signal, and, (b) while the number of channels in the-light signal is being varied, passes the amplified light signal with a constant light transmissivity. Objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing an apparatus which includes an optical amplifier, a controller, a demultiplexer and an automatic level control unit. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. The controller controls the amplified light signal in response to variations in the-number of channels in the light signal. The demultiplexer demultiplexes the controlled, amplified light signal into individual signals. The automatic level control unit controls the power level of a respective individual signal so that the power level of the individual signal is maintained to be approximately constant. Objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing an apparatus which includes an automatic level control unit and an optical fiber amplifier. The automatic level control unit maintains a power level of a light signal to be approximately constant and produces a corresponding output signal. The optical fiber amplifier amplifies the output signal of the automatic level control unit with a constant gain. Objects of the present invention are further achieved by providing an optical amplifier and a controller. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. Prior to, and subsequent to, varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller maintains a power level of the amplified light signal at an approximately constant level in accordance with the number of channels in the light signal. While the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, the controller amplifies the amplified light signal with an approximately constant gain. Moveover, objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus which includes an optical amplifier, an optical attenuator and a controller. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. The optical attenuator passes the amplified light signal and has a variable light transmissivity. Prior to varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller varies the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level that depends on the number of channels in the light signal prior to the varying the number of channels. While the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, the controller maintains the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator to be constant. Subsequent to varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller varies the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level that depends on the number of channels in the light signal subsequent to the varying the number of channels. Objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a method for controlling a light signal having a variable number of channels and amplified by an optical amplifier. The method includes the steps of: (a) prior to, and subsequent to, varying the number of channels in the light signal, passing the amplified light signal with a varying light transmissivity so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level in accordance with the number of channels in the light signal, and, (b) while the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, passing the amplified light signal with a constant light transmissivity. Objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a method for controlling a light signal having a variable number of channels and amplified by an optical amplifier, wherein the method includes the steps of: (a) prior to, and subsequent to, varying the number of channels in the light signal, maintaining a power level of the amplified light signal at an approximately constant level in accordance with the number of channels in the light signal, and, (b) while the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, amplifying the amplified light signal with an approximately constant gain. | 20041004 | 20070605 | 20050303 | 81630.0 | 3 | HUGHES, DEANDRA M | CONTROLLER WHICH CONTROLS A VARIABLE OPTICAL ATTENUATOR TO CONTROL THE POWER LEVEL OF A WAVELENGTH-MULTIPLEXED OPTICAL SIGNAL WHEN THE NUMBER OF CHANNELS ARE VARIED | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,956,121 | ACCEPTED | System and method for managing transfer of rights using shared state variables | A method, system and device for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, including obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived from the meta-; determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights; and deriving at least one right from the derivable rights, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, wherein the derived right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the derived right. | 1. A method for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, the method comprising: obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived from the meta-rights; determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights; and deriving at least one right from the derivable rights, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, wherein the derived right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the derived right. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable inherits a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable shares a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer with the set of rights. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable inherits a remaining state for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable is updated upon exercise of a right associated with the state variable. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving a plurality of rights from the derivable rights, wherein the state variable is shared by the derived rights. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable represents a collection of states. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of state variables that determine the state of the derived right. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one state variable is unspecified in the derived right, is created during a rights transfer, and is assigned to the derived right. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the state variable is transferred from the derivable rights to the derived right. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a license including the derived right, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights. 12. A system for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, the system comprising: means for obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived from the meta-rights; means for determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights; and means for deriving at least one right from the derivable rights, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, wherein the derived right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the derived right. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable inherits a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights. 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable shares a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer with the set of rights. 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable inherits a remaining state for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights. 16. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable is updated upon exercise of a right associated with the state variable. 17. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for deriving a plurality of rights from the derivable rights, wherein the state variable is shared by the derived rights. 18. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable represents a collection of states. 19. The system of claim 12, including a plurality of state variables that determine the state of the derived right. 20. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one state variable is unspecified in the derived right, is created during a rights transfer, and is assigned to the derived right. 21. The system of claim 12, wherein the state variable is transferred from the derivable rights to the derived right. 22. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for generating a license including the derived right, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights. 23. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for obtaining, the means for determining, and the means for deriving comprise at least one of computer-executable instructions, and devices of a computer system. 24. A device for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, the device comprising: means for obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived from the meta-rights; means for determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights; and means for deriving at least one right from the derivable rights, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, wherein the derived right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the derived right. 25. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable inherits a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights. 26. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable shares a state thereof for content usage or rights transfer with the set of rights. 27. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable inherits a remaining state for content usage or rights transfer from the set of rights. 28. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable is updated upon exercise of a right associated with the state variable. 29. The device of claim 24, further comprising means for deriving a plurality of rights from the derivable rights, wherein the state variable is shared by the derived rights. 30. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable represents a collection of states. 31. The device of claim 24, including a plurality of state variables that determine the state of the derived right. 32. The device of claim 24, wherein the at least one state variable is unspecified in the derived right, is created during a rights transfer, and is assigned to the derived right. 33. The device of claim 24, wherein the state variable is transferred from the derivable rights to the derived right. 34. The device of claim 24, further comprising means for generating a license including the derived right, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights. 35. The device of claim 24, wherein the means for obtaining, the means for determining, and the means for deriving comprise at least one of computer-executable instructions, and devices of a computer system. 36. The device of claim 24, wherein one or more of the means for obtaining, the means for determining, and the means for deriving are specified in a license. | RELATED APPLICATION DATA This application is a continuation-in-part application of co-pending application Ser. No. 10/162,701 filed on Jun. 6, 2002, which claims benefit from U.S. provisional applications Ser. Nos. 60/331,624, 60/331,623, and 60/331,621 filed on Nov. 20, 2001, and U.S. provisional applications Ser. Nos. 60/296,113, 60/296,117, and 60/296,118 filed on Jun. 7, 2001, the entire disclosures of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to rights transfer and more particularly to a method, system and device for managing transfer of rights using shared state variables. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One of the most important issues impeding the widespread distribution of digital works (i.e. documents or other content in forms readable by computers), via electronic means, and the Internet in particular, is the current lack of ability to enforce the intellectual property rights of content owners during the distribution and use of digital works. Efforts to resolve this problem have been termed “Intellectual Property Rights Management” (“IPRM”), “Digital Property Rights Management” (“DPRM”), “Intellectual Property Management” (“IPM”), “Rights Management” (“RM”), and “Electronic Copyright Management” (“ECM”), collectively referred to as “Digital Rights Management (DRM)” herein. There are a number of issues to be considered in effecting a DRM System. For example, authentication, authorization, accounting, payment and financial clearing, rights specification, rights verification, rights enforcement, and document protection issues should be addressed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,235, 5,634,012, 5,715,403, 5,638,443, and 5,629,980, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose DRM systems addressing these issues. Two basic DRM schemes have been employed, secure containers and trusted systems. A “secure container” (or simply an encrypted document) offers a way to keep document contents encrypted until a set of authorization conditions are met and some copyright terms are honored (e.g., payment for use). After the various conditions and terms are verified with the document provider, the document is released to the user in clear form. Commercial products such as CRYPTOLOPES™ and DIGIBOXES™ fall into this category. Clearly, the secure container approach provides a solution to protecting the document during delivery over insecure channels, but does not provide any mechanism to prevent legitimate users from obtaining the clear document and then using and redistributing it in violation of content owners' intellectual property. In the “trusted system” approach, the entire system is responsible for preventing unauthorized use and distribution of the document. Building a trusted system usually entails introducing new hardware such as a secure processor, secure storage and secure rendering devices. This also requires that all software applications that run on trusted systems be certified to be trusted. While building tamper-proof trusted systems is a real challenge to existing technologies, current market trends suggest that open and untrusted systems, such as PC's and workstations using browsers to access the Web, will be the dominant systems used to access digital works. In this sense, existing computing environments such as PC's and workstations equipped with popular operating systems (e.g., Windows™, Linux™, and UNIX) and rendering applications, such as browsers, are not trusted systems and cannot be made trusted without significantly altering their architectures. Of course, alteration of the architecture defeats a primary purpose of the Web, i.e. flexibility and compatibility. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a system for controlling the distribution of digital documents. Each rendering device has a repository associated therewith. A predetermined set of usage transaction steps define a protocol used by the repositories for enforcing usage rights. Usage rights define one or more manners of use of the associated document content and persist with the document content. The usage rights can permit various manners of use such as, viewing only, use once, distribution, and the like. Usage rights can be contingent on payment or other conditions. Further, a party may grant usage rights to others that are a subset of usage rights possessed by the party. DRM systems have facilitated distribution of digital content by permitting the content owner to control use of the content. However, known business models for creating, distributing, and using digital content and other items involve a plurality of parties. For example, a content creator may sell content to a publisher who then authorizes a distributor to distribute content to an on-line storefront who then sells content to end-users. Further, the end users may desire to share or further distribute the content. In such a business model, usage rights can be given to each party in accordance with their role in the distribution chain. However, the parties do not have control over downstream parties unless they are privy to any transaction with the downstream parties in some way. For example, once the publisher noted above provides content to the distributor, the publisher cannot readily control rights granted to downstream parties, such as the first or subsequent users unless the publisher remains a party to the downstream transaction. This loss of control combined with the ever increasing complexity of distribution chains results in a situation, which hinders the distribution of digital content and other items. Further, the publisher may want to prohibit the distributor and/or the storefront from viewing or printing content while allowing an end user receiving a license from the storefront to view and print. Accordingly, the concept of simply granting rights to others that are a subset of possessed rights is not adequate for multi-party, i.e. multi-tier, distribution models. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method, system and device for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, including obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived from the meta-; determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights; and deriving at least one right from the derivable rights, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, wherein the derived right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the derived right. Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of exemplary embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention. The present invention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details can be modified in various respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Exemplary embodiments of this invention will be described in detail, with reference to the attached drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a rights management system in accordance with the preferred embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example distribution chain showing the derivation of rights from meta-rights; FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a license in accordance with the preferred embodiment; FIG. 4 is an example of a license expressed with an XML based rights language in accordance with the preferred embodiment; FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the license server of the system of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a rights label in accordance with the preferred embodiment; FIG. 7 is a flow chart of the procedure for transferring and deriving rights in accordance with the preferred embodiment; FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary system including a state-of-rights server; FIG. 9 illustrates employing of a state variable in deriving exclusive usage rights; FIG. 10 illustrates employing of a state variable in deriving inherited usage rights; FIG. 11 illustrates employing of a state variable in deriving rights that are shared among a known set of rights recipients; FIG. 12 illustrates employing of a state variable in deriving rights that are shared among a dynamic set of rights recipients; FIG. 13 illustrates employing of a state variable in maintaining a state shared by multiple rights; FIG. 14 illustrates employing of multiple state variables to represent one state of rights; FIG. 15 illustrates a case where not all rights are associated with states; FIG. 16 illustrates a case where not all rights which are associated with states are shared or inherited; and FIG. 17 illustrates a case of rights sharing based on an offer which does not explicitly include meta-rights. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A DRM system can be utilized to specify and enforce usage rights for specific content, services, or other items. FIG. 1 illustrates DRM System 10 that can be used in connection with the preferred embodiment. DRM System 10 includes a user activation component, in the form of activation server 20, that issues public and private key pairs to content users in a protected fashion, as is well known. During an activation process, some information is exchanged between activation server 20 and client environment 30, a computer or other device associated with a content recipient, and client component 60 is downloaded and installed in client environment 30. Client component 60 preferably is tamper resistant and contains the set of public and private keys issued by activation server 20 as well as other components, such as any component necessary for rendering content 42. Rights label 40 is associated with content 42 and specifies usage rights and possibly corresponding conditions that can be selected by a content recipient. License Server 50 manages the encryption keys and issues licenses for protected content. These licenses embody the actual granting of usage rights to an end user. For example, rights label 40 may include usage rights permitting a recipient to view content for a fee of five dollars and view and print content for a fee of ten dollars. License 52 can be issued for the view right when the five dollar fee has been paid, for example. Client component 60 interprets and enforces the rights that have been specified in license 52. FIG. 6 illustrates rights label 40 in accordance with the preferred embodiment. Rights label 40 includes plural rights offers 44 each including usage rights 44a, conditions 44b, and content specification 44c. Content specification 44c can include any mechanism for calling, referencing, locating, linking or otherwise specifying content 42 associated with offer 44. Clear (unprotected) content can be prepared with document preparation application 72 installed on computer 70 associated with a content publisher, a content distributor, a content service provider, or any other party. Preparation of content consists of specifying the rights and conditions under which content 42 can be used, associating rights label 40 with content 42 and protecting content 42 with some crypto algorithm. A rights language such as XrML can be used to specify the rights and conditions. However, the rights can be specified in any manner. Also, the rights can be in the form of a pre-defined specification or template that is merely associated with the content. Accordingly, the process of specifying rights refers to any process for associating rights with content. Rights label 40 associated with content 42 and the encryption key used to encrypt the content can be transmitted to license server 50. As discussed in detail below, rights 44a can include usage rights, which specify a manner of use, and meta-rights, which permit other rights to be derived. In some case, license 52 includes conditions that must be satisfied in order to exercise a specified right. For, example a condition may be the payment of a fee, submission of personal data, or any other requirement desired before permitting exercise of a manner of use. Conditions can also be “access conditions” for example, access conditions can apply to a particular group of users, say students in a university, or members of a book club. In other words, the condition is that the user is a particular person or member of a particular group. Rights and conditions can exist as separate entities or can be combined. Labels, offers, usage rights, and conditions can be stored together with content 42 or otherwise associated with content 42 through content specification 44c or any other mechanism. A rights language such as XrML can be used to specify the rights and conditions. However, the rights can be specified in any manner. Also, the rights can be in the form of a pre-defined specification or template that is merely associated with content 42. A typical workflow for DRM system 10 is described below. A recipient operating within client environment 30 is activated for receiving content 42 by activation server 20. This results in a public-private key pair (and possibly some user/machine specific information) being downloaded to client environment 30 in the form of client software component 60 in a known manner. This activation process can be accomplished at any time prior to the issuing of a license. When a recipient wishes to obtain specific content 42, the recipient makes a request for content 42. For example, a user, as a recipient, might browse a Web site running on Web server 80, using a browser installed in client environment 30, and request content 42. During this process, the user may go through a series of steps possibly including a fee transaction (as in the sale of content) or other transactions (such as collection of information). When the appropriate conditions and other prerequisites, such as the collection of a fee and verification that the user has been activated, are satisfied, Web server 80 contacts license server 50 through a secure communications channel, such as a channel using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). License server 50 then generates license 52 for content 42 and Web server 80 causes both the content and license 52 to be downloaded. License 52 includes the appropriate rights, such as usage rights and/or meta-rights, and can be downloaded from license server 50 or an associated device. Content 42 can be downloaded from computer 70 associated with a vendor, distributor, or other party. Client component 60 in client environment 30 will then proceed to interpret license 52 and allow use of content 42 based on the usage rights and conditions specified in license 52. The interpretation and enforcement of usage rights are well known generally and described in the patents referenced above, for example. The steps described above may take place sequentially or approximately simultaneously or in various orders. DRM system 10 addresses security aspects of content 42. In particular, DRM system 10 may authenticate license 52 that has been issued by license server 50. One way to accomplish such authentication is for application 60 to determine if license 52 can be trusted. In other words, application 60 has the capability to verify and validate the cryptographic signature, or other identifying characteristic of license 52. Of course, the example above is merely one way to effect a DRM system. For example, license 52 and content 42 can be distributed from different entities. Clearinghouse 90 can be used to process payment transactions and verify payment prior to issuing a license. As noted above, typical business models for distributing digital content include plural parties, such as owners, publishers, distributors, and users. Each of these parties can act as a supplier granting rights to a consumer downstream in the distribution channel. The preferred embodiment extends the known concepts of usage rights, such as the usage rights and related systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,629,980, 5,634,012, 5,638,443, 5,715,403 and 5,630,235, to incorporate the concept of “meta-rights.” Meta-rights are the rights that one has to generate, manipulate, modify, dispose of or otherwise derive other rights. Meta-rights can be thought of as usage rights to usage rights (or other meta-rights). This concept will become clear based on the description below. Meta-rights can include derivable rights to offer rights, grant rights, negotiate rights, obtain rights, transfer rights, delegate rights, expose rights, archive rights, compile rights, track rights, surrender rights, exchange rights, and revoke rights to/from others. Meta-rights can include the rights to modify any of the conditions associated with other rights. For example, a meta-right may be the right to extend or reduce the scope of a particular right. A meta-right may also be the right to extend or reduce the validation period of a right. Meta-rights can be hierarchical and can be structured as objects within objects. For example, a distributor may have a meta-right permitting the distributor to grant a meta-right to a retailer which permits the retailer to grant users rights to view content. Just as rights can have conditions, meta-rights can also have conditions. Meta-rights can also be associated with other meta-rights. The concept of meta-rights can be particularly useful because distribution models may include entities that are not creators or owners of digital content, but are in the business of manipulating the rights associated with the content. For example, as noted above, in a multi-tier content distribution model, intermediate entities (e.g., distributors) typically will not create or use the content but will be given the right to issue rights for the content they distribute. In other words, the distributor or reseller will need to obtain rights (meta-rights) to issue rights. For the sake of clarity, the party granting usage rights or meta-rights is referred to as “supplier” and the party receiving and/or exercising such rights is referred to as “consumer” herein. It will become clear that any party can be a supplier or a consumer depending on their relationship with the adjacent party in the distribution chain. Note that a consumer “consumes”, i.e. exercises, rights and does not necessarily consume, i.e. use, the associated content. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an example of a multi-tier distribution model 200. Publisher 210 publishes content for distribution, by distributor 220 for example. Distributor 220 distributes content to retailers, such as retailer 230 and retailer 230 sells content to users, such as user 240. In model 200, publisher 210 could negotiate business relationships with distributor 220 and distributor 220 could negotiate business relationships with retailer 230. Also, retailer 230 may desire usage rights that are beyond usage rights granted to distributor 220. However, keep in mind that, in a distribution chain that utilizes a DRM system to control use and distribution of content or other items, content can travel from publisher 210 to user 240 through any digital communication channel, such a network or transfer of physical media. When user 240 wishes to use content, a license is obtained, in the manner described above for example. Accordingly, the negotiated relationships can become difficult, if not impossible, to manage. In model 200 of FIG. 2, retailer 230 will only grant rights to user 240 that have been predetermined and authorized by the distributor 220, publisher 210 and potentially other parties upstream of the transaction, such as the content creator or owner. The rights are predetermined through, and derived from, meta-rights granted to retailer 230 by distributor 220. Of course, there can be any number of parties in the distribution chain. For example, distributor 220 may sell directly to the public in which case retailer 230 is not necessary. Also, there may be additional parties. For example user 240 can distribute to other users. In model 200 publisher grants to distributor 220 usage rights 212 permitting distribution of content, and meta-rights 214. Meta-rights 214 permit distributor 220 to grant to retailer 230 the usage right 214′ (derived from meta-rights 214) to distribute or possibly sell content and meta-rights 216 which permit retailer 230 to grant user 240 the right to use content. For example, publisher 210 may specify, through meta-rights 214, that meta-right 216 granted to retailer 230 permits retailer 230 to grant only 500 licenses and usage rights 216′ that retailer 230 can grant to a user can only be “view” and “print-once”. In other words, distributor 220 has granted meta-rights to retailer 230. Similarly, publisher 210 issues meta-rights 214 to the distributor that will govern what type, and how many, rights distributor 220 can grant to retailer 230. Note that these entities could be divisions, units or persons that are part of a larger enterprise, which also has other roles. For example, an enterprise might create, distribute, and sell content and carry out those activities using different personnel or different business units within the enterprise. The principles of meta-rights can be applied to an enterprise to determine content usage within that enterprise. Also, retailer 230 could grant meta-rights 218 to user 240 permitting user 240 to share rights or grant usage rights to achieve a super-distribution model. It can be seen that meta-rights of a party are derived from meta-rights granted by an upstream party in the distribution chain. For example, a person's medical records can be in digital form managed by a first hospital as publisher 230. In this scenario, the person, as supplier, grants usage rights to the hospital, as consumer, to access and update the medical records. Should that person require treatment at a second hospital and desires to transfer their records to the second hospital, the person can grant to the first hospital the right to transfer the access rights to the new hospital through meta-rights. In other words, the person has specified meta-rights and granted the meta-rights to the first hospital. The meta-rights permit the first hospital to grant rights, as a supplier, to the second hospital, as a consumer. In another example, a person's last will and testament can be in digital form and managed by a law firm as publisher 210. If the person wishes to allow a third party to review the will. The person can grant meta-rights to the law firm permitting the law firm to grant access rights to this third party. At a high level the process of enforcing and exercising meta-rights are the same as for usage rights. However, the difference between usage rights and meta-rights are the result from exercising the rights. When exercising usage rights, actions to content result. For example usage rights can be for viewing, printing, or copying digital content. When meta-rights are exercised, new rights are created from the meta-rights or existing rights are disposed as the result of exercising the meta-rights. The recipient of the new rights may be the same principal (same person, entity, or machine, etc), who exercises the meta-rights. Alternatively, the recipient of meta-rights can be a new principal. The principals who receive the derived rights may be authenticated and authorized before receiving/storing the derived rights. Thus, the mechanism for exercising and enforcing a meta-right can be the same as that for a usage right. For example, the mechanism disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,012 can be used. Meta-rights can be expressed by use of a grammar or rights language including data structures, symbols, elements, or sets of rules. For example, the XrML™ rights language can be used. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the structure of license 52 can consist of one or more grants 300 and one or more digital signatures 310. Each grant 300 includes specific granted meta-rights 302 such as rights to offer usage rights, grant usage rights, obtain usage rights, transfer usage rights, exchange usage rights, transport usage rights, surrender usage rights, revoke usage rights, reuse usage rights, or management meta-rights such as the rights to backup rights, restore rights, recover rights, reissue rights, or escrow the rights for management of meta-rights and the like. Grant 300 can also specify one or more principals 304 to whom the specified meta-rights are granted. Also grants 300 can include conditions 306 and state variables 308. Like usage rights, access and exercise of the granted meta-rights are controlled by any related conditions 306 and state variables 308. The integrity of license 52 is ensured by the use of digital signature 310, or -another identification mechanism. Signature 310 can include a crypto-algorithm, a key, or another mechanism for providing access to content 42 in a known manner. The structure of digital signature 310 includes the signature itself, the method of how the code is computed, the key information needed to verify the code and issuer identification. State variables track potentially dynamic states conditions. State variables are variables having values that represent status of rights, or other dynamic conditions. State variables can be tracked, by clearinghouse 90 or another device, based on identification mechanisms in license 52. Further, the value of state variables can be used in a condition. For example, a usage right can be the right to print content 42 for and a condition can be that the usage right can be exercised three times. Each time the usage right is exercised, the value of the state variable is incremented. In this example, when the value of the state variable is three, the condition is no longer satisfied and content 42 cannot be printed. Another example of a state variable is time. A condition of license 52 may require that content 42 is printed within thirty days. A state variable can be used to track the expiration of thirty days. Further, the state of a right can be tracked as a collection of state variables. The collection of the change is the state of a usage right represents the usage history of that right. FIG. 4 is an example of license 52 encoded in XrML™. The provider grants the distributor a meta right to issue a usage right (i.e., play) to the content (i.e., a book) to any end user. With this meta right, the distributor may issue the right to play the book within the U.S. region and subject to some additional conditions that the distributor may impose upon the user, as long as the distributor pays $1 to the provider each time the distributor issues a license for an end user. The XrML™ specification is published and thus well known. FIG. 5 illustrates the primary modules of license server 50 in accordance with the preferred embodiment. License interpreter module 502 validates and interprets license 52 and also provides the functions to query any or all fields in the license such as meta-rights 302, conditions 306, state variables 308, principle 304, and/or digital signature 310. License manager module 503 manages all license repositories for storing licenses 52, and also provides functions to create licenses 52 for derived rights, verify licenses, store licenses, retrieve licenses and transfer licenses. State of rights module 504 manages the state and history of rights and meta-rights. The current value and history of the state variables together with the conditions controls the permission to exercise given meta-rights for a given authenticated principal. Condition validator 506 verifies conditions associated with the meta-rights. Together with the state variables, conditions associated with meta-rights define variables whose values may change over the lifetime of the meta-rights. Values of state variables used in conditions can affect the meta-rights at the time and during the time the rights are exercised. Authorization module 508 authorizes the request to exercise meta-rights and to store the newly created rights or derived rights as the result of exercising the meta-rights. Authorization module 508 accesses both state of rights manager module 504 and condition validator module 506. Authorization module 508 interacts with license manager module 503 and the list of state variables and conditions and then passes the state variables to state of rights manager module 504 and condition list to condition validator module 506 for authorization. A request for exercising a meta-right is passed to meta-rights manager module 510. Assuming that the requesting device has been authenticated, meta-rights manager module 510 requests the license manager module 504 to verify the license for exercising the requested meta-rights. License manager module 504 verifies the digital signature of the license and the key of the signer. If the key of the signer is trusted and the digital signature is verified then license manager module 504 returns “verified” to the meta-rights manager module 510. Otherwise “not verified” is returned. Authorization module 508 instructs license manager 503 to fetch state variable 308 and conditions 306 of license 52. Authorization manager 508 then determines which state variables are required to enforce to enforce license 52. State of rights manager 504 then supplies the current value of each required state variable to authorization module 508. Authorization module 508 then passes conditions 306 and the required state variables to condition validator 506. If all conditions 306 are satisfied, authorization module 508 returns “authorized” to meta-rights manager module 510. Meta-rights manager module 510 verifies license 52 and meta-rights 302 therein, to authorize the request to exercise meta-rights 302, to derive new rights from meta-rights 302, and to update the state of rights and the current value of the conditions. Rights manager module 512, on the other hand, manages the new rights created or the derived rights as the result of exercising the meta-rights. Rights manager module 512 uses authorization module 508 to verify that recipient of the newly created rights or derived rights is intended principal 304. If the recipient are authorized then the rights manager module 512 directs license manager 504 to store the newly created rights in a repository associated with the consumer. This is discussed in greater detail below with reference to FIG. 7. The authorization process is not limited to the sequence or steps described above. For example, a system could be programmed to allow authorization module 508 to request the state conditions from license manager 504 prior to verification of the digital signature. In such a case it would be possible to proceed subject to a verified license. Further, the various modules need not reside in the license server or related devices. The modules can be effected through hardware and/or software in any part of the system and can be combined or segregated in any manner. Once a request to exercise a meta-rights has been authorized, the meta-right can be exercised. Meta-rights manager module 510 informs state of rights module 504 that it has started exercising the requested meta-rights. State of rights module 504 then records the usage history and changes its current value of the state variables. Meta-rights manager module 510 exercises the requested meta-rights in a manner similar to known procedures for usage rights. If new rights are derived, then meta-rights manager module 510 invokes license manager module 504 to create new rights as the result of exercising the target meta-rights. Each new right is then sent to the corresponding rights manager module 512 of the consumer and stored in a repository associated with the consumer. Rights manager module 512 of the consumer will authenticate and authorize the consumer before receiving and storing the newly created right. New rights can be derived from meta-rights in accordance with a set of rules or other logic. For example, one rule can dictate that a consumed right to offer a license for use will result in the consumer having the right to offer a usage right and grant a license to that usage right to another consumer. FIG. 7 illustrates the workflow for transferring meta-rights and deriving new rights from the meta-rights in accordance with the preferred embodiment. All steps on the left side of FIG. 7 relate to the supplier of rights and all steps on the right side of. FIG. 7 relate to the consumer of rights. In step 702, principal 304 of license 52 is authenticated in a known manner. In other words, it is determined if the party exercising meta-right 302 has the appropriate license to do so. If the principal is not authorized, the procedure terminates in step 704. If the principal is authorized, the procedures advances to step 706 in which meta right 302 is exercised and transmitted to the consumer in the form of license 52 having derived rights in the manner set forth above. In step 708 the principal of this new license is authenticated. In other words, it is determined if the party exercising the derived rights has the appropriate license to do so. If the principal is not authorized, the procedure terminates in step 710. If the principal is authorized, the procedures advances to step 712 in which the derived right is stored. The procedure then returns to step 708 for each additional right in the license and terminates in step 714 when all rights have been processed. Thus, the exemplary embodiments include a method for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, including obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived therefrom by the rights consumer, determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to derive the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, and at least one of deriving the derivable rights, and generating a license including the derived rights with the rights consumer designated as a principal if the rights consumer is entitled to derive the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights. The exemplary embodiments further include a license associated with an item and adapted to be used within a system for managing the transfer of rights to the item from a rights supplier to a rights consumer. The license includes a set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived therefrom by the rights consumer, a principal designating at least one rights consumer who is authorized to derive the derivable rights, and a mechanism for providing access to the item in accordance with the set of rights. The exemplary embodiments still further include a method for deriving rights adapted to be associated with items from meta-rights, including obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived therefrom by the rights consumer, and generating a license associated with the item and including the derived rights. FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary system including a common state-of-rights server, according to the present invention. In FIG. 8, the exemplary system can include a common state-of-rights server of the system 801, including a state-of-rights manager 809, and one or more state-of-rights repositories 814, and one or more license servers 800, including a meta-rights manager 810, a usage rights manager 812, an authorization component 808, a condition validator 806, a state-of-rights manager 804, one or more state-of-rights repositories 816, a license manager 803, a license interpreter 802, and one or more license repositories 818. The common state-of-rights server 801 can be configured as a remote server connected with one or more of the license servers 800. The common state-of-rights server 801 provides comparable services as the state-of-rights manager 804 in the license servers 800 via the state-of-rights manager 809. The services provided by the state-of-rights server 801 are accessible and states that the server 801 manages can be shared by one or more rights suppliers and rights consumers (not shown). The state-of-rights server 801 can be configured as a remote server connected with one or more of the license servers 800 via one or more communication links 820, and the like. The services provided by the state-of-rights server 801 also can be integrated within one or more of the license server 800 and such services can be accessible by other rights suppliers, rights consumers, and the like. The license manager 803 derives new rights based on an offer, which can include any suitable machine-readable expression, and optionally including meta-rights. While deriving rights, the license manager 803 can create new state variables to be associated with derived rights. The creation of state variables and their scopes can be prescribed in the offer or by some other function in the system. The state variables can be created in one or more instances, for example, prior to rights derivation, during rights derivation, upon fulfillment of conditions, during a first exercise of rights associated with the state variables, and the like. The state variables can be designated exclusively for a specific rights consumer, can be shared among rights consumers, and can be shared among rights consumers and other entities, such as rights suppliers, and the like. The license manager 803 can interact with the state-of-rights manager 804 to associate new state variables with physical addresses in one or more of the state-of-rights repositories 816. The state-of-rights manager 804 can access the one or more state-of-rights repositories 816 and can interact with the state-of-rights server 801 to access shared state variables from one or more of the state-of-rights repositories 814. Designated state variables can be used to support a license that grants a recipient of the license a right to print content 5 times, shared state variables can be used to support a site license that grants a group of authorized users a right to print content an aggregated total of 100 times, and the like. A designated state variable can be updated when the corresponding right is exercised, whereas a shared state variable can be updated when an authorized user exercises the corresponding right. In other words, a shared state variable can include a data variable that is updated in response to actions by a plurality of users and which is globally applied to each of the users. There are multiple ways to specify the scope of state variables, each of which can affect whether the derivative state variables can be shared, how the derivative state variables can be shared, and the like. For example, a state variable can be local, and solely confined to a recipient or can be global, and shared by a predetermined group of recipients. A global state variable can be shared by a group of recipients not determined when derived rights are issued, but to be specified later, perhaps based on certain rules defined in the license or based on other means. A global state variable can be shared between one or more rights suppliers, predetermined recipients, un-specified recipients, and the like. Advantageously, depending on the sharing employed with a given a business model and the rights granted in the meta-rights, state variables can be created at different stages of the value chain. A set of non-exhaustive exemplary usages of state variables will now be described. For example, a state variable can be unspecified in meta-rights, which means the identifier and value of the state variable are yet to be determined by the meta-rights manager module 810 and included in the derived right. If a distinct state variable is assigned to each derived right, the scope of the state variable in the derived right is typically exclusive to the recipient. FIG. 9 is used to illustrate employing of a state variable in deriving exclusive usage rights, according to the present invention. In FIG. 9, rights 902 and 903 derived from an offer 901 are exclusive to each respective consumer. The offer 901 is a type of meta-right of which the recipients have the rights to obtain specific derivative rights when the conditions for obtaining such rights are satisfied. Accordingly, the exemplary offer 901 has an unspecified state variable 904. However, specific state variable 905 and 906, each with uniquely assigned identifications (IDs) are included in the derived rights 902 and 903. The derived state variables 905 and 906 are bound to their associated derived rights, e.g., “AlicePlayEbook” (i.e., Alice has the right to play Ebook) is bound to derived right 902, and “BobPlayEbook” (i.e., Bob has the right to play Ebook) is bound to derived right 903 The “AlicePlayEbook” variable can be updated when Alice exercises her play right, whereas the “BobPlayEbook” variable can be updated when Bob exercises his play right. Other than deriving rights from an offer, a right can transfer from an entity to a recipient. When a right is transferred, the governing of the associated state variable is also transferred to the recipient. After a right is transferred, the source principal typically can no longer exercise the right, whereas the recipient can exercise the right. The license server governing the exercising of a right of a recipient assumes the responsibility for state management. If, however, the state variables are managed by the common state of right server 801, the state of right server 801 needs to be informed of the transfer of right. Specifically, the state variable can be managed in the context of the recipient after the transfer of right. When a right is to be shared between the source principal and the recipient, the associated state variable is referenced in the derived right. If the same right is shared with multiple recipients, then typically all of the recipients share the same state variables with the source principal. In this case, a shared state can be managed by an entity that is accessible by all sharing principals. FIG. 10 is used to illustrate employing of a state variable in deriving inherited usage rights, according to the present invention. In FIG. 10, a derived right can inherit a state variable from meta-rights. For example, a personal computer (PC) of a user, Alice, can be configured to play an e-book according to a license 1003. A personal data assistant (PDA) of Alice also can obtain a right to play the e-book according to offer 1001, if the PC and PDA share the same state variables 1004 and 1005, e.g., “AlicePlayEbook.” A derived right 1002 allows Alice also to play the e-book on her PDA as long as the PDA and the PC share a same count limit 1006 of 5 times. When a usage right is to be shared among a predetermined set of recipients, a state variable for tracking a corresponding usage right can be specified in a meta-right using a same state variable identification for all recipients. During a process of exercising the meta-right, the same state variable identification is included in every derived right. FIG. 11 illustrates the use of state variable in deriving rights that are shared among a known set of rights recipients, according to the present invention. In FIG. 11, a site license 1101 is issued to FooU university. For example, via the site license 1101, a librarian is granted a right to issue rights that allow FooU students to play, view, and the like, corresponding content, such as e-books and the like, as long as such usage is tracked by a state variable 1104, e.g., “www.foou.edu.” Accordingly, rights 1102 and 1103 derived from the site license 1101 include state variables 1105 and 1106, “www.foou.edu,” which can be updated when corresponding students, Alice and Bob, play the e-book. When a usage right is to be shared among a dynamic set of recipients, the state variable can stay unspecified in the usage right. When exercising a meta-right and a set of recipients is known, a state variable can be specified using some identification unique to the known recipients and can be included within a derived right. FIG. 12 is used to illustrate employing of a state variable in deriving rights that are shared among a dynamic set of rights recipients, according to the present invention. In FIG. 12, an offer 1201 specifies that a distributor can issue site licenses to affiliated clubs, allowing 5 members of each club to concurrently view, play, and the like, content, such as an e-book. A corresponding state variable 1207 associated with such a right can be unspecified in the offer 1201. When corresponding rights 1202 and 1203 are issued to affiliated clubs, the corresponding club identities are used to specify state variables 1208 and 1209 in the issued rights. The offers 1202 and 1203 are meta-rights derived from the offer 1201, with offer being assigned the distinct state variables 1208 and 1209. Further rights 1204-1206 can be derived from the offers 1202 and 1203 to be shared among members of each respective-club. -The licenses 1204 and 1205 are examples of rights derived from the offer 1202, and which inherit the state variable 1208, e.g., “urn:acme:club,” whereas the license 1206 inherits the state variable 1209, e.g., “urn:foo:club.” Not only can state variables be shared among principals, such as rights suppliers, consumers, and the like, a state variable can be shared among multiple exercisable rights. FIG. 13 is used to illustrate employing of a state variable for maintaining a state shared by multiple rights, according to the present invention. In FIG. 13, a same state variable 1303 is associated to both a right to print 1302 and the right to play 1301, so that the total number of playing, printing, and the like, can be tracked together. The state of rights can depend on more than one state variable. FIG. 14 is used to illustrate employing of multiple state variables to represent one state of rights, according to the present invention. The example described with respect to FIG. 14 builds upon the example described with respect to FIG. 12. In FIG. 14, a usage right can be tracked by employing multiple state variables 1407 and 1408 in an offer 1401. The state variable 1408, for example, representing a priority level, can stay unspecified in the corresponding offers 1402 and 1403 (e.g., site licenses). The corresponding state variables 1409-1411, for example, used for setting a priority, can be assigned to each member in the corresponding licenses 1404, 1405 and 1406. The corresponding right to view, play, and the like, can now be dependent on two state variables, effectively restricting 5 simultaneous views, plays, and the like, per priority level. One state variable can represent a collection of states. For example, a unique identification can be used to represent a state variable, and an appropriate mechanism can be employed to map such unique id to a database of multiple variables, where each variable represents a distinct state. The scope of state variables can be used to determine entities by which the state variables can be managed. For example, for a local state variable, usage tracking of associated rights thereof can be managed solely by a trusted agent embedded within a rights consumption environment, such as a media player, and the like. In addition, such usage tracking can be conducted by a trusted remote service, such as the common state-of-rights server 801. Further, shared global state variables can be made accessible by multiple trusted agents. To avoid privacy issues, security issues, trust issues, rights issues, and the like, associated with accessing content, such as data, and the like, included within a peer rights consumption environment, managing of such shared global state variables can be performed by a remote service, such as the state-of-rights server 801. A counter is a common form of state variable usage. For example, such state sharing can include counter sharing where a state represents a number of times a right has been exercised, an event has occurred, and the like. Such counter sharing can be manifested in various forms and occur in many contexts, such as: tracking a number of simultaneous uses, tracking a number of sequential uses, sequencing (e.g., a commercial must be viewed before free content can be accessed), a one-time use constraint, a transaction count, a delegation control level, a super-distribution level, dependency on at least one or more services or devices, and the like. In addition, state variables can be incarnated in a wide variety of forms. For example, a state variable can be used to track specific time slots within a period of time, such as used by a movie studio to transfer syndication rights to a specific TV station, to transfer syndication rights shared by a group of stations, to transfer syndication rights assigned through a bidding process, and the like. State variables also can be employed, for example, with regional selling or distribution rights, in a statement from a financial clearing house to acknowledge that an appropriate fee has been paid, as a status of whether a commercial has been watched before free content can be accessed, and the like. Not all rights need be associated with states. FIG. 15 is used to illustrate a case where not all rights are associated with states, according to the present invention. In FIG. 15, an offer 1501 allows a user, Alice, to grant an unlimited play right, view right, and the like, to her PDA. Such a play right need not be associated with any state. Accordingly, derived right 1502 also has an unlimited play right to the content, as well as the right 1503 for her PC. Not all rights which are associated with states are shared or inherited. For example, some rights are meant for off-line usage, can be transferred in whole to another device, and hence are not shared with other devices. FIG. 16 is used to illustrate a case where not all rights which are associated with states are shared or inherited, according to the present invention. In FIG. 16, even though a play right 1603 of a user, Alice, a play right 1602 of a PDA of Alice, and a play right 1603 of a PC of Alice specify a same state variable identification 1604, a same state need not be shared since each device can track a state thereof locally. Advantageously, such an implementation would allow the PC and the PDA to each play the corresponding content up to 5 times. FIG. 17 illustrates a form of an offer which does not explicitly include meta-rights. In FIG. 17, an offer 1701 is configured as a site license written in English. Licenses 1702 and 1703 are instances derived from the offer 1701. In an exemplary embodiment, variables 1704 and 1705 can be created based on interpretation of the offer 1701, for example, by the system of FIG. 8. The preferred embodiments are not limited to situations where resellers, distributors or other “middlemen” are used. For example, the preferred embodiment can be applied within enterprises or other organizations, which create and/or distribute digital content or other items to control use of the content within the enterprise or other organization. Meta-rights can also be issued to end-users, when the grant of a right relates to another right. For example, the right to buy or sell securities as it is in the case of trading options and futures. Meta-rights can be assigned or associated with goods services, resources, or other items. The invention can be implemented through any type of devices, such as computers and computer systems. The preferred embodiment is implemented in a client server environment. However, the invention can be implemented on a single computer or other device. Over a network using dumb terminals, thin clients, or the like, or through any configuration of devices. The various modules of the preferred embodiment have been segregated and described by function for clarity. However, the various functions can be accomplished in any manner through hardware and/or software. The various modules and components of the preferred embodiment have separate utility and can exist as distinct entities. Various communication channels can be used with the invention. For example, the Internet or other network can be used. Also, data can be transferred by moving media, such as a CD, DVD, memory stick or the like, between devices. Devices can include, personal computers, workstations, thin clients, PDA's and the like. The invention has been described through exemplary embodiments and examples. However, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and legal equivalents. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>One of the most important issues impeding the widespread distribution of digital works (i.e. documents or other content in forms readable by computers), via electronic means, and the Internet in particular, is the current lack of ability to enforce the intellectual property rights of content owners during the distribution and use of digital works. Efforts to resolve this problem have been termed “Intellectual Property Rights Management” (“IPRM”), “Digital Property Rights Management” (“DPRM”), “Intellectual Property Management” (“IPM”), “Rights Management” (“RM”), and “Electronic Copyright Management” (“ECM”), collectively referred to as “Digital Rights Management (DRM)” herein. There are a number of issues to be considered in effecting a DRM System. For example, authentication, authorization, accounting, payment and financial clearing, rights specification, rights verification, rights enforcement, and document protection issues should be addressed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,235, 5,634,012, 5,715,403, 5,638,443, and 5,629,980, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose DRM systems addressing these issues. Two basic DRM schemes have been employed, secure containers and trusted systems. A “secure container” (or simply an encrypted document) offers a way to keep document contents encrypted until a set of authorization conditions are met and some copyright terms are honored (e.g., payment for use). After the various conditions and terms are verified with the document provider, the document is released to the user in clear form. Commercial products such as CRYPTOLOPES™ and DIGIBOXES™ fall into this category. Clearly, the secure container approach provides a solution to protecting the document during delivery over insecure channels, but does not provide any mechanism to prevent legitimate users from obtaining the clear document and then using and redistributing it in violation of content owners' intellectual property. In the “trusted system” approach, the entire system is responsible for preventing unauthorized use and distribution of the document. Building a trusted system usually entails introducing new hardware such as a secure processor, secure storage and secure rendering devices. This also requires that all software applications that run on trusted systems be certified to be trusted. While building tamper-proof trusted systems is a real challenge to existing technologies, current market trends suggest that open and untrusted systems, such as PC's and workstations using browsers to access the Web, will be the dominant systems used to access digital works. In this sense, existing computing environments such as PC's and workstations equipped with popular operating systems (e.g., Windows™, Linux™, and UNIX) and rendering applications, such as browsers, are not trusted systems and cannot be made trusted without significantly altering their architectures. Of course, alteration of the architecture defeats a primary purpose of the Web, i.e. flexibility and compatibility. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a system for controlling the distribution of digital documents. Each rendering device has a repository associated therewith. A predetermined set of usage transaction steps define a protocol used by the repositories for enforcing usage rights. Usage rights define one or more manners of use of the associated document content and persist with the document content. The usage rights can permit various manners of use such as, viewing only, use once, distribution, and the like. Usage rights can be contingent on payment or other conditions. Further, a party may grant usage rights to others that are a subset of usage rights possessed by the party. DRM systems have facilitated distribution of digital content by permitting the content owner to control use of the content. However, known business models for creating, distributing, and using digital content and other items involve a plurality of parties. For example, a content creator may sell content to a publisher who then authorizes a distributor to distribute content to an on-line storefront who then sells content to end-users. Further, the end users may desire to share or further distribute the content. In such a business model, usage rights can be given to each party in accordance with their role in the distribution chain. However, the parties do not have control over downstream parties unless they are privy to any transaction with the downstream parties in some way. For example, once the publisher noted above provides content to the distributor, the publisher cannot readily control rights granted to downstream parties, such as the first or subsequent users unless the publisher remains a party to the downstream transaction. This loss of control combined with the ever increasing complexity of distribution chains results in a situation, which hinders the distribution of digital content and other items. Further, the publisher may want to prohibit the distributor and/or the storefront from viewing or printing content while allowing an end user receiving a license from the storefront to view and print. Accordingly, the concept of simply granting rights to others that are a subset of possessed rights is not adequate for multi-party, i.e. multi-tier, distribution models. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method, system and device for transferring rights adapted to be associated with items from a rights supplier to a rights consumer, including obtaining a set of rights associated with an item, the set of rights including meta-rights specifying derivable rights that can be derived from the meta-; determining whether the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights; and deriving at least one right from the derivable rights, if the rights consumer is entitled to the derivable rights specified by the meta-rights, wherein the derived right includes at least one state variable based on the set of rights and used for determining a state of the derived right. Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of exemplary embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention. The present invention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details can be modified in various respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive. | 20041004 | 20100810 | 20050317 | 67965.0 | 4 | WEST, THOMAS C | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING TRANSFER OF RIGHTS USING SHARED STATE VARIABLES | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,956,294 | ACCEPTED | Gaming device with rotating and translating display device | A gaming device having a translating and rotating mechanical display device operable to indicate at least one component of a player's award. In one embodiment the display device is operated as a bonus game of a base game, for example a slot base game. In one embodiment, the object is rotatable and translatable along the same axis. In one embodiment, the object is balloon shaped. | 1. A gaming device comprising: a game operable upon a wager by a player; a cabinet; a display mounted in said cabinet and operable to display said game; an object rotatably connected to said cabinet, said object having a plurality of symbols, wherein the symbols are displayed to a player as the object is rotated; a motion producing device mounted in said cabinet, said motion producing device operable to the cause the object to translate while the object is rotated; and an outcome provided to the player based on a designated one of the symbols of the object after said rotational and translational movement. 2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the motion producing device includes a stepper motor. 3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the translational motion of the object is in a substantially vertical direction. 4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the motion producing device includes a first motion producing device and includes a second independent motion producing device operable to cause the object to rotate. 5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the motion producing device is also operable to cause the object to rotate. 6. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a processor that executes a motion control program to control operation of the motion producing device. 7. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes at least one electrical switch operable to control operation of the motion producing device. 8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the designated symbol is generated before the rotation and translation of the object stops. 9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the outcome is based on a second determination combined with the designated symbol. 10. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes a lighted display connected to the cabinet in proximity to the object, wherein the lighted display is operable to designate another component of the outcome. 11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the object is positioned in an at least partially see-through housing connected to the cabinet. 12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the object is balloon shaped. 13. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the motion producing device operates the object upon an event in the game. 14. A gaming device comprising: a cabinet; a first display device positioned in the cabinet; a second display device attached to the cabinet; a game operable upon a wager by a player, the game displayed by the first display device and operable to cause the operation of an object; the object having a plurality of first symbols, the symbols displayed to the player as the object is rotated about an axis; a plurality of second symbols positioned on the cabinet adjacent to the object; and a motion producing device operable to cause the object to translate substantially along the axis to indicate one of second symbols to the player. 15. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the game is (i) selected from the group consisting of: slot, poker, blackjack, keno, craps, bingo, bunco and any combination thereof or (ii) a bonus game of a primary game selected from the group consisting of: slot, poker, blackjack, keno, craps, bingo, bunco and any combination thereof. 16. The gaming device of claim 14, which includes an award provided to the player, the award based on a generated one of the first symbols and the indicated second symbol. 17. The gaming device of claim 14, wherein the game includes a primary game operated on the first display device and a secondary game operated by the object. 18. The gaming device of claim 11, wherein the object is balloon shaped. 19. A gaming device comprising: a cabinet; a game operable upon a wager by a player; and a display device attached to the cabinet and operable upon an event in the game, the display device including an object having a plurality of first symbols, the first symbols displayed to the player and an indicator indicating sequentially one of the first symbols as the object is rotated about an axis; a plurality of second symbols displayed adjacent to the object, the object operable to indicate sequentially each one of the second symbols as the object is translated along said axis; and an outcome provided to the player that is based on at least one of an indicated first symbol and an indicated second symbol. 20. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein the outcome is provided after the object has stopped rotating and translating. 21. The gaming device of claim 19, wherein the outcome includes the indicated first symbol multiplied by the indicated second symbol. 22. A method of operating a gaming device having a game operable upon a wager by a player, said method comprising: displaying a plurality of symbols to a player by rotating an object along an axis; translating at the same time the object substantially along said axis while at least one of the symbols is displayed to the player; and providing an outcome to a player based on a designated one of the symbols of the object after said rotational and translational movement. 23. The method of claim 22, which includes at a different time rotating the object while not translating the object. 24. The method of claim 22, which includes at a different time translating the object while not rotating the object. 25. The method of claim 22, which includes rotating the object in multiple directions. 26. The method of claim 22, which includes translating the object in multiple directions. 27. The method of claim 22, which includes generating a multiplier and combining the multiplier with the designated symbol to determine the outcome provided to the player. 28. The method of claim 22, which includes determining the outcome based on a designated plurality of the symbols of the object. 29. A method of operating a gaming device having a game operable upon a wager by a player, said method comprising: rotating an object along an axis and stopping the rotation so that a first component of an outcome is indicated; translating at the same time the object along said axis and stopping the translation so that a second component of the outcome is indicated; and combining the first and second outcome components to form the outcome and proving the outcome to the player. 30. The method of claim 29, which includes at a different time rotating the object while not translating the object. 31. The method of claim 29, which includes at a different time translating the object while not rotating the object. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to gaming devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to wagering gaming device displays. Gaming devices, such as slot machines and video poker machines, provide fun and excitement for the player. Gaming, in general, provides an escape from the everyday rigors of life. Gaming devices and gaming establishments use bright lights and exciting sounds to set the gaming world apart from the rest of the world. Gaming devices, in particular, use one or more displays that enable the player to see, play and interaction with the game. The displays typically portray the action of the game and ultimately indicate whether or not the player wins. Slot machine and other gaming device displays have gone through a number of transitions since their inception. Originally, slot machines displayed purely mechanical reels. While these machines gained enormous popularity, the mechanical nature of the reels limited the number of paystops, which limited the number of different symbols and the number of different winning symbol combinations. The advent of the computer and the video monitor expanded the possibilities for gaming devices. There are now video poker, video blackjack and other types of video gaming machines. Video displays have also been implemented in slot machines. The video slot machines use computers to randomly generate symbol combinations from an expanded number of different symbols. Video reel strips can include a virtually unlimited number of symbols, which enables a wide variety of different symbol combinations to be employed, including combinations that appear very infrequently and yield high payouts. With slot machines, the video monitors have also been used to provide bonus or secondary games. Bonus games in gaming machines have become much more prevalent and elaborate in recent years. For example, players play the base game of slot until becoming eligible for a bonus game. The base game temporarily pauses, while the player plays the bonus game. When the player completes the bonus game, the gaming device returns the player to the bonus game. It should therefore be appreciated that a single video monitor is often sufficient to provide both the base game of slot and one or more bonus games that become triggered by the slot game. As illustrated in FIG. 1, there is room on the cabinet of gaming device 10 for an upper display area 132. That area, however, is often not utilized for gaming purposes and may simply provide a paytable, graphics and/or lettering that pertains to a theme of the gaming device. Video monitors and in particular video-based slot machines are likely going to continue growing in popularity. As the video monitor has been used more and more, however, there has been a growing sentiment that some of the mystique of the old time mechanical gaming devices is lost when mechanical reels and mechanical displays are replaced by a video monitor. Accordingly, a need exists to provide new gaming devices that may use a video monitor which provides increased flexibility to the gaming device to add more symbols and more elaborate bonus games, while providing some aspect of the gaming device that is mechanical and provides a fun and exciting mechanical display of symbols such as awards. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a display device for a gaming device and in one embodiment a mechanical display for a slot machine. The display device includes an object that is rotated and translated. The object includes and displays a plurality of symbols. As the object is rotated, the player can see different ones of the symbols. In one embodiment, the translation of the object indicates to the player that an award based on one of the symbols is imminent. In one embodiment, when the object stops rotating and translating, the display device designates one or more of the symbols to be provided to the player such as an award or a component of an award. In one embodiment, the display device includes a secondary random generation that produces an outcome that is combined with the designated symbol or symbols of the object. For example, the symbols can designate a credit value and the secondary random generation can designate a modifier such as a multiplier. That is, the translational and rotational motion of the object yields a designated credit value, while the secondary random generation yields a designated multiplier. The credit value and multiplier are combined to provide an overall award for the player. In one alternative embodiment, this is reversed such that the symbols designate a modifier such as a multiplier and the secondary random generation yields an award. Other awards may be provided instead of credit values or multipliers, such as a number of picks from a prize pool, a number of free games, a non-monetary award and any combination thereof. In an alternative embodiment, the rotating and translating object designates a multiplier and the secondary random generation designates a credit value. In one embodiment, the display device is provided in combination with a base game, such as the base game of slot. The display device alternatively cooperates with any suitable base game such as poker, blackjack, craps, keno, bingo, bunco and any combination thereof. The display device can, for example, be provided as an upper display area or top box on the slot machine or other type of base game device. The base game device can also have various configurations such as a vertical or slanted video monitor that displays the base game to the player. In a further alternative embodiment, the base game is provided via a mechanical or electro-mechanical apparatus, such as mechanical slot machine reels. In one embodiment, the outcome of a random spinning of slot machine reels yields a triggering symbol or combination of symbols that triggers the movement of the object. In one embodiment, the object begins to simultaneously translate and rotate. The object can translate in a single or multiple directions and rotate in a single or multiple directions. Upon completion of a motion program stored in the memory of the gaming device, the object comes to a stop and one or more of the symbols of the object is displayed. The player is provided an award as a bonus award, which can be in addition to an award provided by the base game. In the embodiments illustrated herein, the object is in the form or shape of a hot air balloon. Upon a triggering event, the hot air balloon begins to rise and also begins rotating. The hot air balloon continues to rise and rotate to a predetermined or randomly determined translational and rotational position. The balloon displays a plurality of credit values, one of which is ultimately designated by an indicator, for example, an arrow or pointer attached to the display device. The balloon is housed within a fully or partially see-through or transparent cover made from a suitable material such as glass, plexiglas, acrylic or another suitable polymer. In one embodiment, the indicator or pointer is affixed to the cover. In one embodiment, series of multipliers is displayed adjacent to the hot air balloon and see-through cover on a front panel of the cabinet of the gaming device. Behind the multipliers, the display device provides a plurality of lights. While the balloon rises and rotates, the gaming device sequentially lights different ones of the multipliers of the display device. Ultimately, one of the multipliers remains lighted. The player's award is the designated credit value multiplied by the lighted multiplier. In an alternative embodiment, the object or hot air balloon includes an indicator that translates with the object. When the object stops moving, the indicator points to or otherwise indicates one of the awards displayed adjacent to the object such as a multiplier. The multiplier combines with the award indicated due to the rotation of the object to form an overall award for the player. In one embodiment, separate motion producing devices, such as rotational stepper motors, provide the translational and rotational motion of the object individually. For example, one stepper motor rotates a lead screw that threads into a tapped hole or nut welded to a plate. The plate supports a second motor that drives a belt. The first stepper motor translates the object or balloon up or down (or alternatively side to side). The second stepper motor rides with the object or balloon and rotates the belt, wherein the belt is coupled to the object or balloon. When the second motor is energized, the rotation of the shaft of the second motor turns a pulley, which in turn drives the belt, which in turn rotates the object or balloon. That configuration illustrated further below drives the balloon in the desired translational and rotational manner and is also relatively easily hidden from the player, so as to make the object or balloon appear to float and turn as it is floating. The partially see-through cover is colored sky blue and painted with clouds in the rear so as to make the balloon appear to be floating in the sky. It should be appreciated that other suitable drive mechanisms may be employed to simultaneously rotate and translate the object in accordance with the present invention. It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a fun and interesting gaming device display. It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a fun and interesting apparatus and method of designating a symbol such as an award for a player. It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a display device that rotates and translates simultaneously in a fun and entertaining manner. It is still another advantage of the present invention to provide an apparatus that rotates to determine one component of the player's award and translates to determine another component of the player's award. It is yet another advantage of the present invention to provide a motion control configuration that rotates and translates an object of a display device. Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description of the Invention and the figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the gaming device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the embodiment of the gaming device illustrated in FIG. 1, wherein a moving object of the display has moved translationally and rotationally to an intermediate position. FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the embodiment of the gaming device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein the moving object of the display has moved translationally and rotationally to an end position. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of the electronic configuration of one embodiment of the gaming device of the present invention. FIGS. 5 and 6 are elevation views of an alternative embodiment of the gaming device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, wherein the rotation of the object determines a first portion of the player's award, while the translation of the object determines a second portion of the player's award. FIG. 7 is a sectioned elevation view showing one possible arrangement for producing the rotational and translational motion of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a sectioned plan view taken substantially along line VII-VII in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a display device that operates with a multitude of primary or base wagering games, including but not limited to the games of slot, poker, keno, blackjack, craps and bunco. In an embodiment, the display device operates in conjunction with one or more secondary or bonus games, which in turn operate in conjunction with a primary or base game. Besides such base and bonus games, the present invention is operable with any of the bonus triggering events, as well as any progressive game coordinating with those base games. The symbols and indicia used for any of the primary or base games, bonus or secondary games or progressive games include any suitable symbols, images or indicia. One primary embodiment for the display device is with a slot game. Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 3, one slot machine embodiment is illustrated by gaming device 10. Gaming device 10 has the controls, displays and features of a conventional slot machine, wherein the player operates the gaming device while standing or sitting. Gaming device 10 can also be a pub-style or table-top game (not shown), which the player operates while sitting. Gaming device 10 includes monetary input devices. FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a coin slot 12 for coins or tokens and/or a payment acceptor 14 for cash money. The payment acceptor 14 also includes other devices for accepting payment, such as readers or validators for credit cards, debit cards or smart cards, tickets, notes, etc. When a player inserts money in gaming device 10, a number of credits corresponding to the amount deposited is shown in a credit display 16. After depositing the appropriate amount of money, a player can begin the game by pulling arm 18 or pushing play button 20. Play button 20 can be any play activator used by the player that starts a game or sequence of events in the gaming device. The buttons of the present invention are simulated on a touch screen, electromechanical or provided in both forms. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, gaming device 10 also includes a bet display 22 and a bet one button 24. The player places a bet by pushing the bet one button 24. The player increases the bet by one credit each time the player pushes the bet one button 24. When the player pushes the bet one button 24, the number of credits shown in the credit display 16 decreases by one, and the number of credits shown in the bet display 22 increases by one. The player cashes out by pushing a cash out button 26 to receive coins or tokens in the coin payout tray 28 or other forms of payment, such as an amount printed on a ticket or credited to a credit card, debit card or smart card. Well known ticket printing and card reading machines (not illustrated) are commercially available. Gaming device 10 also includes one or more display devices. The embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 include a display device 30, which is provided in a lower gaming area 32 of gaming device 10. A display device 100, which is the subject of the present invention, is provided in an upper display or top box area 132 in one embodiment. Display device 30 includes any viewing surface such as glass, a video monitor or screen, a liquid crystal display or any other static or dynamic, video, mechanical or electromechanical, display mechanism. In a video poker, blackjack or other card gaming machine embodiment, display device 30 displays one or more cards. In a keno embodiment, the display device displays numbers. In one preferred embodiment, display device 30 displays the game of slot. The slot machine embodiment of gaming device 10 includes a plurality of reels 34, for example three to five reels 34. Reels 34 can be simulated on a video monitor, be purely mechanical or be electromechanical. Each reel 34 includes a plurality of indicia, such as bells, hearts, fruits, numbers, letters, bars or other images that correspond to a theme associated with gaming device 10. Gaming device 10 includes speakers 36 for making sounds or playing music. Speakers 36 can provide voice guidance instructions, instruct the player of a win and provide sounds in accordance with a game theme (e.g., famous person's voice used in a gaming device featuring such famous person). With reference to the slot machine base game of FIGS. 1 to 3, to operate gaming device 10, the player inserts the appropriate amount of tokens or money in coin slot 12 or payment acceptor 14 and then pulls arm 18 or pushes play button 20. The reels 34 then begin to spin. Eventually, the reels 34 come to a stop. As long as the player has credits remaining, the player can spin the reels 34 again. Depending upon where the reels 34 stop, the player may or may not win additional credits. In addition to winning base game credits, the gaming device 10, including any suitable base games, also includes any suitable bonus games that give players the opportunity to win additional credits. Gaming device 10 in one embodiment uses the video-based display device 30 for the bonus games. Otherwise or additionally, the bonus game is carried out on display device 100. The bonus games include a program that automatically begins when the player achieves a qualifying condition in the base game. In the illustrated embodiment, the display device 100 of the present invention is provided in the upper display or top box area 132. Display device 100 is provided, in another embodiment, on top of a rounded or rectangular cabinet of gaming device 10, so that the upper display or top box area 132 can be used for other gaming purposes. Other gaming purposes include, without limitation, the provision of another electromechanical or video display device (not illustrated) or the provision of game information, e.g., a paytable or game instruction. Referring now to FIG. 4, one embodiment of an electronic configuration for gaming device 10 includes: a processor 38; a memory device 40 for storing program code or other data; a display device 30; a sound card 42; a plurality of speakers 36; and one or more input devices 44 (referring collectively to electromechanical and simulated input devices). The processor 38 includes a platform that is capable of displaying images, symbols and other indicia such as images of people, characters, places, things and faces of cards. The memory device 40 includes random access memory (RAM) 46 for storing event data or other data generated or used during a particular game. The memory device 40 also includes read only memory (ROM) 48 for storing program code, which controls gaming device 10 so that it plays a particular game in accordance with applicable game rules and pay tables. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the player uses the input devices 44 to input signals into gaming device 10. In the slot machine base game, the input devices 44 include the pull arm 18, play button 20, the bet one button 24, the cash out button 26 and other player inputs, such as simulated inputs. In one embodiment, a touch screen 50 and touch screen controller 52 are connected to a video controller 54 and processor 38. The touch screen enables a player to input decisions into the gaming device 10 by sending a discrete signal based on the area of the touch screen 50 that the player touches or presses. As further illustrated in FIG. 4, the processor 38 connects to the coin slot 12 or payment acceptor 14, whereby the processor 38 requires a player to deposit a certain amount of money to start the game. Although the coin slot 12 and payment acceptor 14 are illustrated alternatively, gaming device 10 provides both coin slot 12 and payment acceptor 14 in one embodiment. The processor 38 also controls the output of one of more motion controllers 56 that control one or more actuators or motion producing devices 58. The motion producing devices 58 can be any suitable mechanism such as any combination of AC/DC motors, stepper motors, linear stepper motors or other types of linear actuators. The motion producing devices 58 can be electrically or pneumatically operated. The motion controllers 56 are likewise electric or pneumatic controllers. The motion controllers 56 typically include printed circuit boards or stand alone enclosures that receive high level commands from the processor 38. The motion controller 56 converts the high level commands, for example, into a number of step pulses, which in turn are converted into motor currents. The stepper motor or other type of motion producing device 58 receives the currents, wherein the currents cause, for example, a rotor to turn within a stator a precise and desired amount. As described more fully below, the rotational motion of a motor 58 can be used to rotate an object 102 of the display device 100 of the present invention. The rotational motion is alternatively converted to cause the object 102 of display device 100 to translate. Otherwise, a linear motion producing device 58 can additionally be employed to directly cause the object 102 of display device 100 to translate. The motion control scheme facilitates complex movements of multiple parts to be suitably programmed into the memory device 40 and carried out by the processor 38 at the appropriate time in a sequence of the game, be it a base, bonus, bonus triggering or progressive sequence of gaming device 10. The motion control scheme is alternatively stored in one or more motion controllers 56 or a multiplexing motion controller 56. Moreover, multiple programs can be stored and recalled in the memory device 40. In that case, processor 38 runs an appropriate program at the appropriate time so that one or more objects 102, described in more detail below, perform or move differently, e.g., faster, slower or in different directions at different times, at different points in the game and in different sequences. The motion control programs, in one embodiment, interface with one or more random generation devices, typically software based, to produce randomly displayed outcomes on the displays and indicators of the present invention. For example, processor 38 can run a random selection sequence to produce a result and then command that a particular motion control program be run to achieve or display the result. The random result is therefore determined, in one embodiment, before or during the actual movement of object 102. FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate one embodiment of the rotational and translational motion of the display device 100 of the present invention. The display device 100 includes an object 102. In the illustrated embodiments, object 102 is in the form of a hot air balloon. Alternatively, object 102 is any suitable representation of a person, place, thing, symbol, character, animal or any other desired two- or three-dimensional item provided in accordance with a theme of gaming device 10. Object 102 is mounted on a transparent or see-through housing 104. Housing 104 is preferably at least partially made of any suitable transparent or translucent plastic or glass. In one embodiment, housing 104 is acrylic and has a shape somewhat similar to that of a light bulb or the balloon. Housing 104 is transparent or see-through in front, allowing the player to see and view the object or hot air balloon 102. The housing 104 in accordance with the hot air balloon has a rear portion 106 (FIG. 1) that is colored sky colors with clouds, etc. If the object 102 is different than a hot air balloon, housing 104 can have a different shape and have another type of colored background. Hot air balloon 102 includes a balloon portion 108 a basket 110 attached to the balloon portion by supports such as ropes 112. The supports 112 are rigid or semi-rigid structures such that basket 110 and supports 112 support the balloon portion 108. Balloon portion 108 of object 102 includes and displays a plurality of symbols 114. In the illustrated embodiment, symbols 114 represent at least a portion of the player's award. That is, the player's award can be equal to one or more of the symbols 114. Or as illustrated, one or more symbols 114 is combined with another award component, such as one or more multipliers 116. One or more of the multipliers 116 is generated randomly for the player, e.g., via a lighted portion of display device 100. Symbols 114 represent any suitable type of award for the player, such as a number of credits, a number of picks from a prize pool, any type of non-monetary award, a free game or a free number of spins and any combination thereof. In an alternative embodiment from that illustrated, the lighted display portion of display device 100 generates one or more credit values for the player, while the rotating and translating object 102 generates one or more multipliers for the player. It should be appreciated that the symbols could alternatively represent other suitable game functions of the gaming device. Display device 100 includes a suitable indicator 118 such as an arrow or pointer, that designates one of the symbols 114 when object 102 stops rotating. In the illustrated embodiment, indicator 118 is either formed with or attached to housing 104. Indicator 118 is alternatively supported elsewhere within or on display device 100 and alternatively has a different shape than the generally triangular shape of indicator 118 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 illustrates object 102 of display device 100 in one of a plurality of rotational positions and in its lowest translational position. In one embodiment, the hot air balloon 102 resides in its lowest position until a triggering event causes motion of the hot air balloon 102 to begin. The motion will cause the balloon to ascend or rise. Alternatively, the balloon can start at the top most position and motion can cause the balloon to descend or fall. Alternatively, the balloon can start at any suitable intermediate position, where the balloon can ascend or descend. As illustrated in FIG. 1, basket 110 is partially seen and partially hidden when the balloon 102 is in its lowest position. In the illustrated embodiment, display device 100 operates with a wagering game such as a slot game. When reels 34 in the slot game spin and come to a stop, a pre-defined symbol or combination of symbols appearing along an activated payline begins the motion of the object 102. Other triggering events or arrangements are possible, such as a symbol appearing on any payline, wagered or not wagered, or upon the play of a certain number of games, etc. FIG. 2 illustrates the display 100 in an intermediate state. The object or balloon has risen or moved translationally upward so that all of basket 110 is visible. Also, balloon 102 has rotated clockwise (if viewing object 102 from below) so that the symbol 114 of “two hundred” has rotated from a central position illustrated in FIG. 1 to the right-most visible position illustrated in FIG. 2. The symbol 114 of “seventy-five” has likewise rotated behind the “two hundred” symbols 114. Symbols 114 of “five hundred,” “forty” and “ten” are visible in the translationally intermediate position of FIG. 2. Those symbols 114 are not visible in FIG. 1. The symbol 114 of “ten” is currently indicated by indicator 118 in FIG. 2. In one embodiment, balloon portion 108 of object 102 of display device 100 is partitioned into eleven equally sized balloon sections or wedges. In alternative embodiments, object 102 is partitioned into any suitable desired amount of equally or differently sized sections. The relative translational movement between FIGS. 1 and 2 is illustrated by a distance “D” in FIG. 1 and a distance “D/2” in FIG. 2. The distance “D” represents a total distance that object 102 can traverse. FIG. 2 illustrates that the remaining distance of travel is “D” divided by two or half the distance of “D”. Accordingly, FIG. 2 illustrates the object 102 when the object has traveled approximately half way through its total moveable distance. In one embodiment, in combination with the rotational and translational movement of object 102, display device 100 includes a secondary random event, the outcome of which is combined with the outcome of the mechanical movement to form an overall award for the player. In this embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, display device 100 includes a plurality of illuminable multipliers 116. The illuminable multipliers illuminate sequentially or in combination as desired by the game implementers. At the stage of the display device 100 illustrated in FIG. 2, multiplier 116 of ×6 is illuminated. FIG. 3 illustrates the object 102 in a final rotational and translational position. Object 102 has rotated during the time between FIGS. 2 and 3 in the same clockwise manner shown between FIGS. 1 and 2. The symbols 114 of “ten” and “forty” have rotated past indicator 118, so that symbol 114 of “five hundred” is indicated. Balloon 102 has also translated further upwardly so that balloon portion 108 is close to the top section of housing 104. In one preferred embodiment, at least a small distance between the balloon portion 108 and housing 104 is maintained so that neither the object 102 nor the housing 104 become damaged. As seen by comparing FIGS. 2 and 3, a further gap is created between basket 110 and a bottom portion of housing 104. In FIG. 3, the lighting sequence has identified the player's award components 114 and 116 to be five hundred and a multiplier of ×7, respectively. In this embodiment, gaming device 10 at the end of the mechanical and electronic sequence of display device 100 provides an award to the player. In one embodiment, the award is a bonus award triggered by the base game, such as the occurrence of a triggering event displayed on video monitor 30. As seen in FIG. 3, video monitor 30 informs the player that the player has won 3,500 credits. Speakers 36 may also deliver an audio message to the player that the player has won 3,500 credits. As illustrated, the 3,500 credits provided to the player is a combination of the five hundred credits from the outcome of the rotated and translationally moved object 102 combined with the ×7 multiplier of the sequentially lighted display. In one alternative embodiment, the player's award is based solely on a value identified by object 102. In another embodiment, the symbol 114 is a multiplier that multiplies a number of base game credits, such as the player's wager payline or total wager. In a further embodiment, the multiplier multiplies any other suitable number, such as a number of paylines wagered by the player. In a further embodiment, multiple indicators 118 are provided that designate multiple ones of the symbols, which are combined, for example, by addition or multiplication. For example, in FIG. 3, multiple indicators 118 could be spread apart to indicate the symbols 114 of “three hundred fifty” and “forty”, which could be added in one embodiment to provide an award or an award component of three hundred ninety credits. Although not illustrated, credit display 16 is eventually updated to reflect the substantial gain made by the player via display 100 in FIGS. 1 to 3. A paid display (not shown) may be provided to show the player how many credits have been downloaded to the player's credit meter. The display of 3,500 credits on video monitor 30 in FIG. 3 can be illustrated counting backwards towards zero, while the player's total credits in credit display 16 count upwards to show an additional 3,500 credits. Speakers 36 provide suitable “credit roll-up” sounds during that exchange of credits. For ease of illustration, a relatively simple motion sequence is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. As will become clearer in light of the disclosure below, the rotational and translational motion of the object 102 of display 100 is variable so that many different types of motion profiles are possible. That is, for example, instead of moving upward one time, the translational motion of object 102 alternatively includes multiple starts and stops, one or more direction changes, one or more accelerations and top speeds, one or more dwell periods where no translational movement takes place and any combination thereof. Further, the rotational motion of object 102 is variable to include one or more starts and stops, one or more direction changes, one or more dwell periods, one or more angular accelerations, one or more maximum angular velocities and any combination thereof. One motion sequence, for example, multiple stepper motors causes the balloon 102 to begin to rise slowly and turn slowly and increasingly accelerate both translationally and rotationally to a maximum point and then decelerate both translationally and rotationally to a stopping point. It should also be appreciated that any suitable motion control program can be set to repeat (with or without variations) one or more times so that the player may believe that a particular award is being provided, when in fact gaming device 10 changes direction or movement and ultimately provides a different award to the player. In one embodiment, the player's award is determined randomly before the motion program ends. For example, in FIGS. 1 to 3, gaming device 10 in one embodiment determines randomly to provide an award of 3,500 credits to the player. Thereafter, a plurality of different possibilities exists. In one embodiment, the gaming device 10 determines either randomly or through a set equation, which combination of value(s) and multiplier(s) to use to provide the total award of 3,500 credits to the player. It may be that only a single combination exists that yields such an award. Alternatively, the player could achieve the credit symbol 114 of “three hundred fifty” and a multiplier of ×10 (not illustrated). Alternatively, gaming device 10 randomly generates a first one of the components, which determines or sets the second award component to be a certain value. For example, the object 102 could rotate randomly to display symbol 114 of “three hundred fifty” credits to the player. Thereafter, gaming device 10, knowing the total award to be 3,500 credits, determines that the multiplier has to be an ×10. In the illustrated embodiment, multipliers 116 are fixed and provided on a front panel of gaming device 10, which does not include a video monitor. Gaming device 10 alternatively provides the multiplier display 116 on a video monitor in one embodiment. That is, the electromechanical portion of display 100 can be a video monitor display similar to video monitor 30, so that the display around housing 104 can change. For example, gaming device 10 in one embodiment changes the values of the multiplier displays 116. In another embodiment, a completely separate type of award component or display is provided. In one implementation, the multipliers are only provided upon certain base game triggering events. For example, a player receiving a first triggering symbol or symbol combination receives an award based only upon symbols 114. A player achieving a second more desirable triggering symbol or symbol combination obtains an award based on credit symbols 114 and multiplier symbols 116. Referring now to FIG. 5, one alternative embodiment of a display 200 is illustrated, wherein the translational motion of object 202 indicates an award or a component of the player's overall award. Object 202 includes many of the same elements as object 102, including balloon portion 108, ropes 112 and symbols 114. Object 202 includes an alternative basket 210. Basket 210 supports a series of radially extending, spring-loaded indicators 212. There is preferably enough equally spaced apart, radially extending indicators 212, so that the combined indication of indicators 212 is continuous as object 202 translates and rotates (e.g., twelve equally spaced apart indicators 212). Indicators 212 cooperate with springs 214. Springs, 214 push indicators 212 radially outward to touch the inside of housing 104. The tips of indicators can house a ball bearing or roller to reduce the friction between indicators 212 and housing 104. Other suitable indicator configurations are within the scope of the present invention. The basket 210 defines apertures 220, one for each indicator 212, that enable the indicators 212 to move radially inward as the cross-section of the housing 104 narrows, e.g., as object 202 translates downwardly. Tube sections (not illustrated) can be placed inside basket 210 to surround and support indicators 212 vertically and laterally as the indicators 212 slide radially in and out within the tube sections. Alternative multipliers 216 are provided that include extensions 218, which are relatively thin and allow multipliers 216 to remain relatively large and at the same time be indicated individually by indicators 212 over a smaller distance of travel. In an alternative embodiment, housing 104 is expanded vertically to allow for a longer distance of vertical travel so that extensions 218 are not needed. As seen in FIG. 5, object 202 has rotated and translated so that the rotational motion has produced an award of five hundred and the translational motion has produced an award of ×7. Multiplier 216 illuminates accordingly. Those awards are combined to form an overall award of 3500 credits as indicated by display 30 and an audio message from speakers 36. Each of the alternative embodiments described above for the symbols 114 and multipliers 116 described herein is also applicable to the symbols 114 and the multipliers 216 as described in connection with FIG. 5. Referring now to FIG. 6, another alternative embodiment is illustrated by display 300, wherein a translational motion of object 302 indicates an award or a component of the player's overall award. Object 302 includes many of the same elements as object 102, including balloon portion 108, ropes 112 and symbols 114. Object 302 includes the same basket 110 as does object 102. Instead of the series of radially extending, spring-loaded indicators 212 of object 202, object 302 includes horizontal indicators 306 and 308. Indicators 306 and 308 are positioned and arranged on object 102 so as to be able to indicate one of the upper multipliers 116 or middle multipliers 116 (for upper indicator 306) and one of the middle multipliers 116 or lower multipliers 116 (for upper indicator 308). That is, as object 302 traverses vertically through its full range of motion, indicator 306 translates to indicate either upper multipliers 116 or middle multipliers 116. Indicator 308 translates to indicate either middle multipliers 116 or lower multipliers 116. Random generation displays 310 to 316 are provided on gaming device 10 to select randomly between the four quadrants or possible multipliers 116 created by the ultimate translational location of indicators 306 and 308. That is each upper and lower indicator indicates two multipliers when the translational motion of object 302 stops, resulting in four possible multipliers, upper/left, upper/right, lower/left and lower/right. Quadrant displays 310, 312, 314, and 316, one corresponding to each of the four outcome possibilities, select which of the four possibilities is actually provided to the player. In one embodiment a printed circuit board (“PCB”) displaying a plurality of light emitting diodes (“LED'S”) is provided behind displays 310 to 316. The LED's corresponding to the generated quadrant or multiplier are highlighted, illuminated or otherwise visually communicate the generation. A light sequence may also be provided that shows that gaming device 10 is thinking or generating one of the multipliers 116. Although not illustrated, the alternative multipliers 216 discussed above may alternatively be used with indicators 116. In a further alternative embodiment, housing 104 is expanded vertically to allow for a longer distance of vertical travel so that additional multipliers 116 may be employed. Further alternatively, only a single horizontal indicator 306 or 308 is used, and only left versus right random generation displays, e.g., displays 310 and 312, are used to pick between the two possibilities yielded by the single horizontal indicator. As seen in FIG. 5, object 302 has rotated and translated so that the rotational motion has produced an award component of ten and the translational motion has stopped so that Indicator 306 indicates middle multiplier 116 and indicator 308 indicates lower multipliers 116. As seen in FIG. 6, the quadrant generation displays 310 to 316 have generated randomly the upper left quadrant 310 (which is lighted), i.e., the upper indicator 306 and the left side of display 300. The multiplier 116 indicated by upper indicator 306 on the left side of display 300, given the resulting translational position of object 302, is the 6× multiplier 116. The player's overall award in the present example is the generated value ten multiplied by the 6× multiplier or 60, as indicated by display 30 and audio message from speakers 36. Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, one embodiment for producing the translational and rotational motion of the display device 100 (or device 200) of the present invention is illustrated. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially along line VII-VII in FIG. 7 and illustrates a top view through an important portion of the motion control apparatus of FIG. 7. FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate gaming device 10 having the display 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 or displays 200 and 300 of FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively. FIGS. 7 and 8 show at least a portion of the see-through, clear or acrylic housing 104. FIG. 7 also shows a side view of object or balloon 102 (for ease of description, display 100, object 102, basket 110 and multipliers 116 are described, however, the disclosure is applicable equally to display 200, object 202, baskets 210 and multipliers 216) having the basket 110, supports 112 and balloon portion 108. Symbols 114 are also illustrated. As seen in FIG. 7, the visible portion of display device 100 resides in the upper display or top box area 132. The motion controller 56 and one or more motion producing devices 58 can reside either in the top box area 132 or in the lower cabinet area 32. A motion producing device 58a, seen in FIG. 7, produces the translational motion of the object 102. Motion producing device 58a is controlled via one or more wires by a motion controller 56a. The rotational motion of the object 102 is produced by a second motion producing device 58b, which is controlled via one or more wires by a second controller 56b. In one embodiment, the motion producing devices 58a and 58b are stepper motors (collectively 58), which are highly accurate, positioning type motors. Those motors allow various accelerations, velocities, run times, dwell times, etc., to be programmed into a memory storage device and converted into motor currents via controllers 56 (56a and 56b are collectively referred to herein as 56) to produce complex desired motion outputs for the output shafts of stepper motors 58. In an alternative embodiment, the motion producing devices are servo motors that receive a feedback electronically so as to be even more accurate in many cases than stepper motors. In a further alternative embodiment, the motion producing device includes a linear electrical motor that rides along a track or linear stepper motor having an output shaft that moves translationally. In a still further alternative embodiment, the translational motion producing device includes is a pneumatically operated device. FIG. 7 illustrates separate motion controllers 56a and 56b for the separate motion producing devices. In an alternative embodiment, a single controller can multitask and control two separate motion producing devices or have two separate processors that are able to run multiple motors. For purposes of illustration, motion producing devices 58a and 58b are hereinafter described as stepper motors 58a and 58b. Translational stepper motor 58a is mounted to a back panel 120 via a mount 122 and one or more fastening devices 124. The shaft of stepper motor 58a couples to a lead screw 126 via a flexible coupler 128. In one embodiment, lead screw 126, includes a non-threaded portion that fits into coupler 128. Lead screw 126 threads into a nut 130 that is welded to a bracket 142. Bracket 142 is welded to a bridge 134 which in turn is welded to a second bracket 136. Brackets 136 and 142, nut 130 and bridge 134 are metal in one embodiment but could alternatively be hard plastic, formed separately or integrally. Bridge 134 fits through a slot defined by back panel 120. That slot is labeled 138 in FIG. 3 as is the back panel 120. The illustrated configuration for rotating and translating the object 102 is advantageous in one respect because the components are hidden from the player except for various slots, such as slot 138, which are necessary to allow motion of object 102 to occur. Those slots are relatively easy to cover up via a flexible flap, for example, that is of a color to match the color of back panel 120 where visible to the player. As the shaft of translational stepper motor 58a turns, such rotational motion is transferred via coupler 128 to lead screw 126, which turns within nut 130. Because the motor 58a is fixed positionally, the turning of lead screw 136 causes the bracket 142 to translate up or down depending on the direction of rotation of the motor 58a. Turning stepper motor 56a in one direction causes bracket 142 to move up. Turning stepper motor 56a in the opposite direction causes the bracket 142 to move down. In alternative embodiments, the translational motion of object 102 is side-to-side or at any suitable angle desired by the implementor in an X-Y plane defined by back panel 120. That is, the translational motion produced does not have to be vertical, but instead can be side-to-side or diagonal as desired. The translational motion of bracket 142 is transferred via bridge 134 to the bracket 136 welded to bridge 134. The bracket 136 pivotally supports the basket 110, rigid supports or ropes 112 and balloon portion 108 of object 102. The player will therefore see the edge of bracket 136. Bracket 136, however, can be machined, painted, colored, textured or otherwise made to appear to be a bottom portion of basket 110 and is therefore either hidden from the player or camouflaged to appear to be part of the basket 110. Basket 110 and thus object 102 are engaged rotationally with bracket 136 via pivot point 148. Pivot point 148 enables the basket and object 102 to spin freely with respect to bracket 136 and at the same time be supported by and attached to bracket 136. It should be appreciated that when bracket 136 moves up or down, object 102 moves up or down accordingly. Bracket 142 supports stepper motor 58b, which produces the rotational motion of the object 102. When bracket 142 moves up or down, stepper motor 58b moves up or down accordingly. Stepper motor 58b couples via a second flexible coupler 128 to a pulley 140 (best seen in FIG. 7). Alternatively, shaft 126 has an upper end that is milled to fit into pulley 140, so that a single motor 58a produces both the translational motion and rotational motion of object 102. While such an embodiment is more cost effective, the movement of object 102 is limited by such a configuration. In either case, pulley 140 drives a belt 144. Belt 144 extends through slots 146 defined by back panel 120. Slots 146 defined by back plate 120 are also readily concealed as described above with slot 138 defined by back panel 120. Two slots 146 are provided for the belt 144 so that the belt has an exit and return slot as seen in FIG. 8. Belt 144 extends around a top portion of basket 110 of object 102. When stepper motor 58b rotates its shaft, the shaft rotates flexible coupler 128 and pulley 140 coupled thereto, which in turn rotates belt 144, which in turn rotates basket 110 and object 102 about pivot point 148. The motion of object 102 follows the motion of stepper motor 58b, including any starts, stops, runs, dwells, direction changes, accelerations, decelerations and velocities, etc. In an embodiment, belt 144 has teeth that engage mating teeth of the pulley as well as mating teeth of an upper strip of the basket 110. FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a series of pegs 156 that attach to and extend from brackets 142 and 136. Pegs 156 are positioned to draw in belt 144 so that belt 144: (i) has more surface area contact with both pulley 140 and a top portion of basket 110; and (ii) so that belt 144 appears to wrap all the way around basket 110. In that manner, the player cannot discern that belt 144 is functional, but instead thinks that belt 144 is an aesthetic characteristic of basket 110. Accordingly, belt 144 is colored or textured to appear to be part of basket 110 of hot air balloon 102. Suitable rollers and ball bearings are provided in the electromechanical system of the displays 100, 200 and 300 of the present invention. For example, rollers 150 are placed between bracket 142 and the inside surface of back panel 120 to help prevent the assembly from rocking back and forth (i.e., towards and away from the player). Bracket 136 and balloon 102 form a cantilever relative to the translational motor 58a. The additional support provided by rollers 150 is therefore desirable. Rollers 150 also serve to provide a smooth translational motion for the object 102 and reduce fluttering and vibrations appearing during such motion, especially during a starting or stopping of the motion of object 102. Although not illustrated, a circular groove can be made in either or both bracket 136 and basket 110, enabling ball bearings to be placed within the groove between bracket 136 and basket 110, while allowing the basket 110 to remain flush on the surface of bracket 136. The ball bearings placed in such groove allow for balloon 102 to rotate smoothly and also serve to dampen vibrational effects. Still further, and also not illustrated, rollers or bearings are placed between the edges of slot 138 in back panel 120 and the bridge 134. In the same manner that rollers 150 support the assembly and keep same from fluctuating front and back, ball bearings or rollers placed within groove 138 prevent the assembly from rotating or vibrating from side to side relative to the player. In one embodiment, the translational motion of object 102 is controlled electronically through a motion control program. That is, the game implementor implements a certain amount of step pulses that are fed from motion controller 56a to stepper motor 58a. When the steps end, the motor stops turning and the object 102 stops translating. It should therefore be appreciated that the motion control program can control the translational motion of the object 102 entirely. It is desirable however to install hard, mechanical limits to compensate for a power down or other type of condition, such as accumulated slippage and backlash along lead screw 126, which causes the object 102 to not be in the position processor 38 or the motor controller 56a thinks that the object 102 is in. Accordingly, a plurality limits switches 152 are positioned along the inside of back panel 120, so that one of the pegs 156 (or other protrusion) contacts a limit switch 152 when the bracket 142 and object 102 are translated to a lowest, safest point or to a highest, safest point, respectively. Limit switches 152 in one embodiment are wired in a failsafe manner, so that if one of the wires connecting to limit switch 152 is corrupted (i.e., power to the switch is lost), processor 38 believes that the switch has been triggered and shuts down power to the translational stepper motor 56a. FIG. 8 also illustrates a plan view of the multiplier indicators 116 operating in conjunction with the rotating and translating object 102 positioned inside housing 104. The indicators 116 operate with one or more lights 154 that are controlled by processor 38 to selectively light one or more desired multiplier indicators 116 at a specified time. As stated above, one or more lights 154 for one or more multipliers 116 may be lit simultaneously or sequentially. For ease of illustration, a single lamp 154 is provided for each indicator 116. In an alternative embodiment, multiple lamps, surrounding the multiplier, for example, are provided. Lamp 154 in one embodiment includes a printed circuit board. Further, lights 154 are shown inside of the front panel of gaming device 10 so as to provide backlight for the multipliers 116. In an alternative embodiment, the lights mount through the front panel and highlight, for example, the area around the multipliers 116. It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to gaming devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to wagering gaming device displays. Gaming devices, such as slot machines and video poker machines, provide fun and excitement for the player. Gaming, in general, provides an escape from the everyday rigors of life. Gaming devices and gaming establishments use bright lights and exciting sounds to set the gaming world apart from the rest of the world. Gaming devices, in particular, use one or more displays that enable the player to see, play and interaction with the game. The displays typically portray the action of the game and ultimately indicate whether or not the player wins. Slot machine and other gaming device displays have gone through a number of transitions since their inception. Originally, slot machines displayed purely mechanical reels. While these machines gained enormous popularity, the mechanical nature of the reels limited the number of paystops, which limited the number of different symbols and the number of different winning symbol combinations. The advent of the computer and the video monitor expanded the possibilities for gaming devices. There are now video poker, video blackjack and other types of video gaming machines. Video displays have also been implemented in slot machines. The video slot machines use computers to randomly generate symbol combinations from an expanded number of different symbols. Video reel strips can include a virtually unlimited number of symbols, which enables a wide variety of different symbol combinations to be employed, including combinations that appear very infrequently and yield high payouts. With slot machines, the video monitors have also been used to provide bonus or secondary games. Bonus games in gaming machines have become much more prevalent and elaborate in recent years. For example, players play the base game of slot until becoming eligible for a bonus game. The base game temporarily pauses, while the player plays the bonus game. When the player completes the bonus game, the gaming device returns the player to the bonus game. It should therefore be appreciated that a single video monitor is often sufficient to provide both the base game of slot and one or more bonus games that become triggered by the slot game. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , there is room on the cabinet of gaming device 10 for an upper display area 132 . That area, however, is often not utilized for gaming purposes and may simply provide a paytable, graphics and/or lettering that pertains to a theme of the gaming device. Video monitors and in particular video-based slot machines are likely going to continue growing in popularity. As the video monitor has been used more and more, however, there has been a growing sentiment that some of the mystique of the old time mechanical gaming devices is lost when mechanical reels and mechanical displays are replaced by a video monitor. Accordingly, a need exists to provide new gaming devices that may use a video monitor which provides increased flexibility to the gaming device to add more symbols and more elaborate bonus games, while providing some aspect of the gaming device that is mechanical and provides a fun and exciting mechanical display of symbols such as awards. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention provides a display device for a gaming device and in one embodiment a mechanical display for a slot machine. The display device includes an object that is rotated and translated. The object includes and displays a plurality of symbols. As the object is rotated, the player can see different ones of the symbols. In one embodiment, the translation of the object indicates to the player that an award based on one of the symbols is imminent. In one embodiment, when the object stops rotating and translating, the display device designates one or more of the symbols to be provided to the player such as an award or a component of an award. In one embodiment, the display device includes a secondary random generation that produces an outcome that is combined with the designated symbol or symbols of the object. For example, the symbols can designate a credit value and the secondary random generation can designate a modifier such as a multiplier. That is, the translational and rotational motion of the object yields a designated credit value, while the secondary random generation yields a designated multiplier. The credit value and multiplier are combined to provide an overall award for the player. In one alternative embodiment, this is reversed such that the symbols designate a modifier such as a multiplier and the secondary random generation yields an award. Other awards may be provided instead of credit values or multipliers, such as a number of picks from a prize pool, a number of free games, a non-monetary award and any combination thereof. In an alternative embodiment, the rotating and translating object designates a multiplier and the secondary random generation designates a credit value. In one embodiment, the display device is provided in combination with a base game, such as the base game of slot. The display device alternatively cooperates with any suitable base game such as poker, blackjack, craps, keno, bingo, bunco and any combination thereof. The display device can, for example, be provided as an upper display area or top box on the slot machine or other type of base game device. The base game device can also have various configurations such as a vertical or slanted video monitor that displays the base game to the player. In a further alternative embodiment, the base game is provided via a mechanical or electro-mechanical apparatus, such as mechanical slot machine reels. In one embodiment, the outcome of a random spinning of slot machine reels yields a triggering symbol or combination of symbols that triggers the movement of the object. In one embodiment, the object begins to simultaneously translate and rotate. The object can translate in a single or multiple directions and rotate in a single or multiple directions. Upon completion of a motion program stored in the memory of the gaming device, the object comes to a stop and one or more of the symbols of the object is displayed. The player is provided an award as a bonus award, which can be in addition to an award provided by the base game. In the embodiments illustrated herein, the object is in the form or shape of a hot air balloon. Upon a triggering event, the hot air balloon begins to rise and also begins rotating. The hot air balloon continues to rise and rotate to a predetermined or randomly determined translational and rotational position. The balloon displays a plurality of credit values, one of which is ultimately designated by an indicator, for example, an arrow or pointer attached to the display device. The balloon is housed within a fully or partially see-through or transparent cover made from a suitable material such as glass, plexiglas, acrylic or another suitable polymer. In one embodiment, the indicator or pointer is affixed to the cover. In one embodiment, series of multipliers is displayed adjacent to the hot air balloon and see-through cover on a front panel of the cabinet of the gaming device. Behind the multipliers, the display device provides a plurality of lights. While the balloon rises and rotates, the gaming device sequentially lights different ones of the multipliers of the display device. Ultimately, one of the multipliers remains lighted. The player's award is the designated credit value multiplied by the lighted multiplier. In an alternative embodiment, the object or hot air balloon includes an indicator that translates with the object. When the object stops moving, the indicator points to or otherwise indicates one of the awards displayed adjacent to the object such as a multiplier. The multiplier combines with the award indicated due to the rotation of the object to form an overall award for the player. In one embodiment, separate motion producing devices, such as rotational stepper motors, provide the translational and rotational motion of the object individually. For example, one stepper motor rotates a lead screw that threads into a tapped hole or nut welded to a plate. The plate supports a second motor that drives a belt. The first stepper motor translates the object or balloon up or down (or alternatively side to side). The second stepper motor rides with the object or balloon and rotates the belt, wherein the belt is coupled to the object or balloon. When the second motor is energized, the rotation of the shaft of the second motor turns a pulley, which in turn drives the belt, which in turn rotates the object or balloon. That configuration illustrated further below drives the balloon in the desired translational and rotational manner and is also relatively easily hidden from the player, so as to make the object or balloon appear to float and turn as it is floating. The partially see-through cover is colored sky blue and painted with clouds in the rear so as to make the balloon appear to be floating in the sky. It should be appreciated that other suitable drive mechanisms may be employed to simultaneously rotate and translate the object in accordance with the present invention. It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a fun and interesting gaming device display. It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a fun and interesting apparatus and method of designating a symbol such as an award for a player. It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a display device that rotates and translates simultaneously in a fun and entertaining manner. It is still another advantage of the present invention to provide an apparatus that rotates to determine one component of the player's award and translates to determine another component of the player's award. It is yet another advantage of the present invention to provide a motion control configuration that rotates and translates an object of a display device. Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description of the Invention and the figures. | 20041001 | 20081021 | 20060406 | 64669.0 | A63F924 | 0 | HYLINSKI, STEVEN J | GAMING DEVICE WITH ROTATING AND TRANSLATING DISPLAY DEVICE | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | A63F | 2,004 |
|
10,956,580 | ACCEPTED | Spray booth systems and methods for accelerating curing times | One embodiment of the invention provides a spray booth that comprises a spray booth housing having a ceiling and side walls that define an interior for holding an object to be sprayed. A pressurized air plenum is disposed above the ceiling and is adapted to supply air into the interior. A filter media is used to filter air from the plenum before entering into the interior. At least one fan is disposed in the interior below the filter media. The fan is operable to locally increase air flows in the vicinity of the object to increase evaporation rates associated with a spray application on the object, and to enhance air flow over the object during a dry or a cure cycle. | 1. A spray booth comprising: a spray booth housing having a ceiling and side walls that define an interior for holding an object to be sprayed; a pressurized air plenum disposed above the ceiling that is adapted to supply air into the interior; a filter media disposed to filter air from the plenum and into the interior; at least one fan disposed in the interior below the filter media, wherein the fan is operable to locally increase air flows within the interior in the vicinity of the object to increase evaporation rates associated with a spray application on the object, and to enhance air flow over the object during a dry or a cure cycle. 2. A spray booth as in claim 1, wherein the fan has a low speed setting and a high speed setting. 3. A spray booth as in claim 2, wherein the speed at the low setting is about 750 RPM and the speed at the high setting is about 1050 RPM. 4. A spray booth as in claim 1, wherein further comprising an air motor or an electric motor located outside of the plenum to drive the fan. 5. A spray booth as in claim 1, further comprising at least one exhaust opening that is adapted to exhaust air from the interior. 6. A spray booth as in claim 5, wherein the exhaust opening is positioned in a floor of the spray booth. 7. A spray booth as in claim 5, wherein the exhaust opening is positioned in towers or in the side walls. 8. A spray booth as in claim 1, wherein the air plenum is configured to distribute air across substantially all of the ceiling. 9. A spray booth as in claim 1, wherein the at least one fan comprises three fans. 10. A spray booth as in claim 1, wherein the fan is configured to produce air flow rates in the range from about 200 feet per minute to about 350 feet per minute. 11. A spray booth as in claim 1, wherein the fan is configured to produce a flow rate over object is about 100% to about 150% greater than the rest of interior of the spray booth. 12. A spray booth as in claim 1, wherein the fan is coupled directly under the ceiling filter. 13. A method for spraying an object with a spray application, the method comprising: providing a spray booth that comprises a spray booth housing having a ceiling and walls that define an interior for holding an object to be sprayed, a pressurized air plenum disposed above the ceiling, a filter media disposed to filter air from the plenum and into the interior, and at least one fan disposed in the interior below the filter media; placing an object into the interior; spraying a spray application onto the object; introducing air into the interior through the plenum and the filter media; and operating the fan while air flows through the plenum to locally increase air flows within the interior in the vicinity of the object to increase evaporation rates associated with the spray application. 14. A method as in claim 13, wherein the object is a vehicle, and wherein the fan is positioned above the vehicle to increase air flow around the vehicle. 15. A method as in claim 13, wherein the flow rate over object is about 100% to about 150% greater than the rest of interior of the spray booth. 16. A method as in claim 13, wherein the air flows are locally increased within the interior without substantially increasing the pressure within the interior. 17. A method as in claim 13, wherein the spray application comprises a waterborne paint, and wherein the increased air flows enhance the evaporation of water from a surface of the waterborne paint. 18. A method as in claim 13, wherein the flow rate of air around the object is in the range of about 200 feet per minute to about 350 feet per minute. 19. A method as in claim 13, further comprising exhausting air from the interior to produce a downdraft flow or a semi-vertical flow. 20. A method as in claim 13, wherein the spray application comprises a material selected from a group consisting of solvent based paints, clear coats and lacquers, and wherein the increased air flows enhance the drying of the spray application from a surface. | CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a nonprovisional application which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/530,780, filed Dec. 17, 2003, and 60/526,924, filed Dec. 3, 2003, the complete disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the field of spray booths, and in particular to spray booths where air is flowed from the ceiling and past the object being sprayed. More specifically, the invention relates to increasing air flow rates around an object being sprayed to increase evaporation rates. When painting a vehicle or other object, drying or curing times can limit the amount of throughput. One common way to spray a vehicle is by using a spray booth. These booths provide advantages such as reducing particulate, confining paint overspray and evaporated solvents, and reducing drying times. To accelerate drying, air is flowed through the booth and over the vehicle. For waterborne paints, water in the paint travels to the surface to evaporate. As the air flows over the surface of the paint, it tends to enhance evaporation of the water, thereby reducing drying times. A wide variety of spray booths are in existence. Perhaps the most common types are downdraft and semi-vertical spray booths that use a housing positioned over an open floor grate or an exhaust outlet near the bottom of the walls. Air from the ceiling and any entrained paint overspray and solvents are drawn downward over the vehicle during spraying and drying and are then exhausted through the floor grate or exhaust opening. One example of such a spray booth is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,654, incorporated herein by reference. Typical flow rates may be about 80 to 100 feet per minute over horizontal surfaces. Even at elevated temperatures and a down draft of semi-vertical draft, it can take up to 40 minutes for the entire vehicle to dry sufficiently to permit removal from the spray booth. Until the automobile is dry, it is usually maintained in the spray booth to prevent damage to the soft paint. To reduce drying times, some have used heaters to increase the temperature within the booth. Others have tried to increase flow rates using nozzles. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,023, the complete disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. This invention is related to other techniques for reducing drying and curing times. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One embodiment of the invention provides a spray booth that comprises a spray booth housing having a ceiling and side walls that define an interior for holding an object to be sprayed. A pressurized air plenum is disposed above the ceiling and is adapted to supply air into the interior. A filter media is used to filter air from the plenum before entering into the interior. At least one fan is disposed in the interior below the filter media. The fan is operable to locally increase air flows in the vicinity of the object to increase evaporation rates associated with a spray application on the object, and to enhance air flow over the object during a spray, dry and cure cycle. In this way, enhanced airflows over the object may be achieved without increasing air flows through the plenum. As such drying times may be significantly reduced. In one aspect, the fan has a low speed setting and a high speed setting. For example, the speed at the low setting may be about 750 RPM and the speed at the high setting be about 1050 RPM. In one process, the low speed setting may be used for spraying applications, and the high speed setting may be used for drying, baking or curing applications. Conveniently, an air motor inside the plenum or an electric motor located outside of the plenum may be used to drive the fan. At least one exhaust opening may be used to exhaust air from the interior. This may be positioned in a floor of the spray booth, in a pair of towers or in the side walls. In another aspect, the air plenum may be configured to distribute air across substantially all of the ceiling. Further, the system may use multiple fans, such as two, three or more. This may be operated at the same time, different times, and rotated at the same or different directions. In one arrangement, the fan or fans are configured to produce air flow rates in the range from about 200 feet per minute to about 350 feet per minute around the object. Further, the fan or fans may be configured to produce a flow rate over object is about 100% to about 150% greater than the rest of interior of the spray booth. Also, the fan may be coupled directly under the ceiling filter so that filtered air is flowed over the object. The invention also provides a method for spraying an object with a spray application. According to the method, an object is placed into the interior of a spray booth, similar to the ones described herein. A spray application is sprayed onto the object, and air is introduced into the interior through the plenum and the filter media. The fan is operated while air flows through the plenum to locally increase air flows within the interior in the vicinity of the object to increase evaporation rates associated with the spray application. Such air flows may also be used during a spray, dry or cure cycle. In many applications, the object is a vehicle, and the fan is positioned above the vehicle to increase air flow around the vehicle. The flow rate over object may be about 100% to about 150% greater than the rest of interior of the spray booth using fans that generate flow rates of about 200 feet per minute to about 350 feet per minute. One particular advantage is that the air flows are locally increased within the interior without substantially increasing the pressure within the interior. In this way, the flow within the plenum does not need to be increased to increase evaporation rates. In one aspect, the spray application comprises a waterborne paint, and the increased air flows enhance the evaporation of water from a surface of the waterborne paint. The techniques of the method may be used in essentially any type of spray booth having a downdraft flow or a semi-vertical flow. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross sectional front view of a down draft type paint spray booth that may be used with the invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of a paint spray booth having propeller fans according to the invention. FIG. 3 is a cross sectional front view of the spray booth of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a propeller fan according to the invention. FIGS. 5-7 illustrate a paint drying process according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Aspects of the invention involve increasing air flows around an object being sprayed, baked or cured in a spray booth. The techniques of the invention may be used with essentially any type of down draft of semi-vertical draft system as is known in the art. A few examples of such types of spray booths are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,533,654 and 5,113,600, incorporated herein by reference. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not intended to be limited only to such spray booths. To increase air flows, the invention uses one or more fans that are positioned directed below the ceiling (which preferably includes filters). In this way, the fans draw the plenum air towards the center of the booth where the object is located. Further, the fans compress and accelerate the air so that more air is forced over the object in the center of the booth, without increasing the supply of air from the plenum. In effect, the same volume of air is used in the booth as a whole, but while in operation, the fans focus more air (which is moving faster) over the object. In some cases, the flow of air from the plenum could actually be reduced, thereby reducing energy costs. Even if the plenum air is not reduced, drying times may be significantly increased with little extra energy requirements, i.e., only the energy needed to run the ceiling fans in the booth. Further, the accelerated air is drawn from the ceiling filters, and is therefore clean air. The systems and techniques of the invention may be used with essentially any type of refinishing products, including waterborne paints, non-waterborne paints, solvent based patents, clear coats, lacquers, other types of paints, and the like. Hence, the invention is not intended to be limited to a specific type of finishing product. One particular advantage of such a system is that it can easily be retrofit in essentially any type of existing spray booth where air flows from the ceiling and generally downward or semi-vertically. Further, such a system may be one or more fans, some or all which can be turned on. Also, the fans may be rotated all in the same direction, or some in different directions. FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a down draft spray booth 10 that may be used with the invention. Booth 10 comprises two side walls 12 and 14 and end walls or doors (not shown) as is known in the art. Coupled to walls 12 and 14 is a ceiling 16 that defines an interior 17. Formed in ceiling 16 is a plenum 18 that supplies pressurized air into interior 17 along substantially all of its length. Also formed in ceiling 16 are air filters 20 that filter air passing from plenum 18 into interior 17. Walls rest on a floor 22 which may include a grate through which air and other gases may be exhausted from interior 17. In some cases, the exhaust opening may be included in walls 12 or 14, near floor 22. In use, a vehicle V is placed into interior 17 and the doors are closed. Pressurized air is provided to plenum 18 where it is filtered by filters 20 and then passes into interior 17. The plenum 18 distributes air across substantially all of its length. This air passes downward as illustrated by the arrows until exhausted through the floor grate. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, booth 10 may be modified to include a set of propeller fans 30 to locally increase air flows around vehicle V. This accelerated air is illustrated by the additional flow lines illustrated in FIG. 3. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the two outside fans are rotated clockwise while the middle fan is rotated counterclockwise. However, it will be appreciated that fans 30 may be rotated differently. Further, not all of fans 30 need to be rotated. Also, although three fans are shown, other numbers of fans may be used as well. In operation, fans 30 serve to compress and accelerate the air over vehicle V without substantially increasing the pressure within interior 17. In this way, the pressurized (and sometimes heated) air supplied to plenum does not need to be increased while the air flow around vehicle V is substantially increased. As such, additional heated air (which can be expensive) is not needed in interior 17. For example, the amount of air passing over object may be about 100% to about 150% greater than if no fan is used. Fans 30 may be operated at a low speed setting and a high speed setting (such as while spraying or while curing or baking). The low speed setting may be in the range from about 500 rpm to about 1,000 rpm, and the high speed setting may be in the range from about 500 rpm to about 2,000 rpm. Illustrated in FIG. 4 is one embodiment of a fan 40 that may be used to increase air flows. Fan 40 comprises a plurality of blades that are rotated by a motor (that is typically located outside of the spray booth). This may be an air driven fan, an electric fan, or the like. FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the process of drying a waterborne base coat using the techniques of the invention. In FIG. 5, a metal object 42 is sprayed with a base coat 44. The substantially increased airflow around the vehicle is illustrated by contours 46. This occurs during the “DRY” cycle of the painting process for waterborne refinish products. As shown in FIG. 6, the more rapidly the water is evaporated from the surface of the newly sprayed metal object 42, the more rapidly the coat 44 is cured, allowing the next coat to be applied. By increasing evaporation, the water evaporates rather than remaining on object 42. In this way, more water may come out of coat 44 as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. Although possible, it is not necessary to dry the waterborne base coat in the bake cycle. Curing occurs via evaporation, and that is accomplished with air movement. EXAMPLE One non-limiting example of how the techniques of the invention may be used to increasing drying and curing times is set forth below. The example utilized a Garmat USA, Inc. PPG Envirobase Waterborne Base with DC3000 High Velocity Clearcoat. The spray booth was a Garmat USA, Inc. 3000 series paint spray booth (available from Garmat USA, Inc.) fitted with the three 24 inch diameter aluminum blade propeller fans similar to the embodiment in FIGS. 2-4. The booth was set to 72 F. and 0.02″ W.C. A 2002 Buick Century was used for the test. The first coat of base was applied medium wet with the timing beginning as soon as the spraying began. The roof of the car was sprayed. The waterborne base coat completely flashed off in 5.46 minutes without the use of the propeller fans. The second coat of base was applied, medium wet, and the three fans were rotated during spraying at about 750 rpm, and raised to about 1050 rpm for the dry phase. The waterborne base completely flashed off in 3.38 minutes from the time that the spraying began. A third coat of waterborne base was applied medium wet with the paint gun adjusted for a wider fan pattern. The waterborne base completely flashed off in 2.23 minutes from the time the spraying began. The paint spray booth was set to 78 F. and the process was moved to the hood, fender, and front bumper of the car. The first coat of the water base was applied medium wet with the fans running at a low speed (about 750 rpm). The vertical surfaces of the car flashed within seconds of the spray application being completed, and the fans were set to full speed (about 1050 rpm). The front of the car was completely flashed off in 3.30 minutes from the time that the spraying began. A second coat of the base was applied Wet with the fans running at low speed. Again the vertical surfaces flashed off within seconds of the spray application being completed. The fans were set to high speed at the end of the spray application and the front of the car was completely flashed off in 4.27 minutes from the time that the spraying began. Two medium wet coats of the DC3000 clear were applied in immediate succession. The booth was set to bake with no Purge Cycle time, 185 F. for a 5 minute Ramp Up Cycle, 170 F. for a 5 minute Ramp Down Cycle, and 140 F for a 10 minute Bake Cycle. The desired 120 F surface temperature was achieved in 4 minutes with the fans running at about 1050 rpm). Air speed measurements were made during the Bake Cycle around the front of the car without the fans running. At the right front fender belt line the air speed was 83 feet per minute. At the front of the car there was 189 FPM, 88 FPM at the left front fender, and 77 FPM at the left front door. All measurements were made at the belt line of the car. The fans were set to full speed during the Bake Cycle and the air speed measurements were repeated. There was 204 FPM at the right front fender, 241 FPM at the front of the car, 256 FPM at the left front fender, and 371 FPM at the left front door. The clear coat was dry to the touch after the Ramp Up and Ramp Down Cycles were completed. The invention has now been described in detail for purposes of clarity and understanding. However, it will be appreciated that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>This invention relates generally to the field of spray booths, and in particular to spray booths where air is flowed from the ceiling and past the object being sprayed. More specifically, the invention relates to increasing air flow rates around an object being sprayed to increase evaporation rates. When painting a vehicle or other object, drying or curing times can limit the amount of throughput. One common way to spray a vehicle is by using a spray booth. These booths provide advantages such as reducing particulate, confining paint overspray and evaporated solvents, and reducing drying times. To accelerate drying, air is flowed through the booth and over the vehicle. For waterborne paints, water in the paint travels to the surface to evaporate. As the air flows over the surface of the paint, it tends to enhance evaporation of the water, thereby reducing drying times. A wide variety of spray booths are in existence. Perhaps the most common types are downdraft and semi-vertical spray booths that use a housing positioned over an open floor grate or an exhaust outlet near the bottom of the walls. Air from the ceiling and any entrained paint overspray and solvents are drawn downward over the vehicle during spraying and drying and are then exhausted through the floor grate or exhaust opening. One example of such a spray booth is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,654, incorporated herein by reference. Typical flow rates may be about 80 to 100 feet per minute over horizontal surfaces. Even at elevated temperatures and a down draft of semi-vertical draft, it can take up to 40 minutes for the entire vehicle to dry sufficiently to permit removal from the spray booth. Until the automobile is dry, it is usually maintained in the spray booth to prevent damage to the soft paint. To reduce drying times, some have used heaters to increase the temperature within the booth. Others have tried to increase flow rates using nozzles. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,023, the complete disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. This invention is related to other techniques for reducing drying and curing times. | <SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>One embodiment of the invention provides a spray booth that comprises a spray booth housing having a ceiling and side walls that define an interior for holding an object to be sprayed. A pressurized air plenum is disposed above the ceiling and is adapted to supply air into the interior. A filter media is used to filter air from the plenum before entering into the interior. At least one fan is disposed in the interior below the filter media. The fan is operable to locally increase air flows in the vicinity of the object to increase evaporation rates associated with a spray application on the object, and to enhance air flow over the object during a spray, dry and cure cycle. In this way, enhanced airflows over the object may be achieved without increasing air flows through the plenum. As such drying times may be significantly reduced. In one aspect, the fan has a low speed setting and a high speed setting. For example, the speed at the low setting may be about 750 RPM and the speed at the high setting be about 1050 RPM. In one process, the low speed setting may be used for spraying applications, and the high speed setting may be used for drying, baking or curing applications. Conveniently, an air motor inside the plenum or an electric motor located outside of the plenum may be used to drive the fan. At least one exhaust opening may be used to exhaust air from the interior. This may be positioned in a floor of the spray booth, in a pair of towers or in the side walls. In another aspect, the air plenum may be configured to distribute air across substantially all of the ceiling. Further, the system may use multiple fans, such as two, three or more. This may be operated at the same time, different times, and rotated at the same or different directions. In one arrangement, the fan or fans are configured to produce air flow rates in the range from about 200 feet per minute to about 350 feet per minute around the object. Further, the fan or fans may be configured to produce a flow rate over object is about 100% to about 150% greater than the rest of interior of the spray booth. Also, the fan may be coupled directly under the ceiling filter so that filtered air is flowed over the object. The invention also provides a method for spraying an object with a spray application. According to the method, an object is placed into the interior of a spray booth, similar to the ones described herein. A spray application is sprayed onto the object, and air is introduced into the interior through the plenum and the filter media. The fan is operated while air flows through the plenum to locally increase air flows within the interior in the vicinity of the object to increase evaporation rates associated with the spray application. Such air flows may also be used during a spray, dry or cure cycle. In many applications, the object is a vehicle, and the fan is positioned above the vehicle to increase air flow around the vehicle. The flow rate over object may be about 100% to about 150% greater than the rest of interior of the spray booth using fans that generate flow rates of about 200 feet per minute to about 350 feet per minute. One particular advantage is that the air flows are locally increased within the interior without substantially increasing the pressure within the interior. In this way, the flow within the plenum does not need to be increased to increase evaporation rates. In one aspect, the spray application comprises a waterborne paint, and the increased air flows enhance the evaporation of water from a surface of the waterborne paint. The techniques of the method may be used in essentially any type of spray booth having a downdraft flow or a semi-vertical flow. | 20041001 | 20060516 | 20050609 | 96620.0 | 2 | TADESSE, YEWEBDAR T | SPRAY BOOTH SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACCELERATING CURING TIMES | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,956,619 | ACCEPTED | Drill press | A power tool control system connected with a drill press provides a system for determining operational settings for the drill press and/or structural factors of a workpiece to be operated upon by the drill press. For instance, the power tool control system may establish a visual indication of the axis of operation of the drill press upon a workpiece and/or determine the thickness, structural composition, and/or moisture content of a workpiece. The determined axis of operation and/or structural factor is utilized to determine the operational settings of the power tool. | 1. A power tool control system, for use with a drill press including a work table for engaging a workpiece, comprising: a casing including a receiver, the casing being connected with the drill press; and a laser mount connected with a laser source for emitting a laser beam, the laser mount for being received by the receiver, wherein the laser beam provides a measure of a structural factor of the workpiece for use in determining operational settings of the drill press. 2. The power tool control system of claim 1, wherein the casing includes a second receiver. 3. The power tool control system of claim 2, further comprising a second laser mount connected with a second laser source. 4. The power tool control system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface. 5. The power tool control system of claim 1, further comprising a bracket for connecting the casing with the drill press. 6. The power tool control system of claim 1, further comprising a casing adjustment mechanism. 7. The power tool control system of claim 1, further comprising a laser mount adjustment mechanism. 8. The power tool control system of claim 1, further comprising a laser source adjustment mechanism. 9. The power tool control system of claim 1, further comprising a laser beam adjustment mechanism. 10. A power tool control system, for use with a drill press including a work table for engaging a workpiece, comprising: a casing including a first receiver and a second receiver, the casing being connected with the drill press; a first laser mount connected with a first laser source for emitting a first laser beam, the first laser mount for being received by the first receiver; and a second laser mount connected with a second laser source for emitting a second laser beam, the second laser mount for being received by the second receiver, wherein the first and second laser beams provide a measure of a structural factor of the workpiece for use in determining operational settings of the drill press. 11. The power tool control system of claim 10, further comprising a user interface. 12. The power tool control system of claim 10, further comprising a bracket for connecting the casing with the drill press. 13. The power tool control system of claim 10, further comprising a casing adjustment mechanism. 14. The power tool control system of claim 10, further comprising a laser mount adjustment mechanism. 15. The power tool control system of claim 10, further comprising a laser source adjustment mechanism. 16. The power tool control system of claim 10, further comprising a laser beam adjustment mechanism. 17. A drill press, including a drill bit connected to a motor via a quill assembly, the drill bit for engaging a workpiece seated upon a work table of the drill press, comprising: a bench column including a first end connected with a head assembly and a second end connected with a stabilizing stand assembly, the bench column further connected with the work table; and a power tool control system connected with the bench column, the power tool control system connected in a position correlating with the work table, wherein the power tool control system provides a measure of a structural factor of the workpiece for use in determining operational settings of the drill press. 18. The drill press of claim 17, further comprising a dust collection system. 19. The drill press of claim 17, further comprising an adjustable feed handle assembly. 20. The drill press of claim 17, further comprising an adjustable arm. 21. The drill press of claim 17, further comprising a table angular adjustment assembly. 22. The drill press of claim 17, wherein the work table is a milling table. 23. The drill press of claim 17, wherein the work table includes a throat plate. 24. The drill press of claim 17, wherein the work table includes a laser activated section. 25. The drill press of claim 17, further comprising a fence assembly. 26. The drill press of claim 17, further comprising a multi-depth adjustment assembly. 27. The drill press of claim 17, further comprising a stabilizing stand assembly. 28. The drill press of claim 17, further comprising an ergonomic chuck key. 29. The drill press of claim 17, wherein the power tool control system further comprises: a casing including a receiver, the casing being connected with the drill press; and a laser mount connected with a laser source for emitting a laser beam, the laser mount for being received by the receiver. 30. The drill press of claim 17, wherein the power tool control system further comprises: a casing including a first receiver and a second receiver, the casing being connected with the drill press; a first laser mount connected with a first laser source for emitting a first laser beam, the first laser mount for being received by the first receiver; and a second laser mount connected with a second laser source for emitting a second laser beam, the second laser mount for being received by the second receiver. 31. The power tool control system of claim 17, further comprising a casing adjustment mechanism. 32. The power tool control system of claim 17, further comprising a laser mount adjustment mechanism. 33. The power tool control system of claim 17, further comprising a laser source adjustment mechanism. 34. The power tool control system of claim 17, further comprising a laser beam adjustment mechanism. 35. A power tool control system, for use with a drill press including a work table for engaging a workpiece, comprising: means for determining the thickness of the workpiece positioned on the work table; and means for establishing the operational settings of the power tool based on the determined thickness of the workpiece. 36. The power tool control system of claim 35, wherein the means for determining the thickness of the workpiece further comprises: a casing including a first receiver and a second receiver, the casing being connected with the drill press; a first laser mount connected with a first laser source for emitting a first laser beam, the first laser mount for being received by the first receiver; and a second laser mount connected with a second laser source for emitting a second laser beam, the second laser mount for being received by the second receiver. 37. The power tool control system of claim 35, wherein the means for establishing the operational settings is a user interface communicatively coupled with the determining means. 38. A method of operating a drill press, including a work table for engaging a drill bit with a workpiece, comprising: determining a first distance, the first distance comprising the distance of the work table from a casing connected with a laser source, the casing connected with the drill press; positioning the workpiece upon the work table; determining a second distance, the second distance comprising the distance from the casing including the laser source to the workpiece; calculating the thickness of the workpiece from the determined first and second distances; providing the established distance data to the user of the drill press; setting the operational settings of the drill press based on the determined distance data; and drilling through the workpiece. 39. The method of claim 38, further comprising the step of automatically setting the operational setting of the drill press based on the determined thickness. 40. The method of claim 38, further comprising: determining a hardness of the workpiece; and setting the operational settings of the drill press based on the determined hardness of the workpiece. | CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/744,612, filed on Dec. 23, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/632,559, filed on Jul. 31, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/463,206, filed on Jun. 16, 2003 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/445,290, filed on May 21, 2003, which claimed priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/429,840, filed on Nov. 27, 2002, and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/413,455, filed on Apr. 14, 2003 which claimed priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. Provisional Application 60/414,200, filed on Sep. 27, 2002 and U.S. Provisional Application 60/373,752, filed on Apr. 18, 2002. The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to the U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/508,770, filed on Oct. 3, 2003, and the U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/509,877, filed on Oct. 9, 2003, and the U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/544,810, filed on Feb. 12, 2004. The U.S. applications, Ser. Nos. 10/744,612, 10/632,559, 10/463,206, 10/445,290, 60/429,840, 10/413,455, 60/414,200, 60/373,752, 60/508,770, 60/509,877, and 60/544,810 are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to the field of power tools, and particularly to a power tool control system for a drill press. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of power tools, such as drill presses, is commonplace in numerous locations, from construction work sites to home work shops. These power tool devices are used to perform their functions on a variety of different workpieces, such as wood, metal, plastic, and the like. When performing boring operations upon a workpiece, various structural factors, such as the thickness of the workpiece, hardness of the workpiece, moisture content of the workpiece, and the like may significantly affect the operation of the drill press. Unfortunately, current drill presses may not provide an effective measure of structural factors, such as the thickness of the workpiece, hardness of the workpiece, moisture content of the workpiece, and the like to be operated upon. This may contribute to the inefficient operation of the drill press which may result in decreased productivity. Further, this may contribute to a reduced life span of useful operation of the drill press due to increased operational stresses being placed upon the tool which may result in increased wearing of the working parts of the tool. Further, some current drill presses may fail to provide an efficient system for reducing the speed of the drill press prior to cutting through the workpiece. This may also contribute to a reduced life span of the drill press. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a device, which enables the user of a drill press to determine the operational settings of the drill press based on determined structural factors of a work piece. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a power tool control system for determining operational settings of a drill press. The operational settings of the drill press are determined by the power tool control system providing a system for determining a structural factor(s) of a workpiece. For instance, the power tool control system may determine the thickness of a workpiece, the hardness of the workpiece, the moisture content of the workpiece, or the like, which is to be bored through by the drill press. The determined structural factor is then provided to the user of the power tool, whereby the operational settings of the drill press may be adjusted to assist in providing increased efficiency in the operation of the drill press. In addition, the power tool control system may enable the variation of operational settings during the use of the power tool. The increased efficiency in operation of the drill press may increase the useful lifespan of the power tool. It is an object of the present invention to provide a power tool control system for a drill press which may automatically configure the operational settings of the drill press to assist in maximizing the efficient operation of the drill press. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a visual indication, to a user of the drill press, of the location of operation of a drill bit upon a workpiece engaged with the drill press. It is contemplated that the present invention provides a bench assembly including a work table which is adjustable and provides for the indexing of a workpiece when engaged upon the work table. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dust collection system to the drill press. It is an object of the present invention to provide a laser enabled power tool control system. Thus, the power tool control system utilizes one or more laser sources, mounted with the drill press, to emit one or more laser beams. The laser beams provide operational settings information related to the position of the drill bit and structural factors of the workpiece and visual indicators to assist a user in the operation of the drill press. The laser sources and mounts may be removable from their connection with one another and the drill press, allowing for the retrofitting of various secondary component features of the power tool control system. In an additional aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a drill press is provided. The distance from a casing including a laser source, of a power tool control system, to a work table of the drill press is determined. After the distance is determined a workpiece is positioned upon the work table. The distance from the casing to the workpiece is now determined. After determining both distances by the use of the power tool control system the thickness of the workpiece is calculated. The thickness data is provided to the user of the drill press who then determines the operational settings of the drill press based on the data. In the alternative, the power tool control system may provide for an automatic setting of the operational settings. With the operational settings established the user engages the drill press upon the workpiece. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The numerous advantages of the present invention may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which: FIG. 1 is an illustration of a drill press including a power tool control system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a partial front plan view illustrating the drill press including a user interface of the power tool control system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a partial illustration of the drill press and power tool control system, wherein a first and second laser source are emitting a first and second laser beam for contacting a workpiece seated upon a bench of the drill press; FIG. 4 is an isometric illustration of a bench column of the drill press connected with a casing of the power tool control system, the casing connected via a bracket with the bench column, the casing further connecting with a first and second laser mount which establish the position of the first and second laser sources; FIG. 5 is a bottom plan side elevation view of the casing, including the first and second laser mounts, of the power tool control system; FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the power tool control system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a top plan view illustrating the adjustment capabilities of the first and second laser mounts and sources, via engagement of a spanner wrench with the first and second covers which are connected to the first and second laser mounts; FIG. 8 is a front plan view illustrating the first and second laser sources emitting a first and second laser beam, respectively, the first and second laser beams being emitted in different direction due to the adjustability of the first and second laser mounts; FIG. 9 is an illustration of the first and second laser beams providing a parallel line pattern on a bench of the drill press; FIG. 10 is an illustration of the first and second laser beams providing a cross-hairs pattern on the bench of the drill press FIGS. 11, 12, and 13 illustrate a first exemplary embodiment of a user interface of the power tool control system and further illustrate some of the different functional capabilities of the user interface; FIGS. 14, 15, and 16 illustrate a second exemplary embodiment of a user interface of the power tool control system; FIGS. 17, 18, 19, and 20 illustrate a third exemplary embodiment of a user interface of the power tool control system; FIG. 21 is a block diagram illustrating a method of operating a drill press including a power tool control system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 22 is an illustration of a power tool control system connected with a drill press, the power tool control system emitting a laser beam for determining operation settings of the drill press and establishing visual indicators for the user of the drill press; FIG. 23 is an illustration of the power tool control system connected with the drill press of FIG. 22, wherein the emitted laser beam establishes a pattern upon a workpiece seated upon a bench of the drill press; FIG. 24 is an illustration of the drill press of FIG. 1 including the head assembly including an adjustable member and a dust collection system connected with the bench; FIG. 25 is an illustration of the drill press of FIG. 1 including a fence assembly connected with an adjustable bench; FIG. 26 is an illustration of the drill press of FIG. 1 including a dust collection throat plate disposed within the adjustable bench; FIG. 27 is an illustration of the drill press of FIG. 1 including an exemplary milling bench; FIG. 28 is an illustration of an ergonomic chuck key assembly, for engaging with a chuck of the drill press, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 29 is an illustration of a first stabilizing stand assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 30 is an illustration of a second exemplary stabilizing stand assembly; FIG. 31 is an illustration of a third exemplary stabilizing stand assembly; FIG. 32 is an illustration of a drill multi depth adjustment assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 33 is an illustration of a multi position member of the drill multi depth adjustment assembly; FIG. 34 is an illustration of a second exemplary multi position member of the drill multi depth adjustment assembly; and FIGS. 35, 35, and 37 illustrate variously configured head assemblies which may be employed in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 100141 Referring now to FIG. 1, a drill press 100 includes a head assembly 102 adjustably connected with a first end 112 of a bench column 110, the head assembly 102 at least partially encompassing a motor 103 operationally coupled with a quill assembly 120 which, through a spindle and chuck 122, couples with a drill bit 124. The quill assembly 120, through the drill bit 124, providing an axis of operation for the drill press 100. A crank mechanism 104 (feed handle assembly) is connected with the quill assembly 120 through the head casing 102. The crank mechanism 104 providing the user controlled “press” action for the drill bit 124. The bench column 110 is adjustably connected with a bench assembly 300 and connects with a stabilizing stand assembly 400 at a second end 114 of the bench column 110. A power tool control system 200 is connected with the bench column 110. The power tool control system 200 is a non-contact measurement and alignment device including a casing 202 housing a first laser source (laser generator) 204 and a second laser source (laser generator) 206. The casing 202 is connected with the bench column 110, via a bracket 208. The power tool control system 200 providing a non-contact measurement and alignment system which may operate in correlation with the axis of operation of the drill press 100 or the bench assembly 300 to provide operational setting information for the drill press 100. Additionally, the power tool control system 200 may operate to provide operational setting information for the drill press 100 based on structural factors of a workpiece, which is to be engaged with the drill press 100. Structural factors may include the thickness of the workpiece, the hardness of the workpiece (i.e., density of the material composition of the workpiece), the amount of moisture within the workpiece, and the like which provide an indication of the structural integrity of the workpiece, thereby, providing an indication of operational settings of the drill press 100 for operation upon the workpiece. In the current embodiment, the power tool control system 200 is communicatively coupled with a user interface (control panel) 150. The user interface (control panel) 150 is connected with the head assembly 102 and includes a housing 151 including a display 154 which provides a readout to a user of the drill press 100 of various information relating to the operation of the drill press 100. The housing 151 includes the display screen 154 and a selector assembly comprising various selectors 155, 156, 157, and 158. The user interface (control panel) 150 is further described below in reference to FIGS. 11 through 20 below. The user interface further includes a first selector 152 and a second selector 153 allowing for user control over the operation of the drill press 100. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second selectors provide a user selectable on/off functionality for the drill press 100. It is contemplated that the first and second selector 152 and 153 may provide various other functional capabilities without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. For instance, the first selector 152 may turn on/off the motor 103 and the second selector 153 may provide control over the quill assembly and rotation of the drill bit. In such a situation, a first position of the second selector 153 may allow the motor 103 to run without engaging (i.e., rotating) the quill assembly 120, thereby avoiding rotation of the drill bit 124. In a second position, the second selector 153 may engage the motor to impart a rotational movement to the drill bit 124 through the quill assembly 120. In a preferred embodiment, the casing 202 includes a first receiver 210 and a second receiver 212 for connecting with the first and second laser sources. The first and second receivers are constructed as apertures through the casing 202. The first receiver 210 is constructed as an aperture for receiving a first laser mount 214 and the second receiver 212 is constructed as an aperture for receiving a second laser mount 216. The first and second receivers are constructed in a spatial relation to one another within the casing 202 to assist in optimizing the performance of the power tool control system. The spatial relationship between the first and second receivers may be variously configured as contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the first and second receivers may be spatially remote from one another, having a separation distance of approximately two inches, which may optimize the performance of the power tool control system by positioning the first and second laser sources at an optimum distance from one another. It is contemplated that the spatial relationship between the first and second receivers may range from less than two inches to greater than two inches in order to optimize the performance of the power tool control system 200. The first laser mount 214 is constructed for generally containing and securely connecting the first laser source 204 within. The first laser source 204 includes a first laser source receiver 209. The first laser source receiver 209 allows for a fastener 242 to connect through the first laser source receiver 209 and to the first laser mount 214. The second laser mount 216 is constructed for connecting the second laser source 206 within. The second laser source 206 includes a second laser source receiver 211 through which a fastener 244 securely fastens the second laser source 206 to the second laser mount 216. In the current embodiment, the fasteners 242 and 244 are threaded bolts, which connect within the first and second laser mounts, respectively. It is contemplated that various fastener/connection mechanisms may be employed to connect the first and second laser sources within the first and second laser mounts. For example, a friction fit mechanism may allow for the laser sources to be securely connected with the laser mounts. Alternatively, a snap fit mechanism or compression lock mechanism may be employed to connect the laser sources within the laser mounts. Further, various securing mechanisms may be employed without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention, such as a hook and loop system. The first laser source 204 may be further connected with a laser cap 222. The first laser cap 222 providing a cover for a second end of the first laser source 204 and assisting in preventing unwanted contact with the first laser source 204 or the unwanted accumulation of dust and debris within the first laser source 204. It is contemplated that the first laser cap 222 may be connected to the second end of the first laser source 204 by the fastener 242 engaging through the first laser cap 222. A second laser cap 224 is substantially similar to the first laser cap 222 and may engage with the second laser source 206 in a similar manner as that described for the first laser cap 222. It is further contemplated that the first and second laser caps may be utilized for preventing unwanted movement of the first and second laser sources when connected within the first and second laser mounts. The first and second laser caps may be constructed to contact against a first and second laser cover 218 and 220, respectively. The contact of the laser caps with the first and second laser covers may assist in avoiding unwanted movement of the first and second laser sources during operation of the power tool control system 200. A first laser cover 218 and a second laser cover 220 are constructed to connect with the first and second laser mounts. The connection allows for the first and second laser sources to be mounted within the first and second laser mounts and then protected from the outside environment by the first and second laser cover 218 and 220. Thus, the laser covers may assist in avoiding unwanted environmental contamination of the laser sources. It is contemplated that the interior surface of the first and second laser cover 218 and 220 may be variously configured. For example, the laser covers may include a protrusion for contacting against the first and second laser caps, as described previously. Alternatively, the interior surface of the first and second laser covers may include contouring for promoting the secure positioning of the first and second laser sources within the first and second laser mounts. In the current embodiment, the first laser cover 218 includes a first cover receiver 219 and a second cover receiver 221 and the second laser cover 220 includes a first cover receiver 223 and a second cover receiver 225. The first and second cover receivers on both the first and second laser covers are connected with the first and second laser mounts, respectively, through the use of fasteners. The first laser cover 218 is connected by a first threaded bolt 234 and a second threaded bolt 236 which engage through the first and second cover receiver 219 and 221, respectively, with the first laser mount 214. In a preferred, embodiment, the first laser mount 214 includes two threaded receivers which connect with the fasteners 234 and 236. The second laser cover 220 is connected by a first threaded bolt 238 and a second threaded bolt 240 which engage through the first and second cover receiver 223 and 225, respectively, with the second laser mount 216. In a preferred embodiment, the second laser mount 216 includes two threaded receivers which connect with the fasteners 238 and 240. It is contemplated that various alternative fasteners, such as clips, pins, screws, and the like which are capable of securing the connection of the laser covers with the laser mounts may be employed. Further, various alternative mechanical connection mechanisms may be employed. For example, the laser covers may connect with the laser mounts utilizing a snap fit mechanism, compression lock mechanism, spring loaded lock mechanism, and the like which are capable of securing the connection of the laser covers with the laser mounts. The casing 202 includes a top side 246 and a bottom side 248. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom side 248 is connected with a casing cover 226. The casing cover is connected via the use of multiple fasteners, such as threaded bolts which engage through apertures in the casing cover 226 with threaded receivers disposed internally within the casing 202. The number and location of the apertures through the casing cover 226 and receivers within the casing 202 may vary as contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art in order to provide a secure connection. The first laser source 204 emits a first laser beam 205 and the second laser source 206 emits a second laser beam 207. The electromagnetic radiation used to create the lasers may vary, such as ultra-violet radiation, x-ray radiation, infrared radiation, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second laser beam 205 and 207 are emitted at an incident angle relative to a horizontal plane established by the connection of the casing 202 with the bench column 110. The incident angle of the laser beams provides a reflectance, from the bench assembly connected with the bench column or from a work piece seated upon the bench assembly, which promotes the capture of the reflected laser beam in order to make operational setting determinations for the drill press. The capture of the reflected laser beams may occur through the use of various electromagnetic radiation detection devices. The positioning of these electromagnetic radiation detection devices may occur in various locations upon the drill press or in locations, which are remote from the drill press. It is further contemplated that the incident angle established for the first and second laser beams may be relative to various other component features of the power tool control system 200 and/or the drill press 100. The first laser mount 214 includes a first laser outlet 215 and the second laser mount 216 includes a second laser outlet 217. The first and second laser outlet 215 and 217 allow for the first and second emitted laser beams from the first and second laser sources to travel from the location of the laser mounts to an outside environment. In the current embodiment, the first and second laser outlets are constructed as slots which provide an aperture through which the laser beams may travel. It is contemplated that the first and second laser outlets may further include a lens, a photomultiplier, a mirror assembly, and the like which may provide various laser capabilities to the user of the power tool control system. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second laser beams emitted establish light lines which are within the visible spectrum of light. For example, the first and second laser beams may emit fan beams which establish a visible line of light on a surface, such as the bench 300. In an alternative embodiment, the laser beams emitted are not within the visible spectrum of light. However, it is contemplated that the laser sources may include various devices, such as light emitting diodes (LED), which provide a light within the visible spectrum and tracks the location of the emitted laser beam. As previously mentioned, the laser beams may provide visible or invisible patterns of light at various incident angles relative to various planar surfaces of the drill press 100. It is further contemplated that the incident angle of the laser beams may be adjusted by a laser beam adjustment mechanism. In a preferred embodiment, the laser beam adjustment mechanism utilizes various reflector devices, which provide a mechanism by which the angle of travel of the laser beam(s) may be determined/adjusted by a user. The reflector devices and other similar devices providing the re-direction capability of the laser beam adjustment mechanism may be included within the laser source, laser mounts, and/or casing of the power tool control system 200 without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. It is contemplated that the power tool control system 200 allows for the incident angle of the emitted laser beams to be adjusted by the user through engagement with a laser source adjustment mechanism. The following description given for the first laser source 204 within the first laser mount 214 is applicable to the second laser source 206 within the second laser mount 216. In a preferred embodiment, the laser source adjustment mechanism utilizes the fasteners used to secure the connection of the laser sources with the laser mounts. For example, through adjustment of the fastener 242, the angle that the laser source 204 is seated within the first laser mount 214 is affected. The fastener 242 may be threaded into the receiver within the first laser mount 214 to varying depths such that the deeper the threading the more the fastener 242 engages against and influences the orientation of the laser source receiver 209. As the laser source receiver 209 is pulled down it rotates the end of the laser source 204, with which it is connected, down which alters the angle of the end of the laser source from which the laser beam is emitted. In the alternative, as the fastener 242 is unthreaded from the receiver within the first laser mount rotation upwards of the laser source receiver 209 occurs thereby causing rotation of the laser source itself, again affecting the angle of the end of the laser source from which the laser beam is emitted. In alternative embodiments, the laser source adjustment mechanisms may utilize various fastener devices and/or mechanical connection mechanisms to adjustably connect the first and second laser sources within the first and second laser mounts, respectively. For example, the laser sources may connect with the laser mounts via a compression lock mechanism, a snap fit mechanism, spring lock mechanism, and the like which are capable of securing the connection of the laser covers with the laser mounts. It is contemplated that various alternative fasteners, such as clips, pins, screws, and the like which are capable of securing the connection of the laser covers with the laser mounts may be employed. These various fastener/connection mechanisms may allow the position of the laser source to be adjusted within the laser mount. The adjustment results in an angular displacement of the laser source and a change in the angle of incidence of the emitted laser beam. Thus, a user of the present invention is able to determine the incident angle of the laser beam through use of the laser source adjustment mechanism which allows the user to determine the angular position of the laser source. The laser source adjustment mechanism may be constructed to allow for various mechanical devices, such as a screwdriver, wrench, and the like for adjusting of the position of a laser source. For example, a spanner wrench may connect with recesses on the casing 202 for adjusting the position of the laser sourc. The casing 202 may be disposed with one or more mechanical connection components to allow for the adjustment of the first and second laser sources. In the alternative, the laser source adjustment mechanism may allow for the adjustment of the laser sources through manual manipulation. For example, the user may remove the laser covers and manually contact the laser sources, thereby, adjusting them into different positions by pressing or pulling on the laser sources. In the current embodiment, the first laser source 204 includes a tab 260 and the second laser source 206 includes a tab 262. A user may engage against the tabs in order to position the laser sources. It is further contemplated that the tabs may be engaged by the user in order to insert and/or remove the laser sources from their connection/seating within the laser mounts. Preferably, the laser sources are removable to permit easy repair and/or replacement, this may allow for retrofitting of various secondary laser sources within the laser mounts. This may extend the useful lifespan of the drill press 100 and the power tool control system 200. A laser mount adjustment mechanism allows for the direction of the emitted laser beams, from both the first and second laser sources, to be varied by rotating the first and second laser mount 214 and 216 when seated within the first casing receiver 210 and the second casing receiver 212, respectively. The first and second laser mounts are inserted at least partially into the first and second casing receivers, such that the first and second laser covers are connected with the first and second laser mounts. It is contemplated that the inner diameter of the first and second casing receivers may include a ledge or seat which provides a circumferential protrusion upon which the first and second laser mounts and covers may rest. For instance, the first and second laser covers may insert into the first and second casing receivers until they contact the ledge or seat. Thus, the first and second laser sources are positioned within the casing 202 and allowed to rotate through rotation of the laser covers connected with the laser mounts. In an embodiment, the laser mount adjustment mechanism allows for the rotation of the laser source by engagement of the user with the laser covers. The laser covers include the first and second cover receivers, which allow for a wrench, such as a spanner wrench, to rotate the laser sources. The rotational capabilities may be provided through a connection of various mechanical devices, such as wrenches, clamps, screwdrivers, and the like which may engage with the laser covers and allow a user to rotate the laser sources by rotating the laser covers connected with the laser mounts. In the current embodiment, the laser mount adjustment mechanism includes a first and second grip regions disposed upon the first and second laser mounts. The first laser mount 214 includes a first grip region 272. The first grip region 272 disposed along a bottom end 271 end of the first laser mount 214. The first grip region 272 constructed with a series of raised ridges for engagement by a user. The first grip region 272 is part of the first laser mount 214, which is accessible by the user during the operation of the power tool control system 200. The first grip region 272 allows a user to grip and rotate the first laser mount 214, thereby, rotating the first laser source 204. The second laser mount 216 is preferably constructed in a similar manner, providing a second grip region 274 accessible to the user. It is contemplated that the first and second grip regions may be variously constructed to include different contouring for grasping by a user. For example, the number and spacing of raised ridges may be changed to promote a secure grasping by the user. It is further contemplated that the first and second grip regions may be constructed with tab or lever mechanisms which may be engaged by a user for the rotation of the first and second laser sources. The tab or lever may be integral with or removable from the first and second grip regions of the first and second laser mounts. In a still further alternative embodiment, various mechanical connector mechanisms may be constructed upon the first and second grip regions for rotation of the first and second laser mounts. For example, a first and second receiver for receiving a spanner wrench may be included on the grip regions, whereby, with the spanner wrench engaged in the receivers a user may rotate the laser mounts. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other mechanisms and devices may be employed for the rotation of the laser mounts without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The laser mount adjustment mechanism may further include an indexing feature which provides predetermined stops for the rotational movement of the laser mounts. For example, stops may be included at various offset positions as contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art. It is further contemplated that a rotational indicator system may be disposed upon the casing 202, in proximal relation to the first and/or second receiver position, which provides a user a visual indication of the position of the laser mounts as established through use of the laser mount adjustment mechanism. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second laser mount 214 and 216 are allowed to rotate three hundred sixty degrees when received within the first and second casing receiver 210 and 212. FIG. 8 shows that the first and second laser source 204 and 206 may be individually positioned such that the first and second laser beam 205 and 207 are emitted in different directions and with different angles of incidence. It is contemplated that the laser mount adjustment mechanism may allow the rotational movement of either of the first or second laser mounts to be linked to one another. For instance, the rotation of the first laser mount 214 may cause the second laser mount 216 to rotate correspondingly. This may occur via a mechanical linkage connecting the first and second laser mounts which extends within or without of the casing 202. The rotational capabilities allowed by the laser mount adjustment mechanism allow the emitted laser beam 205 and 207 to establish various patterns upon a surface, such as the bench 300. FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the effect of rotation of the laser mounts upon the pattern the laser beams establish upon the bench 300. In FIG. 9 the laser mounts are rotated such that the laser beams emit two parallel lines upon the bench 300. This pattern may assist in the indexing of a workpiece upon the bench 300 or other functions as contemplated by those of skill in the art. In FIG. 10, the laser beams establish a cross-hairs pattern, placing the intersection point under the axis of operation of the drill bit 124. Thus, when a user places a workpiece upon the bench 300, the laser beams establish their intersection pattern upon the workpiece in the location which the drill bit may at least partially bore through the workpiece. In a further alternative embodiment, the laser mount adjustment mechanism may allow for the rotation of the first and second laser mount 214 and 216 via an automatic mechanical system. For example, the user interface 150 may include a capability which allows the user, by selection of certain functions provided by the user interface 150, to rotate the laser mounts. The automatic rotation capabilities may provide a continuous rotation or rotation by pre-determined angles of displacement, from a zero starting point. The zero starting point may be defined as the position of the laser mounts wherein the laser sources emit laser beams which intersect in a cross-hair pattern along the axis of operation of the drill bit 124. It is contemplated that the automatic mechanical system which controls the rotation of the laser mounts may include a secondary user interface separate from that of the user interface 150. The automatic laser mount adjustment mechanism may provide predetermined stops, as previously described, which may be selected by the user. The casing 202 includes a back edge 250 and a front edge 252. The back edge 250 engages against the bench column 110 when the casing 202 is connected, via fastener 230 and 232, with the bracket 208 about the bench column 110. In the current embodiment, the back edge 250 is concave to mimic the shape of the bench column 110, allowing the back edge 250 to form a generally smooth interface against the bench column 110. The tightening of the fasteners 230 and 232 once inserted through the bracket receivers 282 and 284 and connected via a first casing fastener receiver 276 and a second casing fastener receiver (not shown) to the casing 202 provide for a clamp-type securing of the casing 202 to the bench column 110. The front edge 252 may include a similar concave configuration as that of the back edge 252. It is contemplated that the construction of the front and back edges may provide a roughly symmetrical casing 202. In such an instance, the front edge may include casing fastener receivers, similar to the back edge 252, thereby, enabling the casing 202 to be connected with the bracket 208 about the bench column 110 against the front and back edges of the casing 202. In the alternative, the construction of the front and back edges may be dissimilar providing the casing 202 with unique edge surfaces. The bracket 208 connection with the casing 202 allows the power tool control system 200 to be connected with the bench column 110 in various locations. In a preferred embodiment, the power tool control system is disposed a predetermined height above the bench 300 which assists in optimizing the performance of the laser beams being emitted from the first and second laser source 204 and 206. It is to be understood that the positioning of the power tool control system 200 along the bench column 110 may vary as contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art to assist in optimizing the performance of the power tool control system 200. It is further contemplated that a casing adjustment mechanism may provide the connection of the casing 202 with the bench column 110. The casing adjustment mechanism may allow for the casing 202 to be adjusted along the rack 111 of the bench column 110. The casing adjustment mechanism may comprise a pinion for engaging with the rack 111. The pinion may be disposed within the casing 202 and connected, externally to the casing 202, with a rotation device, such as a knob or handle. In operation the user may engage with the rotation device in order to rotate the pinion, thereby, adjusting the pinion's position relative to the rack 111 which causes the position of the casing 202 to be adjusted. Alternatively, the casing adjustment mechanism may provide an automatic adjustment capability, whereby a user may adjust the position of the casing 202 through use of the user interface (control panel) 150. Various mechanical mechanisms may be employed to provide the adjustment capabilities of the casing adjustment mechanism as may be contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art. In alternative embodiments, the casing 202 may be connected with the head assembly 102. For instance, the casing adjustment mechanism may provide for the connection of the casing 202 with the head assembly 102. It is contemplated that the casing adjustment mechanism may be variously located in its connection with the head assembly 102. For instance, in a first embodiment the casing 202 may be proximally disposed near the bench column 110 behind the quill assembly 120 and in a second embodiment the casing 202 may be connected in front of the quill assembly 120 proximal to the user interface (control panel) 150. The first and second laser beam 205 and 207 emit a patter which configured to provide a user of the drill press 100 a visual representation of the location of the axis of operation of the drill bit 124. This capability may be altered, as previously described, to provide an indexing functionality or various other functionalities as contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art. FIGS. 11, 12, and 13 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the user interface (control panel) 150 including various component features of the control panel 150. A housing 500 includes a display 502 and a selector assembly 504 for providing operational control over the functioning of the drill press. In a preferred embodiment, the display 502 includes a display screen 506. In the preferred embodiment, the display screen 506 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. However, alternate display screen technologies may be employed without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The display screen 506 provides a visually identifiable representation of various information relevant to the operation of the drill press 100. The display screen 506 may include one or more screen regions which have the operational effect of dividing the display screen into discrete regions. These discrete regions may be enabled to display the relevant information for the operation of the drill press. In the current examples shown in FIGS. 11-13, the display screen 506 may be enabled with a first discrete region 508 which provides the readout information. The readout information includes the “1300” for identifying the rpm, the “5.00” for identifying a standard measurement system (US Customary System), and the “127.0” for identifying a metric measurement. In a second discrete region 510 the standard being employed in conjunction with the readout information may be identified, such as the “rpm”, “mm”, and the inches symbol (″). In a third discrete region 512 of the display screen 506, a visual identifier may be enabled to provide the user with confirmation of the type of readout information that is going to be provided. In the current embodiment, the third region 512 may be further sub-divided into a first cell 514 and a second cell 516. The first cell 514 includes an “RPM” indicator and the second cell 516 includes a “DEPTH” indicator. Thus, the user of the drill press may be assisted in readily ascertaining the type of information they are going to be provided. The selector assembly 504 of the control panel 150, in the current embodiment, comprises a first selector 520, a second selector 522, a third selector 524, and a fourth selector 526. These selectors may be enabled using various technologies. In the current embodiment, the selectors are push buttons, which enable a specific functionality. The functionality of the selectors is established by a symbol located in close proximity to the selector. For example, the first selector 520 has a “*” with a tail disposed above it on the housing of the control panel. This selector may, preferably, be enabled to turn on and off the drill press 100 including the power tool control system 200, which enables the functionality of the laser beams. The second selector 522 has a semi-circle (half sun) with rays disposed above it on the housing. This selector may, preferably, be enabled to turn on and off a light, which provides illumination to the drill press 100. The third selector 524 has “rpm/depth” disposed above it on the housing. Thus, this selector may enable the user to toggle between the “RPM” functionality and the “DEPTH” functionality. The fourth selector 526 has “in/mm” disposed above it on the housing. This selector may enable the user to select between providing measurements in inches or in a metric format. It is contemplated that various other component features may be included with the user interface (control panel) 150 of the present invention. In FIGS. 14, 15, and 16 a second exemplary embodiment of a user interface (control panel) 600 is shown. The control panel 600 includes a housing 602 disposed with a selector assembly 604 and a display 606. The display 606 includes a display screen 608. The display screen 608 is divided into discrete regions 610, 612, 614, 616, 618, 620. The division into regions may include further divisions into sub-regions (i.e., cells) such as those described above. The information contained within the regions on the screen may vary to provide readout information as previously described. The selector assembly is enabled with four push button selectors 622, 624, 626, and 628, similar to the push button selectors described above. In the current embodiment, the push buttons have symbols disposed above them on the housing but the buttons also vertically align with symbols displayed within regions on the display screen 608. This enables a visual identifier to be presented on the display screen 608 to provide the user with information as to the status of the user interface/control panel 600 enabled by the selector. One of the selector has “units” disposed above it on the housing. Then, in vertical alignment with the selector, on the display screen 606 in region 614 it is shown that through the use of this selector the user may select between various types of units to be displayed, such as “frac”, “dec”, and “mm”. It is understood that while in the present embodiment, all three unit types are shown on the display screen, in operation as the selector is operated upon by the user that the various unit types may individually be displayed as selected. Another of the selectors has a “zero” disposed above it on the housing. This selector may enable an operator to zero out or reset the display screen. This may be advantageous when the user wishes to change the operation being monitored by the control panel. The selector 624 has a light symbol displayed above it on the housing and in vertical alignment on the display screen 608 in section 618 is a light symbol. The selector 622 has a power symbol displayed above it on the housing and in vertical alignment of the display screen 608 in section 620 is a power symbol. In another exemplary embodiment, shown in FIGS. 17 through 20, a user interface (control panel) 150 is provided. The user interface (control panel) 700 includes a housing 702 including a selector assembly 704 and a display 706. The display 706 includes a display screen 708 which is divided into discrete regions 710, 712, 714, 716, 718, and 720. The display screen 708 is similar to display screens 506 and 608 described previously. The selector assembly 704 includes five selectors 722, 724, 726, 728, and 730. The selector assembly 704 may be similar in all respects to the selector assembly 604. However, in the current embodiment selector assembly 704 includes the fifth selector 730 as a push button disposed with an “rpm/depth” above it on the housing. As described previously, this enables a user of the drill press to select between a display of the rpm of the drill or the depth of boring of the drill. Again, the display screen 708,is enabled with an “rpm” and “depth” display in vertical alignment with the selector in region 718. It is understood that the display may present either a display of rpm or depth, as determined by the selection of the user. The display screens 506, 608, and 708 may display the “rpm”, “mm”, and inches symbol (″) in various locations about the display screen. In FIGS. 11 through 20 these symbols are generally displayed along the right side of the display screen. It is contemplated that these symbols, as well as the various other information displayed on the display screen may be positioned in various locations upon the display screen. As such, the discrete regions of the display screen may be alternatively configured to provide the various information in different formats. This may be advantageous in order to customize the control panel for use, which may appeal to the users of the drill press and control panel of the present invention. The housing 502, 602, and 702 are constructed to include four receivers through which fasteners, such as threaded bolts, may be inserted. It is to be understood that the threaded bolts engaged through the housing and into the head assembly 102 of the drill press 100 by connecting with receivers disposed in the head assembly in the location for mounting the user interface/control panel 150, 600, and 700. It is contemplated that various fasteners, such as pins, screws, clips, clamps, and the like may be used to secure the user interface/control panel in connection with the drill press 100. It is further contemplated that the connection of the user interface/control panel with the head assembly 102 of the drill press 100 may be accomplished utilizing various mechanical connection mechanisms, such as a loop and hook mechanism, a compression lock mechanism, a snap fit mechanism, a friction fit mechanism, and the like for securing the user interface/control panel to the drill press. Alternative connection mechanisms and/or fastener systems may be utilized without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. It is contemplated that a casing adjustment mechanism may connect the first and second laser mount 214 and 216 with the casing 202. The adjustment mechanism may allow for the adjustment of the laser mounts in a vertical and horizontal direction relative to the casing 202. The adjustment mechanism may be variously constructed as contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the adjustment mechanism may provide an adjustment member, which connects on a first end with the laser mount and includes a second end for inserting within an adjustment receiver of the casing 202. The adjustment member may be allowed to slidably adjust within the adjustment receiver of the casing 202, thereby providing the horizontal movement. The adjustment member may further include a hinge joint between the first and second ends of the adjustment member. The hinge joint may allow the first end to be adjusted in a vertical plane relative to the second end, thereby allowing the laser mount to be adjusted in the vertical plane. It is contemplated that one or both laser mounts of the power tool control system 200 may be connected with the adjustment mechanism and that the casing 202 is constructed to allow this connection. The power tool control system 200 may employ various numbers of laser sources for the emission of various numbers of laser beams. For example, the power tool control system 200 may include a first, a second, and a third laser source. The three source power tool control system emitting three laser beams which may provide a triangulation positioning system for the drill press 100. The casing 202 may be variously configured to include the various number of laser sources. Alternatively, two or more casings may be connected with the drill press in order to provide the power tool control system. The location with which two or more casings may connect with the drill press may vary. For instance, a first casing may connect with the bench column, as shown, and the second casing may connect with a bottom side of the head assembly. Further the position along the bottom side of the head assembly may vary. In one embodiment, the casing may connect along the bottom side in a position behind the quill assembly and drill bit, when the drill press is viewed from a front side of the head assembly (the front side being that side disposed with the user interface). In an alternative embodiment, the casing may connect on the bottom side in a position in front of the quill assembly and drill bit, when the drill press is viewed from the front side. It is further contemplated that the number of laser sources connected within the laser mounts may vary. For example, the first laser mount 214 may be connected with a first and a second laser source. The first laser outlet 215 may be constructed for the emission of a first and second laser beam from the first and second laser sources. The number of laser sources connected with the first and second laser mounts may also vary. For instance, the first laser mount 214 may include two laser sources and the second laser mount 216 may include one laser source. Various other configurations of the number and location of laser sources employed with the power tool control system 200 may be utilized as contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art. Referring now to FIG. 21, a method 800 for operation of the drill press 100 utilizing a power tool control system 200, is shown. In a first step 805 the power tool control system 200 is activated. The activation of the power tool control system 200 results in the first and second laser source 204 and 206 emitting the first and second laser beam 205 and 207. In step 810 the first and second laser beams are emitted for contacting the bench 300. It is contemplated that various bench devices may be employed and that the power tool control system 200 may be positioned to emit one or more laser beams for contacting the bench devices. In step 815 the distance to the bench 300 is determined. The determined distance from step 815 may be recorded/saved by the user interface 150 or manually recorded by the user of the drill press 100. In the next step 820, a workpiece is positioned on the bench 300. With the workpiece positioned on the bench 300, in step 825, the power tool control system 200 emits the first and second laser beam 205 and 207. The laser beams contact the workpiece positioned on the bench and in step 830 the distance to the workpiece is determined. The distance to the workpiece may also be recorded/saved by the user interface 150 or manually recorded by the user of the drill press 100. In step 835 the thickness of the workpiece is calculated. The thickness of the workpiece may be determined by the user interface 150 which is capable of calculating the difference in values between the distance to the bench 300 and the distance to the workpiece positioned on the bench 300. In the alternative, the user of the drill press 100 may manually calculate the workpiece thickness utilizing the same mathematical principle described above, that being the subtraction of the determined value for distance to the workpiece on the bench 300 from the determined value for distance to the bench 300. 100551 Utilizing the determined workpiece thickness, in step 840 the drill bit 124 is set to a proper speed. The proper speed being the maximum revolutions per minute of the drill bit 124 provided through its connection to the motor 103 via the quill assembly 120 and chuck 122, which optimizes the boring of the workpiece by the drill bit 124. With the drill speed set to the proper speed, the user of the drill press 100, through turning of the crank mechanism 104, may begin the descent of the drill bit 124 towards the workpiece on the bench 300. In step 845, just prior to contact of the drill bit 124 with the workpiece, the user may reduce the speed of descent with which the drill bit 124 is being brought into to contact with workpiece. Through continued operation/rotation of the crank mechanism 104, in step 850 the user proceeds to bore through the workpiece utilizing the drill bit 124 set to proper speed. As the drill bit 124 is boring through the workpiece the user may determine if the motor 103 of the drill press 100 is operating at a maximum load in step 855. If the user determines that the motor 103 is operating at a maximum load then in step 860, the user is able to back out the drill bit 124 from the workpiece. After backing out the drill bit 124 from the workpiece the method of operating the drill press proceeds back to step 835 where the thickness of the workpiece is determined. The motor 103 operating at a maximum load is an indication that the speed set for the drill bit 124, for boring through the workpiece, may be incorrect and that a recalculation of the thickness of the workpiece may assist in providing a more optimal drill speed (rpm). After recalculating the workpiece thickness the user proceeds through the steps of the method as described previously. If in step 855 it is determined that the motor 103 is not operating at a maximum load, then the user continues to proceed with the boring of the workpiece and to step 865. In step 865, just prior to the drill through by the drill bit 124, the drill speed may be reduced. With the drill speed reduced, the user may finish the drill through of the workpiece by the drill bit 124 in step 870. After the drill through is completed the drill bit 124 is backed out of the workpiece and returned to a starting position in step 875, wherein, the drill bit 124 is removed from contact with the workpiece. In an alternative embodiment, the present invention determines various other structural factors of the workpiece in order to provide for the proper operational setting of the drill press 100. For instance, the power tool control system may determine the hardness of the workpiece seated upon the work table of the drill press 100. The hardness may be utilized to determine and set the speed of the drill bit 124 for operation upon the workpiece. Other structural factors, such as the moisture content of the workpiece may be used to determine the proper operational settings of the drill press 100 without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In another alternative embodiment, a power tool control system as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 is contemplated by the present invention. The drill press may be similar in all respects to drill press 100, however, the power tool control system includes a laser mount for connecting a laser source (laser generator) with a drill press. The laser mount connects in a position on a bottom side of the head assembly proximal to a front side. The laser mount positions the laser source in a position in front of the quill assembly including the drill bit. Thus, the laser source emits a laser beam from the front of the drill bit. The emitted laser beam may be capable of establishing various patterns and coverage areas. In the current embodiments of FIGS. 22 and 23, the laser beam establishes a pattern of concentric rings with an outer ring having a first diameter and the other rings being within the first diameter and establishing a narrower diameter. The inner most ring has the smallest diameter and is preferably positioned to represent the axis of operation of the drill bit. Alternative patterns, such as cross-hairs, parallel lines, and the like which may indicate the drill bit axis of operation or provide an indexing functionality may be employed as contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art. It is contemplated that the laser source utilized for the power tool control system of FIGS. 22 and 23 may be similar in all respects to the first and second laser source 204 and 206, described previously. Alternatively, the laser source for use with the power tool control system of FIGS. 22 and 23 may be constructed to include various mechanisms, such as a photomultiplier, reflectors, dithering assemblies, and the like which may enable the laser source to establish various patterns, such as the concentric ring pattern shown. Further the connection of the laser source within the laser mount may be similar in all respects to that described for the laser source 204 and 206. In the alternative, the laser sources may be integrally connected within the laser mount. In the current embodiment, the laser mount is connected to the head assembly through the use of threaded bolts which connect with receivers in the head assembly. It is contemplated that various mechanical connection mechanisms, such as a compression lock mechanism, snap fit mechanism, and the like may connect the laser mount with the head assembly. Further, the use of various fasteners, such as screws, clips, pins, and the like may be employed. The laser mount is constructed to allow for the rotation of at least a section of the laser mount, whereby, the laser source may be rotated and the direction and/or pattern of the laser beam may be adjusted. Further, the laser source may be adjustably mounted within the laser mount allowing for the adjustment of the incident angle with which the laser beam is emitted. The laser mount may further include various lens devices through which the laser beam passes as it travels from the laser source to outside the laser mount. These various lens devices may be constructed to allow for the establishment of various patterns by the laser beam. It is contemplated that an adjustment mechanism may be included in the connection between the laser mount and the head assembly. The adjustment mechanism may allow the laser mount to be vertically adjusted relative to the head assembly, drill bit, or bench of the drill press. Similar to the power tool control system 200, the power tool control system of FIGS. 22 and 23 may be communicatively coupled to the user interface or may allow for separate operation from the user interface. The power tool control system shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 may include two or more laser sources connected with the drill press by two or more laser mounts. The location(s) where the laser mount(s) is connected with the drill press may vary. For instance, the laser mount may be connected on the bottom side of the head assembly, but behind the quill assembly and drill bit. With multiple laser mounts and laser sources, one laser mount may be connected in front of the drill bit and another may be connected behind the drill bit. It is further contemplated that the laser mount(s) may be connected via mounting member(s) to the drill press. The mounting member(s) may extend from the drill press a predetermined distance and provide a position for the laser mount which allows the laser source to emit a laser beam onto the bench or a workpiece disposed on the bench. The mounting member(s) may provide an adjustable functionality, wherein the position of the laser mount may be adjusted in a vertical or horizontal direction relative to the drill press. The mounting member(s) may also connect with the bench column providing a fixed or adjustable position for the laser mounts. It is contemplated that the head assembly 102 may couple with the motor 103 and quill assembly 120 without encompassing either the motor 103 or the quill assembly 120. In one embodiment, the head assembly 102 is a single piece assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the head assembly 102 is constructed as a multi-piece assembly. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 24, the head assembly 102 includes a first section 160 adjustably coupled with a second section 162. The connection between the first and second sections may be a hinge joint 164, which allows the first section 160 to rotate relative to the second section 162. In an alternative embodiment, the first section 160 may be removable from its connection with the second section 162. The use of various fasteners and connection mechanisms which allow the first and second sections to connect in the adjustable or removable manner described above is contemplated. For example, the first and second sections may be connected through the use of pins, screws, bolts, clips, and other fasteners or the sections may be connected through the use of a snap fit mechanism, compression lock mechanism, friction fit mechanism, and the like. The different connections may allow for the first section to be adjustable relative to the second section. Coupled with the quill assembly 120 is the crank mechanism 104 or feed handle assembly. The feed handle assembly includes a plurality of posts 170, 172, and 174 coupled with a quill hub 176 on one end and a knob on the opposite end, for controlling operation of the drill bit 124. The feed handle assembly extends through the head assembly in establishing operational engagement with the quill assembly 120. It is understood that the feed handle assembly may be an adjustable feed handle assembly allowing a user of the drill press to establish each of the plurality of posts in a variety of lengths. Further, coupled with the head assembly is a variable speed adjustment handle 180. The variable speed adjustment handle 180 allows the user of the drill press 100 to make adjustments to the speed of the drill. The variable speed adjustment handle 180 may be constructed as a continuously variable speed adjustment assembly allowing for speed adjustments throughout operation of the drill press 100. The head assembly 102 may be enabled as a pivoting assembly. This may allow the user of the drill press 100 to pivot the head assembly 102 up and move the head assembly 102 forward and backwards. It is contemplated that the head assembly 102 may be enabled to be rotationally adjusted. Other hinged assemblies may be employed to provide movement capabilities to the head assembly 102. The quill assembly 120 may include a quill lock handle to secure the position of the quill assembly 120 during operation of the drill press. Additionally, the chuck 122 may be engaged by an ergonomic chuck key assembly 2800, as shown in FIG. 28. The ergonomic chuck key assembly 2800 includes a standard chuck key 2810 connected with an ergonomically configured chuck handle 2820. The ergonomically configured chuck handle 2820 may be configured in various forms, such as a “T” shaped handle, or other contoured handle configuration as may be contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art. The ergonomically configured chuck handle 2820 may be composed of various materials, such as metal, plastic, wood, composite, and the like. The head assembly 102, including the motor 103 and quill assembly 120, is coupled with the top end 112 of the bench column 110. The bench column 110 being a post established at a particular height for enabling operation of the drill press 100 of the present invention. The height of the post may vary to accommodate a variety of configurations as contemplated by those of ordinary skill. Further, it is contemplated that the post is of a generally tubular shape of uniform diameter and thickness of material. However, in alternative embodiments, the shape of the bench column 110 may be square, rectangular, polygonal, or other geometric configurations as contemplated. Additionally, the dimensions may vary, for example a bottom end may be wider than the top end of the bench column 110 or a middle region may be thinner than both ends. Also, the thickness and composition of the material employed to form the bench column 110 may vary as contemplated by one of ordinary skill. Connected with the bottom end 114 of the bench column 110 is the stabilizing stand assembly 400. The stabilizing stand assembly 400 may include a variety of features as exemplified in FIGS. 29, 30, and 31. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 29, a stabilizing stand assembly 2900 comprises a stand 2910 connected with a pivoting feet assembly comprising a first pivoting foot 2920 and a second pivoting foot 2930. It is understood that the generally rectangular block of the first exemplary embodiment may include the pivoting feet assembly and the polygonal shaped block may include the notch. The first pivoting foot 2920 may be generally disposed upon the front edge proximal to the left side while the second pivoting foot 2930 may be generally disposed upon the front edge proximal to the right side. Both the left and right sides may include a recessed area to allow for the first and second pivoting feet to be received when not in use. The size of the first and second pivoting feet may vary as contemplated by those of ordinary skill. Referring now to FIG. 30, a stabilizing stand assembly 3000 includes a stand 3010 connected with a telescoping support assembly including a first telescoping support member 3020 and a second telescoping support member 3030. The telescoping support members are constructed to retract and extend from the stand 3010. In the current embodiment, the first telescoping support member 3020 is generally disposed at the front, left corner of the stand 3010 and the second telescoping support member 303 is generally disposed at the front, right corner of the stand 3010. It is contemplated that the length of the telescoping support members may vary without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. It is farther contemplated that the telescoping support assembly may include pivot devices connected to the first and second telescoping support members to allow for rotational adjustment of the support members by a user. In an alternative embodiment, a stabilizing stand assembly 3100 including a stand 3105 connecting with a generally rectangular block 3110, is shown in FIG. 31. The stand 3105. A front edge 3106 of the stand 3105 includes a notch which extends along the length of the front edge 3106. The notch is generally disposed along the front edge proximal to the bottom side. Preferably, the notch extends from the bottom of the front edge to approximately halfway up the front edge although various other configurations are contemplated. The notch allows the user to place a support bar/board/block into the notch to provide increased stability and to assist in avoiding tipping of the drill press. In the current embodiment, a block 3110 is connected with the notch. The block 3110 is generally rectangular in shape having a hollow interior. Disposed on a top side of the block 3110 is a first bench column connection receiver 3115 and a second bench column connection receiver 3120. It is understood that the receivers may be located in various positions upon the block. When the block 3110 is properly connected within the notch of the stand 3105, the first and second bench column connection receivers align with the first stand receiver 3125 and the second stand receiver 3130, respectively. This alignment of the receivers allows fasteners 3135 and 3140 to engage with the receivers and securely affix the block 3110 within the notch. In the current embodiment, the fasteners are threaded bolts engaging within threaded receivers. It is contemplated that the notch may connect with the block 3110 through the use of various fasteners and/or connection mechanisms. For instance, clips, pins, screws, and the like may be employed and/or a friction fit mechanism, snap fit mechanism, compression lock mechanism and the like may provide the secure connection. It is further contemplated that the exemplary embodiments of the stabilizing stand assembly shown in FIGS. 1, 24, 29, 30, and 31 may further include tie down fastening points for affixing the location of the drill press. The tie down fastening points allowing for a tie to be inserted through and engaged with the fastening points, wherein the tie also connects with or into a surface upon which the stand is situated. In the alternative, the stabilizing stand assemblies may include various securing devices. For example, the bottom side of the stand may include adhesive pads for adhering the stand to a surface. Various other securing devices as contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art may be employed without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Connected with the bench column 110, between the top end 112 and bottom end 114, is a bench (table) assembly 300, hereinafter referred to as the table assembly. The table assembly comprises a collar 305 which couples with the bench column 110. The bench column 110 includes a collar adjustment strip 111. The collar 305 further includes a collar adjustment handle 306 which mechanically engages with a worm drive mechanism disposed within the collar 305. The worm drive mechanism is connected against the collar adjustment strip 111 and when the collar adjustment handle 306 is rotated, the worm drive adjusts the position of the collar 305 up and down the length of the collar adjustment strip 111. It is contemplated that various other mechanical adjustment mechanisms which enable the movement of the collar 305 along the length of the bench column 110 may be employed. Further, the collar 305 may include a locking mechanism to securely affix the location of the collar 305 relative to the bench column 110. For instance, a collar locking handle, collar locking button, and the like, may operational couple with the system described above, via the collar 305, to provide for securely affixing the location of the collar 305. The collar 305 further couples with a first end 315 of an adjustable arm 310. In FIG. 1 the adjustable arm 310 may be extended away from the collar 305 and/or retracted towards the collar 305 by a sliding movement, which may be performed by the user. It is contemplated that a friction fit mechanism is employed to secure the position of the adjustable arm 310 relative to the collar 305. In FIG. 24, connected with the collar 305 and the first end 315 of the adjustable arm 310 is a mechanical connector 325. The mechanical connector 325 provides for the securing and release of the position of the adjustable arm 310 relative to the collar 305. For example, a user may rotate the mechanical connector 325 into a released position whereby the arm 310 may be extended a pre-determined distance away from the collar 305 or retracted towards the collar 305. The mechanical connector 325 may be rotated into a locked position whereby the position of the arm 310 is secured relative to the collar 305. A second end 320 of the adjustable arm 310 includes a clamp 330. The clamp 330 provides a securing device for connecting the second end 320 of the adjustable arm 310 with a table post 340. The clamp 330 allows for the release of the table post 340 through the mechanical action of a handle 335. In a preferred embodiment, the table post 340 is constructed as a generally cylindrical hollow tube. A first end 342 of the table post 340 connects with a work table 350. The work table 350 provides the surface upon which a workpiece, to be operated upon by the drill press, may be seated. A second end 344 of the table post 340 may be connected with a dust transfer device 390, as shown in FIG. 24. The dust transfer device 360 may be a standard vacuum tube allowing for the suction of dust and debris through the table post 340 and down through the dust transfer device 390. It is contemplated that the second end 320 of the adjustable arm 310 may couple with a rotational adjustment flange to allow for the adjustment of the table 350. Connected with a first side of the rotational adjustment flange may be a first table arm and coupled with the second side of the rotational adjustment flange may be a second table arm. The rotational adjustment flange may further include a dust collection “U” shaped groove. The first and second table arms couple with an underside of the table 350. The first end 342 of the table post 340 may connect with a table adjustment assembly which in turn connects with the table 350. The table angular adjustment assembly may enable the adjustment of the table 350 in multiple directions. For instance, the table 350 may be rotated to the right and/or left and the table may be pivoted up and/or down. Further, the table 350 may be allowed to slide in and out relative to the bench column 110. The rotational adjustment capabilities are enabled by the rotational adjustment flange coupled with the arm, as described above. It is understood that the rotational adjustment flange may be of various configurations. For example, the flange may couple with the arm assembly proximal to the arm's coupling with the collar, the flange may couple at the opposite end of the arm's coupling with the collar, as far from the collar as possible, or the flange may couple at various points of the arm between these aforementioned points. The adjustment of the table in the up and down, or vertical axis, direction is enabled by the first table arm and the second table arm. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second table arms are coupled with the first and second sides of the rotational adjustment flange. Each arm is coupled via a rotational coupling assembly with the rotational adjustment flange. The rotational adjustment assembly allows the first and second arms to rotate up or down relative to the rotation adjustment flange. In the current embodiment, a first and a second angular identification assembly is disposed upon an area on the first and second sides of the rotational adjustment flange. The first and second angular identification assembly provides an indication to the user of the drill press of the angle of presentation of the table in the vertical axis. The angular identification assembly may comprise a label with numeric indicators printed upon it, an engraving of the indicators may be made, the indicators may be painted on, or other methods of establishing these indicators in these locations may be used. The table angular adjustment assembly includes a table angle engagement mechanism. The table angle engagement mechanism includes a plurality of handles for engagement by the operator of the drill press so that they may make the angular adjustments to the table 350 needed to accomplish a specific task. The handles may be enabled in a variety of configurations as contemplated by those of ordinary skill. For example, the handles may be quick grip handles. The quick grip handles, due to being constructed as spring loaded handles, when squeezed within the grasp of a user's hand allow for adjustment of the table 350 and require only that the user release the handle in order to secure the position of the table 350. The table angle engagement mechanism may be connected in various locations about the drill press. For instance, the handles of the table angle engagement mechanism may be connected with the cross slots (described below) on the underside of the table 350. Alternatively, the handles may be connected with the rotational adjustment flange, the adjustable arm 310, the collar 305, the bench column 110, and the like without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. It is understood that the various components and features of the table angular adjustment assembly may vary in configuration and coupling arrangement as contemplated by one of ordinary skill. An underside of the table 350 may be configured with a central support assembly which covers at least a part of the underside of the table. In operation, the edges provide a lip on the table which provides multiple/non-restricting ways of coupling devices with the table. For example, the user may wish to secure the location of a workpiece upon the top side of the table and couple a “C” clamp onto the workpiece and one of the edges of the table. With the thinner edges, the “C” clamp may be allowed to couple more securely and easily with the table than with an edge that was of greater thickness or presented with an angle. Other devices, such as quick grip clamps and the like may also be allowed to couple more securely and easily with the thin edges of the present invention. The table 350 may further comprise a plurality of cross slots which may extend from a top side through the bottom side and/or present as grooves in the top side without extending through the bottom side. The plurality of cross slots may be positioned in various locations upon the table 350 in order to enable functionality of the table. Additionally, the table may comprise “T” slots, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, which are configured as grooves extending along the top side from the front to back edge, proximal to the right and left edge. The “T” slots may provide the advantage of allowing the connection of a fence assembly 2510, as shown in FIG. 25, in various locations upon the top side of the table 350. Further, the fence assembly may be adjustable upon the top side of the table 350 within the “T” slots and be able to be removed from its connection with the table 350. It is contemplated that the configuration of the cross slots and “T” slots may vary as contemplated by those of ordinary skill. It is also contemplated that the table 350 may include various other features in combination with the cross slots and “T” slots or as single features disposed upon the top side. The table 350 of the present invention may be enabled for operation in a variety of ways. For example, the table may be enabled as a milling table, as shown in FIG. 27, comprising a central member 2710 disposed within a top side of a stationary table member 2720. The central member 2710 may be slidably coupled with the top side, enabled to be slid to the right and/or left of the stationary table member 2720. The adjustability of the central member 2710 may be enabled by a variety of mechanisms including a crank assembly having a rotatable handle coupled with a rack which engages a pinion disposed on the central member. Alternatively, the table may include a metering assembly. This metering assembly may comprise a plurality of fastening points 2750, 2752, 2754, 2756, and 2758 disposed through the top side of the stationary table member 2720. In operation, when a hole is drilled through a workpiece a pin may be extended through the hole and engaged with one of the plurality of fastening points. This affixes the location of the workpiece on the table. The plurality of fastening points may be evenly spaced in order to provide precise repeatable spacing between drill points. Other alternative embodiments of the table, as contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art, may be employed without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Additionally, the collar 305 may be disposed with a height adjustment system including a pinion assembly disposed within the collar 305. The pinion assembly may include a pinion disposed on the interior of the collar and a rotational engagement assembly coupled through the collar 305 with the pinion. The rotational engagement assembly may be a handle, such as a wheel handle, which is rotatably engaged by the user of the drill press. The pinion may engage with a rack disposed on the bench column 110. The rack is operationally engaged by the pinion, thus, as the pinion is rotated by the handle, the collar is moved vertically, either up or down, along the rack of the bench column. In a preferred embodiment, the rotational adjustment assembly may be disposed near the collar 305. Alternatively, the rotational adjustment assembly may be disposed in various locations, such as near the front of the table 350. It is contemplated that the rotational adjustment assembly includes a macro adjust and micro adjust assemblies. For example, the macro adjust assembly may be a larger outer wheel handle while the micro adjust may be a smaller diameter wheel handle disposed within the larger outer wheel. Further, the height adjustment system may include a locking mechanism to securely affix the location of the collar relative to the bench column. For instance, a collar locking handle, collar locking button, and the like, may operationally couple with the rack and pinion system described above, via the collar, to provide for securely affixing the location of the collar. It is contemplated that the movement of the collar 305 along the length of the bench column 110 may be enabled as a powered system. For example, an electrically powered system, hydraulically powered system, and the like may provide for the movement of the collar 305. Further, the location of the controls, e.g., rotational adjustment assembly, and other control mechanisms as contemplated, may be located in various places. For instance, the controls may be placed in proximal location to the feet of the operator of the drill press and may include pedals. The dust transfer device 390 may be a part of a dust collection system operationally coupled with the table 350 of the present invention. The table 350 may further include a throat plate 2610, as shown in FIG. 26, which couples with the center of the top side of the table. The throat plate 2610, in the current embodiment, is a rectangular plate with a plurality of openings constructed within it. The throat plate may be removed from the top side of the table and replaced with a second throat plate with a different design configuration. It is contemplated that a generic throat plate may be provided and the user of the drill press may be able to customize the throat plate to meet specific needs. Further, it is contemplated that various packages of throat plates, including varying numbers of throat plates, with various design configurations may be provided by the present invention. Further, the shape and size of the throat plate may be varied as contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art to couple with the table of the drill press. Additionally, the throat plate may be engaged in various locations upon the top side of the table. The plurality of slots within the throat plate allow for dust and debris to be drawn through them. As will be described below, the slots may allow air to be vacuumed through them, thereby collecting the dust and debris in the air. The dust collection throat plate 2610 couples with the top side of the table 350 over a dust collection cavity 355, shown in FIG. 26, which is a recessed area defined within the table 350 extending from the top side through the bottom side. The dust collection cavity 355 is generally enabled as a reducer, providing a funneling down effect for dust and debris collected through the plurality of slots within the throat plate 2610. Coupled with the bottom of the dust collection cavity 355 is the table post 340 which connects with the dust transfer device 390. The dust transfer device is a standard vacuum tube, as previously described, which couples with the bottom of the dust collection cavity 355, via the table post 340, and extends a pre-determined length away from the dust collection cavity 355. Where the table is connected via a rotation adjustment assembly with the bench column, it may be clearly seen that a tube extends through the dust collection “U” shaped groove in the arm assembly. The tube may be engaged by a dust hose (dust transfer device) which is further coupled with a vacuum pump assembly for creating a vacuum through the dust collection system. The dust hose may couple with the tube through the use of a ring clamp or other devices. It is understood that the configuration of the various components of the dust collection system may be varied as contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art. It is contemplated that the throat plate disposed within the work table 350 may be a laser activated throat plate assembly. A laser activated throat plate assembly may provide a visual indication of the location of the laser beam(s) being emitted from the power tool control system laser source(s). The visual indication may be a lighted portion of the throat plate, which is activated when contacted by a laser beam. The lighted portion may vary in size and configuration. The visual indicator of the throat plate may provide an indication of the operational position of the drill bit. The work table 350 may include one or more laser activated sections. The laser activated sections providing an indication of the location of the laser beam(s). It is also contemplated that the laser activated sections may be employed for use with the work table 350 when the work table 350 is configured as a milling table or with an indexing functionality. The size and configuration of the laser activated sections may vary. For instance, the laser activated sections may provide a visual representation of the cross-hairs, indicating the operational position of the drill bit. Alternatively, the laser activated sections may be individual bars located in parallel, spanning the table in order to provide an indexing functionality. It is contemplated that the laser activated throat plate assembly and/or sections of the work table may include various mechanisms for providing a visual indicator. For example, sensor assemblies linked with light emitting diodes may be included within either of the embodiments. The sensor assemblies for detecting the laser beam(s) and the LEDs for illuminating a location or index point. Alternatively, various substances which activate (i.e., illuminate) when struck by laser beam(s) may be included within either of these embodiments to provide a visual indicator. The present invention contemplates the use of a drill multi depth adjustment assembly 3200, as shown in FIG. 32. The drill multi depth adjustment assembly 3200 comprises a multi position member 3210 which may engage with a drill bit stop member 3220 to provide the multi depth functionality for the drill bit. The multi position member 3210 provides multiple pre-set depth stops so that when the drill bit is being plunged the drill bit stop member 3220 may be engaged with one of the pre-set depth stops of the multi position member 3210 and establish a desired drill depth. The multi position member 3210 may be coupled to a side of the head assembly in a manner which allows the multi position member 3210 to be adjusted. The adjustment capabilities of the multi position member 3210 may include the ability to slide or rotate the multi position member 3210 into a desired position. This allows the multi position member 3210 to be engaged with or not engaged with the drill head. The disengagement capability is advantageous in that it enables the drill head to by pass and avoid any unwanted stops, thereby allowing full drill depth functionality. It is contemplated that the drill multi depth adjustment assembly 3200 may have its functionality enabled by operationally coupling with the quill assembly of the drill press. For example, the stop member may be disposed on the left side of the drill bit and stick out from the drill head to engage with the pre set stops of the multi position member. As may be seen from the illustrations of FIGS. 33 and 34, the multi position member may be variously configured. Further, the pre-set stops may establish a range of drill depth adjustment capabilities. For example, from ⅛ inch to ⅝ inch or other ranges as may be contemplated by those of ordinary skill. It is understood that the configuration of the multi position member may vary to encompass fewer or greater pre-set stops, a broader range of adjustable capability, and the like without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 33, the multi position member includes a micro adjustment assembly 3310. The micro adjustment assembly 3310 is constructed with a fastening point bored into one of the pre-set stops of the multi position member. This fastening point is threaded for engagement by a depth adjust fastener. The depth adjust fastener 3310 may be a screw, pin, bolt, and the like, enabled to engage with the threads of the fastening points and be engaged by the drill bit stop member. The depth adjust fastener 3310 is enabled to be rotated in either direction within the fastening point, thereby presenting at various heights above and relative to the height of the pre-set stop on the multi position member. In operation, the pre-set stops may be ⅜ inch, ½ inch, and ⅝ inch. The depth adjust fastener 3310 may be engaged in the ⅜ inch pre-set stop which further includes the fastening point. The user may engage with the depth adjust fastener 3310, adjusting its position within the fastening point, thereby enabling the drill bit stop member to engage against the dept adjust fastener 3310 in a position between the ⅜ inch pre-set stop and the 1 inch pre-set stops. Other pre-set depth adjustment settings may be employed with the present invention to provide increased functionality. Additionally, other micro adjustment assemblies may be employed as contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art. The sliding of the multi position member into engagement with or disengagement from the drill head of the quill assembly may be enabled through a variety of mechanisms. In FIG. 33 a handle mechanism provides a grip for a user and pre-set stops for securely engaging the multi position member at the desired position. FIG. 34 shows the multi position member, enabled as a sheet metal configuration, with a slotted area for engagement by a fastener 3410. The engagement of the fastener 3410 with the slotted area enables the sliding engagement of the sheet metal multi position member with the drill head of the quill assembly. It is further contemplated that the multi position member may operationally engage with various component features of the drill press to enable the drill depth adjustment capabilities described above. FIGS. 35, 36, and 37, illustrate a drill press 3500, 3600, 3700, respectively, are including a head assembly shaped in a first, a second, and a third configuration. The drill presses of FIGS. 35 through 37 may be similar in every respect to the drill press shown and described in FIGS. 1 through 34, except for the shape of the head assembly. It is further contemplated that the drill presses shown in FIGS. 1 through 37 may not include the power tool control system as described previously. In the alternative, the drill presses of FIGS. 1 through 37 may include various component features in a variety of combinations without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. For instance, a drill press may include the user interface (control panel) as described in reference to FIGS. 1 through 37, but not include the casing and laser component features. In the alternative, a drill press may be enabled with the power tool control system but not the table angular adjustment assembly, as described previously. It is to be understood that the use of the component features described herein and the combination of component features may be determined by those of skill in the art and that the various configurations of the drill press are within the scope and spirit of the present invention. In the preferred embodiments of FIGS. 1 through 37, the user interface (control panel) 150 is connected with the head assembly of the drill press in a location which is optimal for the user of the drill press to access its functionality. It is understood that the user interface (control panel) 150 may be established in various locations upon the drill press or in other locations. It is contemplated that the user interface (control panel) 150 may be enabled as a modular device capable of being mounted upon and removed from the drill press. The modular functionality may be enabled through a drill press adapter system which provides a communication port for the user interface (control panel) 150 to interface with the laser sources, when mounted upon the drill press. The port may further enable wireless communication between the user interface (control panel) 150 and the laser sources and/or drill press when the user interface (control panel) 150 is removed from the drill press. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various wireless technologies may be employed to enable the communication capabilities of the user interface (control panel) 150 and the drill press without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The configuration of the user interface (control panel) 150 may be optimally established in conjunction with and in order to accommodate increased efficiency and aesthetic concerns of the drill press. In the present embodiment, the configuration is similar to a rectangle box. The depth of such a rectangular box, as shown, may be varied in order to enable the control panel to be mounted upon the drill press. Further, the configuration may be adapted for the use of the user interface (control panel) 150 as a hand held device when removed from the drill press. It is contemplated that the configuration of the user interface (control panel) 150 may be a variety of geometric configurations. Further, the user interface (control panel) 150 may include contouring and be coupled with various other materials to assist in increasing its aesthetic appeal, ease of use, comfort of the user, gripability by the user, and the like. It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed are examples of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the method can be rearranged while remaining within the scope and spirit of the present invention. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order, and are not necessarily meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented. It is believed that the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the forgoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The use of power tools, such as drill presses, is commonplace in numerous locations, from construction work sites to home work shops. These power tool devices are used to perform their functions on a variety of different workpieces, such as wood, metal, plastic, and the like. When performing boring operations upon a workpiece, various structural factors, such as the thickness of the workpiece, hardness of the workpiece, moisture content of the workpiece, and the like may significantly affect the operation of the drill press. Unfortunately, current drill presses may not provide an effective measure of structural factors, such as the thickness of the workpiece, hardness of the workpiece, moisture content of the workpiece, and the like to be operated upon. This may contribute to the inefficient operation of the drill press which may result in decreased productivity. Further, this may contribute to a reduced life span of useful operation of the drill press due to increased operational stresses being placed upon the tool which may result in increased wearing of the working parts of the tool. Further, some current drill presses may fail to provide an efficient system for reducing the speed of the drill press prior to cutting through the workpiece. This may also contribute to a reduced life span of the drill press. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a device, which enables the user of a drill press to determine the operational settings of the drill press based on determined structural factors of a work piece. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a power tool control system for determining operational settings of a drill press. The operational settings of the drill press are determined by the power tool control system providing a system for determining a structural factor(s) of a workpiece. For instance, the power tool control system may determine the thickness of a workpiece, the hardness of the workpiece, the moisture content of the workpiece, or the like, which is to be bored through by the drill press. The determined structural factor is then provided to the user of the power tool, whereby the operational settings of the drill press may be adjusted to assist in providing increased efficiency in the operation of the drill press. In addition, the power tool control system may enable the variation of operational settings during the use of the power tool. The increased efficiency in operation of the drill press may increase the useful lifespan of the power tool. It is an object of the present invention to provide a power tool control system for a drill press which may automatically configure the operational settings of the drill press to assist in maximizing the efficient operation of the drill press. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a visual indication, to a user of the drill press, of the location of operation of a drill bit upon a workpiece engaged with the drill press. It is contemplated that the present invention provides a bench assembly including a work table which is adjustable and provides for the indexing of a workpiece when engaged upon the work table. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dust collection system to the drill press. It is an object of the present invention to provide a laser enabled power tool control system. Thus, the power tool control system utilizes one or more laser sources, mounted with the drill press, to emit one or more laser beams. The laser beams provide operational settings information related to the position of the drill bit and structural factors of the workpiece and visual indicators to assist a user in the operation of the drill press. The laser sources and mounts may be removable from their connection with one another and the drill press, allowing for the retrofitting of various secondary component features of the power tool control system. In an additional aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a drill press is provided. The distance from a casing including a laser source, of a power tool control system, to a work table of the drill press is determined. After the distance is determined a workpiece is positioned upon the work table. The distance from the casing to the workpiece is now determined. After determining both distances by the use of the power tool control system the thickness of the workpiece is calculated. The thickness data is provided to the user of the drill press who then determines the operational settings of the drill press based on the data. In the alternative, the power tool control system may provide for an automatic setting of the operational settings. With the operational settings established the user engages the drill press upon the workpiece. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. | 20041001 | 20080506 | 20060518 | 96609.0 | B23B4900 | 0 | RAO, SHEELA S | DRILL PRESS | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | B23B | 2,004 |
|
10,956,837 | ACCEPTED | Method and apparatus for correcting velocity-induced range estimate phase errors in a two-tone monopulse CW radar | A method and apparatus is provided for correcting the phase difference estimate derived from a two-tone CW radar to correct velocity-induced range estimate phase errors by offsetting the phase difference estimate with a phase correction equal to either of the Doppler frequencies associated with returns from an object multiplied by the time interval between the samplings of the returned waveforms. The correction effectively eliminates the velocity-induced slippage between the phases of the retuned waveforms so that a comparison between the phases of the waveforms can be made to reduce or substantially eliminate range estimate bias | 1. A method for correcting the velocity-induced range estimate errors from a two-tone CW radar which provides as an output the phase difference between Doppler-shifted returns from a moving object, comprising the steps of: offsetting the phase difference with a correction equal to the Doppler-shifted frequency of one of the two-tone returns times the time interval between waveform samples; and, deriving range from the offset phase difference. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two tones are sequentially generated with a predetermined switching rate, and wherein the Doppler-shifted waveforms corresponding to the returns from the object are sequentially sampled with a predetermined time interval establishing the time interval between waveform samples. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the length of a tone establishes a Nyquist switching rate. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the velocity of the object exceeds 100 meters/second. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the velocity of the object has an associated frequency that approaches the Nyquist switching rate. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the velocity of the object has an associated frequency within 10 KHz of the Nyquist switching rate. 7. A method for improving the range accuracy for the range of a rapidly moving object derived from a two-tone CW radar from which sum and difference signals for the two frequencies associated with the two tones are available, comprising the steps of: forming a first two-by-two matrix from the sum and difference signals for each of the two frequencies associated with the two tones; factoring the first two-by-two matrix into a second matrix associated with range; and, determining range from the second two-by-two matrix by deriving the phase difference between Doppler-shifted waveforms corresponding to returns from the moving object and offsetting derived phase difference by a quantity equal to the Doppler-shifted frequency of one of the two-tone returns times the time interval between waveform samples. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first two-by-two matrix is a Rank One matrix in the absence of noise. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the factoring step includes the step of performing a singular value decomposition. 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the range determining step includes the step of determining the phase between the complex numbers in the first column of the second matrix. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein the two tones are sequentially generated with a predetermined switching rate, and wherein the Doppler-shifted waveforms corresponding to the returns from the object are sequentially sampled with a predetermined time interval establishing the time interval between waveform samples. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the length of a tone is 5 microseconds, thus to establish a Nyquist switching rate of 50 KHz. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the velocity of the object exceeds 100 meters/second. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the velocity of the object has an associated frequency that approaches the Nyquist switching rate. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the velocity of the object has an associated frequency within 10 KHz of the Nyquist switching rate. 16. In a system for countermeasuring a rocket-propelled grenade using a multiple-barrel gun that projects a pattern of shot towards an incoming rocket-propelled grenade, a method for improving the aiming and firing accuracy of the gun, comprising the step of: using a two-tone monopulse CW radar that develops sum and difference signals for deriving the range of said rocket-propelled grenade relative to the radar; the step of deriving the range of the incoming rocket-propelled grenade including the steps of: forming a first two-by-two matrix from the sum and difference signals for each of the two frequencies associated with the two tones; factoring the first two-by-two matrix into a second matrix associated with range; determining range from the second two-by-two matrix by deriving the phase difference between Doppler-shifted waveforms corresponding to returns from the moving object and offsetting derived phase difference by a quantity equal to the Doppler-shifted frequency of one of the two-tone returns times the time interval between waveform samples; and, aiming and firing the gun based on the range measurement from the radar. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first two-by-two matrix is a Rank One matrix in the absence of noise. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the factoring step includes the step of performing a singular value decomposition. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the range determining step includes the step of determining the phase between the complex numbers in the first column of the second matrix. 20. A system for improving the range estimate of a target moving relative to a two-tone CW radar from which sum and difference signals for the two frequencies associated with the two tones are available, in which the two tones are sequentially generated and in which the Doppler-shifted waveforms corresponding to the two-tone returns from said target are sequentially sampled, comprising: a down converter for down-converting, low pass filtering and sampling said sum and difference signals; a demultiplexer for providing time domain data streams corresponding to the down-converted, low pass filtered and sampled sum and difference signals; a module coupled to said demultiplexer for performing a Fast Fourier Transform on said time-domain data stream to produce associated frequency domain data streams in the form of individual frequency bins; a calculator for squaring the magnitude of the individual bins to produce magnitude-squared values; an accumulator for accumulating said magnitude-squared values; a peak search detector for determining from the accumulated magnitude-squared values which of said frequency bins has the highest peak, thus to determine which of said frequency bins contains said target; a process or for generating a first two-by-two matrix from the sum and difference values associated with the bin that is determined to contain said target; a unit for performing a singular value decomposition of said first two-by-two matrix so as to factor said first matrix into a second and third matrix respectively related to range and angle of arrival; a phase detector for detecting the phase difference between the complex numbers in the first column of said second matrix, thus to derive range; and, a phase correction module for offsetting said phase difference by a quantity equaling the Doppler-shifted frequency of one of the two-tone returns from said target multiplied by the time interval between successive samplings of the waveforms associated with said two-tone returns. | FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to two-tone CW radars and more particularly to a method for correcting velocity-induced range estimate phase errors. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As discussed in a Patent Application Serial entitled Method and Apparatus for Improved Determination of Range and Angle of Arrival Utilizing a Two-tone CW Radar by Paul D. Fiore, filed on even date herewith, assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference, a system is provided for providing range and angle of arrival estimates from the output of a two-tone CW radar. In this system, the range of an object from the radar is computed from the phase angle between returns from the object in which the phase of the Doppler return of one tone is compared with the phase of the Doppler return of the second tone. This system uses a two-tone CW radar in which the two tones are sequentially projected or propagated towards a target. In one embodiment the switching rate between the two tones is on the order of 100 KHz, which corresponds to 5 milliseconds of the f1 tone followed by 5 milliseconds of the f2 tone. When used for a fire control system to detect the range of a moving target, the system works relatively well for slow targets. However, when the target's speed approaches 300 meters per second, as in the case with rocket-propelled grenades, range estimates degrade significantly. While initially a plurality of causes was investigated to ascertain the cause of the range error, it was noticed that the Doppler frequency associated with the 300 m/sec. target was about 49 KHz. This was found to be quite close to the 50 KHz Nyquist rate associated with the 100 KHz switching. The result with uncompensated systems was wide swings in the range estimate for incoming targets, whether the target was a rocket-propelled grenade, a projectile or a missile. By way of background, the theory of two-tone continuous wave range estimation radar shows that target range is proportional to the difference in the complex phase angle between the signal returns corresponding to the two tones. In the above-mentioned sequential transmission of tones, known as a diplexing method, the two tones are transmitted sequentially, and it was assumed that the target Doppler frequency was small compared to the switching rate. With this assumption, an acceptably small bias in the range estimate results. However, it was found that the bias rate increases as the target speed increases, thus limiting the ability to accurately obtain the range of high-speed targets. For a radar to measure range, it is typically thought that some sort of amplitude or phase modulation of the carrier is required. However, as mentioned above there is a method using more than one CW signal that can in fact provide range, which involves a tellurometer and is available for geodetic survey work. The geodetic system makes use of the fact that the survey equipment is not moving and therefore has a zero Doppler shift. Radar designs for the case where there is target velocity and it is low can produce desired range estimates when using two-tone CW-transmitted signals. Additionally, approaching or receding targets can be distinguished through proper choice of CW frequencies. Thus, those two-tone CW radars provide accurate range measurements if the motion during one Doppler period is small. This means that the phases of the wave forms will not appreciably “slip” relative to each other and a comparison between the phases of the wave forms can be made. SUMMARY OF INVENTION It has now been found that one can correct the measured phase difference in the Doppler-shifted returns from high-speed targets to eliminate the range estimate bias by providing an offset or correction that is applied to the measured phase difference. This correction has been found to be the Doppler frequency of either tone times the time difference between samples. This offset has been found to be linearly related to the target velocity and the time delay between the samplings for the two tones. Since it is a relatively simple matter to ascertain the time at which samples are collected for each of the two wave forms, one can derive a phase correction that is simply the frequency of one of the tones times the time difference between the samples. By correcting the phase difference originally calculated from the two-tone CW radar returns with this phase correction, the so-called slippage between the two waveforms due to the speed of the target is canceled. The result is a range estimate that is correct, independent of the speed of the approaching target. In summary, a method and apparatus is provided for correcting the phase difference estimate derived from a two-tone CW radar to correct velocity-induced range estimate phase errors by offsetting the phase difference estimate with a phase correction equal to either of the Doppler frequencies associated with returns from an object multiplied by the time interval between the samplings of the returned waveforms. The correction effectively eliminates the velocity-induced slippage between the phases of the returned waveforms so that a comparison between the phases of the waveforms can be made to reduce or substantially eliminate range estimate bias. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other features of the subject invention will be better understood in connection with a Detailed Description, in conjunction with the Drawings, of which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multiple-barrel shotgun-type countermeasure system that has its firing command based on the range of an incoming rocket-propelled grenade or RPG; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a two-tone CW monopulse radar in which sequential two tones are projected towards an object and in which the sum and difference Doppler returns from the object are analyzed to provide a range estimate; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a simplified version of the two-tone CW radar of FIG. 2, illustrating that the phase difference between the Sum channels of the two tones can be used in obtaining the phase difference, from which range can be determined; FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram illustrating the time intervals at which the two tones of the radar of FIG. 1 are transmitted, the time at which samples are taken, and the phase delay between the samples of the wave forms from which range can be estimated; FIG. 5 is a waveform diagram illustrating that for the two frequencies or tones of FIG. 4, the time difference between samples results in a phase angle correction that is equal to either one of the two Doppler frequencies times the time difference between the samples; FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the phase difference measurement from the output of a singular value decomposition of a Rank One two-by-two matrix used to provide a range estimate that is corrected by an offset that offsets the phase difference measurement with the offset of FIG. 5, with the result being a corrected phase difference measurement applied to a range calculator; and, FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the operation of the error compensator of FIG. 6, illustrating the calculation of the phase error between two complex numbers followed by calculation and application of a base correction factor, such that the phase difference between the two complex numbers is offset by the appropriate correction to cancel out the effect of slippage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIG. 1, in one application of the subject invention, a fire control system 10 for a shotgun 12 mounted on a gimbal 13 is provided by using an Ka-band CW two-tone monopulse radar 14 coupled to a planar antenna 16, which carries a transmit element 18 and two receive elements 20 and 22 from which are derived sum and difference signals related to returns from, for instance, a high-velocity rocket-propelled grenade 26 fired by an individual 28. In order to provide an initial gross aiming of gun 12, the plume 34 from rocket-propelled grenade 26 is detected by the plume imaged by a lens system 32 onto an IR plume detector 30 that provides a gross bearing at unit 36 used at unit 38 to initially aim the radar and gun. Radar returns from the target result in the generation of Sum f1 and Sum f2 signals 42 and Diff. f1 and Diff. f2 signals 44 that are coupled to a unit 50 that calculates range and bearing used by a re-aim and shoot module 52. Unit 50 provides bearing 53, range 54 and velocity 60 to unit 52, from which gimbal 13 is actuated to re-aim gun 12 in accordance with the more refined bearing range and velocity estimates from unit 50. At an appropriate range, a pellet cloud 57 is projected towards RPG 26 so that as the RPG arrives at position 26′, it meets with an optimal pellet pattern. The firing signal for the gun is critical so that the pellet cloud meets the RPG at the correct range for establishing an optimal pellet cloud density to effect a kill. In one embodiment, this range is seven meters so that given the cone of the pellet cloud, its density will be optimal as it impacts the rocket-propelled grenade. It should be noted that the entire time that is allocated for the aiming and firing sequence is less than 150 milliseconds as illustrated by line 62, which is from the time that the RPG is launched to the time that it arrives at its intended target. Note that, in one embodiment, if the target velocity is below that which is associated with a moving projectile, then a velocity threshold unit 58 coupled to an inhibit unit 59 cancels the re-aiming and shooting process if, for instance, the detected velocity is detected below 100 meters per second. Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment of the range and bearing calculation unit 50 a sequence of two tones, here illustrated at 72, is propagated or projected by a transmit antenna 74 towards an object 76, with returns from the object being detected by receive antennas 78 and 80 to generate respective sum and difference signals coupled to unit 50. The choice of the difference of frequencies depends on the range ambiguity that is acceptable. Typically, one uses a difference of between 500 kHz and 1.5 MHz. In one embodiment, a typical set of frequencies is 24.7290 GHz and 24.7300 GHz, a difference of 1.0 MHz. Here in one embodiment the sum and difference signals are processed by a down-convert, low-pass filter and sampling unit 82, the output of which is coupled to a demultiplexing unit 84 and a Fast Fourier transform module 86, in turn coupled to a magnitude-square module 88, which makes available the magnitude-squared amplitudes of the FFT bins. Thus the digital time domain data stream y11 . . . y22 is converted by FFT module 86 to frequency domain data stream Y11 . . . Y22 in terms of frequency bins, with the magnitude-squared output of module 88 accumulated at 90 so as to permit the finding of a peak by peak detection unit 92, from which the particular bin having the target is selected as shown at 94. Having selected the frequency bin most likely to contain the target, a two-by-to matrix A is formed from the sum and difference signals associated with this frequency bin, with the sum and difference signal matrix A being coupled to a singular value decomposition processor 96 that outputs a two-by-two matrix U, here illustrated by reference character 98 from which range can be estimated and a two-by-two matrix V, here illustrated by reference character 100 from which angle of arrival can be derived. The two-by-two matrix U is applied to a range estimation unit 102 from which a range estimate is made. The range estimate comes from analyzing the first column of the two-by-two matrix U, which when processed provides the aforementioned phase angle between the two tones. Note that matrix V is applied to an angle of arrival estimator 104. Referring now to FIG. 3, to summarize what is happening in the system of FIG. 2, two tones are alternately generated as illustrated at 120, with a five-microsecond duration for each of the tones. The switching time between going from frequency f1 to frequency f2 or vice versa is negligible. The switching rate is thus determined by the 5μ/sec. pulse durations. The two-tone radar 121 projects a beam with two tones towards object 122, which may have a velocity, for instance of 300 meters per second. Sum f1 and Sum f2 signals are developed by radar 121, which are used at 124 to determine range in terms of their phase difference. As mentioned hereinbefore, the range error rate is proportional to velocity. Referring to FIG. 4, the transmitted tones are as shown by waveform 130, which has a period T. The round trip travel time from which no samples are allowed is indicated by double-ended arrows 132. This leaves a time interval 134 in which it is appropriate to take samples. Samples are taken of the returns as illustrated at 136 and 138, with waveforms 140 and 142 respectively defining the wave forms of the two tone returns at Doppler frequencies f1 and f2. It will be appreciated that what is measured is the phase delay 144 between waveforms 140 and 142 to be able to determine range, with the phase delay being from the samples y1 and y2. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the actual phase difference between waveforms 140 and 142 corresponding to f1 and f2 respectively is illustrated by double-ended arrows 150, whereas the time difference between the samples, ΔT, is illustrated by double-ended arrow 152. It will be shown that the appropriate phase correction or offset that may be applied to the phase difference calculation at 124 is equal to either one of the two Doppler frequencies multiplexed by ΔT, the time difference between the samples. Why this simple phase correction works will be discussed hereinafter. However, it is a finding of the subject invention that by simply knowing the time difference between the samples and knowing the Doppler frequency of the target, one can offset the phase difference provided by the two-tone CW radar and by this offset to be able to eliminate the effects of slippage between the f1 and f2 waveforms due to the velocity of the incoming target. Referring now to FIG. 6, in one embodiment of the subject invention, the aforementioned Rank One two-by-two matrix 160 is formed by the sum and difference signals associated with this frequency bin having the target. Here, Sum f1* and Sum f2* refer to the Sum f1 and Sum f2 signals that have been established as being from the target. Matrix 160 is applied to a singular value decomposition unit 162 from which the phase difference φ is available on line 164. This is the phase difference that is calculated from the first row of Matrix U above, which is one of the results of the singular value decomposition. Having derived Δφ from the output of singular value decomposition unit 162, an offset is applied at unit 166, which provides an error compensation that offsets Δφ. This error compensation unit is provided with the time difference between samples as illustrated on line 168 and the measured Doppler frequency containing the target on line 170, such that knowing the Doppler frequency and the time difference between samples, one can calculate how many degrees the sine wave should be changed to eliminate slippage. The corrected phase difference is available on line 172, coupled to a range calculation unit 174 that multiplies the corrected phase difference by a constant to obtain range. Referring now to FIG. 7, error compensation unit 166 is provided with a unit 176 to which is applied the two-by-two matrix U. This unit calculates the phase difference between two complex numbers in the first column of this matrix, with the output being the phase difference on line 178. This phase difference is applied to a calculator 180, which applies a base correction knowing the Doppler bin number on line 182, thereby establishing the Doppler frequency of the target. The time difference between samples is applied on line 184, with the phase-corrected signal being outputted on line 186. This signal is the original calculated phase Δφ offset by the phase change θpc=f1×T such that θpc defines how many degrees the sine wave should change in order to correct the measurement. Theory of Operation The theory of two-tone continuous-wave range estimation shows that target range is proportional to the difference in complex phase angle between the signal returns corresponding to the two tones. In the prior art, the two tones are transmitted sequentially, and it was assumed that the target Doppler frequency was small compared to the switching rate. With this assumption, an acceptably small bias in the range estimate resulted. However, as noted above, the bias increases as target speed increases, thus limiting the prior art to low speed targets. The subject invention provides a method to correct the estimated phase difference for high speed targets, thereby eliminating the range estimate bias. The correction is related linearly to the target velocity and the time delay between the sampling instants for the two tones. As noted above, a tellurometer is available for geodetic survey work, and makes use of the fact that the survey equipment is not moving (i.e., zero Doppler shift). As has been discussed, the utilization of multiple CW transmitted signals can produce the range estimates for moving targets, assuming the target velocity is low. How this is accomplished is as follows: to simplify the description, first assume that the two different frequencies fk, for k=1, 2 are simultaneously transmitted. Without loss of generality, it can be assumed that the transmitted signals are of the form sk(t)=cos(ωkt+ψt), (1) where ψk is an unknown phase angle, and ωk=2πfk. Assume that a target has a range that varies with time as r(t)=r−vt, where r is the initial range (in meters) and v the radial velocity magnitude (in meters/sec). A positive v corresponds to a closing target. The received signals are given by x k ( t ) = 2 α s k ( t - 2 r ( t ) c ) = 2 α s k ( ( 1 + 2 υ c ) t - 2 r c ) = 2 αcos ( ω k ( 1 + 2 υ c ) t - 2 ω k r c + ψ k ) , ( 2 ) where 2a is some unknown attenuation factor, and c is the speed of light. After multiplication by the transmitted waveform and low pass filtering, the signal becomes y k ( t ) = α cos ( 2 ω k υ c t - 2 ω k r c ) , ( 3 ) where use has been made of the formula cos(a) cos(b)=½cos(a−b)+½cos(a+b). If the frequencies fk are close to each other, the periods of the waveforms in Equation 3 will be very close. Additionally, if the motion during one Doppler period is small, the phases of waveforms will not appreciably “slip” relative to each other. Thus, a comparison between the phases of the waveforms may be made. Note that in the development above, if a had in fact been associated with a complex attenuation, i.e. a phase shift, then this error is common to both phases and is therefore cancelled out when the phase difference is calculated. To perform the phase comparison, one measures yk(t) for a period of time and then takes the Fourier transform, often implemented as a fast Fourier transform (FFT), thereby obtaining integration gain against noise. The phase of the transform for the FFT bin corresponding to ωk is given by ϕ k = - 2 ω k r c mod 2 π . ( 4 ) The difference in Fourier phase is ϕ 2 - ϕ 1 = 2 ( ω 2 - ω 1 ) r c mod 2 π Δ ϕ = - 4 π Δ f r c mod 2 π . where ( 5 ) Δ ϕ = Δ ϕ 2 - ϕ 1 and Δ f = Δ f 2 - f 1 . ( 6 ) To obtain an estimate for r, assuming r<c/(2Δf) one obtains 0 ≤ 4 πΔ f r c < 2 π , ( 7 ) 0 ≤ Δ ϕ < 2 π . ( 8 ) Therefore, with the restriction r<c/(2Δf), the phase difference is unambiguous, and one can solve for the range via r est = c Δ ϕ 4 πΔ f . ( 9 ) The above description assumed simultaneous transmission of the two frequencies. Alternatively, the subject system uses a diplexing method, in which the frequencies are transmitted sequentially in a time multiplexed fashion. Note that the two received waveforms must be sampled synchronously to the change in transmit frequencies. Also, sufficient time must be allowed between the change in frequency and the sampling time so that the signal can propagate to the target and back. It is assumed in the prior art that the Doppler frequencies ωd−2ωkv/c (in radians) are small compared to the sampling rate. If this situation does not hold, then the resulting range error bias grows unacceptably large. With this as background, the subject invention discusses the application of the diplexing method to a system in which the Doppler frequencies can be much larger, up to the Nyquist frequency of the switching and sampling rate. Let fk for k=1,2 denote each of the two frequencies used (in Hz). Let l=1,2 index the sum and difference channels (l=1 is the sum channel, l=2 is the difference channel). For all channels l=1,2 and for all frequencies k=1,2 let the time domain data samples be represented by ykl(n), n=1, . . . ,N. The data stream for each frequency/channel combination is sampled at a rate of fs Hz and is transformed via a conventional windowed FFT Y kl ( m ) = ∑ n = 0 N - 1 w ( n ) y kl ( n ) ⅇ - j2π mn / N , k = 1 , 2 l = 1 , 2 m = - N / 2 , … , N / 2 - 1 , ( 10 ) where w(n) is a window function. Alternatively, using well-known methods, a heavily zero-padded FFT may be used to give refined results in the processing to follow. Additionally, other well-known interpolation methods can be employed to further refine the results in the processing to follow. Next, the magnitude squared results of the FFTs are calculated and the results accumulated to obtain Z ( m ) = ∑ k = 1 2 ∑ l = 1 2 Y k l ( m ) 2 , m = - N / 2 , … , N / 2 - 1. ( 11 ) The peak bin {tilde over (m)} of Z, such that Z({tilde over (m)})≧Z(m) is determined via a simple peak search. As is well known, the peak search is generally performed only over frequency regions where target returns can occur as determined by system design and target dynamics. Optionally, a refined peak may be calculated and used in the processing to follow. There are many well known methods to calculate refined peaks, such as a parabolic interpolation approach. For the present purposes the peak frequency is referred to as bin {tilde over (m)}. The Doppler frequency in Hz is determined as f d = ω d / ( 2 π ) = m ~ N f s . ( 12 ) In Equations 10 and 11, the frequency bin index m is centered around zero so that both approaching targets, positive Doppler, and receding targets, negative Doppler, can be properly phase corrected. From Equation 3 one sees that since the signals input to the FFT are real, the FFT output is conjugate symmetric, and thus an approach/recede ambiguity is present. As described in Equation 3, a method for resolving this ambiguity is to properly choose the transmitter frequencies so that the target range satisfies r<c/(2Δf). Thus, the correct sign for the velocity can be determined, thereby determining the correct sign of {tilde over (m)}. With the peak FFT bin and the corresponding Doppler frequencies identified, we now come to the central idea of the subject invention. If the samples of the two frequencies are spaced apart by an amount of time T, equal to one-half of the sample period of the data streams corresponding to the two frequencies which are each sampled at a rate of fs Hz, during this time period T, the target has moved a distance of vT. This results in a relative phase shift between the two data streams. This previously unaccounted-for phase shift can be determined by substituting T for t in the first term inside the cosine bracket in Equation 3: Δ c = 2 ω υ T c . ( 13 ) where ω can be taken as either ω1 or ω2, since the difference ω2-ω1 is small relative to c. Since the Doppler frequency is 107 d=2ωv/c (in radians), one has Δ c = 2 ωυ T c = ω d T = 2 π f d T = 2 π T m ~ N f s = 2 π ( 1 / ( 2 f s ) ) m ~ N f s = π m ~ N ( 14 ) The result is that Δ ϕ ′ = Δ Δ ϕ + π m ~ N ( 15 ) is the corrected phase that is used to estimate the range in r est = c Δ ϕ ′ 4 πΔ f . ( 16 ) In the subject system, the two frequencies f1 and f2 are time-multiplexed fashion by the transmitter. The transmitted signal reflects off the object of interest, and is received by sum and difference channels, Rsum and Rdiff. Typical radar functions such as down conversion, low pass filtering and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) sampling are performed. Next, a demultiplexing operation is performed. This produces the time-domain data streams y11(n), . . . ,y22(n). Individual FFTs are performed according to Equation 10 to produce the frequency-domain data streams Y11(m), . . . , Y22(m). The squared magnitude of the FFT bins are then accumulated according to Equation 11 to produce Z(m), which is then peak searched to produce the index m for the largest peak. This index is used to retrieve the corresponding bins Y11({tilde over (m)}), . . . , Y22({tilde over (m)}). There are several approaches to processing these bins to derive the Fourier phase difference φ2-100 1. One simple (but suboptimal approach) is to calculate φk=angle(Yk1({tilde over (m)})), k=1, 2 (17) and then Δφ via Equation 6. A better approach is to optimally combine Y11({tilde over (m)}), . . . ,Y22 ({tilde over (m)}) and directly produce Δ100. In either case, Δ′φ is next calculated using Equation 15. Finally, the range is estimated using Equation 16. While the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications or additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>As discussed in a Patent Application Serial entitled Method and Apparatus for Improved Determination of Range and Angle of Arrival Utilizing a Two-tone CW Radar by Paul D. Fiore, filed on even date herewith, assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference, a system is provided for providing range and angle of arrival estimates from the output of a two-tone CW radar. In this system, the range of an object from the radar is computed from the phase angle between returns from the object in which the phase of the Doppler return of one tone is compared with the phase of the Doppler return of the second tone. This system uses a two-tone CW radar in which the two tones are sequentially projected or propagated towards a target. In one embodiment the switching rate between the two tones is on the order of 100 KHz, which corresponds to 5 milliseconds of the f 1 tone followed by 5 milliseconds of the f 2 tone. When used for a fire control system to detect the range of a moving target, the system works relatively well for slow targets. However, when the target's speed approaches 300 meters per second, as in the case with rocket-propelled grenades, range estimates degrade significantly. While initially a plurality of causes was investigated to ascertain the cause of the range error, it was noticed that the Doppler frequency associated with the 300 m/sec. target was about 49 KHz. This was found to be quite close to the 50 KHz Nyquist rate associated with the 100 KHz switching. The result with uncompensated systems was wide swings in the range estimate for incoming targets, whether the target was a rocket-propelled grenade, a projectile or a missile. By way of background, the theory of two-tone continuous wave range estimation radar shows that target range is proportional to the difference in the complex phase angle between the signal returns corresponding to the two tones. In the above-mentioned sequential transmission of tones, known as a diplexing method, the two tones are transmitted sequentially, and it was assumed that the target Doppler frequency was small compared to the switching rate. With this assumption, an acceptably small bias in the range estimate results. However, it was found that the bias rate increases as the target speed increases, thus limiting the ability to accurately obtain the range of high-speed targets. For a radar to measure range, it is typically thought that some sort of amplitude or phase modulation of the carrier is required. However, as mentioned above there is a method using more than one CW signal that can in fact provide range, which involves a tellurometer and is available for geodetic survey work. The geodetic system makes use of the fact that the survey equipment is not moving and therefore has a zero Doppler shift. Radar designs for the case where there is target velocity and it is low can produce desired range estimates when using two-tone CW-transmitted signals. Additionally, approaching or receding targets can be distinguished through proper choice of CW frequencies. Thus, those two-tone CW radars provide accurate range measurements if the motion during one Doppler period is small. This means that the phases of the wave forms will not appreciably “slip” relative to each other and a comparison between the phases of the wave forms can be made. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF INVENTION <EOH>It has now been found that one can correct the measured phase difference in the Doppler-shifted returns from high-speed targets to eliminate the range estimate bias by providing an offset or correction that is applied to the measured phase difference. This correction has been found to be the Doppler frequency of either tone times the time difference between samples. This offset has been found to be linearly related to the target velocity and the time delay between the samplings for the two tones. Since it is a relatively simple matter to ascertain the time at which samples are collected for each of the two wave forms, one can derive a phase correction that is simply the frequency of one of the tones times the time difference between the samples. By correcting the phase difference originally calculated from the two-tone CW radar returns with this phase correction, the so-called slippage between the two waveforms due to the speed of the target is canceled. The result is a range estimate that is correct, independent of the speed of the approaching target. In summary, a method and apparatus is provided for correcting the phase difference estimate derived from a two-tone CW radar to correct velocity-induced range estimate phase errors by offsetting the phase difference estimate with a phase correction equal to either of the Doppler frequencies associated with returns from an object multiplied by the time interval between the samplings of the returned waveforms. The correction effectively eliminates the velocity-induced slippage between the phases of the returned waveforms so that a comparison between the phases of the waveforms can be made to reduce or substantially eliminate range estimate bias. | 20041001 | 20070102 | 20060406 | 69383.0 | G01S1342 | 0 | BARKER, MATTHEW M | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CORRECTING VELOCITY-INDUCED RANGE ESTIMATE PHASE ERRORS IN A TWO-TONE MONOPULSE CW RADAR | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | G01S | 2,004 |
|
10,956,858 | ACCEPTED | Method and apparatus for providing distributed SLF routing capability in an internet multimedia subsystem (IMS) network | A routing technique for supporting an internet protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Subscriber Locator Function (SLF) is provided. It is, in part, based on using a user's identification information, e.g. a user's realm, to facilitate the routing of information. This technique enables the implementation of a distributed subscriber location function (SLF) in an IMS network. The subscriber locator function (SLF) ultimately allows for accommodation of more users through multiple home subscriber service (HSS) elements. | 1. A method for routing in an internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) incorporating a distributed subscriber locator function, the method comprising: determining by a first network element whether a private user identification including a realm name is available for use in routing using a Diameter Protocol; populating by the first network element a destination-realm attribute value pair of a first Diameter Protocol message with the private user identification if the private user identification is available; performing a subscriber locator function by a first network element to determine a first home subscriber service (HSS) element to which to send the first Diameter Protocol message based on the destination realm attribute value pair; transmitting the first Diameter Protocol message from the first network element to the first home subscriber service (HSS) element; populating by the first network element the destination-realm attribute value pair of a second Diameter Protocol message with a whole network realm if the private user identification is not available; transmitting the second Diameter Protocol message from the first network element to a second network element; performing a second subscriber locator function by the second network element to determine a second home subscriber service (HSS) element to which the second Diameter Protocol message should be sent; populating by the second network element a Redirect-Host attribute value pair with information relating to the second home subscriber service (HSS) element; and, transmitting the second message back to the first network element and to the second home subscriber service (HSS) element if the second home subscriber service (HSS) element is not the second network element. 2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising receiving a response to one of the first and second Diameter Protocol messages by the first network element. 3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the determining whether a private user identification is available is responsive to a service request message. 4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first network element is a call service control function (CSCF) module. 5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first network element is an application server. 6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second network element is the second home subscriber service (HSS) element and the method further comprises responding to the second message by the second network element. 7. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein performing the second subscriber locator function comprises accessing at least one of a realm routing table and a peer table. 8. A system for routing in an internet multimedia subsystem (IMS) incorporating a distributed subscriber locator function, the method comprising: means for determining by a first network element whether a private user identification including a realm name is available for use in routing using a Diameter Protocol; means for populating by the first network element a destination-realm attribute value pair of a first Diameter Protocol message with the private user identification if the private user identification is available; means for performing a subscriber locator function by a first network element to determine a first home subscriber service (HSS) element to which to send the first Diameter Protocol message based on the destination-realm attribute value pair; means for transmitting the first Diameter Protocol message from the first network element to the first home subscriber service (HSS) element; means for populating by the first network element the destination-realm attribute value pair of a second Diameter Protocol message with a whole network realm if the private user identification is not available; means for transmitting the second Diameter Protocol message from the first network element to a second network element; means for performing a second subscriber locator function by the second network element to determine a second home subscriber service (HSS) element to which the second Diameter Protocol message should be sent; means for populating by the second network element a Redirect-Host attribute value pair with information relating to the second home subscriber service (HSS) element; and, means for transmitting the second message back to the first network element and to the second home subscriber service (HSS) element if the second home subscriber service (HSS) element is not the second network element. 9. The system as set forth in claim 8 further comprising means for receiving a response to one of the first and second Diameter Protocol messages by the first network element. 10. The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the means for determining whether a private user identification is available is responsive to a service request message. 11. The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the means for the first network element is a call service control function (CSCF) module. 12. The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the means for the first network element is an application server. 13. The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the means for the second network element is the second home subscriber service (HSS) element and the system further comprises means for responding to the second message. 14. The system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the means for performing the second subscriber locator function comprises accessing at least one of a realm routing table and a peer table. 15. A system for implementing an internet multimedia subsystem (IMS) incorporating a distributed subscriber location function, the system comprising: a first network element operative to determine whether a private user identification including a realm name is available for use in routing using a Diameter Protocol, perform a first subscriber locator function to determine a first home subscriber service (HSS) element to which to send the first Diameter Protocol message based on the availability of the private user identification, transmit the first Diameter Protocol message to the first home subscriber service (HSS) element, and transmit a second Diameter Protocol message to a second network element if the private user identification is not available; and, a second network element operative to perform a second subscriber locator function to determine a second home subscriber (HSS) element to which the second Diameter Protocol message should be sent and transmit the second Diameter Protocol message back to the first network element if the second home subscriber service (HSS) element is not the second network element. 16. The system as set forth in claim 15 further comprising tables stored in the second network element, the tables having stored therein peer information and realm routing information. 17. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the first network element is responsive to a service request message. 18. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the first network element is a call service control function (CSCF) module. 19. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the first network element is an application server. 20. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the second network element is a home subscriber service (HSS) element. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing message routing capability in Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networks. In this regard, a routing technique for supporting a distributed Subscriber Locator Function (SLF) in such an Internet (or IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network is provided. The technique is, in part, based on using a user's identification information, e.g. a user's realm, to facilitate the routing of information. The subscriber locator function (SLF) ultimately allows for accommodation of more users through multiple home subscriber service (HSS) elements. By way of background, for circuit switched networks, messages are typically routed by network elements such as signal transfer points (STP) using Signaling System no. 7 (SS7). However, for internet multimedia subsystem (IMS) messages, a different protocol is used. In this regard, a Diameter Base Protocol, which is an IP based protocol, is used. The Diameter Base Protocol can be extended to support various interfaces. For example, a Cx interface is used to transfer users data between a call service control function (CSCF) element and a home subscriber server (HSS) element. An Sh interface is used to transfer subscribers data between an application server (AS) and a home subscriber service (HSS) element. In this regard, the Diameter Base Protocol has the routing capability to route the Cx/Sh Diameter message to the appropriate network elements. This includes relay, redirect and proxy capability. The messages of the Diameter Base Protocol extensions (Cx and Sh) allows for public and private identification information of a user (e.g. a public user identification (PUID) and a private user identification (PRID)). Those IDs can include not only digits but other non-digit characters. For example, a private user identification for user x1 may take the form of x1@xxx.lucent.com. In this case, the private user identification has the realm of xxx.lucent.com. Public user identification is information that relates to the same user (e.g., x1) but is simply in another form (or forms) that is used by others to address this user. A single user may have multiple public user identifications associated with its private user identification. For example, the public user identification may be x1@lucent.com or x1@bell-labs.com. In this way, the general public may never be aware of the private user identification of a user, only the public user identification(s). The private user identification information may only be known to the network and the service provider. Of course, similar situations occur when the user identification information is simply numeric digits, as in the case of phone numbers. So, a public user identification for a user may be a mobile phone number that is published, while a private user identification for the same user may be the mobile identification number (MIN) for the user's mobile phone. Recent standards (e.g., 3GPP TS 29.228 ‘Cx and Dx interfaces based on the Diameter Protocol’ and 3GPP TS 23.228 ‘IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)’) set forth to govern implementation of IMS networks indicate that a subscriber locator function (SLF) could be used by the IMS networks. However, the subscriber locator function is not defined in the standard, nor is any implementation known. Absent a useful solution, routing within an IMS system having a subscriber locator function may be difficult. The present invention contemplates a new and improved system that resolves the above-referenced difficulties and others. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A method and apparatus for providing routing capability in an internet multimedia subsystem (IMS) are provided. In one aspect of the invention, the method comprises determining by a first network element whether a private user identification including a realm name is available for use in routing of the Diameter message, populating by the first network element a destination-realm attribute value pair of a first Diameter Protocol message with the private user identification if the private user identification is available, performing by the first network element a first subscriber location function to determine a first home subscriber service (HSS) element to which to send the first Diameter Protocol message based on the attribute value pair, transmitting the first Diameter Protocol message from the first network element to the first home subscriber service (HSS) element, populating by the first network element the destination-realm attribute value pair of a second Diameter Protocol message with a whole network realm if the private user identification is not available, transmitting the second Diameter Protocol message from the first network element to a second network element, performing a second subscriber location function by the second network element to determine a second home subscriber service (HSS) element to which the second Diameter Protocol message should be sent, populating by the second network element a Redirect-Host attribute value pair with information relating to the second home subscriber service (HSS) element, and transmitting the second message back to the first network element and to the second home subscriber service (HSS) element if the second home subscriber service (HSS) element is not the second network element. In another aspect of the invention, the method comprises receiving a response to one of the first and second Diameter Protocol messages by the first network element. In another aspect of the invention, wherein the determining whether a private user identification is available is responsive to a service request message. In another aspect of the invention, the first network element is a call service control function (CSCF) module. In another aspect of the invention, the first network element is an application server. In another aspect of the invention, the second network element is the second home subscriber service (HSS) element and the method further comprises responding to the second Diameter Protocol message by the second network element. In another aspect of the invention, performing the second subscriber location function comprises accessing at least one of a realm routing table and a peer table. In another aspect of the invention, means are provided to perform the methods according to the invention. In another aspect of the invention, a system comprises a first network element operative to determine whether a private user identification including realm name is available for use in routing a Diameter Protocol message, performing subscriber location function to determine a first home subscriber service (HSS) element to which to send the first Diameter Protocol message based on the availability of the private user identification, transmit the first Diameter Protocol message to the first home subscriber service (HSS) element, and transmit a second Diameter Protocol message if the private user identification is not available, a second network element operative to receive the second protocol message, perform a second subscriber location function to determine a second home subscriber service (HSS) element to which a second message should be sent and transmit the second message back to the first network element if the second home subscriber service (HSS) element is not the second network element. In another aspect of the invention, the system further comprises tables stored in the second network element, the tables having stored therein peer information and realm routing information. In another aspect of the invention, the first network element is responsive to a service request message. In another aspect of the invention, the first network element is a call service control function (CSCF) module. In another aspect of the invention, the first network element is an application server. In another aspect of the invention, the second network element is a home subscriber service (HSS) element. Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided below. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention exists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, and steps of the method, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 illustrates a network into which embodiment from the present invention may be implemented; FIG. 2 is a call flow diagram illustrating an aspect of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a call flow diagram illustrating an aspect of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a call flow diagram illustrating an aspect of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a call flow diagram illustrating an aspect of the present invention; and, FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a network element according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating exemplary embodiments of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting same, FIG. 1 provides a view of a system into which the present invention may be incorporated. As shown, an internet (or IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network 10 includes a variety of network elements that communicate with one another. For example, the exemplary network 10 includes a call service control function (CSCF) module 12 and an application server (AS) 14. These network elements communicate with a plurality of home subscriber service (HSS) elements 16-1 through 16-n (also designated as HSS1, HSS2, . . . HSSn). In addition, the call service control function (CSCF) module 12 and the application server 14 communicate with a subscriber locator function (SLF) module 18. The call service control function (CSCF) module 12 and the application server 14 also may communicate with one another, usually indirectly, through other network elements (not shown). These other network elements may be employed for purposes of providing services to the network or performing other network functions. The network elements shown use the Diameter Protocol and, thus, communicate through specified interfaces. For example, the call service control function (CSCF) module 12 communicates with the home subscriber service (HSS) modules 16-1 through 16-n over a Cx interface using Cx messages. Likewise, the application server (AS) 14 communicates with the home subscriber service (HSS) modules 16-1 through 16-n via an Sh interface using Sh messages. The Cx messages and Sh messages include a data field therein relating to a destination realm, i.e. a destination-realm attribute value pair (AVP). These messages also include a data field for a Redirect-Host attribute value pair. It should be understood that the IMS network 10 is associated with a set of realms/domains. Each user of the IMS network 10 has a private user identification (ID) associated with the realm/domain. Of course, a user may also have more than one public user identification. As noted, there is more than one home subscriber service (HSS) element included within the IMS network, each of which may correspond to a different realm. As detailed above, a private user ID for user x1 may take the form of x1@xxx.lucent.com. In this case, the private user identification has the realm of xxx.lucent.com. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the network elements shown in FIG. 1 are exemplary in nature and do not necessarily constitute the entire network into which the present invention may be incorporated. In addition, each network element may take a variety of forms in its implementation in a multimedia environment. The call service control function (CSCF) module 12, the application server (AS) 14 and home subscriber service (HSS) modules 16-1 through 16-n take forms that are well known in the field and are simply modified according to the teachings of the present invention to implement the present invention. For example, as will be set forth in detail in the call flow diagrams of FIGS. 2-5, the call service control function module (CSCF) 12 and the application server (AS) 14 are network elements that, according to the described embodiments of the present invention, are operative to determine whether a private user identification including a realm name is available for use in routing using a Diameter Protocol and populate a destination realm attribute value pair (AVP) of a first Diameter Protocol message with the private user identification if the private user identification is available. This network element is also operative to then perform a first subscriber locator function (SLF) to determine a first home subscriber service (HSS) element to which to send the first Diameter Protocol message based on the contents of the destination-realm AVP and transmit the first Diameter Protocol message to the first home subscriber service (HSS) element. The network element is also functional to populate the destination realm attribute value pair of a second Diameter Protocol message with a whole network realm if the private user identification is not available and transmit the second Diameter Protocol message to a second network element, e.g. the subscriber locator function module (SLF) 18. The subscriber locator function (SLF) module 18 may take the form of another home subscriber service (HSS) module, such as a super distributed home subscriber register (SDHLR). Of course, this super distributed home subscriber register (SDHLR) is preferably based upon an application environment server (AHE) and supports both Diameter Protocol and the subscriber location register functions that are well known in the art. So, the element 18 may perform functions other than those functions relating to subscriber location. Reference is made to this element as a subscriber locator function (SLF) module for ease of explanation. In addition, the subscriber locator function (SLF) module 18 preferably includes a series of look up tables having stored therein peer information and realm routing information, as will be more particularly described below in connection with FIG. 6. These tables are accessed in at least one embodiment of the invention for the purpose of determining the home subscriber service (HSS) element to which messages are to be sent. In any case, the subscriber locator function (SLF) module 18 is a network element (e.g., a second network element) that is operative, according to described embodiments of the invention, to perform a second subscriber locator function (SLF) to determine a home subscriber (HSS) element to which the second Diameter Protocol message should be sent. It then populates a Redirect-Host attribute value pair (AVP) with information relating to the determined home subscriber service (HSS) element, and transmits the second Diameter Protocol message back to the first network element, if the determined home subscriber service (HSS) element is not the network element in which the subscriber locator function (SLF) is housed. Of note, if the determined home subscriber service (HSS) element is the second network element (i.e., the network element housing the subscriber locator function (SLF) module), then the second Diameter Protocol message is simply processed as Would a normal home subscriber service (HSS) element because it has all the information it needs to do so at this point. For example, it may provide an answer to the message as does the HSS1 in FIG. 2. There is no need in these circumstances to send the information on the determined home subscriber service (HSS) element back to the call service control function (CSCF) module or the application server (AS). In this configuration and division of responsibility within the network, the subscriber locator function (SLF) capability is distributed. If a call service control function (CSCF) or the application server (AS) knows the user's private user identification, the subscriber locator function (SLF) is performed by the call service control function (CSCF) module or the application server (AS), respectively. If the call service control function (CSCF) or the application server (AS) does not know a user's private user identification, then the subscriber locator function (SLF) is performed by the subscriber locator function (SLF) module 18. It should be understood that the call flows associated with the exemplary network 10 may vary depending on the components that are included within the network and are enacted to implement the service being provided. For example, certain functions will be initiated by the call service control function (CSCF) module 12 while others may be implemented by the application server (AF) 14. A difference lies in the fact that the call service control function (CSCF) module 12 will typically implement the features of the present invention in response to a service request message. The application server (AS) 14 may initiate the contemplated techniques as a result of providing services to the network. It should also be understood that the methods according to the presently described embodiments are implemented in the network through suitable software routines that, depending on the function being performed, may trigger corresponding hardware. These software routines may be housed within a single network element such as a call service control function (CSCF) module or an application server or may be appropriately distributed throughout the network. Applicable standards may also dictate selected aspects of the implementation. With respect to example call flows relating to the call service control function (CSCF) module 12, reference is now made to FIGS. 2 and 3. Referring first to FIG. 2, the techniques of the present invention are initiated upon receipt by the call service control function (CSCF) module 12 of a service request message (at 20). If the call service control function (CSCF) module 12 is able to determine the private user identification of the subscriber (e.g. the IMS user), the call service control function (CSCF) will populate the noted Destination—Realm AVP of the Cx request message with the private user identification realm, e.g. x1@xxx.slucent.com. This is a part of the distributed subscriber locator (SLF) capability of the present invention. The call service control function (CSCF) module will then send the Cx message to a corresponding HSS host, e.g. home subscriber service (HSS) element 16-1, based on the routing table stored in the call service control function (CSCF) module (at 22). This routing table(s) may take a variety of forms which correlate realms (or private user identifications) with home subscriber service (HSS) elements. In normal processing, the home subscriber service (HSS) element 16-1 will answer the request with a Cx answer (at 24). With reference now to FIG. 3, the techniques of the present invention are likewise initiated upon receipt by the call service control function (CSCF) module 12 of a service request message (at 30). If the call service control function (CSCF) module determines that the private user identification information for the user is not available, the call service control function (CSCF) module will populate the mandatory Destination-Realm attribute value pair (AVP) of the Cx request message with the realm of the whole IMS network. An example of a form of a whole IMS network realm would be “network.com.” The call service control function (CSCF) module will then send the Cx message to another network element (e.g., a second network element) such as the subscriber locator function (SLF) module located in, for example, an SDHLR host address or other home subscriber service (HSS) element, based on routing table stored in the call service control function (CSCF) module (at 32). According to the data stored in the Destination-Realm attribute value pair (AVP) and the Public User ID (PUID), the subscriber locator function (SLF) module searches mapping tables that maps a PUID to a network realm. As noted above, the Destination-Realm attribute value pair (AVP) is provided in the Cx message sent to the subscriber locator function (SLF) module. It should also be understood that the Public User ID (PUID) is also provided in the Cx message. Based on the search result of realm routing table (and possibly other tables), the subscriber locator function (SLF) module determines to which home subscriber service (HSS) module (e.g. home subscriber service (HSS) module 16-1) the Cx message should be sent, and replies to the call service control function (CSCF) request with a Cx message (at 34). The Cx message includes the address/name of the determined home subscriber service (HSS) module (e.g. home subscriber service (HSS) module 16-1). To do so, a Redirect-Host attribute value pair (AVP) is populated with the noted information. This step/function corresponds to another part of the distributed subscriber locator function (SLF) according to the present invention. The call service control function (CSCF) module then sends the request to the home subscriber service (HSS) module (e.g. home subscriber service (HSS) module 16-1) as indicated (at 36). In normal processing, the home subscriber service (HSS) (e.g. home subscriber service (HSS) module 16-1) module sends an appropriate Cx answer in response (at 38). Notably, the tables used to identify the public user identifications (PUID) and network realm mapping table in the subscriber locator function (SLF) module of, for example, the SDHLR do not need to store information on the public user identifications corresponding to the subscriber locator function (SLF) module (i.e. the home subscriber service (HSS) module that may house the SLF module). If a PUID cannot be found in the PUID and network realm mapping table in, for example, the SDHLR, the message will simply be processed by the home subscriber service (HSS) module that may house the SLF module. Referring now to FIG. 4, the techniques of the present invention may also be initiated by an application server. If the application server is able to determine the private user identification of the subscriber (e.g. the IMS user), the application server will populate the noted Destination—Realm AVP of the Sh request message with the private user identification realm, e.g. x1@xxx.lucent.com. This is a part of the distributed subscriber locator (SLF) capability of the present invention. The application server will then send the Sh message to a corresponding HSS host, e.g. home subscriber service (HSS) element 16-1, based on the routing table stored in the application server (at 40). In normal processing, the home subscriber service (HSS) element 16-1 will answer the request with an Sh answer (at 42). With reference now to FIG. 5, if the application server determines that the private user identification information for the user is not available, the application server will populate the mandatory Destination-Realm attribute value pair (AVP) of the Sh request message with the realm of the whole IMS network. Again, the realm of the whole IMS network may take the form of “network.com.” The application server will then send the Sh message to another network element such as the subscriber locator function (SLF) module located in, for example, an SDHLR host address, based on routing table stored in the application server (at 50). According to the data stored in the Destination-Realm attribute value pair (AVP) and the Public User ID (PUID), the subscriber locator function (SLF) module searches mapping tables that maps a PUID to a network realm. As noted, the Destination-Realm attribute value pair (AVP) is provided in the Sh message sent to the subscriber locator function (SLF). It should also be understood that the Public User ID is also provided in the Sh message. Based on the search result of realm routing table (and possibly other tables), the subscriber locator function (SLF) module determines to which home subscriber service (HSS) module (e.g. home subscriber service (HSS) module 16-1) the Sh message should be sent, and replies to the application server request with an Sh message (at 34). The Sh message includes the address/name of the determined home subscriber service (HSS) module (e.g. home subscriber service (HSS) module 16-1). To do so, a Redirect-Host attribute value pair (AVP) is populated with the noted information. This step/function corresponds to another part of the distributed subscriber locator function (SLF) according to the present invention. The application server then sends the request to the home subscriber service (HSS) module (e.g. home subscriber service (HSS) module 16-1) as indicated (at 36). In normal processing, the home subscriber service (HSS) (e.g. home subscriber service (HSS) module 16-1) module sends an appropriate Sh answer in response (at 38). Again, the tables used to identify the public user identifications (PUID) and network realm mapping table in the subscriber locator function (SLF) module of, for example, the SDHLR do not need to store information on the public user identifications corresponding to the subscriber locator function (SLF) module (i.e. the home subscriber service (HSS) module that may house the SLF module). If a PUID cannot be found in the PUID and network realm mapping table in, for example, the SDHLR, the message will simply be processed by the home subscriber service (HSS) module that may house the SLF module. Referring now to FIG. 6, the tables (e.g., realm routing table(s) 60 and peer table(s) 62) stored in the subscriber location function module 18 are illustrated. Of course, these tables shown are merely examples of storage tables and should not be construed as limiting the invention. It should also be understood, as alluded to above, that the element 18 may have additional functionality and components that are not shown or described for ease of explanation. In operation, if the destination realm in a message from a peer matches an entry for a Realm Name 60-1 in the realm routing table 60, and the vendor and application IDs 60-2, 60-3 in the message match those associated with the entry, the message is acted upon based on the Action field value 604, e.g., local=route to a local application, relay=route to the peer shown in the Server Name field 60-5 in the realm routing table. If a relay, for example, is needed, the Server Name 60-5 (or other related information) provides a pointer to the peer table 62, which has stored therein an address or host identity 62-1 for a network element (e.g., a home subscriber service (HSS) element) to which the message should be forwarded. If the determination is made that the entity to which the message should be sent is actually the entity housing the subscriber locator function (SLF) module, then that entity will simply perform local consumption, e.g., process the message without initiating further relay of information. As noted above, the determined entity has all the necessary information to simply process the message (and, for example, may send an answer to the appropriate entity). If no match is found, the application is notified of the event or an answer message is sent to the peer indicating that no match was found. The above description merely provides a disclosure of particular embodiments of the invention and is not intended for the purposes of limiting the same thereto. As such, the invention is not limited to only the above-described embodiments. Rather, it is recognized that one skilled in the art could conceive alternative embodiments that fall within the scope of the invention. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>This invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing message routing capability in Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networks. In this regard, a routing technique for supporting a distributed Subscriber Locator Function (SLF) in such an Internet (or IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network is provided. The technique is, in part, based on using a user's identification information, e.g. a user's realm, to facilitate the routing of information. The subscriber locator function (SLF) ultimately allows for accommodation of more users through multiple home subscriber service (HSS) elements. By way of background, for circuit switched networks, messages are typically routed by network elements such as signal transfer points (STP) using Signaling System no. 7 (SS7). However, for internet multimedia subsystem (IMS) messages, a different protocol is used. In this regard, a Diameter Base Protocol, which is an IP based protocol, is used. The Diameter Base Protocol can be extended to support various interfaces. For example, a Cx interface is used to transfer users data between a call service control function (CSCF) element and a home subscriber server (HSS) element. An Sh interface is used to transfer subscribers data between an application server (AS) and a home subscriber service (HSS) element. In this regard, the Diameter Base Protocol has the routing capability to route the Cx/Sh Diameter message to the appropriate network elements. This includes relay, redirect and proxy capability. The messages of the Diameter Base Protocol extensions (Cx and Sh) allows for public and private identification information of a user (e.g. a public user identification (PUID) and a private user identification (PRID)). Those IDs can include not only digits but other non-digit characters. For example, a private user identification for user x 1 may take the form of x1@xxx.lucent.com. In this case, the private user identification has the realm of xxx.lucent.com. Public user identification is information that relates to the same user (e.g., x 1 ) but is simply in another form (or forms) that is used by others to address this user. A single user may have multiple public user identifications associated with its private user identification. For example, the public user identification may be x1@lucent.com or x1@bell-labs.com. In this way, the general public may never be aware of the private user identification of a user, only the public user identification(s). The private user identification information may only be known to the network and the service provider. Of course, similar situations occur when the user identification information is simply numeric digits, as in the case of phone numbers. So, a public user identification for a user may be a mobile phone number that is published, while a private user identification for the same user may be the mobile identification number (MIN) for the user's mobile phone. Recent standards (e.g., 3GPP TS 29.228 ‘Cx and Dx interfaces based on the Diameter Protocol’ and 3GPP TS 23.228 ‘IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)’) set forth to govern implementation of IMS networks indicate that a subscriber locator function (SLF) could be used by the IMS networks. However, the subscriber locator function is not defined in the standard, nor is any implementation known. Absent a useful solution, routing within an IMS system having a subscriber locator function may be difficult. The present invention contemplates a new and improved system that resolves the above-referenced difficulties and others. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>A method and apparatus for providing routing capability in an internet multimedia subsystem (IMS) are provided. In one aspect of the invention, the method comprises determining by a first network element whether a private user identification including a realm name is available for use in routing of the Diameter message, populating by the first network element a destination-realm attribute value pair of a first Diameter Protocol message with the private user identification if the private user identification is available, performing by the first network element a first subscriber location function to determine a first home subscriber service (HSS) element to which to send the first Diameter Protocol message based on the attribute value pair, transmitting the first Diameter Protocol message from the first network element to the first home subscriber service (HSS) element, populating by the first network element the destination-realm attribute value pair of a second Diameter Protocol message with a whole network realm if the private user identification is not available, transmitting the second Diameter Protocol message from the first network element to a second network element, performing a second subscriber location function by the second network element to determine a second home subscriber service (HSS) element to which the second Diameter Protocol message should be sent, populating by the second network element a Redirect-Host attribute value pair with information relating to the second home subscriber service (HSS) element, and transmitting the second message back to the first network element and to the second home subscriber service (HSS) element if the second home subscriber service (HSS) element is not the second network element. In another aspect of the invention, the method comprises receiving a response to one of the first and second Diameter Protocol messages by the first network element. In another aspect of the invention, wherein the determining whether a private user identification is available is responsive to a service request message. In another aspect of the invention, the first network element is a call service control function (CSCF) module. In another aspect of the invention, the first network element is an application server. In another aspect of the invention, the second network element is the second home subscriber service (HSS) element and the method further comprises responding to the second Diameter Protocol message by the second network element. In another aspect of the invention, performing the second subscriber location function comprises accessing at least one of a realm routing table and a peer table. In another aspect of the invention, means are provided to perform the methods according to the invention. In another aspect of the invention, a system comprises a first network element operative to determine whether a private user identification including realm name is available for use in routing a Diameter Protocol message, performing subscriber location function to determine a first home subscriber service (HSS) element to which to send the first Diameter Protocol message based on the availability of the private user identification, transmit the first Diameter Protocol message to the first home subscriber service (HSS) element, and transmit a second Diameter Protocol message if the private user identification is not available, a second network element operative to receive the second protocol message, perform a second subscriber location function to determine a second home subscriber service (HSS) element to which a second message should be sent and transmit the second message back to the first network element if the second home subscriber service (HSS) element is not the second network element. In another aspect of the invention, the system further comprises tables stored in the second network element, the tables having stored therein peer information and realm routing information. In another aspect of the invention, the first network element is responsive to a service request message. In another aspect of the invention, the first network element is a call service control function (CSCF) module. In another aspect of the invention, the first network element is an application server. In another aspect of the invention, the second network element is a home subscriber service (HSS) element. Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided below. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. | 20040930 | 20081118 | 20060330 | 63250.0 | H04M1100 | 0 | PARK, JUNG H | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING DISTRIBUTED SLF ROUTING CAPABILITY IN AN INTERNET MULTIMEDIA SUBSYSTEM (IMS) NETWORK | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | H04M | 2,004 |
|
10,956,872 | ACCEPTED | Foot orthosis with detachable and adjustable toe plate | A foot orthosis includes a generally “L”-shaped splint having a generally upright leg-engaging section and a forwardly-extending foot support section with at least a portion of the splint being substantially transparent. A generally flexible foot receiving and retaining boot is removably mounted on the splint for releasably securing a foot on the splint, and a tongue-receiving pocket is mounted on one of the splint and the boot, the tongue-receiving pocket having at least one opening and a tongue retaining section therein. A generally planar skid pad includes an attached tongue section projecting from the skid pad, and the tongue section of the skid pad is insertable into the tongue-receiving pocket such that the tongue is releasably secured in the tongue-receiving pocket and the skid pad is thus releasably secured on one of the splint and the boot. | 1. A foot orthosis comprising; a generally “L”-shaped splint having a generally upright leg-engaging section and a forwardly-extending foot support section; a generally flexible foot receiving and retaining boot mounted on said splint for releasably securing a foot on said splint; a tongue-receiving pocket mounted on one of said splint and said boot, said tongue-receiving pocket having at least one opening and a tongue retaining section; a forwardly extending toe plate which includes a forward toe support plate and a rearwardly extending tongue portion; and said rearwardly extending tongue portion adapted to fit within and be releasably secured in said tongue-receiving pocket such that said toe plate may be positioned forwards or rearwards relative to said foot support section of said L-shaped splint by sliding said tongue portion of said toe plate into and out of said tongue-receiving pocket whereby said toe plate is releasably secured on one of said splint and said boot. 2. The foot orthosis of claim 1 wherein said generally “L”-shaped splint is constructed of a semi-flexible, generally transparent PVC plastic such that the healing status of the foot is viewable without requiring removal of said splint. 3. The foot orthosis of claim 1 wherein said boot further comprises a leg access flap and a foot access flap each operative to allow a respective leg and foot to be inserted into said boot, said boot being constructed of a fabric material and said leg access flap and said foot access flap each further comprising securement means for releasably securing a leg and foot within said boot by at least one hook and loop securement device. 4. The foot orthosis of claim 1 wherein said tongue-receiving pocket comprises a longitudinally extended generally semi-cylindrical curved outer wall having left and right longitudinal edges and a rear edge, said outer wall mounted on the underside of said boot with said left and right longitudinal edges and said rear edge connected to said boot, said curved outer wall and said boot thereby forming said tongue-receiving pocket having one opening for receiving and releasably retaining said tongue portion of said toe plate therein. 5. The foot orthosis of claim 1 further comprising at least two tongue-receiving pockets. 6. A foot orthosis comprising; a generally “L”-shaped splint having a generally upright leg-engaging section and a forwardly-extending foot support section; a generally flexible foot receiving and retaining boot mounted on said splint for releasably securing a foot on said splint; a tongue-receiving pocket mounted on one of said splint and said boot, said tongue-receiving pocket having at least one opening and a tongue retaining section; a generally planar skid pad including an attached tongue section projecting from said skid pad; a forwardly extending toe plate which includes a forward toe support plate and a rearwardly extending tongue portion; and said tongue section of said skid pad and said tongue portion of said toe plate each being insertable into said tongue-receiving pocket such that said tongue section of said skid pad and said tongue portion of said toe plate are each releasably secured in said tongue-receiving pocket and said skid pad and said toe plate are releasably secured on one of said splint and said boot. 7. The foot orthosis of claim 6 wherein said generally “L”-shaped splint is constructed of a semi-flexible, generally transparent PVC plastic such that the healing status of the foot is viewable without requiring removal of said splint. 8. The foot orthosis of claim 6 wherein said boot further comprises a leg access flap and a foot access flap each operative to allow a respective leg and foot to be inserted into said boot, said boot being constructed of a fabric material and said leg access flap and said foot access flap each further comprising securement means for releasably securing a leg and foot within said boot by at least one hook and loop securement device. 9. The foot orthosis of claim 6 wherein said tongue-receiving pocket comprises a longitudinally extended generally semi-cylindrical curved outer wall having left and right longitudinal edges and a rear edge, said outer wall mounted on the underside of said boot with said left and right longitudinal edges and said rear edge connected to said boot, said curved outer wall and said boot thereby forming said tongue-receiving pocket having one opening for receiving and releasably retaining said tongue portion of said toe plate therein. 10. The foot orthosis of claim 6 further comprising at least two tongue-receiving pockets. 11. A foot orthosis comprising; a splint for supporting a human foot; a foot receiving and retaining boot mounted on said splint for releasably securing a foot on said splint; a tongue-receiving pocket mounted on one of said splint and said boot, said tongue-receiving pocket having at least one opening and a tongue retaining section; a toe plate which includes a forward toe support plate and a rearwardly extending tongue portion; and said tongue portion of said toe plate being insertable and releasably securable in said tongue-receiving pocket such that said toe plate may be positioned forwards or rearwards relative to said splint by sliding said tongue portion of said toe plate into and out of said tongue-receiving pocket. 12. The foot orthosis of claim 11 wherein said tongue portion of said toe plate is frictionally secured within said tongue-receiving pocket. 13. The foot orthosis of claim 11 wherein said tongue portion of said toe plate is additionally releasably secured within said tongue-receiving pocket by a supplemental fastening means. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This continuation application claims priority to the filing date of related utility patent application Ser. No. 10/434,640 filed May 9, 2003 to the filing date of related utility patent application Ser. No. 10/278,550 filed Oct. 23, 2002 which in turn claims priority to the filing date of related utility patent application Ser. No. 09/941,466 filed Aug. 29, 2001 which in turn claims priority to a related provisional application Ser. No. 60/229,171 filed Aug. 30, 2000. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field The present invention relates to orthotic devices for feet and, more particularly, to a foot orthosis having a generally L-shaped lower leg and foot support splint having a transparent heel section permitting viewing of the heel and a skid pad having a tongue for insertion into a tongue-receiving pocket on the underside of the boot for releasably securing the skid pad on the boot. 2. Description of the Prior Art Numerous types of devices intended to immobilize the lower leg and foot of a human patient are available. Examples of simple devices such as casts or splints are well known in the art. Other more recent devices provide certain limited immobilization and protection benefits but, because of their design, do not provide protection against immobilization problems such as decubitus ulcers (pressure sores). Accordingly, there is a need for a multi-function orthosis for the foot, heel, ankle and lower leg which provides three-dimensional immobilization and protection benefits, minimizes the risk of pressure sores on the heel and posterior portion of the lower leg, provides a range of therapeutic pressures and positions for the foot, yet still allows ambulation of the patient without removal of the device. An important feature of such devices found in the prior art is the inclusion of a frictional skid pad or sole plate which is attached to the underside of the orthotic device and helps to prevent slipping. Each of the devices in the prior art that include such a skid pad attaches the skid pad to the orthotic device by hardware such as a bolt and nut arrangement or the like which extends from the orthotic device for the skid pad to be mounted thereto. A major disadvantage of this design, however, is that the hardware is directly underneath the patient's foot and this often impedes walking on the injured extremity, which can jeopardize the rehabilitation of the injury. Furthermore, the risk of walking is increased by many of the devices of the prior art due to the invasive hardware on the underside of the devices, which increases the chance for injury and thus increases the potential liability of the care giver, which unfortunately has become a prime consideration in the operation of such facilities. There is therefore a need for a foot and ankle orthotic device which substantially eliminates the underfoot hardware of the prior art. Another problem encountered in the prior art is that when the orthotic devices include a toe plate, which is a support plate mounted forwardly on the orthotic device beneath the toes, the adjustment mechanism for the toe plate is often the same type of invasive hardware as that found in connection with the skid pad mounting hardware. When the toe plate is connected by a nut and bolt arrangement as is found on the vast majority of prior art devices, the nurse or care provider must unscrew the nut to adjust the toe plate, which can cause further aggravation to the injured extremity, particularly if the nut has been tightened previously and tools are needed to perform the adjustment. There is therefore a need for a toe plate mounting and adjustment arrangement which will substantially eliminate the underfoot hardware of the prior art. Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis which substantially eliminates the dangers inherent in the prior art caused by the nut and bolt combination used for securement of the skid pad to the orthotic device. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis which substantially eliminates the dangers inherent in the prior art caused by the hardware mounting of the toe plate on the orthotic device. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis which includes a skid pad having a projecting tongue section which fits within and is releasably secured by a tongue-receiving pocket mounted on the underside of the foot orthosis. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis which includes a toe plate having a tongue portion which is inserted into and releasably secured within the pocket thereby eliminating the invasive hardware of the prior art. Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis which is relatively simple and durable in construction and is safe and effective in use. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a foot orthosis which includes a generally “L”-shaped splint having a generally upright leg-engaging section and a forwardly-extending foot support section with at least a portion of the splint being substantially transparent. A flexible foot receiving and retaining boot is removably mounted on the splint for releasably securing a foot on the splint, and a tongue-receiving pocket is mounted on one of the splint and the boot, the tongue-receiving pocket having at least one opening and a tongue retaining section therein. A generally planar skid pad includes an attached tongue section projecting from the skid pad, and the tongue section of the skid pad is insertable into the tongue-receiving pocket such that the tongue is releasably secured in the tongue-receiving pocket and the skid pad is releasably secured on one of the splint and the boot. The combination of the tongue and pocket substantially eliminates the need for invasive or potentially injurious hardware to be mounted on the underside of the foot orthosis of the present invention. Furthermore, as the skid pad can be removed or replaced by merely sliding the tongue out of and into the pocket, movement of the foot orthosis and hence the injured extremity is greatly reduced, thus preventing further injury to the extremity. Finally, the pocket and/or tongue may be modified to include a fastening material such as hook and loop fasteners or the like to ensure that the skid pad remains in place on the foot orthosis while not adding potentially damaging hardware to the device. It is thus seen that the present invention provides a substantial improvement over those devices found in the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the foot orthosis of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a detailed exploded perspective view showing the attachment of the skid pad and toe plate to the boot; and FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view showing the pocket. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The foot orthosis 10 of the present invention includes an L-shaped semi-flexible splint 12 having an extended leg-engaging section 14, a relatively wide heel portion 16, a forwardly extending foot support section 18 and an anti-rotation bar 19 to prevent lower extremity rotation, as shown best in FIGS. 1-3. Preferably, the L-shaped splint 12 would be constructed of a transparent PVC plastic such as Cleardex™ or KYDEX™ having a small degree of flexibility to permit minor motion of the leg and foot. It has been found that the plastic thickness should be between ⅛″ and ½″, although the thickness is not critical to the present invention. The benefits of the transparent material being used will be detailed later in this disclosure. A fabric boot 20 is fitted on and removably mounted to the L-shaped splint 12 and would preferably include leg and foot access flaps 22 and 24 to permit the foot orthosis 10 to be fitted onto the leg and foot of the wearer of the foot orthosis 10, as shown in FIG. 2. In the preferred embodiment, the boot 20 would be constructed of a washable polyester tricot fabric or the like, although the exact material used is not critical so long as the securement characteristics of the boot 20 are maintained. It is further preferred that the leg access flap 22 and the foot access flap 24 be releasably securable by hook and loop securement devices or the like to receive and comfortably retain the leg and foot of the wearer there within, and further that the unit include padding to protect sensitive injured parts of the patient from further damage. As shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heel portion of fabric boot 20 is open to permit viewing of the heel within the foot orthosis 10 and thereby facilitate diagnosis of the foot condition of the patient. The transparent nature of the L-shaped splint 12 further facilitates the viewing of the heel of the patient through the foot orthosis 10 without mandating removal of the foot orthosis 10 to conduct such inspection. It thus becomes far easier for doctors, nurses and other staff to inspect the heel of the patient wearing the foot orthosis 10 and thus confirm that degradation of the heel is not taking place due to extended periods of bed rest or the like. The design of the L-shaped splint 12 is such that the patient's heel is “floated” to virtually eliminate heel contact with a resting surface, which is a common cause of bed sores for bed ridden patients. Additional features found in the present invention would include an Achilles support pad 26 mounted on the boot 20 adjacent the leg support portion 14 of the L-shaped splint 12 which provides additional padding for the Achilles tendon of the patient, which is particularly important when the patient is recumbent for extended periods of time. Additionally, a foot pad 28 is provided on the fabric boot 20 adjacent foot support section 18 to permit the heel of the patient to “float” during walking, which is particularly important for those patients with decubitus or other such bone and tendon degradation maladies caused by long periods of bed rest. It is to be understood that many of the above described elements of the present invention are generally found in the prior art, are generally conventional and do not in and of themselves comprise the inventive elements of the present invention. However, one of the problems found in foot orthotic devices of the prior art which is not addressed is that to attach or remove elements to the foot section 18 of the L-shaped splint 12 requires the use of a nut and bolt arrangement, such as that shown in Varn, U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,173. This means that the majority of prior art devices include a screw mounted on the underside of the foot section of the splint, which is generally regarded as invasive hardware and can potentially result in injury to the patient due to the location of the screw on the orthotic device. Furthermore, as the toe plate 30 is commonly secured to the L-shaped splint 12 by the same nut and bolt combination, removal of and adjustment of the toe plate 30 mandates adjustment of the nut and bolt combination, further risking injury to the patient wearing the orthotic device due to the twisting and turning of the nut and bolt. The present invention substantially eliminates the dangers inherent in the prior art caused by the nut and bolt combination by inventing and including the following functional features. The skid pad 40 is preferably a rounded generally rectangular pad of closed cell expanded vinyl, the skid pad 40 including a tongue portion 42 mounted on the upper surface 44 of the skid pad 40, as shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3. It is preferred that the construction material used in connection with the skid pad 40 be extremely durable such that the skid pad 40 and tongue 42 have an extended usable lifespan, which is superior to those devices found in the prior art. The skid pad 40 may also include a layer of textured rubber to keep the skid from slipping, although it may be of any type of appropriate non-skid material. Preferably, the tongue 42 consists of a cut out section of skid pad 40 which is separated from skid pad 40 along the longitudinal length thereof and remains attached at the forward end thereof to permit the tongue 42 to be pivoted upwards from the skid pad 40. Mounted on the underside of fabric boot 20 is a tongue-receiving pocket 32, which is generally rectangular in shape and extends longitudinally along the underside of fabric boot 20 and includes a forward opening 34. The pocket 32 includes an outer wall 35 which is generally semi-cylindrical in shape and has left and right longitudinal edges 37a and 37b which are each connected to the underside of the fabric boot 20 thus leaving a tongue-receiving cavity having a forward opening 34 for receiving the tongue 42 therein. The rear edge 39 of the outer wall 35 is likewise connected to the underside of fabric boot 20 thus creating the tongue-receiving pocket 32 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In the preferred embodiment, tongue 42 of skid pad 40 would be slid into forward opening 34 of tongue-receiving pocket 32 until tongue 42 is securely seated within the tongue-retaining section of tongue-receiving pocket 32, as shown best in FIG. 2. Because pocket 32 is only slightly larger than tongue 42, there is substantial frictional contact between tongue 42 and the interior of the tongue-receiving pocket 32 which prevents the tongue 42 from sliding out of tongue-receiving pocket 32 absent intentional force being applied to remove tongue 42 from tongue-receiving pocket 32. No other bottom-mounted securement means is necessary to secure tongue 42 within tongue-receiving pocket 32 and thus it is seen that the intrusive hardware found in the prior art is eliminated by the present invention. However, to insure that the skid pad 40 stays on the foot orthosis 10, a strap 46 is connected to the skid pad 40 and extends rearwardly therefrom for connection to the boot 20 at a position behind and above the skid pad 40. The strap 46 would preferably include a section of hook and loop securement fabric mounted on the rearward end thereof for attachment to the boot 20, the attachment shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2. Although it is preferred that the tongue 42 and tongue-receiving pocket 32 utilize only frictional securement to secure the tongue therein, it has been found that for those patients that are more ambulatory than average, it is sometimes desirable to enhance the frictional securement of the tongue 42 within the tongue-receiving pocket 32 by including a supplemental fastening device such as a fabric-type fastening device mounted on the underside of the fabric boot 20 immediately rearward of the tongue-receiving pocket 32, as shown best in FIGS. 3 and 4. This fastening device would consist of two separatable mating sections, one section 52a mounted on the fabric boot 20 and the other section 52b mounted on the upper surface of the skid pad 40. While various types of fastening devices may be used with the present invention, such as hook and loop fasteners and the like, in the preferred embodiment, a fastener manufactured by 3M of Minnesota has been found to provide excellent securement while being generally non-invasive. The fastener is marketed under the name “3M Dual Lock Reclosable Fastener” and consists of hundreds of mushroom-shaped stems which interlock with one another, producing an audible “snap” which announces that the fastener is locked. Of course, various other types of fasteners can be used with the present invention, although it has been found that this type of fastening device provides secure and safe fastening of the skid pad 40 to the fabric boot 20. Additionally, the toe plate 30 is secured on the L-shaped splint 12 by a rearward extending tongue portion 31 which fits within and is releasably secured in tongue-receiving pocket 32 by a small strip of hook and loop fastening fabric or the like which may be mounted on the tongue portion 31 or in the pocket 32. In this manner, the toe plate 30 may be positioned forwards or rearwards relative to the foot support section 18 of L-shaped splint 12 by merely sliding the toe plate in and out of the tongue-receiving pocket 32. When the toe plate 30 is in its desired position, the small strip of hook and loop fastener will be secured to the interior wall of tongue-receiving pocket 32 and the toe plate 30 would thus be releasably secured in the desired position. It is thus seen that the skid pad 40 and toe plate 30 may be quickly and easily removed from the foot orthosis 10 of the present invention without requiring the patient to lift or move his or her foot or requiring the staff person to unscrew a nut to access the skid pad 40 or toe plate 30. Many of the potential problems involved in staff-patient contact are thus eliminated, rendering the present invention far superior to those devices found in the prior art. The ease of removal and attachment of the skid pad 40 and toe plate 30 are especially important with patients who are ambulatory and thus require the addition or removal of those elements several times during the day. One modification that should be noted is that it may be beneficial to include more than one tongue-receiving pocket which will interact with multiple skid pad tongues 43a and 43b, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to provide additional frictional securement for the skid pad 40 on the boot 20. To that end, it should be noted that the precise number, size and shape of the pockets is not critical to the invention so long as the functional characteristics of the invention are maintained, specifically that the pocket receive and releasably retain the tongue. It is to be understood that numerous modifications, additions and substitutions may be made to the foot orthosis of the present invention which fall within the intended broad disclosure. For example, the construction materials used in the present invention may be modified and or changed so long as the functional characteristics of the present invention are maintained. Also, the precise size, shape and nature of the tongue 42 and tongue-receiving pocket 32 may be modified so long as the functional characteristics of the pocket are maintained, specifically the ease of removability and retention of skid pad 40. Finally, the size and shape of the invention may be modified so long as the functional characteristics are not destroyed or greatly modified. There has thus been shown and described a foot orthotic device which accomplishes at least all of the intended objectives. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Technical Field The present invention relates to orthotic devices for feet and, more particularly, to a foot orthosis having a generally L-shaped lower leg and foot support splint having a transparent heel section permitting viewing of the heel and a skid pad having a tongue for insertion into a tongue-receiving pocket on the underside of the boot for releasably securing the skid pad on the boot. 2. Description of the Prior Art Numerous types of devices intended to immobilize the lower leg and foot of a human patient are available. Examples of simple devices such as casts or splints are well known in the art. Other more recent devices provide certain limited immobilization and protection benefits but, because of their design, do not provide protection against immobilization problems such as decubitus ulcers (pressure sores). Accordingly, there is a need for a multi-function orthosis for the foot, heel, ankle and lower leg which provides three-dimensional immobilization and protection benefits, minimizes the risk of pressure sores on the heel and posterior portion of the lower leg, provides a range of therapeutic pressures and positions for the foot, yet still allows ambulation of the patient without removal of the device. An important feature of such devices found in the prior art is the inclusion of a frictional skid pad or sole plate which is attached to the underside of the orthotic device and helps to prevent slipping. Each of the devices in the prior art that include such a skid pad attaches the skid pad to the orthotic device by hardware such as a bolt and nut arrangement or the like which extends from the orthotic device for the skid pad to be mounted thereto. A major disadvantage of this design, however, is that the hardware is directly underneath the patient's foot and this often impedes walking on the injured extremity, which can jeopardize the rehabilitation of the injury. Furthermore, the risk of walking is increased by many of the devices of the prior art due to the invasive hardware on the underside of the devices, which increases the chance for injury and thus increases the potential liability of the care giver, which unfortunately has become a prime consideration in the operation of such facilities. There is therefore a need for a foot and ankle orthotic device which substantially eliminates the underfoot hardware of the prior art. Another problem encountered in the prior art is that when the orthotic devices include a toe plate, which is a support plate mounted forwardly on the orthotic device beneath the toes, the adjustment mechanism for the toe plate is often the same type of invasive hardware as that found in connection with the skid pad mounting hardware. When the toe plate is connected by a nut and bolt arrangement as is found on the vast majority of prior art devices, the nurse or care provider must unscrew the nut to adjust the toe plate, which can cause further aggravation to the injured extremity, particularly if the nut has been tightened previously and tools are needed to perform the adjustment. There is therefore a need for a toe plate mounting and adjustment arrangement which will substantially eliminate the underfoot hardware of the prior art. Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis which substantially eliminates the dangers inherent in the prior art caused by the nut and bolt combination used for securement of the skid pad to the orthotic device. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis which substantially eliminates the dangers inherent in the prior art caused by the hardware mounting of the toe plate on the orthotic device. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis which includes a skid pad having a projecting tongue section which fits within and is releasably secured by a tongue-receiving pocket mounted on the underside of the foot orthosis. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis which includes a toe plate having a tongue portion which is inserted into and releasably secured within the pocket thereby eliminating the invasive hardware of the prior art. Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved foot orthosis which is relatively simple and durable in construction and is safe and effective in use. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention provides a foot orthosis which includes a generally “L”-shaped splint having a generally upright leg-engaging section and a forwardly-extending foot support section with at least a portion of the splint being substantially transparent. A flexible foot receiving and retaining boot is removably mounted on the splint for releasably securing a foot on the splint, and a tongue-receiving pocket is mounted on one of the splint and the boot, the tongue-receiving pocket having at least one opening and a tongue retaining section therein. A generally planar skid pad includes an attached tongue section projecting from the skid pad, and the tongue section of the skid pad is insertable into the tongue-receiving pocket such that the tongue is releasably secured in the tongue-receiving pocket and the skid pad is releasably secured on one of the splint and the boot. The combination of the tongue and pocket substantially eliminates the need for invasive or potentially injurious hardware to be mounted on the underside of the foot orthosis of the present invention. Furthermore, as the skid pad can be removed or replaced by merely sliding the tongue out of and into the pocket, movement of the foot orthosis and hence the injured extremity is greatly reduced, thus preventing further injury to the extremity. Finally, the pocket and/or tongue may be modified to include a fastening material such as hook and loop fasteners or the like to ensure that the skid pad remains in place on the foot orthosis while not adding potentially damaging hardware to the device. It is thus seen that the present invention provides a substantial improvement over those devices found in the prior art. | 20041001 | 20070116 | 20050224 | 96001.0 | 2 | RODRIQUEZ, KARI KRISTIN | FOOT ORTHOSIS WITH DETACHABLE AND ADJUSTABLE TOE PLATE | SMALL | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,956,939 | ACCEPTED | Power and ground buss layout for reduced substrate size | A semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejection device. The substrate includes plurality of micro-fluid ejection actuators disposed adjacent a fluid supply slot in the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of power transistors, occupying a power transistor active area of the substrate, are disposed adjacent the ejection actuators and are connected through a first metal conductor layer to the ejection actuators. An array of logic circuits, occupying a logic circuit area of the substrate, is disposed adjacent the plurality of power transistors and is connected through a polysilicon conductor layer to the power transistors. A power conductor and a ground conductor for the ejection actuators is routed in a second metal conductor layer. The power conductor overlaps at least a portion of the power transistor active area of the substrate and the ground conductor overlaps at least a portion of the logic circuit area of the substrate. | 1. A semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejection device, the substrate comprising: a plurality of micro-fluid ejection actuators disposed in a columnar array adjacent a fluid supply slot in the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of power transistors disposed in a columnar array adjacent the ejection actuators and connected through a first metal conductor layer to the ejection actuators, the columnar array of power transistors occupying a power transistor active area of the substrate; a columnar array of logic circuits disposed adjacent the columnar array of power transistors and connected through a polysilicon conductor layer to the power transistors, the columnar array of logic circuits occupying a logic circuit area of the substrate; a power conductor for the ejection actuators routed in a second metal conductor layer disposed in overlapping relationship with at least a portion of the power transistor active area of the substrate; and a ground conductor for the ejection actuators routed in the second metal conductor layer disposed in overlapping relationship with at least a portion of the logic circuit area of the substrate. 2. The semiconductor substrate of claim 1, wherein the fluid ejection actuators comprise heater resistors. 3. The semiconductor substrate of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate contains at least three fluid supply slots and associated ejection actuators, power transistors, logic circuits and conductors. 4. The semiconductor substrate of claim 1, wherein the power transistors comprise field effect transistors (FETS). 5. The semiconductor substrate of claim 1, wherein the logic circuits comprises circuits selected from the group consisting of primitive address logic, predrive circuits, data registers, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing. 6. The semiconductor substrate of claim 1, further comprising a columnar array of temperature sense resistors disposed between the columnar array of power transistors and the columnar array of ejection actuators. 7. The semiconductor substrate of claim 6, wherein the temperature sense resistors comprise non-metal temperature sense resistor material. 8. A micro-fluid ejection head comprising the substrate of claim 1. 9. A method for reducing a width of a semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejection device, the method comprising the steps of: providing at least one fluid supply slot in a semiconductor substrate; forming a plurality of micro-fluid ejection actuators in a columnar array on a device surface of a semiconductor substrate adjacent the fluid supply slot; forming a plurality of power transistors in a columnar array adjacent the ejection actuators, the power transistors occupying a power transistor area of the substrate and being interconnected to the ejection actuators in a first metal conductor layer; forming a columnar array of logic circuits adjacent the power transistors, the logic circuits occupying a logic circuit area of the substrate and being interconnected to the power transistors in a polysilicon conductor layer; and depositing a second metal layer on the semiconductor substrate to provide a power buss and a ground buss to the ejection actuators, wherein the power buss overlaps a least a portion of the power transistor active area and the ground buss overlaps at least a portion of the logic circuit area. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the micro-fluid ejection actuators comprise heater resistors. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the semiconductor substrate is provided with multiple fluid supply slots. 12. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming a columnar array of temperature sense resistors between the columnar array of power transistors and the columnar array of ejection actuators. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the temperature sense resistors are formed from a non-metal material. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the power buss overlaps the temperature sense resistors. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the power buss overlaps the power transistor area of the substrate. 16. The method of claim 9, wherein the logic circuits comprise circuits selected from the group consisting of primitive address logic, predrive circuits, data registers, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the ground buss overlaps the logic circuit area of the substrate. | FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure relates to micro-fluid ejection head substrates and in particular to improved conductor layouts for reduced substrate size. BACKGROUND Micro-fluid ejection devices continue to be used in a wide variety of applications, including ink jet printers, medical delivery devices, micro-coolers and the like. Of the uses, ink jet printers provide, by far, the most common use of micro-fluid ejection devices. Ink jet printers are typically more versatile than laser printers for some applications. As the capabilities of ink jet printers are increased to provide higher quality images at increased printing rates, fluid ejection heads, which are the primary printing components of ink jet printers, continue to evolve and become more complex. As the complexity of micro-fluid ejection devices increases, there is a need to include more functions on semiconductor substrates for the devices. However, there is a competing need to maintain or reduce the size of the substrates so as to minimize the cost of the ejection devices. While miniaturization provides benefits relative to material costs, such miniaturization may also have negative effects on operational properties of the devices. For example, reducing the size of ground and power busses on the substrate may enable smaller size substrates to be used. However, reduced size busses usually have higher resistance and thus generate more heat than larger busses. Hence, there continues to be a need for improved substrate conductor routing and layouts that do not adversely affect the electrical properties of the circuits. SUMMARY With regard to the above and other objects and advantages, the disclosure provides a semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejection device. The substrate includes plurality of micro-fluid ejection actuators disposed in a columnar array adjacent a fluid supply slot in the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of power transistors are disposed in a columnar array adjacent the ejection actuators and are connected through a first metal conductor layer to the ejection actuators. The columnar array of power transistors occupies a power transistor active area of the substrate. A columnar array of logic circuits is disposed adjacent the columnar array of power transistors and is connected through a polysilicon conductor layer to the power transistors. The columnar array of logic circuits occupies a logic circuit area of the substrate. A power conductor for the ejection actuators is routed in a second metal conductor layer and is disposed in overlapping relationship with at least a portion of the power transistor active area of the substrate. A ground conductor for the ejection actuators is routed in the second metal conductor layer and is disposed in overlapping relationship with at least a portion of the logic circuit area of the substrate. In another embodiment, there is provided a method for reducing a width of a semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejection device. The method includes providing at least one fluid supply slot in a semiconductor substrate. A plurality of micro-fluid ejection actuators are in a columnar array on a device surface of a semiconductor substrate adjacent the fluid supply slot. A plurality of power transistors are formed in a columnar array adjacent the ejection actuators. The power transistors occupy a power transistor area of the substrate and are interconnected to the ejection actuators in a first metal conductor layer. A columnar array of logic circuits are formed adjacent the power transistors. The logic circuits occupy a logic circuit area of the substrate and are interconnected to the power transistors in a polysilicon conductor layer. A second metal layer is deposited on the semiconductor substrate to provide a power buss and a ground buss to the ejection actuators. The power buss overlaps at least a portion of the power transistor active area and the ground buss overlaps at least a portion of the logic circuit area. An advantage of the embodiments of the disclosure is that it provides suitably sized power and ground buss conductors for components on a semiconductor substrate without the need to increase the size of the substrate or surface area available for routing the power and ground busses. For example, the power and ground buss conductors may be provided with a size that does not adversely affect resistance values of the conductors to fluid ejection actuators on the substrate thereby providing more energy to the fluid ejection actuators. Another advantage of the embodiments is that it provides polysilicon interconnections between selected components without adversely affecting the timing of firing pulses for the fluid ejection actuators. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent by reference to the detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the following drawings illustrating one or more non-limiting aspects of the embodiments, wherein like reference characters designate like or similar elements throughout the several drawings as follows: FIGS. 1 and 2 are plan views, not to scale, of semiconductor substrates for micro-fluid ejection heads according to the disclosure; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, not to scale, of a portion of a semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejection head; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a circuit for a micro-fluid ejection head according to the disclosure; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, not to scale, of a portion of a micro-fluid ejection head according to the disclosure; FIG. 6 is a perspective view, not to scale, of a cartridge containing a micro-fluid ejection head according to the disclosure; FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a plan view of a prior art semiconductor substrate; and FIGS. 8 and 9 are block diagrams of plan views of semiconductor substrates according to embodiments of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, embodiments of the disclosure provide improved semiconductor substrates 10 and 12. Substrate 10, for example, may include three fluid supply slots 14, 16, and 18 therethrough for flow of fluid from an opposite surface of the substrate 10 to a device surface 20 of the substrate 10. Substrate 12 may include a single fluid supply slot 22 for flow of fluid from an opposite surface to a device surface 24 of the substrate 12. The device surfaces 20 and 24 include a plurality of fluid ejection actuators 26 and 28 disposed in substantially columnar arrays 30, 32, and 34 on substrate 10 and in columnar arrays 36 and 38 on substrate 12. For substrate 10, the ejection actuators 26 are disposed adjacent the fluid supply slots 14, 16, and 18 on at least one side thereof as illustrated. However, the ejection actuators may be disposed on both sides of the fluid supply slots 14, 16, and 18. For substrate 12, the ejection actuators 28 are disposed adjacent the fluid supply slot 22 on opposing sides thereof. Contact pads 40 and 42 are disposed on the surfaces 20 and 24 of the substrates 10 and 12 for electrical connection to a control device for activating the actuators. In order to selectively activate certain ones of the ejection actuators 26 or 28, driver and control logic are also included on the device surfaces 20 and 24 of the substrate. The control logic includes power and ground interconnections in a first metal conductor layer. The driver logic includes power transistors 44 and 46 for providing energy to the ejection actuators 26 and 28 respectively. As will be described in more detail below, the power transistors 44 and 46 are connected through the first metal conductor layer to the ejection actuators 26 and 28. Like the ejection actuators 26 and 28, the power transistors 44 and 46 are included in columnar arrays 48, 50, and 52 adjacent the arrays 30, 32, and 34 of actuators 26 on the substrate 10 and in columnar arrays 54 and 56 adjacent the arrays 36 and 38 of actuators 28 on substrate 12. Control logic arrays 58, 60, and 62 are disposed adjacent the power transistors 44 and control logic arrays 64 and 66 are disposed adjacent the power transistors 46. Interconnection between the control logic arrays 58-66 and the power transistors 44 and 46 is in a polysilicon layer rather than in the first metal conductor layer or in a second metal conductor layer thereby eliminating the need for a three metal layer process for providing interconnections and power and ground buss routing to the devices. In general, polysilicon interconnections are less desirable than metal interconnections due to a higher resistance of the polysilicon interconnections than in metal interconnections. Higher resistance may lead to actuator timing problems particularly with respect to interconnections between the power transistors 44 and 46 and the ejection actuators 26 and 28. However, embodiments of the disclosure circumvent such timing problems by using polysilicon interconnections only between the control logic arrays 58-66 and the power transistor arrays 48-56. A cross-sectional view, not to scale, of a portion of the substrate 10 is illustrated in FIG. 3. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the semiconductor substrate 10 includes a silicon substrate 68 having a dielectric layer 70 provided between the substrate 68 and device layers on the surface 20 of the substrate 10. A first metal conductor layer 72 provides power and ground interconnections for logic devices 76. Ejection actuator 26 is preferably a heater resistor provided between anode and cathode conductors 72A and 72B (FIG. 5) provided by a first metal conductor layer 72. The first metal conductor layer 72 also provides interconnection between the ejection actuator 26 and the power transistor 44. In the illustration of FIG. 3, the power transistor 44 is a field effect transistor (FET). Control logic for the power transistor 44 is provided by logic devices 76 which may be interconnected with the power transistor 44 using a polysilicon interconnection layer 78. A second metal conductor layer 74 provides a ground buss and a power buss, as described in more detail below, over the P buss, logic devices 76, address buss, and FET 44. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a circuit 82 for the ejector actuators 26. As shown in FIG. 4, the first metal conductor layer 72 provides power and ground connections to control devices 76. The polysilicon layer 78 provides interconnection between address busses P1F1-P1F2, EA0-EA1 and A1-A5 and interconnection between the control devices 76 and the FET's 44. The second metal conductor layer 74 provides the power and ground connections to the FET 44 and to the anode and cathode conductors 72A and 72B for the ejection actuator 26. A portion of a micro-fluid ejection head 84 is illustrated in FIG. 5. The micro-fluid ejection head 84 includes the silicon substrate 68, the dielectric layer 70, made of silicon dioxide, phosphorus doped glass (PSG) or boron and phosphorus doped glass (BSPG) deposited or grown on the silicon substrate 68. The dielectric layer 70 has a thickness ranging from about 8,000 to about 30,000 Angstroms. The silicon substrate 12 typically has a thickness ranging from about 100 to about 800 microns or more. A resistive layer 86 is deposited on the dielectric layer 70. The resistive layer 86 may be selected from TaAl, Ta2N, TaAl(O,N), TaAlSi, TaSiC, Ti(N,O), WSi(O,N), TaAlN and TaAl/Ta and has a thickness ranging from about 500 to about 1,500 Angstroms. The first metal conductive layer 72 is deposited on the resistive layer 86 and is etched to provide anode and cathode conductors 72A and 72B for a heater resistor 26 defined between the anode and cathode conductors 72A and 72B. The first metal conductive layer 72 may be selected from conductive metals, including but not limited to, gold, aluminum, silver, copper, and the like and has a thickness ranging from about 4,000 to about 15,000 Angstroms. A passivation layer 88 is deposited on the heater resistor 26 and a portion of conductive layer 72 to protect the heater resistor 26 from fluid corrosion. The passivation layer 88 typically consists of composite layers of silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon carbide (SiC) with SiC being the top layer. The passivation layer 88 has an overall thickness ranging from about 1,000 to about 8,000 Angstroms. A cavitation layer 90 is then deposited on the passivation layer 88 overlying the heater resistor 26. The cavitation layer 90 has a thickness ranging from about 1,500 to about 8,000 Angstroms and is typically composed of tantalum (Ta). The cavitation layer 90, also referred to as the “fluid contact layer” provides protection of the heater resistor 26 from erosion due to bubble collapse and mechanical shock during fluid ejection cycles. Overlying the anode and cathode conductors 72A and 72B is another insulating layer or dielectric layer 92 typically composed of epoxy photoresist materials, polyimide materials, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, spun-on-glass (SOG), laminated polymer and the like. The layer 92 preferably has a thickness ranging from about 5,000 to about 20,000 Angstroms. The dielectric layer 92 provides electrical insulation between the first metal conductor layer 72 and the second metal conductor layer 74. In FIG. 5, a nozzle plate 94 containing nozzle holes 96, fluid chambers 98, fluid flow channels 100 are formed in the nozzle plate 94. The fluid chambers 98 and fluid flow channels 100 are in flow communication with the fluid supply slot 14, 16, or 18. The nozzle plate 94 is adhesively attached to the device surface 20 of the substrate 10 as by means of adhesive 102. A fluid supply cartridge 104 containing the ejection head 84 is illustrated in FIG. 6. The micro-fluid ejection head 84 is attached to an ejection head portion 106 of the fluid cartridge 104. A main body 108 of the cartridge 104 includes a fluid reservoir for supply of fluid to the micro-fluid ejection head structure 84. A flexible circuit or tape automated bonding (TAB) circuit 110 containing electrical contacts 112 for connection to a control device such as the printer is attached to the main body 108 of the cartridge 104. Electrical tracing 114 from the electrical contacts 112 are attached to the contact pads 40 (FIG. 1) on the substrate 10 to provide activation of the ejection actuators 26 on demand from the control device to which the fluid cartridge 104 is attached. The disclosure, however, is not limited to the fluid cartridge 104 described above as the micro-fluid ejection head 84 may be used in a wide variety of fluid cartridges, wherein the ejection head 84 may be remote from the fluid reservoir of the main body 108. As set forth above, there are two metal conductor layers, i.e., the first metal conductor layer 72 and the second metal conductor layer 74, and a polysilicon layer 78 providing interconnection between the ejection actuators 26, power transistor 44 and device logic 76 on the surface 20 of the substrate 10. In a prior art design, the second metal conductor layer 74 provided power busses 120 and the first metal conductor layer 72 provided the ground buss 122 as illustrated in FIG. 7. In the prior art design shown in FIG. 7, the power buss 120 is disposed over a portion of an active area 124 of the columnar array of power transistors 48, 50, or 52 (FIG. 1). The ground buss 122 is also routed over a portion of the active area 124 of the columnar array of power transistors 48, 50, or 52. In this case, the active area 124 has a width W1 ranging from about 400 to about 1000 microns. Area 128 in FIG. 6 represents the control logic array 58, 60, or 62 (FIG. 1). Accordingly, the overall width WS of the substrate 10 ranges from about three millimeters to about six millimeters in order to provide surface 20 sufficient for the ejection actuator arrays 30, 32, or 34, power transistor arrays 48, 50, or 52 and control logic arrays 58, 60, or 62 as well as contact pads 40 and conductor routing for the power and ground busses 120 and 122. The foregoing description also applies to substrate 12 (FIG. 2). As the resistance of the ejection actuators 26 increases for improved micro-fluid ejection heads 84, the size of the power transistors 44 or 46 is reduced. In order to provide sufficiently sized metal conductors for the power and ground busses without increasing the width WS of the substrate 10, the power and ground busses may be routed as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. In FIG. 8, a power buss 130 is routed over at least a portion of an active area 132 for the power transistor array 48, 50, or 52. In this example, the active area 132 has a width W2 ranging from about 50 to about 400 microns. In order to increase a width W3 of the power buss 130 in the second metal conductive layer 74, the power buss 130 may also overly a columnar array 134 of temperature sense resistors (TSR) disposed between the fluid ejection devices 26 and the active area 132 of the power transistor array 48, 50, or 52. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the ground buss 136 is disposed adjacent the power buss 130 in the second metal conductive layer 74, however, the ground buss 136 overlies at least a portion of the control logic area 128. For example, the control logic area 128 may include active capacitors, arrays of select logic cells (predrive) 138 that select the gate of the power transistors 44 to activate the ejection devices 26, primitive (P), address (A), and extended address (EA) buss lines, control buss lines, pdata register arrays 140, and the like. It will be appreciated that since the width W2 of the active area 132 of the power transistor array 48, 50, or 52 is significantly smaller than the width W1 of the active area 124 (FIG. 8), the overall width WS of the substrate 10 may be made smaller provided the power and ground busses 130 and 136 in the second metal conductive layer 74 are made to overly the active area 132 and control logic area 128 as shown in FIG. 8. In an alternative embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 9, power buss 130 overlies the active area 132 of the power transistors 48, 50, or 52 and overlies the columnar array 134 of temperature sense resistors (TSR). A larger ground buss 142 overlies the control logic area 128. One of the unique aspects of the foregoing embodiments is the ability to route the ground buss 136 or a ground buss 142 over all or a portion of the control logic area 128 for the power transistors 44 while still using only two metal conductor layers 72 and 74 as described above. Such aspects may be achieved by carefully routing the control logic arrays 58, 60, or 62 only in the first metal conductor layer 72 using the polysilicon interconnections 78 between the control logic arrays 58, 60, and 62 and the power transistor arrays 48, 50, or 52. Since only the control logic interconnections 78 are routed in polysilicon, there may be no noticeable adverse pulse timing effect for firing the ejection actuators 26. Use of polysilicon interconnections 78 enables an increase in area that may be used for routing the ground and power busses in the second metal conductor layer 74. Another unique aspect of the disclosed embodiments is the use of a non-metal TSR material for the TSR arrays 134 thus enabling the power buss 130 to be routed in the second metal conductor layer 74 over the TSR arrays 134. Accordingly, all conductor routing is in no more than two metal conductor layers. It is contemplated, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the preceding description and the accompanying drawings, that modifications and changes may be made in the embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are illustrative of preferred embodiments only, not limiting thereto, and that the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure be determined by reference to the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>Micro-fluid ejection devices continue to be used in a wide variety of applications, including ink jet printers, medical delivery devices, micro-coolers and the like. Of the uses, ink jet printers provide, by far, the most common use of micro-fluid ejection devices. Ink jet printers are typically more versatile than laser printers for some applications. As the capabilities of ink jet printers are increased to provide higher quality images at increased printing rates, fluid ejection heads, which are the primary printing components of ink jet printers, continue to evolve and become more complex. As the complexity of micro-fluid ejection devices increases, there is a need to include more functions on semiconductor substrates for the devices. However, there is a competing need to maintain or reduce the size of the substrates so as to minimize the cost of the ejection devices. While miniaturization provides benefits relative to material costs, such miniaturization may also have negative effects on operational properties of the devices. For example, reducing the size of ground and power busses on the substrate may enable smaller size substrates to be used. However, reduced size busses usually have higher resistance and thus generate more heat than larger busses. Hence, there continues to be a need for improved substrate conductor routing and layouts that do not adversely affect the electrical properties of the circuits. | <SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>With regard to the above and other objects and advantages, the disclosure provides a semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejection device. The substrate includes plurality of micro-fluid ejection actuators disposed in a columnar array adjacent a fluid supply slot in the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of power transistors are disposed in a columnar array adjacent the ejection actuators and are connected through a first metal conductor layer to the ejection actuators. The columnar array of power transistors occupies a power transistor active area of the substrate. A columnar array of logic circuits is disposed adjacent the columnar array of power transistors and is connected through a polysilicon conductor layer to the power transistors. The columnar array of logic circuits occupies a logic circuit area of the substrate. A power conductor for the ejection actuators is routed in a second metal conductor layer and is disposed in overlapping relationship with at least a portion of the power transistor active area of the substrate. A ground conductor for the ejection actuators is routed in the second metal conductor layer and is disposed in overlapping relationship with at least a portion of the logic circuit area of the substrate. In another embodiment, there is provided a method for reducing a width of a semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejection device. The method includes providing at least one fluid supply slot in a semiconductor substrate. A plurality of micro-fluid ejection actuators are in a columnar array on a device surface of a semiconductor substrate adjacent the fluid supply slot. A plurality of power transistors are formed in a columnar array adjacent the ejection actuators. The power transistors occupy a power transistor area of the substrate and are interconnected to the ejection actuators in a first metal conductor layer. A columnar array of logic circuits are formed adjacent the power transistors. The logic circuits occupy a logic circuit area of the substrate and are interconnected to the power transistors in a polysilicon conductor layer. A second metal layer is deposited on the semiconductor substrate to provide a power buss and a ground buss to the ejection actuators. The power buss overlaps at least a portion of the power transistor active area and the ground buss overlaps at least a portion of the logic circuit area. An advantage of the embodiments of the disclosure is that it provides suitably sized power and ground buss conductors for components on a semiconductor substrate without the need to increase the size of the substrate or surface area available for routing the power and ground busses. For example, the power and ground buss conductors may be provided with a size that does not adversely affect resistance values of the conductors to fluid ejection actuators on the substrate thereby providing more energy to the fluid ejection actuators. Another advantage of the embodiments is that it provides polysilicon interconnections between selected components without adversely affecting the timing of firing pulses for the fluid ejection actuators. | 20040930 | 20070327 | 20060330 | 89870.0 | B41J205 | 3 | JACKSON, JUANITA DIONNE | POWER AND GROUND BUSS LAYOUT FOR REDUCED SUBSTRATE SIZE | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | B41J | 2,004 |
|
10,957,081 | ACCEPTED | Process and streaming server for encrypting a data stream to a virtual smart card client system | There is disclosed a process for encrypting a data stream to secure the data stream for single viewing and to protect copyrights of the data stream. Specifically, there is disclosed a process for protecting streaming multimedia, entertainment and communications in a network transmission. There is further disclosed a streaming server component operably connected with a streaming server that interacts with a client system that includes a virtual smart card to effect the inventive process. | 1. A system for communicating a data stream over a network, comprising: a client device that is configured to perform actions, including: enabling a request for the data stream; a virtual smart card coupled to the client device, the virtual smart card being configured to perform actions, including: sending a token associated with the requested data stream; receiving the requested data stream, wherein the requested stream is encrypted; and providing a flow control metric associated with the data stream; and a streaming server that is configured to perform actions, including: validating the token for the requested data stream, and if the token is valid for the requested data stream, flowing the encrypted data stream to the virtual smart card, and employing the flow control metric from the virtual smart card, in part, to control the flow of the encrypted data stream over the network to maintain a substantially full buffer associated with the virtual smart card. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual smart card further comprises a token manager that is configured to negotiate with the streaming server for the token. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein validating the token for the requested data stream further comprises validating an identifier associated with a location of the data stream with the provided token. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual smart card further comprises a flow control module that is configured to monitor at least one of a network statistic, and a buffer characteristic to determine the flow control metric. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual smart card further comprises a binding module that is configured to uniquely associate the virtual smart card to the client device. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the streaming server is configured to perform further actions, including negotiating encryption keys with the virtual smart card for use in encrypting the requested data stream. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the virtual smart card further comprises a token manager that is configured to interact with the streaming server to negotiate the encryption keys. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the virtual smart card further comprises a token storage module that is configured to store at least one of the user information, the token, a URI, and the encryption keys. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the token further comprises a digital certificate. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the data stream is provided to the client device such that is viewable for a predetermined number of viewings. 11. A modulated data signal for managing a data stream over a network, the modulated data signal comprising: requesting the data stream from a client having a virtual smart card; providing, by the virtual smart card, a token that is associated with the requested data stream; enabling a determination of validity of the token for the requested data stream; if the token is valid for the requested data stream, enabling a negotiation for an encryption key with the virtual smart card; enabling an encryption of the data stream as the data stream is streamed to the client, wherein the data stream is encrypted using the negotiated encryption key; providing, by the virtual smart card, a flow control metric associated with the encrypted data stream; and controlling, by a server, over the network a rate of flow of the encrypted data stream to the client, wherein the server employs the flow control metric, in part, to control the rate of flow of the encrypted data stream to maintain a substantially full client buffer. 12. The modulated data signal of claim 11, wherein the data stream is configured for a single viewing. 13. The modulated data signal of claim 11, wherein controlling the rate of flow further comprises transmitting the encrypted data stream to the client at substantially the same rate as the encrypted data stream is received by the client. 14. The modulated data signal of claim 11, wherein providing the flow control metric further comprises monitoring at least one of a network statistic, and a client buffer characteristic. 15. A client device for use in receiving a data stream over a network, comprising: a user interface that is configured to perform actions, including: enabling a request for the data stream; and a virtual smart card, coupled to the user interface, configured to perform actions, including: negotiating a token associated with the requested data stream; employing the token to enable a validation of the request for the data stream; if the request is valid, receiving the data stream from a server that is configured to deliver the data stream at a rate of flow that maintains a substantially full client buffer in the client device; and providing a metric to the server to be employable by the server to control the rate of flow of the data stream so as to maintain the substantially full client buffer. 16. The client device of claim 15, wherein the user interface is configured to perform further actions, comprising: enabling a user selected time limit for accessing the data stream to be provided to the server, wherein the user selected time limit is associated with the negotiated token such that the access to the data stream is denied upon expiration of the time limit. 17. The client device of claim 15, wherein the token includes user permissions for the requested data stream. 18. The client device of claim 17, wherein the user information includes user account information. 19. The client device of claim 15, wherein the token includes a user selected time limit for accessing the data stream, wherein access to the data stream is denied upon expiration of the user selected time limit. 20. The client device of claim 15, wherein the received data stream is encrypted using at least one of DES, Triple-DES, and AES encryption. 21. The client device of claim 15, wherein the virtual smart card is uniquely bound to the client device. 22. The client device of claim 15, wherein the virtual smart card further comprises a tamper protection module that is configured to detect and to protect from tampering of the virtual smart card. 23. The client device of claim 15, wherein the virtual smart card includes the client buffer. 24. A method for communicating a data stream over a network, comprising: requesting the data stream; employing a virtual smart card that is bound to a client device to negotiate a token associated with the requested data stream; employing the negotiated token to enable a validation of the request for the data stream; if the request is valid, receiving the data stream from a server that is configured to deliver the data stream at a rate of flow that maintains a client buffer substantially full; and providing, by the virtual smart card, a metric to the server to be employable by the server, in part, to control the rate of flow of the data stream so as to maintain the substantially full client buffer. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising: employing a token manager associated with the virtual smart card to interact with the server to negotiate encryption keys useable to encrypt the data stream as the data stream is streamed to the client device. 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the virtual smart card further comprises a token storage module that is configured to store at least one of the user information, the token, a URI, and the encryption keys. 27. An apparatus for receiving a data stream over a network, comprising: a means for requesting the data stream; a means for negotiating a token associated with the requested data stream, wherein the token is employable to enable the request to be validated to receive the data stream; a means for receiving the requested data stream if the request is valid, wherein the requested stream is encrypted; a means for providing a flow control metric associated with the received data stream; and a means for receiving the encrypted data stream in a controlled flow from a server, wherein the server is configured to employ the flow control metric, in part, to control the flow of the encrypted data stream over the network to maintain a substantially full buffer in the apparatus. | RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/109,963, entitled “Process and Streaming Server for Encrypting a Data Stream,” filed Mar. 29, 2002, under 35 U.S.C. §120 and 37 C.F.R. §1.53(b), which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a process for encrypting a data stream to secure the data stream for single viewing and to protect copyrights of the data stream. Specifically, the invention provides a process for protecting streaming multimedia, entertainment, and communications in a network transmission. The invention further provides a virtual smart card within a client system that interacts with a streaming server component to effect the inventive process. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The Internet has provided another means for communication whereby data can be streamed from a server to a client. The client is responsible for displaying the streamed data, preferably streamed media, to a user. The server is responsible for delivering the data stream to the client. The Real Networks and Microsoft solutions send the data stream via a UDP (a connectionless Internet protocol) along with another connection between the client and the server that controls the transmission of the streamed data. The control connection element functions to stop buffer overruns and can adjust the transmission of the stream to compensate for bandwidth latencies. One problem with this arrangement, however, is that the data that are streamed to the client from the server are unprotected and available to anyone on the network. Therefore, there is a need in the art to better protect from interception across a wide area network, such as the Internet. Specifically, the need relates to providing an ability to protect the improper interception and ability to copy streaming data across the Internet. At present, there is no protection mechanism in place to protect copyrighted data. Once the data has been released by the server and either received by the user or intercepted before being received by the user, there is no way to restrict the re-transmission of such data once it has been released over a network. Even if the data stream has been copyrighted, there is no means to protect or enforce copyright protection of streamed data. The entity owning the copyright and streaming such content realize that there is no control over what is done with such content after it is released. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a means for protecting copyrights in content once streamed over a network. The present invention was designed to address both needs. Currently, no streaming media solution actually encrypts the data that is being sent from the server to the client. One solution can accomplish this with existing technology, such as by merging SSL secure HTTP sockets with a streaming software package, such as Quicktime. Unfortunately, Quicktime does not have a full screen view option. Therefore, there is a need in the art to develop a better method for streaming video data. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a process for encrypting a data stream to secure the data stream to enable only single viewing, comprising: (a) providing a client selection for a streaming data transmission (b) opening a connection to a streaming server and sending URI, token and user information to the streaming server, wherein the streaming server comprises a client data connection module to send data packets to a client, an encryption module to use encryption keys negotiated with the client to encrypt the data stream and operably connected to the client data connection module, and a flow control module for controlling the rate of data stream flow to maintain a full client buffer; (c) approving or disapproving a valid or invalid, respectively, URI and token combination on a transaction server, wherein the transaction server comprises a client interaction module for connecting a user to the transaction server component, a user verification module having a user database wherein the user verification module is operably linked to the client interaction module and checking for a valid user, and a URI and token creation module operably linked to the user verification module for creating new URIs and tokens in response to user requests; and (d) providing a continuously encrypted data stream to the client if a valid URI and token combination was found. The streaming server component may further comprise a read buffer module operable connected with the flow control module for reading in data from a source footage on storage medium. However, the data is not limited to this arrangement, and may include data from a variety of other sources, including an e-commerce transaction, an interactive television source, including a multicast service, a unicast service, and the like. The streaming server component may further comprise a user interface module operably connected to the file system module or flow control module for setting server options. The streaming server can further comprise client server component comprising a data stream control protocol module to create an initial connection to the streaming server component, a decryption module to decrypt the incoming data stream, an input buffer module to buffer incoming data streams, and a display control module to control the display of streaming data. The client server component may further comprise a display module to display audio and video data. The providing the continuously encrypted data stream step (d) further may comprise a user interface module in the streaming server to allow for pausing, stopping, playing, restarting the data stream, or otherwise interacting with the data stream, and/or data stream source. In one embodiment, the transaction server is implemented with ASP scripts for encryption. The present invention further comprises a streaming server for encrypting a data stream to secure the data stream to enable only single viewing, comprising: (a) a streaming server component, wherein the streaming server component comprises a client data connection module to send data packets to a client; and encryption module to use encryption keys negotiated with the client to encrypt the data stream and operably connected to the client data connection module, and a flow control module for controlling the rate of data stream flow to maintain a substantially full client buffer; and (b) a transaction server component, wherein the transaction server component comprises a client interaction module for connecting a user to the transaction server component, a user verification module having a user database wherein the user verification module is operably linked to the client interaction module and checking for a valid user, and a URI and token creation module operably linked to the user verification module for creating new URIs and tokens in response to user requests. The streaming server component may further comprise a read buffer module operable connected with the flow control module for reading in data from a source footage on storage medium. However, the data may also include data from an interactive source, source as interactive television services, and the like. The streaming server component may further comprise a user interface module operably connected to the file system module or flow control module for setting server options. The streaming server may further comprise a client server component comprising a data stream control protocol module to create an initial connection to the streaming server component, a decryption module to decrypt the incoming data stream, an input buffer module to buffer incoming data streams, and a, display control module to control the display of streaming data. The client server component may further comprise a display module to display audio and video data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a schematic of the client component enabled to receive and view an encrypted data stream. The client component includes a token storage module 100, a stream control protocol module 120, and a decryption module 160. FIG. 2 shows a schematic of the streaming server component having at least an encryption module 220 and a client control connection module for key negotiation and token verification 200. FIG. 3 shows a schematic of the transaction server components having a token creation module 330 and a user verification module 310. FIG. 4 shows a schematic of various client scenarios showing the need for a token in order to unlock (decrypt) a data stream for viewing. FIG. 5 shows a schematic of the process for the streaming server showing the receipt of a client token triggering a negotiation of encryption keys to allow viewing and receipt of a data stream. FIG. 6 shows a schematic of the transaction server process providing for setting up of client accounts and token creation. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a virtual smart card (VSC) within a client device that is configured to operably interact with a transaction server to manage a data stream, in accordance with the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention provides a process to encrypt a data stream, such as multimedia entertainment and communications, via a network, such as the Internet, and the like. The encrypted data stream will allow for copyrighted materials and multimedia communications (e.g., analyst meetings, interactive television, movies) on a secure, pay-per-view basis, and the like. The data stream cannot be stored on a client machine for future play-back, or retransmitted. A client, however, can view a data stream as many times as desired within a specified time frame. An encryption protocol provides, for example, an encryption algorithm of a 192-bit key (e.g., Triple DES), a UDP packet protocol, a RTSP (rfc 2326) packet transmission protocol, an RTP (rfc 1889) packet transmission control protocol, and MPEGI video storage compression. However, the foregoing example of a preferred encryption protocol will change as such techniques improve with time. For example, one embodiment may employ the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), or similar encryption algorithm. One advantage of the inventive process, using the inventive streaming server and transaction server, is that the client does not really need to possess fully optimized equipment. One client typically runs on any one machine at any one time. The client may be configured to playback, for example, 30 fps 320×240 video and audio back with no jitter. This enables a data stream of about 250-300 kpa, a large data buffer (of at least several megabytes), and a 350 MHz Pentium II processor or greater running Windows 98 or Windows NT. However, the client system is not so constrained, and virtually any client system configuration may be employed. For example, the client system may include a set top box, an interactive television capability, and the like. The server, for example, can be a fully optimized, multi-threaded (thread pool) Windows NT service. Unlike an HTTP server, this allows sessions with clients to be cached and the server will need to maintain state in respects to all clients. Definitions The following terms are used with the meanings defined herein. Client or client system includes the computer that the data stream is being sent to. User includes the person executing instructions on the client. Module includes a collection of compiled code designed to perform a specific function, or set of functions. URI (universal resource identifier) represents an identifier associated with a location on the server of the stream. Token includes a binary piece of information that includes the permissions the user has for a specific data stream. Authentication includes providing a level of confidence that a component, device, person, or other entity is who/what it claims to be. In some situations, authentication may sometimes be treated as synonymous with identity. Authorization includes providing a level of access control, and is directed towards answering the question of what actions an entity may be entitled to perform. For example, authorization may address the question of whether the entity has permission to access selected data, when, and for how long. CAS (Conditional Access System). CAS includes technologies directed towards controlling access to such as digital television services, and the like, by encrypting a transmitted programming. However, CAS is not directed solely to television. It may include digital radio broadcasts, digital data broadcasts, non-broadcast information, interactive services, and the like. Thus, CAS may include streaming data access, such as is described herein. Rapid Renewal includes providing key generation, new keys, and new security mechanisms to a client device, system, and the like. In one embodiment, dynamic rapid renewal provides the renewed security mechanism on a random basis to create an unpredictable environment and target for others, such as hackers. DRM (Digital Rights Management) includes a file based alternative mechanism to protection of media. DRM includes, for example, protection of content itself, such as streaming data. In one embodiment, a license file, or the like, may be issued to enable a user to play the content, either together with the content or when a user tries to play the content. The content, such as the streaming data, may be encrypted and the encryption properties may persist as the content travels between networks, servers, and a client. DRM as described herein may employ a virtual smart card to enable management and protection of the content. ECM (Entitlement Control Messages) includes encrypted data associated with entitlements, such as tokens, access constraints, content/encryption keys, and so forth. EMM (Entitlement Management Messages) includes encrypted data such as entitlements, such as tokens, content/encryption keys, and so forth. Intrusion Detection includes those mechanisms for detecting situations, which may violate a security policy and other protections. Non-Repudiation includes mechanisms directed towards ensuring that a user, consumer, client, and the like, are unable to deny a validity of their digital signature. One embodiment employs two distinct keys. One key may be escrowed, and may be used for non-signing actions. The second key, may be without a recovery mechanism, and may be utilized for signing. In this embodiment, where the user may be in sole control of the signing key, non-repudiation may be achieved by use of a solely owned, yet verifiable secret. Where signing validity may be critical, a separate key may be used, and that key may be the solely owned yet verifiable secret of the key holder. In another embodiment, the key holder may refuse the validity of the signature based on the ability of a sufficiently privileged entity to replicate the secret key. In a one embodiment of the inventive process and streaming server, the video may be stored unencrypted on the server machines; the files will only be retrievable through the server software. The inventive server will be responsible for (1) negotiating a set of encryption keys; and (2) encrypting the data stream “on the fly” thereby making the data packets that are actually going over the network useless to any computer other than the intended machine. One encryption standard is TRIPLE-DES with a 168-bit key. The server will use UDP for transmission of the data. This protocol uses considerably less network resources than other TCP protocols (http for example). Client software will be responsible for decrypting the data stream and playback. The encryption keys used may be different every time the data stream is accessed. Every time the client is executed, a different encryption key is created so the client cannot play back earlier data streams if they were somehow saved to disk. Illustrative Environment With regard to FIG. 1, this shows a schematic of one embodiment of the client component of the inventive process and streaming server enabled to receive and view and/or otherwise access an encrypted data stream. The client keeps a list of all current data streams and the corresponding tokens. This information is stored on the token storage module 100. This list will include the following three items: (1) the URI, (2) the token for that URI, and (3) the expiration date given by the server. In one embodiment, it may not be desirable for the client to have any way of determining if the token is valid or not. Because of this, and the need to remove out of date tokens, the server returns the expiration date. This information is used by the client to display information. The expiration date itself might never be sent back to the server, and the server verifies that the token passed is valid. Examples of module devices that can be used as token storage modules include, for example, Random Access Memory, secondary storage (hard disk), and embedded with software providing for token storage inventory and tracking of expiration dates. The client communicates with a user interface 110. The client may have a standard user interface that will give the appropriate user experience. The interface will have the ability to look through current valid streams or to connect to the server to search for other streams that could be viewed. The client user interface 110 communicates with a local display control module 130 and a stream control protocol module 120. The client has to be able to setup a communications session with the server as well as control the flow of data from the server once the stream is being viewed. The stream control protocol module 120 creates the initial connection by connecting to the server, passing the requested URI, Token, and user information. The stream control protocol module 120 then negotiates a set of encryption keys and controls the flow of data from the server. Examples of stream control protocol module devices 120 within a client component that can be used to negotiate a set of encryption keys and control the flow of data from a server include, for example, Random Access Memory and the network interface card or modem. The software may monitor the rate of the data being received by sending network statistics, information associated with the buffer, including percent full, percent remaining, and the like, as well as other client characteristics to the streaming server. The display control module 130 controls the display of the data, and has the ability to pause, stop, or re-start the data stream. Examples of display control modules suitable for use within the client component include, Random Access Memory and the video card. The software running in this module will convert the data being sent form the server into a format that can be displayed to the user. The display module 140 displays video and audio data. The input buffer module 150 is a module that includes the stream buffer. The stream buffer may include a circular buffer of decrypted data that the display control module reads from and the decryption module writes to. Examples of stream buffer module devices that can be used to include a circular buffer of decrypted data include, for example, Random Access Memory. As packets are being received from the server, before the data is put into the input buffer, the data within the transport packet is decrypted by a decryption module 160 using the keys negotiated by the stream control protocol module 120. Decryption module 160 may be implemented using virtually any decryption mechanisms, including those that may be commercially. For example, SSL, DES, and RSA modules may be available and suitable for use as a decryption module. Lastly on the client component sides is a data stream receive module 170. This module handles the reception of the data packets sent by the server. Appropriate module devices that can be used as a data stream receive module within the client component includes, for example, Random Access Memory. The software included in this module may save the data being received by the client in a format that can be used by subsequent modules. With regard to FIG. 2, the client control connection module 200 will handle control communications between the client and the server. The client and server will negotiate a set of encryption keys. The client will send user information, the URI, and the token to the streaming server via the client control connection module 200. From this module 200, the data that is streamed to the client can be controlled (that is, paused, stopped, or restarted). Hardware devices suitable for use as a client control connection module within the streaming server include Random Access Memory. Such hardware components allow for the execution of hardware non-specific operations. Such software is either embedded in the client control connection module or uploaded therein. The software functions to create a process wherein the client and server communicate current network conditions and modify the data stream accordingly. The client data connection module 210 functions to send data packets to the client using a connectionless protocol to reduce server overhead. Hardware devices suitable for use as a client data connection module within the streaming server include Random Access Memory and Network Interface Cards. Such software is either embedded in the client data connection module or uploaded therein. The software functions to create a process wherein the encrypted data is sent via network packets to the client machine. The encryption module 220 uses the keys negotiated by the client/server to encrypt the data stream as it is being sent to the client. This allows for “on the fly” encryption and the encryption keys will be unique for all client/server connections. This allows the source footage to be stored unencrypted on the server, where appropriate. Hardware devices suitable for use as an encryption module within the streaming server include Random Access Memory and proprietary hardware encryption devices. Such hardware components include software that functions to do the actual encryption of the data. Such software may either be embedded in the encryption module or uploaded therein. The software functions to create a process wherein the data being sent to the device is encrypted with the keys originally negotiated with the client and the output data is of a format that can only be read after being decrypted by the client. The flow control module 230 makes sure that the data stream is being sent by the server at the rate in which the client is using the data. The buffer at the client needs to be full at all times but streaming data must also not be overwritten. Thus, the flow control module communicates with both the encryption module 220 and uses feedback obtained from the client control connection module 200. Hardware devices suitable for use as a flow control module within the streaming server include Random Access Memory. Such software may be either embedded in the flow control module or uploaded therein. The software functions to create a process wherein the flow of data from the server to the client is regulated. The file system read buffer 240 is for server performance. Small amounts of data read in from the file may be stored in memory instead of having a constant open file on the file system. The file system module 250 is responsible for reading in data from the source footage on the storage medium or elsewhere. The file system module communicates with the client control connection module 200 to open URIs and the user interface module 260 to file path configurations. Hardware devices suitable for use as a file system module within the streaming server include Random Access Memory. Such hardware components include software that functions to allow the access to data streams. Such software may be either embedded in the file system module or uploaded therein. The software functions to create a process wherein the data stored on the secondary storage device can be loaded into Random Access Memory to be delivered to the encryption module. The streaming server further provides a simple user interface module 260 for setting server options such as which network port to bind to and the location of source footage. Hardware devices suitable for use as a file system module within the streaming server include Random Access Memory. Such software is either embedded in the file system module or uploaded therein. The software functions to create a process wherein the user of the server software can tell the file system module where to go to find the data streams. With regard to FIG. 3, the transaction server comprises four module components. To access a video stream, the client must first obtain a transaction token. The transaction token may be based on a pay-per-view scheme in which the token will be valid for a certain time period. The time a token is valid for is dependent on what the user selects and what options are available for the selected stream. The user contacts the transaction server, via a client interaction module 300, with the user information and the URI. The transaction server will determine what time options are available for the token and present that to the user. After the user selects the required time limit, the request is passed off to the user verification module 310. Hardware devices suitable for use as a client interaction module within the transaction server include Random Access Memory. Such software may be either embedded in the client interaction module or uploaded therein. The software functions to create a process wherein the user information is verified against the database and a valid token is created based, in part, upon the options requested by the user. The user verification module 310 checks for user information passed against a user database to see if the user is valid or not. The user database resides in memory of the user verification module. Hardware devices suitable for use as a user verification module within the transaction server include Random Access Memory. Such software is either embedded in the user verification module or uploaded therein. The software functions to create a process wherein the token passed is verified. The URI creation module 320 and the token creation module 330 are tied together and the token is based, in part, upon the requested URI. This means that the token is unique to the request URI and cannot be used for any other stream. This information is then passed back to the client via module 300. Hardware devices suitable for use as a URI creation module and token creation module, each located within the transaction server, include Random Access Memory. Such hardware components may include software that functions within the Random Access Memory. Such software may be either embedded in the URI creation module or token creation module or uploaded therein. The software functions to create a process wherein a valid URI to the media stream the user selected are created. Illustrative Operations With regard to FIG. 4, the client 400 executes and the client is loaded with a URI and a token 410. The client either double clicks on the client's icon (no) or it launched by a media server (yes). If the media server launched the client, there will be a requested URI and token in the command-line parameters of the client. A display a window (420) lists all the purchased (and current) data streams available to view, or otherwise interact with. The user will be able to select a data stream to access by double clicking on the title of the stream. The screen waits for input from the user (430) and the user selects a data stream or another housekeeping option (440). If a housekeeping option was selected, execute user request (450) and go back to displaying video streams with module 420. If the user launches a data stream (selects yes from 410) a URI and token is saved in the purchased streams list so it can be viewed again at a later time 460. A connection to the streaming server is opened and the URI, token and user information is sent to the streaming server 470. The streaming server acknowledges a valid (or invalid) URI and token combination 480. If the token is invalid or has expired, the server will close the connection and the client will go back and display all the data streams that are available to view. If the server acknowledges a valid URI and token combination, the client will start to receive data from the streaming server and display it 490. If the data stream finishes or the user selects any of the available stream options such as pause, stop, play, or restart 500, the stream will stop and await further user input. If the stream has finished playing 510, the process goes back to the list of available streams 420, or continues displaying the data stream 490 by processing a user request 520 and then going back to displaying the stream 490. With regard to FIG. 5 and the process run by the streaming server, there is first a connection with the client control module 200, 600 to allow the client to establish a connection with the streaming server. The client will provide the URI, token and user information 610 from user 470. The streaming server determines if the token and URI are valid 620. If the token is invalid or has expired, the connection to the client will be closed with an appropriate error message 630. If token is valid, a set of unique encryption keys will be negotiated with the client 640. A URI will be opened and the streaming data will be read into a buffer 650. The client flow control module 230 provides for the client and streaming server to have a flow control connection established to make sure that the data stream is leaving the streaming server at substantially the same rate it is being used at the client end 660. This addresses bandwidth issues as well as making sure that the client play buffer is not overwritten. Therefore, the client flow control mechanism 660 uses the client flow control module 230 to obtain feedback from the data buffer in the client 710 and control the rate of the data stream to keep the client buffer as full as possible. If the client cannot accept any more data at this time, return to flow control module so indicates 670 to slow down or pause the streaming data. If the client can accept more data 680, the client flow control will first determine if there are more data to stream 680. If there are no more data to stream, the data stream could be completed, and the client connection will be closed 690. If there is more data to be sent, the data waiting in the send buffer will be encrypted 700 and the encrypted data will be sent to the client 710. With regard to FIG. 6 at the transaction server, the client first connects to the transaction server, for example through a web page 800. In one embodiment, the transaction server will be implemented with ASP scripts. However, the invention is not so limited, and virtually any mechanism may be employed, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. The client sends request URI and user information through ASP command-line arguments 810 and the transaction server user verification module 310 will determine the time limits of available tokens and display them to the user for selection. The transaction server will look up user information 820 in a database in the user verification module 310. Examples of looking up user information are whether or not a user has an account (e.g., an account exists according to the transaction server) 830. If the user does not have an account 840, a transaction will be opened up to create new account page and get information from the user 840. In addition, the transaction server user verification module 310 will determine if the URI that was requested is free of charge 850. If the URI costs money 860, the transaction server user verification module 310 will debit a credit card that is in the user database. This process will create a URI in the URI creation module 320 of the transaction server. Once a URI is provided and either paid for or provided free, a token will be created 870 in the token creation module 330. The token now created will be linked with the URI and a time limit will be selected 880. Lastly, the viewer will be started on the client machine and sent back to the client along with the URI and the created token. Client Components Within an Illustrative Virtual Smart Card The client components described above in conjunction with FIG. 1 may be employed in a variety of client systems. Such client systems may include devices that typically connect using a wired communications medium such as personal computers, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, set top boxes, interactive television devices, point of deployment interfaces and modules, network PCs, and the like. Such devices may also include devices that typically connect using a wireless communications medium such as cell phones, smart phones, pagers, walkie talkies, radio frequency (RF) devices, infrared (IR) devices, CBs, integrated devices combining one or more of the preceding devices, or virtually any mobile device, and the like. Similarly, client systems that may employ the client components of FIG. 1 may be any device that is capable of connecting using a wired or wireless communication medium such as a PDA, POCKET PC, wearable computer, and any other device that is equipped to communicate over a wired and/or wireless communication medium. Such client systems may also be configured to employ the streamed data for a variety of reasons, including, enjoying movies, audio clips, and the like. In one embodiment, the streamed data may include at least a portion of data associated with an interactive television service. The streamed data may even be associated with banking activities, e-commerce activities, and the like. Moreover, the client components of FIG. 1 may be arranged in a variety of configurations, and be associated with a variety of architectures. For example, in one embodiment, the client components of FIG. 1 may be arranged within a client system having a virtual smart card (VSC). Additionally, the client components may be employed in conjunction with an interactive television environment using the VSC. FIG. 7 shows one embodiment of such an arrangement for the VSC within a client device that is configured to operably interact with a transaction server in a manner substantially similar to that described above in conjunction with FIGS. 2-6. Client system 7000 of FIG. 7 may include many more components than those shown. The components shown, however, are sufficient to disclose an illustrative embodiment for practicing the invention, and variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Use of the described VSC enables privacy (confidentiality), integrity, timeliness, access control (authorization), and authentication (identity), as well as rapid renewal, cross link copy protection or digital rights management, and greater capacity, flexibility, and an ability to bind to a device to provide increased security. As shown in the figure, client system 7000 includes client device 7002. Client device 7002 includes VSC 7004, tamper detection 7006, data stream receive module 7170, display module 7140, local display control module 7130, and user interface 7110. VSC 7004 includes communications & flow control modules 7010, secure message manager 7012, tamper protection 7014, client input buffer 7150, token manager 7016, cryptographic modules 7060, token storage module 7100, key generator 7018, and binding module 7020. User interface 7110 operates substantially similar to user interface 110 of FIG. 1. User interface 7110 may include a variety of client input devices including a mouse, keyboard, microphone, touch-screen, remote control device, and the like, that is configured to provide an ability to select a data stream, as well as provide information. Local display control module 7130 operates substantially similar to local display control module 130 of FIG. 1. That is, local display control module 7130 may be virtually any device, software, combination of software and hardware, and the like, that enables the control of a display of data, and an ability to pause, stop, start, and re-start a data stream. Display module 7140 operates substantially similar to display module 140 of FIG. 1. That is, display module 7140 enables a presentation of the data stream, including video data, audio data, and the like, to a user. Display module 7140, for example, may enable the presentation of an interactive television data stream. Data stream receive module 7170 operates substantially similar to data stream receive module 170 of FIG. 1. That is, data stream receive module 7170 is configured to mange a reception of data packets associated with the data stream sent by the server. Data stream receive module 7170 may be further configured to provide the received data packets to communication & flow control module 7010. Token storage module 7100 is configured to operate substantially similar to token store module 100 of FIG. 100. That is, token storage module 7100 is configured to provide secure storage for URIs, tokens associated with a stored URI, an expiration data associated with the token, and the like. Moreover, token storage module 7100 is further configured to provide a secure local store that is tightly bound to client device 7002. Token storage module 7100 may be implemented as a file, folder, database, or the like. Binding to the client system is performed employing binding module 7020. Local security may be provided using any of a variety of encryption, obfuscation, and through use of various network resources. Binding module 7020 is configured to uniquely identify client device 7002, the server system, or the like. In one embodiment this is achieved by employing a fingerprint. A fingerprint may be made up of a number of elements specific to each fingerprint. Such elements are termed herein as ridges. Each ridge includes an element of a fingerprint that provides information to the fingerprint making it unique from other fingerprints. Some examples of ridges include a hardware serial number, operating system version number, Internet Protocol address, physical memory size, and the like. Each ridge included within the fingerprint refines the identity of the system so that it may be uniquely identified within a system. The combinations of all fingerprints may create a handprint or system fingerprint that uniquely identifies a personal computer, server, client device, set top box, or similar device within the system. An order of each of the fingerprint groups and individual ridges may affect the resulting system fingerprint or handprint. That is, each user of binding module 7020 may generate a unique fingerprint and subsequent handprint even though the core ridge information being utilized is the same. Use of the generated fingerprint binds VSC 7004 to a specific device, such as client device 7002, such that it will not properly function if cloned and attempted to be run on another device. This approach virtually eliminates the common hacker approach of physical smart card piracy. In one embodiment, VSC 7004 may be combined with another device, such as a physical smart card, to further increase the secure identity characteristics of the physical card to the device fingerprint while maintaining flexibility and power of VSC 7004. This may be done, for example, in a system where device identity is inherently weak, where cost and/or convenience of the physical card, or other device, may not be a concern. Communication & flow control module 7010 is configured to enable communications and flow control of data between VSC 7004 and the transaction and streaming servers. As such, communication & flow control module 7010 may perform actions substantially similar to some actions performed by stream control protocol module 120 of FIG. 1. That is, communication & flow control module 7010 may enable an initial connection to a server, and enabling a passing of a requested URI, token, and user information. Communication & flow control module 7010 may also enable flow control of the data from the server to ensure that a rate of flow maintains a substantially full client buffer (e.g., client input buffer 7150), substantially similar to stream control protocol module 120 of FIG. 1. Communication & flow control module 7010 may do so, for example, by monitoring various characteristics, such as a rate that data is being received, network statistics, input buffer statistics, and so forth. As such, communication & flow control module 7010 may enable a query of input buffer 7150 to determine a percentage full, a rate of being filled, a percentage of buffer space remaining, and the like. Communication & flow control module 7010 may then provide a flow control metric based on the monitored characteristics to the server, either encrypted or unencrypted. If the information is provided in an encrypted manner, communication & flow control module 7010 may employ secure message manager 7012 to ensure that the information is secure. Secure message manager 7012 is configured to provide a secure medium for message exchange. Although not illustrated, secure message manager 7012 interacts with a variety of other components of VSC 7004 as required to ensure that mutual authentication of end parties is accomplished and privacy of messages is maintained. Token Manager 7016 is configured to manage the receipt, storage, sending, and interpretation of tokens, and similar entitlements. As such, token manager 7016 may perform various actions associated with stream control protocol module 120 of FIG. 1. For example, token manager 7016 may pass the requested URI, token, and user information to a server. Token manager 7016, may also negotiate a set of encryption keys with the server, by employing cryptographic modules 7060 and/or key generator 7018. Moreover, token manager 7016 may employ secure message manager 7012 to enable secure communications between a server and client device 7002. Tokens have been briefly described above. In one embodiment, the token, however, may also include a digital certificate that may include identification information, encryption keys, and the like, associated with such as a Certification Authority. Such token structure as employed by VSC 7004 provides a unique concept of entitlement chains, which may expand a business model beyond that which is typically supported by a traditional Certification Authority model. However, the invention is not so constrained, and the token structure may employ virtually any structure that is configured to associate user permissions to a specific data stream. Cryptographic module 7060 is directed towards providing cryptographic mechanisms for performing such as encryption, decryption, digital signatures, key generation, and so forth. For example, cryptographic module 7060 may include asymmetric cryptographic mechanisms that are configured to provide public/private key based cryptographic actions. Public/private cryptographic actions include key generation, digital signatures, encryption, decryption, and integrity checking. Cryptographic module 7060 also enables a secure exchange of encryption keys, through token manager 7016 and secure message manager 7012. Cryptographic module 7060 is further enabled to receive secure content from communications and flow control module 7010, decrypt the secure content, and to send the decrypted content to client input buffer 7150. Client input buffer 7150 operates substantially similar to client input buffer 150 of FIG. 1. That is, client input buffer 7150 is configured to include the stream buffer. It is important to note that, although client input buffer 7150 is illustrated within VSC 7004, the invention is not so limited. For example, client input buffer 7150 may reside within client device 7002 and outside of VSC 7004. Cryptographic module 7060 is configured to provide a variety of cryptographic keys, including symmetric or private keys, asymmetric or public keys, and the like. Although cryptographic module 7060 may employ virtually any cryptographic mechanisms, in one embodiment, cryptographic module 7060 employs AES for symmetric cryptography. In another embodiment, cryptographic module 7060 employs RSA for asymmetric cryptographic actions. Key generator 7018 is configured to employ cryptographic module 7060 to enable generation of cryptographic keys. Such generation may employ for example, a rapid renewal mechanism whereby the new generation of keys may be performed within a short period of time, compared to traditional physical smart card key replacement mechanisms. In one embodiment key generator 7018 may enable generation of new keys within hours rather than days, weeks, or even months. In one embodiment, to further obfuscate a potential point of attack dynamic rapid renewal is employed, wherein regeneration of keys, and the like, is performed on a random basis to create an unpredictable environment. In another embodiment, such dynamic rapid renewal may also be employed to replace various software components that may further minimize an attack. Employing such rapid renewal of enables use of VSC 7004 in a variety of other situations, including banking, enterprise security, e-commerce, and by studios for content distribution. Tamper detection 7006 and tamper protection 7014 may be applied at a variety of points within client system 7000 to ensure a highly secure infrastructure. Typically, some level of tamper protection or resistance may be provided as part of the software and/or hardware of VSC 7004. As shown, VSC 7004 includes tamper protection 7014 to provide protection or resistance from tampering, and similar hacking approaches. This protection may further include agents that are configured to perform various actions, including in-circuit emulator detection, debugger detection, debugger resistance, memory space violation detection and protection, as well as similar application level piracy behavior detection and protection. Tamper detection 7006 is configured to identify tampering from other systems, such as those on client device 7002, and the like. For example, in an interactive television environment it may be possible to deploy tamper detection within a network to monitor for cloning attempts of virtual smart cards and/or its various components. Tamper detection 7006 may further provide a trusted time source, thereby preventing replay attacks. Operationally, VSC 7004 may perform substantially similar to that described in FIG. 4. For example, as described in FIG. 4, the client is loaded with a URI and a token (see block 400 of FIG. 4). This action may arise in FIG. 7 through an interaction with communication & flow control module 7010, as well as a user interface 7110, display module 7140, and the like. If the user launches a data stream at decision block 410 of FIG. 4, the process moves to block 460, where a URI and token is saved employing token manager 7016 and token storage module 7100. Moving next to block 470, communication & flow control module 7010, in conjunction with token manager 7016, sends the URI, token, and user information to the streaming server. If, at decision block 480, the server acknowledges a valid URI and token combination, processing proceeds to block 490 of FIG. 4, where data is streamed from the streaming server. Such streaming of data may be received by data stream receive module 7170 and sent to communication & flow control module 7010, where decryption of the received stream may occur through the use of cryptographic modules 7060. The decrypted data stream may then be placed into client input buffer 7150, at a rate that is directed at maintaining a substantially full client buffer. Communication & flow control module 7010 provides flow control information during the streaming of the data to ensure the client buffer is substantially full. The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The Internet has provided another means for communication whereby data can be streamed from a server to a client. The client is responsible for displaying the streamed data, preferably streamed media, to a user. The server is responsible for delivering the data stream to the client. The Real Networks and Microsoft solutions send the data stream via a UDP (a connectionless Internet protocol) along with another connection between the client and the server that controls the transmission of the streamed data. The control connection element functions to stop buffer overruns and can adjust the transmission of the stream to compensate for bandwidth latencies. One problem with this arrangement, however, is that the data that are streamed to the client from the server are unprotected and available to anyone on the network. Therefore, there is a need in the art to better protect from interception across a wide area network, such as the Internet. Specifically, the need relates to providing an ability to protect the improper interception and ability to copy streaming data across the Internet. At present, there is no protection mechanism in place to protect copyrighted data. Once the data has been released by the server and either received by the user or intercepted before being received by the user, there is no way to restrict the re-transmission of such data once it has been released over a network. Even if the data stream has been copyrighted, there is no means to protect or enforce copyright protection of streamed data. The entity owning the copyright and streaming such content realize that there is no control over what is done with such content after it is released. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a means for protecting copyrights in content once streamed over a network. The present invention was designed to address both needs. Currently, no streaming media solution actually encrypts the data that is being sent from the server to the client. One solution can accomplish this with existing technology, such as by merging SSL secure HTTP sockets with a streaming software package, such as Quicktime. Unfortunately, Quicktime does not have a full screen view option. Therefore, there is a need in the art to develop a better method for streaming video data. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention provides a process for encrypting a data stream to secure the data stream to enable only single viewing, comprising: (a) providing a client selection for a streaming data transmission (b) opening a connection to a streaming server and sending URI, token and user information to the streaming server, wherein the streaming server comprises a client data connection module to send data packets to a client, an encryption module to use encryption keys negotiated with the client to encrypt the data stream and operably connected to the client data connection module, and a flow control module for controlling the rate of data stream flow to maintain a full client buffer; (c) approving or disapproving a valid or invalid, respectively, URI and token combination on a transaction server, wherein the transaction server comprises a client interaction module for connecting a user to the transaction server component, a user verification module having a user database wherein the user verification module is operably linked to the client interaction module and checking for a valid user, and a URI and token creation module operably linked to the user verification module for creating new URIs and tokens in response to user requests; and (d) providing a continuously encrypted data stream to the client if a valid URI and token combination was found. The streaming server component may further comprise a read buffer module operable connected with the flow control module for reading in data from a source footage on storage medium. However, the data is not limited to this arrangement, and may include data from a variety of other sources, including an e-commerce transaction, an interactive television source, including a multicast service, a unicast service, and the like. The streaming server component may further comprise a user interface module operably connected to the file system module or flow control module for setting server options. The streaming server can further comprise client server component comprising a data stream control protocol module to create an initial connection to the streaming server component, a decryption module to decrypt the incoming data stream, an input buffer module to buffer incoming data streams, and a display control module to control the display of streaming data. The client server component may further comprise a display module to display audio and video data. The providing the continuously encrypted data stream step (d) further may comprise a user interface module in the streaming server to allow for pausing, stopping, playing, restarting the data stream, or otherwise interacting with the data stream, and/or data stream source. In one embodiment, the transaction server is implemented with ASP scripts for encryption. The present invention further comprises a streaming server for encrypting a data stream to secure the data stream to enable only single viewing, comprising: (a) a streaming server component, wherein the streaming server component comprises a client data connection module to send data packets to a client; and encryption module to use encryption keys negotiated with the client to encrypt the data stream and operably connected to the client data connection module, and a flow control module for controlling the rate of data stream flow to maintain a substantially full client buffer; and (b) a transaction server component, wherein the transaction server component comprises a client interaction module for connecting a user to the transaction server component, a user verification module having a user database wherein the user verification module is operably linked to the client interaction module and checking for a valid user, and a URI and token creation module operably linked to the user verification module for creating new URIs and tokens in response to user requests. The streaming server component may further comprise a read buffer module operable connected with the flow control module for reading in data from a source footage on storage medium. However, the data may also include data from an interactive source, source as interactive television services, and the like. The streaming server component may further comprise a user interface module operably connected to the file system module or flow control module for setting server options. The streaming server may further comprise a client server component comprising a data stream control protocol module to create an initial connection to the streaming server component, a decryption module to decrypt the incoming data stream, an input buffer module to buffer incoming data streams, and a, display control module to control the display of streaming data. The client server component may further comprise a display module to display audio and video data. | 20041001 | 20071120 | 20050602 | 98249.0 | 1 | MESFIN, YEMANE | PROCESS AND STREAMING SERVER FOR ENCRYPTING A DATA STREAM TO A VIRTUAL SMART CARD CLIENT SYSTEM | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,957,309 | ACCEPTED | Activity data capture system for a well service vehicle | The present invention is directed to incrementing a well service rig in such a manner that activity-based and/or time-based data for the well site is recorded. The invention contemplates that the acquired data can be transmitted in near real-time or periodically via wired, wireless, satellite or physical transfer such as by memory module to a data center preferably controlled by the work-over rig owner, but alternately controlled by the well owner or another. The data can thereafter be used to provide the customer in various forms ranging from a detailed invoice to a searchable, secure web-based database. With such information, the customer can schedule other services at the well site. Further, the customer will have access to detailed data on the actual service performed and can. The present invention fosters a synergistic relationship among the customer and the service companies that promotes a safe environment by monitoring crew work activities and equipment speeds; improving productivity; reducing operation expenses through improved job processes; and better data management and reduced operational failures. | 1. A method of servicing a well at a wellsite, comprising: measuring a variable associated with servicing the well, electronically recording the measured variable on a first computer; inputting non-numerical activity data associated with servicing the well into a second computer; transferring the electronically recorded measured variable and activity data from the wellsite to a central location. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measured variable is selected from the group consisting of hook load, tong torque, engine RPM, hydrogen sulfide concentration, block position, engine oil pressure, clutch air pressure, and global position. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-numerical activity is selected from the group consisting of rigging up a well service unit, pulling rods, pulling tubing, running tubing, running rods, rigging down the well service unit, nippling up a BOP, nippling down a BOP, fishing, jarring, swabbing, drilling, clean out, killing the well, circulating fluid, unseating pumps, setting a tubing anchor, releasing a tubing anchor, setting a packer, releasing a packer, well stimulation, cementing, logging, perforating, and inspecting the well. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the means of transferring the electronically recorded measured variable and activity data from the wellsite to a central location is selected from the group consisting of transmitting via a modem over a cellular phone, transmitting via a satellite hookup, transmitting via a wireless communication device, and transmitting by saving the recorded measured variable and activity data on a hard disk medium and physically transferring the hard disk medium to the central location. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hard disk medium is selected from the group consisting of a floppy disk, CD, and memory storage device. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein after the electronically recorded measured variable is transferred to the central location, it is made available on the internet. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein after the electronically recorded activity data is transferred to the central location, it is made available on the internet. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computer and the second computer are the same. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-numerical activity data associated with servicing the well is inputted into the second computer by typing it in using a keyboard. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-numerical activity data associated with servicing the well is inputted into the second computer by pressing a pre-programmed button associated with a specific activity. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pre-programmed buttons provide a hierarchy of non-numerical activity data available for input. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the hierarchy of non-numerical activity is broken down in to activity identifiers. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the activity identifiers are selected from the group consisting of global day in/day out well servicing activities, internal routine activities, and external routine activities. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the global day in/day out well servicing activities are selected from the group consisting of rigging up a work-over rig, pulling rods, laying down rods, pulling tubing, laying down tubing, picking up tubing, running tubing, picking up rods, running rods, and rigging down the work-over rig. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the internal routine activities are selected from the group consisting of rigging up an auxiliary service unit, rigging down an auxiliary service unit, longstroke, cut paraffin, nipple up a BOP, nipple down a BOP, fishing, jarring, swabbing, flowback, drilling, clean out, well control activities, killing a well, circulating fluid within a well, unseating pumps, setting a release tubing anchor, releasing a tubing anchor, setting a packer, releasing a packer, picking up drill collars, laying down drill collars, picking up tools, and laying down tools. 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the internal routine activities are selected from the group consisting of rigging up third party servicing equipment, rigging down third party servicing equipment, well stimulation, cementing, logging, perforating, and inspecting the well. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-numerical activity data is classified with a progression classification based on how the activity is progressing to completion. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein a variance identifier is assigned to each progression classification. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the variance identifier describes a change in work conditions. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the activity classifications are selected from the group consisting of “on task: routine,” “on task: extend,” “on task: re-sequence,” “exception: suspend,” “exception: wait,” and “exception down.” 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the non-numerical activity data can be changed at any time. 22. The method of claim 1, wherein the measured variable and the activity data are provided by a third party service provider. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the third party service provider communicates with the first or second computer using a method selected from the group consisting of an electromagnetic signal, a magnetic identity card, a wired communication device, or a wireless communication device. 24. A mobile well service vehicle, comprising: a transducer for measuring a variable associated with servicing a well, a means for electronically recording the measured variable. a means for electronically recording non-numerical activity data associated with servicing the well; a means for transferring the electronically recorded measured variable and activity data from the wellsite to a central location. 25. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 24, wherein the measured variable is selected from the group consisting of hook load, tong torque, engine RPM, hydrogen sulfide concentration, block position, engine oil pressure, clutch air pressure, and global position. 26. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 24, wherein the non-numerical activity is selected from the group consisting of rigging up a well service unit, pulling rods, pulling tubing, running tubing, running rods, rigging down the well service unit, nippling up a BOP, nippling down a BOP, fishing, jarring, swabbing, drilling, clean out, killing the well, circulating fluid, unseating pumps, setting a tubing anchor, releasing a tubing anchor, setting a packer, releasing a packer, well stimulation, cementing, logging, perforating, and inspecting the well. 27. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 24, wherein the means of transferring the electronically recorded measured variable and activity data from the wellsite to a central location is selected from the group consisting of transmitting via a modem over a cellular phone, transmitting via a satellite hookup, transmitting via a wireless communication device, and transmitting by saving the recorded measured variable and activity data on a hard disk medium and physically transferring the hard disk medium to the central location. 28. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 27, wherein the hard disk medium is selected from the group consisting of a floppy disk, CD, and memory storage device. 29. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 24, wherein the means for electronically recording the measured variable and the means for electronically recording non-numerical activity data associated with servicing the well are the same. 30. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 24, wherein means for recording the non-numerical activity data associated with servicing the well is a keyboard. 31. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 24, wherein means for recording the non-numerical activity data associated with servicing the well are pre-programmed buttons associated with a specific activity. 32. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 31, wherein the pre-programmed buttons provide a hierarchy of non-numerical activity data available for input. 33. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 32, wherein the hierarchy of non-numerical activity is broken down in to activity identifiers. 34. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 33, wherein the activity identifiers are selected from the group consisting of global day in/day out well servicing activities, internal routine activities, and external routine activities. 35. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 34, wherein the global day in/day out well servicing activities are selected from the group consisting of rigging up a work-over rig, pulling rods, laying down rods, pulling tubing, laying down tubing, picking up tubing, running tubing, picking up rods, running rods, and rigging down the work-over rig. 36. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 34, wherein the internal routine activities are selected from the group consisting of rigging up an auxiliary service unit, rigging down an auxiliary service unit, longstroke, cut paraffin, nipple up a BOP, nipple down a BOP, fishing, jarring, swabbing, flowback, drilling, clean out, well control activities, killing a well, circulating fluid within a well, unseating pumps, setting a release tubing anchor, releasing a tubing anchor, setting a packer, releasing a packer, picking up drill collars, laying down drill collars, picking up tools, and laying down tools. 37. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 34, wherein the internal routine activities are selected from the group consisting of rigging up third party servicing equipment, rigging down third party servicing equipment, well stimulation, cementing, logging, perforating, and inspecting the well. 38. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 24, wherein the non-numerical activity data is classified with a progression classification based on how the activity is progressing to completion. 39. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 38, wherein a variance identifier is assigned to each progression classification. 40. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 39, wherein the variance identifier describes a change in work conditions. 41. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 38, wherein the activity classifications are selected from the group consisting of “on task: routine,” “on task: extend,” “on task: re-sequence,” “exception: suspend,” “exception: wait,” and “exception down.” 42. The mobile well service vehicle of claim 38, wherein the non-numerical activity data can be changed at any time. 43. A method of servicing a well at a wellsite, comprising: inputting non-numerical activity data associated with servicing the well into a computer; transferring the electronically recorded measured variable and activity data from the wellsite to a central location. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the non-numerical activity is selected from the group consisting of rigging up a well service unit, pulling rods, pulling tubing, running tubing, running rods, rigging down the well service unit, nippling up a BOP, nippling down a BOP, fishing, jarring, swabbing, drilling, clean out, killing the well, circulating fluid, unseating pumps, setting a tubing anchor, releasing a tubing anchor, setting a packer, releasing a packer, well stimulation, cementing, logging, perforating, and inspecting the well. 45. The method of claim 43, wherein the means of transferring the electronically recorded activity data from the wellsite to a central location is selected from the group consisting of transmitting via a modem over a cellular phone, transmitting via a satellite hookup, transmitting via a wireless communication device, and transmitting by saving the recorded measured variable and activity data on a hard disk medium and physically transferring the hard disk medium to the central location. 46. The method of claim 45, wherein the hard disk medium is selected from the group consisting of a floppy disk, CD, and memory storage device. 47. The method of claim 43, wherein after the electronically recorded activity data is transferred to the central location, it is made available on the internet. 48. The method of claim 43, wherein the non-numerical activity data associated with servicing the well is inputted into the second computer by typing it in using a keyboard. 49. The method of claim 43, wherein the non-numerical activity data associated with servicing the well is inputted into the second computer by pressing a pre-programmed button associated with a specific activity. 50. The method of claim 49, wherein the pre-programmed buttons provide a hierarchy of non-numerical activity data available for input. 51. The method of claim 50, wherein the hierarchy of non-numerical activity is broken down in to activity identifiers. 52. The method of claim 51, wherein the activity identifiers are selected from the group consisting of global day in/day out well servicing activities, internal routine activities, and external routine activities. 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the global day in/day out well servicing activities are selected from the group consisting of rigging up a work-over rig, pulling rods, laying down rods, pulling tubing, laying down tubing, picking up tubing, running tubing, picking up rods, running rods, and rigging down the work-over rig. 54. The method of claim 52, wherein the internal routine activities are selected from the group consisting of rigging up an auxiliary service unit, rigging down an auxiliary service unit, longstroke, cut paraffin, nipple up a BOP, nipple down a BOP, fishing, jarring, swabbing, flowback, drilling, clean out, well control activities, killing a well, circulating fluid within a well, unseating pumps, setting a release tubing anchor, releasing a tubing anchor, setting a packer, releasing a packer, picking up drill collars, laying down drill collars, picking up tools, and laying down tools. 55. The method of claim 52, wherein the internal routine activities are selected from the group consisting of rigging up third party servicing equipment, rigging down third party servicing equipment, well stimulation, cementing, logging, perforating, and inspecting the well. 56. The method of claim 43, wherein the non-numerical activity data is classified with a progression classification based on how the activity is progressing to completion. 57. The method of claim 56, wherein a variance identifier is assigned to each progression classification. 58. The method of claim 57, wherein the variance identifier describes a change in work conditions. 59. The method of claim 56, wherein the activity classifications are selected from the group consisting of “on task: routine,” “on task: extend,” “on task: re-sequence,” “exception: suspend,” “exception: wait,” and “exception down.” 60. The method of claim 56, wherein the non-numerical activity data can be changed at any time. 61. The method of claim 43, wherein the activity data is provided by a third party service provider. 62. The method of claim 61, wherein the third party service provider communicates with the first or second computer using a method selected from the group consisting of an electromagnetic signal, a magnetic identity card, a wired communication device, or a wireless communication device. | This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/508,730, filed Oct. 3, 2003. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The technical field of the present invention relates generally to acquisition of data concerning servicing hydrocarbon wells and more specifically to an instrumented, computerized work over rig adapted to record and transmit data concerning well servicing activities and conditions at a well site. 2. Description of the Related Art After a well has been drilled, it must be completed before it can produce gas or oil. Once completed, a variety of events may occur to the formation, the well and its equipment that requires a “work-over.” For purposes of this application, “work-over” and “service” operations are used in their very broadest sense to refer to any and all activities performed on or for a well to repair or rehabilitate the well, and also includes activities to shut in or cap the well. Generally, work over operations include such things as replacing worn or damaged parts (e.g., a pump, sucker rods, tubing, and packer glands), applying secondary or tertiary recovery techniques, such as chemical or hot oil treatments, cementing the well bore, and logging the well bore to name just a few. Service operations are usually performed by or involve a mobile work-over rig that is adapted to, among other things, pull the well tubing or rods and also to run the tubing or rods back in. Typically, these mobile service rigs are motor vehicle-based and have an extendible, jack-up derrick complete with draw works and block. In addition to the service or work-over rig, additional service companies and equipment may be involved to provide specialize operations. Examples of such specialized services includes: a chemical tanker, a cementing truck or trailer, a well logging truck, perforating truck, and a hot-oiler truck or trailer. It is conventional for a well owner to contract with a service company to provide all or a portion of the necessary work-over operations. For example, a well owner, or customer, may contract with a work-over rig provider to pull the tubing from a specific well, contract with one or more service providers to provide other specific services in conjunction with the work-over rig company so that the well can be rehabilitated according to the owner's direction. It is typical for the well owner to receive individual invoices for services rendered from each company that was involved in the work over. For example, if the portable work-over rig spent 30 hours at the well site, the customer well owner will be billed for 30 rig hours at the prevailing hourly rate. The customer is rarely provided any detail on this bill as to when the various other individual operations were started or completed, or how much material was used. Occasionally, the customer might be supplied with handwritten notes from the rig operator, but such is the exception, not the rule. Similarly, the customer will receive invoices from the other service companies that were involved with working over the well. The customer is often left with little to no indication of whether the service operation for which it is billed were done properly, and in some cases, even done at all. Further, most well owners own more than one well in a given field and the invoices from the various companies may confuse the well name with the services rendered. Also, if an accident or some other notable incident occurs at the well site during a service operation, it may be difficult to determine the root cause or who was involved because there is rarely any documentation of what actually went on at the well site. Of course, a well owner can have one of his agents at the well site to monitor the work-over operations and report back to the owner, but such “hands-on” reporting is often times prohibitively expensive. The present invention is directed to ameliorating these and other problems associated with oil well work-over operations. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to incrementing a well service rig in such a manner that activity-based and/or time-based data for the well site is recorded. The invention contemplates that the acquired data can be transmitted in near real-time or periodically via wired, wireless, satellite or physical transfer such as by memory module to a data center preferably controlled by the work-over rig owner, but alternately controlled by the well owner or another. The data can thereafter be used to provide the customer in various forms ranging from a detailed invoice to a searchable, secure web-based database. With such information, the customer can schedule other services at the well site. Further, the customer will have access to detailed data on the actual service performed and can then verify invoices. The present invention fosters a synergistic relationship among the customer and the service companies that promotes a safe environment by monitoring crew work activities and equipment speeds; improving productivity; reducing operation expenses through improved job processes; and better data management and reduced operational failures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A-B illustrate one example of a well servicing activity cycle. FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment an activity capture methodology outlined in tabular form. FIG. 3 shows one example of an operator interface. FIG. 4 shows one example of an activity capture map of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side view of a mobile repair unit with its derrick extended. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a pneumatic slip in a locked position. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a pneumatic slip in an open position. FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a set of hydraulic tongs. FIG. 9 is a side view of a mobile repair unit with its derrick retracted. FIG. 10 illustrates the raising and lowering of an inner tubing string. FIG. 11 shows an exception-reporting page for a single well service operation for a customer. FIG. 12 shows one example of available sensor data for viewing by a customer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Because the mobile work-over rig is typically the center of work-over or service operations at the well site, the present invention is directed to incrementing the service rig in such a manner that activity-based and/or time-based data for the well site is recorded. The invention contemplates that the acquired data can be transmitted in near real-time or periodically via wired, wireless, satellite or physical transfer such as by memory module to a data center preferably controlled by the work-over rig owner, but alternately controlled by the well owner or another. The data can thereafter be used to provide the customer in various forms ranging from a detailed invoice to a searchable, secure web-based database. This latter implementation of the invention permits a well-owner customer to monitor the progress, depending upon the update rate, of the work-over services being performed on the well. As described below in more detail, by accessing the data through a regularly updated web portal, the customer may be able to determine in near real time that, for example, the tubing pull will be completed in approximately 2 hours. With such information, the customer can schedule other services at the well site. Further, the customer will have access to detailed data on the actual service performed and can then verify its invoices. The present invention fosters a synergistic relationship among the customer and the service companies that promotes a safe environment by monitoring crew work activities and equipment speeds; improving productivity; reducing operation expenses through improved job processes; and better data management and reduced operational failures. Implementation of the invention on a conventional work-over rig can be conceptualized in two main aspects: 1) acquisition, recordation and transmission of transducer data such as hook load, hydraulic pressure, flow rate, etc. and 2) acquisition, recordation, and transmission of service-based activity, such as “Rig Up,” “Nipple Up Blow Out Preventer,” and “Pull Tubing,” among others. Acquisition of physical transducer data can be achieved through automated means, such as a transducer that converts pressure to an electrical signal being fed to an analog-to-digital converter and then to a recoding means, such as a hard drive in a computer or memory in a microprocessor. Acquisition of service-based activity may be achieved by service rig operator input into a microprocessor-based system. It is contemplated that the transducer data and activity data may be acquired by and stored by the same or different systems, depending the design and requirements of the work-over rig. In a certain implementation of the invention, it may be desirable to make the acquisition and storage of the data at the well site secure to the extent that the service rig operator or other service company representatives are not able to manipulate or adulterate the data. One implementation of this inventive concept is to not allow error correction in the field. In other words, if the rig operator inadvertently inputs that a tubing pull service has begun when in fact the operation is nippling up the BOP, the operator can immediately input that the tubing pull has ended and input that the nipple up process has started. Additionally or alternatively, the operator may annotate an activity entry, or annotation may be restricted to personnel at the data center. It is also contemplated that the operator (or other inputer) can have complete editorial control over the data (both transducer data and activity data) inputted into the storage system. The invention contemplates that transducer data and/or activity data from third party service providers will also be inputted into the work-over rig data captive system. For example, third party service vehicles may utilize an identity beacon that emits a signal, such as an electromagnetic signal that is received by the instrumented work-over rig and records the time that the specific service vehicle arrived on site. Alternatively, the rig operator may manually input such information or other means such as magnetic cards or the like may be used. Once on site, transducer data associated with the third party service operation, such as for example, flow rate or pressure, may be communicated to the instrumented rig via wire or wireless communication busses. The rig operator can input third-party activity data in a fashion similar to rig-based activities. In this and similar fashion, the instrumented work-over rig of the present invention can acquire, store and transmit all or substantially all of the physical and activity-based data that is generated by working over an oil well. Before turning to a detailed description of the current embodiment of the present invention, applicants hereby incorporate by reference the following patents and patent applications: U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,490 entitled “Remotely Accessible Mobile Repair Unit for Wells;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,639 entitled “Method of Ensuring That Well Tubing Was Properly Stretched;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,763 entitled “Torque-Turn System for a Three-Element Sucker Rod Joint;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,207 entitled “Method of Distinguishing Between Installing Different Sucker Rods;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,020 entitled “Method of Recording a Cross-Load on a Mobile Repair Unit for a Well;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,849 entitled “Method of Distinguishing the Raising and Lowering of Tubing and Sucker Rods;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,449 entitled “Engine Speed Control for Joist and Tongs;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,706 entitled “Sucker Rod Tool;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,377,189 entitled “Oil Well Servicing System;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,634 entitled “Method of Monitoring Pump Operations of a Service Vehicle at a Well Site;” U.S. Ser. No. 10/437,673 entitled “Portable Memory Device for a Mobile Repair Unit;” U.S. Ser. No. 09/839,444 entitled “Method of Managing a Well File Record at a Well Site;” U.S. Ser. No. 09/838,857 entitled “Method of Monitoring Operations of Multiple Service Vehicles at a Well Site;” U.S. Ser. No. 60/428,506 entitled “Crown Out-Floor Out Device for a Well Service Rig;” U.S. Ser. No. 09/839,411 entitled “Method of Managing Workers at a Well Site;” U.S. Ser. No. 10/263,630 entitled “Engine Speed Limiter for a Hoist;” U.S. Ser. No. 09/839,103 entitled “Method of Managing Billing Information at a Well Site;” U.S. Ser. No. 10/113,609 entitled “Servicing System for Wells;” U.S. Ser. No. 10/440,633 entitled “Method of Monitoring Pumping Operations of a Service Vehicle at a Well Site;” U.S. Ser. No. 10/046,688 entitled “Tongs Monitor with Learning Mode;” U.S. Ser. No. 09/839,080 entitled “Method of Managing Work Orders at a Well Site;” U.S. Ser. No. 60/447,342 entitled “Warning Device to Prevent Clutch Burning on a Well Service Rig;” U.S. Ser. No. 60/447,343 entitled “Ergonomics Safety Warning Device and a Method to Prevent Clutch Burning on a Well Service Rig;” and U.S. Ser. No. 60/441,212 entitled “Inventory Counter for Oil & Gas Wells.” Applicants will now describe one embodiment of the present invention. It will be understood that this embodiment is but one way of implementing the present invention and does not necessarily implement all aspects of the invention. Therefore, the embodiment described below should not be construed to limit or define the outer boundaries of the present invention. Activity Data Capture The amount of time a service rig spends at a well site can be broken down into discrete activities, each with a measurable beginning and ending time. One example of a typical series of service operations that might be performed at a well include moving onsite and rigging up (MIRU) the workover rig, pulling sucker rods, nippling up the BOP (NUBOP), pulling tubing, other specified operations, running tubing, and well stimulation. Each activity has an identifiable start point which is associated with a certain time, and an identifiable end point that is associated with another certain time so that both the customer and the well service provider can ensure that the work was actually done and done in a timely manner. Capturing the physical activities that take place at the well site requires the operator of the service vehicle to input what happens at the well site. Operator input is used to capture and classify what activities are taking place at the well site, the time the activities are taking place, any exception events that prevent, restrict, or extend the completion of an activity, and the primary cause and responsible party associated with the exception events. Operator input is obtained by having the operator enter the activity data into a computer or microprocessor as the different service operations are taking place so that the customer and the service provider can have an accurate depiction of what goes on at the well site. In one embodiment, the operator can simply type the activity information into a computer located at the well site. In another embodiment, a computer (e.g., display) is provided to the operator with a number of pre-identified activities already programmed therein. When the operator starts or stops an activity, he can simply push a button associated with the computer to log the stopping or starting of that pre-identified service activity. In a further embodiment, the operator is provided with a hierarchy of service tasks from which to choose from. Preferably, this service hierarchy is designed to be intuitive to the operator, in that the hierarchy is laid out in a manner that is similar to the progression of various service activities at a well site. Service activities at a well site can generally be divided into three activity identifiers: global day-in/day-out (DIDO) well servicing activities, internal routine activities and external routine activities. DIDO activities are activities that occur almost every day that a service vehicle is at a well site. In the case of a mobile work-over rig, examples of DIDO activities include rigging up the work-over rig, pulling and laying down rods, pulling and laying down tubing, picking up and running tubing, picking up and running rods, and rigging down the work-over rig. Internal routine activities are those that frequently occur during well servicing activities, but aren't necessarily DIDO activities. Example of internal routine activities are rigging up or rigging down an auxiliary service unit, longstroke, cut paraffin, nipple up/down a BOP, fishing, jarring, swabbing, flowback, drilling, clean out, well control activities such as killing the well or circulating fluid, unseating pumps, set/release tubing anchor, set/release packer, and pick up/laydown drill collars and/or other tools. Finally, external routine activities are routine activities that are commonly performed by third parties, such as rigging up/down third party servicing equipment, well stimulation, cementing, logging, perforating, or inspecting the well, and other common servicing tasks. FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate one example of a well servicing activity cycle. The job starts with the typical DIDO activities, shown in FIG. 1A, of rigging up the service unit, pulling and laying down rods, pulling and laying down tubing, and the respective transitions between those activities. After the tubing is pulled, other service activities are performed, most of which are selected from the list of internal routine activities and external routine activities described above and shown in FIG. 1B. After the selected internal and external routine activities are performed, the rig completes the job by picking up and running tubing and rods, and then rigging down the service unit. In one embodiment, the operator enters the activity identifier (i.e. global day-in/day-out (DIDO) well servicing activities, internal routine activities and external routine activities) into the computer system. After the activity has been identified, the activity is classified based on the operator's subjective determination of how the activity is progressing to completion. The normal, default activity could be classified as “ON TASK: ROUTINE” wherein the job is proceeding according to plan. If for some reason the work is continuing, but not according to plan, two alternate activity classifications would be available to the operator to classify what is happening at the wellsite. Two such classifications could be “ON TASK: EXTEND,” in which the job is proceeding according to plan under conditions that may extend task times beyond what is normal, and “ON TASK: RE-SEQUENCE,” where the preplanned job sequence has been interrupted, though work has not yet ceased, for example changing from rigging up an auxiliary service unit to nippling up a BOP before the auxiliary service unit is completely rigged up. A single activity can be re-classified at any time while the activity is being performed. For instance, when a service vehicle starts rigging up, the “rig up” activity identifier would likely be classified as “ON TASK: ROUTINE.” However, if problems are encountered causing the rigging up time to extend beyond what the normal rigging up time, the “rig up” activity could then be reclassified as “ON TASK: EXTEND.” In some instances, work is completely halted, and these cases, the operator would classify the activity as one of a number of exceptions. One type of exception classifications is “EXCEPTION: SUSPEND”, in which ongoing work activity has been interrupted due to a work-site condition and/or event that is temporary, and whose duration is unlikely to be longer than a set period of time, for instance, 10 minutes. Such “EXCEPTION: SUSPEND” conditions are generally non-emergency situations that include anything from a lunch or work break to a visit from the customer to discuss the well servicing operations. Another such exception classification is “EXCEPTION: WAIT” in which the pre-planned work process has been suspended due to the unavailability of a required resource, such as a unavailable personnel, material, or an unavailable third party service. A final type of exception classification is “EXCEPTION: DOWN” in which the preplanned work process has ceased due to unplanned events and/or conditions occurring at the well site. Such unplanned events include change of scope of the service activity, changed well conditions, mechanical failure, weather, unsafe conditions, health and safety training events, and other unplanned events. In one embodiment, for every activity classification other than “ON TASK: ROUTINE,” a variance identifier is assigned to the activity classification linking the reason for the non-routine classification to its source. If the activity classification is “ON TASK: EXTEND,” “ON TASK: RESEQUENCE,” or “EXCEPTION SUSPEND,” the variance identifier could be any of the aforementioned reasons for classifying exceptions, such as “SERVICE AVAILABILITY,” “MATERIAL AVAILABILITY,” “PERSONNEL AVAILABILITY,” “SCOPE CHANGE,” “WELL CONDITION CHANGE,” “MECHANICAL FAILURE,” “WEATHER, UNSAFE CONDITION,” “HEALTH AND SAFETY EVENT,” “WORK BREAK,” or other change in the work conditions. As described earlier, if the activity classification is “EXCEPTION: WAIT,” the variance identifier would be selected from as “SERVICE AVAILABILITY,” “MATERIAL AVAILABILITY,” or “PERSONNEL AVAILABILITY,” because “EXCEPTION: WAIT” is the activity classification in which the pre-planned work process has been suspended due to the unavailability of a required resource. If the activity classification is “EXCEPTION: DOWN,” the variance identifier would be selected from the group comprising “SCOPE CHANGE,” “WELL CONDITION CHANGE,” “MECHANICAL FAILURE,” “WEATHER, UNSAFE CONDITION,” “HEALTH AND SAFETY EVENT,” “WORK BREAK,” or other unanticipated change in the work conditions. This is because the “EXCEPTION: DOWN” activity classification covers exceptions in which the preplanned work process has ceased due to unplanned events and/or conditions occurring at the well site. After the variance identifier has been selected, the variance must be classified appropriately so as to be assigned to a responsible party. Generally, the responsible party will be the well service provider, a third party, or the customer. In one embodiment, the variance classification will be selected between “WELL SERVICE PROVIDER,” “CUSTOMER” or “3RD PARTY.” After the variance classification has been selected, the operator is done entering information in to the computer until the present activity is completed or the next activity started. Referring to FIG. 2, one embodiment of the aforementioned activity capture methodology is outlined in tabular form. As is shown in FIG. 2, an operator first chooses an activity identifier for his/her upcoming task. If “GLOBAL” is chosen, then, as shown in FIG. 1A, the operator would choose from rig up/down, pull/run tubing or rods, or laydown/pickup tubing and rods (options not shown in FIG. 2). If “ROUTINE: INTERNAL” is selected, then the operator would choose from rigging up or rigging down an auxiliary service unit, longstroke, cut paraffin, nipple up/down a BOP, fishing, jarring, swabbing, flowback, drilling, clean out, well control activities such as killing the well or circulating fluid, unseating pumps, set/release tubing anchor, set/release packer, and pick up/laydown drill collars and/or other tools, as shown in FIG. 1B. Finally, if “ROUTINE: EXTERNAL” is chosen, the operator would then select one an activity that is being performed by a third party, such as rigging up/down third party servicing equipment, well stimulation, cementing, logging, perforating, or inspecting the well, and other common third party servicing tasks, as shown in FIG. 1B. After the activity is identified, it is classified. For all classifications other than “ON TASK: ROUTINE,” a variance identifier is selected, and then classified using the variance classification values. As explained above, all that is required from the operator is that he or she enter in the activity data into a computer. The operator can interface with the computer using a variety of means, including typing on a keyboard or using a touch-screen. In one embodiment, a screen with pre-programmed buttons (10) is provided to the operator, such as the one shown in FIG. 3, which allows the operator to simply select the activity from a group of pre-programmed buttons. For instance, if the operator were presented with the screen of FIG. 3 upon arriving at the well site, the operator would first press the “RIG UP” button. The operator would then be presented with the option to select, for example, “SERVICE UNIT,” “AUXILIARY SERVICE UNIT,” or “THIRD PARTY.” The operator then would select whether the activity was on task, or if there was an exception, as described above. An example of an activity capture map for pulling operations is shown in FIG. 4. If an operator were to select “PULL” from the top screen, he would then have the option to select between “RODS,” “TUBING,” “DRILL COLLARS,” or “OTHER.” If the operator chose “RODS,” the operator would then choose from “PUMP,” “PART,” “FISHING TOOL,” or “OTHER.” The operator would be trained on the start and stop times for each activity, as shown in the last to columns of FIG. 4 so that the operator could appropriately document the duration of the activity at the well site. Each selection would have its own subset of tasks, as described above, but for ease of understanding, only those pulling rods or shown in FIG. 4. In one embodiment of the present invention, the activity data is gathered by the computer along with process data from the well service vehicle, such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,490, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Referring to FIG. 5, a retractable, self-contained mobile repair unit 20 is shown to include a truck frame 22 supported on wheels 24, an engine 26, a hydraulic pump 28, an air compressor 30, a first transmission 32, a second transmission 34, a variable speed hoist 36, a block 38, an extendible derrick 40, a first hydraulic cylinder 42, a second hydraulic cylinder 44, a first transducer 46, a monitor 48, and retractable feet 50. Monitor 48, of special importance to the disclosed invention, receives amongst other things various parameters measured during the mobile repair unit's operation. Engine 26 selectively couples to wheels 24 and hoist 36 by way of transmissions 34 and 32, respectively. Engine 26 also drives hydraulic pump 28 via line 29 and air compressor 30 via line 31. Compressor 30 powers a pneumatic slip 84 (FIGS. 6 and 7), and pump 28 powers a set of hydraulic tongs 66 (FIG. 8). Pump 28 also powers cylinders 42 and 44 that respectively extend and pivot derrick 40 to selectively place derrick 40 in a working position (FIG. 5) and in a retracted position (FIG. 9). In the working position, derrick 40 is pointed upward, but its longitudinal centerline 54 is angularly offset from vertical as indicated by angle 56. This angular offset 56 provides block 38 access to a well bore 58 without interference from the derrick framework and allows for rapid installation and removal of inner pipe segments (i.e., inner pipe strings 62) and sucker rods (FIG. 10). Individual pipe segments (of string 62) and sucker rods 64 are screwed together using hydraulic tongs 66 (FIG. 8). Hydraulic tongs are known in the art, and refer to any hydraulic tool that can screw together two pipes or sucker rods, such as those provided by B.J. Hughes company of Houston, Tex. In operation, pump 28 drives a hydraulic motor 68 in either forward or reverse directions by way of valve 70. Motor 68 drives pinions 72 that turn a wrench element 74 relative to clamp 76. Wrench element 74 and clamp 76 engage flats 81 on mating couplings 78 of a sucker rod or inner pipe string. However, rotational jaws or grippers that hydraulically clamp on to a round pipe (i.e., with no flats) can also be used in place of the disclosed wrench element 74. The rotational direction of motor 68 determines whether the couplings 78 are assembled or disassembled. The transducer 80 of FIG. 8 detects by feedback the amount of torque that is used to assemble or disassemble the string 62 or sucker rods 64, and provides an analog signal 82 (e.g., from 0-5 Volts DC) indicative of that torque value. This signal 82 is provided to monitor 48 and is stored in a manner to be described shortly. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, when installing inner pipe string segments 62, pneumatic slip 84 is used to hold the pipe string 62 while the next segment 62′ is screwed on using tongs 66 as just described. Compressor 30 provides pressurized air through valve 86 to rapidly clamp and release slip 84, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively. A tank 88 helps maintain constant air pressure. Pressure switch 90, a type of transducer, provides monitor 48 with a signal that indirectly indicates that repair unit 20 is in operation. Referring back to FIG. 5, weight applied to block 38 is sensed by way of a hydraulic pad 92 that supports the weight of derrick 40. Hydraulic pad 92 is basically a piston within a cylinder such as those provided M. D. Totco company of Cedar Park, Tex., but can alternatively constitute a diaphragm. Hydraulic pressure in pad 92 increases with increasing weight on block 38, and this pressure can accordingly be monitored to assess the weight of the block. Thus, pad 92 constitutes another type of transducer, and it too transmits a signal (not shown) to the monitor 48. In short, and as is well known, the mobile repair unit contains numerous tools for performing various repair tasks, and most of these tools contain some sort of transducer for providing an indication of the work being performed. (As used herein, “transducer” should be understood as any sort of detector, sensor, or measuring device for providing a signal indicative of the work being performed by a particular tool). Using such transducers, important parameters can be measured or monitored, such as hook load, tong torque, engine RPM, hydrogen sulfide concentration, a block position encoder for determining where the block is in is travel, engine oil pressure, clutch air pressure, global positioning system monitor, and any other sensor that might provide data worth monitoring by the well service provider. As noted, of the signals provide by the various transducers associates with the tools are sent to data acquisition monitor 48. The primary objective of monitor 48 is to gather well maintenance data and save it so that it can be transferred and subsequently monitored at a site other than the location of the mobile repair unit, such as a central office site. Monitor 48 is generally installed in an openly accessible location on the mobile repair unit. For example, on a mobile repair unit, monitor 48 is installed somewhere outside the cab for easy access by human operators who may walk up to the mobile repair unit to interface with the system and collect data. In addition to storing the measured data from the tools, the monitor 48 may also include a screen display for displaying the data. The signals provide by the various transducers associates with the tools can be sent to the same or a different computer at which the operator enters the activity data at the will. The computer can then gather well maintenance data and save it so that it can be correlated to the activity data entered by the operator. In one embodiment, the process data can be displayed on a screen for the operators to review. In yet another embodiment, the activity data and the process data can be transferred and subsequently monitored at a site other than the location of the mobile repair unit, such as a centrally located office site. In one embodiment, the activity and process data is transferred using a modem and cellular phone arrangement such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,490. In other embodiments, the data is transferred using other types of wireless communication, such as via a satellite hookup. The data can also be transferred using a hard disk medium, wherein the data is saved on a floppy disk, CD, or other memory storage device and physically transferred to the central office site. There are a wide variety means to transfer the data from the well site to the central office site, and such means are widely known in the art. If it is chosen to send the data to a centrally located office site, the well service provider could then have instant access to data and activity information pertaining to the wells service operations at the well. In some embodiments, the well service provider can make the information instantly available on the internet for the customer to view as well. For example, in FIG. 11 the well service provider could make the information available on the internet in a variety of web page formats, including, for example, a summary page, a page describing the activity information, and a process data page. A customer could then select one of the well information selections, and would be directed to an exception reporting page, such as is shown in FIG. 11, where an outline of each and every activity data point entered in by the operator at the well site is shown. As seen in the case of the exception reporting page illustrated in FIG. 11, most of the activities in this instance were “ON TASK: ROUTINE,” with two exceptions. The exceptions did not stop the work, as each was classified as being “ON TASK: EXTEND,” but it indicates to the customer that one of the activities took longer than normal because of a mechanical failure. This provides both the well service provider and the customer with valuable data pertaining to what actually went on at the well site. In some embodiments, notes can be added to the web page clarifying some of the exceptions. As shown in FIG. 11, one exception was noted and added to the website, with the notes clarifying the exception as being a “Mechanical failure: (47 min).” In some embodiments, the operator can enter the notes into the activity data log at the well site. Finally, as shown on the top portion of FIG. 11 and in greater detail in FIG. 12, the web user can select certain transducer data to view on the web page. For example, in FIG. 12 hook load in pounds, tong pressure in pounds per square inch, and engine speed in rpm are shown as a function of rig time. The well service provider and the customer can use this data, in some embodiments in conjunction with the activity information, to determine if the well service operations were efficient and performed correctly. This is a very valuable tool for increasing efficiency and productivity of well servicing operations, as well as providing the customer with information that they are getting their moneys worth from their well service provider. Although the invention is described with reference to various embodiments, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications are well within the scope of the invention. For example, many of the illustrative embodiments were based on one example of activity data reporting using a pre-programmed hierarchy of activities for the operator to enter into the computer. However, it should be recognized, as was explained above, that this is just one example of capturing activity information at a well site. The operator could simply type in activity data into the computer, or a completely different hierarchy of activities could be developed. It is within the skill of one in the art of well servicing to tailor how the activity data is to be captured at the well site, the important aspect being that activity data is actually captured. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The technical field of the present invention relates generally to acquisition of data concerning servicing hydrocarbon wells and more specifically to an instrumented, computerized work over rig adapted to record and transmit data concerning well servicing activities and conditions at a well site. 2. Description of the Related Art After a well has been drilled, it must be completed before it can produce gas or oil. Once completed, a variety of events may occur to the formation, the well and its equipment that requires a “work-over.” For purposes of this application, “work-over” and “service” operations are used in their very broadest sense to refer to any and all activities performed on or for a well to repair or rehabilitate the well, and also includes activities to shut in or cap the well. Generally, work over operations include such things as replacing worn or damaged parts (e.g., a pump, sucker rods, tubing, and packer glands), applying secondary or tertiary recovery techniques, such as chemical or hot oil treatments, cementing the well bore, and logging the well bore to name just a few. Service operations are usually performed by or involve a mobile work-over rig that is adapted to, among other things, pull the well tubing or rods and also to run the tubing or rods back in. Typically, these mobile service rigs are motor vehicle-based and have an extendible, jack-up derrick complete with draw works and block. In addition to the service or work-over rig, additional service companies and equipment may be involved to provide specialize operations. Examples of such specialized services includes: a chemical tanker, a cementing truck or trailer, a well logging truck, perforating truck, and a hot-oiler truck or trailer. It is conventional for a well owner to contract with a service company to provide all or a portion of the necessary work-over operations. For example, a well owner, or customer, may contract with a work-over rig provider to pull the tubing from a specific well, contract with one or more service providers to provide other specific services in conjunction with the work-over rig company so that the well can be rehabilitated according to the owner's direction. It is typical for the well owner to receive individual invoices for services rendered from each company that was involved in the work over. For example, if the portable work-over rig spent 30 hours at the well site, the customer well owner will be billed for 30 rig hours at the prevailing hourly rate. The customer is rarely provided any detail on this bill as to when the various other individual operations were started or completed, or how much material was used. Occasionally, the customer might be supplied with handwritten notes from the rig operator, but such is the exception, not the rule. Similarly, the customer will receive invoices from the other service companies that were involved with working over the well. The customer is often left with little to no indication of whether the service operation for which it is billed were done properly, and in some cases, even done at all. Further, most well owners own more than one well in a given field and the invoices from the various companies may confuse the well name with the services rendered. Also, if an accident or some other notable incident occurs at the well site during a service operation, it may be difficult to determine the root cause or who was involved because there is rarely any documentation of what actually went on at the well site. Of course, a well owner can have one of his agents at the well site to monitor the work-over operations and report back to the owner, but such “hands-on” reporting is often times prohibitively expensive. The present invention is directed to ameliorating these and other problems associated with oil well work-over operations. | <SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention is directed to incrementing a well service rig in such a manner that activity-based and/or time-based data for the well site is recorded. The invention contemplates that the acquired data can be transmitted in near real-time or periodically via wired, wireless, satellite or physical transfer such as by memory module to a data center preferably controlled by the work-over rig owner, but alternately controlled by the well owner or another. The data can thereafter be used to provide the customer in various forms ranging from a detailed invoice to a searchable, secure web-based database. With such information, the customer can schedule other services at the well site. Further, the customer will have access to detailed data on the actual service performed and can then verify invoices. The present invention fosters a synergistic relationship among the customer and the service companies that promotes a safe environment by monitoring crew work activities and equipment speeds; improving productivity; reducing operation expenses through improved job processes; and better data management and reduced operational failures. | 20041001 | 20060228 | 20050519 | 64551.0 | 1 | MCELHENY JR, DONALD E | ACTIVITY DATA CAPTURE SYSTEM FOR A WELL SERVICE VEHICLE | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,957,743 | ACCEPTED | Alarm clock | A mobile communication terminal comprising: a clock for maintaining an indication of the current time; a memory for storing a definition of an alert time; and an alerting unit configurable to issue an alert when the current time matches the alert time, the alerting unit being capable of issuing the alert by initiating a connection to another communication terminal over a network so as to cause that other terminal to locally signal the incidence of the connection incoming thereto. | 1. A mobile communication terminal comprising: a clock for maintaining an indication of the current time; a memory for storing a definition of an alert time; and an alerting unit configurable to issue an alert when the current time matches the alert time, the alerting unit being capable of issuing the alert by initiating a connection to another communication terminal over a network so as to cause that other terminal to locally signal the incidence of the connection incoming thereto. 2. A mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alerting unit comprises a signaling unit capable of locally signaling to a user, and the alerting unit is capable of issuing the alert by causing the signaling unit to locally signal to a user. 3. A mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the memory is capable of storing an indication of whether the alerting unit is to issue the alert by means of the signaling unit, and the alerting unit is arranged to configured to issue the alert by means of the signaling unit in accordance with that indication. 4. A mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 2, wherein the alerting unit is configured to issue the alert by initiating the connection to another communication terminal at a predetermined time offset from signaling the user by means of the signaling unit. 5. A mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said connection to another communication terminal is a phone call. 6. A mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile communication terminal is capable of wireless communication with a communication network and the said connection is communicated over a wireless link with the network. 7. A mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication terminal is a mobile phone. 8. A mobile communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, comprising a user interface whereby a user can enter data for storage by the memory. 9. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 8, the terminal being configured to enable a user to enter the alert time by means of the keypad and to store that time in the memory. 10. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 8, the terminal being configured to enable a user to enter the address of the other communication terminal by means of the keypad and to store that time in the keypad, and wherein the alerting unit is configured to initiate the connection to that terminal by means of that address. 11. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the address is a telephone number. 12. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, comprising a message generation unit for generating an audible message defined by data stored at the communication terminal, and wherein the alerting unit is arranged to play out that message over the connection. 13. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal is portable. 14. A communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal is a battery-powered terminal. 15. A method for alerting a user by means of a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising: maintaining by means of a clock an indication of the current time; storing in a memory a definition of an alert time; and issuing an alert when the current time matches the alert time by initiating a connection to another communication terminal over a network so as to cause that other terminal to locally signal the incidence of the connection incoming thereto. 16. A method as claimed in claim 15, comprising locally signaling the incidence of the incoming connection by means of the said other terminal. 17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the said signaling is audible signaling. 18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the audible signaling is a ring tone. | This invention relates to alarm clock and timer functions, especially for communication terminals. Many people use alarm clocks to help them wake up in the morning. Many devices, including communication terminals, offer alarm clock functionality. The normal method of operation is that a user indicates a time to the alarm clock device. When a timer in the device matches the time indicated by the user the device sounds an alarm. The user can stop the alarm from sounding, normally by pressing a button on the device. There are situations in which this type of alarm is insufficient. Even if a person is technically awake they are not necessarily conscious of what they are doing. If the user is deeply asleep or very tired then he might stop the alarm and then inadvertently go back to sleep without actually getting up. In such ‘early morning’ situations users often rely on ingrained behaviour. These situations can be ones where the user is the most keen that the alarm should wake him: for example he might need to get up early for a flight, after a particularly heavy drinking session the night before or when simply being exhausted. To overcome this problem some people try putting their alarm clocks at the bottom of their bed, or on the other side of the bedroom, but it can be difficult to remember to do that. Some other types of alarm facility are more effective. For example, hotels often offer a wake-up call service to telephone a guest at a pre-arranged time. An alarm telephone call of this type is often more likely to wake the guest than an alarm clock would be. The guest has to pay more attention to answering a phone call than to cancelling an alarm clock, and the phone call is more likely to make the user alert because answering the phone requires more concentration. This service is not so readily available to the public when they are at home. However, some telephone operators offer a centrally run alarm call service to home telephone numbers. A subscriber can call a network service centre from his home phone and indicate a time at which he wants to be called. The service centre returns the call at the indicated time. The user has to pay a premium charge for this service. There is therefore a need for an improved form of alarm. According to the present invention there is provided a mobile communication terminal comprising: a clock for maintaining an indication of the current time; a memory for storing a definition of an alert time; and an alerting unit configurable to issue an alert when the current time matches the alert time, the alerting unit being capable of issuing the alert by initiating a connection to another communication terminal over a network so as to cause that other terminal to locally signal the incidence of the connection incoming thereto. The present invention also provides a method for alerting a user by means of a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising: maintaining by means of a clock an indication of the current time; storing in a memory a definition of an alert time; and issuing an alert when the current time matches the alert time by initiating a connection to another communication terminal over a network so as to cause that other terminal to locally signal the incidence of the connection incoming thereto. Preferably the alerting unit comprises a signaling unit capable of locally signaling to a user, and the alerting unit is capable of issuing the alert by causing the signaling unit to locally signal to a user. Preferably the memory is capable of storing an indication of whether the alerting unit is to issue the alert by means of the signaling unit, and the alerting unit is arranged to configured to issue the alert by means of the signaling unit in accordance with that indication. Preferably the alerting unit is configured to issue the alert by initiating the connection to another communication terminal at a predetermined time offset from signaling the user by means of the signaling unit. Preferably the said connection to another communication terminal is a phone call. Preferably the mobile communication terminal is capable of wireless communication with a communication network and the said connection is communicated over a wireless link with the network. Preferably the communication terminal is a mobile phone. The mobile communication terminal preferably comprises a user interface whereby a user can enter data for storage by the memory. Preferably the terminal is configured to enable a user to enter the alert time by means of the keypad and to store that time in the memory. Preferably the terminal is configured to enable a user to enter the address of the other communication terminal by means of the keypad and to store that time in the keypad, and wherein the alerting unit is configured to initiate the connection to that terminal by means of that address. Preferably the address is a telephone number. The communication terminal preferably comprises a message generation unit for generating an audible message defined by data stored at the communication terminal, and wherein the alerting unit is arranged to play out that message over the connection. Preferably the terminal is portable. Preferably the terminal is a battery-powered terminal. The method preferably comprises locally signaling the incidence of the incoming connection by means of the said other terminal. Preferably the said signaling is audible signaling. Preferably the audible signaling is a ring tone. The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing. In the drawing: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a telecommunications system, including a communication terminal whose architecture is shown in detail. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a mobile phone 1 offers an alarm clock facility. In one mode of operation, at the pre-defined alarm time the alarm clock facility not only sounds an alarm from a loudspeaker in the mobile phone, but also calls a pre-defined telephone number, which would typically be the home phone number of the user. Thus the user can be woken not just by the alarm generated by the mobile phone, but also by an incoming phone call to his home phone number. The system shown in FIG. 1 will now be described in more detail. The system of FIG. 1 comprises a telecommunications network 2. A number of terminals 1, 3 are connected to the network, and the network can switch communications between the terminals in the usual way. Terminal 1 represents a mobile telephone, which accesses the network wirelessly. Terminal 3 represents a land-line telephone. Mobile phone 1 comprises a central processing unit 10, which controls the operation of the phone in accordance with software stored in a read only memory 11. The central processing unit is connected to a display 12 for displaying information to a user, a keypad 13 for obtaining input from a user, a loudspeaker 14 for outputting audio to be heard by the user and a microphone 15 for receiving audio from the user. The central processing unit contains random access memory 16 that can be used for storing temporary data. The central processing unit implements a real-time clock under the control of a timing circuit 17 such as a crystal oscillator. The mobile phone also has a communication subsystem 18 for communicating with a mobile telephony network. The communication subsystem comprises an antenna 19 and a communication engine 20. The communication engine 20 is connected between the antenna and the processor 10. The communication engine handles conversion between baseband and radio frequency and handles signalling communications with the wireless network. At least some functional elements of the communication engine may be implemented on a common chip with one or more parts of the central processing unit. The processor has access to a non-volatile memory 21 for storing user settings. The mobile phone may be operable in accordance with any suitable communications protocol. Examples include GSM and 3G (UMTS). The software stored in the memory 11 allows the state of the phone to be controlled by means of the keypad 13, and allows the processor to cause the display 12 to provide an output dependent on the status of the phone. The phone provides an alarm clock function. To operate the alarm clock function the user uses keypad 13 to navigate a menu system defined by the software and selects an alarm clock setting mode. In the alarm clock setting mode the user can enter a time of day and optionally a date at which the alarm is to sound. The user can then indicate to the phone whether the alarm is to be active or inactive. The value of the entered time and date and the status of the alarm are stored by the processor 10 in memory 21. The user can then leave the alarm clock setting mode. When the alarm is active the processor 10 compares the value of its real-time clock with the time (and, if any, date) entered by the user. When the clock matches the entered time and optionally date the processor activates an alarm. In one type of alarm operation it activates the alarm by causing the loudspeaker 14 to emit a noise. A user can stop the noise by means of the keypad 13. In the alarm clock setting mode the user can also set the type of alarm he requires. Two types of alarm are available, and can be selected independently or in combination. The first type of alarm is an alarm signalled locally at the phone. This could be signalled by means of the loudspeaker, as described above, or by means of a light or a vibrating unit or by another form of local alerting device if the phone were so equipped, The second type of alarm is an alarm generated by means of a call to another phone. In the alarm setting mode the user can select a telephone number for use in the second type of alarm. The telephone number is stored in non-volatile memory 21. The telephone number could conveniently be a telephone number in use at the location where the user will be when the alarm is to sound: for example his home phone number or the phone number of another mobile phone that he has at home. When the alarm is active and the clock matches the entered time and optionally date the processor generates the alarm of the second type by calling the telephone number. When the call is answered the phone 1 may automatically terminate the call immediately so as to avoid incurring the cost of a call if possible. Alternatively it may play out a message. The message could be stored in the software in the phone and may say, for example: “This is an alarm call from your Nokia phone. The time is xx.xx”. Alternatively, the message could be recorded by the user and stored by the phone in non-volatile memory 21. The call can be terminated in the normal way from the answering terminal (e.g. terminal 3). The call can also be terminated from the phone 1. On making the call the menu system of the phone adopts a mode in which the call cannot be cancelled merely by pressing a single button on the keypad. Multiple key-presses, and preferably multiple non-obvious key-presses are required. This inhibits a user from absent-mindedly cancelling the call from phone 1 without answering the call from the receiving phone. Using the second type of alarm call the user can have the phone 1 make an alarm call to a phone number of his choosing at a predetermined time. The phone may store a default telephone number for use in the second type of alarm. The user may select a telephone number for use in the second type of alarm either by entering it digit-by-digit or by selecting it from a list of numbers stored in the memory of the phone and/or from a list of names associated with such numbers. If the user selects to have alarms of both the first and the second types, the alarms may both be generated at the same time. Alternatively, the phone could generate the alarm of one type slightly after the other (e.g. one or two minutes later) so that the user is disturbed separately by each alarm. Preferably the alarm of the second type is generated first, but the opposite is also possible. The user can set various options such as the length of time the phone 1 should ring the phone number for the second type of alarm before automatically hanging up, the number of times the phone number will be repeatedly called until it is answered and at what frequency, and the length of time between calling and the phone alarm going off. The length of time for which the phone number is rungs can be automatically shortened/adjusted based on the time required to answer previous alarms. Preferably the alarm of the second type is not activated by default whenever a user sets up an alarm. This avoids the possibility that the phone will call a default alarm phone number when the user is not at a location where he can answer calls to that number. For instance if the user is away from home then he will not want his home phone number to be called by accident when the alarm goes off. The alarm function as described above can also be used to wake people who are at different locations. The phone number entered for the alarm of the second type could be a number for a phone at a location remote from the phone 1. The alarm of the first type can then wake someone at the location of the phone, and the alarm of the second type can wake someone at the remote location. As described above, the person answering the call could be greeted with a message when the call is answered, for instance “good morning darling”. To allow people to be woken at more than one remote location the phone could allow multiple phone numbers to be selected for the second type of alarm, and could ring all of them in turn when the alarm is activated. The principles described above with regard to the first and second types of alarm could be used to alert users to events from other functions than an alarm clock function. Alarms of the first and/or second types could be generated in response to other time management features such as diary entries for shared reminders or meetings. Instead of calling a phone as described above, the second type of alarm could be generated by signaling other types of devices that can be signaled by the phone 1 over the network 2. For example, the phone could signal a network-connected hi-fi system to turn on at the time indicated by the alarm. The applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features, to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art, irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein, and without limitation to the scope of the claims. The applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or combination of features. In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. | 20041005 | 20071204 | 20060406 | 63862.0 | G08B2100 | 1 | PREVIL, DANIEL | ALARM CLOCK | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | G08B | 2,004 |
|||
10,957,758 | ACCEPTED | Auto diagnostic method and device | According to the present invention, a vehicle monitoring and maintenance device capable of being connected to a diagnostic port of a vehicle is provided. The monitoring and maintenance device comprises a hand holdable, data acquisition and transfer device. The data acquisition and transfer device includes a first data link connectable to a diagnostic port of a vehicle for retrieving diagnostic data from the vehicle; and a second data link connectable to a global computer network communicable device. The data acquisition and transfer device also includes a processor and memory unit capable of retrieving unprocessed diagnostic data containing error codes from the vehicle via the first data link, storing unprocessed diagnostic data for a limited time, and transferring the unprocessed data to the global computer network communicable device, to the second data link. The hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device lacks sufficient data processing capability to fully process the unprocessed diagnostic data into human useable diagnostic information. | 1. (cancelled) 2. (Cancelled) 3. (Cancelled) 4. (Cancelled) 5. (Cancelled) 6. (Cancelled) 7. (Cancelled) 8. (Cancelled) 9. (Cancelled) 10. (Cancelled) 11. (Cancelled) 12. (Cancelled) 13. (Cancelled) 14. (Cancelled) 15. (Cancelled) 16. (Cancelled) 17. (Cancelled) 18. (Cancelled) 19. (Cancelled) 20. (Cancelled) 21. (Cancelled) 22. (Cancelled) 23. A vehicle monitoring device capable of being connected to a data port of a vehicle, the monitoring device comprising a hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device including (a) a first data link connectable to a data port of a vehicle for retrieving data from the vehicle; (b) a second data link connectable to a global computer network communicable device; and (c) a processor and memory unit capable of retrieving unprocessed data containing onboard computer generated information from the vehicle via the first data link, storing the unprocessed data for a time period, and transferring the unprocessed data to the global computer network communicable device, through the second data link wherein the global computer network communicable device is capable of communicating, over a global computer network, with a server containing a processor and a database for processing the unprocessed data into natural language information, and wherein the hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device lacks sufficient data processing capability to fully process the unprocessed data into human-useable information. 24. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 23 wherein the first data link includes at least one of a cable and a wireless data transmitter capable of transferring data between the data acquisition and transfer unit; and at least one of an OBD and datalink port of the vehicle. 25. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 24 wherein the at least one of the cable and wireless data link comprise a cable selectively attachable to the at least one of the OBD and data link port of the vehicle. 26. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 23 wherein the global computer network communicable device comprises a personal computer, and the second data link includes at least one of a cable and wireless transmitter capable of transmitting data between the data acquisition and transfer unit; and the personal computer. 27. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 23 wherein the processor and memory unit of the hand holdable data acquisition and transfer unit acquires diagnostic information from the vehicle, including error codes, and includes sufficient processing capability and memory to include reset codes for a plurality of vehicle types, and to be capable of communicating the reset codes to the vehicle, to reset error codes contained within the vehicle. 28. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 23 wherein the processor and memory unit of the hand holdable data acquisition and transfer unit includes a random access memory for storing the operating system, and a non-volatile random access memory for storing the unprocessed data retrieved from the vehicle. 29. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 23 wherein the non-volatile random Page 11 of 19 access memory comprises a flash memory capable of retaining the unprocessed data retrieved from the vehicle, even in the absence of an electrical power source. 30. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 29 wherein the hand holdable device includes a battery power source, and at least one of the first and second data links communicating with the respective vehicle and global computer network communicable device through a short range radio link. 31. The vehicle monitoring and device of claim 30 wherein the short range radio link comprises a bluetooth-type short range radio link. 32. A vehicle monitoring system designed for use by vehicle owners comprising (1) a hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device including (a) a first data link connectable to a data port of a vehicle for retrieving data from an onboard computer of the vehicle; (b) a second data link connectable to a global computer network communicable device, the global computer network communicable device comprising a personal computer capable of communicating through a global computer network; and (c) a data capture and memory unit capable only of retrieving unprocessed data from the vehicle via the first data link, storing the unprocessed data for a time period, and transferring the unprocessed data to the global computer network communicable device, through the second data link, wherein the hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device lacks sufficient data processing capability to fully process the unprocessed data into human-useable information, and (2) a remotely located server capable of communicating, over a global computer network, with the personal computer, the server containing a database of information relating to a wide variety of vehicles and a processor having sufficient processing capability for processing the unprocessed data transmitted by the personal computer into natural language information, and transmitting the natural language information back to the personal computer for presentation to a user. 33. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 32 wherein the personal computer comprises at least one of a desk top computer, notebook computer and a personal data assistant. 34. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 32 wherein the server includes software having information necessary to identify, from error codes in the unprocessed data, sources of conditions within the vehicle giving rise to the error codes, and suggested corrections for the conditions so identified. 35. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 32 wherein the server includes data relating to historic vehicle condition information, the data relating to historic vehicle condition information being comparable with information in the data. 36. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 32 wherein the data retrieved from the onboard computer includes diagnostic data, and the server includes a database of repair cost data including labor data and parts cost data, the server being capable of correlating the labor data and cost data with the vehicle condition to provide a cost of repair estimate. 37. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 32 wherein the server includes software having diagnostic information data for identifying sources within the vehicle giving rise to error codes, and suggested corrections for the conditions so identified, for substantially all passenger vehicle types having diagnostic ports. 38. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 32 wherein the server includes software having diagnostic information data to identify malfunction conditions within the vehicle giving rise to error codes, and an expert component capable of correlating the sources within the vehicle giving rise to error codes with potential solutions for correcting the malfunction conditions, said solutions being presented in a natural language format. 39. A method of monitoring a vehicle having a data port comprising (1) retrieving unprocessed data from a data port of a vehicle by employing a hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device designed for use by vehicle owners, the data acquisition and transfer device comprising: (a) a first data link connectable to a data port of a vehicle for retrieving unprocessed data from an onboard computer of a vehicle, (b) a second data link connectable to a global computer network communicable device; and (c) a data capture and memory unit capable of retrieving unprocessed data from the vehicle via the first data link, storing the unprocessed data for a limited time period, and transferring the unprocessed data to the global computer network, through the second data link, wherein the hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device lacks sufficient data processing capability to fully process the unprocessed data into human-useable diagnostic information; (2) transferring the data from the data acquisition and transfer unit to a global computer network communicable device. (3) transferring the data, via a global computer network, from the global computer network communicable device to a server, (4) providing a remote server including software having information necessary to identify, from the unprocessed data, information about the operation of the vehicle, (5) using the remote server to process the unprocessed data and to prepare a vehicle operation report in a natural language; and (6) transferring the vehicle operation report, via a global computer network, to a global computer network communicable device, for displaying the vehicle operation report in a natural language thereon. 40. The method of monitoring a vehicle of claim 39 wherein the step of using the server to prepare a vehicle operation report includes the step of preparing a vehicle condition report containing suggestions for correcting non-normal conditions in the vehicle. 41. The method of monitoring a vehicle of claim 39 wherein the step of providing a server including software includes the step of providing a server having software including a database of operation information for substantially all passenger vehicles having data ports and onboard computers. 42. The method of monitoring a vehicle of claim 39 wherein the step of using the server comprises the step of using the server to process the unprocessed data from a plurality of vehicles, and includes the step of using the server to process unprocessed data from the plurality of vehicles and to prepare a vehicle type operation report relating to type and frequency of operation parameters specific to a particular vehicle type, and the step of transferring the vehicle operation report comprises the step of transferring a vehicle type operation report to a third party other than the party submitting unprocessed data to the server. 43. The method of monitoring a vehicle of claim 39 wherein the step of providing a server including software includes the step of providing a server having a database of labor data and parts cost data, the software being capable of correlating the labor data and cost data with the vehicle operation to provide a cost of repair estimate. 44. The method of monitoring a vehicle of claim 39 wherein the step of providing a server including software includes the step of including software having diagnostic information to identify malfunction conditions within the vehicle giving rise to error codes, and an expert component capable of correlating the malfunctions within the vehicle giving rise to error codes with potential solutions for correcting the malfunction conditions, said solutions being presented in a natural language format. 45. A vehicle monitoring device capable of being connected to a data port of a vehicle, for the monitoring of the vehicle, the monitoring device comprising a hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device including (a) a first data link connectable to a data port of a vehicle for retrieving data from a vehicle onboard computer; (b) a second data link connectable to a global computer network communicable device; and (c) a data capture and memory unit capable generally only of retrieving unprocessed data containing information from the vehicle via the first data link, storing the unprocessed data for a time period, and transferring the unprocessed data to the global computer network communicable device located remotely from the vehicle through the second data link, wherein the global computer network communicable device is capable of communicating, over a global computer network, with a remotely located server containing a processor and a database of vehicle related information for processing the unprocessed data into natural language diagnostic information and transferring the natural language information back to the global computer network communicable device for display thereon, and wherein the hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device lacks sufficient data processing capability to fully process the unprocessed data into human-useable diagnostic information. 46. The vehicle monitoring device of claim 45 wherein the personal computer comprises at least one of a desk top computer, notebook computer and a personal data assistant, and wherein the remote server is the sole component of the device that includes software having diagnostic information necessary to identify, from the unprocessed data, sources of conditions within the vehicle giving rise to the information, and suggested courses of action for the conditions so identified. | I. PRIORITY STATEMENT This utility patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/298,650, filed 15 Jun. 2001. II. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to devices for diagnosing malfunctions in vehicles, and more particularly to a device and method for retrieving error codes from a vehicle data port, and for using the error codes so retrieved to diagnose the malfunction of the automobile. III. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Vehicles, in particular, motorized vehicles such as automobiles and light duty trucks are complex machines with thousands of various parts that perform a vast array of operations that permit the vehicle to be operated by the user. As with any such complex machine, malfunctions occur in one or more parts of the vehicle from time to time. Formerly, most vehicle malfunctions were relatively easy to diagnose and repair, especially on vehicles manufactured prior to 1970. Malfunctions on these older vehicles were typically easy to diagnose and repair because the vehicles were relatively simple, and their operating systems, such as engines and controls were primarily mechanical in nature, thus facilitating a relatively simple diagnosis of malfunctions when they occurred. However, such has not been the case for the last 30 years or so. Since the early 1970s, vehicles have become substantially more complex, as a result of a variety of factors, including governmental regulations that mandated that vehicles pollute less, and consume fuel more efficiently. Additionally, the advent of consumer-available computerization, when coupled with consumer demand for convenience features such as electric windows, doors, door locks, and the like, have caused recently manufactured vehicles to become substantially more complex than their pre-1970s counterparts. Most cars manufactured prior to 1970 could be serviced adequately, and have their problems diagnosed by consumers, or mechanics equipped with only rudimentary mechanical tools. However, the increasingly electronic-driven nature of new vehicles has made it difficult for consumers to either diagnose malfunctions in their vehicles or to repair them. Even professional mechanics must now rely on sophisticated electronic equipment to diagnose and repair vehicular malfunctions. To better aid in the diagnosis of such vehicular malfunctions, passenger cars have been required, since 1996, to include an on-board diagnostic port (OBD port), or a diagnostic link connector (DLC). An OBD and DLC essentially comprises a plug-in type connector that is coupled to the on-board computer in the vehicle. The on-board computer is coupled to various sensors at various places within the vehicle, to sense the existence of a malfunction in the various locations of the vehicle. By plugging in an appropriate “scanner” device into the OBD or DLC, error codes can be retrieved from OBD or DLC. These error codes provide information as to the source of the malfunction. Typically, the scanner devices used today to retrieve such error codes from an OBD or DLC port are large, complex, and importantly expensive. The devices typically include a data processing computer, having a cable that can be coupled to the OBD or DLC port. The error codes are retrieved from the vehicle, and fed into the processing unit of the device. The processing unit of the device includes software for processing the information retrieved from the error code, which, along with a database of information, correlates the error codes to specific vehicle malfunction conditions. In order to properly process data received from the DLC or OBD port, the diagnostic device is required to have a substantial amount of processing capability in order to process the retrieved data, a substantial database of information about the particular vehicle from which the data is retrieved, and which correlates the error codes to the particular malfunctions; and a display (either electronic, or through a printer) that is capable of displaying or printing out a message in some format. This format can take the form of either an error code (e.g. error number P0171), or some natural language description of the error (e.g. system too lean (bank one)). Because of the processing, storage and display requirements attendant to such a device, the cost of such a device is usually outside of the range desired by most automobile owners, and even some smaller automobile service facilities. As such, prior to the present invention, the only persons who typically possessed such diagnostic devices were automobile service facilities such as service stations, automobile repair shops and automobile dealerships. One difficulty with the isolation of such diagnostic devices within the hands of service personnel (as opposed to consumers) is that consumers are often denied the opportunity to have access to diagnostic information about their vehicle, thus putting consumers at the mercy of the service repair facility. Unfortunately, economic factors, ethical laxity, and lack of knowledge conspire too often, thereby causing unnecessary repairs to be made to vehicles, and hence, from the consumer's perspective, unnecessary expenses to be incurred in the repair of their vehicles. This problem is not inconsequential. According to a National Highway and Traffic Administration report, of the approximately $50 billion dollars spent annually in America for automobile repair and maintenance, roughly $20 billion dollars of this amount is spent on unnecessary or fraudulent repairs. Statistically, this means that 40 cents of every dollar spent on automobile repair in America is at worst, wasted, and at best, unnecessary. Because of the high cost of automobile repair, and the unfortunate high incidence of unnecessary and fraudulent repairs, many consumers live in dread of an automotive malfunction and the required trip to an automobile service facility. The consumer's fear is exacerbated by the fact that the complexity of contemporary automobiles precludes most consumers from diagnosing the problems themselves. As such, the consumer is left to the mercy of the automobile technician who informs the consumer of the malfunctions, and suggests the repair therefor. Since the consumer cannot diagnose the problems herself, the consumer is never quite sure whether the service technician is being truthful, or alternately, suggesting repairs that need not be performed. This fear is often exacerbated by the fact that many repair facilities pay their service writers commissions for the services and parts “sold” by the service writer. Admittedly, this problem with consumer ignorance could be mitigated if the consumer were to have her own scanner type diagnostic device. However, this solution is not practical, as such scanners typically sell for $500.00 to $3,000.00. Additionally, various adaptors and data cartridges must be purchased for different types of vehicles. Most importantly, few, if any of these scanners provide output in a form that is of value to a non-mechanic layperson In summary, the cost of such a scanner, when all parts and databases are assembled, can exceed the price and usefulness where it would be profitable for consumers to purchase them. Examples of such scanners are sold by Snap-On, Inc. of Waukegan, Ill., and can be seen at www.snapon.com. One such illustrative scanner is the Snap-On, Super-Deluxe graphing scanner, Stock No. MTG25002900. As the cost of such a scanner is beyond the practical affordability of most consumers, it is easy to deduce that providing consumers with currently existing scanners provides no real, economically viable solution for consumers. Therefore, it is one object of the present invention to provide a device that is small enough, and can be manufactured inexpensively enough to allow consumers to retrieve error codes from their vehicle diagnostic system, to therefore be better informed of the malfunctions visiting their vehicles. IV. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a vehicle monitoring and maintenance device is capable of being connected to a diagnostic port of a vehicle. The monitoring and maintenance device comprises a hand holdable, data acquisition and transfer device. The data acquisition and transfer device includes a first data link connectable to a diagnostic port of a vehicle for retrieving diagnostic data from the vehicle; and a second data link connectable to a global computer network communicable device. The data acquisition and transfer device also includes a processor and memory unit capable of retrieving unprocessed diagnostic data containing error codes from the vehicle via the first data link, storing unprocessed diagnostic data for a period of time, and transferring the unprocessed data to the global computer network communicable device, to the second data link. The hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device lacks sufficient data processing capability to fully process the unprocessed diagnostic data into human useable diagnostic information. Preferably, the processor and memory unit of the hand holdable data acquisition and transfer unit includes a random access memory (RAM) and preferably a Non Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) for storing the operating system, and a non-volatile random access memory for storing the unprocessed diagnostic data retrieved from the vehicle. This non-volatile random access memory can comprise a flash memory. Additionally, the network communicable device can comprise a personal computer such as a desktop, notebook, or personal data assistant that is capable of communicating, through a global computer network, to a server. This server contains sufficient processing capability for processing the unprocessed data transmitted by the personal computer into natural language diagnostic information. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for monitoring and maintaining a vehicle having a diagnostic port. The method includes the retrieval of unprocessed data from a diagnostic data port of the vehicle by employing a hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device. The data acquisition and transfer device comprises a first data link connectable to a diagnostic port of the vehicle for retrieving unprocessed diagnostic data from a vehicle, and a second data link connectable to a global computer network communicable device. The data acquisition and transfer device further include a processor and memory unit capable of retrieving unprocessed data from the vehicle via the first data link; storing the unprocessed diagnostic data for a limited period of time; and transferring the unprocessed data to a global computer network, through the second data link. The hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device lack sufficient data processing capability to fully process the unprocessed diagnostic data into human useable diagnostic information. The data from the data acquisition and transfer device is transferred to a global computer network communicable device. The partially unprocessed data is transferred, via a global computer network, from the global computer network communicable device to a server. A server is provided that includes software having diagnostic information necessary to identify, from the unprocessed data, sources of conditions within the vehicle giving rise to error codes in the unprocessed data. The server is used to process the unprocessed data, and to prepare a vehicle condition report in a natural language. The vehicle condition report is transferred, via the global computer network, to a global communicable network communicable device. Preferably, the vehicle condition report is transferred back to the global network communicable device of the person who submitted the unprocessed data, so that the vehicle owner or service technician can learn about the malfunction conditions affecting his or her car. Alternately, the data can be communicated to a third party, such as a vehicle service provider, a vehicle evaluator, or a vehicle manufacturer. Additionally, the preferred method also includes providing the server with a data base including labor data, and parts data, and in particular, labor costs (or time interval) data, and parts cost data. This labor and cost data can be correlated with the identified vehicle malfunctions, to provide the consumer with an estimate of the cost of repairing the vehicles. One feature of the present invention is that data acquisition device of the present invention lacks sufficient data processing capability, including memory capability, to fully process the unprocessed diagnostic data into human-useable diagnostic information. This feature has the advantage of enabling the device to be manufactured much less expensively than prior known devices. The Applicants believe that the high costs of known scanners results primarily from the primary high-cost components within traditional scanner-type devices such as their processing units, memory units, and display units. As alluded to above, converting the error codes retrieved from a vehicle into a human readable and understandable action report, that either suggests the cause of the error, or preferably, suggests a proposed solution to the malfunction, requires that the scanning device include a database. This database must contain information about vehicular error codes, and be capable of correlating these error codes with the malfunction to which they relate. The size of the database is large due to the large number of vehicle manufacturers, and vehicle models that contain a variety (and sometimes a large number) of error codes. The existence of a large database mandates significant “data crunching” capabilities within a data processor that requires a rather fast and powerful processing unit. As such, the combination of a large memory unit to hold the large amount of data, when coupled to the need for a fast, powerful processor requires the device to include expensive components to ensure the proper operation of the device. Additionally, in order to display the error codes in a user-readable format, a multi-line display, of the type that one might find on a typical personal data assistant is also required. It follows therefore, that a device that avoids the need for a large amount of memory and processing capability, along with an expensive display, can be manufactured much less expensively than one requiring a large memory, powerful processors and a sophisticated display. Although the Applicants' invention does not eliminate the need for significant memory, processing capabilities and displays, the Applicants' invention obviates the need for such high-cost components within the hand holdable device of the present invention, by permitting the user to rely on the high-cost components that the user likely already possesses (or has access to), such as the processing memory and display components within the Applicants' personal computer or one at his local library. Additionally, by employing a web-accessible server to perform the majority of the data crunching and the database maintenance functions, the Applicants' invention further reduces the component investment that must be born by the vehicle owner/consumer. In summary, by reducing the technological requirements of a hand holdable unit in favor of relying on technological components of the user's already-existing personal computer, an offsite database system, and a service providers' web server, the hand holdable device that performs the unique function (relative to the computer and the web server) of retrieving data from the particular vehicle is reduced in cost to the point where such a hand holdable device can be produced within a range that can be afforded by most vehicle owner/consumers, and that represents a good investment for vehicle owners and consumers, when compared to currently existing devices. The frequency of breakdowns of many vehicles over their normal service life, and the cryptic nature of output from currently produced devices is not likely to justify the $2,000 to $3,000 investment required with many currently available devices, even if the use of such a current device would permit the user to save the estimated 40% “wasted services” fees discussed above. However, a device that is priced at somewhere between 5% and 10% (or so) of such currently known devices, and preferably at less than $100.00, would provide a good investment for the consumers, and, might likely pay for itself in one or two trips to the repair shop, through the savings gained by enabling the consumer to avoid unnecessary services. These and other features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of the detailed description and drawings presented below, which set forth the best mode of practicing the invention perceived presently by the applicants. V. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the device and method of the present inventions; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the internal components of the device of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart view of the process of the present invention; and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment DAT device of the present invention. VI. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The vehicle monitoring and maintenance system of the present invention is best understood with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, as including a hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device (“DAT device”) 12. DAT device 12 is preferably hand holdable, and is sized to be small, having a size generally similar to a business card, a deck of playing cards or a pack of cigarettes. A set of keys 13 is shown along side of the DAT device 12 to help provide some perspective as to the preferred size of the DAT device 12. The DAT device 12 includes a first data link 14 that is capable of communicatively coupling the DAT device 12 to a data port 16 such as an OBD II port 16 of a vehicle 18, such as a passenger car or truck. The DAT device 12 also includes a second data link 22 that is capable of communicatively coupling the DAT device 12 to a global computer network communicable device, such as a personal computer 21, or other global communicable devices, such as personal data assistants, notebook computers and certain types of cellular phones. The personal computer, or other Internet communicable device is connected, through a global communications network, such as the Internet 30 to a server 34. The server 34 preferably comprises a web server maintained by a diagnostic service organization. The primary attributes of the server 34 are its processing speed to process data transferred to the server 34 from the DAT device 12, which data comprises largely unprocessed data that is retrieved from the vehicle 18. Additionally, the server 34 includes a database of information so that the error codes retrieved from the car can be correlated with error and malfunction data, so that error codes can be interpreted into information relating to the source of the problem, or alternatively, to solution information for fixing the problem that relates to the particular error code received. Additionally, the server 34 can include database of parts, part costs, and labor costs. The purpose of including this data within the server's database is to provide the user with an estimate for repairing the problem suggested by the vehicle error codes, and/or any solutions proposed by the server 34. Other functions of the server 34 will be described below in connection with the description process of the present invention. The primary purpose of the personal computer 26 or other global network communicable device is to provide a device, to which the user already likely has in his possession, or at his disposal, that provides: (1) limited processing capability; (2) Internet communication capabilities; and (3) information display capabilities. Most computers and personal data assistants already include some sort of screen, such as a typical CRT type computer screen, LCD screen, or some other type of screen that is capable of displaying significant amounts of data and images. Additionally, most computers and PDAs also include communication capabilities for establishing an Internet connection to transfer data to the server, along with sufficient processing capabilities to perform whatever minor processing operations are necessary, in order to retrieve the error codes from the DAT device 12 into the personal computer, and to temporarily store the unprocessed data, and place the data into a form where it can be communicated to the web server 34. The hand held DAT device 12 is best described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As discussed above, the primary function of the DAT device is to retrieve error codes from the OBD II port 16 of the vehicle 18 and to temporarily store the data so retrieved, and then to transfer the error code data so retrieved to the personal computer 26, and ultimately to the web server 34. Importantly, the DAT device 12 is not designed to include sufficient display or processing capabilities to process the error codes on its own, or to display the results of the processed data on its display. The DAT device 12 is designed in this manner to enable the device to be manufactured at a relatively low cost, as the memory required to maintain all of the database information, the processing speed required to correlate the error codes with the error code database information, and the display capabilities required to display information about the problems discovered during the processing of the error codes comprises generally expensive components. Although the capability of these processing, display, communication and memory components are still necessary, these capabilities already exist within devices, such as personal computers 26, and the web server 34. As computers are available to most persons, either through their ownership of a personal computer, or through access to a computer in a public library, there is no need for the user to purchase redundant components that include the display, processing and memory capabilities of a personal computer within the error code retrieval device. Rather, the user can rely on those existing already within the personal computer. Although the user's personal computer 26 may not include error code database information, or have the processing capability of processing the error code data and correlating it with the error code database information, these capabilities can easily be contained within the web server 34. By utilizing the capabilities of the web server to process the data, and to contain the error code database information, these capabilities may not be absent in the DAT device 12, and hence the user need not pay for these capabilities. Rather, the user can “rent” these capabilities on a “as needed” basis, by feeding the error code information retrieved from the vehicle 18 by the DAT device 12, into his personal computer 26 and ultimately into the web server 34. The use of a web server 34 to contain the database information, and process the information has significant advantages over the use of a personal computer 26, as the error database information that exists for all of the vehicles and vehicle models is quite large, thus requiring a significant amount of both memory capability and processing speed. Performing these operations on a personal computer might likely tie up resources on the personal computer, or possibly, overwhelm the memory and processing capabilities of the user's personal computer 26. Additionally, the use of the web server 34 permits the user to process the data expeditiously, even if the user's computer has very little memory and a very low relative processing speed. The DAT device 12 includes a case 38 that is preferably comprised of two-pieces, a lower shell 40 and an upper shell 42, which can be attached together either permanently, or such as by ultrasonic welding, or removably attached through the use of screws to join the lower and upper shells 40, 42 together, or held together through an elastic wide rubber-band like member 269 (FIG. 5) that holds the two shells together. The upper shell 42 includes a small, LED display that is designed to be generally rudimentary in nature. For example, the LED display can include 4 LED type-lights that are placed adjacent to printed insignia to indicate four operational states of the device, such as “power on”, “retrieving data”, “resetting error codes”, and a “transmitting data” state. Alternately, four LEDs can be utilized to light up a translucent display containing display indicia messages, such as those described above. In designing the DAT device 12, the LED display 46 is preferably designed to be as simple and rudimentary as possible, while still conveying information necessary to the user. The LED display 46 is designed to be made substantially less expensively than a full-screen type LCD display the type that one might find on a personal data assistant, or a notebook computer. The operation of the DAT device 12 is controlled through a pair of buttons, including an on-off operation button 48, and a data reset button 52. The on-off operation button 48 can be designed to be a sequence type button, wherein successive pushes of the button 48 move the device, for example from an off-state, to an on-state, to a data retrieve-state, and to a data transfer-state. Alternately, the on-off button 48 can be designed to work in tandem with the data reset button, wherein the on-off operation button cycles through the various operations that the DAT device 12 is capable of, with the data reset button 52 serving as an “enter” button which tells the DAT device 12 to execute the particular operation illustrated. The data reset button is designed to be actuated after the DAT device 12 has retrieved the error codes 12 from the car. The data reset button 52 can be actuated, for example, to resend a signal through the on-board data port 16 of the vehicle 18, to reset the error codes within the vehicle 18. Alternatively, the data reset button 52 can be employed to erase the error codes contained within the non-volatile RAM type memory of the DAT device 12, after the error codes contained with the non-volatile RAM have been transferred out of the DAT device 12, and into the personal computer 26. The DAT device 12 includes a first port 26 that is sized and configured for receiving an appropriate plug 60 which is disposed in the first end of a data transfer cable 62. Preferably, the plug 60 comprises of serial port-type plug which is sized and configured for being received within the first port 56. Cable 62 terminates, at its distal end, in a data port interface plug 64. Data port interface 64 is sized and shaped to be received into the OBD II port of the type that is contained on vehicles. As compatibility with the OBD II port of vehicles is important, the data interface plug 64 should be designed to mate to the OBD II port 16. As is common with many such computer interface type connector plugs, the data interface plug 66 includes an array of pins at the pin receiving end of 66 of the data interface plug 64 which are sized and arrayed to mate with the corresponding female receptors of the OBD II port 16 of the vehicle 18. The DAT device 12 also includes a second port 68 that is preferably a USB type port. As the primary purpose of the first port 56 is to provide a gateway through which data retrieved from the OBD II port 16 of the vehicle can be transferred into the DAT device 12. Additionally, in a non-self-powered (battery-less) version of the device 12, the first port can be used to power the device 12 when it is attached to the computer 26 or vehicle 16. The second port 68 is designed primarily to serve as a gateway through which error data contained within the DAT device 12 can be transferred to the personal computer 26. The second port 18 is sized and configured for receiving a first USB connector 70 that is disposed at a first end of a cable 72. The second USB is connector 74 is disposed at the distal end of the cable 72, and has a connector end 76 that includes a plurality of pins (or female receptors) that are designed to be received by a USB port of a type typically found on personal computers and PDAs. In lieu of the USB connector and serial port connectors discussed above, other connector types can be used with the present invention, with the type of port and connector chosen being determined largely by compatibility concerns. An Alternate embodiment DAT device 212 is shown in FIG. 5 as including a case 238 that is preferably comprised of two-pieces, a lower shell (not shown) and an upper shell 242, which are attached together by an elastic rubber band like gripping and joining ring 243. That removably attaches the shells together The upper shell 242 includes an LED display that is designed to be generally rudimentary in nature. The LED display can include 4 LED type-lights that are placed adjacent to printed insignia to indicate four operational states of the device, such as “Link Established”, “codes transferred”, “Logging Data”, and a “Error/Malfunction.” Alternately, four LEDs can be utilized to light up a translucent display containing display indicia messages, such as those described above. In designing the DAT device 212, the LED display 246 is preferably designed to be as simple and rudimentary as possible, while still conveying information necessary to the user. The LED display 246 is designed to be made substantially less expensively than a full-screen type LCD display the type that one might find on a personal data assistant, or a notebook computer. The operation of the DAT device 212 is controlled through a pair of buttons, including a unit on-off operation button 248, and a logging button 252. The on-off operation button 48 turns the device on and off, and the logging button 252 is designed to be a sequence type button, wherein successive pushes of the button 252 move the device, for example from a data retrieve state to a data transfer-state. The software that controls the device 212 is designed to send a signal through the on-board data port 16 of the vehicle 18, to reset the error codes within the vehicle 18, after the error codes have been successfully retrieved from the vehicle. The DAT device 212 includes a first port and a second port that are similar in configuration and function to the first and second ports of Dat device 12. The components that perform the data retrieval, storage and transfer functions performed by the DAT device 12 are contained within the hollow interior of the DAT device 12 formed when the upper and lower shell halves 40, 42 are matingly engaged together. These components are best shown with reference to FIG. 3. The heart of the components is the main processor 84 which preferably comprise a dedicated type processing chip that is specially designed to be optimized to perform the functions performed by the DAT device 12. As discussed above, the main processor 84, although designed to perform the functions of the DAT device 12, is a processor of limited capabilities (and cost), as the primary functions of the DAT device, from a processing standpoint, are quite limited. A buss type connector 88 couples the processor to a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), such as a flash interface type device 90. The purpose of the flash type interface memory device 90 is to store the error codes that are retrieved from the vehicle 18. A user interface 94 is coupled to the main processor 84 to control the operation of the processor. As discussed above, the user interface comprises two push button type actuators, such as the on-off operation actuator 48, and the data reset actuator 52. Additionally four LEDs are provided for being lit when appropriate, to give the user an indication of the particular operation then being performed by the DAT device 12. These LEDs can include a first LED that is lit when power is applied to the device (a power on indicator), a second LED that lights up when data is being retrieved into the DAT device 12 from the vehicle 18; a third LED that is lit when data is being transferred from the DAT device 12 to the personal computer 26, and a fourth LED that indicates another condition, such as that the data reset function of the device is actuated, to reset the error codes that are contained within the on-board data port 16 of the vehicle 18. Alternatively, in lieu of the four LEDs, a simple alpha-numeric single line seven element type display, the type typically found on hand held calculators can be employed. The use of a single line alphanumeric display increases the number of messages that are capable of being displayed to the user. Examples of such messages include things such as error, no data retrieved, data fully retrieved, done, memory full, delete memory, and other messages appropriate to the operation of the device. The main processor 84 is joined with an OBD II co-processor 96. The function of the OBD II co-processor 96 is to contain specialized processing capabilities that are designed specifically for retrieving and transferring OBD II type data from a vehicle, and later for erasing the error codes contained within the OBD II port of the vehicle. A hardware reset control 104 is provided for actuating the error code reset function of the device. This error reset functionality can include both resetting the error codes within the vehicle 16, and also resetting the non-volatile random access memory 90, after an operation is complete, so that the non-volatile memory 90 will be cleared out, and capable of receiving additional information from another operation of the device. The non-volatile memory 90 is designed to be able to retain data, even when power is not being applied to the device. In this regard, the non-volatile memory 90 operates similarly to a floppy disk, and even more similarly to the flash memory contained within a digital camera, which retains digital information of the picture, even when the camera is turned off, or its batteries are being changed, so that the user, at a later time, can retrieve the information from the flash memory, to transfer his pictures to his computer or printer. Similarly, turning off the DAT device 12 of the present invention, or removing all power by removing the batteries from the DAT device 12 will not cause the error code information contained within the non-volatile memory 90 to be erased. Therefore, the information can later be retrieved when power is reapplied, so that the error code data 90 contained within the non-volatile REM type memory 90 can be transmitted to the user's personal computer. In addition to the non-volatile memory 90, a 32K×8 EEPROM 98 is contained within the DAT device 12. The function of the EEPROM 12 is to contain “burned in” operational programming software for the device. Programs which enable the device to function, and to operate are contained within this EEPROM. As an alternative, the device can be designed to operate without batteries by drawing power from either the car or the computer to which it is attached Our device is designed not to need batteries. In such case, the non-volatile memory 90 will still retain data when no power is applied. OBD II interface electronics components are coupled to the OBD II co-processor. This OBD II interface electronics and software protocols are designed to permit the device to interface with the OBD II error port 16 of the vehicle 18, and to interface with the operation of the port, in order to enable data to be retrieved therefrom. A voltage regulator 112 is coupled to the OBD II interface electronics 108, and the power source 116 is coupled to a voltage regulator 112. Preferably, the power source 116 comprises a set of batteries of appropriate voltage. Power source 116 can comprise rechargeable batteries, or batteries incapable of being recharged. Additionally, the power source 116 can include an adaptor interface for permitting the device to be coupled to an AC adaptor so that the device can be operated either without batteries, or even when the batteries are fully discharged, by plugging in the device into a nearby AC outlet. Alternately, the power source 116 can be configured to permit rechargeable batteries to be recharged by enabling the AC adaptor to the coupled to the rechargeable batteries within the power source 116, so, that between uses, the batteries can be recharged by placing the device in the cradle of a type similar to the recharging cradle of a type used frequently with battery driven power tools such as electric screwdrivers. In the embodiment 200 of FIG. 5, no device 200 contained power source exists, as the device draws its power from the computer or vehicle to which it is attached. An OBD II connector port 56 is coupled to the OBD II electronics. As discussed above, the OBD II connector port 56 is provided for permitting the DAT device 12 to be coupled to the OBD II port 16 of a vehicle 18. Similarly, the USB interface connector port 68 is coupled to the main processor, for permitting the DAT device 12 to be coupled to the global computer network communicable device, such as personal computer 26. The operation of the device will now be described with reference both to FIG. 4, which represents the schematic illustration of the method of the present invention, and also to FIGS. 1-3 which illustrate the electronic components of the present invention. The first step in the use of the DAT device 12, for most customers, is an indication by their vehicle that a malfunction may be occurring. Typically this occurs when the malfunction indicator lamp of the vehicle is illuminated. On many vehicles, this lamp is the familiar “check engine” light on the dashboard display. Alternately, another reason for employing the device is the user's desire to verify that a recent repair job has been completed correctly. Still another use of the device is as a diagnosis tool by the user, as a prospective purchaser of a used car. It is also expected that some automobile maintenance buffs will wish to use the device even in the absence of other evidence of trouble, to determine whether any error codes exist within the vehicle that indicate that a problem that exists, or that a problem that has the potential to exist, even if such problem has not manifested yet by the illuminating of the check engine light. To begin using the DAT device 12, the user first installs the power source (in versions of the device that are either battery or AC powered) into the DAT device 12. In devices which rely on external power sources (such as those devices 200 which obtain their power from being connected to the computer or vehicle, the power source is “applied” by connecting the device to the computer or vehicle. The first device-to-car cable 62 is coupled appropriately by connecting its first plug 60 to the first data link port 56 of the DAT device 12, and by connecting the plug end of 66 of the OBD II receiving plug 64 into the vehicle 18's OBD II port 16. At this time, the device-to-computer cable 72 may also be attached to the device 12, by coupling the first end connector 70 to the second data link port 68 of the device 12. It is expected that at this time, the second end 76 of the USB port will not be coupled to the personal computer 26, as the user's personal computer 26 is likely not positioned in the driveway or garage where the user works on his car. Thus, the USB cable 72 is not connected to the second data link port 68, or else the second end 76 is left dangling and unconnected to any other devices, such as the computer. Typically, the OBD II port is found under the dashboard of the car, thus requiring the user to plug in the OBD II port plug 64 into the OBD II port 16 contained under the dashboard. This OBD II port is also known as a data link connector. The exact placement of the data link connector 16 within the vehicle is variable, depending on the particular vehicle, its manufacturer, and the model of the vehicle to which the DAT device 12 is being connected. The following description applies to the operation of the device 12 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. After the connection between the OBD II plug port 16 and the data link connector 66 is made, the user presses the power button 48 of the device 12 to cause the device to power up. Preferably, the device 12 includes power management software that monitors the microprocessor 84 for activity, and, to conserve battery power, causes the device to turn off if not used within a predetermined interval, such as two continuous minutes. The user next presses the on-off button 48 to cause the error codes within the vehicle's 18 OBD II computer to be retrieved from the computer, and to be transferred into the non-volatile memory 90 of the hand-holdable DAT device 12. When this button 48 is actuated to place the device 12 into the “retrieve codes” mode, an LED may be lit to indicate to the user that the device is so operating in this mode. When the DAT device 12 is placed into its retrieve data mode, the device 12 will perform the following operations. First, the DAT device 12 will check for the presence of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), which are also known as error codes. If no error codes are stored within the OBD II computer 16 of the vehicle 18, this error-free condition will be indicated to the user, by either illuminating the appropriate LED, or else displaying an alphanumeric message. Upon the device 12 recognizing that no error codes exist, the device 12 then is then programmed to end the process, and perform no further steps. However, if error codes are detected, these error codes are copies on to NVRAM 90 of the device 12. An indication, such as the lighting of an LED, or the display of an alpha numeric message is then given to the user to allow the user to know that the error codes have been copied successfully into the NVRAM. If the user so desires, the user can then press the device reset button 52. The pressing of the device reset button 52 causes the device to send instructions to the OBD II computer 16 of the vehicle 18 to delete the error codes from the memory of the vehicle's OBD II computer. Because the error codes are stored in non-volatile RAM memory 90 of the device, the user may then turn the device 12 off to cut power to it, without fear that the error codes will be lost or otherwise removed from the device 12. The following description applies to the operation of the device 200 shown in FIG. 5. After the connection between the OBD II plug port 16 and the data link connector is made, the user presses the power button 248 of the device 200 to cause the device to power up, from power obtained from the vehicle by virtue of the connection of the device 200 with the vehicle. The user next presses the logging button 252 button to cause the error codes within the vehicle's 18 OBD II computer to be retrieved from the computer, and to be transferred into the non-volatile memory of the hand-holdable DAT device 200. When this button 252 is actuated to place the device 12 into the “retrieve codes” mode, the first LED 257 will be lit to tell the user that a link has been established. When the retrieval of codes is successfully completed, the codes transferred LED 259 will be lit, and if an error or malfunction occurs during the process, the fourth, Error/malfunction LED 263 will be lit. When the DAT device 200 is placed into its retrieve data mode, the device 200 will perform the following operations. First, the DAT device 200 will check for the presence of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), which are also known as error codes. If no error codes are stored within the OBD II computer 16 of the vehicle 18, this error-free condition will be indicated to the user, by shutting itself down. However, if error codes are detected, these error codes are copies on to NVRAM 90 of the device 200. After the codes are successfully retrieved, the software within the device will automatically reset the error codes in the vehicle's computer. Because the error codes are stored in non-volatile RAM memory of the device 200, the user may then unhook the device 200 from the vehicle, thus cutting its power, without fear that the error codes will be lost or otherwise removed from the device 200. Returning now to a description of the operation appropriate to both devices, 12, 200 (except where noted), the next step in the operation is for the user to decouple the OBD II computer plug 64 from the OBD II port 16 of the vehicle 18, and to couple the distal USB plug 74 of the USB cable 72 to the USB interface port of the user's personal data assistant, personal computer or notebook computer. Typically, this requires the user to transport the device 12 from the location of which the vehicle resides (typically the garage or driveway). The user then connects the distal end plug 74 to the USB port of his computer using the USB cable 72. The customer then uses either a dial up or direct line connection to connect his computer 26 to the Internet, and opens his Internet browser. The user then navigates (or the device 12, 200 is programmed to self-navigate) to the appropriate website which allows the user to gain access to the server 34. First time customers may need to register certain desired information into the server 34, such as a serial number of the DAT device 12, and the vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle from which the error codes were retrieved, along with a description of the vehicle. This information is necessary both for record keeping purposes, and also for enabling the server to identify the vehicle type from which the error codes were retrieved, as error codes are likely to vary for vehicles of different types. Preferably the server 34 allows the user to list multiple vehicle identifications numbers, so that the DAT device 12 can be used with multiple vehicles. As discussed above, one of the features of the present invention is that it is movable between vehicles, and is compatible with most, if not all OBD ports of the type found on passenger vehicles, light trucks, sport utility vehicles, vans and the like. Through this, the user can purchase one device 12, and use it for all of his vehicles, even if the user obtains new vehicles. Additionally, this universal compatibility enables the user to loan the device 12 to friends and neighbors who might desire to use the device 12. Additionally, the universal compatibility of the device enables the device to operate with already existing car components, thus enabling the user to employ the device 10 without making any modifications to the vehicles on which the device 12 is used. The website is designed to guide the user through a step-by-step process (or alternately is programmed to guide itself through the process) to enable the codes to be transferred from the device 12 and through the personal computer 26, across the Internet 30 and into the server 34 where the error codes can be processed. On the device 200 of FIG. 5, the user transmits the codes by depressing the Logging button 252 until the third LED, the “logging data” LED illuminated. When the codes have been fully transferred, the “Codes Transferred” light may be illuminated to signify that the codes have al been successfully transferred to the server or computer. The codes are then transferred, or copied on to the server 34. When the error codes have been successfully transferred from the device 12 to the server 34, the software contained within the server 34 matches the captured codes to code interpretations contained on the database contained on the server 34. The OBD II database, which interprets such codes, is in the public domain, and contains a list of several code records. Each record contains a DTC code and a brief description. Additionally, the software includes an extended description/definition that is written in a natural language, and preferably, is written on a level which enable the typical consumer to understand the problems that exist in his vehicle. A second field of data contained in the database is a narrative of possible causes that give rise to the error code, along with additional troubleshooting steps that the user can take to help pinpoint the exact cause of the trouble, if such cause is not pinpointed by the error codes themselves. Finally, the additional material within the database can include suggested corrective measures that the user can employ to repair the malfunction in the vehicle detected by the error codes. The error codes are processed by the software within server 34 to provide a human readable report in a natural language, that will be transferred back to the user in a natural language. For example, an output for a particular code can appear as follows: DTC Number: P0171 [from public domain data] DTC Name: System 2 Lean (Bank One)[from public domain data] Description: Error/Air level too high (text added by applicant's software) Suggestions: It is possible that one or more fuel injectors are clogged. As an initial remedy, try a bottle of fuel injector cleaner. [Text to be added by applicant's software.] In a fashion typical to the web, this transfer report will take the form a display upon the user's computer screen or PDA screen. The report will be configured so that the user, if he so desires, can copy the report, and paste it into a word processing program or an e-mail program, or configure it to print so that the report can be printed out on the user's printer. Additionally, the report is configured so that it can be downloaded or saved as a file, and downloaded on to the user's personal data assistant, to enable the user to then transport his personal data assistant to the repair shop, wherein the report can be re-displayed for the service technician. Upon receipt of this information the user will be better informed as to the malfunction occurring in his car. In certain cases, the user may be able to use this information to perform the repairs necessary on the car. In the example given above, the user can perform the first step of the repair by adding a container of fuel injector cleaner to his gas tank. Other repairs may require more extensive mechanical intervention, which the user may or may decide to perform. Alternately, the user can take the information retrieved from the error codes, and take the report to a repair station where a service technician will perform the repairs. By having the report, the user will help to ensure that only necessary repairs are performed, and thus, help to save money by avoiding unnecessary repairs being performed by the technician. Additionally, the user may be able to save diagnostic charges imposed by the service technician, by already having had the diagnostic test run on the vehicle. Alternately, the information can be used to test the integrity and knowledge of the service technician, by comparing the report given by the device 12 against repair suggestions made by the service technician. As a further service to the consumer, the consumer may choose to run a second diagnostic test on his vehicle 18 using the device 12 after the repairs are made, to ensure that the technician corrected all malfunctions in vehicle. Other functions can be performed by the device 12 that are in addition to the functions performed by server 34 that are listed above. For example, the database can include data relating to part costs and labor costs. This information may be correlated with the detected error and the suggested remedy to the error to give the user an estimate of the repair costs of his vehicle. For example, if the error code retrieved from the vehicle indicates that the user's alternator is malfunctioning, the labor and parts data database can inform the user that the typical price range of an alternator of the user's vehicle is between $50 and $60, and inform the inform the user that the typical time interval charge for the replacement of an alternator is one hour, and that the typical labor rates of repair shops within the user's locality are between $40 and $60 per hour, thus giving the consumer a repair estimate of between $90 and $120. Additionally, the database of labor and costs data can be linked to labor rate information and parts costs information of particular service providers, such as Pep Boys® or Wal Mart® to enable the part costs and labor data to be made more precise by informing the user, for example, that he can obtain an alternator for his car at Pep Boys® for $55, which can be installed for one hour of labor, for which Pep Boy® charges $50, thus giving the user a more precise estimate of $100 for the repair of his vehicle. The server 34 database field that contains repair suggestions should preferably be an expert type database that is built used from the knowledge base gained from expert mechanics. Additionally, the server can contain historic data for vehicles that, through the accumulation of data for large numbers of vehicles of a certain type, can suggest possible solutions to the malfunctions based on the knowledge gained from other users of the device 12. One feature of the server 34 of the present invention is that it can store the error code information retrieved from users. This information will permit data mining by service organizations and automobile manufacturers, and the development of neural networks and expert systems. For example, the server 34 can correlate data about particular vehicle types, and prepare a report of malfunction incidents by vehicle type, and by malfunction type within a certain vehicle model. This data can then be transferred to a manufacturer or service organization. For example, the existence of a large number of alternator malfunctions that correspond to a certain vehicle type can be correlated into a report, which is then provided to a manufacturer of the particular vehicle type, so that the manufacturer will be aware of the problem, and can take steps to redesign or improve the design of its alternator. Additionally, the same information can be transmitted to service facility organizations, such as Pep Boys®, to better help Pep Boys® purchase their inventory of repair parts, and better target market consumers. Additionally, such data may be desirable to an automobile evaluation organization, such as Consumer Reports®, or an insurance trade group, so that they may provide better evaluations of vehicles to their customer base. In summary, the reports prepared by the server 34 may be delivered not only to the user, but also to third parties who would find the information useful. Additionally, the error codes for a particular vehicle will be maintained within the database to enable the user to retrieve historical information relating to his car, so that the user will have a diagnostic history of his vehicle, which may be useful both to the owner, and to prospective purchasers of the user's vehicle. In addition to the device described above, the device can include additional features. For example, the device can be designed to have an infra-red data transfer capability so that the device can transfer information wirelessly to a computer, and it can contain Bluetooth support for data transfer from the device to a personal computer and any other device with Bluetooth support. As will be appreciated, a Bluetooth transfer involves the use of a short distance radio transfer link. Further, the device can be designed to contained limited transfer capabilities, which may obviate the need for a personal computer, but which will still enable the device to be produced inexpensively. For example, the device can be designed to be coupled directly to a phone jack, and have limited communication capabilities, so that the device can automatically dial a toll free number, preprogrammed into the device, and can transfer data directly to the server 34 without the intervention of a computer 26. The diagnostic report in human readable, natural language format can then be transferred to the user by facsimile or mail, thereby enabling the device to be used even by those without a computer or personal data assistant. As alluded to above, the device can be designed so that the server contains some expert system help. An expert system is software that contains numerous logic “trees” which are created and populated by human experts, including, in this case, mechanics that are familiar with vehicle malfunctions and solutions therefor. This expert system can be developed into a neural network that continuously analyzes its own output learns from its own results, much in the way that humans do. This process continually updates and improves its software logic, which in turn, provides more accurate diagnoses, and more precise solutions for fixing the problems uncovered by the error codes. Having described the device in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications exists within the scope of the present invention, as set forth within the appended claims. | <SOH> III. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Vehicles, in particular, motorized vehicles such as automobiles and light duty trucks are complex machines with thousands of various parts that perform a vast array of operations that permit the vehicle to be operated by the user. As with any such complex machine, malfunctions occur in one or more parts of the vehicle from time to time. Formerly, most vehicle malfunctions were relatively easy to diagnose and repair, especially on vehicles manufactured prior to 1970. Malfunctions on these older vehicles were typically easy to diagnose and repair because the vehicles were relatively simple, and their operating systems, such as engines and controls were primarily mechanical in nature, thus facilitating a relatively simple diagnosis of malfunctions when they occurred. However, such has not been the case for the last 30 years or so. Since the early 1970s, vehicles have become substantially more complex, as a result of a variety of factors, including governmental regulations that mandated that vehicles pollute less, and consume fuel more efficiently. Additionally, the advent of consumer-available computerization, when coupled with consumer demand for convenience features such as electric windows, doors, door locks, and the like, have caused recently manufactured vehicles to become substantially more complex than their pre-1970s counterparts. Most cars manufactured prior to 1970 could be serviced adequately, and have their problems diagnosed by consumers, or mechanics equipped with only rudimentary mechanical tools. However, the increasingly electronic-driven nature of new vehicles has made it difficult for consumers to either diagnose malfunctions in their vehicles or to repair them. Even professional mechanics must now rely on sophisticated electronic equipment to diagnose and repair vehicular malfunctions. To better aid in the diagnosis of such vehicular malfunctions, passenger cars have been required, since 1996, to include an on-board diagnostic port (OBD port), or a diagnostic link connector (DLC). An OBD and DLC essentially comprises a plug-in type connector that is coupled to the on-board computer in the vehicle. The on-board computer is coupled to various sensors at various places within the vehicle, to sense the existence of a malfunction in the various locations of the vehicle. By plugging in an appropriate “scanner” device into the OBD or DLC, error codes can be retrieved from OBD or DLC. These error codes provide information as to the source of the malfunction. Typically, the scanner devices used today to retrieve such error codes from an OBD or DLC port are large, complex, and importantly expensive. The devices typically include a data processing computer, having a cable that can be coupled to the OBD or DLC port. The error codes are retrieved from the vehicle, and fed into the processing unit of the device. The processing unit of the device includes software for processing the information retrieved from the error code, which, along with a database of information, correlates the error codes to specific vehicle malfunction conditions. In order to properly process data received from the DLC or OBD port, the diagnostic device is required to have a substantial amount of processing capability in order to process the retrieved data, a substantial database of information about the particular vehicle from which the data is retrieved, and which correlates the error codes to the particular malfunctions; and a display (either electronic, or through a printer) that is capable of displaying or printing out a message in some format. This format can take the form of either an error code (e.g. error number P0171), or some natural language description of the error (e.g. system too lean (bank one)). Because of the processing, storage and display requirements attendant to such a device, the cost of such a device is usually outside of the range desired by most automobile owners, and even some smaller automobile service facilities. As such, prior to the present invention, the only persons who typically possessed such diagnostic devices were automobile service facilities such as service stations, automobile repair shops and automobile dealerships. One difficulty with the isolation of such diagnostic devices within the hands of service personnel (as opposed to consumers) is that consumers are often denied the opportunity to have access to diagnostic information about their vehicle, thus putting consumers at the mercy of the service repair facility. Unfortunately, economic factors, ethical laxity, and lack of knowledge conspire too often, thereby causing unnecessary repairs to be made to vehicles, and hence, from the consumer's perspective, unnecessary expenses to be incurred in the repair of their vehicles. This problem is not inconsequential. According to a National Highway and Traffic Administration report, of the approximately $50 billion dollars spent annually in America for automobile repair and maintenance, roughly $20 billion dollars of this amount is spent on unnecessary or fraudulent repairs. Statistically, this means that 40 cents of every dollar spent on automobile repair in America is at worst, wasted, and at best, unnecessary. Because of the high cost of automobile repair, and the unfortunate high incidence of unnecessary and fraudulent repairs, many consumers live in dread of an automotive malfunction and the required trip to an automobile service facility. The consumer's fear is exacerbated by the fact that the complexity of contemporary automobiles precludes most consumers from diagnosing the problems themselves. As such, the consumer is left to the mercy of the automobile technician who informs the consumer of the malfunctions, and suggests the repair therefor. Since the consumer cannot diagnose the problems herself, the consumer is never quite sure whether the service technician is being truthful, or alternately, suggesting repairs that need not be performed. This fear is often exacerbated by the fact that many repair facilities pay their service writers commissions for the services and parts “sold” by the service writer. Admittedly, this problem with consumer ignorance could be mitigated if the consumer were to have her own scanner type diagnostic device. However, this solution is not practical, as such scanners typically sell for $500.00 to $3,000.00. Additionally, various adaptors and data cartridges must be purchased for different types of vehicles. Most importantly, few, if any of these scanners provide output in a form that is of value to a non-mechanic layperson In summary, the cost of such a scanner, when all parts and databases are assembled, can exceed the price and usefulness where it would be profitable for consumers to purchase them. Examples of such scanners are sold by Snap-On, Inc. of Waukegan, Ill., and can be seen at www.snapon.com. One such illustrative scanner is the Snap-On, Super-Deluxe graphing scanner, Stock No. MTG25002900. As the cost of such a scanner is beyond the practical affordability of most consumers, it is easy to deduce that providing consumers with currently existing scanners provides no real, economically viable solution for consumers. Therefore, it is one object of the present invention to provide a device that is small enough, and can be manufactured inexpensively enough to allow consumers to retrieve error codes from their vehicle diagnostic system, to therefore be better informed of the malfunctions visiting their vehicles. | <SOH> IV. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>According to the present invention, a vehicle monitoring and maintenance device is capable of being connected to a diagnostic port of a vehicle. The monitoring and maintenance device comprises a hand holdable, data acquisition and transfer device. The data acquisition and transfer device includes a first data link connectable to a diagnostic port of a vehicle for retrieving diagnostic data from the vehicle; and a second data link connectable to a global computer network communicable device. The data acquisition and transfer device also includes a processor and memory unit capable of retrieving unprocessed diagnostic data containing error codes from the vehicle via the first data link, storing unprocessed diagnostic data for a period of time, and transferring the unprocessed data to the global computer network communicable device, to the second data link. The hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device lacks sufficient data processing capability to fully process the unprocessed diagnostic data into human useable diagnostic information. Preferably, the processor and memory unit of the hand holdable data acquisition and transfer unit includes a random access memory (RAM) and preferably a Non Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) for storing the operating system, and a non-volatile random access memory for storing the unprocessed diagnostic data retrieved from the vehicle. This non-volatile random access memory can comprise a flash memory. Additionally, the network communicable device can comprise a personal computer such as a desktop, notebook, or personal data assistant that is capable of communicating, through a global computer network, to a server. This server contains sufficient processing capability for processing the unprocessed data transmitted by the personal computer into natural language diagnostic information. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for monitoring and maintaining a vehicle having a diagnostic port. The method includes the retrieval of unprocessed data from a diagnostic data port of the vehicle by employing a hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device. The data acquisition and transfer device comprises a first data link connectable to a diagnostic port of the vehicle for retrieving unprocessed diagnostic data from a vehicle, and a second data link connectable to a global computer network communicable device. The data acquisition and transfer device further include a processor and memory unit capable of retrieving unprocessed data from the vehicle via the first data link; storing the unprocessed diagnostic data for a limited period of time; and transferring the unprocessed data to a global computer network, through the second data link. The hand holdable data acquisition and transfer device lack sufficient data processing capability to fully process the unprocessed diagnostic data into human useable diagnostic information. The data from the data acquisition and transfer device is transferred to a global computer network communicable device. The partially unprocessed data is transferred, via a global computer network, from the global computer network communicable device to a server. A server is provided that includes software having diagnostic information necessary to identify, from the unprocessed data, sources of conditions within the vehicle giving rise to error codes in the unprocessed data. The server is used to process the unprocessed data, and to prepare a vehicle condition report in a natural language. The vehicle condition report is transferred, via the global computer network, to a global communicable network communicable device. Preferably, the vehicle condition report is transferred back to the global network communicable device of the person who submitted the unprocessed data, so that the vehicle owner or service technician can learn about the malfunction conditions affecting his or her car. Alternately, the data can be communicated to a third party, such as a vehicle service provider, a vehicle evaluator, or a vehicle manufacturer. Additionally, the preferred method also includes providing the server with a data base including labor data, and parts data, and in particular, labor costs (or time interval) data, and parts cost data. This labor and cost data can be correlated with the identified vehicle malfunctions, to provide the consumer with an estimate of the cost of repairing the vehicles. One feature of the present invention is that data acquisition device of the present invention lacks sufficient data processing capability, including memory capability, to fully process the unprocessed diagnostic data into human-useable diagnostic information. This feature has the advantage of enabling the device to be manufactured much less expensively than prior known devices. The Applicants believe that the high costs of known scanners results primarily from the primary high-cost components within traditional scanner-type devices such as their processing units, memory units, and display units. As alluded to above, converting the error codes retrieved from a vehicle into a human readable and understandable action report, that either suggests the cause of the error, or preferably, suggests a proposed solution to the malfunction, requires that the scanning device include a database. This database must contain information about vehicular error codes, and be capable of correlating these error codes with the malfunction to which they relate. The size of the database is large due to the large number of vehicle manufacturers, and vehicle models that contain a variety (and sometimes a large number) of error codes. The existence of a large database mandates significant “data crunching” capabilities within a data processor that requires a rather fast and powerful processing unit. As such, the combination of a large memory unit to hold the large amount of data, when coupled to the need for a fast, powerful processor requires the device to include expensive components to ensure the proper operation of the device. Additionally, in order to display the error codes in a user-readable format, a multi-line display, of the type that one might find on a typical personal data assistant is also required. It follows therefore, that a device that avoids the need for a large amount of memory and processing capability, along with an expensive display, can be manufactured much less expensively than one requiring a large memory, powerful processors and a sophisticated display. Although the Applicants' invention does not eliminate the need for significant memory, processing capabilities and displays, the Applicants' invention obviates the need for such high-cost components within the hand holdable device of the present invention, by permitting the user to rely on the high-cost components that the user likely already possesses (or has access to), such as the processing memory and display components within the Applicants' personal computer or one at his local library. Additionally, by employing a web-accessible server to perform the majority of the data crunching and the database maintenance functions, the Applicants' invention further reduces the component investment that must be born by the vehicle owner/consumer. In summary, by reducing the technological requirements of a hand holdable unit in favor of relying on technological components of the user's already-existing personal computer, an offsite database system, and a service providers' web server, the hand holdable device that performs the unique function (relative to the computer and the web server) of retrieving data from the particular vehicle is reduced in cost to the point where such a hand holdable device can be produced within a range that can be afforded by most vehicle owner/consumers, and that represents a good investment for vehicle owners and consumers, when compared to currently existing devices. The frequency of breakdowns of many vehicles over their normal service life, and the cryptic nature of output from currently produced devices is not likely to justify the $2,000 to $3,000 investment required with many currently available devices, even if the use of such a current device would permit the user to save the estimated 40% “wasted services” fees discussed above. However, a device that is priced at somewhere between 5% and 10% (or so) of such currently known devices, and preferably at less than $100.00, would provide a good investment for the consumers, and, might likely pay for itself in one or two trips to the repair shop, through the savings gained by enabling the consumer to avoid unnecessary services. These and other features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of the detailed description and drawings presented below, which set forth the best mode of practicing the invention perceived presently by the applicants. | 20041004 | 20050802 | 20050224 | 78191.0 | 1 | BLACK, THOMAS G | AUTO DIAGNOSTIC METHOD AND DEVICE | SMALL | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,957,777 | ACCEPTED | Transfer of packet data to wireless terminal | The invention relates to transfer of packet data from a first subsystem via a network node in a second subsystem to a terminal in the second subsystem. The method includes negotiating identifiers identifying a data flow of the first subsystem via a separate signalling element during the set-up of an application-plane logical connection of the terminal. The identifiers are transmitted from the signalling element to the network node. In the method, a filter is generated at least on the basis of the identifiers for directing the mapping of at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of the second subsystem. The filter is bound to at least one data flow of the second subsystem, and at least one data flow of the first subsystem is mapped to at least one data flow of the second subsystem on the basis of the filter. | 1. A method of transmitting packet data from a first subsystem via a network node in a second subsystem to a terminal in the second subsystem, the method comprising: negotiating at least identifiers identifying a data flow of the first subsystem via a separate signalling element during the set-up of an application-plane logical connection of the terminal, transmitting one or more of the identifiers from the signalling element to the network node, generating at least one filter for directing the mapping of at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of the second subsystem at least on the basis of the identifiers received at least in the network node, binding said filter, generated at least on the basis of the identifiers received from the signalling element, to at least one data flow of the second subsystem, and mapping at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of the second subsystem based on said filter. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identifiers identifying the data flow on the application plane are negotiated at the element participating in the application-plane negotiation, the identifiers identifying the data flow are transmitted to the network node in the second subsystem, and said filter is generated at the network node from the identifiers identifying the data flow and transmitted by said element managing the session. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission of a packet received at the network node to the terminal is prevented in response to the identifiers of the received packet not being defined in any filter specified for the terminal. 4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an identifier is specified for at least one data flow of said second subsystem for distinguishing it individually from the data flows employing the same address of the terminal in response to the ability to transfer data to the address of the terminal in the second system via at least two data flows, and said identifier is bound to said filter. 5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second subsystem is a GPRS system or a UMTS system offering packet-switched service, whereby said filter is bound to at least one PDP context, using which the packets according to the parameters of said filter are transferred to the terminal. 6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said filter is bound to at least one PDP context in a PEP function of a gateway GPRS support node supporting an IMS system, the PEP function is configured to map at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one PDP context in the second subsystem. 7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a TFT information element not including any filter condition is generated in the terminal in response to the need to create a secondary PDP context, the TFT information element is transmitted in a secondary PDP context activation request, the identifier individually identifying the secondary PDP context is bound to said filter, and packets according to the parameters of said filter are transmitted using the secondary PDP context identified by the identifier. 8. A network element for packet-switched data transfer from a first subsystem to a second subsystem, wherein said network element is configured to receive one or more identifiers identifying a data flow of the first subsystem from a separate signalling element, said network element is configured to generate at least one filter for directing the mapping of at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of the second subsystem at least on the basis of the identifiers received at least in the network node, said network element is configured to associate said filter, generated at least on the basis of the identifiers received from the signalling element, to at least one data flow of the second subsystem, and said network element is configured to map at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one data flow of the second subsystem based on said filter. 9. A wireless terminal for a packet radio network, the wireless terminal being configured to transmit a configuration signal to a network node in a mobile system for activating or modifying a packet data protocol context for linking the packet radio network to an external system, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to check if a filter used for mapping the data flows at the network node is determined by a separate network element, and the wireless terminal is configured to generate said configuration message without filter information in response to the filter used for mapping the data flows being determined in a separate network element. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the transfer of packet-switched data to a wireless terminal. PDP contexts (Packet Data Protocol) are used in the transfer of user data in GPRS services (General Packet Radio Service) and in packet-switched services of the UMTS system (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). PDP contexts are generally logical connections, on which IP data are transferred from a mobile station to a boundary node (GGSN) in a UMTS network and vice versa. For the mobile station, a PDP address (at least one) is specified, for which several PDP contexts can be opened in the UMTS system. The first context is called a primary PDP context and the next PDP contexts are secondary PDP contexts. The mobile station knows which application data flows are to be directed to which links of a PDP context in uplink data transfer. In downlink, the gateway GPRS support node should also know packet-specifically which PDP context is used for each data flow received from an external IP network. For this purpose, the destination IP address of the packet is used; TFT templates (Traffic Flow Templates) are also specified in the UMTS. The idea of TFT templates is that the mobile station sends given TCP/UDP/IP header field values to the gateway GPRS support node GGSN for identification of the data flow. A TFT contains one or more so-called packet filters. These packet filters can be used particularly for QoS (Quality of Service) mapping, i.e. mapping received packets into a data flow offering a quality of service according to the QoS information, e.g. the DiffServ field (Differentiated Services), in the UMTS system. In addition, an IP multimedia subsystem IMS is designed in the UMTS system for providing various IP multimedia services to UMTS mobile stations (UE; User Equipment). The IMS utilizes packet-switched UMTS services, PDP contexts, for data transfer to or from a mobile station. The IMS includes functions that enable negotiation of an end-to-end session on the application plane using the SIP protocol (Session Initiation Protocol), the features of the session being for instance the codecs used, the termination points and the quality of service (QoS). For arranging the agreed end-to-end quality of service also in a UMTS network, the IMS includes a call session control function (CSCF), which includes a PCF function (Policy Control Function) for authorizing quality of service resources (bandwidth, delay, etc.) for an IMS session based on SIP-layer SDP information (Session Description Protocol). For binding the authorization decision, an authorization token is determined in the PDP context, which the PCF creates for each session and which is transmitted from the CSCF to the mobile station. When the PDP context is being activated, the mobile station sends, to the gateway GPRS support node GGSN, an authorization token and a flow identifier that constitute binding information. The flow identifier identifies the IP media flow associated with the SIP session. The GGSN comprises a PEP function (Policy Enforcement Point) that controls the offering of the quality of service resources to the data flow according to the authorization token received from the PCF. The GGSN requests authorization for allocating resources to the session indicated by the binding information from the PCF, which is located at the P-CSCF (Proxy CSCF). The PCF functionality makes a final decision on resource allocation to the session and responds to the GGSN. The PEP function of the GGSN generates, based on this, a logical ‘gate’ for implementing admission control according to the decision of the PCF for a unidirectional data flow. A source IP address, destination IP address, source gate, destination gate and protocol may be used as packet classification parameters. A problem in the above arrangement is that the GGSN performs similar downlink packet filtering by means of the gate functionality provided both by the TFT templates and by the PEP functionality. If the packets pass through the gate, a PDP context is selected for them by means of the TFT functionality, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Problems arise if these filters do not match, in which case the packets do not end up in the right PDP contexts. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is thus to provide a method and equipment for implementing the method so as to avoid the above drawback. The objects of the invention are achieved by a method, a network element and a wireless terminal, which are characterized by what is stated in the independent claims. The preferred embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims. The invention comprises negotiating at least identifiers identifying a data flow of the first subsystem via a separate signalling element during the set-up of an application-plane logical connection of the terminal. One or more of the identifiers are transmitted from the signalling element of the first subsystem to a network node transmitting data to the second subsystem. In the system, a filter is generated on the basis of at least the identifiers received at the network node for directing the mapping of at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one-data flow of the second subsystem. The filter, generated based on at least the identifiers received from the signalling element, is bound to at least one data flow of the second subsystem, and at least one data flow of the first subsystem is mapped to at least one data flow of the second subsystem based on the filter. This avoids a separate transfer of filter parameters within the second subsystem, and the packets passing through the filtering specified based on local or end-to-end identifiers negotiated on the application plane can be connected to the correct data flow of the second subsystem. For example, in a UMTS system supporting the IMS system, a packet can be transferred directly to a PDP context, and two filter functionalities are thus not required. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a UMTS system utilizing TFT information elements is concerned, whereby an identifier identifying the PDP context is transferred to a gateway GPRS support node PEP function constituting a gate formed by application-plane identifiers, wherein the identifier is associated with at least one filter. The PEP function may map the data flow fulfilling the filter parameters to a PDP context identified by the identifier, whereby the TFT filter is not needed at the gateway GPRS support node. In this case, the processing of TFT information elements in the mobile station can also be avoided, which reduces the functionality and resources required of the mobile station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 illustrates filtering and mapping of downlink packets into PDP contexts; FIG. 2 generally illustrates a UMTS system; FIG. 3 shows UMTS user-plane protocol architecture; FIG. 4 illustrates a gateway GPRS support node GGSN comprising the filter and mapping functionality according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of the function of a gateway node according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 6 shows the activation of a secondary PDP context. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The method of a preferred embodiment of the invention is described next in conjunction with an exemplary UMTS system. However, the invention is applicable to any packet-switched telecommunication system wherein data flows need to be mapped. The method of the invention is applicable to e.g. a second generation GPRS service (General Packet Radio Service). Reference is made to FIG. 2, wherein the main parts of a mobile system include a core network CN and a UMTS terrestrial radio access network UTRAN, which constitute the fixed network of the mobile system, and a mobile station MS, also called user equipment UE. The interface between the CN and the UTRAN is called Iu, and the air interface between the UTRAN and the MS is called Uu. The UTRAN is typically composed of several radio network subsystems RNS, the interface between which is called Iur (not shown). The RNS is composed of a radio network controller RNC and one or more base stations BS, for which the term node B is also used. The interface between the RNC and the BS is called Iub. The base station BS attends to implementing the radio path and the radio network controller RNC manages radio resources. A connection to the UMTS core network CN can also be set up via a GSM base station subsystem BSS or a GSM/EDGE radio access network (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) GERAN. The core network CN is composed of an infrastructure of a mobile system external to the UTRAN. In the core network, a mobile services switching centre/visitor location register 3G-MSC/VLR attends to circuit-switched calls and communicates with a home subscriber server HSS. The connection to the serving GPRS support node SGSN of a packet radio system is set up via an interface Gs' and to the fixed telephone network PSTN/ISDN via a gateway MSC GMSC (not shown). The connection of both the mobile services switching centre 3G-MSC/VLR and the serving GPRS support node SGSN to the radio network UTRAN (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) is set up via the interface Iu. The UMTS system thus also comprises a packet radio system, which is largely implemented in accordance with a GPRS system connected to a GSM network, which also accounts for the references to the GPRS system in the network element names. The packet radio system of the UMTS may comprise several gateway GPRS support nodes and serving GPRS support nodes, and typically several serving GPRS support nodes SGSN are connected to one gateway GPRS support node GGSN. The task of the serving GPRS support node SGSN is to detect mobile stations capable of packet radio connections within its service area, to transmit and receive data packets from said mobile stations and to monitor the location of the mobile stations within its service area. Furthermore, the serving GPRS support node SGSN communicates with the home subscriber server HSS via the interface Gr. Records including the content of subscriber-specific packet data protocols are also stored in the home subscriber server HSS. The HSS includes e.g. information on the PDP contexts allowed to a subscriber and information for the use of services provided by the IMS. The gateway GPRS support node GGSN operates as a gateway between the packet radio system of the UMTS network and an external packet data network PDN. External data networks include for instance the UMTS or GPRS network of another network operator, the Internet or a private local area network. The gateway GPRS support node GGSN communicates with said data networks via an interface Gi. The data packets transferred between the gateway GPRS support node GGSN and the serving GPRS support node SGSN are always encapsulated in accordance with a gateway tunnelling protocol GTP. The gateway GPRS support node GGSN also comprises the addresses of PDP contexts (Packet Data Protocol) activated for the mobile stations and the routing information, i.e. for instance the SGSN addresses. Routing information is thus used for linking data packets between an external data network and the serving GPRS support node SGSN. The network between the gateway GPRS support node GGSN and the serving GPRS support node SGSN is a network utilizing the IP communication protocol. A packet data system may also comprise many other functions, of which FIG. 2 shows a control function SCF for intelligent network services, preferably CAMEL services, and a charging gateway CGF attending to charging. Of the elements of the IMS system, FIG. 2 also illustrates a call session control function CSCF, which may have three different roles: Proxy-CSCF (P-CSCF), which comprises a PCF function and transfers SIP messages to other SIP network elements; Interrogating-CSCF (I-CSCF), which is a subscriber home network contact point, allocates the serving CSCF (S-CSCF) and forwards SIP requests to the S-CSCF; S-CSCF, which is a CSCF controlling the end-to-end session of a mobile station. For a more detailed description of the IMS system, reference is made to 3GPP specification 3GPP TS 23.228, v.5.3.0 (January 2002), ‘IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS); Stage 2; Release 5’. The UMTS packet data protocol architecture is divided into a user plane and control plane. The control plane comprises UMTS-specific signalling protocols. FIG. 3 illustrates the user plane, which delivers user data in protocol data units (PDU) between a mobile station and a GGSN. At the interface Uu between the radio network UTRAN and a mobile station MS, lower-level data transfer at the physical layer L1 takes place in accordance with the WCDMA or the TD-CDMA protocol. The MAC layer, on top of the physical layer, transfers data packets between the physical layer and the RLC layer (Radio Link Control), and the RLC layer attends to the management of the radio links of different logical connections. The functionalities of the RLC comprise for instance the segmentation of data to be transmitted into one or more RLC data packets. It is possible to compress the header fields comprised by the data packets of the PDCP layer (PDCP-PDU) on top of the RLC. The data packets are segmented and then transferred in RLC frames, to which address and checking information, vital to data transfer, is added. The RLC layer offers the capability of quality of service QoS definition to the PDCP layer and attends also to the retransmission of damaged frames in acknowledged transfer mode (other modes are transparent transfer and unacknowledged transfer), i.e. performs error correction. The PDCP, RLC and MAC constitute a transfer link layer. The serving GPRS support node SGSN attends to the routing of data packets incoming via the radio network RAN from the mobile station MS further to the correct gateway GPRS support node GGSN. This connection employs the tunnelling protocol GTP, which encapsulates and tunnels all user data and signalling forwarded via the core network. The GTP protocol is run over the IP employed by the core network. The IP protocol can be used in a UMTS network for two different purposes. The upper IP layer is a so-called application layer IP, which is used between the MS and the GGSN and to a peer device in an external IP network. The TCP or UDP protocols, utilized by applications APP, can be executed on top of the upper IP layer. The application layer APP also has a SIP functionality, which is able to communicate with the CSCF. It is to be noted that applications APP and the upper IP stack can be located in a separate data terminal (TE; Terminal Equipment), a separate mobile terminal part MT acting as the communication device to the UMTS network. An example of this kind of a wireless terminal is a combination of a portable computer and a UMTS card phone. To obtain packet-switched services, a mobile station MS has to perform an attach procedure, making the location of the MS known at the serving GPRS support node SGSN. The MS is then able to receive short messages and calls from the serving GPRS support node SGSN. To receive and transmit packet-switched data, the MS has to activate at least one PDP context that makes the MS known at the gateway GPRS support node GGSN and creates a logical data transfer context at the mobile station MS, the serving GPRS support node SGSN and the gateway GPRS support node GGSN. When the PDP context is being created, a PDP address, which could be an IPv4 or IPv6 address (when PDP type is IP), is defined for the MS. The PDP address is defined, in addition to other PDP context data, such as the negotiated QoS profile, in a context table maintained by the GGSN. To implement a service-based local policy, the GGSN comprises a PEP function (Policy Enforcement Point) that controls the offering of quality of service resources to the data flow according to the authorization received from the PCF. The gating functionality offered by the PEP thus tends to identify a given flow or a group of flows by including information about possible header fields in the form of a set of packet filter parameters, i.e. packet filters PF. As FIG. 4 illustrates, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, the PEP is arranged to directly map the data flows received from external networks PDN into the correct PDP contexts. In the packet filters PF, one or more of five packet classification parameters specified for the gating functionality in the 3GPP specifications, any filter parameters usable when applying TFT information elements (source IP address (referring to the address of the peer device in the external network PDN), source gate, destination gate, DiffServ field (Differentiated Services), flow identifier (IPv6), protocol number (IPv4)/the following header field (IPv6), security parameter index SPI in association with the IPSec protocol), combinations of the above, or any other identifier identifying the data flow end-to-end or negotiated locally (for example by the MS in a UMTS network), may be used. The system may employ a proxy functionality, whereby a filter parameter does not identify the identifier of the data flow end-to-end, but the address of the GGSN element instead of the address of the mobile station MS, for example. The packet filter PF may be completely defined when establishing the logical application-plane connection for the data flow from identifying identifiers at the P-CSCF element (PCF function), and transferred to the GGSN (PEP function). The PEP function determines a gate defined by the packet filter PF for the data flow, which it binds to at least one PDP context based on the PDP address, for example. Packet filters PF are typically PDP context-specific, whereby each packet filter PF (for a given data flow) is bound to one PDP context. In this case, TFT information elements and the TFT filtering performed based thereon at the GGSN are not needed at all, since the PEP is able to map the downlink packets ‘passing through the gate’, i.e. according to the filter parameters, into the correct PDP context. This provides significant advantages, since all drawbacks caused by double filtering are avoided: errors caused by deviating filter parameters, the functionality required for using TFT information elements, both at the mobile station MS and at the gateway GPRS support node GGSN. If secondary PDP contexts are to be used, binding data are transferred instead of a TFT information element from the mobile station MS during activation. In order for the GGSN to be able to distinguish secondary PDP contexts from (primary and secondary) PDP contexts comprising the same PDP address, it has to bind the packet filter PF individually to the identifier identifying the secondary PDP context. In accordance with an embodiment, this identifier is the TEID (Tunnel-End-Point Identifier). The TEID identifier is used in tunnelling user data between the SGSN and the GGSN. Another alternative is the NSAPI identifier (Network Service Access Point), which the mobile station MS selects and transmits in a secondary PDP context activation request. These identifiers can naturally also be used to bind primary PDP contexts to a given packet filter PF in the PEP function. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the mobile station MS, however, still transmits a TFT information element in secondary PDP context activation or modification messages, but does not include any filter information therein. The filter information used at the GGSN is determined based on the identifiers of the data flows negotiated on the application plane and obtained from the PCF function, and TFT filtering is not used at the GGSN. This embodiment provides the advantage that the serving GPRS support node SGSN does not have to be changed, but it can operate as is defined in the 3GPP specifications, and accept the secondary PDP context activation requests included in the TFT information element. In this case, the IMS binding information, i.e. authorization token and flow identifiers, can also be transferred from the mobile station MS to the GGSN using the TFT information element and thus indicate the secondary PDP context to which the data flow determined by the packet filter of the gate is to be bound. Partial use of the filter parameters of the TFT information element is also feasible, allowing the mobile station MS to add one or more filter parameters, which the PEP function of the GGSN is to use as the packet filter, to the TFT information element. An example of this is that the MS allocates to itself a new interface identifier to its IPv6 address suffix when IPv6 addresses are used. In this case, the MS indicates, in a PDP context activation or modification message at the TFT information element, a new interface identifier for the GGSN, which the GGSN sets as the new filter parameter in addition to the filter parameters indicated by the PCF. Thus, in this embodiment, filter parameters determined by both the PCF and the MS can be used, however, the actual filtering takes place preferably only once performed by the PEP function, and TFT filtering is not required. In accordance with still another embodiment, TFT filtering is also used at the GGSN in addition to PEP function filtering. In this case, the procedure is as illustrated in FIG. 1; however, with the exception that the GGSN copies the filter parameters used by the gate functionality into filter parameters used by the TFT filter. This embodiment avoids problems caused by different filter parameters, but the GGSN still performs two filterings on the packets. This embodiment can be further advanced by arranging the TFT filter functionality to filter the packets in accordance with packet filter parameters obtained from the PEP function (and possibly from the TFT information element) and to link the packets to the PDP context (primary or secondary) associated with the packet filter. In this case, no filter functionality at all is required in the PEP function. However, an embodiment is illustrated in detail below, wherein the PEP function performs the filtering. FIG. 5 illustrates the operation of a gateway GPRS support node GGSN according to an embodiment, wherein a packet classifier obtained from the PCF function of the P-CSCF is used as packet filters PF. In step 501, the GGSN receives a request to activate the PDP context. The request includes binding information obtained by the mobile station from the P-CSCF, i.e. one or more flow identifiers and an authorization token, based on which the GGSN finds out the correct CSCF element (which thus plays the role of the P-CSCF and comprises the PCF functionality). The GGSN transmits 502 a request to authorize the required resources to the PCF functionality of the P-CSCF indicated by the authorization token. The PCF makes a decision to allocate the resources by specifying a packet classifier, and the GGSN receives 503 a response including the packet classifier. The response includes the packet classification parameters determined by the PCF, which are defined from data flow identifiers negotiated on the application plane. If the resources can be reserved, the GGSN (PEP function) generates 504 a logical gate, which uses the packet classification parameters determined by the PCF as its packet filter parameters for one or more PDP contexts. The gate is thus bound to at least one PDP context based on the PDP address. The gate is bound for instance by determining, for each gate-specific packet classifier, a PDP context identifier, to which the gate determined by the packet classifier, and thus the data flow passing through the gate, are bound. If secondary PDP contexts are used, an identifier that distinguishes a secondary PDP context from other PDP contexts including the same PDP address is to be used in the binding information of the gate determined by the packet filter in the PEP function, in addition to (or instead of) the PDP address. This identifier may be NSAPI or TEID, for example. In gate generation step 504, the GGSN is arranged to associate the identifier uniquely identifying the PDP context with the packet filter PF. The GGSN typically still replies to the PCF. If the PCF allows resource allocation, the GGSN can establish the PDP context in accordance with the request 501. In this case, the PDP context is established using the quality of service adapted by the UMTS network from the quality of service parameters of the IP plane or application plane of the mobile station MS (unless the SGSN or the GGSN has had to restrict the requested quality because of subscriber data or its own resource limitations, for example). For a more detailed description of the activation, modification or release of a PDP context, reference is also made to 3GPP specification 3GPP TS 23.060 V5.0.0 ‘General Packet Radio Service (GPRS); Service Description; Stage 2; Release 5’, January 2002, paragraph 9, pages 119 to 140. The GGSN is then able to transfer 506 received downlink packets fulfilling the filter conditions defined for the gate to the mobile station using a PDP context that is bound to the gate. When a packet is received from an external packet data network, its header fields are checked. When doing this, the GGSN compares the header fields of the packets received from the external IP network PDN with the filter conditions (PF) of the gates, based on which the GGSN knows if the packets can be forwarded to the terminal, and, if so, which PDP context is to be applied to each IP packet. If a gate is found, whose filter conditions the packet corresponds to, i.e. the header fields of the packet correspond to the set of packet classification parameters (packet classifier) determined by the PCF at the GGSN (PEP function), the PEP determines the identifier of the PDP context associated with the gate and directs the packet to be transferred in accordance with the PDP context and the UMTS network quality of service reservations defined therein. If the packet identifiers do not conform to the filter conditions bound to the PDP context, the packet cannot be transferred by means of the PDP context. The functions of the gateway GPRS support node illustrated in FIG. 5 can also be utilized when the MS requests for modification of the PDP context, i.e. changing an existing PDP context to conform to the needs of a new application, for example. In this case, in step 504, the GGSN generates a gate that is bound to an active PDP context. The GGSN does not create a new PDP context, but only modifies an activated PDP context in accordance with the request 501. It is also feasible that the binding information and packet filter sent by the PCF functionality are found in an intermediate memory maintained by the gateway GPRS support node GGSN, if data has been retrieved previously using the binding information. Furthermore, it is possible that the PEP functionality of the GGSN does not have to separately request (Pull) authorization and binding information from the PCF, but the PCF may also give them automatically to the GGSN (Push) before the need arises. FIG. 6 shows a signalling diagram illustrating in more detail the activation of a secondary PDP context when applying a service-based local policy in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The P-CSCF receives 601 a SDP message including the necessary information about the application-plane session to be set up, such as termination points and bandwidth requirement. The message 601 may originate for instance from another CSCF element (S-CSCF) because of an IMS session invite request from another party to the application-plane logical connection or the mobile station MS. The PCF function authorizes the quality of service resources (bandwidth, delay, etc.) for the IMS session based on the SDP information. The PCF creates an authorization token for the session and sends 602 the authorization token to the mobile station MS. As regards a more detailed description of the communication between the P-CSCF (PCF) and the mobile station MS, reference is made to 3GPP specification 3GPP TS 23.207, v. 5.2.0, ‘End-to-End QoS Concept and Architecture; Release 5’. The mobile station MS adapts 603 the application-plane (or IP-plane) quality of service requirements to the GPRS quality of service, i.e. specifies the QoS parameters to be requested for the PDP context. When the PDP context is activated, the mobile station sends 604, to the gateway GPRS support node GGSN, an activate PDP context request including not only conventional data of a secondary PDP context request but also an authorization token and a flow identifier. In step 603, the MS generates, and in this embodiment, sends, in message 604, also a TFT information element, which, however, in this embodiment, does not include any filter parameters. The MS is thus arranged to generate the TFT information element without filter parameters when the set-up of a session utilizing the IMS system P-CSCF element is concerned. Consequently, the MS is arranged to check if a separate network element, i.e. the P-CSCF (PCF function) determines the packet filter used for mapping the data flows in the network node. The check may be easily carried out in step 603 based on information received 602 from the CSCF, the information indicating if a PDP context to be activated for a service-based local protocol is concerned. The PCF may also send separate information indicating that only a packet filter PF determined by itself is to be used. If, based on the check, the filter to be used for mapping the data flows is determined in the PCF function, then the MS generates the configuration message without filter information. In this case, the MS generates the TFT information element, which preferably comprises binding information, i.e. a flow identifier and an authorization token, allowing the P-CSCF and the service-specific local protocol to be identified at the GGSN. The MS allocates, to the secondary PDP context, an identifying identifier, e.g. the NSAPI identifier, which is part of the secondary PDP context activation request 604. Other types of identifiers may also be used. Security functions may be performed after step 604 between the mobile station MS and the serving GPRS support node SGSN. The SGSN sends 605 a PDP context creation request to the GGSN. The GGSN receives request 605 and determines the appropriate P-CSCF on the basis of the authorization token. The GGSN requests 606 authorization for allocating resources for the activation of the session indicated by the flow identifier from the P-CSCF. When the PCF of the P-CSCF finds the IP flow information corresponding to request 606, it makes the final decision about allocating resources to the session and replies 607 to the GGSN. The response includes an authorization token, a packet classifier having one or more data flow identifiers negotiated on the application plane and intended as the filter, and other information specified for the Go interface between the CSCF and the GGSN in 3GPP specification 3GPP TS 23.207, v. 5.2.0 ‘End-to-End QoS Concept and Architecture; Release 5’. The advantage of this embodiment is that no changes are needed in the Go interface; only the GGSN has to perform the binding to the secondary PDP context. The GGSN responds 608 to the decision message 607. The PEP function of the GGSN generates a ‘gate’, which implements access control according to the decision of the PCF on a data flow according to the flow identifier using packet classification parameters. The gate and thereby the packet classifier are bound 609 to the secondary PDP context being activated based on the identifier distinguishing it from other secondary PDP contexts. The GGSN thus preferably maintains binding information, packet classifier and at least one identifier identifying the PDP context for each data flow to be mapped. Other information received from the Go interface may also be stored at the gateway GPRS support node GGSN. The GGSN checks, based on the quality of service information received from the PCF, that the quality of service requested for the PDP context does not exceed the quality of service negotiated on the application plane and authorized by the PCF. The GGSN creates a new context in the PDP context table but does not, however, take the TFT filter functionality into use, since the received TFT information element does not include filter parameters. The GGSN then sends a response 610 to the SGSN. The SGSN may initiate the establishment of a radio network service, whereby a radio access bearer is set up 611 for the mobile station MS. If the requested QoS attributes cannot be provided for instance on the basis of the subscriber contract, the SGSN informs this to the gateway GPRS support node GGSN, which confirms new QoS attributes. The SGSN sets the packet flow identifier and the radio priority in accordance with the negotiated QoS and responds 612 to the mobile station MS. The mobile station MS updates its context information with the new PDP context. The MS is now able to send and receive data packets of the logical connection negotiated on the application plane and use the PDP context. After step 612, the application of the mobile station or the entity reserving quality of service for it is still able to send necessary messages to finally activate the end-to-end session. For example, an application using the RSVP protocol may send and receive RSVP path and RSVP response messages, based on which also the PDP context, the radio access channel and the PEP gate functionality can be updated. When the GGSN receives 613 a downlink packet, it checks 614 the packet classifiers, i.e. determines if the packet can be admitted to the GPRS network based on any packet classifier. If a packet classifier is found to whose filter parameters the packet identifiers correspond, the packet is sent 615 to the mobile station MS using the PDP context bound to the packet classifier and the GTP tunnel defined in the PDP context. FIG. 6 illustrates the activation of a secondary PDP context. Based on the above, the present filtering and mapping functionality can also be applied to other PDP context activation situations and generally in modification steps of active PDP contexts. If different PDP contexts have different PDP addresses, it is sufficient that the PEP function has bound the packet filter PF to a PDP address indicating the GTP tunnel to which the packets are to be sent. The method illustrated above can be applied to arranging both mobile-originated and mobile-terminated application-plane logical connections. When a PDP context is removed or an-application-plane logical connection is released, the binding between the packet classifier and the PDP context can be removed from the PEP function. The invention can be implemented in a mobile station and in network elements (in accordance with an embodiment, in the gateway GPRS support node GGSN) as computer software executed in one or more processors. Hardware solutions or a combination of software and hardware solutions may also be used. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in a variety of ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the above examples, but may vary within the claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The invention relates to the transfer of packet-switched data to a wireless terminal. PDP contexts (Packet Data Protocol) are used in the transfer of user data in GPRS services (General Packet Radio Service) and in packet-switched services of the UMTS system (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). PDP contexts are generally logical connections, on which IP data are transferred from a mobile station to a boundary node (GGSN) in a UMTS network and vice versa. For the mobile station, a PDP address (at least one) is specified, for which several PDP contexts can be opened in the UMTS system. The first context is called a primary PDP context and the next PDP contexts are secondary PDP contexts. The mobile station knows which application data flows are to be directed to which links of a PDP context in uplink data transfer. In downlink, the gateway GPRS support node should also know packet-specifically which PDP context is used for each data flow received from an external IP network. For this purpose, the destination IP address of the packet is used; TFT templates (Traffic Flow Templates) are also specified in the UMTS. The idea of TFT templates is that the mobile station sends given TCP/UDP/IP header field values to the gateway GPRS support node GGSN for identification of the data flow. A TFT contains one or more so-called packet filters. These packet filters can be used particularly for QoS (Quality of Service) mapping, i.e. mapping received packets into a data flow offering a quality of service according to the QoS information, e.g. the DiffServ field (Differentiated Services), in the UMTS system. In addition, an IP multimedia subsystem IMS is designed in the UMTS system for providing various IP multimedia services to UMTS mobile stations (UE; User Equipment). The IMS utilizes packet-switched UMTS services, PDP contexts, for data transfer to or from a mobile station. The IMS includes functions that enable negotiation of an end-to-end session on the application plane using the SIP protocol (Session Initiation Protocol), the features of the session being for instance the codecs used, the termination points and the quality of service (QoS). For arranging the agreed end-to-end quality of service also in a UMTS network, the IMS includes a call session control function (CSCF), which includes a PCF function (Policy Control Function) for authorizing quality of service resources (bandwidth, delay, etc.) for an IMS session based on SIP-layer SDP information (Session Description Protocol). For binding the authorization decision, an authorization token is determined in the PDP context, which the PCF creates for each session and which is transmitted from the CSCF to the mobile station. When the PDP context is being activated, the mobile station sends, to the gateway GPRS support node GGSN, an authorization token and a flow identifier that constitute binding information. The flow identifier identifies the IP media flow associated with the SIP session. The GGSN comprises a PEP function (Policy Enforcement Point) that controls the offering of the quality of service resources to the data flow according to the authorization token received from the PCF. The GGSN requests authorization for allocating resources to the session indicated by the binding information from the PCF, which is located at the P-CSCF (Proxy CSCF). The PCF functionality makes a final decision on resource allocation to the session and responds to the GGSN. The PEP function of the GGSN generates, based on this, a logical ‘gate’ for implementing admission control according to the decision of the PCF for a unidirectional data flow. A source IP address, destination IP address, source gate, destination gate and protocol may be used as packet classification parameters. A problem in the above arrangement is that the GGSN performs similar downlink packet filtering by means of the gate functionality provided both by the TFT templates and by the PEP functionality. If the packets pass through the gate, a PDP context is selected for them by means of the TFT functionality, as illustrated in FIG. 1 . Problems arise if these filters do not match, in which case the packets do not end up in the right PDP contexts. | <SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The object of the invention is thus to provide a method and equipment for implementing the method so as to avoid the above drawback. The objects of the invention are achieved by a method, a network element and a wireless terminal, which are characterized by what is stated in the independent claims. The preferred embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims. The invention comprises negotiating at least identifiers identifying a data flow of the first subsystem via a separate signalling element during the set-up of an application-plane logical connection of the terminal. One or more of the identifiers are transmitted from the signalling element of the first subsystem to a network node transmitting data to the second subsystem. In the system, a filter is generated on the basis of at least the identifiers received at the network node for directing the mapping of at least one data flow of the first subsystem to at least one-data flow of the second subsystem. The filter, generated based on at least the identifiers received from the signalling element, is bound to at least one data flow of the second subsystem, and at least one data flow of the first subsystem is mapped to at least one data flow of the second subsystem based on the filter. This avoids a separate transfer of filter parameters within the second subsystem, and the packets passing through the filtering specified based on local or end-to-end identifiers negotiated on the application plane can be connected to the correct data flow of the second subsystem. For example, in a UMTS system supporting the IMS system, a packet can be transferred directly to a PDP context, and two filter functionalities are thus not required. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a UMTS system utilizing TFT information elements is concerned, whereby an identifier identifying the PDP context is transferred to a gateway GPRS support node PEP function constituting a gate formed by application-plane identifiers, wherein the identifier is associated with at least one filter. The PEP function may map the data flow fulfilling the filter parameters to a PDP context identified by the identifier, whereby the TFT filter is not needed at the gateway GPRS support node. In this case, the processing of TFT information elements in the mobile station can also be avoided, which reduces the functionality and resources required of the mobile station. | 20041004 | 20100105 | 20050310 | 63250.0 | 1 | PARK, JUNG H | TRANSFER OF PACKET DATA TO WIRELESS TERMINAL | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,957,806 | ACCEPTED | Low 1c screw dislocation 3 inch silicon carbide wafer | A high quality single crystal wafer of SiC is disclosed having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2000 cm−2. | 1. A high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density less than about 2000 cm−2. 2. A SiC crystal according to claim 1 wherein the 1 c screw dislocation density is less than about 1500 cm−2. 3. A SiC crystal according to claim 1 wherein the 1 c screw dislocation density is less than about 1200 cm−2. 4. A SiC crystal according to claim 1 wherein the crystal has a polytype selected from the group consisting of the 3C, 4H, 6H, 2H, and 15R polytypes. 5. A method of forming a wafer of a high quality single crystal of SiC, the method comprising: forming a SiC boule having a diameter slightly larger than about 3 inches; slicing the boule into wafers having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2500 cm−2 on a surface of each wafer; thereafter polishing the wafers; etching the polished wafers in molten KOH; and counting the 1 c screw dislocations on the surface of the etched wafers 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of forming a SiC boule comprises forming a boule having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2000 cm−2. 7. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of forming a SiC boule comprises forming a boule having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 1500 cm−2. 8. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of forming a SiC boule comprises forming a boule having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 1200 cm−2. 9. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of polishing the wafers comprises chemo-mechanical polishing. 10. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of etching the polished wafers in molten KOH comprises etching the wafers to a depth of greater than about 10 μm. 11. In a method of producing a high quality bulk single crystal of silicon carbide in a seeded sublimation system, the improvement comprising: growing a SiC boule having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2000 cm−2 on the surface; slicing the SiC boule into wafers, wherein each wafer has a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2000 cm−2 on the surface; 12. A method according to claim 11 further comprising polishing the SiC wafers. 13. A method according to claim 12 further comprising: attaching the polished SiC wafers to a seed holder; placing the seed holder in a crucible; placing SiC source powder in the crucible evacuating the crucible to remove ambient air and other impurities; placing the crucible under inert gas pressure; heating the system to SiC growth temperatures; and reducing the pressure to initiate SiC growth. 14. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step of slicing the SiC boule into wafers comprises a mechanical slice along a crystal growth axis. 15. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step of growing a SiC boule comprises a seeded sublimation growth of SiC. 16. A method according to claim 15 wherein said seeded sublimation growth of SiC comprises single polytype seeded sublimation growth. 17. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step of growing a SiC boule comprises growing a boule having a polytype selected from the group consisting of the 3C, 4H, 6H, and 15R polytypes. 18. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of attaching the SiC seed to a seed holder comprises placing the seed on a graphite seed holder. 19. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of placing a SiC seed on a seed holder in a crucible comprises placing the seed in a graphite crucible. 20. A method according to claim 13 further comprising stopping growth by raising the inert gas pressure in the crucible to above about 400 torr and lowering the temperature to below about 1900° C. to stop crystal growth. 21. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of placing the crucible under inert gas pressure involves introducing an inert gas selected from the group consisting of noble gases, N2, Ar, and mixtures thereof. 22. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of heating the system to SiC growth temperatures involves heating to temperatures between about 1900 and 2500° C. 23. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of introducing dopant gases to the seeded sublimation system, thereby incorporating dopants into the SiC single crystal. 24. A method according to claim 13 further comprising annealing the crystal after the completion of the crystal growth process. 25. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of attaching a SiC wafer to a seed holder comprises attaching a SiC seed having a 1 c screw density of less than about 1200 cm−2. 26. A method according to claim 12 wherein the step of polishing the wafers comprises a chemo-mechanical polishing. 27. A method according to claim 12 wherein the step of etching the polished SiC wafers comprises a molten KOH etch process. 28. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step of slicing the SiC boule into wafers comprises slicing the boules into wafers having a thickness of at about 0.5 mm. 29. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer comprising: a silicon carbide wafer having a diameter of at least about 3 inches; said wafer having the 4H polytype; and said wafer having a 1 c screw density on its surface of less than 2500 cm−2. 30. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer according to claim 29 wherein said surface 1 c screw dislocation density represents a count of the 1 c screw dislocations on said surface following an etch that preferentially emphasizes 1 c screw dislocation defects. 31. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer according to claim 30 wherein said surface 1 c screw dislocation density represents a count of the total 1 c screw dislocations on said surface following an etch of the surface in molten potassium hydroxide. 32. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer comprising: a silicon carbide wafer having a diameter of at least about 3 inches; said wafer having the 4H polytype; and said wafer having less than 123,700 1 c screw dislocations on its surface. 33. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer comprising: a silicon carbide wafer having a diameter of at least about 3 inches; said wafer having the 4H polytype; said wafer having a 1 c screw dislocation density on its surface of less than 2500 cm−2; and a Group III-nitride layer on said surface of said silicon carbide wafer. 34. A semiconductor precursor wafer according to claim 33 wherein said Group III-nitride layer is selected from the group consisting of GaN, AlGaN, AlN, AlInGaN, InN, AlInN and mixtures thereof. 35. A plurality of semiconductor device precursors comprising: a silicon carbide wafer having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density on the surface of less than 2500 cm−2; and a plurality of respective Group III-nitride epitaxial layers on some portions of said wafer. 36. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate of at least about 3 inches and having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than 2500 cm−2, said bulk single crystal having respective first and second surfaces opposite one another; and a plurality of devices on said silicon carbide substrate, each said device comprising: an epitaxial layer located on the substrate, said layer having a concentration of suitable dopant atoms for making the epitaxial layer a first conductivity type, and respective source, channel, and drain portions; a metal oxide layer on said channel portion; and and a metal gate contact on said metal oxide layer for forming an active channel when a bias is applied to said metal gate contact. 37. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate of at least about 3 inches and having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than 2500 cm−2, said bulk single crystal having respective first and second surfaces opposite one another; and a plurality of devices on said silicon carbide substrate, each said device comprising: a conductive channel on said substrate; a source and a drain on said conductive channel; and a metal gate contact between said source and said drain on said conductive channel for forming an active channel when a bias is applied to the metal gate contact. 38. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate of at least about 3 inches and having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than 2500 cm−2, said bulk single crystal having respective first and second surfaces opposite one another; and a plurality of junction field-effect transistors positioned on said single crystal silicon carbide substrate. 39. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate of at least about 3 inches and having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than 2500 cm−2, said bulk single crystal having respective first and second surfaces opposite one another; and a plurality of hetero-field effect transistors positioned on said single crystal silicon carbide substrate. 40. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate of at least about 3 inches and having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than 2500 cm−2, said bulk single crystal having respective first and second surfaces opposite one another; and a plurality of diodes positioned on said single crystal silicon carbide substrate. | STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST This invention was developed under Office of Naval Research/DARPA Contract No. N00014-02-C-0306. The government may have certain rights in this invention. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to low defect silicon carbide wafers and their use as precursors for semiconductor purposes, and to seeded sublimation growth of large, high-quality silicon carbide single crystals. Silicon carbide has found use as semiconductor material for various electronic devices and purposes in recent years. Silicon carbide is especially useful due to its physical strength and high resistance to chemical attack. Silicon carbide also has excellent electronic properties, including radiation hardness, high breakdown field, a relatively wide band gap, high saturated electron drift velocity, high-temperature operation, and absorption and emission of high-energy photons in the blue, violet, and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. Single crystal silicon carbide is often produced by a seeded sublimation growth process. In a typical silicon carbide growth technique, the seed crystal and a source powder are both placed in a reaction crucible which is heated to the sublimation temperature of the source and in a manner that produces a thermal gradient between the source and the marginally cooler seed crystal. The thermal gradient encourages vapor phase movement of the materials from the source to the seed followed by condensation upon the seed and the resulting bulk crystal growth. The method is also referred to as physical vapor transport (PVT). In a typical silicon carbide growth technique, the crucible is made of graphite and is heated by induction or resistance, with the relevant coils and insulation being placed to establish and control the desired thermal gradient. The source powder is silicon carbide, as is the seed. The crucible is oriented vertically, with the source powder in the lower portions and the seed positioned at the top, typically on the seed holder; see U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,005 (reissued as No. Re34,861) the contents of which are incorporated entirely herein by reference. These sources are exemplary, rather than limiting, descriptions of modern seeded sublimation growth techniques. The invention is also related to the following copending and commonly assigned U.S. applications: Ser. No. 10/628,189 filed Jul. 28, 2003 for Growth of Ultra-High Purity Silicon Carbide Crystals in an Ambient Containing Hydrogen; Ser. No. 10/628,188 filed Jul. 28, 2003 for Reducing Nitrogen Content in Silicon Carbide Crystals by Sublimation Growth in a Hydrogen-Containing Ambient; Ser. No. 10/707,898 filed Jan. 22, 2004 for Silicon Carbide on Diamond Substrates and Related Devices and Methods; Ser. No. 60/522,326 filed Sep. 15, 2004 for Seed Preparation for the Growth of High Quality Large Size Silicon Carbide Crystals; Ser. No. 10/915,095 filed Aug. 10, 2004 for Seed and Seedholder Combinations for High Quality Growth of Large Silicon Carbide Single Crystals; and Ser. No. 10/876,963 filed Jun. 25, 2004 for One Hundred Millimeter High Purity Semi-Insulating Single Crystal Silicon Carbide Wafer. The contents of these applications are likewise incorporated entirely herein by reference. Although the density of structural defects in silicon carbide bulk crystals has been continually reduced in recent years, relatively high defect concentrations still appear and have been found to be difficult to eliminate, e.g. Nakamura et al., “Ultrahigh quality silicon carbide single crystals,” Nature, Vol. 430, Aug. 26, 2004, page 1009. These defects can cause significant problems in limiting the performance characteristics of devices made on the substrates, or in some cases can preclude useful devices altogether. Current seeded sublimation techniques for the production of large bulk single crystals of silicon carbide typically result in a higher than desired concentration of defects on the growing surface of the silicon carbide crystal. Higher concentrations of defects can cause significant problems in limiting the performance characteristics of devices made on the crystals, or substrates resulting from the crystals. For example, a typical micropipe defect density in some commercially available silicon carbide wafers can be on the order of 100 per square centimeter (cm−2). A megawatt device formed in silicon carbide, however, requires a defect free area on the order of 0.4 cm−2. Thus, increasing the quality of large single crystals that can be used to fabricate large surface area devices for high-voltage, high current applications remains a worthwhile goal. Although small samples of low-defect silicon carbide have been available, a broader commercial use of silicon carbide requires larger samples, and in particular, larger wafers. By way of comparison, 100 mm (4″) silicon wafers have been commercially available since 1975 and 150 mm (6″) silicon wafers became available in 1981. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is also commercially available in both 4″ and 6″ wafers. Thus, the commercial availability of 50 mm (2″) and 75 mm (3″) SiC wafers lags behind these other materials and to some extent limits the adoption and use of SiC in a wider range of devices and applications. Screw dislocations, particularly 1 c screw dislocations, are common defects that develop or propagate during the production of SiC crystals. Other surface defects include threading dislocations, hexagonal voids, and micropipes. If these defects remain in the SiC crystal, then resulting devices grown on the crystal may incorporate these defects. The nature and description of specific defects is generally well understood in the crystal growth art. In particular, a screw dislocation is defined as one in which the Burgers Vector is parallel to the direction vector. On an atomic scale, the resulting dislocation gives the general appearance of a spiral staircase. The presence of a large number of screw dislocations can also lead to the presence of other defects, such as micropipes and hexagonal voids. A micropipe is a hollow core super-screw dislocation with its Burgers vector lying along the c-axis. Micropipes are often formed from a grouping of 3 or more screw dislocations. A number of causes have been proposed or identified for the generation of micropipes. These include excess materials such as silicon or carbon inclusions, extrinsic impurities such as metal deposits, boundary defects, and the movement or slippage of partial dislocations. See e.g. Powell et al., Growth of Low Micropipe Density SiC Wafers, Materials Science Forum, Vols. 338-340, pp 437-440 (2000). Hexagonal voids are flat, hexagonal platelet-shaped cavities in the crystal that often have hollow tubes trailing beneath them. Some evidence shows that micropipes are associated with hexagonal voids. A relatively recent discussion of such defects (exemplary and not limiting) is set forth in Kuhr et al., Hexagonal Voids And The Formation Of Micropipes During SiC Sublimation Growth, Journal of Applied Physics, Volume 89, No. 8, page 4625 (April 2001). The presence of surface defects in bulk single crystals of SiC may also interfere with single-polytype crystal growth. The 150 available polytypes of SiC raise a particular difficulty. Many of these polytypes are very similar, often separated only by small thermodynamic differences. Maintaining the desired polytype identity throughout the crystal is only one difficulty in growing SiC crystals of large sizes in a seeded sublimation system. When surface defects are present, there is not enough polytype information on the crystal surface for depositing layers to maintain the desired polytype. Polytype changes on the surface of the growing crystal result in the formation of even more surface defects. Recent research indicates that problems in the bulk crystals produced in a seeded sublimation technique can originate with the seed itself and the manner in which it is physically handled; e.g., Sanchez et al Formation Of Thermal Decomposition Cavities In Physical Vapor Transport Of Silicon Carbide, Journal of Electronic Materials, Volume 29, No. 3, page 347 (2000). Sanchez uses the term “micropipe” to describe, “approximately cylindrical voids with diameters in the range of 0.1 μm to 5 μm that form at the core of superscrew dislocations aligned parallel or nearly parallel to the [0001] axis” Id. at 347. Sanchez refers to larger voids (“diameters from 5 μm to 100 μm”) as, “thermal decomposition cavities,” and opines that micropipes and thermal decomposition cavities arise from different causes. Id. Accordingly, producing larger high quality bulk single crystals of silicon carbide with low 1 c screw dislocation defect levels in crystals formed in the seeded sublimation system, in order to reduce the total number of defects in the produced crystals remains a constant technical and commercial goal. SUMMARY In one aspect, the present invention is a high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2000 cm−2. In another aspect, the invention is a SiC semiconductor precursor wafer having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2500 cm−2. In another aspect, the invention is a method of using a high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2500 cm−2 in a seeded sublimation growth system. In yet another aspect, the invention is power devices built on a single crystal seed of SiC having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2500 cm−2. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a map of a SiC wafer after defect etching in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a semiconductor precursor wafer in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 is a plurality of semiconductor precursor devices in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a seeded sublimation system in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor in accordance with the present invention; and FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a metal semiconductor field effect transistor in accordance with the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to high quality silicon carbide wafers. In particular, the present invention incorporates several techniques for improving the growth of such wafers using seeded sublimation. In one aspect, the present invention is a high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density less than about 2000 cm−2, more preferably less than about 1500 cm−2, and most preferably less than about 1000 cm−2. The polytype of the single crystal SiC is preferably 3C, 4H, 6H, or 15R. In considering the proportional dimensions of the diameter and thickness of the seed crystal, whether expressed as a percentage, a fraction, or a ratio, it will be understood that in the context of the improvements provided by the invention, these proportions have their inventive meaning in the context of the larger-diameter seed crystals that are described herein. Accordingly, in certain embodiments the invention is described and claimed herein in the relevant embodiments in a manner that includes the absolute dimensions of the crystal, usually in terms of a diameter, of which 2 inch, 3 inch, and 100 mm diameter single crystals are preferred. FIG. 1 is a map of a wafer 2 in accordance with the present invention. When appropriately counted, the average 1 c screw dislocation density of the wafer was 1190 cm−2. As indicated by FIG. 1, measurable areas of crystals according to the present invention exhibit defect densities of less than 1000 cm−2 and in some cases less than 500 cm−2. Thus, as used herein the expression “less than” has both measured and predictive aspects. In addition to the measured aspects illustrated in FIG. 1, it is expected that some crystals will demonstrate even fewer defects. As a result, the phrase, “less than” as used herein also includes (but is not limited too) ranges such as 500-2500 cm−2. In another aspect, the invention is a high quality semiconductor precursor wafer. The wafer is a silicon carbide wafer of the 4H polytype, having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density on its surface of less than 2500 cm−2. The count of total 1 c screw dislocations represents a count of total 1 c screw dislocations on the surface after an etch that preferentially emphasizes screw dislocation defects. The etch is preferably a molten potassium hydroxide etch. In yet another aspect, the invention is a high quality semiconductor precursor wafer of silicon carbide having a 4H polytype, a diameter of at least about 3 inches, and less than 123,700 1 c screw dislocations on the surface of the wafer. Again, the surface 1 c screw dislocations represent a count after the molten potassium hydroxide etch. In another aspect as schematically depicted in FIG. 2, the invention is a high quality silicon carbide semiconductor precursor wafer 4 having a 4H polytype, a diameter of at least about 3 inches, and a 1 c screw dislocation density on its surface of less than 2500 cm−2. The wafer additionally has a Group III-nitride layer 6 located on the surface. The Group III-nitride layer 6 is preferably one or more of GaN, AlGaN, AlN, AlInGaN, InN, and AlInN. The growth and electronic characteristics of Group III nitrides are generally well-understood in this art. Group III nitride layers on silicon carbide substrates are a basic feature of certain types of light emitting diodes (LEDs). Among other desirable factors, the atonic fraction of the Group III element (e.g. 1nxGayN1-x-y) tailors the bandgap of the composition (within limits) to likewise tailor the resulting emission frequency and thus the color of the LED. With respect to FIG. 3, the invention is a plurality of silicon carbide semiconductor device precursors 8 on a SiC seed 9 having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density on the surface of the wafer of less than 2500 cm−2. The wafer additionally has a plurality of respective Group III-nitride epitaxial layers 10 on some portions of the wafer. Preferred Group III-nitride epitaxial layers are individually selected from GaN, AlGaN, AlN, AlInGaN, InN, and AlInN. In another aspect, the invention is a method of producing a high quality bulk single crystal of silicon carbide in a seeded sublimation system, the improvement includes growing a SiC boule having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2500 cm−2, thereafter slicing the SiC boule, preferably mechanically, into wafers, wherein each wafer has a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2500 cm−2 on the surface. The wafers are preferably about 0.5 mm thick. It may be preferable to then polish and etch the SiC wafers. A preferred polish is a chemo-mechanical polish and a preferred etch is a molten KOH etch. The etch is carried out in order to highlight the defects on the surface, and is unnecessary as a precursor step to seeded sublimation. Thus, sublimation growth is typically carried out on a polished seed that has not been etched. As is known in the art, the SiC boule is preferably grown in a seeded sublimation system. After the boule is sliced into wafers, the wafers may then, in turn, be used as the seed in a seeded sublimation growth of a single crystal of silicon carbide. As noted in the background portion of the specification, the general aspects of seeded sublimation growth of silicon carbide have been generally well established for a number of years. Furthermore, those familiar with the growth of crystals, particularly in difficult material systems such as silicon carbide, will recognize that the details of a given technique can and will vary, usually purposefully, depending upon the relevant circumstances. Accordingly, the descriptions given herein are most appropriately given in a general and schematic sense with the recognition that those persons of skill in this art will be able to carry out the improvements of the invention based on the disclosures herein without undue experimentation. In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit, and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims. FIG. 4 is a cross sectional schematic diagram of a sublimation system for seeded sublimation growth of the type contemplated as useful in the present invention. The system is broadly designated at 12. As in most typical systems, the system 12 includes a graphite susceptor, or crucible, 14 and a plurality of induction coils 16 that heat the susceptor 14 when current is applied through the coils 16. Alternatively, some systems incorporate resistance heating. It will be understood by those familiar with these crystal growth techniques that the system can be further enclosed in some circumstances, e.g., in a water-cooled vessel. Additionally, at least one gas inlet and outlet (not shown) in communication with the susceptor 14 are included in the seeded sublimation system 12. Such further enclosures are, however, less relevant to the invention and are omitted herein to help clarify the drawing and description. Additionally, those persons skilled in this art recognize that silicon carbide sublimation systems of the type described herein are available both commercially and as constructed in a custom fashion as may be necessary or appropriate. They accordingly can be selected or designed by those of ordinary skill in this art without undue experimentation. The susceptor 14 is typically surrounded by insulation 18, several portions of which are illustrated in FIG. 4. Although FIG. 4 illustrates the insulation as being generally consistent in size and placement, it will be understood and is recognized by those of skill in the art that the placement and amount of the insulation 18 can be used to provide desired thermal gradients (both axially and radially) along the susceptor 14. Again, for purposes of simplification, these possible permutations are not illustrated herein. The susceptor 14 includes one or more portions for containing a silicon carbide powder source 20. Such a powder source 20 is most commonly—although not exclusively—used in seeded sublimation growth techniques for silicon carbide. FIG. 4 illustrates the powder source 20 as being contained in a lower portion of the susceptor 14 and this is one typical arrangement. As another familiar variation, some systems distribute the source powder in a vertical, cylindrical arrangement in which the source powder surrounds a larger portion of the interior of the susceptor 14 than does the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 4. The invention described herein can be appropriately carried out using both types of equipment. A silicon carbide seed is designated at 22, and is typically placed in upper portions of the susceptor 14. The seed 22 is preferably a monocrystalline SiC seed having a diameter of at least about 75 mm and having a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm−2 on the surface. A growing crystal 26 is deposited on the seed 22 during the seeded sublimation growth. A seed holder 28 typically holds the seed 22 in place with the seed holder 28 being attached to the susceptor 14 in an appropriate fashion. This can include various resting or threaded arrangements. In the orientation illustrated in FIG. 4, the upper portions of the seed holder 28 would typically include threads as would the uppermost portions of the susceptor 14, preferably a graphite crucible, so that the seed holder 28 could be threaded into the top of the susceptor 14 to hold the seed 22 in the desired position. The seed holder 28 is preferably a graphite seed holder. It may be preferable to place the seed 22 in the crucible 14 while exerting minimal torsional forces on the seed 22 to thereby prevent torsional forces from warping or bowing the crystal in a manner that would otherwise encourage undesired thermal differences across the seed 22. In some embodiments it may be desirable to anneal the seed holder 28 prior to attaching the seed 22. Annealing the seed holder 28 prior to sublimation growth prevents the seed holder 28 from undergoing significant distortion during crystal growth at SiC sublimation temperatures. Annealing the seed holder 28 also minimizes or eliminates temperature differences across the seed 22 that would otherwise tend to initiate and propagate defects in a growing crystal. A preferred process for annealing the seed holder 28 includes annealing at temperatures at or about 2500° C. for at least about 30 minutes. In some embodiments, it may be preferred to include dopant atoms in the sublimation system 12. Introducing dopant gases to the seeded sublimation system 12 incorporates dopant atoms in a growing crystal. Dopants are selected for their acceptor or donor capabilities. Donor dopants are those with n-type conductivity and acceptor dopants are those with p-type conductivity. Preferred dopant atoms include n-type and p-type dopant atoms. Especially preferred n-type dopants include N, P, As, Sb, Bi, and mixtures thereof. Especially preferred p-type dopants include B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, and mixtures thereof. The general scheme for sublimation growth is set forth briefly in the Background portion of the specification, as well as in other sources well-known to those of ordinary skill in this art. Typically, an electric current, having a frequency to which the susceptor 14 responds, is passed through the induction coils 16 to heat the graphite susceptor 14. The amount and placement of the insulation 18 are selected to create a thermal gradient between the powder source 20 and the growing crystal 26 when the susceptor 14 heats the powder source 20 to sublimation temperatures, which are typically above about 2000° C. The thermal gradient is established to maintain the temperature of the seed 22 and thereafter a growing crystal near, but below, the temperature of the silicon carbide source to thereby thermodynamically encourage the vaporized species that are generated when silicon carbide sublimes (Si, Si2C, and SiC2) to condense first upon the seed crystal and thereafter upon the growing crystal; e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,005. After reaching the desired crystal size, growth is terminated by reducing the temperature of the system to below about 1900° C. and raising the pressure to above about 400 torr. It may be further desirable to anneal the crystal after completion of the sublimation growth process. The crystal may be annealed at temperatures at or above the growth temperature for a period typically of about 30 minutes. For purposes of clarity, the singular term, “thermal gradient,” will be used herein, but it will be understood by those of skill in this art that several gradients can desirably co-exist in the susceptor 14 and can be subcategorized as axial and radial gradients, or as a plurality of isotherms. If the temperature gradients and other conditions (pressure, carrier gases, etc.) are properly maintained, the overall thermodynamics will encourage the vaporized species to condense first on the seed 22 and then on the growing crystal 26 in the same polytype as the seed 22. As generally noted in the Background, the performance properties of electronic devices will typically improve as the crystal quality of the various device portions improves. Thus, the reduced-defect characteristics of wafers of the present invention similarly provide improved devices. Thus, in another aspect, the invention is a plurality of field-effect transistors formed on low-defect 3 inch silicon carbide wafers. Each field-effect transistor includes a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate wafer of at least about 3 inches diameter and having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than 2500 cm−2. In another aspect, the invention is a plurality of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) 42 formed on low defect 3 inch silicon carbide substrate 44. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a basic MOSFET structure. Each MOSFET 42 includes a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate wafer 44 of at least about 3 inches diameter and a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than 2500 cm−2. The bulk single crystal substrate 44 includes a respective first surface 48 and second surface 50 opposite one another. An epitaxial layer on the substrate has respective source 52, channel 56, and drain 54 portions with the channel 56 being controlled by the gate contact 64 through the oxide layer 62. Respective source and drain contacts 58, 60 are on the source and drain portions 52, 54. The structure and operation of MOSFETs, and of combinations and variations of MOSFETs, is well understood in this art and thus FIG. 5 and its description are exemplary rather than limiting of the claimed invention. With reference to FIG. 6, in another aspect the invention is a plurality of metal semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs) 66 formed on low defect 3 inch silicon carbide. Each MESFET 66 includes a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate wafer 68 of at least about 3 inches and having a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than 2500 cm−2. The substrate 68 includes a respective first surface 70 and second surface 72 opposite one another. A conductive channel 74 is located on the first surface 70 of the substrate 68. Ohmic source 76 and a drain 78 contacts are located on the conductive channel 74. A metal gate contact 80 is located between the source 76 and drain 78 on the conductive channel 74 for forming an active channel when a bias is applied to the metal gate contact 80. As is known in the art, more than one type of device may be situated on a silicon carbide wafer in accordance with the present invention. Additional devices that may be included are junction-field effect transistors, hetero field effect transistors, diodes, and other devices known in the art. The structure and operation of these (and other) devices are well-understood in this art and can be practiced using the substrates described and claimed herein without undue experimentation. In the specification and the drawings, typical embodiments of the invention have been disclosed. Specific terms have been used only in a generic and descriptive sense, and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to low defect silicon carbide wafers and their use as precursors for semiconductor purposes, and to seeded sublimation growth of large, high-quality silicon carbide single crystals. Silicon carbide has found use as semiconductor material for various electronic devices and purposes in recent years. Silicon carbide is especially useful due to its physical strength and high resistance to chemical attack. Silicon carbide also has excellent electronic properties, including radiation hardness, high breakdown field, a relatively wide band gap, high saturated electron drift velocity, high-temperature operation, and absorption and emission of high-energy photons in the blue, violet, and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. Single crystal silicon carbide is often produced by a seeded sublimation growth process. In a typical silicon carbide growth technique, the seed crystal and a source powder are both placed in a reaction crucible which is heated to the sublimation temperature of the source and in a manner that produces a thermal gradient between the source and the marginally cooler seed crystal. The thermal gradient encourages vapor phase movement of the materials from the source to the seed followed by condensation upon the seed and the resulting bulk crystal growth. The method is also referred to as physical vapor transport (PVT). In a typical silicon carbide growth technique, the crucible is made of graphite and is heated by induction or resistance, with the relevant coils and insulation being placed to establish and control the desired thermal gradient. The source powder is silicon carbide, as is the seed. The crucible is oriented vertically, with the source powder in the lower portions and the seed positioned at the top, typically on the seed holder; see U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,005 (reissued as No. Re34,861) the contents of which are incorporated entirely herein by reference. These sources are exemplary, rather than limiting, descriptions of modern seeded sublimation growth techniques. The invention is also related to the following copending and commonly assigned U.S. applications: Ser. No. 10/628,189 filed Jul. 28, 2003 for Growth of Ultra-High Purity Silicon Carbide Crystals in an Ambient Containing Hydrogen; Ser. No. 10/628,188 filed Jul. 28, 2003 for Reducing Nitrogen Content in Silicon Carbide Crystals by Sublimation Growth in a Hydrogen-Containing Ambient; Ser. No. 10/707,898 filed Jan. 22, 2004 for Silicon Carbide on Diamond Substrates and Related Devices and Methods; Ser. No. 60/522,326 filed Sep. 15, 2004 for Seed Preparation for the Growth of High Quality Large Size Silicon Carbide Crystals; Ser. No. 10/915,095 filed Aug. 10, 2004 for Seed and Seedholder Combinations for High Quality Growth of Large Silicon Carbide Single Crystals; and Ser. No. 10/876,963 filed Jun. 25, 2004 for One Hundred Millimeter High Purity Semi-Insulating Single Crystal Silicon Carbide Wafer. The contents of these applications are likewise incorporated entirely herein by reference. Although the density of structural defects in silicon carbide bulk crystals has been continually reduced in recent years, relatively high defect concentrations still appear and have been found to be difficult to eliminate, e.g. Nakamura et al., “Ultrahigh quality silicon carbide single crystals,” Nature, Vol. 430, Aug. 26, 2004, page 1009. These defects can cause significant problems in limiting the performance characteristics of devices made on the substrates, or in some cases can preclude useful devices altogether. Current seeded sublimation techniques for the production of large bulk single crystals of silicon carbide typically result in a higher than desired concentration of defects on the growing surface of the silicon carbide crystal. Higher concentrations of defects can cause significant problems in limiting the performance characteristics of devices made on the crystals, or substrates resulting from the crystals. For example, a typical micropipe defect density in some commercially available silicon carbide wafers can be on the order of 100 per square centimeter (cm −2 ). A megawatt device formed in silicon carbide, however, requires a defect free area on the order of 0.4 cm −2 . Thus, increasing the quality of large single crystals that can be used to fabricate large surface area devices for high-voltage, high current applications remains a worthwhile goal. Although small samples of low-defect silicon carbide have been available, a broader commercial use of silicon carbide requires larger samples, and in particular, larger wafers. By way of comparison, 100 mm (4″) silicon wafers have been commercially available since 1975 and 150 mm (6″) silicon wafers became available in 1981. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is also commercially available in both 4″ and 6″ wafers. Thus, the commercial availability of 50 mm (2″) and 75 mm (3″) SiC wafers lags behind these other materials and to some extent limits the adoption and use of SiC in a wider range of devices and applications. Screw dislocations, particularly 1 c screw dislocations, are common defects that develop or propagate during the production of SiC crystals. Other surface defects include threading dislocations, hexagonal voids, and micropipes. If these defects remain in the SiC crystal, then resulting devices grown on the crystal may incorporate these defects. The nature and description of specific defects is generally well understood in the crystal growth art. In particular, a screw dislocation is defined as one in which the Burgers Vector is parallel to the direction vector. On an atomic scale, the resulting dislocation gives the general appearance of a spiral staircase. The presence of a large number of screw dislocations can also lead to the presence of other defects, such as micropipes and hexagonal voids. A micropipe is a hollow core super-screw dislocation with its Burgers vector lying along the c-axis. Micropipes are often formed from a grouping of 3 or more screw dislocations. A number of causes have been proposed or identified for the generation of micropipes. These include excess materials such as silicon or carbon inclusions, extrinsic impurities such as metal deposits, boundary defects, and the movement or slippage of partial dislocations. See e.g. Powell et al., Growth of Low Micropipe Density SiC Wafers, Materials Science Forum, Vols. 338-340, pp 437-440 (2000). Hexagonal voids are flat, hexagonal platelet-shaped cavities in the crystal that often have hollow tubes trailing beneath them. Some evidence shows that micropipes are associated with hexagonal voids. A relatively recent discussion of such defects (exemplary and not limiting) is set forth in Kuhr et al., Hexagonal Voids And The Formation Of Micropipes During SiC Sublimation Growth, Journal of Applied Physics, Volume 89, No. 8, page 4625 (April 2001). The presence of surface defects in bulk single crystals of SiC may also interfere with single-polytype crystal growth. The 150 available polytypes of SiC raise a particular difficulty. Many of these polytypes are very similar, often separated only by small thermodynamic differences. Maintaining the desired polytype identity throughout the crystal is only one difficulty in growing SiC crystals of large sizes in a seeded sublimation system. When surface defects are present, there is not enough polytype information on the crystal surface for depositing layers to maintain the desired polytype. Polytype changes on the surface of the growing crystal result in the formation of even more surface defects. Recent research indicates that problems in the bulk crystals produced in a seeded sublimation technique can originate with the seed itself and the manner in which it is physically handled; e.g., Sanchez et al Formation Of Thermal Decomposition Cavities In Physical Vapor Transport Of Silicon Carbide, Journal of Electronic Materials, Volume 29, No. 3, page 347 (2000). Sanchez uses the term “micropipe” to describe, “approximately cylindrical voids with diameters in the range of 0.1 μm to 5 μm that form at the core of superscrew dislocations aligned parallel or nearly parallel to the [0001] axis” Id. at 347. Sanchez refers to larger voids (“diameters from 5 μm to 100 μm”) as, “thermal decomposition cavities,” and opines that micropipes and thermal decomposition cavities arise from different causes. Id. Accordingly, producing larger high quality bulk single crystals of silicon carbide with low 1 c screw dislocation defect levels in crystals formed in the seeded sublimation system, in order to reduce the total number of defects in the produced crystals remains a constant technical and commercial goal. | <SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>In one aspect, the present invention is a high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2000 cm −2 . In another aspect, the invention is a SiC semiconductor precursor wafer having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2500 cm −2 . In another aspect, the invention is a method of using a high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2500 cm −2 in a seeded sublimation growth system. In yet another aspect, the invention is power devices built on a single crystal seed of SiC having a diameter of at least about 3 inches and a 1 c screw dislocation density of less than about 2500 cm −2 . | 20041004 | 20080101 | 20060406 | 95179.0 | H01L21302 | 1 | HITESHEW, FELISA CARLA | LOW 1C SCREW DISLOCATION 3 INCH SILICON CARBIDE WAFER | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | H01L | 2,004 |
|
10,957,807 | ACCEPTED | LOW MICROPIPE 100 MM SILICON CARBIDE WAFER | A high quality single crystal wafer of SiC is disclosed having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm−2. | 1. A high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density less than about 25 cm−2. 2. A SiC crystal according to claim 1 wherein the micropipe density is less than about 20 cm−2. 3. A SiC crystal according to claim 1 wherein the micropipe density is less than about 7 cm−2. 4. A SiC crystal according to claim 1 wherein the crystal has a polytype selected from the group consisting of the 3C, 4H, 6H, 2H, and 15R polytypes. 5. A method of forming a wafer of a high quality single crystal of SiC, the method comprising: forming a SiC boule having a diameter slightly larger than 100 mm; slicing the boule into wafers having a micropipe density of less than about 30 cm−2 on a surface of each wafer; thereafter polishing the wafers; etching the polished wafers in molten KOH; and counting the micropipes on the surface of the etched wafers. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of forming a SiC boule comprises forming a boule having a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm−2. 7. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of forming a SiC boule comprises forming a boule having a micropipe density of less than about 20 cm−2. 8. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of forming a SiC boule comprises forming a boule having a micropipe density of less than about 10 cm−2. 9. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of polishing the wafers comprises chemo-mechanical polishing. 10. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of etching the polished wafers in molten KOH comprises etching the wafers to a depth of greater than about 10 μm. 11. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of counting the micropipes comprises counting the total number of micropipes on the surface of the etched wafers. 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of counting the number of micropipes on the surface of the wafer further comprises dividing the number of micropipes by the area of the wafer surface to determine the micropipe density on the surface of the etched wafer. 13. In a method of producing a high quality bulk single crystal of silicon carbide in a seeded sublimation system, the improvement comprising: growing a SiC boule having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and having a micropipe density of less than about 20 cm−2 on the surface; and slicing the SiC boule into wafers, wherein each wafer has a micropipe density of less than about 20 cm−2 on the surface. 14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising polishing the SiC wafers. 15. A method according to claim 13 further comprising: attaching the polished SiC wafers to a seed holder; placing the seed holder in a crucible; placing SiC source powder in the crucible evacuating the crucible to remove ambient air and other impurities; placing the crucible under inert gas pressure; heating the system to SiC growth temperatures; and reducing the pressure to initiate SiC growth. 16. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of slicing the SiC boule into wafers comprises a mechanical slice along a crystal growth axis. 17. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of growing a SiC boule comprises a seeded sublimation growth of SiC. 18. A method according to claim 17 wherein said seeded sublimation growth of SiC comprises single polytype seeded sublimation growth. 19. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of growing a SiC boule comprises growing a boule having a polytype selected from the group consisting of the 3C, 4H, 6H, 2H, and 15R polytypes. 20. A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of attaching the SiC seed to a seed holder comprises placing the seed on a graphite seed holder. 21. A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of placing a SiC seed on a seed holder in a crucible comprises placing the seed in a graphite crucible. 22. A method according to claim 15 further comprising stopping growth by raising the inert gas pressure in the crucible to above about 400 torr and lowering the temperature to below about 1900° C. to stop crystal growth. 23. A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of placing the crucible under inert gas pressure involves introducing an inert gas selected from the group consisting of noble gases, N2, Ar, and mixtures thereof 24. A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of heating the system to SiC growth temperatures involves heating to temperatures between about 1900 and 2500° C. 25. A method according to claim 15 further comprising the step of introducing dopant gases to the seeded sublimation system, thereby incorporating dopants into the SiC single crystal. 26. A method according to claim 15 further comprising annealing the crystal after the completion of the crystal growth process. 27. A method according to claim 15 wherein the step of attaching a SiC wafer to a seed holder comprises attaching a SiC seed having a micropipe density of less than about 10 cm−2. 28. A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of polishing the wafers comprises a chemo-mechanical polishing. 29. A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of etching the polished SiC wafers comprises a molten KOH etch process. 30. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of slicing the SiC boule into wafers comprises slicing the boules into wafers having a thickness of at least about 1 mm. 31. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer comprising: a silicon carbide wafer having a diameter of at least about 100 mm; said wafer having the 4H polytype; and said wafer having a micropipe density on its surface of between 7 and 22 cm−2. 32. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer according to claim 31 wherein said surface micropipe density represents a count of the total micropipes on said surface divided by the surface area of said wafer. 33. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer according to claim 32 wherein said surface micropipe density represents a count of the total micropipes on said surface following an etch that preferentially emphasizes micropipe defects. 34. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer according to claim 33 wherein said surface micropipe density represents a count of the total micropipes on said surface following an etch of the surface in molten potassium hydroxide. 35. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer comprising: a silicon carbide wafer having a diameter of at least about 100 mm; said wafer having the 4H polytype; and said wafer having between about 545 and 1730 micropipes on its surface. 36. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer according to claim 35 wherein said surface micropipes represent a count of the total micropipes on said surface. 37. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer according to claim 36 wherein said surface micropipes represent a count of the total micropipes on said surface following an etch that preferentially emphasizes micropipe defects. 38. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer according to claim 37 wherein said surface micropipes represent a count of the total micropipes on said surface following an etch of the surface in molten potassium hydroxide. 39. A high quality semiconductor precursor wafer comprising: a silicon carbide wafer having a diameter of at least about 100 mm; said wafer having the 4H polytype; said wafer having a micropipe density on its surface of less than 25 cm−2; and a Group III-nitride layer on said surface of said silicon carbide wafer. 40. A semiconductor precursor wafer according to claim 39 wherein said Group III-nitride layer is selected from the group consisting of GaN, AlGaN, AlN, AlInGaN, InN, AlInN and mixtures thereof. 41. A plurality of semiconductor device precursors comprising: a silicon carbide wafer having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and micropipe density on the surface of less than 25 cm−2; and a plurality of respective Group III-nitride epitaxial layers on some portions of said wafer. 42. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate of at least about 100 mm and having a micropipe density of less than 25 cm−2, said bulk single crystal having respective first and second surfaces opposite one another; and a plurality of devices on said silicon carbide substrate, each said device comprising: an epitaxial layer located on the substrate, said layer having a concentration of suitable dopant atoms for making the epitaxial layer a first conductivity type, and respective source, channel, and drain portions; a metal oxide layer on said channel portion; and and a metal gate contact on said metal oxide layer for forming an active channel when a bias is applied to said metal gate contact. 43. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate of at least about 100 mm and having a micropipe density of less than 25 cm−2, said bulk single crystal having respective first and second surfaces opposite one another; and a plurality of devices on said silicon carbide substrate, each said device comprising: a conductive channel on said substrate; a source and a drain on said conductive channel; and a metal gate contact between said source and said drain on said conductive channel for forming an active channel when a bias is applied to the metal gate contact. 44. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate of at least about 100 mm and having a micropipe density less than 25 cm−2, said bulk single crystal having respective first and second surfaces opposite one another; and a plurality of junction field-effect transistors positioned on said single crystal silicon carbide substrate. 45. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate of at least about 100 mm and having a micropipe density less than 25 cm−2, said bulk single crystal having respective first and second surfaces opposite one another; and a plurality of hetero-field effect transistors positioned on said single crystal silicon carbide substrate. 46. A semiconductor wafer comprising: a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate of at least about 100 mm and having a micropipe density less than 25cm−2, said bulk single crystal having respective first and second surfaces opposite one another; and a plurality of diodes positioned on said single crystal silicon carbide substrate. 47. A method of forming a wafer of a high quality single crystal of SiC, the method comprising: forming a SiC boule having a diameter of at least about 100 mm; and slicing a wafer having a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm−2 from said boule. 48. The method of claim 47, further comprising polishing the wafer. 49. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of forming a SiC boule comprises forming a boule having a micropipe density of less than about 20 cm−2. 50. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of forming a SiC boule comprises forming a boule having a micropipe density of less than about 10 cm−2. 51. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of polishing the wafers comprises chemo-mechanical polishing. 52. In a method of producing a high quality bulk single crystal of silicon carbide in a seeded sublimation system, the improvement comprising: growing a SiC boule having a diameter of at least about 100 mm; slicing a SiC wafer from said SiC boule; polishing the SiC wafer; introducing the SiC wafer into a crucible; supplying a silicon carbide source material in said crucible; and heating the crucible to sublimate the silicon carbide source material and to create a thermal gradient between the source material and the SiC wafer to encourage vapor phase movement of the source material to the SiC wafer and condensation of the source material on the SiC wafer to produce a single crystal of silicon carbide having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm−2. 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the step of forming a single crystal of silicon carbide in said heating step comprises forming a single crystal of silicon carbide having a micropipe density of less than about 20 cm−2. 54. The method of claim 52, wherein the step of forming a single crystal of silicon carbide in said heating step comprises forming a single crystal of silicon carbide having a micropipe density of less than about 10 cm−2. 55. The method of claim 52 wherein the step of polishing the wafer comprises chemo-mechanical polishing. | STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST This invention was developed under Office of Naval Research/DARPA Contract No. N00014-02-C-0306. The government may have certain rights in this invention. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to low defect Silicon Carbide wafers and their use as precursors for semiconductor purposes, and to seeded sublimation growth of large, high-quality silicon carbide single crystals. Silicon carbide has found use as semiconductor material for various electronic devices and purposes in recent years. Silicon carbide is especially useful due to its physical strength and high resistance to chemical attack. Silicon carbide also has excellent electronic properties, including radiation hardness, high breakdown field, a relatively wide band gap, high saturated electron drift velocity, high-temperature operation, and absorption and emission of high-energy photons in the blue, violet, and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. Single crystal silicon carbide is often produced by a seeded sublimation growth process. In a typical silicon carbide growth technique, the seed crystal and a source powder are both placed in a reaction crucible which is heated to the sublimation temperature of the source and in a manner that produces a thermal gradient between the source and the marginally cooler seed crystal. The thermal gradient encourages vapor phase movement of the materials from the source to the seed followed by condensation upon the seed and the resulting bulk crystal growth. The method is also referred to as physical vapor transport (PVT). In a typical silicon carbide growth technique, the crucible is made of graphite and is heated by induction or resistance, with the relevant coils and insulation being placed to establish and control the desired thermal gradient. The source powder is silicon carbide, as is the seed. The crucible is oriented vertically, with the source powder in the lower portions and the seed positioned at the top, typically on the seed holder; see U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,005 (reissued as No. Re34,861) the contents of which are incorporated entirely herein by reference. These sources are exemplary, rather than limiting, descriptions of modern seeded sublimation growth techniques. The invention is also related to the following copending and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 10/628,189 filed Jul. 28, 2003 for Growth of Ultra-High Purity Silicon Carbide Crystals in an Ambient Containing Hydrogen; Ser. No. 10/628,188 filed Jul. 28, 2003 for Reducing Nitrogen Content in Silicon Carbide Crystals by Sublimation Growth in a Hydrogen-Containing Ambient; Ser. No. 10/707,898 filed Jan. 22, 2004 for Silicon Carbide on Diamond Substrates and Related Devices and Methods; Ser. No. 60/522,326 filed Sep. 15, 2004 for Seed Preparation for the Growth of High Quality Large Size Silicon Carbide Crystals; Ser. No. 10/915,095 filed Aug. 10, 2004 for Seed and Seedholder Combinations for High Quality Growth of Large Silicon Carbide Single Crystals; and Ser. No. 10/876,963 filed Jun. 25, 2004 for One Hundred Millimeter High Purity Semi-Insulating Single Crystal Silicon Carbide Wafer. The contents of these applications are likewise incorporated entirely herein by reference. Although the density of structural defects in silicon carbide bulk crystals has been continually reduced in recent years, relatively high defect concentrations still appear and have been found to be difficult to eliminate, e.g. Nakamura et al., “Ultrahigh quality silicon carbide single crystals,” Nature, Vol. 430, Aug. 26, 2004, page 1009. These defects can cause significant problems in limiting the performance characteristics of devices made on the substrates, or in some cases can preclude useful devices altogether. Current seeded sublimation techniques for the production of large bulk single crystals of silicon carbide typically result in a higher than desired concentration of defects on the growing surface of the silicon carbide crystal. Higher concentrations of defects can cause significant problems in limiting the performance characteristics of devices made on the crystals, or substrates resulting from the crystals. For example, a typical micropipe defect density in some commercially available silicon carbide wafers can be on the order of 100 per square centimeter (cm−2). A megawatt device formed in silicon carbide, however, requires a defect free area on the order of 0.4 cm−2. Thus, obtaining large single crystals that can be used to fabricate large surface area devices for high-voltage, high current applications remains a worthwhile goal. Although small samples of low-defect silicon carbide have been available, a broader commercial use of silicon carbide requires larger samples, and in particular, larger wafers. By way of comparison, 100 mm (4″) silicon wafers have been commercially available since 1975 and 150 mm (6″) silicon wafers became available in 1981. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is also commercially available in both 4″ and 6″ wafers. Thus, the commercial availability of 50 mm (2″) and 75 mm (3″) SiC wafers lags behind these other materials and to some extent limits the adoption and use of SiC in a wider range of devices and applications. Micropipes are common defects that develop or propagate during the seeded sublimation production of SiC crystals. Other defects include threading dislocations, hexagonal voids, and screw dislocations. If these defects remain in the SiC crystal, then resulting devices grown on the crystal may incorporate these defects. The nature and description of specific defects is generally well understood in the crystal growth art. A micropipe is a hollow core super-screw dislocation with its Burgers vector lying along the c-axis. A number of causes have been proposed or identified for the generation of micropipes. These include excess materials such as silicon or carbon inclusions, extrinsic impurities such as metal deposits, boundary defects, and the movement or slippage of partial dislocations. See e.g. Powell et al., Growth of Low Micropipe Density SiC Wafers, Materials Science Forum, Vols. 338-340, pp 437-440 (2000). Hexagonal voids are flat, hexagonal platelet-shaped cavities in the crystal that often have hollow tubes trailing beneath them. Some evidence shows that micropipes are associated with hexagonal voids. A relatively recent discussion of such defects (exemplary and not limiting) is set forth in Kuhr et al., Hexagonal Voids And The Formation Of Micropipes During SiC Sublimation Growth, Journal of Applied Physics, Volume 89, No. 8, page 4625 (April 2001). The presence of surface defects in bulk single crystals of SiC may also interfere with single-polytype crystal growth. The 150 available polytypes of SiC raise a particular difficulty. Many of these polytypes are very similar, often separated only by small thermodynamic differences. Maintaining the desired polytype identity throughout the crystal is only one difficulty in growing SiC crystals of large sizes in a seeded sublimation system. When surface defects are present, there is not enough polytype information on the crystal surface for depositing layers to maintain the desired polytype. Polytype changes on the surface of the growing crystal result in the formation of even more surface defects. Recent research indicates that problems in the bulk crystals produced in a seeded sublimation technique can originate with the seed itself and the manner in which it is physically handled; e.g., Sanchez et al Formation Of Thermal Decomposition Cavities In Physical Vapor Transport Of Silicon Carbide, Journal of Electronic Materials, Volume 29, No. 3, page 347 (2000). Sanchez uses the term “micropipe” to describe, “approximately cylindrical voids with diameters in the range of 0.1 μm to 5 μm that form at the core of superscrew dislocations aligned parallel or nearly parallel to the [0001] axis” Id. at 347. Sanchez refers to larger voids (“diameters from 5 μm to 100 μm”) as, “thermal decomposition cavities,” and opines that micropipes and thermal decomposition cavities arise from different causes. Id. Accordingly, producing larger high quality bulk single crystals of silicon carbide with low defect levels in crystals formed in the seeded sublimation system remains a constant technical commercial goal. SUMMARY In one aspect, the present invention is a high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm−2. In another aspect, the invention is a SiC semiconductor precursor wafer having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm−2. In another aspect, the invention is a method of using a high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm−2 in a seeded sublimation growth system. In yet another aspect, the invention is a plurality of power devices built on a single crystal seed of SiC having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm−2. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a photograph of a SiC wafer in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a semiconductor precursor wafer in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 is a plurality of semiconductor precursor devices in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a seeded sublimation system in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor in accordance with the present invention; and FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a metal semiconductor field effect transistor in accordance with the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to high quality silicon carbide wafers. In particular, the present invention incorporates several techniques for improving the growth of such wafers using seeded sublimation. In one aspect, the present invention is a high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density less than about 25 cm−2, more preferably less than about 20 cm−2, and most preferably less than about 10 cm−2. The polytype of the single crystal SiC is preferably 3C, 4H, 6H, 2H, or 15R. In considering the proportional dimensions of the diameter and thickness of the seed crystal, whether expressed as a percentage, a fraction, or a ratio, it will be understood that in the context of the improvements provided by the invention, these proportions have their inventive meaning in the context of the larger-diameter seed crystals that are described herein. Accordingly, in certain embodiments the invention is described and claimed herein in the relevant embodiments in a manner that includes the absolute dimensions of the crystal, usually in terms of a diameter, of which 2 inch, 3 inch, and 100 mm diameter single crystals are preferred. FIG. 1 is a photograph of a wafer 2 in accordance with the present invention. Black spots on the surface are micropipes. When appropriately counted, this exemplary wafer has fewer than 25 micropipes per square centimeter. In another aspect, the invention is a high quality semiconductor precursor wafer. The wafer is a silicon carbide wafer of the 4H polytype, having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density on its surface of between about 7 and 22 cm−2. The surface micropipe density represents a count of the total micropipes on the surface divided by the surface area of the wafer. The count of total micropipes represents a count of total micropipes on the surface after an etch that preferentially emphasizes micropipe defects. The etch is preferably a molten potassium hydroxide etch. It will be understood measurable areas of crystals according to the present invention exhibit micropipe densities of less than 22 cm−2, in some cases less than 7 cm−2 , and in yet other cases—to date predictive—none. Thus, as used herein the expression “less than” has both measured and predictive aspects: In addition to the measured aspects (e.g., FIG. 1), it is expected that some crystals will demonstrate even fewer defects. As a result, the phrase, “less than” (e.g. “less than 7 cm−2) as used herein also includes (but is not limited to) ranges such as 7-22 cm−2. In yet another aspect, the invention is a high quality semiconductor precursor wafer of silicon carbide having a 4H polytype, a diameter of at least about 100 mm, and between about 545 and 1730 micropipes on the surface of the wafer. Again, the surface micropipes represent a count of the total micropipes on the surface, preferably after the molten potassium hydroxide etch. In another aspect as schematically depicted in FIG. 2, the invention is a high quality silicon carbide semiconductor precursor wafer 4 having a 4H polytype, a diameter of at least about 100 mm, and a micropipe density on its surface of less than 22 cm−2. The wafer additionally has a Group III-nitride layer 6 located on the surface. The Group III-nitride layer 6 is preferably one or more of GaN, AlGaN, AlN, AlInGaN, InN, and AlInN. The growth and electronic characteristics of Group III nitrides are generally well-understood in this art. Group III nitride layers on silicon carbide substrates are a basic feature of certain types of light emitting diodes (LEDs). Among other desirable factors, the atonic fraction of the Group III element (e.g. 1nxGayNl-x-y) tailors the bandgap of the composition (within limits) to likewise tailor the resulting emission frequency and thus the color of the LED. With respect to FIG. 3, the invention is a plurality of silicon carbide semiconductor device precursors 8 on a SiC seed 9 having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density on the surface of the wafer of between about 7 and 22 cm−2. The wafer additionally has a plurality of respective Group III-nitride epitaxial layers 10 on some portions of the wafer. Preferred Group III-nitride epitaxial layers are individually selected from GaN, AlGaN, AlN, AlInGaN, InN, and AlInN. In another aspect, the invention is a method of producing a high quality bulk single crystal of silicon carbide in a seeded sublimation system, the improvement includes growing a SiC boule having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and having a micropipe density of less than about 20 cm−2, thereafter slicing the SiC boule, preferably mechanically, into wafers, wherein each wafer has a micropipe density of less than about 20 cm−2 on the surface. The wafers are preferably about 0.5 mm thick. It may be preferable to then polish and etch the SiC wafers. A preferred polish is a chemo-mechanical polish and a preferred etch is a molten KOH etch. The etch is carried out in order to highlight the defects on the surface, and is unnecessary as a precursor step to seeded sublimation. Thus, sublimation growth is typically carried out on a polished seed that has not been etched. As is known in the art, the SiC boule is preferably grown in a seeded sublimation system. After the boule is sliced into wafers, the wafers may then, in turn, be used as the seed in a seeded sublimation growth of a single crystal of silicon carbide. As noted in the background portion of the specification, the general aspects of seeded sublimation growth of silicon carbide have been generally well established for a number of years. Furthermore, those familiar with the growth of crystals, particularly in difficult material systems such as silicon carbide, will recognize that the details of a given technique can and will vary, usually purposefully, depending upon the relevant circumstances. Accordingly, the descriptions given herein are most appropriately given in a general and schematic sense with the recognition that those persons of skill in this art will be able to carry out the improvements of the invention based on the disclosures herein without undue experimentation. In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit, and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims. FIG. 4 is a cross sectional schematic diagram of a sublimation system for seeded sublimation growth of the type contemplated as useful in the present invention. The system is broadly designated at 12. As in most typical systems, the system 12 includes a graphite susceptor, or crucible, 14 and a plurality of induction coils 16 that heat the susceptor 14 when current is applied through the coils 16. Alternatively, some systems incorporate resistance heating. It will be understood by those familiar with these crystal growth techniques that the system can be further enclosed in some circumstances, e.g., in a water-cooled quartz vessel. Additionally, at least one gas inlet and outlet (not shown) in communication with the susceptor 14 are included in the seeded sublimation system 12. Such further enclosures are, however, less relevant to the invention and are omitted herein to help clarify the drawing and description. Additionally, those persons skilled in this art recognize that silicon carbide sublimation systems of the type described herein are available both commercially and as constructed in a custom fashion as may be necessary or appropriate. They accordingly can be selected or designed by those of ordinary skill in this art without undue experimentation. The susceptor 14 is typically surrounded by insulation 18, several portions of which are illustrated in FIG. 4. Although FIG. 4 illustrates the insulation as being generally consistent in size and placement, it will be understood and is recognized by those of skill in the art that the placement and amount of the insulation 18 can be used to provide desired thermal gradients (both axially and radially) along the susceptor 14. Again, for purposes of simplification, these possible permutations are not illustrated herein. The susceptor 14 includes one or more portions for containing a silicon carbide powder source 20. Such a powder source 20 is most commonly—although not exclusively—used in seeded sublimation growth techniques for silicon carbide. FIG. 4 illustrates the powder source 20 as being contained in a lower portion of the susceptor 14 and this is one typical arrangement. As another familiar variation, some systems distribute the source powder in a vertical, cylindrical arrangement in which the source powder surrounds a larger portion of the interior of the susceptor 14 than does the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 4. The invention described herein can be appropriately carried out using both types of equipment. A silicon carbide seed is designated at 22, and is typically placed in upper portions of the susceptor 14. The seed 22 is preferably a monocrystalline SiC seed having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and having a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm−2 on the surface. A growing crystal 26 is deposited on the seed 22 during the seeded sublimation growth. A seed holder 28 typically holds the seed 22 in place with the seed holder 28 being attached to the susceptor 14 in an appropriate fashion. This can include various resting or threaded arrangements. In the orientation illustrated in FIG. 4, the upper portions of the seed holder 28 would typically include threads as would the uppermost portions of the susceptor 14, preferably a graphite crucible, so that the seed holder 28 could be threaded into the top of the susceptor 14 to hold the seed 22 in the desired position. The seed holder 28 is preferably a graphite seed holder. It may be preferable to place the seed 22 in the crucible 14 while exerting minimal torsional forces on the seed 22 to thereby prevent torsional forces from warping or bowing the crystal in a manner that would otherwise encourage undesired thermal differences across the seed 22. In some embodiments it may be desirable to anneal the seed holder 28 prior to attaching the seed 22. Annealing the seed holder 28 prior to sublimation growth prevents the seed holder 28 from undergoing significant distortion during crystal growth at SiC sublimation temperatures. Annealing the seed holder 28 also minimizes or eliminates temperature differences across the seed 22 that would otherwise tend to initiate and propagate defects in a growing crystal. A preferred process for annealing the seed holder 28 includes annealing at temperatures at or about 2500° C. for at least about 30 minutes. In some embodiments, it may be preferred to include dopant atoms in the sublimation system 12. Introducing dopant gases to the seeded sublimation system 12 incorporates dopant atoms in a growing crystal. Dopants are selected for their acceptor or donor capabilities. Donor dopants are those with n-type conductivity and acceptor dopants are those with p-type conductivity. Preferred dopant atoms include n-type and p-type dopant atoms. Especially preferred n-type dopants include N, P, As, Sb, Bi, and mixtures thereof. Especially preferred p-type dopants include B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, and mixtures thereof. The general scheme for sublimation growth is set forth briefly in the Background portion of the specification, as well as in other sources well-known to those of ordinary skill in this art. Typically, an electric current, having a frequency to which the susceptor 14 responds, is passed through the induction coils 16 to heat the graphite susceptor 14. The amount and placement of the insulation 18 are selected to create a thermal gradient between the powder source 20 and the growing crystal 26 when the susceptor 14 heats the powder source 20 to sublimation temperatures, which are typically above about 2000° C. The thermal gradient is established to maintain the temperature of the seed 22 and thereafter a growing crystal near, but below, the temperature of the silicon carbide source to thereby thermodynamically encourage the vaporized species that are generated when silicon carbide sublimes (Si, Si2C, and SiC2) to condense first upon the seed crystal and thereafter upon the growing crystal; e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,005. After reaching the desired crystal size, growth is terminated by reducing the temperature of the system to below about 1900° C. and raising the pressure to above about 400 torr. It may be further desirable to anneal the crystal after completion of the sublimation growth process. The crystal may be annealed at temperatures at or above the growth temperature for a period greater than about 30 minutes. For purposes of clarity, the singular term, “thermal gradient,” will be used herein, but it will be understood by those of skill in this art that several gradients can desirably co-exist in the susceptor 14 and can be subcategorized as axial and radial gradients, or as a plurality of isotherms. If the temperature gradients and other conditions (pressure, carrier gases, etc.) are properly maintained, the overall thermodynamics will encourage the vaporized species to condense first on the seed 22 and then on the growing crystal 26 in the same polytype as the seed 22. As generally noted in the Background, the performance properties of electronic devices will typically improve as the crystal quality of the various device portions improves. Thus, the reduced-defect characteristics of wafers of the present invention similarly provide improved devices. In particular, higher power higher current devices become increasingly available as the micropipe density drops to 20 cm−2 or below. Thus, in another aspect, the invention is a plurality of field-effect transistors formed on low-defect 100 mm silicon carbide wafers. Each field-effect transistor includes a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate wafer of at least about 100 mm diameter and having a micropipe density of between about 7 and 22 cm−2. In another aspect, the invention is a plurality of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) 42 formed on low defect 100 mm silicon carbide substrate 44. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a basic MOSFET structure. Each MOSFET 42 includes a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate wafer 44 of at least about 100 mm diameter and a micropipe density of less than 22 cm−2, in some cases between about 7 and 22 cm−2, and in some cases—to date predictive—less than 7 cm−2. The bulk single crystal substrate 44 includes a respective first surface 48 and second surface 50 opposite one another. An epitaxial layer on the substrate has respective source 52, channel 56, and drain 54 portions with the channel 56 being controlled by the gate contact 64 through the oxide layer 62. Respective source and drain contacts 58, 60 are on the source and drain portions 52, 54. The structure and operation of MOSFETs, and of combinations and variations of MOSFETs, is well understood in this art and thus FIG. 5 and its description are exemplary rather than limiting of the claimed invention. With reference to FIG. 6, in another aspect the invention is a plurality of metal semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs) 66 formed on low defect 100 mm silicon carbide. Each MESFET 66 includes a bulk single crystal silicon carbide substrate wafer 68 of at least about 100 nm and having a micropipe density of between about 7 and 22 cm−2. The substrate 68 includes a respective first surface 70 and second surface 72 opposite one another. A conductive channel 74 is located on the first surface 70 of the substrate 68. Ohmic source 76 and a drain 78 contacts are located on the conductive channel 74. A metal gate contact 80 is located between the source 76 and drain 78 on the conductive channel 74 for forming an active channel when a bias is applied to the metal gate contact 80. As is known in the art, more than one type of device may be situated on a silicon carbide wafer in accordance with the present invention. Additional devices that may be included are junction-field effect transistors, hetero field effect transistors, diodes, and other devices known in the art. The structure and operation of these (and other) devices are well-understood in this art and can be practiced using the substrates described and claimed herein without undue experimentation. EXAMPLES A series of SiC boules were formed according to the present invention. The micropipe density, as measured by the above-described counting method, of each of these boules is shown in Table 1. TABLE 1 Micropipe Density of SiC boules Boule Number Micropipe Density (cm−2) 1 21.82 2 20.21 3 19.97 4 18.42 5 16.67 6 15.96 7 15.61 8 7.23 In the specification and the drawings, typical embodiments of the invention have been disclosed. Specific terms have been used only in a generic and descriptive sense, and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to low defect Silicon Carbide wafers and their use as precursors for semiconductor purposes, and to seeded sublimation growth of large, high-quality silicon carbide single crystals. Silicon carbide has found use as semiconductor material for various electronic devices and purposes in recent years. Silicon carbide is especially useful due to its physical strength and high resistance to chemical attack. Silicon carbide also has excellent electronic properties, including radiation hardness, high breakdown field, a relatively wide band gap, high saturated electron drift velocity, high-temperature operation, and absorption and emission of high-energy photons in the blue, violet, and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. Single crystal silicon carbide is often produced by a seeded sublimation growth process. In a typical silicon carbide growth technique, the seed crystal and a source powder are both placed in a reaction crucible which is heated to the sublimation temperature of the source and in a manner that produces a thermal gradient between the source and the marginally cooler seed crystal. The thermal gradient encourages vapor phase movement of the materials from the source to the seed followed by condensation upon the seed and the resulting bulk crystal growth. The method is also referred to as physical vapor transport (PVT). In a typical silicon carbide growth technique, the crucible is made of graphite and is heated by induction or resistance, with the relevant coils and insulation being placed to establish and control the desired thermal gradient. The source powder is silicon carbide, as is the seed. The crucible is oriented vertically, with the source powder in the lower portions and the seed positioned at the top, typically on the seed holder; see U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,005 (reissued as No. Re34,861) the contents of which are incorporated entirely herein by reference. These sources are exemplary, rather than limiting, descriptions of modern seeded sublimation growth techniques. The invention is also related to the following copending and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 10/628,189 filed Jul. 28, 2003 for Growth of Ultra-High Purity Silicon Carbide Crystals in an Ambient Containing Hydrogen; Ser. No. 10/628,188 filed Jul. 28, 2003 for Reducing Nitrogen Content in Silicon Carbide Crystals by Sublimation Growth in a Hydrogen-Containing Ambient; Ser. No. 10/707,898 filed Jan. 22, 2004 for Silicon Carbide on Diamond Substrates and Related Devices and Methods; Ser. No. 60/522,326 filed Sep. 15, 2004 for Seed Preparation for the Growth of High Quality Large Size Silicon Carbide Crystals; Ser. No. 10/915,095 filed Aug. 10, 2004 for Seed and Seedholder Combinations for High Quality Growth of Large Silicon Carbide Single Crystals; and Ser. No. 10/876,963 filed Jun. 25, 2004 for One Hundred Millimeter High Purity Semi-Insulating Single Crystal Silicon Carbide Wafer. The contents of these applications are likewise incorporated entirely herein by reference. Although the density of structural defects in silicon carbide bulk crystals has been continually reduced in recent years, relatively high defect concentrations still appear and have been found to be difficult to eliminate, e.g. Nakamura et al., “Ultrahigh quality silicon carbide single crystals,” Nature , Vol. 430, Aug. 26, 2004, page 1009. These defects can cause significant problems in limiting the performance characteristics of devices made on the substrates, or in some cases can preclude useful devices altogether. Current seeded sublimation techniques for the production of large bulk single crystals of silicon carbide typically result in a higher than desired concentration of defects on the growing surface of the silicon carbide crystal. Higher concentrations of defects can cause significant problems in limiting the performance characteristics of devices made on the crystals, or substrates resulting from the crystals. For example, a typical micropipe defect density in some commercially available silicon carbide wafers can be on the order of 100 per square centimeter (cm −2 ). A megawatt device formed in silicon carbide, however, requires a defect free area on the order of 0.4 cm −2 . Thus, obtaining large single crystals that can be used to fabricate large surface area devices for high-voltage, high current applications remains a worthwhile goal. Although small samples of low-defect silicon carbide have been available, a broader commercial use of silicon carbide requires larger samples, and in particular, larger wafers. By way of comparison, 100 mm (4″) silicon wafers have been commercially available since 1975 and 150 mm (6″) silicon wafers became available in 1981. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is also commercially available in both 4″ and 6″ wafers. Thus, the commercial availability of 50 mm (2″) and 75 mm (3″) SiC wafers lags behind these other materials and to some extent limits the adoption and use of SiC in a wider range of devices and applications. Micropipes are common defects that develop or propagate during the seeded sublimation production of SiC crystals. Other defects include threading dislocations, hexagonal voids, and screw dislocations. If these defects remain in the SiC crystal, then resulting devices grown on the crystal may incorporate these defects. The nature and description of specific defects is generally well understood in the crystal growth art. A micropipe is a hollow core super-screw dislocation with its Burgers vector lying along the c-axis. A number of causes have been proposed or identified for the generation of micropipes. These include excess materials such as silicon or carbon inclusions, extrinsic impurities such as metal deposits, boundary defects, and the movement or slippage of partial dislocations. See e.g. Powell et al., Growth of Low Micropipe Density SiC Wafers, Materials Science Forum, Vols. 338-340, pp 437-440 (2000). Hexagonal voids are flat, hexagonal platelet-shaped cavities in the crystal that often have hollow tubes trailing beneath them. Some evidence shows that micropipes are associated with hexagonal voids. A relatively recent discussion of such defects (exemplary and not limiting) is set forth in Kuhr et al., Hexagonal Voids And The Formation Of Micropipes During SiC Sublimation Growth, Journal of Applied Physics, Volume 89, No. 8, page 4625 (April 2001). The presence of surface defects in bulk single crystals of SiC may also interfere with single-polytype crystal growth. The 150 available polytypes of SiC raise a particular difficulty. Many of these polytypes are very similar, often separated only by small thermodynamic differences. Maintaining the desired polytype identity throughout the crystal is only one difficulty in growing SiC crystals of large sizes in a seeded sublimation system. When surface defects are present, there is not enough polytype information on the crystal surface for depositing layers to maintain the desired polytype. Polytype changes on the surface of the growing crystal result in the formation of even more surface defects. Recent research indicates that problems in the bulk crystals produced in a seeded sublimation technique can originate with the seed itself and the manner in which it is physically handled; e.g., Sanchez et al Formation Of Thermal Decomposition Cavities In Physical Vapor Transport Of Silicon Carbide, Journal of Electronic Materials, Volume 29, No. 3, page 347 (2000). Sanchez uses the term “micropipe” to describe, “approximately cylindrical voids with diameters in the range of 0.1 μm to 5 μm that form at the core of superscrew dislocations aligned parallel or nearly parallel to the [0001] axis” Id. at 347. Sanchez refers to larger voids (“diameters from 5 μm to 100 μm”) as, “thermal decomposition cavities,” and opines that micropipes and thermal decomposition cavities arise from different causes. Id. Accordingly, producing larger high quality bulk single crystals of silicon carbide with low defect levels in crystals formed in the seeded sublimation system remains a constant technical commercial goal. | <SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>In one aspect, the present invention is a high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm −2 . In another aspect, the invention is a SiC semiconductor precursor wafer having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm −2 . In another aspect, the invention is a method of using a high quality single crystal wafer of SiC having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm −2 in a seeded sublimation growth system. In yet another aspect, the invention is a plurality of power devices built on a single crystal seed of SiC having a diameter of at least about 100 mm and a micropipe density of less than about 25 cm −2 . | 20041004 | 20080101 | 20070913 | 95179.0 | H01L3100 | 1 | HITESHEW, FELISA CARLA | LOW MICROPIPE 100 MM SILICON CARBIDE WAFER | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | H01L | 2,004 |
|
10,958,190 | ACCEPTED | Method and apparatus for fitness exercise | A method of exercising a human body, the method comprising: providing a sliding element having a body portion adapted for receiving a limb of the human body, and a sliding surface adapted to slide on a exercise floor; placing the sliding element on an exercise floor and placing the human body limb on the body portion; and performing an exercise routine including sliding the sliding element by moving the human body limb. The exercise routine includes routines performed with the human body in a standing position; routines performed with the human body in a prone position; routines performed with the human body in a supine position; and routines performed with the human body in a side-lying position. The invention also includes an exercise device for exercising a human body, the device comprising: a sliding disc having a body portion adapted for receiving a limb of the human body; and a sliding surface adapted to slide on an exercise floor. | 1. A method of exercising a human body, said method comprising: providing a sliding element having a body portion adapted for receiving a limb of said human body, and a sliding surface adapted to slide on a exercise floor; placing said sliding element on an exercise floor and placing said human body limb on said body portion; and performing an exercise program including sliding said sliding element by moving said human body limb. 2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said exercise program comprises two or more routines selected from the group consisting of: routines performed with said human body in a standing position; routines performed with said human body in a prone position; routines performed with said human body in a supine position; routines performed with said human body in a side-lying position; and routines performed in a seated or partially seated position. 3. A method as in claim 1 wherein said exercise program comprises three of more routines selected from said group. 4. A method as in claim 1 wherein said performing comprises a strength development exercise routine to enhance muscle strength development and a stretching exercise routine to enhance muscle flexibility and length. 5. A method as in claim 1 wherein said limb comprises a foot. 6. A method as in claim 1 wherein said limb comprises a hand. 7. A method as in claim 1 wherein said sliding element comprises a sliding disc. 8. An exercise device for exercising a human body, said device comprising: a sliding element having a body portion adapted for receiving a limb of said human body and a sliding surface adapted to slide on an exercise floor. 9. An exercise device as in claim 8 wherein said body portion includes a circular plate and said sliding surface is on one side of said plate. 10. An exercise devise as in claim 9 wherein said body portion includes upper surface on the opposite side of said plate from said sliding surface and a circumferal member extending away from said plate in a direction at an angle to said upper surface. 11. An exercise device as in claim 8 wherein said device is made of a polymer. 12. An exercise device as in claim 11 wherein said device is made of nylon. 13. An exercise device as in claim 8 wherein said device comprises cloth. 14. An exercise device as in claim 13 wherein said cloth comprises nylon. 15. An exercise device as in claim 13 wherein said device comprise relatively rigid core with said cloth covering said core. 16. An exercise device as in claim 15 wherein said core is foam plastic. 17. An exercise device as in claim 16 wherein said foam plastic comprises an EVA/PE blend. 18. An exercise device as in claim 8 wherein said sliding surface includes a friction adjustment/protective layer. 19. A recordable medium containing human body images showing an exercise program comprising placing a human limb on a sliding element lying on an exercise floor and performing an exercise routine including sliding said sliding element by moving said human body limb, wherein said exercise program includes two or more exercise routines selected from the group consisting of: routines performed with said human body in a standing position; routines performed with said human body in a prone position; routines performed with said human body in a supine position; routines performed with said human body in a side-lying position; and routines performed in a seated or partially seated position. 20. A recordable medium as in claim 19 wherein said medium is selected from the group consisting of: video tape, DVD, and printed matter. 21. A recordable medium as in claim 19 wherein said sliding element comprises a body portion adapted for receiving a limb of a human body; and a sliding surface adapted to slide on an exercise floor. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/568,070 filed May 3, 2004. The entirety of this provisional application is incorporated by reference to the same extent as though fully disclosed herein. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to fitness exercises, and more particularly to a disc that can be slid over a floor with a foot or other body portion and sliding type fitness routines to be performed using the disc. 2. Statement of the Problem A wide variety of fitness exercises are known. Aerobic type fitness exercises in particular are presently highly popular. These exercises are often enhanced by weights, steps, medicine balls, and other elements which increase the value of the exercise; that is permit greater strength and endurance to be gained in less time. Most of these exercise enhancement elements are bulky and not easily portable and are thus usually used only in gyms, exercise rooms and other permanent exercise areas. In addition, most exercise enhancement elements increase the resistance to movement and/or an increased muscular force required to perform an exercise, without a commensurate increase in muscle and ligament flexibility. Thus, most exercise routines include stretching and warm-up routines that increase the total required exercise time for a given result. Thus, an exercise enhancement element that was relatively inexpensive, portable, and/or more readily adaptable to a variety of environments would be highly desirable in itself. If in addition, it lent itself to a corresponding exercise routine using the enhancement element, which routine provided enhanced muscular force and resistance to movement and at the same time increased flexibility, would be highly desirable because it could reduce the total required exercise time to produce a given result. Solution The present invention advances the art and overcomes the aforementioned problems by providing a sliding element that permits exercise routines that could not previously be performed without complex exercise equipment and facilities. Preferably, the sliding element is a disc or other element that preferably slides substantially uniformly in any direction. The invention also provides corresponding exercise routines in which the user places a body part, such as a foot or hand, on the sliding element, weights the body part, and slides the body part and sliding element on a floor or other exercise support structure. The invention provides a method of exercising a human body, the method comprising: providing a sliding element having a body portion adapted for receiving a limb of the human body, and a sliding surface adapted to slide on a exercise floor; placing the sliding element on an exercise floor and placing the human body limb on the body portion; and performing an exercise program including sliding the sliding element by moving the human body limb. Preferably, the exercise program comprises two or more routines selected from the group consisting of: routines performed with the human body in a standing position; routines performed with the human body in a prone position; routines performed with the human body in a supine position; and routines performed with the human body in a side-lying position. More preferably, the exercise program comprises three of more routines selected from the group. The invention also provides an exercise device for exercising a human body, the device comprising: a sliding element having a body portion adapted for receiving a limb of the human body; and a sliding surface adapted to slide on an exercise floor. Preferably, the body portion includes a circular plate and the sliding surface is on one side of the plate. Preferably, the body portion includes upper surface on the opposite side of the plate from the sliding surface and a circumferal member extending away from the plate in a direction at an angle to the upper surface. Preferably, the device is made of a polymer, most preferably nylon. Preferably, the sliding surface includes a friction adjustment/protective layer. The invention for the first time provides an exercise routine that enhances the results of exercise by the use of a simple, portable device that can be used to exercise nearly every muscle in the body and in both strength exercises and stretching exercises. Numerous other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a forward lunge exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a sideways lunge exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a squat lunge exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a power ski exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a push-up/pull-in exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a road runner exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a hamstring extension exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a power skate exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a plie exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate a prone hamstring stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate a prone cross-under exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate a prone hamstring stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate a sidelying arm stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate another sidelying leg stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate a supine hamstring extension exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrate a push-up/pull-in using a support exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate a triceps dip two-footed slide using a support exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate a triceps dip one-footed slide using a support exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 19A and 19B illustrate an ab roll exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 20A and 20B illustrate an ab slide exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 21A and 21B illustrate a shoulder stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 22A, 22B and 22C illustrate an adductor/abductor plie squat exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 23A and 23B illustrate a lunge with slide exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 24A and 24B illustrate a supine stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 25A and 25B illustrate a sit-up exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 26A and 26B illustrate a four-disc stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 27A and 27B illustrate a side-bend exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 28A and 28B illustrate a trunk rotation exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 29A and 29B illustrate a neck stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 30A and 30B illustrate a prone leg stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 31A and 31B illustrate a push-up stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 32A and 32B illustrate a pull-up stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 33A and 33B illustrate a squat-lunge exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 34A and 34B illustrate a leg cross-under exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 35A and 35B illustrate a stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 36A and 36B illustrate a lunge exercise according to the invention; FIG. 37 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of a sliding disk according to the invention; FIG. 38 is a side view of the disc of FIG. 37; FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view of the disc of 37 through the line 39-39 of FIG. 37; FIG. 40 is a perspective view of an alternative preferred embodiment of a sliding disk according to the invention; FIG. 41 is a cross-sectional view of the disc of FIG. 40 taken through the line 41-41 of FIG.40; FIG. 42 illustrates another alternative embodiment of a sliding element according to the invention with a person's hand inserted in it; FIG. 43 illustrates a top perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of a sliding disc according to the invention; FIG. 44 is a side view of the sliding disc of FIG. 43; FIG. 45 shows a resistance element that may be used with the sliding element of FIG. 43; FIG. 46 illustrates a lunge exercise performed with two sliding elements as in FIG. 43 attached with the resistance element of FIG. 45; FIG. 47 illustrates a squat exercise performed with two sliding elements as in FIG. 43 attached with the resistance element of FIG. 45; FIG. 48 illustrates a squat exercise performed with a sliding element as in FIG. 43 attached to an ankle of the exerciser with the resistance element of FIG. 45. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT I. INTRODUCTION The invention comprises one or more exercises performed with the assistance of a sliding element that is designed to slide on an exercise floor. In this disclose, the term “sliding element” means an element that is intentionally designed to slide on an exercise floor, not an element, such as a step used in a step exercise program or a mat that may accidentally slide but is not designed for that purpose. It also does not include an exercise machine that is designed to sit stably on an exercise floor without moving as a whole and includes a member that slides on another member. It also does not include a ski, because the ski is not designed to slide on an exercise floor. Nor does it include a skate, or a skateboard, since these devises are designed to roll, not slide. Further, it does not include a shoe, since shoes are not specifically designed for sliding on an exercise floor, say as distinguished from a dance floor. Preferably the sliding element is an integral element in that all parts are connected together so that all move as one. Preferably the sliding element is adapted so that the limb can be quickly removed from the element without unfastening a fastener and without holding the element and pulling it off the limb. In this disclosure placing a limb on the sliding element means that the limb is simply set down on the element without fastening the element to the limb and without placing any portion of the limb inside the sliding element so that some force is required to remove it. The invention was first described in article by Alexa Joy Sherman and photographs by James Allen in Shape Magazine, November 2003, pp. 166-171, which article was based on a workout designed by the inventor, Mindy Mylrea. This article is hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as though fully disclosed herein. This article shows an embodiment of the exercises as done using a paper plate as the sliding element or disc. The invention contemplates that the exercises may be performed using a paper plate, a piece of cardboard, or other sliding element. In the preferred embodiment, the exercises are done with a sliding element or disc according to the invention which is described in detail in Section 3, below. Like other exercise enhancement equipment, such as weights, stairs, rowing and pedal machines, etc., the sliding disk 100 according to the invention increases the muscular force required to perform an exercise. This is primarily due to the fact that the reduction of friction under the limb on the sliding exercise device requires the complementary muscles associated with other parts of the body involved in the exercise to work harder to perform the exercise. For example, referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, if a lunge is performed without the sliding element 100, the friction between the right foot 101 and the floor 102 permits the muscles of the right leg 106 to assist in pulling the body upright after the lunge. However, when the lunge is performed with the sliding element 100, the reduced friction between the right foot 101 and floor 102 does not allow the muscles of the right leg to assist as much. Thus the muscles of the left leg 108 must exert more effort to pull the body upright. This increases both the magnitude and speed of strength gain from the exercise. In addition, the lessened friction under one leg requires the user to exercise more the muscles used in balancing the body during the exercise, which enhances both the strength of these muscles and the ability to balance which are important aspects of most athletic sports. Also, the lack of friction under one leg extends the range of motion between the two legs 106 and 108 allowing the leg ligaments and muscles to be more easily and more widely stretched. In this way, the sliding exercises and sliding element 100 according to the invention enhance muscle and ligament flexibility at the same time as the exercise is being performed. It is well-known in the exercise art that stretching exercises should be performed before and after muscle enhancement exercises to prevent tightening and reduction of flexibility in muscles and ligaments. Since the sliding exercises according to the invention include stretching elements within the exercises, the total length of a workout is reduced. Thus, the sliding exercises and sliding exercise elements according to the invention not only enhance the amount of strength, balance and flexibility gain during the exercises, but also make the exercising more efficient. The sliding discs according to the invention which will be described in detail below are designed to smoothly glide across a floor surface with either on foot or both feet placed on the disc, or alternately, one hand or both hands. Exercises can be performed in many positions, including standing, prone, supine and seated. In the basic exercise position, as shown in FIG. 1A, the arms 114, 115 are generally relaxed at the sides, the knee 133 of the leg on the disc 100 is slightly bent, the ball 136 of the foot 101 is approximately on the center of the disc 100, and the heel 102 is extended off the disc. This way, at any point, the user can easily halt the movement by simply relaxing the foot so the heel touches the ground 118. In the seated and supine positions, the basic foot position generally will not be used. In these cases, in the preferred position, the heel is place in the center of the disc, with the ball of the ball of the foot extended off the disc and the toes flexed as shown in FIG. 15B. In some exercises, the hands are placed on the discs instead of the feet. Most hand sizes will fit easily inside the disc frame. Depending on the exercise, the hand position will vary. The user should adapt to the individual needs of the effort, such as shown in FIGS. 13A, 19A, 21B, and 28B, for example. Generally, feet or hands should be realigned as the movement progress as discs will shift during exercises. II. DESCRIPTION OF THE EXERCISES Exemplary exercises that embody the invention are shown in FIGS. 1A through 36B and 46-48. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to these exercises. Rather the exercises have been selected to demonstrate to those skilled in the art the variety of exercises contemplated by the invention, so that they can better understand the invention and be able to create additional exercises. It should also be understood that the drawings are not exact replications of an exercise, but are only meant to illustrate the approximate body positions so that the exercise can be better understood. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a forward lunge exercise according to the invention. This exercise is shown starting from a standing rest position 120. In the In this exercise, a exercise element 100 is placed under one foot 101, the exerciser begins in the basic exercise position 120 discussed above, and the foot 101 is pushed backward as the opposite knee 110 is bent with sufficient weight on the ball 126 of the opposite foot 121 to balance, and the trunk 109 of body 117 is lowered to a forward lunge position 130. The body is then returned to an upright position, particularly using the muscles of the bent leg 108. The arms 114 and 115 participate with other muscles to balance the body during the exercise. FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a sideways lunge exercise according to the invention. The sideways lunge begins from the basic exercise position 120 shown in FIG. 2A. The foot 101 is pushed sideways as the opposite knee 110 is bent with sufficient weight on the ball 126 of the opposite foot 121 to balance, and the body 109 is lowered to a sideways lunge position 140. The body is then returned to an upright position, particularly using the muscles of the bent leg 108. The arms 114 and 115 participate with other muscles to balance the body during the exercise. FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a squat sideways lunge exercise according to the invention. The exercise starts from a squat position 160 shown in FIG. 3A in which feet 101 and 121 are on placed on discs 100 and 150, respectively, with the weight on the balls 136 and 126 of the feet and knees 133 and 110 bent. One foot 101 is thrust sideways to the sideways squat lunge position 162, with the arms balancing the body. The body is then returned to the squat position 160. FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a power ski exercise according to the invention. This exercise begins in the basic exercise position with two discs, which is similar to 160, without the squat; that is, with the knees 133 and 110 bent only slightly. One foot 101 is thrust backwards, while the other foot 121 is thrust forwards. The weight is on the ball 136 and toes 103 of the foot 101 that is thrust backwards, while the foot 121 that is thrust forwards slides a little forward on the disk until it encounters the forward edge 155 of disc 150 and there is a natural shift of the weight to the full foot as the heel 122 is lowered. The arms 114 and 115 move in opposite directions to the corresponding feet 121 and 101, in a natural cross-country skiing type motion 168. The body is then returned to the dual disc upright position and the feet 101 and 121 are thrust in the opposite directions as shown by the arrows 166, with the various parts adjusting as described above, except that the description is for the opposite body parts as indicated in position 169. FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a push-up/pull-in exercise according to the invention. The exercise is begun from the basic push-up position 170 shown in FIG. 5A. In the position 170 the arms 114 and 115 are extended with palms 172 and 174 on the floor 118. The legs 106 and 108 are extended and each foot 121 and 101 is on a separate disc 150 and 100, respectively, with the ball 136 of the foot and toes 103 in the center of the disk and supporting the weight. The feet 121 and 101 are then pulled in the direction of the arrows 175 while raising the buttocks 177 to reach position 171. The feet 121 and 101 slide a little forward on their respective discs 150 and 101, and the heels 122 and 102 are lowered naturally. The feet are then pushed back out in the direction opposite to the arrows 175 to return to the position 170. FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a road runner exercise according to the invention. This exercise can start in the basic push-up position 170, either of the positions 180 and 181 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, respectively, or in an intermediate position to the positions 180 and 181, such as the position 188 shown in FIG. 7A. In this exercise, the feet 101 and 121 are alternately thrust in opposite directions 183 and 184, with the positions of feet 101 and 121 on their respective discs 100 and 150 changing only a little in a natural manner to maintain balance. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a hamstring extension exercise according to the invention. This exercise begins in a basic two-disc crouch position 188 with the arms 114 and 115 extended and palms 172 and 174 on the floor, but with the feet 101 and 121 drawn up under the buttocks 177. The balls 136 and 126 of the feet 121 and 101 are in the center of their respective discs 150 and 100. The legs 106 and 108 are then extended backwards in the direction 190 until the basic push-up position 170 is reached. The feet 121 and 101 are then pulled forward to reach the position 188 again. FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a one-disc power skate exercise according to the invention. FIG. 8A shows the basic one-disc exercise position 120 (FIG. 1A). In this exercise, the exerciser thrusts one foot 101 to the side and back in the direction of the arrow 194 in a skating motion while bending the opposite knee 110. The foot 101 ends up with the weight on the ball 136 and toes 102 of the foot 101 and the ball 136 and toes 102 in the center of the disc 100, while the foot 121 is essentially flat, though with the weight mostly on the ball 126 of the foot as shown in position 198. The exercise is completed by returning to the basic exercise position 120. FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a plie exercise according to the invention. The exerciser starts in the basic two-disc position 200, which is the same as the basic exercise position 120, except with each foot 102 and 121 on a separate disc 100 and 150, respectively, and the forearms 214 and 215 raised and elbows 216 and 217 bent. The feet 101 and 121 are then spread apart as shown by the arrow 220 while the trunk 109 sinks as shown by the arrow 221. The arms 114 and 115 extend sufficiently to maintain balance. The exercise is completed by drawing the feet 101 and 121 back together and returning to the position 200. FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate a prone hamstring stretch exercise according to the invention. The exercise starts in the basic push-up position, with a disk 100 and 150 under each foot 101 and 121. The feet 101 and 121 are then spread apart as shown by the arrow 225 into the position 230. The exercise is completed by bringing the feet back to the position 170. FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate a prone cross-under exercise according to the invention. Again this exercise starts in the basic push-up position 170. One foot 101 is then crossed under the opposite leg as shown by the arrow 234 to arrive at the position 240. The foot 101 is then returned to the position 170, and the other foot 121 may be crossed under and returned. FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate a prone hamstring stretch exercise according to the invention. Again this exercise starts in the basic push-up position 170. One foot is then moved outward along the path of the arrow 242. After a suitable stretch period, the foot 101 is moved back to the position 170. This also may be done with the opposite leg 108. FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate a sidelying arm stretch exercise according to the invention. This exercise begins in a sidelying position 250 with the body resting on one hip 252 and thigh leg 108 and one hand 262 placed on the opposite thigh 253. One ankle 258 is under the opposite leg 106 at just above the position of the knee 110. The leg 108 not folded under is extended. One hand 272 placed on a disk 100 with the palm down, and the corresponding elbow 216 bent. The thumb 274 may be spread for stability to complete the position 250. The body 109 is then lunged forward to position 260 and the arm 114 extended for a suitable stretch period, then returned to the position 250. FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate another sidelying leg stretch exercise according to the invention. This exercise starts in the sidelying position 270 with the body lying on the hip 252 and leg 108 and one ankle 258 crossed under leg 106 as before. The body rests on arm 214 and elbow 216, which is bent. The opposite hand 262 rests on hip 254. Leg 106 is extended with the toe 103 of foot 103 on disc 100. The extended leg 196 is moved in the direction of arrow 277 to the position 280. After a suitable stretch period, the leg and body are returned to the position 270. FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate a supine hamstring extension exercise according to the invention. The exercise begins in a prone position 290 with the shoulders 282 and arms 114 and 115 on the floor 118 with palms 172 and 174 facing down. Disc 150 is underfoot 121 and disc 100 is underfoot 101, with the knees 133 and 110 bent and the feet placed flat across the center of the discs so the thighs and lower torso 284 are raised. The knees 133 and 110 are straightened and the feet 121 and 101 pushed out in the direction of arrow 184 with the toes 123 and 103 rising naturally and the heels 122 and 102 rotating to the center of the discs 150 and 100, respectively, as shown in the position 300. The feet 121 and 101 are then pulled in to return to the position 290. FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrate a push-up/pull-in using a support 308 exercise according to the invention. In this illustration the support 308 is a chair, though other suitable supports may be used. The exercise starts in the position 310 with the balls 126 and 136 of the feet in the center of the respective discs 150 and 100, the knees 110 and 133 bent, hands 302 and 304 grasping the sides 306 of the chair near the front of the chair, arms 114 and 115 straight and the body leaning forward at the waist 307. The elbows 216 and 217 are then bent to lower the body 109 in the direction of arrow 312 as in a push-up, and the feet 121 and 101 are then thrust out in the direction of the arrows 311 with the feet rotating in the discs 150 and 101 so the weight is transferred forward toward the toes 123 and 103. The elbows are then straightened and the feet pulled in to return to the position 310. FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate a triceps dip two-footed slide using a support exercise according to the invention. This exercise begins with the body turned with the back 337 to the support, the hands 302 and 302 grasping the front side portion 306 of the chair 308, the arms 114 and 115 straight, the feet 121 and 101 flat across the center of discs 150 and 100, respectively, the knees 110 and 133 bent so the lower legs 316 and 317 are perpendicular to the floor 118 and the upper legs 314 and 315 parallel to the floor as shown in position 330. The feet 101 and 121 are then pushed out in the direction of the arrows 333 with the legs 106 and 108 straightening, the feet 101 and 121 rotating naturally on the discs 100 and 150, respectively, so the heels 102 and 122 near the center of the discs. At the same time the elbows 216 and 217 are bent and the buttocks 177 lowered as in the position 340. The feet 101 and 121 are then pulled in and the arms 114 and 115 straightened to return to the position 330. FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate a triceps dip one-footed slide using a support exercise according to the invention. This exercise begins in the position 330 described above. In this case, only one leg 108 is straightened and one foot 121 is pushed out in the direction of arrow 343, while the opposite knee 133 is bent further as the buttocks 177 are lowered in the direction of arrow 344 into the position 350. The foot 101 121 is then pulled in and the arms 114 and 115 straightened to return to the position 330. FIGS. 19A and 19B illustrate an ab roll exercise according to the invention. This exercise begins in a semi-kneeling position 360 with the lower legs 316 and 317 and the top portions 356 and 357 of the feet on the floor 118. The knees 110 and 133 are bent so the upper legs 314 and 315 make a small angle with the perpendicular to the floor 118. The body is bent at the waist 307 with the palms 172 and 174 on the center of the respective discs 150 and 100 and the arms 114 and 115 straight so the back is essentially parallel to the floor. The trunk 109 is then lowered by bending the elbows 216 and 217 and pushing the discs 150 and 100 apart in the directions of the double arrow 363. The knees 110 and 133 unbend in this process to reach the position 370. The discs 150 and 100 are then pulled together to return to the position 360. FIGS. 20 A and 20B illustrate an ab slide exercise according to the invention. This exercise starts in the position 380 with the lower legs 316 and 317 and upper portions 356 and 357 of the feet against the floor as in position 360. However, here the knees 110 and 133 and the waist 307 are bent more and the elbows 216 and 217 are bent with the palms 172 and 174 again in the center of discs 150 and 100, respectively. The legs 106 and 108, waist 307, and the arms 114 and 115 are straightened with the discs 150 and 100 being pushed in the direction of the arrows 383 to reach the position 390. The knees, waist and elbows are then bent and the discs pulled back to return to the position 380. FIGS. 21A and 21B illustrate a shoulder stretch exercise according to the invention. This exercise begins in the position 400 with the lower legs 316 and 317 and the top portions 356 and 357 against the floor as in position 380. However, here the knees 110 and 133 and the waist 307 are bent further and the arms 114 and 115 straightened, with the palms 172 and 174 remaining flat on the discs 150 and 100 so the trunk 109 is lower. In this exercise, the arms 114 and 115 are swept backward as indicated by the arrow 403 to move the body and discs to the position 410. After a suitable stretch period, the arms 114 and 115 are swept forward in the reverse direction to arrow 403 to return to the position 400. FIGS. 22A, 22B and 22C illustrate an adductor/abductor plie squat exercise according to the invention. This exercise is shown beginning in an alternative rest position 420 similar to the position 120 (FIG. 1A) except the hands 302 and 304 are on the hips 402 and 404, respectively, with the elbows 216 and 217 bent. The ball 136 of the foot 101 is then placed in the center of the disc 100 and the disc pushed outward in the direction of arrow 405 as the trunk lowered to the position 411. There may be pause here to stretch, and then the disc 100 is pushed backward along the direction of arrow 407 and the trunk 109 lowered further to the position 412. After a suitable stretch period, the body is then returned to the position 420 either by reversing the directions of arrows 407 and 405, or by pulling the disc forward along the direction of arrow 409. FIGS. 23A and 23B illustrate a lunge with slide exercise according to the invention. The exercise begins in the alternative two-disc rest position 430, which is the same as rest position 120 (FIG. 1A) except that each foot 101 and 121 are on a respective disc 100 and 150. The trunk 109 is then lowered by bending at waist 307 and one knee 133 while keeping the opposite leg 108 straight by pushing disc 150 out along the direction of arrow 423. The foot 101 rotates forward and moves slightly with respect to the disk 100 so that the ball 136 of the foot is in the center of disc 100, while the foot 121 rotates and moves slightly with respect to the disc 150 in the opposite direction so the heel 122 is in the center of disc 150. The arms 114 and 155 move forward and the elbows 216 and 217 bend to naturally balance the body to complete the position 440. The leg 106 is then straightened and the disc 150 pulled in to return to the position 430. FIGS. 24A and 24B illustrate a supine stretch exercise according to the invention. The exercise begins in a supine knees bent position 450 with the back 337 and arms 114 and 115 resting on the floor 118 and the waist 307 and knees 110 and 133 bent, the feet 101 and 121 on the respective discs 100 and 150, with the weight a little back on the heels 102 and 122. The legs 106 and 108 are then spread with the discs 150 and 100 being moved in the directions of arrows 433 and 434, respectively, and then, after a suitable stretch period, returned along the direction of arrows 435 and 436 respectively, to return to the position 450. In the position 460, the weight naturally distributes more evenly along the feet 101 and 121. FIGS. 25A and 25B illustrate a sit-up exercise according to the invention. The exercise begins in the supine position 470 which is similar to the position 450 except the feet 101 and 121 are flat on the floor 118 and the hands 302 and 304 are palms 172 and 174 downward on discs 150 and 100, respectively. The trunk 109 is raised along the direction of arrow 463 by bending at the waist 307 while the hands push the discs 150 and 100 in the direction of the arrow 462 as shown at 480. The trunk 109 is then lowered to the position 470. FIGS. 26A and 26B illustrate a four-disc stretch exercise according to the invention. This exercise starts in the position 490, which is the same as the position 470 except that the legs 106 and 108 are straight and the heels 102 and 104 are in the center of discs 401 and 451. The arms 114 and 115 are pushed outward along the directions of arrows 491 and 492 while the legs are pushed outward along the directions of arrows 493 to create the position 500. After a suitable stretch period, the arms and legs are returned to the position 490. FIGS. 27A and 27B illustrate a side-bend exercise according to the invention. The exercise starts from a sitting position 510 with legs 106 and 108 crossed and trunk 109 upright, with the arms 114 and 115 extended at an angle from the trunk 109, one hand touching a disc 150 and the fingers 504 of the other hand 304 touching disc 100. Disc 150 could be removed with the other hand 302 touching the floor, but, as will be seen, two discs lend themselves to a series of exercises. Disc 100 is then pushed outward in the direction of arrow 507 while arm 114 is lifted up and over the head 509 along the direction of arrow 508 with the head bending 509 in the same direction to stretch the muscles of side 505 in position 520. After a suitable stretch period, the body is returned to position 510. FIGS. 28A and 28B illustrate a trunk rotation exercise according to the invention. This exercise starts in position 510 with the fingers 504 of hand 304 touching disc 100 and the fingers 502 of hand 302 touching disc 150. The trunk is the rotated from the waist 307 to the shoulders 516 and 517 with the head also rotating and the arms 115 and 114 following the rotation and pushing the discs 100 and 150, respectively, in the direction of arrows 513 and 514, respectively. The body is then returned to the position 510 and/or turned in the opposite direction. FIGS. 29A and 29B illustrate a neck stretch exercise according to the invention. This exercise starts from a supine position 540 with the feet 101 and 121 on disc 100 and the head 509 on disc 150. Alternately, the feet could be on separate discs. The entire rest of the body, including back 337, arms 114 and 115, buttocks 177 and legs 106 and 108 lie straight on the floor 118. The head 509, neck 519 and upper portion 558 of the body bend to push disc 150 in the direction of arrow 543, while the lower portion 559 of the body and legs 106 and 108 bend in the opposite direction to push disc 100 in the direction of arrow 544. After a suitable stretch period, the body then returns to position 540 and/or bends in the opposite direction. FIGS. 30A and 30B illustrate a prone leg stretch exercise according to the invention. The exercise starts in a position 560 with the toes 123 and 103 in the center of disks 150 and 100, respectively, the knees 110 and 133 resting on the floor 118 and bent, the upper body resting on the forearms 614 and 615 with the elbows 217 and 216 bent and the upper arms 617 and 616 essentially perpendicular to the floor 118, and the waist 307 bent so the buttocks 177 back 337 and head 509 are essentially parallel to the floor 118. The leg 106 is then straightened and spread to push disc 100 in the direction of arrow 563 to create the position 570. After a suitable stretch period, the leg 106 is then brought back in and the body returned to the position 560. FIGS. 31A and 31B illustrate a push-up stretch exercise according to the invention. The exercise starts in a prone position 580 with the fronts 356 and 357 of the feet, the legs 106 and 108 and the trunk 109 against the floor 118, chest downward, the palms 172 and 174 flat on discs 150 and 100, respectively, the elbows 216 and 217 bent and shoulders 517 and 516 bent back so the forearms 615 and 614 are essentially perpendicular to the floor 118 and the upper arms 616 and 617 are essentially parallel to the floor. The arms 114 and 115 are straightened pushing the discs 150 and 100, respectively forward in the direction of arrow 593 while the head and shoulders 516 and 517 are raised in the direction of arrow 594 to reach the stretch position 590, which is held for a suitable stretch period, after which the body returns to the position 580. FIGS. 32A and 32B illustrate a pull-up stretch exercise according to the invention. The exercise starts from a completely prone position 600 with the entire body 117 lying face-down on the floor 118 with palms 172 and 174 flat in essentially the center of discs 150 and 100, respectively. The body 117 is then bent at the waist 307 raising shoulders 516 and 517 and head 509 while the hands 302 and 304 are drawn inward along the direction of arrows 613, keeping the arms 114 and 115 straight to arrive at the position 610. After a suitable stretch period, the body 117 is returned to the position 600. FIGS. 33A and 33B illustrate a squat-lunge exercise according to the invention. The exercise starts with the exerciser on one knee 133 with toe 103 on floor 118 and with the other foot 121 on disc 150. Knees 133 and 110 are bent so upper leg 314 and opposite lower leg 316 are essentially perpendicular to the floor and lower leg 317 and opposite upper leg 315 are essentially parallel to the floor. Hands 302 and 304 are preferably on hips 402 and 404, respectively, to complete the position 620. Leg 106 is straightened and hip joint 631 rotate back thrusting trunk 109 forward and at the same time knee 110 is unbent a small amount, the combination pushing disk 150 in the direction of arrow 623 to position 630. The position can be held for a stretch period, and then the body returned to position 620 to complete the exercise. FIGS. 34A and 34B illustrate a leg cross-under exercise according to the invention. The exercise starts from a basic push-up position 640 with the toes 103 of one foot on the floor 118 and the toes 123 of the other foot on disc 150, hands 302 and 304 palm downward, and legs 106 and 108 and arms 114 and 115 straight. Leg 108 is then crossed under leg 106 pushing disc 150 in circular motion along the arrow 643, bending knee 110 and hip joint 651 to reach position 650. The position 650 may be held for a suitable period and then the body is returned to position 640. FIGS. 35A and 35B illustrate a hip rotator stretch exercise according to the invention. The exercise begins in position 670, which is similar to position 420 (FIG. 22A), except it is shown with the opposite foot 121 on disc 150 and the heel 122 already raised and the toe 123 moved to the center of the disc 150. The hip 651 is rotated to push disc 150 in a forward and back circular motion along the direction of arrow 683 as shown at 680, and then the body is returned to position 670. FIGS. 36A and 36B illustrate a lunge exercise according to the invention. The exercise starts in position 690, which is the same as position 120 (FIG. 2A), except that the disc 150 is under the opposite foot 121. The exerciser rotates thigh 631, pushing back on leg 106 and thrusting the trunk 109 forward, while, at the same time, bending knee 110 and rotating hip 651 to push disk forward along the direction of arrow 703. Arms 114 and 115 also may be lifted forward and up to end in pointed essentially straight upward to add to the lunge and assist in balance. There may be a suitable stretch period, and then the body returns to position 690. The above exercises provide a sampling of the variety of exercises that may be performed with the sliding disk. Each of the exercises that are shown using one disk, such as the exercises of FIGS. 1A and 1B, 2A and 2B, 13A and 13B, 14A and 14B, 8A and 8B, 22A through 22C, 27A and 27B, 33A and 33B, 34A and 34B, 35A and 35B, and 36A and 36B, may be performed with the disk on the other side of the body using the opposite body parts, while those shown in only one direction, such as the exercises of FIGS. 3A and 3B, 11A and 11B, 12A and 12B, 18A and 18B, 30A and 30B, 23A and 23B, 28A and 28B, 29A and 29B, may also be performed in the opposite direction. While in some, a pause is mentioned, such as a stretch period, this pause of stretch period may be omitted, and in all a pause or stretch period may be added. A wide variety of other exercises may be designed. For example: exercises performed from a standing position can also include lunges in many directions such as to the side, back, or circling side to back, or include a slide in which the foot is lifted off the disk, the leg extended, and then the foot is placed back on the disk may be incorporated into many of the above exercises; exercises performed from a prone position can also be done holding onto a support such as a chair, step, platform, or floor, or the cross-overs, such as 11A and 11B and 34A and 34B may be done with two discs, one under each foot; exercises performed from a supine position can include triceps dip slides, similar to FIGS. 17A and 17B, without the support, or any of the above supine exercises may be modified into a reverse road runner or hamstring extension; exercises performed from a sidelying position may be performed including a lift of the foot off the disc followed by a return of the foot to the disc; exercises performed in a seated or partially seated position can be performed with a support; and many other variations may be devised. An exercise routine according to the invention may include a plurality of any of the above exercises or variations thereof. Individual exercises generally are repeated a number of times in a given routine. A routine may include a series of such exercises performed at a lower intensity for a limited time, for example one minute, followed by a more intense series of exercises for a longer period, such as five or ten minutes, which in turn may be followed by a cool down period of less intense exercises for another period, such as two minutes. A sliding exercise workout incorporates the entire body using only the sliding discs. Beginners may need to feel comfortable with the sensation of sliding exercises. To do this an instructor can lead a class the following steps: 1. Identify proper posture and body alignment 2. Orient the participants to the proper position of foot/feet placement 3. Practice mounting and dismounting the discs 4. Practice small sliding motions holding on to a wall, a pole, a chair back, or trainer 5. Preferably, a workout should include a warm-up that rehearses the movements that will be performed in the workout. A beginner may practice the sliding exercises according to the invention by using the sliding disc while holding on to a stable surface such as a chair, pole or door frame. This gives added control while the user gets comfortable with the disc and the sliding motion. It is also helpful to begin with exercises that use only one disc, so that the non-sliding leg is firmly planted on the ground. Exercises that involve two sliding discs (one sliding disc under each foot) may then be done after the user has mastered one disc exercises. Preferably, instructors should teach progressively and allow students to advance at their own pace: first students should become familiar with sliding movement; then range of motion challenges can be added; increases in rotation, flexion or extension may then be added; additional weight challenges may then be added as well as increases or decrease movement speed. Utilizing the above exercises, a person, such as an instructor, may choreograph exercises that are a balance between push and pull, flexion and extension, and rotation. A sample workout may include a seven to eight minute warm up, standing leg training for ten to twenty minutes, a variety of preferably multidirectional sliding lunges and squats, followed by seated flexibility exercises such as yoga and pilates for five to ten minutes, followed by exercises for strengthening core musculature for fifteen to twenty minutes in the prone, supine and side-lying positions, and finally a lying stretch series of exercises for five to ten minutes. Sliding exercises according to the invention can also be inserted as segments into interval-style classes such as Step, Hi-Low, or Camp classes. Sliding disk type exercises are a great addition to the strength section of any exercises routine because they allow many different variations of basic body sculpting. For example, one may use a Step or Hi-Low routine for high cardio exercise and then come into a strength lower section with the disc exercises. As another example, for a step and sculpt class, one may use the step as your cardio and the discs for the sculpting. Sliding exercises can not only be paired with existing workouts in an interval format, it can also be used to transform and enhance existing exercises. The sliding disc exercises are a powerful tool that can take a favorite workout to the next level of fun and effectiveness. Yoga and Pilates, which are becoming increasingly popular in clubs and other programs will benefit greatly from the addition of sliding disc exercise routines, which allow for a deeper, longer range of motion and improved core stability. Bosu can be enhanced by using sliding exercises according to the invention to improve stability and balance. The sliding exercises according to the invention can make a personal training session come alive by offering integrated muscle conditioning and compound movement that personal training clients have never experienced before. III. THE SIDING ELEMENT OR DISC Turning to FIGS. 37, 38 and 39, the preferred embodiment of a sliding element 800 according to the invention is shown. FIG. 37 shows a top plan view, FIG. 38 shows a side plan view, while FIG. 39 shows a cross-sectional view through line 39-39 of FIG. 37. The preferred sliding element 800 is a disc 800. Disc 800 includes a central body portion 804, preferably in the form of a circular plate, and circumferal member 802. Plate 804 has a lower sliding surface 815 and an upper surface 801. Circumferal member 802 extends away from the surface 801 at an acute angle, preferably in curve 803, such as an arc of a circle. Preferably, circumferal member 102 includes a flange 806, a gripping area 812, and a stop 108. Flange 806 extends in between curved portion 803 and stop 808. Gripping portion 812 is preferably a roughened portion of curved portion 803. In the preferred embodiment, the roughness is provided by small, round, indentations 814, but it also may be formed by grit embedded in the plastic of the disc, a self-stick mesh-like material, or any other suitable roughing. The indentations of the preferred embodiment happen to be in a decorative form of rows and columns of indentations, which has no functional advantage over other designs. Stop 108 is preferably in the form of a rounded lip and provides a stop 108 for the foot or hand. The surface 801 of central body portion 804 and the circumferal member 102 form a body portion 809 adapted for receiving a limb of a human body. The under surface 815 of the sliding element provides sliding surface adapted to slide on an exercise floor 118 (FIGS. 1A through 36B and 46-48). In this disclosure, “exercise floor” includes a floor, a mat, a raised platform, or any other floor-like surface on which an exercise may be performed. It also includes any type of floor surface. Surface 801 may be beveled outward slightly in a downward direction as one goes from curved portion 803 to the middle of the surface 801 to produce a slight bulge (not shown) which tends to flatten when weight is put on the disc. This distributes the weight on the disc more evenly, allowing the disc to slide more smoothly, particularly on surfaces that may not be entirely smooth. Optionally, the disc may also include a friction adjustment/protective layer 810. This friction adjustment/protective layer 810 allows the friction of the surface 815 to be adjusted to various floor 118 surfaces. For example, if the exercise surface is a hardwood floor, layer 810 may be a soft cloth material that slides more easily on hardwood and will not scratch the hardwood, and thus protects the floor. Layer 810 is preferably attached to disk 800 with a self-stick backing. In the preferred embodiment, disk 800 is molded of nylon, though any other plastic or other suitable material may be used, no adjustment/protective layer 810 is provided, and the disk 800 is intended for use on carpets or other suitable material. FIGS. 40 and 41 show another preferred embodiment of the sliding element 830 according to the invention that preferably is designed for use on hard surfaces, such as hardwood floors or linoleum. FIG. 40 shows a perspective view of the sliding element 830 and FIG. 41 shows a cross-sectional view through the line 41-41 of FIG. 40. Element 830 comprises an outer cover 831 and a more rigid core 833. Core element 833 preferably has a curved inner portion and a circumferal stopping element 835, which is preferably in the form of a lip 835. Cover 831 fits tightly on core 333 and provides a durable outer surface. Outer cover 831 preferably includes an upper cover 838, a lower cover 839, and a circumferal portion 840 which folds over lip 835 and overlaps the upper cover 838 and lower cover and lower cover 839. Stitching 841 preferably secures the upper cover 838 and lower cover 839 to circumferal portion 840 and all three cloth parts 838, 839, and 840 to core 833, although glue or other securing material or process may be used. Preferably, there are several rows of stitching 841. The cover 831 is preferably made of cloth, and more preferably nylon, though polyester or other cloth may also be used. Core 833 is preferably made of polymer, more preferably a foam plastic, such as foamed polyethylene, and most preferably is an ethylene-vinyl-acetate/polyethylene (EVA/PE) blend. Preferably, the PE is a low density polyethylene (LDPE). FIG. 42 shows another embodiment of a sliding element 860 according to the invention. This embodiment is the same as the embodiment of FIGS. 41 and 42, except that it includes a body member 861 and fastener 862 for securing the sliding element body member 861 to the hand or foot of a user. Fastener 862 preferably comprises an adjustable strap 864 and a connector 865 for connecting the strap 864 to the body member 861. The strap 864 allows for either a hand 302 or 304 or foot 101 or 121 to be fastened to the body member 861 for better gripping of the disc. Fastener 862 is preferably made of cloth, such as nylon or a nylon blend, and connector 865 is preferably thread, such as nylon or nylon blend thread, though other connector material may be used. A fastener, such as 862, could be used in essentially all of the designs discussed above, but is an optional feature of the invention. FIGS. 43 and 44 show another alternative embodiment of a sliding member 900 according to the invention. Sliding member 900 includes a body member 904 and a stop, 903, preferably in the form of a lip 903. Body member 904 includes a plate-like portion 901 and an upward curved portion 902. Plate-like portion 901 is beveled downward to produce a slight bulge 905 which tends to flatten when weight is put on the disc Alternative embodiment 900 also includes an attachment element 910, which in the embodiment shown comprises and ear 913 comprising a member 918 extending from lip 902 and having an eyelet 920. The distal end 922 of member 918 is rounded. Preferably, there are two ears 913 and 914. FIGS. 45 shows a disc attachment device 930 which permits two sliding elements 900 to be attached to each other or permits a sliding element 900 to be attached to a body portion, such as an ankle. Attachment device 930 includes a body portion attachment element 932 and a resistance element 934. Preferably body portion attachment element 932 comprises a strap 938, a ring connector 946, and hook and loop connecting members 939 and 940. Resistance element 934 preferably includes an elastic band 350 having clip connectors 952 and 954 attached to either end. Clip connectors each preferably include a hook portion 956 and a movable spring portion 958 for closing the opening in the hook. To attach a disc to a body portion, strap 938 is attached to the body portion, one clip, such as 954, is connected to ring 946, and the other clip, such as 952 is connected to eyelet 920 in ear member 913. Two discs 900 may be connected by connecting one clip 952 to the eyelet in one disc and the other clip 9544 to the eyelet in the other disc 900. The embodiment 900 with attachment member 910 allows for the exercises to be accomplished with the “assistance” of resistance, in that the resistance helps to pull the user back, and also works the user hard as the leg or other body portion is pushed outward. The exercises are essentially the same in using the resistance, except that the resistance can be used (depending upon the exercise) to either increase the difficulty of the exercise or decrease the difficulty. FIG. 46 shows a lunge being performed using resistance exercise system 970 comprising a first disc 980 and a second disc 982 connected with resistance element 934. A first foot 101 is placed on first disc 982 while a second foot 121 is placed on second disc 982. The second foot is pushed in the direction shown by the arrow 985 in a lunge movement, with disc 980 sliding on exercise surface 118, which is preferably a floor. FIG. 47 shows a sideways lunge movement performed with resistance exercise system 970 including a first disc 980, a second disc 982 and a resistance element 934. In this case, the second foot 121 is slid sideways in the direction of the arrow 987 in a sideways lunge movement. FIG. 48 shows the same sideways lunge exercise being performed with a resistance system 990 including a single disc 992 and an attachment device 930. In this case attachment member 932 is attached to an ankle 994 of the user 995 and the disc 992 is again pushed in the direction of arrow 997 in the lunge movement. A feature of the invention is that the sliding elements 800, 830,860, and 900 according to the invention provide 1) durability of the sliding element, 2) the correct friction coefficient on the bottom surface of the plate and 3) a friction coefficient that stays constant, thereby giving a consistency in the sliding surface. With respect to the friction coefficient, the bottom surface 815 of the disc preferably has an appropriate glossiness for the skill level of the user. For example, a beginning user would not want an extremely slippery sliding element, as then it is more difficult for the user to maintain balance during the exercises. That is, for a beginner, the sliding surface 815, 810, 901 etc. of the disc can't be like a slippery banana. At the same time, surface 815, 810, 901 etc. should be relatively smooth so that it will slide over a variety of floor surfaces without “sticking” to the floor. However, more advanced users will desire a more slippery sliding element. In other words, there is a correct friction coefficient that provides the particular user with smooth, even sliding yet is not so slick that the user looses her or his balance. Thus, the invention contemplates that the sliding element according to the invention will be sold in a plurality of grades having different coefficients of friction. A further feature of the invention is that the sliding elements 800, 830, 860, and 900 are designed to slide across a variety of floor surfaces, such as carpet, linoleum, hard wood floors, etc. It has been found that nylon gives good all-around results. The size of the disc can vary with the preferred diameter in the range of 8 inches to 12 inches, and more preferably about 9.25 inches in diameter. The bulge 905 in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 is approximately 0.63 inches. Generally, the size is such to accommodate the ball of the user's foot, for the upright exercises, and the user's hand for the prone position exercises. The function of the upturned portion, such as 803, is to provide a stop to the foot and to keep the edge of the disc from catching on floor surface (i.e. digging into the carpet) as it slides. This can alternatively be accomplished by a convex shape without a lip, or a rounded edge. The preferred embodiment is a circular disc, although other shapes, such as oval, octagonal, etc. also work. Regarding construction materials, a variety of plastics and moldable or shapeable materials will work, i.e. poly-ethylene, poly-propylene, nylon, wood or wood based composite materials, or stiff cloth. The preferred materials have flexibility to them such that an upturned edge 903 and lip 808 can bend slightly if stepped on; that is it should not be a brittle material that would break under pressure. Depending upon the friction coefficient of the base material, then the bottom surface of the disc may be adjusted, to provide for the ideal friction coefficient of the disc for the given material. For example, nylon with a gloss surface has a different friction coefficient than poly-ethylene with a gloss surface, and thus the finish may be different for these different materials to provide for the ideal friction coefficient of the disc. An alternate construction can also include two-ply construction methods. For example, to protect against possible scratching on hardwood surfaces, a felt cover 810 can be adhered to the bottom surface 815 of the disc. Regarding the exercises, the discs can be used to perform both strength training exercises as well as aerobic exercises as demonstrated in the discussion above. The exercises work multiple muscles at once, which adds to the efficiency of the exercises. Essentially all muscles of the body can be trained using the discs: lower body, upper body, as well as abdominal and back. The exercises utilize the person's body weight to work the muscles. For example, a lunge requires the user to pull his or her body weight back up from the lunge position. Additionally, the sliding motion requires the user to stabilize and balance throughout the exercise movement. Exercises that require stabilization have been found to require more effort from a wider variety of muscles, thus, they are more effective as well as require recruitment of additional stabilization muscles (i.e. core abdominal muscles to hold the body in alignment for balance). Results of initial studied indicate that the sliding exercises according to the invention result in a more wholesome body appearance, which is thought to be due to the fact that more of the muscle groups are used in the exercise, so that there is no exaggerated development of one or a few muscles. The sliding movements also comprise extension elements that usually include stretching. The disc facilitates a controlled, extension and stretch that preliminary data suggests reduces injuries often associated with stretching exercises, such as spasms and tearing. The exercises can also be sequenced in a manner to 1) emphasize training of a particular body part (i.e. buns and thighs), or 2) to provide a total body training. Another feature of the invention is the aspect of graceful movement that is added to exercises. The sliding disc transforms sometimes awkward exercise movements into smooth, graceful lines of flowing motion. Ending positions that were previously guessed at slide into place. For example, a lunge that was once static becomes a fluid path from start to finish. The entire movement becomes engaging and purposeful. The sliding disk can enhances any exercise routine to make it come alive and old exercises are reborn. The sliding disk takes choreography to a new level, allows for a greater range of motion, strengthens and lengthens muscles at the same time, can be used in a stand alone format, or as segments of interval style classes, can be incorporated into a personal training session, assists in training proper movement patterns, and incorporates body sculpting, balance, flexibility, core and cardio into a seamless exercise system. IV. APPLICATIONS OF THE INVENTION It is evident from the above that the inventive sliding element is itself a useful application of the invention and the invention contemplates that the sliding elements will be sold in a variety of models. In addition, it is evident that the exercise routines of the invention are also useful in themselves, and aerobic and exercise sessions, routines, seminars and courses including the exercise routines can be marketed and sold., either by charging for an individual session, a group of sessions, licensed to health clubs and sold via membership fees, or sold in any other manner that exercise routines are sold. This includes teaching the routine to other instructors in continuing education classes, putting the routines on the internet, which could drive sales of other products on the internet site, or people could be charged-a fee for access to the site. Clearly, the routines according to the invention can be sold as printed material, i.e. booklet or instructional book. In addition, a prototype demonstration exercises video tape has been made, though not yet sold. Thus, the invention contemplates that a video tape, DVD, or a recorded image of the exercise routines according to the invention in any other recordable medium will be sold. In addition, the invention contemplates a kit including one or more sliding elements of one or more of the types and classes discussed above, a recorded image of routines according to the invention on video tape, DVD, or other medium, and/or instructions or descriptions of the exercises in a printable medium, such as a booklet or instructional book. A feature of the invention is that the sliding exercises utilize little equipment, and can easily be performed almost anywhere, such as the home or office, which increases the chances that the exercises will be performed. And unlike other exercise equipment, there is no storage issue. The sliding discs are lightweight, compact, and come in versions specially designed for both hard wood and carpeted floors. The particular systems, designs, methods and exercises described herein are intended to illustrate the functionality and versatility of the invention, but the invention should not be construed to be limited to those particular embodiments. Devices, systems and methods in accordance with the invention are useful in a wide variety of exercise routines. It is evident that those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses and modifications of the specific embodiments described, also evident that the routines and movements recited may, in some instances, be performed in a different order; or equivalent structures and processes may be substituted for the structures and processes described. Since certain changes may be made in the above systems and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all subject matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Consequently, the invention is to be construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel combination of features present in or inherently possessed by the systems, methods and routines described in the claims below and by their equivalents. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to fitness exercises, and more particularly to a disc that can be slid over a floor with a foot or other body portion and sliding type fitness routines to be performed using the disc. 2. Statement of the Problem A wide variety of fitness exercises are known. Aerobic type fitness exercises in particular are presently highly popular. These exercises are often enhanced by weights, steps, medicine balls, and other elements which increase the value of the exercise; that is permit greater strength and endurance to be gained in less time. Most of these exercise enhancement elements are bulky and not easily portable and are thus usually used only in gyms, exercise rooms and other permanent exercise areas. In addition, most exercise enhancement elements increase the resistance to movement and/or an increased muscular force required to perform an exercise, without a commensurate increase in muscle and ligament flexibility. Thus, most exercise routines include stretching and warm-up routines that increase the total required exercise time for a given result. Thus, an exercise enhancement element that was relatively inexpensive, portable, and/or more readily adaptable to a variety of environments would be highly desirable in itself. If in addition, it lent itself to a corresponding exercise routine using the enhancement element, which routine provided enhanced muscular force and resistance to movement and at the same time increased flexibility, would be highly desirable because it could reduce the total required exercise time to produce a given result. | <SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a forward lunge exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a sideways lunge exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a squat lunge exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a power ski exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a push-up/pull-in exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a road runner exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a hamstring extension exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a power skate exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a plie exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate a prone hamstring stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate a prone cross-under exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate a prone hamstring stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate a sidelying arm stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate another sidelying leg stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate a supine hamstring extension exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrate a push-up/pull-in using a support exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate a triceps dip two-footed slide using a support exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate a triceps dip one-footed slide using a support exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 19A and 19B illustrate an ab roll exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 20A and 20B illustrate an ab slide exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 21A and 21B illustrate a shoulder stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 22A, 22B and 22 C illustrate an adductor/abductor plie squat exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 23A and 23B illustrate a lunge with slide exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 24A and 24B illustrate a supine stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 25A and 25B illustrate a sit-up exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 26A and 26B illustrate a four-disc stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 27A and 27B illustrate a side-bend exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 28A and 28B illustrate a trunk rotation exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 29A and 29B illustrate a neck stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 30A and 30B illustrate a prone leg stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 31A and 31B illustrate a push-up stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 32A and 32B illustrate a pull-up stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 33A and 33B illustrate a squat-lunge exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 34A and 34B illustrate a leg cross-under exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 35A and 35B illustrate a stretch exercise according to the invention; FIGS. 36A and 36B illustrate a lunge exercise according to the invention; FIG. 37 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of a sliding disk according to the invention; FIG. 38 is a side view of the disc of FIG. 37 ; FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view of the disc of 37 through the line 39 - 39 of FIG. 37 ; FIG. 40 is a perspective view of an alternative preferred embodiment of a sliding disk according to the invention; FIG. 41 is a cross-sectional view of the disc of FIG. 40 taken through the line 41 - 41 of FIG.40 ; FIG. 42 illustrates another alternative embodiment of a sliding element according to the invention with a person's hand inserted in it; FIG. 43 illustrates a top perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of a sliding disc according to the invention; FIG. 44 is a side view of the sliding disc of FIG. 43 ; FIG. 45 shows a resistance element that may be used with the sliding element of FIG. 43 ; FIG. 46 illustrates a lunge exercise performed with two sliding elements as in FIG. 43 attached with the resistance element of FIG. 45 ; FIG. 47 illustrates a squat exercise performed with two sliding elements as in FIG. 43 attached with the resistance element of FIG. 45 ; FIG. 48 illustrates a squat exercise performed with a sliding element as in FIG. 43 attached to an ankle of the exerciser with the resistance element of FIG. 45 . detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? | 20041004 | 20150421 | 20051103 | 63416.0 | 2 | GINSBERG, OREN ISAAC | Method and apparatus for fitness exercise | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,958,743 | ACCEPTED | Polyaxial bone screw with uploaded threaded shank and method of assembly and use | A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body integral with an upper capture structure and a head having an inner cavity for receiving the capture structure. The capture structure is threaded and the head includes a threaded opening for rotatable assembly with the capture structure and eventual locking frictional engagement between the capture structure and the head. The head has a U-shaped cradle defining a channel for receiving a spinal fixation rod. The head channel communicates with the cavity and further with the threaded opening that allows for loading the capture structure into the head but prevents pushing or pulling of the capture structure out of the head. The capture structure and the head provide a ball joint, enabling the head to be disposed at an angle relative to the shank body. The capture structure includes a tool engagement formation and gripping surfaces for non-slip engagement by a tool for driving the shank body into bone. | 1. A polyaxial bone screw assembly comprising: a) an elongate shank having a body for fixation to a bone and a capture structure having a first helically wound guide and advancement structure with a major diameter; and b) a head having a second helically wound guide and advancement structure defining a capture structure loading aperture having a diameter, the first helically wound guide and advancement structure mateable with the second helically wound guide and advancement structure, the loading aperture communicating with a cavity sized and shaped to swivelabley receive the capture structure therein, the major diameter of the first helically wound guide and advancement structure being larger than the loading aperture diameter. 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first helically wound guide and advancement structure is an inverted thread. 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first helically wound guide and advancement structure is an inverted buttress thread. 4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the capture structure is substantially spherical. 5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the second helically wound guide and advancement structure winds about a substantially spherical surface. 6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the capture structure has a tool engagement formation disposed thereon adapted for non-slip engagement by a tool for driving the shank body into bone. 7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the capture structure tool engagement formation is an upward axial projection having a hexagonal profile. 8. A polyaxial bone screw assembly comprising: a) an elongate shank having a body for fixation to a bone and a capture structure extending from the body, the capture structure having a rod-engagement end and a first helically wound guide and advancement structure; and b) a head having a base with an inner surface defining a cavity, the inner surface having a second helically wound guide and advancement structure sized and shaped to rotatingly mate with the first guide and advancement structure, the base cavity communicating with an exterior of the base through an opening located adjacent the second guide and advancement structure, the capture structure being disposed and captured in the cavity upon operable mating and rotation of the first guide and advancement structure with the second guide and advancement structure until the first guide and advancement structure becomes disengaged from the second guide and advancement structure, the capture structure having a first orientation wherein the capture structure is disposed in the cavity and the shank body is swivelable relative to the head, and a second orientation, wherein the capture structure is in a non-threadedly mated frictional engagement with the second guide and advancement structure, the rod-engagement end is in frictional engagement with a rod, and the shank body is in a fixed position with respect to the head. 9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the first and second guide and advancement structures are first and second threads. 10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the first thread is an inverted buttress thread. 11. The assembly of claim 8 wherein a portion of the first guide and advancement structure frictionally engages with a portion of the second guide and advancement structure in said second orientation. 12. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the capture structure has a tool engagement formation disposed thereon adapted for non-slip engagement by a tool for driving the shank body into bone. 13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the capture structure tool engagement formation is an upward axial projection having a hexagonal profile. 14. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the tool engagement formation is a projection and the capture structure has a tool seating surface, the projection and the tool seating surface partially defining a recess adapted for receiving a driving tool engaged with the tool engagement projection and wherein the driving tool is adapted to be in contact with the tool seating surface when driving the shank body into bone. 15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the capture structure has at least one engagement wall disposed perpendicular to the tool seating surface and spaced from the projection, the engagement wall partially defining the recess for receiving the driving tool and wherein the driving tool is adapted to be in contact with the tool seating surface, the projection and the engagement wall when driving the shank body into bone. 16. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the shank is cannulated from the top to a bottom thereof. 17. The assembly of claim 8 further comprising a closure structure insertable into an upper opening of the head, the closure structure for indirectly operably urging the shank in a direction to frictionally lock the capture structure to the head in the second orientation thereof, thereby locking the shank body in a selected angle with respect to the head. 18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the closure structure has a hexalobular internal driving feature. 19. The assembly of claim 17 wherein: (a) the head has upstanding spaced arms defining an open channel, the arms having a third guide and advancement structure on an inside surface thereof, the channel communicating with the cavity; and (b) the closure structure is sized and shaped to be positionable between the arms for closing the channel, the closure structure having a fourth guide and advancement structure for rotatably mating with the third guide and advancement structure, so as to be adapted to bias the closure structure upon advancement rotation against a rod disposed in the channel. 20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein the capture structure top has a dome sized and shaped to extend into the channel so as to be adapted to engage a rod received in the head and wherein the closure structure is adapted to operably urge the rod against the dome upon the closure structure being positioned in the head. 21. A polyaxial bone screw assembly comprising: a) an elongate shank having a body for fixation in a bone and a capture structure extending from the body, the capture structure having a top and a radially outer surface with a first helically wound guide and advancement structure; and b) a head having a base and a top portion, the head top portion having an open channel, the base having a lower opening with a second helically wound guide and advancement structure therein that is sized and shaped to rotatingly mate with the first guide and advancement structure, the base further having a cavity openly joined to the opening, the channel communicating with the cavity, the cavity communicating with an exterior of the base through the opening, during assembly the capture structure being positionable in the cavity upon operable rotation of the first guide and advancement structure with the second guide and advancement structure until a disengagement between the structures occurs such that the capture structure is substantially in the cavity and the shank body is exterior of the cavity, the first and second guide and advancement structures configured for frictional engagement when the capture structure is urged toward the opening without rotation while the capture structure is within the head. 22. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the first and second guide and advancement structures are first and second threads. 23. The assembly of claim 22 wherein the first thread is an inverted buttress thread. 24. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the capture structure has a lower substantially spherical surface, a portion of the spherical surface configured for frictional engagement with the second guide and advancement structure. 25. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the capture structure has a tool engagement formation disposed thereon adapted for non-slip engagement by a tool for driving the shank body into bone. 26. The assembly of claim 25 wherein the capture structure tool engagement formation is an axial projection having a hexagonal profile. 27. The assembly of claim 26 wherein the tool engagement formation is a projection and the capture structure has a tool seating surface, the projection and the tool seating surface partially defining a recess adapted for receiving a driving tool engaged with the tool engagement projection and wherein the driving tool is adapted to be in contact with the tool seating surface when driving the shank body into bone. 28. The assembly of claim 27 wherein the capture structure has at least one engagement wall disposed perpendicular to the tool seating surface and spaced from the projection, the engagement wall at least partially defining the recess for receiving the driving tool and wherein the driving tool is adapted to be in contact with the tool seating surface, the projection and the engagement wall when driving the shank body into bone. 29. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the shank is cannulated from the top to a bottom thereof. 30. The assembly of claim 21 further comprising a closure structure insertable into the head, the closure structure being adapted to operably urge the shank in a direction to frictionally lock the capture structure to the head, thereby locking the shank body in a selected angle with respect to the head. 31. The assembly of claim 30 wherein: (a) the head has upstanding spaced arms defining the open channel, the arms having a third guide and advancement structure on an inside surface thereof; and (b) the closure structure being sized and shaped to be positionable between the arms for closing the channel, the closure structure having a fourth guide and advancement structure for rotatably mating with the third guide-and advancement structure. 32. The assembly of claim 31 wherein the capture structure top has a dome sized and shaped to extend into the channel so as to be adapted for engagement with a rod when received in the head and wherein the closure structure is adapted to operably urge the rod against the dome upon the closure structure being positioned in the head. 33. A polyaxial bone screw assembly comprising: a) an elongate shank having a body for fixation to a bone and a capture structure extending from and integral with the body, the capture structure having a top, a radially outward facing surface with a first helically wound guide and advancement structure, and a tool engagement formation disposed adjacent the top, the tool engagement formation having a projection and a recessed tool seating surface having a bottom and an outer wall, both the bottom and outer wall sized and shaped for receiving and frictionally engaging a driving tool engaged with the tool engagement projection when driving the shank body into bone; and b) a head having a base with an inner surface defining a cavity, a portion of the inner surface having a second helically wound guide and advancement structure sized and shaped to rotatingly mate with the first guide and advancement structure, the base cavity communicating with an exterior of the base through an opening associated with the second guide and advancement structure, the capture structure being pivotally disposed and captured in the cavity upon operable rotation of the first guide and advancement structure with the second guide and advancement structure until the first guide and advancement structure is disengaged from the second guide and advancement structure. 34. The assembly of claim 33 wherein the first and second guide and advancement structures are first and second threads. 35. The assembly of claim 34 wherein the first thread is an inverted buttress thread. 36. The assembly of claim 33 wherein the shank is cannulated from the top to a bottom thereof. 37. The assembly of claim 33 further comprising a closure structure insertable into an upper opening of the head, the closure structure being adapted for operably urging the shank in a direction to frictionally lock the capture structure to the head, thereby locking the shank body in a selected angle with respect to the head. 38. The assembly of claim 37 wherein: (a) the head has upstanding spaced arms defining an open channel, the arms having a third guide and advancement structure on an inside surface thereof, the channel communicating with the cavity; and (b) the closure structure is sized and shaped to be positionable between the arms for closing the channel, the closure structure having a fourth guide and advancement structure for rotatably mating with the third guide and advancement structure. 39. The assembly of claim 38 wherein the capture structure top has a dome sized and shaped to extend into the channel when the capture structure is urged against the opening, the dome being adapted for engagement with a rod when received in the head and wherein the closure structure is adapted to operably urge the rod against the dome upon the closure structure being positioned in the head. 40. A polyaxial bone screw assembly and bone screw implantation method comprising: a) attaching a bone screw shank to a head by mating a first helically wound guide and advancement structure disposed on an upper portion of the bone screw shank with a second helically wound guide and advancement structure of the head to traverse the shank through an opening in the head and into a cavity in the head until the first guide and advancement structure is disengaged from the second guide and advancement structure with the upper portion captured in the cavity; and b) driving the shank body into bone by rotating the shank body with a tool engaged with a tool engagement formation disposed on the upper portion. 41. The method of claim 40 wherein step b) is performed after step a). 42. The method of claim 40 wherein step b) is performed before step a). | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for use in performing spinal surgery and, in particular, to polyaxial bone screws for use in spinal surgery. Such screws have a head that can swivel about a shank of the bone screw, allowing the head to be positioned in any of a number of angular configurations relative to the shank. Bone screws are utilized in many types of spinal surgery in order to secure various implants to vertebrae along the spinal column. Spinal implant screws typically have a shank that is threaded and configured for implantation into a pedicle or vertebral body of a vertebra. Such a screw also includes a head designed to extend beyond the vertebra and also defines a channel to receive a rod or other implant. In bone screws of this type, the head may be open, in which case a closure member must be used to close between opposite sides of the head once a rod or other implant is placed therein. Alternatively, the head may be closed, wherein a rod-like implant is threaded through the head of the bone screw. When the head and shank of the bone screw are fixed in position relative to each other, it is not always possible to insert a bone screw in such a manner that the head will be in the best position for receiving other implants. Consequently, swivel head bone screws have been designed that allow the head of the bone screw to rotate or swivel about an upper end of the shank of the bone screw while the surgeon is positioning other implants and finding the best position for the bone screw head. However, once the surgeon has determined that the head is in the best position, it is then necessary to lock or fix the head relative to the shank. Different types of structures have been previously developed for such purpose. Because bone screws are for placement within the human body, it is desirable for the implant to have as little effect on the body as possible. Consequently, heavy, high profile, bulky implants are undesirable and lighter implants with a relatively small profile both in height and width are more desirable. However, a drawback to smaller, lighter implants is that they may be more difficult to rigidly fix in position relative to each other and in a desired position. Reduced bulk may also reduce strength, resulting in slippage under high loading. Also, more component parts may be required to rigidly fix the implant in a desired position. A further drawback of smaller components is that they may be difficult to handle during surgery because of their small size, failing to provide adequate driving or gripping surfaces for tools used to drive the shank into bone. One undesirable attribute of some of the swivel-head implants is the need for a multitude of components that may loosen or even disassemble within the body. It is most often undesirable for components to become moveable in the body after the completion of surgery. Loosening of components relative to each other may result in related undesirable movement of the bone or vertebra that the implant was intended to stabilize. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A polyaxial bone screw assembly according to the present invention includes an elongate shank having a lower threaded body for fixation to a bone. The shank further has an upper capture structure connected to the threaded body by a neck. The capture structure has an upper end or top and a lower surface. The capture structure has a radially outward surface with a first helically wound guide and advancement structure thereon. The helically wound guide and advancement structure has a major diameter (passing through the crests) that is larger than a diameter of the aperture into which the capture structure is inserted. The assembly also includes a head having a base with an inner surface defining a cavity. The cavity opens onto a bottom of the head through a neck opening or aperture with a portion of the inner surface defining the opening having a second helically wound guide and advancement structure sized and shaped to rotatingly mate with the first guide and advancement structure of the capture structure. The capture structure screws upwardly into the head so as to be disposed within the cavity and captured by the head upon mating and operable rotation of the first guide and advancement structure with respect to the second guide and advancement structure until the first guide and advancement structure fully enters the cavity and becomes disengaged from the second guide and advancement structure. The capture structure is then disposed in the head cavity and free to rotate or swivel relative to the head. The capture structure has a first orientation wherein the capture structure is within the cavity and the shank body is freely swivelable relative to the head. In a second orientation, the capture structure is in a non-mated, frictional engagement with the second guide and advancement structure and the shank body is in a fixed position with respect to the head, resulting from a force being applied to the top of the capture structure. Preferably according to the invention, the first and second guide and advancement structures are first and second threads. Most preferably according to the invention, inverted buttress threads are utilized, although square threads, reverse angle threads and other similar mating structures can be utilized. Also according to the invention, the elongate shank has a first axis and the head has a second axis. The first and second guide and advancement structures are configured to enter into frictional engagement when the capture structure is urged downwardly against the base neck without rotation. The capture structure may expand in response to downward pressure, further frictionally engaging and locking the first and second guide and advancement structures. Further according to the invention, a polyaxial bone screw capture structure may include a tool engagement formation disposed at or near the top of the capture structure. Preferably, the tool engagement formation has a projection and a recessed tool seating surface with a bottom and an outer wall. Both the bottom and outer wall are sized and shaped to receive and frictionally engage with a driving tool, such as a socket tool, engaged with the tool engagement projection for driving the shank body into bone. However, other structure for driving the shank body can be used, such as off axis apertures into the threaded hemisphere. A method according to the invention includes the steps of attaching a bone screw shank to a head by mating a first helically wound guide and advancement structure disposed on an upper portion of the bone screw shank with a second helically wound guide and advancement structure of the head to guide and advance the shank into the head until the first guide and advancement structure becomes disengaged from the second guide and advancement structure with the capture structure or upper portion slidingly received and captured in a cavity of the head. Another method step includes driving the shank body into bone by rotating the shank body with a tool engaged with a tool engagement formation disposed on or in the capture structure. The step of driving the shank into bone may take place after or before the step of mating the bone shank with the head. OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the problems with polyaxial bone screw assemblies described above. An object of the invention is to provide a shank that rotatably uploads into a cavity in a head of the screw and that utilizes frictional contact of threads under pressure to fix the head relative to the shank once a desired configuration is acquired. Another object of the invention is to provide a polyaxial bone screw with features that present frictional or gripping surfaces, planar surfaces, internal apertures or the like for bone implantation tools and may be readily and securely fastened to each other as well as to the bone. Also, if part of the implant should slip relative to another part or become loose for some reason, an object of the invention is to provide an implant wherein all of the parts remain together and do not separate. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a lightweight, reduced volume, low profile polyaxial bone screw that assembles in such a manner that the components cooperate to create an overall structure that prevents unintentional disassembly. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide apparatus and methods that are easy to use and especially adapted for the intended use thereof and wherein the tools are comparatively inexpensive to produce. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a polyaxial bone screw assembly according to the present invention having a shank with a capture structure at an end thereof, a head, and a closure structure. FIG. 2 is an enlarged and fragmentary view of the assembly of FIG. 1, showing the head in cross-section, taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and illustrating the shank in front elevation prior to the insertion of the shank capture structure into the head according to a method of the invention. FIG. 3 is a reduced and fragmentary cross-sectional view of the head and shank, taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the shank capture structure partially screwed into the head. FIG. 4 is a reduced and fragmentary cross-sectional view of the head and shank of FIG. 3, illustrating the shank capture structure disposed and rotatable within the head. FIG. 5 is a reduced and fragmentary cross-sectional view of the head and the attached shank of FIG. 4, and further showing the shank being implanted into a vertebra using a driving tool mounted on the shank capture structure. FIG. 6 is an enlarged and fragmentary cross-sectional view of the head, shank and driving tool of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a reduced and fragmentary cross-sectional view of the head, similar to FIG. 5, showing the shank in front elevation and implanted in the vertebra, a rod, in cross-section, disposed in the head, and illustrating the insertion of the closure structure using a driver. FIG. 8 is a reduced front-elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 1, shown with a rod in cross-section, the shank implanted in the vertebra and with the closure structure fully installed. FIG. 9 is an enlarged and fragmentary view of the assembly of FIG. 8 with the head and rod in cross-section, showing the details thereof. FIG. 10 is a front-elevational view of the shank of FIG. 1 shown implanted in a vertebra (shown in cross-section) according to an alternative method of the invention. FIG. 11 is a front-elevation view of the shank of FIG. 10, and including a reduced cross-sectional view of the head of FIG. 2, illustrating insertion of the head on the implanted shank according to an alternative method of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. With reference to FIGS. 1-9, the reference number 1 generally represents a polyaxial bone screw apparatus or assembly according to the present invention. The assembly 1 includes a shank 4 and a head 6. The shank 4 further includes a body 8 integral with an upwardly extending capture structure 10. The shank 4 and head 6 are often assembled prior to implantation of the shank body 8 into a vertebra 13, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. However, in a method of the invention shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the shank body 8 is first implanted in the vertebra 13, followed by joining the head 6 to the shank 4. FIG. 1 further shows a closure structure 16 of the invention for biasing a longitudinal member such as a rod 19 against the capture structure 10 which in turn biases the structure 10 into fixed frictional contact with the head 6, so as to fix the rod 19 relative to the vertebra 13. The head 6 and shank 4 cooperate in such a manner that the head 6 and shank 4 can be secured at any of a plurality of angles, articulations or rotational alignments relative to one another and within a selected range of angles both from side to side and from front to rear, to enable flexible or articulated engagement of the head 6 with the shank 4 until both are locked or fixed relative to each other near an end of an implantation procedure. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the shank 4 is elongate, with the shank body 8 having a helically wound bone engaging thread 24 extending from near a neck 26 located adjacent to the capture structure 10 to near a tip 28 of the body 8 and projecting radially outward therefrom. During use, rotation of the body 8 utilizes the thread 24 for gripping and advancement in the bone and is implanted into the vertebra 13 leading with the tip 28 and driven down into the vertebra 13 with an installation or driving tool 31, so as to be implanted in the vertebra 13 to near the neck 26, as shown in FIG. 5 and as is described more fully in the paragraphs below. The shank 4 has an elongate axis of rotation generally identified by the reference letter A. It is noted that any reference to the words top, bottom, up and down, and the like, in this application refers to the alignment shown in the various drawings, as well as the normal connotations applied to such devices, and is not intended to restrict positioning of the assembly 1 in actual use. The neck 26 extends axially outward and upward from the shank body 8 to a base 34 of the capture structure 10. The neck 26 generally has a reduced radius as compared to an adjacent top 36 of the shank body 8. Further extending axially and outwardly from the neck 26 is the capture structure 10 that provides a connective or capture apparatus disposed at a distance from the body top 36 and thus at a distance from the vertebra 13 when the shank body 8 is implanted in the vertebra 13. The capture structure 10 is configured for connecting the shank 4 to the head 6 and then capturing the shank 4 in the head 6. The capture structure 10 has an outer substantially hemi-spherically or partial spherically shaped surface 40 extending from the base 34 to a top portion 44. Formed on an upper part 46 of the surface 40 is a guide and advancement structure illustrated in the drawing figures as an inverted or reverse buttress thread 48. The thread 48 is sized and shaped to mate with a cooperating guide and advancement structure 50 disposed on an inner surface 52 of the head 6 disposed adjacent to and defining an opening 54 of a lower end or bottom 56 of the head 6. Preferably, the thread 48 is relatively thick and heavy to give strength to the thread and prevent the threads from being easily bent or deformed when axial pressure is applied to the shank 4 to maintain the capture structure 10 in the head 6, as described further below. The thread 48 winds about the upper portion 46 in a generally helical pattern or configuration that is typical of threads and can have various pitches, be clockwise or counterclockwise advanced, or vary in most of the ways that conventional buttress threads vary. The thread 48 has a leading surface or flank 58 and a trailing surface or flank 59. As used herein, the terms leading and trailing refer to the direction of advancement of the capture structure 10 into the guide and advancement structure 50 of the head 6 aligning the axis A of the shank 4 with an elongate axis of rotation B of the head 6 and directing the capture structure 10 toward the head 6, as shown by the straight arrow C illustrated in FIG. 2. The leading surface 58 has an inner edge 62 and an outer edge 63. The trailing surface 59 has an inner edge 66 and an outer edge 67. At the crests of the thread 48, where the leading surface outer edge 63 and the trailing surface outer edge 67 meet or are closely spaced relative to one another, preferably there is a slight relief as shown in the drawings so as to have a slight connecting wall or crest surface 70 therebetween along a substantial length of the thread that decreases the sharpness of the buttress thread 48 and increases the strength and surface contact thereof. The size of the crest or connecting surface 70 varies, generally increasing as the thread 48 winds from the top surface 44 to a non-threaded lower portion 72 of the surface 40. As can be seen in the drawing figures, the general shape of the cross section of the thread 48 is that of a right triangle, with the leading surface 58 sloping away from the axis A and downwardly from the inner edge 62 and the trailing surface 59 extending substantially horizontally from the inner edge 66 and thus substantially perpendicular to the axis A. Although a reverse or inverted buttress thread as described herein is preferable for use according to the invention, it is foreseen that other thread types, such as V-threads, square threads, other inverted thread types or other thread like or non-thread like guide and advancement structures, such as flange form, helically wound advancement structures may be utilized according to the invention. Other preferred thread-types also include square threads with wide strong teeth and greater surface contact as well as modified inverted buttress threads, for example buttress threads wherein the angular relationship between the trailing and leading surfaces are modified somewhat, or wherein the size, shape or orientation of the connecting wall between the leading and trailing surfaces is modified somewhat. Advancement of the capture structure 10 into the head 6 is accomplished by rotating the shank 4 in a counterclockwise direction about the axes A and B and into the head 6 as illustrated by the arrow T in FIG. 2. As will be described more fully below, an outer edge of the trailing surface or flank 59 and/or the connecting surface 70 may also be a loading surface after the capture structure 10 is fully disposed in the head 6. The non-threaded lower portion 72 of the capture structure 10 surface 40 that is disposed between the base 34 and the thread 48 may have a smooth or a high-friction or roughened surface, such as a scored or knurled surface 73 illustrated on FIG. 9. As also illustrated in FIG. 9 and will be described more fully below, the lower portion 72 may come into contact with the head guide and advancement structure 50 during a rod reduction process according to the present invention. In the embodiment shown, the shank 4 further includes a rod and tool engagement structure 74 projecting upwardly from the top portion 44 of the capture structure 10. The tool engagement structure 74 has a hexagonally shaped head 76 with a substantially domed top. 78. The structure 74 is coaxial with both the threaded shank body 8 and the capture structure 10. The head 76 is sized and shaped for engagement with the driving tool 31 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 that includes a driving and mating structure in the form of a socket. The tool 31 is configured to fit about the head 76 so as to form a socket and mating projection for both operably driving and rotating the shank body 8 into the vertebra 13. In the embodiment shown, to provide further mechanical advantage during installation of the shank 4 into the vertebra 13, the capture structure 10 includes a counter-sunk portion 80 formed in the top 44, the portion 80 adjacent to and surrounding the head 76. The portion 80 includes a planar seating surface 82 disposed perpendicular to the axis A and spaced from the top portion 44. Contiguous to both the surface 82 and the top 44 are faces 84 that are disposed parallel to the axis A and thus are substantially perpendicular to the surface 82. The faces 84 form a hex-shaped outer periphery of the counter-sunk portion 80. The tool 31 includes an outer surface portion 90 sized and shaped to mate with the bottom and both side walls of the counter-sunk portion 80, such that a bottom of the tool 31 seats on the surface 82 and the outer surface portion 90 is adjacent to and engaging the faces 84 when the tool 31 is disposed about and engaging with the hexagonally shaped head 76. The domed top end surface 78 of the shank 4 is preferably convex, curved or dome-shaped as shown in the drawings, for positive engagement with the rod 19 when the bone screw assembly 1 is assembled, as shown in FIGS. 7-9, and in any alignment of the shank 4 relative to the head 6. In certain embodiments, the surface 78 is smooth. While not required in accordance with the practice of the invention, the surface 78 may be scored or knurled to further increase frictional engagement between the dome 78 and the rod 19. The dome 78 may be radiused so that the dome 78 engages the rod 19 slightly above a surface 100 defining a lower portion of a rod receiving channel in the head 6, even as the head 6 is swivelled relative to the shank 4 so that pressure is always exerted on the dome surface 78 by the rod 19 when the assembly 1 is fully assembled. It is foreseen that in other embodiments the dome 78 can have other shapes which may include off-axis apertures for driving the shank with a mating tool. The shank 4 shown in the drawings is cannulated, having a small central bore 92 extending an entire length of the shank 4 along the axis A. The bore 92 is defined by an inner substantially cylindrical wall 95 of the shank 4 and has a first circular opening 96 at the shank tip 28 and a second circular opening 98 at the top domed surface 78. The bore 92 is coaxial with the threaded body 8 and the capture structure 10. The bore 92 provides a passage through the shank 4 interior for a guide pin or length of wire 103 inserted into a small pre-drilled tap bore 105 in the vertebra 13 prior to the insertion of the shank body 8, the pin 103 providing a guide for insertion of the shank body 8 into the vertebra 13. The head 6 is partially cylindrical in external profile and includes a base portion 110 extending from the end 56 to a V-shaped surface 111 disposed at a periphery of the surface 100 and extending radially outwardly and downwardly therefrom. The base 110 is integral with a pair of upstanding and spaced arms 112 and 114. The surface 100 and the arms 112 and 114 forming a U-shaped channel 116 between the arms 112 and 114 with an upper opening 119. The lower surface 100 defining the channel 116 preferably has substantially the same radius as the rod 19. In operation, the rod 19 preferably is located just above the channel lower surface 100, as shown in FIGS. 7-9. Each of the arms 112 and 114 has an interior surface 122 that defines an inner cylindrical profile and includes a discontinuous helically wound guide and advancement structure 124 beginning at a top 125 of the head 6 and extending downwardly therefrom. The guide and advancement structure 124 is a partial helically wound flange-form configured to mate under rotation about the axis B with a similar structure disposed on the closure structure 16, as described more fully below. However, it is foreseen that the guide and advancement structure 124 could alternatively be a V-shaped thread, a buttress thread, a reverse angle thread or other thread-like or non-thread-like helically wound guide and advancement structure for operably guiding under rotation and advancing the closure structure 16 between the arms 112 and 114, as well as eventual torquing when the closure structure 16 abuts against the rod 19. The head 6 includes external, grip bores 128 and 129 disposed on the respective arms 112 and 114 for positive engagement by a holding tool (not shown) to facilitate secure gripping of the head 6 during assembly of the head 6 with the shank 4. Furthermore, the grip bores 128 and 129 may be utilized to hold the head 6 during the implantation of the shank body 8 into the vertebra 13. The bores 128 and 129 are centrally located on the respective arms 112 and 114 and may communicate with upwardly projecting hidden recesses to further aid in securely holding the head 6 to a holding tool (not shown). It is foreseen that the bores 128 and 129 may be configured to be of a variety of sizes, shapes and locations along outer surfaces of the arms 112 and 114. Communicating with the U-shaped channel 116 of the head 6 is a chamber or cavity 136 substantially defined by a partially spherical inner surface 138 that is disposed in the base portion 110 of the head beneath the interior cylindrical surface 122 of the arms 112 and 114 and extending into the inner surface 52 that defines the guide and advancement structure 50. The cavity 136 communicates with both the U-shaped channel 116 and a bore 140 that also is defined by the guide and advancement structure 50, that in turn communicates with the opening 54 at the bottom 56 of the head 6. The guide and advancement structure 50 includes a leading surface 152 and a trailing surface 156. Similar to what is described herein with respect to the reverse buttress thread 48 of the capture structure 10, the guide and advancement structure 50 is preferably of a buttress thread type as such structure provides strength and stability to the assembly 1, with the trailing surface 156 that extends substantially perpendicular to the axis B. The cross-sectional configuration of an inverted buttress thread also results in an orientation for the structure 50 that improves strength and desirably resists pushing of the capture structure 10 out of the opening 54. However, as with the thread 48, it is foreseen that other types of threaded and non-threaded helical structures may be utilized in accordance with the present invention. A juncture of the interior surface 122 and the cavity inner surface 138 forms an opening or neck 158 that has a radius extending from the Axis B that is smaller than a radius extending from the Axis B to the inner surface 138. Also, a radius from the lower opening 54 to the Axis B is smaller than the radius extending from the Axis B to the inner surface 138 and the inner surface portion 52 defining the guide and advancement structure 50. Thus, the cavity or chamber 136 is substantially spherical, widening and opening outwardly and then inwardly in a direction toward the lower opening 54. However, it is foreseen that other shapes, such as a cone or conical shape, may be utilized for a head inner cavity according to the invention. After the reverse buttress thread 48 of the capture structure 10 is mated and rotated to a position within the cavity 136 and further upwardly and axially into non-engagement beyond the trailing surface 156 of the guide and advancement structure 50, the capture structure 10 is rotatable or swingable within the cavity 136 until later frictionally locked in place, and cannot be removed from the head 6 through the upper neck 158 or through the lower bore 140 without reversing the assembly process with the components in axial alignment. As shown in FIG. 4, the capture structure 10 is held within the cavity 136 from above by the partially spherical surface 138 and from below by the threaded inner surface 52. Stated in another way, the thick strong thread 50 of the head 6 disposed along the surface 52, and the unmated, thick strong thread 48 of the capture structure 10, prevent the capture structure 10 from being pushed or pulled from the chamber 136, unless the capture structure 10 is rotated and unscrewed therefrom again through the bore 140 in axial alignment. More specifically, the buttress thread 48, particularly the trailing surface 59, resists pushing out of the bore 140 and bottom opening 54 due to the strength and orientation of the buttress thread and the fact that the greatest diameter of the threaded portion 46 of the capture structure 10 is greater than the interior diameter of the bore 140. As shown in FIG. 9 and described more fully below, the buttress thread 48 and mating thread 50 further provide a frictional interface when pushed from above, as by a closure structure 16 pushing on a rod 19 or other tool pushing against the dome 78, with outer edges of the thread 48 contacting the inner surface 52 or portions of the thread 50, resulting in a digging or abrasion into the surface 52 by the thread 48. However, if there is no pushing from above, the cavity or chamber 136 allows the structure 10 to freely rotate in the chamber 136 to a position or orientation desired by a surgeon. In this manner, the head 6 is able to swivel or swing about the shank 4 until subsequently locked in place. The elongate rod or longitudinal member 19 that is utilized with the assembly 1 can be any of a variety of implants utilized in reconstructive spinal surgery, but is normally a cylindrical elongate structure having a cylindrical surface 162 of uniform diameter and preferably having a generally smooth surface. The rod 19 is also preferably sized and shaped to snugly seat near the bottom of the U-shaped channel 116 of the head 6 and, during normal operation, is positioned slightly above the bottom of the channel 116 near, but spaced from, the lower surface 100. In particular, the rod 19 normally directly or abutingly engages the shank top surface 78, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and is biased against the dome shank top surface 78, consequently biasing the shank 4 downwardly in a direction toward the base 110 of the head 6 when the assembly 1 is fully assembled with the rod 19 and the closure member 16. For this to occur, the shank top surface 78 must extend at least slightly into the space of the channel 116, above the surface 100 when the capture structure 10 is snugly seated in the lower part of the head cavity 136 as shown in FIG. 9 with a portion of the buttress thread 48 contacting a portion of the structure 50, resulting in a frictional interface between the thread 48 and the thread 50. The pressure placed on the capture structure 10 by the rod 19 and closure member 16 may also cause a spreading or expansion of the capture structure 10, causing an interlocking or interdigitation of the threads 48 and 50, or an abrading of the surface 52 at the thread 50 by the thread 48. The shank 4 and the capture structure 10 are thereby locked or held in position relative to the head 6 by the rod 19 firmly pushing downward on the shank domed surface 78. With reference to FIGS. 1, 7 and 8, the closure structure or closure top 16 can be any of a variety of different types of closure structures for use in conjunctions with the present invention with suitable mating structure on the upstanding arms 112 and 114. The closure top 16 screws between the spaced arms 112 and 114 and closes the top of the channel 116 to capture the rod 19 therein. The illustrated closure top 16 has a generally cylindrically shaped body 170, with a helically wound guide and advancement structure 172 that is sized, shaped and positioned so as to engage the guide and advancement structure 124 on the arms 112 and 114 to provide for rotating advancement of the closure structure 16 into the head 6 when rotated clockwise and, in particular, to cover the top or upwardly open portion of the U-shaped channel 116 to capture the rod 19, preferably without splaying of the arms 112 and 114. The body 170 further includes a base or bottom 174 having a pointed rod engaging projection or point 175 extending or projecting axially beyond a lower rim 176. The closure structure 16, with the projection 175 frictionally engaging and abrading the rod surface 162, thereby applies pressure to the rod 19 under torquing, so that the rod 19 is urged downwardly against the shank domed surface 78 that extends into the channel 116. Downward biasing of the shank surface 78 operably produces a frictional engagement between the rod 19 and the surface 78 and also urges the capture structure 10 toward the base 110 of the head 6, as will be described more fully below, so as to frictionally seat the capture structure buttress thread 48 and/or lower portion 72 against the threaded inner surface 52 of the head 6, also fixing the shank 4 and capture structure 10 in a selected, rigid position relative to the head 6. The illustrated closure structure 16 further includes a substantially planar top surface 178 that has a centrally located, hexalobular internal driving feature 180 formed therein (sold under the trademark TORX),which is characterized by an aperture with a 6-point star-shaped pattern. It is foreseen that other driving features or apertures, such as slotted, hex, tri-wing, spanner, and the like may also be utilized according to the invention. With reference to FIG. 7, a driving/torquing tool 179 having a cooperating hexalobular driving head is used to rotate and torque the closure structure 16. The tool 179 may also be utilized for removal of the closure structure 16, if necessary. It is foreseen that a closure structure according to the invention may be equipped with a break-off feature or head, the closure structure sized and shaped to produce a break-way region that breaks at a preselected torque that is designed to properly seat the closure structure in the head 6. Such a closure structure would include removal tool engagement structure, such as a pair of spaced bores, a countersunk hex-shaped aperture, a left hand threaded bore, or the like, fully accessible after the break-off head feature breaks away from a base of the closure structure. In use, prior to the polyaxial bone screw assembly 1 being implanted in a vertebra according to the invention, the shank capture structure 10 is often pre-loaded by insertion or bottom-loading into the head 6 through the opening 54 at the bottom end 56 of the head 6. The capture structure 10 is aligned with the head 6, with the axes A and B aligned so that the reverse buttress thread 48 of the capture structure 10 is inserted into and rotatingly mated with the guide and advancement structure 50 on the head 6. The shank 4 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as illustrated by the arrow T in FIG. 2 to fully mate the structures 48 and 50, as shown in FIG. 3, and the counter-clockwise rotation is continued until the thread 48 disengages from the thread 50 and the capture structure 10 is fully disposed in the head cavity 136. In the position shown in FIG. 4, the shank 4 is in slidable and rotatable engagement with the head 6, while the capture structure 10 is maintained in the head 6 with the shank body 8 in rotational relation with the head 10. For example, an extent of rotation is shown in FIGS. 4 and 9 where it can be deduced that the shank body 8 can be rotated through a substantial angular rotation relative to the head 6, both from side to side and from front to rear so as to substantially provide a universal or ball joint wherein the angle of rotation is only restricted by engagement of the thread 48 of the capture structure 10 and the thread 50 of the head 6 at a lower portion or area of the head 6 and by the thread 48 contacting the inner spherical surface 138 of the head 6 at an upper portion or area of the head 6. With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the assembly 1 is then typically screwed into a bone, such as the vertebra 13, by rotation of the shank body 8 using the driving tool 31 that operably drives and rotates the shank 8 by engagement thereof with the hexagonally shaped extension head 76 of the shank 4. Preferably, when the driving tool 31 engages the head 76 during rotation of the driving tool 31, the outer portion 90 also engages the faces 84 and a bottom of the tool 31 is fully seated upon and frictionally engages with the planar surface 82 disposed in the counter-sunk portion 80 of the capture structure 10. It is foreseen that in other embodiments according to the invention, the counter-sunk portion may be defined by more or fewer engaging surfaces. With particular reference to FIG. 5, the vertebra 13 may be pre-drilled with the small tap bore 105 to minimize stressing the bone and thereafter have the guide wire or pin 103 inserted therein to provide a guide for the placement and angle of the shank 4 with respect to the vertebra 13. A further tap bore (not shown) may be made using a tap with the guide pin 103 as a guide. Then, the assembly 1 is threaded onto the guide pin 103 utilizing the cannulation bore 92 by first threading the pin 103 into the bottom opening 96 and then out of the top opening 98. The shank body 8 is then driven into the vertebra 13, using the pin 103 as a placement guide. With reference to FIGS. 7-9, the rod 19 is eventually positioned within the head U-shaped channel 116, and the closure structure or top 16 is then inserted into and advanced in a clock-wise direction between the arms 112 and 114 so as to bias or push against the rod 19. The closure structure 16 is rotated, utilizing the tool 179 in engagement with the driving feature or aperture 180 until an appropriate torque is achieved, for example 90 to 120 inch pounds, to urge the rod 19 downwardly. The shank top domed surface 78, because it is rounded to approximately equally extend upward into the channel 116 approximately the same amount no matter what degree of rotation exists between the shank 8 and the head 6 and because the surface 78 is sized to extend upwardly into the U-shaped channel 116, the surface 78 is engaged by the rod 19 and pushed downwardly toward the base 110 of the head 6 when the closure structure 16 biases downwardly toward and onto the rod 19. In very unusual circumstances, the Axis A and the Axis B are aligned and in such a case the surface 72 of the capture structure 10 engages and sets atop the thread 50 of the head 6. Downward pressure on the shank 4 produces frictional fixing between the surface 72 and the thread 50 in such an alignment. In most final placements, the head 6 is tilted relative to the shank 4, so that the Axes A and B are not aligned. In such a situation, downward pressure on the shank 4 in turn urges the capture structure 10 downward toward the head inner surface 52 and associated guide and advancement structure 50, with a portion of the buttress thread 48 being urged into frictional engagement with a portion of the threaded surface 52 on the head 6. Further, another portion of the thread 50 engages and frictionally locks with a portion of the capture structure surface 72, as seen in FIG. 9. As the closure structure 16 presses against the rod 19, the rod 19 presses against the shank 4, and the capture structure 10 becomes frictionally and rigidly attached to the head 10. Outer edges formed by the leading 58 and trailing 59 surfaces of the thread 48 frictionally engage and abrade the inner threaded surface 52 and the spherical surface 138. If the pressure is such that the capture structure 10 expands, a meshing and/or interlocking of the thread 48 and the thread 50 may occur. Thus, this interlocking or meshing of the surfaces of the thread 48 with the surfaces of the thread 50 further fixes the shank body 8 in a desired angular configuration with respect to the head 6 and the rod 19. FIG. 8 illustrates the polyaxial bone screw assembly 1 with the rod 19 and the closure structure 16 positioned in a vertebra 13. The axis A of the bone shank 8 is illustrated as not being coaxial with the axis B of the head 6 and the shank body 8 is fixed in this angular locked configuration. Other angular configurations can be achieved, as required during installation surgery due to positioning of the rod 19 or the like. With reference to FIG. 9, an implanted polyaxial bone screw assembly 1 is shown wherein the shank body 8 is fixed in a desired angular orientation with respect to the head 6 with the rod 19 in frictional contact with the domed surface 78, a portion of the wall 70 disposed between the leading surface 52 and the trailing surface 59 being in frictional contact with the thread 50 of the head 6, and a portion of the lower spherical surface 72 of the capture structure 10 in contact with the thread 50 of the head 6. It is foreseen that, when the shank 4 is not disposed at an angle with respect to the head, in other words, when the axes A and B remain aligned and the shank body 8 is locked into a position substantially coaxial with the head, then the surface 72 abuts against the guide and advance structure 50 only. Such a locked position adequately holds the shank in place, with outer edges of the thread 50 frictionally engaging and abrading the surface 72, but as noted before, this is not common. The shank 4 typically is locked into place with a portion of the thread 48 frictionally interfacing with the thread 50. It is foreseen that according to the invention, the geometry of the surface 72 may be modified slightly so that when a coaxial orientation of the shank 4 and the head 6 is desired, the buttress thread 48 will frictionally engage with the thread 50 with no contact being made between the head 6 and the capture structure 10 at either the spherical surface 138 or the spherical surface 72. If removal of the assembly 1 and associated rod 19 and closure structure 16 is necessary, disassembly is accomplished by using the driving tool 179 that is received in and mates with the driving feature 180 and then turned counterclockwise to rotate the closure structure 16 and reverse the advancement thereof in the head 6. Then, disassembly of the assembly 1 is continued in reverse order to the procedure described previously herein for assembly. With reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, in an alternative method according to the invention, the shank 4 is first implanted into the vertebra 13 by rotation of the shank 8 into the vertebra 13 using the driving tool 31 that operably drives and rotates the shank 8 by engagement thereof with the hexagonally shaped extension head 76 of the shank 4. As already described herein, when the driving tool 31 engages the head 76 during rotation of the driving tool 31, the outer portion 90 also engages the faces 84 and a bottom of the tool 31 is fully seated upon and frictionally engages with the planar surface 82 disposed in the counter-sunk portion 80 of the capture structure 10. It may be desirable to only partially implant the shank 8 into the vertebra 13, with the capture structure 10 extending proud to provide space for the attachment of the head 6 to the shank 4. The head 6 is then attached to the shank 4 by inserting the head 6 onto the capture structure with the axes A and B aligned and mating the thread 48 with the thread 50 by rotating the head 6 in a clockwise direction. The head is then rotated until the thread 48 disengages with the thread 50 and the capture structure 10 is freely rotatably disposed in the head cavity 136. Then, the shank body the shank 4 can be further driven into the vertebra 13, if necessary, utilizing the driving tool 31 as already described herein. The remainder of the implant assembly includes elements that have been previously described. It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for use in performing spinal surgery and, in particular, to polyaxial bone screws for use in spinal surgery. Such screws have a head that can swivel about a shank of the bone screw, allowing the head to be positioned in any of a number of angular configurations relative to the shank. Bone screws are utilized in many types of spinal surgery in order to secure various implants to vertebrae along the spinal column. Spinal implant screws typically have a shank that is threaded and configured for implantation into a pedicle or vertebral body of a vertebra. Such a screw also includes a head designed to extend beyond the vertebra and also defines a channel to receive a rod or other implant. In bone screws of this type, the head may be open, in which case a closure member must be used to close between opposite sides of the head once a rod or other implant is placed therein. Alternatively, the head may be closed, wherein a rod-like implant is threaded through the head of the bone screw. When the head and shank of the bone screw are fixed in position relative to each other, it is not always possible to insert a bone screw in such a manner that the head will be in the best position for receiving other implants. Consequently, swivel head bone screws have been designed that allow the head of the bone screw to rotate or swivel about an upper end of the shank of the bone screw while the surgeon is positioning other implants and finding the best position for the bone screw head. However, once the surgeon has determined that the head is in the best position, it is then necessary to lock or fix the head relative to the shank. Different types of structures have been previously developed for such purpose. Because bone screws are for placement within the human body, it is desirable for the implant to have as little effect on the body as possible. Consequently, heavy, high profile, bulky implants are undesirable and lighter implants with a relatively small profile both in height and width are more desirable. However, a drawback to smaller, lighter implants is that they may be more difficult to rigidly fix in position relative to each other and in a desired position. Reduced bulk may also reduce strength, resulting in slippage under high loading. Also, more component parts may be required to rigidly fix the implant in a desired position. A further drawback of smaller components is that they may be difficult to handle during surgery because of their small size, failing to provide adequate driving or gripping surfaces for tools used to drive the shank into bone. One undesirable attribute of some of the swivel-head implants is the need for a multitude of components that may loosen or even disassemble within the body. It is most often undesirable for components to become moveable in the body after the completion of surgery. Loosening of components relative to each other may result in related undesirable movement of the bone or vertebra that the implant was intended to stabilize. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>A polyaxial bone screw assembly according to the present invention includes an elongate shank having a lower threaded body for fixation to a bone. The shank further has an upper capture structure connected to the threaded body by a neck. The capture structure has an upper end or top and a lower surface. The capture structure has a radially outward surface with a first helically wound guide and advancement structure thereon. The helically wound guide and advancement structure has a major diameter (passing through the crests) that is larger than a diameter of the aperture into which the capture structure is inserted. The assembly also includes a head having a base with an inner surface defining a cavity. The cavity opens onto a bottom of the head through a neck opening or aperture with a portion of the inner surface defining the opening having a second helically wound guide and advancement structure sized and shaped to rotatingly mate with the first guide and advancement structure of the capture structure. The capture structure screws upwardly into the head so as to be disposed within the cavity and captured by the head upon mating and operable rotation of the first guide and advancement structure with respect to the second guide and advancement structure until the first guide and advancement structure fully enters the cavity and becomes disengaged from the second guide and advancement structure. The capture structure is then disposed in the head cavity and free to rotate or swivel relative to the head. The capture structure has a first orientation wherein the capture structure is within the cavity and the shank body is freely swivelable relative to the head. In a second orientation, the capture structure is in a non-mated, frictional engagement with the second guide and advancement structure and the shank body is in a fixed position with respect to the head, resulting from a force being applied to the top of the capture structure. Preferably according to the invention, the first and second guide and advancement structures are first and second threads. Most preferably according to the invention, inverted buttress threads are utilized, although square threads, reverse angle threads and other similar mating structures can be utilized. Also according to the invention, the elongate shank has a first axis and the head has a second axis. The first and second guide and advancement structures are configured to enter into frictional engagement when the capture structure is urged downwardly against the base neck without rotation. The capture structure may expand in response to downward pressure, further frictionally engaging and locking the first and second guide and advancement structures. Further according to the invention, a polyaxial bone screw capture structure may include a tool engagement formation disposed at or near the top of the capture structure. Preferably, the tool engagement formation has a projection and a recessed tool seating surface with a bottom and an outer wall. Both the bottom and outer wall are sized and shaped to receive and frictionally engage with a driving tool, such as a socket tool, engaged with the tool engagement projection for driving the shank body into bone. However, other structure for driving the shank body can be used, such as off axis apertures into the threaded hemisphere. A method according to the invention includes the steps of attaching a bone screw shank to a head by mating a first helically wound guide and advancement structure disposed on an upper portion of the bone screw shank with a second helically wound guide and advancement structure of the head to guide and advance the shank into the head until the first guide and advancement structure becomes disengaged from the second guide and advancement structure with the capture structure or upper portion slidingly received and captured in a cavity of the head. Another method step includes driving the shank body into bone by rotating the shank body with a tool engaged with a tool engagement formation disposed on or in the capture structure. The step of driving the shank into bone may take place after or before the step of mating the bone shank with the head. | 20041005 | 20130924 | 20060420 | 96932.0 | A61F230 | 1 | HOFFMAN, MARY C | Polyaxial bone screw with uploaded threaded shank and method of assembly and use | SMALL | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | A61F | 2,004 |
|
10,958,763 | ACCEPTED | Method and apparatus for planting seed in a seed research plot | A seed meter for planting seeds includes a seed plate rotatably mounted within a housing. A rotary seed chamber (RSC) is mounted in the housing adjacent the seed plate and movable between first and second positions, to permit the seed plate to singularly select individual seeds from the RSC while in a first position, and to dump seed therefrom as well as blocking seeds from entering the seed plate while in a second position. A seed intake compartment having an inlet end, and a discharge end is located adjacent the RSC. A valve is located in the intake compartment to intermittently prevent seed from flowing from the inlet end to the discharge end. A power means actuates both the RSC and the valve. A wing plate on the rotary seed chamber opens and closes the discharge end as the rotary seed chamber is in its first and second positions, respectively. | 1-13. (Cancelled). 14. A method of metering seed for planting seed in a seed metering research plot, comprising, taking a plurality of groups of seeds, sequentially moving seeds from each group of seeds to a seed intake compartment on a seed meter, simultaneously releasing seeds from the seed intake compartment to a rotatable seed chamber (RSC) on the meter and stopping seed movement to a seed planter via a vacuum type seed plate at the RSC, and simultaneously starting the release of seeds to the seed plate from the RSC and stopping the flow of seeds from the seed intake compartment to the RSC. 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the simultaneous steps are powered and coordinated by a single power means. 16. The method of claim 14 wherein the RSC is operatively associated with the seed plate to wipe remaining seeds from the seed plate when the RSC is in the second position. 17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of dumping any remaining seeds from the RSC by gravity to a non-planting location when the flow of seeds is released between the seed intake compartment to the RSC. | CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/432,361, filed Dec. 10, 2002. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Planters for seed research plots are used to select from different groups of seeds for planting in a short segment of a row, and thence stop the planting in the first segment and to select sequentially seed from another group until a plurality of segments of a row (or more) are planted with seeds from different groups. The seeds from each group represent different types and characteristics of corn seed, for example. One of the most significant shortcomings of existing planters is that they require a plurality of control systems to accommodate the various functional requirements such as stopping and starting the flow of seed, the coordination of seed inlets and outlets, the contamination of seed groups and the elimination of extra seed. Such existing planters are very expensive to manufacture, maintain, and service. It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a method and means for planting seeds in a seed research plot. A further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for planting seed in a seed research plot which can control the various phases of seed handling with a single control system. A still further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for planting seed in a seed research plot which is inexpensive to manufacture, and economical to maintain and service. These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A seed meter for planting seeds includes a seed plate rotatably mounted within a housing. A rotary seed chamber (RSC) is mounted in the housing adjacent the seed plate and movable between first and second positions, to permit the seed plate to singularly select individual seeds from the RSC while in a first position, and to dump seed therefrom as well as blocking seeds from entering the seed plate while in a second position. A seed intake compartment having an inlet end, and a discharge end is located adjacent the RSC. A valve is located in the intake compartment to intermittently prevent seed from flowing from the inlet end to the discharge end. A power means actuates both the RSC and the valve. A wing plate on the rotary seed chamber opens and closes the discharge end as the rotary seed chamber is in its first and second positions, respectively. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first side of a seed planter made according to this invention; FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1 with the first side cover removed; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second side of the seed planter of FIG. 1, in a first phase of its operation; FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 but in a second stage of its operation; FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 but in a third stage of its operation; FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a second side of the seed planter of FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6 but in a different stage of operation; and FIGS. 8 & 9 are perspective views of the rotating seed chamber taken at various angles, with FIG. 8 showing one side, and FIG. 9 showing the other side. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIG. 1, a seed meter 10 has a housing 12 with a rotatable shaft 14 (FIG. 2) extending into the housing. Housing 12 has a front cover 16 (FIG. 1) and a rear cover 18 (FIG. 3). The rear cover 18 has an excess seed discharge opening 19. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing includes a conventional circular seed plate 20 which is mounted on shaft 14 and has a plurality of conventional seed apertures 22 which are subjected to a vacuum environment for a portion of its circumference as will be discussed hereafter. A conventional vacuum port 24 is in housing 12 (FIG. 1) to accommodate this situation. A conventional seed singulator 26 is mounted in housing 12 immediately adjacent seed plate 20 to perform its conventional function of limiting the number of seeds to a single seed (picked up by the apertures 22 on seed plate 20). The seed singulator 26 is produced by Case-International, Inc. and does not, per se, comprise a part of this invention. With reference to FIGS. 5, and 8-9, a fill tube port 28 is located in the top of fill tube changer 30 which has an exit port 31 (FIG. 6) in the bottom thereof which is in communication with a V-shaped rotary seed chamber (RSC) 32. The RSC, shown best in FIGS. 8-9, has outwardly spaced arms 34 creating a seed compartment 35 therebetween and which has an inclined flow groove 36 adjacent the inner arms 34. The RSC has first side 38 (FIG. 9) and a second side 40 (FIG. 8). A wing or plate 42 forms a part of the second side 40 and extends outwardly from the seed compartment 35. A hex-shaped bore 44 appears in the second side 40 (FIG. 9). With reference to FIGS. 3-5, an air piston 46 is mounted to the rearward side of the housing 12 and has a conventional piston rod 48 extending outwardly therefrom. The piston 46 is double acting so as to reciprocate the movement of the rod 48. The outer end of the piston rod 48 is pivotally secured to shaft 50 and to one end of link 52. The end of shaft 50 opposite link 52 extends into the housing 12 and terminates in a hex-shaped end (not shown) which is compatible with the hex-shaped bore 44 of RSC 32 so that the rotation of the shaft 50 will coordinate with the rotation of the RSC. A rod 54 is pivotally secured to the end of link 52 opposite to its connection to piston rod 48 and extends upwardly to be secured to one end of a flapper valve crank 56. The flapper valve 56 has its opposite end pivotally secured to the outside of fill tube chamber 30 and extends therein to control the position of a flat flapper valve plate 57 which is adapted to pivot between a horizontal closed position (FIG. 3) to a downwardly extending open position (FIG. 4), depending on the position of the flapper valve crank 56. As will be discussed hereafter, the housing 12 has a planting seed discharge port 58 (FIG. 2), through which seeds from the seed plate 20 are ultimately disengaged for delivery to a conventional planting assembly (not shown). In operation, the planter upon which the seed meter 10 is mounted has a plurality of groups of seeds that are to be planted sequentially in a given row in conjunction with a controller (not shown) operatively connected to the meter 10 to control the sequential delivery of the individual groups of seed to the meter 10. The controller limits the number of seeds from each group which are in fact to be planted by controlling the operation of air cylinder 46. Such a planter will plant a plurality of rows at one time with a seed meter 10 associated with the planting of each row. The following description will apply to the sequence of events which takes place in the planting of each row. With reference to FIG. 3, the piston rod 48 is in its retracted position wherein the flapper valve 56 in fill tube chamber 30 is in a horizontal closed position. Rotational motion is provided to shaft 14 in a conventional manner. Typically, the planter will be set up to plant a first number of seeds from a first group of seeds, and then will automatically stop the planting of the first group of seeds and will instantaneously introduce seeds from a second group into the system. Typically, the individual seeds will be planted five to six inches apart and each segment of planted seeds in a given row could be in the general range of two feet long or up to 25 feet or so. The planting format for a given row is imposed on the controller which actuates air cylinder 46 consistent with the planting strategy. The system will deliver a first quantity of seeds from a first group into the chamber 30 via port 28. The closed flapper valve 56 will not permit the seed to be dropped to the bottom of the chamber 30. The controller then actuates the piston 46 to cause the piston rod 48 to move from the position of FIG. 3 through the position of FIG. 4 to the position of FIG. 5 which permits the seed in the chamber 30 to drop to the bottom thereof. While the piston 46 is in the position of FIG. 5, the RSC 32 is in a position such that the wing 42 closes the seed exit 31 of the seed chamber 30 because the compartment 35 is in a dumping position (FIG. 7) wherein any excess seed existing therein falls by gravity outwardly through the seed discharge opening 19. Additionally, in the position shown in FIG. 7, the RSC 32 acts as a wiper to dislodge remaining seeds from the seed plate 20. However, when the piston 46 is moved to the position of FIG. 3 the seed chamber 32 rotates in an upwardly direction, the wing 42 opens seed exit 31 and seed is permitted then to flow into the compartment 35 of the RSC 32 (FIG. 6). At that time, the seed plate 20 and vacuum port 24 of the meter 10 begin to pick up individual seeds from the compartment 35. Slightly downstream from the RSC 32, the seed singulator 26 “knocks off” additional seeds clinging to each aperture 22 in the event that more than one seed is held in place on the seed plate 20. The seed plate 20 then rotates from approximately an 11 o'clock position as shown in FIG. 2 to a 3 o'clock position wherein the selected individual seeds are removed from the seed plate 20 by conventional means and discharged into the planting mechanism through the discharge port 58. When the predetermined number of seeds have been removed from the compartment 35 of the RSC 32 by the seed plate 20, the controller then actuates the cylinder 46 to move the piston rod 48 from the position of FIG. 3 back to the position of FIG. 5. This causes the flapper valve 56 to open, as discussed above, as the wing 42 closes the discharge port 31 of the chamber 30 (FIG. 7). The second group of seed is then staged at the wing 42 directly adjacent the seed plate 20 for the next set of plantings, and the sequence of events is repeated so that individual seeds from a second group of seeds are picked up and then deposited for planting. It is therefore seen that the entire operation of seed selection, the beginning of the planting sequence, the ending of the planting sequence, and the commencement of the planting system for a second group of seeds is controlled by a single controller which automatically commands the entire sequence of events. Thus, the device of this invention is economically manufactured, and the maintenance burden and servicing burden is substantially minimized. It is thus seen that this invention will achieve all of its stated objectives. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Planters for seed research plots are used to select from different groups of seeds for planting in a short segment of a row, and thence stop the planting in the first segment and to select sequentially seed from another group until a plurality of segments of a row (or more) are planted with seeds from different groups. The seeds from each group represent different types and characteristics of corn seed, for example. One of the most significant shortcomings of existing planters is that they require a plurality of control systems to accommodate the various functional requirements such as stopping and starting the flow of seed, the coordination of seed inlets and outlets, the contamination of seed groups and the elimination of extra seed. Such existing planters are very expensive to manufacture, maintain, and service. It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a method and means for planting seeds in a seed research plot. A further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for planting seed in a seed research plot which can control the various phases of seed handling with a single control system. A still further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for planting seed in a seed research plot which is inexpensive to manufacture, and economical to maintain and service. These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>A seed meter for planting seeds includes a seed plate rotatably mounted within a housing. A rotary seed chamber (RSC) is mounted in the housing adjacent the seed plate and movable between first and second positions, to permit the seed plate to singularly select individual seeds from the RSC while in a first position, and to dump seed therefrom as well as blocking seeds from entering the seed plate while in a second position. A seed intake compartment having an inlet end, and a discharge end is located adjacent the RSC. A valve is located in the intake compartment to intermittently prevent seed from flowing from the inlet end to the discharge end. A power means actuates both the RSC and the valve. A wing plate on the rotary seed chamber opens and closes the discharge end as the rotary seed chamber is in its first and second positions, respectively. | 20041005 | 20060926 | 20050317 | 90094.0 | 1 | BATSON, VICTOR D | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLANTING SEED IN A SEED RESEARCH PLOT | SMALL | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,958,898 | ACCEPTED | Preparation of production data for a print job using a still image proxy of a page description language image file | A process is provided to prepare production data for a print job. The production data includes an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL). The electronic document is stored in a PDL image file, such as a Postscript file, a PDF file, or the like. A still image proxy, which may be a JPEG file, a GIF file, a PNG file, or the like, is created of the PDL image file. An image display of the still image proxy is electronically manipulated. In addition, production specifications may be appended to the image display of the still image proxy. Information about the manipulations and production specifications are recorded and subsequently used to revise the PDL image file so as to match the PDL image file to the manipulations made to the image display of the still image proxy and to match the production specifications appended to the image display of the still image proxy. The production specifications may also include print job instructions that are used for preparation of the print job, but which do not physically alter the PDL image file. | 1. An automated computer-implemented method of preparing production data for a print job, the production data including an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL), the electronic document being stored in a PDL image file, the method comprising: (a) creating a still image proxy of the PDL image file; (b) electronically appending production specifications to an image display of the still image proxy and recording information about the production specifications; and (c) using the information about the production specifications to prepare production data for the print job. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the production specifications are physical manipulations of stock used in the print job, wherein step (b) comprises appending the physical manipulations of the stock to the image display of the still image proxy in the desired relation to the image display of the still image proxy, and recording information about the physical manipulations of the stock, and step (c) comprises using the information about the physical manipulations of the stock to prepare production data for the print job. 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the physical manipulations are bindery specifications. 4. An automated computer-implemented method of viewing production data for a print job, the production data including (i) an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL), the electronic document being stored in a PDL image file and having predefined physical dimensionals, and (ii) a predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit in a layout of a physical printed document, the method comprising: (a) creating a still image proxy of the PDL image file; (b) creating a static template that defines the predetermined area, wherein the physical dimensions of the template are dynamically determined based on the area in which the electronic document must fit in the layout of the physical printed document, and the physical dimensions of an image display of the still image proxy are dynamically determined based on the relative size of the predefined physical dimensions of the PDL image file to the predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit; and (c) displaying an image display of the still image proxy in association with the template. 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the electronic document is an advertisement and the template is the area of purchased advertisement space. 6. The method according to claim 4 further comprising: (d) electronically manipulating an image display of the still image proxy with respect to the template and recording information about the manipulations; and (e) using the information about the manipulations to revise the PDL image file so as to match the PDL image file to the manipulations made to the image display of the still image proxy. 7. The method of claim 4 further comprising: (d) inserting the image display of the still image proxy and the template into a browser-compatible application program that allows for electronic manipulation of the image display of the still image proxy in relation to the template within a browser, wherein the template is sized so as to appear as large as possible within the application program, regardless of the actual predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit, thereby allowing for maximum viewability of the template and the image display of the still image proxy within the browser. 8. An automated computer-implemented apparatus for preparing production data for a print job, the production data including an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL), the electronic document being stored in a PDL image file, the apparatus comprising: (a) means for creating an image display of a still image proxy of the PDL image file; (b) means for electronically appending production specifications to the image display of the still image proxy and recording information about the production specifications; and (c) means for using the information about the production specifications to prepare production data for the print job. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the production specifications are physical manipulations of stock used in the print job, wherein the means for electronically appending comprises appending the physical manipulations of the stock to the image display of the still image proxy in the desired relation to the image display of the still image proxy, and recording information about the physical manipulations of the stock, and the means for using the information about the production specifications comprises using the information about the physical manipulations of the stock to prepare production data for the print job. 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the physical manipulations are bindery specifications. 11. An automated computer-implemented apparatus for viewing production data for a print job, the production data including (i) an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL), the electronic document being stored in a PDL image file and having predefined physical dimensionals, and (ii) a predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit in a layout of a physical printed document, the apparatus comprising: (a) means for creating an image display of a still image proxy of the PDL image file; (b) means for creating a static template that defines the predetermined area, wherein the physical dimensions of the template are dynamically determined based on the area in which the electronic document must fit in the layout of the physical printed document, and the physical dimensions of the image display of the still image proxy are dynamically determined based on the relative size of the predefined physical dimensions of the PDL image file to the predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit; and (c) means for displaying the image display of the still image proxy in association with the template. 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the electronic document is an advertisement and the template is the area of purchased advertisement space. 13. The apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising: (d) means for electronically manipulating the image display of the still image proxy with respect to the template and recording information about the manipulations; and (e) means for using the information about the manipulations to revise the PDL image file so as to match the PDL image file to the manipulations made to the image display of the still image proxy. 14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: (d) means for inserting the image display of the still image proxy and the template into a browser-compatible application program that allows for electronic manipulation of the image display of the still image proxy in relation to the template within a browser, wherein the template is sized so as to appear as large as possible within the application program, regardless of the actual predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit, thereby allowing for maximum viewability of the template and the image display of the still image proxy within the browser. 15. An article of manufacture for preparing production data for a print job, the production data including an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL), the electronic document being stored in a PDL image file, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising: (a) creating an image display of a still image proxy of the PDL image file; (b) electronically appending production specifications to the image display of the still image proxy and recording information about the production specifications; and (c) using the information about the production specifications to prepare production data for the print job. 16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the production specifications are physical manipulations of stock used in the print job, wherein step (b) comprises appending the physical manipulations of the stock to the image display of the still image proxy in the desired relation to the image display of the still image proxy, and recording information about the physical manipulations of the stock, and step (c) comprises using the information about the physical manipulations of the stock to prepare production data for the print job. 17. The article of manufacture of claim 16 wherein the physical manipulations are bindery specifications. 18. An article of manufacture for viewing production data for a print job, the production data including (i) an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL), the electronic document being stored in a PDL image file and having predefined physical dimensionals, and (ii) a predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit in a layout of a physical printed document, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising: (a) creating an image display of a still image proxy of the PDL image file; (b) creating a static template that defines the predetermined area, wherein the physical dimensions of the template are dynamically determined based on the area in which the electronic document must fit in the layout of the physical printed document, and the physical dimensions of the image display of the still image proxy are dynamically determined based on the relative size of the predefined physical dimensions of the PDL image file to the predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit; and (c) displaying the image display of the still image proxy in association with the template. 19. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the electronic document is an advertisement and the template is the area of purchased advertisement space. 20. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising: (d) electronically manipulating the image display of the still image proxy with respect to the template and recording information about the manipulations; and (e) using the information about the manipulations to revise the PDL image file so as to match the PDL image file to the manipulations made to the image display of the still image proxy. 21. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the computer-executable instructions perform a method further comprising: (d) inserting the image display of the still image proxy and the template into a browser-compatible application program that allows for electronic manipulation of the image display of the still image proxy in relation to the template within a browser, wherein the template is sized so as to appear as large as possible within the application program, regardless of the actual predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit, thereby allowing for maximum viewability of the template and the image display of the still image proxy within the browser. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisional of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/103,510 filed Mar. 21, 2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. COMPACT DISC APPENDIX This patent application includes an Appendix on one compact disc having a file named appendix.txt, created on Oct. 4, 2004, and having a size of 193,267 bytes. The compact disc is incorporated by reference into the present patent application. COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND AUTHORIZATION Portions of the documentation in this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The printing industry is rapidly adopting automated workflow processes, including processes that allow customers to electronically submit documents for inclusion into print publications or to be printed. The Internet has accelerated this process by allowing users to submit electronic documents to a printing company web site or a publisher's web site, via a browser. Prepress refers to the production process before ink or toner goes on the paper. Electronic prepress refers to production methods involving desktop publishing, scanning of artwork or photos, film output or plate output from an imagesetter, or direct to print production. Automated workflow processes use electronic prepress. Preflight is an operation in electronic prepress wherein a supplied electronic file is evaluated to determine if all of the elements necessary to print from it are included and useable. In an automated workflow process, preflight is performed by a computer program that evaluates the file and advises of possible problems in a preflight report. In one conventional (prior art) preflight process performed by ColorQuick.com, L.L.C., Pennsauken, N.J., the preflight report indicates if the page size of the submitted document does not match the allocated space for the printed version of the document. For example, if a customer submits an electronic file of an advertisement that has a page size of 7 in×10 in, but the customer's publication advertisement size (i.e., the advertisement space that the customer has purchased) is 6.5 in×9.5 in, then the preflight report indicates that the file must be corrected and sent in again. Manual intervention is now required to address the problem. The publisher must inform the customer of the size problem and the customer must rework the advertisement. The reworked advertisement must be resubmitted and rerun through the preflight process. If the customer is not careful in resizing the advertisement, the reworked advertisement could be rejected as well. The electronic document printing process used by commercial printers and service providers is rapidly moving towards using documents that are defined by a page description language, such as Adobe® PostScript® defined by ps files, PDF (Portable Document Format, also from Adobe) defined by .pdf files, and PCL (Printer Control Language, an Hewlett-Packard format) defined by .pcl files. A page description language (PDL) is a computer language that defines how elements such as text and graphics appear on the printed page (i.e., the layout and contents of a printed page). PostScript is the industry-standard PDL. Detailed explanations of the Adobe PDL's and how they are used in a printing environment are provided in the following publications: “PDF for Prepress Workflow and Document Delivery,” Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., 1997, 8 pages. “Preparing Adobe® PDF files for high-resolution printing,” Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., 1998, 12 pages. Many programming tools for image processing of PDL-defined images are complex and expensive. Special programs, such as Adobe Acrobat®, must be used to manipulate PDL-defined images. To promote proprietary formats, companies such as Adobe distribute free software that allows users to read the image files, but require a paid license for versions of the software that allow for manipulating the image files. Even if parties at both ends of a workflow process (e.g., a commercial printer and a customer) have access to read and edit versions of such software, the two parties can only view and edit the files within the designated format using the proprietary software. Furthermore, no convenient methods exist to visually and interactively append production specifications to PDL-defined images. As the printing industry moves towards automating customer interactions, additional tools are needed so that customers can more easily interact with their printing jobs within an automated environment when changes must be made to their files. The present invention fulfills such a need. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A process is provided to prepare production data for a print job. In one embodiment of the present invention, the production data includes an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL). The electronic document is stored in a PDL image file, such as a Postscript file, a PDF file, or the like. A still image proxy, which may be a JPEG file, a GIF file, a PNG file, or the like, is created of the PDL image file. An image display of the still image proxy is electronically manipulated. In addition, production specifications may be appended to the image display of the still image proxy. Information about the manipulations and production specifications are recorded and subsequently used to revise the PDL image file so as to match the PDL image file to the manipulations and production specifications made to the image display of the still image proxy. The production specifications may also include print job instructions that are used for preparation of the print job, but which do not physically alter the PDL image file. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS The file of this patent contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent with color drawings will be provided by the Patent and Trademark Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings: FIG. 1 shows a display screen for creating an advertisement specification for ad space in a publication in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 2A and 2B, taken together, show a display screen for allowing a user to enter an ad definition for an ad that is desired to appear in a publication in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 shows a display screen for submitting an electronic file of a specific ad; FIG. 4 shows a display screen for selecting an electronic file to send over an electronic network to a service bureau; FIG. 5 shows a display screen of a progress bar that appears during the file transfer of FIG. 4; FIG. 6 shows a preflight report in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the steps associated with one preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 8-13 show display screens of a user interface presented at a browser for allowing an electronic file to be manipulated with respect to a template in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 14 shows coordinates and the scale percentage resulting from user manipulations performed via the user interface of FIGS. 8-13 being transmitted over an electronic network to a remote server; FIG. 15 shows a follow-up preflight report; FIG. 16 is a partial flowchart of the steps associated with preflight control PDL manipulations in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 17A-17D illustrate a process for dynamically generating templates in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 18 shows examples of appending production specifications to still image proxies of PDL images; FIG. 19 shows manipulation of two pages of still image proxies of PDL images relative to each other; FIG. 20 is a design view associated with a Flash Movie embodiment of the present invention for manipulating the still image proxy; and FIG. 21 is a design view of a preflight control status window related to PDL manipulations during preflight control. FIGS. 22 and 23 show the means and article of manufacture for implementing the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION I. Overview of Present Invention A first embodiment of the present invention provides an automated computer-implemented process for preparing production data for a print job. The production data includes an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL). The electronic document is stored in a PDL image file, such as a Postscript file, a PDF file, or the like. In the process, a still image proxy is created of the PDL image file. An image display of the still image proxy is electronically manipulated. Information about the manipulations are recorded and subsequently used to revise the PDL image file so as to match the PDL image file to the manipulations made to the image display of the still image proxy. The still image proxy may be a JPEG file, a GIF file, a PNG file, or the like. In one example of the first embodiment, the production data comprises a predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit. A static template is dynamically created that defines the predetermined area and the image display of the still image proxy is then displayed in association with the template. In this embodiment, the image display of the still image proxy is electronically manipulated in relation to the template and information about the manipulations is recorded in relation to the template. Furthermore, information about the manipulations is used to revise the PDL image file so as to match the PDL image file to the manipulations made to the image display of the still image proxy in relation to the template. The template may represent the predetermined area that the electronic document must fit in a layout of a physical printed document. The electronic document may be an advertisement and the template may be the area of purchased advertisement space. The manipulations may include a change in scaling percentage or alignment changes of the image display of the still image proxy in relation to the template. The image display of the still image proxy may be inserted into a browser-compatible application program such as a Flash movie that allows for electronic manipulation of the image display of the still image proxy within a browser. All of the steps above may occur at a central site, except for the manipulation of the image display of the still image proxy which occurs at a remote site. A public network (such as the Internet), or a private network may be used to communicate the browser-inserted still image proxy from the central site to the remote site for manipulation at the remote site. The public or private network may then be used to communicate the information about the manipulations back to the central site for use in revising the PDL image file. A second embodiment of the present invention provides a process for preparing production data for a print job. The production data includes an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL). The electronic document is stored in a PDL image file. In the process, a still image proxy is created of the PDL image file. Production specifications are electronically appended to the image display of the still image proxy and information about the production specifications are recorded. The recorded information is then used to prepare production data for the print job. In one example of the second embodiment, the production specifications are physical manipulations of stock used in the print job. The physical manipulations of the print job are appended to the image display of the still image proxy in the desired relation to the image display of the still image proxy. Information about the physical manipulations are recorded and subsequently used to prepare production data for the print job. One example of physical manipulations of stock include bindery specifications. A third embodiment of the present invention provides an automated computer-implemented process for viewing production data for a print job. The production data includes an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL) and a predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit. The electronic document is stored in a PDL image file and has predefined physical dimensionals. In the process, a still image proxy of the PDL image file is created. Also, a static template is created that defines the predetermined area. The physical dimensions of the template are dynamically determined based on the area in which the electronic document must fit. The physical dimensions of the image display of the still image proxy are dynamically determined based on the relative size of the predefined physical dimensions of the PDL image file to the predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit. An image display of the still image proxy is displayed in association with the template and is then electronically manipulated. Information about the manipulations are recorded and subsequently used to revise the PDL image file so as to match the PDL image file to the manipulations made to the image display of the still image proxy. The still image proxy and the template may be inserted into a browser-compatible application program that allows for electronic manipulation of the image display of the still image proxy in relation to the template within a browser. The template is sized so as to appear as large as possible within the application program, regardless of the actual predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit. This provides for maximum viewability of the template and the image display of the still image proxy within the browser. In one example of the third embodiment, the template represents the predetermined area that the electronic document must fit in a layout of a physical printed document. The electronic document may be an advertisement and the template is the area of purchased advertisement space. II. Detailed Disclosure FIGS. 1-21 illustrate one preferred embodiment of the present invention described in the context of an enhancement to a web-based software application being commercialized as magSend™ (www.magsend.com), which is a complete solution for digital ad workflow to publishers. magSend is a service of ColorQuick.com, L.L.C., Pennsauken, N.J. In this example, customers submit ads to magSend which acts as a service bureau for the electronic prepress for magazines. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this particular implementation of the invention. The present invention is described in the context of a plurality of distributed computers, all of which are linked together by an electronic network, such as the Internet. The computers may be any type of computing device that allows a user to interact with a web site via a web browser. For example, the computers may be personal computers (PC) that run a Microsoft Windows® operating system. The computers may also be handheld, wireless devices. FIG. 1 shows a display screen for creating an advertisement (ad) specification for ad space in a publication. This step would typically be performed by an administrator of the service. The trim area of the specified ad is 7.875 in×5.25 in. FIGS. 2A and 2B, taken together, show a display screen for allowing a user to enter an ad definition for an ad that is desired to appear in a publication. FIG. 3 shows a display screen for submitting an electronic file of a specific ad, here, ad #613, in a PDL file format. FIG. 4 shows a display screen for selecting the PDL file to send over the electronic network to the service bureau. FIG. 5 shows a display screen of a progress bar that appears during the file transfer. FIG. 6 shows a preflight report for ad #613. The preflight report indicates that the page size of the document in the submitted file, 7.9982 in×10.8725 in does not match the allocated space for the printed version of the document (i.e., the advertisement space that the customer has purchased) which is 7.875 in×5.25 in. The customer is prompted with two options. One option is similar to the conventional ColorQuick preflight process described above which is to send a corrected file which requires manual intervention by the customer. Another option in accordance with the present invention is to select an automated process called QuickFit™. A QuickFit icon is shown in FIG. 6. If the user selects QuickFit, no manual intervention is required to address the sizing problem. Instead, the customer manipulates the ad via a browser-based application, the manipulations are delivered back to the service bureau, and the service bureau uses automated software to revise the original image file based on the manipulations. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the steps associated with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. The first step in the process is that a customer provides an image defined by a PDL to a web server of a service bureau, here, magSend (step 10). In the illustrated example, the image is an advertisement-type document. The image file may be electronically uploaded to the service bureau or input via a transferable digital medium (e.g., a diskette). This step is conventional and thus is not described in further detail. A user interface is then created by the service bureau for subsequent manipulation of the original PDL-defined image (step 20). More specifically, the PDL-defined image is converted into a still image proxy, such as a JPEG (.jpg) file, a GIF (.gif) file, or a PNG (.png) file, thereby creating a still image proxy representation of the original PDL image. In the present example, JPEG is used. This step is conventional and thus is not described in further detail. One suitable software program that converts Postscript files to bit-mapped formats such as JPEG is LEADTOOLS, available from LEAD Technologies, Inc., Charlotte, N.C. Other suitable conversion programs include GoScript®, available from LaserGo, Inc., San Diego, Calif. The still image proxy (here, the JPEG image) is inserted into a browser-compatible program that allows a user to manipulate the JPEG image with respect to a dynamically generated, job parameter specific, static template (step 20). The inserted JPEG image effectively becomes a “proxy” for the original PDL image. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the JPEG image is inserted into a Flash® Movie. A Flash movie may created using Macromedia Flash 5, available from Macromedia, Inc., San Francisco, Calif. The general process for dynamically inserting a JPEG image into a Flash Movie is well-known. The resultant Flash Movie shows the dynamically generated static template having the still image proxy inserted therein, or superimposed thereon. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dimensions of the static template and the dimensions of the image display of the still image proxy are determined based upon the relative dimensions of the original PDL image file and the predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit (which is the purchased ad space in this example). Thus, although the template is fixed or static after creation, its actual dimensions are dynamically determined based on the area in which the electronic document must fit, and the physical dimensions of the image display of the still image proxy are dynamically determined based on the relative size of the predefined physical dimensions of the PDL image file to the predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit. The template is created at run time. One goal of this process is to maximize the viewing area. FIGS. 8-13 show a user interface presented at a browser for allowing the user to manipulate the image display of the still image proxy with respect to the static template (step 30). This user interface was created via the Flash movie process described above. The user interface shows a template, the still image proxy, a scale modifier slider bar for enlargement/reduction, selection buttons to show or hide borders of the live area, trim area and bleed area, and function buttons (Reset, Preview, Cancel, Finish). The template alternatively provides three different borders for the live area, trim area and bleed. Only the live area is shown for a non-bleed ad. During the manipulation in step 30, no communication needs to occur with the web server that delivered the Flash Movie. However, the user's browser session remains active during the manipulations. The Flash Movie plug-in contains all of the necessary features to allow for the manipulations without needing to contact the web server. The still image proxy can be manipulated in any manner that the original PDL image file may manipulated. In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 8-13, two different manipulations can be performed, namely enlargement/reduction scaling of the entire image, and x-y coordinate transformations of the entire image with respect to the template. Any manipulations that can be performed on a PDF file can be performed on the still image proxy and the scope of the invention includes all such manipulations. Drag-and-drop mouse movements are used to reposition the still image proxy. The scale modifier slider bar is used to change the scale. The user makes such manipulations until the user is satisfied with the size and placement of the still image proxy with respect to the template borders. The manipulations are recorded by tracking the x and y coordinates for the center of the still image proxy relative to the center of the ad space, and the scale percentage relative to the original size of the still image proxy (step 50). Depending upon the live area, trim area and bleed, the still image proxy may spill outside of these template borders. An important feature of the present invention is that this process allows the user to view exactly how the ad will appear within the purchased ad space, as well as to correct any obvious sizing or alignment errors. If the user cannot satisfactorily size and place the ad in the ad space, then the user immediately knows that the ad must be modified and knows exactly how the ad must be modified, all without needing to consult the publisher. Alternatively, the user may wish to reconsider the size of the purchased ad space. FIG. 8 shows the still image proxy as being relatively larger than the ad space. The relative size difference matches exactly the actual relative size difference between the actual page size of the document in the submitted file for ad #613 (7.9982 in×10.8725 in) and the advertisement space that the customer has purchased (7.875 in×5.25 in). In one alternative embodiment of the present invention, the initial scale percentage is set so that the largest dimension of the ad fits exactly within the border of the ad space. In this example, the initial scale percentage would be about 51%, as shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 9 shows the scaling capability of the Quick Fit process wherein the still image proxy is scaled to 135% of its actual size relative to the actual size of the ad space. FIG. 10 also shows the scaling capability wherein the still image proxy is scaled to 54% of its actual size relative to the actual size of the ad space. The scale percentage in FIG. 10 was selected so that all text falls within the live area. To keep text within the publisher's recommended guidelines, the final scale percentage should not be greater than this value. FIG. 11 shows an x-axis movement to the left and an additional scale reduction to 51%. FIG. 12 shows the ability to preview the results. In the preview mode, the previously transparent ad borders become opaque to simulate the effect of “trimming” the ad. After manipulating the size and displacement (x-axis and/or y-axis) of the ad, it may become apparent that the original PDL ad file and/or the ad space must be modified. In this example, no matter how much the ad is manipulated, the ad cannot be made to look proper within the ad space. However, the user interface effectively communicates exactly how either the ad or the ad space can be modified so that no more than submission of a corrected file or selection of a different ad space size will be necessary. In a large number of instances, however, the process may be used to properly fit the ad to the ad space with no further submissions of a corrected file or selections of different ad space sizes. As briefly discussed above, another feature of the present invention is that production specifications may be electronically appended to the image display of the still image proxy (step 40). One type of production specification is a bindery specification, which may include operations such as perf, score, fold, collate, saddle stitch, emboss, deboss, and die-cut. Once a user is satisfied with how the image display of the still image proxy appears with respect to the template, the user selects the “Finish” button. Any physical manipulations and/or production specifications that are made to the original image display of the still image proxy are recorded by the Flash Movie and sent, via the browser, to the web server that delivered the Flash Movie (step 50). The manipulations represent the net effect of changes made to each of the different types of manipulations. An example of physical manipulations made to an image in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8-13 may be: 10 pixel movement in x axis; 20 pixel movement in y axis; 10% increase in scale. If other types of manipulations are allowed (e.g., contrast, stretching, foreground or background color changes), then these manipulations are also sent back to the web server. Pixel movements are translated into an actual dimension value, such as inches, based on the scale of the template and the actual size of the pixels. FIG. 14 shows a display screen that appears as the information is being sent. Specifically, the x and y coordinates for the center of the still image proxy relative to the center of the ad space, and the scale percentage relative to the original size of the still image proxy are sent to the central server. These values are encoded using variables in a standard HTTP URL query string, as shown in the Address block. The values that represent the physical image manipulations are used to modify the original predefined PDL image to match the physical modifications made to the still image proxy (step 60). More specifically, the web server passes data to a production server. The production server uses the physical manipulations and/or production specifications to modify the original PDL-defined image in a manner identical to the modifications made to the still image proxy. This process is not a conversion of the still image proxy to a PDL image (here, a JPEG image to a Postscript file). Instead, it is the use of the recorded manipulations and appended production specifications to modify the original PDL image. This process, referred to herein as “Preflight Control: PDL Manipulations,” performs scaling, cropping and floating of the PDL image. Details of this process are set forth in the Appendix. The functions of the web server and the production server may be performed by separate servers or by a single server. FIG. 13 shows another Preview display screen. In this example, the user has revised the original PDL image file to better fit the purchased ad space, electronically resubmitted the ad, and completed the Quick Fit process on the revised ad. In this example, the ad was scaled to 135% of its original size and is shown relative to the ad space. FIG. 15 shows a display screen of a preflight report for the revised ad. Manipulating the original PDL image can cause printability problems so a second preflight is performed and the report is displayed to the user. In the second preflight report, the final size of the PDL image file will always match the ad space dimensions. The final step in the process is referred to herein as “Preflight Control: Final Manipulations.” In this step, crop marks are removed if they are not needed in the electronic ad file (i.e., the revised PDL image file). Removing crop marks too early may prevent the preflight software from determining the exact page size. By waiting until after the user-driven manipulations are done and preflighted, additional manipulations performed at this point do not affect the preflight report that the user sees. FIG. 16 shows a flowchart of some of the steps associated with one preferred embodiment of the preflight control PDL manipulations. The net effect of these steps is that the PDL file can be positioned relative to the job production specifications in its native format, thus best preserving overall image quality. Additional details of this process are set forth in the Appendix. In one alternative embodiment of the present invention, the scale of the static template may also be changed via the user interface shown in FIGS. 8-13 so as to change the actual dimensions of the area in which the electronic document must fit. In the example wherein the static template is a purchased ad space, the permissible dimension changes must be pre-programmed in coordination with the publication that the ad will appear. In most instances, a publication has standard ad sizes, and thus the permissible dimension changes must fit one of the standard ad sizes. Thus, the selectable ad sizes should match the choices provided in the ad definition process shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In a tightly controlled sophisticated system, the permissible ad sizes may be further limited by the current availability of ad space in the publication. FIGS. 17A-17D further illustrate the dynamic sizing feature. FIG. 17A shows an example wherein the predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit (e.g., the purchased ad space) is 8 in×10 in, and the predefined physical dimensions of the PDL image file (e.g., the ad submitted by the customer) is also 8 in×10 in. In this example, the template and the still image proxy are the same size in the Flash Movie and the scale is automatically set to an initial value of 100%. FIG. 17B shows an example wherein the purchased ad space is still 8 in×10 in, but the ad submitted by the customer is 4 in×5 in. In this example, the template is the same size as the template in FIG. 17B, the scale is again 100%, but the ad is shown as being 50% of the size of the template. FIG. 17C shows an example wherein the purchased ad space is still 8 in×10 in, but the ad submitted by the customer is 9.6 in×12 in. In this example, the template is the same size as the template in FIG. 17B, the scale is again initially set to 100%, but the ad is shown as being 120% of the size of the template. Thus, the dimensions of the user's submitted ad changes in relation to the dimensions of the purchased ad space. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the still image proxy is initially scaled to a value that allows its larger dimension to exactly match the corresponding dimension of the template. This feature is shown in FIG. 17D. The template and ad are the same as in FIG. 17C, except that the scale is initially set to 83.3% so that the ad does not extend beyond the template border. To summarize the process, the template size is first set according to the purchased ad space, and then the ad is sized accordingly. FIG. 18 shows one example of bindery data (bindery production specifications) being added to a still image proxy. In this example, the user added a three-hole punch, a full horizontal perf and a partial vertical perf. The location and type of bindery data is also communicated to the central server as part of the standard HTTP URL query string shown in FIG. 13 so that the actual production data can include appropriate instructions to add the bindery data to the print job. FIG. 19 shows another example of production specifications that may be added to the still image proxy, other than bindery data. In this example, the dynamically generated, job parameter specific, static template is used for a two image process (two page layout). Two different still image proxies are shown, one for each page. The pages may be moved up and down relative to each other to ensure cross-page alignment. Any changes made from the initial display screen are communicated to the central server as part of the standard HTTP URL query string shown in FIG. 13. The Appendix provides source code for one preferred embodiment of the present invention. The source code is provided for performing each of the steps set forth in FIGS. 7 and 16 for the one preferred embodiment. The source code is divided into sections that correspond to the following functions: 1. “Preflight Control: Preflight” loads the parameters for the preflight and launches the preflight software. After preflight the dimensions of the PDL are compared to the dimensions of the ad space and a further customized preflight report is generated. 2. “Set QuickFit Parameters” calculates parameters used to create the QuickFit instance. 3. “Create Preview Image” creates the web browser compatible (JPEG) version of the PDL. 4. “Generate Flash Movie” creates the instance of QuickFit by inserting the JPEG image into a Flash movie. 5. “Internals of Flash Movie” relates to the internal workings of the Flash Movie. 6. “QuickFitSaveCoords” contains server side code that captures coordinates from web browser manipulations and stores them on the server. 7. “Preflight Control: PDL Manipulations” is code that performs scaling, cropping and floating of the PDL file. “Preflight Control: Final Manipulations.” The function of this code is described above. FIG. 20 is a design view of QuickFit.fla and relates to section 5 of the source code (Internals of Flash Movie). QuickFit.fla is divided into layers to make it easier to manipulate the appearance of graphic elements. A listing of layers in QuickFit.fla is provided below: Scene 1 button invisible button slider button scale numbers arrow labels invisible scale slider border edit box work window work area adimage ad background background loader config FIG. 21 is a design view of a preflight control status window that relates to section 7 of the source code (Preflight Control: PDL Manipulations). In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the still image proxy may be inserted into other types of browser-compatible programs that allow the user to manipulate the image display of the still image proxy without using Flash. Other programming techniques that can perform similar functions as the Flash Movie include Dynamic HTML (DHTML), Java® applets, Microsoft Windows Forms (part of Microsoft's .NET framework), and ActiveX® control. The QuickFit process described above is initiated by the user in response to a recommendation in a preflight report. However, the process may be initiated any time that the customer wishes to view how their electronic document will appear in a predetermined area in which the electronic document must fit, even if no problems are highlighted in a preflight report. Furthermore, the process may be used solely to add or change production specifications to an electronic document. The present invention may be implemented with any combination of hardware and software. If implemented as a computer-implemented apparatus, the present invention is implemented using means for performing all of the steps and functions described above. The present invention can be included in an article of manufacture (e.g., one or more computer program products) having, for instance, computer useable media. The media has embodied therein, for instance, computer readable program code means for providing and facilitating the mechanisms of the present invention. The article of manufacture can be included as part of a computer system or sold separately. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The printing industry is rapidly adopting automated workflow processes, including processes that allow customers to electronically submit documents for inclusion into print publications or to be printed. The Internet has accelerated this process by allowing users to submit electronic documents to a printing company web site or a publisher's web site, via a browser. Prepress refers to the production process before ink or toner goes on the paper. Electronic prepress refers to production methods involving desktop publishing, scanning of artwork or photos, film output or plate output from an imagesetter, or direct to print production. Automated workflow processes use electronic prepress. Preflight is an operation in electronic prepress wherein a supplied electronic file is evaluated to determine if all of the elements necessary to print from it are included and useable. In an automated workflow process, preflight is performed by a computer program that evaluates the file and advises of possible problems in a preflight report. In one conventional (prior art) preflight process performed by ColorQuick.com, L.L.C., Pennsauken, N.J., the preflight report indicates if the page size of the submitted document does not match the allocated space for the printed version of the document. For example, if a customer submits an electronic file of an advertisement that has a page size of 7 in×10 in, but the customer's publication advertisement size (i.e., the advertisement space that the customer has purchased) is 6.5 in×9.5 in, then the preflight report indicates that the file must be corrected and sent in again. Manual intervention is now required to address the problem. The publisher must inform the customer of the size problem and the customer must rework the advertisement. The reworked advertisement must be resubmitted and rerun through the preflight process. If the customer is not careful in resizing the advertisement, the reworked advertisement could be rejected as well. The electronic document printing process used by commercial printers and service providers is rapidly moving towards using documents that are defined by a page description language, such as Adobe® PostScript® defined by ps files, PDF (Portable Document Format, also from Adobe) defined by .pdf files, and PCL (Printer Control Language, an Hewlett-Packard format) defined by .pcl files. A page description language (PDL) is a computer language that defines how elements such as text and graphics appear on the printed page (i.e., the layout and contents of a printed page). PostScript is the industry-standard PDL. Detailed explanations of the Adobe PDL's and how they are used in a printing environment are provided in the following publications: “PDF for Prepress Workflow and Document Delivery,” Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., 1997, 8 pages. “Preparing Adobe® PDF files for high-resolution printing,” Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., 1998, 12 pages. Many programming tools for image processing of PDL-defined images are complex and expensive. Special programs, such as Adobe Acrobat®, must be used to manipulate PDL-defined images. To promote proprietary formats, companies such as Adobe distribute free software that allows users to read the image files, but require a paid license for versions of the software that allow for manipulating the image files. Even if parties at both ends of a workflow process (e.g., a commercial printer and a customer) have access to read and edit versions of such software, the two parties can only view and edit the files within the designated format using the proprietary software. Furthermore, no convenient methods exist to visually and interactively append production specifications to PDL-defined images. As the printing industry moves towards automating customer interactions, additional tools are needed so that customers can more easily interact with their printing jobs within an automated environment when changes must be made to their files. The present invention fulfills such a need. | <SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>A process is provided to prepare production data for a print job. In one embodiment of the present invention, the production data includes an electronic document defined by a page description language (PDL). The electronic document is stored in a PDL image file, such as a Postscript file, a PDF file, or the like. A still image proxy, which may be a JPEG file, a GIF file, a PNG file, or the like, is created of the PDL image file. An image display of the still image proxy is electronically manipulated. In addition, production specifications may be appended to the image display of the still image proxy. Information about the manipulations and production specifications are recorded and subsequently used to revise the PDL image file so as to match the PDL image file to the manipulations and production specifications made to the image display of the still image proxy. The production specifications may also include print job instructions that are used for preparation of the print job, but which do not physically alter the PDL image file. | 20041005 | 20071120 | 20050623 | 73239.0 | 3 | POPOVICI, DOV | PREPARATION OF PRODUCTION DATA FOR A PRINT JOB USING A STILL IMAGE PROXY OF A PAGE DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE IMAGE FILE | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,959,256 | ACCEPTED | Airbag cushion with cinch tube for reduced out-of-position effects | An airbag cushion is disclosed for use in automotive protective systems. The airbag cushion includes a tube that may be restricted to prevent gas venting. A cord is coupled to the tube and to a surface of the cushion. Upon airbag deployment, the cord extends until taut or extends until the cushion encounters an obstruction. If pulled taut, the cord tightens the tube and restricts gas venting. If the cushion encounters an obstruction, the cord remains lax and the tube is able to vent gas. | 1. An airbag cushion, comprising: an inflatable airbag; a cinch tube disposed on the inflatable airbag and circumventing an aperture disposed in the airbag; and a cinch cord coupled to the cinch tube and extending around a majority of the perimeter of the cinch tube, the cinch cord further coupled to a surface of the airbag such that upon inflatable airbag deployment with obstruction, the cinch cord does not fully extend and the cinch tube remains open, and upon inflatable airbag deployment without obstruction, the cinch cord extends and at least partially closes the cinch tube. 2. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein the cinch tube includes, a sleeve extending around the majority of the cinch tube perimeter and housing a portion of the cinch cord; and a sleeve aperture in communication with the sleeve and through which the cinch cord passes. 3. The airbag cushion of claim 2, further comprising a stopper coupled to the cinch cord and disposed within the sleeve prior to airbag deployment, the stopper adapted to pass through the sleeve aperture upon airbag deployment and resisting entry into the sleeve aperture after airbag deployment. 4. The airbag cushion of claim 2, further comprising a tack stitch inserted into the sleeve and the cinch cord. 5. The airbag cushion of claim 2, wherein the cinch tube includes a plurality of loops and wherein the cinch cord is disposed within the loops. 6. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein the surface coupled to the cinch cord is an internal surface and the cinch cord is disposed within an airbag interior. 7. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein the surface coupled to the cinch cord is an external surface and the cinch cord is disposed on the airbag exterior. 8. The airbag cushion of claim 1, further comprising: a second cinch tube disposed on the inflatable airbag and circumventing a second aperture disposed in the airbag; and a second cinch cord coupled to the second cinch tube and extending around a majority of the perimeter of the second cinch tube, the second cinch cord further coupled to a surface of the airbag such that upon inflatable airbag deployment with obstruction, the second cinch cord does not fully extend and the second cinch tube remains open, and upon inflatable airbag deployment without obstruction, the second cinch cord extends and at least partially closes the second cinch tube. 9. The airbag cushion of claim 8, wherein the first and second cinch tubes are symmetrically disposed on the airbag. 10. The airbag cushion of claim 1, further comprising a vent disposed on the airbag and adapted to vent gas during airbag deployment with and without obstruction. 11. An airbag cushion, comprising: an inflatable airbag; a first cinch tube disposed on the inflatable airbag and circumventing a first aperture disposed in the airbag; a second cinch tube disposed on the inflatable airbag and circumventing a second aperture disposed in the airbag; a cinch cord coupled to the first and second cinch tubes and extending around a majority of the perimeter of the cinch tubes; and a cinch loop coupled to a surface of the airbag, the cinch cord passing through the cinch loop such that upon inflatable airbag deployment with obstruction, the cinch cord does not fully extend and the cinch tubes remain open, and upon inflatable airbag deployment without obstruction, the cinch cord extends and at least partially closes the cinch tubes. 12. The airbag cushion of claim 11, wherein the first and second cinch tubes each include, a sleeve extending around the majority of a corresponding cinch tube perimeter and housing a portion of the cinch cord; and a sleeve aperture in communication with the sleeve and through which the cinch cord passes. 13. The airbag cushion of claim 12, further comprising a first stopper coupled to the cinch cord and disposed within the sleeve of the first cinch tube and a second stopper coupled to the cinch cord and disposed within the sleeve of the second cinch tube, the first and second stoppers adapted to pass through corresponding sleeve apertures upon airbag deployment and resisting entry into sleeve apertures after airbag deployment. 14. The airbag cushion of claim 12, further comprising tack stitches inserted into the sleeves of the first and second cinch tubes and the cinch cord. 15. The airbag cushion of claim 11, wherein the first and second cinch tubes each include a plurality of loops and wherein the cinch cord is disposed within the loops. 16. The airbag cushion of claim 11, wherein surface coupled to the cinch loop is an interior surface and the cinch cord is disposed within an airbag interior. 17. The airbag cushion of claim 11, wherein the surface coupled to the cinch cord is an external surface and the cinch cord is disposed on the airbag exterior. 18. The airbag cushion of claim 11, wherein the first and second cinch tubes are symmetrically disposed on the airbag. 19. The airbag cushion of claim 11, further comprising a vent disposed on the airbag and adapted to vent gas during airbag deployment with and without obstruction. 20. An airbag cushion, comprising: an inflatable airbag; means for venting gas out of the airbag and circumventing an aperture disposed in the airbag; and means for restricting gas venting by cinching the venting means to reduce the circumference of the venting means upon inflatable airbag deployment without obstruction and enabling the venting means to remain open upon inflatable airbag deployment with obstruction. | TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to the field of automotive protective systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to inflatable airbags for automobiles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Understanding that drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a deploying airbag cushion. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the deploying airbag cushion of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a deploying airbag cushion of FIGS. 1A and 1B. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a cinch tube. FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the cinch tube of FIG. 2A. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view illustrating initial deployment of an airbag cushion. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view illustrating a deploying airbag cushion. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of a deployed airbag cushion. FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view illustrating initial deployment of an airbag cushion. FIG. 3E is a cross-sectional view illustrating a deploying airbag cushion. FIG. 3F is a cross-sectional view of a deployed airbag cushion. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an airbag cushion venting graph in relation to an airbag cushion's deployment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a deployed airbag cushion. FIG. 6 is a side view of one embodiment of a cinch tube. FIG. 7 is a side view of one embodiment of a cinch tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Described below are embodiments of an airbag cushion and venting mechanism. As those of skill in the art will appreciate, the principles of the invention may be applied to and used with a variety of airbag deployment systems including frontal driver and passenger airbags, knee airbags, overhead airbags, curtain airbags, and the like. Thus, the present invention is applicable to airbag cushions of various shapes and sizes. Airbag cushions are frequently located in an instrument panel and directly in front of an occupant. During a collision, the airbag cushion inflates and deploys through a cosmetic cover. The airbag cushion deploys towards the occupant and provides a restraint. A dangerous situation occurs where an occupant is positioned to closely to the airbag which causes the occupant to contact the airbag as it is deploying. Ideally, the occupant should be in position to contact the airbag only after full deployment. It would be advantageous to provide an airbag with a softer deployment when an occupant is out-of-position. Embodiments described below provide an airbag cushion that responds to an occupant's position and vents accordingly to avoid excessive deploying impact. Embodiments disclosed herein include a cinch cord that is connected at one end to a cinch tube and at an opposing end to an interior surface of the cushion. If an occupant is in close proximity to the deploying airbag and restricts normal inflation, the cinch tube remains open and allows gas to rapidly escape. If the occupant is in a normal position and inflation is unrestricted, the tension pulls on the cinch tube to quickly close the cinch tube. Closure retains gas for normal occupant restraint. Thus, the cinch tube may be used as a variable feature in out-of-position conditions and in normal restraint conditions. In this manner, the airbag cushion is sensitive to obstructive expansion of the cushion. With reference now to the accompanying figures, particular embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail. FIGS. 1A through 1C depicts a cross-sectional view of an airbag cushion 100 deploying from a housing 10. The airbag cushion 100 includes a cinch tube 102 that may include a nylon woven fabric-type or other suitable material known in the art. The cinch tube 102 may be embodied with a generally cylindrical shape and having opposing open ends to enable gas venting. The cinch tube 102 may have any suitable shape such as rectangular, triangular, or polygon shapes. The cinch tube 102 may be embodied with a height that is sufficient to achieve desired closure. The cinch tube 102 is coupled to a surface 104 of the airbag cushion 100 and circumvents an aperture 106 in the surface 104. The surface 104 may form part of an airbag cushion throat 108 or may be proximate to the throat 108. The cinch tube 102 may extend into the airbag cushion interior 110 or may extend from the airbag cushion 100. For illustrative purposes, a single cinch tube 102 is disclosed but the airbag cushion 100 may include multiple cinch tubes to provide required venting capability. The airbag cushion 100 includes a cinch cord 112 that couples or engages the cinch tube 102 and couples to a surface 114 of the airbag cushion 100. The cinch cord 112 may include a nylon material or other suitable material known in the art. The surface 114 may be an interior surface of the airbag cushion as depicted. The surface 114 may be the surface opposing the face surface 116 of the airbag cushion that contacts the occupant. Alternatively, the surface 114 may be disposed proximate to a surface opposing the face surface 116. The surface 114 may be an exterior surface such as the face surface 116. Thus, the cinch cord 112 may extend through the interior 110 of the airbag cushion 100 or may be positioned exterior to the airbag cushion 100. The location of the surface 114 depends on module deployment angle, vehicle interior geometry, and cushion fold type. In FIG. 1A, the initially deploying airbag cushion 100 has a slack cinch cord 112 and the cinch tube 102 remains open. In FIG. 1B, the cinch cord 112 is pulled taut and the cinch tube 102 begins to close. In FIG. 1C, the cinch cord 112 is completely taut and the cinch tube 102 is closed. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, perspective views of one embodiment of a cinch tube 102 in both the open and closed positions are shown. The cinch cord 112 circumvents a majority of the perimeter 200 of the cinch tube 102 in order to properly tighten and restrict the cinch tube 102. The cinch cord 112 has a length that includes an initial free length and a circumference of the cinch tube 102. The cinch cord 112 may be disposed within a sleeve 202 that is formed within the cinch tube 102. Access to the sleeve 120 is through a sleeve aperture 204 formed in the cinch tube 102. The cinch cord 112 enters the sleeve aperture 204, feeds through the sleeve 202, and is coupled at an end 206 within the sleeve 120 to the cinch tube 102. Coupling may be achieved by stitches, bonds, or adhesives. Referring to FIG. 3 an alternative embodiment of a cinch tube 300 is shown wherein a cinch cord 302 loops around the majority of the cinch tube perimeter 304. The cinch tube 300 includes first and second sleeve apertures 306, 308 that are in communication with a sleeve 310 formed within the cinch tube 300. The cinch cord 302 enters the first sleeve aperture 306, extends along the sleeve 310, and exits out the second sleeve aperture 308. Referring to FIG. 4, an alternative embodiment of a cinch tube 400 is shown wherein the cinch tube 400 includes a plurality of cinch loops 402. The cinch loops 402 may be disposed on a periphery 404 as shown or on an inner or outer surface 406, 408 of the cinch tube 400. A cinch cord 410 is fed through the cinch loops 402 and is thereby able to restrict the cinch tube 400 as needed. FIGS. 5A-C illustrate three stages of a deploying airbag cushion 500 without obstruction in the deploying path. The depicted airbag cushion 500 includes two cinch tubes 502 symmetrically disposed on the cushion 500 and two vents 504 symmetrically disposed on the cushion 500. The vents 504 provide consistent venting of the airbag cushion 500 and are not restricted by an occupant's position. The vents 504 may be optional in certain cushion embodiments based on venting requirements. The locations for the cinch tubes 502 and vents 504 may vary as does the number of tubes 502 and vents 504. An occupant 12 is in a normal seating position which will allow the airbag cushion 500 to fully expand before impacting the occupant. In this manner, the occupant 12 benefits from the full restraint capability of the airbag cushion 500. In FIG. 5A, the initial breakout of the airbag cushion 500 occurs. The cinch tubes 502 are open and, in the depicted embodiment, extend from the airbag cushion 500. In FIG. 5B, cinch cords 506 corresponding to each cinch tube 502 are pulled taut and the cinch tubes 502 are restricted. The cinch tubes 502 may also be pulled within the interior 508 of the airbag cushion 500. In FIG. 5C, the cinch tubes 502 are completely closed, the gas vents through the vents 504, and normal restraint is provided to the occupant 12. FIGS. 5D-F illustrate three stages of a deploying airbag cushion 500 with obstruction in the deploying path. An occupant 12 is out-of-position and obstructs the deploying airbag cushion 500 and prevents the airbag cushion 500 from fully inflating. In FIG. 5D, the airbag cushion 500 begins initial deployment as in FIG. 5A. In FIG. 5E, the airbag cushion 500 impacts the occupant 12 and the cinch cords 506 remain slack. The cinch tubes 502 remain open and venting rapidly occurs from tubes 502 and vents 504. The cushion inflation is restricted but the occupant 12 receives less than the full deployment loading of the cushion 500. In FIG. 5F, the cushion 500 is partially inflated and provides limited restraint. Venting continues through the tubes 502 and vents 504. Referring to FIG. 6 a graph illustrating cinch tube venting as a function of airbag cushion displacement is shown. For reference, an airbag cushion 600 is shown in various stages of deployment. The airbag cushion 600 includes two symmetrically disposed cinch tubes 602. During initial deployment, the airbag cushion 600 is unfolding and the cinch tubes 602 provide little or no venting. The airbag cushion 600 expands into an out-of-position zone 604 where, if obstructed, the cinch tubes 602 will remain completely or nearly open and full venting occurs. In this zone an occupant does not receive the full restraint capability but does benefit from limited restraint. If unobstructed, the airbag cushion 600 expands into a gray zone 606 where partial closure of the cinch tubes 602 begins and venting is limited. The cinch tubes 602 may be pulled into the airbag cushion 600 depending on the cushion design. If further unobstructed, the airbag cushion 600 fully expands to the restraint zone 608. At this zone, the cinch tubes 602 completely close and an occupant benefits from the full restraint capability of the airbag cushion 600. Referring to FIG. 7, an alternative embodiment of an airbag cushion 700 is shown. The airbag cushion 700 includes two symmetrical cinch tubes 702 that may be embodied as described above. The cinch tubes 702 have been pulled completely into the airbag cushion interior 704. Rather than having cinch cords corresponding to each cinch tube 702, a single cinch cord 706 is used. The cinch cord 706 is coupled to or engages each cinch tube 702 in a manner similar to that previously described. The cinch cord 706 passes through a cord loop 708 that is coupled to an interior surface 710. The cord loop 708 may be formed of a fabric material similar or identical to that of the airbag cushion 700. The cinch cord 706 may freely pass through the loop 708 and may therefore be referred to as a “floating” cinch cord. In an alternative embodiment, the cinch cord 706 may be disposed on the airbag cushion exterior and passes through a cord loop 708 coupled to an exterior surface of the airbag cushion 700. In either embodiment, airbag cushion deployment pulls the cinch cord 706 taut and closes both cinch tubes 702. Referring to FIG. 8, an alternative embodiment of a cinch cord 800 disposed within a cinch tube 802 is shown. The cinch tube 802 includes a sleeve 604 that extends around a periphery of the cinch tube 802 and houses a portion of the cinch cord 800. The cinch cord 800 exits from the sleeve 804 through a sleeve aperture 806. The cinch cord 800 includes a stopper 808 that, prior to airbag cushion deployment, is disposed within the sleeve 804. The stopper 808 is sized and configured to permit deploying movement, i.e. from the sleeve 804 and through the aperture 806, but does restricts movement through the aperture 806. In operation, the stopper 808 prevents a cinch tube 802 from reopening after deployment and closure of the cinch tube 802. This may occur during deflation of an airbag cushion as the cinch cord becomes slack. Venting is thereby directed to other vents. Referring to FIG. 9, an alternative embodiment of a cinch tube 900 is shown with a cinch cord 902 partially disposed within. The cinch tube 900 includes a sleeve 904 that contains a portion of the cinch cord 902. The cinch tube 900 further includes tack stitching 906 that is inserted through the sleeve 904 and the cinch cord 902 to retain the cinch cord 902 and prevent inadvertent closing of the cinch tube 900 during shipping and handling. The tack stitching 906 is designed to be easily broken and provides no interference to airbag cushion deployment. Embodiments disclosed herein illustrate novel techniques for venting an airbag cushion to retain an open vent when an occupant obstructs the path of a deploying cushion and closed when an occupant does not obstruct a deploying cushion. Airbag cushions provide improved safety by deploying with less pressure when an occupant is obstructing deployment. The airbag cushions deploy with more pressure when an occupant is not obstructing deployment and when high pressure is required to provide the necessary restraint. The airbag cushions described herein have application to both driver and passenger positions. Furthermore, the airbag cushions may be configured in a variety of sizes based on design constraints. Various embodiments for cinch tubes have been disclosed herein. Venting means refers to cinch tubes 102, 300, 400, 502, 602, 702, 802, and 900. Restricting means refers to cinch cords 112, 302, 410, 506, 706, 800, and 902, It will be apparent to those having skill in the art that changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. Embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows. Note that elements recited in means-plus-function format are intended to be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 112 ¶6. | <SOH> TECHNICAL FIELD <EOH>The present invention relates generally to the field of automotive protective systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to inflatable airbags for automobiles. | <SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>Understanding that drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a deploying airbag cushion. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the deploying airbag cushion of FIG. 1A . FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a deploying airbag cushion of FIGS. 1A and 1B . FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a cinch tube. FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the cinch tube of FIG. 2A . FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view illustrating initial deployment of an airbag cushion. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view illustrating a deploying airbag cushion. FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of a deployed airbag cushion. FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view illustrating initial deployment of an airbag cushion. FIG. 3E is a cross-sectional view illustrating a deploying airbag cushion. FIG. 3F is a cross-sectional view of a deployed airbag cushion. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an airbag cushion venting graph in relation to an airbag cushion's deployment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a deployed airbag cushion. FIG. 6 is a side view of one embodiment of a cinch tube. FIG. 7 is a side view of one embodiment of a cinch tube. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? | 20041006 | 20080325 | 20060406 | 92830.0 | B60R2116 | 1 | ILAN, RUTH | AIRBAG CUSHION WITH CINCH TUBE FOR REDUCED OUT-OF-POSITION EFFECTS | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | B60R | 2,004 |
|
10,959,339 | ACCEPTED | Intelligent locking system | A method of using an electronic locking system to access one of a plurality of lockers includes programming the system by recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user, storing the recorded biometric characteristic of the user in memory, and associating the recorded biometric characteristic of the user with one of the lockers so that the user is authorized to access the locker. The method also includes locking the locker, re-recording the biometric characteristic of the user, after the re-recording step, comparing the re-recorded biometric characteristic of the user with the recorded biometric characteristic of the user and unlocking the locker if the re-recorded biometric characteristic of the user matches the recorded biometric characteristic of the user. The system is newly reprogrammed for each subsequent user of the locker. | 1. A method of using an electronic locking system to access one of a plurality of lockers, the method comprising: programming said electronic locking system by recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user, storing said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user in memory, and associating said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user with said one of a plurality of lockers so that said user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers; locking said one of a plurality of lockers; re-recording said at least one biometric characteristic of said user; after the re-recording step, comparing said re-recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user with said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user; unlocking said one of a plurality of lockers if said re-recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user matches said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user; re-programming said electronic locking system using at least one biometric characteristic of a second user so that said at least one biometric characteristic of said second user is associated with said one of a plurality of lockers and so that said second user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers and said first user is no longer authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising repeating the re-programming step for each subsequent user of said one of a plurality of lockers. 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first user and said second user are the same person. 4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first user and said second user are different persons. 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising updating said at least one biometric characteristic associated with said one of a plurality of lockers each time said one of a plurality of lockers is used. 6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of a plurality of lockers comprises a lockable storage enclosure. 7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of a plurality of lockers comprises a post office box. 8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one biometric characteristic comprises at least one fingerprint. 9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one biometric characteristic comprises at least one pattern of an eye. 10. A method of controlling access to one of a plurality of lockers using an electronic locking system comprising: programming said electronic locking system by recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user and associating said recorded at least one biometric characteristic with said one of a plurality of lockers so that only said user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers; after the programming step, using said at least one biometric characteristic of said user for unlocking said one of a plurality of lockers; re-programming said electronic locking system by newly recording at least one biometric characteristic of a second user and associating said newly recorded at least one biometric characteristic with said one of a plurality of lockers so that only said second user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers and so that said first user is no longer authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers. 11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said one of a plurality of lockers comprises a post office box. 12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first and second users are the same person. 13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first and second users are different persons. 14. A method of controlling access to one of a plurality of lockers using an electronic locking system comprising: recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user; storing said recorded at least one biometric characteristic in memory; associating said stored biometric characteristic of said user with said one of a plurality of lockers so that only said user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers by using said at least one biometric characteristic of said user; unlocking said one of a plurality of lockers using said at least one biometric characteristic of said user; re-programming said system by newly recording at least one biometric characteristic of a second user and associating said newly recorded at least one biometric characteristic with said one of a plurality of lockers so that only said second user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers and so that said first user is no longer authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers. 15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising repeating the re-programming step for each subsequent user of said one of a plurality of lockers. 16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first and second users are the same person. 17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first user and said second user are different persons. 18. A method of using an electronic locking system comprising: programming said electronic locking system by recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user, storing said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user in memory, and associating said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user with at least one lockable enclosure so that said user is authorized to access said at least one lockable enclosure; locking said at least one lockable enclosure; re-recording said at least one biometric characteristic of said user; after the re-recording step, comparing said re-recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user with said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user; unlocking said at least one lockable enclosure if said re-recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user matches said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user; re-programming said electronic locking system using at least one biometric characteristic of a second user so that said at least one biometric characteristic of said second user is associated with said at least one lockable enclosure and so that said second user is authorized to access said at least one lockable enclosure and said first user is no longer authorized to access said at least one lockable enclosure. 19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said at least one lockable enclosure comprises one of a plurality of lockers. 20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said at least one lockable enclosure comprises a post office box. | CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/896,595 filed Jun. 29, 2001 and claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/215,218 filed Jun. 30, 2000, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a locking system for securing articles in lockable storage containers and is more particularly is directed to an electronic locking system that uses one or more microprocessors for identifying authorized users of the system, and for granting access to the one or more storage containers associated with each authorized user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Mechanical lockers are used in both concessional and non-concessional venues. In concessional venues, such as airports, bus and train stations, malls, theme parks and ski resorts, users must often pay to use the lockers. In non-concessional venues, such as schools and fitness centers, users are typically not required to pay to use the lockers. There are a number of problems associated with mechanical locking systems that require a user to pay to use the system. These problems include the fact that each locker may only accept a limited number of coins, and those coins are the only acceptable method of payment. As a result, a third party must collect the coins from the system and the vendor/owner cannot always account for the correct amount of cash. Another problem with mechanical lockers is that keys must be used to operate them. These keys are commonly lost or stolen, thereby creating maintenance and security problems. There are a number of companies that currently supply products and services in the electronic locker industry. MORS Industries built the first electronic locker system in the 1970's for use in the French railway system. In the early 1990's, MORS Industries experienced problems and sold the electronic locker division to a Dutch company operating under the name Logibag SA. Logibag SA has had some success in both the United States and Europe, placing approximately 35,000 lockers worldwide. Although Logibag SA has a large number of lockers in place, its electronic lockers use out-dated technology, and each locker has a relatively high selling price of approximately $1,000-$1,200 per locker. Another electronic locker system, called Loksafe, was originally designed by RAANND Systems of Scotland UK. Initially, Loksafe was a direct competitor of Logibag SA and together Loksafe and Logibag dominated the global market for over a decade. Because it proved to be a more reliable and better-engineered product, Loksafe won a number of major state railway contracts over Logibag. Although there are currently about 12,000 Loksafe lockers installed worldwide, Loksafe uses 1980's DOS-based programming and therefore has a limited ability to accept upgrades. Like Logibag, Loksafe has a high per unit cost and requires special maintenance and support. The average selling price of each Loksafe locker is approximately $900-$1,200. K W Muller, one of the original coin-operated locker manufacturers, recently introduced an electronic locker system in an attempt to maintain a market share being taken by competitors Logibag and Loksafe. Although K W Muller uses PC based technology, its system has proven to be unreliable and difficult to use. K W Muller has a price of approximately $2,000-$2,500 per locker. Another entrant in the electronic locker market is Eurolocker. The Eurolocker system has an unreliable electronic system. As a result, Eurolocker has enjoyed only limited success. The Eurolocker was revamped and relaunched by its new owner (Smarte Carte), and has achieved success in a number shopping malls and theme parks in the United States. This success is due almost entirely to the fact that Eurolocker's electronic units are not sold to third parties, but instead are placed on concession through Eurolocker's parent organization, Smarte Carte. In fact, there have been many negative responses to the quality of Eurolocker, and the system is unlikely to be used in any major terminals or similar locations. The estimated cost for each Eurolocker opening in the United States is approximately $2,00-$3,000 per locker. Another competitor, American Locker Security Systems, is a global leader in the non-electronic locker industry. This United States-based company has dominated the market in the United States and in many overseas countries with its Statesman system. American Locker Security Systems realized that the locker market was moving to electronics and originally tried to modify its document storage system, Compulok, to meet this demand. However, this attempt failed. American Locker Security Systems then obtained the United States dealership for Loksafe, but achieved only marginal success due to the high price of the Loksafe units in the United States. Since then, American Locker Security Systems has attempted to develop its own electronic system, but has been unsuccessful. Thus, there is a tremendous need for an electronic locker system that is reliable, easy to use and cost effective for operators and users alike. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, an electronic locking system includes a plurality of lockable storage enclosures, and a controller, such as a microprocessor-based controller, in communication with the plurality of lockable storage enclosures for controlling locking and unlocking of the storage enclosures. The electronic locking system may also include a biometric sensor in communication with the controller for sensing one or more identifying characteristics for multiple users. The controller is adapted to store the one or more identifying characteristics for each user in a memory device. For each user, the controller creates a link between the stored identifying characteristics for the user and one of the lockable storage enclosures. In certain preferred embodiments, the biometric sensor preferably measures the electrical capacitance of ridges and valleys comprising the fingerprint of a user. The electrical capacitance of the ridges and valleys of the fingerprint is then used to generate a unique biometric key that may be associated with the user. The unique key associated with each user is then stored in the memory device. The system may also use other forms of authentication such as an eye scan, magnetic cards, smart cards, PIN codes, bar codes and chips embedded in the human body. In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, a method of assigning biometric markers to a plurality of lockable storage enclosures includes providing a controller, such as a microprocessor-based controller, in communication with a plurality of lockable storage enclosures, the controller being associated with a memory device for storing information. The method includes sensing one or more biometric markers for one or more users, storing the sensed one or more biometric markers for each of the users in the memory device and linking the sensed one or more biometric markers for each of the users with one of the storage enclosures. Although the present invention is not limited by any particular theory of operation, in certain preferred embodiments, the present invention is directed to an electronic system that enables individuals to open and close locks, such as electronic locks on storage lockers or doors, using fingerprints or other authenticating data. In an electronic locker system, an individual's fingerprints are associated with one of the lockers in the system and can only be opened at a later time with the correct fingerprints. Thus, the system ensures that the depositor of an item in a locker is also the recipient. Instead of relying on the pattern of a fingerprint, the present invention utilizes a technology that records the capacitance of the ridges and valleys of an individual's fingertip. These measurements are as unique as the fingerprint itself and change when a person dies, or if their finger has been cut off. Thus, the present invention is an improvement over systems that utilize keys, magnetic cards or PIN codes that can be passed between the depositor and the receiver. As a result, users of the present invention may not be required to use a key insertible into a lock, as is required with prior art systems. Depositors may still have to deposit a coin or other form of money; however, depositors may lay claim to a locker's contents by merely placing their fingertip on a sensor. The sensor notes the pattern of the individual's fingerprint and records it in a memory device or storage medium that notes the date and time. This information may be stored in a central electronic archive. The system will not unlock the locker until it once again “sees” that fingerprint. When the depositor returns to the locker to collect his or her belongings, they apply their finger to the sensor for scanning and the door will only open if the fingerprint stored in the memory device matches the sensed fingerprint. As noted above, the present invention does not look at the fingerprint pattern as is done in prior art systems, but instead measures the electrical capacitance of the ridges and valleys that make up the pattern of an individual's fingertip. This allows the system to identify whether the person laying claim to the articles stored in a locker really is the person who put the articles there in the first place. Another advantage of the present invention is that it enables a user to identify the location of his or her stored articles when the user has forgotten his or her locker number. In accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, users will be able to walk up to a terminal and apply a fingertip. A central computer, which will have recorded the details of all recent users, will note the details of the fingertip, compare the fingertip with its records and then tell the user which locker is theirs. This feature will avoid the time-wasting and demeaning process of trying to open hundreds of lockers in order to identify the right one. In certain preferred embodiments, the present invention utilizes an intelligent locking device, referred to by the assignee as a SmartLok, having a credit card sized printed circuit board. The intelligent locking device may be substituted wherever keys, barrels and non-intelligent electronic locks have traditionally been used. Unlike other electromechanical or electronic locks, the intelligent locking device of the present invention utilizes a printed circuit board that incorporates a powerful on-board microprocessor. The microprocessor is programmable so that it may be modified to satisfy an operator's particular locking and opening requirements. For example, an operator of a locking system in an airport or train station may have different operating requirements than an operator in a school environment (e.g. the airport operator may want to change money while the school operator may want the system to be free). In certain embodiments, the locking system includes a plurality of intelligent locking devices, the printed circuit board of each intelligent locking device being able to communicate with the printed circuit boards of the other intelligent locking devices and with a central controller, referred to by the assignee as a Customer Service Station (CSS), such as a Microsoft Windows NT supervisory systems. It is contemplated that the present invention may be distributed over a wide geographic area and may be managed locally or remotely. Industry standard communications are supported ranging from UTP interconnect for local infrastructure to high-speed modem and Internet protocols for remote access. The printed circuit board of each intelligent locking device is preferably a credit card size printed circuit board containing the software necessary to offer the world's first true self-intelligent lock controller. Contained within the printed circuit board of each intelligent locking device is a multi-function processor chip, having both RAM and Flash memory as well as processing power. The chip is programmed to operate a number of onboard devices concerned with the control and monitoring of a motor driven lock mechanism. Specifically, each intelligent locking device preferably includes a solid state motor driver chip, a voltage regulator chip, two sets of gear drive status sensors and a pair of two color LED indicator lamps. The printed circuit board of each intelligent locking device may be programmed to communicate via an onboard network chip down a standard UTP network, back to a controller, such as a personal computer PC based operating on a Windows Operating Platform. Operational data may be downloaded to the printed circuit board of the intelligent locking device which will allow it to operate with the chosen environment independently of all other intelligent locking devices on the same network and independently of the controller. During initial setup, the intelligent locking device is given instructions from the central controller. After initial setup, the intelligent locking device runs independently. The intelligent locking device then communicates with the central controller for additional information and/or authorization as required. The PCB-based intelligent locking device is capable of independent security and monitors the mechanical lock assemblies associated therewith. An unauthorized change of status will cause the printed circuit board of the intelligent locking device to broadcast an alarm state to the controller for further action. Meanwhile, the intelligent locking device will take preventive preset action to protect its one or more secured enclosures. In other preferred embodiments, the present invention includes an intelligent locking device for selectively locking and unlocking one or more enclosed areas including a housing having a microprocessor for operating the intelligent locking device, at least one bolt slidably mounted to the housing and movable between a retracted position and an extended position, and a mechanical driving mechanism in contact with the slidable bolt for moving the bolt between the retracted and extended positions, the driving mechanism being in communication with the microprocessor for receiving signals for retracting and extending the bolt. The system may use a Distributed Lock Protocol (SDLP), which is a proprietary protocol designed to operate a Controller Area Network (CAN) merging to 2.0a and 2.0b environment. The protocol is used to communicate locking and programmatic control states and acts between intelligent locking device processes and intelligent locker Customer Service Station (CSS) software processes. The state and act model is embedded within the intelligent locker controller software and CSS CAN DLL routines. The protocol is implemented by these same routines. SDLP is preferably a message-based protocol with fixed field definitions conforming to the CAN 2.0a specification. The protocol relies on the persistence and model of CAN to provide a reliable transport. The protocol embraces many functions, including setting controller specific parameters, controller state checking functions and an acknowledgment model for operational locking functions. Controllers and CSS systems are unique arbitration IDS within messages to identify targets for messages. Collisions are detected and a retry model is used to resolve the collision traffic. A message ID is used to indicate the act that needs to be effected. A data component is used to carry controller specific parameters to a controller, such that the controller software may use them to reprogram behaviors in real time. At arbitration ID of zero, a general broadcast is generated that is heard by all active components. In certain preferred embodiments, up to 2,047 active components or more may cooperate using SDLP. Moreover, up to 64 CSS systems or more and up to 1,983 controllers or more may be active in any one configuration. These and other preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an intelligent locker system, in accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a Customer Service Station used with the intelligent locker system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows a top view of the intelligent locker system of FIG. 1 including a pair of doors that open in opposite directions. FIG. 4 shows a front fragmentary view of the intelligent locker system of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 shows a top cross-sectional view of an intelligent locking device, in accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows the intelligent locking device of FIG. 5 with a first set of locking bolts in an open position and a second set of locking bolts in a closed position. FIG. 7 shows a front view of the intelligent locking device of FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a local area network wherein a plurality of intelligent locking devices are in communication with a central controller. FIG. 9 shows a fragmentary view of the intelligent locker system of FIG. 1 with a door in an open position. FIG. 10 shows the intelligent locker system of FIG. 9 after the door has been closed, but with the locking bolt still in an open position. FIG. 11 shows the intelligent locker system of FIG. 10 with the bolt in the closed position for locking the door in the closed position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an intelligent locker system, in accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention. The intelligent locker system 20 includes a cabinet 22 having a plurality of locker openings 24. Each opening 24 is covered by a door 26 hingedly connected to the cabinet. The intelligent locker system also includes a central controller, commonly referred to by the assignee as a Customer Service Station (CSS) 28. In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the intelligent locker system includes two vertically-extending columns of locker openings, each column having a series of vertically aligned openings. In the particular embodiment shown, the locker system has a first column of four locker openings, and a second column of three locker openings and one Customer Service Station. The capacity of the locker system may be increased by adding another locker cabinet 22 to the left or right of that shown in FIG. 1. Thus, additional locker cabinets 22 may be added to the system for increasing overall capacity. FIG. 2 shows a front view of the Customer Service Station 28 shown in FIG. 1. The Customer Service Station 28 includes a video monitor 30, a speaker 32, and a series of keypads 34 for inputting information into the Customer Service Station 28. The Customer Service Station 28 also includes an opening 36 for receiving money, such as coins or dollar bills. The opening 36 may also be adapted to receive magnetic cards, credit cards, smart cards or any other mode of making payment to the system. The Customer Service Station 28 also preferably includes a biometric scanning device 38 used to scan one or more biometric characteristics of a user. In the particular preferred embodiments shown in FIG. 2, the biometric scanner 38 is used to scan the fingerprint of a user. In other embodiments, the scanner 38 may record other physical characteristics of a user, such as a user's iris. The system may also identify the user by using a PIN code, a smart card, a magnetic card, a bar code or an embedded chip. FIG. 3 shows a top view of the intelligent locker system shown in FIG. 1. At each level of the locker cabinet 22, a set of doors 40A and 40B are hingedly attached to cabinet 22. The doors desirably open away from one another, and preferably selectively cover the cabinet openings 24A and 24B. A central wall 42 extends between each locker opening so as to define distinct locker areas 44A and 44B. Each locker area is defined by central wall 42, a portion of rear wall 46 and a sidewall 48. As mentioned above, the pair of hingedly connected doors 40A and 40B are designed to open away from one another. First door 40A is hingedly connected to cabinet 22 by hinge 50A. Similarly, second door 40B is hingedly connected to cabinet 22 by hinge 50B. Each door 40A, 40B also may include a resilient or spring element that normally maintains the door in a slightly open position. Thus, a potential user of the intelligent locker system can visually discern whether a particular locker opening is available for use. A depressible button 52A, 52B is located adjacent each locker opening 24A, 24B. As will be explained in more detail below, when button 52 is depressed, the Customer Service Station 28 is alerted that a user is holding one of the locker doors 40 in a closed position. The intelligent locker system also includes an intelligent locking device 54 having a printed circuit board 56 with a microprocessor secured therein. The intelligent locking device 54 includes two sets of retractable bolts. The first set of retractable bolts unlocks and locks the door 40A closable over the first locker area 44A and the second set of retractable bolts unlocks and locks the door 40B closable over the second locker area 44B. FIG. 4 shows a fragmentary front view of the intelligent locker system of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 4 shows one level of the locker cabinet 22 including first locker opening 24A and second locker opening 24B. Adjacent central wall 42, each locker opening has a flange 58A, 58B for supporting depressible buttons 52A and 52B. The intelligent locker system includes intelligent locking device 54 secured inside central wall 42. The intelligent locking device includes a light emitting element 60 that is preferably exposed at the front surface of the locker cabinet 22. In certain preferred embodiments, the light emitting element 60 is a two-color LED that informs users of the intelligent locker system whether a locker is unlocked, locked, or in the process of being unlocked or locked. In one particular preferred embodiment, when locker space 24 is available for use, the light emitting element 60 emits green light. However, when a user places articles within the space 24 and closes the door (not shown), the light emitting element 60 will emit a red light that flashes on and off. The red light will continue to flash until the user has deposited money into the Customer Service Station 28 and entered the required authenticating information (e.g., biometric, PIN code) into the system. Once the user has entered the necessary information at the Customer Service Station 28, the intelligent locking device 54 will lock the door and the light emitting element 60 will emit a solid red light, indicating that the door covering the locker space 24 is locked. The LED 60 will continue to emit a solid red light until the authorized user interacts with the Customer Service Station 28 to unlock the door. At that time, the light emitting element 60 will emit green light. FIG. 5 shows a top, cross-sectional view of an intelligent locking device 54, in accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention. The intelligent locking device includes a smart card 56 with a microprocessor that controls operation of the device. The smart card 56 has at least one communication line 62 attached thereto for sending and receiving information related to opening and closing locker doors. The smart card 56 preferably has a program stored therein for operating the intelligent locking device. The intelligent locking device includes a first set of retractable bolts 64, including forward bolt 64A and rear bolt 64B, and a second set of retractable bolts 66, including forward bolt 66A and rear bolt 66B. A front wall 68 of the intelligent locking device 54 includes the light emitting element 60. As mentioned above, light emitting element 60 is capable of emitting various colors of light, such as green, amber and red for indicating the locked/unlocked status of the locker. The light emitting element may provide a solid stream of light or may blink on and off. The intelligent locking device 54 also preferably includes a first motor and associated driver 70A for opening and closing the first set of retractable bolts 64, and a second motor 70B and associated driver for opening and closing the second set of retractable bolts 66. The light emitting element 60, and the first and second motor 70A and 70B are preferably in communication with smart card 56. The first and second sets of bolts 64, 66 are preferably independent from one another. In other words, one set of bolts may be in the retracted or unlocked position while the other set of bolts may be in the extended or locked position. Moreover, both sets of bolts may simultaneously be in the unlocked position or the locked position. In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the first set of bolts 64 are retracted in the unlocked position, while the second set of bolts 66 are in the extended, locked position. The unlocked/locked status of the bolts 64, 66, is at all times relayed to smart card 56 which in turn relays the information to the Customer Service Station (not shown) via communication line 62. As a result, the Customer Service Station is able to monitor the status of each locker opening. This information may be compiled by the Customer Service Station and transmitted to a central location via a wide variety of communication channels, such as telephone lines. As a result, the operation of a plurality of intelligent locker systems at a plurality of different locations may be monitored at one central location. FIG. 7 shows a front view of intelligent locking device 54, including a first light emitting element 60A linked with the position of the first set of retractable bolts 64 and a second light emitting element 60B linked with the position of the second set of retractable bolts 66. Thus, the first LED 60A shows the lock/unlock status of the first set of bolts 64 while the second LED 60B shows the lock/unlock status of the second set of bolts 66. FIG. 8 shows a local area network (LAN) 72 used to interconnect the plurality of intelligent locking devices 54 with the central controller or Customer Service Station 28. The intelligent locking devices 54 may be connected in series with one another and with the Customer Service Station 28 via a first network line 72. The intelligent locking devices 54 may also be connected in parallel with the Customer Service Station 28 via communication lines 72′. In other preferred embodiments, fiber optic cables may replace the communications lines 72, 72′. In still other embodiments, the intelligent locking devices 54 may communicate with the Customer Service Station 28 via radio waves. Using the local area network shown in FIG. 8, the Customer Service Station 28 for each intelligent locker system is able to monitor the status of each intelligent locking device 54. The particular status for each intelligent locking device 54 is preferably compiled by the printed circuit board 56 disposed therein. This information is then periodically sent via communication lines 72 to the Customer Service Station 28. The Customer Service Station 28 preferably stores this information in a memory device (not shown). The information may be sent to a central location that compiles information from many different locations. The information may be transmitted via an uplink 84. The transmitted information may include the amount of money collected, the percentage of lockers in use, and whether any of the lockers require maintenance. Referring to FIGS. 1-11, in operation a user will approach a particular locker opening 24B in order to store one or more articles in locker space 44B. As mentioned above, in its normal position, door 40B is preferably slightly ajar. Door 40B includes one or more openings or recesses 74 adapted to receive one of the retractable bolts 64, 66 when the retractable bolts are extended. The intelligent locking device 54 shown in FIG. 9 is a simplified view of the system does not show the printed circuit board and the motor and driving mechanism for opening and closing retractable bolt 66. Adjacent locker opening 24B, depressible button 52B is held by flange 76. Depressible button 52 is movable between an extended position and a depressed position. When door 40B is closed, inner surface 78 of door 40B abuts against depressible button 52B so as to depress the button. Upon being depressed, a signal is sent to the printed circuit board of the intelligent locking device 54, thereby informing the printed circuit board that the door 40B of locker opening 24b has been closed. FIG. 10 shows a fragmentary view of the locker immediately after door 40B has been closed and button 52 has been depressed, but before retractable bolt 66 has move into the extended position for locking the door 40B. When door 40B is initially closed, inner surface 78 of door 40B depresses button 52B, thereby sending a signal to the printed circuit board of the intelligent locking device 54, the signal indicating that door 40B has been closed. After a predetermined period of time, such as approximately 2-10 seconds, the printed circuit board will send a signal to the motor 70B to move the bolt 66 into the extended, locking position. Referring to FIG. 11, as motor 70B moves bolt 66 into the extended, locking position, bolt 66 slides into recess 74 formed in the edge of door 40B. Once the bolt 66 extends completely into the locked position, light emitting element 60 emits a solid red light, thereby providing a visual indicator that door 40B has been locked. Referring to FIGS. 1-11, in other preferred embodiments of the present invention, a user of the intelligent locker system 20 will approach cabinet 22. The user will observe whether one of the locker openings 24 is available for use. The user will then open the door 40 of the locker opening 24 and place articles for storage within the locker area 44. A user may also confirm that a locker is open and available for use by referring to one of the light emitting elements of the intelligent locking device 54. If the light emitting element is a particular color, such as green, the color provides a visual indication that the locker is available. Each locker opening 24 preferably has its own light emitting element 60 assigned thereto. In other preferred embodiments, each locker has two or more light emitting elements 60. After the user places the articles within the locker opening 24, the user will close the door 40 so as to depress depressible button 52. Upon being depressed, a signal will be sent to the printed circuit board 56 of the intelligent locking device 54 that the locker door 40 is being held in a closed position. After approximately 2-10 seconds, the printed circuit board 56 will send a signal to motor 70 to move retractable bolts 64 into the extended, locking position. As the retractable bolts move into the locking position, the bolts will slide into the recess 74 formed at the edge of door 40. At the same time, light emitting element 60 will change from emitting a solid green light to a flashing amber or red light. The printed circuit board 56 will then send a communication to the Customer Service Station 28 that the particular door has been closed. The user will then proceed to the Customer Service Station 28 shown in FIG. 2. The Customer Service Station will ask the user which language the user prefers. The user will then touch the video screen 30 or enter information into the system using keys 34. During the initial transaction, the Customer Service Station may ask the user how long he or she desires to use the locker space. The Customer Service Station will then calculate how much the user owes. This amount may be deposited in the form of coins or bills through slot 36. Slot 36 may also be adapted to receive credit cards, magnetic cards, smart cards or any other form of payment. The user will then submit biometric data or other authenticating data to the system. In one particular preferred embodiment, the user places a fingerprint over the biometric sensor 38. The sensor 38 will then scan the fingertip pattern and record it within a memory device. Once the initial transaction is complete, the extendable bolt of the intelligent locking device will remain in the locked position and the light emitting element 60 will transform from emitting a blinking red light to a solid red color. Later, when the user desires to remove the stored articles from the locker, the user will approach the Customer Service Station 28. The user will place his or her fingerprint over the biometric scanner 38 so that the scanner may obtain a copy of the user's fingerprint. In highly preferred embodiments, the fingerprint data includes information related to the electrical capacitance of the ridges and valleys of the fingerprint. The scanned fingerprint will then be compared with the fingerprint stored in the memory of the Customer Service Station. The processor of the Customer Service Station will associate the retrieved fingerprint with a particular locker number for that fingerprint. Once a link or association has been made between the retrieved fingerprint and the locker associated therewith, the bolts of the intelligent locking device for that particular locker will retract, thereby unlocking the locker door 40. At that time, the light emitting element 60 will change from emitting a solid red light to a solid green light. Once the bolt(s) retract, the locker door 40 will return to its normally partially ajar orientation. The user may than proceed to the locker opening to remove the articles stored in the locker. Although the above described embodiment utilizes a biometric scanner to obtain fingerprints, it is contemplated that other forms of identification may be used for opening and closing the lockers. For example, the biometric sensor 38 may scan another characteristic of a user's body, such as scanning a user's eye or other distinguishing feature of the body. The Customer Service Station may also utilize PIN codes, magnetic cards, embedded chips or other means for authenticating users. Shown below are tables that detail message type and exchanges that form the implementation of the protocol. TABLE 1 Broadcast ArbID Message ID Data Comment 0 SET_ID (15) New Controller will use as Controller Arbitration ID after ID receipt of message. 0 WAKE_UP (14) TABLE 2 Programmatic ArbID Message ID Data Comment 64-2046 HARD_RESET (6) — 64-2046 SOFT_RESET (8) — 64-2046 ENABLE (7) State* 64-2046 SET-STATE (10) State* 64-2046 DISABLE (11) — 64-2046 SET_PARK_OPEN Ticks Set motor parking time (15) in 1/50 sec 64-2046 SET_PARK_CLOSE Ticks Set motor parking time (16) in 1/50 sec 64-2046 SET_DOOR_TICKS Ticks Set switch sensitivity (18) in 1/50 sec *Locker States (0) LOCKER_OPEN_AVAILABLE (1) LOCKER_CLOSED (2) LOCKER_SETUP (3) LOCKER_SETUP_REQ_ID (4) LOCKER_LOCKED (5) LOCKER_OPEN_FAIL (6) LOCKER_CLOSE_FAIL (7) LOCKER_RESET (8) LOCKER_GET_STATE (9) LOCKER_REQ_STATE (11) LOCKER_WAITFOR_SET TABLE 3 Locking ArbID Message ID Data Comment 64-2046 CONFIRM_LOCK (2) — 64-2046 OPEN (5) — TABLE 4 Operational ArbID Message ID Data Comment 64-2046 CLOSED (1) — Door has been closed and locks driven. 64-2046 CLOSED_FAIL (2) — Failure to complete a lock drive after door closed. 64-2046 OPEN-FAIL (3) — Failure to complete a lock drive after open message rcvd. 64-2046 REQ-STATE (4) — Sent after wake-up rcvd if Controller has ID. 64-2046 LOCKER_OPENED — Sent after successful (10) open. 64-2046 LOCKER_LOCKED — Sent as confirmed (11) receipt of CONFIRM_LOCK msg. TABLE 5 Security ArbID Message ID Data Comment 64-2046 TAMPER_DOOR (5) — Door switch is open and should be closed. 64-2046 TAMPER_LOCK (7) — Lock open when should be closed. TABLE 6 Acknowledgement ArbID Message ID Data Comment 64-2046 CLOSED_FAIL (2) — Failure to complete a lock drive after door closed. 64-2046 OPEN_FAIL (3) — Failure to complete a lock drive after open message rcvd. 64-2046 LOCKER_OPENED (10) — Sent after successful open. 64-2046 LOCKER_LOCKED — Sent as confirmed (11) receipt of CONFIRM— LOCK msg. TABLE 7 Diagnostic ArbID Message ID Data Comment 64-2046 PING (17) — Check if controller exists 64-2046 PONG (8) State* Response to PING msg. *Locker States (0) LOCKER_OPEN_AVAILABLE (1) LOCKER_CLOSED (2) LOCKER_SETUP (3) LOCKER_SETUP_REQ_ID (4) LOCKER_LOCKED (5) LOCKER_OPEN_FAIL (6) LOCKER_CLOSE_FAIL (7) LOCKER_RESET (8) LOCKER_GET_STATE (9) LOCKER_REQ_STATE (11) LOCKER_WAITFOR_SET Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and application of the present invention. For example, the system can be used for any type of enclosable space, such as a room or closet. The system may also be used in any type of environment where enclosed spaces must be locked and unlocked, such as offices, hotel rooms, storage facilities, post office boxes and the like. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the preferred embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. | <SOH> FIELD OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention is directed to a locking system for securing articles in lockable storage containers and is more particularly is directed to an electronic locking system that uses one or more microprocessors for identifying authorized users of the system, and for granting access to the one or more storage containers associated with each authorized user. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, an electronic locking system includes a plurality of lockable storage enclosures, and a controller, such as a microprocessor-based controller, in communication with the plurality of lockable storage enclosures for controlling locking and unlocking of the storage enclosures. The electronic locking system may also include a biometric sensor in communication with the controller for sensing one or more identifying characteristics for multiple users. The controller is adapted to store the one or more identifying characteristics for each user in a memory device. For each user, the controller creates a link between the stored identifying characteristics for the user and one of the lockable storage enclosures. In certain preferred embodiments, the biometric sensor preferably measures the electrical capacitance of ridges and valleys comprising the fingerprint of a user. The electrical capacitance of the ridges and valleys of the fingerprint is then used to generate a unique biometric key that may be associated with the user. The unique key associated with each user is then stored in the memory device. The system may also use other forms of authentication such as an eye scan, magnetic cards, smart cards, PIN codes, bar codes and chips embedded in the human body. In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, a method of assigning biometric markers to a plurality of lockable storage enclosures includes providing a controller, such as a microprocessor-based controller, in communication with a plurality of lockable storage enclosures, the controller being associated with a memory device for storing information. The method includes sensing one or more biometric markers for one or more users, storing the sensed one or more biometric markers for each of the users in the memory device and linking the sensed one or more biometric markers for each of the users with one of the storage enclosures. Although the present invention is not limited by any particular theory of operation, in certain preferred embodiments, the present invention is directed to an electronic system that enables individuals to open and close locks, such as electronic locks on storage lockers or doors, using fingerprints or other authenticating data. In an electronic locker system, an individual's fingerprints are associated with one of the lockers in the system and can only be opened at a later time with the correct fingerprints. Thus, the system ensures that the depositor of an item in a locker is also the recipient. Instead of relying on the pattern of a fingerprint, the present invention utilizes a technology that records the capacitance of the ridges and valleys of an individual's fingertip. These measurements are as unique as the fingerprint itself and change when a person dies, or if their finger has been cut off. Thus, the present invention is an improvement over systems that utilize keys, magnetic cards or PIN codes that can be passed between the depositor and the receiver. As a result, users of the present invention may not be required to use a key insertible into a lock, as is required with prior art systems. Depositors may still have to deposit a coin or other form of money; however, depositors may lay claim to a locker's contents by merely placing their fingertip on a sensor. The sensor notes the pattern of the individual's fingerprint and records it in a memory device or storage medium that notes the date and time. This information may be stored in a central electronic archive. The system will not unlock the locker until it once again “sees” that fingerprint. When the depositor returns to the locker to collect his or her belongings, they apply their finger to the sensor for scanning and the door will only open if the fingerprint stored in the memory device matches the sensed fingerprint. As noted above, the present invention does not look at the fingerprint pattern as is done in prior art systems, but instead measures the electrical capacitance of the ridges and valleys that make up the pattern of an individual's fingertip. This allows the system to identify whether the person laying claim to the articles stored in a locker really is the person who put the articles there in the first place. Another advantage of the present invention is that it enables a user to identify the location of his or her stored articles when the user has forgotten his or her locker number. In accordance with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, users will be able to walk up to a terminal and apply a fingertip. A central computer, which will have recorded the details of all recent users, will note the details of the fingertip, compare the fingertip with its records and then tell the user which locker is theirs. This feature will avoid the time-wasting and demeaning process of trying to open hundreds of lockers in order to identify the right one. In certain preferred embodiments, the present invention utilizes an intelligent locking device, referred to by the assignee as a SmartLok, having a credit card sized printed circuit board. The intelligent locking device may be substituted wherever keys, barrels and non-intelligent electronic locks have traditionally been used. Unlike other electromechanical or electronic locks, the intelligent locking device of the present invention utilizes a printed circuit board that incorporates a powerful on-board microprocessor. The microprocessor is programmable so that it may be modified to satisfy an operator's particular locking and opening requirements. For example, an operator of a locking system in an airport or train station may have different operating requirements than an operator in a school environment (e.g. the airport operator may want to change money while the school operator may want the system to be free). In certain embodiments, the locking system includes a plurality of intelligent locking devices, the printed circuit board of each intelligent locking device being able to communicate with the printed circuit boards of the other intelligent locking devices and with a central controller, referred to by the assignee as a Customer Service Station (CSS), such as a Microsoft Windows NT supervisory systems. It is contemplated that the present invention may be distributed over a wide geographic area and may be managed locally or remotely. Industry standard communications are supported ranging from UTP interconnect for local infrastructure to high-speed modem and Internet protocols for remote access. The printed circuit board of each intelligent locking device is preferably a credit card size printed circuit board containing the software necessary to offer the world's first true self-intelligent lock controller. Contained within the printed circuit board of each intelligent locking device is a multi-function processor chip, having both RAM and Flash memory as well as processing power. The chip is programmed to operate a number of onboard devices concerned with the control and monitoring of a motor driven lock mechanism. Specifically, each intelligent locking device preferably includes a solid state motor driver chip, a voltage regulator chip, two sets of gear drive status sensors and a pair of two color LED indicator lamps. The printed circuit board of each intelligent locking device may be programmed to communicate via an onboard network chip down a standard UTP network, back to a controller, such as a personal computer PC based operating on a Windows Operating Platform. Operational data may be downloaded to the printed circuit board of the intelligent locking device which will allow it to operate with the chosen environment independently of all other intelligent locking devices on the same network and independently of the controller. During initial setup, the intelligent locking device is given instructions from the central controller. After initial setup, the intelligent locking device runs independently. The intelligent locking device then communicates with the central controller for additional information and/or authorization as required. The PCB-based intelligent locking device is capable of independent security and monitors the mechanical lock assemblies associated therewith. An unauthorized change of status will cause the printed circuit board of the intelligent locking device to broadcast an alarm state to the controller for further action. Meanwhile, the intelligent locking device will take preventive preset action to protect its one or more secured enclosures. In other preferred embodiments, the present invention includes an intelligent locking device for selectively locking and unlocking one or more enclosed areas including a housing having a microprocessor for operating the intelligent locking device, at least one bolt slidably mounted to the housing and movable between a retracted position and an extended position, and a mechanical driving mechanism in contact with the slidable bolt for moving the bolt between the retracted and extended positions, the driving mechanism being in communication with the microprocessor for receiving signals for retracting and extending the bolt. The system may use a Distributed Lock Protocol (SDLP), which is a proprietary protocol designed to operate a Controller Area Network (CAN) merging to 2.0a and 2.0b environment. The protocol is used to communicate locking and programmatic control states and acts between intelligent locking device processes and intelligent locker Customer Service Station (CSS) software processes. The state and act model is embedded within the intelligent locker controller software and CSS CAN DLL routines. The protocol is implemented by these same routines. SDLP is preferably a message-based protocol with fixed field definitions conforming to the CAN 2.0a specification. The protocol relies on the persistence and model of CAN to provide a reliable transport. The protocol embraces many functions, including setting controller specific parameters, controller state checking functions and an acknowledgment model for operational locking functions. Controllers and CSS systems are unique arbitration IDS within messages to identify targets for messages. Collisions are detected and a retry model is used to resolve the collision traffic. A message ID is used to indicate the act that needs to be effected. A data component is used to carry controller specific parameters to a controller, such that the controller software may use them to reprogram behaviors in real time. At arbitration ID of zero, a general broadcast is generated that is heard by all active components. In certain preferred embodiments, up to 2,047 active components or more may cooperate using SDLP. Moreover, up to 64 CSS systems or more and up to 1,983 controllers or more may be active in any one configuration. These and other preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below. | 20041005 | 20060926 | 20050224 | 57748.0 | 2 | AU, SCOTT D | INTELLIGENT LOCKING SYSTEM | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,959,700 | ACCEPTED | Power management for processing modules | A processing element (PE) includes a processing unit (PU) and a number of attached processing units (APUs). The instruction set of each APU is divided a priori into a number of types, each type associated with a different amount of heat generation. Each APU keeps track of the amount of each type of instruction executed over a time period,—the power information,—and provides this power information to the PU. The PU then performs power management as a function of the provided power information from each APU,—such as directing a particular APU to enter an idle state to reduce power consumption. | 1. A method for performing power management, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring a rate of execution of instructions by a processor; and estimating a power consumption rate as a function of the monitored instruction execution rate. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the rate of execution is monitored based on a rate of fetching instructions for execution, wherein the instructions include instructions having different types. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the estimating step estimates a heat level for the processor as a function of instruction count values for each of the different types of instruction being executed. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the different types of instructions include a floating point instruction and an integer instruction. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the different types of instructions include a vector floating point instruction, a vector integer instruction, a scalar floating point instruction and a scalar integer instruction. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating estimates a heat level for the processor. 7. A method for performing power management, the method comprising the steps of: determining power information based on a rate of execution of instructions by a first processor; and estimating a rate of power consumption as a function of the determined power information. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the instructions are of different types, and the power information is determined by counting the number of each of the respective types of instructions being executed by the first processor. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the different types of instructions include a floating point instruction and an integer instruction. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the different types of instructions include a vector floating point instruction, a vector integer instruction, a scalar floating point instruction and a scalar integer instruction. 11. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending the power information to a second processor, wherein the estimating is performed by the second processor. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second processor controls the first processor to reduce energy usage if the estimated energy usage is above a predefined level. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second processor puts the first processor into an idle state. 14. Apparatus performing power management, the apparatus comprising: a first processor; and a monitoring circuit operable to generate power information based on a rate of execution of instructions by the first processor. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the rate of execution is represented by a rate of fetching instructions for execution, the instructions include instructions having different types and the power information includes counts of each of the different types of instructions being fetched for execution. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the different types of instructions include a floating point instruction and an integer instruction. 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the different types of instructions include a vector floating point instruction, a vector integer instruction, a scalar floating point instruction and a scalar integer instruction. 18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the monitoring circuit includes counters for maintaining the counts of each of the different types of instructions. 19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first processor is operable to send the power information to a second processor, and the second processor is operable to estimate a rate of power consumption by the first processor. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second processor is operable to estimate a heat level corresponding to the estimated rate of power consumption. 21. A processing element for performing power management, the processing element comprising: a first processing unit; a number of attached processing units, at least one attached processing unit having a monitoring circuit operable to accumulate power information related to a rate at which instructions are executed therein; wherein the at least one attached processing unit is operable to send the accumulated power information to the first processing unit, and the first processing unit is operable to determine a rate of power consumption from the accumulated power information. 22. The processing element of claim 21, wherein the first processing unit is operable to reduce an energy usage of the at least one attached processing unit if the determined power consumption for that attached processing unit is above a predefined value. 23. The processing element of claim 21, wherein the first processing unit is operable to reduce an energy usage of that attached processing unit by causing that attached processing unit to enter an idle state. 24. The processing element of claim 21, wherein the instructions include instructions having different types, and wherein the accumulated power information includes data representing counts for how many instructions of the different types of instructions have been executed. 25. The processing element of claim 24, wherein the different types of instructions include a floating point instruction and an integer instruction. 26. The processing element of claim 24, wherein the different types of instructions include a vector floating point instruction, a vector integer instruction, a scalar floating point instruction and a scalar integer instruction. 27. The processing element of claim 21, wherein the first processing unit is operable to estimate a heat level corresponding to the determined rate of power consumption. 28. A processing environment comprising: a first processing unit; a number of additional processing units each having a monitoring circuit operable to generate power information based on a rate at which instructions are executed by the respective additional processing unit; wherein the additional processing units are operable to send power information to the first processing unit, the first processing unit being operable to monitor a rate of power consumption of the additional processing units based on the sent power information. 29. The processing environment of claim 28, wherein the first processing unit reduces the rate of power consumption of at least one of the attached processing units when the rate of power consumption is above a predefined value. 30. The processing environment of claim 28, wherein the first processing unit reduces the power consumption of the at least one attached processing unit by causing that attached processing unit to enter an idle state. 31. The processing environment of claim 28, wherein the instructions include instructions having different types and the accumulated power information includes data representing counts of each of the different types of instructions that are executed. 32. The processing environment of claim 31, wherein the different types of instructions include a floating point instruction and an integer instruction. 33. The processing environment of claim 31, wherein the different types of instructions include a vector floating point instruction, a vector integer instruction, a scalar floating point instruction and a scalar integer instruction. 34. The processing environment of claim 28, wherein the first processing unit further estimates a heat level based on the monitored rate of power consumption. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation-in-part of the following copending, commonly assigned, U.S. patent applications: “Computer Architecture and Software Cells for Broadband Networks,” application Ser. No. 09/816,004, filed Mar. 22, 2001; “System and Method for Data Synchronization for a Computer Architecture for Broadband Networks,” application Ser. No. 09/815,554, filed Mar. 22, 2001; “Memory Protection System and Method for Computer Architecture for Broadband Networks,” application Ser. No. 09/816,020, filed Mar. 22, 2001; “Resource Dedication System and Method for a Computer Architecture for Broadband Networks,” application Ser. No. 09/815,558, filed Mar. 22, 2001; and “Processing Modules for Computer Architecture for Broadband Networks,” application Ser. No. 09/816,752, filed Mar. 22, 2001; all of which are incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to power management and, in particular, to power management in a processing environment. In a processing environment, e.g., a single processor-based personal computer, there is the need to perform some type of power management. The latter can cover a range of methods and techniques. For example, power management can be concerned with heat dissipation, or heat management, with respect to the processor itself. As such, the use of a heat sink mounted on the processor—to keep the processor within a particular temperature range—is a form of power management. Similarly, monitoring the voltage level of a battery (battery conservation) in, e.g., a laptop computer, is yet another example of power management in a processing environment. In terms of heat management, other more complex schemes exist. For example, temperature sensors can be placed on critical circuit elements, such as the processor, and fans can be mounted in an associated system enclosure. When the temperature sensors indicate a particular temperature has been reached, the fans turn on, increasing the air flow through the system enclosure for cooling down the processor. Alternatively, an alarm could be generated which causes the processing environment to begin a shutdown when the temperature sensors indicate that a predefined temperature level has been exceeded—i.e., that the system is overheating. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As processors become more complex—whether in terms of size and/or speed—power management through the use of temperature sensors may not provide a complete solution (indeed, in some situations the use of temperature sensors may even be inelegant, expensive and clumsy). As such, we have observed that the amount of heat generated by a processor is directly proportional to the type of instructions that the processor is executing, e.g., some instructions use more of the processor than other instructions. Therefore, and in accordance with the invention, a processing environment performs power management by monitoring the number and type of processor accesses and estimating an energy usage as a function thereof. In an embodiment of the invention, a processor monitors the number and type of instructions fetches over a time period. The instruction set of a processor is divided into at least two types of instructions, each type associated with a different heat level. A heat level is then calculated as a function of the number of each type of instruction executed over the time interval. In another embodiment, a processing element (PE) comprises a processing unit (PU) and a number of attached processing units (APUs). The instruction set of each APU is a priori divided into a number of types, each type associated with a different amount of heat generation. Each APU keeps track of the amount of each type of instruction—the power information—executed over a time period and provides this power information to the PU. The PU then performs power management as a function of the provided power information from each APU. For example, the PU may direct that a particular APU enter an idle state to reduce power consumption. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates the overall architecture of a computer network in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a processor element (PE) in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a broadband engine (BE) in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the structure of an attached processing unit (APU) in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a processor element, visualizer (VS) and an optical interface in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating one combination of processor elements in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 7 illustrates another combination of processor elements in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 8 illustrates yet another combination of processor elements in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 9 illustrates yet another combination of processor elements in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 10 illustrates yet another combination of processor elements in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 11A illustrates the integration of optical interfaces within a chip package in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 11B is a diagram of one configuration of processors using the optical interfaces of FIG. 11A. FIG. 11C is a diagram of another configuration of processors using the optical interfaces of FIG. 11A. FIG. 12A illustrates the structure of a memory system in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 12B illustrates the writing of data from a first broadband engine to a second broadband engine in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram of the structure of a shared memory for a processor element in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 14A illustrates one structure for a bank of the memory shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 14B illustrates another structure for a bank of the memory shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 15 illustrates a structure for a direct memory access controller in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 16 illustrates an alternative structure for a direct memory access controller in accordance with the present invention. FIGS. 17A-17O illustrate the operation of data synchronization in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 18 is a three-state memory diagram illustrating the various states of a memory location in accordance with the data synchronization scheme of the present invention. FIG. 19 illustrates the structure of a key control table for a hardware sandbox in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 20 illustrates a scheme for storing memory access keys for a hardware sandbox in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 21 illustrates the structure of a memory access control table for a hardware sandbox in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 22 is a flow diagram of the steps for accessing a memory sandbox using the key control table of FIG. 19 and the memory access control table of FIG. 21. FIG. 23 illustrates the structure of a software cell in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 24 is a flow diagram of the steps for issuing remote procedure calls to APUs in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 25 illustrates the structure of a dedicated pipeline for processing streaming data in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 26 is a flow diagram of the steps performed by the dedicated pipeline of FIG. 25 in the processing of streaming data in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 27 illustrates an alternative structure for a dedicated pipeline for the processing of streaming data in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 28 illustrates a scheme for an absolute timer for coordinating the parallel processing of applications and data by APUs in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 29 shows an illustrative embodiment for performing power management in accordance with the principles of the invention. FIG. 30 shows an illustrative flow diagram in accordance with the principles of the invention. FIG. 31 shows another illustrative embodiment for performing power management in accordance with the principles of the invention. FIG. 32 shows an illustrative embodiment of an attached processor unit in accordance with the principles of the invention; FIG. 33 shows an illustrative flow diagram for use in the embodiment of FIG. 31. FIG. 34 shows another illustrative embodiment of a processing environment in accordance with the principles of the invention. FIG. 35 shows an illustrative flow diagram for use in the embodiment of FIG. 34. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The overall architecture for a computer system 101 in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated in this figure, system 101 includes network 104 to which is connected a plurality of computers and computing devices. Network 104 can be a LAN, a global network, such as the Internet, or any other computer network. The computers and computing devices connected to network 104 (the network's “members”) include, e.g., client computers 106, server computers 108, personal digital assistants (PDAs) 110, digital television (DTV) 112 and other wired or wireless computers and computing devices. The processors employed by the members of network 104 are constructed from the same common computing module. These processors also preferably all have the same ISA and perform processing in accordance with the same instruction set. The number of modules included within any particular processor depends upon the processing power required by that processor. For example, since servers 108 of system 101 perform more processing of data and applications than clients 106, servers 108 contain more computing modules than clients 106. PDAs 110, on the other hand, perform the least amount of processing. PDAs 110, therefore, contain the smallest number of computing modules. DTV 112 performs a level of processing between that of clients 106 and servers 108. DTV 112, therefore, contains a number of computing modules between that of clients 106 and servers 108. As discussed below, each computing module contains a processing controller and a plurality of identical processing units for performing parallel processing of the data and applications transmitted over network 104. This homogeneous configuration for system 101 facilitates adaptability, processing speed and processing efficiency. Because each member of system 101 performs processing using one or more (or some fraction) of the same computing module, the particular computer or computing device performing the actual processing of data and applications is unimportant. The processing of a particular application and data, moreover, can be shared among the network's members. By uniquely identifying the cells comprising the data and applications processed by system 101 throughout the system, the processing results can be transmitted to the computer or computing device requesting the processing regardless of where this processing occurred. Because the modules performing this processing have a common structure and employ a common ISA, the computational burdens of an added layer of software to achieve compatibility among the processors is avoided. This architecture and programming model facilitates the processing speed necessary to execute, e.g., real-time, multimedia applications. To take further advantage of the processing speeds and efficiencies facilitated by system 101, the data and applications processed by this system are packaged into uniquely identified, uniformly formatted software cells 102. Each software cell 102 contains, or can contain, both applications and data. Each software cell also contains an ID to globally identify the cell throughout network 104 and system 101. This uniformity of structure for the software cells, and the software cells' unique identification throughout the network, facilitates the processing of applications and data on any computer or computing device of the network. For example, a client 106 may formulate a software cell 102 but, because of the limited processing capabilities of client 106, transmit this software cell to a server 108 for processing. Software cells can migrate, therefore, throughout network 104 for processing on the basis of the availability of processing resources on the network. The homogeneous structure of processors and software cells of system 101 also avoids many of the problems of today's heterogeneous networks. For example, inefficient programming models which seek to permit processing of applications on any ISA using any instruction set, e.g., virtual machines such as the Java virtual machine, are avoided. System 101, therefore, can implement broadband processing far more effectively and efficiently than today's networks. The basic processing module for all members of network 104 is the processor element (PE). FIG. 2 illustrates the structure of a PE. As shown in this figure, PE 201 comprises a processing unit (PU) 203, a direct memory access controller (DMAC) 205 and a plurality of attached processing units (APUs), namely, APU 207, APU 209, APU 211, APU 213, APU 215, APU 217, APU 219 and APU 221. A local PE bus 223 transmits data and applications among the APUs, DMAC 205 and PU 203. Local PE bus 223 can have, e.g., a conventional architecture or be implemented as a packet switch network. Implementation as a packet switch network, while requiring more hardware, increases available bandwidth. PE 201 can be constructed using various methods for implementing digital logic. PE 201 preferably is constructed, however, as a single integrated circuit employing a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) on a silicon substrate. Alternative materials for substrates include gallium arsinide, gallium aluminum arsinide and other so-called III-B compounds employing a wide variety of dopants. PE 201 also could be implemented using superconducting material, e.g., rapid single-flux-quantum (RSFQ) logic. PE 201 is closely associated with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) 225 through a high bandwidth memory connection 227. DRAM 225 functions as the main memory for PE 201. Although a DRAM 225 preferably is a dynamic random access memory, DRAM 225 could be implemented using other means, e.g., as a static random access memory (SRAM), a magnetic random access memory (MRAM), an optical memory or a holographic memory. DMAC 205 facilitates the transfer of data between DRAM 225 and the APUs and PU of PE 201. As further discussed below, DMAC 205 designates for each APU an exclusive area in DRAM 225 into which only the APU can write data and from which only the APU can read data. This exclusive area is designated a “sandbox.” PU 203 can be, e.g., a standard processor capable of stand-alone processing of data and applications. In operation, PU 203 schedules and orchestrates the processing of data and applications by the APUs. The APUs preferably are single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) processors. Under the control of PU 203, the APUs perform the processing of these data and applications in a parallel and independent manner. DMAC 205 controls accesses by PU 203 and the APUs to the data and applications stored in the shared DRAM 225. Although PE 201 preferably includes eight APUs, a greater or lesser number of APUs can be employed in a PE depending upon the processing power required. The PU 203 and some or all of the APUs may have the same hardware structure and/or functionality. Individual processors may be configured as controlling or controlled processors, if necessary, by software. For instance, in FIG. 3, the PE 201 may include nine processors having the same architecture. One of the nine processors may be designated as a controlling processor (e.g., PU 203) and the remaining processors may be designated as controlled processors (e.g., APUs 207, 209, 211, 213, 215, 217, 219 and 221). Also, a number of PEs, such as PE 201, may be joined or packaged together to provide enhanced processing power. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, four PEs may be packaged or joined together, e.g., within one or more chip packages, to form a single processor for a member of network 104. This configuration is designated a broadband engine (BE). As shown in FIG. 3, BE 301 contains four PEs, namely, PE 303, PE 305, PE 307 and PE 309. Communications among these PEs are over BE bus 311. Broad bandwidth memory connection 313 provides communication between shared DRAM 315 and these PEs. In lieu of BE bus 311, communications among the PEs of BE 301 can occur through DRAM 315 and this memory connection. Input/output (I/O) interface 317 and external bus 319 provide communications between broadband engine 301 and the other members of network 104. Each PE of BE 301 performs processing of data and applications in a parallel and independent manner analogous to the parallel and independent processing of applications and data performed by the APUs of a PE. FIG. 4 illustrates the structure of an APU. APU 402 includes local memory 406, registers 410, four floating point units 412 and four integer units 414. Again, however, depending upon the processing power required, a greater or lesser number of floating points units 512 and integer units 414 can be employed. In a preferred embodiment, local memory 406 contains 128 kilobytes of storage, and the capacity of registers 410 is 128×128 bits. Floating point units 412 preferably operate at a speed of 32 billion floating point operations per second (32 GFLOPS), and integer units 414 preferably operate at a speed of 32 billion operations per second (32 GOPS). Local memory 402 is not a cache memory. Local memory 402 is preferably constructed as an SRAM. Cache coherency support for an APU is unnecessary. A PU may require cache coherency support for direct memory accesses initiated by the PU. Cache coherency support is not required, however, for direct memory accesses initiated by an APU or for accesses from and to external devices. APU 402 further includes bus 404 for transmitting applications and data to and from the APU. In a preferred embodiment, this bus is 1,024 bits wide. APU 402 further includes internal busses 408, 420 and 418. In a preferred embodiment, bus 408 has a width of 256 bits and provides communications between local memory 406 and registers 410. Busses 420 and 418 provide communications between, respectively, registers 410 and floating point units 412, and registers 410 and integer units 414. In a preferred embodiment, the width of busses 418 and 420 from registers 410 to the floating point or integer units is 384 bits, and the width of busses 418 and 420 from the floating point or integer units to registers 410 is 128 bits. The larger width of these busses from registers 410 to the floating point or integer units than from these units to registers 410 accommodates the larger data flow from registers 410 during processing. A maximum of three words are needed for each calculation. The result of each calculation, however, normally is only one word. FIGS. 5-10 further illustrate the modular structure of the processors of the members of network 104. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a processor may comprise a single PE 502. As discussed above, this PE typically comprises a PU, DMAC and eight APUs. Each APU includes local storage (LS). On the other hand, a processor may comprise the structure of visualizer (VS) 505. As shown in FIG. 5, VS 505 comprises PU 512, DMAC 514 and four APUs, namely, APU 516, APU 518, APU 520 and APU 522. The space within the chip package normally occupied by the other four APUs of a PE is occupied in this case by pixel engine 508, image cache 510 and cathode ray tube controller (CRTC) 504. Depending upon the speed of communications required for PE 502 or VS 505, optical interface 506 also may be included on the chip package. Using this standardized, modular structure, numerous other variations of processors can be constructed easily and efficiently. For example, the processor shown in FIG. 6 comprises two chip packages, namely, chip package 602 comprising a BE and chip package 604 comprising four VSs. Input/output (I/O) 606 provides an interface between the BE of chip package 602 and network 104. Bus 608 provides communications between chip package 602 and chip package 604. Input output processor (IOP) 610 controls the flow of data into and out of I/O 606. I/O 606 may be fabricated as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The output from the VSs is video signal 612. FIG. 7 illustrates a chip package for a BE 702 with two optical interfaces 704 and 706 for providing ultra high speed communications to the other members of network 104 (or other chip packages locally connected). BE 702 can function as, e.g., a server on network 104. The chip package of FIG. 8 comprises two PEs 802 and 804 and two VSs 806 and 808. An I/O 810 provides an interface between the chip package and network 104. The output from the chip package is a video signal. This configuration may function as, e.g., a graphics work station. FIG. 9 illustrates yet another configuration. This configuration contains one-half of the processing power of the configuration illustrated in FIG. 8. Instead of two PEs, one PE 902 is provided, and instead of two VSs, one VS 904 is provided. I/O 906 has one-half the bandwidth of the I/O illustrated in FIG. 8. Such a processor also may function, however, as a graphics work station. A final configuration is shown in FIG. 10. This processor consists of only a single VS 1002 and an I/O 1004. This configuration may function as, e.g., a PDA. FIG. 11A illustrates the integration of optical interfaces into a chip package of a processor of network 104. These optical interfaces convert optical signals to electrical signals and electrical signals to optical signals and can be constructed from a variety of materials including, e.g., gallium arsinide, aluminum gallium arsinide, germanium and other elements or compounds. As shown in this figure, optical interfaces 1104 and 1106 are fabricated on the chip package of BE 1102. BE bus 1108 provides communication among the PEs of BE 1102, namely, PE 1110, PE 1112, PE 1114, PE 1116, and these optical interfaces. Optical interface 1104 includes two ports, namely, port 1118 and port 1120, and optical interface 1106 also includes two ports, namely, port 1122 and port 1124. Ports 1118, 1120, 1122 and 1124 are connected to, respectively, optical wave guides 1126, 1128, 1130 and 1132. Optical signals are transmitted to and from BE 1102 through these optical wave guides via the ports of optical interfaces 1104 and 1106. A plurality of BEs can be connected together in various configurations using such optical wave guides and the four optical ports of each BE. For example, as shown in FIG. 11B, two or more BEs, e.g., BE 1152, BE 1154 and BE 1156, can be connected serially through such optical ports. In this example, optical interface 1166 of BE 1152 is connected through its optical ports to the optical ports of optical interface 1160 of BE 1154. In a similar manner, the optical ports of optical interface 1162 on BE 1154 are connected to the optical ports of optical interface 1164 of BE 1156. A matrix configuration is illustrated in FIG. 1C. In this configuration, the optical interface of each BE is connected to two other BEs. As shown in this figure, one of the optical ports of optical interface 1188 of BE 1172 is connected to an optical port of optical interface 1182 of BE 1176. The other optical port of optical interface 1188 is connected to an optical port of optical interface 1184 of BE 1178. In a similar manner, one optical port of optical interface 1190 of BE 1174 is connected to the other optical port of optical interface 1184 of BE 1178. The other optical port of optical interface 1190 is connected to an optical port of optical interface 1186 of BE 1180. This matrix configuration can be extended in a similar manner to other BEs. Using either a serial configuration or a matrix configuration, a processor for network 104 can be constructed of any desired size and power. Of course, additional ports can be added to the optical interfaces of the BEs, or to processors having a greater or lesser number of PEs than a BE, to form other configurations. FIG. 12A illustrates the control system and structure for the DRAM of a BE. A similar control system and structure is employed in processors having other sizes and containing more or less PEs. As shown in this figure, a cross-bar switch connects each DMAC 1210 of the four PEs comprising BE 1201 to eight bank controls 1206. Each bank control 1206 controls eight banks 1208 (only four are shown in the figure) of DRAM 1204. DRAM 1204, therefore, comprises a total of sixty-four banks. In a preferred embodiment, DRAM 1204 has a capacity of 64 megabytes, and each bank has a capacity of 1 megabyte. The smallest addressable unit within each bank, in this preferred embodiment, is a block of 1024 bits. BE 1201 also includes switch unit 1212. Switch unit 1212 enables other APUs on BEs closely coupled to BE 1201 to access DRAM 1204. A second BE, therefore, can be closely coupled to a first BE, and each APU of each BE can address twice the number of memory locations normally accessible to an APU. The direct reading or writing of data from or to the DRAM of a first BE from or to the DRAM of a second BE can occur through a switch unit such as switch unit 1212. For example, as shown in FIG. 12B, to accomplish such writing, the APU of a first BE, e.g., APU 1220 of BE 1222, issues a write command to a memory location of a DRAM of a second BE, e.g., DRAM 1228 of BE 1226 (rather than, as in the usual case, to DRAM 1224 of BE 1222). DMAC 1230 of BE 1222 sends the write command through cross-bar switch 1221 to bank control 1234, and bank control 1234 transmits the command to an external port 1232 connected to bank control 1234. DMAC 1238 of BE 1226 receives the write command and transfers this command to switch unit 1240 of BE 1226. Switch unit 1240 identifies the DRAM address contained in the write command and sends the data for storage in this address through bank control 1242 of BE 1226 to bank 1244 of DRAM 1228. Switch unit 1240, therefore, enables both DRAM 1224 and DRAM 1228 to function as a single memory space for the APUs of BE 1222. FIG. 13 shows the configuration of the sixty-four banks of a DRAM. These banks are arranged into eight rows, namely, rows 1302, 1304, 1306, 1308, 1310, 1312, 1314 and 1316 and eight columns, namely, columns 1320, 1322, 1324, 1326, 1328, 1330, 1332 and 1334. Each row is controlled by a bank controller. Each bank controller, therefore, controls eight megabytes of memory. FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate different configurations for storing and accessing the smallest addressable memory unit of a DRAM, e.g., a block of 1024 bits. In FIG. 14A, DMAC 1402 stores in a single bank 1404 eight 1024 bit blocks 1406. In FIG. 14B, on the other hand, while DMAC 1412 reads and writes blocks of data containing 1024 bits, these blocks are interleaved between two banks, namely, bank 1414 and bank 1416. Each of these banks, therefore, contains sixteen blocks of data, and each block of data contains 512 bits. This interleaving can facilitate faster accessing of the DRAM and is useful in the processing of certain applications. FIG. 15 illustrates the architecture for a DMAC 1504 within a PE. As illustrated in this figure, the structural hardware comprising DMAC 1506 is distributed throughout the PE such that each APU 1502 has direct access to a structural node 1504 of DMAC 1506. Each node executes the logic appropriate for memory accesses by the APU to which the node has direct access. FIG. 16 shows an alternative embodiment of the DMAC, namely, a non-distributed architecture. In this case, the structural hardware of DMAC 1606 is centralized. APUs 1602 and PU 1604 communicate with DMAC 1606 via local PE bus 1607. DMAC 1606 is connected through a cross-bar switch to a bus 1608. Bus 1608 is connected to DRAM 1610. As discussed above, all of the multiple APUs of a PE can independently access data in the shared DRAM. As a result, a first APU could be operating upon particular data in its local storage at a time during which a second APU requests these data. If the data were provided to the second APU at that time from the shared DRAM, the data could be invalid because of the first APU's ongoing processing which could change the data's value. If the second processor received the data from the shared DRAM at that time, therefore, the second processor could generate an erroneous result. For example, the data could be a specific value for a global variable. If the first processor changed that value during its processing, the second processor would receive an outdated value. A scheme is necessary, therefore, to synchronize the APUs' reading and writing of data from and to memory locations within the shared DRAM. This scheme must prevent the reading of data from a memory location upon which another APU currently is operating in its local storage and, therefore, which are not current, and the writing of data into a memory location storing current data. To overcome these problems, for each addressable memory location of the DRAM, an additional segment of memory is allocated in the DRAM for storing status information relating to the data stored in the memory location. This status information includes a full/empty (F/E) bit, the identification of an APU (APU ID) requesting data from the memory location and the address of the APU's local storage (LS address) to which the requested data should be read. An addressable memory location of the DRAM can be of any size. In a preferred embodiment, this size is 1024 bits. The setting of the F/E bit to 1 indicates that the data stored in the associated memory location are current. The setting of the F/E bit to 0, on the other hand, indicates that the data stored in the associated memory location are not current. If an APU requests the data when this bit is set to 0, the APU is prevented from immediately reading the data. In this case, an APU ID identifying the APU requesting the data, and an LS address identifying the memory location within the local storage of this APU to which the data are to be read when the data become current, are entered into the additional memory segment. An additional memory segment also is allocated for each memory location within the local storage of the APUs. This additional memory segment stores one bit, designated the “busy bit.” The busy bit is used to reserve the associated LS memory location for the storage of specific data to be retrieved from the DRAM. If the busy bit is set to 1 for a particular memory location in local storage, the APU can use this memory location only for the writing of these specific data. On the other hand, if the busy bit is set to 0 for a particular memory location in local storage, the APU can use this memory location for the writing of any data. Examples of the manner in which the F/E bit, the APU ID, the LS address and the busy bit are used to synchronize the reading and writing of data from and to the shared DRAM of a PE are illustrated in FIGS. 17A-17O. As shown in FIG. 17A, one or more PEs, e.g., PE 1720, interact with DRAM 1702. PE 1720 includes APU 1722 and APU 1740. APU 1722 includes control logic 1724, and APU 1740 includes control logic 1742. APU 1722 also includes local storage 1726. This local storage includes a plurality of addressable memory locations 1728. APU 1740 includes local storage 1744, and this local storage also includes a plurality of addressable memory locations 1746. All of these addressable memory locations preferably are 1024 bits in size. An additional segment of memory is associated with each LS addressable memory location. For example, memory segments 1729 and 1734 are associated with, respectively, local memory locations 1731 and 1732, and memory segment 1752 is associated with local memory location 1750. A “busy bit,” as discussed above, is stored in each of these additional memory segments. Local memory location 1732 is shown with several Xs to indicate that this location contains data. DRAM 1702 contains a plurality of addressable memory locations 1704, including memory locations 1706 and 1708. These memory locations preferably also are 1024 bits in size. An additional segment of memory also is associated with each of these memory locations. For example, additional memory segment 1760 is associated with memory location 1706, and additional memory segment 1762 is associated with memory location 1708. Status information relating to the data stored in each memory location is stored in the memory segment associated with the memory location. This status information includes, as discussed above, the F/E bit, the APU ID and the LS address. For example, for memory location 1708, this status information includes F/E bit 1712, APU ID 1714 and LS address 1716. Using the status information and the busy bit, the synchronized reading and writing of data from and to the shared DRAM among the APUs of a PE, or a group of PEs, can be achieved. FIG. 17B illustrates the initiation of the synchronized writing of data from LS memory location 1732 of APU 1722 to memory location 1708 of DRAM 1702. Control 1724 of APU 1722 initiates the synchronized writing of these data. Since memory location 1708 is empty, F/E bit 1712 is set to 0. As a result, the data in LS location 1732 can be written into memory location 1708. If this bit were set to 1 to indicate that memory location 1708 is full and contains current, valid data, on the other hand, control 1722 would receive an error message and be prohibited from writing data into this memory location. The result of the successful synchronized writing of the data into memory location 1708 is shown in FIG. 17C. The written data are stored in memory location 1708, and F/E bit 1712 is set to 1. This setting indicates that memory location 1708 is full and that the data in this memory location are current and valid. FIG. 17D illustrates the initiation of the synchronized reading of data from memory location 1708 of DRAM 1702 to LS memory location 1750 of local storage 1744. To initiate this reading, the busy bit in memory segment 1752 of LS memory location 1750 is set to 1 to reserve this memory location for these data. The setting of this busy bit to 1 prevents APU 1740 from storing other data in this memory location. As shown in FIG. 17E, control logic 1742 next issues a synchronize read command for memory location 1708 of DRAM 1702. Since F/E bit 1712 associated with this memory location is set to 1, the data stored in memory location 1708 are considered current and valid. As a result, in preparation for transferring the data from memory location 1708 to LS memory location 1750, F/E bit 1712 is set to 0. This setting is shown in FIG. 17F. The setting of this bit to 0 indicates that, following the reading of these data, the data in memory location 1708 will be invalid. As shown in FIG. 17G, the data within memory location 1708 next are read from memory location 1708 to LS memory location 1750. FIG. 17H shows the final state. A copy of the data in memory location 1708 is stored in LS memory location 1750. F/E bit 1712 is set to 0 to indicate that the data in memory location 1708 are invalid. This invalidity is the result of alterations to these data to be made by APU 1740. The busy bit in memory segment 1752 also is set to 0. This setting indicates that LS memory location 1750 now is available to APU 1740 for any purpose, i.e., this LS memory location no longer is in a reserved state waiting for the receipt of specific data. LS memory location 1750, therefore, now can be accessed by APU 1740 for any purpose. FIGS. 17I-17O illustrate the synchronized reading of data from a memory location of DRAM 1702, e.g., memory location 1708, to an LS memory location of an APU's local storage, e.g., LS memory location 1752 of local storage 1744, when the F/E bit for the memory location of DRAM 1702 is set to 0 to indicate that the data in this memory location are not current or valid. As shown in FIG. 17I, to initiate this transfer, the busy bit in memory segment 1752 of LS memory location 1750 is set to 1 to reserve this LS memory location for this transfer of data. As shown in FIG. 17J, control logic 1742 next issues a synchronize read command for memory location 1708 of DRAM 1702. Since the F/E bit associated with this memory location, F/E bit 1712, is set to 0, the data stored in memory location 1708 are invalid. As a result, a signal is transmitted to control logic 1742 to block the immediate reading of data from this memory location. As shown in FIG. 17K, the APU ID 1714 and LS address 1716 for this read command next are written into memory segment 1762. In this case, the APU ID for APU 1740 and the LS memory location for LS memory location 1750 are written into memory segment 1762. When the data within memory location 1708 become current, therefore, this APU ID and LS memory location are used for determining the location to which the current data are to be transmitted. The data in memory location 1708 become valid and current when an APU writes data into this memory location. The synchronized writing of data into memory location 1708 from, e.g., memory location 1732 of APU 1722, is illustrated in FIG. 17L. This synchronized writing of these data is permitted because F/E bit 1712 for this memory location is set to 0. As shown in FIG. 17M, following this writing, the data in memory location 1708 become current and valid. APU ID 1714 and LS address 1716 from memory segment 1762, therefore, immediately are read from memory segment 1762, and this information then is deleted from this segment. F/E bit 1712 also is set to 0 in anticipation of the immediate reading of the data in memory location 1708. As shown in FIG. 17N, upon reading APU ID 1714 and LS address 1716, this information immediately is used for reading the valid data in memory location 1708 to LS memory location 1750 of APU 1740. The final state is shown in FIG. 170. This figure shows the valid data from memory location 1708 copied to memory location 1750, the busy bit in memory segment 1752 set to 0 and F/E bit 1712 in memory segment 1762 set to 0. The setting of this busy bit to 0 enables LS memory location 1750 now to be accessed by APU 1740 for any purpose. The setting of this F/E bit to 0 indicates that the data in memory location 1708 no longer are current and valid. FIG. 18 summarizes the operations described above and the various states of a memory location of the DRAM based upon the states of the F/E bit, the APU ID and the LS address stored in the memory segment corresponding to the memory location. The memory location can have three states. These three states are an empty state 1880 in which the F/E bit is set to 0 and no information is provided for the APU ID or the LS address, a full state 1882 in which the F/E bit is set to 1 and no information is provided for the APU ID or LS address and a blocking state 1884 in which the F/E bit is set to 0 and information is provided for the APU ID and LS address. As shown in this figure, in empty state 1880, a synchronized writing operation is permitted and results in a transition to full state 1882. A synchronized reading operation, however, results in a transition to the blocking state 1884 because the data in the memory location, when the memory location is in the empty state, are not current. In full state 1882, a synchronized reading operation is permitted and results in a transition to empty state 1880. On the other hand, a synchronized writing operation in full state 1882 is prohibited to prevent overwriting of valid data. If such a writing operation is attempted in this state, no state change occurs and an error message is transmitted to the APU's corresponding control logic. In blocking state 1884, the synchronized writing of data into the memory location is permitted and results in a transition to empty state 1880. On the other hand, a synchronized reading operation in blocking state 1884 is prohibited to prevent a conflict with the earlier synchronized reading operation which resulted in this state. If a synchronized reading operation is attempted in blocking state 1884, no state change occurs and an error message is transmitted to the APU's corresponding control logic. The scheme described above for the synchronized reading and writing of data from and to the shared DRAM also can be used for eliminating the computational resources normally dedicated by a processor for reading data from, and writing data to, external devices. This input/output (I/O) function could be performed by a PU. However, using a modification of this synchronization scheme, an APU running an appropriate program can perform this function. For example, using this scheme, a PU receiving an interrupt request for the transmission of data from an I/O interface initiated by an external device can delegate the handling of this request to this APU. The APU then issues a synchronize write command to the I/O interface. This interface in turn signals the external device that data now can be written into the DRAM. The APU next issues a synchronize read command to the DRAM to set the DRAM's relevant memory space into a blocking state. The APU also sets to 1 the busy bits for the memory locations of the APU's local storage needed to receive the data. In the blocking state, the additional memory segments associated with the DRAM's relevant memory space contain the APU's ID and the address of the relevant memory locations of the APU's local storage. The external device next issues a synchronize write command to write the data directly to the DRAM's relevant memory space. Since this memory space is in the blocking state, the data are immediately read out of this space into the memory locations of the APU's local storage identified in the additional memory segments. The busy bits for these memory locations then are set to 0. When the external device completes writing of the data, the APU issues a signal to the PU that the transmission is complete. Using this scheme, therefore, data transfers from external devices can be processed with minimal computational load on the PU. The APU delegated this function, however, should be able to issue an interrupt request to the PU, and the external device should have direct access to the DRAM. The DRAM of each PE includes a plurality of “sandboxes.” A sandbox defines an area of the shared DRAM beyond which a particular APU, or set of APUs, cannot read or write data. These sandboxes provide security against the corruption of data being processed by one APU by data being processed by another APU. These sandboxes also permit the downloading of software cells from network 104 into a particular sandbox without the possibility of the software cell corrupting data throughout the DRAM. In the present invention, the sandboxes are implemented in the hardware of the DRAMs and DMACs. By implementing these sandboxes in this hardware rather than in software, advantages in speed and security are obtained. The PU of a PE controls the sandboxes assigned to the APUs. Since the PU normally operates only trusted programs, such as an operating system, this scheme does not jeopardize security. In accordance with this scheme, the PU builds and maintains a key control table. This key control table is illustrated in FIG. 19. As shown in this figure, each entry in key control table 1902 contains an identification (ID) 1904 for an APU, an APU key 1906 for that APU and a key mask 1908. The use of this key mask is explained below. Key control table 1902 preferably is stored in a relatively fast memory, such as a static random access memory (SRAM), and is associated with the DMAC. The entries in key control table 1902 are controlled by the PU. When an APU requests the writing of data to, or the reading of data from, a particular storage location of the DRAM, the DMAC evaluates the APU key 1906 assigned to that APU in key control table 1902 against a memory access key associated with that storage location. As shown in FIG. 20, a dedicated memory segment 2010 is assigned to each addressable storage location 2006 of a DRAM 2002. A memory access key 2012 for the storage location is stored in this dedicated memory segment. As discussed above, a further additional dedicated memory segment 2008, also associated with each addressable storage location 2006, stores synchronization information for writing data to, and reading data from, the storage location. In operation, an APU issues a DMA command to the DMAC. This command includes the address of a storage location 2006 of DRAM 2002. Before executing this command, the DMAC looks up the requesting APU's key 1906 in key control table 1902 using the APU's ID 1904. The DMAC then compares the APU key 1906 of the requesting APU to the memory access key 2012 stored in the dedicated memory segment 2010 associated with the storage location of the DRAM to which the APU seeks access. If the two keys do not match, the DMA command is not executed. On the other hand, if the two keys match, the DMA command proceeds and the requested memory access is executed. An alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 21. In this embodiment, the PU also maintains a memory access control table 2102. Memory access control table 2102 contains an entry for each sandbox within the DRAM. In the particular example of FIG. 21, the DRAM contains 64 sandboxes. Each entry in memory access control table 2102 contains an identification (ID) 2104 for a sandbox, a base memory address 2106, a sandbox size 2108, a memory access key 2110 and an access key mask 2112. Base memory address 2106 provides the address in the DRAM, which starts a particular memory sandbox. Sandbox size 2108 provides the size of the sandbox and, therefore, the endpoint of the particular sandbox. FIG. 22 is a flow diagram of the steps for executing a DMA command using key control table 1902 and memory access control table 2102. In step 2202, an APU issues a DMA command to the DMAC for access to a particular memory location or locations within a sandbox. This command includes a sandbox ID 2104 identifying the particular sandbox for which access is requested. In step 2204, the DMAC looks up the requesting APU's key 1906 in key control table 1902 using the APU's ID 1904. In step 2206, the DMAC uses the sandbox ID 2104 in the command to look up in memory access control table 2102 the memory access key 2110 associated with that sandbox. In step 2208, the DMAC compares the APU key 1906 assigned to the requesting APU to the access key 2110 associated with the sandbox. In step 2210, a determination is made of whether the two keys match. If the two keys do not match, the process moves to step 2212 where the DMA command does not proceed and an error message is sent to either the requesting APU, the PU or both. On the other hand, if at step 2210 the two keys are found to match, the process proceeds to step 2214 where the DMAC executes the DMA command. The key masks for the APU keys and the memory access keys provide greater flexibility to this system. A key mask for a key converts a masked bit into a wildcard. For example, if the key mask 1908 associated with an APU key 1906 has its last two bits set to “mask,” designated by, e.g., setting these bits in key mask 1908 to 1, the APU key can be either a 1 or a 0 and still match the memory access key. For example, the APU key might be 1010. This APU key normally allows access only to a sandbox having an access key of 1010. If the APU key mask for this APU key is set to 0001, however, then this APU key can be used to gain access to sandboxes having an access key of either 1010 or 1011. Similarly, an access key 1010 with a mask set to 0001 can be accessed by an APU with an APU key of either 1010 or 1011. Since both the APU key mask and the memory key mask can be used simultaneously, numerous variations of accessibility by the APUs to the sandboxes can be established. The present invention also provides a new programming model for the processors of system 101. This programming model employs software cells 102. These cells can be transmitted to any processor on network 104 for processing. This new programming model also utilizes the unique modular architecture of system 101 and the processors of system 101. Software cells are processed directly by the APUs from the APU's local storage. The APUs do not directly operate on any data or programs in the DRAM. Data and programs in the DRAM are read into the APU's local storage before the APU processes these data and programs. The APU's local storage, therefore, includes a program counter, stack and other software elements for executing these programs. The PU controls the APUs by issuing direct memory access (DMA) commands to the DMAC. The structure of software cells 102 is illustrated in FIG. 23. As shown in this figure, a software cell, e.g., software cell 2302, contains routing information section 2304 and body 2306. The information contained in routing information section 2304 is dependent upon the protocol of network 104. Routing information section 2304 contains header 2308, destination ID 2310, source ID 2312 and reply ID 2314. The destination ID includes a network address. Under the TCP/IP protocol, e.g., the network address is an Internet protocol (IP) address. Destination ID 2310 further includes the identity of the PE and APU to which the cell should be transmitted for processing. Source ID 2314 contains a network address and identifies the PE and APU from which the cell originated to enable the destination PE and APU to obtain additional information regarding the cell if necessary. Reply ID 2314 contains a network address and identifies the PE and APU to which queries regarding the cell, and the result of processing of the cell, should be directed. Cell body 2306 contains information independent of the network's protocol. The exploded portion of FIG. 23 shows the details of cell body 2306. Header 2320 of cell body 2306 identifies the start of the cell body. Cell interface 2322 contains information necessary for the cell's utilization. This information includes global unique ID 2324, required APUs 2326, sandbox size 2328 and previous cell ID 2330. Global unique ID 2324 uniquely identifies software cell 2302 throughout network 104. Global unique ID 2324 is generated on the basis of source ID 2312, e.g. the unique identification of a PE or APU within source ID 2312, and the time and date of generation or transmission of software cell 2302. Required APUs 2326 provides the minimum number of APUs required to execute the cell. Sandbox size 2328 provides the amount of protected memory in the required APUs' associated DRAM necessary to execute the cell. Previous cell ID 2330 provides the identity of a previous cell in a group of cells requiring sequential execution, e.g., streaming data. Implementation section 2332 contains the cell's core information. This information includes DMA command list 2334, programs 2336 and data 2338. Programs 2336 contain the programs to be run by the APUs (called “apulets”), e.g., APU programs 2360 and 2362, and data 2338 contain the data to be processed with these programs. DMA command list 2334 contains a series of DMA commands needed to start the programs. These DMA commands include DMA commands 2340, 2350, 2355 and 2358. The PU issues these DMA commands to the DMAC. DMA command 2340 includes VID 2342. VID 2342 is the virtual ID of an APU which is mapped to a physical ID when the DMA commands are issued. DMA command 2340 also includes load command 2344 and address 2346. Load command 2344 directs the APU to read particular information from the DRAM into local storage. Address 2346 provides the virtual address in the DRAM containing this information. The information can be, e.g., programs from programs section 2336, data from data section 2338 or other data. Finally, DMA command 2340 includes local storage address 2348. This address identifies the address in local storage where the information should be loaded. DMA commands 2350 contain similar information. Other DMA commands are also possible. DMA command list 2334 also includes a series of kick commands, e.g., kick commands 2355 and 2358. Kick commands are commands issued by a PU to an APU to initiate the processing of a cell. DMA kick command 2355 includes virtual APU ID 2352, kick command 2354 and program counter 2356. Virtual APU ID 2352 identifies the APU to be kicked, kick command 2354 provides the relevant kick command and program counter 2356 provides the address for the program counter for executing the program. DMA kick command 2358 provides similar information for the same APU or another APU. As noted, the PUs treat the APUs as independent processors, not co-processors. To control processing by the APUS, therefore, the PU uses commands analogous to remote procedure calls. These commands are designated “APU Remote Procedure Calls” (ARPCs). A PU implements an ARPC by issuing a series of DMA commands to the DMAC. The DMAC loads the APU program and its associated stack frame into the local storage of an APU. The PU then issues an initial kick to the APU to execute the APU Program. FIG. 24 illustrates the steps of an ARPC for executing an apulet. The steps performed by the PU in initiating processing of the apulet by a designated APU are shown in the first portion 2402 of FIG. 24, and the steps performed by the designated APU in processing the apulet are shown in the second portion 2404 of FIG. 24. In step 2410, the PU evaluates the apulet and then designates an APU for processing the apulet. In step 2412, the PU allocates space in the DRAM for executing the apulet by issuing a DMA command to the DMAC to set memory access keys for the necessary sandbox or sandboxes. In step 2414, the PU enables an interrupt request for the designated APU to signal completion of the apulet. In step 2418, the PU issues a DMA command to the DMAC to load the apulet from the DRAM to the local storage of the APU. In step 2420, the DMA command is executed, and the apulet is read from the DRAM to the APU's local storage. In step 2422, the PU issues a DMA command to the DMAC to load the stack frame associated with the apulet from the DRAM to the APU's local storage. In step 2423, the DMA command is executed, and the stack frame is read from the DRAM to the APU's local storage. In step 2424, the PU issues a DMA command for the DMAC to assign a key to the APU to allow the APU to read and write data from and to the hardware sandbox or sandboxes designated in step 2412. In step 2426, the DMAC updates the key control table (KTAB) with the key assigned to the APU. In step 2428, the PU issues a DMA command “kick” to the APU to start processing of the program. Other DMA commands may be issued by the PU in the execution of a particular ARPC depending upon the particular apulet. As indicated above, second portion 2404 of FIG. 24 illustrates the steps performed by the APU in executing the apulet. In step 2430, the APU begins to execute the apulet in response to the kick command issued at step 2428. In step 2432, the APU, at the direction of the apulet, evaluates the apulet's associated stack frame. In step 2434, the APU issues multiple DMA commands to the DMAC to load data designated as needed by the stack frame from the DRAM to the APU's local storage. In step 2436, these DMA commands are executed, and the data are read from the DRAM to the APU's local storage. In step 2438, the APU executes the apulet and generates a result. In step 2440, the APU issues a DMA command to the DMAC to store the result in the DRAM. In step 2442, the DMA command is executed and the result of the apulet is written from the APU's local storage to the DRAM. In step 2444, the APU issues an interrupt request to the PU to signal that the ARPC has been completed. The ability of APUs to perform tasks independently under the direction of a PU enables a PU to dedicate a group of APUs, and the memory resources associated with a group of APUs, to performing extended tasks. For example, a PU can dedicate one or more APUs, and a group of memory sandboxes associated with these one or more APUs, to receiving data transmitted over network 104 over an extended period and to directing the data received during this period to one or more other APUs and their associated memory sandboxes for further processing. This ability is particularly advantageous to processing streaming data transmitted over network 104, e.g., streaming MPEG or streaming ATRAC audio or video data. A PU can dedicate one or more APUs and their associated memory sandboxes to receiving these data and one or more other APUs and their associated memory sandboxes to decompressing and further processing these data. In other words, the PU can establish a dedicated pipeline relationship among a group of APUs and their associated memory sandboxes for processing such data. In order for such processing to be performed efficiently, however, the pipeline's dedicated APUs and memory sandboxes should remain dedicated to the pipeline during periods in which processing of apulets comprising the data stream does not occur. In other words, the dedicated APUs and their associated sandboxes should be placed in a reserved state during these periods. The reservation of an APU and its associated memory sandbox or sandboxes upon completion of processing of an apulet is called a “resident termination.” A resident termination occurs in response to an instruction from a PU. FIGS. 25, 26A and 26B illustrate the establishment of a dedicated pipeline structure comprising a group of APUs and their associated sandboxes for the processing of streaming data, e.g., streaming MPEG data. As shown in FIG. 25, the components of this pipeline structure include PE 2502 and DRAM 2518. PE 2502 includes PU 2504, DMAC 2506 and a plurality of APUs, including APU 2508, APU 2510 and APU 2512. Communications among PU 2504, DMAC 2506 and these APUs occur through PE bus 2514. Wide bandwidth bus 2516 connects DMAC 2506 to DRAM 2518. DRAM 2518 includes a plurality of sandboxes, e.g., sandbox 2520, sandbox 2522, sandbox 2524 and sandbox 2526. FIG. 26A illustrates the steps for establishing the dedicated pipeline. In step 2610, PU 2504 assigns APU 2508 to process a network apulet. A network apulet comprises a program for processing the network protocol of network 104. In this case, this protocol is the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). TCP/IP data packets conforming to this protocol are transmitted over network 104. Upon receipt, APU 2508 processes these packets and assembles the data in the packets into software cells 102. In step 2612, PU 2504 instructs APU 2508 to perform resident terminations upon the completion of the processing of the network apulet. In step 2614, PU 2504 assigns APUs 2510 and 2512 to process MPEG apulets. In step 2615, PU 2504 instructs APUs 2510 and 2512 also to perform resident terminations upon the completion of the processing of the MPEG apulets. In step 2616, PU 2504 designates sandbox 2520 as a source sandbox for access by APU 2508 and APU 2510. In step 2618, PU 2504 designates sandbox 2522 as a destination sandbox for access by APU 2510. In step 2620, PU 2504 designates sandbox 2524 as a source sandbox for access by APU 2508 and APU 2512. In step 2622, PU 2504 designates sandbox 2526 as a destination sandbox for access by APU 2512. In step 2624, APU 2510 and APU 2512 send synchronize read commands to blocks of memory within, respectively, source sandbox 2520 and source sandbox 2524 to set these blocks of memory into the blocking state. The process finally moves to step 2628 where establishment of the dedicated pipeline is complete and the resources dedicated to the pipeline are reserved. APUs 2508, 2510 and 2512 and their associated sandboxes 2520, 2522, 2524 and 2526, therefore, enter the reserved state. FIG. 26B illustrates the steps for processing streaming MPEG data by this dedicated pipeline. In step 2630, APU 2508, which processes the network apulet, receives in its local storage TCP/IP data packets from network 104. In step 2632, APU 2508 processes these TCP/IP data packets and assembles the data within these packets into software cells 102. In step 2634, APU 2508 examines header 2320 (FIG. 23) of the software cells to determine whether the cells contain MPEG data. If a cell does not contain MPEG data, then, in step 2636, APU 2508 transmits the cell to a general purpose sandbox designated within DRAM 2518 for processing other data by other APUs not included within the dedicated pipeline. APU 2508 also notifies PU 2504 of this transmission. On the other hand, if a software cell contains MPEG data, then, in step 2638, APU 2508 examines previous cell ID 2330 (FIG. 23) of the cell to identify the MPEG data stream to which the cell belongs. In step 2640, APU 2508 chooses an APU of the dedicated pipeline for processing of the cell. In this case, APU 2508 chooses APU 2510 to process these data. This choice is based upon previous cell ID 2330 and load balancing factors. For example, if previous cell ID 2330 indicates that the previous software cell of the MPEG data stream to which the software cell belongs was sent to APU 2510 for processing, then the present software cell normally also will be sent to APU 2510 for processing. In step 2642, APU 2508 issues a synchronize write command to write the MPEG data to sandbox 2520. Since this sandbox previously was set to the blocking state, the MPEG data, in step 2644, automatically is read from sandbox 2520 to the local storage of APU 2510. In step 2646, APU 2510 processes the MPEG data in its local storage to generate video data. In step 2648, APU 2510 writes the video data to sandbox 2522. In step 2650, APU 2510 issues a synchronize read command to sandbox 2520 to prepare this sandbox to receive additional MPEG data. In step 2652, APU 2510 processes a resident termination. This processing causes this APU to enter the reserved state during which the APU waits to process additional MPEG data in the MPEG data stream. Other dedicated structures can be established among a group of APUs and their associated sandboxes for processing other types of data. For example, as shown in FIG. 27, a dedicated group of APUs, e.g., APUs 2702, 2708 and 2714, can be established for performing geometric transformations upon three dimensional objects to generate two dimensional display lists. These two dimensional display lists can be further processed (rendered) by other APUs to generate pixel data. To perform this processing, sandboxes are dedicated to APUs 2702, 2708 and 2414 for storing the three dimensional objects and the display lists resulting from the processing of these objects. For example, source sandboxes 2704, 2710 and 2716 are dedicated to storing the three dimensional objects processed by, respectively, APU 2702, APU 2708 and APU 2714. In a similar manner, destination sandboxes 2706, 2712 and 2718 are dedicated to storing the display lists resulting from the processing of these three dimensional objects by, respectively, APU 2702, APU 2708 and APU 2714. Coordinating APU 2720 is dedicated to receiving in its local storage the display lists from destination sandboxes 2706, 2712 and 2718. APU 2720 arbitrates among these display lists and sends them to other APUs for the rendering of pixel data. The processors of system 101 also employ an absolute timer. The absolute timer provides a clock signal to the APUs and other elements of a PE which is both independent of, and faster than, the clock signal driving these elements. The use of this absolute timer is illustrated in FIG. 28. As shown in this figure, the absolute timer establishes a time budget for the performance of tasks by the APUs. This time budget provides a time for completing these tasks which is longer than that necessary for the APUs' processing of the tasks. As a result, for each task, there is, within the time budget, a busy period and a standby period. All apulets are written for processing on the basis of this time budget regardless of the APUs' actual processing time or speed. For example, for a particular APU of a PE, a particular task may be performed during busy period 2802 of time budget 2804. Since busy period 2802 is less than time budget 2804, a standby period 2806 occurs during the time budget. During this standby period, the APU goes into a sleep mode during which less power is consumed by the APU. The results of processing a task are not expected by other APUs, or other elements of a PE, until a time budget 2804 expires. Using the time budget established by the absolute timer, therefore, the results of the APUs' processing always are coordinated regardless of the APUs' actual processing speeds. In the future, the speed of processing by the APUs will become faster. The time budget established by the absolute timer, however, will remain the same. For example, as shown in FIG. 28, an APU in the future will execute a task in a shorter period and, therefore, will have a longer standby period. Busy period 2808, therefore, is shorter than busy period 2802, and standby period 2810 is longer than standby period 2806. However, since programs are written for processing on the basis of the same time budget established by the absolute timer, coordination of the results of processing among the APUs is maintained. As a result, faster APUs can process programs written for slower APUs without causing conflicts in the times at which the results of this processing are expected. In lieu of an absolute timer to establish coordination among the APUS, the PU, or one or more designated APUs, can analyze the particular instructions or microcode being executed by an APU in processing an apulet for problems in the coordination of the APUs' parallel processing created by enhanced or different operating speeds. “No operation” (“NOOP”) instructions can be inserted into the instructions and executed by some of the APUs to maintain the proper sequential completion of processing by the APUs expected by the apulet. By inserting these NOOPs into the instructions, the correct timing for the APUs' execution of all instructions can be maintained. As described above, each processing element (PE) comprises a processing unit (PU) and a plurality of attached processing units (APUS) for performing parallel processing of data by one or more applications by the APUs coordinated and controlled by the PU. Some variations of this PE were described in the context of a Broadband Engine (BE) and the Visualizer (VS). Regardless, approaches to power management must be considered in the design of a PE (or for that matter, any type of processor). In general, any processor produces heat as a result of using power in executing instructions (e.g., processing data according to applications). In particular, a PE, or any processor having a relatively high transistor density and a relatively high switching speed (e.g., clock cycle), may potentially damage itself by producing too much heat. This problem may be addressed by power management. In addition, the use of power management can reduce the operating cost of a processor through reducing the average amount of power it uses, and may increase the ability of the processor to be used in portable applications. One form of straight-forward power management is simply to design a PE to operate at maximum, or close to maximum, power levels all of the time without generating enough heat to damage itself. However, this approach further complicates the chip-level design of the processor, and increases the expense of manufacturing. These problems are increased by the use of temperature sensors and the like in a mechanical feedback design for the processor. To avoid the disadvantages of the above approaches, a non-mechanical, feedback, power management approach may be used. In such an approach, the execution of instructions, and the observed, or estimated, correlation of average heat output per instruction, is used to estimate the amount of heat being generated over a period of time. With this information a power management application may be able to dynamically alter the execution of an application to avoid overheating. Moreover, we have observed that the amount of heat generated by a processor is directly proportional to the type of instruction that the processor is executing, e.g., some instructions use more of the processor than other instructions. Therefore, and in accordance with the invention, a processing environment performs power management by monitoring the number and type of processor accesses and estimating an energy usage as a function thereof. A simplified form of the inventive concept is shown in FIG. 29. A processing environment 2900 comprises a central processing unit (CPU) 2905 and a number of instruction counters, as represented by instruction counters 2910 and 2920 for use, e.g., in a personal computer, network server, etc. The elements shown in FIG. 29 can either represent an integrated circuit or a number of discrete circuit elements. The flow of instructions to CPU 2905 for execution occurs via bus 2906. In this example, the instruction set of CPU 2905 is divided a priori into a number of types, at least two of which are monitored by the arrangement shown in FIG. 29. Illustratively, instruction counter 2910 monitors bus 2906 for keeping count of the number of floating point instructions, while instruction counter 2920 monitors bus 2906 for keeping count of the number of fixed point instructions. Since an instruction set of a processor is predefined, the design of an instruction counter is straightforward and will not be described herein. Each instruction counter is capable of being reset by CPU 2905 via control signal 2909. The value of the count of each type of instruction currently stored in each instruction counter is available to CPU 2905 via bus 2907. Although shown as separate buses, a bi-directional bus can be used in place of one, or more, of buses 2906 and 2907. With continued reference to FIG. 29, an illustrative method for use by processing environment 2900 for performing power management is shown in FIG. 30. In step 3005, CPU 2905 resets, or clears, instruction counters 2910 and 2920. In step 3010, CPU 2905 executes instructions, via bus 2906, of a program (not shown) for a time period T. After the expiration of the time period T, CPU 2905 reads the values from instruction counters 2910 and 2920 in step 3015. In step 3020, CPU 2905 estimates a heat level as a function of the type of instructions executed in the aforementioned time period T. Of course, digital logic other than the CPU could also be used to perform this estimation. This power management scheme assumes that the period of time T will, in general, be much less than the amount of time it takes for a significant heat change within the processor. One illustration of estimating a heat level is to assign a priori an average amount of heat, F, for each floating point instruction and an average amount of heat, I, for each fixed point instruction. An estimate of the heat level is then determined by multiplying the values of the respective instruction counters with the assigned average amounts of heat. For example, Estimated Heat level=(F)(f)+(I)(i); where f and i represent the values of the count from instruction counters 2910 and 2920, respectively. Once an estimate of the heat level is determined, CPU 2905 can, if necessary, attempt corrective action if the estimated heat level is above a predetermined value by, e.g., enforcing an idle period before continuing execution of any programs, or setting an alarm. In another embodiment, a processing element (PE) includes a processing unit (PU) and a number of attached processing units (APUs), at least one of which is adapted to keep track of at least some of the instructions being executed. For example, the instruction set of an APU is divided a priori into a number of types, each type associated with a different amount of power consumption which serves as a proxy for heat generation. The APU keeps track of the amount of each type of instruction—the power information—executed over a time period and provides this power at information to the PU. Stated another way, the APU monitors a rate at which it executes instructions. Alternatively, the APU monitors a rate at which another APU within the same PE (or within another PE) executes instructions. The PU then performs power management as a function of the power information provided by the APU. For example, the PU may direct that a particular APU enter an idle state to reduce power consumption. It should be noted that one, or more APUs can provide their respective power information to the PU or to another APU, which then performs, e.g., dynamic power management. It is not necessary that every APU implement the inventive concept. An illustrative embodiment for a PE that dynamically performs power management is shown in FIG. 31. PE 3100 is similar to the above-described PEs and, as such, like numbers represent similar elements and are not described further herein. For example, see PU 203 of FIG. 2. PE 3100 comprises PU 203 and a number of APUs as represented by APU 3110 (again, a PE can have any number of APUs depending on the processing power desired). APU 3110 comprises four instruction counters: 3115, 3120, 3125 and 3130. Each instruction processed by an APU is illustratively designated as being either a vector instruction or a scalar instruction. A vector instruction can either be a floating point vector instruction or an integer vector instruction. Similarly, each scalar instruction can either be a floating point scalar instruction or an integer scalar instruction. Thus, in this example, there are four possible types of instructions, the execution of which is subject to generating different amounts of heat. In descending order, it is assumed that the floating point vector instruction (a count of which is kept by instruction counter 3115) uses the most power and, therefore, produces the most heat. The next highest power is consumed by the integer vector instruction (count maintained by instruction counter 3120), and then the floating point scalar instruction (count maintained by instruction counter 3125). Finally, the integer scalar instruction generates the least amount of heat (a count of which is maintained by instruction counter 3130). Thus, an APU, via the instruction counters, will keep track of how many of each of these four different types of instructions are executed over a time period T. At the end of the time period T, the power information for APU 3110, i.e., the four different instruction counts, are provided to PU 203 (e.g., via an interrupt on bus 223) and APU 3110 resets the instruction counters. A more detailed view of APU 3110 is shown in FIG. 32. Again, APU 3110 is similar to the APU 402 described above with reference to FIG. 4 and, as such, like numbers represent similar elements and are not described further herein. APU 3110 additionally comprises the four instruction counters 3115, 3120, 3125 and 3130, as described above. These instruction counters monitor the instructions being executed via bus 408 and store the respective instruction counts. The instruction counters output the counts they maintain onto bus 408 under appropriate conditions, e.g. upon request, upon expiration of a predetermined time interval, or in an interrupt driven fashion, such as upon exceeding a particular threshold prior to expiration of the time interval. An illustrative power management method for use in PE 3100 is shown in FIG. 33. Steps 3305 through 3320 are performed by APU 3110, while steps 3330 and 3345 are performed by PU 203. In step 3305, APU 3110 resets instruction counters 3115, 3120, 3125 and 3130. In step 3310, APU 3110 executes instructions of a program (not shown) for a time period T. After the expiration of the time period T, APU 3110 reads the values from instruction counters 3115, 3120, 3125 and 3130 in step 3315. In step 3320, APU 3110 provides, e.g., via an interrupt, the power information, i.e., the four instruction counts to PU 203 (or to another APU). The latter receives these instruction counts in step 3330. In step 3335, PU 203 (or the other APU) estimates a heat level for APU 3110 as a function of how many of each type instruction was executed in the time period T. For example, the heat level estimation can be performed using an equation similar to the one described above, where each of the four types of instructions are associated a priori with generating a particular average heat level, which can be determined experimentally. In this case, the count value for each instruction type is multiplied by the respective average heat value and the results for each of the four types of instructions are added together. Alternatively, it-can be assumed that an average heat level is generated when any instruction is executed, but the type of instruction is weighted differently. For example, a floating point vector instruction can be assumed to generate four times or six times the amount of heat of an integer scalar instruction, etc. In this case, an estimate of the heat level is: Estimated Heat level = ∑ k = 1 K W k I k H ; where, Wk represents the weight for instruction type k, Ik represents the count for instruction type k, H is an average heat level, and K is the number of different types of instructions. It should be observed that the above-described equation could be suitably modified to include fixed-level estimates of contributions from other heat sources, e.g., other APUs. Thus, PU 203 (or the other APU) evaluates the counts of the four different instructions over the time period T to check for potential overheating of APU 3110. This is illustrated in steps 3340 and 3345, where, if the estimated heat level exceeds a predetermined amount, PU 203 (or the other APU) dynamically alters the execution of APU 3110 by, e.g., putting APU 3110 into an idle mode for a predefined amount of time. With respect to the above-mentioned time period T, this time period can be predefined or determined dynamically. For example, in the context of the above-described PE processing environment, the time period T can be determined by a time budget associated with an apulet being executed by the APU of interest. As another example, a time budget can be specified in a header of a software cell, as described in the foregoing. There are several advantages to this power management scheme. First, the breakdown of the different instructions allows a much more accurate measure of the amount of energy being used, which is assumed to be represented by the amount of heat being generated in an APU. Second, it is possible, though not required, to independently monitor each APU, which can then be independently idled to cool off when necessary. It should be noted that other power management variations are possible. For example, FIG. 34 illustrates another form of dynamic power control for a processing environment, or computing module, including a number of processors, each providing power information. In FIG. 34, a processing environment is represented by PE 3400, which comprises PU 3410 and APUs 3415, 3420, 3425 and 3430. Other elements of a PE, e.g., the DMAC, are not shown for simplicity. PU 3410 receives power information 3416, 3421, 3426 and 3431, from APUs 3415, 3420, 3425 and 3430, respectively. The receipt of this power information by PU 3410 is assumed to occur asynchronously from the APUs. In an alternative embodiment, the power information may be provided from a first one of the APUs to a second one of the APUs (either through the PU 3410 or via a more direct connection shown by dashed line 3432). In this case, the second APU desirably performs power management for the first APU, including estimating the power consumption of the first APU. Turning now to FIG. 35, an illustrative flow chart for performing dynamic power management is shown. As can be observed from this flow chart, PU 3410 selectively controls the APUs independently and in a periodic fashion, e.g., at intervals of every T2 seconds. Alternatively, one of the APUs can selectively control the other APUs. In this example, in step 3505, once every T2 seconds, PU 3410 estimates the heat levels for the APUs using the heat information received for the most recent time interval. In step 3510, PU 3410 determines if a heat level has been exceeded. If not, execution ends. However, if at least one of the APUs is producing too much heat, PU 3410 selects that APU generating the most heat for entering an idle mode in step 3515. This occurs notwithstanding that other APUs may have also exceeded a predetermined heat level in the same time interval. Thus, PU 3410 can selectively, and progressively, continue to idle additional APUs should the heat level remain above the predetermined threshold. As can be observed from the above, power management by monitoring the number and type of processor accesses was illustrated via instruction fetches. However, the invention is not so limited and other types and/or combinations of processor accesses can also be used. For example, monitoring of an address space accessed by a processor over a period of time can also be used, e.g., in the context of power management for a system. As illustration, a processor can track access to a hard disk subsystem over a period of time in a battery powered laptop and provide an indicator to the user, where the indicator represents an estimate for the amount of battery power left at the current usage rate. As such, the foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the invention and it will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous alternative arrangements which, although not explicitly described herein, embody the principles of the invention and are within its spirit and scope. For example, although in the illustrative embodiments, power management is described in the context of heat management, the inventive concept is extendible in a straightforward way to other forms of power management such as conserving usage of portable power sources such as a battery. In addition, although in the above-described embodiment, the inventive concept is presented as an alternative to the use of traditional forms of power management, the inventive concept is not so limited and can be used in conjunction with these traditional forms, e.g., temperature sensors. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to power management and, in particular, to power management in a processing environment. In a processing environment, e.g., a single processor-based personal computer, there is the need to perform some type of power management. The latter can cover a range of methods and techniques. For example, power management can be concerned with heat dissipation, or heat management, with respect to the processor itself. As such, the use of a heat sink mounted on the processor—to keep the processor within a particular temperature range—is a form of power management. Similarly, monitoring the voltage level of a battery (battery conservation) in, e.g., a laptop computer, is yet another example of power management in a processing environment. In terms of heat management, other more complex schemes exist. For example, temperature sensors can be placed on critical circuit elements, such as the processor, and fans can be mounted in an associated system enclosure. When the temperature sensors indicate a particular temperature has been reached, the fans turn on, increasing the air flow through the system enclosure for cooling down the processor. Alternatively, an alarm could be generated which causes the processing environment to begin a shutdown when the temperature sensors indicate that a predefined temperature level has been exceeded—i.e., that the system is overheating. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>As processors become more complex—whether in terms of size and/or speed—power management through the use of temperature sensors may not provide a complete solution (indeed, in some situations the use of temperature sensors may even be inelegant, expensive and clumsy). As such, we have observed that the amount of heat generated by a processor is directly proportional to the type of instructions that the processor is executing, e.g., some instructions use more of the processor than other instructions. Therefore, and in accordance with the invention, a processing environment performs power management by monitoring the number and type of processor accesses and estimating an energy usage as a function thereof. In an embodiment of the invention, a processor monitors the number and type of instructions fetches over a time period. The instruction set of a processor is divided into at least two types of instructions, each type associated with a different heat level. A heat level is then calculated as a function of the number of each type of instruction executed over the time interval. In another embodiment, a processing element (PE) comprises a processing unit (PU) and a number of attached processing units (APUs). The instruction set of each APU is a priori divided into a number of types, each type associated with a different amount of heat generation. Each APU keeps track of the amount of each type of instruction—the power information—executed over a time period and provides this power information to the PU. The PU then performs power management as a function of the provided power information from each APU. For example, the PU may direct that a particular APU enter an idle state to reduce power consumption. | 20041005 | 20090407 | 20050602 | 70696.0 | 1 | CHANG, ERIC | POWER MANAGEMENT FOR PROCESSING MODULES | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,959,841 | ACCEPTED | Caster thread guard and caster assembly | A caster includes a yoke having a yoke leg with a yoke leg axle opening through the yoke leg. A wheel having a hub and a hub axle opening through the hub is attached to the yoke leg with an axle bolt. A thread guard is located between the hub and the yoke leg. The thread guard has a disk-shaped body with a thread guard axle opening through the body for receiving the axle bolt. The thread guard further includes an outer surface facing toward the yoke leg and an inner surface facing toward the hub, and the outer surface includes a raised ridge extending away from the body. The ridge substantially surrounds and conforms to the shape of the yoke leg. The ridge preferably extends from the body past the outer surface of the yoke leg. | 1. A caster assembly comprising: a yoke having a yoke leg with a yoke leg axle opening through the yoke leg; a wheel having a hub and a hub axle opening through the hub, wherein the wheel is attached to the yoke leg with an axle bolt; a thread guard located between the hub and the yoke leg, the thread guard having a disk-shaped body with a thread guard axle opening through the body for receiving the axle bolt, and wherein the thread guard further includes an outer surface facing toward the yoke leg and an inner surface facing toward the hub, wherein the outer surface includes a raised ridge extending away from the body, wherein the ridge substantially surrounds and conforms to the shape of the yoke leg. 2. The caster assembly according to claim 1 wherein a most raised portion of the ridge defines a crest having a crest line that runs along the ridge, wherein the crest has a rounded and smooth shape. 3. The caster assembly according to claim 1 wherein the crest extends beyond an outside surface of the yoke leg. 4. The caster assembly according to claim 1 wherein the crest extends beyond the furthest extent of the axle bolt. 5. The caster assembly according to claim 2 wherein the ridge has a gradual slope from the crest line down to the body surface along a line perpendicular to the crest line in a direction away from the yoke leg. 6. The caster assembly according to claim 2 wherein the ridge has an inner ridge face that has a steep slope from the crest line down to the body surface along a line perpendicular to the crest line in a direction toward the yoke, leg. 7. The caster assembly according to claim 6 wherein the inner ridge face defines a yoke recess for receiving the yoke leg. 8. The caster assembly according to claim 6 wherein the inner ridge face and the yoke recess conform to the yoke leg so that the crest is proximate an outer edge of the yoke leg. 9. The caster assembly according to claim 1 further including a second yoke leg on a side of the wheel opposite the yoke leg, and a second thread guard between the wheel and the second yoke leg, wherein the axle bolt passes through an axle opening in the second thread guard and a second yoke leg axle opening in the second yoke leg. 10. The caster assembly according to claim. 1 wherein the ridge has an opening for draining fluid near a lowest extent of the yoke leg, nearest to a point where the wheel would contact a ground surface. 11. The caster assembly according to claim 1 wherein the thread guard is made from injection molded plastic. 12. The caster assembly according to claim 1 wherein the caster assembly further includes a bushing surrounding the axle bolt, and the bushing has an annular groove, and wherein the thread guard further includes an annular ridge in the thread guard axle opening for engaging and fastening the thread guard to the bushing. 13. The caster assembly according to claim 1 wherein the ridge extends along an outside edge of the yoke leg radially beyond an outer diameter of the disk-shaped body. 14. The caster assembly according to claim 1 wherein the disk-shaped body substantially covers the hub of the wheel. 15. A thread guard for use in a caster assembly, the caster assembly having a wheel that is attached to a yoke leg by an axle bolt, the thread guard comprising: a disk-shaped body; a thread guard axle opening through the body for receiving an axle bolt; the body having an inner surface structured and arranged to face toward a hub of the wheel when assembled into the caster assembly, and having an opposite outer surface; and a raised ridge extending away from the outer surface of the body, wherein the ridge is structured and arranged to substantially surround and conform to the outline of a shape of the yoke leg, wherein the ridge defines a yoke leg recess. 16. The thread guard according to claim 15 wherein a most raised portion of the ridge defines a crest having a crest line that runs along the ridge, wherein the crest has a rounded and smooth shape. 17. The thread guard according to claim 15 wherein the crest is raised from the outer surface of the body and is structured and arranged to extend beyond an outside surface of the yoke leg when assembled in the caster assembly. 18. The thread guard according to claim 15 wherein the crest is raised from the outer surface of the body and is structured and arranged to extend beyond the furthest extent of the axle bolt when assembled in the caster assembly. 19. The thread guard according to claim 16 wherein the ridge defines a yoke recess on the outer surface of the body, wherein the yoke recess is adapted to receive the yoke leg of the caster assembly, and wherein the ridge has an inner ridge face that has a steep slope from the crest line down to the yoke recess along a line perpendicular to the crest line in a direction toward the yoke recess, and wherein the ridge has a gradual slope from the crest line down to the body surface along a line perpendicular to the crest line in a direction away from the yoke recess. 20. The thread guard according to claim 15 wherein the ridge has an opening for draining fluid. 21. The thread guard according to claim 15 wherein the thread guard is made from injection molded plastic. 22. The thread guard according to claim 15 wherein the ridge extends radially beyond an outer diameter of the disk-shaped body. 23. A material handling cart comprising: a frame; a material support structure coupled to the frame; a plurality of wheels coupled to the frame, wherein one of the wheels includes: a yoke having a yoke leg with a yoke leg axle opening through the yoke leg; a wheel having a hub and a hub axle opening through the hub, wherein the wheel is attached to the yoke leg with an axle bolt; a thread guard located between the hub and the yoke leg, the thread guard having a disk-shaped body with a thread guard axle opening through the body for receiving the axle bolt, and wherein the thread guard further includes an outer surface facing toward the yoke leg and an inner surface facing toward the hub, wherein the outer surface includes a raised ridge extending away from the body, wherein the ridge substantially surrounds and conforms to the shape of the yoke leg. 24. The material handling cart according to claim 23 wherein the crest extends beyond an outside surface of the yoke leg. 25. The material handling cart according to claim 23 wherein the crest extends beyond the furthest extent of the axle bolt. 26. The material handling cart according to claim 23 wherein a most raised portion of the ridge defines a crest line that runs along the ridge, and wherein the ridge has a gradual slope from the crest line down to the body surface along a line perpendicular to the crest line in a direction away from the yoke leg. 27. The material handling cart according to claim 23 wherein a most raised portion of the ridge defines a crest line that runs along the ridge, and wherein the ridge has an inner ridge face that has a steep slope from the crest line down to the body surface along a line perpendicular to the crest line in a direction toward the yoke leg. 28. The material handling cart according to claim 27 wherein the inner ridge face defines a yoke recess for receiving the yoke leg, and wherein the yoke recess conforms to the yoke leg so that the crest is proximate an outer edge of the yoke leg. 29. The material handling cart according to claim 23 wherein the ridge extends along an outside edge of the yoke leg beyond an outer diameter of the disk-shaped body. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/510,464, filed Oct. 10 2003. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to caster assemblies for material handling carts, and more particularly to a caster assembly having a thread guard to help prevent strands of foreign material from wrapping around the caster axle. 2. Description of the Prior Art A caster is a wheel or rotating ball mounted in a swivel frame that may be used for the support and movement of furniture, trucks, portable equipment, material handling carts, and the like. The swivel frame may be referred to as a “caster horn” or “yoke,” and the yoke may be said to have “yoke legs,” which extend toward the wheel on either side of the wheel. Because the caster wheel is frequently mounted with an offset in a swivel frame (i.e., a frame where a swivel axis is offset from an axle axis), the wheel usually rotates in one direction with the wheel trailing the swivel mounting. When the caster is used in an environment that has strands of material on the floor, the caster wheel may pick up a strand and wrap it around the axle. Such strands of material may include hair, string, threads from clothing, mop strings, or the like. The strands may be picked up by the wheel because the strands are very light, or because the surface of the wheel may be tacky due to wetness or other sticky substances that may be on the wheel tread. Although any wheel may accumulate strands around its axle, this problem is more severe when the caster wheel rotates primarily in one direction. A strand wrapped over or around the axle will tend to stay there as other strands accumulate on top, and the strands are pulled tighter as they are all wrapped in the same direction. These accumulated strands may interfere with the smooth operation of the bearing, and may trap dirt and other contaminants near the bearings, which may reduce the function or the life of the bearing. Strands collected around the axle are also unsightly and may leave a poor impression in a customer's mind, reflecting upon the quality and cleanliness of a retail store as the customer operates a dirty, wobbly, and hard-to-push shopping cart. For these reasons, caster designers continue to pursue designs that discourage the wrapping of strands of material around the axle of a wheel. In the prior art, many manufactures offer devices called “thread guards.” For example, a thread guard is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,322 granted to Hicks on May 21, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Hicks thread guard is circular, with an opening for the axle bolt in the center. The thread guard does not rotate with the wheel; it is stationary with respect to the caster yoke. The thread guard extends radially from the plane of the axle opening and then curves toward the medial plane of the wheel hub, extending to points inside the concave recess in the hub (i.e., inside the plane of the outer hub face). Other designs may use the shape and configuration of the yoke legs as a thread guard. There continues to be a need for an improved thread guard and caster assembly that either prevents or reduces the likelihood that strands picked up by the wheel will become wrapped around the axle. Such a thread guard will improve the performance and reliability of wheels used on material handling carts, and will help maintain the aesthetically pleasing appearance and operation of a new caster. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an improved thread guard and caster assembly. The caster includes a yoke having a yoke leg with a yoke leg axle opening through the yoke leg. A wheel having a hub and a hub axle opening through the hub is attached to the yoke leg with an axle bolt. A thread guard is located between the hub and the yoke leg. The thread guard has a disk-shaped body with a thread guard axle opening through the body for receiving the axle bolt. The thread guard further includes an outer surface facing toward the yoke leg and an inner surface facing toward the hub, and the outer surface includes a raised ridge extending away from the thread guard body. The ridge substantially surrounds and conforms to the shape of the yoke leg. The ridge preferably extends from the body past the outer surface of the yoke leg. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers designate like parts, and in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a caster assembly with a thread guard in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is perspective view showing an outer surface of the thread guard in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 is an elevational view that shows an inner surface of the thread guard in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 4 is an elevational view that shows an outer surface of the thread guard in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the thread guard taken along line V-V in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a portion of a caster assembly in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the portion of the caster assembly taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6; FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of a caster assembly having an alternate embodiment of the thread guard in accordance with the present invention; FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views of a caster assembly having yet another alternate embodiment of the thread guard in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of a shopping cart having wheel and hub assemblies according to the present invention; and FIG. 13 is a schematic side elevational view of a flat cart with the wheel of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference now to the drawings, and in particular with reference to FIG. 1, there is depicted a caster having a thread guard in accordance with the present invention. As shown, caster 20 includes wheel 22 mounted in yoke 24 with axle bolt 26 secured by nut 28. In a preferred embodiment, yoke 24 has two spaced-apart yoke legs 25. Wheel 22 is received between yoke legs 25. Each yoke leg 25 has an axle opening 29. Tread 30 surrounds hub 32 (see FIG. 7). Hub 32 has axle opening 33. To promote smooth, steady operation and long wheel life, the wheel hub and axle area of wheel 22 is protected from strands, contaminants, dirt, and other foreign material by a thread guard. As shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 and 6, thread guard 34 is generally circular and disk shaped about axle bolt 26, with a diameter that covers most of hub 32 when it is installed between hub 32 and yoke 24. Preferably, caster 20 uses two thread guards 34, with one located on either side of wheel 22. The disk shape of thread guard 34 has an axle opening 35 in the center for receiving axle bolt 26, which is positioned perpendicular to the plane of the disk. A longitudinal axis of axle bolt 26 is positioned concentric with wheel axis 27. The disk shape of thread guard 34 has an outer surface 52, which faces outward from wheel 22 and toward yoke leg 25 when it is installed. An inner surface 54 of thread guard 34 faces toward hub 32. According to an important aspect of the present invention, thread guard 34 includes ridge 36 that is raised above, or extends outward from, outer surface 52 of the disk shape, thus extending away from hub 32. Ridge 36, which is shown most clearly in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4-7, substantially surrounds and conforms to the shape or outline of yoke leg 25. Ridge 36 defines a cavity or recess 56, which cavity receives yoke leg 25. The most raised or most extended line along the top of ridge 36 defines crest 38. Crest 38 is preferably rounded and smooth so that it will not snag strands of material picked up by wheel 22. As shown, crest 38 (and similarly, a crest line that lies along crest 5 38) lies in a single plane. However, the line along crest 38 need not lie in a single plane. As may be seen most clearly in the section view of FIG. 7, which is view is taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6, crest 38 preferably extends out from the outer surface 52 to at least the furthest extent, measured from the medial plane of the wheel, of the outside face of yoke leg 25. Better still, crest 38 extends to the end of axle bolt 26, and may extend somewhat beyond the end. The extension height of crest 38 should be sufficient to divert a falling strand, or a strand clinging to tread 30, away from yoke leg 25 and away from the end of axle bolt 26, where it may be snagged and subsequently become wrapped around the axle. When two thread guards 34 are used on either side of wheel 22, crests 38 extend beyond the respective ends of axle bolt 26, including nut 28. The slope of ridge 36 in the area of outer ridge slope 48 (shown in FIG. 5), where ridge 36 rises from a level near the level of outer edge 44 to crest 38, is gradual and varies smoothly so that strands will not snag or catch on ridge 36. In operation, thread guard 34 does not rotate; it remains stationary with respect to yoke 24. As a strand is picked up on rotating tread 30 and moved upward and dragged across the smooth, outward-rising surface of outer ridge slope 48 it is likely to be pulled away from hub 32 and axle bolt 26 when it is dragged across the sloping shape of the ridge. Thus, the shape of ridge 36 should not snag strands, and should tend to move strands outward from hub 32 so that the strand picked up by wheel 22 will fall to the floor without engaging yoke leg 25, axle bolt 26, or nut 28. In addition to extending beyond the end of axle bolt 26, thread guard 34 loosely fits into and covers a concave recessed portion 40 of hub 32, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. This fit is loose because a small clearance exists between outer edge 44 of stationary thread guard 34 and rotating hub 32. This clearance should be small, preferably in the range of 0.600 millimeters (mm) to 0.800 mm, so that thread guard 34 can shield the wheel hub, bearing, and axle from strands, dirt, and other contaminants. Thus, thread guard 34 covers and shields a substantial portion of hub 32 from fibers and other contaminants. To provide some mechanical support and to keep thread guard 34 from rotating, inner ridge face 50, which is shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 on the side of crest 38 toward axle opening 35, is located close to yoke leg 25 and may touch yoke leg 25. The slope of inner ridge face 50 is typically steeper than the slope of outer ridge slope 48 so that yoke leg 25 can be nestled into yoke leg recess 56, where ridge 36 shields yoke leg 25. In alternate embodiments of the present invention, ridge 36 and crest 38 may have a different shape, and the portion of the disc shape behind yoke leg 25 may have a different shape, wherein either or both radially extend outside the diameter of the disk-shaped body and radially extend beyond the diameter of hub 32. For example, FIGS. 8 and 9 show perspective views of a caster assembly having an alternate embodiment of the thread guard 80 in accordance with the present invention. As shown, thread guard 80 has ridge 82 that is raised or extended further from the disk shape of outer surface 86. The most raised portions of ridge 82 may have a near vertical slope and crest 84 may have a flat top. Ridge 82 is also longer, following beside a greater length of the outside edge of yoke 24 and extending radially beyond the diameter of hub 32 to form ridge extension 96. The area in yoke recess 88 is greater, extending radially beyond the disk shape of thread guard 80 to form yoke recess extension 98, and in some cases extending beyond the radius of hub 32. The portion that extends beyond hub 32 may wrap inward toward wheel 22, where it may conform to the shape of tread 30. In this embodiment, the area between outer surface 90 and the inside of yoke leg 25 is covered and filled to a greater extent so that there is less void or space that may retain material or fluid adjacent to the hub, bearing or axle. With this space closed, material lifted by the wheel above the axle may be diverted away from the hub and axle. In other embodiments, the ridge may allow for drainage. For example, FIGS. 10 and 11 show isometric views of a caster assembly having an embodiment of the thread guard 80 that has a notch 92 for drainage in accordance with the present invention. As shown, thread guard 80 has ridge 82 with notch 92 at the lower extent of ridge 82, near the lowest point of yoke leg 25, near a point where wheel 22 would contact the ground surface upon which caster 20 rolls. As an alternative to notch 92, any needed means of drainage may be accomplished by a hole or other opening or passage that passes through ridge 82 from parts along inner ridge face 94 that might collect fluid and dirt. Thread guard 34 is preferably made of injection molded plastic that is somewhat flexible. During installation and assembly of caster 20, axle opening 35 (see FIG. 5) of thread guards 34 are friction fit or snapped onto bushing 60 (see FIG. 7), which surrounds axle bolt 26. If the axle opening 35 snaps to bushing 60, axle opening 35 may have an annular ridge or detent 63 (see FIG. 5) that snaps into an annular groove (not shown) around bushing 60. Bushing 60 may alternatively be part of bearing 61, such as when bearing 61 has an extended inner race. Bushing 60 may also be inserted through an inner race of bearing 61. Inner surface 54 of thread guard 34 may include annular ridges 70 and 72 (see FIGS. 3 and 5), where ridge 70 is a solid ridge nearest axle opening 35 and ridge 72 has a larger radius and is segmented by radial notches 74. Notches 74 give threat guard 34 some flexibility. FIG. 12 depicts an embodiment of material handling cart in accordance with the present invention. As illustrated, cart 120 includes frame 124, material support structure 126-which may be implemented with a basket, platform, rack, or the like-and wheels 100. Wheels 100 include a thread guard, as described above in relation to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-11. Frame 124 includes vertical and horizontal members that support and bear the load of material placed on material support structure 126, and transfer such load to wheels 100. Cart 120 may also be implemented as a laundry cart, which is used in an environment that is particularly susceptible to a wheel picking up a thread that may be wrapped around the axle. Wheels 100 may or may not be mounted to frame 124 with a swivel mounting, depending upon the application of cart 120. For example, if cart 120 is a shopping cart, the front wheels may swivel, and the back wheels may be mounted in a fixed orientation. If cart 120 is a laundry cart, all of the wheels may swivel. FIG. 13 shows a flat cart 122 having a bed 130, for carrying objects, and a handle 128 for use in pushing or pulling the cart. Cart 122 uses wheels 100 having the thread guard of the present invention. Cart 122 is designed to carry heavy loads, such as lumber. It should be apparent that the thread guard of the present invention protects and helps prevent foreign material from collecting and wrapping around the axle of a caster assembly. The thread guard has surfaces with shapes that guide and move strands away from the hub and axle of the wheel when any such strands are picked up by the rotating wheel. The thread guard helps maintain smooth caster operation and helps extend the life of the caster. It also helps to create a good impression about store cleanliness and attention to detail in the minds of customers that use shopping carts at retail stores. Using the thread guard can make cleaning and washing the carts quicker, easier, and less labor intensive. The thread guard may be used with conventional and commercially available caster and yoke assemblies, which are used on a wide variety of material handling carts, such as shopping carts, laundry carts, clothes racks, push carts, utility carts, wire shelf carts, dollies, furniture casters, and the like. The thread guards may be installed by the original equipment caster manufacturer, or they may be sold separately for retrofit. The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to caster assemblies for material handling carts, and more particularly to a caster assembly having a thread guard to help prevent strands of foreign material from wrapping around the caster axle. 2. Description of the Prior Art A caster is a wheel or rotating ball mounted in a swivel frame that may be used for the support and movement of furniture, trucks, portable equipment, material handling carts, and the like. The swivel frame may be referred to as a “caster horn” or “yoke,” and the yoke may be said to have “yoke legs,” which extend toward the wheel on either side of the wheel. Because the caster wheel is frequently mounted with an offset in a swivel frame (i.e., a frame where a swivel axis is offset from an axle axis), the wheel usually rotates in one direction with the wheel trailing the swivel mounting. When the caster is used in an environment that has strands of material on the floor, the caster wheel may pick up a strand and wrap it around the axle. Such strands of material may include hair, string, threads from clothing, mop strings, or the like. The strands may be picked up by the wheel because the strands are very light, or because the surface of the wheel may be tacky due to wetness or other sticky substances that may be on the wheel tread. Although any wheel may accumulate strands around its axle, this problem is more severe when the caster wheel rotates primarily in one direction. A strand wrapped over or around the axle will tend to stay there as other strands accumulate on top, and the strands are pulled tighter as they are all wrapped in the same direction. These accumulated strands may interfere with the smooth operation of the bearing, and may trap dirt and other contaminants near the bearings, which may reduce the function or the life of the bearing. Strands collected around the axle are also unsightly and may leave a poor impression in a customer's mind, reflecting upon the quality and cleanliness of a retail store as the customer operates a dirty, wobbly, and hard-to-push shopping cart. For these reasons, caster designers continue to pursue designs that discourage the wrapping of strands of material around the axle of a wheel. In the prior art, many manufactures offer devices called “thread guards.” For example, a thread guard is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,322 granted to Hicks on May 21, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Hicks thread guard is circular, with an opening for the axle bolt in the center. The thread guard does not rotate with the wheel; it is stationary with respect to the caster yoke. The thread guard extends radially from the plane of the axle opening and then curves toward the medial plane of the wheel hub, extending to points inside the concave recess in the hub (i.e., inside the plane of the outer hub face). Other designs may use the shape and configuration of the yoke legs as a thread guard. There continues to be a need for an improved thread guard and caster assembly that either prevents or reduces the likelihood that strands picked up by the wheel will become wrapped around the axle. Such a thread guard will improve the performance and reliability of wheels used on material handling carts, and will help maintain the aesthetically pleasing appearance and operation of a new caster. | <SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention provides an improved thread guard and caster assembly. The caster includes a yoke having a yoke leg with a yoke leg axle opening through the yoke leg. A wheel having a hub and a hub axle opening through the hub is attached to the yoke leg with an axle bolt. A thread guard is located between the hub and the yoke leg. The thread guard has a disk-shaped body with a thread guard axle opening through the body for receiving the axle bolt. The thread guard further includes an outer surface facing toward the yoke leg and an inner surface facing toward the hub, and the outer surface includes a raised ridge extending away from the thread guard body. The ridge substantially surrounds and conforms to the shape of the yoke leg. The ridge preferably extends from the body past the outer surface of the yoke leg. | 20041006 | 20061205 | 20050414 | 94928.0 | 1 | MAH, CHUCK Y | CASTER THREAD GUARD AND CASTER ASSEMBLY | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,959,870 | ACCEPTED | Carton with an improved dispensing feature | A carton with an improved dispenser at one of the carton which preserves the integrity of the carton when the carton is opened by permitting a bottom end flap attached to the bottom panel to remain in place and also a portion of each side end flap that is adjacent to the bottom end flap. This dispenser may also provide a safety net for the first container that is automatically dispensed when the carton is opened. | 1.-12. (cancelled) 13. An enclosed carton for a plurality of containers in only two rows, including a top row and a bottom row, the carton comprising: a top panel, two side panels, at least one bottom panel, and two closed ends, including an exiting end; wherein the top panel, the two side panels, and the at least one bottom panel are separated by parallel fold lines; transverse fold lines at each said closed end; wherein the transverse fold lines define end flaps for the top panel, the two side panels, and the at least one bottom panel; a continuous tear line defining an opening section along the top panel of the exiting end to allow access to the containers in the enclosed carton; wherein the top row includes a top end container and the bottom row includes a bottom end container and wherein the top end container and the bottom end container contact the exiting end of the enclosed carton. 14. An enclosed carton for a plurality of containers in only two rows, including a top row and a bottom row, the carton comprising: a top panel, two side panels, at least one bottom panel, and two closed ends, including an exiting end; wherein the top panel, the two side panels, and the at least one bottom panel are separated by parallel fold lines, including two top panel parallel fold lines that separate the top panel from each said side panel; transverse fold lines spaced from each said closed end; wherein the transverse fold lines define end flaps for the top panel, the two side panels, and the at least one bottom panel; a continuous tear line formed at the exiting end and proceeding through the top panel, through each said side panel, and through each said side panel flap to define an opening at the exiting end from which one or more containers can be removed; wherein the continuous tear line, each said top panel parallel fold line, and the transverse fold line at the exiting end form substantially triangular shaped areas in each said side panel. 15. A blank for forming an enclosed carton for a plurality of containers, the carton comprising: a top panel, two side panels, at least one bottom panel and two closed ends, including an exiting end; wherein the top panel, the side panels, and the at least one bottom panel are separated by parallel fold lines; transverse fold lines spaced from each said closed end; wherein the transverse fold lines define end flaps for the top panel, the side panels, and the at least one bottom panel; a tear line that extends through the top panel and the side panels to define an opening at the exiting end, the opening allowing removal of one or more containers from the carton; wherein the tear line comprises a continuous line of perforations that proceeds through each said side panel in a generally diagonal direction from the top panel toward and into each said side panel end flap. 16. An enclosed carton for a plurality of containers in two rows, with a top row and a bottom row, the carton comprising: a. a top panel, side panels, a bottom panel, and closed ends, at least one of which is an exiting end; b. a unitary structure adapted to be opened and hingedly connected to said exiting end, said structure being detachable from the carton to form an opening at the exiting end through which the containers may be removed; c. the structure comprising a portion of the top panel, portions of the side panels, and a portion of the exiting end, said structure being removable along a continuous line extending across the top panel, the side panels, and the exiting end; and d. means in the top panel for facilitating detachment of the structure. 17. The carton of claim 16, wherein the continuous line comprises a tear line. 18. The carton of claim 16, wherein the means for facilitating comprises a finger flap. 19. The carton of claim 18, in which the finger flap is located between a first container and a second container in the top row. 20. The carton of claim 16, which comprises only two rows of the containers, with each said container in the top row being positioned directly above a corresponding container in the bottom row. 21. The carton of claim 20, wherein the rows include a first container and a second container adjacent to and contacting a first closed end and a third container and a fourth container adjacent to and contacting a second closed end. 22. The carton of claim 21, wherein the first and third containers are arranged in the upper row of containers and the second and fourth containers are in the lower row of containers. 23. A blank for forming an enclosed carton for a plurality of containers arranged in rows, with a top row and a bottom row, the blank comprising: a. a sheet of material having parallel fold lines therein, the parallel fold lines defining areas of the sheet corresponding to a top, two sides and a bottom of the carton; b. at one end of the parallel fold lines, a transverse fold line substantially perpendicular to the parallel fold lines, and a side end flap connected by the transverse fold line to each of the areas corresponding to the two sides; c. a tear line extending across the areas corresponding to the top and the two sides and continuing to the transverse fold line, and then from the transverse fold line across each of the side end flaps; d. means adjacent the tear line in the area corresponding to the top for facilitating the tearing of at least a portion of said tear line; and e. when the blank is formed into the enclosed carton, the tear line is continuous across the side end flaps, the top and the two sides, thereby defining a unitary structure which is at least partially removable from the carton to leave an opening through one or more containers may be removed from the carton. 24. The blank of claim 23, wherein the means for facilitating comprises a finger flap. 25. The blank of claim 24, wherein the finger flap is positioned to be located between a first container and a second container in the top row when the carton is assembled and the containers are arranged in rows. 26. The blank of claim 23, wherein a first side area comprises first and second parallel fold lines defining a first panel, a bottom area comprises the second parallel fold line and a third parallel fold line defining a second panel, an other side area comprises the third parallel fold line and a fourth parallel fold line defining a third panel, and a top area comprises two top flaps, one top flap being connected to the first panel at the first parallel fold line, and the other top flap being connected to the third panel at the fourth parallel fold line. 27. The blank of claim 26, wherein the tear line extends across each of the top flaps, such that when the carton is formed from the blank, a single tear line will be formed across the top of the carton. 28. The method of forming the blank of claim 26 into a carton, comprising the steps of: a. attaching the top flaps together to form a sleeve; b. loading the containers into the sleeve; and c. closing both ends of the sleeve. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the containers are loaded into the sleeve on their sides, to form the top row and the bottom row, with each said container in the top row being positioned directly above a corresponding container in the bottom row. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the rows include a first container and a second container adjacent to and contacting a first closed end and a third container and a fourth container adjacent to and contacting a second closed end. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first and third containers are in the top row and the second and fourth containers are in the bottom row. 32. The blank of claim 23, wherein a first side area comprises first and second parallel fold lines defining a first panel, a top area comprises the second parallel fold line and a third parallel fold line defining a second panel, an other side area comprises the third parallel fold line and a fourth parallel fold line defining a third panel, and a bottom area comprises two bottom flaps, one bottom flap being connected to the first panel at the first parallel fold line, and the other bottom flap being connected to the third panel at the fourth parallel fold line. 33. The method of forming the blank of claim 32 into a carton, comprising the steps of: a. attaching the bottom flaps together to form a sleeve; b. loading the containers into the sleeve; and c. closing both ends of the sleeve. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the containers are loaded into the sleeve on their sides, to form the top row and the bottom row, with each said container in the top row being positioned directly above a corresponding container in the bottom row. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the rows include a first container and a second container adjacent to and contacting a first closed end, and a third container and a fourth container adjacent to and contacting a second closed end. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the first and third containers are arranged in the top row of containers and the second and fourth containers are in the bottom row of containers. 37. A blank for forming an enclosed carton for a plurality of containers in two rows, with a top row and a bottom row, the blank comprising: a. a first top flap connected to one edge of a first side panel by a first fold line, a bottom panel connected at one edge to the opposite edge of the first side panel by a second fold line, a second side panel connected at one edge to the opposite edge of the bottom panel by a third fold line, and a second top flap connected to the opposite edge of the second side panel by a fourth fold line; b. a first side end flap having a free end and being joined to one end of the first side panel by a fifth fold line, and a second side end flap joined to the corresponding end of the second side panel by a sixth fold line; c. a tear line in the first top flap extending to the first fold line, across the first side panel to the first point on the fifth fold line, and then across the first side end flap from the first point to the free end of the first side end flap; d. a tear line in the second top flap extending to the fourth fold line, across the second side panel to a second point on the sixth fold line, then across the second side end flap from the second point to the free end of the second side end flap; e. means in the first and second top flaps for facilitating the tearing of at least a portion of the tear lines in those flaps; and f. when the blank is formed into the enclosed carton, the portions of the tear lines adjacent the free ends of the side end flaps form a continuous tear line across the side end flaps, the tear lines thereby defining a unitary structure which is at least partially removable from the carton to leave an opening through one or more containers may be removed from the carton. 38. The blank of claim 37, wherein the tear line extending across the first side panel extends at least partially diagonally toward the first side end flap, and the tear line extending across the second side panel extends at least partially diagonally toward the second side end flap, so that the tear lines define substantially triangular sections in both the first side panel and in the second side panel, respectively. 39. The blank of claim 37, wherein the means for facilitating comprises a finger flap. 40. The blank of claim 39, wherein the finger flap is between a first container and a second container in the top row when the carton is assembled and the containers are arranged in rows. 41. The blank of claim 37, including a bottom end flap joined to the corresponding end of the bottom panel adjacent the first and second side end flaps by a seventh fold line. 42. The blank of claim 41, including top end flaps joined to each end of each of the first and second top flaps by fold lines, a first side panel end flap joined to the end of the first side panel by a first side panel fold line, a second side panel end flap joined to the end of the second side panel by a second side panel fold line, and a bottom end flap joined to the end of the bottom panel by a bottom panel fold line. 43. The method of forming the blank of claim 42 into a carton, comprising the steps of: a. attaching the first and second top flaps together to form a sleeve; b. loading the containers into the sleeve; and c. attaching together the top end flaps, the first side panel end flap, the second side panel end flap, and the bottom end flap at each end of the sleeve. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the containers are loaded into the sleeve on their sides to form the top row and the bottom row, with each said container in the top row being positioned directly above a corresponding container in the bottom row. 45. The method of claim 44, wherein the rows of containers include a first container and a second container adjacent to and contacting a first closed end and a third container and a fourth container adjacent to and contacting a second closed end. 46. The method of claim 45, wherein the first and third containers are arranged in the top row of containers and the second and fourth containers are in the bottom row of containers. 47. A blank for forming an enclosed carton for a plurality of containers arranged in rows, with a top row and a bottom row, the blank comprising: a. a first bottom flap connected to one edge of a first side panel by a first fold line, a top panel connected at one edge to the opposite edge of the first side panel by a second fold line, a second side panel connected at one edge to the opposite edge of the top panel by a third fold line, and a second bottom flap connected to the opposite edge of the second side panel by a fourth fold line; b. a first side end flap having a free end and being connected to an end of the first side panel by a fifth fold line, and a second side end flap having a free end and being connected to the corresponding end of the second side panel by a sixth fold line; c. a first bottom end flap connected to the corresponding end of the first bottom flap adjacent the first side end flap by a seventh fold line, and a second bottom end flap connected to the corresponding end of the second bottom flap adjacent the second side end flap by an eighth fold line; d. a tear line extending across the top panel between the second and third fold lines, across the first side panel from the second fold line to a first point on the fifth fold line, across the second side panel from the third fold line to a second point on the sixth fold line, across the first side end flap from the first point to the free end of the first side end flap, and across the second side end flap from the second point to the free end of the second side end flap; and e. when the blank is formed into the enclosed carton, the portions of the tear line adjacent the free ends of the first and the second side end flaps form a single tear line across the side end flaps and the portions of the tear line across the first and second side end flaps form a hinge line, the tear line thereby defining a unitary structure which is at least partially removable from the carton to leave an opening through one or more containers may be removed from the carton. 48. The blank of claim 47, wherein the tear line extends at least partially diagonally across the first side panel toward the first side end flap, and the tear line extending across the second side panel extends at least partially diagonally toward the second side end flap, so that the tear line defines a substantially triangular section in both the first side panel and in the second side panel. 49. The blank of claim 47, wherein a substantial portion of the tear line across the first side panel and across the second side panel extends diagonally from a point adjacent said top panel to a point adjacent the first side end flap and the second side end flap, respectively. 50. The blank of claim 47, and means defined in the top panel for facilitating the detachment of the unitary structure. 51. The blank of claim 50, wherein the means for facilitating comprises a finger flap. 52. The blank of claim 51, wherein the finger flap is between a first container and a second container in the top row when the carton is assembled and the containers are arranged in rows. 53. The blank of claim 47, including top end flaps joined to each end of the top panel by fold lines, a first side panel end flap joined to the end of the first side panel by a first side panel fold line, a second side panel end flap joined to the end of the second side panel by a second side panel fold line, and bottom end flaps joined to the ends of the first and second bottom flaps by bottom panel fold lines. 54. The method of forming the blank of claim 53 into a carton, comprising the steps of: a. attaching the bottom flaps together to form a sleeve; b. loading the containers into the sleeve; and c. closing both ends of the sleeve. 55. The method of claim 54, wherein the containers are loaded into the sleeve on their sides in the top row and in the bottom row, with each said container in the top row positioned directly above a corresponding container in the bottom row. 56. The method of claim 55, wherein the rows of containers include a first container and a second container adjacent to and contacting a first closed end and a third container and a fourth container adjacent to and contacting a second closed end. 57. The method of claim 56, wherein the first and third containers are in the top row of containers and the second and fourth containers are in the bottom row of containers. 58. A method of opening an enclosed carton containing a plurality of containers in rows, including at least a top row and a bottom row, the carton having (i) a top panel, side panels, a bottom panel, and closed ends, at least one of which is an exiting end, and (ii) a unitary structure comprising a portion of the top panel, portions of the side panels, and the upper portion of the exiting end, said structure being defined by a tear line extending across the top panel, the side panels, and the exiting end, the carton including means for facilitating opening of the structure located at the portion of the tear line which extends across the top panel, the method comprising the steps of: a. utilizing the means for facilitating opening to initiate tearing a portion of the tear line extending across the top panel; and b. opening the structure in a direction away from the containers so that the portions of the tear line that extend across the top panel and the side panels are torn to allow the structure to remain attached to the exiting end of the carton. 59. The method of claim 58, including the step of continuing the opening of the structure until the portion of the tear line extending across the exiting end is completely detached from the carton. 60. An enclosed carton for a plurality of containers in two rows, with a top row and a bottom row, the carton comprising: a. a top panel, side panels, a bottom panel, and closed ends, at least one of which is an exiting end; b. a unitary structure which is detachable from the carton to form an opening at the exiting end through which the containers may be removed; c. the structure comprising a portion of the top panel, portions of the side panels, and a portion of the exiting end, said structure being defined by a perforated line comprising a tear line extending across the top panel, the side panels, and the exiting end; d. wherein a portion of said line extending across said exiting end forms a hinge line that allows the structure to be pivoted to an open position at the exiting end of the carton; and e. means in the top panel for facilitating the opening of the structure, whereby opening of the structure is started at the top panel. 61. The carton of claim 60, the means for facilitating comprising a finger flap positioned in said top panel approximately between a first container and second container in the top row. 62. The carton of claim 60, which is so dimensioned as to carry only two rows of containers, with each said container in the top row being positioned directly above a corresponding container in the bottom row. 63. The carton of claim 62, wherein the rows of containers include a first container and a second container adjacent to and contacting a first closed end and a third container and a fourth container adjacent to and contacting a second closed end. 64. The carton of claim 63, wherein the first and third containers are arranged in the top row of containers and the second and fourth containers are in the bottom row of containers. 65. An enclosed carton for carrying a plurality of containers in only two rows, with a top row and a bottom row, the carton comprising: a. a top panel, side panels, a bottom panel, and closed ends, at least one of which is an exiting end, each container in the top row positioned directly above and parallel to a corresponding container in the bottom row; b. a unitary structure that is detachable from the carton to form an opening at an exiting end through which the containers may be removed; and c. the structure comprising a portion of the top panel, portions of the side panels, and a portion of the exiting end, said structure being defined by a tear line extending across the top panel, the side panels, and the exiting end, and wherein the structure is capable of remaining attached to the carton at the exiting end of the carton. 66. The carton of claim 65, wherein the structure is capable of remaining attached to the carton by a portion of the tear line which extends across the exiting end. 67. The carton of claim 65, including means in the top panel for facilitating the opening of the structure, whereby opening of the structure is started at the top panel. 68. The carton of claim 65, wherein the rows of containers include a first container and a second container adjacent to and contacting a first closed end and a third container and a fourth container adjacent to and contacting a second closed end. 69. The carton of claim 68, wherein the first and third containers are arranged in the top row of containers and the second and fourth containers are in the bottom row of containers. 70. The carton of claim 67, the means for facilitating comprising a finger flap located along the tear line extending across the top panel for opening the structure along the tear line. 71. A blank for forming an enclosed carton for a plurality of containers arranged in two rows, with a top row and a bottom row, the blank comprising: a. a sheet of material having first, second, third and fourth parallel fold lines therein, said parallel fold lines defining areas of the sheet corresponding to a top, two sides and a bottom of the carton; b. at one end of the parallel fold lines, a transverse fold line substantially perpendicular to the parallel fold lines, and a side end flap connected by the transverse fold line to each of the areas corresponding to the two sides; c. a line of removal extending across the areas corresponding to the top and then across the two sides in a substantially diagonal path from the top to the transverse fold line, and then from the transverse fold line across each of the side end flaps to their free ends; and d. when the blank is formed into the enclosed carton, the portions of the line of removal adjacent the free ends of the side end flaps are so located that a substantially continuous line of removal will be formed across the side end flaps, the top and the two sides of the carton, the line of removal thereby defining a unitary structure which is at least partially removable from the carton, to leave an opening through which one or more containers may be removed from the carton. 72. The blank of claim 71, wherein the area corresponding to one side comprises a first panel located between the first and second parallel fold lines, the area corresponding to the bottom comprises a second panel located between the second and third parallel fold lines, the area corresponding to the other side comprises a third panel located between the third and fourth parallel fold lines, and the area corresponding to the top comprises two top flaps, one of which is connected to the first panel at the first parallel fold line, and the other of which is connected to the third panel at the fourth parallel fold line. 73. The blank of claim 72, wherein the line of removal extends across each of the top flaps, such that when the carton is formed from the blank, a single line of removal will be formed across the top of the carton. 74. The method of forming the blank of claim 72 into a carton, comprising the steps of: a. attaching the top flaps together to form a sleeve; b. loading the containers into the sleeve; and c. closing both ends of the sleeve. 75. The method of claim 74, wherein the containers are loaded into the sleeve on their sides, to form the top row and the bottom row, with each said container in the top row being positioned directly above a corresponding container in the bottom row. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein the rows of containers include a first container and a second container adjacent to and contacting a first closed end and a third container and a fourth container adjacent to and contacting a second closed end. 77. The method of claim 76, wherein the first and third containers are arranged in the top row of containers and the second and fourth containers are in the bottom row of containers. 78. A blank for forming an enclosed carton for a plurality of containers in only two rows, with a top row and a bottom row, the blank comprising: a. a first top flap connected to one edge of a first side panel by a first fold line, a bottom panel connected at one edge to the opposite edge of the first side panel by a second fold line, a second side panel connected at one edge to the opposite edge of the bottom panel by a third fold line, and a second top flap connected to the opposite edge of the second side panel by a fourth fold line; b. a first side end flap joined to one end of the first side panel by a fifth fold line, and a second side end flap joined to the corresponding end of the second side panel by a sixth fold line; c. a tear line in the first top flap extending to the first fold line, across the first side panel to a first point on the fifth fold line, and then across the first side end flap from the first point to a free end of the first side end flap; d. a tear line in the second top flap extending to the fourth fold line, across the second side panel to a second point on the sixth fold line, then across the second side end flap from the second point to a free end of the second side end flap; and e. when the blank is formed into the enclosed carton, the portions of the tear lines adjacent the free ends of the side end flaps are so located that a single tear line will be formed across the side end flaps, the tear lines defining a unitary structure which is at least partially removable from the carton to leave an opening through which one or more containers may be removed from the carton. 79. The blank of claim 78, further comprising a finger flap in the first and second top flaps adjacent the portions of the tear lines which extend across the first and the second top flaps. 80. The method of forming the blank of claim 78 into a carton, wherein the blank has a bottom end flap foldably attached to each end of the bottom panel, comprising the steps of: a. attaching the first and second top flaps together to form a sleeve; b. loading the containers into the sleeve; and c. attaching together the top end flaps, side end flaps and bottom end flap at each end of the sleeve. 81. The method of claim 80, wherein the containers are loaded into the sleeve on their sides, to form the top row and the bottom row, with each said container in the top row being positioned directly above a corresponding container in the bottom row. 82. The method of claim 81, wherein the rows of containers include a first container and a second container adjacent to and contacting a first closed end and a third container and a fourth container adjacent to and contacting a second closed end. 83. The method of claim 82, wherein the first and third containers are arranged in the top row of containers and the second and fourth containers are in the bottom row of containers. 84. A blank for forming an enclosed carton for a plurality of containers in two rows, with a top row and a bottom row, the blank comprising: a. a first bottom flap connected to one edge of a first side panel by a first fold line, a top panel connected at one edge to the opposite edge of the first side panel by a second fold line, a second side panel connected at one edge to the opposite edge of the top panel by a third fold line, and a second bottom flap connected to the opposite edge of the second side panel by a fourth fold line; b. a first side end flap joined to one end of the first side panel by a fifth fold line, and a second side end flap joined to the corresponding end of the second side panel by a sixth fold line; c. a tear line extending across the top panel from the third fold line to the second fold line, across the first side panel to a first point on the fifth fold line, and then across the first side end flap from the first point to a free end of the first side end flap; d. the tear line further extending from the third fold line, across the second side panel to a second point on the sixth fold line, then across the second side end flap from the second point to a free end of the second side end flap; and e. when the enclosed carton is formed from the blank, the tear line defines a unitary structure which is at least partially removable from the carton to leave an opening through which one or more containers may be removed from the carton. 85. The blank of claim 84, and further comprising a finger flap in the top panel adjacent the portion of the tear line that extends across the top panel. 86. The method of forming the blank of claim 84 into a carton, comprising the steps of: a. attaching the first and second bottom flaps together to form a sleeve; b. loading the containers into the sleeve; and c. attaching together bottom end flaps, which are foldably attached to the ends of the first and second bottom flaps, the side end flaps and the top end flap at each end of the sleeve. 87. The method of claim 86, wherein the containers are loaded into the sleeve on their sides, to form the top row and the bottom row, with each said container in the top row being positioned directly above a corresponding container in the bottom row. 88. The method of claim 87, wherein the rows of containers include a first container and a second container adjacent to and contacting a first closed end and a third container and a fourth container adjacent to and contacting a second closed end. 89. The method of claim 88, wherein the first and third containers are arranged in the top row of containers and the second and fourth containers are in the bottom row of containers. 90. A method of opening an enclosed carton containing a plurality of containers in two rows, including a top row and a bottom row, the carton having (i) a top panel, side panels, a bottom panel, and closed ends, at least one of which is an exiting end, and (ii) a unitary structure comprising a portion of the top panel, portions of the side panels, an upper portion of the exiting end, said portions being defined by a substantially continuous tear line extending across the top panel, the side panels, and the exiting end, the method comprising the steps of: a. engaging a portion of the tear line extending along the top panel of the carton; and b. separating the unitary structure from the carton along the tear line across the top panel and the side panels, the structure remaining attached to the carton at the exiting end. 91. The method of claim 90, including the step of subsequently removing the structure from the carton by detaching the portion of the tear line extending across the exiting end. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to an enclosed paperboard carton capable of enclosing containers, which carton has a unique opening and dispensing feature that allows the containers, for example, cans or bottles, to be removed or dispensed without destroying the overall structural integrity of the carton. The dispensing feature may also provide a safety net for the first container that is automatically dispensed when the carton is opened. This dispensing feature also permits the carton to be carried from one location to another after the dispenser has been opened without the containers falling out of the carton. 2. Background Fully enclosed carton capable of enclosing cans have been used in the past that have a feature for dispensing the cans one at a time. Dispenser sections have been provided at various locations within these cartons depending on the design. Many of these dispensers suffer from the disadvantage that once open, they allow all of the containers to roll out. In addition, it is difficult to carry one of these cartons without the containers falling out once the dispenser has been opened. Most of these dispensers have been designed for dispensing cans or bottles which have cylindrical tops and bottoms of substantially the same size and configuration. These dispensers are not suitable for dispensing bottles that have a neck of smaller diameter than the body of the bottle. In effect, many of these dispensers destroy the overall carton integrity once they have been opened. Many of these dispensing features do not have any means for preventing the first container that is automatically dispensed from falling free from the carton. In other words, its dispensing feature has no safety net. 3. Prior Art U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,283 to Farquhar discloses a fully enclosed carton having a dispenser for dispensing the enclosed cans. The end wall of the carton has a dispensing flap which can be folded down upon opening. An aperture formed by the flap extends into the side walls to permit grasping of the can to withdraw it from the carton. When the flap is opened, the cans are held in the carton by an accurate flap portion extending downwardly in the end wall into the center of the aperture. The structural integrity of this carton is compromised because the entire bottom end of the carton is opened. The dispensing flap does not provide a safety net to prevent a can from rolling out of the carton and falling to the floor. This carton cannot be easily moved from one location to another after the dispenser has been opened without the containers falling out. It will be realized that the design of this carton is not satisfactory for dispensing bottles with necks as the exiting container being dispensed needs to have a corresponding cylindrical top and bottom of approximately the same size to facilitate easy dispensing by a person grasping the ends of the exiting container. U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,509 to Holley, Jr. et al. also discloses a fully enclosed carton with a dispenser in one of the end walls. This dispenser is likewise formed in the end wall by tearing out an end flap and lowering it into proper position. Expansion slits are provided in the side wall for the user's fingers to grasp the ends of the exiting can. This carton is not adapted for use with bottles, because of the necessity of grasping the ends of the container for removal. In addition, it is not adapted for carrying cans once the carton has been opened as they are likely to roll out of the dispenser. There is also no safety net to receive the cans as they are rolled out of the dispenser. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a dispenser that preserves the integrity of the carton after the dispenser has been opened. It is a further object to provide a dispenser that can be used with both cans and bottles. It is another object of this invention to provide a safety net or basket for the containers that are automatically dispensed when the dispenser is opened. It is a still further object of this invention is to develop a dispenser that will permit the carton to be moved from one location to another after it has been opened without discharging containers. The final object of this invention is to provide a dispenser that can be easily opened. Briefly described, in a preferred form, the objects of this invention are achieved by providing an enclosed carton that has a unique dispenser in the exiting end of the carton. This carton is generally rectangular and has a bottom, a top, two sides, a closed end and an exiting end. The carton is foldably constructed from a blank having panels and flaps. The exiting end or ends of the carton permits containers to be taken from the carton via the dispenser. This carton has a dispenser that is torn from an end of the carton by tearing an end portion of the top panel, a triangular portion from the adjoining side panels, and all of the side end flaps except the bottom most portions, to form a dispenser. The top end flap is removed when this dispenser is opened. This dispenser may have a semi-circular score line attached to the dispenser score line in the top panel for easy opening of the dispenser. A person's fingers can be inserted between this semi-circular score line and the dispenser to commence the opening of the dispenser. This semi-circular score line is placed so that when it is pushed open, a person's fingers will go between the first and second containers inside of the carton. A score line can be provided that bisects the semi-circular score line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the containers to permit ease of entry of a person's fingers. The bottom portions of the side end flaps are left intact to preserve the structural integrity of the carton and also to provide a wall to prevent an end container in the bottom of the carton from accidentally rolling out. It should be realized that the dispenser does not have to be totally removed from the carton, as the score lines in the side and top panels can be broken and the dispenser flipped over along the score lines in the side end flaps to form a safety net or basket when the first container in the top of the carton rolls out of the dispenser. If the score line in the side end flaps is not broken, the dispenser can be reclosed. This carton can be constructed by gluing, taping, stapling and the like, or by locking. The dispenser of this invention can be put in one end of the carton or in both ends. A dispenser can be torn from the carton and placed under the other end of the carton to elevate it to facilitate the removal of the containers from the carton. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a carton according to this invention is formed. FIG. 2 is a perspective end view of the carton loaded with cans showing the dispenser being partially opened. FIG. 3 is a perspective end view of the carton containing cans with the basket shaped dispenser open but attached and containing a can. FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of the carton containing cans showing the top most end can being gripped by hand for removal from the carton. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which a carton according to this invention is formed having a single handle opening with the bottoms flaps being designed to be glued together. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention is intended primarily for use with cans and bottles of the types used to contain soft drinks, beer and the like. The blank 10 is formed from a foldable sheet material, such as paperboard. The blank has a top flap 12 which is connected by fold line 14 to side panel 16, which in turn is connected by fold line 18 to bottom panel 20. Bottom panel 20 is connected by fold line 22 to side panel 24, which in turn is connected by fold line 26 to top flap 28. This carton is capable of containing cans or bottles in two rows of six containers each. This carton has the “racetrack” handle 30 and 32 formed in the top flaps, 12 and 28, respectively. Cushioning flaps 34 and 36 are provided for the comfort of a person's hands, and are foldably joined to top flaps 12 and 28. On the exiting-end of the carton, top end flap 38 is joined to top flap 12 by fold line 40. Side end flap 42 is joined to side panel 16 by fold line 44. Bottom end flap 46 is joined to bottom panel 20 by fold line 48. Side end flap 50 is joined by fold line 52 to side panel 24. Top end flap 54 is joined to top flap 28 by fold line 56. On the closed end of the carton, top end flap 58 is connected to top flap 12 by fold line 60, side end flap 62 is connected to side panel 16 by fold line 64, bottom end flap 66 is attached to bottom panel 20 by fold line 68, side end flap 70 is connected to side panel 24 by fold line 72 and top end flap 74 is connected to top flap 28 by fold line 76. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the carton of the present invention is generally symmetrical about a horizontal line of bisection, as viewed when FIG. 1 is rotated lengthwise. This symmetry aids in the efficient production of the present carton. In forming this blank 10 into a carton, top flap 12 is glued to top flap 28 forming a sleeve. The cans or bottles are then loaded into the carton on their sides and the various end flaps on both ends are closed. Using one end as an example, top end flaps 38 and 54 are folded downwardly and bottom end flap 46 is folded upwardly and then side end flaps 42 and 50 are folded sideways. These various end flaps are held together by glue or other means. The other end of the carton is glued and closed in the same fashion. When the blank is folded and glued, the resulting carton has a closed end and an exiting end. However, a dispenser can be placed on both ends of the cartons. The containers exit the carton through the exiting end of the carton. The exiting end of the carton has a tear line 78 that extends through the top flaps 12 and 28, through the side panels 16 and 24 to form a triangular dispensing flap on the dispenser 79 into the side end flaps 42 and 50. In order to facilitate the opening of this dispenser 79, a finger flap 82 may be provided for the easy insertion of the fingers to start the tearing of the dispenser 79. Finger flap 82 is connected to top flaps 12 and 28 by tear line 80. Finger flap 82 may be provided with insertion flap 86 to facilitate entry of the fingers into the carton. For the opening of the dispenser 79, insertion flap 86 is connected to finger flap 82 by fold line 84. Finger flap 82 and insertion flap 86 are connected to the dispenser 79 by fold line 88 which interrupts the tear line 78. It will be noticed that tear line 78 extends into side end flaps 42 and 50 so as to form a substantial bottom portion 90 and 92 so that the end of the carton will have a bottom end when the dispenser 79 is opened. FIG. 2 shows the carton full of cans with the dispenser 79 open except for the tear lines 78 through the side end flaps 42, 50. It will be noted that the dispenser is a unitary structure. The dispenser 79 is opened by a person inserting his or her fingers into finger flap 82 and pulling the dispenser 79 open. Insertion flap 86 is provided to facilitate the entry of the fingers into the opening provided by finger flap 82. Finger flap 82 and insertion flap 86 are placed so that the fingers will enter the interior of the carton between the first and second cans. FIG. 3 shows the dispenser 79 completely opened but still attached to the carton by tear line 78 not being torn open through side end flaps 42 and 50. When the dispenser 79 is completely opened, the top can C will fall into the basket formed by the dispensing flap 79 and be retained. This dispenser 79 serves as a safety net to prevent the can from leaving the vicinity of the carton. The dispenser 79 forms a basket with triangular flaps forming side walls, side end flaps 42 and 50 forming a bottom wall and the torn off portions of the top flaps 12 and 28 forming an end wall. In order to maintain the structural integrity of this carton, the bottom portions 90 and 92 of the side end flaps 42 and 50 are not removed from the carton when the dispenser is removed. The structural integrity of the carton is improved by the fact that the bottom end flap 46 is not removed. The bottom end flap 46 has a height H approximately equal to the distance between A and B along fold lines 44 and 52 respectively. This means that the bottom end flap 46 has the same height as the bottom portions 90 and 92 of the side end flaps 42 and 50, thus producing a strong bottom end structure. If desired, the dispenser 79 can be totally removed from carton or left attached along tear line 78 in side flaps 42 and 50 and reclosed. As illustrated in FIG. 4, a can C can be easily removed from the carton by using the fingers F and the thumb T of a hand. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank from which a carton containing cans in three rows of four cans each according to the invention is formed. This carton has a single slot handle for carrying. The blank 110 has a bottom flap 112 which is connected by fold line 114 to side panel 116, which in turn is connected by fold line 118 to top panel 120. Top panel 120 in turn is connected by fold line 122 to side panel 124 which in turn is connected by fold line 126 to bottom flap 128. On the closed end of the carton, bottom end flap 130 is foldably connected by fold line 132 to bottom flap 112. Side end flap 134 is connected by fold line 136 to side panel 116. Top end flap 138 is connected by fold line 140 to top panel 120. Side end flap 142 is connected by fold line 144 to side panel 124 and bottom end flap 146 is connected by fold line 148 to bottom flap 128. The exiting end of the carton has a bottom end flap 150 which is connected to bottom flap 112 by fold line 152. Side end flap 154 is connected by fold line 156 to side panel 116. Top end flap 158 is connected by fold line 160 to top panel 120. Side end flap 162 is connected by fold line 164 to side panel 124. Bottom end flap 166 is connected by fold line 168 to bottom flap 128. This carton has a slot handle 170 formed by cut line 172 and fold lines 174 and 176. It also has a score line 178 to assist in dissipating the forces involved in lifting a loaded carton. A dispenser 180 is formed by tearing tear line 182 which extends from the top panel 120 through side panels 116, 124 and into side end flaps 154 and 162. Tear line 182 extends into side end flaps 154 and 162, so as to leave bottom portions 184, 186 that has a height when the carton is formed along lines 156, 164 respectively that is approximately equal to the height of bottom end flaps 150 and 166 in order to provide structural strength to the carton. This carton may have a finger flap 188 connected to dispenser 180 by fold line 190 and insertion flap 192 connected to finger flap 188 by fold line 194. Finger flap 188 and insertion flap 192 are joined to top panel 120 by tear line 196. A sleeve from this carton is prepared by gluing the bottom flap 112 and 128 in an overlapping relationship. This carton is then loaded in the same manner as the carton shown in FIG. 2 through as the end of the cartons. Side end flaps 134, 142, 154, and 162 are glued over the bottom end flaps 130, 146, 150, 166 and top end flaps 138 and 158 to close the ends of the carton. The dispenser is opened in the same manner as the dispenser shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The dispenser of this invention can be used for both cans and other types of cylindrical containers. It Is particularly useful for PET bottles having a stubby configuration. UNIQUE FEATURES OF THE DISPENSER OF THIS INVENTION One of the unique features of the dispenser of this invention is that it provides easy access to the cans or bottles in the carton but yet does not greatly diminish the structural integrity of the carton. This is partly because the bottom end of the end panel in which the dispenser is located is retained. This accomplished by leaving a bottom portion on the side end panel that is equal in height to the bottom end flaps. The dispenser of this invention provides an easy opening feature in that it has a finger flap and insertion flap so that a person's fingers can be inserted between the first and second can to open the dispenser. This dispenser also provides a safety net or basket in that if the tear line for the dispenser is not torn along the side end flaps, it remains attached to the carton and can catch in its basket a can as it is removed from the carton. While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred forms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to an enclosed paperboard carton capable of enclosing containers, which carton has a unique opening and dispensing feature that allows the containers, for example, cans or bottles, to be removed or dispensed without destroying the overall structural integrity of the carton. The dispensing feature may also provide a safety net for the first container that is automatically dispensed when the carton is opened. This dispensing feature also permits the carton to be carried from one location to another after the dispenser has been opened without the containers falling out of the carton. 2. Background Fully enclosed carton capable of enclosing cans have been used in the past that have a feature for dispensing the cans one at a time. Dispenser sections have been provided at various locations within these cartons depending on the design. Many of these dispensers suffer from the disadvantage that once open, they allow all of the containers to roll out. In addition, it is difficult to carry one of these cartons without the containers falling out once the dispenser has been opened. Most of these dispensers have been designed for dispensing cans or bottles which have cylindrical tops and bottoms of substantially the same size and configuration. These dispensers are not suitable for dispensing bottles that have a neck of smaller diameter than the body of the bottle. In effect, many of these dispensers destroy the overall carton integrity once they have been opened. Many of these dispensing features do not have any means for preventing the first container that is automatically dispensed from falling free from the carton. In other words, its dispensing feature has no safety net. 3. Prior Art U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,283 to Farquhar discloses a fully enclosed carton having a dispenser for dispensing the enclosed cans. The end wall of the carton has a dispensing flap which can be folded down upon opening. An aperture formed by the flap extends into the side walls to permit grasping of the can to withdraw it from the carton. When the flap is opened, the cans are held in the carton by an accurate flap portion extending downwardly in the end wall into the center of the aperture. The structural integrity of this carton is compromised because the entire bottom end of the carton is opened. The dispensing flap does not provide a safety net to prevent a can from rolling out of the carton and falling to the floor. This carton cannot be easily moved from one location to another after the dispenser has been opened without the containers falling out. It will be realized that the design of this carton is not satisfactory for dispensing bottles with necks as the exiting container being dispensed needs to have a corresponding cylindrical top and bottom of approximately the same size to facilitate easy dispensing by a person grasping the ends of the exiting container. U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,509 to Holley, Jr. et al. also discloses a fully enclosed carton with a dispenser in one of the end walls. This dispenser is likewise formed in the end wall by tearing out an end flap and lowering it into proper position. Expansion slits are provided in the side wall for the user's fingers to grasp the ends of the exiting can. This carton is not adapted for use with bottles, because of the necessity of grasping the ends of the container for removal. In addition, it is not adapted for carrying cans once the carton has been opened as they are likely to roll out of the dispenser. There is also no safety net to receive the cans as they are rolled out of the dispenser. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>It is an object of this invention to provide a dispenser that preserves the integrity of the carton after the dispenser has been opened. It is a further object to provide a dispenser that can be used with both cans and bottles. It is another object of this invention to provide a safety net or basket for the containers that are automatically dispensed when the dispenser is opened. It is a still further object of this invention is to develop a dispenser that will permit the carton to be moved from one location to another after it has been opened without discharging containers. The final object of this invention is to provide a dispenser that can be easily opened. Briefly described, in a preferred form, the objects of this invention are achieved by providing an enclosed carton that has a unique dispenser in the exiting end of the carton. This carton is generally rectangular and has a bottom, a top, two sides, a closed end and an exiting end. The carton is foldably constructed from a blank having panels and flaps. The exiting end or ends of the carton permits containers to be taken from the carton via the dispenser. This carton has a dispenser that is torn from an end of the carton by tearing an end portion of the top panel, a triangular portion from the adjoining side panels, and all of the side end flaps except the bottom most portions, to form a dispenser. The top end flap is removed when this dispenser is opened. This dispenser may have a semi-circular score line attached to the dispenser score line in the top panel for easy opening of the dispenser. A person's fingers can be inserted between this semi-circular score line and the dispenser to commence the opening of the dispenser. This semi-circular score line is placed so that when it is pushed open, a person's fingers will go between the first and second containers inside of the carton. A score line can be provided that bisects the semi-circular score line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the containers to permit ease of entry of a person's fingers. The bottom portions of the side end flaps are left intact to preserve the structural integrity of the carton and also to provide a wall to prevent an end container in the bottom of the carton from accidentally rolling out. It should be realized that the dispenser does not have to be totally removed from the carton, as the score lines in the side and top panels can be broken and the dispenser flipped over along the score lines in the side end flaps to form a safety net or basket when the first container in the top of the carton rolls out of the dispenser. If the score line in the side end flaps is not broken, the dispenser can be reclosed. This carton can be constructed by gluing, taping, stapling and the like, or by locking. The dispenser of this invention can be put in one end of the carton or in both ends. A dispenser can be torn from the carton and placed under the other end of the carton to elevate it to facilitate the removal of the containers from the carton. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures. | 20041006 | 20070213 | 20050317 | 67116.0 | 1 | WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R | CARTON WITH AN IMPROVED DISPENSING FEATURE | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,959,992 | ACCEPTED | Preparation of nanocrystallites | A method of manufacturing a nanocrystallite from a M-containing salt forms a nanocrystallite. The nanocrystallite can be a member of a population of nanocrystallites having a narrow size distribution and can include one or more semiconductor materials. Semiconducting nanocrystallites can photoluminesce and can have high emission quantum efficiencies. | 1. A method of manufacturing a nanocrystal comprising heating a mixture including a coordinating solvent, a chalcogen or pnictide source, and a metal-containing compound to form a nanocrystal, wherein the metal-containing compound is free of metal-carbon bonds. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture further comprises a primary amine. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the primary amine is a C8-C20 alkyl amine. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture further comprises a 1,2-diol or an aldehyde. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the 1,2-diol is a C6-C20 alkyl diol or the aldehyde is a C6-C20 aldehyde. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal-containing compound includes a halide, carboxylate, carbonate, hydroxide, or diketonate. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal-containing compound includes a Group II metal or a Group III metal. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal-containing compound includes cadmium acetylacetonate, cadmium iodide, cadmium bromide, cadmium hydroxide, cadmium carbonate, cadmium acetate, zinc acetylacetonate, zinc iodide, zinc bromide, zinc hydroxide, zinc carbonate, zinc acetate, magnesium acetylacetonate, magnesium iodide, magnesium bromide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium acetate, mercury acetylacetonate, mercury iodide, mercury bromide, mercury hydroxide, mercury carbonate, mercury acetate, aluminum acetylacetonate, aluminum iodide, aluminum bromide, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum carbonate, aluminum acetate, gallium acetylacetonate, gallium iodide, gallium bromide, gallium hydroxide, gallium carbonate, gallium acetate, indium acetylacetonate, indium iodide, indium bromide, indium hydroxide, indium carbonate, indium acetate, thallium acetylacetonate, thallium iodide, thallium bromide, thallium hydroxide, thallium carbonate, or thallium acetate. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture further comprises a C8-C20 alkyl primary amine, a C6-C20 alkyl 1,2-diol, and the metal-containing compound is a halide, carboxylate, carbonate, hydroxide, or diketonate. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the chalcogen or pnictide source includes a phosphine chalcogenide, a bis(silyl)chalcogenide, dioxygen, an ammonium salt, or a tris(silyl)pnictide. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the nanocrystal photoluminesces with a quantum efficiency of at least 10%. 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the size distribution of a population including of the nanocrystal. 13. The method of claim 12, further altering the temperature of the mixture in response to a change in the size distribution. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the nanocrystal has a particle size in the range of about 20 Å to about 125 Å. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the nanocrystal includes ZnS, ZnSe, CdS, CdSe, or mixtures thereof. 16. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the nanocrystal to an organic compound having affinity for a surface of the nanocrystal. 17. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming an overcoating of a semiconductor material on a surface of the nanocrystal. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the nanocrystal is a member of a substantially monodisperse core population. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the population emits light in a spectral range of no greater than about 75 nm full width at half max (FWHM). 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the population exhibits less than a 15% rms deviation in diameter of the nanocrystal. 21. A method of manufacturing a nanocrystal, comprising: contacting a metal, M, or an M-containing salt, and a reducing agent to form an M-containing precursor, M being Cd, Zn, Mg, Hg, Al, Ga, In, or Tl; contacting the M-containing precursor with an X donor, X being O, S, Se, Te, N, P, As, or Sb to form a mixture; and heating the mixture to form the nanocrystal. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the reducing agent includes a 1,2-diol or an aldehyde and the M-containing salt includes a halide, carboxylate, carbonate, hydroxide, or diketonate. 23. A method of manufacturing a nanocrystal, comprising: contacting a metal, M, or an M-containing salt, M being Cd, Zn, Mg, Hg, Al, Ga, In, or Tl, an amine, and an X donor, X being O, S, Se, Te, N, P, As, or Sb to form a mixture; and heating the mixture to form the nanocrystal. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the amine is a C6-C20 primary amine and the M-containing salt includes a halide, carboxylate, carbonate, hydroxide, or diketonate. 25. A method of overcoating a core nanocrystal comprising: contacting a core nanocrystal population with an M-containing salt, M being Cd, Zn, Mg, Hg, Al, Ga, In, or Tl an X donor, X being O, S, Se, Te, N, P, As, or Sb, and an amine to form a mixture, and forming an overcoating having the formula MX on a surface of the core. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation application of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/455,629, filed on Jun. 6, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/732,013, filed on Dec. 8, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,291, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT This invention was made with government support under Contract No. DMR-98-08941 from the National Science Foundation. The government may have certain rights in the invention. TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to methods of manufacturing a nanocrystallite. BACKGROUND Nanocrystallites having small diameters can have properties intermediate between molecular and bulk forms of matter. For example, nanocrystallites based on semiconductor materials having small diameters can exhibit quantum confinement of both the electron and hole in all three dimensions, which leads to an increase in the effective band gap of the material with decreasing crystallite size. Consequently, both the optical absorption and emission of nanocrystallites shift to the blue (i.e., to higher energies) as the size of the crystallites decreases. Methods of preparing monodisperse semiconductor nanocrystallites include pyrolysis of organometallic reagents, such as dimethyl cadmium, injected into a hot, coordinating solvent. This permits discrete nucleation and results in the controlled growth of macroscopic quantities of nanocrystallites. Organometallic reagents can be expensive, dangerous and difficult to handle. SUMMARY The invention features methods of manufacturing a nanocrystallite. The nanocrystallite has a diameter of less than 150 Å. The nanocrystallite can be a member of a population of nanocrystallites having a narrow size distribution. The nanocrystallite can be a sphere, rod, disk, or other shape. The nanocrystallite can include a core of a semiconductor material. The core can have an overcoating on a surface of the core. The overcoating can be a semiconductor material having a composition different from the composition of the core. Semiconducting nanocrystallites can photoluminesce and can have high emission quantum efficiencies. The method forms the nanocrystallite from an M-containing salt. The nanocrystallite can include a core having the formula MX, where M is cadmium, zinc, magnesium, mercury, aluminum, gallium, indium, thallium, or mixtures thereof, and X is oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, or mixtures thereof. The M-containing salt can be the source of M in the nanocrystallite. An X-containing compound can be the source of the X in the nanocrystallite. The M-containing salt can be a safe, inexpensive starting material for manufacturing a nanocrystallite relative to typical organometallic reagents which can be air sensitive, pyrophoric, or volatile. The M-containing salt is not air sensitive, is not pyrophoric, and is not volatile relative to organometallic reagents. In one aspect, the invention features a method of manufacturing a nanocrystallite. The method includes contacting a metal, M, or an M-containing salt, and a reducing agent to form an M-containing precursor, M being Cd, Zn, Mg, Hg, Al, Ga, In or Tl. The M-containing precursor is contacted with an X donor, X being O, S, Se, Te, N, P, As, or Sb. The mixture is then heated in the presence of an amine to form the nanocrystallite. In certain embodiments, heating can take place in the presence of a coordinating solvent. In another aspect, the invention features a method of manufacturing a nanocrystallite including contacting a metal, M, or an M-containing salt, and a reducing agent to form an M-containing precursor, contacting the M-containing precursor with an X donor, and heating the mixture to form the nanocrystallite. In certain embodiments, heating can take place in the presence of a coordinating solvent. In another aspect, the invention features a method of manufacturing a nanocrystallite including contacting a metal, M, or an M-containing salt, an amine, and an X donor, and heating the mixture to form the nanocrystallite. In yet another aspect, the invention features a method of overcoating a core nanocrystallite. The method includes contacting a core nanocrystallite population with an M-containing salt, an X donor, and an amine, and forming an overcoating having the formula MX on a surface of the core. In certain embodiments, a coordinating solvent can be present. The amine can be a primary amine, for example, a C8-C20 alkyl amine. The reducing agent can be a mild reducing agent capable of reducing the M of the M-containing salt. Suitable reducing agents include a 1,2-diol or an aldehyde. The 1,2-diol can be a C6-C20 alkyl diol. The aldehyde can be a C6-C20 aldehyde. The M-containing salt can include a halide, carboxylate, carbonate, hydroxide, or diketonate. The X donor can include a phosphine chalcogenide, a bis(silyl)chalcogenide, dioxygen, an ammonium salt, or a tris(silyl)pnictide. The nanocrystallite can photoluminesce with a quantum efficiency of at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, and more preferably at least 40%. The nanocrystallite can have a particle size (e.g., average diameter when the nanocrystallite is spheroidal) in the range of about 20 Å to about 125 Å. The nanocrystallite can be a member of a substantially monodisperse core population. The population can emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 75 nm at full width at half max (FWHM), preferably 60 nm FWHM, more preferably 40 nm FWHM, and most preferably 30 nm FWHM. The population can exhibit less than a 15% rms deviation in diameter of the nanocrystallites, preferably less than 10%, more preferably less than 5%. The method can include monitoring the size distribution of a population including of the nanocrystallite, lowering the temperature of the mixture in response to a spreading of the size distribution, or increasing the temperature of the mixture in response to when monitoring indicates growth appears to stop. The method can also include exposing the nanocrystallite to a compound having affinity for a surface of the nanocrystallite. The method can include forming an overcoating of a semiconductor material on a surface of the nanocrystallite. The semiconductor material can be a group II-VI, III-V or IV semiconductor, such as, for example, ZnO, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, CdO, CdS, CdSe, CdTe, MgO, MgS, MgSe, MgTe, HgO, HgS, HgSe, HgTe, AlN, AlP, AlAs, AlSb, GaN, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InN, InP, InAs, InSb, TlN, TIP, TlAs, TlSb, or mixtures thereof. The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and from the claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The method of manufacturing a nanocrystallite is a colloidal growth process. Colloidal growth occurs by rapidly injecting an M-containing salt and an X donor into a hot coordinating solvent including an amine. The injection produces a nucleus that can be grown in a controlled manner to form a nanocrystallite. The reaction mixture can be gently heated to grow and anneal the nanocrystallite. Both the average size and the size distribution of the nanocrystallites in a sample are dependent on the growth temperature. The growth temperature necessary to maintain steady growth increases with increasing average crystal size. The nanocrystallite is a member of a population of nanocrystallites. As a result of the discrete nucleation and controlled growth, the population of nanocrystallites obtained has a narrow, monodisperse distribution of diameters. The monodisperse distribution of diameters can also be referred to as a size. The process of controlled growth and annealing of the nanocrystallites in the coordinating solvent that follows nucleation can also result in uniform surface derivatization and regular core structures. As the size distribution sharpens, the temperature can be raised to maintain steady growth. By adding more M-containing salt or X donor, the growth period can be shortened. The M-containing salt is a non-organometallic compound, e.g., a compound free of metal-carbon bonds. M is cadmium, zinc, magnesium, mercury, aluminum, gallium, indium or thallium. The M-containing salt can be a metal halide, metal carboxylate, metal carbonate, metal hydroxide, or metal diketonate, such as a metal acetylacetonate. The M-containing salt is less expensive and safer to use than organometallic compounds, such as metal alkyls. For example, the M-containing salts are stable in air, whereas metal alkyls a generally unstable in air. M-containing salts such as 2,4-pentanedionate (i.e., acetylacetonate (acac)), halide, carboxylate, hydroxide, or carbonate salts are stable in air and allow nanocrystallites to be manufactured under less rigorous conditions than corresponding metal alkyls. Suitable M-containing salts include cadmium acetylacetonate, cadmium iodide, cadmium bromide, cadmium hydroxide, cadmium carbonate, cadmium acetate, zinc acetylacetonate, zinc iodide, zinc bromide, zinc hydroxide, zinc carbonate, zinc acetate, magnesium acetylacetonate, magnesium iodide, magnesium bromide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium acetate, mercury acetylacetonate, mercury iodide, mercury bromide, mercury hydroxide, mercury carbonate, mercury acetate, aluminum acetylacetonate, aluminum iodide, aluminum bromide, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum carbonate, aluminum acetate, gallium acetylacetonate, gallium iodide, gallium bromide, gallium hydroxide, gallium carbonate, gallium acetate, indium acetylacetonate, indium iodide, indium bromide, indium hydroxide, indium carbonate, indium acetate, thallium acetylacetonate, thallium iodide, thallium bromide, thallium hydroxide, thallium carbonate, or thallium acetate. Alkyl is a branched or unbranched saturated hydrocarbon group of 1 to 100 carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 30 carbon atoms, such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, t-butyl, octyl, decyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, eicosyl, tetracosyl and the like, as well as cycloalkyl groups such as cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl and the like. Optionally, an alkyl can contain 1 to 6 linkages selected from the group consisting of —O—, —S—, -M- and —NR— where R is hydrogen, or C1-C8 alkyl or lower alkenyl. Prior to combining the M-containing salt with the X donor, the M-containing salt can be contacted with a coordinating solvent and a 1,2-diol or an aldehyde to form an M-containing precursor. The 1,2-diol or aldehyde can facilitate reaction between the M-containing salt and the X donor and improve the growth process and the quality of the nanocrystallite obtained in the process. The 1,2-diol or aldehyde can be a C6-C20 1,2-diol or a C6-C20 aldehyde. A suitable 1,2-diol is 1,2-hexadecanediol and a suitable aldehyde is dodecanal. The X donor is a compound capable of reacting with the M-containing salt to form a material with the general formula MX. Typically, the X donor is a chalcogenide donor or a pnictide donor, such as a phosphine chalcogenide, a bis(silyl)chalcogenide, dioxygen, an ammonium salt, or a tris(silyl)pnictide. Suitable X donors include dioxygen, bis(trimethylsilyl)selenide ((TMS)2Se), trialkyl phosphine selenides such as (tri-n-octylphosphine)selenide (TOPSe) or (tri-n-butylphosphine)selenide (TBPSe), trialkyl phosphine tellurides such as (tri-n-octylphosphine)telluride (TOPTe) or hexapropylphosphorustriamide telluride (HPPTTe), bis(trimethylsilyl)telluride ((TMS)2Te), sulfur, bis(trimethylsilyl)sulfide ((TMS)2S), a trialkyl phosphine sulfide such as (tri-n-octylphosphine)sulfide (TOPS), tris(dimethylamino)arsine, an ammonium salt such as an ammonium halide (e.g., NH4Cl), tris(trimethylsilyl)phosphide ((TMS)3P), tris(trimethylsilyl)arsenide ((TMS)3As), or tris(trimethylsilyl)antimonide ((TMS)3Sb). The coordinating solvent can help control the growth of the nanocrystallite. The coordinating solvent is a compound having a donor lone pair that, for example, has a lone electron pair available to coordinate to a surface of the growing nanocrystallite. Solvent coordination can stabilize the growing nanocrystallite. Typical coordinating solvents include alkyl phosphines and alkyl phosphine oxides, however, other coordinating solvents, such as pyridines, furans, and amines may also be suitable for the nanocrystallite production. Examples of suitable coordinating solvents include tri-n-octyl phosphine (TOP) and tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide (TOPO). Technical grade TOPO can be used. The nanocrystallite manufactured from an M-containing salt grows in a controlled manner when the coordinating solvent includes an amine. Preferably, the coordinating solvent is a mixture of the amine and an alkyl phosphine oxide in a mole ratio of 10:90, more preferably 30:70 and most preferably 50:50. The combined solvent can decrease size dispersion and can improve photoluminescence quantum yield of the nanocrystallite. The amine in the coordinating solvent contributes to the quality of the nanocrystallite obtained from the M-containing salt and X donor. The preferred amine is a primary alkyl amine, such as a C2-C20 alkyl amine, preferably a C8-C18 alkyl amine. One suitable amine for combining with tri-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) is 1-hexadecylamine in a 50:50 mole ratio. When the 1,2-diol or aldehyde and the amine are used in combination with the M-containing salt to form a population of nanocrystallites, the photoluminescence quantum efficiency and the distribution of nanocrystallite sizes are improved in comparison to nanocrystallites manufactured without the 1,2-diol or aldehyde or the amine. Size distribution during the growth stage of the reaction can be estimated by monitoring the absorption line widths of the particles. Modification of the reaction temperature in response to changes in the absorption spectrum of the particles allows the maintenance of a sharp particle size distribution during growth. Reactants can be added to the nucleation solution during crystal growth to grow larger crystals. By stopping growth at a particular nanocrystallite average diameter and choosing the proper composition of the semiconducting material, the emission spectra of the nanocrystallites can be tuned continuously over the wavelength range of 400 nm to 800 nm. The nanocrystallite has a diameter of less than 150 Å. A population of nanocrystallites has average diameters in the range of 20 Å to 125 Å. Nanocrystallites composed of semiconductor material can be illuminated with a light source at an absorption wavelength to cause an emission occurs at an emission wavelength, the emission having a frequency that corresponds to the band gap of the quantum confined semiconductor material. The band gap is a function of the size of the nanocrystallite. The narrow size distribution of a population of nanocrystallites can result in emission of light in a narrow spectral range. Spectral emissions in a narrow range of no greater than about 75 nm, preferably 60 nm, more preferably 40 nm, and most preferably 30 nm full width at half max (FWHM) can be observed. The breadth of the photoluminescence decreases as the dispersity of nanocrystallite diameters decreases. The particle size distribution can be further refined by size selective precipitation with a poor solvent for the nanocrystallites, such as methanol/butanol as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/969,302, incorporated herein by reference. For example, nanocrystallites can be dispersed in a solution of 10% butanol in hexane. Methanol can be added dropwise to this stirring solution until opalescence persists. Separation of supernatant and flocculate by centrifugation produces a precipitate enriched with the largest crystallites in the sample. This procedure can be repeated until no further sharpening of the optical absorption spectrum is noted. Size-selective precipitation can be carried out in a variety of solvent/nonsolvent pairs, including pyridine/hexane and chloroform/methanol. The size-selected nanocrystallite population can have no more than a 15% RMS deviation from mean diameter, preferably 10% RMS deviation or less, and more preferably 5% RMS deviation or less. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can provide information about the size, shape, and distribution of the nanocrystallite population. Powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns can provided the most complete information regarding the type and quality of the crystal structure of the nanocrystallites. Estimates of size were also possible since particle diameter is inversely related, via the X-ray coherence length, to the peak width. For example, the diameter of the nanocrystallite can be measured directly by transmission electron microscopy or estimated from x-ray diffraction data using, for example, the Scherrer equation. It also can be estimated from the UV/Vis absorption spectrum. The method can also be used to overcoat a core semiconductor material. Overcoating can improve the emission quantum efficiency of the core. Semiconductor band offsets determine which potential shell materials provide energy barriers for both the electron and hole. For example, ZnS, ZnSe or CdS overcoatings can be grown on CdSe or CdTe nanocrystallites. An overcoating process is described in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/969,302, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The overcoating can be grown by the method including contacting a core with a mixture including an M-containing salt and the X donor in the presence of an amine. By adjusting the temperature of the reaction mixture during overcoating and monitoring the absorption spectrum of the core, overcoated materials having high emission quantum efficiencies and narrow size distributions can be obtained. The outer surface of the nanocrystallite includes an organic layer derived from the coordinating solvent used during the growth process. The surface can be modified by repeated exposure to an excess of a competing coordinating group. For example, a dispersion of the capped nanocrystallite can be treated with a coordinating organic compound, such as pyridine, to produce crystallites which dispersed readily in pyridine, methanol, and aromatics but no longer dispersed in aliphatic solvents. Such a surface exchange process can be carried out with any compound capable of coordinating to or bonding with the outer surface of the nanocrystallite, including, for example, phosphines, thiols, amines and phosphates. The nanocrystallite can be exposed to short chain polymers which exhibit an affinity for the surface and which terminate in a moiety having an affinity for the suspension or dispersion medium. Such affinity improves the stability of the suspension and discourages flocculation of the nanocrystallite. The nanocrystallites can be suitable for a variety of applications, including those disclosed in copending and commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/156,863, filed Sep. 18, 1998, Ser. No. 09/160,454, filed Sep. 24, 1998, Ser. No. 09/160,458, filed Sep. 24, 1998, and Ser. No. 09/350,956, filed Jul. 9, 1999, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. For example, the nanocrystallites can be used in optoelectronic devices including electroluminescent devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) or alternating current thin film electroluminescent devices (ACTFELDs). EXAMPLES Synthesis of Nanocrystallites All reactions were done under a dry argon atmosphere. Tri-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) was obtained from Strem. Tri-octylphosphine (TOP) was obtained from Fluka, 1-hexadecylamine was obtained from Aldrich, and cadmium 2,4-pentanedionate (cadmium acetylacetonate, Cd(acac)2) was obtained from Alfa. Other starting materials were obtained from Aldrich. A Cd precursor mixture was prepared by combining 8 mL (18 mmol) of tri-octyl phosphine (TOP), 427.4 mg (1.38 mmol) of Cd(acac)2, and 792.6 mg (3.07 mmol) of 1,2-hexadecanediol. The mixture was degassed at 100 millitorr and purged with dry argon three times. The mixture was then stirred at 100° C. for 90 minutes resulting in a waxy gel. The Cd precursor was cooled to room temperature. A 1M stock solution of trioctylphosphine selenide (TOPSe) was prepared by dissolving 0.1 mol of selenium shot in 100 mL of TOP under a dry argon atmosphere. 2 mL of one molar TOPSe in TOP were stirred into the Cd precursor mixture and the combination of materials was loaded into a syringe under dry argon. 9.25 g (24 mmol) of tri-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) and 5.75 g (24 mmol) of 1-hexadecylamine were dried and degassed at 160° C. and 60 millitorr for two hours with stirring in a three-neck round-bottom flask. The atmosphere of the flask was backfilled with dry argon at one atmosphere and the temperature of the molten reaction solvent was increased from 160° C. to 360° C. The reaction mixture in the syringe was quickly injected into the stirring solvent, and the heat was temporarily removed. The temperature dropped to 265° C. Heat was then added to increase the temperature to 275° C. for controlled growth of the CdSe nanocrystallites. Periodically, aliquots of the reaction solution were removed through a septum via syringe and diluted in hexane for visible absorption spectral analysis of the nanocrystallite growth. Once the target nanocrystallite size was obtained, the temperature of the reaction solution was lowered to 100° C. and the growth solution was stirred overnight. The synthetic procedure yielded CdSe nanocrystallites using cadmium iodide, cadmium bromide, cadmium carbonate, cadmium acetate, or cadmium hydroxide as the Cd-containing starting material. When cadmium metal was used as the Cd-containing starting material, the Cd precursor material was prepared by combining the cadmium metal, TOP and 1,2-hexadecanediol until the metal dissolved. The precursor solution was then combined with the TOPSe stock solution and was stirred for 12 hours at 100° C. This solution was then combined with the coordinating solvent to grow the nanocrystallites. Absorption and Photoluminescence Spectra of Nanocrystallites The absorption spectrum was taken with a Hewlett Packard Model 8453 Ultraviolet-Visible (UV/Vis) Spectrometer. The emission spectrum was taken with a SPEX 1680 0.22 m Double Spectrometer, using rhodamine 590 in methanol as a quantum efficiency reference. The average diameter of the CdSe nanocrystallites was estimated from the UV/Vis absorption spectrum to be roughly 38 Å after growth. Resolution of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd features of the absorption spectrum indicates that the size distribution of the nanocrystallites was relatively narrow, less than 5% RMS deviation. The quantum efficiency of the CdSe nanocrystallite emission when irradiated with 500 nm light was 10.25%±0.75%. A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the methods and products described herein primarily related to methods of preparing cadmium selenide or zinc sulfide materials. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these methods can be extended to other metal chalcogenide and pnictide materials. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>Nanocrystallites having small diameters can have properties intermediate between molecular and bulk forms of matter. For example, nanocrystallites based on semiconductor materials having small diameters can exhibit quantum confinement of both the electron and hole in all three dimensions, which leads to an increase in the effective band gap of the material with decreasing crystallite size. Consequently, both the optical absorption and emission of nanocrystallites shift to the blue (i.e., to higher energies) as the size of the crystallites decreases. Methods of preparing monodisperse semiconductor nanocrystallites include pyrolysis of organometallic reagents, such as dimethyl cadmium, injected into a hot, coordinating solvent. This permits discrete nucleation and results in the controlled growth of macroscopic quantities of nanocrystallites. Organometallic reagents can be expensive, dangerous and difficult to handle. | <SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>The invention features methods of manufacturing a nanocrystallite. The nanocrystallite has a diameter of less than 150 Å. The nanocrystallite can be a member of a population of nanocrystallites having a narrow size distribution. The nanocrystallite can be a sphere, rod, disk, or other shape. The nanocrystallite can include a core of a semiconductor material. The core can have an overcoating on a surface of the core. The overcoating can be a semiconductor material having a composition different from the composition of the core. Semiconducting nanocrystallites can photoluminesce and can have high emission quantum efficiencies. The method forms the nanocrystallite from an M-containing salt. The nanocrystallite can include a core having the formula MX, where M is cadmium, zinc, magnesium, mercury, aluminum, gallium, indium, thallium, or mixtures thereof, and X is oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, or mixtures thereof. The M-containing salt can be the source of M in the nanocrystallite. An X-containing compound can be the source of the X in the nanocrystallite. The M-containing salt can be a safe, inexpensive starting material for manufacturing a nanocrystallite relative to typical organometallic reagents which can be air sensitive, pyrophoric, or volatile. The M-containing salt is not air sensitive, is not pyrophoric, and is not volatile relative to organometallic reagents. In one aspect, the invention features a method of manufacturing a nanocrystallite. The method includes contacting a metal, M, or an M-containing salt, and a reducing agent to form an M-containing precursor, M being Cd, Zn, Mg, Hg, Al, Ga, In or Tl. The M-containing precursor is contacted with an X donor, X being O, S, Se, Te, N, P, As, or Sb. The mixture is then heated in the presence of an amine to form the nanocrystallite. In certain embodiments, heating can take place in the presence of a coordinating solvent. In another aspect, the invention features a method of manufacturing a nanocrystallite including contacting a metal, M, or an M-containing salt, and a reducing agent to form an M-containing precursor, contacting the M-containing precursor with an X donor, and heating the mixture to form the nanocrystallite. In certain embodiments, heating can take place in the presence of a coordinating solvent. In another aspect, the invention features a method of manufacturing a nanocrystallite including contacting a metal, M, or an M-containing salt, an amine, and an X donor, and heating the mixture to form the nanocrystallite. In yet another aspect, the invention features a method of overcoating a core nanocrystallite. The method includes contacting a core nanocrystallite population with an M-containing salt, an X donor, and an amine, and forming an overcoating having the formula MX on a surface of the core. In certain embodiments, a coordinating solvent can be present. The amine can be a primary amine, for example, a C 8 -C 20 alkyl amine. The reducing agent can be a mild reducing agent capable of reducing the M of the M-containing salt. Suitable reducing agents include a 1,2-diol or an aldehyde. The 1,2-diol can be a C 6 -C 20 alkyl diol. The aldehyde can be a C 6 -C 20 aldehyde. The M-containing salt can include a halide, carboxylate, carbonate, hydroxide, or diketonate. The X donor can include a phosphine chalcogenide, a bis(silyl)chalcogenide, dioxygen, an ammonium salt, or a tris(silyl)pnictide. The nanocrystallite can photoluminesce with a quantum efficiency of at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, and more preferably at least 40%. The nanocrystallite can have a particle size (e.g., average diameter when the nanocrystallite is spheroidal) in the range of about 20 Å to about 125 Å. The nanocrystallite can be a member of a substantially monodisperse core population. The population can emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 75 nm at full width at half max (FWHM), preferably 60 nm FWHM, more preferably 40 nm FWHM, and most preferably 30 nm FWHM. The population can exhibit less than a 15% rms deviation in diameter of the nanocrystallites, preferably less than 10%, more preferably less than 5%. The method can include monitoring the size distribution of a population including of the nanocrystallite, lowering the temperature of the mixture in response to a spreading of the size distribution, or increasing the temperature of the mixture in response to when monitoring indicates growth appears to stop. The method can also include exposing the nanocrystallite to a compound having affinity for a surface of the nanocrystallite. The method can include forming an overcoating of a semiconductor material on a surface of the nanocrystallite. The semiconductor material can be a group II-VI, III-V or IV semiconductor, such as, for example, ZnO, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, CdO, CdS, CdSe, CdTe, MgO, MgS, MgSe, MgTe, HgO, HgS, HgSe, HgTe, AlN, AlP, AlAs, AlSb, GaN, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InN, InP, InAs, InSb, TlN, TIP, TlAs, TlSb, or mixtures thereof. The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and from the claims. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? | 20041008 | 20061121 | 20050421 | 98923.0 | 2 | DUNN, COLLEEN P | PREPARATION OF NANOCRYSTALLITES | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,960,034 | ACCEPTED | Self-supporting capacitor structure | A plurality of high capacitance capacitors are coupled to supply or accept large currents. Bus bars are welded to the capacitors to provide improved thermal performance as well as self-supporting rigidity to the geometrical structure formed by the capacitors and the bus bars. | 1. A capacitor based system, comprising at least three double-layer capacitors, the capacitors comprising terminals through which a high current may flow safely; and at least two bus bars, each bus bar comprising two attachment points, wherein at the two attachment points a double-layer capacitor and the bus bar form an integral structure that passes the high current, wherein the at least three capacitors and the at least two bus bars comprise a self supporting-structure. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the high current is greater than 2000 amps. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one bus bar comprises a relatively ductile metal. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an electrical device, wherein two of the terminals are coupled to the electrical device. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least three capacitors are interconnected in series and provide about 42 volts when charged. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least three double-layer capacitors are connected in series by the at least two bus bars. 7. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one bus bar comprises an increased surface area. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the increased surface area comprises one or more rib. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein between terminals of the at least three capacitors are interconnected two capacitor balancing circuits. 10. (canceled) 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the self-supporting structure comprises welds. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the welds are laser welds. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the welds are ultrasonic welds. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the welds are cold formed. 15. The system of claim 1, wherein two terminals are disposed along one axis of each double layer capacitor. 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the terminals and the at least two bus bars comprise the same metal. 17. A method of using a plurality of capacitors, comprising the steps of: providing a first and a second double-layer capacitor; providing a first bus bar; and welding a first end of the first bus bar to the first double-layer capacitor to form a self-supporting structure; and welding a second end of the first bus bar to the second double-layer capacitor to form the self-supporting structure. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of passing a current of at least 250 amps through the first bus bar. 19. The method of claim 17, further providing a third double-layer capacitor; providing a second bus bar; and welding a first end of the second bus bar to the third capacitor to form the self-supporting structure; and welding a second end of the bus bar to the second capacitor to form the self-supporting structure. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of: providing an electrical device; and coupling the double-layer capacitors to the electrical device to pass current between the capacitors and the electrical device. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the electrical device comprises a propulsion engine. 22. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second capacitors are connected by the bus bar in series. 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the self-supporting structures comprised of double-layer capacitors and bus bars are oriented in any orientation. 24. A capacitor structure, comprising: a plurality of capacitors; and a plurality of bus bars for carrying a current between the plurality of capacitors, wherein the plurality of bus bars and the plurality of capacitors form an integrally interconnected self-supporting structure. 25. The structure of claim 24, wherein one or more of the bus bars comprise an increased surface area. 26. The structure of claim 24, wherein the bus bars are welded to the plurality of capacitors. 27. The structure of claim 26, wherein the current is at least 250 amps. 28. The structure of claim 26, wherein the capacitors are double-layer capacitors. 29. The structure of claim 24, wherein the capacitors comprise terminals and the integral interconnected structure is comprised of the bus bars and the terminals. 30. The structure of claim 29, wherein the capacitors comprise an aluminum housing and aluminum lid, wherein the housing and lid each comprise a terminal. 31. The structure of claim 31, wherein the self-supporting structure includes at least one capacitor balancing circuit connected between two of the capacitors. 32. A capacitor based system, comprising: at least two double-layer capacitors, the capacitors having axially disposed terminals through which current may flow safely; and at least one bus bar, the bus bar comprising two attachment points, the at least one bus bar for carrying the current between the double-layer capacitors, the at least one bus bar welded at the two attachment points to respective terminals of the double-layer capacitors. 33. The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one bus bar comprises at least one void within which one of the terminals is disposed. | RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/525,483 filed 26 Nov. 2003, Docket No. M111P, which is commonly assigned and incorporated herein by reference; and This application is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/518,422 filed 7 Nov. 2003, Docket No. M106P, which is commonly assigned and incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is related to interconnections made to capacitors in general, and to welded interconnections made to capacitors more particularly. BACKGROUND Known configurations for interconnection to capacitors include leads, tabs, and the like. Types of capacitor technology that use interconnections include ceramic capacitors, electrolytic capacitors, and other types that are know to those skilled in the art. Known capacitor interconnections utilize both radial and axial configurations. When current flow through such capacitors is small, the interconnections need not be large in diameter or cross-sectional area. Use of small geometrical sizes is allowed when maximum current is small. Double-layer capacitors (also known as ultracapacitors and supercapacitors) can now be produced as individual capacitors and are capable of storing hundreds and thousands of farads in a single cell. Due in part to their large capacitance, double-layer capacitors can supply or accept large currents. However, single double-layer capacitor cells are limited by physics and chemistry to a maximum operating voltage of about 4 volts, and nominally to about between 2.5 to 3 volts. As higher capacitance double-layer capacitors are configured for use in increasingly higher voltage applications, even higher currents may be generated during charge and discharge of the capacitors. What is needed, therefore, are reliable interconnections and methodologies for handling high current using double-layer capacitors. SUMMARY High capacitance capacitors can store large amounts of energy and are capable of supplying or accepting large currents. As current flow through a capacitor increases, heat may be generated. Above a certain threshold temperature or current, a capacitor may fail. The present invention addresses capacitor's tendency to fail at higher currents and/or higher temperatures. In one embodiment, a capacitor-based system comprises at least three double-layer capacitors, the capacitors comprising terminals through which a high current may flow safely; and at least two bus bars, each bus bar comprising two attachment points, wherein at the two attachment points a double-layer capacitor and the bus bar form an integral structure which passes the high current. The high current may be greater than 2000 amps. The at least one bus bar may comprise a relatively ductile metal. The system may comprise a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an electrical device, wherein two of the terminals are coupled to the electrical device. The at least three capacitors may be interconnected in series and provide about 42 volts when charged. The at least three double-layer capacitors may be connected in series by the at least two bus bars. The bus bar may comprise an increased surface area. The increased surface area may comprise one or more rib. Between terminals of the at least three capacitors may be interconnected two capacitor balancing circuits. The least three capacitors and the at least two bus bars may comprise a self supporting-structure. The self-supporting structure may comprise welds. The welds may be laser welds. The welds may be ultrasonic welds. The welds may be cold formed. The two terminals may be disposed along one axis of each double layer capacitor. The terminals and the at least two bus bars may comprise the same metal. In one embodiment, a method of using a plurality of capacitors, comprises the steps of: providing a first and a second double-layer capacitor; providing a first bus bar; and welding a first end of the first bus bar to the first double-layer capacitor to form a self-supporting structure; and welding a second end of the first bus bar to the second double-layer capacitor to form the self-supporting structure. The method may also comprise the step of passing a current of at least 250 amps through the first bus bar. The method may further provide a third double-layer capacitor; provide a second bus bar; and weld a first end of the second bus bar to the third capacitor to form the self-supporting structure; and weld a second end of the bus bar to the second capacitor to form the self-supporting structure. The method may also comprise the steps of: providing an electrical device; and coupling the double-layer capacitors to the electrical device to pass current between the capacitors and the electrical device. The electrical device may comprise a propulsion engine. The first and second capacitors may be connected by the bus bar in series. The self-supporting structures may be oriented in any orientation. In one embodiment, a capacitor structure may comprise a plurality of capacitors; and a plurality of bus bars for carrying a current between the plurality of capacitors, wherein the plurality of bus bars and the plurality of capacitors form an integrally interconnected self-supporting structure. The one or more of the bus bars may comprise an increased surface area. The bus bars may be welded to the plurality of capacitors. The current may more than 250 amps. The capacitors may be double-layer capacitors. The capacitors may comprise terminals and the integral interconnected structure may be comprised of the bus bars and the terminals. The capacitors may comprise an aluminum housing and aluminum lid, wherein the housing and lid each comprise a terminal. The self-supporting structure may include at least one capacitor balancing circuit connected between two of the capacitors. In one embodiment, a capacitor based system comprises at least two double-layer capacitors, the capacitors having axially disposed terminals through which current may flow safely; and at least one bus bar, the bus bar comprising two attachment points, the at least one bus bar for carrying the current between the double-layer capacitors, the at least one bus bar welded at the two attachment points to respective terminals of the double-layer capacitors. The at least one bus bar may comprise at least one void within which one of the terminals is disposed. Other embodiments, benefits, and advantages will become apparent upon a further reading of the following Figures, Description, and Claims. FIGURES In FIG. 1a there are seen capacitors connected in series. In FIG. 1b there is seen a structure of a double-layer capacitor. In FIG. 2 there are illustrated capacitor current vs. capacitor temperature curves. In FIG. 3 there are seen interconnections provided with increased surface area. In FIG. 4 there is seen use of a cell balancing circuit. In FIG. 5 there is seen a capacitor housing configured to provide an increased surface area. In FIG. 6 there are seen three views of six series interconnected capacitors. In FIG. 7 there are seen three views of six series interconnected capacitors disposed within a container. DESCRIPTION High capacitance capacitors can store large amounts of energy and are capable of supplying or accepting large currents. As current flow through a capacitor increases, heat may be generated. Above a certain threshold temperature or current, a capacitor may fail. The present invention addresses the tendency of capacitors to fail at higher currents and/or higher temperatures. Referring now to FIG. 1a, there are seen capacitors connected in series. In one embodiment, four 2600 F|2.5 V|60 mm×172 mm|525 g| sealed capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18 are interconnected as a series string of capacitors. A type of capacitor capable of such high capacitance is known to those skilled in the art as a double-layer capacitor, or alternatively, as a supercapacitor or an ultracapacitor. In FIG. 1a, the series string is formed using electrically conductive interconnections 30. Interconnections 30 connect a negative terminal of a first capacitor 12 to a positive terminal of a second capacitor 14, a negative terminal of the second capacitor to a positive terminal of a third capacitor 16, and a negative terminal of the third capacitor 16 to a positive terminal 22 of a fourth capacitor 18. When a charging source 20 is connected across the positive terminal of capacitor 12 and the negative terminal of capacitor 18, a current flows through the capacitors and the interconnections therebetween. In one embodiment, it has been identified that when charged to 10 volts, over 2000 amps of instantaneous peak current may flow through the capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18, and interconnections 30. Those skilled in the art will identify that such peak current would be dependent on the particular application. Referring to FIG. 1b, and other Figures as needed, there is seen a cross-sectional view of a double-layer capacitor. In one embodiment, a not to scale representation of a double-layer capacitor 18 illustrates a thermally and electrically conductive cylindrical housing 23, at least one electrically conductive lid 29 for sealing the housing at an end, an electrically insulative sealing portion 25 disposed between the lid 29 and the housing 23, and an electrolyte impregnated capacitor cell 27 comprised of double-layer capacitor technology known to those skilled in the art, connected to, and disposed within, the sealed housing. In one embodiment, capacitor cell 27 comprises a jelly-roll type configuration known to those skilled in the art, wherein alternating rolled collectors are electrically coupled either to the lid 29 and the housing 23. Those skilled in the art will identify that when an energy source or load is electrically connected to terminals 22, 24, current may flow between the source/load and through the capacitor 18. In one embodiment, in order to safely handle high peak current flows of about 2000 amps through the capacitor 18, as well to provide a structure that can be welded without damage, the housing 23 is sized to be about 5.25 inches in length and 2.25 inches in diameter, and the lid 29 is sized to be about 2.25 inches in diameter. In one embodiment, the wall thickness of the cylindrical portion of the housing 23 is about 1/16 inch, and a wall thickness of a bottom end portion of the housing used to connect to collectors of the cell 27 is about ⅜ inch thick. As well, a thickness of the lid 29 used to connect to the collectors of the cell 27 is about ⅜ inch. In one embodiment, the terminals 22, 24 are ⅝ inch in diameter and ⅞ inch in length. In one embodiment, one or both the terminals 22, 24 are formed at the time of manufacture of the lid 29 and housing 23, for example, by cold forming, extrusion, etc., or other techniques used for forming integral structures that are known to those skilled in the art. In FIG. 1a there is also seen that across respective positive and negative terminals of the capacitor 12 and 14, and across respective positive and negative terminals of the capacitor 14 and 16, and across respective positive and negative terminals of the capacitor 16 and 18, a respective cell balancing circuit 32, 33, 35 is connected. A detailed description of connection, operation, and use of cell balancing circuits is discussed in commonly assigned patent application Ser. No. 10/423,708, filed 25 Apr. 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. Because the current used by the cell balancing circuits 32, 33, 35 may be low, the circuits and substrates that they may be mounted onto need not be as robust as the interconnections 30, but as will be discussed in other embodiments later herein, a more robust substrate may nevertheless be desired. Ends of cell balancing circuits 32, 33, 35 are connected to respective terminals of capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18. Each cell balancing circuit 32, 33, 35 is also coupled by a connection to a respective series interconnection 30, as is illustrated in FIG. 1a by an interconnection 31. Although capacitors comprising terminals disposed at opposing ends are illustrated in FIG. 1a, it is understood that capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18 could comprise other geometries, for example, with terminals that extend from the same end of a capacitor. It is therefore understood that alternative embodiments may utilize interconnections 30 and balancing circuits 32, 33, 35 that are coupled in a different orientation to that shown by FIG. 1a, and that such orientation and implementation is within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, although only four series connected capacitors are illustrated in FIG. 1a, the scope of the embodiments and inventions described herein envisions the interconnection of less or more than four series connected capacitors. Referring now to FIG. 2, and other Figures as needed, there is illustrated a capacitor current vs. capacitor temperature graph, wherein a series interconnection 30 between the terminals of two 2600 F|2.5 V|60 mm×172 mm cylinder|525 g| capacitors is formed by of one 0.5″ W×0.125″T×4.5″ L conductive bus bar interconnection. The uppermost curve illustrates that as capacitor current flow increases from 0 to about 275 amps, about a 55 degree increase in capacitor temperature is observed. Referring now to FIG. 3, and other Figures as needed, there are seen interconnections provided with increased surface area. Those skilled in the art will identify that as current through the capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18 increases, the temperature of the capacitors and interconnections 30 through which the current flows may increase. It has been identified that a reduction in the capacitor temperature may be achieved through the coupling of a sufficiently sized thermally conductive heat dissipater material against the capacitor in a manner that sinks and dissipates heat away from the capacitor. In one embodiment, it has been identified that interconnections 30 themselves can act as a heat dissipater. In one embodiment, each interconnection 30 is configured to comprise one or more increased surface area portion 30a. In the context of the present invention, what is meant by increased surface area (as opposed to minimized) is any surface geometry with which improved heat dissipation may be achieved. For example, if a flat surface were considered as a being minimized in surface area, any protrusion or depression would act to increase the surface area. Hence, in one embodiment, a flat rectangular bus bar type interconnection may be replaced with one that is dimensioned to include one or more ribbed portion 30a that provides an increased surface area with which additional heat may be drawn and dissipated away from the capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18. It is understood that although described and shown as ribs, an increased surface area could be provided by other geometries, for example, wings, posts, curved areas, surface roughening, and others known and used by those skilled in the art. Referring back to FIG. 2, and other Figures as needed, there is illustrated by a middle curve that, for a given temperature, two series interconnected 2600 F|2.5 V|60 mm×172 mm cylinder|525 g| capacitors can be operated at a higher current when connected in series by a bus bar interconnection that comprises an increased surface area geometry. The middle curve illustrates that as capacitor current flow increases from 0 to about 350 amps, about a 55 degree increase in capacitor temperature is observed. Series interconnections 30 between capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18 may be thus configured with increased surface areas such that for a given temperature the current that series interconnected capacitors may be safely operated at may be increased. Similarly, series interconnections 30 with increased surface areas facilitate that for a given current, the operating temperature of a series interconnected capacitor may be reduced. Referring again to FIG. 2, and other Figures as needed, there is illustrated by a bottommost curve, that at any given temperature, as compared to the topmost curve and the middle curve, two series connected 2600 F|2.5 V|60 mm×172 mm cylinder|525 g| capacitors can be operated at a higher current when used with an external source of heat removal. The bottommost curve illustrates that as capacitor current flow increases from 0 to about 475 amps, about a 55 degree increase in capacitor temperature is observed. In one embodiment, an external source of heat removal comprises an airflow passing over and between the capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18, and the series interconnections 30. The external source of heat removal can be used to further reduce the temperature of the capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18. By providing an external source of heat removal, series connected capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18 may be used at higher currents and/or lower temperature in a wider range of applications and with greater reliability, than without external heat removal. It is identified that when an external source of heat removal is used with an interconnection 30 that comprises an increased surface area, further heat reduction may be achieved. Although identified as an airflow, other external sources of heat removal may also be used and are within the scope of the present invention. For example, external sources of heat removal may be provided by immersion in, or exposure to, liquid, fluid, gas, or other medium capable of safely acting to remove or dissipate heat away from the interconnections 30 and/or capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18. Referring now to FIG. 4, and other Figures as needed, there is seen a cell balancing circuit 33 used with a circuit substrate. In one embodiment, it is identified that each cell balancing circuit, for example circuit 33, may be adapted to effectuate a further reduction in the temperature of series interconnected capacitors, for example, capacitors 14, 16. In one embodiment, circuit 33 includes one or more circuit substrate 33b portion. In one embodiment, circuit substrate 33b may comprise a thermally conductive material. In one embodiment, circuit substrate 33b may comprise a thermally and electrically conductive material. In one embodiment, wherein the circuit substrate 33b is electrically conductive, cell-balancing circuit 33 may be insulatively coupled to the circuit substrate 33b, for example, by an insulative portion 33c disposed therebetween. In one embodiment heat dissipation circuit substrate 33b potion may be made of two or more electrically separated portions 33d, 33e, and/or 33f. In one embodiment, cell balancing circuit 33 may be thermally coupled to electrically separated portions 33d and 33e and to terminals of capacitors 14 and 16, as follows: one portion of circuit 33 is coupled to portion 33d, and a second portion of circuit 33 is coupled to portion 33e. In this manner, an appropriately selected circuit substrate 33b material, for example aluminum, can be used to draw heat away from the capacitors 14 and 16 through the capacitor terminals of capacitors 33. In one embodiment, heat dissipation circuit substrate 33b may comprise one or more increased surface area portion, for example, one or more rib, or the like. Those skilled in the art will identify that thermal and/or electrical connection of the heat dissipation substrate 33b to the cell balancing circuit 33, as well as to terminals of capacitors 14 and 16, would need to be made in a manner so as to not interfere with the electrical operation of the capacitors and the circuit. For example, for each cell balancing circuit 33, physical contact to, and electrical insulation from, each heat dissipation substrate may be effectuated by use of an insulated portion between circuit and the heat dissipation substrate. It is understood that other thermal and electrical connections and adaptations could be made without undue experimentation, and would be within the scope of one skilled in the art. Referring now to FIG. 5, and other Figures as needed, there is seen a capacitor housing configured to provide an increased surface area. It is identified that a capacitor 55 housing may also be adapted to effectuate reduction of the temperature of the capacitor. For example, in one embodiment, a capacitor 55 may comprise one or more increased surface area portion, for example, one or more rib 55b, or the like. When used in combination with other embodiments described herein, the increased surface area portions illustrated by FIG. 5 would allow for even more dissipation of heat away from the capacitor 55. Referring now to FIG. 6, and other Figures as needed, there are seen in a top, end, and side view, six series interconnected capacitors. Although six series interconnected double-layer capacitors 81 are represented in FIG. 6, it is understood that the principles described herein could be extended to fewer or more capacitors. For example, wherein 42 volts was a desired working voltage, a greater number of double-layer capacitors may be connected in series; for example, sixteen 2.5 volt rated capacitors could be connected in series. As illustrated in FIG. 6, capacitors 81 are interconnected by bus bars 30. In accordance with principles described herein, it is understood that in one embodiment, bus bars 30 may comprise one or more increased surface area portion (not shown in FIG. 6). In some embodiments, bus bars 30 may comprise attachment points or holes whereat the bus bars may be coupled to terminals of the capacitors by compression or expansion fittings, bolts, screws, or other fasteners as are known to those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art will identify that if bus bars 30 and/or terminals made of aluminum are used, a thin oxide layer may exist or be formed thereupon such that contact resistance therebetween may be increased. It is identified that coupling of bus bars 30 to terminals of capacitors 81 using fasteners may not provide sufficient coupling force to break through the oxide and/or prevent its formation thereafter. When current flows through an increased contact resistance, the temperature of the terminals may become increased. As the current is increased, for example, at the high currents that double-layer capacitors are capable of being used at, the temperature of the terminals and, thus, the capacitors 81 could be increased even further. In one embodiment, better contact and lowered resistance path for current flow and, thus, reduced heat generation, is achieved when bus bars 30 are welded directly to respective terminals of capacitors 81. As used herein, the term welding is intended to mean coupling of bus bars 30 to terminals of capacitors to thereafter form an integral structure that is made of the bus bars and terminals, and depending on welding technique used, possibly an additional welding material. During the formation of the welded structures, it is identified that the surface-to-surface contact and, thus, the increased resistance caused by oxide layers would be substantially reduced or eliminated. Welding can be preferably effectuated by laser welding, ultrasonic welding, cold forming, or other welding techniques such as gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, shielded metal arc welding, brazing soldering, etc, as are known by those skilled in the art. In one embodiment, prior to welding of bus bars 30 to respective terminals, capacitors 81 are placed into a holding fixture so as to maintain the terminals of the capacitors in a fixed orientation and separated by a desired fixed distance (illustrated as “x”). In one embodiment, the desired fixed distance is the same or similar distance as between bus bar 30 attachment points. By making the desired fixed distance between the terminals the same as the distance between bus bar attachment points, the bus bars 30 may be quickly and accurately aligned to the terminals of the capacitors during one or more manual or automated weld step. In one embodiment, bus bar 30 attachment points may comprise openings, voids or holes 82. In one embodiment, circular holes 82 are sized to slideably fit over the outer diameter of capacitor 81 terminals. In one embodiment, capacitor 81 terminals may be disposed through holes 82 in a manner such that the bus bars 30 and the terminals can be easily accessed by welding apparatus from a direction external to the structure capacitors 81. In one embodiment, after welding to the capacitor 81 terminals, it is understood that a rigid or semi-rigid integrally formed self-supporting structure comprised of bus bars 30 and the capacitors is created. Those skilled in the art will identify that welding to form an integral structure not only reduces the formation of oxides and oxide layers, but as well, facilitates ease of manufacture. For example, it is identified that the weld or weld like joints formed between the bus bars 30 and the terminals minimizes movement of the capacitors 81 and their interconnections relative to one another. Because after welding the structure is self-supporting, movements that can degrade the physical and electrical connections made between bus bars 30 and capacitors 81 can be minimized thereafter. In one embedment, as compared to the prior art, it is identified that a self-contained self-supporting module of capacitors capable of dissipating heat generated by high currents can be provided without necessarily needing to be fixidly mounted in, or encapsulated by, a protective housing. It is further identified that when terminals of capacitors are axially disposed, welded bus bars 30 can be used to provide structural stability at both a top and bottom of the resultant self-supporting structure, which may provide better stability than when capacitors with radially disposed terminals at one end (not shown) are used. In FIG. 6, one of five possible balancing circuits 33 is represented by dashed lines. In one embodiment, in accordance to principles described with FIG. 4, a circuit substrate 33b portions of balancing circuits 33 could also be coupled to terminals of capacitors 81 by fasteners or, if desired, by welding. When welded, it is identified that the balancing circuits 33 could provide further structural and electrical integrity to the resultant structure formed by the bus bars 30 and the capacitors 81. Referring now to FIG. 7, and other Figures as needed, there is seen a transparent view of a container and series interconnected capacitors therein. In some embodiments, it may be desired to use a sealed container 80 to encapsulate the capacitors 81 illustrated in FIG. 6. In one embodiment, the sealed container 80 may be filled with an external heat removal medium 85, for example, an oil or an alcohol. The external heat removal medium can be used to facilitate the transfer of heat away from the capacitors 81 and bus bars 30 to the walls of the container 80 preferably without electrically or chemically affecting the performance of the capacitors 81. It is identified, however, that dimensional requirements of the container 80 may limit the configuration and potential use of some of the heat reduction principles and embodiments described previously herein and, thus, one or more of the features described by previous embodiments may or may not be able to be fully or even partially adapted for use within a sealed container 80. For example, in one embodiment, wherein there are six 2600 F|2.5 V|60 mm×172 mm cylinder|525 g| capacitors interconnected by welded bus bars 30 and cell balancing circuits (not shown), to effectuate fitment in the desired dimensions of a container 80, one or more of the bus bars 30, cell balancing circuit substrates, and capacitors 81 may be configured with minimized or no increased surface area portions (i.e. flat or smooth surface areas). It is identified that bus bars 30 and the capacitor terminals they are welded to preferably comprise materials that minimize well known electro-chemical and galvanic effects that can occur when dissimilar metals are placed in contact with each other. Accordingly, similar metals may be used for capacitor terminals 91a, 92b and bus bars 30 and, possibly, as well, for the capacitor housing and lid. Thus, if terminals 91a, 92a of respective capacitors 91, 92 are aluminum, in one embodiment the bus bars 30 are preferably also made of aluminum. Prior to use of the welded bus bars 30 of the present invention, when fasteners were used to connect bus bars to terminals, it was desired that the bus bars and fasteners maintain their geometrical structure under pressure and/or high temperature, for example, as when a bus bar was forced against a terminal by a screw type fastener. Under high pressure connection forces, those skilled in the art will understand that some bus bars could flow or change their shape, for example, as could occur if bus bars comprised of common grade aluminum were used. Those skilled in the art will identify that over time a change in shape or geometrical structure could increase the resistivity at an interconnection point between a terminal and a bus bar, for example, by an increased spacing between a bus bar and terminal. To this end, with aluminum bus bars attached to aluminum terminals by fasteners, high-grade metal aluminum that does not flow or change its geometry easily under pressure has been used. For example, in one embodiment, a 4047 grade of aluminum, or other similar non-ductile high grade metal, is used when aluminum fastener type metals and interconnections are used. Those skilled in the art will identify that use of such high-grade metals, however, may result in higher manufacturing costs being incurred. With the welded bus bars of the present invention, because high-pressure type fasteners and connections need not be used, high-grade metal bus bars are not necessarily required. Because with the present invention lower or common grade metal may be usable as a material for bus bars 30, as well, as for the terminals, housing, and the lid, a reduction in the cost of manufacture of double-layer capacitors, as well as interconnected modules, made therefrom, may thus be possible. A product comprising one or more double-layer capacitor 81 interconnected by welded bus bars 30 may be provided for use in many different applications. For example, one or more interconnected capacitor 81 may be used as a primary or secondary energy source for a vehicle. Because the welded combination of double-layer capacitors 81 and bus bars 30 may be used to create a structure that is self-supporting and self-contained, the capacitors 81 may be mounted in many more physical orientations than previously possible. In one embodiment, conventional batteries in a hybrid vehicle may be replaced by, or supplemented by such a structure as described herein. In contrast to typically used automotive batteries, because each individual capacitor 81 housing is sealed, the capacitors may be mounted without use of an encapsulating enclosure, as well as in many different orientations, for example, up, down, sideways, etc. While the particular systems and methods herein shown and described in detail are fully capable of attaining the above described object of this invention, it is understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent some, but not all, embodiments of the invention and are therefore representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention. For example other dimensions, other form factors, other types of capacitors and other energy storage devices could be adapted and used with one or more principles disclosed herein. Thus, the present invention should be limited by nothing other than the appended claims and their legal equivalents. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>Known configurations for interconnection to capacitors include leads, tabs, and the like. Types of capacitor technology that use interconnections include ceramic capacitors, electrolytic capacitors, and other types that are know to those skilled in the art. Known capacitor interconnections utilize both radial and axial configurations. When current flow through such capacitors is small, the interconnections need not be large in diameter or cross-sectional area. Use of small geometrical sizes is allowed when maximum current is small. Double-layer capacitors (also known as ultracapacitors and supercapacitors) can now be produced as individual capacitors and are capable of storing hundreds and thousands of farads in a single cell. Due in part to their large capacitance, double-layer capacitors can supply or accept large currents. However, single double-layer capacitor cells are limited by physics and chemistry to a maximum operating voltage of about 4 volts, and nominally to about between 2.5 to 3 volts. As higher capacitance double-layer capacitors are configured for use in increasingly higher voltage applications, even higher currents may be generated during charge and discharge of the capacitors. What is needed, therefore, are reliable interconnections and methodologies for handling high current using double-layer capacitors. | <SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>High capacitance capacitors can store large amounts of energy and are capable of supplying or accepting large currents. As current flow through a capacitor increases, heat may be generated. Above a certain threshold temperature or current, a capacitor may fail. The present invention addresses capacitor's tendency to fail at higher currents and/or higher temperatures. In one embodiment, a capacitor-based system comprises at least three double-layer capacitors, the capacitors comprising terminals through which a high current may flow safely; and at least two bus bars, each bus bar comprising two attachment points, wherein at the two attachment points a double-layer capacitor and the bus bar form an integral structure which passes the high current. The high current may be greater than 2000 amps. The at least one bus bar may comprise a relatively ductile metal. The system may comprise a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an electrical device, wherein two of the terminals are coupled to the electrical device. The at least three capacitors may be interconnected in series and provide about 42 volts when charged. The at least three double-layer capacitors may be connected in series by the at least two bus bars. The bus bar may comprise an increased surface area. The increased surface area may comprise one or more rib. Between terminals of the at least three capacitors may be interconnected two capacitor balancing circuits. The least three capacitors and the at least two bus bars may comprise a self supporting-structure. The self-supporting structure may comprise welds. The welds may be laser welds. The welds may be ultrasonic welds. The welds may be cold formed. The two terminals may be disposed along one axis of each double layer capacitor. The terminals and the at least two bus bars may comprise the same metal. In one embodiment, a method of using a plurality of capacitors, comprises the steps of: providing a first and a second double-layer capacitor; providing a first bus bar; and welding a first end of the first bus bar to the first double-layer capacitor to form a self-supporting structure; and welding a second end of the first bus bar to the second double-layer capacitor to form the self-supporting structure. The method may also comprise the step of passing a current of at least 250 amps through the first bus bar. The method may further provide a third double-layer capacitor; provide a second bus bar; and weld a first end of the second bus bar to the third capacitor to form the self-supporting structure; and weld a second end of the bus bar to the second capacitor to form the self-supporting structure. The method may also comprise the steps of: providing an electrical device; and coupling the double-layer capacitors to the electrical device to pass current between the capacitors and the electrical device. The electrical device may comprise a propulsion engine. The first and second capacitors may be connected by the bus bar in series. The self-supporting structures may be oriented in any orientation. In one embodiment, a capacitor structure may comprise a plurality of capacitors; and a plurality of bus bars for carrying a current between the plurality of capacitors, wherein the plurality of bus bars and the plurality of capacitors form an integrally interconnected self-supporting structure. The one or more of the bus bars may comprise an increased surface area. The bus bars may be welded to the plurality of capacitors. The current may more than 250 amps. The capacitors may be double-layer capacitors. The capacitors may comprise terminals and the integral interconnected structure may be comprised of the bus bars and the terminals. The capacitors may comprise an aluminum housing and aluminum lid, wherein the housing and lid each comprise a terminal. The self-supporting structure may include at least one capacitor balancing circuit connected between two of the capacitors. In one embodiment, a capacitor based system comprises at least two double-layer capacitors, the capacitors having axially disposed terminals through which current may flow safely; and at least one bus bar, the bus bar comprising two attachment points, the at least one bus bar for carrying the current between the double-layer capacitors, the at least one bus bar welded at the two attachment points to respective terminals of the double-layer capacitors. The at least one bus bar may comprise at least one void within which one of the terminals is disposed. Other embodiments, benefits, and advantages will become apparent upon a further reading of the following Figures, Description, and Claims. | 20041007 | 20070220 | 20060706 | 65133.0 | H01G900 | 1 | THOMAS, ERIC W | SELF-SUPPORTING CAPACITOR STRUCTURE | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | H01G | 2,004 |
|
10,960,166 | ACCEPTED | Thermal interconnection for capacitor systems | Thermal protection is provided in systems utilizing high-current double-layer capacitors. | 1. A system, comprising at least one double-layer capacitor; an interconnection, the interconnection coupled to the at least one double-layer capacitor, the interconnection for carrying capacitor current to or from the a least one double-layer capacitor, the interconnection functionally coupled to the at least one double-layer capacitor to reduce a temperature of the at least one double-layer capacitor. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interconnection comprises a low temperature alloy. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the interconnection comprises a thermal fuse. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the interconnection comprises a thermal contactor. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one double-layer capacitor comprises a first terminal and a second terminal, and wherein the thermal contactor is connected between the first and the second terminal. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein above a temperature the thermal contractor provides a path with which to pass the current around the double-layer capacitor. 7. The system of claim 6. wherein the temperature is above about 85 degrees Celsius. 8. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one double-layer capacitor comprises a first capacitor and a second capacitor, wherein the thermal fuse is connected between a first terminal of the first capacitor and a second terminal of the second capacitor, and wherein above a temper4ture the thermal fuse interrupts the carrent between the first and the second terminal. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the temperature is above a safe operating temperature of the capacitors. 10. The system of claim l, wherein the temperature is reduced independent of the current. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the interconnection comprises an increased surface area. 12. The system of claim 2, wherein the low temperature alloy is selected from a group consisting of Bismuth-Lead, Tin, Cadmium, and Indium. 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the current comprises a current of at least 275 amps. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one double-layer capacitor is coupled to an electrical device. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the electrical device is a vehicular electrical device. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the electrical device comprises an engine. 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the system utilizes a voltage above 40 volts. 18. The system of claim 1, comprising a balancing circuit, wherein the first capacitor comprises a third terminal and the second capacitor comprises a fourth terminal, and wherein the balancing circuit is connected to the third and fourth Terminal. 19. The system of claim 3, wherein the thermal fuse comprises a bus bar. 20. The system of claim 3, further comprising a source of external heat removal. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the source of external heat removal comprises a fluid, and wherein the at least one double-layer capacitor is immersed in the fluid. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the fluid is disposed in a sealed container. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the fluid comprises an oil. 24. The system of claim 22, wherein the fluid comprises an alcohol. 25. The system of claim 22, wherein the fluid comprises a colored fluid. 26. A method of reducing a double-layer capacitor temperature, comprising the steps of: providing one or more double-layer capacitor; coupling the one or more double-layer capacitor to an interconnection; passing a current through the interconnection and the double-layer capacitors; and using the interconnection to reduce a temperature of the double-layer capacitors based on a temperature external to the double-layer capacitor. 27. (canceled) 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the interconnection comprises a thermal contactor. 29. The method of claim 27, wherein the interconnection comprises a thermal fuse. 30. A capacitor based system comprising: a plurality of interconnected double-layer capacitors; and capacitor heat reduction rneans for reducing a temperature of the one or more interconnected double-layer capacitors. | RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/525,483 filed 26 Nov. 2003, Docket No. M111P, which is commonly assigned and incorporated herein by reference; and This application is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/518,422 filed 7 Nov. 2003, Docket No. M106P, which is commonly assigned and incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is related to protection against heat in general, and to protection against heat effects in systems using capacitors that are capable of receiving or delivering high current. BACKGROUND Double-layer capacitors, which are also known as ultracapacitors and supercapacitors, are now capable of being produced as individual capacitor cells that can store hundreds and thousands of farads. Due in part to their large capacitance, double-layer capacitors are capable of supplying or accepting large currents. However, single double-layer capacitor cells are limited by physics and chemistry to a maximum operating voltage of about 4 volts, and nominally to about between 2.5 to 3 volts. As higher capacitance capacitors are configured for use in increasingly higher voltage applications, even higher currents may be generated during charge and discharge of the capacitors. Future use of double layer capacitors in high current applications will need to address this increase in heat. SUMMARY High capacitance capacitors can store large amounts of energy and are capable of supplying or accepting large currents. As current flow through a capacitor increases, heat may be generated. Above a certain threshold temperature or current, a capacitor may fail. The present invention addresses capacitor's tendency to fail at higher currents and/or higher temperatures. In one embodiment, a system comprises at least one double-layer capacitor; an interconnection, the interconnection coupled to the at least one double-layer capacitor, the interconnection for carrying capacitor current to or from the at least one double-layer capacitor, the interconnection functionally coupled to the at least one double-layer capacitor to reduce a temperature of the at least one double-layer capacitor. The interconnection may comprise a low temperature alloy. The interconnection may comprise a thermal fuse. The interconnection may comprise a thermal contactor. The at least one double-layer capacitor may comprise a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the thermal contactor is connected across the first and the second terminal. Above a temperature the thermal contactor may provide a path with which to pass the current around the double-layer capacitor, wherein the temperature may be above about 85 degrees Celsius. The at least one double-layer capacitor may comprise a first capacitor and a second capacitor, wherein the thermal fuse is connected between a first terminal of the first capacitor and a second terminal of the second capacitor, and wherein above a temperature the thermal fuse interrupts the current between the first and the second terminal. The temperature may be reduced independent of the current. The temperature may be reduced based on a temperature external to the at least one double-layer capacitor. The interconnection may comprise an increased surface area. The low temperature alloy may be selected from a group consisting of Bismuth-Lead, Tin, Cadmium, and Indium. The current may comprise a current of at least 275 amps. The at least one double-layer capacitor may be coupled to an electrical device. The electrical device may be a vehicular electrical device. The electrical device may comprise an engine. The electrical device may comprise a propulsion engine. The system may be utilized at a voltage above 40 volts. The system may comprise a balancing circuit, wherein the first capacitor comprises a third terminal and the second capacitor comprises a fourth terminal, and wherein the balancing circuit is connected to the third and fourth terminal. The thermal fuse may comprise a bus bar. The system may comprise a source of external heat removal. The source of external heat removal may comprise a fluid, and wherein the at least one double-layer capacitor is immersed in the fluid. The fluid may be disposed in a sealed container. The fluid may comprise an oil. The fluid may comprise an alcohol. The fluid may comprise a colored fluid. The current may be more than 275 amps. In one embodiment, a method of reducing a double-layer capacitor temperature comprises the steps of providing one or more capacitor; coupling the one or more capacitor to an interconnection; passing a current through the interconnection; and using the interconnection to reduce a temperature of the capacitor as a function of a temperature external to the double-layer capacitor. The interconnection may comprise a thermal contactor. The interconnection may comprise a thermal fuse. In one embodiment, a capacitor-based system comprises a plurality of interconnected double-layer capacitors; and capacitor heat reduction means for reducing a temperature of the one or more interconnected capacitors. Other embodiments, benefits, and advantages will become apparent upon a further reading of the following Figures, Description, and Claims. FIGURES In FIG. 1 there are seen capacitors connected in series. In FIG. 2 there are illustrated capacitor current vs. capacitor temperature curves. In FIG. 3 there are seen interconnections provided with increased surface area. In FIG. 4 there is seen a cell balancing circuit used with a circuit substrate. In FIG. 5 there is seen a capacitor housing configured to provide an increased surface area. In FIG. 6 there are seen three transparent side views of six series interconnected capacitors disposed within a container. In FIGS. 7a-b there is seen a thermal fuse used as an interconnection between two capacitors. In FIGS. 8a-b there is seen use of a thermal contactor to bypass current flow around a capacitor. DESCRIPTION High capacitance capacitors can store large amounts of energy and are capable of supplying or accepting large currents. As current flow through a capacitor increases, heat may be generated. Above a certain threshold temperature or current, a capacitor may fail. The present invention addresses the tendency of capacitors to fail at higher currents and/or higher temperatures. Referring now to FIG. 1, there are seen capacitors connected in series. In one embodiment, four 2600 F |2.5 V | 60 mm×172 mm |525 g| sealed capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18 are interconnected as a series string of capacitors. A type of capacitor capable of such high capacitance is known to those skilled in the art as a double-layer capacitor, or alternatively, as a supercapacitor or an ultracapacitor. In FIG. 1, the series string is formed using electrically conductive interconnections 30. Interconnections 30 connect a negative terminal of a first capacitor 12 to a positive terminal of a second capacitor 14, a negative terminal of the second capacitor to a positive terminal of a third capacitor 16, and a negative terminal of the third capacitor 16 to a positive terminal 22 of a fourth capacitor 18. When a charging source 20 is connected across the positive terminal of capacitor 12 and the negative terminal of capacitor 18, a current flows through the capacitors and the interconnections therebetween. In one embodiment, it has been identified that when charged to 10 volts, over 2000 amps of instantaneous peak current may flow through the capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18, and interconnections 30, with such peak current dependent on the particular application. Accordingly, in one embodiment each capacitor 12, 14, 16, 18 comprises terminals 12a, 14a, 16a, 18a, and interconnections 30 that are sized to safely carry 2000 amps of peak current. In FIG. 1 there is also seen that across respective positive and negative terminals of the capacitor 12 and 14, and across respective positive and negative terminals of the capacitor 14 and 16, and across respective positive and negative terminals of the capacitor 16 and 18, a respective cell balancing circuit 32, 33, 35 is connected. A detailed description of connection, operation, and use of cell balancing circuits is discussed in commonly assigned patent application Ser. No. 10/423,708, filed 25 Apr. 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. Because the current used by the cell balancing circuits 32, 33, 35 is relatively small, the circuits and substrates that they may be mounted onto need not be as robust as the interconnections 30, but as will be discussed in other embodiments later herein, a more robust substrate may nevertheless be desired. Ends of cell balancing circuits 32, 33, 35 are connected to respective terminals of capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18. Each cell balancing circuit 32, 33, 35 is also coupled by a connection to a respective series interconnection 30, as is illustrated in FIG. 1. Although capacitors comprising terminals disposed at opposing ends are illustrated in FIG. 1, it is understood that capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18 could comprise other geometries, for example, with terminals that extend from the same end of a capacitor. It is therefore understood that alternative embodiments may utilize interconnections 30 and balancing circuits 32, 33, 35 that are coupled in a different orientation to that shown by FIG. 1, and that such orientation and implementation is within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, although only four series connected capacitors are illustrated in FIG. 1, the scope of the embodiments and inventions described herein envisions the interconnection of less or more than four series connected capacitors. Referring back to FIG. 2, and other Figures as needed, there is illustrated a capacitor current vs. capacitor temperature graph, wherein a series interconnection 30 between the terminals of two 2600 F |2.5 V |60 mm×172 mm cylinder |525 g| capacitors is formed by of one 0.5″ W×0.125″ T×4.5″ L conductive bus bar interconnection. The uppermost curve illustrates that as capacitor current flow increases from 0 to about 275 amps, about a 55 degree increase in capacitor temperature is observed. Referring now to FIG. 3, and other Figures as needed, there are seen interconnections provided with increased surface area. Those skilled in the art will identify that as current through the capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18 increases, the temperature of the capacitors and interconnections 30 through which the current flows may increase. It has been identified that a reduction in the capacitor temperature may be achieved through the coupling of a sufficiently sized thermally conductive heat dissipater material against the capacitor in a manner that sinks and dissipates heat away from the capacitor. In one embodiment, it has been identified that interconnections 30 themselves can act as a heat dissipater. In one embodiment, each interconnection 30 is configured to comprise one or more increased surface area portion 30a. In the context of the present invention, what is meant by increased surface area (as opposed to minimized) is any surface geometry with which improved heat dissipation may be achieved. For example, if a flat surface were considered as a being minimized in surface area, any protrusion or depression would act to increase the surface area. Hence, in one embodiment, a flat rectangular bus bar type interconnection may be replaced with one that is dimensioned to include one or more ribbed portion 30a that provides an increased surface area with which additional heat may be drawn and dissipated away from the capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18. It is understood that although described and shown as ribs, an increased surface area could be provided by other geometries, for example, wings, posts, curved areas, surface roughening, and others known and used by those skilled in the art. Referring back to FIG. 2, and other Figures as needed, there is illustrated by a middle curve that, for a given temperature, two series interconnected 2600 F |2.5 V | 60 mm×172 mm cylinder |525 g| capacitors can be operated at a higher current when connected in series by a bus bar interconnection that comprises an increased surface area geometry. The middle curve illustrates that as capacitor current flow increases from 0 to about 350 amps, about a 55 degree increase in capacitor temperature is observed. Series interconnections 30 between capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18 may be thus configured with increased surface areas such that for a given temperature the current that series interconnected capacitors may be safely operated at may be increased. Similarly, series interconnections 30 with increased surface areas facilitate that for a given current, the operating temperature of a series interconnected capacitor may be reduced. Referring again to FIG. 2, and other Figures as needed, there is illustrated by a bottommost curve, that at any given temperature, as compared to the topmost curve and the middle curve, two series connected 2600 F |2.5 V | 60 mm×172 mm cylinder |525 g| capacitors can be operated at a higher current when used with an external source of heat removal. The bottommost curve illustrates that as capacitor current flow increases from 0 to about 475 amps, about a 55 degree increase in capacitor temperature is observed. In one embodiment, an external source of heat removal comprises an airflow passing over and between the capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18, and the series interconnections 30. The external source of heat removal can be used to further reduce the temperature of the capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18. By providing an external source of heat removal, series connected capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18 may be used at higher currents and/or lower temperature in a wider range of applications and with greater reliability, than without external heat removal. It is identified that when an external source of heat removal is used with an interconnection 30 that comprises an increased surface area, further heat reduction may be achieved. Although identified as an airflow, other external sources of heat removal may also be used and are within the scope of the present invention. For example, external sources of heat removal may be provided by immersion in, or exposure to, liquid, fluid, gas, or other medium capable of safely acting to remove or dissipate heat away from the interconnections 30 and/or capacitors 12, 14, 16, 18. Referring now to FIG. 4, and other Figures as needed, there is seen a cell balancing circuit 33 used with a circuit substrate. In one embodiment, it is identified that each cell balancing circuit, for example circuit 33, may be adapted to effectuate a further reduction in the temperature of series interconnected capacitors, for example, capacitors 14, 16. In one embodiment, circuit 33 comprises one or more circuit substrate portion 33b. In one embodiment, circuit substrate 33b may comprise a thermally conductive material. In one embodiment, circuit substrate 33b may comprise a thermally and electrically conductive material. In one embodiment, wherein the circuit substrate 33b is electrically conductive, cell-balancing circuit 33 may be insulatively coupled to substrate 33b, for example, by an insulative portion 33c disposed therebetween. In one embodiment a heat dissipation circuit substrate 33b may comprise two or more electrically separated portions 33d, 33e, and/or 33f. In one embodiment, cell balancing circuit 33 may be thermally coupled to electrically separated portions 33d and 33e and to terminals of capacitors 14 and 16, as follows: one portion of circuit 33 is coupled to portion 33d, and a second portion of circuit 33 is coupled to portion 33e. In this manner, an appropriately selected substrate 33b material, for example aluminum, can be used to draw heat away from the capacitors 14 and 16 through the capacitor terminals of capacitors 33. In one embodiment, heat dissipation circuit substrate 33b may comprise one or more increased surface area portion, for example, one or more rib, or the like. Those skilled in the art will identify that thermal and/or electrical connection of the heat dissipation substrate 33b to the cell balancing circuit 33, as well as to terminals of capacitors 14 and 16, would need to be made in a manner so as to not interfere with the electrical operation of the capacitors and the circuit. For example, for each cell balancing circuit 33, physical contact to, and electrical insulation from, each heat dissipation substrate may be effectuated by use of an insulated portion between circuit and the heat dissipation substrate. It is understood that other thermal and electrical connections and adaptations could be made without undue experimentation, and would be within the scope of one skilled in the art. Referring now to FIG. 5, and other Figures as needed, there is seen a capacitor housing configured to provide an increased surface area. It is identified that a capacitor 55 housing may also be adapted to effectuate reduction of the temperature of the capacitor. For example, in one embodiment, a capacitor 55 may comprise one or more integrally formed increased surface area portion, for example, one or more rib 55b, or the like. When used in combination with other embodiments described herein, the increased surface area portions illustrated by FIG. 5 would allow for even more dissipation of heat away from the capacitor 55. Referring now to FIG. 6, and other Figures as needed, there are seen three transparent side views of six series interconnected capacitors disposed within a container. In one embodiment, six series connected capacitors 81 may be disposed within a container 80. Although six series interconnected capacitors are illustrated in FIG. 6, it is understood that the principles described herein could be extended to fewer or more capacitors. For example, wherein 42 volts was a desired working voltage, those skilled in the art would identify that a larger number of double-layer capacitors may need to be connected in series, for example, 16 series interconnected 2.5 volt rated capacitors could be used to provide about 42 volts. Similarly, higher or lower voltages can be provided by providing more or less series connected capacitors. It is identified, however, that dimensional requirements of the container 80 may limit the configuration and potential use of one or more of the heat reduction principles and embodiments described herein. Accordingly, it is understood that one or more of the features described by previous embodiments described herein may or may not be able to be fully or even partially adapted for use within a container 80. For example, in one embodiment, wherein there are six 2600 F |2.5 V |60 mm×172 mm cylinder |525 g| capacitors interconnected by bus bars 30 and cell balancing circuits, to effectuate fitment in desired container dimensions, one or more of the bus bars 30, cell balancing circuit substrates, and capacitor 81 housings may be configured with minimized or even no increased surface area portions. In one embodiment, container 80 comprises a bottom portion 80a and a top portion 80b. In one embodiment, container 80 comprises a metal, or other material capable of resisting pressure. In one embodiment, container 80 comprises aluminum. In a manufacturing step, after one or more interconnected capacitor 81 housing is disposed within the container 80, a top portion 80b and a bottom portion 80a of the container 80 may be sealed using sealing techniques such as edge crimping, welding technique, soldering, or others known to those skilled in the art. Prior to sealing within the container 80, the one or more capacitor 81 may be fixedly mounted within the container and coupled to one or more electrically conductive terminal connections 80c. In one embodiment, the container 80 comprises a sealable vent/fill portion 80d. Various vent/fill configurations are possible and are within the expertise of those skilled in the art. If filled with a medium after sealing of the container, it is identified that the vent/fill portion 80d may be used as the point of insertion of the medium. In one embodiment, a container 80 with one or more interconnected capacitors 81 disposed within may be filled with a high thermal conductivity heat removal medium 85. In one embodiment, the heat removal medium 85 comprises a fluid. Preferably, the heat removal medium 85 acts to direct or dissipate the heat away from the capacitors 81 and interconnections 30 to the walls of the container 81, from which the heat may be subsequently dissipated to an external environment. Although many fluids are capable of acting as a heat dissipater or heat removal medium 85, it is identified that only some fluids may be appropriate for use with capacitors and embodiments described herein. It is identified that heat removal medium 85 desirably exhibits high dielectric properties that do not present low resistance conduction paths between the electrical connections and circuits used within container 80, for example, between terminals of the capacitors 81 and/or terminals 80c. It is also identified that heat removal medium 85 desirably exhibits high flash point properties such that at high temperatures the medium does not ignite. It is further identified that a release of electrolyte from within a capacitor housing 81, as could occur when a capacitor that is subjected to excessive heat or current, could cause an undesired interaction with a heat removal medium in a container 80. Accordingly, it is identified that in one embodiment, a heat removal medium 85 desirably effectuates harmless mixing with an electrolyte that may become present within the container 80. In one embodiment, when an Acetronitrile (C2H3N) type of electrolyte is used within a capacitor 81 housing, it is identified that release of the electrolyte into a container 80 could cause undesired chemical interaction with an inappropriate heat removal medium 85. For example, because of low miscibility and high conductivity, water would be unsuitable as a heat removal medium, which either by itself or in the presence of Acetonitrile electrolyte could electrolyze to create a hydrogen byproduct within container 80 that could subsequently explode. It is also identified that a heat removal medium 85 preferably minimizes the potential for chemical and/or electrical interactions within a container 80, but as well, with an environment external to the container. In one embodiment, a heat removal medium 85 that exhibits a plurality of the desired properties identified above comprises a commonly available type of cooking coil known as Wesson® Canola Oil available from ConAgra Foods Inc., One ConAgra Drive, Omaha, NE 68102. A product comprising one or more sealed capacitor 81 housing disposed within a sealed container 80 may be provided for use in many different applications. For example, a sealed container 80 comprising one or more interconnected capacitor 81 disposed therein may be used as a primary or secondary vehicular energy source. In one embodiment, conventional batteries in a hybrid vehicle may be replaced by, or supplemented with, one or more sealed container 80. Because container 80 and the capacitors 81 housed therein are sealed, the container 80 may be mounted in many more physical orientations than that previously possible with lead acid batteries. It has been identified that depending on the physical orientation of a sealed container 80, the heat removal medium 85 may change its orientation relative to the capacitors 81 housed therein. Because it is desired that a heat removal medium 85 preferably does not occupy the entire free volume within the sealed container 80 (to provide for expansion of the medium at higher temperatures), when the orientation of the container is changed, the orientation of a heat removal medium may also change such that one or more of capacitors within the container may become exposed to a free volume of air. Exposure to a free volume, rather than a heat removal medium that can dissipate heat away from a capacitor 81, may subject one or more of the capacitors to increased or excessive heat build up. Accordingly, in one embodiment, depending on the dimensional geometry of the container 80, and the geometry of the capacitors 81 disposed within, an appropriate amount of heat removal medium 85 is disposed within the container so as to take into account a range of potential usage orientations of the container 80. Calculation of the amount of heat removal medium so that a remaining volume or air within the container 80 would allow for expansion of the heat removal medium and, as well allow full or substantially full immersion of a particular geometry of interconnected capacitors within the heat removal medium over a particular usage orientation and temperature range, would vary according to dimensional requirements. In one embodiment, it is identified that a container 80 and interconnected capacitors 81 within can be configured such that when positioned or attached on a side, capacitors 81 disposed within the container remain immersed within the heat removal medium. For example, in one embodiment, with a six sided box type container 80 and a proper amount of heat removal medium 85, it is identified that the capacitors 81 within the container may remain completely immersed in the heat removal medium when the container is positioned on any one of the six sides. It is identified that despite implementation of one or more embodiments described herein, under some conditions, one or more capacitor 81 disposed within a container 80 may nevertheless overheat and/or fail such that the contents of the capacitor(s) may leak from within a sealed capacitor 81 housing into the heat removal medium 85. It is desired therefore that the heat removal medium 85 within container 80 comprises a high flash point and low chemical and/or electrical interactivity with the particular contents of a capacitor 81 such interactions between the heat removal medium and the contents of the capacitors would preferably create only a benign pressure buildup within the container. One such heat removal medium may comprise the aforementioned cooking oil. In one embodiment, with an appropriately sized and dimensionally sealed container, a housing 80 may be configured to contain such the pressure build up. Alternatively, in one embodiment, a sealed vent/fill portion 80d may be provided to controllably release the pressure build up and, thus, some of the heat removal medium 85 within. Designs and configurations of vent/fill portions to controllably release pressure at a given pressure are numerous and could be implemented by those skilled in the art without undue experimentation. It is identified that if the heat removal medium 85 is minimally interactive with an external environment, a release through a vent/fill portion may not be completely undesired. It is identified that release (via a pressure build up within container 80) of heat removal medium 85 from within a container 80 may be used as an indication that overheating or failure of a capacitor 81 has occurred or may occur. It is also identified that it may be desired to more easily distinguish an expelled heat removal medium 85 from other medium present outside or near a container 80, for example, in a vehicular application where there may also be present expelled motor oil, transmission, radiator, and/or brake fluids. In one embodiment, it has been identified that by mixing the heat removal medium 85 with an inert or semi-inert material comprising a distinctive color or fragrance, the presence of the medium, and, thus, potential or actual failure of a capacitor within a container may be easily identified. For, example, in one embodiment, a coloring agent may be added to the heat removal medium 85 such that it differs from standardized colors of other fluids present in a vehicle. In one embodiment, the coloring agent may comprise a color not used in the manufacture of motor oil, transmission, radiator, and/or brake fluids, for example, a blue coloring agent. Those skilled in the art will identify that other colors used to indicate leakage of heat removal medium 85 are also possible and within the scope of the present invention. In one embodiment, it is identified that a heat removal medium 85 may comprise an alcohol. In one embodiment, the alcohol comprises a methanol alcohol that may be mixed with a coloring agent. Methanol may find utility when the container 80 is utilized in a low temperature environment. However, it is identified that methanol may interact with electrolyte and cause chemical interactions that could increase pressure within a container 80. Although interactions between heat removal medium 85 and an electrolyte has been indicated as not being a preferred condition, it is identified that the chemical properties of and interaction with methanol may be of a nature (i.e. non-explosive, etc.) enough that its pressurized expulsion from container 80 would not necessarily be undesired. A failure mode of a capacitor may be preceded by a temperature increase at or near the capacitor. Such a temperature may be deemed to be below, above, or at the temperature that a capacitor may start to leak electrolyte, and/or that a sealed container may begin to expel heat removal medium. It is identified that devices other than capacitors may also generate heat, which may act increase the temperature of a capacitors operating environment. In one embodiment, it is identified that a nominal operating temperature of a capacitor and/or container is about −40 to 85 degrees Celsius, and a failure mode temperature is about 120 degrees Celsius. Accordingly, it may be desired to take preventive action at some temperature, for example, before a failure mode temperature is reached or indicated. Referring now to FIGS. 7a-b, and other Figures as needed, there is seen a thermal fuse. In one embodiment, it is identified that a conductive thermal fuse 90 may be used as an interconnection between two interconnected capacitors, for example, capacitors 91, 92. In one embodiment, thermal fuse acts as a bus bar during periods that it is conductive. In one embodiment, a conductive thermal fuse 90 is configured to act at a certain predetermined environmental temperature to be nonconductive. In one embodiment, a conductive thermal fuse 90 may comprise two or more conductors 90a-b held together in conductive contact by an interconnection formed of a low melting point alloy 90c. Those skilled in the art will identify that conductors 90a-b as well as low melting point alloy 90c may comprise one or more surface area. Although surface areas in FIGS. 7a-b are illustrated as being more or less flat, it is identified that one or more of such surfaces may comprise increased surface areas configured as previously described herein. It is identified that it may be desired that interconnections, for example conductors 90a-b, may be comprised of materials that minimize galvanic effects that may be caused by use of dissimilar metals. Accordingly, if terminals 91a, 92a of respective capacitors 91, 92 are aluminum, in one embodiment the conductors 90a-b are also aluminum. It is further identified that one or more interconnection, for example conductors 90a-b, preferably maintain geometry under pressure and/or high temperature, for example, as when pressed against a terminal 91a or 92a by a compression fitting, screw, bolt, and/or the like. Under high pressure connection forces, many materials are known to flow or change their geometry. Those skilled in the art will identify that if the geometry of an interconnection changed under pressure, a resistivity at its connection points could be increased over time to an undesirable value such that heat would be generated, which in turn could increase the temperature of capacitors 91 and 92. Accordingly, in one embodiment, an interconnection may comprise a high-grade aluminum that does not flow or change its geometry easily under pressure, for example, a 4047 grade of aluminum, or other similar non-ductile metal. Referring to FIG. 7a, in one embodiment, thermal fuse 90 is configured such that a portion of conductors 90a, 90b is fixedly connected to respective terminals 91a, 92a. In one embodiment, respective seperatable end portions of conductors 90a, 90b are held in conductive contact by a low melting point alloy 90c. In one embodiment, one or both of conductors 90a, 90b are springably positioned so that they both make conductive contact. After and during making of the contact, a low melting point alloy 90c in a liquid or semi-liquid state may applied at or near the contact point of the conductors 90a, 90b such that when the low melting point alloy hardens, the conductive contact between the conductors 90a and 90b formed by the low melting point alloy 90c may be used to maintain a path for current to flow between capacitors 91 and 92. Referring now to FIG. 7b, in one embodiment, the conductors 90a, 90b are configured such that when not held in contact by the low melting point alloy they do not make conductive contact. In one embodiment, the low melting point alloy 90c comprises a low melting point alloy of tin and bismuth. In one embodiment, a low melting point alloy 90c is known by those skilled in the art as “woods metal.” In other embodiments, low melting point alloys may comprise other materials, for example, materials known as Cerro alloy, cerrolow, cerrosafe, cerroflow, cerromatrix, cerroseal, cerrobase, cerrotru, or cerrocast, cerrodent, one or more of which can comprise one or more of a Bismuth-Lead, Tin, Cadmium, Indium, and/or (Bi, Pb, Sn, Cd, In) alloy. In one embodiment, thermal fuse 90 in a cross section may comprise a similar width and height to that of previously discussed interconnections 30. Accordingly, in one embodiment, thermal fuse 90 may exhibit I2R heating effects that that are similar to that of an interconnection 30. It is identified that these heating effects may be small as compared to the heating effects of surrounding air or heat removal medium fluid. Thus, at certain predetermined external environmental temperature, the low temperature alloy 90c may soften sufficiently to allow the two conductors to springably separate and, thus, interrupt current flow passing between capacitors 91 and 92, as well as any other interconnected capacitors that may be connected in series. Thermal fuse 90 may be thus used to facilitate interruption in current flow independent of the current flow through the interconnection 30. Those skilled in the art will identify that above a certain temperature, even though a capacitor may not have failed, it may no longer be as reliable. Accordingly thermal fuse 90 may be used to lower the temperature of capacitors by non-reversibly interrupting current so that without some user intervention the current would not flow through the capacitors again. In one embodiment, the alloy 90c comprises a composition that may soften enough so as to release the springable contact made by conductors 90a, 90b when a safe upper operating range of the capacitors 91, 92 has been exceeded, for example, above 85 degrees Celsius. The constituent components of the low temperature alloy 90c may be varied so as to soften or become liquid at other temperatures, and may be done so by those skilled in the art without undo experimentation. Although no container is shown in FIGS. 7a-b, in one embodiment, one or more thermal fuse 90 may be used to form an interconnection between capacitors disposed within a fluid filled container. In such an embodiment, the thermal fuse could be used to interrupt current flow based on a temperature of the fluid. Referring now to FIGS. 8a-b, there is seen use of a thermal contactor. In one embodiment, a conductive thermal contactor 95 is interconnected across a first and second terminal of a capacitor 96. When a capacitor 96 begins to fail, or is anticipated to fail, for example as evidenced by an increased temperature of an external environment or external heat removal medium around the capacitor, thermal contactor 95 may sense the increased temperature and bypass current around the capacitor 96. It is identified that in such a case, and wherein bypassed capacitor 96 is part of a series string of interconnected capacitors, the maximum voltage that may be applied across the series string of capacitors so as not to exceed the series total of their voltage ratings would be reduced (by virtue of one or more less charged capacitor in the series string), but that one skilled in the art could over design such a series string of capacitors to take into account that one or more capacitor may become bypassed by a thermal contactor (for example, by adding extra capacitors to a series string in anticipation of one or more capacitor in the string failing). Referring to FIG. 8a, in one embodiment, thermal contactor 95 may comprise at least two conductors 95a, 95b held in non-conductive separated opposition by a low melting point alloy 97. In one embodiment, the conductors 95a, 95b may comprise aluminum, copper, or other low electrically conductive material. In one embodiment, thermal contactor 95 may be configured such that at least one conductor is attached to and is compressed against a spring, for example, a spring 95c or 95d. After and during compression of at least one spring by displacement of one conductor against the spring, a low melting point alloy 97 in a softened or liquid state may be applied at or near the conductor such that when the low melting point alloy hardens, the spring remains in a compressed condition, and such the conductor remains in a static configuration opposite to another conductor. In one embodiment, the low melting point alloy 97 comprises a low melting point alloy of tin and bismuth. In one embodiment, a low melting point alloy 97 is known by those skilled in the art as “woods metal.”In other embodiments, low melting point alloys may comprise other materials, for example, a materials known as Cerro alloy, cerrolow, cerrosafe, cerroflow, cerromatrix, cerroseal, cerrobase, cerrotru, or cerrocast, cerrodent, one or more of which can comprise one or more of a Bismuth-Lead, Tin, Cadmium, Indium, and/or (Bi, Pb, Sn, Cd, In) alloy. Referring now to FIG. 8b, at some predetermined temperature, for example below 120 degrees Celsius, it is identified the low temperature alloy 97 may soften sufficiently to allow one or both springs 95c, 95d to decompress and so as to force at least one conductor 95a, 95b to move in a direction that allows a conductive contact to be made with an opposing conductor. With conductors 95a and 95b in conductive contact, instead of passing through the capacitor, current may pass around the capacitor in the direction of the arrows shown in FIG. 8b. Those skilled in the art will identify that in such a case, because no current flow would occur through capacitor 96, its temperature would be lowered. In one embodiment, the thermal contactor may be configured to be non-reversible, with such properties being desired because once a certain temperature is reached, a double-layer capacitor could be degraded in a manner that its further use would eventually cause its failure. Although no container is shown in FIGS. 8a-b, in one embodiment, one or more thermal contactor 95 may be used to form an interconnection between capacitors disposed within a fluid filled container. In such an embodiment, the thermal fuse could be used to bypass capacitor current flow based on a temperature of the fluid. While the particular systems and methods herein shown and described in detail are fully capable of attaining the above described object of this invention, it is understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent some, but not all, embodiments of the invention and are therefore representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention. For example other dimensions, other form factors, other types of capacitors and other energy storage devices could be adapted and used with one or more principles disclosed herein. Thus, the present invention should be limited by nothing other than the appended claims and their legal equivalents. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>Double-layer capacitors, which are also known as ultracapacitors and supercapacitors, are now capable of being produced as individual capacitor cells that can store hundreds and thousands of farads. Due in part to their large capacitance, double-layer capacitors are capable of supplying or accepting large currents. However, single double-layer capacitor cells are limited by physics and chemistry to a maximum operating voltage of about 4 volts, and nominally to about between 2.5 to 3 volts. As higher capacitance capacitors are configured for use in increasingly higher voltage applications, even higher currents may be generated during charge and discharge of the capacitors. Future use of double layer capacitors in high current applications will need to address this increase in heat. | <SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>High capacitance capacitors can store large amounts of energy and are capable of supplying or accepting large currents. As current flow through a capacitor increases, heat may be generated. Above a certain threshold temperature or current, a capacitor may fail. The present invention addresses capacitor's tendency to fail at higher currents and/or higher temperatures. In one embodiment, a system comprises at least one double-layer capacitor; an interconnection, the interconnection coupled to the at least one double-layer capacitor, the interconnection for carrying capacitor current to or from the at least one double-layer capacitor, the interconnection functionally coupled to the at least one double-layer capacitor to reduce a temperature of the at least one double-layer capacitor. The interconnection may comprise a low temperature alloy. The interconnection may comprise a thermal fuse. The interconnection may comprise a thermal contactor. The at least one double-layer capacitor may comprise a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the thermal contactor is connected across the first and the second terminal. Above a temperature the thermal contactor may provide a path with which to pass the current around the double-layer capacitor, wherein the temperature may be above about 85 degrees Celsius. The at least one double-layer capacitor may comprise a first capacitor and a second capacitor, wherein the thermal fuse is connected between a first terminal of the first capacitor and a second terminal of the second capacitor, and wherein above a temperature the thermal fuse interrupts the current between the first and the second terminal. The temperature may be reduced independent of the current. The temperature may be reduced based on a temperature external to the at least one double-layer capacitor. The interconnection may comprise an increased surface area. The low temperature alloy may be selected from a group consisting of Bismuth-Lead, Tin, Cadmium, and Indium. The current may comprise a current of at least 275 amps. The at least one double-layer capacitor may be coupled to an electrical device. The electrical device may be a vehicular electrical device. The electrical device may comprise an engine. The electrical device may comprise a propulsion engine. The system may be utilized at a voltage above 40 volts. The system may comprise a balancing circuit, wherein the first capacitor comprises a third terminal and the second capacitor comprises a fourth terminal, and wherein the balancing circuit is connected to the third and fourth terminal. The thermal fuse may comprise a bus bar. The system may comprise a source of external heat removal. The source of external heat removal may comprise a fluid, and wherein the at least one double-layer capacitor is immersed in the fluid. The fluid may be disposed in a sealed container. The fluid may comprise an oil. The fluid may comprise an alcohol. The fluid may comprise a colored fluid. The current may be more than 275 amps. In one embodiment, a method of reducing a double-layer capacitor temperature comprises the steps of providing one or more capacitor; coupling the one or more capacitor to an interconnection; passing a current through the interconnection; and using the interconnection to reduce a temperature of the capacitor as a function of a temperature external to the double-layer capacitor. The interconnection may comprise a thermal contactor. The interconnection may comprise a thermal fuse. In one embodiment, a capacitor-based system comprises a plurality of interconnected double-layer capacitors; and capacitor heat reduction means for reducing a temperature of the one or more interconnected capacitors. Other embodiments, benefits, and advantages will become apparent upon a further reading of the following Figures, Description, and Claims. | 20041007 | 20070410 | 20060608 | 93458.0 | H01G900 | 0 | HA, NGUYEN T | THERMAL INTERCONNECTION FOR CAPACITOR SYSTEMS | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | H01G | 2,004 |
|
10,960,194 | ACCEPTED | Integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with adjustable handle | An integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with an adjustable handle includes a shaver and trimmer assembly with a shaver/trimmer head including one or more cutting blade assemblies and an elongated handle assembly connected to the shaver and trimmer assembly. The shaver and trimmer assembly and the handle assembly are constructed and arranged such that at a point of connection of the assemblies either the shaver and trimmer assembly or the handle assembly move or pivot about the point of connection to adjust a position or angle of the handle assembly relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. The device is further constructed and arranged to securely and removably fix the handle assembly at a required or desired position or angle relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly including any one of a multiple of positions or any position within a certain range of movement of the handle assembly. Alternatively, the handle assembly is constructed and arranged at a fixed position or angle relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. The device may further include an extension arm movably connected to the handle assembly to permit the handle assembly to be lengthened or shortened. The integrated shaver and hair trimmer device may be constructed as either a battery-operated device or as an electric device. | 1. A battery-operated, integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with an adjustable handle comprising: a shaver and trimmer assembly having a housing and including one or more cutting blade assemblies disposed within the housing, each cutting blade assembly being configured and further disposed such that at least a portion of each cutting blade assembly projects from the housing to permit access to the cutting blade assembly for shaving and hair trimming; at least one battery disposed within the housing to power the one or more cutting blade assemblies; a handle assembly configured as a handle and having a housing, a first end of the handle assembly being connected to a first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly, the first end of the handle assembly being constructed and arranged to permit one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to move about a point of connection of the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly to dispose at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at a position relative to the other; and at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly being further constructed and arranged to releasably fix one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at the position relative to the other. 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more cutting blade assemblies includes at least a first set of shaving blades contained within a first screen foil, the first set of shaving blades and the first screen foil being disposed within the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly such that at least a portion of each of the first screen foil and the first set of shaving blades projects from the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly. 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more cutting blade assemblies includes at least a first set of hair trimmer blades, the first set of hair trimmer blades being connected to the shaver and trimmer assembly such that at least a portion of the first set of trimmer blades projects from the housing of the shaver and the trimmer assembly. 4. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly is further constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly to move toward and adjacent to the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly to shorten a length of the device and to move away from the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly to extend the length of the device. 5. The device of claim 4 wherein a surface of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly is configured to receive at least a portion of the handle assembly when the handle assembly is adjacent to the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly. 6. The device of claim 1 wherein the handle assembly further includes an extension arm, the extension arm being movably connected to a second end of the handle assembly opposite to the first end of the handle assembly to permit the extension arm to move away from the housing of the handle assembly to extend a length of the handle assembly and to move toward the housing of the handle assembly to shorten the length of the handle assembly. 7. The device of claim 6 wherein at least one of the second end of the handle assembly and the extension arm is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix the extension arm at a position relative to the handle assembly. 8. The device of claim 6 wherein the extension arm is further constructed and arranged as a telescopically extendible and telescopically retractable arm. 9. The device of claim 1 wherein the handle assembly further includes an extension arm movably connected to the housing of the handle assembly and constructed and arranged to permit at least a portion of the extension arm to be contained within an interior defined by the housing of the handle assembly, the extension arm being further constructed and arranged to permit withdrawal of the extension arm from the interior of the housing to extend a length of the handle assembly and to permit retraction of the extension arm into the interior of the housing to shorten a length of the handle assembly. 10. The device of claim 9 wherein at least one of the housing of the handle assembly and the extension arm is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix the extension arm at a position relative to the handle assembly. 11. The device of claim 9 wherein the extension arm is further constructed and arranged as a telescopically extendible and telescopically retractable arm. 12. The device of claim 1 wherein the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly are constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly to removably connect to the shaver and trimmer assembly. 13. The device of claim 1 further comprising a motor disposed within the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly, the motor being operatively coupled to the at least one battery and the one or more cutting blade assemblies such that when the motor is powered, the motor drives at least one of the one or more cutting blade assemblies. 14. The device of claim 13 further comprising a switch disposed within the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly, the switch being configured and further disposed such that when the switch is one of activated and deactivated, the switch operatively couples the at least one battery to the motor. 15. The device of claim 13 further comprising a switch cover disposed along an outer surface of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly, the switch cover being configured and further disposed such that where the switch cover is one of activated and deactivated, the switch cover operatively couples with at least a portion of the switch to one of activate and deactivate the switch. 16. The device of claim 1 wherein the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly defines a portion configured to electrically couple the device to an external power charging assembly configured to supply power for charging the at least one battery. 17. The device of claim 1 wherein the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly defines a port configured to receive and to electrically couple the device to an external power charging assembly to supply power for recharging the at least one battery. 18. The device of claim 1 further comprising one or more actuators disposed along the housing of the handle assembly, the one or more actuators being configured and further disposed such that when one or more of the actuators is one of actuated and deactuated, at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly moves about the point of connection to adjust a position of one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly relative to the other. 19. The device of claim 18 wherein at least one of the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at the position relative to the other. 20. The device of claim 1 wherein the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly are further constructed and arranged to permit at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to move about at least the point of connection within a range of movement. 21. The device of claim 20 wherein the range of movement includes 60 degrees. 22. The device of claim 1 wherein the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly are further constructed and arranged to permit at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to move about at least the point of connection and to releasably dispose one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at any one of a multiple of positions relative to the other. 23. The device of claim 22 wherein the multiple of positions includes a series of fixed positions of the handle assembly relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. 24. The device of claim 18 wherein the one or more actuators are operatively coupled with a locking and releasing mechanism disposed within the housing of the handle assembly, the locking and releasing mechanism being constructed and arranged such that when one or more of the actuators is one of actuated and deactuated, the locking and releasing mechanism permits the handle assembly to one of: (1) move about the point of connection of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly; and (2) securely and releasably dispose at a position relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. 25. The device of claim 24 wherein the locking and releasing mechanism is further constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly to move about at least the point of connection within a range of movement. 26. The device of claim 24 wherein the locking and releasing mechanism is further constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly to move about at least the point of connection and to securely and releasably dispose the handle assembly at any one of a multiple of positions relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. 27. The device of claim 1 wherein the point of connection between the shaver and trimmer assembly and the handle assembly includes a flexible membrane. 28. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one battery includes at least one rechargeable battery. 29. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly and the housing of the handle assembly is water-resistant. 30. An electric, integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with an adjustable handle comprising: a shaver and trimmer assembly having a housing and including one or more electric cutting blade assemblies disposed within the housing, each electric cutting blade assembly being configured and further disposed such that at least a portion of each electric cutting blade assembly projects from the housing to permit access to the electric cutting blade assembly for shaving and hair trimming; a motor disposed within the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly and being operatively coupled to the one or more cutting blade assemblies and operatively coupled to at least one power connection the device provides, the at least one power connection being configured to receive electric power supplied from an external source; and a handle assembly configured as a handle and having a housing, a first end of the handle assembly being connected to a first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly, the first end of the handle assembly being constructed and arranged to permit one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to move about a point of connection of the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly to dispose at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at a position relative to the other; and at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly being further constructed and arranged to releasably fix one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at the position relative to the other. 31. The device of claim 30 wherein the one or more electric cutting blade assemblies includes at least a first set of shaving blades contained within a first screen foil, the first set of shaving blades and the first screen foil being disposed within the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly such that at least a portion of each of the first screen foil and the first set of shaving blades projects from the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly. 32. The device of claim 30, wherein the one or more electric cutting blade assemblies includes at least at least a first set of hair trimmer blades, the first set of hair trimmer blades being connected to the shaver and trimmer assembly such that at least a portion of the first set of trimmer blades projects from the housing of the shaver and the trimmer assembly. 33. The device of claim 30 wherein at least one of the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly is further constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly to move toward and adjacent to the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly to shorten a length of the device and to move away from the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly to extend the length of the device. 34. The device of claim 33 wherein a surface of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly is configured to receive at least a portion of the handle assembly when the handle assembly is adjacent to the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly. 35. The device of claim 30 wherein the handle assembly further includes an extension arm, the extension arm being movably connected to a second end of the handle assembly opposite to the first end of the handle assembly to permit the extension arm to move away from the housing of the handle assembly to extend a length of the handle assembly and to move toward the housing of the handle assembly to shorten the length of the handle assembly. 36. The device of claim 35 wherein at least one of the second end of the handle assembly and the extension arm is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix the extension arm at a position relative to the handle assembly. 37. The device of claim 35 wherein the extension arm is further constructed and arranged as a telescopically extendible and telescopically retractable arm. 38. The device of claim 30 wherein the handle assembly further includes an extension arm movably connected to the housing of the handle assembly and constructed and arranged to permit at least a portion of the extension arm to be contained within an interior defined by the housing of the handle assembly, the extension arm being further constructed and arranged to permit withdrawal of the extension arm from the interior of the housing to extend a length of the handle assembly and to permit retraction of the extension arm into the interior of the housing to shorten a length of the handle assembly. 39. The device of claim 38 wherein at least one of the housing of the handle assembly and the extension arm is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix the extension arm at a position relative to the handle assembly. 40. The device of claim 38 wherein the extension arm is further constructed and arranged as a telescopically extendible and telescopically retractable arm. 41. The device of claim 30 wherein the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly are constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly to removably connect to the shaver and trimmer assembly. 42. The device of claim 30 further comprising a switch disposed within the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly, the switch being configured and further disposed such that when the switch is one of activated and deactivated, the switch operatively couples the motor to the one or more cutting blade assemblies such that when the motor is powered, the motor drives at least one of the one or more cutting blade assemblies. 43. The device of claim 42 further comprising a switch cover disposed along an outer surface of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly, the switch cover being configured and further disposed such that where the switch cover is one of activated and deactivated, the switch cover operatively couples with at least a portion of the switch to one of activate and deactivate the switch. 44. The device of claim 30 wherein the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly defines a portion configured to electrically couple the device to an external electric power source. 45. The device of claim 30 wherein the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly defines a port configured to electrically couple the device to an external electric power source. 46. The device of claim 30 further comprising at least one rechargeable battery. 47. The device of claim 30 further comprising one or more actuators disposed along the housing of the handle assembly, the one or more actuators being configured and further disposed such that when one or more of the actuators is one of actuated and deactuated, at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly moves about the point of connection to adjust a position of one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly relative to the other. 48. The device of claim 47 wherein at least one of the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at the position relative to the other. 49. The device of claim 30 wherein the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly are further constructed and arranged to permit at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to move about at least the point of connection within a range of movement. 50. The device of claim 49 wherein the range of movement includes 60 degrees. 51. The device of claim 30 wherein the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly are further constructed and arranged to permit at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to move about at least the point of connection and to releasably dispose one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at any one of a multiple of positions relative to the other. 52. The device of claim 30 wherein the one or more actuators are operatively coupled with a locking and releasing mechanism disposed within the housing of the handle assembly, the locking and releasing mechanism being constructed and arranged such that when one or more of the actuators is one of actuated and deactuated, the locking and releasing mechanism permits the handle assembly to one of: (1) move about the point of connection of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly; and (2) securely and releasably disposed at a position relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. 53. The device of claim 52 wherein the locking and releasing mechanism is further constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly to move about at least the point of connection within a range of movement. 54. The device of claim 52 wherein the locking and releasing mechanism is further constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly to move about at least the point of connection and to securely and releasably dispose the handle assembly at any one of a multiple of positions relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. 55. The device of claim 30 wherein the point of connection between the shaver and trimmer assembly and the handle assembly includes a flexible membrane. 56. The device of claim 30 wherein at least one of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly and the housing of the handle assembly is water-resistant. 57. An integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with an adjustable handle comprising: a shaver and trimmer assembly having a housing and including one or more blade assemblies disposed within the housing, the one or more blade assemblies being configured and further disposed such that at least a portion of each of the one or more blade assemblies projects from the housing to permit access to the cutting blade assembly for shaving and hair trimming; a handle assembly configured as a handle and having a housing, a first end of the handle assembly being configured to movably connect to the shaver and trimmer assembly and to adjust a position of the handle assembly relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly; means disposed in one of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly and the housing of the handle assembly for powering the one or more cutting blade assemblies; and means for securely and releasably fixing the handle assembly at a position relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. 58. The device of claim 57 wherein powering means includes at least one battery. 59. The device of claim 58 wherein the at least one battery includes at least one rechargeable battery. 60. The device of claim 59 wherein one of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly and the housing of the handle assembly defines a portion configured to electrically couple to an external power charging assembly configured to supply power for charging the at least one rechargeable battery. 61. The device of claim 57 wherein powering means includes a motor. 62. The device of claim 61 wherein the motor is disposed in one of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly and the housing of the hair trimmer assembly and operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more cutting blade assemblies. 63. The device of claim 61 further includes at least one rechargeable battery. 64. The device of claim 57 wherein the fixing means includes a configuration defined along the first end of the handle assembly that connects to a first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly and is constructed and arranged to securely and releasably position the handle assembly at any of a multiple of positions relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. 65. The device of claim 57 wherein the fixing means includes one or more actuators disposed along one of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly and the housing of the handle assembly, the one or more of the actuators being constructed and arranged such that when one or more of the actuators is one of actuated and deactuated, the handle assembly is securely and releasably positioned at any of a multiple of positions relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. 66. The device of claim 57 wherein the fixing means includes a locking and release mechanism disposed in one of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly and the housing of the handle assembly. 67. The device of claim 57 further comprising means movably connected to the housing of the handle assembly to extend or to shorten a length of the handle assembly. | RELATED PATENT APPLICATION This application is a nonprovisional application which claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 60/562,362, filed Apr. 15, 2004, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a shaver and hair trimmer device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior art hair removal and hair trimming systems include a wide range of dry and wet devices including manual wet shavers and cutting blades, battery-operated shavers and trimmers, rechargeable shavers and trimmers, electrical shavers and trimmers, as well as wax, chemical and electrical depilatories. Such hair removal and trimming systems are commonly used to remove hair from the face, neck, legs, underarms, feet, etcetera. Most prior art systems, however, are not directed to removing or trimming unwanted hair along certain body areas that are physically impossible or difficult for people to reach to remove or trim unwanted hair. In addition, not all prior art hair removal systems can be used on all body areas because such systems cannot accommodate the variety of human body shapes and sizes. Some prior art devices can be dangerous or hazardous to operate whereby a sharp blade is used to shave or trim hair from difficult-to-see or difficult-to-reach areas of the body. Therefore, people who wish to remove unwanted hair from difficult-to-see or difficult-to-reach body areas, such as the neck, shoulders and back, are often forced to either maintain the unwanted hair or are limited to enlisting the assistance of another person to do so. Enlisting the assistance of another person is an activity that can cause people embarrassment and/or considerable expense. For example, one option for people who wish to remove unwanted hair from difficult-to-see or difficult-to-reach areas is employing a salon, spa or other grooming venue offering any of a range of processes, such as electrolysis, laser removal, waxing and other treatments, for hair removal. This option, however, may not be an affordable one for many people. More affordable options include using a dry electric or rechargeable cutting blade or a wet cutting blade along with shaving creams, soaps or gels to provide a medium for the wet cutting blade. However, these options can be uncomfortable, messy, time-consuming, inconvenient, frustrating, dangerous or even impossible without the assistance of another person to facilitate access to those body areas that are not self-accessible or are difficult to reach or see. In addition, other options include applying depilatories, such as lotions, creams and waxes, to dissolve or similarly remove unwanted hair. Depilatories can similarly be difficult to administer to certain body areas as well as can be uncomfortable, messy, time-consuming, inconvenient, frustrating and have an offensive odor. In addition, many persons experience skin irritations, allergic reactions or other related health issues as a result of use of such depilatories. Thus, a safe, fast, effective and affordable means to remove unwanted hair from body areas that are physically impossible or difficult for a person to reach or see to effect hair removal or trimming without the assistance of another person or device is desirable. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, in one aspect, the invention provides a battery-operated, integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with an adjustable handle comprising a shaver and trimmer assembly having a housing and including one or more cutting blade assemblies disposed within the housing. Each cutting blade assembly is configured and further disposed such that at least a portion of each cutting blade assembly projects from the housing to permit access to the cutting blade assembly for shaving and hair trimming. The device further comprises at least one battery disposed within the housing to power the one or more cutting blade assemblies, and a handle assembly configured as a handle and having a housing. A first end of the handle assembly is connected to a first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly. The first end of the handle assembly is constructed and arranged to permit one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to move about a point of connection of the first ends of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to dispose at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at a position relative to the other. At least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at the position relative to the other. Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The one or more cutting blade assemblies include at least a first set of shaving blades contained within a first screen foil. The first set of shaving blades and the first screen foil are disposed within the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly such that at least a portion of each of the first screen foil and the first set of shaving blades projects from the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly. Alternatively, or additionally, the one or more cutting blade assemblies can include a first set of hair trimmer blades. The first set of hair trimmer blades is connected to the shaver and trimmer assembly such that at least a portion of the first set of trimmer blades projects from the housing of the shaver and the trimmer assembly. At least one of the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly is further constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly to move toward and adjacent to the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly to shorten a length of the device, and to move away from the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly to extend the length of the device. A surface of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly is configured to receive at least a portion of the handle assembly when the handle assembly is adjacent to the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly. Implementations of the invention may also include one or more of the following features. The handle assembly further includes an extension arm. The extension arm is movably connected to a second end of the handle assembly opposite to the first end of the handle assembly to permit the extension arm to move away from the housing of the handle assembly to extend a length of the handle assembly and to move toward the housing of the handle assembly to shorten the length of the handle assembly. At least one of the second end of the handle assembly and the extension arm is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix the extension arm at a position relative to the handle assembly. The extension arm can be further constructed and arranged as a telescopically extendible and telescopically retractable arm. Alternatively, the handle assembly further includes an extension arm movably connected to the housing of the handle assembly and constructed and arranged to permit at least a portion of the extension arm to be contained within an interior defined by the housing of the handle assembly. The extension arm is further constructed and arranged to permit withdrawal of the extension arm from the interior of the housing to extend a length of the handle assembly and to permit retraction of the extension arm into the interior of the housing to shorten a length of the handle assembly. At least one of the housing of the handle assembly and the extension arm is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix the extension arm at a position relative to the handle assembly. The extension arm can be further constructed and arranged as a telescopically extendible and telescopically retractable arm. In general, in another aspect, the invention provides an electric, integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with an adjustable handle comprising a shaver and trimmer assembly having a housing and including one or more electric cutting blade assemblies disposed within the housing. Each electric cutting blade assembly is configured and is further disposed such that at least a portion of each electric cutting blade assembly projects from the housing to permit access to the electric cutting blade assembly for shaving and hair trimming. A motor is disposed within the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly, and is operatively coupled to the one or more cutting blade assemblies and to at least one power connection the device provides. The power connection is configured to receive electric power supplied from an external source. The device further comprises a handle assembly configured as a handle and having a housing. A first end of the handle assembly is connected to a first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly. The first end of the handle assembly is constructed and arranged to permit one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to move about a point of connection of the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly to dispose at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at a position relative to the other. At least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at the position relative to the other. In general, in another aspect, the invention provides an integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with an adjustable handle comprising a shaver and trimmer assembly having a housing and including one or more blade assemblies disposed within the housing. The one or more blade assemblies are configured and are further disposed such that at least a portion of each of the one or more blade assemblies projects from the housing to permit access to the cutting blade assembly for shaving and hair trimming. A handle assembly is configured as a handle and has a housing. A first end of the handle assembly is configured to movably connect to the shaver and trimmer assembly and to adjust a position of the handle assembly relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. The device further comprises means disposed in one of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly and the housing of the handle assembly for powering the one or more cutting blade assemblies, and means for releasably fixing the handle at a position relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. Various aspects of the invention may provide one or more of the following capabilities. An integrated shaver and hair trimmer device for use in shaving and/or trimming/removing unwanted hair from body areas that are not self-accessible or, in other words, are physically difficult or impossible to reach can be provided for use by women and men. Shaving and trimming/removing unwanted hair from difficult-to-reach and difficult-to-see body areas can be affordable, safe, easy, convenient, painless, chemical-free, and can be accomplished without the assistance of another person, an integrated shaver and hair trimmer device can accomplish shaving and trimming/removing unwanted hair from any part or area of the human body. An integrated shaver and hair trimmer device can be provided with a handle assembly that is adjustable relative to an assembly of the device that includes one or more cutting blades assemblies. Such a shaver and hair trimmer device can be configured as a portable device, and can be configured as an electric and/or battery-operated device to power the one or more cutting blade assemblies. In addition, the device can be configured only as a shaver or only as a hair trimmer device. The adjustable handle assembly can enable a user of the device to manipulate a position or an angle at which the handle assembly is disposed relative to the one or more cutting blade assemblies to help to access difficult-to-reach or difficult-to-see body areas. In addition the adjustable handle assembly can be configured as an extendible handle assembly such that a user of the device can lengthen or shorten the length of the handle assembly. Adjusting a position or an angle of the handle assembly relative to the one or more cutting blade assemblies and/or adjusting the length of the handle assembly can help to optimize a position or angle at which edges of the cutting blades contact body surfaces and, in particular, contact difficult-to-see and difficult-to-reach surfaces for shaving and hair trimming. An adjustable and/or extendible handle assembly of the device can thereby help to optimize the performance of the device to provide a safe and close shave or hair trimming. Further, an adjustable and/or extendible handle assembly of the device can be configured to provide an easy grip and to securely dispose the handle assembly at a fixed position or angle relative to the one or more cutting assemblies, and/or at a fixed length, that helps to increase a user's comfort and safety. These and other advantages of the invention, along with the invention itself, will be more fully understood after a review of the following figures, detailed description, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an integrated shaver and hair trimmer device according to one aspect of the invention; FIG. 2 is a top view of the device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shaver/trimmer assembly of the device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a handle assembly of the device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the handle assembly shown in FIG. 6 configured with an extendible arm; FIG. 6B is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 1 configured with an extension arm; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the shaver/trimmer assembly and the handle assembly shown in FIG. 1 illustrating attachment and detachment of the assemblies; FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective of the device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 9 is side view of the device shown in FIG. 1 illustrating movement of the handle assembly relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly; FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1; and FIGS. 11A and 11B is a side view of an integrated shaver and hair trimmer device according to another aspect of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the invention include an integrated shaver and hair trimmer device for face and body. The device includes one portion configured as a shaver/trimmer assembly and a second portion connected thereto and configured as a handle assembly. In one configuration of the device according to the invention, the shaver/trimmer assembly is battery-operated and includes a shaver/trimmer head having one or more shaving blade assemblies, and/or one or more hair trimming blade assemblies. In this case, the device includes a motor, one or more batteries, at least one switch and associated electrical connections to couple the batteries to the motor to deliver power to the motor, and one or more gears that transfer power from the motor to the one or more blade assemblies. In another configuration, the integrated shaver and hair trimmer device is an electric device constructed and arranged to utilize a external AC or DC power source to power the motor and the one or more gears to operate one or more electric blade assemblies. The shaver/trimmer assembly and the handle assembly of the device may be connected or joined in a manner that permits either assembly or both assemblies to move or pivot about a point at which the assemblies are connected or joined such that the shaver/trimmer assembly and/or the handle assembly are disposed at a required or desired position or angle relative to one another. The handle assembly may be further configured and connected or joined to the shaver/trimmer assembly such that it moves or pivots about the point of connection to the shaver/trimmer assembly to dispose the handle assembly at any one of a range or series of positions or angles relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly. The device may be further configured to securely dispose the shaver/trimmer assembly and the handle assembly at a fixed position or angle relative to one another such that the shaver/trimmer assembly and the handle assembly remain at such position or angle until adjustment of the position or the angle is required or desired. Alternatively, the shaver/trimmer assembly and the handle assembly may be connected or joined in a manner such that the assemblies are disposed in a permanent position or angle relative to one another. The position or angle at which the shaver/trimmer assembly and the handle assembly are disposed relative to one another helps to assist a user of the device to use the device for shaving, hair trimming and other hair removal along his/her face and body and, in particular, along areas of his/her body that the user cannot physically reach or see, or has difficulty reaching or seeing, to shave/remove hair without the assistance of another person. The device according to the invention may be constructed and arranged to permit the shaver/trimmer assembly and the handle assembly to be detachable from one another or, alternatively, to be permanently joined or connected as a single unit. In addition, the handle assembly may be configured as an extendible handle whereby the length of the handle can be lengthened or shortened to help to enable a user of the device to use the device with comfort and to access difficult-to-see and -to-reach body surfaces. The device according to the invention may be constructed and arranged as a portable device to provide ease in transport and use. Further, the device according to the invention may be constructed and arranged only as a shaver device or only as a hair trimmer device. Other embodiments are within the scope of the invention. The invention is described below with reference to a battery-operated shaver and hair trimmer device for purposes of disclosure only, and anticipates that the device may be configured as an electric shaver and hair trimmer device powered by an external AC or DC power source. In addition, the device is described below with reference to an integrated shaver and hair trimmer for purposes of disclosure only, and the invention envisions the device may be configured solely as a shaver device or as a hair trimmer device. Referring to FIG. 1, in an aspect, the invention provides a battery-operated, integrated shaver and hair trimmer device 100 including a shaver/trimmer assembly 202 coupled to a handle assembly 204. The shaver/trimmer assembly 202 defines an elongated member having a housing 338. The housing 338 is constructed and arranged to define within its interior a chamber. As described below, the housing 338 is configured to contain a number of components for operation of the device 100. The handle assembly 204 defines an elongated member having a housing 355. The housing 355 is constructed and arranged to define within its interior a chamber. The shaver/trimmer assembly 202 includes a hair shaver/trimmer head 214 disposed along its proximal end 202A. The head 214 includes one or more cutting blade assemblies, e.g., each assembly including one or more blades configured for shaving or one or more blades configured for trimming/removing hair. A distal end 202B of the assembly 202 is constructed and arranged to couple with and to connect to the handle assembly 204. A proximal end 204A of the handle assembly 204 is constructed and arranged to couple to and to connect with the distal end 202B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202. In one configuration, each or both of the assemblies 202 and 204 are constructed and arranged such that the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and the handle assembly 204 removably connect at a point of connection, and can be detached and separated from one another at the point of connection. In another configuration, each or both of the assemblies 202 and 204 are constructed and arranged such that the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and the handle assembly 204 are permanently joined or connected, e.g., at a point of attachment, to define a single unit. In this configuration, the handle assembly 204 can be permanently disposed in alignment with the shaver/trimmer assembly 202, or at a certain position or angle relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and/or the shaver/trimmer head 214. In a further configuration, the proximal end 204A of the handle assembly 204 and/or the distal end 202B of shaver/trimmer assembly 202 may be constructed and arranged such that the assemblies 202 and 204 join or connect securely with one another at a point of attachment, while permitting either or both assemblies 202 and 204 to move or pivot about the point of connection. In this configuration, the point of connection of the proximal end 204A of the handle assembly 204 and the distal end 202B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 is constructed and arranged to permit either one or both of the assemblies 202 and 204 to move or pivot about the point of attachment. The proximal end 204A of the handle assembly 204 and/or the distal end 202B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 may be further constructed and arranged to securely dispose or fix the handle assembly 204 at a position or angle relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 until it is desired to adjust the position or angle of the handle assembly 204. For instance, the handle assembly 204 can be disposed at any one of a range or series of positions or angles relative the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and remain fixed at such position or angle until sufficient force is applied to either one of the assemblies 202 and 204 to remove or adjust the handle assembly 204 from its current position to a different position or angle relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202. In an alternative configuration, either of the assemblies 202 and 204 may be further constructed and arranged to permit, for instance, the handle assembly 204 to move or pivot about the point of connection within a certain range of movement, e.g., 60 degrees, from a first position to a second position and to permit the handle assembly 204 to be securely disposed at any position or angle between the first and the second positions relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 204. As described in more detail with reference to FIG. 9, the handle assembly 204 can be adjusted to and disposed at various positions or angles relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202. The configurations and arrangements of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and the handle assembly 204 of the device 100 according to the invention illustrated in and described below with reference to the drawings are not limitations of the invention. The invention envisions other configurations and arrangements of the device 100 in addition to those disclosed herein and, in particular, envisions configurations and arrangements that permit the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and the handle assembly 204 to be disposed permanently or adjustably at one or more positions or angles relative to one another. Referring to FIGS. 2 through 4, and with further reference to FIG. 1, the device 100 includes a switch actuator cover 302 disposed on a surface, e.g., an upper surface, of the housing 338 of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202. The actuator cover 302 is configured and is disposed to operatively couple to a switch actuator 331 and a switch 334 disposed within the chamber of the housing 338 of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202, as described in more detail below, to actuate operation of the device 100 and one or more functions of the device 100. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the device 100 includes along a point of connection of the assemblies 202 and 204, one or more pivot actuator buttons 207, one or more connection buttons 208 and one or more connecting tabs or pimples 210 disposed along one or both sides of the device 100. As shown in FIG. 1, in one configuration, the housing 355 of the handle assembly 204 can further include along its distal portion 204B a mounting hole or aperture 226 to permit the device 100 to be mounted or hung along a surface for storage and user convenience. With further reference to FIG. 4, one configuration of the device 100 according to the invention includes the pivot actuator buttons 207 configured and disposed to permit movement or pivoting of either or both of the assemblies 202 and 204 about the point of connection, as described above, where one or both buttons 207 are actuated, e.g., depressed. In this configuration, the connection buttons 208 and the connecting tabs or pimples 210 help to secure the assemblies 202 and 204 when the assemblies 202 and 204 are joined or connected to one another, and further help to release the assemblies 202 and 204 to detach the assemblies from one another. Where one or more of the buttons 208 are actuated, e.g., depressed, the buttons 208 help to disconnect the assemblies 202 and 204 to thereby detach the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 from the handle assembly 204. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, and with further reference to FIG. 4, the proximal end 204A of the handle assembly 204 includes a connecting assembly 206 constructed and arranged to couple to and to mate with at least a portion of the distal end 202B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202. The distal end 202B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 is complementarily constructed and arranged to receive and to mate with at least a portion of the connecting assembly 206. In one configuration, the connecting assembly 206 includes the one or more connection buttons 208 and the one or more connecting tabs or pimples 210. As shown in FIG. 5, the distal end 202B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 defines a locking hole 212 along a side of the housing 338. As shown in FIG. 6, the connection buttons 208 and the connecting tabs or pimples 210 are disposed along each side of the connecting assembly 206, e.g., a side plane or panel 206A of the connecting assembly 206. Each connecting tab or pimple 210 is configured and is disposed along the connecting assembly 206 such that where the connecting assembly 206 is coupled to and mated with at least a portion of the distal end 202B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202, a locking hole 212 receives and mates with at least a portion of one of the connecting tabs or pimples 210 to secure the tab or pimple 210 with the distal end 202B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and to thereby removably connect the handle assembly 202 to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202. The configuration and arrangement of the locking holes 212 and the tabs or pimples 210 permit the assemblies 202 and 204 to be joined and detached as desired or required. The invention is not limited to the configuration or arrangement of the connection buttons 208, the tabs or pimples 210 and the lock holes 212 as coupling/decoupling structures and anticipates that other configurations or arrangements can be defined in or disposed along the connector assembly 206 to permit the assemblies 202 and 204 to be removably connected. Still referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, further details of each of the distal end 202B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and the proximal end 204A of the handle assembly 204 are shown. In one configuration, the distal end 202B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 defines a distal end cavity 402. The cavity 402 is sized and is configured to receive at least a portion of the connecting assembly 206. The cavity 402 is further configured to define a fastening screw cavity 408 that is disposed and is configured to receive a fastening screw (not shown). In addition, the cavity 402 defines a port or hole 408 that is disposed and is configured to receive a plug (not shown) that connects the device 100 with a power charging assembly (not shown) to charge the one or more power sources, e.g., rechargeable batteries, of the device 100. The cavity 402 can further define one or more connectors 406, e.g., male connectors, within the cavity 402, each sized and configured such that a complementary connector (not shown), e.g., a female connector, defined along the proximal end 204A of the handle assembly 204 receives at least a portion of one of the connectors 406 to mate and to thereby join or connect the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 with the handle assembly 204. Referring to FIG. 6A, additionally or alternatively, the handle assembly 204 may be further configured with an extension arm 613 that permits a length L1 of the handle assembly 204 to be adjusted. The extension arm 613 helps to accommodate for different body sizes and heights of end-users during use of the device 100. As shown in FIG. 6A, the extension arm 613 is defined by the handle assembly 204 such that the extension arm 613 moves back and forth, as shown by arrows 615, to lengthen or to shorten the handle assembly length L1. The extension arm 613 is disposed between a lower portion 611 and an upper portion 611A of the handle assembly 204. The extension arm 613 and/or each of the upper and lower portions 611 and 611A are configured to permit the extension arm 613 to move in the directions shown by arrows 615 in FIG. 6A. An actuating button 610 and a locking hole 612 are defined in the housing 355, e.g., where the actuating button 610 is disposed along the lower portion 611 and the locking hole 612 is disposed along the upper portion 611A. The locking hole 612 is sized and configured to receive at least a portion of a locking pin (not shown) defined by, or connected to and in alignment with, the actuating button 610 to thereby mate the locking pin with the locking hole 612. Where the actuating button 210 is actuated, e.g., depressed, the locking pin is removed from the locking hole 612 to permit, e.g., the lower portion 611 of the handle assembly 204 to be detached from and pulled away from the upper portion 611A, as shown by arrows 615, to thereby permit the extension arm 613 to be drawn from a chamber 614. The chamber 614 is defined by an interior configuration of the housing 355 of the handle assembly 204 and is sized and is configured to receive and to contain at least a portion of the extension arm 613. The extension arm 613 and/or the handle assembly 204 may be further constructed and arranged such that when the extension arm 613 is extended, the extension arm 613 remains securely fixed at its position until such time as it is desired or required to retract or push the extension arm 613 into the chamber 614 to shorten the length L1 of the handle assembly 204 and/or to store the extension arm 613 when not in use. In one configuration, the extension arm 613 may be further constructed and arranged as a telescopically extending/retracting arm such that when the extension arm 613 is pulled from the chamber 614 portions of the extension arm 613 telescopically extend to adjust the length L1 of the handle assembly 204. Similarly, when the extension arm 613 is pushed against itself when extended, the portions of the extension arm 613 telescopically retract to shorten the length L1 of the handle assembly 204. Referring to FIG. 6B, in an alternative configuration of the device 100 the length L1 of the handle assembly 204 can be shortened and lengthened with an extension arm 620 that is movably connected to the distal end 204B of the handle assembly 204. The extension arm 620 includes an end 621 configured and arranged to couple to and mate with the distal end 204B of the handle assembly 204 and to pivot or move about a point of connection 622 of the extension arm 620 and the handle assembly 204. One or more actuator buttons 625 are located at the point of connection 622 to help to couple the extension arm 620 and the handle assembly 204 and to permit the extension arm 620 to pivot or move about the point of connection 622. When one or both of the actuator buttons 625 disposed along the point of connection 622 is actuated, e.g., depressed, the extension arm 620 pivots or moves about the point of connection 622. As shown by the arrows 630 in FIG. 6B, the extension arm 620 may move toward or away from the handle assembly 204. In one configuration, for instance, the extension arm 620 is disposed and is configured to pivot or move about the point of connection 622 toward a top outer surface 204′ of the handle assembly 204 such that the extension arm 620 may be disposed adjacent to, e.g., and in contact with, the top outer surface 204′ in a first or retracted position. In addition, the extension arm 620 is further disposed and is further configured to pivot or move about the point of connection away from the top outer surface 204′ of the handle assembly 204 such that the extension arm 620 may be extended from the handle assembly 204 in a second or extended position. When the extension arm 620 is disposed in the second or extended position, the handle assembly 204 is longer in length L1 and may permit the device 100 to be used to shave and trim hair along difficult-to-see and difficult-to-reach areas of the body. In one configuration, for instance, the top surface 204′ of the handle assembly 204 may define a depression 635 configured to receive at least a portion of the extension arm 620 such that the extension arm 620 is disposed adjacent and in contact with the top outer surface 204′ of the handle assembly 204. Where the extension arm 620 lays flush with the depression 635 in the first or retracted position, the device 100 may define a low and/or compact profile. Referring to FIG. 7, arrows 600 illustrate movement of the handle assembly 204 to connect to and to detach from the shaver/trimmer assembly 202. Referring to FIG. 8, and with further reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the connecting assembly 206 includes a housing including a first upper portion 347 and a second lower portion 343. Within the housing, a biasing spring 350 is disposed and is substantially aligned with at least a portion of one of the connecting tabs or pimples 210. In one configuration of the connecting assembly 206, the biasing spring 350 is disposed and is configured to bias the connecting tab or pimple 210 in an outwardly orientation or direction relative to the spring 350 such that at least a portion of each connecting tab or pimple 210 is biased into one of the connecting holes 212. In one configuration, each connection button 208 is configured as a depressible, e.g., manually depressible, button and is disposed on a mounting plate 349 along with one or more of the connecting tabs or pimples 210. The mounting plate 349 is disposed in the housing to permit at least a portion of each connection button 208 and at least a portion of each connecting tab or pimple 210 to be disposed external to the housing such that the buttons 208 and the tabs or pimples 210 are accessible for manipulation by a user of the device 100. Where the buttons 208 are actuated, e.g., depressed, each button 208 moves inward and causes the biasing spring 350 to move inward. Movement of the biasing spring 350 inward causes the mounting plate 349 to move inward thereby pulling the at least portion of each tab or pimple 210 disposed in one of the locking holes 212 inward and from the locking hole 212 to permit the handle assembly 204 to disconnect and detach from the shaver/trimmer assembly 202. The invention is not limited to the connection buttons 208, the connecting tabs or pimples 210 and/or the locking holes 212 as shown and described in the drawings, and envisions other configurations and arrangements at the proximal and distal ends 204A and 202B of the handle assembly 204 and/or the shaver/trimmer assembly 202, respectively, are possible to removably join or connect the assemblies 202 and 204. Referring to FIG. 9, and with further reference to FIG. 8, the one or more pivot actuator buttons 207 are disposed along a surface of each side of a housing 355 of the handle assembly 204. As shown in FIG. 8, the housing 355 of the handle assembly 204 defines an aperture 207′ along each side that is configured and sized to receive at least a portion of each button 207 and to dispose at least a portion of each button 207 external to the housing 355 such that the buttons 207 are accessible to a user of the device 100. The pivot actuator buttons 207 are further disposed and configured such that where one or both of the buttons 207 are actuated, e.g., depressed, the buttons 207 help to permit the handle assembly 204 to be become unsecured, e.g., unlocked, from a position or an angle relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202, and to move along or pivot about the point of connection, e.g., facilitated by the connection assembly 206, to thereby adjust the position or the angle of the handle assembly 204 relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and/or the shaver/trimmer head 214. In one configuration, the pivot actuator buttons 207 and/or the handle assembly 204 are constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly 204 to move within a range of movement, e.g., 60 degrees, as illustrated by arrow 702 in FIG. 9. In this case, where one or both of the buttons 207 are actuated, e.g., depressed, the handle assembly 204 moves freely within the range of movement 702, and where the buttons 207 are released while the handle assembly 204 moves, the handle assembly 204 becomes securely fixed at a position or an angle within the range of movement 702 relative to the shaver/trimmer 202 and/or the shaver/trimmer head 214. The handle assembly 204 can thereby be disposed at any position or angle relative to the shaver/trimmer 202 and/or the shaver/trimmer head 214 within the range of movement 702. In an alternative configuration, the pivot actuator buttons 207 and/or the handle assembly 204 can be constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly 204 to move between a series of stepped positions or angles to securely fix the handle assembly 204 at a certain position or angle relative to the shaver/trimmer 202 and/or the shaver/trimmer head 214. For instance, a number of positions or angles at which the handle assembly 204 can be disposed relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and/or the shaver/trimmer head 214 is shown in FIG. 9. Where one or both of the buttons 207 are actuated, e.g., depressed, the handle assembly 204 can move freely from a first position 702 to a second position 704a, or to a third position 704b, or to a fourth position 704c, or to a fifth position 704d, and vice versa, as shown in FIG. 9, to dispose the handle assembly 204 at one of the positions. The adjustable position or angle of the handle assembly 204 assists a user of the device 100 to contact the shaver/trimmer head 214 to his/her face or body at a position or an angle that helps to trim hair or to achieve a close shave, as well as assists the user to utilize the device 100 to access difficult-to-reach or difficult-to-see body areas for shaving and hair removal/trimming. The invention is not limited to the range of movement shown by arrow 702 or to the positions or angles 704, 704a, 704b, 704c and 704d illustrated in FIG. 9, and envisions that the device 100 can be constructed and arranged to securely fix the handle assembly 204 within any range of movement or at any number of positions or angles relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and/or the shaver/trimmer head 214. In addition, the invention envisions that the handle assembly 204 can be permanently fixed at a certain position or angle, e.g., 60 degrees, relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and/or the shaver/trimmer head 214. As described above, the buttons 207 couple to and mate with the internal locking/releasing mechanism disposed in the housing 355 of the handle assembly 204 to effect movement of the handle assembly 204. As shown in FIG. 8, the locking/releasing mechanism includes a connector 346, a first gear component 345, a second gear component 344, and a biasing spring 352. The connector 346 is disposed and is configured to couple to or to mate with a pivot pin 354 that extends from one of the buttons 207. The pivot pin 354 is configured and sized such that one of the apertures 207′ receives or accepts the pivot pin 354 to thereby permit the connector 346 to receive and to couple to or mate with the pivot pin 354. The connector 346 couples to or mates with one or both of the first and the second gear components 345 and 344, and one or both of the gear components 345 and 344 couple to or mate with the biasing spring 352. As shown in FIG. 8, the pivot pin 354 defines tabs or teeth 354″ that are spaced and circumferentially disposed about the pivot pin 354. The tabs or teeth 354″, along with the gear components 344 and 345, help to incrementally dispose the handle assembly 204 within a range of movement, as illustrated by arrow 702 in FIG. 9, and at any one of a multiple of positions, as those positions described above to securely dispose the handle assembly 204 at any one of such positions. The biasing spring 352 is disposed and is configured to bias outwardly against one of the buttons 207. When the button 207 is depressed, the spring 352 biases inwardly toward the gear components 344 and 345. When the spring 352 biases inwardly, one or both of the gear components 344 and 345 are engaged and are caused to rotate as a result of movement of the handle assembly 204 in one of the directions shown by arrow 702 in FIG. 9. In addition, movement of one or both of the gear components 344 and 345 causes the pivot pin 354 to correspondingly rotate. When the buttons 207 are released or no longer depressed, the gear components 344 and 345 and/or the pivot pin 354 help to securely position the handle assembly 204. The handle assembly 204 is thereby incrementally moved within a range of movement, as shown by arrow 702 in FIG. 9, and/or is securely fixed at any of a number of positions or angles 704, 704a, 704b, 704c and 704d as shown in FIG. 9. For instance, the handle assembly 204 can be moved from a first position 704 to a second position 704b and remain securely fixed at the second position 704b during use of the device 100 until one or both buttons 207 are depressed inward and a sufficient pressure is applied to the handle assembly 204 to move or pivot the assembly 204 to thereby reposition and securely fix the handle assembly 204 at another position 704, 704a, 704b, 704c and 704d. In another instance, where one or both buttons 207 are depressed inward, the handle assembly 204 moves continuously through the range of movement 702 until the button 207 is released and the gear components 344 and 345 are disengaged to place and securely fix the handle assembly 204 at another position or angle. The invention is not limited to the actuator buttons 207 and/or the locking/releasing mechanism as described above to permit the handle assembly 204 to be alternately moved and disposed from one position to another, and anticipates other configurations and arrangements that permit the handle assembly 204 to move along or pivot about the point of connection of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and the handle assembly 204 to thereby dispose the handle assembly 204 at a certain position or angle relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and/or the shaver/trimmer head 214, as desired. With further reference to FIG. 8, the shaver/trimmer assembly 202, as described above, includes the switch actuator cover 302 disposed along an upper surface of the housing 338. The cover 302 is disposed along a surface of the housing 338 such that the cover 302 substantially aligns with at least a portion of the switch actuator 331 disposed within the housing 338. The switch actuator 331 is further disposed within the housing 338 such that it substantially aligns with at least a portion of the switch 334, which is also disposed in the housing 338. The switch 334 is further disposed in the housing such that it can operatively couple at least one of two power sources 335, e.g., batteries, to a motor 333. When actuating the switch cover 302, e.g., depressing or moving the cover longitudinally, the cover 302 causes the switch actuator 331 to actuate the switch 334. When actuated, the switch 334 operatively connects or disconnects one or both of the batteries 335 with the motor 333 to deliver or discontinue power to the motor 333. The motor 333 is configured to drive the hair shaver/trimmer head 214. With further reference to FIG. 8, and FIGS. 3 and 4, the hair shaver/trimmer head 214 includes a removable cover 301 and one or more cutting blade assemblies 304, 305 and 313. In one configuration, one of the cutting blade assemblies 313 includes a series of blades 313A constructed for shaving. The type of blades 313A utilized depends upon whether the device 100 is a battery-operated device or an electric device and can include, but are not limited to, straight or rotary shaving blades. The series of shaver cutting blades 313A removably attach to a shaver cutting blade mount 313B configured to receive and to removably mount the series of blades 313A. The blades 313A and the mount 313B are configured such that mesh or screen foils 310 configured to mount within a cover or casing 311 of the shaver/trimmer head 314 receive the blades 313A. As shown in FIG. 8, a first screen foil 310A is configured to receive a first set of blades 313A and a second screen foil 310B is configured to receive a second set of blades 313A such that each set of blades 313A mates with a screen foil 310A and 310B and is disposed proximate and along an inside surface of the screen foil 310A and 310B. The screen foils 310A and 310B are disposed within the cover or casing 311 such that when the shaver/trimmer head 314 is assembled, at least a portion of each screen foil 310A and 310B projects externally from the cover or casing 311 to allow at least a portion of each screen foil 310A and 310B to contact a surface for shaving and/or hair trimming. The screen foils 310A and 310B define a plurality of holes (not shown) and are constructed of a material suitable to maintain a solid form while permitting the foils 310A and 310B to flex and to bend in response to contact with a surface during shaving and, in particular, in response to the shape and contour of the surface. The blade mount 313B has one or more holes (not shown) along its distal end configured to receive a shaver spring mount 371. The shaver spring mounts 371 secure the blade mount 313B to the shaver/trimmer head 214 when assembled. The shaver spring mounts 371 are configured to bias downward to help to maintain the shaving blades 313A fully extended and disposed along the inner surfaces of the screen foils 310A and 310B. The shaver/trimmer head 214 further includes a master linear movement mount assembly 372 operatively coupled to the motor 333 and to the shaver blades 313A and the shaver mount 313B. Where the motor 333 powers the master linear movement mount assembly 372, it causes the blades 313A and/or the mount 313B to move back and forth in a linear orientation. During operation of the device 100, the screen foils 310A and 310B contact a surface to be shaved and the series of blades 313A and the blade mount 313B move back and forth in a linear orientation within the screen foils 310A and 310B. Hair along the surface enters the plurality of holes of the screen foils 310A and 310B and is cut by the blades 313A as the blades 313A move back and forth. In addition, one of the cutting blade assemblies may further include one or more trimmer clipper blades 304 and 305 configured for trimming and removing hair. In one configuration, the trimmer clipper blades 304 and 305 include a top blade 304 and a bottom blade 305 mounted to a clipper blade mount 302. The mount 302 is configured to mount the clipper blades 304 and 305 within the shaver/trimmer head 214 such that at least a portion of each blade 304 and 305 projects externally from the casing or cover 311 at a desired angle when the shaver/trimmer head 214 is assembled. The top blade 304 is fixed to the blade mount 302 by an assembly part 373 such that the top blade 304 does not move. The clipper blade mount 302 is configured to couple to and to mate with a trimmer spring mount 374. The trimmer spring mount 374 is configured to bias downward such that during operation of the device 100 the mount 374 helps to maintain the extension of the trimmer blades 304 and 305 when the device 100 contacts a surface. In addition, the clipper blade mount 302 and the bottom clipper blade 305 are operatively coupled to a trimmer linear movement mount assembly 375 and a movement swing 376 mounted thereto. The trimmer linear movement mount assembly 375 is spring mounted to the casing or cover 311 and is operatively coupled to the master linear movement mount assembly 372. During operation of the device 100 the master linear movement mount assembly 372 causes the movement swing 376 to move back and forth in a linear orientation which causes the bottom clipper blade 305 to move back and forth in a linear orientation. During operation of the device 100, the top trimmer blade 304 remains fixed and the lower trimmer blade 305 moves back and forth in a linear orientation, as described above, below a bottom of the top trimmer blade 305. As the blades 304 and 305 traverse a surface from which hair is to be removed, hair is caught between the blades 304 and 305 and the back and forth motion of the lower blade 305 helps to create a scissor action that cuts hair. As shown in FIG. 8, the shaver/trimmer head 214 is further configured to join or connect to the proximal end 202A of the housing 338 of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202. In one configuration, the device 100 includes one or more assembly parts, e.g., one or more gears and electrical connections, disposed within the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 to operatively couple the shaver cutting blades 313A and the trimmer clipper blades 304 and 305 to the motor 333. When the motor 333 receives power from one or both batteries 335, or alternatively from an external AC or DC electric power source, the motor 333 generates power, which is transferred via one or more gears to either or both of the blade assemblies 313A and 304 and 305. In one configuration, the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 further includes wiring and circuitry to operatively couple the switch 334 to one or both batteries 335 and the motor 333 such that actuation of the switch 334 operatively couples one or both batteries 335 to the motor 333 to thereby power the motor 333. In one configuration, the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 includes a series of gears that are disposed and configured within the housing 338 such that the gears transfer movement of the motor 333 to the blades 313A, 304 and 305 to cause the blades 313A, 304 and 305 to operate, as described above, during operation of the device 100. Referring to FIG. 10, in one configuration, the shaver/trimmer 214 may further include an actuator button 216 disposed at the distal end 202A of the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and along a lower portion of the housing 338 proximate to an interface between the shaver/trimmer head 214 and the housing 338. The actuator button 216 is configured and disposed such that when actuated, e.g., depressed, the shaver/trimmer 214 can be removed from the shaver/trimmer assembly 202. Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, in another aspect, the invention provides a battery-operated, integrated shaver and hair trimmer device 500 having a folding configuration and including a shaver/trimmer assembly 502 and a handle assembly 504 constructed and arranged in a substantially similar manner as the device 100 illustrated in and described above with reference to FIGS. 1-10. The shaver/trimmer assembly 502 includes a shaver/trimmer 514 and a removable cover 501 similar to the shaver/trimmer 214 of the device 100 described above. A distal end 502B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 502 and a proximal end 504A of the handle assembly 504 are constructed and arranged to movably couple or connect the handle assembly 504 with the shaver/trimmer assembly 502 and to permit the handle assembly 504 to move or pivot about a point of connection 505 of the handle assembly 504 and the shaver/trimmer assembly 502. The handle assembly 504 thereby moves or pivots in a forward orientation relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 502, as shown by arrows 550 in FIG. 11A, such that the handle assembly 504 folds over a housing 538 of the shaver/trimmer assembly 502 to dispose the handle assembly 504 adjacent, e.g., and in contact with, the shaver/trimmer 502 in a first or closed position. The handle assembly 504 would typically be disposed in the first or closed position when the device 500 is not in use, although the device 500 may remain operable when the handle assembly 504 is disposed in the first or closed position. The folded configuration of the handle assembly 504 and the shaver/trimmer 502 helps to define a compact design of the device 500 suitable for storing and/or transporting the device 500. In addition, as shown by arrows 555 in FIG. 11B, the handle assembly 504 may thereby move or pivot in a backward orientation relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 502 such that the handle assembly 504 extends from the housing 538 of the shaver/trimmer assembly 502 to dispose the handle assembly 504 in a second or open position. The extended configuration of the handle assembly 504 and the shaver/trimmer assembly 502 helps to define an elongated device 500 suitable for use in shaving and/or trimming hair along difficult-to-see and difficult-to-reach areas of the body. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the device 500 includes a connecting assembly 506 constructed and arranged along the proximal end 504A of the handle assembly 504 to permit the handle assembly 504 to movably couple to and to mate with at least a portion of the distal end 502B of the shaver/trimmer assembly 502. The connecting assembly 506 is further configured to permit the handle assembly 504 to move or pivot about the point of connection 505 in a forward or a backward orientation relative to the shaver/trimmer assembly 502 such that the handle assembly 504 may be disposed adjacent, e.g., and in contact with, the shaver/trimmer assembly 502 or extended from the shaver/trimmer assembly 502, as described above. In addition, the housing 538 may be configured along a top outer surface to define a depression 539 configured to receive at least a portion of the handle assembly 504 where the handle assembly 504 is disposed adjacent and in contact with the housing 538 to thereby help to mate the handle assembly 504 flush with the depression 539. Where the handle assembly 504 lays flush with the depression 539 at the first or closed position, the device 500 may define a low and/or compact profile. The handle assembly 504 further includes adjacent the point of connection 505 one or more actuator buttons 507 and one or more connection buttons 508. In addition, the shaver/trimmer assembly 502 further includes adjacent the point of connection 505 one or more holes or apertures 512 defined along an outer surface, e.g. side panels, of the housing 538. The holes or apertures 512 are each configured and sized to receive at least a portion of a pimple 510 defined in a surface, e.g., side panels, of the connecting assembly 506. The holes or apertures 512 and the pimples 510 are disposed to permit the holes or apertures 512 to receive at least a portion of each of the pimples 510 when the connector assembly 506 is coupled to and mated with the distal end 502A of the shave/trimmer assembly 502. The actuator buttons 507, the connection buttons 508, the holes or apertures 512 and the pimples 510 are constructed and arranged and function substantially similar to corresponding portions of the device 100 illustrated in and described with reference to FIGS. 1-6 and FIGS. 7-9. The device 100 according to the invention can be constructed of one or more materials suitable for use in a wet or moist environment. In addition, the device 100 can be constructed of one or more materials suitable for forming the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and the handle assembly 204 such that either or both of the assemblies 202 and 204 are water-resistant or water-proof with respect to any of the internal components disposed within each assembly. The device 100 can be constructed of one or more relatively lightweight materials suitable for providing ease and comfort of use. One or more suitable materials can include, but are not limited to, metal, plastic, and any combinations thereof. In addition, the cutting blades of the shaver blade assembly 313 and of the hair trimmer blade assembly 304 and 305 are constructed of one or more materials suitable for providing sharpness and hardness to the blade and can include, but are not limited to, stainless steel, carbon steel and any combination thereof. Other embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, the shaver/trimmer head 214 may be constructed and arranged with a single series of shaver cutting blades 313A and a single screen foil 310 or, alternatively, with more than two sets of shaver cutting blades 313A and screen foils 310 such as three or more sets of shaver cutting blades 313A arranged in a circular pattern along the shaver/trimmer head 214. As a further example, the device 100 can be configured as a single unit rather than two portions including the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 and the handle assembly 204 with the power components and electrical connections disposed in either the shaver/trimmer assembly 202 or the handle assembly 204. Another example is the connector assembly 206 includes a flexible membrane to enable either of the assemblies 202 and 204 to move along or to pivot about the point of connection between the assemblies 202 and 204. Further, in addition to the connector assembly 206, or as an alternative to the connector assembly 206, the device 100 may be constructed and arranged to define two or more points at which portions of the device 100 may be positioned or angled relative to one another. For example, each of two or more portions of the handle assembly 204 can be positioned or angled relative to other portions of the handle assembly 204 and/or to the shaver/trimmer assembly 202, as required or desired. Having thus described at least one illustrative embodiment of the invention, various alterations, modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications and improvements are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended as limiting. The invention's limit is defined only in the following claims and the equivalents thereto. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Prior art hair removal and hair trimming systems include a wide range of dry and wet devices including manual wet shavers and cutting blades, battery-operated shavers and trimmers, rechargeable shavers and trimmers, electrical shavers and trimmers, as well as wax, chemical and electrical depilatories. Such hair removal and trimming systems are commonly used to remove hair from the face, neck, legs, underarms, feet, etcetera. Most prior art systems, however, are not directed to removing or trimming unwanted hair along certain body areas that are physically impossible or difficult for people to reach to remove or trim unwanted hair. In addition, not all prior art hair removal systems can be used on all body areas because such systems cannot accommodate the variety of human body shapes and sizes. Some prior art devices can be dangerous or hazardous to operate whereby a sharp blade is used to shave or trim hair from difficult-to-see or difficult-to-reach areas of the body. Therefore, people who wish to remove unwanted hair from difficult-to-see or difficult-to-reach body areas, such as the neck, shoulders and back, are often forced to either maintain the unwanted hair or are limited to enlisting the assistance of another person to do so. Enlisting the assistance of another person is an activity that can cause people embarrassment and/or considerable expense. For example, one option for people who wish to remove unwanted hair from difficult-to-see or difficult-to-reach areas is employing a salon, spa or other grooming venue offering any of a range of processes, such as electrolysis, laser removal, waxing and other treatments, for hair removal. This option, however, may not be an affordable one for many people. More affordable options include using a dry electric or rechargeable cutting blade or a wet cutting blade along with shaving creams, soaps or gels to provide a medium for the wet cutting blade. However, these options can be uncomfortable, messy, time-consuming, inconvenient, frustrating, dangerous or even impossible without the assistance of another person to facilitate access to those body areas that are not self-accessible or are difficult to reach or see. In addition, other options include applying depilatories, such as lotions, creams and waxes, to dissolve or similarly remove unwanted hair. Depilatories can similarly be difficult to administer to certain body areas as well as can be uncomfortable, messy, time-consuming, inconvenient, frustrating and have an offensive odor. In addition, many persons experience skin irritations, allergic reactions or other related health issues as a result of use of such depilatories. Thus, a safe, fast, effective and affordable means to remove unwanted hair from body areas that are physically impossible or difficult for a person to reach or see to effect hair removal or trimming without the assistance of another person or device is desirable. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In general, in one aspect, the invention provides a battery-operated, integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with an adjustable handle comprising a shaver and trimmer assembly having a housing and including one or more cutting blade assemblies disposed within the housing. Each cutting blade assembly is configured and further disposed such that at least a portion of each cutting blade assembly projects from the housing to permit access to the cutting blade assembly for shaving and hair trimming. The device further comprises at least one battery disposed within the housing to power the one or more cutting blade assemblies, and a handle assembly configured as a handle and having a housing. A first end of the handle assembly is connected to a first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly. The first end of the handle assembly is constructed and arranged to permit one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to move about a point of connection of the first ends of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to dispose at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at a position relative to the other. At least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at the position relative to the other. Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The one or more cutting blade assemblies include at least a first set of shaving blades contained within a first screen foil. The first set of shaving blades and the first screen foil are disposed within the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly such that at least a portion of each of the first screen foil and the first set of shaving blades projects from the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly. Alternatively, or additionally, the one or more cutting blade assemblies can include a first set of hair trimmer blades. The first set of hair trimmer blades is connected to the shaver and trimmer assembly such that at least a portion of the first set of trimmer blades projects from the housing of the shaver and the trimmer assembly. At least one of the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly is further constructed and arranged to permit the handle assembly to move toward and adjacent to the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly to shorten a length of the device, and to move away from the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly to extend the length of the device. A surface of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly is configured to receive at least a portion of the handle assembly when the handle assembly is adjacent to the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly. Implementations of the invention may also include one or more of the following features. The handle assembly further includes an extension arm. The extension arm is movably connected to a second end of the handle assembly opposite to the first end of the handle assembly to permit the extension arm to move away from the housing of the handle assembly to extend a length of the handle assembly and to move toward the housing of the handle assembly to shorten the length of the handle assembly. At least one of the second end of the handle assembly and the extension arm is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix the extension arm at a position relative to the handle assembly. The extension arm can be further constructed and arranged as a telescopically extendible and telescopically retractable arm. Alternatively, the handle assembly further includes an extension arm movably connected to the housing of the handle assembly and constructed and arranged to permit at least a portion of the extension arm to be contained within an interior defined by the housing of the handle assembly. The extension arm is further constructed and arranged to permit withdrawal of the extension arm from the interior of the housing to extend a length of the handle assembly and to permit retraction of the extension arm into the interior of the housing to shorten a length of the handle assembly. At least one of the housing of the handle assembly and the extension arm is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix the extension arm at a position relative to the handle assembly. The extension arm can be further constructed and arranged as a telescopically extendible and telescopically retractable arm. In general, in another aspect, the invention provides an electric, integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with an adjustable handle comprising a shaver and trimmer assembly having a housing and including one or more electric cutting blade assemblies disposed within the housing. Each electric cutting blade assembly is configured and is further disposed such that at least a portion of each electric cutting blade assembly projects from the housing to permit access to the electric cutting blade assembly for shaving and hair trimming. A motor is disposed within the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly, and is operatively coupled to the one or more cutting blade assemblies and to at least one power connection the device provides. The power connection is configured to receive electric power supplied from an external source. The device further comprises a handle assembly configured as a handle and having a housing. A first end of the handle assembly is connected to a first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly. The first end of the handle assembly is constructed and arranged to permit one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly to move about a point of connection of the first end of the handle assembly and the first end of the shaver and trimmer assembly to dispose at least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at a position relative to the other. At least one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly is further constructed and arranged to releasably fix one of the handle assembly and the shaver and trimmer assembly at the position relative to the other. In general, in another aspect, the invention provides an integrated shaver and hair trimmer device with an adjustable handle comprising a shaver and trimmer assembly having a housing and including one or more blade assemblies disposed within the housing. The one or more blade assemblies are configured and are further disposed such that at least a portion of each of the one or more blade assemblies projects from the housing to permit access to the cutting blade assembly for shaving and hair trimming. A handle assembly is configured as a handle and has a housing. A first end of the handle assembly is configured to movably connect to the shaver and trimmer assembly and to adjust a position of the handle assembly relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. The device further comprises means disposed in one of the housing of the shaver and trimmer assembly and the housing of the handle assembly for powering the one or more cutting blade assemblies, and means for releasably fixing the handle at a position relative to the shaver and trimmer assembly. Various aspects of the invention may provide one or more of the following capabilities. An integrated shaver and hair trimmer device for use in shaving and/or trimming/removing unwanted hair from body areas that are not self-accessible or, in other words, are physically difficult or impossible to reach can be provided for use by women and men. Shaving and trimming/removing unwanted hair from difficult-to-reach and difficult-to-see body areas can be affordable, safe, easy, convenient, painless, chemical-free, and can be accomplished without the assistance of another person, an integrated shaver and hair trimmer device can accomplish shaving and trimming/removing unwanted hair from any part or area of the human body. An integrated shaver and hair trimmer device can be provided with a handle assembly that is adjustable relative to an assembly of the device that includes one or more cutting blades assemblies. Such a shaver and hair trimmer device can be configured as a portable device, and can be configured as an electric and/or battery-operated device to power the one or more cutting blade assemblies. In addition, the device can be configured only as a shaver or only as a hair trimmer device. The adjustable handle assembly can enable a user of the device to manipulate a position or an angle at which the handle assembly is disposed relative to the one or more cutting blade assemblies to help to access difficult-to-reach or difficult-to-see body areas. In addition the adjustable handle assembly can be configured as an extendible handle assembly such that a user of the device can lengthen or shorten the length of the handle assembly. Adjusting a position or an angle of the handle assembly relative to the one or more cutting blade assemblies and/or adjusting the length of the handle assembly can help to optimize a position or angle at which edges of the cutting blades contact body surfaces and, in particular, contact difficult-to-see and difficult-to-reach surfaces for shaving and hair trimming. An adjustable and/or extendible handle assembly of the device can thereby help to optimize the performance of the device to provide a safe and close shave or hair trimming. Further, an adjustable and/or extendible handle assembly of the device can be configured to provide an easy grip and to securely dispose the handle assembly at a fixed position or angle relative to the one or more cutting assemblies, and/or at a fixed length, that helps to increase a user's comfort and safety. These and other advantages of the invention, along with the invention itself, will be more fully understood after a review of the following figures, detailed description, and claims. | 20041006 | 20060912 | 20051020 | 94181.0 | 1 | NGUYEN, PHONG H | INTEGRATED SHAVER AND HAIR TRIMMER DEVICE WITH ADJUSTABLE HANDLE | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,960,516 | ACCEPTED | Organo-gel formulations for therapeutic applications | A composition suitable for the local delivery of cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical agents into the skin containing at least two biocompatible organic solvents, a polar lipid, a surfactant, water, urea and a thickener wherein the organic solvents include an ester and a dihydric and/or polyhydric alcohol is provided. Also disclosed are compositions that further contain a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical agent, along with the preparation and use thereof. | 1. A composition suitable for the delivery of at least one cosmetic agent or pharmaceutical agent or both through the skin of a mammal, which comprises two biocompatible organic solvents, a polar lipid, at least one or more surfactant, water, urea and thickener; wherein the organic solvents comprise an ester and a dihydric alcohol and/or polyhydric alcohol; and wherein the composition comprises about 2 to about 30% of the ester and about 2 to about 20% of the dihydric alcohol and/or polyhydric alcohol. 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the ester is a fatty monoester. 3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the ester is obtainable by replacing the active hydrogen of a fatty acid having 4 to 22 carbon atoms by the alkyl group of a monohydric alcohol having 2 to about 8 carbon atoms. 4. The compositions of claim 2, wherein the ester is an isopropyl ester. 5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the ester is at least one of isopropyl myristate or isopropyl palmitate. 6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the ester is isopropyl myristate. 7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the dihydric or polyhydric alcohol is an alkane alcohol and contains 3 to 8 carbon atoms. 8. The composition of anyone of claims 1-6, wherein the alcohol is at least one of propylene glycol or glycerol. 9. The composition of anyone of claims 1-6, wherein the alcohol is propylene glycol. 10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polar lipid is at least one of lecithin or phosphalidylcholine. 11. The composition of claim 1, wherein at least one surfactant is selected from the group consisting of docusate sodium, docusate sodium benzoate, docusate calcium, tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, pentaoxyethylene glycol monododecyl ether, and triethanolamine laureth sulfate. 12. The composition according to claim 2, wherein the thickener is selected from the group of polyethylene glycol, methyl cellulose, and carbomer. 13. The composition of claim 1, wherein the amount of the polar lipid is about 10 to about 30% by weight; the amount of the surfactant is about 0.5 to about 15% by weight, the amount of water is about 40 to about 65% by weight, the amount of which is about 1 to about 15% by weight and amount of the thickener is about 0.05 to about 5% of weight. 14. The composition of claim 1, wherein further certain at least one of a cosmetic agent or pharmaceutical agent or both. 15. The composition of claim 14, wherein the amount of the cosmetic agent or pharmaceutical agent or both is about 0.001 to about 30% by weight. 16. The composition of claim 14, having a pH of about 5.5 to about 7.5. 17. The composition of claim 16, wherein the pH is about 6 to about 7. 18. The composition of claim 1, further comprising at least 0.2-1.8% of a vasodilating agent. 19. The composition of claim 18, wherein the vasodilating agent is glyceryl trinitrate. 20. The composition, according to claim 1, further comprising about 1 to about 12% of an antimicrobial agent. 21. The composition of claim 20, wherein the antimicrobial agent is selected from the group consisting of ciclopirox, itraconazole, metronidazole, and terbinafine. 22. The composition of claim 1, further comprising about 0.001-10.0% of an inhibitor of cell growth or proliferation. 23. The composition of claim 22, wherein said inhibitor is 2-deoxy-D-glucose. 24. The composition, according to claim 1, further comprising about 0.001-5.0% of an inhibitor of polyamine transport or 0.005-5.0% of an inhibitor of polyamine synthesis. 25. The composition, according to claim 1, further comprising about 0.001-5.0% of an antizyme inducer. 26. The composition, according to claim 1, further comprising about 0.5-10% of a decalcifying skin agent. 27. The composition of claim 26, wherein the decalcifying skin agent is lactic acid. 28. The composition, according to claim 1, further comprising at least two active ingredients. 29. A method of delivering an active agent into and through the epidermis tissue of a human or animal which comprises topically applying to the skin of the human or animal a composition according to claim 14. 30. A method of making a composition suitable for cutaneous delivery of a pharmaceutically active substance which comprises: a. Dissolving a polar lipid, at least in two biocompatible organic solvents comprising at least one ester and at least one dihydric or polyhydric active; b. Adding one or more surfactants to the composition of step (a); c. Dissolving a pharmaceutically active compound in the solvent-polar lipid, surfactant mixture of step (b); d. Adding urea and a thickener to water; and e. Combining the composition from c and d and adjusting the pH to about 5.5 to about 7.5, if necessary. 31. A composition prepared according to the method of claim 30. | TECHICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to a composition useful in the local delivery of cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical agents into the skin. This composition allows the formulation with the agent(s) to be rapidly absorbed through the skin and also to have a pleasing, non-greasy, non-oily appearance and feel. BACKGROUND The skin is the largest organ in the body and serves important functions that are necessary to life. The skin acts as a barrier to the invasion of various pathogens and toxic substances. Skin is composed of the two layers: the epidermis is the first layer; and the dermis is the layer below the epidermis. However, because it must serve as a barrier to the ingress of pathogens and toxic materials, and the egress of physiologic fluids, the skin is highly impermeable. It must be impermeable to preserve its own integrity while at the same time maintaining the delicate dynamic electrolyte balance of the body. The skin must serve containment function; it must also function as a microbial, chemical, radiation and thermal barrier. A good deal of this impermeability of the skin results from the nature of one very thin layer created by normal developmental and physiological changes in the skin. After cells are formed in the basal layer, they begin to migrate toward the skin surface, until they are eventually sloughed off. As they undergo this migration, they become progressively more dehydrated and keratinized. When they reach the surface, just prior to being discarded, they form a thin layer of dense, metabolically inactive cells approximately ten microns (10-15 cells) thick. This layer is called the stratum corneum or the “cornified layer”. As a result of the high degree of keratinization of the cells which comprise the stratum corneum, a formidable barrier is created. Therefore, penetration via the nonpolar route, i.e., across the membrane of these cells, remains most difficult. Accordingly, in an effort to take advantage of this route of administration and overcome the obstacles the skin naturally provides, the art has turned to the use of specifically selected vehicles and carriers into which the pharmaceutical active is incorporated so that the vehicle or carrier aids in, or at a minimum does not adversely affect, the penetration of the selected active agent. The art recognizes that to a vast degree the rate of percutaneous delivery of a pharmaceutical active can be significantly decreased by the selection of an improper vehicle. Because of the ease of access, dynamics of application, large surface area, vast exposure to the circulatory and lymphatic networks, and non-invasive nature of the treatment, the delivery of pharmaceutically-active agents through the skin has long been a promising concept. This is true whether the bioavailability desired is systemic or dermal, regional or local. The advantages of this form of delivery include, but are not limited to: avoidance of the risks associated with parenteral treatment; elimination of the inconveniences of parenteral treatment; avoidance of the variable rates of absorption and metabolism inherent in oral treatment; increasing the continuity of drug administration by permitting delivery of agents with short biological half-lives; and elimination of gastrointestinal irritation resulting from exposing the gastrointestinal tract to pharmaceutical actives, preservatives, tableting agents, and the like. Most importantly, topical delivery possesses the potential for effectively treating conditions which are local in nature (or which exhibit local manifestations), systemically as well as locally with the same treatment regimen. Thus, effective compositions to deliver pharmaceutical agents are highly sought after Although various compositions have been suggested for the precutaneous delivery of certain pharmaceutically active agents, a need exists for achieving enhanced delivery of cosmetic and pharmaceutical agents to the skin for local treatment of skin conditions and diseases. In particular, the composition should be easy to apply topically in a quantitative amount, to allow the active agent to rapidly permeate the skin to get where the agent is needed, to have a pleasant odor and appearance, and to not require cleansing to remove the agent. This combination of these desired characteristics is difficult to achieve. SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to a composition for the local delivery of at least one cosmetic or pharmaceutical agent or both. The composition comprises at least two biocompatible organic solvents, a polar lipid, at least one surfactant, water, urea and a thickener. The organic solvents comprise an ester and a dihydric and/or polyhydric alcohol. The composition comprises about 2 to about 30% by weight of the ester and about 2 to about 20% by weight of the dihydric and/or polyhydric alcohol. The present disclosure also relates to a method of delivering an active agent into and through the epidermis tissue of a human or animal comprising topically applying to the skin of the human or animal a composition comprising a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutically active agent and the composition disclosed above. Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a composition comprising the above disclosed delivery composition and a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutically active agent. The pH of the composition containing the active agent is typically about 5.5 to about 7.5. A still further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for making a composition suitable for the cutaneous delivery of a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutically active agent which comprises: a. Dissolving a polar lipid at least in two biocompatible organic solvents comprising at least one ester and at lease one dihydric or polyhydric alcohol; b. Adding one or more surfactants to the composition of step (a); c. Dissolving a cosmetic pharmaceutical and/or active compound in the solvent-polar lipid, surfactant mixture of step (b); d. Adding a urea and at least one thickener to water; e. Combining the compositions from c and d and adjusting the pH to about 5.5 to about 7.5, if necessary. The present disclosure further relates to a composition prepared by the above disclosed method. Other objections and advantages of the present disclosure will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only the preferred embodiments, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the disclosure. As will be realized, the disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the description is to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. BEST AND VARIOUS MODES By “topical administration”, as used herein, is meant directly laying or spreading upon epidermal tissue, especially outer skin or membrane, including the skin or membrane of the oral, rectal, or vaginal cavities. By “safe and effective amount”, as used herein, is meant a sufficient amount of the composition to provide the desired local therapeutic activity and performance at a reasonable benefit/risk ratio attendant any medical treatment. Within the scope of sound medical judgment, the amount of active agent used will vary with the particular condition being treated, the severity of the condition, the duration of the treatment, the specific active ingredient(s) employed, its or their concentration, the condition of the patient, concurrent therapies being administered, and like factors within the specific knowledge and expertise of the patient or the attending physician. By “toxicologically- or pharmacologically-acceptable”, as used herein, is meant the pharmaceutical actives, as well as other compatible drugs, medicaments or inert ingredients which the term describes are suitable for use in contact with the tissues of human and lower animals without undue toxicity, irritation, allergic response, and the like, commensurate with a reasonable benefit/risk ratio. By the term “comprising”, as used herein, is meant that various other compatible cosmetics, drugs and medicaments, as well as inert ingredients, occlusive agents, and cosmetic vehicles, can be conjointly employed in the compositions and methods of this invention, as long as the critical binary penetration enhancement vehicle and cosmetic or pharmaceutical active are used. The term “comprising” thus encompasses and includes the more restrictive terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” which characterize the use of the essential ingredients in the manner disclosed herein. By “afflicted sites”, as used herein, is meant a localized area of pathology, discomfort, infection, inflammation or lesion, and the immediately surrounding area. By “application sites”, as used herein, is meant a site suitable for application via a mechanical sustained release device or dressing, e.g., behind the ear, on the arm, back, top of the foot, etc. By “penetration-enhancing”, as used herein, is meant that the binary penetration enhancing carriers of this disclosure provide marked transepidermal or percutaneous delivery of an incorporated active, when compared to other compositions at equal chemical potential. This latter aspect is important, since varying solubilities of cosmetics or drugs in different vehicles will necessarily affect their transport across skin. Thus, for example, if a drug is soluble in vehicle A to the extent of 24%, and in vehicle B to the extent of 4%, were the compositions to be compared at equal percentage concentration, rather than equal chemical potential, the lower solubility carrier will show a misleading six-fold difference in transport over the more soluble vehicle. The simplest way of assuring equal chemical potential for evaluating penetration enhancement is to use saturated solutions or solutions of equal percentage of saturation of pharmacological active in the various vehicles. By “substantially free”, as used herein, is meant that the penetration-enhancing compositions of the present invention contains less than about 10%, preferably less than 3.5%, more preferably less than about 1%, and most preferably less than about 0.5%, of any specific compound, or member of the group of compounds, described by this term. As used herein, all percentages and ratios are by weight of the total composition unless otherwise specified. The terms “active”, “pharmaceutical active”, “pharmacological active”, “pharmaceutical agent”, “pharmacological agent”, “pharmaceutically-, or pharmacologically-active agent”, “chemical agent”, and “therapeutic agent”, are used interchangably herein. The compositions of this disclosure contain a cosmetic agent and/or pharmaceutically-active agent capable of producing or possessing local activity, in a binary vehicle or carrier. The vehicle on carrier comprises a polar lipid, such as lecithin or phosphotidylcholine, and two biocompatible organic solvents, one chosen from the group of esters and one chosen from the group of liquid dihydric and polyhydric alcohols, a surfactant, a preservative, water, and urea, at a pH of between about 5.5 and 7.5 and preferably between 6.0 and 7.0. The compositions of this disclosure may additionally contain other optional components that reduce skin irritation, or enhance their cosmetic appeal or acceptability, e.g, pigments, fragrances, perfumes, and the like. Typical polar lipids employed are lecithin and phosphotidylcholine. Preferably, the lecithin or phosphatidylcholine is of a high quality, pharmaceutical grade. Appropriate lecithin and phosphatidylcholine maybe obtained as commercially available soya lecithin or soya phosphatidylcholine. Preferably, soya lecithin is used in the composition of this invention. The biocompatible organic ester solvents may be any non-toxic ester in which the polar lipid, the cosmetic or pharmaceutically active compound and urea are soluble, and which assists as a solubilizing vehicle for carrying cosmetic or pharmaceutically active compounds across the skin of a mammal. Typically the esters are fatty mono esters having a structure, obtainable by replacing the active hydrogen of a fatty acid having 4 to 22 carbon atoms and more typically having 8 to 18 carbon atoms by the alkyl group of a monohydric alcohol, particular example being 12 carbon atoms. The fatty acid can be saturated or unsaturated and more typically is saturated. The monohydric alcohol typically contains 2 to 8 carbon atoms and more typically 2 to 5 carbon atoms, a particular example being 3 carbon atoms. Acceptable esters for this purpose include, but are not limited to isopropyl esters. Preferably, the ester is isopropyl myristate or isopropyl palmitate, with isopropyl myristate being particularly preferred. The biocompatible organic dihydric and polyhydric alcohol solvents may be any non-toxic di or polyalcohol in which the polar lipid, the active compound and urea are soluble, and which assists as a solubilizing vehicle for carrying active compounds across the skin of a mammal. Acceptable dihydric and polyalcohols for this purpose include, but are not limited to di- and tri-alcohol alkanes. Typically the alcohols contain 3 to 8 carbon atoms and more typically 3 to 5 carbon atoms and are saturated alcohols. Preferably, the polyalcohol is propylene glycol or glycerol, with propylene glycol being particularly preferred. The compositions of the present disclosure typically contain about 2 to 30% by weight and more typically 4 to 10% by weight of the ester and about 2 to about 20% by weight and more typically 2 to about 10% weight of the alcohol. In preparing the composition of this disclosure, the polar lipid is typically dissolved in the organic ester solvent and di or polyalcohol solvent at mass ratios from about 5:1:1 to about 1:5:5. Preferably, the polar lipid and organic ester solvent and polyalcohol solvent are mixed in equal mass ratios. Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, soya lecithin, isopropyl myristate, and propylene glycol are mixed in equal mass ratios and mixed until the lecithin is evenly distributed. This is referred to as the solvent-polar lipid mixture. Depending on the nature of the cosmetic or pharmaceutically active compound and the desired characteristics of the final formulation, a surfactant can be included in the formulation at a concentration of between about 1-20% of the final composition mass. In the formulation including a polycationic active agent, it has been found, according to this disclosure that non-ionic or cationic surfactants are preferred. In the case of other active ingredients, on the other hand, anionic, cationic or non-ionic surfactants are quite acceptable. Preferably, the surfactant is one which is compatible with administration in vivo without elicitation of undesirable side effects. One preferred surfactant is docusate sodium and its more water soluble form, docusate sodium benzoate. Other appropriate ionic or non-ionic surfactants, such as polysorbate 80, Tween 80 docisate calcium, tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, pentaoxyetylene glycol monododecyl ether, or triethanolamine laureth sulfate. Once the surfactant is thoroughly dispersed in the solvent-polar lipid mixture, the cosmetic or pharmaceutically active compound may be added and dissolved. The dosage of the cosmetic or pharmaceutical agent will, of course, vary depending upon known factors, such as the cosmetic or pharmaceutical agent characteristics of the particular agent; the age, health and weight of the recipient; the nature and extent of the symptoms; the kind of concurrent treatment; the frequency of treatment; and the effect desired. A daily dosage of active ingredient can be expected to be about 0.001 to 1000 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight, with the more typical dose being 0.1 to about 30 mg/kg. The active agent is typically present in amounts of about 0.001 to about 30%, more typically about 0.001 to about 20%, and even more typically about 0.5 to 12% by weight based upon the total of the delivery system and active agent. For solid active ingredients, this is most easily achieved by heating an aliquot of the surfactant-solvent-polar lipid mixture and adding, on a mass basis, an amount of active compound equal to about 0.01 to 30% of the mass of the surfactant-solvent-polar lipid and mixing until completely dissolved. Thus, for example, about 1-20 grams of nifedipine in a powdered form is added to about 100 grams of heated 1:0.5:0.5 soya lecithin:isopropyl myristate:propylene glycol and allowed to dissolve with stirring. Same exemplary active agents include vasodilating agents such as glyceryl trinitrate and nifedipine; antimicrobial agents such as ciclopirox, itraconazole, metronidazole, miconazole and terbinafine; inhibitors of cell growth or proliferation, such as 2-deoxy-D-glucose; inhibitors of polyamine transport; inhibitors of polyamine synthesis; antizyme inducers; decalcifying skin agents such as lactic acid; anti-inflammatory agents such as ibuprofen and ketoprofen; topical anaesthetics such as lidocaine; steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds, such as cortisone; peptides, proteins, or hormones, such as platelet factor 4; substance P antagonists such as capsaicin; muscle relaxants such as cyclobenzaprine; anti-inflammatory analgesics such as diclofenac sodium and phosphodiesterase inhibitors such as sudenifil. In the event a volatile active agent or proteinaceous active agent is used, adding the active agent to a relatively warm solution of surfactant-solvent polar lipid mixture is not usually desired as this might decrease the amount of active agent in the final formulation. By way of specific examples, in the case of the active nitroglycerin, the active is available in the form of a 10% concentration in propylene glycol, which can be added directly to the polar lipid-solvent-surfactant mixture. The amount of a vasodilator for the treatment of peripheral arterial diseases, including Raynaud's Disease, diabetic paresthesia, and night leg cramps is typically about 0.2 to about 1.8% of the composition. The amount of antimicrobial agent for the treatment of infectious diseases of the skin, including onychomycois, athlete's foot, rosacea, and vaginomycosis is typically about 0.5 to about 12% by weight. The amount of an inhibitor of cell growth or proliferation for treatment of actinic keratosis is about 0.001 to about 10% of weight. The amount of an inhibitor of polyamine transport is typically about 0.001 to about 5% by weight. The amount of an inhibitor of polyamine synthesis for the treatment of an automimmune disease, including cutaneous lupus erythrematosus, urticaria, psoriasis, and atopic dermatosis is typically about 0.001 to about 5% by weight. The amount of a decalcifying skin agent, such as lactic acid, for the treatment of dry skin conditions, including xerosis, scleroderma, and ichthyosis is typically about 0.5 to about 10% by weight. It is further understood that two or more different types of active agents can be employed in order to treat more than one condition at the same time. For instance, two or more active agents can be used to treat inflammatory, autoimmune, infectious and/or dry skin conditions simultaneously. After addition of the cosmetic or pharmaceutically active compound, an amount of urea, preferably as a thickened aqueous solution, can be added to the surfactant-solvent-polar lipid mixture. The urea is typically added so that the urea concentration about 1% to about 15% and more typically about 5% and 10% by mass of the final composition mass. The thickener is selected from common National Formulary thickening agents including, but not limited to appropriate polymer weights of polyethylene glycol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, carbomer and methylcellulose. The amount of thickener is typically about 0.05 to about 5% by weight. Thus in a specific example, about 5 grams of a 10% aqueous solution of urea, containing 0.7% Carbomer 934, is added to about 100 grams of the surfactant-solvent-polar lipid mixture with dissolved pharmaceutically active compound. In some instances, the pharmaceutically active agent will more readily dissolve if added after addition of the aqueous urea solution, and in other instances before the addition of aqueous urea solution. In any event, this is a choice readily made by those skilled in the art, once aware of the present disclosure, depending on the particular formulation being prepared and the solubility characteristics of the particular cosmetic or pharmaceutically active compound being solubilized. If the active agent is a protein, it will be necessary to test the retention of biological activity of the protein upon exposure to the particular urea concentration used in this formulation as the chaotropic properties of urea are known to denature some proteins. Such a determination is easily conducted by one of ordinary skill in the art. Upon formulation of the above described composition with the cosmetic or pharmaceutically active agent, the pH is adjusted to typical pH of about 5.5 to about 7.5 and more typically to a 6.0 to 7.0. This can be accomplished, for example, by addition of aqueous sodium hydroxide, as the compositions initially tend to have an acid pH. However, if the pharmaceutically active agent tends to produce very alkaline solutions, addition of acid to reduce the pH would be desirable. This can be accomplished by addition of citric acid or a biological buffer such as sodium carbonate or potassium phosphate. With the composition in a pH range of about 5.5 to 7.5, the formulation thickens and forms a creamy gel for topical administration. In one embodiment of the invention, the composition is formulated with a vasodilating agent, such as glyceryl trinitrate. Such formulation is rapidly absorbed through the skin and provides local vasodilation, increases in blood flow, and restoration of normal temperature to an extremity with low blood flow. In another embodiment of the invention, the composition is formulated with an anti-infective agent. Such formulation is rapidly absorbed through the skin to provide local delivery to kill invading microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria. By routine experimentation, using the recited elements of this composition, those skilled in the art, once aware of the present disclosure, will be able to make specific gels of essentially any active ingredient or combination thereof for a wide variety of typical applications. In addition, it is understood that the compositions can contain auxiliary agents including those conventionally known and/or used in this art such as, but not limited to, preservatives and fragrances. For ease of preparation, it is convenient to prepare a first gel composition, referred to herein as “MQX-GEL”, which can be used to add to other components in the formulation of a final composition for topical administration. There are several possible formulations of the MQX-GEL. For example, a MQX-GEL may be prepared by mixing lecithin organogel (L.O.), as a 1:1:1 (m/m/m) mixture of lecithin, isopropyl myristate and propylene glycol, with LID oil (a 1:1 [m/m] mixture of L.O. and docusate sodium), dissolving additional surfactant and/or docusate sodium powder into this mixture, and then adding thickened aqueous urea. In one embodiment of the MQX-GEL formulation, the final concentrations are: L.O.=30%; docusate sodium=9%; urea=5%; thickener=1%; and water=55%. These ratios may easily be varied such that the final amounts of each component are as follows: L.O.=15-50%; docusate sodium and/or another surfactant=3-15%; urea=1-15%; thickener=0.5-5%; and water=40-65%. The solubilized active ingredients may then be added to MQX-GEL. Excipients which may be useful in solubilizing the active ingredient include L.O., propylene glycol, isopropyl myristate, peppermint oil, glycerin, and/or polyethylene glycol. A homogenous mixture is then made by carefully blending the various components. Once the formulations described above have been prepared, use of the formulations is a simple matter of applying the formulation to affected areas where cutaneous delivery of the pharmaceutically active agent is desired. Thus, in the case of Raynaud's phenomenon, formulations containing glyceryl trinitrate are rubbed over the affected area such as the fingers of the hands. Treatment is repeated as symptoms reappear. In use of formulations prepared according to this invention, normal blood flow in the fingers of the Raynaud's patient has been restored within five minutes of application. In another aspect of this invention, an anti-fungal anti-microbial compound is formulated for delivery to toe nails infected with fungus. In nine-month treatments, doctors and patients across the country have confirmed almost complete reduction in fungal infection. This is in contrast to results observed with current commercial topical formulations with this same active ingredient that provide very modest reduction in fungal infection in the same time frame. In another aspect of this invention, a composition comprising an antibacterial agent is prepared, for example, by inclusion of bacitracin or another appropriate antibiotic. This allows for penetration of the antibacterial agent to sites of infection induced by puncture wounds. In general, compositions of this invention are provided at a concentration of between about 0.001% to 30% by weight of active compound. In addition, compositions comprising more than one active ingredient are within the scope of this invention and could be administered to a recipient in need of more than a single active treatment at one localized spot. Thus, for example, a composition comprising a vasodilating agent and an antifingal would both provide relief from fungal infection and will facilitate long-term relief by restoring blood flow and the flow of nutrients to the affected area. It is contemplated that the compositions of this invention are applied topically as frequently as required as long as local reactions or toxicity due to the active ingredient do not become a problem. Thus, for example, a more rigorously monitored regimen of application may be required when an anti-neoplastic compound is being administered than when a readily metabolized non-toxic compound such as ketoprofen is administered. In the latter case, it would be acceptable for a person in need of such treatment to topically apply the composition as frequently as needed to achieve relief from local pain or inflammation. While the foregoing description generally describes how to make and use the compositions and formulations of this invention, the following examples are provided to more specifically point out how to practice the invention. However, it should be clearly understood that the scope of this invention, as defined by the claims appended hereto, is not to be limited to the specifics of the following examples. Further, it should be understood that, in the specific compositions described and claimed, the percentages of active and other ingredients could be within at least a 10% different amount while still achieving an objective equivalent to the specifically disclosed compositions. The following non-limiting examples are presented to further illustrate the present disclosure: EXAMPLE 1 Preparation of MQX-GEL 500 gm LID Oil* 50 gm Lecithin organogel** (L.O.) 100 gm Docusate sodium powder 50 gm Urea 50 gm Thickener 5 gm Distilled water 245 ml *LID oil is a 1:1 mixture of lecithin organogel:docusate sodium on a mass basis. **L.O. is a 1:1:1 mixture of lecithin, isopropyl myristate and propylene glycol.1. The LID was added to L.O. and heated. 2. Docusate sodium powder was added, and the mixture was stirred until smooth. 3. Thickener and urea were completely dissolved in water, heated, and added to step 2 with stirring. 4. pH was adjusted to between 6.5 to 6.9. MQX-GEL may just as easily be prepared as follows: 1000 gm L.O. 250 gm Docusate sodium benzoate powder 150 gm Urea 100 gm Thickener 10 gm Distilled water 490 ml The L.O. was heated and the docusate sodium benzoate powder was stirred into the heated L.O. until a smooth solution is prepared. The water was heated and the thickener and urea were dissolved into the water, and the thickened urea solution was then thoroughly mixed with the docusate sodium containing solution of L.O. The result was a consistent, transparent, amber colored gel with a pH of about 6.0. A further method of making MQX-GEL is as follows: 1000 gm L.O. 100 gm LID 300 gm Urea 100 gm Thickener 10 gm Distilled water 490 gm The LID and L.O. were mixed well and a heated solution of water, the thickener and the urea was prepared and added to the LID-L.O. solution. The result was a consistent, transparent, amber colored gel with a pH of about 6.0. EXAMPLE 2 Preparation of 1.2% Glyceryl Trinitrate Gel 500 gm Glyceryl Trinitrate 6.0 gm (as 10% active in propylene glycol or 54.0 gm of propylene glycol) Lecithin organogel (L.O.) 90.0 gm Docusate Sodium 22.6 gm Urea 25.1 gm Carbomer 934 3.5 gm Methylcellulose 4.4 gm Water, distilled 294.4 gm 1. Docusate sodium is added to L.O. and stirred to obtain a clear solution. 2. Glyceryl trinitrate (as 10% active in propylene glycol) is added to solution of step 1. 3. Urea is added to distilled water, with heating and stirring to obtain a uniform solution. 4. Carbomer 934 and Methylcellulose are added to thicken the urea-water of step 3. 5. The lecithin organogel with the active from step 2 is combined with the thickened aqueous urea from step 4 to form a uniform mixture. 6. The pH is adjusted to 6.5 with dilute aqueous NaOH to form an elegant thick gel. EXAMPLE 3 Preparation of 0.5% Glyceryl Trinitrate Gel 500 gm Glyceryl Trinitrate 2.5 gm (as 10% active in propylene glycol or 22.5 gm of propylene glycol) Lecithin organogel (L.O.) 125.0 gm Docusate Sodium 22.6 gm Urea 25.1 gm Carbomer 934 3.5 gm Methylcellulose 4.4 gm Water, distilled 294.4 gm The same method of combining the ingredients is used as described in example 2. MQX-GEL can also be prepared with other ratios of the three constituents of the lecithin organogel. In the following example, the ratio of lecithin organogel (L.O. #2), is a 1:0.9:0.1 (m/m/m) mixture of lecithin, isopropyl myristate and propylene glycol, with LID oil (a 1:1 [m/m] mixture of L.O.#2 and docusate sodium), dissolving additional surfactant and/or docusate sodium powder into this mixture, and then adding thickened aqueous urea. In this embodiment of the MQX-GEL formulation, the final concentrations are: L.O.#2=25%; docusate sodium=10%; urea=10%; thickener=1%; and water=54%. These ratios also may easily be varied such that the final amounts of each component are as follows: L.O.#2=15-50%; docusate sodium and/or another surfactant=3-15%; urea=1-15%; thickener=0.5-5%; and water=40-65%. The solubilized active ingredients may then be added to MQX-GEL. Excipients which may be useful in solubilizing the active ingredient include L.O.#2, propylene glycol, isopropyl myristate, peppermint oil, glycerin, and/or polyethylene glycol. A homogenous mixture is then made by carefully blending the various components. EXAMPLE 4 Preparation of Another 1.2% Glyceryl Trinitrate Gel 500 gm Glyceryl Trinitrate 6.0 gm (as 10% active in propylene glycol or 54.0 gm of propylene glycol) L.O. #2 115.0 gm Docusate Sodium 45.0 gm Urea 45.0 gm Carbomer 934 3.5 gm Methylcellulose 4.4 gm Water, distilled 227.1 gm The same method of combining the ingredients is used as in example 2. EXAMPLE 5 Preparation of 0.5% Glyceryl Trinitrate Gel 500 gm Glyceryl Trinitrate 2.5 gm (as 10% active in propylene glycol or 22.5 gm of propylene glycol) L.O.#2 150.0 gm Docusate Sodium 45.0 gm Urea 45.0 gm Carbomer 934 3.5 gm Methylcellulose 4.4 gm Water, distilled 227.1 gm The same preparation method was used in this example as in the previous one. EXAMPLE 6 Preparation of 8.0% Ciclopirox Gel 500 gm Ciclopirox 40.0 gm L.O.#2 128.9 gm Docusate Sodium 45.0 gm Urea 45.0 gm Carbomer 934 2.6 gm Methylcellulose 1.5 gm Water, distilled 237.0 gm 1. Docusate sodium is added to L.O.#2 and stirred to obtain a clear solution. 2. Ciclopirox is added to solution of step 1. 3. Urea is added to distilled water, with heating and stirring to obtain a uniform solution. 4. Carbomer 934 and Methylcellulose are added to thicken the urea-water of step 3. 5. The lecithin organogel with the active from step 2 is combined with the thickened aqueous urea from step 4 to form a uniform mixture. 6. The pH is adjusted to 6.5 with dilute aqueous NaOH to form an elegant thick gel. EXAMPLE 7 Preparation of 15.0% Lactic Acid Gel 500 gm Lactic Acid 75.0 gm L.O.#2 118.9 gm Docusate Sodium 30.0 gm Urea 45.0 gm Carbomer 934 2.6 gm Methylcellulose 1.5 gm Water, distilled 232.0 gm The same method of preparation is used as in example 6. EXAMPLE 8 Preparation of 8% Ciclopirox, 1% Glyceryl Trinitrate Gel 500 gm Glyceryl Trinitrate 5.0 gm (as 10% active in propylene glycol or 45.0 gm of propylene glycol) Ciclopirox 40.0 gm L.O. #2 115.0 gm Docusate Sodium 35.0 gm Urea 35.0 gm Carbomer 934 2.8 gm Methylcellulose 1.7 gm Water, distilled 220.5 gm 1. Docusate sodium is added to L.O.#2 and stirred to obtain a clear solution. 2. Ciclopirox and Glyceryl trinitrate, as 10% solution in propylene glycol, is added to solution of step 1. 3. Urea is added to distilled water, with heating and stirring to obtain a uniform solution. 4. Carbomer 934 and Methylcellulose are added to thicken the urea-water of step 3. 5. The lecithin organogel with the actives from step 2 is combined with the thickened aqueous urea from step 4 to form a uniform mixture. 6. The pH is adjusted to 6.5 with dilute aqueous NaOH to form an elegant thick gel. EXAMPLE 9 Preparation of 10% Ibuprofen, 0.5% Glyceryl Trinitrate Gel 500 gm Glyceryl Trinitrate 2.5 gm (as 10% active in propylene glycol or 22.5 gm of propyleneglycol) Ibuprofen 50.0 gm L.O. #2 135.0 gm Docusate Sodium 15.0 gm Urea 35.0 gm Carbomer 934 2.8 gm Methylcellulose 1.7 gm Water, distilled 220.5 gm 1. Docusate sodium and ibuprofen are added to L.O.#2 and stirred to obtain a clear solution. 2. Glyceryl trinitrate, as 10% solution in propylene glycol, is added to solution of step 1. 3. Urea is added to distilled water, with heating and stirring to obtain a uniform solution. 4. Carbomer 934 and Methylcellulose are added to thicken the urea-water of step 3. 5. The lecithin organogel with the actives from step 2 is combined with the thickened aqueous urea from step 4 to form a uniform mixture. 6. The pH is adjusted to 6.5 with dilute aqueous NaOH to form an elegant thick gel. EXAMPLE 10 Preparation of 5.0% 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose Gel 500 gm 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose 25.0 gm L.O. #2 128.9 gm Docusate Sodium 45.0 gm Urea 45.0 gm Carbomer 934 2.6 gm Methylcellulose 1.5 gm Water, distilled 252.0 gm 1. Docusate sodium is added to L.O.#2 and stirred to obtain a clear solution. 2. 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose is added to solution of step 1. 3. Urea is added to distilled water, with heating and stirring to obtain a uniform solution. 4. Carbomer 934 and Methylcellulose are added to thicken the urea-water of step 3. 5. The lecithin organogel with the active from step 2 is combined with the thickened aqueous urea from step 4 to form a uniform mixture. 6. The pH is adjusted to 6.5 with dilute aqueous NaOH to form an elegant thick gel. The foregoing description illustrates and describes the present disclosure. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only the preferred embodiments of the disclosure, but, as mentioned above, it is to be understood that it is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the concept as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings and/or the skill or knowledge of the relevant art. The embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain best modes known of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure in such, or other, embodiments and with the various modifications required by the particular applications or uses disclosed herein. Accordingly, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Also, it is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments. All publications, patents and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference, and for any and all purposes, as if each individual publication, patent or patent application were specifically and individually indicates to be incorporated by reference. In the case of inconsistencies, the present disclosure will prevail. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>The skin is the largest organ in the body and serves important functions that are necessary to life. The skin acts as a barrier to the invasion of various pathogens and toxic substances. Skin is composed of the two layers: the epidermis is the first layer; and the dermis is the layer below the epidermis. However, because it must serve as a barrier to the ingress of pathogens and toxic materials, and the egress of physiologic fluids, the skin is highly impermeable. It must be impermeable to preserve its own integrity while at the same time maintaining the delicate dynamic electrolyte balance of the body. The skin must serve containment function; it must also function as a microbial, chemical, radiation and thermal barrier. A good deal of this impermeability of the skin results from the nature of one very thin layer created by normal developmental and physiological changes in the skin. After cells are formed in the basal layer, they begin to migrate toward the skin surface, until they are eventually sloughed off. As they undergo this migration, they become progressively more dehydrated and keratinized. When they reach the surface, just prior to being discarded, they form a thin layer of dense, metabolically inactive cells approximately ten microns (10-15 cells) thick. This layer is called the stratum corneum or the “cornified layer”. As a result of the high degree of keratinization of the cells which comprise the stratum corneum, a formidable barrier is created. Therefore, penetration via the nonpolar route, i.e., across the membrane of these cells, remains most difficult. Accordingly, in an effort to take advantage of this route of administration and overcome the obstacles the skin naturally provides, the art has turned to the use of specifically selected vehicles and carriers into which the pharmaceutical active is incorporated so that the vehicle or carrier aids in, or at a minimum does not adversely affect, the penetration of the selected active agent. The art recognizes that to a vast degree the rate of percutaneous delivery of a pharmaceutical active can be significantly decreased by the selection of an improper vehicle. Because of the ease of access, dynamics of application, large surface area, vast exposure to the circulatory and lymphatic networks, and non-invasive nature of the treatment, the delivery of pharmaceutically-active agents through the skin has long been a promising concept. This is true whether the bioavailability desired is systemic or dermal, regional or local. The advantages of this form of delivery include, but are not limited to: avoidance of the risks associated with parenteral treatment; elimination of the inconveniences of parenteral treatment; avoidance of the variable rates of absorption and metabolism inherent in oral treatment; increasing the continuity of drug administration by permitting delivery of agents with short biological half-lives; and elimination of gastrointestinal irritation resulting from exposing the gastrointestinal tract to pharmaceutical actives, preservatives, tableting agents, and the like. Most importantly, topical delivery possesses the potential for effectively treating conditions which are local in nature (or which exhibit local manifestations), systemically as well as locally with the same treatment regimen. Thus, effective compositions to deliver pharmaceutical agents are highly sought after Although various compositions have been suggested for the precutaneous delivery of certain pharmaceutically active agents, a need exists for achieving enhanced delivery of cosmetic and pharmaceutical agents to the skin for local treatment of skin conditions and diseases. In particular, the composition should be easy to apply topically in a quantitative amount, to allow the active agent to rapidly permeate the skin to get where the agent is needed, to have a pleasant odor and appearance, and to not require cleansing to remove the agent. This combination of these desired characteristics is difficult to achieve. | <SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>The present disclosure relates to a composition for the local delivery of at least one cosmetic or pharmaceutical agent or both. The composition comprises at least two biocompatible organic solvents, a polar lipid, at least one surfactant, water, urea and a thickener. The organic solvents comprise an ester and a dihydric and/or polyhydric alcohol. The composition comprises about 2 to about 30% by weight of the ester and about 2 to about 20% by weight of the dihydric and/or polyhydric alcohol. The present disclosure also relates to a method of delivering an active agent into and through the epidermis tissue of a human or animal comprising topically applying to the skin of the human or animal a composition comprising a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutically active agent and the composition disclosed above. Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a composition comprising the above disclosed delivery composition and a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutically active agent. The pH of the composition containing the active agent is typically about 5.5 to about 7.5. A still further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for making a composition suitable for the cutaneous delivery of a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutically active agent which comprises: a. Dissolving a polar lipid at least in two biocompatible organic solvents comprising at least one ester and at lease one dihydric or polyhydric alcohol; b. Adding one or more surfactants to the composition of step (a); c. Dissolving a cosmetic pharmaceutical and/or active compound in the solvent-polar lipid, surfactant mixture of step (b); d. Adding a urea and at least one thickener to water; e. Combining the compositions from c and d and adjusting the pH to about 5.5 to about 7.5, if necessary. The present disclosure further relates to a composition prepared by the above disclosed method. Other objections and advantages of the present disclosure will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only the preferred embodiments, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the disclosure. As will be realized, the disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the description is to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? | 20041008 | 20100622 | 20060413 | 64376.0 | A61K837 | 0 | GULLEDGE, BRIAN M | ORGANO-GEL FORMULATIONS FOR THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | A61K | 2,004 |
|
10,960,573 | ACCEPTED | Correlation of vent tiles and racks | In a method for correlating vent tiles with racks, the vent tiles are opened to a first setting and the mass flow rates of air received by the racks and supplied through the vent tiles are determined. In addition, one of the vent tiles is closed to obtain a second setting and the mass flow rates of air received by the racks and supplied through the vent tiles are determined at the second setting. The vent tiles and the racks are correlated based upon the determined mass flow rates of air received by the racks and the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles at the first and second settings. | 1. A method for correlating vent tiles with racks, said method comprising: (a) setting the vent tiles to a first setting; (b) determining mass flow rates of air received by the racks; (c) determining mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles; (d) closing one of the vent tiles to obtain a second setting; (e) repeating steps (b) and (c); and (f) correlating the vent tiles and the racks based upon the determined mass flow rates of air received by the racks and the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles at the first and second settings. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: (g) opening the closed vent tile; (h) setting another vent tile to a third setting; and (i) repeating steps (b), (c) and (f), wherein step (f) comprises correlating the vent tiles and the racks based upon the determined mass flow rates of air received by the racks and the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles at the first, second and third settings. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of setting the vent tiles to a first setting comprises opening the vent tiles, wherein the step of setting another vent tile to a third setting comprises closing the another vent tile. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vent tiles comprise fan assemblies, wherein the step of setting the vent tiles to a first setting comprises activating the fan assemblies such that the fan assemblies cause airflow out of the vent tiles, and wherein the step of closing one of the vent tiles comprises deactivating one of the fan assemblies. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of correlating the vent tiles and the racks further comprises solving the following matrix equation: [VTI]=[MR]●[MVT]−1, wherein VTI is a vent tile influence coefficient matrix, MR is the vector of mass flow rates of air delivered to each rack and MVT is the vector of mass flow rates of air through each vent tile. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the racks include inlets and outlets, said method further comprising: detecting temperatures at the inlets and outlets of the racks; detecting temperatures of the air supplied by the vent tiles; calculating an index of re-circulation based upon the detected temperatures; and factoring the calculated index of re-circulation in correlating the vent tiles and the racks. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of factoring the calculated index of re-circulation further comprises solving the following matrix equation: [MR]=[VTI]●[MVT]+[Γ], wherein VTI is a vent tile influence coefficient matrix, MR is a vector of mass flow rates of air delivered to each rack, MVT is a vector of mass flow rates of air through each vent tile, and Γ is a matrix of the re-circulation mass flow rate that infiltrates the inlets of the racks. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the racks include inlets, said method further comprising: detecting temperatures at the inlets of the racks; detecting temperatures of the air supplied by the vent tiles; and wherein the step of correlating the vent tiles and the racks comprises solving the following equation: [MRΔTR]A=[VTI]A●[ΔMVTTVT], wherein [MRΔTR]A is a 1×N matrix and represents a product of the mass flow rate and inlet temperature change for a single rack (A), [VTI]A is a 1×N matrix and is a vent tile index coefficient for rack A, and [ΔMVTTTV]A is an N×M matrix and is a product of change in vent tile flow rates and temperatures of the airflow supplied by the vent tiles as the vent tile openings are varied sequentially N times. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the racks include inlets and outlets, said method further comprising: detecting temperatures at the inlets and outlets of the racks; detecting temperatures of the air supplied by the vent tiles; calculating an index of re-circulation based upon the detected temperatures; and wherein the step of correlating the vent tiles and the racks comprises solving the following equation: [MRΔTR]A=[VTI]A●[ΔMVTTVT]+[ΔΓ]A, wherein [MRΔTR]A is a 1×N matrix and represents a product of the mass flow rate and inlet temperature change for a single rack (A), [VTI]A is a 1×N matrix and is a vent tile index coefficient for rack A, [ΔMVTTVT]A is an N×M matrix and is a product of change in vent tile flow rates and temperatures of the airflow supplied by the vent tiles as the vent tile openings are varied sequentially N times, and [ΔΓ]A is the 1×N re-circulation matrix for rack A. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the racks include inlets and outlets, said method further comprising: detecting temperatures at the inlets and outlets of the racks; detecting temperatures of the air supplied by the vent tiles; calculating an index of re-circulation (SHI) based upon the detected temperatures; and wherein the step of correlating the vent tiles and the racks comprises solving the following equation: ∑ k m V T I j , k M k * vt + S H I 1 - S H I = 1 , wherein M denotes the mass flow rates of air, r denotes the racks, vt denotes the vent tiles, j denotes the jth rack, k denotes the kth vent tile, and m denotes the number of vent tiles, and wherein SHI is calculated through the following equation: S H I = ∑ j ∑ i ( ( T i n r ) i , j - T ref ) ∑ j ∑ i ( ( T out r ) i , j - T ref ) , wherein (Γrin )i,j and (Γrout)i,j are the respective inlet and outlet temperatures from the ith rack in the jth row of racks and Tref denotes the average temperature of the airflow supplied through the vent tiles. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of correlating the vent tiles and the racks further comprises calculating a vent tile influence coefficient (VTI) having values, said method further comprising: determining whether the values of the calculated VTI are near zero; reducing the vent tile openings by a predefined amount in response to the values of the calculated VTI being near zero; and repeating steps (b)-(f). 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of correlating the vent tiles and the racks further comprises calculating a vent tile influence coefficient (VTI) having values, and wherein the airflow supplied through the vent tiles is supplied by a CRAC unit, said method further comprising: determining whether the values of the calculated VTI are near zero; reducing output of the CRAC unit by a predefined amount in response to the values of the calculated VTI being near zero; and repeating steps (b)-(f). 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the racks house equipment, said method further comprising: determining total airflow requirements of the equipment housed in the racks; opening the vent tiles to a uniform level; determining mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles; summing the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles; determining whether the summed mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles falls within a predetermined percentage of the total airflow requirements of the equipment housed in the racks; and performing step (a) with the vent tiles set to the uniform level in response to the summed mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles falling within the predetermined percentage of the total airflow requirements of the equipment housed in the racks. 14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: increasing the vent tile openings by a predefined amount in response to the summed mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles falling below or equaling the predetermined percentage of the total airflow requirements of the equipment housed in the racks; determining mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles at the increased vent tile openings; summing the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles; determining whether the summed mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles falls within a predetermined percentage of the total airflow requirements of the equipment housed in the racks; and performing step (a) with the vent tiles set at the increased openings in response to the summed mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles falling within the predetermined percentage of the total airflow requirements of the equipment housed in the racks. 15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: decreasing the vent tile openings by a predefined amount in response to the summed mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles exceeding the predetermined percentage of the total airflow requirements of the equipment housed in the racks. determining mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles at the decreased vent tile openings; summing the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles; determining whether the summed mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles falls within a predetermined percentage of the total airflow requirements of the equipment housed in the racks; and performing step (a) with the vent tiles set at the decreased openings in response to the summed mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles falling within the predetermined percentage of the total airflow requirements of the equipment housed in the racks. 16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of correlating the vent tiles and the racks further comprises approximating a correlation between at least one of the vent tiles and at least one of the racks based upon a distance between the at least one of the vent tiles and the at least one of the racks. 17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: identifying vent tiles whose influence over the racks is below a predefined threshold; determining whether the number of identified vent tiles exceeds a predetermined threshold; and at least one of deactivating and replacing the identified vent tiles in response to the number of identified vent tiles falling below the predetermined threshold. 18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: identifying vent tiles whose influence over the racks is below a predefined threshold; determining whether the number of identified vent tiles exceeds a predetermined threshold; and grouping the identified vent tiles into one or more groups according to their locations with respect to each other in response to the number of identified vent tiles falling below the predetermined threshold. 19. A computing device configured to evaluate relationships between vent tiles and racks, said computing device comprising: an input module configured to receive communications from one or more sensing devices; and a vent tile influence coefficient (VTI) calculation module, wherein the VTI is configured to correlate a relationship between the vent tiles and the racks. 20. The computing device according to claim 19, wherein the VTI calculation module is further configured to solve the following matrix equation: [VTI]=[MR]●[MVT]−, wherein VTI is a vent tile influence coefficient matrix, MR is the vector of mass flow rates of air delivered to each rack and MVT is the vector of mass flow rates of air through each vent tile. 21. The computing device according to claim 19, wherein the VTI calculation module is further configured to solve the following equation: [MRΔTR]A=[VTI]A●[ΔMVTTVT], wherein [MRΔTR]A is a 1×N matrix and represents a product of the mass flow rate and inlet temperature change for a single rack (A), [VTI]A is a 1×N matrix and is a vent tile index coefficient for rack A, and [ΔMVTTVT]A is an N×M matrix and is a product of change in vent tile flow rates and temperatures of the airflow supplied by the vent tiles as the vent tile openings are varied sequentially N times. 22. The computing device according to claim 19, further comprising: an index of re-circulation module configured to calculate levels of re-circulation of heated airflow into cooled airflow delivered into the racks from the vent tiles. 23. The computing device according to claim 22, wherein the VTI calculation module is further configured to solve the following matrix equation: [MR]=[VTI]●[MVT]+[Γ], wherein VTI is a vent tile influence coefficient matrix, MR is a vector of mass flow rates of air delivered to each rack, MVT is a vector of mass flow rates of air through each vent tile, and Γ is a matrix of the re-circulation mass flow rate that infiltrates the inlets of the racks calculated by the index of re-circulation calculation module. 24. The computing device according to claim 22, wherein the VTI calculation module is further configured to solve the following equation: [MRΔTR]A=[VTI]A*[ΔMVTTTV]+[ΔΓ]A, wherein [MRΔTR]A is a 1×N matrix and represents a product of the mass flow rate and inlet temperature change for a single rack (A), [VTI]A is a 1×N matrix and is a vent tile index coefficient for rack A, [ΔMVTTVT]A is an N×M matrix and is a product of change in vent tile flow rates and temperatures of the airflow supplied by the vent tiles as the vent tile openings are varied sequentially N times, and [ΔΓ]A is the 1×N re-circulation matrix for rack A calculated by the index of re-circulation calculation module. 25. The computing device according to claim 22, wherein the VTI calculation module is further configured to solve the following equation: ∑ k m VTI j , k M k * vt + SHI 1 - SHI = 1 , wherein M denotes the mass flow rates of air, r denotes the racks, vt denotes the vent tiles, j denotes the jth rack, k denotes the kth vent tile, and m denotes the number of vent tiles, and wherein the index of re-circulation calculation module is configured to calculate SHI through the following equation: SHI = ∑ j ∑ i ( ( T in r ) i , j - T ref ) ∑ j ∑ i ( ( T out r ) i , j - T ref ) , wherein (Γrin)i,j and (Γrout)i,j are the respective inlet and outlet temperatures from the ith rack in the jth row of racks and Tref denotes the average temperature of the airflow supplied through the vent tiles. 26. The computing device according to claim 19, further comprising: a controller configured to control one or more functions of the computing device, wherein said controller is configured to determine whether values of the calculated VTI are near zero, and wherein the controller is further configured vary at least one of vent tile openings and CRAC unit outputs based upon a determination that values of the calculated VTI are near zero. 27. The computing device according to claim 19, further comprising: a controller configured to control one or more functions of the computing device, wherein said controller is configured to determine a total airflow requirement of equipment housed in the racks, determine the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles, sum the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles, determine whether the summed mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles falls within a predetermined percentage of the total airflow requirements of the equipment, and vary the vent tile openings by a predefined amount in response to the summed mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles falling outside the predetermined percentage of the total airflow requirements of the equipment. 28. The computing device according to claim 19, further comprising: a controller configured to group vent tiles that have relatively little influence over the racks into one or more groups, and wherein the controller is configured to control each of the one or more groups of vent tiles as individual vent tiles. 29. A system for evaluating relationships between vent tiles and racks, said system comprising: means for determining mass flow rates of air delivered to the racks; means for determining mass flow rates of air supplied through the racks; and means for calculating a vent tile influence coefficient, said vent tile influence coefficient correlating a relationship between the vent tiles and the racks. 30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the racks have inlets and outlets, said method further comprising: means for detecting temperatures at one or both of the inlets and the outlets of the racks; means for detecting temperatures of airflow supplied through the vent tiles; and wherein the means for calculating the vent tile influence coefficient is configured to consider the temperatures detected by the means for detecting temperatures at one or both of the inlets and the outlets of the racks and the means for detecting temperatures of airflow supplied through the vent tiles. 31. The system according to claim 29, further comprising: means for calculating an index of re-circulation; and wherein the means for calculating the vent tile influence coefficient is configured to consider the index of re-circulation calculated by the means for calculating. 32. A computer readable storage medium on which is embedded one or more computer programs, said one or more computer programs implementing a method of correlating vent tiles with racks, said one or more computer programs comprising a set of instructions for: determining mass flow rates of air received by the racks; determining mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles; determining mass flow rates of air received by the racks with the one of the vent tiles closed; determining mass flow rates of air supplied by the vent tiles with the one of the vent tiles closed; and 10 correlating the vent tiles and the racks based upon the determined mass flow rates of air received by the racks and the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles at a first iteration and a second iteration with the one of the vent tiles closed. 33. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 32, said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for: solving the following matrix equation: [VTI]=[MR]●[MVT]−1, wherein VTI is a vent tile influence coefficient matrix, MR is the vector of mass flow rates of air delivered to each rack and MVT is the vector of mass flow rates of air through each vent tile. 34. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 32, said one or more computer programs further comprising a set of instructions for: solving the following matrix equation: [MR]=[VTI]●[MVT]+[Γ], wherein VTI is a vent tile influence coefficient matrix, MR is a vector of mass flow rates of air delivered to each rack, MVT is a vector of mass flow rates of air through each vent tile, and Γ is a matrix of the re-circulation mass flow rate that infiltrates inlets of the racks. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is related to commonly assigned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. ______, (Attorney Docket No. 200407254-1) entitled “Correlation of Vent Tile Settings and Rack Temperatures”, filed on even date herewith, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND A data center may be defined as a location, for instance, a room that houses computer systems arranged in a number of racks. A standard rack, for instance, an electronics cabinet, is defined as an Electronics Industry Association (EIA) enclosure, 78 in. (2 meters) wide, 24 in. (0.61 meter) wide and 30 in. (0.76 meter) deep. These racks are configured to house a number of computer systems, about forty (40) systems, with future configurations of racks being designed to accommodate 200 or more systems. The computer systems typically dissipate relatively significant amounts of heat during the operation of the respective components. For example, a typical computer system comprising multiple microprocessors may dissipate approximately 250 W of power. Thus, a rack containing forty (40) computer systems of this type may dissipate approximately 10 KW of power. Data centers are typically equipped with a raised floor with vent tiles configured to provide cool air to the computer systems from a pressurized plenum in the space below the raised floor. In certain instances, these vent tiles contain manually adjustable dampers for varying the flow rate of cool air therethrough. However, because these vent tiles cannot be remotely controlled, they are typically unable to vary the airflow to dynamically provision the data center with cooling resources. In addition, these vent tiles are typically manually actuated without knowledge of how each vent tile affects computer systems in its proximity. These actuations frequently have unintended consequences, such as, inadequate airflow delivery to the racks, adverse re-circulation of heated and cooled airflows, and wasted energy consumption. This may lead to inefficiencies in both cooling of the computer systems as well as in the operations of air conditioning units. In other instances, automated vent tiles have been used in data centers to generally enable remote actuation of the vent tiles via feedback control algorithms. Conventional automated vent tiles are typically operated, however, without substantially accurate knowledge of how actuations of these vent tiles affect airflow in the data center. A process for associating vent tiles with racks would therefore be desirable. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to an embodiment, the present invention pertains to a method for correlating vent tiles with racks. In the method, the vent tiles are opened to a first setting and the mass flow rates of air received by the racks and supplied through the vent tiles are determined. In addition, one of the vent tiles is closed to obtain a second setting and the mass flow rates of air received by the racks and supplied through the vent tiles are determined at the second setting. The vent tiles and the racks are correlated based upon the determined mass flow rates of air received by the racks and the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles at the first and second settings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the figures, in which: FIG. 1A shows a simplified perspective view of a data center according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1B illustrates a simplified plan view of a portion of the data center shown in FIG. 1A; FIG. 1C illustrates a simplified side elevational view of an example of a vent tile shown in FIG. 1B; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a vent tile influence evaluation system according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3A illustrates a flow diagram of an operational mode for determining a vent tile influence coefficient (VTI), according to an embodiment of the invention; FIGS. 3B and 3C illustrate optional, alternative operational modes for correcting improper VTI determinations, according to embodiments of the invention; FIG. 3D illustrates an optional pre-commissioning operational mode according to an embodiment of the invention; FIGS. 3E and 3F, illustrate alternative operational modes that may be employed with vent tiles that have little or no influence over any racks, according to embodiments of the invention; FIGS. 4A and 4B, collectively, illustrate a flow diagram of an operational mode for determining a vent tile influence coefficient (VTI), according to another embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 5 illustrates a computer system, which may be employed to perform various functions described herein, according to an embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the present invention is described by referring mainly to an exemplary embodiment thereof. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent however, to one of ordinary skill in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other instances, well known methods and structures have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. According to various examples, vent tiles in a data center are commissioned to enable determinations of their relationships with various racks of equipment housed in the data center. More particularly, procedures and algorithms are described herein for evaluating the relationships between the vent tiles and the racks. These relationships may be described by a coefficient which relates the mass flow rate of cool air delivered to the racks to the air flow rates through individual vent tiles. In certain instances, the coefficient may also relate to the temperatures of the airflow delivered to the racks through the vent tiles in addition to the mass flow rates of airflow. In other instances, the effects of airflow re-circulation may also be included in the determination of the coefficient. This coefficient has been termed the “Vent Tile Influence coefficient” or VTI, for simplicity of description purposes. The VTI may be employed for the development of vent tile control algorithms configured to, for instance, enable relatively efficient and dynamic provisioning of cooling resources in the data center. In addition, establishment of the relationships between the vent tiles and the racks may enable the creation of the vent tile control algorithms. In order to maintain certain levels of efficiency, the vent tile control algorithms, in general, are required to compensate for the variations of the relationships between vent tiles and racks. The relationships may vary due to, for instance, movement, changing, or manipulation of the equipment, changes in airflow patterns, pressure distributions, etc. In addition, the relationships may vary as computer room air condition (CRAC) unit flow rates change relative to each other in a multi-CRAC unit data center, obstructions are added or removed from within the floor plenum, the pressure distribution within the floor plenum changes, etc. In this regard, the VTI disclosed herein may compensate for the varying relationships such that the vent tile control algorithms may also adapt as the data center environment changes. Through a determination of VTI, the relationships between various racks and vent tiles may be established. Thus, for instance, the correlation between particular racks and vent tiles may be used to determine how airflow through one or more vent tiles should be varied to obtain desired airflow characteristics through the particular racks. In this regard, vent tile control algorithms may use these relationships in controlling vent tiles to achieve desired cooling results in the data center. Although particular reference is made throughout the present disclosure to air conditioning units and vent tiles in data centers for cooling racks, it should be understood that certain principles presented herein may be applied to cooling systems in other types of buildings. For instance, correlations between ceiling mounted air supply vent tiles and various areas of a room containing a sensor network may be made using VTI. In this example, VTI may be used to develop control algorithms that operate the air supply vent tiles to ensure that the various areas of the room receive desired levels of airflow. Thus, the descriptions presented herein with respect to VTI should not be construed as being limited solely to data centers, but that the data center environment is an example of a suitable application of the principles presented herein. With reference first to FIG. 1A, there is shown a simplified perspective view of a data center 100 which may employ various examples of the invention. The terms “data center” are generally meant to denote a room or other space where one or more components capable of generating heat may be situated. In this respect, the terms “data center” are not meant to limit the invention to any specific type of room where data is communicated or processed, nor should it be construed that use of the terms “data center” limits the invention in any respect other than its definition herein above. It should be readily apparent that the data center 100 depicted in FIG. 1A represents a generalized illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the data center 100 may include any number of racks and various other components. In addition, it should also be understood that heat generating/dissipating components may be located in the data center 100 without being housed in racks. The data center 100 is depicted as having a plurality of racks 102-108, for instance, electronics cabinets, aligned in parallel rows. Each of the rows of racks 102-108 is shown as containing four racks (a-d) positioned on a raised floor 110. A plurality of wires and communication lines (not shown) may be located in a space 112 beneath the raised floor 110. The space 112 may also function as a plenum for delivery of cooled air from one or more computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units 114 to the racks 102-108. The cooled air may be delivered from the space 112 to the racks 102-108 through vent tiles 118 located between some or all of the racks 102-108. The vent tiles 118 are shown as being located between racks 102 and 104 and 106 and 108. As previously described, the CRAC units 114 generally operate to supply cooled air into the space 112. The cooled air contained in the space 112 may include cooled air supplied by one or more CRAC units 114. Thus, characteristics of the cooled air, such as, temperature, pressure, flow rate, etc., may substantially be affected by one or more of the CRAC units 114. By way of example, the cooled air supplied by one CRAC unit 114 may mix with cooled air supplied by another CRAC unit 114. In this regard, characteristics of the cooled air at various areas in the space 112 and the cooled air supplied to the racks 102-108 may vary, for instance, if the temperatures or the volume flow rates of the cooled air supplied by these CRAC units 114 differ due to mixing of the cooled air. In certain instances, the level of influence of a CRAC unit 114 over the racks 102-108 may be higher for those racks 102-108 that are in closer proximity to the CRAC unit 114. In addition, the level of influence of a CRAC unit 114 over the racks 102-108 may be lower for those racks 102-108 that are located farther away from the CRAC unit 114. Moreover, a particular vent tile 118 may have greater levels of influence over particular racks 102-108 and have lesser levels of influence over other racks 102-108. The level of influence the vent tiles 118 have over various racks 102-108 is considered herein as a vent tile influence coefficient (VTI) and is described in greater detail herein below. In one respect, the VTI may be employed in vent tile control algorithms to relatively accurately control the level of cooled airflow delivered to the various racks 102-108. The vent tiles 118 may comprise manually or remotely adjustable vent tiles. In this regard, the vent tiles 118 may be manipulated to vary, for instance, the mass flow rates of cooled air supplied to the racks 102-108. In addition, the vent tiles 118 may comprise the dynamically controllable vent tiles disclosed and described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,104, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. As described in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,104 patent, the vent tiles 118 are termed “dynamically controllable” because they generally operate to control at least one of velocity, volume flow rate and direction of the cooled airflow therethrough. In addition, specific examples of dynamically controllable vent tiles 118 may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,759, filed on Jan. 27, 2003, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The racks 102-108 are generally configured to house a plurality of components 116 capable of generating/dissipating heat (not shown), for instance, processors, micro-controllers, high-speed video cards, memories, semi-conductor devices, and the like. The components 116 may be elements of a plurality of subsystems (not shown), for instance, computers, servers, bladed servers, etc. The subsystems and the components may be operated to perform various electronic functions, for instance, computing, switching, routing, displaying, and the like. In the performance of these electronic functions, the components, and therefore the subsystems, may generally dissipate relatively large amounts of heat. Because the racks 102-108 have generally been known to include upwards of forty (40) or more subsystems, they may transfer substantially large amounts of heat to the cooled air flowing therethrough to maintain the subsystems and the components generally within predetermined operating temperature ranges. The areas between the racks 102 and 104 and between the racks 106 and 108 may comprise cool aisles 120. These aisles are considered “cool aisles” because they are configured to receive cooled airflow from the vent tiles 118, as generally indicated by the arrows 122. In addition, the racks 102-108 generally receive cooled air from the cool aisles 120. The aisles between the racks 104 and 106, and on the rear sides of racks 102 and 108, are considered hot aisles 124. These aisles are considered “hot aisles” because they are positioned to receive air that has been heated by the components 116 in the racks 102-108, as indicated by the arrows 126. By substantially separating the cool aisles 120 and the hot aisles 124, for instance, with the racks 102-108, the heated air may substantially be prevented from re-circulating with the cooled air prior to delivery into the racks 102-108. In addition, the cooled air may also substantially be prevented from re-circulating with the heated air prior to returning to the CRAC units 114. However, there may be areas in the data center 100 where re-circulation of the cooled air and the heated air occurs. By way of example, cooled air may mix with heated air around the sides or over the tops of one or more of the racks 102-108. The sides of the racks 102-108 that face the cool aisles 120 may be considered as the fronts of the racks and the sides of the racks 102-108 that face away from the cool aisles 120 may be considered as the rears of the racks 102-108. For purposes of simplicity and not of limitation, this nomenclature will be relied upon throughout the present disclosure to describe the various sides of the racks 102-108. According to another example, the racks 102-108 may be positioned with their rear sides adjacent to one another (not shown). In this embodiment, the vent tiles 118 may be provided in each aisle 120 and 124. In addition, the racks 102-108 may comprise outlets on top panels thereof to enable heated air to flow out of the racks 102-108. As described herein above, the CRAC units 114 generally operate to cool received heated air as indicated by the arrows 126. In addition, the CRAC units 114 may supply the racks 102-108 with airflow that has been cooled, through any reasonably suitable known manners and may thus comprise widely available, conventional CRAC units 114. For instance, the CRAC units 114 may comprise vapor-compression type air conditioning units, chiller type air conditioning units, etc. Examples of suitable CRAC units 114 may be found in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/853,529, filed on May 26, 2004, and entitled “Energy Efficient CRAC Unit Operation,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Also shown in FIG. 1A is a computing device 128 configured to control various operations of the data center 100. The computing device 128 may be configured, for instance, to control the vent tiles 118 to thereby vary at least one of a direction and a volume flow rate of cooled airflow delivered through the vent tiles 118. In one regard, the computing device 128 may control the vent tiles 118 to move from fully closed positions to fully open positions. In addition, the computing device 128 may be configured to determine VTI as described herein below. Although the computing device 128 is illustrated in FIG. 1A as comprising a component separate from the components 1 16 housed in the racks 102-108, the computing device 128 may comprise one or more of the components 116 without departing from a scope of the data center 100 disclosed herein. The data center 100 is illustrated in FIG. 1A as containing four rows of racks 102-108 and two CRAC units 114 for purposes of simplicity and illustration. Thus, the data center 100 should not be limited in any respect based upon the number of racks 102-108 and CRAC units 114 illustrated in FIG. 1A. In addition, although the racks 102-108 have all been illustrated similarly, the racks 102-108 may comprise heterogeneous configurations. For instance, the racks 102-108 may be manufactured by different companies or the racks 102-108 may be designed to house differing types of components 116, for example, horizontally mounted servers, bladed servers, etc. Various manners in which the cooled airflow is supplied by the vent tiles 118 to the racks 102-108 will be described in greater detail with respect to FIG. 1B. FIG. 1B illustrates a simplified plan view of a portion of the data center 100. More particularly, FIG. 1 B illustrates the portion of the data center 100 including rows of racks 102 and 104 and a cool aisle 120. It should be understood that the description set forth herein below with respect to FIG. 1B is also applicable to the other rows of racks 106 and 108 and cool aisles 120. The vent tiles 118 are illustrated in FIG. 1B as comprising a plurality of separately controllable vent tiles 118a-118l. The number of vent tiles 118a-118l depicted in FIG. 1 B are for purposes of illustration only and are thus not meant to limit the data center 100 in any respect. In addition, although the vent tiles 118a-118l are shown as being positioned with respect to respective racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d, such placement of the vent tiles 118a-118l are a not to be construed as limiting the data center 100 in any respect. As described herein above with respect to FIG. 1A, the vent tiles 118a-118l are in fluid communication with a space 112 or plenum containing pressurized cooled air supplied into the space 112 by one or more CRAC units 114. For those vent tiles 118a-118l that are open, the cooled air may be supplied into an area above the vent tiles 118a-118l. The cooled air supplied into the area by the open vent tiles 118a-118l may be drawn into the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d through openings or inlets in the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d, as indicated by the arrows 122, in a variety of different manners. For instance, the components 116 housed in the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d may include fans (not shown) operable to draw airflow into the front sides of the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d and to discharge air out of the rear sides of the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d. In addition or alternatively, the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d may be equipped with one or more fans (not shown) configured to create similar airflows through the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d. The vent tiles 118a-118l may also be designed to assist the supply of airflow through the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d through control of the direction of the airflow supplied. As the cooled air flows through the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d and therefore the components 116, the cooled air may become heated by absorbing heat dissipated from the components 116. The heated air may exit the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d through one or more outlets located on the rear sides of the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d, as indicated by the arrows 126. The vent tile 118a is illustrated as being in a fully closed position; whereas, the vent tiles 118b-118l are illustrated as being in fully open positions. However, the rack 102a may still draw cooled airflow from the area above the vent tiles 118a-118l as indicated by the arrow 122. The airflow drawn into the rack 102a may comprise airflow supplied into the area by one or more of the vent tiles 118b-118l. In addition, the airflow drawn into the rack 102a, as well as the other racks 102b-102d and 104a-104d, may also comprise airflow that has been heated, for instance, in one or more of the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d. This airflow may be considered as re-circulated airflow since the heated airflow may have re-circulated into the cooled airflow. The vent tiles 118a-118l may each include sensors 140 configured to detect one or more conditions of the cooled airflow supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118l. For instance, the sensors 140 may be equipped to detect the temperature of the airflow supplied through respective vent tiles 118a-118l. In this regard, the sensors 140 may include thermistors, thermocouples, or the like. As another example, the sensors 140 may be equipped to detect the mass flow rates of the airflow supplied through respective vent tiles 118a-118l. Thus, for instance, the sensors 140 may comprise anemometers or the like. Alternatively, the mass flow rates of airflow through the vent tiles 118a-118l may be estimated through a determination of, for instance, the pressure in the space 112 and the percentages that the vent tiles 118a-118l are open. Some or all of the vent tiles 118a-118l may also comprise fans, as shown in FIG. 1C. FIG. 1C illustrates a simplified side elevational view of a vent tile 118a-118l having a cover 150 and a fan assembly 152. The cover 150 includes a plurality of openings (not shown) to enable substantially unimpeded airflow through the cover 150. The fan assembly 152 includes a fan 154 connected to a motor 156 by a rod 158. The motor 156 may be operated at various speeds to thereby vary the speed of the fan 154 and thus the mass flow rate of air supplied through the cover 150. The vent tiles 118a-118l may be considered as being closed when the fans 154 are not rotating. In addition, the different speeds at which the fans 154 are rotated may be equivalent to the percentages that the vent tiles 118a-118l are considered open. Thus, for instance, if a vent tile 118a-118l is considered as being 90% open, an equivalent state for a vent tile 118a-118l equipped with a fan 154 is when the fan 154 is operated at 90% of its maximum rated speed. The sensors 140 may detect the speeds of the fans 154 by detecting the operations of the motors 156. For instance, the sensors 140 may comprise encoders configured to detect the speed at which the motor 156 is rotating, power meter to detect the power draw of the motor 156, and the like. The racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d, may each also include sensors 142 configured to detect one or more conditions of the airflow drawn through the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d. The sensors 142 may, for instance, be equipped to detect the respective temperatures of the air flowing into each of the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d and may thus, include thermistors, thermocouples, or the like. In addition, the sensors 142 may be equipped to detect the mass flow rates of air flowing through the respective racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d and may thus include anemometers or the like. Alternatively, the mass flow rates of airflow through the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d may be estimated through a determination of, for instance, the temperature increases from the inlets of the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d to the outlets of the racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d along with the power drawn by the components 116 contained in the respective racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d, the speeds of various fans contained in the respective racks 102a-102d and 104a-104d, etc. FIG. 2 is a block diagram 200 of a vent tile influence evaluation system 202. It should be understood that the following description of the block diagram 200 is but one manner of a variety of different manners in which such a system 202 may be operated. In addition, it should be understood that the system 202 may include additional components and that some of the components described may be removed and/or modified without departing from a scope of the system 202. The system 202 includes a controller 204 configured to control the operations of the system 202. The controller 204 may, for instance, comprise the computing device 128 shown in FIG. 1A. In addition or alternatively, the controller 204 may comprise a different computing device, a microprocessor, a micro-controller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the like. In general, the controller 204 is configured to receive data from various components in the data center 100, to process the data to calculate an influence level respective vent tiles have over respective racks, and to output the influence level, as described in greater detail herein below. The controller 204 includes an input/output module 206 configured to receive data pertaining to measured or estimated conditions detected at a variety of locations in the data center 100. The input/output module 206 may also be configured to output various commands and other data by the controller 204 as described below. As shown in FIG. 2, the input/output module 206 is configured to receive data from the sensors 140 of a plurality of vent tiles 118a-118n and from the sensors 142 of a plurality of racks 102a-102n. The data received from these sensors 140 and 142 may include, for instance, temperature information detected by temperature sensors 208 and mass flow rate information detected by mass flow rate sensors 210. As an alternative to the use of mass flow rate sensors 210, the mass flow rates of airflow through the vent tiles 118a-118n and the racks 102a-102n may be estimated by the controller 204 through various other means. For instance, the mass flow rates may be estimated through use of temperature drop detection along with power draw detection, pressure differences, fan speeds, etc. Thus, although mass flow rate sensors 210 are explicitly shown in FIG. 2, it should be understood that these sensors 210 may be omitted without departing from a scope of the system 202. The controller 204 may receive data from the sensors 140 and 142 through any reasonably suitable means. For instance, communications between the controller 204 and the sensors 140 and 142 may be effectuated through wired connections or through wireless protocols, such as IEEE 801.11b, 801.11g, wireless serial connection, Bluetooth, etc., or combinations thereof. In one regard, the input/output module 206 may thus also function as an adapter to enable the transfer of data from the sensors 140 and 142 to the controller 204. Although the vent tiles 118a-118n and the racks 102a-102n are illustrated as including sensors 140 and 142, respectively, alternative means for detecting the temperatures and/or the mass flow rates at these locations may be employed without departing from a scope of the system 202. For instance, the temperatures and/or the mass flow rates may be detected by hand with a handheld device and inputted into the controller 204. As another example, the temperatures and/or mass flow rates may be detected with an adequately equipped semi-autonomous mobile sensor device (not shown). More particularly, the semi-autonomous mobile sensor device may be configured to travel around the vent tiles 118a-118n and the racks 102a-102n to detect the temperatures and/or mass flow rates of air at these locations and to communicate this information to the controller 204. In this regard, the semi-autonomous mobile sensor device may function to gather environmental condition information while requiring substantially fewer sensors in the data center 100. A more detailed description of the semi-autonomous mobile sensor device and its operability may be found in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 10/157,892, filed on May 31, 2002, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In any regard, the data received by the controller 204 via the input/output module 206 may be stored in a memory 212. The memory 212 may also generally be configured to provide storage of software that provides the functionality of the controller 204. In one regard, the memory 212 may be implemented as a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory, such as DRAM, EEPROM, flash memory, and the like. The data stored in the memory 212 may be accessed by a vent tile influence coefficient (VTI) calculation module 214. In addition, the memory 212 may comprise software or algorithms that the VTI calculation module 214 may implement in calculating the VTI. Although the VTI calculation module 214 has been shown in FIG. 2 as forming part of the controller 204, the functionality of the VTI calculation module 214 may instead form part of the memory 212 without departing from a scope of the system 202. In general, the VTI calculation module 214 operates to calculate the VTI for one or more racks 102a-102n. In other words, the VTI calculation module 214 is configured to determine how changes in flow rates of airflow through various vent tiles 118a-118n affect characteristics of airflow through various racks 102a-102n. Thus, for instance, the VTI may be used to determine how one or more vent tiles 118a-118n should be manipulated to vary the temperature of airflow delivered through a rack 102a-102n. Through this knowledge, the mass flow rate of airflow through a particular rack 102a-102n may substantially be controlled through a controlled variance in the airflows through one or more of the vent tiles 118a-118n. The racks 102a-102n may comprise some or all of the racks 102-108 shown and described with respect to FIG. 1A. In addition, the vent tiles 118a-118n may comprise some or all of the vent tiles 118 shown and described in FIGS. 1A-1C. References to the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118a-118n are not intended to limit the system 202 in any respect, but are made to simplify the illustration and description of these elements. Various manners in which the VTI may be calculated by the VTI calculation module 214 will now be described in greater detail. As stated herein above, the system 202 may be employed to commission the vent tiles 118a-118n in a data center 100. With respect to the equations set forth below, prior knowledge of rack 102a-102n and vent tile 118a-118n locations may be beneficial since this may reduce the number of VTIs calculated and the unknowns in the system of equations. However, in order to obtain the most accurate correlations between the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118a-118n, the VTIs may be calculated for all possible rack 102a-102n and vent tile 118a-118n combinations. According to an example, the VTIs for some of the vent tiles 118a-118n may be determined through approximation. In this example, a model may be created a priori to determine which of the vent tiles 118a-118n most affect a particular rack 102a-102n and to determine the VTIs for vent tiles 118a-118n that have relatively less effect on the particular rack 102a-102n by approximation. The approximated VTIs for the vent tiles 118a-118n may be based, for instance, upon their distances from the particular rack 102a-102n. Thus, those vent tiles 118a-118n that are closer to the particular rack 102a-102n may have higher approximated VTIs than those vent tiles 118a-118n that are farther from the particular rack 102a-102n. In this regard, the VTIs for all of the possible rack 102a-102n and vent tile 118a-118n combinations may not need to be determined, thus reducing the amount of time required to determine all of the VTIs. The relationship between any particular vent tile 118a-118n and any particular rack 102a-102n may be evaluated to determine how the particular vent tiles 118a-118n influence the cooled air supplied to particular racks 102a-102n. This relationship is described herein as the VTI, which, in one respect, relates the mass flow rate of air delivered to racks 102a-102n to the air flow rates through individual vent tiles 118a-118n. This relationship may be written in matrix form as follows: [VTI]=[MR]●[MVT]−1, Equation (1): where MR is the vector of mass flow rates of air delivered to each rack 102a-102n and MVT is the vector of mass flow rates of air through each vent tile 118a-118n, of a particular group of racks 102a-102n and vent tiles 118a-118n. In addition, units of MR and MVT may be in kg/s, and VTI is dimensionless. As may be seen from Equation (1), the matrix VTI may be determined through multiplication of the matrix MR by the inverse of the matrix MVT. In this regard, the VTI may be determined through variations in the mass flow rates of air delivered to the racks 102a-102n and the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n. The mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n may be varied by varying the operating levels of the vent tiles 118a-118n. The operating levels of the vent tiles 118a-118n may include the percentages at which the vent tiles 118a-118n are open. In this regard, the vent tiles 118a-118n may include means for varying the airflow volumes through the vent tiles 118a-118n. The means for varying the airflow volumes may be manipulated by hand or they may be remotely actuated. In certain instances, for example, the vent tiles 118a-118n may include actuators 220 for controlling the means for varying the airflow volumes. In these instances, in determining the matrix VTI, the actuators 220 may be configured to vary the volume flow rates of air through particular vent tiles 118a-118n during different runs. A more detailed description of various manners in which the VTI may be determined according to various vent tile 118a-118n settings is set forth herein below. The vent tile actuators 220 may comprise actuators configured to vary the airflows through the vent tiles 118a-118n. Examples of suitable vent tile actuators 220 and vent tiles 118a-118n configured to vary the cooling fluid flow therethrough may be found in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,759, entitled “Pressure Control of Cooling Fluid Within a Plenum Using Automatically Adjustable Vents”, filed on Jan. 27, 2003, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. A discussion of various operational modes for these types of vents is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,104, which is also commonly assigned and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In addition, the vent tile actuators 220 may comprise the motors 156 of the fan assemblies 152 depicted in FIG. 1C. Thus, for instance, the mass flow rates of airflow supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n may be varied through varying of the motor 156 operations. In addition, the mass flow rate MR through each rack 102a-102n may be determined by rearranging Equation (1) as follows: [MR]=[VTI]●[MVT]. Equation (2): As may be seen in Equation (2), if the VTI is known and a particular mass flow rate of air is desired through a particular rack 102a-102n, the VTI may be used to correlate how the settings of one or more vent tiles 118a-118n may be varied to achieve the desired mass flow rate of air through the particular rack 102a-102n. In certain instances, the airflow supplied into the racks 102a-102n includes airflow that has not been directly supplied through one or more of the vent tiles 118a-118n. Instead, some of the airflow may include airflow that has been re-circulated into the supply airflow. This airflow may include, for instance, airflow that has been heated in one of more of the racks 102a-102n and exhausted into the data center 100. As this re-circulated airflow may affect the temperature of the airflow supplied to the racks 102a-102n, this airflow may be considered in determining VTI. In addition, the re-circulated airflow may be considered in determining the mass flow rates of airflow through the racks 102a-102n. More particularly, Equation (2) may be re-written to include the effects of re-circulation in terms of a re-circulation matrix Γ as follows: [MR]=[VTI]●[MVT]+[Γ], Equation (3): where Γ is the matrix of the re-circulation mass flow rate that infiltrates the inlets of the racks 102a-102n and its units may be in kg/s. The values that populate the matrix Γ may be determined through a calculation of the re-circulated airflow infiltration levels into the airflow supplied by the vent tiles 118a-118n into the racks 102a-102n. These re-circulation airflow infiltration levels may be characterized by an index of re-circulation. The index of re-circulation may be termed a supply heat index (SHI), which is defined according to the following equation: Equation (4): S H I = δ Q Q + δ Q , where Q represents the total heat dissipation from all the components in the racks 102a-102n of the data center 100 and δQ represents the rise in enthalpy of the airflow before entering the racks 102a-102n. The SHI and manners in which it may be determined are described in greater detail in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/446,854, filed on May 29, 2003, and entitled “Air Recirculation Index”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The relationship between the matrix of the re-circulation mass flow rate Γ and SHI may be represented as follows: Equation (5): Γ * ≈ δ Q Q = S H I 1 - S H I , where Γ* is the dimensionless form of Γ. Thus, by determining SHI, the matrix of re-circulation mass flow rate matrix Γ may also be estimated for the racks 102a-102n. In this regard, the controller 204 may optionally comprise an SHI calculation module 230 as shown in FIG. 2. The SHI calculation module 230 is generally configured to calculate SHI values and to communicate those values to the VTI calculation module 214. The VTI calculation module 214 may factor the SHI values in calculating the VTI matrix of Equation (3). The VTI calculation module 214 may also be configured to calculate VTI based upon the temperature and mass flow rates of airflow through the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118a-118n. In addition, the mass flow rates and temperatures of airflow supplied to the racks 102a-102n may be calculated based upon the VTI and the mass flow rates and temperatures of airflow supplied by the vent tiles 118a-118n and a re-circulation matrix RM, according to the following equation: [CpMR][TR]=[[VTI]●[CpMVT][TVT]]+[RM], Equation (6): where TR is the inlet temperature matrix of the racks 102a-102n, TVT is the supply temperature matrix of the vent tiles 118a-118n, and Cp is the specific heat capacity of air. In Equation (6), the multiplication [X][Y] denotes elemental multiplication where each element in [X] is multiplied by its corresponding element in [Y]. In addition, RM=(Γ)*Trec* Cp and the units of RM may be Watts. Thus, for instance, if the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n and the temperatures at the racks 102a-102n are known, these values may be used to estimate F through, for instance, Equation (4). However, as described below, the change in RM may approach zero or may otherwise constitute a relatively small number and may, in most instances, be disregarded. Equation (6) may be further refined through detection of the mass flow rates and temperatures at various times (t). For instance, if at time t=i+1, the mass flow rate through a single vent tile 118 changes while the supply temperature remains constant, Equation (6) may be evaluated at time t=i and again at time t=i+1. If the difference is taken for these times, the following equation is obtained: [CpMR][TR]i−[CpMR][TR]i+1=[[VTI]●[CpMVT][TVT]]i−[[VTI]●[CpMVT][TVT]]i+1+[RM]i−[RM]i+1 Equation (7): When a single rack (for instance, rack A) is considered with N number of vent tiles 118a-118n, Equation (7) may be re-written as: [CpMRΔTR]A=[VTI]A●[CpΔMVTTVT]+[ΔRM]A, Equation (8): where [MRΔTR]A is a 1×N matrix and represents the product of the mass flow rate and inlet temperature change for a single rack (A) in the data center, [VTI]A is a 1×N matrix and is the vent tile index coefficient for rack A, [ΔMVTTVT]A is an N×M matrix and is the product of change in tile flow rate and temperature of the airflow supplied by each vent tile 118a-118n in the data center 100 as the vent tile 118a-118n openings are varied sequentially N times, and [ΔRM]A is the 1×N re-circulation matrix for rack A. In certain instances, it may be assumed that the change in re-circulation at a rack (A) due to the adjustment of a single vent tile 118 is insignificant. In these instances, it may be assumed then that [ΔRM]A→[10] and Equation (8) may be solved for [VTI]A, which may represent a single row in [VTI] of Equation (6). In other instances, the re-circulation at the racks 102a-102n may be considered in determining VTI. In these instances, the following equation may be employed to determine VTI while factoring the effects of re-circulation: Equation (9): M j r = ∑ k m V T I j , k M k vt + Γ j , where M denotes the mass flow rates of air, r denotes the racks 102a-102n, vt denotes the vent tiles 118a-118n, j denotes the jth rack 102a-102n, k denotes the kth vent tile 118a-118n and is an index for the vent tiles 118a-118n, and m denotes the number of vent tiles k, where k→{1,m}. One such equation will exist for each rack 102a-102n. Thus, each rack 102a-102n will have to solve m equations for the unknown coefficients VTI. In other words, a total of m runs have to be carried out while measuring data at the n racks 102a-102n to calculate the coefficients VTI for all the rack 102a-102n and vent tile 118a-118n combinations. Dividing both sides of Equation (9) by the rack mass flow M, the following equation is obtained: Equation (10): 1 = ∑ k m V T I j , k M k vt M j r + Γ j M j r . Equation (10) may be re-written with dimensionless parameters, which are denoted by * superscripts, as follows: Equation (11): 1 = ∑ k m V T I j , k M k * vt + Γ j * . The dimensionless re-circulation term Γ may also be re-written as follows: Equation (12): Γ j * = Γ j M j r = Γ j ( T out - T i n ) M j r ( T out - T i n ) ≈ δ Q Q = S H I 1 - S H I , where Tout and Tin are the temperatures at the outlet and the inlet of a rack 102a-102n, respectively. The numerator shows the re-circulation heat load dissipated by the re-circulation stream (or external path) and assumes minimal heat loss to the environment. In addition, the numerator shows that the re-circulation stream is fully mixed with the inlet stream prior to being pulled through the rack 102a-102n. The denominator shows the heat load gained by the airflow through the rack 102a-102n. The ratio of re-circulation flow over the mass flow rate of air supplied to the rack may thus be approximated to the ratio of re-circulation load to the actual heat load. Through substitution, Equation (11) may be re-written as follows: Equation (13): ∑ k m V T I j , k M k * vt + S H I 1 - S H I = 1. In determining VTI, a total of m runs may be performed while measuring data at the racks 102a-102n to calculate the coefficients for all of the rack 102a-102n and vent tile 118a-118n combinations. Therefore, for each rack 102a-102n, m number of equations is solved to determine all of the VTI values. Various manners in which VTI may be calculated according to performance of a number of runs will now be described in greater detail herein below with reference first to FIG. 3A. FIG. 3A illustrates a flow diagram of an operational mode 300 for determining a vent tile influence coefficient (VTI). It is to be understood that the following description of the operational mode 300 is but one manner of a variety of different manners in which the VTI could be determined. It should also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the operational mode 300 represents a generalized illustration and that other steps may be added or existing steps may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the operational mode 300. The description of the operational mode 300 is made with reference to the block diagram 200 illustrated in FIG. 2, and thus makes reference to the elements cited therein. The operational mode 300 may be initiated in response to a variety of stimuli at step 302. For example, the operational mode 300 may be initiated in response to a predetermined lapse of time, in response to receipt of a transmitted signal, manually initiated, etc. At step 304, all of the vent tiles 118a-118n of a particular group of vent tiles 118a-118n may be opened (or fan assemblies 152 may be activated). The particular group of vent tiles 118a-118n may include a particular rack 102a-102n, a plurality of racks in a group of racks 102a-102n, all of the racks 102a-102n in a data center 100, etc. In addition, the particular group of vent tiles 118a-118n may comprise all of the vent tiles 118a-118n in a particular row, all of the vent tiles 118a-118n that are supplied with cooled airflow by a particular CRAC unit 114, all of the vent tiles 118a-118n that are supplied with cooled airflow by a plurality of CRAC units 114, etc. Opening of the vent tiles 118a-118n may include activating the motors 156 of vent tiles 118a-118n equipped with fan assemblies 152 to cause the fans 154 to rotate at a predetermined speed. The fan 154 speed and the opening of the vent tiles 118a-118n are to be taken as being synonymous throughout the present disclosure. Thus, if the vent tiles 118a-118n are described as being 100% open, this is equivalent to a vent tile 118a-118n equipped with a fan assembly 152 operating at 100%. In one example, the vent tiles 118a-118n may be opened to 100% open. In other examples, the vent tiles 118a-118n may be opened to various levels and the operational mode 300 may be repeated at the various levels. For instance, during a first iteration of the operational mode 300, the vent tiles 118a-118n may be opened to 100% open, to 90% open during a second iteration, to 80% open during a third iteration, and so forth. Determination of VTI at the various vent tile 118a-118n settings may be beneficial since VTI may change during operation of the vent tiles 118a-118n. More particularly, as the global set of vent tiles 118a-118n change, so too will the VTI. Thus, if the global set of vent tile 118a-118n configurations changes, the correct VTIi, where i=global vent tile 118a-118n configuration, may be employed to determine the relationships between the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118a-118n. In any regard, at step 306, the mass flow rates of airflow delivered to each of the racks 102a-102n may be determined. The mass flow rates of airflow delivered to each of the racks 102a-102n may be detected through use of mass flow rate sensors 210. Alternatively, the mass flow rates of airflow may be estimated through various other means. For instance, the mass flow rates may be estimated through use of temperature drop detection along with power draw detection, pressure differences, fan speeds, etc. The mass flow rates of airflow may be transmitted or otherwise sent to the input/output module 206 and may also be stored in the memory 212. In addition, the mass flow rate of airflow supplied by each vent tile 118a-118n may be determined at step 308. Again, the mass flow rates of airflow supplied by each vent tile 118a-118n may be detected by mass flow rate sensors or they may be estimated through other means as described herein above. In addition, the mass flow rates of airflow supplied by each vent tile 118a-118n may be transmitted or otherwise sent to the input/output module 206 and may also be stored in the memory 212. At step 310, one of the vent tiles 118a-118n, for instance, vent tile 118a, may be closed to substantially prevent the flow of air therethrough. The selection of which one of the vent tiles 118a-118n to close may be predetermined or it may be random. In any respect, the mass flow rates of airflow through the racks 102a-102n may be determined at step 312 and the mass flow rates of airflow through each open vent tile 118b-118n may be determined at step 314. The mass flow rates of airflow through the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118b-118n may be determined as described herein above with respect to steps 306 and 308, respectively. In addition, the mass flow rates of airflow through the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118b-118n may be stored in the memory 212. The vent tile 118a that was closed at step 310 may be opened at step 316. This vent tile 118a may be opened to the percentage it was open at step 304. At step 318, it may be determined whether another vent tile 118a-118n is to be closed. In one example, the “yes” condition may be reached at step 318 until conditions for each of the vent tiles 118a-118n being in closed positions have been determined. In another example, the “yes” condition at step 318 may be reached for a predetermined number of vent tiles 118a-118n equaling less than all of the vent tiles 118a-118n. In any respect, the determination of whether to close another vent tile 118a-118n may be made by the controller 204. If it is determined that another vent tile 118a-118n is to be closed, another vent tile 118a-118n, for instance, vent tile 118b, may be closed at step 320. Again, the selection of which one of the vent tiles 118a-118n to close may be predetermined or it may be random. In any respect, the mass flow rates of airflow through the racks 102a-102n may be determined again at step 322 and the mass flow rates of airflow through each open vent tile 118b-118n may be determined at step 324. The mass flow rates of airflow through the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118a, 118c-118n may be determined as described herein above with respect to steps 306 and 308, respectively. In addition, the mass flow rates of airflow through the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118a, 118c-118n may be stored in the memory 212. The vent tile 118b that was closed at step 320 may be opened at step 326. This vent tile 118b may also be opened to the percentage it was open at step 304. Following step 326, it may be determined if another vent tile 118a-118n is to be closed at step 318. Steps 318-326 may be repeated for a predetermined number of times or until the conditions for each of the vent tiles 118a-118n being closed have been determined. In this case, which equates to a “no” condition at step 318, the controller 204 may calculate the VTI, as indicated at step 328. More particularly, the VTI calculation module 214 of the controller 204 may calculate the VTI based upon the information regarding the determined mass flow rates through the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118a-118n with various vent tiles 118a-118n closed stored in the memory 212. As described in greater detail herein above, the VTI calculation module 214 may be configured to calculate the VTI in matrix form according to Equation (1). Although the operational mode 300 may end following calculation of the VTI at step 328, optional procedures may be implemented in various circumstances. The optional procedures may be implemented, for instance, in cases where the blowers of CRAC units 114 are over-provisioned, which may lead to an excessive amount of airflow being supplied from the vent tiles 118a-118n. In some instances, this excessive flow may cause the airflow to dramatically exceed the flow necessary for the racks 102a-102n. In these instances, evaluation of VTI may not be possible. To overcome this possibility, the optional procedures depicted in FIGS. 3B and 3C may be implemented as alternative optional procedures. In other instances, the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n may fall below or exceed the required mass flow rates of air required to safely operate the equipment housed in the racks 102a-102n. In these instances, an optional pre-commissioning procedure depicted in FIG. 3D may be implemented to substantially overcome these possibilities. With reference first to FIG. 3B, there is shown an operational mode 350 of a first optional method. As shown, following calculation of the VTI for a predetermined number of vent tiles 118a-118n, it is determined whether the values calculated for these vent tiles 118a-118n are near zero at step 352. If it is determined that the VTI values are near zero, the openings in the vent tiles 118a-118n or the speeds of the fans 154 may be reduced by a predetermined amount, for instance, Y %. The predetermined amount (Y) may be determined, for instance, through a trial and error process. By way of example, the vent tiles 118a-118n may be reduced by a 10% reduction and may be reduced by 10% increments for subsequent iterations of step 354. If it is found that the 10% reduction does not change VTI, then the predetermined amount may be increased. In one example, the reduction in the openings of vent tiles 118a-118n may be ceased when the vent tile 118a-118n openings have reached or are near limits prescribed for safe operation of the components 116. In addition, steps 306-328 may be repeated with the openings of the vent tiles 118a-118n reduced by the predetermined amount. Moreover, steps 352-358 may also be performed following steps 306-328. If it is determined that the VTI values are not near zero at step 352, it may be determined whether additional vent tiles 118a-118n are to be closed at step 356. The determination made at step 356 is similar to the determination made at step 318. Thus, for instance, if the VTI was calculated for a smaller number of vent tiles 118a-118n than the entire set of vent tiles 118a-118n to be considered, then it may be determined that additional vent tiles 118a-118n are to be considered and steps 320-328 may be repeated. In addition, steps 352-358 may also be performed depending upon the outcome of the VTI calculation performed at step 328. If, however, it is determined that no further vent tiles 118a-118n are to be considered at step 356, the operational modes 300 and 350 may end as indicated at step 358. The end condition at step 358 may comprise a standby mode since the operational modes 300 and 350 may be re-initiated in response to a receipt of a signal to re-initiate, after a predetermined lapse of time, manually re-initiated, etc. With reference now to FIG. 3C, there is shown an operational mode 360 of a second optional method. As shown, following calculation of the VTI for a predetermined number of vent tiles 118a-118n, it is determined whether the values calculated for these vent tiles 118a-118n are near zero at step 362. If it is determined that the VTI values are near zero, the outputs of one or more CRAC units 114 may be reduced by a predetermined amount, for instance, Z %. The predetermined amount (Z) may be determined, for instance, through a trial and error process. By way of example, the outputs of one or more CRAC units 114 may be reduced by 10% and may be further reduced by 10% increments for subsequent iterations of step 364. If it is found that the 10% reduction does not change VTI, then the predetermined amount may be increased. However, the level to which the outputs of the one or more CRAC units 114 are reduced may be limited based upon the operational requirements of the one or more CRAC units 114. These operational requirements may include minimum allowable temperature set points or blower output set points. The outputs of the one or more CRAC units 114 may be reduced, for instance, by reducing the speed of the blowers configured to supply cooled airflow into the space 112. In addition, steps 306-328 may be repeated with the outputs of the one or more CRAC units 114 reduced by the predetermined amount. Moreover, steps 362-368 may also be performed following steps 306-328. As with the operational mode 350, if it is determined that all of the VTI values are not near zero at step 362, it may be determined whether additional vent tiles 118a-118n are to be closed at step 366. The determination made at step 366 is similar to the determination made at step 318. Thus, for instance, if the VTI was calculated for a smaller number of vent tiles 118a-118n than the entire set of vent tiles 118a-118n to be considered, then it may be determined that additional vent tiles 118a-118n are to be considered and steps 320-328 may be repeated. In addition, steps 362-368 may also be performed depending upon the outcome of the VTI calculation performed at step 328. If, however, it is determined that no further vent tiles 118a-118n are to be considered at step 366, the operational modes 300 and 360 may end as indicated at step 368. The end condition at step 368 may comprise a standby mode since the operational modes 300 and 360 may be re-initiated in response to a receipt of a signal to re-initiate, after a predetermined lapse of time, manually re-initiated, etc. Referring to FIG. 3D, there is shown an operational mode 370 of an optional pre-commissioning method. The operational mode 370 may be performed prior to step 306 to generally enable a determination of whether the total mass flow rate of air through the vent tiles 118a-118n is sufficient for the mass flow rates required by the equipment housed in the racks 102a-102n. In addition, the operational mode 370 may be performed to determine whether the total mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n exceeds a predetermined level. The flow rates of air through the vent tiles 118a-118n may also be varied through implementation of the operational mode 370, such that the total mass flow rate of air supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n is within a predefined percentage of the total mass flow rate required by the equipment housed in the racks 102a-102n. In one example, the operational mode 370 may be implemented to determine the level to which the vent tiles 118a-118n are opened at step 304. As shown in FIG. 3D, the types of equipment housed in the racks 102a-102n may be determined at step 372. This information may be compiled into a table or chart and stored in the memory 212. In addition, the table or chart may include information pertaining to the mass flow rates of air required by the equipment to be safely operated. Alternatively, this information may include recommended airflow rates for the equipment. In any respect, the total mass flow rates of air required to operate the equipment may be calculated at step 374, for instance, by totaling the individual airflow requirements of each piece of equipment. At step 376, the vent tiles 118a-118n may all be opened to uniform levels, such that the mass flow rates of airflow supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n are approximately equivalent for each of the vent tiles 118a-118n. The vent tiles 118a-118n may be set between, for instance, around 25-100% open. At step 378, the mass flow rates of air supplied through each of the vent tiles 118a-118n may be determined. The mass flow rates may be determined in any of the manners described herein above with respect to step 308. In addition, the mass flow rates of air supplied through each of the vent tiles 118a-118n may be summed to obtain a total mass flow rate amount at step 380. At step 382, the total mass flow rate (TMF) of air supplied through each of the vent tiles 118a-118n (TMFVT) is compared with the total mass flow rate (TMF) of air required by the equipment housed in the racks 102a-102n (TMFR) to determine whether the TMFVT is within a predetermined percentage (X %) of the TMFR. Although the comparison between the flow rates at step 382 has been described with percentages, the comparison may be based upon any other reasonably suitable method of determining whether values are within a predetermined range from other values. For instance, the comparison may be based upon preset difference in flow rate value, etc. In addition, the predetermined percentage (X %) may comprise any reasonably suitable percentage value and may be user defined. According to an example, however, the predetermined percentage (X %) may be approximately 10-20%. In any regard, if the TMFVT is within the predetermined percentage (X %) of the TMFR, the operational mode 370 may end and the operational mode 300 may be performed beginning at step 304. In addition, the vent tiles 118a-118n may be at the level of opening indicated at step 376. However, if the TMFVT is not within the predetermined percentage (X %) of the TMFR, it may be determined as to whether the TMFVT falls below or equals the predetermined percentage (X %) of the TMFR at step 384. If the TMFVT falls below or equals the predetermined percentage (X %) of the TMFR, the vent tiles 118a-118n may be opened by a predefined percentage (W %), as indicated at step 386. The predefined percentage (W) may be determined, for instance, through a trial and error process. By way of example, the openings of the vent tiles 118a-118n may be increased by 10% and may be further increased by 10% increments for subsequent iterations of step 386. If it is found that the 10% increase does not change VTI, then the predefined percentage (W) may be increased. In addition, steps 378-388 may be repeated until it is determined that the TMFVT is within the predetermined percentage (X %) of the TMFR. If the TMFVT exceeds the predetermined percentage (X %) of the TMFR, the vent tiles 118a-118n may be closed by the predefined percentage (W %), as indicated at step 388. The predefined percentage (W) may be determined, for instance, through a trial and error process. By way of example, the openings of the vent tiles 118a-118n may be decreased by 10% and may be further decreased by 10% increments for subsequent iterations of step 388. If it is found that the 10% decrease does not change VTI, then the predefined percentage (W) may be decreased. The maximum levels to which the openings in the vent tiles 118a-118n are decreased may be limited to minimum levels of required airflow for the components 116 as set forth by, for instance, the component 116 manufacturers. Again, steps 378-388 may be repeated until it is determined that the TMFVT is within the predetermined percentage (X %) of the TMFR. Through implementation of the operational mode 300 and one or more of the optional operational modes 350, 360, and 370, the VTI may be determined, which may be used to determine the relationships between the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118a-118n. In addition, the VTI may be employed to identify vent tiles 118a-118n that may have relatively little or no influence over any of the racks 102a-102n. FIGS. 3E and 3F, illustrate alternative operational modes 390 and 395 that may be employed in situations where such vent tiles 118a-118n exist in a data center 100. In both of the operational modes 390 and 395, it is assumed that vent tiles 118a-118n that have relatively little or no influence over any of the racks 102a-102n have been detected based upon their calculated VTI values from the operational mode 300 (FIG. 3A). With reference first to FIG. 3E and the operational mode 390, the vent tiles 118a-118n that have VTIs below a predefined threshold for all of the racks 102a-102n are identified at step 391. In other words, those vent tiles 118a-118n that have little or no influence over any of the racks 102a-102n may be determined and identified at step 391. The threshold may be determined based upon a plurality of factors. For instance, the threshold may be user-defined and may correlate to a desired percentage. By way of example, the threshold may be set at around 25%, such that, those vent tiles 118a-118n that have less than 25% influence over any particular rack 102a-102n may be identified at step 391. At step 392, it may be determined whether the number of vent tiles 118a-118n identified at step 391 exceed a predetermined threshold (T %). Again, the predetermined threshold (T %) may be user-defined and may be based upon a desired percentage. Thus, for instance; if a certain percentage of all of the vent tiles 118a-118n, such as, 10-20% or more, is identified at step 391, then the steps outlined in one or more of the operational modes 350, 360, and 370 may be performed as indicated at step 393. In other words, the pre-commissioning steps outlined in any of those operational modes 350, 360, 370 may be performed to reduce the number of vent tiles 118a-118n that have little or no influence over any of the racks 102a-102n. If it is determined at step 392 that the number of vent tiles 118a-118n identified at step 391 falls below or equals the predetermined threshold (T %), those identified vent tiles 118a-118n may be deactivated or replaced as indicated at step 394. At step 394, those identified vent tiles 118a-118n may be deactivated by closing them completely, removing power supply to those vent tiles 118a-118n, etc. Alternatively, those identified vent tiles 118a-118n may be replaced with standard vent tiles 118a-118n or tiles that do not have vents. In addition, those identified vent tiles 118a-118n may be installed in locations where vent tiles are known to have greater levels of influence over the racks 102a-102n. In this regard, the relatively more expensive vent tiles 118a-118n may be used more efficiently at locations where they may be of greater utility and the relatively less expensive tiles may be used in locations where vent tiles 118a-118n would not be of great use. With reference now to FIG. 3F, following steps 391 and 392 in FIG. 3E, instead of performing step 394, the vent tiles 118a-1 18n identified at step 391 may be placed into one or more groups at step 396. The one or more groups may be formed according to the locations of the identified vent tiles 118a-118n. More particularly, vent tiles 118a-118n in close proximity to each other, for instance, adjacent vent tiles 118a-118n, may be placed in one group and other similarly situated vent tiles 118a-118n may be placed in another group. At step 397, each of the one or more groups formed of the vent tiles 118a-118n may be controlled as single vent tiles 118a-118n. In other words, a group of vent tiles 118a-118n may be controlled substantially simultaneously to influence airflow characteristics to particular racks 102a-102n. FIGS. 4A and 4B, collectively, illustrate a flow diagram of an operational mode 400 for determining a vent tile influence coefficient (VTI), in which the effects of re-circulation are factored in determining the VTI. It is to be understood that the following description of the operational mode 400 is but one manner of a variety of different manners in which the VTI could be determined. It should also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the operational mode 400 represents a generalized illustration and that other steps may be added or existing steps may be removed or modified without departing from a scope of the operational mode 400. The description of the operational mode 400 is made with reference to the block diagram 200 illustrated in FIG. 2, and thus makes reference to the elements cited therein. The operational mode 400 may be initiated in response to a variety of stimuli at step 402. For example, the operational mode 400 may be initiated in response to a predetermined lapse of time, in response to receipt of a transmitted signal; manually initiated, etc. At step 404, all of the vent tiles 118a-118n of a particular group of vent tiles 118a-118n may be opened in manners similar to those described herein above with respect to step 304 in FIG. 3A. At step 406, the temperatures at the inlets and the outlets of the racks 102a-102n may be detected. In certain instances, the temperatures at the inlets and the outlets of the racks 102a-102n may be detected by the temperature sensors 208. In other instances, the temperatures may be detected by hand with a handheld device, with an adequately equipped semi-autonomous mobile sensor device, etc. In any event, the detected temperatures may be inputted into or transmitted to the controller 204 and may be stored in the memory 212. In similar fashion to step 306 in FIG. 3A, the mass flow rates of airflow delivered to each of the racks 102a-102n may be determined at step 408. In addition, the mass flow rates of airflow delivered to the racks 102a-102n may be transmitted or otherwise sent to the input/output module 206 of the controller 204 and may also be stored in the memory 212. At step 410, the temperatures of the airflow supplied by the vent tiles 118a-118n may be detected. These temperatures may be detected by the temperature sensors 208, by hand with a handheld device, with an adequately equipped semi-autonomous mobile sensor device, etc. In addition, the detected temperatures may be inputted or transmitted to the controller 204 and may be stored in the memory 212. At step 412, the mass flow rate of airflow through the vent tiles 118a-118n may be determined in manners similar to those described herein above with respect to step 308. In addition, the mass flow rates of airflow supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n may be transmitted or otherwise sent to the input/output module 206 of the controller 204 and may also be stored in the memory 212. The temperatures detected at the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118a-118n may be employed to calculate SHI, as indicated at step 414. In addition, the calculated SHI may be stored in the memory 212. As described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/446,854, SHI may be determined through the following equation: Equation (14): S H I = ∑ j ∑ i ( ( T i n r ) i , j - T ref ) ∑ j ∑ i ( ( T out r ) i , j - T ref ) , where (Γrin) and (Γrout)i,j are the respective inlet and outlet temperatures from the ith rack in the jth row of racks. In addition, Tref denotes the temperature of the cooled air supplied by one or more of the CRAC units 114 and may denote the average temperature of the airflow supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n. At step 416, one of the vent tiles 118a-118n, for instance, vent tile 118a, may be closed to substantially prevent the flow of air therethrough. The selection of which of the vent tiles 118a-118n may be based upon the manners described herein above with respect to step 310. In any respect, the temperatures at the inlets and the outlets of the racks 102a-102n may be detected at step 418, the mass flow rates of airflow delivered to each of the racks 102a-102n may be determined at step 420, the temperatures of the airflow supplied by the vent tiles 118a-118n may be detected at step 422, and the mass flow rate of airflow through the vent tiles 118a-118n may be determined at step 424. The temperatures detected at steps 418 and 422 may be employed to calculate the SHI at step 426. In addition, the determinations made at steps 418-426 may be stored in the memory 212. The vent tile 118a that was closed at step 416 may be opened at step 428. This vent tile 118a may be opened to the percentage it was open at step 404. At step 430, it may be determined whether another vent tile 118a-118n is to be closed. In one example, the “yes” condition may be reached at step 430 until conditions for each of the vent tiles 118a-118n being in closed positions have been determined. In another example, the “yes” condition at step 430 may be reached for a predetermined number of vent tiles 118a-118n equaling less than all of the vent tiles 118a-118n. In any respect, the determination of whether to close another vent tile 118a-118n may be made by the controller 204. If it is determined that another vent tile 118a-118n is to be closed, another vent tile 118a-118n, for instance, vent tile 118b, may be closed at step 432. Again, the selection of which one of the vent tiles 118a-118n to close may be predetermined or it may be random. In any respect, the temperatures at the inlets and the outlets of the racks 102a-102n may be detected at step 434, the mass flow rates of airflow delivered to each of the racks 102a-102n may be determined at step 436, the temperatures of the airflow supplied by the vent tiles 118a, 118ac-118n may be detected at step 438, and the mass flow rate of airflow through the vent tiles 118a, 118c-118n may be determined at step 440. The temperatures detected at steps 434 and 438 may be employed to calculate the SHI at step 442. In addition, the determinations made at steps 434-442 may be stored in the memory 212. The vent tile 118b that was closed at step 432 may be opened at step 444. This vent tile 118b may also be opened to the percentage it was open at step 404. Following step 444, it may be determined if another vent tile 118a-118n is to be closed at step 430. Steps 432-444 may be repeated for a predetermined number of times or until the conditions for each of the vent tiles 118a-118n being closed have been determined. In this case, which equates to a “no” condition at step 430, the controller 204 may calculate the VTI, as indicated at step 446. More particularly, the VTI calculation module 214 of the controller 204 may calculate the VTI based upon the information stored in the memory 212 regarding the detected temperatures at the inlets of the racks 118a-118n, the determined mass flow rates through the racks 102a-102n and the vent tiles 118a-118n, and the SHI's with various vent tiles 118a-118n closed. As described in greater detail herein above, the VTI calculation module 214 may be configured to calculate the VTI in matrix form according to Equations (3), (8), (9), or (13). Although the operational mode 400 may end following calculation of the VTI at step 446, optional procedures may be implemented in various circumstances. The optional procedures may be implemented, for instance, in cases where the blowers of CRAC units 114 are over-provisioned, which may lead to an excessive amount of airflow being ejected from the vent tiles 118a-118n. In some instances, this excessive flow may cause the airflow to dramatically exceed the flow necessary for the racks 102a-102n. In these instances, evaluation of VTI may not be possible. As described in detail herein above, to overcome this possibility, the optional procedures depicted in FIGS. 3B and 3C may be implemented as alternative optional procedures. In other instances, the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles 118a-118n may fall below or exceed the required mass flow rates of air required to safely operate the equipment housed in the racks 102a-102n. In these instances and as also described herein above, an optional pre-commissioning procedure depicted in FIG. 3D may be implemented to substantially overcome these possibilities. In addition, the operational modes 390 and 395 may be performed following operational mode 400 to identify and deactivate, replace, or group, vent tiles 118a-118n that have little or no influence over any of the racks 102a-102n. In certain examples, calculation of SHI at steps 414, 426, and 442 may be omitted. For instance, these steps may be omitted if it may be assumed that changes in re-circulation due to the closure of a single vent tile 118a-118n are substantially minute. In this instances, the ΔΓ in Equations (3), (8), (9), or (13) may be considered as equaling zero. In this regard, the ΔΓ may be omitted from Equations (3), (8), (9), or (13) and Equations (3), (8), (9), or (13) may be solve determine VTI without considering ΔΓ. The operations illustrated in the operational modes 300, 350,360,370,390,395, and 400 may be contained as a utility, program, or a subprogram, in any desired computer accessible medium. In addition, the operational modes and 300, 350, 360, 370, 390, 395, and 400 may be embodied by a computer program, which can exist in a variety of forms both active and inactive. For example, they can exist as software program(s) comprised of program instructions in source code, object code, executable code or other formats. Any of the above can be embodied on a computer readable medium, which include storage devices and signals, in compressed or uncompressed form. Exemplary computer readable storage devices include conventional computer system RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, and magnetic or optical disks or tapes. Exemplary computer readable signals, whether modulated using a carrier or not, are signals that a computer system hosting or running the computer program can be configured to access, including signals downloaded through the Internet or other networks. Concrete examples of the foregoing include distribution of the programs on a CD ROM or via Internet download. In a sense, the Internet itself, as an abstract entity, is a computer readable medium. The same is true of computer networks in general. It is therefore to be understood that any electronic device capable of executing the above-described functions may perform those functions enumerated above. FIG. 5 illustrates a computer system 500, which may be employed to perform various functions described herein. The computer system 500 may include, for example, the computing device 128 and/or the controller 204. In this respect, the computer system 500 may be used as a platform for executing one or more of the functions described herein above with respect to the various components of the vent tile influence evaluation system 202. The computer system 500 includes one or more controllers, such as a processor 502. The processor 502 may be used to execute some or all of the steps described in the operational modes 300, 350, 360, 370, and 400. Commands and data from the processor 502 are communicated over a communication bus 504. The computer system 500 also includes a main memory 506, such as a random access memory (RAM), where the program code for, for instance, the computing device 128 or the controller 204, may be executed during runtime, and a secondary memory 508. The secondary memory 508 includes, for example, one or more hard disk drives 510 and/or a removable storage drive 512, representing a floppy diskette drive, a magnetic tape drive, a compact disk drive, etc., where a copy of the program code for the vent tile evaluation system may be stored. The removable storage drive 510 reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit 514 in a well-known manner. User input and output devices may include a keyboard 516, a mouse 518, and a display 520. A display adaptor 522 may interface with the communication bus 504 and the display 520 and may receive display data from the processor 502 and convert the display data into display commands for the display 520. In addition, the processor 502 may communicate over a network, for instance, the Internet, LAN, etc., through a network adaptor 524. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that other known electronic components may be added or substituted in the computer system 500. In addition, the computer system 500 may include a system board or blade used in a rack in a data center, a conventional “white box” server or computing device, etc. Also, one or more of the components in FIG. 5 may be optional (e.g., user input devices, secondary memory, etc.). What has been described and illustrated herein is a preferred embodiment of the invention along with some of its variations. The terms, descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, which is intended to be defined by the following claims—and their equivalents—in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>A data center may be defined as a location, for instance, a room that houses computer systems arranged in a number of racks. A standard rack, for instance, an electronics cabinet, is defined as an Electronics Industry Association (EIA) enclosure, 78 in. (2 meters) wide, 24 in. (0.61 meter) wide and 30 in. (0.76 meter) deep. These racks are configured to house a number of computer systems, about forty (40) systems, with future configurations of racks being designed to accommodate 200 or more systems. The computer systems typically dissipate relatively significant amounts of heat during the operation of the respective components. For example, a typical computer system comprising multiple microprocessors may dissipate approximately 250 W of power. Thus, a rack containing forty (40) computer systems of this type may dissipate approximately 10 KW of power. Data centers are typically equipped with a raised floor with vent tiles configured to provide cool air to the computer systems from a pressurized plenum in the space below the raised floor. In certain instances, these vent tiles contain manually adjustable dampers for varying the flow rate of cool air therethrough. However, because these vent tiles cannot be remotely controlled, they are typically unable to vary the airflow to dynamically provision the data center with cooling resources. In addition, these vent tiles are typically manually actuated without knowledge of how each vent tile affects computer systems in its proximity. These actuations frequently have unintended consequences, such as, inadequate airflow delivery to the racks, adverse re-circulation of heated and cooled airflows, and wasted energy consumption. This may lead to inefficiencies in both cooling of the computer systems as well as in the operations of air conditioning units. In other instances, automated vent tiles have been used in data centers to generally enable remote actuation of the vent tiles via feedback control algorithms. Conventional automated vent tiles are typically operated, however, without substantially accurate knowledge of how actuations of these vent tiles affect airflow in the data center. A process for associating vent tiles with racks would therefore be desirable. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>According to an embodiment, the present invention pertains to a method for correlating vent tiles with racks. In the method, the vent tiles are opened to a first setting and the mass flow rates of air received by the racks and supplied through the vent tiles are determined. In addition, one of the vent tiles is closed to obtain a second setting and the mass flow rates of air received by the racks and supplied through the vent tiles are determined at the second setting. The vent tiles and the racks are correlated based upon the determined mass flow rates of air received by the racks and the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles at the first and second settings. | 20041008 | 20080101 | 20060413 | 98236.0 | F25D1700 | 0 | NORMAN, MARC E | CORRELATION OF VENT TILES AND RACKS | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | F25D | 2,004 |
|
10,960,601 | ACCEPTED | Pump drive head with stuffing box | A pump drive head for a progressing cavity pump comprises a top mounted stuffing box rotatably disposed around a compliantly mounted standpipe with a self or manually adjusting pressurization system for the stuffing box. To prevent rotary and vertical motion of the polish rod while servicing the stuffing box, a polished rod lock-out clamp is provided with the pump drive head integral with or adjacent to a blow-out-preventer which can be integrated with the pump drive head to save space and cost. A centrifugal backspin braking system located on the input shaft and actuated only in the backspin direction and a gear drive between the input shaft and output shaft are provided. | 1. A polished rod lock out clamp for use in securing a polished rod in an oil well installation, comprising: a clamp body having a bore for receiving the polished rod therethrough in spaced relation to said bore; clamp members in said clamp body for gripping the polished rod in said bore; and manipulating means secured to said clamp body and said clamp members for moving said clamp members between a polished rod gripping position in which said clamp members grippingly engage said polished rod to prevent rotation or axial movement of the polished rod, and a retracted position in which said clamp members are removed from the polished rod to permit rotational and axial movement of the polished rod in said bore of said clamp body. 2. A clamp as defined in claim 1, each said clamp member being radially movable with respect to said polished rod and having an arcuate inner surface for engaging said polished rod thereinto. 3. A clamp as defined in claim 2, wherein the diameter of said inner surface is slightly less than the diameter of the polished rod to enhance gripping force. 4. A clamp as defined in claim 3, wherein each said clamp member is in the form of a piston, said clamp body having a piston bore for each said piston, each said piston bore extending radially of said bore of said clamp body, each said piston having an inner end proximate said bore of said clamp body, said arcuate inner surface being formed in said inner end to be semi-circular in shape for receiving and grippingly engaging said polished rod. 5. A clamp as defined in claim 4, comprising a pair of said pistons radially opposed to one another. 6. A clamp as defined in claim 5, said pistons having mutually engageable end faces at said inner ends thereof and seal means disposed between said end faces, said pistons being sealingly disposed in said piston bores and being sealingly engageable with said polished rod and with each other to prevent well fluids from escaping past said clamp when said pistons are disposed in said gripping positions thereof. 7. A clamp as defined in claim 3, said clamp members comprising a pair of opposed clamp members each forming an elongated segment of a cylinder and each having a said arcuate inner surface for engagement with the polished rod. 8. A clamp as defined in claim 1 including resilient members disposed between said clamp members to normally bias said clamp members towards said retracted position thereof. 9. A clamp as defined in claim 1, said manipulating means including, for each clamp member, a bolt threaded into said clamp body for moving said clamp member between said gripping and retracted positions thereof. 10. The clamp as defined in claim 9, wherein each said bolt includes a shaped portion formed on an inner end thereof for mating engagement with a correspondingly shaped slot in a respective clamp member for moving said members into said retracted position thereof. 11. A clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said clamp is arranged to be secured between a polished rod drive head and a well head of the oil well installation. 12. A clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said clamp forms part of a drive head for driving the polished rod. 13. A clamp as defined in claim 1, further including means for centering said polished rod in said bore of said clamp body. 14. A clamp as defined in claim 1, further including means for axially locating said clamp members in said clamp body and for transferring axial and rotational loads from said clamp members to said clamp body. 15. A polished rod lock out clamp for use to temporarily suspend a polished rod in an oil well installation, comprising: a clamp body having a bore therethrough for receiving the polished rod in spaced relation to said bore; clamp members in said clamp body for engaging the polished rod in said bore, each said clamp member being radially movable with respect to the polished rod and each having a recess formed therein for grippingly receiving and engaging said polished rod for weight suspending contact therewith; and manipulating means secured to said clamp body and said clamp members for moving said clamp members between a polished rod gripping position in which said clamp members grippingly engage the polished rod to prevent rotation or axial movement thereof and a retracted position in which said clamp members are removed from the polished rod to permit rotational and axial movement of the polished rod in said bore of said clamp body. 16. A clamp as defined in claim 15, wherein the diameter of said recess is slightly less than the diameter of the outer surface of said polished rod to enhance gripping force. 17. A clamp as defined in claim 15, said clamp body further having piston bores extending radially of said bore of said clamp body, each said clamp member comprising a piston disposed in a piston bore, each piston having an inner end in which said recess is formed for receiving and grippingly engaging the polished rod. 18. A clamp as defined in claim 17, comprising a pair of said pistons radially opposed to one another. 19. A clamp as defined in claim 15, wherein said clamp members comprise two or more opposed clamp members each forming an elongated segment of a cylinder and each having said recess formed therein for engagement with the polished rod and an arcuate outer surface for engagement with said bore of said clamp body. 20. A clamp as defined in claim 15, said manipulating means including a bolt secured to each said clamp member, said bolts being threadedly engaged with respective radially extending threaded holes in said clamp body for radial movement of said bolts and said clamp members, said bolts extending outwardly of said clamp body for manipulation thereof. 21. A clamp as defined in claim 20, each said clamp member having a dovetail slot and a dovetail key formed on inner ends of said bolts for mating engagement with said dovetail slots for securing said bolts and associated clamp members. 22. A clamp as defined in claim 15 including resilient members disposed between said clamp members to normally bias said clamp members towards said retracted position thereof. 23. A combined blow out preventer and polished rod lock out clamp for use in an oil well installation, comprising: a housing having a bore for receiving a polished rod in spaced relation therethrough and opposed bores extending radially of said bore of said housing; clamp members in said housing for grippingly engaging said polished rod in said bore, each said clamp member comprising a piston disposed in one of said radial bores, each piston having an inner end and a concavely curved recess in said inner end for receiving and grippingly engaging said polished rod in frictional contact along at least a portion of the length of said recess to suspend said polished rod in said oil well installation; elastomeric seal means to provide a seal between a portion of the length of said recess in said piston and said polished rod, a seal between said pistons and sealing of each piston in its associated radial bore to prevent well fluid from coming up a well bore and escaping to the exterior of the well bore when said pistons grippingly engage the polished rod; and manipulating means secured to said housing and said pistons for moving said pistons between a polished rod gripping position in which said pistons grippingly engage said polished rod to prevent rotation or axial movement thereof and a retracted position in which said pistons are removed from said polished rod to permit rotational and axial movement of said polished rod in said bore of said clamp housing. 24. A combined blow out preventer and clamp as defined in claim 23, wherein said manipulating means include a bolt secured to each said piston, said bolts being threadedly engaged with radially extending threaded holes in said clamp body for radial movement of said bolts and said pistons, said bolts extending outwardly of said clamp body for manipulation thereof. 25. A combined blow out preventer and clamp as defined in claim 23 including resilient members disposed between said clamp members to normally bias said clamp members towards said retracted position thereof. 26. A combined blow out preventer and clamp as defined in claim 23, wherein the diameter of said curved recess is slightly less than the diameter of the outer surface of the polished rod. 27. The combined blow out preventer and clamp as defined in claim 24, wherein each said bolt includes a shaped portion formed on an inner end thereof for mating engagement with a correspondingly shaped slot in a respective clamp member for moving said members into said retracted position thereof. 28. A polished rod lock out clamp operable to suspend a polished rod in an oil well installation, comprising: a clamp body having an axial bore for receiving the polished rod in spaced relation to said bore; clamp members in said clamp body having an elongated arcuate inner gripping surface for grippingly engaging the polished rod in non-elastomeric frictional contact, each said clamp member being radially moveable with respect to the polished rod; and radially disposed bolts threaded into said clamp body for manipulation of said clamp members for moving said clamp members between a polished rod gripping position in which said clamp members grippingly engage said polished rod to prevent rotation or axial movement of the polished rod and a retracted position in which said clamp members are removed from the polished rod to permit rotational and axial movement of the polished rod relative to said axial bore of said clamp body. 29. A clamp as defined in claim 28, wherein said radially disposed bolts have T-shaped inner portions to hook into correspondingly shaped slots in said clamp members to move said clamp members to said retracted position thereof. 30. A clamp as defined in claim 28, wherein said clamp members comprise a pair of opposed clamp members each forming an elongated segment of a cylinder and each having on an inner surface thereof said arcuate inner surface for engagement with the polished rod, and a curved outer surface for contact with said bore of said clamp body. 31. A clamp as defined in claim 28, wherein each said clamp member is in the form of a piston, said clamp body having a piston bore for each said piston, each said piston bore extending radially of said axial bore of said clamp body, each said piston having an inner end proximate said axial bore of said clamp body, said arcuate inner surface being formed in said inner end to be semi-circular in shape for receiving and grippingly engaging said polished rod. 32. A clamp as defined in claim 31, comprising a pair of said pistons radially opposed to one another. 33. A clamp as defined in claim 31, wherein the diameter of said arcuate inner surface is slightly less than the diameter of the outer surface of the polished rod for enhanced gripping force. 34. A clamp as defined in claim 31, said pistons having mutually engageable end faces at said inner ends thereof and seal means disposed between said end faces, said pistons being sealingly disposed in said piston bores and being sealingly engageable with said polished rod and with each other to prevent well fluids from escaping past said clamp when said pistons are disposed in said gripping positions thereof. 35. A polished rod lock out clamp, with blow out preventer seals, operable to suspend a polished rod in an oil well installation, comprising: a clamp body having an axial bore for receiving the polished rod in spaced relation to said bore; two radially opposed pistons acting as clamp members, said clamp body having a piston bore for each said piston, each said piston bore extending radially of said axial bore of said clamp body, each said piston having an inner end proximate said axial bore of said clamp body, an arcuate inner surface being formed in said inner end to be semi-circular in cross-sectional shape for receiving and grippingly engaging said polished rod in hard surface to hard surface contact; radially disposed bolts threaded into said clamp body for manipulation of said pistons for moving said pistons between a polished rod gripping position in which said pistons grippingly engage the polished rod to prevent rotation or axial movement of the polished rod and a retracted position in which said pistons are removed from the polished rod to permit rotational and axial movement of the polished rod in said axial bore of said clamp body; and said pistons each having an elastomeric seal to seal between the polished rod and a portion of the length of said arcuate inner surface in each said piston, between said opposed pistons and between each said piston and its associated radial bore to prevent well fluids from escaping from the well bore, said elastomeric seals being compressible to allow said pistons to make said hard surface to hard surface contact with said polished rod when said pistons are in said gripping position thereof. 36. A clamp as defined in claim 35, wherein the radius of curvature of said arcuate inner surface is slightly less than the radius of curvature of the outer surface of the polished rod. 37. A clamp as defined in claim 35, wherein said radially disposed bolts have T-shaped inner portions to hook into correspondingly shaped slots in said clamp members to retract said clamp members to said retracted positions thereof. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a division of application Ser. No. 09/878,465, filed on Jun. 11, 2001. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to progressing cavity pump oil well installations and, more specifically, to a drive head for use in progressing cavity pump oil well installations. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Progressing cavity pump drives presently on the market have weaknesses with respect to the stuffing box, backspin retarder and the power transmission system. Oil producing companies need a pump drive which requires little or no maintenance, is very safe for operating personnel and minimizes the chances of product leakage and resultant environmental damage. When maintenance is required on the pump drive, it must be safe and very fast and easy to do. Due the abrasive sand particles present in crude oil and poor alignment between the wellhead and stuffing box, leakage of crude oil from the stuffing box is common in some applications. This costs oil companies money in service time, down time and environmental clean up. It is especially a problem in heavy crude oil wells in which the oil is often produced from semi-consolidated sand formations since loose sand is readily transported to the stuffing box by the viscosity of the crude oil. Costs associated with stuffing box failures are one of the highest maintenance costs on many wells. Servicing of stuffing boxes is time consuming and difficult. Existing stuffing boxes are mounted below the drive head. Stuffing boxes are typically separate from the drive and are mounted in a wellhead frame such that they can be serviced from below the drive head without removing it. This necessitates mounting the drive head higher, constrains the design and still means a difficult service job. Drive heads with integral stuffing boxes mounted on the bottom of the drive head have more recently entered the market. In order to service the stuffing box, the drive must be removed which necessitates using a rig with two winch lines, one to support the drive and the other to hold the polished rod. This is more expensive and makes servicing the stuffing box even more difficult. As a result, these stuffing boxes are typically exchanged in the field and the original stuffing box is sent back to a service shop for repair-still unsatisfactory. Due to the energy stored in wind up of the sucker rods used to drive the progressing cavity pump and the fluid column on the pump, each time a well shuts down a backspin retarder brake is required to slow the backspin shaft speed to a safe level and dissipate the energy. Because sheaves and belts are used to transmit power from the electric motor to the pump drive head on all existing equipment in the field, there is always the potential for the brake to fail and the sheaves to spin out of control. If sheaves turn fast enough, they will explode due to tensile stresses which result due to centrifugal forces. Exploding sheaves are very dangerous to operating personnel. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to address all these issues and combines all functions into a single drive head. The drive head of the present invention eliminates the conventional belts and sheaves that are used on all drives presently on the market, thus eliminating belt tensioning and replacement. Elimination of belts and sheaves removes a significant safety hazard that arises due to the release of energy stored in wind up of rods and the fluid column above the pump. One aspect of the invention relates to a centrifugal backspin retarder, which controls backspin speed and is located on a drive head input shaft so that it is considerably more effective than a retarder located on the output shaft due to its mechanical advantage and the higher centrifugal forces resulting from higher speeds acting on the centrifugal brake shoes. A ball-type clutch mechanism is employed so that brake components are only driven when the drive is turning in the backspin direction, thus reducing heat buildup due to viscous drag. Another aspect of the present invention relates to the provision of an integrated rotating stuffing box mounted on the top side of the drive head, which is made possible by a unique standpipe arrangement. This makes the stuffing box easier to service and allows a pressurization system to be used such that any leakage past the rotating seals or the standpipe seals goes down the well bore rather than spilling onto the ground or into a catch tray and then onto the ground when that overflows. In the present invention, only one winch line is required to support the polish rod because the drive does not have to be removed to service the stuffing box. In order to eliminate the need for a rig entirely, a still further aspect of the present invention provides a special clamp integrated with the drive head to support the polished rod and prevent rotation while the stuffing box is serviced. Preferably, blow out preventers are integrated into the clamping means and are therefore closed while the stuffing box is serviced, thus preventing any well fluids from escaping while the stuffing box is open. According to the present invention then, there is provided a drive head assembly for use to fluid sealingly rotate a rod extending down a well, comprising a rotatable sleeve adapted to concentrically receive a portion of said rod therethrough; means for drivingly connecting said sleeve to the rod; and a prime mover drivingly connected to said sleeve for rotation thereof. According to another aspect of the present invention then, there is also provided in a stuffing box for sealing the end of a rotatable rod extending from a well bore, the improvement comprising a first fluid passageway disposed concentrically around at least a portion of the rod passing through the stuffing box; a second fluid passageway disposed concentrically inside said first passageway, said second passageway being in fluid communication with wellhead pressure during normal operations; said first and second passageways being in fluid communication with one another and having seal means disposed therebetween to permit the maintenance of a pressure differential between them; and means to pressurize fluid in said first passageway to a pressure in excess of wellhead pressure to prevent the leakage of well fluids through the stuffing box. According to another aspect of the present invention then, there is also provided a drive head for use with a progressing cavity pump in an oil well, comprising a drive head housing; a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said housing for connection to a drive motor; an annular tubular sleeve rotatably mounted in said housing and drivingly connected to said drive shaft; a tubular standpipe concentrically mounted within said sleeve in annularly spaced relation thereto defining a first tubular fluid passageway for receiving fluid at a first pressure and operable to receive a polished rod therein in annularly spaced relation defining a second tubular fluid passageway exposed to oil well pressure during normal operation; seal means disposed in said first fluid passageway; means for maintaining the fluid pressure within said first fluid passageway greater than the fluid pressure in said second fluid passageway; and means for releasably drivingly connecting said sleeve to a polished rod mounted in said standpipe. According to another aspect of the present invention them, there is also provided in a drive head for rotating a rod extending down a well, the drive head having an upper end and a lower end, the improvement comprising a stuffing box for said rod integrated into the upper end of said drive head to enable said stuffing box to be serviced without removing said drive head from the well. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other features of preferred embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a view of a progressing cavity pump oil well installation in an earth formation with a typical drive head, wellhead frame and stuffing box; FIG. 2 is a view similar to the upper end of FIG. 1 but illustrating a conventional drive head with an integrated stuffing box extending from the bottom end of the drive head; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partially broken cross-sectional view of the drive head of FIG. 3 including the main shaft and stuffing box thereof modified to include an additional pressure control system; FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the pressure control system shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another preferred embodiment of the drive head including a floating labyrinth seal; FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the floating labyrinth seal shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the drive head including a top mounted stuffing box which is not pressurized; FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the drive head with a hydraulic motor and another embodiment of the floating labyrinth seal; FIG. 10 is a side elevational cross-sectional view of a centrifugal backspin retarder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a plan view of the centrifugal backspin retarder shown in FIG. 10; FIG. 12 is a partially broken, cross-sectional view illustrating ball actuating grooves formed in the driving and driven hubs of the centrifugal backspin retarder shown in FIG. 10 when operating in the forward direction; FIG. 13 is similar to FIG. 12 but illustrates the backspin retarder being driven in the backwards direction when the retarder brakes are engaged; FIG. 14 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a polished rod lock-out clamp according to the present invention; FIG. 15 is a top plan view of the clamp of FIG. 14; FIG. 16 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a polished rod lock-out clamp according to the present invention; FIG. 17 is a top plan view of the claim of FIG. 16; FIG. 18 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a polished rod lock-out clamp according to the present invention; FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the clamp of FIG. 18; FIG. 20 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a blow-out preventer having an integrated polished rod lock-out clamp according to the present invention; and FIG. 21 is a top plan view of the clamp of FIG. 20. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 illustrates a known progressing cavity pump installation 10. The installation includes a typical progressing cavity pump drive head 12, a wellhead frame 14, a stuffing box 16, an electric motor 18, and a belt and sheave drive system 20, all mounted on a flow tee 22. The flow tee is shown with a blow out preventer 24 which is, in turn, mounted on a wellhead 25. The drive head supports and drives a drive shaft 26, generally known as a “polished rod”. The polished rod is supported and rotated by means of a polish rod clamp 28, which engages an output shaft 30 of the drive head by means of milled slots (not shown) in both parts. Wellhead frame 14 is open sided in order to expose polished rod 26 to allow a service crew to install a safety clamp on the polished rod and then perform maintenance work on stuffing box 16. Polished rod 26 rotationally drives a drive string 32, sometimes referred to as “sucker rods”, which, in turn, drives a progressing cavity pump 34 located at the bottom of the installation to produce well fluids to the surface through the wellhead. FIG. 2 illustrates a typical progressing cavity pump drive head 36 with an integral stuffing box 38 mounted on the bottom of the drive head and corresponding to that portion of the installation in FIG. 1 which is above the dotted and dashed line 40. The main advantage of this type of drive head is that, since the main drive head shaft is already supported with bearings, stuffing box seals can be placed around the main shaft, thus improving alignment and eliminating contact between the stuffing box rotary seals and the polished rod. This style of drive head reduces the height of the installation because there is no wellhead frame and also reduces cost because there is no wellhead frame and there are fewer parts since the stuffing box is integrated with the drive head. The main disadvantage is that the drive head must be removed to do maintenance work on the stuffing box. This necessitates using a service rig with two lifting lines, one to support the polished rod and the other to support the drive head. The drive head of the present invention is arranged to be connected directly to and between an electric or hydraulic drive motor and a conventional flow tee of an oil well installation to house drive means for rotatably driving a conventional polished rod, and for not only providing the function of a stuffing box, but one which can be accessed from the top of the drive head to facilitate servicing of the drive head and stuffing box components. Another preferred aspect of the present invention is the provision of a polished rod lock-out clamp for use in clamping the polished rod during drive head servicing operations. The clamp can be integrated with the drive head or provided as a separate assembly below the drive head. Finally, the drive head may be provided with a backspin retarder to control backspin of the pump drive string following drive shut down. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the drive head assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is generally designated by reference numeral 5 and comprises a drive head 50 and a prime mover such as electric motor 18 to actuate drive head 50 and rotate polished rod 26 as will be described below. The drive head assembly includes a housing 52 in which is mounted an input or drive shaft 54 connected to motor 18 for rotation and, as part of the drive head 50, an output shaft assembly 56 drivingly connected to a conventional polished rod 26. Drive shaft 54 is connected directly to electric drive motor 18, eliminating the conventional drive belts and sheaves and the disadvantages associated therewith. Output shaft assembly 56 provides a fluid seal between the fluid in drive head 50 and formation fluid in the well. The fluid pressure on the drive head side of the seal is above the wellhead pressure. The fluid seal provides the functions of a conventional stuffing box and, accordingly, not only eliminates the need for a separate stuffing box, which further reduces the height of the assembly above the flow tee, but is easily serviceable from the top of the drive head, as will be explained. Electric motor 18 is secured to housing 52 by way of a motor mount housing 60 which encloses the motor's drive shaft 62 which in turn is drivingly connected to drive shaft 54 by a releasable coupling 64 known in the art. Drive shaft 54 is rotatably mounted in upper and lower shaft bearing assemblies 66 and 68, respectively, which are secured to housing 52. The lower end of drive shaft 54 is advantageously coupled to a centrifugal backspin retarder 70 and to an oil pump 72. A drive gear 74 is mounted on drive shaft 54 and meshes with a driven gear 76. Driven gear 76 is drivingly connected to and mounted on a tubular sleeve 80 which is part of tubular output shaft assembly 56. Depending on the viscosity or weight of the fluids being produced from the well, the ratios between the drive and driven gears can be changed for improved operation. Part of assembly 56 functions as a rotating stuffing box as will now be described. Sleeve 80 is mounted for rotation in upper and lower bearing cap assemblies 84 and 86, respectively, secured to housing 52 as seen most clearly in FIG. 4. Upper bearing cap assembly 84 is located in opening 51 formed in housing 52's upper surface, and lower bearing cap assembly 86 is situated in vertically aligned opening 53 formed in the housing's lower surface. The upper end of sleeve 80 extends through upper cap 84 so that the top of shaft assembly 56 is easily accessible from outside the housing's upper surface for service access without having to remove the drive head from the well. Where sleeve 80 exits bearing cap 84, sealing is provided by any suitable means such as an oil seal 55 and a rubber flinger ring 57. Upper bearing cap assembly 84 houses a roller bearing 88 and lower bearing cap 86 houses a thrust roller bearing 90 which vertically supports and locates sleeve 80 and driven gear 76 in the housing. A standpipe 92 is concentrically mounted within the inner bore of sleeve 80 in spaced apart relation to define a first axially extending outer annular fluid passage 94 between the standpipe's outer surface and sleeve 80's inner surface. Standpipe 92 is arranged to concentrically receive polished rod 26 therethrough in annularly spaced relation to define a second inner axially extending annular fluid passage 114 between the standpipe's inner surface and the polished rod's outer surface. Lower bearing cap assembly 86 includes a downwardly depending tubular housing portion 96 with a bore 98 formed axially therethrough which communicates with inner fluid passage 114. The lower end of the standpipe is seated on an annular shoulder defined by a snap ring 102 mounted in a mating groove in inner bore 98 of the lower bearing cap assembly. The standpipe is prevented from rotating by, for example, a pin 104 extending between the lower bearing cap assembly and the standpipe. The upper end of the standpipe is received in a static or ring seal carrier 110 which is mounted in the upper end of sleeve 80. A plurality of ring seals or packings 116 are provided at the upper end of outer annular fluid passage 94 between a widened portion of the inner bore of sleeve 80 and outer surface of the standpipe 92, and between the underside of seal carrier 110 and a compression spring 118 which biases the packings against seal carrier 110, or at least towards the carrier if by chance wellhead pressure exceeds the force of the spring and the pressure in outer passage 94. A bushing or labyrinth seal 120 is provided between the outer surface of the lower end of sleeve 80 and an inner bore of lower bearing cap assembly 86. The upper end of inner fluid passage 114 communicates with the upper surface of packings 116. As will be described below, pressurized fluid in outer fluid passage 94 and spring 118 act on the lower side of the packings, opposing the pressure exerted by the well fluid in passage 114 to prevent leakage. The upper end of sleeve 80 extending above housing 52 is threadedly coupled to a drive cap 122 which in turn is coupled to a polished rod drive clamp 124 which engages polished rod 26 for rotation. A plurality of static seals 126 are mounted in static seal carrier 110 to seal between the seal carrier and the polished rod. O-rings 236 seal the static seal carrier 110 to the inside of sleeve 80. As there is clearance between the upper end of standpipe 92 and seal carrier 110 for fluid communication between fluid passages 114 and 94, there is some compliancy in the standpipe's vertical orientation which allows it to adapt to less than perfect alignment of the polished rod. A pressurization system is provided to pressurize outer annular fluid passage 94. To that end, the lower bearing cap assembly includes a diametrically extending oil passage 130. One end of passage 130 in the lower bearing cap is connected to the high pressure side of oil pump 72 by a conduit (not shown) and communicates with the lower end of outer annular passage 94. The high pressure side of the pump is also connected to a pressure relief valve 133 which, if the pressure delivered by the pump reaches a set point, will open to allow oil to flow into passage 132 in the upper bearing cap assembly by a conduit (not shown) to lubricate bearings 88 and oil seal 55. The other end of passage 132 in the upper bearing cap assembly communicates with a similar passage 134 in upper bearing cap 66 supporting drive shaft 54. The fluid pressure supplied to passage 130 from pump 72 is maintained above the pressure at the wellhead. A pressure differential in the order of 50 to 500 psi is believed to be adequate although greater or lesser differentials are contemplated. An enhancement to automatically adjust stuffing box pressure in relation to wellhead pressure is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. A valve spool or piston 140 is mounted in a port 142 formed in the wall 144 of lower tubular portion 96 of lower bearing cap assembly 86. An access cap 146 is threaded into the outer end of the port. A spring 148 normally biases spool 140 radially outwardly. As best shown in FIG. 5, an axial fluid passage 150 communicates pump pressure to the left side of valve spool 140. A second passage 152 connects to upper bearing cap 84. The inner end of valve spool 140 communicates with wellhead pressure in bore 98. The outer end of the spool communicates with pump pressure against the action of the spring and the wellhead pressure. The spool valve serves to maintain the fluid pressure applied to the first annular passage 94 greater than the well pressure in the second annular passage 114. In operation, when electric motor 18 is powered, the motor drives shaft 54 which, in turn, rotates drive gear 74 and driven gear 76. Driven gear rotates sleeve 80 and drive cap 122 to rotate polished rod 26 via rod clamp 124. Drive shaft 54 also operates oil pump 72 which applies fluid to outer fluid passage 94 at a pressure which is greater than the wellhead pressure in inner fluid passage 114. This higher pressure is intended to prevent oil well fluids from leaking through the stuffing box and entering into drive head housing 52. The pressure applied to outer annular passage 94 can be set by adjusting pressure relief valve 133 or in the enhanced embodiment of FIG. 4, the spool valve automatically adjusts the pressure applied to outer fluid passage 94 in response to wellhead pressure. Excess flow which is not required to the stuffing box can be released to the top bearings or gear mesh for lubrication. Sleeve 80, packings 116, spring 118, static seals 126 and seal carrier 110 all rotate or are adapted to rotate relative to standpipe 92. The labyrinth seal 120 between sleeve 80 and the main bearing cap 86 as shown in FIG. 3 is used in the present invention so that there is no contact and thus no wear between these parts in normal operation. However, it is difficult to manufacture a close fitting labyrinth due to run out which is common in all manufactured parts. Due to the difficulty of manufacture, a preferred embodiment of the labyrinth seal is a floating seal 229 which is compliantly mounted to main bearing cap 86 by studs 230 and locknuts 231 as shown in FIG. 6 and in greater detail in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, sleeve 80 is shortened to provide clearance for the seal. Labyrinth seal 229 has clearance holes to receive studs 230 to allow movement of the seal in the horizontal plane. Lock nuts 231 are adjusted to provide a sliding clearance between seal 229 and the top surface of bottom bearing cap 86. An O-ring 232 prevents the flow of oil between the labyrinth seal and the bottom bearing cap. The O-ring preferably has a diameter nearly equal to that of the labyrinth seal since this balances the hydraulic load on the labyrinth seal, reduces force on the lock nuts and allows the labyrinth seal to move and align itself more easily within rotating driven gear 76. Due to typical diametral clearances of 0.002 to 0.005 inches between the stationary labyrinth seal and the rotating driven gear, leakage occurs. Due to hydrodynamic forces generated within the leaked oil by the rotation of the rotating member, similar to the principle of a journal bearing, the labyrinth seal tends to align itself in the center of the rotating component. The rotating component can be the driven gear as shown in FIG. 6, the main bearing inner race as shown in FIG. 9, sleeve 80 or a bushing fixed to the sleeve. In some cases, pressurization of the stuffing box is not worthwhile economically but having the stuffing box mounted on the top of the drive head remains a service benefit. FIG. 8 shows a preferred embodiment of a stuffing box which can be serviced from the top of the drive but does not have outer annular passage 94 pressurized. In this embodiment, wellhead pressure is applied to inner annular passage 114. Stuffing box spring 118 is placed between packing rings 116 and static seal carrier 110 to act in the same direction against the seals as wellhead pressure and to eliminate [eliminating] the need for adjustment of the packing rings. Static seals 126 prevent escape of well fluids between polished rod 26 and static seal carrier 110. O-rings 236 prevent escape of well fluids between static seal carrier 110 and the inner bore of sleeve 80. Drive cap 122 is threaded onto sleeve 80 and transmits torque to polished rod clamp 124 to rotate polished rod 26. Leakage past packing rings 116 flows into a lantern ring 239 which has radial holes 242 to communicate with radial holes 238 in sleeve 80 to drain the fluid for collection away from [in] the housing. Leakage of well fluids into the drive head is prevented by static O-rings 241 between the lantern ring and sleeve 80 and by dynamic lip seals 240 between lantern ring 239 and standpipe 92. In some cases, progressing cavity pump drives use a hydraulic motor rather than an electric motor. Use of hydraulic power provides an opportunity to simplify the drive system and the stuffing box pressurization which will be explained with reference to FIG. 9, showing a preferred embodiment of a drive head driven by a hydraulic motor 233. The drive head assembly 234 shown in this figure with hydraulic drive does not have a backspin retarder braking system since the braking action can be achieved by restricting the flow of hydraulic oil in the backspin direction. Additionally, the pressure from the hydraulic system can be used to pressurize the stuffing box, thus eliminating the need for oil pump 72. Both simplifications affect the drive shaft from the motor since the braking system and the oil pump can be left out of the design thus reducing cost, size and complexity. In hydraulic drive head assembly 234, hydraulic pressure on the input port of hydraulic motor 233 is diverted though a channel (not shown) to a pressure reducing valve 235. The reduced pressure fluid is supplied to oil passage 130 in the lower bearing assembly to pressurize outer fluid passage 94. The pressure reducing valve is set higher than the wellhead pressure in inner fluid passage 114 as in other embodiments. When it is time to service the part of shaft assembly 56 that functions as the stuffing box, it is merely necessary to remove rod clamp 124 and drive cap 122 to gain access to static seals 126, seal carrier 110, packing rings 116 and spring 118 without having to remove the drive head itself. During servicing, the polished rod can be held in place by a winch line, but as will be described below, the present invention preferably includes its own polished rod clamp which will hold the rod for the length of time required to complete the servicing. When the present unit incorporates its own rod clamp, winch lines can be eliminated altogether for a substantial operational saving. As mentioned above, backspin from the windup in sucker rods 34 can reach destructive levels. The present drive head assembly can therefore advantageously incorporate a braking assembly to retard backspin, as will now be described in greater detail. Referring to FIGS. 10-13, a centrifugal brake assembly 70 is comprised of a driving hub 190 and a driven hub 192. Driving hub 190 is connected to the drive shaft 54 for rotation therewith. Driven hub 192 is mounted to freewheel around shaft 54 using an upper roller bearing 194 and a lower thrust bearing assembly 196. One end of each of a pair of brake shoes 198 is pivotally connected to a respective driven hub by a pivot pin 200. A pin 202 on the other end of each of the brake shoes is connected to an adjacent pivot pin 200 on the other respective brake shoe by a helical tension spring 204 so as to bias the brake shoes inwardly toward respective non-braking positions. Brake linings 206 are secured to the outer arcuate sides of the brake shoes for frictional engagement with the inner surface 208 of an encircling portion of drive head housing 52. One end of each brake shoe is fixed to the driven hub by means of one of the pivot pins 200. The other end of each shoe is free to move inwardly under the influence of springs 204, or outwardly due to centrifugal force. Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the driving and driven hubs 190 and 192 are formed with respective grooves 210 and 212, respectively, in adjacent surfaces 214 and 216, for receiving drive balls 218, of which only one is shown. Groove 210 in driving hub 190 is formed with a ramp or sloped surface 220 which terminates in a ball chamber 222 where it is intersected by a radial hole 209 in which the edge of the ball is located when drive shaft 54 rotates in a forward direction. Centrifugal force holds the ball radially outwards and upwards in the ball chamber by pressing it against radial hole 209 so there is no ball motion or contact with freewheeling driven hub 192 while rotation is in the forward direction. When the drive shaft rotates in the reverse direction, the ball moves downward to a position in which it engages and locks both hubs together. When the drive head starts to turn in the forward direction, the ball 218 rests on driven hub 192. The edge 211 of ball chamber 222 pushes the ball to the right and causes it to ride up ramped surface 215. As the speed increases, the ball jumps slightly above the ramp and is thrown up into ball chamber 222, where it is held by centrifugal force as shown in FIG. 12. When the electric motor turning the drive head is shut off, the drive head stops and ball 218 drops back onto driven hub 192 as windup in the sucker rod begins to counter or reverse rotate the drive head, which transmits the reverse rotation to drive shaft 54 through sleeve 80 and driven gear 76. More specifically, sloped surface 220 of driving hub 190 pushes the ball to the left until it falls into groove 212 of the driven hub. The ball continues to be pushed to the left until it becomes wedged between the spherical surface 213 of the driving hub and the spherical surface 217 of the driven hub thus starting the driven hub and thereby the brake shoes turning. This position is illustrated in FIG. 13. The reverse ramp 220 of driving hub 190 serves an important function associated with the centrifugal brake. The centrifugal brake has no friction against housing surface 208 until the brake turns fast enough to overcome brake retraction springs 204. If the driving hub generates a sufficient impact against driven hub 192 during engagement, the driven hub can accelerate away from the driving hub. If the driving hub is itself turning fast enough, the ball can rise up into ball chamber 222 and stay there. By adding reverse ramp 220, the ball cannot rise up during impact and since the ramp is relatively long, it allows driving hub 190 to catch up to driven hub 192 and keep the ball down where it can wedge between the driving and driven hubs. Brake assembly 70 is preferably but not necessarily an oil brake with surface 208 (which acts as a brake drum) having, for example, parts for oil to enter or fall into the brake to reduce wear. As will be appreciated, energy from the recoiling sucker rod is transmitted to brake 70 to safely dissipate that energy non-destructively. A further aspect of the present invention is the provision of a polished rod lock out clamp 160 for use in securing the polished rod when it is desired to service the drive head. The clamp may be integrated into the drive head or may be provided as a separate assembly, which is secured to and between the drive head and a flow tee. FIGS. 14-17 illustrate two embodiments of a lock-out clamp. As shown, in each embodiment, the clamp includes a tubular clamp body 162 having a bore 164 for receiving polished rod 26 in annularly spaced relation therethrough. A bushing 166 is mounted on an annular shoulder 168 formed at the bottom end of bore 164 for centering the polished rod in the housing. Flanges 167 or threaded connections depending on the application are formed at the upper and lower ends of the housing for bolting or otherwise securing the housing to the underside of the drive head and to the upper end of the flow tee. The clamp includes two or more equally angularly spaced clamp members or shoes 170 about the axis of the housing/polished rod. The clamp shoes are generally in the form of a segment of a cylinder with an arcuate inner surface 172 dimensioned to correspond to the curvature of the surface of the polished rod. Arcuate inner surfaces 172 should be undersize relative to the polished rod's diameter to enhance gripping force. In the embodiment of FIGS. 14 and 15, spring means 174 are provided to normally bias the clamp members into an un-clamped position. In the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17, the ends of bolts 176 are generally T-shaped to hook into correspondingly shaped slots 169 in shoes 170 to positively retract the shoes without the need for springs 174. Clamp shoes 170 are actuated by radial bolts 176, for example, to clamp the polished rod such that it cannot turn or be displaced axially. The lock out clamp may be located between the flow tee and the bottom of the drive head. Alternately, it can be built into the lower bearing cap 86 of the drive head. In some applications it is preferable not to restrict the diameter through the bore 164 of the lock out clamp so that the sucker rods can be pulled through the clamp 160. In this embodiment of the polish rod clamp as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, where like numerals identify like elements, two opposing radial pistons 182 are actuated by bolts 184 to force the pistons together and around polish rod 26. The polish rod is gripped by arcuate recesses 186, which are preferably made undersize relative to the polished rod to enhance gripping force. In a further embodiment of the polished rod lock out clamp, the clamping means are integrated with a blow out preventer 180, shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. Blow out preventers are required on most oil wells. They traditionally have two opposing radial pistons 182 actuated by bolts 184 to force the pistons together and around the polish rod to effect a seal. The pistons are generally made of elastomer or provided with an elastomeric liner such that when the pistons are forced together by the bolts, a seal is formed between the pistons, between the pistons and the polish rod and between the pistons and the piston bores. Actuation thus serves as a means to prevent well fluids from escaping from the well. In accordance with the present invention, an improved blow out preventer serves as a lock out clamp for well servicing. In order to serve this purpose, the pistons must be substantially of metal which can be forced against the polished rod to prevent axial or rotational motion thereof. The inner end of the pistons is formed with an arcuate recess 186 with curvature corresponding substantially to that of the polished rod. Enhanced gripping force can be achieved if the arcuate recess diameter is undersize relative to the polished rod. The sealing function of the blow out preventer must still be accomplished. This can be done by providing a narrow elastomeric seal 188 which runs across the vertical flat face of the piston, along the arcuate recess, along the mid height of the piston and then circumferentially around the piston. Seal 188 seals between the pistons, between the pistons and the polish rod and between the pistons and the piston bores. Thus, well fluid is prevented from coming up the well bore and escaping while the well is being serviced, as might be the case while the stuffing box is being repaired. By including the sealing function of the BOP with clamping means, one set of pistons can accomplish both functions, enhancing safety and convenience without increasing cost or size. The above-described embodiments of the present invention are meant to be illustrative of preferred embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications, which would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. The only limitations to the scope of the present invention are set forth in the following claims appended hereto. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Progressing cavity pump drives presently on the market have weaknesses with respect to the stuffing box, backspin retarder and the power transmission system. Oil producing companies need a pump drive which requires little or no maintenance, is very safe for operating personnel and minimizes the chances of product leakage and resultant environmental damage. When maintenance is required on the pump drive, it must be safe and very fast and easy to do. Due the abrasive sand particles present in crude oil and poor alignment between the wellhead and stuffing box, leakage of crude oil from the stuffing box is common in some applications. This costs oil companies money in service time, down time and environmental clean up. It is especially a problem in heavy crude oil wells in which the oil is often produced from semi-consolidated sand formations since loose sand is readily transported to the stuffing box by the viscosity of the crude oil. Costs associated with stuffing box failures are one of the highest maintenance costs on many wells. Servicing of stuffing boxes is time consuming and difficult. Existing stuffing boxes are mounted below the drive head. Stuffing boxes are typically separate from the drive and are mounted in a wellhead frame such that they can be serviced from below the drive head without removing it. This necessitates mounting the drive head higher, constrains the design and still means a difficult service job. Drive heads with integral stuffing boxes mounted on the bottom of the drive head have more recently entered the market. In order to service the stuffing box, the drive must be removed which necessitates using a rig with two winch lines, one to support the drive and the other to hold the polished rod. This is more expensive and makes servicing the stuffing box even more difficult. As a result, these stuffing boxes are typically exchanged in the field and the original stuffing box is sent back to a service shop for repair-still unsatisfactory. Due to the energy stored in wind up of the sucker rods used to drive the progressing cavity pump and the fluid column on the pump, each time a well shuts down a backspin retarder brake is required to slow the backspin shaft speed to a safe level and dissipate the energy. Because sheaves and belts are used to transmit power from the electric motor to the pump drive head on all existing equipment in the field, there is always the potential for the brake to fail and the sheaves to spin out of control. If sheaves turn fast enough, they will explode due to tensile stresses which result due to centrifugal forces. Exploding sheaves are very dangerous to operating personnel. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention seeks to address all these issues and combines all functions into a single drive head. The drive head of the present invention eliminates the conventional belts and sheaves that are used on all drives presently on the market, thus eliminating belt tensioning and replacement. Elimination of belts and sheaves removes a significant safety hazard that arises due to the release of energy stored in wind up of rods and the fluid column above the pump. One aspect of the invention relates to a centrifugal backspin retarder, which controls backspin speed and is located on a drive head input shaft so that it is considerably more effective than a retarder located on the output shaft due to its mechanical advantage and the higher centrifugal forces resulting from higher speeds acting on the centrifugal brake shoes. A ball-type clutch mechanism is employed so that brake components are only driven when the drive is turning in the backspin direction, thus reducing heat buildup due to viscous drag. Another aspect of the present invention relates to the provision of an integrated rotating stuffing box mounted on the top side of the drive head, which is made possible by a unique standpipe arrangement. This makes the stuffing box easier to service and allows a pressurization system to be used such that any leakage past the rotating seals or the standpipe seals goes down the well bore rather than spilling onto the ground or into a catch tray and then onto the ground when that overflows. In the present invention, only one winch line is required to support the polish rod because the drive does not have to be removed to service the stuffing box. In order to eliminate the need for a rig entirely, a still further aspect of the present invention provides a special clamp integrated with the drive head to support the polished rod and prevent rotation while the stuffing box is serviced. Preferably, blow out preventers are integrated into the clamping means and are therefore closed while the stuffing box is serviced, thus preventing any well fluids from escaping while the stuffing box is open. According to the present invention then, there is provided a drive head assembly for use to fluid sealingly rotate a rod extending down a well, comprising a rotatable sleeve adapted to concentrically receive a portion of said rod therethrough; means for drivingly connecting said sleeve to the rod; and a prime mover drivingly connected to said sleeve for rotation thereof. According to another aspect of the present invention then, there is also provided in a stuffing box for sealing the end of a rotatable rod extending from a well bore, the improvement comprising a first fluid passageway disposed concentrically around at least a portion of the rod passing through the stuffing box; a second fluid passageway disposed concentrically inside said first passageway, said second passageway being in fluid communication with wellhead pressure during normal operations; said first and second passageways being in fluid communication with one another and having seal means disposed therebetween to permit the maintenance of a pressure differential between them; and means to pressurize fluid in said first passageway to a pressure in excess of wellhead pressure to prevent the leakage of well fluids through the stuffing box. According to another aspect of the present invention then, there is also provided a drive head for use with a progressing cavity pump in an oil well, comprising a drive head housing; a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said housing for connection to a drive motor; an annular tubular sleeve rotatably mounted in said housing and drivingly connected to said drive shaft; a tubular standpipe concentrically mounted within said sleeve in annularly spaced relation thereto defining a first tubular fluid passageway for receiving fluid at a first pressure and operable to receive a polished rod therein in annularly spaced relation defining a second tubular fluid passageway exposed to oil well pressure during normal operation; seal means disposed in said first fluid passageway; means for maintaining the fluid pressure within said first fluid passageway greater than the fluid pressure in said second fluid passageway; and means for releasably drivingly connecting said sleeve to a polished rod mounted in said standpipe. According to another aspect of the present invention them, there is also provided in a drive head for rotating a rod extending down a well, the drive head having an upper end and a lower end, the improvement comprising a stuffing box for said rod integrated into the upper end of said drive head to enable said stuffing box to be serviced without removing said drive head from the well. | 20041007 | 20150428 | 20050303 | 72044.0 | 1 | AMIRI, NAHID | POLISH ROD LOCKING CLAMP | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,960,773 | ACCEPTED | Percutaneous mechanical fragmentation catheter system | A percutaneous thrombolytic device, also referred to herein as a percutaneous mechanical fragmentation catheter system, that includes a wire cage or basket attached to a rotational drive motor. The fragmentation basket, ensheathed in an outer catheter, is introduced into the clotted graft or vessel via an introducer sheath. When deployed, the basket will automatically conform to the inner dimensions of the vessel lumen. The rotating basket is slowly withdrawn through the clotted graft, mechanically fragmenting the clot. The fragmented, homogenized debris can be flushed into the venous system or aspirated. | 1-14. (canceled) 15. A method for fragmenting thrombotic material in a vascular conduit comprising the steps of: (a) introducing a fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, wherein the fragmentation catheter comprises an expandable distal end that automatically expands to conform to the shape and diameter of the inner lumen of the vascular conduit upon deployment of the expandable distal end; (b) deploying the expandable distal end; (c) rotating the expandable distal end at a speed capable of homogenizing thrombotic material; and (d) withdrawing the rotating expandable distal end through thrombotic material in the vascular conduit. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end includes a soft, flexible tip. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is made of spring tempered wire. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the fragmentation catheter is coupled to a side arm for applying fluid or suction to the inner lumen of the vascular conduit. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the fragmentation catheter is operably coupled at a proximal end portion thereof to a rotator unit for rotating the expandable distal end. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the fragmentation catheter comprises a flexible drive shaft, where the expandable distal end is connected to a distal end of the flexible drive shaft. 21. The method of claim 15, wherein the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath assembly slidably disposed on the flexible drive shaft for selectively receiving the expandable distal end therewithin, where the expandable distal end is deployed from the outer sheath assembly. 22. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed of 2000-6000 rpm. 23. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed in excess of 2000 rpm. 24. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed of 3000-4500 rpm. 25. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed of 4000 rpm. 26. The method of claim 15, wherein the speed at which the expandable distal end is rotated is controlled by a motor. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the motor is battery operated. 28. The method of claim 15, wherein the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae. 29. The method of claim 15, wherein the vascular conduit is a synthetic vascular graft. 30. The method of claim 15, which further comprises checking the vascular conduit for residual thrombotic material using radiographic contrast dye under fluoroscopy. 31. The method of claim 15, wherein the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit. 33. The method of claim 15, wherein a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end. 34. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is advanced up to an anastomosis in step (a). 35. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 36. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, the fragmentation catheter comprises a side arm for applying fluid or suction to the inner lumen of the vascular conduit, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 37. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, the fragmentation catheter comprises a side arm for applying fluid or suction to the inner lumen of the vascular conduit, the expandable distal end comprises a soft, flexible tip at its distal end, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 38. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed in excess of 2000 rpm, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 39. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed of 3000-4500 rpm, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 40. The method of claim 15, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed of 4000 rpm, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 41. A method for fragmenting thrombotic material in a vascular conduit comprising the steps of: (a) introducing a fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, wherein the fragmentation catheter comprises an expandable distal end that automatically expands to conform to the shape and diameter of the inner lumen of the vascular conduit upon deployment of the expandable distal end; (b) deploying the expandable distal end; (c) rotating the expandable distal end at a speed capable of homogenizing thrombotic material; and (d) advancing the rotating expandable distal end through thrombotic material in the vascular conduit. 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end includes a soft, flexible tip. 43. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is made of spring tempered wire. 44. The method of claim 41, wherein the fragmentation catheter is coupled to a side arm for applying fluid or suction to the inner lumen of the vascular conduit. 45. The method of claim 41, wherein the fragmentation catheter is operably coupled at a proximal end portion thereof to a rotator unit for rotating the expandable distal end. 46. The method of claim 41, wherein the fragmentation catheter comprises a flexible drive shaft, where the expandable distal end is connected to a distal end of the flexible drive shaft. 47. The method of claim 41, wherein the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath assembly slidably disposed on the flexible drive shaft for selectively receiving the expandable distal end therewithin, where the expandable distal end is deployed from the outer sheath assembly. 48. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed of 2000-6000 rpm. 49. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed in excess of 2000 rpm. 50. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed of 3000-4500 rpm. 51. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed of 4000 rpm. 52. The method of claim 41, wherein the speed at which the expandable distal end is rotated is controlled by a motor. 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the motor is battery operated. 54. The method of claim 41, wherein the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae. 55. The method of claim 41, wherein the vascular conduit is a synthetic vascular graft. 56. The method of claim 41, which further comprises checking the vascular conduit for residual thrombotic material using radiographic contrast dye under fluoroscopy. 57. The method of claim 41, wherein the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed. 58. The method of claim 57, wherein the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit. 59. The method of claim 41, wherein a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end. 60. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is advanced up to an anastomosis. 61. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 62. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, the fragmentation catheter comprises a side arm for applying fluid or suction to the inner lumen of the vascular conduit, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 63. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, the fragmentation catheter comprises a side arm for applying fluid or suction to the inner lumen of the vascular conduit, the expandable distal end comprises a soft, flexible tip at its distal end, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 64. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed in excess of 2000 rpm, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 65. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed of 3000-4500 rpm, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. 66. The method of claim 41, wherein the expandable distal end is made of memory wire, the speed at which the fragmentation member is rotated is controlled by a motor, a handle is attached to a proximal end of the fragmentation catheter for deploying the expandable distal end, the fragmentation catheter comprises an outer sheath from which the expandable distal end is deployed, the expandable distal end is contained within the outer sheath upon introduction of the fragmentation catheter in the vascular conduit, the expandable distal end is rotated at a speed of 4000 rpm, and the vascular conduit is a dialysis fistulae or a synthetic vascular graft. | This application is a continuation-in-part of prior application Ser. No. 07/864,714, filed Apr. 7, 1992, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to the catheter for mechanically fragmenting clots within the vascular system and, in particular, within occluded synthetic vascular grafts. The catheter is used percutaneously thereby obviating invasive surgical procedures. The use of the catheter reduces or eliminates the need for pharmacological clot dissolution. 2. Background Information Approximately 150,000 patients in the United States are undergoing chronic hemodialysis. A significant problem for these patients is thrombosis of their dialysis access grafts. This contributes greatly to patient morbidity and hospitalization. Various prior art techniques have attempted to break up clots and/or other obstructing materials, such as neo-intimal hyperplasia in the vascular system and in synthetic grafts. Although surgery has been the traditional management for thrombosed access grafts and fistulae, percutaneous chemical thrombolysis, the use of thrombolytic agents to dissolve clots, is playing an increasingly important role for hemodialysis patients. Currently, the most popular technique is pulse-spray thrombolysis; however, use of thrombolytic agents such as Urokinase or Streptokinase is associated with relatively high costs, prolonged procedure time, and the potential for bleeding complications. Chronic hemodialysis patients experience blockage of the synthetic access graft (the dialysis fistula) approximately 3-4 times a year. Use of thrombolytic agents requires the patient to spend a day in the hospital each time the dialysis fistula occludes. Moreover, pharmacological therapy requires long time commitments for infusion or medical personnel commitments for pulse-spray techniques. Surgical thrombectomy has also been used to restore access for dialysis and has opened vascular ducts occluded by clots. Again, the expense is excessive because operating room time must be used. Such techniques use a Fogarty balloon catheter in the operating room, although a Fogarty balloon catheter may be used percutaneously. Various mechanical devices have been developed that are designed to mechanically remove atheromatous plaque; most of these devices are said to remove thrombus material also. Most of these devices cut the material and then collect or remove the resulting debris from the vascular system. Various atherectomy devices are described in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,482 issued to Samuel Shiber; U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,677 issued to Halmut Masch; U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,001 issued to Michi E. Garrison et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,277 issued to Andrew Farr; U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,858 issued to Hanson Grifford, III, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,061 issued to Robert E. Fischell et al.; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,923,462 and 4,936,845, issued to Robert Stevers et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,781 issued to Royce Hosted. The above devices share common problems—they require larger sheath size and create a limited channel size. Moreover, the prior art devices do not automatically accommodate to changes in the inner lumen dimensions of the graft or vessel caused by the presence of a thrombus or automatically expand outward toward the vessel or conduit walls as the thrombus is being fragmented. U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,201 issued to Aubrey Palestrant, typifies the problems associated with prior art mechanical devices. Palestrant teaches a plurality of parallel cutting blades which are contained during transport within a protective sheath. In operation, the device cuts a portion of the obstructing material and then a second means is used to manually expand the parallel cutting blade so that a larger core can be cut in the obstructing material. The Palestrant device relies on the relative movement of coaxial catheters to bow the blades outward. The amount of expansion is totally controlled by the operator and the Palestrant device cannot automatically compensate for changes in the inner lumen as obstructing material is removed. The coaxial structure also requires a large diameter protective sheath. Various mechanical devices, rather than using rotating members to cut the obstructive material use ureteric stone catcher baskets mounted on a catheter tip to grab and remove thrombotic material. The following articles teach the use of such baskets to grab and remove thrombus: 1) “A Combined Technique for Peripheral Arterial Embolectomy” Arch Surg/Vol. 105, December, 1972; 2) “Removal of an iatrogenic foreign body from the aorta by means of ureteric stone catheter” Am. Heart J. March, 1967; 3) “Nonsurgical Techniques for Removal of Catheter Fragments From the Pulmonary Artery” Catheterization and Cardiovascular Diagnosis 9:109-112 (1983); 4) “Atraumatic retrieval of catheter fragments from the central circulation in children” European Journal of Cardiology, 1974, 1/4, 421-422; 5) “Removal of Intravascular Foreign Body with Stone Retriever” Urology, February 1981, Vol. XVII, No. 2; 6) “Retrograde Embolectomy” The Lancet, Apr. 6, 1963; 7) “Mechanical Clot Dissolution: New Concept” Radiology, April 1989, 17/:231-233; 8) “Mini basket for Percutaneous Embolectomy and Filter Protection Against Distal Embolization: Technical Note” Cardiovasc Intervent Radial (1991) 14:195-198; and 9) “Percutaneous Aspiration Thromboembolectomy” Radiology July, 1985; 156:61-66. An article appearing in Radiology entitled “New Device for Percutaneous Fragmentation of Pulmonary Emboli” (Radiology, 1991; 180:135-137) combines a spinning impeller contained within a stone basket. The stone basket does not rotate and is necessary to center the rotating impeller so that it does not inadvertently cut the vessel wall. The device cannot automatically expand the mechanical fragmentor to accommodate the inner lumen dimensions of the vascular conduit. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention represents a new approach to fragmenting clots within the vascular system and in particular within synthetic vascular grafts. The invention overcomes deficiencies in the prior art by: 1) automatically expanding to conform to the inner lumen dimensions and shape; 2) applying a radial pressure so that the fragmentor automatically expands as the thrombus is fragmented and can eventually press against the walls of the conduit; and 3) using a minimal number and size of components so that the catheter can be deployed through a small introducer sheath. The percutaneous thrombolytic device, also referred to herein as a percutaneous mechanical fragmentation catheter system, comprised of a stone retrieval basket modified to attach to a rotational drive motor. The catheter is introduced into the clotted graft or vessel via an introducer sheath. When deployed, the basket will automatically conform to the inner dimensions of the vessel lumen. The rotating basket is slowly withdrawn through the clotted graft, mechanically fragmenting the clot. The fragmented, homogenized debris (with particles under 3 mm in diameter with the majority under 1 mm) can be flushed into the venous system or aspirated. The wire cage that makes up the basket contains a designed “springiness” enabling it to self-expand. Thus, the cage can conform to the inner lumen dimensions and shape and apply radial pressure against the thrombus material, thereby expanding to homogenize substantially the entire cross-section of the conduit. As the material homogenizes, the cage automatically expands. The fragmentation catheter can be used percutaneously, thereby obviating surgery. The catheter reduces or eliminates the need for pharmacological clot dissolution. This new catheter offers the advantage of shortening procedure time, decreasing cost and risk, allowing the use of smaller sheath size and automatically accommodating for differences in the vessel inside diameter. Other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a percutaneous mechanical fragmentation catheter system, in accordance with the invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic elevational view of a torque cable assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2A is a schematic elevational view of detail A in FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a schematic elevational view of an outer sheath assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic elevational view of a percutaneous thrombolytic device in accordance with the invention, in its compressed position; FIG. 5 is a schematic elevational view of a percutaneous thrombolytic device in accordance with the invention, in its deployed position; FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a rotator assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the rotator assembly of FIG. 6; FIG. 8A is a schematic perspective view showing attachment of the percutaneous thrombolytic device to the rotator; FIG. 8B is a schematic perspective view showing the percutaneous thrombolytic device coupled to the rotator and being disposed in the compressed position; FIG. 8C is a schematic perspective view showing the percutaneous thrombolytic device coupled to the rotator and being disposed in the deployed position; FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the placement of arterial and venous sheaths for an exemplary procedure utilizing the device of the invention; FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a second embodiment the fragmentation catheter used in conjunction with a guide wire; and FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11C show the use of the percutaneous mechanical fragmentation catheter system in a dialysis fistula. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the percutaneous thrombolytic device (PTD) is a 5 Fr×46 cm catheter with an expandable, e.g., 9 mm nickel-titanium (nitinol) spiral basket cage. The device is attached to a hand-held, preferably battery-operated, rotary unit which spins the basket at least in excess of about 2,000 rpm. In some environments the basket is rotated at approximately 3,000-4,500 rpm. The basket is placed within the thrombosed graft or vessel and spun to pulverize the clot. FIG. 1 schematically shows the percutaneous mechanical fragmentation catheter system 10 provided in accordance with the present invention. The PTD catheter comprises a torque cable assembly 12 encased within the outer sheath assembly 14. The torque assembly 12 is made of e.g. a stainless-steel drive cable 16 with a fragmentation basket 18 on the distal end, a splined drive hub 20 on the proximal end, and a cable stop 22 coupled so as to be loosely attached or free spinning as at 21 relative to the torque cable 16 and used to lock the catheter to the rotator unit 24, as detailed below. The original design of the inventive device used a stainless steel spiral basket. However, in accordance with the currently most preferred embodiment, nickel-titanium (nitinol) is used for the wires. The fragmentation basket or cage 18 is made from three to six wires 26. The wires 26 are flexible and formed with a memory, such that in their normal or relaxed position the wires are bowed and form a basket 18 having a diameter greater than the vascular conduit within which the basket will be used. Because the wires 26 are flexible, the basket 18 may be compressed so that its outer diameter is reduced and conforms to the inner diameter of the vascular conduit. Because the wires 26 are formed with a memory, the wires will cause the basket 18 to seek to expand in size until the wires return to their normal or relaxed position. As such, the fragmentation cage 18 will press against the inner lumen of the vascular conduit and automatically sense and conform to its size and shape. The fragmentation cage 18 can be made of flat or round wire and formed in a straight or helical configuration. Moreover, the wire could have a cutting edge or be impregnated with diamonds or other material, or could be shaped with a cutting edge (e.g. diamond shape) to help fragment the thrombotic material or to enable the device to remove atheroma or neo-intimal hyperplasia. The fragmentation cage 18 should be able to expand from the inner lumen of the outer sheath 36 to fill substantially the entire inner lumen of the vascular conduct. Thus, the wire basket may range in size from, for example, 4.0-30.0 mm depending on the size of the conduit to be treated. Currently, a wire basket diameter of about 6 to 9 mm is most preferred for dialysis fistula. The basket or cage 18 is also preferably designed with a tapered tip 28 on the end to facilitate maneuvering the device through the graft. In the currently preferred embodiment the distal portion of the tip 28 is soft and flexible. Thus, with reference to FIG. 2A, the basket 18 has a metal cap 30 and a soft, flexible plastic tip 32. The splined drive hub 20 is designed to mate with a splined gear piece (not shown in detail) on the rotator unit 24 in a conventional manner so that as the rotator spins, torque is transmitted along the cable 16 to the fragmentation basket 18. The cable stop 22 locks the torque cable assembly 12 to the rotator unit 24, e.g. by being received in slot 44, so that the two do not separate during use. The outer sheath assembly 14 comprises a hemostasis hub 34 connected to the outer sheath tubing 36. One can minimize trauma to vascular grafts by using the smallest possible outer sheath 36. The outer sheath could range in diameter from 3 to 9 French. The inventor has found that for dialysis grafts a 4.5-5.0 French outer sheath works very well. The particular length of the outer sheath 36 is variable, but is optimally around 40-50 cm for most procedures. The hemostasis hub 34 includes a silicone seal 38 and a cap 40 to prevent fluids, such as blood, from contacting the user. A side-arm 42 is also provided for flushing out the lumen before use and/or for injecting contrast during the procedure. As noted above, a handle or cable stop 22 is provided adjacent the proximal end of the fragmentation assembly 12 to lock the catheter to the rotator unit 24. The side arm 42 of the hemostasis hub 34 likewise is selectively coupled to the rotator unit 24 to define the relative position of the outer sheath 36 and the fragmentation assembly 12. In the illustrated embodiment two relative positions are provided, but additional relative positions can be accommodated. More particularly, with reference to FIGS. 8A-C, movement of side arm 42 away from arm 22 to the lock position defined by slot 48, defines a compressed configuration wherein the fragmentation cage 18 is shielded. On the other hand, movement of side arm 42 toward arm 22 to the lock position defined by slot 46, will expose fragmentation cage 18 thereby defining the deployed configuration of the system. (FIGS. 1 and 5). Thus, as defined by the relative position of the fragmentation cage and the outer sheath, which is advantageously determined by the configuration of the rotator unit 24, the catheter system has at least two positions, including “compressed” and “deployed”. The compressed position is defined as the one in which the basket 18 is within the sheath 36 so that only the plastic distal tip 32 is exposed. This position is used when inserting and maneuvering the catheter within target lumen, whether a graft or vessel. Once the device is positioned appropriately within the target lumen, the “deployed” position is used. This position is obtained when the outer sheath 36 is pulled back relative to the basket thereby exposing the wires 26 and allowing them to expand to the size of the thrombosed lumen for subsequent clot maceration. As can be seen, the provision of arm receiving slots 46, 48 in the rotator unit 24 allows the catheter to lock into either the “deployed” position or the “compressed” position. By way of example, use of the inventive device to clear a thrombosed graft will be described. In use, in accordance with institutional protocols, an introducer sheath, e.g. a 5 French introducer sheath, is prepared and placed. The “venous” sheath 50 is placed in the venous limb of the graft 52 and directed towards the venous anastomosis 54. Per institutional protocol, any existing central and venous outflow stenoses are assessed. If there is no venous outflow stenosis, a blood pressure cuff is placed on the arm just above the venous anastomosis. If assessment shows the presence of any venous outflow stenosis greater than 10 cm long, any untreatable central venous stenosis/occlusions, or any large pseudoaneurysms, the graft is considered unsalvageable and alternative treatment per institutional protocol should be used. If the graft is salvageable, heparin is administered intravenously. Then, the device of the invention is passed in its compressed disposition (FIG. 4) through the venous sheath 50 to the venous limb of the graft 52. The plastic tip on the fragmentation basket is fed up to but not beyond the venous anastomosis 54. The system is then shifted to the deployed position (FIGS. 1 and 5) to expose the fragmentation basket from the outer sheath. The unit is then activated to rotate the fragmentation basket at high speed. The rotating fragmentation basket is slowly withdrawn along the graft to break up the clot. Once the basket reaches the tip of the access sheath 50 the unit is deactuated to stop rotation. The device is then closed to the compressed position (FIG. 4) and the compressed device is again fed up to but not beyond the venus anastomosis. The basket is then again deployed and rotated to further fragment the clot material. After the appropriate number of passes, e.g., typically, two passes, have been completed, the device is removed from the graft. Approximately 5 cc of the homogenized material is then aspirated and discarded. A small amount of contrast is injected to ensure that adequate thrombolysis of the venous limb has been accomplished. An introducer sheath, i.e., a 5 French introducer sheath “arterial” 56 is then introduced into the venous limb of the graft 52 and directed towards the arterial anastomosis 58. Using the arterial sheath 56, an appropriate occlusion balloon catheter may be used, i.e. a 5 French Fogarty balloon catheter is passed through the arterial sheath and carefully fed past the arterial anastomosis 58 of the graft 52. The balloon is inflated and the fibrous arterial plug is pulled into the middle of the arterial limb. The occlusion balloon catheter is then deflated and removed. The compressed device of the invention is then inserted into the arterial limb of the graft via the arterial sheath 56. The plastic tip 32 of the fragmentation catheter is then fed up to but not beyond the arterial anastomosis 58. The device is deployed and actuated to rotate the basket at high speed. The rotating basket is withdrawn through the graft to pulverize the clot. Contrast is used to guide thrombolysis. Once the basket reaches the tip of the access sheath 56 rotation is stopped and the device is placed in its compressed position. The advancement, actuation and withdrawal of the device is then repeated. After the appropriate number of passes with the device, e.g., typically, two passes, the device is removed and approximately 10 cc of homogenized clot is withdrawn through the arterial sheath and discarded. Contrast is then injected to assess the degree of thrombolysis. Any residual thrombosis is then treated by again using the device of the invention via either sheath as needed. Once thrombolysis is complete, any venous outflow stenosis should be treated by conventional means as dictated by institutional protocol (i.e., PTA balloon atherectomy, etc.). The blood pressure cuff, if used, is then removed and a contrast study of the entire graft is carried out and any further stenosis if indicated is treated per institutional protocol. Finally, the sheaths are removed from the graft and hemostasis is achieved per institutional protocol. FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment for the fragmentation catheter. The fragmentation cage 118 would connect to a hub 128 on its distal end and to a shaft 116 with an inner lumen on its proximal end. A guide wire 100 would be able to pass through the inner lumen of shaft 116 and hub 128. As a result, the guide wire 100 could be positioned in the vascular conduit (not shown) and the fragmentation cage 118 could be controlled by handles (not shown in this embodiment) to be moved along the guide wire 100. An optional suction means 110 could attach to the proximal end of the inner lumen of shaft 116 and draw debris homogenized by the catheter from the vessel. FIGS. 11A-C are anatomical views of the dialysis fistula showing another way in which the catheter system of the invention could be deployed. First, a guide wire would be inserted through a needle or through a slit into the graft and advanced to the far end of the thrombus. Then the outer sheath 36 is advanced along the guide wire to the far end of the thrombus and the guide wire is removed. Then the fragmentation catheter is advanced through the outer sheath 36 to its distal end. This process is done under fluoroscopic control. Once in the proper position, the fragmentation catheter is deployed (see FIGS. 11B and 11C). The fragmentation cage 18 will automatically expand and match the dimensions of the inner lumen graft. The motor drive is actuated and the rotating fragmentation cage is slowly withdrawn through the clotted graft, mechanically fragmenting the clot. The fragmentation catheter may be advanced and withdrawn a second time further homogenizing the thrombotic material. After the device is withdrawn, the graft is checked for residual clot using radiographic contrast dye under fluoroscopy. The fragmentation catheter is then reintroduced as needed. The inventor has found that rotatory of the fragmentation cage at 2000 rpm nicely fragments the thrombotic material generally smaller than 2.0 mm. Indeed, speeds of 2000 or more are generally preferred, particularly for graft clearing procedures. In that environment, speeds as high as 5500-6000 are possible and speeds of 2,000, 3,000, 3,500, 4,000, 4,500 and 5,000 rpm have been successfully tested. Balancing fragmentation, trauma and design durability, a rotary speed of 3000 rpm is currently most preferred, although other speeds can be used successfully, as noted above. The homogenized thrombolytic debris is carried safely away by the venous circulation or withdrawn as noted below. The device can homogenize blood clots and/or other obstructing material such as possibly neo-intimal hyperplasia or atheroma. Clinical experience with an early prototype of the present invention was presented at the 1992 Radiological Society of North America Conference. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the inventive device in opening clotted arterial venous dialysis grafts percutaneously. This study confirmed the utility of the invention when the rotary basket is rotated at 2,000 r.p.m. A further study published in Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology (1995) was conducted to compare venous injury caused by the mechanical thrombolytic device of the invention with that of the Fogarty balloon catheter in 40 New Zealand rabbits. The study concluded that based on the rabbit model, venous injury from the device was similar to and in some cases less than that of the Fogarty balloon catheter. A second, unpublished animal study was performed to compare the safety and efficacy of the inventive device versus pulse-spray thrombolysis. This research extensively studied the effects of the particulates on the pulmonary circulation of mongrel dogs after thrombolysis. The study included up to four repeat procedures in each dog to determine the effects of cumulative emboli. The results of the test have shown that the inventive device is significantly better than pulse-spray with regards to the number and size of emboli being sent downstream. Procedure times were also found to be shorter with the inventive device than pulse-spray. In that study, the open cage was rotated in the vessel or graft at 3,000 to 4,500 r.p.m. Further pre-clinical in vivo testing of the inventive device has been carried out to qualify the durability of the catheter. The animal study included declotting bilateral clotted dialysis grafts in a dog model. In that study, the rotator unit was spun at 3,000 r.p.m. The results of the study show that the device is safe and effective for use in declotting thrombosed dialysis grafts. The use of the fragmentation catheter in a retrograde fashion has been described above, but the fragmentation catheter can also homogenize thrombus when advanced forward. As noted above, when used with a dialysis fistula the flow of blood may be clamped or otherwise reduced, or eliminated. Moreover, several passes of the rotating fragmentation cage can then be made through the thrombotic material, until it is fully homogenized, before the debris is deposited into the venous system or aspirated. Although herein above the inventive device has been described in detail with reference to use in a dialysis fistula, it would work equally well in any vascular conduit such as a synthetic vascular graft, Hickman catheter, indwelling catheter, or peripheral graft. The device may also be used directly in natural blood vessels. While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to the catheter for mechanically fragmenting clots within the vascular system and, in particular, within occluded synthetic vascular grafts. The catheter is used percutaneously thereby obviating invasive surgical procedures. The use of the catheter reduces or eliminates the need for pharmacological clot dissolution. 2. Background Information Approximately 150,000 patients in the United States are undergoing chronic hemodialysis. A significant problem for these patients is thrombosis of their dialysis access grafts. This contributes greatly to patient morbidity and hospitalization. Various prior art techniques have attempted to break up clots and/or other obstructing materials, such as neo-intimal hyperplasia in the vascular system and in synthetic grafts. Although surgery has been the traditional management for thrombosed access grafts and fistulae, percutaneous chemical thrombolysis, the use of thrombolytic agents to dissolve clots, is playing an increasingly important role for hemodialysis patients. Currently, the most popular technique is pulse-spray thrombolysis; however, use of thrombolytic agents such as Urokinase or Streptokinase is associated with relatively high costs, prolonged procedure time, and the potential for bleeding complications. Chronic hemodialysis patients experience blockage of the synthetic access graft (the dialysis fistula) approximately 3-4 times a year. Use of thrombolytic agents requires the patient to spend a day in the hospital each time the dialysis fistula occludes. Moreover, pharmacological therapy requires long time commitments for infusion or medical personnel commitments for pulse-spray techniques. Surgical thrombectomy has also been used to restore access for dialysis and has opened vascular ducts occluded by clots. Again, the expense is excessive because operating room time must be used. Such techniques use a Fogarty balloon catheter in the operating room, although a Fogarty balloon catheter may be used percutaneously. Various mechanical devices have been developed that are designed to mechanically remove atheromatous plaque; most of these devices are said to remove thrombus material also. Most of these devices cut the material and then collect or remove the resulting debris from the vascular system. Various atherectomy devices are described in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,482 issued to Samuel Shiber; U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,677 issued to Halmut Masch; U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,001 issued to Michi E. Garrison et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,277 issued to Andrew Farr; U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,858 issued to Hanson Grifford, III, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,061 issued to Robert E. Fischell et al.; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,923,462 and 4,936,845, issued to Robert Stevers et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,781 issued to Royce Hosted. The above devices share common problems—they require larger sheath size and create a limited channel size. Moreover, the prior art devices do not automatically accommodate to changes in the inner lumen dimensions of the graft or vessel caused by the presence of a thrombus or automatically expand outward toward the vessel or conduit walls as the thrombus is being fragmented. U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,201 issued to Aubrey Palestrant, typifies the problems associated with prior art mechanical devices. Palestrant teaches a plurality of parallel cutting blades which are contained during transport within a protective sheath. In operation, the device cuts a portion of the obstructing material and then a second means is used to manually expand the parallel cutting blade so that a larger core can be cut in the obstructing material. The Palestrant device relies on the relative movement of coaxial catheters to bow the blades outward. The amount of expansion is totally controlled by the operator and the Palestrant device cannot automatically compensate for changes in the inner lumen as obstructing material is removed. The coaxial structure also requires a large diameter protective sheath. Various mechanical devices, rather than using rotating members to cut the obstructive material use ureteric stone catcher baskets mounted on a catheter tip to grab and remove thrombotic material. The following articles teach the use of such baskets to grab and remove thrombus: 1) “A Combined Technique for Peripheral Arterial Embolectomy” Arch Surg /Vol. 105, December, 1972; 2) “Removal of an iatrogenic foreign body from the aorta by means of ureteric stone catheter” Am. Heart J. March, 1967; 3) “Nonsurgical Techniques for Removal of Catheter Fragments From the Pulmonary Artery” Catheterization and Cardiovascular Diagnosis 9:109-112 (1983); 4) “Atraumatic retrieval of catheter fragments from the central circulation in children” European Journal of Cardiology, 1974, 1/4, 421-422; 5) “Removal of Intravascular Foreign Body with Stone Retriever” Urology, February 1981, Vol. XVII, No. 2; 6) “Retrograde Embolectomy” The Lancet, Apr. 6, 1963; 7) “Mechanical Clot Dissolution: New Concept” Radiology, April 1989, 17/:231-233; 8) “Mini basket for Percutaneous Embolectomy and Filter Protection Against Distal Embolization: Technical Note” Cardiovasc Intervent Radial (1991) 14:195-198; and 9) “Percutaneous Aspiration Thromboembolectomy” Radiology July, 1985; 156:61-66. An article appearing in Radiology entitled “New Device for Percutaneous Fragmentation of Pulmonary Emboli” ( Radiology, 1991; 180:135-137) combines a spinning impeller contained within a stone basket. The stone basket does not rotate and is necessary to center the rotating impeller so that it does not inadvertently cut the vessel wall. The device cannot automatically expand the mechanical fragmentor to accommodate the inner lumen dimensions of the vascular conduit. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The invention represents a new approach to fragmenting clots within the vascular system and in particular within synthetic vascular grafts. The invention overcomes deficiencies in the prior art by: 1) automatically expanding to conform to the inner lumen dimensions and shape; 2) applying a radial pressure so that the fragmentor automatically expands as the thrombus is fragmented and can eventually press against the walls of the conduit; and 3) using a minimal number and size of components so that the catheter can be deployed through a small introducer sheath. The percutaneous thrombolytic device, also referred to herein as a percutaneous mechanical fragmentation catheter system, comprised of a stone retrieval basket modified to attach to a rotational drive motor. The catheter is introduced into the clotted graft or vessel via an introducer sheath. When deployed, the basket will automatically conform to the inner dimensions of the vessel lumen. The rotating basket is slowly withdrawn through the clotted graft, mechanically fragmenting the clot. The fragmented, homogenized debris (with particles under 3 mm in diameter with the majority under 1 mm) can be flushed into the venous system or aspirated. The wire cage that makes up the basket contains a designed “springiness” enabling it to self-expand. Thus, the cage can conform to the inner lumen dimensions and shape and apply radial pressure against the thrombus material, thereby expanding to homogenize substantially the entire cross-section of the conduit. As the material homogenizes, the cage automatically expands. The fragmentation catheter can be used percutaneously, thereby obviating surgery. The catheter reduces or eliminates the need for pharmacological clot dissolution. This new catheter offers the advantage of shortening procedure time, decreasing cost and risk, allowing the use of smaller sheath size and automatically accommodating for differences in the vessel inside diameter. Other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. | 20041007 | 20060919 | 20050609 | 69439.0 | 2 | DAWSON, GLENN K | PERCUTANEOUS MECHANICAL FRAGMENTATION CATHETER SYSTEM | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,960,838 | ACCEPTED | System and method for enhanced situational awareness of terrain in a vertical situation display | A vertical situation display (“VSD”) system according to the invention generates a terrain image that represents a profile view of terrain elevation relative to the position of an aircraft traveling above the terrain. The VSD system generates the VSD image such that the terrain image is biased toward the lower elevation region of the VSD screen, thus making efficient use of the available display area. The VSD image is also generated such that it is continuous across the lateral range of the VSD, thus ensuring that terrain is shown in the VSD at all practical times, depending upon the available range and any priority display rules. | 1. A method for displaying terrain on an aircraft flight deck display system, said method comprising: processing terrain data; and displaying a terrain image representative of said terrain data on a vertical situation display (“VSD”), said terrain image being biased toward a lower elevation region of said Vsd: 2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising generating said terrain image as a continuous image across a lateral range of said VSD. 3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining a plurality of terrain elevations corresponding to a lateral range of said VSD, said terrain data including said plurality of terrain elevations. 4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising generating a terrain adjustment parameter based upon said plurality of terrain elevations, said displaying step being responsive to said terrain adjustment parameter. 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said generating step comprises selecting one of said plurality of terrain elevations. 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said generating step comprises selecting a minimum terrain elevation from said plurality of terrain elevations. 7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising calculating a display margin for said terrain image, said display margin representing a minimum separation between said terrain image and a horizontal boundary of said VSD. 8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said calculating step calculates said display margin in response to a vertical scale of said VSD. 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said calculating step calculates said display margin as a percentage of said vertical scale. 10. A flight deck display system for an aircraft, said flight deck display system comprising: a processor configured to receive terrain data and, in response to said terrain data, to generate one or more image rendering display commands; and a display device configured to receive rendering data indicative of said image rendering display commands and, in response to said rendering data, to render a terrain image representative of said terrain data on a vertical situation display (“VSD”), said terrain image being biased toward a lower elevation region of said VSD. 11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said display device renders said terrain image as a continuous image across a lateral range of said VSD. 12. A system according to claim 10, wherein said terrain data includes a plurality of terrain elevations corresponding to a lateral range of said VSD. 13. A system according to claim 12, wherein: said processor is further configured to generate a terrain adjustment parameter based upon said plurality of terrain elevations; and said display device renders said terrain image in response to said terrain adjustment parameter. 14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said terrain adjustment parameter is based upon a minimum terrain elevation from said plurality of terrain elevations. 15. A system according to claim 10, wherein said processor is further configured to calculate a display margin for said terrain image, said display margin representing a minimum separation between said terrain image and a horizontal boundary of said VSD. 16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said processor calculates said display margin in response to a vertical scale of said VSD. 17. A system according to claim 16, wherein said processor calculates said display margin as a percentage of said vertical scale. 18. A method for displaying terrain on a vertical situation display (“VSD”) having a lateral range, said method comprising: obtaining terrain data corresponding to said lateral range of said VSD, said terrain data including a plurality of terrain elevations; selecting a minimum terrain elevation from said plurality of terrain elevations; generating a terrain image representative of said terrain data; and vertically adjusting said terrain image, in response to said minimum terrain elevation, for rendering on said VSD. 19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said generating step generates said terrain image as a continuous image across said lateral range of said VSD. 20. A method according to claim 18, wherein said vertically adjusting step adjusts said terrain image to be biased toward a lower elevation region of said VSD. 21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising generating a terrain adjustment parameter based upon said minimum terrain elevation, said vertically adjusting step being responsive to said terrain adjustment parameter. 22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said terrain adjustment parameter is further based upon a display margin for said terrain image, said display margin representing a minimum separation between said terrain image and a horizontal boundary of said VSD. 23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising calculating said display margin in response to a vertical scale of said VSD. 24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said calculating step calculates said display margin as a percentage of said vertical scale. 25. A flight deck display system for an aircraft, said flight deck display system comprising: processing logic for processing terrain data; and means for displaying a terrain image representative of said terrain data on a vertical situation display (“VSD”), said terrain image being biased toward a lower elevation region of said VSD. 26. A system according to claim 25, wherein said means for displaying displays said terrain image as a continuous image across a lateral range of said VSD. 27. A system according to claim 25, further comprising means for generating a terrain adjustment parameter in response to a minimum terrain elevation within a lateral range of said VSD, said means for displaying being responsive to said terrain adjustment parameter. 28. A system according to claim 25, further comprising means for generating a terrain adjustment parameter in response to a display margin for said VSD, said means for displaying being responsive to said terrain adjustment parameter. 29. A system according to claim 28, wherein said display margin represents a minimum separation between said terrain image and a horizontal boundary of said VSD. | TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to avionics systems such as flight display systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vertical situation display. BACKGROUND A vertical situation display (“VSD”) provides a two-dimensional representation of an aircraft, the aircraft flight plan, and terrain under the aircraft or projected aircraft track. The VSD is usually displayed in close proximity to a lateral map display, such that the vertical situation of the aircraft can be coordinated visually with the lateral situation of the aircraft. In a practical deployment, the VSD may be included in a primary flight display, a multifunction display, or other suitable display component on the aircraft. VSD systems are designed to prevent controlled flight into terrain (“CFIT”) by providing a display of the terrain relative to the present altitude of the aircraft. In this regard, a member of the aircraft flight crew can obtain information related to the vertical situation of the aircraft relative to the terrain with a simple glance at the VSD. Practical VSDs typically include a number of parameters and visual indicators that enable the pilot to form a quick mental picture of the vertical situation of the aircraft. For example, VSDs may include displays of an aircraft symbol, the aircraft altitude, the flight plan, the selected altitude, and the terrain. The physical space available to a VSD is usually limited, and the limited space should be efficiently allocated to accommodate the VSD elements. Conventional VSD systems may not take full advantage of the display space allocated to the VSD. For example, at least one conventional VSD system considers only the origin and destination terrain elevations to determine the elevation of terrain displayed in the VSD. If, during flight, the altitude of the terrain under the aircraft falls below the origin/destination elevation, then the VSD will not include any terrain. When terrain is not displayed, such as in FIG. 1, it may be difficult for the pilot to form a mental picture of the vertical situation at a glance. On the other hand, when terrain 10 is displayed in a large portion of the available display 12, such as in FIG. 2, much of the vertical display range is utilized to show more terrain than is necessary to enable the pilot to form a mental picture of the current vertical situation. Furthermore, the display of excess terrain may preclude the display of other parameters or additional information of interest at the top of the VSD, such as the flight plan or the selected altitude (not shown in FIG. 2). Accordingly, it is desirable to have a VSD system that automatically positions the terrain and/or adjusts the vertical scale of the display such that terrain is in view if practical and such that the vertical range of the VSD is efficiently utilized. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background. BRIEF SUMMARY A VSD system according to the invention generates the VSD image such that the terrain under the flight plan, or under the current track of the aircraft, is displayed in a manner that efficiently utilizes the physical space allocated to the VSD. In the example embodiment, the vertical centering logic of the VSD system processes an input related to the current terrain altitude within the horizontal range of the VSD. The vertical centering of the VSD and/or the terrain displayed in the VSD is adjusted in response to the input such that the VSD vertical range is not “wasted” by displaying altitudes below the terrain elevation. The above and other aspects of the invention may be carried out in one form by a method for displaying terrain on an aircraft flight deck display system. The method involves the processing of terrain data and the displaying of a terrain image representative of the terrain data on a VSD, where the terrain image is biased toward a lower elevation region of the VSD. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the figures. FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a flight deck display screen with a display generated by a prior art VSD system; FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a flight deck display screen with a display generated by a prior art VSD system; FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic representation of a flight deck display system; FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a flight deck display screen with a display generated by a VSD system configured in accordance with the invention; FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic representation of a flight deck display system; and FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a VSD process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. The invention may be described herein in terms of functional and/or logical block components and various processing steps. It should be appreciated that such block components may be realized by any number of hardware, software, and/or firmware components configured to perform the specified functions. For example, an embodiment of the invention may employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced in conjunction with any number of practical display devices and that the avionics system described herein is merely one exemplary application for the invention. For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to image rendering, data transmission, avionics system control and communication, and other functional aspects of the systems (and the individual operating components of the systems) may not be described in detail herein. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent example functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, an example flight deck display system 100 will be described. Display system 100 includes a user interface 102, a processor 104, one or more terrain databases 106, one or more navigation databases 108, a source of weather data 110, a terrain avoidance and warning system (“TAWS”) 112, a traffic and collision avoidance system (“TCAS”) 114, various sensors 116, and a display device 118. User interface 102 is in operable communication with processor 104 and is configured to receive input from a user 109 (e.g., a pilot) and, in response to the user input, supply command signals to processor 104. User interface 102 may be any one, or combination, of various known user interface devices including, but not limited to, a cursor control device (“CCD”) 107, such as a mouse, a trackball, or joystick, and/or a keyboard, one or more buttons, switches, or knobs. In the depicted embodiment, user interface 102 includes a CCD 107 and a keyboard 111. User 109 uses CCD 107 to, among other things, move a cursor symbol on the display screen, and may use keyboard 111 to, among other things, input textual data. Processor 104 is in operable communication with terrain databases 106, navigation databases 108, and display device 118, and is coupled to receive various types of inertial data from sensors 116, and various other avionics-related data from one or more other external systems, which are briefly described further below. Processor 104 is suitably configured to selectively retrieve terrain data from one or more of terrain databases 106 and navigation data from one or more of navigation databases 108, and to supply appropriate display commands to display device 118, so that the retrieved terrain and navigation data (or image data associated with the retrieved terrain and navigation data) are appropriately displayed on display device 118. In this regard, processor 104 may operate in response to the inertial data. As FIG. 3 additionally shows, processor 104 is also in operable communication with the source of weather data 110, TAWS 112, and TCAS 114, and is additionally configured to supply appropriate display commands to display device 118 so that the avionics data, weather data from source 110, data from TAWS 112, data from TCAS 114, and data from the previously mentioned external systems may also be selectively processed for display on display device 118. The preferred manner in which the terrain and navigation data are processed for display on display device 118 will be described in more detail below. Before doing so, however, a brief description of processor 104, data sources 106, 108, 110, 112, and 114, and display device 118, at least in the depicted embodiment, will be provided. Processor 104 may be any one of numerous known general-purpose microprocessors or an application specific processor that operates in response to program instructions. In the depicted embodiment, processor 104 includes on-board RAM (random access memory) 103, and on-board ROM (read only memory) 105. The program instructions that control processor 104 may be stored in either or both RAM 103 and ROM 105. For example, the operating system software may be stored in ROM 105, whereas various operating mode software routines and various operational parameters may be stored in RAM 103. It will be appreciated that this arrangement is merely an example of one suitable scheme for storing operating system software and software routines, and that various other storage schemes may be implemented. It will also be appreciated that processor 104 may be implemented using various other circuits, not just a programmable processor. For example, digital logic circuits and analog signal processing circuits could also be used. Terrain databases 106 include various types of data representative of the terrain over which the aircraft is flying, and navigation databases 108 include various types of navigation-related data. The navigation-related data include various flight plan related data such as, for example, waypoints, distances between waypoints, headings between waypoints, data related to different airports, navigational aids, obstructions, special use airspace, political boundaries, communication frequencies, and aircraft approach information. It will be appreciated that, although terrain databases 106 and navigation databases 108 are, for clarity and convenience, shown as being stored separate from processor 104, all or portions of either or both of these databases 106, 108 could be loaded into the on-board RAM 103, or integrally formed as part of processor 104, and/or RAM 103, and/or ROM 105. Terrain databases 106 and navigation databases 108 could also be part of a device or system that is physically separate from display system 100. The avionics data that is supplied from sensors 116 includes data representative of the state of the aircraft such as, for example, aircraft speed, altitude, and heading. The weather data from source 110, and supplied to processor 104, is representative of at least the location and type of various weather cells. The data supplied from TCAS 114 includes data representative of other aircraft in the vicinity, which may include, for example, speed, direction, altitude, and altitude trend. In one practical embodiment, processor 104, in response to the TCAS data, supplies appropriate display commands (or rendering data indicative of the display commands) to display device 118 such that a graphic representation of each aircraft in the vicinity is displayed on display device 118. TAWS 112 supplies data representative of the location of terrain that may be a threat to the aircraft. Processor 104, in response to the TAWS data, can supply appropriate display commands (or rendering data indicative of the display commands) to display device 118 such that the potential threat terrain is displayed in various colors depending on the level of threat. For example, red is typically used for warnings (immediate danger), yellow is typically used for cautions (possible danger), and green is typically used for terrain that is not a threat. It will be appreciated that these colors and number of threat levels are merely illustrative, and that other colors and different numbers of threat levels can be provided as a matter of choice. As was previously alluded to, one or more other external systems (or subsystems) may also provide avionics-related data to processor 104 for display on display device 118. In the depicted embodiment, these external systems include a flight director 122, an instrument landing system (“ILS”) 124, a runway awareness and advisory system (“RAAS”) 126, and a navigation computer 128. Flight director 122, as is generally known, supplies command data representative of commands for piloting the aircraft in response to data entered by the flight crew, or various inertial and avionics data received from external systems. The command data supplied by flight director 122 may be supplied to processor 104 and displayed on display device 118 for use by pilot 109, or the data may be supplied to an autopilot (not illustrated). The autopilot, in turn, produces appropriate control signals which are applied to the flight control surfaces of the aircraft to cause the aircraft to fly in accordance with the data entered by the flight crew, or the inertial and avionics data. ILS 124 is a radio navigation system that provides aircraft with horizontal and vertical guidance just before and during landing and, at certain fixed points, indicates the distance to the reference point of landing. The system includes ground-based transmitters (not illustrated) that transmit radio frequency signals. ILS 124 on board the aircraft receives these signals and supplies appropriate data to the processor for display of, for example, an ILS feather (not illustrated in FIG. 3) on display device 118. The ILS feather represents two signals, a localizer signal that is used to provide lateral guidance, and a glide slope signal that is used for vertical guidance. RAAS 126 provides improved situational awareness to help lower the probability of runway incursions by providing timely aural advisories to the flight crew during taxi, takeoff, final approach, landing and rollout. RAAS 126 uses GPS data to determine aircraft position and compares aircraft position to airport location data stored in navigation database 108. Based on these comparisons, RAAS 126, if necessary, issues appropriate aural advisories. For example, these aural advisories can inform pilot 109 of when the aircraft is approaching a runway—either on the ground or from the air, when the aircraft has entered and is aligned with a runway, when the runway is not long enough for the particular aircraft, the distance remaining to the end of the runway as the aircraft is landing or during a rejected takeoff, when pilot 109 inadvertently begins to take off from a taxiway, and when an aircraft has been immobile on a runway for an extended time. Navigation computer 128 is used, among other things, to allow pilot 109 to program a flight plan from one destination to another. Navigation computer 128 may be in operable communication with flight director 122. As was mentioned above, flight director 122 may be used to automatically fly, or assist pilot 109 in flying, the programmed route. Navigation computer 128 is in operable communication with various databases including, for example, terrain database 106, and navigation database 108. Processor 104 may receive the programmed flight plan data from navigation computer 128 and cause the programmed flight plan, or at least portions thereof, to be displayed on display device 118. For example, the flight plan may be displayed on a VSD and on a lateral map, both rendered on display device 118. Display device 118 is used to display various images and data, in both a graphical and a textual format, and to supply visual feedback to user 109 in response to the user input commands supplied by user 109 to user interface 102. Briefly, display device 118 is suitably configured to receive rendering data indicative of image rendering display commands generated by processor 104. In response to such rendering data, display device 118 renders a terrain image representative of the terrain data (and possibly other images) on the VSD. It will be appreciated that display device 118 may be any one of numerous known displays suitable for rendering image and/or text data in a format viewable by user 109. Non-limiting examples of such displays include various cathode ray tube (“CRT”) displays and various flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays and thin film transistor displays. The display may additionally be based on a panel mounted display, a HUD projection, or any known technology. In an example embodiment, display element 118 includes a panel display. To provide a more complete description of the techniques implemented by flight deck display system 100, a general description of display device 118 and its layout will now be provided. With reference to FIG. 4, the display device may include a display area 202 in which multiple graphical and textual images may be simultaneously displayed, preferably in different sections of display area 202. For example, a lateral situation display 204, and a VSD 206 may be displayed simultaneously, alone, or in various combinations, in various sections of display area 202. Although not depicted in FIG. 4, display area 202 may also include general flight-related data associated with the flight plan of the aircraft. Such data includes, but is not limited to, the flight identifier, route iteration number, a waypoint list and associated information, such as bearing and time to arrive, just to name a few. It will be appreciated that the general flight-related data may additionally include various types of data associated with various types of flight hazards. Lateral situation display 204 includes a top-view aircraft symbol 210 and one or more range rings 212. Lateral situation display 204 may also depict a flight plan represented by one or more waypoint symbols and interconnecting line segments (not shown). Lateral situation display 204 may also include various map features including, but not limited to, a lateral two-dimensional view of terrain 214 below the aircraft, political boundaries, and navigation aids. It will be appreciated that for clarity only terrain 214 is shown in FIG. 4. Range rings 212, only one of which is shown in FIG. 4, indicate nautical distance from top-view aircraft symbol 210. VSD 206 also provides a view of the terrain in the form of a terrain image 216. VSD 206 may provide terrain image 216 below the flight plan and/or ahead of the aircraft, and may render terrain image 216 and various other symbols and/or data (discussed further below) as a two-dimensional profile vertical situation view, or any suitable view. In the depicted embodiment, terrain image 216 is displayed as a profile view that depicts the elevation of the terrain relative to the aircraft. It will be appreciated that lateral situation display 204 and VSD 206 may use the same scale so that the pilot can easily orient the present aircraft position to either section of display area 202. It will additionally be appreciated that processor 104 may implement any one of numerous types of image processing and/or rendering methods to process terrain data from terrain database 106 and render the VSD terrain image 216. In contrast to the terrain image depicted in FIG. 2, terrain image 216 is biased toward a lower elevation region 218 of VSD 206. In the illustrated example, terrain image 216 is biased toward the bottom of VSD 206 such that terrain image 216 occupies a relatively small portion of the available display area. In other words, VSD 206 is rendered to enable efficient use the display area above terrain image 216. For example, the available display area can be populated with other information (such as flight data or a selected altitude) or it can remain blank to provide a clean and uncluttered look. VSD 206 in FIG. 4 includes an element corresponding to a selected altitude 219 of 28,000 feet. In practice, selected altitude 219 may be rendered as a colored and/or dashed line on VSD 206. In contrast to the VSD shown in FIG. 1, where no terrain image is visible, terrain image 216 is rendered as a continuous image across a lateral range of VSD 206. In the example embodiment, the “lateral range” of VSD 206 spans the horizontal scale of VSD 206. In FIG. 4, the lateral range spans 0 to 50 units such as miles or kilometers. This feature is desirable to ensure that terrain is depicted at all times on VSD 206 when practical, given the display priorities and available vertical range. Alternatively, the display system may be configured to render terrain image 216 such that at least some terrain is shown within the given lateral range of VSD 206. In practice, the display system is also suitably configured to calculate a display margin 220 for terrain image 216. In the majority of cases, the display margin 220 should define the height of the terrain in the display. When other priority display items (e.g., the flight plan or the aircraft symbol) are below the level of the terrain, the terrain may be displayed higher in VSD 206 than the display margin 220 defines. If priority items are too high, i.e., beyond the range of the display, then the vertical centering may be adjusted to show the higher priority items, at the expense of displayed terrain. Display margin 220 represents a minimum separation between terrain image 216 and a display boundary 222 of VSD 206. In the illustrated example, display boundary 222 corresponds to the lowest vertical scale value of VSD 206. During flight, the current altitude or elevation indicated by display boundary 222 may vary. Display margin 220 provides a “buffer” for VSD 206 so that the pilot can easily distinguish terrain image 216 from the bottom of VSD 206. In accordance with one practical embodiment, display margin 220 is approximately 10% of the vertical scale or physical height of VSD 206. Of course, other percentages can be utilized depending upon the needs of the given application, such as human ergonomic factors, pilot feedback, or the like. It was noted above that flight-related data, lateral situation display 204, and VSD 206 may be displayed in various combinations. Hence, before proceeding further with the description, it should be appreciated that, for clarity and ease of explanation and depiction, in the figures contained herein only lateral situation display 204 and VSD 206 are shown as being simultaneously displayed together in display area 202 of the display device. Referring to FIG. 5, an example flight deck display system 300 will be described. System 300 may be realized in flight deck display system 100 (see FIG. 3). In this regard, system 300 also includes terrain database(s) 106 and display device 118 as described previously herein. In a practical deployment, the remaining functional blocks shown in FIG. 5 are realized as processing logic elements in processor 104. Briefly, these processing logic elements depict the manner in which terrain image 216 is rendered on VSD 206. Display system 300 may include processing logic 302 configured to perform terrain elevation extraction in response to terrain data from database 106. This extraction obtains a plurality of terrain elevations corresponding to the current lateral range of VSD 206. For example, processing logic 302 may obtain an array of discrete terrain elevation values within a defined swath or width, where the overall length of the array corresponds to the horizontal range of VSD 206. The elevation values can serve as inputs to processing logic 304 configured to compute a terrain adjustment parameter (“Terrain_Alt”) 306 that is utilized to adjust the vertical orientation of terrain image 216 within the VSD 206. In the example embodiment, Terrain_Alt 306 is generated in response to a minimum terrain elevation taken from the plurality of terrain elevations extracted by processing logic 302. In an alternate embodiment (represented by the dashed line in FIG. 5), Terrain_Alt 306 may also be generated in response to a display margin value 308. Display system 300 may include processing logic 310 configured to compute display margin value 308. Processing logic 310 may generate display margin value 308 in response to a vertical display range 312 or vertical scale of VSD 206. As mentioned above, display margin value 308 can be a percentage of the vertical scale of VSD 206, e.g., 10% of the vertical scale. In one practical embodiment, processing logic 304 calculates Terrain_Alt 306 as follows: Terrain_Alt=Terrain_Elevationmin−Display_Margin, where Terrain_Elevationmin is the minimum elevation within the current lateral range of VSD 206, and Display_Margin is display margin value 308. Terrain_Alt 306 serves as an input to processing logic 314 configured to perform vertical adjustment of terrain image 216 within VSD 206. Processing logic 314 may also perform vertical adjustment in response to display margin value 308. Although not shown in FIG. 5, processing logic 314 may also process any number of additional inputs, parameters, or attributes. In practice, processing logic 314 may define and perform a vertical centering algorithm that determines how best to position terrain image 216 in VSD 206. This algorithm may employ a priority scheme that initially determines important parameters, data, and information to display, then adjusts the vertical center of VSD 206 to show as many other parameters, data, and information (in priority order) as possible. The algorithm ensures that terrain image 216 is biased toward the bottom of VSD 206, thus making more free display space available above terrain image 216. Processing logic 314 may communicate with processing logic 316, which is configured to perform image rendering to facilitate display of VSD 206 on display device 118. Ultimately, terrain image 216 is rendered in response to Terrain_Alt 306 and in response to the terrain data provided by database 106. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a VSD process 400 that may be performed by a display system configured in accordance with the invention. Process 400 may be performed and/or controlled by one or more of the logic and/or processor elements described herein. In a practical implementation, process 400 may include any number of additional and/or alternative tasks, and process 400 may be incorporated into a more complex procedure related to the generation of a flight deck display or any avionics procedure. Furthermore, the tasks depicted in process 400 need not be performed in the order shown in FIG. 6 and one or more of the tasks may be performed concurrently in a practical embodiment. VSD process 400 assumes that the aircraft is already in flight and that the various navigation and terrain-related systems described herein are operational and functioning as usual. VSD process 400 may begin by obtaining terrain data from the terrain database(s) for processing (task 402). As mentioned above, the terrain data preferably includes a plurality of terrain elevations corresponding to the terrain indicated by the lateral range of the VSD. The terrain data is processed in a suitable manner to extract the terrain elevations (task 404) and select the minimum terrain elevation from the extracted elevations (task 406). Notably, the minimum terrain elevation need not be the minimum elevation associated with the entire flight plan of the aircraft, but merely the “local” minimum for the current lateral or horizontal range of the VSD. VSD process 400 may calculate a display margin for the terrain image to be displayed (task 408) using any suitable technique or algorithm. In the preferred embodiment, the display margin is based upon the vertical scale of the VSD. In particular, the display margin is calculated as a percentage (e.g., 10%) of the vertical scale of the VSD. VSD process 400 may also generate a terrain adjustment parameter (task 410) related to a minimum terrain elevation within the current VSD range. In one embodiment, the display margin and the minimum terrain elevation selected during task 406 are processed to generate the terrain adjustment parameter. An example terrain adjustment parameter, Terrain_Alt, and its derivation are described in detail above. Notably, tasks 408 and 410 may be performed in any order or concurrently in various practical embodiments. VSD process 400 performs a vertical adjustment procedure (task 412) to adjust the terrain image within the VSD. The vertical adjustment may be responsive to the terrain adjustment parameter, and the vertical adjustment algorithm biases the terrain image toward the lower elevation region of the VSD. VSD process 400 generates a terrain image for the VSD (task 414), where the terrain image is representative of the terrain data obtained during task 402. As shown in FIG. 4, the terrain data may be a continuous image across the lateral range of the VSD that represents a two-dimensional profile view of the terrain elevation relative to the position of the aircraft and/or the flight plan. Once the VSD has been properly oriented, the display system can render the VSD image (task 416) and display the VSD image on the display device (task 418). In practice, VSD process 400 is an ongoing process that updates the VSD image in real time to reflect the movement of the aircraft and to reflect the changes in the terrain under the aircraft. Accordingly, VSD process 400 is depicted as being re-entered at task 402. While at least one example embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the example embodiment is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the example embodiment. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>A vertical situation display (“VSD”) provides a two-dimensional representation of an aircraft, the aircraft flight plan, and terrain under the aircraft or projected aircraft track. The VSD is usually displayed in close proximity to a lateral map display, such that the vertical situation of the aircraft can be coordinated visually with the lateral situation of the aircraft. In a practical deployment, the VSD may be included in a primary flight display, a multifunction display, or other suitable display component on the aircraft. VSD systems are designed to prevent controlled flight into terrain (“CFIT”) by providing a display of the terrain relative to the present altitude of the aircraft. In this regard, a member of the aircraft flight crew can obtain information related to the vertical situation of the aircraft relative to the terrain with a simple glance at the VSD. Practical VSDs typically include a number of parameters and visual indicators that enable the pilot to form a quick mental picture of the vertical situation of the aircraft. For example, VSDs may include displays of an aircraft symbol, the aircraft altitude, the flight plan, the selected altitude, and the terrain. The physical space available to a VSD is usually limited, and the limited space should be efficiently allocated to accommodate the VSD elements. Conventional VSD systems may not take full advantage of the display space allocated to the VSD. For example, at least one conventional VSD system considers only the origin and destination terrain elevations to determine the elevation of terrain displayed in the VSD. If, during flight, the altitude of the terrain under the aircraft falls below the origin/destination elevation, then the VSD will not include any terrain. When terrain is not displayed, such as in FIG. 1 , it may be difficult for the pilot to form a mental picture of the vertical situation at a glance. On the other hand, when terrain 10 is displayed in a large portion of the available display 12 , such as in FIG. 2 , much of the vertical display range is utilized to show more terrain than is necessary to enable the pilot to form a mental picture of the current vertical situation. Furthermore, the display of excess terrain may preclude the display of other parameters or additional information of interest at the top of the VSD, such as the flight plan or the selected altitude (not shown in FIG. 2 ). Accordingly, it is desirable to have a VSD system that automatically positions the terrain and/or adjusts the vertical scale of the display such that terrain is in view if practical and such that the vertical range of the VSD is efficiently utilized. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background. | <SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY <EOH>A VSD system according to the invention generates the VSD image such that the terrain under the flight plan, or under the current track of the aircraft, is displayed in a manner that efficiently utilizes the physical space allocated to the VSD. In the example embodiment, the vertical centering logic of the VSD system processes an input related to the current terrain altitude within the horizontal range of the VSD. The vertical centering of the VSD and/or the terrain displayed in the VSD is adjusted in response to the input such that the VSD vertical range is not “wasted” by displaying altitudes below the terrain elevation. The above and other aspects of the invention may be carried out in one form by a method for displaying terrain on an aircraft flight deck display system. The method involves the processing of terrain data and the displaying of a terrain image representative of the terrain data on a VSD, where the terrain image is biased toward a lower elevation region of the VSD. | 20041007 | 20070424 | 20060413 | 69383.0 | G01S1395 | 0 | BARKER, MATTHEW M | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF TERRAIN IN A VERTICAL SITUATION DISPLAY | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | G01S | 2,004 |
|
10,960,947 | ACCEPTED | Highly luminescent color-selective nanocrystalline materials | A nanocrystal capable of light emission includes a nanoparticle having photoluminescence having quantum yields of greater than 30%. | 1. A population of coated nanocrystals each comprising a size-selected core including a first semiconductor material and an overcoating including a second semiconductor material, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals exhibit photoluminescence having a quantum yield of greater than about 30%. 2. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 1, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals exhibit photoluminescence having a quantum yield of between about 30% and 50%. 3. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 1, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals exhibit photoluminescence having a quantum yield of greater than about 40%. 4. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 1, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals exhibit photoluminescence having a quantum yield of about 50%. 5. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 1, wherein the size-selected cores of the population of coated nanocrystals have diameters having no greater than 10% rms deviation. 6. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 1, wherein the size-selected cores of the population of coated nanocrystals have diameters having no greater than 5% rms deviation. 7. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 1, wherein the second semiconductor material is ZnS. 8. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 7, wherein the overcoating of ZnS includes one to two monolayers of ZnS. 9. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 7, wherein the overcoating of ZnS includes about 1.3 monolayers of ZnS. 10. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 7, wherein the overcoating of ZnS includes more than two monolayers of ZnS. 11. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 1, further comprising one or more organic layers on the outer surface of the population of coated nanocrystals. 12. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 1, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 60 nm full width at half max (FWHM) when irradiated. 13. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 7, wherein the first semiconductor material is selected from CdS, CdSe, CdTe, and mixtures thereof. 14. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 1, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 0.05 eV full width at half max (FWHM) when irradiated. 15. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 1, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 0.03 eV full width at half max (FWHM) when irradiated. 16. A population of coated nanocrystals comprising a core including a first semiconductor material and an overcoating of ZnS, wherein the cores of the population of nanocrystals have diameters having no greater than 10% rms deviation. 17. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 16, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals exhibit photoluminescence having a quantum yield of between about 30% and 50%. 18. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 16, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals exhibit photoluminescence having a quantum yield of greater than about 40%. 19. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 16, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals exhibit photoluminescence having a quantum yield of about 50%. 20. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 16, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 0.05 eV full width at half max (FWHM) when irradiated. 21. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 16, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 0.03 eV full width at half max (FWHM) when irradiated. 22. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 16, wherein the overcoating of ZnS includes one to two monolayers of ZnS. 23. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 16, wherein the overcoating of ZnS includes about 1.3 monolayers of ZnS. 24. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 16, wherein the overcoating of ZnS includes more than two monolayers of ZnS 25. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 16, further comprising one or more organic layers on the outer surface of the coated nanocrystals. 26. A population of coated nanocrystals comprising a size-selected core including a first semiconductor material selected from CdS, CdSe, CdTe and an overcoating of ZnS. 27. A population of coated nanocrystals comprising a core including a first semiconductor material and an overcoating of ZnS, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 0.05 eV at full width half max (FWHM) when irradiated. 28. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 27, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 0.03 eV at full width half max (FWHM) when irradiated. 29. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 27, wherein the cores are size-selected by size-selective precipitation. 30. The population of coated nanocrystals of claim 27, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals exhibit photoluminescence having a quantum yield of greater than about 30%. 31. A method of producing a population of coated nanocrystals that exhibit photoluminescence having a quantum yield of greater than about 30%, comprising: synthesizing a plurality of nanocrystal cores made from a first semiconductor material; and size-separating a select population of nanocrystal cores from the plurality of synthesized cores. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising depositing an overcoating of ZnS on a member of the population of size-selected nanocrystal cores. 33. The method of claim 31, wherein the separating includes size-selecting the select population of nanocrystal cores by size-selective precipitation. 34. The method of claim 31, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals exhibit photoluminescence having a quantum yield of between about 30% and 50%. 35. The method of claim 31, wherein the first semiconductor material is selected from CdS, CdSe, CdTe, and mixtures thereof. 36. The method of claim 31, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 0.05 eV full width at half max (FWHM) when irradiated. 37. The method of claim 31, wherein the population of coated nanocrystals emit light in a spectral range of no greater than about 40 nm full width at half max (FWHM) when irradiated. 38. The method of claim 31, wherein the population of size-selected nanocrystal cores is substantially monodisperse. 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the population of size-selected nanocrystal cores have diameters having no greater than 10% rms deviation. 40. The method of claim 31, wherein said depositing comprises depositing one to two monolayers of ZnS on the population of size-selected nanocrystal cores. 41. The method of claim 31, wherein said depositing comprises depositing about 1.3 monolayers of ZnS on the population of size-selected nanocrystal cores. 42. The method of claim 31, further comprising depositing an organic layer on the outer surface of the population of coated nanocrystals. | CLAIM OF PRIORITY This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/642,578, filed on Aug. 19, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/625,861, filed on Jul. 26, 2000, which claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/145,708, filed on Jul. 26, 1999, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/969,302, filed Nov. 13, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,901, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference. FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT This invention was made with government support under Contract No. DMR-94-00334 from the National Science Foundation. The government has certain rights in the invention. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to luminescent nanocrystalline materials which emit visible light over a very narrow range of wavelengths. The invention further relates to materials which emit visible light over a narrow range tunable over the entire visible spectrum. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Semiconductor nanocrystallites (quantum dots) whose radii are smaller than the bulk exciton Bohr radius constitute a class of materials intermediate between molecular and bulk forms of matter. Quantum confinement of both the electron and hole in all three dimensions leads to an increase in the effective band gap of the material with decreasing crystallite size. Consequently, both the optical absorption and emission of quantum dots shift to the blue (higher energies) as the size of the dots gets smaller. Bawendi and co-workers have described a method of preparing monodisperse semiconductor nanocrystallites by pyrolysis of organometallic reagents injected into a hot coordinating solvent (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 115:8706 (1993)). This permits temporally discrete nucleation and results in the controlled growth of macroscopic quantities of nanocrystallites. Size selective precipitation of the crystallites from the growth solution provides crystallites with narrow size distributions. The narrow size distribution of the quantum dots allows the possibility of light emission in very narrow spectral widths. Although semiconductor nanocrystallites prepared as described by Bawendi and co-workers exhibit near monodispersity, and hence, high color selectivity, the luminescence properties of the crystallites are poor. Such crystallites exhibit low photoluminescent yield, that is, the light emitted upon irradiation is of low intensity. This is due to energy levels at the surface of the crystallite which lie within the energetically forbidden gap of the bulk interior. These surface energy states act as traps for electrons and holes which degrade the luminescence properties of the material. In an effort to improve photoluminescent yield of the quantum dots, the nanocrystallite surface has been passivated by reaction of the surface atoms of the quantum dots with organic passivating ligands, so as to eliminate forbidden energy levels. Such passivation produces an atomically abrupt increase in the chemical potential at the interface of the semiconductor and passivating layer (See, A. P. Alivisatos, J. Phys. Chem. 100:13226 (1996)). Bawendi et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 115:8706 (1993)) describe CdSe nanocrystallites capped with organic moieties such as tri-n-octyl phosphine (TOP) and tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide (TOPO) with quantum yields of around 5-10%. Passivation of quantum dots using inorganic materials also has been reported. Particles passivated with an inorganic coating are more robust than organically passivated dots and have greater tolerance to processing conditions necessary for their incorporation into devices. Previously reported inorganically passivated quantum dot structures include CdS-capped CdSe and CdSe-capped CdS (Tian et al., J. Phys. Chem. 100:8927 (1996)); ZnS grown on CdS (Youn et al., J. Phys. Chem. 92:6320 (1988)); ZnS on CdSe and the inverse structure (Kortan et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 112:1327 (1990)); and SiO2 on Si (Wilson et al., Science 262:1242 (1993)). These reported quantum dots exhibit very low quantum efficiency and hence are not commercially useful in light emitting applications. M. A. Hines and P. Guyot-Sionnest report the preparation of ZnS-capped CdSe nanocrystallites which exhibited a significant improvement in luminescence yields of up to 50% quantum yield at room temperature (J. Phys. Chem. 100:468 (1996)). However, the quality of the emitted light remained unacceptable because of the large size distribution (12-15% rms) of the core of the resulting capped nanocrystallites. The large size distribution resulted in light emission over a wide spectral range. In addition, the reported preparation method does not allow control of the particle size obtained from the process and hence does not allow control of color. Danek et al. report the electronic and chemical passivation of CdSe nanocrystals with a ZnSe overlayer (Chem. Materials 8:173 (1996)). Although it might be expected that such ZnSe-capped CdSe nanocrystallites would exhibit as good as or better quantum yield than the ZnS analogue due to the better unit cell matching of ZnSe, in fact, the resulting material showed only disappointing improvements in quantum efficiency (≦0.4% quantum yield). Thus there remains a need for semiconductor nanocrystallites capable of light emission with high quantum efficiencies throughout the visible spectrum, which possess a narrow particle size (and hence with narrow photoluminescence spectral range). It is the object of the invention to provide semiconductor nanocrystallites which overcome the limitations of the prior art and which exhibit high quantum yields with photoluminescence emissions of high spectral purity. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of the invention, a coated nanocrystal capable of light emission includes a substantially monodisperse core selected from the group consisting of CdX, where X=S, Se, Te; and an overcoating of ZnY, where Y=S, Se, and mixtures thereof uniformly deposited thereon, said coated core characterized in that when irradiated the particles emit light in a narrow spectral range of no greater than about 40 nm at full width half max (FWHM). In some embodiments, the narrow spectral range is selected from the spectrum in the range of about 470 nm to about 620 nm and the particle size of the core is selected from the range of about 20 Å to about 125 Å. In other embodiments of the invention, the coated nanocrystal is characterized in that the nanocrystal exhibits less than a 10% and preferably less than 5%, rms deviation in diameter of the core. The nanocrystal preferably exhibits photoluminescence having quantum yields of greater than 30%, and most preferably in the range of about 30 to 50%. In another embodiment of the invention, the overcoating comprises one to two monolayers of ZnY. The nanocrystal may further comprise an organic layer on the nanocrystal outer surface. The organic layer may be comprised of moieties selected to provide compatibility with a suspension medium, such as a short-chain polymer terminating in a moiety having affinity for a suspending medium, and moieties which demonstrate an affinity to the quantum dot surface. The affinity for the nanocrystal surface promotes coordination of the organic compound to the quantum dot outer surface and the moiety with affinity for the suspension medium stabilizes the quantum dot suspension. In another aspect of the invention, a method of preparing a coated nanocrystal capable of light emission includes introducing a substantially monodisperse first semiconductor nanocrystal and a precursor capable of thermal conversion into a second semiconductor material into a coordinating solvent. The coordinating solvent is maintained at a temperature sufficient to convert the precursor into the second semiconductor material yet insufficient to substantially alter the monodispersity of the first semiconducting nanocrystal and the second semiconductor material has a band gap greater than the first semiconducting nanocrystal. An overcoating of the second semiconductor material is formed on the first semiconducting nanocrystal. In one embodiment of the invention, the monodispersity of the nanocrystal is monitored during conversion of the precursor and overcoating of the first semiconductor nanocrystal. In another embodiment, an organic overcoating is present on the outer nanocrystal surface, obtained by exposing the nanocrystal to an organic compound having affinity for the nanocrystal surface, whereby the organic compound displaces the coordinating solvent. In addition to having higher quantum efficiencies, ZnS overcoated particles are more robust than organically passivated nanocrystallites and are potentially more useful for optoelectronic devices. The (CdSe)ZnS dots of the invention may be incorporated into electroluminescent devices (LEDs). In addition, the (CdSe)ZnS dots of the invention may exhibit cathodoluminescence upon excitation with both high and low voltage electrons and may be potentially useful in the production of alternating current thin film electroluminescent devices (ACTFELD). In the naming convention used herein to refer to capped nanocrystallites, the compound found within parentheses represents the core compound (i.e. the bare “dot”), while the compound which follows represents the overcoated passivation layer. These and other features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the description of the invention, which follows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 shows the absorption spectra of CdSe dots with diameters measuring (a) 23 Å, (b) 42 Å, (c) 48 Å and (d) 55 Å before (dashed lines) and after (solid lines) overcoating with 1-2 monolayers of ZnS FIG. 2 shows the room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the samples of FIG. 1 before (dashed lines) and after (solid lines) overcoating with ZnS; FIG. 3 shows the progression of the absorption spectra for (CdSe)ZnS quantum dots with ZnS coverages of approximately 0, 0.65, 1.3, 2.6 and 5.3 monolayers; and FIG. 4 shows the evolution of the PL for ˜40 Å diameter (CdSe)ZnS dots of FIG. 3 with varying ZnS coverage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to the preparation of a series of room temperature, highly luminescent ZnS-capped CdSe ((CdSe)ZnS) nanocrystallites having a narrow particle size distribution. Nanocrystallites of the present invention exhibit high quantum yields greater than about 30% and preferably in the range of about 30-50% and a narrow band edge luminescence spanning most of the visible spectrum from 470 nm to 625 nm. The core of the nanocrystallites is substantially monodisperse. By monodisperse, as that term is used herein, it is meant a colloidal system in which the suspended particles have substantially identical size and shape. For the purposes of the present invention, monodisperse particles deviate less than 10% in rms diameter in the core, and preferably less than 5% in the core. When capped quantum dots of the invention are illuminated with a primary light source, a secondary emission of light occurs of a frequency that corresponds to the band gap of the semiconductor material used in the quantum dot. As previously discussed, the band gap is a function of the size of the nanocrystallite. As a result of the narrow size distribution of the capped nanocrystallites of the invention, the illuminated quantum dots emit light of a narrow spectral range resulting in high purity light. Spectral emissions in a narrow range of no greater than about 60 nm, preferably 40 nm and most preferably 30 nm at full width half max (FWHM) are observed. The present invention also is directed to a method of making capped quantum dots with a narrow particle size distribution. The capped quantum dots of the invention may be produced using a two step synthesis in which a size selected nanocrystallite is first synthesized and then overcoated with a passivation layer of a preselected thickness. In preferred embodiments, processing parameters such as reaction temperature, extent of monodispersity and layer thickness may be monitored during crystal growth and overcoating to provide a coated quantum dot of narrow particle size distribution, high spectral purity and high quantum efficiency. “Quantum yield” as that term is used herein, means the ratio of photons emitted to that absorbed, e.g., the photoluminescence quantum yield. The method is described for a (CdSe)ZnS quantum dot, but it is understood that the method may be applied in the preparation of a variety of known semiconductor materials. The first step of a two step procedure for the synthesis of (CdSe)ZnS quantum dots involves the preparation of nearly monodisperse CdSe nanocrystallites. The particles range in size from about 23 Å to about 55 Å with a particle size distribution of about 5-10%. These dots are referred to as “bare” dots. The CdSe dots are obtained using a high temperature colloidal growth process, followed by size selective precipitation. The high temperature colloidal growth process is accomplished by rapid injection of the appropriate organometallic precursor into a hot coordinating solvent to produce a temporally discrete homogeneous nucleation. Temporally discrete nucleation is attained by a rapid increase in the reagent concentration upon injection, resulting in an abrupt supersaturation which is relieved by the formation of nuclei and followed by growth on the initially formed nuclei. Slow growth and annealing in the coordinating solvent results in uniform surface derivatization and regularity in the core structure. Injection of reagents into the hot reaction solvent results in a short burst of homogeneous nucleation. The depletion of reagents through nucleation and the sudden temperature drop associated with the introduction of room temperature reagents prevents further nucleation. The solution then may be gently heated to reestablish the solution temperature. Gentle reheating allows for growth and annealing of the crystallites. The higher surface free energy of the small crystallites makes them less stable with respect to dissolution in the solvent than larger crystallites. The net result of this stability gradient is the slow diffusion of material from small particles to the surface of large particles (“Ostwald ripening”). Growth of this kind results in a highly monodisperse colloidal suspension from systems which may initially be highly polydisperse. Both the average size and the size distribution of the crystallites in a sample are dependent on the growth temperature. The growth temperature necessary to maintain steady growth increases with increasing average crystal size. As the size distribution sharpens, the temperature may be raised to maintain steady growth. As the size distribution sharpens, the temperature may be raised in 5-10° C. increments to maintain steady growth. Conversely, if the size distribution begins to spread, the temperature may be decreased 5-10° C. to encourage Ostwald ripening and uniform crystal growth. Generally, nanocrystallites 40 Angstroms in diameter can be grown in 2-4 hours in a temperature range of 250-280° C. Larger samples (60 Angstroms or more) can take days to grow and require temperatures as high as 320° C. The growth period may be shortened significantly (e.g., to hours) by using a higher temperature or by adding additional precursor materials. Size distribution during the growth stage of the reaction may be approximated by monitoring the absorption line widths of the particles. Modification of the reaction temperature in response to changes in the absorption spectrum of the particles allows the maintenance of a sharp particle size distribution during growth. It is also contemplated that reactants could be added to the nucleation solution during crystal growth to grow larger crystals. The particle size distribution maybe further refined by size selective precipitation. In a preferred embodiment, this may be accomplished by manipulation of solvent composition of the nanocrystallite suspension. The CdSe nanocrystallites are stabilized in solution by the formation of a lyophilic coating of alkyl groups on the crystallite outer surface. The alkyl groups are provided by the coordinating solvent used during the growth period. The interparticle repulsive force introduced by the lyophilic coating prevents aggregation of the particles in solution. The effectiveness of the stabilization is strongly dependent upon the interaction of the alkyl groups with the solvent. Gradual addition of a non-solvent will lead to the size-dependent flocculation of the nanocrystallites. Non-solvents are those solvents in which the groups which may be associated with the crystallite outer surface show no great affinity. In the present example, where the coordinating group is an alkyl group, suitable non-solvents include low molecular weight alcohols such as methanol, propanol and butanol. This phenomenon may be used to further narrow the particle size distribution of the nanocrystallites by a size-selective precipitation process. Upon sequential addition of a non-solvent, the largest particles are the first to flocculate. The removal of a subset of flocculated particles from the initial solution results in the narrowing of the particle size distribution in both the precipitate and the supernatant. A wealth of potential organometallic precursors and high boiling point coordinating solvents exist which may used in the preparation of CdSe dots. Organometallic precursors are selected for their stability, ease of preparation and clean decomposition products and low cracking temperatures. A particularly suitable organometallic precursor for use as a Cd source include alkyl cadmium compounds, such as CdMe2. Suitable organometallic precursors for use as a Se source include, bis(trimethylsilyl)selenium ((TMS)2Se), (tri-n-octylphosphine)selenide (TOPSe) and trialkyl phosphine selenides, such as (tri-n-butylphosphine)selenide (TBPSe). Other suitable precursors may include both cadmium and selenium in the same molecule. Alkyl phosphines and alkyl phosphine oxide be used as a high boiling coordinating solvent; however, other coordinating solvents, such as pyridines, furans, and amines may also be suitable for the nanocrystallite production. The preparation of monodisperse CdSe quantum dots has been described in detail in Murray et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 115:8706 (1993)), which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference. Next, the CdSe particles are overcoated by introducing a solution containing zinc and sulfur precursors in a coordinating solvent (e.g., TOP) into a suspension of CdSe nanocrystallites at the desired temperature. The temperature at which the dots are overcoated is related to the quality of the resultant composite particle. Overcoating the CdSe particles at relatively higher temperatures may cause the CdSe seed crystals to begin to grow via Ostwald ripening and deterioration of the size distribution of the particles leading to broader spectral line widths. Overcoating the particles at relatively low temperatures could lead to incomplete decomposition of the precursors or to reduced crystallinity of the ZnS shell. An ideal growth temperature may be determined for each CdSe core size to ensure that the size distribution of the cores remains constant and that shells with a high degree of crystallinity are formed. In preferred embodiments, CdSe crystallites are overcoated using diethyl zinc and hexamethyldisilathiane as the zinc and sulfur precursors. CdSe crystallites having a diameter in the range of about 23 Å-30 Å are overcoated at a temperature in the range of about 135-145° C., and preferably about 140° C. Similarly, nanocrystallites having a diameter of about 35 Å, 40 Å, 48 Å, and 55 Å, respectively, are overcoated at a temperature of about 155-165° C., and preferably about 160° C., 175-185° C. and preferably about 180° C., about 195-205° C., and preferably about 200° C., and about 215-225° C., and preferably about 220° C., respectively. The actual temperature ranges may vary, dependent upon the relative stability of the precursors and the crystallite core and overlayer composition. These temperature ranges may need to be modified 10-20° C., depending upon the relative stability of the precursors. For example, when the more stable trialkyl phosphine chalcogenides (like TOPSe) are used, higher temperatures are employed. The resulting (CdSe)ZnS composite particles are also passivated with TOPO/TOP on their outermost surface. The ZnS precursor solution concentration and the rate of its addition to the CdSe particles is selected to promote heterogeneous growth of ZnS onto the CdSe nuclei instead of homogeneous nucleation to produce ZnS particles. Conditions favoring heterogeneous growth include dropwise addition, e.g., 1-2 drops/second, of the ZnS precursor solution to the CdSe solution and maintenance of the ZnS precursor solution at low concentrations. Low concentrations typically range from 0.0005-0.5 M. In some preferred embodiments, it may be desirable to include a final purification step in which the overcoated dots are subjected to size selective precipitation to further assure that mainly only (CdSe)ZnS composite particles are present in the final product. In other embodiments, it may be desirable to modify the crystallite outer surface to permit formation of stable suspensions of the capped quantum dots. The outer surface of the nanocrystal includes an organic layer derived from the coordinating solvent used during the capping layer growth process. The crystallite surface may be modified by repeated exposure to an excess of a competing coordinating group. For example, a dispersion of the capped quantum dot may be treated a coordinating organic compound, such as pyridine, to produce crystallites which dispersed readily in pyridine, methanol, and aromatics but no longer dispersed in aliphatics. Such a surface exchange process may be carried out using a variety of compounds which are capable of coordinating or bonding to the outer surface of the capped quantum dot, such as by way of example, phosphines, thiols, amines and phosphates. In other embodiments, the capped quantum dots may be exposed to short chained polymers which exhibit an affinity for the capped surface on one and which terminate in a moiety having an affinity for the suspension or dispersion medium. Such affinity improves the stability of the suspension and discourages flocculation of the capped quantum dots. The synthesis described above produces overcoated quantum dots with a range of core and shell sizes. Significantly, the method of the invention allows both the size distribution of the nanocrystallites and the thickness of the overcoating to be independently controlled. FIG. 1 shows the absorption spectra of CdSe dots with a particle size distribution of (a) 23 Å, (b) 42 Å, (c) 48 Å and (d) 55 Å in diameter before (dashed lines) and after (solid lines) overcoating with 1-2 monolayers of ZnS. By “monolayer” as that term is used herein, it is meant a shell of ZnS which measures 3.1 Å (the distance between consecutive planes along the [002] axis in the bulk wurtzite ZnS) along the major axis of the prolate shaped dots. The absorption spectra represents the wavelength and intensity of absorption of light which is absorbed by the quantum dot. FIG. 1 indicates a small shift in the absorption spectra to the red (lower energies) after overcoating due to the partial leakage of the exciton into the ZnS matrix. This red shift is more pronounced in smaller dots where the leakage of the exciton into the ZnS shell has a more dramatic effect on the confinement energies of the charge carriers. FIG. 2 shows the room temperature photoluminescence spectra (PL) of the samples shown in FIG. 1 before (dashed lines) and after (solid lines) overcoating with ZnS. The PL quantum yield increases from 5-15% for bare dots to values ranging from 30% to 50% for dots passivated with ZnS. The PL spectra are much more intense due to their higher quantum yield of (a) 40%, (b) 50%, (c) 35% and (d) 30%, respectively. The quantum yield reaches a maximum value with the addition of approximately 1.3 monolayers of ZnS. A decrease in quantum yields at higher ZnS coverages may be due to the formation of defects in the ZnS shell. A color photograph demonstrates the wide spectral range of luminescence from the (CdSe)ZnS composite quantum dots of the present invention. See, for example, FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,229, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. The photograph shows six different samples of ZnS overcoated CdSe dots dispersed in dilute hexane solutions and placed in identical quartz cuvettes. The samples were irradiated with 356 nm ultraviolet light from a uv lamp in order to observe luminescence from all solutions at once. As the size of the CdSe core increased, the color of the luminescence shows a continuous progression from the blue through the green, yellow, orange to red. Their PL peaks occur at (going from right to left in FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,229) (a) 470 nm, (b) 480 nm, (c) 520 nm, (d) 560 nm, (e) 594 nm and (f) 620 nm. In contrast, in the smallest sizes of bare TOPO-capped dots, the color of the PL is normally dominated by broad deep trap emissions and appears as faint white light. In order to demonstrate the effect of ZnS passivation on the optical and structural properties of CdSe dots, a large quantity of ˜40 Å (±10%) diameter CdSe dots were overcoated with varying amounts of Zn and S precursors under identical temperatures and variable times. The result was a series of samples with similar CdSe cores, but with varying ZnS shell thicknesses. FIG. 3 shows the progression of the absorption spectrum for these samples with ZnS coverages of approximately 0 (bare TOPO capped CdSe), 0.65, 1.3, 2.6 and 5.3 monolayers. The right hand side of the figure shows the long wavelength region of the absorption spectra showing the lowest energy optical transitions. The spectra demonstrate an increased red-shift with the thicker ZnS overcoating as well as a broadening of the first peak in the spectra due to increased polydispersity of shell thicknesses. The left hand side of the spectra show the ultra-violet region of the spectra indicating an increased absorption at higher energies with increasing ZnS thickness due to direct absorption into the higher ZnS band gap ZnS shell. The evolution of the PL for the same ˜40 Å diameter CdSe dots with ZnS coverage is displayed in FIG. 4. As the coverage of ZnS on the CdSe surface increases one observes a dramatic increase in the fluorescence quantum yield followed by a steady decline after ˜1.3 monolayers of ZnS. The spectra are red shifted (slightly more than the shift in the absorption spectra) and show an increased broadening at higher coverages. The inset to FIG. 4 charts the evolution of the quantum yield for these dots as a fimction of the ZnS shell thickness. For this particular sample, the quantum yield started at 15% for the bare TOPO capped CdSe dots and increased with the addition of ZnS approaching a maximum value of 50% at approximately ˜1.3 monolayer coverage. At higher coverages, the quantum yield began to decrease steadily until it reached a value of about 30% at about 5 monolayers coverage. Although the invention has been described with reference to the preparation and performance of CdSe(ZnS), it will be readily apparent that the method of preparation may be used to obtain monodisperse overcoated quantum dots with various combinations of nanocrystallite core and overcoating. The method of the invention permits the preparation of a variety of capped nanocrystals having a very narrow particle size distribution and exhibiting improvements in color purity and intensity of their photoluminescent emissions. It is contemplated that a variety of cadmium chalcogenides, for example, CdX, where X=S, Se, Te may be prepared and overcoated according to the method of the invention. It is further contemplated that the overcoating may be varied and may include, by way of example only, ZnS, ZnSe, CdS and mixtures thereof. The invention is described with reference to the following examples, which are presented for the purpose of illustration and which are not intended to be limiting of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the claims which follow this specification. EXAMPLE 1 Preparation of CdSe. Trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO, 90% pure) and trioctylphosphine (TOP, 95% pure) were obtained from Strem and Fluka, respectively. Dimethyl cadmium (CdMe2) and diethyl zinc (ZnEt2) were purchased from Alfa and Fluka, respectively, and both materials were filtered separately through a 0.2 μm filter in an inert atmosphere box. Trioctylphosphine selenide was prepare by dissolving 0.1 mols of Se shot in 100 ml of TOP thus producing a 1 M solution of TOPSe. Hexamethyl(disilathiane) (TMS2 S) was used as purchased from Aldrich. HPLC grade n-hexane, methanol, pyridine and n-butanol were purchased from EM Sciences. The typical preparation of TOP/TOPO capped CdSe nanocrystallites follows. TOPO (30 g) was placed in a flask and dried under vacuum (1 Torr) at 180° C. for 1 hour. The flask was then filled with nitrogen and heated to 350° C. In an inert atmosphere drybox the following injection solution was prepared: CdMe2 (200 microliters, 2.78 mol), 1 M TOPSe solution (4.0 mL, 4.0 mmol), and TOP (16 mL). The injection solution was thoroughly mixed, loaded into a syringe, and removed from the drybox. The heat was removed from the reaction flask and the reagent mixture was delivered into the vigorously stirring TOPO with a single continuous injection. This produces a deep yellow/orange solution with a sharp absorption feature at 470-500 nm and a sudden temperature decrease to ˜240° C. Heating was restored to the reaction flask and the temperature was gradually raised to 260-280° C. Aliquots of the reaction solution were removed at regular intervals (5-10 min) and absorption spectra taken to monitor the growth of the crystallites. The best samples were prepared over a period of a few hours steady growth by modulating the growth temperature in response to changes in the size distribution, as estimated from the sharpness of the features in the absorption spectra. The temperature was lowered 5-10° C. in response to an increase in the size distribution. Alternatively, the reaction can also be stopped at this point. When growth appears to stop, the temperature is raised 5-10° C. When the desired absorption characteristics were observed, the reaction flask was allowed to cool to ˜60° C. and 20 mL of butanol were added to prevent solidification of the TOPO. Addition of a large excess of methanol causes the particles to flocculate. The flocculate was separated from the supernatant liquid by centrifugation; the resulting powder can be dispersed in a variety of organic solvents (alkanes, ethers, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, etc.) to produce an optically clear solution. Size-selective Precipitation. Nanocrystallites were dispersed in a solution of ˜10% butanol in hexane. Methanol was then added dropwise to this stirring solution until opalescence persisted. Separation of supernatant and flocculate by centrifugation produced a precipitate enriched with the largest crystallites in the sample. This procedure was repeated until no further sharpening of the optical absorption spectrum was noted. Size-selective precipitation can be carried out in a variety of solvent/nonsolvent pairs, including pyridine/hexane and chloroform/methanol. Surface Exchange. Crystallite surface derivatization can be modified by repeated exposure to an excess of a competing capping group. Heating to ˜60° C. a mixture of ˜50 mg of TOPO/TOP capped crystallites and 5-10 mL of pyridine gradually dispersed the crystallites in the solvent. Treatment of the dispersion with excess hexane resulted in the flocculation of the crystallites which are then isolated by centrifugation. The process of dispersion in pyridine and flocculation with hexane was repeated a number of times to produce crystallites which dispersed readily in pyridine, methanol, and aromatics but no longer dispersed in aliphatics. EXAMPLE 2 Preparation of CdSe. A second route to the production of CdSe core replaces the phosphine chalcogenide precursors in Example 1 with (TMS)2Se. The smallest (˜12 Å) CdSe species are produced under milder conditions with injection and growth carried out at ˜100° C. The product was further treated as described in Example 1. EXAMPLE 3 Preparation of (CdSe)ZnS. Nearly monodisperse CdSe quantum dots ranging from 23 Å to 55 Å in diameter were synthesized and purified via size-selective precipitation as described in Example 1. A flask containing 5 g of TOPO was heated to 190° C. under vacuum for several hours then cooled to 60° C. after which 0.5 mL trioctylphosphine (TOP) was added. Roughly 0.1-0.4 μmols of CdSe dots dispersed in hexane were transferred into the reaction vessel via syringe and the solvent was pumped off. Diethyl zinc (ZnEt2) and hexamethyldisilathiane ((TMS)2S) were used as the Zn and S precursors, respectively. The amounts of Zn and S precursors needed to grow a ZnS shell of desired thickness for each CdSe sample were determined as follows: First, the average radius of the CdSe dots was estimated from TEM or SAXS measurements. Next, the ratio of ZnS to CdSe necessary to form a shell of desired thickness was calculated based on the ratio of the shell volume to that of the core assuming a spherical core and shell and taking into account the bulk lattice parameters of CdSe and ZnS. For larger particles the ratio of Zn to Cd necessary to achieve the same thickness shell is less than for the smaller dots. The actual amount of ZnS that grows onto the CdSe cores was generally less than the amount added due to incomplete reaction of the precursors and to loss of some material on the walls of the flask during the addition. Equimolar amounts of the precursors were dissolved in 2-4 mL TOP inside an inert atmosphere glove box. The precursor solution was loaded into a syringe and transferred to an addition finnel attached to the reaction flask. The reaction flask containing CdSe dots dispersed in TOPO and TOP was heated under an atmosphere of N2. The temperature at which the precursors were added ranged from 140° C. for 23 Å diameter dots to 220° C. for 55 Å diameter dots. When the desired temperature was reached the Zn and S precursors were added dropwise to the vigorously stirring reaction mixture over a period of 5-10 minutes. After the addition was complete the mixture was cooled to 90° C. and left stirring for several hours. Butanol (5 mL) was added to the mixture to prevent the TOPO from solidifying upon cooling to room temperature. The overcoated particles were stored in their growth solution to ensure that the surface of the dots remained passivated with TOPO. They were later recovered in powder form by precipitating with methanol and redispersing into a variety of solvents including hexane, chloroform, toluene, THF and pyridine. In some cases, the as-grown CdSe crystallites were judged to be sufficiently monodisperse that no size-selective precipitation was performed. Once these CdSe particles had grown to the desired size, the temperature of the reaction flask was lowered and the Zn and S precursors were added dropwise to form the overcapping. Optical Characterization. UV-Visible absorption spectra were acquired on an HP 8452 diode array spectrophotometer. Dilute solutions of dots in hexane were placed in 1 cm quartz cuvettes and their absorption and corresponding florescence were measured. The photoluminescence spectra were taken on a SPEX Fluorolog-2 spectrometer in front face collection mode. The room temperature quantum yields were determined by comparing the integrated emission of the dots in solution to the emission of a solution of rhodamine 590 or rhodamine 640 of identical optical density at the excitation wavelength. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Semiconductor nanocrystallites (quantum dots) whose radii are smaller than the bulk exciton Bohr radius constitute a class of materials intermediate between molecular and bulk forms of matter. Quantum confinement of both the electron and hole in all three dimensions leads to an increase in the effective band gap of the material with decreasing crystallite size. Consequently, both the optical absorption and emission of quantum dots shift to the blue (higher energies) as the size of the dots gets smaller. Bawendi and co-workers have described a method of preparing monodisperse semiconductor nanocrystallites by pyrolysis of organometallic reagents injected into a hot coordinating solvent (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 115:8706 (1993)). This permits temporally discrete nucleation and results in the controlled growth of macroscopic quantities of nanocrystallites. Size selective precipitation of the crystallites from the growth solution provides crystallites with narrow size distributions. The narrow size distribution of the quantum dots allows the possibility of light emission in very narrow spectral widths. Although semiconductor nanocrystallites prepared as described by Bawendi and co-workers exhibit near monodispersity, and hence, high color selectivity, the luminescence properties of the crystallites are poor. Such crystallites exhibit low photoluminescent yield, that is, the light emitted upon irradiation is of low intensity. This is due to energy levels at the surface of the crystallite which lie within the energetically forbidden gap of the bulk interior. These surface energy states act as traps for electrons and holes which degrade the luminescence properties of the material. In an effort to improve photoluminescent yield of the quantum dots, the nanocrystallite surface has been passivated by reaction of the surface atoms of the quantum dots with organic passivating ligands, so as to eliminate forbidden energy levels. Such passivation produces an atomically abrupt increase in the chemical potential at the interface of the semiconductor and passivating layer (See, A. P. Alivisatos, J. Phys. Chem. 100:13226 (1996)). Bawendi et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 115:8706 (1993)) describe CdSe nanocrystallites capped with organic moieties such as tri-n-octyl phosphine (TOP) and tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide (TOPO) with quantum yields of around 5-10%. Passivation of quantum dots using inorganic materials also has been reported. Particles passivated with an inorganic coating are more robust than organically passivated dots and have greater tolerance to processing conditions necessary for their incorporation into devices. Previously reported inorganically passivated quantum dot structures include CdS-capped CdSe and CdSe-capped CdS (Tian et al., J. Phys. Chem. 100:8927 (1996)); ZnS grown on CdS (Youn et al., J. Phys. Chem. 92:6320 (1988)); ZnS on CdSe and the inverse structure (Kortan et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 112:1327 (1990)); and SiO 2 on Si (Wilson et al., Science 262:1242 (1993)). These reported quantum dots exhibit very low quantum efficiency and hence are not commercially useful in light emitting applications. M. A. Hines and P. Guyot-Sionnest report the preparation of ZnS-capped CdSe nanocrystallites which exhibited a significant improvement in luminescence yields of up to 50% quantum yield at room temperature (J. Phys. Chem. 100:468 (1996)). However, the quality of the emitted light remained unacceptable because of the large size distribution (12-15% rms) of the core of the resulting capped nanocrystallites. The large size distribution resulted in light emission over a wide spectral range. In addition, the reported preparation method does not allow control of the particle size obtained from the process and hence does not allow control of color. Danek et al. report the electronic and chemical passivation of CdSe nanocrystals with a ZnSe overlayer (Chem. Materials 8:173 (1996)). Although it might be expected that such ZnSe-capped CdSe nanocrystallites would exhibit as good as or better quantum yield than the ZnS analogue due to the better unit cell matching of ZnSe, in fact, the resulting material showed only disappointing improvements in quantum efficiency (≦0.4% quantum yield). Thus there remains a need for semiconductor nanocrystallites capable of light emission with high quantum efficiencies throughout the visible spectrum, which possess a narrow particle size (and hence with narrow photoluminescence spectral range). It is the object of the invention to provide semiconductor nanocrystallites which overcome the limitations of the prior art and which exhibit high quantum yields with photoluminescence emissions of high spectral purity. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In one aspect of the invention, a coated nanocrystal capable of light emission includes a substantially monodisperse core selected from the group consisting of CdX, where X=S, Se, Te; and an overcoating of ZnY, where Y=S, Se, and mixtures thereof uniformly deposited thereon, said coated core characterized in that when irradiated the particles emit light in a narrow spectral range of no greater than about 40 nm at full width half max (FWHM). In some embodiments, the narrow spectral range is selected from the spectrum in the range of about 470 nm to about 620 nm and the particle size of the core is selected from the range of about 20 Å to about 125 Å. In other embodiments of the invention, the coated nanocrystal is characterized in that the nanocrystal exhibits less than a 10% and preferably less than 5%, rms deviation in diameter of the core. The nanocrystal preferably exhibits photoluminescence having quantum yields of greater than 30%, and most preferably in the range of about 30 to 50%. In another embodiment of the invention, the overcoating comprises one to two monolayers of ZnY. The nanocrystal may further comprise an organic layer on the nanocrystal outer surface. The organic layer may be comprised of moieties selected to provide compatibility with a suspension medium, such as a short-chain polymer terminating in a moiety having affinity for a suspending medium, and moieties which demonstrate an affinity to the quantum dot surface. The affinity for the nanocrystal surface promotes coordination of the organic compound to the quantum dot outer surface and the moiety with affinity for the suspension medium stabilizes the quantum dot suspension. In another aspect of the invention, a method of preparing a coated nanocrystal capable of light emission includes introducing a substantially monodisperse first semiconductor nanocrystal and a precursor capable of thermal conversion into a second semiconductor material into a coordinating solvent. The coordinating solvent is maintained at a temperature sufficient to convert the precursor into the second semiconductor material yet insufficient to substantially alter the monodispersity of the first semiconducting nanocrystal and the second semiconductor material has a band gap greater than the first semiconducting nanocrystal. An overcoating of the second semiconductor material is formed on the first semiconducting nanocrystal. In one embodiment of the invention, the monodispersity of the nanocrystal is monitored during conversion of the precursor and overcoating of the first semiconductor nanocrystal. In another embodiment, an organic overcoating is present on the outer nanocrystal surface, obtained by exposing the nanocrystal to an organic compound having affinity for the nanocrystal surface, whereby the organic compound displaces the coordinating solvent. In addition to having higher quantum efficiencies, ZnS overcoated particles are more robust than organically passivated nanocrystallites and are potentially more useful for optoelectronic devices. The (CdSe)ZnS dots of the invention may be incorporated into electroluminescent devices (LEDs). In addition, the (CdSe)ZnS dots of the invention may exhibit cathodoluminescence upon excitation with both high and low voltage electrons and may be potentially useful in the production of alternating current thin film electroluminescent devices (ACTFELD). In the naming convention used herein to refer to capped nanocrystallites, the compound found within parentheses represents the core compound (i.e. the bare “dot”), while the compound which follows represents the overcoated passivation layer. These and other features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the description of the invention, which follows. | 20041012 | 20061024 | 20050303 | 67523.0 | 1 | LE, HOA T | HIGHLY LUMINESCENT COLOR-SELECTIVE NANOCRYSTALLINE MATERIALS | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,960,981 | ACCEPTED | Hand tool aided screwdriver | A hand tool aided screwdriver related to a ratchet screwdriver that allows operation in changed direction includes a handle, a ratchet holder, a socket, and a chock. The ratchet holder is inserted into a chamber in the handle. The socket is inserted into the ratchet holder. The ratchet holder is provided with an outer ratchet to engage with an inner ratchet in the chock. The chock having a hexagon outer surface to be held by an open end of a spanner to apply force together with the screwdriver in mounting or dismounting a work piece. | 1. A hand tool aided screwdriver comprising a handle and a ratchet holder; the holder containing a chamber, the chamber containing stoppers each adapted with a spring; the chamber being capped with a locking ring; the locking ring containing studs to hold against the stoppers; the ratchet holder being secured in the chamber of the handle; a ratchet being provided on an outer circumferential portion of the ratchet holder to turn in one-way direction as restricted by the stoppers; and characterized by: said screwdriver further comprising a socket and a chock, the socket being inserted into the ratchet holder; and the chock provided with a hexagon outer surface being secured on the ratchet holder. 2. The hand tool aided screwdriver of claim 1, wherein the ratchet holder is provided with an outer ratchet exposed out of the locking is ring of the handle; an inner ratchet being provided in the chock; the inner ratchet of the chock being engaged with the outer ratchet of the ratchet holder. 3. The hand tool aided screwdriver of claim 1, wherein two locking bits and one bead are provided on an outer circumferential portion of the socket; the bead containing a spring to provide elastic expansion for the bead; a through hole being provided in the ratchet holder to receive insertion of the socket; two slots being provided on an inner wall of the through hole of the ratchet holder to receive the locking bits of the socket. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hand tool aided screwdriver, and more particularly to a ratchet screwdriver allowing extra force to be jointly applied on a work piece from another hand tool such as a spanner by leverage. (b) Description of the Prior Art As taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,446 for a ratchet screwdriver that permits application of extra force to drive a screw or a bolt in one direction or in a changed direction. However, as the force applied is limited only to that from the wrist of the user, more efforts are still needed for a job involving greater torque. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a hand tool aided screwdriver to apply extra force on a work piece that requires greater torque. It saves efforts, allows one-way application of force, adaptable to socket with different recesses on both ends for connection with a screwdriver tip or socket depending on the type of the user to apply force using one hand or a spanner. To achieve the purpose, a socket is inserted into a ratchet holder; a chock having a hexagon outer surface is secured on the ratchet holder. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention as assembled. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention as assembled. FIG. 4 is a side view showing that a spanner is used to help the preferred embodiment of the present invention to apply force on a work piece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1, and 2, a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a handle (1), a ratchet holder (2), a socket (3), and a chock (4). The handle (1) includes a chamber (11) containing two stoppers (12) each inserted with a spring (13). The chamber (11) is capped with a locking ring (14). The locking ring (14) contains two studs (15) to respectively hold against the stoppers (12) as the locking ring (14) is turned around. The locking ring (14) is inserted inside with a dust lid (16) and a gasket (17). The ratchet holder (2) is secured into the chamber (11) of the handle (1). A ratchet (21) is provided on the middle section of the ratchet holder (2) to turn in one-way direction when held against by the stoppers (12). The top of the ratchet holder (2) exposes out of the locking ring (14) of the handle (1) and has on its outer circumference provided with an outer ratchet (22). A through hole (23) is provided in the ratchet holder (2). Two slots (24) are axially provided inside the through hole (23). The socket (3) with two ends each disposed with a recess (31) is adjustably inserted into the through hole (23) of the ratchet hole (2). Two locking bits (32) opposite to each other are provided on the middle section of the socket (3). A bead (33) containing a spring (331) to provide elastic expansion for the bead (33) is provided also on the middle section of the socket (3). The chock (4) secured on the ratchet holder (2) contains an inner ratchet (41) to engage with the outer ratchet (22) of the ratchet holder (2). The outer surface of the chock (4) is made in the form of a hexagon outer surface (42) for another hand tool to hold onto it. When assembled, the ratchet holder (2) is inserted into the chamber (11) of the handle (1) with the ratchet (21) held against by the stoppers (12). The dust lid (16) and the gasket (17) are inserted onto the ratchet holder (2). The locking ring (14) is inserted to the opening of the chamber (11) of the handle (1) to expose the outer ratchet (22) out of the locking ring (14). Either end of the socket (3) is inserted into the through hole (23) of the ratchet holder (2), as illustrated in FIG. 3. The locking bits (32) of the socket (3) are respectively engaged with the slots (24) of the ratchet holder (2). The bead (33) of the socket (3) is elastically holding against the inner edge of the through hole (23) of the ratchet holder (2) so to secure the socket (3) inside the ratchet holder (2). The chock (4) is then inserted onto the ratchet holder (2) so that the inner ratchet (41) of the chock (4) and the outer ratchet (22) of the ratchet holder (2) are tightly adapted to and locked in place with each other. Accordingly, the chock (4) is firmly secured to the ratchet holder (2) to complete the assembly of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. When a job involving a work piece (B) demanding much greater torque for installation or removal as illustrated in FIG. 4, the user has one hand holding the handle (1) to plunge against the work piece (B) and another hand holding another hand tool, a spanner (C) as illustrated, with its open end (C1) to clip the hexagon outer surface (42) of the chock (4) to apply force by turning the spanner (C) thus to provide greater torque to the work piece (B). Upon turning the chock (4), greater torque is produced and applied on the socket (3) since the chock (4) is secured to the ratchet holder (2) and the ratchet holder (2) in turn is coupled with the socket (3) to mount or dismount the work piece (B). Therefore, the present invention by providing extra force applied to a work piece at less effort eliminates the insufficient force applied to the work piece (B) only by the handle (1) using one's wrist. When the socket (3) has to work with a screwdriver bit or another socket in different specification, the socket (3) is pulled out of the ratchet holder (2) and has another end of the socket (3) inserted into the through hole (23) of the ratchet holder (2). The locking bits (32) of the socket (3) are respectively engaged with the two slots (24) of the ratchet holder (2), and the bead (33) of the socket (3) holds against the inner edge of the through hole (23) of the ratchet holder (2) so to secure the socket (3) inside the ratchet holder (2). The recess (31) provided on the other end of the socket (3) is to receive the screwdriver bit or another socket to mount or dismount a work piece. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>(a) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hand tool aided screwdriver, and more particularly to a ratchet screwdriver allowing extra force to be jointly applied on a work piece from another hand tool such as a spanner by leverage. (b) Description of the Prior Art As taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,446 for a ratchet screwdriver that permits application of extra force to drive a screw or a bolt in one direction or in a changed direction. However, as the force applied is limited only to that from the wrist of the user, more efforts are still needed for a job involving greater torque. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a hand tool aided screwdriver to apply extra force on a work piece that requires greater torque. It saves efforts, allows one-way application of force, adaptable to socket with different recesses on both ends for connection with a screwdriver tip or socket depending on the type of the user to apply force using one hand or a spanner. To achieve the purpose, a socket is inserted into a ratchet holder; a chock having a hexagon outer surface is secured on the ratchet holder. | 20041012 | 20060606 | 20060413 | 62912.0 | B25B1346 | 0 | GRANT, ALVIN J | HAND TOOL AIDED SCREWDRIVER | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | B25B | 2,004 |
|
10,961,157 | ACCEPTED | Milled submicron organic biocides with narrow particle size distribution, and uses thereof | A method of milling substantially insoluble solid organic biocides to form a micron or sub-micron product having a narrow particle size distribution is presented. The milling involves wet milling of the organic biocide with high density milling media having a diameter between 0.1 mm and 0.8 mm, preferably between 0.2 mm and 0.7 mm, and a density equal to or greater than 3.8 g/cc, preferably greater than 5.5 g/cc, in a ball mill using between about 40% and 80% loading of the mill volume with milling media, and having the organic biocide suspended in an aqueous milling liquid which comprises one or more surface active agents. The milling speed is preferably high, for example from about 1000 rpm to about 4000 rpm. The milled product can be used in foliar applications at a lower effective dosage than prior art formulations, can be used in improved antifouling paint formulations, and can be used in new applications such as the direct injection of solid organic biocide particulates in wood to act as a long lasting wood preservative. | 1. A method of preparing a particulate organic biocide product comprising the steps of: 1) providing an solid substantially water-insoluble organic biocide, an aqueous liquid comprising a surface-active agent, and a milling media to a mill, wherein the milling media comprises an effective amount of milling beads having a density of about 3.5 grams/cm3 or greater, and a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm; and 2) milling the material for a time sufficient to obtain a milled organic biocide product having a mean volume particle diameter d50 of about 0.05 microns to about 1 micron. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the milling media comprises an effective amount of milling beads comprising zirconia and having a density or about 5.5 grams/cm3 or greater. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein 10% or more by weight of the milling media comprises zirconium oxide-containing milling beads having a diameter between about 0.1 and about 0.7 mm. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the time is between about 10 minutes and about 240 minutes, wherein 40% or more by weight of the milling media comprises milling beads comprising zirconium oxide and having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.7 mm, and wherein the milled organic biocide product has a mean volume particle diameter d50 of less than about 0.7 microns. 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the milled organic biocide product has a diameter d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than 4 times the d50. 6. The method of claim 4 wherein the milled organic biocide product has a diameter d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than 3 times the d50. 7. The method of claim 4 wherein the milled organic biocide product has a diameter d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than 2 times the d50. 8. The method of claim 3 wherein the product has a mean volume particle diameter d50 of between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the milled organic biocide product has a diameter d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than 4 times the d50. 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the milled organic biocide product has a diameter d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than 3 times the d50. 11. The method of claim 8 wherein the milled organic biocide product has a diameter d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than 2 times the d50. 12. The method of claim 1 wherein at least 25 % by weight of the milling media consists of milling beads having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm which consist essentially of zirconium oxide, doped zirconium oxide, stabilized zirconium oxide, or mixture thereof. 13. The method of claim 1 wherein at least 5 % by weight of the milling media consists of milling beads having a diameter between about 0.2 mm and about 0.7 mm and a density greater than about 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter. 14. The method of claim 1 wherein at least 40 % by weight of the milling media consists of milling beads having a diameter between about 0.3 and about 0.6 mm. and a density greater than about 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter. 15. The method of claim 1 wherein at least 25 % by weight of the milling media consists of milling beads having a diameter between about 0.4 and about 0.6 mm and a density greater than about 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter. 16. The method of claim 1 wherein at least 50% of the milling media has a diameter between about 0.3 and about 0.7 mm and a density of 5.5 g/cc or greater, and wherein the milling media occupies between about 40% and 80% of the mill volume. 17. The method of claim 3 wherein the milling media consists essentially of milling beads having a diameter between about 0.3 and about 0.7 mm and a density of 5.5 g/cc or greater, and wherein the milling media occupies between about 40 and 80 volume % of the mill. 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the mill speed is between about 1000 and about 4000 rpm. 19. The method of claim 1 wherein at least 10% by weight of the milling media consists of steel milling beads having a diameter between about 0.2 and about 0.7 mm and a density of 6 g/cc or greater. 20. The method of claim 19 wherein at least 25% by weight of the milling media consists of steel milling beads having a diameter between about 0.3 and about 0.6 mm and a density of 6 g/cc or greater. 21. The method of claim 1 wherein the milling media comprises steel. 22. The method of claim 1 wherein at least 25% of the milling media are metallic milling beads having a diameter between about 0.3 and about 0.7 mm and a density of 5.5 g/cc or greater, and wherein the milling material is between about 40% and 80% of the mill volume. 23. The method of claim 22 wherein the milled organic biocide product comprises between 2 and about 60% by weight of surface active agents, based on the weight of the organic biocide. 24. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of Metaldehyde, triphenyltin hydroxide, Maneb, Mancozeb, Zineb, Ziram, and Ferbam, and wherein the milled organic biocide product has a volume mean diameter d50 of about 1 micron or less and a d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than about 2 microns. 25. The method of claim 22 wherein the organic biocide is selected from Maneb, Mancozeb, or mixture thereof. 26. The method of claim 22 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of triphenyltin hydroxide, Ziram, and Ferbam. 27. The method of claim 22 wherein the organic biocide is Metaldehyde. 28. The method of claim 22 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of triphenyltin hydroxide, Maneb, Mancozeb, Zineb, Ziram, and Ferbam, wherein the d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, is less than about 3 times the d50. 29. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of Metaldehyde, triphenyltin hydroxide, Maneb, Mancozeb, Zineb, Ziram, and Ferbam, and wherein the milled organic biocide product has a volume mean diameter d50 of about 0.4 microns or less and a d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of about 1 micron or less. 30. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of Metaldehyde, triphenyltin hydroxide, Maneb, Mancozeb, Zineb, Ziram, and Ferbam, and wherein the milled organic biocide product has a volume mean diameter d50 of about 0.6 microns or less and a d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of about 1.4 microns or less. 31. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of Metaldehyde, triphenyltin hydroxide, Maneb, Mancozeb, Zineb, Ziram, and Ferbam, and wherein the milled organic biocide product has a volume mean diameter d50 between about 0.1 and 0.3 microns and a d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than about 3 times the d50. 32. A method of preserving wood comprising: milling an organic biocide product according to claim 31, wherein the milled organic biocide product further comprises the surface active agents; adding the milled organic biocide product to water to form an injectable slurry; and injecting the injectable slurry into wood, thereby obtaining a wood product with the milled organic biocide product dispersed therein. 33. The method of preserving wood of claim 32, wherein the injectable slurry further comprises dispersed, injectable sparingly soluble copper salt particles, wherein the injectable copper salt particles have been milled by placing in a ball mill the sparingly soluble copper salt, an aqueous liquid comprising a surface-active agent, and a milling media to a mill, wherein the milling media comprises an effective amount of milling beads having a density or about 3.8 grams/cm3 or greater, and a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm; and milling the sparingly soluble copper salts for a time sufficient to obtain a milled organic biocide product having a mean volume particle diameter d50 of about 0.1 microns to 0.3 microns and a d98 of less than 3 times the d50. 34. A method of treating crops comprising: milling an organic biocide product according to claim 28, wherein the milled organic biocide product further comprises the surface active agents; adding the milled organic biocide product to water to form slurry; and spraying the slurry over the crops. 35. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of chlorothalonil, copper thiocyanate, zinc pyrithione, Ziram, 4,5-dicholo-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, and Ferbam, and wherein the milled organic biocide product has a volume mean diameter d50 of about 1 micron or less and a d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than about 2 microns, further comprising the steps of removing water from the milled organic biocide product; and adding the dewatered milled organic biocide product to a non-fouling paint composition. 36. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of imidazolinones, sulfonylureas, triazolopyrimidine sulfonamides, aryloxyphenoxy propionates, triazines, chloroacetanilides, pyrazoles, and diphenyl ethers. 37. The method of claim 36 wherein the milled organic biocide product has a volume mean diameter d50 between about 0.1 and 0.3 microns and a d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than about 3 times the d50. 38. A method of preserving wood comprising: milling an organic biocide product according to claim 37, wherein the milled organic biocide product further comprises the surface active agents; adding the milled organic biocide product to water to form an injectable slurry; and injecting the injectable slurry into wood, thereby obtaining a wood product with the milled organic biocide product dispersed therein. 39. The method of preserving wood of claim 38, wherein the injectable slurry further comprises dispersed, injectable sparingly soluble copper salt particles, wherein the injectable copper salt particles have been milled by placing in a ball mill the sparingly soluble copper salt, an aqueous liquid comprising a surface-active agent, and a milling media to a mill, wherein the milling media comprises an effective amount of milling beads having a density or about 3.8 grams/cm3 or greater, and a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm; and milling the sparingly soluble copper salts for a time sufficient to obtain a milled organic biocide product having a mean volume particle diameter d50 of about 0.1 microns to 0.3 microns and a d98 of less than 3 times the d50. 40. A method of treating crops comprising: milling an organic biocide product according to claim 36, wherein the milled organic biocide product further comprises the surface active agents; adding the milled organic biocide product to water to form slurry; and spraying the slurry over the crops. 41. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of amitraz, azinphos-ethyl, azinphos-methyl, benzoximate, fenobucarb, gamma-HCH, methidathion, deltamethrin, dicofol, dioxabenzafos, dioxacarb, dinobuton, endosulfan, bifenthrin, binapacryl, bioresmethrin, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-methyl, EPNethiofencarb, cyanophos, cyfluthrin, tetradifon, cypermethrin, tralomethrin, bromophos, N-2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-1,3-thiazol-2-ylidene-xylidene, 2,4-parathion methyl, bromopropylate, butacarboxim, butoxycarboxin, chlordimeform, phosalone, chlorobenzilate, phosfolan, chloropropylate, phosmet, chlorophoxim, promecarb, fenamiphos, quinalphos, resmethrin, temephos, pirimiphos-ethyl, tetramethrin, pirimiphos-methyl, xylylcarb, profenofos, acrinathrin, propaphos, allethrin, propargite, benfuracarb, propetamphos, bioallethrin, pyrachlofos, bioallethrin S, tefluthrin, bioresmethrin, terbufos, buprofezin, tetrachlorinphos, chlorfenvinphos, tralomethrin, chlorflurazuron, triazophos, chlormephos, pyrachlofos, tefluthrin, terbufos, tetrachlorinphos, cycloprothrin, betacyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, cambda-cyhalothrin, tralomethrin, alpha-cypermethrin, triazophos, beta-cypermethrin, cyphenothrin, demeton-S-methyl, dichlorvos, disulfoton, edifenphos, empenthrin, esfenvalerate, ethoprophos, etofenprox, etrimphos, fenazaquin, fenitrothion, fenthiocarb, fenpropathrin, fenthion, fenvalerate, flucythrinate, flufenoxuron, tau-fluvalinate, formothion, hexaflumuron, hydroprene, isofenphos, isoprocarb, isoxathion, malathion, mephospholan, methoprene, methoxychlor, mevinphos, permethrin, phenothrin, phenthoate, benalaxyl, biteranol, bupirimate, cyproconazole, carboxin, tetraconazole, dodemorph, difenoconazole, dodine, dimethomoph, fenarimol, diniconazole, ditalimfos, ethoxyquin, myclobutanil, etridiazole, nuarimol, fenpropidin, oxycarboxin, fluchloralin, penconazole, flusilazole, prochloraz, imibenconazole, tolclofos-methyl, myclobutanil, triadimefon, propiconazole, triadimenol, pyrifenox, azaconazole, tebuconazole, epoxyconazole, tridemorph, fenpropimorph, triflumizole, 2,4-D esters, diclofop-methyldiethatyl, 2,4-DB esters, dimethachlor, acetochlor, dinitramine, aclonifen, ethalfluralin, alachlor, ethofumesate, anilophos, fenobucarb, benfluralin, fenoxapropethyl, benfuresate, fluazifop, bensulide, fluazifop-P, benzoylprop-ethyl, fluchloralin, bifenox, flufenoxim, bromoxynil esters, flumetralin, bromoxynil, flumetralin, butachlor, fluorodifen, butamifos, fluoroglycofen ethyl, butralin, fluoroxypyr esters, butylate, carbetamide, chlomitrofen, chlorpropham, cinmethylin, clethodim, clomazone, clopyralid esters, CMPP esters, cycloate, cycloxydim, desmedipham, dichlorprop esters, flurecol butyl, flurochloralin, haloxyfop, ethoxyethyl, haloxyfop-methyl, ioxynil esters, isopropalin, MCPA esters, mecoprop-P esters, metolachlor, monalide, napropamide, nitrofen, oxadiazon, oxyfluorfen, pendimethalin, phenisopham, phenmedipham, picloram esters, pretilachlor, profluralin, propachlor, propanil, propaquizafop, pyridate, quizalofop-P, triclopyr esters, and tridiphane. 42. The method of claim 41 wherein the milled organic biocide product has a volume mean diameter d50 between about 0.1 and 0.3 microns and a d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than about 3 times the d50. 43. A method of preserving wood comprising: milling an organic biocide product according to claim 42, wherein the milled organic biocide product further comprises the surface active agents; adding the milled organic biocide product to water to form an injectable slurry; and injecting the injectable slurry into wood, thereby obtaining a wood product with the milled organic biocide product dispersed therein. 44. The method of preserving wood of claim 43, wherein the injectable slurry further comprises dispersed, injectable sparingly soluble copper salt particles, wherein the injectable copper salt particles have been milled by placing in a ball mill the sparingly soluble copper salt, an aqueous liquid comprising a surface-active agent, and a milling media to a mill, wherein the milling media comprises an effective amount of milling beads having a density or about 3.8 grams/cm3 or greater, and a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm; and milling the sparingly soluble copper salts for a time sufficient to obtain a milled organic biocide product having a mean volume particle diameter d50 of about 0.1 microns to 0.3 microns and a d98 of less than 3 times the d50. 45. A method of treating crops comprising: milling an organic biocide product according to claim 41, wherein the milled organic biocide product further comprises the surface active agents; adding the milled organic biocide product to water to form slurry; and spraying the slurry over the crops. 46. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of morpholines, phenylamides, azoles, strobilurins, phthalonitriles, and phenoxyquinolines. 47. The method of claim 46 wherein the milled organic biocide product has a volume mean diameter d50 between about 0.1 and 0.3 microns and a d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than about 3 times the d50. 48. A method of preserving wood comprising: milling an organic biocide product according to claim 47, wherein the milled organic biocide product further comprises the surface active agents; adding the milled organic biocide product to water to form an injectable slurry; and injecting the injectable slurry into wood, thereby obtaining a wood product with the milled organic biocide product dispersed therein. 49. The method of preserving wood of claim 48, wherein the injectable slurry further comprises dispersed, injectable sparingly soluble copper salt particles, wherein the injectable copper salt particles have been milled by placing in a ball mill the sparingly soluble copper salt, an aqueous liquid comprising a surface-active agent, and a milling media to a mill, wherein the milling media comprises an effective amount of milling beads having a density or about 3.8 grams/cm3 or greater, and a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm; and milling the sparingly soluble copper salts for a time sufficient to obtain a milled organic biocide product having a mean volume particle diameter d50 of about 0.1 microns to 0.3 microns and a d98 of less than 3 times the d50. 50. A method of treating crops comprising: milling an organic biocide product according to claim 46, wherein the milled organic biocide product further comprises the surface active agents; adding the milled organic biocide product to water to form slurry; and spraying the slurry over the crops. 51. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic biocide is selected from the group consisting of diuron, chlorotoluron, simazine, atrazine, carbendazime, maneb, mancozeb, fentin hydroxide, and endosulfan. 52. The method of claim 51 wherein the milled organic biocide product has a volume mean diameter d50 between about 0.1 and 0.3 microns and a d90, such that 90 volume percent of the product has a diameter of the d90 or less, of less than about 3 times the d50. 53. A method of preserving wood comprising: milling an organic biocide product according to claim 52, wherein the milled organic biocide product further comprises the surface active agents; adding the milled organic biocide product to water to form an injectable slurry; and injecting the injectable slurry into wood, thereby obtaining a wood product with the milled organic biocide product dispersed therein. 54. A method of treating crops comprising: milling an organic biocide product according to claim 51, wherein the milled organic biocide product further comprises the surface active agents; adding the milled organic biocide product to water to form slurry; and spraying the slurry over the crops. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/868,967 filed Jun. 17, 2004, and to U.S. Provisional Application titled: MILLED SUBMICRON CHLOROTHALONIL WITH NARROW PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION, AND USES THEREOF, filed on Oct. 8, 2004. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC Not applicable SEQUENCE LISTING Not applicable FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of producing submicron-sized organic biocide particles, methods of packaging same, and uses thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to use of high density milling media having a diameter between 0.1 and 0.8 mm to provide unexpected particle size reduction and narrow particle size distribution even for organic biocides known to be difficult to mill. This milled organic biocidal product is therefore useful in particulate form for direct injection into wood, for use in non-fouling paints, and for use in foliar applications at a reduced treatment quantity than was useful for prior art formulations. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The efficient use of organic pesticides is often restricted by their inherent poor water-solubility. Generally, these water-insoluble organic pesticides can be applied to a site or substrate in three ways: 1) as a dust, 2) as a solution in an organic solvent or a combination of water and one or more organic solvents, or 3) as an emulsion that is prepared by dissolving the product in an organic solvent, then dispersing the solution in water. All of these approaches have drawbacks. Application of a dust is associated with drift, poses a health hazard, and is inefficient. Solutions and emulsions that require an organic solvent are undesirable, since the solvent serves no other purpose but to act as a carrier for the product. As such, the solvent adds an unnecessary cost to the formulation and is an added health risk. Finally, emulsions are generally unstable and must be prepared at point of use, typically in the hours or minutes before use, and minor changes in the formulation, for example by addition of another biocide, may cause the emulsion to break and separate. The low water solubility is also a factor at point of use. Generally, for low solubility fungicides, the amount of a fungicide needed to protect against various pests is generally dependent on the number of particles in a unit area. If 100 particles are needed on a leaf, and if the particle diameter is reduced to one third of the former diameter, then the dosage can theoretically be reduced to about 11% of the former dosage, resulting in lower cost, less pesticide residue on harvested crops, and mitigation of environmental impact. It is known to mill certain organic pesticides. For instance, published U.S. Patent Application No. 2001/0051175 A1 describes milling large classes of fungicides with grinding media of substantially spheroidal shaped particles having an average size of less than 3 mm, and teaches that “suitable media material include[s] ZrO stabilized with magnesia, zirconium silicate, glass, stainless steel, polymeric beads, alumina, and titania, although the nature of the material is not believed to be critical.” The Examples used ⅛″ steel balls as grinding media, which was indeed able to reduce the mean particle size of some organic pesticides below 1 micron. We believe these inventors were incorrect in their assumption that the grinding material and size were of little importance. On the other hand, when a breakthrough is made, the product can be very successful. Copper (on a copper metal basis) is generally used as a biocidal agent (depending on crop, application, and activity) at application rates of 0.25 lb to 7.5 lbs per acre. Another biocide is copper hydroxide, which is a preferred low solubility copper salt, and which has >60% by weight copper and a solubility product constant of about 2×10−20. Several years ago, copper hydroxide used for foliar applications had a particle size of about 1 to 3 microns. Then, a new product, Champ DP®, commercially available from Nufarm Americas, was made available with a median particle size of about 0.2 microns. This product was useful at half the application rate on a variety of crops, and the duration of treatment was not appreciably different than that of the products containing larger particles. This is not to say that all biocides, even all low solubility fungicides, benefit from smaller size. For example, the ubiquitous elemental sulfur is generally advantageously 3 to 5 microns in diameter when used in foliar applications. While smaller particles can be formed, the actions of the atmosphere, moisture, and sunlight combine to eliminate the efficacy of the sulfur particles in too short a time to be of commercial interest. Additionally, particle size reduction below certain values (which depend on the product characteristics) can in the past only be achieved through expensive and elaborate procedures, and such procedures quickly price the product out of the market. Chlorothalonil is commercially available as a suspension having an average particle size diameter between about 2 and about 5 microns. It is known to mill chlorothalonil, but no milling process had ever achieved a reduction in the d50 (the volume average diameter) below about 2 microns. Backman et al. found that, within the limits tested, the efficacy of Chlorothalonil tended to increase with decreasing particle size and with increasing milling. Backman's data generally show that the efficacy of the treatment generally increased with wet milling over air milling, and that the efficacy increased with milling time for the lowest treatment rate, though the data was not conclusive as the efficacy went down with increased milling time at the two higher treatment rates. See Backman, P. A., Munger, G. D., and Marks, A. F., The Effects of Particle Size and Distribution on Performance of the Fungicide Chlorothalonil, Phytopathology, Vol. 66, pages 1242 - 1245 (1976). U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,783, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, particularly noting the milling method and the dispersants and stabilizers disclosed therein, discloses in Example 2 milling Maneb with 2 mm glass beads. The resulting mean particle diameter of the Maneb was 1.7 to 1.8 micons. Also in this patent, chlorothalonil (Daconil) was milled in the same manner in Test 5, and the resulting average particle size diameter was 2.3 microns. U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,795, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein be reference, particularly relating to the adjuvants, describes milling 40% chlorothalonil, 5.6% zinc oxide, a variety of dispersants and stabilizers, and balance water in a wet mill or high speed media mill. This patent does not describe the milling media, but states the average particle size of the product was 3 microns. Curry et al. at International Specialty Products have ground a few biocides with 0.1 cm zirconia at 70% to 80% loading. For instance, U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. 2004/0063847 A1 and 2003/0040569 A1 describe milling metaldehyde with a variety of surfactants and dispersants, milling at 0-5° C., and recycling the material at 19 passes per minute for 10 minutes. Fine suspensions were produced with particle size distributions in which 90% of the particles had a diameter less than 2.5 microns, and in which the mean volume diameter was less than 1.5 microns. A chlorothalonil suspension was described as being milled in the same manner, but data on particle size was not reported. However, commonly-assigned U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0024099 A1 described an example where a composition of chlorothalonil was wet milled under the same conditions described above, i.e., a 70% to 80% loading of 0.1 cm zirconium (sp) beads at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes with 19 recycles per minute. The resulting compositions contained 41% chlorothalonil and a variety of surfactants and dispersants. The milling temperature jacket was 0° C., and the milled material was 15-21° C. The publication claims that 90% of the number of particles had a size below 0.5 microns but that the mean volume diameter (d50) was “less than 3 microns”, meaning half the volume of particles had particle sizes greater than “less than 3 microns.” The art uses the term “less than” to denote the maximum mean diameter in a series of tests, but it is well known in the art that routine changes in parameters such as milling time will not appreciably change the mean volume diameter, as discussed infra. The resulting chlorothalonil material made according to the International Specialty Products process thus has a mean volume diameter d50 of 2 to 3 microns. This is consistent with the other disclosures. The phenomena of a wide particle size distribution should be clarified. The International Specialty Products inventors described their chlorothalonil composition as having 90% of particles below 0.5 microns, but as having a mean volume diameter in the range of 2-3 microns. This wide particle size distribution is common, and it severely limits the benefits of the low particle size product, e.g., when used in paints, wood preservatives, and foliar applications. For example, in co-pending and commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/868,967 filed Jun. 17, 2004, we discussed how particles up to 0.5 microns in diameter were injectable into wood. The mean volume diameter of Champ DP®, a small diameter copper salt product, was 0.2 microns. Therefore, one might expect this material to be readily injectable into wood. However, while 57% by weight of particles of copper hydroxide in a particular lot of Champ DP® was 0.2 microns or smaller, when we tried to inject this material into wood this Champ DP® material plugged the surface of the wood and would not penetrate into the wood matrix. We discovered the reason was that there was a critical fraction of particles having a diameter greater than about 1 micron. This critical fraction of material was believed to bridge pores in the wood, and, once the pores were bridged, substantially all the remaining particles, including those having a diameter less than 0.2 microns, subsequently plated on the wood surface. Further, extended grinding times using milling media routinely used in the art 1) will not provide a more uniform product, and 2) will not significantly lower the d50. It is known that compounds can be reduced to a particular particle size distribution, where further milling with that media has virtually no effect. For example, we milled the Champ DP® material described above (having a d50 of 0.2 microns, but a d95 over a micron) for two days using 2 mm zirconia beads as the media, and the injectability and particle size distribution of the resultant composition was essentially unchanged. Along those lines, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0050298 A1, in the unrelated art of formulating pigments, discloses that wet milling in a pearl mill with mixed zirconium oxide balls having a diameter of from 0.1 to 0.3 mm could provide a desired product in 20 to 200 minutes, but that longer milling periods had no significant effect on the properties of the product, and that “as a result, the risk of overmilling can be excluded, with very great advantage for the meeting of specifications, especially if it is ensured that the radial speed of the mill is not too high.” U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2002/0047058 A1, which relates to preparing certain pharmaceutical formulations, discusses milling the pharmaceuticals with 0.5 mm diameter zirconium (sp) media to obtain pharmaceutical formulations having particle diameters less than 0.5 microns. In addition, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0051084 A1 describes manufacturing polymer particles comprising recurring thiophene units and polystyrenesulfonic acid by oxidative polymerization of ethylenedioxythiophene in the presence of polystyrenesulfonic acid and subsequent milling with 0.5 mm diameter zirconia. Further, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2002/0055046 A1 describes milling titanium dioxide with zirconia beads which have a diameter of 0.5 mm (manufactured by Nikkato Co., Ltd), where the resultant mean particle diameter of the titanium dioxide was 2.5 microns. Also, several published applications relate to milling photographic compositions with a 0.5 mm zirconia media. While it is known to grind certain materials to smaller size, certain biocides are particularly resistant to grinding to less than 1 micron diameter. What is needed in the art is a process whereby a wide variety of biocides can be readily milled to a particle size distribution where d50 is less than 1 micron, preferably less than 0.7 microns. The lowest d50 obtainable from grinding with a particular media will depend on the properties of material being ground. Several biocides can purportedly be milled to a d50 below about 1 micron, and occasionally below 0.5 micron. These biocides therefore have physical properties that differ from those of chlorothalonil, making them easier to grind than chlorothalonil. For example, it has been reported that milling triphenyltin acetate, 1-methyl-3-(2-fluoro-6-chlorophenyl)-5-(3-methyl-4-bromothien-2-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole, Spinosad insecticide, epoxiconazole, chlorpyrifos, and certain other materials to sub-micron size using milling materials that are outside the scope of this invention (see, e.g., U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2001/0051175 A1). However, we believe that using the method of this invention will provide a narrower particle size distribution than the prior art milling methods. What is needed in the art is a process whereby a wide variety of biocides can be readily milled to a particle size distribution where d90 is less than 1 micron, preferably less than 0.7 microns. Mentioning a reference in this background section is explicitly not a concession that such reference constitutes prior art under the patent laws of any country in which this application is pending. We found no reference in the published applications which relates to milling a sparingly soluble inorganic biocidal compound, for example copper hydroxide, with 0.5 mm zirconia. We found no reference in the published applications which relates to milling an organic fungicide with 0.5 mm zirconia media. We, in particular, found no reference in the published applications which related to milling chlorothalonil with 0.5 mm zirconia media. It would be an advantage in the art to provide a pesticide formulation of fairly uniformly sized submicron organic pesticide particles. It would be an advantage in the art to provide a method to routinely and predictably: 1) prepare a pesticide formulation of fairly uniformly sized submicron organic pesticide particles; 2) a pesticide formulation of fairly uniformly sized submicron organic pesticide particles with sub-micron sparingly soluble inorganic biocidal particles; and 3) a method of manufacturing the aforesaid formulations that will allow the formulation to have commercial application in the fields of a) foliar applications, b) wood preservative treatments, c) turf applications, and d) non-fouling paints and coatings. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the key aspects of the present invention is not just attaining smaller particles but also rendering the particles fairly uniform. Any grinding of a partially crystalline material will produce some small fraction of sub-micron particles. A principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a metaldehyde product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a zineb product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a Ziram product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a Ferbam product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a maneb product, a Mancozeb product, and a Maneb/Mancozeb product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a TPTH product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. For foliar applications, another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a each of the above products where the d90 is less than about 4 times the d50, preferably less than three times the d50; where the d10 is advantageously greater than about ¼th the d50, preferably greater than about ⅓rd the d50. For wood preservation applications, another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a each of the above products where the d98 , preferably the d99, is less than about 4 times the d50, preferably less three times the d50. A first aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a organic biocide product having a d50 equal to or less than about 1 micron, comprising the steps of: 1) providing the solid organic biocide, and a liquid comprising a surface active agent, to a mill; providing a milling media comprising an effective amount of milling beads having a diameter between 0.1 mm and 0.8 mm, preferably between about 0.2 mm and about 0.7 mm, more preferably between about 0.3 mm and about 0.6 mm, wherein these milling beads have a density greater than about 3 grams/cm3, preferably equal to or greater than 3.5 grams/cm3, more preferably equal to or greater than 3.8 grams/cm3, most preferably equal to or greater than 5.5 grams/cm3, for example a zirconia bead having a density of about 6 grams/cm3; and 2) wet milling the material at high speed, for example between 300 and 6000 rpm, more preferably between 1000 and 4000 rpm, for example between about 2000 and 3600 rpm, where milling speed is provided for a laboratory scale ball mill, for a time sufficient to obtain a product having a mean volume particle diameter of about 1 micron or smaller, for example between about 5 minutes and 300 minutes, preferably from about 10 minutes to about 240 minutes, and most preferably from about 15 minutes to about 60 minutes. As little as 5% by volume of the milling media need be within the preferred specifications for milling some materials, but better results are obtained if greater than 10% by weight, preferably greater than 25% by weight, for example between 40% and 100% by weight of the milling material is within the preferred specifications. For milling material outside the preferred specifications, advantageously this material has a density greater than 3 grams/cm3 and a diameter less than 4 mm, for example 1 or 2 mm zirconia or zircionium silicate milling beads. A second aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a solid organic biocide product comprising the steps of: 1) providing the solid organic biocide to a mill, and 2) milling the material with a milling media, wherein at least 25% by weight of the milling media has a density greater than 3.8 and a diameter between 0.1 and 0.7 mm. A third aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a submicron organic biocide product comprising the steps of: 1) providing the solid organic biocide and a liquid to a mill, and 2) milling the material with a milling media comprising a zirconium oxide having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.7 mm. The zirconium oxide can comprise any stabilizers and/or dopants known in the art, including, for example, cerium, yttrium, and magnesium. A fourth aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a submicron organic biocide product comprising the steps of: 1) providing the solid organic biocide and a liquid to a mill, and 2) milling the material with a milling media comprising a zirconium silicate having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.7 mm and a density greater than about 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter. A fifth aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a submicron organic biocide product for use as an injectable particulate wood preservative, comprising the steps of: 1) providing the organic biocide to a mill, and 2) milling the material with a milling media having a density greater than about 3.5 and having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.7 mm. The invention also encompasses injecting the composition, which may be admixed with one or more injectable particulate sparingly soluble biocidal salts. Another key aspect of the invention is to make a variety of biocidal particulate slurries available that are injectable into wood, thereby serving as a particulate wood preservative. Requirements of injectability into wood for substantially round, e.g., the diameter is one direction is within a factor of two of the diameter measured in a different direction, such as would be found in milled particles, are: 1) the d96 is equal to or less than about 1 micron, but is preferably about 0.7 microns or less, more preferably about 0.5 microns or less, for example equal to or less than about 0.3 microns, or equal to or less than about 0.2 microns; 2) the d99 is equal to or less than about 2 microns, preferably equal to or less than 1.5 microns, more preferably equal to or less than about 1 micron; and 3), the d50 is less than 0.5 microns, preferably less than 0.4 microns, and the d50 is greater than 0.02 microns, more preferably greater than 0.05 microns, for example a slurry where the d50 is between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. We believe the first criteria primarily addresses the phenomena of bridging and subsequent plugging of pore throats, the second criteria addresses the phenomena of forming a filter cake, and the third criteria addresses the issue of having particulates disposed in the wood which have an optimum size to ensure the treatment has an acceptable bio-activity and lifetime. Once a pore throat is partially plugged, complete plugging and undesired buildup generally quickly ensues. A sixth aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a submicron organic biocide product for use as a foliar treatment, or as an additive in paints or coatings, comprising the steps of: 1) providing the organic biocide to a mill, and 2) milling the material with a milling media having a density greater than about 3.5 and having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.7 mm. The density of the milling media, and especially of the milling media within the size range 0.3 to 0.7 mm, is advantageously greater than about 3.8, for example greater than about 4, preferably greater than about 5.5, for example equal to or greater than about 6 grams per cubic centimeter. Ceramic milling media is preferred over metallic milling media. The invention also encompasses a milled organic biocide product from any of the above aspects and having a d50 below about 1 micron, preferably below about 0.5 microns, and in many cases below about 0.3 microns, and which further may advantageously have a d90 that is less than about three times the d50, preferably less than about two times the d50. The invention also encompasses a organic biocide product from any of the above aspects and having a d50 below about 1 micron, preferably below about 0.5 microns, for example below about 0.3 microns, which further has a d95 that is less than about 1.4 microns, preferably less than about 1 micron, for example less than about 0.7 microns. In each embodiment, the milling load is preferably about 50% of the volume of the mill, though loadings between 40% and 80% are efficient. In each embodiment, advantageously water and surface active agents are added to the product before or during milling. In each embodiment, the product can be transported as a stable slurry, as a wettable powder, or as granules that disintegrate on mixing with water to release the product. In each embodiment, the milled particulate organic biocide may be combined with another milled inorganic particulate biocide, which may be a sparingly soluble biocidal salt such as copper hydroxide, zinc hydroxide, and/or basic copper carbonate, which may be a substantially insoluble biocidal oxide, such as Copper(I) oxide and/or zinc oxide, or any combinations thereof, wherein the other particulate biocide advantageously also has a d50 below about 1 micron, advantageously below about 0.5 microns. Alternatively, the second biocide may be a organometallic compound, or another organic biocide. When combining a plurality of particulate biocides into a slurry, it is advantageous to make the dispersants and surfactants be compatible one with another. Using anion dispersants on a first biocide and cationic dispersants on the second biocide can result in undesired interactions when the slurry is prepared. The literature is full of inventions where two or more biocides have a synergistic effect. Often, this is the result of the second biocide protecting the first biocide against organisms that can degrade the first biocide. For sparingly soluble or substantially insoluble biocides, such synergy can only be achieved if both biocides are in the area to be protected. As a result, assuming relatively equal amounts of biocide, the two sparingly soluble or insoluble biocides should be relatively comparable in size to achieve the distribution needed for effective synergy. In some instances the second biocide is present in or as an organic liquid. In such cases, the organic liquid can be solubilized in solvent, emulsified in water, and then added to the first biocide before or during milling, or less preferably after milling. The surface of the first biocide can be made compatible with the organic phase of the emulsion, and the liquid or solvated biocide can coat the primary particles. Advantageously, solvent can be withdrawn, for example by venting the gases above the biocidal composition or by drawing a vacuum. The liquid biocide will subsequently be bound to the surface of the particulate biocide. Not only does this have the advantage of providing the two biocides in close contact so synergy will be observed, but also this provides a method for broadcasting the liquid emulsion without exposing field personnel (if the composition is for foliar applications), painters (if the composition is for non-fouling paints or coatings), and wood preservation personnel from exposure to potentially harmful solvents. Advantageously, the particulate biocidal composition, be it slurry, wettable powder, or granules, can be substantially free of volatile solvents. The present invention also encompasses methods of using the products of the above described processes, which include: injecting the particulate product of any of the processes described herein into wood if the composition is a wood preservative; spreading the particulate product of any of the processes described herein over crops, if the composition is used as a foliar biocide; or mixing the particulate product of any of the processes described herein into a paint or coating formulation to impart biocidal properties to the paint or coating. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Unless otherwise specified, all compositions are given in percent, where the percent is the percent by weight based on the total weight of the entire component, e.g., of the particle, or to the injectable composition. In the event a composition is defined in “parts” of various components, this is parts by weight, such that the total number of parts in the composition is between 90 and 110. As used herein, the terms “biocide” and “pesticide” are used interchangeably to mean a chemical agent capable of destroying living organisms, both microscopic and macroscopic, and not merely “pests.” As used herein, the term “sparingly soluble” as it applies to inorganic salts is meant to include salts with a Ksp in pure water of between about 10−12 to about 10−24 for salts with only one anion, and from about 10−14 to about 10−27 for salts with two anions. Preferred inorganic biocidal salts include copper salts, zinc salts, and tin salts, or combinations thereof. In other embodiments, inorganic biocidal salts can include silver salts. The most preferred inorganic biocidal salts are copper salts. Preferred sparingly soluble copper salts include copper hydroxide, basic copper carbonate, basic copper chloride (copper oxychloride), and basic copper sulfate. The most preferred inorganic copper salts are copper hydroxide and basis copper carbonate. One aspect of this invention is a method of making small particles of organic biocide. Although U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2001/0051175 A1 teaches that the nature of the material is not believed to be critical, it has surprisingly been discovered that grinding media containing zirconium atoms are particularly preferable in milling methods according to the invention. In addition, while not wishing to be bound by theory, it is hypothesized that using grinding media having a sub-millimeter average particle size is necessary to achieve the desired sub-micron particle size for many difficult-to-grind biocides, e.g., chlorothalonil. The particles can be milled/ground at any suitable processing temperature where the agricultural product is stable. Typically, processing temperatures are not greater than the boiling point of water and not greater than the melting point of the solid, but ambient temperature or only slight heating or cooling is preferred. In several preferred embodiments, particularly those where the organic biocide is chlorothalonil, the volume mean particle diameter is less than about 1 micron, more preferably less than about 400 nm, and most preferably less than about 300 nm. Particle size as used herein is the mean weight average particle diameter, which is equivalent to the mean volume average particle diameter, also known as d50. For larger particles this “average” value can be determined from settling velocity in a fluid, which is a preferred method of measuring particle size. Unless otherwise specified, as used herein the biocide particle diameter is given as the d50 mean volume average diameter. The dxx is the diameter where the subscript “xx” is the percent of the volume of the solid material that has an average diameter smaller than the stated diameter. Other key parameters, such as d80, d95, and d99, are similarly defined and are useful for various applications where not only is the mean volume particle diameter important but also the amount of larger particles (the size distribution, especially in the higher particle diameter range). Particle diameter can be beneficially determined by Stokes Law settling velocities of particles in a fluid, for example with a Model LA 700 or a CAPA™ 700 sold by Horiba and Co. Ltd., or a Sedigraph™ 5100T manufactured by Micromeritics, Inc., which uses x-ray detection and bases calculations of size on Stoke's Law, to a size down to about 0.2 microns. Smaller sizes are beneficially determined by for example a dynamic light scattering method, preferably with a Coulter™ counter, or with a laser scattering method, or electron microscopy. The preferred organic biocides for use with this invention include those organic biocides that are substantially insoluble, or are only sparingly soluble, in water, and also which are substantially stable against weathering. The reason is that the smaller particles of this invention must be sufficiently bioactive and must last a commercially acceptable time. For sparingly soluble organic biocides, enhanced bioactivity may be obtained due to the greater allowable coverage (number of particles) and tenacity associated with smaller particles, as opposed to larger particles of the same organic biocide. Enhanced bioactivity is a significant factor, as it allows the use of less biocide in an application. By substantially insoluble (or sparingly soluble, as the term relates to organic biocides), we mean the organic biocide has a solubility in water of less than about 0.1%, and most preferably less than about 0.01%, for example in an amount of between about 0.005 ppm and about 1000 ppm, alternatively between about 0.1 ppm and about 100 ppm or between about 0.01 ppm and about 200 ppm. It should be understood that the solubility in water of many pesticides are pH-dependent, as a result of the functional groups they contain. Thus, biocides with carboxylic acid groups or with sulfonamide or sulfonylurea groups, for example, may meet the low solubility requirements at low pH but may be too highly soluble at higher pH values. The pH of the aqueous dispersion can be adjusted to ensure substantial insolubility, or at least sparing solubility, of these biocides. The organic biocide beneficially has a half life in water from about pH 3 to about pH 11 of at least about 2 days, preferably at least about one week. The organic biocide beneficially is resistant to photolysis by sunlight. By “resistant to photolysis,” we mean that particles having an average diameter of about 0.3 to about 0.5 microns will maintain at least 50% of their activity, measured against the target organism, after exposure to about 12 hours per day of sunlight at about 75% humidity and ambient temperature for 14 days. Finally, the organic biocide should be substantially non-volatile at ambient conditions, by which we mean that weight of the particles used in the above described test for photolysis should, at the end of the test, be within about 20% of the weight of the particles before the test began. While it is not related to the performance of the particulate product, the preferred organic biocides are crystalline or semi-crystalline and have a melting temperature in excess of 100° C. Such properties tend to simplify the milling process. Generally, the processes of this invention produce slurries or suspensions of particulate biocidal material where the particle size distribution, in various embodiments, has the following characteristics: A) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 1 micron and a d90 of less than about 2 microns; B) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 0.6 micron and a d90 of less than about 1.4 microns, preferably less than about 1 micron; C) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 0.4 micron and a d90 of less than about 1 micron, preferably less than about 0.7 microns; and/or D) a volume mean diameter, d50, between about 0.1 and 0.3 microns and d90 that is less than about 3 times the d50. The preferred processes can provide a tighter control on particle size, e.g., a particulate organic biocide composition having a d50 less than about 1 micron, preferably less than about 0.5 microns, having a d90 less than about twice the d50, and optionally having a d10 greater than about one half the d50. Even more preferably, the preferred processes can provide a particulate organic biocide composition having a d50 less than 1 micron, preferably less than 0.5 microns, having a d95 less than about twice the d50, and optionally having a d5 greater than about one half the d50. Such tight particle size distributions is beneficial in all applications and can be as important as, if not more important than, the mean particle size. The examples in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0063847 A1 shows why this is so. For sparingly soluble and essentially insoluble biocides, protection depends on having a particle of the biocide within a particular area or volume of the substrate to be protected. The longevity of any particle, the rainfastness of any particle, and the suspendability of any particle are all functions of the particle diameter. The U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0063847 describe a chlorothalonil suspension having a distribution such that 90% of the particles have a diameter less than 0.5 microns and having a d50 of “less than 3 microns” (meaning between 2 and 3 microns). Hypothetically, this chlorothalonil suspension can have 95 particles with 0.4 microns particle diameter for every 5 particles with 2.4 microns particle diameter. The mass of each of the larger particles is larger than the mass of all 95 of the smaller particles combined, and the 5 larger particles constitute about 91% of the total biocide in the formulation. The bigger particles do not protect a significantly larger area of for example a leaf than does the smaller particles. In such a scenario, if a leaf requires 100 biocide particles, it will, on average, get 95 small particles and 5 large particles of biocide. The amount of biocide, for example in pounds per acre, needed to obtain the 100 particles is over 12 times the amount if all 100 particles were smaller particles. Also, such a composition could not be injected into wood, as the large particles would plug the surface of the wood and make unsightly stains, and the homogeneity of the penetration would be compromised. In addition, such a composition would make an unsightly coating of paint, as the large particles of biocide would disrupt the thinner coating of pigment. Further, for foliar applications, the larger particles are much more susceptible to being washed from the surface than are smaller particles, so in a short time as much as 91% of the biocide mass may be washed away. If, on the other hand, the d90 is within a factor of two of the d50 and the d50 is, for example, 0.4 microns, then the situation changes radically. Such a composition may be simplified to a composition having 95 particles of 0.4 microns diameter, and about two particles with diameter of 0.8 microns. In this case, the larger particles will have rainfastness closer to the smaller particles, the larger particles would be injectable into wood, and less than 10-20% of the mass of the biocide will be in the larger particles. For these many reasons, having a narrow particle size distribution is desirable. While generally not necessary, the particle size distribution of the product of this invention can be further narrowed, for example, by sedimentation or by filtering or centrifuging the suspension at a speed such that substantially all particles less than a certain size are removed. While a fraction of the particles may be lost to the recycling process by such a refinement, this may be preferable if the desired particle size distribution can not otherwise be achieved. Many biocides can not be reduced to particle size d50 less than about 1 micron and d90 less than about 2 times d50 when grinding with conventional media, e.g., 1 mm zirconia, 2 mm steel balls, and the like, at commercially acceptable milling speeds. These biocides will particularly benefit from the process of this invention, as the material and procedures described here will allow commercial production and use of products having biocide particulates with a size distribution d50 less than about 0.7 microns and d90 less than about 2 times d50. Such biocides are known generally in the art. Biocides include herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, and, particyularly important where woods are the substrate, moldicides. Examples of classes of compounds that have insecticidal activity and meet the solubility (and optionally also the crystallinity and melting point) requirements include, but are not restricted to, benzoyl ureas such as hexaflumuron, diacylhydrazines such as tebufenozide, carbamates such as carbofuran, pyrethroids such as alpha-cypermethrin, organophosphates such as phosmet, triazoles, and natural products such as spinosyns. Examples of classes of compounds that have herbicidal activity and meet the solubility (and optionally also the crystallinity and melting point) requirements include, but are not restricted to, imidazolinones such as imazaquin, sulfonylureas such as chlorimuron-ethyl, triazolopyrimidine sulfonamides such as flumetsulam, aryloxyphenoxy propionates such as quizalofop ethyl, aryl ureas such as isoproturon and chlorotoluron, triazines such as atrazine and simazine, aryl carboxylic acids such as picloram, aryloxy alkanoic acids such as MCPA, chloroacetanilides such as metazachlor, dintroanilines such as oryzalin, pyrazoles such as pyrazolynate, and diphenyl ethers such as bifenox. Examples of classes of compounds that have fungicidal activity and meet the solubility (and optionally also the crystallinity and melting point) requirements include, but are not restricted to, morpholines such as dimethomorph, phenylamides such as benalaxyl, azoles such as hexaconazole, strobilurins such as azoxystrobin, phthalonitriles such as chlorothalonil, and phenoxyquinolines such as quinoxyfen. A preferred class of materials for use in this process include the class of biocidal phthalimides, of which chlorothalonil is a prime example. Additionally or alternately, other acceptable biocides can include, but are not limited to, diuron, chlorotoluron, simazine, atrazine, carbendazime, maneb, mancozeb, fentin hydroxide, endosulfan, and combinations thereof. Additionally or alternately, other acceptable biocides can include, but are not limited to, amitraz, azinphos-ethyl, azinphos-methyl, benzoximate, fenobucarb, gamma-HCH, methidathion, deltamethrin, dicofol, dioxabenzafos, dioxacarb, dinobuton, endosulfan, bifenthrin, binapacryl, bioresmethrin, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-methyl, EPNethiofencarb, cyanophos, cyfluthrin, tetradifon, cypermethrin, tralomethrin, bromophos, N-2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-1,3-thiazol-2-ylidene-xylidene, 2,4-parathion methyl, bromopropylate, butacarboxim, butoxycarboxin, chlordimeform, phosalone, chlorobenzilate, phosfolan, chloropropylate, phosmet, chlorophoxim, promecarb, fenamiphos, quinalphos, resmethrin, temephos, pirimiphos-ethyl, tetramethrin, pirimiphos-methyl, xylylcarb, profenofos, acrinathrin, propaphos, allethrin, propargite, benfuracarb, propetamphos, bioallethrin, pyrachlofos, bioallethrin S, tefluthrin, bioresmethrin, terbufos, buprofezin, tetrachlorinphos, chlorfenvinphos, tralomethrin, chlorflurazuron, triazophos, chlormephos, pyrachlofos, tefluthrin, terbufos, tetrachlorinphos, cycloprothrin, betacyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, cambda-cyhalothrin, tralomethrin, alpha-cypermethrin, triazophos, beta-cypermethrin, cyphenothrin, demeton-S-methyl, dichlorvos, disulfoton, edifenphos, empenthrin, esfenvalerate, ethoprophos, etofenprox, etrimphos, fenazaquin, fenitrothion, fenthiocarb, fenpropathrin, fenthion, fenvalerate, flucythrinate, flufenoxuron, tau-fluvalinate, formothion, hexaflumuron, hydroprene, isofenphos, isoprocarb, isoxathion, malathion, mephospholan, methoprene, methoxychlor, mevinphos, permethrin, phenothrin, phenthoate, benalaxyl, biteranol, bupirimate, cyproconazole, carboxin, tetraconazole, dodemorph, difenoconazole, dodine ,dimethomoph, fenarimol ,diniconazole, ditalimfos, ethoxyquin, myclobutanil, etridiazole, nuarimol, fenpropidin, oxycarboxin, fluchloralin, penconazole, flusilazole, prochloraz, imibenconazole, tolclofos-methyl, myclobutanil, triadimefon, propiconazole, triadimenol, pyrifenox, azaconazole, tebuconazole, epoxyconazole, tridemorph, fenpropimorph, triflumizole, 2,4-D esters, diclofop-methyldiethatyl, 2,4-DB esters, dimethachlor, acetochlor, dinitramine, aclonifen, ethalfluralin, alachlor, ethofumesate, anilophos, fenobucarb, benfluralin, fenoxapropethyl, benfuresate, fluazifop, bensulide, fluazifop-P, benzoylprop-ethyl, fluchloralin, bifenox, flufenoxim, bromoxynil esters, flumetralin, bromoxynil, flumetralin, butachlor, fluorodifen, butamifos, fluoroglycofen ethyl, butralin, fluoroxypyr esters, butylate, carbetamide, chlornitrofen, chlorpropham, cinmethylin, clethodim, clomazone, clopyralid esters, CMPP esters, cycloate, cycloxydim, desmedipham, dichlorprop esters, flurecol butyl, flurochloralin, haloxyfop, ethoxyethyl, haloxyfop-methyl, ioxynil esters, isopropalin, MCPA esters, mecoprop-P esters, metolachlor, monalide, napropamide, nitrofen, oxadiazon, oxyfluorfen, pendimethalin, phenisopham, phenmedipham, picloram esters, pretilachlor, profluralin, propachlor, propanil, propaquizafop, pyridate, quizalofop-P, triclopyr esters, tridiphane, trifluralin, and the like, and any combination thereof. Chlorothalonil—The most preferred organic biocide is chlorothalonil, CAS# 1897-45-6, also known as 2,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,3-dicyanobenzene, chlorothananil, Tetrachloroisophthalonitrile (TCIPN), and 2,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,3-Benzenedicarbonitrile. Technical chlorothalonil is an odorless, white, crystalline solid melting at about 250° C. Chlorothalonil is commercially available in particles having diameters greater than about 2 microns. Chlorothalonil is variously used in wood preservation to a limited extent, but is also used as a turf and crop fungicide, anti-fouling pigment and mildewcide in coatings. It is substantially insoluble in water (solubility is 0.6-1.2 ppm and is slightly soluble in acetone and xylene. It has low volatility (9.2 mmHg at 170 C). In acid and neutral aqueous preparations, it is relatively stable but has a half life of about 38 days in water at a pH of about 9. It is thermally stable and is resistant to photolysis by ultraviolet radiation. It is also nonvolatile under normal field conditions and is not corrosive. Chlorothalonil is known to be difficult to grind and products are usually supplied as particulates having diameters in the 2-4 micron range because of this. The process of this invention is capable of producing a series of organic biocide, e.g., chlorothalonil products with a procedure that is sufficiently cost effective that the organic biocide, e.g., chlorothalonil can be used for foliar agricultural treatments, wood preservatives, and anti-fouling paints, inter alia. These applications are extremely cost sensitive, and the process of this invention can be performed at a cost that is a small fraction of the cost of the raw biocidal material. In various embodiments, the methods of this invention are useful to produce a dispersion of non-agglomerating or interacting particles comprising more than about 20% by weight, typically more than about 50% by weight, and often more than about 80% by weight, of organic biocide, e.g., chlorothalonil, with the balance of the particles, if any, typically comprising surface active agents such as stabilizers and dispersants, where the particle size distribution, in various embodiments, can have the following characteristics: A) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 1 micron and a d90 of less than about 2 microns; B) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 0.6 micron and a d90 of less than about 1.4 microns, preferably less than about 1 micron; C) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 0.4 micron and a d90 of less than about 1 micron, preferably less than about 0.7 microns; and/or D) a volume mean diameter, d50, between about 0.1 and 0.3 microns and d90 that is less than about 3 times the d50. Other organic biocides useful for the process of this invention are those solid biocides listed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,783, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, including o,o-dimethyl-o-4-methylthio-m-tolyl-phosphorothioate (Baycid), s-4-chlorobenzyldiethylthiocarbamate (Saturn), o-sec-butylphenylmethylcarbamate (BPMC), dimethyl-4,4-(o-phenylene)bis(3-thioallophanate) (Topsin-Methyl), 4,5,6,7-tetrachlorophthalide (Rabcide), o,o-diethyl-o-(2,3-dihydro-3-oxo-2-phenylpyridazin-6-yl)-phosphorothioate (Ofunack) and manganese ethylenebis(dithiocarbamate) (Maneb), where the particle size distribution, in various embodiments, can have the following characteristics: A) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 1 micron and a d90 of less than about 2 microns; B) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 0.6 micron and a d90 of less than about 1.4 microns, preferably less than about 1 micron; C) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 0.4 micron and a d90 of less than about 1 micron, preferably less than about 0.7 microns; and/or D) a volume mean diameter, d50, between about 0.1 and 0.3 microns and d90 that is less than about 3 times the d50. Maneb, for example, is commercially available in particle sizes greater than about 1.4 microns. In another embodiment, the process of the invention is also useful for preparing a submicron metaldehyde composition. In another embodiment, the process of the invention is also useful for preparing a submicron triphenyltin hydroxide composition. In another embodiment, the process of the invention is also useful for preparing a submicron Mancozeb composition. In another embodiment, the process of the invention is also useful for preparing a submicron Zineb composition. In another embodiment, the process of the invention is also useful for preparing a submicron Ziram composition. In another embodiment, the process of the invention is also useful for preparing a submicron Ferbam composition. In each of these embodiments (and, in fact, with any of the biocides referenced herein), the particle size distribution of the biocide and/or the composition can have the following characteristics: A) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 1 micron and a d90 of less than about 2 microns; B) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 0.6 micron and a d90 of less than about 1.4 microns, preferably less than about 1 micron; C) a volume mean diameter, d50, of less than about 0.4 micron and a d90 of less than about 1 micron, preferably less than about 0.7 microns; and/or D) a volume mean diameter, d50, between about 0.1 and 0.3 microns and d90 that is less than about 3 times the d50. Generally the processes of this invention produce slurries or suspensions of particulate biocidal material. This material may be dried into a wettable powder, often with the addition of surface active agents and/or fillers, where fillers may include dissolvable buffering agents. The compositions resulting from the processes described herein may alternatively be formulated into fast-dissolving/releasing granules or tablets comprising the submicron organic biocidal material, such that the biocide particles are quickly released to form stable suspensions when the granule contacts water. One example of a biocide composition in granular or tablet form, which rapidly disintegrates and disperses in water, includes, e.g., about 40 parts particulate biocide, about 10 to about 40 parts salts, preferably carbonate and/or bicarbonate salts, about 1 to about 20 parts solid carboxylic acids, about 5 to about 50 parts stabilizers and/or dispersants, and up to about 20 parts starches and/or sugars. Another exemplary dissolvable biocide granule comprises: 1) about 50-75% of a first finely-divided (submicron), essentially water-insoluble biocide, such as is produced by the processes of this invention; 2) optionally about 7-15% of a second particulate biocide, which may be a biocidal inorganic salt; 3) about 2-20% of a stabilizer and/or dispersing agent; 4) about 0.01-10% of a wetting agent; 5) about 0-2% of an antifoaming agent; 6) about 0-10% of a diluent; and optionally 7) about 0-2% of a chelating agent. Conventional mills used for particulate size reduction in a continuous mode incorporate a means for retaining milling media in the milling zone of the mill, i.e., the milling chamber, while allowing the dispersion or slurry to recirculate through the mill into a stirred holding vessel. Various techniques have been established for retaining media in these mills, including rotating gap separators, screens, sieves, centrifugally-assisted screens, and similar devices to physically restrict passage of media from the mill. The milling process can be a dry process, e.g., a dry milling process, or a wet process, i.e., wet-grinding. In one embodiment, this milling is performed in accordance with the wet milling process of U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,684, using a liquid dispersion medium and a surface modifier described therein. Useful liquid dispersion media include water, aqueous salt solutions, ethanol, butanol, hexane, glycols, and the like. Water, particularly water having added surface active agents, is a preferred medium. The preferred milling procedure includes wet milling, which is typically done at mill setting between about 1000 rpm and about 4000 rpm, for example between about 2000 rpm and about 3000 rpm. Faster revolutions provide shorter processing times to reach the minimum product particle size. Generally, the selection of the milling speed, including the speed in a scaled up commercial milling machine, can be readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art without undue experimentation, given the benefit of this disclosure. In an alternate procedure, the biocide can be double-milled, e.g., as used to mill chitosan in paragraphs [0070]-[0074] of U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0176477 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. In one such embodiment, for example, the milling media in the first milling step can have a diameter of about 0.5 to 1 mm, preferably 0.5 to 0.8 mm, while the milling media in the second milling step can have a diameter of about 0.1-0.4 mm, preferably about 0.3 mm. The milling temperature of the organic biocide can be at least about 40° C. below, preferably at least about 100° C. below the glass transition temperature (or the softening temperature, if there is no glass transition temperature, or the melting temperature, if the biocide is inorganic). Preferably, the milling takes place at a process temperature of about ambient temperature to about 40° C. To maintain an ambient milling temperature, generally active cooling is required, and the cost of active cooling generally exceeds the benefit obtained. The milling media, also called grinding media or milling beads, is central to this invention. The selection of milling media is expressly not a routine optimization. The use of this media allows an average particle size and a narrow particle size distribution that had previously not been obtainable in the art. The milling media advantageously comprises or consists essentially of a zirconium-based material. The preferred media is zirconia (density ˜6 g/cm3), which includes preferred variants such as yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconium oxide, magnesia stabilized zirconium oxide, and cerium doped zirconium oxide. For some biocides, zirconium silicate (density ˜3.8 g/cm3) is useful. However, for several biocides such as chlorothalanil, zirconium silicate will not achieve the required action needed to obtain the narrow sub-micron range of particle sizes in several preferred embodiments of this invention. In an alternate embodiment, at least a portion of the milling media comprises or consists essentially of metallic material, e.g., steel. The milling medium is a material having a density greater than about 3.5, preferably at least about 3.8, more preferably greater than about 5.5, for example at least about 6 g/cm3. We believe that density and particle size are the two most important parameters in the milling media. Preferably the milling media comprises or consists essentially of particles, having a size (diameter) between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm, preferably between about 0.3 mm and about 0.7 mm, for example between about 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. Also preferably, the milling media can have a density greater than about 3.8 g/cm3, preferably greater than about 5.5 g/cm3, more preferably greater than about 6 g/cm3. The zirconium-based milling media useful in the present invention can comprise or consist essentially of particles having a diameter (as the term is used in the art) between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm, preferably between about 0.3 mm and about 0.7 mm, for example between about 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. The media need not be of one composition or size. Further, not all the milling material need be the preferred material, i.e., having a preferred diameter between 0.1 mm and 0.8 mm, preferably between 0.2 mm and 0.7 mm, more preferably between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm, and having a preferred density equal to or greater than 3.8 grams/cm3, preferably greater than or equal to 5.5 grams/cm3, more preferably greater than or equal to 6 grams/cm3. In fact, as little as 10% of this media will provide the effective grinding. The amount of the preferred milling media, based on the total weight of media in the mill, can be between 5% and 100%, is advantageously between 10% and 100%, and is preferably between 25% and 90%, for example between about 40% and 80%. Media not within the preferred cattegory can be somewhat larger, say 1 mm to 4 mm in diameter, preferably from 1 mm to 2 mm in diameter, and advantageously also has a density equal to or greater than 3.8 grams/cm3. Preferably at least about 10%, preferably about 25%, alternately at least about 30%, for example between about 50% and about 99%, of the media has a mean diameter of between about 0.1 mm to about 0.8 mm, preferably between about 0.3 mm and about 0.6 mm, or alternatively between about 0.3 mm and about 0.5 mm. The remaining media (not within the specified particle size) can be larger or smaller, but, in preferred embodiments, the media not within the specified size is larger than the media in the specified size, for example at least a portion of the milling media not within the preferred size range(s) has a diameter between about 1.5 and about 4 times, for example between about 1.9 and about 3 times, the diameter of the preferred media. A preferred media is 0.5 mm zirconia, or a mixture of 0.5 mm zirconia and 1-2 mm zirconia, where at least about 25% by weight of the media is 0.5 mm zirconia. The remaining media need not comprise zirconium, but advantageously will have a density greater than 3.5 g/cc. Using media comprising a zirconia portion and a steel portion can be advantageous. In an alternate embodiment, the metal, e.g., steel milling media useful in the present invention can comprise or consist essentially of particles having a diameter (as the term is used in the art) between about 0.1 mm and about 0.8 mm, preferably between about 0.3 mm and about 0.7 mm, for example between about 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. The media need not be of one composition or size. Preferably at least about 10%, preferably about 25%, alternately at least about 30%, for example between about 50% and about 99%, of the media has a mean diameter of between about 0.1 mm to about 0.8 mm, preferably between about 0.3 mm and about 0.6 mm, or alternatively between about 0.3 mm and about 0.5 mm. The remaining media (not within the specified particle size) can be larger or smaller, but, in preferred embodiments, the media not within the specified size is larger than the media in the specified size, for example at least a portion of the milling media not within the preferred size range(s) has a diameter between about 1.5 and about 4 times, for example between about 1.9 and about 3 times, the diameter of the preferred media. The remaining media need not comprise steel, but advantageously will have a density greater than 3.5 g/cc. Advantageously, the average diameter of the milling media is preferably about 0.4 mm to about 0.6 mm, and more preferably about 0.5 mm, and is preferably zirconia. If other media or sizes are present, beneficially at least about 25%, preferably at least about 50%, by weight of the milling media has an average particulate diameter of about 0.4 mm to about 0.6 mm, and more preferably about 0.5 mm. Such media will provide the desired submicron and narrow particle size distribution described herein. Generally, the use of milling media below about 0.1 mm diameter is discouraged, unless it is present with the recited amount of media in the preferred size range. Generally, the milling media within the specified size ranges of about 0.1 mm to about 0.8 mm, for example form about 0.1 mm to about 0.7 mm or from about 0.1 mm to 0.6 mm, or alternatively from about 0.3 mm to about 0.6 mm or from about 0.4 mm to about 0.5 mm, comprises or consists essentially of a zirconium-containing compound, preferably zirconia. Advantageously, the milling media loading can be between about 40% and about 80% of the mill volume. Advantageously, the organic biocide can be milled for a time between about 10 minutes and about 8 hours, preferably between about 10 minutes and about 240 minutes, for example between about 15 minutes and about 150 minutes. Again, the upper limit in time is significantly less important than the lower limit, as the change in particle size distribution per hour of milling becomes exceedingly small as the milling time increases. Ostwald ripening can occur whenever a component of the disperse phase is capable of being transported through the continuous phase from one particle to another. The usual mechanism for such transport is by dissolution of the transportable material in the continuous phase, which can occur even if the solubility of the material is low. Other transport mechanisms, however, are possible. For example, even materials having a very low water solubility indeed, which might not be expected to display Ostwald ripening, can do so, when certain surfactants are used in the preparation and stabilization of the emulsion. Such a phenomenon is believed to be due to transport of the water insoluble materials through the aqueous phase by dissolution in surfactant micelles. Various compounds to alleviate this problem are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,986, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. On the other hand, some particles can get smaller with time. Aqueous dispersing agents for such dispersed solids are well known to those skilled in the art and include, but are not limited to, nonionic surfactants such as ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymers, polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl acetate copolymers, polymeric nonionic surfactants such as the acrylic graft copolymers; anionic surfactants such as polyacrylates, lignosulfonates, polystyrene sulfonates, maleic anhydride-methyl vinyl ether copolymers, naphthalene sulfonic acid formaldehyde condensates, phosphate ester surfactants such as a tristyrenated phenol ethoxylate phosphate ester, maleic anhydride-diisobutylene copolymers, anionically modified polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinylacetate copolymers, and ether sulfate surfactants derived from the corresponding alkoxylated nonionic surfactants; cationic surfactants; zwitterionic surfactants; and the like. The milling of the organic biocides is advantageously performed in the presence of an aqueous medium containing surfactants and/or dispersants, such as those known in the art. Use of other media, including for example polar organic solvents such as alcohols, generally does not offer added advantage sufficient to outweigh the cost and associated hazards of milling with solvents. Because it is now possible to achieve a smaller particle size and a narrower particle size distribution using the present invention than was previously known in the art, the number and amount of stabilizers and/or dispersants are less critical. As used herein, the term “surface active agent” includes both singlular and plural forms and encompasses generally both stabilizers and dispersants. The surface active agent may be anionic, cationic, zwitterionic, or nonionic, or a combination thereof. Generally, higher concentrations of surface active agents present during milling result in a smaller particle size. However, because we have surprisingly found a milling media and conditions where very small particles and a narrow particle size distribution are obtainable, we can use less/lower amounts of stabilizers and/or dispersants than would otherwise be used. For example, advantageously the total weight of surface active agents in the present invention can be less than about 1.5 times the weight of the particulate organic biocide, preferably less than about the weight of the particulate organic biocide. A stabilizing amount of the surface active agent can be used, generally not less than about 2%, and typically not more than about 60% by weight, based on the weight of the particulate organic biocide. Other adjuvants, such as: fillers including biocidal fillers such as zinc oxide and non-biocidal fillers such as silica; stabilizer/dispersants such as a poly (oxypropylene) block copolymer with poly (oxyethylene), commercially available from BASF, PROXEL GXL (1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, commercially available from ICI, and/or PVP K-30 poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), commercially available from BAS; typical viscosity modifiers/stabilizers such as xanthan gum commercially available from Kelco); typical anti-foaming agents such as Antifoam FG-10, a silicon emulsion commercially available from Dow Corning; antifreeze such as propylene glycol; chelators such as EDTA, HEDP, and the like, can be added to the water before or during milling. Milling is best done in a wet mill or high speed media mill. Examples of suitable classes of surface active agents include, but are not limited to, anionics such as alkali metal fatty acid salts, including alkali metal oleates and stearates; alkali metal lauryl sulfates; alkali metal salts of diisooctyl sulfosuccinate; alkyl aryl sulfates or sulfonates, lignosulfonates, alkali metal alkylbenzene sulfonates such as dodecylbenzene sulfonate, alkali metal soaps, oil-soluble (e.g., calcium, ammonium, etc.) salts of alkyl aryl sulfonic acids, oil soluble salts of sulfated polyglycol ethers, salts of the ethers of sulfosuccinic acid, and half esters thereof with nonionic surfactants and appropriate salts of phosphated polyglycol ethers; cationics such as long chain alkyl quaternary ammonium surfactants including cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, as well as fatty amines; nonionics such as ethoxylated derivatives of fatty alcohols, alkyl phenols, polyalkylene glycol ethers and condensation products of alkyl phenols, amines, fatty acids, fatty esters, mono-, di-, or triglycerides, various block copolymeric surfactants derived from alkylene oxides such as ethylene oxide/propylene oxide (e.g., PLURONIC™, which is a class of nonionic PEO-PPO co-polymer surfactant commercially available from BASF), aliphatic amines or fatty acids with ethylene oxides and/or propylene oxides such as the ethoxylated alkyl phenols or ethoxylated aryl or polyaryl phenols, carboxylic esters solubilized with a polyol or polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl acetate copolymers, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidinones (including those sold under the tradenames AGRIMER™ and GANEX™), cellulose derivatives such as hydroxymethyl cellulose (including those commercially available from Dow Chemical Company as METHOCEL™), and acrylic acid graft copolymers; zwitterionics; and the like; and mixtures, reaction products, and/or copolymers thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the surface active agent may include, but is not limited to, low molecular weight sodium lauryl sulfates, calcium dodecyl benzene sulfonates, tristyryl ethoxylated phosphoric acid or salts, methyl vinyl ether-maleic acid half-ester (at least partially neutralized), beeswax, water soluble polyacrylates with at least 10% acrylic acids/salts, or the like, or a combination thereof Additionally or alternatively, the surface active agent may include, but is not limited to, alkyl grafted PVP copolymers commercially available as GANEX™ and/or the AGRIMER™ AL or WP series, PVP-vinyl acetate copolymers commercially available as the AGRIMER™ VA series, lignin sulfonate commercially available as REAX 85A (e.g., with a molecular weight of about 10,000), tristyryl phenyl ethoxylated phosphoric acid/salt commercially available as SOPROPHOR™ 3D33, GEROPON™ SS 075, calcium dodecylbenzene sulfonate commercially available as NINATE™ 401 A, IGEPAL™ CO 630, other oligomeric/polymeric sulfonated surfactants such as Polyfon H (molecular weight ˜4300, sulfonation index ˜0.7, salt content ˜4%), Polyfon T (molecular weight ˜2900, sulfonation index ˜2.0, salt content ˜8.6%), Polyfon O (molecular weight ˜2400, sulfonation index ˜1.2, salt content ˜5%), Polyfon F (molecular weight ˜2900, sulfonation index ˜3.3, salt content ˜12.7%), Reax 88B (molecular weight ˜3100, sulfonation index ˜2.9, salt content ˜8.6%), Reax 100 M (molecular weight ˜2000, sulfonation index ˜3.4, salt content ˜6.5%), and Reax 825 E (molecular weight ˜3700, sulfonation index ˜3.4, salt content ˜5.4%), and the like. Other notable surface active agents can include nonionic polyalkylene glycol alkyd compounds prepared by reaction of polyalkylene glycols and/or polyols with (poly)carboxylic acids or anhydrides; A-B-A block-type surfactants such as those produced from the esterification of poly(12-hydroxystearic acid) with polyalkylene glycols; high molecular weight esters of natural vegetable oils such as the alkyl esters of oleic acid and polyesters of polyfunctional alcohols; a high molecular weight (MW>2000) salt of a naphthalene sulfonic acid formaldehyde condensate, such as GALORYL™ DT 120L available from Nufarm; MORWET EFW™ available from Akzo Nobel; various Agrimer™ dispersants available from International Specialties Inc.; and a nonionic PEO-PPO-PEO triblock co-polymer surfactant commercially available as PLURONIC™ from BASF. Other examples of commercially available surface active agents include Atlox 4991 and 4913 surfactants (Uniqema), Morwet D425 surfactant (Witco), Pluronic P105 surfactant (BASF), Iconol TDA-6 surfactant (BASF), Kraftsperse 25M surfactant (Westvaco), Nipol 2782 surfactant (Stepan), Soprophor FL surfactant (Rhone-Poulenc), Empicol LX 28 surfactant (Albright & Wilson), Pluronic F108 (BASF). In one embodiment, exemplary suitable stabilizing components include polymers or oligomers having a molecular weight from about 250 to about 106, preferably from about 400 to about 105, more preferably from about 400 to about 104, and can include, for example, homopolymers or co-polymers described in “Polymer Handbook,” 3rd Edition, edited by J. Brandrup and E. H. Immergut. In another embodiment, exemplary suitable stabilizing components include polyolefins such as polyallene, polybutadiene, polyisoprene, poly(substituted butadienes) such as poly(2-t-butyl-1,3-butadiene), poly(2-chlorobutadiene), poly(2-chloromethyl butadiene), polyphenylacetylene, polyethylene, chlorinated polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, polyisobutene, polybutylene oxides, copolymers of polybutylene oxides with propylene oxide or ethylene oxide, polycyclopentylethylene, polycyclolhexyiethylene, polyacrylates including polyalkylacrylates and polyarylacrylates, polymethacrylates including polyalkylmethacrylates and polyarylmethacrylates, polydisubstituted esters such as poly(di-n-butylitaconate), poly(amylfumarate), polyvinylethers such as poly(butoxyethylene) and poly(benzyloxyethylene), poly(methyl isopropenyl ketone), polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl carboxylate esters such as polyvinyl propionate, polyvinyl butyrate, polyvinyl caprylate, polyvinyl laurate, polyvinyl stearate, polyvinyl benzoate, polystyrene, poly-t-butyl styrene, poly (substituted styrene), poly(biphenyl ethylene), poly(1,3-cyclohexadiene), polycyclopentadiene, polyoxypropylene, polyoxytetrarnethylene, polycarbonates such as poly(oxycarbonyloxyhexamethylene), polysiloxanes, in particular, polydimethyl cyclosiloxanes and organo-soluble substituted polydimethyl siloxanes such as alkyl, alkoxy, or ester substituted polydimethylsiloxanes, liquid polysulfides, natural rubber and hydrochlorinated rubber, ethyl-, butyl- and benzyl-celluloses, cellulose esters such as cellulose tributyrate, cellulose tricaprylate, and cellulose tristearate, natural resins such as colophony, copal, and shellac, and the like, and combinations or copolymers thereof. In still another embodiment, exemplary suitable stabilizing components include co-polymers of styrene, alkyl styrenes, isoprene, butenes, butadiene, acrylonitrile, alkyl acrylates, alkyl methacrylates, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, vinyl esters of lower carboxylic acids, and α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids and esters thereof, including co-polymers containing three or more different monomer species therein, as well as combinations and copolymers thereof. In yet another embodiment, exemplary suitable stabilizing components include polystyrenes, polybutenes, for example polyisobutenes, polybutadienes, polypropylene glycol, methyl oleate, polyalkyl(meth)acrylate e.g. polyisobutylacrylate or polyoctadecylmethacrylate, polyvinylesters e.g. polyvinylstearate, polystyrene/ethyl hexylacrylate copolymer, and polyvinylchloride, polydimethyl cyclosiloxanes, organic soluble substituted polydimethyl siloxanes such as alkyl, alkoxy or ester substituted polydimethylsiloxanes, and plybutylene oxides or copolymers of polybutylene oxides with propylene and/or ethylene oxide. In one embodiment, the surface active agent can be adsorbed onto the surface of the biocide particle, e.g., in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,684. Additionally, other additives may be included in the biocidal compositions according to the invention for imparting particular advantages or to elicit particular properties. These additives are generally known in the solution, emulsion, and/or slurry arts, and can include, e.g., anti-freeze agents such as glycols (for instance, ethylene and/or propylene glycol), inter alia. The composition preferably comprises between about 0.05% and about 50% by weight of the particulate organic biocide, e.g., chlorothalonil, or a mixture of two or more particulate biocides where one particulate biocide is the organic particulate biocide and the other particulate biocide is selected from other particulate organic biocides, particulate organometallic biocides (e.g., Maneb), slightly soluble inorganic biocides (e.g., copper hydroxide), or a combination thereof. One of the advantages of the stable aqueous dispersion of the present invention is that it provides a means to prepare one-part formulations of different biocides which are not only compatible with each other, but incompatible or unstable in each other's presence as well. For example, it may be desirable to combine a certain pesticide with a certain herbicide for a particular application but for the fact that the two biocides (in solution, for example) react with each other faster than they can be applied to the desired site. However, in a stable aqueous dispersion of particulate biocides, these different and incompatible biocides can co-exist, at least temporarily, since they are shielded from each other from reacting rapidly, so that an end user can mix the incompatible pesticides together and apply them to a site before their efficacy is significantly diminished. The particulate organic biocide is, in many embodiments, combined with one or more other organic biocides and/or particulate sparingly soluble biocidal inorganic salts. These inorganic biocidal salts can be milled, for example, using the same procedures and importantly the same milling media described for the organic pesticides. For instance, particulate copper(I) oxide is useful and is readily milled by the processes of this invention. Preferred inorganic copper salts include copper hydroxides; copper carbonates; basic (or “alkaline”) copper carbonates; basic copper sulfates including particularly tribasic copper sulfate; basic copper nitrates; copper oxychlorides (basic copper chlorides); copper borates; basic copper borates; copper silicate; basic copper phosphate; and mixtures thereof. The particulate copper salts can have a substantial amount of one or more of magnesium, zinc, or both, e.g., between about 6 and about 20 parts of magnesium per 100 parts of copper, for example between about 9 and about 15 parts of magnesium per 100 parts of copper, wherein these cations are either dispersed within, or constitute a separate phase within, a particulate. In preferred embodiments of the invention, at least some particulates comprise copper hydroxide, basic copper carbonate, or both. Preferred inorganic zinc salts and compounds include the zinc complements of the aforementioned copper salts, and expressly includes zinc oxide; the synergystic use of zinc oxide and chlorothalonil for potatoes is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,795, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This patent teaches that 2-4 micron diameter chlorothalonil particles were useful with 1-4 micron diameter zinc oxide particles. However, we believe the claimed range in this publication reflected what the inventors could manufacture. In contrast, the preferred particle size range has a chlorothalonil d50 less than about 1.4 microns, for example not more than about 0.9 microns or less than about 0.5 microns, alternately from about 0.1 microns to about 0.35 microns, and preferably has a d80 less than about 0.5 microns, while the zinc oxide is useful with a d50 less than about 1.5 microns, for example less than about 1 micron, e.g., between about 0.3 and about 0.7 microns. Other useful zinc salts include zinc hydroxide, zinc carbonate, zinc oxychloride, zinc fluoroborate, zinc borate, zinc fluoride, and mixtures thereof. In any of the above-described embodiments, the preservative can further comprise the substantially insoluble copper salt copper phosphate, Cu3(PO4)2. However, basic copper phosphate is preferred for the solid particulates, as it is more soluble and more bioactive than copper phosphate. Additionally, the phosphate ions can retard leaching of copper, neutralize acids in the wood, and in some instances help reduce corrosivity of the treated wood to metals. Conversely but advantageously, basic copper borate has a lower solubility than copper borate, which is advantageous because copper borate particles can dissolve fairly quickly, in terms of the expected life of a wood preservative. Basic copper borate has an advantage that the anion, borate, has advantageous biocidal and fire retarding properties. Mixtures of basic copper phosphate and basic copper sulfate are also useful, and they are often called basic copper phosphosulfate. As copper salts are millable and injectable, and organic biocides that are known to be difficult to mill are millable and injectable, there is no reason to doubt that organo-copper compounds will also not be millable and injectable. In any of the embodiments, the preservative may comprise copper organic materials, especially those materials having a sparingly soluble partially crystalline nature, e.g., the ground copper organic salts disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,326. In any of the above-described embodiments, the copper composition in copper-based particulates and/or copper-based particulate material can further comprise the substantially insoluble copper salt copper 8-quinolinolate. In any of the above-described embodiments, the composition can further comprise copper quinaldate, copper oxime, or both in particulate form. Its particularly noteworthy that organo-metallic meterials, such as the copper salt of 8-hydroxyquinoline, copper oxime, and even traditionally oil-borne biocides such as copper naphthaenate, can now be milled into submicon injectable particles, and injected into and dispersed throughout wood, without use of dissolving oils. The zinc analogs are equally millable. Additionally or alternately, selected finely ground crystalline iron oxides and hydroxides (excluding gel-like materials such as Goethite) can provide UV protective activity to wood and, like the copper and zinc salts described above, can be readily milled to form injectable slurries using processes of this invention, can be readily co-mingled with the particulate organic biocide, and can be injected into the wood or used in paint. Indeed, the media of this invention can mill certain iron oxides to a d50 below 0.1 microns. This iron salt can also be used as a pigment, to help disguise the color of other components injected. Selected sparingly soluble nickel salts and finely ground nickel oxide can provide biocidal activity to wood, and like the copper and zinc salts described above, can be readily milled to injectable slurries using processes of this invention, can be readily co-mingled with the particulate organic biocide, and can be injected into wood or used in paint. Selected sparingly soluble tin salts and finely ground tin oxide can provide biocidal activity to wood and, like the copper and zinc salts described above, can be readily milled to injectable slurries using processes of this invention, can be readily co-mingled with the particulate organic biocide, and can be injected into wood or used in paint. Selected copper salts of an unsaturated dibasic acid, such as fumaric acid, maleic acid, mesaconic acid, terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, and the like, as well as other compounds described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,326, can be formed into solids and milled according to the processes of the current invention. Other moieties, including particularly sulfonate moieties, can be substituted for one or both of the carboxylate moieties in the dibasic acids described above, and the resulting copper salt may again be sparingly soluble and thus millable and usable in the methods according to the invention. Further, copper salts of organic acids having two carboxylate moieties separated by not one carbon atom but by two carbon atoms, e.g., copper succinate or the like, can be ground and treated like other organic copper salts. One or more liquid organic biocides can be coated onto the particulate organic biocide, or onto the inorganic particulate biocide, if available, or both. An emulsion having dispersed liquid biocides in a small amount of solvent can be added to a composition containing the to-be-milled biocide before or during milling, for example, and the solvent can be removed by evaporation or vacuum distillation to leave the non-volatile liquid organic biocide, for example a triazole such as tebuconazole, coated onto the particulates. In addition to combining synergistic combinations of biocides, this process could help more evenly distribute the liquid biocide, which is often present in very small quantities. Foliar Applications—Generally, the size of the particles for use in foliar applications will depend on the required duration of treatment as well as on the weathering-resistance of each biocide. For biocides that are substantially insoluble, like chlorothalonil, usually only the resistance to weathering is important. A small particle size coupled with a narrow particle size distribution will allow a substantial reduction in the required dosage. This invention provides both a method of manufacture and the product of this method, that is, a method of producing a chlorothalonil product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another embodiment of this invention is providing a method of producing a metaldehyde product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another embodiment of this invention is providing a method of producing a zineb product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another embodiment of this invention is providing a method of producing a Ziram product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another embodiment of this invention is providing a method of producing a Ferbam product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another embodiment of this invention is providing a method of producing a maneb product, a Mancozeb product, and a Maneb/Mancozeb product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another embodiment of this invention is providing a method of producing a TPTH product where the d50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. For foliar applications, the advantageously narrow particle size distribution is also provided by the method of producing a each of the above products, where the duo is less than about 4 times the d50, preferably less than three times the d50; where the d10 is advantageously greater than about ¼th the d50, preferably greater than about 1/3rd the d50. Indeed, in the example the d95 was of the milled chlorothalonil was within a factor of about 2 of the d50. One aspect of the invention relates to stable aqueous dispersions of the organic biocide, e.g., chlorothalonil, that can be prepared by wet milling an aqueous dispersion of the biocide in the presence of grinding media and a surface active agent, for use in foliar-type agricultural treatments, for example. For foliar treatment, the composition is generally combined with water to provide a stable suspension having the desired concentration, and this stable suspension is then broadcast onto the crops, as is known in the art. In foliar applications, a smaller size particle is generally more persistent than a larger size particle against degenerative/deactivating forces such as rain. The preparation can be carried out in such a manner so as to produce a dispersion of non-agglomerating or non-interacting particles having a volume median diameter, d50, of less than about 1 micron and a d90 of less than about 2 microns. In preferred embodiments, the preparation is carried out in such a manner so as to produce a dispersion of non-agglomerating or non-interacting particles having a volume median diameter, d50, of less than about 0.6 micron and a d90 of less than about 1.4 microns, preferably less than about 1 micron. In other preferred embodiments, the preparation is carried out in such a manner so as to produce a dispersion of non-agglomerating or non-interacting particles having a volume median diameter, d50, of less than about 0.4 micron and a d90 of less than about 1 micron, preferably less than about 0.7 microns. For example, the method according to the invention may advantageously produce a slurry where d50 is between about 0.1 and about 0.3 microns and where d90 is less than about 3 times d50. Anti-Fouling Coating Applications—For anti-fouling paints and coatings, if there are combinations of particulate biocides, the size of the particulates should be within a factor of about 5 of the size of the remaining particulates, though it is recognized that biocides with higher solubility may require larger particles to have the desired duration of effectiveness. One aspect of the invention relates to stable aqueous dispersions of the organic biocide, e.g., chlorothalonil, that can be prepared by wet milling an aqueous dispersion containing the biocide in the presence of grinding media and a surface active agent, for use in anti-fouling paints and coatings, for example. It is known to use 0.5 mm zirconia as a milling media for certain pigments to be used in paints. U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2003/0127023 A1 teaches that pigments having improved colouristic properties and process for their preparation, and describes examples where compositions containing pigments and additives are milled with 0.5 mm diameter zirconia milling media. In this publication, Irgaphor™ DPP Red B-CF (mean particle size about 50 nm, available from Ciba Specialty Chemicals Inc) was admixed in a vessel with 8 mg Solsperse™ S22000 (Zeneca); 32 mg Solsperse™ S24000 (Zeneca); 200 mg of a copolymer of aromatic methacrylates and methacrylic acid (MW from 30,000 to 60,000); 1.76 g of (1-methoxy-2-propyl)-acetate; and 5 g zirconia beads of diameter 0.5 mm. The vessel was sealed with an inner cup placed in an operating paint conditioner for 3 hours, in order to yield a dispersion. The milled pigments forming the ingredients in this patent were all less than 0.2 microns in average diameter before milling, and most examples contained pigments with average particle size less than 0.1 microns before milling. This illustrates the advantage of this invention. Generally, it is known that pigments in paints form a more impermeable layer if the particle size of the pigments is reduced. However, this has not been applied to the biocides—until now, there was no economical and reliable method of obtaining chlorothalonil, for example, at such a small particle size. Now, our method allows a variety of biocidal agents approved for use in anti-fouling paints and coatings to be reliably milled to provide both the desired sub-micron d50 but also to provide the desired narrow particle size distribution, exemplified by d90 (and preferably d95) being less than about twice the d50. Commonly used biocides in marine applications includes copper(I) oxide, copper thiocyanate, Cu powder, zinc oxide, chromium trioxide, Irgarol™ 1051, zinc pyrithione, dichlofluanid, TCMBT (2-(thiocyanomethylthio) benzothiazole, a liquid biocide), chlorothalonil, 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-4-sulfuronyl pyridine, SeaNine 211 (4,5-dicholo-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one), ziram (zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate or bis(dimethylcarbamodithioato-S,S′)zinc), zineb, folpet, and the like. Generally, the particles are held in place by the paint or coating matrix. The sizes of the particulate biocides are therefore primarily a function of the anticipated duration of the treatment and the biocide dissolution rate, and are also a function of the desired particle size for the paint or coating. Finer particles make smoother and less permeable coatings. The copper oxide, zinc oxide, and the chlorothalonil are particularly suited for milling into submicron-sized particles using the procedures described herein, having, e.g., d50 from about 0.1 to about 0.9 microns, and, e.g., a d90 less than three times, preferably less than two times, the d50 value. For instance, one example would be a composition with a d50 of about 0.2 microns and a d90 of about 0.4 microns or less. Such small particles, when combined with adequate particle size distribution control, would provide greater coverage, less permeability, and more gloss than was previously obtainable with formulations using larger particulates having a wider size distribution. The preparation is carried out in such a manner so as to produce a dispersion of non-agglomerating or non-interacting particles having a volume median diameter, d50, of less than about 1 micron and a d90 of less than about 2 microns. In preferred embodiments, the preparation is carried out in such a manner so as to produce a dispersion of non-agglomerating or non-interacting particles having a volume median diameter, d50, of less than about 0.6 microns and a d90 of less than about 1.4 microns, preferably less than about 1 micron. In other preferred embodiments, the preparation is carried out in such a manner so as to produce a dispersion of non-agglomerating or non-interacting particles having a volume median diameter, d50, of less than about 0.4 micron and a d90 of less than about 1 micron, preferably less than about 0.7 microns. For example, the method according to the invention may advantageously produce a slurry where d50 is between about 0.1 and about 0.3 microns and where d90 is less than about 3 times d50. Injectable Wood Preservative Applications—For wood treatments, the overriding consideration is that the particles of each biocide, and of the combined biocides, be injectable into the wood matrix. One aspect of the invention relates to stable aqueous dispersions of the organic biocide, e.g., chlorothalonil, that can be prepared by wet milling an aqueous dispersion of the biocide in the presence of grinding media and a surface active agent, for use as an injectable wood preservative, for example. The injectable particulate organic biocide can, for example, comprise chlorothalonil, metaldehyde, manganese ethylenebis(dithiocarbamate) (Maneb), salts thereof, or mixtures thereof. Another aspect of the invention relates to wood or a wood product comprising a milled biocide according to the invention and, optionally, one or more additional materials having a preservative function, injected into a piece of wood. The concurrent use of other organic biocides, inorganic biocidal sparingly soluble salts and/or oxides, and liquid organic biocides coated onto the particulate biocides can be particularly useful for treating wood, where combinations of biocides are commonly used. The requirements of injectability for substantially round/spherical particles (e.g., in which the diameter is one direction is within a factor of two of the diameter measured in an orthogonal direction) include, but are not limited to, the following: where d98 is not more than about 0.5 microns, preferably not more than about 0.3 microns, for example not more than about 0.2 microns; and/or where the d96, preferably the d99, is less than about 1.5 microns, preferably less than about 1 micron, for example less than about 0.7 microns. The preparation is carried out in such a manner so as to produce a dispersion of non-agglomerating or non-interacting particles that meet the above requirements, and further having a volume median diameter, d50, of less than about 0.4 microns and preferably a d90 of less than about 0.7 microns. Different wood materials require different particle sizes, but the above ranges are generally sufficient for Southern Pine wood. Milling is advantageously performed with the dispersants and surface active agents. The slurry for injection into wood may comprise soluble copper such as aqueous copper monoethanolamine carbonate, or finely ground sparingly soluble copper salts, preferably copper hydroxide or a basic copper salt, e.g., pregferably basic copper carbonate but also optionally including basic copper sulfate, basic copper phosphate, basic copper nitrate, and the like. Advantageously the inorganic particulates such as the sparingly soluble copper salts have approximately the same d50 as the ground organic biocide, e.g., within a factor of two or three, and has similar limitations on the particle size distribution. Other components can be added, including other milled components—zinc oxide provides complementary biocidal activity, copper(I) oxide provides very low levels of biocidal activity but is extremely long lasting, and various iron oxide pigments can provide protection of wood very near the surface from UV radiation. Any combination of these can be formed into a slurry which is readily injected into wood using standard industry procedures, and is retained at levels generally well over 95%. Its generally not advantageous to mill various components at the same time—each component should be individually milled to its required specifications, and then the slurry can be prepared to specification by mixing components. One exception may be where the organic biocide being milled is too plastic to obtain the desired particle size, in which case it may be advantageous to add a quantity of small particulate, millable material with high porosity, such as alumina. Milling certain biocides in combination with submicron alumina and with the required dispersants may allow particularly resistant biocides to be milled into a size amenable for injection into wood. Other aspects of the present invention include methods for preparing the ground biocide particulates according to the invention, methods of formulating injectable wood treatment compositions that comprise ground biocide particulates, methods of transporting the injectable wood treatments, methods of mixing and injecting the ground biocide particulate composition according to the invention into wood and/or wood products, and also the wood and wood products themselves treated with the ground biocide particulate compositions according to the invention. In preferred embodiments, the preparation is carried out in such a manner so as to produce a dispersion of non-agglomerating or non-interacting particles having a volume median diameter, d50, of less than about 0.35 microns and a d95 of less than about 0.7 microns, preferably less than about 0.5 microns. In other preferred embodiments, the preparation is carried out in such a manner so as to produce a dispersion of non-agglomerating or non-interacting particles having a volume median diameter, d50, of less than about 0.3 microns and a d95 of less than about 0.6 microns, preferably less than about 0.5 microns. For example, the method according to the invention may advantageously produce a slurry where d50 is between about 0.1 and about 0.3 microns and where d90 is less than about 3 times d50. In one preferred embodiment, at least 80% by weight of the organic biocide particulates have a size/diameter between about 0.05 microns and about 0.4 microns. Injectability can and often does require that the particulates be substantially free of the size and morphology that will tend to accumulate and form a plug or filter cake, generally on or near the surface of the wood, that results in undesirable accumulations on wood in one or more outer portions of the wood and thus a deficiency in an inner portion of the wood. Injectability is generally a function of the wood itself, as well as the particle size, particle morphology, particle concentration, and the particle size distribution. We recognize that a competitor may spike a composition with a small number of very large particles, in a quantity where the very large particles are not injected but are also not present in an amount which can impede usefulness of the product. In these cases, having very distinct bi-modal distributions of particles where the larger particles are not injectable, it is appropriate to ignore those very large particles when calculating the particle size distributions. For example, a composition having about 90% of particles in the range of about 0.02 to about 0.5 microns will be injectable into wood, if the remaining ˜10% has, for example, a particle diameter of at least about 5 microns, which size is so large that pore blocking may be reduced or the particle would even settle harmlessly to the bottom of the tank. The particulate organic biocides of this invention can be incorporated into wood composites, by either being mixed with binder, by coating wood fibers prior to binding, by being injected into wood chips prior to binding, or any combination of the above. Again, a plurality of adjuvants, including sparingly soluble biocidal salts, UV resistant iron oxide pigments, and the like can be milled and added to the wood chips prior to forming the composite. Preferred wood composites have the ground biocide according to this invention (and/or a composition containing same) either mixed with the wood particles before bonding, or preferably injected into the wood particulates and dried prior to bonding. By “injectable,” we mean the ground biocide particulates are able to be pressure-injected into wood, wood products, and the like, to depths normally required in the industry, using equipment, pressures, exposure times, and procedures that are the same or that are substantially similar to those currently used in industry. Pressure treatment is a process performed in a closed cylinder that is pressurized, forcing the chemicals into the wood. In preferred embodiments of the invention, incising is not expected to be required to inject the slurries of the present invention into lumber having thicknesses of about 6 to about 10 inches. Wood or wood products comprising ground biocide particles according to the invention may be prepared by subjecting the wood to vacuum and/or pressure in the presence of a flowable material comprising the ground biocide particles. A pre-injection of carbon dioxide followed by vacuum and then injection of a biocidal slurry is one preferred method of injecting the slurry into wood. Injection of particles into the wood or wood product from a flowable material comprising the particles may require longer pressure treatments than would be required for liquids free of such particles. Pressures of, for example, at least about 75 psi, at least about 100 psi, or at least about 150 psi may be used. Exemplary flowable materials include liquids comprising ground biocide particles, emulsions comprising ground biocide particles, and slurries comprising ground biocide particles. In one embodiment, a volume number density of the ground biocide particles according to the invention about 5 cm from the surface, and preferably throughout the interior of the wood or wood product, is at least about 50%, for example, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, or at least about 75% of the volume number density of the ground biocide particles about 1 cm from the surface. The requirements of injectability for substantially round/spherical, rigid particles (e.g., in which the diameter is one direction is within a factor of two of the diameter measured in an orthogonal direction) generally include, inter alia: 1) that substantially all the particles, e.g., greater than about 98% by weight, have a particle size with diameter not more than about 0.5 microns, for example not more than about 0.3 microns or not more than about 0.2 microns; and 2) that substantially no particles (e.g., less than about 0.5% by weight) have a diameter greater than about 1.5 microns, or an average diameter greater than about 1 micron, for example. We believe the first criterion primarily addresses the phenomena of bridging and subsequent plugging of pore throats, and the second criterion addresses the phenomena of forming a plug, or filter cake. Once a pore throat is partially plugged, complete plugging and undesired buildup generally quickly ensues. In one embodiment, the size distribution of the injectable particles requires that the vast majority of particles (for example at least about 95% by weight, preferably at least about 99% by weight, more preferably at least about 99.5% by weight) be of an average diameter less than about 1 micron. Advantageously, the particles are not too elongated, or rod-shaped, with a single long dimension. Average particle diameter is beneficially determined by Stokes Law settling velocities of particles in a fluid to a size down to about 0.2 microns. Smaller sizes are beneficially determined by for example a dynamic light scattering method or laser scattering method or electron microscopy. Generally, such a particle size and particle size distribution can be achieved by mechanical attrition of particles. Attrition can be obtained by wet milling in a sand grinder charged with, for example, partially stabilized zirconia beads with a diameter of about 0.5 mm; alternatively wet milling in a rotary sand grinder with partially stabilized zirconia beads with a diameter of about 0.5 mm and with stirring at, for example, about 1000 rpm or more; or by use of a wet-ball mill, an attritor (e.g., manufactured by Mitsui Mining Ltd.), a pearl mill (e.g., manufactured by Ashizawa Ltd.), or the like. Attrition can be achieved to a lesser degree by centrifugation, but larger particles can be simply removed from the composition via centrifugation. Removing the larger particulates from a composition can provide an injectable formulation. Said particulates can be removed by centrifugation, where settling velocity substantially follows Stokes law. The most effective method of modifying the particle size distribution is wet milling. Beneficially all injectable formulations for wood treatment should be wet-milled, even when the “mean particle size” is well within the range considered to be “injectable” into wood. Even when a few weight percent of particles exhibit a size above about 1 micron, this small amount of material is hypothesized to form the start of a plug (where smaller, normally injectable particles are subsequently caught by the plug). Further, it is believed that wet milling with larger-sized media (e.g., 2 mm zirconium silicate) will have virtually no effect, resulting in only a marginal decrease in particle size, such that the material will still not be injectable in commercial quantities. However, it has been found that a milling process using about 0.5 mm high density zirconium-containing (e.g., preferably zirconium oxide) grinding media provides efficient attrition, especially for the removal of particles greater than about 1 micron in the commercially available biocide particulate product. The milling process usually takes on the order of minutes to achieve almost complete removal of particles greater than about 1 micron in size. As stated above, the size of the milling material is believed to be important, even critical, to obtaining a commercially acceptable process. The milling agent material having a diameter of about 1 or 2 mm (or greater) are ineffective, while milling agent material having a diameter of about 0.5 mm is effective typically after about 15 to 120 minutes of milling. EXAMPLES The following examples are merely indicative of the nature of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, nor of the appended claims, in any manner. EXAMPLES The following examples are merely indicative of the nature of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, nor of the appended claims, in any manner. Example 1 Milling Chlorothalonil with 0.5 mm Zirconium Silicate The laboratory-sized vertical mill was provided by CB Mills, model# L-3-J. The mill has a 2 liter capacity and is jacketed for cooling. Unless otherwise specified, ambient water was cycled through the mill cooling jacket during operation. The internal dimensions are 3.9″ diameter by 9.1″ height. The mill uses a standard 3×3″ disk agitator (mild steel) on a stainless steel shaft, and it operates at 2,620 rpm. The media used in this Example was 0.4-0.5 mm zirconium silicate beads supplied by CB Mills. All particle size determinations were made with a Sedigraph™ 5100T manufactured by Micromeritics, which uses x-ray detection and bases calculations of size on Stokes' Law. The formulation contained 20.41% chlorothalonil (98% active), 5% Galoryl™ DT-120, 2% Morwet™ EFW, and 72.6% water by weight, and the concentrate had a pH of 8.0. The total batch weight was about 600 g. The results of a 7.5 hour grinding study are given in Table 1 below. TABLE 1 Milling Particle Size Data - Volume % Time d50 With Diameter Greater Than Mins. μm 10 μm 5 μm 2 μm 1 μm 0 4.9 10 48 95 30 1.3 0 4 21 68 60 1.0 4 2 11 50 90 1.4 18 23 22 94 120 1.03 2 0 4 150 1.12 0 2 6 58 180 1.07 2 2 7 53 270 1.09 2 0 8 54 450 1.15 12 8 21 56 The results show that chlorothalonil can be wet milled from a starting particle size of about 3-4 microns to a d50 near 1 micron within about one hour, using a spherical ˜3.8 g/cm3 zirconium silicate media having an average particle size of about 0.4-0.5 mm. Further grinding had little effect, possibly slightly reducing the weight of particles over about 2 microns and thereby reducing the d90 from about 2 microns at 60 minutes to slightly less than 2. However, these results also showed the limitations of this lower density material. In the next example, higher density doped zirconia, having a density of 5.5 to 6.5 g/cc, was used and provided much more effective milling. Example 2 Milling Chlorothalonil with 0.5 mm Ziconium Oxide The same mill and conditions were used in this experiment as in experiment 1. However, the grinding media was 0.5-0.6 mm cerium-doped zirconium oxide beads obtained from CB Mills. The density of the cerium doped zirconium oxide is ˜6.0 g/cm3. The formulation contained 20.41% chlorothalonil (98% Active), 5% Galoryl™ DT-120, 2% Morwet™ EFW, 3% Pluronic™ F-108, and 69.6% water by weight, and the concentrate had a pH of about 7.3. The total batch weight was about 600 g. The results are shown in Table 2 below. TABLE 2 Milling Particle Size Data - Volume % Time d50 With Diameter Greater Than Mins. μm 10 μm 5 μm 2 μm 1 μm 0.4 μm 0.2 μm 0 3.44 8 30 77 92 — — 90 0.31 3 3 3 3 22 — 240 0.21 0 1 2 3 3 51 For the higher density 0.5 mm zirconia milling media, a composition with a d50 less than 1 micron and a d95 less than 1 micron was obtainable in 90 minutes, and a composition with a d50 less than 0.3 microns and a d95 less than 0.4 microns was obtainable in 6 hours. The product obtained after 90 minutes of milling represents an increase in number of particles per unit of mass by a factor of more than about 30 over the standard products, but the product obtained after 90 minutes of milling represents an increase in number of particles per unit of mass by a factor of more than about 1000 over the standard products. The higher surface areas associated with the smaller particles should give rise to a product with enhanced bioactivity due to an increase in reservoir activity (ability to deliver chlorothalonil to the infection court). Example 3 Milling Sparingly Soluble Copper Salts with 0.5 mm Zirconium Silicate This comparative example and subsequent example show the effectiveness of the milling media and process on the particle size distribution of inorganic copper salts. Comparative Example 3A A commercially available a magnesium stabilized form of copper hydroxide particulate material, Champ DP® available from available from Phibro-Tech., Inc., has particles with a d50 of about 0.2 microns. FIG. 3 shows the results of trying to inject untreated 2.5 micron d50 copper hydroxide into wood. The copper material plugged the surface of the wood and made an unsightly blue-green stain. The results were less dramatic when injecting Champ DP, but were still commercially unacceptable. Analysis of the material found that while the d50 of the material was <0.2 microns, about 13% by weight of the material had diameters between 2 and 5 times greater than the d50, and 1% had an even greater diameter. The Champ DP® material was placed in a mill with about a 50% by volume loading of 2 mm zirconium silicate milling beads. Samples were removed intermittently and the particle size distribution was determined. Wet milling with 2 mm zirconium silicate milling media had no effect—wet milling for days resulted in only a very slight decrease in particle size, a small shift in the particle size distribution, but the material was not injectable into wood In contrast, five samples of particulate copper salts made following standard procedures known in the art were milled according to the method of this invention. The first two samples were copper hydroxide—one with an initial particle size d50 of <0.2 microns (the material of comparative example A), and the second with an initial d50 of 2.5 microns. A basic copper carbonate (BCC) salt was prepared and it had an initial d50 of 3.4 microns. A tribasic copper sulfate salt was prepared and this material has a d50 of 6.2 micron. Finally, a copper oxychloride (COc) sample was prepared and this material has an initial d50 of 3.3 microns. Selected surface active agents were added to each slurry, and the initial slurries were each in turn loaded into a ball mill having 0.5 mm zirconium silicate (density 3.8 grams/cm3) at about 50% of mill volume, and milled at about 2600 rpm for about a half an hour. The particle size distribution of the milled material was then determined. The particle size distribution data is shown in Table 1. It can be seen that even with the relatively modest zirconium silicate milling media, injectable compositions were obtained in about 30 minutes milling time or less. TABLE 1 Particle Size Distribution Before/After Milling (0.5 mm Zirconium Silicate) Material d50 %<10μ %<1μ %<0.4μ %<0.2μ Cu(OH)2, before milling <0.2 99% 84% 64% 57% Cu(OH)2, after milling <0.2 99% 97% 95% 85% Cu(OH)2, before milling 2.5 99% 9% — — Cu(OH)2, after milling 0.3 99.7% 95% 22% —% BCC*, before milling 3.4 98% 1.2% — — BCC*, after milling <0.2 99% 97% 97% 87% TBS*, before milling 6.2 70% 17% — — TBS*, after milling <0.2 99.5% 96% 91% 55% COc*, before milling 3.3 98.5% 3% — — COc*, after milling 0.38 99.4% 94% 63% — It can be seen that even the less effective milling media, ˜0.5 mm zirconium silicate, was useful for milling sparingly soluble copper salts to the sub-micron particle size distribution needed for treating wood, for incorporating into non-fouling paints and coatings, and for foliar treatments. Further, the rate of particle size attrition is so great that there is no need to use expensive precipitation techniques to provide a feedstock having a sub-micron d50. The initial d50 ranged from 0.2 microns to over 6 microns, but after 30 minutes or less of milling each of the above milled copper salts (milling about 15 to about 30 minutes) were injected into wood samples with no discernible plugging. Milling with the more preferred zirconium oxide milling beads will provide a smaller d50 and will further reduce the amount of material, if any, having a diameter greater than 1 micron. Particulate biocides have an advantage over dispersed or soluble biocides in that the material leaches more slowly from wood than would comparable amounts of soluble biocides, and also about the same or more slowly than comparable amounts of the same biocide applied to the same wood as an emulsion. Example 4 Injecting Milled Copper Salt Slurries into Wood Slurries of the above milled sparingly soluble copper salts were successfully injected into standard 1″ cubes of Southern Yellow Pine wood. The injection procedures emulated standard conditions used in the industry. FIG. 3 shows representative photographs showing the comparison of the unacceptable product, which had a d50 of 2.5 microns and completely plugged the wood, is shown in comparison with blocks injected with the product milled according to the process of this invention as described in Example 3. FIG. 3 shows the clean appearance of the wood blocks injected with the milled copper hydroxide, to compare with the photograph of the wood samples injected with the un-milled (d50<0.2 micron) copper hydroxide. Unlike the blocks injected with un-milled material, wood blocks injected with milled material showed little or no color or evidence of injection of copper-containing particulate salts. Copper development by colorimetric agents (dithio-oxamide/ammonia) showed the copper to be fully penetrated across the block in the sapwood portion. FIG. 1 shows the penetration of injected particulate copper hydroxide developed with dithio-oxamide in the third picture. The stain corresponds to copper. It can be seen in FIG. 1 that the copper is evenly dispersed throughout the wood. Subsequent acid leaching and quantitative analysis of the copper from two blocks showed that loadings of about 95% and about 104% of expectation (or essentially 100% average of expectation) had occurred. At 100% loading, values of 0.22 lb/ft3 of copper would be obtained. Example 5 Leaching Copper from Treated Wood Copper leaching rates from the wood samples prepared in Example 4 were measured following the AWPA Standard Method E11-97. There are two comparative examples—leaching data was obtained from a wood block preserved with a prior art soluble solution of copper MEA carbonate and from a prior art wood block preserved with CCA. The leach rates of the various wood blocks treated with the preservatives prepared according to this invention were far below the leach rates of wood treated with soluble copper carbonate and were even below leach rates of samples treated with CCA. Leaching data from wood was measured following the AWPA Standard Method E11-97 for the following preservative treatments, where, unless specified, the tebuconazole (TEB) concentration was added as an emulsion at 3% of the weight of the added copper: A) TEB and injected basic copper carbonate particulates; B) traditionally CCA-treated wood (as a control); C) TEB and copper methanolamine carbonate (as a control, believed to approximate the currently available Wolman E treatment); D) TEB and injected basic copper carbonate particulates and with sodium bicarbonate buffer; E) Injected basic copper carbonate particulates; F) TEB and injected copper hydroxide particulates modified with zinc and magnesium; G) about 5% TEB and injected copper hydroxide particulates modified with phosphate coating; H) TEB and injected tribasic copper sulfate particulates; and I) TEB and injected copper oxychloride particulates. The leaching data for the various particulate slurries and from two controls are shown in FIG. 2. The total copper leached from wood preserved with copper-MEA-carbonate was 5.7% at 6 hours, 8.5% at 24 hours, 11% at 48 hours, 22% at 96 hours, 36% at 144 hours, 49% at 192 hours, 62% at 240 hours, 69% at 288 hours, and 76% at 336 hours. The amount of copper leached from copper hydroxide particulates was 0.4% at 6 hours, 0.6% at 24 hours, 0.62% at 48 hours, 1.0% at 96 hours, 1.6% at 144 hours, 2.1% at 192 hours, 3.2% at 240 hours, 3.4% at 288 hours, and 3.7% at 336 hours. The difference in leach rate was greater than a factor of 20. The leaching data is generally consistent within the small amount of copper leached from these wood samples. Using the copper leach rate of CCA as a standard, and viewing the total leached copper at 96 and 240 hours as representative, the leach rate ratios given by the “total leached copper to total CCA-leached copper” is given in Table 3 below. Of the sparingly soluble salts used, the leach rate, in descending order, is as follows: copper MEA carbonate (comparative)>>copper oxychloride>tribasic copper sulfate and/or copper hydroxide with phosphate>basic copper carbonate>copper hydroxide with Zn and Mg. The isoelectric point of copper oxychloride is about 5 to about 5.5, and the isoelectric point of tribasic copper sulfate is about 6 to about 6.5. As these materials are very poor bases, the higher leach rates from the materials is consistent with expected higher solubility at lower pH values. The presence of TEB reduced leach rates from basic copper carbonate by about 20%, most likely due to TEB partially coating particulates. A buffering system, sodium bicarbonate, reduced the leach rates from TEB/basic copper carbonate by about 10% relative to a preservative without the buffer. TABLE 3 96 hr. 240 hr. ratio ratio Ex. Description of Preservative System to CCA to CCA A 3% TEB and basic copper carbonate particulates 0.67:1 0.51:1 C 3% TEB and copper MEA carbonate 5.2:1 3.85:1 (comparative) D 3% TEB and basic copper carbonate particulates 0.54:1 0.46:1 with sodium bicarbonate buffer E basic copper carbonate particulates 0.77:1 0.63:1 F 3% TEB and copper hydroxide with Zn and Mg 0.2:1 0.19:1 particulates G 5% TEB and copper hydroxide particulates 1.0:1 0.88:1 modified with phosphate coating H 3% TEB and tribasic copper sulfate particulates 0.96:1 0.88:1 I 3% TEB and copper oxychloride particulates 1.4:1 1.17:1 Use of the small diameter milling material, preferably 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm, is essential to make a product that can be confidently sold for injection into wood. EXAMPLE 5 Toxicity Evaluation A sample of treated wood was sent to an outside source for short-duration toxicity testing. The results suggest there is no difference in the Threshold Toxicity between wood treated with a copper MEA carbonate/tebuconazole formulation and wood treated with a identical loading of basic copper carbonate particles of this invention admixed (and partially coated with ) the same quantity of tebuconazole. The invention is meant to be illustrated by these examples, but not limited to these examples. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The efficient use of organic pesticides is often restricted by their inherent poor water-solubility. Generally, these water-insoluble organic pesticides can be applied to a site or substrate in three ways: 1) as a dust, 2) as a solution in an organic solvent or a combination of water and one or more organic solvents, or 3) as an emulsion that is prepared by dissolving the product in an organic solvent, then dispersing the solution in water. All of these approaches have drawbacks. Application of a dust is associated with drift, poses a health hazard, and is inefficient. Solutions and emulsions that require an organic solvent are undesirable, since the solvent serves no other purpose but to act as a carrier for the product. As such, the solvent adds an unnecessary cost to the formulation and is an added health risk. Finally, emulsions are generally unstable and must be prepared at point of use, typically in the hours or minutes before use, and minor changes in the formulation, for example by addition of another biocide, may cause the emulsion to break and separate. The low water solubility is also a factor at point of use. Generally, for low solubility fungicides, the amount of a fungicide needed to protect against various pests is generally dependent on the number of particles in a unit area. If 100 particles are needed on a leaf, and if the particle diameter is reduced to one third of the former diameter, then the dosage can theoretically be reduced to about 11% of the former dosage, resulting in lower cost, less pesticide residue on harvested crops, and mitigation of environmental impact. It is known to mill certain organic pesticides. For instance, published U.S. Patent Application No. 2001/0051175 A1 describes milling large classes of fungicides with grinding media of substantially spheroidal shaped particles having an average size of less than 3 mm, and teaches that “suitable media material include[s] ZrO stabilized with magnesia, zirconium silicate, glass, stainless steel, polymeric beads, alumina, and titania, although the nature of the material is not believed to be critical.” The Examples used ⅛″ steel balls as grinding media, which was indeed able to reduce the mean particle size of some organic pesticides below 1 micron. We believe these inventors were incorrect in their assumption that the grinding material and size were of little importance. On the other hand, when a breakthrough is made, the product can be very successful. Copper (on a copper metal basis) is generally used as a biocidal agent (depending on crop, application, and activity) at application rates of 0.25 lb to 7.5 lbs per acre. Another biocide is copper hydroxide, which is a preferred low solubility copper salt, and which has >60% by weight copper and a solubility product constant of about 2×10 −20 . Several years ago, copper hydroxide used for foliar applications had a particle size of about 1 to 3 microns. Then, a new product, Champ DP®, commercially available from Nufarm Americas, was made available with a median particle size of about 0.2 microns. This product was useful at half the application rate on a variety of crops, and the duration of treatment was not appreciably different than that of the products containing larger particles. This is not to say that all biocides, even all low solubility fungicides, benefit from smaller size. For example, the ubiquitous elemental sulfur is generally advantageously 3 to 5 microns in diameter when used in foliar applications. While smaller particles can be formed, the actions of the atmosphere, moisture, and sunlight combine to eliminate the efficacy of the sulfur particles in too short a time to be of commercial interest. Additionally, particle size reduction below certain values (which depend on the product characteristics) can in the past only be achieved through expensive and elaborate procedures, and such procedures quickly price the product out of the market. Chlorothalonil is commercially available as a suspension having an average particle size diameter between about 2 and about 5 microns. It is known to mill chlorothalonil, but no milling process had ever achieved a reduction in the d 50 (the volume average diameter) below about 2 microns. Backman et al. found that, within the limits tested, the efficacy of Chlorothalonil tended to increase with decreasing particle size and with increasing milling. Backman's data generally show that the efficacy of the treatment generally increased with wet milling over air milling, and that the efficacy increased with milling time for the lowest treatment rate, though the data was not conclusive as the efficacy went down with increased milling time at the two higher treatment rates. See Backman, P. A., Munger, G. D., and Marks, A. F., The Effects of Particle Size and Distribution on Performance of the Fungicide Chlorothalonil, Phytopathology, Vol. 66, pages 1242 - 1245 (1976). U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,783, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, particularly noting the milling method and the dispersants and stabilizers disclosed therein, discloses in Example 2 milling Maneb with 2 mm glass beads. The resulting mean particle diameter of the Maneb was 1.7 to 1.8 micons. Also in this patent, chlorothalonil (Daconil) was milled in the same manner in Test 5, and the resulting average particle size diameter was 2.3 microns. U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,795, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein be reference, particularly relating to the adjuvants, describes milling 40% chlorothalonil, 5.6% zinc oxide, a variety of dispersants and stabilizers, and balance water in a wet mill or high speed media mill. This patent does not describe the milling media, but states the average particle size of the product was 3 microns. Curry et al. at International Specialty Products have ground a few biocides with 0.1 cm zirconia at 70% to 80% loading. For instance, U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. 2004/0063847 A1 and 2003/0040569 A1 describe milling metaldehyde with a variety of surfactants and dispersants, milling at 0-5° C., and recycling the material at 19 passes per minute for 10 minutes. Fine suspensions were produced with particle size distributions in which 90% of the particles had a diameter less than 2.5 microns, and in which the mean volume diameter was less than 1.5 microns. A chlorothalonil suspension was described as being milled in the same manner, but data on particle size was not reported. However, commonly-assigned U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0024099 A1 described an example where a composition of chlorothalonil was wet milled under the same conditions described above, i.e., a 70% to 80% loading of 0.1 cm zirconium (sp) beads at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes with 19 recycles per minute. The resulting compositions contained 41% chlorothalonil and a variety of surfactants and dispersants. The milling temperature jacket was 0° C., and the milled material was 15-21° C. The publication claims that 90% of the number of particles had a size below 0.5 microns but that the mean volume diameter (d 50 ) was “less than 3 microns”, meaning half the volume of particles had particle sizes greater than “less than 3 microns.” The art uses the term “less than” to denote the maximum mean diameter in a series of tests, but it is well known in the art that routine changes in parameters such as milling time will not appreciably change the mean volume diameter, as discussed infra. The resulting chlorothalonil material made according to the International Specialty Products process thus has a mean volume diameter d 50 of 2 to 3 microns. This is consistent with the other disclosures. The phenomena of a wide particle size distribution should be clarified. The International Specialty Products inventors described their chlorothalonil composition as having 90% of particles below 0.5 microns, but as having a mean volume diameter in the range of 2-3 microns. This wide particle size distribution is common, and it severely limits the benefits of the low particle size product, e.g., when used in paints, wood preservatives, and foliar applications. For example, in co-pending and commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/868,967 filed Jun. 17, 2004, we discussed how particles up to 0.5 microns in diameter were injectable into wood. The mean volume diameter of Champ DP®, a small diameter copper salt product, was 0.2 microns. Therefore, one might expect this material to be readily injectable into wood. However, while 57% by weight of particles of copper hydroxide in a particular lot of Champ DP® was 0.2 microns or smaller, when we tried to inject this material into wood this Champ DP® material plugged the surface of the wood and would not penetrate into the wood matrix. We discovered the reason was that there was a critical fraction of particles having a diameter greater than about 1 micron. This critical fraction of material was believed to bridge pores in the wood, and, once the pores were bridged, substantially all the remaining particles, including those having a diameter less than 0.2 microns, subsequently plated on the wood surface. Further, extended grinding times using milling media routinely used in the art 1) will not provide a more uniform product, and 2) will not significantly lower the d 50 . It is known that compounds can be reduced to a particular particle size distribution, where further milling with that media has virtually no effect. For example, we milled the Champ DP® material described above (having a d50 of 0.2 microns, but a d 95 over a micron) for two days using 2 mm zirconia beads as the media, and the injectability and particle size distribution of the resultant composition was essentially unchanged. Along those lines, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0050298 A1, in the unrelated art of formulating pigments, discloses that wet milling in a pearl mill with mixed zirconium oxide balls having a diameter of from 0.1 to 0.3 mm could provide a desired product in 20 to 200 minutes, but that longer milling periods had no significant effect on the properties of the product, and that “as a result, the risk of overmilling can be excluded, with very great advantage for the meeting of specifications, especially if it is ensured that the radial speed of the mill is not too high.” U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2002/0047058 A1, which relates to preparing certain pharmaceutical formulations, discusses milling the pharmaceuticals with 0.5 mm diameter zirconium (sp) media to obtain pharmaceutical formulations having particle diameters less than 0.5 microns. In addition, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0051084 A1 describes manufacturing polymer particles comprising recurring thiophene units and polystyrenesulfonic acid by oxidative polymerization of ethylenedioxythiophene in the presence of polystyrenesulfonic acid and subsequent milling with 0.5 mm diameter zirconia. Further, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2002/0055046 A1 describes milling titanium dioxide with zirconia beads which have a diameter of 0.5 mm (manufactured by Nikkato Co., Ltd), where the resultant mean particle diameter of the titanium dioxide was 2.5 microns. Also, several published applications relate to milling photographic compositions with a 0.5 mm zirconia media. While it is known to grind certain materials to smaller size, certain biocides are particularly resistant to grinding to less than 1 micron diameter. What is needed in the art is a process whereby a wide variety of biocides can be readily milled to a particle size distribution where d 50 is less than 1 micron, preferably less than 0.7 microns. The lowest d 50 obtainable from grinding with a particular media will depend on the properties of material being ground. Several biocides can purportedly be milled to a d 50 below about 1 micron, and occasionally below 0.5 micron. These biocides therefore have physical properties that differ from those of chlorothalonil, making them easier to grind than chlorothalonil. For example, it has been reported that milling triphenyltin acetate, 1-methyl-3-(2-fluoro-6-chlorophenyl)-5-(3-methyl-4-bromothien-2-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole, Spinosad insecticide, epoxiconazole, chlorpyrifos, and certain other materials to sub-micron size using milling materials that are outside the scope of this invention (see, e.g., U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2001/0051175 A1). However, we believe that using the method of this invention will provide a narrower particle size distribution than the prior art milling methods. What is needed in the art is a process whereby a wide variety of biocides can be readily milled to a particle size distribution where d 90 is less than 1 micron, preferably less than 0.7 microns. Mentioning a reference in this background section is explicitly not a concession that such reference constitutes prior art under the patent laws of any country in which this application is pending. We found no reference in the published applications which relates to milling a sparingly soluble inorganic biocidal compound, for example copper hydroxide, with 0.5 mm zirconia. We found no reference in the published applications which relates to milling an organic fungicide with 0.5 mm zirconia media. We, in particular, found no reference in the published applications which related to milling chlorothalonil with 0.5 mm zirconia media. It would be an advantage in the art to provide a pesticide formulation of fairly uniformly sized submicron organic pesticide particles. It would be an advantage in the art to provide a method to routinely and predictably: 1) prepare a pesticide formulation of fairly uniformly sized submicron organic pesticide particles; 2) a pesticide formulation of fairly uniformly sized submicron organic pesticide particles with sub-micron sparingly soluble inorganic biocidal particles; and 3) a method of manufacturing the aforesaid formulations that will allow the formulation to have commercial application in the fields of a) foliar applications, b) wood preservative treatments, c) turf applications, and d) non-fouling paints and coatings. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>One of the key aspects of the present invention is not just attaining smaller particles but also rendering the particles fairly uniform. Any grinding of a partially crystalline material will produce some small fraction of sub-micron particles. A principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a metaldehyde product where the d 50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a zineb product where the d 50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a Ziram product where the d 50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a Ferbam product where the d 50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a maneb product, a Mancozeb product, and a Maneb/Mancozeb product where the d 50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. Another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a TPTH product where the d 50 is below 1 micron, preferably below 0.7 microns, and for certain applications, below 0.4 microns, for example between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. For foliar applications, another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a each of the above products where the d 90 is less than about 4 times the d 50 , preferably less than three times the d 50 ; where the d 10 is advantageously greater than about ¼th the d 50 , preferably greater than about ⅓rd the d 50 . For wood preservation applications, another principal aspect of this invention is providing a method of producing a each of the above products where the d 98 , preferably the d 99 , is less than about 4 times the d 50 , preferably less three times the d 50 . A first aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a organic biocide product having a d 50 equal to or less than about 1 micron, comprising the steps of: 1) providing the solid organic biocide, and a liquid comprising a surface active agent, to a mill; providing a milling media comprising an effective amount of milling beads having a diameter between 0.1 mm and 0.8 mm, preferably between about 0.2 mm and about 0.7 mm, more preferably between about 0.3 mm and about 0.6 mm, wherein these milling beads have a density greater than about 3 grams/cm3, preferably equal to or greater than 3.5 grams/cm3, more preferably equal to or greater than 3.8 grams/cm3, most preferably equal to or greater than 5.5 grams/cm3, for example a zirconia bead having a density of about 6 grams/cm3; and 2) wet milling the material at high speed, for example between 300 and 6000 rpm, more preferably between 1000 and 4000 rpm, for example between about 2000 and 3600 rpm, where milling speed is provided for a laboratory scale ball mill, for a time sufficient to obtain a product having a mean volume particle diameter of about 1 micron or smaller, for example between about 5 minutes and 300 minutes, preferably from about 10 minutes to about 240 minutes, and most preferably from about 15 minutes to about 60 minutes. As little as 5% by volume of the milling media need be within the preferred specifications for milling some materials, but better results are obtained if greater than 10% by weight, preferably greater than 25% by weight, for example between 40% and 100% by weight of the milling material is within the preferred specifications. For milling material outside the preferred specifications, advantageously this material has a density greater than 3 grams/cm 3 and a diameter less than 4 mm, for example 1 or 2 mm zirconia or zircionium silicate milling beads. A second aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a solid organic biocide product comprising the steps of: 1) providing the solid organic biocide to a mill, and 2) milling the material with a milling media, wherein at least 25% by weight of the milling media has a density greater than 3.8 and a diameter between 0.1 and 0.7 mm. A third aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a submicron organic biocide product comprising the steps of: 1) providing the solid organic biocide and a liquid to a mill, and 2) milling the material with a milling media comprising a zirconium oxide having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.7 mm. The zirconium oxide can comprise any stabilizers and/or dopants known in the art, including, for example, cerium, yttrium, and magnesium. A fourth aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a submicron organic biocide product comprising the steps of: 1) providing the solid organic biocide and a liquid to a mill, and 2) milling the material with a milling media comprising a zirconium silicate having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.7 mm and a density greater than about 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter. A fifth aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a submicron organic biocide product for use as an injectable particulate wood preservative, comprising the steps of: 1) providing the organic biocide to a mill, and 2) milling the material with a milling media having a density greater than about 3.5 and having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.7 mm. The invention also encompasses injecting the composition, which may be admixed with one or more injectable particulate sparingly soluble biocidal salts. Another key aspect of the invention is to make a variety of biocidal particulate slurries available that are injectable into wood, thereby serving as a particulate wood preservative. Requirements of injectability into wood for substantially round, e.g., the diameter is one direction is within a factor of two of the diameter measured in a different direction, such as would be found in milled particles, are: 1) the d 96 is equal to or less than about 1 micron, but is preferably about 0.7 microns or less, more preferably about 0.5 microns or less, for example equal to or less than about 0.3 microns, or equal to or less than about 0.2 microns; 2) the d 99 is equal to or less than about 2 microns, preferably equal to or less than 1.5 microns, more preferably equal to or less than about 1 micron; and 3), the d 50 is less than 0.5 microns, preferably less than 0.4 microns, and the d 50 is greater than 0.02 microns, more preferably greater than 0.05 microns, for example a slurry where the d 50 is between about 0.1 microns and about 0.3 microns. We believe the first criteria primarily addresses the phenomena of bridging and subsequent plugging of pore throats, the second criteria addresses the phenomena of forming a filter cake, and the third criteria addresses the issue of having particulates disposed in the wood which have an optimum size to ensure the treatment has an acceptable bio-activity and lifetime. Once a pore throat is partially plugged, complete plugging and undesired buildup generally quickly ensues. A sixth aspect of the invention is a method of preparing a submicron organic biocide product for use as a foliar treatment, or as an additive in paints or coatings, comprising the steps of: 1) providing the organic biocide to a mill, and 2) milling the material with a milling media having a density greater than about 3.5 and having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 0.7 mm. The density of the milling media, and especially of the milling media within the size range 0.3 to 0.7 mm, is advantageously greater than about 3.8, for example greater than about 4, preferably greater than about 5.5, for example equal to or greater than about 6 grams per cubic centimeter. Ceramic milling media is preferred over metallic milling media. The invention also encompasses a milled organic biocide product from any of the above aspects and having a d 50 below about 1 micron, preferably below about 0.5 microns, and in many cases below about 0.3 microns, and which further may advantageously have a d 90 that is less than about three times the d 50 , preferably less than about two times the d 50 . The invention also encompasses a organic biocide product from any of the above aspects and having a d 50 below about 1 micron, preferably below about 0.5 microns, for example below about 0.3 microns, which further has a d 95 that is less than about 1.4 microns, preferably less than about 1 micron, for example less than about 0.7 microns. In each embodiment, the milling load is preferably about 50% of the volume of the mill, though loadings between 40% and 80% are efficient. In each embodiment, advantageously water and surface active agents are added to the product before or during milling. In each embodiment, the product can be transported as a stable slurry, as a wettable powder, or as granules that disintegrate on mixing with water to release the product. In each embodiment, the milled particulate organic biocide may be combined with another milled inorganic particulate biocide, which may be a sparingly soluble biocidal salt such as copper hydroxide, zinc hydroxide, and/or basic copper carbonate, which may be a substantially insoluble biocidal oxide, such as Copper(I) oxide and/or zinc oxide, or any combinations thereof, wherein the other particulate biocide advantageously also has a d 50 below about 1 micron, advantageously below about 0.5 microns. Alternatively, the second biocide may be a organometallic compound, or another organic biocide. When combining a plurality of particulate biocides into a slurry, it is advantageous to make the dispersants and surfactants be compatible one with another. Using anion dispersants on a first biocide and cationic dispersants on the second biocide can result in undesired interactions when the slurry is prepared. The literature is full of inventions where two or more biocides have a synergistic effect. Often, this is the result of the second biocide protecting the first biocide against organisms that can degrade the first biocide. For sparingly soluble or substantially insoluble biocides, such synergy can only be achieved if both biocides are in the area to be protected. As a result, assuming relatively equal amounts of biocide, the two sparingly soluble or insoluble biocides should be relatively comparable in size to achieve the distribution needed for effective synergy. In some instances the second biocide is present in or as an organic liquid. In such cases, the organic liquid can be solubilized in solvent, emulsified in water, and then added to the first biocide before or during milling, or less preferably after milling. The surface of the first biocide can be made compatible with the organic phase of the emulsion, and the liquid or solvated biocide can coat the primary particles. Advantageously, solvent can be withdrawn, for example by venting the gases above the biocidal composition or by drawing a vacuum. The liquid biocide will subsequently be bound to the surface of the particulate biocide. Not only does this have the advantage of providing the two biocides in close contact so synergy will be observed, but also this provides a method for broadcasting the liquid emulsion without exposing field personnel (if the composition is for foliar applications), painters (if the composition is for non-fouling paints or coatings), and wood preservation personnel from exposure to potentially harmful solvents. Advantageously, the particulate biocidal composition, be it slurry, wettable powder, or granules, can be substantially free of volatile solvents. The present invention also encompasses methods of using the products of the above described processes, which include: injecting the particulate product of any of the processes described herein into wood if the composition is a wood preservative; spreading the particulate product of any of the processes described herein over crops, if the composition is used as a foliar biocide; or mixing the particulate product of any of the processes described herein into a paint or coating formulation to impart biocidal properties to the paint or coating. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? | 20041012 | 20080923 | 20060427 | 94120.0 | B02C2500 | 1 | MILLER, BENA B | MILLED SUBMICRON ORGANIC BIOCIDES WITH NARROW PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION, AND USES THEREOF | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | B02C | 2,004 |
|
10,961,342 | ACCEPTED | Apparatus, system, and method for down converting and up converting electromagnetic signals | Methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting and up-converting an electromagnetic signal. In embodiments, the invention operates by receiving an electromagnetic signal and recursively operating on approximate half cycles of a carrier signal. The recursive operations can be performed at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal. The invention accumulates the results of the recursive operations and uses the accumulated results to form a down-converted signal. In embodiments, up-conversion is accomplished by controlling a switch with an oscillating signal, the frequency of the oscillating signal being selected as a sub-harmonic of the desired output frequency. When the invention is being used in the frequency modulation or phase modulation implementations, the oscillating signal is modulated by an information signal before it causes the switch to gate a bias signal. The output of the switch is filtered, and the desired harmonic is output. | 1-83. (canceled) 84. A method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising: (1) electrically coupling a RF information signal to a capacitor; (2) controlling a charging cycle and a discharging cycle of the capacitor with a switching device electrically coupled to the capacitor, wherein charge from the RF information signal is stored on the capacitor when the switching device is closed, and wherein the capacitor discharges between six percent to fifty percent of charge stored therein during a period of time that the switching device is open; and (3) performing a plurality of charging and discharging cycles of the capacitor, thereby forming a down-converted information signal. 85. The method of claim 84, wherein the capacitor discharges between ten percent to twenty-five percent of charge stored therein during a period of time that the switching device is open. 86. The method of claim 84, wherein the capacitor discharges between fifteen percent to thirty percent of charge stored therein during a period of time that the switching device is open. 87. The method of claim 84, further comprising the step of amplifying the down-converted information signal. 88. The method of claim 84, further comprising the step of: removing a carrier signal from the down-converted information signal. 89. The method of claim 88, wherein the carrier signal is removed by filtering the down-converted signal. 90. The method of claim 88, wherein the carrier signal is removed during amplification of the down-converted signal. 91. The method of claim 84, further comprising: (4) amplifying the received RF information signal with a low noise amplifier. 92. The method of claim 84, further comprising: (4) filtering the received RF information signal. 93. The method of claim 84, wherein step (2) comprises: controlling the switching device with a control signal having a train of pulses. 94. The method of claim 93, wherein the pulses have apertures, wherein the step of controlling the switching device comprises: closing the switching device during an aperture; and opening the switching device between the aperture and a next aperture. 95. The method of claim 93, further comprising: (4) generating the control signal. 96. A method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising: (1) electrically coupling a RF signal to a capacitor; (2) performing a charging cycle and a discharging cycle of the capacitor using a switching device electrically coupled to the capacitor, wherein the capacitor discharges between six percent to fifty percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle; and (3) repeating step (2) a plurality of times, thereby forming a down-converted information signal. 97. The method of claim 96, wherein the capacitor discharges between ten percent to twenty-five percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle. 98. The method of claim 96, wherein the capacitor discharges between fifteen percent to thirty percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle. 99. The method of claim 96, further comprising: (4) amplifying the down-converted information signal. 100. The method of claim 96, further comprising: (4) removing a carrier signal from the down-converted information signal. 101. The method of claim 100, wherein the carrier signal is removed by filtering the down-converted signal. 102. The method of claim 100, wherein the carrier signal is removed during amplification of the down-converted signal. 103. The method of claim 96, further comprising: (4) amplifying the received RF signal with a low noise amplifier. 104. The method of claim 96, further comprising: (4) filtering the received RF signal. 105. The method of claim 96, wherein step (3) comprises: controlling the switching device with a control signal having a train of pulses. 106. The method of claim 105, wherein the pulses have apertures, wherein the step of controlling the switching device comprises: closing the switching device during an aperture; and opening the switching device between the aperture and a next aperture. 107. The method of claim 96, further comprising: (5) generating the control signal. 108. The method of claim 96, wherein step (3) comprises: closing the switching device to perform the charging cycle; and opening the switching device to perform the discharge cycle. 109. A method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising: (1) electrically coupling a RF information signal to a capacitor; (2) controlling a charging cycle and a discharging cycle of the capacitor with a switching device electrically coupled to the capacitor, including: (a) during the charging cycle, controlling a charging of the capacitor from the RF information signal by closing the switching device, and (b) during the discharging cycle, controlling a discharge of the capacitor by opening the switching device, wherein the capacitor discharges between six percent to fifty percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle; and (3) performing step (2) a plurality of times, thereby forming a down-converted information signal. 110. The method of claim 109, wherein the capacitor discharges between ten percent to twenty-five percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle. 111. The method of claim 109, wherein the capacitor discharges between fifteen percent to thirty percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle. 112. The method of claim 109, further comprising: (4) amplifying the down-converted information signal. 113. The method of claim 109, further comprising: (4) removing a carrier signal from the down-converted information signal. 114. The method of claim 113, wherein the carrier signal is removed by filtering the down-converted signal. 115. The method of claim 113, wherein the carrier signal is removed during amplification of the down-converted signal. 116. The method of claim 109, further comprising: (4) amplifying the received RF information signal with a low noise amplifier. 117. The method of claim 109, further comprising: (4) filtering the received RF information signal. 118. The method of claim 109, wherein step (3) comprises: controlling the switching device with a control signal having a train of pulses. 119. The method of claim 109, further comprising: (4) generating the control signal. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/550,644, filed Apr. 14, 2000, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, and this application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/204,796, filed May 16, 2000, U.S. Provisional Application 60/213,363, filed Jun. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application 60/272,043, filed Mar. 1, 2001, all of which and are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. The following patents and patent applications of common assignee are related to the present application, and are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties: U.S. Pat. No. 6,661,551, entitled “Method and System for Down-Converting Electromagnetic Signals,” filed Oct. 21, 1998 and issued May 9, 2000. U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,940, entitled “Method and System for Frequency Up-Conversion,” filed Oct. 21, 1998 and issued Jul. 18, 2000. U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,555, entitled “Method and System for Ensuring Reception of a Communications Signal,” filed Oct. 21, 1998 and issued May 9, 2000. U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,706, entitled “Integrated Frequency Translation And Selectivity,” filed Oct. 21, 1998 and issued Apr. 11, 2000. “Applications of Universal Frequency Translation,” Ser. No. 09/261,129, filed Mar. 3, 1999. “Method, System, and Apparatus for Balanced Frequency Up-Conversion of a Baseband Signal,” Ser. No. 09/525,615, filed Mar. 14, 2000. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the down-conversion and up-conversion of an electromagnetic signal using a universal frequency translation module. 2. Related Art Various communication components exist for performing frequency down-conversion, frequency up-conversion, and filtering. Also, schemes exist for signal reception in the face of potential jamming signals. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly stated, the present invention is directed to methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting and/or up-converting an electromagnetic signal, and applications thereof. In an embodiment, the invention down-converts the electromagnetic signal to an intermediate frequency signal. In another embodiment, the invention down-converts the electromagnetic signal to a demodulated baseband information signal. In another embodiment, the electromagnetic signal is a frequency modulated (FM) signal, which is down-converted to a non-FM signal, such as a phase modulated (PM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal. In one embodiment, the invention uses a stable, low frequency signal to generate a higher frequency signal with a frequency and phase that can be used as stable references. In another embodiment, the present invention is used as a transmitter. In this embodiment, the invention accepts an information signal at a baseband frequency and transmits a modulated signal at a frequency higher than the baseband frequency. In an embodiment, the invention operates by receiving an electromagnetic signal and recursively operating on approximate half cycles of a carrier signal. The recursive operations are typically performed at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal. The invention accumulates the results of the recursive operations and uses the accumulated results to form a down-converted signal. The methods and systems of transmitting vary slightly depending on the modulation scheme being used. For some embodiments using frequency modulation (FM) or phase modulation (PM), the information signal is used to modulate an oscillating signal to create a modulated intermediate signal. If needed, this modulated intermediate signal is “shaped” to provide a substantially optimum pulse-width-to-period ratio. This shaped signal is then used to control a switch that opens and closes as a function of the frequency and pulse width of the shaped signal. As a result of this opening and closing, a signal that is harmonically rich is produced with each harmonic of the harmonically rich signal being modulated substantially the same as the modulated intermediate signal. Through proper filtering, the desired harmonic (or harmonics) is selected and transmitted. For some embodiments using amplitude modulation (AM), the switch is controlled by an unmodulated oscillating signal (which may, if needed, be shaped). As the switch opens and closes, it gates a reference signal, which is the information signal. In an alternate implementation, the information signal is combined with a bias signal to create the reference signal, which is then gated. The result of the gating is a harmonically rich signal having a fundamental frequency substantially proportional to the oscillating signal and an amplitude substantially proportional to the amplitude of the reference signal. Each of the harmonics of the harmonically rich signal also has amplitudes proportional to the reference signal, and is thus considered to be amplitude modulated. Just as with the FM/PM embodiments described above, through proper filtering, the desired harmonic (or harmonics) is selected and transmitted. The invention is applicable to any type of electromagnetic signal, including but not limited to, modulated carrier signals (the invention is applicable to any modulation scheme or combination thereof) and unmodulated carrier signals. Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Such embodiments are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The invention shall be described with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein: FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a universal frequency translation (UFT) module according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1B is a more detailed diagram of a universal frequency translation (UFT) module according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1C illustrates a UFT module used in a universal frequency down-conversion (UFD) module according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1D illustrates a UFT module used in a universal frequency up-conversion (UFU) module according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a universal frequency translation (UFT) module according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 3A and 3G are example aliasing modules according to embodiments of the invention. FIGS. 3B-3F are example waveforms used to describe the operation of the aliasing modules of FIGS. 3A and 3G. FIG. 4 illustrates an energy transfer system with an optional energy transfer signal module according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 illustrates an example aperture generator. FIG. 6A illustrates an example aperture generator. FIG. 6B illustrates an oscillator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 7A-B illustrate example aperture generators. FIG. 8 illustrates an aliasing module with input and output impedance match according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 9 illustrates an example energy transfer module with a switch module and a reactive storage module according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a universal frequency up-conversion (UFU) module according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 11 is a more detailed diagram of a universal frequency up-conversion (UFU) module according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a universal frequency up-conversion (UFU) module according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 13A-13I illustrate example waveforms used to describe the operation of the UFU module. FIG. 14 illustrates a unified down-converting and filtering (UDF) module according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary YQ modulation embodiment of a receiver according to the invention. FIG. 16A is an example two-switch receiver according to an embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 16B-16G are example waveforms used to describe the operation of the example two-switch receiver of FIG. 16A. FIG. 16H is an example two-switch receiver according to an embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 16I-16N are example waveforms used to describe the operation of the example two-switch receiver of FIG. 16H. FIG. 16O is a two-switch receiver and optional amplifier according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 17 is an example two-switch receiver according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 18A is an example one-switch receiver according to an embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 18B-18E are example waveforms used to describe the operation of the example one-switch receiver of FIG. 18A. FIG. 19 is an example one-switch receiver according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 20A is an example one-switch receiver according to an embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 20B-20D are example waveforms used to describe the operation of the example one-switch receiver of FIG. 20A. FIG. 20E is an example one-switch receiver according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 20F is an example one-switch receiver according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 21 is an example one-switch receiver according to an embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 22-23 illustrate exemplary block diagrams of a transmitter operating in an I/Q modulation mode, according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 24A is an example two-switch transmitter according to an embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 24B-24K are example waveforms used to describe the operation of the example two-switch transmitter of FIG. 24A. FIG. 25A is an example two-switch transmitter according to an embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 25B-25F are example waveforms used to describe the operation of the example two-switch transmitter of FIG. 25A. FIG. 26A is an example two-switch transmitter according to an embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 26B-26F are example waveforms used to describe the operation of the example two-switch transmitter of FIG. 26A. FIG. 27A is an example one-switch transmitter according to an embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 27B-27E are example waveforms used to describe the operation of the example one-switch transmitter of FIG. 27A. FIG. 28 illustrates a block diagram of a transceiver implementation according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 29 illustrates an exemplary receiver using UFD conversion techniques according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 30 illustrates an exemplary transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 31A, 31B, and 31C illustrate an exemplary transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention in a transceiver circuit with a universal frequency down conversion receiver operating in a half-duplex mode for an FM and PM modulation embodiment. FIG. 32 illustrates an exemplary half-duplex mode transceiver implementation according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 33 illustrates an exemplary full-duplex mode transceiver implementation according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 34 is an example one-switch transceiver according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 35 is an example digital aperture generator circuit according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 36 is an example modulated carrier signal. FIG. 37 is an example control signal for a conventional receiver. FIG. 38 is an example control signal according to the invention. FIG. 39 illustrates an aperture and a voltage signal for a conventional receiver. FIG. 40 illustrates an aperture and a voltage signal according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 41 illustrates voltage signals according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 42 is a plot of FEY drain current as a function of drain-source voltage in embodiments of the invention. FIG. 43 illustrates how FET linearity is enhanced by increasing drain-source voltage in embodiments of the invention. FIG. 44 illustrates how FET linearity is enhanced when gate-source voltage is made proportional to drain-source voltage in embodiments of the invention. FIGS. 45A-E illustrates how FET drain current distortion is reduced in embodiments of the invention. FIGS. 46-53 further illustrate how FET linearity is enhanced in embodiments of the invention. FIGS. 54-56 illustrate example processor embodiments according to the present invention. FIG. 57 illustrates the relationship between beta and the output charge of a processor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 58 illustrates an RC processor according to an embodiment of the present invention coupled to a load resistance. FIG. 59 illustrates an example implementation of the present invention. FIG. 60 illustrates an example charge/discharge timing diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 61 illustrates example energy transfer pulses (control signal) according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 62 illustrates a flowchart of a method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Universal Frequency Translation 2.1 Frequency Down-Conversion 2.2 Optional Energy Transfer Signal Module 2.3 Impedance Matching 2.4 Frequency Up-Conversion 2.5 Enhanced Signal Reception 2.6 Unified Down-Conversion and Filtering 3. Example Embodiments of the Invention 3.1 Receiver Embodiments 3.1.1 In-Phase/Quadrature-Phase (I/Q) Modulation Mode Receiver Embodiments 3.1.2 Receiver Embodiments Having Two Aliasing Modules 3.1.3 Enhanced Single-Switch Receiver Embodiments 3.1.4 Other Receiver Embodiments 3.2 Transmitter Embodiments 3.2.1 In-Phase/Quadrature-Phase (I/Q) Modulation Mode Transmitter Embodiments 3.2.2 Enhanced Multi-Switch Transmitter Embodiments 3.2.3 Enhanced One-Switch Transmitter Embodiments 3.2.4 Other Transmitter Embodiments 3.3 Transceiver Embodiments 3.3.1 Example Half-Duplex Mode Transceiver 3.3.2 Example Full-Duplex Mode Transceiver 3.3.3 Enhanced Single Switch Transceiver Embodiment 3.3.4 Other Embodiments 4. Enhanced Operating Features of the Invention 4.1 Enhanced Power and Information Extraction Features 4.2 Charge Transfer and Correlation 4.3 Load Resistor Consideration 4.4 Enhancing the Linear Operating Features of Embodiments of the Invention 5. Example Method Embodiment of the Invention 6. Conclusion 1. Introduction The present invention is directed to the down-conversion and up-conversion of an electromagnetic signal using a universal frequency translation (UFT) module, transforms for same, and applications thereof. The systems described herein each may include one or more receivers, transmitters, and/or transceivers. According to embodiments of the invention, at least some of these receivers, transmitters, and/or transceivers are implemented using universal frequency translation (UiF) modules. The UFT modules perform frequency translation operations. Embodiments of the present invention are described below. Systems that transmit and receive EM signals using UFT modules exhibit multiple advantages. These advantages include, but are not limited to, lower power consumption, longer power source life, fewer parts, lower cost, less tuning, and more effective signal transmission and reception. These systems can receive and transmit signals across a broad frequency range. The structure and operation of embodiments of the UFT module, and various applications of the same are described in detail in the following sections, and in the referenced documents. 2. Universal Frequency Translation The present invention is related to frequency translation, and applications of same. Such applications include, but are not limited to, frequency down-conversion, frequency up-conversion, enhanced signal reception, unified down-conversion and filtering, and combinations and applications of same. FIG. 1A illustrates a universal frequency translation (UFT) module 102 according to embodiments of the invention. (The UFT module is also sometimes called a universal frequency translator, or a universal translator.) As indicated by the example of FIG. 1A, some embodiments of the UFT module 102 include three ports (nodes), designated in FIG. 1A as Port 1, Port 2, and Port 3. Other UFT embodiments include other than three ports. Generally, the UFT module 102 (perhaps in combination with other components) operates to generate an output signal from an input signal, where the frequency of the output signal differs from the frequency of the input signal. In other words, the UFT module 102 (and perhaps other components) operates to generate the output signal from the input signal by translating the frequency (and perhaps other characteristics) of the input signal to the frequency (and perhaps other characteristics) of the output signal. An example embodiment of the UFT module 103 is generally illustrated in FIG. 1B. Generally, the UFT module 103 includes a switch 106 controlled by a control signal 108. The switch 106 is said to be a controlled switch. As noted above, some UFT embodiments include other than three ports. For example, and without limitation, FIG. 2 illustrates an example UFT module 202. The example UFT module 202 includes a diode 204 having two ports, designated as Port 1 and Port 2/3. This embodiment does not include a third port, as indicated by the dotted line around the “Port 3” label. Other embodiments, as described herein, have more than three ports. The UFT module is a very powerful and flexible device. Its flexibility is illustrated, in part, by the wide range of applications in which it can be used. Its power is illustrated, in part, by the usefulness and performance of such applications. For example, a UFT module 115 can be used in a universal frequency down-conversion (UFD) module 114, an example of which is shown in FIG. 1C. In this capacity, the UFT module 115 frequency down-converts an input signal to an output signal. As another example, as shown in FIG. 1D, a UFT module 117 can be used in a universal frequency up-conversion (UFU) module 116. In this capacity, the UFT module 117 frequency up-converts an input signal to an output signal. These and other applications of the UFT module are described below. Additional applications of the UFT module will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. In some applications, the UFT module is a required component. In other applications, the UFT module is an optional component. 2.1 Frequency Down-Conversion The present, invention is directed to systems and methods of universal frequency down-conversion, and applications of same. In particular, the following discussion describes down-converting using a Universal Frequency Translation Module. The down-conversion of an EM signal by aliasing the EM signal at an aliasing rate is fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,551 entitled “Method and System for Down-Converting Electromagnetic Signals,” the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. A relevant portion of the above-mentioned patent is summarized below to describe down-converting an input signal to produce a down-converted signal that exists at a lower frequency or a baseband signal. The frequency translation aspects of the invention are further described in other documents referenced above, such as application Ser. No. 09/550,644, entitled “Method and System for Down-converting an Electromagnetic Signal, and Transforms for Same, and Aperture Relationships.” FIG. 3A illustrates an aliasing module 300 for down-conversion using a universal frequency translation (UFT) module 302 which down-converts an EM input signal 304. In particular embodiments, aliasing module 300 includes a switch 308 and a capacitor 310 (or integrator). (In embodiments, the UFT module is considered to include the switch and integrator.) The electronic alignment of the circuit components is flexible. That is, in one implementation, the switch 308 is in series with input signal 304 and capacitor 310 is shunted to ground (although it may be other than ground in configurations such as differential mode). In a second implementation (see FIG. 3G), the capacitor 310 is in series with the input signal 304 and the switch 308 is shunted to ground (although it may be other than ground in configurations such as differential mode). Aliasing module 300 with UFT module 302 can be tailored to down-convert a wide variety of electromagnetic signals using aliasing frequencies that are well below the frequencies of the EM input signal 304. In one implementation, aliasing module 300 down-converts the input signal 304 to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. In another implementation, the aliasing module 300 down-converts the input signal 304 to a demodulated baseband signal. In yet another implementation, the input signal 304 is a frequency modulated (FM) signal, and the aliasing module 300 down-converts it to a non-FM signal, such as a phase modulated (PM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal. Each of the above implementations is described below. In an embodiment, the control signal 306 includes a train of pulses that repeat at an aliasing rate that is equal to, or less than, twice the frequency of the input signal 304. In this embodiment, the control signal 306 is referred to herein as an aliasing signal because it is below the Nyquist rate for the frequency of the input signal 304. Preferably, the frequency of control signal 306 is much less than the input signal 304. A train of pulses 318 as shown in FIG. 3D controls the switch 308 to alias the input signal 304 with the control signal 306 to generate a down-converted output signal 312. More specifically, in an embodiment, switch 308 closes on a first edge of each pulse 320 of FIG. 3D and opens on a second edge of each pulse. When the switch 308 is closed, the input signal 304 is coupled to the capacitor 310, and charge is transferred from the input signal to the capacitor 310. The charge stored during successive pulses forms down-converted output signal 312. Exemplary waveforms are shown in FIGS. 3B-3F. FIG. 3B illustrates an analog amplitude modulated (AM) carrier signal 314 that is an example of input signal 304. For illustrative purposes, in FIG. 3C, an analog AM carrier signal portion 316 illustrates a portion of the analog AM carrier signal 314 on an expanded time scale. The analog AM carrier signal portion 316 illustrates the analog AM carrier signal 314 from time to time t1. FIG. 3D illustrates an exemplary aliasing signal 318 that is an example of control signal 306. Aliasing signal 318 is on approximately the same time scale as the analog AM carrier signal portion 316. In the example shown in FIG. 3D, the aliasing signal 318 includes a train of pulses 320 having negligible apertures that tend towards zero (the invention is not limited to this embodiment, as discussed below). The pulse aperture may also be referred to as the pulse width as will be understood by those skilled in the art(s). The pulses 320 repeat at an aliasing rate, or pulse repetition rate of aliasing signal 318. The aliasing rate is determined as described below. As noted above, the train of pulses 320 (i.e., control signal 306) control the switch 308 to alias the analog AM carrier signal 316 (i.e., input signal 304) at the aliasing rate of the aliasing signal 318. Specifically, in this embodiment, the switch 308 closes on a first edge of each pulse and opens on a second edge of each pulse. When the switch 308 is closed, input signal 304 is coupled to the capacitor 310, and charge is transferred from the input signal 304 to the capacitor 310. The change transferred during a pulse is referred to herein as an under-sample. Exemplary under-samples 322 form down-converted signal portion 324 (FIG. 3E) that corresponds to the analog AM carrier signal portion 316 (FIG. 3C) and the train of pulses 320 (FIG. 3D). The charge stored during successive under-samples of AM carrier signal 314 form the down-converted signal 324 (FIG. 3E) that is an example of down-converted output signal 312 (FIG. 3A). In FIG. 3F, a demodulated baseband signal 326 represents the demodulated baseband signal 324 after filtering on a compressed time scale. As illustrated, down-converted signal 326 has substantially the same “amplitude envelope” as AM carrier signal 314. Therefore, FIGS. 3B-3F illustrate down-conversion of AM carrier signal 314. The waveforms shown in FIGS. 3B-3F are discussed herein for illustrative purposes only, and are not limiting. The aliasing rate of control signal 306 determines whether the input signal 304 is down-converted to an IF signal, down-converted to a demodulated baseband signal, or down-converted from an FM signal to a PM or an AM signal. Generally, relationships between the input signal 304, the aliasing rate of the control signal 306, and the down-converted output signal 312 are illustrated below: (Freq. of input signal 304)=n·(Freq. of control signal 306)±(Freq. of down-converted output signal 312) For the examples contained herein, only the “+” condition will be discussed. Example values of n include, but are not limited to, n={0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . }. When the aliasing rate of control signal 306 is off-set from the frequency of input signal 304, or off-set from a harmonic or sub-harmonic thereof, input signal 304 is down-converted to an IF signal. This is because the under-sampling pulses occur at different phases of subsequent cycles of input signal 304. As a result, the under-samples form a lower frequency oscillating pattern. If the input signal 304 includes lower frequency changes, such as amplitude, frequency, phase, etc., or any combination thereof, the charge stored during associated under-samples reflects the lower frequency changes, resulting in similar changes on the down-converted IF signal. For example, to down-convert a 901 MHZ input signal to a 1 MHZ IF signal, the frequency of the control signal 306 would be calculated as follows: (Freqinput−FreqIF)/n=Freqcontrol (901 MHZ−1 MHZ)/n=900/n For n={0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . }, the frequency of the control signal 306 would be substantially equal to 1.8 GHz, 900 MHZ, 450 MHZ, 300 MHZ, 225 MHZ, etc. Alternatively, when the aliasing rate of the control signal 306 is substantially equal to the frequency of the input signal 304, or substantially equal to a harmonic or sub-harmonic thereof, input signal 304 is directly down-converted to a demodulated baseband signal. This is because, without modulation, the under-sampling pulses occur at the same point of subsequent cycles of the input signal 304. As a result, the under-samples form a constant output baseband signal. If the input signal 304 includes lower frequency changes, such as amplitude, frequency, phase, etc., or any combination thereof, the charge stored during associated under-samples reflects the lower frequency changes, resulting in similar changes on the demodulated baseband signal. For example, to directly down-convert a 900 MHZ input signal to a demodulated baseband signal (i.e., zero IF), the frequency of the control signal 306 would be calculated as follows: (Freqinput−FreqIF)/n=Freqcontrol (900 MHZ−0 MHZ)/n=900 MHZ/n For n={0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . }, the frequency of the control signal 306 should be substantially, equal to 1.8 GHz, 900 MHZ, 450 MHZ, 300 MHZ, 225 MHZ, etc. Alternatively, to down-convert an input FM signal to a non-FM signal, a frequency within the FM bandwidth must be down-converted to baseband (i.e., zero IF). As an example, to down-convert a frequency shift keying (FSK) signal (a sub-set of FM) to a phase shift keying (PSK) signal (a subset of PM), the mid-point between a lower frequency F1 and an upper frequency F2 (that is, [(F1+F2)÷2]) of the FSK signal is down-converted to zero IF. For example, to down-convert an FSK signal having F1 equal to 899 MHZ and F2 equal to 901 MHZ, to a PSK signal, the aliasing rate of the control signal 306 would be calculated as follows: Frequency of the input = ( F 1 + F 2 ) ÷ 2 = ( 899 MHZ + 901 MHZ ) ÷ 2 = 900 MHZ Frequency of the down-converted signal=0 (i.e., baseband) (Freqinput−FreqIF)/n=Freqcontrol (900 MHZ−0 MHZ)n=900 MHZ/n For n=(0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 . . . , the frequency of the control signal 306 should be substantially equal to 1.8 GHz, 900 MHZ, 450 MHZ, 300 MHZ, 225 MHZ, etc. The frequency of the down-converted PSK signal is substantially equal to one half the difference between the lower frequency F1 and the upper frequency F2. As another example, to down-convert a FSK signal to an amplitude shift keying (ASK) signal (a subset of AM), either the lower frequency F1 or the upper frequency F2 of the FSK signal is down-converted to zero IF. For example, to down-convert an FSK signal having F1 equal to 900 MHZ and F2 equal to 901 MHZ, to an ASK signal, the aliasing rate of the control signal 306 should be substantially equal to: (900 MHZ−0 MHZ)/n=900 MHZ/n, or (901 MHZ−0 MHZ)/n=901 MHZ/n. For the former case of 900 MHZ/n, and for n={9.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . }, the frequency of the control signal 306 should be substantially equal to 1.8 GHz, 900 MHZ, 450 MHZ, 300 MHZ, 225 MHZ, etc. For the latter case of 901 MHZ/n, and for n=(0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . ), the frequency of the control signal 306 should be substantially equal to 1.802 GHz, 901 MHZ, 450.5 MHZ, 300.333 MHZ, 225.25 MHZ, etc. The frequency of the down-converted AM signal is substantially equal to the difference between the lower frequency F1 and the upper frequency F2 (i.e., 1 MHZ. In an embodiment, the pulses of the control signal 306 have negligible apertures that tend towards zero. This makes the UFT module 302 a high input impedance device. This configuration is useful for situations where minimal disturbance of the input signal may be desired. In another embodiment, the pulses of the control signal 306 have non-negligible apertures that tend away from zero. This makes the UFT module 302 a lower input impedance device. This allows the lower input impedance of the UFT module 302 to be substantially matched with a source impedance of the input signal 304. This also improves the energy transfer from the input signal 304 to the down-converted output signal 312, and hence the efficiency and signal to noise (s/n) ratio of UFT module 302. Exemplary systems and methods for generating and optimizing the control signal 306, and for otherwise improving energy transfer and s/n ratio, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,551 entitled “Method and System for Down-Converting Electromagnetic Signals.” When the pulses of the control signal 306 have non-negligible apertures, the aliasing module 300 is referred to interchangeably herein as an energy transfer module or a gated transfer module, and the control signal 306 is referred to as an energy transfer signal. Exemplary systems and methods for generating and optimizing the control signal 306 and for otherwise improving energy transfer and/or signal to noise ratio in an energy transfer module are described below. 2.2 Optional Energy Transfer Signal Module FIG. 4 illustrates an energy transfer system 401 that includes an optional energy transfer signal module 408, which can perform any of a variety of functions or combinations of functions including, but not limited to, generating the energy transfer signal 406. In an embodiment, the optional energy transfer signal module 408 includes an aperture generator, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 5 as an aperture generator 502. The aperture generator 502 generates non-negligible aperture pulses 508 from an input signal 412. The input signal 412 can be any type of periodic signal, including, but not limited to, a sinusoid, a square wave, a saw-tooth wave, etc. Systems for generating the input signal 412 are described below. The width or aperture of the pulses 508 is determined by delay through the branch 506 of the aperture generator 502. Generally, as the desired pulse width increases, the difficulty in meeting the requirements of the aperture generator 502 decrease (i.e., the aperture generator is easier to implement). In other words, to generate non-negligible aperture pulses for a given EM input frequency, the components utilized in the example aperture generator 502 do not require reaction times as fast as those that are required in an under-sampling system operating with the same EM input frequency. The example logic and implementation shown in the aperture generator 502 are provided for illustrative purposes only, and are not limiting. The actual logic employed can take many forms. The example aperture generator 502 includes an optional inverter 510, which is shown for polarity consistency with other examples provided herein. An example implementation of the aperture generator 502 is illustrated in FIG. 6A. Additional examples of aperture generation logic are provided in FIGS. 7A and 7B. FIG. 7A illustrates a rising edge pulse generator 702, which generates pulses 508 on rising edges of the input signal 412. FIG. 7B illustrates a falling edge pulse generator 704, which generates pulses 508 on falling edges of the input signal 412. These circuits are provided for example only, and do not limit the invention. In an embodiment, the input signal 412 is generated externally of the energy transfer signal module 408, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the input signal 412 is generated internally by the energy transfer signal module 408. The input signal 412 can be generated by an oscillator, as illustrated in FIG. 6B by an oscillator 602. The oscillator 602 can be internal to the energy transfer signal module 408 or external to the energy transfer signal module 408. The oscillator 602 can be external to the energy transfer system 401. The output of the oscillator 602 may be any periodic waveform. The type of down-conversion performed by the energy transfer system 401 depends upon the aliasing rate of the energy transfer signal 406, which is determined by the frequency of the pulses 508. The frequency of the pulses 508 is determined by the frequency of the input signal 412. The optional energy transfer signal module 408 can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. 2.3 Impedance Matching The example energy transfer module 300 described in reference to FIG. 3A, above, has input and output impedances generally defined by (1) the duty cycle of the switch module (i.e., UFT 302), and (2) the impedance of the storage module (e.g., capacitor 310), at the frequencies of interest (e.g. at the EM input, and intermediate/baseband frequencies). Starting with an aperture width of approximately ±2 the period of the EM signal being down-converted as an example embodiment, this aperture width (e.g. the “closed time”) can be decreased (or increased). As the aperture width is decreased, the characteristic impedance at the input and the output of the energy transfer module increases. Alternatively, as the aperture width increases from ½ the period of the EM signal being down-converted, the impedance of the energy transfer module decreases. One of the steps in determining the characteristic input impedance of the energy transfer module could be to measure its value. In an embodiment, the energy transfer module's characteristic input impedance is 300 ohms. An impedance matching circuit can be utilized to efficiently couple an input EM signal that has a source impedance of, for example, 50 ohms, with the energy transfer module's impedance of, for example, 300 ohms. Matching these impedances can be accomplished in various manners, including providing the necessary impedance directly or the use of an impedance match circuit as described below. Referring to FIG. 8, a specific example embodiment using an RF signal as an input, assuming that the impedance 812 is a relatively low impedance of approximately 50 Ohms, for example, and the input impedance 816 is approximately 300 Ohms, an initial configuration for the input impedance match module 806 can include an inductor 906 and a capacitor 908, configured as shown in FIG. 9. The configuration of the inductor 906 and the capacitor 908 is a possible configuration when going from a low impedance to a high impedance. Inductor 906 and the capacitor 908 constitute an L match, the calculation of the values which is well known to those skilled in the relevant arts. The output characteristic impedance can be impedance matched to take into consideration the desired output frequencies. One of the steps in determining the characteristic output impedance of the energy transfer module could be to measure its value. Balancing the very low impedance of the storage module at the input EM frequency, the storage module should have an impedance at the desired output frequencies that is preferably greater than or equal to the load that is intended to be driven (for example, in an embodiment, storage module impedance at a desired 1 MHz output frequency is 2 K ohm and the desired load to be driven is 50 ohms). An additional benefit of impedance matching is that filtering of unwanted signals can also be accomplished with the same components. In an embodiment, the energy transfer module's characteristic output impedance is 2 K ohms. An impedance matching circuit can be utilized to efficiently couple the down-converted signal with an output impedance of, for example, 2 K ohms, to a load of, for example, 50 ohms. Matching these impedances can be accomplished in various manners, including providing the necessary load impedance directly or the use of an impedance match circuit as described below. When matching from a high impedance to a low impedance, a capacitor 914 and an inductor 916 can be configured as shown in FIG. 9. The capacitor 914 and the inductor 916 constitute an L match, the calculation of the component values being well known to those skilled in the relevant arts. The configuration of the input impedance match module 806 and the output impedance match module 808 are considered in embodiments to be initial starting points for impedance matching, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In some situations, the initial designs may be suitable without further optimization. In other situations, the initial designs can be enhanced in accordance with other various design criteria and considerations. As other optional optimizing structures and/or components are utilized, their affect on the characteristic impedance of the energy transfer module should be taken into account in the match along with their own original criteria. 2.4 Frequency Up-Conversion The present invention is directed to systems and methods of frequency up-conversion, and applications of same. An example frequency up-conversion system 1000 is illustrated in FIG. 10. The frequency up-conversion system 1000 is now described. An input signal 1002 (designated as “Control Signal” in FIG. 10) is accepted by a switch module 1004. For purposes of example only, assume that the input signal 1002 is a FM input signal 1306, an example of which is shown in FIG. 13C. FM input signal 1306 may have been generated by modulating information signal 1302 onto oscillating signal 1304 (FIGS. 13A and 13B). It should be understood that the invention is not limited to this embodiment. The information signal 1302 can be analog, digital, or any combination thereof, and any modulation scheme can be used. The output of switch module 1004 is a harmonically rich signal 1006, shown for example in FIG. 13D as a harmonically rich signal 1308. The harmonically rich signal 1308 has a continuous and periodic waveform. FIG. 13E is an expanded view of two sections of harmonically rich signal 1308, section 1310 and section 1312. The harmonically rich signal 1308 may be a rectangular wave, such as a square wave or a pulse (although, the invention is not limited to this embodiment). For ease of discussion, the term. “rectangular waveform” is used to refer to waveforms that are substantially rectangular. In a similar manner, the term “square wave” refers to those waveforms that are substantially square and it is not the intent of the present invention that a perfect square wave be generated or needed. Harmonically rich signal 1308 is comprised of a plurality of sinusoidal waves whose frequencies are integer multiples of the fundamental frequency of the waveform of the harmonically rich signal 1308. These sinusoidal waves are referred to as the harmonics of the underlying waveform, and the fundamental frequency is referred to as the first harmonic. FIG. 13F and FIG. 13G show separately the sinusoidal components making up the first, third, and fifth harmonics of section 1310 and section 1312. (Note that in theory there may be an infinite number of harmonics; in this example, because harmonically rich signal 1308 is shown as a square wave, there are only odd harmonics). Three harmonics are shown simultaneously (but not summed) in FIG. 13H. The relative amplitudes of the harmonics are generally a function of the relative widths of the pulses of harmonically rich signal 1006 and the period of the fundamental frequency, and can be determined by doing a Fourier analysis of harmonically rich signal 1006. According to an embodiment of the invention, the input signal 1306 may be shaped to ensure that the amplitude of the desired harmonic is sufficient for its intended use (e.g., transmission). An optional filter 1008 filters out any undesired frequencies (harmonics), and outputs an electromagnetic (EM) signal at the desired harmonic frequency or frequencies as an output signal 1010, shown for example as a filtered output signal 1314 in FIG. 13I. FIG. 11 illustrates an example universal frequency up-conversion (UFU) module 1101. The UFU module 1101 includes an example switch module 1004, which comprises a bias signal 1102, a resistor or impedance 1104, a universal frequency translator (FT) 1150, and a ground 1108. The UFT 1150 includes a switch 1106. The input signal 1002 (designated as “Control Signal” in FIG. 11) controls the switch 1106 in the UFT 1150, and causes it to close and open. Harmonically rich signal 1006 is generated at a node 1105 located between the resistor or impedance 1104 and the switch 1106. Also in FIG. 11, it can be seen that an example optional filter 1008 is comprised of a capacitor 1110 and an inductor 1112 shunted to a ground 1114. The filter is designed to filter out the undesired harmonics of harmonically rich signal 1006. The invention is not limited to the UFU embodiment shown in FIG. 11. For example, in an alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 12, an unshaped input signal 1201 is routed to a pulse shaping module 1202. The pulse shaping module 1202 modifies the unshaped input signal 1201 to generate a (modified) input signal 1002 (designated as the “Control Signal” in FIG. 12). The input signal 1002 is routed to the switch module 1004, which operates in the manner described above. Also, the filter 1008 of FIG. 12 operates in the manner described above. The purpose of the pulse shaping module 1202 is to define the pulse width of the input signal 1002. Recall that the input signal 1002 controls the opening and closing of the switch 1106 in switch module 1004. During such operation, the pulse width of the input signal 1002 establishes the pulse width of the harmonically rich signal 1006. As stated above, the relative amplitudes of the harmonics of the harmonically rich signal 1006 are a function of at least the pulse width of the harmonically rich signal 1006. As such, the pulse width of the input signal 1002 contributes to setting the relative amplitudes of the harmonics of harmonically rich signal 1006. Further details of up-conversion as described in this section are presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,0911,940, entitled “Method and System for Frequency Up-Conversion,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 2.5 Enhanced Signal Reception The present invention is directed to systems and methods of enhanced signal reception (ESR), and applications of same, which are described in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,555, entitled “Method and System for Ensuring Reception of a Communications Signal,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 2.6 Unified Down-Conversion and Filtering The present invention is directed to systems and methods of unified down-conversion and filtering (UDF), and applications of same. In particular, the present invention includes a unified down-converting and filtering (UDF) module that performs frequency selectivity and frequency translation in a unified (i.e., integrated) manner. By operating in this manner, the invention achieves high frequency selectivity prior to frequency translation (the invention is not limited to this embodiment). The invention achieves high frequency selectivity at substantially any frequency, including but not limited to RF (radio frequency) and greater frequencies. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to this example of RF and greater frequencies. The invention is intended, adapted, and capable of working with lower than radio frequencies. FIG. 14 is a conceptual block diagram of a UDF module 1402 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The UDF module 1402 performs at least frequency translation and frequency selectivity. The effect achieved by the UDF module 1402 is to perform the frequency selectivity operation prior to the performance of the frequency translation operation. Thus, the UDF module 1402 effectively performs input filtering. According to embodiments of the present invention, such input filtering involves a relatively narrow bandwidth. For example, such input filtering may represent channel select filtering, where the filter bandwidth may be, for example, 50 KHz to 150 KHz. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to these frequencies. The invention is intended, adapted, and capable of achieving filter bandwidths of less than and greater than these values. In embodiments of the invention, input signals 1404 received by the UDF module 1402 are at radio frequencies. The UDF module 1402 effectively operates to input filter these RF input signals 1404. Specifically, in these embodiments, the UDF module 1402 effectively performs input, channel select filtering of the RF input signal 1404. Accordingly, the invention achieves high selectivity at high frequencies. The UDF module 1402 effectively performs various types of filtering, including but not limited to bandpass filtering, low pass filtering, high pass filtering, notch filtering, all pass filtering, band stop filtering, etc., and combinations thereof. Conceptually, the UDF module 1402 includes a frequency translator 1408. The frequency translator 1408 conceptually represents that portion of the UDF module 1402 that performs frequency translation (down conversion). The UDF module 1402 also conceptually includes an apparent input filter 1406 (also sometimes called an input filtering emulator). Conceptually, the apparent input filter 1406 represents that portion of the UDF module 1402 that performs input filtering. In practice, the input filtering operation performed by the UDF module 1402 is integrated with the frequency translation operation. The input filtering operation can be viewed as being performed concurrently with the frequency translation operation. This is a reason why the input filter 1406 is herein referred to as an “apparent” input filter 1406. The UDF module 1402 of the present invention includes a number of advantages. For example, high selectivity at high frequencies is realizable using the UDF module 1402. This feature of the invention is evident by the high Q factors that are attainable. For example, and without limitation, the UDF module 1402 can be designed with a filter center frequency fC on the order of 900 MHZ, and a filter bandwidth on the order of 50 KHz. This represents a Q of 18,000 (Q is equal to the center frequency divided by the bandwidth). It should be understood that the invention is not limited to filters with high Q factors. The filters contemplated by the present invention may have lesser or greater Qs, depending on the application, design, and/or implementation. Also, the scope of the invention includes filters where Q factor as discussed herein is not applicable. The invention exhibits additional advantages. For example, the filtering center frequency fC of the UDF module 1402 can be electrically adjusted, either statically or dynamically. Also, the UDF module 1402 can be designed to amplify input signals. Further, the UDF module 1402 can be implemented without large resistors, capacitors, or inductors. Also, the UDF module 1402 does not require that tight tolerances be maintained on the values of its individual components, i.e., its resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc. As a result, the architecture of the UDF module 1402 is friendly to integrated circuit design techniques and processes. The features and advantages exhibited by the UDF module 1402 are achieved at least in part by adopting a new technological paradigm with respect to frequency selectivity and translation. Specifically, according to the present invention, the UDF module 1402 performs the frequency selectivity operation and the frequency translation operation as a single, unified (integrated) operation. According to the invention, operations relating to frequency translation also contribute to the performance of frequency selectivity, and vice versa. According to embodiments of the present invention, the UDF module generates an output signal from an input signal using samples/instances of the input signal and/or samples/instances of the output signal. More particularly, first, the input signal is under-sampled. This input sample includes information (such as amplitude, phase, etc.) representative of the input signal existing at the time the sample was taken. As described further below, the effect of repetitively performing this step is to translate the frequency (that is, down-convert) of the input signal to a desired lower frequency, such as an intermediate frequency (wF) or baseband. Next, the input sample is held (that is, delayed). Then, one or more delayed input samples (some of which may have been scaled) are combined with one or more delayed instances of the output signal (some of which may have been scaled) to generate a current instance of the output signal. Thus, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the output signal is generated from prior samples/instances of the input signal and/or the output signal. (It is noted that, in some embodiments of the invention, current samples/instances of the input signal and/or the output signal may be used to generate current instances of the output signal.). By operating in this manner, the UDF module 1402 preferably performs input filtering and frequency down-conversion in a unified manner. Further details of unified down-conversion and filtering as described in this section are presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,706, entitled “Integrated Frequency Translation And Selectivity,” filed Oct. 21, 1998, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 3. Example Embodiments of the Invention As noted above, the UFT module of the present invention is a very powerful and flexible device. Its flexibility is illustrated, in part, by the wide range of applications and combinations in which it can be used. Its power is illustrated, in part, by the usefulness and performance of such applications and combinations. Such applications and combinations include, for example and without limitation, applications/combinations comprising and/or involving one or more of: (1) frequency translation; (2) frequency down-conversion; (3) frequency up-conversion; (4) receiving; (5) transmitting; (6) filtering; and/or (7) signal transmission and reception in environments containing potentially jamming signals. Example receiver, transmitter, and transceiver embodiments implemented using the UFT module of the present invention are set forth-below. 3.1. Receiver Embodiments In embodiments, a receiver according to the invention includes an aliasing module for down-conversion that uses a universal frequency translation (UFT) module to down-convert an EM input signal. For example, in embodiments, the receiver includes the aliasing module 300 describe above, in reference to FIG. 3A or FIG. 3G. As described in more detail above, the aliasing module 300 may be used to down-convert an EM input signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal or a demodulated baseband signal. In alternate embodiments, the receiver may include the energy transfer system 401, including energy transfer module 404, described above, in reference to FIG. 4. As described in more detail above, the energy transfer system 401 may be used to down-convert an EM signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal or a demodulated baseband signal. As also described above, the aliasing module 300 or the energy transfer system 401 may include an optional energy transfer signal module 408, which can perform any of a variety of functions or combinations of functions including, but not limited to, generating the energy transfer signal 406 of various aperture widths. In further embodiments of the present invention, the receiver may include the impedance matching circuits and/or techniques described herein for enhancing the energy transfer system of the receiver. 3.1.1 In-Phase/Quadrature-Phase (I/Q) Modulation Mode Receiver Embodiments FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary I′Q modulation mode embodiment of a receiver 1502, according to an embodiment of the present invention. This I/Q modulation mode embodiment is described herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Alternate I/Q modulation mode embodiments (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of the embodiments described herein), as well as embodiments of other modulation modes, will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. The invention is intended and adapted to include such alternate embodiments. Receiver 1502 comprises an I/Q modulation mode receiver 1538, a first optional amplifier 1516, a first optional filter 1518, a second optional amplifier 1520, and a second optional filter 1 I/Q modulation mode receiver 1538 comprises an oscillator 1506, a first UFD module 1508, a second UFD module 1510, a first UFT module 1512, a second UFT module 1514, and a phase shifter 1524. Oscillator 1506 provides an oscillating signal used by both first UFD module 1508 and second UFD module 1510 via the phase shifter 1524. Oscillator 1506 generates an “I” oscillating signal 1526. “I” oscillating signal 1526 is input to first UFD module 1508. First UFD module 1508 comprises at least one UFT module 1512. First UFD module 1508 frequency down-converts and demodulates received signal 1504 to down-converted “I” signal 1530 according to “I” oscillating signal 1526. Phase shifter 1524 receives “I” oscillating signal 1526, and outputs “Q” oscillating signal 1528, which is a replica of “I” oscillating signal 1526 shifted preferably by 90 degrees. Second UFD module 1510 inputs “Q” oscillating signal 1528. Second UFD module 1510 comprises at least one UFT module 1514. Second UFD module 1510 frequency down-converts and demodulates received signal 1504 to down-converted “Q” signal 1532 according to “Q” oscillating signal 1528. Down-converted “I” signal 1530 is optionally amplified by first optional amplifier 1516 and optionally filtered by first optional filter 1518, and a first information output signal 1534 is output. Down-converted “Q” signal 1532 is optionally amplified by second optional amplifier 1520 and optionally filtered by second optional filter 1522, and a second information output signal 1536 is output. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 15, first information output signal 1534 and second information output signal 1536 comprise a down-converted baseband signal. In embodiments, first information output signal 1534 and second information output signal 1536 are individually received and processed by related system components. Alternatively, first information output signal 1534 and second information output signal 1536 are recombined into a single signal-before being received and processed by related system components. Alternate configurations for I′Q modulation mode receiver 1538 will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) from the teachings herein. For instance, an alternate embodiment exists wherein phase shifter 1524 is coupled between received signal 1504 and UFD module 1510, instead of the configuration described above. This and other such I/Q modulation mode receiver embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based upon the teachings herein, and are within the scope of the present invention. 3.1.2 Receiver Embodiments Having Two Aliasing Modules As described herein, certain receiver embodiments of the present invention are implemented using two or more aliasing modules 300. These embodiments are described herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Alternate embodiments (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of the embodiments described herein), will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. The invention is intended and adapted to include such alternate embodiments. FIG. 16A illustrates an exemplary receiver 1602 having two aliasing modules 300 (or, as generally the case herein, having energy transfer modules 404) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Receiver 1602 comprises an UFD module 1638, a first optional amplifier 1620, a first low-pass filter 1622, a second optional amplifier 1624, and a second low-pass filter 1626. As illustrated in FIG. 16A, UFD module 1638 comprises two aliasing modules 1632 and 1634 and two impedances 1616 and 1618. Aliasing modules 1632 and 1634 are similar to the aliasing module shown in FIG. 3G, whose operation is described herein. The output of aliasing module 1632 is coupled to impedance 1616 at a node 1605. The output of aliasing module 1634 is coupled to impedance 1618 at a node 1607. In an embodiment, impedances 1616 and 1618 are resistors. Impedances 1616 and 1618 are coupled together at a node 1609. A bias voltage is applied to node 1609. Impedances 1616 and 1618 are illustrative, and not intended to limit the invention. In some embodiments, impedances 1616 and 1618 are a part of optional amplifiers 1620 and 1624, and thus there are no separate impedance devices 1616 and 1618 (see FIG. 16O). Similarly, in some embodiments, optional amplifiers 1620 and 1624 act as filters to the carrier signal riding on top of the down-converted signals 1650 and 1652, and thus there is no need to include filters 1622 and 1626 (see FIG. 16O), as would be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts given the description of the invention herein. Aliasing module 1632 comprises a capacitor 1604 and a switching device 1608 controlled by an aperture generator 1612. One end of switching device 1608 is connected to node 1609, as shown in FIG. 16A. FIG. 35 illustrates one embodiment for aperture generator 1612. In an embodiment, an input signal 1642 is provided to the input: of aliasing module 1632. Input signal 1642 and an example control signal 1646 are illustrated in FIG. 16B. An output signal 1650 of aliasing module 1632, for input signal 1642, is illustrated in FIG. 16C. In FIG. 16C, slope, 1651 represents a down-converted signal. Slope 1654 represents the rate of discharge of capacitor 1604 between apertures. In some embodiments of the invention, low-pass filter 1622 is used to remove the carrier signal from the down-converted signal. Similarly, in some embodiments optional amplifier 1620 removes the carrier signal from the down-converted signal. Aliasing module 1634 comprises a capacitor 1606 and a switching device 1610 controlled by an aperture generator 1614. One end of switching device 1610 is connected to node 1609, as shown in FIG. 16A. FIG. 35 illustrates one embodiment for aperture generator 1612. An input signal 1644 is provided to the input of aliasing module 1634. Input signal 1644 is generated in some embodiments of the invention by inverting signal 1642. Input signal 1644 and an example control signal 1648 are illustrated in FIG. 16B. As shown in FIG. 16B, the apertures of signal 1648 do not overlap the apertures of signal 1646. Note that the apertures of signals 1646 and 1648 are illustrative. Other portions of input signals 1642 and 1644 could be sampled in accordance with the invention to form a down-converted signal, which would involve using apertures other than the apertures shown in FIG. 16B, as will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts given the description of the invention herein. An output signal 1652 of aliasing module 1634, for input signal 1644, is illustrated in FIG. 16D. In FIG. 16D, slope 1653 represents the down-converted signal. Slope 1655 represents the rate of discharge of capacitor 1606 between apertures. As described above, in some embodiments, low-pass filter 1626 is used to remove the carrier signal from the down-converted signal. In some embodiments, optional amplifier 1642 removes the carrier signal. The output signal for UFD module 1638 (receiver 1602) is a differential output signal. FIGS. 16E and 16F illustrate an example differential output signal of UFD module 1638 (i.e., the sum of signals 1650 and 1652). An illustrative differential output signal for receiver 1602 is shown in FIG. 16G (i.e., the sum of signals 1670 and 1672). As illustrated by signals 1670 and 1672, embodiments of receiver 1602 can be used to receive and down-convert any communications signal. Carrier amplitude and phase changes relative to the sample aperture(s) are reflected in the output signals 1670 and 1672 as illustrated in FIG. 16G. FIG. 16G demonstrates the differential output when the input signal and aperture generator(s) are not related by an exact frequency multiple. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, the sample aperture(s) roll over the input signal and capture different portions of the input signal. By illustrating that the aperture(s) can capture any amplitude and/or phase of an input signal, it is demonstrated that embodiments of receiver 1602 can be used to receive and down-convert any communications signal. In an embodiment, the capacitors 1604 and 1606 are selected in accordance with the criteria described in section 4 below. In an embodiment, capacitors 1604 and 1606 are selected so that they discharge at a rate of between six percent to fifty percent between apertures of the control signals. However, different ranges apply to other embodiments, depending on the particular application, requirements, implementation, purpose, etc. The impedances 1616 and 1618 typically have similar values (e.g., impedances 1616 and 1618 may be resistors having the same nominal values but different actual values). In an embodiment, the period of control signals 1646 and 1648 operate at a third or a fifth harmonic of the input carrier signal (i.e., input signals 1642 and 1644). In an embodiment, switching device 1608 is closed for approximately one-half cycle of the input signal 1642 each period of control signal 1646. Similarly, switching device 1610 is closed for approximately one-half cycle of the input signal 1644 each period of control signal 1648. In an embodiment, aperture generator 1614 is coupled to a clock signal that is 180 degrees out of phase with respect to the clock signal coupled to aperture generator 1612. In an embodiment, the clock signal coupled to aperture generator 1614 has the same period as the clock signal coupled to aperture generator 1612. The operation of receiver 1602 will now be described. A modulated carrier signal 1642 is input to the carrier(+) port of receiver 1602. The modulated carrier signal causes a charge to be stored on capacitor 1604 when switching device 1608 is closed. Switching device 1608 is opened and closed by control signal 1646. Aperture generator 1612 generates control signal 1646. The modulated carrier signal 1642 is inverted to generate a signal 1644. Signal 1644 is input to the carrier(−) port of receiver 1602. Signal 1644 causes a charge to be stored on capacitor 1606 when switching device 1610 is closed. Switching device 1610 is opened and closed by control signal 1648. Aperture generator 1614 generates control signal 1648. When switching device 1608 is open, capacitor 1604 discharges. This causes a voltage signal to be generated across impedance 1616. Similarly, when switching device 1610 is open, capacitor 1606 discharges. This causes-a voltage signal to be generated across impedance 1618. The opening and closing of switching devices 1608 and 1610 in accordance with the invention causes a down-converted signal 1650 (one-half of the output of receiver 1602) to be formed across impedance 1616 and a down-converted signal 1652 (one-half of the output of receiver 1602) to be formed across impedance 1618. Signals 1650 and 1652 are 180 degrees out of phase. The total output of receiver 1602 is the differential output, or the sum of signals 1650 and 1652. Filters 1622 and 1626 are used to remove the carrier from the down converted signal. As described herein, in embodiments, optional amplifiers 1620 and 1624 are band limited, and thus act as filters and remover the carrier. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, given the description of the invention herein, UFD module 1638 has several features that make it particularly well adapted for certain applications. It is a feature of UFD module 1638 that it has an impedance in a range of about 50-75 ohms for certain control signals. UFD module 1638 can thus be coupled to other circuit devices that comprise receiver 1602 without using an impedance matching circuit as described herein (although one could optionally be used). This feature of UFD module 1638 allows for a high power or energy transfer, and it minimizes or eliminates interfacing requirements. Another feature of UFD module 1638 is that it may be implemented on a single chip using CMOS technology. This feature of UFD module 1638 is a feature applicable to apparatus embodiments of the invention in general. FIG. 16H illustrates another embodiment of a UFD module 1688 according to the invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 16H, aliasing modules of the type shown in FIG. 3A are used. This embodiment of the invention operates similarly to UFD module 1638, except that the carrier signal is removed from the down converted signal by capacitors 1604 and 1606 during down-conversion. FIG. 16I illustrates one possible relationship between example input signals 1643 and 1645 and example control signals 1647 and 1649. As described about, the apertures of signals 1647 and 1649 are illustrative. Other portions of input signals 1643 and 1644 could be sampled in accordance with the invention to form a down-converted signal, which would involve using apertures other than the apertures shown in FIG. 16I, as will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts given the description of the invention herein. FIGS. 16J-16L illustrate down-converted signals for the receiver of FIG. 16H. FIG. 16J illustrates a down-converted signal 1651, for input signal 1643. As can be seen in FIG. 16J, down-converted signal 1651 is similar to down-converted signal 1652 (note that the carrier has not been removed from signal 1652 and is riding on top of the down-converted signal). Similarly; FIG. 16K illustrates a down-converted signal 1653, for input signal 1645. As can be seen in FIG. 16K, down-converted signal 1653 is similar to down-converted signal 1651 (note that the carrier has not been removed from signal 1651 and is riding on top of the down-converted signal). Signals 1651 and 1653 are plotted together with control signals 1647 and 1649 in FIG. 16L. FIG. 16M illustrates the outputs of the UFD module 1688 in FIG. 16H. FIG. 16M is similar to FIG. 16F. One significant difference, however, as can be seen between FIGS. 16M and 16F, however, is that signals 1651 and 1653 do not go to zero during each period of the control signals 1647 and 1649. This is not the case for the UFD module 1638 in FIG. 16A, as can be see by looking at signals 1650 and 1652. When the switching devices 1608 and 1610, as configured in FIG. 16H, are closed, the output of UFD module 1688 is not connected to a bias point (AC ground). FIG. 16N illustrates the filtered output of the receiver of FIG. 16H. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 16G and 16N, the filtered outputs of the receiver embodiments shown in FIGS. 16A and 16H are the same, thereby demonstrating the interchangeability of embodiments of aliasing modules and/or energy transfer modules according to the invention in embodiments of the invention. As illustrated by signals 1671 and 1673, in FIG. 16N, embodiments of the receiver of FIG. 16H can be used to receive and down-convert any communications signal. Carrier amplitude and phase changes relative to the sample aperture(s) are reflected in the output signals 1671 and 1673 as illustrated in FIG. 16N. FIG. 16N demonstrates the differential output when the input signal and aperture generator(s) are not related by an exact frequency multiple. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, the sample aperture(s) roll over the input signal and capture different portions of the input signal. By illustrating that the aperture(s) can capture any amplitude and/or phase of an input signal, it is demonstrated that embodiments of the receiver of FIG. 16H can be used to receive and down-convert any communications signal. The operation of the receiver of FIG. 16H is similar to that of receiver 1602, and thus is not repeated here. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand how the receiver of FIG. 16H operates given the description of the invention herein. FIG. 17 illustrates a receiver 1702 according to an embodiment of the invention having two aliasing modules. Receiver 1702 is similar to receiver 1602. Like receiver 1602, example receiver 1702 is implemented using aliasing modules similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3G. Receiver 1702 comprises a UFD 1738, an inverter 1703, two optional amplifiers 1720 and 1724, and two low-pass filters 1722 and 1726. The aliasing modules of UFD 1738 are implemented using switches 1708 and 1710. In the embodiment of FIG. 17, switches 1708 and 1710 are formed using complementary enhancement type MOSFETs. A bias voltage 1711 is coupled to a node 1709 of UFD 1738. A modulated carrier signal is supplied to one of the input ports of UFD module 1738. An inverter 1703 is used to invert the modulated carrier signal and thereby produce a carrier(−) signal. An uninverted modulated carrier signal is referred to herein as a carrier(+) signal. The output of inverter 1703 is supplied to a second input port of UFD module 1738, as shown in FIG. 17 . . . As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, UFD module 1738 operates in a manner similar to that described herein, for example, for UFD module 1638. The various signals of receiver 1702 are similar to the signals illustrated in FIGS. 16B-G. The operation of receiver 1702 is also similar to that of receiver 1602, and thus is not repeated here. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand how receiver 1702 operates given the description of the invention herein. 3.1.3 Enhanced Single-Switch Receiver Embodiments As described herein, single-switch receiver embodiments of the present invention are enhanced to maximize both power transfer and information extraction. These embodiments are described herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Alternate embodiments (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of the embodiments described herein), will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. The invention is intended and adapted to include such alternate embodiments. FIG. 18A illustrates an exemplary one-switch receiver 1802 according to an embodiment of the invention. Receiver 1802 comprises a UFD module 1832, a first optional amplifier 1820, a first low-pass filter 1822, a second optional amplifier 1824, and a second low-pass filter 1826. As illustrated in FIG. 18A, UFD module 1832 comprises two capacitors 1804 and 1806, a switching device 1808, a switching signal generator 1812, and two impedance devices 1816 and 1818. In an embodiment, impedance devices 1816 and 1818 are resistors. Impedance devices 1816 and 1818 are coupled together at a node 1809. A bias voltage is applied to node 1809. Impedances 1816 and 1818 are illustrative, and not intended to limit the invention. In some embodiment, impedances 1816 and 1818 are a part of optional amplifiers 1820 and 1824, and thus there are no separate impedance devices 1816 and 1818. Similarly, in some embodiments, optional amplifiers 1820 and 1824 act as filters to the carrier signal riding on top of the down-converted signals 1850 and 1852, and thus there is no need to include filters 1822 and 1826, as would be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts given the description of the invention herein. FIG. 35 illustrates one embodiment for switching device (aperture, generator) 1812. An example control signal 1846 is illustrated in FIG. 18B. FIGS. 18B-18E illustrate example waveforms for receiver 1802. The waveforms are for an embodiment of the invention wherein capacitors 1804 and 1806 have a nominal value of 11 pf and impedance devices 1816 and 1818 are resistors having a nominal value of 547 ohms. The waveforms illustrated are for a 1 GHz, input carrier signal. In an embodiment, the capacitors 1804 and 1806 are selected in accordance with the criteria described in section 4 below. Capacitors 1804 and 1806 are selected so that they discharge at a rate of between six percent to fifty percent between apertures of the switching (control) signal. In an embodiment, the period of control signal 1846 operates at a third or a fifth harmonic of the input carrier signal (i.e., input signals 1842 and 1844). As described herein, the received carrier signal is referred to as a carrier(+) signal, and an inverted version of the received signal is referred to as a carrier(−) signal. Switching device 1808 is closed for approximately one-half cycle of the input signal 1842 each period of control signal 1846. FIG. 18B illustrates a switching signal (aperture generator signal) 1846. Also shown in FIG. 18B is a voltage signal 1860 across capacitor 1804, and a voltage signal 1862 across capacitor 1806. The voltage cross capacitors 1804 and 1806 increases when switch 1808 is closed. The voltage across capacitors 1804 and 1806 decreases when switch 1808 is open. Slope 1861 in FIG. 18B illustrates the discharge of capacitor 1806 between the apertures of switching (control) signal 1846. A similar discharge occurs for capacitor 1804, as can be seen from signal 1860. FIG. 18C illustrates the output(+) signal 1850 of UFD module 1832 and the output(−) signal 1852 of UFD module 1832. These signals contain both a down-converted (information) signal and the carrier signal. Switching signal 1842 is also shown as a point of reference. Slope 1851 in FIG. 18C is due to the discharge of capacitor 1804, and illustrates that energy is being transferred in accordance with the invention. FIG. 18D illustrates the output signal of UFD module 1832 after the carrier signal has been removed using low-pass filters 1822 and 1826. Signal 1870 shows the output of filter 1822. Signal 1872 shows the output of filter 1826. Switching signal 1846 is shown in FIG. 18D for reference. FIG. 18E shows the output of receiver 1802 for an extended period of time, as illustrated by switching signal 1846. In FIG. 18E, the input carrier signal has a frequency of 1 GHz, but the period of switching signal 1846 has been extended from 3.000 ns (as is the case for the waveforms of FIGS. 18B-D) to 3.003 ns. Thus, the phase of the input carrier signal is slowly varying relative to switching signal 1846. Signal 1870 in FIG. 18E is the output of filter 1822. Signal 1872 is the output of filter 1826. As illustrated by signals 1870 and 1872, embodiments of receiver 1802 can be used to receive and down-convert any communications signal. Carrier amplitude and phase changes relative to the sample aperture(s) are reflected in the output signals 1870 and 1872 as illustrated in FIG. 18E. FIG. 18E demonstrates the differential output when the input signal and aperture generator are not related by an exact frequency multiple. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, the sample aperture(s) roll over the input signal and capture different portions of the input signal. By illustrating that the aperture(s) can capture any amplitude and/or phase of an input signal, it is demonstrated that embodiments of receiver 1802 can be used to receive and down-convert any communications signal. The operation of receiver 1802 will now be described. A modulated carrier signal 1642 is input to the carrier(+) port, of receiver 1802. The modulated carrier signal causes a charge to be stored on capacitor 1804 when switching device 1808 is closed, thereby generating a voltage signal 1860 across capacitor 1804. Switching device 1808 is opened and closed by control signal 1846. Aperture generator 1812 generates control signal 1846. The modulated carrier signal 1642 is inverted to generate a signal 1644. Signal 1644 is input to the carrier(−) port of receiver 1802. Signal 1644 causes a charge to be stored on capacitor 1806 when switching device 1808 is closed, thereby generating a voltage signal 1862 across capacitor 1806. When switching device 1808 is opened, both capacitor 1804 and capacitor 1806 begin to discharge. This causes a voltage signal 1850 to be generated across impedance 1816, and a voltage signal 1852 to be generated across impedance 1818. The opening and closing of switching device 1808 in accordance with the invention causes a down-converted signal 1850 (one-half of the output of receiver 1802) to be formed across impedance 1816 and a down-converted signal 1852 (one-half of the output of receiver 1802) to be formed across impedance 1818. Signals 1850 and 1852 are 180 degrees out of phase. The total output of receiver 1802 is the differential output, or the sum of signals 1850 and 1852. Filters 1822 and 1826 are used to remove the carrier from the down-converted signal. In embodiments, optional amplifiers 1820 and 1824 are band limited, and thus act as filters and remover the carrier. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, given the description of the invention herein, UFD module 1832 has several features that make it particularly well adapted for certain applications. It is a feature of UFD module 1832 that it provides exceptional linearity per milliwatt. For example, rail to rail dynamic range is possible with minimal increase in power. In an example integrated circuit embodiment, UFD module 1832 provides +55 dmb IP2, +15 dbm IP3, at 3.3V, 4.4 ma, −15 dmb LO. GSM system requirements are +22 dbm IP2, −10.5 dmb IP3. CDMA system requirements are +50 dmb IP2, +10 dbm IP3. Accordingly, the invention satisfies these standards. Another feature of UFD module 1832 is that it only requires one switching device 1808 and one aperture generator 1812. A further feature of UFD module 1832 is that it may be implemented on a single chip using CMOS technology. As described herein, this feature of UFD module 1832 is a feature applicable to apparatus embodiments of the invention in general. Additional features of UFD module 1832 are described elsewhere herein. FIG. 19 is another example of a one-switch receiver 1902 having a UFD module 1938 according to an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated in FIG. 19, UFD module 1938 comprises two capacitors 1904 and 1906, a CMOS switching device 1908, two switching signal generators 1912A and 1912B, and two impedance devices 1916 and 1918. In an embodiment, impedance devices 1916 and 1918 are resistors. Impedance devices 1916 and 1918 are coupled together at a node 1909. A bias voltage 1911 (AC Ground) having a nominal value of one-half Vdd is applied to node 1909. As illustrated in FIG. 19, in an embodiment, a transformer 1960 is used to couple an input signal to UFD module 1938. As already described herein, impedances 1916 and 1918 are illustrative, and not intended to limit the invention. In some embodiment, impedances 1916 and 1918 are a part of optional amplifiers (not shown), and thus there are no separate impedance devices 1916 and 1918. Similarly, in some embodiments, optional amplifiers (not shown) act as filters to the carrier signal riding on top of the down-converted signals, and thus there is no need to include filters with receiver 1902. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, UFD module 1938 operates in a manner similar to that described herein, for example, for UFD module 1832. Features of UFD module 1938 are also described below in section 4. In particular, the enhanced linear features of UFD module 1938 are described in detail below. The operation of receiver 1902 is similar to that of receiver 1802, and thus is not repeated-here. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand how receiver 1902 operates given the description of the invention herein. FIG. 20A is an example one-switch receiver 2001 having an aliasing module 2032 according to an embodiment of the invention and an impedance device 2016. Aliasing module 2032 is of the type illustrated in FIG. 3G. Impedance 2016 is illustrative, and not intended to limit the invention. In some embodiment, impedance 2016 is a part of an optional amplifier (not shown), and thus there is no separate impedance device 2016. As illustrated in FIG. 20A, UFD module 2032 comprises a capacitor 2004, a switching device 2008 and an aperture generator 2012. Impedance device 2016 is coupled to switching device 2008, as shown in FIG. 20A. A bias voltage (AC ground) is applied to a node 2009. As will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant arts, generally speaking, receiver 2001 comprises one-half of receiver 1602. In an embodiment, capacitor 2004 is selected in accordance with the criteria described in section 4 below. Capacitor 2004 is selected so that it discharges at a rate of between six percent to fifty percent between apertures of switching (control) signal 2046. The period of control signal 2046 operates at a third or a fifth-harmonic of the input carrier signal. Switching device 2008 is closed for approximately one-half cycle of the input signal during each period of control signal 2046. FIGS. 20B-20D illustrate example waveforms for receiver 2001. The waveforms are for an embodiment of the invention, wherein capacitor 2004 has a nominal value of 11 pf and impedance device 2016 is resistor having a nominal value of 547 ohms. The waveforms illustrated are for a 1 GHz input carrier signal. FIG. 20B illustrates a switching signal (aperture generator signal) 2046. Also shown in FIG. 208B is a voltage signal 2060 across capacitor 2004. The voltage across capacitor 2004 increases when switch 2008 is closed. The voltage across capacitor 2004 decreases when switch 2008 is open. A periodic slope in signal 2060 illustrates the discharge of capacitor 2004 between the apertures of switching (control) signal 2046. Signal 2050 illustrates the output of receiver 2001. As can be seen, the output comprises both a down-converter signal and the carrier. The carrier can be removed using a filter (not shown). FIG. 20C illustrates the output signal 2070 of UFD module 2032 after the carrier signal has been removed. Switching signal 2046 is shown in FIG. 20C for reference. FIG. 20D shows the output of receiver 2001 for an extended period of time, as illustrated by switching signal 2046. In FIG. 20D, the input carrier signal has a frequency of 1 GHz, but the period of switching signal 2046 has been extended from 3.000 ns (as is the case for the waveforms of FIGS. 20B-20C) to 3.003 ns. Thus, the phase of the input carrier signal is slowly varying relative to switching signal 2046. Signal 2070 in FIG. 2015 is the output of UFD module 2032 after the carrier has been removed by low-pass filtering. As illustrated by signal 1870, in FIG. 29D, embodiments of receiver 2001 can be used to receive and down-convert any communications signal. Carrier amplitude and phase changes relative to the sample aperture(s) are reflected in the output signal 2070 as illustrated in FIG. 20D. FIG. 20D demonstrates the output when the input signal and aperture generator are not related by an exact frequency multiple. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, the sample aperture(s) roll over the input signal and capture different portions of the input signal. By illustrating that the aperture(s) can capture any amplitude and/or phase of an input signal, it is demonstrated that embodiments of receiver 2001 can be used to receive and down-convert any communications signal. The operation of receiver 2001 is similar to that of other receiver embodiments already described herein. A modulated carrier signal is input to the carrier port of receiver 2101. The modulated carrier signal causes a charge to be stored on capacitor 2104 and capacitor 2106 when switching device 2108 is closed, thereby generating a voltage signal across capacitors 2104 and 2106. Switching device 2108 is opened and closed by control signal having apertures similar to other control signals illustrated herein. Aperture generator 2112 generates the control signal. A difference between receiver 2101 and receiver 1802, for example, is that the modulated carrier signal is not inverted to input to a carrier(−) port. As can be seen in FIG. 21, the second input port of receiver 2101 is coupled to a ground. When switching device 2108 is opened, both capacitor 2104 and capacitor 2106 begin to discharge. This causes a voltage to be generated across impedance 2116, and a voltage to be generated across impedance 2118. The opening and closing of switching device 2108 in accordance with the invention causes a down-converted signal (one-half of the output of receiver 2101) to be formed across impedance 2116 and a down-converted signal (one-half of the output of receiver 2101) to be formed across impedance 2118. The total output of receiver 2101 is the differential output, or the sum of signals. Filters (not shown) are used to remove the carrier from the down-converted signal. In embodiments, optional amplifiers (not shown) are band limited, and thus act as filters and remover the carrier. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, given the description of the invention herein, receiver 2001 has several features that make it particularly well adapted for certain applications. For example, it is a feature of receiver 2001 that it may be implemented using fewer devices than other embodiments and that it may be implemented on a single chip using CMOS technology. FIG. 20E illustrates a signal switch receiver 2002 having an aliasing module 2032 according to an embodiment of the invention and an impedance device 2016. Aliasing module 2032 is of the type illustrated in FIG. 3G. As illustrated in FIG. 20E, UFD module 2032 comprises a capacitor 2004, a switching device 2008 and two aperture generators 2012A and 2012B. Impedance device 2016 is coupled to switching device 2008, as shown in FIG. 20A. A bias voltage (AC ground) is applied to a node 2009. Receiver 2002 is similar to receiver 2001. The operation of receiver 2002 is similar to that of other receiver embodiments already described herein, and thus is not repeated here. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand how receiver 2001 operates given the description of the invention herein. FIG. 20F illustrates another embodiment of a single switch receiver 2003 having an aliasing module 2032 according to the invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 20F, an aliasing module of the type shown in FIG. 3A is used. This embodiment of the invention operates similarly to receiver 2001, except that the carrier signal is removed from the down converted signal by capacitor 2004 during down-conversion. Since the operation of receiver 2003 is similar to that of other receiver embodiments already described herein, it is not repeated here. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand how receiver 2003 operates given the description of the invention herein. FIG. 21 is another example one-switch receiver 2101 according to an embodiment of the invention. Receiver 2101 comprises a UFD module 2138, similar to UFD module 1832, described above. As seen in FIG. 21, one of the input ports of UFD module 2138 is coupled to ground. It is a feature of receiver 2101 that no carrier(−) input signal is required. The operation of receiver 2101 is similar to that of other receiver embodiments already described herein, and thus is not repeated here. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand how receiver 2101 operates given the description of the invention herein. 3.1.4 Other Receiver Embodiments The receiver embodiments described above are provided for purposes of illustration. These embodiments are not intended to limit the invention. Alternate embodiments, differing slightly or substantially from those described herein, will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternate embodiments include, but are not limited to, down-converting different combinations of modulation techniques in an “I/Q” mode. Other embodiments include those shown in the documents referenced above, including but not limited to U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/525,615 and 09/550,644. Such alternate embodiments fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, other receiver embodiments may down-convert signals that have been modulated with other modulation techniques. These would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings disclosed herein, and include, but are not limited to, amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), pulse width modulation, quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), down-converting a signal with two forms of modulation embedding thereon, and combinations thereof. 3.2 Transmitter Embodiments The following discussion describes frequency up-converting signals transmitted according to the present invention, using a Universal Frequency Up-conversion Module. Frequency up-conversion of an EM signal is described above, and is more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,940 entitled “Method and System for Frequency Up-Conversion,” filed Oct. 21, 1998 and issued Jul. 18, 2000, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, as well as in the other documents referenced above for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/525,615). Exemplary embodiments of a transmitter according to the invention are described below. Alternate embodiments (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of the embodiments described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. The invention is intended and adapted to include such alternate embodiments. In embodiments, the transmitter includes a universal frequency up-conversion (UFU) module for frequency up-converting an input signal. For example, in embodiments, the system transmitter includes the UFU module 1000, the UFU module 1101, or the UFU module 1290 as described, above, in reference to FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, respectively. In further embodiments, the UFU module is used to both modulate and up-convert an input signal. 3.2.1 In-Phase/Quadrature-Phase (I/Q) Modulation Mode Transmitter Embodiments In FIG. 22, an I/Q modulation mode transmitter embodiment is presented. In this embodiment, two information signals are accepted. An in-phase signal (“I”) is modulated such that its phase varies as a function of one of the information signals, and a quadrature-phase signal (“Q”) is modulated such that its phase varies as a function of the other information signal. The two modulated signals are combined to form an “I/Q” modulated signal and transmitted. In this manner, for instance, two separate information signals could be transmitted in a single signal simultaneously. Other uses for this type of modulation would be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s). FIG. 22 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a transmitter 2202 in an I/Q modulation mode. In FIG. 22, a baseband signal comprises two signals, first information signal 2212 and second information signal 2214. Transmitter 2202 comprises an I/Q transmitter 2204 and an optional amplifier 2206. I/Q transmitter 2204 comprises at least one UFT module 2210. I/Q transmitter 2204 provides I/Q modulation to first information signal 2212 and second information signal 2214, outputting I/Q output signal 2216. Optional amplifier 2206 optionally amplifies I/Q output signal 2216, outputting up-converted signal 2218. FIG. 23 illustrates a more detailed circuit block diagram for I/Q transmitter 2204. I/Q transmitter 2204 is described herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Alternate embodiments (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of the embodiments described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. The invention is intended and adapted to include such alternate embodiments. I/Q transmitter 2204 comprises a first. UFU module 2302, a second UFU module 2304, an oscillator 2306, a phase shifter 2308; a summer 2310, a first UFT module 2312, a second UFT module 2314, a first phase modulator 2328, and a second phase modulator 2330. Oscillator 2306 generates an “I”-oscillating signal 2316. A first information signal 2212 is input to first phase modulator 2328. The “I”-oscillating signal 2316 is modulated by first information signal 2212 in the first phase modulator 2328, thereby producing an “I”-modulated signal 2320. First UFU module 2302 inputs “I”-modulated signal 2320, and generates a harmonically rich “I” signal 2324 with a continuous and periodic wave form. The phase of “I”-oscillating signal 2316 is shifted by phase shifter 2308 to create “Q”-oscillating signal 2318. Phase shifter 2308 preferably shifts the phase of “I”-oscillating signal 2316 by 90 degrees. A second information signal 2214 is input to second phase modulator 2330. “Q”-oscillating signal 2318 is modulated by second information signal 2214 in second phase modulator 2330, thereby producing a ‘Q’ modulated signal 2322. Second UFU module 2304 inputs “Q” modulated signal 2322, and generates a harmonically rich “Q” signal 2326, with a continuous and periodic waveform. Harmonically rich “I” signal 2324 and harmonically rich “Q” signal 2326 are preferably rectangular waves, such as square waves or pulses (although the invention is not limited to this embodiment), and are comprised of pluralities of sinusoidal waves whose frequencies are integer multiples of the fundamental frequency of the waveforms. These sinusoidal waves are referred to as the harmonics of the underlying waveforms, and a Fourier analysis will determine the amplitude of each harmonic. Harmonically rich “I” signal 2324 and harmonically rich “Q” signal 2326 are combined by summer 2310 to create harmonically rich “I/Q” signal 2334. Summers are well known to persons skilled in the relevant art(s). Optional filter 2332 filters out the undesired harmonic frequencies, and outputs an I/Q output signal 2216 at the desired harmonic frequency or frequencies. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) that an alternative embodiment exists wherein the harmonically rich “I” signal 2324 and the harmonically rich “Q” signal 2326 may be filtered before they are summed, and further, another alternative embodiment exists wherein “I”-modulated signal 2320 and “Q”-modulated signal 2322 may be summed to create an “I/Q”-modulated signal before being routed to a switch module. Other “I/Q”-modulation embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based upon the teachings herein, and are within the scope of the present invention. Further details pertaining to an I/Q modulation mode transmitter are provided in co-pending U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,940 entitled “Method and System for Frequency Up-Conversion,” filed Oct. 21, 1998 and issued Jul. 18, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 3.2.2 Enhanced Multi-Switch Transmitter Embodiments As described herein, multi-switch transmitter embodiments of the present invention are enhanced to maximize both power transfer and information transmission. These embodiments are described herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Alternate embodiments (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of the embodiments described herein), will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. The invention is intended and adapted to include such alternate embodiments. FIG. 24A is, an example two-switch transmitter 2402 according to an embodiment of the invention. Transmitter 2402 comprises two switching devices 2408 and 2410, two aperture generators 2412 and 2414, an impedance device 2419, and two amplifiers 2432 and 2434. As shown in FIG. 24A, amplifiers 2432 and 2434, and impedance device 2419 are coupled together to form a node 2409. Node 2409 is an AC ground. In an embodiment, impedance device 2419 is an inductor. Impedance device 2419 comprises a feedback path that passes DC signals to the inputs of amplifiers 2432 and 2434, thereby removing the DC signals from the output of transmitter 2402. The output ports of amplifiers 2432 and 2434 are coupled to switching devices 2408 and 2410. Switching devices 2408 and 2410, and impedance device 2419 are coupled together to form a node 2405. The output of transmitter 2402 is generated at node 2405, across a load impedance 2470. Load impedance 2470 is illustrative, and not intended to limit the invention. In an embodiment, optional energy storage devices (capacitors) 2431 and 2433 are coupled to transmitter 2402, as shown in FIG. 24A, in order to increase the efficiency of transmitter 2402. Energy storage devices 2431 and 2433. These devices store energy when switches 2408 and 2410 are open, thereby enhancing the energy transmitted when switches 2408 and 2410 close. Energy storage devices 2431 and 2433 can be coupled to any bias (AC ground). It is a feature of example transmitter 2402, as well as a feature of other embodiments of the invention, that no power summer is needed at node 2405 so long as the apertures of switching devices 2408 and 2410 do not overlap. A simple wire can be used to couple transmitter 2402 to load impedance 2470. Other approaches may also be used. The operation of transmitter 2402 will now be described with reference to the waveforms illustrated in FIGS. 24B-24F. An information signal 2442 to be up-converted is provided to the input(+) port of amplifier 2442 (see FIG. 24E). As shown in FIG. 24E, information signal 2442 is a sine wave. An inverted version of information signal 2442 (i.e., signal 2444) is provided to the input(−) port of amplifier 2434. Signal 2444 is shown in FIG. 24E. Input signals 2442 and 2444 are operated on by amplifiers 2432 and 2434 in a manner that would be known to a person skilled in the relevant art to produce signals at the outputs of amplifiers 2432 and 2434 that are a function of (i.e., proportional to) the input signals 2442 and 2444. When switch 2408 is closed, the output signal of amplifier 2432 is coupled to load impedance 2470, and thereby produces a positive voltage at the input of impedance 2470 such as, for example, voltage 2405B shown in FIG. 24C. Similarly, when switch 2410 is closed, the output signal of amplifier 2434 is coupled to load impedance 2470, and thereby produces a negative voltage at the input of impedance 2470 such as, for example, voltage 2405A shown in FIG. 24C. The operation of switching devices 2408 and 2410 are controlled by control signals 2446 and 2448. These signals are illustrated in FIGS. 24B and 24C. Control signal 2446 controls the switching of switching device 2408. Control signal 2448 controls the switching of switching device 2410. As can be seen in FIG. 24B, the opening and closing of switching devices 2408 and 2410 produce a harmonically rich up-converted signal 2405. Up-converted signal 2405 is also illustrated in FIGS. 24D and 24E. In particular, FIG. 24E illustrates the relationship between input signals 2442 and 2444 and up-converted signal 2405. FIG. 24F illustrates a portion of Fourier transform of up-converted signal 2405. As illustrated in FIG. 24F, signal 2405 of transmitter 2402 is a harmonically rich signal. The particular portion of signal 2405 that is, to be transmitted can be selected using a filter. For example, a high Q filter centered at 1.0 GHz can be used to select the 3rd harmonic portion of signal 2405 for transmission. A person skilled in the relevant arts will understand how to do this given the description of the invention herein. In embodiments, the output signal 2405 is routed to a filter (not shown) to remove the unwanted frequencies that exist as harmonic components of the harmonically rich signal. A desired frequency is optionally amplified by an amplifier module (not shown) and then optionally routed to a transmission module (not shown) for transmission. As described herein, optional energy storage devices 2431 and 2433 as well as impedance matching techniques can be used to improve the efficiency of transmitter 2402. FIGS. 24G-24K further illustrate the operation of transmitter 2402 when transmitter 2402 is used, for example, to transmit digital information represented by the input signals shown in FIGS. 24G and 2411. FIG. 24G illustrates an example digital signal 2442 that represents a bit sequence of “1011.” The inverse of signal 2442 (i.e., 2444) is illustrated in FIG. 24H. Input signals 2442 and 2444 are input to amplifiers 2432 and 2434, as described above. FIG. 24I illustrates an example control 2446. FIG. 24J illustrates an example control signal 2448. A harmonically rich up-converted signal 2405, for the input signals 2442 and 2444 (shown in FIGS. 24G and 24H), is shown in FIG. 24K. Signal 2405 of FIG. 24K is obtain in the manner described above. The example waveforms of FIGS. 24B-24K are illustrative, and not intended to limit the invention. Waveforms other than those illustrated in FIGS. 24B-24K are intended to be used with the architecture that comprises transmitter 2402. FIG. 25A is an example two-switch transmitter 2502 according to an embodiment of the invention. Transmitter 2502 comprises two switching devices 2508 and 2510, two aperture generators 2512 and 2514, three impedance devices 2519, 2533, and 2535, and two amplifiers 2532 and 2534. As shown in FIG. 25A, amplifiers 2532, 2534, switching devices 2508, 2510, and impedance device 2519 are coupled together to form a node 2509. Node 2509 is an AC ground. In an embodiment, impedance device 2519 is an inductor. Impedance device 2519 comprises a feedback path that passes DC signals to the inputs of amplifiers 2532 and 2534, thereby removing the DC signals from the output of transmitter 2502. The output ports of amplifiers 2532 and 2534 are coupled to impedance devices 2533 and 2535. Impedance devices 2533 and 2535 represent one or more impedance devices that act as an AC choke (low pass filter). Impedance devices 2533, 2535, switching devices 2508, 2510, and impedance device 2519 are also coupled together to form a node 2505. The output of transmitter 2502 is generated at node 2505, across a load impedance 2570. The operation of switching devices 2508 and 2510 is controlled by control signals 2546 and 2548. Example control signals are illustrated in FIGS. 25D and 25E. Control signal 2546 controls the switching of switching device 2508. Control signal 2548 controls the switching of switching device 2510. The operation of transmitter 2502 is similar to that of transmitter 2402, and thus is not repeated here. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand how transmitter 2502 operates given the description of the invention herein. FIGS. 25B-25F illustrate the operation of transmitter 2502 when transmitter 2502 is used, for example, to transmit digital information represented by the input signals shown in FIGS. 25B and 25C. The example waveforms of FIGS. 25B-25F are illustrative, and not intended to limit the invention. Waveforms other than those illustrated in FIGS. 25B-25F are intended to be used with the architecture that comprises transmitter 2502. FIG. 25B illustrates an example digital signal 2542 that represents a bit sequence of “1011.” The inverse of signal 2542 (i.e., 2544) is illustrated in FIG. 25C. Input signals 2542 and 2544 are input to amplifiers 2532 and 2534. FIG. 25D illustrates an example control 2546. FIG. 25E illustrates an example control signal 2548. A harmonically rich up-converted signal 2550, for the input signals 2542 and 2544 is shown in FIG. 25F. As described herein for transmitter 2402, optional energy storage devices (not shown) as well as impedance matching techniques can be used to improve the efficiency of transmitter 2502. How this is achieved in accordance with will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts given the description herein. FIG. 26A is example of a multi-switch transmitter 2602 according to an embodiment of the invention. Transmitter 2602 comprises four switching devices 2608A, 2608B, 2610A, and 2610B, two aperture generators 2612 and 2614, and two amplifiers 2632 and 2634. Transmitter 2602 is shown having two optional energy storage devices 2613 and 2615. The operation of transmitter 2602 is similar to that of transmitter 2402. An information signal to be up-converted is provided to the input(+) port of amplifier 2642. An: inverted version of information signal 2642 (i.e., signal 2644) is provided to the input(−) port of amplifier 2634. Input signals 2642 and 2644 are operated on by amplifiers 2632 and 2634 in a manner that would be known to a person skilled in the relevant art to produce signals at the outputs of amplifiers 2632 and 2634 that are a function of (i.e., proportional to) the input signals 2642 and 2644. When switches 2608A or 2610B are closed, the output signal of amplifier 2632 is coupled to load impedance 2670, and thereby produces a voltage across load impedance 2670. Similarly, when switches 2608B or 2610A are closed, the output signal of amplifier 2634 is coupled to load impedance 2670, and thereby produces a voltage across load impedance 2670. The operation of switching devices 2608A, 2608B, 2610A and 2610B are controlled by control signals 2646 and 2648, as shown in FIG. 26A. Control signal 2646 controls the switching of switching devices 2408A and 2608B. Control signal 2648 controls the switching of switching devices 2610A and 2610B. As described herein, the opening and closing of switching devices 2608A, 2608B, 2610A and 2610B produce a harmonically rich u-converted signal. In embodiments, the upconverted signal is routed to a filter (not shown) to remove the unwanted frequencies that exist as harmonic components of the harmonically rich signal. A desired frequency is optionally amplified by an amplifier module (not shown) and then optionally routed to a transmission module (not shown) for transmission. As described herein, optional energy storage devices 2613 and 2615 as well as impedance matching techniques can be used to improve the efficiency of transmitter 2602. As seen in FIG. 26A, the architecture of receiver 2602 enhances the amount of energy transferred to the load by using four switches and differential load configurations. Thus, there is about a 3 db gain in the output of transmitter 2602 over that of transmitter 2402. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand how transmitter 2502 operates given the description of the invention herein. FIGS. 26B-26F are example waveforms that illustrate the operation of transmitter 2602. An information signal 2642 to be up-converted is provided to the input(+) port of amplifier 2632. As shown in FIG. 26B, information signal 2642 is a series of digital bits (1011). An inverted version of information signal 2642 (i.e., signal 2644) is provided to the input(−) port of amplifier 2634. Signal 2644 is shown in FIG. 26C. The operation of switching devices 2608A, 2608B, 2610A and 2610B are controlled by control signals 2646 and 2648. These signals are illustrated in FIGS. 26D and 26E. Control signal 2646 controls the switching of switching devices 2608A and 2608B. Control signal 2648 controls the switching of switching devices 2610A- and 2610B. FIG. 26F illustrates the output signal 2672 of transmitter 2602 for input signals 2642 and 2644. The up-converted signal is obtain from the output signal of transmitter 2602 in a manner similar to that described herein, for example, for a harmonically rich signal. 3.2.3 Enhanced One-Switch Transmitter Embodiments As described herein, one-switch transmitter embodiments of the present invention are enhanced to maximize both power transfer and information transmission. These, embodiments are described herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Alternate embodiments (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of the embodiments described herein), will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. The invention is intended and adapted to include such alternate embodiments. FIG. 27A is an example one-switch transmitter 2702 according to an embodiment of the invention. Transmitter 2702 comprises one switching device 2708, an aperture generator 2712, two capacitors 2704 and 2706, two impedance devices 2716 and 2718, and two amplifiers 2732 and 2734. The operation of transmitter 2702 is similar to that of the other transmitters described above. An input signal 2742 is supplied to amplifier 2732. Input signal 2732 is inverted by an inverter 2703 and the output of inverter 2703 is supplied to the input of amplifier 2734. Amplifiers 2732 and 2734 operate on input signals 2742 and 2744 in a manner that would be known to a person skilled in the relevant arts to produce signals at the outputs of amplifiers 2732 and 2734. When switching device 2708 is open, energy is transferred from the outputs of amplifiers 2732 and 2734 to energy storage devices (capacitors) 2704 and 2706. When switching device 2708 is closed, energy storage devices 2704 and 2706 discharge, thereby transferring energy to load impedance 2770. This causes an output signal 2772 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 27E) to be generated across load impedance 2770. Impedance devices 2716 and 2718 operate as AC chokes (filters). FIGS. 27B-27E are example waveforms that illustrate the operation of transmitter 2702. An information signal 2742 to be upconverted shown in FIG. 27B. As shown in FIG. 27B, information signal 2742 is a series of digital bits (1011). An inverted version of information signal 2742 (i.e., signal 2744) is shown in FIG. 27C. The operation of switching device 2708 is controlled by control signal 2746. This signal is illustrated in FIG. 27D. FIG. 27E illustrates the output signal 2772 of transmitter 2702, which is generated across load impedance 2770. The up-converted signal is obtained from the output signal of transmitter 2702 in a manner similar to that described elsewhere herein for a harmonically rich signal. 3.2.4 Other Transmitter Embodiments The transmitter embodiments described above are provided for purposes of illustration. These embodiments are not intended to limit the invention. Alternate embodiments, differing slightly or substantially from those described herein, will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternate embodiments include, but are not limited to, combinations of modulation techniques in an “I/Q” mode. Such embodiments also include those described in the documents referenced above, such as U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/525,615 and 09/550,644. Such alternate embodiments fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, other transmitter embodiments may utilize other modulation techniques. These would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings disclosed herein, and include, but are not limited to, amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), pulse width modulation, quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), embedding two forms of modulation onto a signal for up-conversion, etc., and combinations thereof. 3.3 Transceiver Embodiments An exemplary embodiment of a transceiver system 2800 of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 28. Transceiver 2802 frequency down-converts first EM signal 2808 received by antenna 2806, and outputs down-converted baseband signal 2812. Transceiver 2802 comprises at least one UFT module 2804 at least for frequency down-conversion. Transceiver 2802 inputs baseband signal 2814. Transceiver 2802 frequency up-converts baseband signal 2814. UFT module 2804 provides at least for frequency up-conversion. In alternate embodiments, UFT module 2804 only supports frequency down-conversion, and at least one additional UFT module provides for frequency up-conversion. The up-converted signal is output by transceiver 2802, and transmitted by antenna 2806 as second EM signal 2810. First and second EM signals 2808 and 2810 may be of substantially the same frequency, or of different frequencies. First and second EM signals 2808 and 2810 may have been modulated using the same technique, or may have been modulated by different techniques. Further example embodiments of receiver/transmitter systems applicable to the present invention may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,940 entitled “Method and System for Frequency Up-Conversion,” incorporated by reference in its entirety. These example embodiments and other alternate embodiments (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of the example embodiments described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the referenced teachings and the teachings contained herein, and are within the scope and spirit of the present invention. The invention is intended and adapted to include such alternate embodiments. 3.3.1 Example Half-Duplex Mode Transceiver An exemplary receiver using universal frequency down conversion techniques is shown in FIG. 29 and described below. An antenna 2902 receives an electromagnetic (EM) signal 2920. EM signal 2920 is routed through a capacitor 2904 to a first terminal of a switch 2910. The other terminal of switch 2910 is connected to ground 2912 in this exemplary embodiment. A local oscillator 2906 generates an oscillating signal 2928, which is routed through a pulse shaper 2908. The result is a-string of pulses 2930. The selection of the oscillator 2906 and the design of the pulse shaper 2908 control the frequency and pulse width of the string of pulses 2930. The string of pulses 2930 control the opening and closing of switch 2910. As a result of the opening and closing of switch 2910, a down converted signal 2922 results. Down converted signal 2922 is routed through an amplifier 2914 and a filter 2916, and a filtered signal 2924 results. In a preferred embodiment, filtered signal 2924 is at baseband, and a decoder 2918 may only be needed to convert digital to analog or to remove encryption before outputting the baseband information signal. This then is a universal frequency down conversion receiver operating in a direct down conversion mode, in that it receives the EM signal 2920 and down converts it to baseband signal 2926 without requiring an IF or a demodulator. In an alternate embodiment, the filtered signal 2924 may be at an “offset” frequency. That is, it is at an intermediate frequency, similar to that described above for the second IF signal in a typical superheterodyne receiver. In this case, the decoder 2918 would be used to demodulate the filtered signal so that it could output a baseband signal 2926. An exemplary transmitter using the present invention is shown in FIG. 30. In the FM and PM embodiments, an information signal 3002 modulates an oscillating signal 3006 which is route to a pulse shaping circuit 3010 which outputs a string of pulses 3011. The string of pulses 3011 controls the opening and closing of the switch 3012. One terminal of switch 3012 is connected to ground 3014, and the second terminal of switch 3012 is connected through a resistor 3030 to a bias/reference signal 3008. In some FM and PM modes, bias/reference signal 3008 is preferably a non-varying signal, often referred to simply as the bias signal. In some AM modes, the oscillating signal 3006 is not modulated, and the bias/reference signal 3008 is a function of the information signal 3004. In one embodiment, information signal 3004 is combined with a bias voltage to generate the reference signal 3008. In an alternate embodiment, the information signal 3004 is used without being combined with a bias voltage. Typically, in the AM mode, this bias/reference signal is referred to as the reference signal to distinguish it from the bias signal used in the FM and PM modes. The output of switch 3012 is a harmonically rich signal 3016 which is routed to an optional “high Q” filter which removes the unwanted frequencies that exist as harmonic components of harmonically rich signal 3016. Desired frequency 3020 is optionally amplified by an optional amplifier module 3022 and routed to transmission module 3024, which outputs a transmission signal 3026. Transmission signal is output by antenna 3028 in this embodiment. For the FM and PM modulation modes, FIGS. 31A, 31B, and 31C show the combination of the present invention of the transmitter and the universal frequency down-conversion receiver in the half-duplex mode according to an embodiment of the invention. That is, the transceiver can transmit and receive, but it cannot do both simultaneously. It uses a single antenna 3102, a single oscillator 3144/3154 (depending on whether the transmitter is in the FM or PM modulation mode), a single pulse shaper 3138, and a single switch 3120 to transmit and to receive. In the receive function, “Receiver/transmitter” (R/T) switches 3106, 3108, and 3146/3152 (FM or PM) would all be in the receive position, designated by (R). The antenna 3102 receives an EM signal 3104 and routes it through a capacitor 3107. In the FM modulation mode, oscillating signal 3136 is generated by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 3144. Because the transceiver is performing the receive function, switch 3146 connects the input to the VCO 3144 to ground 3148. Thus, VCO 3144 will operate as if it were a simple oscillator. In the PM modulation mode, oscillating signal 3136 is generated by local oscillator 3154, which is routed through phase modulator 3156. Since the transceiver is performing the receive function, switch 3152 is connected to ground 3148, and there is no modulating input to phase modulator. Thus, local oscillator 3154 and phase modulator 3156 operate as if they were a simple oscillator. One skilled in the relevant art(s) will recognize based on the discussion contained herein that there are numerous embodiments wherein an oscillating signal 3136 can be generated to control the switch 3120. Oscillating signal 3136 is shaped by pulse shaper 3138 to produce a string of pulses 3140. The string of pulses 3140 cause the switch 3120 to open and close. As a result of the switch opening and closing, a down converted signal 3109 is generated. The down converted signal 3109 is optionally amplified and filtered to create a filtered signal 3113. In an embodiment, filtered signal 3113 is at baseband and, as a result of the down conversion, is demodulated. Thus, a decoder 3114 may not be required except to convert digital to analog or to decrypt the filtered signal 3113. In an alternate embodiment, the filtered signal 3113 is at an “offset” frequency, so that the decoder 3114 is needed to demodulate the filtered signal and create a demodulated baseband signal. When the transceiver is performing the transmit function, the RfF switches 3106, 3108, and 3146/3152 (FM or PM) are in the Cl) position. In the FM modulation mode, an information signal 3150 is connected by switch 3146 to VCO 3144 to create a frequency modulated oscillating signal 3136. In the PM modulation mode switch 3152 connects information signal 3150 to the phase modulator 3156 to create a phase modulated oscillating signal 3136. Oscillation signal 3136 is routed through pulse shaper 3138 to create a string of pulses 3140, which in turn cause switch 3120 to open and close. One terminal of switch 3120 is connected to ground 3142 and the other is connected through switch R/T 3108 and resistor 3123 to a bias signal 3122. The result is a harmonically rich signal 3124 which is routed to an optional “high Q” filter 3126 which removes the unwanted frequencies that exist as harmonic components of harmonically rich signal 3124. Desired frequency 3128 is optionally amplified by amplifier module 3130 and routed to transmission module 3132, which outputs a transmission signal 3134. Again, because the transceiver is performing the transmit function, R/T switch 3106 connects the transmission signal to the antenna 3102. In the AM modulation mode, the transceiver operates in the half duplex mode as shown in FIG. 32. The only distinction between this modulation mode and the FM and PM modulation modes described above, is that the oscillating signal 3136 is generated by a local oscillator 3202, and the switch 3120 is connected through the R/T switch 3108 and resistor 3123 to a reference signal 3206. Reference signal 3206 is generated when information signal 3150 and bias signal 3122 are combined by a summing module 3204. It is well known to those skilled in the relevant art(s) that the information signal 3150 may be used as the reference signal 3206 without being combined with the bias signal 3122, and may be connected directly (through resistor 3123 and R/T switch 3108) to the switch 3120. 3.3.2 Example Full-Duplex Mode Transceiver The full-duplex mode differs from the half-duplex mode in that the transceiver can transmit and receive simultaneously. Referring to FIG. 33, to achieve this, the transceiver preferably uses a separate circuit for each function. A duplexer 3304 is used in the transceiver to permit the sharing of an antenna 3302 for both the transmit and receive functions. The receiver function performs as follows. The antenna 3302 receives an EM signal 3306 and routes it through a capacitor 3307 to one terminal of a switch 3326. The other terminal of switch 3326 is connected to ground 3328, and the switch is driven as a result of a string of pulses 3324 created by local oscillator 3320 and pulse shaper 3322. The opening and closing of switch 3326 generates a down converted signal 3314. Down converted signal 3314 is routed through a amplifier 3308 and a filter 3310 to generate filtered signal 3316. Filtered signal 3316 may be at baseband and be demodulated or it may be at an “offset” frequency. If filtered signal 3316 is at an offset frequency, decoder 3312 will demodulate it to create the demodulated baseband signal 3318. In a preferred embodiment, however, the filtered signal 3316 will be a demodulated baseband signal, and decoder 3312 may not be required except to convert digital to analog or to decrypt filtered signal 3316. This receiver portion of the transceiver can operate independently from the transmitter portion of the transceiver. The transmitter function is performed as follows. In the FM and PM modulation modes, an information signal 3348 modulates an oscillating signal 3330. In the AM modulation mode, the oscillating signal 3330 is not modulated. The oscillating signal is shaped by pulse shaper 3332 and a string of pulses 3334 is created. This string of pulses 3334 causes a switch 3336 to open and close. One terminal of switch 3336 is connected to ground 3338, and the other terminal is connected through a resistor 3347 to a bias/reference signal 3346. In the FM and PM modulation modes, bias/reference signal 3346 is referred to as a bias signal 3346, and it is substantially non-varying. In the AM modulation mode, an information signal 3350 may be combined with the bias signal to create what is referred to as the reference signal 3346. The reference signal 3346 is a function of the information signal 3350. It is well known to those skilled in the relevant art(s) that the information signal 3350 may be used as the bias/reference signal 3346 directly without being sunmmed with a bias signal. A harmonically rich signal 3352 is generated and is filtered by a “high Q” filter 3340, thereby producing a desired signal 3354. The desired signal 3354 is amplified by amplifier 3342 and routed to transmission module 3344. The output of transmission module 3344 is transmission signal 3356. Transmission signal 3356 is routed to duplexer 3304 and then transmitted by antenna 3302. This transmitter portion of the transceiver can operate independently from the receiver portion of the transceiver. Thus, as described above, the transceiver embodiment the present invention as shown in FIG. 33 can perform full-duplex communications in all modulation modes. 3.3.3 Enhanced Single Switch Transceiver Embodiment As described herein, one-switch transceiver embodiments of the present invention are enhanced to maximize power transfer and information extraction and transmission. These embodiments are described herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Alternate embodiments (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of the embodiments described herein), will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. The invention is intended and adapted to include such alternate embodiments. FIG. 34 is an example, one-switch transceiver 3402 according to an embodiment of the invention The operation of this embodiment as a receiver is described above with regard to FIGS. 18A-E. The operation of this embodiment as a transmitter is described above with regard to FIGS. 27A-E. Also described above is a means for coupling receiver and transmitter embodiments of the invention to an antenna. Thus, given the description herein, a person skilled in the relevant arts will understand the operation of transceiver 3402. 3.3.4 Other Embodiments The embodiments described above are provided for purposes of illustration. These embodiments are not intended to limit the invention. Alternate embodiments, differing slightly or substantially from those described herein, will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternate embodiments fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 4 Enhanced Operating Features of the Invention As described herein, embodiments of the present invention have enhanced operating features. These enhanced features enable receivers and transceivers according to the invention to down-convert a modulated carrier signal while extracting power from the carrier signal. This is in contrast to conventional receivers and transceivers, which ideally extract zero power from a received carrier signal (i.e., conventional receivers are typically designed to operate as impulse samplers). These enhanced features of the present invention also enable the linear operating ranges for embodiments of the invention to be extended. 4.1 Enhanced Power and Information Extraction Features Enhanced features of the invention enable the invention to down-convert a modulated carrier signal while extracting power from the signal. These features are not found in conventional receivers. As described herein, embodiments of the invention are implemented using one or more aliasing modules 300 (see for example FIGS. 3A and 3G). Differences between receiver embodiments according to the present invention and conventional receivers are illustrated in FIG. 36-41. For example, consider aliasing module 300 as shown in FIG. 3A. Aliasing module 300 down-converts an input signal 304 to form an output signal 312 as described herein. FIG. 36 illustrates a modulated carrier signal 3602 that can be down converted using either an aliasing module 300 or a conventional receiver. Signal 3602 has a period of TC. In this example, to down convert signal 3602 using a conventional receiver, signal 3602 is sampled using a control signal 3702 illustrated in FIG. 37. Control signal 3702 comprises a plurality of sampling impulses 3704. Each impulse 3704 ideally has a zero-width aperture. The sampling period of control signal 3700 must satisfy Nyquests' sampling criteria (i.e., it must be equal to or less than one-half TC). In contrast to a conventional receiver, to down convert signal 3602 according to the invention, a control signal, for example control signal 3802 shown in FIG. 38, is used. As can be seen in FIG. 38, control signal 3802 comprises sampling apertures having significant width compared to zero-width sampling impulses 3704 of control signal 3702. The width of the sampling apertures of control signal 3802 are TA. Control signal 3802 is shown having both positive magnitude apertures and negative magnitude apertures. In embodiments of the invention having two aliasing modules 300, the positive magnitude apertures control one aliasing module 300, and the negative magnitude apertures control another aliasing module 300, as described above. For embodiments of the invention having only one aliasing module 300, a control signal having only the positive magnitude apertures or the negative magnitude apertures of control signal 3802 can be used, as described herein. The period of time between two adjacent positive magnitude apertures or two adjacent negative magnitude apertures is TD. As shown in FIG. 38, TD is greater than TC. 4.2 Charge Transfer and Correlation The description of the invention that follows teaches one skilled in the relevant arts how to determine a value for one or more capacitors to be used in embodiments of the invention. As described herein, a significant difference between conventional communications systems and the present invention is that conventional communications systems are not intended to transfer non-negligible amounts of energy from a carrier signal to be used in forming a down-converted information signal (i.e., conventional communications system do not exhibit the capacitor discharge feature of the present invention). As illustrated in FIG. 39, the voltage signal across a capacitor, for example, of a conventional sample and hold communications system ideally remains constant (i.e., there is no energy transfer or intended discharge of the charge stored by the capacitor.) In contrast, as illustrated in FIG. 40, and as described herein with regards to embodiments of the invention, energy transfer is a feature of the present invention and capacitors (such as capacitor 310 in FIG. 3A and capacitor 310 in FIG. 3G) used in embodiments of the invention are sized to achieve a percent discharge between apertures of a switching (control) signal. In embodiments of the invention such as, for example, aliasing modules 300, one or more capacitors are sized to discharge between about six percent to about fifty percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that a switching device is open (i.e., between apertures). It is noted that this range is provided for illustrative purposes. Other embodiments of the invention exhibit other discharge percentages. FIG. 41 illustrates the voltage across a capacitor sized according to the invention for different rates of discharge (i.e., charge transfer). The basic equation for charge transfer is: ⅆ q ⅆ t = C ⅆ v ⅆ t , ( assuming C is constant over time ) q = CV EQ . ( 2 ) Similarly the energy u stored by a capacitor can be found from: u = ∫ 0 q q x C ⅆ q x = q 2 2 C EQ . ( 3 ) From EQs. (2) and (3): u = C v 2 2 EQ . ( 4 ) Thus, the charge stored by a capacitor is proportional to the voltage across the capacitor, and the energy stored by the capacitor is proportional to the square of the charge or the voltage. Hence, by transferring charge, voltage and energy are also transferred. If little charge is transferred, little energy is transferred, and a proportionally small voltage results unless C is lowered. The law of conversation of charge is an extension of the law of the conservation of energy. EQ. (2) illustrates that if a finite amount of charge must be transferred in an infinitesimally short amount of time then the voltage, and hence voltage squared, tends toward infinity. Furthermore, V c = 1 C ∫ 0 T A i ⅆ t EQ . ( 5 ) This implies an infinite amount of current must be supplied to create the infinite voltage, if TA is infinitesimally small. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant art, such a situation is impractical, especially for a device without gain. Generally speaking, in radio communications systems, the antenna produces a small amount of power available for the first conversion, even with amplification from an LNA. Hence, if a finite voltage and current restriction do apply to the front end of a radio then a conversion device, which is an impulse sampler, must by definition possess infinite gain. This would not be practical for a switch. What is usually approximated in practice is a fast sample time, charging a small capacitor, then holding the value acquired by a hold amplifier, which preserves the voltage from sample to sample (i.e., a sample and hold system is used). The analysis that follows shows that given a finite amount of time for energy transfer through a conversion device, the impulse response of the ideal processor, which transfers energy to a capacitor when the input voltage source is a sinusoidal carrier and possesses a finite source impedance, is achieved by embodiments of the present invention. If a significant amount of energy can be transferred in the sampling process, the tolerance on the charging capacitor can be reduced and the requirement for a hold amplifier is significantly reduced or even eliminated. In embodiments, the maximum amount of energy available over a half sine pulse can be found from: u = ∫ 0 T A S i 2 ( t ) ⅆ t = A 2 T A 2 ( A 2 π / 2 for ω c = 1 ) EQ . ( 6 ) This points to a correlation processor or matched filter processor. If energy is of interest then a useful processor, which transfers all of the half sine energy, is revealed in EQ. (5), where TA is an aperture equivalent to the half sine pulse. In embodiments, EQ. (6) provides the insight to an enhanced processor. Consider the following equation sequence: ∫ 0 ∞ h ( τ ) S i ( t - τ ) ⅆ τ ⇒ ∫ 0 T A k S i 2 ( T A - τ ) ⅆ τ ⇒ ∫ - 0 T A S i 2 ( t ) ⅆ t EQ . ( 7 ) where h(S)=Si(TA−τ) and t=TA−τ. This is a matched filter equation, with the far most right hand side revealing a correlator implementation, which is obtained by a change of variables as indicated. Note that the correlator form of the matched filter is a statement of the desired signal energy. Therefore a matched filter/correlator accomplishes acquisition of all the energy available across a finite duration aperture. Such a matched filter/correlator can be implemented as shown in FIG. 54. In embodiments, when configured for enhanced operation, the example matched filter/correlator of FIG. 54 operates in synchronism with the half sine pulse Si(t) over the aperture TA. Phase skewing and phase roll will occur for clock frequencies, which are imprecise. Such imprecision can be compensated for by a carrier recovery loop, such as a Costas Loop. A Costas Loop can develop the control for the acquisition clock, which also serves as a sub-harmonic carrier. However, phase skew and non-coherency does not invalidate the enhanced form of the processor provided that the frequency or phase errors are small, relative to T−1A. Non-coherent and differentially coherent processors may extract energy from both I and Q with a complex correlation operation followed by a rectifier or phase calculator. It has been shown that phase skew does not alter the optimum SNR processor formulation. The energy that is not transferred to I is transferred to Q and vice versa when phase skew exists. This is an example processor for a finite duration sample window with finite gain sampling function, where energy or charge is the desired output. Some matched filter/correlator embodiments according to the present invention might, however, be too expensive and complicated to build for some applications. In such cases, other processes and processors according to embodiments of the invention can be used. The approximation to the matched filter/correlator embodiment shown in FIG. 55 is one embodiment that can be used in such instances. The finite time integrator embodiment of FIG. 55 requires only a switch and an integrator. This embodiment of the present invention has only a 0.91 dB difference in SNR compared to the matched filter/correlator embodiment. Another low cost and easy to build embodiment of the present invention is an RC processor. This embodiment, shown in FIG. 56, utilizes a low cost integrator or capacitor as a memory across the aperture. If C is suitably chosen for this embodiment, its performance approaches that of the matched filter/correlator embodiment, shown in FIG. 54. Notice the inclusion of the source impedance, R, along with the switch and capacitor. This embodiment nevertheless can approximate the energy transfer of the matched filter/correlator embodiment. When maximum charge is transferred, the voltage across the capacitor 5604 in FIG. 56 is maximized over the aperture period for a specific RC combination. Using EQs. (2) and (5) yields: q = C · 1 C ∫ 0 T A i c ⅆ t EQ . ( 8 ) If it is accepted that an infinite amplitude impulse with zero time duration is not available or practical, due to physical parameters of capacitors like ESR, inductance and breakdown voltages, as well as currents, then EQ. (8) reveals the following important considerations for embodiments of the invention: The transferred charge, q, is influenced by the amount of time available for transferring the charge; The transferred charge, q, is proportional to the current available for charging the energy storage device; and Maximization of charge, q, is a function of ic, C, and TA. Therefore, it can be shown that for embodiments: q max = Cv max = C [ 1 C ∫ 0 T A i c ⅆ t ] max EQ . ( 9 ) The impulse response for the RC processing network is; h ( t ) = ⅇ - τ RC RC [ u ( τ ) - u ( τ - T A ) ] EQ . ( 10 ) Suppose that TA is constrained to be less than or equal to ½ cycle of the carrier period. Then, for a synchronous forcing function, the voltage across a capacitor is given by EQ. (11). V 0 ( t ) = ∫ - ∞ t sin ( π f A τ ) · ⅇ - ( t - τ ) RC RC ⅆ τ EQ . ( 11 ) Maximizing the charge, q, requires maximizing V0(t) with; respect to t and β. ∂ 2 V 0 ( t ) ∂ t ∂ β = 0 EQ . ( 12 ) It is easier, however, to set R=1, TA=1, A=1, fA=TA−1 and then calculate q=cV0 from the previous equations by recognizing that q = β - 1 R V 0 = cV 0 , which produces a normalized response. FIG. 57 illustrates that increasing C is preferred in various embodiments of the invention. It can be seen in FIG. 57 that as C increases (i.e., as β decreases) the charge transfer also increases. This is what is to be expected based on the optimum SNR solution. Hence, for embodiments of the present invention, an optimal SNR design results in optimal charge transfer. As C is increased, bandwidth considerations should be taken into account. In embodiments, EQ. (6) establishes TA as the entire half sine for an optimal processor. However, in embodiments, optimizing jointly for t and β reveals that the RC processor response creates an output across the energy storage capacitor that peaks for tmax≅0.75TA, and βmax≅2.6, when the forcing function to the network is a half sine pulse. In embodiments, if the capacitor of the RC processor embodiment is replaced by an ideal integrator then tmax→TA. βTA≅1.95 EQ. (13) where β=(RC)−1 For example, for a 2.45 GHz signal and a source impedance of 50Ω, EQ. (13) above suggests the use of a capacitor of ≅2 pf. This is the value of capacitor for the aperture selected, which permits the optimum voltage peak for a single pulse accumulation. For practical realization of some embodiments of the present invention, the capacitance calculated by EQ. (13) is a minimum capacitance. SNR is not considered optimized at βTA≅1.95. A smaller β yields better SNR and better charge transfer. In embodiments, it turns out that charge can also be enhanced if multiple apertures are used for collecting the charge. In embodiments, for the ideal matched filter/correlator approximation, βTA is constant and equivalent for both consideration of enhanced SNR and enhanced charge transfer, and charge is accumulated over many apertures for most practical designs. Consider the following example, B=0.25, and TA=1. Thus βTA=0.25. At 2.45 GHz, with R=50Ω, C can be calculated from: C ≧ T A R ( .25 ) ≥ 16.3 pf EQ . ( 14 ) The charge accumulates over several apertures, and SNR is simultaneously enhanced melding the best of two features of the present invention. Checking CV for βTA≅1.95 vs. βTA=0.25 confirms that charge is enhanced for the latter. 4.3 Load Resistor Consideration FIG. 58 illustrates an example RC processor embodiment 5802 of the present invention having a load resistance 5804 across a capacitance 5806. As will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant arts given the description of the invention herein, RC processor 5802 is similar to an aliasing module and/or an energy transfer module according to the invention. The transfer function of An RC processing embodiment 5802 of the invention (without initial conditions) can be represented by the following equations: H ( s ) = 1 - ⅇ - sT A s ( 1 sCR + k ) EQ . ( 15 ) k = ( R / R L + 1 ) EQ . ( 16 ) h ( t ) = ( ⅇ - t · k RC RC ) [ u ( t ) - ( t - T A ) ] EQ . ( 17 ) From the equations, it can be seen that RL 5804, and therefore k, accelerate the exponential decay cycle. V 0 ( t ) = ∫ - ∞ t sin ( π f a τ ) · ⅇ - k ( t - τ ) RC RC ⅆ τ EQ . ( 18 ) V 0 ( t ) = ( 1 k 2 + ( π f A ) 2 ) [ k · sin ( π f A t ) - π f A RC · cos ( π f A t ) + RC ⅇ - kt RC ] 0 ≤ t ≤ T A EQ . ( 19 ) This result is valid over the acquisition aperture. After the switch is opened, the final voltage that occurred at the sampling instance t≅TA becomes an initial condition for a discharge cycle across RL 5804. The discharge cycle possesses the following response: V D = V A · ⅇ - t R L C R L C u ( t - T A ) ( single event discharge ) EQ . ( 20 ) VA is defined as V0(t≅TA). Of course, if the capacitor 5806 does not completely discharge, there is an initial condition present for the next acquisition cycle. FIG. 59 illustrates an example implementation of the invention, modeled as a switch S, a capacitor Cs, and a load resistance R. FIG. 61 illustrates example energy transfer pulses, having apertures A, for controlling the switch S. FIG. 60 illustrates an example charge/discharge timing diagram for the capacitor CS, where the capacitor CS charges during the apertures A, and discharges between the apertures A. Equations (21) through (35) derive a relationship between the capacitance of the capacitor Cs (Cs(R)), the resistance of the resistor R, the duration of the aperture A (aperture width), and the frequency of the energy transfer pulses (freq LO) in embodiments of the invention. EQ. (31) illustrates that in an embodiment optimum energy transfer occurs when x=0.841 (i.e., in this example, the voltage on the capacitor at the start of the next aperture (charging period) is about 84.1 percent of the voltage on the capacitor at the end of the preceding aperture (charging period)). Based on the disclosure herein, one skilled in the relevant art(s) will realize that values other that 0.841 can be utilized (See, for example, FIG. 41). ϕ = 1 C ∫ i ( t ) ∂ t + Ri ( t ) EQ . ( 21 ) ∂ ∂ t ϕ = ∂ ∂ t [ 1 C ∫ i ( t ) ∂ t + Ri ( t ) ] EQ . ( 22 ) ϕ = i ( t ) C s + R ∂ i ( t ) ∂ t EQ . ( 23 ) ϕ = 1 C s + R · s EQ . ( 24 ) s = - 1 C s · R , by definition : i init ( t ) = V C s init R EQ . ( 25 ) i ( t ) = ( V C s init R ) · ⅇ ( - t C s · R ) EQ . ( 26 ) V out ( t ) = R · i ( t ) = V C s init · ⅇ ( - t C s · R ) EQ . ( 27 ) Maximum power transfer occurs when: Power_Final = 1 2 · Peak_Power EQ . ( 28 ) Power_Peak = ( V C s peak ) 2 R EQ . ( 29 ) Power_Final = ( x · V C s peak ) 2 R EQ . ( 30 ) Using substitution: ( x · V C s peak ) 2 R = ( V C s peak ) 2 R · 1 2 EQ . ( 31 ) Solving for “x” yields: x=0.841. Letting VCsinit=1 yields Vout(t)=0.841 when t = 1 freqLO - Aperture_Width . EQ . ( 32 ) Using substitution again yields: 0.841 = 1 · ⅇ ( 1 freqLO - Aperture_Width - C s · R ) EQ . ( 33 ) ln ( 0.841 ) = ( 1 freqLO - Aperture_Width - C s · R ) EQ . ( 34 ) This leads to the following EQ. (35) for selecting a capacitance. C s ( R ) = ( 1 freqLO - Aperture_Width - ln ( 0.841 ) · R ) EQ . ( 35 ) The following equation according to the invention can be solved to find an expression for the energy accumulated over a bit time, Eb, as shown below. D = ∫ 0 T A ( u ( t ) - u ( t - T A ) ) · A sin ( 2 π f t + θ ) ⅆ t EQ . ( 36 ) D = A cos ( θ ) · ( - cos ( 2 π ft ) ) ( 2 π ) f ( Evaluated from 0 to T A ) EQ . ( 37 ) where u(t), u(t−TA), and A are in volts, and D is expressed in Volts*Volts/Hz. Realizing the f equals 1/t, D can be written as: D = A cos ( θ ) · ( - cos ( 2 π ft ) t ) ( 2 π ) EQ . ( 38 ) where D is now expressed in volts*volts*seconds. Dividing D by the complex impedance Z of an RC processor according to the invention, when the switch (aperture) is closed, results in: D Z = A cos ( θ ) · ( - cos ( 2 π ft ) t ) ( 2 π ) Z ( Evaluated from 0 to T A ) EQ . ( 39 ) Since (volts*volts)/Z equals power, and since power equals joules/second, D/Z has units of (joules/second)/second. Thus, D/Z is the amount of energy accumulated over a bit time (Eb). A more useful expression for the energy accumulated over a bit time (Eb) is: E b = ∑ n = 1 aperturep_per _bit A n cos ( θ n ) ( - cos ( 2 π ft ) t 2 π Z n ) ( Evaluated from 0 to T A ) EQ . ( 40 ) where Eb is expressed in joules per bit. Referring to the following equation, from above, it can be seen that there is a 2nf term in the denominator. D = A · cos ( ϕ ) · ( - cos ( 2 · π · f · t ) ) ( 2 · π ) · f EQ . ( 41 ) Analysis reveals that this term, and other terms, have physical units that allow a person skilled in the relevant art, given the discussion herein, to understand and relate the resultant quantity in a manner consistent with actual measurements of implementations of the present invention. Note that as the aperture time Ta becomes smaller, the absolute value of the energy accumulated over a single aperture period is less. However, what is equally important is the fact that the energy continues to accumulate over multiple aperture periods. The number of aperture periods required to reach an optimum value is dependent on two factors: (1) the aperture period, and (2) the complex impedance (Z) of C and R when the switch is closed, as described elsewhere herein. The values of C and R can, therefore, be selected to optimize the energy transfer during the half sine sample period. By including the Z term in the equation, a person skilled in the relevant art can calculate the Energy per Bit (i.e., Eb) directly and relate the results back to embodiments of the present invention, e.g., hardware performance. This analysis can also be used to show that the optimum system performance in terms of bandwidth and power transfer occurs when the aperture period is equal to one-half of a carrier frequency cycle. 4.4 Enhancing the Linear Operating Features of Embodiments of the Invention The analysis and description that follow explain how to enhance the linearity of embodiments of the invention. As described herein, embodiments of the present invention provide exceptional linearity per milliwatt. For example, rail to rail dynamic range is possible with minimal increase in power. In an example integrated circuit embodiment, the present invention provides +55 dmb IP2, +15 dbm IP3, @ 3.3V, 4.4 ma, −15 dmb LO. GSM system requirements are +22 dbm IP2, −10.5 dmb IP3. CDMA system requirements are +50 dmb IP2, +10 dbm IP3. As described herein, embodiments of the invention can be implemented using MOSFETs (although the invention is not limited to this example). Thus, for purposes of analysis, it is assumed that an embodiment of the invention is implemented using one or more enhancement MOSFETs having the following parameter: a channel width (W) equal to 400 microns; a channel length (L) of 0.5 microns; a threshold voltage (Vt) equal to 2 volts; and a k value equal to 0.003 (W/L), or k equal to 0.24. The drain current (ID) for an N-Channel Enhancement MOSFET is given by the following 2nd order equation: i D ( v GS , v DS ) := K · [ 2 · ( v GS - V t ) · v DS - v DS 2 ] if v DS ≤ v GS - V t [ K · ( v GS - V t ) 2 ] otherwise EQ . ( 42 ) Note that since EQ. 42 is only a second order equation, we analyze second order distortion. FIG. 42 is a plot of drain current (ID) as a function of drain-source voltage (VDS) for three different gate-source voltages (i.e., Vgs equal to 3V, 4V, and 5V). As evident from the iD versus vDS plot in FIG. 42, the larger the gate-source voltage is, the larger the linear region (larger “ohmic” or “triode” region) is for vDS. The linear region is represented by the sloped lines (linear resistances) just to the left of the knee of the curves. The drain current distorts when vDS starts swinging beyond the sloped line, into the knee of the curve. FIG. 43 is a plot of the drain current of a typical FET as a function of drain-source voltage and gate-source voltage. It illustrates how linearity is improved by increasing the gate-source voltage. Of particular note, FIG. 43 shows that a FFF becomes increasingly linear with increasing vGS. FIG. 43 shows how the drain current of a FET distorts when a sinusoid VDS(t) is applied across the drain and source junction. Therefore, biasing the FET with a larger VGS improves linearity. FIG. 44 illustrates what happens when, instead of having a large constant VGS, VGS is made to change proportionally to VDS. In FIG. 44, three different constants of proportionality have been plotted to illustrate what happens to the linearity when VGS is made to change proportionally to VDS. Each of the curves is plotted with the same DC bias of 3 volts on VGS The first curve has a constant of proportionality of zero (i.e., no change of VGS with VDS). As illustrated by the curves in FIG. 44, in embodiments, one can get an additional, significant linearity improvement over the large and constant VGS case, if one makes VGS change proportionally to VDS. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 44, there is an optimum constant of proportionality (i.e., 0.5) in embodiments of the invention. FIGS. 45A-E are plots of the FFTs of the FET drain currents for different constants of proportionality (CPs). These plots illustrate how second order distortion is affected when using different constants of proportionality. The second order distortion in FIG. 45A (PC=0) is −12.041 dBc. The second order distortion in FIG. 45B (PC=0.25) is −18.062 dBc. The second order distortion in FIG. 45C (PC=0.5) is −318.443 dBc. The second order distortion in FIG. 45D (PC=0.75) is −18.062 dBc. The second order distortion in FIG. 45E (PC=1) is −12.041 dBc. The plots in FIGS. 45A-E show that there is a significant linearity improvement by making VGS change proportional to VDS over the case where VGS is constant. The optimum constant of proportionality is 0.5, or when VGS is proportional to VDS by a factor of 0.5. It can be shown that choosing constants of proportionality greater than 1 will make the BET linearity worse than having a constant VGS (PC=0). FIGS. 45A-E show, as expected, that the DC term increases as the second order distortion gets worse (i.e., second order distortion produces a DC term). FIG. 46 shows two sets of curves. One set of curves is a plot of the FET drain current with a constant VGS. The other set of curves is a plot of the FET drain current with a VGS signal proportional to one half VDS. The FET linearization effect can be seen in FIG. 46. The FET linearization effect can also be seen mathematically by substituting VGS=Vbias+0.5VDS into the FET's drain current equation above to obtain: i D ( v DS ) := K · [ 2 · [ ( V bias + 0.5 · v DS ) - V t ] · v DS - v DS 2 ] if v DS ≤ v bias + 0.5 · v DS - V t [ K · ( v bias + 0.5 · v DS - V t ) 2 ] otherwise EQ . ( 43 ) Simplifying this expression yields: i D ( v DS ) := | [ 2 · K · ( V bias - V t ) ] · v DS if v DS ≤ 2 · ( V bias - V t ) 0.25 · K · [ v DS + 2 · ( V bias - V t ) ] 2 otherwise EQ . ( 44 ) Thus, for vDS less than or equal to 2(Vbias−Vt), the drain current is a linear function of vDS with a slope of 2K(Vbias−Vt). In this region, making VGS equal to half of VDS, cancels the square term (VDS)2, leaving only linear terms. As described herein, embodiments of the invention (see, for example, the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 18A and 19) exhibit enhanced linearity properties. The enhanced linearity properties are achieved where: (1) |VGS|≧0.5*Vdd (i.e., the instantaneous differential voltage |VGS| is made as large as possible for both NMOS and PMOS devices, thus ensuring that voltage differential |VGS| does not swing below (0.5*Vdd)), (2) |VGS|=|0.5*VDS|+0.5*Vdd (i.e., as the RF signal across the drain and source gets larger, the voltage differential |VGS| gets larger by a proportionality factor of 0.5—when the RF signal gets large and one needs more linearity, VGS automatically increases to give more linearity), and/or (3) The drain and source of the NMOS and PMOS devices swap every half RF cycle so that (1) and (2) above are always satisfied. If an amplitude imbalance occurs, for example, across the FETS in FIG. 19, it will degrade the 2nd order linearity performance of receiver 1902. This is because the amplitude imbalance will change the constant of proportionality relating vGS to vDS from the optimum value of 0.5 to some other value. However, the only amplitude imbalance possible is at RF because the configuration of receiver 1902 guarantees that the baseband waveform will have perfect phase and amplitude balance. In addition to the advantages already described herein, additional advantages of receiver 1902 include: lower LO to RF reradiation, lower DC offset, and lower current (only one switch). Furthermore, the architecture of receiver 1902 ensures that the baseband differential signals will be amplitude and phase balanced, regardless of the imbalance at the input of the circuit at RF. This is because when the FET switch turns on, the two input capacitors are shorted together in series with a differential voltage across them. The capacitors have no ground reference and thus do not know there is an imbalance. As will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant arts, the advantages to the configuration of receiver 1902 and UFD module 1938 are significant. In practice, the differential configuration of UFD 1938 has yielded high linearity that is repeatable. In summary, to enhance the linearity of embodiments of the invention, one should: (1) maintain the instantaneous voltage differential VGS as large as possible for both the NMOS and PMOS devices; and/or (2) make the voltage differential VGs change proportional to VDS so that |VGS|=Vbias+0.5*|VDS|. The enhanced linearity features described herein are also applicable to single-switch embodiments of the invention. Consider, for example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 20E. For this embodiment, VGS increases with VDS over half of an RF cycle. During the other half of the cycle VGS is constant. During the half RF cycle that VGS does increase with VDS, it increases at the same rate as VDS. The magnitude of VGS is given by EQ. 45 and EQ. 46. |VGS|=|VDS|+0.5*Vdd (for negative half of RF cycle) EQ. (45) |VGS|=0.5*Vdd (for positive half of RF cycle) EQ. (46) FIGS. 47-53 further illustrate the enhanced linearity features of embodiments of the invention. FIG. 47 shows additional plots that illustrate how the linearity of switching devices are enhance, for example, by the architecture of FIG. 19. FIG. 19 shows the current of the switching device when used according to the architecture of a conventional receiver and the architecture of receiver 1902. As described herein, the current of a typical FET switching device is given by EQ. 47 below, and the current of the FET switching device when used according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 19 is given by EQ. 48. id ( vgs , vds ) := ❘ K · [ 2 · ( vgs - vt ) · vds - vds 2 ] if vds ≤ vgs - vt [ K · ( vgs - vt ) 2 ] otherwise EQ . ( 47 ) id 1 ( vgs , vds ) := ❘ K · ⌊ 2 · ( vgs + c · vds - vt ) · vds - vds 2 ⌋ if vds ≤ ( vgs + c · vds - vt ) [ K · ( vgs + c · vds - vt ) 2 ] otherwise EQ . ( 48 ) where k=0.24, vt=1.2 volts, c=0.5, and Vds=0 to 5 volts. FIG. 47 illustrates the current of a typical FEAS switching device when used in a conventional receiver (id), when used in receiver 1902 (id1), and when used in receiver 2002 (id2). EQ. 49 describes the current in a typical FET switching device. EQ. 50 describes the current in a FET of receiver 1902. EQ. 51 describes the current in a FEY of receiver 2002. id ( vgs , vds , t ) := ❘ K · [ 2 · ( vgs - vt ) · vds ( t ) - vds ( t ) 2 ] if vds ( t ) ≤ vgs - vt [ K · ( vgs - vt ) 2 ] otherwise EQ . ( 49 ) id 2 ( vgs , vds , t ) := ❘ K · [ 2 · ( vgs + c · vds ( t ) - vt ) · vds ( t ) - vds ( t ) 2 ] if vds ( t ) ≤ ( vgs + c · vds ( t ) - vt ) [ K · ( vgs + c · vds ( t ) - vt ) 2 ] otherwise EQ . ( 50 ) where c = 0.5 id 1 ( vgs , vds , t ) := ❘ K · [ 2 · ( vgs + c · vds ( t ) - vt ) · vds ( t ) - vds ( t ) 2 ] if vds ( t ) ≤ ( vgs + c · vds ( t ) - vt ) [ K · ( vgs + c · vds ( t ) - vt ) 2 ] otherwise EQ . ( 51 ) where c = 1.0 FIG. 49 illustrates the voltage relationship between Vgs and the aperture voltage for receiver 1902. FIGS. 50-53 illustrate the frequency spectrums for the currents of FIG. 48. FIGS. 50-53 are logarithmic plots. FIG. 50 is a combined plot of the frequency spectrum for all three of the current plots of FIG. 48. FIG. 51 is a plot of the frequency spectrum for the current of a FET switching device of receiver 1902. FIG. 52 is a plot of the frequency spectrum for the current of a FET switching device of receiver a typical FET switching device. FIG. 53 is a plot of the frequency spectrum for the current of a FET switching device of receiver 2002. As can be seen in the plots, there is an absence of second order distortion for the FET switching device of receiver 1902. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, these plots herein demonstrate the enhanced linearity features of embodiments of the invention. 5 Example Method Embodiment of the Invention FIG. 62 illustrates a flowchart of a method 6200 for down-converting an electromagnetic signal according to an embodiment of the present invention. This method can be implemented using any of the receiver and/or transceiver embodiments of the present invention described herein. Method 6200 is described with reference to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 16O. As described below, method 6200 comprises five steps. In step 6202, a RF information signal is received. The RF signal can be received by any known means, for example, using an antenna or a cable. In embodiments, the RF signal may be amplified using a low-noise amplifier and/or filtered after it is received. These steps, however, are not required in accordance with method 6200. In step 6204, the received RF information signal is electrically coupled to a capacitor. For the receiver shown in FIG. 16O, the RF signal is electrically coupled to the carrier(+) port of receiver 1602 and capacitor 1604. When used herein, the phrase “A is electrically coupled to B” does not foreclose the possibility that there may be other components physically between A and B. For receiver 1602, the received RF signal is inverted (e.g., using an inverter as shown in FIG. 17), and the inverted RF signal is coupled to the carrier(−) port and capacitor 1606. In embodiments (e.g., 2001), there is no need to invert the received RF information signal. Thus, the step of inverting the received RF signal is not required in accordance with method 6200. In accordance with method 6200, the RF information signal may also be electrically coupled to a capacitor using a switching device coupled to the capacitor. For example, for receiver 1688 shown in FIG. 16H, the received RF signal is coupled to capacitor 1604 through switching device 1608. Similarly, the inverted RF signal is coupled to capacitor 1606 through switching device 1610. Thus, as will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, two or more devices can be electrically coupled yet not physically coupled. In step 6206, a switching device, electrically coupled to the capacitor, is used to control a charging and discharging cycle of the capacitor. In FIG. 16O, switching device 1608 is used to control the charging and discharging of capacitor 1604. As described above, when switching device 1608 is closed, the RF signal coupled to capacitor 1604 causes a charge to be stored on capacitor 1604. This charging cycle is control by the apertures of control signal 1646, as described herein. During a period of time that switching device 1608 is open (i.e., between the apertures of control signal 1646), a percentage of the total charge stored on capacitor 1604 is discharged. As described herein, capacitor 1604 is sized in accordance with embodiments of the invention to discharge between about six percent to about fifty percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that switching device 1608 is open (although other ranges apply to other embodiments of the invention). In a similar manner, switching device 1614 is used to control the charging and discharging of capacitor 1606 so that between about six percent to about fifty percent of the total charge stored therein is discharged during a period of time that switching device 1610 is open. In step 6208, a plurality of charging and discharging cycles of the capacitor is performed in accordance with the techniques and features of the invention described herein, thereby forming a down-converted information signal. The number of charging and discharging cycles needed to down-convert a received information signal is dependent on the particular apparatus used and the RF signal received, as well as other factors. Method 6200 ends at step 6210 when the received RF information signal has been down-converted using the techniques and features of the invention described herein. In embodiments of the invention, the down-converted signal has a carrier signal riding on top of the down-converted signal. Thus, as described herein, this carrier signal can be removed, for example, by filtering the down-converted signal or by amplifying the down-converted signal with a band-limited amplifier. For the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 16O, the carrier signal riding on the down-converted signal is removed using amplifiers 1620 and 1624. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant arts, amplifiers 1620 and 1624 are intended to operate on signals having a lower range of frequencies than carrier signals. Thus, amplifiers 1620 and 1624 act as filters to a carrier signal riding on top of a down converted signal. In embodiments of the invention, a low pass filter is used to remove the carrier signal as described herein, and as would be known to a person skilled in the relevant arts. 6 Conclusion While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the down-conversion and up-conversion of an electromagnetic signal using a universal frequency translation module. 2. Related Art Various communication components exist for performing frequency down-conversion, frequency up-conversion, and filtering. Also, schemes exist for signal reception in the face of potential jamming signals. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Briefly stated, the present invention is directed to methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting and/or up-converting an electromagnetic signal, and applications thereof. In an embodiment, the invention down-converts the electromagnetic signal to an intermediate frequency signal. In another embodiment, the invention down-converts the electromagnetic signal to a demodulated baseband information signal. In another embodiment, the electromagnetic signal is a frequency modulated (FM) signal, which is down-converted to a non-FM signal, such as a phase modulated (PM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal. In one embodiment, the invention uses a stable, low frequency signal to generate a higher frequency signal with a frequency and phase that can be used as stable references. In another embodiment, the present invention is used as a transmitter. In this embodiment, the invention accepts an information signal at a baseband frequency and transmits a modulated signal at a frequency higher than the baseband frequency. In an embodiment, the invention operates by receiving an electromagnetic signal and recursively operating on approximate half cycles of a carrier signal. The recursive operations are typically performed at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal. The invention accumulates the results of the recursive operations and uses the accumulated results to form a down-converted signal. The methods and systems of transmitting vary slightly depending on the modulation scheme being used. For some embodiments using frequency modulation (FM) or phase modulation (PM), the information signal is used to modulate an oscillating signal to create a modulated intermediate signal. If needed, this modulated intermediate signal is “shaped” to provide a substantially optimum pulse-width-to-period ratio. This shaped signal is then used to control a switch that opens and closes as a function of the frequency and pulse width of the shaped signal. As a result of this opening and closing, a signal that is harmonically rich is produced with each harmonic of the harmonically rich signal being modulated substantially the same as the modulated intermediate signal. Through proper filtering, the desired harmonic (or harmonics) is selected and transmitted. For some embodiments using amplitude modulation (AM), the switch is controlled by an unmodulated oscillating signal (which may, if needed, be shaped). As the switch opens and closes, it gates a reference signal, which is the information signal. In an alternate implementation, the information signal is combined with a bias signal to create the reference signal, which is then gated. The result of the gating is a harmonically rich signal having a fundamental frequency substantially proportional to the oscillating signal and an amplitude substantially proportional to the amplitude of the reference signal. Each of the harmonics of the harmonically rich signal also has amplitudes proportional to the reference signal, and is thus considered to be amplitude modulated. Just as with the FM/PM embodiments described above, through proper filtering, the desired harmonic (or harmonics) is selected and transmitted. The invention is applicable to any type of electromagnetic signal, including but not limited to, modulated carrier signals (the invention is applicable to any modulation scheme or combination thereof) and unmodulated carrier signals. Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Such embodiments are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. | 20041012 | 20101026 | 20071220 | 94952.0 | H04B126 | 1 | TRAN, PABLO N | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DOWN-CONVERTING ELECTROMAGNETIC SIGNALS BY CONTROLLED CHARGING AND DISCHARGING OF A CAPACITOR | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | H04B | 2,004 |
|
10,961,373 | ACCEPTED | Intelligent electrical devices | An electronic circuit for use with an exhaustible power source and load such as a light bulb, a radio or motor, includes a microchip with an input that transmits a signal to the microchip when the load is activated or deactivated. The input does not form a serial link between the power source and the load. The power switch, by on/off switching, controls energy flow from the power source to the load. The electronic circuit has an automatic delayed shut-off function for the load and, a find-in-the-dark indicator and a power source level indicator which are active when the load is not energized and the power source is not being charged. The input to the microchip acts as an activation/deactivation user interface. The microchip allows the user to select specific functions based on the time duration of activation signals, the time duration between activation signals and the number of activation signals at the input. | 1. A lighting unit for use with a power source, comprising: (a) an energy consuming load being a light source; (b) a first circuit for conducting power from said power source to activate the light source; (c) a switch, wherein the switch is not a serial element of the first circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; (d) a touch sensor; (e) a microchip having a first input coupled to the switch and at least a second input coupled to the touch sensor; (f) wherein the microchip is capable of controlling the activation and the deactivation of the light source in response to a first signal from the switch received through said first input; and (g) wherein the microchip, in response to at least a signal from second input, is capable of causing the light source to perform a function. 2. The lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the power source is an exhaustible power source. 3. The lighting unit of claim 2, wherein the microchip controls the light source to perform an automatic delayed switch off function in response to an activation command received through at least one of said inputs. 4. The lighting unit of claim 2, wherein the switch is a non-latching push button switch. 5. The lighting unit of claim 4, further comprising a casing and wherein the microchip, the switch, the touch sensor and the light source are each attached to and/or enclosed in the casing. 6. The lighting unit of claim 5, wherein the microchip is capable of controlling the flow of power to the light source to gradually vary the brightness thereof, such that the gradual change in brightness is not easily visible to the user. 7. The lighting unit of claim 5, further comprising a find-in-the-dark indicator and wherein the microchip activates the find-in-the-dark indicator in response to a signal received from the touch sensor. 8. The lighting unit of claim 3, wherein the microchip also controls an advance auto off warning signal. 9. The lighting unit of claim 8, wherein the microchip is further configured to accept a signal from the touch sensor to reset an auto off timing sequence after the advance auto off warning signal was activated. 10. The lighting unit of claim 7, wherein the microchip also controls an automatic delayed switch off function and an advance auto off warning signal to indicate the auto switch off is imminent. 11. The lighting unit of claim 10, wherein the microchip is further configured to accept a signal from the touch sensor to reset the auto off timing sequence only after the advance auto off warning signal has been activated. 12. The lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the microchip is further capable of allowing a user to gradually vary the power to the light source in response to at least a signal received through the first input. 13. The lighting unit of claim 5, wherein the microchip is further capable of allowing a user to gradually vary the power to the light source in response to at least a signal received through the first input. 14. The lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the microchip is further configured to control a find-in-the-dark indication in response to a proximity detection by the touch sensor. 15. The lighting unit of claim 4, wherein the lighting unit has an off mode, and wherein the microchip is further capable of causing the light source to change from an operating mode to the off mode if the time period between a switch operation when selecting the operating mode and a subsequent activation of the switch, is more than a predetermined period of time. 16. A method of controlling a lighting unit for use with an exhaustible power source comprising a light source, a push button switch that serves as a user interface but does not form a part of a path for supplying power from the power source to operate the light source and a touch sensor that serves as a user interface for contact and/or proximity detection, the method comprising: receiving a signal from the switch on a first input of a microchip, wherein the microchip is capable of activating and deactivating the light source in response to at least a first signal received through said first input; causing, under control of the microchip, the flow of power to the light source to be varied in response to at least a signal received on the first input; and causing, under control of the microchip and in response to a signal through the second input, coupled to the touch sensor, the lighting unit to perform a function. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: causing, under control of the microchip, the light source to gradually vary in brightness in response to a user action. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the lighting unit has an off mode, and the method further comprising: causing, under control of the microchip, the light source to change from an operating mode either to the off mode or to another operating mode in response to a switch actuation, based on the time period elapsed since the selection of a currently active operating mode. 19. The method of claim 16, further comprising: causing, under control of the microchip, the find-in-the-dark indicator to be activated in response to a signal received from the touch sensor. 20. A lighting unit for use with an exhaustible power supply, comprising: (a) a light source; (b) a first circuit for conducting power from said power source to activate the light source; (c) a switch, wherein the switch is not a serial element of the first circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; (d) a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor is a proximity and/or contact user interface; (e) a microchip having a first input coupled to the switch and at least a second input coupled to the touch sensor, and wherein the microchip is capable of controlling the activation, deactivation and at least one other function of the light source in response to at least a signal received through said first input; and (f) wherein the microchip is further configured to provide a find-in-the-dark function by activating an indicator that is active when the light source has not been activated by the user, said indicator also being controlled to give an indication of the switch operation and/or an indication of signals received from said touch sensor. 21. The lighting unit of claim 20, further comprising a casing, wherein the light source, the switch, the touch sensor, the indicator and the microchip are each coupled to the casing and/or enclosed in the casing. 22. The lighting unit of claim 20, wherein the microchip is further capable of causing the light source to change from one operating mode either to another operating mode or to an off mode, in response to the passage of time between the activation of an operating mode in response to at least one signal received through at least one input and a subsequent signal received from the switch and/or touch sensor. 23. The lighting unit of claim 20, wherein the microchip is further configured to select an off mode if the time period between an operation of the switch when selecting a mode and a next operation of the switch is more than a predetermined period of time. 24. The lighting unit of claim 20, wherein the microchip is further configured to provide an automatic delayed shut-off function in response to an activation command from said switch and/or the touch sensor. 25. The lighting unit of claim 20, wherein the microchip is further configured to allow a user to gradually vary the power supplied to the light source. 26. The lighting unit of claim 23, wherein the microchip is further configured to provide an automatic delayed shut-off function in response to an activation command received through said first input from said switch. 27. A lighting unit for use with an exhaustible power supply, comprising: (a) a light source; (b) a first circuit for conducting power from said power source to activate the light source; (c) a switch, wherein the switch is not a serial element of the first circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; (d) a touch sensor that serves as a user interface for contact and/or proximity detection; (e) a microchip having a first input coupled to the switch and at least a second input coupled to the touch sensor, wherein the microchip is capable of controlling the activation and deactivation of the light source in response to at least a signal received through said first input; (f) wherein the light source has a plurality of operating modes including at least a first operating mode and a second operating mode with an adjusted power level supplied to the light source, and wherein the user selects an operating mode from said plurality of modes through the said switch connected to said first input, and wherein the second operating mode provides a different level of illumination when compared with the first operating mode; (g) wherein the microchip is further configured to gradually vary the power to the light source based on the time period of switch actuation, such that the gradual change in power is not easily visible to the user; and (h) wherein the microchip also accept commands from the touch sensor to perform functions. 28. The lighting unit of claim 27 configured to have a casing and wherein the microchip, the switch, the touch sensor and the light source are each attached to and/or enclosed in the casing. 29. The lighting unit of claim 28 wherein the microchip is further configured to activate a find-in-the-dark indicator in response to at least a proximity indication signal from the touch sensor. 30. The lighting unit of claim 28, wherein the microchip is further capable of causing the light source to change from one operating mode either to another one of the plurality of operating modes or to an off mode, in response to the passage of time between the activation of an operating mode by operating the switch and a subsequent operation of the switch. 31. The lighting unit of claim 27, wherein the microchip is further configured to be capable of selecting an off mode if the time period between a signal received when selecting an operating mode, and a next signal from the switch and/or touch sensor, is more than a predetermined period of time. 32. The lighting unit of claim 27, wherein the microchip is further configured to provide an automatic delayed shut-off function in response to an activation command. 33. The lighting unit of claim 27, wherein the microchip is further configured to have an address and to receive at least one command from a controller that contains at least an address. 34. The lighting unit of claim 30, wherein the microchip is further configured to have an address and to receive at least one command from a controller that contains at least an address. 35. The lighting unit of claim 29, wherein the microchip is further configured to provide an automatic delayed shut-off function in response to an activation command. 36. A lighting unit for use with an exhaustible power supply, comprising: (a) a light source; (b) a first circuit for conducting power from said power source to operate the light source; (c) a switch, wherein the switch is a serial element of said first circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; (d) a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor serves as a user interface for contact and/or proximity detection; (e) a microchip having a first input coupled to the switch and at least a second input coupled to the touch sensor, and wherein the microchip is capable of controlling the activation and deactivation of the light source; (f) wherein the light source has a plurality of modes including at least an off mode; and (g) wherein the microchip is further configured to provide a shut off function if the time period of switch actuation was longer than a certain predefined period of time and to provide another of the plurality of modes if the time period of switch actuation was less than a certain predefined period of time. 37. The lighting unit of claim 36, wherein the microchip is further configured to provide an automatic delayed shut-off function in response to an activation command. 38. A lighting unit for use with an exhaustible power source, comprising: (a) a light source; (b) a first circuit for conducting power from said power source to operate the light source; (c) a switch, wherein the switch is not a serial element of said first circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; (d) a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor serves as a user interface for contact and/or proximity detection; (e) a microchip having a first input connected to the switch, wherein the microchip is capable of controlling the activation and deactivation of the light source in response to a signal received from said switch through said input; (f) wherein the light source has a plurality of user-selectable operating modes controlled by said microchip, said operating modes being selected by signals received at least from said switch through said first input; (g) wherein the microchip is further capable of causing the light source to change from an active operating mode, that is one of the plurality of operating modes, to an off mode, if the time period between a switch operation during the selection of the active operating mode and the next activation of the switch is longer than a predetermined period of time; (h) wherein the microchip is further capable of causing the light source to change from an active operating mode, that is one of the plurality of operating modes, to another one of the plurality of operating modes, if the time period between a switch operation during the selection of the active operating mode and the next activation of the switch is not longer than a predetermined period of time; (i) wherein the light source has an operating mode in which the microchip causes an adjustment of the average current supplied to the light source by means of an intermittent power delivery sequence from said power source, such that any dead period of power when the power source is disconnected from said light source, is not easily visible to the human eye; and (j) wherein the microchip is further configured to perform certain functions in response to a signal received from the touch sensor. 39. The lighting unit of claim 38 configured to be a lighting unit, wherein the microchip is configured to control a find-in-the-dark indicator that is active when the light source is not activated by the user. 40. The lighting unit of claim 39 wherein the microchip is further capable of causing the find-in-the-dark indicator to be activated in response to a signal from the touch sensor. 41. The lighting unit of claim 39, wherein the microchip is further configured to enable a user to gradually vary the power supplied to the light source such that the gradual change in brightness is not easily visible and whereby the operating mode selected is based on the time of switch actuation. 42. The lighting unit of claim 38, wherein the microchip is further configured to have an address and to receive at least one command that contains at least an address from a controller. 43. The lighting unit of claim 38, wherein the microchip is further configured to provide an automatic delayed shut-off function in response to an activation command. 44. The lighting unit of claim 41, wherein the microchip is further configured to provide an automatic delayed shut-off function in response to an activation command. 45. The lighting unit of claim 41, wherein the microchip is further configured to have an address and to receive at least one command that contains at least an address from a controller. 46. The lighting unit of claim 44, wherein the microchip is further configured to have an address and to receive at least one command that contains at least an address from a controller. 47. The lighting unit of claim 38, further comprising a casing, wherein the light source, switch, the touch sensor and microchip are each coupled to the casing and/or enclosed in the casing. 48. A switching unit for use with a power source and an energy consuming load comprising; (a) a first circuit for conducting power from said power source to activate the load; (b) a switch, wherein the switch is not a serial element of the first circuit, and wherein the switch is a user interface; (c) a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor is a contact and/or proximity user interface; (d) a microchip having a first input coupled to the switch and at least a second input coupled to the touch sensor; (e) wherein the microchip is capable of controlling the activation and the deactivation of the load in response to a first signal from the switch received through said first input; and (f) an indicator selected from the following: (f1) a find-in-the-dark indicator, wherein the find-in-the-dark indicator is activated under control of the microchip in response to a proximity detection signal from the touch sensor; wherein the find-in-the-dark indicator specifically illuminates a switch user actuation contact surface; and (f2) a second indicator under control of the microchip wherein the second indicator is used to give the user information about a switch near the proximity detection sensor. | CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/806,860, filed Jul. 2, 2001, which is a U.S. National Stage of International Application No. PCT/ZA99/00107, filed Oct. 8, 1999, which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/169,395, filed Oct. 9, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,089. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to new intelligent electrical current switching devices and more particularly, to microchip controlled electrical current switching devices. The invention further relates, in one embodiment, to intelligent batteries having embedded therein a microchip for use with a variety of electrical devices to add heretofore unknown functionality to existing electrical devices. The invention also relates, according to another embodiment, to intelligent hand-held electronic devices, and in a preferred embodiment to hand-held light sources, and more particularly, to flashlights. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the invention relates to intelligent hand-held flashlights having microchip controlled switches wherein said switches can be programmed to perform a variety of functions including, for example, turning the flashlight off after a pre-determined time interval, blinking, or dimming, etc. According to a still further embodiment, the invention relates to low current switches controlled by microchips of the present invention for use in building lighting systems. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In conventional flashlights, manually-operated mechanical switches function to turn the flashlight “on” and “off.” When turned “on,” battery power is applied through the closed switch to a light bulb; the amount of power then consumed depends on how long the switch is closed. In the typical flashlight, the effective life of the battery is only a few hours at most. Should the operator, after using the flashlight to find his/her way in the dark or for any other purpose, then fail to turn it off, the batteries will, in a very short time, become exhausted. Should the flashlight be left in a turned-on and exhausted condition for a prolonged period, the batteries may then leak and exude corrosive electrolyte that is damaging to the contact which engages the battery terminal as well as the casing of the flashlight. When the flashlight is designed for use by a young child the likelihood is greater that the flashlight will be mishandled, because a young child is prone to be careless and forgets to turn the flashlight “off” after it has served its purpose. Because of this, a flashlight may be left “on” for days, if not weeks, and as a result of internal corrosion may no longer be in working order when the exhausted batteries are replaced. Flashlights designed for young children are sometimes in a lantern format, with a casing made of strong plastic material that is virtually unbreakable, the light bulb being mounted within a reflector at the front end of the casing and being covered by a lens from which a light beam is projected. A U-shaped handle is attached to the upper end of the casing, with mechanical on-off slide switch being mounted on the handle, so that a child grasping the handle can readily manipulate the slide actuator with his/her thumb. With a switch of this type on top of a flashlight handle, when the slide actuator is pushed forward by the thumb, the switch “mechanically” closes the circuit and the flashlight is turned “on” and remains “on” until the slide actuator is pulled back to the “off” position and the circuit is opened. It is this type of switch in the hands of a child that is most likely to be inadvertently left “on.” To avoid this problem, many flashlights include, in addition to a slide switch, a push button switch which keeps the flashlight turned on only when finger pressure is applied to the push button. It is difficult for a young child who wishes, say to illuminate a dark corner in the basement of his home for about 30 seconds, to keep a push button depressed for this period. It is therefore more likely that the child will actuate the slide switch to its permanently-on position, for this requires only a monetary finger motion. It is known to provide a flashlight with a delayed action switch which automatically turns off after a pre-determined interval. The Mallory U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,282 discloses a flashlight that is automatically turned off by a delayed action mechanical switch assembly that includes a compression spring housed in a bellows having a leaky valve, so that when a switch is turned on manually, this action serves to mechanically compress the bellows which after a pre-determined interval acts to turn off the switch. A similar delayed action is obtained in a flashlight for children marketed by Playskool Company, this delayed action being realized by a resistance-capacitance timing network which applies a bias to a solid-state transistor switch after 30 seconds or so to cut off the transistor and shut off the flashlight. Also included in the prior art, is a flashlight previously sold by Fisher-Price using an electronic timing circuit to simply turn off the flashlight after about 20 minutes. It is also known, e.g. as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,147, to provide a mechanical switch assembly for a flashlight which includes a suction cup as a delayed action element whereby the flashlight, when momentarily actuated by an operator, functions to connect a battery power supply to a light bulb, and which maintains this connection for a pre-determined interval determined by the memory characteristics of the suction cup, after which the connection is automatically broken. U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,538 discloses a flashlight having the usual components of a battery, and on-off mechanical switch, a bulb, and a hand-held housing, to which there is added a timing means and a circuit-breaking means responsive to the timing means for cutting off the flow of current to the bulb, which further has a by-pass means, preferably child-proof, to direct electric current to the light bulb regardless of the state of the timing means. The patent also provides for the operation of the device may be further enhanced by making the by-pass means a mechanical switch connected so as to leave it in series with the mechanical on-off switch. Furthermore, the patent discloses a lock or other “child-proofing” mechanism may be provided to ensure that the by-pass is disabled when the flashlight is switched off. Most conventional flashlights, like those described above, are actuated by mechanical push or slide button-type switches requiring, of course, mechanical implementation by an operator. Over time, the switch suffers “wear and tear” which impairs operation of the flashlight as a result of, for example, repeated activations by the operator and/or due to the fact that the switch has been left “on” for a prolonged period of time. In addition, such mechanical switches are vulnerable to the effects of corrosion and oxidation and can cause said switches to deteriorate and to become non-functioning. In addition, these prior art devices having these mechanical switches are generally “dumb,” i.e. they do not provide the user with convenient, reliable, and affordable functionalities which today's consumers now demand and expect. The prior art switches typically provide two basic functions in prior art flashlights. First, the mechanical switches act as actual conductors for completing power circuits and providing current during operation of the devices. Depending upon the type of bulb and wiring employed, the intensity of electrical current which must be conducted by the switch is generally quite high leading to, after prolonged use, failure. Second, these mechanical switches must function as an interface between the device and its operator, i.e. the man-machine-interface (“MMI”) and necessarily requires repeated mechanical activations of the switch which over time mechanically deteriorate. Also, currently the electrical switches used in buildings/houses for control of lighting systems are of the conventional type of switches which must conduct, i.e. close the circuit, upon command, thus also providing the MMI. These prior art switches suffer from the same disadvantages as the switches described above in relation to portable electronic devices, like flashlights. Moreover, the switches are relatively dumb in most cases and do not provide the user with a variety of functions, e.g. but not limited to timing means to enable a user, for example, a shop owner or home owner to designate a predetermined shut off or turn on point in time. There is a need for inexpensive, reliable, and simple intelligent electronic devices which provide increased functionality and energy conservation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a microchip controlled switch to manage both the current conducting functions and the MMI functions in an electronic device, such as a flashlight, on a low current basis i.e. without the MMI device having to conduct or switch high current. According to one aspect of the invention, the MMI functions are controlled by very low current signals, using touch pads, or carbon coated membrane type switches. These low current signal switches of the present invention can be smaller, more reliable, less costly, easier to seal and less vulnerable to the effects of corrosion and oxidation. Moreover, since the switch is a solid state component, it is, according to the present invention, possible to control the functions of the device in an intelligent manner by the same microchip which provides the MMI functions. Thus, by practicing the teachings of the present invention, more reliable, intelligent, and efficient electrical devices can be obtained which are cheaper and easier to manufacture than prior art devices. According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a microchip which can be embedded in a battery that will lend intelligence to the battery and thus, the device it is inserted into, so that many functions, including but not limited to, delayed switching, dimming, automatic shut off, and intermittent activation may be inexpensively realized in an existing (non intelligent) product, for example a prior art flashlight. According to a further embodiment, the invention provides a power saving microchip which, when operatively associated with an electronic device, will adjust the average electric current through a current switch, provide an on and off sequence which, for example, but not limited to, in the case of a flashlight, can be determined by an operator and may represent either a flash code sequence or a simple on/off oscillation, provide an indication of battery strength, and/or provide a gradual oscillating current flow to lengthen the life of the operating switch and the power source. According to one embodiment of the invention, an intelligent flashlight, having a microchip controlled switch is provided comprising a microchip for controlling the on/off function and at least one other function of the flashlight. According to a further embodiment of the invention, an intelligent flashlight having a microchip controlled switch is provided comprising an input means for sending activating/deactivating signals to the microchip, and a microchip for controlling the on/off function and at least one other function of the flashlight. According to a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided an intelligent flashlight having a microchip controlled switch comprising an input means for selecting one function of the flashlight, a microchip for controlling at least the on/off function and one other function of the flashlight, wherein the microchip control circuit may further comprise a control-reset means, a clock means, a current switch, and/or any one or combination of the same. According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a battery for use with an electrical device comprising a microchip embedded in the battery. According to still a further embodiment of the invention, a battery for use with an electronic device is provided comprising a microchip embedded in the battery wherein said microchip is adapted such that an input means external to the microchip can select the on/off function and at least one other function of the electronic device. According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an intelligent battery for use with an electronic device, the battery having positive and negative terminal ends and comprising a microchip embedded in the battery, preferably in the positive terminal end, for controlling on/off functions and at least one other function of the electronic device. According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a portable microchip device for use in serial connection with a power source, e.g. an exhaustible power source, and an electronic device powered by said source wherein said electronic device has an input means for activating and deactivating said power source, and said microchip comprising a means for controlling the on/off function and at least one other function of the electronic device upon receipt of a signal from said input means through said power source. According to a still further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a microchip adapted to control lighting in buildings. According to this embodiment, the normal switch on the wall that currently functions as both a power-switch, i.e. conduction of electricity, and MMI can be eliminated, thus eliminating the normal high voltage and high current dangerous wiring to the switch and from the switch to the load or light. Utilizing the present invention, these switches can be replaced with connecting means suitable for low current DC requirements. According to another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a battery comprising an energy storage section, a processor, e.g. a microchip and first and second terminal ends. The first terminal end being connected to the energy storage section, the second terminal end being connected to the processor, and the processor being connected to the second terminal end and the energy storage section. The processor controls the connection of the second terminal end to the energy storage section. According to another embodiment, the present invention provides an electronic apparatus which includes an electrical device, comprising a power supply, an activating/deactivating means, and a processor. The activating/deactivating means is connected to the processor and the processor is connected to the power supply. The processor controls the on/off function of the device and at least one other function of the device in response to signals received from the activation/deactivation means. The present invention, according to a still further embodiment, provides a flashlight comprising a light source, an energy storage means, a switch means, and a processor means. The switch means being in communication with the processor means and the processor means being in communication with the energy storage means which is ultimately in communication with the light source. The processor controls the activation/deactivation of the light source and, in some embodiments, further functions of the flashlight, in response to signals received from the switch means. While the present invention is primarily described in this application with respect to either a flashlight or a battery therefore, the embodiments discussed herein should not be considered limitative of the invention, and many other variations of the use of the intelligent devices of the present invention will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic of a device having a microchip controlled push button or sliding type input activation/deactivation switch according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a microchip for use in association with a push button or sliding input activation/deactivation switch according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3 is a schematic of a second type of intelligent device having a microchip controlled push button or sliding type input activation/deactivation switch according to another embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic of a device having a microchip controlled touch pad or carbon coated membrane activation/deactivation switch according to a still further embodiment of the invention; FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a microchip for use in association with a touch pad or carbon coated membrane activation/deactivation switch according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 6 is a schematic of a second type of device having a microchip controlled touch pad or carbon coated membrane activation/deactivation switch according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 7 is a schematic of a battery having embedded therein a microchip according to a further embodiment of the invention; FIG. 8A is a block diagram of a microchip for use in a battery according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8B is a block diagram of a second type of microchip for use in a battery according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a schematic of a device having a microchip controlled switch according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 10 is a schematic of a device having a microchip controlled switch according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 11 is a schematic of a device having a microchip controlled switch according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 12 is a schematic of a flashlight having therein a microchip controlled switch according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 illustrates a possible position, according to one embodiment of the present invention of a microchip in a battery; FIG. 14 is a schematic of one embodiment of the present invention of a low current switching device suitable for lighting systems in buildings; FIG. 15 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, i.e. microchip 1403 of FIG. 14; FIG. 16 is a flow diagram for a microchip as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 for a delayed shut off function embodiment of one embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 17 is a flow diagram for a microchip as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8a for a delayed shut off function embodiment of one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to one embodiment or aspect of the present invention, and referring to FIG. 1, a schematic depiction of main circuit 100 of an electronic device, for example, a flashlight, is provided, wherein the device has a microchip 103 and a microchip controlled input activator/deactivator 102, for example, a push button or sliding switch. Main circuit 100 of the device is powered by a current supplied by power source 101. Power source 101 may be any power source, e.g. a DC battery, as is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. While the following discussion is limited to specific electronic devices, that is flashlights, it is to be understood that the following description is equally applicable to other electronic devices including portable radios, toys, for example but not limited to battery operated cars, boats, planes, and/or other electrically powered toys. Referring to FIG. 1, when an operator activates input push button or sliding command switch 102 to the “on” position, the microchip 103 receives a signal. Switch 102 is a direct electrical input to microchip 103. Microchip 103 is grounded by grounding means 104. Microchip 103 is in series between power source 101 and load 105. Microchip 103 also transfers sufficient power through means of a current switch (not shown in FIG. 1) to load 105 which can be, for example, a resistor-type bulb in the case of a flashlight to provide illumination. The microchip 103, and other microchips of the present invention, can have its/their intelligence embedded in combinational or sequential logic, a PLA or ROM type structure feeding into a state machine or a true microcontroller type structure. The memory for the above will normally be non-volatile, but should there be a need for selectable options, EE or flash memory structures may be used. The structure and operational parameters of such a microchip 103 are explained in greater detail below with respect to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 1, power is supplied to microchip 103 by power source 101. When an operator activates input switch 102 to the “on” position it represents a command which is communicated to microchip 103. Input means 102 requires very low current in preferred embodiments. In one embodiment of the invention, microchip control/reset means 201 simply allows the current switch 202 to pass current provided from power source 101 to load 105 in an unimpeded manner when the MMI switch 102 is activated, and, in the case of a flashlight, illumination is obtained. It is important to recognize, however, that it is control circuit 201 which activates current switch 202 upon acting on an input from MMI switch 102. Unlike heretofore known prior art devices, activating switch 102 does not conduct current to load 105, but is only a command input mechanism which can, according to the invention, operate on very low current. For example, according to the invention, touch sensor input or carbon coated membrane type switch devices are preferred. If, for example, an emergency notification function is desired, the flashlight may be designed to alternately flash on and off every second. First, the operator activates input 102 into the appropriate position to indicate such a function is desired. During the “on” segment of the flashing routine, control/reset means 201 commands current switch 202 to close and let current flow through to load 105, thereby causing, in the case of a flashlight, the bulb to illuminate. Simultaneously, control/reset means 201 uses the timing means 203 as a clock for timing. After control/reset means 201 determines one second has elapsed, control/reset means 201 instructs current switch 202 to open and interrupt the current flow through to load 105, and bulb illumination is discontinued. It is important to note that both control/reset means 201 and current switch 202 are still active and fully powered; however, current delivery is now latent with respect to load 105. When another second has elapsed, a command is passed from control/reset means 201 which again allows current to be delivered through current switch 202 to load 105, and in the case of a flashlight, bulb illumination is immediately resumed. The device continues an alternating current delivery routine until either the operator switches the setting of the activating input switch 102 to the “off” position, or until the conditions pre-programmed into the microchip, e.g. into the control/reset means 201, are satisfied and current delivery is permanently discontinued. Similar operating routines can be employed to generate other conspicuous flashing functions such as the generation of the universal distress signal S.O.S. in Morse code. Again, such a function would require that the microchip, e.g. control/reset means 201, be pre-programmed with the appropriate code for creating such a signal, and to permit current transmission from switch 202 to load 105 in accordance with the code with the assistance of timing means 203. For example, it may be desirable to have an S.O.S. sequence wherein flashes representing each individual letter are separated by time intervals ranging from one-half (½) second to one (1) full second, while the interval between each letter in the code comprises two (2) full seconds. After a certain number of repetitions of the routine, again determined by the operator or as pre-programmed within the microchip, e.g. within the control/reset means 201, the signal is discontinued. As shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to remove grounding means 104 from main circuit 100. However, it is then necessary to intermittently provide an alternative power source for microchip 103 and to create a virtual ground reference level. A suitable microchip 103 for this configuration is described in greater detail below with respect to FIGS. 8A and 8B. Referring now to FIG. 4, utilizing the circuits in the microchip of some embodiments of the present invention, carbon coated membrane or touch pad type switches are preferred. Carbon coated membrane switches and touch pad switches have many advantages over conventional high current switches, such as those currently used in flashlights. According to the present invention, carbon coated membrane type switches, low current type switches, and touch pad type switches can be used which may be smaller, less costly, easier to seal, and less vulnerable to corrosion and oxidation than conventional switches which also transfer energy or current to the load. Moreover, according to one embodiment of the present invention, carbon coated membrane type switches, touch pad switches, or low current type switches can be formed structurally integral with the product, for example, with the casing of a flashlight. A block diagram showing microchip 103 for use, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, in association with a carbon coated membrane, a touch pad switch, or a low current type switch 106 is now explained in greater detail in respect to FIG. 5. According to this one embodiment of the present invention, current switch 202 is powered directly by grounded power source 101. However, output of current from current switch 202 to load 105 is dependent on control/reset means 201. When an operator depresses touch pad 106, carbon coated membrane switch 106 or low current type switch 106, control/reset means 201 allows current switch 202 to flow current through to load 105. However, in more intelligent applications according to certain embodiments of the present invention, control/reset means 201 will coordinate, based on clock and/or timing means 203, to execute timing routines similar to those described above such as, but not limited to, intermittent flashing, the flashing of a conspicuous pattern such as Morse code, dimming functions, battery maintenance, battery strength/level, etc. FIG. 16 is a flow diagram for a microchip 103 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and provides a delayed shutoff function. The flow sequence commences at START when the power source 101 is connected to the microchip 103, as shown in FIG. 4. The sequence of operation is substantially self-explanatory and is not further elaborated herein. As shown in FIG. 6, grounding means 104 can be removed from the system as a matter of design choice. A more detailed description of a suitable microchip 103 for this type of configuration is provided below with respect to FIGS. 8A and 8B. Referring to FIG. 7, certain embodiments of the present invention also provide for a battery having a microchip embedded for use in association with an electronic device. As shown, direct current is provided to microchip 103 by power source 101. When activating input switch 102 is closed, current is complete and power is transferred to load 105 at the direction of microchip 103. Microchip 103 embedded in the battery can have any number of intelligent functions pre-programmed therein, such as, for example but not limited to, battery strength monitoring, recharging, adjustment of average current through a current switch, intermittent power delivery sequences, and so on. Examples of suitable microchips 103 for this type of application are discussed below with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIGS. 8A and 8B are block diagrams of two different further embodiments of the present invention. Microchip 803 is especially suitable for applications wherein microchip 803 is not grounded through the body of the electrical device or where a ground cannot otherwise be established because of design considerations. This embodiment is useful to provide sufficient operating power to the microchip and can be achieved by periodically opening and closing current switch 202 when activation input switch 102 is closed. For example, referring to FIG. 8A, when input switch 102 is closed but current switch 202 does not conduct (that is, the switch is open and does not allow current to flow to load 105), then voltage drop over load 105 is zero and in the case of a flashlight, no illumination is provided from the bulb. Instead, the full voltage drop is over current switch 202 and in parallel with the diode 204 and capacitor 205. Once capacitor 205 becomes fully charged, current switch 202 can close and circuit 103 will be powered by capacitor 205. When circuit 803 is adequately powered, it functions in a manner identical to the circuits described previously with respect to the functions provided by control/reset means 201 and timing means 203. When the charging capacitor 205 starts to become depleted, control/reset means 201 will recognize this state and reopen the current switch 203, thus briefly prohibiting the flow of current to load 105, in order to remove the voltage drop from load 105 and allow capacitor 205 to recharge and begin a new cycle. In a flashlight application, the time period wherein current flow from current switch 202 is discontinued can be such that the dead period of the light is not easily or not at all detectable by the human eye. In the case of a high current usage load, such as a flashlight, it means the ratio of the capacitance of the capacitor having to power the microchip and the current consumption of the microchip, must be such that the capacitor can power the microchip for a long time relative to the charging time (202 open). This will enable the flashlight's “off” time to be short and the “on” time to be long, thus not creating a detectable or intrusive switching of the flashlight to the user. FIG. 17 is a flow diagram for a microchip as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 which also provides a delayed shutoff function. The flow diagram is substantially self-explanatory and the flow sequence commences at START when closure of the switch 102 takes place from an open position. According to another embodiment of the present invention, e.g. in relation to another product of low current consumption, such as a FM radio, the designer may opt for a capacitive (reservoir) device externally to the microchip (see FIG. 11). In this case, the electrical device may function for a time longer than the time required for charging the capacitor (205, 207) which is when the current switch (202) is open and not conducting current. According to another embodiment of the present invention, an output may be provided to indicate a condition, e.g. a battery is in good or bad condition. It may also be suitable to assist in locating a device, e.g. but not limited to a flashlight, in the dark. This may be a separate output pin or may be, according to another embodiment, shared with the MMI switch input. (See FIG. 11) This output or indicator may be a LED. Referring to FIG. 11, indicator/output device 1104 may, for example, be an LED. When microchip 1113 pulls the line 1114 to high, the LED 1104 shines. LED 1104 may also shine when switch 1111 is closed by the user. However, since that is only a momentary closure, this should not create a problem. According to a further specific embodiment of the invention, referring to FIG. 11, microchip 1113 can activate the LED 1104 for a short time, e.g. every 100 milliseconds, every 10 seconds. This indication will let potential users know the device is in a good state of functionality and will enable fast location of the device in the dark, e.g. in times of emergency. The low duty cycle will also prevent unnecessary battery depletion. With an alternative embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8B illustrates the charging and discharging of capacitor 207 to provide power to circuit 803, wherein the diode and capacitor structure establishes a ground reference for circuit 803. Each of the embodiments explained with respect to FIGS. 8A and 8B are suitable for use, according to the present invention, depending upon the application. Indeed, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B can be directly embedded into a battery and/or can be separately constructed in another portable structure, e.g. but not limited to, in the shape of a disc, about the size of a quarter, to be inserted at the end of the battery between the output means or positive terminal of the battery and the current receiving structure of the electronic device. As described, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B can be utilized with the prior art high current switches currently being utilized in simple non-intelligent electronic devices, for example flashlights, radios and toys. For example, in the case of a portable simple radio without any intelligence, an automatic shut “off” may be achieved by using the intelligent battery or portable microchip of the present invention having a timing function to automatically shut off the radio after a given period of time, i.e. after the user is asleep. The architecture of the two embodiments of the present invention shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B provide certain advantages over the simple dumb architecture in current simple electrical devices, for example, flashlights. Due to the unique design of the microchips, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, after the device (into which the microchip is incorporated) is shut off the microchip remains powered for an additional period of time which allows for said microchip to thus receive additional commands, for example, a second “on” activation within a given period after a first “on” and “off” activation, may be programmed into the microchip (control/reset means) to indicate a power reduction or dimming function or any other function as desired by the designer of said device. This is accomplished by the inventive designs of the present invention without having to utilize substantial energy from what are typically small exhaustible power sources, e.g. DC batteries in the case of flashlights. According to some embodiments of the present invention, more intelligent devices include many other useful functions pre-programmed within the microchip, e.g. in control/reset means 201 and may, e.g. be assisted by a timing means 203. Referring to FIG. 2, commands can be entered through switch 102 in several different ways. First, various time sequences of closed and open activations may represent different commands. For example, but not limited to, a single closure may instruct microchip 103 to activate current switch 202 continuously for a pre-determined length of time. Alternatively, two successive closures may instruct the microchip 103 to intermittently activate current switch 202 for a pre-determined length of time and sequence, for example, a S.O.S. sequence. Secondly, referring to FIG. 9, commands may be communicated to microchip 903 through the use of various voltages recognizable by microchip 903 to represent various commands. For example, but not limited to, according to one embodiment of the present invention, it may include multiple activating switches 901 and 902 connecting different voltages to the command input structure of microchip 903. Thirdly, referring to FIG. 10, commands may be communicated to microchip 1103 through the use of multiple specific switches (1004, 1005, 1006, 1007) which when activated either singularly or in combination is/are recognizable by microchip 1103 as representing various different commands. As can be seen by FIG. 9, switch 901 and 902 and in FIG. 10, switches 1004, 1005, 1006, and 1007, power or ground may be used as a command reference voltage level. For example, the switches in FIG. 10 may be connected to another ground instead of point 1008 depending on the internal structure of the microchip. The control/reset means included in the inventive microchips of the present invention may and in some instances, depending upon the application, should in addition to the many possible user functions described above, include means for adjusting the average current over a switch and/or a means for providing a gradual “on”/“off” current flow, so that the operator does not appreciably perceive the increase and decrease in light provided by the device. These features allow for an ongoing variable level of lighting as desired by an operator, and may also lengthen the life span of the activation switch, the bulb, and the power source. Moreover, several functions can now be added to an existing device, like a flashlight, through the use of a battery having embedded therein a microchip according to the present invention. In another embodiment of the invention, the microchip is adapted to control lighting in buildings. The normal switch on the wall that currently functions as both a power-switch and MMI can be replaced by a low current switching device like a membrane switch, touch pad or carbon coated switching device. Since very low currents are required by the MMI switch (device) that replaces the normal wall mounted (A/C) switch, it is possible to replace the normal high voltage/current (dangerous) wiring to the switch and from the switch to the lead (light), with connectivity means suitable to the new low current DC requirements. As such, in the case of normal A/C wiring (110V/220V), the dangerous wiring can now be restricted to the roof or ceiling and all switches (MMI's) can inherently be safe. This may make the expensive and regulated safety piping required for the wiring of electricity to wall switches redundant. In a specific embodiment, the traditional wiring between the light and the wall switch is replaced by flexible current conducting tape that can be taped from the roof and down the wall to the required location. In another embodiment, the connections can be made by current conducting paint or similar substances. In both cases above, it can be painted over with normal paint to conceal it. This makes changing the location of a wall switch or the addition of another switch very easy. The microchip according to the present invention can be located in the power fitting of the light. The microchip having the low current (MMI) input and a power switch to block or transfer the energy to the load (light, fan, air conditioner). It reacts to the inputs received to activate or disable, or control other functions, of whatever device it is controlling. The microchip may be adapted to contain the high current/voltage switch or control an external switching device or relay. The microchip may also, as in the other embodiments discussed, have some intelligence to control functions like dimming, delayed shut off, timed activation/deactivation, timed cycles, flashing sequences and gradual on/off switching. The microchip may also be adopted, as in a specific flashlight embodiment discussed, to provide a location/emergency signal for lighting/flashing an LED. FIG. 12 shows a flashlight 1200 with a housing 1202, batteries 1204, a bulb 1206, a reflector and lens 1208, a switch 1210 and a microchip 1212. The flashlight has a conventional appearance but its operation is based on the microchip 1212 controlling the operation of the switch 1210, as described hereinbefore. FIG. 13 illustrates that a battery 1300 with positive and negative terminals 1302 and 1304 respectively, and of substantially conventional shape and size, can be fabricated with an integral microchip 1306, of the type described hereinbefore. Alternatively the microchip can be mounted to the battery, for example by being inserted into a preformed cavity. As the microchip is inserted into the cavity it makes contact with the positive and negative terminals on the battery. The microchip also carries external terminals so that when the battery is inserted into an appliance (not shown) it makes direct contact with corresponding terminals on the appliance so that the microchip is automatically connected in circuit. The power input 101 in FIG. 14 may be DC (e.g. 12V) as is commonly used for some lights or A/C (110V or 240V). The device shown as 1403 may be monolithic or be a multichip unit having a relay (solid state or mechanical), a regulator (e.g.: 110 AC volt to 12V DC) and a microchip as discussed in this application. In a specific embodiment, Ic pin 1406 can normally be high and a closure of input means 1402, e.g. any of the low current switching devices described above, can be detected as Ic pin 1405 also goes too high. To flash the LED 1404 the microchip will reverse the polarities so that Ic pin 1405 becomes high with regards to Ic pin 1406. During this time, it may not be possible to monitor the closure of the input 1402 switch and the LED 1404 may not shine should the input 1402 be closed. In another embodiment, microchip 1403 is able to detect closure of input 1402 before reversing the voltage polarity as discussed and if it detects closure, it does not proceed with reversing the polarity. Reference 1407 denotes an MMI wall unit, and reference 1408 denotes a high voltage roof unit. In FIG. 15, microchip 1503 does not contain a current switch (e.g. switch 102) as shown in FIG. 2. However, if desired the regulator and relay can be integrated into a single monolithic microchip 1503. In case of a 12V (DC) local voltage this may be done in any event unless the current/power considerations is too high to make it practical. In another embodiment, the microchips 1403 and 1503 are adapted to receive commands not only via the MMI input but also over the load power (electricity) wiring. This would allow a central controller to send out various commands to various power points, controlled by a microchip according to this invention, by using address information of specific microchips or using global (to all) commands. Referring again to FIG. 1, and this being done purely for the sake of example, the microchip 103 is activated by sliding or activating a switch 102. It is apparent that different switches can be provided for different functions of the microchip. However, in order to enhance the user-friendliness of the device, a single switch may be capable of controlling different functions of an appliance such as a flashlight to which the microchip is mounted. Assume for the sake of example that the switch 102 is used to turn the microchip on in the sense that a flashlight is turned on. A switch 110 may then be used at any time to turn the flashlight off, by appropriately controlling operation of the microchip. This is a conventional approach to controlling operation of the microchip. As an alternative the operation of the switch 102 can be sensed by means of a timing device 112. The timing device is started when the switch 102 is closed and after a short time period, say on the order of 5 seconds or less, which is measured by the timing device, the mode or function of the switch 102 changes so that, upon further actuation of the switch 102, the switch duplicates the function of the switch 110 which can therefore be dispensed with. Thus, initially the switch 102 functions as an on-switch while, a short period after its actuation, the switch 102 functions as an off-switch. It follows that with minor modifications to the circuitry of the microchip a single switch can exhibit multi-mode capabilities with the different modes being distinguished from each other or being exhibited on a time basis or, if necessary, on any other basis. Multimode capabilities can for example be incorporated in a microchip wherein the function of a switch is also linked to time. In this sense the word “function” means the action which ensues or results upon the detection of the closure of the switch. For example a single switch may, from an off state of a flashlight, enable (a) the switching on of the flashlight and (b) the selection of one of a number of various modes like dimming level, flashing rate/sequence etc. when the switch is closed a number of times. If however a certain time is allowed to pass (say five seconds) without any further closure of the switch taking place (indicating a mode has been selected), the function resulting from the next closure may be changed. Thus instead of selecting another mode, the closure may be interpreted as an “off” command. In other words a sequence of switch closures within five seconds of each other will continue to step the microchip through a number of predefined modes. However should at any stage a time of more than five seconds elapse between consecutive presses or closures of the switch then the next switch operation will switch the flashlight off rather than stepping the microchip to another mode. Clearly these characteristics are not confined to the use of the chip with a flashlight for the chip can be used with other applications to vary the mode of operation thereof in an analogous way. Thus, for the flashlight, the function of the switch will affect the operation of the flashlight in a manner which is dependent on the time period between successive actuations of the switch. More generally, in any electrical device which is controlled by means of the microchip the operation of the device will be regulated by the function which is exhibited by a switch which is in communication with the microchip. The switch function in turn is dependent on the duration of a time period between successive operations of the switch. Other modes can also be exhibited by a single switch. For example, depending on requirement, a switch can be used for on and off operation, for initiating the transmission of an emergency signal, for initiating the gradual dimming of a flashlight or the like. The scope of the invention is not limited in this regard. In the preceding description reference has been made to a touch sensor and to a non-latching push button or latching MMI switch. These components and technologies relating thereto may be combined in certain embodiments to achieve specific operational features that may be attractive to the user in that certain comforts or user friendliness may be facilitated. In certain embodiments the touch sensor interface/switch 106 (see FIGS. 4 and 6) that allows the user to operate and select functions may also allow the user to select or give a signal to the microchip 103 based on proximity and not necessarily physical touch or contact. This feature is an inherent characteristic of some touch sensor or touch pad technologies, for example of the type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,730,165 and 6,466,036. It is then also feasible to define a user interface that accepts both touch sensor signals as well as electromechanical switch and specifically push button switch signals. The signals may be used to select the same functions or in some embodiments the different MMI technologies may be used to select different functions or operational modes. In a specific embodiment in accordance with the general concepts of this invention, a module comprises the energy consuming load 105 (for example a bulb, LED or other light generating element), and the microchip 103, which in accordance with principles already described controls the various functions or operational modes at least in response to signals received from the touch sensor and (traditional) switch interfaces as well as a find-in-the-dark (FITD) indication. The FITD indication may be the energy consuming load 105 or another separate element creating a visible, audible or other human detectable signal that would assist a person to locate a product containing the abovementioned elements or the MMI switch in particular, for example in the dark. An example, that is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of this invention, may be an interior light for passenger convenience of an automobile or other transportation vehicle such as a boat or a plane. In one embodiment the interior (courtesy) light is interfaced with the user (MMI) via either a touch sensor and/or an electromechanical switch, such as a push-to-make (push button) type switch, hereinafter called a pb switch. The interior light can be placed in various operational modes and functions under control of the microchip 103: for example the arrangement may provide an automatic delayed shut off function; and a FITD indicator function that also gives an indication of inputs which are received via the MMI interface and which enables the selection of an operational mode based on the various activation and/or deactivation (of the MMI switch) time sequences. In another embodiment of this example the module comprising the light generating element, the microchip 103 and the FITD indicator have at least a pb MMI as well as a touch sensor MMI. The latter may be a capacitive technology based sensor as is known in the art (See for example the disclosures in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,730,165 and 6,466,036). This touch sensor is capable of giving an indication of, for example, a human hand being in the proximity of the sensor even if no physical contact between the sensor and the hand is made. As an example of possible operation, the microchip 103 may use the signals received from the touch sensor indicating proximity of part of the body of the user, such as a hand, to activate the FITD indicator in a way that is different from when no proximity detection is occurring. Thus the FITD indicator that is normally off or flashing with a low duty cycle or activated in a low energy mode, may be activated in a constant on mode of a higher energy level. It is also possible in an embodiment to control the energy level, and hence the intensity of light or sound of the FITD indicator in some relationships to the proximity distance, say the closer the hand, the brighter or more intense is the FITD indicator. The FITD indicator may be part of the button to be pressed when activating the pb switch. This proximity based FITD indication may continue for a period of time and may be discontinued a certain period of time after the proximity signal has disappeared. Of course the operation may be simpler and the proximity signal may be an indication upon which the microchip activates the FITD indicator for a predetermined period, at a predetermined level or only while the user is within a given proximity and the proximity signal is present. If the user then proceeds and activates the pb MMI switch, the FITD indicator in a preferred embodiment may be deactivated or switched to another level or functional mode under control of the microchip, and the main energy consuming load may be activated by this pb switch activation. The microchip controlling the operational modes may, in a preferred case, be integrated with the microchip interpreting the MMI signals and realizing the touch sensor implementation. Both the touch sensor and the pb switch signals may be interpreted in terms of time duration of activation and/or deactivation signals and/or sequences of signals. In simple terms the physical switch (pb) surface that a user must press, may glow (in the dark) when the user brings his/her hand close to the switch. Specific illumination of the pb switch, under these conditions, assists the user in the location of the switch that must be activated in order to start operation. The pb switch in a specific embodiment must still be pressed to activate the light or main energy consuming load. The FITD indicator may also be active (at a higher level) after an automatic shut-off has occurred or at least for a short period thereafter. In another embodiment the activation by proximity results in a different operational mode or for a different time duration than activation by the pb switch. In a specific embodiment the switching circuit including a module which houses or comprises the pb switch, the touch sensor, the microchip, the energy consuming load and a FITD indicator that is active when the load is not activated by the user. All the elements may be in close proximity of each other. In another embodiment the elements are each attached to and/or enclosed in the module which may be of any suitable shape or form which depends, at least, on the specific application. The energy consuming load may for example, but not limited to, be an electric motor, a light generating element or a heat generating unit. The power source may be mains power or an exhaustible power source such as a battery or a fuel cell. In a further embodiment, in accordance with a preceding description, the microchip controls an automatic delayed shut-off function resulting in the load being deactivated a predetermined period after it was activated. The microchip also gives a warning of such imminent shut-off a short period prior to the shut-off. This advance auto shut-off warning may be a single indication, a reduction in power and/or a sequence or repetitive sequence of warning indications. In a specific embodiment the microchip accepts a proximity signal as enough or sufficient indication that the user wishes to extend operation. This may be specifically during or after the warning signals have been activated. In simple terms, for example, once the warning has been given that auto-shut-off is imminent, but before auto-shut-down occurs, the user can reset the auto-off timer by the wave of a hand past the sensor and an actuation of the pb switch is then not necessarily required to extend the period of operation. Feedback may be given to the user that the extension of operation has been accepted by varying operation of the load or some other indication. An example may be that during the advance auto-off warning period the power to the load is reduced and upon resetting the timer, the original power level is restored. In a variation of this embodiment the FITD indicator that operates in response to the proximity signal(s) also gives an indication of the power source level. For example an activating/deactivating sequence or varying colors may be used to indicate the power level. The combined touch sensor and pb switch technology may also be used in a headlamp or flashlight technology. Again proximity may activate the load or FITD indicator. The load may for example be activated at a reduced power level, or any activation may only be for a very short period of time. In some embodiments the proximity or touch sensor may be used for some commands but not for others, for example in a specific embodiment the touch sensor may not activate or deactivate the flashlight but it can cancel an imminent auto-shut-down. The same techniques can be implemented for the interior light (or map light) in a vehicle. It is also possible that the pb switch can affect or activate functions concerning the general operation of the touch sensor. For example, the touch sensor may be forced to adjust its calibration by activations of the pb switch. In another embodiment a power source (battery) level indicator may be activated whilst a proximity signal is active. This may enable a person to immediately notice the battery level when a product such as an electric tooth brush, shaver, flashlight or other battery operated product is picked up. Again, this indication may be switched off after a period of time. It is also possible that a low power indication or warning is given only when a proximity detection is made, to specifically stand out, when the proximity sensor is triggered. In a further embodiment the electronics for the proximity touch sensor and a find-in-the-dark indicator are embedded in the casing of a traditional switch mechanism. This may be for example a switch for the defrosting of a window in a vehicle, a turn signal indicator activation mechanism or a window wiper activation lever. When the proximity of a body part (e.g. finger) or another element is detected, the find-in-the-dark indicator is activated in a mode different from normal. For example, it may be normally off and upon the proximity detection the find-in-the-dark indicator may be activated; or it may normally be on in a low mode and upon the proximity detection, the find-in-the-dark indicator may be activated in a higher power or more prominent mode. The find-in-the-dark indicator may be specifically designed to illuminate the contact area of the switch in the vicinity where the user must physically make contact to activate the switch. In some cases, e.g. a lever used to operate a wiper or turn signal indicator, the illumination may be on a front side of the lever to be visible, whilst the contact from the user may be from the bottom, top, side, back or any other direction. An important aspect is that the location of a specific selection mechanism, which enables a specific function to be activated, is indicated to the user before the mechanism is actuated. Alternatively expressed the specific function to be activated by a specific selection mechanism is indicated to the user before the function is selected. This may help prevent accidental activation of a wiper when a turn signal was desired and vice versa. Of course another indication (e.g. audio) may also be used to alert the user as to what switch is being approached or in proximity of a body part. In each instance a second indicator can be used in place of the FITD, or in addition to the FITD. The second indicator is under the control of the microchip and is used to give the user information about a switch near, or combined with, the proximity detection sensor. It is also proposed that the proximity switch be used to guide the user towards a button or a sequence of buttons likely to be operated next. For example if a radio is installed with this invention and in an off state, the detection of a user finger in proximity of the radio will illuminate the on switch and possibly no other switch, whereas a proximity detection when already on, will illuminate the off switch or volume control switch but not the on switch. In a sense this invention will intuitively lead the user through the next logical options when the switches are approached. It is also possible for a function or load be temporally selected, say whilst the proximity detection is made, but to activate the load permanently or for an extended period of time even if the proximity detection is cancelled, the pb switch must be operated. The aforementioned functions also apply to a mains system with a mains switch fitted with a find-in-the-dark indicator and touch sensor interface or with mains and the system as described previously (FIGS. 14, 15) wherein dc Voltage is used to interface with the user and this switch, that is typically a pb switch, is then augmented with a touch sensor interface that functions in combination as described above. It is also possible for the touch sensor proximity interface plus electronics to control some of the other described functions to be built into a traditional type switch that is for example typically found in a car or in a house. In some embodiments the touch sensor may switch the load on but not off or vice versa. While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that further changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as claimed. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In conventional flashlights, manually-operated mechanical switches function to turn the flashlight “on” and “off.” When turned “on,” battery power is applied through the closed switch to a light bulb; the amount of power then consumed depends on how long the switch is closed. In the typical flashlight, the effective life of the battery is only a few hours at most. Should the operator, after using the flashlight to find his/her way in the dark or for any other purpose, then fail to turn it off, the batteries will, in a very short time, become exhausted. Should the flashlight be left in a turned-on and exhausted condition for a prolonged period, the batteries may then leak and exude corrosive electrolyte that is damaging to the contact which engages the battery terminal as well as the casing of the flashlight. When the flashlight is designed for use by a young child the likelihood is greater that the flashlight will be mishandled, because a young child is prone to be careless and forgets to turn the flashlight “off” after it has served its purpose. Because of this, a flashlight may be left “on” for days, if not weeks, and as a result of internal corrosion may no longer be in working order when the exhausted batteries are replaced. Flashlights designed for young children are sometimes in a lantern format, with a casing made of strong plastic material that is virtually unbreakable, the light bulb being mounted within a reflector at the front end of the casing and being covered by a lens from which a light beam is projected. A U-shaped handle is attached to the upper end of the casing, with mechanical on-off slide switch being mounted on the handle, so that a child grasping the handle can readily manipulate the slide actuator with his/her thumb. With a switch of this type on top of a flashlight handle, when the slide actuator is pushed forward by the thumb, the switch “mechanically” closes the circuit and the flashlight is turned “on” and remains “on” until the slide actuator is pulled back to the “off” position and the circuit is opened. It is this type of switch in the hands of a child that is most likely to be inadvertently left “on.” To avoid this problem, many flashlights include, in addition to a slide switch, a push button switch which keeps the flashlight turned on only when finger pressure is applied to the push button. It is difficult for a young child who wishes, say to illuminate a dark corner in the basement of his home for about 30 seconds, to keep a push button depressed for this period. It is therefore more likely that the child will actuate the slide switch to its permanently-on position, for this requires only a monetary finger motion. It is known to provide a flashlight with a delayed action switch which automatically turns off after a pre-determined interval. The Mallory U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,282 discloses a flashlight that is automatically turned off by a delayed action mechanical switch assembly that includes a compression spring housed in a bellows having a leaky valve, so that when a switch is turned on manually, this action serves to mechanically compress the bellows which after a pre-determined interval acts to turn off the switch. A similar delayed action is obtained in a flashlight for children marketed by Playskool Company, this delayed action being realized by a resistance-capacitance timing network which applies a bias to a solid-state transistor switch after 30 seconds or so to cut off the transistor and shut off the flashlight. Also included in the prior art, is a flashlight previously sold by Fisher-Price using an electronic timing circuit to simply turn off the flashlight after about 20 minutes. It is also known, e.g. as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,147, to provide a mechanical switch assembly for a flashlight which includes a suction cup as a delayed action element whereby the flashlight, when momentarily actuated by an operator, functions to connect a battery power supply to a light bulb, and which maintains this connection for a pre-determined interval determined by the memory characteristics of the suction cup, after which the connection is automatically broken. U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,538 discloses a flashlight having the usual components of a battery, and on-off mechanical switch, a bulb, and a hand-held housing, to which there is added a timing means and a circuit-breaking means responsive to the timing means for cutting off the flow of current to the bulb, which further has a by-pass means, preferably child-proof, to direct electric current to the light bulb regardless of the state of the timing means. The patent also provides for the operation of the device may be further enhanced by making the by-pass means a mechanical switch connected so as to leave it in series with the mechanical on-off switch. Furthermore, the patent discloses a lock or other “child-proofing” mechanism may be provided to ensure that the by-pass is disabled when the flashlight is switched off. Most conventional flashlights, like those described above, are actuated by mechanical push or slide button-type switches requiring, of course, mechanical implementation by an operator. Over time, the switch suffers “wear and tear” which impairs operation of the flashlight as a result of, for example, repeated activations by the operator and/or due to the fact that the switch has been left “on” for a prolonged period of time. In addition, such mechanical switches are vulnerable to the effects of corrosion and oxidation and can cause said switches to deteriorate and to become non-functioning. In addition, these prior art devices having these mechanical switches are generally “dumb,” i.e. they do not provide the user with convenient, reliable, and affordable functionalities which today's consumers now demand and expect. The prior art switches typically provide two basic functions in prior art flashlights. First, the mechanical switches act as actual conductors for completing power circuits and providing current during operation of the devices. Depending upon the type of bulb and wiring employed, the intensity of electrical current which must be conducted by the switch is generally quite high leading to, after prolonged use, failure. Second, these mechanical switches must function as an interface between the device and its operator, i.e. the man-machine-interface (“MMI”) and necessarily requires repeated mechanical activations of the switch which over time mechanically deteriorate. Also, currently the electrical switches used in buildings/houses for control of lighting systems are of the conventional type of switches which must conduct, i.e. close the circuit, upon command, thus also providing the MMI. These prior art switches suffer from the same disadvantages as the switches described above in relation to portable electronic devices, like flashlights. Moreover, the switches are relatively dumb in most cases and do not provide the user with a variety of functions, e.g. but not limited to timing means to enable a user, for example, a shop owner or home owner to designate a predetermined shut off or turn on point in time. There is a need for inexpensive, reliable, and simple intelligent electronic devices which provide increased functionality and energy conservation. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a microchip controlled switch to manage both the current conducting functions and the MMI functions in an electronic device, such as a flashlight, on a low current basis i.e. without the MMI device having to conduct or switch high current. According to one aspect of the invention, the MMI functions are controlled by very low current signals, using touch pads, or carbon coated membrane type switches. These low current signal switches of the present invention can be smaller, more reliable, less costly, easier to seal and less vulnerable to the effects of corrosion and oxidation. Moreover, since the switch is a solid state component, it is, according to the present invention, possible to control the functions of the device in an intelligent manner by the same microchip which provides the MMI functions. Thus, by practicing the teachings of the present invention, more reliable, intelligent, and efficient electrical devices can be obtained which are cheaper and easier to manufacture than prior art devices. According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a microchip which can be embedded in a battery that will lend intelligence to the battery and thus, the device it is inserted into, so that many functions, including but not limited to, delayed switching, dimming, automatic shut off, and intermittent activation may be inexpensively realized in an existing (non intelligent) product, for example a prior art flashlight. According to a further embodiment, the invention provides a power saving microchip which, when operatively associated with an electronic device, will adjust the average electric current through a current switch, provide an on and off sequence which, for example, but not limited to, in the case of a flashlight, can be determined by an operator and may represent either a flash code sequence or a simple on/off oscillation, provide an indication of battery strength, and/or provide a gradual oscillating current flow to lengthen the life of the operating switch and the power source. According to one embodiment of the invention, an intelligent flashlight, having a microchip controlled switch is provided comprising a microchip for controlling the on/off function and at least one other function of the flashlight. According to a further embodiment of the invention, an intelligent flashlight having a microchip controlled switch is provided comprising an input means for sending activating/deactivating signals to the microchip, and a microchip for controlling the on/off function and at least one other function of the flashlight. According to a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided an intelligent flashlight having a microchip controlled switch comprising an input means for selecting one function of the flashlight, a microchip for controlling at least the on/off function and one other function of the flashlight, wherein the microchip control circuit may further comprise a control-reset means, a clock means, a current switch, and/or any one or combination of the same. According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a battery for use with an electrical device comprising a microchip embedded in the battery. According to still a further embodiment of the invention, a battery for use with an electronic device is provided comprising a microchip embedded in the battery wherein said microchip is adapted such that an input means external to the microchip can select the on/off function and at least one other function of the electronic device. According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an intelligent battery for use with an electronic device, the battery having positive and negative terminal ends and comprising a microchip embedded in the battery, preferably in the positive terminal end, for controlling on/off functions and at least one other function of the electronic device. According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a portable microchip device for use in serial connection with a power source, e.g. an exhaustible power source, and an electronic device powered by said source wherein said electronic device has an input means for activating and deactivating said power source, and said microchip comprising a means for controlling the on/off function and at least one other function of the electronic device upon receipt of a signal from said input means through said power source. According to a still further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a microchip adapted to control lighting in buildings. According to this embodiment, the normal switch on the wall that currently functions as both a power-switch, i.e. conduction of electricity, and MMI can be eliminated, thus eliminating the normal high voltage and high current dangerous wiring to the switch and from the switch to the load or light. Utilizing the present invention, these switches can be replaced with connecting means suitable for low current DC requirements. According to another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a battery comprising an energy storage section, a processor, e.g. a microchip and first and second terminal ends. The first terminal end being connected to the energy storage section, the second terminal end being connected to the processor, and the processor being connected to the second terminal end and the energy storage section. The processor controls the connection of the second terminal end to the energy storage section. According to another embodiment, the present invention provides an electronic apparatus which includes an electrical device, comprising a power supply, an activating/deactivating means, and a processor. The activating/deactivating means is connected to the processor and the processor is connected to the power supply. The processor controls the on/off function of the device and at least one other function of the device in response to signals received from the activation/deactivation means. The present invention, according to a still further embodiment, provides a flashlight comprising a light source, an energy storage means, a switch means, and a processor means. The switch means being in communication with the processor means and the processor means being in communication with the energy storage means which is ultimately in communication with the light source. The processor controls the activation/deactivation of the light source and, in some embodiments, further functions of the flashlight, in response to signals received from the switch means. While the present invention is primarily described in this application with respect to either a flashlight or a battery therefore, the embodiments discussed herein should not be considered limitative of the invention, and many other variations of the use of the intelligent devices of the present invention will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. | 20041012 | 20070904 | 20050609 | 72646.0 | 9 | TRAN, THUY V | INTELLIGENT USER INTERFACE WITH TOUCH SENSOR TECHNOLOGY | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,961,404 | ACCEPTED | Non-capitalization weighted indexing system, method and computer program product | A passive investment system based on indices created from various metrics is disclosed. The indexes may be built with metrics other than market capitalization weighting, price weighting or equal weighting. These metrics may include, but are not limited to book value, sales, revenue, earnings, earnings per share, income, income growth rate, dividends, dividends per share, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, etc. Non-financial metrics may also be used to build indexes to create passive investment systems. Additionally, a combination of financial non-market capitalization metrics may be used along with non-financial metrics to create passive investment systems. Once the index is built, it may be used as a basis to purchase securities for a portfolio. As the data underlying the indexes changes because of, e.g., economic activity, the index may be updated and may be used as a basis to rebalance the portfolio. Alternatively, the index can be rebalanced when a pre-determined threshold is reached. Specifically excluded are widely-used capitalization-weighted indexes and price-weighted indexes, in which the price of a security contributes in a substantial way to the calculation of the weight of that security in the index or the portfolio. Valuation indifferent indexes of the present invention avoid overexposure to overvalued securities and underexposure to undervalued securities, as compared with conventional capitalization-weighted and price-weighted. Also specifically excluded are equal weighting weighted indexes. | 1. A method of constructing a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets, comprising: (a) gathering data about a plurality of assets; (b) selecting a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; and (c) weighting each of said plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of said each of said plurality of assets, wherein said weighting comprises: (i) weighting at least one of said plurality of assets; and (ii) weighting other than weighting based on at least one of market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said plurality of assets, wherein said each of said assets comprises at least one of a stock; a commodity; a futures contract; a bond; a mutual fund; a hedge fund; a fund of funds; an exchange traded fund (ETF); a derivative; or a negative weighting on any asset. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said plurality of assets, wherein said each of said assets comprises a stock. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said plurality of assets, wherein said each of said assets a commodity. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said plurality of assets, wherein said each of said assets comprises a futures contract. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said plurality of assets, wherein said each of said assets comprises a bond. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said plurality of assets, wherein said each of said assets comprises a mutual fund. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said plurality of assets, wherein said each of said assets comprises a hedge fund. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said plurality of assets, wherein said each of said assets comprises a fund of funds. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said plurality of assets, wherein said each of said assets comprises an exchange traded fund (ETF). 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said plurality of assets, wherein said each of said assets comprises a derivative. 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises a negative weighting on any asset. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said negative weighting is performed for purposes of at least one of establishing, or measuring performance for at least one of any security, a portfolio of assets, a hedge fund, or a long/short position. 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting based on said objective measure of scale, wherein said objective measure of scale comprises a measure of company size associated with each of said plurality of assets. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said measure of company size comprises at least one of gross revenue, sales, income, earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), number of employees, book value, assets, liabilities, or net worth. 16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting based on said objective measure of scale, wherein said objective measure of scale comprises a measure relating to an underlying asset itself. 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said asset comprises at least one of: a municipality, a municipality issuing bonds, or a commodity. 18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said objective measure of scale associated with said asset comprises at least one of: revenue, profitability, sales, total sales, foreign sales, domestic sales, net sales, gross sales, profit margin, operating margin, retained earnings, earnings per share, book value, book value adjusted for inflation, book value adjusted for replacement cost, book value adjusted for liquidation value, dividends, assets, tangible assets, intangible assets, fixed assets, property, plant, equipment, goodwill, replacement value of assets, liquidation value of assets, liabilities, long term liabilities, short term liabilities, net worth, research and development expense, accounts receivable, earnings before interest, taxes, dividends, and amortization (EBITDA), accounts payable, cost of goods sold (CGS), debt ratio, budget, capital budget, cash budget, direct labor budget, factory overhead budget, operating budget, sales budget, inventory method, type of stock offered, liquidity, book income, tax income, capitalization of earnings, capitalization of goodwill, capitalization of interest, capitalization of revenue, capital spending, cash, compensation, employee turnover, overhead costs, credit rating, growth rate, tax rate, liquidation value of company, capitalization of cash, capitalization of earnings, capitalization of revenue, cash flow, or future value of expected cash flow. 19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting each of said assets in the index based on said objective measure of scale, wherein said objective measure comprises a ratio of any combination of said objective measures of scale of the asset other than ratios based on weighting the assets based on market capitalization, equal weighting, or share-price weighting. 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said ratio of any combination of said objective measures of scale comprise at least one of: current ratio, debt ratio, overhead expense as a percent of sales, or debt service burden ratio. 21. The method according to claim 16, wherein said objective measure of scale comprises a demographic measure of the asset. 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said demographic measure of scale comprises at least one of: employees, floor space, office space, location, or other demographics of an asset. 23. The method according to claim 14, wherein said measure of company size comprises at least one of a demographic measure of the asset. 24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said demographic measure of the asset comprises at least one of: a non-financial metric, a non-market related metric, a number of employees, floor space, office space, or other demographics of the asset. 25. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting based on said objective measure of scale, wherein said objective measure of scale comprises a geographic metric. 26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said geographic metric comprises a geographic metric other than gross domestic product (GDP) weighting. 27. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises a passive investing method comprising: constructing the portfolio of assets according to the index. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the portfolio of assets comprises at least one of: a fund; a mutual fund; a fund of funds; an asset account; an exchange traded fund (ETF); a separate account, a pooled trust; or a limited partnership. 29. The method according to claim 27, further comprising: selecting a plurality of assets for trading according to the index; and trading one or more of said plurality of assets based on said weighting of the index. 30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said trading comprises: rebalancing the portfolio based on the index. 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said rebalancing comprises: rebalancing on a periodic basis. 32. The method according to claim 30, wherein said rebalancing comprises: rebalancing based on the assets reaching a threshold. 33. The method according to claim 29, further comprising: applying rules associated with the index. 34. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method of constructing the non-market capitalization weighted portfolio may be used for at least one of: investment management, or investment portfolio benchmarking. 35. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises an enhanced index investing method comprising: constructing the portfolio of assets in a fashion in which at least one of holdings, performance, or characteristics, are substantially similar to the index. 36. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method comprises a computer-implemented method and said (a) comprises: gathering data using computerized databases. 37. The method according to claim 1, wherein said (c) comprises weighting based on a non-market capitalization financial metric associated with each of said plurality of assets, and a non-financial metric associated with each of said plurality of assets. 38. A system for constructing a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets, comprising: means for gathering data about a plurality of assets; means for selecting a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; and weighting means for weighting each of said plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of said each of said plurality of assets, wherein said weighting means comprises: means for weighting at least one of said plurality of assets; and means for weighting other than weighting based on at least one of market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. 39. A computer-implemented non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets construction system, comprising: a processor adapted to gather data about a plurality of assets; adapted to select a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; adapted to weight each of said plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of said each of said plurality of assets; adapted to weight at least one of said plurality of assets; and adapted to weight other than based on at least one of market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. 40. A machine readable medium that provides instructions which when executed by a computing platform, cause said computing platform to perform operations comprising a method of constructing a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets, the method comprising: (a) gathering data about a plurality of assets; (b) selecting a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; and (c) weighting each of said plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of said each of said plurality of assets, wherein said weighting comprises: (i) weighting at least one of said plurality of assets; and (ii) weighting other than weighting based on at least one of market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a non-provisional application claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/541,733 entitled, “Securities Indexing,” to Arnott, (Attorney Docket No. 43622-204086, formerly 51804/FLC/A750), filed Feb. 4, 2004, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains generally to securities investing and more specifically to construction and use of passive portfolios and indexes. 2. Related Art Conventionally, there are various broad categories of securities portfolio management. One conventional securities portfolio management category is active management wherein the securities are selected for a portfolio individually based on economic, financial, credit, and/or business analysis; on technical trends; on cyclical patterns; etc. Another conventional category is passive management, also called indexing, wherein the securities in a portfolio duplicate those that make up an index. The securities in a passively managed portfolio are conventionally weighted by relative market capitalization weighting or equal weighting. Another middle ground conventional category of securities portfolio management is called enhanced indexing, in which a portfolio's characteristics, performance and holdings are substantially dominated by the characteristics, performance and holdings of the index, albeit with modest active management departures from the index. The present invention relates generally to the passive and enhanced indexing categories of portfolio management. A securities market index, by intent, reflects an entire market or a segment of a market. A passive portfolio based on an index may also reflect the entire market or segment. Often every security in an index is held in the passive portfolio. Sometimes statistical modeling is used to create a portfolio that duplicates the profile, risk characteristics, performance characteristics, and securities weightings of an index, without actually owning every security included in the index. (Examples could be portfolios based on the Wilshire 5000 Equity Index or on the Lehman Aggregate Bond Index.) Sometimes statistical modeling is used to create the index itself such that it duplicates the profile, risk characteristics, performance characteristics, and securities weightings of an entire class of securities. (The Lehman Aggregate Bond Index is an example of this practice.) Indexes are generally all-inclusive of the securities within their defined markets or market segments. In most cases indexes may include each security in the proportion that its market capitalization bears to the total market capitalization of all of the included securities. The only common exceptions to market capitalization weighting are equal weighting of the included securities (for example the Value Line index or the Standard & Poors 500 Equal Weighted Stock Index, which includes all of the stocks in the S&P 500 on a list basis; each stock given equal weighting as of a designated day each year) and share price weighting, in which share prices are simply added together and divided by some simple divisor (for example, the Dow Jones Industrial Average). Conventionally, passive portfolios are built based on an index weighted using one of market capitalization weighting, equal weighting, and share price weighting. Advantages of passive investing include: a low trading cost of maintaining a portfolio that has turnover only when an index is reconstituted, typically once a year; a low management cost of a portfolio that requires no analysis of individual securities; and no chance of the portfolio suffering a loss—relative to the market or market segment the index reflects—because of misjudgments in individual securities selection. Advantages of using market capitalization weighting as the basis for a passive portfolio include that the index (and therefore a portfolio built on it) remains continually ‘in balance’ as market prices for the included securities change, and that the portfolio performance participates in (i.e., reflects) that of the securities market or market segment included in the index. The disadvantages of market capitalization weighting passive indexes, which can be substantial, center on the fact that any under-valued securities are underweighted in the index and related portfolios, while any over-valued securities are over weighted. Also, the portfolio based on market capitalization weighting follows every market (or segment) bubble up and every market crash down. Finally, in general, portfolio securities selection is not based on a criteria that reflects a better opportunity for appreciation than that of the market or market segment overall. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a new method, system and computer program product for passive investing that is based on indexes which are built with metrics other than market capitalization weighting, share price weighting or equal weighting. Among these metrics are various financial data of the company issuing securities, including but not limited to book value, sales, revenue, earnings, earnings per share, income, income growth rate, dividends, dividends per share, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, etc. In another exemplary embodiment, other nonfinancial and non-market capitalization metrics can be used as the basis for compiling an index, such as, e.g., but not limited to, an index of companies with chief executive officers (CEOs) having graduated from a particular university. A common element included in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which is entirely missing from conventionally available forms of index construction, is that the indexes of the present invention are “valuation-indifferent.” That is, conventional indexes do not take account of classical valuation ratios, which causes the conventional indexes to create a natural tendency to over-weight the over-valued and under-weight the under-valued securities in the conventional indexes and portfolios based on them. While this cause also holds true for equal weighting, we exclude that as an already-extant (and trivial) exception. The use of these non-market capitalization metrics according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, allows the construction of indexes and resulting passive portfolios that better reflect the economic scale and/or long-term growth potential of the individual securities within a market or market segment than do conventional capitalization weighting, share price weighting, or equal weighting. The non-market capitalization metrics according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, allow construction of indexes and resulting passive portfolios that offer to an investor who wishes to participate in a market or market segment a choice of passive portfolio alternatives with different risk characteristics. The indexes and portfolios based on them according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, also provide these additional advantages while maintaining the conventional benefits of passive investing. In historical testing, these non-market capitalization metrics are found to outperform the conventional capitalization-weighted indexes over extended periods of time, with similar or lower portfolio risk. Overall, the availability of non-market capitalization indexes, and the passive and enhanced index portfolios based on them, have the potential to reduce investment costs through more widespread use of low-cost passive and enhanced-index investing. The present invention has the potential to improve investment returns versus the securities markets through the use of a securities weighting framework which is not subject to a natural tendency to overemphasize over-valued securities and underemphasize under-valued securities. The present invention also has the potential to reduce portfolio volatility through the use of securities weighting criteria that are less reflective of ‘irrational exuberance.’ An exemplary embodiment of the present invention also has the potential to offer ‘customized’ passive portfolios as each metric may have its own specific performance and risk characteristics. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention sets forth a system, method, and computer program product for constructing a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets. In an exemplary embodiment, the method may include: (a) gathering data about a plurality of assets; (b) selecting a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; and (c) weighting each of the plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of each of the plurality of assets, wherein the weighting may include: (i) weighting at least one of the plurality of assets; and (ii) weighting other than weighting based on market capitalization, equal weighting, and/or share price weighting. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a stock; a commodity; a futures contract; a bond; a mutual fund; a hedge fund; a fund of funds; an exchange traded fund (ETF); a derivative; or a negative weighting on any asset. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a stock. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a commodity. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a futures contract. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, wherein each of the assets may include a bond. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a mutual fund. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a hedge fund. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a fund of flunds. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include an exchange traded fund (ETF). In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a derivative. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include a negative weighting on any asset. In one exemplary embodiment, the negative weighting may be performed for purposes of establishing, or measuring, performance for any security, a portfolio of assets, a hedge fund, and/or a long/short position. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting based on the objective measure of scale, where the objective measure of scale may include a measure of company size associated with each of the plurality of assets. In one exemplary embodiment, the measure of company size may include one or more of: gross revenue, sales, income, earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), number of employees, book value, assets, liabilities, and/or net worth. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting based on the objective measure of scale, where the objective measure of scale includes a measure relating to an underlying asset itself. In one exemplary embodiment, the asset may include a municipality, a municipality issuing bonds, or a commodity. In one exemplary embodiment, the objective measure of scale associated with the asset may include one or more of: revenue, profitability, sales, total sales, foreign sales, domestic sales, net sales, gross sales, profit margin, operating margin, retained earnings, earnings per share, book value, book value adjusted for inflation, book value adjusted for replacement cost, book value adjusted for liquidation value, dividends, assets, tangible assets, intangible assets, fixed assets, property, plant, equipment, goodwill, replacement value of assets, liquidation value of assets, liabilities, long term liabilities, short term liabilities, net worth, research and development expense, accounts receivable, earnings before interest, taxes, dividends, and amortization (EBITDA), accounts payable, cost of goods sold (CGS), debt ratio, budget, capital budget, cash budget, direct labor budget, factory overhead budget, operating budget, sales budget, inventory method, type of stock offered, liquidity, book income, tax income, capitalization of earnings, capitalization of goodwill, capitalization of interest, capitalization of revenue, capital spending, cash, compensation, employee turnover, overhead costs, credit rating, growth rate, tax rate, liquidation value of company, capitalization of cash, capitalization of earnings, capitalization of revenue, cash flow, and/or future value of expected cash flow. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the assets in the index based on the objective measure of scale, where the objective measure may include a ratio of any combination of the objective measures of scale of the asset other than ratios based on weighting the assets based on market capitalization, equal weighting, or share-price weighting. In one exemplary embodiment, the ratio of any combination of the objective measures of scale may include one or more of: current ratio, debt ratio, overhead expense as a percent of sales, and/or debt service burden ratio. In one exemplary embodiment, the objective measure of scale may include a demographic measure of the asset. In one exemplary embodiment, the demographic measure of scale may include one or more of: employees, floor space, office space, location, and/or other demographics of an asset. In one exemplary embodiment, the measure of company size may include one or more demographic measure of the asset. In one exemplary embodiment, the demographic measure of the asset may include one or more of a non-financial metric, a non-market related metric, a number of employees, floor space, office space, and/or other demographics of the asset. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting based on the objective measure of scale, where the objective measure of scale may include a geographic metric. In one exemplary embodiment, the geographic metric may include a geographic metric other than gross domestic product (GDP) weighting. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may include a passive investing method that may include: constructing the portfolio of assets according to the index. In one exemplary embodiment, the portfolio of assets may include one or more of: a fund; a mutual fund; a fund of funds; an asset account; an exchange traded fund (ETF); a separate account, a pooled trust; and/or a limited partnership. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may further include: selecting a plurality of assets for trading according to the index; and trading one or more of said plurality of assets based on said weighting of the index. In one exemplary embodiment, the trading may include: rebalancing the portfolio based on the index. In one exemplary embodiment, rebalancing may include: rebalancing on a periodic basis. In one exemplary embodiment, rebalancing may include: rebalancing based on the assets reaching a threshold. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may further include applying rules associated with the index. In one exemplary embodiment, the method of constructing the non-market capitalization weighted portfolio may be used for one or more of: investment management, and/or investment portfolio benchmarking. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may include an enhanced index investing method. The method may include constructing the portfolio of assets in a fashion in which at least one of holdings, performance, or characteristics, are substantially similar to the index. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may be a computer-implemented method and (a) may include: gathering data using computerized databases. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting based on a non-market capitalization financial metric associated with each of the plurality of assets, and a non-financial metric associated with each of said plurality of assets. In another exemplary embodiment, a system for constructing a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets may include: means for gathering data about a plurality of assets; means for selecting a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; and weighting means for weighting each of said plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of said each of said plurality of assets, wherein said weighting means may include: means for weighting at least one of said plurality of assets; and means for weighting other than weighting based on at least one of market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. In yet another exemplary embodiment, a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets construction system, may include: a processor adapted to gather data about a plurality of assets; adapted to select a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; adapted to weight each of the plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of the each of said plurality of assets; adapted to weight at least one of the plurality of assets; and adapted to weight other than based on at least one of market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. In another exemplary embodiment, a machine readable medium that provides instructions which when executed by a computing platform, cause the computing platform to perform operations may include a method of constructing a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets, the method may include: (a) gathering data about a plurality of assets; (b) selecting a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; and (c) weighting each of said plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of said each of said plurality of assets, wherein said weighting comprises: (i) weighting at least one of said plurality of assets; and (ii) weighting other than weighting based on at least one of market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digits in the corresponding reference number. A preferred exemplary embodiment is discussed below in the detailed description of the following drawings: FIG. 1 is a deployment diagram of an index generation and use process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram of an index generation process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram of an index use process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Various exemplary embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below including a preferred embodiment. While specific implementations are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art can recognize that other components and configurations may be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the invention. FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary deployment diagram of an index generation and use process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. According to the exemplary embodiment, an analyst may use a computer system to generate an index. The analyst may do so by using analysis software to examine data about entities offering different kinds of securities that may be traded by investors. An example of an entity that may be offering securities may be a publicly held company whose shares trade on an exchange. However, the present invention also applies to any entity that may have any type of security that may be traded where information about the entity and/or its security is available (or capable of being made available) for analysis. In an exemplary embodiment, once an index has been generated by an analyst using the entity date, the index may be used to build investment portfolios. An investor, advisor, manager or broker may then manage the purchased securities as a mutual fund for a plurality of individual and institutional investors. Alternatively, the purchased securities may be managed for one or more investors. In the latter case, securities may be purchased based on the index for inclusion in an individual or an institutional investor's portfolio. FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary process flow diagram of an index generation process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In an exemplary embodiment, to generate an index, an analyst using analysis software may access entity data about various entities that have securities that are traded. For example, publicly traded companies must disclose information about certain financial aspects of their operations. This information may be aggregated for a plurality of entities. Market sectors and corresponding indices may then be identified and generated using the aggregate data. In slightly more detail, an index may be generated by normalizing entity data for a particular non-market capitalization metric. The normalized entity data may be used to generate a weighting function describing the contribution of each entity to a business sector as defined by the metric, in an exemplary embodiment. An index may be generated using the weighting function. Once an index is generated, according to an exemplary embodiment, the index may be used to track the business sector defined by the metric or to create a portfolio of securities offered by the entities whose information was used to generate the index. For example, in an exemplary embodiment of the invention a method of constructing a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets may include, e.g., gathering data about various assets; selecting a group of assets to create the index of assets; and weighting each of the group of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of each member of the group of assets, where the weighting may include weighting all or a subset of the group of assets, and weighting based on other than market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. In one exemplary embodiment, the weighting of each member of the group of assets, may include weighting assets of any of various types. Examples of various types of assets may include, e.g., but not limited to, a stock type; a commodity type; a futures contract type; a bond type; a mutual find type; a hedge fund type; a fund of funds type; an exchange traded fund (ETF) type; and a derivative type assets. The weighting may also include, e.g., but not limited to, a negative weighting on any of the various types of assets. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the index may be weighted based on an objective measure of scale, where the objective measure of scale may include a measure relating to an underlying asset itself. The asset may include a municipality, a municipality issuing bonds, or a commodity. An objective measure of scale associated with the asset may include any combination of: revenue, profitability, sales, total sales, foreign sales, domestic sales, net sales, gross sales, profit margin, operating margin, retained earnings, earnings per share, book value, book value adjusted for inflation, book value adjusted for replacement cost, book value adjusted for liquidation value, dividends, assets, tangible assets, intangible assets, fixed assets, property, plant, equipment, goodwill, replacement value of assets, liquidation value of assets, liabilities, long term liabilities, short term liabilities, net worth, research and development expense, accounts receivable, earnings before interest, taxes, dividends, and amortization (EBITDA), accounts payable, cost of goods sold (CGS), debt ratio, budget, capital budget, cash budget, direct labor budget, factory overhead budget, operating budget, sales budget, inventory method, type of stock offered, liquidity, book income, tax income, capitalization of earnings, capitalization of goodwill, capitalization of interest, capitalization of revenue, capital spending, cash, compensation, employee turnover, overhead costs, credit rating, growth rate, tax rate, liquidation value of company, capitalization of cash, capitalization of earnings, capitalization of revenue, cash flow, and/or future value of expected cash flow. Ratios too may be used. In an exemplary embodiment, the weighting of assets in the index based on objective measures of scale, may include a ratio of any combination of the objective measures of scale of the asset other than ratios based on weighting the assets based on market capitalization, equal weighting, or share-price weighting. For example, the ratio of any combination of the objective measures of scale may include, e.g., but not limited to, current ratio, debt ratio, overhead expense as a percent of sales, or debt service burden ratio. In an exemplary embodiment, the portfolio of assets may include, e.g., but not limited to, one or more of, a fund; a mutual fund; a fund of funds; an asset account; an exchange traded fund (ETF); a separate account, a pooled trust; or a limited partnership. In an exemplary embodiment, a measure of company size may include one of, or a combination of one or more of gross revenue, sales, income,earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), number of employees, book value, assets, liabilities, or net worth. In one exemplary embodiment, the measure of company size may include a demographic measure of the asset. The demographic measure of the asset may include, e.g., one of, or any combination of one or more of a non-financial metric, a non-market related metric, a number of employees, floor space, office space, or other demographics of the asset. In an exemplary embodiment, weighting may be based on the objective measure of scale, where the measure may include a geographic metric. The geographic metric in an exemplary embodiment may include a geographic metric other than gross domestic product (GDP) weighting. FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary process flow diagram of an index use process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. An index may be received from an index generation process and may be used to determine the identity and quantity of securities to purchase for a portfolio, according to an exemplary embodiment. The securities may be purchased from an exchange or other market and may be held on account for an investor or group of investors. The index may be updated on, e.g., but not limited to, a periodic basis and may be used as a basis to rebalance the portfolio, according to an exemplary embodiment. According to another exemplary embodiment, the portfolio can be rebalanced when, e.g., a pre-determined threshold is reached. In this way, a portfolio may be created and maintained based on a non-market capitalization index. Rebalancing can be based on assets reaching a threshold condition or value. For example, but not limited to, rebalancing may occur upon reaching a threshold such as, e.g., ‘when the portfolio of assets increases in market value by 20%,’ or ‘when the assets on a sub-category within the portfolio exceed 32% of the size of the portfolio,’ or ‘when a U.S. President is elected from a different party than the incumbent,’ etc. The present invention, in an exemplary embodiment may be used the non-market capitalization weighted portfolio may be used for investment management, or investment portfolio benchmarking. An exemplary embodiment of the invention may be implemented on a computing device(s), processor(s), computer(s) and/or communications device(s). The computer, in an exemplary embodiment, may comprise one or more central processing units (CPUs) or processors, which may be coupled to a bus. The processor may, e.g., access main memory via the bus. The computer may be coupled to an input/output (I/O) subsystem such as, e.g., but not limited to, a network interface card (NIC), or a modem for access to a network. The computer may also be coupled to a secondary memory directly via bus, or via a main memory, for example. Secondary memory may include, e.g., but not limited to, a disk storage unit or other storage medium. Exemplary disk storage units may include, but are not limited to, a magnetic storage device such as, e.g., a hard disk, an optical storage device such as, e.g., a write once read many (WORM) drive, or a compact disc (CD), or a magneto optical device. Another type of secondary memory may include a removable disk storage device, which may be used in conjunction with a removable storage medium, such as, e.g. a CD-ROM, or a floppy diskette. In general, the disk storage unit may store an application program for operating the computer system referred to commonly as an operating system. The disk storage unit may also store documents of a database (not shown). The computer may interact with the I/O subsystems and disk storage unit via bus. The bus may also be coupled to a display for output, and input devices such as, but not limited to, a keyboard and a mouse or other pointing/selection device. In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computer readable medium” may be used to generally refer to media such as, e.g., but not limited to removable storage drive, a hard disk installed in hard disk drive, and signals, etc. These computer program products may provide software to computer system. The invention may be directed to such computer program products. References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” “various embodiments,” etc., may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the invention so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an exemplary embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may. In the following description and claims, the terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other. An algorithm is here, and generally, considered to be a self-consistent sequence of acts or operations leading to a desired result. These include physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers or the like. It should be understood, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” or the like, refer to the action and/or processes of a computer or computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities within the computing system's registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system's memories, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices. In a similar manner, the term “processor” may refer to any device or portion of a device that processes electronic data from registers and/or memory to transform that electronic data into other electronic data that may be stored in registers and/or memory. A “computing platform” may comprise one or more processors. Embodiments of the present invention may include apparatuses for performing the operations herein. An apparatus may be specially constructed for the desired purposes, or it may comprise a general purpose device selectively activated or reconfigured by a program stored in the device. While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. While this invention has been particularly described and illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood to those having ordinary skill in the art that changes in the above description or illustrations may be made with respect to formal detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains generally to securities investing and more specifically to construction and use of passive portfolios and indexes. 2. Related Art Conventionally, there are various broad categories of securities portfolio management. One conventional securities portfolio management category is active management wherein the securities are selected for a portfolio individually based on economic, financial, credit, and/or business analysis; on technical trends; on cyclical patterns; etc. Another conventional category is passive management, also called indexing, wherein the securities in a portfolio duplicate those that make up an index. The securities in a passively managed portfolio are conventionally weighted by relative market capitalization weighting or equal weighting. Another middle ground conventional category of securities portfolio management is called enhanced indexing, in which a portfolio's characteristics, performance and holdings are substantially dominated by the characteristics, performance and holdings of the index, albeit with modest active management departures from the index. The present invention relates generally to the passive and enhanced indexing categories of portfolio management. A securities market index, by intent, reflects an entire market or a segment of a market. A passive portfolio based on an index may also reflect the entire market or segment. Often every security in an index is held in the passive portfolio. Sometimes statistical modeling is used to create a portfolio that duplicates the profile, risk characteristics, performance characteristics, and securities weightings of an index, without actually owning every security included in the index. (Examples could be portfolios based on the Wilshire 5000 Equity Index or on the Lehman Aggregate Bond Index.) Sometimes statistical modeling is used to create the index itself such that it duplicates the profile, risk characteristics, performance characteristics, and securities weightings of an entire class of securities. (The Lehman Aggregate Bond Index is an example of this practice.) Indexes are generally all-inclusive of the securities within their defined markets or market segments. In most cases indexes may include each security in the proportion that its market capitalization bears to the total market capitalization of all of the included securities. The only common exceptions to market capitalization weighting are equal weighting of the included securities (for example the Value Line index or the Standard & Poors 500 Equal Weighted Stock Index, which includes all of the stocks in the S&P 500 on a list basis; each stock given equal weighting as of a designated day each year) and share price weighting, in which share prices are simply added together and divided by some simple divisor (for example, the Dow Jones Industrial Average). Conventionally, passive portfolios are built based on an index weighted using one of market capitalization weighting, equal weighting, and share price weighting. Advantages of passive investing include: a low trading cost of maintaining a portfolio that has turnover only when an index is reconstituted, typically once a year; a low management cost of a portfolio that requires no analysis of individual securities; and no chance of the portfolio suffering a loss—relative to the market or market segment the index reflects—because of misjudgments in individual securities selection. Advantages of using market capitalization weighting as the basis for a passive portfolio include that the index (and therefore a portfolio built on it) remains continually ‘in balance’ as market prices for the included securities change, and that the portfolio performance participates in (i.e., reflects) that of the securities market or market segment included in the index. The disadvantages of market capitalization weighting passive indexes, which can be substantial, center on the fact that any under-valued securities are underweighted in the index and related portfolios, while any over-valued securities are over weighted. Also, the portfolio based on market capitalization weighting follows every market (or segment) bubble up and every market crash down. Finally, in general, portfolio securities selection is not based on a criteria that reflects a better opportunity for appreciation than that of the market or market segment overall. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to a new method, system and computer program product for passive investing that is based on indexes which are built with metrics other than market capitalization weighting, share price weighting or equal weighting. Among these metrics are various financial data of the company issuing securities, including but not limited to book value, sales, revenue, earnings, earnings per share, income, income growth rate, dividends, dividends per share, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, etc. In another exemplary embodiment, other nonfinancial and non-market capitalization metrics can be used as the basis for compiling an index, such as, e.g., but not limited to, an index of companies with chief executive officers (CEOs) having graduated from a particular university. A common element included in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which is entirely missing from conventionally available forms of index construction, is that the indexes of the present invention are “valuation-indifferent.” That is, conventional indexes do not take account of classical valuation ratios, which causes the conventional indexes to create a natural tendency to over-weight the over-valued and under-weight the under-valued securities in the conventional indexes and portfolios based on them. While this cause also holds true for equal weighting, we exclude that as an already-extant (and trivial) exception. The use of these non-market capitalization metrics according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, allows the construction of indexes and resulting passive portfolios that better reflect the economic scale and/or long-term growth potential of the individual securities within a market or market segment than do conventional capitalization weighting, share price weighting, or equal weighting. The non-market capitalization metrics according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, allow construction of indexes and resulting passive portfolios that offer to an investor who wishes to participate in a market or market segment a choice of passive portfolio alternatives with different risk characteristics. The indexes and portfolios based on them according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, also provide these additional advantages while maintaining the conventional benefits of passive investing. In historical testing, these non-market capitalization metrics are found to outperform the conventional capitalization-weighted indexes over extended periods of time, with similar or lower portfolio risk. Overall, the availability of non-market capitalization indexes, and the passive and enhanced index portfolios based on them, have the potential to reduce investment costs through more widespread use of low-cost passive and enhanced-index investing. The present invention has the potential to improve investment returns versus the securities markets through the use of a securities weighting framework which is not subject to a natural tendency to overemphasize over-valued securities and underemphasize under-valued securities. The present invention also has the potential to reduce portfolio volatility through the use of securities weighting criteria that are less reflective of ‘irrational exuberance.’ An exemplary embodiment of the present invention also has the potential to offer ‘customized’ passive portfolios as each metric may have its own specific performance and risk characteristics. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention sets forth a system, method, and computer program product for constructing a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets. In an exemplary embodiment, the method may include: (a) gathering data about a plurality of assets; (b) selecting a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; and (c) weighting each of the plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of each of the plurality of assets, wherein the weighting may include: (i) weighting at least one of the plurality of assets; and (ii) weighting other than weighting based on market capitalization, equal weighting, and/or share price weighting. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a stock; a commodity; a futures contract; a bond; a mutual fund; a hedge fund; a fund of funds; an exchange traded fund (ETF); a derivative; or a negative weighting on any asset. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a stock. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a commodity. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a futures contract. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, wherein each of the assets may include a bond. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a mutual fund. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a hedge fund. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a fund of flunds. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include an exchange traded fund (ETF). In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the plurality of assets, where each of the assets may include a derivative. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include a negative weighting on any asset. In one exemplary embodiment, the negative weighting may be performed for purposes of establishing, or measuring, performance for any security, a portfolio of assets, a hedge fund, and/or a long/short position. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting based on the objective measure of scale, where the objective measure of scale may include a measure of company size associated with each of the plurality of assets. In one exemplary embodiment, the measure of company size may include one or more of: gross revenue, sales, income, earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), number of employees, book value, assets, liabilities, and/or net worth. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting based on the objective measure of scale, where the objective measure of scale includes a measure relating to an underlying asset itself. In one exemplary embodiment, the asset may include a municipality, a municipality issuing bonds, or a commodity. In one exemplary embodiment, the objective measure of scale associated with the asset may include one or more of: revenue, profitability, sales, total sales, foreign sales, domestic sales, net sales, gross sales, profit margin, operating margin, retained earnings, earnings per share, book value, book value adjusted for inflation, book value adjusted for replacement cost, book value adjusted for liquidation value, dividends, assets, tangible assets, intangible assets, fixed assets, property, plant, equipment, goodwill, replacement value of assets, liquidation value of assets, liabilities, long term liabilities, short term liabilities, net worth, research and development expense, accounts receivable, earnings before interest, taxes, dividends, and amortization (EBITDA), accounts payable, cost of goods sold (CGS), debt ratio, budget, capital budget, cash budget, direct labor budget, factory overhead budget, operating budget, sales budget, inventory method, type of stock offered, liquidity, book income, tax income, capitalization of earnings, capitalization of goodwill, capitalization of interest, capitalization of revenue, capital spending, cash, compensation, employee turnover, overhead costs, credit rating, growth rate, tax rate, liquidation value of company, capitalization of cash, capitalization of earnings, capitalization of revenue, cash flow, and/or future value of expected cash flow. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting each of the assets in the index based on the objective measure of scale, where the objective measure may include a ratio of any combination of the objective measures of scale of the asset other than ratios based on weighting the assets based on market capitalization, equal weighting, or share-price weighting. In one exemplary embodiment, the ratio of any combination of the objective measures of scale may include one or more of: current ratio, debt ratio, overhead expense as a percent of sales, and/or debt service burden ratio. In one exemplary embodiment, the objective measure of scale may include a demographic measure of the asset. In one exemplary embodiment, the demographic measure of scale may include one or more of: employees, floor space, office space, location, and/or other demographics of an asset. In one exemplary embodiment, the measure of company size may include one or more demographic measure of the asset. In one exemplary embodiment, the demographic measure of the asset may include one or more of a non-financial metric, a non-market related metric, a number of employees, floor space, office space, and/or other demographics of the asset. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting based on the objective measure of scale, where the objective measure of scale may include a geographic metric. In one exemplary embodiment, the geographic metric may include a geographic metric other than gross domestic product (GDP) weighting. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may include a passive investing method that may include: constructing the portfolio of assets according to the index. In one exemplary embodiment, the portfolio of assets may include one or more of: a fund; a mutual fund; a fund of funds; an asset account; an exchange traded fund (ETF); a separate account, a pooled trust; and/or a limited partnership. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may further include: selecting a plurality of assets for trading according to the index; and trading one or more of said plurality of assets based on said weighting of the index. In one exemplary embodiment, the trading may include: rebalancing the portfolio based on the index. In one exemplary embodiment, rebalancing may include: rebalancing on a periodic basis. In one exemplary embodiment, rebalancing may include: rebalancing based on the assets reaching a threshold. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may further include applying rules associated with the index. In one exemplary embodiment, the method of constructing the non-market capitalization weighted portfolio may be used for one or more of: investment management, and/or investment portfolio benchmarking. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may include an enhanced index investing method. The method may include constructing the portfolio of assets in a fashion in which at least one of holdings, performance, or characteristics, are substantially similar to the index. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may be a computer-implemented method and (a) may include: gathering data using computerized databases. In one exemplary embodiment, (c) may include weighting based on a non-market capitalization financial metric associated with each of the plurality of assets, and a non-financial metric associated with each of said plurality of assets. In another exemplary embodiment, a system for constructing a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets may include: means for gathering data about a plurality of assets; means for selecting a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; and weighting means for weighting each of said plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of said each of said plurality of assets, wherein said weighting means may include: means for weighting at least one of said plurality of assets; and means for weighting other than weighting based on at least one of market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. In yet another exemplary embodiment, a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets construction system, may include: a processor adapted to gather data about a plurality of assets; adapted to select a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; adapted to weight each of the plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of the each of said plurality of assets; adapted to weight at least one of the plurality of assets; and adapted to weight other than based on at least one of market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. In another exemplary embodiment, a machine readable medium that provides instructions which when executed by a computing platform, cause the computing platform to perform operations may include a method of constructing a non-capitalization weighted portfolio of assets, the method may include: (a) gathering data about a plurality of assets; (b) selecting a plurality of assets to create the index of assets; and (c) weighting each of said plurality of assets selected in the index based on an objective measure of scale of said each of said plurality of assets, wherein said weighting comprises: (i) weighting at least one of said plurality of assets; and (ii) weighting other than weighting based on at least one of market capitalization, equal weighting, or share price weighting. Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. | 20041012 | 20100907 | 20050804 | 59106.0 | 1 | JOHNSON, GREGORY L | VALUATION INDIFFERENT NON-CAPITALIZATION WEIGHTED INDEX AND PORTFOLIO | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,961,629 | ACCEPTED | Maize promoter named CRWAQ81 | The present invention provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant. Compositions include a novel nucleotide sequence for a root-preferred promoter for the gene encoding CRWAQ81. A method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using the promoter sequences disclosed herein is provided. The method comprises stably incorporating into the genome of a plant cell a nucleotide sequence operably linked to the root-preferred promoter of the present invention and regenerating a stably transformed plant that expresses the nucleotide sequence. | 1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2; b) a nucleotide sequence comprising a plant promoter sequence of the plasmids deposited as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5126; c) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 50 contiguous nucleotides of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell; d) a nucleotide sequence comprising a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell; e) a nucleotide sequence comprising a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell; f) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement of a) or b), wherein said sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell; and, g) a nucleotide sequence comprising a fragment of a sequence of a) or b), wherein said fragment maintains the function of the nucleotide sequence of a) or b). 2. An expression cassette comprising a nucleotide sequence of claim 1 operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest. 3. A vector comprising the expression cassette of claim 2. 4. A plant cell having stably incorporated into its genome the expression cassette of claim 2. 5. The plant cell of claim 4, wherein said plant cell is from a monocot. 6. The plant cell of claim 5, wherein said monocot is maize. 7. The plant cell of claim 4, wherein said plant cell is from a dicot. 8. A plant having stably incorporated into its genome the expression cassette of claim 2. 9. The plant of claim 8, wherein said plant is a monocot. 10. The plant of claim 9, wherein said monocot is maize. 11. The plant of claim 8, wherein said plant is a dicot. 12. A transgenic seed of the plant of claim 8. 13. The plant of claim 8, wherein the heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest encodes a gene product that confers herbicide, salt, pathogen, drought, cold, or insect resistance. 14. An expression cassette comprising, in sequence, the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest, which is operably linked to a 3′ non-translated region including a polyadenylation signal. 15. A vector comprising the expression cassette of claim 14. 16. A plant cell having stably incorporated into its genome the expression cassette of claim 14. 17. A plant having stably incorporated into its genome the expression cassette of claim 14. 18. A transgenic seed of the plant of claim 17. 19. The plant of claim 17, wherein the heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest encodes a gene product that confers herbicide, salt, pathogen, drought, cold, or insect resistance. 20. A method for expressing a nucleotide sequence in a plant, said method comprising introducing into a plant cell an expression cassette, said expression cassette comprising a promoter and operably linked to said promoter a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest, wherein said promoter comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2; b) a nucleotide sequence comprising a plant promoter sequence of the plasmids designated as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5126; c) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 50 contiguous nucleotides of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said nucleotide sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell; d) a nucleotide sequence comprising a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said nucleotide sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell; e) a nucleotide sequence comprising a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said nucleotide sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell; and, f) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement of a) or b), wherein said sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell; and, regenerating a transformed plant from said plant cell, wherein said plant has stably incorporated into its genome said expression cassette. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest is selectively expressed in roots. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein said plant is a dicot. 23. The method of claim 23, wherein said plant is a monocot. 24. The method of claim 20, wherein said monocot is maize. 25. The method of claim 20, wherein the heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest encodes a gene product that confers herbicide, salt, pathogen, drought, cold, or insect resistance. 26. A method for expressing a nucleotide sequence in a plant cell, said method comprising introducing into said plant cell an expression cassette comprising a promoter operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest, wherein said promoter comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO: 2; b) a nucleotide sequence comprising a plant promoter sequence of the plasmids designated as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5126; c) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 50 contiguous nucleotides of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said nucleotide sequence initiates transcription in said plant cell; d) a nucleotide sequence comprising a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said nucleotide sequence initiates transcription in said plant cell; e) a nucleotide sequence comprising a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said nucleotide sequence initiates transcription in said plant cell; and, f) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement of a) or b), wherein said sequence initiates transcription in said plant cell. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein said plant cell is from a monocot. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein said monocot is maize. 29. The method of claim 26, wherein said plant cell is from a dicot. 30. The method of claim 26, wherein the heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest encodes a gene product that confers herbicide, salt, pathogen, drought, cold, or insect resistance. 31. A method for selectively expressing a nucleotide sequence in a plant root, said method comprising introducing into a plant cell an expression cassette, and regenerating a transformed plant from said plant cell, said expression cassette comprising a promoter and a heterologous nucleotide sequence operably linked to said promoter, wherein said promoter comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2; b) a nucleotide sequence comprising a plant promoter sequence of the plasmids deposited as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5126; c) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 50 contiguous nucleotides of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said sequence initiates transcription in a plant root cell; d) a nucleotide sequence comprising a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said sequence initiates transcription in a plant root cell; e) a nucleotide sequence comprising a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said sequence initiates transcription in a plant root cell; and, f) a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement of a) or b), wherein said sequence initiates transcription in a plant root cell. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein expression of said heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest alters the phenotype of said plant. 33. The method of claim 31, wherein said plant is a monocot. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein said monocot is maize. 35. The method of claim 31, wherein said plant is a dicot. 36. The method of claim 31, wherein the heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest encodes a gene product that confers herbicide, salt, pathogen, drought, cold, or insect resistance. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/509,878, filed Oct. 9, 2003, the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of plant molecular biology, more particularly to regulation of gene expression in plants. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Expression of heterologous DNA sequences in a plant host is dependent upon the presence of an operably linked promoter that is functional within the plant host. The type of promoter sequence chosen is based on when and where within the organism expression of the heterologous DNA is desired. Where expression in specific tissues or organs is desired, tissue-preferred promoters may be used. Where gene expression in response to a stimulus is desired, inducible promoters are the regulatory element of choice. In contrast, where continuous expression is desired throughout the cells of a plant, constitutive promoters are utilized. Additional regulatory sequences upstream and/or downstream from a core promoter sequence may be included in expression constructs of transformation vectors to bring about varying levels of expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a transgenic plant. Genetically altering plants through the use of genetic engineering techniques to produce plants with useful traits thus requires the availability of a variety of promoters. Frequently it is desirable to express a DNA sequence in particular tissues or organs of a plant. For example, increased resistance of a plant to infection by soil- and/or air-borne pathogens might be accomplished by genetic manipulation of the plant's genome to comprise a tissue-preferred promoter operably linked to a heterologous pathogen-resistance gene such that pathogen-resistance proteins are produced in the desired plant tissue. Alternatively, it might be desirable to inhibit expression of a native DNA sequence within a plant's tissues to achieve a desired phenotype. In this case, such inhibition might be accomplished with transformation of the plant to comprise a tissue-preferred promoter operably linked to an antisense nucleotide sequence, such that expression of the antisense sequence produces an RNA transcript that interferes with translation of the mRNA of the native DNA sequence. To date, the regulation of gene expression in plant roots has not been adequately studied despite the root's importance to plant development. To some degree this is attributable to a lack of readily available, root-specific biochemical functions whose genes may be cloned, studied, and manipulated. Several genes that are preferentially expressed in plant root tissues have been identified. See, for example, Takahashi et al. (1991) Plant J. 1:327-332; Takahashi et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:8013-8016; Hertig et al. (1991) Plant Mol Biol. 16:171-174; Xu et al. (1995) Plant Mol. Biol. 27:237-248; Capone et al. (1994) Plant Mol. Biol. 25:681-691; Masuda et al. (1999) Plant Cell Physiol. 40(11):1177-81; Luschnig et al. (1998) Genes Dev. 12(14):2175-87; Goddemeier et al. (1998) Plant Mol. Biol. 36(5):799-802; and Yamamoto et al. (1991) Plant Cell 3(4):371-82. Though root-specific promoters have been characterized in several types of plants, no root-specific promoters from maize have been described in the literature. Constitutive expression of some heterologous proteins, such as insecticides, leads to undesirable phenotypic and agronomic effects. Limiting expression of insecticidal proteins, for example, to the target tissues of insect feeding (root, in this case), allows the plant to devote more energy to normal growth rather than toward expression of the protein throughout the plant. Using root-preferred promoters, one can also limit expression of the protein in undesirable portions of the plant. However, many of the root-preferred promoters that have been isolated do not direct the expression of sufficient amounts of a transgene for efficacy in plants. Thus, the isolation and characterization of tissue-preferred, particularly root-preferred, promoters that can direct transcription of a sufficiently high level of a desired heterologous nucleotide sequence is needed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Compositions and methods for regulating gene expression in a plant are provided. Compositions comprise novel nucleotide sequences for a promoter that initiates transcription in a root-preferred manner. More particularly, transcriptional initiation regions isolated from the plant gene CRWAQ81 are provided. Further compositions of the invention comprise the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 and the plant promoter sequences deposited in bacterial hosts as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5126, and fragments thereof. The compositions of the invention further comprise nucleotide sequences having at least 80% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or 2, and which drive root-preferred expression of an operably linked nucleotide sequence. Also included are nucleotide sequences that hybridize under stringent conditions to either the sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO:1 or the sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 2, plant promoter sequences deposited in bacterial hosts as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5126, or their complements. Compositions of the present invention also include expression cassettes comprising a promoter of the invention operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest. The invention further provides expression vectors, and plants or plant cells having stably incorporated into their genomes an expression cassette mentioned above. Additionally, compositions include transgenic seed of such plants. Methods of the invention comprise a means for selectively expressing a nucleotide sequence in a plant root, comprising transforming a plant cell with an expression cassette, and regenerating a transformed plant from said plant cell, said expression cassette comprising a promoter and a heterologous nucleotide sequence operably linked to said promoter, wherein said promoter initiates root-preferred transcription of said nucleotide sequence in a plant cell. In this manner, the promoter sequences are useful for controlling the expression of operably linked coding sequences in a root-preferred manner. Downstream from and under the transcriptional initiation regulation of the promoter will be a sequence of interest that will provide for modification of the phenotype of the plant. Such modification includes modulating the production of an endogenous product, as to amount, relative distribution, or the like, or production of an exogenous expression product to provide for a useful function or product in the plant. For example, a heterologous nucleotide sequence that encodes a gene product that confers herbicide, salt, drought, cold, pathogen or insect resistance is encompassed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows in situ hybridization results of the expression pattern of the CRWAQ81 gene in maize root tips. FIG. 1B shows northern blot analysis of the tissue-specific expression pattern of the CRWAQ81 gene in non-infested maize plants, or in maize plants infested with Western Corn Rootworm (WCRW) eggs. FIGS. 2A and B reveal various features of the ˜3.6 kb CRWAQ81 promoter sequence (SEQ ID NO:2) The nonperfect tandem repeats are highlighted. MITE1 is identified by the underlined sequence while italics identify MITE2. The bolded and underlined sequence denotes MITE3. The putative TATA box is indicated by a box. The 5′ untranslated region is shown in small case lettering. SEQ ID NO:1, which is a fragment of the CRWAQ81 promoter sequence extends from nucleotide 1443 to nucleotide 3583. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The compositions of the present invention comprise novel nucleotide sequences for plant promoters, particularly a “root-preferred” promoter for the CRWAQ81 gene, more particularly, the maize CRWAQ81 promoter. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 and the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, plant promoter sequences deposited in bacterial hosts as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5126, and fragments, variants, and complements thereof. Plasmids containing the plant promoter nucleotide sequences of the invention were deposited with the Patent Depository of the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), Manassas, Va., on Apr. 4, 2003, and assigned Patent Deposit No. PTA-5126. This deposit will be maintained under the terms of the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure. This deposit was made merely as a convenience for those of skill in the art and is not an admission that a deposit is required under 35 U.S.C. §112. The promoter sequences of the invention are useful for expressing operably linked nucleotide sequences in a tissue-preferred, particularly a root-preferred manner. The sequences of the invention also find use in the construction of expression vectors for subsequent transformation into plants of interest, as probes for the isolation of other CRWAQ81-like genes, as molecular markers, and the like. The CRWAQ81 promoter of the invention was isolated from the 5′ untranslated region flanking the CRWAQ81 transcription initiation site. The specific method used to obtain the CRWAQ81 promoter of the present invention is described in Example 5 below. The articles “a” and “an” are used herein to refer to one or more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By way of example, “an element” means one or more elements. The invention encompasses isolated or substantially purified nucleic acid compositions. An “isolated” or “substantially purified” nucleic acid molecule, or biologically active portion thereof, is substantially free of other cellular material, or culture medium when produced by recombinant techniques, or substantially free of chemical precursors or other chemicals when chemically synthesized. Optimally, an “isolated” nucleic acid is free of sequences (optimally protein encoding sequences) that naturally flank the nucleic acid (i.e., sequences located at the 5′ and 3′ ends of the nucleic acid) in the genomic DNA of the organism from which the nucleic acid is derived. For example, in various embodiments, the isolated nucleic acid molecule can contain less than about 5 kb, 4 kb, 3 kb, 2 kb, 1 kb, 0.5 kb, or 0.1 kb of nucleotide sequences that naturally flank the nucleic acid molecule in genomic DNA of the cell from which the nucleic acid is derived. The compositions of the invention include isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising the promoter nucleotide sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS:1 and 2. By “promoter” is intended to mean a regulatory region of DNA usually comprising a TATA box capable of directing RNA polymerase II to initiate RNA synthesis at the appropriate transcription initiation site for a particular coding sequence. A promoter may additionally comprise other recognition sequences generally positioned upstream or 5′ to the TATA box, referred to as upstream promoter elements, which influence the transcription initiation rate. It is recognized that having identified the nucleotide sequences for the promoter regions disclosed herein, it is within the state of the art to isolate and identify further regulatory elements in the 5′ untranslated region upstream from the particular promoter regions identified herein. Thus, for example, the promoter regions disclosed herein may further comprise upstream regulatory elements such as those responsible for tissue and temporal expression of the coding sequence, enhancers, and the like. See particularly, Australian Patent No. AU-A-77751/94 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,466,785 and 5,635,618. In the same manner, the promoter elements that enable expression in the desired tissue such as the root, can be identified, isolated, and used with other core promoters to confer root-preferred expression. In this aspect of the invention, a “core promoter” is a promoter without promoter elements. The core promoter region contains a TATA box and often an initiator element as well as the initiation site. The precise length of the core promoter region is not fixed but is usually easily recognizable. Such a region is normally present, with some variation, in most promoters. The base sequences lying between the various well-characterized elements appear to be of lesser importance. The core promoter region is often referred to as a minimal promoter region because it is functional on its own to promote a basal level of transcription. The maize root-preferred promoter sequences of the present invention, when assembled within a DNA construct such that the promoter is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence of interest, enables expression of the nucleotide sequence in the cells of a plant stably transformed with this DNA construct. “Operably linked” is intended to mean a functional linkage between two or more elements. For example, an operable linkage between a promoter of the present invention and a heterologous nucleotide of interest is a functional link that allows for expression of the heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest. Operably linked elements may be contiguous or non-contiguous. When used to refer to the joining of two protein coding regions, by operably linked is intended that the coding regions are in the same reading frame. The cassette may additionally contain at least one additional gene to be cotransformed into the organism. Alternatively, the additional gene(s) can be provided on multiple expression cassettes. Such an expression cassette is provided with a plurality of restriction sites and/or recombination sites for insertion of the heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest to be under the transcriptional regulation of the regulatory regions. The expression cassette may additionally contain selectable marker genes. In this manner, the nucleotide sequences for the promoters of the invention are provided in expression cassettes along with a nucleotide sequence of interest, typically a heterologous nucleotide sequence, for expression in the plant of interest. By “heterologous nucleotide sequence” is intended to mean a sequence that is not naturally operably linked with the promoter sequence, including non-naturally occurring multiple copies of a naturally occurring DNA sequence. While this nucleotide sequence is heterologous to the promoter sequence, it may be homologous, or native, or heterologous, or foreign, to the plant host. It is recognized that the promoter may also drive expression of its homologous or native nucleotide sequence. In this case, the transformed plant will have a change in phenotype. Heterologous nucleotide sequences include, but are not limited to, insecticidal coding sequences, nematicidal coding sequences, herbicide-tolerance coding sequences, anti-microbial coding sequences, anti-fungal coding sequences, anti-viral coding sequences, abiotic stress tolerance coding sequences, nutritional quality coding sequences, visible marker coding sequences, and selectable marker coding sequences. The expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences can vary depending upon the type of promoter utilized. One category of promoters known as “tissue-specific promoters” express the genes under their control in only one or more cell types in specific organs, specific tissues, or specific cell types. Tissue-specific promoters include promoters that are temporally regulated, such as in early or late embryogenesis, during fruit ripening in developing seeds or fruit, in fully differentiated leaf, or at the onset of senescence. In contrast, “constitutive promoters” refer to promoters that are able to express the genes under their control in all or nearly all of the plant tissues during all or nearly all developmental stages of the plant, thereby generating “constitutive expression” of the genes. Yet another type of promoter known as an “inducible promoter” is a type of regulated promoter that can be turned on in one or more cell types by an external stimulus, such as a chemical, light, hormone, stress, or a pathogen. The regulatory sequences of the present invention, when operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest and stably incorporated into the plant genome drive “root-preferred” expression of the heterologous nucleotide sequence. By “root-preferred” is intended that expression of the heterologous nucleotide sequence is most abundant in the root. By “root” is intended to mean any part of the root structure, including but not limited to, the root cap, apical meristem, protoderm, ground meristem, procambium, endodermis, cortex, vascular cortex, epidermis, and the like. While some level of expression of the heterologous nucleotide sequence may occur in other plant tissue types, expression occurs most abundantly in the root, which may include, but is not limited to primary, lateral, and adventitious roots. Modifications of the isolated promoter sequences of the present invention can provide for a range of expression of the heterologous nucleotide sequence. Thus, they may be modified to be weak promoters or strong promoters. Generally, by “weak promoter” is intended to mean a promoter that drives expression of a coding sequence of interest at a low level. By “low level” is intended to mean that the transcript for the coding sequence of interest represents about 1 out of every 10,000 transcripts to about 1 out of every 500,000 transcripts being produced in the cell at any given point in time. Conversely, under equivalent cellular conditions, a strong promoter drives expression of a coding sequence of interest at a high level, such that the transcript for the coding sequence of interest represents about 1 out of every 10 transcripts to about 1 out of every 1,000 transcripts being produced in the cell at any given point in time. Alternatively, it is recognized that weak promoters also encompass promoters that are expressed in only a few cells and not in others to give a total low level of expression at any given point in time. Fragments and variants of the disclosed promoter sequences are also encompassed by the present invention. By “fragment” is intended to mean a portion of the promoter sequence. Fragments of a promoter sequence may retain biological activity and hence be capable of driving root-preferred expression of an operably linked nucleotide sequence. Thus, for example, less than the entire promoter sequence disclosed herein may be utilized to drive expression of an operably linked nucleotide sequence of interest, such as a nucleotide sequence encoding a heterologous protein. It is within the skill in the art to determine whether such fragments decrease expression levels or alter the nature of expression, i.e., constitutive or inducible expression. Alternatively, fragments of a promoter nucleotide sequence that are useful as hybridization probes, as described below, generally do not retain this regulatory activity. Thus, fragments of a promoter sequence may range from at least about 20 nucleotides, about 50 nucleotides, about 100 nucleotides, and up to the full-length promoter sequence of the invention. Thus, a fragment of a CRWAQ81 promoter nucleotide sequence may encode a biologically active portion of the CRWAQ81 promoter or it may be a fragment that can be used as a hybridization probe or PCR primer using methods disclosed below. A biologically active portion of a CRWAQ81 promoter can be prepared by isolating a portion of one of the CRWAQ81 promoter nucleotide sequences of the invention and assessing the activity of that portion of the CRWAQ81 promoter. Nucleic acid molecules that are fragments of a promoter nucleotide sequence comprise at least 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 75, 100, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 800, 900, 950, 1000, 1050, 1100, 1150, 1200, 1500, 1800, 2000 contiguous nucleotides, or up to the number of nucleotides present in full-length promoter nucleotide sequence disclosed herein, e.g., 2136 nucleotides for SEQ ID NO:1. “Contiguous” nucleotides, as used herein, refers to nucleic acid sequences that are immediately preceding or following one another. Nucleic acid molecules that are fragments of the full length CRWAQ81 promoter that are capable of functioning as a promoter may comprise, for example, nucleotides 931 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 936 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 941 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 946 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1, nucleotides 951 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 956 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 961 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 971 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 981 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 991 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1001 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1051 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1101 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1151 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1201 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1251 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1301 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1351 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1401 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1451 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1501 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1551 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1601 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1651 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1701 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1751 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1777 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1782 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1787 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1792 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1801 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1851 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1901 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 1951 to 2113 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 931 to 2110 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 931 to 2107 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 931 to 2104 of SEQ ID NO:1; nucleotides 931 to 2100 of SEQ ID NO:1. The nucleotides of such fragments will usually comprise the TATA recognition sequence of the particular promoter sequence. Such fragments may be obtained by use of restriction enzymes to cleave the naturally occurring promoter nucleotide sequence disclosed herein; by synthesizing a nucleotide sequence from the naturally occurring sequence of the promoter DNA sequence; or may be obtained through the use of PCR technology. See particularly, Mullis et al. (1987) Methods Enzymol. 155:335-350, and Erlich, ed. (1989) PCR Technology (Stockton Press, New York). Variants of these promoter fragments, such as those resulting from site-directed mutagenesis, are also encompassed by the compositions of the present invention. By “variants” is intended to mean sequences having substantial similarity with a promoter sequence disclosed herein. For nucleotide sequences, a variant comprises a deletion and/or addition of one or more nucleotides at one or more internal sites within the native nucleic acid molecule and/or a substitution of one or more nucleotides at one or more sites in the native nucleic acid molecule. As used herein, a “native” nucleic acid molecule comprises a naturally occurring nucleotide sequence. Naturally occurring variants such as these can be identified with the use of well-known molecular biology techniques, as, for example, with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and hybridization techniques as outlined below. Variant nucleotide sequences also include synthetically derived nucleotide sequences, such as those generated, for example, by using site-directed mutagenesis. Generally, variants of a particular nucleotide sequence of the invention will have at least about 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or more sequence identity to that particular nucleotide sequence as determined by sequence alignment programs and parameters described elsewhere herein. Biologically active variants are also encompassed by the present invention. Biologically active variants include, for example, the native promoter sequence of the invention having one or more nucleotide substitutions, deletions, or insertions. Promoter activity may be measured by using techniques such as Northern blot analysis, reporter activity measurements taken from transcriptional fusions, and the like. See, for example, Sambrook et al. (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (2d ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), herein incorporated by reference. Alternatively, levels of a reporter gene such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) or the like produced under the control of a promoter fragment or variant can be measured. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,050, herein incorporated by reference. Methods for mutagenesis and nucleotide sequence alterations are well known in the art. See, for example, Kunkel (1985) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:488-492; Kunkel et al. (1987) Methods in Enzymol. 154:367-382; U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,192; Walker and Gaastra, eds. (1983) Techniques in Molecular Biology (MacMillan Publishing Company, New York) and the references cited therein. The nucleotide sequences of the invention can be used to isolate corresponding sequences from other organisms, particularly other plants, more particularly other monocots. In this manner, methods such as PCR, hybridization, and the like can be used to identify such sequences based on their sequence homology to the sequences set forth herein. Sequences isolated based on their sequence identity to the entire CRWAQ81 promoter sequence set forth herein or to fragments thereof are encompassed by the present invention. Thus, isolated nucleic acid molecules that have promoter activity and which hybridize under stringent conditions to the promoter sequences disclosed herein, or to variants or fragments thereof, are encompassed by the present invention. In a PCR approach, oligonucleotide primers can be designed for use in PCR reactions to amplify corresponding DNA sequences from cDNA or genomic DNA extracted from any plant of interest. Methods for designing PCR primers and PCR cloning are generally known in the art and are disclosed in Sambrook et al. (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (2d ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Plainview, N.Y.). See also Innis et al., eds. (1990) PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications (Academic Press, New York); Innis and Gelfand, eds. (1995) PCR Strategies (Academic Press, New York); and Innis and Gelfand, eds. (1999) PCR Methods Manual (Academic Press, New York). Known methods of PCR include, but are not limited to, methods using paired primers, nested primers, single specific primers, degenerate primers, gene-specific primers, vector-specific primers, partially-mismatched primers, and the like. In hybridization techniques, all or part of a known nucleotide sequence is used as a probe that selectively hybridizes to other corresponding nucleotide sequences present in a population of cloned genomic DNA fragments or cDNA fragments (i.e., genomic or cDNA libraries) from a chosen organism. The hybridization probes may be genomic DNA fragments, cDNA fragments, RNA fragments, or other oligonucleotides, and may be labeled with a detectable group such as 32P, or any other detectable marker. Thus, for example, probes for hybridization can be made by labeling synthetic oligonucleotides based on the CRWAQ81 promoter sequences of the invention. Methods for the preparation of probes for hybridization and for the construction of cDNA and genomic libraries are generally known in the art and are disclosed in Sambrook et al. (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (2d ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Plainview, N.Y.). For example, the entire CRWAQ81 promoter sequences disclosed herein, or one or more portions thereof, may be used as a probe capable of specifically hybridizing to corresponding CRWAQ81 promoter sequences. To achieve specific hybridization under a variety of conditions, such probes include sequences that are unique among CRWAQ81 promoter sequences and are optimally at least about 10 nucleotides in length, and most optimally at least about 20 nucleotides in length. Such probes may be used to amplify corresponding CRWAQ81 promoter sequences from a chosen plant by PCR. This technique may also be used to isolate additional coding sequences from a desired plant or as a diagnostic assay to determine the presence of coding sequences in a plant. Hybridization techniques include hybridization screening of plated DNA libraries (either plaques or colonies; see, for example, Sambrook et al. (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (2d ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Plainview, N.Y.). Hybridization of such sequences may be carried out under stringent conditions. By “stringent conditions” or “stringent hybridization conditions” conditions under which a probe will hybridize to its target sequence to a detectably greater degree than to other sequences (e.g., at least 2-fold over background) are intended. Stringent conditions are sequence-dependent and will be different in different circumstances. By controlling the stringency of the hybridization and/or washing conditions, target sequences that are 100% complementary to the probe can be identified (homologous probing). Alternatively, stringency conditions can be adjusted to allow some mismatching in sequences so that lower degrees of similarity are detected (heterologous probing). Generally, a probe is less than about 1000 nucleotides in length, optimally less than 500 nucleotides in length. Typically, stringent conditions will be those in which the salt concentration is less than about 1.5 M Na ion, typically about 0.01 to 1.0 M Na ion concentration (or other salts) at pH 7.0 to 8.3 and the temperature is at least about 30° C. for short probes (e.g., 10 to 50 nucleotides) and at least about 60° C. for long probes (e.g., greater than 50 nucleotides). Stringent conditions may also be achieved with the addition of destabilizing agents such as formamide. Exemplary low stringency conditions include hybridization with a buffer solution of 30 to 35% formamide, 1 M NaCl, 1% SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate) at 37° C., and a wash in 1× to 2×SSC (20×SSC=3.0 M NaCl/0.3 M trisodium citrate) at 50 to 55° C. Exemplary moderate stringency conditions include hybridization in 40 to 45% formamide, 1.0 M NaCl, 1% SDS at 37° C., and a wash in 0.5× to 1×SSC at 55 to 60° C. Exemplary high stringency conditions include hybridization in 50% formamide, 1 M NaCl, 1% SDS at 37° C., and a final wash in 0.1×SSC at 60 to 65° C. for at least 20 minutes. Duration of hybridization is generally less than about 24 hours, usually about 4 to about 12 hours. The duration of the wash time will be at least a length of time sufficient to reach equilibrium. Optionally, wash buffers may comprise about 0.1% to about 1% SDS. Specificity is typically the function of post-hybridization washes, the critical factors being the ionic strength and temperature of the final wash solution. The Tm (thermal melting point) is the temperature (under defined ionic strength and pH) at which 50% of a complementary target sequence hybridizes to a perfectly matched probe. For DNA-DNA hybrids, the Tm can be approximated from the equation of Meinkoth and Wahl (1984) Anal. Biochem. 138:267-284: Tm=81.5° C.+16.6(log M)+0.41(% GC)−0.61(% form)−500/L; where M is the molarity of monovalent cations, % GC is the percentage of guanosine and cytosine nucleotides in the DNA, % form is the percentage of formamide in the hybridization solution, and L is the length of the hybrid in base pairs. Tm is reduced by about 1° C. for each 1% of mismatching; thus, Tm, hybridization, and/or wash conditions can be adjusted to hybridize to sequences of the desired identity. For example, if sequences with ≧90% identity are sought, the Tm can be decreased 10° C. Generally, stringent conditions are selected to be about 5° C. lower than the Tm for the specific sequence and its complement at a defined ionic strength and pH. However, severely stringent conditions can utilize a hybridization and/or wash at 1, 2, 3, or 4° C. lower than the Tm; moderately stringent conditions can utilize a hybridization and/or wash at 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10° C. lower than the Tm; low stringency conditions can utilize a hybridization and/or wash at 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, or 20° C. lower than Tm. Using the equation, hybridization and wash compositions, and desired Tm, those of ordinary skill will understand that variations in the stringency of hybridization and/or wash solutions are inherently described. If the desired degree of mismatching results in a Tm of less than 45° C. (aqueous solution) or 32° C. (formamide solution), it is preferred to increase the SSC concentration so that a higher temperature can be used. An extensive guide to the hybridization of nucleic acids is found in Tijssen (1993) Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology—Hybridization with Nucleic Acid Probes, Part I, Chapter 2 (Elsevier, N.Y.); and Ausubel et al., eds. (1995) Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Chapter 2 (Greene Publishing and Wiley-Interscience, New York). See also Sambrook et al. (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (2d ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Plainview, N.Y.). Thus, isolated sequences that have root-preferred promoter activity and which hybridize under stringent conditions to the CRWAQ81 promoter sequences disclosed herein, or to fragments thereof, are encompassed by the present invention. The following terms are used to describe the sequence relationships between two or more nucleic acids or polynucleotides: (a) “reference sequence”, (b) “comparison window”, (c) “sequence identity”, and (d) “percentage of sequence identity”. (a) As used herein, “reference sequence” is a defined sequence used as a basis for sequence comparison. A reference sequence may be a subset or the entirety of a specified sequence; for example, as a segment of a full-length cDNA or gene sequence, or the complete cDNA or gene sequence. (b) As used herein, “comparison window” makes reference to a contiguous and specified segment of a polynucleotide sequence, wherein the polynucleotide sequence in the comparison window may comprise additions or deletions (i.e., gaps) compared to the reference sequence (which does not comprise additions or deletions) for optimal alignment of the two sequences. Generally, the comparison window is at least 20 contiguous nucleotides in length, and optionally can be 30, 40, 50, 100, or longer. Those of skill in the art understand that to avoid a high similarity to a reference sequence due to inclusion of gaps in the polynucleotide sequence a gap penalty is typically introduced and is subtracted from the number of matches. Methods of alignment of sequences for comparison are well known in the art. Thus, the determination of percent sequence identity between any two sequences can be accomplished using a mathematical algorithm. Non-limiting examples of such mathematical algorithms are the algorithm of Myers and Miller (1988) CABIOS 4:11-17; the local alignment algorithm of Smith et al. (1981) Adv. Appl. Math. 2:482; the global alignment algorithm of Needleman and Wunsch (1970) J. Mol. Biol. 48:443-453; the search-for-local alignment method of Pearson and Lipman (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 85:2444-2448; and the algorithm of Karlin and Altschul (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 872264, modified as in Karlin and Altschul (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:5873-5877. Computer implementations of these mathematical algorithms can be utilized for comparison of sequences to determine sequence identity. Such implementations include, but are not limited to: CLUSTAL in the PC/Gene program (available from Intelligenetics, Mountain View, Calif.); the ALIGN program (Version 2.0); the ALIGN PLUS program (Version 3.0, copyright 1997); and GAP, BESTFIT, BLAST, FASTA, and TFASTA in the Wisconsin Genetics Software Package of Genetics Computer Group, Version 10 (available from Accelrys, 9685 Scranton Road, San Diego, Calif., 92121, USA). The scoring matrix used in Version 10 of the Wisconsin Genetics Software Package is BLOSUM62 (see Henikoff and Henikoff (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:10915). Alignments using these programs can be performed using the default parameters. The CLUSTAL program is well described by Higgins et al. (1988) Gene 73:237-244 (1988); Higgins et al. (1989) CABIOS 5:151-153; Corpet et al. (1988) Nucleic Acids Res. 16:10881-90; Huang et al. (1992) CABIOS 8:155-65; and Pearson et al. (1994) Meth. Mol. Biol. 24:307-331. The ALIGN and the ALIGN PLUS programs are based on the algorithm of Myers and Miller (1988) supra. A PAM120 weight residue table, a gap length penalty of 12, and a gap penalty of 4 can be used with the ALIGN program when comparing amino acid sequences. The BLAST programs of Altschul et al (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 215:403 are based on the algorithm of Karlin and Altschul (1990) supra. BLAST nucleotide searches can be performed with the BLASTN program, score=100, wordlength=12, to obtain nucleotide sequences homologous to a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein of the invention. BLAST protein searches can be performed with the BLASTX program, score=50, wordlength=3, to obtain amino acid sequences homologous to a protein or polypeptide of the invention. To obtain gapped alignments for comparison purposes, Gapped BLAST (in BLAST 2.0) can be utilized as described in Altschul et al. (1997) Nucleic Acids Res. 25:3389. Alternatively, PSI-BLAST (in BLAST 2.0) can be used to perform an iterated search that detects distant relationships between molecules. See Altschul et al. (1997) supra. When utilizing BLAST, Gapped BLAST, PSI-BLAST, the default parameters of the respective programs (e.g., BLASTN for nucleotide sequences, BLASTX for proteins) can be used. See the web site for the National Center for Biotechnology Information on the world wide web. Alignment may also be performed manually by inspection. Unless otherwise stated, nucleotide sequence identity/similarity values provided herein refer to the value obtained using GAP Version 10 using the following parameters: % identity and % similarity for a nucleotide sequence using GAP Weight of 50 and Length Weight of 3; and the nwsgapdna.cmp scoring matrix; % identity and % similarity for an amino acid sequence using GAP Weight of 8 and Length Weight of 2, and the BLOSUM62 scoring matrix; or any equivalent program thereof. By “equivalent program” is intended to mean any sequence comparison program that, for any two sequences in question, generates an alignment having identical nucleotide or amino acid residue matches and an identical percent sequence identity when compared to the corresponding alignment generated by GAP Version 10. The GAP program uses the algorithm of Needleman and Wunsch (1970) J. Mol. Biol. 48: 443-453, to find the alignment of two complete sequences that maximizes the number of matches and minimizes the number of gaps. GAP considers all possible alignments and gap positions and creates the alignment with the largest number of matched bases and the fewest gaps. It allows for the provision of a gap creation penalty and a gap extension penalty in units of matched bases. GAP must make a profit of gap creation penalty number of matches for each gap it inserts. If a gap extension penalty greater than zero is chosen, GAP must, in addition, make a profit for each gap inserted of the length of the gap times the gap extension penalty. Default gap creation penalty values and gap extension penalty values in Version 10 of the Wisconsin Genetics Software Package for protein sequences are 8 and 2, respectively. For nucleotide sequences the default gap creation penalty is 50 while the default gap extension penalty is 3. The gap creation and gap extension penalties can be expressed as an integer selected from the group of integers consisting of from 0 to 200. Thus, for example, the gap creation and gap extension penalties can each be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or greater. GAP presents one member of the family of best alignments. There may be many members of this family, but no other member has a better quality. GAP displays four figures of merit for alignments: Quality, Ratio, Identity, and Similarity. The Quality is the metric maximized in order to align the sequences. Ratio is the quality divided by the number of bases in the shorter segment. Percent Identity is the percent of the symbols that actually match. Percent Similarity is the percent of the symbols that are similar. Symbols that are across from gaps are ignored. A similarity is scored when the scoring matrix value for a pair of symbols is greater than or equal to 0.50, the similarity threshold. (c) As used herein, “sequence identity” or “identity” in the context of two nucleic acid or polypeptide sequences makes reference to the residues in the two sequences that are the same when aligned for maximum correspondence over a specified comparison window. When percentage of sequence identity is used in reference to proteins it is recognized that residue positions which are not identical often differ by conservative amino acid substitutions, where amino acid residues are substituted for other amino acid residues with similar chemical properties (e.g., charge or hydrophobicity) and therefore do not change the functional properties of the molecule. When sequences differ in conservative substitutions, the percent sequence identity may be adjusted upwards to correct for the conservative nature of the substitution. Sequences that differ by such conservative substitutions are said to have “sequence similarity” or “similarity” . Means for making this adjustment are well known to those of skill in the art. Typically this involves scoring a conservative substitution as a partial rather than a full mismatch, thereby increasing the percentage sequence identity. Thus, for example, where an identical amino acid is given a score of 1 and a non-conservative substitution is given a score of zero, a conservative substitution is given a score between zero and 1. The scoring of conservative substitutions is calculated, e.g., as implemented in the program PC/GENE (Intelligenetics, Mountain View, Calif.). (d) As used herein, “percentage of sequence identity” means the value determined by comparing two optimally aligned sequences over a comparison window, wherein the portion of the polynucleotide sequence in the comparison window may comprise additions or deletions (i.e., gaps) as compared to the reference sequence (which does not comprise additions or deletions) for optimal alignment of the two sequences. The percentage is calculated by determining the number of positions at which the identical nucleic acid base or amino acid residue occurs in both sequences to yield the number of matched positions, dividing the number of matched positions by the total number of positions in the window of comparison, and multiplying the result by 100 to yield the percentage of sequence identity. The CRWAQ81 promoter sequences disclosed herein are useful for genetic engineering of plants, e.g. for the production of a transformed or transgenic plant, to express a phenotype of interest. Various changes in phenotype are of interest including, but not limited to, modifying expression of a gene in a plant root, altering a plant's pathogen or insect defense mechanism, increasing the plant's tolerance to herbicides, altering root development to respond to environmental stress, and the like. These results can be achieved by providing expression of heterologous or increased expression of endogenous products in plants. Alternatively, the results can be achieved by providing for a reduction of expression of one or more endogenous products, particularly enzymes, transporters, or cofactors, or affecting nutrient uptake in the plant. These changes result in a change in phenotype of the transformed plant. As used herein, the terms “transformed plant” and “transgenic plant” refer to a plant that comprises within its genome a heterologous polynucleotide. Generally, the heterologous polynucleotide is stably integrated within the genome of a transgenic or transformed plant such that the polynucleotide is passed on to successive generations. The heterologous polynucleotide may be integrated into the genome alone or as part of a recombinant expression cassette. It is to be understood that as used herein the term “transgenic” includes any cell, cell line, callus, tissue, plant part, or plant the genotype of which has been altered by the presence of heterologous nucleic acid including those transgenics initially so altered as well as those created by sexual crosses or asexual propagation from the initial transgenic. The term “transgenic” as used herein does not encompass the alteration of the genome (chromosomal or extra-chromosomal) by conventional plant breeding methods or by naturally occurring events such as random cross-fertilization, non-recombinant viral infection, non-recombinant bacterial transformation, non-recombinant transposition, or spontaneous mutation. A transgenic “event” is produced by transformation of plant cells with a heterologous DNA construct, including a nucleic acid expression cassette that comprises a transgene of interest, the regeneration of a population of plants resulting from the insertion of the transgene into the genome of the plant, and selection of a particular plant characterized by insertion into a particular genome location. An event is characterized phenotypically by the expression of the transgene. At the genetic level, an event is part of the genetic makeup of a plant. The term “event” also refers to progeny produced by a sexual outcross between the transformant and another variety that includes the heterologous DNA. As used herein, the term “plant” includes reference to whole plants, plant organs (e.g., leaves, stems, roots, etc.), seeds, plant cells, and progeny of same. Parts of transgenic plants within the scope of the invention are to be understood to comprise, for example, plant cells, protoplasts, tissues, callus, embryos as well as flowers, stems, fruits, ovules, leaves, or roots originating in transgenic plants or their progeny previously transformed with a DNA molecule of the invention, and therefore consisting at least in part of transgenic cells. As used herein, the term “plant cell” includes, without limitation, seeds suspension cultures, embryos, meristematic regions, callus tissue, leaves, roots, shoots, gametophytes, sporophytes, pollen, and microspores. The class of plants that can be used in the methods of the invention is generally as broad as the class of higher plants amenable to transformation techniques, including both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Genes of interest are reflective of the commercial markets and interests of those involved in the development of the crop. Crops and markets of interest change, and as developing nations open up world markets, new crops and technologies will emerge also. In addition, as our understanding of agronomic traits and characteristics such as yield and heterosis increase, the choice of genes for transformation will change accordingly. General categories of genes of interest for the present invention include, but are not limited to, for example, those genes involved in information, such as Zinc fingers, those involved in communication, such as kinases, and those involved in housekeeping, such as heat shock proteins. More specific categories of transgenes, for example, include, but are not limited to, genes encoding proteins conferring resistance to abiotic stress, such as drought, temperature, salinity, and toxins such as pesticides and herbicides, or to biotic stress, such as attacks by fungi, viruses, bacteria, insects, and nematodes, and development of diseases associated with these organisms. It is recognized that any gene of interest can be operably linked to the promoter sequences of the invention and expressed in plant roots. A DNA construct comprising one of these genes of interest can be used with transformation techniques, such as those described below, to create disease or insect resistance in susceptible plant phenotypes or to enhance disease or insect resistance in resistant plant phenotypes. Accordingly, the invention encompasses methods that are directed to protecting plants against fungal pathogens, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, insects, and the like. By “disease resistance” or “insect resistance” is intended to mean that the plants avoid the harmful symptoms that are the outcome of the plant-pathogen interactions. Disease resistance and insect resistance genes such as lysozymes, cecropins, maganins, or thionins for antibacterial protection, or the pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins such as glucanases and chitinases for anti-fungal protection, or Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxins, protease inhibitors, collagenases, lectins, and glycosidases for controlling nematodes or insects are all examples of useful gene products. Pathogens of the invention include, but are not limited to, viruses or viroids, bacteria, insects, nematodes, fungi, and the like. Viruses include but are not limited to tobacco or cucumber mosaic virus, ringspot virus, necrosis virus, maize dwarf mosaic virus, etc. Nematodes include but are not limited to parasitic nematodes such as root knot, cyst, and lesion nematodes, including Heterodera spp., Meloidogyne spp., and Globodera spp.; particularly members of the cyst nematodes, including, but not limited to, Heterodera glycines (soybean cyst nematode); Heterodera schachtii (beet cyst nematode); Heterodera avenae (cereal cyst nematode); and Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pailida (potato cyst nematodes). Lesion nematodes include but are not limited to Pratylenchus spp. Genes encoding disease resistance traits include but are not limited to detoxification genes, such as against fumonisin (U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,931); avirulence (avr) and disease resistance (R) genes (Jones et al. (1994) Science 266:789; Martin et al. (1993) Science 262:1432; Mindrinos et al. (1994) Cell 78:1089); and the like. Herbicide resistance traits may be introduced into plants by genes coding for resistance to herbicides that act to inhibit the action of acetolactate synthase (ALS), in particular the sulfonylurea-type herbicides (e.g., the acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene containing mutations leading to such resistance, in particular the S4 and/or Hra mutations), genes coding for resistance to herbicides that act to inhibit the action of glutamine synthase, such as phosphinothricin or basta (e.g., the bar gene), glyphosate (e.g., the EPSPS gene and the GAT gene; see, for example, U.S. Publication No. 20040082770 and International Publication No. WO 03/092360) or other such genes known in the art. The bar gene encodes resistance to the herbicide basta, the nptII gene encodes resistance to the antibiotics kanamycin and geneticin, and the ALS gene encodes resistance to the herbicide chlorsulfuron. Exogenous products include plant enzymes and products as well as those from other sources including prokaryotes and other eukaryotes. Such products include enzymes, cofactors, hormones, and the like. Examples of other applicable genes and their associated phenotype include but are not limited to the gene that encodes viral coat protein and/or RNA, or other viral or plant genes that confer viral resistance; genes that confer fungal resistance; genes that confer insect resistance; genes that promote yield improvement; and genes that provide for resistance to stress, such as dehydration resulting from heat and salinity, toxic metal or trace elements, or the like. In other embodiments of the present invention, the CRWAQ81 promoter sequences are operably linked to genes of interest that improve plant growth or increase crop yields under high plant density conditions. For example, the CRWAQ81 promoter of the invention may be operably linked to nucleotide sequences expressing agronomically important genes that result in improved primary or lateral root systems. Such genes include, but are not limited to, nutrient/water transporters and growth inducers. Examples of such genes, include but are not limited to, maize plasma membrane H+-ATPase (MHA2) (Frias et al. (1996) Plant Cell 8:1533-44); AKT1, a component of the potassium uptake apparatus in Arabidopsis (Spalding et al. (1999) J. Gen. Physiol. 113:909-18); RML genes, which activate cell division cycle in the root apical cells (Cheng et al. (1995) Plant Physiol. 108:881); maize glutamine synthetase genes (Sukanya et al. (1994) Plant Mol. Biol. 26:1935-46); and hemoglobin (Duff et al. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 27:16749-16752; Arredondo-Peter et al. (1997) Plant Physiol. 115:1259-1266; Arredondo-Peter et al. (1997) Plant Physiol. 114:493-500 and the references cited therein). The CRWAQ81 promoter sequences may also be useful in expressing antisense nucleotide sequences of genes that negatively affect root development under high-planting density conditions. The heterologous nucleotide sequence operably linked to the CRWAQ81 promoter and related promoter sequences disclosed herein may be an antisense sequence for a targeted gene. By “antisense DNA nucleotide sequence” is intended to mean a sequence that is in inverse orientation to the 5′-to-3′ normal orientation of that nucleotide sequence. When delivered into a plant cell, expression of the antisense DNA sequence prevents normal expression of the DNA nucleotide sequence for the targeted gene. The antisense nucleotide sequence encodes an RNA transcript that is complementary to and capable of hybridizing to the endogenous messenger RNA (mRNA) produced by transcription of the DNA nucleotide sequence for the targeted gene. In this case, production of the native protein encoded by the targeted gene is inhibited to achieve a desired phenotypic response. Modifications of the antisense sequences may be made as long as the sequences hybridize to and interfere with expression of the corresponding mRNA. In this manner, antisense constructions having 70%, 80%, 85%, 90% or 95% sequence identity to the corresponding antisense sequences may be used. Furthermore, portions of the antisense nucleotides may be used to disrupt the expression of the target gene. Generally, sequences of at least 50 nucleotides, 100 nucleotides, 200 nucleotides, or greater may be used. Thus, the promoter sequences disclosed herein may be operably linked to antisense DNA sequences to reduce or inhibit expression of a native protein in the plant root. In one embodiment of the invention, expression cassettes will comprise a transcriptional initiation region comprising one of the promoter nucleotide sequences disclosed herein, or variants or fragments thereof, operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence whose expression is to be controlled by the root-preferred promoters of the invention. Such an expression cassette is provided with a plurality of restriction sites for insertion of the nucleotide sequence to be under the transcriptional regulation of the regulatory regions. The expression cassette may additionally contain selectable marker genes. The expression cassette will include in the 5′-to-3′ direction of transcription, a transcriptional and translational initiation region (i.e., a root-preferred promoter described herein), a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest, and a transcriptional and translational termination region (i.e., termination region) functional in plants. The termination region may be native with the transcriptional initiation region comprising the promoter nucleotide sequence of the present invention, may be native with the DNA sequence of interest, may be native with the plant host, or may be derived from another source (i.e., foreign or heterologous to the promoter, the heterologous sequence of interest, the plant host, or any combination thereof). Convenient termination regions are available from the Ti-plasmid of A. tumefaciens, such as the octopine synthase and nopaline synthase termination regions. See also, Guerineau et al. (1991) Mol. Gen. Genet. 262:141-144; Proudfoot (1991) Cell 64:671-674; Sanfacon et al. (1991) Genes Dev. 5:141-149; Mogen et al. (1990) Plant Cell 2:1261-1272; Munroe et al. (1990) Gene 91:151-158; Ballas et al. 1989) Nucleic Acids Res. 17:7891-7903; and Joshi et al. (1987) Nucleic Acid Res. 15:9627-9639. The expression cassette comprising a promoter sequence of the present invention operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence may also contain at least one additional nucleotide sequence for a gene to be cotransformed into the organism. Alternatively, the additional sequence(s) can be provided on another expression cassette. The expression cassettes comprising a promoter sequence of the present invention may additionally contain 5′ non-translated leader sequences or 5′ non-coding sequences. As used herein, “5′ leader sequence,” “translation leader sequence,” or “5′ non-coding sequence” refer to that DNA sequence portion of a gene between the promoter and coding sequence that is transcribed into RNA and is present in the fully processed mMRNA upstream (5′) of the translation start codon. A 5′ non-translated leader sequence is usually characterized as that portion of the mRNA molecule which most typically extends from the 5′ CAP site to the AUG protein translation initiation codon. The translation leader sequence may affect processing of the primary transcript to mRNA, mRNA stability or translation efficiency (Turner et al. (1995) Molecular Biotechnology 3:225). Thus, translation leader sequences play an important role in the regulation of gene expression. Translation leaders are known in the art and include but are not limited to: picomavirus leaders, for example, EMCV leader (Encephalomyocarditis 5′ noncoding region) (Elroy-Stein et al. (1989) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 86:6126-6130); potyvirus leaders, for example, TEV leader (Tobacco Etch Virus) (Allison et al. (1986)); MDMV leader (Maize Dwarf Mosaic Virus); human immunoglobulin heavy-chain binding protein (BiP) (Macejak et al. (1991) Nature 353:90-94); untranslated leader from the coat protein mRNA of alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV RNA 4) (Jobling et al. (1987) Nature 325:622-625); tobacco mosaic virus leader (TMV) (Gallie et al. (1989) Molecular Biology of RNA, pages 237-256); and maize chlorotic mottle virus leader (MCMV) (Lommel et al. (1991) Virology 81:382-385). See also Della-Cioppa et al. (1987) Plant Physiology 84:965-968. Various intron sequences have been shown to enhance expression, particularly in monocotyledonous cells. The introns of the maize Adh1 gene have been found to significantly enhance the expression of the wild-type gene under its cognate promoter when introduced into maize cells. Intron 1 was found to be particularly effective and enhanced expression in fusion constructs with the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (Callis et al., (1987) Genes Develop. 1:1183-1200). In the same experimental system, the intron from the maize bronze gene had a similar effect in enhancing expression. The AdhI intron has also been shown to enhance CAT expression 12-fold (Mascarenhas et al. (1990) Plant Mol. Biol. 6:913-920). Intron sequences have routinely been incorporated into plant transformation vectors, typically within the non-translated leader. See also, Christensen and Quail (1996) Transgenic Res. 5:213-218; Christensen et al. (1992) Plant Molecular Biology 18:675-689; Kyozuka et al. (1991) Mol. Gen. Genet. 228:40-48; and Kyozuka et al. (1990) Maydica 35:353-357. The expression cassette comprising a promoter sequence of the present invention may additionally contain a 3′ non-coding sequence. A “3′ non-coding sequence” or “3′ non-translated region” refers to a nucleotide sequence located 3′ (downstream) to a coding sequence and includes polyadenylation signal sequences and other sequences encoding regulatory signals capable of affecting the addition of polyadenylic acid tracts to the 3′ end of the mRNA precursor. A 3′ non-translated region comprises a region of the mRNA generally beginning with the translation termination codon and extending at least beyond the polyadenylation site. Non-translated sequences located in the 3′ end of a gene have been found to influence gene expression levels. Ingelbrecht et al. (see, Plant Cell, 1:671-680, 1989) evaluated the importance of these elements and found large differences in expression in stable plants depending on the source of the 3′ non-translated region. Using 3′ non-translated regions associated with octopine synthase, 2S seed protein from Arabidopsis, small subunit of rbcS from Arabidopsis, extension from carrot, and chalcone synthase from Antirrhinium, a 60-fold difference was observed between the best-expressing construct (which contained the rbcS 3′ non-translated region) and the lowest-expressing construct (which contained the chalcone synthase 3′ region). Transcription levels may also be increased by the utilization of enhancers in combination with the promoter regions of the invention. Enhancers are nucleotide sequences that act to increase the expression of a promoter region. Enhancers are known in the art and include the SV40 enhancer region, the 35S enhancer element, and the like. In preparing the expression cassette, the various DNA fragments may be manipulated, so as to provide for the DNA sequences in the proper orientation and, as appropriate, in the proper reading frame. Toward this end, adapters or linkers may be employed to join the DNA fragments or other manipulations may be involved to provide for convenient restriction sites. Restriction sites may be added or removed, superfluous DNA may be removed, or other modifications may be made to the sequences of the invention. For this purpose, in vitro mutagenesis, primer repair, restriction, annealing, resubstitutions, for example, transitions and transversions, may be involved. Reporter genes or selectable marker genes may be included in the expression cassettes. Examples of suitable reporter genes known in the art can be found in, for example, Jefferson et al. (1991) in Plant Molecular Biology Manual, ed. Gelvin et al. (Kluwer Academic Publishers), pp. 1-33; DeWet et al. (1987) Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:725-737; Goff et al. (1990) EMBO J. 9:2517-2522; Kain et al. (1995) BioTechniques 19:650-655; and Chiu et al. (1996) Current Biology 6:325-330. Selectable marker genes for selection of transformed cells or tissues can include genes that confer antibiotic resistance or resistance to herbicides. Examples of suitable selectable marker genes include, but are not limited to, genes encoding resistance to chloramphenicol (Herrera Estrella et al. (1983) EMBO J. 2:987-992); methotrexate (Herrera Estrella et al. (1983) Nature 303:209-213 and Meijer et al. (1991) Plant Mol. Biol. 16:807-820); hygromycin (Waldron et al. (1985) Plant Mol. Biol. 5:103-108 and Zhijian et al. (1995) Plant Science 108:219-227); streptomycin (Jones et al. (1987) Mol. Gen. Genet. 210:86-91); spectinomycin (Bretagne-Sagnard et al. (1996) Transgenic Res. 5:131-137); bleomycin (Hille et al. (1990) Plant Mol. Biol. 7:171-176); sulfonamide (Guerineau et al. (1990) Plant Mol. Biol. 15:127-136); bromoxynil (Stalker et al. (1988) Science 242:419-423); glyphosate (Shaw et al. (1986) Science 233:478-481 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/004,357); and phosphinothricin (DeBlock et al. (1987) EMBO J. 6:2513-2518). Other genes that could serve utility in the recovery of transgenic events but might not be required in the final product would include, but are not limited to, examples such as GUS (b-glucoronidase; Jefferson (1987) Plant Mol. Biol. Rep. 5:387), GFP (green florescence protein; Chalfie et al. (1994) Science 263:802), luciferase (Riggs et al. (1987) Nucleic Acids Res. 15(19):8115 and Luehrsen et al. (1992) Methods Enzymol. 216:397-414), and the maize genes encoding for anthocyanin production (Ludwig et al. (1990) Science 247:449). The nucleic acid molecules of the present invention are useful in methods directed to expressing a nucleotide sequence in a plant. This may be accomplished by transforming a plant cell of interest with an expression cassette comprising a promoter identified herein, operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence, and regenerating a stably transformed plant from said plant cell. The methods of the invention are also directed to selectively expressing a nucleotide sequence in a plant root. Those methods comprise transforming a plant cell with an expression cassette comprising a promoter identified herein that initiates root-preferred transcription in a plant cell, operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence, and regenerating a transformed plant from said plant cell. The expression cassette comprising the particular promoter sequence of the present invention operably linked to a nucleotide sequence of interest can be used to transform any plant. In this manner, genetically modified, i.e. transgenic or transformed, plants, plant cells, plant tissue, seed, root, and the like can be obtained. The present invention may be used for transformation of any plant species, including, but not limited to, monocots and dicots. Examples of plants of interest include, but are not limited to, corn (Zea mays), Brassica sp. (e.g., B. napus, B. rapa, B. juncea), particularly those Brassica species useful as sources of seed oil, alfalfa (Medicago sativa), rice (Oryza sativa), rye (Secale cereale), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor, Sorghum vulgare), millet (e.g., pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), foxtail millet (Setaria italica), finger millet (Eleusine coracana)), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), wheat (Triticum aestivum), soybean (Glycine max), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), cotton (Gossypium barbadense, Gossypium hirsutum), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatus), cassava (Manihot esculenta), coffee (Coffea spp.), coconut (Cocos nucifera), pineapple (Ananas comosus), citrus trees (Citrus spp.), cocoa (Theobroma cacao), tea (Camellia sinensis), banana (Musa spp.), avocado (Persea americana), fig (Ficus casica), guava (Psidium guajava), mango (Mangifera indica), olive (Olea europaea), papaya (Carica papaya), cashew (Anacardium occidentale), macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia), almond (Prunus amygdalus), sugar beets (Beta vulgaris), sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), oats, barley, vegetables, ornamentals, and conifers. Vegetables include tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum), lettuce (e.g., Lactuca sativa), green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), lima beans (Phaseolus limensis), peas (Lathyrus spp.), and members of the genus Cucumis such as cucumber (C. sativus), cantaloupe (C. cantalupensis), and musk melon (C. melo). Ornamentals include azalea (Rhododendron spp.), hydrangea (Macrophylla hydrangea), hibiscus (Hibiscus rosasanensis), roses (Rosa spp.), tulips (Tulipa spp.), daffodils (Narcissus spp.), petunias (Petunia hybrida), carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus), poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), and chrysanthemum. Conifers that may be employed in practicing the present invention include, for example, pines such as loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), slash pine (Pinus elliotii), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), and Monterey pine (Pinus radiata); Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii); Western hemlock (Tsuga canadensis); Sitka spruce (Picea glauca); redwood (Sequoia sempervirens); true firs such as silver fir (Abies amabilis) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea); and cedars such as Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) and Alaska yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis). Optimally, plants of the present invention are crop plants (for example, corn, alfalfa, sunflower, Brassica, soybean, cotton, safflower, peanut, sorghum, wheat, millet, tobacco, etc.), more optimally corn and soybean plants, yet more optimally corn plants. This invention is particularly suitable for any member of the monocot plant family including, but not limited to, maize, rice, barley, oats, wheat, sorghum, rye, sugarcane, pineapple, yams, onion, banana, coconut, and dates. As used herein, “vector” refers to a DNA molecule such as a plasmid, cosmid, or bacterial phage for introducing a nucleotide construct, for example, an expression cassette, into a host cell. Cloning vectors typically contain one or a small number of restriction endonuclease recognition sites at which foreign DNA sequences can be inserted in a determinable fashion without loss of essential biological function of the vector, as well as a marker gene that is suitable for use in the identification and selection of cells transformed with the cloning vector. Marker genes typically include genes that provide tetracycline resistance, hygromycin resistance, ampicillin resistance, or glyphosate resistance. The methods of the invention involve introducing a nucleotide construct into a plant. By “introducing” is intended to mean to present to the plant the nucleotide construct in such a manner that the construct gains access to the interior of a cell of the plant. The methods of the invention do not depend on a particular method for introducing a nucleotide construct to a plant, only that the nucleotide construct gains access to the interior of at least one cell of the plant. Methods for introducing nucleotide constructs into plants are known in the art including, but not limited to, stable transformation methods, transient transformation methods, and virus-mediated methods. By “transient transformation” is intended to mean that a nucleotide construct introduced into a plant does not integrate into the genome of the plant. By “stable transformation” is intended to mean that the nucleotide construct introduced into a plant integrates into the genome of the plant and is capable of being inherited by progeny thereof. By “primary transformant” and “T0 generation” transgenic plants that are of the same genetic generation as the tissue that was initially transformed (i.e., not having gone through meiosis and fertilization since transformation) are intended. “Secondary transformants” and the “T1, T2, T3, and subsequent generations” refer to transgenic plants derived from primary transformants through one or more meiotic and fertilization cycles. They may be derived by self-fertilization of primary or secondary transformants or crosses of primary or secondary transformants with other transformed or untransformed plants. The nucleotide constructs of the invention may be introduced into plants by contacting plants with a virus or viral nucleic acids. Generally, such methods involve incorporating a nucleotide construct of the invention within a viral DNA or RNA molecule. Methods for introducing nucleotide constructs into plants and expressing a protein encoded therein, involving viral DNA or RNA molecules, are known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,889,191, 5,889,190, 5,866,785, 5,589,367, and 5,316,931; herein incorporated by reference. Transformation protocols as well as protocols for introducing nucleotide sequences into plants may vary depending on the type of plant or plant cell, i.e., monocot or dicot, targeted for transformation. Suitable methods of introducing nucleotide sequences into plant cells and subsequent insertion into the plant genome include microinjection (Crossway et al. (1986) Biotechniques 4:320-334), electroporation (Riggs et al. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83:5602-5606, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,981,840 and 5,563,055), direct gene transfer (Paszkowski et al. (1984) EMBO J. 3:2717-2722), and ballistic particle acceleration (see, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,945,050; 5,879,918; 5,886,244; and 5,932,782; Tomes et al. (1995) “Direct DNA Transfer into Intact Plant Cells via Microprojectile Bombardment,” in Plant Cell, Tissue, and Organ Culture: Fundamental Methods, ed. Gamborg and Phillips (Springer-Verlag, Berlin); McCabe et al. (1988) Biotechnology 6:923-926) and Lec1 transformation (WO 00/28058). Also see Weissinger et al. (1988) Ann. Rev. Genet. 22:421-477; Sanford et al. (1987) Particulate Science and Technology 5:27-37 (onion); Christou et al. (1988) Plant Physiol. 87:671-674 (soybean); McCabe et al. (1988) Bio/Technology 6:923-926 (soybean); Finer and McMullen (1991) In Vitro Cell Dev. Biol. 27P:175-182 (soybean); Singh et al. (1998) Theor. Appl. Genet. 96:319-324 (soybean); Datta et al. (1990) Biotechnology 8:736-740 (rice); Klein et al. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:4305-4309 (maize); Klein et al. (1988) Biotechnology 6:559-563 (maize); Tomes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,855; Buising et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,322,783 and 5,324,646; Klein et al. (1988) Plant Physiol. 91:440-444 (maize); Fromm et al. (1990) Biotechnology 8:833-839 (maize); Hooykaas-Van Slogteren et al. (1984) Nature (London) 311:763-764; Bowen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,369 (cereals); Bytebier et al. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:5345-5349 (Liliaceae); De Wet et al. (1985) in The Experimental Manipulation of Ovule Tissues, ed. Chapman et al. (Longman, New York), pp. 197-209 (pollen); Kaeppler et al. (1990) Plant Cell Reports 9:415-418 and Kaeppler et al. (1992) Theor. Appl. Genet. 84:560-566 (whisker-mediated transformation); D'Halluin et al. (1992) Plant Cell 4:1495-1505 (electroporation); Li et al. (1993) Plant Cell Reports 12:250-255 and Christou and Ford (1995) Annals of Botany 75:407-413 (rice); Osjoda et al. (1996) Nature Biotechnology 14:745-750 (maize via Agrobacterium tumefaciens); all of which are herein incorporated by reference. In specific embodiments, the heterologous sequence of interest can be provided to a plant using a variety of transient transformation methods. Such transient transformation methods include, but are not limited to, the introduction of the heterologous protein or variants and fragments thereof directly into the plant or the introduction of the a heterologous transcript into the plant. Such methods include, for example, microinjection or particle bombardment. See, for example, Crossway et al. (1986) Mol Gen. Genet. 202:179-185; Nomura et al. (1986) Plant Sci. 44:53-58; Hepler et al. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 91: 2176-2180 and Hush et al. (1994) The Journal of Cell Science 107:775-784, all of which are herein incorporated by reference. Alternatively, the heterologous polynucleotide of interest can be transiently transformed into the plant using techniques known in the art. Such techniques include viral vector system and the precipitation of the polynucleotide in a manner that precludes subsequent release of the DNA. Thus, the transcription from the particle-bound DNA can occur, but the frequency with which its released to become integrated into the genome is greatly reduced. Such methods include the use particles coated with polyethylimine (PEI; Sigma #P3143). Methods are known in the art for the targeted insertion of a polynucleotide at a specific location in the plant genome. In one embodiment, the insertion of the polynucleotide of interest at a desired genomic location is achieved using a site-specific recombination system. See, for example, WO99/25821, WO99/25854, WO99/25840, WO99/25855, and WO99/25853, all of which are herein incorporated by reference. Briefly, the heterologous polynucleotide of interest can be contained in transfer cassette flanked by two non-recombinogenic recombination sites. The transfer cassette is introduced into a plant having stably incorporated into its genome a target site which is flanked by two non-recombinogenic recombination sites that correspond to the sites of the transfer cassette. An appropriate recombinase is provided and the transfer cassette is integrated at the target site. The polynucleotide of interest is thereby integrated at a specific chromosomal position in the plant genome. The cells that have been transformed may be grown into plants in accordance with conventional ways. See, for example, McCormick et al. (1986) Plant Cell Reports 5:81-84. These plants may then be grown, and either pollinated with the same transformed strain or different strains, and the resulting hybrid having root-preferred expression of the desired phenotypic characteristic identified. Two or more generations may be grown to ensure that root-preferred expression of the desired phenotypic characteristic is stably maintained and inherited and then seeds harvested to ensure root-preferred expression of the desired phenotypic characteristic has been achieved. Thus as used herein, “transformed seeds” refers to seeds that contain the nucleotide construct stably integrated into the plant genome. Several methods are available to assess promoter activity using both transient and stable transformation methods. Expression cassettes may be constructed with a marker such as a visible marker. Using transformation methods such as microprojectile bombardment, Agrobacterium transformation or protoplast transformation, expression cassettes are delivered to plant cells or tissues. Reporter gene activity, such as β-glucuronidase activity, luciferase activity or GFP fluorescence is monitored over time after transformation, for example 2 hours, 5 hours, 8 hours, 16 hours, 24 hours, 36 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours after DNA delivery using methods well known in the art. Reporter gene activity may be monitored by enzymatic activity, by staining cells or tissue with substrate for the enzyme encoded by the reporter gene or by direct visualization under an appropriate wavelength of light. Full-length promoter sequences, deletions and mutations of the promoter sequence may be assayed and their expression levels compared. Additionally, RNA levels may be measured using methods well known in the art, such as, Northern blotting, competitive reverse transcriptase PCR and RNAse protection assays. These assays measure the level of expression of a promoter by measuring the “steady state” concentration of a standard transcribed reporter mRNA. This measurement is indirect since the concentration of the reporter mRNA is dependent not only on its synthesis rate, but also on the rate with which the mRNA is degraded. Therefore the steady state level is the product of synthesis rates and degradation rates. The rate of degradation can however be considered to proceed at a fixed rate when the transcribed sequences are identical, and thus this value can serve as a measure of synthesis rates. Further confirmation of promoter activity is obtained by stable transformation of the promoter in an expression cassette comprising a visible marker or gene of interest into a plant as described above. Using the various methods described above such as enzymatic activity assays, RNA analysis and protein assays, promoter activity may be monitored over development, and additionally monitored in different tissues in the primary transformants and through subsequent generations of transgenic plants. The invention provides compositions for screening compounds that modulate expression within roots of embryos and plants, and within root nodules. The vectors, cells, and plants can be used for screening candidate molecules for agonists and antagonists of the CRWAQ81 promoter. For example, a reporter gene can be operably linked to a CRWAQ81 promoter and expressed as a transgene in a plant. Compounds to be tested are added and reporter gene expression is measured to determine the effect on promoter activity. The following examples are offered by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. EXAMPLES Example 1 Identification of the EST, CRWAQ81 The expressed sequence tag (EST) named CRWAQ81 was first identified using a proprietary sequence analysis program. This program contained an algorithm that allowed ESTs from all proprietary root-related maize libraries to be compared to ESTs from all proprietary non-root maize libraries. ESTs, or groupings of overlapping ESTs referred to as contigs, which were returned by the program, were identified as root preferred or potentially root specific. The EST named CRWAQ81 was identified in a root-preferred contig comprised of 13 unique ESTs, 11 of which were from root libraries. Eight of those 11 were from a root library synthesized from 2-3 day old germinating seedlings and the remaining 3 were from a root library generated from western corn rootworm (WCRW) infested V5-stage plants (V5-stage plants have 5 collared leaves). The 2 non-root ESTs were from shoot libraries made from 2-3 day old seedlings. The EST CRWAQ81 was selected for further characterization because it comprised all but approximately 78 bp of the 703 bp contig. Further evidence that the CRWAQ81 EST is root-preferred was obtained using Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing technology (MPSS) (see, Brenner, et al. (2000) Nature Biotechnology 18:630-634 and Brenner et al. (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:1665-1670). This technology involves the generation of 17 base signature tags from mRNA samples that have been reverse transcribed. The tags are simultaneously sequenced and assigned to genes or ESTs. The abundance of these tags is given a numeric value that is normalized to parts per million (PPM) which then allows the tag expression, or tag abundance, to be compared across different tissues. Thus, the MPSS platform can be used to determine the expression pattern of a particular gene and its expression level in different tissues. The sequence of the CRWAQ81 EST was entered into the MPSS database and the signature tag was identified starting approximately 247 bases upstream of the poly(A) site. The tag was found to be in root libraries at levels averaging an adjusted PPM of 2126. This level is comparable to the maize ubiquitin gene, which had an adjusted PPM value of 2916. The maize ubiquitin gene is considered to be a highly expressed gene and therefore was used as a reference to compare expression levels. These results also indicated that the CRWAQ81 EST is root-preferred. The tag for CRWAQ81 was found in 2 non-root libraries in the MPSS database, specifically an endosperm library at an adjusted PPM of 3, and a leaf library at an adjusted PPM of 5. These PPM values indicated the level of expression in these tissues was essentially at background. These data indicated that the gene for CRWAQ81 is root-preferred and expressed at relatively high levels. Example 2 CRWAQ81 is Not Down-Regulated by WCRW Feeding An important feature of a promoter directing expression of an insecticidal gene is that it is not down-regulated by insect feeding. For the CRWAQ81 gene, down regulation in response to WCRW feeding was tested. For testing, fluorescently labeled cRNA was generated from leaves, stems, nodal roots, and lateral roots of V6-stage plants (V6 stage plants have 6 collared leaves) and hybridized to an Affymetrix® DNA microarray chip containing oligonucleotide probes of the CRWAQ81 EST. Results indicated that, in uninfested plants, CRWAQ81 was expressed at levels 240-fold higher in lateral roots than in leaves. The gene was also expressed at levels 240-fold greater in lateral roots than in stems. These results indicated that the CRWAQ81 gene is expressed at high levels in root tissues, but not in leaf or stem tissue. Comparing lateral roots to nodal roots showed a less than two-fold difference in CRWAQ81 gene expression. Thus, between the two root types, there is virtually no difference in the CRWAQ81 gene expression level. When tissues were compared between WCRW infested and uninfested plants, virtually no differences in CRWAQ81 expression levels were found. In particular, a less than two-fold difference in expression was detected between the roots of WCRW-infested plants and the roots of uninfested plants. These results were supported by the MPSS platform, which showed there was only a 25% difference in CRWAQ81 expression levels between the roots of WCRW infested plants and uninfested plants. Thus, these data indicate that the gene for CRWAQ81 is not significantly down regulated by WCRW feeding and remains at a high expression level. Materials and Methods Maize plants from the B73 line were grown under greenhouse conditions to V6-stage (6 collared leaves). Leaves (V6 leaf), stem (stalk), elongating nodal roots, and adventitious lateral roots were harvested from WCRW infested and uninfested plants. For the WCRW infested plants, WCRW eggs were applied at a rate of 50 per plant. This level of infestation produced roots that were damaged and scarred, but not decimated. RNA was extracted from approximately 200 mg of tissue using Trizol® reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.). PolyA+RNA(˜1.0 μg) was isolated using PolyATtract® mRNA Isolation System IV (Promega, Madison, Wis.). Double-stranded cDNA was synthesized using the SuperScript™ II Plasmid System (Invitrogen). In vitro transcription labeling of cRNA with biotin conjugated ribonucleotides was performed with the MEGAscript® T7 kit (Ambion, Inc., Austin, Tex.) followed by the QIAGEN, Inc. (Valencia, Calif.) RNeasy® mini protocol for RNA cleanup. The resulting cRNA was fragmented and hybridized for 16 hours to a customized GeneChip® array of Zea mays oligonucleotides, then washed and stained with streptavidin, R-phycoerythrin conjugate, using the Affymetrix® GeneChip Fluidics Station. The Hewlett-Packard G2500A Gene Array Scanner and Affymetrix® GeneChip Analysis Suite software were used to analyze the results. Example 3 Northern Analysis of CRWAQ81 Expression Northern blot analysis was performed to further demonstrate the spatial expression preference for the CRWAQ81 gene. RNA derived from leaves and whole ears of R1 stage B73 maize plants (the R1 stage is identified by pollen-shed/silking) were electrophoresed and blotted with RNA from leaves, stem, lateral and nodal roots of WCRW-infested and uninfested V6 stage B73 maize plants. The blot was hybridized with probes synthesized from the CRWAQ81 EST. No hybridization was observed in lanes containing leaf RNA from R1 stage or WCRW-infested and uninfested V6 stage plants. Similarly, no hybridization was observed in lanes containing RNA from R1 stage ears or V6 stage stems. Strong hybridization was only detected in lanes containing RNA from root tissue. This was independent of whether the roots were sampled from WCRW-infested or uninfested plants. These results provide further evidence that the CRWAQ81 gene is expressed at a high level, is root-preferred and is not down regulated by WCRW feeding. Materials and Methods Maize plants from the line, B73, were grown under greenhouse conditions to the R1 stage (pollen shed/silking). Leaves (leaf #11), whole ears (including husk, silk, and shank), and whole tassels (including anthers/pollen) were harvested. B73 plants were also grown to the V6 stage, infested with WCRW, and sampled as described in Example 2. Uninfested V6 stage plants were also sampled, as described in Example 2. RNA was extracted from the different tissues using Trizol® reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.). The RNA samples were electrophoresed through a standard formaldehyde gel. Afterwards, the gel was washed 2 times in 20×SSC for a total of 15 minutes, then blotted to a nylon membrane overnight in 10×SSC. The membrane was UV-crosslinked for 2 minutes. Pre-hybridization of the blot totaled 2 hrs at 42° C. in 5×SSC, 2% Blocking reagent for nucleic acid hybridization, 0.1% N-laurylsarcosine, 7% SDS, 50% Formamide (ULTRAhyb®, Ambion, Austin, Tex.). Single-stranded DNA probes were made from the CRWAQ81 EST by PCR. 50 ng of denatured probe was added per 1 ml of ULTRAhyb® solution. Hybridization was allowed to go overnight at 42° C. in 10 ml of solution. The next day the membrane was washed twice in 2× wash solution (2×SSC containing 0.1% SDS) at room temperature for 15 minutes, and then washed twice in 0.5× wash solution (0.5×SSC containing 0.1% SDS) at 65° C. for 15 minutes. Visualization of the CRWAQ81 transcripts was accomplished using the Genius System from Boehringer Mannheim. Briefly, the membrane was equilibrated in Buffer 1 (100 mM Maleic Acid, 150 mM NaCl, pH 7.5) for 1 minute, then put in blocking solution (1% Blocking reagent for nucleic acid hybridization in Buffer 1) for 1 hour. The membrane was incubated in anti-DIG-alkaline phosphate diluted 1:10,000 in blocking solution for 30 minutes and washed 2 times in Buffer 1 for a total of 15 minutes. After equilibration in Buffer 3 (100 mM Tris-HCl, 100 mM NaCl, pH 9.5) for 2 minutes, twenty drops of CSPD (Roche Applied Science, Indianapolis, Ind., catalog no. 1755633) were applied to the membrane. It was covered with a plastic page protector and exposed to X-ray film overnight. Example 4 In situ Hybridization In situ RNA hybridization experiments were performed according to the protocol set forth in Di Laurenzio et al. (1996) Cell 86:423-433, to determine the cell-specific expression pattern of the CRWAQ81 gene in maize root tips. The hybridization experiments were performed in duplicate using embedded primary roots of maize seedlings grown on germination paper. An antisense probe and a sense probe were generated from the EST clone, CRWAQ81 , using a PCR-based approach. Hybridization with antisense probes from the CRWAQ81 EST indicated that the gene is almost ubiquitously expressed in maize root tips. Signal was detected in the epidermis, cortex, endodermis, and stele (pericycle and vascular tissue). Signal was not detected in the root cap, including the columella. Sense probes from the CRWAQ81 EST produced a similar hybridization pattern. While the intensity of the signal was relatively high, the level was less than observed with the antisense probe. Example 5 Isolation of the Promoter for the CRWAQ81 Gene Analysis of the CRWAQ81 gene indicated it was expressed at high levels and in a root-preferred manner. Thus, the CRWAQ81 promoter could be used to direct high levels of expression in the roots of transgenic maize. A ˜2.1 kb DNA fragment (SEQ ID NO: 1) and a ˜3.6 kb DNA fragment (SEQ ID NO: 2) of 5′ flanking sequence was isolated using a combination of TAIL PCR (Liu et al. (1995) Plant J. 8:457-463) and ligation-mediated PCR (Universal GenomeWalker kit, Clontech). To define the putative 3′ end of the promoter, 5′ RACE (Invitrogen, Life Technologies) was performed, according to the manufacturer's protocol. Sequence analysis of the RACE products revealed a single transcription start site approximately 34 bp upstream of the putative CRWAQ81 coding region. This was corroborated by the position of a putative TATA signal (TATAAAAT) located at −25 bp relative to the transcription start site. Further analysis of the 5′ flanking sequence revealed 2 large imperfect tandem repeats. The repeat most proximal to the transcription start site, designated as Repeat A2, is located at −500 bp relative to the start site and is approximately 745 bp in length. The repeat distal to the start site, designated as Repeat A1, is located at −1368 bp and is approximately 738 bp in length. Located in the CRWAQ81 promoter are sequences with significant similarity to miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs). MITEs are short transposable elements ranging in size from 125-500 bp that have been found in the non-coding regions of maize genes, including promoters (Wessler et al. (1995) Current Opinion in Genetics & Development 5:814-821). While MITE biology continues to be studied, one present school of thought considers MITES to play important roles such as providing regulatory sequences, like a TATA box or a transcription start site, or the like. Interestingly, 2 of the MITEs in the CRWAQ81 promoter region share homology to MITEs found in 2 other maize promoters. The MITE sequence most proximal to the CRWAQ81 coding region is located at −408, relative to the transcription start site. It has 77% nucleotide identity to a MITE sequence found in the Zea mays P-gene promoter (Derwent GeneSeq Accession No. AAV32438). The other 2 MITE sequences, designated MITE1 and MITE2, overlap each other. MITE1 is located at −975 and has 79% identity to a MITE sequence in intron 3 of the Zea mays GapC4 gene (GenBank Accession No: X73152). MITE2, located at −948, has 65% identity to a MITE sequence in the promoter of the maize 22 kd alpha zein gene (GenBank Accession No: X61085). Example 6 Promoter Activity of CRWAQ81 To demonstrate that the DNA fragments isolated as the CRWAQ81 promoter function as a promoter, a series of transient assays were performed. These assays provided a rapid assessment of whether the DNA fragment tested is able to direct gene expression. The ˜2.1 kb promoter fragment (SEQ ID NO: 1), a component of the ˜3.6 kb promoter sequence (SEQ ID NO: 2), was introduced into an expression cassette housing the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene. Biolistic bombardment of root tissue from 5-day-old maize seedlings with this expression cassette resulted in the appearance of blue foci upon histochemical GUS staining. This indicated that the CRWAQ81 promoter fragment was able to direct gene expression. Promoter activity was further demonstrated in transient assays using immature embryos and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation according to the protocol set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,840. During the cocultivation process with Agrobacterium, transient expression can be detected, even from some tissue-preferred promoters, e.g. from root-preferred promoters. For the ˜2.1 kb CRWAQ81 promoter fragment, immature embryos were stained for GUS activity after 2 days and 5 days cocultivation. At 2 days, no GUS staining was observed. However, at 5 days low levels of punctate GUS staining were observed on the outer edges of the scutellum surrounding the embryo. This confirmed promoter activity, as negative controls lacked staining at both time points. Materials and Methods B73 seeds were placed along one edge of growth paper soaked in a solution of 7% sucrose. An additional piece of growth paper identical in size to the first was also soaked in 7% sucrose and overlaid onto the seeds. The growth paper—seed—growth paper sandwich was subsequently jelly rolled with the seed edge at the top of the roll. The roll was directionally placed into a beaker of 7% sucrose solution with the seeds at the top to allow for straight root growth. Seeds were allowed to germinate and develop for 2-3 days in the dark at 27-28° C. Prior to bombardment the outer skin layer of the cotyledon was removed and seedlings were placed in a sterile petri dish (60 mm) on a layer of Whatman #1 filter paper moistened with 1 ml of H2O. Two seedlings per plate were arranged in opposite orientations and anchored to the filter paper with a 0.5% agarose solution. 2-3 cm root tip sections were also excised from seedlings and arranged lengthwise in the plates for bombardment. DNA/gold particle mixtures were prepared for bombardment in the following method. Sixty mg of 0.6-1.0 micron gold particles were pre-washed with ethanol, rinsed with sterile distilled H2O, and resuspended in a total of 1 ml of sterile H2O. 50 μl aliquots of gold particle suspension were stored in siliconized Eppendorf tubes at room temperature. DNA was precipitated onto the surface of the gold particles by combining, in order, 50 μl aliquot of pre-washed 0.6 μM gold particles, 5-10 μg of test DNA, 50 μl 2.5 M CaCl2 and 25 μl of 0.1 M spermidine. The solution was immediately vortexed for 3 minutes and centrifuged briefly to pellet the DNA/gold particles. The DNA/gold was washed once with 500 μl of 100% ethanol and suspended in a final volume of 50 μl of 100% ethanol. The DNA/gold solution was incubated at −20° C. for at least 60 minutes prior to aliquoting 6 μl of the DNA/gold mixture onto each mylar macrocarrier. Seedlings prepared as indicated above and excised root tips were bombarded twice using the PDS-1000/He gun at 1100 psi under 27-28 inches of Hg vacuum. The distance between macrocarrier and stopping screen was between 6-8 cm. Plates were incubated in sealed containers for 24 h in the dark at 27-280° C. following bombardment. After 18-24 h of incubation the bombarded seedlings and root tips were assayed for transient GUS expression. Seedlings and excised roots were immersed in 10-15 mls of assay buffer containing 100 mM NaH2PO4—H2O (pH 7.0), 10 mM EDTA, 0.5 mM K4Fe(CN)6-3H2O, 0.1% Triton X-100 and 2 mM 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoyl glucuronide. The tissues were incubated in the dark for 24 h at 37° C. Replacing the GUS staining solution with 100% ethanol stopped the assay. GUS expression/staining was visualized under a microscope. Example 7 Expression Pattern of CRWAQ81 Stable transformed plants were created to allow for a more detailed characterization of promoter activity, including expression pattern, expression level, and temporal regulation of the promoter. Calli stably transformed with expression cassettes containing the ˜2.1 kb CRWAQ81 promoter fragment (SEQ ID NO:1) operably connected to the GUS gene (abbreviated as CRWAQ81:GUS) or the ˜2.1 kb CRWAQ81 promoter fragment operably linked to the Adh1 intron and the GUS gene (abbreviated as CRWAQ81 (Adh1 intron1):GUS) were histochemically stained for GUS activity. The Adh1 intron was included for the purpose of increased expression as it has been shown that in cereal cells the expression of foreign genes is enhanced by the presence of an intron in gene constructs (See, Callis et al. (1987) Genes and Development 1: 1183-1200 and Kyozuka et al. (1990) Maydica 35:353-357). Results from histochemical staining revealed a small number of callus events expressing GUS. The presence of the Adh1 intron increased the number of expressing events by a factor of 3. Most of the staining was localized to the somatic embryos, however, some callus staining was observed. These results support the transient assay results and demonstrate that the CRWAQ81 promoter fragment directs gene expression in callus events. Leaf and root tissue from regenerated plants growing on nutrient agar were histochemically assayed for GUS activity. A few CRWAQ81:GUS events stained for GUS and most events transformed with the CRWAQ81 (Adh1 intron1):GUS vector expressed GUS. This indicated that the ˜2.1 kb CRWAQ81 promoter fragment was active. In both cases, however, expression tended to be low.The expression pattern directed by the ˜2.1 kb CRWAQ81 promoter fragment in regenerated plants was primarily root-preferred. Much of the expression was in the mature regions of the root (>1 cm from the root tip) and spatially split between 2 types of expression: ubiquitous expression in all cell types and localized expression in the vascular cylinder. In the root tip (the first 1 cm), no expression was detected. Nor was expression detected in emerging lateral roots (<1 cm in length). Factors such as developmental stage may affect expression from this promoter fragment. Evidence for this hypothesis stems from two observations. First, the ˜2.1 kb CRWAQ81 promoter fragment appears to be more active in V5-stage (5 collared leaves) greenhouse plants. Of 10 CRWAQ81:GUS transformation events sent to the greenhouse for potting in soil, only 3 were GUS positive in tissue culture (i.e., growing on nutrient agar). When the same plants were assayed at the V5-stage in the greenhouse, 9 of the 10 were GUS positive. A similar phenomenon was observed in CRWAQ81 (Adh1 intron1):GUS events, but to a lesser extent as most of the plants initially sent to the greenhouse for potting in soil were already GUS positive. The increased expression is not likely a result of increased GUS accumulation caused by low turnover of the GUS protein because an experiment looking at a group of CRWAQ81:GUS and CRWAQ81 (Adh1 intron1):GUS plants at V5-stage, and then again at R1 stage showed no difference in staining level. In addition, an examination of the Lynx MPSS database showed an incremental increase in expression of the CRWAQ81 gene between V2- and R1-stage. Specifically, the adjusted PPM value at V2-stage was 944. At V6 stage, the adjusted PPM value was near 1772, and at R1-stage the adjusted PPM value was 2870. Thus, the increased expression in older plants may be a result of temporal regulation of the CRWAQ81 promoter fragment. The spatial pattern of expression remained root-preferred in V5-stage plants. For CRWAQ81:GUS events, expression was ubiquitous in the mature regions of the root. No expression was observed in root tips (the first 1 cm) or in the emerging lateral roots (<1 cm in length). Few events had staining in the leaves. The expression pattern in CRWAQ81(Adh1 intron1):GUS events, however, was noticeably different. Expression was ubiquitous in the mature regions of the root. Expression was also observed in the root cap and weakly in the region of elongation of some events. Approximately 50% of the events showed some level of expression in the leaf vasculature. The reason for the ectopic expression is unclear. Expression in the silks at R1-R2 stage was also examined (at R2 stage the silks are protruding from the end of the ear and are beginning to dry out and darken in color). None of the events assayed showed expression. This included events both with and without the Adh1 intron. No GUS expression was observed in pollen. Again, this was true whether the Adh1 intron was present or not. In the tassels, essentially no expression was observed in the glumes or rachis of CRWAQ81:GUS plants. Weak staining was observed in the glumes and rachis of a few CRWAQ81 (Adh1 intron1):GUS plants. However, the most significant difference between the CRWAQ81:GUS and CRWAQ81 (Adh1 intron1):GUS tassels was the observed staining in the tissues near the lodicules. In CRWAQ81 (Adh1 intron1):GUS plants, most of the events had some level of GUS staining. Without the intron, only a few events stained in this region. Materials and Methods Histochemical Staining of Calli and Plant Tissues for GUS Activity GUS activity was evaluated in the root cap, the meristem, region of elongation, and mature regions of excised roots. Leaf sections excised from near the tip of the youngest collared leaf were also evaluated. Detection of GUS activity was accomplished by placing tissue from regenerated transformed plants into 48-well plates containing 0.5 ml GUS assay buffer (assay buffer recipe described in Example 6) or in the case of greenhouse-grown plants, a 12-well plate containing 2 ml GUS assay buffer. Plates were placed under house vacuum for 10 min, then incubated in the dark at 37° C. overnight. Tissue was cleared of pigmentation with 2 successive 12 hr incubations in 100% ethanol at room temperature. The tissues were stored in 70% ethanol at 4° C. Staining of excised silks and tassel branches was similar to leaf and root tissue except that the tissues were placed in 6-well plates containing 3-5 mls of GUS assay buffer. The tissues were cleared of pigmentation, as described above. Histochemical GUS staining of calli was performed as described for immature embryos in Example 6. Example 8 Transformation of Maize by Particle Bombardment and Regeneration of Transgenic Plants Immature maize embryos from greenhouse donor plants are bombarded with DNA molecules containing a promoter of the invention operably linked to a gene of interest. A selectable marker is provided in the same transformation vector, or alternatively, the selectable marker gene is provided on a separate DNA molecule. Transformation is performed as follows. Media recipes follow below. Preparation of Target Tissue The ears are husked and surface sterilized in 30% Clorox™ bleach plus 0.5% Micro detergent for 20 minutes, and rinsed two times with sterile water. The immature embryos are excised and placed embryo axis side down (scutellum side up), 25 embryos per plate, on 560Y medium for 4 hours and then aligned within the 2.5-cm target zone in preparation for bombardment. Preparation of DNA A plasmid vector comprising a promoter sequence of the invention is made. The vector additionally contains a PAT selectable marker gene driven by a CaMV35S promoter and includes a CaMV35S terminator. Optionally, the selectable marker can reside on a separate plasmid. A DNA molecule comprising a promoter sequence of the invention as well as a PAT selectable marker is precipitated onto 1.1 μm (average diameter) tungsten pellets using a CaCl2 precipitation procedure as follows: 100 μl prepared tungsten particles in water 10 μl (1 μg) DNA in Tris EDTA buffer (1 μg total DNA) 100 μl 2.5 M CaCl2 10 μl 0.1 M spermidine Each reagent is added sequentially to a tungsten particle suspension, while maintained on the multitube vortexer. The final mixture is sonicated briefly and allowed to incubate under constant vortexing for 10 minutes. After the precipitation period, the tubes are centrifuged briefly, liquid removed, washed with 500 ml 100% ethanol, and centrifuged for 30 seconds. Again the liquid is removed, and 105 μl 100% ethanol is added to the final tungsten particle pellet. For particle gun bombardment, the tungsten/DNA particles are briefly sonicated and 10 μl spotted onto the center of each macrocarrier and allowed to dry about 2 minutes before bombardment. Particle Gun Treatment The sample plates are bombarded at level #4 in particle gun #HE34-1 or #HE34-2. All samples receive a single shot at 650 PSI, with a total of ten aliquots taken from each tube of prepared particles/DNA. Subsequent Treatment Following bombardment, the embryos are kept on 560Y medium for 2 days, then transferred to 560R selection medium containing 3 mg/liter Bialaphos, and subcultured every 2 weeks. After approximately 10 weeks of selection, selection-resistant callus clones are transferred to 288J medium to initiate plant regeneration. Following somatic embryo maturation (2-4 weeks), well-developed somatic embryos are transferred to medium for germination and transferred to a lighted culture room. Approximately 7-10 days later, developing plantlets are transferred to 272V hormone-free medium in tubes for 7-10 days until plantlets are well established. Plants are then transferred to inserts in flats (equivalent to 2.5″ pot) containing potting soil and grown for 1 week in a growth chamber, subsequently grown an additional 1-2 weeks in the greenhouse, then transferred to classic 600 pots (1.6 gallon) and grown to maturity. Plants are monitored and scored for expression by assays known in the art, such as, for example, immunoassays and western blotting with an antibody that binds to the protein of interest. Bombardment and Culture Media Bombardment medium (560Y) comprises 4.0 g/l N6 basal salts (SIGMA C-1416), 1.0 ml/l Eriksson's Vitamin Mix (1000× SIGMA-1511), 0.5 mg/l thiamine HCl, 120.0 g/l sucrose, 1.0 mg/l 2,4-D, and 2.88 g/l L-proline (brought to volume with dI H20 following adjustment to pH 5.8 with KOH); 2.0 g/l Gelrite™ (added after bringing to volume with dI H20); and 8.5 mg/l silver nitrate (added after sterilizing the medium and cooling to room temperature). Selection medium (560R) comprises 4.0 g/l N6 basal salts (SIGMA C-1416), 1.0 ml/l Eriksson's Vitamin Mix (1000× SIGMA-1511), 0.5 mg/l thiamine HCl, 30.0 g/l sucrose, and 2.0 mg/l 2,4-D (brought to volume with dI H20 following adjustment to pH 5.8 with KOH); 3.0 g/l Gelrite™ (added after bringing to volume with dI H20); and 0.85 mg/l silver nitrate and 3.0 mg/l Bialaphos (both added after sterilizing the medium and cooling to room temperature). Plant regeneration medium (288J) comprises 4.3 g/l MS salts (GIBCO 11117-074), 5.0 ml/l MS vitamins stock solution (0.100 g nicotinic acid, 0.02 g/l thiamine HCl, 0.10 g/l pyridoxine HCl, and 0.40 g/l Glycine brought to volume with polished D-I H20) (Murashige and Skoog (1962) Physiol. Plant. 15:473), 100 mg/l myo-inositol, 0.5 mg/l zeatin, 60 g/l sucrose, and 1.0 ml/l of 0.1 mM abscisic acid (brought to volume with polished dI H20 after adjusting to pH 5.6); 3.0 g/l Gelrite™ (added after bringing to volume with dI H20); and 1.0 mg/l indoleacetic acid and 3.0 mg/l Bialaphos (added after sterilizing the medium and cooling to 60° C.). Hormone-free medium (272 V) comprises 4.3 g/l MS salts (GIBCO 11117-074), 5.0 ml/l MS vitamins stock solution (0.100 g/l nicotinic acid, 0.02 g/l thiamine HCl, 0.10 g/l pyridoxine HCl, and 0.40 g/l Glycine brought to volume with polished dI H20), 0.1 g/l myo-inositol, and 40.0 g/l sucrose (brought to volume with polished dI H20 after adjusting pH to 5.6); and 6 g/l Bacto-agar (added after bringing to volume with polished dI H20), sterilized and cooled to 60° C. Example 9 Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation of Maize and Regeneration of Transgenic Plants For Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of maize with a promoter sequence of the invention, optimally the method of Zhao is employed (U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,840, and PCT patent publication WO98/32326; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference). Briefly, immature embryos are isolated from maize and the embryos contacted with a suspension of Agrobacterium under conditions whereby the bacteria are capable of transferring the promoter sequence of the invention to at least one cell of at least one of the immature embryos (step 1: the infection step). In this step the immature embryos are optimally immersed in an Agrobacterium suspension for the initiation of inoculation. The embryos are co-cultured for a time with the Agrobacterium (step 2: the co-cultivation step). Optimally the immature embryos are cultured on solid medium following the infection step. Following this co-cultivation period an optional “resting” step is contemplated. In this resting step, the embryos are incubated in the presence of at least one antibiotic known to inhibit the growth of Agrobacterium without the addition of a selective agent for plant transformants (step 3: resting step). Optimally the immature embryos are cultured on solid medium with antibiotic, but without a selecting agent, for elimination of Agrobacterium and for a resting phase for the infected cells. Next, inoculated embryos are cultured on medium containing a selective agent and growing transformed callus is recovered (step 4: the selection step). Optimally, the immature embryos are cultured on solid medium with a selective agent resulting in the selective growth of transformed cells. The callus is then regenerated into plants (step 5: the regeneration step), and optimally calli grown on selective medium are cultured on solid medium to regenerate the plants. All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the level of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications, patents and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claim. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Expression of heterologous DNA sequences in a plant host is dependent upon the presence of an operably linked promoter that is functional within the plant host. The type of promoter sequence chosen is based on when and where within the organism expression of the heterologous DNA is desired. Where expression in specific tissues or organs is desired, tissue-preferred promoters may be used. Where gene expression in response to a stimulus is desired, inducible promoters are the regulatory element of choice. In contrast, where continuous expression is desired throughout the cells of a plant, constitutive promoters are utilized. Additional regulatory sequences upstream and/or downstream from a core promoter sequence may be included in expression constructs of transformation vectors to bring about varying levels of expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a transgenic plant. Genetically altering plants through the use of genetic engineering techniques to produce plants with useful traits thus requires the availability of a variety of promoters. Frequently it is desirable to express a DNA sequence in particular tissues or organs of a plant. For example, increased resistance of a plant to infection by soil- and/or air-borne pathogens might be accomplished by genetic manipulation of the plant's genome to comprise a tissue-preferred promoter operably linked to a heterologous pathogen-resistance gene such that pathogen-resistance proteins are produced in the desired plant tissue. Alternatively, it might be desirable to inhibit expression of a native DNA sequence within a plant's tissues to achieve a desired phenotype. In this case, such inhibition might be accomplished with transformation of the plant to comprise a tissue-preferred promoter operably linked to an antisense nucleotide sequence, such that expression of the antisense sequence produces an RNA transcript that interferes with translation of the mRNA of the native DNA sequence. To date, the regulation of gene expression in plant roots has not been adequately studied despite the root's importance to plant development. To some degree this is attributable to a lack of readily available, root-specific biochemical functions whose genes may be cloned, studied, and manipulated. Several genes that are preferentially expressed in plant root tissues have been identified. See, for example, Takahashi et al. (1991) Plant J. 1:327-332; Takahashi et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:8013-8016; Hertig et al. (1991) Plant Mol Biol. 16:171-174; Xu et al. (1995) Plant Mol. Biol. 27:237-248; Capone et al. (1994) Plant Mol. Biol. 25:681-691; Masuda et al. (1999) Plant Cell Physiol. 40(11):1177-81; Luschnig et al. (1998) Genes Dev. 12(14):2175-87; Goddemeier et al. (1998) Plant Mol. Biol. 36(5):799-802; and Yamamoto et al. (1991) Plant Cell 3(4):371-82. Though root-specific promoters have been characterized in several types of plants, no root-specific promoters from maize have been described in the literature. Constitutive expression of some heterologous proteins, such as insecticides, leads to undesirable phenotypic and agronomic effects. Limiting expression of insecticidal proteins, for example, to the target tissues of insect feeding (root, in this case), allows the plant to devote more energy to normal growth rather than toward expression of the protein throughout the plant. Using root-preferred promoters, one can also limit expression of the protein in undesirable portions of the plant. However, many of the root-preferred promoters that have been isolated do not direct the expression of sufficient amounts of a transgene for efficacy in plants. Thus, the isolation and characterization of tissue-preferred, particularly root-preferred, promoters that can direct transcription of a sufficiently high level of a desired heterologous nucleotide sequence is needed. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Compositions and methods for regulating gene expression in a plant are provided. Compositions comprise novel nucleotide sequences for a promoter that initiates transcription in a root-preferred manner. More particularly, transcriptional initiation regions isolated from the plant gene CRWAQ81 are provided. Further compositions of the invention comprise the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 and the plant promoter sequences deposited in bacterial hosts as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5126, and fragments thereof. The compositions of the invention further comprise nucleotide sequences having at least 80% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or 2, and which drive root-preferred expression of an operably linked nucleotide sequence. Also included are nucleotide sequences that hybridize under stringent conditions to either the sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO:1 or the sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 2, plant promoter sequences deposited in bacterial hosts as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5126, or their complements. Compositions of the present invention also include expression cassettes comprising a promoter of the invention operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest. The invention further provides expression vectors, and plants or plant cells having stably incorporated into their genomes an expression cassette mentioned above. Additionally, compositions include transgenic seed of such plants. Methods of the invention comprise a means for selectively expressing a nucleotide sequence in a plant root, comprising transforming a plant cell with an expression cassette, and regenerating a transformed plant from said plant cell, said expression cassette comprising a promoter and a heterologous nucleotide sequence operably linked to said promoter, wherein said promoter initiates root-preferred transcription of said nucleotide sequence in a plant cell. In this manner, the promoter sequences are useful for controlling the expression of operably linked coding sequences in a root-preferred manner. Downstream from and under the transcriptional initiation regulation of the promoter will be a sequence of interest that will provide for modification of the phenotype of the plant. Such modification includes modulating the production of an endogenous product, as to amount, relative distribution, or the like, or production of an exogenous expression product to provide for a useful function or product in the plant. For example, a heterologous nucleotide sequence that encodes a gene product that confers herbicide, salt, drought, cold, pathogen or insect resistance is encompassed. | 20041008 | 20080812 | 20050505 | 62990.0 | 1 | WORLEY, CATHY KINGDON | MAIZE PROMOTER NAMED CRWAQ81 | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,961,832 | ACCEPTED | Safety intravenous catheter assembly | A safety intravenous catheter assembly includes a needle, a catheter hub having an axial bore extending through the catheter hub and a notch extending outwardly in the axial bore, a needle cover, and a notch clip connected to the needle cover. The notch clip is selectively maintained adjacent the needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being generally spaced from the needle and selectively maintained adjacent the catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being generally spaced from the catheter hub to lock the catheter hub to the needle cover while being operable to move the needle relative to the notch clip in a near frictionless relationship. | 1. A safety intravenous catheter assembly comprising: a needle; a catheter hub having an axial bore extending through said catheter hub and a notch extending outwardly in said axial bore; a needle cover; a notch clip connected to said needle cover; said notch clip positionable to engage said notch of said catheter hub and lock said catheter hub to said needle cover when said notch clip is inserted in said axial bore and a tip of said needle is inserted at least adjacent or past a distal portion of said notch clip, and positionable to disengage said notch when a tip of said needle is located prior to said distal portion of said notch clip to unlock said catheter hub from said needle cover; said notch clip being maintainable adjacent said needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with said needle to being generally spaced from said needle when said tip of said needle is inserted at least adjacent or past a distal portion of said notch clip, and maintainable adjacent said catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with said catheter hub to being generally spaced from said catheter hub when said tip of said needle is inserted at least adjacent or past a distal portion of said notch clip; and wherein said notch clip and said needle are movable in a near frictionless relationship relative to one another when said notch clip is inserted past a distal portion of said notch clip. 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said notch clip comprises a resilient P-shaped member. 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said needle cover is receivable within said catheter hub. 4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said catheter hub is rotatable relative to said needle cover. 5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the notch is a continuous circumferential notch. 6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said needle cover comprises a finger rest. 7. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising an annular space disposed between said notch clip and said needle. 8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said notch clip comprises a ball bearing. 9. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a stop assembly joined to the needle cover. 10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the stop assembly comprises a stop bar. 11. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the stop assembly comprises a ring-like stop and the needle has a stop notch located in the side of the needle which engages the ring-like stop. 12. A method for using a safety intravenous catheter assembly, the method comprising: inserting a needle through a needle cover and past a notch clip disposed in a catheter hub having an axial bore extending through the catheter hub and a notch extending outwardly in the axial bore to lock the catheter hub to the needle cover; selectively maintaining the notch clip adjacent the needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being generally spaced from the needle; selectively maintaining the notch clip adjacent the catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being generally spaced from the catheter hub; and moving the needle relative to the notch clip in a near frictionless relationship. 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising locking the needle in the needle cover upon the withdrawal of the needle past the notch clip. 14. A safety intravenous catheter assembly comprising: a needle; a catheter hub having an axial bore extending through the catheter hub; a needle cover; means for selectively maintaining a notch clip adjacent the needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being generally spaced from the needle and the notch clip adjacent the catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being generally spaced from the catheter hub to lock the catheter hub to the needle cover while being operable to move the needle relative to the notch clip in a near frictionless relationship. 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising locking the needle in the needle cover upon the withdrawal of the needle past the notch clip. | RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of international application PCT/US03/10756 filed on Apr. 9, 2003 and published, as international publication number WO 03/086499 on Oct. 23, 2003, and claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/120,005 filed on Apr. 10, 2002, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,102 on Feb. 10, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/840,699, filed Apr. 23, 2001, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,814 on Feb. 24, 2004, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/127,374, filed Jul. 31, 1998, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,047 on Apr. 24, 2001, the entirety of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates generally to catheter devices. More particularly, the invention relates to safety catheter devices having needlestick protection features. BACKGROUND ART Intravenous (IV) catheters are medical devices used to obtain continuous vascular access in patients. Such a device generally consists of a hollow-bore needle stylet and an over-the-needle plastic type material catheter used to access the lumen of a blood vessel in a patient. The IV catheter is advanced into the vessel and is used for administering intravenous fluids, medications or blood products. Since the IV catheter is placed percutaneously, the hollow-bore needle stylet becomes blood contaminated and, when the blood vessel lumen is accessed, the needle-stylet becomes blood-filled. Needlestick injuries from IV catheter stylets are in the high-risk category for potential transmission of bloodborne pathogens to the injured health care worker, since they are hollow-bore needles which are usually filled with undiluted blood. The bloodborne pathogens of greatest concern include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the etiologic agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. There is therefore a need for safety intravenous catheters. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides, in a first aspect, a safety intravenous catheter assembly having a needle, a catheter hub having an axial bore extending through the catheter hub and a notch extending outwardly in the axial bore, a needle cover, and a notch clip connected to the needle cover. The notch clip is positionable to engage the notch of the catheter hub and lock the catheter hub to the needle cover when the notch clip is inserted in the axial bore and a tip of the needle is inserted at least adjacent or past a distal portion of the notch clip, and positionable to disengage the notch when a tip of the needle is located prior to the distal portion of the notch clip to unlock the catheter hub from the needle cover. The notch clip is maintainable adjacent the needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being generally spaced from the needle when the tip of the needle is inserted at least adjacent or past a distal portion of the notch clip, and maintainable adjacent the catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being generally spaced from the catheter hub when the tip of the needle is inserted at least adjacent or past a distal portion of the notch clip. The notch clip and the needle are movable in a near frictionless relationship relative to one another when the notch clip is inserted past a distal portion of the notch clip. The present invention provides, in a second aspect, a method for using a safety intravenous catheter assembly which includes inserting a needle through a needle cover and past a notch clip disposed in a catheter hub having an axial bore extending through the catheter hub and a notch extending outwardly in the axial bore to lock the catheter hub to the needle cover, selectively maintaining the notch clip adjacent the needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being generally spaced from the needle, selectively maintaining the notch clip adjacent the catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being generally spaced from the catheter hub, and moving the needle relative to the notch clip in a near frictionless relationship. The present invention provides, in a third aspect, a safety intravenous catheter assembly having a needle, a catheter hub having an axial bore extending through the catheter hub, a needle cover, and means for selectively maintaining a notch clip adjacent the needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being generally spaced from the needle and the notch clip adjacent the catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being generally spaced from the catheter hub to lock the catheter hub to the needle cover while being operable to move the needle relative to the notch clip in a near frictionless relationship. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which drawings illustrate several embodiments of the invention. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of a safety intravenous catheter assembly in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly of FIG. 1 just prior to insertion of the needle into the needle cover and the stop bar into the needle case. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly of FIG. 1 during insertion of the needle into the needle cover and the stop bar into the needle case. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly of FIG. 1 with the needle fully inserted into the needle cover and the stop bar fully inserted into the needle case, and ready for insertion into a patient. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly of FIG. 1 with the needle being withdrawn from the distal end of the needle cover, with the needle tip adjacent to the upper distal portion of the notch clip, and with the stop bar locked into the needle case by a detent. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly of FIG. 1 with the needle being withdrawn from the upper distal portion of the notch clip, with the stop bar's L-shaped end abutting the end of the needle case, and with the catheter hub disengaging from the needle cover as the notch clip flexes inward. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembly of FIG. 1 with the catheter hub being fully disengaged from the needle cover and with the stop bar in a stopped position within the needle case thereby maintaining a tip of the needle within the needle cover. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of a needle cover and a stop bar in accordance with the present invention which allows the catheter hub and needle cover together as a unit to rotate around the needle when inserting the catheter cannula into a patient. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of a needle cover and a stop bar in accordance with the present invention which allows the catheter hub and needle cover together as a unit to rotate around the needle when inserting the catheter cannula into a patient. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of a needle cover and a stop bar in accordance with the present invention which allows the catheter hub and needle cover together as a unit to rotate around the needle when inserting the catheter cannula into a patient. FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 12-12 in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a needle case in accordance with the present invention which allows a catheter hub and a needle cover together as a unit (not shown) to rotate around the needle when inserting the catheter cannula into a patient. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of a safety intravenous catheter assembly in accordance with the present invention, showing a ring-like stop of a needle cover engaging a stop notch of a needle for limiting withdrawal of the needle from the needle cover and where a catheter hub is disengaged from the needle cover. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of a safety intravenous catheter assembly in accordance with the present invention, showing a ball bearing type of notch clip and with a needle fully inserted into a needle cover and a stop bar fully inserted into a needle case. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional side view of yet another embodiment of a safety intravenous catheter assembly in accordance with the present invention which is similar to the assembly of FIG. 1, except with the elimination of a notch in the needle cover. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional side view of yet another embodiment of a safety intravenous catheter assembly in accordance with the present invention which is similar to the assembly of FIG. 1, except including an optional needle cover finger rest. FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of a safety intravenous catheter assembly in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 19 is another embodiment of a needle cover and a stop assembly in accordance with the present invention for use in a safety intravenous catheter assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 illustrates a safety intravenous catheter assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention for use with a needle 12. Generally, safety intravenous catheter assembly 10 includes a catheter hub 18, a catheter cannula 19, a needle cover 22, a stop bar 42, and a needle case 44. The various embodiments of the present invention, as described in greater detail below, result in the safety intravenous catheter assemblies which after inserting the catheter cannula into a patient and removing the needle from the catheter cannula and catheter hub, automatically provides a non-removable protective cover over a tip of the needle thereby reducing the risk of needlestick injuries to health workers. Safety intravenous catheter assembly 10 is configured so that catheter hub 18 is inhibited from rotating relative to needle cover 22. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-8, the fixedly connected catheter hub 18 and needle cover 22 does not rotate around needle 12. In another aspect of the present invention, as explained in greater detail below in connection with FIGS. 9-13, a fixedly connected catheter hub and needle cover may, however, be made to rotate around the needle. With reference again to FIG. 1, catheter cannula 19 is attached to catheter hub 18 and includes a first axial bore 20 extending through catheter cannula 19 and catheter hub 18. Needle cover 22 has a first upper end 24 insertable in axial bore 20 of catheter hub 18. A second axial bore 26 extends through needle cover 22 and may be co-axial with axial bore 20 when assembled. The components of the assembly may be constructed from materials similar to those for pre-existing IV catheters and related parts. For example, sterile grade rigid plastic can be used to form catheter hub 18, needle cover 22, stop bar 42 and needle case 44. Stop bar 42 may alternatively be sterile grade stainless steel. Needle 12 may comprise a sterile grade stainless steel. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, catheter hub 18 includes a notch 28 extending outwardly from axial bore 20 of catheter hub 18. A notch clip 30 is joined via a resilient arm 33 with needle cover 22 and positionable to engage notch 28 of catheter hub 18. This enables catheter hub 18 to be fixedly connected so that catheter hub 18 does not rotate relative needle cover 22 when the two are fully engaged. An inner surface of notch clip 30 may be substantially parallel to second axial bore 26. Notch clip 30 in a rest position may be spaced from or in a non-forceful contact with needle 12, so that notch clip 30 at most rests against needle 12 as in side-by-side non-forceful contact. For example, an annular space 31 may be provided adjacent notch clip 30 and second axial bore 26. In addition, appropriately sizing the notch clip may result in the notch clip being spaced from the needle and spaced from the notch in the catheter hub. In this configuration, the assembly reduces and limits the frictional drag between notch clip 30 and needle 12 when needle 12 is inserted into and withdrawn from needle cover 22. The notch clip and the needle cover may be monolithic and integrally formed as one-piece. Alternatively, the notch clip could be an independent piece configured for a snap fit or bonded or glued relationship with the needle cover. As described above, the radially inward side or inner surface of the notch clip may be in or adjacent to the annular space 31, e.g., not continuously contacting, and at most co-planar with a second surface 27 (FIG. 3) defined by an outer circumference of the second axial bore when the notch clip is at rest. Notch clip 30 and arm 33 are preferably made of a resilient type material having a characteristic which enables it to flex radially inward with minimal force. This force is provided by notch 28 and a bottom portion of the catheter hub 18 as the catheter hub disengages from the needle cover. This disengagement preferably only occurs when a needle tip 16 (FIG. 1) is located below or away from an upper distal portion of the notch clip, i.e., when removing the protected needle from the catheter hub, as explained in greater detail below. With reference particularly to FIG. 1, embodiments of the present invention may include additional safety features such as a stop assembly joined with a second end 41 of needle cover 22. The joined relationship may be obtained by forming integral or a conventional bonding or gluing process, or a snap-fit relation. The stop assembly serves to limit withdrawal of the needle from the needle cover by maintaining the tip of the needle inside second axial bore 26 of needle cover 22. For example, the stop assembly may comprise stop bar 42 joined with the needle cover at the second end. In this embodiment the stop assembly further includes needle case 44 joined with the needle at a lower end 46 of the needle, such as by a conventional forming, bonding or gluing process. As should be apparent, the lower end of the needle is in fluid flow communication with the needle case via a chamber 43a. The stop bar communicates with the needle case via an opening 45 in a second chamber 43b. The stop bar 42, needle case 44, and a detent 47 are designed so that sliding movement of the stop bar has minimal frictional drag (FIGS. 4 and 5 as described in greater detail below). The stop bar and detent 47 may be of any design to stop the bar at the desired length of extension. The stop bar may also be designed to extend telescopically and then lock, which would decrease the needle case length. Assembly and use of safety intravenous catheter assembly 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 3-8. As will become apparent for the following description, the relationship between the notch and the notch clip, and the stop assembly, contributes to several of the features and advantages of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 3, initially first upper end 24 of needle cover is inserted in axial bore 20 of catheter hub 18 and the upper distal portion of notch clip is aligned to slip into notch 28 when needle cover is loaded into catheter hub 18. This moves the upper distal portion of the notch clip completely out of the second axial bore which permits preferred unrestricted movement of needle 12 into the second axial bore, thus facilitating easy assembly of the device. Next, with reference to FIG. 4, stop bar 42 of assembly 10 is inserted into needle case 44 and needle 12 is aligned with second axial bore 26. When the needle is inserted in the second axial bore at least adjacent or past an upper distal portion of the notch clip, the notch clip can engage the side of the needle and notch 28 and lock the catheter hub in engagement with the needle cover. FIG. 5 illustrates safety intravenous catheter assembly 10 in the configuration for insertion into a patient. The needle maintains the notch clip in the notch and automatically inhibits the catheter hub from disengaging from the needle cover prematurely. Any of several approaches could be used for assembly such as where the needle case is intact and fully enclosed or by having a side opening which is later covered and sealed closed. With reference again to FIG. 3, if the needle case is fully enclosed in final form and, for example, opening 45 is slot shaped, the stop bar can be rotated ninety degrees and inserted into the needle case and rotated back ninety degrees. The stop bar then passes by resilient detent 47, by having detent 47 retracted radially outward to permit the stop bar to be inserted. For example, this radial retraction can be accomplished via a hook externally or other device via a small opening in the outside wall of chamber 43b or other conventional means. The process of catheter insertion of assembly 10 in a patient is illustrated in FIGS. 5-8. Initially, with reference to FIG. 5, the process involves placing needle tip 16 into a vessel lumen. After placing needle tip 16 into the vessel lumen, the user holds needle case 44 stationary (which maintains needle 12 stationary) and advances catheter cannula 19 into the vessel lumen until catheter hub 18 abuts the skin. Then needle case 44 is withdrawn to completely withdraw needle 12 from catheter cannula 19 and partially withdraw needle 12 from catheter hub 18. As shown in FIG. 6, as stop bar 42 is withdrawn from the needle case, detent 47 continues to be forced to the right until eventually, the L-shaped portion of the stop bar passes beyond the distal aspect of detent 47 and the detent can spring underneath the L-shaped portion. This action serves to stop the re-insertion of the stop bar into the second chamber 43b. At this position needle tip 16 is adjacent to the upper distal portion of notch clip 30. The stop bar is withdrawn a small amount more from the needle case, as shown in FIG. 7, so that the needle tip is located prior to the upper distal portion of the notch clip thereby allowing the catheter hub to be disengaged from the needle cover. This preferred small additional movement of the stop bar ensures that the catheter hub does not disengage from the needle cover until the stop bar's L-shaped end is locked above detent 47 and the needle tip is thereby locked inside the needle cover. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8, the catheter hub 18 can be fully disengaged from the needle cover 22. Any alternative mechanism to the detent can be used as long as it functions to lock into the final position, as described above, the L-shaped or other shaped end of the stop bar and such that there is preferably a minimum of frictional drag during catheter insertion. For example, FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate alternative embodiments of the configurations for the needle cover and the stop mechanism. Another aspect of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 9-13, in which means are provided for rotatably attaching at least one of the needle case and the stop assembly in relation to the needle cover so that the needle cover and the catheter hub as a unit is rotatable around the axis of the needle particularly when inserting the cannula into the patient. For example, with reference to FIG. 9, therein illustrated are catheter hub 18 and a needle cover 122. Needle cover 122 includes a disk-shaped bottom portion 123 having an outwardly-extending flange 125. The stop assembly includes a stop bar 142 having a disk-shaped member 160 having an upwardly-extending portion 162 with an inwardly-extending flange 164 which is attachable to outwardly-extending flange 125 of needle cover 122, for example, in a snap-fit manner. In this configuration, the bottom portion of the needle cover and the disk-shaped member of the stop bar may be suitably sized to allow the bottom portion of the needle cover to rotate within the disk-shaped member of the stop bar. With reference to FIG. 10, therein illustrated are catheter hub 18 and a needle cover 222. Needle cover 222 includes a bottom portion 223 having an outwardly-extending flange 225. The stop assembly includes a stop bar 242 having a ring-shaped member 260 having a pair of spaced-apart inwardly-extending flanges 264 for attaching to outwardly-extending flange 225 of bottom portion 223, for example, in a snap-fit manner. The bottom portion of the needle cover and the ring-shaped member of the stop bar may be suitably sized to allow the bottom portion of the needle cover to rotate within the ring-shaped member of the stop bar. FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate another embodiment of a catheter hub 18 (FIG. 11) and a needle cover 322. Needle cover 322 includes a bottom portion 323 having a groove 325. The stop assembly includes a stop bar 342 having an upper end having a pair of outwardly-extending flanges 364 (FIG. 11) attachable to and movable within groove 325. Flanges 364 may be received in groove 325 in a snap-fit manner. The groove in the bottom the needle cover and the upper end of the stop bar may be suitably sized to allow the stop bar to easily rotate within the groove. FIG. 13 illustrates a needle case 444 in which an opening 445 has an arcuate configuration to allow a stop bar 442 to rotate around the axis of the needle, e.g., an amount less than 360-degrees. From the present description, It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the opening may be an annular opening, for example, the center portion of the needle case may be attached to the bottom of the needle case, thereby permitting a 360-degree rotation of the stop bar around the axis of the needle. From the present description, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various safety intravenous catheter assemblies described above may be configured for 360-degree rotation of the catheter hub and needle cover as a unit around the axis of the needle, or configured for less than 360-degree rotation. The needle cover and notch clip's design provide selective sliding engagement with the side of the needle such that there is minimal, and preferably no, frictional drag so that catheter hub and needle cover as a unit may easily rotate around the needle axis, and also, so that the catheter hub and needle cover combined can easily move distally towards the needle tip during IV catheter insertion. In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 14, a safety intravenous catheter assembly 510 in accordance with the present invention may include the stop member comprising a ring-like stop 548 joined to the lower end of a needle cover 522, and a needle 512 having a stop notch 550 located in the side of the needle. In operation, as the needle is withdrawn from the needle cover, ring-like stop 548 engages stop notch 550 thereby maintaining the tip of the needle inside needle cover 522. Then, the catheter hub 18 can be removed in a similar fashion as described previously. In this embodiment, the ring-like stop 548 is preferably constructed of a resilient material that is sized to automatically and continuously engage the circumference of needle 512. When being assembled, the ring-like stop can be temporarily relaxed to enable insertion of the needle into needle cover 522 and passing stop notch 550 past ring-like stop 548. Other aspects of the invention may concern the notch clip. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1-11, the notch clip is configured as a P-shaped member. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, a safety intravenous catheter assembly 610 in accordance with the present invention may include a notch clip comprising a ball bearing 630 which engages a concave notch disposed in catheter hub 618 to releasably lock a needle cover 622 to catheter hub 618. FIG. 16 illustrates still another embodiment a safety intravenous catheter assembly 710 in accordance with the present invention. When the needle diameter is sufficiently large, a needle cover 722 may not require a notch disposed opposite a notch clip 730 if the second axial bore is large enough to ensure the notch clip distal portion completely disengages notch 728 during withdrawal of the needle cover from the catheter hub. As understood herein, withdrawn, withdrawal or withdrawing means any movement of one member away from another member in the range from partial withdrawal (at least some portion of the respective members are still in communication with each other) to complete withdrawal (no portion of the respective members are in communication with each other). With reference again to FIGS. 5-8, generally as the catheter cannula is advanced into a vessel and the needle is withdrawn from the second axial bore, the user can, if desired, hold or engage the exposed needle cover portion adjacent the stop bar. FIG. 17 illustrates another embodiment of a safety intravenous catheter assembly 810 in accordance with the present invention. For example, when advancing a catheter cannula 819 into a vessel and withdrawing a needle 812 from a catheter hub 818 which is still fully engaged with a needle cover 822, needle cover 822 may be provided a finger rest 856. In this way, one can advance the catheter cannula and withdraw the needle without pushing directly with the catheter hub by instead pushing the catheter hub via the needle cover and most preferably the finger rest, thereby enabling cannula advancement and withdrawal of the needle with minimal, and preferably no, friction between the needle and the notch clip. Finger rest 856 may comprise an annular ring or one or more protrusions extending from the needle cover. Also, it is preferred that finger rest 856 extend no further than the outer circumference of the adjacent portion of the catheter hub 818, though a longer extension may be desired by some users. Alternatively, instead of using finger rest 856, the user can advance the cannula and withdraw the needle by pushing directly with catheter hub 818. Various additional uses can be made with the safety intravenous catheter assemblies. For example, with reference again to FIG. 1, to assist in the insertion of the cannula into a blood vessel or body cavity, a flexible guide wire (not shown) can be inserted via an opening 52 in the chamber 43a and advanced into the first end 46 of the needle and made to exit tip 16 (i.e., Seldinger wire technique for vascular access). In this regard a minor modification (not shown) of the chamber's internal shape would facilitate easy access of a flexible guide wire into needle end 46. Alternatively, a syringe (not shown) can be attached to chamber 43a via opening 52, for communicating a fluid to or from the chamber 43a. Although not shown, opening 52 may be located in the center of the proximal end of the needle case, which is accomplished by making conventional modifications of the needle case. Although preferred embodiments have been depicted and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions, substitutions and the like can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and these are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>Intravenous (IV) catheters are medical devices used to obtain continuous vascular access in patients. Such a device generally consists of a hollow-bore needle stylet and an over-the-needle plastic type material catheter used to access the lumen of a blood vessel in a patient. The IV catheter is advanced into the vessel and is used for administering intravenous fluids, medications or blood products. Since the IV catheter is placed percutaneously, the hollow-bore needle stylet becomes blood contaminated and, when the blood vessel lumen is accessed, the needle-stylet becomes blood-filled. Needlestick injuries from IV catheter stylets are in the high-risk category for potential transmission of bloodborne pathogens to the injured health care worker, since they are hollow-bore needles which are usually filled with undiluted blood. The bloodborne pathogens of greatest concern include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the etiologic agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. There is therefore a need for safety intravenous catheters. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention provides, in a first aspect, a safety intravenous catheter assembly having a needle, a catheter hub having an axial bore extending through the catheter hub and a notch extending outwardly in the axial bore, a needle cover, and a notch clip connected to the needle cover. The notch clip is positionable to engage the notch of the catheter hub and lock the catheter hub to the needle cover when the notch clip is inserted in the axial bore and a tip of the needle is inserted at least adjacent or past a distal portion of the notch clip, and positionable to disengage the notch when a tip of the needle is located prior to the distal portion of the notch clip to unlock the catheter hub from the needle cover. The notch clip is maintainable adjacent the needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being generally spaced from the needle when the tip of the needle is inserted at least adjacent or past a distal portion of the notch clip, and maintainable adjacent the catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being generally spaced from the catheter hub when the tip of the needle is inserted at least adjacent or past a distal portion of the notch clip. The notch clip and the needle are movable in a near frictionless relationship relative to one another when the notch clip is inserted past a distal portion of the notch clip. The present invention provides, in a second aspect, a method for using a safety intravenous catheter assembly which includes inserting a needle through a needle cover and past a notch clip disposed in a catheter hub having an axial bore extending through the catheter hub and a notch extending outwardly in the axial bore to lock the catheter hub to the needle cover, selectively maintaining the notch clip adjacent the needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being generally spaced from the needle, selectively maintaining the notch clip adjacent the catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being generally spaced from the catheter hub, and moving the needle relative to the notch clip in a near frictionless relationship. The present invention provides, in a third aspect, a safety intravenous catheter assembly having a needle, a catheter hub having an axial bore extending through the catheter hub, a needle cover, and means for selectively maintaining a notch clip adjacent the needle throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the needle to being generally spaced from the needle and the notch clip adjacent the catheter hub throughout a range of positions from being in forceful contact with the catheter hub to being generally spaced from the catheter hub to lock the catheter hub to the needle cover while being operable to move the needle relative to the notch clip in a near frictionless relationship. | 20041008 | 20090804 | 20050526 | 58359.0 | 1 | VU, QUYNH-NHU HOANG | SAFETY INTRAVENOUS CATHETER ASSEMBLY | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,961,837 | ACCEPTED | Depsipeptide and congeners thereof for use as immunosuppressants | Depsipeptides and congeners thereof are disclosed having the following structure: wherein m, n, p, q, X, R1, R2 and R3 are as defined herein. These compounds, including FR901228, have activity as, for example, immunosuppressants, as well as for the prevention or treatment of patients suffering or at risk of suffering from inflammatory, autoimmune or immune system-related diseases including graft-versus-host disease and enhancement of graft/tissue survival following transplant. Also provided are methods for inhibiting lymphocyte activation, proliferation, and/or suppression of IL-2 secretion. | 1-40. (canceled) 41. A method for preventing or treating rejection following transplantation, comprising administering to an animal an effective amount of a compound having the following structure: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or stereoisomer thereof, wherein m is 1, 2, 3 or 4; n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; p and q are independently 1 or 2; X is O, NH or NR; R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and independently an amino acid side-chain moiety or an amino acid side-chain derivative; and R is a lower chain alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl moiety. 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the transplant comprises the transplantation of any one or more of the organs or tissues selected from the group consisting of heart, kidney, liver, bone marrow, skin, cornea, vessels, lung, pancreas, intestine, limb, muscle, nerve tissue, duodenum, small-bowel, and pancreatic-islet-cell. 43. A method for inhibiting the growth of CD4 T-Cells, comprising administering to an animal an effective amount of a compound having the following structure: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or stereoisomer thereof, wherein m is 1, 2, 3 or 4; n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; p and q are independently 1 or 2; X is O, NH or NR; R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and independently an amino acid side-chain moiety or an amino acid side-chain derivative; and R is a lower chain alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl moiety; and wherein said CD4 T-Cells have been induced by CD3 and CD28 engagement. 44. A method for inhibiting the growth of CD4 T-Cells, comprising administering to an animal an effective amount of a compound having the following structure: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or stereoisomer thereof, wherein m is 1, 2, 3 or 4; n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; p and q are independently 1 or 2; X is O, NH or NR; R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and independently an amino acid side-chain moiety or an amino acid side-chain derivative; and R is a lower chain alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl moiety; and wherein said CD4 T-Cells have been induced by Ionomycin/PMA. 45. A method for inhibiting the growth of CD4 T-Cells, comprising administering to an animal an effective amount of a compound having the following structure: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or stereoisomer thereof, wherein m is 1, 2, 3 or 4; n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; p and q are independently 1 or 2; X is O, NH or NR; R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and independently an amino acid side-chain moiety or an amino acid side-chain derivative; and R is a lower chain alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl moiety; and wherein said CD4 T-Cells have been induced by allogeneic dendritic cells. 46. A method for inhibiting the growth of CD8 T-Cells, comprising administering to an animal an effective amount of a compound having the following structure: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or stereoisomer thereof, wherein m is 1, 2, 3 or 4; n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; p and q are independently 1 or 2; X is O, NH or NR; R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and independently an amino acid side-chain moiety or an amino acid side-chain derivative; and R is a lower chain alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl moiety; and wherein said CD8 T-Cells have been induced by CD3 and CD28 engagement. 47. A method for inhibiting the growth of CD8 T-Cells, comprising administering to an animal an effective amount of a compound having the following structure: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or stereoisomer thereof, wherein m is 1, 2, 3 or 4; n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; p and q are independently 1 or 2; X is O, NH or NR; R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and independently an amino acid side-chain moiety or an amino acid side-chain derivative; and R is a lower chain alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl moiety; and wherein said CD8 T-Cells have been induced by Ionomycin/PMA. 48. A method for inhibiting the growth of CD8 T-Cells, comprising administering to an animal an effective amount of a compound having the following structure: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or stereoisomer thereof, wherein m is 1, 2, 3 or 4; n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; p and q are independently 1 or 2; X is O, NH or NR; R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and independently an amino acid side-chain moiety or an amino acid side-chain derivative; and R is a lower chain alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl moiety; and wherein said CD8 T-Cells have been induced by allogeneic dendritic cells. | CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/402,362 filed Mar. 27, 2003, now allowed, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/115,576, filed Apr. 2, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,548,479, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/732,183 filed Dec. 6, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,555, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/169,731, filed on Dec. 8, 1999 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/193,582, filed Mar. 30, 2000. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to depsipeptides or congeners thereof and use of the same as an immunosuppressant and, more specifically, to the treatment and/or prevention of an immune disorder such as autoimmune or inflammatory diseases, and for reducing immunorejection of transplanted material, by administering to an animal an effective amount of a depsipeptide such as FR901228. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Modulation of the immune system is desirous in a variety of contexts, from inhibiting an autoimmune response, to controlling infectious disease and inhibiting graft/tissue rejection. The principal approach to mitigate rejection is the pharmacological suppression of the immune system of the recipient. With this in mind, most immunomodulatory compounds that are currently utilized are immunosuppressive. Since the early 1960's the availability of these immunosuppressive agents have been restricted to only a few drugs. However, in the early 1980's in addition to azathioprine and corticosteroids, cyclosporine became widely available and has been the drug of choice ever since. (Kobashigawa, Trans. Proc. 30: 1095-1097, 1998; Isoniemi, Ann. Chi. Gyn. 86: 164-170, 1997). However, the newer immunosuppressive agents are relatively few in number and also suffer from many of the undesirable side-effects associated with earlier agents. While these drugs have been used to increase survival times for transplanted organs, either as single agents or in combination with other immunosuppressants, many are also useful for treating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, delayed hypersensitivity, graft versus host diseases and similar immune system associated diseases. Currently used immunosuppressive drugs include antiproliferative agents, such as methotrexate, azathioprine, and cyclophosphamide. Since these drugs affect mitosis and cell division, they have severe toxic effects on normal cells with high turn-over rate such as bone marrow cells and the gastrointestinal tract lining. (Miller, Semin. Vet. Med. Surg. 12(3): 144-149, 1997) Accordingly, marrow depression and liver damage are common side effects. Antiinflammatory compounds used to induce immunosuppression include adrenal corticosteroids such as dexamethasone and prednisolone. The common side effects observed with the use of these compounds are frequent infections, abnormal metabolism, hypertension, and diabetes. Other immunosuppressive compounds currently used to inhibit lymphocyte activation and subsequent proliferation include cyclosporine, FK506, and rapamycin. These drugs inhibit either the calcium dependent phosphatase calcineurin (cyclosporine and FK506) or inhibit the p70S6 kinase that is important for growth factor induced signaling (rapamycin). (Liu et al., Cell 66: 807-815, 1991; Henderson et al., Immun. 73: 316-321, 1991; Bierer et al., Curr. Opin. Immun. 5: 763-773, 1993; Isoniemi (supra)). Cyclosporine and its relatives are among the most commonly used immunosuppressants. Cyclosporine is typically used for preventing or treating organ rejection in kidney, liver, heart, pancreas, bone-marrow, and heart-lung transplants, as well as for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease, aplastic anemia, multiple-sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, uveitis, biliary cirrhosis, etc. However, cyclosporines suffer from a small therapeutic dose window and severe toxic effects including nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, hypertension, hirsutism, cancer, and neurotoxicity. (Philip and Gerson, Clin. Lab. Med. 18(4): 755-765, 1998; Hojo et al., Nature 397: 530-534, 1999). Additionally, monoclonal antibodies, such as OKT3 have been used to prevent and/or treat graft rejection. Introduction of monoclonal antibodies into a patient, as with many biological materials, induces several side-effects, such as rigors and dyspnea. (Richards et al., Cancer Res. 59(9): 2096-2101, 1999). Within the context of many life-threatening diseases, organ transplantation is considered a standard treatment and, in many cases, the only alternative to death. The immune response to foreign cell surface antigens on the graft, encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and present on all cells, generally precludes successful transplantation of tissues and organs unless the transplant tissues come from a compatible donor and the normal immune response is suppressed. Other than identical twins, the best compatibility and thus, long term rates of engraftment, are achieved using MHC identical sibling donors or MHC identical unrelated cadaver donors (Strom, Clin. Asp. Autoimm. 4: 8-19, 1990). However, such ideal matches are difficult to achieve. Further, with the increasing need of donor organs an increasing shortage of transplanted organs currently exists. Accordingly, xenotransplantation has emerged as an area of intensive study, but faces many hurdles with regard to rejection within the recipient animal (Kaufman et al., Annu. Rev. Immunol. 13: 339-367, 1995). The host response to an organ allograft involves a complex series of cellular interactions among T and B lymphocytes as well as macrophages or dendritic cells that recognize and are activated by foreign antigen (Strom, supra; Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Abbas et al. (Eds.), W B Saunders Co., Penn., 1994). Co-stimulatory factors, primarily cytokines, and specific cell—cell interactions, provided by activated accessory cells such as macrophages or dendritic cells are essential for T-cell proliferation. These macrophages and dendritic cells either directly adhere to T-cells through specific adhesion proteins or secrete cytokines that stimulate T-cells, such as IL-12 and IL-15 (Strom, In: Organ Transplantation: Current Clinical and Immunological Concepts, 1989). Accessory cell-derived co-stimulatory signals stimulate activation of interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene transcription and expression of high affinity IL-2 receptors in T-cells (Pankewycz et al., Transplantation 47: 318, 1989; Cantrell et al., Science 224: 1312, 1991; Williams et al., J. Immunol. 132: 2330-2337, 1984). IL-2, a 15 kDa protein, is secreted by T lymphocytes upon antigen stimulation and is required for normal immune responsiveness. IL-2 stimulates lymphoid cells to proliferate and differentiate by binding to IL-2 specific cell surface receptors (IL-2R). IL-2 also initiates helper T-cell activation of cytotoxic T-cells and stimulates secretion of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) which in turn activates cytodestructive properties of macrophages (Farrar et al., J. Immunol. 126: 1120-1125, 1981). Furthermore, IFN-γ and IL-4 are also important activators of MHC class II expression in the transplanted organ, thereby further expanding the rejection cascade by enhancing the immunogenicity of the grafted organ (Pober et al., J. Exp. Med., 157: 1339, 1983; Kelley et al., J. Immunol., 132: 240-245, 1984). The current model of a T-cell mediated response suggests that T-cells are primed in the T-cell zone of secondary lymphoid organs, primarily by dendritic cells. The initial interaction requires cell to cell contact between antigen-loaded MHC molecules on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and the T-cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 complex on T-cells. Engagement of the TCR/CD3 complex induces CD154 expression predominantly on CD4 T-cells that in turn activate the APC through CD40 engagement, leading to improved antigen presentation (Grewal et al., Ann. Rev Immunol. 16: 111-135, 1998). This is caused partly by upregulation of CD80 and CD86 expression on the APC, both of which are ligands for the important CD28 costimulatory molecule on T-cells. However, engagement of CD40 also leads to prolonged surface expression of MHC-antigen complexes, expression of ligands for 4-1 BB and OX-40 (potent costimulatory molecules expressed on activated T-cells). Furthermore, CD40 engagement leads to secretion of various cytokines (e.g., IL-12, IL-15, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8) and chemokines (e.g., Rantes, MIP-1α, and MCP-1), all of which have important effects on both APC and T-cell activation and maturation (Mackey et al., J. Leukoc. Biol. 63: 418-428, 1998). Similar mechanisms are involved in the development of autoimmune disease, such as type I diabetes. In humans and non-obese diabetic mice (NOD), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) results from a spontaneous T-cell dependent autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells that intensifies with age. The process is preceded by infiltration of the islets with mononuclear cells (insulitis), primarily composed of T lymphocytes (Bottazzo et al., J. Engl. J. Med., 113: 353, 1985; Miyazaki et al., Clin. Exp. Immunol., 60: 622, 1985). A delicate balance between autoaggressive T-cells and suppressor-type immune phenomena determine whether expression of autoimmunity is limited to insulitis or progresses to IDDM. In NOD mice, a model of human IDDM, therapeutic strategies that target T-cells have been successful in preventing IDDM (Makino et al., Exp. Anim., 29: 1, 1980). These include neonatal thymectomy, administration of cyclosporine, and infusion of anti-pan T-cell, anti-CD4, or anti-CD25 (IL-2R) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (Tarui et al., Insulitis and Type I Diabetes. Lessons from the NOD Mouse, Academic Press, Tokyo, p. 143, 1986). Other models include those typically utilized for autoimmune and inflammatory disease, such as multiple sclerosis (EAE model), rheumatoid arthritis, graft versus host disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (systemic autoimmunity—NZBxNZWF1 model), and the like. (see, for example, Theofilopoulos and Dixon, Adv. Immunol. 37: 269-389, 1985; Eisenberg et al., J. Immunol. 125: 1032-1036, 1980; Bonneville et al., Nature 344: 163-165, 1990; Dent et al., Nature 343: 714-719, 1990; Todd et al., Nature 351: 542-547, 1991; Watanabe et al., Biochem Genet. 29: 325-335, 1991; Morris et al., Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol. 57: 263-273, 1990; Takahashi et al., Cell 76: 969-976, 1994; Current Protocols in Immunology, Richard Coico (Ed.), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Chapter 15, 1998). The aim of all rejection prevention and autoimmunity reversal strategies is to suppress the patient's immune reactivity to the antigenic tissue or agent, with a minimum of morbidity and mortality. Accordingly, a number of drugs are currently being used or investigated for their immunosuppressive properties. As discussed above, the most commonly used immunosuppressant is cyclosporine, but usage of cyclosporine has numerous side effects. Accordingly, in view of the relatively few choices for agents effective at immunosuppression with low toxicity profiles and manageable side effects, there exists a need in the art for identification of alternate immunosuppressive agents. The present invention meets this need and provides other related advantages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In brief, the present invention is directed to depsipeptides and congeners thereof (also referred to herein as “compounds”) which have activity as immunosuppressant agents. In one embodiment, this invention discloses a method for suppressing an immune response of an animal by administering to the animal an effective amount of a compound having the following structure (I): wherein m, n, p, q, X, Y, R1, R2 and R3 are as defined below, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts and stereoisomers thereof. In another embodiment, novel compounds are disclosed having structure (I) above, but excluding a specific known compound (i.e., FR901228). Further embodiments include compositions containing a compound of this invention in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. In practicing the methods of the present invention, the compounds may be administered to suppress the immune response in animals having autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, or graft-versus-host disease, as well as to animals having undergone an allogeneic transplant or xenogeneic transplant. Further methods of this invention include administration of a compound of this invention for inhibiting the proliferation of lymphocytes, for enhancing graft survival following transplant by administration previous to, concurrently with, or subsequent to a transplant procedure (including allogeneic and xenogeneic transplant), for reducing IL-2 secretion from lymphocytes, for inhibiting induction of CD25 or CD154 on lymphocytes following stimulation, and/or for inducing anergy or apoptosis in activated T-cells while maintaining overall T-cell counts. In another aspect the present invention provides methods for inducing immune system tolerance to an antigen by administering to an animal a dosage of a compound of structure (I). Also provided are methods for reducing secretion of TNF-α and for inhibiting the cell cycle of an activated T-cell prior to S-phase entry by administering to a compound of structure (I). These and other aspects of this invention will be apparent upon reference to the following detailed description. To this end, various references are set forth herein which describe in more detail certain background information, procedures, compounds and/or compositions, and are each hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a bar graph representing dose dependent inhibition of peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) proliferation following incubation with FR901228 and stimulation by beads having anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies attached thereto. FIG. 2 is a bar graph depicting dose dependent inhibition of peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) proliferation, following incubation with FR901228 and stimulation with Ionomycin/PMA. FIG. 3 is a bar graph depicting dose dependent inhibition of CD4 positive T-cell proliferation, following incubation with FR901228 and stimulation by beads having anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies attached thereto. FIG. 4 is a bar graph depicting dose dependent inhibition of CD4 positive T-cell proliferation, following incubation with FR901228 and stimulation with in vitro generated allogenic dendritic cells. FIGS. 5A-5D are bar graphs depicting flow cytometry measurements of (A) CD154 expression, (B) CD25 expression, (C) CD69 expression, and (D) cell viability, following T-cell activation in the presence of varying levels of FR901228. FIG. 6 is a bar graph depicting IL-2 expression as measured by ELISA 24 hours after 3×28 bead stimulation (anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 conjugated beads) of T-cells in the presence of varying levels of FR901228. FIG. 7 is a bar graph depicting mean fluorescence intensity of CD4 cells stained with CFDA-SE at day 6 following 3×28 bead stimulation or no stimulation in combination with addition of FR901228 at varying time points. FIGS. 8A-8B are bar graphs depicting flow cytometry measurements of (A) CD137w, CD154, CD25, CD62L, and CD49d expression and (B) CD11a, CD134, CD26, CD54, CD95, and CD69 expression, following stimulation or no stimulation with 3×28 beads in the presence or absence of FR901228 (20 ng/ml). FIG. 9 is a bar graph depicting CD154 expression on CD4 cells following an initial stimulation with 3×28 beads in the presence of 20 units of IL-2 and a subsequent stimulation at day 3 to 4 with 3×28 beads, 20 units of IL-2, 3×28 beads w/20 units of IL-2, or no stimulation and 20 ng/ml of FR901228 (added on day three). FIGS. 10A-10B are bar graphs depicting the presence of IL-2 and TNF-α in supernatants of PBL cells following stimulation by 3×28 beads in the presence of FR901228 (20 ng/ml) and cyclosporine (500 ng/ml). FIG. 11 depicts flow data of Jurkat T-cells stabily transfected with a vector containing the nucleic acid sequence for green fluorescent protein under control of the CD154 promoter 24 hours following stimulation with 3×28 beads in the presence of 0, 10, 50, and 100 ng/ml of FR901228. FIG. 12 depicts flow data of intracellular DNA staining of CD4 T-cells following no stimulation or stimulation with 3×28 beads for 24 hours, in the presence of 0, 1, 10, 50, and 100 ng/ml of FR901228. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As noted above, this invention is directed to compounds, specifically FR901228 and congeners thereof, that are useful in the context of immune suppression. FR901228 is a depsipeptide isolated from the terrestrial bacterium Chromobacterium violaceum. It was subsequently shown that FR901228 could inhibit transformation of Ha-ras transfected mouse fibroblasts (NIH-3T3) The mutant ras protein, in which valine replaces glycine-12, is capable of inducing morphological changes in NIH-3T3 cells. In these cells, the transformed phenotype is indicative of oncogenic activation and correlates with increased tumorigenicity. Recently, a large number of drug candidates as well as natural products have been identified that reverse this phenotype, and hence reverses transformation of tumorigenic cell lines. FR901228 is a natural product that has been identified in this effort, and has subsequently been shown to be highly active in animal-based models. As a result, FR901228 has received considerable attention as an antitumor agent. More specifically, FR901228 is a bicyclic depsipetide (i.e., a peptide containing ester linkages as well as amide linkages) having the following structure: While the molecular basis for activity of FR901228 is not known, it has been postulated that the disulfide bond may function as a redox-controlled conformational switch, and that the reducing environment inside a cell may convert this compound to the monocyclic di-thiol form (Khan et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 118: 7237-7238, 1996). Manufacture of FR901228 by a fermentation process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,138 assigned to Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). In that patent, fermentation of a strain of bacterium belonging to the genus Chromobacterium violaceum WB968 is grown in a nutrient medium containing sources of assimilable carbon and nitrogen, and under aerobic conditions. Following completion of fermentation, FR901228 is recovered and purified by conventional techniques, such as by solvent extraction, chromatography or recrystallization. In addition to isolation of FR901228 as a natural product, the total synthesis of this compound has now been reported by Khan et al. (supra). This procedure involves a 14-step process which provides FR901228 in 18% overall yield. In brief, the synthesis first involved the Carreira catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction to yield a thiol-containing β-hydroxy acid. The peptidic portion of the compound was assembled by standard peptide synthesis methods. The thiol-containing β-hydroxy acid was then coupled to the peptidic portion, and a monocyclic ring generated by formation of the ester (depsipeptide) linkage. The bicyclic ring system of FR901228 was then formed upon conversion of the protected thiols to a disulfide linkage. In the practice of the present invention, FR901228 specifically, or compounds of structure (I) generally, have been discovered to have immunosuppressive properties. To this end, the compounds of the present invention include, in addition to FR901228, compounds having the following structure (I): including pharmaceutically acceptable salts and stereoisomers thereof, wherein m is 1, 2, 3 or 4; n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; p and q are independently 1 or 2; X is O, NH or NR; R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and independently an amino acid side-chain moiety or an amino acid side-chain derivative; and R is a lower chain alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl moiety. As used herein, the term “amino acid side-chain moiety” means any amino acid side-chain moiety present in naturally occurring proteins, including (but not limited to) the naturally occurring amino acid side-chain moieties identified in Table 1 below. Other naturally occurring side-chain moieties of this invention include (but are not limited to) the side-chain moieties of phenylglycine, 3,5-dibromotyrosine, 3,5-diiodotyrosine, hydroxylysine, naphthylalanine, thienylalanine, γ-carboxyglutamate, phosphotyrosine, phosphoserine and glycosylated amino acids such as glycosylated serine, asparagine and threonine. TABLE 1 Representative Amino Acid Side Chain Moieties Amino Acid Side Chain Moiety Amino Acid —H Glycine —CH3 Alanine —CH(CH3)2 Valine —CH2CH(CH3)2 Leucine —CH(CH3)CH2CH3 Isoleucine —(CH2)4NH2 Lysine —(CH2)3NHC(═NH)NH2 Arginine Histidine —CH2COOH Aspartic acid —CH2CH2COOH Glutamic acid —CH2CONH2 Asparagine —CH2CH2CONH2 Glutamine Phenylalanine Tyrosine Tryptophan —CH2SH Cysteine —CH2CH2SCH3 Methionine —CH2OH Serine Proline —CH(OH)CH3 Threonine When the amino acid side chain moiety is proline, it should be understood that the R1, R2 or R3 group is joined to the adjacent nitrogen atom to form the pyrrolindinyl ring of proline. For example, in one embodiment of structure (I), wherein m, n, p and q are 1, the R1 group may be proline—that is, R1 taken together with the adjacent nitrogen atom forms a pyrrolindinyl ring as represented by the following structure (II): In addition to naturally occurring amino acid side-chain moieties, the amino acid side-chain moieties of the present invention also include various derivatives thereof. As used herein, an “amino acid side-chain moiety derivative” includes modifications and/or variations to naturally occurring amino acid side-chain moieties, and includes embodiments wherein R1, R2 and/or R3 are joined to the bicyclic ring of structure (I) by a double or triple bond. For example, the amino acid side-chain moieties of alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylglycine and phenylalanine may generally be classified as lower chain alkyl, aryl or aralkyl moieties. Derivatives of amino acid side-chain moieties include other straight chain or branched, cyclic or noncyclic, substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated lower chain alkyl, aryl or aralkyl moieties. As used herein, “lower chain alkyl moieties” contain from 1-12 carbon atoms, “lower chain aryl moieties” contain from 6-12 carbon atoms, and “lower chain aralkyl moieties” contain from 7-12 carbon atoms. Thus, in one embodiment, the amino acid side-chain derivative is selected from a C1-12 alkyl, a C6-12 aryl and a C7-12 aralkyl, and in a more preferred embodiment, from a C1-7 alkyl, a C6-10 aryl and a C7-11 aralkyl. When R1, R2 and R3 as set forth in structure (I) are attached by either a double or triple bond, a representative embodiment includes compounds of structure (III) wherein R2 is joined by a double bond: In one embodiment of structure (III), R2 is an unsaturated lower chain alkyl, such as ═CHCH3, —CHCH2CH3 and the like. In the case of FR901288, R2 of structure (III) is ═CHCH3, and m, n, p, q are each 1, X is oxygen, and the optional double bond is present (and in the trans-configuration). Amino acid side-chain derivatives of this invention further include substituted derivatives of lower chain alkyl, aryl and aralkyl moieties, wherein the substituent is selected from (but are not limited to) one or more of the following chemical moieties: —OH, —OR, —COOH, —COOR, —CONH2, —NH2, —NHR, —NRR, —SH, —SR, —SO2R, —SO2H, —SOR, —PO3R, —OPO3R and halogen (including F, Cl, Br and I), wherein each occurrence of R is independently selected from a lower chain alkyl, aryl or aralkyl moiety. Moreover, cyclic lower chain alkyl, aryl and aralkyl moieties of this invention include naphthalene, as well as heterocyclic compounds such as thiophene, pyrrole, furan, imidazole, oxazole, thiazole, pyrazole, 3-pyrroline, pyrrolidine, pyridine, pyrimidine, purine, quinoline, isoquinoline and carbazole. Amino acid side-chain derivatives further include heteroalkyl derivatives of the alkyl portion of the lower chain alkyl and aralkyl moieties, including (but not limited to) alkyl and aralkyl phosphonates and silanes. With regard p and q of structure (I), it should be understood that the size of the peptidic-portion of the ring may be increased by the addition of one (i.e., when either p or q is 2) or two (i.e., when both p and q are two) amino acids moieties. For example, when p is 2 and q is 1 (and X is oxygen), compounds of this invention include those of the following structures (IV): In structure (IV) above, the amino acid side chain moiety corresponding to the R1 group of structure (I) is designated R1′ in the first instance and R1″ in the second instance (since p is 2 in this embodiment) in order to clarify that these amino acid side chain moieties may be the same or different. In further embodiments, p is 1 and q is 2, or both p and q are 2. In structure (I), the designation represents an optional double bond. When present, the double bond may be in either the cis- or trans-configuration. In one embodiment, the double bond is in the trans-configuration, as it is in the case of FR901288. Depending upon the choice of the X and Y moieties, compounds of the present invention include esters when X is oxygen, amides when X is NH or NR. For example, when both p and q are 1, representative compounds of this invention include esters and amides as represented by structures (VI) and (VII), respectively: The compounds of this invention may be prepared according to the following Reaction Scheme 1: In step (1), aldehyde 2 is prepared from dienoate 1 (wherein n=1, 2 or 3) by the three-step procedure set forth by Kahn et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 118: 7237-7238, 1996. Benzyl ester 3 is formed by Ti-(IV)-catalyzed addition of O-benzyl, O-TMS ketene acetal to aldehyde 2 (wherein R′=H and R″=OH, or R′=OH and R″=H). Hydrolysis of benzyl ester 3 with LiOH in MeOH/H2O gives hydroxy acid 4. In step (2), the peptidic portion of the compound is prepared by standard peptide synthesis techniques starting with an appropriate amino acid methyl ester 5. Methyl ester 5 is reacted with an N-protected amino acid utilizing the BOP reagent to yield dipeptide 6, followed by coupling to N-Fmoc-cysteine-(S-triphenylmethyl) when m is 1, or an analog thereof when m is 2, to yield tripeptide 7. Tripeptide 7 is then converted to N-protected tetrapeptide 8, followed by deprotection of the FMOC group to yield tetrapeptide 9. In the above reaction scheme, R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and independently represent an amino acid side-chain moiety or derivative thereof as defined above. It will be recognized that the above technique corresponds to the synthesis of compounds of structure (I) when p and q are both 1. In embodiments wherein one or both of p and/or q are 2, the above technique is utilized to incorporate one or two additional amino acid groups into the peptidic portion of the compound. In step (3), coupling of tetrapeptide 9 and hydroxy acid 4 with BOP and DIEA yields the hydroxy methyl ester 10. LiOH-mediated hydrolysis of methyl ester 10 provides the corresponding carboxylic acid, which may then be converted to the monocyclic lactone intermediate 11 by cyclization with DEAD and PPh3. Lastly, oxidation of the bis(S-triphenylmehtyl)lactone 11 with iodine in dilute MeOH solution provides compounds of the present invention having structure (I). Alternatively, the compounds of this invention may also be synthesized by the following technique: In this embodiment, compound 4′ is made by the above procedures, and then added, in Step (3) above, to the peptidic portion made by Step (2). The resulting intermediate is cyclized as disclosed previously to yield compounds of structure (I). In the case of X being NH or NR, such compounds may be made when R′ or R″ of compound 4 are NH or NHR, respectively. In addition, when the optional double bound of structure (I) is not present, the same reaction techniques may be employed, but utilizing the corresponding saturated intermediates. The compounds of the present invention also include acid addition salts, which may be prepared by methods well known in the art, and may be formed from organic and inorganic acids. Suitable organic acids include maleic, fumaric, benzoic, ascorbic, succinic, methanesulfonic, acetic, trifluoroacetic, oxalic, propionic, tartaric, salicylic, citric, gluconic, lactic, mandelic, cinnamic, aspartic, stearic, palmitic, glycolic, glutamic, and benzenesulfonic acids. Suitable inorganic acids include hydrochloric, hydrobromic, sulfuric, phosphoric, and nitric acids. As used herein, the term “pharmaceutically acceptable salt” of structure (I) is intended to encompass any and all suitable salt forms. With regard to stereoisomers, the compounds of structure (I) may have chiral centers and may occur as racemates, racemic mixtures and as individual enantiomers or diastereomers. All such isomeric forms are included within the present invention, including mixtures thereof. Furthermore, some of the crystalline forms of the compounds of structure (I) may exist as polymorphs, which are included in the present invention. In addition, some of the compounds of structure (I) may also form solvates with water or other organic solvents. Such solvates are similarly included within the scope of this invention. The present invention is related to the use of compounds of structure (I), in an animal subject, (preferentially a mammal and more preferably a human), for the treatment and/or prevention of immune response or immune-mediated responses and diseases, such as the prevention or treatment of rejection following transplantation of synthetic or organic grafting materials, cells, organs or tissue to replace all or part of the function of tissues, such as heart, kidney, liver, bone marrow, skin, cornea, vessels, lung, pancreas, intestine, limb, muscle, nerve tissue, duodenum, small-bowel, pancreatic-islet-cell, including xeno-transplants, etc.; to treat or prevent graft-versus-host disease, autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroiditis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, type I diabetes uveitis, juvenile-onset or recent-onset diabetes mellitus, uveitis, Graves disease, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, vasculitis, auto-antibody mediated diseases, aplastic anemia, Evan's syndrome, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and the like; and further to treat infectious diseases causing abherent immune response and/or activation, such as traumatic or pathogen induced immune disregulation, including for example, that which are caused by hepatitis B and C infections, staphylococcus aureus infection, viral encephalitis, sepsis, parasitic diseases wherein damage is induced by an inflammatory response (e.g., leprosy); and to prevent or treat circulatory diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, vasculitis, polyarteritis nodosa and myocarditis. In addition the present invention may be used to prevent/suppress an immune response associated with a gene therapy treatment, such as the introduction of foreign genes into autologous cells and expression of the encoded product. As used herein, “an immune response” refers to the body's reaction to foreign or self antigens so that they are neutralized and/or eliminated. Cell-mediated immune response involves the production of lymphocytes by the thymus (T-cells) in response to antigen exposure. This reaction is important in delayed hypersensitivity, rejection of tissue transplants and in some infections. In humoral immune response plasma lymphocytes (B cells) are produced in response to antigen exposure with subsequent antibody formation. This response can produce immunity or hypersensitivity. Nonspecific immune response, or inflammation is the response of the body's tissues and cells to injury from any source (e.g., trauma, organisms, chemical, ischemia, etc.). The initial response of the immune system to any threat involves vascular, chemical, and blood cell activities. Specific immune response is required when inflammation is inadequate to cope with injury or invasion by an organism or agent. It is directed and controlled by T and B cells. Cellular immunity refers to the T-cell response; humoral immunity is the term previously used to refer to B-cell responses. In addition, the reference herein to CD4 or CD8 cells or the like, is meant to infer that the cells are positive for the CD4 or CD8 cell surface marker. Further uses may include the treatment and/or prophylaxis of: inflammatory and hyperproliferative skin diseases and cutaneous manifestations of immunologically mediated illnesses, such as, seborrhoeis dermatitis, angioedemas, erythemas, acne, and Alopecia greata; various eye diseases (autoimmune and otherwise); allergic reactions, such as pollen allergies, reversible obstructive airway disease, which includes condition such as asthma (for example, bronchial asthma, allergic asthma, intrinsic asthma, extrinsic asthma and dust asthma), particularly chronic or inveterate asthma (for example, late asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness), bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, and the like; inflammation of mucous and blood vessels; activity of certain viral infections, such as cytomegalovirus infection and Epstein-Barr virus infection. In one embodiment, a method of treating a condition in an animal, the treatment of which is affected or facilitated by reduction of lymphocyte proliferation and/or activation (e.g., downregulation of CD25 and/or CD154), comprising the administration of an effective amount of a compound of structure (I) is provided. The method of treating a condition in an animal, the treatment of which is facilitated by inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation and/or inhibition of activation markers (e.g., CD25 and CD154), and inhibition of immune function, wherein the condition may be autoimmunity, inflammation, graft/tissue rejection, or includes any of a number of indications such as those herein described, that are immunologically induced or exacerbated is provided. Accordingly, an embodiment of the invention is a method for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. While, another embodiment of the invention is a method for the prevention or treatment of rejection of foreign organ transplants comprising administering to a patient in need of such therapy a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of the present invention. As noted above, cyclosporine is currently the leading drug used to prevent rejection of transplanted organs. The drug acts by inhibiting the function of calcineurin in lymphocytes, thereby preventing the body's immune system from mobilizing its vast arsenal of natural protecting agents to reject the transplant's foreign protein. Though cyclosporine is effective in fighting transplant rejection, it is nephrotoxic and is known to cause several undesirable side effects, including kidney failure, abnormal liver function, gastrointestinal discomfort, and induction of cancer. (Hojo et al., Nature 397: 530-534, 1999). Newer, safer drugs exhibiting fewer side effects are constantly being searched for in the field. The present invention provides for such immunosuppressive agents which, without wishing to be bound to a particular mechanism of action, appear to induce long lasting immune tolerance. FR901228 allows for partial activation of CD4 T-cells (e.g., induction of CD69, but reduction of CD25, CD137w, CD11a, CD134, CD54, CD95, and CD154 surface expression as well as reduction of IL-2 and/or TNF-α production). CD4 T-cells activated in the presence of FR901228 do not undergo activation induced cell death (AICD), however they subsequently undergo apoptosis in vitro most likely due to the lack of IL-2 secretion and/or IL-2-receptor stimulation. Further, treatment of previously activated CD4 and CD8 T-cells with compounds of the class of FR901228, such as those depicted in structure (I), inhibits their growth and induces apoptosis within a short time, while leaving resting T-cells apparently unaffected. Induction of apoptosis in responding T-cells not only eliminates the activated T-cells, but also induces a state of long-term immune tolerance (Ferguson and Green, Nature Med. 5(11): 1231-1232, 1999). The reason for this specific tolerance is not well understood. Nonetheless, immunization with non-dividing donor cells (e.g., dendritic cells or irradiated peripheral blood lymphocytes) in the presence of FR901228 prior to transplantation might very well confer specific tolerance to future host-versus-graft responses without further presence of FR901228. The term “tolerance,” as used herein, refers to a state of non-responsiveness of the immune system toward an antigen that it has the ability to react against. While not wishing to be bound to a particular mechanism, it is believed that tolerance is induced by the compounds of the present invention by the induction of apoptosis in activated T-cells. For example, if T-cells are activated by an antigen and subsequently undergo apoptosis, a subsequent immune response against this antigen will not occur. Tolerance induction by a particular compound may be tested by any methods and models known by those of skill in the art. In one example, primary and secondary stimulation by an antigen may be tested in the presence of the compounds of the present invention. In brief, an animal is inoculated with an antigen followed by a subsequent inoculation with the compound, about 2 weeks later the animal may be inoculated with the same antigen in the absence of the compound and secondary immune response measured. Accordingly, both primary and any secondary response may be measured by simple blood analysis. A sample that shows no secondary immune response demonstrates tolerance induced by the immunosuppressive compound. Further, standard in vitro assays can be utilized to determine T-cell activation, such as CTL assays or testing for IL-2 secretion. In addition to induction of apoptosis CD4 and CD8 T-cells induced with a number of stimuli, including concurrent CD3 and CD28 engagement, Ionomycin/Phorbol myristic acid (PMA) stimulation, and allogeneic dendritic cell stimulation, demonstrate growth inhibition when treated with FR901228 either concurrently with stimulation or following stimulation. Accordingly, such compositions vastly improve upon drugs such as cyclosporine that inhibit CD4 T-cells very early in the activation cascade. This causes CD4 T-cells activated in the presence of cyclosporine to be de facto naïve or non-activated cells, which do not undergo apoptosis. Thus, when cyclosporine treatment is terminated the inhibited immune response will redevelop. In other words, if CD4 cells are in an active state in the presence of the of the compounds of the present invention these cells will undergo apoptosis and thus a lasting tolerance to the antigen, while when these same cells are treated with cyclosporine the immune response is only inhibited while cyclosporine remains present. Further, FR901228 immune suppression leads to induction of anergy and/or apoptosis only in activated T-cells; thus, the general level of T-cells and other hematopoietic cells are maintained. In contrast, both cyclosporine and FK506 block the earliest events of T-cell activation, and thus prevent T-cells from entering a state at which they become susceptible to induction of apoptosis. FR901228 has a number of features that aid its ability to act as a potent immunosuppressant. Accordingly, compounds of the class recited in structure (I) including FR901228 may have one or more of the following characteristics: inhibition of growth of CD4 and CD8 T-cells induced by CD3 and CD28 engagement, Ionomycin/PMA, or allogeneic dendritic cells; inhibition of ongoing growth of CD4 and/or CD8 T-cells when added after initial activation; inhibition of signal transduction pathways for both CD3/CD28 engagement and IL-2 stimulation; inhibition of the induction of CD25, CD134, CD137w, CD154, CD11a, CD54, and CD95 on CD4 T-cells; no significant affect on CD69 induction or activation induced downregulation of CD62L; reduction of IL-2 secretion from peripheral blood lymphocytes; reduction of TNF-α secretion from peripheral blood lymphocytes; inhibition of cell cycle prior to S-phase entry for activated T-cells; inhibition of p21cip/waf and C/EPB-α induction in activated T-cells; inhibition of c-myc expression in activated T-cells; inhibition of IL-2-induced proliferation of activated T-cells; and inhibition of CD154 at the transcriptional level. In addition, FR901228 does not affect bulk phosphorylation, as measured by phosphotyrosine Western blots. Thus, these observations indicate that compounds of structure (I) affect the T-cell activation pathway at multiple points, thus allowing activation to proceed into early stages, such as phosphorylation, but preventing subsequent events of activation and proliferation. To determine whether a particular compound is an effective immunosuppressant, a variety of methodologies known in the art may be performed. In this regard, lymphocyte proliferation and/or activation may be measured following contact with the compound of interest prior to, simultaneous with, or subsequent to stimulation. For example, a key hallmark of T-cell activation and subsequent induction of proliferation (as well as being an initiator of inflammation) is the production of IL-2, IFN-γ, CD25, CD69, or CD154, which can be measured by a variety of methods, including ELISA and flow cytometry. Other experimental methods commonly employed to measure cell proliferation and cytokine secretion may also be utilized, including a colorimetric assay employing propidium iodide staining, MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl], 2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide), vital stains, CFDA-SE (5-(and 6)-carboxyfluorescein diacetate-succinimidyl ester), cell count, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, or a thymidine incorporation assay (see, e.g., Avian Dis. 43(2): 172-181, 1999; Anticancer Res. 17(1B): 725-728, 1997; Geller, Scand. J. Immunol. 35: 327-334, 1992; Levine et al., Int. J. Immun. 7(6): 891-904, 1995; Hara et al., J. Exp. Med. 161: 1513-1524, 1985; Harding et al., Nature 356: 607-609, 1992; Linsley et al., Science 257: 792-795, 1992; PCT Publication No. WO 95/33823). Methods of activating lymphocytes and thus stimulating lymphocyte proliferation are well known in the art and include stimulation in the presence or absence of IL-2 with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA), anti-CD3 antibodies (in the presence or absence of anti-CD28 antibodies), allogeneic cells, superantigens or ionomycin/PMA. (Paul, Fundamental Immunology, Fourth Edition, Lippincott-Raven, 1998). A variety of in vitro and animal models exist for testing and validating immunosuppressive compounds of the present invention and their applicability to a particular immune system related disease or indication. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art could easily choose the appropriate model from those currently existing in the art. Such models include the use of NOD mice, where IDDM results from a spontaneous T-cell dependent autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells that intensifies with age (Bottazzo et al., J. Engl. J. Med., 113: 353, 1985; Miyazaki et al., Clin. Exp. Immunol., 60: 622, 1985). In NOD mice, a model of human IDDM, therapeutic strategies that target T-cells have been successful in preventing IDDM (Makino et al., Exp. Anim., 29: 1, 1980). These include neonatal thymectomy, administration of cyclosporine, and infusion of anti-pan T-cell, anti-CD4, or anti-CD25 (IL-2R) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (Tarui et al., Insulitis and Type I Diabetes. Lessons from the NOD Mouse, Academic Press, Tokyo, p. 143, 1986). Other models include, for example, those typically utilized for autoimmune and inflammatory disease, such as multiple sclerosis (EAE model), rheumatoid arthritis, graft-versus-host disease (transplantation models for studying graft rejection using skin graft, heart transplant, islet of Langerhans transplants, large and small intestine transplants, and the like), asthma models, systemic lupus erythematosus (systemic autoimmunity—-NZBxNZWF1 model), and the like. (see, for example, Takakura et al., Exp. Hematol. 27(12): 1815-821, 1999; Hu et al., Immunology 98(3): 379-385, 1999; Blyth et al, Am J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 14(5): 425-438, 1996; Theofilopoulos and Dixon, Adv. Immunol. 37: 269-389, 1985; Eisenberg et al., J. Immunol. 125: 1032-1036, 1980; Bonneville et al., Nature 344: 163-165, 1990; Dent et al., Nature 343: 714-719, 1990; Todd et al., Nature 351: 542-547, 1991; Watanabe et al., Biochem Genet. 29: 325-335, 1991; Morris et al., Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol. 57: 263-273, 1990; Takahashi et al., Cell 76: 969-976, 1994; Current Protocols in Immunology, Richard Coico (Ed.), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Chapter 15, 1998). Subjects in need of treatment to suppress the immune system include subjects with autoimmune disease; subjects undergoing transplantation; and subjects with cardiovascular disease; subjects with allergic reactions; and subjects with trauma or pathogenic induced immune disregulation. Examples of autoimmune diseases include insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, asthma, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as others discussed above. Subjects with an organ or cell/tissue transplant are also in need of treatment to suppress the immune system in order to suppress or prevent organ transplant rejection. An “organ transplant” refers to transferring or “transplanting” an internal organ (e.g., heart, lung, kidney, liver, pancreas, stomach, large intestine and small intestine, and bone marrow) or external organ (e.g., skin) from a donor to a recipient, wherein the donor is genetically distinct from the individual or animal who has received the transplant. An “organ transplant” also includes cross-species transplants (i.e., xenotransplants). “An effective amount” is the dosage of compound required to achieve the desired therapeutic and/or prophylactic effect; for example, the dosage of the compound which results in suppression of a naïve or memory immune response in the individual or animal, or which results in suppression of an organ transplant rejection in the subject. A “desired therapeutic effect and/or prophylactic effect” includes, for example, increasing the life span or ameliorating the symptoms of an individual or animal having or likely to have an autoimmune disease, such as asthma, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and the like. Examples of symptoms which can be ameliorated include: hyperglycemia in diabetes; joint pain; stiffness and immobility in rheumatoid arthritis; paralysis in multiple sclerosis; and rash and skin lesion in systemic lupus erythematosus. With respect to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, a “desired therapeutic or prophylactic effect” includes mitigating or preventing secondary complications resulting from the disease, such as vascular disorders. Suitable dosages will be dependent on the age, health and weight of the recipient, the extent of the disease, kind of concurrent treatment, if any, frequency of treatment and the nature of the effect desired. For example, dosages can be from about 0.001-100 milligrams per day. Ordinarily, from 0.1 to 50 milligrams per day in one or more applications is effective to obtain desired results. In certain embodiments, the dosage may be adjusted such that non-activated T-cells are maintained and substantially only activated T-cells are directed to apoptosis, anergy, and/or temporary functional non-responsiveness (i.e., the general level of T-cells and/or other dividing cells are maintained). In other embodiments, depsipeptide treatment achieves an immunosuppressive effect, while in other embodiments the dosage utilized does not affect hematopoietic cell division, and in yet other embodiments the dosage does not substantially affect cell division generally. However, effective dosage ranges can be readily determined during clinical trials and standard testing methodologies available in the art. These dosages are the effective amounts for the prevention or treatment of autoimmune diseases, the prevention or treatment of foreign transplant rejection and/or related afflictions, diseases and illnesses. A “subject” is preferably a mammal, such as a human, but can also be an animal in need of veterinary treatment, e.g., domestic animals (e.g., dogs, cats, and the like), farm animals (e.g., cows, sheep, pigs, horses, chickens and the like) and laboratory animals (e.g., rats, mice, guinea pigs, and the like). The compound can be administered alone or in conjunction with other pharmacologically active agents, e.g., together with other immunosuppressive agents or together with antibiotics and/or antiviral agents. Compounds that can be coadministered include steroids (e.g., methyl prednisolone acetate), NSAIDs and other known immunosuppressants, such as azathioprine, 15-deoxyspergualin, cyclosporine, mizoribine, mycophenolate mofetil, brequinar sodium, leflunomide, FK-506, rapamycin and related compounds. Dosages of these drugs will also vary depending upon the condition and individual to be treated. An effective amount of the compound can be administered by an appropriate route in a single dose or in multiple doses. Pharmaceutically acceptable salts include both the metallic (inorganic) salts and organic salts, a list of which is given in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 17th Edition, pg. 1418 (1985). It is well known to one skilled in the art that an appropriate salt form is chosen based on physical and chemical stability, flowability, hydroscopicity and solubility. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, pharmaceutically acceptable salts include, but are not limited to, salts of inorganic acids, such as hydrochloride, sulfate, phosphate, diphosphate, hydrobromide, and nitrate or salts of an organic acid, such as malate, maleate, fumarate, tartrate, succinate, citrate, acetate, lactate, methanesulfonate, p-toluenesulfonate or palmoate, salicylate and stearate. Similarly, pharmaceutically acceptable cations include, but are not limited to, sodium, potassium, calcium, aluminum, lithium and ammonium (especially ammonium salts with secondary amines). Preferred salts of this invention for the reasons cited above include potassium, sodium, calcium and ammonium salts. Also included within the scope of this invention are stereoisomers, crystal forms, hydrates and solvates of the compounds of the present invention. As immunosuppressants, these compounds are useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, the prevention of rejection of foreign organ transplants and/or related afflictions, diseases and illnesses. The compounds of this invention can be administered for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, the prevention of rejection of foreign organ transplants and/or related afflictions, diseases and illnesses according to the invention by any means that effects contact of the active ingredient compound with the site of action in the body of a warm-blooded animal. For example, administration, can be oral, topical, including transdermal, ocular, buccal, intranasal, inhalation, intravaginal, rectal, intracisternal and parenteral. The term “parenteral” as used herein refers to modes of administration which include subcutaneous, intravenous, intramuscular, intraarticular injection or infusion, intrasternal or intraperitoneal. The compounds can be administered by any conventional means available for use in conjunction with pharmaceuticals, either as individual therapeutic agents or in a combination of therapeutic agents. They can be administered alone, but are generally administered with a pharmaceutical carrier selected on the basis of the chosen route of administration and standard pharmaceutical practice. The active ingredient can be administered orally in solid dosage forms, such as capsules, tablets, troches, dragées, granules and powders, or in liquid dosage forms, such as elixirs, syrups, emulsions, dispersions and suspensions. (See, e.g., Chan et al., Invest. New Drugs 15: 195-206, 1997, demonstrating the bioavailability of oral dosages of FR901228) The active ingredient can also be administered parenterally, in sterile liquid dosage forms, such as dispersions, suspensions or solutions. Other dosages forms that can also be used to administer the active ingredient as an ointment, cream, drops, transdermal patch or powder for topical administration, as an opthalmic solution or suspension formation, i.e., eye drops, for ocular administration, as an aerosol spray or powder composition for inhalation or intranasal administration, or as a cream, ointment, spray or suppository for rectal or vaginal administration. Gelatin capsules contain the active ingredient and powdered carriers, such as lactose, starch, cellulose derivatives, magnesium stearate, stearic acid, and the like. Similar diluents can be used to make compressed tablets. Both tablets and capsules can be manufactured as sustained release products to provide for continuous release of medication over a period of hours. Compressed tablets can be sugar-coated or film-coated to mask any unpleasant taste and protect the tablet from the atmosphere, or enteric coated for selective disintegration in the gastrointestinal tract. Liquid dosage forms for oral administration can contain coloring and flavoring to increase patient acceptance. In general, water, a suitable oil, saline, aqueous dextrose (glucose), and related sugar solutions and glycols such as propylene glycol or polyethylene glycols are suitable carriers for parenteral solutions. Solutions for parenteral administration preferably contain a water soluble salt of the active ingredient, suitable stabilizing agents, and if necessary, buffer substances. Antioxidizing agents, such as sodium bisulfite, sodium sulfite, or ascorbic acid, either alone or combined, are suitable stabilizing agents. Also used are citric acid and its salts and sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA). In addition, parenteral solutions can contain preservatives, such as benzalkonium chloride, methyl- or propylparaben, and chlorobutanol. In certain embodiments, the composition is prepared by diluting 10 mg of lyophilized depsipeptide and 20 mg of povidone, USP with 2 ml of a solution containing 20% ethanol USP in propylene glycol, USP. The solution is then diluted further with 0.9% sodium chloride injection, USP to a final drug concentration in the range of 0.02 to 5.0 mg/ml. For administration by inhalation, the compounds of the present invention may be conveniently delivered in the form of an aerosol spray presentation from pressurized packs or nebulizers. The compounds may also be delivered as powders which may be formulated and the powder composition may be inhaled with the aid of an insufflation powder inhaler device. The preferred delivery system for inhalation is a metered-dose inhalation (MDI) aerosol, which may be formulated as a suspension or solution of a compound of the present invention in suitable propellants, such as fluorocarbons or hydrocarbons. For ocular administration, an opthalmic preparation may be formulated with an appropriate weight percent solution or suspension of the compounds of the present invention in an appropriate opthalmic vehicle, such that the compound is maintained in contact with the ocular surface for a sufficient time period to allow the compound to treat the mucosal surface or penetrate the corneal and internal regions of the eye. The same dosage forms can generally be used when the compounds of this invention are administered stepwise or in conjunction with another therapeutic agent. When drugs are administered in physical combination, the dosage form and administration route should be selected depending on the compatibility of the combined drugs. Thus, the term coadministration is understood to include the administration of the two agents concomitantly or sequentially, or alternatively as a fixed dose combination of the two active components. From, the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims. Further, all patents, patent applications, journal articles, and references referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. EXAMPLES Example I Cell Growth and Preparation Cells isolated from human blood are grown in X-vivo media (Biowhittaker Inc., Walkersville, Md.) and depending on use supplemented with or without 20 U/ml IL-2 (Boehringer Mannheim, Indianapolis, Ind.) and supplemented with 5% human serum (Biowhittaker), 2 mM Glutamine (Life Technologies, Rockville, Md.) and 20 mM HEPES (Life Technology). Jurkat E6-1 cells (ATCC, Manassas, Va.) are grown in RPMI 1640 (Life Technologies) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (Biowhittaker), 2 mM glutamine (Life Technologies), 2 mM penicillin (Life Technologies), and 2 mM streptomycin (Life Technologies). Buffy coats from healthy human volunteer donors are obtained (American Red Cross, Portland, Oreg.). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are obtained using Lymphocyte Separation Media (ICN Pharmaceuticals, Costa Mesa, Calif.) according to the manufacturers' instructions. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) are obtained from the PBMC fraction by incubation in a culture flask (Costar, Pittsburgh, Pa.) or with uncoated Dynabeads (Dynal, Oslo, Norway), 1×108 cells/ml, 2 beads/cell, 2 h at 37° C. Monocytes and macrophages are removed by adherence to the culture flask or phagocytoze the paramagnetic beads that are depleted by magnetic cell separation according to the manufacture's instruction (Dynal). CD4 cells are purified from the PBL fraction by incubation with 10 μg/ml of monoclonal antibodies against CD8 (clone G10-1), CD20 (clone IF5), CD14 (clone F13) and CD16 (Coulter), 108 cells/ml, 20 min at 4° C. After washing, cells are depleted twice with sheep anti-mouse Ig-coupled dynabeads (106 cells/ml, 6 beads/cell, 20 min at 4° C.) and magnetic cell separation. The purity of CD4 cells are routinely 91-95% as measured by flow cytometry. Dendritic cells are generated from PBMC adhering to the culture flask (Costar), 108 cells/ml, 2 h at 37° C. (without Dynabeads). After extensive washing, adherent cells are cultured for 7 days in media containing 500 U/ml GM-CSF (Boehringer-Mannheim) and 12.5 U/ml IL-4 (Boehringer-Mannheim). The resulting cell population is weakly adherent and expresses surface markers characteristic of dendritic cells (positive for HLA-DR, CD86, CD83, CD11c and negative for CD4). (note: all antibodies obtained from Becton Dickinson, Calif.). The anti-CD3 mAb (OKT3) may be obtained from Ortho Biotec., (Raritan, N.J.) and the anti-CD28 mAb (9.3) may be obtained from Bristol-Myers Squibb, (Stamford, Conn.). Example II T-Cell Stimulation and Measurement of the Same Cells are stimulated by three different methodologies 1) Dynabeads (M-450) covalently coupled to anti-CD3 (OKT-3) and anti-CD28 (9.3) antibodies (3×28 beads) according to the manufacturer's instructions (Dynal), 3 beads/cell, 2) Ionomycin (Calbiochem, La Jolla, Calif.) (100 ng/ml) and phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) (Calbiochem) (10 ng/ml), 3) allogeneic dendritic cells (25,000 dendritic cells/200,000 CD4 cells). All cells are stimulated at a concentration of 1×106 cells/ml. Cells are incubated with compounds of structure (I) (e.g., FR901228) (NCI, Bethesda, Md.) for 1 to 2 hours prior to stimulation as outlined above. Proliferation assays are conducted in quadruplicate in 96 well flat-bottom plates. Cells are stimulated at 1×106 cells/ml in a final volume of 200 μl. Proliferation is measured by MTT assay (MTT assay kit, Chemicon International Inc., Temecula, Calif.) at day 3 (stimulation method 1 and 2) or at day 6 (stimulation method 3), and results are presented as mean value of quadruplicates. PBL cultures or purified CD4 cell cultures are stimulated with 3×28 beads, ionomycin/PMA or allogenic dendritic cells. As demonstrated in FIGS. 1-4 concentrations as low as 10 ng/ml of FR901228 completely inhibit proliferation of CD4 cells stimulated with 3×28 beads or ionomycin/PMA, whereas concentrations of 1 ng/ml of FR901228 or below have no significant effect (these experiments are performed by using a 2 hour incubation with FR901228 prior to stimulation). Interestingly, proliferation induced by allogenic dendritic cells is significantly inhibited by FR901228 at concentrations as low as 1 ng/ml. Further, greater cell survival is not affected by FR901228, as assessed by sub-G1 DNA measurement and integrity of the cell membrane (FIG. 5D). Lack of cytotoxicity of FR901228 is in agreement with results described by Byrd et al, Blood 94(4): 1401-1408, 1999; Bates et al., Clinical Pharmacology, Programs and Proceedings of American Society of Clinical Oncology, Abstract 693, 1999; and Chassaing et al., J. Chrmatogr. B 719: 169-176, 1998. Growth and activation protocols are the same as those described above. Example III Activation Marker Assays The effect of FR901228 on the induction of various activation markers on CD4 cells is studied. In this regard, cells are labeled with one or more of the following antibodies: anti-human CD4 Ab (Immunotech, Fullerton, Calif.), FITC-coupled anti-human CD11a Ab (Pharmingen), FITC-coupled anti-human CD26 Ab (Pharmingen), FITC-coupled anti-human CD49d Ab (Coulter), FITC-coupled anti-human CD54 Ab (Pharmingen and Becton Dickinson), FITC-coupled anti-human CD95 Ab (Pharmingen), FITC-coupled anti-human CD134 Ab (Pharmingen), FITC-coupled anti-human CD25 Ab (Becton Dickinson, Fullerton, Calif.), FITC-coupled anti-human CD69 Ab (Becton Dickinson), FITC- or PE-coupled anti-human CD154 Ab (Becton Dickinson), or FITC- or PE-coupled IgG1 isotype control Ab. Cells, 2×105 are labeled for 20 minutes at 4° C. with 2 μl of each antibody in a final volume of 30 μl, washed and resuspended in 1% parformaldehyde (Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.). Interestingly, CD25 and CD154 expression is strongly suppressed after 3×28 bead stimulation at concentrations as low as 10 ng/ml FR901228 (FIGS. 5A and 5B). In contrast, CD69 induction is not affected by 100 ng/ml FR901228 (FIG. 5C). In addition, FIGS. 8A-8B demonstrate inhibition of the induction of CD25, CD134, CD137w, CD154, CD11a, CD54, and CD95 on CD4 T-cells with no significant affect on CD69 induction or activation induced downregulation of CD62L (FIGS. 8A-8B). This suggests that FR901228 imposes a specific, however not complete, inhibition of proximal CD4 cell activation. Further, greater cell viability is not significantly affected by concentrations up to 100 ng/ml of FR901228 as measured by propidium iodide (PI) exclusion using standard flow cytometric procedures (see Dengler et al., Anticancer Drugs. 6(4): 522-532, 1995). FR901228 inhibition cannot be bypassed by ionomycin/PMA activation, implying that FR901228 inhibition is downstream of the rise in intracellular calcium observed immediately after CD3 stimulation of CD4 cells. Example IV IL-2 and TNF-α Assays Cells are prepared as described above. Supernatants from cells stimulated 24 h are subjected to an IL-2 or TNF-α enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) according to the manufacturer's instructions (Biosource International, Sunnyvale, Calif.). In an alternative assay, IL-2 is measured by intracellular staining of CD4 T-cells using flow cytometry. For intracellular labeling of IL-2 or IFN-γ, cells are first incubated with 1 μg/ml Monensin (Calbiochem) for 4 hours prior to assay. The cells are subsequently stained for surface proteins as described above, fixed and permeabilized using Becton Dickinson intracellular staining-kit, labeled with PE-coupled anti-human IL-2 Ab and FITC coupled anti-human IFN-γ or the corresponding control Abs as described by the manufacturer. Data acquisition and flow cytometric analysis is performed on a Becton Dickinson FACSCalibur flow cytometer using Cellquest software following the manufacturer's protocol (Becton Dickinson). To study the mechanism behind FR901228 inhibition of CD4 cell proliferation, IL-2 and TNF-α production by activated CD4 cells was analyzed. FR901228 at concentrations as low as 10 ng/ml markedly inhibits IL-2 production measured by ELISA after 24 h of 3×28 (anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibody coupled beads) bead stimulation of purified CD4 cells (FIG. 6). A similar inhibition was observed using intracellular IL-2 measurement (not shown). However, diminished IL-2 production is not solely responsible for the lack of T-cell proliferation, as addition of 100 U/ml IL-2 (Boehringer Manheim) will not restore proliferation. The observation that FR901228 inhibits IL-2 production contrasts with previous results reported by Wang et al. who reported that FR901228 did not inhibit CD3-induced IL-2 production of the A1.1 T-cell hybridoma (Oncogene 17(12): 1503-1508, 1998). The reason for this difference is currently unknown. In further experiments, both IL-2 and TNF-α were measured by ELISA following 24 hours of stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) with 3×28 beads in the presence or absence of 20 ng/ml of FR901228 and 500 ng/ml of cyclosporine (FIGS. 10A and 10B). Example V Proliferation Inhibition Assays Peripheral blood lymphocytes are prepared as described above, stimulated with 3×28 beads and stained with carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFDA-SE) at day 6 post stimulation. Cell stimulation was carried out as indicated above and the cells were washed twice with PBS and resuspended in media and incubated with CFDA-SE (Molecular Probes, OR). After about 10 minutes of staining, the cells are washed with media and FPS and dye incorporation was measured. FR901228 was added at various time points post-stimulation, at time 0 or at 24, 72, and 120 hours post-stimulation. FIG. 7 depicts flow data generated by CFDA-SE staining. The y-axis sets forth mean fluoresence intensity, which relates to the inverse of cell growth. Accordingly, the data indicates that cell growth of activated T-cells is inhibited by FR901228 either by contacting the cells with FR901228 prior to, concurrently with, or subsequent to stimulation with 3×28 beads. Example VI CD154 Expression on CD4 Cells The effect of FR901228 on the induction of the CD154 activation marker on CD4 cells is studied. In this regard, cells are labeled with FITC-coupled anti-human CD4 Ab (Immunotech, Fullerton, Calif.), PE-coupled anti-human CD154 Ab (Becton Dickinson, Fullerton, Calif.), or FITC- or PE-coupled IgG1 isotype control Ab. Cells, 2×105 are labeled for 20 minutes at 4° C. with 2 μl of each antibody in a final volume of 30 μl, washed and resuspended in 1% parformaldehyde (Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.). The cells are stimulated for four days in the presence of 3×28 beads and/or 20 units/ml IL-2 or an anti-IL-2 antibody at day three, FR901228 is added to the culture at a concentration of 20 ng/ml. On day 4, mean fluorescence intensity is measured by flow cytometry. As depicted in FIG. 9, the presence of absence of IL-2 did not compensate for the suppression of CD154 expression induced by FR901228. Example VII Repression of CD154 at the Transcriptional Level In this experiment Jurkat T-cells were stabily transfected with a vector construct (p-EGFP1, Clonetech) wherein the nucleotide sequence encoding green fluorescent protein was operably linked to the CD154 promoter cloned from Jurkat cells. Following selection of cells containing the vector of interest, the cells were subjected to stimulation for 24 hours with 3×28 beads in the presence of varying concentrations (0 to 100 ng/ml) of FR901228. Fluorescence was then detected using flow cytometry. As is demonstrated by FIG. 11, only cells having 0 ng/ml of FR901228 showed induction of GFP expression beyond those cells having no stimulation. In separate experiments, RT-PCR of the CD154 transcript was carried out after 18 hours of stimulation with 3×28 beads and various amounts of FR901228. These experiments demonstrated reduced levels of CD154 expression with increasing amounts of FR901228 (data not shown). Experiments were also conducted using CD4 cells incubated with anti-sense constructs of c-myc. After stimulation by 3×28 beads for twenty-four hours, the anti-sense c-myc construct reduced CD154 expression as measured by flow cytometry by about 50% as compared to controls including: no construct, sense or transfection with a scrambled c-myc construct (data not shown). Accordingly, FR901228 and like compounds may target the activity of c-myc and its induction of CD154 as one mechanism of immune suppression. Example VIII Inhibition of Cell Cycle Prior to S-Phase Entry Unstimulated and stimulated (3×28 bead stimulation) CD4 cells were incubated with varying concentrations FR901228 and the intracellular DNA content was measured by staining with propidium iodide (PI) using standard procedures. In brief, the cells were stained with a mixture of 1 μg/ml PI and 0.03% saponin in PBS for about 20 to 30 minutes. As indicated by FIG. 12, DNA synthesis does not take place in non-stimulated cells or in stimulated cells incubated with 10 to 100 ng/ml of FR901228. Accordingly, FR901228 appears to inhibit the cell cycle of activated T-cells prior to entry of S-phase. Example IX Radioisotope T-Cell Proliferation Assays Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy donors are separated by density centrifugation with ficoll-hypaque (LSM, Organon Teknika, Durham, N.C.). After washing, the PBMC with complete media (RPMI 1640 medium with 5% human serum, 100 mM glutamine, 1 mM sodium pyruvate, 0.1 mM non-essential amino acid, 2 mM Penicillin (Life Technologies), and 2 mM Streptomycin (Life Technologies), they are then irradiated at 7,500 RADS, and resuspended at 4-4.5×106 cells/ml in complete media. Another aliquot of PBMC are rosetted with neuramimidase-treated sheep red blood cells (SRBC). After another centrifugation with LSM, the SRBC of these rosetted T-cells are then lysed with ammonium chloride lysing buffer (Life Technologies). After washing twice with complete media, these purified T-cells are also resuspended at 2-2.5×106 cells/ml in complete media. The various dilutions of the test compound are added in triplicate at 50 μl/well into a 96-well flat-bottom microculture plate (Costar, Cambridge, Mass.). The T-cell suspension is then immediately distributed into the wells at 100 μl/well. After incubating the cells with the test compound for 30 min. at 37° C. in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2-95% air, anti-CD3 Ab (OKT-3, Ortho Diagnostic, New Jersey) is added per well (final conc. of 10 ng/ml), followed by 50 μl of the irradiated PBMC. The culture plate is then incubated at 37° C. in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2-95% air for 72 hours. The proliferation of T lymphocytes is assessed by measurement of tritiated (3H) thymidine incorporation. During the last 18-24 hours of culture, the cells are pulse-labeled with 2 μCi/well of tritiated thymidine (NEN, Cambridge, Mass.). The cultures are harvested on glass fiber filters using a multiple sample harvester (MACH-II, Wallace, Gaithersburg, Md.). Radioactivity of filter discs corresponding to individual wells is measured by standard liquid scintillation counting methods (Betaplate Scint Counter, Wallace). Mean counts per minute of replicate wells are calculated and the results are expressed as concentration of compound required to inhibit tritiated thymidine incorporation of T-cells by 50%. Example X Prevention and/or Delay of Diabetes Onset in NOD OR NODSCID Mice This Example illustrates the ability of a representative depsipeptide compound FR901228 to prevent or delay diabetes onset in NOD and NODSCID mice. FR901228 was dissolved in 10% DMSO in PBS and were administered i.p. to NOD or NODSCID mice every other day. Controls contained only the DMSO excipient (10% DMSO in PBS). Given that, NODSCID mice do not spontaneously develop diabetes, 30×106 NOD spleen cells from a 10 week old NOD mouse were injected into each NODSCID mouse (i.v.) at 4 weeks of age to induce diabetes. 0.5 mg/kg of FR901228 was administered at each treatment to twenty animals (ten NOD animals and ten NODSCID animals). Every two weeks the number of mice in each treatment group that had become diabetic was evaluated by measuring blood glucose levels using a glucometer at bi-weekly intervals. A reading of more than 200 mg/dl of blood glucose on two consecutive observations was considered indicative of frank diabetes. Average glucose numbers for these groups are presented in Table 2 below. As shown in Table 2, in NODSCID mice, onset of frank diabetes was delayed by at least two weeks in those mice treated with the compound when compared to those mice that were treated with excipient only. Surprisingly, the results of the NOD mice were even more dramatic, in that no NOD mouse treated with the compound developed frank diabetes during the 18 week study, while 8 of 10 excipient treated mice developed frank diabetes in the same timeframe. Clearly, this data demonstrates an immunosuppressive effect in the delay of phenotypical diabetes onset. TABLE 2A FR901228 injected NOD SCID mice versus injection with DMSO vehicle donor recipient age injection Cage age (wks) @ (wks.) genot sex date card ID genot sex origine injection DOB 10 NOD Mar. 27, 2000 30 × 10{circumflex over ( )}6 518374 2659 NODSCID F BSLC 4 rec'd NOD spleen cells FR901228 — — — — 2660 — — — — 22-Mar — — — — 2661 — — — — @ — — — — 2662 — — — — 4-6 wks. — — — — 2663 — — — — — — — — — 518375 2654 — — — — — — — — — 2655 — — — — — — — — — 2656 — — — — — — — — — 2657 — — — — — — — — — 2658 — — — — — 10 NOD Mar. 27, 2000 30 × 10{circumflex over ( )}6 518376 2675 NODSCID F BLSC 4 rec'd NOD spleen cells (DMSO Vehicle only) — — — — 2676 — — — — 22-Mar — — — — 2677 — — — — @ — — — — 2678 — — — — 4-6 wks. — — — — 2679 — — — — — — — — — 518377 2381 — — — — — — — — — 2382 — — — — — — — — — 2383 — — — — — — — — — 2384 — — — — — — — — — 2385 — — — — — donor 5/9 5/23 6/6 6/20 7/4 7/18 8/1 8/15 age age (wks.) (wks.) genot sex 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 10 NOD — — 482 High 536 Sac'd by B.S. — — — 547 526 566 402 Sac'd by B.S. — — — — 343 596 Dead — — — — 317 568 Dead — — — — 299 539 494 Sac'd by B.S. — — — — 412 338 Dead — — — — 441 240 Dead — — 261 527 494 Dead — — — — 399 High Dead — — — — 285 576 558 571 Dead 10 NOD 383 Dead 5/25 — — — 439 428 Dead 6/13 — — — 254 377 High 337 Sac'd 7/12 by B.S. — — — 223 448 High 523 Sac'd 7/12 by B.S. — — 287 High High Dead 6/8 — — — — 311 Sac'd by B.S. — — — 447 516 ″ — — — 324 405 ″ — — — — 456 ″ — — — 423 463 ″ TABLE 2B FR901228 injected NOD mice versus injection with DMSO vehicle recipient 5/9 5/23 6/6 6/20 7/4 7/18 8/1 8/15 Cage age (wks) @ wks. Post transfer card ID genot. sex origine injection DOB 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 FR901228 518450 2664 NOD F BSLC N/A rec'd — — — — — — — Treated 2665 — — — — 23-Mar — — — — — — — 2666 — — — — “@ 4 wks. — — — — — — — 2667 — — — — — — — — — — — — 2668 — — — — — — — — — — — — 518449 2669 — — — — — — — — — — — — 2670 — — — — — — — — — — — — 2671 — — — — — — — — — — — — 2672 — — — — — — — — — — — — 2674 — — — — — — — — — — — — Controls with 518448 2386 NOD F BSLC N/A rec'd — — — — 238 423 452 10% DMSO Vehicle 2387 — — — — 23-Mar @ — — — — — — — 2388 — — — — 4 wks. — 302 513 Sac'd by B.S. 2389 — — — — — — — — — — 310 2390 — — — — — — — — 545 554 Sac'd 7/12 by B.S. 518451 2391 — — — — — — — — — — — — 2392 — — — — — — — — — 308 455 504 2393 — — — — — — — — — — — 466 2394 — — — — — — 390 391 Sac'd by B.S. 2395 — — — — — — — — — 207 354 126 All of the above U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Modulation of the immune system is desirous in a variety of contexts, from inhibiting an autoimmune response, to controlling infectious disease and inhibiting graft/tissue rejection. The principal approach to mitigate rejection is the pharmacological suppression of the immune system of the recipient. With this in mind, most immunomodulatory compounds that are currently utilized are immunosuppressive. Since the early 1960's the availability of these immunosuppressive agents have been restricted to only a few drugs. However, in the early 1980's in addition to azathioprine and corticosteroids, cyclosporine became widely available and has been the drug of choice ever since. (Kobashigawa, Trans. Proc. 30: 1095-1097, 1998; Isoniemi, Ann. Chi. Gyn. 86: 164-170, 1997). However, the newer immunosuppressive agents are relatively few in number and also suffer from many of the undesirable side-effects associated with earlier agents. While these drugs have been used to increase survival times for transplanted organs, either as single agents or in combination with other immunosuppressants, many are also useful for treating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, delayed hypersensitivity, graft versus host diseases and similar immune system associated diseases. Currently used immunosuppressive drugs include antiproliferative agents, such as methotrexate, azathioprine, and cyclophosphamide. Since these drugs affect mitosis and cell division, they have severe toxic effects on normal cells with high turn-over rate such as bone marrow cells and the gastrointestinal tract lining. (Miller, Semin. Vet. Med. Surg. 12(3): 144-149, 1997) Accordingly, marrow depression and liver damage are common side effects. Antiinflammatory compounds used to induce immunosuppression include adrenal corticosteroids such as dexamethasone and prednisolone. The common side effects observed with the use of these compounds are frequent infections, abnormal metabolism, hypertension, and diabetes. Other immunosuppressive compounds currently used to inhibit lymphocyte activation and subsequent proliferation include cyclosporine, FK506, and rapamycin. These drugs inhibit either the calcium dependent phosphatase calcineurin (cyclosporine and FK506) or inhibit the p70S6 kinase that is important for growth factor induced signaling (rapamycin). (Liu et al., Cell 66: 807-815, 1991; Henderson et al., Immun. 73: 316-321, 1991; Bierer et al., Curr. Opin. Immun. 5: 763-773, 1993; Isoniemi (supra)). Cyclosporine and its relatives are among the most commonly used immunosuppressants. Cyclosporine is typically used for preventing or treating organ rejection in kidney, liver, heart, pancreas, bone-marrow, and heart-lung transplants, as well as for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease, aplastic anemia, multiple-sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, uveitis, biliary cirrhosis, etc. However, cyclosporines suffer from a small therapeutic dose window and severe toxic effects including nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, hypertension, hirsutism, cancer, and neurotoxicity. (Philip and Gerson, Clin. Lab. Med. 18(4): 755-765, 1998; Hojo et al., Nature 397: 530-534, 1999). Additionally, monoclonal antibodies, such as OKT3 have been used to prevent and/or treat graft rejection. Introduction of monoclonal antibodies into a patient, as with many biological materials, induces several side-effects, such as rigors and dyspnea. (Richards et al., Cancer Res. 59(9): 2096-2101, 1999). Within the context of many life-threatening diseases, organ transplantation is considered a standard treatment and, in many cases, the only alternative to death. The immune response to foreign cell surface antigens on the graft, encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and present on all cells, generally precludes successful transplantation of tissues and organs unless the transplant tissues come from a compatible donor and the normal immune response is suppressed. Other than identical twins, the best compatibility and thus, long term rates of engraftment, are achieved using MHC identical sibling donors or MHC identical unrelated cadaver donors (Strom, Clin. Asp. Autoimm. 4: 8-19, 1990). However, such ideal matches are difficult to achieve. Further, with the increasing need of donor organs an increasing shortage of transplanted organs currently exists. Accordingly, xenotransplantation has emerged as an area of intensive study, but faces many hurdles with regard to rejection within the recipient animal (Kaufman et al., Annu. Rev. Immunol. 13: 339-367, 1995). The host response to an organ allograft involves a complex series of cellular interactions among T and B lymphocytes as well as macrophages or dendritic cells that recognize and are activated by foreign antigen (Strom, supra; Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Abbas et al. (Eds.), W B Saunders Co., Penn., 1994). Co-stimulatory factors, primarily cytokines, and specific cell—cell interactions, provided by activated accessory cells such as macrophages or dendritic cells are essential for T-cell proliferation. These macrophages and dendritic cells either directly adhere to T-cells through specific adhesion proteins or secrete cytokines that stimulate T-cells, such as IL-12 and IL-15 (Strom, In: Organ Transplantation: Current Clinical and Immunological Concepts, 1989). Accessory cell-derived co-stimulatory signals stimulate activation of interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene transcription and expression of high affinity IL-2 receptors in T-cells (Pankewycz et al., Transplantation 47: 318, 1989; Cantrell et al., Science 224: 1312, 1991; Williams et al., J. Immunol. 132: 2330-2337, 1984). IL-2, a 15 kDa protein, is secreted by T lymphocytes upon antigen stimulation and is required for normal immune responsiveness. IL-2 stimulates lymphoid cells to proliferate and differentiate by binding to IL-2 specific cell surface receptors (IL-2R). IL-2 also initiates helper T-cell activation of cytotoxic T-cells and stimulates secretion of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) which in turn activates cytodestructive properties of macrophages (Farrar et al., J. Immunol. 126: 1120-1125, 1981). Furthermore, IFN-γ and IL-4 are also important activators of MHC class II expression in the transplanted organ, thereby further expanding the rejection cascade by enhancing the immunogenicity of the grafted organ (Pober et al., J. Exp. Med., 157: 1339, 1983; Kelley et al., J. Immunol., 132: 240-245, 1984). The current model of a T-cell mediated response suggests that T-cells are primed in the T-cell zone of secondary lymphoid organs, primarily by dendritic cells. The initial interaction requires cell to cell contact between antigen-loaded MHC molecules on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and the T-cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 complex on T-cells. Engagement of the TCR/CD3 complex induces CD154 expression predominantly on CD4 T-cells that in turn activate the APC through CD40 engagement, leading to improved antigen presentation (Grewal et al., Ann. Rev Immunol. 16: 111-135, 1998). This is caused partly by upregulation of CD80 and CD86 expression on the APC, both of which are ligands for the important CD28 costimulatory molecule on T-cells. However, engagement of CD40 also leads to prolonged surface expression of MHC-antigen complexes, expression of ligands for 4-1 BB and OX-40 (potent costimulatory molecules expressed on activated T-cells). Furthermore, CD40 engagement leads to secretion of various cytokines (e.g., IL-12, IL-15, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8) and chemokines (e.g., Rantes, MIP-1α, and MCP-1), all of which have important effects on both APC and T-cell activation and maturation (Mackey et al., J. Leukoc. Biol. 63: 418-428, 1998). Similar mechanisms are involved in the development of autoimmune disease, such as type I diabetes. In humans and non-obese diabetic mice (NOD), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) results from a spontaneous T-cell dependent autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells that intensifies with age. The process is preceded by infiltration of the islets with mononuclear cells (insulitis), primarily composed of T lymphocytes (Bottazzo et al., J. Engl. J. Med., 113: 353, 1985; Miyazaki et al., Clin. Exp. Immunol., 60: 622, 1985). A delicate balance between autoaggressive T-cells and suppressor-type immune phenomena determine whether expression of autoimmunity is limited to insulitis or progresses to IDDM. In NOD mice, a model of human IDDM, therapeutic strategies that target T-cells have been successful in preventing IDDM (Makino et al., Exp. Anim., 29: 1, 1980). These include neonatal thymectomy, administration of cyclosporine, and infusion of anti-pan T-cell, anti-CD4, or anti-CD25 (IL-2R) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (Tarui et al., Insulitis and Type I Diabetes. Lessons from the NOD Mouse, Academic Press, Tokyo, p. 143, 1986). Other models include those typically utilized for autoimmune and inflammatory disease, such as multiple sclerosis (EAE model), rheumatoid arthritis, graft versus host disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (systemic autoimmunity—NZBxNZWF 1 model), and the like. (see, for example, Theofilopoulos and Dixon, Adv. Immunol. 37: 269-389, 1985; Eisenberg et al., J. Immunol. 125: 1032-1036, 1980; Bonneville et al., Nature 344: 163-165, 1990; Dent et al., Nature 343: 714-719, 1990; Todd et al., Nature 351: 542-547, 1991; Watanabe et al., Biochem Genet. 29: 325-335, 1991; Morris et al., Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol. 57: 263-273, 1990; Takahashi et al., Cell 76: 969-976, 1994; Current Protocols in Immunology, Richard Coico (Ed.), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Chapter 15, 1998). The aim of all rejection prevention and autoimmunity reversal strategies is to suppress the patient's immune reactivity to the antigenic tissue or agent, with a minimum of morbidity and mortality. Accordingly, a number of drugs are currently being used or investigated for their immunosuppressive properties. As discussed above, the most commonly used immunosuppressant is cyclosporine, but usage of cyclosporine has numerous side effects. Accordingly, in view of the relatively few choices for agents effective at immunosuppression with low toxicity profiles and manageable side effects, there exists a need in the art for identification of alternate immunosuppressive agents. The present invention meets this need and provides other related advantages. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In brief, the present invention is directed to depsipeptides and congeners thereof (also referred to herein as “compounds”) which have activity as immunosuppressant agents. In one embodiment, this invention discloses a method for suppressing an immune response of an animal by administering to the animal an effective amount of a compound having the following structure (I): wherein m, n, p, q, X, Y, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are as defined below, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts and stereoisomers thereof. In another embodiment, novel compounds are disclosed having structure (I) above, but excluding a specific known compound (i.e., FR901228). Further embodiments include compositions containing a compound of this invention in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. In practicing the methods of the present invention, the compounds may be administered to suppress the immune response in animals having autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, or graft-versus-host disease, as well as to animals having undergone an allogeneic transplant or xenogeneic transplant. Further methods of this invention include administration of a compound of this invention for inhibiting the proliferation of lymphocytes, for enhancing graft survival following transplant by administration previous to, concurrently with, or subsequent to a transplant procedure (including allogeneic and xenogeneic transplant), for reducing IL-2 secretion from lymphocytes, for inhibiting induction of CD25 or CD154 on lymphocytes following stimulation, and/or for inducing anergy or apoptosis in activated T-cells while maintaining overall T-cell counts. In another aspect the present invention provides methods for inducing immune system tolerance to an antigen by administering to an animal a dosage of a compound of structure (I). Also provided are methods for reducing secretion of TNF-α and for inhibiting the cell cycle of an activated T-cell prior to S-phase entry by administering to a compound of structure (I). These and other aspects of this invention will be apparent upon reference to the following detailed description. To this end, various references are set forth herein which describe in more detail certain background information, procedures, compounds and/or compositions, and are each hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. | 20041008 | 20060509 | 20050804 | 90265.0 | 1 | LAMBKIN, DEBORAH C | DEPSIPEPTIDE AND CONGENERS THEREOF FOR USE AS IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,961,959 | ACCEPTED | Time based wireless access provisioning | A method and apparatus is provided for the time-based provisioning of wireless devices. A network access point monitors operation of wireless devices within a service region. When provisioning logic is activated at the network access point, the access point determines if the tracked parameter (such as power on or the onset of signal transmission) of the wireless device occurs within a designated time interval from the time of the provisioning activation. If the tracked device qualifies, the network access point proceeds with provisioning the device. In one system embodiment, the network access point tracks the power on time of wireless devices. When a wireless device to be authorized is powered on, the provisioning logic at the network access point notes the power on time. The user then activates the provisioning access at the network access point, and the network access point provisions the wireless device if it is recently powered on. | 1. A process for provisioning between a wireless device and a network, comprising the steps of: tracking an operating parameter of the wireless device within a service area, wherein the operating parameter of the wireless device comprises any of a power on, an activation, and a transmission of an output signal; and initiating provisioning of the wireless device if the tracked operating parameter occurs within a time interval. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises any of a computer, a portable computer, a printer, a portable phone, a personal digital assistant, a wireless picture frame, a video recording device, an electronic game device, a television, a digital camera, a digital video camera, and a digital music player. 3. The process of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises any of an IEEE 802.11 compliant device and a BLUETOOTH™ compliant device. 4. The process of claim 1, wherein the provisioning is prevented if the tracked operating parameter occurs outside the time interval, comprising any of before the time interval and after the time interval. 5. The process of claim 1, wherein the provisioning is prevented if the tracked operating parameter occurs repeatably. 6. The process of claim 1, wherein the provisioning is performed automatically. 7. The process of claim 1, wherein the network comprises any of an intranet, a local area network, a wireless local area network, and a wireless personal area network. 8. The process of claim 1, wherein the provisioning comprises transmitting information to the wireless device, wherein the transmitted information comprises any of setup information, handshaking information, and encryption information. 9. The process of claim 1, wherein the provisioning comprises receiving information from the wireless device. 10. The process of claim 9, wherein the received information comprises a device identifier. 11. The process of claim 10, wherein the device identifier comprises a MAC address. 12. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of: providing an access point which tracks the operating parameter of the wireless device. 13. The process of claim 12, further comprising the step of: activating the time interval through the access point. 14. The process of claim 13, wherein the access point comprises means for activating the time interval, wherein the activation means comprises any of a button and a switch. 15. The process of claim 13, wherein the access point comprises an access control list. 16. The process of claim 15, wherein the access control list comprises an identification of one or more wireless devices that have access to the network. 17. The process of claim 12, wherein the access point communicates with one or more wired devices. 18. The process of claim 17, wherein the access point is connected to the wired devices through a local area network (LAN). 19. The process of claim 12, wherein the access point communicates with at least one other wireless device which operates within the service area. 20. The process of claim 12, wherein the access point further comprises a network connection to one or more networks. 21. The process of claim 20, wherein the connected network comprises any of a local area network (LAN) and the Internet. 22. A system for provisioning between a wireless device and a network, comprising: means for tracking an operating parameter of the wireless device within a service area, wherein the tracked operating parameter of the wireless device comprises any of a power on, an activation, and a transmission of an output signal; and logic for initiating provisioning of the wireless device if the tracked operating parameter occurs within a time interval. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the wireless device comprises any of a computer, a portable computer, a printer, a portable phone, a personal digital assistant, a wireless picture frame, a video recording device, an electronic game device, a television, a digital camera, a digital video camera, and a digital music player. 24. The system of claim 22, wherein the wireless device comprises any of an IEEE 802.11 compliant device and a BLUETOOTH™ compliant device. 25. The system of claim 22, wherein the provisioning is prevented if the tracked operating parameter occurs outside the time interval, comprising any of before the time interval and after the time interval. 26. The system of claim 22, wherein the provisioning is prevented if the tracked operating parameter occurs repeatably. 27. The system of claim 22, wherein the provisioning is performed automatically. 28. The system of claim 22, wherein the network comprises any of an intranet, a local area network, a wireless local area network, and a wireless personal area network. 29. The system of claim 22, wherein the provisioning comprises transmitting information to the wireless device, wherein the transmitted information comprises any of setup information, handshaking information, and encryption information. 30. The system of claim 22, wherein the provisioning comprises a reception of information from the wireless device. 31. The system of claim 30, wherein the received information comprises a device identifier. 32. The system of claim 31, wherein the device identifier comprises a MAC address. 33. The system of claim 22, wherein the tracking means comprises an access point. 34. The system of claim 33, further comprising: an activation of the time interval through the access point. 35. The system of claim 33, wherein the access point comprises means for activating the time interval, wherein the activation means comprises any of a bufton and a switch. 36. The system of claim 33, wherein the access point comprises an access control list. 37. The system of claim 36, wherein the access control list comprises an identification of one or more wireless devices that have access to the network. 38. The system of claim 33, wherein the access point communicates with one or more wired devices. 39. The system of claim 38, wherein the access point is connected to the wired devices through a local area network (LAN). 40. The system of claim 33, wherein the access point communicates with at least one other wireless device which operates within the service area. 41. The system of claim 33, wherein the access point further comprises a network connection to one or more networks. 42. The system of claim 41, wherein the connected network comprises any of a local area network (LAN) and the Internet. 43. An access point, comprising: means for tracking an operating parameter of a wireless device, wherein the tracked operating parameter of the wireless device comprises any of a power on, an activation, and a transmission of an output signal; and logic for initiating an association of the device with a network if the tracked operating parameter occurs within a time interval. 44. The access point of claim 43, wherein the wireless device comprises any of a computer, a portable computer, a printer, a portable phone, a personal digital assistant, a wireless picture frame, a video recording device, an electronic game device, a television, a digital camera, a digital video camera, and a digital music player. 45. The access point of claim 43, wherein the wireless device comprises any of an IEEE 802.11 compliant device and a BLUETOOTH™ compliant device. 46. The access point of claim 43, wherein the association is prevented if the tracked operating parameter occurs outside the time interval, comprising any of before the time interval and after the time interval. 47. The access point of claim 43, wherein the association is prevented if the tracked operating parameter occurs repeatably. 48. The access point of claim 43, wherein the initiation of the association is automatically performable. 49. The access point of claim 43, wherein the network comprises any of an intranet, a local area network, a wireless local area network, and a wireless personal area network. 50. The access point of claim 43, wherein the association comprises a transmission of information to the wireless device, wherein the information comprises any of setup information, handshaking information, and encryption information. 51. The access point of claim 43, wherein the association comprises a reception of information from the device. 52. The system of claim 51, wherein the received information comprises a device identifier. 53. The system of claim 52, wherein the device identifier comprises a MAC address. 54. The access point of claim 43, wherein the time interval is activatible through the access point. 55. The access point of claim 54, wherein the access point comprises means for activating the time interval, comprising any of a button and a switch. 56. The access point of claim 43, further comprising: an access control list. 57. The access point of claim 56, wherein the access control list comprises an identification of one or more wireless devices that have access to the network. 58. The access point of claim 43, wherein the access point is in communication with one or more wired devices. 59. The access point of claim 58, wherein the access point is connected to the wired devices through a local area network (LAN). 60. The access point of claim 43, wherein the access point is in communication with at least one other wireless device which operates within the region. 61. The access point of claim 43, further comprising: a connection to at least a second network. 62. The system of claim 61, wherein the second network comprises any of a local area network (LAN) and the Internet. | FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the field of wireless connections between a wireless device and a network. More particularly, the invention relates to access provisioning between one or more wireless devices and an intranet access point. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In local area networks, such as wireless home networks, one or more wireless devices, e.g. such as IEEE 802.11b devices, are linked to the network by a provisioning process through a network access point. When a user acquires a new wireless device, they need to securely tie it to their intranet, which comprises telling the intranet to accept wireless communications from the device, as well as provisioning the device with key material, such as for creating an encrypted connection. In conventional networks having one or more devices to be provisioned to a network access point, device identification information, such as a MAC address, is required to be communicated from the wireless device to the access point. Several methods have been described for wireless access provisioning to integrate wireless devices into a network. M. Cudak, B. Mueller, J. Kelton, and B. Classon, Network Protocol Method, Access Point Device and Peripheral Devices for Providing for an Efficient Centrally Coordinated Peer-to-Peer Wireless Communications Network, U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,106, discloses a “peer-to-peer wireless communications network wherein the access point device: (1) broadcasts a block assignment that specifies a wireless source peripheral device and a wireless destination peripheral device; (2) receives, from the wireless destination peripheral device, sequence information; (3) determines whether the sequence information represents one of: a negative acknowledgment and a positive acknowledgment with a sequence number; (4) forwards an acknowledgment to the wireless source peripheral based on the sequence information, and repeats steps (1)-(4) until N blocks of data, N a predetermined integer, have been transferred from the wireless source peripheral to the wireless destination peripheral.” J. Lin, P. Alfano, and S. Upp, Method and Apparatus for Performing Bearer Independent Wireless Application Service Provisioning, U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,693 disclose a provisioning system, in which a “mobile communication device contacts a provisioning proxy over the wireless bearer network, which in turns contacts a provisioning center over a public network. A provisioning tunnel is then established between the provisioning center and the mobile communication device. Once the provisioning tunnel is set up, the user of the mobile communication device can subscribe to, or unsubscribe from wireless application services.” Wireless Device Registering Method in Wireless Home Network, PCT Patent Application No. WO 01/2266, describes the sending of an authentication key to a device for storage, when an identification code received from the device corresponds to a code stored in an access point. Secure Wireless LAN, European Pat. No. EP, 1081895, discloses wireless device use by a wireless device operator with an access point connected to a wired LAN in communication with the wireless device through air channel authentication. C. Candolin, Security Issues for Wearable Computing and Bluetooth Technology, 23 Oct. 2000, Telecommunications Software and Multimedia Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, P.B. 400, FIN-02015 HUT, Finland, describes Bluetooth Technology as “a short-range wireless cable replacement technology enabling restricted types of ad hoc networks to be formed. All the while, a need for connecting wearable devices, such as PDAs, mobile phones, and mp3-players, is rising. Such networks may be formed using Bluetooth technology, but issues such as security must be taken into consideration. Although an attempt to tackle security is made, the result is too weak to be used for anything else than for personal purposes.” Other systems provide various details of the operation of wireless devices within a network, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,324, Apparatus and Method for Transparent Wireless Communication; U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,146, Integrated Communication Center Functionality for WAP Devices; U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,880, Public Wireless/Cordless Internet Gateway; U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,056, Secure Gateway Processing for Handheld Device Markup Language; U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,594, System and Method for Providing Data to a Wireless Device Upon Detection of Activity of the Device on a Wireless Network; U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,183, Method for Authorizing Coupling between devices in a Capability Addressable Network; U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,129, Dynamic Allocation of Wireless Mobile Nodes Over An Internet Protocol (IP) Network; U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,428, Personal Computer Microprocessor Firewalls for Internet Distributed Processing; European Pat. No. 1225778, Wireless Repeater Using Identification of Call Originator; European Pat. No. EP 1191763, Access Authentication System for a Wireless Environment; European Pat. No. 1126681, A Network Portal System and Methods; European Pat. No. EP1081895, Secure Wireless Local Area Network; European Pat. No. EP 999672, System and Method for Mapping Packet Data Functional Entities to Elements in a Communications Network; European Pat. No. EP814623, Mobile Decision Methodology for Accessing Multiple Wireless Data Networks; Privacy and Authentication for Wireless Local Area Networks, Ashar Aziz and Whitfield Diffie; Sun Microsystems, Inc., Jul. 26, 1993; Painting Your Home Blue (Bluetooth™ Wireless Technology), D. Cypher, Proceedings 2002 IEEE 4th International Workshop on Networked Appliances, Jan. 15-16, 2002; Wireless Home Networks on a Hierarchical Bluetooth Scatternet Architecture, W. Lilakiatsakun, A. Seneviratne, Proceedings Ninth IEEE International Conference on Networks; Oct. 10-12, 2001; Bluetooth Wireless Technology in the Home, R. Shephard, Electronics & Communication Engineering Journal; October 2001; Wireless Gateway for Wireless Home AV Network and It's Implementation, T. Saito, I. Imoda, Y. Takabatke, K. Teramoto, and K. Fujimoto, IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, August 2001; A Wireless Home Network and its Applications Systems, H. Fujieda, Y. Horiike, T. Yamamoto, and T. Nomura, IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, May 2000; Wireless Home Link, M. Nakagawa, IEICE Transactions on Communications, December 1999; An Access Protocol for a Wireless Home Network, A. C. V. Gummalla, and J. O. Limb, WCNC 1999 IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference; Sep. 21-24, 1999; Firewalls for Security in Wireless Networks, U. Murthy, O. Bukres, W. Winn, and E. Vanderdez, Proceedings of the Thirty-First Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Jan. 6-9, 1998; Self-Securinq Ad Hoc Wireless Networks, Haiyun Luo, Petros Aerfos, Jiejun Kng, Songwu Lu, and Lixia Zhang; Wireless Networking for Control and Automation of Off-Road Equipment, J. D. Will; ASAE Meeting Presentation; and Intrusion Detection in Wireless Ad-Hoc Networks, Yongguang Zhang and Wenke Lee, Proceeding of the Sixth Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking, Aug. 6-11, 2000. The disclosed prior art systems and methodologies thus provide basic provisioning for wireless devices to a network through an access point. However, for many networks, such provisioning schemes are often impractical, either for wireless devices which lack a user interface which is configured for communicating provisioning information, or for simple home-based intranets. For example, device identification information, such as a MAC address, is often required to be manually transcribed from the wireless device to the access point, since wireless devices often lack a user interface control to reveal such identifying information. For example, a wireless picture frame device typically lacks a control interface read or extract identification information, such as a MAC address. While some wireless devices include a user interface for dedicated device functionality, e.g. such as a user control for a game box or a digital video recorder, a dedicated user interface is often incapable or cumbersome to be used to communicate device identification and to exchange provisioning information. In addition, while some wireless devices provide a user interface control which can reveal such identifying information, provisioning procedures still require a user to be technically proficient to properly initiate and complete a provisioning process. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a network provisioning system, which does not require a user interface for the initiation of a provisioning process. The development of such a wireless access provisioning system would constitute a major technological advance. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a wireless access provisioning structure and process with minimal device requirements and/or user proficiency, whereby a wireless device is readily provisioned by the provisioning system, and whereby other devices within an access region are prevented from being provisioned by the provisioning system. The development of such a provisioning system would constitute a further technological advance. As well, it would be advantageous that such a wireless access provisioning system be integrated with easily monitored parameters of a wireless device, such as the time monitoring of power on and/or start of signal transmission. The development of such a provisioning system would constitute a further major technological advance. The development of such a time-based wireless access provisioning system for provisioning secure encrypted communication would constitute a further technological advance. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A method and apparatus is provided for the time-based provisioning of wireless devices. A network access point monitors operation of wireless devices within a service region. When provisioning logic is activated at the network access point, the access point determines if the tracked parameter, such as the power on, of the wireless device occurs within a designated time interval from the time of the provisioning activation. If the tracked device qualifies, the network access point proceeds with provisioning the device. When a wireless device to be authorized is powered on, the provisioning logic at the network access point notes the power on time. The user then activates the provisioning access at the network access point, and the network access point provisions the wireless device if it is recently powered on. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a time based wireless access provisioning system; FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a time based wireless access provisioning system; FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a time based wireless access provisioning process; FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an alternate time based wireless access provisioning process; FIG. 5 shows a simplified timeline for a time based wireless access provisioning process; FIG. 6 shows a simplified timeline for an alternate time based wireless access provisioning process; and FIG. 7 shows the time-based acceptance and provisioning of a new wireless device within a time based wireless access provisioning system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view 10 of a time based wireless access provisioning system 20. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a time based wireless access provisioning system 20, comprising a network access point 12 adapted to provide time-based provisioning with a wireless device 14. The network access point 12 shown in FIG. 2 comprises a transceiver 32 and antenna 34, which provides communication 16 to one or more wireless devices 14. The communications channel 16 typically comprises an input, i.e. reverse link, signal 28 from a wireless device 14 to the access point, as well as an output, i.e. forward link, signal 30, from the access point 12 to the wireless device 14. As seen in FIG. 2, the network access point 12 typically comprises network logic & componentry 36, such as networking functions 40, thereby providing communications between one or more authorized wireless devices 14 and a local network 17 (FIG. 1). The network access point 12 shown in FIG. 1 also comprises a network connection 38 to one or more networks 39, such as to wired devices within a LAN, and/or to other networks, such as the Internet. The network access point 12 shown in FIG. 2 comprises an access control list 42, which identifies wireless devices 14 which have proper access to the local network 17 (FIG. 1), such as by storing accepted device identifications 50 as list elements 43a-43n. The wireless device 14 shown in FIG. 2 comprises a device transceiver 22 and antenna 24, which provides communication 16 to the network access point 12, and in some embodiments to other wireless devices 14. The wireless device 14 comprises communication logic and componentry 48, and comprises an associated device identifier 50, e.g. such as a unique MAC address, which is communicatable to the network access point 12, whereby the wireless device 14 can be controllably provisioned into the network 17 by the network access point 12. The wireless device 14 also comprises power 26, e.g. wired or battery, and power activation 26. In some embodiments of the time based wireless access provisioning system 20, the wireless device is an IEEE 802.11 WLAN and/or Bluetooth™ compliant device. The network access point 12 shown in FIG. 1 is located within a service area 18 for a network 17, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wireless personal area network (WPAN), and typically communicates 16 with a one or more wireless devices 14 which operate within the service area 18, as well as to other wired devices connected to the network, and to connected networks, such as the Internet. As seen in FIG. 1, the time based wireless access provisioning system 20 can be used for a wide variety of wireless devices 14a-14n which are adapted to communicate with the network access point 12, such as but not limited to a desktop computer 14a, a portable laptop computer 14b, a network printer 14c, a digital video recorder 14d, a game box 14e, a portable phone 14f, a personal digital assistant (PDA) 14g, and/or a wireless picture frame 14h. The network access point 12 provides time-based provisioning to ensure that only authorized wireless devices 14 can operate within the local network 17, such as within a home HM, and to prevent unauthorized wireless devices 14, such as device 14n in FIG. 1, from gaining access to the network 17. In the time based wireless access provisioning system 20, the network access point 12 also comprises time based provisioning 44, which is activatible 46, such as manually by a user U. The time based wireless access provisioning system 20 securely integrates one or more wireless devices 14 into the local area network 17. A properly timed interaction 57 (FIG. 3, FIG. 4) between a wireless device 14 to be provisioned and the network access point 12 acts to qualify the wireless device 14 to the network access point. Time-Based Provisioning Process. FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a time based wireless access provisioning process 52a. The network access point 12 tracks 54 the power on time of wireless devices 14, whereby the powered wireless device begins transmission of a reverse link signal 28. When a wireless device 14 to be authorized is powered on 56, the provisioning logic 44 at the network access point 12 notes the power on time 82 (FIG. 5). The user U then activates 58 the provisioning access 44 at the network access point 12, typically by pressing an activation button or switch 46. In response to a properly timed interaction 57, the network access point 12 provisions the wireless device 14 automatically. As seen in FIG. 3, the network access point 12 determines 60 if there is a recent power on of a wireless device 14, e.g. such as within 5 minutes. If the wireless device 14 was recently powered 56, such as within an acceptance time interval 74 (FIG. 5), the positive determination logic 62 allows the network access point 12 to initiate provisioning 64. As seen in FIG. 3, the time based wireless access provisioning process 52a also prevents network access from devices 14 which are powered on 78 (FIG. 5) at an earlier time 88 (FIG. 5). If a wireless device 14 is powered on at a time 88 before the acceptance time interval 74 (FIG. 5), the negative determination logic 66 allows the network access point 12 to deny access 68 to the device, preventing provisioning 64 into the network 17. FIG. 5 shows a simplified timeline 70a for a time based wireless access provisioning process 52a. The enhanced network access point 12 tracks power on 56 of wireless devices as a function of time 72. As seen in FIG. 5, the network access point 14 notes the start time 82 of the power on 56 of a wireless device 14 which is desired to be provisioned within the network 17. The user then activates provisioning logic 44 at the network access point 12, at time 86. The provisioning logic 44 typically comprises an acceptance time interval 74, e.g. such as a 5 minute interval 74, having a start time 84 and an end time 86, within which desired devices 14 are accepted 62 (FIG. 3). As seen in FIG. 5, the time interval 76 for the desired device 14 properly falls within the acceptance interval 74, such that the provisioning logic 44 accepts 62 the wireless device 14, and initiates provisioning 64. As further seen in FIG. 5, the network access point 14 also notes the start time 88 of the power on 78 of a second wireless device 14, which is not necessarily desired to be provisioned by the network access point 12. When the user activates the provisioning logic 44 at the network access point 12, at time 86, the time interval 80 for the second device 14 falls outside the acceptance interval 74, i.e. failing 66 time-based determination 60 (FIG. 3) such that the provisioning logic 44 denies 68 the second wireless device 14, and prevents provisioning 64. Alternate Time-Based Provisioning Process. FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an alternate time based wireless access provisioning process 52b, in which a desired wireless device 14 to be provisioned is powered on after the provisioning logic 44 is activated. As above, the network access point 12 tracks 54 the power on time of wireless devices 14, whereby the powered wireless device begins transmission of a reverse link signal 28. The user U then activates 58 the provisioning access 44 at the network access point 12, typically by pressing an activation button or switch 46. When a wireless device 14 to be authorized is powered on 56, the provisioning logic 44 at the network access point 12 notes the power on time 82 (FIG. 6). In response to a properly timed interaction 57, the network access point 12 provisions the wireless device 14 automatically. As seen in FIG. 4, the network access point 12 determines 60 if there is a recent power on of a wireless device 14, after the provisioning logic 44 is activated 58. If the wireless device 14 was recently powered 56, such as within an acceptance time interval 74 (FIG. 6), the positive determination logic 62 allows the network access point 12 to initiate provisioning 64. As seen in FIG. 4, the alternate time based wireless access provisioning process 52b also prevents network access from devices 14 which are powered on 78 (FIG. 6) at an earlier time 88 (FIG. 6). If a wireless device 14 is powered on at a time 88 before (or after) the acceptance time interval 74 (FIG. 6), the negative determination logic 66 allows the network access point 12 to deny access 68 to the device 14, preventing provisioning 64 into the network 17. FIG. 6 shows a simplified timeline 70b for the alternate time based wireless access provisioning process 52b. The enhanced network access point 12 tracks power on 56 of wireless devices as a function of time 72. As seen in FIG. 6, the user activates provisioning logic 44 at the network access point 12, at time 84. The network access point 14 notes the start time 82 of the power on 56 of a wireless device 14 which is desired to be provisioned within the network 17. If the power on 56 falls within the acceptance time interval 74, the desired device 14 is accepted 62 (FIG. 4). As seen in FIG. 6, the time interval 76 for the desired device 14 properly falls within the acceptance interval 74, such that the provisioning logic 44 accepts 62 the wireless device 14, and initiates provisioning 64. As further seen in FIG. 6, the network access point 14 also notes the start time 88 of the power on 78 of a second wireless device 14, which is not necessarily desired to be provisioned by the network access point 12, such as from an unauthorized device 14, or from a desired device which is not powered on within the time interval 74. When the user then activates the provisioning logic 44 at the network access point 12, at time 86, the time interval 80 for the second device 14 falls outside the acceptance interval 74, and before the activation 58 of the provisioning logic 44, such that the provisioning logic 44 denies 66 the second wireless device 14, and prevents provisioning 64. Device Qualification. FIG. 7 provides a schematic view 90 of a time-based acceptance of a new wireless device 14 within a time based wireless access provisioning system 20. When a\the provisioning logic 44 time-qualifies 62 (FIG. 3, FIG. 4) a wireless device 14, the wireless access point 12 accepts the time-based qualification 57, and initiates the provisioning process 64, which typically comprises communication 16 and secure provisioning of information between the wireless device 14 and the network access point 12, such as the exchange of key material, if an encryption protocol is to be used. Device parameters, such as the device identifier 50, are typically sent 92 to the access point 12, wherein the device identifier 50 is added to the network access control list 42. As seen in FIG. 7, the device identifier 50 for the accepted wireless device 14 is added to the access control list 42, such as an element 43b in the list of qualified devices 14. Provisioning information may also be sent 94 from the network access point to the device, such as to establish setup, handshaking, or encryption provisioning. System Implementation. The time-based wireless access provisioning system 20 readily integrates one or more wireless devices 14 into a local area network in a secure fashion. For example, when a user U brings home a new wireless device 14 for use in their existing home network 17, the time-based wireless access provisioning system 20 allows the user U to easily add the new device to the network 17, without exposing the network unnecessarily to attack from third parties. Within the time based access provisioning system 20, the enhanced network access point 12 keeps track of all wireless devices 14a-14n in the vicinity 18 of the central access point 12. The time based wireless access provisioning system 20 securely integrates one or more wireless devices 14 into the local area network 17, based upon a properly timed device qualification interaction 57 (FIG. 3, FIG. 4) between a wireless device 14 to be provisioned and the network access point 12. As seen in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, when a user U brings a device 14 home HM and powers on the wireless device 14, the user then simply presses a button 46 on their network access point 12. In response thereto, the access point 12 provisions the wireless device automatically, based on the time-based qualification 57. Since the access point 12 is only available for such provisioning for a short interval 74 after the button 46 is pressed, it is unlikely that the access point 12 will provision unauthorized third party devices 14. The qualification protocol 52a,52b allows the network access point 12 to augment is the access control list 42 with a properly qualified device 14. The network access point can discount, i.e. deny, devices in neighboring residences HM that have been on for a long time, wherein power on 78 of the devices 14 extends beyond the acceptance interval 74, and can identify and provision one or more devices 14 that are powered on 56 within the acceptance interval 74. The time-based access provisioning system 20 does not require a user interface on a wireless device 14 to initiate device setup and provisioning. As the power on or beginning of signal transmission 16 is easily tracked by the enhanced network access point 12, a simple activation 46, such as the pushing of a button 46, can be used to time-qualify 57 a desired device 14, and to deny qualification 66 for an unqualified device. Therefore, the time-based access provisioning system 20 drastically simplifies wireless setup and provisioning for wireless devices. Wireless devices 14 to be provisioned are not required to have complex user interfaces, and users are not required to perform complex provisioning procedures. The time-based access provisioning system 20 simplifies the integration of wireless devices into a network, and provides more than reasonable levels of security. Alternate Applications for the Time-Based Access Provisioning System. While the time based access provisioning system 10 is disclosed above as tracking a single power on 56,78 of wireless devices, alternate embodiments of the time based access provisioning system 10 provide further network protections from undesired devices. For example, for a neighboring device which is switched on and off repeatedly, such as for an undesired wireless device or user in search of a network access point 12, the network access point 12 tracks the repeated powering operation, and can deny provisioning access as desired. Although the time based access provisioning system and its methods of use are described herein in connection with wireless devices, personal computers and other microprocessor-based devices, such as wireless appliances, the apparatus and techniques can be implemented for a wide variety of electronic devices and systems, or any combination thereof, as desired. Furthermore, while the time based access provisioning system and its methods of use are described herein in connection with wireless devices and intranets or LAN's, the apparatus and techniques can be implemented for a wide variety of electronic devices and networks or any combination thereof, as desired. As well, while the time based access provisioning system and its methods of use are described herein in connection with a time based interaction between a wireless device and a network access point, the use of tracking power on/off as a signal to associate devices automatically can be implemented for a wide variety of electronic devices and networks or any combination thereof, as desired. Accordingly, although the invention has been described in detail with reference to a particular preferred embodiment, persons possessing ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains will appreciate that various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims that follow. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In local area networks, such as wireless home networks, one or more wireless devices, e.g. such as IEEE 802.11b devices, are linked to the network by a provisioning process through a network access point. When a user acquires a new wireless device, they need to securely tie it to their intranet, which comprises telling the intranet to accept wireless communications from the device, as well as provisioning the device with key material, such as for creating an encrypted connection. In conventional networks having one or more devices to be provisioned to a network access point, device identification information, such as a MAC address, is required to be communicated from the wireless device to the access point. Several methods have been described for wireless access provisioning to integrate wireless devices into a network. M. Cudak, B. Mueller, J. Kelton, and B. Classon, Network Protocol Method, Access Point Device and Peripheral Devices for Providing for an Efficient Centrally Coordinated Peer-to-Peer Wireless Communications Network, U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,106, discloses a “peer-to-peer wireless communications network wherein the access point device: (1) broadcasts a block assignment that specifies a wireless source peripheral device and a wireless destination peripheral device; (2) receives, from the wireless destination peripheral device, sequence information; (3) determines whether the sequence information represents one of: a negative acknowledgment and a positive acknowledgment with a sequence number; (4) forwards an acknowledgment to the wireless source peripheral based on the sequence information, and repeats steps (1)-(4) until N blocks of data, N a predetermined integer, have been transferred from the wireless source peripheral to the wireless destination peripheral.” J. Lin, P. Alfano, and S. Upp, Method and Apparatus for Performing Bearer Independent Wireless Application Service Provisioning, U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,693 disclose a provisioning system, in which a “mobile communication device contacts a provisioning proxy over the wireless bearer network, which in turns contacts a provisioning center over a public network. A provisioning tunnel is then established between the provisioning center and the mobile communication device. Once the provisioning tunnel is set up, the user of the mobile communication device can subscribe to, or unsubscribe from wireless application services.” Wireless Device Registering Method in Wireless Home Network, PCT Patent Application No. WO 01/2266, describes the sending of an authentication key to a device for storage, when an identification code received from the device corresponds to a code stored in an access point. Secure Wireless LAN, European Pat. No. EP, 1081895, discloses wireless device use by a wireless device operator with an access point connected to a wired LAN in communication with the wireless device through air channel authentication. C. Candolin, Security Issues for Wearable Computing and Bluetooth Technology, 23 Oct. 2000, Telecommunications Software and Multimedia Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, P.B. 400, FIN-02015 HUT, Finland, describes Bluetooth Technology as “a short-range wireless cable replacement technology enabling restricted types of ad hoc networks to be formed. All the while, a need for connecting wearable devices, such as PDAs, mobile phones, and mp3-players, is rising. Such networks may be formed using Bluetooth technology, but issues such as security must be taken into consideration. Although an attempt to tackle security is made, the result is too weak to be used for anything else than for personal purposes.” Other systems provide various details of the operation of wireless devices within a network, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,324, Apparatus and Method for Transparent Wireless Communication; U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,146, Integrated Communication Center Functionality for WAP Devices; U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,880, Public Wireless/Cordless Internet Gateway; U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,056, Secure Gateway Processing for Handheld Device Markup Language; U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,594, System and Method for Providing Data to a Wireless Device Upon Detection of Activity of the Device on a Wireless Network; U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,183, Method for Authorizing Coupling between devices in a Capability Addressable Network; U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,129, Dynamic Allocation of Wireless Mobile Nodes Over An Internet Protocol (IP) Network; U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,428, Personal Computer Microprocessor Firewalls for Internet Distributed Processing; European Pat. No. 1225778, Wireless Repeater Using Identification of Call Originator; European Pat. No. EP 1191763, Access Authentication System for a Wireless Environment; European Pat. No. 1126681, A Network Portal System and Methods; European Pat. No. EP1081895, Secure Wireless Local Area Network; European Pat. No. EP 999672, System and Method for Mapping Packet Data Functional Entities to Elements in a Communications Network; European Pat. No. EP814623, Mobile Decision Methodology for Accessing Multiple Wireless Data Networks; Privacy and Authentication for Wireless Local Area Networks , Ashar Aziz and Whitfield Diffie; Sun Microsystems, Inc., Jul. 26, 1993 ; Painting Your Home Blue ( Bluetooth™ Wireless Technology ), D. Cypher, Proceedings 2002 IEEE 4 th International Workshop on Networked Appliances, Jan. 15-16, 2002 ; Wireless Home Networks on a Hierarchical Bluetooth Scatternet Architecture , W. Lilakiatsakun, A. Seneviratne, Proceedings Ninth IEEE International Conference on Networks; Oct. 10-12, 2001 ; Bluetooth Wireless Technology in the Home , R. Shephard, Electronics & Communication Engineering Journal; October 2001 ; Wireless Gateway for Wireless Home AV Network and It's Implementation , T. Saito, I. Imoda, Y. Takabatke, K. Teramoto, and K. Fujimoto, IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, August 2001 ; A Wireless Home Network and its Applications Systems , H. Fujieda, Y. Horiike, T. Yamamoto, and T. Nomura, IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, May 2000 ; Wireless Home Link , M. Nakagawa, IEICE Transactions on Communications, December 1999 ; An Access Protocol for a Wireless Home Network , A. C. V. Gummalla, and J. O. Limb, WCNC 1999 IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference; Sep. 21-24, 1999 ; Firewalls for Security in Wireless Networks , U. Murthy, O. Bukres, W. Winn, and E. Vanderdez, Proceedings of the Thirty-First Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Jan. 6-9, 1998 ; Self - Securinq Ad Hoc Wireless Networks , Haiyun Luo, Petros Aerfos, Jiejun Kng, Songwu Lu, and Lixia Zhang; Wireless Networking for Control and Automation of Off - Road Equipment , J. D. Will; ASAE Meeting Presentation; and Intrusion Detection in Wireless Ad - Hoc Networks , Yongguang Zhang and Wenke Lee, Proceeding of the Sixth Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking, Aug. 6-11, 2000. The disclosed prior art systems and methodologies thus provide basic provisioning for wireless devices to a network through an access point. However, for many networks, such provisioning schemes are often impractical, either for wireless devices which lack a user interface which is configured for communicating provisioning information, or for simple home-based intranets. For example, device identification information, such as a MAC address, is often required to be manually transcribed from the wireless device to the access point, since wireless devices often lack a user interface control to reveal such identifying information. For example, a wireless picture frame device typically lacks a control interface read or extract identification information, such as a MAC address. While some wireless devices include a user interface for dedicated device functionality, e.g. such as a user control for a game box or a digital video recorder, a dedicated user interface is often incapable or cumbersome to be used to communicate device identification and to exchange provisioning information. In addition, while some wireless devices provide a user interface control which can reveal such identifying information, provisioning procedures still require a user to be technically proficient to properly initiate and complete a provisioning process. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a network provisioning system, which does not require a user interface for the initiation of a provisioning process. The development of such a wireless access provisioning system would constitute a major technological advance. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a wireless access provisioning structure and process with minimal device requirements and/or user proficiency, whereby a wireless device is readily provisioned by the provisioning system, and whereby other devices within an access region are prevented from being provisioned by the provisioning system. The development of such a provisioning system would constitute a further technological advance. As well, it would be advantageous that such a wireless access provisioning system be integrated with easily monitored parameters of a wireless device, such as the time monitoring of power on and/or start of signal transmission. The development of such a provisioning system would constitute a further major technological advance. The development of such a time-based wireless access provisioning system for provisioning secure encrypted communication would constitute a further technological advance. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>A method and apparatus is provided for the time-based provisioning of wireless devices. A network access point monitors operation of wireless devices within a service region. When provisioning logic is activated at the network access point, the access point determines if the tracked parameter, such as the power on, of the wireless device occurs within a designated time interval from the time of the provisioning activation. If the tracked device qualifies, the network access point proceeds with provisioning the device. When a wireless device to be authorized is powered on, the provisioning logic at the network access point notes the power on time. The user then activates the provisioning access at the network access point, and the network access point provisions the wireless device if it is recently powered on. | 20041008 | 20070213 | 20050224 | 60851.0 | 11 | MARCELO, MELVIN C | TIME BASED WIRELESS ACCESS PROVISIONING | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,962,076 | ACCEPTED | Low-cost network system between a base station controller and a base transceiver station, and method for transmitting data between them | Various embodiments of the invention relate to a low-cost network system that can reduce the network cost by connecting a base station controller (BSC) with a base transceiver station (BTS) by the use of matching units that match an E1/T1 line to an IP line. In one embodiment, the system comprises a BSC matching unit (BSCMU) and a BTS matching unit (BTSMU). The BSCMU, connected to the BSC through a first dedicated line, converts a first dedicated-line data signal, received from the BSC, into a first IP signal to be transmitted through an IP line and converts a received second IP signal into a second dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BSC. The BTSMU, connected to the BTS through a second dedicated line, converts the first IP signal into the first dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BTS and converts the second dedicated-line data signal, received from the BTS, into the second IP signal. | 1. A system for signal processing in a mobile communication system, the system comprising: a base transceiver station (BTS) for communicating a signal with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals; a base station controller (BSC) for controlling wireless communication between the BTS and the mobile terminal; a BSC matching unit (BSCMU), being connected to the BSC through a first dedicated line, configured to convert a first dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BSC into a first set of IP packets and convert a second set of IP packets into a second dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BSC; and a BTS matching unit (BTSMU), being connected to the BTS through a second dedicated line, configured to convert the first set of IP packets into the first dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BTS and convert the second dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the second set of IP packets to be transmitted to the BSCMU. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each dedicated line is an E1 or T1 line. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the IP packets are transmitted via one of the following protocols: ADSL (Asymmetric DSL), SDSL (Symmetric DSL), and VDSL (Very high-bit-rate DSL). 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the BSCMU comprises: a transceiver for communicating the first and second dedicated-line data signals with the BSC; a converter for converting the first dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BSC into the first set of IP packets and converting the second set of IP packets transmitted by the BTSMU into the second dedicated-line data signal; an IP interface for communicating the first and second set of IP packets with the BTSMU; and a controller for controlling the transceiver, the converter, and the IP interface. 5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a buffer for storing the second dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BSC. 6. The system of claim 4, further comprising a buffer state monitor for producing buffer state data relative to a current state and a maximum storing capacity of the buffer to be transmitted to the BTSMU. 7. The system of claim 4, further comprising an IP address controller for maintaining an IP address of the connection between the BSCMU and the BTSMU. 8. The system of claim 4, further comprising a present state monitor for monitoring an operational state of the BSCMU to check for failure. 9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a transmission controller for controlling the size of the first set of IP packets to be transmitted to the BTSMU according to the buffer state data of the BTSMU. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the BTSMU comprises: a transceiver for communicating the first and second dedicated-line data signals with the BTS; a converter for converting the second dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the second set of IP packets and converting the first set of IP packets transmitted by the BSCMU into the first dedicated-line data signal; an IP interface for communicating the first and second set of IP packets with the BSCMU; and a controller for controlling the transceiver, the converter, and the IP interface. 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a buffer for storing the first set of IP packets transmitted by the BSCMU. 12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a buffer state monitor for producing buffer state data relative to a current state and a maximum storing capacity of the buffer to be transmitted to the BSCMU. 13. The system of claim 10, further comprising an IP address controller for maintaining an IP address of the connection between the BTSCMU and the BSCMU. 14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a present state monitor for monitoring an operational state of the BTSMU to check for failure. 15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a transmission controller for controlling the size of the second set of IP packets to be transmitted to the BSCMU according to the buffer state data of the BSCMU. 16. A system for signal processing in a mobile communication system, the system comprising: a signal converting section being in signal communication with at least one of a base transceiver station (BTS) and a base station controller (BSC) via a dedicated line, the BTS communicating a data signal with a mobile terminal, the BSC controlling wireless communication between the BTS and the mobile terminal, wherein the signal converting section is configured to perform at least one of the following: i) converting a first dedicated-line data signal, received from the BTS, into a first set of IP packets and transmitting the first set of IP packets, and ii) converting a second dedicated-line data signal, received from the BSC, into a second set of IP packets and transmitting the second set of IP packets. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal converting section is further configured to i) receive and convert the transmitted first set of IP packets into the first dedicated-line data signal, and ii) transmit the converted first dedicated-line data signal to the BSC. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the signal converting section comprises: a transceiver receiving the first set of IP packets and the second dedicated-line data signal and transmitting the first dedicated-line data signal and the second set of IP packets, respectively; and a converter converting the first set of IP packets and the second dedicated-line data signal into the first dedicated-line data signal and the second set of IP packets, respectively. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the signal converting section is further configured to i) receive and convert the transmitted second set of IP packets into the second dedicated-line data signal, and ii) transmit the converted second dedicated-line data signal to the BTS. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the signal converting section comprises: a transceiver receiving the first dedicated-line data signal and the second set of IP packets and transmitting the first set of IP packets and the second dedicated-line data signal, respectively; and a converter converting the first dedicated-line data signal and the second set of IP packets to the first set of IP packets and the second dedicated-line data signal, respectively. 21. The system of claim 16, wherein the dedicated line is an E1 or T1 line. 22. The system of claim 16, wherein the IP packets are transmitted via one of the following protocols: ADSL (Asymmetric DSL), SDSL (Symmetric DSL), and VDSL (Very high-bit-rate DSL). 23. A method of signal processing in a mobile communication system, the method comprising: communicating a data signal with at least one of a base transceiver station (BTS) and a base station controller (BSC) via a dedicated line, the BTS communicating a data signal with a mobile terminal, the BSC controlling wireless communication between the BTS and the mobile terminal; and performing at least one of the following: i) converting a first dedicated-line data signal, received from the BTS, into a first set of IP packets and transmitting the first set of IP packets, and ii) converting a second dedicated-line data signal, received from the BSC, into a second set of IP packets and transmitting the second set of IP packets. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising: receiving and converting the transmitted first set of IP packets into the first dedicated-line data signal; and transmitting the converted first dedicated-line data signal to the BSC. 25. The method of claim 23, further comprising: receiving and converting the transmitted second set of IP packets into the second dedicated-line data signal; and transmitting the converted second dedicated-line data signal to the BTS. 26. The method of claim 23, wherein the dedicated line is an E1 or T1 line. 27. The method of claim 23, wherein the IP packets are transmitted via one of the following protocols: ADSL (Asymmetric DSL), SDSL (Symmetric DSL), and VDSL (Very high-bit-rate DSL). 28. A system for signal processing in a mobile communication system, the system comprising: means for communicating a data signal with at least one of a base transceiver station (BTS) and a base station controller (BSC) via a dedicated line, the BTS communicating a data signal with a mobile terminal, the BSC controlling wireless communication between the BTS and the mobile terminal; and means for performing at least one of the following: i) converting a first dedicated-line data signal, received from the BTS, into a first set of IP packets and transmitting the first set of IP packets, and ii) converting a second dedicated-line data signal, received from the BSC, into a second set of IP packets and transmitting the second set of IP packets. | RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation application, and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §§ 120 and 365 of PCT Application No. PCT/KR03/00690, filed on Apr. 8, 2003 and published Oct. 23, 2003, in English, which is hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a low-cost network system that can reduce the network cost by connecting a base station controller (BSC) with a base transceiver station (BTS) by the use of matching units that match a dedicated line such as an E1/T1 line to an IP line such as a digital subscriber line (DSL). 2. Description of the Related Technology Along with the development of various technologies, the telecommunication networks have evolved from a wired network such as PSTN that provides communication service at a fixed location to a mobile communication network that literally provides communication service on the move. Generally, the mobile communication system is focused on moving objects such as people, vehicles, ship, trains, and airplanes. SUMMARY OF CERTAIN INVENTIVE ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION One aspect of the invention provides a low-cost network system that can reduce network expenses by constructing the communication network between a base station controller (BSC) and a base transceiver station (BTS) with an E1/T1 dedicated line and a low-cost IP line. Another aspect of the invention provides a method for transmitting data that can improve the efficiency of data transmission at less expense by installing matching units that can match an E1/T1 dedicated line with an IP line and convert an E/T1 signal and an IP packet mutually. Namely, in this aspect of the invention, the IP line that is matched to the E1/T1 dedicated line is a general-purpose (or universal) line that is low cost such as a telephone line, so the network expenses can be reduced. Also, it is preferable to use a data buffer to convert E1/T1 signal into IP packet according to the direction of data transmission. Another aspect of the invention provides a network system for connecting BSC and BTS in a mobile communication system, the network system comprising: a BTS for communicating with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals; a BSC for controlling wireless communication between the BTS and the mobile terminal; a BSC matching unit (BSCMU) being connected to the BSC through a first dedicated line for converting a dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BSC into an IP signal to be transmitted through an IP line and converting the IP signal transmitted through the IP line into the dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BSC; and a BTS matching unit (BTSMU) being connected to the BTS through a second dedicated line for converting the IP signal transmitted by the BSCMU into the dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BTS and converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal to be transmitted the BSCMU. The dedicated line is one selected from E1 line and T1 line, and the IP line is one selected from ADSL, SDSL, and VDSL. In one embodiment, the BSCMU comprises: a transceiver for communicating the dedicated-line data signal with the BSC; a converter for converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BSC into the IP signal and the IP signal transmitted by the BTSMU into the dedicated-line data signal; an IP interface for communicating the IP signal with the BTSMU; and a controller for controlling the transceiver, the converter, and the IP interface. The BSCMU further comprises a buffer for storing the dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BSC. And, the BSCMU further comprises a buffer state monitor for producing buffer state data relative to a current state and a maximum storing capacity of the buffer to be transmitted to the BTSMU. And, the BSCMU further comprises an IP address controller for maintaining an IP address of the IP line connecting the BSCMU with the BTSMU. And, the BSCMU further comprises a present state monitor for monitoring an operational state of the BSCMU to check for failure. And the BSCMU further comprises a transmission controller for controlling a size of the IP signal to be transmitted to the BTSMU according to the buffer state data of BTSMU. In one embodiment, the BTSMU comprises: a transceiver for communicating the dedicated-line data signal with the BTS; a converter for converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal and the IP signal transmitted by the BSCMU into the dedicated-line data signal; an IP interface for communicating the IP signal with the BSCMU; and a controller for controlling the transceiver, the converter, and the IP interface. The BTSMU further comprises a buffer for storing the IP signal transmitted by the BSCMU. The BTSMU further comprises a buffer state monitor for producing buffer state data relative to a current state and a maximum storing capacity of the buffer to be transmitted to the BSCMU. The BTSMU further comprises an IP address controller for maintaining an IP address of the IP line connecting the BTSCMU with the BSCMU. The BTSMU further comprises a present state monitor for monitoring an operational state of the BTSMU to check for failure. The BTSMU further comprises a transmission controller for controlling a size of the IP signal to be transmitted to the BSCMU according to the buffer state data of the BSCMU. Another aspect of the invention provides a BSCMU in a mobile communication system comprising a BTS for communicating with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals, a BTSMU being connected to the BTS through a dedicated line for converting an IP signal into a dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BTS and converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal, and a BSC for controlling wireless communication between the BTS and the mobile terminal, the BSCMU comprising: a transceiver for communicating the dedicated-line data signal with the BSC; a converter for converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BSC into the IP signal and the IP signal transmitted by the BTSMU into the dedicated-line data signal; an IP interface for communicating the IP signal with the BTSMU; and a controller for controlling the transceiver, the converter, and the IP interface. Still another aspect of the invention provides a BTSMU in a mobile communication system comprising a BTS for communicating with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals, a BSC for controlling the BTS and a BSCMU being connected to the BSC through a dedicated line for converting a dedicated-line data signal transmitted through the dedicated line into an IP signal and the IP signal into a dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BSC, the BTSMU comprising: a transceiver for communicating the dedicated-line data signal with the BTS; a converter for converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal and the IP signal transmitted by the BSCMU into the dedicated-line data signal; an IP interface for communicating the IP signal with the BSCMU; and a controller for controlling the transceiver, the converter, and the IP interface. Still another aspect of the invention provides a data transmission method in a BSCMU of a mobile communication network, wherein the mobile network comprises a BTS for communicating with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals, a BTSMU being connected to the BTS through a dedicated line for converting an IP signal into a dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BTS and converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal, and a BSC for controlling the BTS, the method comprising the steps of: receiving the dedicated-line data signal from the BSC via the dedicated line; converting the dedicated-line data signal into the IP signal; receiving buffer state data relative to a current state and a maximum storing capacity of a buffer in the BTSMU; controlling a size of the IP signal to be transmitted to the BTSMU according to the buffer state data; and transmitting the IP signal to the BTSMU through an IP line, wherein the IP signal is converted into the dedicated-line data signal at the BTSMU and transmitted to the mobile terminal by the BTS. Yet another aspect of the invention provides a data transmission method in a BTSMU of a mobile communication network, wherein the mobile network comprises a BTS for communicating with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals, a BSCMU being connected to the BSC through a dedicated line for converting an IP signal into a dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BTS and the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal and a BSC for controlling the BTS, the method comprising the steps of: receiving the dedicated-line data signal from the BTS via the dedicated line; converting the dedicated-line data signal into the IP signal; receiving buffer state data relative to a current state and a maximum storing capacity of a buffer in the BSCMU; controlling a size of the IP signal to be transmitted to the BSCMU according to the buffer state data; and transmitting the IP signal to the BSCMU through an IP line, wherein the IP signal is converted into the dedicated-line data signal at the BSCMU and transmitted to BSC. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical mobile communication system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the low-cost network system according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 shows the structure of an IP packet according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is block diagram of IP matching unit for converting IP packet into E1/T1 signal according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of E1 matching unit for converting E1/T1 signal into IP packet according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the method for transmitting data using the low-cost network system according to one embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical mobile communication system. Referring to FIG. 1, a subscriber can communicate with another subscriber via a MS (mobile station) 40 in the mobile communication system. The BTS (Base Transceiver Station) 30 receives a call process request signal from MS 40, and transmits a call transmission request signal from BSC (Base Station Controller) 20 to MS 40. BSC 20 controls BTS 30 for signal transmission between BTS 30 and MSC (Mobile Switching Center) 10. MCS 10 transmits the call process request signal to another communication network to provide the mobile communication service to the subscriber. The other network may be PSTN (Public Switching Telephone Networks) or AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service). When a subscriber wants to use the mobile communication service via MS 10, the MSC 10 finds the location of the receiver's MS according to the control signal from BSC 20 and provides mobile communication services such as transmission of a voice/fax signal or access to another communication network according to the request from MS 40. Typically, BSC 20 and BTS 30 are connected to each other by E1 or T1 dedicated line, so BSC 20 and BTS 30 are equipped with E1/T1 access devices. E1 indicates European Transmission Service 1, and comprises thirty B-channels for user data transmission and one D-channel for signal data transmission. T1 is one of the standard services of US T1 committee, and comprises twenty-three B-channels and one D-channel. The B-channel carries data at the speed of 64 Kbps and the D-channel carries data at the speed of 16 Kbps, so E1 format has 2.048 Mbps bandwidth and T1 format has 1.544 Mbps bandwidth. In the data transmission between BSC 20 and BTS 30 through E1/T1 line, the fixed rate non-channelized HDLC (High-level Data Link Control) method, which transmits data without distinction of channel and at fixed rate, is used. In SAMSUNG (“Reference to the Samsung Corporation”) 1×EV-DO (1× Evolution Data-Only) system, for example, one data packet transmitted through E1 dedicated line is composed of 135 bytes, and divided into three ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cells by SAR (Segmentation And Reassembly) for transmission. The 53 bytes of ATM cell are composed of 5 bytes of ATM cell header, 3 bytes of SAR header, and 45 bytes of payload. As described above, though E1/T1 line is used to transmit data between BSC 20 and BTS 30 at high speed, the cost to use E1/T1 is very high compared with the data transmission capacity of E1/T1. Actually, data transmission at the maximum bandwidth (2.048 Mbps/1.544 Mbps) rarely occurs because most data transmission is performed below the maximum bandwidth. Thus, when using E1/T1 line for data transmission between BSC 20 and BTS 30, the mobile communication service provider is assessed enormous network expenses. As alternative solutions to the above-mentioned problem, several methods have been developed: a) improve the efficiency of data transmission by changing the length of frame according to the rate of data transmission, and b) lay an optical transmission line between BSC and BTS for data transmission. Even if the length of frame varies according to the data transmission rate, the problem about high expenses in comparison with the efficiency of data transmission has still not been resolved. Also, regarding the optical transmission line, an enormous initial investment is required to lay and use the optical transmission line, so it is also difficult to reduce the network expenses. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the low-cost network system according to one embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the low-cost network system is provided with an E1 matching unit 100 for converting E1/T1 signal into IP packet in BSC 20 and an IP matching unit 200 for converting IP packet into E1/T1 signal in BTS 30 in order to transmit IP packets through IP network 150. That is, regarding data transmission from BSC 20 to BTS 30, the E1 matching unit 100 in BSC 30 converts E1/T1 signal into the IP packet and transmits the IP packet to BTS 30 through the IP network 150. The IP matching unit 200 in BTS 30 converts the IP packet transmitted through IP network 150 into E1/T1 signal and transmits E1/T1 signal to BTS 30. The bandwidths of each E1 and T1 dedicated line correspond to 2.048 Mbps and 1.544 Mbps, respectively. Thus, when converting E1/T1 signal into IP packet, the bandwidth of the IP network must be more than 2 Mbps. IP protocol, which is used on the Internet, has a TCP/IP class structure, and is included within a network layer of OSI 7 layers of which some part is dependent upon the network and the other part is independent from the network. FIG. 3 shows the structure of an IP packet according to one embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, in IP packet, VERSION indicates the version of IP protocol and HEADER LENGTH indicates the length of header. TOS (Type Of Service or Service Type) indicates priority, delay, process rate and security, all required for IP packet. TOTAL LENGTH indicates the total length of IP packet comprising a header and a data, and the value of TOTAL LENGTH can be 65,536 bytes. Since one message can be divided into several IP packets on IP network, ID is used to assemble the divided packets into the message. FRAGMENT OFFSET indicates how distant the IP packet is from the start of the message when plural IP packets are included within the one message. TTL (Time-To-Live) indicates the maximum time regarding how long IP packet exists on IP network. PROTOCOL indicates a high-layer protocol that the IP packet is included, and HEADER CHECKSUM indicates checking errors in a header. SOURCE ADDRESS and DESTINATION ADDRESS indicate the IP addresses of the source and the destination respectively. OPTION indicates security, routing and the type of data, and PADDING can be used to compose a 32-bit header as the occasion demands. In various embodiments, the transmission line between BSC 20 and BTS 30 satisfy the bandwidth of E1/T1 while maintenance expenses of IP network 150 composed of IP lines are cheaper than that of E1/T1 line. One example of the IP line that satisfies these requirements is a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) that improves the transmission speed of digital data by expanding the analog bandwidth of a telephone line. To the present time, various methods regarding effective transmission distances and applications have been developed: ADSL (Asymmetric DSL), SDSL (Symmetric DSL), VDSL (Very high-bit-rate DSL), etc. The IP network can be Ethernet that supports multicast. Ethernet uses CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) protocol, and can be classified into 10Base-X having 10 Mbps bandwidth, 100Base-X (Fast Ethernet) having 100 Mbps bandwidth, and 1000Base-X having 1 Gbps bandwidth. Generally, regarding the leasing of E1/T1 dedicated line from ISP, about 800,000 Korean WON (Approximately US$650) is required, but when leasing a general-purpose (or universal) line such as ADSL, about 30,000 to 100,000 WON is required. Thus, if ADSL that can carry an IP packet is leased and a matching unit that can convert the IP packet into an E1/T1 signal or the E1/T1 signal into IP packet are provided to BSC and BTS, the total expenses can be reduced to about {fraction (1/10)} the typical cost. In particular, the network expenses may increase in proportion to the number of subscribers with regard to the mobile communication service providers that have millions of subscribers, but the network expenses may decrease when the communication network is constructed by connecting the E1/T1 dedicated line with a general-purpose line such as DSL. In addition, the IP packet has variable data size and a burst characteristic, so managing the transmission speed may be necessary for optimum transmission by the use of a buffer in the IP matching unit during the process of converting the IP packet transmitted through IP network into E1 signal having a fixed size. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of IP matching unit for converting IP packet into E1/T1 signal according to embodiments of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, an IP matching unit 200 is installed at BTS and receives IP packets, which are transmitted through IP network, by an IP interface 210. Namely, the IP interface 210 receives an IP packet that an E1 matching unit at the BSC has transmitted through IP network. The IP packet received by IP interface 210 is temporarily stored at a buffer 230 through a controller 220. The order of arrival may not coincide with the order of transmission if the message is composed of plural IP packets. In this situation, a buffering process is used to reconstruct the message by aligning the received IP packets. Also, the transmission speed of IP packets is controlled for alignment of the received IP packets. Furthermore, it is preferable that the IP matching unit 200 sends buffer state data indicating the size and state of buffer to the E1/T1 matching unit. Thus, the E1/T1 matching unit can control the transmission speed of IP packets according to the buffer state data transmitted by the IP matching unit 200. The IP packets at the buffer 230 are converted into E1/T1 signals by an IP packet converter 240. The converted E1/T1 signals are transmitted to BTS through an E1/T1 transmitter 250. In addition, because the E1/T1 signals transmitted from BSC 20 to BTS 30 are ATM cells having a fixed size, the E1 matching unit 100 does not need additional buffer for converting E1/T1 signals into IP packets. However, regarding data transmission from BTS 30 to BSC 20, a buffer may be used to change the transmission speed of E1/T1 signals as the occasion demands. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of E1 matching unit for converting E1/T1 signal into IP packet according to embodiments of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the E1 matching unit 100 receives E1/T1 signal, which is transmitted by BSC, via E1/T1 receiver 110. The E1/T1 converter 130 converts E1/T1 signals received by the E1/T1 receiver 110 into IP packets according to the instruction of the controller 120. The IP interface 140 transmits the converted IP packets to the IP matching unit 200 through IP network. In one embodiment, the transmission speed of IP packets is controlled according to the size and state of the buffer in the IP matching unit 200. As such, an E1 matching unit can control the transmission speed according to the buffer state data transmitted by the IP matching unit 200. Accordingly, the E1 matching unit 100 can further comprise a buffer for temporarily storing E1/T1 signals before IP packet conversion occurs. To this point, an example of E1/T1 signal transmission from BSC 20 to BTS 30 has been described, and for this downward transmission. In one embodiment, an E1 matching device for converting an E1/T1 signal into IP packet is installed at the BSC, and an IP matching device for converting IP packet into E1/T1 signal is installed at BTS. In one embodiment, regarding E1/T1 signal transmission from BTS 30 to BSC 20, the BTS 30 converts E1/T1 signal into IP packet while the BSC 20 converts IP packet into E1/T1 signal. In this embodiment, the E1 matching unit for converting E1/T1 signal into IP packet is installed at the BTS 30, and the IP matching unit for converting IP packet into E1/T1 signal is installed at the BSC 20. It is preferable that the matching unit installed at the BSC 20 and the BTS 30 comprises a bi-directional converting function, which converts the E1/T1 signal into the IP packet and the IP packet into the E1/T1 signal, and a buffer. On the contrary if the E1 matching unit 100 at BSC 20 uses a public IP, the IP matching unit 200 at BTS 30 uses a private IP or Dynamic IP. Thus, the IP address of the IP line is not changed after the connection between BSC 20 and BTS 30 is set up. For maintaining the established IP line, a dummy packet can be periodically transmitted through the IP line or a virtual IP method can be used. Also, the matching unit can further comprise a present state monitor for periodically monitoring when failure occurs and also alerting the BSC 20 when the failure has occurred. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the method for transmitting data using the low-cost network system according to one embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the method for transmitting data is performed at an E1 matching unit, which is installed at the BTS, for converting an E1/T1 signal into an IP packet plus at an IP matching unit, which is installed at the BSC, for converting an IP packet into an E1/T1 signal. The E1 matching unit receives the E1/T1 signal transmitted by BSC (S10), and converts the E1/T1 signal into IP packet (S14). At this time, the IP matching unit that will receive the IP packet monitors the buffer state (S20), and transmits the buffer state data indicating the maximum size and the current state of buffer to E1 matching unit (S12). The E1 matching unit checks the buffer state of IP matching unit according to the buffer state data, and controls the size of IP packet in order to prevent the occurrence of buffer overflow (S16). After converting E1/T1 signal into IP packet, the E1 matching unit transmits the IP packet to the IP matching unit through IP network (S18). The IP matching unit receives the IP packet transmitted by E1 matching unit, converts the IP packet into E1/T1 signal (S22), and transmits the E1/T1 signal to BTS (S24). Regarding E1/T1 signal transmission from BTS to BSC, the matching unit at BTS will work as an E1 matching unit whereas the matching unit at BSC will work as IP matching unit. As described above, according to various embodiments of the invention, the network expenses for using dedicated lines can be reduced by changing the E1/T1 dedicated line connected between BSC and BTS with the IP line Furthermore, embodiments of the invention comprise matching units that can match E1/T1 dedicated line and IP line, convert E1/T1 signals and IP packets mutually, and transmit the converted E1/T1 signal or IP packet. Therefore, efficiency of data transmission can be improved at small expense. While the above description has pointed out novel features of the invention as applied to various embodiments, the skilled person will understand that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the device of the device or process illustrated may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All variations coming within the meaning and rage of equivalency of the claims are embraced within their scope. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a low-cost network system that can reduce the network cost by connecting a base station controller (BSC) with a base transceiver station (BTS) by the use of matching units that match a dedicated line such as an E1/T1 line to an IP line such as a digital subscriber line (DSL). 2. Description of the Related Technology Along with the development of various technologies, the telecommunication networks have evolved from a wired network such as PSTN that provides communication service at a fixed location to a mobile communication network that literally provides communication service on the move. Generally, the mobile communication system is focused on moving objects such as people, vehicles, ship, trains, and airplanes. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF CERTAIN INVENTIVE ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION <EOH>One aspect of the invention provides a low-cost network system that can reduce network expenses by constructing the communication network between a base station controller (BSC) and a base transceiver station (BTS) with an E1/T1 dedicated line and a low-cost IP line. Another aspect of the invention provides a method for transmitting data that can improve the efficiency of data transmission at less expense by installing matching units that can match an E1/T1 dedicated line with an IP line and convert an E/T1 signal and an IP packet mutually. Namely, in this aspect of the invention, the IP line that is matched to the E1/T1 dedicated line is a general-purpose (or universal) line that is low cost such as a telephone line, so the network expenses can be reduced. Also, it is preferable to use a data buffer to convert E1/T1 signal into IP packet according to the direction of data transmission. Another aspect of the invention provides a network system for connecting BSC and BTS in a mobile communication system, the network system comprising: a BTS for communicating with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals; a BSC for controlling wireless communication between the BTS and the mobile terminal; a BSC matching unit (BSCMU) being connected to the BSC through a first dedicated line for converting a dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BSC into an IP signal to be transmitted through an IP line and converting the IP signal transmitted through the IP line into the dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BSC; and a BTS matching unit (BTSMU) being connected to the BTS through a second dedicated line for converting the IP signal transmitted by the BSCMU into the dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BTS and converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal to be transmitted the BSCMU. The dedicated line is one selected from E1 line and T1 line, and the IP line is one selected from ADSL, SDSL, and VDSL. In one embodiment, the BSCMU comprises: a transceiver for communicating the dedicated-line data signal with the BSC; a converter for converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BSC into the IP signal and the IP signal transmitted by the BTSMU into the dedicated-line data signal; an IP interface for communicating the IP signal with the BTSMU; and a controller for controlling the transceiver, the converter, and the IP interface. The BSCMU further comprises a buffer for storing the dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BSC. And, the BSCMU further comprises a buffer state monitor for producing buffer state data relative to a current state and a maximum storing capacity of the buffer to be transmitted to the BTSMU. And, the BSCMU further comprises an IP address controller for maintaining an IP address of the IP line connecting the BSCMU with the BTSMU. And, the BSCMU further comprises a present state monitor for monitoring an operational state of the BSCMU to check for failure. And the BSCMU further comprises a transmission controller for controlling a size of the IP signal to be transmitted to the BTSMU according to the buffer state data of BTSMU. In one embodiment, the BTSMU comprises: a transceiver for communicating the dedicated-line data signal with the BTS; a converter for converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal and the IP signal transmitted by the BSCMU into the dedicated-line data signal; an IP interface for communicating the IP signal with the BSCMU; and a controller for controlling the transceiver, the converter, and the IP interface. The BTSMU further comprises a buffer for storing the IP signal transmitted by the BSCMU. The BTSMU further comprises a buffer state monitor for producing buffer state data relative to a current state and a maximum storing capacity of the buffer to be transmitted to the BSCMU. The BTSMU further comprises an IP address controller for maintaining an IP address of the IP line connecting the BTSCMU with the BSCMU. The BTSMU further comprises a present state monitor for monitoring an operational state of the BTSMU to check for failure. The BTSMU further comprises a transmission controller for controlling a size of the IP signal to be transmitted to the BSCMU according to the buffer state data of the BSCMU. Another aspect of the invention provides a BSCMU in a mobile communication system comprising a BTS for communicating with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals, a BTSMU being connected to the BTS through a dedicated line for converting an IP signal into a dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BTS and converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal, and a BSC for controlling wireless communication between the BTS and the mobile terminal, the BSCMU comprising: a transceiver for communicating the dedicated-line data signal with the BSC; a converter for converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BSC into the IP signal and the IP signal transmitted by the BTSMU into the dedicated-line data signal; an IP interface for communicating the IP signal with the BTSMU; and a controller for controlling the transceiver, the converter, and the IP interface. Still another aspect of the invention provides a BTSMU in a mobile communication system comprising a BTS for communicating with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals, a BSC for controlling the BTS and a BSCMU being connected to the BSC through a dedicated line for converting a dedicated-line data signal transmitted through the dedicated line into an IP signal and the IP signal into a dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BSC, the BTSMU comprising: a transceiver for communicating the dedicated-line data signal with the BTS; a converter for converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal and the IP signal transmitted by the BSCMU into the dedicated-line data signal; an IP interface for communicating the IP signal with the BSCMU; and a controller for controlling the transceiver, the converter, and the IP interface. Still another aspect of the invention provides a data transmission method in a BSCMU of a mobile communication network, wherein the mobile network comprises a BTS for communicating with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals, a BTSMU being connected to the BTS through a dedicated line for converting an IP signal into a dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BTS and converting the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal, and a BSC for controlling the BTS, the method comprising the steps of: receiving the dedicated-line data signal from the BSC via the dedicated line; converting the dedicated-line data signal into the IP signal; receiving buffer state data relative to a current state and a maximum storing capacity of a buffer in the BTSMU; controlling a size of the IP signal to be transmitted to the BTSMU according to the buffer state data; and transmitting the IP signal to the BTSMU through an IP line, wherein the IP signal is converted into the dedicated-line data signal at the BTSMU and transmitted to the mobile terminal by the BTS. Yet another aspect of the invention provides a data transmission method in a BTSMU of a mobile communication network, wherein the mobile network comprises a BTS for communicating with a mobile terminal selected from plural mobile terminals, a BSCMU being connected to the BSC through a dedicated line for converting an IP signal into a dedicated-line data signal to be transmitted to the BTS and the dedicated-line data signal transmitted by the BTS into the IP signal and a BSC for controlling the BTS, the method comprising the steps of: receiving the dedicated-line data signal from the BTS via the dedicated line; converting the dedicated-line data signal into the IP signal; receiving buffer state data relative to a current state and a maximum storing capacity of a buffer in the BSCMU; controlling a size of the IP signal to be transmitted to the BSCMU according to the buffer state data; and transmitting the IP signal to the BSCMU through an IP line, wherein the IP signal is converted into the dedicated-line data signal at the BSCMU and transmitted to BSC. | 20041007 | 20090721 | 20050331 | 64337.0 | 1 | VUONG, QUOCHIEN B | LOW-COST NETWORK SYSTEM BETWEEN A BASE STATION CONTROLLER AND A BASE TRANSCEIVER STATION, AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING DATA BETWEEN THEM | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,962,337 | ACCEPTED | Method and compositions for ordering restriction fragments | The invention provides a method for constructing a high resolution physical map of a polynucleotide. In accordance with the invention, nucleotide sequences are determined at the ends of restriction fragments produced by a plurality of digestions with a plurality of combinations of restriction endonucleases so that a pair of nucleotide sequences is obtained for each restriction fragment. A physical map of the polynucleotide is constructed by ordering the pairs of sequences by matching the identical sequences among the pairs. | 1-22. (Cancelled) 23. A method of ordering pairs of sequence tags, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a population of pairs of sequence tags of restriction fragments, produced by digesting a fragment of genomic DNA with a plurality of combinations of restriction endonucleases; b) removing duplicate pairs of sequence tags from the population; c) selecting a pair of sequence tags from the population; d) comparing each sequence tag of the selected pair with each sequence tag of a first pair and a last pair of a candidate ordering; e) adding the selected pair to an end of the candidate ordering whenever a sequence tag of the selected pair matches the sequence tag of the first pair or the last pair of the candidate ordering, to form a new candidate ordering; and f) repeating steps c) through e) until all pairs of the population have been selected. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein said population of pairs of sequence tags consists of n pluralities of pairs of sequence tags, each plurality being formed by digesting said fragment of genomic DNA in n separate reactions, each with a different n−1 combination of restriction endonucleases, wherein each pair of sequence tags is formed by ligating a portion of each end of each restriction fragment together. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein said population of pairs of sequence tags consists of samples of pairs of sequence tags from each of said n pluralities. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein each of said samples has the same size. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein n=3 and each said restriction endonuclease has a six-basepair recognition site. 28-33. (Cancelled) | FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to methods for construction physical maps of DNA, especially genomic DNA, and more particularly, to a method of providing high resolution physical maps by sequence analysis of concatenations of segments of restriction fragment ends. BACKGROUND Physical maps of one or more large pieces of DNA, such as a genome or chromosome, consist of an ordered collection of molecular landmarks that may be used to position, or map, a smaller fragment, such as clone containing a gene of interest, within the larger structure, e.g. U.S. Department of Energy, “Primer on Molecular Genetics,” from Human Genome 1991-92 Program Report; and Los Alamos Science, 20: 112-122 (1992). An important goal of the Human Genome Project has been to provide a series of genetic and physical maps of the human genome with increasing resolution, i.e. with reduced distances in basepairs between molecular landmarks, e.g. Murray et al, Science, 265: 2049-2054 (1994); Hudson et al, Science, 270: 1945-1954 (1995); Schuler et al, Science, 274: 540-546 (1996); and so on. Such maps have great value not only in furthering our understanding of genome organization, but also as tools for helping to fill contig gaps in large-scale sequencing projects and as tools for helping to isolate disease-related genes in positional cloning projects, e.g. Rowen et al, pages 167-174, in Adams et al, editors, Automated DNA Sequencing and Analysis (Academic Press, New York, 1994); Collins, Nature Genetics, 9: 347-350 (1995); Rossiter and Caskey, Annals of Surgical Oncology, 2: 14-25 (1995); and Schuler et al (cited above). In both cases, the ability to rapidly construct high-resolution physical maps of large pieces of genomic DNA is highly desirable. Two important approaches to genomic mapping include the identification and use of sequence tagged sites (STS's), e.g. Olson et al, Science, 245: 1434-1435 (1989); and Green et al, PCR Methods and Applications, 1: 77-90 (1991), and the construction and use of jumping and linking libraries, e.g. Collins et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 81: 6812-6816 (1984); and Poustka and Lehrach, Trends in Genetics, 2: 174-179 (1986). The former approach makes maps highly portable and convenient, as maps consist of ordered collections of nucleotide sequences that allow application without having to acquire scarce or specialized reagents and libraries. The latter approach provides a systematic means for identifying molecular landmarks spanning large genetic distances and for ordering such landmarks via hybridization assays with members of a linking library. Unfortunately, these approaches to mapping genomic DNA are difficult and laborious to implement. It would be highly desirable if there was an approach for constructing physical maps that combined the systematic quality of the jumping and linking libraries with the convenience and portability of the STS approach. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of my invention is to provide methods and materials for constructing high resolution physical maps of genomic DNA. Another object of my invention is to provide a method of ordering restriction fragments from multiple enzyme digests by aligning matching sequences of their ends. Still another object of my invention is to provide a high resolution physical map of a target polynucleotide that permits directed sequencing of the target polynucleotide with the sequences of the map. Another object of my invention is to provide vectors for excising ends of restriction fragments for concatenation and sequencing. Still another object of my invent is to provide a method monitoring the expression of genes. A further object of my invention is to provide physical maps of genomic DNA that consist of an ordered collection of nucleotide sequences spaced at an average distance of a few hundred to a few thousand bases. My invention achieves these and other objects by providing methods and materials for determining the nucleotide sequences of both ends of restriction fragments obtained from multiple enzymatic digests of a target polynucleotide, such as a fragment of a genome, or chromosome, or an insert of a cosmid, BAC, YAC, or the like. In accordance with the invention, a polynucleotide is separately digested with different combinations of restriction endonucleases and the ends of the restriction fragments are sequenced so that pairs of sequences from each fragment are produced. A physical map of the polynucleotide is constructed by ordering the pairs of sequences by matching the identical sequences among such pairs resulting from all of the digestions. In the preferred embodiment, a polynucleotide is mapped by the following steps: (a) providing a plurality of populations of restriction fragments, the restriction fragments of each population having ends defined by digesting the polynucleotide with a plurality of combinations of restriction endonucleases; (b) determining the nucleotide sequence of a portion of each end of each restriction fragment of each population so that a pair of nucleotide sequences is obtained for each restriction fragment of each population; and (c) ordering the pairs of nucleotide sequences by matching the nucleotide sequences between pairs to form a map of the polynucleotide. Another aspect of the invention is the monitoring gene expression by providing pairs of segments excised from cDNAs. In this embodiment, segments from each end of each cDNA of a population of cDNAs are ligated together to form pairs, which serve to identify their associated cDNAs. Concatenations of such pairs are sequenced by conventional techniques to provide information on the relative frequencies of expression in the population. The invention provides a means for generating a high density physical map of target polynucleotides based on the positions of the restriction sites of predetermined restriction endonucleases. Such physical maps provide many advantages, including a more efficient means for directed sequencing of large DNA fragments, the positioning of expression sequence tags and cDNA sequences on large genomic fragments, such as BAC library inserts, thereby making positional candidate mapping easier; and the like. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 graphically illustrates the concept of a preferred embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 provides a diagram of a vector for forming pairs of nucleotide sequences in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 illustrates a scheme for carrying out the steps of a preferred embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 illustrates locations on yeast chromosome 1 where sequence information is provided in a physical map based on digestions with Hind III, Eco RI, and Xba I in accordance with the invention. Definitions As used herein, the process of “mapping” a polynucleotide means providing a ordering, or series, of sequenced segments of the polynucleotide that correspond to the actual ordering of the segments in the polynucleotide. For example, the following set of five-base sequences is a map of the polynucleotide below (SEQ ID NO: 1), which has the ordered set of sequences making up the map underlined: (gggtc, ttatt, aacct, catta, ccgga) GTTGGGTCAACAAATTACCTTATTGTAACCTTCGCATTAGCCGGAGCCT The term “oligonucleotide” as used herein includes linear oligomers of natural or modified monomers or linkages, including deoxyribonucleosides, ribonucleosides, and the like, capable of specifically binding to a target polynucleotide by way of a regular pattern of monomer-to-monomer interactions, such as Watson-Crick type of base pairing, base stacking, Hoogsteen or reverse Hoogsteen types of base pairing, or the like. Usually monomers are linked by phosphodiester bonds or analogs thereof to form oligonucleotides ranging in size from a few monomeric units, e.g. 34, to several tens of monomeric units, e.g. 40-60. Whenever an oligonucleotide is represented by a sequence of letters, such as “ATGCCTG,” it will be understood that the nucleotides are in 5′→3′ order from left to right and that “A” denotes deoxyadenosine, “C” denotes deoxycytidine, “G” denotes deoxyguanosine, and “T” denotes ihymidine, unless otherwise noted. Usually oligonucleotides comprise the four natural nucleotides; however, they may also comprise non-natural nucleotide analogs. It is clear to those skilled in the art when oligonucleotides having natural or non-natural nucleotides may be employed, e.g. where processing by enzymes is called for, usually oligonucleotides consisting of natural nucleotides are required. “Perfectly matched” in reference to a duplex means that the poly- or oigonucleotide strands making up the duplex form a double stranded structure with one other such that every nucleotide in each strand undergoes Watson-Crick basepairing with a nucleotide in the other strand. The term also comprehends the pairing of nucleoside analogs, such as deoxyinosine, nucleosides with 2-aminopurine bases, and the like, that may be employed. In reference to a triplex, the term means that the triplex consists of a perfectly matched duplex and a third strand in which every nucleotide undergoes Hoogsteen or reverse Hoogsteen association with a basepair of the perfectly matched duplex. As used herein, “nucleoside” includes the natural nucleosides, including 2′-deoxy and 2′-hydroxyl forms, e.g. as described in Kornberg and Baker, DNA Replication, 2nd Ed. (Freeman, San Francisco, 1992). “Analogs” in reference to nucleosides includes synthetic nucleosides having modified base moieties and/or modified sugar moieties, e.g. described by Scheit, Nucleotide Analogs (John Wiley, New York, 1980); Uhlman and Peyman, Chemical Reviews, 90: 543-584 (1990), or the like, with the only proviso that they are capable of specific hybridization. Such analogs include synthetic nucleosides designed to enhance binding properties, reduce complexity, increase specificity, and the like. As used herein, the term “complexity” in reference to a population of polynucleotides means the number of different species of polynucleotide present in the population. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, segments of nucleotides at each end of restriction fragments produced from multiple digestions of a polynucleotide are sequenced and used to arrange the fragments into a physical map. Such a physical map consists of an ordered collection of the nucleotide sequences of the segments immediately adjacent to the cleavage sites of the endonucleases used in the digestions. Preferably, after each digestion, segments are removed from the ends of each restriction fragment by cleavage with a type IIs restriction endonuclease. Excised segments from the same fragment are ligated together to form a pair of segments. Preferably, collections of such pairs are concatenated by ligation, cloned, and sequenced using conventional techniques. The concept of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 for an embodiment which employs three restriction endonucleases: r, q, and s. Polynucleotide (50) has recognition sites (r1, r2, r3, and r4) for restriction endonucleases r, recognition sites (q1 through q4) for restriction endonuclease q, and recognition sites (s1 through s5) for restriction endonuclease s. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, polynucleotide (50) is separately digested with r and s, q and s, and r and q to produce three populations of restriction fragments (58), (60), and (62), respectively. Segments adjacent to the ends of each restriction fragment are sequenced to form sets of pairs (52), (54), and (56) of nucleotide sequences, which for sake of illustration are shown directly beneath their corresponding restriction fragments in the correct order. Pairs of sequences from all three sets are ordered by matching sequences between pairs as shown (70). A nucleotide sequence (72) from a first pair is matched with a sequence (74) of a second pair whose other sequence (76), in turn, is matched with a sequence (78) of a third pair. The matching continues, as (80) is matched with (82), (84) with (86), (88) with (90), and so on, until the maximum number of pairs are included. It is noted that some pairs (92) do not contribute to the map. These correspond to fragments having the same restriction site at both ends. In other word, they correspond to situations where there are two (or more) consecutive restriction sites of the same type without other sites in between, e.g. s3 and s4 in this example. Preferably, algorithms used for assembling a physical map from the pairs of sequences can eliminate pairs having identical sequences. Generally, a plurality of enzymes is employed in each digestion. Preferably, at least three distinct recognition sites are used. This can be accomplished by using three or more restriction endonucleases, such as Hind III, Eco RI, and Xba I, which recognize different nucleotide sequences, or by using restriction endonucleases recognizing the same nucleotide sequence, but which have different methylation sensitivities. That is, it is understood that a different “recognition site” may be different solely by virtue of a different methylation state. Preferably, a set of at least three recognition endonucleases is employed in the method of the invention. From this set a plurality of combinations of restriction endonucleases is formed for separate digestion of a target polynucleoitde. Preferably, the combinations are “n−1” combinations of the set. In other words, for a set of n restriction endonucleases, the preferred combinations are all the combinations of n−1 restriction endonucleases. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1 where a set of three restriction endonucleases (r, q, and s) are employed, the n−1 combinations are (r, q), (r, s), and (q, s). Likewise, if four restriction endonucleases (r, q, s, and w) are employed, the n−1 combinations are (r, q, s), (r, q, w), (r, s, w), and (q, s, w). It is readily seen that where a set of n restriction endonucleases are employed the plurality of n−1 combinations is n. Preferably, the method of the invention is carried out using a vector, such as that illustrated in FIG. 2. The vector is readily constructed from commercially available materials using conventional recombinant DNA techniques, e.g. as disclosed in Sambrook et al, Molecular Cloning, Second Edition (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1989). Preferably, pUC-based plasmids, such as pUC19, or λ-based phages, such as λ ZAP Express (Stratagene Cloning Systems, La Jolla, Calif.), or like vectors are employed. Important features of the vector are recognition sites (204) and (212) for two type IIs restriction endonucleases that flank restriction fragment (208). For convenience, the two type IIs restriction enzymes are referred to herein as “IIs1” and “IIs2”, respectively. IIs1 and IIs2 may be the same or different. Recognition sites (204) and (212) are oriented so that the cleavage sites of IIs1 and IIs2 are located in the interior of restriction fragment (208). In other words, taking the 5′ direction as “upstream” and the 3′ direction as “downstream,” the cleavage site of IIs1 is downstream of its recognition site and the cleavage site of IIs2 is upstream of its recognition site. Thus, when the vector is cleaved with IIs1 and IIs2 two segments (218) and (220) of restriction fragment (208) remain attached to the vector. The vector is then re-circularized by ligating the two ends together, thereby forming a pair of segments. If such cleavage results in one or more single stranded overhangs, i.e. one or more non-blunt ends, then the ends are preferably rendered blunt prior to re-circularization, for example, by digesting the protruding strand with a nuclease such as Mung bean nuclease, or by extending a 3′ recessed strand, if one is produced in the digestion. The ligation reaction for re-circularization is carried out under conditions that favor the formation of covalent circles rather than concatemers of the vector. Preferably, the vector concentration for the ligation is between about 0.4 and about 4.0 μg/ml of vector DNA, e.g. as disclosed in Collins et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 81: 6812-6812 (1984), for α-based vectors. For vectors of different molecular weight, the concentration range is adjusted appropriately. In the preferred embodiments, the number of nucleotides identified depends on the “reach” of the type IIs restriction endonucleases employed. “Reach” is the amount of separation between a recognition site of a type IIs restriction endonuclease and its cleavage site, e.g. Brenner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,675. The conventional measure of reach is given as a ratio of integers, such as “(16/14)”, where the numerator is the number of nucleotides from the recognition site in the 5′→3′ direction that cleavage of one strand occurs and the denominator is the number of nucleotides from the recognition site in the 3′→5′ direction that cleavage of the other strand occurs. Preferred type IIs restriction endonucleases for use as IIs1 and IIs2 in the preferred embodiment include the following: Bbv I, Bce 83 I, Bcef I, Bpm I, Bsg I, BspLU II III, Bst 71 I, Eco 57 I, Fok I, Gsu I, Hga I, Mme I, and the like. In the preferred embodiment, a vector is selected which does not contain a recognition site, other than (204) and (212), for the type IIs enzyme(s) used to generate pairs of segments; otherwise, re-circularization cannot be carried out. Preferably, a type IIs restriction endonuclease for generating pairs of segments has as great a reach as possible to maximize the probability that the nucleotide sequences of the segments are unique. This in turn maximizes the probability that a unique physical map can be assembled. If the target polynucleotide is a bacterial genome of 1 megabase, for a restriction endonuclease with a six basepair recognition site, about 250 fragments are generated (or about 500 ends) and the number of nucleotides determined could be as low as five or six, and still have a significant probability that each end sequence would be unique. Preferably, for polynucleotides less than or equal to 10 megabases, at least 8 nucleotides are determined in the regions adjacent to restriction sites, when a restriction endonuclease having a six basepair recognition site is employed. Generally for polynucleotides less than or equal to 10 megabases, 9-12 nucleotides are preferably determined to ensure that the end sequences are unique. In the preferred embodiment, type IIs enzymes having a (16/14) reach effectively provide 9 bases of unique sequence (since blunting reduces the number of bases to 14 and 5 bases are part of the recognition sites (206) or (210)). In a polynucleotide having a random sequence of nucleotides, a 9-mer appears on average about once every 262,000 bases. Thus, 9-mer sequences are quite suitable for uniquely labeling restriction fragments of a target polynucleotide corresponding to a typical yeast artificial chromosome (YACs) insert, i.e. 100-1000 kilobases, bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) insert, i.e. 50-250 kilobases, and the like. Immediately adjacent to IIs sites (204) and (212) are restriction sites (206) and (210), respectively that permit restriction fragment (208) to be inserted into the vector. That is, restriction site (206) is immediately downstream of (204) and (210) is immediately upstream of (212). Preferably, sites (204) and (206) are as close together as possible, even overlapping, provided type IIs site (206) is not destroyed upon cleavage with the enzymes for inserting restriction fragment (208). This is desirable because the recognition site of the restriction endonuclease used for generating the fragments occurs between the recognition site and cleavage site of type IIs enzyme used to remove a segment for sequencing, i.e. it occurs within the “reach” of the type IIs enzyme. Thus, the closer the recognition sites, the larger the piece of unique sequence can be removed from the fragment. The same of course holds for restriction sites (210) and (212). Preferably, whenever the vector employed is based on a pUC plasmid, restriction sites (206) and (210) are selected from either the restriction sites of polylinker region of the pUC plasmid or from the set of sites which do not appeal in the pUC. Such sites include Eco RI, Apo I, Ban II, Sac I, Kpn I, Acc65 I, Ava I, Xma I, Sma I, Bam HI, Xba I, Sal I, Hinc II, Acc I, BspMI, Pst I, Sse8387 I, Sph I, Hind III, Afl II, Age I, Bsp120 I, Asc I, Bbs I, Bcl I, Bgl II, Blp I, BsaA I, Bsa BI, Bse RI, Bsm I, Cla I, Bsp EI, BssH II, Bst BI, BstXI, Dra III, Eag I, Eco RV, Fse I, Hpa I, Mfe I, Nae I, Nco I, Nhe I, Not I, Nru I, Pac I, Xho I, Pme I, Sac II, Spe I, Stu I, and the like. Preferably, six-nucleotide recognition sites (i.e. “6-cutters”) are used, and more preferably, 6-cutters leaving four-nucleotide protruding strands are used. Preferably, the vectors contain primer binding sites (200) and (216) for primers p1 and p2, respectively, which may be used to amplify the pair of segments by PCR after re-circularization. Recognition sites (202) and (214) are for restriction endonucleases w1 and w2, which are used to cleave the pair of segments from the vector after amplification. Preferably, w1 and w2, which may be the same or different, are type IIs restriction endonucleases whose cleavage sites correspond to those of (206) and (210), thereby removing surplus, or non-informative, sequence (such as the recognition sites (204) and (212)) and generating protruding ends that permit concatenation of the pairs of segments. FIG. 3 illustrates steps in a preferred method using vectors of FIG. 2. Genomic or other DNA (400) is obtained using conventional techniques, e.g. Herrmann and Frischauf, Methods in Enzymology, 152: 180-183 (1987); Frischauf, Methods in Enzymology, 152: 183-199 (1987), or the like, after which it is divided (302) into aliquots that are separately digested (310) with combinations restriction endonucleases, as shown in FIG. 3 for the n−1 combinations of the set of enzymes r, s, and q. Preferably, the resulting fragments are treated with a phosphatase to prevent ligation of the genomic fragments with one another before or during insertion into a vector. Restriction fragments are inserted (312) into vectors designed with cloning sites to specifically accept the fragments. That is, fragments digested with r and s are inserted into a vector that accepts r-s fragments. Fragments having the same ends, e.g. r-r and s-s, are not cloned since information derived from them does not contribute to the map. r-s fragments are of course inserted into the vector in both orientations. Thus, for a set of three restriction endonucleases, only three vectors are required, e.g. one each for accepting r-s, r-q, and s-q fragments. Likewise, for a set of four restriction endonucleases, e.g. r, s, q, and t, only six vectors are required, one each for accepting r-s, r-q, r-t, s-q, s-t, and q-t fragments. After insertion, a suitable host is transformed with the vectors and cultured, i.e. expanded (314), using conventional techniques. Transformed host cells are then selected, e.g. by plating and picking colonies using a standard marker, e.g. β-glactosidase/X-gal. A large enough sample of transformed host cells is taken to ensure that every restriction fragment is present for analysis with a reasonably large probability. This is similar to the problem of ensuring representation of a clone of a rare mRNA in a cDNA library, as discussed in Sambrook et al, Molecular Cloning, Second Edition (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1989), and like references. Briefly, the number of fragments, N, that must be in a sample to achieve a given probability, P, of including a given fragment is the following: N=ln(1−P)/ln(1−f), where f is the frequency of the fragment in the population. Thus, for a population of 500 restriction fragments, a sample containing 3454 vectors will include at least one copy of each fragment (i.e. a complete set) with a probability of 99.9%; and a sample containing 2300 vectors will include at least one copy of each fragment with a probability of 99%. The table below provides the results of similar calculations for target polynucleotides of different sizes: TABLE I Average fragment size Average fragment size after cleavage with after cleavage with 2 six-cutters 3 six-cutters Size of Target (No. of fragments) (No. of fragments) Polynucleotide [Sample size for complete [Sample size for complete (basepairs) set with 99% probability] set with 99% probability] 2.5 × 105 2048 (124) [576] 1365 (250) [1050] 5 × 105 2048 (250) [1050] 1365 (500) [2300] 1 × 106 2048 (500) [2300] 1365 (1000) [4605] After selection, the vector-containing hosts are combined and expanded in cultured. The vectors are then isolated, e.g. by a conventional mini-prep, or the like, and cleaved with IIs1 and IIs2 (316). The fragments comprising the vector and ends (i.e. segments) of the restriction fragment insert are isolated, e.g. by gel electrophoresis, blunted (316), and re-circularized (320). The resulting pairs of segments in the re-circularized vectors are then amplified (322), e.g. by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), after which the amplified pairs are cleaved with w (324) to free the pairs of segments, which are isolated (326), e.g. by gel electrophoresis. The isolated pairs are concatenated (328) in a conventional ligation reaction to produce concatemers of various sizes, which are separated, e.g. by gel electrophoresis. Concatemers greater than about 200-300 basepairs are isolated and cloned (330) into a standard sequencing vector, such as M13. The sequences of the cloned concatenated pairs are analyzed on a conventional DNA sequencer, such as a model 377 DNA sequencer from Perkin-Elmer Applied Biosystems Division (Foster City, Calif.). In the above embodiment, the sequences of the pairs of segments are readily identified between sequences for the recognition site of the enzymes used in the digestions. For example, when pairs are concatenated from fragments of the r and s digestion after cleavage with a type IIs restriction endonuclease of reach (16/14), the following pattern is observed (SEQ ID NO: 1): . . . NNNNrrrrrrNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNqqqqqqNNNNN N . . . where “r” and “q” represent the nucleotides of the recognition sites of restriction endonuclease r and q, respectively, and where the N's are the nucleotides of the pairs of segments. Thus, the pairs are recognized by their length and their spacing between known recognition sites. Pairs of segments are ordered by matching the sequences of segments between pairs. That is, a candidate map is built by selecting pairs that have one identical and one different sequence. The identical sequences are matched to form a candidate map, or ordering, as illustrated below for pairs (s1, s2), (s3, s2), (s3, s4), (s5, s4), and (s5, s6), where the “sk's” represent the nucleotide sequences of the segments: . . . s1---- s2 s3----------------- s2 s3---------------------------------- --- s4 s5------- s4 s5---------------- s6 . . . Sequence matching and candidate map construction is readily carried out by computer algorithms, such as the Fortran code provided in Appendix A. Preferably, a map construction algorithm initially sorts the pairs to remove identical pairs prior to map construction. That is, preferably ony one pair of each kind is used in the reconstruction. If for two pairs, (si, sj) and (sm, sn), si=sm and sj=sn, then one of the two can be eliminated prior to map construction. As pointed out above, such additional pairs either correspond to restriction fragments such as (92) of FIG. 1 (no sites of a second or third restriction endonuclease in its interior) or they are additional copies of pairs (because of sampling) that can be used in the analysis. Preferably, an algorithm selects the largest candidate map as a solution, i.e. the candidate map that uses the maximal number of pairs. The vector of FIG. 2 can also be used for determining the frequency of expression of particular cDNAs in a cDNA library. Preferably, cDNAs whose frequencies are to be determined are cloned into a vector by way of flanking restriction sites that correspond to those of (206) and (210). Thus, cDNAs may be cleaved from the library vectors and directionally inserted into the vector of FIG. 2. After insertion, analysis is carried out as described for the mapping embodiment, except that a larger number of concatemers are sequenced in order to obtain a large enough sample of cDNAs for reliable data on frequencies. EXAMPLE 1 Constructing a Physical Map of Yeast Chromosome I with Hind III, Eco RI, and Xba I In this example, a physical map of the 230 kilobase yeast chromosome 1 is constructed using pUC19 plasmids modified in accordance with FIG. 2. The chromosome is separately digested to completion with the following combinations of enzymes: Hind III and Eco RI, Hind III and Xba I, and Eco RI and Xba I to generate three populations of restriction fragments. Fragments from each population are inserted into separate pUC19 plasmids, one for each restriction fragment having different ends. That is, restriction fragments from the Hind III-Eco RI digestion are present in three types, ones with a Hind III-digested end and an Eco RI-digested end (“H-E” fragments), one with only Hind III-digested ends (“H-H” fragments), and ones with only Eco RI-digested fragments (“E-E” fragments). Likewise, restriction fragments from the Hind III-Kba I digestion are present in three types, ones with a Hind III-digested end and an Xba I-digested end (“H-X” fragments), one with only Hind III-digested ends (“H-H” fragments), and ones with only Xba I-digested fragments (“X-X” fragments). Finally, restriction fragments from the Xba I-Eco RI digestion are present in three types, ones with a Xba I-digested end and an Eco RI-digested end (“X-E” fragments), one with only Xba I-digested ends (“X-X” fragments), and ones with only Eco RI-digested fragments (“E-E” fragments). Thus, the plasmid for the Hind III-Eco RI digestion accepts H-E fragments; the plasmid for the Hind III-Xba I digestion accepts H-X fragments; and the plasmid for the Xba I-Eco RI digestion accepts X-E fragments. The construction of the plasmid for accepting H-E fragments is described below. The other plasmids are construction in a similar manner. Synthetic oligonucleotides (i) through (iv) are combined with a Eco I- and Hind III-digested pUC19 in a ligation reaction so that they assemble into the double stranded insert of Formula I. (i) 5′-AATTAGCCGTACCTGCAGCAGTGCAGAAGCTTGCGT (SEQ ID NO: 2) (ii) 5′-AAACCTCAGAATTCCTGCACAGCTGCGAATCATTCG (SEQ ID NO: 3) (iii) 5′-AGCTCGAATGATTCGCAGCTGTGCAGGAATTCTGAG (SEQ ID NO: 4) (iv) 5′-GTTTACGCAAGCTTCTGCACTGCTGCAGGTACGGCT (SEQ ID NO: 5) → → Bbv I Bsg I Hind III ↓ ↓ ↓ 5′-AATTAGCCGTACCTGCAGCAGTGCAGAAGCTTGCGTAAACCTCA- TCGGCATGGACGTCGTCACGTCTTCGAACGCATTTGGAGT- P1 primer binding site p2 primer binding site -GAATTCCTGCACAGCTGCGAATCATTCG -CTTAAGGACGTGTCGACGCTTAGTAAGCTCGA ↑ ↑ ↑ Eco RI Bsg I Bbv I Formula I (SEQ ID NO: 6) Note that the insert has compatible ends to the Eco RI-Hind III-digested plasmid, but that the original Eco RI and Hind III sites are destroyed upon ligation. The horizontal arrows above and below the Bsg I and Bbv I sites indicate the direction of the cleavage site relative to the recognition site of the enzymes. After ligation, transformation of a suitable host, and expansion, the modified pUC19 is isolated and the insert is sequenced to confirm its identity. Yeast chromosome I DNA is separated into three aliquots of about 5 μg DNA (0.033 pmol) each, which are then separately digested to completion with Hind III and Eco RI, Hind III and Xba 1, and Eco RI and Xba I, respectively. For each of the three populations, the same procedure is followed, which is described as follows for the pUC19 designed for H-E fragments. Since each enzyme recognizes a six basepair recognition sequence, about 100-140 fragments are produced for a total of about 3.3 pmol of fragments, about fifty percent of which are H-E fragments. 5.26 μg (3 pmol) of plasmid DNA is digested with Eco RI and Hind III in Eco RI buffer as recommended by the manufacturer (New England Biolabs, Beverly, Mass.), purified by phenol extraction and ethanol precipitation, and ligated to the H-E fragments of the mixture in a standard ligation reaction. A bacterial host is transformed, e.g. by electroporation, and plated so that hosts containing recombinant plasmids are identified by white colonies. The digestion of the yeast chromosome I generates about 124 fragments of the three types, about fifty percent of which are H-E fragments and about twenty-five percent each are H-H or E-E fragments. About 290 colonies are picked for H-E fragments, and about 145 each are picked for H-H and E-E fragments. The same procedure is carried out for all the other types of fragments, so that six populations of transformed hosts are obtained, one each for H-E, H-X, X-E, H-H, E-E, and X-X fragments. Each of the populations is treated separately as follows: About 10 μg of plasmid DNA is digested to completion with Bsg I using the manufacturer's protocol (New England Biolabs, Beverly, Mass.) and after phenol extraction the vector/segment-containing fragment is isolated, e.g. by gel electrophoresis. The ends of the isolated fragment are then blunted by Mung bean nuclease (using the manufacturer's recommended protocol, New England Biolabs), after which the blunted fragments are purified by phenol extraction and ethanol precipitation. The fragments are then resuspended in a ligation buffer at a concentration of about 0.05 μg/ml in 20 1-ml reaction volumes. The dilution is designed to promote self-ligation of the fragments, following the protocol of Collins et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 81: 6812-6816 (1984). After ligation and concentration by ethanol precipitation, phages from the 20 reactions are combined. The pairs of segments carried by the plasmids are then amplified by PCR using primers p1 and p2. The amplified product is purified by phenol extraction and ethanol precipitation, after which it is cleaved with Bbv I using the manufacturer's recommended protocol (New England Biolabs). After isolation by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the pairs are concatenated by carrying out a conventional ligation reaction. The concatenated fragments are then separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and concatemers greater than about 200 basepairs are isolated and ligated into an equimolar mixture of three Phagescript SK sequencing vectors (Stratagene Cloning Systems, La Jolla, Calif.), separately digested with Hind III, Eco RI, and Hind III and Eco RI, respectively. (Other appropriate mixtures and digestions are employed when different combinations of enzymes are used). Preferably, a number of clones are expanded and sequenced that ensure with a probability of at least 99% that all of the pairs of the aliquot are sequenced. A “lane” of sequence data (about 600 bases) obtained with conventional sequencing provides the sequences of about 25 pairs of segments. Thus, after transfection, about 13 individual clones are expanded and sequenced on a commercially available DNA sequencer, e.g. PE Applied Biosystems model 377, to give the identities of about 325 pairs of segments. The other sets of fragments require an additional 26 lanes of sequencing (13 each for the H-X and X-E fragments). FIG. 4 illustrates the positions on yeast chromosome 1 of pairs of segments ordered in accordance with the algorithm of Appendix A. The relative spacing of the segments along the chromosome is only provided to show the distribution of sequence information along the chromosome. Example 2 Directed Sequencing of Yeast Chromosome 1 Using Restriction Map Sequences as Spaced PCR Primers In this example, the 14-mer segments making up the physical map of Example 1 are used to separately amplify by PCR fragments that collectively cover yeast 1 chromosome. The PCR products are inserted into standard M13mp19, or like, sequencing vectors and sequenced in both the forward and reverse directions using conventional protocols. For fragments greater than about 800 basepairs, the sequence information obtained in the first round of sequencing is used to synthesized new sets of primers for the next round of sequencing. Such directed sequencing continues until each fragment is completely sequenced. Based on the map of Example 1, 174 primers are synthesized for 173 PCRs. The total number of sequencing reactions required to cover yeast chromosome 1 depends on the distribution of fragment sizes, and particularly, how many rounds of sequencing are required to cover each fragment: the larger the fragment, the more rounds of sequencing that are required for full coverage. Full coverage of a fragment is obtained when inspection of the sequence information shows that complementary sequences are being identified. Below, it is assumed that conventional sequencing will produce about 400 bases at each end of a fragment in each round. Inspection shows that the distribution of fragment sizes from the Example 1 map of yeast chromosome I are shown below together with reaction and primer requirements: Round of Fragment Number of Number of Number of Sequencing size range Fragments Seq. or PCR Primers Sequencing Reactions 1 >0 174 174 348 2 >800 92 184 184 3 >1600 53 106 106 4 >2400 28 56 56 5 >3200 16 32 32 6 >4000 7 14 14 7 >4800 5 10 10 8 >5600 1 2 2 Total No. of Primers: 578 752 Seq. reactions for map: 39 Total No. of 791 Reactions: This compares to about 2500-3000 sequencing reactions that are required for full coverage using shotgun sequencing. APPENDIX A Computer Code for Ordering Pairs into a Physical Map program opsort c c opsort reads ordered pairs from disk files c p1.dat, p2.dat, and p3.dat. and sorts c them into a physical map. c character*1 op(1000,2,14),w(14),x(14) character*1 fp(1000,2,14),test(14) c c open(1,file=‘p1.dat’,status=‘old’) open(5,file=‘olist.dat’,status=‘replace’) c c nop=0 read(1,100)nop1 nop=nop + nop1 do 101 j=1,nop read(1,102)(w(i),i=1,14), + (x(k),k=1,14) do 121 kk=1,14 op(j,1,kk)=w(kk) op(j,2,kk)=x(kk) 121 continue 101 continue read(1,100)nop2 nop=nop + nop2 do 1011 j=nop1+1,nop read(1,102)(w(i),i=1,14), + (x(k),k=1,14) do 1211 kk=1,14 op(j,1,kk)=w(kk) op(j,2,kk)=x(kk) 1211 continue 1011 continue c close(1) c write(5,110)nop1,nop2,nop 110 format(3(2x,i4)) c c open(1,file=‘p2.dat’,status=‘old’) read(1,100)nop3 nop=nop + nop3 do 104 j=nop1+nop2+1,nop read(1,102)(w(i),i=1,14), + (x(k),k=1,14) do 122 kk=1,14 op(j,1,kk)=w(kk) op(j,2,kk)=x(kk) 122 continue 104 continue c read(1,100)nop4 nop=nop + nop4 do 1041 j=nop1+nop2+nop3+1,nop read(1,102)(w(i),i=1,14), + (x(k),k=1,14) do 1221 kk=1,14 op(j,1,kk)=w(kk) op(j,2,kk)=x(kk) 1221 continue 1041 continue c close(1) write(5,1108)nop1,nop2,nop3,nop4,nop 1108 format(5(2x,i4)) c c open(1,file=‘p3.dat’,status=‘old’) read(1,100)nop5 nop=nop + nop5 do 105 j=nop1+nop2+nop3+nop4+1,nop read(1,102)(w(i),i=1,14), + (x(k),k=1,14) do 123 kk=1,14 op(j,1,kk)=w(kk) op(j,2,kk)=x(kk) 123 continue 105 continue c read(1,100)nop6 nop=nop + nop6 do 1051 j=nop1+nop2+nop3+nop4+nop5+1,nop read(1,102)(w(i),i=1,14), + (x(k),k=1,14) do 1231 kk=1,14 op(j,1,kk)=w(kk) op(j,2,kk)=x(kk) 1231 continue 1051 continue c close(1) write(5,1109)nop1,nop2,nop3,nop4,nop5,nop6,nop 1109 format(7(2x,i4)) c c 100 format(i4) 102 format(2(2x,14a1)) 111 format(/) c c write(5,111) do 120 m=1,nop write(5,102)(op(m,1,i),i=1,14), + (op(m,2,k),k=1,14) write(*,102)(op(m,1,i),i=1,14), + (op(m,2,k),k=1,14) 120 continue c c write(5,111) do 1100 i=1,14 test(i)=op(1,2,i) fp(1,1,i)=op(1,1,i) fp(1,2,i)=op(1,2,i) 1100 continue c nxx=nop ns=1 c 1000 continue ne=0 do 2000 ix=2,nxx nt=0 do 2100 jx=1,14 if(test(jx).ne.op(ix,1,jx)) then nt=nt+1 endif 2100 continue if(nt.eq.0) then ns=ns+1 c ne=ne+1 if(ne.gt.1) then write(*,1003) 1003 format(1x,‘ne is gt 1’) endif c do 2200 kx=1,14 fp(ns,1,kx)=op(ix,1,kx) fp(ns,2,kx)=op(ix,2,kx) test(kx)=op(ix,2,kx) 2200 continue mm=0 do 2300 mx=1,nxx if(mx.eq.ix) then goto 2300 else mm=mm+1 do 2400 ma=1,14 op(mm,1,ma)=op(mx,1,ma) op(mm,2,ma)=op(mx,2,ma) 2400 continue endif 2300 continue endif 2000 continue nxx=nxx−1 if(ne.ne.0) then goto 1000 endif c c do 1220 m=1,ns write(5,102)(fp(m,1,i),i=1,14), + (fp(m,2,k),k=1,14) write(*,102)(fp(m,1,i),i=1,14), + (fp(m,2,k),k=1,14) 1220 continue write(*,100)ns c close(5) c end | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>Physical maps of one or more large pieces of DNA, such as a genome or chromosome, consist of an ordered collection of molecular landmarks that may be used to position, or map, a smaller fragment, such as clone containing a gene of interest, within the larger structure, e.g. U.S. Department of Energy, “Primer on Molecular Genetics,” from Human Genome 1991-92 Program Report; and Los Alamos Science, 20: 112-122 (1992). An important goal of the Human Genome Project has been to provide a series of genetic and physical maps of the human genome with increasing resolution, i.e. with reduced distances in basepairs between molecular landmarks, e.g. Murray et al, Science, 265: 2049-2054 (1994); Hudson et al, Science, 270: 1945-1954 (1995); Schuler et al, Science, 274: 540-546 (1996); and so on. Such maps have great value not only in furthering our understanding of genome organization, but also as tools for helping to fill contig gaps in large-scale sequencing projects and as tools for helping to isolate disease-related genes in positional cloning projects, e.g. Rowen et al, pages 167-174, in Adams et al, editors, Automated DNA Sequencing and Analysis (Academic Press, New York, 1994); Collins, Nature Genetics, 9: 347-350 (1995); Rossiter and Caskey, Annals of Surgical Oncology, 2: 14-25 (1995); and Schuler et al (cited above). In both cases, the ability to rapidly construct high-resolution physical maps of large pieces of genomic DNA is highly desirable. Two important approaches to genomic mapping include the identification and use of sequence tagged sites (STS's), e.g. Olson et al, Science, 245: 1434-1435 (1989); and Green et al, PCR Methods and Applications, 1: 77-90 (1991), and the construction and use of jumping and linking libraries, e.g. Collins et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 81: 6812-6816 (1984); and Poustka and Lehrach, Trends in Genetics, 2: 174-179 (1986). The former approach makes maps highly portable and convenient, as maps consist of ordered collections of nucleotide sequences that allow application without having to acquire scarce or specialized reagents and libraries. The latter approach provides a systematic means for identifying molecular landmarks spanning large genetic distances and for ordering such landmarks via hybridization assays with members of a linking library. Unfortunately, these approaches to mapping genomic DNA are difficult and laborious to implement. It would be highly desirable if there was an approach for constructing physical maps that combined the systematic quality of the jumping and linking libraries with the convenience and portability of the STS approach. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Accordingly, an object of my invention is to provide methods and materials for constructing high resolution physical maps of genomic DNA. Another object of my invention is to provide a method of ordering restriction fragments from multiple enzyme digests by aligning matching sequences of their ends. Still another object of my invention is to provide a high resolution physical map of a target polynucleotide that permits directed sequencing of the target polynucleotide with the sequences of the map. Another object of my invention is to provide vectors for excising ends of restriction fragments for concatenation and sequencing. Still another object of my invent is to provide a method monitoring the expression of genes. A further object of my invention is to provide physical maps of genomic DNA that consist of an ordered collection of nucleotide sequences spaced at an average distance of a few hundred to a few thousand bases. My invention achieves these and other objects by providing methods and materials for determining the nucleotide sequences of both ends of restriction fragments obtained from multiple enzymatic digests of a target polynucleotide, such as a fragment of a genome, or chromosome, or an insert of a cosmid, BAC, YAC, or the like. In accordance with the invention, a polynucleotide is separately digested with different combinations of restriction endonucleases and the ends of the restriction fragments are sequenced so that pairs of sequences from each fragment are produced. A physical map of the polynucleotide is constructed by ordering the pairs of sequences by matching the identical sequences among such pairs resulting from all of the digestions. In the preferred embodiment, a polynucleotide is mapped by the following steps: (a) providing a plurality of populations of restriction fragments, the restriction fragments of each population having ends defined by digesting the polynucleotide with a plurality of combinations of restriction endonucleases; (b) determining the nucleotide sequence of a portion of each end of each restriction fragment of each population so that a pair of nucleotide sequences is obtained for each restriction fragment of each population; and (c) ordering the pairs of nucleotide sequences by matching the nucleotide sequences between pairs to form a map of the polynucleotide. Another aspect of the invention is the monitoring gene expression by providing pairs of segments excised from cDNAs. In this embodiment, segments from each end of each cDNA of a population of cDNAs are ligated together to form pairs, which serve to identify their associated cDNAs. Concatenations of such pairs are sequenced by conventional techniques to provide information on the relative frequencies of expression in the population. The invention provides a means for generating a high density physical map of target polynucleotides based on the positions of the restriction sites of predetermined restriction endonucleases. Such physical maps provide many advantages, including a more efficient means for directed sequencing of large DNA fragments, the positioning of expression sequence tags and cDNA sequences on large genomic fragments, such as BAC library inserts, thereby making positional candidate mapping easier; and the like. | 20041008 | 20091006 | 20050224 | 63736.0 | 4 | LU, FRANK WEI MIN | METHOD AND COMPOSITIONS FOR ORDERING RESTRICTION FRAGMENTS | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,962,533 | ACCEPTED | Sofa slip cover and covered sofa | A slip covered sofa having removable seat cushions which are separately slip covered by a single bag-like cover into which the seat cushions are inserted and which has excess material extending beyond the cushions, the excess material being and folded under the cushions at each end to hold the material on the upper surface of the cushions taut when the cushions are in place on the sofa. | 1. A slip covered sofa or chair comprising: an upholstered base section comprising a bottom portion which supports a horizontal seat cushion support, a back and arms at each end of said seat cushion support and back; at least one removable seat cushion on the seat cushion support; and a seat cushion slip cover covering said at least one removable seat cushion, said cushion slip cover being pulled taut, with excess material of said cover being held under said at least one removable cushion. 2. A slip covered sofa or chair according to claim 1, wherein said seat cushion slip cover is provided with a closeable opening to permit insertion of said at least one seat cushion. 3. A slip covered sofa or chair according to claim 1, wherein said at least one seat cushion has a T-shaped configuration at its ends. 4. A slip covered sofa or chair according to claim 1, wherein said base section is covered with a base section slip cover. 5. A slip covered sofa or chair according to claim 4, wherein said base section slip cover is larger than said base section and wherein excess material of said base section slip cover is folded over under said seat cushion support. 6. (canceled) 7. A slip cover assembly for covering upholstered sofas or chairs which have at least one removable seat cushion, said slip cover assembly comprising: a sofa or chair base slip cover for covering an upholstered sofa or chair base section; and a separate sofa or chair seat cushion slip cover for covering at least one sofa or chair seat cushion, at least one of said sofa or chair base section slip cover and said sofa or chair seat cushion cover having excess material which can be thereunder when said seat cushion is in place on said sofa or chair base section. 8. (canceled) 9. A slip cover assembly according to claim 7, wherein an opening is provided in the separate sofa or chair base section slip cover to permit insertion of said at least one seat cushion. 10. A slip covered seat cushion for an upholstered chair or sofa, comprising: an elongated bag-like cover; and at least one seat cushion contained within said cover, said cover having excess material extending beyond opposite ends of said at least one seat cushion and said excess material being foldable under said seat cushion. 11. A slip covered seat cushion according to claim 10, wherein said at least one cushion has a T-shaped configuration. 12. A slip covered seat cushion according to claim 10, wherein two cushions are provided within said cover. 13. (canceled) 14. A slip covered seat cushion according to claim 10, wherein an opening is provided along a rear edge of said cover to permit insertion of said at least one cushion. 15. A slip cover assembly for covering various types of upholstered sofas, each having a plurality of removable seat cushions, said slip cover assembly comprising: a base cover for covering an upholstered sofa base section; and a separate seat cushion cover for covering the plurality of removable seat cushions. 16. The slip cover assembly according to claim 15, wherein at least one of said base section cover and said seat cushion cover comprises excess material which is stowable at a position between the upholstered sofa base section and the plurality of removable seat cushions. 17. The slip cover assembly according to claim 16, wherein said base section cover comprises the excess material. 18. The slip cover assembly according to claim 16, wherein said seat cushion cover comprises the excess material. 19. The slip cover assembly according to claim 15, wherein the sofa has two removable seat cushions. 20. The slip cover assembly according to claim 15, wherein the sofa has three removable seat cushions. 21. The slip cover assembly according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of removable seat cushions is T-shaped. 22. The slip cover assembly according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of removable seat cushions are rectangular in shape. 23. A slip cover assembly for covering an upholstered sofa which has a plurality of removable seat cushions, said slip cover assembly comprising: a base cover for covering an upholstered sofa base section; and a separate seat cushion cover for covering the plurality of removable seat cushions, wherein said separate seat cushion cover has an opening into which the plurality of removable seat cushions are positioned. 24. The slip cover assembly according to claim 23, wherein at least one of the plurality of removable seat cushions is T-shaped. 25. The slip cover assembly according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of removable seat cushions are rectangular in shape. 26. The slip cover assembly according to claim 23, wherein the sofa has two removable seat cushions. 27. The slip cover assembly according to claim 23, wherein the sofa has three removable seat cushions. 28. The slip cover assembly according to claim 23, wherein at least one of said base section cover and said seat cushion cover comprises excess material which is stowable at a position between the upholstered sofa base section and the plurality of removable seat cushions. 29. The slip cover assembly according to claim 28, wherein said base section cover comprises the excess material. 30. The slip cover assembly according to claim 28, wherein said seat cushion cover comprises the excess material. 31. The slip cover assembly according to claim 23, wherein said seat cushion cover is in the shape of an elongated bag. 32. The slip cover assembly according to claim 31, wherein the opening is closable by closing means. 33. The slip cover assembly according to claim 32, wherein said closing means comprises a zipper. 34. The slip cover assembly according to claim 32, wherein said closing means comprises a hook and loop fastener. 35. The slip cover assembly according to claim 31, wherein the elongated bag is a rectangular-shaped elongated bag. 36. The slip cover assembly according to claim 31, wherein the elongated bag is configured to receive at least one rectangular-shaped removable sofa seat cushion. 37. The slip cover assembly according to claim 31, wherein the elongated bag is configured to receive at least one T-shaped removable sofa seat cushion. 38. The slip cover assembly according to claim 31, wherein the plurality of removable seat cushions are rectangular in shape. 39. The slip cover assembly according to claim 31, wherein the sofa has two removable seat cushions. 40. The slip cover assembly according to claim 31, wherein the sofa has three removable seat cushions. 41. The slip cover assembly according to claim 31, wherein at least one of said base section cover and said seat cushion cover comprises excess material which is stowable at a position between the upholstered sofa base section and the plurality of removable seat cushions. 42. The slip cover assembly according to claim 41, wherein said base section cover comprises the excess material. 43. The slip cover assembly according to claim 41, wherein said seat cushion cover comprises the excess material. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the covering of upholstered sofas and more particularly it concerns novel coverings for upholstered sofas and chairs as well as upholstered sofas and chairs as so covered. 2. Description of the Related Art United States Patent Publication US 2004/0095002 shows an adjustable slip cover for upholstered furniture such as chairs or sofas. The sofa or chair base is covered separately from the seat cushions, which themselves are individually covered. Elastic straps and clips are provided on the sofa or chair base cover to hold the material of the cover taut. Extra material in the sofa or chair base cover is also tucked under the cushions. U.S. Pat. No. 2,367,450 also shows adjustable slip covers for upholstered chairs wherein the chair base cover is separate from the cushion cover. Excess material of the base cover is tucked beneath adjacent portions of the slip cover. The cushion cover is bag shaped and open along the rear edge for insertion of the cushion. The cushion cover is pulled tight and held by strings. U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,625 show an adjustable slip cover for chairs and sofas. Here also the cover for the chair or sofa base is separate from the cover for the seat cushion The seat cushion cover extends over the top, front and sides of the cushion and appears to be held in place by an elasticized edging. U.S. Pat. No. 2,884,993 relates to adjustable slip covers for chairs and sofas; and separate covers are provided for the sofa or chair base and for the seat cushion. The cushion covers comprise panels which form a pocket into which the cushions are inserted. A particular problem involved in providing slipcovers to accommodate upholstered furniture of different sizes and configurations results from the fact that the seat cushions of such furniture are made with widely different shapes, sizes and thicknesses. Prior attempts to handle this problem have involved providing cushion covers that are pulled tight by a drawstring or an elastic band. However, these lack versatility, and they are not suited for use with multiple cushions such as in sofas. Also there is no assurance that the cushion covers will remain taut after someone has sat on the furniture SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of the invention there is provided an upholstered chair or sofa having a base on which are mounted, a horizontal seat cushion support, a back, and arms at each end of the cushion support. At least one removable seat cushion rests on the cushion support between the arms. A seat cushion slip cover covers the seat cushion or cushions. The seat cushion slip cover is pulled tight at the ends of the cushion or cushions which abut the arms. This conforms the cover to the shape of the cushion or cushions. The excess cover material which extends beyond the cushion or cushions at the arms is folded under them, whereby the weight of the cushion or cushions holds the cover taut along their upper side. In another aspect, the invention involves a novel slip covered seat cushion for an upholstered chair or sofa. This novel covered seat cushion comprises an elongated bag-like cover; and at least one seat cushion contained within the cover. The cover itself has excess material extending beyond opposite ends of the seat cushion with the excess material being foldable under the seat cushion. In a further aspect, the invention comprises a novel slip cover for covering the removable seat cushions of upholstered sofas or chairs. This novel slip cover comprises an elongated bag-like cover for containing the seat cushion or cushions, with substantial excess cover material extending beyond the ends of the cushion or cushions. This excess material at the ends of the slip cover can be folded under the cushion or cushions so that their weight will hold the slip cover tight along their upper surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a frontal view of a slip covered sofa according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a frontal view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the sofa with the covered seat cushion removed; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cushion seat cover according to the invention; and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a slip covered seat cushion with portions of the slip cover folded over for installation of the seat cushion on a sofa. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a sofa 10 comprises a base section 11 and a separately slip covered cushion section 12 which contains one or more seat cushions. The base section 11 has a bottom portion 14 which supports a back 14, a pair of arms 16 at opposite ends of the sofa, and a horizontal cushion support surface 18 between the arms. The cushion section 12 rests on this support surface. The cushion section 12 is removable from the base section 10; and a cushion slip cover 12a covers the cushion section. A separate base section slip cover may be provided for the base section 11. FIG. 2 shows the base section 11 with the cushion section removed. The base section is shown to have a slip cover 11a which is larger than the base section itself; and the excess material of the cover is folded over on the support surface 18 as indicated by the reference character 20. FIG. 3 shows the cushion slip cover 12a in perspective and containing two T-shaped seat cushions 22a and 22b (shown in dashed outline). A cushion insertion opening 24 is provided in the back of the cover 12a. This opening can be closed by a zipper, by Velcro® fasteners or by any suitable and well known closure means. It is also possible to provide the insertion opening at one end of the cushion cover 12a. Although the ends of the cushion slip cover are shown as being open, they may be sewn closed It will be seen that the ends of the cushion cover 12a extend substantially beyond the ends and back of the cushion 22a and 22b. This allows the cover to accommodate cushions of different widths and depths. The excess material of the cushion slip cover that extends beyond the ends and back of the cushions is pulled tight and folded around the cushions so that the cover material takes on the shape of the cushions (in the present embodiment, a T-shape). The excess material is then pulled under the cushions so that when the cushions are placed on the cushion support 18 of the base 10 (FIG. 1), their weight will hold the material of the cushion cover taut and maintain a smooth upper surface of the cover. In addition, the friction of the arms 16 and the weight of the persons occupying the sofa will add to the holding effect on the cushion slip cover 12a. FIG. 4 shows the covered seat cushions 22a and 22b inverted so that the folded over excess material of the cushion cover 12a can be seen at 12b. The excess material may not only be at the ends of the cover 12a; but additional excess material may be provided along its rear edge so as to accommodate seat cushions of different depths. There may also be provided one or more elastic bands 28 which are attached to the excess cover material 12b by means of clips 30 to assist in holding the cover taut. The clips may be any well known clips such as suspender type clips for example. In installing the seat cushion cover 12a, the cushion or cushions are inserted in the cover via the opening 24. The opening is then closed. The cushion or cushions are then arranged to be substantially centered between the ends of the cover 12a. Because the cushions can be moved with respect to the ends of the cover 12a, it will be possible to have any pattern on the cushion cover 12a aligned with a corresponding pattern on the base cover 10 a The cover 12a is then pulled tight at its ends and back; and the excess material of the cover is folded under the cushions. The covered cushions are then positioned on the cushion support as shown in FIG. 1. The cushion cover of this invention can be made of any slip cover material and may be woven or knit fabric. As an example, the cushions 22a and 22b would have a depth, from the front elongated edge to the rear of 26 inches and would accommodate a cushion thickness of 6 inches. The length of the cushion cover would depend on the distance from one end of the cushion to the other while allowing sufficient excess material to be folded under the cushions. These dimensions are not critical and a wide range of dimensions may be employed for the cushion slip cover, provided that the cover is large enough to accommodate a wide range of cushion sizes while still leaving sufficient excess material of the cover to be folded under the cushions. The cushion cover 12a may be made to accommodate seat cushions of upholstered chairs as well as sofas. In addition elastic bands, Velcro® fasteners, etc. may be used to hold the excess material under the cushions. The cushions with the cushion cover may be turned over in the event that the upper surface of the cover becomes worn or stained. In this case the excess material at the ends and back of the cover 12a is folded in the reverse direction so that it remains between the cushions and the cushion support. While this invention has been described in conjunction with T-shaped cushions, it is equally applicable with rectangular cushions or cushions of other shapes. Pulling the material of the cover and then folding it under the ends of the cushions will cause it to conform to whatever the shape of the cushion ends may be. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the covering of upholstered sofas and more particularly it concerns novel coverings for upholstered sofas and chairs as well as upholstered sofas and chairs as so covered. 2. Description of the Related Art United States Patent Publication US 2004/0095002 shows an adjustable slip cover for upholstered furniture such as chairs or sofas. The sofa or chair base is covered separately from the seat cushions, which themselves are individually covered. Elastic straps and clips are provided on the sofa or chair base cover to hold the material of the cover taut. Extra material in the sofa or chair base cover is also tucked under the cushions. U.S. Pat. No. 2,367,450 also shows adjustable slip covers for upholstered chairs wherein the chair base cover is separate from the cushion cover. Excess material of the base cover is tucked beneath adjacent portions of the slip cover. The cushion cover is bag shaped and open along the rear edge for insertion of the cushion. The cushion cover is pulled tight and held by strings. U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,625 show an adjustable slip cover for chairs and sofas. Here also the cover for the chair or sofa base is separate from the cover for the seat cushion The seat cushion cover extends over the top, front and sides of the cushion and appears to be held in place by an elasticized edging. U.S. Pat. No. 2,884,993 relates to adjustable slip covers for chairs and sofas; and separate covers are provided for the sofa or chair base and for the seat cushion. The cushion covers comprise panels which form a pocket into which the cushions are inserted. A particular problem involved in providing slipcovers to accommodate upholstered furniture of different sizes and configurations results from the fact that the seat cushions of such furniture are made with widely different shapes, sizes and thicknesses. Prior attempts to handle this problem have involved providing cushion covers that are pulled tight by a drawstring or an elastic band. However, these lack versatility, and they are not suited for use with multiple cushions such as in sofas. Also there is no assurance that the cushion covers will remain taut after someone has sat on the furniture | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In one aspect of the invention there is provided an upholstered chair or sofa having a base on which are mounted, a horizontal seat cushion support, a back, and arms at each end of the cushion support. At least one removable seat cushion rests on the cushion support between the arms. A seat cushion slip cover covers the seat cushion or cushions. The seat cushion slip cover is pulled tight at the ends of the cushion or cushions which abut the arms. This conforms the cover to the shape of the cushion or cushions. The excess cover material which extends beyond the cushion or cushions at the arms is folded under them, whereby the weight of the cushion or cushions holds the cover taut along their upper side. In another aspect, the invention involves a novel slip covered seat cushion for an upholstered chair or sofa. This novel covered seat cushion comprises an elongated bag-like cover; and at least one seat cushion contained within the cover. The cover itself has excess material extending beyond opposite ends of the seat cushion with the excess material being foldable under the seat cushion. In a further aspect, the invention comprises a novel slip cover for covering the removable seat cushions of upholstered sofas or chairs. This novel slip cover comprises an elongated bag-like cover for containing the seat cushion or cushions, with substantial excess cover material extending beyond the ends of the cushion or cushions. This excess material at the ends of the slip cover can be folded under the cushion or cushions so that their weight will hold the slip cover tight along their upper surface. | 20041013 | 20070501 | 20060518 | 94666.0 | A47C3100 | 1 | BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL | SOFA SLIP COVER AND COVERED SOFA | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | A47C | 2,004 |
|
10,962,558 | ACCEPTED | Floor tile debris interceptor and transition plenum in a nuclear power plant | A flooring system for intercepting debris including at least a plurality of floor tiles with a perforated top surface providing on a top of the plurality of tube frames for intercepting the debris. Each plurality of floor tiles may include a plurality of tube frames in side by side relationship to form a distributed suction area for fluid entrance into tile interiors and for debris interception and capture. The tile interiors of the flooring system may also provide a distributed flow path for fluid flow to a transition plenum. The flooring system may also include a transition plenum for directing a flow path of the fluid from the tiles to a sump, wherein the pumps take suction. | 1. A floor tile for intercepting debris, comprising: a plurality of tube frames connected side by side to form a suction area for fluid distribution, each plurality of tube frames includes sidewall windows so that fluid is drawn through the sidewall windows from tile to tile and distributed to its destination; and a perforated top surface provided on a top of the plurality of tube frames to collect debris. 2. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of tube frames are connected side by side to form a square. 3. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of tube frames are 6×6 inches. 4. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein each plurality of tube frames is 5 inches in height. 5. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of tube frames are connected to each other by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, and rivets. 6. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of tube frames are made from steel. 7. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of tube frames are connected to the perforated top surface by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, and rivets. 8. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of tube frames and the perforated top surface are die cast molded. 9. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein the perforation top surface includes approximately 40% open area of openings. 10. The floor tile according to claim 9, wherein the opening of perforations have hole sizes ranging from approximately 3/32 inch diameter to ¼ inch diameter. 11. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein the perforated top surface is a steel perforated plate. 12. The floor tile according to claim 11, wherein the steel perforated plate has a thickness of approximately 1/16 to ⅛ inch. 13. A flooring system for intercepting debris in a nuclear power plant, comprising: a plurality of floor tiles for intercepting the debris, each plurality of floor tiles includes a plurality of tube frames in side by side relationship to form a suction area for distributed fluid entrance and debris collection and a perforated top surface provided on a top of the plurality of tube frames; and a transition plenum for directing a flow path of the fluid to a sump, the transition plenum is connected to the plurality of floor tiles. 14. The flooring system according to claim 13, wherein each plurality of tube frames includes sidewall windows so that fluid is drawn through the sidewall windows and distributed to the sump through floor tile interiors. 15. The flooring system according to claim 14, wherein the sidewall windows includes a perforated plate for peripheral tiles. 16. The flooring system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of floor tiles are connected to each other by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, latches and rivets. 17. The flooring system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of floor tiles are connected to the plenum by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, latches and rivets. 18. The flooring system according to claim 13, wherein one side of the plenum is connected to a sump strainer so as to direct a parallel flow path of fluid form a periphery of the floor tiles to the sump. 19. The flooring system according to claim 13, wherein the plenum includes a window for receiving the fluid from the floor tiles and directing into the sump, the window is between a flange of a sump strainer and a flange of the sump. 20. The flooring system according to claim 13, wherein the plenum includes an inspection port or ports. | BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to a flooring system in a nuclear reactor, and more particularly, to a floor tile and transition plenum used in a nuclear power plant containment sump strainer system. 2. Description of Related Art A reactor pressure vessel (RPV), such as in a boiling water reactor (BWR) or pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant typically will disperse debris to the containment floor following a design basis Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) because such reactors have numerous insulated piping systems, and such piping systems are utilized to transport water throughout the reactor system. Nuclear plant design requires inclusion of plant systems for LOCA mitigation. A LOCA results when high pressure pipe ruptures with such force that large quantities of debris, such as pipe thermal insulation, coatings, concrete and other solids may be dispersed onto the containment floor along with reactor coolant and emergency system coolant pumped into the system to cool the reactor fuel (coolant injection) and containment equipment and structures (containment spray). As a result, the coolant being pumped into the reactor system and containment can cause the LOCA generated debris and other latent debris to be transported along with the coolant to the containment sumps where the emergency pumps take suction through containment sump strainers (or screens). The emergency pumps route the flow external to the containment through heat exchangers and re-introduce it to the reactor and containment spray systems in the post LOCA recirculation mode for long term cooldown of the reactor system. The fallen debris can accumulate on the containment sump strainers and affect the volumetric flow rate of cooling water delivered to the reactor and containment, which in turn, could lead to reactor core overheating. A conventional approach to the above problem has been to install sump strainers at the containment sump to remove the debris while delivering appropriate amount of volumetric flow rate of water to the reactor following a LOCA. Sump strainers are generally used to remove debris or solids from the fluid present in the containment pool when the fluid is drawn into pump(s) in the Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) or the Containment Spray system. Sump strainers may prevent system degradation as the debris is collected at the sump strainers and prevent the debris from distributing throughout the reactor and containment spray systems while operating the post LOCA recirculation mode. However, sump strainers tend to become clogged by large amounts debris due to small strainer size. Further, sump strainers typically produce suction at a localized high entrance velocity. Localized high entrance velocities are established where the sump strainer is most proximate to the suction line of the pump, whereas low entrance velocities are established where the sump strainer is more distant from the suction line of the pump. The high entrance velocities may draw more solid debris into contact with the sump strainer causing the portions of the sump strainer experiencing the high entrance velocities to experience higher head loss. As the portion of the sump strainer most proximate to the suction line collects debris, high entrance velocities are established at the portion of the sump strainer that is next closest to the suction line causing that portion to collect debris. This process continues until the entire sump strainer has collected debris in varying quantities, resulting in a build-up of debris on the outer surface of the strainer. Localized high entrance velocities can be detrimental even when solids are not present in the liquid being pumped. For example, high entrance velocities can result in turbulent flow which tends to create greater pressure losses than laminar flow. Any such pressure losses reduce the net positive suction head available to a pump. As the net positive suction head available decreases, pump cavitation may occur. Similarly, localized high entrance velocities may cause vortexing. When a sump strainer is not sufficiently submerged, the vortexing can cause air ingestion which can severely degrade pump performance. SUMMARY OF INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus to reduce the debris capturing burden on existing sump strainers or replacement sump strainers by serving as both multiple inlets for the sump strainer and a normal floor space as now exists in the power plant. Further, the method and apparatus may disperse the debris fallen into the containment area so as to reduce the quantity of debris being transported to the sump strainer-pump suction region. In an exemplary embodiment, the flooring system for intercepting debris in a nuclear power plant may include a plurality of floor tiles for intercepting the debris, each plurality of floor tiles includes a plurality of tube frames in side by side relationship to form a suction area for fluid distribution and a perforated top surface provided on a top of the plurality of tube frames, and a transition plenum for directing a flow path of the fluid to a sump, by way of a the transition plenum being connected to the plurality of floor tiles on the upstream side and to the pump suction inlet at the containment sump on the downstream side. In another exemplary embodiment, each plurality of tube frames may include sidewall windows so that fluid is drawn through the sidewall windows and distributed to the sump by any of a plurality of flow paths. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames may be connected side by side to form a square. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames may be 6×6 inches. In yet other exemplary embodiment, each plurality of tube frames may be 5 inches in height. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames may be connected to each other by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, and rivets. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames may be made from steel. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames may be connected to the perforated top surface by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, and rivets. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames and the perforated top surface may be die cast molded. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the perforation top surface may include approximately 40% open area of openings. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the opening of perforations may have hole sizes ranging from approximately 3/32 inch diameter to ¼ inch diameter. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the perforated top surface may be a steel perforated plate. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the steel perforated plate may have a thickness of approximately 1/16 to ⅛ inch. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of floor tiles may be connected to each other by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, latches and rivets. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of floor tiles may be connected to the plenum by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, latches and rivets. In yet other exemplary embodiment, one side of the plenum may be connected to a sump strainer so as to direct a flow path of fluid from the pool to the sump in a parallel flow path to flow from the periphery of the floor tiles to the sump through the floor tiles. In another exemplary embodiment, the plenum may include a plurality of windows for receiving the fluid from the floor tiles and directing into the sump, the windows are between a flange of a sump strainer and a flange of the sump. In another exemplary embodiment, the plenum may include a plurality inspection port(s). These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the apparatuses and methods according to the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will become more apparent by describing, in detail, exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference numerals, which are given by way of illustration only and thus do not limit the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 1A-1C are an isometric view, with exemplary dimensions of floor tiles in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a flooring system connected to a sump strainer containment assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of floor tiles and plenum in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a flooring system plenum without tiles in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an underside of the flooring system and plenum in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a flooring system installed in a PWR containment in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS It should be noted that these Figures are intended to illustrate the general characteristics of methods and systems of exemplary embodiments of this invention, for the purpose of the description of such exemplary embodiments herein. These drawings are not, however, to scale and may not precisely reflect the characteristics of any given embodiment, and should not be interpreted as defining or limiting the range of values or properties of exemplary embodiments within the scope of this invention. For example, the relative dimensions and size of frame tubes and perforated tiles may be reduced or exaggerated for clarity. Like numerals are used for liked and corresponding parts of the various drawings. A flooring system in accordance with the invention may be designed to serve as both multiple inlets for the sump strainer and a normal floor space as now exists in a power plant. Further, the flooring system may disperse collected debris fallen into the containment area so as to reduce debris from reaching (or being transported to) the sump strainer-pump suction region. FIG. 1A is an isometric view of a floor tile debris interceptor in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The floor tile debris interceptor 10 may include a plurality of frame tubes 100 and a perforated top surface 200. Each plurality of frame tubes 100 includes a sidewall window 110 for fluid to be drawn through and distributed to its destination. The sidewall window 110 permits a hollow interior below the floor tile top surface 200 so that fluid may be dispersed to a sump pump 80 (shown in FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 1A, the frame tubes 100 are arranged in a side-by-side relationship to form a square flooring. As an exemplary embodiment, the floor tile 10 may include four (4) frame tubes 100 to form a square. However, it should be appreciated that more than four frame tubes may be used to form the floor tile, depending on the dimension of the frame tubes and the requirements of the specific application. The larger the surface area of the flooring system, the larger the sump suction area for fluid and debris to be dispersed. As shown in FIG. 1B, the dimension of each of the frame tubes 100 in the exemplary embodiment may be in the order of 6×6 inches, having a flooring system of 12×12 inches in total size. The design of a square system may provide the most stable floor support and the easiest installation, however, it should be understood that other shapes may be implemented, such as a rectangular flooring system. As shown in FIG. 1C, the frame tube 100 may have an exemplary embodiment of a height of 5 inches. However, it should be appreciated that other heights may be used depending on the application of the system. The frame tube 100 may be designed to be connected to each other. As an exemplary embodiment, the frame tubes 100 are assembled through welds. The welds may be positioned as spot welds or along the entire edge of the frame tubes. However, it should be appreciated that other connections may be implemented besides weldment, for example, but not limited to, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, latches, and rivets. It should also be appreciated that the frame tubes 100 may be die cast molded to form an unitary piece. Further, as a result of the frame tubes 100 being assembled to each other, ribs (not shown) may be formed between the connected frame tubes 100. The ribs may reduce the effective span of the tube frames and thereby increase the load carrying capability. The frame tubes 100 may provide vertical and horizontal load paths to accommodate loads (force) normally present on industrial floor applications. In an alternative exemplary embodiment, for heavy load operations, the present invention may include latches (not shown) to connect the frame tubes 100 together. That is, latches may be employed rather than welds to disassemble the adjoining tiles. This permits easy and quick disassembly so as to pick up the tiles and stack them in a corner for convenience (e.g., after the heavy load operation has been completed, the tiles are set back in place and latched together). Further, it should be appreciated that the frame tubes 100 size and wall thickness may be selected to limit the permissible span for the perforated top surface 200. Further, in the exemplary embodiment, the frame tube 100 may be composed of metal, such as steel. However, it should be understood that other compositions may be utilized to manufacture the frame tubes, for example, plastic. Accordingly, if plastic is used as the floor tile in the present invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate assembling the frame tubes 100 together by employing an plastic injection molding technique, for example. The top surface 200 placed on top of the frame tubes 100 includes perforations 210 to provide multiple inlets to the sump pump and capture debris fallen on the containment floor. The perforations 210 may be in the size ranging from approximately 3/32 inch diameter to approximately ¼ inch diameter depending on the application. The perforations 210 may provide openness of approximately 40% of the entire surface of the top surface 200. The perforations 210 may act as multiple inlets to the sump strainer by spreading out the sump suction area. In other words, multiple inlets permits the fluid flow to spread out over a large area to find its way to the sump and/or sump strainer to reduce the debris handling requirement placed on the sump strainer 90 (shown in FIG. 2). Further, the perforations 210 may act as a screen to capture the Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) generated debris fallen to the containment floor. As the LOCA water level rises above the top surface 200, the perforations 210 capture the debris as the water enters the tile interior while the sump strainer 90 has a reduced LOCA debris handling requirement, thereby simplifying sump strainer design and reducing equipment costs. This produces a reduction of debris present at the sump strainer 90 which reduces the impact on pump NPSH available. As an exemplary embodiment, the top surface 200 may comprise of a steel perforated plate. However, it should be appreciated that other composition may be manufactured, such as, not limited to, plastic materials. The plate may be approximately 1/16 to ⅛ inch thick. The top surface 200 may be welded to the frame tubes 100. However, as stated similarly above, the attachment of the top surface 200 to the frame tubes 100 may be connected besides weldment, for example, but not limited to, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, and rivets. It should also be appreciated that the top surface 200 and the frame tubes 100 may be die cast molded or injected molded to form an unitary piece. The top surface 200 may include cruciform ribs (not shown) centered beneath the surface. The cruciform ribs intersect with the interior edges of the frame tubes 100 to provide structural support and stability. Further, the cruciform ribs may reduce the effective span required for each square frame tube and thus increase the load carrying capability. In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the similar perforated plate (discussed above) may also be connected to the exterior sidewall of the frame tubes 100. The perforated plate on the sidewalls provide a completely surrounded enclosure and thus prevent debris from entering the interior volume of the frame tubes 100. FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a flooring system connected to a containment sump strainer assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The containment sump strainer assembly 90 typically is designed for use in PWR nuclear power plant applications to remove solids from the fluid present in the containment pool when the fluid is drawn into an existing in-concrete sump 80 or other recirculation system. Accordingly, the flooring system of the present invention may substantially strain the fluid free from particulate matter or debris so as to reduce downstream equipment degradation. The flooring system may include at least a plurality of floor tiles 10 and a transition plenum 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the flooring system is installed on a sump 80 which is below the concrete flooring 70. The flooring system, particularly the plenum 20 may be installed on an existing sump flange via the mating plenum flange 85 (shown in FIG. 5). Accordingly, the floor tiles 10, via the plenum 20 may be connected to the sump flange by the mating plenum flange 85 and extend far away from the sump. The arrangement of the individual floor tiles 10 may be laid side-by-side on the containment floor covering the floor to whatever extent is required, up to and including wall-to-wall covering. It should be appreciated that the floor tiles 10 may be designed to be connected or latched to adjacent floor tiles. As an exemplary embodiment, self interlocking gap fillers (i.e., surface open area and perforation size equal to or less than the open area of the tile top perforate surface) may be utilized to connect the tiles together. The tiles may also be connected to the transition plenum 20, by also way of the aforementioned self-interlocking feature or latches present on the individual tiles. The transition plenum 20 may be designed to be connected to the floor tiles 10 to the sump 80 so as to provide a redundant (or partial redundant) flow path to the sump pumps, thereby reducing the debris capturing burden on existing or replaced sump strainers 90. The transition plenum 20 may be connected to the sump flange by the mating plenum flange 85 (shown in FIG. 5) that collects or routes the flow from the periphery of the tile arrangement (and from many tile locations between the sump and the tile periphery) to the sump 80. The plenum 20 may contain a plurality of inspection ports 25 to gain entry inside of the plenum 20 for inspecting and maintenance purposes. It should be appreciated that more than one transition plenum 20 may be placed in a PWR containment depending on the design details of the existing containment sump. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a floor tile debris interceptor and plenum in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the sump strainer 90 is removed in this illustration for clarification purposes. Mounted on the plenum 20 is a sump strainer mounting flange 22. In the exemplary embodiment, the mounting flange 22 may be in a circular arrangement. However, it should be understood that the mounting flange 22 may be in other shapes depending on the sump strainer. Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the plenum 20 may be mounted to the sump strainer mounting flange 22 via bolts or studs and corresponding nuts. Further, the plenum 20 may be connected over an existing in-concrete sump 80 by mounting over an existing sump flange by the mating plenum flange 85. In the exemplary embodiment, the sump flange mating plenum flange 85 may be in a circular arrangement to coincide with the circular arrangement of the sump mounting flange, not shown. Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the mating plenum flange 85 may be connected to the plenum 20 via bolts or studs and corresponding nuts. Between the strainer mounting flange 22 and the sump flange mating plenum flange 85 may be plenum windows 75 for receiving the fluid from the floor tiles 10 and distributing the fluid into the sump 80. In an exemplary embodiment, the plenum 20 may have eight (8) plenum windows for receiving the fluid in all of the floor tiles 10. However, it should be appreciated that other amount of windows may be designed depending on the volumetric flow rate of the fluid and the details of the specific plant application. FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a portion of an exemplary embodiment of a flooring system without the floor tiles 10 and plenum 20 in order to describe the flow path of fluid. In the event of a LOCA, large volume of fluid including debris will accumulate into a containment pool above the flooring system of the present invention. Water containing LOCA debris may flow through the perforated top surface of the floor tiles 10 and into the tile interior volume. As the fluid is sucked into the sump by the operating sump pump(s), solid debris may be deposited on the perforated plate top surface 200 of the tiles 10. Thence, flow may be from tile to tile via any tile interior flow path until the fluid reaches the sump 80 and into the normal ECCS path by way of plenum 20. Accordingly, the distributed pump suction flow path through the tiles 10 may draw fluid flow from a large distance from the sump 80 due to the plurality of perforations 210 in the tiles 10 and deposit suspended debris on the tile top surface 200 as the flow enters the tiles 10 interior. Accordingly, the perforations 210 may act as multiple inlets to capture debris distant from the sump 80. As the fluid may become restricted at one location on the tiles 10 as a result of debris capture, the flow path may divert to a new open path, and the sequence may be repeated until the flow on some floor tiles 10 may be effectively reduced to zero (or to an insignificant level) due to the accumulation of debris on the tile top perforated surface 200. During this occurrence, the debris, that follows the flow, may be distributed over the floor tiles 10 and away from the sump 80 and sump strainer 90 (if fitted). This results in a reduction in the debris load that can reach the sump strainer, thereby reducing the debris handling requirements placed on the sump strainers. FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an underside of the flooring system and plenum in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the plenum 20 is connected to a sump flange by the mating plenum flange 85. The plenum 20 is also provided with windows 75 for receiving and routing the fluid into the sump (not shown). Further, in this exemplary embodiment, the plenum 20 is shown with two inspection ports 25. However, it should be appreciated that more than two inspection ports may be provided. Also shown are supporting ribs 28 in the plenum 20 extending outward from windows 75. The supporting ribs 28 are provided for structural support. In an alternative embodiment, the flooring system may include a height adjustment device (not shown) to adjust the height of tube frames in order to accommodate slight variances in the containment floor. This height adjustment capability may be facilitated by, for example, a threaded rounded stud piece (not shown) being received in a threaded bore formed in the base of the tube frames at each corner. However, it should be appreciated that other adjustment means may be implemented besides the one described above. For example, but not limited to, corner mounted wedging devices actuated through the tile top surface 200 and captured shims mounted to the threaded stud pieces discussed above. FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a debris tile flooring system installed in a PWR containment in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 6, a design is depicted where there are two containment sumps that are placed on approximately 6-foot centers with transition plenums 20 shown on top of each containment sump (not shown). Each plenum is shown fitted with a motorized active sump strainer 90. Each active sump strainer is driven by a shaft from an electric motor mounted on a containment column at the periphery of the reactor containment, the wall shown in the background. Each plenum is fitted with an array of tiles 10 on the containment floor 70. For illustration purposes, there are two rows of tiles, six tiles deep on the left side plenum 20, one row between the 2 plenums, and 3 rows on the right side of the second plenum. There is one row of tiles shown in front of each plenum spanning a total width of 16 feet (16 tiles). A total of 46 tiles are shown. This illustrative arrangement increases the passive strainer area available for debris capture (interception) by 46 square feet. Larger tile areas may be used producing larger debris interception capture capability. In the exemplary embodiments, the sump strainer design is simplified and the size of the sump strainer is reduced. Accordingly, the design, fabrication, and installation cost of the sump strainer will be reduced. Moreover, it should be appreciated that in some applications, the presence of the present invention may eliminate the need for sump strainers that are currently present or planned for installation. Although the preferred embodiments have been described in the field of power generation, one of ordinary skilled in the art would appreciate that the present invention may be applicable where small reduction in headspace is permissible and where distributed suctions may be necessary or desirable to handle debris-laden fluids. Further, it should be appreciated that “fluid” may encompass water, gases, air or other fluids, or mixtures thereof. The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to a flooring system in a nuclear reactor, and more particularly, to a floor tile and transition plenum used in a nuclear power plant containment sump strainer system. 2. Description of Related Art A reactor pressure vessel (RPV), such as in a boiling water reactor (BWR) or pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant typically will disperse debris to the containment floor following a design basis Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) because such reactors have numerous insulated piping systems, and such piping systems are utilized to transport water throughout the reactor system. Nuclear plant design requires inclusion of plant systems for LOCA mitigation. A LOCA results when high pressure pipe ruptures with such force that large quantities of debris, such as pipe thermal insulation, coatings, concrete and other solids may be dispersed onto the containment floor along with reactor coolant and emergency system coolant pumped into the system to cool the reactor fuel (coolant injection) and containment equipment and structures (containment spray). As a result, the coolant being pumped into the reactor system and containment can cause the LOCA generated debris and other latent debris to be transported along with the coolant to the containment sumps where the emergency pumps take suction through containment sump strainers (or screens). The emergency pumps route the flow external to the containment through heat exchangers and re-introduce it to the reactor and containment spray systems in the post LOCA recirculation mode for long term cooldown of the reactor system. The fallen debris can accumulate on the containment sump strainers and affect the volumetric flow rate of cooling water delivered to the reactor and containment, which in turn, could lead to reactor core overheating. A conventional approach to the above problem has been to install sump strainers at the containment sump to remove the debris while delivering appropriate amount of volumetric flow rate of water to the reactor following a LOCA. Sump strainers are generally used to remove debris or solids from the fluid present in the containment pool when the fluid is drawn into pump(s) in the Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) or the Containment Spray system. Sump strainers may prevent system degradation as the debris is collected at the sump strainers and prevent the debris from distributing throughout the reactor and containment spray systems while operating the post LOCA recirculation mode. However, sump strainers tend to become clogged by large amounts debris due to small strainer size. Further, sump strainers typically produce suction at a localized high entrance velocity. Localized high entrance velocities are established where the sump strainer is most proximate to the suction line of the pump, whereas low entrance velocities are established where the sump strainer is more distant from the suction line of the pump. The high entrance velocities may draw more solid debris into contact with the sump strainer causing the portions of the sump strainer experiencing the high entrance velocities to experience higher head loss. As the portion of the sump strainer most proximate to the suction line collects debris, high entrance velocities are established at the portion of the sump strainer that is next closest to the suction line causing that portion to collect debris. This process continues until the entire sump strainer has collected debris in varying quantities, resulting in a build-up of debris on the outer surface of the strainer. Localized high entrance velocities can be detrimental even when solids are not present in the liquid being pumped. For example, high entrance velocities can result in turbulent flow which tends to create greater pressure losses than laminar flow. Any such pressure losses reduce the net positive suction head available to a pump. As the net positive suction head available decreases, pump cavitation may occur. Similarly, localized high entrance velocities may cause vortexing. When a sump strainer is not sufficiently submerged, the vortexing can cause air ingestion which can severely degrade pump performance. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF INVENTION <EOH>Accordingly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus to reduce the debris capturing burden on existing sump strainers or replacement sump strainers by serving as both multiple inlets for the sump strainer and a normal floor space as now exists in the power plant. Further, the method and apparatus may disperse the debris fallen into the containment area so as to reduce the quantity of debris being transported to the sump strainer-pump suction region. In an exemplary embodiment, the flooring system for intercepting debris in a nuclear power plant may include a plurality of floor tiles for intercepting the debris, each plurality of floor tiles includes a plurality of tube frames in side by side relationship to form a suction area for fluid distribution and a perforated top surface provided on a top of the plurality of tube frames, and a transition plenum for directing a flow path of the fluid to a sump, by way of a the transition plenum being connected to the plurality of floor tiles on the upstream side and to the pump suction inlet at the containment sump on the downstream side. In another exemplary embodiment, each plurality of tube frames may include sidewall windows so that fluid is drawn through the sidewall windows and distributed to the sump by any of a plurality of flow paths. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames may be connected side by side to form a square. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames may be 6×6 inches. In yet other exemplary embodiment, each plurality of tube frames may be 5 inches in height. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames may be connected to each other by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, and rivets. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames may be made from steel. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames may be connected to the perforated top surface by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, and rivets. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of tube frames and the perforated top surface may be die cast molded. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the perforation top surface may include approximately 40% open area of openings. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the opening of perforations may have hole sizes ranging from approximately 3/32 inch diameter to ¼ inch diameter. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the perforated top surface may be a steel perforated plate. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the steel perforated plate may have a thickness of approximately 1/16 to ⅛ inch. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of floor tiles may be connected to each other by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, latches and rivets. In yet other exemplary embodiment, the plurality of floor tiles may be connected to the plenum by at least one of welds, tongue and groove connectors, screws, adhesive, male and female connectors, latches and rivets. In yet other exemplary embodiment, one side of the plenum may be connected to a sump strainer so as to direct a flow path of fluid from the pool to the sump in a parallel flow path to flow from the periphery of the floor tiles to the sump through the floor tiles. In another exemplary embodiment, the plenum may include a plurality of windows for receiving the fluid from the floor tiles and directing into the sump, the windows are between a flange of a sump strainer and a flange of the sump. In another exemplary embodiment, the plenum may include a plurality inspection port(s). These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the apparatuses and methods according to the invention. | 20041013 | 20100907 | 20060413 | 70738.0 | E04F1500 | 0 | HIJAZ, OMAR F | FLOOR TILE DEBRIS INTERCEPTOR AND TRANSITION PLENUM IN A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | E04F | 2,004 |
|
10,962,676 | ACCEPTED | Method for storing on a computer network a portion of a communication session between a packet source and a packet destination | Storing at least a portion of a computer network-based session such as a telephone session being performed on a computer network between a packet source and a packet destination, in which the following can occur in an embodiment of the invention. Data packets are received on the computer network. Each data packet is filtered to determine if said data packet is a session packet. If the data packet is a session packet, it is filtered to determine if the data includes session data. If the data includes session data, the session data is analyzed. The session packet is stored such that the stored session packet comprises a portion of the telephone session. | 1. A method for storing at least a portion of a computer network-based telephone session, the telephone session being performed on a computer network between a packet source and a packet destination, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving data packets on the computer network; (b) analyzing each said data packet to determine if said data packet is a session packet; (c) if said data packet is said session packet, filtering at least data in said data packet to determine if said data includes session data; (d) if said data includes session data, analyzing said session data; and (e) storing said session packet such that said stored session packet comprises a portion of the telephone session. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the session-packet analyzing step includes the step of dumping any data packets that are not recorded in the database. 3. A method for storing at least a portion of a computer network-based communication session being performed on a computer network between a packet source and a packet destination, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving data packets on the computer network; (b) filtering each of the received data packets to accept the data packets that are associated with a session to be monitored; (c) analyzing the accepted data packets to determine a communication session to which each accepted data packet belongs; and (d) storing the accepted data packets in association with a specific communication session. 4. The method of claim 3, including the additional step of analyzing the filtered data packets transmitted over the computer network to determine if the filtered data packets contain audio data, video data, or both audio and video data. 5. The method of claim 3 including the additional step of analyzing the filtered data packets transmitted over the computer network to determine if the filtered data packets contain audio data. 6. The method of claim 3 including the additional step of analyzing the filtered data packets transmitted over the computer network to determine if the filtered data packets contain video data. 7. The method of claim 3 wherein the session to be monitored has a packet address which is one of an IP address of the packet source and the IP address of the packet destination. 8. The method of claim 3, wherein individual data packets are accepted by the filtering step if such data packets have an address which is associated in a database with a session to be monitored. 9. The method of claim 3, wherein the audio data, video data, or audio and video data from the data packets are stored on a storage media that is accessible through the computer network. 10. The method of claim 3, wherein the computer network is a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). 11. The method of claim 3 wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving data packets from a plurality of communication sessions. 12. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of: retrieving audio data, video data, or both audio data and video data contained in the data packets belonging to a specific communication session; restoring at least a portion of the communication session from the retrieved data; and displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. 13. A method for storing at least a portion of a communication session being performed on a computer network between a packet source and a packet destination, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving data packets on the computer network, the data packets containing at least the portion of the communication session containing audio data, video data, or both audio data and video data; (b) filtering the data packets using filtering information; (c) accepting the data packets according to the filtering information; (d) analyzing accepted data packets to determine a type of data contained in the data packets; and (e) storing the portion of the computer session contained in the data packets according to the type. 14. The method of claim 13, including the additional step of restoring the stored communication session. 15. The method of claim 13, including the additional step of including in a database information extracted from the passed data packet including one or more from the group of a packet address, a time, a date, a channel, a dialed number, and a caller identification. 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the stored data packets are stored on a storage media that is accessible through the computer network. 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the computer network is a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). 18. The method of claim 13, including the additional steps of organizing the data packets of a specific communication session. 19. The method of claim 18, including the additional step of using a database in the process of performing the organizing step. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of outputting audio data, video data or audio and video data that is contained in the specific communication session. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the outputting step further comprises the step of displaying any video data included in the organized data packets on a computer monitor, a video monitor or a display screen. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the outputting step further comprises the step of producing any audio data included in the organized data packets as sound through an earphone or a loudspeaker. 23. The method of claim 13, wherein the filtering information includes standards criteria. 24. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of analyzing accepted data packets to determine the type of data contained in the packets includes determining if the accepted data packets contain audio data. 25. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of analyzing accepted data packets to determine the type of data contained in the packets includes determining if the accepted data packets contain video data. | This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/664,755, which was filed on Sep. 19, 2000, now pending, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/140,453, filed on Aug. 26, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,665, issued on Sep. 19, 2000, which are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their respective entireties herein. FIELD AND BACKGROUND The present invention is of a method and a system for the management of communication sessions for computer network-based telephone communication, and in particular for the identification of packets containing audio and/or video data, for the storage of these packets, and for the reconstruction of selected communication sessions for audio and/or video display as needed. The integration of the computer into office communication systems has enabled many functions previously performed by separate devices to be combined into a single management system operated through a computer. For example, computer-based voice logging systems enable a computer to receive voice communication through a hardware connection to the regular telephony network, to record either a conversation, in which at least two parties converse, or a message from at least one party to one or more parties, and to replay these recorded conversations or messages upon request. These voice logging systems can replace mechanical telephone answering machines. The computer logging systems have many advantages over the mechanical answering machines. For example, the voice messages can be stored in a computer-based storage medium, such as a DAT cassette, which has a greater storage capacity than regular audio cassettes. Furthermore, the stored voice messages can be organized in a database, such that the messages can retrieved according to time, date, channel, dialed number or caller identification, for example. Such organization is not possible with a mechanical telephone answering machine. Thus, computer logging systems for voice messages have many advantages over mechanical answering machines. Unfortunately, currently available computer logging systems have the disadvantage of being unable to record telephone communication sessions, whether conversations or messages, for voice communication being performed through a LAN (local area network) or a WAN (wide area network). Although these logging systems can play back voice messages to a remote user through a LAN, for example, they cannot record such a message if it is transmitted by a LAN-based telephone. Such LAN and WAN based telephone communication has become more popular recently, since it enables telephone communication to be performed between various parties at physically separated sites without paying for local regular telephony network services, thereby saving money. Furthermore, LAN and WAN based telephone communication also facilitates the transmission of video as well as audio information. Video information certainly cannot be recorded by currently available computer logging systems. Thus, the inability of computer logging systems to record telephone communication sessions for telephone communication being performed through a LAN or a WAN, including both video and audio data, is a significant disadvantage of these systems. There is therefore a need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a system and a method for recording telephone communication sessions performed over a computer network such as a LAN or a WAN, which would record both audio and video information, organize such information, and then display such information upon request. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for recording communication sessions performed over a computer network. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing data transmitted over the computer network in order to detect audio and video data for recording. It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for displaying recorded video and audio data upon request. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing, recording and displaying communication sessions conducted with a LAN-based telephone system. These and other objects of the present invention are explained in further detail with regard to the drawings, description and claims provided below. The present invention provides a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. According to the teachings of the present invention, there is provided a system for managing a communication session over a computer network, the system comprising: (a) a network connector for connecting to the computer network and for receiving data packets from the computer network; (b) a filtering unit for filtering the data packets and for accepting the data packets substantially only if the data packets contain data selected from the group consisting of audio data and video data, such that the data packets form at least a portion of the communication session and such that the data packets are selected data packets; (c) a management unit for receiving the selected data packets and for storing the selected data packets, such that the selected data packets are stored data packets; and (d) a storage medium for receiving and for storing the stored data packets from the management unit, such that the at least a portion of the communication session is stored. Preferably, the system further comprises (e) a data restore unit for retrieving and displaying the at least a portion of the communication session, the data restore unit requesting the data packets from the storage medium through the management unit, and the data restore unit reconstructing the data packets for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. More preferably, the data restore unit further comprises a communication session display unit for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. Most preferably, the communication session display unit is selected from the group consisting of a video unit and an audio unit. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the system further comprises (f) a database connected to the filtering unit for storing filtering information, the filtering information including at least one IP address of a party whose communication sessions are monitored; wherein the filtering unit accepts the data packets according to the filtering information, such that the filtering unit substantially only accepts the data packets if the data packets fulfill the filtering information. Preferably, the system further comprises (g) a user computer for receiving at least one command of a user and for displaying information to the user, such that the user determines the filtering information according to the at least one command of the user. More preferably, the computer network is selected from the group consisting of a LAN (local area network) and a WAN (wide area network). Most preferably, the computer network is a LAN (local area network). According to further preferred embodiments of the present invention, the LAN is divided into at least two segments, the system further comprising: (h) a local management unit for each segment, the local management unit including the filtering unit and the management unit; and (i) a central management unit for controlling the local management units, the central management unit controlling storage in the storage medium. Preferably, the network connector is a network interface card. According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing at least a portion of a communication session performed on a computer network, the communication session being performed between a packet source and a packet destination, the steps of the method being performed by a data processor, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a data packet from the packet source on the computer network; (b) analyzing the data packet to determine if the data packet is an IP packet; (c) if the data packet is the IP packet, filtering the IP packet to determine a type of the IP packet; and (d) storing the IP packet to form a stored data packet according to the type, such that the stored data packet forms at least a portion of the communication session. Preferably, the step of analyzing the data packet is performed by examining a header of the data packet. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of filtering the IP packet is performed by examining the header of the IP packet. Preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (i) examining the header of the IP packet to determine an IP address of the packet source; (ii) determining if the IP address is a recorded IP address; (iii) passing the IP packet to form a passed IP packet substantially only if the IP address is the recorded IP address; and (iv) alternatively, dumping the IP packet. More preferably, the step of determining if the IP address is the recorded IP address is performed by comparing the IP address to a list of IP addresses from packet sources, such that if the IP address is included in the list, the IP address is the recorded IP address. Also preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (v) determining whether the passed IP packet is an H.225 packet, a H.245 packet, an RTP packet or an RTCP packet; (vi) if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.225 packet, determining whether the H.225 packet is a setup packet or a connect packet; (vii) if the H.225 packet is the setup packet, setting a status flag as “start session request”; (viii) alternatively, if the H.225 packet is the connect packet and the status flag is “start session request”, storing at least one detail of the communication session; and (ix) setting the status flag as “wait for logic channel”. More preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (x) alternatively, if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.245 packet, determining whether the H.245 packet is an open logical channel request packet, an open logical channel acknowledgment packet or a terminal capability set packet; (xi) if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel request packet and the status flag is “wait for logic channel”, setting the status flag as “wait for acknowledgment”; (xii) alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel acknowledgment packet and the status flag is “wait for acknowledgment”, performing the steps of: (A) setting the status flag as “wait for terminal capability”; and (B) saving a transport address of the destination of the communication session; and (xiii) also alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the terminal capability set packet, performing the steps of: (A) storing a capability of the packet destination from the terminal capability packet; and (B) setting the status flag as “in call process”. Most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTP packet, the RTP packet is stored. Also most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTCP packet, the RTCP packet is stored. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: (e) retrieving the stored data packet to form a retrieved data packet; and (i) reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session according to the retrieved data packet. Preferably, the step of retrieving the data packet includes the steps of: (i) receiving a source IP address of the packet source, a start time of the communication session, and an end time of the communication session; and (ii) selecting at least one communication session according to the source IP address, the start time and the end time. Also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying audio data. Alternatively and also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying video data. More preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session further comprises the steps of: (i) retrieving substantially only RTP packets; (ii) examining a header of the RTP packets to determine a time stamp for each of the RTP packets; and (iii) displaying the RTP packets in an order according to the time stamp. Hereinafter, the term “communication session” includes both a conversation, in which at least two parties converse by exchanging audio and/or video information in “real time”, and a message, in which at least one party records such audio and/or video information for reception by at least one other party at a later date. Hereinafter, the term “Internet” is used to generally designate the global, linked web of thousands of networks which is used to connect computers all over the world. As used herein, the term “intranet” includes other types of computer networks, such as LAN (local area networks) or WAN (wide area networks). The term “computer network” includes any connection between at least two computers which permits the transmission of data, including both Internet and intranet. The term “regular telephony network” includes POTS (plain old telephone system) and substantially any other type of telephone network which provides services through a regular telephone services provider, but which specifically excludes audio and/or video communication performed through any type of computer network. Hereinafter, the term “computer” includes, but is not limited to, personal computers (PC) having an operating system such as DOS, Windows™, OS/2™ or Linux; Maclntosh™ computers; computers having JAVA™-OS as the operating system; and graphical workstations such as the computers of Sun Microsystems™ and Silicon Graphics™, and other computers having some version of the UNIX operating system such as AIX or SOLARIS™ of Sun MicrosystemS™; or any other known and available operating system. Hereinafter, the term “Windows™” includes but is not limited to Windows95™, Windows 3.x™ in which “x” is an integer such as “1”, Windows NT™, Windows98™, Windows CE™ and any upgraded versions of these operating systems by Microsoft Inc. (Seattle, Wash., USA). Hereinafter, the term “logging” refers to the process of analyzing data packets on a network to locate audio and/or video data, and of recording such data in an organized system. Hereinafter, the term “display” includes both the visual display of video data, and the production of sound for audio data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary communication session monitoring system according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the software modules required for operating the system of FIG. 1; FIGS. 3A-3D are flowcharts of exemplary filtering and recording methods according to the present invention; FIGS. 4A-4D are schematic block diagrams showing the headers of H.225 (FIG. 4A), H.245 (FIG. 4B), RTP (FIG. 4C) and RTCP (FIG. 4D) packets, as they relate to the present invention; FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary communication session playback method according to the present invention; FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary first embodiment of a basic system using the communication session monitoring system of FIGS. 1 and 2 according to the present invention; and FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary second embodiment of a zone system according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND ART The following description is intended to provide a description of certain background methods and technologies which are optionally used in the method and system of the present invention. The present invention is specifically not drawn to these methods and technologies alone. Rather, they are used as tools to accomplish the goal of the present invention, which is a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. The system and method of the present invention is particularly intended for operation with computer networks constructed according to the ITU-T Recommendation H.323 for visual telephone systems and equipment for local area networks which provide a non-guaranteed quality of service. Recommendation H.323 is herein incorporated by reference in order to further describe the hardware requirements and operating protocols for such computer networks, and is hereinafter referred to as “H.323”. H.323 describes terminals, equipment and services for multimedia communication over Local Area Networks (LAN) which do not provide a guaranteed quality of service. Computer terminals and equipment which fulfill H.323 may carry real-time voice, data and video, or any combination, including videotelephony. The LAN over which such terminals communicate can be a single segment or ring, or optionally can include multiple segments with complex topologies. These terminals are optionally integrated into computers or alternatively are implemented in stand-alone devices such as videotelephones. Support for voice data is required, while support for general data and video data are optional, but if supported, the ability to use a specified common mode of operation is required, so that all terminals supporting that particular media type can communicate. The H.323 Recommendation allows more than one channel of each type to be in use. Other Recommendations in the H.323-Series which are also incorporated by reference include H.225.0 packet and synchronization; H.245 control, H.261 and H.263 video codecs, G.71 1, G.722, G.728, G.729, and G.723 audio codecs, and the T.120-Series of multimedia communications protocols. ITU-T Recommendation H.245.0 covers the definition of Media stream packetization and synchronization for visual telephone systems. ITU-T Recommendation H.245.0 defines the Control protocol for multimedia communications, and is hereinafter referred to as “H.245”. H.245 is incorporated by reference as is fully set forth herein. The logical channel signaling procedures of H.245 describes the content of each logical channel when the channel is opened. Procedures are provided for the communication of the functional capabilities of receivers and transmitters, so that transmissions are limited to information which can be decoded by the receivers, and so that receivers may request a particular desired mode from transmitters. H.245 signaling is established between two endpoints: an endpoint and a multi-point controller, or an endpoint and a Gatekeeper. The endpoint establishes exactly one H.245 Control Channel for each call that the endpoint is participating in. The channel must then operate according to H.245. Support for multiple calls and hence for multiple H.245 Control Channels is possible. The RAS signaling function uses H.225.0 messages to perform registration, admissions, bandwidth changes, status, and disengage procedures between endpoints and Gatekeepers. In LAN environments that do not have a Gatekeeper, the RAS Signaling Channel is not used. In LAN environments which contain a Gatekeeper, such that the LAN includes at least one Zone, the RAS Signaling Channel is opened between the endpoint and the Gatekeeper. The RAS Signaling Channel is opened prior to the establishment of any other channels between H.323 endpoints. The call signaling function uses H.225.0 call signaling to establish a connection between two H.323 endpoints. The Call Signaling Channel is independent from the RAS Channel and the H.245 Control Channel. The Call Signaling Channel is opened prior to the establishment of the H.245 Channel and any other logical channels between H.323 endpoints. In systems that do not have a Gatekeeper, the Call Signaling Channel is opened between the two endpoints involved in the call. In systems which contain a Gatekeeper, the Call Signaling Channel is opened between the end point and the Gatekeeper, or between the endpoints themselves as chosen by the Gatekeeper. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention provides a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. The principles and operation of a method and a system according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description. Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for logging and displaying audio and/or visual data from communication sessions performed over a computer network. A computer logging system 10 features a user computer 12 connected to a communication session management unit 13. Communication session management unit 13 is in turn connected to an intranet 14 through a network interface card (NIC) 16. User computer 12 includes a user interface 18, which is preferably a GUI (graphical user interface), which is displayed on a display unit 20. User interface 18 preferably enables the user to enter such information as the definition of the parties whose calls should to be monitored and/or logged, and which also preferably enables the user to enter at least one command for retrieving and displaying a communication session. Display unit 20 is preferably a computer monitor. The user is able to interact with user computer 12 by entering data and commands through a data entry device 22. Data entry device 22 preferably includes at least a keyboard or a pointing device such as a mouse, and more preferably includes both a keyboard and a pointing device. According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, user computer 12 is a PC (personal computer). Alternatively and preferably, user computer 12 is a “thin client” such a net computer which is a computer able to communicate on an IP-based network. One example of such a net computer is the JavaStation™ (Sun Microsystems). The advantage of such net computers is that they allow the user to interact with complex, sophisticated software programs, yet generally do not have all of the powerful computing capabilities of currently available PC computers. Intranet 14 could be a LAN or a WAN, for example. The connection between communication session management unit 13 and intranet 14 occurs through NIC 16. NIC 16 is preferably any standard, off-the-shelf commercial product which enables communication session management unit 13 to be connected to any suitable computer network (for example, Etherlink II ISA/PCMCIA Adapter or Etherlink III PCI Bus-Master Adapter (3c590) of 3-Com™, or NE2000 Adapter of Novell™ or any other such suitable product). Examples of such suitable computer networks include, but are not limited to, any standard LAN such as Ethernet (IEEE Standard 802.3), Fast Ethernet (IEEE Standard 802.10), Token Ring (IEEE Standard 802.5) and FDDI. All data packet traffic on intranet 14 is passed to a filtering module 24 through NIC 16. As shown in more detail in FIG. 3 below, filtering module 24 screens the data packets in order to determine which data packets fulfill the following criteria. Briefly, the data packets should be IP packets with headers according to the H.225 and H.245 standards, indicating voice and/or video traffic. As noted previously, these standards define media stream packet construction and synchronization for visual telephone systems and the control protocol for multimedia communications. Filtering module 24 then preferably passes substantially only those data packets which meet these criteria to a management module 28. In the Zone Configuration of the system of the present invention, shown in FIG. 7 below, filtering module 24 preferably also transfers messages from other communication session management units. Management module 28 receives the data packets passed through by filtering module 24, and analyzes the received data packets. Optionally and preferably, a database 26 stores such information as the IP addresses of parties whose communication sessions should be logged, as well as the conversion table associating each party with at least one IP address, for example. The stored list of IP addresses representing those parties whose calls should be logged is preferably user-defined. As used herein, the term “party” refers to a person or persons communicating through a computer network-based telephone system. The latter preferred requirement significantly reduces the amount of data stored by including only data which is of interest to the user. Management module 28 analyzes and manages data in accordance with the applicable H.225 and H.245 specifications, including the H.245 control function, RAS signaling function and call signaling function, substantially as described above in the “Description of the Background Art” section. Management module 28 analyzes the packets in order to determine the specific communication session to which the data packets belong, the type of data compression being used (if any), and whether the data packets were sent from an IP address which should be monitored. Management module 28 must perform this analysis since filtering module 24 simply passes all data packets which fulfill the criteria described briefly above (see FIGS. 3A-3D for more detail). Since these packets are passed without regard to any of the information stored in database 26, management module 28 must compare the rules of database 26 to the information present in the packet header of each packet in order to determine whether the received packet should be stored. Those received packets which fulfill the rules of database 26 are then stored in a storage medium 30, which is preferably a high capacity digital data storage device such as a hard disk magnetic storage device, an optical disk, a CD-ROM, a ZIP or DVD drive, or a DAT cassette, or a combination of such devices according to the operational needs of specific applications, or any other suitable storage media. Preferably, the specific communication session or “telephone call”, with which each data packet is associated, is also stored in order for that session to be reconstructed and displayed at a later time. Upon request by the user, management module 28 can then retrieve one or more data packets from storage medium 30 which are associated with one or more communication sessions. The retrieved packet or packets are then transferred to a data restore module 32. Data restore module 32 is preferably capable of manipulating these retrieved packets to restore a particular communication session by using the RTP (Real Time Protocol). As described in further detail below with regard to FIGS. 4C and 5, in those systems which follow the RTP, the data packets are sent with a time stamp in the header rather than just a sequence number. Such a time stamp is necessary for audio and video stream data, in order for the data packets to be reassembled such that the overall timing of the stream of data is maintained. Without such a time stamp, the proper timing would not be maintained, and the audio or video streams could not be accurately reconstructed. The communication sessions are restored from the reconstructed streams of data packets by using the applicable audio and/or video CODEC's. A CODEC is a non-linear method for the conversion of analog and digital data. Thus, an audio CODEC enables the digitized audio data in relevant data packets to be converted to analog audio data for display to the user as audible sounds, for example. Suitable CODEC's are described in greater detail below with regard to FIG. 5. In order for the user to receive the display of the reconstructed communication session, system 10 preferably features an audio unit 34 and a video unit 36, collectively referred to as a “communication session display unit”. More preferably, both audio unit 34 and video unit 36 are capable of both receiving audio or video input, respectively, and of displaying audio or video output. At the very least, audio unit 34 and video unit 36 should be able to display audio or video output, respectively. For example, audio unit 34 could optionally include an microphone for input and a speaker or an earphone for output. Video unit 36 could optionally include a video monitor or display screen for output and a video camera for input, for example. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of system 10 of FIG. 1, showing the overall system of software modules of system 10 in more detail. Reference is also made, where appropriate, to flow charts showing the operation of these software modules in more detail (FIGS. 3A-3D and FIG. 5), as well as to descriptions of the headers of the different types of data packets (FIGS. 4A-4D). As shown, system 10 again includes a connection to intranet 14 through NIC 16. As the packets are transmitted through intranet 14, NIC 16 intercepts these data packets and passes them to filtering module 24. Filtering module 24 has two components. A first filtering component 38 examines the header of the data packet, which should be an IP type packet with the correct header, as shown in FIG. 4A below. Next, first filtering component 38 passes the data packet to a second filtering component 40. Second filtering component 40 then determines the type of IP data packet, which could be constructed according to the H.225, H.245, RTP or RTCP standards. As shown with reference to FIG. 3A, first filtering component 38 and second filtering component 40 operate as follows. In step one, a packet is received by filtering module 24. The packet is given to first filtering component 38, which then determines whether the packet is an IP type packet in step two. Such a determination is performed according to the structure of the header of the data packet, an example of which is shown in FIG. 4A. A header 42 is shown as a plurality of boxes, each of which represents a portion or “field” of the header. The number of bytes occupied by each portion is also shown, it being understood that each layer consists of 32 bits. The first portion of the header, a “VERS” portion 44, is the protocol version number. Next, an “H. LEN” portion 46 indicates the number of 32-bit quantities in the header. A “SERVICE TYPE” portion 48 indicates whether the sender prefers the datagram to travel over a route with minimal delay or a route with maximal throughput. A “TOTAL LENGTH” portion 50 indicates the total number of octets in both the header and the data. In the next layer, an “IDENTIFICATION” portion 52 identifies the packet itself. A “FLAGS” portion 54 indicates whether the datagram is a fragment or a complete datagram. A “FRAGMENT OFFSET” portion 56 species the location of this fragment in the original datagram, if the datagram is fragmented. In the next layer, a “TIME TO LIVE” portion 58 contains a positive integer between 1 and 255, which is progressively decremented at each route traveled. When the value becomes 0, the packet will no longer be passed and is returned to the sender. A “TYPE” portion 60 indicates the type of data being passed. A “HEADER CHECKSUM” portion 62 enables the integrity of the packet to be checked by comparing the actual checksum to the value recorded in portion 62. The next layer of header 42 contains the source IP address 64, after which the following layer contains the destination IP address 66. An optional IP OPTIONS portion 68 is present, after which there is padding (if necessary) and a data portion 70 of the packet containing the data begins. The structure of the header of the data packet is examined by first filtering component 38 to determine whether this header has the necessary data fields in the correct order, such that the header of the data packet has a structure according to header 42. First filtering component 38 only allows those packets with the correct header structure to pass, as shown in step 3A. Otherwise, the packets are dumped as shown in step 3B. Those packets with the correct header, or “IP packets”, are then passed to second filtering component 40. Second filtering component 40 then performs the remainder of the filtering steps. In step 3A, second filtering component 40 examines the IP packets to determine their type from the data portion of the packet as shown in FIG. 4A. The packets could be in one of four categories: H.225, H.245, RTP and RTCP. The steps of the method for H.225 packets are shown in FIG. 3A, while the procedures for the remaining packet types are shown in FIGS. 3B-3D, respectively. Once the type of the packet has been determined, both the packet itself and the information regarding the type of packet are both passed to management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The packet is then passed to the relevant component within management module 28, also as shown in FIG. 2, for the recording process to be performed. The recorded packets are stored in storage module 30, as described in greater detail below with regard to FIGS. 3C and 3D. If the packet has been determined to be an H.225 packet according to the header of the packet (see FIG. 4B), the packet is passed to an H.225 call control module 78 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The steps of the management method are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3A. In step 4A of FIG. 3A, the H.225 packet is examined to see if it is a setup packet, which is determined according to the structure of the data in the packet. This structure is specified in the H.225.0 recommendation, and includes at least the following types of information: protocolIdentifier (the version of H.225.0 which is supported); h245Address (specific transport address on which H.245 signaling is to be established by the calling endpoint or gatekeeper); sourceAddress (the H.323.sub.—ID's for the source); sourceInfo (contains an EndpointType to enable the party being called to determine whether the call includes a gateway or not); and destinationaddress (this is the address to which the endpoint wants to be connected). Other types of data are also required, as specified in the H.225.0 Recommendation. This data structure enables H.225 call control module 78 to determine whether the packet is a setup packet. If this packet is a setup packet, then the first branch of the method is followed. The source port is taken from a source port field 74 of an H.225 header 72, and the destination port is taken from a destination port field 76 (see FIG. 4B). In step 5A, database 26 of FIG. 1 is then examined to determine whether either of the corresponding terminals is defined as a recording terminal; that is, whether communication sessions initiated by the IP address of this terminal should be monitored. If true, then in step 6A, the terminal status is set as a start session request from the terminal corresponding to the source port. Alternatively, the packet is examined to see if it is a connect packet in step 4B, which is determined according to the structure of the data in the packet. This structure is specified in the H.225.0 recommendation, and includes at least the following types of information: protocolIdentifier (the version of H.225.0 which is supported); h245Address (specific transport address on which H.245 signaling is to be established by the calling endpoint or gatekeeper); destinationInfo (contains an EndpointType to enable the caller to determine whether the call includes a gateway or not); and conferenceID (contains a unique identifying number to identify the particular conference). If the packet is a connect packet, then the second branch of the method is followed. In step 5B, the flag indicating the terminal status is examined to determine if the terminal status is set as a start session request. In step 6B, the details of the call signal are saved in a call progress database 78 of storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2). These details preferably include the source and destination IP addresses, the source and destination ports; the time at which the communication session was initiated, and any other relevant information. In step 7B, the status of the terminal is set to “wait for the logic channel”. If the packet has been determined to be an H.245 packet by second filtering component 40, the packet is passed to an H.245 call control module 82 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. Such H.245 packets are necessary for H.245 signaling. H.245 signaling is established between two endpoints: an endpoint and a multi-point controller, or an endpoint and a Gatekeeper (see FIGS. 6 and 7 below for examples and a description of such endpoints). Each endpoint is capable of calling and of being called as part of a communication session. However, the system of the present invention only monitors, rather than initiating, such communication sessions. Thus, the system of the present invention uses the H.245 signaling to determine when the communication session has started in order to effectively record the necessary data packets for the storage and later reconstruction of the session. The steps of the management method for H.245 packets are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3B. In step 1A of FIG. 3B, the H.245 packet is examined to determine if it is an open logical channel request packet. If it is, then in step 2A, the terminal status is examined to determine if the status is “wait for the logical channel”. If so, then in step 3A the terminal status is set to “wait for acknowledgment”. Alternatively, the H.245 packet is examined to determine if it is an open logical channel acknowledgment packet, as shown in step 1B. If it is, then in step 2B, the terminal status is examined to determine if the status is “wait for acknowledgment”. If so, then in step 3B the terminal status is set to “wait for terminal capability”. In step 4B, the transport address of the “called” or destination terminal is saved. This transport address is taken from the destination port field 76 of header 72 (see FIG. 4B). It should be noted that H.225 and H.245 packets have identical header structures. Also alternatively, the H.245 packet is examined to determine if it is a terminal capability set packet, as shown in step 1C. If it is, then in step 2C, the terminal capability is saved in call progress database 80 (see FIG. 2). In step 3C, the terminal status is set to “in call process”, such that the communication session has been determined to be opened and such that management module 28 can now receive RTP data packets. If the packet has been determined to be a RTP packet by second filtering component 40, the packet is passed to a RAS (registration, admissions and status) control module 84 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The steps of the management method for RTP packets are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3C. In step 1 of FIG. 3C, the terminal status is examined to see if it is “in call process”. If so then in step 2, the RTP packets are saved in a RTP database 86 within storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 4C shows the structure of the RTP packet header, which can be used to identify the communication session from which the packet was taken. Finally, if the packet has been determined to be a RTCP packet by second filtering component 40, the packet is passed to a RTCP control module 88 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The steps of the management method for RTCP packets are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3D. In step 1 of FIG. 3D, the terminal status is examined to see if it is “in call process”. If so then in step 2, the RTCP packets are saved in call progress database 80 within storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 4D shows the structure of the RTCP packet header, which can be used to identify the communication session from which the packet was taken. Thus, FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate the method of the present invention with regard to the filtering and storage of data packets which constitute the recorded communication session, as recorded by the system of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Of course, in addition to recording such communication sessions, the system of the present invention is also able to retrieve and to replay these communication sessions to the user. The stored communication session, composed of stored data packets, can be retrieved and displayed by data restore unit 32 of FIG. 2, in conjunction with audio unit 34 and video unit 36. The method of retrieving and replaying sessions of interest is shown in FIG. 5, while certain other relevant portions of the system of the present invention are shown in FIG. 2. In step 1 of FIG. 5, the user inputs the information concerning the communication session which is to be retrieved and replayed. This information preferably includes the terminal number, or other designation information concerning at least one of the parties of the communication session of interest; the time at which the session started; and the time at which the session ended. However, alternatively other information could be included in place of this information, as long as sufficient information is provided for the communication session of interest to be identified. In step 2 of FIG. 5, call progress database 80 (see FIG. 2) is searched by data restore unit 32 in order to find the details of the communication session(s) in the specified time range. These details are then compared to the information entered by the user to locate at least one communication session of interest in the call range. In step 3, RTP database 86 of storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2) is searched, again by data restore unit 32, to find substantially all data packets from the at least one communication session in the specified call range. Optionally and preferably, in step 4, if the audio portion communication session was recorded in stereo, then the data packets are divided into different audio channels. In step 5, the data packets are restored by data restore unit 32 by an RTP (Real Time Protocol) software module 91 within data restore unit 32. RTP software module 91 orders the data packets within each channel according to the time stamp of each packet. As shown in FIG. 4C, an RTP packet header 92 features several important fields: a timestamp field 94, a synchronization source (SSRC) identifiers field 96 and a contributing source (CSRC) identifiers field 98. SSRC field 96 is used to determine the source of the RTP packets (the sender), which has a unique identifying address (the SSRC identifier). The CSRC identifier in CSRC field 98 is used in a conference with multiple parties, and indicates the SSRC identifier of all parties. Timestamp field 94 is used by RTP software module 91 to determine the relative time at which the data in each packet should be displayed. For example, preferably the audio stream data of the audio speech of one person is synchronized to that person's lip movements as shown in the video stream, a process known as “lip synchronization”. Such synchronization requires more than simply replaying audio and video data at certain relative time points, since the audio and video data packets may not arrive at the same time, and may therefore have slightly different timestamps. Once the data packet has been correctly synchronized, the control of the display of the audio data is then performed by an audio component 102 of data restore unit 32 according to one or more audio CODEC's (see FIG. 2). The control of the display of the video data is then performed by a video component 104 of data restore unit 32 according to one or more video CODEC's (see FIG. 2). Suitable CODEC's include, but are not limited to, an audio codec using CCITT Recommendation G.711(1988), Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) of voice frequencies; an audio codec using CCITT Recommendation G.722 (1988), 7 kHz audio-coding within 64 kbit/s; an audio codec using ITU-T Recommendation G.723.1 (1996), Speech coders: Dual rate speech coder for multimedia communications transmitting at 5.3 and 6.3 Kbps; an audio codec using CCITT Recommendation G.728 (1992), Coding of speech at 16 Kbps using low-delay code excited linear prediction; an audio codec using ITU-T Recommendation G.729 (1996), Coding of speech at 8 Kbps using conjugate structure algebraic code-excited linear-prediction (CS-ACELP); a video codec using ITU-T Recommendation H.261 (1993), Video codec for audiovisual services at p×64 kbit/s; a video code using ITU-T Recommendation H.263 (1996), Video coding for low bit rate communication; and substantially any other similar coding standard. As shown in FIG. 2, the audio data is displayed by audio unit 34, which could include a loudspeaker, for example. The video data is displayed by video unit 36, which could include a display monitor screen, for example. Step 5 of FIG. 5 is then preferably repeated, such that substantially the entirety of the communication session is displayed. As shown in step 6, each data packet of the communication session is examined to see if the call time is over. If the individual session has not completed, preferably step 5 is repeated. Alternatively and preferably, if the call time is over, then call progress database 80 is searched to see if other communication sessions were recorded within the given time period, as shown in step 7. If there is at least one other such communication session, then preferably the method of FIG. 5 is repeated, starting from step 2. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, several configurations of the computer logging system are possible, examples of which are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. According to a first embodiment of the system of the present invention, shown in FIG. 6, a typical basic configuration system 104 includes a single communication session management unit 13, substantially as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, according to the present invention. Communication session management unit 13 manages communication in a stand-alone intranet-such as a LAN 106. LAN 106 is connected both to communication session management unit 13 and to a plurality of terminals 108, designated as “T1”, “T2” and so forth, which follow the H.323 protocol. Each terminal 108 is an endpoint on LAN 106 which provides for real-time, two-way communications with another terminal 108, a gateway 110, or a multipoint control unit 112. This communication consists of control, indications, audio streams, video streams, and/or data. Terminal 108 is optionally only capable of providing such communication for audio only, audio and data, audio and video, or audio, data and video. As noted previously in the “Description of the Background Art” section, the H.323 entity could be a terminal which is capable of providing audio and/or video communication as a “LAN telephone”, but could also be a stand-alone audio or video telephone. Gateway 110 (GW) is constructed according to H.323 and is an endpoint on LAN 106 which provides for real-time, two-way communications between terminals 108 on LAN 106 and other suitable terminals on a WAN (not shown), or to another such Gateway (not shown). Other suitable terminals include those complying with Recommendations H.310 (H.320 on B-ISDN), H.320 (ISDN), H.321 (ATM), H.322 (GQOS-LAN), H.324 (GSTN), H.324M (Mobile), and V.70 (DSVD). Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) 112 is an endpoint on LAN 106 which enables three or more terminals 108 and gateways 110 to participate in a multipoint conference. Preferably, system 104 also features a gatekeeper (GK) 114, which is an H.323 entity on LAN 106 which provides address translation and controls access to LAN 106 for terminals 108, gateways 110 and MCUs 112. Gatekeeper 114 may also provide other services to terminals 108, gateways 1 10 and MCUs 112 such as bandwidth management and locating gateways 110. Preferably, gatekeeper 114 enables the IP address of terminals 108 on LAN 106 to be determined, such that the correct IP address can be determined “on the fly”. In addition, LAN 106 may support non audio visual devices for regular T.120 data applications such as electronic whiteboards, still image transfer, file exchange, database access, etc. In basic system 104, a single, stand-alone communication session management unit 13 is used for monitoring, logging and retrieval of all audio and/or visual calls either between any two or more terminals 108 attached to LAN 106 or any call to which one or more of these terminals 108 is a party. However, for the preferred embodiment of the system of FIG. 6 which includes gatekeeper 114, as well as for the system of FIG. 7, once the communication session has been opened, preferably RAS control module 84 also performs RAS signaling between the management control module and NIC 16 where necessary for the configuration of the system. Such signaling uses H.225.0 messages to perform registration, admissions, bandwidth changes, status, and disengage procedures between endpoints and gatekeepers. These messages are passed on a RAS Signaling Channel, which is independent from the Call Signaling Channel and the H.245 Control Channel. H.245 open logical channel procedures are not used to establish the RAS Signaling Channel. In LAN environments which contain a Gatekeeper (a Zone), the RAS Signaling Channel is opened between the endpoint and the Gatekeeper. The RAS Signaling Channel is opened prior to the establishment of any other channels between H.323 endpoints. FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the system of the present invention as a zone configuration system 116. A zone 118 is the collection of all terminals (Tx) 108, gateways (GW) 10, and Multipoint Control Units (MCU) 112 managed by a single gatekeeper (GK) 114. Zone 118 includes at least one terminal 108, but does not necessarily include one or more gateways 1 10 or MCUs 112. Zone 118 has only one gatekeeper 114 as shown. However, in the preferred embodiment shown, zone 118 is preferably independent of LAN topology and preferably includes multiple LAN segments 120 which are connected using routers (R) 122 as shown or other similar devices. Each monitored LAN segment 120 has a local communication management unit 124 according to the present invention, of which two are shown. A central management unit 126 according to the present invention controls all local communication management units 124. In addition to centralized database and control services, central management unit 126 can be used for the real-time monitoring and off-line restoration of audio and/or video communication sessions from a single point. Central management unit 126 is optionally and preferably either a dedicated unit similar in structure to local communication management units 124 but without the storage capability, or central management unit 126 is alternatively and preferably integrated with local communication management units 124 to provide the functionality of both local communication management unit 124 and central management unit 126 in a single station. Local communication management units 124 are preferably either communication management units 13 substantially as described in FIGS. 1 and 2, or alternatively and preferably are simpler units which lack the capability to retrieve and display a communication session locally. In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention (not shown), multi-user operation based on Client/Server architecture is preferably supported for basic system 104 and zone system 116. An unlimited number of “Client” stations may be connected anywhere on the LAN, providing users with management and monitoring/retrieval capabilities determined by the authorization level of each specific user. It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as examples, and that many other embodiments are possible within the spirit and the scope of the present invention. | <SOH> FIELD AND BACKGROUND <EOH>The present invention is of a method and a system for the management of communication sessions for computer network-based telephone communication, and in particular for the identification of packets containing audio and/or video data, for the storage of these packets, and for the reconstruction of selected communication sessions for audio and/or video display as needed. The integration of the computer into office communication systems has enabled many functions previously performed by separate devices to be combined into a single management system operated through a computer. For example, computer-based voice logging systems enable a computer to receive voice communication through a hardware connection to the regular telephony network, to record either a conversation, in which at least two parties converse, or a message from at least one party to one or more parties, and to replay these recorded conversations or messages upon request. These voice logging systems can replace mechanical telephone answering machines. The computer logging systems have many advantages over the mechanical answering machines. For example, the voice messages can be stored in a computer-based storage medium, such as a DAT cassette, which has a greater storage capacity than regular audio cassettes. Furthermore, the stored voice messages can be organized in a database, such that the messages can retrieved according to time, date, channel, dialed number or caller identification, for example. Such organization is not possible with a mechanical telephone answering machine. Thus, computer logging systems for voice messages have many advantages over mechanical answering machines. Unfortunately, currently available computer logging systems have the disadvantage of being unable to record telephone communication sessions, whether conversations or messages, for voice communication being performed through a LAN (local area network) or a WAN (wide area network). Although these logging systems can play back voice messages to a remote user through a LAN, for example, they cannot record such a message if it is transmitted by a LAN-based telephone. Such LAN and WAN based telephone communication has become more popular recently, since it enables telephone communication to be performed between various parties at physically separated sites without paying for local regular telephony network services, thereby saving money. Furthermore, LAN and WAN based telephone communication also facilitates the transmission of video as well as audio information. Video information certainly cannot be recorded by currently available computer logging systems. Thus, the inability of computer logging systems to record telephone communication sessions for telephone communication being performed through a LAN or a WAN, including both video and audio data, is a significant disadvantage of these systems. There is therefore a need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a system and a method for recording telephone communication sessions performed over a computer network such as a LAN or a WAN, which would record both audio and video information, organize such information, and then display such information upon request. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>It is one object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for recording communication sessions performed over a computer network. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing data transmitted over the computer network in order to detect audio and video data for recording. It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for displaying recorded video and audio data upon request. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing, recording and displaying communication sessions conducted with a LAN-based telephone system. These and other objects of the present invention are explained in further detail with regard to the drawings, description and claims provided below. The present invention provides a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. According to the teachings of the present invention, there is provided a system for managing a communication session over a computer network, the system comprising: (a) a network connector for connecting to the computer network and for receiving data packets from the computer network; (b) a filtering unit for filtering the data packets and for accepting the data packets substantially only if the data packets contain data selected from the group consisting of audio data and video data, such that the data packets form at least a portion of the communication session and such that the data packets are selected data packets; (c) a management unit for receiving the selected data packets and for storing the selected data packets, such that the selected data packets are stored data packets; and (d) a storage medium for receiving and for storing the stored data packets from the management unit, such that the at least a portion of the communication session is stored. Preferably, the system further comprises (e) a data restore unit for retrieving and displaying the at least a portion of the communication session, the data restore unit requesting the data packets from the storage medium through the management unit, and the data restore unit reconstructing the data packets for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. More preferably, the data restore unit further comprises a communication session display unit for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. Most preferably, the communication session display unit is selected from the group consisting of a video unit and an audio unit. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the system further comprises (f) a database connected to the filtering unit for storing filtering information, the filtering information including at least one IP address of a party whose communication sessions are monitored; wherein the filtering unit accepts the data packets according to the filtering information, such that the filtering unit substantially only accepts the data packets if the data packets fulfill the filtering information. Preferably, the system further comprises (g) a user computer for receiving at least one command of a user and for displaying information to the user, such that the user determines the filtering information according to the at least one command of the user. More preferably, the computer network is selected from the group consisting of a LAN (local area network) and a WAN (wide area network). Most preferably, the computer network is a LAN (local area network). According to further preferred embodiments of the present invention, the LAN is divided into at least two segments, the system further comprising: (h) a local management unit for each segment, the local management unit including the filtering unit and the management unit; and (i) a central management unit for controlling the local management units, the central management unit controlling storage in the storage medium. Preferably, the network connector is a network interface card. According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing at least a portion of a communication session performed on a computer network, the communication session being performed between a packet source and a packet destination, the steps of the method being performed by a data processor, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a data packet from the packet source on the computer network; (b) analyzing the data packet to determine if the data packet is an IP packet; (c) if the data packet is the IP packet, filtering the IP packet to determine a type of the IP packet; and (d) storing the IP packet to form a stored data packet according to the type, such that the stored data packet forms at least a portion of the communication session. Preferably, the step of analyzing the data packet is performed by examining a header of the data packet. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of filtering the IP packet is performed by examining the header of the IP packet. Preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (i) examining the header of the IP packet to determine an IP address of the packet source; (ii) determining if the IP address is a recorded IP address; (iii) passing the IP packet to form a passed IP packet substantially only if the IP address is the recorded IP address; and (iv) alternatively, dumping the IP packet. More preferably, the step of determining if the IP address is the recorded IP address is performed by comparing the IP address to a list of IP addresses from packet sources, such that if the IP address is included in the list, the IP address is the recorded IP address. Also preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (v) determining whether the passed IP packet is an H.225 packet, a H.245 packet, an RTP packet or an RTCP packet; (vi) if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.225 packet, determining whether the H.225 packet is a setup packet or a connect packet; (vii) if the H.225 packet is the setup packet, setting a status flag as “start session request”; (viii) alternatively, if the H.225 packet is the connect packet and the status flag is “start session request”, storing at least one detail of the communication session; and (ix) setting the status flag as “wait for logic channel”. More preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (x) alternatively, if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.245 packet, determining whether the H.245 packet is an open logical channel request packet, an open logical channel acknowledgment packet or a terminal capability set packet; (xi) if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel request packet and the status flag is “wait for logic channel”, setting the status flag as “wait for acknowledgment”; (xii) alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel acknowledgment packet and the status flag is “wait for acknowledgment”, performing the steps of: (A) setting the status flag as “wait for terminal capability”; and (B) saving a transport address of the destination of the communication session; and (xiii) also alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the terminal capability set packet, performing the steps of: (A) storing a capability of the packet destination from the terminal capability packet; and (B) setting the status flag as “in call process”. Most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTP packet, the RTP packet is stored. Also most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTCP packet, the RTCP packet is stored. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: (e) retrieving the stored data packet to form a retrieved data packet; and (i) reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session according to the retrieved data packet. Preferably, the step of retrieving the data packet includes the steps of: (i) receiving a source IP address of the packet source, a start time of the communication session, and an end time of the communication session; and (ii) selecting at least one communication session according to the source IP address, the start time and the end time. Also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying audio data. Alternatively and also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying video data. More preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session further comprises the steps of: (i) retrieving substantially only RTP packets; (ii) examining a header of the RTP packets to determine a time stamp for each of the RTP packets; and (iii) displaying the RTP packets in an order according to the time stamp. Hereinafter, the term “communication session” includes both a conversation, in which at least two parties converse by exchanging audio and/or video information in “real time”, and a message, in which at least one party records such audio and/or video information for reception by at least one other party at a later date. Hereinafter, the term “Internet” is used to generally designate the global, linked web of thousands of networks which is used to connect computers all over the world. As used herein, the term “intranet” includes other types of computer networks, such as LAN (local area networks) or WAN (wide area networks). The term “computer network” includes any connection between at least two computers which permits the transmission of data, including both Internet and intranet. The term “regular telephony network” includes POTS (plain old telephone system) and substantially any other type of telephone network which provides services through a regular telephone services provider, but which specifically excludes audio and/or video communication performed through any type of computer network. Hereinafter, the term “computer” includes, but is not limited to, personal computers (PC) having an operating system such as DOS, Windows™, OS/2™ or Linux; Maclntosh™ computers; computers having JAVA™-OS as the operating system; and graphical workstations such as the computers of Sun Microsystems™ and Silicon Graphics™, and other computers having some version of the UNIX operating system such as AIX or SOLARIS™ of Sun MicrosystemS™; or any other known and available operating system. Hereinafter, the term “Windows™” includes but is not limited to Windows95™, Windows 3.x™ in which “x” is an integer such as “1”, Windows NT™, Windows98™, Windows CE™ and any upgraded versions of these operating systems by Microsoft Inc. (Seattle, Wash., USA). Hereinafter, the term “logging” refers to the process of analyzing data packets on a network to locate audio and/or video data, and of recording such data in an organized system. Hereinafter, the term “display” includes both the visual display of video data, and the production of sound for audio data. | 20041013 | 20050322 | 20050210 | 95532.0 | 1 | DINH, DUNG C | METHOD FOR STORING ON A COMPUTER NETWORK A PORTION OF A COMMUNICATION SESSION BETWEEN A PACKET SOURCE AND A PACKET DESTINATION | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,962,677 | ACCEPTED | Method for extracting a computer network-based telephone session performed through a computer network | Monitoring of data packets transmitted across a computer network to extract a computer network-based telephone session in response to a request in which at least the following occur. Data packets transmitted on the computer network are analyzed to select one or more data packets that contain audio data, video data, or audio and video data (“data”). Packets associated with one or more IP addresses representing sessions to be monitored are identified. The data contained in the identified data packets are stored. The data contained in the identified data packets are organized into a specific telephone session based at least in part on a computer network-based telephone session to which the data packets belong. The data that is included in the organized data packets is output upon receipt of a signal representing the request of a user for the specific telephone session. | 1. A method for monitoring data packets transmitted across a computer network in order to extract a computer network-based telephone session that has been performed through the computer network for display in response to a request, comprising the steps of: (a) analyzing data packets that are transmitted on the computer network to select one or more data packets that contain audio data, video data, or audio and video data; (b) identifying data packets that are associated with one or more IP addresses representing sessions to be monitored; (c) storing the audio data, video data, or audio and video data contained in the identified data packets; (d) organizing the audio data, video data, or audio and video data contained in the identified data packets into a specific telephone session based at least in part on a computer network-based telephone session to which the data packets belong; and (e) outputting the audio data, the video data, or the audio and video data that is included in the organized data packets upon receipt of a signal representing the request of a user for the specific telephone session. 2. The method of claim 1, including the additional step of including in a database information extracted from the data packet including one or more selected from the group of: one or more IP addresses, a time, a date, a channel, a dialed number, and a caller identification. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is stored on a storage media that is accessible through the computer network. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer network is a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting step outputs the audio data, video data or audio and video data. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the outputting step further comprises the step of displaying any video data included in the organized data packets on a computer monitor, a video monitor, or a display screen. 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the outputting step further comprises the step of producing any audio data included in the organized data packets as sound through an earphone or a loudspeaker. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified data packets are among the selected data packets. | This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/664,755, which was filed on Sep. 19, 2000, now pending, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/140,453, filed on Aug. 26, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,665, issued on Sep. 19, 2000, which are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their respective entireties herein. FIELD AND BACKGROUND The present invention is of a method and a system for the management of communication sessions for computer network-based telephone communication, and in particular for the identification of packets containing audio and/or video data, for the storage of these packets, and for the reconstruction of selected communication sessions for audio and/or video display as needed. The integration of the computer into office communication systems has enabled many functions previously performed by separate devices to be combined into a single management system operated through a computer. For example, computer-based voice logging systems enable a computer to receive voice communication through a hardware connection to the regular telephony network, to record either a conversation, in which at least two parties converse, or a message from at least one party to one or more parties, and to replay these recorded conversations or messages upon request. These voice logging systems can replace mechanical telephone answering machines. The computer logging systems have many advantages over the mechanical answering machines. For example, the voice messages can be stored in a computer-based storage medium, such as a DAT cassette, which has a greater storage capacity than regular audio cassettes. Furthermore, the stored voice messages can be organized in a database, such that the messages can retrieved according to time, date, channel, dialed number or caller identification, for example. Such organization is not possible with a mechanical telephone answering machine. Thus, computer logging systems for voice messages have many advantages over mechanical answering machines. Unfortunately, currently available computer logging systems have the disadvantage of being unable to record telephone communication sessions, whether conversations or messages, for voice communication being performed through a LAN (local area network) or a WAN (wide area network). Although these logging systems can play back voice messages to a remote user through a LAN, for example, they cannot record such a message if it is transmitted by a LAN-based telephone. Such LAN and WAN based telephone communication has become more popular recently, since it enables telephone communication to be performed between various parties at physically separated sites without paying for local regular telephony network services, thereby saving money. Furthermore, LAN and WAN based telephone communication also facilitates the transmission of video as well as audio information. Video information certainly cannot be recorded by currently available computer logging systems. Thus, the inability of computer logging systems to record telephone communication sessions for telephone communication being performed through a LAN or a WAN, including both video and audio data, is a significant disadvantage of these systems. There is therefore a need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a system and a method for recording telephone communication sessions performed over a computer network such as a LAN or a WAN, which would record both audio and video information, organize such information, and then display such information upon request. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for recording communication sessions performed over a computer network. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing data transmitted over the computer network in order to detect audio and video data for recording. It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for displaying recorded video and audio data upon request. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing, recording and displaying communication sessions conducted with a LAN-based telephone system. These and other objects of the present invention are explained in further detail with regard to the drawings, description and claims provided below. The present invention provides a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. According to the teachings of the present invention, there is provided a system for managing a communication session over a computer network, the system comprising: (a) a network connector for connecting to the computer network and for receiving data packets from the computer network; (b) a filtering unit for filtering the data packets and for accepting the data packets substantially only if the data packets contain data selected from the group consisting of audio data and video data, such that the data packets form at least a portion of the communication session and such that the data packets are selected data packets; (c) a management unit for receiving the selected data packets and for storing the selected data packets, such that the selected data packets are stored data packets; and (d) a storage medium for receiving and for storing the stored data packets from the management unit, such that the at least a portion of the communication session is stored. Preferably, the system further comprises (e) a data restore unit for retrieving and displaying the at least a portion of the communication session, the data restore unit requesting the data packets from the storage medium through the management unit, and the data restore unit reconstructing the data packets for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. More preferably, the data restore unit further comprises a communication session display unit for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. Most preferably, the communication session display unit is selected from the group consisting of a video unit and an audio unit. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the system further comprises (f) a database connected to the filtering unit for storing filtering information, the filtering information including at least one IP address of a party whose communication sessions are monitored; wherein the filtering unit accepts the data packets according to the filtering information, such that the filtering unit substantially only accepts the data packets if the data packets fulfill the filtering information. Preferably, the system further comprises (g) a user computer for receiving at least one command of a user and for displaying information to the user, such that the user determines the filtering information according to the at least one command of the user. More preferably, the computer network is selected from the group consisting of a LAN (local area network) and a WAN (wide area network). Most preferably, the computer network is a LAN (local area network). According to further preferred embodiments of the present invention, the LAN is divided into at least two segments, the system further comprising: (h) a local management unit for each segment, the local management unit including the filtering unit and the management unit; and (i) a central management unit for controlling the local management units, the central management unit controlling storage in the storage medium. Preferably, the network connector is a network interface card. According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing at least a portion of a communication session performed on a computer network, the communication session being performed between a packet source and a packet destination, the steps of the method being performed by a data processor, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a data packet from the packet source on the computer network; (b) analyzing the data packet to determine if the data packet is an IP packet; (c) if the data packet is the IP packet, filtering the IP packet to determine a type of the IP packet; and (d) storing the IP packet to form a stored data packet according to the type, such that the stored data packet forms at least a portion of the communication session. Preferably, the step of analyzing the data packet is performed by examining a header of the data packet. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of filtering the IP packet is performed by examining the header of the IP packet. Preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (i) examining the header of the IP packet to determine an IP address of the packet source; (ii) determining if the IP address is a recorded IP address; (iii) passing the IP packet to form a passed IP packet substantially only if the IP address is the recorded IP address; and (iv) alternatively, dumping the IP packet. More preferably, the step of determining if the IP address is the recorded IP address is performed by comparing the IP address to a list of IP addresses from packet sources, such that if the IP address is included in the list, the IP address is the recorded IP address. Also preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (v) determining whether the passed IP packet is an H.225 packet, a H.245 packet, an RTP packet or an RTCP packet; (vi) if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.225 packet, determining whether the H.225 packet is a setup packet or a connect packet; (vii) if the H.225 packet is the setup packet, setting a status flag as “start session request”; (viii) alternatively, if the H.225 packet is the connect packet and the status flag is “start session request”, storing at least one detail of the communication session; and (ix) setting the status flag as “wait for logic channel”. More preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (x) alternatively, if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.245 packet, determining whether the H.245 packet is an open logical channel request packet, an open logical channel acknowledgment packet or a terminal capability set packet; (xi) if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel request packet and the status flag is “wait for logic channel”, setting the status flag as “wait for acknowledgment”; (xii) alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel acknowledgment packet and the status flag is “wait for acknowledgment”, performing the steps of: (A) setting the status flag as “wait for terminal capability”; and (B) saving a transport address of the destination of the communication session; and (xiii) also alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the terminal capability set packet, performing the steps of: (A) storing a capability of the packet destination from the terminal capability packet; and (B) setting the status flag as “in call process”. Most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTP packet, the RTP packet is stored. Also most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTCP packet, the RTCP packet is stored. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: (e) retrieving the stored data packet to form a retrieved data packet; and (i) reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session according to the retrieved data packet. Preferably, the step of retrieving the data packet includes the steps of: (i) receiving a source IP address of the packet source, a start time of the communication session, and an end time of the communication session; and (ii) selecting at least one communication session according to the source IP address, the start time and the end time. Also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying audio data. Alternatively and also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying video data. More preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session further comprises the steps of: (i) retrieving substantially only RTP packets; (ii) examining a header of the RTP packets to determine a time stamp for each of the RTP packets; and (iii) displaying the RTP packets in an order according to the time stamp. Hereinafter, the term “communication session” includes both a conversation, in which at least two parties converse by exchanging audio and/or video information in “real time”, and a message, in which at least one party records such audio and/or video information for reception by at least one other party at a later date. Hereinafter, the term “Internet” is used to generally designate the global, linked web of thousands of networks which is used to connect computers all over the world. As used herein, the term “intranet” includes other types of computer networks, such as LAN (local area networks) or WAN (wide area networks). The term “computer network” includes any connection between at least two computers which permits the transmission of data, including both Internet and intranet. The term “regular telephony network” includes POTS (plain old telephone system) and substantially any other type of telephone network which provides services through a regular telephone services provider, but which specifically excludes audio and/or video communication performed through any type of computer network. Hereinafter, the term “computer” includes, but is not limited to, personal computers (PC) having an operating system such as DOS, Windows™, OS/2™ or Linux; MacIntosh™ computers; computers having JAVA™-OS as the operating system; and graphical workstations such as the computers of Sun Microsystems™ and Silicon Graphics™, and other computers having some version of the UNIX operating system such as AIX or SOLARIS™ of Sun Microsystems™; or any other known and available operating system. Hereinafter, the term “Windows™” includes but is not limited to Windows95™, Windows 3.x™ in which “x” is an integer such as “1”, Windows NT™, Windows98™, Windows CE™ and any upgraded versions of these operating systems by Microsoft Inc. (Seattle, Wash., USA). Hereinafter, the term “logging” refers to the process of analyzing data packets on a network to locate audio and/or video data, and of recording such data in an organized system. Hereinafter, the term “display” includes both the visual display of video data, and the production of sound for audio data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary communication session monitoring system according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the software modules required for operating the system of FIG. 1; FIGS. 3A-3D are flowcharts of exemplary filtering and recording methods according to the present invention; FIGS. 4A-4D are schematic block diagrams showing the headers of H.225 (FIG. 4A), H.245 (FIG. 4B), RTP (FIG. 4C) and RTCP (FIG. 4D) packets, as they relate to the present invention; FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary communication session playback method according to the present invention; FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary first embodiment of a basic system using the communication session monitoring system of FIGS. 1 and 2 according to the present invention; and FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary second embodiment of a zone system according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND ART The following description is intended to provide a description of certain background methods and technologies which are optionally used in the method and system of the present invention. The present invention is specifically not drawn to these methods and technologies alone. Rather, they are used as tools to accomplish the goal of the present invention, which is a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. The system and method of the present invention is particularly intended for operation with computer networks constructed according to the ITU-T Recommendation H.323 for visual telephone systems and equipment for local area networks which provide a non-guaranteed quality of service. Recommendation H.323 is herein incorporated by reference in order to further describe the hardware requirements and operating protocols for such computer networks, and is hereinafter referred to as “H.323”. H.323 describes terminals, equipment and services for multimedia communication over Local Area Networks (LAN) which do not provide a guaranteed quality of service. Computer terminals and equipment which fulfill H.323 may carry real-time voice, data and video, or any combination, including videotelephony. The LAN over which such terminals communicate can be a single segment or ring, or optionally can include multiple segments with complex topologies. These terminals are optionally integrated into computers or alternatively are implemented in stand-alone devices such as videotelephones. Support for voice data is required, while support for general data and video data are optional, but if supported, the ability to use a specified common mode of operation is required, so that all terminals supporting that particular media type can communicate. The H.323 Recommendation allows more than one channel of each type to be in use. Other Recommendations in the H.323-Series which are also incorporated by reference include H.225.0 packet and synchronization; H.245 control, H.261 and H.263 video codecs, G.711, G.722, G.728, G.729, and G.723 audio codecs, and the T.120-Series of multimedia communications protocols. ITU-T Recommendation H.245.0 covers the definition of Media stream packetization and synchronization for visual telephone systems. ITU-T Recommendation H.245.0 defines the Control protocol for multimedia communications, and is hereinafter referred to as “H.245”. H.245 is incorporated by reference as is fully set forth herein. The logical channel signaling procedures of H.245 describes the content of each logical channel when the channel is opened. Procedures are provided for the communication of the functional capabilities of receivers and transmitters, so that transmissions are limited to information which can be decoded by the receivers, and so that receivers may request a particular desired mode from transmitters. H.245 signaling is established between two endpoints: an endpoint and a multi-point controller, or an endpoint and a Gatekeeper. The endpoint establishes exactly one H.245 Control Channel for each call that the endpoint is participating in. The channel must then operate according to H.245. Support for multiple calls and hence for multiple H.245 Control Channels is possible. The RAS signaling function uses H.225.0 messages to perform registration, admissions, bandwidth changes, status, and disengage procedures between endpoints and Gatekeepers. In LAN environments that do not have a Gatekeeper, the RAS Signaling Channel is not used. In LAN environments which contain a Gatekeeper, such that the LAN includes at least one Zone, the RAS Signaling Channel is opened between the endpoint and the Gatekeeper. The RAS Signaling Channel is opened prior to the establishment of any other channels between H.323 endpoints. The call signaling function uses H.225.0 call signaling to establish a connection between two H.323 endpoints. The Call Signaling Channel is independent from the RAS Channel and the H.245 Control Channel. The Call Signaling Channel is opened prior to the establishment of the H.245 Channel and any other logical channels between H.323 endpoints. In systems that do not have a Gatekeeper, the Call Signaling Channel is opened between the two endpoints involved in the call. In systems which contain a Gatekeeper, the Call Signaling Channel is opened between the end point and the Gatekeeper, or between the endpoints themselves as chosen by the Gatekeeper. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention provides a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. The principles and operation of a method and a system according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description. Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for logging and displaying audio and/or visual data from communication sessions performed over a computer network. A computer logging system 10 features a user computer 12 connected to a communication session management unit 13. Communication session management unit 13 is in turn connected to an intranet 14 through a network interface card (NIC) 16. User computer 12 includes a user interface 18, which is preferably a GUI (graphical user interface), which is displayed on a display unit 20. User interface 18 preferably enables the user to enter such information as the definition of the parties whose calls should to be monitored and/or logged, and which also preferably enables the user to enter at least one command for retrieving and displaying a communication session. Display unit 20 is preferably a computer monitor. The user is able to interact with user computer 12 by entering data and commands through a data entry device 22. Data entry device 22 preferably includes at least a keyboard or a pointing device such as a mouse, and more preferably includes both a keyboard and a pointing device. According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, user computer 12 is a PC (personal computer). Alternatively and preferably, user computer 12 is a “thin client” such a net computer which is a computer able to communicate on an IP-based network. One example of such a net computer is the JavaStation™ (Sun Microsystems). The advantage of such net computers is that they allow the user to interact with complex, sophisticated software programs, yet generally do not have all of the powerful computing capabilities of currently available PC computers. Intranet 14 could be a LAN or a WAN, for example. The connection between communication session management unit 13 and intranet 14 occurs through NIC 16. NIC 16 is preferably any standard, off-the-shelf commercial product which enables communication session management unit 13 to be connected to any suitable computer network (for example, Etherlink II ISA/PCMCIA Adapter or Etherlink III PCI Bus-Master Adapter (3c590) of 3-Com™, or NE2000 Adapter of Novell™ or any other such suitable product). Examples of such suitable computer networks include, but are not limited to, any standard LAN such as Ethernet (IEEE Standard 802.3), Fast Ethernet (IEEE Standard 802.10), Token Ring (IEEE Standard 802.5) and FDDI. All data packet traffic on intranet 14 is passed to a filtering module 24 through NIC 16. As shown in more detail in FIG. 3 below, filtering module 24 screens the data packets in order to determine which data packets fulfill the following criteria. Briefly, the data packets should be IP packets with headers according to the H.225 and H.245 standards, indicating voice and/or video traffic. As noted previously, these standards define media stream packet construction and synchronization for visual telephone systems and the control protocol for multimedia communications. Filtering module 24 then preferably passes substantially only those data packets which meet these criteria to a management module 28. In the Zone Configuration of the system of the present invention, shown in FIG. 7 below, filtering module 24 preferably also transfers messages from other communication session management units. Management module 28 receives the data packets passed through by filtering module 24, and analyzes the received data packets. Optionally and preferably, a database 26 stores such information as the IP addresses of parties whose communication sessions should be logged, as well as the conversion table associating each party with at least one IP address, for example. The stored list of IP addresses representing those parties whose calls should be logged is preferably user-defined. As used herein, the term “party” refers to a person or persons communicating through a computer network-based telephone system. The latter preferred requirement significantly reduces the amount of data stored by including only data which is of interest to the user. Management module 28 analyzes and manages data in accordance with the applicable H.225 and H.245 specifications, including the H.245 control function, RAS signaling function and call signaling function, substantially as described above in the “Description of the Background Art” section. Management module 28 analyzes the packets in order to determine the specific communication session to which the data packets belong, the type of data compression being used (if any), and whether the data packets were sent from an IP address which should be monitored. Management module 28 must perform this analysis since filtering module 24 simply passes all data packets which fulfill the criteria described briefly above (see FIGS. 3A-3D for more detail). Since these packets are passed without regard to any of the information stored in database 26, management module 28 must compare the rules of database 26 to the information present in the packet header of each packet in order to determine whether the received packet should be stored. Those received packets which fulfill the rules of database 26 are then stored in a storage medium 30, which is preferably a high capacity digital data storage device such as a hard disk magnetic storage device, an optical disk, a CD-ROM, a ZIP or DVD drive, or a DAT cassette, or a combination of such devices according to the operational needs of specific applications, or any other suitable storage media. Preferably, the specific communication session or “telephone call”, with which each data packet is associated, is also stored in order for that session to be reconstructed and displayed at a later time. Upon request by the user, management module 28 can then retrieve one or more data packets from storage medium 30 which are associated with one or more communication sessions. The retrieved packet or packets are then transferred to a data restore module 32. Data restore module 32 is preferably capable of manipulating these retrieved packets to restore a particular communication session by using the RTP (Real Time Protocol). As described in further detail below with regard to FIGS. 4C and 5, in those systems which follow the RTP, the data packets are sent with a time stamp in the header rather than just a sequence number. Such a time stamp is necessary for audio and video stream data, in order for the data packets to be reassembled such that the overall timing of the stream of data is maintained. Without such a time stamp, the proper timing would not be maintained, and the audio or video streams could not be accurately reconstructed. The communication sessions are restored from the reconstructed streams of data packets by using the applicable audio and/or video CODEC's. A CODEC is a non-linear method for the conversion of analog and digital data. Thus, an audio CODEC enables the digitized audio data in relevant data packets to be converted to analog audio data for display to the user as audible sounds, for example. Suitable CODEC's are described in greater detail below with regard to FIG. 5. In order for the user to receive the display of the reconstructed communication session, system 10 preferably features an audio unit 34 and a video unit 36, collectively referred to as a “communication session display unit”. More preferably, both audio unit 34 and video unit 36 are capable of both receiving audio or video input, respectively, and of displaying audio or video output. At the very least, audio unit 34 and video unit 36 should be able to display audio or video output, respectively. For example, audio unit 34 could optionally include an microphone for input and a speaker or an earphone for output. Video unit 36 could optionally include a video monitor or display screen for output and a video camera for input, for example. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of system 10 of FIG. 1, showing the overall system of software modules of system 10 in more detail. Reference is also made, where appropriate, to flow charts showing the operation of these software modules in more detail (FIGS. 3A-3D and FIG. 5), as well as to descriptions of the headers of the different types of data packets (FIGS. 4A-4D). As shown, system 10 again includes a connection to intranet 14 through NIC 16. As the packets are transmitted through intranet 14, NIC 16 intercepts these data packets and passes them to filtering module 24. Filtering module 24 has two components. A first filtering component 38 examines the header of the data packet, which should be an IP type packet with the correct header, as shown in FIG. 4A below. Next, first filtering component 38 passes the data packet to a second filtering component 40. Second filtering component 40 then determines the type of IP data packet, which could be constructed according to the H.225, H.245, RTP or RTCP standards. As shown with reference to FIG. 3A, first filtering component 38 and second filtering component 40 operate as follows. In step one, a packet is received by filtering module 24. The packet is given to first filtering component 38, which then determines whether the packet is an IP type packet in step two. Such a determination is performed according to the structure of the header of the data packet, an example of which is shown in FIG. 4A. A header 42 is shown as a plurality of boxes, each of which represents a portion or “field” of the header. The number of bytes occupied by each portion is also shown, it being understood that each layer consists of 32 bits. The first portion of the header, a “VERS” portion 44, is the protocol version number. Next, an “H. LEN” portion 46 indicates the number of 32-bit quantities in the header. A “SERVICE TYPE” portion 48 indicates whether the sender prefers the datagram to travel over a route with minimal delay or a route with maximal throughput. A “TOTAL LENGTH” portion 50 indicates the total number of octets in both the header and the data. In the next layer, an “IDENTIFICATION” portion 52 identifies the packet itself. A “FLAGS” portion 54 indicates whether the datagram is a fragment or a complete datagram. A “FRAGMENT OFFSET” portion 56 species the location of this fragment in the original datagram, if the datagram is fragmented. In the next layer, a “TIME TO LIVE” portion 58 contains a positive integer between 1 and 255, which is progressively decremented at each route traveled. When the value becomes 0, the packet will no longer be passed and is returned to the sender. A “TYPE” portion 60 indicates the type of data being passed. A “HEADER CHECKSUM” portion 62 enables the integrity of the packet to be checked by comparing the actual checksum to the value recorded in portion 62. The next layer of header 42 contains the source IP address 64, after which the following layer contains the destination IP address 66. An optional IP OPTIONS portion 68 is present, after which there is padding (if necessary) and a data portion 70 of the packet containing the data begins. The structure of the header of the data packet is examined by first filtering component 38 to determine whether this header has the necessary data fields in the correct order, such that the header of the data packet has a structure according to header 42. First filtering component 38 only allows those packets with the correct header structure to pass, as shown in step 3A. Otherwise, the packets are dumped as shown in step 3B. Those packets with the correct header, or “IP packets”, are then passed to second filtering component 40. Second filtering component 40 then performs the remainder of the filtering steps. In step 3A, second filtering component 40 examines the IP packets to determine their type from the data portion of the packet as shown in FIG. 4A. The packets could be in one of four categories: H.225, H.245, RTP and RTCP. The steps of the method for H.225 packets are shown in FIG. 3A, while the procedures for the remaining packet types are shown in FIGS. 3B-3D, respectively. Once the type of the packet has been determined, both the packet itself and the information regarding the type of packet are both passed to management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The packet is then passed to the relevant component within management module 28, also as shown in FIG. 2, for the recording process to be performed. The recorded packets are stored in storage module 30, as described in greater detail below with regard to FIGS. 3C and 3D. If the packet has been determined to be an H.225 packet according to the header of the packet (see FIG. 4B), the packet is passed to an H.225 call control module 78 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The steps of the management method are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3A. In step 4A of FIG. 3A, the H.225 packet is examined to see if it is a setup packet, which is determined according to the structure of the data in the packet. This structure is specified in the H.225.0 recommendation, and includes at least the following types of information: protocolIdentifier (the version of H.225.0 which is supported); h245Address (specific transport address on which H.245 signaling is to be established by the calling endpoint or gatekeeper); sourceAddress (the H.323.sub.—ID's for the source); sourceInfo (contains an EndpointType to enable the party being called to determine whether the call includes a gateway or not); and destinationaddress (this is the address to which the endpoint wants to be connected). Other types of data are also required, as specified in the H.225.0 Recommendation. This data structure enables H.225 call control module 78 to determine whether the packet is a setup packet. If this packet is a setup packet, then the first branch of the method is followed. The source port is taken from a source port field 74 of an H.225 header 72, and the destination port is taken from a destination port field 76 (see FIG. 4B). In step 5A, database 26 of FIG. 1 is then examined to determine whether either of the corresponding terminals is defined as a recording terminal; that is, whether communication sessions initiated by the IP address of this terminal should be monitored. If true, then in step 6A, the terminal status is set as a start session request from the terminal corresponding to the source port. Alternatively, the packet is examined to see if it is a connect packet in step 4B, which is determined according to the structure of the data in the packet. This structure is specified in the H.225.0 recommendation, and includes at least the following types of information: protocolIdentifier (the version of H.225.0 which is supported); h245Address (specific transport address on which H.245 signaling is to be established by the calling endpoint or gatekeeper); destinationInfo (contains an EndpointType to enable the caller to determine whether the call includes a gateway or not); and conferenceID (contains a unique identifying number to identify the particular conference). If the packet is a connect packet, then the second branch of the method is followed. In step 5B, the flag indicating the terminal status is examined to determine if the terminal status is set as a start session request. In step 6B, the details of the call signal are saved in a call progress database 78 of storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2). These details preferably include the source and destination IP addresses, the source and destination ports; the time at which the communication session was initiated, and any other relevant information. In step 7B, the status of the terminal is set to “wait for the logic channel”. If the packet has been determined to be an H.245 packet by second filtering component 40, the packet is passed to an H.245 call control module 82 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. Such H.245 packets are necessary for H.245 signaling. H.245 signaling is established between two endpoints: an endpoint and a multi-point controller, or an endpoint and a Gatekeeper (see FIGS. 6 and 7 below for examples and a description of such endpoints). Each endpoint is capable of calling and of being called as part of a communication session. However, the system of the present invention only monitors, rather than initiating, such communication sessions. Thus, the system of the present invention uses the H.245 signaling to determine when the communication session has started in order to effectively record the necessary data packets for the storage and later reconstruction of the session. The steps of the management method for H.245 packets are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3B. In step 1A of FIG. 3B, the H.245 packet is examined to determine if it is an open logical channel request packet. If it is, then in step 2A, the terminal status is examined to determine if the status is “wait for the logical channel”. If so, then in step 3A the terminal status is set to “wait for acknowledgment”. Alternatively, the H.245 packet is examined to determine if it is an open logical channel acknowledgment packet, as shown in step 1B. If it is, then in step 2B, the terminal status is examined to determine if the status is “wait for acknowledgment”. If so, then in step 3B the terminal status is set to “wait for terminal capability”. In step 4B, the transport address of the “called” or destination terminal is saved. This transport address is taken from the destination port field 76 of header 72 (see FIG. 4B). It should be noted that H.225 and H.245 packets have identical header structures. Also alternatively, the H.245 packet is examined to determine if it is a terminal capability set packet, as shown in step 1C. If it is, then in step 2C, the terminal capability is saved in call progress database 80 (see FIG. 2). In step 3C, the terminal status is set to “in call process”, such that the communication session has been determined to be opened and such that management module 28 can now receive RTP data packets. If the packet has been determined to be a RTP packet by second filtering component 40, the packet is passed to a RAS (registration, admissions and status) control module 84 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The steps of the management method for RTP packets are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3C. In step 1 of FIG. 3C, the terminal status is examined to see if it is “in call process”. If so then in step 2, the RTP packets are saved in a RTP database 86 within storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 4C shows the structure of the RTP packet header, which can be used to identify the communication session from which the packet was taken. Finally, if the packet has been determined to be a RTCP packet by second filtering component 40, the packet is passed to a RTCP control module 88 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The steps of the management method for RTCP packets are as follows with reference to FIG. 3D. In step 1 of FIG. 3D, the terminal status is examined to see if it is “in call process”. If so then in step 2, the RTCP packets are saved in call progress database 80 within storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 4D shows the structure of the RTCP packet header, which can be used to identify the communication session from which the packet was taken. Thus, FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate the method of the present invention with regard to the filtering and storage of data packets which constitute the recorded communication session, as recorded by the system of the present invention as shown in FIGS. I and 2. Of course, in addition to recording such communication sessions, the system of the present invention is also able to retrieve and to replay these communication sessions to the user. The stored communication session, composed of stored data packets, can be retrieved and displayed by data restore unit 32 of FIG. 2, in conjunction with audio unit 34 and video unit 36. The method of retrieving and replaying sessions of interest is shown in FIG. 5, while certain other relevant portions of the system of the present invention are shown in FIG. 2. In step 1 of FIG. 5, the user inputs the information concerning the communication session which is to be retrieved and replayed. This information preferably includes the terminal number, or other designation information concerning at least one of the parties of the communication session of interest; the time at which the session started; and the time at which the session ended. However, alternatively other information could be included in place of this information, as long as sufficient information is provided for the communication session of interest to be identified. In step 2 of FIG. 5, call progress database 80 (see FIG. 2) is searched by data restore unit 32 in order to find the details of the communication session(s) in the specified time range. These details are then compared to the information entered by the user to locate at least one communication session of interest in the call range. In step 3, RTP database 86 of storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2) is searched, again by data restore unit 32, to find substantially all data packets from the at least one communication session in the specified call range. Optionally and preferably, in step 4, if the audio portion communication session was recorded in stereo, then the data packets are divided into different audio channels. In step 5, the data packets are restored by data restore unit 32 by an RTP (Real Time Protocol) software module 91 within data restore unit 32. RTP software module 91 orders the data packets within each channel according to the time stamp of each packet. As shown in FIG. 4C, an RTP packet header 92 features several important fields: a timestamp field 94, a synchronization source (SSRC) identifiers field 96 and a contributing source (CSRC) identifiers field 98. SSRC field 96 is used to determine the source of the RTP packets (the sender), which has a unique identifying address (the SSRC identifier). The CSRC identifier in CSRC field 98 is used in a conference with multiple parties, and indicates the SSRC identifier of all parties. Timestamp field 94 is used by RTP software module 91 to determine the relative time at which the data in each packet should be displayed. For example, preferably the audio stream data of the audio speech of one person is synchronized to that person's lip movements as shown in the video stream, a process known as “lip synchronization”. Such synchronization requires more than simply replaying audio and video data at certain relative time points, since the audio and video data packets may not arrive at the same time, and may therefore have slightly different timestamps. Once the data packet has been correctly synchronized, the control of the display of the audio data is then performed by an audio component 102 of data restore unit 32 according to one or more audio CODEC's (see FIG. 2). The control of the display of the video data is then performed by a video component 104 of data restore unit 32 according to one or more video CODEC's (see FIG. 2). Suitable CODEC's include, but are not limited to, an audio codec using CCITT Recommendation G.711(1988), Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) of voice frequencies; an audio codec using CCITT Recommendation G.722 (1988), 7 kHz audio-coding within 64 kbit/s; an audio codec using ITU-T Recommendation G.723.1 (1996), Speech coders: Dual rate speech coder for multimedia communications transmitting at 5.3. and 6.3 Kbps; an audio codec using CCITT Recommendation G.728 (1992), Coding of speech at 16 Kbps using low-delay code excited linear prediction; an audio codec using ITU-T Recommendation G.729 (1996), Coding of speech at 8 Kbps using conjugate structure algebraic code-excited linear-prediction (CS-ACELP); a video codec using ITU-T Recommendation H.261 (1993), Video codec for audiovisual services at p×64 kbit/s; a video code using ITU-T Recommendation H.263 (1996), Video coding for low bit rate communication; and substantially any other similar coding standard. As shown in FIG. 2, the audio data is displayed by audio unit 34, which could include a loudspeaker, for example. The video data is displayed by video unit 36, which could include a display monitor screen, for example. Step 5 of FIG. 5 is then preferably repeated, such that substantially the entirety of the communication session is displayed. As shown in step 6, each data packet of the communication session is examined to see if the call time is over. If the individual session has not completed, preferably step 5 is repeated. Alternatively and preferably, if the call time is over, then call progress database 80 is searched to see if other communication sessions were recorded within the given time period, as shown in step 7. If there is at least one other such communication session. then preferably the method of FIG. 5 is repeated, starting from step 2. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, several configurations of the computer logging system are possible, examples of which are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. According to a first embodiment of the system of the present invention, shown in FIG. 6, a typical basic configuration system 104 includes a single communication session management unit 13, substantially as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, according to the present invention. Communication session management unit 13 manages communication in a stand-alone intranet such as a LAN 106. LAN 106 is connected both to communication session management unit 13 and to a plurality of terminals 108, designated as “T1”, “T2” and so forth, which follow the H.323 protocol. Each terminal 108 is an endpoint on LAN 106 which provides for real-time, two-way communications with another terminal 108, a gateway 110, or a multipoint control unit 112. This communication consists of control, indications, audio streams, video streams, and/or data. Terminal 108 is optionally only capable of providing such communication for audio only, audio and data, audio and video, or audio, data and video. As noted previously in the “Description of the Background Art” section, the H.323 entity could be a terminal which is capable of providing audio and/or video communication as a “LAN telephone”, but could also be a stand-alone audio or video telephone. Gateway 10 (GW) is constructed according to H.323 and is an endpoint on LAN 106 which provides for real-time, two-way communications between terminals 108 on LAN 106 and other suitable terminals on a WAN (not shown), or to another such Gateway (not shown). Other suitable terminals include those complying with Recommendations H.310 (H.320 on B-ISDN), H.320 (ISDN), H.321 (ATM), H.322 (GQOS-LAN), H.324 (GSTN), H.324M (Mobile), and V.70 (DSVD). Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) 112 is an endpoint on LAN 106 which enables three or more terminals 108 and gateways 110 to participate in a multipoint conference. Preferably, system 104 also features a gatekeeper (GK) 114, which is an H.323 entity on LAN 106 which provides address translation and controls access to LAN 106 for terminals 108, gateways 110 and MCUs 112. Gatekeeper 114 may also provide other services to terminals 108, gateways 110 and MCUs 112 such as bandwidth management and locating gateways 110. Preferably, gatekeeper 114 enables the IP address of terminals 108 on LAN 106 to be determined, such that the correct IP address can be determined “on the fly”. In addition, LAN 106 may support non audio visual devices for regular T.120 data applications such as electronic whiteboards, still image transfer, file exchange, database access, etc. In basic system 104, a single, stand-alone communication session management unit 13 is used for monitoring, logging and retrieval of all audio and/or visual calls either between any two or more terminals 108 attached to LAN 106 or any call to which one or more of these terminals 108 is a party. However, for the preferred embodiment of the system of FIG. 6 which includes gatekeeper 114, as well as for the system of FIG. 7, once the communication session has been opened, preferably RAS control module 84 also performs RAS signaling between the management control module and NIC 16 where necessary for the configuration of the system. Such signaling uses H.225.0 messages to perform registration, admissions, bandwidth changes, status, and disengage procedures between endpoints and gatekeepers. These messages are passed on a RAS Signaling Channel, which is independent from the Call Signaling Channel and the H.245 Control Channel. H.245 open logical channel procedures are not used to establish the RAS Signaling Channel. In LAN environments which contain a Gatekeeper (a Zone), the RAS Signaling Channel is opened between the endpoint and the Gatekeeper. The RAS Signaling Channel is opened prior to the establishment of any other channels between H.323 endpoints. FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the system of the present invention as a zone configuration system 116. A zone 118 is the collection of all terminals (Tx) 108, gateways (GW) 110, and Multipoint Control Units (MCU) 112 managed by a single gatekeeper (GK) 114. Zone 118 includes at least one terminal 108, but does not necessarily include one or more gateways 110 or MCUs 112. Zone 118 has only one gatekeeper 114 as shown. However, in the preferred embodiment shown, zone 118 is preferably independent of LAN topology and preferably includes multiple LAN segments 120 which are connected using routers (R) 122 as shown or other similar devices. Each monitored LAN segment 120 has a local communication management unit 124 according to the present invention, of which two are shown. A central management unit 126 according to the present invention controls all local communication management units 124. In addition to centralized database and control services, central management unit 126 can be used for the real-time monitoring and off-line restoration of audio and/or video communication sessions from a single point. Central management unit 126 is optionally and preferably either a dedicated unit similar in structure to local communication management units 124 but without the storage capability, or central management unit 126 is alternatively and preferably integrated with local communication management units 124 to provide the functionality of both local communication management unit 124 and central management unit 126 in a single station. Local communication management units 124 are preferably either communication management units 13 substantially as described in FIGS. 1 and 2, or alternatively and preferably are simpler units which lack the capability to retrieve and display a communication session locally. In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention (not shown), multi-user operation based on Client/Server architecture is preferably supported for basic system 104 and zone system 116. An unlimited number of “Client” stations may be connected anywhere on the LAN, providing users with management and monitoring/retrieval capabilities determined by the authorization level of each specific user. It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as examples, and that many other embodiments are possible within the spirit and the scope of the present invention. | <SOH> FIELD AND BACKGROUND <EOH>The present invention is of a method and a system for the management of communication sessions for computer network-based telephone communication, and in particular for the identification of packets containing audio and/or video data, for the storage of these packets, and for the reconstruction of selected communication sessions for audio and/or video display as needed. The integration of the computer into office communication systems has enabled many functions previously performed by separate devices to be combined into a single management system operated through a computer. For example, computer-based voice logging systems enable a computer to receive voice communication through a hardware connection to the regular telephony network, to record either a conversation, in which at least two parties converse, or a message from at least one party to one or more parties, and to replay these recorded conversations or messages upon request. These voice logging systems can replace mechanical telephone answering machines. The computer logging systems have many advantages over the mechanical answering machines. For example, the voice messages can be stored in a computer-based storage medium, such as a DAT cassette, which has a greater storage capacity than regular audio cassettes. Furthermore, the stored voice messages can be organized in a database, such that the messages can retrieved according to time, date, channel, dialed number or caller identification, for example. Such organization is not possible with a mechanical telephone answering machine. Thus, computer logging systems for voice messages have many advantages over mechanical answering machines. Unfortunately, currently available computer logging systems have the disadvantage of being unable to record telephone communication sessions, whether conversations or messages, for voice communication being performed through a LAN (local area network) or a WAN (wide area network). Although these logging systems can play back voice messages to a remote user through a LAN, for example, they cannot record such a message if it is transmitted by a LAN-based telephone. Such LAN and WAN based telephone communication has become more popular recently, since it enables telephone communication to be performed between various parties at physically separated sites without paying for local regular telephony network services, thereby saving money. Furthermore, LAN and WAN based telephone communication also facilitates the transmission of video as well as audio information. Video information certainly cannot be recorded by currently available computer logging systems. Thus, the inability of computer logging systems to record telephone communication sessions for telephone communication being performed through a LAN or a WAN, including both video and audio data, is a significant disadvantage of these systems. There is therefore a need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a system and a method for recording telephone communication sessions performed over a computer network such as a LAN or a WAN, which would record both audio and video information, organize such information, and then display such information upon request. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>It is one object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for recording communication sessions performed over a computer network. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing data transmitted over the computer network in order to detect audio and video data for recording. It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for displaying recorded video and audio data upon request. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing, recording and displaying communication sessions conducted with a LAN-based telephone system. These and other objects of the present invention are explained in further detail with regard to the drawings, description and claims provided below. The present invention provides a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. According to the teachings of the present invention, there is provided a system for managing a communication session over a computer network, the system comprising: (a) a network connector for connecting to the computer network and for receiving data packets from the computer network; (b) a filtering unit for filtering the data packets and for accepting the data packets substantially only if the data packets contain data selected from the group consisting of audio data and video data, such that the data packets form at least a portion of the communication session and such that the data packets are selected data packets; (c) a management unit for receiving the selected data packets and for storing the selected data packets, such that the selected data packets are stored data packets; and (d) a storage medium for receiving and for storing the stored data packets from the management unit, such that the at least a portion of the communication session is stored. Preferably, the system further comprises (e) a data restore unit for retrieving and displaying the at least a portion of the communication session, the data restore unit requesting the data packets from the storage medium through the management unit, and the data restore unit reconstructing the data packets for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. More preferably, the data restore unit further comprises a communication session display unit for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. Most preferably, the communication session display unit is selected from the group consisting of a video unit and an audio unit. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the system further comprises (f) a database connected to the filtering unit for storing filtering information, the filtering information including at least one IP address of a party whose communication sessions are monitored; wherein the filtering unit accepts the data packets according to the filtering information, such that the filtering unit substantially only accepts the data packets if the data packets fulfill the filtering information. Preferably, the system further comprises (g) a user computer for receiving at least one command of a user and for displaying information to the user, such that the user determines the filtering information according to the at least one command of the user. More preferably, the computer network is selected from the group consisting of a LAN (local area network) and a WAN (wide area network). Most preferably, the computer network is a LAN (local area network). According to further preferred embodiments of the present invention, the LAN is divided into at least two segments, the system further comprising: (h) a local management unit for each segment, the local management unit including the filtering unit and the management unit; and (i) a central management unit for controlling the local management units, the central management unit controlling storage in the storage medium. Preferably, the network connector is a network interface card. According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing at least a portion of a communication session performed on a computer network, the communication session being performed between a packet source and a packet destination, the steps of the method being performed by a data processor, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a data packet from the packet source on the computer network; (b) analyzing the data packet to determine if the data packet is an IP packet; (c) if the data packet is the IP packet, filtering the IP packet to determine a type of the IP packet; and (d) storing the IP packet to form a stored data packet according to the type, such that the stored data packet forms at least a portion of the communication session. Preferably, the step of analyzing the data packet is performed by examining a header of the data packet. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of filtering the IP packet is performed by examining the header of the IP packet. Preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (i) examining the header of the IP packet to determine an IP address of the packet source; (ii) determining if the IP address is a recorded IP address; (iii) passing the IP packet to form a passed IP packet substantially only if the IP address is the recorded IP address; and (iv) alternatively, dumping the IP packet. More preferably, the step of determining if the IP address is the recorded IP address is performed by comparing the IP address to a list of IP addresses from packet sources, such that if the IP address is included in the list, the IP address is the recorded IP address. Also preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (v) determining whether the passed IP packet is an H.225 packet, a H.245 packet, an RTP packet or an RTCP packet; (vi) if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.225 packet, determining whether the H.225 packet is a setup packet or a connect packet; (vii) if the H.225 packet is the setup packet, setting a status flag as “start session request”; (viii) alternatively, if the H.225 packet is the connect packet and the status flag is “start session request”, storing at least one detail of the communication session; and (ix) setting the status flag as “wait for logic channel”. More preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (x) alternatively, if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.245 packet, determining whether the H.245 packet is an open logical channel request packet, an open logical channel acknowledgment packet or a terminal capability set packet; (xi) if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel request packet and the status flag is “wait for logic channel”, setting the status flag as “wait for acknowledgment”; (xii) alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel acknowledgment packet and the status flag is “wait for acknowledgment”, performing the steps of: (A) setting the status flag as “wait for terminal capability”; and (B) saving a transport address of the destination of the communication session; and (xiii) also alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the terminal capability set packet, performing the steps of: (A) storing a capability of the packet destination from the terminal capability packet; and (B) setting the status flag as “in call process”. Most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTP packet, the RTP packet is stored. Also most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTCP packet, the RTCP packet is stored. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: (e) retrieving the stored data packet to form a retrieved data packet; and (i) reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session according to the retrieved data packet. Preferably, the step of retrieving the data packet includes the steps of: (i) receiving a source IP address of the packet source, a start time of the communication session, and an end time of the communication session; and (ii) selecting at least one communication session according to the source IP address, the start time and the end time. Also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying audio data. Alternatively and also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying video data. More preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session further comprises the steps of: (i) retrieving substantially only RTP packets; (ii) examining a header of the RTP packets to determine a time stamp for each of the RTP packets; and (iii) displaying the RTP packets in an order according to the time stamp. Hereinafter, the term “communication session” includes both a conversation, in which at least two parties converse by exchanging audio and/or video information in “real time”, and a message, in which at least one party records such audio and/or video information for reception by at least one other party at a later date. Hereinafter, the term “Internet” is used to generally designate the global, linked web of thousands of networks which is used to connect computers all over the world. As used herein, the term “intranet” includes other types of computer networks, such as LAN (local area networks) or WAN (wide area networks). The term “computer network” includes any connection between at least two computers which permits the transmission of data, including both Internet and intranet. The term “regular telephony network” includes POTS (plain old telephone system) and substantially any other type of telephone network which provides services through a regular telephone services provider, but which specifically excludes audio and/or video communication performed through any type of computer network. Hereinafter, the term “computer” includes, but is not limited to, personal computers (PC) having an operating system such as DOS, Windows™, OS/2™ or Linux; MacIntosh™ computers; computers having JAVA™-OS as the operating system; and graphical workstations such as the computers of Sun Microsystems™ and Silicon Graphics™, and other computers having some version of the UNIX operating system such as AIX or SOLARIS™ of Sun Microsystems™; or any other known and available operating system. Hereinafter, the term “Windows™” includes but is not limited to Windows95™, Windows 3.x™ in which “x” is an integer such as “1”, Windows NT™, Windows98™, Windows CE™ and any upgraded versions of these operating systems by Microsoft Inc. (Seattle, Wash., USA). Hereinafter, the term “logging” refers to the process of analyzing data packets on a network to locate audio and/or video data, and of recording such data in an organized system. Hereinafter, the term “display” includes both the visual display of video data, and the production of sound for audio data. | 20041013 | 20050308 | 20050210 | 95532.0 | 1 | DINH, DUNG C | METHOD FOR EXTRACTING A COMPUTER NETWORK-BASED TELEPHONE SESSION PERFORMED THROUGH A COMPUTER NETWORK | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,962,679 | ACCEPTED | Method for restoring a portion of a communication session transmitted over a computer network | Restoring at least a portion of a telephone communication session, in which at least the following occur. Data packets transmitted over a computer network are received. Audio or video data contained in the data packets is stored. The portion of the telephone communication session from the audio or video data contained in the data packets is restored. A terminal having a user interface, a data entry device and a display unit suitable for outputting audio data, video data, or both audio and video is provided. The portion of the telephone communication session is output using the display unit. | 1. In a communication system including computer network-based telephones, a method for restoring at least a portion of a telephone communication session, the method comprising: (a) receiving data packets transmitted over a computer network; (b) storing audio or video data contained in the data packets; (c) restoring the portion of the telephone communication session from the audio or video data contained in the data packets; (d) providing a terminal having a user interface, a data entry device and a display unit suitable for outputting audio data, video data, or both audio and video; and (e) outputting the portion of the telephone communication session using the display unit. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of receiving a command via the data entry device and using the command to determine filtering information, wherein the storing step stores audio or video data contained in data packets that satisfy the filtering information. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the restoring step includes the steps of obtaining time-stamp data from each of the data packets and re-assembling the telephone communication session using the time-stamp data to maintain an overall timing among the data packets that comprise the telephone communication session. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of obtaining time-stamp data comprises examining the data packets to determine a time stamp for each of the data packets. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting step further comprises the step of displaying any video data included in the restored portion of the communication session on a computer monitor, a video monitor or a display screen. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting step further comprises the step of producing any audio data included in the restored portion of the communication session through an earphone or a loudspeaker. 7. The method of claim 1, including the additional steps of determining which data packets comprise the portion of the telephone communication session on the basis of information extracted from a header of the data packets. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information extracted from the header includes one of a source IP address and a destination IP address. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the restoring step occurs at the terminal. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the restoring step occurs remote from the terminal. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a request issued from the terminal, wherein the outputting step is in response to the request. | This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/664,755, which was filed on Sep. 19, 2000, now pending, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/140,453, filed on Aug. 26, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,665, issued on Sep. 19, 2000, which are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their respective entireties herein. FIELD AND BACKGROUND The present invention is of a method and a system for the management of communication sessions for computer network-based telephone communication, and in particular for the identification of packets containing audio and/or video data, for the storage of these packets, and for the reconstruction of selected communication sessions for audio and/or video display as needed. The integration of the computer into office communication systems has enabled many functions previously performed by separate devices to be combined into a single management system operated through a computer. For example, computer-based voice logging systems enable a computer to receive voice communication through a hardware connection to the regular telephony network, to record either a conversation, in which at least two parties converse, or a message from at least one party to one or more parties, and to replay these recorded conversations or messages upon request. These voice logging systems can replace mechanical telephone answering machines. The computer logging systems have many advantages over the mechanical answering machines. For example, the voice messages can be stored in a computer-based storage medium, such as a DAT cassette, which has a greater storage capacity than regular audio cassettes. Furthermore, the stored voice messages can be organized in a database, such that the messages can retrieved according to time, date, channel, dialed number or caller identification, for example. Such organization is not possible with a mechanical telephone answering machine. Thus, computer logging systems for voice messages have many advantages over mechanical answering machines. Unfortunately, currently available computer logging systems have the disadvantage of being unable to record telephone communication sessions, whether conversations or messages, for voice communication being performed through a LAN (local area network) or a WAN (wide area network). Although these logging systems can play back voice messages to a remote user through a LAN, for example, they cannot record such a message if it is transmitted by a LAN-based telephone. Such LAN and WAN based telephone communication has become more popular recently, since it enables telephone communication to be performed between various parties at physically separated sites without paying for local regular telephony network services, thereby saving money. Furthermore, LAN and WAN based telephone communication also facilitates the transmission of video as well as audio information. Video information certainly cannot be recorded by currently available computer logging systems. Thus, the inability of computer logging systems to record telephone communication sessions for telephone communication being performed through a LAN or a WAN, including both video and audio data, is a significant disadvantage of these systems. There is therefore a need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a system and a method for recording telephone communication sessions performed over a computer network such as a LAN or a WAN, which would record both audio and video information, organize such information, and then display such information upon request. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for recording communication sessions performed over a computer network. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing data transmitted over the computer network in order to detect audio and video data for recording. It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for displaying recorded video and audio data upon request. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing, recording and displaying communication sessions conducted with a LAN-based telephone system. These and other objects of the present invention are explained in further detail with regard to the drawings, description and claims provided below. The present invention provides a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. According to the teachings of the present invention, there is provided a system for managing a communication session over a computer network, the system comprising: (a) a network connector for connecting to the computer network and for receiving data packets from the computer network; (b) a filtering unit for filtering the data packets and for accepting the data packets substantially only if the data packets contain data selected from the group consisting of audio data and video data, such that the data packets form at least a portion of the communication session and such that the data packets are selected data packets; (c) a management unit for receiving the selected data packets and for storing the selected data packets, such that the selected data packets are stored data packets; and (d) a storage medium for receiving and for storing the stored data packets from the management unit, such that the at least a portion of the communication session is stored. Preferably, the system further comprises (e) a data restore unit for retrieving and displaying the at least a portion of the communication session, the data restore unit requesting the data packets from the storage medium through the management unit, and the data restore unit reconstructing the data packets for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. More preferably, the data restore unit further comprises a communication session display unit for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. Most preferably, the communication session display unit is selected from the group consisting of a video unit and an audio unit. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the system further comprises (f) a database connected to the filtering unit for storing filtering information, the filtering information including at least one IP address of a party whose communication sessions are monitored; wherein the filtering unit accepts the data packets according to the filtering information, such that the filtering unit substantially only accepts the data packets if the data packets fulfill the filtering information. Preferably, the system further comprises (g) a user computer for receiving at least one command of a user and for displaying information to the user, such that the user determines the filtering information according to the at least one command of the user. More preferably, the computer network is selected from the group consisting of a LAN (local area network) and a WAN (wide area network). Most preferably, the computer network is a LAN (local area network). According to further preferred embodiments of the present invention, the LAN is divided into at least two segments, the system further comprising: (h) a local management unit for each segment, the local management unit including the filtering unit and the management unit; and (i) a central management unit for controlling the local management units, the central management unit controlling storage in the storage medium. Preferably, the network connector is a network interface card. According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing at least a portion of a communication session performed on a computer network, the communication session being performed between a packet source and a packet destination, the steps of the method being performed by a data processor, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a data packet from the packet source on the computer network; (b) analyzing the data packet to determine if the data packet is an IP packet; (c) if the data packet is the IP packet, filtering the IP packet to determine a type of the IP packet; and (d) storing the IP packet to form a stored data packet according to the type, such that the stored data packet forms at least a portion of the communication session. Preferably, the step of analyzing the data packet is performed by examining a header of the data packet. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of filtering the IP packet is performed by examining the header of the IP packet. Preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (i) examining the header of the IP packet to determine an IP address of the packet source; (ii) determining if the IP address is a recorded IP address; (iii) passing the IP packet to form a passed IP packet substantially only if the IP address is the recorded IP address; and (iv) alternatively, dumping the IP packet. More preferably, the step of determining if the IP address is the recorded IP address is performed by comparing the IP address to a list of IP addresses from packet sources, such that if the IP address is included in the list, the IP address is the recorded IP address. Also preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (v) determining whether the passed IP packet is an H.225 packet, a H.245 packet, an RTP packet or an RTCP packet; (vi) if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.225 packet, determining whether the H.225 packet is a setup packet or a connect packet; (vii) if the H.225 packet is the setup packet, setting a status flag as “start session request”; (viii) alternatively, if the H.225 packet is the connect packet and the status flag is “start session request”, storing at least one detail of the communication session; and (ix) setting the status flag as “wait for logic channel”. More preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (x) alternatively, if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.245 packet, determining whether the H.245 packet is an open logical channel request packet, an open logical channel acknowledgment packet or a terminal capability set packet; (xi) if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel request packet and the status flag is “wait for logic channel”, setting the status flag as “wait for acknowledgment”; (xii) alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel acknowledgment packet and the status flag is “wait for acknowledgment”, performing the steps of: (A) setting the status flag as “wait for terminal capability“; and (B) saving a transport address of the destination of the communication session; and (xiii) also alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the terminal capability set packet, performing the steps of: (A) storing a capability of the packet destination from the terminal capability packet; and (B) setting the status flag as “in call process”. Most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTP packet, the RTP packet is stored. Also most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTCP packet, the RTCP packet is stored. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: (e) retrieving the stored data packet to form a retrieved data packet; and (i) reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session according to the retrieved data packet. Preferably, the step of retrieving the data packet includes the steps of: (i) receiving a source IP address of the packet source, a start time of the communication session, and an end time of the communication session; and (ii) selecting at least one communication session according to the source IP address, the start time and the end time. Also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying audio data. Alternatively and also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying video data. More preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session further comprises the steps of: (i) retrieving substantially only RTP packets; (ii) examining a header of the RTP packets to determine a time stamp for each of the RTP packets; and (iii) displaying the RTP packets in an order according to the time stamp. Hereinafter, the term “communication session” includes both a conversation, in which at least two parties converse by exchanging audio and/or video information in “real time”, and a message, in which at least one party records such audio and/or video information for reception by at least one other party at a later date. Hereinafter, the term “Internet” is used to generally designate the global, linked web of thousands of networks which is used to connect computers all over the world. As used herein, the term “intranet” includes other types of computer networks, such as LAN (local area networks) or WAN (wide area networks). The term “computer network” includes any connection between at least two computers which permits the transmission of data, including both Internet and intranet. The term “regular telephony network” includes POTS (plain old telephone system) and substantially any other type of telephone network which provides services through a regular telephone services provider, but which specifically excludes audio and/or video communication performed through any type of computer network. Hereinafter, the term “computer” includes, but is not limited to, personal computers (PC) having an operating system such as DOS, Windows™, OS/2™ or Linux; MacIntosh™ computers; computers having JAVA™-OS as the operating system; and graphical workstations such as the computers of Sun Microsystems™ and Silicon Graphics™, and other computers having some version of the UNIX operating system such as AIX or SOLARIS™ of Sun Microsystems™; or any other known and available operating system. Hereinafter, the term “Windows™” includes but is not limited to Windows95™, Windows 3.X™ in which “x” is an integer such as “1”, Windows NT™, Windows98™, Windows CE™ and any upgraded versions of these operating systems by Microsoft Inc. (Seattle, Wash., USA). Hereinafter, the term “logging” refers to the process of analyzing data packets on a network to locate audio and/or video data, and of recording such data in an organized system. Hereinafter, the term “display” includes both the visual display of video data, and the production of sound for audio data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary communication session monitoring system according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the software modules required for operating the system of FIG. 1; FIGS. 3A-3D are flowcharts of exemplary filtering and recording methods according to the present invention; FIGS. 4A-4D are schematic block diagrams showing the headers of H.225 (FIG. 4A), H.245 (FIG. 4B), RTP (FIG. 4C) and RTCP (FIG. 4D) packets, as they relate to the present invention; FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary communication session playback method according to the present invention; FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary first embodiment of a basic system using the communication session monitoring system of FIGS. 1 and 2 according to the present invention; and FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary second embodiment of a zone system according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND ART The following description is intended to provide a description of certain background methods and technologies which are optionally used in the method and system of the present invention. The present invention is specifically not drawn to these methods and technologies alone. Rather, they are used as tools to accomplish the goal of the present invention, which is a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. The system and method of the present invention is particularly intended for operation with computer networks constructed according to the ITU-T Recommendation H.323 for visual telephone systems and equipment for local area networks which provide a non-guaranteed quality of service. Recommendation H.323 is herein incorporated by reference in order to further describe the hardware requirements and operating protocols for such computer networks, and is hereinafter referred to as “H.323”. H.323 describes terminals, equipment and services for multimedia communication over Local Area Networks (LAN) which do not provide a guaranteed quality of service. Computer terminals and equipment which fulfill H.323 may carry real-time voice, data and video, or any combination, including videotelephony. The LAN over which such terminals communicate can be a single segment or ring, or optionally can include multiple segments with complex topologies. These terminals are optionally integrated into computers or alternatively are implemented in stand-alone devices such as videotelephones. Support for voice data is required, while support for general data and video data are optional, but if supported, the ability to use a specified common mode of operation is required, so that all terminals supporting that particular media type can communicate. The H.323 Recommendation allows more than one channel of each type to be in use. Other Recommendations in the H.323-Series which are also incorporated by reference include H.225.0 packet and synchronization; H.245 control, H.261 and H.263 video codecs, G.711, G.722, G.728, G.729, and G.723 audio codecs, and the T.120-Series of multimedia communications protocols. ITU-T Recommendation H.245.0 covers the definition of Media stream packetization and synchronization for visual telephone systems. ITU-T Recommendation H.245.0 defines the Control protocol for multimedia communications, and is hereinafter referred to as “H.245”. H.245 is incorporated by reference as is fully set forth herein. The logical channel signaling procedures of H.245 describes the content of each logical channel when the channel is opened. Procedures are provided for the communication of the functional capabilities of receivers and transmitters, so that transmissions are limited to information which can be decoded by the receivers, and so that receivers may request a particular desired mode from transmitters. H.245 signaling is established between two endpoints: an endpoint and a multi-point controller, or an endpoint and a Gatekeeper. The endpoint establishes exactly one H.245 Control Channel for each call that the endpoint is participating in. The channel must then operate according to H.245. Support for multiple calls and hence for multiple H.245 Control Channels is possible. The RAS signaling function uses H.225.0 messages to perform registration, admissions, bandwidth changes, status, and disengage procedures between endpoints and Gatekeepers. In LAN environments that do not have a Gatekeeper, the RAS Signaling Channel is not used. In LAN environments which contain a Gatekeeper, such that the LAN includes at least one Zone, the RAS Signaling Channel is opened between the endpoint and the Gatekeeper. The RAS Signaling Channel is opened prior to the establishment of any other channels between H.323 endpoints. The call signaling function uses H.225.0 call signaling to establish a connection between two H.323 endpoints. The Call Signaling Channel is independent from the RAS Channel and the H.245 Control Channel. The Call Signaling Channel is opened prior to the establishment of the H.245 Channel and any other logical channels between H.323 endpoints. In systems that do not have a Gatekeeper, the Call Signaling Channel is opened between the two endpoints involved in the call. In systems which contain a Gatekeeper, the Call Signaling Channel is opened between the end point and the Gatekeeper, or between the endpoints themselves as chosen by the Gatekeeper. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention provides a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. The principles and operation of a method and a system according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description. Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for logging and displaying audio and/or visual data from communication sessions performed over a computer network. A computer logging system 10 features a user computer 12 connected to a communication session management unit 13. Communication session management unit 13 is in turn connected to an intranet 14 through a network interface card (NIC) 16. User computer 12 includes a user interface 18, which is preferably a GUI (graphical user interface), which is displayed on a display unit 20. User interface 18 preferably enables the user to enter such information as the definition of the parties whose calls should to be monitored and/or logged, and which also preferably enables the user to enter at least one command for retrieving and displaying a communication session. Display unit 20 is preferably a computer monitor. The user is able to interact with user computer 12 by entering data and commands through a data entry device 22. Data entry device 22 preferably includes at least a keyboard or a pointing device such as a mouse, and more preferably includes both a keyboard and a pointing device. According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, user computer 12 is a PC (personal computer). Alternatively and preferably, user computer 12 is a “thin client” such a net computer which is a computer able to communicate on an IP-based network. One example of such a net computer is the JavaStation™ (Sun Microsystems). The advantage of such net computers is that they allow the user to interact with complex, sophisticated software programs, yet generally do not have all of the powerful computing capabilities of currently available PC computers. Intranet 14 could be a LAN or a WAN, for example. The connection between communication session management unit 13 and intranet 14 occurs through NIC 16. NIC 16 is preferably any standard, off-the-shelf commercial product which enables communication session management unit 13 to be connected to any suitable computer network (for example, Etherlink II ISA/PCMCIA Adapter or Etherlink III PCI Bus-Master Adapter (3c590) of 3-Com™, or NE2000 Adapter of Novell™ or any other such suitable product). Examples of such suitable computer networks include, but are not limited to, any standard LAN such as Ethernet (IEEE Standard 802.3), Fast Ethernet (IEEE Standard 802.10), Token Ring (IEEE Standard 802.5) and FDDI. All data packet traffic on intranet 14 is passed to a filtering module 24 through NIC 16. As shown in more detail in FIG. 3 below, filtering module 24 screens the data packets in order to determine which data packets fulfill the following criteria. Briefly, the data packets should be IP packets with headers according to the H.225 and H.245 standards, indicating voice and/or video traffic. As noted previously, these standards define media stream packet construction and synchronization for visual telephone systems and the control protocol for multimedia communications. Filtering module 24 then preferably passes substantially only those data packets which meet these criteria to a management module 28. In the Zone Configuration of the system of the present invention, shown in FIG. 7 below, filtering module 24 preferably also transfers messages from other communication session management units. Management module 28 receives the data packets passed through by filtering module 24, and analyzes the received data packets. Optionally and preferably, a database 26 stores such information as the IP addresses of parties whose communication sessions should be logged, as well as the conversion table associating each party with at least one IP address, for example. The stored list of IP addresses representing those parties whose calls should be logged is preferably user-defined. As used herein, the term “party” refers to a person or persons communicating through a computer network-based telephone system. The latter preferred requirement significantly reduces the amount of data stored by including only data which is of interest to the user. Management module 28 analyzes and manages data in accordance with the applicable H.225 and H.245 specifications, including the H.245 control function, RAS signaling function and call signaling function, substantially as described above in the “Description of the Background Art” section. Management module 28 analyzes the packets in order to determine the specific communication session to which the data packets belong, the type of data compression being used (if any), and whether the data packets were sent from an IP address which should be monitored. Management module 28 must perform this analysis since filtering module 24 simply passes all data packets which fulfill the criteria described briefly above (see FIGS. 3A-3D for more detail). Since these packets are passed without regard to any of the information stored in database 26, management module 28 must compare the rules of database 26 to the information present in the packet header of each packet in order to determine whether the received packet should be stored. Those received packets which fulfill the rules of database 26 are then stored in a storage medium 30, which is preferably a high capacity digital data storage device such as a hard disk magnetic storage device, an optical disk, a CD-ROM, a ZIP or DVD drive, or a DAT cassette, or a combination of such devices according to the operational needs of specific applications, or any other suitable storage media. Preferably, the specific communication session or “telephone call”, with which each data packet is associated, is also stored in order for that session to be reconstructed and displayed at a later time. Upon request by the user, management module 28 can then retrieve one or more data packets from storage medium 30 which are associated with one or more communication sessions. The retrieved packet or packets are then transferred to a data restore module 32. Data restore module 32 is preferably capable of manipulating these retrieved packets to restore a particular communication session by using the RTP (Real Time Protocol). As described in further detail below with regard to FIGS. 4C and 5, in those systems which follow the RTP, the data packets are sent with a time stamp in the header rather than just a sequence number. Such a time stamp is necessary for audio and video stream data, in order for the data packets to be reassembled such that the overall timing of the stream of data is maintained. Without such a time stamp, the proper timing would not be maintained, and the audio or video streams could not be accurately reconstructed. The communication sessions are restored from the reconstructed streams of data packets by using the applicable audio and/or video CODEC's. A CODEC is a non-linear method for the conversion of analog and digital data. Thus, an audio CODEC enables the digitized audio data in relevant data packets to be converted to analog audio data for display to the user as audible sounds, for example. Suitable CODEC's are described in greater detail below with regard to FIG. 5. In order for the user to receive the display of the reconstructed communication session, system 10 preferably features an audio unit 34 and a video unit 36, collectively referred to as a “communication session display unit”. More preferably, both audio unit 34 and video unit 36 are capable of both receiving audio or video input, respectively, and of displaying audio or video output. At the very least, audio unit 34 and video unit 36 should be able to display audio or video output, respectively. For example, audio unit 34 could optionally include an microphone for input and a speaker or an earphone for output. Video unit 36 could optionally include a video monitor or display screen for output and a video camera for input, for example. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of system 10 of FIG. 1, showing the overall system of software modules of system 10 in more detail. Reference is also made, where appropriate, to flow charts showing the operation of these software modules in more detail (FIGS. 3A-3D and FIG. 5), as well as to descriptions of the headers of the different types of data packets (FIGS. 4A-4D). As shown, system 10 again includes a connection to intranet 14 through NIC 16. As the packets are transmitted through intranet 14, NIC 16 intercepts these data packets and passes them to filtering module 24. Filtering module 24 has two components. A first filtering component 38 examines the header of the data packet, which should be an IP type packet with the correct header, as shown in FIG. 4A below. Next, first filtering component 38 passes the data packet to a second filtering component 40. Second filtering component 40 then determines the type of IP data packet, which could be constructed according to the H.225, H.245, RTP or RTCP standards. As shown with reference to FIG. 3A, first filtering component 38 and second filtering component 40 operate as follows. In step one, a packet is received by filtering module 24. The packet is given to first filtering component 38, which then determines whether the packet is an IP type packet in step two. Such a determination is performed according to the structure of the header of the data packet, an example of which is shown in FIG. 4A. A header 42 is shown as a plurality of boxes, each of which represents a portion or “field” of the header. The number of bytes occupied by each portion is also shown, it being understood that each layer consists of 32 bits. The first portion of the header, a “VERS” portion 44, is the protocol version number. Next, an “H. LEN” portion 46 indicates the number of 32-bit quantities in the header. A “SERVICE TYPE” portion 48 indicates whether the sender prefers the datagram to travel over a route with minimal delay or a route with maximal throughput. A “TOTAL LENGTH” portion 50 indicates the total number of octets in both the header and the data. In the next layer, an “IDENTIFICATION” portion 52 identifies the packet itself. A “FLAGS” portion 54 indicates whether the datagram is a fragment or a complete datagram. A “FRAGMENT OFFSET” portion 56 species the location of this fragment in the original datagram, if the datagram is fragmented. In the next layer, a “TIME TO LIVE” portion 58 contains a positive integer between 1 and 255, which is progressively decremented at each route traveled. When the value becomes 0, the packet will no longer be passed and is returned to the sender. A “TYPE” portion 60 indicates the type of data being passed. A “HEADER CHECKSUM” portion 62 enables the integrity of the packet to be checked by comparing the actual checksum to the value recorded in portion 62. The next layer of header 42 contains the source IP address 64, after which the following layer contains the destination IP address 66. An optional IP OPTIONS portion 68 is present, after which there is padding (if necessary) and a data portion 70 of the packet containing the data begins. The structure of the header of the data packet is examined by first filtering component 38 to determine whether this header has the necessary data fields in the correct order, such that the header of the data packet has a structure according to header 42. First filtering component 38 only allows those packets with the correct header structure to pass, as shown in step 3A. Otherwise, the packets are dumped as shown in step 3B. Those packets with the correct header, or “IP packets”, are then passed to second filtering component 40. Second filtering component 40 then performs the remainder of the filtering steps. In step 3A, second filtering component 40 examines the IP packets to determine their type from the data portion of the packet as shown in FIG. 4A. The packets could be in one of four categories: H.225, H.245, RTP and RTCP. The steps of the method for H.225 packets are shown in FIG. 3A, while the procedures for the remaining packet types are shown in FIGS. 3B-3D, respectively. Once the type of the packet has been determined, both the packet itself and the information regarding the type of packet are both passed to management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The packet is then passed to the relevant component within management module 28, also as shown in FIG. 2, for the recording process to be performed. The recorded packets are stored in storage module 30, as described in greater detail below with regard to FIGS. 3C and 3D. If the packet has been determined to be an H.225 packet according to the header of the packet (see FIG. 4B), the packet is passed to an H.225 call control module 78 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The steps of the management method are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3A. In step 4A of FIG. 3A, the H.225 packet is examined to see if it is a setup packet, which is determined according to the structure of the data in the packet. This structure is specified in the H.225.0 recommendation, and includes at least the following types of information: protocolIdentifier (the version of H.225.0 which is supported); h245Address (specific transport address on which H.245 signaling is to be established by the calling endpoint or gatekeeper); sourceAddress (the H.323.sub.—ID's for the source); sourcelnfo (contains an EndpointType to enable the party being called to determine whether the call includes a gateway or not); and destinationaddress (this is the address to which the endpoint wants to be connected). Other types of data are also required, as specified in the H.225.0 Recommendation. This data structure enables H.225 call control module 78 to determine whether the packet is a setup packet. If this packet is a setup packet, then the first branch of the method is followed. The source port is taken from a source port field 74 of an H.225 header 72, and the destination port is taken from a destination port field 76 (see FIG. 4B). In step 5A, database 26 of FIG. 1 is then examined to determine whether either of the corresponding terminals is defined as a recording terminal; that is, whether communication sessions initiated by the IP address of this terminal should be monitored. If true, then in step 6A, the terminal status is set as a start session request from the terminal corresponding to the source port. Alternatively, the packet is examined to see if it is a connect packet in step 4B, which is determined according to the structure of the data in the packet. This structure is specified in the H.225.0 recommendation, and includes at least the following types of information: protocolIdentifier (the version of H.225.0 which is supported); h245Address (specific transport address on which H.245 signaling is to be established by the calling endpoint or gatekeeper); destinationlnfo (contains an EndpointType to enable the caller to determine whether the call includes a gateway or not); and conferenceID (contains a unique identifying number to identify the particular conference). If the packet is a connect packet, then the second branch of the method is followed. In step 5B, the flag indicating the terminal status is examined to determine if the terminal status is set as a start session request. In step 6B, the details of the call signal are saved in a call progress database 78 of storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2). These details preferably include the source and destination IP addresses, the source and destination ports; the time at which the communication session was initiated, and any other relevant information. In step 7B, the status of the terminal is set to “wait for the logic channel”. If the packet has been determined to be an H.245 packet by second filtering component 40, the packet is passed to an H.245 call control module 82 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. Such H.245 packets are necessary for H.245 signaling. H.245 signaling is established between two endpoints: an endpoint and a multi-point controller, or an endpoint and a Gatekeeper (see FIGS. 6 and 7 below for examples and a description of such endpoints). Each endpoint is capable of calling and of being called as part of a communication session. However, the system of the present invention only monitors, rather than initiating, such communication sessions. Thus, the system of the present invention uses the H.245 signaling to determine when the communication session has started in order to effectively record the necessary data packets for the storage and later reconstruction of the session. The steps of the management method for H.245 packets are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3B. In step 1A of FIG. 3B, the H.245 packet is examined to determine if it is an open logical channel request packet. If it is, then in step 2A, the terminal status is examined to determine if the status is “wait for the logical channel”. If so, then in step 3A the terminal status is set to “wait for acknowledgment”. Alternatively, the H.245 packet is examined to determine if it is an open logical channel acknowledgment packet, as shown in step 1B. If it is, then in step 2B, the terminal status is examined to determine if the status is “wait for acknowledgment”. If so, then in step 3B the terminal status is set to “wait for terminal capability”. In step 4B, the transport address of the “called” or destination terminal is saved. This transport address is taken from the destination port field 76 of header 72 (see FIG. 4B). It should be noted that H.225 and H.245 packets have identical header structures. Also alternatively, the H.245 packet is examined to determine if it is a terminal capability set packet, as shown in step 1 C. If it is, then in step 2C, the terminal capability is saved in call progress database 80 (see FIG. 2). In step 3C, the terminal status is set to “in call process”, such that the communication session has been determined to be opened and such that management module 28 can now receive RTP data packets. If the packet has been determined to be a RTP packet by second filtering component 40, the packet is passed to a RAS (registration, admissions and status) control module 84 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The steps of the management method for RTP packets are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3C. In step 1 of FIG. 3C, the terminal status is examined to see if it is “in call process”. If so then in step 2, the RTP packets are saved in a RTP database 86 within storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 4C shows the structure of the RTP packet header, which can be used to identify the communication session from which the packet was taken. Finally, if the packet has been determined to be a RTCP packet by second filtering component 40, the packet is passed to a RTCP control module 88 within management module 28, as shown in FIG. 2. The steps of the management method for RTCP packets are as follows, with reference to FIG. 3D. In step 1 of FIG. 3D, the terminal status is examined to see if it is “in call process”. If so then in step 2, the RTCP packets are saved in call progress database 80 within storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 4D shows the structure of the RTCP packet header, which can be used to identify the communication session from which the packet was taken. Thus, FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate the method of the present invention with regard to the filtering and storage of data packets which constitute the recorded communication session, as recorded by the system of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Of course, in addition to recording such communication sessions, the system of the present invention is also able to retrieve and to replay these communication sessions to the user. The stored communication session, composed of stored data packets, can be retrieved and displayed by data restore unit 32 of FIG. 2, in conjunction with audio unit 34 and video unit 36. The method of retrieving and replaying sessions of interest is shown in FIG. 5, while certain other relevant portions of the system of the present invention are shown in FIG.2. In step 1 of FIG. 5, the user inputs the information concerning the communication session which is to be retrieved and replayed. This information preferably includes the terminal number, or other designation information concerning at least one of the parties of the communication session of interest; the time at which the session started; and the time at which the session ended. However, alternatively other information could be included in place of this information, as long as sufficient information is provided for the communication session of interest to be identified. In step 2 of FIG. 5, call progress database 80 (see FIG. 2) is searched by data restore unit 32 in order to find the details of the communication session(s) in the specified time range. These details are then compared to the information entered by the user to locate at least one communication session of interest in the call range. In step 3, RTP database 86 of storage medium 30 (see FIG. 2) is searched, again by data restore unit 32, to find substantially all data packets from the at least one communication session in the specified call range. Optionally and preferably, in step 4, if the audio portion communication session was recorded in stereo, then the data packets are divided into different audio channels. In step 5, the data packets are restored by data restore unit 32 by an RTP (Real Time Protocol) software module 91 within data restore unit 32. RTP software module 91 orders the data packets within each channel according to the time stamp of each packet. As shown in FIG. 4C, an RTP packet header 92 features several important fields: a timestamp field 94, a synchronization source (SSRC) identifiers field 96 and a contributing source (CSRC) identifiers field 98. SSRC field 96 is used to determine the source of the RTP packets (the sender), which has a unique identifying address (the SSRC identifier). The CSRC identifier in CSRC field 98 is used in a conference with multiple parties, and indicates the SSRC identifier of all parties. Timestamp field 94 is used by RTP software module 91 to determine the relative time at which the data in each packet should be displayed. For example, preferably the audio stream data of the audio speech of one person is synchronized to that person's lip movements as shown in the video stream, a process known as “lip synchronization”. Such synchronization requires more than simply replaying audio and video data at certain relative time points, since the audio and video data packets may not arrive at the same time, and may therefore have slightly different timestamps. Once the data packet has been correctly synchronized, the control of the display of the audio data is then performed by an audio component 102 of data restore unit 32 according to one or more audio CODEC's (see FIG. 2). The control of the display of the video data is then performed by a video component 104 of data restore unit 32 according to one or more video CODEC's (see FIG. 2). Suitable CODEC's include, but are not limited to, an audio codec using CCITT Recommendation G.711(1988), Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) of voice frequencies; an audio codec using CCITT Recommendation G.722 (1988), 7 kHz audio-coding within 64 kbit/s; an audio codec using ITU-T Recommendation G.723.1 (1996), Speech coders: Dual rate speech coder for multimedia communications transmitting at 5.3. and 6.3 Kbps; an audio codec using CCITT Recommendation G.728 (1992), Coding of speech at 16 Kbps using low-delay code excited linear prediction; an audio codec using ITU-T Recommendation G.729 (1996), Coding of speech at 8 Kbps using conjugate structure algebraic code-excited linear-prediction (CS-ACELP); a video codec using ITU-T Recommendation H.261 (1993), Video codec for audiovisual services at p×64 kbit/s; a video code using ITU-T Recommendation H.263 (1996), Video coding for low bit rate communication; and substantially any other similar coding standard. As shown in FIG. 2, the audio data is displayed by audio unit 34, which could include a loudspeaker, for example. The video data is displayed by video unit 36, which could include a display monitor screen, for example. Step 5 of FIG. 5 is then preferably repeated, such that substantially the entirety of the communication session is displayed. As shown in step 6, each data packet of the communication session is examined to see if the call time is over. If the individual session has not completed, preferably step 5 is repeated. Alternatively and preferably, if the call time is over, then call progress database 80 is searched to see if other communication sessions were recorded within the given time period, as shown in step 7. If there is at least one other such communication session, then preferably the method of FIG. 5 is repeated, starting from step 2. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, several configurations of the computer logging system are possible, examples of which are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. According to a first embodiment of the system of the present invention, shown in FIG. 6, a typical basic configuration system 104 includes a single communication session management unit 13, substantially as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, according to the present invention. Communication session management unit 13 manages communication in a stand-alone intranet such as a LAN 106. LAN 106 is connected both to communication session management unit 13 and to a plurality of terminals 108, designated as “T1”, “T2” and so forth, which follow the H.323 protocol. Each terminal 108 is an endpoint on LAN 106 which provides for real-time, two-way communications with another terminal 108, a gateway 110, or a multipoint control unit 112. This communication consists of control, indications, audio streams, video streams, and/or data. Terminal 108 is optionally only capable of providing such communication for audio only, audio and data, audio and video, or audio, data and video. As noted previously in the “Description of the Background Art” section, the H.323 entity could be a terminal which is capable of providing audio and/or video communication as a “LAN telephone”, but could also be a stand-alone audio or video telephone. Gateway 110 (GW) is constructed according to H.323 and is an endpoint on LAN 106 which provides for real-time, two-way communications between terminals 108 on LAN 106 and other suitable terminals on a WAN (not shown), or to another such Gateway (not shown). Other suitable terminals include those complying with Recommendations H.310 (H.320 on B-ISDN), H.320 (ISDN), H.321 (ATM), H.322 (GQOS-LAN), H.324 (GSTN), H.324M (Mobile), and V.70 (DSVD). Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) 112 is an endpoint on LAN 106 which enables three or more terminals 108 and gateways 110 to participate in a multipoint conference. Preferably, system 104 also features a gatekeeper (GK) 114, which is an H.323 entity on LAN 106 which provides address translation and controls access to LAN 106 for terminals 108, gateways 110 and MCUs 112. Gatekeeper 114 may also provide other services to terminals 108, gateways 110 and MCUs 112 such as bandwidth management and locating gateways 110. Preferably, gatekeeper 114 enables the IP address of terminals 108 on LAN 106 to be determined, such that the correct IP address can be determined “on the fly”. In addition, LAN 106 may support non audio visual devices for regular T.120 data applications such as electronic whiteboards, still image transfer, file exchange, database access, etc. In basic system 104, a single, stand-alone communication session management unit 13 is used for monitoring, logging and retrieval of all audio and/or visual calls either between any two or more terminals 108 attached to LAN 106 or any call to which one or more of these terminals 108 is a party. However, for the preferred embodiment of the system of FIG. 6 which includes gatekeeper 114, as well as for the system of FIG. 7, once the communication session has been opened, preferably RAS control module 84 also performs RAS signaling between the management control module and NIC 16 where necessary for the configuration of the system. Such signaling uses H.225.0 messages to perform registration, admissions, bandwidth changes, status, and disengage procedures between endpoints and gatekeepers. These messages are passed on a RAS Signaling Channel, which is independent from the Call Signaling Channel and the H.245 Control Channel. H.245 open logical channel procedures are not used to establish the RAS Signaling Channel. In LAN environments which contain a Gatekeeper (a Zone), the RAS Signaling Channel is opened between the endpoint and the Gatekeeper. The RAS Signaling Channel is opened prior to the establishment of any other channels between H.323 endpoints. FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the system of the present invention as a zone configuration system 116. A zone 118 is the collection of all terminals (Tx) 108, gateways (GW) 110, and Multipoint Control Units (MCU) 112 managed by a single gatekeeper (GK) 114. Zone 118 includes at least one terminal 108, but does not necessarily include one or more gateways 110 or MCUs 112. Zone 118 has only one gatekeeper 114 as shown. However, in the preferred embodiment shown, zone 118 is preferably independent of LAN topology and preferably includes multiple LAN segments 120 which are connected using routers (R) 122 as shown or other similar devices. Each monitored LAN segment 120 has a local communication management unit 124 according to the present invention, of which two are shown. A central management unit 126 according to the present invention controls all local communication management units 124. In addition to centralized database and control services, central management unit 126 can be used for the real-time monitoring and off-line restoration of audio and/or video communication sessions from a single point. Central management unit 126 is optionally and preferably either a dedicated unit similar in structure to local communication management units 124 but without the storage capability, or central management unit 126 is alternatively and preferably integrated with local communication management units 124 to provide the functionality of both local communication management unit 124 and central management unit 126 in a single station. Local communication management units 124 are preferably either communication management units 13 substantially as described in FIGS. 1 and 2, or alternatively and preferably are simpler units which lack the capability to retrieve and display a communication session locally. In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention (not shown), multi-user operation based on Client/Server architecture is preferably supported for basic system 104 and zone system 116. An unlimited number of “Client” stations may be connected anywhere on the LAN, providing users with management and monitoring/retrieval capabilities determined by the authorization level of each specific user. It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as examples, and that many other embodiments are possible within the spirit and the scope of the present invention. | <SOH> FIELD AND BACKGROUND <EOH>The present invention is of a method and a system for the management of communication sessions for computer network-based telephone communication, and in particular for the identification of packets containing audio and/or video data, for the storage of these packets, and for the reconstruction of selected communication sessions for audio and/or video display as needed. The integration of the computer into office communication systems has enabled many functions previously performed by separate devices to be combined into a single management system operated through a computer. For example, computer-based voice logging systems enable a computer to receive voice communication through a hardware connection to the regular telephony network, to record either a conversation, in which at least two parties converse, or a message from at least one party to one or more parties, and to replay these recorded conversations or messages upon request. These voice logging systems can replace mechanical telephone answering machines. The computer logging systems have many advantages over the mechanical answering machines. For example, the voice messages can be stored in a computer-based storage medium, such as a DAT cassette, which has a greater storage capacity than regular audio cassettes. Furthermore, the stored voice messages can be organized in a database, such that the messages can retrieved according to time, date, channel, dialed number or caller identification, for example. Such organization is not possible with a mechanical telephone answering machine. Thus, computer logging systems for voice messages have many advantages over mechanical answering machines. Unfortunately, currently available computer logging systems have the disadvantage of being unable to record telephone communication sessions, whether conversations or messages, for voice communication being performed through a LAN (local area network) or a WAN (wide area network). Although these logging systems can play back voice messages to a remote user through a LAN, for example, they cannot record such a message if it is transmitted by a LAN-based telephone. Such LAN and WAN based telephone communication has become more popular recently, since it enables telephone communication to be performed between various parties at physically separated sites without paying for local regular telephony network services, thereby saving money. Furthermore, LAN and WAN based telephone communication also facilitates the transmission of video as well as audio information. Video information certainly cannot be recorded by currently available computer logging systems. Thus, the inability of computer logging systems to record telephone communication sessions for telephone communication being performed through a LAN or a WAN, including both video and audio data, is a significant disadvantage of these systems. There is therefore a need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a system and a method for recording telephone communication sessions performed over a computer network such as a LAN or a WAN, which would record both audio and video information, organize such information, and then display such information upon request. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>It is one object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for recording communication sessions performed over a computer network. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing data transmitted over the computer network in order to detect audio and video data for recording. It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for displaying recorded video and audio data upon request. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for analyzing, recording and displaying communication sessions conducted with a LAN-based telephone system. These and other objects of the present invention are explained in further detail with regard to the drawings, description and claims provided below. The present invention provides a system and a method for analyzing data packets on a computer network, for selectively recording audio and video data packets, for organizing this stored information and for displaying the stored information upon request, such that communication sessions with computer network-based “telephone” systems can be logged. According to the teachings of the present invention, there is provided a system for managing a communication session over a computer network, the system comprising: (a) a network connector for connecting to the computer network and for receiving data packets from the computer network; (b) a filtering unit for filtering the data packets and for accepting the data packets substantially only if the data packets contain data selected from the group consisting of audio data and video data, such that the data packets form at least a portion of the communication session and such that the data packets are selected data packets; (c) a management unit for receiving the selected data packets and for storing the selected data packets, such that the selected data packets are stored data packets; and (d) a storage medium for receiving and for storing the stored data packets from the management unit, such that the at least a portion of the communication session is stored. Preferably, the system further comprises (e) a data restore unit for retrieving and displaying the at least a portion of the communication session, the data restore unit requesting the data packets from the storage medium through the management unit, and the data restore unit reconstructing the data packets for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. More preferably, the data restore unit further comprises a communication session display unit for displaying the at least a portion of the communication session. Most preferably, the communication session display unit is selected from the group consisting of a video unit and an audio unit. According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the system further comprises (f) a database connected to the filtering unit for storing filtering information, the filtering information including at least one IP address of a party whose communication sessions are monitored; wherein the filtering unit accepts the data packets according to the filtering information, such that the filtering unit substantially only accepts the data packets if the data packets fulfill the filtering information. Preferably, the system further comprises (g) a user computer for receiving at least one command of a user and for displaying information to the user, such that the user determines the filtering information according to the at least one command of the user. More preferably, the computer network is selected from the group consisting of a LAN (local area network) and a WAN (wide area network). Most preferably, the computer network is a LAN (local area network). According to further preferred embodiments of the present invention, the LAN is divided into at least two segments, the system further comprising: (h) a local management unit for each segment, the local management unit including the filtering unit and the management unit; and (i) a central management unit for controlling the local management units, the central management unit controlling storage in the storage medium. Preferably, the network connector is a network interface card. According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing at least a portion of a communication session performed on a computer network, the communication session being performed between a packet source and a packet destination, the steps of the method being performed by a data processor, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a data packet from the packet source on the computer network; (b) analyzing the data packet to determine if the data packet is an IP packet; (c) if the data packet is the IP packet, filtering the IP packet to determine a type of the IP packet; and (d) storing the IP packet to form a stored data packet according to the type, such that the stored data packet forms at least a portion of the communication session. Preferably, the step of analyzing the data packet is performed by examining a header of the data packet. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of filtering the IP packet is performed by examining the header of the IP packet. Preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (i) examining the header of the IP packet to determine an IP address of the packet source; (ii) determining if the IP address is a recorded IP address; (iii) passing the IP packet to form a passed IP packet substantially only if the IP address is the recorded IP address; and (iv) alternatively, dumping the IP packet. More preferably, the step of determining if the IP address is the recorded IP address is performed by comparing the IP address to a list of IP addresses from packet sources, such that if the IP address is included in the list, the IP address is the recorded IP address. Also preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (v) determining whether the passed IP packet is an H.225 packet, a H.245 packet, an RTP packet or an RTCP packet; (vi) if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.225 packet, determining whether the H.225 packet is a setup packet or a connect packet; (vii) if the H.225 packet is the setup packet, setting a status flag as “start session request”; (viii) alternatively, if the H.225 packet is the connect packet and the status flag is “start session request”, storing at least one detail of the communication session; and (ix) setting the status flag as “wait for logic channel”. More preferably, the step of filtering the IP packet further comprises the steps of: (x) alternatively, if the type of the passed IP packet is the H.245 packet, determining whether the H.245 packet is an open logical channel request packet, an open logical channel acknowledgment packet or a terminal capability set packet; (xi) if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel request packet and the status flag is “wait for logic channel”, setting the status flag as “wait for acknowledgment”; (xii) alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the open logical channel acknowledgment packet and the status flag is “wait for acknowledgment”, performing the steps of: (A) setting the status flag as “wait for terminal capability“; and (B) saving a transport address of the destination of the communication session; and (xiii) also alternatively, if the H.245 packet is the terminal capability set packet, performing the steps of: (A) storing a capability of the packet destination from the terminal capability packet; and (B) setting the status flag as “in call process”. Most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTP packet, the RTP packet is stored. Also most preferably, if the status flag is “in call process” and the type of the passed IP packet is the RTCP packet, the RTCP packet is stored. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises the steps of: (e) retrieving the stored data packet to form a retrieved data packet; and (i) reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session according to the retrieved data packet. Preferably, the step of retrieving the data packet includes the steps of: (i) receiving a source IP address of the packet source, a start time of the communication session, and an end time of the communication session; and (ii) selecting at least one communication session according to the source IP address, the start time and the end time. Also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying audio data. Alternatively and also preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session includes displaying video data. More preferably, the step of reconstructing at least a portion of the communication session further comprises the steps of: (i) retrieving substantially only RTP packets; (ii) examining a header of the RTP packets to determine a time stamp for each of the RTP packets; and (iii) displaying the RTP packets in an order according to the time stamp. Hereinafter, the term “communication session” includes both a conversation, in which at least two parties converse by exchanging audio and/or video information in “real time”, and a message, in which at least one party records such audio and/or video information for reception by at least one other party at a later date. Hereinafter, the term “Internet” is used to generally designate the global, linked web of thousands of networks which is used to connect computers all over the world. As used herein, the term “intranet” includes other types of computer networks, such as LAN (local area networks) or WAN (wide area networks). The term “computer network” includes any connection between at least two computers which permits the transmission of data, including both Internet and intranet. The term “regular telephony network” includes POTS (plain old telephone system) and substantially any other type of telephone network which provides services through a regular telephone services provider, but which specifically excludes audio and/or video communication performed through any type of computer network. Hereinafter, the term “computer” includes, but is not limited to, personal computers (PC) having an operating system such as DOS, Windows™, OS/2™ or Linux; MacIntosh™ computers; computers having JAVA™-OS as the operating system; and graphical workstations such as the computers of Sun Microsystems™ and Silicon Graphics™, and other computers having some version of the UNIX operating system such as AIX or SOLARIS™ of Sun Microsystems™; or any other known and available operating system. Hereinafter, the term “Windows™” includes but is not limited to Windows95™, Windows 3.X™ in which “x” is an integer such as “1”, Windows NT™, Windows98™, Windows CE™ and any upgraded versions of these operating systems by Microsoft Inc. (Seattle, Wash., USA). Hereinafter, the term “logging” refers to the process of analyzing data packets on a network to locate audio and/or video data, and of recording such data in an organized system. Hereinafter, the term “display” includes both the visual display of video data, and the production of sound for audio data. | 20041013 | 20050412 | 20050210 | 95532.0 | 1 | DINH, DUNG C | METHOD FOR RESTORING A PORTION OF A COMMUNICATION SESSION TRANSMITTED OVER A COMPUTER NETWORK | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,962,806 | ACCEPTED | Spacer | A spacer for facilitating hanging and fastening siding strips to a structure. The spacer is placed on a previously-fastened siding strip. An unfastened siding strip is then placed on the spacer, allowing the unfastened siding strip to be fastened. Once fastened, a portion of the spacer may be separated allowing the siding strips to come into unobstructed contact with one another. | 1. A spacer for fastening siding strips to a structure, comprising: (a) a hook portion; (b) a shelf portion; (c) a support portion connecting said hook portion to said shelf portion; and (d) a frangible area disposed in one of said hook portion and said support portion; (e) wherein, said hook portion is positioned onto a first siding strip; (f) wherein a second siding strip is positioned onto said shelf portion, said second siding strip overlapping said first siding strip; and (g) wherein, said shelf portion is separable from said hook portion at said frangible area allowing the overlapping first and second siding strips to come into unobstructed contact with one another. 2. The spacer of claim 1, said shelf portion comprising: (a) a positioning surface; and (b) a ridge; 3. The spacer of claim 2, said shelf portion further comprising a striking surface; (a) wherein, said ridge is disposed between said positioning surface and said striking surface allowing said second siding strip to be positioned onto said positioning surface with said striking surface accessible for striking; and (b) wherein, said shelf portion is separable from said hook portion when said striking surface is struck. 4. The spacer of claim 1, wherein said spacer further comprises a brace positioned between said shelf portion and said support portion. 5. The spacer of claim 1, wherein said spacer is formed of plastic. 6. The spacer of claim 1, wherein said spacer is formed of wood. 7. The spacer of claim 1, wherein said frangible area comprises at least one groove. 8. A spacer for fastening siding strips to a structure, comprising: (a) a hook portion; (b) a shelf portion; (c) a support portion connecting said hook portion to said shelf portion; (d) a brace positioned between said shelf portion and said support portion; and (e) a frangible area disposed in one of said hook portion and said support portion; (f) wherein, said hook portion is positioned onto a first siding strip; (g) wherein a second siding strip is positioned onto said shelf portion, said second siding strip overlapping said first siding strip; and (h) wherein, said shelf portion is separable from said hook portion at said frangible area allowing the overlapping first and second siding strips to come into unobstructed contact with one another. 9. The spacer of claim 8, said shelf portion comprising a positioning surface a ridge. 10. The space of claim 9, wherein said shelf portion further comprises a striking surface; (a) wherein, said ridge is disposed between said positioning surface and said striking surface allowing said second siding strip to be positioned onto said positioning surface with said striking surface accessible for striking; and (b) wherein, said shelf portion is separable from said hook portion when said striking surface is struck. 11. The spacer of claim 8, wherein said spacer is formed of plastic. 12. The spacer of claim 8, wherein said spacer is formed of wood. 13. The spacer of claim 8, wherein said frangible area comprises at least one groove. 14. A method for installing siding strips with a spacer having a hook portion and a shelf portion, said steps comprising: (a) securing a first siding strip to a structure; (b) positioning the hook portion of said spacer onto a first siding strip; (c) placing a second siding strip onto the shelf portion of said spacer with said second siding strip overlapping said first siding strip; (d) securing the second siding strip to the structure; and (e) separating said shelf portion of the spacer from said hook portion of the spacer, such that the first and second siding strips come into unobstructed contact with each other. 15. The method of claim 14, said shelf portion comprising: (a) a positioning surface; (b) a ridge; and (c) a striking surface; (d) wherein, said ridge is disposed between said positioning surface and said striking surface. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of placing the second siding strip onto the positioning surface of said shelf portion. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of separating said shelf portion from said hook portion by striking said striking surface. | RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/510,005, filed on Oct. 9, 2003, entitled SPACER FOR FIBER CEMENT SIDING. The subject matter disclosed in that provisional application is hereby expressly incorporated into the present application. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to a spacer for hanging and positioning siding. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY Apparatus for hanging and fastening siding panels are known. These apparatus allow siding panels to be positioned in an overlapping fashion and fastened to a structure, such as a house. These apparatus, however, are either cumbersome or allow gaps to exist between overlapping siding panels. The existing gaps allow wind between the siding panels, which can pull fastened siding panels off of a structure. The gaps also allow foreign objects to get between the siding panels, which can damage the siding panels, as well as the structure to which the siding panels are attached. The present invention is a spacer for hanging and positioning siding panels for fastening to a structure. Siding panels made of fiber cement are commonly used, and are used as an example throughout for illustrative purposes only. Comparable types of siding made of other materials may also be used in conjunction with this invention. One embodiment of a spacer for hanging and positioning siding serves several purposes. The spacer will allow siding to be installed with the efforts of only one person, reducing the expenses associated with installing, for example, fiber cement siding. The spacer will also allow for the fiber cement siding to have a more aesthetically pleasing appearance by allowing the visible portion of the spacer to be removed after installation. The spacer will also allow one fiber cement siding panel to be in contact with an adjacent fiber cement siding panel, reducing the potential for winds to pull a fiber cement siding panel away from its attached structure. One embodiment of the spacer is made of plastic. This embodiment allows one or more spacers to be attached to a first fiber cement siding panel. The configuration of this embodiment allows a second fiber cement siding panel to be positioned onto the spacer(s), with the spacer(s) attached to the first fiber cement siding panel. This allows for the second fiber cement siding panel to be attached to a structure being sided, while being supported by the spacer(s). After the second fiber cement siding panel is attached to a desired structure, this embodiment allows for the spacer(s) to be mostly removed such that any remaining portions of the spacer(s) are unseen when the outside of the fiber cement siding panels is viewed. This embodiment of the spacer allows the first fiber cement siding panel to be in contact with the second fiber cement siding panel due to the portions of the spacer(s) being removed. Another embodiment of the spacer has a support piece attached to a top piece. The top piece has a ridge extending from it. The support piece, top piece, and ridge are configured to form a hook. The hook of this embodiment allows the spacer to attach to a first fiber cement siding panel, with the first fiber cement siding panel having been previously attached to a structure being sided. The spacer has a break point located along the top piece, allowing for the removability of a portion of the spacer. The support piece of this embodiment also has a shelf piece extending from it in a direction opposite that which the top piece extends. This embodiment of the spacer also has a brace connected to the support piece and the shelf piece, further supporting the position of the shelf piece. The shelf piece has a ridge extending from it. When this embodiment of the spacer is attached to the first fiber cement siding panel, the spacer is in position to allow a second fiber cement siding panel to be placed onto the shelf piece of the spacer. The ridge extending from the shelf piece is positioned at a distance from the support piece to allow the second fiber cement siding panel to fit onto the shelf piece between the ridge and the support piece. The ridge extends far enough from the shelf piece to keep the second fiber cement siding panel from sliding off of the shelf piece. While positioned on the shelf piece, the second fiber cement siding panel can be attached to the structure being sided. Upon attachment of the second fiber cement siding panel, this embodiment allows for the removal of a portion of the spacer. In this embodiment, the shelf piece extends beyond the ridge extending from the shelf piece such that the portion of the shelf piece extending past the ridge may be struck with an object, such as a hammer, for example, causing the spacer to separate at the break point. This allows for a portion of the spacer to be removed. Only the ridge extending from the top piece and a portion of the top piece will not be removed, and will remain on the first fiber cement siding panel. When the shelf piece is struck, the removable portion will fall from behind the second fiber cement siding panel such that the remaining portion will be unseen due to the configuration of the fiber cement siding panels. With the portion of the spacer removed, the second fiber cement siding panel is in contact with the first fiber cement siding panel such that there is at least one point of contact between them. It is appreciated that at least two spacers per fiber cement siding panel can be used, depending on the length of the cement fiber siding panels, allowing one individual to install the fiber cement siding. The spacers may be positioned along a fiber cement siding panel such that when another fiber cement siding panel is placed onto the shelf pieces of the spacers, the fiber cement siding panel placed onto the spacers is secure from tipping at either end. Additional features and advantages of the spacer will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The present disclosure will be described hereafter with reference to the attached drawings which are given as non-limiting examples only, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a spacer; FIG. 2 is a side view of the illustrative embodiment of the spacer shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a progression of an illustrative embodiment of a spacer being utilized with two fiber cement siding panel portions; and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a plurality of spacers and a plurality of fiber cement siding panels. Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a spacer 10 is shown in FIG. 1. Spacer 10 is formed of plastic in this embodiment. However, it is appreciated that spacer 10 may be formed of various materials, such as woods, for example. Spacer 10 has a support piece 12, with a top piece 14 extending outwardly from support piece 12. Top piece 14 has a break point 20. Top piece 14 is illustratively shown to have a ridge 16 extending downwardly from it as shown in FIG. 1. Support piece 12, top piece 14, and ridge 16 are configured to form hook 18. Support piece 12 is illustratively shown to have shelf piece 22 extending outwardly from it in a direction opposite to that which top piece 14 extends. Spacer 10 is illustratively shown as having a brace 24, which is connected to the shelf piece 22 and support piece 12. Shelf piece 22 illustratively has ridge 26, which extends upwardly from shelf piece 22 as shown in FIG. 1. A side view of an illustrative embodiment of spacer 10 is shown in FIG. 2. Break point 20 is illustratively shown to be made from a narrowing of a segment of top piece 14. Break point 20 allows spacer 10 to be separated at break point 20 when shelf piece 22 is struck with an object. (See, also, FIGS. 3C, 4.) A perspective view showing a progression of spacer 10 being used to support a fiber cement siding panel 30 is illustratively shown in FIG. 3. This progression divides FIG. 3 into three stages, illustratively shown as FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C. Spacer 10 is illustratively shown as being attached to a portion of fiber cement siding panel 28 in FIG. 3A. Spacer 10 is illustratively attached to fiber cement siding panel 28 by hook 18. It is contemplated that fiber cement siding panel 28 is previously attached to a structure to be sided, with spacer 10 being attached to fiber cement siding panel 28 after fiber cement siding panel 28 has been attached to the structure to be sided. With spacer 10 attached to fiber cement siding panel 28, another fiber cement siding panel 30 can be placed onto shelf piece 22 of spacer 10 as illustratively shown in FIG. 3B. Ridge 26 is illustratively shown to be positioned at a distance from support piece 12 such that the gap between ridge 26 and support piece 12 is wide enough to receive fiber cement siding panel 30. Ridge 26 extends from shelf piece 22 such that fiber cement siding panel 30 is prohibited from slipping along shelf piece 22 when fiber cement siding panel 30 is placed between ridge 26 and support piece 22. It is contemplated that once fiber cement siding panel 30 is placed onto shelf piece 22, fiber cement siding panel 30 is attached to the structure to be sided. After fiber cement siding panel 30 is attached to the structure to be sided, a portion of spacer 10 may be removed by striking shelf piece 22 with an object, such as a hammer 32, for example, as illustratively shown in FIG. 3C. When hammer 32 strikes the portion of shelf piece 22 extending beyond ridge 26, spacer 10 separates into two parts at break point 20. (See, also, FIGS. 1-2, 3A.) This allows ridge 16 and a portion of top piece 14 to remain on fiber cement siding panel 28, with the remaining portion of spacer 10 being removable from the attachment with fiber cement siding panel 28. With the removable portion of spacer 10 gone, no portions of spacer 10 are seen when viewing fiber cement siding panels 28, 30 from the outside. Also, with the removable portion of spacer 10 gone, fiber cement siding panels 28, 30 come into at least one point of contact such that potential winds are kept from moving fiber cement siding panel 30 away from the structure to be sided. It is contemplated that more than one spacer 10 may be used, depending on the length of each fiber cement siding panels, such as fiber cement siding panels 28, 30, for example. It is appreciated that at least two spacers 10 may be used to balance a fiber cement siding panel, allowing the fiber cement siding to be installed by only one individual. A perspective view of a plurality of spacers 10, with a plurality of fiber cement siding panels 28, is illustratively shown in FIG. 4. Hammer 32 is illustratively shown to be striking a shelf piece 22 of a spacer 10, similar to that shown in FIG. 3C. This view also illustratively shows how the spacers 10 may be positioned with respect to the fiber cement siding panels 28. Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, from the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of the present disclosure and various changes and modifications may be made to adapt the various uses and characteristics without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY <EOH>Apparatus for hanging and fastening siding panels are known. These apparatus allow siding panels to be positioned in an overlapping fashion and fastened to a structure, such as a house. These apparatus, however, are either cumbersome or allow gaps to exist between overlapping siding panels. The existing gaps allow wind between the siding panels, which can pull fastened siding panels off of a structure. The gaps also allow foreign objects to get between the siding panels, which can damage the siding panels, as well as the structure to which the siding panels are attached. The present invention is a spacer for hanging and positioning siding panels for fastening to a structure. Siding panels made of fiber cement are commonly used, and are used as an example throughout for illustrative purposes only. Comparable types of siding made of other materials may also be used in conjunction with this invention. One embodiment of a spacer for hanging and positioning siding serves several purposes. The spacer will allow siding to be installed with the efforts of only one person, reducing the expenses associated with installing, for example, fiber cement siding. The spacer will also allow for the fiber cement siding to have a more aesthetically pleasing appearance by allowing the visible portion of the spacer to be removed after installation. The spacer will also allow one fiber cement siding panel to be in contact with an adjacent fiber cement siding panel, reducing the potential for winds to pull a fiber cement siding panel away from its attached structure. One embodiment of the spacer is made of plastic. This embodiment allows one or more spacers to be attached to a first fiber cement siding panel. The configuration of this embodiment allows a second fiber cement siding panel to be positioned onto the spacer(s), with the spacer(s) attached to the first fiber cement siding panel. This allows for the second fiber cement siding panel to be attached to a structure being sided, while being supported by the spacer(s). After the second fiber cement siding panel is attached to a desired structure, this embodiment allows for the spacer(s) to be mostly removed such that any remaining portions of the spacer(s) are unseen when the outside of the fiber cement siding panels is viewed. This embodiment of the spacer allows the first fiber cement siding panel to be in contact with the second fiber cement siding panel due to the portions of the spacer(s) being removed. Another embodiment of the spacer has a support piece attached to a top piece. The top piece has a ridge extending from it. The support piece, top piece, and ridge are configured to form a hook. The hook of this embodiment allows the spacer to attach to a first fiber cement siding panel, with the first fiber cement siding panel having been previously attached to a structure being sided. The spacer has a break point located along the top piece, allowing for the removability of a portion of the spacer. The support piece of this embodiment also has a shelf piece extending from it in a direction opposite that which the top piece extends. This embodiment of the spacer also has a brace connected to the support piece and the shelf piece, further supporting the position of the shelf piece. The shelf piece has a ridge extending from it. When this embodiment of the spacer is attached to the first fiber cement siding panel, the spacer is in position to allow a second fiber cement siding panel to be placed onto the shelf piece of the spacer. The ridge extending from the shelf piece is positioned at a distance from the support piece to allow the second fiber cement siding panel to fit onto the shelf piece between the ridge and the support piece. The ridge extends far enough from the shelf piece to keep the second fiber cement siding panel from sliding off of the shelf piece. While positioned on the shelf piece, the second fiber cement siding panel can be attached to the structure being sided. Upon attachment of the second fiber cement siding panel, this embodiment allows for the removal of a portion of the spacer. In this embodiment, the shelf piece extends beyond the ridge extending from the shelf piece such that the portion of the shelf piece extending past the ridge may be struck with an object, such as a hammer, for example, causing the spacer to separate at the break point. This allows for a portion of the spacer to be removed. Only the ridge extending from the top piece and a portion of the top piece will not be removed, and will remain on the first fiber cement siding panel. When the shelf piece is struck, the removable portion will fall from behind the second fiber cement siding panel such that the remaining portion will be unseen due to the configuration of the fiber cement siding panels. With the portion of the spacer removed, the second fiber cement siding panel is in contact with the first fiber cement siding panel such that there is at least one point of contact between them. It is appreciated that at least two spacers per fiber cement siding panel can be used, depending on the length of the cement fiber siding panels, allowing one individual to install the fiber cement siding. The spacers may be positioned along a fiber cement siding panel such that when another fiber cement siding panel is placed onto the shelf pieces of the spacers, the fiber cement siding panel placed onto the spacers is secure from tipping at either end. Additional features and advantages of the spacer will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. | <SOH> BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY <EOH>Apparatus for hanging and fastening siding panels are known. These apparatus allow siding panels to be positioned in an overlapping fashion and fastened to a structure, such as a house. These apparatus, however, are either cumbersome or allow gaps to exist between overlapping siding panels. The existing gaps allow wind between the siding panels, which can pull fastened siding panels off of a structure. The gaps also allow foreign objects to get between the siding panels, which can damage the siding panels, as well as the structure to which the siding panels are attached. The present invention is a spacer for hanging and positioning siding panels for fastening to a structure. Siding panels made of fiber cement are commonly used, and are used as an example throughout for illustrative purposes only. Comparable types of siding made of other materials may also be used in conjunction with this invention. One embodiment of a spacer for hanging and positioning siding serves several purposes. The spacer will allow siding to be installed with the efforts of only one person, reducing the expenses associated with installing, for example, fiber cement siding. The spacer will also allow for the fiber cement siding to have a more aesthetically pleasing appearance by allowing the visible portion of the spacer to be removed after installation. The spacer will also allow one fiber cement siding panel to be in contact with an adjacent fiber cement siding panel, reducing the potential for winds to pull a fiber cement siding panel away from its attached structure. One embodiment of the spacer is made of plastic. This embodiment allows one or more spacers to be attached to a first fiber cement siding panel. The configuration of this embodiment allows a second fiber cement siding panel to be positioned onto the spacer(s), with the spacer(s) attached to the first fiber cement siding panel. This allows for the second fiber cement siding panel to be attached to a structure being sided, while being supported by the spacer(s). After the second fiber cement siding panel is attached to a desired structure, this embodiment allows for the spacer(s) to be mostly removed such that any remaining portions of the spacer(s) are unseen when the outside of the fiber cement siding panels is viewed. This embodiment of the spacer allows the first fiber cement siding panel to be in contact with the second fiber cement siding panel due to the portions of the spacer(s) being removed. Another embodiment of the spacer has a support piece attached to a top piece. The top piece has a ridge extending from it. The support piece, top piece, and ridge are configured to form a hook. The hook of this embodiment allows the spacer to attach to a first fiber cement siding panel, with the first fiber cement siding panel having been previously attached to a structure being sided. The spacer has a break point located along the top piece, allowing for the removability of a portion of the spacer. The support piece of this embodiment also has a shelf piece extending from it in a direction opposite that which the top piece extends. This embodiment of the spacer also has a brace connected to the support piece and the shelf piece, further supporting the position of the shelf piece. The shelf piece has a ridge extending from it. When this embodiment of the spacer is attached to the first fiber cement siding panel, the spacer is in position to allow a second fiber cement siding panel to be placed onto the shelf piece of the spacer. The ridge extending from the shelf piece is positioned at a distance from the support piece to allow the second fiber cement siding panel to fit onto the shelf piece between the ridge and the support piece. The ridge extends far enough from the shelf piece to keep the second fiber cement siding panel from sliding off of the shelf piece. While positioned on the shelf piece, the second fiber cement siding panel can be attached to the structure being sided. Upon attachment of the second fiber cement siding panel, this embodiment allows for the removal of a portion of the spacer. In this embodiment, the shelf piece extends beyond the ridge extending from the shelf piece such that the portion of the shelf piece extending past the ridge may be struck with an object, such as a hammer, for example, causing the spacer to separate at the break point. This allows for a portion of the spacer to be removed. Only the ridge extending from the top piece and a portion of the top piece will not be removed, and will remain on the first fiber cement siding panel. When the shelf piece is struck, the removable portion will fall from behind the second fiber cement siding panel such that the remaining portion will be unseen due to the configuration of the fiber cement siding panels. With the portion of the spacer removed, the second fiber cement siding panel is in contact with the first fiber cement siding panel such that there is at least one point of contact between them. It is appreciated that at least two spacers per fiber cement siding panel can be used, depending on the length of the cement fiber siding panels, allowing one individual to install the fiber cement siding. The spacers may be positioned along a fiber cement siding panel such that when another fiber cement siding panel is placed onto the shelf pieces of the spacers, the fiber cement siding panel placed onto the spacers is secure from tipping at either end. Additional features and advantages of the spacer will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. | 20041008 | 20070306 | 20050901 | 92654.0 | 1 | FULTON, CHRISTOPHER W | SPACER | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,962,910 | ACCEPTED | Easy riding bicycle | A bicycle design includes a seat tube affixed to the chain stay at a fixed distance rearward of the bottom bracket so that the rider sitting on the saddle can comfortably fully extend one leg to place a foot flat on the ground or to use the proper full leg extension for pedaling. The rider sits comfortably upright on the saddle while pedaling and can pedal while standing up. Increasing the height of the saddle by extending the seat post tube for a taller rider increases the space between the saddle and the handle bars. The fixed distance may be on the order of about the height above ground of a heel of the rider's foot sitting on a properly adjusted conventional frame when the foot is outstretched to reach the ground and/or on the order of about a radius of a circle through which the pedals are moved during pedaling of the bicycle. The fixed distance is preferably in the range of about 4″ to 8″ and most preferably about 6″. The seat tube is preferably affixed to the chain stay frame member at an angle of about 66.5° and the head tube at an angle of about 68°. | 1. A bicycle frame, comprising: a chain stay frame member supporting a rear bicycle wheel for rotation at a rearward end of the chain stay frame member; a bottom bracket frame member affixed to the forward end of the chain stay frame member for supporting bicycle pedals for rotation to propel the rear bicycle wheel; a head tube frame member for supporting a steerable front fork assembly including handle bars and front bicycle wheel; top tube and down tube frame members affixed between the head tube frame member and the rearward and forward ends of the chain stay frame member; and a seat tube frame member for supporting a saddle and the seat affixed to the top tube frame member, the seat tube member also affixed to the chain stay frame member at a fixed distance rearward of the bottom bracket; wherein the frame members are sized and configured so that a rider sitting on the saddle can comfortably fully extend one leg to place a foot flat on the ground or to use the proper full leg extension for pedaling. | RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority of copending U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/510,660 filed Oct. 10, 2003. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is related to bicycles and in particular, to bicycle designs which are easier to ride. 2. Description of the Prior Art Conventional bicycles, often referred to as diamond frame bicycles, are available in many shapes and sizes. Conventional bicycle frames include a horizontal chain stay running between the axle of the rear bicycle wheel and the bottom bracket through which the pedals are mounted for rotation. The seat tube, which supports the seat or saddle, is typically welded to the bottom bracket. The down tube, running from the bottom bracket to the head tube within which the front wheel rotates for steering, is also typically welded to the bottom bracket. A top tube, running from the rear wheel axle to the head tube, also serves to stabilize the seat tube and may be made from a seat stay between the rear axle and the seat tube plus an upper tube from the seat tube to the head tube. Conventional bicycle frames of this type are called diamond frames because the seat tube, chain stay, and seat stay form a first triangle and the seat tube, down tube and upper tube generally form a second, connected triangle with the down and upper tubes connected close to each other at the head tube. In such conventional bicycle frames, the bottom bracket through which the pedals are mounted for rotation, serves as a common joint between the triangles and is welded or otherwise affixed to the chain stay, seat tube and down tube. The top tube may be mounted lower towards the ground in versions requiring a lower stand-over height, that is, the height of the bicycle frame between a rider's legs when standing with both feet on the ground. When conventional bicycles are adjusted for a particular rider, the seat tube is typically extended so that the seat height allows the rider to extend one leg to reach the related pedal in it's furthest forward position. The proper full leg extension while pedaling, called herein the “proper full leg extension for pedaling”, includes a minor bend at the knee so that the leg is not locked. When riding, the rider is typically leaning forward. When stopped, the rider is typically required to extend the toes on one foot to reach the ground and often will tilt the bicycle toward the foot touching the ground in order to better reach the ground. That is, when stopped, the seat is typically positioned too high for the rider to comfortably put both feet flat on the ground without tilting the bicycle. Recumbent bicycles were developed to reduce the strain on the rider's back by moving the bottom bracket and pedals further forward. This permits the rider to lean back and to operate the pedals at a different, less stressful angle. Allowing the rider to lean back, and moving the bottom bracket and pedals further forward, increases the wheelbase of the bicycle. When stopped, the rider can typically reach the ground with both feet. Some riders consider this to be an awkward position because the rider's weight is behind the rider's feet rather than above the rider's feet as it would be in a conventional bicycle. In addition, the rider cannot stand up while pedaling as is commonly done for increased performance for example when pedaling uphill. One currently popular variation for bicycle frames is called the “chopper” in which the bottom bracket and pedals are moved forward from the conventional bicycle frame position, but not as far forward as they would be in a recumbent bicycle. The rider sits relatively erect with the handle bars extended toward the rider. Conventional chopper designs typically provide neither the comfort and convenience of a conventional bicycle frame design nor the reduced back strain of the recumbent designs. What is needed is a bicycle design in which the bicycle is comfortable to learn to ride, to stand with and to ride. In particular, what is needed is a bicycle frame design in which the rider can sit upright, stand up while pedaling if desired and being able to put one or both feet flat on the ground when stopped and the seat is adjusted for proper leg extension for pedaling. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with a first aspect, a bicycle design is disclosed having a chain stay supporting a rear bicycle wheel for rotation at a rearward end of the chain stay, a bottom bracket affixed to the forward end of the chain stay for supporting bicycle pedals for rotation to propel the rear bicycle wheel, a head tube for supporting a steerable front fork assembly including handle bars and front bicycle wheel, top tube and down tubes affixed between the head tube and the rearward and forward ends of the chain stay, and a seat tube for supporting a saddle and the seat affixed to the top tube, the seat tube also affixed to the chain stay at a fixed distance rearward of the bottom bracket wherein the frame members are sized and configured (a) so that a rider sitting on the saddle can comfortably fully extend one leg to place a foot flat on the ground or to use proper leg extension while pedaling, and/or (b) so that a rider sits comfortably upright on the saddle while pedaling, and/or (c) so that the rider can pedal while standing up, and and/or (d) so that increasing the height of the saddle by extending the seat tube for a taller rider increases the space between the saddle and the handle bars. The fixed distance may be on the order of about the height above ground of a heal of the rider's foot when the foot is outstretched to reach the ground and/or on the order of about a radius of a circle through which the pedals are moved during pedaling of the bicycle. The seat tube is affixed to the chain stay at an angle from the horizontal in the range of about 62° to 72°, 64° to 69° or preferably at an angle of about 66.5°. The head tube may be affixed to the top and down tubes at an angle from the horizontal in the range of about 64° to 72°, 66° to 70° or preferably at an angle of about 68°. The angle of the head tube may preferably exceed the angle of the seat tube by about 1.5°. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a bicycle according to the present disclosure adjusted for a short rider. FIG. 2 is a top cut away view of the rear wheel and chain stay portions of the bicycle shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side view of the bicycle shown in FIG. 1 adjusted for a taller rider. FIG. 4 is a top view of the handle bars of the bicycles shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. FIG. 5 is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the bicycles shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, including chain, gearing, brakes, fenders and other components. FIG. 6 is an illustration of a lady's model of the bicycle shown in FIG. 5 with a rider. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) In a conventional or diamond frame bicycle when the L saddle is lowered enough so that the rider can put one or both feet flat on the ground, riding or pedaling the bicycle is difficult because the distance from the saddle to the pedal is typically too short for the proper full leg extension for pedaling. Referring now to FIG. 1, one way to understand the bicycle frame design disclosed herein is to imagine a rider sitting on saddle 14 with one of his feet flat on the ground as illustrated by leg extension 16, and then the rider lifts his leg by rotating it around the hip joint and keeping his leg fully but comfortably extended at the proper full leg extension for pedaling until it is high enough off the ground to be in a suitable position to pedal the bicycle as illustrated by leg extension 18. By locating the furthest pedal point from the saddle, illustrated as pedal point 20, and then positioning bottom bracket 65 to support the pedal at pedal point 20, the rider may put one or more feet flatly on the ground when stopped and also comfortably extend his leg to the proper full leg extension for pedaling. As shown in FIG. 1, extendable seat tube 52, which includes a seat post slidably engaged in the tube for supporting the saddle, was moved back from its conventional location at bottom bracket 65 by the insertion of chain stay extension or horn 66 between chain stay fork 64 and bottom bracket 65. Although a straight tube is preferred, the same effect can be achieved with a tube which is bent or curved tube at the bottom toward the bottom bracket. The length of horn 66, is preferably in the range of about 4″ to about 8″ and more preferably about 6″. The horn tube length is about equal to the length of a pedal crank arm. It is also about or the height of the rider's heel above the ground when sitting on a properly adjusted seat of a conventional frame and extending his toes to reach the ground. Horn 66 positions pedal point 20 at the appropriate position for proper leg extension while pedaling. In addition, the insertion of horn 66 expands the rider's compartment space. Referring now to FIG. 1, bicycle 10 is shown on ground level 12. Saddle 14 is shown in a lower position, suitable for example, for a shorter rider at about 4′10″ tall. Leg dimension line 16 represents the distance from saddle 14 to ground 12 so that the rider can sit in saddle 14 and position one or both feet flat on ground 12. Leg dimension line 18 represents the distance from saddle 14 to pedal position 20 at which the rider's leg is extended at the proper full leg extension for pedaling. Leg dimensions 16 and 18 are substantially equal. In practice, however, people tend to extend their legs more fully while standing than when fully extending one leg to pedal a bicycle, so that the leg dimensions are not exactly equal, but the difference is relatively slight. Pedal position 22 represents the most forward pedal position on pedal crank circle 24. Front wheel clearance dimension 26 represents the required minimum clearance between pedal position 22 and front wheel 28 to permit front wheel 28 to turn freely without interference between the rider's foot at pedal position 22 and the closest part of front wheel 28. Crank clearance dimension 27 represents the ground clearance between pedal position 21 and ground 12. Front fork 31, in which front wheel 28 is mounted for rotation, extends from the center of front wheel 28, upward at head tube angle 32, appropriate for comfortable steering. In the bicycle frame disclosed, head tube angle 32 is preferably 68°, but angles in the range of 66° to 70° work well and angles in the range of 64° to 72° may be suitable in many circumstances. Front fork 31 is mounted in head tube 30 for steering rotation by handle bars 38. Adjustable stem 34 is positioned at the top of head tube 30 to rotate with front fork 31 and is shown positioned at angle 36, leaning in the direction of forward travel of bicycle 10. Handle bars 38 are mounted through an opening at the end of adjustable stem 34 and are shown positioned at angle 40 to stem 34. Handle bars 38 preferably have a rise, shown as dimension 39 in FIG. 4, of about 4″ but rises in the range of 2″ to 6″ may also be used. Handle grips 42 are positioned at the end of handle bars 38. The position of handle grips 42 may be adjusted to suit a comfortable arm reach of the rider along handgrip upper quadrant 43 to permit the rider to be seated in an upright position on saddle 14. Handle bars 38 are extended somewhat to be able elevate handle grips 42 in addition to positioning the hand grips rearward toward the rider. Referring now again to FIG. 1, chain stay 62 runs from the center or axle of rear wheel 58 forward to bottom bracket 65. Chain stay 62 may include rearward chain stay yoke 64, in which rear wheel 58 is mounted for motion, and forward chain stay horn 66. The lower end of seat tube 52 is positioned along chain stay 62, preferably at a strong point, such as the intersection of chain stay yoke 64 and chain stay horn 66. The term chain stay horn is used to designate the support member between the chain stay yoke and bottom bracket. In a preferred embodiment, this support member may be somewhat horn or cone shaped as it increases in diameter, from its rigid mounting to the tubes or other members forming seat tube 52 and yoke 64, to be affixed to bottom bracket 65. Chain stay 62, bottom bracket 65, upper and down tubes 68 and 72, head tube 30 and seat tube 52 form the frame members of the frame of bicycle 10 and generally correspond to equivalent frame members of conventional diamond bicycle frames. Referring now to FIG. 2, a top view of the above described portion of frame 10 including chain stay 62 is shown in greater detail. In particular, rear wheel 58 is supported for rotation by chain stay yoke 64 of chain stay 62. Chain stay horn 66 and seat tube 52 are welded or otherwise affixed to the forward portion of chain stay yoke 64. Bottom bracket 65, in which the pedals are mounted for rotation, is welded or otherwise affixed to the forward portion of chain stay horn 66 and also supports down tube 68. Dimension 67 represents the length of chain stay horn 66. Chain stay horn 66 is used to move bottom bracket 65 forward of the point of support for seat tube 66 on chain stay yoke 64 so that the rider is in a relatively upright position when operating the pedals mounted for motion in bottom bracket 65. Dimension 67 may conveniently be on the order of the typical distance above the ground of the rider's heel when a conventional bicycle is stopped. That is, when a conventional bicycle is stopped, the rider must typically extend the toes on the leg being used to support the bicycle in order to reach the ground. The distance between the rider's heel and the ground therefore represents the portion of the height of seat 14 above the ground that prevents the rider from resting his foot flat on the ground. In order to permit the rider to put one or both feet flat on the ground when the bicycle is stopped, seat 14 may be positioned lower by about dimension 67 so that the rider's foot when extended downward is comfortably placed flat on the ground while chain stay horn 66 moves bottom bracket 65 sufficiently forward so that the rider's foot at the proper leg extension for pedaling reaches the pedal is at its furthest distance from the rider, shown as pedal position 20 in FIG. 1. Alternately, dimension 67 may be on the order of the radius of the crank circle, that is, the length of the pedal arm or support member extending from the center of bottom bracket 65 to the axis of rotation of the pedal. Dimension 67 may be in the range of about 4″ to 8″ or about 6″. In a preferred embodiment, dimension 67 is sufficient when seat 14 is properly adjusted for the proper leg extension while pedaling for the rider to comfortably fully extend one or both legs to place his feet flatly on the ground. Moving the pedals forward by about dimension 67 and lowering seat 14 by about the same amount, with regard to a conventional frame in which the chain stay, seat tube and down tube are all affixed to bracket 65, allows the rider to put one or both feet flat on the ground when stopped while providing the proper full leg extension for pedaling. This arrangement also puts the rider in a more natural and comfortable upright riding position while making it more convenient for the rider to hold the bicycle upright while standing or stopping. Referring now again to FIG. 1, seat tube 52 is affixed to chain stay horn 66 and chain stay yoke 64 by welding or other suitable means. Seat tube angle 50, between horizontal chain stay 62 and seat tube 52 is preferably on the order of about 66.50, but angles in the range of about 64° to 69° work well and angles in the range of 620 to 720 may also be useful. Rear wheel 58 may be positioned as far forward as possible to minimize the wheelbase of bicycle 10, but rear wheel 58 may be positioned a clearance dimension 60 behind seat tube 52. Down tube 68 is connected to chain stay 62, and in particular to chain stay horn 66, at bottom bracket 65 and runs to a suitable position along head tube 30 so that closest dimension 70 provides clearance for front wheel 28 and/or a front fender optionally, down tube 68 may be positioned along head tube 30 to provide sufficient space in which suspension support 73 may be positioned above front yoke 31. Upper tube 72 runs forward from the center of rear wheel 58 just below the top of head tube 30. Upper tube 72 may preferably be affixed to seat tube 52 by forming upper tube 72 in two sections, top tube 74 between head tube 30 and seat tube 52 and seat stay 76 between seat tube 52 and the rearward end of chain stay yoke 64 at the axle of rear wheel 58. For a lady's model bicycle, the rearward end of top tube 74 may be positioned lower along seat tube 52, substantially below the forward end of seat stay 76. Forward gusset 78 and rear gusset 80, positioned between the bottom of upper tube 72 and head tube 30, and between the top of upper tube 72 and seat tube 52, add considerable strength and rigidity to the frame of bicycle 10. These gussets may be used to compensate for the loss of rigidity resulting from moving the lower end of seat tube 52 from bottom bracket 65, where it would likely be positioned in a convention bicycle frame, to the end of chain stay horn 66 affixed to chain stay yoke 64. In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the forward end of chain stay horn is increased to provide the most support to bottom bracket 65. In other words, the forward end of chain stay horn 66 may be formed to include an integral gusset to resist, for example, twisting forces applied by down tube 68. The size of front and read wheels 28 and 58 may range from 12″ to 27″ (or size 700C), but for adults from 4′6″ to 6′10″, a wheel size of 26″ is currently preferred. Referring now to FIG. 3, a single frame size of bicycle 10 may be manufactured, shipped, sold and used for a wider range of rider sizes from a shorter to a taller rider, by adjusting the position of hand grips 52 and the position of saddle 14 in seat tube 52. Unlike conventional bicycle designs, the rider compartment space, that is the space between the saddle or seat 44 and seat tube 30, increases as bicycle 10 is adjusted for a taller rider. The increase in the rider compartment space results from the relaxed position of the seat tube, that is, the seat tube angle as well both the fact that the head tube angle is slightly larger and the fact that there is a significant rise in the handle bars. In particular, while the height of the saddle may be adjusted by as much as about 12″ to 15″ by repositioning the seat post within the seat tube, the height of the handle bars may be adjusted on the order of about 2″. These adjustments are preferably made proportionally so that, for example, when the seat is adjusted halfway up, at about 6″ to about 7.5″, the handle bar is also adjusted about halfway up, at about 1″. The additional range of adjustment for the taller rider's outstretched arms is accomplished by rotating handle bars 42 through an arc by adjusting handle bar angle 40. The leg dimensions also increase for a taller rider, when the seat is raised, allowing both the taller and shorter rider to both put their feet flat on the ground to support bicycle 10 when stopped when the seat is adjusted to provide proper full leg extension for pedaling to reach pedal position 20. It is important to note that the increase in the rider compartment space and leg dimensions upon adjustment for a taller rider results from the difference between seat tube angle 50 and head tube angle 32. In a preferred embodiment head tube angle 32 exceeds seat tube angle 50 by about 1.5°. It is also important to note that the preferred angles for seat tube angle 50 discussed above permit a broad range of adjustment for the height of the rider while retaining the desirable qualities of allowing a rider to place one or more feet flat on the ground when stopped without tilting the bicycle, the proper full leg extension for pedaling, as well as the upright riding position as discussed above. The position of saddle 44, suitable for a taller rider perhaps 6′21″ tall, may be determined in the same manner as the position of seat 14 shown in FIG. 1 for a shorter rider. In particular, leg dimension 46 represents the distance required from saddle 44 for the taller rider to place one or both of his feet flat on the ground while leg dimension 48 represents the distance to pedal position 20 for a proper full leg extension for pedaling. Saddle 44 is thereby positioned above and to the rear of saddle 14 at seat tube angle 50. Seat tube 52 is positioned at seat tube angle 50 so that a saddle, such as saddle 14 can be adjusted in height along angle 50 to accommodate both the taller and shorter rider. The position of handle grips 42 may be adjusted to suit a comfortable arm reach of the taller rider along handgrip quadrant 43 to permit the taller rider to also be seated in an upright position on saddle 44 while pedaling. The included angle 54 between the leg dimension 16 and 18 for the shorter rider, shown in FIG. 1, is on the order of 45° while included angle 56 between leg dimensions 46 and 48 for the taller rider shown, in FIG. 3, is on the order of about 37°. A further advantage of the configurations of bicycle 10 shown herein is the ability to ride while standing up. As noted above, it is common with conventional bicycles to occasionally stand up while pedaling for example to ride up a steep hill. This advantage is lost with conventional recumbent bicycles, but is retained in bicycle 10. In particular, as clearly illustrated by stand up position reference 82, stand up pedaling is easily accomplished because head tube angle 32 and the adjustments permitted for the position of hand grips 42, permit the rider to stand up without interference. Upright riding position reference 84 is also illustrated for clarity. Referring now to FIG. 5, an alternate embodiment of bicycle 10 is shown in which top tube 74 may be formed in a convex upward curve permitting the lower end of top tube 74 to be positioned lower along seat tube 52. The lowering of the end of top tube 74 reduces the stand-over height for the comfort of the rider. Gusset 80 between top tube 74 and seat tube 50 provides additional mechanical support and rigidity. Down tube 68 is formed in a similar and compatible convex downward curve which maximizes closest dimension 70, for example to permit the use of a fender and/or mudguard. Gussets 78 and 80 are also shown with curved lower and upper edges, respectively which further enhance the rigidity, strength and overall appearance of bicycle 10. Further, seat stay 76 may also be formed in a slight concave upward angle providing a pleasing sinuous continuation of top tube 74. Fenders, brakes, tires and rims, a wide seat, a chain guard and an in-hub transmission are also shown. Referring now to FIG. 6, in another alternate embodiment, a lady's version of bicycle 10 with a rider is shown in which top tube 74 is formed in a upwardly convex curve while the lower end of top tube 74 is positioned substantially lower along seat tube 52. Lowering the end of top tube 74 further reduces the stand-over height for the comfort of the rider. Down tube 68 is formed in a similar and compatible convex curve which maximizes closest dimension 70. Gussets 78 and 80 are also shown with curved lower and upper edges, respectively which further enhance the appearance of bicycle 10. Further, seat stay 76 is formed in a slight concave angle providing a pleasing sinuous continuation of top tube 74. Fenders, brakes, tires and rims, a wide seat, a chain guard and an in-hub transmission are also shown. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention is related to bicycles and in particular, to bicycle designs which are easier to ride. 2. Description of the Prior Art Conventional bicycles, often referred to as diamond frame bicycles, are available in many shapes and sizes. Conventional bicycle frames include a horizontal chain stay running between the axle of the rear bicycle wheel and the bottom bracket through which the pedals are mounted for rotation. The seat tube, which supports the seat or saddle, is typically welded to the bottom bracket. The down tube, running from the bottom bracket to the head tube within which the front wheel rotates for steering, is also typically welded to the bottom bracket. A top tube, running from the rear wheel axle to the head tube, also serves to stabilize the seat tube and may be made from a seat stay between the rear axle and the seat tube plus an upper tube from the seat tube to the head tube. Conventional bicycle frames of this type are called diamond frames because the seat tube, chain stay, and seat stay form a first triangle and the seat tube, down tube and upper tube generally form a second, connected triangle with the down and upper tubes connected close to each other at the head tube. In such conventional bicycle frames, the bottom bracket through which the pedals are mounted for rotation, serves as a common joint between the triangles and is welded or otherwise affixed to the chain stay, seat tube and down tube. The top tube may be mounted lower towards the ground in versions requiring a lower stand-over height, that is, the height of the bicycle frame between a rider's legs when standing with both feet on the ground. When conventional bicycles are adjusted for a particular rider, the seat tube is typically extended so that the seat height allows the rider to extend one leg to reach the related pedal in it's furthest forward position. The proper full leg extension while pedaling, called herein the “proper full leg extension for pedaling”, includes a minor bend at the knee so that the leg is not locked. When riding, the rider is typically leaning forward. When stopped, the rider is typically required to extend the toes on one foot to reach the ground and often will tilt the bicycle toward the foot touching the ground in order to better reach the ground. That is, when stopped, the seat is typically positioned too high for the rider to comfortably put both feet flat on the ground without tilting the bicycle. Recumbent bicycles were developed to reduce the strain on the rider's back by moving the bottom bracket and pedals further forward. This permits the rider to lean back and to operate the pedals at a different, less stressful angle. Allowing the rider to lean back, and moving the bottom bracket and pedals further forward, increases the wheelbase of the bicycle. When stopped, the rider can typically reach the ground with both feet. Some riders consider this to be an awkward position because the rider's weight is behind the rider's feet rather than above the rider's feet as it would be in a conventional bicycle. In addition, the rider cannot stand up while pedaling as is commonly done for increased performance for example when pedaling uphill. One currently popular variation for bicycle frames is called the “chopper” in which the bottom bracket and pedals are moved forward from the conventional bicycle frame position, but not as far forward as they would be in a recumbent bicycle. The rider sits relatively erect with the handle bars extended toward the rider. Conventional chopper designs typically provide neither the comfort and convenience of a conventional bicycle frame design nor the reduced back strain of the recumbent designs. What is needed is a bicycle design in which the bicycle is comfortable to learn to ride, to stand with and to ride. In particular, what is needed is a bicycle frame design in which the rider can sit upright, stand up while pedaling if desired and being able to put one or both feet flat on the ground when stopped and the seat is adjusted for proper leg extension for pedaling. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In accordance with a first aspect, a bicycle design is disclosed having a chain stay supporting a rear bicycle wheel for rotation at a rearward end of the chain stay, a bottom bracket affixed to the forward end of the chain stay for supporting bicycle pedals for rotation to propel the rear bicycle wheel, a head tube for supporting a steerable front fork assembly including handle bars and front bicycle wheel, top tube and down tubes affixed between the head tube and the rearward and forward ends of the chain stay, and a seat tube for supporting a saddle and the seat affixed to the top tube, the seat tube also affixed to the chain stay at a fixed distance rearward of the bottom bracket wherein the frame members are sized and configured (a) so that a rider sitting on the saddle can comfortably fully extend one leg to place a foot flat on the ground or to use proper leg extension while pedaling, and/or (b) so that a rider sits comfortably upright on the saddle while pedaling, and/or (c) so that the rider can pedal while standing up, and and/or (d) so that increasing the height of the saddle by extending the seat tube for a taller rider increases the space between the saddle and the handle bars. The fixed distance may be on the order of about the height above ground of a heal of the rider's foot when the foot is outstretched to reach the ground and/or on the order of about a radius of a circle through which the pedals are moved during pedaling of the bicycle. The seat tube is affixed to the chain stay at an angle from the horizontal in the range of about 62° to 72°, 64° to 69° or preferably at an angle of about 66.5°. The head tube may be affixed to the top and down tubes at an angle from the horizontal in the range of about 64° to 72°, 66° to 70° or preferably at an angle of about 68°. The angle of the head tube may preferably exceed the angle of the seat tube by about 1.5°. | 20041012 | 20100622 | 20050728 | 65515.0 | 2 | WINNER, TONY H | EASY RIDING BICYCLE | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,962,970 | ACCEPTED | Multi-directional adjustment devices for speaker mounts for eyeglass with MP3 player | A wearable audio device in the form of eyeglasses speaker mounts supported by the frames of the eyeglass. The speaker mounts are constructed so as to provide independent adjustment in a plurality of directions. | 1. An eyeglass comprising a frame defining first and second orbitals, first and second lenses disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively, first and second ear stems extending rearwardly from the frame, the first and second ear stems including first and second adjustment devices, respectively, first and second acoustic transducer assemblies supported by the first and second adjustment devices, respectively, the first and second adjustment devices being configured to allow the first and second acoustic transducer assemblies to be translated along first and second translation directions generally parallel to the first and second ear stems and to be pivoted about first and second pivot axes extending generally parallel to the first and second ear stems, such that the adjustment devices allow the first and second acoustic transducers to be pivoted about the pivot axes while restraining translational movement of the first and second acoustic transducers along the translation directions. 2. The eyeglass according to claim 1, wherein the first and second adjustment devices comprise first and second rods, respectively, mounted to the first and second ear stems, respectively. 3. The eyeglass according to claim 2, wherein the first and second acoustic transducer assemblies which include first and second apertures, respectively, forming a slip fit with the first and second rods, respectively. 4. The eyeglass according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the rods and apertures are configured to generate more resistance to translational relative movement than resistance to rotational relative movement. 5. The eyeglass according to claim 1, wherein the first and second translation directions are defined by first and second translation axes, the first and second translation axes being coincident with the first and second pivot axes, respectively. 6. The eyeglass according to claim 1, wherein the first and second transducer assemblies include first and second acoustic transducers, respectively, the first and second adjustment devices configured to allow the first and second acoustic transducer assemblies to pivot about the first and second pivot axes, respectively, between a first position in which the first and second acoustic transducers are disposed proximate to an ear of a wearer of the eyeglass and a second position in which the acoustic transducer is spaced from the ear sufficiently to allow a wearer of the eyeglass to insert an ear piece of a telephone between the wearer's ear and the first acoustic transducer. 7. The eyeglass according to claim 6, wherein the first and second adjustment devices are configured to prevent the first and second acoustic transducer assemblies from translating along the first and second translation directions while the first and second acoustic transducer assemblies are pivoted between the first and second positions. 8. The eyeglass according to claim 1, wherein the first and second adjustment devices comprise first and second pins fixed relative to the frame. 9. The eyeglass according to claim 8, wherein the first and second transducer assemblies are configured to slide relative to the first and second pins, respectively. 10. The eyeglass according to claim 8, wherein the first and second pins are disposed within the first and second ear stems, respectively. 11. The eyeglass according to claim 10, wherein the first and second pins are recessed into the first and second ear stems, respectively. 12. An eyeglass comprising a frame defining at least one lens support, at least a first lens supported by the lens support, first and second ear stems extending rearwardly from the lens support, first and second rods connected to the first and second ear stems, respectively, first and second acoustic transducer assemblies comprising first and second acoustic transducers disposed lower ends thereof, respectively, and first and second upper ends connected to the first and second rods, respectively, the connections between the ear stems, rods, and upper ends being configured to allow the acoustic transducer assemblies to be translated along first and second translation directions generally parallel to the first and second ear stems and to be pivoted about first and second pivot axes extending generally parallel to the first and second ear stems, wherein the connections between the first ear stem, the first rod, and the first upper end is also configured to generate a first resistance against movement when the first acoustic transducer is urged by a wearer of the eyeglass along the first translation direction and a second resistance to movement when the acoustic transducer is urged by a wearer to pivot about the first pivot axis, the first resistance being higher than the second resistance. 13. The eyeglass according to claim 12, wherein the first and second rods are fixed to the first and second ear stems, respectively. 14. The eyeglass according to claim 13, wherein the first and second upper ends are configured to form a slip fit with the first and second rods, respectively. 15. The eyeglass according to claim 14, wherein the first and second rods are recessed into the first and second ear stems, respectively. 16. An eyeglass comprising a frame, at least one acoustic transducer supported by the frame for movement in at least first and second directions, and means for isolating movement of the transducer in the first direction from movement in the second direction. | REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/628,789, filed Jul. 28, 2003, which claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/399,317, filed Jul. 26, 2002, and 60/460,154 filed Apr. 3, 2003, the contents of all of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present inventions are directed to portable and light-weight digital storage and playback devices, and in particular, MP3 players that are integrated into eyeglasses. 2. Description of the Related Art There are numerous situations in which it is convenient and preferable to mount audio output devices so that they can be worn on the head of a user. Such devices can be used for portable entertainment, personal communications, and the like. For example, these devices could be used in conjunction with cellular telephones, cordless telephones, radios, tape players, MP3 players, portable video systems, hand-held computers and laptop computers. The audio output of many of these systems is typically directed to the wearer through the use of transducers physically positioned in or covering the ear, such as earphones and headphones. Earphones and headphones, however, are often uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. Additionally, an unbalanced load, when applied for a long period of time, can cause muscular pain and/or headaches. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One aspect of at least of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that certain electronic components can be incorporated into eyeglasses with certain features so as to reduce the total weight of the eyeglasses to a weight that is comfortable for a wearer. Further advantages can be achieved by grouping the electronic components so as to provide balance in the eyeglass. Thus, in accordance with another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. A compressed audio file storage and playback device is disposed in the first ear stem. A power storage device disposed in the second ear stem. First and second speakers are connected to the first and second ear stems, respectively, the speakers are configured to be alignable with an auditory canal of a wearer of the eyeglass. A further aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that the forward to rearward spacing of the bridge of a human nose to the auditory canal of the ear falls into a relatively narrow range of distances for large portions of the population. For example, it has been found that to accommodate a large proportion of the human population, the forward-to-rearward adjustability of the speaker is preferably sufficient to accommodate a variation in spacing from the bridge of the nose to the auditory canal of from at least about 4⅞ inches to about 5⅛ inches. In alternate implementations of the invention, anterior-posterior plane adjustability in the ranges of from about 4¾ inches to 5¼ inches, or from about 4⅝ inches to about 5⅜ inches from the posterior surface of the nose bridge to the center of the speaker is provided. Thus, in accordance with yet another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. First and second speakers are mounted to the first and second ear stems, respectively, so as to be translatable in a forward to rearward direction generally parallel to the ear stems over a first range of motion. At least one of the size of the speakers and the first range of motion being configured so as to provide an effective range of coverage of about 1¼ inches. An aspect of another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that where an electronic device that is worn in the same manner as a pair of eyeglasses includes a user operable switch for controlling a function of the electronics, the comfort of the wearer of the audio device can be enhanced where the switches are operable without transferring a substantial load to the head of the wearer. For example, where the electronic device includes buttons for controlling an aspect of the device, a further advantage is provided where a support surface is provided opposite the button such that a user can apply a balancing force to the actuation force applied to the button, thereby preventing a substantial force from being transferred to the head of the wearer. Thus, in accordance with a further aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. The first ear stem comprises an upper surface facing a first direction and includes an aperture. A first button extends from the aperture. A lower surface is below the upper surface and faces a second direction generally opposite the first direction, the lower surface having a width of at least one-quarter of an inch. Further features and advantages of the present inventions will become apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the detailed description of preferred embodiments which follows, when considered together with the attached drawings and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a front elevational view of a wearable audio device supported by a human head. FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3A is a front, left side, and top perspective view of a modification of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 3B is a top plan view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 3A. FIG. 3C is a schematic top plan view of the audio device of FIG. 3A being worn on the head of a user. FIG. 3D is a front, top, and left side perspective view of another modification of the wearable audio devices illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A-C. FIG. 3E is a rear, top and right side perspective view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3F is a right side elevational view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3G is a left side elevational view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3H is a front elevational view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3I is a top plan view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3J is a front, top, and left side perspective and exploded view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3K is an enlarged left side elevational view of one of the speakers of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3L is an enlarged front elevational view of the speaker illustrated in FIG. 3K. FIG. 3M is a schematic illustration of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 4A is a schematic representation of a rear and left side perspective view of a further modification of the wearable audio devices illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3A-J. FIG. 4B is a schematic representation of a partial sectional and left side elevational view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 4A being worn a human. FIG. 5A is a partial sectional and side elevational view of a modification of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5B is a partial sectional and side elevational view of a modification of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6 is a left side elevational view of a modification of the audio device illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 being worn on the head of a user. FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a front elevational view of a further modification of the audio device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 being worn by a wearer and interacting with source electronics. FIG. 9A is an enlarged schematic representation of a front elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 8. FIG. 9B is a schematic representation of a left side elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 9A. FIG. 10 is a schematic left side elevational view of a modification of the audio device illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9A, B. FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of any of the audio devices illustrated in FIGS. 1-12. FIG. 14 is a schematic representation of a partial cross-sectional view of a modification of the portion illustrated in FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is a left side elevational view of a modification of the audio devices illustrated in FIGS. 8-12. FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 15. FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration of communication hardware which can be incorporated into any of the wearable audio device as illustrated in FIGS. 1-16 and the communication hardware of another device. FIG. 18 is a schematic representation showing three output signals, the uppermost signal being the output of a source device, and the lower signals being the representation of the output of an encoder/decoder device illustrated in FIG. 17. FIG. 19 is a schematic illustration of the decoder illustrated in FIG. 17. FIG. 20 is a schematic illustration of a modification of the decoder illustrated in FIG. 19, which can be incorporated into any of the wearable audio devices illustrated in FIGS. 1-16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an audio device 10 includes a support 12 and left and right speakers 14, 16. The audio device 12 is illustrated as being supported on the head 18 of a human. The head 18 includes a nose 19, and left and right ears 20, 22. The schematic representation of human ears 20 and 22 are intended to represent the tissue forming the “pinna” of a human ear. With reference to FIG. 2, the meatus of the external auditory canal 24 is illustrated schematically as a circle (in phantom) generally at the center of the left ear 20. The support 12 is configured to be supported by the head 18. Thus, the support 12 can be in the form of any known headwear. For example, but without limitation, the support 12 can be in the form of a hat, sweatband, tiara, helmet, headphones, and eyeglasses. Advantageously, the support 12 is configured to support the speakers 14, 16 at a position juxtaposed to the ears 20, 22, respectively, without applying a force against the ears 20, 22 sufficient for anchoring the speakers 14, 16 in place. Thus, the support 12 contacts the head 18 at a position other than the outer surface of the ears 20, 22. As shown in FIG. 1, the support 12 is supported by the head 18 by a support portion 26 which contacts a portion of the head 18 other than the outer surface of the ears 20, 22. For example, but without limitation, the support 26 can contact the top of the head 18, the sides of the head, top of the nose 19, forehead, occipital lobe, etc. The audio device 10 also includes support members 28, 30 which extend from the support 12 to the speakers 14, 16, respectively. The support members 28, 30 are provided with sufficient strength to maintain the position of the speakers 14, 16 such that the speakers 14, 16 are spaced from the outer surface of the ears 20, 22. Optionally, the support members 28, 30 can be made from a flexible material configured to allow the speakers 14, 16 to be moved toward and away from the ears 20, 22, respectively. Alternatively, the support members 28, 30 can be mounted relative to the support 12 with a mechanical device configured to allow the speakers 14, 16 to be moved toward and away from the ears 20, 22 respectively. The same mechanical device or an additional mechanical device can also optionally be configured to allow the speakers 14, 16 and/or supports 28, 30 to be translated forward and rearwardly relative to the support 12. Further, such mechanical devices can be used in conjunction with the flexibility provided to the support members 28, 30 from a flexible material noted above. As such, the user can adjust the spacing between the speakers 14, 16 and the ears 20, 22 to provide the desired spacing. As noted above, the speakers 14, 16 are spaced from the ears 20, 22 such that the speakers 14, 16 do not engage the outer surface of the ears 20, 22 with sufficient force to provide an anchoring effect for the speakers 14, 16. Thus, the speakers 14, 16 can make contact with the ears 20, 22, at a pressure less than that sufficient to cause discomfort to the user. Comfort of the user is further enhanced if the support 12 is configured to maintain gaps 32, 34 between the speakers 14, 16 and the ears 20, 22, respectively. As such, the chance of irritation to the user's ears 20, 22 is eliminated. Preferably, the gaps 32, 34 are within the range from about 2 mm to about 3 cm. The gaps 32, 34 can be measured from the inner surface of the speakers 14, 16 and the outer surface of the tragus (small projection along the front edge of a human ear which partially overlies the meatus of the external auditory canal 24) (FIG. 2). Such a spacing can allow the support 12 to be removed and replaced onto the head 18 of the user without rubbing against the ears 20, 22. This makes the audio device 10 more convenient to use. A modification of the audio device 10 is illustrated in FIG. 3A, and referred to generally by the reference numeral 10A. Components of the audio device 10A that are the same as the audio device 10 have been given the same reference numeral, except that a letter “A” has been added thereto. In the illustrated embodiment of the audio device 10A, the support 12A is in the form of an eyeglass 40. The eyeglass 40 comprises a frame 42 which supports left and right lenses 44, 46. Although the present audio device 10A will be described with reference to a dual lens eyeglass, it is to be understood that the methods and principles discussed herein are readily applicable to the production of frames for unitary lens eyeglass systems and protective goggle systems as well. Further, the lenses 44, 46 can be completely omitted. Optionally, at least one of the lenses 44, 46 can be in the form of a view finder or a video display unit configured to be viewable by a wearer of the support 12A. Preferably, the lenses 44, 46 are configured to provide variable light attenuation. For example, each of the lenses 44, 46 can comprise a pair of stacked polarized lenses, with one of the pair being rotatable relative to the other. For example, each lens of the stacked pairs can comprise an iodine stained polarizing element. By rotating one lens relative to the other, the alignment of the polar directions of the lenses changes, thereby changing the amount of light that can pass through the pair. U.S. Pat. No. 2,237,567 discloses iodine stained polarizers and is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, rotatable lens designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,780, which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the lenses 44, 46, can comprise photochromic compositions that darken in bright light and fade in lower light environments. Such compositions can include, for example, but without limitation, silver, copper, and cadmium halides. Photochromic compounds for lenses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,312,811, 5,658,502, 4,537,612, each of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference. More preferably, the lenses 44, 46 comprise a dichroic dye guest-host device configured to provide variable light attenuation. For example, the lenses 44, 46 can comprise spaced substrates coated with a conducting layer, an alignment layer, and preferably a passivation layer. Disposed between the substrates is a guest-host solution which comprises a host material and a light-absorbing dichroic dye guest. A power circuit (not shown) can be supported by the frame 42. The power circuit is provided with a power supply connected to the conducting layers. Adjustment of the power supply alters the orientation of the host material which in turn alters the orientation of the dichroic dye. Light is absorbed by the dichroic dye, depending upon its orientation, and thus provides variable light attenuation. Such a dichroic dye guest-host device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,778, which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. The frame 42 also comprises left and right orbitals 48, 50 for supporting the left and right lenses 44, 46, respectively. Although the present inventions will be described in the context of a pair of orbitals 48, 50 which surround the respective lenses 44, 46, the principles of the present inventions also apply to eyeglass systems in which the frame only partially surrounds the lens or lenses, or contacts only one edge or a portion of one edge of the lens or each lens as well. In the illustrated embodiment, the orbitals 48, 50 are connected by a bridge portion 52. The eyeglass 40 is also provided with a pair of generally rearwardly extending ear stems 54, 56 configured to retain the eyeglass 40 on the head of a wearer. In addition, an open region 58 is configured to receive the nose of the wearer, as is understood in the art. The open region 58 may optionally be provided with a nose piece, either connected to the lens orbitals 48, 50, or the bridge 52, or directly to the lenses, depending on the particular embodiment. Alternatively, the nose piece may be formed by appropriately sculpting the medial edges of the orbitals 48, 50 and the lower edge of the bridge 52, as in the illustrated embodiment. The frame 42 and the ear stems 54, 56 can be made from any appropriate material, including polymers and metals. Preferably, the frame 42 and the ear stems 54, 56 are manufactured from a polymer. The orbitals 48, 50 can be separately formed and assembled later with a separately manufactured bridge 52, or the orbitals 48, 50 and bridge 52 can be integrally molded or cast. When a metal material is used, casting the eyeglass components directly into the final configuration desirably eliminates the need to bend metal parts. The ear stems 54, 56 are pivotally connected to the frame 42 with hinges 60, 62. Additionally, the ear stems 54, 56 preferably include padded portions 64, 66, respectively. The padded portions preferably comprise a foam, rubber, or other soft material for enhancing comfort for a wearer. The padded portions 64, 66 preferably are positioned such that when the audio device 10A is worn by a wearer, the padded portions 64, 66 lie between the side of the user's head and the superior crux and/or upper portion of the helix of the wearer's ears. In the illustrated embodiment, the support members 28A, 30A are in the form of support arms 68, 70 extending downwardly from the ear stems 54, 56, respectively. As such, the speakers 14A, 16A can be precisely positioned relative to the ears 20, 22 (FIG. 1) of a wearer's head 18. In particular, because the eyeglass 40 is generally supported at three positions, the alignment of the speakers 14A, 16A with the ears 20, 22 can be reliably repeated. In particular, the eyeglass 40 is supported at the left ear stem in the vicinity of the left ear 20, at the bridge 52 by a portion of the user's head in the vicinity of the nose 19, and at the right ear stem 56 by a portion of the user's head 18 in the vicinity of the ear 22. Optionally, the support arms 68, 70 can be flexible. Thus, users can adjust the spacing 32, 34 between the speakers 14A, 16A and the ears 20, 22, respectively. Once a wearer adjusts the spacing of the speakers 14A, 16A from the ears 20, 22, respectively, the spacing will be preserved each time the wearer puts on or removes the eyeglass 40. Further, the support arms 68, 70 can be attached to the ear stems 54, 56, respectively, with mechanical devices (not shown) configured to allow the support arms 68, 70 to be adjustable. For example, such a mechanical device can allow the support arms 68, 70 to be pivoted, rotated, and/or translated so as to adjust a spacing between the speakers 14A, 16A and the ears 20, 22. The same mechanical devices or other mechanical devices can be configured to allow the support arm 68, 70 to be pivoted, rotated, and/or translated to adjust a forward to rearward alignment of the speakers 14A, 16A and the ears 20, 22, respectively. Such mechanical devices are described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 3D-J. With the configuration shown in FIG. 3A, the audio device 10A maintains the speakers 14A, 16A in a juxtaposed position relative to the ears 20, 22, respectively, and spaced therefrom. Thus, the user is not likely to experience discomfort from wearing and using the audio device 10A. Preferably, the support arms 68, 70 are raked rearwardly along the ear stems 54, 56, respectively. As such, the support arms 68, 70 better cooperate with the shape of the human ear. For example, the helix and the lobe of the human ear are generally raised and extend outwardly from the side of a human head. The helix extends generally from an upper forward portion of the ear, along the top edge of the ear, then downwardly along a rearward edge of the ear, terminating at the lobe. However, the tragus is nearly flush with the side of the human head. Thus, by arranging the support arm 68, 70 in a rearwardly raked orientation, the support arms 68, 70 are less likely to make contact with any portion of the ear. Particularly, the support arms 68, 70 can be positioned so as to be lower than the upper portion of the helix, above the lobe, and preferably overlie the tragus. Alternatively, the support arm 68, 70 can be attached to the ear stems 54, 56, respectively, at a position rearward from the meatus of the ears 20, 22 when the eyeglass 40 is worn by a user. As such, the support arms 68, 70 preferably are raked forwardly so as to extend around the helix and position the speakers 14A, 16A over the tragus. This construction provides a further advantage in that if a user rotates the eyeglass 40 such that the lenses 44, 46 are moved upwardly out of the field of view of the wearer, the speakers 14A, 16A can be more easily maintained in alignment with the ears 20, 22 of the wearer. Preferably, the support: arm 68, 70 are raked rearwardly so as to form angles 72, 74 relative to the ear stems 54, 56. The angles 72, 74 can be between 0 and 90 degrees. Preferably, the angles 72, 74 are between 10 and 70 degrees. More preferably, the angles 72, 74 are between 20 and 50 degrees. The angles 72, 74 can be between about 35 and 45 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, the angles 72, 74 are about 40 degrees. Optionally, the support arm 68, 70 can be curved. In this configuration, the angles 72, 74 can be measured between the ear stems 54, 56 and a line extending from the point at which the support arm 68, 70 connect to the ear stems 54, 56 and the speakers 14A, 16A. The audio device 10A can be used as an audio output device for any type of device which provides an audio output signal. The audio device 10A can include an audio input terminal disposed anywhere on the eyeglass 40 for receiving a digital or analog audio signal. Preferably, wires connecting the input jack (not shown) with the speakers 14A, 16A extend through the interior of the ear stems 54, 56 so as to preserve the outer appearance of the eyeglass 40. Alternatively, the audio device 10A can include a wireless transceiver for receiving digital signals from another device. With reference to FIGS. 3D-3J, a modification of the audio devices 10, 10A is illustrated therein and referred to generally by the reference numeral 10A′. The audio device 10A′ can include the same components as the audio devices 10, 10A except as noted below. Components of the audio device 10A′ that are similar to the corresponding components of the audio devices 10, 10A are identified with the same reference numerals except, that a “′” has been added thereto. The audio device 10A′ is in the form of an eyeglass 12A′ having a frame 40A′. The audio device 10A′ also includes a device for the storage and playback of a sound recording. As noted above, an aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes a realization that the forward to rearward spacing of the bridge of a human nose to the auditory canal of the ear falls into a relatively narrow range of distances for large portions of the population. For example, the forward-to-rearward spacing from the bridge of the nose to the auditory canal is normally between about 4⅞ inches to about 5⅛ inches, and often between about 4¾ inches and about 5¼ inches. Corresponding anterior-posterior plane adjustability of the speakers is preferably provided. Thus, with reference to FIG. 3F, the audio device 10A′ is configured such that the supports 68′, 78′, can translate, along a forward to rearward direction, over a range identified generally by the reference numeral Rt. Preferably, the range Rt is at least about ⅛ of one inch. Further, the range Rt can be at least about ¼ of one inch. Further, the range Rt can be in the range of from about 0.25 inches to about 1.5 inches, and, in one construction, is about 0.75 of one inch. As such, a substantial percentage of the human population will be able to align a Center of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ with their auditory canal. With reference to FIG. 3G, a further advantage is provided where the diameter Ds of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ is greater than about 0.5 inches, such as about 1 inch or greater. As such, an effective range Re (FIG. 3F) over which the speakers 14A′, 16A′ can reach, is significantly enhanced with respect to the above-noted nose bridge to auditory canal spacings for humans. Thus, the connection between the supports 68′, 70′ to the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, can be configured to allow a limited translational range of movement of Rt yet provide a larger range of coverage Re. Preferably, the connection between the support 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′, is configured such that the translational position of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ is maintained when a user removes the audio device 10A′ from their head. For example, the connection between the supports 68′, 70′, and the ear stems 54′, 56′ can generate sufficient friction so as to resist movement due to the weight of the supports 68′, 70′ and the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Alternatively, the connection or an adjustment device can include locks, clips, or other structures to prevent unwanted translational movement of the speakers 14A′, 16A′. As such, a further advantage is provided in that a user can repeatedly remove and replace the audio device 10A′ without having to readjust the translational position of the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Another advantage is provided where the supports 68′, 70′ are made from a material that is substantially rigid, at least at room temperature. For example, with reference to FIG. 3F, the angles 72′, 74′ defined between the supports 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, can be maintained at a predetermined value while the speakers 14A′, 16A′ can be moved over the range Rt. Thus, as noted above with reference to FIG. 3A and the description of the angles 72, 74, the angles 72′, 74′ can be maintained at a desired angle as a user moves the speakers 14A′, 16A′ over the range Rt. Optionally, the supports 68′, 70′ can be made from a material that can be deformed at room temperature. However, more preferably the material is sufficiently rigid such that substantial pressure is required to change the angle 74′. Alternatively, the supports 68′, 70′ can be made from a thermally sensitive material that can be softened with the application of heat. Thus, a wearer of the audio device 10A′ can heat the supports 68′, 70′ and adjust the angle 74′ to optimize comfort for the particular wearer. Such thermal sensitive materials are widely used in the eyewear industry and thus a further description of such materials is not deemed necessary for one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the inventions disclosed herein. Preferably, the angles 72′, 74′ are sized such that the spacing Vs between the center C of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ and a lower surface of the ear stems 54′, 56′ is within the range of about 0.75 of an inch to about 1.25 inches. One aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that there is little variation in the spacing for adult humans between the center of the auditory canal and the connecting tissue between the pinna of the ear and the skin on the side of the head. In particular, it has been found that in virtually all humans, the distance between the upper most connection of the ear and the head to the center of the auditory canal is between 0.75 of an inch and 1.25 inches. Thus, by sizing the angles 72′, 74′ such the spacing Vs is between about 0.75 of an inch and 1.25 inches, the audio device 10A can be worn by virtually any adult human and has sufficient alignment between the wearer's auditory canal and the center C of the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Further, where the diameter Ds of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ is about 1 inch, almost any human can wear the audio device 10A′ without having to adjust the angles 72′, 74′. In other words, the auditory canal of virtually any human would be aligned with a portion of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ although the wearer's auditory canal might not be precisely aligned with the center C of the speakers 14A′, 16A′. With reference to FIG. 3H, the supports 68′, 70′ are configured to allow the speakers 14A′, 16A′, respectively, to pivot toward and away from an ear of a user. For example, as shown in FIG. 3H, the supports 68′, 70′ are connected to the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis P. As such, the speakers 14A′, 16A′ can be pivoted or swung about the pivot axis P. The range of motion provided by the connection between the supports 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′ is identified by the angle S in FIG. 3H. In FIG. 3H, the speaker 14A′ is illustrated in an intermediate position in the range of motion provided by the connection between the support 68′ and the ear stem 54′. The illustration of the speaker 16A′ includes a solid line representation showing a maximum outward position of the speaker 16A′. Additionally, FIG. 3H includes a phantom illustration of the speaker 16A′ in a maximum inward position. The angle S illustrates a range of motion between a maximum outward position (solid line) and a maximum inward position (phantom line), of the speaker 16A′. Preferably, the range of motion S is sufficiently large to allow any human wearer of the audio device 10A′ to position the speakers 14A′, 16A′ such that sound emitted from the speakers 14A′, 16A′ is clearly audible yet comfortable for the wearer of the audio device 10A′. For example, human ears vary in the precise shape and size of the outwardly facing features. As such, one wearer of the audio device 10A′ may have outer facing features of their ear that project further than another wearer of the audio device 10A′. Thus, one wearer may prefer the speakers 14A′, 16A′ to be positioned more inwardly than another wearer. Further, some wearers of the audio device 10A′ may prefer to press the speakers 14A′, 16A′ into contact with the outer surfaces of their ears. For example, some users may desire to experience to loudest possible volume from the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Thus, by pressing the speakers 14A′, 16A′ against their ears, the perceived volume of the sound emitted from the speakers 14A′, 16A′ will be the greatest. Alternatively, other users may prefer to have the speakers spaced from the outer surfaces of their ear so as to prevent contact with the ear, yet maintain a close spacing to preserve the perceived volume of the sound emitted from the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Additionally, a user may occasionally wish to move the speakers 14A′, 16A′ further away from their ears, so as to allow the wearer better hear other ambient sounds when the speakers 14A′, 16A′ are not operating. For example, a wearer of the audio device 10A′ might wish to use a cellular phone while wearing the audio device 10A′. Thus, the wearer can pivot one of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ to a maximum outward position (e.g., the solid line illustration of speaker 16A′ in FIG. 3H) to allow a speaker of the cell phone to be inserted in the space between the speaker 16A′ and the ear of the wearer. As such, the wearer can continue to wear the audio device 10A′ and use another audio device, such as a cell phone. This provides a further advantage in that, because the audio device 10A′ is in the form of eyeglasses 12A′, which may include prescription lenses or tinted lenses, the wearer of the audio device 10A′ can continue to receive the benefits of such tinted or prescription lenses while using the other audio device. An additional advantage is provided where the pivotal movement of the supports 68′, 70′ is isolated from the translational movement thereof. For example, the connection between the supports 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′ can be configured so as to allow a user to pivot the supports 68′, 70′ without substantially translating the supports 68′, 70′ forwardly or rearwardly. In one embodiment, the connections can be configured to provide more perceived frictional resistance against translational movement than the frictional resistance against pivotal movement about the pivot axis P (FIG. 3H). Thus, a user can easily pivot the speakers 14A′, 16A′ toward and away from their ears without translating the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Thus, the procedure for moving the speakers 14A′, 16A′ toward and away from a weaver's ears can be performed more easily and, advantageously, with one hand. The range of motion S is generally no greater than about 180°, and often less than about 90°. In one preferred embodiment, the range of motion S is no more than about 30° or 40°. The connection between the support 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, is generally configured to provide a sufficient holding force for maintaining a rotational orientation of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ about the pivot axis P. For example, the connection between the supports 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, can be configured to generate sufficient friction to resist the forces generated by normal movements of a wearer's head. A further advantage is achieved where sufficient friction is generated to prevent the pivotal movement of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ when the audio device 10A′ is removed from the wearer and placed on a surface such that the speakers 14A′, 16A′ support at least some of the weight of the audio device 10A′. For example, when a wearer of the audio device 10A′ removes the audio device 10A′ and places it on a table with the speakers 14A′, 16A′ facing downwardly, the speakers 14A′, 16A′ would support at least some of the weight of the audio device 10A′. Thus, by providing sufficient friction in the connection between the supports 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, the position of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ can be maintained. Thus, when the wearer replaces the audio device 10A′, the speakers 14A′, 16A′ will be in the same position, thereby avoiding the need for the wearer to reposition speakers 14A′, 16A′. As noted above, an aspect of one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that where an electronic device that is worn in the same manner as a pair of eyeglasses includes a user operable switch for controlling a function of the electronics, the comfort of the wearer of the audio device can be enhanced where the switches are operable without transferring a substantial load to the head of the wearer. For example, where the electronic device includes buttons for controlling an aspect of the device, a further advantage is provided where a support surface is provided opposite the button such that a user can apply a balancing force to the actuation force applied to the button, thereby preventing a substantial force from being transferred to the head of the wearer. With reference to FIG. 31, the audio device 10A′ can include at least one button 73a. In the illustrated embodiment, the audio device 10A′ includes five buttons; a first button 73a and a second button 73b mounted to the left ear stem 54′, and a third button 73c, a fourth button 73d, and a fifth button 73e mounted to the right ear stem 56′. Of course, this is one preferred embodiment of the arrangement of the buttons 73a, 73b, 73c, 73d, 73e. Other numbers of buttons and other arrangements of buttons are also applicable. As shown in FIG. 3H, the button 73a is mounted on an upwardly facing surface of the ear stem 54′. Additionally, the ear stem 54, has a lower surface that faces in a generally opposite direction to the direction towards which the upper surface of the ear stem 54′ faces. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3H, the user can use a finger 71 to actuate the button 73a and a thumb 69 to counteract the actuation force of the finger 71 by pressing on the lower surface of the ear stem 54′. As such, the wearer or user of the audio device 10A′ can actuate the button 73a without imparting a substantial load to the wearer of the audio device 10A′. This provides a further advantage in that a repeated application of a force against the audio device 10A′ that is transferred to the head of the wearer of the audio device 10A′ is avoided. For example, where the audio 10A′ is in the form of eyeglasses 12A′, a wearer of the eyeglasses 12A′ can be subjected to irritations if the wearer repeatedly presses the eyeglasses 12A′ to actuate a switch. Further, such repeated loads can cause headaches. Thus, by configuring the ear stems 54A′ such that the button 73a can be depressed without transferring a substantial load to the wearer of the ear glasses 12A′, such irritations and headaches can be avoided. Further, by disposing the button 73a on an upper portion of the ear stems 54A′, and by providing the ear stems 54A′ with an opposite lower surface that faces an opposite direction relative to the upper surface, a wearer can grasp the ear stems 54A′ from the side, as illustrated in FIG. 38, thereby allowing the user to counteract the actuation force required to actuate the button 73a without having to insert a finger between a side of the wearer's head and ear stems 54A′. FIG. 3J illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the audio device 10A. As shown in FIG. 3J, the left side ear stem 54A′ defines an electronic housing portion 250 which defines an internal cavity 252 configured to receive electronic components. The electronics housing 250 includes an upper surface 254 and lower surface 256. The upper surface 254 extends generally outwardly from the ear stems 54A′ and around the internal cavity 252. The upper surface also includes apertures 256, 258 through which the button 73a, 73b, respectively, extend. The housing 250 includes a lower surface 260. The lower surface 260 (which may contain apertures or slots) faces in an opposite direction from the upper surface 254 of the housing 250. Preferably, the lower surface 260 is at least about 0.5 inches, and may be 0.75 inches or more wide. As such, the lower surface 260 provides a surface which allows a wearer to easily grasp the ear stems 54A′ so as to balance an actuation force supplied to the button 73a, 73b. A cover member 262 cooperates with the housing 250 to define the closed internal cavity 252. In the illustrated embodiment, the internal cavity 252 includes at least one compartment configured to receive an electronic circuit board 264 which includes at least one switch for each of the buttons 73a, 73b. In an exemplary but non-limiting embodiment, the board 264 can include two switches, one for each of the buttons 73a, 73b, which are configured to control a volume output from the speakers 14A′, 16A′. The cover 262 can be attached to the ear stems 54A′ with any type of fastener, such as, for example, but without limitation, screws, rivets, bolts, adhesive, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 250 also defines a hinge recess 262. Additionally, the cover member 262 includes a complimentary hinge recess 268. The recesses 266, 268 are sized to receive a hinge pin 270. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge pin 270 is hollow and includes an aperture therethrough. The ends of the hinge pin 270 are configured to be engaged with corresponding portions of the frame 42′ so as to anchor the position of the hinge pin 270 relative to the frame 42′. When the cover 262 is attached to the housing 250, with the hinge pin 270 disposed in the recesses 266, 268, the ear stem 54A′ is pivotally mounted to the frame 42′. The aperture extending through the hinge pin 270 provides a passage through which electrical conduits can pass, described in greater detail below. The housing 250 also includes a power source recess (not shown). The power source recess includes an opening 272 sized to receive a power storage device 274. In the illustrated embodiment, the power storage device 274 is in the form of an AAAA-sized battery. Of course, the power storage device 274 can be in the form of any type or any size of battery and can have any shape. However, a further advantage is provided where a standard-sized battery such as an AAAA battery is used. For example, as described in greater detail below, this size battery can be conveniently balanced with other electronic components configured for playback of a sound recording. A door 276 is configured to close the opening 272. In the illustrated embodiment, the door 276 is preferably hingedly connected to a housing 250 so as to allow the door to be rotated between an open position and a closed position. FIGS. 3D-3I illustrate the door 276 in a closed position. The ear stem 56′ includes a housing 280 defining an internal cavity 282 configured to receive at least one electronic component. The housing 280 also includes upper and lower surfaces (unnumbered) that can be configured identically or similarly to the upper and lower surfaces 254, 260 of the housing 250. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the upper surface of the housing 280 includes 3 apertures configured to receive portions of the buttons 73c, 73d, 73e. Thus, a further description of the housing 280 is not necessary for one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the inventions disclosed herein. The internal cavity 282, in the illustrated embodiment, is configured to receive a printed circuit board 284. In the illustrated embodiment, the printed circuit board 284 includes one switch for each of the buttons 73c, 73d, and 73e. Additionally, the printed circuit board 284 includes an audio file storage and playback device 286. The device 286 can be configured to store and playback any type of electronic audio and/or video file. In the illustrated embodiment, the device 286 includes a memory, an amplifier, and a processor. The memory, amplifier, and the processor are configured to operate together to function as an audio storage and playback system. For example, the audio storage and playback system can be configured to store MP3 files in a memory and to play back the MP3 files through the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Suitable electronics for enabling and amplifying MP3 storage and playback are well known in the art, and may be commercially available from Sigmatel, Inc. or Atmel, Inc. Thus, further description of the hardware and software for operating the device 286 as a storage and playback device is not necessary for one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the inventions disclosed herein. Advantageously, the printed circuit board 284 also includes or is in electrical communication with a data transfer port 388. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 280 includes an aperture (not shown) disposed in a position similar to the position of the aperture 272 on the housing 250. In the housing 280, however, the aperture is aligned with the data transfer port 288. Thus, when the printed circuit board 284 is received in the internal cavity 282, the data transfer port 288 is aligned with the aperture. A door 290 is configured to open and close the aperture through which the data port 288 is exposed. Preferably, the door 290 is hingedly engaged to the housing 280, in an identical or similar manner as the door 276. In the illustrated embodiment, the door 290 can be pivoted relative to housing 280, thereby exposing the data transfer port 288. In the illustrated embodiment, the data transfer port is configured to operate according to the universal serial bus (USB) transfer protocol. Optical data ports may alternatively be used. As a further alternative, MP3 files may be uploaded from a source using wireless systems, such as BLUETOOTH® protocols, as is discussed below. Further, the device 286 is configured to receive audio files from another computer, through the data transfer port 288 and to store the files into the memory incorporated into the device 286. A cover 292 is configured to close the internal cavity 282. The cover 292 can be configured in accordance with the description of the cover 262. Similarly to the housing 250 and cover 262, the housing 280 and cover 292 include recesses 294, 296 configured to receive a hinge pin 298. The hinge pin 298 can be constructed identically or similarly to the hinge pin 270. Thus, with the hinge pin 298 engaged with a frame 42′, the cover member 292 can be attached to the housing 280 with the hinge pin 298 received within the recesses 294, 296. As such, the ear stem 56A′ can be pivoted relative to the frame 42′. With continued reference to FIG. 3J, the speakers 14A′, 16A′ can be constructed in a similar manner, as a mirror image of each other. Each of the speakers 14A′, 16A′, include a housing member 300. Each housing member 300 includes a transducer housing 302, a support stem 304, and a guide portion 306. The transducer housing portion 302 includes an internal recess 308 (identified in the illustration of speaker 16A′). The transducer recess 308 can be sized to receive any type of acoustic transducer. For example, but without limitation, the transducer recess 308 can be configured to receive a standard acoustic speaker commonly used for headphones. In a non-limiting embodiment, the speaker transducer (not shown) has an outer diameter of at least about 0.6 inches. However, this is merely exemplary, and other sizes of transducers can be used. With reference to the illustration of the speaker 14A′, the support stem 304 connects the transducer housing 302 with the guide portion 306. The support stem 304 includes an aperture therethrough (not shown) which connects the transducer recess 308 with the guide portion 306. The guide portion 306 includes an aperture 310 which communicates with the aperture extending through the support stem 304. Thus, an electric conduit, described in greater detail below, can extend through the aperture 310, through the stem 304, and then to the transducer recess 308. The guide portion 306 also includes a guide aperture 312. The guide aperture 312 is configured to receive a guide pin 314. The guide pin 314 can be made from any material. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide pin 314 is a rod having an outer diameter of about 0.0625 of an inch. When assembled, the guide pin 314 is disposed within an open recess (not shown) disposed on an under surface of the housing 250. The aperture 312 is sized so as to slidably receive the pin 314. Thus, the guide portion 306 can translate relative to the pin 314 as well as rotate relative to the pin 314. The size of the aperture 312 can be configured to provide a slip fit with sufficient friction to provide the stable positions noted above with reference to FIGS. 3D-31. In this embodiment, the guide pin 314 and the aperture 312 provide both translational and pivotal movement. Additionally, the guide pin 314 and the aperture 312 can be configured to resistance to both translational movement and pivotal movement, with the resistance to translational movement being greater. For example, the axial length and diameter of the aperture 312, controls the maximum contact area between the guide pin 314 and the guide portion 306 and thus affects the frictional force generated therebetween. Thus, the length and diameter of the aperture 312 can be adjusted to achieve the desired frictional forces. Additionally, with reference to FIG. 3K, when a translational force X is applied to the speaker 14A′, a torque T is created, which results in reaction forces Xr urging the guide portion 306 against the guide pin 314 at the forward and rearward ends thereof. These reaction forces Xr increase the frictional resistance against the translational movement of the speaker 14A′. However, as shown in FIG. 3L, when a pivot force Θ is applied to the speaker 14A′, such reaction forces are not created, and the speaker 14A′ can pivot about the guide pin 314 with seemingly less force applied as compared to the force X required to move the speaker 14A′ in a direction parallel to the guide pin 314. With reference again to FIG. 3J, the recess on the lower surface of the housings 250, 280, are sized so as to allow the guide portion 306 to slide in a forward to rearward direction in the range Rt, described above with reference to FIG. 3F. Additionally, the open recess on the lower surface of the housings 250, 280 is provided with a width to limit the range of motion S of the speakers 14A′, 16A′, described above with reference to FIG. 3H. With reference to FIG. 3E, the frame 42′ includes an interior electrical conduit channel 316 configured to receive an electrical conduit for connecting the speakers 14′, 16′, the printed circuit boards 264, 284, and the power storage device 274. For example, with reference to FIG. 3M, the buttons 73a, 73b, are connected to the device 286 through conduits 73ai, 73bi. The storage device 274 is connected to the device 286 through a power line 274i. Additionally, the speaker 14A′ is connected to the device 286 with an audio output conduit 14Ai′. As illustrated in FIG. 3M, portions of the conduits 73ai, 73bi, 274i and 14Ai′, extend through the channel 316. In an exemplary embodiment, the conduits 73ai, 73bi, 274i, and 14Ai′, can be in the form of a ribbon connector 318 extending through the channel 316. Thus, with reference to FIGS. 3J and 3M, the ribbon connector 318 can extend from the housing 280, into the recesses 294, 296, through an aperture (not shown) in the hinge pin 298 to the upper opening within the hinge pin 298, then through the channel 316 (FIG. 3E), to an upper opening of the hinge pin 270, out through an aperture (not shown) through a side of a hinge pin 270, through the recesses 266, 268 of the housing 250, and then to the speaker 14A′, printed circuit board 264, and the power storage device 274. The conduit 14Ai′ can extend to the aperture 310 in the guide portion 306, through a central aperture of the support stem 304, and into the transducer recess 308, as to connect to a transducer disposed therein. Optionally, the portion of the conduit 14Ai′ that extends out of the housing 250 and into the transducer housing 300 can be formed from an insulated metal conduit, or any other known conduit. The speaker 16A′ can be connected to the printed circuit board 284 in a similar manner. The buttons 73c, 73d, 73e and the data transfer port 288 are connected to the device 286 through printed conduits incorporated into the printed circuit board 284. As noted above, one aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that a desirable balance can be achieved by disposing a power storage device in one ear stem of an eyeglass and play-back device into the second ear stem. Thus, as illustrated in FIGS. 3J and 3K, the power storage device 274 is disposed in the left ear stem 54′ and the storage and play-back device 286 is disposed in the right ear stem 56′. In the illustrated embodiment, the buttons 73a and 73b for controlling the volume of the sound output from the speakers 14A′, 16A′. For example, the button 73a can be used for increasing volume and the button 73b can be used for decreasing volume. Alternatively, the button 73b can be for increasing volume and the button 73a can be for decreasing volume. When a wearer of the audio device 10A′ presses one of the buttons 73a, 73b, a simple on-off signal can be transmitted to the device 286. The device 286 can be configured to interpret the on-off signals from the buttons 73a, 73b as volume control signals and adjust the volume to the speakers 14A′, 16A′ accordingly. Optionally, a third command can be generated by pressing both of the buttons 73a, 73b simultaneously. For example, but without limitation, the device 286 can be configured to interpret simultaneous signals from both the buttons 73a, 73b, as a signal for turning on and off an additional feature. For example, but without limitation, the additional feature can be a bass boost feature which increases the bass of the audio signal transmitted to the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Of course, other functions can be associated with the buttons 73a, 73b. The buttons 73c, 73d, 73e can be figured to operate switches to transmit control signals to the device 286 similarly to the buttons 73a, 73b. For example, but without limitation, the button 73c corresponds to a power button. For example, the device 286 can be configured to recognize a signal from the button 73c as a power on or power off request. In this embodiment, when the device 286 is off, and a signal from the button 73c is received, the device 286 can turn on. Additionally, the device 286, when in an on state, can be configured to turn off when a signal from the button 73c is received. Optionally, the device 286 can be configured to, when in an off or standby state, turn on and begin to play an audio file when a signal from the button 73c is received. Additionally, the device 286 can be configured to pause when another signal from the button 73c is received. In this embodiment, the device 286 can be configured to turn off only if the button 73c is held down for a predetermined amount of time. For example, the device 286 can be configured to turn off if the button 73c is held down for more than two seconds or for three seconds or for other periods of time. The buttons 73d and 73e can correspond to forward and reverse functions. For example, the button 73d can correspond to a track skip function. In an illustrative but non-limiting example, such a track skip function can cause the device 286 to skip to a next audio file in the memory of the device 286. Similarly, the button 73e can correspond to a reverse track skip function in which the device 286 skips to the previous audio file. Optionally, the buttons 73d, 73e can be correlated to fast forward and rewind functions. For example, the device 286 can be configured to fast forward through an audio file, and play the corresponding sounds at a fast forward speed, when the button 73d is held down and to stop and play the normal speed when the button 73d is released. Similarly, the device 286 can be configured to play an audio file backwards at an elevated speed, when the button 73e is held down, and to resume normal forward play when the button 73e is released. This arrangement of the buttons 73a, 73b, 73c, 73d, 73e provides certain advantages noted above. However, other arrangements of the buttons 73a, 73b, 73c, 73d, 73e and the corresponding functions thereof can be modified. With reference to FIGS. 4A-4B, a modification of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′ is illustrated therein and referred to generally by the reference numeral 10A″. The audio device 10A″ can include the same components as the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′ except as noted below. Components of the audio device 10A′ that are similar to corresponding components of the audio devices 10, 10A, OA′ are identified with the same reference numerals, except that a “″” has been added thereto. The audio device 10A″ is in the form of an eyeglass 12A″ having a frame 40A″. The audio device 10A″ also includes at least one microphone 75. Advantageously, the microphone 75 is disposed so as to face toward the wearer. FIG. 4B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the eyeglass 12A″ on the head 18 of a wearer. The microphone 75 is schematically illustrated and includes a transducer unit 76. In the illustrated embodiment, the transducer 76 is disposed within the frame 40A″ and at least one aperture 77 extends from the transducer unit 76 to the outer surface of the frame 40A″. Alternatively, the transducer can be positioned so as to be exposed on the outer surface of the frame 40A″. Advantageously, the aperture 77 is disposed so as to face toward the head of the user 18. The illustrated aperture 77 faces downward and toward the head 18 of the wearer. By configuring the aperture to extend downwardly and toward the head 18, the aperture is disposed as close as possible to the mouth of the wearer while benefiting from the wind protection provided by positioning the aperture 77 on the portion of the frame 40A′ facing toward the head 18. Alternatively, the aperture can be positioned so as to extend generally horizontally from the transducer 76 to an outer surface of the frame 40A″, this configuration being illustrated and identified by the numeral 78. By configuring the aperture 78 to extending generally horizontally toward the head 18, the aperture 78 is better protected from wind. As another alternative, the aperture can be configured to extend upwardly from the transducer and toward the head 18, this configuration being identified by the numeral 79. By configuring the aperture 79 to extend upwardly from the transducer 76 and toward the head 18, the aperture 79 is further protected from wind which can cause noise. However, in this orientation, the aperture 79 is more likely to collect water that may inadvertently splash onto the aperture 79. Thus, the aperture configuration identified by the numeral 77 provides a further advantage in that water is less likely to enter the aperture 77. Any water that may enter the aperture 77 will drain therefrom due to gravity. The microphone 75 can be disposed anywhere on the frame 40A′, including the orbitals 48A″, 50A″, the bridge 52A″, or the ear stems 54A″, 56A″. Optionally, the microphone 75 can be in the form of a bone conduction microphone. As such, the microphone 75 is disposed such that the when a user wears the audio device 10A′, the microphone 75 is in contact with the user's head 18. For example, but without limitation, the microphone can be positioned anywhere on the anywhere on the frame 40A′, including the orbitals 48A″, 50A″, the bridge 52A″, or the ear stems 54A″, 56A″ such that the microphone contacts the user's head. More preferably, the microphone 75 is positioned such that it contacts a portion of the user's head 18 near a bone, such that vibrations generated from the user's voice and traveling through the bone, are conducted to the microphone. In another alternative, the microphone 75 can be configured to be inserted into the meatus 24 (FIG. 2) of the ear canal of the user. Thus, in this modification, the microphone 75 can be substituted for one of the speakers 14, 16. Alternatively, an ear-canal type bone conduction microphone can be combined with a speaker so as to provide two-way communication with the user through a single ear canal. Further, the audio device 10A″ can include noise cancellation electronics (not shown) configured to filter wind-generated noise from an audio signal transmitted from the microphone 75. FIG. 5A illustrates a modification in which the microphone 75 is disposed on the bridge 52A″. Similarly to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4B, the bridge 52A″ can include an aperture 77 which extends downwardly and toward the nose 19 of the wearer, horizontally extending aperture 78, or an upwardly extending aperture 79. Alternatively, the microphone 75 can include a forwardly facing aperture, as illustrated in FIG. 5B, and a wind sock 81 disposed over the aperture. The wind sock 81 can be made in any known manner. For example, the wind sock 81 can be made from a shaped piece of expanded foam. Configuring the bridge portion 52A′ as such is particularly advantageous because the bridge portion of an eyeglass is typically somewhat bulbous. A wind sock can be shaped complementarily to the bridge portion 52A′. Thus, the sock 81 can be made so as to appear to be part of a normal bridge portion of an eyeglass. The audio device 10A″ can include electrical conduits extending through the frame 40A″ to an audio output jack (not shown). The audio output jack can be disposed at the end of the ear stems 54A″, 56A″, or anywhere else on the frame 40A″. Thus, a user can wear the audio device 10A′ and use the microphone 75 in order to transform the voice of the wearer or other sounds into an electrical signal. The electrical signal can be transmitted to another audio device, such as a palm top computer, a laptop computer, a digital or analog audio recorder, a cell phone, and the like. Additionally, the audio device 10A″ can include speakers, such as the speakers 14A″, 16A″ illustrated in FIG. 3A. As such, the audio device 10A″ can be configured to provide two-way audio for the wearer, i.e., audio input being transmitted to the user through the speakers 14A″, 16A″, and audio output being transmitted from the wearer, through the microphone 75, and out through the audio output jack. As such, a user can use the audio device 10A″ for two-way audio communication in a comfortable manner. With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a modification of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′, 10A″ is illustrated therein and referred to generally by the reference numeral 10B. Components of the audio device 10B corresponding to components of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′, 10A″ are identified with the same reference numerals, except that letter “C” has been added thereto. The audio device 10B is in the form of an eyeglass 80. The eyeglass 80 includes a frame 82. The frame 82 includes left and right orbitals 84, 86. Each of the orbitals 84, 86 support a lens 88, 90. The frame 82 also includes a bridge portion 92. Similarly to the bridge portion 52 of the audio device 10A, the bridge portion 92 connects the orbitals 84, 86. Additionally, the bridge portion 92 defines an open space 94 configured to receive the nose 19 of a wearer. The inner sides of the orbitals 84, 86 and/or the bridge portion 92 is configured to support the frames 82 on the nose of a user. The eyeglass 80 also includes support stems 96, 98 extending from the upper portions of the orbitals 84, 86 toward a posterior of a wearer's head. In the illustrated embodiment, the stems 96, 98 extend along an upper surface of the wearer's head. Thus, the stems 96, 98, along with the bridge portion 92, support the eyeglass 80 on the wearer's head 18. The support members 28B, 30B are comprised of support arms 100, 102. With reference to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the support arms 100, 102 extend downwardly from the stems 96, 98, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the support arms 100, 102 extend in an “L” shape. In particular, the support arm 100 extends from the stem 96 to a point just forward from the tragus of the user's ear 20. From this point, the support arm 100 extends rearwardly so as to support the speaker 14B at a position juxtaposed and spaced from the ear 20. Preferably, the speaker 14B is maintained in a position from about 2 mm to 3 cm from the tragus of the ear 20. Similarly to the audio device 10A, the audio device 10B can include an audio input through a wired arrangement or through a wireless transceiver. With reference to FIGS. 8, 9A, and 9B, another modification of the audio device 10 is illustrated therein and referred to generally by the reference numeral 10C. Similar components of the audio device 10C have been given the same reference numerals, except that that a “C” has been added thereto. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the audio device 10C can be worn on the head 18 of a user U. Preferably, the audio device 10C is configured to provide one or two-way wireless communication with a source device, or the source device can be incorporated into the audio device 10C. The source device can be carried by the user U, mounted to a moveable object, stationary, or part of a local area or personal area network. The user U can carry a “body borne” source device B such as, for example, but without limitation, a cellular phone, an MP3 player, a “two-way” radio, a palmtop computer, or a laptop computer. As such, the user U can use the audio device 10C to receive and listen to audio signals from the source device B, and/or transmit audio signals to the source device B. Optionally, the audio device 10C can also be configured to transmit and receive data signals to and from the source device B, described in greater detail below. Optionally, the device B can also be configured to communicate, via long or short range wireless networking protocols, with a remote source R. The remote source R can be, for example, but without limitation, a cellular phone service provider, a satellite radio provider, or a wireless internet service provider. For example, but without limitation, the source device B can be configured to communicate with other wireless data networks such as via, for example, but without limitation, long-range packet-switched network protocols including PCS, GSM, and GPRS. As such, the audio device 10C can be used as an audio interface for the source device B. For example, but without limitation, where the source device B is a cellular phone, the user U can listen to the audio output of the cellular phone, such as the voice of a caller, through sound transducers in the audio device 10C. Optionally, the user U can send voice signals or commands to the cellular phone by speaking into a microphone on the audio device 10C, described in greater detail below. Thus, the audio device 10C may advantageously be a receiver and/or a transmitter for telecommunications. In general, the component configuration of FIG. 8 enables the audio device 10C to carry interface electronics with the user, such as audio output and audio input. However, the source electronics such as the MP3 player, cellular phone, computer or the like may be off board, or located remotely from the audio device 10C. This enables the audio device 10C to accomplish complex electronic functions, while retaining a sleek, low weight configuration. Thus, the audio device 10C is in communication with the off board source electronics device B. The off board source device B may be located anywhere within the working range of the audio device 10C. In many applications, the source electronics B will be carried by the wearer, such as on a belt clip, pocket, purse, backpack, integrated with “smart” clothing, or the like. This accomplishes the function of off loading the bulk and weight of the source electronics from the headset. The source electronics B may also be located within a short range of the wearer, such as within the room or same building. For example, personnel in an office building or factory may remain in contact with each, and with the cellular telephone system, internet or the like by positioning transmitter/receiver antenna for the off board electronics B throughout the hallways or rooms of the building. In shorter range, or personal applications, the out board electronics B may be the form of a desktop unit, or other device adapted for positioning within relatively short (e.g. no greater than about 10 feet, no greater than about 20 feet, no greater than about 50 feet, no greater than 100 feet) of the user during the normal use activities. In all of the foregoing constructions of the invention, the off board electronics B may communicate remotely with the remote source R. Source R may be the cellular telephone network, or other remote source. In this manner, the driver electronics may be off loaded from the headset, to reduce bulk, weight and power consumption characteristics. The headset may nonetheless communicate with a remote source R, by relaying the signal through the off board electronics B with or without modification. Optionally, the audio device 10C can be configured to provide one or two-way communication with a stationary source device S. The stationary source device can be, for example, but without limitation, a cellular phone mounted in an automobile, a computer, or a local area network. With reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the audio device 10C preferably comprises a wearable wireless audio interface device which includes a support 12C supported on the head 18 of a user by the support 26C and includes an interface device 110. The interface device 110 includes a power source 112, a transceiver 114, an interface 116, and an antenna 118. The power source 112 can be in the form of disposable or rechargeable batteries. Optionally, the power source 112 can be in the form of solar panels and a power regulator. The transceiver 114 can be in the form of a digital wireless transceiver for one-way or two-way communication. For example, the transceiver 114 can be a transceiver used in known wireless networking devices that operate under the standards of 802.11a, 802.11b, or preferably, the standard that has become known as BLUETOOTH™. As illustrated in BLUETOOTH™-related publications discussed below, the BLUETOOTH™ standard advantageously provides low-cost, low-power, and wireless links using a short-range, radio-based technology. Systems that employ the BLUETOOTH™ standard and similar systems advantageously allow creation of a short-range, wireless “personal area network” by using small radio transmitters. Consequently, with BLUETOOTH™-enabled systems and similar systems, components within these systems may communicate wirelessly via a personal area network. Personal area networks advantageously may include voice/data, may include voice over data, may include digital and analogue communication, and may provide wireless connectivity to source electronics. Personal area networks may advantageously have a range of about 30 feet; however, longer or shorter ranges are possible. The antenna 118 can be in the form of an onboard antenna integral with the transceiver 114 or an antenna external to the transceiver 114. In another implementation, the transceiver 114 can support data speeds of up to 721 kilo-bits per second as well as three voice channels. In one implementation, the transceiver 114 can operate at least two power levels: a lower power level that covers a range of about ten yards and a higher power level. The higher level covers a range of about one hundred yards, can function even in very noisy radio environments, and can be audible under severe conditions. The transceiver 114 can advantageously limit its output with reference to system requirements. For example, without limitation, if the source electronics B is only a short distance from audio device 10C, the transceiver 114 modifies its signal to be suitable for the distance. In another implementation, the transceiver 114 can switch to a low-power mode when traffic volume becomes low or stops. The interface 116 can be configured to receive signals from the transceiver 114 that are in the form of digital or analog audio signals. The interface 116 can then send the audio signals to the speakers 14C, 16C through speaker lines 120, 122, respectively, discussed in greater detail below. Optionally, the audio device 10C can include a microphone 124. Preferably, the support 12C is configured to support the microphone 124 in the vicinity of a mouth 126 of a user. As such, the support 12C includes a support member 128 supporting the microphone 124 in the vicinity of the mouth 126. The microphone 124 is connected to the interface 116 through a microphone line 130. Thus, the transceiver 114 can receive audio signals from the microphone 124 through the interface 116. As such, the audio device 10C can wirelessly interact with an interactive audio device, such as a cellular phone, cordless phone, or a computer which responds to voice commands. The microphone 124 can also be in any of the forms discussed above with reference to the microphone 75. As noted above with reference to the audio device 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2, by configuring the support 12C to support the speakers 14C, 16C in a position juxtaposed and spaced from the ears 20, 22 of the head 18, the audio device 10C provides enhanced comfort for a user. With reference to FIGS. 10-12, a modification of the audio device 10C is illustrated therein and identified generally by the reference numeral 10D. The components of the audio device 10D which are the same as the components in the audio devices 10, 10A, 10B, and 10C are identified with the same reference numerals, except that a letter “D” has been added. In the audio device 10D, the microphone 124D can be disposed in the frame 42D. In particular, the microphone 124D can be disposed in the bridge portion 52D. Alternatively, the microphone 124D can be disposed along a lower edge of the right orbital 50D, this position being identified by the reference numeral 124D′. Further, the microphone could be positioned in a lower edge of the left orbital 48D, this position being identified by the reference numeral 124D″. Optionally, two microphones can be disposed on the frame 42D at both the positions 124D′ and 124D″. Similarly to the microphone 75, the microphones 124D′, 124D″ preferably are positioned so as to face toward the user. Thus, the microphones 124D′, 124D″ can be protected from wind and noise. The microphones 124D, 124D′, 124D″ can also be constructed in accordance with any of the forms of the microphone 75 discussed above with reference to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B. With reference to FIG. 12, the interface device 110D can be disposed in one of the ear stems 54D, 56D. Optionally, the components of the interface device 110D can be divided with some of the components being in the ear stem 54D and the remaining components in the ear stem 56D, these components being identified by the reference numeral 110D′. Preferably, the components are distributed between the ear stems 54D, 56D so as to provide balance to the device 10D. This is particularly advantageous because imbalanced headwear can cause muscle pain and/or headaches. Thus, by distributing components of the interface device 110D between the ear stems 54D, 56D, the device 10D can be better balanced. In one arrangement, the transceiver 114, interface 116, and the antenna 118 can be disposed in the left ear stem 54D with the battery 112 being disposed in the right ear stem 56D. This arrangement is advantageous because there are numerous standard battery sizes widely available. Thus, the devices within the ear stem 54D can be balanced with the appropriate number and size of commercially available batteries disposed in the ear stem 56D. In another arrangement, the lenses 44D, 46D can include an electronic variable light attenuation feature, such as, for example, but without limitation, a dichroic dye guest-host device. Additionally, another user operable switch (not shown) can be disposed in the ear stem 56D. Such a user operable switch can be used to control the orientation, and thus the light attenuation provided by, the dichroic dye. Optionally, a further power source (not shown) for the dichroic dye guest-host device can also be disposed in the ear stem 56D. For example, the rear portion 162 of ear stem 56D can comprise a removable battery. Such a battery can provide a power source for controlling the orientation of the dichroic dye in the lenses 44D, 46D. In this modification, the additional user operable switch disposed in the ear stem 56D can be used to control the power from the battery supplied to the lenses 44D, 46D. The appropriate length for the antenna 118D is determined by the working frequency range of the transceiver 114. Typically, an antenna can be approximately 0.25 of the wave length of the signal being transmitted and/or received. In one illustrative non-limiting embodiment, such as in the BLUETOOTH™ standard, the frequency range is from about 2.0 gigahertz to 2.43 gigahertz. For such a frequency range, an antenna can be made with a length of approximately 0.25 of the wavelength. Thus, for this frequency range, the antenna can be approximately 1 inch long. With reference to FIG. 12, the antenna can be formed at a terminal end of one of the ear stems 54D, 56D. In the illustrated embodiment, the antenna 118D is disposed at the terminal end of the left ear stem 54D. In this embodiment, approximately the last inch of the ear stem 54D is used for the antenna 118D. The antenna 118D can be made of any appropriate metal. The antenna can be connected to the transceiver 114 with a direct electrical connection, an inductive connection, or a capacitive connection. With reference to FIG. 13, an inductive type connection is illustrated therein. As shown in FIG. 13, the antenna 118D comprises an inner conductive rod 140 and a coil 142 wrapped helically around the rod 140. The coil 142 is connected to the transceiver 114 in a known manner. The ear stems 54D, 56D can be made from a conductive metal material. Where metal is used, near the terminal end of the ear stem 54D, the metal material is reduced relative to the outer surface of the stem 54D. The coil member is wrapped around the rod 140 and an insulative material 144 is disposed over the coil 142 so as to be substantially flush with the remainder of the ear stem 54D. Thus, the smooth outer appearance of the ear stem 54D is maintained, without comprising the efficiency of the antenna 118D. With reference to FIG. 14, a modification of the antenna 118D is illustrated therein and identified by the reference numeral 118D′. Components of the antenna 118D′ which were the same as the antenna 118D illustrated in FIG. 13, have been given the same reference numeral, except that a “′” has been added. The antenna 118D′ and the stem 54D include a thin outer layer 146 of a metal material. As known in the antenna arts, it is possible to dispose a thin layer of metal over an antenna without destroying the antenna's ability to transmit and receive signals. This design is advantageous because if the device 10D is constructed of a metal material, including metal such as, for example, without limitation, sintered titanium or magnesium, the thin outer layer 146 can be formed of this material so that the appearance of the device 10D is uniform. Where the stem 54D is made from a metal material, the antennas 118D, 118D′ illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 provide an additional advantage in that electrons in the ear stem 54D can be excited by the signal applied to the coil 142. Thus, the ear stem 54D itself becomes part of the antenna 118D, 118D′, and thus can provide better range and/or efficiency for the transmission and reception of signals. Furthermore, if the ear stem 54D is electrically coupled to the frame 42D, the frame 42D would also become excited in phase with the excitations of the antenna 118D, 118D′. Thus, the ear stem 54D and the frame 42D would effectively become part of the antenna, thereby allowing transmission and reception from two sides of the head of the user. Optionally, the ear stem 56D could also be electrically coupled to the frame 42D. Thus, the stem 56D would also become part of the antenna 118D, 118D′, thereby allowing transmission and reception of signals on three sides of the user's head. Thus, where at least a portion of a frame of an eyeglass is used as the antenna for the wireless transceiver 114, the audio device benefits from enhanced antenna efficiency. Optionally, the antenna 118D, 118D′ can be isolated from the remainder of the stem 54D via an insulator 146, thereby preventing interference between the antenna and other devices on the audio device 10D. As such, the remainder of the device 10D can be made from any material, such as, for example, but without limitation, a polymer. Preferably, the audio device 10D includes a user interface device 150 configured to transmit user input signals to the interface 116 and/or the transceiver 114. In the illustrated embodiment, the user interface device 150 is in the form of a 3-way button. The 3-way button 152 is configured to have three modes of operation. Firstly, the button 152 is mounted to pivot about a rocker axis 154. Thus, in one mode of operation, the button 152 can be depressed inwardly on a forward end 156 of the button 152, thereby causing the button 152 to pivot or “rock” about the pivot axis 154. Additionally, the button 152 can be pressed at a rearward end 158, thereby causing the button 152 to pivot about the pivot axis 154 in the opposite direction. Additionally, the button 152 can be mounted so as to be translatable in the medial-lateral direction, identified by the reference numeral 160 (FIG. 11). Appropriate springs can be provided beneath the button 152 to bias the button in an outward protruding and balanced position. Appropriate contacts can be mounted beneath the button 152 so as to be activated individually according to the modes of operation. In one illustrative and non-limiting embodiment, the button 152 can be used to control volume. For example, by pressing on the forward portion 156, a contact can be made causing the transceiver 114 or the interface 116 to increase the volume of the speakers 14D, 16D. Additionally, by pressing on the rearward portion 158 of the button 152, the transceiver 114 or interface 116 could lower the volume of the speakers 14D, 16D. In a further illustrative and non-limiting example, the medial-lateral movement of the button 152, along the directions identified by the arrow 160, can be used to choose different functions performed by the transceiver 114 or the interface 116. For example, an inward movement of the button 152 could be used to answer an incoming phone call where the audio device 10D is used as an audio interface for a cellular phone. Optionally, the power source 112 can comprise portions of the ear stems 54D, 56D which have been formed into batteries. For example, the rear portions 160, 162 of the ear stems 54D, 56D, respectively, can be in the form of custom made batteries, either disposable or rechargeable. Preferably, the rear portions 160, 162 are removable from the forward portions of the ear stems 54D, 56D. This provides a particular advantage in terms of balance. As noted above, imbalanced loads on the head can cause muscular pain and/or headaches. In particular, excessive pressure on the nose can cause severe headaches. Additionally, batteries can have a significantly higher mass density than plastic and lightweight metals, such as sintered titanium or magnesium. Thus, by constructing the rearward portions 160, 162 of the ear stems 54D, 56D of batteries, the weight of these batteries can improve forward-rearward balance of the audio device 10D in that the weight of the interface device 110 can be offset by the batteries. In another embodiment, the ear stems 54D, 56D can define a housing for removable batteries. The audio device 10D can also include power contacts 164 for recharging any rechargeable batteries connected thereto. For example, the power contacts 164 can be disposed on a lower edge of the orbitals 48D, 50D. Thus, with an appropriate recharging cradle (not shown), the audio device 10D can be laid on the cradle, thereby making contact between the power contacts 164 and corresponding contacts in the cradle (not shown). Alternatively, power contacts can be provided in numerous other locations as desired. For example, the power contacts 164 can be disposed at the ends of the ear stems 54D, 56D. A corresponding cradle can include two vertically oriented holes into which the ear stems are inserted for recharging. In this configuration, the lens within the orbitals 48D, 50D would face directly upwardly. In another alternative, the power contacts 164 are disposed on the upper edges of the orbitals 48D, 50D. In this configuration, the audio device 10D is laid in a cradle in an inverted position, such that the contacts 164 make electrical contact with corresponding contacts in the cradle. This position is advantageous because it prevents weight from being applied to the supports 28D, 30D. This prevents misalignment of the speakers 14D, 16D. With reference to FIGS. 8, 9A, and 9B, in another embodiment, the audio device 10C is advantageously adapted to support any of a variety of portable electronic circuitry or devices which have previously been difficult to incorporate into conventional headsets due to bulk, weight or other considerations. For example, but without limitation, the electronics are digital or other storage devices and retrieval circuitry such as for retrieving music or other information from MP3 format memory or other memory devices. The audio device 10C can carry any of a variety of receivers and/or transmitters, such as transceiver 114. For example, but without limitation, the audio device 10C can carry receivers and/or transmitters for music or for global positioning. In another example, the audio device 10C can carry receivers and/or transmitters for telecommunications (i.e., telecommunications devices). As used herein, the term “telecommunications devices” is intended to include telephone components as well as devices for communicating with a telephone. For example, “telecommunications devices” can include one or more transceivers for transmitting an audio signal to a cellular phone to be transmitted by the cellular phone as the speaker's voice, and/or for receiving an audio signal from a cellular phone representing a caller's voice. Of course, other audio, video, or data signals can be transmitted between the audio device 10C and such a cellular phone through such transceivers. In other embodiments, drivers and other electronics for driving heads-up displays, such as liquid crystal displays or other miniature display technology can also be carried by the audio device 10C. The power source 112 can be carried by the audio device 10C. For example, without limitation, the power source 112 can advantageously be replaceable or rechargeable. Other electronics or mechanical components can additionally be carried by the audio device 10C. In other embodiments, the audio device 10C can also be utilized solely to support any of the foregoing or other electronics components or systems, without also supporting one or more lenses in the wearer's field of view. Thus, in any of the embodiments of the audio devices disclosed herein, the lenses and/or lens orbitals can be omitted as will be apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the disclosure herein. In another embodiment, a further modification of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D is provided wherein the audio devices include at least two banks of microphones, with one bank acting as a speaker of received and one bank providing an ambient noise-cancellation function. The microphone banks can be positioned at any suitable location or combination of locations (e.g., on the audio device, within the audio device, opposing sides of the audio device, or the like). In one embodiment, automatic switching of the speaking-microphone and noise-canceling-microphone banks' functions advantageously enhances ease of use. In a further embodiment, the microphone banks can be arranged in an array to be used in conjunction with algorithms to discern, reduce, and/or eliminate noise for the purpose of voice recognition. For example, in one embodiment, such microphone banks can include ASIC-based noise-canceling technology, such as is available in chips from Andrea Electronics Corporation (AEC), to enable voice recognition in ambient noise up to about 130 Db or more. In another embodiment, microphone banks can be arranged in any suitable combination of linear or non-linear arrays to be used in conjunction with algorithms to discern, reduce, and/or eliminate noise in any suitable manner. In another embodiment, audio/proximity sensors can advantageously trigger the appropriate functionality in a specific bank. In another embodiment, a noise-canceling microphone can be provided in connection with a cord or other microphones described above. For example, without limitation, a series of miniature microphones can be supported down a cord from the audio device, separated by desired distances, and aimed in different directions. In another implementation, one or more of the microphones can be for verbal input from the user, and one or more others of the microphones, or the same microphone, can also be for noise-cancellation purposes. With reference to FIGS. 8, 9A, and 9B, in another embodiment, the transceiver 114 is adapted to employ a wide variety of technologies, including wireless communication such as RF, IR, ultrasonic, laser or optical, as well as wired and other communications technologies. In one embodiment, a body-LAN radio is employed. Other embodiments can employ a flexible-circuit design. Many commercially available devices can be used as transceiver 114. For example, without limitation, Texas Instruments, National Semiconductor, Motorola manufacture and develop single RF transceiver chips, which can use, for example, 0.18 micron, 1.8 V power technologies and 2.4 GHz transmission capabilities. Of course, a variety of transceiver specifications are available and usable, depending on the particular embodiment envisioned. In another implementation, other commercially available products operating at 900 MHz to 1.9 GHz or more can be used. Data rates for information transfer to wearable or other type computing devices will vary with each possible design. In a preferred implementation, a data rate is sufficient for text display. RF products, and other products, ultimately will be capable of updating a full-color display and have additional capabilities as well. Thus, heads-up displays, such as liquid crystal displays or other miniature display technology described above can be employed. In another embodiment, a further modification of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D is provided wherein the audio devices can include and/or communicate with a variety of sensors, including but not limited to motion, radar, heat, light, smoke, air-quality, oxygen, CO and distance. Medical monitoring sensors are also contemplated. Sensors can be directed inwardly toward the user's body, or outwardly away from the body (e.g., sensing the surrounding environment). Sensors in communication with the audio devices also can be strategically positioned or left behind to facilitate the communication of sensed information. For example, a firefighter entering a burning building can position sensor to communicate the smoke and heat conditions to that firefighter and to others at the sensor-drop location. Remote sensors can also be relatively fixed in position, as in the case of a maintenance worker wearing an audio device that receives various signals from sensors located in machines or other equipment for which the worker is responsible. A blind wearer of audio device can employ a distance sensor to determine distance to surrounding objects, for example, or a GPS unit for direction-finding. Other exemplary sensing capabilities are disclosed in one or more of the following, all of which are incorporated by reference herein: U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,398 to Janik, issued Feb. 9, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,651 to Janik, issued Feb. 13, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,907 to Janik, issued Aug. 25, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,492 to Janik, issued Dec. 3, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,490 to Carroll, issued Sep. 10, 1996; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,401 to Carroll, issued Nov. 5, 1996. With reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, a further modification of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D, is illustrated therein and identified generally by the reference numeral 10E. Components that are similar or the same as the components of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D, have been given the same reference numerals, except that a “E” has been added thereto. The audio device 10E includes a microphone boom 180 extending downwardly from the lower end of the support arm 100E. The microphone 124E is disposed at the lower end of the microphone boom 180. In the illustrated embodiment, the audio device 10E can include the interface device 110E at an upper portion of the stem 96E. In particular, the interface device 110E can be disposed at the point at which the support arm 100E connects to the stem 96E. Optionally, certain components of the interface device 110E can be disposed at a rear portion of the stem 96E, this position being identified by the reference numeral 110E′. In this embodiment, the antenna 118E can be disposed in the frame 82E, the stem 96E, the support arm 100E, or the microphone boom 180E. However, as noted above, it is preferable that at least a portion of the support 12E is used as the antenna. More preferably, the support 12E is made from a metal material, such that at least a portion of the support 12E is excited by the antenna and thereby forms part of the antenna. The transceiver 114 can be in the form of a digital wireless transceiver for one-way or two-way communication. For example, the transceiver 114 can be configured to receive a signal from another transmitter and provide audio output to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E. Alternatively, the transceiver 114 can be configured to receive an analog audio signal from microphone 75, 124, 124D, 124E, convert the signal to a digital signal, and transmit the signal to another audio device, such as, for example, but without limitation, a cell phone, a palm top computer, a laptop computer or an audio recording device. The over-the-head configuration of the audio device 10E advantageously allows distribution of the load across a wearer's head, as well as positioning of relatively bulky or heavy electronics along the length of (i.e., inside) the audio device 10E or at the posterior aspect of the audio device 10E such as at the occipital end of the audio device 10E. This enables the audio device 10E to carry electronic equipment in a streamlined fashion, out of the wearer's field of view, and in a manner which distributes the weight across the head of the wearer such that the eyewear tends not to shift under the load, and uncomfortable pressure is not placed upon the wearer's nose, ears or temple regions. In this embodiment, additional functional attachments may be provided as desired anywhere along the length of the frame, lenses or orbitals of the audio device 10E. For example, earphones may be directed towards the wearer's ear from one or two earphone supports extending rearwardly from the front of the eyeglass, down from the top of the audio device 10E or forwardly from the rear of the audio device 10E. Similarly, one or more microphones may be directed at the wearer's mouth from one or two microphone supports connected to the orbitals or other portion of the audio device 10E. With reference to FIGS. 17 and 18, a communication protocol between the audio device S, B and the transceiver 114 is described. In this embodiment, the transceiver 114 is configured for one-way communication. The transceiver includes a receiver and decoder 202 and a digital-to-audio converter 204. As noted above with reference to FIG. 8, the audio device S, B can be any one of a number of different audio devices. For example, but without limitation, the audio device S, B can be a personal audio player such as a tape player, a CD player, a DVD player, an MP3 player, and the like. Alternatively, where the transceiver 114 is configured only to transmit a signal, the audio device S, B can be, for example, but without limitation, an audio recording device, a palm top computer, a laptop computer, a cell phone, and the like. For purposes of illustration, the audio device S, B will be configured only to transmit a signal to the transceiver 114. Thus, in this embodiment, the audio device S, B includes an MP3 player 206 and an encoder and transmitter 208. An antenna 210 is illustrated schematically and is connected to the encoder and transmitter 208. As an illustrative example, the MP3 player 206 outputs a signal at 128 kbps (NRZ data). However, other data rates can be used. The encoder and transmitter 208 is configured to encode the 128 kbps signal from the MP3 player and to transmit it through the antenna 210. For example, the encoder and transmitter 208 can be configured to transmit the encoded signal on a carrier signal centered on 49 MHz. The receiver and decoder 202 can be configured to receive the carrier signal of 49 MHz through the antenna 118, decode the digital signal, and transmit the digital signal to the digital-to-audio converter 204. The digital-to-audio converter 204 can be connected to the speakers 14, 16 and thereby provide an audio output that is audible to the user. With reference to FIG. 18, the 128 kbps signal from the MP3 player 206 is identified by the reference numeral 212. In one embodiment, the encoder and transmitter 208 can be configured to encode the signal 212 from the MP3 player 206. The encoded signal from the encoder and transmitter 208 is identified by reference numeral 216. The encoder, and transmitter 208 can be configured to encode each pulse 214 of the signal 212 into a pattern of pulses, one pattern being identified by the reference numeral 218. In the lower portion of FIG. 18, signal 220 represents an enlarged illustration of the portion of the signal 216 identified by a circle 222. As shown in FIG. 18, the pattern 218 is comprised of a series of 50 MHz and 48 MHz signals. With reference to FIG. 19, a more detailed illustration of the transceiver 114 is illustrated therein. As shown in FIG. 19, the transceiver includes a preamplifier 230, a band pass filter 232, and an amplifier 234 connected in series. The preamplifier 230 and the amplifier 234 can be of any known type, as known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The band filter 232, in the present embodiment, can be constructed as a band pass filter, allowing signals having a frequency from 48 MHz to 50 MHz, inclusive, to pass therethrough. Alternatively, the band filter 232 can be comprised of three band pass filters configured to allow frequencies centered on 48 MHz, 49 MHz, and 50 MHz, respectively, pass therethrough. The transceiver 114 also includes a signal detector 236 and a system clock circuit 238. The signal detector 236 comprises three signal detectors, i.e., a 49 MHz detector 240, a 48 MHz detector 242 and a 50 MHz detector 244. The 49 MHz detector 240 is connected to a carrier detector 246. As is schematically illustrated in FIG. 19, when the signal detector 236 detects a 49 MHz signal, which corresponds to a state in which no audio signal is being transmitted from the MP3 player 206, the carrier detector 246 causes the transceiver 114 to enter a sleep mode, schematically illustrated by the operation block 248. As the detectors 242, 244 detect 48 MHz and 50 MHz detectors, respectively, they output signals to a spread spectrum pattern detector 250. The spread spectrum pattern detector outputs a corresponding signal to a serial-to-parallel converter 252. The output of the serial-to-parallel converter 252 is output to a digital-to-analog converter 204. A “class D” audio amplifier (not shown), for example, but without limitation, can be connected to the output of the digital-to-audio converter 204 to thereby supply an audio signal to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E. It is to be noted that the encoding performed by the encoder and transmitter 208 can be in accordance with known signal processing techniques, such as, for example, but without limitation, CDMA, TDMA, FDM, FM, FSK, PSK, BPSK, QPSK, M-ARYPSK, MSK, etc. In this embodiment, the transceiver 114 can operate with a single channel. With reference to FIG. 20, a dual channel transceiver 1141 is schematically illustrated therein. In this modification, the transceiver 114i is configured to simultaneously receive two signals, one signal centered on 46 MHz, and a second signal centered on 49 MHz. Thus, the transceiver 114i includes four band-pass filters. The first filter 250 is configured to allow a signal at 45.9 MHz plus or minus 100 kHz to pass therethrough. A second filter 252 is configured to allow signals at 46.1 MHz plus or minus 100 kHz to pass therethrough. The third filter 254 is configured to allow signals at 48.9 MHz plus or minus 100 kHz to pass therethrough. A fourth filter 256 is configured to allow signals at 49.1 MHz plus or minus 100 kHz to pass therethrough. As such, the transceiver 114 can receive two simultaneous signals, as noted above, one being centered at 46 MHz and one being centered at 49 MHz. Thus, this modification can be used to receive two audio signals simultaneously, for example, left and right signals of the stereo audio signal. Each of the transceivers 114, 114i, illustrated in FIGS. 17-20, can be configured to receive one pattern 218, a plurality of different signals 218 or only one unique pattern 218. Additionally, as known in the art, the transceiver 114 or 114i and the encoder 208 can include pseudo random generators which vary the pattern 218 according to a predetermined sequence. Thus, the receiver and decoder 202 can be configured to auto synchronize by recognizing a portion of the predetermined sequence. In an application where the transceiver 114 operates according to the BLUETOOTH™ standards, the transceiver 114 communicates with the transmitter according to a spread spectrum protocol so as to establish communication in a short range wireless environment with the minimal risk of interference with other devices. For example, the transceiver 114 can communicate with a BLUETOOTH™ enabled MP3 player, or other audio device. The audio device 10C can receive the output signal from the BLUETOOTH™ enabled MP3 player, and then output the audio signals to the interface 116. Optionally, the signal can be a stereo signal. The interface 116 can then direct the left and right audio signals to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E through the speaker lines 120, 122. In accordance with the BLUETOOTH™ standard, for example, but without limitation, the transceiver 114 can operate in a half duplex mode in which signals are transmitted in only one direction. For example, at any one moment, the transceiver 114 can only either receive signals and direct them to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E or transmit signals, for example, from the microphone 75, 124, 124D, 124E to another device through the antenna 118, 118D, 118D′. Alternatively, the transceiver 114 can be configured to operate in a full duplex mode in which simultaneous of audio signals are received and transmitted to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E and simultaneously audio signals from the microphone 75, 124, 124D, 124E are transmitted through the antenna 118, 118D, 118D′ to a cooperating wireless device. Further, the interface 116 can include a processor and a memory for providing added functionality. For example, the interface 116 can be configured to allow a user to control the cooperating wireless device, such as a cell phone. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, where the transceiver 114 is a BLUETOOTH™ device, the interface 116 can be configured to support a hands-free protocol, as set forth in the BLUETOOTH™ hands-free protocol published Oct. 22, 2001, the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. Optionally, the interface 116 can be configured to comply with other protocols such as, for example, but without limitation, general access profile, service discovery application profile, cordless telephony profile, intercom profile, serial port profile, headset profile, dialup networking profile, fax profile, land access profile, generic object exchange profile, object push profile, file transfer profile, and synchronization profile, published Oct. 22, 2001, the entire contents of each of which being hereby expressly incorporated by reference. Additionally, the “Specification of the Bluetooth System, Core”, version 1.1, published Feb. 22, 2001 is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. The headset profile is designed to be used for interfacing a headset having one earphone, a microphone, and a transceiver worn by the wearer, for example, on a belt clip, with a cordless phone through a wireless connection. According to the headset profile, certain commands can be issued from a headset, such as the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′, 10B, 10C, 10D, and 10E, using an AT command protocol. In such a protocol, text commands must be input to the BLUETOOTH™ device, which the BLUETOOTH™ device then transmits wirelessly to a synchronized BLUETOOTH™ enabled device. Such commands include, for example, but without limitation, initiating a call, terminating a call, and redialing a previously dialed number. With reference to FIG. 9A, the interface electronics 116 can include audio or “aural” menus that can be selected by user. For example, a user can initiate an audio menu by depressing the button 150 (FIGS. 10-12). Upon initiation of the audio menus, the interface electronics 116 can send an audio signal to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E including a humanoid voice. The voice signal can indicate that a first menu option is available. For example, but without limitation, the first menu choice can be to initiate a call. Thus, when the user pushes the button 150 the first time, the user will hear the words “initiate a call,” emanating from the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E. If the user wishes to initiate a call, the user can depress the button 150 again which will send the appropriate AT command to the transceiver 114 so as to transmit the proper AT code to the cellular phone source device S, B (FIG. 8). The user can be provided with further convenience if there are other menu choices available, for example, if the user does not wish to choose the first menu option, the user can depress either the forward or rearward portions 156, 158 of the button 150 so as to “scroll” through other audio menu options. For example, other audio menu options can include, for example, but without limitation, phonebook, email, clock, voice commands, and other menu options typically available on cellular phones and/or personal audio devices such as MP3 players. As an illustrative, but non-limiting example, if a user wishes to access the phonebook, the user can depress the button 150 to initiate the audio menu, then “scroll” to the phonebook by depressing the portions 156 or 158 until the user hears the word “phonebook” in the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E. Once the user hears the word “phonebook,” the user can depress the button 150 again to enter the phonebook. Thereafter, the user can depress the portions 156, 158 to “scroll” through phonebook entries. As the user scrolls through the phonebook entries, the interface 116 can be configured to cause the cellular phone to scroll through the phonebook and thereby transmit an audio signal of a humanoid voice indicating entries in the phonebook. When the user hears the name of the person or entity which the user desires to call, the user can again push the button 150 to initiate a call to that entity. In this embodiment, the cell phone can be configured with a text-to-voice speech engine which generates a humanoid voice corresponding to entries of the phonebook. Such speech engines are known in the art and are not described further herein. A text-to-speech engine can provide further convenient uses for a user. For example, if the cell phone or other source device is configured to receive email, the device can be configured to signal the user with an audio signal that an email has been received. The user can send a signal to the source device so as to open the email. The text-to-speech engine can be configured to read the email to the user. Thus, a user can “listen” to email through the audio device 10, 10A, 10A′, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, without manually operating the source device. A further option is to allow a user to respond to such an email. For example, the user could record an audio file, such as, for example, but without limitation a .WAV, .MP3 file as an attachment to a reply email. For such a feature, the interface 116 can be configured to automatically provide a user with options at the end of an email that is read to the user. For example, after the text-to-speech engine finishes “reading” the email to the user, the interface device 116 can enter another audio menu. Such an audio menu can include a reply option, a forward option, or other options. If a user wishes to reply, the user can “scroll” until the user hears the word “reply.” Once the user hears the word “reply” the user can depress the button 150 to enter a reply mode. As noted above, these types of commands can be issued using an AT command protocol, to which the source device will also be configured to respond. As noted above, one audio menu option can include voice command. For example, when a user chooses the voice command option, the interface electronic 116 can reconfigure to send an AT command to the source device, such as a cellular phone, to accept voice commands directly from the transceiver 114. Thus, as the user speaks, the audio signal is directed to the source device, which in turn is configured to issue audio indicators back to the user, through the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, to guide the user through such a voice command. For example, if a user chooses a voice command option, the user could issue commands such as, for example, but without limitation, “phonebook” or “call alpha.” With a source device such as a cellular phone, that has a speech recognition engine and that is properly trained to recognize the voice of the user, the user can automatically enter the phonebook mode or directly call the phonebook listing “alpha,” of course, as is apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, such a voice command protocol could be used to issue other commands as well. In another alternative, the interface electronics 116 can include a speech recognition engine and audio menus. In this alternative, the interface electronics 116 can recognize speech from the user, convert the speech to AT commands, and control this source device using a standard AT command protocol. For example, but without limitation, the source device B can be in the form of a palm-top or hand-held computer known as a BLACKBERRY™. The presently marketed BLACKBERRY™ devices can communicate with a variety of wireless networks for receiving email, phone calls, and/or internet browsing. One aspect of at least one of the present inventions includes the realization that such a hand-held computer can include a text-to-speech engine. Thus, such a hand-held computer can be used in conjunction with any of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′, 10B to allow a user to “hear” emails, or other text documents without the need to hold or look at the device B. Preferably, the hand-held computer includes a further wireless transceiver compatible with at least one of the transceivers 114, 114i. As such, a user can use any of the audio devices 10C, 10D, 10E to “hear” emails, or other text documents without the need to hold or look at the device B. Thus, a presently preferred hand-held computer, as a non-limiting example, includes a BLACKBERRY™ hand-held device including long range wireless network hardware for email and internet browsing capability, a BLUETOOTH™ transceiver for two-way short range audio and/or data audio communication, and a text-to-speech engine. Preferably, the transceiver 114 is configured to transmit signals at about 100 mW. More preferably, the transceiver 114 is configured to transmit signals at no more than 100 mW. As such, the transceiver 114 uses less power. This is particularly advantageous because the power source 112 can be made smaller and thus lighter while providing a practicable duration of power between charges or replacement of the power source 112. Of course, the foregoing description is that of a preferred construction having certain features, aspects and advantages in accordance with the present invention. Accordingly, various changes and modifications may be made to the above-described arrangements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present inventions are directed to portable and light-weight digital storage and playback devices, and in particular, MP3 players that are integrated into eyeglasses. 2. Description of the Related Art There are numerous situations in which it is convenient and preferable to mount audio output devices so that they can be worn on the head of a user. Such devices can be used for portable entertainment, personal communications, and the like. For example, these devices could be used in conjunction with cellular telephones, cordless telephones, radios, tape players, MP3 players, portable video systems, hand-held computers and laptop computers. The audio output of many of these systems is typically directed to the wearer through the use of transducers physically positioned in or covering the ear, such as earphones and headphones. Earphones and headphones, however, are often uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. Additionally, an unbalanced load, when applied for a long period of time, can cause muscular pain and/or headaches. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>One aspect of at least of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that certain electronic components can be incorporated into eyeglasses with certain features so as to reduce the total weight of the eyeglasses to a weight that is comfortable for a wearer. Further advantages can be achieved by grouping the electronic components so as to provide balance in the eyeglass. Thus, in accordance with another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. A compressed audio file storage and playback device is disposed in the first ear stem. A power storage device disposed in the second ear stem. First and second speakers are connected to the first and second ear stems, respectively, the speakers are configured to be alignable with an auditory canal of a wearer of the eyeglass. A further aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that the forward to rearward spacing of the bridge of a human nose to the auditory canal of the ear falls into a relatively narrow range of distances for large portions of the population. For example, it has been found that to accommodate a large proportion of the human population, the forward-to-rearward adjustability of the speaker is preferably sufficient to accommodate a variation in spacing from the bridge of the nose to the auditory canal of from at least about 4⅞ inches to about 5⅛ inches. In alternate implementations of the invention, anterior-posterior plane adjustability in the ranges of from about 4¾ inches to 5¼ inches, or from about 4⅝ inches to about 5⅜ inches from the posterior surface of the nose bridge to the center of the speaker is provided. Thus, in accordance with yet another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. First and second speakers are mounted to the first and second ear stems, respectively, so as to be translatable in a forward to rearward direction generally parallel to the ear stems over a first range of motion. At least one of the size of the speakers and the first range of motion being configured so as to provide an effective range of coverage of about 1¼ inches. An aspect of another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that where an electronic device that is worn in the same manner as a pair of eyeglasses includes a user operable switch for controlling a function of the electronics, the comfort of the wearer of the audio device can be enhanced where the switches are operable without transferring a substantial load to the head of the wearer. For example, where the electronic device includes buttons for controlling an aspect of the device, a further advantage is provided where a support surface is provided opposite the button such that a user can apply a balancing force to the actuation force applied to the button, thereby preventing a substantial force from being transferred to the head of the wearer. Thus, in accordance with a further aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. The first ear stem comprises an upper surface facing a first direction and includes an aperture. A first button extends from the aperture. A lower surface is below the upper surface and faces a second direction generally opposite the first direction, the lower surface having a width of at least one-quarter of an inch. Further features and advantages of the present inventions will become apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the detailed description of preferred embodiments which follows, when considered together with the attached drawings and claims. | 20041012 | 20070904 | 20050616 | 67162.0 | 5 | DANG, HUNG XUAN | MULTI-DIRECTIONAL ADJUSTMENT DEVICES FOR SPEAKER MOUNTS FOR EYEGLASS WITH MP3 PLAYER | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,000 | ACCEPTED | Product display | A product display comprises a frame removably mountable to a shelf and a support arm mounted to the frame via a pivot mechanism. The support arm is configured for removably mounting a product on the support arm. The pivot mechanism is configured to enable pivotal movement of the support arm between a first position in which the support arm is generally parallel to a front edge of the shelf and a second position in which the support arm extends generally outward at an angle relative to the front edge of the shelf. The pivot mechanism biases the support arm to return from the second position to the first position. | 1. A product display comprising: a frame removably mountable to a shelf; a support arm extending generally perpendicular to the frame via a pivot mechanism and configured for removably mounting a product on the support arm, wherein the pivot mechanism is configured to enable pivotal movement of the support arm between a first position in which the support arm is generally parallel to a front portion of the shelf and a second position in which the support arm extends generally outward at an angle relative to the front portion of the shelf, and wherein the pivot mechanism is biased to return the support arm from the second position to the first position. 2. The product display of claim 1 wherein in the second position, the pivot mechanism is configured to enable the support arm to extend relative to the shelf in the second position at an angle that is generally perpendicular relative to the front portion of the shelf. 3. The product display of claim 1 wherein the pivot mechanism comprises: a lower portion fixed to the frame; an upper portion on which the support arm is fixed; wherein rotational sliding engagement of the upper portion relative to the fixed lower portion in a first rotational direction, corresponds to pivotal movement of the support arm from the first position to the second position, and wherein rotational sliding engagement of the upper portion relative to the fixed lower portion in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, corresponds to pivotal movement of the support arm from the second position to the first position. 4. The product display of claim 3 wherein the fixed lower portion and the upper portion of the pivot mechanism each include an angled contact surface configured for rotational sliding engagement relative to each other, so when the support arm is in the first position, the angled contact surfaces of the upper portion and the fixed lower portion are in substantially complete contact with each other, and when the support arm is in the second position, the angled contact surfaces of the lower portion and upper portion are in partial contact with each other. 5. The product display of claim 4 wherein the angled contact surfaces of the lower portion and the upper portion form complementary angles relative to one another with the angled contact surface of the lower portion forming an angle of about 45 degrees relative to a generally horizontal plane that is generally parallel to the shelf. 6. The product display of claim 4 wherein, with the frame mounted to a shelf, the angled contact surface of the lower portion faces generally away from the shelf, and the angled contact surface of the upper portion faces generally toward the shelf. 7. The product display of claim 2 wherein the pivot mechanism comprises a stop mechanism configured to limit rotational movement of the upper portion relative to the lower portion in the second rotational direction and to enable unrestricted rotational movement of the upper portion relative to the lower portion in the first rotational direction. 8. The product display of claim 7 wherein the stop mechanism comprises a protrusion disposed on the upper portion and a stop surface positioned on the lower portion, wherein the stop surface is positioned to engage the protrusion to limit movement of the upper portion in the second rotational direction. 9. The product display of claim 7 wherein the lower portion of the pivot mechanism comprises: a first generally cylindrical member extending generally perpendicular upward from the frame and including a center hole; and a post extending generally perpendicular from the frame upward through the center hole, and outward from the angled contact surface, of the first generally cylindrical member. 10. The product display of claim 9 wherein the upper portion of the pivot mechanism comprises: a second generally cylindrical member and including a center hole through which the post extends with the center hole adapted to enable slidable rotation of the second generally cylindrical member about the post; a collar mounted on the second generally cylindrical member, with the support arm mounted on the collar; and a fastener secured to the post to limit movement of the second generally cylindrical member away from the first generally cylindrical member of the lower portion. 11. The product display of claim 10 wherein the pivot mechanism comprises: a spring interposed between the second generally cylindrical member and the fastener to bias slidable movement of the second generally cylindrical member along the post toward the first generally cylindrical member, thereby facilitating biased return of the product arm to the first position from the second position. 12. The product display of claim 1 wherein the support arm comprises a first portion attached to the pivot mechanism and extending generally perpendicular to the frame, and a second portion extending generally perpendicular to the first portion. 13. The product display of claim 12 wherein the second portion of the support arm includes elongated slots to enable a product to be fastened at a variable position along a length of the second portion of the support arm 14. The product display of claim 1 wherein the frame comprises: a first plate adapted for mounting on a top surface of the shelf; a second plate adapted for mounting on a bottom surface of the shelf; wherein the first plate is adapted for releasable engagement, through the shelf, with the second plate to secure the first plate and the second plate relative to the shelf. 15. The product display of claim 14 wherein the first plate comprises a body portion configured to be secured to the top surface of the shelf, and a tab extending outwardly from the body portion for slidable insertion through a hole in the shelf, and wherein the second plate comprises a body portion configured to be secured to a bottom surface of the shelf, and a hole sized and shaped to receive the tab of the first plate. 16. The product display of claim 1 wherein the product comprises a skate with the skate including a boot and a wheel frame connected to the boot for supporting a plurality of wheels, wherein the support arm is mounted to the wheel frame to enable free spinning of the wheels. 17. A product display system comprising: at least one shelf configured to receive a stack of product packages thereon; and a plurality of product displays pivotally mounted, at spaced intervals, along the at least one shelf; wherein in a first position, each product display supports a product generally in front of the stack of product packages on the shelf, and in a second position, each product display is pivotally moved away from the front of the stack of product packages to enable direct access to the product packages. 18. The system of claim 17 wherein each product display comprises: a frame removably mountable to the at least one shelf; a support arm extending generally perpendicular to the frame via a pivot mechanism and configured for removably mounting a product on the support arm, wherein the pivot mechanism is configured to enable pivotal movement of the support arm between a first position in which the support arm is generally parallel to a front portion of the at least one shelf and a second position in which the support arm extends generally outward at an angle relative to the front portion of the at least one shelf, and wherein the pivot mechanism is biased to return the support arm from the second position to the first position. 19. The product display of claim 18 wherein the pivot mechanism comprises: a lower portion fixed to the frame; an upper portion on which the support arm is fixed; wherein rotational sliding engagement of the upper portion relative to the fixed lower portion in a first rotational direction, corresponds to pivotal movement of the support arm from the first position to the second position, and wherein rotational sliding engagement of the upper portion relative to the fixed lower portion in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, corresponds to pivotal movement of the support arm from the second position to the first position. 20. The system of claim 17 wherein the product is a skate. 21. A skate display comprising: means for supporting a skate adjacent to a shelf; and means for pivotally moving the skate from being adjacent a front portion of the shelf to being generally away from the front portion of the shelf and for biasing pivotal movement of the skate to be adjacent the front portion of the shelf. 22. The skate display of claim 21 wherein the means for supporting comprises a frame removably mountable to the shelf and including: a first plate adapted for mounting on a top surface of the shelf; a second plate adapted for mounting on a bottom surface of the shelf; wherein the first plate is adapted for releasable engagement, through the shelf, with the second plate to secure the first plate and the second plate relative to the shelf. 23. The skate display of claim 22 wherein the first plate comprises a body portion configured to be secured to the top surface of the shelf, and a tab extending outwardly from the body portion for slidable insertion through a hole in the shelf, and wherein the second plate comprises a body portion configured to be secured to a bottom surface of the shelf, and a hole sized and shaped to receive the tab of the first plate. 24. The skate display of claim 22 wherein the means for pivotally moving comprises: a lower portion fixed to the frame; an upper portion coupled to the means for supporting the skate; wherein rotational sliding engagement of the upper portion relative to the lower portion in a first rotational direction, corresponds to pivotal movement of the skate from being adjacent the shelf to being generally away from the shelf, and wherein rotational sliding engagement of the upper portion relative to the lower portion in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, corresponds to pivotal movement of the skate from being generally away from the shelf to being adjacent the shelf. 25. A method of displaying a product comprising: pivotally mounting an arm on a shelf to support a product on the arm for movement between a first position in which the product is adjacent the shelf and a second position in which the product is rotated away from the shelf; and applying a biasing force to the arm to cause the arm to pivotally move to the first position unless a manual force is applied to overcome the biasing force to pivotally move the arm to the second position. 26. The method of claim 25 wherein in the second position, the arm extends generally perpendicular to the shelf. 27. The method of claim 25 wherein pivotally mounting the arm comprises: attaching a pivot to the shelf with pivot including a fixed lower portion removably mountable to the shelf and an upper portion for supporting the arm; configuring the lower portion and the upper portion to enable slidable, pivoting interaction between the lower portion and the upper portion. 28. The method of claim 25 wherein applying a biasing force comprises: exerting a downward pressure on the upper portion relative to the lower portion to maintain engagement of the upper portion relative to the lower portion; configuring the upper portion relative to the lower portion to urge rotation of the upper portion relative to the lower portion from the second position to the first position. 29. The method of claim 28 wherein pivotally mounting an arm comprises: preventing pivotal movement of the arm, due to the biasing force, beyond the first position while permitting unrestricted pivotal movement of the arm, against the biasing force, from the first position to the second position. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Display of clothing apparel and shoes has long been an important part of enticing consumers to purchase merchandise. Many retail stores, particularly department stores, place their inventory alongside the displayed apparel and/or shoes. In some instances, shoes are displayed on or near a shelf, which also contains the inventory of shoes. Accordingly, upon seeing a desired item on display, the consumer can readily grab the same type of item from inventory for purchase. However, because of the location of the displayed shoe at the shelf, the displayed shoe can interfere with access to the items on the shelf. Accordingly, display of consumer apparel, such as shoes, boots, skates, etc. still present a challenge between achieving a highly-visible mounting near a shelf and providing convenient consumer access to boxes of those items adjacent to the displayed product. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the invention are directed to an assembly for displaying product. In one embodiment, a product display comprises a frame removably mountable to a shelf and a support arm mounted to the frame via a pivot mechanism. The support arm is configured for removably mounting a product on the support arm. The pivot mechanism is configured to enable pivotal movement of the support arm between a first position in which the support arm is generally parallel to a front edge of the shelf and a second position in which the support arm extends generally outward at an angle relative to the front edge of the shelf. The pivot mechanism biases the support arm to return from the second position to the first position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will be described with respect to the figures, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a product display system, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a product display system, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a product display assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is a sectional view as taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 5 is an exploded view illustrating a product display assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating installation of a product display assembly on a shelf, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating installation of a product display assembly on a shelf, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view of FIG. 7, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 9 is a partial side view of a product display assembly illustrating pivotal movement, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 10 is a partial side view of a product display assembly illustrating pivotal movement, according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 11 is a partial side view illustrating a product display assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “leading,” “trailing,” etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. Because components of embodiments of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an assembly for displaying a product, such as an in-line skate, that is pivotally mountable to a shelf for movement between a first position adjacent the shelf, and a second position away from the shelf to enable removal of items from the shelf. The assembly is biased to return the displayed product back to the first position. In the first position, this assembly enables the product to be fully viewable outside of its box for quick and convenient examination by a consumer. In its second position, this product display assembly enables both placement of a boxed product on the shelf immediately behind the displayed product and easy removal of the boxed product for further examination and/or purchase by the consumer. In one embodiment, the product is an in-line skate, which is mounted to the product display assembly at a portion of the skate that permits the wheels of the skate to be turned freely, independent of mounting. This free-spinning mounting feature further entices customer to purchase the item, because of their ability to test and play with the wheels of the skate. These features, and additional features, of embodiments of the invention are described and illustrated in association with FIGS. 1-11. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a product display system 10. As shown in FIG. 1, display system 10 comprises shelves 12, display signs 14, one or more product display(s) 16, and product boxes 18. Each product display 16 supports a single product 17. In one embodiment, product 17 comprises a skate, such as in-line skate. In other embodiments, product 17 comprises boots, shoes, and/or apparel that are configured for mounting substantially similar to an in-line skate. Shelves 12 support boxes 18, with several boxes 18 stacked vertically and arranged side-by-side on each shelf. Product displays 16 are mounted at laterally spaced intervals along a front edge 19 of shelf 12. As shown in FIG. 1, boxes 18 rest on shelves 12 behind a respective product display 16, which reveals to a consumer the type of product contained in boxes 18 on shelf 12, preferably immediately behind product display 16. Product display 16 enables a consumer to examine the product in detail without having to pull a box of the shelf, and open the box to see the product. FIG. 2 further illustrate product display 16, which comprises product display assembly 50 including biasing mechanism 52. As shown in FIG. 2, product display 16 is pivotally mounted to front edge 19 of shelf 12 via biasing mechanism 52 to enable product display 16 to be pivoted generally outward (shown by directional arrow A) at an angle relative to front edge 19 of shelf 12, thereby enabling access to boxes 18 for unrestricted sliding movement of box 18 relative to product display 16 (shown by directional arrow B). In one embodiment, in the second position product display 16 is generally perpendicular to front edge 19 of shelf 12. In this second, open position, product display 16 permits boxes 18 to either be removed from shelf 12 or placed on shelf 12 without disturbing adjacent product displays 16 along shelf 12 or adjacent boxes on shelf 12. After removal or placement of box 18 relative to shelf 12, the consumer releases their hold on product display 16, at which time biasing mechanism 52 (shown in more detail in FIGS. 3-11) causes product display 16 to pivot back to its rest position (shown in FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the lateral spacing between adjacent product displays 16 on a single shelf is selected to generally correspond to a width of a box 18. In other embodiments, this lateral spacing between adjacent product displays 16 is great enough to enable some boxes 18 to be removed without pivoting of product display 16 and/or adjusting adjacent boxes 18 on shelf 12. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of product display assembly 50. As shown in FIG. 3, product display assembly 50 comprises biasing mechanism 52, first plate 54, second plate 56, and product support arm 60. Product support arm 60 includes first portion 61 and second portion 62. Second portion 62 includes elongated mounting slots 64, 66 and outer end 68 while first portion includes end 69. First portion 61 and second portion 62 of arm 60 are generally perpendicular to each other and together form junction 70. In one embodiment, mounting slots 64, 66 are sized and shaped for securing a wheel frame portion of an in-line skate 17 onto second portion 64 of product support arm 60. The elongated shape of slots 64, 66 enables the in-line skate to be positioned at variable locations along a length of second portion 64 of product support arm 60. In one embodiment, this variable positioning enables mounting of the in-line skate 17 so that a rear end of skate 17, closest to junction 70 of arm 60 does not swing into contact with front edge 19 of shelf 12 when product arm 60 is pivoted fully to the second open position (as shown in FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 3, biasing mechanism 52 is fixed on first plate 54 and extends upward and generally perpendicular to first plate 54. Biasing mechanism 52 comprises pivot 80 including lower portion 82 and upper portion 84. Lower portion 82 comprises first generally cylindrical member 86 mounted in base 88 of first plate 54. Second portion 84 of pivot 80 is adapted to rotate (i.e., pivot) relative to lower portion 82, and comprises among other things, second generally cylindrical member 100 and collar 100. In one embodiment, first and second generally cylindrical members 86, 88 are formed from a polymeric material, such as a polyethylene material, and angled contact surfaces 92, 104 are slidably movable relative to each other. In another embodiment, first and second generally cylindrical members 86, 88 are made from a non-polymeric material. In another embodiment, first and second generally cylindrical members 86, 88 additionally include a coating, such as a polytetrafluoroethylene coating, on angled contact surfaces 92, 104 to facilitate slidable movement relative to each other. In addition, stop mechanism 160 is formed on or about upper portion 84 and lower portion 82 to enable limiting pivoting of upper portion 84 relative to lower portion 82, as further described and illustrated later in association with FIGS. 5, and 9-11. First plate 54 is adapted to secure biasing mechanism 50 to shelf 12. As shown in FIG. 3, first plate 54 comprises body 130, holes 134 (shown in FIG. 5), and tab 136 that extends outward from body 130. Tab 136 extends within a plane that is generally parallel to but spaced from the plane in which body 130 extends. Second plate 56 is configured to secure first plate 54 relative to shelf 12, and comprises body 140 with slot 142, and fastening holes 146 (shown in FIG. 5). Mounting of first plate 54 and second plate 56 relative to shelf 12 is further described later in association with FIGS. 6 and 7. FIGS. 4 and 5 further illustrate components of biasing mechanism 50 including pivot 80. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 3, illustrating lower portion 82 and upper portion 84 of pivot 80 while FIG. 5 is an exploded view of revealing additional aspects of those same components. As shown in FIGS. 4-5, upper portion 84 of pivot 80 of biasing mechanism 50 comprises additional components such as second generally cylindrical member 100, post 120, spring 122, fastener 124, and cap 129, all of which are housed within or on collar 110. Second generally cylindrical member 100 of upper portion 84 includes body 102, angled contact surface 104, center hole 105. Body 102 of second generally cylindrical member 100 is fixed within collar 100. In addition, FIG. 4 also reveals additional aspects of lower portion 82 of biasing mechanism 50, such as first generally cylindrical member 86 which includes body 90, angled contact surface 92, and center hole 93. Body 90 of first generally cylindrical member 86 is mounted in collar 88. Post 120 of pivot 80 is fixed to first plate 54 and extends upward from body 130 of first plate 54. Post 120 extends through center hole 93 in first generally cylindrical member 86 of lower portion 82 and through center hole 105 in second generally cylindrical member 100 of upper portion 84 into collar 110. Spring 122 is interposed between body 102 of second generally cylindrical member 100 and fastener 124, which is secured relative to post 120 to exert a downward pressure on spring 122 against second generally cylindrical member 100. In one embodiment, fastener 124 comprises washer 125, nut 126 and threaded end 128 of post 120. In other embodiments, fastener 124 comprises other fixation mechanisms, such as clamps, rings, etc, fixable on post 120 and/or protrusions or recesses on post 120, capable of maintaining its relative position along a length of post 120 and also exerting a downward pressure on spring 122. Angled contact surfaces 92, 104 of first and second generally cylindrical members 86, 100 reciprocate each other when lower portion 82 and upper portion 84 are in contact with each other in an at-rest position, as shown in FIG. 4. In one embodiment, each angled contact surface 92, 104 forms an angle of about 45 degrees relative to a horizontal plane that is generally parallel to body 130 of first plate 54. A more detailed explanation of the interaction of angled contact surfaces 92, 104 in the at-rest position, and in a pivoting position, is provided in association with FIGS. 5, and 9-11. FIG. 5 also illustrates second portion 62 of arm 60 extending from collar 110 downwardly at an angle (α) relative to a longitudinal axis of collar 110, which results in second portion 82 declining slightly less than a generally horizontal plane. Angle (α) is selected so that gravitational forces acting on a product, e.g., skate attached to second portion 62 of arm 60 cause further downward pressure on upper portion 84 of biasing mechanism to facilitate the return of arm 60 from a pivoted position (FIG. 2) back to an at rest position (FIG. 1). FIG. 5 also further reveals stop mechanism 160, which comprises protrusion 162 and stop surface 164, which releasably engage each other to prevent rotation of upper portion 84 relative to lower portion 82 of pivot 80. In one embodiment, protrusion 162 is formed in angled contact surface 104 of second generally cylindrical member 100 of upper portion 84 and stop surface 164 is formed in or on angled contact surface 92 of first generally cylindrical member 86 of lower portion 82. In another embodiment, protrusion 162 and stop surface 164 are reversed so that protrusion 162 is formed in angled contact surface 92 of first generally cylindrical member 86 of lower portion 82 and recess 164 is formed in angled contact surface 104 of second generally cylindrical member 100 of upper portion 84. In one embodiment, stop surface 164 comprises a recess. In other embodiments, stop mechanism 160 comprises other components, such as a pin formed on one of upper portion 84 or lower portion 82, and a stop surface or catch formed on the other portion, so that movement in first rotational direction is limited at a pre-determined point about circumference of pivot 80 by releasable engagement of the pin and stop surface, and movement in a second rotational direction is generally unrestricted when the pin and stop surface are not engaging each other. Details of operation of stop mechanism 160 are further described and illustrated later in association with FIGS. 9-11. Finally, FIG. 5 illustrates additional interaction of first plate 54 and second plate 56. In particular, holes 134 in first plate 54 are configured for alignment with holes 146 of second plate 56 for mounting first and second plates 54, 56 relative to shelf 12. Fasteners 148 are adapted for used with holes 134 and 146, as described in association with FIGS. 6-7. FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective views illustrating steps in mounting a product display 16 to shelf 12. As shown in FIG. 6, with product 17 already attached to product support arm 60, first plate 54 of product display 16 is positioned adjacent front edge 19 of shelf 12, with holes 134 of first plate 54 aligned over corresponding holes 151 in shelf 12. Tab 136 of first plate 54 is inserted into one of holes 151 of shelf 12 to protrude underneath shelf 12 for engagement with second plate 56. In particular, with first plate 54 positioned over shelf 12, second plate 56 is maneuvered underneath shelf 12, as shown in FIG. 7, until slot 142 of second plate 56 slides over tab 136 of first plate 54, thereby resulting in second plate 54 pressing against a bottom surface 152 of shelf 12 and holes 146 of second plate 56 aligning with holes 134 of first plate 54 and with holes 151 of shelf 12. FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating first plate 54 and second plate 56 when fully mounted relative to shelf 12. As shown in FIG. 8, tab 136 extends from first plate 54, through holes 151 in shelf 12, and through slot 142 of second plate 56, with tab 136 acting to maintain second plate 56 in pressing contact against bottom surface 152 of shelf 12. Fasteners 148 secure first plate 54, second plate 56 and shelf 12 together. In one embodiment, holes 146 of second plate 56 include a threaded portion for receiving fasteners 148. In one embodiment, securing holes 146 of second plate 56 are arranged to enable use of a single second plate in multiple orientations relative to shelf 12 to accommodate different patterns of holes 151 in shelf. In one example, one combination of securing holes 146 on second plate 56 are arranged to match up with rows of holes 151 on shelf 12, and correspond to slot 142 extending generally parallel to front edge 19 of shelf 12 (as shown in FIG. 7). In another example, second plate 56 is rotated 90 degrees before mounting (as represented by directional arrow A), to enable securing holes 146 to match up with rows of holes 151 on shelf 12, which corresponds to slot 142 of second plate 56 extending generally perpendicular to front edge 19 of shelf 12 in the mounted position. Accordingly, the number and configuration of securing holes 146, as well as their position and spacing relative to a position and orientation of slot 142, enable dual use of second plate 56 in two different mounting orientations to accommodate different shelf designs. As mounted as shown in FIGS. 6-8, second plate 56 provides strength to shelf 12 at front edge 19 to assist shelf 12 in bearing the weight and motion of product display 16. In particular, with frame product display 16 robustly anchored relative to shelf 12, product display 16 is supported for pivoting of product arm 60 without interference from or sagging of shelf 12. As shown in FIGS. 6-7, product display 16 is mounted onto shelf 12 with product 17, such as a skate or in-line skate, already mounted on product support arm 60. However, in another embodiment, product 17 is attached to product support arm 60 only after product display 16 is mounted onto shelf 12. Similarly, once product display 16 is mounted onto shelf 12, product 17 can be removed from product support arm 60 without removing the remainder of product display 16 from shelf 12. Finally, as further shown in FIGS. 6-7, in embodiments in which product 17 comprises a skate, support arm 60 is mountable to a wheel frame 157 of skate boot 156 to permit the wheels 158 of the skate to be spun freely while mounted relative to support arm 60, and thereby while mounted relative to shelf 12. FIGS. 9-11 illustrate interaction of angled contact surface 92, 104 of lower portion 82 and upper portion 84, respectively, as well as operation of stop mechanism 160. FIG. 11 corresponds to an at-rest, first position of product arm 60 while FIG. 9 corresponds to an open, pivoted second position of product arm 60. For illustrative purposes, pivotal movement of product arm 60 from the first position to the second position is considered movement in a first rotational direction while pivotal movement of product arm 60 from the second position to the first position is considered movement in a second rotational direction. FIG. 9 is a plan side view, illustrating product display 16 in a second open position, in which product support arm 60 is pivoted outward from front edge 19 of shelf 12 in a first rotational direction. This second position corresponds to the open position of product display 16 shown in FIG. 2. In this position, several factors combine to urge product arm 60 from the position shown to a rest position, which is shown in FIG. 10 (also corresponding to FIG. 1). First, a gravitational force on the weight of product 17 and product arm 60 tends to cause angled contact surface 104 of upper portion 84 to slidably rotate turn relative to angled contact surface 92 of fixed lower portion 82. Accordingly, the shape of the angled contact surfaces 92, 104, the slidable surface characteristics of those contact surfaces, and gravity all act to urge rotation of upper portion 84 relative to lower portion 82. In addition, spring 122 (shown in FIG. 5) exerts downward pressure on upper portion 84 (due to compression exerted on second generally cylindrical body 100 from spring 122, caused by the position of fastener 124 relative to post 120), which further contributes to push upper portion 84 into downward, rotational sliding movement relative to fixed lower portion 82. FIG. 9 further illustrates stop mechanism 160, previously described in association with FIGS. 3-5, which limits rotational movement of upper portion 84 relative to lower portion 82 of biasing mechanism 50. In the open position shown in FIG. 9, protrusion 162 of stop mechanism 160 does not engage recess 164, and permits unrestricted rotation of upper portion 84 relative to lower portion 82 in the first rotational direction, and of product arm 60 away from front edge 19 of shelf 12. FIG. 10 illustrates a partial contact of angled contact surface 104 of upper portion 84 on angled contact surface 92 of lower portion 82, when support arm 60 is in second position. FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating product display 16 in an at-rest position. Product arm 60 (and product 17 mounted thereon) is returned from the second open position to the first, at-rest position upon manual release of product arm 60, which enables the biasing forces (previously described in association with FIG. 9) to cause pivotal movement of the product arm 60 in the second rotational direction. As shown in FIG. 11, stop mechanism 160 acts to limit rotation of upper portion 84 relative to lower portion 82 of pivot, in the second rotational direction, to cause product arm 60 to rest generally parallel to front edge 19 of shelf 12. In particular, protrusion 162 of stop mechanism 160 slidaby fits into recess 164, thereby preventing further rotation of upper portion 84 relative to lower portion 82. Several parameters contribute to stop rotation of product arm 60 by overcoming the biasing force. These parameters include, among other things, the extent to which protrusion 162 is raised from contact surface 104 of upper portion 84, the depth of stop surface 164, as well as a width, length, and shape of the protrusion 162 and recess 164. Each of these parameters can be varied to achieve the desired level of force to counteract the biasing forces, which tend to rotate upper portion 84 relative to lower portion 82. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an assembly for displaying a product (such as an in-line skate) that is pivotally mountable to a shelf for movement between a first position adjacent the shelf, and a second position away from the shelf to enable removal of items from the shelf. The assembly is biased to return the displayed product back to the first position. In the first position, this assembly enables the in-line skate to be fully viewable outside of its box for quick and convenient examination by a consumer. In its second position, this product display assembly enables both placement of a boxed in-line skate on the shelf immediately behind the displayed skate and easy removal of boxed skates for further examination and/or purchase by the consumer. Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Display of clothing apparel and shoes has long been an important part of enticing consumers to purchase merchandise. Many retail stores, particularly department stores, place their inventory alongside the displayed apparel and/or shoes. In some instances, shoes are displayed on or near a shelf, which also contains the inventory of shoes. Accordingly, upon seeing a desired item on display, the consumer can readily grab the same type of item from inventory for purchase. However, because of the location of the displayed shoe at the shelf, the displayed shoe can interfere with access to the items on the shelf. Accordingly, display of consumer apparel, such as shoes, boots, skates, etc. still present a challenge between achieving a highly-visible mounting near a shelf and providing convenient consumer access to boxes of those items adjacent to the displayed product. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Embodiments of the invention are directed to an assembly for displaying product. In one embodiment, a product display comprises a frame removably mountable to a shelf and a support arm mounted to the frame via a pivot mechanism. The support arm is configured for removably mounting a product on the support arm. The pivot mechanism is configured to enable pivotal movement of the support arm between a first position in which the support arm is generally parallel to a front edge of the shelf and a second position in which the support arm extends generally outward at an angle relative to the front edge of the shelf. The pivot mechanism biases the support arm to return from the second position to the first position. | 20041012 | 20081223 | 20060413 | 76453.0 | A47F700 | 0 | SAFAVI, MICHAEL | PIVOTING DISPLAY STAND | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | A47F | 2,004 |
|
10,963,032 | ACCEPTED | Card-holding and money clip device | A combination money clip and card holder adapted to retain paper currency and to removably store flexible cards such as credit cards. The product is constructed of three extrudeable plastic material parts that are easily assembled to produce a durable, smooth exterior surface. The product is light weight and of a size to be conveniently carried in a pocket or purse. | 1. A holder for securely and simultaneously retaining flexible articles and rigid cards, said holder comprising: a) a nominally rectangular and nominally flat planar first panel having interior and exterior surfaces, a lip extending nominally around three edges of said first panel along said interior surfaces, said lip being at right angles to the plane of said first panel; b) a nominally rectangular and nominally flat planar second panel having interior and exterior surfaces, a lip extending nominally around three edges of said second panel along said interior surface and configured to form a mirror image of said first panel, said second panel being adapted to be attached to said first panel along said three edges to form an open-ended enclosure of sufficient size to store said rigid cards within said interior of said enclosure, said enclosure being nominally rectangular with two longitudinal sides, an open end, and a closed end; c) a resilient article retaining member having an attached end and a free end extending from one end of said enclosure and over the exterior of said first panel, said free end of said article retaining member being biased toward said exterior surface of said first panel. 2. The holder of claim 1 wherein said first panel has an integrally formed resilient card retaining member for removeably holding rigid cards within said holder, said card retaining member having an end attached to said first panel and a free end, said free end being biased toward said interior surface of said second panel. 3. The holder of claim 1 wherein said first panel and said second panel each has lips of varying thickness, said lips of said first and second panels being adapted to engage and be secured to each other to form said enclosure, said enclosure being substantially rectangular with straight joined edges along three sides and an open end, the outer surface of said holder formed by said panels having rounded edges and smooth exterior surfaces. 4. The holder of claim 1 wherein said first panel and said second panel have cutouts along an edge forming said open end to facilitate insertion and removal of rigid cards, said cutouts extending from said open end and toward the interior of said enclosure. 5. The holder of claim 1 wherein said first panel and said second panel have cutouts to facilitate insertion and removal of said rigid cards, said cutout in said second panel being of sufficient length and width to allow viewing a substantial part of an outermost rigid card when retained within said enclosure and to allow removal of said outermost rigid card by sliding said card along the length of said cutout toward said open end. 6. A holder for securely and simultaneously retaining foldable articles and rigid cards, said holder comprising: a) a first panel comprising a concave first wall bonded to a second panel comprising a concave second wall forming a cavity, said cavity being nominally rectangular and having two longitudinal sides, an open end and a closed end, said cavity being of predetermined size to store rigid cards, said cards being inserted into and removed from said holder through said open end, b) a resilient article retaining member extending from the exterior of and at one end of said first panel and over said first panel, said article retaining member being biased toward said exterior of said first panel. 7. The holder of claim 6 wherein said first panel and said second panel have cutouts to facilitate insertion and removal of said rigid cards, said cutout in said second panel being of sufficient length and width to allow viewing a substantial part of an outermost rigid card when retained within said enclosure and to allow removal of said outermost rigid card by sliding said card along the length of said cutout toward said open end. 8. The holder of claim 6 wherein said first panel includes an integrally formed resilient card retaining member, said card retaining member being biased toward the interior of said second panel. 9. The holder of claim 6 wherein the outside surface of said holder has rounded edges for avoiding snagging and tearing of surrounding materials. 10. The holder of claim 6 wherein said first panel and said second panel includes cutouts to facilitate insertion and removal of rigid cards, said cutouts extending from said open end of said cavity. 11. The holder of claim 1 wherein said resilient article retaining member is integrally formed with said first panel. 12. The holder of claim 11 wherein said integrally formed article retaining member has a portion extending from said interior of said first panel, said integrally formed article retaining member having an interior portion engaging a cutout portion in said interior of said second panel. 13. The holder of claim 1 wherein said resilient article retaining member is separately formed, with a proximal end, a substantially flat midsection and a bowed distal end, said distal end extending from the exterior of said first panel, said midsection extending along and spaced from the exterior of said first panel, said bowed distal end extending outwardly from said first panel, said resilience of said retaining member causing said flat midsection and bowed distal end to be biased toward said exterior of said first panel. 14. The holder of claim 12 wherein said first panel includes a retaining channel for passage of said flat midsection and distal end from said first panel and for retaining said proximal end within said interior of said first panel. 15. The holder of claim 14 wherein said interior surface of said second panel includes a retaining channel aligned with said retaining channel in said first panel, said proximal end of said retaining member including an extension that mates with said retaining channel in said interior of said second panel. 16. The holder of claim 14 wherein said proximal end of said retaining member includes a shoulder, said shoulder engaging the interior surface of said retaining channel in said first panel to limit passage of said proximal end through said retaining channel, said retaining channel permitting passage of said flat midsection and said bowed distal end from the interior of said first panel to the exterior thereof. 17. A method of forming a holder for securely and simultaneously retaining flexible articles and rigid cards comprising the steps of: a) forming a first panel with interior and exterior surfaces, lips extending from the interior surface of said first panel, a retaining channel, said lips having flat surfaces along three sides of said first panel; b) forming a second panel with interior and exterior surfaces, lips extending from the interior surface of said second panel, said lips having flat surfaces along three sides of said second panel; c) forming a resilient retaining member having a bowed end, a flat midsection and a proximal end; d) passing said retaining member through said retaining channel in said first panel with said bowed distal end and flat midsection extending to the exterior of said first panel and with said proximal end within the interior of said first panel; e) aligning said first and second panels with said interior surfaces toward each other and said ribs on each panel engaged; f) bonding said first and second panels together at said ribs to form said holder with an interior enclosure between the interior surfaces of said panels and an exterior retaining member at the exterior of said first panel. | STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSERED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT NOT APPLICABLE REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX NOT APPLICABLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for holding paper currency and cards, such as business cards and conventional credit cards. More particularly, the invention relates to a combination card holder and money clip adapted to retain paper currency as well as removably store flexible cards, e.g., credit cards, and sized to be conveniently carried in a pocket or purse. Furthermore, the device of the present invention is constructed of extrudeable plastic materials that can be joined to produce a smooth exterior surface while providing a durable assembly. The device of the present invention comprises three elements that are easily assembled to produce the durable product. Prior-art holders for paper currency and cards are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,358,019 and 5,520,230 to Sumner III and my U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,422, all in metal construction. Some prior-art holders have been constructed of extrudable or castable plastic materials, but none have the simplicity of construction or ease of assembly of the present invention. The prior-art plastic holders are of designs that do not permit easy access to the interior of the holder while providing the needed rigidity to hold currency. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly desirable to provide a combination money clip and card holder that is inexpensive to construct and that includes means for removably retaining paper currency and cards therein. It is further desirable to provide a card-holder and money clip that is light weight, durable and comfortable to carry in a pocket or purse. Further, it is desirable to provide a holder that may be constructed of an injectable plastic material that has desired rigidity and flexibility to perform its desired duties. It is further desirable to provide a card-holder and money clip that is assembled from a minimum of parts in an easy assembly process. Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the ensuing description and the accompanying drawings. In one embodiment of the invention , the combination card-holder and money clip comprises a first panel element and a second panel element and a resilient article retaining member or money clip element. The money clip element has a portion that extends through a slot in the first panel and has a portion secured within the first panel and a portion extending along the surface of the first panel. The two panels are joined together by suitable methods, to be described, to produce a single structure card-holder and money clip device with an interior cavity easily accessible for inserting and withdrawing cards. The exterior surfaces of the assembly are rounded and smooth to prevent snagging to a surface when in use. The interior cavity of the assembly includes a resilient element for releasable retaining cards inserted into the cavity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, where: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled card-holder and money clip device. FIG. 2 is a side view of the assembled device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the interior of the first panel of the device. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the interior of the second panel of the device. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the exterior surface of the first panel with the money clip extending from its interior. FIG. 6 is a bottom end view of the assembled device. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the money clip element. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the exterior surface of first panel of the device. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the interior of the second panel of the device showing the contours and elements for connection to the first panel. FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the lines 10-10 of FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a front elevation view of the assembled device showing the money clip side of the device. FIG. 12 is a front elevation of an alternative configuration of the first panel of the device. LIST OF NUMERALS AND ELEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE SPECIFICATION holder assembly 10 first panel 20 second panel 22 money clip 24 lip 30 in panel 20 alignment holes 31 lip 32 in panel 22 alignment tabs 33 longitudinal elements 34a and 36a of panel 20 longitudinal elements 34b and 36b of panel 22 lateral element 38a of panel 20 lateral element 38b of panel 22 mating surface 40a of panel 20 mating surface 40b of panel 22 longitudinal elements 34b and 36b enclosure closed end 44 enclosure open end 46 money clip curved proximal end 50 money clip substantially flat midsection 52 money clip bowed distal end 54 surface 56 of first panel 20 retaining channel 64 retaining channels 64a and 64b money clip tab 66 money clip shoulder 68 card retainer 70 card retainer slot 72 surface 74 cutout portion 78 (panel 20) cutout portion 76 (panel 22) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well-known elements have not been shown or described to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense. FIG. 1 illustrates, in perspective, the assembled embodiment of the combination card-holder and money clip. Holder assembly 10 consists of parts which preferably are either injection molded or cast: a nominally rectangular first panel 20, a nominally rectangular second panel 22, and a resilient article retaining element or money clip 24. FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the assembled device 10 shown in perspective in FIG. 1 and shows the money clip 24 extending from the first panel 20 and the second panel 22 below the assembled device. FIG. 3 illustrates, in perspective, the interior of the first panel 20 having a lip 30 which extends along three sides at right angles from the plane of panel 20 (nominally about 0.125 inch) forming a cavity. Lip 30 consists of three continuous and nominally straight sections: two longitudinal elements 34a and 36a, and a lateral element 38a. Lip 30 terminates in a “U” shaped mating surface 40a around the periphery of panel 20. FIG. 4 shows, in perspective, the interior of the second panel 22 having a similar lip 32 along three sides, comprising two longitudinal elements 34b and 36b, a lateral element 38b, and a “U” shaped mating surface 40b around the periphery of the panel 22. Mating surface 40b conforms with mating surface 40a, as described below. The lips 30 and 32 are formed with structural openings and lateral ribs to provide strength with reduced weight and to form the mating surfaces. The mating surfaces are smooth and parallel so as to substantially completely align the mating surfaces 40a and 40b on the opposite panels. Alignment holes 31 are provided along lip 30 of the first panel 20 and alignment tabs 33 are provided along the lip 32 of the second panel 22. The holes 31 and the tabs 33 are mated with each other to align mating surfaces 40b with mating surface 40a. It should be understood that the money clip 24 may be a separate part or can be molded with the formation of panel 20. For ease of formation and assembly the separate part form is preferred. FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 10 shows panels 20 and 22 attached at mating surfaces 40a and 40b and bonded together as by glue, ultrasonic or electromagnetic welding or the like. The resulting assembled enclosure 10 can be seen to be nominally rectangular with one closed end 44 and one open end 46. The interior dimensions of assembled enclosure 10 are of a predetermined size to accommodate rigid cards such as plastic credit cards, paper business cards, and the like, such cards being inserted and removed through open end 46. FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 10 further show a money clip 24 extending from one end of first panel 20 and disposed to rest substantially along the center of panel 20. Clip 24 is a resilient member, as shown in FIG. 2, having a curved proximal end 50, a substantially flat midsection 52, and a bowed distal end 54. Proximal end 50 is formed so as to bias clip 24 toward surface 56 of panel 20, whereby flexible articles, such as, foldable paper currency (not shown) can be secured between distal end 54 and surface 56. Two embodiments of money clip are described. FIG. 10 is a cross section of the assembly and showing money clip 24 integrally molded. Money clip 24 could be formed and with and extending from panel 20 or, money clip 24 can be a separately formed element. Money clip proximal end 50 attaches to the enclosure closed end 44, the stronger end. The resilience required to bias money clip 24 toward the panel is derived from the rigidity and memory of the plastic material, using known plastic molding techniques. FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 show an embodiment in which money clip 24 is a separate element secured to the holder 10 by a retaining channel 64 molded into the first panel 20. Retaining channels 64a and 64b may be molded into each of panels 20 and 22. In FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 retaining channel 64a in panel 20 and 64b in panel 22 are molded into the panels during their formation and are configured to be in alignment and to retain mating money clip tab 66 adjacent to the proximal end 50. This configuration increases retention area and provides additional strength to resist bending forces in money clip 24. In the separate configuration, money clip 24 is added to the assembly as follows: Prior to joining the panels 20 and 22 of the enclosure, clip distal end 54 is inserted through the retainer channel 64 in first panel 20 and pulled through the slot until tab 66 engages in channel 64a and shoulder 68 engages the interior of the panel at the channel edge. Panels 20 and 22 are then brought together, engaging tab 66 in channel 64b. Finally, panels 20 and 22 are joined as by being glued or welded together. As shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 8 and 10 first panel 20 has an integrally formed card retaining member 70 for retaining cards (not shown) within assembled enclosure 10. Card retainer 70 is an integral resilient member defined by a “U” shaped slot 72 in first panel 20 and is biased toward second panel 22, whereby cards can be secured between retainer 70 and surface 74 on the interior of panel 22. The retainer 70 is formed with sufficient retention bias force to keep cards from falling out of enclosure 10 and is moderately curved and flexible to accommodate a varying number of cards and to provide a uniform sliding resistance as cards are removed or inserted. FIGS. 1, 4 and 9 show a cutout portion 76 in panel 22 and FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 8 show a smaller cutout portion 78 in panel 20. These two cutout portions 76 and 78 provide access to cards held within the interior of the assembled device 10. The cutout 76 in panel 22 is larger to permit viewing of a surface of an outermost card within the device 10 and for finger contact in removing an outermost card. The cutout 78 in panel 20 permits adequate finger contact with an outermost card within the device to provide for ease of removal of such a card from the device the open end. An alternative form for the panel 22 is shown in FIG. 12 where the cutout 761 is a substantial duplicate of the cutout 78 in panel 20 and the portion of the cutout 762 for viewing an outermost card retained in the assembled holder and for permitting finger contact with the surface of a card to assist in removal of a card at the open end of the assembly. The perspective figures show lips 30 and 32 having varying thickness defining the outer dimension of enclosure 10. It should be evident the exterior surfaces of the device 10, in panels 20 and 22 and in the money clip 24 are rounded to provide a smooth exterior surface. Also, the ends and sides of the device are comfortably rounded to provide an esthetic appearance and a comfortable feel when the card-holding and money clip device 10 is used. While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically disclose, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>This invention relates to a device for holding paper currency and cards, such as business cards and conventional credit cards. More particularly, the invention relates to a combination card holder and money clip adapted to retain paper currency as well as removably store flexible cards, e.g., credit cards, and sized to be conveniently carried in a pocket or purse. Furthermore, the device of the present invention is constructed of extrudeable plastic materials that can be joined to produce a smooth exterior surface while providing a durable assembly. The device of the present invention comprises three elements that are easily assembled to produce the durable product. Prior-art holders for paper currency and cards are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,358,019 and 5,520,230 to Sumner III and my U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,422, all in metal construction. Some prior-art holders have been constructed of extrudable or castable plastic materials, but none have the simplicity of construction or ease of assembly of the present invention. The prior-art plastic holders are of designs that do not permit easy access to the interior of the holder while providing the needed rigidity to hold currency. | <SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>It is accordingly desirable to provide a combination money clip and card holder that is inexpensive to construct and that includes means for removably retaining paper currency and cards therein. It is further desirable to provide a card-holder and money clip that is light weight, durable and comfortable to carry in a pocket or purse. Further, it is desirable to provide a holder that may be constructed of an injectable plastic material that has desired rigidity and flexibility to perform its desired duties. It is further desirable to provide a card-holder and money clip that is assembled from a minimum of parts in an easy assembly process. Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the ensuing description and the accompanying drawings. In one embodiment of the invention , the combination card-holder and money clip comprises a first panel element and a second panel element and a resilient article retaining member or money clip element. The money clip element has a portion that extends through a slot in the first panel and has a portion secured within the first panel and a portion extending along the surface of the first panel. The two panels are joined together by suitable methods, to be described, to produce a single structure card-holder and money clip device with an interior cavity easily accessible for inserting and withdrawing cards. The exterior surfaces of the assembly are rounded and smooth to prevent snagging to a surface when in use. The interior cavity of the assembly includes a resilient element for releasable retaining cards inserted into the cavity. | 20041012 | 20080226 | 20060413 | 75358.0 | G09F320 | 1 | WEAVER, SUE A | CARD-HOLDING AND MONEY CLIP DEVICE | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | G09F | 2,004 |
|
10,963,080 | ACCEPTED | Multilevel antennae | Antennae in which the corresponding radiative element contains at least one multilevel structure formed by a set of similar geometric elements (polygons or polyhedrons) electromagnetically coupled and grouped such that in the structure of the antenna can be identified each of the basic component elements. The design is such that it provides two important advantages: the antenna may operate simultaneously in several frequencies, and/or its size can be substantially reduced. Thus, a multiband radioelectric behaviour is achieved, that is, a similar behavior for different frequency bands. | 1. An antenna including at least one multilevel structure wherein the multilevel structure comprises a set of polygonal or polyhedral elements having the same number of sides or faces, wherein each of said elements is electromagnetically coupled to at least one other of said elements either directly through at least one point of contact or through a small separation providing coupling, wherein for at least 75% of said polygonal or polyhedral elements, the region or area of contact between said polygonal or polyhedral elements is less than 50% of the perimeter or area of said elements, and wherein not all the polygonal or polyhedral elements have the same size. 2. The antenna according to claim 1 wherein the antenna is a multiband antenna. 3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said polygonal or polyhedral elements have at least two different shapes. 4. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein not all the regions or areas of contact between said polygonal or polyhedral elements have the same size. 5. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the multilevel structure comprises at least four polygonal or polyhedral elements. 6. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is formed only by triangles. 7. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is formed by polygons of a single type, selected from the group consisting of four-sided polygons, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons, octagons, decagons, and dodecagons. 8. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is formed only by circles. 9. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is formed only by ellipses. 10. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is formed only by polyhedrons. 11. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is formed only by cylinders. 12. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is formed only by cones. 13. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is mounted in a monopole configuration. 14. The antenna according to claim 13, wherein said monopole is mounted substantially perpendicular to a ground plane. 15. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is mounted substantially parallel to a ground plane in a patch antenna configuration. 16. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure forms at least one radiating element of a planar microstrip or patch structure having at least one parasitic element. 17. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is included in at least one arm of a dipole configuration antenna. 18. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure forms part of the antenna in a substantially coplanar configuration with the ground plane. 19. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure forms at least one of the faces in a pyramidal horn. 20. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure or its perimeter form a cross-section of a conical or pyramidal horn antenna. 21. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure forms at least one loop. 22. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is part of an array of antennas. 23. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is constructed from a conducting, superconducting or dielectric material, or a combination thereof. 24. The antenna according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said antenna is being shared by several communication services or systems. 25. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is used in at least one of the following systems selected from the group consisting of: base stations of mobile telephony, communications terminals, vehicles, communications satellites and radar systems. 26. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is a multiband or miniature resonator when said antenna radiates inefficiently. 27. The antenna according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said antenna includes an interconnection circuit that links the antenna to an input/output connector, and which is used to incorporate adaptation networks for impedances, filters or diplexers. 28. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure is loaded with capacitive or inductive elements to change at least one parameter of the antenna selected from the group consisting of its: size, resonance frequency, radiation patterns and impedance. 29. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said antenna comprises several multilevel structures, wherein each multilevel structure has the same number and shape polygon or polyhedron elements, the same arrangement and coupling between elements, and wherein said several multilevel structures are arranged in a manner similar to that of the arrangement of the polygonal or polyhedral elements that form one of the multilevel structures of said antenna. 30. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure comprises five triangles joined at their vertices, and forms an external perimeter having a triangular shape. 31. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure comprises five triangles joined at their vertices, and has an inductive loop at its top having a trapezoidal shape. 32. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one multilevel structure comprises a printed copper sheet on a printed circuit board. 33. The antenna according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5, 13, 15, or 16 wherein said antenna is included in a portable communications device. 34. The antenna according to claim 33, wherein said portable communications device is a handset. 35. The antenna according to claim 34, wherein said antenna operates at multiple frequency bands, and wherein at least one of said frequency bands is operating within the 800 MHz-3600 MHz frequency range. 36. The antenna according to claim 34, wherein said antenna operates at multiple frequency bands, and wherein at least one of said frequency bands is operating within the 890 MHz-3600 MHz frequency range. 37. The antenna according to claim 34, wherein the number of operating bands is proportional to the number of levels within said multilevel structure. 38. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein the number of operating bands is proportional to the number of levels within said multilevel structure. | OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to antennae formed by sets of similar geometrical elements (polygons, polyhedrons electro magnetically coupled and grouped such that in the antenna structure may be distinguished each of the basic elements which form it. More specifically, it relates to a specific geometrical design of said antennae by which two main advantages are provided: the antenna may operate simultaneously in several frequencies and/or its size can be substantially reduced. The scope of application of the present invention is mainly within the field of telecommunications, and more specifically in the field of radio-communication. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Antennae were first developed towards the end of the past century, when James C. Maxwell in 1864 postulated the fundamental laws of electromagnetism. Heinrich Hertz may be attributed in 1886 with the invention of the first antenna by which transmission in air of electromagnetic waves was demonstrated. In the mid forties were shown the fundamental restrictions of antennae as regards the reduction of their size relative to wavelength, and at the start of the sixties the first frequency-independent antennae appeared. At that time helixes, spirals, logo periodic groupings, cones and structures defined solely by angles were proposed for construction of wide band antennae. In 1995 were introduced the fractal or multifractal type antennae (U.S. Pat. No. 9,501,019), which due to their geometry presented a multifrequency behavior and in certain cases a small size. Later were introduced multitriangular antennae (U.S. Pat. No. 9,800,954) which operated simultaneously in bands GSM 900 and GSM 1800. The antennae described in the present patent have their origin in fractal and multitriangular type antennae, but solve several problems of a practical nature which limit the behavior of said antennae and reduce their applicability in real environments. From a scientific standpoint strictly fractal antennae are impossible, as fractal objects are a mathematical abstraction which include an infinite number of elements. It is possible to generate antennae with a form based on said fractal objects, incorporating a finite number of iterations. The performance of such antennae is limited to the specific geometry of each one. For example, the position of the bands and their relative spacing is related to fractal geometry and it is not always possible, viable or economic to design the antennae maintaining its fractal appearance and at the same time placing the bands at the correct area of the radioelectric spectrum. To begin, truncation implies a clear example of the limitations brought about by using a real fractal type antenna which attempts to approximate the theoretical behavior of an ideal fractal antenna. Said effect breaks the behavior of the ideal fractal structure in the lower band, displacing it from its theoretical position relative to the other bands and in short requiring a too large size for the antenna which hinders practical applications. In addition to such practical problems, it is not always possible to alter the fractal structure to present the level of impedance of radiation diagram which is suited to the requirements of each application. Due to these reasons, it is often necessary to leave the fractal geometry and resort to other types of geometries which offer a greater flexibility as regards the position of frequency bands of the antennae, adaptation levels and impedances, polarization and radiation diagrams. Multitriangular structures (U.S. Pat. No. 9,800,954) were an example of non-fractal structures with a geometry designed such that the antennae could be used in base stations of GSM and DCS cellular telephony. Antennae described in said patent consisted of three triangles joined only at their vertices, of a size adequate for use in bands 890 MHz-960 MHz and 1710 MHz-1880 MHz. This was a specific solution for a specific environment which did not provide the flexibility and versatility required to deal with other antennae designs for other environments. Multilevel antennae solve the operational limitations of fractal and multitriangular antennae. Their geometry is much more flexible, rich and varied, allowing operation of the antenna from two to many more bands, as well as providing a greater versatility as regards diagrams, band positions and impedance levels, to name a few examples. Although they are not fractal, multilevel antennae are characterised in that they comprise a number of elements which may be distinguished in the overall structure. Precisely because they clearly show several levels of detail (that of the overall structure and that of the individual elements which make it up), antennae provide a multiband behavior and/or a small size. The origin of their name also lies in said property. The present invention consists of an antenna whose radiating element is characterised by its geometrical shape, which basically comprises several polygons or polyhedrons of the same type. That is, it comprises for example triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons or even circles and ellipses as a limiting case of a polygon with a large number of sides, as well as tetrahedra, hexahedra, prisms, dodecahedra, etc. coupled to each other electrically (either through at least one point of contact o through a small separation providing a capacitive coupling) and grouped in structures of a higher level such that in the body of the antenna can be identified the polygonal or polyhedral elements which it comprises. In turn, structures generated in this manner can be grouped in higher order structures in a manner similar to the basic elements, and so on until reaching as many levels as the antenna designer desires. Its designation as multilevel antenna is precisely due to the fact that in the body of the antenna can be identified at least two levels of detail: that of the overall structure and that of the majority of the elements (polygons or polyhedrons) which make it up. This is achieved by ensuring that the area of contact or intersection (if it exists) between the majority of the elements forming the antenna is only a fraction of the perimeter or surrounding area of said polygons or polyhedrons. A particular property of multilevel antennae is that their radioelectric behavior can be similar in several frequency bands. Antenna input parameters (impedance and radiation diagram) remain similar for several frequency bands (that is, the antenna has the same level of adaptation or standing wave relationship in each different band), and often the antenna presents almost identical radiation diagrams at different frequencies. This is due precisely to the multilevel structure of the antenna, that is, to the fact that it remains possible to identify in the antenna the majority of basic elements (same type polygons or polyhedrons) which make it up. The number of frequency bands is proportional to the number of scales or sizes of the polygonal elements or similar sets in which they are grouped contained in the geometry of the main radiating element. In addition to their multiband behavior, multilevel structure antennae usually have a smaller than usual size as compared to other antennae of a simpler structure. (Such as those consisting of a single polygon or polyhedron). This is because the path followed by the electric current on the multilevel structure is longer and more winding than in a simple geometry, due to the empty spaces between the various polygon or polyhedron elements. Said empty spaces force a given path for the current (which must circumvent said spaces) which travels a greater distance and therefore resonates at a lower frequency. Additionally, its edge-rich and discontinuity-rich structure simplifies the radiation process, relatively increasing the radiation resistance of the antenna and reducing the quality factor Q, i.e. increasing its bandwidth. Thus, the main characteristic of multilevel antennae are the following: A multilevel geometry comprising polygon or polyhedron of the same class, electromagnetically coupled and grouped to form a larger structure. In multilevel geometry most of these elements are clearly visible as their area of contact, intersection or interconnection (if these exist) with other elements is always less than 50% of their perimeter. The radioelectric behavior resulting from the geometry: multilevel antennae can present a multiband behavior (identical or similar for several frequency bands) and/or operate at a reduced frequency, which allows to reduce their size. In specialized literature it is already possible to find descriptions of certain antennae designs which allow to cover a few bands. However, in these designs the multiband behavior is achieved by grouping several single band antennae or by incorporating reactive elements in the antennae (concentrated elements as inductors or capacitors or their integrated versions such as posts or notches) which force the apparition of new resonance frequencies. Multilevel antennae on the contrary base their behavior on their particular geometry, offering a greater flexibility to the antenna designer as to the number of bands (proportional to the number of levels of detail), position, relative spacing and width, and thereby offer better and more varied characteristics for the final product. A multilevel structure can be used in any known antenna configuration. As a nonlimiting example can be cited: dipoles, monopoles, patch or microstrip antennae, coplanar antennae, reflector antennae, wound antennae or even antenna arrays. Manufacturing techniques are also not characteristic of multilevel antennae as the best suited technique may be used for each structure or application. For example: printing on dielectric substrate by photolithography (printed circuit technique); dieing on metal plate, repulsion on dielectric, etc. Publication WO 97/06578 discloses a fractal antenna, which has nothing to do with a multilevel antenna being both geometries essentially different. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent in view of the detailed description which follows of a preferred embodiment of the invention given for purposes of illustration only and in no way meant as a definition of the limits of the invention, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a specific example of a multilevel element comprising only triangular polygons. FIG. 2 shows examples of assemblies of multilevel antennae in several configurations: monopole (2.1), dipole (2.2), patch (2.3), coplanar antennae (2.4), horn (2.5-2.6) and array (2.7). FIG. 3 shows examples of multilevel structures based on triangles. FIG. 4 shows examples of multilevel structures based on parallelepipeds. FIG. 5 examples of multilevel structures based on pentagons. FIG. 6 shows of multilevel structures based on hexagons. FIG. 7 shows of multilevel structures based on polyhedrons. FIG. 8 shows an example of a specific operational mode for a multilevel antenna in a patch configuration for base stations of GSM (900 MHz) and DCS (1800 MHz) cellular telephony. FIG. 9 shows input parameters (return loss on 50 ohms) for the multilevel antenna described in the previous figure. FIG. 10 shows radiation diagrams for the multilevel antenna of FIG. 8: horizontal and vertical planes. FIG. 11 shows an example of a specific operation mode for a multilevel antenna in a monopole construction for indoors wireless communication systems or in radio-accessed local network environments. FIG. 12 shows input parameters (return loss on 50 ohms) for the multilevel antenna of the previous figure. FIG. 13 shows radiation diagrams for the multilevel antenna of FIG. 11. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In the detailed description which follows f a preferred embodiment of the present invention permanent reference is made to the figures of the drawings, where the same numerals refer to the identical or similar parts. The present invention relates to an antenna which includes at least one construction element in a multilevel structure form. A multilevel structure is characterized in that it is formed by gathering several polygon or polyhedron of the same type (for example triangles, parallelepipeds, pentagons, hexagons, etc., even circles or ellipses as special limiting cases of a polygon with a large number of sides, as well as tetrahedra, hexahedra, prisms, dodecahedra, etc. coupled to each other electromagnetically, whether by proximity or by direct contact between elements. A multilevel structure or figure is distinguished from another conventional figure precisely by the interconnection (if it exists) between its component elements (the polygon or polyhedron). In a multilevel structure at least 75% of its component elements have more than 50% of their perimeter (for polygons) not in contact with any of the other elements of the structure. Thus, in a multilevel structure it is easy to identify geometrically and individually distinguish most of its basic component elements, presenting at least two levels of detail: that of the overall structure and that of the polygon or polyhedron elements which form it. Its name is precisely due to this characteristic and from the fact that the polygon or polyhedron can be included in a great variety of sizes. Additionally, several multilevel structures may be grouped and coupled electromagnetically to each other to form higher level structures. In a multilevel structure all the component elements are polygons with the same number of sides or polyhedron with the same number of faces. Naturally, this property is broken when several multilevel structures of different natures are grouped and electromagnetically coupled to form meta-structures of a higher level. In this manner, in FIGS. 1 to 7 are shown a few specific examples of multilevel structures. FIG. 1 shows a multilevel element exclusively consisting of triangles of various sizes and shapes. Note that in this particular case each and every one of the elements (triangles, in black) can be distinguished, as the triangles only overlap in a small area of their perimeter, in this case at their vertices. FIG. 2 shows examples of assemblies of multilevel antennae in various configurations: monopole (21), dipole (22), patch (23), coplanar antennae (24), coil in a side view (25) and front view (26) and array (27). With this it should be remarked that regardless of its configuration the multilevel antenna is different from other antennae in the geometry of its characteristic radiant element. FIG. 3 shows further examples of multilevel structures (3.1-3.15) with a triangular origin, all comprised of triangles. Note that case (3.14) is an evolution of case (3.13); despite the contact between the 4 triangles, 75% of the elements (three triangles, except the central one) have more than 50% of the perimeter free. FIG. 4 describes multilevel structures (4.1-4.14) formed by parallelepipeds (squares, rectangles, rhombi . . . ). Note that the component elements are always individually identifiable (at least most of them are). In case (4.12), specifically, said elements have 100% of their perimeter free, without there being any physical connection between them (coupling is achieved by proximity due to the mutual capacitance between elements). FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show non limiting examples of other multilevel structures based on pentagons, hexagons and polyhedron respectively. It should be remarked that the difference between multilevel antennae and other existing antennae lies in the particular geometry, not in their configuration as an antenna or in the materials used for construction. Thus, the multilevel structure may be used with any known antenna configuration, such as for example and in a non limiting manner: dipoles, monopoles, patch or microstrip antennae, coplanar antennae, reflector antennae, wound antennae or even in arrays. In general, the multilevel structure forms part of the radiative element characteristic of said configurations, such as the arm, the mass plane or both in a monopole, an arm or both in a dipole, the patch or printed element in a microstrip, patch or coplanar antenna; the reflector for an reflector antenna, or the conical section or even antenna walls in a horn type antenna. It is even possible to use a spiral type antenna configuration in which the geometry of the loop or loops is the outer perimeter of a multilevel structure. In all, the difference between a multilevel antenna and a conventional one lies in the geometry of the radiative element or one of its components, and not in its specific configuration. As regards construction materials and technology, the implementation of multilevel antennae is not limited to any of these in particular and any of the existing or future techniques may be employed as considered best suited for each application, as the essence of the invention is found in the geometry used in the multilevel structure and not in the specific configuration. Thus, the multilevel structure may for example be formed by sheets, parts of conducting or superconducting material, by printing in dielectric substrates (rigid or flexible) with a metallic coating as with printed circuits, by imbrications of several dielectric materials which form the multilevel structure, etc. always depending on the specific requirements of each case and application. Once the multilevel structure is formed the implementation of the antenna depends on the chosen configuration (monopole, dipole, patch, horn, reflector . . . ). For monopole, spiral, dipole and patch antennae the multisimilar structure is implemented on a metal support (a simple procedure involves applying a photolithography process to a virgin printed circuit dielectric plate) and the structure is mounted on a standard microwave connector, which for the monopole or patch cases is in turn connected to a mass plane (typically a metal plate or case) as for any conventional antenna. For the dipole case two identical multilevel structures form the two arms of the antenna; in an opening antenna the multilevel geometry may be part of the metal wall of a horn or its cross section, and finally for a reflector the multisimilar element or a set of these may form or cover the reflector. The most relevant properties of the multilevel antennae are mainly due to their geometry and are as follows: the possibility of simultaneous operation in several frequency bands in a similar manner (similar impedance and radiation diagrams) and the possibility of reducing their size compared to other conventional antennae based exclusively on a single polygon or polyhedron. Such properties are particularly relevant in the field of communication systems. Simultaneous operation in several freq bands allows a single multilevel antenna to integrate several communication systems, instead of assigning an antenna for each system or service as is conventional. Size reduction is particularly useful when the antenna must be concealed due to its visual impact in the urban or rural landscape, or to its unaesthetic or unaerodynamic effect when incorporated on a vehicle or a portable telecommunication device. An example of the advantages obtained from the use of a multiband antenna in a real environment is the multilevel antenna AM1, described further below, used for GSM and DCS environments. These antennae are designed to meet radioelectric specifications in both cell phone systems. Using a single GSM and DCS multilevel antenna for both bands (900 MHz and 1800 MHz) cell telephony operators can reduce costs and environmental impact of their station networks while increasing the number of users (customers) supported by the network. It becomes particularly relevant to differentiate multilevel antennae from fractal antennae. The latter are based on fractal geometry, which is based on abstract mathematical concepts which are difficult to implement in practice. Specialized scientific literature usually defines as fractal those geometrical objects with a non-integral Haussdorf dimension. This means that fractal objects exist only as an abstraction or a concept, but that said geometries are unthinkable (in a strict sense) for a tangible object or drawing, although it is true that antennae based on this geometry have been developed and widely described in the scientific literature, despite their geometry not being strictly fractal in scientific terms. Nevertheless some of these antennae provide a multiband behaviour (their impedance and radiation diagram remains practically constant for several freq bands), they do not on their own offer all of the behaviour required of an antenna for applicability in a practical environment. Thus, Sierpinski's antenna for example has a multiband behaviour with N bands spaced by a factor of 2, and although with this spacing one could conceive its use for communications networks GSM 900 MHz and GSM 1800 MHz (or DCS), its unsuitable radiation diagram and size for these frequencies prevent a practical use in a real environment. In short, to obtain an antenna which in addition to providing a multiband behaviour meets all of the specifications demanded for each specific application it is almost always necessary to abandon the fractal geometry and resort for example to multilevel geometry antennae. As an example, none of the structures described in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are fractal. Their Hausdorff dimension is equal to 2 for all, which is the same as their topological dimension. Similarly, none of the multilevel structures of FIG. 7 are fractal, with their Hausdorff dimension equal to 3, as their topological dimension. In any case multilevel structures should not be confused with arrays of antennae. Although it is true that an array is formed by sets of identical antennae, in these the elements are electromagnetically decoupled, exactly the opposite of what is intended in multilevel antennae. In an array each element is powered independently whether by specific signal transmitters or receivers for each element, or by a signal distribution network, while in a multilevel antenna the structure is excited in a few of its elements and the remaining ones are coupled electromagnetically or by direct contact (in a region which does not exceed 50% of the perimeter or surface of adjacent elements). In an array is sought an increase in the directivity of an individual antenna o forming a diagram for a specific application; in a multilevel antenna the object is to obtain a multiband behaviour or a reduced size of the antenna, which implies a completely different application from arrays. Below are described, for purposes of illustration only, two non-limiting examples of operational modes for Multilevel Antennae (AM1 and AM2) for specific environments and applications. Mode AM1 This model consists of a multilevel patch type antenna, shown in FIG. 8, which operates simultaneously in bands GSM 900 (890 MHz-960 MHz) and GSM 1800 (1710 MHz-1880 MHz) and provides a sector radiation diagram in a horizontal plane. The antenna is conceived mainly (although not limited to) for use in base stations of GSM 900 and 1800 mobile telephony. The multilevel structure (8.10), or antenna patch, consists of a printed copper sheet on a standard fiberglass printed circuit board. The multilevel geometry consists of 5 triangles (8.1-8.5) joined at their vertices, as shown in FIG. 8, with an external perimeter shaped as an equilateral triangle of height 13.9 cm (8.6). The bottom triangle has a height (8.7) of 8.2 cm and together with the two adjacent triangles form a structure with a triangular perimeter of height 10.7 cm (8.8). The multilevel patch (8.10) is mounted parallel to an earth plane (8.9) of rectangular aluminum of 22×18.5 cm. The separation between the patch and the earth plane is 3.3 cm, which is maintained by a pair of dielectric spacers which act as support (8.12). Connection to the antenna is at two points of the multilevel structure, one for each operational band (GSM 900 and GSM 1800). Excitation is achieved by a vertical metal post perpendicular to the mass plane and to the multilevel structure, capacitively finished by a metal sheet which is electrically coupled by proximity (capacitive effect) to the patch. This is a standard system in patch configuration antennae, by which the object is to compensate the inductive effect of the post with the capacitive effect of its finish. At the base of the excitation post is connected the circuit which interconnects the elements and the port of access to the antenna or connector (8.13). Said interconnexion circuit may be formed with microstrip, coaxial or strip-line technology to name a few examples, and incorporates conventional adaptation networks which transform the impedance measured at The base of the post to 50 ohms (with a typical tolerance in the standing wave relation (SWR) usual for these application under 1.5) required at the input/output antenna connector. Said connector is generally of the type N or SMA for micro-cell base station applications. In addition to adapting the impedance and providing an interconnection with the radiating element the interconnection network (8.11) may include a diplexor allowing the antenna to be presented in a two connector configuration (one for each band) or in a single connector for both bands. For a double connector configuration in order to increase the insulation between the GSM 900 and GSM 1800 (DCS) terminals, the base of the DCS band excitation post may be connected to a parallel stub of electrical length equal to half a wavelength, in the central DCS wavelength, and finishing in an open circuit. Similarly, at the base of the GSM 900 lead can be connected a parallel stub ending in an open circuit of electrical length slightly greater than one quarter of the wavelength at the central wavelength of the GSM band. Said stub introduces a capacitance in the base of the connection which may be regulated to compensate the residual inductive effect of the post. Furthermore, said stub presents a very low impedance in the DCS band which aids in the insulation between connectors in said band. In FIGS. 9 and 10 are shown the typical radioelectric behavior for this specific embodiment of a dual multilevel antenna. FIG. 9 shows return losses (Lr) in GSM (9.1) and DCS (9.2), typically under −14 dB (which is equivalent to SWR<1.5), so that the antenna is well adapted in both operation bands (890 MHz-960 MHz and 1710 MHz-1880 MHz). Radiation diagrams in the vertical (10.1 and 10.3) and the horizontal plane (10.2 and 10.4) for both bands are shown in FIG. 10. It can be seen clearly that both antennae radiate using a main lobe in the direction perpendicular to the antenna (10.1 and 10.3), and that in the horizontal plane (10.2 and 10.4) both diagrams are sectorial with a typical beam width at 3 dB of 65°. Typical directivity (d) in both bands is d>7 Db. Mode AM2 This model consists of a multilevel antenna in a monopole configuration, shown in FIG. 11, for wireless communications systems for indoors or in local access environments using radio. The antenna operates in a similar manner simultaneously for the bands 1880 MHz-1930 MHz and 3400 MHz-3600 MHz, such as in installations with the system DECT. The multilevel structure is formed by three or five triangles (see FIGS. 11 and 3.6) to which may be added an inductive loop (11.1). The antenna presents an omnidirectional radiation diagram in the horizontal plane and is conceived mainly for (but not limited to) mounting on roof or floor. The multilevel structure is printed on a Rogers® RO4003 dielectric substrate (11.2) of 5.5 cm width, 4.9 cm height and 0.8 mm thickness, and with a dielectric permittivity equal to 3.38. the multilevel element consists of three triangles (11.3-11.5) joined at the vertex; the bottom triangle (11.3) has a height of 1.82 cm, while the multilevel structure has a total height of 2.72 cm. In order to reduce the total size f the antenna the multilevel element is added an inductive loop (11.1) at its top with a trapezoidal shape in this specific application, so that the total size of the radiating element is 4.5 cm. The multilevel structure is mounted perpendicularly on a metallic (such as aluminum) earth plane (11.6) with a square or circular shape about 18 cm in length or diameter. The bottom vertex of the element is placed on the center of the mass plane and forms the excitation point for the antenna. At this point is connected the interconnection network which links the radiating element to the input/output connector. Said interconnection network may be implemented as a microstrip, strip-line or coaxial technology to name a few examples. In this specific example the microstrip configuration was used. In addition to the interconnection between radiating element and connector, the network can be used as an impedance transformer, adapting the impedance at the vertex of the multilevel element to the 50 Ohms (Lr<−14 dB, SWR<1.5) required at the input/output connector. FIGS. 12 and 13 summarize the radioelectric behavior of antennae in the lower (1900) and higher bands (3500). FIG. 12 shows the standing wave ratio (SWR) for both bands: FIG. 12.1 for the band between 1880 and 1930 MHz, and FIG. 12.2 for the band between 3400 and 3600 MHz. These show that the antenna is well adapted as return losses are under 14 dB, that is, SWR<1.5 for the entire band of interest. FIG. 13 shows typical radiation diagrams. Diagrams (13.1), (13.2) and (13.3) at 1905 MHz measured in the vertical plane, horizontal plane and antenna plane, respectively, and diagrams (13.4), (13.5) and (13.6) at 3500 MHz measured in the vertical plane, horizontal plane and antenna plane, respectively. One can observe an omnidirectional behaviour in the horizontal plane and a typical bilobular diagram in the vertical plane with the typical antenna directivity above 4 dBi in the 1900 band and 6 dBi in the 3500 band. In the antenna behavior it should be remarked that the behavior is quite similar for both bands (both SWR and in the diagram) which makes it a multiband antenna. Both the AM1 and AM2 antennae will typically be coated in a dielectric radome which is practically transparent to electromagnetic radiation, meant to protect the radiating element and the connection network from external aggression as well as to provide a pleasing external appearance. It is not considered necessary to extend this description in the understanding that an expert in the field would be capable of understanding its scope and advantages resulting thereof, as well as to reproduce it. However, as the above description relates only to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that within this essence may be introduced various variations of detail, also protected, the size and/or materials used in manufacturing the whole or any of its parts. | <SOH> BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Antennae were first developed towards the end of the past century, when James C. Maxwell in 1864 postulated the fundamental laws of electromagnetism. Heinrich Hertz may be attributed in 1886 with the invention of the first antenna by which transmission in air of electromagnetic waves was demonstrated. In the mid forties were shown the fundamental restrictions of antennae as regards the reduction of their size relative to wavelength, and at the start of the sixties the first frequency-independent antennae appeared. At that time helixes, spirals, logo periodic groupings, cones and structures defined solely by angles were proposed for construction of wide band antennae. In 1995 were introduced the fractal or multifractal type antennae (U.S. Pat. No. 9,501,019), which due to their geometry presented a multifrequency behavior and in certain cases a small size. Later were introduced multitriangular antennae (U.S. Pat. No. 9,800,954) which operated simultaneously in bands GSM 900 and GSM 1800. The antennae described in the present patent have their origin in fractal and multitriangular type antennae, but solve several problems of a practical nature which limit the behavior of said antennae and reduce their applicability in real environments. From a scientific standpoint strictly fractal antennae are impossible, as fractal objects are a mathematical abstraction which include an infinite number of elements. It is possible to generate antennae with a form based on said fractal objects, incorporating a finite number of iterations. The performance of such antennae is limited to the specific geometry of each one. For example, the position of the bands and their relative spacing is related to fractal geometry and it is not always possible, viable or economic to design the antennae maintaining its fractal appearance and at the same time placing the bands at the correct area of the radioelectric spectrum. To begin, truncation implies a clear example of the limitations brought about by using a real fractal type antenna which attempts to approximate the theoretical behavior of an ideal fractal antenna. Said effect breaks the behavior of the ideal fractal structure in the lower band, displacing it from its theoretical position relative to the other bands and in short requiring a too large size for the antenna which hinders practical applications. In addition to such practical problems, it is not always possible to alter the fractal structure to present the level of impedance of radiation diagram which is suited to the requirements of each application. Due to these reasons, it is often necessary to leave the fractal geometry and resort to other types of geometries which offer a greater flexibility as regards the position of frequency bands of the antennae, adaptation levels and impedances, polarization and radiation diagrams. Multitriangular structures (U.S. Pat. No. 9,800,954) were an example of non-fractal structures with a geometry designed such that the antennae could be used in base stations of GSM and DCS cellular telephony. Antennae described in said patent consisted of three triangles joined only at their vertices, of a size adequate for use in bands 890 MHz-960 MHz and 1710 MHz-1880 MHz. This was a specific solution for a specific environment which did not provide the flexibility and versatility required to deal with other antennae designs for other environments. Multilevel antennae solve the operational limitations of fractal and multitriangular antennae. Their geometry is much more flexible, rich and varied, allowing operation of the antenna from two to many more bands, as well as providing a greater versatility as regards diagrams, band positions and impedance levels, to name a few examples. Although they are not fractal, multilevel antennae are characterised in that they comprise a number of elements which may be distinguished in the overall structure. Precisely because they clearly show several levels of detail (that of the overall structure and that of the individual elements which make it up), antennae provide a multiband behavior and/or a small size. The origin of their name also lies in said property. The present invention consists of an antenna whose radiating element is characterised by its geometrical shape, which basically comprises several polygons or polyhedrons of the same type. That is, it comprises for example triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons or even circles and ellipses as a limiting case of a polygon with a large number of sides, as well as tetrahedra, hexahedra, prisms, dodecahedra, etc. coupled to each other electrically (either through at least one point of contact o through a small separation providing a capacitive coupling) and grouped in structures of a higher level such that in the body of the antenna can be identified the polygonal or polyhedral elements which it comprises. In turn, structures generated in this manner can be grouped in higher order structures in a manner similar to the basic elements, and so on until reaching as many levels as the antenna designer desires. Its designation as multilevel antenna is precisely due to the fact that in the body of the antenna can be identified at least two levels of detail: that of the overall structure and that of the majority of the elements (polygons or polyhedrons) which make it up. This is achieved by ensuring that the area of contact or intersection (if it exists) between the majority of the elements forming the antenna is only a fraction of the perimeter or surrounding area of said polygons or polyhedrons. A particular property of multilevel antennae is that their radioelectric behavior can be similar in several frequency bands. Antenna input parameters (impedance and radiation diagram) remain similar for several frequency bands (that is, the antenna has the same level of adaptation or standing wave relationship in each different band), and often the antenna presents almost identical radiation diagrams at different frequencies. This is due precisely to the multilevel structure of the antenna, that is, to the fact that it remains possible to identify in the antenna the majority of basic elements (same type polygons or polyhedrons) which make it up. The number of frequency bands is proportional to the number of scales or sizes of the polygonal elements or similar sets in which they are grouped contained in the geometry of the main radiating element. In addition to their multiband behavior, multilevel structure antennae usually have a smaller than usual size as compared to other antennae of a simpler structure. (Such as those consisting of a single polygon or polyhedron). This is because the path followed by the electric current on the multilevel structure is longer and more winding than in a simple geometry, due to the empty spaces between the various polygon or polyhedron elements. Said empty spaces force a given path for the current (which must circumvent said spaces) which travels a greater distance and therefore resonates at a lower frequency. Additionally, its edge-rich and discontinuity-rich structure simplifies the radiation process, relatively increasing the radiation resistance of the antenna and reducing the quality factor Q, i.e. increasing its bandwidth. Thus, the main characteristic of multilevel antennae are the following: A multilevel geometry comprising polygon or polyhedron of the same class, electromagnetically coupled and grouped to form a larger structure. In multilevel geometry most of these elements are clearly visible as their area of contact, intersection or interconnection (if these exist) with other elements is always less than 50% of their perimeter. The radioelectric behavior resulting from the geometry: multilevel antennae can present a multiband behavior (identical or similar for several frequency bands) and/or operate at a reduced frequency, which allows to reduce their size. In specialized literature it is already possible to find descriptions of certain antennae designs which allow to cover a few bands. However, in these designs the multiband behavior is achieved by grouping several single band antennae or by incorporating reactive elements in the antennae (concentrated elements as inductors or capacitors or their integrated versions such as posts or notches) which force the apparition of new resonance frequencies. Multilevel antennae on the contrary base their behavior on their particular geometry, offering a greater flexibility to the antenna designer as to the number of bands (proportional to the number of levels of detail), position, relative spacing and width, and thereby offer better and more varied characteristics for the final product. A multilevel structure can be used in any known antenna configuration. As a nonlimiting example can be cited: dipoles, monopoles, patch or microstrip antennae, coplanar antennae, reflector antennae, wound antennae or even antenna arrays. Manufacturing techniques are also not characteristic of multilevel antennae as the best suited technique may be used for each structure or application. For example: printing on dielectric substrate by photolithography (printed circuit technique); dieing on metal plate, repulsion on dielectric, etc. Publication WO 97/06578 discloses a fractal antenna, which has nothing to do with a multilevel antenna being both geometries essentially different. | <SOH> BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Antennae were first developed towards the end of the past century, when James C. Maxwell in 1864 postulated the fundamental laws of electromagnetism. Heinrich Hertz may be attributed in 1886 with the invention of the first antenna by which transmission in air of electromagnetic waves was demonstrated. In the mid forties were shown the fundamental restrictions of antennae as regards the reduction of their size relative to wavelength, and at the start of the sixties the first frequency-independent antennae appeared. At that time helixes, spirals, logo periodic groupings, cones and structures defined solely by angles were proposed for construction of wide band antennae. In 1995 were introduced the fractal or multifractal type antennae (U.S. Pat. No. 9,501,019), which due to their geometry presented a multifrequency behavior and in certain cases a small size. Later were introduced multitriangular antennae (U.S. Pat. No. 9,800,954) which operated simultaneously in bands GSM 900 and GSM 1800. The antennae described in the present patent have their origin in fractal and multitriangular type antennae, but solve several problems of a practical nature which limit the behavior of said antennae and reduce their applicability in real environments. From a scientific standpoint strictly fractal antennae are impossible, as fractal objects are a mathematical abstraction which include an infinite number of elements. It is possible to generate antennae with a form based on said fractal objects, incorporating a finite number of iterations. The performance of such antennae is limited to the specific geometry of each one. For example, the position of the bands and their relative spacing is related to fractal geometry and it is not always possible, viable or economic to design the antennae maintaining its fractal appearance and at the same time placing the bands at the correct area of the radioelectric spectrum. To begin, truncation implies a clear example of the limitations brought about by using a real fractal type antenna which attempts to approximate the theoretical behavior of an ideal fractal antenna. Said effect breaks the behavior of the ideal fractal structure in the lower band, displacing it from its theoretical position relative to the other bands and in short requiring a too large size for the antenna which hinders practical applications. In addition to such practical problems, it is not always possible to alter the fractal structure to present the level of impedance of radiation diagram which is suited to the requirements of each application. Due to these reasons, it is often necessary to leave the fractal geometry and resort to other types of geometries which offer a greater flexibility as regards the position of frequency bands of the antennae, adaptation levels and impedances, polarization and radiation diagrams. Multitriangular structures (U.S. Pat. No. 9,800,954) were an example of non-fractal structures with a geometry designed such that the antennae could be used in base stations of GSM and DCS cellular telephony. Antennae described in said patent consisted of three triangles joined only at their vertices, of a size adequate for use in bands 890 MHz-960 MHz and 1710 MHz-1880 MHz. This was a specific solution for a specific environment which did not provide the flexibility and versatility required to deal with other antennae designs for other environments. Multilevel antennae solve the operational limitations of fractal and multitriangular antennae. Their geometry is much more flexible, rich and varied, allowing operation of the antenna from two to many more bands, as well as providing a greater versatility as regards diagrams, band positions and impedance levels, to name a few examples. Although they are not fractal, multilevel antennae are characterised in that they comprise a number of elements which may be distinguished in the overall structure. Precisely because they clearly show several levels of detail (that of the overall structure and that of the individual elements which make it up), antennae provide a multiband behavior and/or a small size. The origin of their name also lies in said property. The present invention consists of an antenna whose radiating element is characterised by its geometrical shape, which basically comprises several polygons or polyhedrons of the same type. That is, it comprises for example triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons or even circles and ellipses as a limiting case of a polygon with a large number of sides, as well as tetrahedra, hexahedra, prisms, dodecahedra, etc. coupled to each other electrically (either through at least one point of contact o through a small separation providing a capacitive coupling) and grouped in structures of a higher level such that in the body of the antenna can be identified the polygonal or polyhedral elements which it comprises. In turn, structures generated in this manner can be grouped in higher order structures in a manner similar to the basic elements, and so on until reaching as many levels as the antenna designer desires. Its designation as multilevel antenna is precisely due to the fact that in the body of the antenna can be identified at least two levels of detail: that of the overall structure and that of the majority of the elements (polygons or polyhedrons) which make it up. This is achieved by ensuring that the area of contact or intersection (if it exists) between the majority of the elements forming the antenna is only a fraction of the perimeter or surrounding area of said polygons or polyhedrons. A particular property of multilevel antennae is that their radioelectric behavior can be similar in several frequency bands. Antenna input parameters (impedance and radiation diagram) remain similar for several frequency bands (that is, the antenna has the same level of adaptation or standing wave relationship in each different band), and often the antenna presents almost identical radiation diagrams at different frequencies. This is due precisely to the multilevel structure of the antenna, that is, to the fact that it remains possible to identify in the antenna the majority of basic elements (same type polygons or polyhedrons) which make it up. The number of frequency bands is proportional to the number of scales or sizes of the polygonal elements or similar sets in which they are grouped contained in the geometry of the main radiating element. In addition to their multiband behavior, multilevel structure antennae usually have a smaller than usual size as compared to other antennae of a simpler structure. (Such as those consisting of a single polygon or polyhedron). This is because the path followed by the electric current on the multilevel structure is longer and more winding than in a simple geometry, due to the empty spaces between the various polygon or polyhedron elements. Said empty spaces force a given path for the current (which must circumvent said spaces) which travels a greater distance and therefore resonates at a lower frequency. Additionally, its edge-rich and discontinuity-rich structure simplifies the radiation process, relatively increasing the radiation resistance of the antenna and reducing the quality factor Q, i.e. increasing its bandwidth. Thus, the main characteristic of multilevel antennae are the following: A multilevel geometry comprising polygon or polyhedron of the same class, electromagnetically coupled and grouped to form a larger structure. In multilevel geometry most of these elements are clearly visible as their area of contact, intersection or interconnection (if these exist) with other elements is always less than 50% of their perimeter. The radioelectric behavior resulting from the geometry: multilevel antennae can present a multiband behavior (identical or similar for several frequency bands) and/or operate at a reduced frequency, which allows to reduce their size. In specialized literature it is already possible to find descriptions of certain antennae designs which allow to cover a few bands. However, in these designs the multiband behavior is achieved by grouping several single band antennae or by incorporating reactive elements in the antennae (concentrated elements as inductors or capacitors or their integrated versions such as posts or notches) which force the apparition of new resonance frequencies. Multilevel antennae on the contrary base their behavior on their particular geometry, offering a greater flexibility to the antenna designer as to the number of bands (proportional to the number of levels of detail), position, relative spacing and width, and thereby offer better and more varied characteristics for the final product. A multilevel structure can be used in any known antenna configuration. As a nonlimiting example can be cited: dipoles, monopoles, patch or microstrip antennae, coplanar antennae, reflector antennae, wound antennae or even antenna arrays. Manufacturing techniques are also not characteristic of multilevel antennae as the best suited technique may be used for each structure or application. For example: printing on dielectric substrate by photolithography (printed circuit technique); dieing on metal plate, repulsion on dielectric, etc. Publication WO 97/06578 discloses a fractal antenna, which has nothing to do with a multilevel antenna being both geometries essentially different. | 20041012 | 20060321 | 20050526 | 76572.0 | 3 | PHAN, THO GIA | MULTILEVEL ANTENNAE | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,085 | ACCEPTED | LPA receptor agonists and antagonists and methods of use | The present invention relates to compounds according to formula (I) as disclosed herein as well as pharmaceutical compositions which include those compounds. Also disclosed are methods of using such compounds, which have activity as agonists or as antagonists of LPA receptors; such methods including inhibiting LPA activity on an LPA receptor, modulating LPA receptor activity, treating cancer, enhancing cell proliferation, treating a wound, treating apoptosis or preserving or restoring function in a cell, tissue, or organ, culturing cells, preserving organ or tissue function, and treating a dermatological condition. | 1. A compounds according to formula (I) wherein, at least one of X1, X2, and X3 is (HO)2PS-Z- or (HO)2PS-Z2-P(OH)S-Z1-, X1 and X2 are linked together as —O—PS(OH)—O—, or X1 and X3 are linked together as—PS(OH)—NH—; at least one of X1, X2, and X3 is R1—Y1-A- with each being the same or different when two of X1, X2, and X3 are R1—Y1-A-, or X2 and X3 are linked together as —N(H)—C(O)—N(R1)—; optionally, one of X1, X2, and X3 is H; A is either a direct link, (CH2)k with k being an integer from 0 to 30, or O; Y1 is —(CH2)l with l being an integer from 1 to 30, —O—, —S—, or —NR12—; Z1 is —(CH2)m, —CF2—, —CF2(CH2)m—, or —O(CH2)m— with m being an integer from 1 to 50, —C(R3)H—, —NH—, —O—, or —S—; Z2 is —(CH2)n— or —O(CH2)n— with n being an integer from 1 to 50 or —O—; Q1 and Q2 are independently H2, ═NR4, ═O, a combination of H and —NR5R6; R1, for each of X1, X2, or X3, is independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, or an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl. 2. The compound according to claim 1 wherein Q1 and Q2 are both H2; one of X1 and X2 is (HO)2PS-Z1-, with Z1 being O; and one of X1, X2, and X3 is R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being —CH2—. 3. The compound according to claim 2 wherein R1 is a C3 to C21 straight- or branched-chain alkyl or alkenyl. 4. The compound according to claim 2 wherein R1 is a C7 to C15 straight- or branched-chain alkyl or alkenyl. 5. The compound according to claim 2 wherein the compound is selected from the group of thiophosphoric acid O-decyl ester; thiophosphoric acid O-dodecyl ester; thiophosphoric acid O-tetradecyl ester; thiophosphoric acid O-dec-9-enyl ester; thiophosphoric acid O-dodec-9-enyl ester; thiophosphoric acid O-tetradec-9-enyl ester; and thiophosphoric acid O-octadec-9-enyl ester. 6. The compound according to claim 1 wherein Q1 and Q2 are both H2; one of X1 and X2 is (HO)2PS-Z1-, with Z1 being CF2; and one of X1, X2, and X3 is R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being —CH2—. 7. The compound according to claim 6 wherein R1 is a C3 to C21 straight- or branched-chain alkyl or alkenyl. 8. The compound according to claim 6 wherein R1 is a C7 to C15 straight- or branched-chain alkyl or alkenyl. 9. The compound according to claim 6 wherein the compound is (1,1-Difluoro-pentadecyl) phosphonic acid diethyl ester or (1,1-Difluoro-pentadecyl) phosphonic acid. 10. The compound according to claim 1 wherein Q1 and Q2 are both H2; one of X1, X2, and X3 is (HO)2PS-Z1- with Z1 being O; and two of X1, X2, and X3 are R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being O for each. 11. The compound according to claim 10 wherein R1 is a C6 to C24 straight- or branched-chain alkyl or alkenyl. 12. The compound according to claim 10 wherein R1 is a C8 to C18 straight- or branched-chain alkyl or alkenyl. 13. The compound according to claim 1 wherein Q1 and Q2 are both H2; X3 is H; one of X1 and X2 is (HO)2PS-Z1- with Z1 being O; and the other of of X1 and X2 is R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being —(CH2)l with l being an integer from 1 to 30. 14. The compound according to claim 13 wherein R1 is an alkyl-phenyl group. 15. The compound according to claim 14 wherein the compound is thiophosphoric acid O-[7-(4-octyl-phenyl)-heptyl] ester. 16. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a compound according to claim 1. 17. A method of inhibiting LPA activity on an LPA receptor comprising: providing a compound according to claim 1 having activity as an LPA receptor antagonist; and contacting an LPA receptor with the compound under conditions effective to inhibit LPA-induced activity of the LPA receptor. 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the LPA receptor is selected from the group consisting of LPA1, LPA2, LPA3, LPA4, and PSP-24. 19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the LPA receptor is present on a cell located in vitro. 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the LPA receptor is present on a cell located in vivo. 21. A method of modulating LPA receptor activity comprising: providing a compound according to claim 1 having activity as either an LPA receptor agonist or an LPA receptor antagonist; and contacting an LPA receptor with the compound under conditions effective to modulate the activity of the LPA receptor. 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the LPA receptor is selected from the group consisting of LPA1, LPA2, LPA3, LPA4, and PSP-24. 23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the LPA receptor is present on a cell located in vitro. 24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the LPA receptor is present on a cell located in vivo. 25. A method of treating cancer comprising: providing a compound according to claim 1 having activity as an LPA receptor antagonist; and administering an effective amount of the compound to a patient in a manner effective to treat cancer. 26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the cancer is selected from the group of prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and bladder cancer. 27. A method of enhancing cell proliferation comprising: providing a compound according to claim 1 having activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and contacting the LPA receptor on a cell with the compound in a manner effective to enhance LPA receptor-induced proliferation of the cell. 28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the LPA receptor is selected from the group consisting of LPA1, LPA2, LPA3, LPA4, and PSP-24. 29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the LPA receptor is present on a cell located in vitro. 30. The method according to claim 27, wherein the LPA receptor is present on a cell located in vivo. 31. A method of treating a wound comprising: providing a compound according to claim 1 having activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and delivering an effective amount of the compound to a wound site, where the compound binds to LPA receptors on cells that promote healing of the wound, thereby stimulating LPA receptor agonist-induced cell proliferation to promote wound healing. 32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the LPA receptor is selected from the group consisting of EDG-2, EDG-4, EDG-7, and PSP-24. 33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the LPA receptor is present on a cell located in vitro. 34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the LPA receptor is present on a cell located in vivo. 35. A method of treating apoptosis or preserving or restoring function in a cell, tissue, or organ comprising: providing a compound according to claim 1 which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and contacting a cell, tissue, or organ with an amount of the compound which is effective to treat apoptosis or preserve or restore function in the cell, tissue, or organ. 36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the LPA receptor is selected from the group consisting of LPA1, LPA2, LPA3, LPA4, and PSP-24. 37. The method according to claim 35, wherein said contacting is carried out in vitro. 38. The method according to claim 35, wherein said contacting is carried out in vivo. 39. The method according to claim 35 wherein said contacting comprises: administering the compound to a patient suffering from a condition related to apoptosis, ischemia, traumatic injury, or reperfusion damage. 40. The method according to claim 35 wherein said contacting comprises: administering the compound to a patient suffering from gastrointestinal perturbation. 41. The method according to claim 35 wherein the compound is thiophosphoric acid O-octadec-9-enyl ester. 42. A method of in vitro culturing cells comprising: culturing cells in a culture medium which includes a compound according to claim 1 having activity as an agonist of an LPA receptorm, wherein the compound is present in an amount which is effective to prevent apoptosis or preserve the cells in culture. 43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the cells are mammalian cells. 44. The method according to claim 42, wherein the LPA receptor is selected from the group consisting of LPA1, LPA2, LPA3, LPA4, and PSP-24. 45. A method of preserving an organ or tissue comprising: providing a compound according to claim 1 having activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and treating an organ or tissue with a solution comprising the compound in an amount which is effective to preserve the organ or tissue function. 46. The method according to claim 45, wherein the LPA receptor is selected from the group consisting of LPA1, LPA2, LPA3, LPA4, and PSP-24. 47. The method according to claim 45, wherein the organ or tissue comprises organs or tissues of the gastric tract. 48. The method according to claim 45 wherein said treating comprises: administering the compound to a patient in a manner effective to contact the organs or tissues of the gastric tract with the compound. 49. The method according to claim 48 wherein the compound is thiophosphoric acid O-octadec-9-enyl ester. 50. A method of preserving organ or tissue function comprising: providing a compound according to claim 1 having activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and administering to a recipient of a transplanted organ or tissue an amount of the compound which is effective to preserve the organ or tissue function 51. The method according to claim 50, wherein the LPA receptor is selected from the group consisting of LPA1, LPA2, LPA3, LPA4, and PSP-24. 52. A method of treating a dermatological condition comprising: providing a compound according to claim 1 having activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and topically administering a composition comprising the compound to a patient, the compound being present in an amount which is effective to treat the dermatological condition. 53. The method according to claim 52 wherein the dermatological condition is wrinkling or hair loss. 54. The method according to claim 52 wherein the LPA receptor is selected from the group consisting of LPA1, LPA2, LPA3, LPA4, and PSP-24. 55. A method of making a compound according to claim 1 comprising: reacting (Y2O)2PO-Z11-Z13 or (Y2O)2PO-Z12-P(OH)O-Z11-Z13 where Z11 is —(CH2)m—, —CF2—, —CF2(CH2)m—, or —O(CH2)m— with m being an integer from 1 to 50, —C(R3)H—, —NH—, —O—, or —S—; Z12 is —(CH2)n— or —(CH2)n— with n being an integer from 1 to 50 or —O—; Z13 is H or a first leaving group or -Z11-Z13 together form the first leaving group; and Y2 is H or a protecting group, with an intermediate compound according to formula (IX) in the presence of sulfur where, at least one of X11, X12, and X13 is R11—Y11-A- with each being the same or different when two of X11, X12, and X13 are R11—Y11-A-, or X12 and X13 are linked together as —N(H)—(O)—N(R11)—; at least one of X11, X12, and X13 is OH, NH2, SH, or a second leaving group; optionally, one of X11, X12, and X13 is H; A is either a direct link, (CH2)k with k being an integer from 0 to 30, or O; Y11 is —(CH2)l with l being an integer from 1 to 30, —O—, —S—, or —NR12—; Q1 and Q2 are independently H2, ═NR13, ═O, a combination of H and —NR14R15; R11, for each of X11, X12, or X13, is independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16, and R17 are independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, or an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl; followed by a de-protection step, if necessary, with both said reacting and the deprotection step being performed under conditions effective to afford a compound according to formula (I) where one or two of X1, X2, and X3 is (HO)2PS-Z1- or (HO)2PS-Z2-P(OH)S-Z1-. | This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/509,971, filed Oct. 9, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This invention was funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health Grant No. CA92160. The U.S. government may have certain rights in this invention. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to lysophosphatidic acid (“LPA”) derivatives which have activity as either agonists or antagonists on LPA receptors and various therapeutic uses thereof including, but not limited to, prostate cancer therapy, ovarian cancer therapy, and wound healing. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION All non-transformed cells require growth factors for their survival and proliferation. In addition to polypeptide growth factors, an emerging class of lipids with growth factor-like properties has been discovered, collectively known as phospholipid growth factors (PLGFs). In spite of their similar pharmacologic properties in inducing the proliferation of most quiescent cells (Jalink et al., 1994a; Tokumura, 1995; Moolenaar et al., 1997). PLGFs can be sub-divided structurally into two broad categories. The first category contains the glycerophospholipid mediators (GPMs), which possess a glycerol backbone. Exemplary GPMs include LPA, phosphatidic acid (PA), cyclic phosphatidic acid (cyclic-PA), alkenyl glycerol phosphate (alkenyl-GP), and lysophosphatidyl serine (LPS). The second category contains the sphingolipid mediators (SPMs), which possess a sphingoid base motif. Exemplary SPMs include sphingosine-1-phosphate (SPP), dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate, sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC), and sphingosine (SPH). LPA (Tigyi et al., 1991; Tigyi and Miledi, 1992), PA (Myher et al., 1989), alkenyl-GP (Liliom et al., 1998), cyclic-PA (Kobayashi et al., 1999), SPP (Yatomi et al., 1995), and SPC (Tigyi et al., 2000) have been detected in serum. These lipid mediators have been identified and characterized. There are still, yet unknown, PLGFs present in the serum and plasma that exhibit growth factor-like properties (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992). LPA, with its ≈20 μM concentration, is the most abundant PLGF present in the serum (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992; Jalink et al., 1993). In eukaryotic cells, LPA is a key intermediate in the early stages of phospholipid biosynthesis, which takes place predominantly in the membrane of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (Bosch, 1974; Bishop and Bell, 1988). In the ER, LPA is derived from the action of Acyl-CoA on glycerol-3-phosphate, which is further acylated to yield PA. Because the rate of acylation of LPA to PA is very high, very little LPA accumulates at the site of biosynthesis (Bosch, 1974). Since LPA is restricted to the ER, its role as a metabolic intermediate is most probably unrelated to its role as a signaling molecule. LPA is a constituent of serum and its levels are in the low micromolar (μM) range (Eicholtz et al., 1993). This level is expected because LPA is released by activated platelets during the coagulation process. Unlike serum, it is not detectable in fresh blood or plasma (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992; Eicholtz et al., 1993). LPA that is present in the serum is bound to albumin, and is responsible for a majority of the heat-stable, and non-dialysable biological activity of the whole serum (Moolenaar, 1994). The active serum component that is responsible for eliciting an inward chloride current in Xenopus oocyte was indentified to be LPA (18:0) (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992). The bulk of the albumin-bound LPA(18:0) is produced during the coagulation process, rather than by the action of lysophospholipase D (PLD) on lyso-PC. The latter pathway is responsible for the presence of LPA in ‘aged’ plasma that has been de-coagulated by the action of heparin or citrate plus dextrose (Tokumura et al., 1986). Another point to note is that LPA is not present in plasma that has been treated with EDTA. This fact implies that plasma lysophospholipase may be Ca2+-dependent (Tokumura et al., 1986). The role of albumin is to protect LPA from the actions of phospholipases present in the serum (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992). Tigyi and Miledi suggested that albumin not only acts as a carrier of LPA in the blood stream, but also increases its physiological half-life. There are yet unidentified lipid mediators present in serum albumin that mimic the actions of LPA in eliciting chloride current in Xenopus oocyte. LPA-responsive cell types extend from slime mold amoebae and Xenopus oocyte to mammalian somatic cells. Thus, it seems likely that the source of LPA and its release may not be restricted only to activated platelets. Recent experiments showed that, on stimulation by peptide growth factors, mammalian fibroblasts rapidly produce LPA, which is followed by its release into the extracellular medium (Fukami and Takenawa, 1992). There is evidence that relatively high amounts of bioactive LPA of unknown cellular origin are present in the ascitic fluid of ovarian cancer patients (Xu et al., 1995a), and that the ascitic fluid from such patients is known to possess potent mitogenic activity for ovarian carcinoma cells (Mills et al., 1988; Mills et al., 1990). It remains to be established whether it is secreted by tumor cells into the extracellular fluid, secreted by leukocytes, or produced from more complex lipids via the actions of various phospholipases. GPMs and SPMs elicit a wide variety of cellular responses that span the phylogenetic tree (Jalink et al., 1993a). LPA induces transient Ca2+ signals that originate from intracellular stores in a variety of cells such as neuronal (Jalink et al., 1993; Durieux et al., 1992), platelets, normal as well as transformed fibroblasts (Jalink et al., 1990), epithelial cells (van Corven et al., 1989; Moolenaar, 1991), and Xenopus oocytes (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992; Durieux et al., 1992; Fernhout et al., 1992). LPA induces platelet aggregation (Schumacher et al., 1979; Tokumura et al., 1981; Gerrard et al., 1979; Simon et al., 1982) and smooth muscle contraction (Tokumura et al., 1980; Tokumura et al., 1994), and upon intravenous administration it induces species-dependent changes in blood pressure ((Schumacher et al., 1979; Tokumura et al., 1978). LPA, when added to quiescent fibroblasts, stimulates DNA synthesis and cell division (van Corven et al., 1989; van Corven et al., 1992). The growth-like effects of LPA do not require the presence of peptide growth factors. This observation makes LPA different from endothelin or vasopressin, which require the presence of insulin or epidermal growth factor (Moolenaar, 1991) to sustain cell proliferation. A point to note is that, in Sp2 myleoma cells, LPA was responsible for an antimitogenic response, which was mediated by an increase in cAMP levels (Tigyi et al., 1994; Fischer et al., 1998). Unlike the mitogenic pathway, the antimitogenic pathway was not affected by pertussis toxin (PTX). Also, on addition of forskolin and isobutyl methyl xanthin, the antimitogenic actions of LPA in Sp myeloma cells were additive (Tigyi et al., 1994). In various cell types, LPA causes cytoskeletal changes, which include formation of focal adhesions and stress fibers in fibroblasts (Ridley and Hall, 1992). LPA also promotes the reversal and suppression of neuroblastoma differentiation by inducing the retraction of developing neurites (Jalink et al., 1994a; Jalink et al., 1994b). Addition of nanomole (nmol) amounts of LPA (Jalink and Moolenaar, 1992) to serum-starved N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells caused immediate neurite retraction, which was accompanied by rapid, but transient, rounding of the cell body (Jalink et al., 1993b). When a continuous presence of LPA is provided, neuroblastoma cells maintain their undifferentiated phenotype, but fail to undergo mitosis (Jalink et al., 1993b). Additional factors, such as insulin-like growth factors, were required for the progression of the cell cycle. Once the cells have undergone morphological differentiation, the addition of LPA reverses this morphological change. Thus, LPA-induced neurite retractions result from the contraction of the actin-cytoskeleton, rather than from loss of adhesion to the substratum (Jalink et al., 1993b; Jalink et al., 1994b). LPA, similar to other physiological chemoattractants (e.g., interleukin-8), induces cell migration by a haptotactic mechanism in human monocytes (Zhou et al., 1995). In addition to inducing cell migration, LPA promotes the invasion of hepatoma and carcinoma cells into the monolayer of mesothelial cells (Imamura et al., 1993). The mechanism that underlies this invasion is still unclear, but it may be due to enhanced cell motility and increased cell adhesion. Finally, LPA is also known to block neonatal cardiomyocyte apoptosis (Umansky et al., 1997). A unique natural phospholipid, namely cyclic-PA, was shown to be responsible for cellular actions that were similar to or opposite to other GPMs, depending on the cell type. When tested on the Xenopus oocyte, it elicited chloride current just like other GPMs; but its response was not desensitized by LPA (Fischer et al., 1998). Murakami-Murofushi et al. (1993) showed that cyclic-PA exhibited antiproliferative actions, unlike LPA, which induces proliferation. PLGF receptors (PLGFRs) belong to a seven-transmembrane (7 TM) guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCR) superfamily. Seven-TM GPCRs are a family of cell-surface receptors that mediate their cellular responses via interacting with the heterotrimeric G-protein. A number of LPA receptors have been identified including, among others, EDG-2, EDG-4, EDG-7, and PSP-24. A phylogenetic tree illustrating the relatedness of these LPA receptors and others is shown in FIG. 1. In 1996, Hecht et al. used differential hybridization to clone a cDNA encoding a putative serpentine receptor from mouse neocortical cell lines (Hecht et al., 1996). The gene was termed as ventricular zone gene-1 (Vzg-1). The gene was expressed in cortical neurogenic regions and encoded a protein with a molecular weight of 41 kDa (364 amino acids). Vzg-1 was very similar to an unpublished sheep sequence termed endothelial differentiation gene-2 (EDG-2). The same cDNA was also isolated as an orphan receptor from mouse and bovine libraries, and was known as rec1.3 (Macrae et al., 1996). It was widely distributed in the mouse tissue, with the highest expression in the brain and heart. In 1996, Guo et al., using a PCR base protocol, isolated another putative LPA receptor PSP-24 (372 amino acids) from Xenopus oocyte (Guo et al., 1996). This receptor showed little similarity with Vzg-1/EDG-2/rec1.3 (Guo et al., 1996). A sequence based search for sphingolipid receptors, using the cDNA sequence of the EDG-2 human LPA receptor, led to two closely related GPCRs, namely, rat H218 (EDG-5, 354 amino acids) and EDG-3 (378 amino acids) (An et al., 1997a). Northern analysis showed a high expression of mRNA that encoded EDG-3 and EGD-5 in heart tissue. The recent identification of EDG-2 as a functional receptor for LPA prompted An et al. to perform a sequence-based search for a novel subtype of LPA receptor (An et al., 1998a). A human cDNA, encoding a GPCR, was discovered and designated EDG-4 (An et al., 1998a). Northern blot analysis showed that, although EDG-2 and EDG-4 both serve as GPM receptors, their tissue distributions were very different. Unlike EDG-2, EDG-4 was primarily expressed in peripheral blood leukocytes and testes (An et al., 1998a). PCR amplification cDNA from human Jurkat T cells identified a previously unknown GPCR that belongs to the EDG family. The identified GPCR was designated EDG-7. It has a molecular mass of 40 kDa (353 amino acids). Northern blot analysis of EDG-7 expression in human tissues showed that it is expressed in heart, pancreas, prostate, and testes (Bandoh et al., 1999). Thus, there are two distinct families of PLGFs receptors PSP24 and EDG; with a total of ten individual PLGFRs (FIG. 1). The list continues to grow. These various receptors can be classified based on their ligand specificities for GPMs or SPMs, as shown in Table 1 below. TABLE 1 Phospholipid Growth Factor Receptor, Length and Principle Ligand PLGFR Number of amino acids Principle Ligand EDG-1 381 SPP EDG-2 364 LPA EDG-3 378 SPP EDG-4 382 LPA EDG-5 354 SPP EDG-6 385 SPP EDG-7 353 LPA EDG-8 400 SPP Xenopus PSP24 372 LPA Murine PSP24 373 LPA Xenopus PSP24 and murine expressed PSP24 specifically transduce GPM (LPA, Fischer et al., 1998) evoked oscillatory chloride-currents. These are not structurally homologous to the EDG family (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992; Fernhout et al., 1992). The EDG family can be divided into two distinct subgroups. The first group includes EDG-2, EDG-4, and EDG-7, which serve as receptors for only GPM (Hecht et al., 1996; An et al., 1998a; Bandoh et al., 1999; An et al., 1998b) and transmit numerous signals in response to ligand binding. The second group involves EDG-1, EDG-3, EDG-5, EDG-6, and EDG-8, and is specific for SPMs (An et al., 1997a; Im et al., 2000; van Brocklyn et al., 1998; van Brocklyn et al., 2000; Spiegel and Milstein, 2000). Principle tissue expression of the various PLGFR's is shown in Table 2 below. TABLE 2 Human Tissue Expression of Phospholipid Growth Factor Receptors PLGFR Human Tissue with Highest Expression EDG-1 Ubiquitous EDG-2 Cardiovascular, CNS, Gonadal tissue, GI EDG-3 Cardiovascular, Leukocyte EDG-4 Leukocyte, Testes EDG-5 Cardiovascular, CNS, Gonadal tissue, Placenta EDG-6 Lymphoid, Hematopoietic tissue EDG-7 Heart, Pancreas, Prostate, Testes EDG-8 Brain PSP24 CNS PLGFs activate multiple G-protein-mediated signal transduction events. These processes are mediated through the heterotrimeric G-protein families Gq/11, Gi/0, and G12/13 (Moolenaar, 1997; Spiegel and Milstein, 1995; Gohla, et al., 1998). The Gq/11 pathway is responsible for phospholipase C (PLC) activation, which in turn induces inositol triphosphate (IP3) production with subsequent mobilization of Ca2+ in a wide variety of cells (Tokumura, 1995). In some cells, this response is PTX-sensitive, implying that there is involvement of multiple PTX-sensitive and insensitive pathways (Tigyi et al., 1996). This pathway is also responsible for the diacyl glycerol (DAG)-mediated activation of protein kinase C (PKC). PKC activates cellular phospholipase D (PLD), which is responsible for the hydrolysis of phosphatidyl choline into free choline and PA (van der Bend et al., 1992a). Also, PLC is capable of activating MAP kinase directly, or via DAG activation of PKC in some cell types (Ghosh et al., 1997). The mitogenic-signaling pathway is mediated through the G-protein heterotrimeric Gi/0 subunit. Transfection studies indicate that the Giβγ dimer rather than the αi subunit is responsible for Ras-MAP kinase activation. The activation of Ras is preceded by the transactivation of the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) such as EGF (Cunnick et al., 1998) or PDGF receptors (Herrlich et al., 1998). The transactivated RTKS activate Ras, which leads to the activation of MAP kinases (ERK 1,2) via Raf. The Giα subunit, which is PTX-sensitive, inhibits adenylyl cyclase (AC), resulting in βγ dimer docking to a G-protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRKs) that phosphorylates and desensitizes the receptor. The phosphorylated receptor is recruited by β-arrestin, thus recruiting src kinase, which phosphorylates the EGF-receptor, generating its active conformation (Lin et al., 1997; Ahn et al., 1999; Luttrell et al., 1999). The transactivated RTKs, in turn, activate Ras, which leads to the activation of MAP kinases (ERK 1,2) via Raf. The Giα subunit, which is PTX-sensitive, inhibits AC, resulting in decreased levels of cyclic-AMP (cAMP). The opposite cellular effects by LPA, that is, mitogenesis and antimitogenesis, are accompanied by opposing effects on the cAMP second messenger system. Mitogenesis is mediated through the Giα pathway, which results in decreased levels of cAMP (van Corven et al., 1989; van Corven et al., 1992), whereas antimitogenesis is accompanied by a non-PTX sensitive Ca2+-dependent elevation of cAMP (Tigyi et al., 1994; Fischer et al., 1998). In contrast, very little is known about the PTX-insensitive G12/13 signaling pathway, which leads to the rearrangement of the actin-cytoskeleton. This pathway may also involve the transactivation of RTKs (Lin et al., 1997; Ahn et al., 1999; Luttrell et al., 1999; Gohla et al., 1998) and converge on a small GTPase, Rho (Moolenaar, 1997). Much more is known about the down-stream signaling of Rho because various protein partners have been isolated and identified. Rho activates Ser/Thr kinases, which phosphorylate, and as a result inhibit, myosin light chain phosphatase (MLC-phosphatase) (Kimura et al., 1996). This path results in the accumulation of the phosphorylated form of MLC, leading to cytoskeletal responses that lead to cellular effects like retraction of neurites (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992; Tigyi et al., 1996; Dyer et al., 1992; Postma et al., 1996; Sato et al., 1997), induction of stress fibers (Ridley and Hall, 1992; Gonda et al., 1999), stimulation of chemotaxis (Jalink et al., 1993a), cell migration (Zhou et al., 1995; Kimura et al., 1992), and tumor cell invasiveness (Imamura et al., 1993; Imamura et al., 1996). The PLGF-induced, Rho-mediated, tumor cell invasiveness is blocked by C. Botulinium C3-toxin, which specifically ribosylates Rho in an ADP-dependent mechanism (Imamura et al., 1996). Rho also has the ability to stimulate DNA synthesis in quiescent fibroblasts (Machesky and Hall, 1996; Ridley, 1996). The expression of Rho family GTPase activates serum-response factor (SRF), which mediates early gene transcription (Hill et al., 1995). Furthermore, PLGF (LPA) induces tumor cell invasion (Imamura et al., 1996); however, it is still unclear whether it involves cytoskeletal changes or gene transcription, or both. By virtue of LPA/LPA receptor involvement in a number of cellular pathways and cell activities such as proliferation and/or migration, as well as their implication in wound healing and cancer, it would be desirable to identify novel compounds which are capable of acting, preferably selectively, as either antagonists or agonists at the LPA receptors identified above. There are currently very few synthetic or endogenous LPA receptor inhibitors which are known. Of the antagonists reported to date, the most work was done on SPH, SPP, N-palmitoyl-1-serine (Bittman et al., 1996), and N-palmitoyl-1-tyrosine (Bittman et al., 1996). It is known that the above-mentioned compounds inhibit LPA-induced chloride currents in the Xenopus oocyte (Bittman et al., 1996; Zsiros et al., 1998). However, these compounds have not been studied in all cell systems. It is also known that SPP inhibits tumor cell invasiveness, but it is uncertain whether SPP does so by being an inhibitor of LPA or via the actions of its own receptors. N-palmitoyl-1-serine and N-palmitoyl-1-tyrosine also inhibited LPA-induced platelet aggregation (Sugiura et al., 1994), but it remains to be seen whether these compounds act at the LPA receptor. Lysophosphatidyl glycerol (LPG) was the first lipid to show some degree of inhibition of LPA actions (van der Bend et al., 1992b), but it was not detectable in several LPA-responsive cells types (Liliom et al., 1996). None of these inhibitors was shown to selectively act at specific LPA receptors. A polysulfonated compound, Suramin, was shown to inhibit LPA-induced DNA synthesis in a reversible and dose-dependent manner. However, it was shown that Suramin does not have any specificity towards the LPA receptor and blocked the actions of LPA only at very high millimolar (mM) concentrations (van Corven et al., 1992). The present invention is directed to overcoming the deficiencies associated with current LPA agonists and LPA antagonists. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to compounds according to formula (I) as follows: wherein, at least one of X1, X2, and X3 is (HO)2PS-Z1-, or (HO)2PO-Z2-P(OH)S-Z1-, X1 and X2 are linked together as —O—PS(OH)—O—, or X1 and X3 are linked together as —O—PS(OH)—NH—; at least one of X1, X2, and X3 is R1—Y1-A- with each being the same or different when two of X1, X2, and X3 are R1—Y1-A-, or X2 and X3 are linked together as —N(H)—C(O)—N(R1)—; optionally, one of X1, X2, and X3 is H; A is either a direct link, (CH2)k with k being an integer from 0 to 30, or O; Y1 is —(CH2)l— with l being an integer from 1 to 30, —O—, —S—, or —NR2—; Z1, is —(CH2)m—, —CF2—, —CF2(CH2)m—, or —O(CH2)m— with m being an integer from 1 to 50, —C(R3)H—, —NH—, —O—, or —S—; Z2 is —(CH2)n— or —O(CH2)n— with n being an integer from 1 to 50 or —O—; Q1 and Q2 are independently H2, ═NR4, ═O, or a combination of H and —NR5R6; R1, for each of X1, X2, or X3, is independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alky, or an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions which include a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier and a compound of the present invention. A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of inhibiting LPA activity on an LPA receptor which includes providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an LPA receptor antagonist and contacting an LPA receptor with the compound under conditions effective to inhibit LPA-induced activity of the LPA receptor. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of modulating LPA receptor activity which includes providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as either an LPA receptor agonist or an LPA receptor antagonist and contacting an LPA receptor with the compound under conditions effective to modulate the activity of the LPA receptor. Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating cancer which includes providing a compound of the present invention and administering an effective amount of the compound to a patient in a manner effective to treat cancer. Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of enhancing cell proliferation which includes providing a compound the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor and contacting the LPA receptor on a cell with the compound in a manner effective to enhance LPA receptor-induced proliferation of the cell. A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating a wound which includes providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor and delivering an effective amount of the compound to a wound site, where the compound binds to LPA receptors on cells that promote healing of the wound, thereby stimulating LPA receptor agonist-induced cell proliferation to promote wound healing. A still further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of making the compounds of the present invention. One approach for making the compounds of the present invention includes: reacting (Y2O)2PO-Z11-Z13 or (Y2O)2PO-Z12-P(OH)O-Z11-Z13, where Z11 is —(CH2)m—, CF2—, —CF2(CH2)m—, or —O(CH2)m— with m being an integer from 1 to 50, —C(R3)H—, —NH—, or —S—; Z12 is —(CH2)n— or —(CH2)n— with n being an integer from 1 to 50 or —O—, Z13 is H or a first leaving group or -Z11-Z13 together form the first leaving group; and Y2 is H or a protecting group, with an intermediate compound according to formula (IX) in the presence of sulfur where, at least one of X11, X12, and X13 is R11—Y11-A- with each being the same or different when two of X11, X12, and X13 are R11—Y11-A-, or X12 and X13 are linked together as —N(H)—C(O)—N(R11)—; at least one of X11, X12, and X13 is OH, NH2, SH, or a second leaving group; optionally, one of X11, X12, and X13 is H; A is either a direct link, (CH2)k with k being an integer from 0 to 30, or O; Y11 is —(CH2)l— with l being an integer from 1 to 30, —O—, —S—, or —NR12—; Q1 and Q2 are independently H2, ═NR13, ═O, a combination of H and —NR14R15; R11, for each of X11, X12, or X13, is independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16, and R17 are independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, or an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl; followed by a de-protection step, if necessary, with both said reacting and the deprotection step being performed under conditions effective to afford a compound according to formula (I) where one or two of X1, X2, and X3 is (HO)2PS-Z1- or (HO)2PS-Z2-P(OH)S-Z1-. Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating apoptosis or preserving or restoring function in a cell, tissue, or organ which includes: providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and contacting a cell, tissue, or organ with an amount of the compound which is effective to treat apoptosis or preserve or restore function in the cell, tissue, or organ. A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of culturing cells which includes: culturing cells in a culture medium which includes a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor and is present in an amount which is effective to prevent apoptosis or preserve the cells in culture. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preserving an organ or tissue which includes: providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and treating an organ or tissue with a solution comprising the compound in an amount which is effective to preserve the organ or tissue function. A related aspect of the present invention relates to an alternative method of preserving an organ or tissue which includes: providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and administering to a recipient of a transplanted organ or tissue an amount of the compound which is effective to preserve the organ or tissue function A still further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating a dermatological condition which includes: providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an LPA receptor agonist; and topically administering a composition comprising the compound to a patient, the compound being present in an amount which is effective to treat the dermatological condition The compounds of the present invention which have been identified herein as being either agonists or antagonists of one or more LPA receptors find uses to inhibit or enhance, respectively, biochemical pathways mediated by LPA receptor signaling. By modulating LPA receptor signaling, the antagonists and agonists find specific and substantial uses as described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates three reaction schemes used to prepare fatty acid phosphates (Scheme 1), fatty acid thiophosphonates (Scheme 2), and difluorophosphonates (Scheme 3). FIG. 2A-D are graphs illustrating the effects of modified C-14 analogs on RH7777 cells stably transfected with LPA1-3 receptors. 200 nM of LPA 18:1 was co-applied with increasing concentrations of C-14 analogs to RH7777 cells stably expressing LPA1 and LPA3. Increasing concentrations of different C-14 analogs were applied to measure their agonistic properties at LPA2. Data points represent average of four measurements. FIG. 2A shows inhibition of the LPA response by C-14 analogs at LPA1; FIG. 2B shows activation of LPA2 by C-14 FAP analogs; FIG. 2C shows inhibition of the LPA response by C-14 phosphonate 9c at LPA2; and FIG. 2D shows inhibition of the LPA response by C-14 analogs at LPA3. FIGS. 3A-C are graphs illustrating that oleoyl-thiophosphate (8g) is an agonist at LPA1, LPA2 and LPA3 receptors expressed in RH7777 cells. Intracellular Ca2+ transients were measured in response to the application of increasing concentrations of 8g and compared to transients elicited by the corresponding amount of LPA 18:1. Data points represent the average of four measurements. Dose-response relationships for LPA 18:1 and 8g in RH7777 cells expressing LPA1 (FIG. 3A), LPA2 (FIG. 3B), and LPA3 (FIG. 3C). FIG. 4 is a bar graph depicting the results of in vitro PPARγ activation by selected compounds in CV1 cells transfected with PPARγ and PPRE-Acox-Rluc reporter gene. Comparing the effects with the Rosiglitazone, a known PPARγ agonist, CV1 cells were treated with 1% DMSO or 10 μM of test compound dissolved in DMSO for 20 h. Luciferase and β-galactosidase activities (mean±SEM) were measured in the cell lysate (n=4). *P<0.05 and **P<0.01, significant differences over vehicle control. FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating LPA and FAP18:1d9 thiophosphate (8g) dose-dependently inhibit DNA fragmentation induced by Campothotecin (20 μM). FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating that FAP 18:1d9 thiophosphate (8g) enhances crypt survival. FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the dose-dependent enhancement of crypt survival in FAP 18:1d9-treated mice. FIG. 8 is a graph demonstrating that FAP 18:1d9 elicits dose-dependent crypt survival in the ileum and jejunum of γ-irradiated mice. FIG. 9 illustrate a synthesis scheme for preparing thiophosphoric acid esters containing an arylalkyl R1 group when Y1 is also an alkyl. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION One aspect of the present invention relates to a compound according to formula (I) wherein, at least one of X1, X2, and X3 is (HO)2PS-Z1-, or (HO)2PS-Z2-P(OH)S-Z1-, X1 and X2 are linked together as —O—PS(OH)—O—, or X1 and X3 are linked together as —O—PS(OH)—NH—; at least one of X1, X2, and X3 is R1—Y1-A- with each being the same or different when two of X1, X2, and X3 are R1—Y1-A-, or X2 and X3 are linked together as —N(H)—C(O)—N(R1)—; optionally, one of X1, X2, and X3 is H; A is either a direct link, (CH2)k with k being an integer from 0 to 30, or —O—; Y1 is —(CH2)l— with l being an integer from 1 to 30, —O—, —S—, or —NR2—; Z1 is —(CH2)m—, —CF2—, —CF2(CH2)m—, or —O(CH2)m— with m being an integer from 1 to 50, —C(R3)H—, —NH—, —O—, or —S—; Z2 is —(CH2)n— or —O(CH2)n— with n being an integer from 1 to 50 or —O—; Q1 and Q2 are independently H2, ═NR4, ═O, a combination of H and —NR5R6; R1, for each of X1, X2, or X3, is independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, or an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl. For each of the above-identified R groups (e.g., R1-R8), it is intended that straight chain alkyls have the formula —(CH2)xCH3 where x is from 0 to 29; branched chain alkyls have the formula as defined above for straight chain alkyl, except that one or more CH2 groups are replaced by CHW groups where W is an alkyl side chain; straight chain alkenyls have the formula —(CH2)xaCH═CH(CH2)xbCH3 where xa and xb each are from 0 to 27 and (xa+xb) is not more than 27; and branched chain alkenyls have the formula as defined above for straight chain alkenyl, except that one or more CH2 groups are replaced by CHW groups or a CH group is replaced by a CW group, where W is an alkyl side chain. Preferred hydrocarbon groups are preferably between about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms in length, more preferably between about about 10 to about 16 carbon atoms in length, and may contain one or more double bonds. Aromatic or heteroaromatic rings include, without limitation, phenyls, indenes, pyrroles, imidazoles, oxazoles, pyrrazoles, pyridines, pyrimidines, pyrrolidines, piperidines, thiophenes, furans, napthals, bi-phenyls, and indoles. The aromatic or heteroaromatic rings can include mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring located at the ortho, meta, or para positions on the rings relative to where the ring binds to the Y1 group of the R1—Y1-A- chain. Substitutions on the rings can include, without limitation, alkyl, alkoxy, amine (including secondary or tertiary amines), alkylamine, amide, alkylamide, acids, alcohols. Acyl groups can include either alkyl alkenyl, or aromatic or heteroaromatic rings as described above. Arylalkyl and aryloxyalkyl groups can include, without limitation, straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl groups as described above, with the alkyl group binding to the Y1 group of the R1—Y1-A- chain. Exemplary compounds according to formula (I) are the subclass compounds according to formulae (II)-(VII) below. In the structures of formulae (II)A and (II)B, Q1 and Q2 are both H2; one of X1, X2, and X3 is (HO)2PS-Z2-P(OH)S-Z1-, with Z1 and Z2 being O; and two of X1, X2, and X3 are R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being O for each. Each R1 is defined independently as above for formula (I). In the structures of formula (III), Q1 is H2; Q2 is ═O; X1 is (HO)2PO-Z1-, with Z1 being O; and X2 and X3 are R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being —NH— for each. Each R1 is defined independently as above for formula (I). Preferred species of within the scope of formula III are where X3 is —NH2 and X2 is —NHR1 with R1 being a C10 to C18 alkyl, more preferably either a C14 alkyl or a C18 alkyl; or where X3 is —NHR1 with R1 being an acetyl group and X2 is —NHR1 with R1 being a C14 alkyl. In the structures of formula (IV), Q1 is ═NR4; Q2 is H2; X1 and X2 are linked together as —O—PO(OH)—O—; and X3 is R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being —NH—. R1 and R4 are as defined above for formula (I). In the structures of formulae (V)A and (V)B, Q1 and Q2 are both H2; two of X1, X2, and X3 are (HO)2PO-Z1-, with Z1 being O for each; and one of X1, X2, and X3 is R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being —O—. R1 is as defined above for formula (I). Preferred species within the scope of formulae (V)A and (V)B include the compounds where R1 is an acyl including a C21 alkyl or where R1 is a C18 alkyl. The compounds according to formula (I), as well as the subgenus compounds according to formulae (II)A, (II)B, (III), (IV), (V)A, and (V)B, can be prepared using the synthesis schemes described in PCT/US01/08729, filed Mar. 19, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, except that phosphoramidate or pyrophosphates can be reacted in the presence of sulfur (with reflux) to obtain the thio-substituted derivatives. In the compounds according to formula (VI), Q1 and Q2 are both H2; one of X1 and X2 is (HO)2PS-Z1-, with Z1 being O; and one of X1, X2, and X3 is R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being —CH2—. R1 is as defined above for formula (I). Preferred R1 groups are saturated and unsaturated C2 to C24 hydrocarbons, both straight and branched chain, and arylakyl groups containing C2 to C24 hydrocarbons; most preferred R1 groups are saturated and unsaturated C4 to C18 hydrocarbons. A preferred compound according to formula VI is thiophosphoric acid O-octadec-9-enyl ester (8g; also referred to as FAP 18:1d9). The synthesis of thiophosphonates according to formula (VI) is outlined in scheme 2 of FIG. 1. The protected thiophosphoric acid O,O′-bis-(2-cyano-ethyl) ester O″-alkyl/alkenyl esters can be synthesized using a modified method of Haines et al. (1996). Commercially available fatty alcohols (6a-g) can be treated with a mixture of 1H-tetrazole and bis(2-cyanoethyl)-N,Ndiisopropyl phosphoramidite in anhydrous methylene chloride followed by reflux in the presence of elemental sulfur to give bis-cyanoethyl protected fatty alcohol thiophosphates (7a-g). These protected thiophosphates can be treated with methanolic KOH, followed by acidification to yield the required thiophosphates (8a-g). In the structures of formulae (VII)A and (VII)B, Q1 and Q2 are both H2; one of X1, X2, and X3 is (HO)2PS-Z1- with Z1 being O; and two of X1, X2, and X3 are R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being O for each. Each R1 is defined independently as above for formula (I). Preferred R1 groups are saturated and unsaturated C6 to C24 hydrocarbons, both straight and branched chain; most preferred R1 groups are saturated and unsaturated C8 to C18 hydrocarbons. Two preferred comound according to group (VII)A are the (R) and (S) enantiomers of where both R1 groups are saturated octyl groups. The (R) enantiomer is a partial LPA1 agonist (EC50: 695 nM), a transient partial LPA2 agonist (EC50: 1.02 uM), and a full LPA3 (EC50: 3 nM) agonist. The (S) enantiomer is an agonist of the LPA, and LPA3 receptors (IC50 328 nM for LPA1 and IC50 184 nM for LPA, (both for 200 nM LPA)). The compounds of formulae (VII)A and (VII)B can be prepared using the synthesis schemes described in PCT/US01/08729, filed Mar. 19, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, except that phosphoramidate can be reacted in the presence of sulfur (with reflux) to obtain the thio-substituted derivatives. In the compounds according to formula (VIII), Q1 and Q2 are both H2; one of X1 and X2 is (HO)2PS-Z1-, with Z1 being CF2; and one of X1, X2, and X3 is R1—Y1-A-, with A being a direct link and Y1 being —CH2—. R1 is as defined above for formula (I). Preferred R1 groups are saturated and unsaturated C2 to C20 hydrocarbons, both straight and branched chain; most preferred R1 groups are saturated and unsaturated C4 to C12 hydrocarbons. The synthesis of difluorothiophosphonates according to formula (VIII) is outlined in scheme 3 of FIG. 1. The tetradecyl difluorophosphonate analog was synthesized (scheme 3) in two steps using diethyl difluoromethanephosphonate as the starting material (Halazy et al., 1991). Diethyl difluoromethanephosphonate was treated with LDA at −78° C. followed by reacting the anion with tetradecyl bromide to give the protected phosphonate 10. Compound 10 was deprotected using bromotrimethyl silane to yield the required difluorophosphonate compound (11). Thus, the non-cyclic compounds of the present invention can be prepared by reacting (Y2O)2PO-Z11-Z13, (Y2O)2PO-Z12-P(OH)S-Z11-Z13, where Z11 is —(CH2)m, —CF2—, —CF2(CH2)m, or —O(CH2)m— with m being an integer from 1 to 50, —C(R3)H—, or —O—, Z12 is —(CH2)n— or —O(CH2)n— with n being an integer from 1 to 50 or —O—, Z13 is H or a first leaving group or -Z11-Z13 together to form the first leaving group, and Y2 is H or a protecting group; with an intermediate compound according to formula (IX) in the presence of sulfur, followed by a de-protection step, if necessary, both performed under conditions effective to afford a compound according to formula (I) where one or two of X1, X2, and X3 is (HO)2PS-Z1- or (HO)2PS-Z2-P(OH)S-Z1- with Z1 and Z2 being defined as above. The intermediate compound of formula (IX) has the following structure: wherein, at least one of X11, X12, and X13 is R11—Y11-A- with each being the same or different when two of X11, X12, and X13 are R11—Y11-A-, or X12 and X13 are linked together as —N(H)—C(O)—N(R11)—; at least one of X11, X12, and X13 is OH, NH2, SH, or a second leaving group; optionally, one of X11, X12, and X13 is H; A is either a direct link, (CH2)k with k being an integer from 0 to 30, or O; Y11 is —(CH2)l— with l being an integer from 1 to 30, —O—, —S—, or —NR11R12—; Q1 and Q2 are independently H2, ═NR13, ═O, a combination of H and —NR14R15; R11, for each of X11, X12, or X13, is independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16, and R17 are independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, or an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl. Having prepared the LPA receptor agonists and antagonists of the present invention, such compounds can be used to prepare pharmaceutical compositions suitable for treatment of patients as described hereinafter. Therefore, a further aspect of the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition that includes a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier and a compound of the present invention. The pharmaceutical composition can also include suitable excipients, or stabilizers, and can be in solid or liquid form such as, tablets, capsules, powders, solutions, suspensions, or emulsions. Typically, the composition will contain from about 0.01 to 99 percent, preferably from about 20 to 75 percent of active compound(s), together with the carrier, excipient, stabilizer, etc. The solid unit dosage forms can be of the conventional type. The solid form can be a capsule, such as an ordinary gelatin type containing the compounds of the present invention and a carrier, for example, lubricants and inert fillers such as, lactose, sucrose, or cornstarch. In another embodiment, these compounds are tableted with conventional tablet bases such as lactose, sucrose, or cornstarch in combination with binders like acacia, cornstarch, or gelatin, disintegrating agents, such as cornstarch, potato starch, or alginic acid, and a lubricant, like stearic acid or magnesium stearate. The compounds of the present invention may also be administered in injectable or topically-applied dosages by solution or suspension of these materials in a physiologically acceptable diluent with a pharmaceutical carrier. Such carriers include sterile liquids, such as water and oils, with or without the addition of a surfactant and other pharmaceutically and physiologically acceptable carrier, including adjuvants, excipients or stabilizers. Illustrative oils are those of petroleum, animal, vegetable, or synthetic origin, for example, peanut oil, soybean oil, or mineral oil. In general, water, saline, aqueous dextrose and related sugar solution, and glycols, such as propylene glycol or polyethylene glycol, are preferred liquid carriers, particularly for injectable solutions. For use as aerosols, the compounds of the present invention in solution or suspension may be packaged in a pressurized aerosol container together with suitable propellants, for example, hydrocarbon propellants like propane, butane, or isobutane with conventional adjuvants. The materials of the present invention also may be administered in a non-pressurized form such as in a nebulizer or atomizer. Depending upon the treatment being effected, the compounds of the present invention can be administered orally, topically, transdermally, parenterally, subcutaneously, intravenously, intramuscularly, intraperitoneally, by intranasal instillation, by intracavitary or intravesical instillation, intraocularly, intraarterially, intralesionally, or by application to mucous membranes, such as, that of the nose, throat, and bronchial tubes. Compositions within the scope of this invention include all compositions wherein the compound of the present invention is contained in an amount effective to achieve its intended purpose. While individual needs vary, determination of optimal ranges of effective amounts of each component is within the skill of the art. Typical dosages comprise about 0.01 to about 100 mg/kg·body wt. The preferred dosages comprise about 0.1 to about 100 mg/kg·body wt. The most preferred dosages comprise about 1 to about 100 mg/kg·body wt. Treatment regimen for the administration of the compounds of the present invention can also be determined readily by those with ordinary skill in art. Certain compounds of the present invention have been found to be useful as agonists of LPA receptors while other compounds of the present invention have been found useful as antagonists of LPA receptors. Due to their differences in activity, the various compounds find different uses. The preferred animal subject of the present invention is a mammal, i.e., an individual belonging to the class Mammalia. The invention is particularly useful in the treatment of human subjects. One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of modulating LPA receptor activity which includes providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as either an LPA receptor agonist or an LPA receptor antagonist and contacting an LPA receptor with the compound under conditions effective to modulate the activity of the LPA receptor. The LPA receptor is present on a cell which either normally expresses the LPA receptor or has otherwise been transformed to express a particular LPA receptor. Suitable LPA receptors include, without limitation, EDG-2 (LPA1), EDG-4 (LPA2), EDG-7 (LPA3), GPR23 (LPA4) (Noguchi et al. 2003), and PSP-24 receptors. The tissues which contain cells that normally express these receptors are indicated in Table 1 above. When contacting a cell with the LPA receptor agonist or LPA receptor antagonist of the present invention, the contacting can be carried out while the cell resides in vitro or in vivo. To heterologously express these receptors in host cells which do not normally express them, a nucleic acid molecule encoding one or more of such receptors can be inserted in sense orientation into an expression vector which includes appropriate transcription and translations regulatory regions (i.e., promoter and transcription termination signals) and then host cells can be transformed with the expression vector. The expression vector may integrate in the cellular genome or simply be present as extrachromosomal nuclear material. Expression can be either constitutive or inducible, although constitutive expression is suitable for most purposes. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences for EDG-2 is known and reported in An et al. (1997b) and Genbank Accession No. U80811, which is hereby incorporated by reference. An EDG-2 (LPA1) encoding nucleic acid molecule has a nucleotide sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 1 as follows: atggctgcca tctctacttc catccctgta atttcacagc cccagttcac agccatgaat 60 gaaccacagt gcttctacca cgagtccatt gccttctttt ataaccgaag tggaaagcat 120 cttgccacag aatggaacac agtcagcaag ctggtgatgg gacttggaat cactgtttgt 180 atcttcatca tgttggccaa cctattggtc atggtggcaa tctatgtcaa ccgccgcttc 240 cattttccta tttattacct aatggctaat ctggctgctg cagacttctt tgctgggttg 300 gcctacttct atctcatgtt caacacagga cccaatactc ggagactgac tgttagcaca 360 tggctcctgc gtcagggcct cattgacacc agcctgacgg catctgtggc caacttactg 420 gctattgcaa tcgagaggca cattacggtt ttccgcatgc agctccacac acggatgagc 480 aaccggcggg tagtggtggt cattgtggtc atctggacta tggccatcgt tatgggtgct 540 atacccagtg tgggctggaa ctgtatctgt gatattgaaa attgttccaa catggcaccc 600 ctctacagtg actcttactt agtcttctgg gccattttca acttggtgac ctttgtggta 660 atggtggttc tctatgctca catctttggc tatgttcgcc agaggactat gagaatgtct 720 cggcatagtt ctggaccccg gcggaatcgg gataccatga tgagtcttct gaagactgtg 780 gtcattgtgc ttggggcctt tatcatctgc tggactcctg gattggtttt gttacttcta 840 gacgtgtgct gtccacagtg cgacgtgctg gcctatgaga aattcttcct tctccttgct 900 gaattcaact ctgccatgaa ccccatcatt tactcctacc gcgacaaaga aatgagcgcc 960 acctttaggc agatcctctg ctgccagcgc agtgagaacc ccaccggccc cacagaaagc 1020 tcagaccgct cggcttcctc cctcaaccac accatcttgg ctggagttca cagcaatgac 1080 cactctgtgg tttag 1095 The encoded EDG-2 (LPA1) receptor has an amino acid sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 2 as follows: MAAISTSIPV ISQPQFTAMN EPQCFYNESI AFFYNRSGKH LATEWNTVSK LVMGLGITVC 60 IFIMLANLLV MVAIYVNRRF HFPIYYLMAN LAAADFFAGL AYFYLMFNTG PNTRRLTVST 120 WLLRQGLIDT SLTASVANLL AIAIERHITV FRMQLHTRMS NRRVVVVIVV IWTMAIVMGA 180 IPSVGWNCIC DIENCSNMAP LYSDSYLVFW AIFNLVTFVV MVVLYAHIFG YVRQRTMRMS 240 RHSSGPRRNR DTMMSLLKTV VIVLGAFIIC WTPGLVLLLL DVCCPQCDVL AYEKFFLLLA 300 EFNSAMNPII YSYRDKEMSA TFRQILCCQR SENPTGPTES SDRSASSLNH TILAGVHSND 360 HSVV 364 The nucleotide and amino acid sequences for EDG-4 (LPA2) is known and reported in An et al. (1998b) and Genbank Accession No. NM—004720, which is hereby incorporated by reference. An EDG-4 encoding nucleic acid molecule has a nucleotide sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 3 as follows: atggtcatca tgggccagtg ctactacaac gagaccatcg gcttcttcta taacaacagt 60 ggcaaagagc tcagctccca ctggcggccc aaggatgtgg tcgtggtggc actggggctg 120 accgtcagcg tgctggtgct gctgaccaat ctgctggtca tagcagccat cgcctccaac 180 cgccgcttcc accagcccat ctactacctg ctcggcaatc tggccgcggc tgacctcttc 240 gcgggcgtgg cctacctctt cctcatgttc cacactggtc cccgcacagc ccgactttca 300 cttgagggct ggttcctgcg gcagggcttg ctggacacaa gcctcactgc gtcggtggcc 360 acactgctgg ccatcgccgt ggagcggcac cgcagtgtga tggccgtgca gctgcacagc 420 cgcctgcccc gtggccgcgt ggtcatgctc attgtgggcg tgtgggtggc tgccctgggc 480 ctggggctgc tgcctgccca ctcctggcac tgcctctgtg ccctggaccg ctgctcacgc 540 atggcacccc tgctcagccg ctcctatttg gccgtctggg ctctgtcgag cctgcttgtc 600 ttcctgctca tggtggctgt gtacacccgc attttcttct acgtgcggcg gcgagtgcag 660 cgcatggcag agcatgtcag ctgccacccc cgctaccgag agaccacgct cagcctggtc 720 aagactgttg tcatcatcct gggggcgttc gtggtctgct ggacaccagg ccaggtggta 780 ctgctcctgg atggtttagg ctgtgagtcc tgcaatgtcc tggctgtaga aaagtacttc 840 ctactgttgg ccgaggccaa ctcactggtc aatgctgctg tgtactcttg ccgagatgct 900 gagatgcgcc gcaccttccg ccgccttctc tgctgcgcgt gcctccgcca gtccacccgc 960 gagtctgtcc actatacatc ctctgcccag ggaggtgcca gcactcgcat catgcttccc 1020 gagaacggcc acccactgat ggactccacc ctttag 1056 The encoded EDG-4 (LPA2) receptor has an amino acid sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 4 as follows: MVIMGQCYYN ETIGFFYNNS GKELSSHWRP KDVVVVALGL TVSVLVLLTN LLVIAAIASN 60 RRFHQPIYYL LGNLAAADLF AGVAYLFLMF HTGPRTARLS LEGWFLRQGL LDTSLTASVA 120 TLLAIAVERH RSVMAVQLHS RLPRGRVVML IVGVWVAALG LGLLPAHSWH CLCALDRCSR 180 MAPLLSRSYL AVWALSSLLV FLLMVAVYTR IFFYVRRRVQ RMAEHVSCHP RYRETTLSLV 240 KTVVIILGAF VVCWTPGQVV LLLDGLGCES CNVLAVEKYF LLLAEANSLV NAAVYSCRDA 300 EMRRTFRRLL CCACLRQSTR ESVHYTSSAQ GGASTRIMLP ENGHPLMDST L 351 The nucleotide and amino acid sequences for EDG-7 (LPA3) is known and reported in Bandoh et al. (1999) and Genbank Accession No. NM—012152, which is hereby incorporated by reference. An EDG-7 encoding nucleic acid molecule has a nucleotide sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 5 as follows: atgaatgagt gtcactatga caagcacatg gacttttttt ataataggag caacactgat 60 actgtcgatg actggacagg aacaaagctt gtgattgttt tgtgtgttgg gacgtttttc 120 tgcctgttta tttttttttc taattctctg gtcatcgcgg cagtgatcaa aaacagaaaa 180 tttcatttcc ccttctacta cctgttggct aatttagctg ctgccgattt cttcgctgga 240 attgcctatg tattcctgat gtttaacaca ggcccagttt caaaaacttt gactgtcaac 300 cgctggtttc tccgtcaggg gcttctggac agtagcttga ctgcttccct caccaacttg 360 ctggttatcg ccgtggagag gcacatgtca atcatgagga tgcgggtcca tagcaacctg 420 accaaaaaga gggtgacact gctcattttg cttgtctggg ccatcgccat ttttatgggg 480 gcggtcccca cactgggctg gaattgcctc tgcaacatct ctgcctgctc ttccctggcc 540 cccatttaca gcaggagtta ccttgttttc tggacagtgt ccaacctcat ggccttcctc 600 atcatggttg tggtgtacct gcggatctac gtgtacgtca agaggaaaac caacgtcttg 660 tctccgcata caagtgggtc catcagccgc cggaggacac ccatgaagct aatgaagacg 720 gtgatgactg tcttaggggc gtttgtggta tgctggaccc cgggcctggt ggttctgctc 780 ctcgacggcc tgaactgcag gcagtgtggc gtgcagcatg tgaaaaggtg gttcctgctg 840 ctggcgctgc tcaactccgt cgtgaacccc atcatctact cctacaagga cgaggacatg 900 tatggcacca tgaagaagat gatctgctgc ttctctcagg agaacccaga gaggcgtccc 960 tctcgcatcc cctccacagt cctcagcagg agtgacacag gcagccagta catagaggat 1020 agtattagcc aaggtgcagt ctgcaataaa agcacttcct aa 1062 The encoded EDG-7 (LPA3) receptor has an amino acid sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 6 as follows: MNECHYDKHM DFFYNRSNTD TVDDWTGTKL VIVLCVGTFF CLFIFFSNSL VIAAVIKNRK 60 FHFPFYYLLA NLAAADFFAG IAYVFLMFNT GPVSKTLTVN RWFLRQGLLD SSLTASLTNL 120 LVIAVERHMS IMRMRVHSNL TKKRVTLLIL LVWAIAIFMG AVPTLGWNCL CNISACSSLA 180 PIYSRSYLVF WTVSNLMAFL IMVVVYLRIY VYVKRKTNVL SPHTSGSISR RRTPMKLMKT 240 VMTVLGAFVV CWTPGLVVLL LDGLNCRQCG VQHVKRWFLL LALLNSVVNP IIYSYKDEDM 300 YGTMKKMICC FSQENPERRP SRIPSTVLSR SDTGSQYIED SISQGACCNK STS 353 The nucleotide and amino acid sequences for PSP-24 is known and reported in Kawasawa et al. (2000) and Genbank Accession No. AB030566, which is hereby incorporated by reference. A PSP-24 encoding nucleic acid molecule has a nucleotide sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 7 as follows: atggtcttct cggcagtgtt gactgcgttc cataccggga catccaacac aacatttgtc 60 gtgtatgaaa acacctacat gaatattaca ctccctccac cattccagca tcctgacctc 120 agtccattgc ttagatatag ttttgaaacc atggctccca ctggtttgag ttccttgacc 180 gtgaatagta cagctgtgcc cacaacacca gcagcattta agagcctaaa cttgcctctt 240 cagatcaccc tttctgctat aatgatattc attctgtttg tgtcttttct tgggaacttg 300 gttgtttgcc tcatggttta ccaaaaagct gccatgaggt ctgcaattaa catcctcctt 360 gccagcctag cttttgcaga catgttgctt gcagtgctga acatgccctt tgccctggta 420 actattctta ctacccgatg gatttttggg aaattcttct gtagggtatc tgctatgttt 480 ttctggttat ttgtgataga aggagtagcc atcctgctca tcattagcat agataggttc 540 cttattatag tccagaggca ggataagcta aacccatata gagctaaggt tctgattgca 600 gtttcttggg caacttcctt ttgtgtagct tttcctttag ccgtaggaaa ccccgacctg 660 cagatacctt cccgagctcc ccagtgtgtg tttgggtaca caaccaatcc aggctaccag 720 gcttatgtga ttttgatttc tctcatttct ttcttcatac ccttcctggt aatactgtac 780 tcatttatgg gcatactcaa cacccttcgg cacaatgcct tgaggatcca tagctaccct 840 gaaggtatat gcctcagcca ggccagcaaa ctgggtctca tgagtctgca gagacctttc 900 cagatgagca ttgacatggg ctttaaaaca cgtgccttca ccactatttt gattctcttt 960 gctgtcttca ttgtctgctg ggccccattc accacttaca gccttgtggc aacattcagt 1020 aagcactttt actatcagca caactttttt gagattagca cctggctact gtggctctgc 1080 tacctcaagt ctgcattgaa tccgctgatc tactactgga ggattaagaa attccatgat 1140 gcttgcctgg acatgatgcc taagtccttc aagtttttgc cgcagctccc tggtcacaca 1200 aagcgacgga tacgtcctag tgctgtctat gtgtgtgggg aacatcggac ggtggtgtga 1260 The encoded PSP-24 receptor has an amino acid sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 8 as follows: MFFSAVLTAF HTGTSNTTFV VYENTYMNIT LPPPFQHPDL SPLLRYSFET MAPTGLSSLT 60 VNSTAVPTTP AAFKSLNLPL QITLSAIMIF ILFVSFLGNL VVCLMVYQKA AMRSAINILL 120 ASLAFADMLL AVLNMPFALV TILTTRWIFG KFFCRVSAMF FWLFVIEGVA ILLIISIDRF 180 LIIVQRQDKL NPYRAKVLIA VSWATSFCVA FPLAVGNPDL QIPSRAPQCV FGYTTMPGYQ 240 AYVILISLIS FFIPFLVILY SFMGILNTLR HNALRIHSYP EGICLSQASK LGLMSLQRPF 300 QMSIDMGFKT RAFTTILILF AVFIVCWAPF TTYSLVATFS KHFYYQHNFF EISTWLLWLC 360 YLKSALNPLI YYWRIKKFHD ACLDMMPKSF KFLPQLPGHT KRRIRPSAVY VCGEHRTVV 419 LPA receptor agonists will characteristically induce LPA-like activity from an LPA receptor, which can be measured either chemically, e.g., Ca2+ or Cl− current in oocytes, or by examining changes in cell morphology, mobility, proliferation, etc. In contrast, LPA receptor antagonists will characteristically block LPA-like activity from an LPA receptor. This too can be measured either chemically, e.g., Ca2+ or Cl− current in oocytes, or by examining changes in cell morphology, mobility, proliferation, etc. By virtue of the compounds of the present invention acting as LPA receptor antagonists, the present invention also relates to a method of inhibiting LPA-induced activity on an LPA receptor. This method includes providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an LPA receptor antagonist and contacting an LPA receptor with the compound under conditions effective to inhibit LPA-induced activity of the LPA receptor. The LPA recepter can be as defined above. The LPA receptor is present on a cell which normally expresses the receptor or which heterologously expresses the receptor. The contacting of the LPA receptor with the compound of the present invention can be performed either in vitro or in vivo. As noted above, LPA is a signaling molecule involved in a number of different cellular pathways which involve signaling through LPA receptors, including those LPA receptors described above. Therefore, it is expected that the compounds of the present invention will modulate the effects of LPA on cellular behavior, either by acting as LPA receptor antagonists or LPA receptor agonists. One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating cancer which includes providing a compound of the present invention and administering an effective amount of the compound to a patient in a manner effective to treat cancer. The types of cancer which can be treated with the compounds of the present invention includes those cancers characterized by cancer cells whose behavior is attributable at least in part to LPA-mediated activity. Typically, these types of cancer are characterized by cancer cells which express one or more types of LPA receptors. Exemplary forms of cancer include, without limitation, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and bladder cancer. The compounds of the present invention which are particularly useful for cancer treatment are the LPA receptor antagonists. When administering the compounds of the present invention, they can be administered systemically or, alternatively, they can be administered directly to a specific site where cancer cells are present. Thus, administering can be accomplished in any manner effective for delivering the compound to cancer cells. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the LPA receptor antagonists, upon binding to LPA receptors, will inhibit proliferation or metastasis of the cancer cells or otherwise destroy those cancer cells. As shown in Example 12 infra, several LPA antagonist compounds of the present invention were cytotoxic to prostate cancer cell lines which express one or more LPA receptors of the type described above. When the LPA antagonist compounds or pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention are administered to treat cancer, the pharmaceutical composition can also contain, or can be administered in conjunction with, other therapeutic agents or treatment regimen presently known or hereafter developed for the treatment of various types of cancer. Cancer invasion is a complex multistep process in which individual cells or cell clusters detach from the primary tumor and reach the systemic circulation or the lymphatics to spread to different organs (Liotta et al., 1987). During this process, tumor cells must arrest in capillaries, extravasate, and migrate into the stroma of the tissue to make secondary foci. First, tumor cells must recognize signals on the endothelial cell that arrest them from the circulation. Second, tumor cells must attach to the basement membrane glycoprotein laminin via the cell surface laminin receptors. Following attachment to the basement membrane, tumor cells secrete proteases to degrade the basement membrane. Following attachment and local proteolysis, the third step of invasion is tumor cell migration. Cell motility plays a central role in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. The relationship between motility of tumor cells in vitro and the metastatic behavior in animal experiments indicates a strong direct correlation (Hoffman-Wellenhof et al., 1995). It is a well-documented fact that PLGFs promote proliferation and increase invasiveness of cancer cell in vitro. Imamura and colleagues established that cancer cells require serum factors for their invasion (Imamura et al., 1991), and later identified LPA as the most important serum component that is fully capable of restoring tumor cell invasion in serum-free systems (Xu et al., 1995a; Imamura et al., 1993; Mukai et al., 1993). It has been shown that PLGFR are expressed in ovarian cancer cell lines; namely, OCC1 and HEY cells. Specifically, RT-PCR analyses show the presence of EDG-2 and EDG-7 receptors in these cell lines. Recently, Im et al. (2000) demonstrated that EDG-7 is expressed in prostate cancer cell lines; namely, PC-3 and LNCaP cells. RT-PCR analysis on the prostate cancer cell lines DU-145, PC-3, and LNCaP lines showed that EDG-2, 4, 5, and EDG-7 are present in all three prostate cancer cell lines, whereas EDG-3 is present in LNCaP and DU-145 prostate cancer cell lines. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of enhancing cell proliferation. This method of enhancing cell proliferation includes the steps of providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor and contacting the LPA receptor on a cell with the compound in a manner effective to enhance LPA receptor-induced proliferation of the cell. In addition to the roles that LPA plays in modulating cancer cell activity, there is strong evidence to suggest that LPA also has a physiological role in natural wound healing. At wound sites, LPA derived from activated platelets is believed to be responsible, at least in part, for stimulating cell proliferation at the site of injury and inflammation possibly in synchronization with other platelet-derived factors (Balazs et al., 2000). Moreover, LPA by itself stimulates platelet aggregation, which may in turn be the factor that initiates an element of positive feedback to the initial aggregatory response (Schumacher et al., 1979; Tokumura et al., 1981; Gerrard et al., 1979; Simon et al., 1982). Due to the role of LPA in cell proliferation, compounds having LPA receptor agonist activity can be used in a manner effective to promote wound healing. Accordingly, another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating a wound. This method is carried out by providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor and delivering an effective amount of the compound to a wound site, where the compound binds to LPA receptors on cells that promote healing of the wound, thereby stimulating LPA receptor agonist-induced cell proliferation to promote wound healing. The primary goal in the treatment of wounds is to achieve wound closure. Open cutaneous wounds represent one major category of wounds and include burn wounds, neuropathic ulcers, pressure sores, venous stasis ulcers, and diabetic ulcers. Open cutaneous wounds routinely heal by a process which comprises six major components: i) inflammation, ii) fibroblast proliferation, iii) blood vessel proliferation, iv) connective tissue synthesis v) epithelialization, and vi) wound contraction. Wound healing is impaired when these components, either individually or as a whole, do not function properly. Numerous factors can affect wound healing, including malnutrition, infection, pharmacological agents (e.g., actinomycin and steroids), diabetes, and advanced age (see Hunt and Goodson, 1988). Phospholipids have been demonstrated to be important regulators of cell activity, including mitogenesis (Xu et al., 1995b), apoptosis, cell adhesion, and regulation of gene expression. Specifically, for example, LPA elicits growth factor-like effects on cell proliferation (Moolenaar, 1996) and cell migration (Imamura et al., 1993). It has also been suggested that LPA plays a role in wound healing and regeneration (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992). In general, agents which promote a more rapid influx of fibroblasts, endothelial and epithelial cells into wounds should increase the rate at which wounds heal. Compounds of the present invention that are useful in treating wound healing can be identified and tested in a number of in vitro and in vivo models. In vitro systems model different components of the wound healing process, for example the return of cells to a “wounded” confluent monolayer of tissue culture cells, such as fibroblasts (Verrier et al., 1986), endothelial cells (Miyata et al., 1990) or epithelial cells (Kartha et al., 1992). Other systems permit the measurement of endothelial cell migration and/or proliferation (Muller et al., 1987; Sato et al., 1988). In vivo models for wound healing are also well-known in the art, including wounded pig epidermis (Ohkawara et al., 1977) or drug-induced oral mucosal lesions in the hamster cheek pouch (Cherrick et al., 1974). The compounds of the present invention which are effective in wound healing can also be administered in combination, i.e., in the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention or simultaneously administered via different routes, with a medicament selected from the group consisting of an antibacterial agent, an antiviral agent, an antifungal agent, an antiparasitic agent, an antiinflammatory agent, an analgesic agent, an antipruritic agent, or a combination thereof. For wound healing, a preferred mode of administration is by the topical route. However, alternatively, or concurrently, the agent may be administered by parenteral, subcutaneous, intravenous, intramuscular, intraperitoneal or transdermal routes. Alternatively, or concurrently, administration may be by the oral route. The dosage administered will be dependent upon the age, health, and weight of the recipient, kind of concurrent treatment, if any, frequency of treatment, and the nature of the effect desired. For the preferred topical applications, especially for treatment of humans and animals having a wound, it is preferred to administer an effective amount of a compound according to the present invention to the wounded area, e.g., skin surfaces. This amount will generally range from about 0.001 mg to about 1 g per application, depending upon the area to be treated, the severity of the symptoms, and the nature of the topical vehicle employed. A preferred topical preparation is an ointment wherein about 0.01 to about 50 mg of active ingredient is used per ml of ointment base, such as PEG-1000. The present invention further provides methods of inhibiting apoptosis or preserving or restoring cell, tissue or organ function. This method is carried out by providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor and contacting a cell, tissue, or organ with an amount of the compound which is effective to treat apoptosis, or preserve or restore function in the cell, tissue, or organ. The contacting can be carried out in vitro (i.e., during cell culture or organ or tissue transfer) or in vivo (i.e., by administering the effective amount of the compound to a patient as indicated below). Various indications which can be treated, include, but are not limited to, those related to apoptosis, ischemia, traumatic injury, and reperfusion damage. Those conditions related to apoptosis include, but are not limited to, dermatological effects of aging, the effects of reperfusion after an ischemic event, immunosuppression, gastrointestinal perturbations, cardiovascular disorders, rejection of tissue transplantation, wound healing, and Alzheimer's disease. The treatment can also diminish the apoptosis-related problems associated with immunosuppressing viruses, chemotherapeutic agents, radiation, and immunosuppressive drugs. These stimuli trigger apoptosis in a variety of disorders, including, but not limited to, those of the digestive tract tissues and associated gastrointestinal perturbations. A preferred compound for practicing this aspect of the present invention is compound 8g, particularly with respect to the protection of gastroendothelial cells against chemotherapeutic- or radiation-induced apoptosis as described in the Examples herein. The treatments are also suitable during all phases of organ transplantation. The compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor can be used to prepare the organ by administering an amount of the compound to the donor effective to stabilize or preserve the organ. The organ can be perfused and/or preserved in OPS containing the compound. The organ recipient can then be administered an amount of the compound effective to enhance organ stability and function. The compositions are also particularly suitable for use in treating cardioplegia, whether related to transplantation or other surgical intervention. Gastrointestinal perturbations include, but are not limited to, damage to the lining of the gut, severe chronic ulcers, colitis, radiation induced damage, chemotherapy induced damage, and the perturbation of the gastrointestinal tract caused by parasites, and diarrhea from any other cause. Various viral and bacterial infections are known to result in gastrointestinal perturbations. The compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor are also suitable for use in treatment of the side effects associated with these infections. Such compounds are particularly suited for use in ameliorating the gastrointestinal disturbances associated with chemotherapy. Thus, such compounds are suitable for use not only in preventing the diarrhea associated with chemotherapy but also the nausea. These compounds are particularly suited to treatment of various gastrointestinal conditions in animals, including, but not limited to livestock and domesticated animals. Such conditions, particularly diarrhea, account for the loss of many calves and puppies to dehydration and malnutrition. Treatment of gastrointestinal conditions is preferably by gastrointestinal administration. In the case of cattle and domesticated animals, an effective amount of these compounds can be conveniently mixed in with the feed. In humans, administration can be by any method known in the art of gastrointestinal administration. Preferably, administration is oral. In addition, the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor can be administered to immunodeficient patients, particularly HIV-positive patients, to prevent or at least mitigate apoptotic death of T cells associated with the condition, which results in the exacerbation of immunodeficiencies as seen in patients with AIDS. Preferably, administration to such patients is parenterally, but can also be transdermally or gastrointestinally. The compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor can also be administered to treat apoptosis associated with reperfusion damage involved in a variety of conditions, including, but not limited to, coronary artery obstruction; cerebral infarction; spinal/head trauma and concomitant severe paralysis; reperfusion damage due to other insults such as frostbite, coronary angioplasty, blood vessel attachment, limb attachment, organ attachment and kidney reperfusion. Myocardial and cerebral infarctions (stroke) are caused generally by a sudden insufficiency of arterial or venous blood supply due to emboli, thrombi, or pressure that produces a macroscopic area of necrosis; the heart, brain, spleen, kidney, intestine, lung and testes are likely to be affected. Cell death occurs in tissue surrounding the infarct upon reperfusion of blood to the area; thus, the compositions are effective if administered at the onset of the infarct, during reperfusion, or shortly thereafter. The present invention includes methods of treating reperfusion damage by administering a therapeutically effective amount of the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor to a patient in need of such therapy. The invention further encompasses a method of reducing the damage associated with myocardial and cerebral infarctions for patients with a high risk of heart attack and stroke by administering a therapeutically effective amount of the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor to a patient in need of such therapy. Preferably, treatment of such damage is by parenteral administration of such compounds. Any other suitable method can be used, however, for instance, direct cardiac injection in the case of myocardial infarct. Devices for such injection are known in the art, for instance the Aboject cardiac syringe. The invention further provides methods of limiting and preventing apoptosis in cells, or otherwise preserving cells, during the culture or maintenance of mammalian organs, tissues, and cells, by the addition of an effective amount of the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor to any media or solutions used in the art of culturing or maintaining mammalian organs, tissues, and cells. The invention further encompasses media and solutions known in the art of culturing and maintaining mammalian organs, tissues and cells, which include an amount of the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor which is effective to preserve or restore cell, tissue or organ function, or limit or prevent apoptosis of the cells in culture. These aspects of the invention encompass mammalian cell culture media including an effective amount of at least one compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor and the use of such media to preserve or restore cell, tissue or organ function, or to limit or prevent apoptosis in mammalian cell culture. An effective amount is one which decreases the rate of apoptosis and/or preserves the cells, tissue or organ. Such compounds can limit or prevent apoptosis under circumstances in which cells are subjected to mild traumas which would normally stimulate apoptosis. Exemplary traumas can include, but are not limited to, low level irradiation, thawing of frozen cell stocks, rapid changes in the temperature, pH, osmolarity, or ion concentration of culture media, prolonged exposure to non-optimal temperature, pH, osmolarity, or ion concentration of the culture media, exposure to cytotoxins, disassociation of cells from an intact tissue in the preparation of primary cell cultures, and serum deprivation (or growth in serum-free media). Thus, the invention encompasses compositions comprising tissue culture medium and an effective amount of the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor. Serum-free media to which the compositions can be added as anti-apoptotic media supplements include, but are not limited to, AIM V(P Media, Neuman and Tytell's Serumless Media, Trowell's T8 Media, Waymouth's MB 752/1 and 705/1 Media, and Williams' Media E. In addition to serum-free media, suitable mammalian cell culture media to which the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor can be added as anti-apoptotic media supplements include, but are not limited to, Basal Media Eagle's, Fischer's Media, McCoy's Media, Media 199, RPMI Media 1630 and 1640, Media based on F-10 & F-12 Nutrient Mixtures, Leibovitz's L-15 Media, Glasgow Minimum Essential Media, and Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Media. Mammalian cell culture media to which the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor can be added further include any media supplement known in the art. Exemplary supplmenets include, but are not limited to, sugars, vitamins, hormones, metalloproteins, antibiotics, antimycotics, growth factors, lipoproteins, and sera. The invention further encompasses solutions for maintaining mammalian organs prior to transplantation, which solutions include an effective amount of the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor, and the use of such solutions to preserve or restore organ function or to limit or prevent apoptosis in treated mammalian organs during their surgical removal and handling prior to transplantation. The solutions can be used to rush, perfuse and/or store the organs. In all cases, concentrations of the compounds (having agonist activity on an LPA receptor) required to limit or prevent damage to the organs can be determined empirically by one skilled in the art by methods known in the art. In addition to the foregoing, the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor can be topically applied to the skin to treat a variety of dermatologic conditions. These conditions include, but are not limited to, hair loss and wrinkling due to age and/or photo damage. The present invention also encompasses, therefore, methods of treating dermatological conditions. In particular, hair loss can be caused by apoptosis of the cells of the hair follicles (Stenn et al., 1994). Therefore, the compounds having agonist activity on an LPA receptor are suitable for use in topical treatment of the skin to prevent continued hair loss. The various dermatologic conditions are preferably treated by topical application of an effective amount of a compound having agonist activity on an LPA receptor (or compositions which contain them). An effective amount of such compounds is one which ameliorates or diminishes the symptoms of the dermatologic conditions. Preferably, the treatment results in resolution of the dermatologic condition or restoration of normal skin function; however, any amelioration or lessening of symptoms is encompassed by the invention. EXAMPLES The following examples are intended to illustrate, but by no means are intended to limit, the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. General Methods All reagents were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Co., Fisher Scientific (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Bedukian Research (Danbury, Conn.) and Toronto Research Chemicals (North York, ON, Canada) and were used without further purification. Phosphonate analogs were purchased from Lancaster (Pelham, N.H.; n-decyl-phosphonate (9a)), PolyCarbon (Devens, Mass.; n-dodecyl-phosphonate (9b)), Alfa Aesar (Ward Hill, Mass.; n-tetradecyl-phosphonate (9c) and n-octadecyl-phosphonate (9d)). LPA 18:1, DGPP, Ser-PA, and Tyr-PA were obtained from Avanti Polar Lipids (Alabaster, Ala.). Melting points were determined on a Thomas-Hoover capillary melting point apparatus and are uncorrected. Routine thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was performed on 250 μm glassbacked UNIPLATES (Analtech, Newark, Del.). Flash chromatography was performed on pre-packed silica gel columns using a Horizon HPFC system (Biotage, Charlottesville, Va.). 1H and 31P NMR spectra were obtained on a Bruker AX 300 (Billerica, Mass.) spectrometer. Chemical shifts for 1H NMR are reported as parts per million (ppm) relative to TMS. Chemical shifts for 31P NMR are reported as parts per million (ppm) relative to 0.0485 M triphenylphosphate in CDCl3. Mass spectral data was collected on a Bruker ESQUIRE electrospray/ion trap instrument in the positive and negative ion modes. Elemental analyses were performed by Atlantic Microlab Inc., Norcross, Ga. Example 1 Synthesis of Phosphoric Acid di-tert-butyl Ester Alkenyl Esters (4a-f) Commercially available unsaturated fatty alcohols (3a-f) were used as starting materials. To a stirred solution of alcohol (2.5 mmol) and di-tert-butyl-N,N-diisopropyl phosphoramidite (1.51 g, 4 mmol) in methylene chloride (60 mL) was added 1H-tetrazole (578 mg, 8.25 mmol). After 30 minutes of stirring the mixture was cooled to 0° C. and 0.3 mL of 50% hydrogen peroxide was added. The mixture was stirred for 1 h., diluted with methylene chloride (100 mL), washed with 10% sodium metabisulfite (2×50 ml), saturated sodium bicarbonate (2×50 ml), water (50 ml), and brine (50 ml). The organic layer was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered, and concentrated under vacuum. The resulting crude products were purified by silica gel chromatography using hexane/ethyl acetate (7:3) to elute the desired products, di-t-Boc protected fatty alcohol phosphates (4a-f). Phosphoric acid di-tert-butyl ester dec-9-enyl ester (4a): Isolated as clear oil (75% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 5.80 (m, 1H), 4.95 (m, 2H), 3.95 (q, J=7.5 Hz, 2H), 2.03 (q, J=7.1 Hz, 2H), 1.65 (quintet, 2H), 1.48 (s, 18H), 1.30 (br s, 10H); 31P NMR (CDCl3): δ 7.90; MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 371.3. Phosphoric acid di-tert-butyl ester dec-4-enyl ester (4b): Isolated as clear oil (68% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 5.25 (m, 2H), 3.84 (q, J=6.8 Hz, 2H), 2.05 (q, J=7.0 Hz, 2H), 1.98 (q, J=6.8 Hz, 2H), 1.61 (quintet, 2H), 1.42 (s, 18H), 1.22 (br s, 6H), 0.80 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 3H); 31P NMR (MeOH-d4): δ 7.90; MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 371.3. Phosphoric acid di-tert-butyl ester dodec-9-enyl ester (4c): Isolated as clear oil (70% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 5.26 (m, 2H), 3.88 (q, J=6.6 Hz, 2H), 1.94 (m, 4H), 1.59 (quintet, 2H), 1.42 (s, 18H), 1.24 (br s, 10H), 0.89 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 3H); 31P NMR (CDCl3): δ 7.80; MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 399.5. Phosphoric acid di-tert-butyl ester tetradec-9-enyl ester (4d): Isolated as clear oil (68% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 5.34 (t, J=5.2 Hz, 2H), 3.94 (q, J=6.6 Hz, 2H), 2.01 (m, 4H), 1.65 (quintet, 2H), 1.48 (s, 18H), 1.30 (br s, 18H), 0.90 (t, J=7.4 Hz, 3H); 31P NMR (CDCl3): δ 7.90; MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 427.4. Phosphoric acid di-tert-butyl ester tetradec-11-enyl ester (4e): Isolated as clear oil (82% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 5.34 (m, 2H), 3.94 (q, J=6.5 Hz, 2H), 2.01 (m, 4H), 1.65 (quintet, 2H), 1.48 (s, 18H), 1.23 (br s, 14H), 0.95 (t, J=7.4 Hz, 3H); 31P NMR (CDCl3): δ 8.10; MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 427.4. Phosphoric acid di-tert-butyl ester octadec-9-enyl ester (4f): Isolated as clear oil (72% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 5.34 (m, 2H), 3.94 (q, J=6.9 Hz, 2H), 2.01 (m, 4H), 1.66 (quintet, 2H), 1.48 (s, 18H), 1.28 (br s, 22H), 0.88 (t, J=6.6 Hz, 3H); 31P NMR (CDCl3): δ 8.10; MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 483.5. Example 2 Synthesis of Phosphoric Acid Mono Alkenyl Esters (5a-f) The Boc-protected FAPs (4a-f) were deprotected with TFA to yield the corresponding unsaturated FAPs (5a-f). To a solution of 100 mg of 1a-6a in methylene chloride (20 mL), trifluroacetic acid (0.3 mL) was added. The mixture was allowed to stir for 4 h., and TLC showed the completion of the reaction. Solvents were evaporated; the residue was washed with methylene chloride (2×20 mL), and concentrated under vacuum to yield the desired phosphoric acid mono alkenyl esters as colorless oils. Phosphoric acid monodec-9-enyl ester (5a): Isolated as an oil (85%). 1H NMR (MeOH-d4): δ 5.74 (m, 1H), 4.88 (m, 2H), 3.90 (q, J=6.6 Hz, 2H), 2.01 (q, J=6.9 Hz, 2H), 1.61 (quintet, 2H), 1.28 (br s, 10H); 31PNMR (MeOH-d4): δ 17.84; MS: [M−H]− at m/z 235.2. Anal. (C10H21O4P.0.1H2O)C, H. Phosphoric acid monodec-4-enyl ester (5b): Isolated as an oil (78%). 1H NMR (MeOH-d4): δ 5.31 (m, 2H), 3.84 (q, J=6.8 Hz, 2H), 2.05 (q, J=7.0 Hz, 2H), 1.98 (q, J=6.8 Hz, 2H), 1.61 (quintet, 2H), 1.22 (br s, 6H), 0.80 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 3H); 31P NMR (MeOH-d4): δ 17.45; MS: [M−H]− at m/z 235.2. Anal. (C10H21O4P.0.5H2O)C, H. Phosphoric acid monododec-9-enyl ester (5c): Isolated as an oil (82%). 1H NMR (DMSO/MeOH-d4): δ 5.28 (m, 2H), 3.82 (q, J=6.6 Hz, 2H), 1.96 (m, 4H), 1.54 (m, 2H), 1.25 (br s, 10H), 0.88 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 3H); 31P NMR (MeOH-d4): δ 16.22; MS: [M−H]− at m/z 263.0. Anal. (C12H25O4P.0.6H2O)C, H. Phosphoric acid monotetradec-9-enyl ester (5d): Isolated as an oil (84%). 1H NMR (CDCl3/MeOH-d4): δ 5.21 (m, 2H), 3.84 (q, J=6.5 Hz, 2H), 1.91 (m, 4H), 1.54 (m, 2H), 1.20 (br s, 14H), 0.78 (m, 3H); 31P NMR (MeOH-d4): δ 16.20; MS: [M−H]− at m/z 291.4. Anal. (C14H29O4P.0.25H2O)C, H. Phosphoric acid monotetradec-11-enyl ester (5e): Isolated as an oil (78%). 1H NMR (MeOH-d4): δ 5.24 (m, 2H), 3.88 (q, J=6.6 Hz, 2H), 1.95 (m, 4H), 1.58 (m, 2H), 1.25 (br s, 14H), 0.86 (t, J=7.1 Hz, 3H); 31P NMR (MeOH-d4): δ 16.20; MS: [M−H]− at m/z 291.3. Anal. (C14H29O4P)C, H. Phosphoric acid monooctadec-9-enyl ester (5f): Isolated as an oil (86%). 1H NMR (MeOH-d4): δ 5.30 (m, 2H), 3.91 (q, J=6.6 Hz, 2H), 2.00 (m, 4H), 1.62 (quintet, 2H), 1.26 (br s, 22H), 0.86 (t, J=6.0 Hz, 3H); 31p NMR (MeOH-d4): δ 16.21; MS: [M−H]− at m/z 347.4. Anal. (C18H37O4P.0.4H2O)C, H. Example 3 Synthesis of Thiophosphoric Acid O,O′-bis-(2-cyano-ethyl) Ester O″-alkyl/alkenyl Esters (7a-g) Commercially available saturated or unsaturated fatty alcohols (6a-g) were used as starting materials. A solution of alcohol (2.0 mmol), bis-(2-cyanoethyl)-N,N-diisopropyl phosphoramidite (1.085 g, 4 mmol) and 1H-tetrazole (420 mg, 6 mmol) was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature, followed by the addition of elemental sulfur (200 mg) and the mixture was refluxed for 2 h. The reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and solvents were evaporated under vacuum. Addition of ethyl acetate (30 mL) precipitated excess sulfur, which was filtered out, and the solvent was evaporated to give the crude mixture. The mixture was purified by flash chromatography to give the desired products as colorless oils. Thiophosphoric acid O,O′-bis-(2-cyano-ethyl) ester O″-decyl ester (7a): Isolated as colorless oil (72% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 4.21-4.35 (m, 4H), 4.12 (m, 2H), 2.8 (t, J=6.3 Hz, 4H), 1.68 (quintet, 2H), 1.26 (br s, 14H), 0.88 (t, J=6.0 Hz, 3H); MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 383.4. Thiophosphoric acid O,O′-bis-(2-cyano-ethyl) ester O″-dodecyl ester (7b): Isolated as colorless oil (84% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 4.26-4.33 (m, 4H), 4.12 (m, 2H), 2.8 (t, J=6.2 Hz, 4H), 1.71 (quintet, 2H), 1.26 (br s, 14H), 0.88 (t, J=6.6 Hz, 3H); MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 411.4. Thiophosphoric acid O,O′-bis-(2-cyano-ethyl) ester O″-tetradecyl ester (7c): Isolated as clear oil (82% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 4.25-4.33 (m, 4H), 4.12 (m, 2H), 2.8 (t, J=6.0 Hz, 4H), 1.71 (quintet, 2H), 1.26 (br s, 18H), 0.88 (t, J=6.6 Hz, 3H); MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 439.5. Thiophosphoric acid O,O′-bis-(2-cyano-ethyl) ester O″-dec-9-enyl ester (7d): Isolated as clear oil (76% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 5.81 (m, 1H), 4.96 (m, 2H), 4.22-4.32 (m, 4H), 4.11 (m, 2H), 2.8 (t, J=6.3 Hz, 4H), 2.01 (t, J=6.6 Hz, 4H), 1.70 (quintet, 2H), 1.31 (br s, 10H); MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 381.3. Thiophosphoric acid O,O′-bis-(2-cyano-ethyl) ester O″-dodec-9-enyl ester (7e): Isolated as clear oil (80% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 5.34 (m, 2H), 4.25-4.33 (m, 4H), 4.11 (m, 2H), 2.8 (t, J=6.0 Hz, 4H), 2.07 (m, 2H), 1.70 (quintet, 2H), 1.31 (br s, 10H), 0.96 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 3H); MS: [M+23Na) at m/z 409.5. Thiophosphoric acid O,O′-bis-(2-cyano-ethyl) ester O″-tetradec-9-enyl ester (7f): Isolated as clear oil (75% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 5.35 (m, 2H), 4.25-4.33 (m, H), 4.12 (m, 2H), 2.78 (t, J=6.0 Hz, 4H), 2.02 (m, 2H), 1.71 (quintet, 2H), 1.31 (br s, 14H), 0.90 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 3H); MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 437.5. Thiophosphoric acid O,O′-bis-(2-cyano-ethyl) ester O″-octadec-9-enyl ester (7g): Isolated as clear oil (72% yield). 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 5.35 (m, 2H), 4.27-4.31 (m, 4H), 4.12 (m, 2H), 2.78 (t, J=6.0 Hz, 4H), 2.02 (m, 2H), 1.71 (quintet, 2H), 1.27 (br s, 22H), 0.88 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 3H); MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 493.5. Example 4 Synthesis of Thiophosphoric Acid O-alkyl/alkenyl Esters (8a-g) Thiophosphoric acid O,O′-bis-(2-cyano-ethyl) ester O″-alkyl/alkenyl esters (7a-7g) were used as starting materials. A solution of 100 mg of 7a-7g in methanolic KOH (10 mL) was stirred for 2 h., and TLC showed the completion of the reaction. The solvent was evaporated to give the crude product, which was dissolved in water (20 mL), and acidified with HCl. The aqueous mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate (2×50 mL), organic layer was dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated under vacuum to give the desired compound as light yellow colored oil. Thiophosphoric acid O-decyl ester (8a): Isolated as light yellow colored oil (80% yield). 1H NMR (DMSO): δ 3.86 (m, 2H), 1.56 (quintet, 2H), 1.24 (br s, 14H), 0.86 (t, J=6.0 Hz, 3H); MS: [M−H]− at m/z 253.2. Anal. (C10H23O3PS) C, H. Thiophosphoric acid O-dodecyl ester (8b): Isolated as light yellow colored oil (73% yield). 1H NMR (DMSO): δ 3.84 (m, 2H), 1.56 (quintet, 2H), 1.24 (br s, 18H), 0.83 (t, J=6.9 Hz, 3H); MS: [M−H]− at m/z 280.9. Anal. (C12H27O3PS.0.5H2O)C, H Thiophosphoric acid O-tetradecyl ester (8c): Isolated as light yellow colored oil (70% yield). 1H NMR (DMSO): δ 3.85 (m, 2H), 1.56 (quintet, 2H), 1.24 (br s, 22H), 0.85 (t, J=6.0 Hz, 3H); MS: [M−H]− at m/z 309.4. Anal. (C14H31O3PS.0.25H2O)C, H. Thiophosphoric acid O-dec-9-enyl ester (8d): Isolated as light yellow colored oil (76% yield). 1H NMR (DMSO): δ 5.79 (m, 1H), 4.94 (m, 2H), 3.85 (m, 2H), 2.01 (q, J=6.6 Hz, 4H), 1.55 (quintet, 2H), 1.26 (br s, 10H); MS: [M−H]− at m/z 251.1. Anal. (C10H21O3PS)C, H. Thiophosphoric acid O-dodec-9-enyl ester (8e): Isolated as light yellow colored oil (80% yield). 1H NMR (DMSO): δ 5.31 (m, 2H), 3.85 (q, J=6.6 Hz, 2H), 1.99 (m, 4H), 1.56 (quintet, 2H), 1.26 (br s, 10H), 0.91 (t, J=7.5 Hz, 3H); MS: [M−H]− at m/z 279.5. Anal. (C12H25O3PS-0.35H2O)C, H. Thiophosphoric acid O-tetradec-9-enyl ester (8f): Isolated as light yellow colored oil (72% yield). 1H NMR (DMSO): δ 5.32 (m, 2H), 3.85 (m, 2H), 1.98 (m, 4H), 1.55 (quintet, 2H), 1.26 (br s, 14H), 0.86 (t, J=6.9 Hz, 3H); MS: [M−H]− at m/z 307.5. Anal. (C14H29O3PS.0.3H2O)C, H. Thiophosphoric acid O-octadec-9-enyl ester (8g): Isolated as light yellow colored oil (82% yield). 1H NMR (DMSO): δ 5.32 (m, 2H), 3.85 (m, 2H), 1.97 (m, 4H), 1.55 (quintet, 2H), 1.24 (br s, 22H), 0.85 (t, J=6.9 Hz, 3H); MS: [M−H]− at m/z 363.5. Anal. (C18H37O3PS.0.3H2O)C, H. Example 5 Synthesis of (1,1-Difluoro-pentadecyl) Phosphonic Acid Diethyl Ester (10) To a solution of diethyl difluoromethanephosphonate (1.0 g, 5.316 mmol) in THF (50 mL) 2 M LDA (626 mg, 5.847 mmol) was added at −78° C. and stirred for 30 min. Tetradecyl bromide (1.474 g, 5.316 mmol) in THF (10 mL) was added to the mixture at −78° C. and the reaction mixture was stirred overnight. THF was evaporated and the residual oil was purified by flash chromatography using 30% ethyl acetate in hexane as eluent to give 817 mg (40%) of compound 10 as colorless oil. 1H NMR (CDCl3): δ 4.26 (m, 4H), 2.05 (m, 2H), 1.56 (m, 2H), 1.37 (t, J=6.9 Hz, 6H), 1.25 (br s, 22H), 0.87 (t, J=6.6 Hz, 3H); MS: [M+23Na] at m/z 407.2. Example 6 Synthesis of (1,1-Difluoro-pentadecyl) Phosphonic Acid (11) To a solution of vacuum dried 10 (225 mg, 0.585 mmol) in methylene chloride (5 mL) bromotrimethyl silane (895 mg, 5.85 mmol) was added and the mixture was stirred at room temperature. TLC showed completion of the reaction after 6 h. Solvents were removed under reduced pressure, and the residue was stirred in 95% methanol (3 mL) for 1 h. The mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure, dried under vacuum to give 150 mg (78%) of 11 as light yellow solid. mp 66-69° C.; 1H NMR (CD3OD): δ 2.03 (m, 2H), 1.59 (m, 2H), 1.24 (br s, 22H), 0.90 (t, J=6.6 Hz, 3H); MS: [M−H]− at m/z 327.3. Anal. (C15H3]F2O3P.0.2H2O)C, H. Example 7 Analysis of Compounds for LPA Receptor Agonist or Antagonist Activity Compounds were tested for their ability to induce or inhibit LPA-induced calcium transients in RH7777 rat hepatoma cells stably expressing LPA1, LPA2, and LPA3 receptors and in PC-3 that express LPA1-3 endogenously, using a FlexStation II automated fluorometer (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, Calif.) (Fischer et al., 2001; Virag et al., 2003). RH7777 cells stably expressing either LPA1, LPA2 or LPA3 (Fischer et 2001; Virag et al., 2003) or PC-3 cells were plated on poly-D lysine-coated black wall clear bottom 96-well plates (Becton Dickinson, San Jose, Calif.) with a density of 50000 cells/well, and cultured overnight. The culture medium (DMEM containing 10% FBS) was then replaced with modified Krebs solution (120 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl, 0.62 mM MgSO4, 1.8 mM CaCl2, 10 mM HEPES, 6 mM glucose, pH 7.4) and the cells were serum starved for 6-8 hours (12 h for PC-3 cells). Cells were loaded with Fura-2 AM for 35 minutes in modified Krebs medium. The Fura-2 was removed before loading the plate in the FlexStation instrument by replacing the medium once again with 100 μl modified Krebs medium/well. Plates were incubated for 4 minutes in the instrument to allow for warming to 37° C. Changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration were monitored by measuring the ratio of emitted light intensity at 520 nm in response to excitation by 340 nm and 380 nm wavelength lights, respectively. Each well was monitored for 80-120 seconds. 50 μl of the test compound (3× stock solution in modified Krebs) was added automatically to each well 15 seconds after the start of the measurement. Time courses were recorded using the SoftMax Pro software (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, Calif.). Ca+ transients were quantified automatically by calculating the difference between maximum and baseline ratio values for each well. Selected compounds were tested for PPARγ activation in CV1 cells, transfected with an acyl-coenzyme A oxidase-luciferase (PPRE-Acox-Rluc) reporter gene construct as previously reported (Zhang et al., 2004). The assay of PPARγ activation in CV1 cells was run as reported in Zhang et al. Briefly, CV-1 cells were plated in 96-well plates (5×103 cells per well) in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. The next day, the cells were transiently transfected with 125 ng of pGL3-PPRE-Acox-Rluc, 62.5 ng of pcDNAI-PPARγ, and 12.5 ng of pSV-β-galactosidase (Promega, Madison, Wis.) using LipofectAMINE 2000 (Invitrogen). Twenty-four hours after System (Promega) and the Galacto-Light Plus™ System (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, Calif.), respectively. Samples were run in quadruplicate and the mean±standard errors were calculated. Data are representative of at least two independent transfections. Student's t-test was used for null hypothesis testing and P<0.05 was considered transfection, cells were treated with 1% FBS supplemented OptiMEMI (Invitrogen) containing DMSO or 10 μM test compound dissolved in DMSO for 20 h. Luciferase and β-galactosidase activities were measured with the Steady-Glo® Luciferase Assay significant (in the figures P<0.05 is denoted by * and P<0.01 is **). According to our original two-point contact model (Wang et al., 2001; Sardar et al., 2002), both a polar phosphate head group and a hydrophobic tail are required for specific interactions with the LPA GPCRs (Fischer et al., 2001). The phosphate group was identified as a necessary component that interacts with two positively charged conserved amino acid residues in the third and seventh transmembrane helices of the LPA receptors (Wang et al., 2001). The hydrophobic tail interacts with a pocket of hydrophobic residues in the transmembrane regions of the receptors, significantly contributing to the ligand-receptor binding (Wang et al., 2001; Sardar et al., 2002). Based on this model we identified DGPP and dioctyl phosphatidic acid as selective LPA1 and LPA3 antagonists and FAPs as subtype selective agonists/antagonists of LPA1-3 receptors (Fischer et al., 2001; Virag et al., 2003). Bandoh et al. (2000) showed that LPA3 prefers unsaturated fatty acyl LPA species over saturated LPAs. Replacement of the phosphate with a phosphonate renders compounds metabolically stable against degradation by lipid phosphate phosphatases. Phosphonate modification also affects ligand-receptor interactions by reducing charge density on the polar head group. Phosphonate analogs of LPA have been studied recently and are less potent than LPA (Hooks et al., 2001; Xu et al., 2002). Alternatively, thiophosphate in place of phosphate yielded metabolically stable compounds with increased charge on the polar head group such as OMPT, a selective LPA3 agonist (Hasegawa et al., 2003; Qian et al., 2003). To explore the effects of these modifications along with the variations in the side chain in the FAP structure, we synthesized a series of FAP analogs with an unsaturation at different positions in the sidechain (5a-f), thiophosphates (8a-g) and phosphonates (9ad, 11). These new analogs were evaluated as agonists and antagonists with respect to LPA1-3. Saturated FAP analogs containing 10, 12 or 14 carbons (2a-c) were previously shown to be the most effective agonists and/or inhibitors at LPA1-3 in our initial study (Virag et al., 2003). For this reason we synthesized and characterized modified FAP analogs with these optimum chain lengths. Each FAP analog was tested for the ability to induce Ca2+ transients in RH7777 cells transfected with LPA1-3 receptors (agonism), as well as the ability to inhibit LPAinduced Ca2+ transients in the same cells (antagonism) (Table 3). None of the compounds examined in this study induced intracellular Ca2+ transients when applied up to a concentration of 30 μM in non-transfected RH7777 cells. The effects of unsaturation at different positions, modification of head group by phosphonate, difluoro phosphonate and thiophosphate with/without unsaturation on the activity of C-14 analogs at LPA1-3 receptors are shown in FIG. 2. These modifications dramatically changed the pharmacological properties of FAPs on LPA1-3 receptors. The mono-unsaturated FAP analogs (5a-e) showed a trend of increasing the potency and/or efficacy when compared to the saturated analogs, except C-10 analogs, without changing their ligand properties as agonists or antagonists at the LPA2 and LPA3 receptors (Table 3). The position of the double bond also had an impact on the activity. Comparison of the activities between decenyl regio isomers 5a and 5b, suggests that the C9═C10 double bond, as found in LPA 18:1, was preferred over C4═C5 in activating LPA2 receptor (EC50=3800 nM for 5a versus >10000 nM for 5b). Though 5b (Ki=370 nM) was moderately more active than 5a (Ki=504 nM), the preference for the double bond position was much less pronounced for inhibition of LPA3 receptor. Similarly, the LPA2 receptor showed preference for C9═C10 unsaturation between the tetradecenyl isomers 5d (EC50=397 nM) and 5e (EC50=4100 nM), and LPA3 showed no significant preference for double bond position. In contrast, LPA1 preferred C11═C12 over C9═C10 between 5d (Ki=1146 nM) and 5e (Ki=457 nM), indicating the possibility of a differential conformational requirement in the side chain for each of the three LPA receptors (FIG. 2). In the unsaturated series, only tetradecenyl compounds (5d, 5e) antagonized the LPA response at LPA1 receptor. This further supports our belief that the length of the side chain is critical for interaction with LPA receptors. The replacement of phosphate with a thiophosphate as the headgroup in 10-, 12-, and 14-carbon saturated FAP analogs (8a-c) had a major impact on their agonist/antagonist properties at all three LPA receptor subtypes. At LPA1, the thiophosphate modification completely abolished the inhibitory effects of the original FAP analogs. At LPA2 on the other hand, the thiophosphate invariably increased the efficacy of the original FAP to 100%. At the LPA3 receptor, the saturated thiophosphate FAP analogs consistently showed improved inhibition of the LPA response compared to the original FAPs. Dodecyl-thiophosphate (8b) is the most potent agonist and antagonist in the saturated thiophosphate analogs at LPA2 (EC50=1000 nM) and LPA3 (Ki=14 nM), respectively. These results are consistent with our two-point contact model as the increase in the charge density, influenced by the properties of the hydrophobic tail, increased the agonist or antagonist properties of the FAP. Next, we investigated the effect of combining a thiophosphate headgroup with mono-unsaturation (C9=C10) in the side chain. The combination of the thiophosphate headgroup with C9═C10 unsaturation resulted in analogs (8d-8f) with agonist/antagonist properties that were the combined properties of the saturated thiophosphates and unsaturated FAPs substantially lowering the EC50 and IC50 values. Similar to the saturated thio analogs, compounds 8d-8f were inactive at LPA1 receptor. When the effects of saturated and unsaturated C12, C14 thiophosphates at LPA2 and LPA3 are compared, there is an increase in potency with the unsaturated analogs at LPA2 with a minimal change in the potency at LPA3 receptor. The tetradec-9-enyl thiophosphate (8f) compound needs to be discussed separately. It has retained the features of the saturated thio analogs at LPA1, as it had no effect on the LPA-induced Ca2+ mobilization. On the other hand, at 8f was found to be the best agonist at LPA2 (EC50=480 nM) and most potent antagonist at LPA3 (K1=14 nM) among all C-10, -12, and -14 thiophosphate analogs (FIGS. 2B and 2D). Dodec-9-enyl analog (8e) was an equipotent antagonist as 8f at the LPA3 receptor. These differences in the effects of the thiophosphate analogs at the LPA receptor subtypes may provide us with a practical advantage in developing future subtype-selective agonists and antagonists, as short-chain thiophosphates interact selectively with LPA2 and LPA3 receptors. Oleoyl-phosphate (5f), an unsaturated FAP analog of oleoly-LPA, did not inhibit nor did it activate Ca2+ mobilization in cells expressing LPA1-3. However, it potentiated LPA response at all three LPA receptors when the two compounds were co-applied. This observation led us to the hypothesis that by increasing the charge density of the 5f headgroup by replacing the phosphate with a thiophosphate, we may increase the binding of this compound to the receptors that is essential to turn this analog into an agonist. To test this hypothesis, we synthesized and evaluated the oleoylthiophosphate (8g) at LPA1-3 receptors. In agreement with our prediction, compound 8g was a partial agonist at LPA1 (EC50 (Emax)=193 nM (80%)), and LPA3 (EC50 (Emax)=546 nM (78%)), and a potent and full agonist at LPA2 with the EC50 of 244 nM (Emax=175% of LPA response), lower than that of oleoyl-LPA (EC50=300 nM). The dose responses of 8g, comparing its effects with LPA 18:1 at LPA1-3 receptors, are shown in FIG. 3. The phosphonate analogs (9a-d) were weaker inhibitors and agonists at the LPA receptors than their phosphate counterparts, consistent with data reported previously (Hooks et al., “Lysophosphatidic Acid-Induced Mitogenesis Is Regulated by Lipid Phosphate Phosphatases and Is Edg-Receptor Independent,” J. Biol. Chem. 276:4611-4621 (2001), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). However, tetradecyl-phosphonate (9c) inhibited LPA-induced Ca2+ mobilization at all three receptor subtypes with IC50 values in the micromolar range, thus becoming the first pan antagonist of the EDG family LPA receptors (FIG. 2). The importance of this finding is twofold. Compound 9c is the only known inhibitor of the LPA2 receptor subtype apart from Ki16425 that exerts only a modest and partial inhibition (Ohta et al., 2003). Compound 9c, with a simpler structure and phosphonate headgroup, is presumably resistant to degradation by lipid phosphate phosphatases. These features make this molecule a good lead structure for further development of pan-antagonists for the LPA1-3 receptors. We synthesized compound 11, a difluorophosphonate analog of compound 9c, with an isosteric replacement of phosphonate by difluorophosphonate and tested at LPA1-3 receptors. This compound retains the metabolic stability against phosphatases and at the same time increases the acidity of the phosphonate group, which presumably increases the binding to the receptor. Increase in the acidity of phosphonate group by the two fluorine atoms in compound 11 reversed the compound from an antagonist to a weak and partial agonist with an EC50 of 10 μM (Emax=40%) at LPA2 receptor. Compound 11 showed improved antagonistic activity at LPA3 (Ki=575 nM) compared to 9c (Ki=1120 nM), while it showed partial antagonism (˜Ki=788 nM; 40% inhibition of LPA response) at LPA1. LPA was shown to activate mitogenic and motogenic signaling in PC-3 cells (Kue et al., 2002). RT-PCR analysis of PC-3 cells, an androgen-independent human prostate cancer cell lines, showed expression of transcripts encoding all three LPA receptors (Daaka et al., 2002). We tested the FAP analogs in PC-3 cells, which unlike the transfected RH7777 cells endogenously express LPA1-3 receptors. Since PC-3 cells express LPA1-3 receptors, the effects shown by the FAP compounds (Table 3) represent the combination of the effects of these compounds at the three LPA receptors. These experiments confirmed the pharmacological properties of the FAP analogs obtained from RH7777 cells expressing each LPA receptor individually. Thiophosphate analogs (8e and 8f) showed both independent activation and inhibition of LPA-induced Ca2+ transients in PC-3 cells as they have different effects at each of the LPA1-3 receptors. Oleoyl-thiophosphate (8g) showed a maximal response of 30% of maximal LPA response, with no inhibition of LPA response, is consistent with data from transfected RH7777 cells. Similarly the inhibitory activity shown by other compounds (Table 3) is a combination of effects of these compounds at individual LPA1-3 receptors. The consistency of the results obtained from PC-3 cells that endogenously express LPA receptors with those results obtained using transfected RH7777 cells validates our assay systems. To compare the effects of these FAP analogs at LPA receptors with the other available agonists and antagonists, we tested DGPP 8:0, Ki16425, N-acyl serine phosphoric acid (Ser-PA), N-acyl tyrosine phosphoric acid (Tyr-PA), and VPC12249 in our RH7777 cell system. This comparison, where a single test system is used for all compounds, has the benefit of providing us with reliable information on the relative effectiveness of these compounds despite the inherent shortcomings the individual test systems may have. Our results were consistent with previously published data for DGPP 8:0, Ser-PA and Ki16425, however we encountered differences for Tyr-PA, and VPC12249 (Table 3). DGPP 8:0 was identified in our lab as a subtype-selective inhibitor for LPA3 and LPA1, with Ki values of 106 nM and 6.6 μM, respectively (Fischer et al., 2001). In order to test our high throughput test system we evaluated the effects of DGPP 8:0 in the same stably transfected RH7777 cell lines. The Ki values were 202 nM for LPA3 and 4.3 μM for LPA1 (Table 3). These results convincingly showed the reproducibility of the DGPP results, even after the modification of the original assay method. Ki16425 was synthesized and identified as a subtype-selective antagonist for LPA1 and LPA3 with a very weak inhibitory effect on LPA2 with Ki values 250 nM, 360 nM, and 5.6 μM, respectively, using GTPγS loading assay in HEK293T cells transfected with LPA receptors (Ohta et al., 2003). When this compound was tested in our high throughput intracellular Ca2+ monitoring system, we obtained similar Ki values for LPA1 (425 nM) and LPA3 (148 nM), however Ki16425 seemed to inhibit LPA3 slightly better compared to LPA1 (Table 3). N-acyl serine phosphoric acid and N-acyl tyrosine phosphoric acid were originally identified as inhibitors of LPA-induced platelet aggregation (Sugiura et al., 1994) and inhibitors of the LPA induced Cl− current in Xenopus oocytes (Liliom et al., 1996). In a mammalian cell line, however, Ser-PA was found to be an LPA-like agonist (Hooks et al., 1998). It was also shown to be an agonist at LPA1 and LPA2 when these receptor subtypes were heterologously expressed in TAg-Jurkat T-cells (An et al., 1998b). In our experiments Ser-PA was a full agonist at LPA1 (EC50=1.85 μM), but only a weak agonist at LPA2. At LPA3, Ser-PA was also a weak but full agonist with an EC50 value of 1.6 μM (Table 3). An et al. (1998b) showed that Tyr-PA did not affect LPA signaling at LPA1 and LPA2 receptors when applied at a concentration of 1 μM. Tyr-PA in our experiments had no effect on LPA1, however it was found to be a weak agonist at LPA2 (EC50=11 μM) and an inhibitor at LPA3 (Ki=2.3 μM) as shown in Table 3. VPC12249 is a 2-substituted analog of the N-acyl ethanolamide phosphate that was identified as a subtype-selective inhibitor of the LPA1 and LPA3 receptors, using a GTPγS-loading assay with cell membranes isolated from HEK293T cells expressing LPA1, LPA2, or LPA3. VPC12249 was a better antagonist at LPA1 (Ki=137 nM) than at LPA3 (Ki=428 nM) (Heise et al. 2001). In our experiments however VPC12249 was only a weak inhibitor at LPA1 and a better inhibitor at LPA3 with a Ki value of 588 nM (Table 3). This value is reasonably close to the published data in addition to the observation that VPC12249 did not affect LPA signaling through LPA2 (Table 3). Analogous to the FAPs, these compounds also showed effects that are combination of effects at three LPA receptors on PC-3 cells, further validating our assay system. In addition to its plasma membrane receptors, LPA was shown to be an agonist of the nuclear transcription factor PPARγ (McIntyre et al., 2003). Many agents have been reported to activate PPARγ, including thiazolidinedione family represented by Rosiglitazone, oxidized phospholipids, fatty acids, eicosanoids, and oxidized LDL. Zhang et al showed that unsaturated and alkyl ether analogs of LPA, 1,1-difluorodeoxy-(2R)-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate, its mono-fluoro analog 1-palmitoyl-(2R)-fluorodeoxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphate, and the oxidized phosphatidylcholine 1-O-hexadecyl-2-azeleoyl-phosphatidylcholine induced neointima formation, an early step leading to the development of atherogenic plaques, through PPARγ activation (Zhang et al., 2004). The SAR of neointima formation by LPA analogs in vivo was identical to PPARγ activation in vitro and different from LPA G-protein coupled receptors (Zhang et al., 2004). We tested selected compounds including FAP-12 (2b), unsaturated thiophosphate analogs (8d-g), tetradecylphosphonate 9c, previously reported LPA1/LPA3 antagonists DGPP, Ki16425, VPC12249, and thiophosphate analog OMPT, a selective LPA3 agonist, for PPARγ activation in vitro in CV1 cells using the PPRE-Acox-Rluc reporter gene assay. Interestingly, results from this assay (FIG. 4) indicate that along with previously reported agonists (OMPT) and antagonists (DGPP, Ki16425, VPC12249) FAP analogs, which have LPA1-3 agonist/antagonist activities, can activate PPRE-Acox-Rluc reporter. These results are consistent with previously reported results (Zhang et al., 2004) in that LPA GPCR ligands can activate PPARγ. However, the results also emphasize that the SAR of PPARγ activation is different from GPCRs. The present study extended the validity of our previously described two-point contact model as the minimal requirement to elicit specific interactions with LPA GPCRs, and provides further refinement of the minimal pharmacophore FAP by identifying modifications that allowed the synthesis of a pan-agonist and a pan-antagonist and several subtype-selective ligands. A systematic SAR study of the FAP pharmacophore with phosphonate, thiophosphate and introduction of unsaturation in the side chain outlined important principles for the design of subtype-selective LPA receptor agonists and antagonists. The results of the FAP analogs, and previously reported LPA agonists and antagonists by other groups, obtained from transfected RH7777 cells expressing each LPA receptor individually were consistent with results obtained from PC-3 cells that endogenously express LPA1-3 receptors. In addition to their ligand properties on LPA GPCR, we showed that FAPs also activate nuclear transcription factor PPARγ with an SAR different from LPA GPCR. Based on the principles that emerged from SAR of FAP-12, oleoyl-thiophosphate (8g) was synthesized and identified as a novel pan-agonist at all three LPA receptors confirming the previously predicted necessity for an LPA1-3 agonist to possess both appropriate charge and side chain (length and unsaturation). Tetradecyl-phosphonate (9c) was identified as a metabolically stable first pan-antagonist that could serve as a lead structure for further development of LPA1-3 receptor antagonists that are not sensitive to degradation by lipid phosphate phosphatases. Our results provide the first comprehensive evaluation of LPA-GPCR ligands as agonists of PPARγ. It was an unexpected surprise that with the exception of VPC12249 all other analogs, regardless of their agonist or antagonist activity on LPA GPCR, were agonists of PPARγ. TABLE 3 Effects of FAP analogs 5a-f, 8a-g, 9a-d and 11 on LPA1-3 transfected RH7777 cells and comparison of the activities with the previously reported compounds LPA1 LPA2 LPA3 PC-3 EC50 IC50 IC50 IC50 IC50 IC50 EC50 IC50 (Emax) (Ki) (Emax) (Ki) (Emax) (Ki) (Emax) (Ki) Cmp X Y R nM nM nM nM nM nM nM nM 2ab O O —(CH2)9CH3 NEc NE 1800 (82) NE NE 384 (121) NDd ND 2bb O O —(CH2)11CH3 NE 2800 3100 (50) NE NE 128 (61) ND ND (1354) 2cb O O —(CH2)13CH3 NE 2300 NE NE NE 422 (211) ND ND (1082) 5a O O —(CH2)8CH═CH2 NE >10000 3800 NE NE 770 (504) NAe 1510 (100) (574) 5b O O —(CH2)3CH═CH(CH2)4CH3 NE >10000 >10000 NE NE 830 (370) NA 1300 (735) 5c O O —(CH2)8CH═CHCH2CH3 NE >10000 717 (78) NE NE 32 (27) NA 916 (390) 5d O O —(CH2)8CH═CH(CH2)3CH3 NE 3000 397 (58) NE NE 96 (58) NA 241 (123) (1146) 5e O O —(CH2)10CH═CHCH2CH3 NE 2200 4100 (75) NE NE 103 (40) ND ND (457) 5f O O —(CH2)8CH═CH(CH2)7CH3 NE NE NE NE NE NE −(11) NA 8a O S —(CH2)9CH3 NE NE 4570 NE NE 122 (49) NA 1220 (100) (521) 8b O S —(CH2)11CH3 NE NE 1000 NE NE 28 (14) NA 2838 (100) (1300) 8c O S —(CH2)13CH3 NE NE 2500 NE NE 162 (76) NE NE (100) 8d O S —(CH2)8CH═CH2 NE NE >10000 NE NE 340 (128) NA 1000 (56) (533) 8e O S —(CH2)8CH═CHCH2CH3 NE NE 677 (100) NE NE 27 (14) −(27) 2972 (1460) 8f O S —(CH2)8CH═CH(CH2)3CH3 NE NE 480 (150) NE NE 28 (14) −(40) 938 (397) 8g O S —(CH2)8CH═CH(CH2)7CH3 193 (80) NE 244 (175) NE 546 (78) NE −(30) NA 9a CH2 O —(CH2)8CH3 NE NE NE NE NE 1200 (68) NA 3122 (1500) 9b CH2 O —(CH2)10CH3 NE NE NE NE NE 654 (303) NA 2638 (1270) 9c CH2 O —(CH2)12CH3 NE ˜10000 NE 5500 NE 3100 NA 9674 (3550) (1120) (4620) 9d CH2 O —(CH2)16CH3 NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE 11 CF2 O —(CH2)13CH3 NE 2500 ˜10000 NE NE 1513 ND ND (788)f (40) (575) DGPPg NE 5500 NE NE NE 454 (202) ND ND (4300) Ki16425h NE 762 (425) NE NE NE 301 (148) NA 3384 (1740) Ser-PA 1850 NE >10000 NE 1600 NE −(42) NA (100) (100) Tyr-PA NE NE ˜11000 NE NE 5570 −(25) WAi (2325) VPC12249j NE WA NE NE NE 1186 NA WA (588) aEmax = maximal efficacy of the drug/maximal efficacy of LPA 18:1, expressed as the percentage. bPreviously reported in Virag et al. (2003). cNE = no effect was shown at the highest concentration (30 μM) tested. dND = not determined. eNA = not applicable. fPartial antagonist with 40% inhibition of the LPA response. gReported Ki values of DGPP are 106 nM and 6.6 μM at LPA3 and LPA1, respectively (Hasegawa et al., 2003). hReported Ki values of Ki16425 are 250 nM, 360 nM and 5.6 μM at LPA1, LPA3 and LPA2, respectively (Virag et al., 2003). iWA = weak antagonist. jReported Ki values of VPC12249 are 137 nM and 428 nM at LPA1 and LPA3, respectively (Ohta et al., 2003). Example 8 In Vitro Evaluation of Compound 8g For Protection of Intestinal Epithelial Cells Against Radiation or Chemotherapy Induced Apoptosis The experimental procedure utilized was substantially the same as that reported in Deng et al. (2002) and Deng et al., (2003). Basically, IEC-6 cells were grown in DMEM medium supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum, insulin (10 μg/ml), gentamycin sulfate (50 μg/ml), and incubated at 37° C. in a humidified 90% air-10% CO2 atmosphere. Medium was changed every other day. Sub-confluent cells were washed twice and replaced by DMEM without serum the night before experiments. Damage and IEC-6 cell apoptosis was induced via either γ-irradiation or chemotherapy. 20 Gy single dose of [137Cs] source γ-irradiation was used in all experiments. Serum starved IEC-6 cells were pretreated with LPA, FAP12, or compound 8g (FAP 18:1d9) for 15 minutes and then irradiated with a Mark I Model 25 Gamma Irradiator (J. L. Shepherd & Associate, San Fernando, Calif.) at a rate of 416 R/min for 4.81 minutes on a rotating platform. In some experiments, LPA was added at different times before or after irradiation. Treatment with 20 μM camptothecin of IEC-6 cells induces DNA fragmentation as measured by the ELISA assay at 16 h after treatment. DNA fragmentation was quantified using the Cell Death Detection ELISA kit from Boehringer (Indianapolis, Ind.) according to the instructions of the manufacturer. Samples were run in triplicate. A duplicate of the sample was used to quantify protein concentration using the BCA kit from Pierce (Rockford, Ill.). DNA fragmentation was expressed as absorbance units per μg protein per minute. LPA and FAP 12 (both 10 μM) inhibited Campthotecin-induced (20 μM) DNA fragmentation in IEC-6 cells. The effect of FAPs is dose dependent as illustrated for FAP 18:1d9 thiophosphate (8g) in FIG. 5 and is comparable to that of LPA but supersedes it at concentrations above 3 μM. Example 9 In Vivo Evaluation of Compound 8g for Protection of Intestinal Epithelial Cells Against Radiation or Chemotherapy Induced Apoptosis The experimental procedure utilized was substantially the same as that reported in Deng et al. (2002). The whole body irradiation (WBI) protocol has been reviewed and approved by the ACUC Committee of the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. ICR strain male mice (Harlan Laboratories, body weight 30-33 g) on a 12 h light/dark cycle and otherwise maintained on a standard laboratory chow ad libitum were starved for 16 h prior to treatment. WBI was done with a 12 Gy or 15 Gy dose using Cs137 source at a dose rate of 1.9 Gy per minute. Groups of four mice received either 250 μl of 1 mM LPA complexed with 100 μM BSA dissolved in Hanks basal salt solution or the BSA vehicle alone 2 h prior to irradiation. For detection of the apoptotic bodies, mice were euthanized with carbon dioxide inhalation 4 h after irradiation and the small intestine was dissected and fixed in neutral phosphate buffered isotonic 10% formalin. Four ˜3- to 4-mm long segments from the small intestine were embedded in paraffin, 5 μm thick sections were cut and stained with hematoxilin and eosin. The number of surviving crypts was counted 3.5 days after irradiation. FAP 18:1d9 (200 μM into the stomach 2 h prior irradiation) significantly (P>0.01) enhanced crypt survival in the irradiated animals (FIG. 6). The effect of FAP was dose-dependent (FIG. 7). The effect of FAP 18:1d9 was present in the jejunum and ileum and exceeded that of LPA (FIG. 8). LIST OF REFERENCES Each of the references listed below is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the specification of this application. Ahn et al., “Src-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of dynamin is required for beta2-adrenergic receptor internalization and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling,” J. Biol. Chem. 274:1185-1188 (1999). An et al., “Identification of cDNAs encoding two G protein-coupled receptors for lysosphingolipids,” FEBS. Lett. 417:279-282 (1997a). An et al., “Molecular cloning of the human Edg2 protein and its identification as a functional cellular receptor for lysophosphatidic acid,” Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 231 (3):619-622 (1997b). An et al., “Characterization of a novel subtype of human G protein-coupled receptor for lysophosphatidic acid,” J. Biol. Chem. 273:7906-7910 (1998a). An et al., “Recombinant human G protein-coupled lysophosphatidic acid receptors mediate intracellular calcium mobilization,” Mol. Pharmacol. 54:881-888 (1998b). Balazs et al., “Topical application of LPA accelerates wound healing,” Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 905:270-273 (2000). Balboa et al., “Proinflammatory macrophage-activating properties of the novel phospholipid diacylglycerol pyrophosphate,” J. Biol. Chem. 274:522-526 (1999). Balsinde et al., “Group IV cytosolic phospholipase A2 activation by diacylglycerol pyrophosphate in murine P388D1 macrophages,” Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 905:11-15 (2000). Bandoh et al., “Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel human G-protein-coupled receptor, EDG7, for lysophosphatidic acid,” J. Biol. Chem. 274:27776-27785 (1999). Bandoh et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptors of the EDG family are differentially activated by LPA species; Structure-activity relationship of cloned LPA receptors,” FEBS Lett. 478: 159-165 (2000). Bishop and Bell, “Assembly of phospholipids into cellular membranes: biosynthesis, transmembrane movement and intracellular translocation,” Annu. Rev. Cell Biol. 4:579-610 (1988). Bittman et al., “Inhibitors of lipid phosphatidate receptors: N-palmitoyl-serine and N-palmitoyl-tyrosine phosphoric acids,” J. Lipid Res. 37:391-398 (1996). Bosch, “Phosphoglyceride metabolism,” Annu. Rev. Biochem. 43:243-277 (1974). Cherrick et al., “Effects of topically applied 5-fluorouracil in the Syrian hamster,” J. Invest. Dermatol., 63:284-286 (1974). Cunnick et al., “Role of tyrosine kinase activity of epidermal growth factor receptor in the lysophosphatidic acid-stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway,” J. Biol. Chem. 273:14468-14475 (1998). Daaka et al., “Mitogenic Action of LPA in Prostate,” Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1582:265-269 (2002). Deng et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid protects and rescues intestinal epithelial cells from radiation- and chemotherapy-induced apoptosis,” Gastroenterology, 123 (1): 206-16 (2002). Deng et al., “LPA protects intestinal epithelial cells from apoptosis by inhibiting the mitochondrial pathway,” Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 284 (5): G821-9 (2003). Durieux et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid induces a pertussis toxin-sensitive Ca activated Cl− current in Xenopus laevis oocytes,” Am. J. Physiol. 263:896-900 (1992). Dyer et al., “The effect of serum albumin on PC12 cells: I. Neurite retraction and activation of the phosphoinositide second messenger system,” Mol. Brain Res. 14:293-301 (1992). Eicholtz et al., “The bioactive phospholipid lysophosphatidic acid is released from activated platelets,” Biochem. J. 291:677-680 (1993). Fernhout et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid induces inward currents in Xenopus laevis oocytes; evidence for an extracellular site of action,” European Journal of Pharmacology 213:313-315 (1992). Fischer et al., “Naturally occurring analogs of lysophosphatidic acid elicit different cellular responses through selective activation of multiple receptor subtypes,” Mol. Pharmacol. 54:979-988 (1998). Fischer et al., “Short-Chain Phosphatidates Are Subtype-Selective Antagonists of Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptors. Mol. Pharmacol. 60:776-784 (2001). Fukami and Takenawa, “Phosphatidic acid that accumulates in platelet-derived growth factor-stimulated Balb/c 3T3 cells is a potential mitogenic signal,” J. Biol. Chem. 267:10988-10993 (1992). Fukushima et al., “A single receptor encoded by vzg-1/1pA1/edg-2 couples to G proteins and mediates multiple cellular responses to lysophosphatidic acid,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:6151-6 (1998). Gerrard et al., “Lysophospatidic acids influence on platelet aggregation and intracellular calcium flux,” Am. J. Path. 96:423-438 (1979). Ghosh et al., “Lipid biochemistry: functions of glycerolipids and sphingolipids in cellular signaling,” Faseb. J. 11:45-50 (1997). Goetzl et al., “Lysophospholipid Growth Factors,” in Cytokine Reference (Oppenheim, J, ed.), Academic Press, New York, 1407-1418 (2000). Gohla et al., “The G-protein G13 but not G12 mediates signaling from lysophosphatidic acid receptor via epidermal growth factor receptor to Rho,” J. Biol. Chem. 273:4653-4659 (1998). Gonda et al., “The novel sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor AGR16 is coupled via pertussis toxin-sensitive and -insensitive G-proteins to multiple signaling pathways,” Biochem. J. 337:67-75 (1999). Guo et al., “Molecular cloning of a high-affinity receptor for the growth factor-like lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid from Xenopus oocytes,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 93:14367-14372 (1996). Halazy et al., “9-(Difluorophosphonoalkyl)Guanines as a New Class of Multisubstrate Analogue Inhibitors of Purine Nulceoside Phosphorylase,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 113:315-317 (1991). Haines et al. (“Synthesis of the Dipotassium Salts of Methyl α-DMannopyranoside 6-Phosphorothioate and D-Mannose 6-Phosphorothioate,” Synthesis 12:1422-1424 (1996). Hasegawa et al., “Identification of a Phosphothionate Analogue of Lysophosphatidic Acid (LPA) as a Selective Agonist of the LPA3 Receptor,” J. Biol. Chem. 278:11962-11969 (2003). Hecht et al., “Ventricular zone gene-1 (vzg-1) encodes a lysophosphatidic acid receptor expressed in neurogenic regions of the developing cerebral cortex,” J. Cell. Biol. 135:1071-1083 (1996). Heise et al., “Activity of 2-Substituted Lysophosphatidic Acid (LPA) Analogs at LPA Receptors: Discovery of a Lpa1/Lpa3 Receptor Antagonist,” Mol. Pharmacol. 60:1173-1180 (2001). Herrlich et al., “Ligand-independent activation of platelet-derived growth factor receptor is a necessary intermediate in lysophosphatidic, acid-stimulated mitogenic activity in L cells,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 95:8985-8990 (1998). Hill et al., “The Rho family GTPases RhoA, Rac1, and CDC42Hs regulate transcriptional activation by SRF,” Cell 81:1159-1170 (1995). Hoffmann-Wellenhof et al., “Correlation of melanoma cell motility and invasion in vitro,” Melanoma. Res. 5:311-319 (1995). Hooks et al., “Characterization of a receptor subtype-selective lysophosphatidic acid mimetic,” Mol. Pharmacol. 53:188-194 (1998). Hooks et al., “Lysophosphatidic Acid-Induced Mitogenesis Is Regulated by Lipid Phosphate Phosphatases and Is Edg-Receptor Independent,” J. Biol. Chem. 276:4611-4621 (2001). Hunt and Goodson, In: Current Surgical Diagnosis & Treatment (Way, Appleton & Lange), pp. 86-98 (1988). Im et al., “Molecular cloning and characterization of a lysophosphatidic acid receptor, Edg-7, expressed in prostate,” Mol. Pharmacol. 57:753-759 (2000). Imamura et al., “Serum requirement for in vitro invasion by tumor cells,” Jpn. J. Cancer Res. 82:493-496 (1991). Imamura et al., “Induction of in vitro tumor cell invasion of cellular monolayers by lysphosphatidic acid or phospholipase D,” Biochem. Biophys. Res. Com. 193:497-503 (1993). Imamura et al., “rho-Mediated protein tyrosine phosphorylation in lysophosphatidic-acid-induced tumor-cell invasion,” Int. J. Cancer 65:627-632 (1996). Jalink et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid, but not phosphatidic acid, is a potent Ca2+-mobilizing stimulus for fibroblasts,” J. Biochem. 265:12232-12239 (1990). Jalink and Moolenaar, “Thrombin receptor activation causes rapid neural cell rounding and neurite retraction independent of classic second messengers,” J. Cell Biol. 118:411-419 (1992). Jalink et al., “Lysophosphatidic Acid is a Chemoattractant for Dictyostelium Discoideum Arnoebae,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 90:1857-1861 (1993a). Jalink et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid induces neuronal shape changes via a novel, receptor-mediated signaling pathway: similarity to thrombin action,” Cell Growth Differ. 4:247-255 (1993b). Jalink et al., “Growth factor-like effects of lysophasphatidic acid, a novel lipid mediator,” Biochimica. et. Biophysica. Acta. 1198:185-196 (1994a). Jalink et al., “Inhibition of lysophosphatidate- and thrombin-induced neurite retraction and neuronal cell rounding by ADP ribosylation of the small GTP-binding protein Rho,” J. Cell Biol. 126:801-810 (1994b). Jalink et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid-induced Ca2+ mobilization in human A431 cells: structure-activity analysis,” Biochem. J. 307:609-616 (1995). Kartha et al., “Adenine nucleotides stimulate migration in wounded cultures of kidney epithelial cells,” J. Clin. Invest., 90:288-292 (1992). Kawasawa et al., “Brain-specific expression of novel G-protein-coupled receptors, with homologies to Xenopus PSP24 and human GPR45,” Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 276 (3):952-956 (2000). Kimura et al., “Effect of sphingosine and its N-methyl derivatives on oxidative burst, phagokinetic activity, and trans-endothelial migration of human neutrophils,” Biochem. Pharmacol. 44:1585-1595 (1992). Kimura et al., “Regulation of myosin phosphatase by Rho and Rho-associated kinase (Rho-kinase),” Science 273:245-248 (1996). Kobayashi et al., “Existence of a Bioactive Lipid, Cyclic Phosphatidic Acid in Human Serum,” Life Sci. 56:245-253 (1999). Kue et al., “Lysophosphatidic Acid-Regulated Mitogenic Erk Signaling in Androgen-Insensitive Prostate Cancer Pc-3 Cells. Int. J. Cancer 102:572-579 (2002). Liliom et al., “N-palmitoyl-serine and N-palmitoyl-tyrosine phosphoric acids are selective competitive antagonists of the lysophosphatidic acid receptors,” Mol. Pharmacol. 50:616-623 (1996). Liliom et al., “Identification of a novel growth factor-like lipid, 1-O-cis-alk-1′-enyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphate (alkenyl-GP) that is present in commercial sphingolipid preparations,” J. Biol. Chem. 273:13461-13468 (1998). Lin et al., “Clathrin-mediated endocytosis of the beta-adrenergic receptor is regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of beta-arrestinl,” J. Biol. Chem. 272:31051-31057 (1997). Liotta et al., “Biochemical mechanisms of tumor invasion and metastasis,” Anticancer Drug Des. 2:195-202 (1987). Liu et al., “Synthesis, calcium mobilizing, and physicochemical properties of D-chiro-inositol 1,3,4,6-tetrakisphosphate, a novel and potent ligand at the D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor,” J. Med. Chem. 42:1991-1998 (1999). Luttrell et al., “Beta-arrestin-dependent formation of beta2 adrenergic receptor-Src protein kinase complexes,” Science 283:655-661 (1999). Lynch et al., “Structure/activity relationships in lysophosphatidic acid: the 2-hydroxyl moiety,” Mol. Pharmacol. 52:75-81 (1997). Machesky and Hall, “Rho: a connection between membrane signaling and cytoskeleton,” Trends Cell Biol. 6:304-310 (1996). Macrae et al., “Cloning, characterization, and chromosomal localization of rec1.3, a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor family highly expressed in brain,” Brain Res. Mol. Brain Res. 42:245-254 (1996). McIntyre et al., “Identification of an Intracellular Receptor for Lysophosphatidic Acid (LPA): LPA Is a Transcellular PPAR-gamma Agonist,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. US, 100:131-136 (2003). Mills et al., “A putative new growth factor in ascitic fluid from ovarian cancer patients: identification, characterization, and mechanism of action,” Cancer Res. 48:1066-1071 (1988). Mills et al., “Ascitic fluid from human ovarian cancer patients contains growth factors necessary for intraperitoneal growth of human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells,” J. Clin. Invest. 86:851-855 (1990). Miyata et al., “New wound-healing model using cultured corneal endothelial cells: Quantitative study of healing process,” Jpn. J. Opthalmol., 34:257-266 (1990). Moolenaar, “G-protein-coupled receptors, phosphoinositide hydrolysis, and cell proliferation,” Cell Growth Differ. 2:359-364 (1991). Moolenaar, “A novel lipid mediator with diverse biological actions,” Trends in Cell Biology 4:213-219 (1994). Moolenar, “Lysophosphatidic acid, a multifunctional phospholipid messenger,” J. Biol. Chem., 270:12949-12952 (1996). Moolenaar et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid: G-protein signalling and cellular responses,” Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 9:168-173 (1997). Mukai et al., “Mechanism of tumor cell invasion studied by a culture model—modification of invasiveness by host mediators,” Hum. Cell 6:194-198 (1993). Muller et al., “Inhibitory action of transforming growth factor beta on endothelial cells,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:5600-5604 (1987). Munnik et al., “Identification of diacylglycerol pyrophosphate as a novel metabolic product of phosphatidic acid during G-protein activation in plants,” J. Biol. Chem. 271:15708-15715 (1996). Murakami-Murofushi et al., “Inhibition of cell proliferation by a unique lysophosphatidic acid, PHYLPA, isolated from Physarum polycephalum: signaling events of antiproliferative action by PHYLPA,” Cell Struct. Funct. 18:363-370 (1993). Myher et al., “Molecular species of glycerophospholipids and sphingomyelins of human plasma: comparison to red blood cells,” Lipids 24:408-418 (1989). Noguchi et al., “Identification of p2y9/GPR23 as a Novel G Protein-coupled Receptor for Lysophosphatidic Acid, Structurally Distant from the Edg Family,” J. Biol. Chem. 278 (28):25600-25606 (2003). Ohkawara et al., In: Biochemistry of Cutaneous Epithelial Differentiation, Seiji et al., eds., University Park Press, Baltimore, 1977, pp. 274-278. Ohta et al., “Ki16425, a Subtype-Selective Antagonist for Edg-Family Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptors. Mol. Pharmacol. 64:994-1005 (2003). Parrill et al., “Identification of edg1 receptor residues that recognize sphingosine 1-phosphate,” J. Biol. Chem. 275:39379-393784 (2000). Postma et al., “Sphingosine-1-phosphate rapidly induces Rho-dependent neurite retraction: action through a specific cell surface receptor,” Embo. J. 15:2388-2392 (1996). Qian et al., “Enantioselective Responses to a Phosphorothioate Analogue of Lysophosphatidic Acid with LPA3 Receptor-Selective Agonist Activity,” J. Med. Chem. 46:5575-5578 (2003). Ridley, “Rho: theme and variations,” Curr. Biol. 6:1256-1264 (1996). Ridley and Hall, “The small GTP-binding protein rho regulates the assembly of focal adhesions and actin stress fibers in response to growth factors,” Cell 70:389-399 (1992). Sardar et al., “Molecular Basis for Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor Antagonist Selectivity,” Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1582:309-317 (2002). Sato et al., “Autocrine activities of basic fibroblast growth factor: regulation of endothelial cell movement, plasminogen activator synthesis, and DNA synthesis,” J. Cell Biol., 107:1199-1205 (1988). Schumacher et al., “Platelet aggregation evoked in vitro and in vivo by phosphatidic acids and lysodervatives: identity with substances in aged serum (DAS),” Thrombos. Haemostas. 42:631-640 (1979). Simon et al., “Human platelet aggregation induced by 1-alkyl-lysophosphatidic acid and its analogs: a new group of phospholipid mediators?,” Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 108:1743-1750 (1982). Spiegel and Milstien, “Functions of a new family of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors,” Biochim. et. Biophys. Acta. 1484:107-116 (2000). Stenn et al., “Expression of the bcl-2 Protooncogene in the Cycling Adult Mouse Hair Follicle,” J. Invest. Dermatol. 103:107-111 (1994). Sugiura et al., “Biochemical characterization of the interaction of lipid phosphoric acids with human platelets: Comparison with platelet activating factor,” Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 311:358-368 (1994). Sun et al., “Synthesis of Chiral 1-(2′-Amino-2′-carboxyethyl)-1,4-dihydro-6,7-quinoxaline-2,3-diones: α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate Receptor Agonists and Antagonists,” J. Med. Chem. 39:4430-4438 (1996). Tigyi et al., “A serum factor that activates the phosphatidylinositol phosphate signaling system in Xenopus oocytes,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:1521-1525 (1990). Tigyi et al., “A factor that activates oscillatory chloride currents in Xenopus oocytes copurifies with a subfraction of serum albumin,” J. Biol. Chem. 266:20602-20609 (1991). Tigyi and Miledi, “Lysophosphatidates bound to serum albumin activate membrane currents in Xenopus oocytes and neurite retraction in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells,” J. Biol. Chem. 267:21360-21367 (1992). Tigyi et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid possesses dual action in cell proliferation,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 91:1908-1912 (1994). Tigyi et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid-induced neurite retraction in PC12 cells: control by phosphoinositide-Ca2+ signaling and Rho,” J. Neurochem. 66:537-548 (1996). Tigyi et al., “Pharmacological characterization of phospholipid growth factor receptors,” Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 905:34-53 (2000). Tokumura et al., “Effects of synthetic and natural lysophosphatidic acid on the arterial blood pressure of different animal species,” Lipids 13:572-574 (1978). Tokumura et al., “Stimulatory effect of lysophosphatidic acids on uterine smooth muscles of non-pregnant rats,” Arch. Int. Pharmacodyn. Ther. 245:74-83 (1980). Tokumura et al., “Lysophosphatidic acid-induced aggregation of human and feline platelets: structure-activity relationship,” Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 99:391-398 (1981). Tokumura et al., “Involvement of lysophospholipase D in the production of lysophosphatidic acid in rat plasma,” Biochim. et. Biophys. Acta. 875:31-38 (1986). Tokumura et al., “Lysophosphatidic acids induce proliferation of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells from rat aorta,” Am. J. Physiol. 267:204-210 (1994). Tokumura, “A family of phospholipid autacoids: occurrence, metabolism, and bioactions,” Prog. Lipid Res. 34:151-184 (1995). Umansky et al., “Prevention of rat neonatal cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by stimulated in vitro ischemia and reperfusion,” Cell Death Diff. 4:608-616 (1997). van Brocklyn et al., “Dual actions of sphingosine-1-phosphate: extracellular through the Gi-coupled receptor Edg-1 and intracellular to regulate proliferation and survival,” J. Cell. Biol. 142:229-240 (1998). van Brocklyn et al., “Sphingosine-1-phosphate is a ligand for the G protein-coupled receptor EDG-6,” Blood 95:2624-2629 (2000). van Corven et al., “Lysophosphatidic-induced cell proliferation: identification and dissection of signaling pathways mediated by G proteins,” Cell 59:45-54 (1989). van Corven et al., “Mitogenic action of lysophosphatidic acid and phosphatidic acid on fibroblasts: Dependence on acyl-chain length and inhibition by suramin,” Biochem. J. 281:163-169 (1992). van der Bend et al., “The biologically active phospholipid, lysophosphatidic acid, induces phosphatidylcholine breakdown in fibroblasts via activation of phospholipase D: Comparison with the response to endothelin,” Biochem. J. 285:235-240 (1992a). van der Bend et al., “Identification of a putative membrane receptor for the bioactive phospholipid, lysophosphatidic acid,” EMBO. 11:2495-2501 (1992b). Verrier et al., “Wounding a fibroblast monolayer results in the rapid induction of the c-fos proto-oncogene,” EMBO J., 5:913-917 (1986). Virag et al., “Fatty Alcohol Phosphates Are Subtype-Selective Agonists and Antagonists of Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptors,” Mol. Pharmacol. 63:1032-1042 (2003). Wang et al., “A Single Amino Acid Determines Lysophospholipid Specificity of the S1p1 (Edg1) and Lpa1 (Edg2) Phospholipid Growth Factor Receptors,” J. Biol. Chem. 276:49213-49220 (2001). Wissing and Behrbohm, “Diacylglycerol pyrophosphate, a novel phospholipid compound,” FEBS Lett. 315: 95-99 (1993). Xu et al., “Characterization of an ovarian cancer activating factor in ascites from ovarian cancer patients,” Clin. Cancer Res. 1:1223-1232 (1995a). Xu et al., “Effect of lysophospholipids on signaling in the human Jurkat T cell line,” J. Cell. Physiol., 163:441-450 (1995b). Xu et al., “Synthesis of Chiral (α,α-Difluoroalkyl)Phosphonate Analogues of (Lyso)Phosphatidic Acid Via Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution. Org. Lett. 4:4021-4024 (2002). Yatomi et al., “Sphingosine-1-phosphate: a platelet-activating sphingolipid released from agonist-stimulated human platelets,” Blood 86:193-202 (1995). Zhang et al., “Lysophosphatidic Acid Induces Neointimaformation through PPARγ Activation,” J. Exp. Med. 199:763-774 (2004). Zhou et al., “Phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid induce haptotactic migration of human monocytes,” J. Biol. Chem. 270:25549-25556 (1995). Zsiros et al., “Naturally occurring inhibitors of lysophosphatidic acid,” Abstr. 6th. International Congress on Platelet Activating Factor and Related Lipid Mediators, p. 128 (1998). Although preferred embodiments have been depicted and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions, substitutions, and the like can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and these are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>All non-transformed cells require growth factors for their survival and proliferation. In addition to polypeptide growth factors, an emerging class of lipids with growth factor-like properties has been discovered, collectively known as phospholipid growth factors (PLGFs). In spite of their similar pharmacologic properties in inducing the proliferation of most quiescent cells (Jalink et al., 1994a; Tokumura, 1995; Moolenaar et al., 1997). PLGFs can be sub-divided structurally into two broad categories. The first category contains the glycerophospholipid mediators (GPMs), which possess a glycerol backbone. Exemplary GPMs include LPA, phosphatidic acid (PA), cyclic phosphatidic acid (cyclic-PA), alkenyl glycerol phosphate (alkenyl-GP), and lysophosphatidyl serine (LPS). The second category contains the sphingolipid mediators (SPMs), which possess a sphingoid base motif. Exemplary SPMs include sphingosine-1-phosphate (SPP), dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate, sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC), and sphingosine (SPH). LPA (Tigyi et al., 1991; Tigyi and Miledi, 1992), PA (Myher et al., 1989), alkenyl-GP (Liliom et al., 1998), cyclic-PA (Kobayashi et al., 1999), SPP (Yatomi et al., 1995), and SPC (Tigyi et al., 2000) have been detected in serum. These lipid mediators have been identified and characterized. There are still, yet unknown, PLGFs present in the serum and plasma that exhibit growth factor-like properties (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992). LPA, with its ≈20 μM concentration, is the most abundant PLGF present in the serum (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992; Jalink et al., 1993). In eukaryotic cells, LPA is a key intermediate in the early stages of phospholipid biosynthesis, which takes place predominantly in the membrane of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (Bosch, 1974; Bishop and Bell, 1988). In the ER, LPA is derived from the action of Acyl-CoA on glycerol-3-phosphate, which is further acylated to yield PA. Because the rate of acylation of LPA to PA is very high, very little LPA accumulates at the site of biosynthesis (Bosch, 1974). Since LPA is restricted to the ER, its role as a metabolic intermediate is most probably unrelated to its role as a signaling molecule. LPA is a constituent of serum and its levels are in the low micromolar (μM) range (Eicholtz et al., 1993). This level is expected because LPA is released by activated platelets during the coagulation process. Unlike serum, it is not detectable in fresh blood or plasma (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992; Eicholtz et al., 1993). LPA that is present in the serum is bound to albumin, and is responsible for a majority of the heat-stable, and non-dialysable biological activity of the whole serum (Moolenaar, 1994). The active serum component that is responsible for eliciting an inward chloride current in Xenopus oocyte was indentified to be LPA (18:0) (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992). The bulk of the albumin-bound LPA(18:0) is produced during the coagulation process, rather than by the action of lysophospholipase D (PLD) on lyso-PC. The latter pathway is responsible for the presence of LPA in ‘aged’ plasma that has been de-coagulated by the action of heparin or citrate plus dextrose (Tokumura et al., 1986). Another point to note is that LPA is not present in plasma that has been treated with EDTA. This fact implies that plasma lysophospholipase may be Ca 2+ -dependent (Tokumura et al., 1986). The role of albumin is to protect LPA from the actions of phospholipases present in the serum (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992). Tigyi and Miledi suggested that albumin not only acts as a carrier of LPA in the blood stream, but also increases its physiological half-life. There are yet unidentified lipid mediators present in serum albumin that mimic the actions of LPA in eliciting chloride current in Xenopus oocyte. LPA-responsive cell types extend from slime mold amoebae and Xenopus oocyte to mammalian somatic cells. Thus, it seems likely that the source of LPA and its release may not be restricted only to activated platelets. Recent experiments showed that, on stimulation by peptide growth factors, mammalian fibroblasts rapidly produce LPA, which is followed by its release into the extracellular medium (Fukami and Takenawa, 1992). There is evidence that relatively high amounts of bioactive LPA of unknown cellular origin are present in the ascitic fluid of ovarian cancer patients (Xu et al., 1995a), and that the ascitic fluid from such patients is known to possess potent mitogenic activity for ovarian carcinoma cells (Mills et al., 1988; Mills et al., 1990). It remains to be established whether it is secreted by tumor cells into the extracellular fluid, secreted by leukocytes, or produced from more complex lipids via the actions of various phospholipases. GPMs and SPMs elicit a wide variety of cellular responses that span the phylogenetic tree (Jalink et al., 1993a). LPA induces transient Ca 2+ signals that originate from intracellular stores in a variety of cells such as neuronal (Jalink et al., 1993; Durieux et al., 1992), platelets, normal as well as transformed fibroblasts (Jalink et al., 1990), epithelial cells (van Corven et al., 1989; Moolenaar, 1991), and Xenopus oocytes (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992; Durieux et al., 1992; Fernhout et al., 1992). LPA induces platelet aggregation (Schumacher et al., 1979; Tokumura et al., 1981; Gerrard et al., 1979; Simon et al., 1982) and smooth muscle contraction (Tokumura et al., 1980; Tokumura et al., 1994), and upon intravenous administration it induces species-dependent changes in blood pressure ((Schumacher et al., 1979; Tokumura et al., 1978). LPA, when added to quiescent fibroblasts, stimulates DNA synthesis and cell division (van Corven et al., 1989; van Corven et al., 1992). The growth-like effects of LPA do not require the presence of peptide growth factors. This observation makes LPA different from endothelin or vasopressin, which require the presence of insulin or epidermal growth factor (Moolenaar, 1991) to sustain cell proliferation. A point to note is that, in Sp2 myleoma cells, LPA was responsible for an antimitogenic response, which was mediated by an increase in cAMP levels (Tigyi et al., 1994; Fischer et al., 1998). Unlike the mitogenic pathway, the antimitogenic pathway was not affected by pertussis toxin (PTX). Also, on addition of forskolin and isobutyl methyl xanthin, the antimitogenic actions of LPA in Sp myeloma cells were additive (Tigyi et al., 1994). In various cell types, LPA causes cytoskeletal changes, which include formation of focal adhesions and stress fibers in fibroblasts (Ridley and Hall, 1992). LPA also promotes the reversal and suppression of neuroblastoma differentiation by inducing the retraction of developing neurites (Jalink et al., 1994a; Jalink et al., 1994b). Addition of nanomole (nmol) amounts of LPA (Jalink and Moolenaar, 1992) to serum-starved N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells caused immediate neurite retraction, which was accompanied by rapid, but transient, rounding of the cell body (Jalink et al., 1993b). When a continuous presence of LPA is provided, neuroblastoma cells maintain their undifferentiated phenotype, but fail to undergo mitosis (Jalink et al., 1993b). Additional factors, such as insulin-like growth factors, were required for the progression of the cell cycle. Once the cells have undergone morphological differentiation, the addition of LPA reverses this morphological change. Thus, LPA-induced neurite retractions result from the contraction of the actin-cytoskeleton, rather than from loss of adhesion to the substratum (Jalink et al., 1993b; Jalink et al., 1994b). LPA, similar to other physiological chemoattractants (e.g., interleukin-8), induces cell migration by a haptotactic mechanism in human monocytes (Zhou et al., 1995). In addition to inducing cell migration, LPA promotes the invasion of hepatoma and carcinoma cells into the monolayer of mesothelial cells (Imamura et al., 1993). The mechanism that underlies this invasion is still unclear, but it may be due to enhanced cell motility and increased cell adhesion. Finally, LPA is also known to block neonatal cardiomyocyte apoptosis (Umansky et al., 1997). A unique natural phospholipid, namely cyclic-PA, was shown to be responsible for cellular actions that were similar to or opposite to other GPMs, depending on the cell type. When tested on the Xenopus oocyte, it elicited chloride current just like other GPMs; but its response was not desensitized by LPA (Fischer et al., 1998). Murakami-Murofushi et al. (1993) showed that cyclic-PA exhibited antiproliferative actions, unlike LPA, which induces proliferation. PLGF receptors (PLGFRs) belong to a seven-transmembrane (7 TM) guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCR) superfamily. Seven-TM GPCRs are a family of cell-surface receptors that mediate their cellular responses via interacting with the heterotrimeric G-protein. A number of LPA receptors have been identified including, among others, EDG-2, EDG-4, EDG-7, and PSP-24. A phylogenetic tree illustrating the relatedness of these LPA receptors and others is shown in FIG. 1 . In 1996, Hecht et al. used differential hybridization to clone a cDNA encoding a putative serpentine receptor from mouse neocortical cell lines (Hecht et al., 1996). The gene was termed as ventricular zone gene-1 (Vzg-1). The gene was expressed in cortical neurogenic regions and encoded a protein with a molecular weight of 41 kDa (364 amino acids). Vzg-1 was very similar to an unpublished sheep sequence termed endothelial differentiation gene-2 (EDG-2). The same cDNA was also isolated as an orphan receptor from mouse and bovine libraries, and was known as rec1.3 (Macrae et al., 1996). It was widely distributed in the mouse tissue, with the highest expression in the brain and heart. In 1996, Guo et al., using a PCR base protocol, isolated another putative LPA receptor PSP-24 (372 amino acids) from Xenopus oocyte (Guo et al., 1996). This receptor showed little similarity with Vzg-1/EDG-2/rec1.3 (Guo et al., 1996). A sequence based search for sphingolipid receptors, using the cDNA sequence of the EDG-2 human LPA receptor, led to two closely related GPCRs, namely, rat H218 (EDG-5, 354 amino acids) and EDG-3 (378 amino acids) (An et al., 1997a). Northern analysis showed a high expression of mRNA that encoded EDG-3 and EGD-5 in heart tissue. The recent identification of EDG-2 as a functional receptor for LPA prompted An et al. to perform a sequence-based search for a novel subtype of LPA receptor (An et al., 1998a). A human cDNA, encoding a GPCR, was discovered and designated EDG-4 (An et al., 1998a). Northern blot analysis showed that, although EDG-2 and EDG-4 both serve as GPM receptors, their tissue distributions were very different. Unlike EDG-2, EDG-4 was primarily expressed in peripheral blood leukocytes and testes (An et al., 1998a). PCR amplification cDNA from human Jurkat T cells identified a previously unknown GPCR that belongs to the EDG family. The identified GPCR was designated EDG-7. It has a molecular mass of 40 kDa (353 amino acids). Northern blot analysis of EDG-7 expression in human tissues showed that it is expressed in heart, pancreas, prostate, and testes (Bandoh et al., 1999). Thus, there are two distinct families of PLGFs receptors PSP24 and EDG; with a total of ten individual PLGFRs ( FIG. 1 ). The list continues to grow. These various receptors can be classified based on their ligand specificities for GPMs or SPMs, as shown in Table 1 below. TABLE 1 Phospholipid Growth Factor Receptor, Length and Principle Ligand PLGFR Number of amino acids Principle Ligand EDG-1 381 SPP EDG-2 364 LPA EDG-3 378 SPP EDG-4 382 LPA EDG-5 354 SPP EDG-6 385 SPP EDG-7 353 LPA EDG-8 400 SPP Xenopus PSP24 372 LPA Murine PSP24 373 LPA Xenopus PSP24 and murine expressed PSP24 specifically transduce GPM (LPA, Fischer et al., 1998) evoked oscillatory chloride-currents. These are not structurally homologous to the EDG family (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992; Fernhout et al., 1992). The EDG family can be divided into two distinct subgroups. The first group includes EDG-2, EDG-4, and EDG-7, which serve as receptors for only GPM (Hecht et al., 1996; An et al., 1998a; Bandoh et al., 1999; An et al., 1998b) and transmit numerous signals in response to ligand binding. The second group involves EDG-1, EDG-3, EDG-5, EDG-6, and EDG-8, and is specific for SPMs (An et al., 1997a; Im et al., 2000; van Brocklyn et al., 1998; van Brocklyn et al., 2000; Spiegel and Milstein, 2000). Principle tissue expression of the various PLGFR's is shown in Table 2 below. TABLE 2 Human Tissue Expression of Phospholipid Growth Factor Receptors PLGFR Human Tissue with Highest Expression EDG-1 Ubiquitous EDG-2 Cardiovascular, CNS, Gonadal tissue, GI EDG-3 Cardiovascular, Leukocyte EDG-4 Leukocyte, Testes EDG-5 Cardiovascular, CNS, Gonadal tissue, Placenta EDG-6 Lymphoid, Hematopoietic tissue EDG-7 Heart, Pancreas, Prostate, Testes EDG-8 Brain PSP24 CNS PLGFs activate multiple G-protein-mediated signal transduction events. These processes are mediated through the heterotrimeric G-protein families G q/11 , G i/0 , and G 12/13 (Moolenaar, 1997; Spiegel and Milstein, 1995; Gohla, et al., 1998). The G q/11 pathway is responsible for phospholipase C (PLC) activation, which in turn induces inositol triphosphate (IP 3 ) production with subsequent mobilization of Ca 2+ in a wide variety of cells (Tokumura, 1995). In some cells, this response is PTX-sensitive, implying that there is involvement of multiple PTX-sensitive and insensitive pathways (Tigyi et al., 1996). This pathway is also responsible for the diacyl glycerol (DAG)-mediated activation of protein kinase C (PKC). PKC activates cellular phospholipase D (PLD), which is responsible for the hydrolysis of phosphatidyl choline into free choline and PA (van der Bend et al., 1992a). Also, PLC is capable of activating MAP kinase directly, or via DAG activation of PKC in some cell types (Ghosh et al., 1997). The mitogenic-signaling pathway is mediated through the G-protein heterotrimeric G i/0 subunit. Transfection studies indicate that the G iβγ dimer rather than the αi subunit is responsible for Ras-MAP kinase activation. The activation of Ras is preceded by the transactivation of the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) such as EGF (Cunnick et al., 1998) or PDGF receptors (Herrlich et al., 1998). The transactivated RTKS activate Ras, which leads to the activation of MAP kinases (ERK 1,2) via Raf. The G iα subunit, which is PTX-sensitive, inhibits adenylyl cyclase (AC), resulting in βγ dimer docking to a G-protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRKs) that phosphorylates and desensitizes the receptor. The phosphorylated receptor is recruited by β-arrestin, thus recruiting src kinase, which phosphorylates the EGF-receptor, generating its active conformation (Lin et al., 1997; Ahn et al., 1999; Luttrell et al., 1999). The transactivated RTKs, in turn, activate Ras, which leads to the activation of MAP kinases (ERK 1,2) via Raf. The G iα subunit, which is PTX-sensitive, inhibits AC, resulting in decreased levels of cyclic-AMP (cAMP). The opposite cellular effects by LPA, that is, mitogenesis and antimitogenesis, are accompanied by opposing effects on the cAMP second messenger system. Mitogenesis is mediated through the G iα pathway, which results in decreased levels of cAMP (van Corven et al., 1989; van Corven et al., 1992), whereas antimitogenesis is accompanied by a non-PTX sensitive Ca 2+ -dependent elevation of cAMP (Tigyi et al., 1994; Fischer et al., 1998). In contrast, very little is known about the PTX-insensitive G 12/13 signaling pathway, which leads to the rearrangement of the actin-cytoskeleton. This pathway may also involve the transactivation of RTKs (Lin et al., 1997; Ahn et al., 1999; Luttrell et al., 1999; Gohla et al., 1998) and converge on a small GTPase, Rho (Moolenaar, 1997). Much more is known about the down-stream signaling of Rho because various protein partners have been isolated and identified. Rho activates Ser/Thr kinases, which phosphorylate, and as a result inhibit, myosin light chain phosphatase (MLC-phosphatase) (Kimura et al., 1996). This path results in the accumulation of the phosphorylated form of MLC, leading to cytoskeletal responses that lead to cellular effects like retraction of neurites (Tigyi and Miledi, 1992; Tigyi et al., 1996; Dyer et al., 1992; Postma et al., 1996; Sato et al., 1997), induction of stress fibers (Ridley and Hall, 1992; Gonda et al., 1999), stimulation of chemotaxis (Jalink et al., 1993a), cell migration (Zhou et al., 1995; Kimura et al., 1992), and tumor cell invasiveness (Imamura et al., 1993; Imamura et al., 1996). The PLGF-induced, Rho-mediated, tumor cell invasiveness is blocked by C. Botulinium C3-toxin, which specifically ribosylates Rho in an ADP-dependent mechanism (Imamura et al., 1996). Rho also has the ability to stimulate DNA synthesis in quiescent fibroblasts (Machesky and Hall, 1996; Ridley, 1996). The expression of Rho family GTPase activates serum-response factor (SRF), which mediates early gene transcription (Hill et al., 1995). Furthermore, PLGF (LPA) induces tumor cell invasion (Imamura et al., 1996); however, it is still unclear whether it involves cytoskeletal changes or gene transcription, or both. By virtue of LPA/LPA receptor involvement in a number of cellular pathways and cell activities such as proliferation and/or migration, as well as their implication in wound healing and cancer, it would be desirable to identify novel compounds which are capable of acting, preferably selectively, as either antagonists or agonists at the LPA receptors identified above. There are currently very few synthetic or endogenous LPA receptor inhibitors which are known. Of the antagonists reported to date, the most work was done on SPH, SPP, N-palmitoyl-1-serine (Bittman et al., 1996), and N-palmitoyl-1-tyrosine (Bittman et al., 1996). It is known that the above-mentioned compounds inhibit LPA-induced chloride currents in the Xenopus oocyte (Bittman et al., 1996; Zsiros et al., 1998). However, these compounds have not been studied in all cell systems. It is also known that SPP inhibits tumor cell invasiveness, but it is uncertain whether SPP does so by being an inhibitor of LPA or via the actions of its own receptors. N-palmitoyl-1-serine and N-palmitoyl-1-tyrosine also inhibited LPA-induced platelet aggregation (Sugiura et al., 1994), but it remains to be seen whether these compounds act at the LPA receptor. Lysophosphatidyl glycerol (LPG) was the first lipid to show some degree of inhibition of LPA actions (van der Bend et al., 1992b), but it was not detectable in several LPA-responsive cells types (Liliom et al., 1996). None of these inhibitors was shown to selectively act at specific LPA receptors. A polysulfonated compound, Suramin, was shown to inhibit LPA-induced DNA synthesis in a reversible and dose-dependent manner. However, it was shown that Suramin does not have any specificity towards the LPA receptor and blocked the actions of LPA only at very high millimolar (mM) concentrations (van Corven et al., 1992). The present invention is directed to overcoming the deficiencies associated with current LPA agonists and LPA antagonists. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to compounds according to formula (I) as follows: wherein, at least one of X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 is (HO) 2 PS-Z 1 -, or (HO) 2 PO-Z 2 -P(OH)S-Z 1 -, X 1 and X 2 are linked together as —O—PS(OH)—O—, or X 1 and X 3 are linked together as —O—PS(OH)—NH—; at least one of X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 is R 1 —Y 1 -A- with each being the same or different when two of X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 are R 1 —Y 1 -A-, or X 2 and X 3 are linked together as —N(H)—C(O)—N(R 1 )—; optionally, one of X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 is H; A is either a direct link, (CH 2 ) k with k being an integer from 0 to 30, or O; Y 1 is —(CH 2 ) l — with l being an integer from 1 to 30, —O—, —S—, or —NR 2 —; Z 1 , is —(CH 2 ) m —, —CF 2 —, —CF 2 (CH 2 ) m —, or —O(CH 2 ) m — with m being an integer from 1 to 50, —C(R 3 )H—, —NH—, —O—, or —S—; Z 2 is —(CH 2 ) n — or —O(CH 2 ) n — with n being an integer from 1 to 50 or —O—; Q 1 and Q 2 are independently H 2 , ═NR 4 , ═O, or a combination of H and —NR 5 R 6 ; R 1 , for each of X 1 , X 2 , or X 3 , is independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , and R 8 are independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alky, or an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions which include a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier and a compound of the present invention. A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of inhibiting LPA activity on an LPA receptor which includes providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an LPA receptor antagonist and contacting an LPA receptor with the compound under conditions effective to inhibit LPA-induced activity of the LPA receptor. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of modulating LPA receptor activity which includes providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as either an LPA receptor agonist or an LPA receptor antagonist and contacting an LPA receptor with the compound under conditions effective to modulate the activity of the LPA receptor. Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating cancer which includes providing a compound of the present invention and administering an effective amount of the compound to a patient in a manner effective to treat cancer. Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of enhancing cell proliferation which includes providing a compound the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor and contacting the LPA receptor on a cell with the compound in a manner effective to enhance LPA receptor-induced proliferation of the cell. A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating a wound which includes providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor and delivering an effective amount of the compound to a wound site, where the compound binds to LPA receptors on cells that promote healing of the wound, thereby stimulating LPA receptor agonist-induced cell proliferation to promote wound healing. A still further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of making the compounds of the present invention. One approach for making the compounds of the present invention includes: reacting (Y 2 O) 2 PO-Z 11 -Z 13 or (Y 2 O) 2 PO-Z 12 -P(OH)O-Z 11 -Z 13 , where Z 11 is —(CH 2 ) m —, CF 2 —, —CF 2 (CH 2 ) m —, or —O(CH 2 ) m — with m being an integer from 1 to 50, —C(R 3 )H—, —NH—, or —S—; Z 12 is —(CH 2 ) n — or —(CH 2 ) n — with n being an integer from 1 to 50 or —O—, Z 13 is H or a first leaving group or -Z 11 -Z 13 together form the first leaving group; and Y 2 is H or a protecting group, with an intermediate compound according to formula (IX) in the presence of sulfur where, at least one of X 11 , X 12 , and X 13 is R 11 —Y 11 -A- with each being the same or different when two of X 11 , X 12 , and X 13 are R 11 —Y 11 -A-, or X 12 and X 13 are linked together as —N(H)—C(O)—N(R 11 )—; at least one of X 11 , X 12 , and X 13 is OH, NH 2 , SH, or a second leaving group; optionally, one of X 11 , X 12 , and X 13 is H; A is either a direct link, (CH 2 ) k with k being an integer from 0 to 30, or O; Y 11 is —(CH 2 ) l — with l being an integer from 1 to 30, —O—, —S—, or —NR 12 —; Q 1 and Q 2 are independently H 2 , ═NR 13 , ═O, a combination of H and —NR 14 R 15 ; R 11 , for each of X 11 , X 12 , or X 13 , is independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, R 12 , R 13 , R 14 , R 15 , R 16 , and R 17 are independently hydrogen, a straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, a straight or branched-chain C2 to C30 alkenyl, an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with or without mono-, di-, or tri-substitutions of the ring, an acyl including a C1 to C30 alkyl or aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, an arylalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl, or an aryloxyalkyl including straight or branched-chain C1 to C30 alkyl; followed by a de-protection step, if necessary, with both said reacting and the deprotection step being performed under conditions effective to afford a compound according to formula (I) where one or two of X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 is (HO) 2 PS-Z 1 - or (HO) 2 PS-Z 2 -P(OH)S-Z 1 -. Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating apoptosis or preserving or restoring function in a cell, tissue, or organ which includes: providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and contacting a cell, tissue, or organ with an amount of the compound which is effective to treat apoptosis or preserve or restore function in the cell, tissue, or organ. A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of culturing cells which includes: culturing cells in a culture medium which includes a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor and is present in an amount which is effective to prevent apoptosis or preserve the cells in culture. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preserving an organ or tissue which includes: providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and treating an organ or tissue with a solution comprising the compound in an amount which is effective to preserve the organ or tissue function. A related aspect of the present invention relates to an alternative method of preserving an organ or tissue which includes: providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an agonist of an LPA receptor; and administering to a recipient of a transplanted organ or tissue an amount of the compound which is effective to preserve the organ or tissue function A still further aspect of the present invention relates to a method of treating a dermatological condition which includes: providing a compound of the present invention which has activity as an LPA receptor agonist; and topically administering a composition comprising the compound to a patient, the compound being present in an amount which is effective to treat the dermatological condition The compounds of the present invention which have been identified herein as being either agonists or antagonists of one or more LPA receptors find uses to inhibit or enhance, respectively, biochemical pathways mediated by LPA receptor signaling. By modulating LPA receptor signaling, the antagonists and agonists find specific and substantial uses as described herein. | 20041012 | 20070515 | 20060112 | 64098.0 | A61K3140 | 1 | GRAZIER, NYEEMAH A | LPA RECEPTOR AGONISTS AND ANTAGONISTS AND METHODS OF USE | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | A61K | 2,004 |
|
10,963,224 | ACCEPTED | Chemically tanning human skin | The invention teaches devices and methods for chemically tanning human skin. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b). | 1. A tanning system, comprising: a chamber sufficiently large to hold an entire person therein and having at least one tube, each tube sufficiently sized and strong to pass tanning solution under pressure, and each tube in fluid communication with a tanning solution nozzle disposed in the chamber; a pump system in fluid communication with each tube in the chamber; a first solution container coupled to the pump system; a second solution container coupled to the pump system; and a control system coupled to the pump system. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first solution container maintains a first tanning solution and the second solution container maintains a second tanning solution. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system comprises a computer having a processor. 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system comprises a computer capable of executing computer code. 5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a Graphical User Interface coupled to the computer. 6. The system of claim 4 wherein the computer code varies the pressure. 7. The system of claim 4 wherein the computer code allows the selection of a tanning solution. 8. The system of claim 4 wherein the computer code allows the delivery of a temperature controlled tanning solution. 9. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system comprises an electrical control system that receives user-selected control commands, and a mechanical control system coupled to and controlled by the electrical control system. 10. The system of claim 4 wherein the computer code controls a ventilation system. 11. A method of tanning human skin, comprising: maintaining a first solution container coupled to the pump system; maintaining a second solution container coupled to the pump system; selecting a solution for delivery into a chamber sufficiently large to hold an entire person therein and having at least one tube, each tube sufficiently sized and strong to pass tanning solution under pressure, and each tube having at least a tanning solution nozzle disposed in the chamber; and passing the solution into the chamber via a pump system in fluid communication with each tube in the chamber under the control of a control system coupled to the pump system. 12. The method of claim 11 wherein each tanning solution nozzle is stationary with respect to each tube. 13. The method of claim 11 wherein selecting is user selected. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the user is in the chamber. 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the user is a salon operator. 16. The method of claim 11 wherein the chamber comprises a fluid frame, the fluid frame comprising the tubes and the nozzles. 17. The method of claim 11 further comprising automatically terminating the act of passing when a user activates a switch coupled to the chamber. 18. The method of claim 11 further comprising heating the solution to a predetermined temperature. 19. The method of claim 11 further comprising holding a fog for a predetermined time. 20. The method of claim 19 further comprising evacuating the fog from the chamber. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/595,787 entitled Device and Method that Generates a Fog Capable of Altering the Color of Human Skin, also by Waters, et al. filed on Jun. 16, 2000. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to devices and methods for generating a fog in a closed chamber, and more particularly to devices and methods for generating a fog that is capable of altering the color of human skin. STATEMENT OF A PROBLEM ADDRESSED BY THIS INVENTION Interpretation Considerations This section describes the technical field in more detail, and discusses problems encountered in the technical field. This section does not describe prior art as defined for purposes of anticipation or obviousness under 35 U.S.C. section 102 or 35 U.S.C. section 103. Thus, nothing stated in the Problem Statement is to be construed as prior art. Discussion For decades, a tan has been associated with good health, a nice appearance, and general well being. Health can be enhanced by tanning. For example, vitamins D and, C, and E are all generated by a person's body when that person is exposed to the sun. In fact, phrases such as “healthy glow” have entered the modem lexicon. Furthermore, many people who tan regularly report that it makes them feel rejuvenated, relaxed, and calm. Unfortunately, tanning with ultraviolet rays has drawbacks. For example, most people associate skin cancer with ultraviolet ray exposure. Furthermore, exposure to ultraviolet rays has been associated with premature skin wrinkling, as well as cell damage which can result in dry skin and the loss of melanin. Of course, anyone who has spent a day at the beach or a lake is familiar with the fact that ultraviolet radiation exposure causes sunburns. Fortunately, devices exist that minimize exposure to ultraviolet radiation while providing a tan. For example, since not all ultraviolet radiation is created equal, some modem tanning units use cobalt lamps to reduce a person's exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation (beta rays), while allowing that person to be exposed to the proper UV rays to generate a tan (alpha rays). This allows a person to become darker while reducing their exposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation significantly. However, manufacturing and using these devices is prohibitively expensive. In addition, many people use suntan lotions which have SPF ratings that indicate that the lotions block ultraviolet radiation, and thus prevent damage by ultraviolet light. Furthermore, recover products exist that provide vitamins, minerals and moisturizers to skin which has been exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Unfortunately, these products are often expensive, difficult to apply and are easily ignored or forgotten just after exposure to UV light, which is just when they are most needed. Furthermore, none of these products provide 100 percent protection from ultraviolet radiation. Recently, to provide a darker and more healthy looking skin complexion, it has become popular to use tanning lotions and sprays that darken skin (self-bronzing applications). For example, one device uses a carwash-like spraying apparatus to coat one side of a person at a time by either moving a spray up and down or side to side across the person. These applications have the benefit of giving a person a healthy looking tan while not requiring that person to be exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Unfortunately, these spray applicators have several disadvantages. For example, by spraying a person one side at a time, that side that is sprayed first will have a longer exposure to the tanning spray that the side of the person which is last exposed. In addition, there is an overlap as the person turns and the sprayers hit an area more than once, resulting in a buildup of excess tanning spray at different locations on a person. Furthermore, the use of a sprayer that sprays a person one side at a time results in a long and tedious process—a process in which the person being sprayed typically must close their eyes and hold their breather until the process is complete (which may take as long as half a minute or more). The result is that these devices are uncomfortable for a person to use, and can create uneven tanning with noticeable dark areas that can look quite strange. However, it is desirable to provide a device which can apply a tanning solution to a person without these disadvantages. This would be particularly advantageous to persons who have been diagnosed with skin cancer and allow them to obtain a healthy looking tan without UV exposure. Therefore, there exist the need for a device and method for applying a tanning solution quickly and evenly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various aspects of the invention, as well as an embodiment, are better understood by reference to the following detailed description. To better understand the invention, the detailed description should be read in conjunction with the drawings in which: FIG. 1 illustrates some component that may be provided in one embodiment of a tanning system; FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a fog chamber; FIG. 3 illustrates a fluid frame system for use within a generally cylindrical outer shell, such as the outer shell; FIG. 4a illustrates a nozzle designed to produce a fog; FIG. 4b illustrates one embodiment of the disk fan; and FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a tanning algorithm. EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF A BEST MODE Interpretation Considerations When reading this section (An Exemplary Embodiment of a Best Mode, which describes an exemplary embodiment of the best mode of the invention, hereinafter “exemplary embodiment”), one should keep in mind several points. First, the following exemplary embodiment is what the inventor believes to be the best mode for practicing the invention at the time this patent was filed. Thus, since one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize from the following exemplary embodiment that substantially equivalent structures or substantially equivalent acts may be used to achieve the same results in exactly the same way, or to achieve the same results in a not dissimilar way, the following exemplary embodiment should not be interpreted as limiting the invention to one embodiment. Likewise, individual aspects (sometimes called species) of the invention are provided as examples, and, accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize from a following exemplary structure (or a following exemplary act) that a substantially equivalent structure or substantially equivalent act may be used to either achieve the same results in substantially the same way, or to achieve the same results in a not dissimilar way. Accordingly, the discussion of a species (or a specific item) invokes the genus (the class of items) to which that species belongs as well as related species in that genus. Likewise, the recitation of a genus invokes the species known in the art. Furthermore, it is recognized that as technology develops, a number of additional alternatives to achieve an aspect of the invention may arise. Such advances are hereby incorporated within their respective genus, and should be recognized as being functionally equivalent or structurally equivalent to the aspect shown or described. Second, the only essential aspects of the invention are identified by the claims. Thus, aspects of the invention, including elements, acts, functions, and relationships (shown or described) should not be interpreted as being essential unless they are explicitly described and identified as being essential. Third, a function or an act should be interpreted as incorporating all modes of doing that function or act, unless otherwise explicitly stated (for example, one recognizes that “tacking” may be done by nailing, stapling, gluing, hot gunning, riveting, etc., and so a use of the word tacking invokes stapling, gluing, etc., and all other modes of that word and similar words, such as “attaching”). Fourth, unless explicitly stated otherwise, conjunctive words (such as “or”, “and”, “including”, or “comprising” for example) should be interpreted in the inclusive, not the exclusive, sense. Fifth, the words “means” and “step” are provided to facilitate the reader's understanding of the invention and do not mean “means” or “step” as defined in §112, paragraph 6 of 35 U.S.C., unless used as “means for—functioning—” or “step for—functioning—” in the claims section. Sixth, the invention is also described in view of the Festo decisions, and, in that regard, the claims and the invention incorporate equivalents known, unknown, foreseeable, and unforeseeable. Seventh, of course, the discussions and definitions are provided for clarification purposes and are not limiting, and the language and each word used in the invention should be given the ordinary interpretation of the language and the word, unless indicated otherwise. It should be noted in the following discussion that acts with like names are performed in like manners, unless otherwise stated. Description of the Drawings In one embodiment, the invention provides a tanning system. FIG. 1 illustrates components that may be provided in one embodiment of a tanning system 100. In the tanning system 100 a graphical user interface (GUI) 142 is provided so that an operator of tanning system 100 may select and adjust various settings of the tanning system. For example, by using the graphical user interface 142, one may select a predetermined pressure, a predetermined program which varies pressures, a tanning solution, a combination of tanning solutions, a combination of a tanning solution and a moisturizer, or a temperature at which any of these is delivered into a fog chamber 110. Accordingly, settings selected at the graphical user interface are supplied to a computer 140. Alternatively, any of the settings described as being selected at the graphical user interface 142 may be selected by a user within the fog chamber 110 via a control pane (not shown). The computer 140 may be any comprising platform capable of executing a computer code, which enables the tanning system 100. For example, the computer 140 could be a personal computer (PC), a laptop, or a specific use-computing device. Preferably, the computer 140 stores and executes a tanning system algorithm (discussed later). The computer 140 is coupled to a control system 150. The control system 150 typically houses an electrical control subsystem 152, and a mechanical control subsystem 154. The control system 150 opens and closes valves within a pump system 130 so as to implement the settings directed at the graphical user interface 142, or by a user at the control panel. Accordingly, the electrical control subsystem 152 is generally controlled by the computer 140 so as to actuate the mechanical control subsystem 154. The mechanical subsystem 154 implements the opening and closing of valves within the pump system 130, such as the flow valve 134, and the valve(s) in the pump 132 which controls the flow of solutions into the pump system 130. It should be noted that although the control system 150 appears in FIG. 1 to be rather larger, the control system 150 is typically a quite small device. The control system 150 is thus coupled to the pump system 130 so as to control the valves therein. Furthermore, the pump system 130 accepts solution from a first solution container 120, containing a Solution a, and a second solution 122 containing a Solution B. The Solution A and the Solution B may be tanning solutions or moisturizers or other solutions or liquids to be delivered to the fog chamber 110. The pump 132 places the incoming solutions under pressure, and preferably places the solutions at predetermined pressure. For example, if a liquid with water-like consistency is pumped, then the predetermined pressure may be between 450 and 550 psi, and is preferably 500 psi. Similarly, if a lotion is pumped, the predetermined pressure may be between 550 and 650 psi, with a preferred predetermined pressure of 600 psi. Likewise, the flow valve 134 is opened and closed by the control system 150 so as to allow the tanning solution which exits the pump 132 at the predetermined pressure to pass into the fog chamber 110. A fog chamber 110 is a generally enclosed housing used to encapsulate a fog about a person being tanned, and to maintain the fog at a predetermined density. FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a fog chamber 110. The fog chamber 110 is generally comprised of an outer shell 200, a hood 210 and a floor 220. The hood 210 is preferably a plastic of fiberglass form capable of supporting a lighting system 212 as well as a fan motor 214. The fan motor 214 drives fan blades 216 to vent and evacuate the chamber. Accordingly, during operation, the lighting system 212 provides lighting within the fog chamber 110. In addition, the fan motor 214 operates at a low speed during the fogging process to provide ventilation within the fog chamber 110, and at high speed to quickly evacuate the fog chamber 200 when the person being tanned has been exposed to the fog for a sufficient time. The floor 220 includes a plurality of legs 226, which support a generally mesh-like floor piece 222 thereon. The floor piece 222 is elevated above the floor 220 in order to provide ventilation about the feet of the person being tanned. Furthermore, the floor piece 222 includes a standing platform 224 on which a person may stand without their feet being irritated by the floor piece 222. In addition, the generally mesh nature of the floor piece 222 allows condensation and excess fog to fall to the floor 220. The outer shell 200 provides a door 230, which opens and shuts about a doorway 232 for providing access into the tanning chamber 110. The outer shell 200 like the hood 210 is preferably made of a fiberglass or a moldable plastic. Also provided within the outer shell 200 are a plurality of vents 240 for providing fresh air access into the fog chamber 110. Disposed within the outer shell 200 is a fluid frame 250, which provides tanning solution (or other liquid or lotion) to the fog chamber 110. The fluid frame is preferably constructed of ⅜″ copper pipe and contains a plurality of nozzles 260 thereon. Each fluid frame is customized to provide a generally uniform fog to a user within the fog chamber 110. Accordingly, the fluid frame, in operation, is generally disposed about the person being tanned. FIG. 3 illustrates a fluid frame 300 for use within a generally circular top frame piece 320, a generally circular bottom frame 330, and a plurality of vertical frame pieces 310. Each of the frame pieces 310, 320, 330, may be fluidly connected to a plurality of nozzles 340. The number and location of the nozzles 340 is chosen based on the desire to produce a generally uniform fog within the area generally enclosed by the fluid frame 250. Furthermore, each nozzle 340 is pointed in a direction that supports the creation of a uniform fog within the fog chamber 110. Also coupled to the fluid frame 250 is an empty pipe 350, which brings the tanning solution (or tanning solution mixture) into the fluid frame 250. Controlling access of a fluid to the fluid frame 250 via the entry pipe 350 is an entry valve 360. The entry valve 360 provides a user of the tanning system the ability to quickly turn the tanning system off should that user desire to do so. Accordingly, the entry valve 360 is typically coupled to the computer 140, or the control system 150. Alternatively, the entry valve 360 maybe directly mechanically turned on and off by an off switch (not shown) within the fog chamber. A nozzle capable of producing a fog is utilized by the invention. Accordingly, FIG. 4a illustrates a nozzle 340 designed to produce a fog. The nozzle 340 includes a generally cylindrical shell 410 having an orifice 420 at one end (the end the fog exits, the other end being attachable to the fluid frame) and maintaining a cylinder 440 therein. The orifice 420 is of a size, which enables the nozzle 340 to produce a fog, and is preferably between 0.005 and 0.0200 inches in diameter, and is preferably 0.012 inches in diameter. Furthermore, the nozzle 340 provides an annular indentation 430 capable of supporting a disk fan 450 therein. FIG. 4b illustrates one embodiment of the disk fan 450. The disk fan 450 provides a generally circular outer ring 455, which supports a plurality of fan blades 460 within its inner radius 457. Referring to FIGS. 4a and 4b, when a fluid is passed in the chamber 440, and through the orifice 420, the flow of the fluid causes the fan blades 460 to turn the disk fan 450 so that the disk fan 450 rotates rapidly. The rapid spinning of the disk fan 450 causes a more even and uniform dispersion of a fog within the fog chamber 110. This provides the additional advantage of preventing a user of the tanning system from being irritated by a direct spray. Exemplary Method One embodiment of a method according to the invention may be understood as a tanning algorithm 500. FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a tanning algorithm 500. First, in a start act 510, the tanning system algorithm 500 is loaded into a computer memory and performs all of the procedures needed to initialize a control system or a pump system and may heat any fluids to a predetermined temperature. Then, in a receive settings act 520, the settings selected at either the graphical user interface or a user control panel within the fog chamber are received by the tanning system algorithm 500. The settings may include a selection of a temperature for a tanning solution, a predetermined fogging program which implements variable fog densities for predetermined times, a selected time period for exposure to a fog, a selected fog density, or settings. Next, in a receive start act 530, the tanning system algorithm 500 receives an indication that the fogging process is to begin. The receive start act 530 may be initiated by a user within the fog chamber, by a person at a graphical user interface, or automatically via computer program. The tanning system algorithm 500 next proceeds to a mix act 540 in which any tanning solution mixtures selected are either mixed prior to being placed in a pump, or either set so that they may be mixed by a pump. Then, in a set pressure act 550, the tanning solution (or tanning solution mixture, but collectively “tanning solution”) is pumped to a user-selected pressure. Next, the fog act 560 is implemented by the opening of valves, which allow the tanning solution to flow into a fog chamber. Also within the fog act 560 a fog is produced within the fog chamber 110. In a hold act 570 the fog density is controlled and held at a predetermined density, which is either user, selected or selected by a program, which was selected by the user or the person operating a graphical user interface. Preferably, during the hold act 570, a fan is operating at a low speed in order to vent air into the chamber at a predetermined rate. The fog evacuated from the fog chamber 110 in an evacuation act 580. Preferably, the evacuation act 580 is very fast, and preferably almost instantaneous. Then, the tanning system algorithm 500 continues to end and reset act 590. The end and reset act 590 terminates the execution of the tanning system algorithm 500 and resets the pre-pump system and the control system so that another user may enter and use the fog chamber 110. Sometimes methods of the invention may be practiced by placing the invention on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable mediums include passive data storage, such as a random access memory (RAM) as well as semi-permanent data storage such as a compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM). In addition, the invention may be embodied in the RAM of a computer and effectively transform a standard computer into a new specific computing machine, such as a tanning system. Of course, it should be understood that the order of the acts of the algorithms discussed herein may be accomplished in different order depending on the preferences of those skilled in the art, and such acts may be accomplished as software. Furthermore, though the invention has been described with respect to a specific preferred embodiment, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the present application. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims and their equivalents be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications. | <SOH> TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to devices and methods for generating a fog in a closed chamber, and more particularly to devices and methods for generating a fog that is capable of altering the color of human skin. | <SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>Various aspects of the invention, as well as an embodiment, are better understood by reference to the following detailed description. To better understand the invention, the detailed description should be read in conjunction with the drawings in which: FIG. 1 illustrates some component that may be provided in one embodiment of a tanning system; FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a fog chamber; FIG. 3 illustrates a fluid frame system for use within a generally cylindrical outer shell, such as the outer shell; FIG. 4 a illustrates a nozzle designed to produce a fog; FIG. 4 b illustrates one embodiment of the disk fan; and FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a tanning algorithm. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? | 20041012 | 20100420 | 20050303 | 95393.0 | 3 | HAND, MELANIE JO | CHEMICALLY TANNING HUMAN SKIN | MICRO | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,318 | ACCEPTED | Speaker mounts for eyeglass with MP3 player | A wearable audio device in the form of eyeglasses speaker mounts supported by the frames of the eyeglass. The speaker mounts are constructed so as to be translatable along the ear stems of the eyeglass. This allows a wearer to move the speakers without changing the shape of the speaker mount, which can occur where the speaker mounts are made from some flexible materials. | 1. An eyeglass comprising a frame, the frame defining first and second orbitals, first and second lenses disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively, first and second ear stems extending rearwardly from the frame, first and second linear guides mounted relative to the first and second ear stems, respectively, so as to extend generally parallel to the first and second ear stems when the eyeglass is worn by a wearer, and first and second acoustic transducers supported by the first and second linear guides such that the first and second acoustic transducers are alignable with an auditory canal of a wearer of the eyeglass. 2. The eyeglass according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second linear guides comprises a rod. 3. The eyeglass according to claim 1 additionally comprising first and second supports supporting the first and second acoustic transducers, respectively, the first and second supports being configured to be movable along a path defined by the linear guides. 4. The eyeglass according to claim 1, wherein the linear guides define a translational path along which the acoustic transducers can be moved and a pivot axis about which the acoustic transducers can be pivoted. 5. The eyeglass according to claim 4, wherein the first and second linear guides comprise first and second rods, respectively. 6. The eyeglass according to claim 5 additionally comprising first and second supports, the first and second supports comprising first and second apertures, respectively, the first and second rods extending through the first and second apertures, respectively. 7. The eyeglass according to claim 1, wherein the first and second linear guides are configured to allow the first and second acoustic transducers to be translated along a direction generally parallel to the first and second ear stems, respectively. 8. The eyeglass according to claim 1 additionally comprising an MP3 format file storage device supported by the first ear stem, wherein the first linear guide member comprises a rod disposed below the storage device. 9. The eyeglass according to claim 1 additionally comprising a power supply supported by the first ear stem, wherein the first linear guide member comprises a rod disposed below the storage device. 10. The eyeglass according to claim 1, wherein the first and second linear guide members comprise first and second rods disposed within the first and second ear stems respectively, each of the first and second ear stems comprising first and second downwardly-facing apertures, respectively, through which the first and second rods are exposed, respectively. 11. An eyeglass comprising a frame, the frame defining a lens support, at least a first lens supported by the lens support, first and second ear stems extending rearwardly from the lens support, first and second rods supported by the first and second ear stems, respectively, so as to extend generally parallel to the first and second ear stems when the eyeglass is worn by a wearer, first and second acoustic transducers, and first and second booms connecting the first and second acoustic transducers to the first and second rods, respectively, the first and second booms extending rearwardly and away from the first and second rods, respectively, at a first angle relative to the first and second rods, wherein the first and second rods are configured to allow the first and second booms to be translated forwardly and rearwardly relative to the first and second ear stems without changing the first angle. 12. The eyeglass according to claim 11, wherein the first angle is between about twenty and fifty degrees. 13. The eyeglass according to claim 11, wherein the first angle is between about thirty-five and forty-five degrees. 14. The eyeglass according to claim 11, wherein the first and second rods are fixed relative to the frame. 15. The eyeglass according to claim 14, wherein the first and second booms are slidingly engaged with the first and second rods, respectively. 16. An eyeglass comprising a frame, the frame defining at least one lens support, at least a first lens supported by the lens support, first and second ear stems extending rearwardly from the lens support, first and second rods supported by the first and second ear stems, respectively, so as to extend generally parallel to the first and second ear stems when the eyeglass is worn by a wearer, first and second acoustic transducers supported by the rods, wherein the first and second rods are configured to allow the first and second acoustic transducers to be translated forwardly and rearwardly relative to the first and second ear stems, the first and second acoustic transducers being mounted so as to pivot about first and second pivot axes, respectively, both of which extend generally perpendicular to a vertical direction when a wearer is wearing the eyeglass. 17. The eyeglass according to claim 16, wherein the first and second rods define the first and second pivot axes, respectively. 18. The eyeglass according to claim 16, wherein the first and second acoustic transducers are configured such that they can be pivoted about the first and second pivot axes, respectively, between at least first and second positions, wherein the first position is higher than the second position. 19. The eyeglass according to claim 18, wherein the first and second pivot axes are defined by the first and second rods, respectively. 20. The eyeglass according to claim 18 additionally comprising an MP3 storage and playback device supported by the frame and configured to drive the first and second acoustic transducers so as to reproduce sound from an MP3 format file stored in the MP3 storage and playback device. | REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a Divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/628,789, filed Jul. 28, 2003, which claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/399,317, filed Jul. 26, 2002, and 60/460,154 filed Apr. 3, 2003, the contents of all of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present inventions are directed to portable and light-weight digital storage and playback devices, and in particular, MP3 players that are integrated into eyeglasses. 2. Description of the Related Art There are numerous situations in which it is convenient and preferable to mount audio output devices so that they can be worn on the head of a user. Such devices can be used for portable entertainment, personal communications, and the like. For example, these devices could be used in conjunction with cellular telephones, cordless telephones, radios, tape players, MP3 players, portable video systems, hand-held computers and laptop computers. The audio output of many of these systems is typically directed to the wearer through the use of transducers physically positioned in or covering the ear, such as earphones and headphones. Earphones and headphones, however, are often uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. Additionally, an unbalanced load, when applied for a long period of time, can cause muscular pain and/or headaches. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One aspect of at least of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that certain electronic components can be incorporated into eyeglasses with certain features so as to reduce the total weight of the eyeglasses to a weight that is comfortable for a wearer. Further advantages can be achieved by grouping the electronic components so as to provide balance in the eyeglass. Thus, in accordance with another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. A compressed audio file storage and playback device is disposed in the first ear stem. A power storage device disposed in the second ear stem. First and second speakers are connected to the first and second ear stems, respectively, the speakers are configured to be alignable with an auditory canal of a wearer of the eyeglass. A further aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that the forward to rearward spacing of the bridge of a human nose to the auditory canal of the ear falls into a relatively narrow range of distances for large portions of the population. For example, it has been found that to accommodate a large proportion of the human population, the forward-to-rearward adjustability of the speaker is preferably sufficient to accommodate a variation in spacing from the bridge of the nose to the auditory canal of from at least about 4⅞ inches to about 5⅛ inches. In alternate implementations of the invention, anterior-posterior plane adjustability in the ranges of from about 4¾ inches to 5¼ inches, or from about 4⅝ inches to about 5⅜ inches from the posterior surface of the nose bridge to the center of the speaker is provided. Thus, in accordance with yet another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. First and second speakers are mounted to the first and second ear stems, respectively, so as to be translatable in a forward to rearward direction generally parallel to the ear stems over a first range of motion. At least one of the size of the speakers and the first range of motion being configured so as to provide an effective range of coverage of about 1¼ inches. An aspect of another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that where an electronic device that is worn in the same manner as a pair of eyeglasses includes a user operable switch for controlling a function of the electronics, the comfort of the wearer of the audio device can be enhanced where the switches are operable without transferring a substantial load to the head of the wearer. For example, where the electronic device includes buttons for controlling an aspect of the device, a further advantage is provided where a support surface is provided opposite the button such that a user can apply a balancing force to the actuation force applied to the button, thereby preventing a substantial force from being transferred to the head of the wearer. Thus, in accordance with a further aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. The first ear stem comprises an upper surface facing a first direction and includes an aperture. A first button extends from the aperture. A lower surface is below the upper surface and faces a second direction generally opposite the first direction, the lower surface having a width of at least one-quarter of an inch. Further features and advantages of the present inventions will become apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the detailed description of preferred embodiments which follows, when considered together with the attached drawings and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a front elevational view of a wearable audio device supported by a human head. FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3A is a front, left side, and top perspective view of a modification of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 3B is a top plan view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 3A. FIG. 3C is a schematic top plan view of the audio device of FIG. 3A being worn on the head of a user. FIG. 3D is a front, top, and left side perspective view of another modification of the wearable audio devices illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A-C. FIG. 3E is a rear, top and right side perspective view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3F is a right side elevational view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3G is a left side elevational view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3H is a front elevational view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3I is a top plan view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3J is a front, top, and left side perspective and exploded view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3K is an enlarged left side elevational view of one of the speakers of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 3L is an enlarged front elevational view of the speaker illustrated in FIG. 3K. FIG. 3M is a schematic illustration of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 3D. FIG. 4A is a schematic representation of a rear and left side perspective view of a further modification of the wearable audio devices illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3A-J. FIG. 4B is a schematic representation of a partial sectional and left side elevational view of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 4A being worn a human. FIG. 5A is a partial sectional and side elevational view of a modification of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5B is a partial sectional and side elevational view of a modification of the wearable audio device illustrated in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6 is a left side elevational view of a modification of the audio device illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 being worn on the head of a user. FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a front elevational view of a further modification of the audio device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 being worn by a wearer and interacting with source electronics. FIG. 9A is an enlarged schematic representation of a front elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 8. FIG. 9B is a schematic representation of a left side elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 9A. FIG. 10 is a schematic left side elevational view of a modification of the audio device illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9A, B. FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of any of the audio devices illustrated in FIGS. 1-12. FIG. 14 is a schematic representation of a partial cross-sectional view of a modification of the portion illustrated in FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is a left side elevational view of a modification of the audio devices illustrated in FIGS. 8-12. FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the audio device illustrated in FIG. 15. FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration of communication hardware which can be incorporated into any of the wearable audio device as illustrated in FIGS. 1-16 and the communication hardware of another device. FIG. 18 is a schematic representation showing three output signals, the uppermost signal being the output of a source device, and the lower signals being the representation of the output of an encoder/decoder device illustrated in FIG. 17. FIG. 19 is a schematic illustration of the decoder illustrated in FIG. 17. FIG. 20 is a schematic illustration of a modification of the decoder illustrated in FIG. 19, which can be incorporated into any of the wearable audio devices illustrated in FIGS. 1-16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an audio device 10 includes a support 12 and left and right speakers 14, 16. The audio device 12 is illustrated as being supported on the head 18 of a human. The head 18 includes a nose 19, and left and right ears 20, 22. The schematic representation of human ears 20 and 22 are intended to represent the tissue forming the “pinna” of a human ear. With reference to FIG. 2, the meatus of the external auditory canal 24 is illustrated schematically as a circle (in phantom) generally at the center of the left ear 20. The support 12 is configured to be supported by the head 18. Thus, the support 12 can be in the form of any known headwear. For example, but without limitation, the support 12 can be in the form of a hat, sweatband, tiara, helmet, headphones, and eyeglasses. Advantageously, the support 12 is configured to support the speakers 14, 16 at a position juxtaposed to the ears 20, 22, respectively, without applying a force against the ears 20, 22 sufficient for anchoring the speakers 14, 16 in place. Thus, the support 12 contacts the head 18 at a position other than the outer surface of the ears 20, 22. As shown in FIG. 1, the support 12 is supported by the head 18 by a support portion 26 which contacts a portion of the head 18 other than the outer surface of the ears 20, 22. For example, but without limitation, the support 26 can contact the top of the head 18, the sides of the head, top of the nose 19, forehead, occipital lobe, etc. The audio device 10 also includes support members 28, 30 which extend from the support 12 to the speakers 14, 16, respectively. The support members 28, 30 are provided with sufficient strength to maintain the position of the speakers 14, 16 such that the speakers 14, 16 are spaced from the outer surface of the ears 20, 22. Optionally, the support members 28, 30 can be made from a flexible material configured to allow the speakers 14, 16 to be moved toward and away from the ears 20, 22, respectively. Alternatively, the support members 28, 30 can be mounted relative to the support 12 with a mechanical device configured to allow the speakers 14, 16 to be moved toward and away from the ears 20, 22 respectively. The same mechanical device or an additional mechanical device can also optionally be configured to allow the speakers 14, 16 and/or supports 28, 30 to be translated forward and rearwardly relative to the support 12. Further, such mechanical devices can be used in conjunction with the flexibility provided to the support members 28, 30 from a flexible material noted above. As such, the user can adjust the spacing between the speakers 14, 16 and the ears 20, 22 to provide the desired spacing. As noted above, the speakers 14, 16 are spaced from the ears 20, 22 such that the speakers 14, 16 do not engage the outer surface of the ears 20, 22 with sufficient force to provide an anchoring effect for the speakers 14, 16. Thus, the speakers 14, 16 can make contact with the ears 20, 22, at a pressure less than that sufficient to cause discomfort to the user. Comfort of the user is further enhanced if the support 12 is configured to maintain gaps 32, 34 between the speakers 14, 16 and the ears 20, 22, respectively. As such, the chance of irritation to the user's ears 20, 22 is eliminated. Preferably, the gaps 32, 34 are within the range from about 2 mm to about 3 cm. The gaps 32, 34 can be measured from the inner surface of the speakers 14, 16 and the outer surface of the tragus (small projection along the front edge of a human ear which partially overlies the meatus of the external auditory canal 24) (FIG. 2). Such a spacing can allow the support 12 to be removed and replaced onto the head 18 of the user without rubbing against the ears 20, 22. This makes the audio device 10 more convenient to use. A modification of the audio device 10 is illustrated in FIG. 3A, and referred to generally by the reference numeral 10A. Components of the audio device 10A that are the same as the audio device 10 have been given the same reference numeral, except that a letter “A” has been added thereto. In the illustrated embodiment of the audio device 10A, the support 12A is in the form of an eyeglass 40. The eyeglass 40 comprises a frame 42 which supports left and right lenses 44, 46. Although the present audio device 10A will be described with reference to a dual lens eyeglass, it is to be understood that the methods and principles discussed herein are readily applicable to the production of frames for unitary lens eyeglass systems and protective goggle systems as well. Further, the lenses 44, 46 can be completely omitted. Optionally, at least one of the lenses 44, 46 can be in the form of a view finder or a video display unit configured to be viewable by a wearer of the support 12A. Preferably, the lenses 44, 46 are configured to provide variable light attenuation. For example, each of the lenses 44, 46 can comprise a pair of stacked polarized lenses, with one of the pair being rotatable relative to the other. For example, each lens of the stacked pairs can comprise an iodine stained polarizing element. By rotating one lens relative to the other, the alignment of the polar directions of the lenses changes, thereby changing the amount of light that can pass through the pair. U.S. Pat. No. 2,237,567 discloses iodine stained polarizers and is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, rotatable lens designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,780, which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the lenses 44, 46, can comprise photochromic compositions that darken in bright light and fade in lower light environments. Such compositions can include, for example, but without limitation, silver, copper, and cadmium halides. Photochromic compounds for lenses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,312,811, 5,658,502, 4,537,612, each of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference. More preferably, the lenses 44, 46 comprise a dichroic dye guest-host device configured to provide variable light attenuation. For example, the lenses 44, 46 can comprise spaced substrates coated with a conducting layer, an alignment layer, and preferably a passivation layer. Disposed between the substrates is a guest-host solution which comprises a host material and a light-absorbing dichroic dye guest. A power circuit (not shown) can be supported by the frame 42. The power circuit is provided with a power supply connected to the conducting layers. Adjustment of the power supply alters the orientation of the host material which in turn alters the orientation of the dichroic dye. Light is absorbed by the dichroic dye, depending upon its orientation, and thus provides variable light attenuation. Such a dichroic dye guest-host device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,778, which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. The frame 42 also comprises left and right orbitals 48, 50 for supporting the left and right lenses 44, 46, respectively. Although the present inventions will be described in the context of a pair of orbitals 48, 50 which surround the respective lenses 44, 46, the principles of the present inventions also apply to eyeglass systems in which the frame only partially surrounds the lens or lenses, or contacts only one edge or a portion of one edge of the lens or each lens as well. In the illustrated embodiment, the orbitals 48, 50 are connected by a bridge portion 52. The eyeglass 40 is also provided with a pair of generally rearwardly extending ear stems 54, 56 configured to retain the eyeglass 40 on the head of a wearer. In addition, an open region 58 is configured to receive the nose of the wearer, as is understood in the art. The open region 58 may optionally be provided with a nose piece, either connected to the lens orbitals 48, 50, or the bridge 52, or directly to the lenses, depending on the particular embodiment. Alternatively, the nose piece may be formed by appropriately sculpting the medial edges of the orbitals 48, 50 and the lower edge of the bridge 52, as in the illustrated embodiment. The frame 42 and the ear stems 54, 56 can be made from any appropriate material, including polymers and metals. Preferably, the frame 42 and the ear stems 54, 56 are manufactured from a polymer. The orbitals 48, 50 can be separately formed and assembled later with a separately manufactured bridge 52, or the orbitals 48, 50 and bridge 52 can be integrally molded or cast. When a metal material is used, casting the eyeglass components directly into the final configuration desirably eliminates the need to bend metal parts. The ear stems 54, 56 are pivotally connected to the frame 42 with hinges 60, 62. Additionally, the ear stems 54, 56 preferably include padded portions 64, 66, respectively. The padded portions preferably comprise a foam, rubber, or other soft material for enhancing comfort for a wearer. The padded portions 64, 66 preferably are positioned such that when the audio device 10A is worn by a wearer, the padded portions 64, 66 lie between the side of the user's head and the superior crux and/or upper portion of the helix of the wearer's ears. In the illustrated embodiment, the support members 28A, 30A are in the form of support arms 68, 70 extending downwardly from the ear stems 54, 56, respectively. As such, the speakers 14A, 16A can be precisely positioned relative to the ears 20, 22 (FIG. 1) of a wearer's head 18. In particular, because the eyeglass 40 is generally supported at three positions, the alignment of the speakers 14A, 16A with the ears 20, 22 can be reliably repeated. In particular, the eyeglass 40 is supported at the left ear stem in the vicinity of the left ear 20, at the bridge 52 by a portion of the user's head in the vicinity of the nose 19, and at the right ear stem 56 by a portion of the user's head 18 in the vicinity of the ear 22. Optionally, the support arms 68, 70 can be flexible. Thus, users can adjust the spacing 32, 34 between the speakers 14A, 16A and the ears 20, 22, respectively. Once a wearer adjusts the spacing of the speakers 14A, 16A from the ears 20, 22, respectively, the spacing will be preserved each time the wearer puts on or removes the eyeglass 40. Further, the support arms 68, 70 can be attached to the ear stems 54, 56, respectively, with mechanical devices (not shown) configured to allow the support arms 68, 70 to be adjustable. For example, such a mechanical device can allow the support arms 68, 70 to be pivoted, rotated, and/or translated so as to adjust a spacing between the speakers 14A, 16A and the ears 20, 22. The same mechanical devices or other mechanical devices can be configured to allow the support arm 68, 70 to be pivoted, rotated, and/or translated to adjust a forward to rearward alignment of the speakers 14A, 16A and the ears 20, 22, respectively. Such mechanical devices are described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 3D-J. With the configuration shown in FIG. 3A, the audio device 10A maintains the speakers 14A, 16A in a juxtaposed position relative to the ears 20, 22, respectively, and spaced therefrom. Thus, the user is not likely to experience discomfort from wearing and using the audio device 10A. Preferably, the support arms 68, 70 are raked rearwardly along the ear stems 54, 56, respectively. As such, the support arms 68, 70 better cooperate with the shape of the human ear. For example, the helix and the lobe of the human ear are generally raised and extend outwardly from the side of a human head. The helix extends generally from an upper forward portion of the ear, along the top edge of the ear, then downwardly along a rearward edge of the ear, terminating at the lobe. However, the tragus is nearly flush with the side of the human head. Thus, by arranging the support arm 68, 70 in a rearwardly raked orientation, the support arms 68, 70 are less likely to make contact with any portion of the ear. Particularly, the support arms 68, 70 can be positioned so as to be lower than the upper portion of the helix, above the lobe, and preferably overlie the tragus. Alternatively, the support arm 68, 70 can be attached to the ear stems 54, 56, respectively, at a position rearward from the meatus of the ears 20, 22 when the eyeglass 40 is worn by a user. As such, the support arms 68, 70 preferably are raked forwardly so as to extend around the helix and position the speakers 14A, 16A over the tragus. This construction provides a further advantage in that if a user rotates the eyeglass 40 such that the lenses 44, 46 are moved upwardly out of the field of view of the wearer, the speakers 14A, 16A can be more easily maintained in alignment with the ears 20, 22 of the wearer. Preferably, the support: arm 68, 70 are raked rearwardly so as to form angles 72, 74 relative to the ear stems 54, 56. The angles 72, 74 can be between 0 and 90 degrees. Preferably, the angles 72, 74 are between 10 and 70 degrees. More preferably, the angles 72, 74 are between 20 and 50 degrees. The angles 72, 74 can be between about 35 and 45 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, the angles 72, 74 are about 40 degrees. Optionally, the support arm 68, 70 can be curved. In this configuration, the angles 72, 74 can be measured between the ear stems 54, 56 and a line extending from the point at which the support arm 68, 70 connect to the ear stems 54, 56 and the speakers 14A, 16A. The audio device 10A can be used as an audio output device for any type of device which provides an audio output signal. The audio device 10A can include an audio input terminal disposed anywhere on the eyeglass 40 for receiving a digital or analog audio signal. Preferably, wires connecting the input jack (not shown) with the speakers 14A, 16A extend through the interior of the ear stems 54, 56 so as to preserve the outer appearance of the eyeglass 40. Alternatively, the audio device 10A can include a wireless transceiver for receiving digital signals from another device. With reference to FIGS. 3D-3J, a modification of the audio devices 10, 10A is illustrated therein and referred to generally by the reference numeral 10A′. The audio device 10A′ can include the same components as the audio devices 10, 10A except as noted below. Components of the audio device 10A′ that are similar to the corresponding components of the audio devices 10, 10A are identified with the same reference numerals except, that a “′” has been added thereto. The audio device 10A′ is in the form of an eyeglass 12A′ having a frame 40A′. The audio device 10A′ also includes a device for the storage and playback of a sound recording. As noted above, an aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes a realization that the forward to rearward spacing of the bridge of a human nose to the auditory canal of the ear falls into a relatively narrow range of distances for large portions of the population. For example, the forward-to-rearward spacing from the bridge of the nose to the auditory canal is normally between about 4⅞ inches to about 5⅛ inches, and often between about 4¾ inches and about 5¼ inches. Corresponding anterior-posterior plane adjustability of the speakers is preferably provided. Thus, with reference to FIG. 3F, the audio device 10A′ is configured such that the supports 68′, 78′, can translate, along a forward to rearward direction, over a range identified generally by the reference numeral Rt. Preferably, the range Rt is at least about ⅛ of one inch. Further, the range Rt can be at least about ¼ of one inch. Further, the range Rt can be in the range of from about 0.25 inches to about 1.5 inches, and, in one construction, is about 0.75 of one inch. As such, a substantial percentage of the human population will be able to align a Center of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ with their auditory canal. With reference to FIG. 3G, a further advantage is provided where the diameter Ds of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ is greater than about 0.5 inches, such as about 1 inch or greater. As such, an effective range Re (FIG. 3F) over which the speakers 14A′, 16A′ can reach, is significantly enhanced with respect to the above-noted nose bridge to auditory canal spacings for humans. Thus, the connection between the supports 68′, 70′ to the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, can be configured to allow a limited translational range of movement of Rt yet provide a larger range of coverage Re. Preferably, the connection between the support 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′, is configured such that the translational position of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ is maintained when a user removes the audio device 10A′ from their head. For example, the connection between the supports 68′, 70′, and the ear stems 54′, 56′ can generate sufficient friction so as to resist movement due to the weight of the supports 68′, 70′ and the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Alternatively, the connection or an adjustment device can include locks, clips, or other structures to prevent unwanted translational movement of the speakers 14A′, 16A′. As such, a further advantage is provided in that a user can repeatedly remove and replace the audio device 10A′ without having to readjust the translational position of the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Another advantage is provided where the supports 68′, 70′ are made from a material that is substantially rigid, at least at room temperature. For example, with reference to FIG. 3F, the angles 72′, 74′ defined between the supports 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, can be maintained at a predetermined value while the speakers 14A′, 16A′ can be moved over the range Rt. Thus, as noted above with reference to FIG. 3A and the description of the angles 72, 74, the angles 72′, 74′ can be maintained at a desired angle as a user moves the speakers 14A′, 16A′ over the range Rt. Optionally, the supports 68′, 70′ can be made from a material that can be deformed at room temperature. However, more preferably the material is sufficiently rigid such that substantial pressure is required to change the angle 74′. Alternatively, the supports 68′, 70′ can be made from a thermally sensitive material that can be softened with the application of heat. Thus, a wearer of the audio device 10A′ can heat the supports 68′, 70′ and adjust the angle 74′ to optimize comfort for the particular wearer. Such thermal sensitive materials are widely used in the eyewear industry and thus a further description of such materials is not deemed necessary for one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the inventions disclosed herein. Preferably, the angles 72′, 74′ are sized such that the spacing Vs between the center C of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ and a lower surface of the ear stems 54′, 56′ is within the range of about 0.75 of an inch to about 1.25 inches. One aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that there is little variation in the spacing for adult humans between the center of the auditory canal and the connecting tissue between the pinna of the ear and the skin on the side of the head. In particular, it has been found that in virtually all humans, the distance between the upper most connection of the ear and the head to the center of the auditory canal is between 0.75 of an inch and 1.25 inches. Thus, by sizing the angles 72′, 74′ such the spacing Vs is between about 0.75 of an inch and 1.25 inches, the audio device 10A can be worn by virtually any adult human and has sufficient alignment between the wearer's auditory canal and the center C of the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Further, where the diameter Ds of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ is about 1 inch, almost any human can wear the audio device 10A′ without having to adjust the angles 72′, 74′. In other words, the auditory canal of virtually any human would be aligned with a portion of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ although the wearer's auditory canal might not be precisely aligned with the center C of the speakers 14A′, 16A′. With reference to FIG. 3H, the supports 68′, 70′ are configured to allow the speakers 14A′, 16A′, respectively, to pivot toward and away from an ear of a user. For example, as shown in FIG. 3H, the supports 68′, 70′ are connected to the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis P. As such, the speakers 14A′, 16A′ can be pivoted or swung about the pivot axis P. The range of motion provided by the connection between the supports 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′ is identified by the angle S in FIG. 3H. In FIG. 3H, the speaker 14A′ is illustrated in an intermediate position in the range of motion provided by the connection between the support 68′ and the ear stem 54′. The illustration of the speaker 16A′ includes a solid line representation showing a maximum outward position of the speaker 16A′. Additionally, FIG. 3H includes a phantom illustration of the speaker 16A′ in a maximum inward position. The angle S illustrates a range of motion between a maximum outward position (solid line) and a maximum inward position (phantom line), of the speaker 16A′. Preferably, the range of motion S is sufficiently large to allow any human wearer of the audio device 10A′ to position the speakers 14A′, 16A′ such that sound emitted from the speakers 14A′, 16A′ is clearly audible yet comfortable for the wearer of the audio device 10A′. For example, human ears vary in the precise shape and size of the outwardly facing features. As such, one wearer of the audio device 10A′ may have outer facing features of their ear that project further than another wearer of the audio device 10A′. Thus, one wearer may prefer the speakers 14A′, 16A′ to be positioned more inwardly than another wearer. Further, some wearers of the audio device 10A′ may prefer to press the speakers 14A′, 16A′ into contact with the outer surfaces of their ears. For example, some users may desire to experience to loudest possible volume from the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Thus, by pressing the speakers 14A′, 16A′ against their ears, the perceived volume of the sound emitted from the speakers 14A′, 16A′ will be the greatest. Alternatively, other users may prefer to have the speakers spaced from the outer surfaces of their ear so as to prevent contact with the ear, yet maintain a close spacing to preserve the perceived volume of the sound emitted from the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Additionally, a user may occasionally wish to move the speakers 14A′, 16A′ further away from their ears, so as to allow the wearer better hear other ambient sounds when the speakers 14A′, 16A′ are not operating. For example, a wearer of the audio device 10A′ might wish to use a cellular phone while wearing the audio device 10A′. Thus, the wearer can pivot one of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ to a maximum outward position (e.g., the solid line illustration of speaker 16A′ in FIG. 3H) to allow a speaker of the cell phone to be inserted in the space between the speaker 16A′ and the ear of the wearer. As such, the wearer can continue to wear the audio device 10A′ and use another audio device, such as a cell phone. This provides a further advantage in that, because the audio device 10A′ is in the form of eyeglasses 12A′, which may include prescription lenses or tinted lenses, the wearer of the audio device 10A′ can continue to receive the benefits of such tinted or prescription lenses while using the other audio device. An additional advantage is provided where the pivotal movement of the supports 68′, 70′ is isolated from the translational movement thereof. For example, the connection between the supports 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′ can be configured so as to allow a user to pivot the supports 68′, 70′ without substantially translating the supports 68′, 70′ forwardly or rearwardly. In one embodiment, the connections can be configured to provide more perceived frictional resistance against translational movement than the frictional resistance against pivotal movement about the pivot axis P (FIG. 3H). Thus, a user can easily pivot the speakers 14A′, 16A′ toward and away from their ears without translating the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Thus, the procedure for moving the speakers 14A′, 16A′ toward and away from a weaver's ears can be performed more easily and, advantageously, with one hand. The range of motion S is generally no greater than about 180°, and often less than about 90°. In one preferred embodiment, the range of motion S is no more than about 30° or 40°. The connection between the support 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, is generally configured to provide a sufficient holding force for maintaining a rotational orientation of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ about the pivot axis P. For example, the connection between the supports 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, can be configured to generate sufficient friction to resist the forces generated by normal movements of a wearer's head. A further advantage is achieved where sufficient friction is generated to prevent the pivotal movement of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ when the audio device 10A′ is removed from the wearer and placed on a surface such that the speakers 14A′, 16A′ support at least some of the weight of the audio device 10A′. For example, when a wearer of the audio device 10A′ removes the audio device 10A′ and places it on a table with the speakers 14A′, 16A′ facing downwardly, the speakers 14A′, 16A′ would support at least some of the weight of the audio device 10A′. Thus, by providing sufficient friction in the connection between the supports 68′, 70′ and the ear stems 54′, 56′, respectively, the position of the speakers 14A′, 16A′ can be maintained. Thus, when the wearer replaces the audio device 10A′, the speakers 14A′, 16A′ will be in the same position, thereby avoiding the need for the wearer to reposition speakers 14A′, 16A′. As noted above, an aspect of one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that where an electronic device that is worn in the same manner as a pair of eyeglasses includes a user operable switch for controlling a function of the electronics, the comfort of the wearer of the audio device can be enhanced where the switches are operable without transferring a substantial load to the head of the wearer. For example, where the electronic device includes buttons for controlling an aspect of the device, a further advantage is provided where a support surface is provided opposite the button such that a user can apply a balancing force to the actuation force applied to the button, thereby preventing a substantial force from being transferred to the head of the wearer. With reference to FIG. 3I, the audio device 10A′ can include at least one button 73a. In the illustrated embodiment, the audio device 10A′ includes five buttons; a first button 73a and a second button 73b mounted to the left ear stem 54′, and a third button 73c, a fourth button 73d, and a fifth button 73e mounted to the right ear stem 56′. Of course, this is one preferred embodiment of the arrangement of the buttons 73a, 73b, 73c, 73d, 73e. Other numbers of buttons and other arrangements of buttons are also applicable. As shown in FIG. 3H, the button 73a is mounted on an upwardly facing surface of the ear stem 54′. Additionally, the ear stem 54′ has a lower surface that faces in a generally opposite direction to the direction towards which the upper surface of the ear stem 54′ faces. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3H, the user can use a finger 71 to actuate the button 73a and a thumb 69 to counteract the actuation force of the finger 71 by pressing on the lower surface of the ear stem 54′. As such, the wearer or user of the audio device 10A′ can actuate the button 73a without imparting a substantial load to the wearer of the audio device 10A′. This provides a further advantage in that a repeated application of a force against the audio device 10A′ that is transferred to the head of the wearer of the audio device 10A′ is avoided. For example, where the audio 10A′ is in the form of eyeglasses 12A′, a wearer of the eyeglasses 12A′ can be subjected to irritations if the wearer repeatedly presses the eyeglasses 12A′ to actuate a switch. Further, such repeated loads can cause headaches. Thus, by configuring the ear stems 54A′ such that the button 73a can be depressed without transferring a substantial load to the wearer of the ear glasses 12A′, such irritations and headaches can be avoided. Further, by disposing the button 73a on an upper portion of the ear stems 54A′, and by providing the ear stems 54A′ with an opposite lower surface that faces an opposite direction relative to the upper surface, a wearer can grasp the ear stems 54A′ from the side, as illustrated in FIG. 38, thereby allowing the user to counteract the actuation force required to actuate the button 73a without having to insert a finger between a side of the wearer's head and ear stems 54A′. FIG. 3J illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the audio device 10A. As shown in FIG. 3J, the left side ear stem 54A′ defines an electronic housing portion 250 which defines an internal cavity 252 configured to receive electronic components. The electronics housing 250 includes an upper surface 254 and lower surface 256. The upper surface 254 extends generally outwardly from the ear stems 54A′ and around the internal cavity 252. The upper surface also includes apertures 256, 258 through which the button 73a, 73b, respectively, extend. The housing 250 includes a lower surface 260. The lower surface 260 (which may contain apertures or slots) faces in an opposite direction from the upper surface 254 of the housing 250. Preferably, the lower surface 260 is at least about 0.5 inches, and may be 0.75 inches or more wide. As such, the lower surface 260 provides a surface which allows a wearer to easily grasp the ear stems 54A′ so as to balance an actuation force supplied to the button 73a, 73b. A cover member 262 cooperates with the housing 250 to define the closed internal cavity 252. In the illustrated embodiment, the internal cavity 252 includes at least one compartment configured to receive an electronic circuit board 264 which includes at least one switch for each of the buttons 73a, 73b. In an exemplary but non-limiting embodiment, the board 264 can include two switches, one for each of the buttons 73a, 73b, which are configured to control a volume output from the speakers 14A′, 16A′. The cover 262 can be attached to the ear stems 54A′ with any type of fastener, such as, for example, but without limitation, screws, rivets, bolts, adhesive, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 250 also defines a hinge recess 262. Additionally, the cover member 262 includes a complimentary hinge recess 268. The recesses 266, 268 are sized to receive a hinge pin 270. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge pin 270 is hollow and includes an aperture therethrough. The ends of the hinge pin 270 are configured to be engaged with corresponding portions of the frame 42′ so as to anchor the position of the hinge pin 270 relative to the frame 42′. When the cover 262 is attached to the housing 250, with the hinge pin 270 disposed in the recesses 266, 268, the ear stem 54A′ is pivotally mounted to the frame 42′. The aperture extending through the hinge pin 270 provides a passage through which electrical conduits can pass, described in greater detail below. The housing 250 also includes a power source recess (not shown). The power source recess includes an opening 272 sized to receive a power storage device 274. In the illustrated embodiment, the power storage device 274 is in the form of an AAAA-sized battery. Of course, the power storage device 274 can be in the form of any type or any size of battery and can have any shape. However, a further advantage is provided where a standard-sized battery such as an AAAA battery is used. For example, as described in greater detail below, this size battery can be conveniently balanced with other electronic components configured for playback of a sound recording. A door 276 is configured to close the opening 272. In the illustrated embodiment, the door 276 is preferably hingedly connected to a housing 250 so as to allow the door to be rotated between an open position and a closed position. FIGS. 3D-3I illustrate the door 276 in a closed position. The ear stem 56′ includes a housing 280 defining an internal cavity 282 configured to receive at least one electronic component. The housing 280 also includes upper and lower surfaces (unnumbered) that can be configured identically or similarly to the upper and lower surfaces 254, 260 of the housing 250. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the upper surface of the housing 280 includes 3 apertures configured to receive portions of the buttons 73c, 73d, 73e. Thus, a further description of the housing 280 is not necessary for one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the inventions disclosed herein. The internal cavity 282, in the illustrated embodiment, is configured to receive a printed circuit board 284. In the illustrated embodiment, the printed circuit board 284 includes one switch for each of the buttons 73c, 73d, and 73e. Additionally, the printed circuit board 284 includes an audio file storage and playback device 286. The device 286 can be configured to store and playback any type of electronic audio and/or video file. In the illustrated embodiment, the device 286 includes a memory, an amplifier, and a processor. The memory, amplifier, and the processor are configured to operate together to function as an audio storage and playback system. For example, the audio storage and playback system can be configured to store MP3 files in a memory and to play back the MP3 files through the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Suitable electronics for enabling and amplifying MP3 storage and playback are well known in the art, and may be commercially available from Sigmatel, Inc. or Atmel, Inc. Thus, further description of the hardware and software for operating the device 286 as a storage and playback device is not necessary for one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the inventions disclosed herein. Advantageously, the printed circuit board 284 also includes or is in electrical communication with a data transfer port 388. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 280 includes an aperture (not shown) disposed in a position similar to the position of the aperture 272 on the housing 250. In the housing 280, however, the aperture is aligned with the data transfer port 288. Thus, when the printed circuit board 284 is received in the internal cavity 282, the data transfer port 288 is aligned with the aperture. A door 290 is configured to open and close the aperture through which the data port 288 is exposed. Preferably, the door 290 is hingedly engaged to the housing 280, in an identical or similar manner as the door 276. In the illustrated embodiment, the door 290 can be pivoted relative to housing 280, thereby exposing the data transfer port 288. In the illustrated embodiment, the data transfer port is configured to operate according to the universal serial bus (USB) transfer protocol. Optical data ports may alternatively be used. As a further alternative, MP3 files may be uploaded from a source using wireless systems, such as BLUETOOTH® protocols, as is discussed below. Further, the device 286 is configured to receive audio files from another computer, through the data transfer port 288 and to store the files into the memory incorporated into the device 286. A cover 292 is configured to close the internal cavity 282. The cover 292 can be configured in accordance with the description of the cover 262. Similarly to the housing 250 and cover 262, the housing 280 and cover 292 include recesses 294, 296 configured to receive a hinge pin 298. The hinge pin 298 can be constructed identically or similarly to the hinge pin 270. Thus, with the hinge pin 298 engaged with a frame 42′, the cover member 292 can be attached to the housing 280 with the hinge pin 298 received within the recesses 294, 296. As such, the ear stem 56A′ can be pivoted relative to the frame 42′. With continued reference to FIG. 3J, the speakers 14A′, 16A′ can be constructed in a similar manner, as a mirror image of each other. Each of the speakers 14A′, 16A′, include a housing member 300. Each housing member 300 includes a transducer housing 302, a support stem 304, and a guide portion 306. The transducer housing portion 302 includes an internal recess 308 (identified in the illustration of speaker 16A′). The transducer recess 308 can be sized to receive any type of acoustic transducer. For example, but without limitation, the transducer recess 308 can be configured to receive a standard acoustic speaker commonly used for headphones. In a non-limiting embodiment, the speaker transducer (not shown) has an outer diameter of at least about 0.6 inches. However, this is merely exemplary, and other sizes of transducers can be used. With reference to the illustration of the speaker 14A′, the support stem 304 connects the transducer housing 302 with the guide portion 306. The support stem 304 includes an aperture therethrough (not shown) which connects the transducer recess 308 with the guide portion 306. The guide portion 306 includes an aperture 310 which communicates with the aperture extending through the support stem 304. Thus, an electric conduit, described in greater detail below, can extend through the aperture 310, through the stem 304, and then to the transducer recess 308. The guide portion 306 also includes a guide aperture 312. The guide aperture 312 is configured to receive a guide pin 314. The guide pin 314 can be made from any material. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide pin 314 is a rod having an outer diameter of about 0.0625 of an inch. When assembled, the guide pin 314 is disposed within an open recess (not shown) disposed on an under surface of the housing 250. The aperture 312 is sized so as to slidably receive the pin 314. Thus, the guide portion 306 can translate relative to the pin 314 as well as rotate relative to the pin 314. The size of the aperture 312 can be configured to provide a slip fit with sufficient friction to provide the stable positions noted above with reference to FIGS. 3D-3I. In this embodiment, the guide pin 314 and the aperture 312 provide both translational and pivotal movement. Additionally, the guide pin 314 and the aperture 312 can be configured to resistance to both translational movement and pivotal movement, with the resistance to translational movement being greater. For example, the axial length and diameter of the aperture 312, controls the maximum contact area between the guide pin 314 and the guide portion 306 and thus affects the frictional force generated therebetween. Thus, the length and diameter of the aperture 312 can be adjusted to achieve the desired frictional forces. Additionally, with reference to FIG. 3K, when a translational force X is applied to the speaker 14A′, a torque T is created, which results in reaction forces Xr urging the guide portion 306 against the guide pin 314 at the forward and rearward ends thereof. These reaction forces Xr increase the frictional resistance against the translational movement of the speaker 14A′. However, as shown in FIG. 3L, when a pivot force Θ is applied to the speaker 14A′, such reaction forces are not created, and the speaker 14A′ can pivot about the guide pin 314 with seemingly less force applied as compared to the force X required to move the speaker 14A′ in a direction parallel to the guide pin 314. With reference again to FIG. 3J, the recess on the lower surface of the housings 250, 280, are sized so as to allow the guide portion 306 to slide in a forward to rearward direction in the range Rt, described above with reference to FIG. 3F. Additionally, the open recess on the lower surface of the housings 250, 280 is provided with a width to limit the range of motion S of the speakers 14A′, 16A′, described above with reference to FIG. 3H. With reference to FIG. 3E, the frame 42′ includes an interior electrical conduit channel 316 configured to receive an electrical conduit for connecting the speakers 14′, 16′, the printed circuit boards 264, 284, and the power storage device 274. For example, with reference to FIG. 3M, the buttons 73a, 73b, are connected to the device 286 through conduits 73ai, 73bi. The storage device 274 is connected to the device 286 through a power line 274i. Additionally, the speaker 14A′ is connected to the device 286 with an audio output conduit 14Ai′. As illustrated in FIG. 3M, portions of the conduits 73ai, 73bi, 274i and 14Ai′, extend through the channel 316. In an exemplary embodiment, the conduits 73ai, 73bi, 274i, and 14Ai′, can be in the form of a ribbon connector 318 extending through the channel 316. Thus, with reference to FIGS. 3J and 3M, the ribbon connector 318 can extend from the housing 280, into the recesses 294, 296, through an aperture (not shown) in the hinge pin 298 to the upper opening within the hinge pin 298, then through the channel 316 (FIG. 3E), to an upper opening of the hinge pin 270, out through an aperture (not shown) through a side of a hinge pin 270, through the recesses 266, 268 of the housing 250, and then to the speaker 14A′, printed circuit board 264, and the power storage device 274. The conduit 14Ai′ can extend to the aperture 310 in the guide portion 306, through a central aperture of the support stem 304, and into the transducer recess 308, as to connect to a transducer disposed therein. Optionally, the portion of the conduit 14Ai′ that extends out of the housing 250 and into the transducer housing 300 can be formed from an insulated metal conduit, or any other known conduit. The speaker 16A′ can be connected to the printed circuit board 284 in a similar manner. The buttons 73c, 73d, 73e and the data transfer port 288 are connected to the device 286 through printed conduits incorporated into the printed circuit board 284. As noted above, one aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that a desirable balance can be achieved by disposing a power storage device in one ear stem of an eyeglass and play-back device into the second ear stem. Thus, as illustrated in FIGS. 3J and 3K, the power storage device 274 is disposed in the left ear stem 54′ and the storage and play-back device 286 is disposed in the right ear stem 56′. In the illustrated embodiment, the buttons 73a and 73b for controlling the volume of the sound output from the speakers 14A′, 16A′. For example, the button 73a can be used for increasing volume and the button 73b can be used for decreasing volume. Alternatively, the button 73b can be for increasing volume and the button 73a can be for decreasing volume. When a wearer of the audio device 10A′ presses one of the buttons 73a, 73b, a simple on-off signal can be transmitted to the device 286. The device 286 can be configured to interpret the on-off signals from the buttons 73a, 73b as volume control signals and adjust the volume to the speakers 14A′, 16A′ accordingly. Optionally, a third command can be generated by pressing both of the buttons 73a, 73b simultaneously. For example, but without limitation, the device 286 can be configured to interpret simultaneous signals from both the buttons 73a, 73b, as a signal for turning on and off an additional feature. For example, but without limitation, the additional feature can be a bass boost feature which increases the bass of the audio signal transmitted to the speakers 14A′, 16A′. Of course, other functions can be associated with the buttons 73a, 73b. The buttons 73c, 73d, 73e can be figured to operate switches to transmit control signals to the device 286 similarly to the buttons 73a, 73b. For example, but without limitation, the button 73c corresponds to a power button. For example, the device 286 can be configured to recognize a signal from the button 73c as a power on or power off request. In this embodiment, when the device 286 is off, and a signal from the button 73c is received, the device 286 can turn on. Additionally, the device 286, when in an on state, can be configured to turn off when a signal from the button 73c is received. Optionally, the device 286 can be configured to, when in an off or standby state, turn on and begin to play an audio file when a signal from the button 73c is received. Additionally, the device 286 can be configured to pause when another signal from the button 73c is received. In this embodiment, the device 286 can be configured to turn off only if the button 73c is held down for a predetermined amount of time. For example, the device 286 can be configured to turn off if the button 73c is held down for more than two seconds or for three seconds or for other periods of time. The buttons 73d and 73e can correspond to forward and reverse functions. For example, the button 73d can correspond to a track skip function. In an illustrative but non-limiting example, such a track skip function can cause the device 286 to skip to a next audio file in the memory of the device 286. Similarly, the button 73e can correspond to a reverse track skip function in which the device 286 skips to the previous audio file. Optionally, the buttons 73d, 73e can be correlated to fast forward and rewind functions. For example, the device 286 can be configured to fast forward through an audio file, and play the corresponding sounds at a fast forward speed, when the button 73d is held down and to stop and play the normal speed when the button 73d is released. Similarly, the device 286 can be configured to play an audio file backwards at an elevated speed, when the button 73e is held down, and to resume normal forward play when the button 73e is released. This arrangement of the buttons 73a, 73b, 73c, 73d, 73e provides certain advantages noted above. However, other arrangements of the buttons 73a, 73b, 73c, 73d, 73e and the corresponding functions thereof can be modified. With reference to FIGS. 4A-4B, a modification of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′ is illustrated therein and referred to generally by the reference numeral 10A″. The audio device 10A″ can include the same components as the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′ except as noted below. Components of the audio device 10A′ that are similar to corresponding components of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′ are identified with the same reference numerals, except that a ““” has been added thereto. The audio device 10A″ is in the form of an eyeglass 12A″ having a frame 40A″. The audio device 10A″ also includes at least one microphone 75. Advantageously, the microphone 75 is disposed so as to face toward the wearer. FIG. 4B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the eyeglass 12A″ on the head 18 of a wearer. The microphone 75 is schematically illustrated and includes a transducer unit 76. In the illustrated embodiment, the transducer 76 is disposed within the frame 40A″ and at least one aperture 77 extends from the transducer unit 76 to the outer surface of the frame 40A″. Alternatively, the transducer can be positioned so as to be exposed on the outer surface of the frame 40A″. Advantageously, the aperture 77 is disposed so as to face toward the head of the user 18. The illustrated aperture 77 faces downward and toward the head 18 of the wearer. By configuring the aperture to extend downwardly and toward the head 18, the aperture is disposed as close as possible to the mouth of the wearer while benefiting from the wind protection provided by positioning the aperture 77 on the portion of the frame 40A′ facing toward the head 18. Alternatively, the aperture can be positioned so as to extend generally horizontally from the transducer 76 to an outer surface of the frame 40A″, this configuration being illustrated and identified by the numeral 78. By configuring the aperture 78 to extending generally horizontally toward the head 18, the aperture 78 is better protected from wind. As another alternative, the aperture can be configured to extend upwardly from the transducer and toward the head 18, this configuration being identified by the numeral 79. By configuring the aperture 79 to extend upwardly from the transducer 76 and toward the head 18, the aperture 79 is further protected from wind which can cause noise. However, in this orientation, the aperture 79 is more likely to collect water that may inadvertently splash onto the aperture 79. Thus, the aperture configuration identified by the numeral 77 provides a further advantage in that water is less likely to enter the aperture 77. Any water that may enter the aperture 77 will drain therefrom due to gravity. The microphone 75 can be disposed anywhere on the frame 40A′, including the orbitals 48A″, 50A″, the bridge 52A″, or the ear stems 54A″, 56A″. Optionally, the microphone 75 can be in the form of a bone conduction microphone. As such, the microphone 75 is disposed such that the when a user wears the audio device 10A′, the microphone 75 is in contact with the user's head 18. For example, but without limitation, the microphone can be positioned anywhere on the anywhere on the frame 40A′, including the orbitals 48A″, 50A″, the bridge 52A″, or the ear stems 54A″, 56A″ such that the microphone contacts the user's head. More preferably, the microphone 75 is positioned such that it contacts a portion of the user's head 18 near a bone, such that vibrations generated from the user's voice and traveling through the bone, are conducted to the microphone. In another alternative, the microphone 75 can be configured to be inserted into the meatus 24 (FIG. 2) of the ear canal of the user. Thus, in this modification, the microphone 75 can be substituted for one of the speakers 14, 16. Alternatively, an ear-canal type bone conduction microphone can be combined with a speaker so as to provide two-way communication with the user through a single ear canal. Further, the audio device 10A″ can include noise cancellation electronics (not shown) configured to filter wind-generated noise from an audio signal transmitted from the microphone 75. FIG. 5A illustrates a modification in which the microphone 75 is disposed on the bridge 52A″. Similarly to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4B, the bridge 52A″ can include an aperture 77 which extends downwardly and toward the nose 19 of the wearer, horizontally extending aperture 78, or an upwardly extending aperture 79. Alternatively, the microphone 75 can include a forwardly facing aperture, as illustrated in FIG. 5B, and a wind sock 81 disposed over the aperture. The wind sock 81 can be made in any known manner. For example, the wind sock 81 can be made from a shaped piece of expanded foam. Configuring the bridge portion 52A′ as such is particularly advantageous because the bridge portion of an eyeglass is typically somewhat bulbous. A wind sock can be shaped complementarily to the bridge portion 52A′. Thus, the sock 81 can be made so as to appear to be part of a normal bridge portion of an eyeglass. The audio device 10A″ can include electrical conduits extending through the frame 40A″ to an audio output jack (not shown). The audio output jack can be disposed at the end of the ear stems 54A″, 56A″, or anywhere else on the frame 40A″. Thus, a user can wear the audio device 10A′ and use the microphone 75 in order to transform the voice of the wearer or other sounds into an electrical signal. The electrical signal can be transmitted to another audio device, such as a palm top computer, a laptop computer, a digital or analog audio recorder, a cell phone, and the like. Additionally, the audio device 10A″ can include speakers, such as the speakers 14A″, 16A″ illustrated in FIG. 3A. As such, the audio device 10A″ can be configured to provide two-way audio for the wearer, i.e., audio input being transmitted to the user through the speakers 14A″, 16A″, and audio output being transmitted from the wearer, through the microphone 75, and out through the audio output jack. As such, a user can use the audio device 10A″ for two-way audio communication in a comfortable manner. With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a modification of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′, 10A″ is illustrated therein and referred to generally by the reference numeral 10B. Components of the audio device 10B corresponding to components of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′, 10A″ are identified with the same reference numerals, except that letter “C” has been added thereto. The audio device 10B is in the form of an eyeglass 80. The eyeglass 80 includes a frame 82. The frame 82 includes left and right orbitals 84, 86. Each of the orbitals 84, 86 support a lens 88, 90. The frame 82 also includes a bridge portion 92. Similarly to the bridge portion 52 of the audio device 10A, the bridge portion 92 connects the orbitals 84, 86. Additionally, the bridge portion 92 defines an open space 94 configured to receive the nose 19 of a wearer. The inner sides of the orbitals 84, 86 and/or the bridge portion 92 is configured to support the frames 82 on the nose of a user. The eyeglass 80 also includes support stems 96, 98 extending from the upper portions of the orbitals 84, 86 toward a posterior of a wearer's head. In the illustrated embodiment, the stems 96, 98 extend along an upper surface of the wearer's head. Thus, the stems 96, 98, along with the bridge portion 92, support the eyeglass 80 on the wearer's head 18. The support members 28B, 30B are comprised of support arms 100, 102. With reference to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the support arms 100, 102 extend downwardly from the stems 96, 98, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the support arms 100, 102 extend in an “L” shape. In particular, the support arm 100 extends from the stem 96 to a point just forward from the tragus of the user's ear 20. From this point, the support arm 100 extends rearwardly so as to support the speaker 14B at a position juxtaposed and spaced from the ear 20. Preferably, the speaker 14B is maintained in a position from about 2 mm to 3 cm from the tragus of the ear 20. Similarly to the audio device 10A, the audio device 10B can include an audio input through a wired arrangement or through a wireless transceiver. With reference to FIGS. 8, 9A, and 9B, another modification of the audio device 10 is illustrated therein and referred to generally by the reference numeral 10C. Similar components of the audio device 10C have been given the same reference numerals, except that that a “C” has been added thereto. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the audio device 10C can be worn on the head 18 of a user U. Preferably, the audio device 10C is configured to provide one or two-way wireless communication with a source device, or the source device can be incorporated into the audio device 10C. The source device can be carried by the user U, mounted to a moveable object, stationary, or part of a local area or personal area network. The user U can carry a “body borne” source device B such as, for example, but without limitation, a cellular phone, an MP3 player, a “two-way” radio, a palmtop computer, or a laptop computer. As such, the user U can use the audio device 10C to receive and listen to audio signals from the source device B, and/or transmit audio signals to the source device B. Optionally, the audio device 10C can also be configured to transmit and receive data signals to and from the source device B, described in greater detail below. Optionally, the device B can also be configured to communicate, via long or short range wireless networking protocols, with a remote source R. The remote source R can be, for example, but without limitation, a cellular phone service provider, a satellite radio provider, or a wireless internet service provider. For example, but without limitation, the source device B can be configured to communicate with other wireless data networks such as via, for example, but without limitation, long-range packet-switched network protocols including PCS, GSM, and GPRS. As such, the audio device 10C can be used as an audio interface for the source device B. For example, but without limitation, where the source device B is a cellular phone, the user U can listen to the audio output of the cellular phone, such as the voice of a caller, through sound transducers in the audio device 10C. Optionally, the user U can send voice signals or commands to the cellular phone by speaking into a microphone on the audio device 10C, described in greater detail below. Thus, the audio device 10C may advantageously be a receiver and/or a transmitter for telecommunications. In general, the component configuration of FIG. 8 enables the audio device 10C to carry interface electronics with the user, such as audio output and audio input. However, the source electronics such as the MP3 player, cellular phone, computer or the like may be off board, or located remotely from the audio device 10C. This enables the audio device 10C to accomplish complex electronic functions, while retaining a sleek, low weight configuration. Thus, the audio device 10C is in communication with the off board source electronics device B. The off board source device B may be located anywhere within the working range of the audio device 10C. In many applications, the source electronics B will be carried by the wearer, such as on a belt clip, pocket, purse, backpack, integrated with “smart” clothing, or the like. This accomplishes the function of off loading the bulk and weight of the source electronics from the headset. The source electronics B may also be located within a short range of the wearer, such as within the room or same building. For example, personnel in an office building or factory may remain in contact with each, and with the cellular telephone system, internet or the like by positioning transmitter/receiver antenna for the off board electronics B throughout the hallways or rooms of the building. In shorter range, or personal applications, the out board electronics B may be the form of a desktop unit, or other device adapted for positioning within relatively short (e.g. no greater than about 10 feet, no greater than about 20 feet, no greater than about 50 feet, no greater than 100 feet) of the user during the normal use activities. In all of the foregoing constructions of the invention, the off board electronics B may communicate remotely with the remote source R. Source R may be the cellular telephone network, or other remote source. In this manner, the driver electronics may be off loaded from the headset, to reduce bulk, weight and power consumption characteristics. The headset may nonetheless communicate with a remote source R, by relaying the signal through the off board electronics B with or without modification. Optionally, the audio device 10C can be configured to provide one or two-way communication with a stationary source device S. The stationary source device can be, for example, but without limitation, a cellular phone mounted in an automobile, a computer, or a local area network. With reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the audio device 10C preferably comprises a wearable wireless audio interface device which includes a support 12C supported on the head 18 of a user by the support 26C and includes an interface device 110. The interface device 110 includes a power source 112, a transceiver 114, an interface 116, and an antenna 118. The power source 112 can be in the form of disposable or rechargeable batteries. Optionally, the power source 112 can be in the form of solar panels and a power regulator. The transceiver 114 can be in the form of a digital wireless transceiver for one-way or two-way communication. For example, the transceiver 114 can be a transceiver used in known wireless networking devices that operate under the standards of 802.11a, 802.11b, or preferably, the standard that has become known as BLUETOOTH™. As illustrated in BLUETOOTH™-related publications discussed below, the BLUETOOTH™ standard advantageously provides low-cost, low-power, and wireless links using a short-range, radio-based technology. Systems that employ the BLUETOOTH™ standard and similar systems advantageously allow creation of a short-range, wireless “personal area network” by using small radio transmitters. Consequently, with BLUETOOTH™-enabled systems and similar systems, components within these systems may communicate wirelessly via a personal area network. Personal area networks advantageously may include voice/data, may include voice over data, may include digital and analogue communication, and may provide wireless connectivity to source electronics. Personal area networks may advantageously have a range of about 30 feet; however, longer or shorter ranges are possible. The antenna 118 can be in the form of an onboard antenna integral with the transceiver 114 or an antenna external to the transceiver 114. In another implementation, the transceiver 114 can support data speeds of up to 721 kilo-bits per second as well as three voice channels. In one implementation, the transceiver 114 can operate at least two power levels: a lower power level that covers a range of about ten yards and a higher power level. The higher level covers a range of about one hundred yards, can function even in very noisy radio environments, and can be audible under severe conditions. The transceiver 114 can advantageously limit its output with reference to system requirements. For example, without limitation, if the source electronics B is only a short distance from audio device 10C, the transceiver 114 modifies its signal to be suitable for the distance. In another implementation, the transceiver 114 can switch to a low-power mode when traffic volume becomes low or stops. The interface 116 can be configured to receive signals from the transceiver 114 that are in the form of digital or analog audio signals. The interface 116 can then send the audio signals to the speakers 14C, 16C through speaker lines 120, 122, respectively, discussed in greater detail below. Optionally, the audio device 10C can include a microphone 124. Preferably, the support 12C is configured to support the microphone 124 in the vicinity of a mouth 126 of a user. As such, the support 12C includes a support member 128 supporting the microphone 124 in the vicinity of the mouth 126. The microphone 124 is connected to the interface 116 through a microphone line 130. Thus, the transceiver 114 can receive audio signals from the microphone 124 through the interface 116. As such, the audio device 10C can wirelessly interact with an interactive audio device, such as a cellular phone, cordless phone, or a computer which responds to voice commands. The microphone 124 can also be in any of the forms discussed above with reference to the microphone 75. As noted above with reference to the audio device 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2, by configuring the support 12C to support the speakers 14C, 16C in a position juxtaposed and spaced from the ears 20, 22 of the head 18, the audio device 10C provides enhanced comfort for a user. With reference to FIGS. 10-12, a modification of the audio device 10C is illustrated therein and identified generally by the reference numeral 10D. The components of the audio device 10D which are the same as the components in the audio devices 10, 10A, 10B, and 10C are identified with the same reference numerals, except that a letter “D” has been added. In the audio device 10D, the microphone 124D can be disposed in the frame 42D. In particular, the microphone 124D can be disposed in the bridge portion 52D. Alternatively, the microphone 124D can be disposed along a lower edge of the right orbital 50D, this position being identified by the reference numeral 124D′. Further, the microphone could be positioned in a lower edge of the left orbital 48D, this position being identified by the reference numeral 124D″. Optionally, two microphones can be disposed on the frame 42D at both the positions 124D′ and 124D″. Similarly to the microphone 75, the microphones 124D′, 124D″ preferably are positioned so as to face toward the user. Thus, the microphones 124D′, 124D″ can be protected from wind and noise. The microphones 124D, 124D′, 124D″ can also be constructed in accordance with any of the forms of the microphone 75 discussed above with reference to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B. With reference to FIG. 12, the interface device 110D can be disposed in one of the ear stems 54D, 56D. Optionally, the components of the interface device 10D can be divided with some of the components being in the ear stem 54D and the remaining components in the ear stem 56D, these components being identified by the reference numeral 110D′. Preferably, the components are distributed between the ear stems 54D, 56D so as to provide balance to the device 10D. This is particularly advantageous because imbalanced headwear can cause muscle pain and/or headaches. Thus, by distributing components of the interface device 110D between the ear stems 54D, 56D, the device 10D can be better balanced. In one arrangement, the transceiver 114, interface 116, and the antenna 118 can be disposed in the left ear stem 54D with the battery 112 being disposed in the right ear stem 56D. This arrangement is advantageous because there are numerous standard battery sizes widely available. Thus, the devices within the ear stem 54D can be balanced with the appropriate number and size of commercially available batteries disposed in the ear stem 56D. In another arrangement, the lenses 44D, 46D can include an electronic variable light attenuation feature, such as, for example, but without limitation, a dichroic dye guest-host device. Additionally, another user operable switch (not shown) can be disposed in the ear stem 56D. Such a user operable switch can be used to control the orientation, and thus the light attenuation provided by, the dichroic dye. Optionally, a further power source (not shown) for the dichroic dye guest-host device can also be disposed in the ear stem 56D. For example, the rear portion 162 of ear stem 56D can comprise a removable battery. Such a battery can provide a power source for controlling the orientation of the dichroic dye in the lenses 44D, 46D. In this modification, the additional user operable switch disposed in the ear stem 56D can be used to control the power from the battery supplied to the lenses 44D, 46D. The appropriate length for the antenna 118D is determined by the working frequency range of the transceiver 114. Typically, an antenna can be approximately 0.25 of the wave length of the signal being transmitted and/or received. In one illustrative non-limiting embodiment, such as in the BLUETOOTH™ standard, the frequency range is from about 2.0 gigahertz to 2.43 gigahertz. For such a frequency range, an antenna can be made with a length of approximately 0.25 of the wavelength. Thus, for this frequency range, the antenna can be approximately 1 inch long. With reference to FIG. 12, the antenna can be formed at a terminal end of one of the ear stems 54D, 56D. In the illustrated embodiment, the antenna 118D is disposed at the terminal end of the left ear stem 54D. In this embodiment, approximately the last inch of the ear stem 54D is used for the antenna 118D. The antenna 118D can be made of any appropriate metal. The antenna can be connected to the transceiver 114 with a direct electrical connection, an inductive connection, or a capacitive connection. With reference to FIG. 13, an inductive type connection is illustrated therein. As shown in FIG. 13, the antenna 118D comprises an inner conductive rod 140 and a coil 142 wrapped helically around the rod 140. The coil 142 is connected to the transceiver 114 in a known manner. The ear stems 54D, 56D can be made from a conductive metal material. Where metal is used, near the terminal end of the ear stem 54D, the metal material is reduced relative to the outer surface of the stem 54D. The coil member is wrapped around the rod 140 and an insulative material 144 is disposed over the coil 142 so as to be substantially flush with the remainder of the ear stem 54D. Thus, the smooth outer appearance of the ear stem 54D is maintained, without comprising the efficiency of the antenna 118D. With reference to FIG. 14, a modification of the antenna 118D is illustrated therein and identified by the reference numeral 118D′. Components of the antenna 118D′ which were the same as the antenna 118D illustrated in FIG. 13, have been given the same reference numeral, except that a “′” has been added. The antenna 118D′ and the stem 54D include a thin outer layer 146 of a metal material. As known in the antenna arts, it is possible to dispose a thin layer of metal over an antenna without destroying the antenna's ability to transmit and receive signals. This design is advantageous because if the device 10D is constructed of a metal material, including metal such as, for example, without limitation, sintered titanium or magnesium, the thin outer layer 146 can be formed of this material so that the appearance of the device 10D is uniform. Where the stem 54D is made from a metal material, the antennas 118D, 118D′ illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 provide an additional advantage in that electrons in the ear stem 54D can be excited by the signal applied to the coil 142. Thus, the ear stem 54D itself becomes part of the antenna 118D, 118D′, and thus can provide better range and/or efficiency for the transmission and reception of signals. Furthermore, if the ear stem 54D is electrically coupled to the frame 42D, the frame 42D would also become excited in phase with the excitations of the antenna 118D, 118D′. Thus, the ear stem 54D and the frame 42D would effectively become part of the antenna, thereby allowing transmission and reception from two sides of the head of the user. Optionally, the ear stem 56D could also be electrically coupled to the frame 42D. Thus, the stem 56D would also become part of the antenna 118D, 118D′, thereby allowing transmission and reception of signals on three sides of the user's head. Thus, where at least a portion of a frame of an eyeglass is used as the antenna for the wireless transceiver 114, the audio device benefits from enhanced antenna efficiency. Optionally, the antenna 118D, 118D′ can be isolated from the remainder of the stem 54D via an insulator 146, thereby preventing interference between the antenna and other devices on the audio device 10D. As such, the remainder of the device 10D can be made from any material, such as, for example, but without limitation, a polymer. Preferably, the audio device 10D includes a user interface device 150 configured to transmit user input signals to the interface 116 and/or the transceiver 114. In the illustrated embodiment, the user interface device 150 is in the form of a 3-way button. The 3-way button 152 is configured to have three modes of operation. Firstly, the button 152 is mounted to pivot about a rocker axis 154. Thus, in one mode of operation, the button 152 can be depressed inwardly on a forward end 156 of the button 152, thereby causing the button 152 to pivot or “rock” about the pivot axis 154. Additionally, the button 152 can be pressed at a rearward end 158, thereby causing the button 152 to pivot about the pivot axis 154 in the opposite direction. Additionally, the button 152 can be mounted so as to be translatable in the medial-lateral direction, identified by the reference numeral 160 (FIG. 11). Appropriate springs can be provided beneath the button 152 to bias the button in an outward protruding and balanced position. Appropriate contacts can be mounted beneath the button 152 so as to be activated individually according to the modes of operation. In one illustrative and non-limiting embodiment, the button 152 can be used to control volume. For example, by pressing on the forward portion 156, a contact can be made causing the transceiver 114 or the interface 116 to increase the volume of the speakers 14D, 16D. Additionally, by pressing on the rearward portion 158 of the button 152, the transceiver 114 or interface 116 could lower the volume of the speakers 14D, 16D. In a further illustrative and non-limiting example, the medial-lateral movement of the button 152, along the directions identified by the arrow 160, can be used to choose different functions performed by the transceiver 114 or the interface 116. For example, an inward movement of the button 152 could be used to answer an incoming phone call where the audio device 10D is used as an audio interface for a cellular phone. Optionally, the power source 112 can comprise portions of the ear stems 54D, 56D which have been formed into batteries. For example, the rear portions 160, 162 of the ear stems 54D, 56D, respectively, can be in the form of custom made batteries, either disposable or rechargeable. Preferably, the rear portions 160, 162 are removable from the forward portions of the ear stems 54D, 56D. This provides a particular advantage in terms of balance. As noted above, imbalanced loads on the head can cause muscular pain and/or headaches. In particular, excessive pressure on the nose can cause severe headaches. Additionally, batteries can have a significantly higher mass density than plastic and lightweight metals, such as sintered titanium or magnesium. Thus, by constructing the rearward portions 160, 162 of the ear stems 54D, 56D of batteries, the weight of these batteries can improve forward-rearward balance of the audio device 10D in that the weight of the interface device 110 can be offset by the batteries. In another embodiment, the ear stems 54D, 56D can define a housing for removable batteries. The audio device 10D can also include power contacts 164 for recharging any rechargeable batteries connected thereto. For example, the power contacts 164 can be disposed on a lower edge of the orbitals 48D, SOD. Thus, with an appropriate recharging cradle (not shown), the audio device 10D can be laid on the cradle, thereby making contact between the power contacts 164 and corresponding contacts in the cradle (not shown). Alternatively, power contacts can be provided in numerous other locations as desired. For example, the power contacts 164 can be disposed at the ends of the ear stems 54D, 56D. A corresponding cradle can include two vertically oriented holes into which the ear stems are inserted for recharging. In this configuration, the lens within the orbitals 48D, 50D would face directly upwardly. In another alternative, the power contacts 164 are disposed on the upper edges of the orbitals 48D, 50D. In this configuration, the audio device 10D is laid in a cradle in an inverted position, such that the contacts 164 make electrical contact with corresponding contacts in the cradle. This position is advantageous because it prevents weight from being applied to the supports 28D, 30D. This prevents misalignment of the speakers 14D, 16D. With reference to FIGS. 8, 9A, and 9B, in another embodiment, the audio device 10C is advantageously adapted to support any of a variety of portable electronic circuitry or devices which have previously been difficult to incorporate into conventional headsets due to bulk, weight or other considerations. For example, but without limitation, the electronics are digital or other storage devices and retrieval circuitry such as for retrieving music or other information from MP3 format memory or other memory devices. The audio device 10C can carry any of a variety of receivers and/or transmitters, such as transceiver 114. For example, but without limitation, the audio device 10C can carry receivers and/or transmitters for music or for global positioning. In another example, the audio device 10C can carry receivers and/or transmitters for telecommunications (i.e., telecommunications devices). As used herein, the term “telecommunications devices” is intended to include telephone components as well as devices for communicating with a telephone. For example, “telecommunications devices” can include one or more transceivers for transmitting an audio signal to a cellular phone to be transmitted by the cellular phone as the speaker's voice, and/or for receiving an audio signal from a cellular phone representing a caller's voice. Of course, other audio, video, or data signals can be transmitted between the audio device 10C and such a cellular phone through such transceivers. In other embodiments, drivers and other electronics for driving heads-up displays, such as liquid crystal displays or other miniature display technology can also be carried by the audio device 10C. The power source 112 can be carried by the audio device 10C. For example, without limitation, the power source 112 can advantageously be replaceable or rechargeable. Other electronics or mechanical components can additionally be carried by the audio device 10C. In other embodiments, the audio device 10C can also be utilized solely to support any of the foregoing or other electronics components or systems, without also supporting one or more lenses in the wearer's field of view. Thus, in any of the embodiments of the audio devices disclosed herein, the lenses and/or lens orbitals can be omitted as will be apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the disclosure herein. In another embodiment, a further modification of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D is provided wherein the audio devices include at least two banks of microphones, with one bank acting as a speaker of received and one bank providing an ambient noise-cancellation function. The microphone banks can be positioned at any suitable location or combination of locations (e.g., on the audio device, within the audio device, opposing sides of the audio device, or the like). In one embodiment, automatic switching of the speaking-microphone and noise-canceling-microphone banks' functions advantageously enhances ease of use. In a further embodiment, the microphone banks can be arranged in an array to be used in conjunction with algorithms to discern, reduce, and/or eliminate noise for the purpose of voice recognition. For example, in one embodiment, such microphone banks can include ASIC-based noise-canceling technology, such as is available in chips from Andrea Electronics Corporation (AEC), to enable voice recognition in ambient noise up to about 130 Db or more. In another embodiment, microphone banks can be arranged in any suitable combination of linear or non-linear arrays to be used in conjunction with algorithms to discern, reduce, and/or eliminate noise in any suitable manner. In another embodiment, audio/proximity sensors can advantageously trigger the appropriate functionality in a specific bank. In another embodiment, a noise-canceling microphone can be provided in connection with a cord or other microphones described above. For example, without limitation, a series of miniature microphones can be supported down a cord from the audio device, separated by desired distances, and aimed in different directions. In another implementation, one or more of the microphones can be for verbal input from the user, and one or more others of the microphones, or the same microphone, can also be for noise-cancellation purposes. With reference to FIGS. 8, 9A, and 9B, in another embodiment, the transceiver 114 is adapted to employ a wide variety of technologies, including wireless communication such as RF, IR, ultrasonic, laser or optical, as well as wired and other communications technologies. In one embodiment, a body-LAN radio is employed. Other embodiments can employ a flexible-circuit design. Many commercially available devices can be used as transceiver 114. For example, without limitation, Texas Instruments, National Semiconductor, Motorola manufacture and develop single RF transceiver chips, which can use, for example, 0.18 micron, 1.8 V power technologies and 2.4 GHz transmission capabilities. Of course, a variety of transceiver specifications are available and usable, depending on the particular embodiment envisioned. In another implementation, other commercially available products operating at 900 MHz to 1.9 GHz or more can be used. Data rates for information transfer to wearable or other type computing devices will vary with each possible design. In a preferred implementation, a data rate is sufficient for text display. RF products, and other products, ultimately will be capable of updating a full-color display and have additional capabilities as well. Thus, heads-up displays, such as liquid crystal displays or other miniature display technology described above can be employed. In another embodiment, a further modification of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D is provided wherein the audio devices can include and/or communicate with a variety of sensors, including but not limited to motion, radar, heat, light, smoke, air-quality, oxygen, CO and distance. Medical monitoring sensors are also contemplated. Sensors can be directed inwardly toward the user's body, or outwardly away from the body (e.g., sensing the surrounding environment). Sensors in communication with the audio devices also can be strategically positioned or left behind to facilitate the communication of sensed information. For example, a firefighter entering a burning building can position sensor to communicate the smoke and heat conditions to that firefighter and to others at the sensor-drop location. Remote sensors can also be relatively fixed in position, as in the case of a maintenance worker wearing an audio device that receives various signals from sensors located in machines or other equipment for which the worker is responsible. A blind wearer of audio device can employ a distance sensor to determine distance to surrounding objects, for example, or a GPS unit for direction-finding. Other exemplary sensing capabilities are disclosed in one or more of the following, all of which are incorporated by reference herein: U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,398 to Janik, issued Feb. 9, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,651 to Janik, issued Feb. 13, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,907 to Janik, issued Aug. 25, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,492 to Janik, issued Dec. 3, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,490 to Carroll, issued Sep. 10, 1996; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,401 to Carroll, issued Nov. 5, 1996. With reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, a further modification of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D, is illustrated therein and identified generally by the reference numeral 10E. Components that are similar or the same as the components of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D, have been given the same reference numerals, except that a “E” has been added thereto. The audio device 10E includes a microphone boom 180 extending downwardly from the lower end of the support arm 100E. The microphone 124E is disposed at the lower end of the microphone boom 180. In the illustrated embodiment, the audio device 10E can include the interface device 110E at an upper portion of the stem 96E. In particular, the interface device 110E can be disposed at the point at which the support arm 100E connects to the stem 96E. Optionally, certain components of the interface device 110E can be disposed at a rear portion of the stem 96E, this position being identified by the reference numeral 110E′. In this embodiment, the antenna 118E can be disposed in the frame 82E, the stem 96E, the support arm 100E, or the microphone boom 180E. However, as noted above, it is preferable that at least a portion of the support 12E is used as the antenna. More preferably, the support 12E is made from a metal material, such that at least a portion of the support 12E is excited by the antenna and thereby forms part of the antenna. The transceiver 114 can be in the form of a digital wireless transceiver for one-way or two-way communication. For example, the transceiver 114 can be configured to receive a signal from another transmitter and provide audio output to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E. Alternatively, the transceiver 114 can be configured to receive an analog audio signal from microphone 75, 124, 124D, 124E, convert the signal to a digital signal, and transmit the signal to another audio device, such as, for example, but without limitation, a cell phone, a palm top computer, a laptop computer or an audio recording device. The over-the-head configuration of the audio device 10E advantageously allows distribution of the load across a wearer's head, as well as positioning of relatively bulky or heavy electronics along the length of (i.e., inside) the audio device 10E or at the posterior aspect of the audio device 10E such as at the occipital end of the audio device 10E. This enables the audio device 10E to carry electronic equipment in a streamlined fashion, out of the wearer's field of view, and in a manner which distributes the weight across the head of the wearer such that the eyewear tends not to shift under the load, and uncomfortable pressure is not placed upon the wearer's nose, ears or temple regions. In this embodiment, additional functional attachments may be provided as desired anywhere along the length of the frame, lenses or orbitals of the audio device 10E. For example, earphones may be directed towards the wearer's ear from one or two earphone supports extending rearwardly from the front of the eyeglass, down from the top of the audio device 10E or forwardly from the rear of the audio device 10E. Similarly, one or more microphones may be directed at the wearer's mouth from one or two microphone supports connected to the orbitals or other portion of the audio device 10E. With reference to FIGS. 17 and 18, a communication protocol between the audio device S, B and the transceiver 114 is described. In this embodiment, the transceiver 114 is configured for one-way communication. The transceiver includes a receiver and decoder 202 and a digital-to-audio converter 204. As noted above with reference to FIG. 8, the audio device S, B can be any one of a number of different audio devices. For example, but without limitation, the audio device S, B can be a personal audio player such as a tape player, a CD player, a DVD player, an MP3 player, and the like. Alternatively, where the transceiver 114 is configured only to transmit a signal, the audio device S, B can be, for example, but without limitation, an audio recording device, a palm top computer, a laptop computer, a cell phone, and the like. For purposes of illustration, the audio device S, B will be configured only to transmit a signal to the transceiver 114. Thus, in this embodiment, the audio device S, B includes an MP3 player 206 and an encoder and transmitter 208. An antenna 210 is illustrated schematically and is connected to the encoder and transmitter 208. As an illustrative example, the MP3 player 206 outputs a signal at 128 kbps (NRZ data). However, other data rates can be used. The encoder and transmitter 208 is configured to encode the 128 kbps signal from the MP3 player and to transmit it through the antenna 210. For example, the encoder and transmitter 208 can be configured to transmit the encoded signal on a carrier signal centered on 49 MHz. The receiver and decoder 202 can be configured to receive the carrier signal of 49 MHz through the antenna 118, decode the digital signal, and transmit the digital signal to the digital-to-audio converter 204. The digital-to-audio converter 204 can be connected to the speakers 14, 16 and thereby provide an audio output that is audible to the user. With reference to FIG. 18, the 128 kbps signal from the MP3 player 206 is identified by the reference numeral 212. In one embodiment, the encoder and transmitter 208 can be configured to encode the signal 212 from the MP3 player 206. The encoded signal from the encoder and transmitter 208 is identified by reference numeral 216. The encoder, and transmitter 208 can be configured to encode each pulse 214 of the signal 212 into a pattern of pulses, one pattern being identified by the reference numeral 218. In the lower portion of FIG. 18, signal 220 represents an enlarged illustration of the portion of the signal 216 identified by a circle 222. As shown in FIG. 18, the pattern 218 is comprised of a series of 50 MHz and 48 MHz signals. With reference to FIG. 19, a more detailed illustration of the transceiver 114 is illustrated therein. As shown in FIG. 19, the transceiver includes a preamplifier 230, a band pass filter 232, and an amplifier 234 connected in series. The preamplifier 230 and the amplifier 234 can be of any known type, as known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The band filter 232, in the present embodiment, can be constructed as a band pass filter, allowing signals having a frequency from 48 MHz to 50 MHz, inclusive, to pass therethrough. Alternatively, the band filter 232 can be comprised of three band pass filters configured to allow frequencies centered on 48 MHz, 49 MHz, and 50 MHz, respectively, pass therethrough. The transceiver 114 also includes a signal detector 236 and a system clock circuit 238. The signal detector 236 comprises three signal detectors, i.e., a 49 MHz detector 240, a 48 MHz detector 242 and a 50 MHz detector 244. The 49 MHz detector 240 is connected to a carrier detector 246. As is schematically illustrated in FIG. 19, when the signal detector 236 detects a 49 MHz signal, which corresponds to a state in which no audio signal is being transmitted from the MP3 player 206, the carrier detector 246 causes the transceiver 114 to enter a sleep mode, schematically illustrated by the operation block 248. As the detectors 242, 244 detect 48 MHz and 50 MHz detectors, respectively, they output signals to a spread spectrum pattern detector 250. The spread spectrum pattern detector outputs a corresponding signal to a serial-to-parallel converter 252. The output of the serial-to-parallel converter 252 is output to a digital-to-analog converter 204. A “class D” audio amplifier (not shown), for example, but without limitation, can be connected to the output of the digital-to-audio converter 204 to thereby supply an audio signal to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E. It is to be noted that the encoding performed by the encoder and transmitter 208 can be in accordance with known signal processing techniques, such as, for example, but without limitation, CDMA, TDMA, FDM, FM, FSK, PSK, BPSK, QPSK, M-ARYPSK, MSK, etc. In this embodiment, the transceiver 114 can operate with a single channel. With reference to FIG. 20, a dual channel transceiver 1141 is schematically illustrated therein. In this modification, the transceiver 114i is configured to simultaneously receive two signals, one signal centered on 46 MHz, and a second signal centered on 49 MHz. Thus, the transceiver 114i includes four band-pass filters. The first filter 250 is configured to allow a signal at 45.9 MHz plus or minus 100 kHz to pass therethrough. A second filter 252 is configured to allow signals at 46.1 MHz plus or minus 100 kHz to pass therethrough. The third filter 254 is configured to allow signals at 48.9 MHz plus or minus 100 kHz to pass therethrough. A fourth filter 256 is configured to allow signals at 49.1 MHz plus or minus 100 kHz to pass therethrough. As such, the transceiver 114 can receive two simultaneous signals, as noted above, one being centered at 46 MHz and one being centered at 49 MHz. Thus, this modification can be used to receive two audio signals simultaneously, for example, left and right signals of the stereo audio signal. Each of the transceivers 114, 114i, illustrated in FIGS. 17-20, can be configured to receive one pattern 218, a plurality of different signals 218 or only one unique pattern 218. Additionally, as known in the art, the transceiver 114 or 114i and the encoder 208 can include pseudo random generators which vary the pattern 218 according to a predetermined sequence. Thus, the receiver and decoder 202 can be configured to auto synchronize by recognizing a portion of the predetermined sequence. In an application where the transceiver 114 operates according to the BLUETOOTH™ standards, the transceiver 114 communicates with the transmitter according to a spread spectrum protocol so as to establish communication in a short range wireless environment with the minimal risk of interference with other devices. For example, the transceiver 114 can communicate with a BLUETOOTH™ enabled MP3 player, or other audio device. The audio device 10C can receive the output signal from the BLUETOOTH™ enabled MP3 player, and then output the audio signals to the interface 116. Optionally, the signal can be a stereo signal. The interface 116 can then direct the left and right audio signals to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E through the speaker lines 120, 122. In accordance with the BLUETOOTH™ standard, for example, but without limitation, the transceiver 114 can operate in a half duplex mode in which signals are transmitted in only one direction. For example, at any one moment, the transceiver 114 can only either receive signals and direct them to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E or transmit signals, for example, from the microphone 75, 124, 124D, 124E to another device through the antenna 118, 118D, 118D′. Alternatively, the transceiver 114 can be configured to operate in a full duplex mode in which simultaneous of audio signals are received and transmitted to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E and simultaneously audio signals from the microphone 75, 124, 124D, 124E are transmitted through the antenna 118, 118D, 118D′ to a cooperating wireless device. Further, the interface 116 can include a processor and a memory for providing added functionality. For example, the interface 116 can be configured to allow a user to control the cooperating wireless device, such as a cell phone. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, where the transceiver 114 is a BLUETOOTH™ device, the interface 116 can be configured to support a hands-free protocol, as set forth in the BLUETOOTH™ hands-free protocol published Oct. 22, 2001, the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. Optionally, the interface 116 can be configured to comply with other protocols such as, for example, but without limitation, general access profile, service discovery application profile, cordless telephony profile, intercom profile, serial port profile, headset profile, dialup networking profile, fax profile, land access profile, generic object exchange profile, object push profile, file transfer profile, and synchronization profile, published Oct. 22, 2001, the entire contents of each of which being hereby expressly incorporated by reference. Additionally, the “Specification of the Bluetooth System, Core”, version 1.1, published Feb. 22, 2001 is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. The headset profile is designed to be used for interfacing a headset having one earphone, a microphone, and a transceiver worn by the wearer, for example, on a belt clip, with a cordless phone through a wireless connection. According to the headset profile, certain commands can be issued from a headset, such as the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′, 10B, 10C, 10D, and 10E, using an AT command protocol. In such a protocol, text commands must be input to the BLUETOOTH™ device, which the BLUETOOTH™ device then transmits wirelessly to a synchronized BLUETOOTH™ enabled device. Such commands include, for example, but without limitation, initiating a call, terminating a call, and redialing a previously dialed number. With reference to FIG. 9A, the interface electronics 116 can include audio or “aural” menus that can be selected by user. For example, a user can initiate an audio menu by depressing the button 150 (FIGS. 10-12). Upon initiation of the audio menus, the interface electronics 116 can send an audio signal to the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E including a humanoid voice. The voice signal can indicate that a first menu option is available. For example, but without limitation, the first menu choice can be to initiate a call. Thus, when the user pushes the button 150 the first time, the user will hear the words “initiate a call,” emanating from the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E. If the user wishes to initiate a call, the user can depress the button 150 again which will send the appropriate AT command to the transceiver 114 so as to transmit the proper AT code to the cellular phone source device S, B (FIG. 8). The user can be provided with further convenience if there are other menu choices available, for example, if the user does not wish to choose the first menu option, the user can depress either the forward or rearward portions 156, 158 of the button 150 so as to “scroll” through other audio menu options. For example, other audio menu options can include, for example, but without limitation, phonebook, email, clock, voice commands, and other menu options typically available on cellular phones and/or personal audio devices such as MP3 players. As an illustrative, but non-limiting example, if a user wishes to access the phonebook, the user can depress the button 150 to initiate the audio menu, then “scroll” to the phonebook by depressing the portions 156 or 158 until the user hears the word “phonebook” in the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E. Once the user hears the word “phonebook,” the user can depress the button 150 again to enter the phonebook. Thereafter, the user can depress the portions 156, 158 to “scroll” through phonebook entries. As the user scrolls through the phonebook entries, the interface 116 can be configured to cause the cellular phone to scroll through the phonebook and thereby transmit an audio signal of a humanoid voice indicating entries in the phonebook. When the user hears the name of the person or entity which the user desires to call, the user can again push the button 150 to initiate a call to that entity. In this embodiment, the cell phone can be configured with a text-to-voice speech engine which generates a humanoid voice corresponding to entries of the phonebook. Such speech engines are known in the art and are not described further herein. A text-to-speech engine can provide further convenient uses for a user. For example, if the cell phone or other source device is configured to receive email, the device can be configured to signal the user with an audio signal that an email has been received. The user can send a signal to the source device so as to open the email. The text-to-speech engine can be configured to read the email to the user. Thus, a user can “listen” to email through the audio device 10, 10A, 10A′, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, without manually operating the source device. A further option is to allow a user to respond to such an email. For example, the user could record an audio file, such as, for example, but without limitation a .WAV, .MP3 file as an attachment to a reply email. For such a feature, the interface 116 can be configured to automatically provide a user with options at the end of an email that is read to the user. For example, after the text-to-speech engine finishes “reading” the email to the user, the interface device 116 can enter another audio menu. Such an audio menu can include a reply option, a forward option, or other options. If a user wishes to reply, the user can “scroll” until the user hears the word “reply.” Once the user hears the word “reply” the user can depress the button 150 to enter a reply mode. As noted above, these types of commands can be issued using an AT command protocol, to which the source device will also be configured to respond. As noted above, one audio menu option can include voice command. For example, when a user chooses the voice command option, the interface electronic 116 can reconfigure to send an AT command to the source device, such as a cellular phone, to accept voice commands directly from the transceiver 114. Thus, as the user speaks, the audio signal is directed to the source device, which in turn is configured to issue audio indicators back to the user, through the speakers 14, 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, to guide the user through such a voice command. For example, if a user chooses a voice command option, the user could issue commands such as, for example, but without limitation, “phonebook” or “call alpha.” With a source device such as a cellular phone, that has a speech recognition engine and that is properly trained to recognize the voice of the user, the user can automatically enter the phonebook mode or directly call the phonebook listing “alpha,” of course, as is apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, such a voice command protocol could be used to issue other commands as well. In another alternative, the interface electronics 116 can include a speech recognition engine and audio menus. In this alternative, the interface electronics 116 can recognize speech from the user, convert the speech to AT commands, and control this source device using a standard AT command protocol. For example, but without limitation, the source device B can be in the form of a palm-top or hand-held computer known as a BLACKBERRY™. The presently marketed BLACKBERRY™ devices can communicate with a variety of wireless networks for receiving email, phone calls, and/or internet browsing. One aspect of at least one of the present inventions includes the realization that such a hand-held computer can include a text-to-speech engine. Thus, such a hand-held computer can be used in conjunction with any of the audio devices 10, 10A, 10A′, 10B to allow a user to “hear” emails, or other text documents without the need to hold or look at the device B. Preferably, the hand-held computer includes a further wireless transceiver compatible with at least one of the transceivers 114, 114i. As such, a user can use any of the audio devices 10C, 10D, 10E to “hear” emails, or other text documents without the need to hold or look at the device B. Thus, a presently preferred hand-held computer, as a non-limiting example, includes a BLACKBERRY™ hand-held device including long range wireless network hardware for email and internet browsing capability, a BLUETOOTH™ transceiver for two-way short range audio and/or data audio communication, and a text-to-speech engine. Preferably, the transceiver 114 is configured to transmit signals at about 100 mW. More preferably, the transceiver 114 is configured to transmit signals at no more than 100 mW. As such, the transceiver 114 uses less power. This is particularly advantageous because the power source 112 can be made smaller and thus lighter while providing a practicable duration of power between charges or replacement of the power source 112. Of course, the foregoing description is that of a preferred construction having certain features, aspects and advantages in accordance with the present invention. Accordingly, various changes and modifications may be made to the above-described arrangements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present inventions are directed to portable and light-weight digital storage and playback devices, and in particular, MP3 players that are integrated into eyeglasses. 2. Description of the Related Art There are numerous situations in which it is convenient and preferable to mount audio output devices so that they can be worn on the head of a user. Such devices can be used for portable entertainment, personal communications, and the like. For example, these devices could be used in conjunction with cellular telephones, cordless telephones, radios, tape players, MP3 players, portable video systems, hand-held computers and laptop computers. The audio output of many of these systems is typically directed to the wearer through the use of transducers physically positioned in or covering the ear, such as earphones and headphones. Earphones and headphones, however, are often uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. Additionally, an unbalanced load, when applied for a long period of time, can cause muscular pain and/or headaches. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>One aspect of at least of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that certain electronic components can be incorporated into eyeglasses with certain features so as to reduce the total weight of the eyeglasses to a weight that is comfortable for a wearer. Further advantages can be achieved by grouping the electronic components so as to provide balance in the eyeglass. Thus, in accordance with another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. A compressed audio file storage and playback device is disposed in the first ear stem. A power storage device disposed in the second ear stem. First and second speakers are connected to the first and second ear stems, respectively, the speakers are configured to be alignable with an auditory canal of a wearer of the eyeglass. A further aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that the forward to rearward spacing of the bridge of a human nose to the auditory canal of the ear falls into a relatively narrow range of distances for large portions of the population. For example, it has been found that to accommodate a large proportion of the human population, the forward-to-rearward adjustability of the speaker is preferably sufficient to accommodate a variation in spacing from the bridge of the nose to the auditory canal of from at least about 4⅞ inches to about 5⅛ inches. In alternate implementations of the invention, anterior-posterior plane adjustability in the ranges of from about 4¾ inches to 5¼ inches, or from about 4⅝ inches to about 5⅜ inches from the posterior surface of the nose bridge to the center of the speaker is provided. Thus, in accordance with yet another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. First and second speakers are mounted to the first and second ear stems, respectively, so as to be translatable in a forward to rearward direction generally parallel to the ear stems over a first range of motion. At least one of the size of the speakers and the first range of motion being configured so as to provide an effective range of coverage of about 1¼ inches. An aspect of another aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein includes the realization that where an electronic device that is worn in the same manner as a pair of eyeglasses includes a user operable switch for controlling a function of the electronics, the comfort of the wearer of the audio device can be enhanced where the switches are operable without transferring a substantial load to the head of the wearer. For example, where the electronic device includes buttons for controlling an aspect of the device, a further advantage is provided where a support surface is provided opposite the button such that a user can apply a balancing force to the actuation force applied to the button, thereby preventing a substantial force from being transferred to the head of the wearer. Thus, in accordance with a further aspect of at least one of the inventions disclosed herein, an eyeglass comprises a frame defining first and second orbitals. First and second lenses are disposed in the first and second orbitals, respectively. First and second ear stems extend rearwardly from the frame. The first ear stem comprises an upper surface facing a first direction and includes an aperture. A first button extends from the aperture. A lower surface is below the upper surface and faces a second direction generally opposite the first direction, the lower surface having a width of at least one-quarter of an inch. Further features and advantages of the present inventions will become apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the detailed description of preferred embodiments which follows, when considered together with the attached drawings and claims. | 20041012 | 20061212 | 20050303 | 67162.0 | 4 | DANG, HUNG XUAN | SPEAKER MOUNTS FOR EYEGLASS WITH MP3 PLAYER | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,349 | ACCEPTED | Fibrous insulation with fungicide | A fibrous insulation has insulation fibers (104) with a fungicide in a dispersed additive affixed to the fibers (104), and a method of making a fibrous insulation by dispersing a fungicide and a dispersed additive on the fibers (104) followed by affixing the dispersed additive on the fibers (104). The method produces thermal, acoustic, duct liner or board insulation either as loose fill insulation or as an insulation mat. | 1. A method of making fibrous insulation, comprising: dispersing a fungicide and a dispersed additive among a plurality of insulation fibers; combining the dispersed additive with the fungicide; and affixing the dispersed additive on the fibers. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: combining the fungicide and the dispersed additive before dispersing the fungicide and the dispersed additive among the fibers. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: dispersing the fungicide in a fluid binder mix as the dispersed additive; and stabilizing a dispersion of the fungicide in the fluid binder mix with an emulsifier before dispersing the fungicide and the fluid binder mix among the fibers. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: combining the fungicide in a fluid binder mix as the dispersed additive before dispersing the fungicide and the fluid binder mix among the fibers. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: combining the fungicide with a binder as the dispersed additive before dispersing the fungicide and the binder on the fibers. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: combining the fungicide with a dispersed additive including, one or more of, a mineral oil, fire retarder or ionized solution before dispersing the fungicide and the dispersed additive on the fibers. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: controlling the concentration of the fungicide relative to a unit measure of the dispersed additive and a unit measure of the fibers. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: controlling the concentration of the fungicide to limit instability of one or more physical properties of the insulation. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: accumulating the fibers as loose fill insulation. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: accumulating the fibers to form a mat prior to affixing the dispersed additive in place on said fibers. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: applying a water vapor retarder on said mat. 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising: applying a water vapor retarder having a fungicide on said mat. 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising: dividing the mat into one or more batts. 14. The method of claim 10, further comprising: forming the mat into loose fill insulation having the dispersed fungicide. 15. A method of making fibrous insulation, comprising: dispersing a fungicide among a plurality of insulation fibers; dispersing a dispersed additive among the insulation fibers to combine with the dispersed fungicide; and affixing the dispersed additive in place on the insulation fibers with the fungicide combined with the dispersed additive to provide a fibrous insulation treated with fungicide. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: dispersing the fungicide in water; and stabilizing a dispersion of the fungicide in water with an emulsifier before dispersing the fungicide among the fibers. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising: dispersing the fungicide in water before dispersing the fungicide among the fibers. 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising: controlling the concentration of the fungicide relative to a unit measure of the dispersed additive and a unit measure of the fibers. 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: controlling the concentration of the fungicide to limit instability of one or more physical properties of the insulation. 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising: accumulating the fibers as loose fill insulation. 21. The method of claim 15, further comprising: accumulating the fibers to form a mat prior to curing the dispersed additive to provide a cured binder for the fibers. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: applying a water vapor retarder on said mat. 23. The method of claim 21, further comprising: applying a water vapor retarder having a fungicide on said mat. 24. The method of claim 21, further comprising: dividing one or more batts or one or more rolls from the mat. 25. A fibrous insulation comprising: an accumulation of insulation fibers; a dispersed additive disposed among said fibers, the dispersed additive being affixed to the surfaces of said fibers; and a fungicide combined with said dispersed additive. 26. A fibrous insulation according to claim 25, further comprising: the dispersed additive being a binder; and the accumulation of fibers being bonded to one another by the binder. 27. A fibrous insulation according to claim 25 wherein, the concentration of the fungicide is controlled relative to a unit measure of the dispersed additive and a unit measure of the fibers. 28. A fibrous insulation according to claim 25, wherein, the dispersed additive is a mineral oil, fire retarder, ionized solution or combination thereof. 29. A fibrous insulation according to claim 25 wherein, the fungicide comprises borax or a derivative thereof. 30. A fibrous insulation according to claim 25, further comprising: a water vapor retarder covering at least one surface of a mat formed by the accumulation of fibers. 31. A fibrous insulation according to claim 25, further comprising: a water vapor retarder covering at least one surface of a mat formed by the accumulation of fibers; and the water vapor retarder including a fungicide. 32. A fibrous insulation according to claim 25, further comprising: the accumulation of fibers comprising loose fill insulation. 33. A fibrous insulation according to claim 25 wherein, the fungicide comprises zinc oxide. 34. A fibrous insulation according to claim 25 wherein, the fungicide comprises sodium propionate or a derivative thereof. 35. A fibrous insulation according to claim 25 wherein, the fungicide comprises calcium propionate or a derivative thereof. 36. Use of a fungicide comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of borax, zinc oxide, calcium propionate and sodium propionate to enhance fungal resistance of insulation fibers of a fibrous insulation, the fungicide and a dispersed additive being dispersed among the insulation fibers, and the fungicide being of controlled concentration relative to a unit measure of the insulation fibers and a unit measure of a dispersed additive. 37. The use of a fungicide according to claim 36 wherein the controlled concentration is less than a concentration that is toxic to small mammals. 38. The use of a fungicide according to claim 36 wherein the controlled concentration is less than a concentration causing instability in physical properties of the fibrous insulation. 39. A method of making fibrous insulation, comprising: forming a plurality of newly formed insulation fibers at a forming stage; dispersing a fungicide among the newly formed insulation fibers at the forming stage; accumulating the newly formed insulation fibers; and chopping the newly formed insulation fibers into pieces to provide a loose fill fibrous insulation treated with fungicide. 40. The method of claim 39, further comprising: compacting and packaging the loose fill fibrous insulation treated with fungicide. 41. A method of making fibrous insulation, comprising: chopping insulation fibers into pieces; conveying the pieces of insulation fibers along a transport duct; dispersing a fungicide among the pieces of insulation fibers; and accumulating the pieces of insulation fibers to provide a loose fill fibrous insulation treated with fungicide. 42. The method of claim 41, further comprising: compacting and packaging the loose fill fibrous insulation treated with fungicide. | CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application relates to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/772,063, filed Feb. 4, 2004 (Attorney Docket D0932-00447) incorporated herein by reference. The present application relates to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/869,994, filed Jun. 17, 2004 (Attorney Docket D0932-00440) incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to the field of fibrous insulation, particularly, a loose fill fibrous insulation or a mat of fibrous insulation. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Fibrous insulation is manufactured by forming fibers from a molten mineral bath, which are forced through a spinner rotating at a high number of revolutions per minute. Fine fibers are produced thereby. To manufacture loose fill insulation, or wool type insulation, a plurality of the fibers are loosely accumulated together to form loose fill insulation. Alternatively, to make a mat of insulation, a plurality of the fibers are sprayed with a fluid binder mix or powder binder, typically a phenolic resin, a thermoplastic, a thermosetting plastic, an acrylic, vinyl-acrylic or other soluble polymer. The fibers are accumulated on a conveyer to form a thick mat. The binder is then cured in a curing oven. The uncured mat may be further adapted for duct liner, duct board or pipe insulation before curing. Alternatively, the mat is then sliced and/or chopped into individual insulation batts. In some cases, a facing material is applied to cover at least one side of the mat with a vapor retarder. Fibrous insulation is vulnerable to fungal growth due to exposure to microbiological organisms, especially when the insulation is installed in damp environments, such as, subterranean basements, and poorly vented cavities under a roof, for example. U.S. Pat. No. 6,399,694 discloses a practice of adding a fungicide to a batt while still on a conveyor, but subsequent to manufacture of fibers that are bonded together by a binder. U.S. Pat. No. 6,399,694 discloses a further practice of adding a fungicide to a batt in the field, at a location where the batt is to be installed. In each of these disclosed practices, the fungicide is externally applied to the binder, and the binder itself is not mold resistant. In each of these disclosed practices, manufacturing controls are lacking to control the fungicide concentration and to control dispersal of the fungicide in an even distribution throughout the batt. WO 02/092578 A1 discloses borax for infrared absorbing and scattering, but not for a fungicide. Thus, prior to the invention, adding fungicide to a completed batt lacks manufacturing controls to apply the fungicide with a controlled concentration. For example, manufacturing controls would be needed to prevent the fungicide from being handled and applied at potentially toxic levels of concentration. Further, manufacturing controls would be needed to establish ajustification for advertising and labeling the fibrous insulation as being mold resistant. Further, for example, in the future, a manufacturer of a fungicide may develop a recommended concentration to resist fungal growth, which would require manufacturing controls to apply the fungicide at the manufacturer's recommended concentration. Lacking manufacturing controls while adding a fungicide to a batt could induce instability in the measured physical properties of the batt. Thus, controlled amounts of fungicide avoid inducing the physical instability as found by testing the batt to meet industry standards for thickness recovery and other physical properties. Accordingly, there is a present need for a fibrous insulation having a controlled fungicide concentration. Further, there is a present need for a method of making a fibrous insulation with a controlled fungicide concentration. Further, there is a present need for a fibrous insulation having a dispersed additive that serves a useful function in the fibrous insulation, and further a fungicide is combined with the dispersed additive. Further, there is a present need for a fibrous insulation having a dispersed additive that is mold resistant. Further, there is a present need for a manufacturing process for dispersing a fungicide by a binder as the dispersed additive that bonds fibers to one another to make a mat of insulation. Further, there is a present need for a mat or loose fill, fibrous insulation having a dispersed fungicide. Further, there is a present need for a manufacturing process for dispersing a fungicide throughout a fibrous insulation. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method of making a fibrous insulation by dispersing both a fungicide and a dispersed additive among a plurality of insulation fibers, followed by affixing the dispersed additive in place on the fibers. An advantage of the invention is that the fungicide is dispersed in a controlled concentration. Further, mold resistance of the fibrous insulation is enhanced. Further, the fibers are treated with fungicide during a formation stage of making fibrous insulation. A fungicide, herein, refers to a substance that destroys a fungus, as well as, a fungistat that inhibits or prohibits the growth of a fungus. According to embodiments of the invention, the fungicide is combined with the dispersed additive, for example, by being dissolved or absorbed in the dispersed additive, or by being mixed with the dispersed additive, such as, by chemical bonds or by an emulsion, for example. The method of the present invention alternatively makes loose fill insulation, wherein the dispersed additive is affixed on the fibers of the insulation. The dispersed additive affixes by physical, chemical or electrostatic interaction with the fibers. Alternatively, loose fill insulation is made by chopping and/or grinding a mat of fungicide treated fibers into small pieces, which are packaged. The method of the present invention alternatively makes a mat of insulation, such as, batts, rolls, duct liner, or boards, for thermal or acoustic insulation, wherein the dispersed additive is a binder that bonds the fibers to one another. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the step of controlling the fungicide concentration relative to a unit measure of dispersed additive and a unit measure of fibers. According to another embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method of making a fibrous insulation by dispersing a fungicide and a binder on a plurality of fibers, followed by, accumulating the fibers and the dispersed fungicide and binder, and curing the binder. An advantage of the invention is that the binder becomes mold resistant. Another advantage of the invention is that the fungicide is in the binder that bonds the fibers to one another. According to another embodiment of a method of the present invention, the method further includes a step of combining the fungicide and a binder in a fluid binder mix. The advantage, is that the fluid borne binder serves as a dispersed additive, and further is used as a dispersing agent for dispersing the fungicide. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes a step of combining the fungicide with water, followed by the step of mixing the binder and the fungicide in a fluid binder mix. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the step of stabilizing dispersal of the fungicide with an emulsifier. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the steps of, dispersing a fungicide on a plurality of fibers, followed by, dispersing a binder among the plurality of fibers, accumulating the fibers and the dispersed fungicide and dispersed binder, and curing the binder. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the step of controlling the fungicide concentration to limit instability of one or more physical properties of fibrous insulation. Further, the present invention provides a fibrous insulation having a fungicide in a binder, the binder being dispersed among a plurality of fibers, and the binder bonding the fibers to one another. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fungicide concentration is controlled relative to a unit measure of the binder dispersed on a unit measure of the fibers. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the fungicide concentration is controlled below a toxic level. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the fungicide concentration is controlled to limit instability of the physical properties of the insulation. According to another embodiment of the invention, a water vapor retarder covers at least a major surface of the mat. According to another embodiment of the invention, a water vapor retarder that has a fungicide covers at least a major surface of the mat. Other embodiments of the invention are apparent by way of example from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for dispersing a fungicide and a dispersed additive among insulation fibers. FIG. 2A is an isometric view of fibrous insulation. FIG. 2B is a view similar to FIG. 2A and disclosing fibrous insulation covered by a vapor retarder. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of various embodiments of a method for dispersing a fungicide and a dispersed additive, followed by accumulating fibers having the fungicide combined with the dispersed additive. FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for dispersing a fungicide and a dispersed additive among insulation fibers for making loose fill, fibrous insulation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 2A discloses a fibrous insulation that includes a mat (200) of insulation fibers bonded together with a binder. The R-value of the insulation refers to the insulation's effectiveness to retard heat transfer. The thickness of the mat (200) is generally proportional to the R-value. The mat (200) is then cut into pieces, referred to as batts. The batts are referred to herein to include rolls, or shorter unrolled lengths of single piece construction, as shown at (200b), or are further partially cut along kerfs (200c) to form multiple segments (200a) that can be separated from the batts by tearing or cutting along the kerfs (200c). The batts have desired widths and lengths for installation in respective cavities in a hollow wall or in an attic of a building. As disclosed by FIG. 2B, the batts are either covered, or faced, with a water vapor retarder (500) in the form of a vapor retarding film, or are uncovered, or unfaced, as disclosed by FIG. 2A. Faced batts may be used in the same places that unfaced batts are used. The unfaced batts are suitable for installation behind a separately installed vapor retarder. The unfaced batts are especially suitable for stacking on existing attic insulation to augment the attic insulation R-value. A covered batt is an insulation batt that is covered, or faced, with a water vapor retarder (500), in the form of a vapor retarding film that includes, but is not limited to, Kraft paper coated with a bituminous material or other vapor retarder material, Polyamide (PA), Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polybutylene (PB), Polyvinylchloride (PVC), Polyvinylacetate (PVA), Polyethylene terapthalate (PET), Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polyester, polystyrene, polypropylene, fluoropolymer, polyvinyl, polyurethane, polycarbonate and combinations thereof, and further including, but not limited to, co-extrusions of two or more polymers thereof. A vapor retarding film, either forms a barrier to transmission of water vapor, or has a vapor transmissivity that selectively transmits water vapor depending on the relative humidity of ambient air. The water vapor retarder (500) covers at least a first major surface of each batt. Alternatively, the water vapor retarder (500) covers one or more surfaces of a batt including the side portions of each batt. The water vapor retarder (500) can be treated with a concentration of a fungicide or biocide. The batts are typically installed to fill cavities between framing members of a building frame. The water vapor retarder (500) may further have side tabs or flaps (500a) that are fastened to the framing members, which secure the batts in place, and which optionally extend the side tabs or flaps (500a) to cover the framing members. When the batts are partially divided into the segments (200a), the water vapor retarder (500) is further partially divided into segments by perforations (502). In a forming stage, the mat (202) is typically formed, first, by manufacturing the fibers (104), followed by shaping the fibers (104) into a falling, flowing stream of fiber veils or fiber wool. A binder is applied to the stream of fibers (104), followed by, accumulating the fibers (104) on a conveyor to form a thick mat of the fibers (104) wherein, the conveyor includes a conveyor belt or a forming chain. The fibers (104) are accumulated by various methods. A known accumulation method tends to distribute the fibers (104) in a random distribution, to form a mat having variations in density throughout. By contrast, a known air-laid method tends to distribute the fibers (104) in an even distribution to form a mat having a constant density throughout. Then the binder is cured to provide a mat of fibers (104) bonded to one another with the cured binder. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,241 discloses apparatus for manufacturing flowing glass fibers by a flame attenuation process, and forming a thick mat of fibrous insulation on a forming chain. Alternatively, the glass fibers are manufactured by a rotary spin process, for example, as described in WO 02/070417. FIG. 1 discloses a portion of a forming stage apparatus (100) for forming fibrous insulation. The apparatus (100) has a binder application ring (102) that surrounds a flowing stream of fibers (104). The binder application ring (102) is a hollow pipe having multiple nozzles (100a) facing inwardly of the ring (102) and toward the flowing stream of fibers (104). The binder application ring (102) has an inlet (106) into which a fluid binder mix supplied from a fluid binder mix tank (108) is pumped under pressure. The nozzles (100a) disperse the binder among the fibers (104) as they flow through the ring (102). According to an embodiment of the invention, a binder resin is combined and mixed with a fluid, including, but not limited to water, to form a fluid binder mix having a binder in solution or in suspension as an emulsion or as particulates in suspension. According to an embodiment of the invention, the fluid binder mix serves as a dispersed additive that improves the usefulness of the fibrous insulation. Typically, the binder is further combined and mixed with the fluid together with a catalyst, a coupling agent and a dust retarding oil. Further, the fluid binder mix may have a fire retarder, infrared reflecting or infrared absorbing material, other ion donor materials, any of which increases the usefulness of the insulation. With further reference to FIG. 1, the apparatus (100) has a water overspray ring (110) that surrounds the flowing stream of fibers (104) upstream from the binder application ring (102). The water overspray ring (110) is similar in construction to the binder application ring (102), by having multiple nozzles (100b) facing inwardly and toward the flowing stream of fibers (104). The water overspray ring (110) has an inlet (112) into which water, either potable water supplied by a municipal source, or process water known as wash water, is pumped under pressure from a water overspray tank (114). The water is dispersed through the nozzles (100b) to cool the fibers (104) with water as they flow through the ring (110). According to an embodiment of the invention, the ring (110) and nozzles (100b) disperse the fungicide among the insulation fibers (104), followed by the nozzles (100a) dispersing the binder among the fibers (104) as they flow through the ring (102). According to an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus (100) for applying a binder to fibers (104) further applies a fungicide of controlled concentration to disperse throughout the fibers (104). The binder is a dispersed additive that is dispersed among the fibers (104) In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the dispersed additive serves as a dispersing agent for dispersing the fungicide. The concentration is controlled by measuring the concentration of the fungicide relative to a measured volumetric unit or mass unit of binder dispersed for each a measured volumetric unit or mass unit of fibrous insulation. The fungicide is dispersed with the binder throughout the fibers (104) by using the binder application ring (102) as a fungicide applicator, as well as, a binder applicator. The manufacturing apparatus (100) may have multiple streams of the fibers (104) and multiple rings (102) and (110). Thereafter, the fibers (104) having the dispersed binder and dispersed fungicide are accumulated to form a thick mat of fibers (104). When the binder is cured, the fungicide is in the cured binder and is dispersed by the binder that bonds together the fibers (104). Alternatively the apparatus (100) can use one or more rings (110) in the forming section of the apparatus (100) to disperse fungicide without the binder on corresponding streams of newly formed fibers (104). Thereby, the fungicide treated fibers (104) are manufactured as loose fill insulation substantially free of binder. In the past, U.S. Pat. No. 6,399,694 discloses that a fungicide could be added to a finished mat while still on the conveyor, intending for the fungicide to be on the binder after the binder has been cured. Alternatively, the fungicide was field applied, by adding the fungicide to the batts at a location where the batts were to be installed. Further, prior to the invention, the fungicide was unevenly applied to various fibers, since the fungicide was added to a mat that is thick and often dense, causing uneven dispersal among the various fibers. Further, the fibers in the mat were already connected to one another via the binder, which further produced varied density in the mat to block the fungicide from some of the fibers. Since the fungicide was added after manufacturing of the mat, no manufacturing controls were in place to assure that the fungicide was distributed throughout the mat. Further, the fungicide was handled and applied at potentially toxic levels of concentration. Further, no manufacturing tests were performed to determine whether the fungicide would alter the physical properties of the insulation. Manufacturing tests would indicate the presence of instability of the physical properties, and especially whether the fungicide treated insulation would meet industry standards for thickness recovery and other physical properties. According to an embodiment of the invention, a fungicide is dispersed among insulation fibers, and a dispersed additive is dispersed among the insulation fibers. The dispersed additive is a binder that is mixed in a fluid, preferably water, to provide a fluid binder mix supplied by the fluid binder mix tank (108). According to another embodiment of the invention, a fungicide is combined with a fluid binder mix that includes the binder in a fluid, preferably water. The fungicide mixes in the fluid binder mix, either by dissolving or by suspension as an emulsion or as a precipitate in suspension, and is chemically compatible with the binder. The binder mixes in the fluid, either by dissolving or by suspension. Preferably the binder and the fluid form an emulsion. For example, the binder typically includes a curable acrylic or phenolic (phenol-formaldehyde) resin or other thermosetting resins such as epoxies and polyesters, as well as, urea, lignin, a silane, de-dusting oil and/or ammonia. Further, an emulsion will mix with an emulsified mix of further components, such as, a fire retardant and/or an ionized solution for treating insulation fibers (104) with a desired ion. The fluid binder mix is supplied by the fluid binder mix tank (108). Further, an emulsion of the fluid binder mix will combine readily with the fungicide. The fungicide can be combined with the fluid binder mix and mixed by agitation performed, for example, by stirring in the tank (108) or by injecting the fungicide into the fluid binder mix in the tank (108) or into the inlet (106). Constant agitation with an industry known stirrer, and/or an emulsifier is added to maintain an immiscible fungicide or fungicide precipitates in suspension. For example, an emulsifier includes, and is not limited to, an oil emulsion of Mulrex 90, a trademark of Exxon Mobil Corporation. When the fibers (104) are accumulated, and the binder is cured, the fungicide will preferably be emulsified with the binder, and will be dispersed among the fibers (104). Microphotographs have been taken that disclose the dispersed binder as nodes of droplets or particles adhered to the fibers. Accordingly, the dispersed binder distributes or disperses a controlled concentration of the fungicide among the fibers (104). According to another embodiment of the invention, a fungicide is added to the overspray water and stirred in the overspray water tank (114), or is injected into the tank (114) or into the inlet (112). This embodiment separates the fungicide from the fluid binder mix, and is especially suitable when the fungicide is chemically incompatible with the binder, and/or when fungicide low solubility requires continuous agitation of the water by a stirrer, for example, to remain in solution or in suspension, and/or when an emulsifier is added to maintain an immiscible fungicide and/or precipitates of the fungicide in suspension. Further, this embodiment of the invention separates a chemically incompatible emulsifier and/or precipitates from the fluid binder mix in the fluid binder mix tank (108). The fungicide is applied to the fibers by the water overspray ring or water application ring (110). The nozzle (100b) orifices are large enough to pass precipitate particles of the fungicide. Further, an embodiment of the apparatus (100) has air atomized nozzles (100b) to further clear the nozzle (100b) orifices of precipitate particles. The water overspray ring (110) is upstream from the binder application ring (102) that disperses the fluid binder mix among the fibers. The fungicide is dispersed by the water among the fibers (104), using the water application ring (110) as a fungicide applicator, as well as, a water applicator. Thereafter, the fluid binder mix is dispersed among the fibers (104) by the ring (102) to combine with the dispersed fungicide. When the fibers (104) are accumulated, and the binder is cured, the fungicide will have been combined with the binder, preferably as an emulsion, and the binder is dispersed throughout the fibers (104) to distribute the fungicide throughout the fibers (104). Further the binder is affixed to the surfaces of the fibers (104). During the affixing step the binder is cured to affix the binder to the fibers (104). The fibers (104) are bonded to one another by the binder. Alternatively, the ring (110) may be used to disperse solely the fungicide without the binder among newly formed fibers (104), which fibers (104) are accumulated and chopped into pieces, and further packaged as loose fill insulation treated with fungicide. FIG. 3 discloses an embodiment of a method for making fibrous insulation by a method step (300) of mixing the binder in a fluid to form a fluid binder mix, for example, as an emulsion, as a particulate suspension or as a solution. The method further includes a method step (302) of adding a fungicide to a binder, for example, by first dissolving the fungicide in water to provide a liquid that is easily added to a fluid binder mix. The method steps (300) and (302) are an example, of combining a fungicide and a binder. The combined fungicide and binder, for example, as combined in the fluid binder mix, are supplied by the binder fluid tank (108) to the ring (102), followed by a method step (304) of dispersing the fungicide and the binder among the insulation fibers (104). The binder application ring (102) is used to perform the step (304). The method step (304) is followed by a method step (306) of accumulating the fibers to form an insulation mat (200) having a plurality of fibers (104) and the dispersed fungicide and binder, followed by a method step (308) of affixing the binder with the fungicide therein to the insulation fibers (104). For example, the method step (308) is performed by applying heat and curing the binder to a stable condensed emulsion having the fungicide therein. The mat (200) comprises uncovered fibrous insulation for thermal or acoustic insulation or duct liner, and/or which can be sliced and/or chopped into the batts (200b) and further sliced and/or chopped into the segments (200a). Alternatively, the mat (200) is chopped and/or ground into pieces to form loose fill insulation fibers (104) having the dispersed fungicide. Subsequently, the loose fill insulation fibers (104) are packaged as compacted loose fill insulation. Alternatively, the loose fill insulation fibers (104) may also be formed by the apparatus disclosed by FIG. 4 into compacted, loose fill insulation that is packaged in bags. FIG. 3 further discloses an alternative embodiment of a method for making fibrous insulation by a method step (300a) of adding a fungicide to water, which can be supplied to the water overspray tank (114). Separately, step (302a) involves mixing a binder with a fluid to form a fluid binder mix. A fluid binder mix is produced, which is supplied to the binder fluid tank (108), for example. Thereby, the binder is separate from the fungicide that would have exhibited incompatibility with the binder. Method step (304a) is performed by dispersing the fungicide among the fibers (104) for example, by the water overspray ring (110), followed by the method step (304b), dispersing the binder among the fibers (104), performed, for example, by the binder application ring (102) dispersing the fluid binder mix. The alternative method of method steps (300a), (302a), (304a) and (304b) are one embodiment of a method of dispersing the fungicide among the fibers (104) separately from dispersing the binder among the fibers (104), and thereafter, combining the fungicide and the binder. The dispersed fluid binder mix combines with the dispersed fungicide for a duration, during which method steps (306) and (308) are promptly performed to cure the binder, and to result in a fibrous insulation having a fungicide in a cured binder that is dispersed and affixed on the fibers (104). Further the fibers (104) are bonded to one another by the binder. As an alternative to mixing a binder in a fluid at either step (302) or step (302a), the binder is alternatively in the form of a powder binder, and a powder binder-fungicide mix is made by combining the powder binder and the fungicide. The powder binder-fungicide mix is dispersed among the fibers (104) by forced air, or by electrostatic attraction to the fibers (104), for example, in substitution for the water used at step (304). The forced air is an air entrained mix of air and a powder binder-fungicide mix. For example, the dispersed concentration of the powder binder-fungicide mix relative to the mass of the fibers (104) can vary, as needed, for example, a 10% powder binder-fungicide mix, or a 20% powder binder-fungicide mix, or a 30% powder binder-fungicide mix. Thereafter follows the method step (306) of accumulating the fibers to form an insulation mat (200) having fibers (104) and the dispersed fungicide and binder, followed by the method step (308) of affixing the binder with the fungicide therein. During the method step (308) step the powder binder melts and combines with the fungicide, and the melted binder is cured to affix the binder to the fibers (104). Further the fibers (104) are bonded to one another by the binder. For example, the loose fill insulation is produced in the forming stage apparatus (100) by chopping and/or grinding newly formed fibers into pieces, and/or by chopping a roll or batt of an insulation mat and/or scrap, edge trim and other types of pieces, which may or may not have a cured binder on the fibers thereof. FIG. 4 discloses another embodiment of a forming stage apparatus (100) for forming the loose fill insulation in a duct or mixer. Whether the loose fill insulation is selected as, newly formed fibers, fibers from chopped pieces or fibers having a cured binder, the loose fill insulation is fed through a loose fill transportation duct (400) into a mixer (402) that mixes loose fill insulation with a dispersed additive that is dispersed among the insulation fibers (104) of the loose fill insulation. The dispersed additive includes, but not limited to, an anti-static mix, for example, an emulsion of silicone and water, and/or mineral oil for dust reduction. For example, the dispersed additive is preferably in the form of an emulsion that will combine and/or mix with an emulsified mix of further components, such as, a fire retardant and/or an ionized solution for treating insulation fibers (104) with a desired ion. The fibers (104) are then fed to a compressor/packager (404) where they are compressed to remove air and increase density and to be packaged as loose fill insulation, shown as L. F. in FIG. 4. For example, the forming section can use the ring (102) in a manner as previously described to disperse a fungicide and the dispersed additive among the fibers (104) of loose fill insulation. Alternatively, for example, either the mixer (402) or the loose fill transportation duct (400) can use the nozzles (100a) and (100b) similar to those on the rings (102) and (110). According to an alternative embodiment, solely fungicide without the binder is applied to loose fill insulation using only the ring (110), in the manner described herein, to produce loose fill insulation treated with dispersed fungicide, which can be compacted and packaged for sale. The nozzles (100b) are mounted on the sides of the mixer (402) or the duct (400) to disperse the fungicide among the fibers (104) of loose fill insulation inside the mixer (402) or the duct (400). The nozzles (100a) are mounted on the sides of the mixer (402) or the duct (400) to disperse the dispersed additive among the fibers (104) of loose fill insulation inside the mixer (402) or the duct (400). The dispersed additive is preferably an emulsion of the anti-static mix and/or mineral oil for dust reduction. The dispersed additive is dispersed among the fibers (104) to combine with the dispersed fungicide. Further, the dispersed additive in the mixer (402) affixes to the surfaces of the fibers (104), and is dried by process heat to remove excess water content. The fibers (104) are fed to a compressor/packager (404) where they are compressed to remove air and increase density and be packaged as loose fill insulation, shown as L. F. in FIG. 4. Alternatively, by using only the nozzles (100b) on the ring (110) to disperse only fungicide, newly formed fibers (104) are treated with dispersed fungicide without the binder, and subsequently are packaged as binder free, loose fill insulation treated with dispersed fungicide. The advantage of treating the insulation with fungicide at a manufacturing site, is that application of the fungicide is measured and controlled via a concentration of flow rate thereof through the nozzles (100b) and/or (100a). Thereby, the fungicide concentration is controlled relative to a unit measure of the dispersed additive and a unit measure of the fibers (104). Further, the fungicide concentration is controlled below a toxic level to humans and small mammals, such as, dogs and cats. A discussion now follows concerning tests that refer to potential biocides according to their physical properties, their concentrations and effectiveness as fungicides on fibrous insulation, and their compatibility with fluid binder mixes. The American Society For Testing Materials provides an ASTM C1338 Standard Test Method for Determining Fungi Resistance of Insulation Materials and Facings. An insulation material and/or facing can pass the test when supporting mold growth that is less than would be supported by a strip of white birch or southern yellow pine over a 28 day test at 30 degrees C., and 95% relative humidity. Test fungi are: Aspergillus Niger, Aspergillus Versicolor, Penicillium Funiculosum, Chaetomium Globosum and Aspergillus Flavus. An ASTM C1338 Standard test of fungal resistance was conducted. An 800-gram batch of phenolic resin binder (solution) was prepared with 3% dissolved binder solids to yield a 10% binder content in a cured test sheet. The batch was divided into five 150-gram portions. One of the binder portions had no antifungal agent addition, which served as a control binder. Each of four of the 150-gram binder portions was spiked with 1.0% solids of an antifungal agent. This concentration of antifungal agent was equal to 0.10% on the cured test sheet. The cured test sheet would have a fungicide concentration that could be adjusted to the manufacturer's recommended concentration for effectiveness to prevent mold growth. The manufacturer's recommended concentration of fungicide would be reproduced by having the fungicide dispersed by a binder in solution and dispersed on the fibers in a mat of fibrous insulation, followed by curing the binder. Test sheets were prepared by cutting GF/C filter sheets (glass filter paper) into pieces measuring 6 inches by 8 inches. The sheets were saturated with the binder (solution), and excess binder was removed via a vacuum table. The sheets were cured at 180 degrees C. for 5 minutes in a Mathis laboratory grade dryer. A process control blank was prepared by saturating one sheet with deionized water instead of a binder. The individual test sheets were packaged in individual polyethylene bags and sent to a laboratory for testing according to ASTM C1338. A laboratory report of test results is disclosed by TABLE 1. TABLE 1 ITEM A B C RESULT Glass filter paper with no binder NGO NGO NGO Pass Glass filter paper with control binder +++ + ++ Fail Glass filter paper with binder # 1477 NGO NGO NGO Pass Glass filter paper with binder # 1478 NGO NGO NGO Pass Glass filter paper with binder # 1479 NGO NGO NGO Pass Glass filter paper with binder # 1480 NGO NGO NGO Pass #1477 for ASTM C1338 Testing = Phenolic binder plus 1% 5 Mol Borax (Na2B4O7-5H2O) solids. #1478 for ASTM C1338 Testing = Phenolic binder plus 1% Zinc Oxide (ZnO) solids. #1479 for ASTM C1338 Testing = Phenolic binder plus 1% Sodium Propionate solids (CH3CH2COO)Na. #1480 for ASTM C1338 Testing = Phenolic binder plus 1% Calcium Propionate solids (CH3CH2COO)2Ca. Legend: NGO = No growth observed, + = Growth observed. ++ = Growth exceeding reference control amount. +++ = Growth far exceeding reference control amount. −+ = Doubtful growth. Test results of ASTM C1338 reveals fungal growth was observed on the sample having the control binder (no antifungal agent), and no growth observed for samples treated with the potential antifungal agents. This compares favorably with the allowable fungal growth amount observable on white birch and yellow pine control samples as specified by ASTM C 1338. A thermal stability test was conducted on samples of each of the four potential fungicides or anti-fungal agents, Borax, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Propionate and Calcium Propionate. A 15 milligram sample was heated at a rate of 20 degrees C. per minute to 300 degrees C. The thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) of lost weight per cent versus temperature rise indicated that from ambient temperature to 250 degrees C., the Borax lost 21% of its mass including the water of hydration, the Calcium Propionate lost 3%, the Sodium Propionate lost 0.1% and the Zinc Oxide lost 0.1%. A binder (solution) stability test was conducted. A master batch was made up, of fluid binder mix having 6% binder solids and wash water for the binder make-up water. The wash water comprised tap water used for process water to continuously clean the equipment for making the various insulation embodiments of the present invention. The process water is filtered to remove solids, and is continuously recycled. An oil emulsion, Mulrex 90, comprised 10.3% of the binder solids. Five (5) 100-ml. aliquots of the binder were transferred to individual glass jars. Four of the binders were spiked with a corresponding antifungal agent, Borax, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Propionate and Calcium Propionate, at a concentration of 2% of the binder solids. The remaining binder sample was not spiked to serve as a control sample. The binder samples were stirred for 24 hours in covered jars to prevent evaporation. After the 24 hour aging, the binders were removed from the stirrer and observed for destabilization. The 24 hour stability results are disclosed by Table II. TABLE II SAMPLE FLUID BINDER MIX COMMENTS Control Stable; no separation, very slight surface scum Binder 1477 with Stable: slightly greater surface scum than control Borax Binder 1478 with Zinc Unstable; coagulates settle to bottom of container Oxide Binder 1479 with Stable: a few dark particles on the surface of the Sodium Propionate binder Binder 1480 with Stable: a few dark particles on the surface of the Calcium Propionate binder and a small quantity of a dark sticky film on the bottom of the container Accordingly, the test results of Table II indicated a need for continuous agitation and/or an emulsifier in the fluid binder mix to resist precipitation of the fungicides or anti-fungal agents when used in a manufacturing process. The Borax fungicide was indicated as a preferred embodiment that exhibited the least instability, if any. A wash water stability test was conducted with 150 grams of wash water plus 0.75 grams (0.5%) of one of the four potential anti-fungal agents, Borax, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Propionate and Calcium Propionate. No oil emulsion was added. The wash water comprised tap water used for process water to continuously clean the equipment for making the various insulation embodiments of the present invention. The process water is filtered to remove solids, and is continuously recycled. The stability test was repeated with 1.0% of each of the four potential antifungal agents. After 2 hours of aging in sealed glass jars, the control wash water (no anti-fungal agent) and the 0.5% Borax sample showed insignificant precipitation of the Borax solids. The other samples, including the 1.0% Borax sample showed significant solids precipitation. Accordingly, the test indicated a need for continuous agitation and/or an emulsifier to resist precipitation of the anti-fungal agents in water when used in a manufacturing process. A tensile strength test was conducted using Whatman GF/C filter paper as the substrate. A 500-gram batch of fluid binder mix was prepared with 6% binder solids in binder wash water. De-ionized (DI) water without an emulsifier was used as the binder make-up water. Five (5) 100-ml. aliquots of the fluid binder mix were transferred to 150 ml. beakers. One aliquot was used as a control, and the remaining four aliquots were spiked with 0.12 grams of one of the four potential fungicides or anti-fungal agents, Borax, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Propionate and Calcium Propionate. This addition was equal to 2.0% fungicide solids or anti-fungal agent solids based on the total binder solids. Each binder was used to prepare tensile strength test specimens. The test specimens (coated Whatman GF/C filter paper) were cured at 180 degrees C. for 5 minutes in a Mathis Laboratory Drier and tested in accordance with CertainTeed Test Method T496 I. The tensile strengths of the test specimens were measured, and the results are reported in TABLE III. TABLE III TENSILE STRENGTH IN NEWTONS (maximum at break) Sodium Calcium Control Borax ZnO2 Propionate Propionate Sample Dry Wet Dry Wet Dry Wet Dry Wet Dry Wet 1 16.2 16.7 24.1 16.5 19.9 20.4 19.3 20.1 18.9 22.8 2 17.5 25.9 23.5 21.2 23.5 17.1 19.9 20.2 21.2 27.6 3 22.0 19.1 22.9 22.8 17.9 22.5 22.9 22.6 22.6 22.8 4 22.7 21.3 23.1 23.2 22.8 16.6 21.5 20.5 29.1 19.6 5 26.5 22.0 21.1 18.4 21.1 21.7 22.8 15.1 23.3 19.5 6 27.1 22.2 22.7 19.4 18.4 20.9 20.2 20.1 23.2 13.7 MEAN 22.0 21.2 22.9 20.3 20.6 19.9 21.1 19.8 23.1 21.0 STD. DEVIATION 4.5 3.1 1.0 2.6 2.3 2.4 1.5 2.5 3.4 4.6 Specimen moisture % 0.40 1.48 0.36 1.43 0.26 1.40 0.33 1.57 1.43 2.87 Avg. LOI % (of 6) 23.6 23.7 23.1 23.4 22.5 22.4 20.1 19.4 24.6 24.9 Wet/dry tensile % 96.4% 88.4% 96.4% 93.7% 91.1% Further, recovery tests of fibrous insulation at 30 day shelf life, and at 60 day shelf life, were conducted on glass fiber insulation batts chopped from mats having corresponding R-value thicknesses of R19 and R30. R19 batts and R30 batts were made with glass fibers with a binder having 2% Borax in the binder. The Borax comprises a fungicide or anti-fungal agent in the binder and dispersed by the fluid binder mix on the fibers. TABLE IV discloses the results of 30 day shelf life tests. TABLE V discloses the results of 60 day shelf life tests. TABLE IV 30 DAY SHELF LIFE TESTING R-19 AND R-30 BATTS WITH AND WITHOUT 2% BORAX IN A PHENOLIC RESIN BINDER Standard Standard Compared Compared Standard Standard Rigidity to to Compared to Compared to Index 2% Borax 2% Borax 2% Borax 2% Borax Std./2% Rigidity Tensile BattType Dead (Avg.) Drop (Avg.) Borax Index (lbs./in) R-19 16″ 5.42% 6.72% 0.475/ 0.00% 19% wide 0.475 R-19 0.40% 5.55% 0.53/ 13% 4.1% 24″ wide 0.47 R-30 2.64% −2.89% 0.525/ −1.87% 6.0% 16″ wide 0.535 R-30 −4.06% −1.85% 0.555/ 5.7% −8.2% 24″ wide 0.525 Sum of comparison percentages 61.52% wherein, Std. >2% Borax batt type Average of comparison percentages 3.85% wherein, Std. >2% Borax batt type TABLE V 60 DAY SHELF LIFE TESTING OF R-19 AND R-30 BATTS WITH AND WITHOUT 2% BORAX IN A PHENOLIC RESIN BINDER Standard Standard Compared Compared Standard Standard Rigidity to to Compared to Compared to Index 2% Borax 2% Borax 2% Borax 2% Borax Std./2% Rigidity Tensile BattType Dead (Avg.) Drop (Avg.) Borax Index (lbs./in) R-19 0.77% −2.66% 0.57/ 5.6% −13% 16″ wide 0.54 R-19 2.88% 0.84% 0.51/ 2.0% −7.8% 24″ wide 0.50 R-30 0.43% 4.29% 0.55/ 1.8% 3.8% 16″ wide 0.54 R-30 −6.79% 0.76% 0.54/ 10% 9% 24″ wide 0.49 Sum of comparison percentages 11.72% wherein, Std. >2% Borax batt type Average comparison percentages 0.73% wherein, Std. >2% Borax batt type The test results of four products tested for five different properties of TABLE IV and TABLE V indicate that, for 10 of 16 test results for Table IV, and 12 of 16 test results for Table V, standard product having fibers with a dispersed binder having no fungicide or anti-fungal agent had better physical properties than product with 2% Borax in the binder. The properties tested were dead pin and drop fluff thickness, rigidity and tensile strength. For example, at 60 days shelf life testing for the properties measured, the average property measured for standard product was 0.73% better in physical properties than the product having 2% Borax in the binder. The comparison percentages shown in the Tables IV and V were calculated both, as the sum of percentages, and as the average of percentages. Accordingly, a binder for fibrous insulation having a fungicide or anti-fungal agent in the binder is shown, by the tests herein, to induce instability in the physical properties of fibrous insulation. When the tests were repeated, they were conducted at 100 day shelf life for R-19 and R-30 insulation. The physical properties of the product having 2% Borax in the binder gained, relative to the physical properties of the standard product. Despite the gain, the tests for physical properties, considered as a whole, have indicated instability in the physical properties of the 2% Borax treated insulation relative to untreated insulation. Table VI discloses the test results for 100 day shelf life. TABLE VI 100 DAY SHELF LIFE TESTING OF R-19 AND R-30 BATTS WITH AND WITHOUT 2% BORAX IN A PHENOLIC RESIN BINDER Standard Standard Compared Compared Standard Standard Rigidity to to Compared to Compared to Index 2% Borax 2% Borax 2% Borax 2% Borax Std./2% Rigidity Tensile BattType Dead (Avg.) Drop (Avg.) Borax Index (lbs./in) R-19 −2.20% −3.63% 0.51/ −1.9% −27% 16″ wide 0.52 R-19 −1.83% 0.70% 0.50/ 2.0% −8.5% 24″ wide 0.49 R-30 0.00% −1.81% 0.54/ −1.8% 15% 16″ wide 0.55 R-30 2.22% 0.46% 0.53/ 6.0% 16% 24″ wide 0.50 Sum of comparison percentages −6.29% wherein, Std. >2% Borax batt type Average of comparison percentages −0.39% wherein, Std. >2% Borax batt type Accordingly, the invention provides a manufacturing method to control the fungicide concentration relative to a unit measurement of binder dispersed in a unit measurement of fibers. The fibers with a dispersed fungicide subsequently are formed into fibrous insulation having a controlled fungicide concentration that avoids excessive alteration or instability in the physical properties of the fibrous insulation. Compensation for loss in binder strength and other physical properties may be accomplished by increasing the measurement unit of binder content relative to the measurement unit of fungicide concentration. Further, the present invention provides a manufacturing method to control the fungicide concentration, by controlling the measurement unit of fungicide relative to the measurement unit of binder content. Controlling the measurement unit of fungicide would be important to control a fungicide concentration below a toxic level. Although a fungicide may not have an established manufacturer's recommended concentration, the present invention would provide a manufacturing method to control fungicide concentration so as to comply with a manufacturer's recommended concentration that would be established in the future. R-13 batts were tested for physical properties having 0%, 1.5% and 3% Borax in the binder. All binder variations met the ASTM requirements for water vapor sorption, for ASTM E136 non-combustibility, and ASTM E970 for Critical Radiant Flux. All had similar results for ASTM C665 for corrosiveness to steel, copper and aluminum. Solely the batts with 3% Borax in the binder failed the ASTM C1304 odor emission test. The 90 day shelf life testing of the R-13 batts provided dead pin and drop fluff thickness, rigidity and tensile strength test values within acceptable limits for all three binder variations. Test results appear in TABLE VII. TABLE VII PHYSICAL PROPERTY TESTS OF R-13 BATTS COVERED WITH KRAFT PAPER HAVING ASPHALT COATING Standard 1.5% Borax in 3% Borax in Binder R-13 Binder R-13 Binder R-13 Physical Property 15″ × 32′ Kraft 15″ × 32′ Kraft 15″ × 32′ Kraft Odor Emission Pass Pass Fail Water Vapor Sorption 2.07 1.78 3.00 % by weight ASTM E136 Pass Pass Pass Combustibility ASTM E970 Pass Pass Pass Critical Radiant Flux According to the invention, any of the anti-fungal agents, or fungicides, includes and is not limited to, Borax, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Propionate, Calcium Propionate and derivatives and combinations thereof, is used in a binder according to the present invention, with Borax being the preferred fungicide. Further, Borax 5 mol is a preferred embodiment of a binder component according to the present invention. While this invention has been disclosed with reference to specific embodiments, it is apparent that other embodiments and variations of this invention can be devised by others skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. The appended claims include all such embodiments and equivalent variations. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Fibrous insulation is manufactured by forming fibers from a molten mineral bath, which are forced through a spinner rotating at a high number of revolutions per minute. Fine fibers are produced thereby. To manufacture loose fill insulation, or wool type insulation, a plurality of the fibers are loosely accumulated together to form loose fill insulation. Alternatively, to make a mat of insulation, a plurality of the fibers are sprayed with a fluid binder mix or powder binder, typically a phenolic resin, a thermoplastic, a thermosetting plastic, an acrylic, vinyl-acrylic or other soluble polymer. The fibers are accumulated on a conveyer to form a thick mat. The binder is then cured in a curing oven. The uncured mat may be further adapted for duct liner, duct board or pipe insulation before curing. Alternatively, the mat is then sliced and/or chopped into individual insulation batts. In some cases, a facing material is applied to cover at least one side of the mat with a vapor retarder. Fibrous insulation is vulnerable to fungal growth due to exposure to microbiological organisms, especially when the insulation is installed in damp environments, such as, subterranean basements, and poorly vented cavities under a roof, for example. U.S. Pat. No. 6,399,694 discloses a practice of adding a fungicide to a batt while still on a conveyor, but subsequent to manufacture of fibers that are bonded together by a binder. U.S. Pat. No. 6,399,694 discloses a further practice of adding a fungicide to a batt in the field, at a location where the batt is to be installed. In each of these disclosed practices, the fungicide is externally applied to the binder, and the binder itself is not mold resistant. In each of these disclosed practices, manufacturing controls are lacking to control the fungicide concentration and to control dispersal of the fungicide in an even distribution throughout the batt. WO 02/092578 A1 discloses borax for infrared absorbing and scattering, but not for a fungicide. Thus, prior to the invention, adding fungicide to a completed batt lacks manufacturing controls to apply the fungicide with a controlled concentration. For example, manufacturing controls would be needed to prevent the fungicide from being handled and applied at potentially toxic levels of concentration. Further, manufacturing controls would be needed to establish ajustification for advertising and labeling the fibrous insulation as being mold resistant. Further, for example, in the future, a manufacturer of a fungicide may develop a recommended concentration to resist fungal growth, which would require manufacturing controls to apply the fungicide at the manufacturer's recommended concentration. Lacking manufacturing controls while adding a fungicide to a batt could induce instability in the measured physical properties of the batt. Thus, controlled amounts of fungicide avoid inducing the physical instability as found by testing the batt to meet industry standards for thickness recovery and other physical properties. Accordingly, there is a present need for a fibrous insulation having a controlled fungicide concentration. Further, there is a present need for a method of making a fibrous insulation with a controlled fungicide concentration. Further, there is a present need for a fibrous insulation having a dispersed additive that serves a useful function in the fibrous insulation, and further a fungicide is combined with the dispersed additive. Further, there is a present need for a fibrous insulation having a dispersed additive that is mold resistant. Further, there is a present need for a manufacturing process for dispersing a fungicide by a binder as the dispersed additive that bonds fibers to one another to make a mat of insulation. Further, there is a present need for a mat or loose fill, fibrous insulation having a dispersed fungicide. Further, there is a present need for a manufacturing process for dispersing a fungicide throughout a fibrous insulation. | <SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention provides a method of making a fibrous insulation by dispersing both a fungicide and a dispersed additive among a plurality of insulation fibers, followed by affixing the dispersed additive in place on the fibers. An advantage of the invention is that the fungicide is dispersed in a controlled concentration. Further, mold resistance of the fibrous insulation is enhanced. Further, the fibers are treated with fungicide during a formation stage of making fibrous insulation. A fungicide, herein, refers to a substance that destroys a fungus, as well as, a fungistat that inhibits or prohibits the growth of a fungus. According to embodiments of the invention, the fungicide is combined with the dispersed additive, for example, by being dissolved or absorbed in the dispersed additive, or by being mixed with the dispersed additive, such as, by chemical bonds or by an emulsion, for example. The method of the present invention alternatively makes loose fill insulation, wherein the dispersed additive is affixed on the fibers of the insulation. The dispersed additive affixes by physical, chemical or electrostatic interaction with the fibers. Alternatively, loose fill insulation is made by chopping and/or grinding a mat of fungicide treated fibers into small pieces, which are packaged. The method of the present invention alternatively makes a mat of insulation, such as, batts, rolls, duct liner, or boards, for thermal or acoustic insulation, wherein the dispersed additive is a binder that bonds the fibers to one another. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the step of controlling the fungicide concentration relative to a unit measure of dispersed additive and a unit measure of fibers. According to another embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method of making a fibrous insulation by dispersing a fungicide and a binder on a plurality of fibers, followed by, accumulating the fibers and the dispersed fungicide and binder, and curing the binder. An advantage of the invention is that the binder becomes mold resistant. Another advantage of the invention is that the fungicide is in the binder that bonds the fibers to one another. According to another embodiment of a method of the present invention, the method further includes a step of combining the fungicide and a binder in a fluid binder mix. The advantage, is that the fluid borne binder serves as a dispersed additive, and further is used as a dispersing agent for dispersing the fungicide. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes a step of combining the fungicide with water, followed by the step of mixing the binder and the fungicide in a fluid binder mix. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the step of stabilizing dispersal of the fungicide with an emulsifier. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the steps of, dispersing a fungicide on a plurality of fibers, followed by, dispersing a binder among the plurality of fibers, accumulating the fibers and the dispersed fungicide and dispersed binder, and curing the binder. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the step of controlling the fungicide concentration to limit instability of one or more physical properties of fibrous insulation. Further, the present invention provides a fibrous insulation having a fungicide in a binder, the binder being dispersed among a plurality of fibers, and the binder bonding the fibers to one another. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fungicide concentration is controlled relative to a unit measure of the binder dispersed on a unit measure of the fibers. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the fungicide concentration is controlled below a toxic level. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the fungicide concentration is controlled to limit instability of the physical properties of the insulation. According to another embodiment of the invention, a water vapor retarder covers at least a major surface of the mat. According to another embodiment of the invention, a water vapor retarder that has a fungicide covers at least a major surface of the mat. Other embodiments of the invention are apparent by way of example from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. | 20041012 | 20100824 | 20060413 | 88595.0 | D04H100 | 0 | THOMPSON, CAMIE S | FIBROUS INSULATION WITH FUNGICIDE | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | D04H | 2,004 |
|
10,963,353 | ACCEPTED | Environmental remediation method and apparatus | This invention relates to remediation systems, and more particularly to remediation systems for water, soil, and sediment bodies using thin-layer coated microbubbles. | 1-29. canceled. 30. An apparatus for remediating a contaminated area using a liquid-coated microbubble including one or more gases comprising: an injection well; a source of a liquid suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds; a source for delivering a gas; an aerosolizer for aerosolizing the gas; a microporous diffuser disposed in the well for generating coated microbubbles of a controlled size comprising the gas and a liquid coating. 31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the microporous diffuser injects the gas and liquid simultaneously. 32. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising: a controller for controlling the ratio of gas and liquid in generating the coated microbubble. 33. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising: a controller for controlling mixing of ambient air with said liquids. 34. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising: an agitator to pulse or surge the microbubbles into the well to improve transport of coated microbubbles through the contaminated area. 35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the agitator comprises a submersible pump. 36. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the bubble sizer for the coated microbubbles comprises: a layered fine bubble production chamber. 37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the controller for controlling mixing comprises: a wellhead control for equalizing flow between formations of differing permeability. 38. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the agitator alternates pumping of water and coated microbubble injection. 39. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the liquid oxidizing agent is hydrogen peroxide, or an intermediate by-product of decomposition of ozone and an organic compound, including formic peracid, acetic peracid, hydroxymethylhydroperoxide, or 2-hydroxy-2-propyl hydroperoxide. 40-55. canceled. | TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to remediation systems, and more particularly to remediation systems for water, soil, and sediment bodies. BACKGROUND There is a well-recognized need for remediation, or clean-up, of contaminants (e.g. chemicals) that exist in a variety of settings, including ground and surface water, aquifers, water supply pipes, soil, and sediment collections. These settings are frequently contaminated with various constituents such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These contaminated areas pose a threat to the environment, and ultimately to the health and safety of all living creatures. Thus, equipment and methods for effectively and safely dealing with remediation of environmental contaminants is of significant importance. SUMMARY According to one aspect of the invention, a remediation process includes generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds. According to another aspect of the invention, a remediation process includes generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting chemical degradation of organic compounds and generation of microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds. According to another aspect of the invention, a remediation process includes generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting chemical degradation of organic compounds wherein the microbubble is coated by introducing a liquid as an aerosol to a gas, which mixture is forced through a microporous material, resulting in the coated microbubble, and contacting the coated microbubble with the area to be remediated. According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for remediating a contaminated area using a liquid-coated microbubble including one or more gases includes an injection well and a source of a liquid suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds. The apparatus also includes a source for delivering a gas, an aerosolizer for aerosolizing the gas and a microporous diffuser disposed in the well for generating coated microbubbles of a controlled size comprising the gas and a liquid coating. According to another aspect of the invention, an aerosol head includes a reservoir of liquid and a tube supply with compressed air. The head also includes a mixing chamber where the liquid is drawn into the flowing gas and a spray head which controls the particle size and distribution of the aerosols. According to another aspect of the invention, a microbubble includes a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compound suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds. One or more aspects of the invention may include one or more of the following advantages. Thin-layer microbubbles with chemical or biological remediative characteristics, can be selected and engineered for particular remediation applications. The use of these coated microbubbles results in remediative processes wherein the microbubbles offer improved dispersion characteristics, improved reactivity characteristics, enhanced reestablishment of indigenous organisms in the treatment area, and broad applicability to a variety of treatment settings. This invention relates to thin-layer coated microbubbles and their use, including remediation systems, and more particularly to remediation systems for water, soil, and sediment bodies. The remediation can be in the form of chemical reaction (i.e., degradation) of various contaminants or in the form of enhancing environmental conditions, or the food or nutrient supply, to indigenous organisms (e.g., bacteria) in order to promote their activity in remediating the contaminants or by-products of the contaminant remediation. The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic of a Criegee oxidizer and nutribubble system. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a monitoring well screen modified for laminar diffuser injections. FIG. 3 illustrates a microbubble apparatus as used in soil/groundwater applications. FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a microbubble and processes within the microbubble. FIG. 5 illustrates one depiction of a zone of influence by dissolved oxygen change showing gyre formation around a microporous diffuser well due to mixing of microbubbles. FIG. 6 illustrates an example of remediation using compressed gas tanks instead of compressors to supply gas in non-power sites. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Contaminants are any agent that directly, or indirectly, has a detrimental effect on the environment or a living creature (e.g., human, animal, insect, plant). Contaminants include volatile organic compounds, non-volatile organic compounds, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (e.g., anthracene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, naphthalene); polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)(e.g., arochlor 1016); chlorinated hydrocarbons (e.g., tetrachloroethene, cis- and trans-dichloroethene, vinyl chloride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, methylene chloride, chloroform, etc.); methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE); and BTEX (e.g., benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and the like); explosive residues (e.g., nitrobenzenes, RDX, trinitrotoluene (TNT), etc.); and chlorinated pesticides (e.g., chlordane, heptachlor, etc.). The microbubbles, apparatuses, and methods herein are useful in remediating contaminants, including any one, or combination of, those delineated herein. Chemical reaction is any interaction between two or more chemicals resulting in a chemical change in the original reactants. The reactions may be oxidative or reductive in nature. The reaction can occur in any state, including the solid, gaseous, or liquid state or an interface thereof. The reaction can be enhanced (e.g., efficiency improved, reaction rate increased) by addition of one or more catalysts. Biological reactions are any reaction that involves a biological process (e.g., bacterial metabolism, bacterial growth or proliferation). For example, in the processes delineated herein, certain organic compounds are subject to oxidative or reductive chemical degradation, resulting in lower molecular weight fragments or by-products. These by-products may be involved in bacterial metabolism such that they are “consumed” by the bacteria thereby undergoing a biological reaction or degradation. In other instances, the processes delineated herein provide nutrients (e.g., oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, phosphorous, potassium) such that bacterial growth, support, or proliferation can occur upon consumption of the nutrients. These are also considered biological reactions. Further, certain processes delineated herein using oxidative chemical reaction conditions, such as ozone, result in oxygen as a by-product (e.g., reduction of ozone to oxygen), which can act as feed for certain indigenous bacteria in the remediation area. Such enhancement of biological function, or bioremediation, is also considered within the scope of biological reaction. Referring to FIG. 1, injection well treatment system 10 includes microporous diffusers 12 disposed through an injection well to treat subsurface waters of an aquifer. The arrangement 10 includes a well 14 having a casing 16 with an inlet screen 18 and outlet screen 20 to promote a recirculation of water into the casing 16 and through the surrounding ground area. The casing 16 supports the ground and aquifer about the well. Disposed through the casing is the microporous diffuser 12. The injection well treatment system 10 includes master unit 22, which includes a controller 31, an air compressor 32, a compressor/pump control mechanism 34, and an ozone (O3) generator 36. Microporous diffusers 12 are in communication with master unit 22 by way of gas transfer line 24 and liquid transfer line 26, each of which is a pipe made of suitable material to accommodate transfer of the appropriate fluid to microporous diffusers 12. The air compressor 32 can feed a stream of air into the microporous diffuser 12 whereas, the compressor pump control 34 feeds a stream of air mixed with ozone (O3) from the ozone generator 36 into microporous diffuser 12 to affect substantial removal of contaminants. The treatment system 10 also includes a pump 38 that supplies a liquid decontamination agent such as hydrogen peroxide as well as nutrients such as biologically promotion agents, including carbon, nitrogen. phosphorous or potassium sources, from a source 39. The system 10 can also supply catalyst agents such as iron containing compounds such as iron silicates or palladium containing compounds such as palladized carbon. In addition, other materials such as platinum may also be used. The treatment system 10 makes use of a gas-gas reaction of contaminant vapors and ozone (described below) that can be supplemented with a liquid phase reaction. The use of hydrogen peroxide as a thin film coating on the bubbles promotes the decomposition rate by adding a secondary liquid phase reactive interface as volatile compounds enter the gaseous phase. It also expands the types of compounds that can be effectively removed. Alternatively, the pump control 38 can simply feed water. In addition, the biological nutrients can aid in the promotion of growth of bacteria to aid in bioremediation after treatment with ozone as described below. Remediation using the equipment and techniques delineated herein can be performed to a variety of areas, including, for example, bodies of water (e.g., ground, surface, supply conduits including pipe systems), soil areas (saturated or unsaturated with liquids, e.g., water), and collections of sediments. A suitable area for remediation using the ozone/nutribubble technique is one in which the hydraulic conductivity of the geologic formation is between 10−1 and 10−6 cm/sec. In one embodiment, the remedial area is first treated with ozone/air microbubbles coated with hydroperoxide if necessary for specific bond cleavage or increase in oxidative potential. Ozone reacts in an aqueous and gaseous form to degrade aromatic ring compounds (BTEX) and certain ethers (MTBE). It also breaks apart long-chain aliphatic compounds. Following removal of BTEX/MTBE compounds, oxygen-enriched air bubbles are coated with a nutrient mixture and injected into the aquifer. The fine bubbles serve to assist in pumping the nutrients through the capillary structure of the formation being treated. The bubbles assist in removing CO2 as well as supplying oxygen for respiration. Nutribubbles are any coated microbubble wherein the gas in the bubble, the thin-layer bubble coating, or combinations thereof, include a nutrient (e.g., oxygen, nitrogen, carbon source, phosphorus source), that is, a material that is useful for enhancement of the survival, growth, or proliferation of an organism, such as bacteria. Introduction of the ozone/nutribubbles is accomplished by the microporous diffusers, which receive the simultaneous supply of gas and liquid. The pulsed injection of gas through the diffuser eliminates the common problem of plugging of injection wells. Pulsing refers to a systematic, or cyclic, sequence of injection of a material into the remediation area. For example, in the methods delineated herein, a sequence can be invoked wherein a treatment area is injected with the coated microbubbles delineated herein, followed by injection (or pumping) of water, followed by a rest period, whereupon the sequence is commenced again, and repeated in periodic cycles (e.g., 15-30 minute intervals). In this manner, a “pressure wave” is effectively produced that assists in dispersion of the microbubbles through the treatment area. The injection well can be a monitoring well, where a microporous diffuser is placed to take advantage of the existing well. Referring to FIG. 2, a modified well screen having a laminar diffuser is illustrated. The modified well screen is comprised of screened PVC pipe having a 0.02 in. slot size with a inflated packer to produce an isolated portion of the well screen disposed between a microporous diffuser and upper portions of the well. Bentonite is disposed about the inflated packer. The microporous diffuser receives gas (e.g., air/ozone, nitrogen) and liquid (e.g., hydroperoxide or nutrients) in transfer lines otherwise using an apparatus similarly to that described in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 3, an alternative microbubble apparatus 40 useful in soil/groundwater remediation applications includes an aerosolizer 42, a mixing chamber 44 and a T-junction 46. The apparatus 40 includes the elements of the system of FIG. 1 namely, microporous diffusers 12 disposed through an injection well 14. The well 14 has a casing 16 that can have an inlet screen (not shown) and outlet screen (not shown) to promote a recirculation of water into the casing 16 and through the surrounding ground area. The injection well treatment system 10 also includes an air compressor 32, a compressor/pump control mechanism 34, and an ozone (O3) generator 36. The compressor pump control 34 feeds a stream of air mixed with ozone (O3) from the ozone generator 36 into microporous diffuser 12 via through the aerosolizer 42 and the mixing chamber 44. A major portion of the liquid stream goes directly to the mixing chamber whereas a minor portion goes to the aerosolizer. The aerosolizer also receives a liquid steam of a decontaminant liquid e.g., hydrogen peroxide, or other liquid oxidizer and/or biological nutrients from a source 50. The mixing chamber 44 is coupled to the well head 48. Still referring to FIG. 3, the coated microbubble 52 includes a gas region 56 surrounded by thin-layer coating 54. Aerosol particles 58 are dispersed within the gas region and within the thin-layer coating 54. Thin-layer coating 54 includes one or more components, such as oxidants, catalysts, acids, or nutrients. Upon leaving microporous diffuser 12, coated microbubbles 52 diffuse throughout the treatment area (e.g., aquifer, ground water, soil, sediment). For example, coated microbubbles 52 can travel through capillary networks (or pores) in the soil. Within the capillary networks, coated microbubbles 52 contact groundwater (in saturated soil) within the capillary network. Upon contact with the groundwater, the coated microbubbles 52 react with the organic chemicals (or other contaminants) in the groundwater, thus leading to degradation of the organic chemicals or contaminants. The coated microbubbles 52 can also diffuse in unsaturated soil capillary networks, where the pores are predominately gaseous containing. Referring to FIG. 4, a schematic representation of a microbubble 60 is shown, wherein ozone is the gas and hydroperoxide is the liquid. The microbubble 60 has a gas region 68, and a thin-layer coating 64 defined by an internal interface 62 and an external interface 66. In ozone/hydroperoxide combinations, the gas region 68 includes ozone gas. Criegee-like oxidation processes occur at the interfaces of the thin-layer coating 64 such that the thin-layer coating can include both reactants (e.g., hydroperoxide) as well as Criegee oxidation by-products (e.g., hydroxide radicals, peroxy acids) resulting from the interaction of ozone and hydroperoxide. Thin-layer coating 64 advantageously provides for these reactants and by-products to remain in proximity to allow further reaction and to facilitate more efficient interaction of the reactants with the organic compounds or contaminants. The various partitioning effects of the solid-liquid-gas phases of coated microbubble 60 are also illustrated. For example, with respect to the microbubble, solubility (gas-aqueous partitioning) and its counterpart (aqueous-gas partitioning, governed by Henry's Constant) are processes relating to gas-aqueous phase interactions. Adsorption (gas-solid, liquid-solid) and its counterparts, stripping (solid-gas) and solubility (solid-aqueous) relate to gas-solid and liquid-solid partitioning processes. The interaction of these processes, both in the coated microbubble itself and through its interaction with the treatment area, contribute to the behavior, and advantages, of the coated microbubbles for remediation applications. The introduction of ozone has an action similar to steaming of soils in reducing indigenous bacterial populations within 10 ft. (ca. 3 m) of the injection well, while additionally degrading organics to more readily attackable forms. Ozone also naturally decomposes to oxygen, theoretically supplying up to ten times the dissolvable oxygen content found with direct air injection. Oxygen-enriched air injection with nutrients purges the remaining ozone residual, allowing indigenous bacterial species capable of organic residue metabolism to quickly expand through the formation. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of how coated microbubbles diffuse in a treatment area. In FIG. 5, injection well system 71, is a system similar to those described, for example, in FIG. 1 or FIG. 6 herein. It has a microporous diffuser 12 for release of the coated microbubbles. Monitoring wells 73 (depicted as KV-1, KV-2, KV-3, KV-4, KV-5, and KV-6) are used to monitor the products and by-products produced after coated microbubble treatment. Upon release of coated microbubbles into the ground, the coated microbubbles flow (and displace water in a similar flow pattern) in patterns depicted as flow patterns 75, 76, and 77. In this manner, mixing of the coated microbubbles in the treatment area occurs. Over time (e.g., 3 days, 20 days and so forth) these flow patterns result in oxidative reaction zones 78 and 79, respectively. These reactive zones are areas in which the coated microbubbles have caused more concentrated degradation due to more focused contact and reactivity. The dispersion of the coated microbubbles, however, is not limited to these reactive zones exclusively, rather the coated microbubbles are capable of flowing in all directions. FIG. 6 illustrates an example of how the injection well treatment system can be modified for non-power accessible sites. Well treatment system 80 includes elements of the system of FIG. 1, including microporous diffusers 12 disposed through an injection well 14. The liquid coating material is supplied by compressed gas tank 82 in communication with cap 90. Liquid supply 84 provides the coating materials (e.g., oxidants, catalysts, nutrients) via siphon line 92 to cap 90, which can be performed with or without application of pressure (i.e., with or without a compressor). A gas in compressed gas tank 86 is transferred via tubing through valve and flow meter assembly 88 to cap 90. The cap 90 is in communication with microporous diffusers 12 via gas and liquid transfer lines 22 and 24, respectively, and combination of the gas and liquid results in generation of coated microbubbles. Microbiological degradation is a technique to degrade complex organic compounds. The rate of reaction depends upon the type of microbe, the substrate compound targeted as food, and the rate of gaseous exchange. Bubbling oxygen-enriched air through an aqueous solution of substrate compound, supplied with the nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), can encourage rapid metabolism and reproduction of microbes, which consume the organic compounds. There are specific ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) to promote an efficient reaction. Often these reflect the molecular ratio of the elements in the growth of microbes and are used to expand the population numbers. During microbial degradation of the carbon compounds, oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced. If there is insufficient oxygen, the reaction will be self-limiting, abruptly slowing and eventually stopping. The basic microbial process of biodegradation (aerobic) can be portrayed as a conversion of oxygen (O2) to CO2 and water plus more bacteria: Whereas the reaction may proceed rapidly in vat or surface vessels, maintaining an efficient and continuous degradation is much more difficult in porous soils. Often evidence of natural biodegradation is shown by excess CO2 in the overlying unsaturated soil zone (vadose zone) and low oxygen content in the saturated (aqueous) zone. The depletion of natural electron acceptors (O2, NO3, SO4, Fe(III)), the depletion of natural electron donors (organic acids, e.g., acetate, lactate, H2), the buildup of anaerobic metabolism gases such as CO2, and the depletion of mineral nutrients (NH3, NO3, PO4, K) regulate the rate of biodegradation. The choice of oxidants can be used to tailor the remediation process for a selected class of chemical compounds, thus allowing one to design a remediation system for a particular application. This is accomplished by an analysis of the volatile organic compound to be remediated, taking into account its Henry's Constant value (see, Tables 1 and 2), which is an indicator of its proclivity to move from the liquid to the gaseous phase of an interface. By matching this transfer rate with that of the reactivity rate of a particular oxidant, the remediation process can be tailored such that the particular volatile organic compound is optimally reacted (and therefore remediated) relative to other volatile organic compounds present. TABLE 1 Ideal for Ozone and Ozone/Hydroperoxide Henry's Law Constant High Henry's Constants (≧10−5) (atm-m3/mole) Benzene 5.6 × 10−3 Benzo(a) pyrene 1.1 × 10−4 Benzo(b) fluoranthene 1.1 × 10−4 Bromodichloromethane 1.6 × 10−3 Bromoform 5.5 × 10−4 Bromomethane 6.2 × 10−3 Carbofuran 9.2 × 10−5 Carbon Tetrachloride 3.0 × 10−2 Carbon Disulfide 3.0 × 10−2 Chlordane 4.9 × 10−5 Chloroethane 6.2 × 10−4 Chloroform 2.7 × 10−3 Chloromethane 8.8 × 10−3 Chrysene 9.5 × 10−5 1,2 Dibromoethane (EDB) 6.7 × 10−4 Dibromochloromethane 8.7 × 10−4 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane 1.5 × 10−4 1,2-Dichlorobenzene 1.9 × 10−3 1,3-Dichlorobenzene 3.3 × 10−3 1,4-Dichlorobenzene 2.4 × 10−3 Dichlorodifluoromethane 3.4 × 10−3 1,1-Dichloroethane 5.6 × 10−3 1,2-Dichloroethane 9.8 × 10−4 1,2-Dichloroethylene (cis) 4.1 × 10−3 1,2-Dichloroethylene (trans) 9.4 × 10−3 1,1-Dichloroethylene 2.6 × 10−2 1,2-Dichloropropane 2.8 × 10−3 1,3-Dichloropropene 1.8 × 10−2 Dioxins 5.6 × 10−3 Ethyl Benzene 8.4 × 10−3 Fluorene 1.0 × 10−4 Fluorotrichloromethane (freon 11) 9.7 × 10−2 Heptachlor 1.1 × 10−3 Heptachlor epoxide 3.2 × 10−5 Hexachlorobenzene 1.3 × 10−3 Lindane 1.4 × 10−5 Methoxychlor 1.6 × 10−5 Methyl isobutyl ketane 1.4 × 10−4 Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) 2.7 × 10−5 Methylene chloride 2.0 × 10−3 Monochlorobenzene 3.8 × 10−3 n-Hexane 1.4 × 10−2 Napththalene 4.8 × 10−4 Polychlorinated biphenyls 1.1 × 10−3 Pyrene 1.1 × 10−5 Styrene 2.8 × 10−3 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane 2.4 × 10−3 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane 4.6 × 10−4 Tetrachloroethylene 1.8 × 10−2 Toluene 6.6 × 10−3 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene 1.4 × 10−3 1,1,1-Trichloroethane 1.7 × 10−2 1,2,3-Trichloropropane 3.4 × 10−4 Trichloroethylene 1.0 × 10−2 Trifluralin 2.6 × 10−5 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 5.6 × 10−3 Vinyl chloride 2.7 × 10−2 Xylene (mixed o-, m-, and p-) 7.0 × 10−3 TABLE 2 Moderate Henry's Constants But Breakdown Products With High Henry's Constants Henry's Constant Dibutyl phthalate 1.8 × 10−6 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid 1.0 × 10−8 Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 3.6 × 10−7 2,4-Dinitrotoluene 1.3 × 10−7 2,6-Dinitrotoluene 7.5 × 10−7 Dinoseb 4.6 × 10−7 Endrin 7.5 × 10−6 Fluoranthrene 6.5 × 10−6 Pentachlorophenol 2.4 × 10−6 Phenol 3.3 × 10−7 Pyridine 8.9 × 10−6 Toxaphene 6.6 × 10−6 The rate of biodegradation in natural formations is very slow compared to above-ground settings. The ability to mix gases, electron donors, or nutrients with organic contaminates is limited by the porosity and hydraulic conductivity of saturated soils. Porous soils tend to encourage movement of liquids as slugs, not easily mixing with existing groundwater. The rate of natural movement is slow and determined by existing groundwater gradients. Velocities of natural flows commonly run 0.1 to 2 ft/day. The natural flow across a 100 ft wide contaminant zone may take 50 to 1000 days. The capability to remove product waste products is similarly hindered. To address these issues, an efficient technique to provide reaction promoters and simultaneously to remove unnecessary products is desirable. “Food” in the form of carbon sources which provide energy (electron donors) is available in liquid form. Nutrients also can be mixed with “food” forms to assure ready availability of all required components for remediation conditions and organism growth enhancing environments. The presence of both as a coating to oxygen-enriched air provides bacteria with a very mobile nutrient system. In addition, gaseous products such as CO2 can be transported away (i.e., displaced from the remediation area) as the gas rises. Microbubble technology provides the necessary attributes to meet these needs. A microbubble can be “coated” by forcing microbubbles from less than about 200 microns, e.g., 0.5 to 200 micron size through a porous liquid stream in a diffuser, (e.g., a “laminated” Microporous Spargepoint® diffuser (Model Nos. SPT2000 and SPT2010), available from K-V Associates, Inc., Mashpee, Mass.) or by introducing aerosolized liquid particles into the gas stream supplying a diffuser. While not being bound by theory, generally, coatings made by forcing the microbubble through the liquid stream result in relatively thicker coatings caused, in part, by the thicker reaction points of the liquid forced through the gaseous phase in the diffuser. Conversely, those generated by the aerosol method result in microbubbles with relatively thinner coatings caused, in part, by the finer porous points of the liquid when introduced as an aerosol. Thicker coatings generally elevate the reactivity of the microbubble, particularly in oxidative reactivity. For example, thicker coatings of oxidative material is associated with increased Criegee oxidative capacity or oxidative potential (see, Dowideit and Sonntag, Environ. Sci. Technol. 1998, 32, 112-1119, incorporated by reference in its entirety), that is, the ability of the microbubble to break bonds of the chemical compound or contaminant subject to oxidative degradation. The thickness of a coating can be ascertained by techniques such as microscopic capillary analysis of the microbubbles with dyes (e.g., India ink), backlighting, or photoelectric cell detection methods. The microbubbles can include a thin-layer coating having a material suitable for oxidative reactivity. So called, “high oxidative capacity” or “advanced oxidative” systems (e.g., using potassium or sodium permanganate, ozone in high concentrations, Fenton's reagent) are capable of particularly efficient chemical reactivity (e.g., bond breaking capacity, carbon-containing compound reactivity) useful in contaminant degradation processes. These reactions are characterized in that they have oxidation potentials in excess of 2.0 (based on electrochemical reactions at 25° C.). The microbubbles delineated herein are advantageous in that they can be designed to optimize their suitability for certain applications in remediation technology. For example, the microbubbles can be formed and shaped in the various manners described above (e.g., using a microporous diffuser, or aerosolized liquid and a microporous diffuser). Depending on their size and thickness, certain reactivity profiles can be achieved. Additionally, the composition of the gas in the bubble, as well as the type of liquid coating selected can be chosen to accomplish various oxidative or reductive degradation profiles, and catalysts (e.g., metals in microparticle form, acids) can be incorporated into the microbubble to increase reactivity and degradation efficiency of the microbubble. Moreover, the methods of generating microbubbles allow for control of the stoichiometry of the chemical components in the microbubble, again allowing for the ability to tailor the microbubble to a specific profile for a desired application or reactivity By increasing the flow of liquid during the flow of gas, the thickness of the coating can be increased. The strength of oxidation capacity can be effected by increasing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the liquid phase as well as increasing the ozone content in the gas phase. The size of the microbubble can also be varied by controlling the pressure of the gas during generation of the microbubble and by choice of the diffuser pore size. For example, by generating smaller coated microbubbles, the surface to volume ratio increases, which improves reactivity of the microbubble. Additionally, in instances where a coating thickness is held constant, a smaller coated microbubble effectively has a “thicker” coating relative to a larger coated microbubble, thus resulting in a coated microbubble with a “thicker” coating and greater surface area (relative to volume), which both contribute to increased reactivity (e.g., in oxidative coating applications, higher oxidative potential). Normally, the range of fluid to gas varies from parity (1:1) to about 1:100. This corresponds to a coating thicken of 0.3 (30%) increase in radius down to 0.01 (1%). Table 3 illustrates the relationship between gas and. liquid volumes and variance in the coating thickness. TABLE 3 Relationship of Microbubble Gas Volume to Liquid Volume with Change in Coating Thickness Microbubble Size (mm) Radius Diameter 1.0 mm .10 mm .01 mm .001 mm (2000 micron) (200 micron) (20 micron) (2 micron) Gas Volume 4.189 mm3 (1 m3/day) .00419 mm3 .00000419 mm3 .00000000419 mm3 Liquid Volume (tenths of radius) .05 660 mm3 (.157 m3/day) 0.00066 mm3 0.00000066 mm3 0.0000000066 mm3 .10 1.387 mm3 (.33 m3/day) .00138 mm3 .00000138 mm3 .00000000138 mm3 .20 3.049 mm3 (.73 m3/day) .00305 mm3 .00000305 mm3 .00000000305 mm3 Surface Area 12.57 mm2 .1257 mm2 .001257 mm2 .00001257 mm2 Surface-to- 3 30 300 3000 Volume Ratio Microbubbles can also be selected according to a controlled size using a layered fine bubble production chamber. The layered fine bubble production chamber is a chamber in which a liquid is placed under pressure and microbubbles are generated. That is, over a period of time, an environment is provided where the microbubbles segregate by size (e.g., larger microbubbles rise and smaller microbubbles remain) thus allowing a mixture predominated by a particular microbubble size (or size range) to be established prior to injection into the treatment area. This is suitable for use, for example, where smaller microbubbles may be desired (i.e., for their higher surface to volume ratio). One example of such control relates to the “Law of the Minimum”, which states that bacterial growth will stop when the nutrient that was present in the lowest concentration (relative to the requirement) is exhausted, becomes a problem since the rest of the mixture is useless. If that substance is replenished, growth will stop when the next substance is exhausted. By providing a means of ready mixing of the constituents and having the capacity to modify the electron accelerator and nutrient ratios, using metabolic products as a guide (e.g., monitoring by-products formation in real time by sampling via a monitoring well and analyzing the samples using, for example, gas chromatography or other suitable analytical technique), the rate of metabolism can be adjusted and maximized. In another embodiment, the methods herein can be applied such that an existing monitoring well can be used as an injection well for the microbubble diffuser. Microbubbles form a unique physical and chemical environment which can effectively treat waterborne or attached (adsorbed) volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Diffusers, or spargers, placed in groundwater or saturated soil provide extremely small “microbubbles” with a very high surface area to volume ratio. This high surface area to volume ratio maximizes the VOC transfer from the liquid phase to gas phase. If the air bubbles are filled with an oxidizing gas, like ozone, the VOCs react with the ozone and are destroyed while still in the water column. This “in-situ” combined VOC recovery and destruction not only obviates the need for an additional process step but also enhances the physical and chemical kinetics of the process. Microporous diffusers suitable for use in the methods described herein are those having the ability to deliver a gas and a liquid such that microbubbles less than about 200 microns, preferably between about 0.5 and 200 microns, are produced including the gas therein and a thin layer of the liquid material coating the microbubble. The diffuser can be constructed of a variety of materials suitable for the gases and liquids to be delivered, such materials include, for example, stainless steel, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, e.g., TEFLON), acetal (e.g., DELRIN), or polypropylene. The diffuser can include concentric tubes of microporous material, optionally having additional packing materials (e.g., hydrophobic plastics, hydrophilic plastics, beads, interconnected fibers) sandwiched between the tubes to facilitate creation of the gas-liquid interface in the microbubble. These materials aid the liquid coating process of the gas flowing through the diffuser in the generation of microbubbles, in part by their hydrophilic or hydrophobic nature to enhance coating, and in part by their ability to increase the positioning of the liquid to optimize contact with the gas flowing through. Examples of diffusers suitable for use in the methods delineated herein include the laminar microporous SPARGEPOINT® diffuser or the C-SPARGER® diffuser (both available from K-V Associates, Inc., Mashpee, Mass.). Aerosols or aerosolized liquid particles are one method by which coated microbubbles can be formed. The aerosolized particles are produced using an aerosolizer (see, FIG. 3), including any apparatus suitable for providing an aerosolized form of a liquid (e.g., a commercial airbrush Badger 150). The aerosolized liquid particles can be any suitable for use in the coating application (i.e., chemical or biological reaction) and remediation process of interest, including for example, oxidants (e.g., hydroperoxides, potassium permanganate, Fenton's reagent (hydrogen peroxide and Fe(II))), catalysts (e.g., as delineated below), acids, (e.g., acetic, lactic), and nutrients (e.g., as delineated below). The aerosol can be generated using an aerosol head including a reservoir of liquid or liquid and microfine particles mixture; a siphon tube made of e.g., TEFLON or resistant flexible plastic; a tube supply with compressed air; a mixing chamber where the liquid is drawn into the flowing gas; a spray head which controls the particle size and distribution of the aerosols; and a compression fitting which directs the aerosol flow into the air/ozone gas stream. The mixing chamber can be, for example, a Bernoulli chamber, that is, any chamber that (in accordance with Bernoulli's principle) is capable of compressing a fluid through a narrower opening into a larger chamber resulting in a variance in pressure. The aerosol head can further include connecting tubing such as TEFLON tubing ⅜″ to ½″ in diameter, polyvinyl chloride tubing ½″ to 1″ in diameter, with o-ring seals (e.g., VITON) and threaded 5 ft. sections. The aerosol head is in communication with the microporous diffusers, in a manner to maintain a sufficient rate of gas flow to avoid condensing of the aerosol flow. The aerosol spray head can e adjustable to vary the liquid flow feed rate from between about {fraction (1/10)} to {fraction (1/10,000)} of the flow of the air/ozone volume flow. Also, the aerosol flow can be introduced continuously with the air/ozone flow. Catalysts are any material that is useful in catalyzing the desired chemical transformation or process to promote quicker or more efficient reaction. The catalysts are presented as micron-sized particles to augment the interface region of the microbubble. For example, transition metals including palladium (Pd), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe), in elemental or salt forms; sulfur compounds including sulfates and sulfides. Additionally, the acidity of reactions processes can be modified to enhance reactivity, and therefore the remediation processes herein. For chemical reactions (i.e., remediation processes) that are more effective under lower pH conditions (i.e., acidic, pH less than 7) the microbubbles can be coated with an acidic coating, thus, lowering the pH of the interface and increasing the reaction rate and efficiency of the remediation process. The acid can also be incorporated in a coating having other liquids in it where beneficial (e.g., increased reactivity, efficiency) chemical effects can be realized, for example, acid and iron (II or III) salts (e.g., Fenton's reagent), which in combination can catalyze the oxidative reactivity of the coated microbubble. This is advantageous in soil aquifers, where it is impractical to acidify the entire aquifer, and is also useful in reactions and remediation processes involving halocarbon contaminants. The gases useful in the microbubbles are any that are suitable for chemical or biological reaction and remediation. For example, in oxidative applications, ozone, oxygen and air are suitable gases. In reductive applications, nitrogen or hydrogen can be used. The gas suitable for an application is dependent, in part, on criteria such as the reaction desired, or the bacterial growth requirements (aerobic or anaerobic). The gas can be generated in situ (e.g., ozone generator), provided using a compressor, or provided via compressed tanks (e.g.,. Nutrient coatings on the microbubbles are any suitable nutrient for bacterial (aerobic or anaerobic) growth. Such nutrients include, for example, carbon sources (e.g., carbohydrates, sugars, beer, milk products, methanogens, organic acids such as acetic and lactic acids, organic esters such as acetates, proprionates, organic ketones such as acetone), nitrogen sources (e.g., ammonia, nitrates, ammonium nitrate), phosphorous sources (e.g., soluble phosphates, etc), and potassium sources (e.g., 10,000 ppm of lactate; 680 ppm NH4NO3; 200 ppm KH2PO4 to provide sources of carbon and nitrogen, and phosphorus and potassium). Generally, environments suitable for bacterial support and growth are made up of the nutrients in the following relative ratios: carbon (ca. 1000 parts), nitrogen (ca. 150 parts), phosphorous (ca. 30 parts), sulfur, potassium, and sodium (ca. 10 parts each), calcium, magnesium, and chloride (ca. 5 parts each), iron (ca. 2 parts), and any remainder elements in trace amounts, with the ratios based on molar equivalents, which may be in the form of either elemental or ionic (i.e., salt) forms, or a combination thereof. Advantageous aspects of the invention include: 1) gas/liquid thin-layer microbubble oxidation to predigest and sterilize around injection locations; 2) simultaneous injection of nutrients and food source with gas in proportion to optimal ratio for assimilation; 3) injection of nutrients to provide a coating (thin layer) on gas (oxygen-enriched air) being injected into porous soil capillaries; 4) introduction in a pulsed manner with microbubbles of 5 to 100 micron diameter sized to pores of soil to avoid fracturing of soil and to enhance transport through capillary-like soil voids; 5) use of microporous diffusers (e.g., Spargepoint®) or aerosolized liquids and microporous diffusers for simultaneous introduction of gas and liquid mixtures into coated microbubbles engineered for specific characteristics (e.g., size, shape, reactivity, composition). In order that the invention described herein may be more readily understood, the following examples are set forth. It should be understood that these examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting this invention in any manner. All references cited herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. EXAMPLES Bench-scale tests were conducted on soil samples collected from a site located in Paterson, N.J. and augmented with PCBs (e.g., arochlor 1260). The purpose of the tests was to evaluate the response of volatile organic compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds contained in soil aliquots extracted from these soil samples to an aqueous environment containing various injected concentrations of sparged air with ozone or sparged air with ozone plus varying concentrations of injected hydrogen peroxide. During each test, treated and untreated aqueous samples were collected from the test cell at regular time intervals and field screened with portable gas chromatograph for ionizable compounds. Prior to, and following each test, soil and groundwater samples were collected from the test cell for confirmatory laboratory analyses. Testing Procedure Initial bench-scale testing included putting approximately 5 grams of soil sample in a 40 ml VOA vial with 30 ml of water and allowing headspace to develop, then screening the headspace in an HNu Systems Model 321 portable gas chromatograph. The purpose of this step was to extrapolate the volume of soil necessary to produce an instrument response in the GC that was noticeable for further testing. Subsequent testing included stirring approximately 40 grams of soil sample in 500 ml of water contained in an Erlenmeyer flask and subjecting the entire solution to sparged air containing approximately 100 ppmv of ozone. This test was conducted under 0 psig with aqueous samples collected from the test cell at time intervals of 0, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes and field screened with portable gas chromatograph for ionizable compounds. Following the above preliminary bench-scale tests, further testing was conducted in a larger glass volume container to allow for split sampling of soil and groundwater samples to a certified laboratory for confirmatory analyses. This test cell included mounting a stopper on the 1,000 ml container and drilling holes in the stopper to allow for various tubing diameters to pass through the stopper to accommodate: an external pressure gauge T'd with a pressure relief valve; a sample guideport to permit below-water-level aqueous sampling; a gas line for a mini-laminate Spargepoint® (1.5 inch in height and 1.5 inch in diameter); and injection of treatment liquids such as a 3% solution of hydroperoxide or peracid precursor. The following four bench-scale tests were all conducted under 5 psig. Split groundwater samples were collected at the beginning and end of each test run and sent to a Massachusetts state-certified laboratory for volatile organic analysis. Soil samples were collected at the beginning of each test run and sent to a Massachusetts state-certified laboratory for volatile organic analysis. Soil samples were collected at the beginning of each test run and sent to a Massachusetts state-certified laboratory for volatile and semi-volatile organic analysis. A soil sample was collected at the end of each test run and sent to a Massachusetts state-certified laboratory for semi-volatile organic analyses. Results The soil samples appeared to contain weathered oil as well as other organic compounds. Review of the portable gas chromatograms indicate the nearly complete attenuation of ionizable compounds by the end of each test run. The last set, using a 300 ppmv ozone concentration and 2 ml/min hydroperoxide, gave the lowest baseline response of the four treatments. The introduction of hydroperoxide with ozone as a bubble coating appeared superior in treatment than a batch mixing with an added slug of equivalent volume. A final additional test set was performed by increasing the oxidant concentrations to 300 ppmv ozone with 10 ml 10% hydroperoxide and 3000 ppmv with 30 ml 10% hydroperoxide as a bubble coating. The results of the test are presented in Table 4. After oxidation, the nutribubble introduction was started and continued until remaining concentrations drop below 10 μg/kg. TABLE 4 Removal of PCBs and PAHs from contaminated sediment by ozone plus hydroperoxide, introduced as bubble coating, 30-minute bench-scale test. Initial Ozone + Hydroperoxide Concentration 300 ppmv + 3000 ppmv + Compound (μg/kg) 10 ml 10% 30 ml 10% % Removal Arochlor 1260 23,300 3,900 5,000 79 Naphthalene 21,000 750 650 97 2-Methylnaphthalene 13,000 710 BRL 99 Acenaphthylene 15,000 BRL BRL 99 Benzo(a)anthracene 18,000 5,800 2,400 86 Benzo(b)fluoranthene 17,000 5,800 3,100 82 Benzo(k)fluoranthene 17,000 5,400 2,700 84 Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene 17,000 4,900 2,300 86 Indo(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene 18,000 5,100 2,300 87 Phenanthracene 17,000 4,200 2,000 87 Pyrene 40,000 13,000 5,500 86 Field Operations and Implementation The process of administration of the liquid and gas would be in-situ, with use of laminar diffusers (e.g., Spargepoints®). FIG. 1 presents a schematic diagram of the K-V Associates Criegee oxidizer with simultaneous liquid and gas supply. The individual diffusers (e.g., Spargepoints®) are drilled into the contaminated aquifer region to be treated. The timer-controller delivers liquid and gas simultaneously. The number of diffusers (e.g., Spargepoints®) depend upon the volume to be treated. The microbubble operating system is used to field treat about 1 cubic meter of saturated soil contained in a plastic trash bin runs on house current (120 volts AC, 15 amp). The reactivity of ozone with benzene, phenanthrene, naphthalene, pyrene, and chrysene is well-documented in the scientific literature. Old diesel fuel or coal tar residues often contain these compounds. Not uncommonly, PCBs are encountered with these organics, presenting a difficult mix to remediate. The bench test of the coated microbubbles resulted in a removal varying from 79% to 99% for the mixture of PAHs and PCBs, with initial oxidant treatment. For the arochlor example (See, Table 5), this corresponds to remediation from about 23,300 μg/kg initial concentration to about 3,900 μg/kg upon initial oxidant treatment. Switching to nutribubble injection can be successful in bringing the total removal rate to less than 10 μg/kg of treated soil. Representative results are delineated in Table 4. The designation “below reportable levels” (BRL) signifies that concentrations were below those detectable according to the analytical techniques and instrumentation used. TABLE 5 Removal of HVOCs (PCE and TCE), PCBs (Arochlor 1016), and PAHs (Nitrobenzene, Phenanthrene, Anthacene, and Pyrene) in Contaminated Soil During Pilot Test with Hydroperoxide-Thickened Microbubbles (Concentrations in ppb-μg/kg (Soil) or μg/L (Water) Pilot Test Test 3 Air/Ozone/ Test 2 Hydroperoxide Test 1 Air/Ozone (500 ppmv)/12% solution Air-Sparge Only (500 ppmv) .7 cfm .7 cfm/6 cc/min Run Minutes 0 120 0 120 0 60 240 TCE 1900 150 1,,200 60 8100 210 BRL GW 79 BRL 50 BRL 870 — BRL Soil PCE 1,400 110 510 34 4,000 86 12 GW 64 BRL 56 50 480 — BRL Soil Nitrobenzene — — — — 6,000 4,300 2,100 (Soil) Phenanthrene — — — — 8,800 7,500 7,100 (Soil) Anthracene — — — — 11,000 9,000 8,400 (Soil) Pyrene — — — — 10,000 10,000 9,000 (Soil) Arochlor 1016 — — — — 2,900 1,400 1,100 (PCB) (Soil) A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>There is a well-recognized need for remediation, or clean-up, of contaminants (e.g. chemicals) that exist in a variety of settings, including ground and surface water, aquifers, water supply pipes, soil, and sediment collections. These settings are frequently contaminated with various constituents such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These contaminated areas pose a threat to the environment, and ultimately to the health and safety of all living creatures. Thus, equipment and methods for effectively and safely dealing with remediation of environmental contaminants is of significant importance. | <SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>According to one aspect of the invention, a remediation process includes generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds. According to another aspect of the invention, a remediation process includes generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting chemical degradation of organic compounds and generation of microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds. According to another aspect of the invention, a remediation process includes generating microbubbles comprising a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compounds suitable for promoting chemical degradation of organic compounds wherein the microbubble is coated by introducing a liquid as an aerosol to a gas, which mixture is forced through a microporous material, resulting in the coated microbubble, and contacting the coated microbubble with the area to be remediated. According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for remediating a contaminated area using a liquid-coated microbubble including one or more gases includes an injection well and a source of a liquid suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds. The apparatus also includes a source for delivering a gas, an aerosolizer for aerosolizing the gas and a microporous diffuser disposed in the well for generating coated microbubbles of a controlled size comprising the gas and a liquid coating. According to another aspect of the invention, an aerosol head includes a reservoir of liquid and a tube supply with compressed air. The head also includes a mixing chamber where the liquid is drawn into the flowing gas and a spray head which controls the particle size and distribution of the aerosols. According to another aspect of the invention, a microbubble includes a gas, coated with a thin layer of liquid compound suitable for promoting biological degradation of organic compounds. One or more aspects of the invention may include one or more of the following advantages. Thin-layer microbubbles with chemical or biological remediative characteristics, can be selected and engineered for particular remediation applications. The use of these coated microbubbles results in remediative processes wherein the microbubbles offer improved dispersion characteristics, improved reactivity characteristics, enhanced reestablishment of indigenous organisms in the treatment area, and broad applicability to a variety of treatment settings. This invention relates to thin-layer coated microbubbles and their use, including remediation systems, and more particularly to remediation systems for water, soil, and sediment bodies. The remediation can be in the form of chemical reaction (i.e., degradation) of various contaminants or in the form of enhancing environmental conditions, or the food or nutrient supply, to indigenous organisms (e.g., bacteria) in order to promote their activity in remediating the contaminants or by-products of the contaminant remediation. The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. | 20041012 | 20070102 | 20050303 | 75148.0 | 1 | BARRY, CHESTER T | ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION METHOD AND APPARATUS | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,390 | ACCEPTED | Side impact sensor systems | Side airbag system including an airbag arranged to deploy in the event of an impact into a side of the vehicle, a side impact crash sensor arranged to sense an impact into a side of the vehicle, and an inflator for inflating the airbag. The crash sensor is an electrical sensor which includes a movable sensing mass which moves when the side of the vehicle is impacted and a signal generating mechanism for generating a time-varying signal representative of movement of the sensing mass, analyzing the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass and generating a deployment signal based thereon. The inflator is coupled to the crash sensor and receives the deployment signal therefrom and inflates the airbag upon receipt of the deployment signal. | 1. A side airbag system for a vehicle, comprising: an airbag arranged to deploy in the event of an impact into a side of the vehicle; a side impact crash sensor arranged to sense an impact into a side of the vehicle, said crash sensor being an electrical sensor including a movable sensing mass which moves when the side of the vehicle is impacted and signal generating means for generating a time-varying signal representative of movement of said sensing mass, analyzing the signal representative of the movement of said sensing mass and generating a deployment signal based thereon; and an inflator for inflating said airbag, said inflator being coupled to said crash sensor and arranged to receive the deployment signal from said crash sensor and inflate said airbag upon receipt of said deployment signal. 2. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein said generating means comprise a micro-processor which processes signals representative of the continuous movement of said sensing mass. 3. The airbag system of claim 2, wherein the movement of said sensing mass is recorded over time and said micro-processor includes an algorithm arranged to determine whether the movement of said sensing mass results in a calculated value which is in excess of a threshold value in order to generate the deployment signal. 4. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein said electrical sensor comprises an accelerometer. 5. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein said generating means comprise a strain gage. 6. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein said generating means comprise a piezo-electric element. 7. The airbag system of claim 1, wherein said airbag is arranged around said inflator. 8. The airbag system if claim 1, wherein said crash sensor is arranged proximate said inflator. 9. A vehicle having a front, a rear, left and right sides and at least one door arranged on each of the left and right sides, comprising: an airbag arranged to deploy along the left or right side of the vehicle in the event of an impact into the left or right side of the vehicle; a side impact crash sensor arranged to sense an impact into the left or right side of the vehicle, said crash sensor being an electrical sensor including a movable sensing mass which moves when the left or right side of the vehicle is impacted and signal generating means for generating a time-varying signal representative of movement of said sensing mass, analyzing the signal representative of the movement of said sensing mass and generating a deployment signal based thereon; and an inflator for inflating said airbag, said inflator being coupled to said crash sensor and arranged to receive the deployment signal from said crash sensor and inflate said airbag upon receipt of said deployment signal. 10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said airbag and said inflator are arranged in a door or seat of the vehicle or on the left or right side of the vehicle. 11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said generating means comprise a micro-processor which processes signals representative of the continuous movement of said sensing mass. 12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the movement of said sensing mass is recorded over time and said micro-processor includes an algorithm arranged to determine whether the movement of said sensing mass results in a calculated value which is in excess of a threshold value in order to generate the deployment signal. 13. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said electrical sensor comprises an accelerometer. 14. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said generating means comprise a strain gage. 15. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said generating means comprise a piezo-electric element. 16. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said airbag is arranged around said inflator. 17. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said crash sensor is arranged proximate said inflator. 18. A method for protecting an occupant in a vehicle, comprising the steps of: arranging an airbag in the vehicle in a position to protect the occupant in the event of an impact into a side of the vehicle; sensing an impact into a side of the vehicle by continuously monitoring movement of a sensing mass to generate a time-varying signal representative of movement of the sensing mass and analyzing the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass to generate a deployment signal based thereon; and directing the deployment signal to an inflator to cause the inflator to inflate the airbag. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of providing a micro-processor to process the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of providing the micro-processor with an algorithm arranged to determine whether the motion over time of the sensing mass results in a calculated value which is in excess of a threshold value in order to generate the deployment signal. | CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/768,791 filed Jan. 30, 2004 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/435,045 filed Nov. 8, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,218, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/114,962 filed Jul. 14, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,265 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/101,017 filed Sep. 16, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,716, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to side impact crash sensors for vehicles and side impact airbag systems. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Self-contained airbag systems contain all of the parts of the airbag system within a single package, in the case of mechanical implementations, and in the case of electrical or electronic systems, all parts except the primary source of electrical power and, in some cases, the diagnostic system. This includes the sensor, inflator and airbag. Potentially these systems have significant cost and reliability advantages over conventional systems where the sensor(s), diagnostic and backup power supply are mounted separate from the airbag module. In mechanical implementations in particular, all of the wiring, the diagnostic system and backup power supply are eliminated. In spite of these advantages, self-contained airbag systems have only achieved limited acceptance for frontal impacts and have so far not been considered for side impacts. The “all-mechanical” self-contained systems were the first to appear on the market for frontal impacts but have not been widely adopted partially due to their sensitivity to accelerations in the vertical and lateral directions. These cross-axis accelerations have been shown to seriously degrade the performance of the most common all mechanical design that is disclosed in Thuen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,810. Both frontal and side impact crashes frequently have severe cross-axis accelerations. Additionally, all-mechanical self contained airbag systems, such as disclosed in the Thuen patent, require that the sensor be placed inside of the inflator which increases the strength requirements of the inflator walls and thus increases the size and weight of the system. One solution to this problem appears in Breed, U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,466, but has not been implemented. This patent discloses a method of initiating an inflator through the use of a percussion primer in combination with a stab primer and the placement of the sensor outside of the inflator. One disadvantage of this system is that a hole must still be placed in the inflator wall to accommodate the percussion primer that has its own housing. This hole weakens the wall of the inflator and also provides a potential path for gas to escape. Another disadvantage in the Thuen system that makes it unusable for side impacts, is that the arming system is sealed from the environment by an O-ring. This sealing method may perform satisfactorily when the module is mounted in the protected passenger compartment but it would not be satisfactory for side impact cases where the module would be mounted in the vehicle door where it can be subjected to water, salt, dirt, and other harsh environments. Self-contained electrical systems have also not been widely used. When airbags are used for both the driver and the passenger, self-contained airbag systems require a separate sensor and diagnostic for each module. In contrast to mechanical systems, the electronic sensor and diagnostic systems used by most vehicle manufacturers are expensive. This duplication and associated cost required for electrical systems eliminates some of the advantages of the self contained system. Sensors located in the passenger compartment of a vehicle can catch most airbag-required crashes for frontal impacts, particularly if the occupants are wearing seatbelts. However, researchers now believe that there are a significant number of crashes which cannot be sensed in time in the passenger compartment and that this will require the addition of another sensor mounted in the crush zone (see, for example, Breed, D. S., Sanders, W. T. and Castelli, V. “A Critique of Single Point Sensing”, Society of Automotive Engineers Paper No. 920124). If true, this will eventually eliminate the use of self-contained airbag systems for frontal impacts. Some of these problems do not apply to side impacts mainly because side impact sensors must trigger in a very few milliseconds when there is no significant signal at any point in the vehicle except where the car is crushing or at locations rigidly attached to this crush zone. Each airbag system must be mounted in the crush zone and generally will have its own sensor. Self contained airbag systems have heretofore not been used for occupant protection for side impacts which is largely due to the misconception that side impact sensing requires the use of elongated switches as is discussed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,253, incorporated by reference herein. These elongated prior art side impact crush-sensing switches are not readily adaptable to the more compact self-contained designs. The realization that a moving mass sensor was the proper method for sensing side impacts has now led to the development of the side impact self contained airbag system of this invention. The theory of sensing side impacts is included in the '253 patent referenced above. In electromechanical and electronic self-contained modules, the backup power supply and diagnostic system are frequently mounted apart from the airbag system. If a wire is severed during a crash but before the airbag deploys, the system may lose its power and fail to deploy. This is more likely to happen in a side impact where the wires must travel inside of the door. For this reason, mechanical self-contained systems have a significant reliability advantage over conventional electrical systems. Finally, the space available for the mounting of airbag systems in the doors of vehicles is frequently severely limited making it desirable that the airbag module be as small as possible. Conventional gas generators use sodium azide as the gas generating propellant. This requires that the gas be cooled and extensively filtered to remove the sodium oxide, a toxic product of combustion. This is because the gas in exhausted into the passenger compartment where it can burn an occupant and is inhaled. If the gas is not permitted to enter the passenger compartment, the temperature of the gas can be higher and the products of combustion can contain toxic chemicals, such as carbon dioxide. These and other problems associated with self-contained airbag systems and side impact sensors are solved by the invention disclosed herein. OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is primarily concerned with a novel self-contained airbag system for protecting occupants in side impacts. It is also concerned with the sensors used either with self-contained modules or apart from the airbag module. This is accomplished by using the sensors described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,253 referenced above, along with other improvements described in detail below. This invention is secondarily concerned with applying some of the features of the novel side impact system to solving some of the problems of prior art mechanical airbag systems discussed above. The sensitivity to cross axis accelerations of current all mechanical airbag systems, for example, is solved in the present invention, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,141, incorporated by reference herein, through the substitution of a hinged sensing element for the ball sensing mass in the Thuen patent. The problems resulting from the hole in the inflator wall when a percussion primer is used as in Breed, U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,466, are solved in the present invention through the placement of sensitive pyrotechnic material in a cavity adjacent to the outside wall of the inflator and then using shock from a stab primer to initiate the pyrotechnic material and thus the inflator. An alternate solution, as discussed below, is to make the size of the hole created in the inflator by the action of the stab primer small so that the total quantity of gas which escapes into the sensor is small compared with the quantity of gas used to inflate the airbag. Finally, in the self-contained airbag system disclosed herein, provision is made to exhaust the gas outside of the passenger compartment, into the vehicle doors, or other side areas of the vehicle. This permits the use of higher gas temperatures and alternate propellant formulations, such as nitro-cellulose, which produce toxic combustion products. Both of these changes reduce the size, weight and cost of the system. Briefly, the self-contained airbag system of this invention consists of a sensor having a movable sensing mass, means to sense the position of the sensing mass to determine if the airbag should be deployed, a sealed housing, a gas generator for producing the gas to inflate the airbag, an airbag, and mounting hardware. The sensors used here are either electronic, electromechanical or mechanical but all have a movable mass where the motion of the mass is sensed either electronically or mechanically. Principal objects and advantages of this invention are: 1. To provide a self contained side impact occupant protection airbag system incorporating the advantages of a movable mass sensor resulting in a low cost, compact airbag system. 2. To provide a frontal impact all mechanical airbag system incorporating a hinged sensing mass to eliminate the effects of cross-axis accelerations on the operation of the sensor. 3. To provide a method of minimizing the leakage of the inflator gases out of the inflator portion of a self contained airbag system into the sensor portion and the associated problems. 4. To provide a side impact airbag system which utilizes the crush of the vehicle side to arm the sensor and motion of a sensing mass to initiate deployment. 5. To provide a method of hermetically sealing a self contained airbag system while permitting an external force to be used to arm the system. 6. To provide a more compact self contained side impact airbag system by providing for the exhausting of the airbag gas into the vehicle door or side, therefore permitting the use of higher temperature gas and propellants which would otherwise not be viable due to their toxic products. 7. To provide an all-mechanical airbag system utilizing a cantilevered firing pin spring which also provides the biasing force on the sensing mass thereby providing a simplified design. 8. To provide an all-mechanical airbag system with a thin sensor mounted outside of the inflator housing but in line with it to reduce the size of the system and permit the use of conventional inflator designs. 9. To provide a highly reliable side impact occupant protection electromechanical self-contained airbag system. 10. To provide a highly reliable side impact occupant protection electronic self contained airbag system. 11. To provide a method of obtaining the power for an electrical self contained airbag system from other components within the door thereby minimizing the requirement for separate wiring for the airbag system. 12. To provide a power supply within the self contained module and a simplified diagnostic system for an electrical self contained airbag system. 13. To provide a self contained airbag system design that permits the arming of the sensor after it has been mounted onto the vehicle but before the inflator is mounted to provide greater safety against unwanted deployments. 14. To provide an electronic, electromechanical or mechanical sensor for use with either a self-contained airbag system or conventional airbag system wherein the sensor system senses the acceleration of the vehicle member on which it is mounted and where in the sensed acceleration is the crush zone acceleration and is used to control the deployment of the side airbag. Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the discussion below. In order to achieve at least some of the objects noted above, a side airbag system in accordance with one embodiment of the vehicle includes an airbag arranged to deploy in the event of an impact into a side of the vehicle, a side impact crash sensor arranged to sense an impact into a side of the vehicle, and an inflator for inflating the airbag. The crash sensor is an electrical sensor which includes a movable sensing mass which moves when the side of the vehicle is impacted and a signal generating mechanism for generating a time-varying signal representative of movement of the sensing mass, analyzing the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass and generating a deployment signal based thereon. The inflator is coupled to the crash sensor and receives the deployment signal therefrom and inflates the airbag upon receipt of the deployment signal. The signal generating mechanism may comprise a micro-processor which processes signals representative of the continuous movement of the sensing mass. The movement of the sensing mass may be recorded over time while the micro-processor includes an algorithm arranged to determine whether the movement of the sensing mass results in a calculated value which is in excess of a threshold value in order to generate the deployment signal. The electrical sensor may also comprise an accelerometer. The signal generating mechanism may comprise a strain gage or a piezo-electric element. The airbag may be arranged around the inflator and the crash sensor may be arranged proximate the inflator. A vehicle in accordance with the invention has a front, a rear, left and right sides and at least one door arranged on each of the left and right sides, an airbag arranged to deploy along the left or right side of the vehicle in the event of an impact into the left or right side of the vehicle, a side impact crash sensor arranged to sense an impact into the left or right side of the vehicle, and an inflator for inflating the airbag. The crash sensor, as well as the other components of the vehicle, may be as described above. A method for protecting an occupant in a vehicle comprises arranging an airbag in the vehicle in a position to protect the occupant in the event of an impact into a side of the vehicle, sensing an impact into a side of the vehicle by continuously monitoring movement of a sensing mass to generate a time-varying signal representative of movement of the sensing mass and analyzing the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass to generate a deployment signal based thereon, and directing the deployment signal to an inflator to cause the inflator to inflate the airbag. A micro-processor processes the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass and optionally includes an algorithm arranged to determine whether the motion over time of the sensing mass results in a calculated value which is in excess of a threshold value in order to generate the deployment signal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described with reference to the following non-limiting drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view with certain parts removed of an all mechanical self contained airbag system for mounting on the side of a vehicle to protect occupants in side impacts; FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2; FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the sensing mass and attached lever arm extending from the D-shaft prior to rotation of the sensing mass incident to a crash as adapted to the all mechanical system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,810; FIG. 4 is a similar view as FIG. 3 showing the sensing mass rotated as a result of a crash; FIG. 5 is a view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 taken along line 5-5 and rotated 90 degrees to the right; FIG. 6 is a cross section view of a sensor for use in an all mechanical system where the sensor is mounted outside of the inflator housing, shown in an unarmed or safe position prior to assembly with an inflator; FIG. 7 is a cross section view of the sensor of FIG. 6 shown mounted on an inflator, shown in a fragmentary view, after it has triggered in response to a vehicle crash; FIG. 8 is a cross section view of a through bulkhead initiation system adapted to a mechanical self contained airbag system; FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a mechanical self contained airbag system using a crush sensing arming system, shown in the state before a crash occurs; FIG. 9A is a blowup with certain parts removed showing a portion of the sensor shown in FIG. 9 in the unarmed position; FIG. 10 is a cross section view of the apparatus of FIG. 9 taken along line 10-10 showing the crush sensing arming system after it has been activated by vehicle crush but before the sensing mass of the discriminating sensor has begun to move; FIG. 10A is a blowup with certain parts removed showing a portion of the sensor shown in FIG. 10 in the armed position; FIG. 11 is a cross section view of the apparatus of FIG. 9, also taken along line 10-10, showing the crush sensing arming system after it has been activated by vehicle crush and showing the sensing mass of the discriminating sensor after it has moved and released the firing pin, triggering the inflation of the airbag; FIG. 11A is a blowup with certain parts removed showing portion of the sensor shown in FIG. 11 in the fired position; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a side impact airbag system illustrating the placement of the airbag vents in the door panel and the exhausting of the inflator gases into the vehicle door and also showing the use of a pusher plate to adjust for the mismatch between the point of impact of an intruding vehicle and the sensor of a self contained side impact airbag system; FIG. 13 is a cross section view of a self-contained side impact airbag system using an electro-mechanical sensor; FIG. 14 is a cross section view of a self-contained side impact airbag system using an electronic sensor; FIG. 15 is a schematic of the electric circuit of an electromechanical or electronic self contained side impact airbag system; and FIG. 16 is a side view of a vehicle showing the preferred mounting of two self contained airbag modules into the side of a coupe vehicle, one inside of the door for the driver and the other between the inner and outer side panels for the rear seat passenger. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements, FIGS. 1 and 2 show an all-mechanical self-contained airbag system for mounting on the side of a vehicle to protect occupants in side impacts in accordance with the invention which is designated generally as 100. The airbag system 100 contains one or more inflatable airbags 110, an inflator assembly 120, a mounting plate 160 for mounting the airbag system 100 on the side of the vehicle and a sensor assembly 140 mounted to the inflator assembly 120. The sensor assembly 140 contains a rotatable, substantially planar sensing mass 141 and a cantilevered biasing spring 142 which performs the dual purposes of biasing the sensing mass 141 toward its at rest position shown in FIG. 2 and also providing the energy to the firing pin 143 required to initiate a stab primer 122 as further described below. The sensing mass 141 contains a firing pin spring-retaining portion 144 that restrains the firing pin 143 during the sensing time and releases it when the sensing mass 141 has rotated through the sensing angle. The retaining portion 144 is an L-shaped descending part formed on a planar surface of the sensing mass 141 and defines a cavity for retaining an end of the spring 142. As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting plate 160 constitutes a housing for the airbag system 100, i.e., it has a bottom wall and flanged side walls extending from edges of the bottom wall which define an interior space in which the airbag(s) 110 and a portion of the inflator assembly 120 are arranged. The bottom wall is substantially flat and has a substantially circular aperture. The inflator assembly 120 is positioned in the aperture so that a portion thereof extends on either side of the bottom wall (See FIG. 2). Also as shown in FIG. 2, the housing of the inflator assembly 120 includes a flange that abuts against the bottom wall of mounting plate 160 around the aperture. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the flanged side walls of the mounting plate 160 are positioned around a panel on the side of the vehicle, e.g., a blow-out panel in the side door, so that the airbag(s) 110 when inflating will be expelled from the interior space defined by the mounting plate 160 into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The mounting plate 160 may thus be mounted to a frame of the side door by attaching the flanged side walls to the frame or attaching another portion of the mounting plate to the frame. The actual manner in which the mounting plate 160 is mounted in the side door, or on the side of the vehicle, is not critical so long as the mounting plate 160 is positioned to allow the airbag(s) 110 to be expelled from the interior space into the passenger compartment. Mounted as such, the sensor assembly 140 will be most proximate the exterior of the vehicle with the airbag 110 most proximate the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The sensing mass 141 is connected to the housing 101 of sensor assembly 140 through a hinge 145 at one end whereby the opposed end is unrestrained so that the sensing mass 141 rotates about the hinge 145. In view of the mounting of the airbag system 100 on the side of the vehicle, hinge 145 defines a rotation axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of travel of the vehicle (x) as well as perpendicular to a direction (y) transverse to the longitudinal direction of travel of the vehicle, i.e., it is a vertical axis (z). The sensor housing 101 includes opposed housing wall portions 146 and 148, a top cover 150 and a bottom cover 151 which is connected to, mounted on or the same part as a top cover 121 of the inflator assembly 120. The sensor housing 101 is filled with air and sealed (when appropriately mounted to the inflator assembly 120 whereby a small orifice 127 in bottom cover 151 is closed by the inflator assembly 120) so as to maintain a constant air density regardless of the ambient temperature or pressure. The sensor housing walls 146,148 and sensing mass 141 are preferably molded along with the hinge 145 in a single insert molding operation to provide a careful control of the dimensions of the parts and particularly of a clearance 152 between the walls 146,148 and the sensing mass 141 for the reasons described below. The inflator assembly 120 comprises a stab primer 122, igniter mix 130 associated with the stab primer 122, one or more propellant chambers 123 containing propellant 124 and a series of cooling and filtering screens 125. In the particular design shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stab primer 122 has been placed inside of an igniter housing portion 126 of the housing of the inflator assembly 120, the housing of the inflator assembly being formed by opposed housing sections 121 and 129. Housing sections 121 and 129 cooperate to define a substantially cylindrical housing for the inflator assembly 120. Housing section 121 is coupled to the sensor housing 101. Exit orifices 128 are provided in the housing section 129 to allow the gas generated by the burning propellant 124 to flow into the airbag 110 to inflate the same. A small orifice 127 has been left open in the bottom cover 151 of the housing 101 of the sensor assembly 140, as well as the housing section 121, to allow the firing pin 143 to enter into the interior of the inflator assembly 120 and cause initiation of the stab primer 122. The stab primer 122 is from a family of the most sensitive stab primers requiring less than 25 in-oz of energy for activation. The standard M55 military detonator is a member of this class and has been manufactured in very large quantities during war time. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term primer will be used to represent both primers and detonators. The small orifice 127 will permit some gas to enter the sensor housing 101 during the time that the propellant 124 is burning and inflating the airbag 110 but since its area is less than 1% of the area of the exit orifices 128 through which the generated gas enters the airbag 110, less than 5% of the generated gas will pass into the sensor. Naturally, a larger orifice could be used but in all cases the amount of gas which passes into the sensor housing 101 will be less than 10% of the total gas generated. Since this gas will be hot, however, it will destroy the sensor assembly 140 and leak into the door. In another implementation discussed below, a through bulkhead initiation system is used to prevent any gas from passing into the sensor assembly from the inflator assembly. During operation of the device, sensing mass 141 rotates relative to sensor housing 101 in the direction of the arrow (shown in FIG. 2) under the influence of the acceleration with its motion being retarded by the biasing spring 142 and the gas pressure forces. Upon a sufficient rotation, biasing spring 142 is released from the retaining portion 144 of the sensing mass 141 and moves toward the inflator assembly 120 and the firing pin 143 formed in connection with the biasing spring 142 moves to impact stab primer 122 which burns and ignites the igniter mix 130. The igniter mix, which is typically composed of boron and potassium nitrate, then ignites the propellant 124 that burns and generates gas. The gas then flows through exit orifices 128 into the inflatable bag 110, inflating the bag. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stab primer 122 has been located in the center of the inflator housing. This is the conventional location for electrical primers in most driver's side inflator designs. The sensor is placed adjacent and in line with the inflator permitting the use of conventional inflator designs which minimize the size, complexity and weight of the inflator. The sensing mass 141 is approximately of square shape and the sensor housing 101 is made circular to mate with the inflator design. In the particular design shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a burning propellant inflator design was illustrated. Naturally, other propellant technologies such as a stored gas or hybrid (a combination of stored gas and propellant) could have been used without departing from the teachings of this invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that since the airbag system 100 is designed to activate in side impacts, the sensing mass 141 is arranged for movement in a direction perpendicular to the sides of the vehicle, i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of travel of the vehicle, or in a pivoting movement about a vertical pivot axis. In this manner, the acceleration of the sensor housing 101 inward into the passenger compartment (that is, acceleration in a lateral direction or lateral acceleration since the passenger compartment is inward from the sensor housing relative to the side of the vehicle in the illustrated embodiment) resulting from a crash into the side of the vehicle, will cause the sensing mass 141 to move or pivot outward toward the impacting object thereby releasing its hold on the biasing spring 142. FIG. 3 shows a fragmentary view of a sensing mass 341 and an attached lever arm 356 extending from a D-shaft 358 prior to rotation of the sensing mass incident to a crash as adapted to the all-mechanical system of Thuen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,810. This figure corresponds to FIG. 6 of the Thuen patent and shows the improved sensing mass design. FIG. 4 shows the same view as FIG. 3 with the sensing mass rotated, under the torque from spring 360 acting on ball 470, into the actuating position where it has released the firing pin to initiate deployment of the airbag. FIG. 4 corresponds to FIG. 7 in the '810 patent. FIG. 5 is a view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and shows the shape of the sensing mass 341. Sensing mass 341 is retained in sensor housing 338, by cover 339, and rotates with D-shaft 358. This rotation is facilitated by pivots 371, which form part of the D-shaft, and pivot plates 370. In this manner, the sensing mass 341 is hinged to the sensor housing 338 permitting only rotational motion and rendering the sensor insensitive to the effects of cross-axis accelerations. In this embodiment, sensing mass 341, lever arm 356, ball 470, pin 469 and the D-shaft 358 are all made as one part that reduces the cost of the assembly. Naturally, they could be made as separate parts and assembled. When D-shaft 358 rotates through a sufficient angle, it releases firing pin 336 in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 of the '810 patent. The motion of the sensing mass 341 is undamped since the clearance between the sensing mass 341 and sensor housing 338 is sufficiently large so as to minimize the flow resistance of the air as the mass rotates. Naturally, in another implementation, the mass could be redesigned to have its motion damped by the flow of a gas in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 above. Also, two sensor systems of the type disclosed in FIGS. 3-5 can be used in the all-mechanical system in a similar way as shown in the '810 patent. The all-mechanical system as depicted in FIGS. 3-5 requires that a special inflator be designed to accommodate the sensor within its housing. There has already been a substantial investment in tooling and production facilities for electrically actuated inflators by several inflator manufacturers. Also, substantial reliability statistics have been accumulated on these inflator designs through the hundreds of millions of miles that airbag equipped vehicles have traveled. It is desirable to build on this base with new systems that can be done using the sensor designs of this invention as depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7. This sensor design is adapted to be attached to a standard electrical inflator design where a stab primer 691 is used in place of the electrically actuated squib normally used. The sensor-initiator is shown generally as 600 in FIG. 6. In a similar manner as described above, sensing mass 641 rotates in sensor housing 630 during a crash against the force provided by a cantilevered biasing spring 662 until a D-shaft 658 has rotated sufficiently to release a firing pin 636. Once released, firing pin 636 is propelled by firing pin spring 635 and impacts primer 691 to initiate deployment of the airbag. A washer containing an orifice 692 is provided in the top of primer 691 to minimize the leakage of inflator gases from the inflator 690 while the propellant is burning (FIG. 7). In this manner, the sensor does not have to be constructed of strong materials as discussed in the above referenced patent. In one configuration of a self-contained system, the sensor assembly and the airbag and inflator assembly are kept separate until mounted onto the vehicle. In this case, the sensor is mounted using an appropriate apparatus (not shown) to the steering wheel after the wheel is mounted to the vehicle. Then, the airbag module is assembled to the steering wheel. In this case, the sensor is armed after it has been installed onto the vehicle through the use of arming screw 670. The inflator is only brought into contact with the sensor after the sensor has been mounted onto the vehicle, thus minimizing the chance of an inadvertent actuation prior to installation. To arm the sensor, arming screw 670 is rotated after the sensor is mounted onto the steering wheel causing it to move downward in its housing 674. This removes the retaining cylinder 673 from blocking the motion of locking ball 675 that removes a lock on the firing pin. As long as ball 675 remains locking the firing pin 636, rotation of the mass 641 will not release the firing pin and the sensor is unarmed. Additional apparatus, not shown, can be used to prevent the assembly and disassembly of the sensor from the steering wheel unless the arming screw 670 is in the unarmed position. Also, interference between the head 680 of the arming screw 670 and the surface 693 of the inflator 690 prevents assembly of the inflator and airbag module to the steering wheel until the sensor has been armed. Thus, in this very simple manner, an inexpensive all-mechanical airbag system can be made using standard inflator designs with minor modifications. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the stab primer was shown as part of the inflator assembly, i.e., contained within the housing of the inflator assembly defined by housing portions 121,129. On the other hand, in FIG. 8, a cross section view of a through bulkhead initiation system adapted to a mechanical self-contained airbag system is illustrated. In this case, the stab primer 822 is instead part of a sensor assembly 840, i.e., arranged in the sensor housing on the bottom cover thereof if present, and when the stab primer 822 is initiated by a firing pin 842 formed in conjunction with a cantilevered, biasing spring (as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2), it creates a shock on one side of an inflator housing wall 821 which is transmitted through the wall and interacts with a shock sensitive pyrotechnic mix 829 which has been placed into a cavity 805 in the igniter mix. Inflator housing wall 821 is alongside the bottom cover of the sensor housing, but in the alternative, the inflator housing wall may be the same as the bottom cover of the sensor housing. This through-bulkhead initiation system and the particular pyrotechnic mix formulation is well known to ordinance engineers where it has been applied to military devices. Such a system has not been used, however, in airbag systems. In this manner, a hole is not opened between the sensor assembly and the inflator assembly and the gas is prevented from leaking into the sensor assembly. In FIG. 9, a perspective view of a mechanical self-contained airbag system using a crush sensing arming system designated generally as 950 is shown in the state before a crash occurs. In this embodiment, the sensor is armed when the vehicle door skin, or side skin, is crushed to where it impacts a curved impact plate, not shown, which then impacts a sensor can 970 surrounding the sensor assembly and displaces an outer cover 951 thereof relative to a sensor housing 901. Sensor can 970 has a tubular wall arranged partially alongside a housing section of the inflator assembly to thereby define a closed space between the outer cover 951 and an outer surface of the inflator assembly in which the sensor assembly is positioned. The sensor crush-sensing outer cover 951 has a slight arcuate shape so that it oil-cans downward pressing on lever 971 through a hemi-spherical pusher member 979. Lever 971 is hingedly mounted at one end thereof to enable it to rotate about its attachment point 972 to the sensor housing 901 and causes lever 973 to also rotate about its pivot point 974 on the sensor housing 901 by virtue of hinge 978. An end 975 of lever 973 extends through an aperture 904 in a wall of the sensor housing 901 and serves to restrain the sensing mass 941 from any movement (FIG. 10). The rotation of lever 973 causes the end 975 of lever 973 to pull out of the sensor housing 901 where it was detenting the sensing mass 941 and preventing the sensing mass 941 from rotating to the degree necessary to release a firing pin spring 942. The sensing mass 941 is then free to move and release the firing pin spring 942 causing the firing pin spring 942 to ignite the stab primer in the inflator assembly, either by contact therewith or by pressure against the inflator assembly housing (see above) causing inflation of the airbag (FIG. 11A). Thus, until the sensor experiences a crushing force from the crash, the airbag system cannot deploy. The sensing mass 941, firing pin spring 942, inflator assembly and airbag may have the same structure as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Other features of any of the disclosed embodiments not inconsistent with the embodiments shown in FIGS. 9-11 may also be incorporated therein. Levers 971 and 973 are joined together by hinge 978 and can be made from a single piece of material. In this case, the hinge would be formed either by a coining or stamping operation or by a milling operation. Naturally, the two levers need not be joined together. This provides a sensor system that requires the occurrence of two environments that are always present in a crash, crush and velocity change. The crush sensing outer cover 951 is designed to respond and arm the sensor when impacted from any reasonable direction by an impact plate (not shown) which is likely to occur in a crash. For many vehicles, the crush may not reach the sensor at the time that deployment is required. In the case where two systems are used on each side of the vehicle, for example, and an impact occurs at the A-pillar, the rear seat system may not experience crush in time. The arming system shown in FIG. 9 could still be used where the arming would occur when the system is mounted onto the vehicle instead of when the crash occurs. In this case, the curved impact plate would not be necessary and the deflection of the sensor cover would occur either during the mounting process or by a separate operation after the system is mounted. FIG. 10 is a cross section view of the apparatus of FIG. 9 taken along lines 10-10 showing the crush sensing outer cover 951 and lever system after end 975 has moved out of aperture 904 as a result of crush of the vehicle but before the sensing mass 941 of the discriminating sensor has begun to move. FIG. 11 is a similar view of the apparatus of FIG. 10 but shows the sensing mass 941 of the discriminating sensor after it has moved and released firing pin 942, triggering the inflation of the airbag. The motion of the sensing mass 941 is damped by the requirement that air must flow between the sensing mass and the housing in the manner described in more detail in the '253 patent referenced above. Naturally, other damping methods such as magnetic damping could also be used. In the case of FIG. 9, the sensor is entirely surrounded by a metal can 970 that is formed by a drawing process. The sensor can 970 is attached to the inflator assembly; more particularly, the sensor can 970 is attached to one or more housing sections thereof. The attachment of the sensor can 970 to the inflator assembly or housing section(s) thereof is achieved using structural adhesive 990 such as a urethane or epoxy compound. In this manner, the sensor is hermetically sealed. The term hermetic seal as used herein means a seal which will not permit the passage of any significant amount of moisture or other contaminants into the interior of the self-contained airbag module and further will not permit the passage of gas into or out of the sensor housing of sufficient quantity as to change the gas density by more than about 5% at any time over the life of the vehicle. Each vehicle manufacturer has an accelerated life test that can be used along with appropriate sensor testing equipment to test the sensor seals according to this definition. Typical O-ring seals are not hermetic by this definition however properly designed plastic and metal welded seals and epoxy and urethane seals are hermetic. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a side impact airbag system illustrating the placement of the airbag vents in the door panel and the exhausting of the inflator gases into the vehicle door 1200 and also showing the use of a pusher plate 1201 to adjust for the mismatch between the point of impact of an intruding vehicle (or other object) and the sensor of a self-contained side impact airbag system 1220. The pusher plate 1201 is shown attached to the main structural door beam 1202 in this illustration but other mounting systems are also possible. The airbag system 1220 is shown between the inner panel 1230 and the outer panel 1240 of the door 1200. The pusher plate 1201 is dimensioned and installed in the door 1200 so that during a side impact to any portion of the side of the vehicle which is likely to cause intrusion into the passenger compartment and contact an occupant, the pusher plate will remain in a substantially undistorted form until it has impacted with the sensor causing the sensor to begin deployment of the airbag. In this implementation, a non-sodium azide propellant, such as nitro-cellulose, is used and the gas is exhausted into the door though a pair of orifices. The airbag system 1220 may be any of those disclosed herein. As shown in FIG. 12, the pusher plate 1201 may be circular. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a self-contained side impact airbag system using an electro-mechanical sensor. An electromechanical sensor is one in which the sensing is accomplished through the motion of a sensing mass from a first at-rest position to a second activating position at which point an event happens which typically involves the closing of a switch by mechanical or magnetic means. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, biasing spring contact 1301 is caused to engage contact 1302 arranged on top cover 1350 when the sensor experiences a crash as described above, i.e., acceleration of the sensor housing 1310 above a predetermined threshold value which results in movement of the sensing mass until the biasing contact 1301 contacts the other contact 1302. Specifically, the biasing spring contact 1301 is positioned in a position (e.g., bearing against sensing mass 1341 in sensor housing 1310) so that it is moved during a crash along with movement of the sensing mass 1341 (in the upward direction in FIG. 13) to thereby bring the biasing spring contact 1301 into contact with contact 1302. An electrical circuit is thereby completed causing ignition of the primer or squib and thereafter the igniter mix and propellant. As shown in FIG. 13, the structure of the sensor housing 1310, inflator assembly 1312, mounting plate 1360 and sensing mass 1341 may be as described above in appropriate part. The implementation of FIG. 13 is a preferred location for the self-contained airbag module of this invention. Naturally, some of the teachings of this invention can be practiced without necessitating a self-contained module. For some implementations, for example, it is desirable to place the airbag module at some other location than the vehicle door. One such location, for example, is the vehicle seat. For this implementation, the crash sensor in general cannot be co-located with the airbag module. Therefore, it can be mounted on the side of the vehicle or elsewhere as long as there is a sufficiently strong member connecting the crash sensor to the vehicle side such that there is little or no plastic deformation between the sensor and the side of the vehicle. Thus, the sensor experiences essentially the same crash signal as experienced by the side of the vehicle. Through this technique, the sensor acts as if it were mounted on the side of the vehicle and yet the wiring does not have to go through the door and through the hinge pillar to the airbag module. In this way, the sensor can be mounted remote from the vehicle side and yet perform as if it were located on the vehicle side which is accomplished by using an extension of the sensor, which can be a structural member of the vehicle. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a self-contained side impact airbag system using an electronic sensor that generates a signal representative of the movement of a sensing mass. Unless otherwise stated or inconsistent with the following description of an airbag system with an electronic sensor, the airbag system with an electronic sensor may include the features of the airbag system described above and below. An electronic sensor is one in which the motion of the sensing mass is typically continuously monitored with the signal electronically amplified with the output fed into an electronic circuit which is usually a micro-processor. Electronic sensors typically use accelerometers that usually make use of strain gage or piezo-electric elements shown here as 1401. The piezo-electric element generates a signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass. Modern accelerometers are sometimes micro-machined silicon and combined with other elements on an electronic chip. In electromechanical sensors, the motion of the sensing mass is typically measured in millimeters and is much larger than the motion of the sensing mass in electronic sensors where the motion is frequently measured in microns or portions of a micron. The signal representative of the motion of the sensing mass is recorded over time and an algorithm in the micro-processor may be designed to determine whether the movement over time of the sensing mass results in a calculated value which is in excess of the threshold value based on the signal. The sensing mass may constitute part of the accelerometer, e.g., the sensing mass is a micro-machined acceleration sensing mass. In this case, the microprocessor determines whether the movement of the sensing mass over time results in an algorithmic determined value that is in excess of the threshold value based on the signal. In embodiments using an electronic sensor, the inflator may include a primer which is part of an electronic circuit including the accelerometer such that upon movement over time of the sensing mass results in a calculated value in excess of the threshold value, the electronic circuit is completed thereby causing ignition of the primer. When the term electrical as used herein it is meant to include both electro-mechanical and electronic systems. FIG. 15 is a schematic of the electric circuit of an electromechanical or electronic side impact airbag system. The self-contained module implementation shown generally at 1500 contains a sensor assembly 1540 and an airbag and inflator assembly 1510. The sensor assembly 1540 contains a sensor 1541, a diagnostic module 1542, an energy storage capacitor 1543, and a pair of diodes 1515 to prevent accidental discharge of the capacitor if a wire becomes shorted. The module is electrically connected to a diagnostic monitoring circuit 1560 by wire 1501 and to the vehicle battery 1570 by wire 1503. It is also connected to the vehicle ground by wire 1502. The sensor, diagnostic and capacitor power supplies are connected to the squib by wires 1505 through 1507. In a basic configuration, the diagnostic monitoring circuit 1560 checks that there is sufficient voltage on the capacitor to initiate the inflator in the event of an accident, for example, and either of wires 1501, 1502, 1503 or 1504 are severed. In this case, the diagnostic internal to the self-contained module would not be necessary. In more sophisticated cases, the diagnostic module 1542 could check that the squib resistance is within tolerance, that the sensor calibration is correct (through self testing) and that the arming sensor has not inadvertently closed. It could also be used to record that the arming sensor, discriminating sensor and airbag deployment all occurred in the proper sequence and record this and other information for future investigative purposes. In the event of a malfunction, the diagnostic unit could send a signal to the monitoring circuitry that may be no more than an indication that the capacitor was not at full charge. A substantial improvement in the reliability of the system is achieved by placing the diagnostic module and backup power supply within the self contained airbag system particularly in the case of side impacts where the impact can take place at any location over a wide area. An impact into a narrow pole at the hinge pillar, for example, might be sufficient to sever the wire from the airbag module to the vehicle power source before the sensor has detected the accident. Most of the advantages of placing the sensor, diagnostic and backup power supply within the self contained module can of course be obtained if one or more of these components are placed in a second module in close proximity to the self contained module. For the purposes of electromechanical or electronic self contained modules, therefore, as used herein, the terms “self contained module” or “self contained airbag system” will include those cases where one or more of the components including the sensor, diagnostic and backup power supply are separate from the airbag module but in close proximity to it. For example, in the case of steering wheel mounted systems, the sensor and backup power supply would be mounted on the steering wheel and in the case of side impact door mounted systems, they would be mounted within the door or seat. In conventional electrical or electronic systems, on the other hand, the sensor, diagnostic module and backup power supply are mounted remote from the airbag module in a convenient location typically centrally in the passenger compartment such as on the tunnel, under the seat or in the instrument panel. With the placement of the backup power supply in the self contained module, greater wiring freedom is permitted. For example, in some cases for steering wheel mounted systems, the power can be obtained through the standard horn slip ring system eliminating the requirement of the ribbon coil now used on all conventional driver airbag systems. For side impact installations, the power to charge the backup power supply could come from any convenient source such as the power window or door lock circuits. The very low resistance and thus high quality circuits and connectors now used in airbag systems are not required since even an intermittent or high resistance power source would be sufficient to charge the capacitor and the existence of the charge is diagnosed as described above. Herein, the terms capacitor, power supply and backup power supply have been used interchangeably. Also, other energy storage devices such as a rechargeable battery could be used instead of a capacitor. For the purposes of this disclosure and the appended claims, therefore, the word capacitor will be used to mean any device capable of storing electrical energy for the purposes of supplying energy to initiate an inflator. Initiation of an inflator will mean any process by which the filling of an airbag with gas is started. The inflator may be either pure pyrotechnic, stored gas or hybrid or any other device which provides gas to inflate an airbag. FIG. 16 is a side view showing the preferred mounting of two self contained airbag modules 1601 and 1602 on the side on a two door vehicle. Module 1601 is mounted inside of a door, whereby the sensor housing 101 of module 1601 is most proximate the exterior of the vehicle, while module 1602 is mounted between the inner and outer side panels at a location other than the door, in this case, to protect a rear seated occupant. Each of the modules has its own sensor and, in the case of electrical self-contained systems, its own capacitor power supply and diagnostic circuit. Any of the airbag systems disclosed herein may be mounted either inside a door or between inner and outer side panels of the vehicle at a location other than the door and for non self-contained systems, the sensor can be mounted anywhere provided there is a sufficiently strong link to the vehicle side so that the sensor is accelerated at a magnitude similar to the vehicle side crush zone during the first few milliseconds of the crash. In view of the mounting of module 1602 between inner and outer panels of the vehicle at a location other than the door, the inner and outer panels are thus fixed relative to the vehicle frame and the module 1602 is also thus fixed relative to the frame. By contrast, the module 1601 mounted inside the door is moved whenever the door is opened or closed. Thus, disclosed above is a vehicle including a side impact crash sensor, a transfer structure interposed between the side of the vehicle and the sensor, and an occupant restraint device such as a side impact airbag system. When an object strikes the side of the vehicle, the transfer structure transfers the lateral force from the side of the vehicle to the sensor. The side impact crash sensor detects the lateral force or acceleration applied to a side of the vehicle. The airbag system is connected to the sensor and arranged to deploy based on the force or acceleration detected by the sensor. The transfer structure may be a plate, and is optionally arranged to adjust for a mismatch between the point of impact of an object on the side of the vehicle and the sensor. The plate may be mounted on a main structural beam in the vehicle, such as the main structural beam of the door of the vehicle. The entire system may be mounted between the inner and outer panels of the door of the vehicle. In another embodiment, there is a mismatch adjustment structure in place of or in combination with the transfer structure. The side impact crash sensor for a vehicle may include a housing, a mass within the housing movable relative to the housing in response to accelerations of the housing, means responsive to the motion of the mass upon acceleration of the housing in excess of a predetermined threshold value for controlling an occupant protection apparatus and means for mounting the housing in such a position and a direction as to sense an impact into a side of the vehicle. The sensor may be an electronic sensor arranged to generate a signal representative of the movement of the mass and optionally comprise a micro-processor and an algorithm for determining whether the movement over time of the mass as processed by the algorithm results in a calculated value which is in excess of the threshold value based on the signal. In the alternative, the mass may constitute part of an accelerometer, i.e., a micro-machined acceleration sensing mass. The accelerometer could include a piezo-electric element for generating a signal representative of the movement of the mass. With respect to the arrangement of the sensor, some non-limiting mounting locations include inside a door of the vehicle, between inner and outer panels not associated with a door of the vehicle, a seat in the vehicle and remote from the side of the vehicle in which case, the vehicle should include a sufficiently strong member connecting the sensor to the vehicle side such that there is little or no plastic deformation between the sensor and the side of the vehicle. Another embodiment of the sensor comprises a sensor assembly responsive to a side impact for controlling the occupant protection apparatus, i.e., the airbag(s). The sensor assembly comprises a sensor housing, a mass arranged within the sensor housing and movable relative to the housing in response to acceleration thereof and means responsive to the movement of the mass upon acceleration of the housing in excess of a predetermined threshold value for controlling deployment of the airbag(s). The assembly may be mounted onto a side door of the vehicle and/or a side of the vehicle between the centers of the front and rear wheels of the vehicle in such a position and a direction as to cause movement of the mass upon an impact into the side of the vehicle. Additional mounting possibilities include in contact with a side door assembly of the vehicle and/or a side panel assembly of the vehicle between the centers of the front and rear wheels in such a position and a direction as to cause movement of the mass upon an impact into the side of the vehicle. One embodiment of a side impact airbag system for a vehicle in accordance with the invention comprises an airbag housing defining an interior space, one or more inflatable airbags arranged in the interior space of the system housing such that when inflating, the airbag(s) is/are expelled from the airbag housing into the passenger compartment (along the side of the passenger compartment), and inflator means for inflating the airbag(s). The inflator means usually comprise an inflator housing containing propellant. The airbag system also includes a crash sensor as described above for controlling inflation of the airbag(s) via the inflator means upon a determination of a crash requiring inflation thereof, e.g., a crash into the side of the vehicle along which the airbag(s) is/are situated. The crash sensor may thus comprise a sensor housing arranged within the airbag housing, external of the airbag housing, proximate to the airbag housing and/or mounted on the airbag housing, and a sensing mass arranged in the sensor housing to move relative to the sensor housing in response to accelerations of the sensor housing resulting from, e.g., the crash into the side of the vehicle. Upon movement of the sensing mass in excess of a threshold value, the crash sensor controls the inflator means to inflate the airbag(s). The threshold value may be the maximum motion of the sensing mass required to determine that a crash requiring deployment of the airbag(s) is taking place. The crash sensor of this embodiment, or as a separate sensor of another embodiment, may be an electronic sensor and the movement of the sensing mass is monitored. The electronic sensor generates a signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass that may be monitored and recorded over time. The electronic sensor may also include a microprocessor and an algorithm for determining whether the movement over time of the sensing mass as processed by the algorithm results in a calculated value that is in excess of the threshold value based on the signal. In some embodiments, the crash sensor also includes an accelerometer, the sensing mass constituting part of the accelerometer. For example, the sensing mass may be a micro-machined acceleration sensing mass, in which case, the electronic sensor includes a micro-processor for determining whether the movement of the sensing mass over time results in an algorithmic determined value which is in excess of the threshold value based on the signal. In the alternative, the accelerometer includes a piezo-electric element for generating a signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass, in which case, the electronic sensor includes a micro-processor for determining whether the movement of the sensing mass over time results in an algorithmic determined value which is in excess of the threshold value based on the signal. The inflator means may be any component or combination of components which is designed to inflate an airbag, preferably by directing gas into an interior of the airbag. One embodiment of the inflator means may comprise a primer. In this case, the crash sensor includes an electronic circuit including the accelerometer and the primer such that upon movement over time of the sensing mass results in a calculated value in excess of the threshold value, the electronic circuit is completed thereby causing ignition of the primer. Although several preferred embodiments are illustrated and described above, there are possible combinations using other geometries, materials and different dimensions for the components that can perform the same function. For example, the biasing spring need not be the same as the biasing spring in the case of the implementation shown in FIG. 1 and a magnet might be used in place of a biasing spring for several of the mechanical cases illustrated. Therefore, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments and should be determined by the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Self-contained airbag systems contain all of the parts of the airbag system within a single package, in the case of mechanical implementations, and in the case of electrical or electronic systems, all parts except the primary source of electrical power and, in some cases, the diagnostic system. This includes the sensor, inflator and airbag. Potentially these systems have significant cost and reliability advantages over conventional systems where the sensor(s), diagnostic and backup power supply are mounted separate from the airbag module. In mechanical implementations in particular, all of the wiring, the diagnostic system and backup power supply are eliminated. In spite of these advantages, self-contained airbag systems have only achieved limited acceptance for frontal impacts and have so far not been considered for side impacts. The “all-mechanical” self-contained systems were the first to appear on the market for frontal impacts but have not been widely adopted partially due to their sensitivity to accelerations in the vertical and lateral directions. These cross-axis accelerations have been shown to seriously degrade the performance of the most common all mechanical design that is disclosed in Thuen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,810. Both frontal and side impact crashes frequently have severe cross-axis accelerations. Additionally, all-mechanical self contained airbag systems, such as disclosed in the Thuen patent, require that the sensor be placed inside of the inflator which increases the strength requirements of the inflator walls and thus increases the size and weight of the system. One solution to this problem appears in Breed, U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,466, but has not been implemented. This patent discloses a method of initiating an inflator through the use of a percussion primer in combination with a stab primer and the placement of the sensor outside of the inflator. One disadvantage of this system is that a hole must still be placed in the inflator wall to accommodate the percussion primer that has its own housing. This hole weakens the wall of the inflator and also provides a potential path for gas to escape. Another disadvantage in the Thuen system that makes it unusable for side impacts, is that the arming system is sealed from the environment by an O-ring. This sealing method may perform satisfactorily when the module is mounted in the protected passenger compartment but it would not be satisfactory for side impact cases where the module would be mounted in the vehicle door where it can be subjected to water, salt, dirt, and other harsh environments. Self-contained electrical systems have also not been widely used. When airbags are used for both the driver and the passenger, self-contained airbag systems require a separate sensor and diagnostic for each module. In contrast to mechanical systems, the electronic sensor and diagnostic systems used by most vehicle manufacturers are expensive. This duplication and associated cost required for electrical systems eliminates some of the advantages of the self contained system. Sensors located in the passenger compartment of a vehicle can catch most airbag-required crashes for frontal impacts, particularly if the occupants are wearing seatbelts. However, researchers now believe that there are a significant number of crashes which cannot be sensed in time in the passenger compartment and that this will require the addition of another sensor mounted in the crush zone (see, for example, Breed, D. S., Sanders, W. T. and Castelli, V. “A Critique of Single Point Sensing”, Society of Automotive Engineers Paper No. 920124). If true, this will eventually eliminate the use of self-contained airbag systems for frontal impacts. Some of these problems do not apply to side impacts mainly because side impact sensors must trigger in a very few milliseconds when there is no significant signal at any point in the vehicle except where the car is crushing or at locations rigidly attached to this crush zone. Each airbag system must be mounted in the crush zone and generally will have its own sensor. Self contained airbag systems have heretofore not been used for occupant protection for side impacts which is largely due to the misconception that side impact sensing requires the use of elongated switches as is discussed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,253, incorporated by reference herein. These elongated prior art side impact crush-sensing switches are not readily adaptable to the more compact self-contained designs. The realization that a moving mass sensor was the proper method for sensing side impacts has now led to the development of the side impact self contained airbag system of this invention. The theory of sensing side impacts is included in the '253 patent referenced above. In electromechanical and electronic self-contained modules, the backup power supply and diagnostic system are frequently mounted apart from the airbag system. If a wire is severed during a crash but before the airbag deploys, the system may lose its power and fail to deploy. This is more likely to happen in a side impact where the wires must travel inside of the door. For this reason, mechanical self-contained systems have a significant reliability advantage over conventional electrical systems. Finally, the space available for the mounting of airbag systems in the doors of vehicles is frequently severely limited making it desirable that the airbag module be as small as possible. Conventional gas generators use sodium azide as the gas generating propellant. This requires that the gas be cooled and extensively filtered to remove the sodium oxide, a toxic product of combustion. This is because the gas in exhausted into the passenger compartment where it can burn an occupant and is inhaled. If the gas is not permitted to enter the passenger compartment, the temperature of the gas can be higher and the products of combustion can contain toxic chemicals, such as carbon dioxide. These and other problems associated with self-contained airbag systems and side impact sensors are solved by the invention disclosed herein. | <SOH> OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>This invention is primarily concerned with a novel self-contained airbag system for protecting occupants in side impacts. It is also concerned with the sensors used either with self-contained modules or apart from the airbag module. This is accomplished by using the sensors described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,253 referenced above, along with other improvements described in detail below. This invention is secondarily concerned with applying some of the features of the novel side impact system to solving some of the problems of prior art mechanical airbag systems discussed above. The sensitivity to cross axis accelerations of current all mechanical airbag systems, for example, is solved in the present invention, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,141, incorporated by reference herein, through the substitution of a hinged sensing element for the ball sensing mass in the Thuen patent. The problems resulting from the hole in the inflator wall when a percussion primer is used as in Breed, U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,466, are solved in the present invention through the placement of sensitive pyrotechnic material in a cavity adjacent to the outside wall of the inflator and then using shock from a stab primer to initiate the pyrotechnic material and thus the inflator. An alternate solution, as discussed below, is to make the size of the hole created in the inflator by the action of the stab primer small so that the total quantity of gas which escapes into the sensor is small compared with the quantity of gas used to inflate the airbag. Finally, in the self-contained airbag system disclosed herein, provision is made to exhaust the gas outside of the passenger compartment, into the vehicle doors, or other side areas of the vehicle. This permits the use of higher gas temperatures and alternate propellant formulations, such as nitro-cellulose, which produce toxic combustion products. Both of these changes reduce the size, weight and cost of the system. Briefly, the self-contained airbag system of this invention consists of a sensor having a movable sensing mass, means to sense the position of the sensing mass to determine if the airbag should be deployed, a sealed housing, a gas generator for producing the gas to inflate the airbag, an airbag, and mounting hardware. The sensors used here are either electronic, electromechanical or mechanical but all have a movable mass where the motion of the mass is sensed either electronically or mechanically. Principal objects and advantages of this invention are: 1. To provide a self contained side impact occupant protection airbag system incorporating the advantages of a movable mass sensor resulting in a low cost, compact airbag system. 2. To provide a frontal impact all mechanical airbag system incorporating a hinged sensing mass to eliminate the effects of cross-axis accelerations on the operation of the sensor. 3. To provide a method of minimizing the leakage of the inflator gases out of the inflator portion of a self contained airbag system into the sensor portion and the associated problems. 4. To provide a side impact airbag system which utilizes the crush of the vehicle side to arm the sensor and motion of a sensing mass to initiate deployment. 5. To provide a method of hermetically sealing a self contained airbag system while permitting an external force to be used to arm the system. 6. To provide a more compact self contained side impact airbag system by providing for the exhausting of the airbag gas into the vehicle door or side, therefore permitting the use of higher temperature gas and propellants which would otherwise not be viable due to their toxic products. 7. To provide an all-mechanical airbag system utilizing a cantilevered firing pin spring which also provides the biasing force on the sensing mass thereby providing a simplified design. 8. To provide an all-mechanical airbag system with a thin sensor mounted outside of the inflator housing but in line with it to reduce the size of the system and permit the use of conventional inflator designs. 9. To provide a highly reliable side impact occupant protection electromechanical self-contained airbag system. 10. To provide a highly reliable side impact occupant protection electronic self contained airbag system. 11. To provide a method of obtaining the power for an electrical self contained airbag system from other components within the door thereby minimizing the requirement for separate wiring for the airbag system. 12. To provide a power supply within the self contained module and a simplified diagnostic system for an electrical self contained airbag system. 13. To provide a self contained airbag system design that permits the arming of the sensor after it has been mounted onto the vehicle but before the inflator is mounted to provide greater safety against unwanted deployments. 14. To provide an electronic, electromechanical or mechanical sensor for use with either a self-contained airbag system or conventional airbag system wherein the sensor system senses the acceleration of the vehicle member on which it is mounted and where in the sensed acceleration is the crush zone acceleration and is used to control the deployment of the side airbag. Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the discussion below. In order to achieve at least some of the objects noted above, a side airbag system in accordance with one embodiment of the vehicle includes an airbag arranged to deploy in the event of an impact into a side of the vehicle, a side impact crash sensor arranged to sense an impact into a side of the vehicle, and an inflator for inflating the airbag. The crash sensor is an electrical sensor which includes a movable sensing mass which moves when the side of the vehicle is impacted and a signal generating mechanism for generating a time-varying signal representative of movement of the sensing mass, analyzing the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass and generating a deployment signal based thereon. The inflator is coupled to the crash sensor and receives the deployment signal therefrom and inflates the airbag upon receipt of the deployment signal. The signal generating mechanism may comprise a micro-processor which processes signals representative of the continuous movement of the sensing mass. The movement of the sensing mass may be recorded over time while the micro-processor includes an algorithm arranged to determine whether the movement of the sensing mass results in a calculated value which is in excess of a threshold value in order to generate the deployment signal. The electrical sensor may also comprise an accelerometer. The signal generating mechanism may comprise a strain gage or a piezo-electric element. The airbag may be arranged around the inflator and the crash sensor may be arranged proximate the inflator. A vehicle in accordance with the invention has a front, a rear, left and right sides and at least one door arranged on each of the left and right sides, an airbag arranged to deploy along the left or right side of the vehicle in the event of an impact into the left or right side of the vehicle, a side impact crash sensor arranged to sense an impact into the left or right side of the vehicle, and an inflator for inflating the airbag. The crash sensor, as well as the other components of the vehicle, may be as described above. A method for protecting an occupant in a vehicle comprises arranging an airbag in the vehicle in a position to protect the occupant in the event of an impact into a side of the vehicle, sensing an impact into a side of the vehicle by continuously monitoring movement of a sensing mass to generate a time-varying signal representative of movement of the sensing mass and analyzing the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass to generate a deployment signal based thereon, and directing the deployment signal to an inflator to cause the inflator to inflate the airbag. A micro-processor processes the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass and optionally includes an algorithm arranged to determine whether the motion over time of the sensing mass results in a calculated value which is in excess of a threshold value in order to generate the deployment signal. | 20041012 | 20060411 | 20050421 | 63839.0 | 1 | CULBRETH, ERIC D | SIDE IMPACT SENSOR SYSTEMS | SMALL | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,586 | ACCEPTED | Systems and methods for storing, delivering, and managing messages | A Message Storage and Deliver System (MSDS) is connected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and receives incoming calls with these calls being facsimile, voice, or data transmissions. The MSDS detects the type of call and stores the message signal in a database. The MSDS is also connected to the Internet and has a hyper-text transfer protocol deamon (HTTPD) for receiving requests from users. The HTTPD forwards requests for certain files or messages to a network server which transmits at least part of the message to the HTTPD and then to the user. In addition to requests for certain documents, the HTTPD may also receive a request in the form of a search query. The search query is forwarded from the HTTPD to an application program for conducting the search of the database. The results of the search are forwarded through the HTTPD to the user. The user may then select one or more files or messages from the search results and may save the search for later reference. | 1. A method of receiving a fax document via a DID telephone line and for making the fax document available to a user via a client web browser, the method comprising: receiving a fax telephone call via a DID telephone line at an extension associated with a user, and receiving from the fax telephone call a fax document in a fax transmission format; converting the fax document from the fax transmission format to a stored image file format; storing the converted fax document into a message storage mailbox associated with the user; coupling an access control web page via a packet switched data network to the client web browser executing on a client computer operated by the user, wherein the access control web page includes a user logon prompt that allows the user to gain access to a second web page; coupling the second web page via the packet switched data network to the user, wherein the second web page includes at least N links to stored messages, where N is a non-negative number that represents the number of fax messages presently stored the user mailbox; receiving via the packet switched data network from the client web browser an indication that the user has selected one of the N links in order to request a selected fax message to be downloaded to a client computer; and coupling via the packet switched data network the selected fax message to the client computer in response to the request. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page complies with the HTML format. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third acts of coupling and the act of receiving occur in accordance with a hypertext transfer protocol. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the hypertext transfer protocol is implemented using a hypertext transfer protocol daemon. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored image file format is a tagged image file format (.TIF). 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored image file format is a graphic interchange file format (.GIF). 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored image file format is a JPEG file format. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page comprises an HTML file. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the HTML file includes tagged objects that correspond to links to the messages stored in the user mailbox. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page comprises a tagged markup file that conforms to a dialect of a standardized generalized markup language (SGML). 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: sending via email a notification to the user in response to receiving the message. 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a voice telephone call via a the DID telephone line at the extension associated with the user, and receiving from the voice telephone call a voice message in a telephone voice signal transmission format; converting the voice message to a stored voice file format; storing the converted voice file into the message storage mailbox associated with the user, wherein the second web page includes at least N+M links to stored messages, where M is a non-negative number that represents the number of voice messages presently stored the user mailbox and each of the N messages displayed on the web page indicate to the user that the N messages are fax messages, and each of the M messages indicate to the user that the M messages are voice messages; receiving via the packet switched data network from the client web browser an indication that the user has selected one of the M links in order to request a selected voice message to be downloaded to a client; and coupling via the packet switched data network the selected voice message to the client computer in response to the request. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the stored voice file format is a compressed speech file format. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the stored voice file format is a .WAV file format. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is required to enter a user name and a password into the first web page in order to gain access to the second web page. 16. An apparatus comprising: a DID trunk line for receiving a telephone call at a dialed telephone extension, the DID trunk being adapted to receive a message, wherein, depending on the content of the telephone call, the message is one of a voice message and fax message; a storage area comprising one or more user mailboxes; a first HTML web page comprising a form that enables a user to enter at least one of a username and a password in order to gain access to a second HTML web page, wherein the HTML second web page is indicative of the contents of a particular user mailbox associated with the particular user; a first software function operative to associate the dialed telephone extension with the particular user mailbox; a second software function operative to convert the message into a computer file in accordance with a storage file format and to store the computer file into a portion of the storage area associated with the particular user mailbox; a third software function that writes information indicative of the presence of the computer file in the user mailbox into the second HTML web page, wherein the indication comprises a selectable link and an indication of whether the computer file corresponds to a stored fax message or a stored voice message; and a fourth software function adapted to perform a server interaction with a client computer in accordance with a hypertext transfer protocol to communicate with a web browser that executes on the client computer via a packet switched data network; wherein in response to a hypertext transfer protocol message indicating the selection of the selectable link, the computer file is coupled via the packet switched data network to the user web browser. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the fourth software function comprises a hypertext transfer protocol daemon. 18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the message is a fax message and the stored storage file format is a tagged image file format (.TIF). 19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the message is a fax message the storage file format is a graphic interchange file format (.GIF). 20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the message is a voice message and the storage file format is a compressed speech file format. 21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the message is a voice message and the storage file format is a .WAV file format. 22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second HTML web page file includes tagged objects that correspond to links to the messages stored in the user mailbox. 23. An apparatus comprising: a DID trunk line for receiving a telephone call at a dialed telephone extension, the DID trunk being adapted to receive a message, wherein, depending on the content of the telephone call, the message is one of a voice message and fax message; a storage area comprising one or more user mailboxes; a first markup language representation comprising a form that enables a user to enter at least one of a username and a password in order to gain access to a second markup language representation, wherein the second markup language representation is indicative of the contents of a particular user mailbox associated with the particular user; a first software function operative to associate the dialed telephone extension with the particular user mailbox; a second software function operative to convert the message into a computer file in accordance with a storage file format and to store the computer file into a portion of the storage area associated with the particular user mailbox; a third software function that writes information indicative of the presence of the computer file in the user mailbox into the second markup language representation, wherein the indication comprises a selectable link and an indication of whether the computer file corresponds to a stored fax message or a stored voice message; and a fourth software function adapted to perform a server interaction with a client computer in accordance with a hypertext transfer protocol to communicate with a web browser that executes on the client computer via a packet switched data network; wherein in response to a hypertext transfer protocol message indicating the selection of the selectable link, the computer file is coupled via the packet switched data network to the user web browser. 24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the fourth software function comprises a hypertext transfer protocol daemon. 25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the message is a fax message and the stored storage file format is a tagged image file format (.TIF). 26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the message is a fax message the storage file format is a graphic interchange file format (.GIF). 27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the message is a voice message and the storage file format is a compressed speech file format. 28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the message is a voice message and the storage file format is a .WAV file format. 29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the second markup language representation includes tagged objects that correspond to links to the messages stored in the user mailbox. | This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 08/431,716, filed Apr. 28, 1995. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to system(s) and method(s) for storing and delivering messages and, more particularly, to system(s) and method(s) for storing messages and for delivery the messages through a network, such as the Internet, or a telephone line to an intended recipient. In another aspect, the invention relates to system(s) and method(s) for storing, delivering, and managing messages or other files, such as for archival purposes or for document tracking. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Even though the facsimile machine is heavily relied upon by businesses of all sizes and is quickly becoming a standard piece of office equipment, many businesses or households cannot receive the benefits of the facsimile machine. Unfortunately, for a small business or for a private household, a facsimile machine is a rather expensive piece of equipment. In addition to the cost of purchasing the facsimile machine, the facsimile machine also requires toner, paper, maintenance, as well as possible repairs. These expenses may be large enough to prevent many of the small businesses and certainly many households from benefiting from the service that the facsimile machine can provide. For others who are constantly traveling and who do not have an office, it may be impractical to own a facsimile machine. In fact, the Atlanta Business Chronicle estimates that 30% of the small businesses do not have any facsimile machines. Therefore, many businesses and households are at a disadvantage since they do not have access to a facsimile machine. Because a facsimile machine can be such an asset to a company and is heavily relied upon to quickly transmit and receive documents, a problem exists in that the machines are not always available to receive a facsimile message. At times, a facsimile machine may be busy receiving another message or the machine may be transmitting a message of its own. During these times, a person must periodically attempt to send the message until communication is established with the desired facsimile machine. This inability to connect with a facsimile machine can be frustrating, can consume quite a bit of the person's time, and prevent the person from performing more productive tasks. While some more advanced facsimile machines will retry to establish communication a number of times, a person will still have to check on the facsimile machine to ensure that the message was transmitted or to re-initiate the transmission of the message. In addition to labor costs and a reduction in office efficiency, a facsimile machine may present costs to businesses that are not readily calculated. These costs include the loss of business or the loss of goodwill that occurs when the facsimile machine is not accessible by another facsimile machine. These costs can occur for various reasons, such as when the facsimile machine is out of paper, when the machine needs repairing, or when the facsimile machine is busy with another message. These costs occur more frequently with some of the smaller businesses, who are also less able to incur these expenses, since many of them have a single phone line for a telephone handset and the facsimile machine and thereby stand to lose both telephone calls and facsimile messages when the single line is busy. In fact, the Atlanta Business Chronicle estimated that fewer than 5% of the small businesses have 2 or more facsimile machines. Many of the larger companies can reduce these losses by having more than one facsimile machine and by having calls switched to another machine when one of the machines is busy. These losses, however, cannot be completely eliminated since the machines can still experience a demand which exceeds their capabilities. A main benefit of the facsimile machine, namely the quick transfer of documents, does not necessarily mean that the documents will quickly be routed to the intended recipient. The facsimile machines may be unattended and a received facsimile message may not be noticed until a relatively long period of time has elapsed. Further, even for those machines which are under constant supervision, the routing procedures established in an office may delay the delivery of the documents. It is therefore a problem in many offices to quickly route the facsimile message to the intended recipient. The nature of the facsimile message also renders it difficult for the intended recipient to receive a sensitive message without having the message exposed to others in the office who can intercept and read the message. If the intended recipient is unaware that the message is being sent, other people may see the message while it is being delivered or while the message remains next to the machine. When the intended recipient is given notice that a sensitive message is being transmitted, the intended recipient must wait near the facsimile machine until the message is received. It was therefore difficult to maintain the contents of a facsimile message confidential. In an office with a large number of employees, it may also be difficult to simply determine where the facsimile message should be routed. In light of this difficulty, some systems have been developed to automatically route facsimile messages to their intended recipient. One type of system, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,112 to Okada, can route an incoming call to a particular facsimile machine based upon codes entered with telephone push-buttons by the sender of the message. Another type of system, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,326 to Burgess et al. or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,591 to Baran, requires the sender to use a specially formatted cover page which is read by the system. This type of system, however, burdens the sender, who may very well be a client or customer, by requiring the sender to take special steps or additional steps to transmit a facsimile message. These systems are therefore not very effective or desirable. Another type of routing system links a facsimile machine to a Local Area Network (LAN) in an office. For instance, in the systems disclosed in the patents to Baran and Burgess et al., after the system reads the cover sheet to determine the intended recipient of the facsimile message, the systems send an E-mail message to the recipient through the local network connecting the facsimile machine to the recipient's computer. Other office systems, such as those in U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,790 to Silverberg and U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,546 to Giler et al., are linked to the office's voice mail system and may leave a message with the intended recipient that a facsimile message has been received. Some systems which are even more advanced, such as those in U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,628 to Misholi et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,266 to Boaz et al., are connected to an office's local network and provide integrated control of voice messages, E-mail messages, and facsimile messages. The various systems for routing facsimile messages, and possibly messages of other types received in the office, are very sophisticated and expensive systems. While these office systems are desirable in that they can effectively route the messages at the office to their intended recipients, the systems are extremely expensive and only those companies with a great number of employees can offset the costs of the system with the benefits that the system will provide to their company. Thus, for most businesses, it still remains a problem to effectively and quickly route messages to the intended recipients. It also remains a problem for most businesses to route the messages in a manner which can preserve the confidential nature of the messages. Even for the businesses that have a message routing system and especially for those that do not have any type of system, it is usually difficult for a person to retrieve facsimile messages while away from the office. Typically, a person away on business must call into the office and be informed by someone in the office as to the facsimile messages that have been received. Consequently, the person must call into the office during normal business hours while someone is in the office and is therefore limited in the time that the information in a facsimile message can be relayed. If the person away on business wants to look at the facsimile message, someone at the office must resend the message to a facsimile machine accessible to that person. Since this accessible machine is often a facsimile machine at another business or at a hotel where the person is lodging, it is difficult for the person to receive the facsimile message without risking disclosure of its contents. Further, since someone at the person's office must remember to send the message and since someone at the accessible facsimile machine must route the message to the person away from the office, the person may not receive all of the facsimile messages or may have to wait to receive the messages. The retrieval of facsimile messages, as well as voice mail messages, while away from the office is not without certain costs. For one, the person often must incur long distance telephone charges when the person calls the office to check on the messages and to have someone in the office send the messages to another facsimile. The person will then incur the expenses of transmitting the message to a fax bureau or hotel desk as well as the receiving location's own charges for use of their equipment. While these charges are certainly not substantial, the charges are nonetheless expenses incurred while the person is away from the office. Overall, while the facsimile machine is an indispensable piece of equipment for many businesses, the facsimile machine presents a number of problems or costs. Many businesses or households are disadvantaged since they are unable to reap the benefits of the facsimile machine. For the businesses that do have facsimile machines, the businesses must incur the normal costs of operating the facsimile machine in addition to the costs that may be incurred when the facsimile machine or machines are unable to receive a message. Further, the facsimile messages may not be efficiently or reliably routed to the intended recipient and may have its contents revealed during the routing process. The costs and problems in routing a facsimile message are compounded when the intended recipient is away from the office. Many of the problems associated with facsimile messages are not unique to just facsimile messages but are also associated with voice mail messages and data messages. With regard to voice messages, many businesses do not have voice mail systems and must write the message down. Thus, the person away from the office must call in during normal office hours to discover who has called. The information in these messages are usually limited to just the person who called, their number, and perhaps some indication as to the nature of the call. For those businesses that have voice mail, the person away from the office must call in and frequently incur long distance charges. Thus, there is a need for a system for storing and delivery voice messages which can be easily and inexpensively accessed at any time. With regard to data messages, the transmission of the message often requires some coordination between the sender and the recipient. For instance, the recipient's computer must be turned on to receive the message, which usually occurs only when someone is present during normal office hours. Consequently, the recipient's computer is usually only able to receive a data message during normal office hours. Many households and also businesses may not have a dedicated data line and must switch the line between the phone, computer, and facsimile. In such a situation, the sender must call and inform the recipient to switch the line over to the computer and might have to wait until the sender can receive the message. The retransmission of the data message to another location, such as when someone is away from the office, only further complicates the delivery. It is therefore frequently difficult to transmit and receive data messages and is also difficult to later relay the messages to another location. A standard business practice of many companies is to maintain records of all correspondence between itself and other entities. Traditionally, the correspondence that has been tracked and recorded includes letters or other such printed materials that is mailed to or is from a company to the other entity. Although tracking correspondence of printed materials is relatively easy, non-traditional correspondence, such as facsimile messages, e-mail messages, voice messages, or data messages, are more difficult to track and record. For example, facsimile messages may be difficult to track and record since the messages may be received on thermal paper, which suffers from a disadvantage that the printing fades over time. Also, accurate tracking of facsimile messages is difficult since the facsimile messages may only be partially printed at the facsimile machine or the messages may be lost or only partially delivered to their intended recipients. Facsimile messages also present difficulties since they are often delivered within an organization through different channels than ordinary mail and thus easily fall outside the normal record keeping procedures of the company. Voice mail messages are also difficult to track and record. Although voice messages can be saved, many voice mail servers automatically delete the messages after a certain period of time. To maintain a permanent record of a voice message, the voice message may be transcribed and a printed copy of the message may be kept in the records. This transcribed copy of the voice message, however, is less credible and thus less desirable than the original voice message since the transcribed copy may have altered material or may omit certain portions of the message. In addition to facsimile and voice mail messages, data messages are also difficult to track and record. A download or upload of a file may only be evident by the existence of a file itself. A file transfer procedure normally does not lend itself to any permanent record of what file was transferred, the dialed telephone number, the telephone number of the computer receiving the file, the time, or the date of the transfer. It is therefore difficult to maintain accurate records of all data transfers between itself and another entity. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to reliably and efficiently route messages to an intended recipient. It is another object of the invention to route messages to the intended recipient while maintaining the contents of the message confidential. It is another object of the invention to enable the intended recipient to access the messages easily and with minimal costs. It is a further object of the invention to permit the simultaneous receipt of more than one message on behalf of the intended recipient. It is a further object of the invention to enable the intended recipient of a message to access the message at any time and at virtually any location world-wide. It is yet a further object of the invention to enable the intended recipient of a message to browse through the received messages. It is yet a further object of the invention to quickly notify an intended recipient that a message has been received. It is still another object of the invention to receive messages of various types. It is still another object of the invention to deliver messages according to the preferences of the intended recipient. It is still a further object of the invention to record and track correspondence, such as facsimile messages, voice mail messages, and data transfers. Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this description or practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the appended claims. To achieve the foregoing and other objects, in accordance with the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a system and method for storing and delivering messages involves receiving an incoming call and detecting an address signal associated with the incoming call, the address signal being associated with a user of the message storage and delivery system. A message accompanied with the address signal is then received and converted from a first file format to a second file format. The message is stored in the second file format within a storage area and is retrieved after a request has been received from the user. At least a portion of the message is then transmitted to the user over a network with the second file format being a mixed media page layout language. In another aspect, a network message storage and delivery system comprises a central processor for receiving an incoming call, for detecting an address signal on the incoming call, for detecting a message on the incoming call, and for placing the message in a storage area. The address signal on the incoming call is associated with a user of the network message storage and delivery system. A network server receives the message from the storage area, converts the message into a mixed media page layout language, and places the message in the storage area. When the network server receives a request from the user over the network, the network server transmits at least a portion of the message over the network to the user. Preferably, the network storage and delivery system can receive facsimile messages, data messages, or voice messages and the network is the Internet. The messages are converted into a standard generalized mark-up language and the user is notified that a message has arrived through E-mail or through a paging system. A listing of the facsimile messages may be sent to the user in one of several formats. These formats include a textual only listing or a listing along with a full or reduced size image of the first page of each message. A full or reduced size image of each page of a message in the listing may alternatively be presented to the user. According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a system and method for managing files or messages and involves storing message signals in storage and receiving requests from a user for a search. The search preferably comprises a search query that is completed by a user and supplied to a hyper-text transfer protocol deamon (HTTPD) in the system. The HTTPD transfers the request through a common gateway interface (CGI) to an application program which conducts the search. The results of the search are preferably returned through the HTTPD to the computer in the form of a listing of all messages or files satisfying the search parameters. The user may then select one or more of the listed messages or files and may save the search for later references. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in, and form a part of, the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the connections of a message storage and delivery system MSDS; FIG. 2 is an overall flow chart of operations for transmitting a message to the MSDS of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an overall flow chart of operations for receiving a message stored at the MSDS of FIG. 1; FIGS. 4(A) and (B) are flowcharts of operations for generating HTML files according to user preferences; FIG. 5 is a flowchart of operations for generating requested information; FIG. 6 is a flowchart of operations for converting a facsimile message into HTML files; FIG. 7 is an exemplary display of a first page of a facsimile message according to a fourth display option; FIG. 8 is a flowchart of operations for converting a voice message into an HTML file; FIG. 9 is a flowchart of operations for converting a data message into an HTML file; FIG. 10 is a flowchart of operations for detecting a type of call received at the MSDS 10; FIG. 1I is a flowchart of operations for receiving voice messages; FIG. 12 is a flowchart of operations for interacting with an owner's call; FIG. 13 is a more detailed block diagram of the MSDS 10; FIG. 14 is a block diagram of the central processor in FIG. 13; FIG. 15 is a block diagram of the Internet Server of FIG. 13; FIGS. 16(A) and 16(B) depict possible software layers for the Internet Server of FIG. 13; FIG. 17 is a diagram of a data entry for a message signal; FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a process for sending a search query, for conducting a search, and for returning results of the search to a computer through the Internet; FIG. 19 is an example of a search query form for defining a desired search; FIG. 20 is an example of a completed search query; FIG. 21 is an example of a set of search results returned to the computer in response to the search query of FIG. 20; and FIG. 22 is an example of a listing of stored searches. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. With reference to FIG. 1, a message storage and delivery system (MSDS) 10 is connected to a central office 20 of the telephone company through at least one direct inward dialing (DID) trunk 15. With each call on the DID trunk 15, an address signal indicating the telephone number being called is provided to the MSDS 10. The DID trunk 15 can carry a large number of telephone numbers or addresses. Preferably, the DID trunk 15 comprises a number of DID trunks 15 connected in parallel between the central office 20 and the MSDS so that the MSDS 10 can simultaneously receive more than one call and, moreover, can simultaneously receive more than one call for a single telephone number or address. The central office 20 is connected to a number of third parties. For instance, the central office 20 may be connected to a facsimile machine 24, a telephone set 26, and to a computer 28 with each connection being made through a separate telephone line. While a single computer 28 is shown in the figure, the single computer 28 may actually represent a local area network which is connected through the central office 20 to the MSDS 10. Although the facsimile machine 24, telephone set 26, and computer 28 have been shown on separate lines, it should be understood that one or more of these devices could share a single line. The MSDS 10 is also connected to a network, preferably the Internet World Wide Web 30. Although the Internet 30 has been shown as a single entity, it should be understood that the Internet 30 is actually a conglomeration of computer networks and is a constantly evolving and changing structure. The MSDS 10 therefore is not limited to the current structure or form of the Internet 30 but encompasses any future changes or additions to the Internet 30. Further, the MSDS 10 is shown as being directly connected to the Internet 30, such as through its own node or portal. The MSDS 10, however, may be practiced with any suitable connection to the Internet 30, such as through an intermediate Internet access provider. With reference to FIG. 2 depicting an overall operation of the invention, a telephone call directed to a number serviced by the MSDS 10 is initiated at step 40 by a third party, for instance, through the facsimile machine 24, telephone set 26, or computer 28. The incoming telephone call may therefore carry a facsimile message, a voice message, or a data message. At step 42, the address signal associated with the initiated call is routed through the central office 20, over the DID trunk 15, and to the MSDS 10. When the call reaches the MSDS 10, the call is routed within the MSDS 10 in a manner that will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 13. At step 46, the MSDS 10 answers the telephone call and receives the address signal from the DID trunk 15. Next, at step 48, the call is established between the MSDS 10 and the third party and, at step 50, the MSDS 10 receives the message transmitted over the telephone line. The message is stored at step 52, a database within the MSDS 10 is updated at step 54, and the intended recipient of the message is notified at step 56. The intended recipient of the message uses the services provided by the MSDS 10 and will hereinafter be referred to as a user. At step 58, the message is converted into hyper-text mark-up language (HTML). After the MSDS 10 receives a message for one of its users, the user can then communicate with the MSDS 10 at any time and at any location by connecting to the Internet World Wide Web 30 and retrieving the message stored within the MSDS 10. With reference to FIG. 3, at step 60 the user first connects to the Internet 30, such as through a personal computer 32 which may be connected to the Internet 30 in any suitable manner, such as through its own portal or node or through some intermediate access provider. The personal computer 32 is not limited to a single computer but may instead comprise a network of computers, such as a local area network within an office. Once connected with the Internet 30, at step 62, the user accesses with a hyper-text browser the Universal Resource Locator (URL) associated with his or her MSDS 10 mailbox. The computer 32 may use any suitable hypertext browser, such as Netscape, to access the mailbox. A Hypertext Transfer Protocol Deamon (HTTPD) within the MSDS 10 receives the URL request at step 64 and, at step 66, requests user authentication. The user then supplies his or her ID and password at step 68 and, if found valid at step 70, the MSDS 10 provides the computer 32 with access to the mailbox at step 72. If the ID and password are invalid, as determined at step 70, then the HTTPD sends the computer 32 an authentication failure message at step 74. After the user gains access to the mailbox at step 72, the user can request information stored within the MSDS 10. The MSDS 10 receives the request at step 76 and, at step 78, determines whether the information exists. As is common practice, the MSDS 10 also determines the validity of the request at step 78. The request from the user will include the mailbox number for the user, the message identifier, display preferences, and, if the message is a facsimile message, a page identifier. If for any reason the request is invalid, such as when a hacker is attempting to gain access to privileged information, the request for the information will be terminated. If the requested information is available, then at step 80 the information is transmitted through the Internet 30 to the user's computer 32. If, on the other hand, the information does not exist, then at step 82 the MSDS 10 will generate the requested information and then send the information to the user's computer through the Internet 30 at step 80. Prior to gaining access to the mailbox at step 72, the user is preferably sent a greeting page or other such type of information which permits the user to learn about the services provided by the MSDS 10, open an account with the MSDS 10, or gain access to an account. Once access is provided at step 72, the user is provided with information indicating the total number of messages stored in his or her mailbox within the MSDS 10. Preferably, the information sent by the MSDS 10 indicates the total number of messages for each type of message and also the total number of saved messages versus the total number of new messages. The user is also preferably given the option at this step to change account information. The account information might include the E-mail address for the user, the manner in which messages are to be reviewed, the user's pager information, as well as other user preferences. The display options and other user preferences will be discussed in further detail below. The general information HTML file which indicates the total number of different messages is provided with a number of anchors, which are also termed links or references. In general, an anchor permits a user on the computer 32 to retrieve information located on another file. For instance, an anchor to a listing of facsimile messages is preferably provided on the display of the total number of messages. When the user selects the anchor for the facsimile list, the MSDS 10 pulls up and displays the file containing the list of facsimiles, such as a file “faxlist.html.” The other types of messages, such as voice messages and data messages, would have similar anchors on the general information page directed to their respective HTML listing files. When a new message is received at step 54 in FIG. 2, the user's mailbox is updated to display the total number and types of messages. The MSDS 10 might also update other files in addition to the total listing of messages. Additionally, at this time, the MSDS 10 sends an E-mail message to the user's computer 32 to inform the user of the newly arrived message. The MSDS 10 could also send notice to the user through a paging system so that the user receives almost instantaneous notice that a message is received. The MSDS 10 also generates additional information according to the user's preferences. These preferences on how the MSDS 10 is configured for the user include options on how the messages are reviewed. With facsimile messages, for instance, the user can vary the amount or the type of information that will be supplied with the listing of the facsimile messages by selecting an appropriate option. Other options are also available so that the user can custom fit the MSDS 10 to the user's own computer 32 or own personal preferences. For instance, when a facsimile message is received, the MSDS 10, at step 54, will update the total listing of all messages to indicate the newly received message and may additionally generate the HTML files for the newly received facsimile message according to the user's preferences. When the user later requests information on the message at step 76, the HTML information has already been generated and the MSDS 10 may directly send the requested information to the user at step 80. If, on the other hand, the user desires to view the message according to one of the other options, the MSDS 10 wilt generate the HTML files at step 82 according to that other option at the time of the request. A first option available to the user for viewing a facsimile message is a textual only listing of the messages. The information on the textual listing preferably includes the date and time that the message was received at the MSDS 10, the telephone number from where the message was transmitted, the number of pages, the page size, and the size of the message in bytes. The messages, of course, could be listed with other types of information. When the user selects one of the facsimile messages on the list, a request is sent to the HTTPD within the MSDS 10 causing the message to be downloaded via the Internet 30 to the user's computer 32. Once the message is received by the computer 32, the message can be displayed, printed, or saved for further review. The second through fifth options allow the user to preview an image of the facsimile message before having the message downloaded from the MSDS 10 through the Internet 30 and to the computer 32. The second option permits the user to view the list of messages with a reduced size image of the cover page next to each entry on the list. When the user selects one of the messages on the list, the selected facsimile message is transmitted through the Internet 30 to the computer 32. The user may also scroll through the listings if all of the message cannot be displayed at one time on the computer 32. The third option provides the user with a full size view of the cover page of each facsimile message. The user can quickly scroll through the cover pages of each message without downloading the entire message to the computer 32. The full size view of the cover pages permit the user to clearly discern any comments that may be placed on the cover page, which may not be possible from just a reduced image of the cover page available through the second option. The fourth option provides the user with a reduced size image of each page and permits the user to scroll through the entire message. The user can therefore read the entire facsimile message on screen before the message is downloaded onto the computer 32. With this option, the user can go through the pages of the facsimile message and can also skip to the next message or previous message. Additionally, the user has the option of enlarging a page to a full size view of the page. When one of the messages is selected, as with the other options, the HTTPD within the MSDS 10 causes the facsimile message to be transmitted through the Internet 30 to the user's computer 32. With a fifth option, a full size image of each page is transmitted to the users computer 32. The user can scroll through the pages of the facsimile message and easily read the contents of each page. If the user wants the message downloaded to the computer 32, the user selects the message and the HTTPD within the MSDS 10 transmits the message to the user's computer 32 through the Internet 30. As discussed above, after the database is updated at step 54, the MSDS 10 will generate additional information based upon the option selected for displaying the facsimile messages. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4(A), if the first option has been selected, as determined at step 100, then at step 102 the MSDS 10 will generate the textual listing of the facsimile messages with anchors or references to the respective facsimile files. The HTML files are then moved to an Internet Server at step 104. If the first option is not selected, the MSDS 10 next determines whether the second option has been selected at step 106. With the second option, the facsimile messages are listed along with a reduced size image of the cover page. To generate this information, the cover page is extracted from the facsimile file at step 108 and a reduced size HTML image of the cover page is created at step 110. At step 112, a listing of the facsimile messages is generated with a thumbnail view of each cover page linked to its respective facsimile file. The generated HTML files are then sent to the Internet Server at step 104. When the third option is selected, as determined at step 114, a full size image of the cover page is sent to the computer 32. The full size image of the cover page is generated by first extracting the cover page from the facsimile file at step 116. Next, the cover page is converted into a full size HTML image at step 118 and, at step 120, the listing is generated with the embedded cover page linked to the facsimile file. If, at step 122, the fourth option is determined to be selected, then a reduced size image of each page is provided to the user with the option of enlarging the page to view the contents of the page more clearly. With reference to FIG. 4(B), the information necessary for the third option is produced by first extracting the first page of the facsimile message at step 124. A reduced size HTML image is created at step 126 and then a full size HTML image is created at step 128. At step 130, the listing is generated with embedded thumbnail images of the pages with links to the full size images. If the page is not the last page, as determined at step 140, then the next page is extracted at step 142 and steps 126 to 130 are repeated to generate the HTML files for the other pages of the facsimile message. After the last page has been converted into an HTML file according to the third option, the files are moved onto the Internet Server at step 104. At step 144, the MSDS 10 determines whether the fifth option has been selected. The fifth option provides the user with a full size image of each page of the facsimile message. While only five options have been discussed, the invention may be practiced with additional options. Consequently, with additional options and with the fourth option not being selected, the MSDS 10 would next determine whether one of the additional options have been selected. With the preferred embodiment of the invention having only five options, however, the MSDS 10 will assume that the fifth option has been selected if none of the first four options were found to be selected. The information necessary to display the pages of the facsimile message according to the fifth option is generated by first extracting the first page of the facsimile message at step 146. At step 148, a full size HTML image of the page is created and, at step 150, a listing is generated with an embedded image and links to previous and next pages. When the page is not the last page, as determined at step 152, the MSDS 10 extracts the next page and generates the HTML file for that page. After all pages have been converted into HTML files according to the fourth option, the files are sent to the Internet Server at step 104. While FIGS. 4(A) and (B) describe the operations of the MSDS 10 at the time a message is received, FIG. 5 depicts an overall flowchart of operations for the MSDS 10 when the user requests a page of information in a display format other than the user's preferred option of displaying the message. FIG. 5 is therefore a more detailed explanation of how the MSDS 10 generates the necessary information at step 82 of FIG. 3. In general, as shown in FIG. 5, the MSDS 10 first determines the type of image that is needed at step 82a. For example, at this step, the MSDS 10 will determine whether images are unnecessary, whether an image of just the cover page is necessary, whether an image is needed for every page, and whether the image needs to be a full size, a reduced size, or both full and reduced sized images. At step 82b, the MSDS 10 determines whether the image has already been created. If the image has not been created, then at step 82c the MSDS 10 will extract the page from the base facsimile file and, at step 82d, generate the required HTML image. As discussed above, the required image may be for just the cover page, for all the pages, and may be a full size and/or a reduced size image of the page. At step 82e, the image is embedded with links or anchors to other HTML files. These links or anchors might be references to the next and previous pages and also to the next and previous facsimile messages. Finally, the HTML file having the embedded image and links is sent to the user at step 80 in FIG. 3. The process for converting a facsimile message into HTML files according to the fifth option will be described with reference to FIG. 6. This process will occur at step 54 when the message is received and when the fifth option is the user's preferred option of displaying the messages. It should be understood that a similar type of process will also occur when the user requests a page of information according to the fifth option when the user is retrieving a facsimile message and the fifth option is not the user's preferred option. The conversion processes according to the other options will become apparent to those skilled in the art and will therefore not be discussed in further detail. With reference to FIG. 6, when the facsimile message is received, the message is in a Tagged Image File Format/Facsimile (TIFF/F) and each page of the facsimile message is split into a separate file. Each page of the facsimile message is then converted from the TIFF/F format into a Portable Pixel Map (PPM) format. The PPM files are next converted into separate Graphic Interchange Format (GIF) files and then into separate HTML files. Thus, each page of the facsimile message is converted into a separate HTML file. The TIFF/F files may be converted into PPM with an available software package entitled “LIBTIFF” and the PPM files may be converted into GIF files with an available software package found in “Portable Pixel Map Tools.” The invention is not limited to this exact conversion process or to the particular software packages used in the conversion process. For instance, the TIFF/F files may be converted into another portable file format, through any other type of intermediate format, or may be converted directly into the GIF format. Further, instead of GIF, the facsimile messages may be converted into JPEG, BMP, PCx, PIF, PNG, or any other suitable type of file format. The files may be identified with any suitable filename. In the preferred embodiment, the files for each user are stored in a separate directory assigned to just that one user because an entire directory for a given user generally can be protected easier than the individual files. The memory, however, may be organized in other ways with the files for a single user being stored in different directories. The first part of the filename is a number preferably sequentially determined according to the order in which messages arrive for that user. The preferred naming convention for ending the filenames is depicted in FIG. 6. Each page of the facsimile message is saved as a separate file with an extension defined by the format of the file. Thus, the files will end with an extension of “.TIFF,” “.PPM,” “.GIF,” or “.HTNML” according to the format of the particular file. In the example shown, the separate pages have filenames which end with the respective page number, for instance, the first page ends with a “1.” The files, however, are preferably terminated with a letter or multiples letters to indicate the order of the pages. For instance, page 1 might have an ending of “aa,” page 2 might have an ending of “ab,” etc. The invention, however, is not limited to the disclosed naming convention but encompasses other conventions that will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As shown in FIG. 6, in addition to the GIF files representing the pages of the facsimile message, the HTML files include a number of anchors or references. In the example shown, the first HTML file has an anchor a for the “Next Page.” Anchor a is defined as a=<A HREF=“2.html”> Next Page </a> and will therefore reference the second HTML file when a user selects the “Next Page.” The second HTML file has an anchor b for the “Previous Page” and an anchor c for the “Next Page” and the third HTML file has an anchor d for the “Previous Page.” With these particular HTML files, the user can scroll through each page of the facsimile message and view a full size image of the page. Each HTML file preferably contains anchors in addition to those relating to “Next Page” and “Previous Page.” For instance, each HTML file may contain an anchor to the next facsimile message, an anchor to the previous facsimile message, and an anchor to return to the facsimile list. The HTML files preferably contain anchors relating to “Save” and “Delete.” When the “Save” anchor is selected, the user would be able to save the message under a more descriptive name for the message. The “Delete” anchor is preferably followed by a inquiry as to whether the user is certain that he or she wants to delete the message. Other anchors, such as an anchor to the general listing, will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may also be provided. FIG. 7 provides an example of a display according to the fifth option for the first page of the facsimile message shown in FIG. 6. The headings of the display provide information on the telephone number from where the message was sent, the date and time the message was received at the MSDS 10, and an indication of the page of the message being displayed. The main portion of the display is the full size image of the page. At the bottom of the display, an anchor or link is provided to the “Next Page” and another anchor is provided to the “Return to Fax Listing.” Additional information may also be provided on the display, such as a link to a company operating the MSDS 10. An example of the “1.html” file for generating the display shown in FIG. 7 is shown below in Table 1. TABLE 1 <HTML> <READ> <TITLE>Fax Received on May 31, 1995 at 1:58 PM from (404) 249 6801; Page 1 of 3</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <H1>Fax from (404) 249-6801</H1> <H2>Received on May 31, 1995 at 1:58 PM</H2> <H2>Page 1 of 3</H2> <IMG SRC=“1.gif”> <P> <A HREF=“2.html”>Next Page</a> <HR> <A HREF=“faxlist.html”>Return to Fax Listing</A> <P> This page was automatically generated by FaxWeb(tm) on May 31, 1995 at 2:05 PM. <P> © 1995 NetOffice, Inc. <HR> <Address> <A HREF=“http://www.netoffice.com/”>NetOffice, Inc.</A><BR> PO Box 7115<BR> Atlanta, GA 30357<BR> <A HREF=“mailto:info@netoffice.com”>info@netoffice.com</A> </Address> </BODY> </HTML> As is apparent from the listing in Table 1, the image file “1.gif” for the first page is embedded into the HTML file “1.html.” Also apparent from the listing is that the anchor for “Next Page” directs the MSDS 10 to the second page of the facsimile message having the filename “2.html” and the anchor for “Return to Fax Listing” directs the MSDS 10 to the filename “faxlist.html” containing the list of facsimile messages. A process for converting a voice message into an HTML file is illustrated in FIG. 8. The voice message is originally stored in a VOX format or an AD/PCM format and is retrieved at step 170. The voice message is then converted either into an AU format or WAV format in accordance with the user's preference, which is stored in memory. Preferably, the message is preferably in the AD/PCM format originally and is converted in WAV, but the voice files may alternatively be stored and converted in file formats other than the ones disclosed, such as RealAudio (RA). At step 174, the listing of all of the voice messages is then updated to include a listing of the newly received voice message and an anchor to the voice message. For instance, the original voice message may be stored with filename “1.vox” and is converted into WAV and stored with a filename “1.wav.” The HTML file “voicelist.html” which contains a list of all voice messages would then have an anchor to the filename “1.wav” along with identifying information for the voice message, such as when the message was received. The listing of the voice messages may have additional anchors or references. For instance, each voice message may have an anchor directing the MSDS 10 to a file which contains a short sampling of the message. Thus, when the user selects this anchor, the user could receive the first 5 seconds of the message or some other predefined number of seconds. As with the listing of facsimile messages, the listing of the voice messages also preferably has anchors to “Save” and “Delete.” FIG. 9 illustrates a process for converting a data message into HTML. At step 180, the data file is retrieved from a database and at step 182 the HTML file containing the list of data messages is updated to include a listing of the newly received message along with identifying information. For instance, the HTML file for the listing “datalist.html” would be updated to include an anchor to a data file “file1.1” and would have information such as the time and date that the data was transmitted, the size of the data file, as well as additional identifying information. Because the MSDS 10 can receive messages of various types, such as a facsimile message, voice message or data message, the MSDS 10 must be able to determine the type of message that is being sent over the DID trunk 15. With reference to FIG. 10, when an incoming call is received, the MSDS 10 goes off hook at step 200 and starts to generate a ringing sound. If, at step 202, a facsimile calling tone is detected, then the ringing sound is stopped at step 204 and the message is received as a facsimile message at step 206. Similarly, when a data modem calling tone is detected at step 208, the ringing sound is stopped at step 210 and the message is identified as a data message at step 212. If the MSDS 10 detects a DTMF digit at step 214, the ringing sound is stopped at step 216 and the MSDS 10 then determines which digit was pressed. When the digit is a “1,” as determined at step 218, the message is identified as a facsimile message. The MSDS 10 will thereafter receive and store the facsimile message in the manner described above with reference to FIG. 2. If the digit is identified as a “0” at step 220, the call is identified as an owner's call and will be processed in a manner that will be described below with reference to FIG. 12. As will be apparent, other digits may cause the MSDS 10 to take additional steps. If any other DTMF digit is pressed, at step 224 the MSDS 10 activates a voice call system, which will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 11. With step 226, the MSDS 10 will enter a loop continuously checking for a facsimile calling tone, a data modem calling tone, or for a DTMF digit. If after n rings none of these tones or digits has been detected, the ringing sound is stopped at step 228 and the voice call system is activated at step 224. With reference to FIG. 11, when a fax calling tone or modem calling tone is not detected, the voice call system begins at step 230 by playing a voice greeting. If the greeting was not interrupted by a DTMF digit as determined at step 232, then the caller is prompted for the voice message at step 234 and, at step 236, the voice message is recorded and stored in memory. At step 238, the caller is prompted with a number of options, such as listening to the message, saving the message, or re-recording the message. Since the selection of these options with DTMF digits will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the details of this subroutine or subroutines will not be described in further detail. When the caller wishes to re-record the message, as determined at step 240, the caller is again prompted for a message at step 234. If the caller does not wish to re-record the message, the call is terminated at step 242. If the voice greeting is interrupted by a DTMF digit, as determined at step 232, then the MSDS 10 ascertains which digit has been pressed. At step 244, if the digit is a “0,” the MSDS 10 detects that the call is an owner's call. When the digit is a “1,” the MSDS 10 is informed at step 206 that the call carries a facsimile message. As discussed above with reference to FIG. 10, other DTMF digits may cause the MSDS 10 to take additional steps. If an invalid digit is pressed, by default at step 248 the routine returns to step 234 of prompting the caller for a message. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific interactive voice response system described with reference to FIG. 11. As discussed above, the invention may be responsive to DTMF digits other than just a “0” and a “1.” Further variations or alterations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. With reference to FIG. 12, when the call is considered an owners call, the caller is first prompted for the password at step 250. The password is received at step 252 and, if found correct at step 254, a set of announcements are played to the owner. These announcements would preferably inform the owner of the number of new messages that have been received, the number of saved messages, the number of facsimile message, the number of data messages, and the number of voice messages. Other announcements, of course, could also be made at this time. At step 258, the owner then receives a recording of the owner's menu with the appropriate DTMF digit for each option. For instance, the DTMF digit “1” may be associated with playing a message, the DTMF digit “2” may be associated with an options menu, and the DTMF digit “*” may be associated with returning to a previous menu or terminating the call if no previous menu exists. A DTMF digit is detected at step 260 and the appropriate action is taken based upon the digit received. Thus, if the digit is determined to be a “1” at step 264, the owner can play a message at step 266. At step 266, the owner is preferably greeted with a menu giving the owner the options of playing or downloading new messages, saved messages, facsimile messages, data messages, or voice messages. As should be apparent to those skilled in the art, the owner may receive one or more menus at step 266 and the owner may enter one or more DTMF digits in order to play or download a particular message. If, instead, the digit is determined to be a “2” at step 268, then the owner receives an options menu at step 270. With the options menu, the owner can enter or change certain parameters of the MSDS 10. For instance, the owner can change his or her password, the owner can change the manner in which facsimile messages are displayed on the computer 32, the owner can change the image file format from GIF to another format, the owner can select the file formats for the voice messages, as well as other options. If the “*” DTWF digit is received, as determined at step 272, then the owner is returned to a previous menu. The “*” digit is also used to terminate the call when the owner has returned to the initial menu. The “*11 digit is therefore universally recognized by the MSDS 10 throughout the various menus as a command for returning to a previous menu. If the owner enters a DTMF digit that is not being used by the MSDS 10, the owner receives an indication at step 276 that the key is invalid and the owner is then again provided with the owner's menu at step 258. When the owner does not enter a DTMF digit while the owner's menu is being played, as determined at step 260, the menu will be replayed n times. Once the menu has been replayed n times, as determined at step 262, then the call will be terminated at step 278. If the password is incorrect, as determined at step 254, then the MSDS 10 checks whether the user has made more than “n” attempts at step 280. If “n” attempts have not been made, then a password incorrect message will be displayed to the user at step 282 and the user will once again be prompted for the password at step 250. When the user has made “n” attempts to enter the correct password, the MSDS 10 will play a failure message to the user at step 284 and then terminate the call at step 286. The specific number “n” may be three so that the call is terminated after three failed attempts. The owner's menu may be responsive to an additional number of DTMF digits and may be structured in other ways. For instance, separate DTMF digits may direct the owner to the respective types of messages, such as a facsimile message, data message, or voice message. Also, separate DTMF digits may direct the owner to a recording of new messages or to a recording of saved messages. Other variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. A more detailed diagram of the MSDS 10 is shown in FIG. 13. As shown in the figure, a plurality of DID trunks 15 are received by an input/output device 17 and are then sent to a central processor 3. The number of DID trunks 15 may be changed to any suitable number that would be necessary to accommodate the anticipated number of telephone calls that may be made to the MSDS 10. The input/output device 17 routes a call on one of the DID trunks 15 to an open port of the central processor 3 and is preferably a DID Interface Box manufactured by Exacom. The central processor 3 receives the calls on the DID trunks 15 and stores the messages in storage 11 in accordance with software 7. Preferably, a separate directory in storage 11 is established for each user having an account on the MSDS 10 so that all of the messages for a single user will be stored in the same directory. It should be understood that the number of processors within the central processor 3 is dependent upon the number of DID trunks 15. With a greater number of DID trunks 15 capable of handling a larger number of telephone calls, the central processor 3 may actually comprise a number of computers. The input/output device 17 would then function to route incoming calls to an available computer within the central processor 3. A more detailed diagram of the central processor 3 is shown in FIG. 14. The central processor 3 comprises a telephone line interface 21 for each DID trunk 15. The telephone interface 21 provides the ringing sounds and other communication interfacing with the telephone lines. The signals from the telephone interface 21 are routed to a pulse/tone decoder 23 and to a digital signal processor (DSP) 25. The pulse/tone decoder 23 detects the address signal off of an incoming call and sends the address signal onto a bus 29 to a microprocessor 27. The DSP performs the necessary signal processing on the incoming calls and routes the processed signals to the microprocessor 27. The microprocessor 27 will then read the address signal from the pulse/tone decoder 23 and store the message from the DSP 25 in an appropriate directory in storage 11. As discussed above, the central processor 3 may comprise a number of computers or, more precisely, a number of microprocessors 27 with each microprocessor 27 handling the calls from a certain number, such as four, DID trunks 15. The microprocessor 27 may comprise any suitable microprocessor, but is preferably at least a 486 PC. In addition to handling incoming calls and storing the messages in storage 11, the central processor 3 also coordinates the interactive voice response system of the MSDS 10. The software 7 would incorporate the flowcharts of operations for receiving a message shown in FIG. 3, for detecting the type of message on an incoming call shown in FIG. 10, for receiving voice messages shown in FIG. 11, and for receiving an owner's call shown in FIG. 12. Based upon the above-referenced flowcharts and the respective descriptions, the production of the software 7 is within the capability of one of ordinary skill in the art and will not be described in any further detail. The Internet Server 5 is connected to the central processor 3, such as through a local area network, and also has access to the storage 11. The Internet Server 5 performs a number of functions according to software 9. For instance, the Internet Server 5 retrieves the data files stored in storage 11 by the central computer 3 and converts the files into the appropriate HTML files. The converted HTML files are then stored in storage 11 and may be downloaded to the computer 32 through the Internet 30. The Internet Server 5 also handles the requests from the computer 32, which might require the retrieval of files from the storage 11 and possibly the generation of additional HTML files. The software 9 for the Internet Server 5 would therefore incorporate the flowchart of operations for generating HTML files according to user preferences shown in FIG. 4, for generating requested information from a user shown in FIG. 5, for converting facsimile messages into HTML shown in FIG. 6, for converting voice messages into HTML shown in FIG. 8, and for converting data messages into HTML shown in FIG. 9. Based upon the above-referenced flowcharts and their respective descriptions, the production of the software 9 is within the capability of one of ordinary skill in the art and need not be described in any further detail. Nonetheless, a more detailed block diagram of the Internet Server 5 is shown in FIG. 15. The Internet Server 5 runs on a suitable operating system (OS) 39, which is preferably Windows NT. The Internet Server 5 has a number of application programs 31, such as the ones depicted in the flowcharts discussed above, for communicating with the central processor 3 and for accessing data from storage 11 and also from memory 33. The memory 33, inter alia, would contain the data indicating the preferences of each user. Thus, for example, when a facsimile message in the TIFF/F format is retrieved by the Internet Server 5, the Internet Server 5 would ascertain from the data in memory 33 the preferred option of displaying the facsimile message and would generate the appropriate HTML files. All interfacing with the Internet 30 is handled by the HTTPD 37, which, in the preferred embodiment, is “Enterprise Server” from NetScape Communications Corp. Any requests from users, such as a request for a file, would be handled by the HTTPD 37, transferred through the CGI 35, and then received by the application programs 31. The application programs 31 would then take appropriate actions according to the request, such as transferring the requested file through the CGI 35 to the HTTPD 37 and then through the Internet 30 to the user's computer 32. The Internet Server 5 may be connected to a paging system 13. Upon the arrival of a new message, in addition to sending an E-mail message to the user's mailbox, the Internet Server 13 may also activate the paging system 13 so that a pager 15 would be activated. In this manner, the user could receive almost instantaneous notification that a message has arrived. The paging system 13 is preferably one that transmits alphanumeric characters so that a message may be relayed to the user's pager 15. The Internet Server 5 therefore comprises a signal processor 41 for generating signals recognized by the paging system 13 and a telephone interface 43. The signal processor 41 preferably receives information from the application programs 31 and generates a paging message in a paging file format, such as X10/TAP. The telephone interface 43 would include a modem, an automatic dialer, and other suitable components for communicating with the paging system 13. The information from the application programs 31 may simply notify the user of a message or may provide more detailed information. For instance, with a facsimile message, the information from the application programs 31 may comprise CSI information identifying the sender's telephone number. The user would therefore receive a message on the pager 15 informing the user that a facsimile message was received from a specified telephone number. The amount and type of information that may be sent to the user on the pager 15 may vary according to the capabilities of the paging system 13 and may provide a greater or lesser amount of information than the examples provided. The Internet Server 5 is not limited to the structure shown in FIG. 15 but may comprise additional components. For instance, the HTTPD 37 would be linked to the Internet 30 through some type of interface, such as a modem or router. The Internet Server 5 may be connected to the Internet 30 through typical phone lines, ISDN lines, a TI circuit, a T3 circuit, or in other ways with other technologies as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the Internet Server 5 need not be connected to the Internet 30 but may be connected to other types of networks. For instance, the Internet Server 5, or more generally the network Server 5, could be connected to a large private network, such as one established for a large corporation. The network Server 5 would operate in the same manner by converting messages into HTML files, receiving requests for information from users on the network, and by transmitting the information to the users. Also, at least one interface circuit would be located between the Internet Server 5 and the central processor 3 in order to provide communication capabilities between the Internet Server 5 and the central processor 3. This network interface may be provided within both the Internet Server 5 and the central processor 3 or within only one of the Internet Server 5 or central processor 3. Examples of the Internet Server 5 software layers are shown in FIGS. 16(A) and 16(B), with FIG. 16(A) representing the Internet Server 5 in an asynchronous mode of communication and FIG. 16(B) representing the Internet 5 in a synchronous mode of communication. As shown in the figures, the software 9 for the Internet Server 5 may additional comprise an Internet Deamon for running the HTTPD 37. The software 9 for the Internet Server 5 would also include TCP/IP or other transport layers. Moreover, while the authentication is provided through the HTTPD 37, the authentication of the user's password and ID may be supplemented or replaced with other ways of authentication. The term synchronous has been used to refer to a mode of operation for the MSDS 10 in which the all possible HTML files for a message are generated at the time the message is received. The HTML files may be generated by the central processor 3 or by the application programs 31. When a request for information is then later received by the HTTPD 37, the information has already been generated and the HTTPD 37 only needs to retrieve the information from storage 11 and transmit the information to the user's computer 32. With a synchronous mode of operation, the CGI 35 would be unnecessary. The MSDS 10 preferably operates according to an asynchronous mode of operation. In an asynchronous mode of operation, information requested by the user may not be available and may have to be generated after the request. The asynchronous mode of operation is preferred since fewer files are generated, thereby reducing the required amount of storage 11. Because the information requested by a user may not be available, some anchors cannot specify the filename, such as “2.html,” but will instead contain a command for the file. For instance, an anchor may be defined as <AHREF=“/faxweb/users/2496801/S viewpage.cgi?FAX_NUM=1&PAGE=1&VIEW_MODE=FULL”> for causing the CGI 35 to run a viewpage program so that page 1 of facsimile message 1 will be displayed in a full size image. The CGI 35 will generate the requested information when the information has not been generated, otherwise the CGI 35 will retrieve the information and relay the information to the HTTPD 37 for transmission to the user. With the invention, the MSDS 10 can reliably receive voice, facsimile, and data messages for a plurality of users and can receive more than one message for a user at a single time. The messages are stored by the MSDS 10 and can be retrieved at the user's convenience at any time by connecting to the Internet 30. The Internet World Wide Web 30 is a constantly expanding network that permits the user to retrieve the messages at virtually any location in the world. Since the user only needs to incur a local charge for connecting to the Internet 30, the user can retrieve or review messages at a relatively low cost. Even for the user's at the office or at home, the MSDS 10 provides a great number of benefits. The user would not need a facsimile machine, voice mail system, or a machine dedicated for receiving data messages. The user also need not worry about losing part of the message or violating the confidential nature of the messages. The user, of course, can still have a facsimile machine and dedicated computer for data messages. The MSDS 10, however, will permit the user to use the telephone company's “call forwarding” feature so that messages may be transferred to the MSDS 10 at the user's convenience, such as when the user is away from the office. The software 7 and software 9 are not limited to the exact forms of the flowcharts shown but may be varied to suit the particular hardware embodied by the invention. The software may comprise additional processes not shown or may combine one or more of the processes shown into a single process. Further, the software 7 and 9 may be executed by a single computer, such as a Silicon Graphics Workstation, or may be executed by a larger number of computers. The facsimile messages preferably undergo signal processing so that the images of the facsimile messages are converted from a two tone black or white image into an image with a varying gray scale. As is known in the art, a gray scale image of a facsimile message provides a better image than simply a black or white image of the message. The signal processing may comprise any suitable standard contrast curve method of processing, such as anti-aliasing or a smoothing filter. The signal processing may occur concurrently with the conversion from TIFF/F to GIF and is preferably performed for both full and reduced size images of the facsimile messages. Furthermore, the user may be provided with a greater or fewer number of options in displaying or retrieving messages. The options are not limited to the exact forms provided but may permit the user to review or retrieve the messages in other formats. The options may also permit a user to join two or messages into a single message, to delete portions of a message, or to otherwise the contents of the messages. Also, the various menus provided to the user over the telephone may have a greater number of options and the MSDS 10 may accept responses that involve more than just a single DIMF digit. The specific DTMF digits disclosed in the various menus are only examples and, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, other digits may be used in their place. For instance, a “9” may be used in the place of a “n” in order to exit the menu or to return to a previous menu. Also, the DTMF digits may be changed in accordance with the user's personal convention. If the user had a previous voice mail system, the user could customize the commands to correspond with the commands used in the previous system in order to provide a smooth transition to the MSDS 10. The MSDS 10 may restrict a user to only certain types of messages. For instance, a user may want the MSDS 10 to store only facsimile messages in order to reduce costs of using the MSDS 10. In such a situation, the MSDS 10 would perform an additional step of checking that the type of message received for a user is a type of message that the MSDS 10 is authorized to receive on the user's behalf. When the message is an unauthorized type of message, the MSDS 10 may ignore the message entirely or the MSDS 10 may inform the user that someone attempted to send a message to the MSDS 10. Moreover, the MSDS 10 has been described as having the central processor 3 for handling incoming calls and the Internet Server 10 for interfacing with the Internet 30. The invention may be practiced in various ways other than with two separate processors. For instance, the central processor 3 and the Internet Server 5 may comprise a single computer or workstation for handling the incoming calls and for interfacing with the Internet 30. The MSDS 10 may convert the messages into HTML files prior to storing the messages. Also, the central processor 3 may communicate with the paging system 13 instead of the Internet Server 5. Additionally, as discussed above, the central processor 3 may comprise a number of microprocessors 27 for handling a large number of DID trunks. The invention has been described as converting the messages into HTML and transmitting the HTML files over the Internet 30 to the computer 32. The HTML format, however, is only the currently preferred format for exchanging information on the Internet 30 and is actually only one type of a Standard Generalized Mark-Up Language. The invention is therefore not limited to the HTML format but may be practiced with any type of mixed media page layout language that can be used to exchange information on the Internet 30. SGNL is not limited to any specific standard but encompasses numerous dialects and variations in languages. One example of an SGML dialect is virtual reality mark-up language (VRML) which is used to deliver three dimensional images through the Internet. As another example, the computer 32 for accessing the MSDS 10 through the Internet 30 may comprise a handheld device. A handheld device is generally characterized by a small display size, limited input capabilities, limited bandwidth, and limited resources, such as limited amount of memory, processing power, or permanent storage. In view of these limited capabilities, a handheld device markup language (HDML) has been proposed to provide easy access to the Internet 30 for handheld devices. The SGML information transmitted by the MSDS 10 to the computer 32 may therefore comprise HDML information suitable for a handheld device or may comprise VRML. As another example, Extensible Mark-Up Language (XML) is an abbreviated version of SGML, which makes it easier to define document types and makes it easier for programmers to write programs to handle them. XML omits some more complex and some less-used parts of the standard SGML in return for the benefits of being easier to write applications for, easier to understand, and more suited to delivery and inter-operability over the Web. Because XML is nonetheless a dialect of SGML, the MSDS 10 therefore encompasses the translation of facsimile, voice, and data messages into XML, including all of its dialects and variations, and the delivery of these messages to computers 32 through the Internet 30. As a further example, the MSDS 10 encompasses the use of “dynamic HTML.” “Dynamic HTML” is a term that has been used to describe the combination of HTML, style sheets, and scripts that allows documents to be animated. The Document Object Model (DOM) is a platform-neutral and language neutral interface allowing dynamic access and updating of content, structure, and style of documents. The MSDS 10 may therefore include the use of the DOM and dynamic HTML to deliver dynamic content to the computer 32 through the Internet 30. The MSDS 10 is also not limited to any particular version or standard of HTTP and thus not to any particular hyper-text transfer protocol deamon 37. In general, HTTP is a data access protocol run over TCP and is the basis of the World Wide Web. HTTP began as a generic request-response protocol, designed to accommodate a variety of applications ranging from document exchange and management to searching and forms processing. Through the development of HTTP, the request for extensions and new features to HTTP has exploded; such extensions range from caching, distributed authoring and content negotiation to various remote procedure call mechanisms. By not having a modularized architecture, the price of new features has been an overly complex and incomprehensible protocol. For instance, a Protocol Extension Protocol (PEP) is an extension mechanism for HTTP designed to address the tension between private agreement and public specification and to accommodate extension of HTTP clients and servers by software components. Multiplexing Protocol (MUX) is another extension that introduces asynchronous messaging support at a layer below HTTP. As a result of these drawbacks of HTTP, a new version of HTTP, namely HTTP-NG, has been proposed and its purpose is to provide a new architecture for the HTTP protocol based on a simple, extensible distributed object-oriented model. HTTP-NG, for instance, provides support for commercial transactions including enhanced security and support for on-line payments. Another version of HTTP, namely S-HTTP, provides secure messaging. The MSDS 10 and the HTTPD 37 may incorporate these versions or other versions of HTTP. In addition to different versions of HTTP, the HTTPD 37 of the MSDS 10 may operate with other implementations of HTTP. For instance, the W3C's has an implementation of HTTP called “Jigsaw.” Jigsaw is an HTTP server entirely written in Java and provides benefits in terms of portability, extensibility, and efficiency. The MSDS 10 may employ Jigsaw or other implementations of HTTP. With regard to the transmission of messages to the user's computer 32, the MSDS 10 permits the user to sample the voice message or to preview the facsimile message without requiring the MSDS 10 to transmit the entire message to the computer 32. This sampling ability is a significant benefit since the transmission of the entire message would frequently tie up the computer 32 for a rather long period of time. Thus, with the preview or sample feature, the user can determine whether the user needs the message transmitted to the computer 32. If the user does decide that the entire message needs to be transmitted, as stated above, the user's computer 32 might be receiving the message for a relatively long period of time. After the entire message has been received, the user then has the options of viewing, listening, retrieving, or saving the message. As an alternative, the user's computer may instead indicate the contents of the message to the user as the message is being received. For instance, with a voice message, the user's computer 32 could send the message to an audio speaker as the message is being received. In this manner, the message would be played in real time and the user would not need to wait until the entire message is received before listening to the message. In order to play the messages in real time, the messages are preferably in the RealAudio (RA) format, which the user can select as the preferred file format for voice messages. In operation, the MSDS 10 would transmit an HTML file containing an RA file. If the user selects the RA file with the browser on the computer 32, the browser will activate a program for use with RA files. The operations and functioning of this program will be apparent to those skilled in the art and will be available as a separate software package or will be incorporated within a browser program. The RA program will request the RA data file containing the message from the MSDS 10 and, as the RA file is being received at the computer 32, this program will play the message in real time. The MSDS 10 and the user's computer 32 could also be arranged so that each page or even line of a facsimile message could be displayed as the computer 32 receives the facsimile message. Further, although the transmission of a data message is relatively fast in comparison to a voice or facsimile message, the computer 32 could also be programmed to permit access to the data message as the message is being received. The invention has been described as storing and transmitting voice messages. It should be understood that the voice message would probably be the most often type of audio message stored at the MSDS 10. The invention, however, may be used with any type of audio message and is in no way limited to just voice messages. According to another aspect of the invention, the MSDS 10 may be used as a file repository serving as an archive for a particular user or group of users. As described above, the MSDS 10 may maintain a list of all messages for a particular user which is displayed to the user when the user access his or her mailbox. The MSDS 10 may store all messages, whether they are voice, facsimile, or data, for a user in the database indefinitely. The MSDS 10 may therefore be relied upon by a user to establish the authenticity of a message and the existence or absence of a particular message. Through the MSDS 10, a user can therefore maintain an accurate record of all received email messages, facsimile messages, and data transfers. In addition to serving as a file depository, the MSDS 10 may also function as a document management tool. As described above with reference to FIG. 2, when the MSDS 10 receives a message, the MSDS 10 updates a database with information on the message. This information includes the type of message, whether it is a facsimile message, voice message, or data message, the time and date at which the message was received, the size of the file, such as in bytes, the telephone number of the caller leaving the message, as well as other information, such as the number of pages of a facsimile message. Because the telephone number called is unique for each user, the information also includes the intended recipient of the message. An example of a data entry 300 in storage 11 for a message is shown in FIG. 17. The data entry 300 represents the entry for just a single message with each message having a separate data entry 300. Preferably, the data entries 300 are stored in a relational database and may be searched through a structured query language (SQL). As shown in FIG. 17, the data field 300 for a message may comprise numerous data fields for describing the message. One of these data fields may comprise a field 301 for indicating the name of the person receiving the message. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the person may be identified in numerous ways, such as by a portion of the person's name or by a unique number. Another field 302 in the data entry 300 indicates the type of the document, such as whether the document is a facsimile message, voice message, or data transfer, and fields 303 and 304 respectively indicate the date and time that the message was received by the MSDS 10. The telephone number of the caller is indicated in field 305 while the size of the message, which may be measured in bytes, is indicated in field 306 and the number of pages of the message is indicated in field 307. A document number for uniquely identifying the message is indicated in field 308. As discussed above, the files or messages received for a particular user may be numbered sequentially in the order that they are received by the MSDS 10. The files and messages, however, may be numbered or identified in other ways, such as by a combination of numbers with an identifier for the date when the message was received. Also, the documents number or identifier may be unique for each file or message directed to a user or, alternatively, may be unique for each file or message directed to a plurality of users, which is advantageous when the MSDS 10 tracks documents for an entire company or other group of users. In addition to fields 301 to 308, the data entry 300 for a message or file may have other fields 309 for describing or documenting the message or file. The other fields 309, for instance, may be used to identify the type of storage that a message should receive. The messages or files may have different lengths of time that the message is stored before being automatically deleted. The type of storage, such as whether the full text of the message is stored, may also be indicated by field 309. Another example of a trait that may be contained within the other field 309 is security. At times, a user may desire and may be granted access to another person's mailbox, such when the MSDS 10 tracks documents for an entire company. By designating a message or file as secure in field 309, a user may restrict or deny access to that message or file by other users. The other fields 309 may also be used by a user to customize the MSDS 10 according to his or her own desires. For instance, if the user is a company, the company may want to classify messages according to the division at which the message is directed, such as one code for marketing, one for sales, one for engineering, and one for legal. As another example of a use of one of the other fields 309, a user can input notes in the other field 309. When a user initially receives a data entry 300, the entry 300, for instance, may include data in all fields 301 to 308 except field 309, which has been left blank. The user can then input his or her notes in the other field. An initial data entry 300 may include the field 305 for the caller's telephone number which contains the digits for the calling number. The user, however, may not readily recognize the caller from just reading the telephone number listed in field 305. To more clearly indicate the caller, the user may input notes in field 309 to identify the caller's name. Alternatively, the notes in field 309 may reflect part or all of the contents of the message. The user may receive a large document or message and may input a brief description of the document or message in the field 309. As another example, the recipient of the message may read the message or document and discover that the caller is requesting some service or goods from the recipient, such as a request for certain documents or delivery of a certain quantity of goods. The recipient may read the document or message and place somes notes in the field 309 to indicate the type of follow-up service or action that needs to be taken. An assistant to the recipient can then view the notes in field 309 and take appropriate steps to ensure that the requested service or goods are delivered. If the data entry is security protected, one of the other fields 309, as discussed above, may grant the assistant limited access to just the field 309 or may grant more expansive access whereby the assistant can view fields 301 to 309 as well as the actual document or message. The fields 309 may serve various other purposes, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. FIG. 18 illustrates a process 320 for using the MSDS 10 for document management purposes. With reference to FIG. 18, a user sends a search request to the MSDS 10 for a particular document or set of documents at step 321. The user may issue this request with the computer 32 by clicking on a link, such as a link to “Search Documents,” which may be presented to the user by the MSDS 10 after the user has been granted accesses to his or her mailbox at step 72 shown in FIG. 3. The MSDS 10 may present the user with the option to search the document archives at other times, such as when the user first attempts to access the mailbox at step 62, or when the URL received by the HTTPD 37 from computer 32 points toward the document archives. In response to this request, the HTTPD 37 sends the user a search query form at step 322 to allow the user to define a desired search. An example of a search query form is shown in FIG. 19. The search query form may include an entry for each of the data fields 301 to 309 in the data entry 300. For instance, the user may input one or more names for a recipient and have the MSDS 10 search for all messages or files directed to just those recipients. The user may also indicate the type of document, such as whether it is a facsimile, voice message or data file. The search query form also has entries for the date or time, which preferably accept ranges of times and dates, and an entry for the telephone number of the caller to the MSDS 10. The search query form may also include an entry for the size of the file or for the number of pages, which is relevant if the message is a facsimile message. The search query form may also include an entry for the document number, which may accept a range of document numbers, and also an entry for another field. At step 323, the user enters the search parameters in the search query form with computer 32 and returns the information to the MSDS 10 through the Internet 30. The user may define the search about any one data field or may define the search about a combination of two or more data fields. For instance, as reflected in the completed search query form shown in FIG. 20, a user may define a search by designating the document type as a facsimile and the calling number as (404) 249-6801. Once the user has finished defining the search, the user then selects the “SEARCH” link shown at the bottom of the screen whereby the user's computer 32 would send the completed search query form through the Internet 30 to the HTTPD 37 of the MSDS 10. At step 324, the HTTPD 37 receives the completed search query form and, through CGI 35, invokes one or more of the application programs 31 for performing the desired search for any files or messages falling within the parameters of the search. The results of the search are passed from the application programs 31 through the CGI 35 to the HTTPD 37 and, at step 325, are returned to the user through the Internet 37. Preferably, the MSDS 10 returns the search results in the form of a listing of all files or messages contained within the search parameters, although the MSDS 10 may return the results in other ways. An example of the search results of the query shown in FIG. 20 is shown in FIG. 21. As discussed above, the parameters of the search were all facsimile messages from telephone number (404) 249-6081. With reference to FIG. 21, this query resulted in three messages being discovered. The first document has a document number 11 and is described as being a facsimile from the designated telephone number to Jane Doe on May 31, 1995, and consists of three pages. This first-listed document is an example of the facsimile shown in FIG. 7. The other two documents respectively correspond to document numbers 243 and 1,002 and are also from the designated telephone number. At step 326, the user selects the desired file or message from the listing of messages and files. For instance, by clicking on the first listed document, namely document number 11, the computer 32 sends a request to the MSDS 10 for a viewing of that document and, in response, the MSDS 10 provides a viewing of the document according to the user defined preferences. As described above, the user may receive a reduced size image of the first page, a full size image of the first page, reduced size images of all pages, or full size images of all pages of the facsimile message. Thus, if the user selected the fourth display option as the user defined preference, the MSDS 10 would return an image of the first page of the facsimile, such as the one depicted in FIG. 7. At step 326, the user may also have the MSDS 10 save the search results. For instance, as shown in FIG. 21, the user may input the name of “CHARLES R. BOBO FACSIMILES” as the name for the search. By clicking on the “SAVE SEARCH AS” link, the name of the search is provided from the computer 32 to the MSDS 10. At the MSDS 10, the HTTPD 37 transfers the information from the computer 32 to the CGI 35 and the CGI 35 invokes an application program 31 to store the results of the search in storage 11 under the designated name. The invoked application program 31 preferably does not store the contents of all messages but rather stores a listing of the search results in the storage 11. The results of a search may be stored in storage 11 as either a closed search or an open search. If the MSDS 10 saves the results of a search as an open search, then the files or messages in that named search may be updated with recent files or messages falling within the particular search parameters for the search. On the other hand, a closed search is one in which the files or messages in the named search are limited to those existing at the time of the search. For example, if the MSDS 10 saved the search results shown in FIG. 21 as a closed search, then any retrieval of the “CHARLES R. BOBO FACSIMILES” would result in only the three listed documents. If, on the other hand, the search named as the “CHARLES R BOBO FACSIMILES” was saved by the MSDS 10 as an open search, then the MSDS 10 would reactivate the search query shown in FIG. 20 in response to a request by the computer 32 for that search in order to obtain all facsimile messages from that particular telephone number, including those received after the initial saving of the search results. With reference to FIG. 19, rather than defining a new search, the user may click on the “STORED SEARCHES” link in order to receive the results of a previously performed search. For example, by clicking on this link, the MSDS 10 may return a listing of searches stored for that particular user, such as the searches shown in FIG. 22. As shown in this figure, the “CHARLES R. BOBO FACSIMILES” is included within the list of stored searches. If the user then selected the “CHARLES R. BOBO FACSIMIES” search, the user may then be presented with the listing of facsimiles shown in FIG. 21, possibly including recent additions to the search group. With reference to FIG. 19, the MSDS 10 may also provide a user with a link to “RECENT FILES” at step 322. By selecting this link, the MSDS 10 may return a listing of all facsimile, voice, and data messages received with a particular period of time, such as the last month. By placing the “RECENT FILES” link on the search query form rather than in the listing of “STORED SEARCHES,” the user can quickly turn to the most recent files and messages. The search query form may contain other such easy-access links, such as a link to the last search performed by the MSDS 10 on behalf of the user. The messages or files received by the MSDS 10 need not arrive from a third party. In other words, the MSDS 10 may be used as a file repository or as a file manager for documents generated by the user itself. The user may call the designated telephone number for receiving messages and transmit voice messages, data messages, or facsimile messages and have the MSDS 10 document the receipt and content of these messages. A user may easily use a facsimile machine as a scanner for entering documents into the storage 11 of the MSDS 10. The MSDS 10 may have applications in addition to those discussed-above with regard to serving as a message deliverer, file repository, and file manager. For instance, the MSDS to may perform some additional processing on the incoming calls prior to forwarding them to the user. For voice messages, this processing may involve transcribing the message and then returning the transcribed messages to the user. The MSDS 10 may therefore be viewed as offering secretarial assistance which may be invaluable to small companies or individuals who cannot afford a secretary or even to larger businesses who may need some over-flow assistance. The transcription may be provided by individuals located in any part of the world or may be performed automatically by a speech-to-text recognition software, such as VoiceType from IBM. Another type of processing that the MSDS 10 may provide is translation services. The incoming call, whether it is a voice, facsimile, or data message, can be converted into SGML and then forwarded first to a translator. Given the reach of the Internet, the translator may be located virtually anywhere in the world and can return the translated document via the Internet to the MSDS 10. The MSDS 10 can notify the user that the translation has been completed through email, voice mail, pager, facsimile, or in other ways. The user would then connect to the Internet and retrieve the translated document. The translation services of the MSDS 10 may also provide transcription of the message, such as with speech-to-text recognition software. The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention have been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and their practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention only be limited by the claims appended hereto. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Even though the facsimile machine is heavily relied upon by businesses of all sizes and is quickly becoming a standard piece of office equipment, many businesses or households cannot receive the benefits of the facsimile machine. Unfortunately, for a small business or for a private household, a facsimile machine is a rather expensive piece of equipment. In addition to the cost of purchasing the facsimile machine, the facsimile machine also requires toner, paper, maintenance, as well as possible repairs. These expenses may be large enough to prevent many of the small businesses and certainly many households from benefiting from the service that the facsimile machine can provide. For others who are constantly traveling and who do not have an office, it may be impractical to own a facsimile machine. In fact, the Atlanta Business Chronicle estimates that 30% of the small businesses do not have any facsimile machines. Therefore, many businesses and households are at a disadvantage since they do not have access to a facsimile machine. Because a facsimile machine can be such an asset to a company and is heavily relied upon to quickly transmit and receive documents, a problem exists in that the machines are not always available to receive a facsimile message. At times, a facsimile machine may be busy receiving another message or the machine may be transmitting a message of its own. During these times, a person must periodically attempt to send the message until communication is established with the desired facsimile machine. This inability to connect with a facsimile machine can be frustrating, can consume quite a bit of the person's time, and prevent the person from performing more productive tasks. While some more advanced facsimile machines will retry to establish communication a number of times, a person will still have to check on the facsimile machine to ensure that the message was transmitted or to re-initiate the transmission of the message. In addition to labor costs and a reduction in office efficiency, a facsimile machine may present costs to businesses that are not readily calculated. These costs include the loss of business or the loss of goodwill that occurs when the facsimile machine is not accessible by another facsimile machine. These costs can occur for various reasons, such as when the facsimile machine is out of paper, when the machine needs repairing, or when the facsimile machine is busy with another message. These costs occur more frequently with some of the smaller businesses, who are also less able to incur these expenses, since many of them have a single phone line for a telephone handset and the facsimile machine and thereby stand to lose both telephone calls and facsimile messages when the single line is busy. In fact, the Atlanta Business Chronicle estimated that fewer than 5% of the small businesses have 2 or more facsimile machines. Many of the larger companies can reduce these losses by having more than one facsimile machine and by having calls switched to another machine when one of the machines is busy. These losses, however, cannot be completely eliminated since the machines can still experience a demand which exceeds their capabilities. A main benefit of the facsimile machine, namely the quick transfer of documents, does not necessarily mean that the documents will quickly be routed to the intended recipient. The facsimile machines may be unattended and a received facsimile message may not be noticed until a relatively long period of time has elapsed. Further, even for those machines which are under constant supervision, the routing procedures established in an office may delay the delivery of the documents. It is therefore a problem in many offices to quickly route the facsimile message to the intended recipient. The nature of the facsimile message also renders it difficult for the intended recipient to receive a sensitive message without having the message exposed to others in the office who can intercept and read the message. If the intended recipient is unaware that the message is being sent, other people may see the message while it is being delivered or while the message remains next to the machine. When the intended recipient is given notice that a sensitive message is being transmitted, the intended recipient must wait near the facsimile machine until the message is received. It was therefore difficult to maintain the contents of a facsimile message confidential. In an office with a large number of employees, it may also be difficult to simply determine where the facsimile message should be routed. In light of this difficulty, some systems have been developed to automatically route facsimile messages to their intended recipient. One type of system, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,112 to Okada, can route an incoming call to a particular facsimile machine based upon codes entered with telephone push-buttons by the sender of the message. Another type of system, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,326 to Burgess et al. or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,591 to Baran, requires the sender to use a specially formatted cover page which is read by the system. This type of system, however, burdens the sender, who may very well be a client or customer, by requiring the sender to take special steps or additional steps to transmit a facsimile message. These systems are therefore not very effective or desirable. Another type of routing system links a facsimile machine to a Local Area Network (LAN) in an office. For instance, in the systems disclosed in the patents to Baran and Burgess et al., after the system reads the cover sheet to determine the intended recipient of the facsimile message, the systems send an E-mail message to the recipient through the local network connecting the facsimile machine to the recipient's computer. Other office systems, such as those in U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,790 to Silverberg and U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,546 to Giler et al., are linked to the office's voice mail system and may leave a message with the intended recipient that a facsimile message has been received. Some systems which are even more advanced, such as those in U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,628 to Misholi et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,266 to Boaz et al., are connected to an office's local network and provide integrated control of voice messages, E-mail messages, and facsimile messages. The various systems for routing facsimile messages, and possibly messages of other types received in the office, are very sophisticated and expensive systems. While these office systems are desirable in that they can effectively route the messages at the office to their intended recipients, the systems are extremely expensive and only those companies with a great number of employees can offset the costs of the system with the benefits that the system will provide to their company. Thus, for most businesses, it still remains a problem to effectively and quickly route messages to the intended recipients. It also remains a problem for most businesses to route the messages in a manner which can preserve the confidential nature of the messages. Even for the businesses that have a message routing system and especially for those that do not have any type of system, it is usually difficult for a person to retrieve facsimile messages while away from the office. Typically, a person away on business must call into the office and be informed by someone in the office as to the facsimile messages that have been received. Consequently, the person must call into the office during normal business hours while someone is in the office and is therefore limited in the time that the information in a facsimile message can be relayed. If the person away on business wants to look at the facsimile message, someone at the office must resend the message to a facsimile machine accessible to that person. Since this accessible machine is often a facsimile machine at another business or at a hotel where the person is lodging, it is difficult for the person to receive the facsimile message without risking disclosure of its contents. Further, since someone at the person's office must remember to send the message and since someone at the accessible facsimile machine must route the message to the person away from the office, the person may not receive all of the facsimile messages or may have to wait to receive the messages. The retrieval of facsimile messages, as well as voice mail messages, while away from the office is not without certain costs. For one, the person often must incur long distance telephone charges when the person calls the office to check on the messages and to have someone in the office send the messages to another facsimile. The person will then incur the expenses of transmitting the message to a fax bureau or hotel desk as well as the receiving location's own charges for use of their equipment. While these charges are certainly not substantial, the charges are nonetheless expenses incurred while the person is away from the office. Overall, while the facsimile machine is an indispensable piece of equipment for many businesses, the facsimile machine presents a number of problems or costs. Many businesses or households are disadvantaged since they are unable to reap the benefits of the facsimile machine. For the businesses that do have facsimile machines, the businesses must incur the normal costs of operating the facsimile machine in addition to the costs that may be incurred when the facsimile machine or machines are unable to receive a message. Further, the facsimile messages may not be efficiently or reliably routed to the intended recipient and may have its contents revealed during the routing process. The costs and problems in routing a facsimile message are compounded when the intended recipient is away from the office. Many of the problems associated with facsimile messages are not unique to just facsimile messages but are also associated with voice mail messages and data messages. With regard to voice messages, many businesses do not have voice mail systems and must write the message down. Thus, the person away from the office must call in during normal office hours to discover who has called. The information in these messages are usually limited to just the person who called, their number, and perhaps some indication as to the nature of the call. For those businesses that have voice mail, the person away from the office must call in and frequently incur long distance charges. Thus, there is a need for a system for storing and delivery voice messages which can be easily and inexpensively accessed at any time. With regard to data messages, the transmission of the message often requires some coordination between the sender and the recipient. For instance, the recipient's computer must be turned on to receive the message, which usually occurs only when someone is present during normal office hours. Consequently, the recipient's computer is usually only able to receive a data message during normal office hours. Many households and also businesses may not have a dedicated data line and must switch the line between the phone, computer, and facsimile. In such a situation, the sender must call and inform the recipient to switch the line over to the computer and might have to wait until the sender can receive the message. The retransmission of the data message to another location, such as when someone is away from the office, only further complicates the delivery. It is therefore frequently difficult to transmit and receive data messages and is also difficult to later relay the messages to another location. A standard business practice of many companies is to maintain records of all correspondence between itself and other entities. Traditionally, the correspondence that has been tracked and recorded includes letters or other such printed materials that is mailed to or is from a company to the other entity. Although tracking correspondence of printed materials is relatively easy, non-traditional correspondence, such as facsimile messages, e-mail messages, voice messages, or data messages, are more difficult to track and record. For example, facsimile messages may be difficult to track and record since the messages may be received on thermal paper, which suffers from a disadvantage that the printing fades over time. Also, accurate tracking of facsimile messages is difficult since the facsimile messages may only be partially printed at the facsimile machine or the messages may be lost or only partially delivered to their intended recipients. Facsimile messages also present difficulties since they are often delivered within an organization through different channels than ordinary mail and thus easily fall outside the normal record keeping procedures of the company. Voice mail messages are also difficult to track and record. Although voice messages can be saved, many voice mail servers automatically delete the messages after a certain period of time. To maintain a permanent record of a voice message, the voice message may be transcribed and a printed copy of the message may be kept in the records. This transcribed copy of the voice message, however, is less credible and thus less desirable than the original voice message since the transcribed copy may have altered material or may omit certain portions of the message. In addition to facsimile and voice mail messages, data messages are also difficult to track and record. A download or upload of a file may only be evident by the existence of a file itself. A file transfer procedure normally does not lend itself to any permanent record of what file was transferred, the dialed telephone number, the telephone number of the computer receiving the file, the time, or the date of the transfer. It is therefore difficult to maintain accurate records of all data transfers between itself and another entity. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>It is an object of the invention to reliably and efficiently route messages to an intended recipient. It is another object of the invention to route messages to the intended recipient while maintaining the contents of the message confidential. It is another object of the invention to enable the intended recipient to access the messages easily and with minimal costs. It is a further object of the invention to permit the simultaneous receipt of more than one message on behalf of the intended recipient. It is a further object of the invention to enable the intended recipient of a message to access the message at any time and at virtually any location world-wide. It is yet a further object of the invention to enable the intended recipient of a message to browse through the received messages. It is yet a further object of the invention to quickly notify an intended recipient that a message has been received. It is still another object of the invention to receive messages of various types. It is still another object of the invention to deliver messages according to the preferences of the intended recipient. It is still a further object of the invention to record and track correspondence, such as facsimile messages, voice mail messages, and data transfers. Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this description or practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the appended claims. To achieve the foregoing and other objects, in accordance with the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a system and method for storing and delivering messages involves receiving an incoming call and detecting an address signal associated with the incoming call, the address signal being associated with a user of the message storage and delivery system. A message accompanied with the address signal is then received and converted from a first file format to a second file format. The message is stored in the second file format within a storage area and is retrieved after a request has been received from the user. At least a portion of the message is then transmitted to the user over a network with the second file format being a mixed media page layout language. In another aspect, a network message storage and delivery system comprises a central processor for receiving an incoming call, for detecting an address signal on the incoming call, for detecting a message on the incoming call, and for placing the message in a storage area. The address signal on the incoming call is associated with a user of the network message storage and delivery system. A network server receives the message from the storage area, converts the message into a mixed media page layout language, and places the message in the storage area. When the network server receives a request from the user over the network, the network server transmits at least a portion of the message over the network to the user. Preferably, the network storage and delivery system can receive facsimile messages, data messages, or voice messages and the network is the Internet. The messages are converted into a standard generalized mark-up language and the user is notified that a message has arrived through E-mail or through a paging system. A listing of the facsimile messages may be sent to the user in one of several formats. These formats include a textual only listing or a listing along with a full or reduced size image of the first page of each message. A full or reduced size image of each page of a message in the listing may alternatively be presented to the user. According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a system and method for managing files or messages and involves storing message signals in storage and receiving requests from a user for a search. The search preferably comprises a search query that is completed by a user and supplied to a hyper-text transfer protocol deamon (HTTPD) in the system. The HTTPD transfers the request through a common gateway interface (CGI) to an application program which conducts the search. The results of the search are preferably returned through the HTTPD to the computer in the form of a listing of all messages or files satisfying the search parameters. The user may then select one or more of the listed messages or files and may save the search for later references. | 20041014 | 20110222 | 20050303 | 97602.0 | 110 | NGUYEN, THUONG | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR STORING, DELIVERING, AND MANAGING MESSAGES | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,598 | ACCEPTED | Train control system and method of controlling a train or trains | A train control system includes positioning systems at the end of the train and at the front of the train, allowing the conductor or engineer to unambiguously determine that no cars of the train have become detached. The positioning system at the end of the train is also used to verify that the entire train has cleared a block. This information can be relayed to a dispatcher, thereby eliminating the need for trackside sensing equipment. A control unit prevents the train from moving without an authorization that includes the train's current position. | 1. A system for controlling a train, the system comprising: a control unit; a first positioning system located near a front of a train, the first positioning system being in communication with the control unit; and a second positioning system located near a rear of the train, the second positioning system being in communication with the control unit; wherein the control unit is configured to perform the steps of monitoring information from the first positioning system; monitoring information from the second positioning system; comparing the information from the first positioning system to the information from the second positioning system; and taking corrective action if the comparison indicates that the front of the train has become disconnected from the rear of the train. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information from the first positioning system and the information from the second positioning system comprises speed information. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the information from the first positioning system and the information from the second positioning system comprises position information. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information from the first positioning system and the information from the second positioning system comprises position and speed information. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the corrective action comprises activating a train brake to stop the train. 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display connected to the control unit, wherein the corrective action comprises displaying an alert on the display. 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communications interface connected to the control unit, the interface being configured to provide communications between the control unit and a dispatcher. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the corrective action comprises alerting the dispatcher that the front of the train has become disconnected from the rear of the train. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to take corrective action if information from the second positioning system is not received within a predetermined time period. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to take corrective action if information from the second positioning system is corrupted. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first positioning system and the second positioning system comprise global positioning system receivers. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to perform the comparing step by calculating a distance between position information reported by the first positioning system and position information from the second positioning system and comparing this difference to a threshold. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the threshold determined is static and is based on the distance between the first positioning system and the second positioning system when all cars on the train are connected and present on a straight track. 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined threshold is based on consist information reported by a dispatcher. 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust the threshold as a function of a curvature of a track on which the train is traveling. 16. A method for controlling a train, the method comprising: locating a first positioning system near a front of a train; locating a second positioning system near a rear of the train, monitoring information from the first positioning system; monitoring information from the second positioning system; comparing the information from the first positioning system to the information from the second positioning system; and taking corrective action if the comparison indicates that the front of the train has become disconnected from the rear of the train. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information from the first positioning system and the information from the second positioning system comprises speed information. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the information from the first positioning system and the information from the second positioning system comprises position information. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the information from the first positioning system and the information from the second positioning system comprises position and speed information. 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the corrective action comprises activating a train brake to stop the train. 21. The method of claim 16, wherein the corrective action comprises displaying an alert on the display. 22. The method of claim 16, wherein the corrective action comprises alerting the dispatcher that the front of the train has become disconnected from the rear of the train. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the corrective action further comprises stopping the train. 24. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of taking corrective action if information from the second positioning system is not received within a predetermined time period. 25. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of taking corrective action if information from the second positioning system is corrupted. 26-32. (canceled) 33. A system for controlling a train, the system comprising: a control unit; a first positioning system connected to the control unit; and a communications module connected to the control unit; wherein the control unit is configured to perform the steps of accepting at least one authorization from a dispatcher, the authorization defining a boundary within which a train is authorized to move; preventing the train from moving from a current location if the current location is not within a boundary for an accepted authorization; monitoring a position from the positioning system; and stopping the train before the boundary is reached. 34. The system of claim 33, wherein the stopping step is performed by calculating a stopping distance required to stop the train based in part upon a weight of the train and a speed of the train and activating a train brake before a distance between the train and the boundary is less than the stopping distance. 35. The system of claim 34, further comprising a display connected to the control unit, wherein the control unit is further configured to display a warning on the display before activating the train brake. 36. The system of claim 35, wherein the control unit is further configured to compare a speed received from the positioning system to a maximum allowable speed and apply a train brake if the speed received from the positioning system is greater than the maximum allowable speed. 37. The system of claim 34, wherein the stopping distance is further based on a track grade. 38. The system of claim 37, wherein the track grade is determined using position information from the first positioning system as an index into a map database that includes track grade information. 39. The system of claim 34, wherein the step of activating the train brake is performed by imposing a full braking penalty. 40. The system of claim 34, wherein the step of activating the train brake is performed by imposing a graduated braking penalty. 41. The system of claim 33, further comprising a second positioning system located at a last car in the train, the second positioning system being in communication with the control unit, the control unit being further configured to compare information from the first positioning system and the second positioning system and take corrective action if the comparison indicates that the last car has become separated from an other car in which the first global positioning system is located. 42. The system of claim 41, wherein the corrective action comprises stopping the train. 43. The system of claim 41, wherein the corrective action comprises displaying an alert on a display connected to the control unit. 44. The system of claim 41, wherein the corrective action comprises notifying a dispatcher. 45. The system of claim 33, wherein the control unit is further configured to transmit current position and speed information for the train, receive position and speed information pertaining to other trains, determine that a collision will occur based on the position and speed information, and take corrective action to prevent the collision. 46. The system of claim 45, wherein the position and speed information pertaining to other trains is received from a dispatcher. 47. The system of claim 45, wherein the position and speed information pertaining to other trains is received from the other trains. 48. The system of claim 45, wherein the current position and speed information for the train are transmitted to a dispatcher. 49. The system of claim 45, wherein the current position and speed information for the train are transmitted to the other trains. 50. The system of claim 45, wherein the location of other trains is displayed in a graphical format. 51. The system of claim 50, wherein the graphical format includes a vector indicating speed and direction. 52. A method for controlling a train comprising the steps of: receiving a speed restriction at a train, the speed restriction including a maximum allowable speed; determining a position of the train using a positioning system; calculating a train brake pressure sufficient to prevent violation of the speed restriction based at least in part on a grade of a track on which the train is traveling and at least in part upon the weight of the train; applying the train brake pressure such that violation of the speed restriction is prevented. 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the speed restriction is a temporary speed restriction. 54. The method of claim 53, wherein the speed restriction is a Form A speed restriction. 55. The method of claim 53, wherein the speed restriction is a Form B speed restriction. 56. The method of claim 53, wherein the speed restriction is a Form C speed restriction. 57. The method of claim 52, wherein the speed restriction further includes a start point, the start point being located at a position within an area in which the train is authorized to travel but which the train has not yet reached, and wherein the train brake pressure is applied such that the train is gradually slowed to a speed no greater than the maximum allowable speed before the train reaches the start point. 58. The method of claim 52, wherein the speed restriction is a permanent speed restriction. 59. The method of claim 52, wherein the speed restriction is a train-based speed restriction. 60. A system for controlling a train comprising: a control unit; and a second unit in communication with the control unit, the second unit being located on a first car of a train; and a third unit being configured to perform a same function as the second unit, the third unit being located on a second car of the train different from the first car; wherein the control unit is configured to establish communications with the third unit in the event of a problem with the second unit. 61. The system of claim 60, wherein the second and third units comprise positioning systems. 62. The system of claim 60, wherein the second and third units comprise brake interfaces. 63. The system of claim 60, wherein communications between the control unit and the third unit are conducted via a power line. 64. A method for controlling the movement of a train from a section of track not on a main line to a section of main line track comprising the steps of: receiving a track warrant to move a train within a block of main line track; receiving a circulation authority to move from a section of track not on the main line on which the train is located to the block; and preventing the train from being moved until both the track warrant and the circulation authority have been received. 65. The method of claim 64, wherein the circulation authority and the track warrant are received in separate messages. 66. The method of claim 64, wherein the circulation authority and the track warrant are received in a single message. 67. The method of claim 64, wherein the section of track not on the main line is located in a train yard. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to railroads generally, and more particularly to automatic control of trains. 2. Discussion of the Background Controlling the movement of trains in a modern environment both in a train yard and on the main line is a complex process. Collisions with other trains must be avoided and regulations in areas such as grade crossings must be complied with. The pressure to increase the performance of rail systems, in terms of speed, reliability and safety, has led to many proposals to automate various aspects of train operation. One traditional method for controlling trains is known as track warrant control. This method is most often used in areas of dark territory (track that does not include a wayside signaling system). Simply put, a track warrant is permission to occupy a given section of track, i.e., a block. The traditional track warrant control method, which is defined in the General Code of Operational Rules, involves “written” verbal orders which may be modified or rescinded by communication over a radio with a dispatcher. In the system, a dispatcher gives a train or a maintenance crew verbal authority (a warrant) to occupy a portion of main line track between named locations (e.g., mile markers, switches, stations, or other points). In addition to specifying certain track sections, track warrants can specify speed limits, direction, time limits, and whether to clear the main line (e.g., by entering a secondary track such as a siding) and/or any other section of track (sidings, yards secondary track, etc . . . ). There is a complicated and time consuming procedure by which track warrants are issued which involves the train conductor or engineer reading back the warrant to the dispatcher before the warrant goes into effect. One important disadvantage to this system is that it relies on human beings, both to communicate the warrant properly and to ensure that the warrant is complied with. The system is thus subject to errors which can be disastrous. Some systems, such as the Track Warrant Control System sold by RDC (Railroad Development Corporation), have automated some of the track warrant control method, such as by sending the warrant to the train via a computer system. Another system, Automatic Block Signaling (ABS), provides for automated wayside signaling of block status and authority to enter or occupy a block. In this system, track warrants may overlap and the conductor or engineer uses the automatic wayside signals to determine when and how to proceed in a given block. Again, human beings are involved and errors are possible. In another system known as Cab Signal, a display is provided in the cab for the engineer/conductor. This display basically displays wayside signals to the engineer/conductor and forces the engineer/conductor to acknowledge signals that are more restrictive than the current signal. However, the Cab Signal system does not force the engineer/conductor to obey the more restrictive signal. Thus, an engineer/conductor may be forced to acknowledge a signal that reduces the maximum speed from 20 m.p.h. to 10 m.p.h., but the train will not be forced to slow to 10 m.p.h.; rather, the engineer/conductor must take action to slow the train. Once again, the potential for error exists. A second traditional system known as Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) allows a dispatcher to control movement of trains by controlling track switches and wayside signals from a central dispatch office. In these systems, there is no direct communication with the locomotive cab; rather, the dispatcher sends commands to switches and wayside signals and receives feedback from them. Again, the wayside signal indicate authority to occupy a block or to proceed to the next block. These systems still require a human operation to control movement of the train in accordance with wayside signals. Updated CTC systems such as the Radio Actuated Code System from Harmon Electronics integrate differential GPS (global positioning system) technology and other technology into these systems, but they are still subject to human error. Some efforts at automation have been made. For example, a rudimentary system known as Automatic Train Stop (ATS), sold by Union Switch and Signal Inc., functions by means of a mechanical contact between a wayside trip arm and a brake emergency trip switch or cock mounted to the car. If the wayside signal is in a stop condition and the train passes the signal, the wayside trip arm activates the emergency brake switch, thereby initiating an emergency brake operation. One problem with a rudimentary system such as this is that the braking operation is not started until the train passes the wayside switch, which means the train will not stop until some point after the switch. Thus, the system will not prevent a collision with an object that is close to the wayside signal. Another problem with all of the foregoing system is that they require wayside signaling. These wayside signal systems are expensive to maintain and operate. Doing away with wayside signaling has been desired by train operators for many years. The foregoing concerns have led to more automated systems. For example, in the Automatic Train Control (ATC) system, train location information, speed information, and train control information are continually exchanged between a train cab and computerized wayside controllers in real time (in some systems, track rails are used to carry this information). In this system, it is not necessary for a conductor or engineer to look for wayside signals. If a wayside signal is missed by a conductor or engineer, or conditions change after the wayside signal is passed, the information is available to the conductor or engineer in the cab. Some ATC systems automatically apply the brakes if a stop signal is passed. As discussed above in connection with the ABS system, such after-the-fact braking systems may not prevent collision with an object located in close proximity to a wayside signal. Other systems, such as the Advanced Train Control System proposed by Rockwell International, will automatically apply the brakes if a track warrant is about to be exceeded. An advanced version of the ATC system, referred to as the Advanced Automated Train Control (AATC) system, is offered in combination with an Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system by General Electric Transportation Systems to fully automate movement of trains. In at least one New Jersey Transit system, the ATC system has been combined with a Positive Train Stop (PTS) system. The PTS system uses transponders along the tracks and on-board receivers to supplement the ATC system. PTS is an intelligent system that anticipates signaling and will stop or slow the train automatically without operator input. For example, as discussed above, while ATC will stop the train automatically if the train runs through a stop signal, PTS will stop the train before actually going through a stop signal. In addition, the PTS system allows for “civil-speed” and “temporary construction” speed restrictions. The term Advanced Speed Enforcement System (ASES) is used when ATC and PTS are combined. Another system sold by Harmon Industries and referred to as Ultracab also involves an ATC system that will automatically stop a train before going through a stop signal. However, one drawback to both the PTS and Ultracab systems is that they assume the worst case scenario when automatically stopping a train, i.e, they employ a fixed braking curve. Thus, for example, when these system detect an upcoming stop signal, they will apply the brakes at a distance that assumes that the train is traveling downhill on the most steeply graded section of track, and that the train is at the maximum weight. This worst-case assumption/fixed braking curve makes such systems inefficient. In more recent years a next generation train control system referred to as Positive Train Control, or PTC, has been proposed. A number of companies have proposed different systems that function in different ways to implement PTC systems. For example, GE Transportation Systems markets a product referred to as the Incremental Train Control System (ITCS) and GE Harris Railway Electronics markets a version referred to as Precision Train Control. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has stated that from the point of view of safety objectives, a PTC system needs to achieve the following core functions with a high degree of reliability and effectiveness: prevent train-to-train collisions (positive train separation); enforce speed restrictions, including civil engineering restrictions and temporary slow orders; and provide protection of roadway workers and their equipment operating under specific authorities. In addition to the performance and safety issues discussed above, vandalism is becoming an increasing concern of train operators. One form of vandalism is the unauthorized moving of trains. Much like some people ‘borrow’ a car for joyriding, some will joyride on trains. Unlike cars, a key is often not required to “start” a train. While a locomotive cab may be locked, it is fairly easy to break the lock and enter the cab, at which point a train can be made to move. Unauthorized movement of a train, whether on a main line, in a train yard, or on some other section of track, can cause much damage even if a stop signal is not violated. Another vandalism problem is the uncoupling of trains while the trains are at rest. Ordinarily, but not necessarily, if a car becomes detached from a train due to some mechanical failure, the loss in pressure in the brake lines will cause the trains to immediately stop. However, if a vandal disconnects a car from a train while in the yard and properly shuts the air valve for the brake line to the remaining cars, this protection does not work. When a train has many cars, a conductor or engineer may not notice that the car has been disconnected. In this case, the car left behind may cause a collision with an oncoming train or may just roll away and then cause a collision. This problem is partially solved by the use of known end-of-train devices that include motion sensors that allow a conductor or engineer in the locomotive cab to verify that the last car is in motion. However, the motion sensors sometimes break or give false readings and, under certain circumstances described more fully herein, may mislead a conductor or engineer even when working properly. What is needed is a method and system that allows for the efficient and safe operation of a railroad while mitigating the effects of vandalism. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention meets the aforementioned need to a great extent by providing a computerized train control system in which a dispatcher sends track warrants directly to a locomotive cab, and which will not allow the train to move at all, whether the train is on the main line or in a train yard, until an appropriate authority is received and that will automatically stop in the event of a computer failure or the train before the train can exceed a track warrant limit. In one aspect of the invention, the system includes an end of train telemetry unit by which the cab can monitor movement of the last car in the train to ensure that no cars have been improperly separated from the train. In another aspect of the invention, the system can operate in a semi-automatic mode in which a conductor or engineer is able to control movement of the train as long as no track warrant limits or stop signals are violated, and in a fully automatic mode in which the system controls movement of the train. In yet another aspect of the system, a control module calculates a required stopping distance based on many factors, including but not limited to the length of the train, the number and type of loads and empties, the speed of the train, weight of the train, number of locomotives and the curvature and grade of the track on which the train will be operating as it approaches a track warrant limit. In another aspect of the invention, graduated as well as full braking ‘penalties’ can be imposed when an engineer or conductor fails to apply the brakes in a manner sufficient to comply with speed restrictions (permanent and/or temporary) and/or warrants/authorities. A full braking penalty applies sufficient brake pressure to cause the train to come to a complete stop. A graduated penalty increases the brake pressure until the train is in compliance with the signal or speed condition, or has slowed enough such that the distance between the train and a stop signal has become greater than the maximum amount of time required to stop the train under the currently applicable conditions. In still another aspect of the invention, a positioning system is used to provide train location information, and map data is used to determine the location of other objects of interest such as stop signals, block boundaries, and restricted speed areas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant features and advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a logical block diagram of a train control system according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a display in the train control system of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be discussed with reference to preferred embodiments of train control systems. Specific details, such as specific algorithms and hardware, are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The preferred embodiments discussed herein should not be understood to limit the invention. Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 is a logical block diagram of a train control system 100 according to the present invention. The system 100 includes a control module 110, which typically, but not necessarily, includes a microprocessor. The control module 110 is the center of the train control system and is responsible for controlling the other components of the system. Connected to the control module is a communications module 120. The communications module is responsible for conducting all communications between the system 100 and the central dispatcher computer system (not shown in FIG. 1). These communications may occur in a variety of ways, such as over the air or through the rails of the train track. In some embodiments, wayside signals transmit information to the system 100. All equipment necessary for such communications (e.g., antennas) are connected to the communications module 120. Also connected to the control module 110 is a positioning system such as a GPS receiver 130. The GPS receiver 130 can be of any type, including a differential GPS, or DGPS, receiver. Other types of positioning systems, such as inertial navigation systems (INSs) and Loran systems, can also be used. Such positioning systems are well known in the art and will not be discussed in further detail herein. [As used herein, the term “positioning system” refers to the portion of a positioning system that is commonly located on a mobile vehicle, which may or may not comprise the entire system. Thus, for example, in connection with a global positioning system, the term “positioning system” as used herein refers to a GPS receiver and does not include the satellites that are used to transmit information to the GPS receiver.] The GPS receiver 130 continuously supplies the control module 110 with position information concerning the train to which the control system 100 is attached. This information allows the control module 110 to determine where it is at any point in time. The GPS receiver is preferably sufficiently accurate to unambiguously determine which of two adjacent tracks a train is on. By using train position information obtained from the GPS receiver 130 as an index into the map database 140, the control module can determine its position relative to other points of interest on the railroad such as switches, sidings, stations, etc. As discussed in further detail below, this allows the control module 110 to warn the conductor or engineer if an authority (speed, position, etc.) is about to be exceeded and, if required, to automatically stop or slow down the train before the authority is exceeded. In addition to the GPS receiver 130, an axle drive speed indicator 105 is also connected to the control module 110. The axle drive speed indicator 105 is a tachometer which measures the axle rotation, from which the speed of the train can be derived if the wheel size is known. End-of-axle magnetic pick-ups are used in some embodiments. It is also possible to use a signal that measures the rotation speed of the motor driving the axle to perform this function. In the event that the GPS system becomes unavailable, the system can operate by estimating distance traveled from the rotation of the axle or motor. However, wheel slippage and changes in wheel size over time can effect the accuracy of such a system. The system 100 may be configured to compensate for wheel wear in the manner described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/157,874, filed May 31, 2002, entitled “Method and System for Compensating for Wheel Wear on a Train,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. A map database 140 is connected to the control module 110. The map database 140 preferably comprises a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk, flash memory, CD-ROM or other storage device, on which map data is stored. Other types of memory, including volatile memory, may also be used. The map data preferably includes positions of all wayside signals, switches, grade crossings, stations and anything else of which a conductor or engineer is required to or should be cognizant. The map data preferably also includes information concerning the direction and grade of the track. Use of the information in the map database 140 will be discussed below. A brake interface 150 is also connected to the control module 110. The brake interface monitors the brake and allows the control module 110 to activate and control the brakes when necessary. The brake interface 150 preferably includes an input board that inputs analog signals from pressure transducers connected to monitor the main reservoir pressure, brake pipe pressure and brake cylinder pressure. The input board includes analog-to-digital converters to convert the analog signals from the transducers to digital signals. To ensure that the brake interface 150 is functioning properly, the control module 110 will feed a signal of a known constant voltage to the input board, where it will be converted into a digital signal and read back by the control module 110. If a failure in the brake interface 150 is detected, the dispatcher and the conductor/engineer will be notified and the brakes will automatically be applied and the control module 110 will not allow the train to be moved. A head of train (HOT) transceiver 160 is also connected to the control module 110. The HOT transceiver 160 is in communication with a rear of train unit 170 that includes an end of train (EOT) GPS receiver 171 and an EOT transceiver 172 that is preferably located at the rear of the last car on the train. (As discussed above in connection with the GPS receiver 130, other types of positioning systems could be used in place of the EOT GPS receiver 171). The communication between the EOT transceiver 172 and the HOT transceiver 160 may be wireless methods, power line carrier methods, or by any other method. In operation, communications between the EOT GPS receiver 171 and the control module 110 are constantly monitored. If a message from the EOT GPS receiver 171 has not been received for some predetermined period of time, or if the data in the message has been corrupted (e.g., the speed in the message is faster than the train can travel), or does not agree with the information from the GPS receiver 130 in the locomotive at the front of the train, the control module 110 can either display an operator alert or, in some embodiments, stop the train and notify the dispatcher. The EOT GPS receiver 170 allows the system 100 to detect when one or more cars has been disconnected from the train. As discussed above, vandalism in the form of someone purposely disconnecting one or more cars while trains are at rest is an important safety concern. If a vandal closes off the brake line valve, the disconnection may not be detected because, when trains are long, the end of the train may not be visible from the locomotive. In the past, yard personnel, conductors and/or engineers traveling on an adjacent track in the opposite direction have been relied on to read off the number on the last car in order to verify that no cars have been disconnected. However, such a system is not perfect for at least the reason that yard personnel or personnel on another train are not always available to perform this function. End of train devices that employ a motion sensor are known. However, these devices do not fully ensure that the last car has not been disconnected. The motion sensor does not indicate speed; it simply indicates whether or not there is motion above some threshold. It is possible that a broken motion sensor will give an indication of motion when in fact there is no motion. In such a situation, the conductor or engineer has no way of knowing that the car has been disconnected. Furthermore, even when the motion sensor is working properly, it is possible that a disconnection may not be detected. In one incident known to the inventors, a distributed power train (a train in which one or more locomotives is placed at the front of the train, followed by one or more cars, followed by one or more additional locomotives and cars) was temporarily stopped at a crossing. While stopped, a vandal disconnected the second group of locomotives from the preceding car, and closed off the brake valves. In this train, the second group of cars connected to the second group of locomotives was heavier than the first group of cars connected to the first group of locomotives. When the conductor or engineer in the lead locomotive in the first group began moving the train by setting the throttle to a desired position, the throttles in all the other locomotives in both groups was set by radio control to the same position. Because the second group of cars was heavier than the first, there was a difference in speed between the two portions of the train and the first portion of the train began to separate from the second portion. The EOT motion sensor transmitted the correct status that the EOT (last car) was moving although it did not indicate the train was separated. In this incident, the separation grew to over a mile before the engineer noticed that there was a problem. The danger in such a situation is obvious. In the foregoing case, an end of train device with a motion sensor would not have alerted the conductor or engineer to the problem because the second portion of the train was moving, albeit at a slightly slower pace. However, with a GPS receiver, the separation between the portions of the trains would have been readily apparent. Furthermore, unlike a motion sensor, if a GPS receiver fails, it is readily apparent as either there is no data, or the data doesn't change, or the data is obviously wrong. When the train is moving, the control unit 110 periodically checks the two positions reported by the GPS receiver 130, 171, calculates the actual distance between them, and compares this actual distance to an expected distance. If the actual distance exceeds the expected distance, the control unit 110 takes corrective action. In some embodiments, the distance between the EOT GPS receiver 171 and the GPS receiver 130 at the front of the train is calculated as a straight-line distance. This straight-line distance will necessarily decrease when the train is traveling along a curved section of track. Some embodiments simply ignore this decrease and compare the difference in positions reported by the two receivers to a static expected distance between the receivers based on the assumption that the train is on a straight section of track, taking corrective action only when the actual distance exceeds this static expected difference. In some embodiments, this static distance is based on the consist information (which may include the length of the train, or the number of cars and their length or their type—from which length can be determined—or other data that allows the length of the train to be calculated) reported to the train by the dispatcher. This method allows the monitoring function to be performed if the map database 140 is not provided in the system 100 or is not functioning. Other embodiments utilize the map database 140 to determine the amount of curvature on the track section between the GPS receiver 130 and the EOT GPS receiver 171 and correspondingly decrease the expected distance between the two GPS receivers as a function of this curvature. In this fashion, if the last car becomes detached from the first car on a curved section of track, the situation can be more quickly recognized. Using a positioning system such as an EOT GPS receiver 171 in the end of train device also eliminates the need to use train detection circuits at track locations near wayside signals. In many existing railroads, circuits detect when a train has passed a wayside signal and notify the dispatcher and/or other trains of this event. If an end of train positioning system is used, the fact that the end of train has passed the wayside signal can be transmitted from the cab to the dispatcher, thereby eliminating the need for a sensing circuit on the tracks to verify that the end of train has passed the signal. A display 180 connected to the control module 110 is used to present various information to the conductor or engineer. An exemplary display 200 is illustrated in FIG. 2. The display 200 shows the current train speed in field 210 and the maximum allowable speed (if a maximum is in effect) in field 212. The display 180 also shows the train's exact position in field 214 and the limits of the train's authority at filed 216. Also included in the display 180 is a first graph 218 indicating the grade of the tracks in the immediate area of the train and a second graph 220 indicating the direction of the track relative to the locomotive cab. The display 180 also lists, in fields 222 and 224, current and upcoming speed restrictions over limited areas of the track (in the example of FIG. 2, the speed restrictions are “Form A” speed restrictions, which will be discussed in further detail below). The display also includes a number of acknowledgment buttons 230 as recited in U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,142. As the train approaches a wayside signal, the state of the signal is transmitted via radio to the system. When the operator sees the wayside signal, the operator must acknowledge the wayside signal by pressing a corresponding acknowledgment button. Thus, for example, if a wayside signal indicates ‘slow,’ the conductor or engineer must acknowledge the signal by pressing the slow button 230a. In this fashion, a record of the conductor's or engineer's alertness can be kept. If the conductor or engineer fails to acknowledge the wayside signal, a warning is shown on the display 180 and, if the conductor or engineer does not take corrective action, the system 100 automatically takes the required corrective action to ensure compliance with the wayside signal. Such corrective action can include a full braking penalty (wherein the brakes are applied such that the train stops) or a graduated braking penalty. In a graduated braking penalty, the brake pressure is increased until the train is in compliance with the signal, but may not involve actually stopping the train. Because information from wayside signal is transmitted into the cab, wayside signaling lights are not necessary. Maintaining these lights on wayside signals is expensive, both because the bulbs are expensive and because the bulbs must be replaces periodically before they blow out. With wayside devices that transmit information to a cab, maintenance need only be performed when the device stops working and the time between failures in much longer; thus, the time between required maintenance trips to such wayside devices is much longer than is the case with lit wayside signal devices. An event recorder 190 is also connected to the control module 110. The event recorder 190 serves a purpose similar to that served by a “black box” cockpit recorder in an airplane. The event recorder 190 records operating data, including communications to and from the train control system 100 and records operator actions such as acknowledgments of wayside signals as discussed above for investigation and/or training purposes. The train system 100 is capable of two modes of operation. In the semiautomatic mode, movement of the train is under the control of the conductor or engineer provided that the conductor or engineer operates the train in an acceptable manner. In the automatic mode, the system 100 controls the movements of the train. In this mode, the conductor or engineer intervenes only when necessary to deal with unforseen situations, such as the presence of an unauthorized person or thing on the tracks. In some embodiments of the invention, movement of the train is governed by warrants and authorities. Track on the main line (whether or not passing through a train yard) is typically under control of a dispatcher. Track warrants, sometimes referred to as track authorities, are issued by the dispatcher to control the movement of the train on the main line track. A track warrant is essentially a permission for a train to occupy and move on a section of main line track. The track warranty has start and end points, which are sometimes referred to as limits of authority. The start and end point together define a “block” of main line track. The track warrant may permit a train to move in one or both directions along the track, and may or may not be time- and speed-limited. In contrast to main line track, movement of trains in a train yard is typically under the control of a yardmaster. The yardmaster is responsible for the movement of trains in a train yard, including movement of trains within the train yard (e.g., movement of a train from a resting place to a fuel depot or a repair facility) or from the yard to the main line track. The term “circulation authority” has sometimes been used, and will be used herein, to refer to an authority that permits a train or locomotive to move within an area of track (such as a train yard) not controlled by a dispatcher, or from an area of track not controlled by a dispatcher to an area of track that is controlled by a dispatcher. The circulation authority may be a simple permission for the train to move, or may provide start and end locations (e.g., the end location may correspond to the start location of the track warrant and the start location may correspond to the current location of the train/locomotive). Circulation authorities and track warrants are sent to the control module 110. The authorities may be sent using wireless communications or by other means. Wayside transmitters may be installed along the track for the purpose of facilitating communications between the dispatcher and the train. The entities issuing the circulation authorities and track warrants may be a human being or a computer. The entity issuing a track warrant may be separate from or the same as the entity issuing a circulation authority. As discussed above, vandalism concerning the unauthorized movement of trains is a serious problem. The present invention mitigates this problem by ensuring that the train has permission to move on the segment of track on which it is located before it can be moved at all. By way of comparison, while some of the descriptions of PTS systems the inventors hereof have seen in trade publications apparently indicate that a train will not be allowed to move until it has received a track warrant from a dispatcher (i.e., a track warrant or track authority), it appears that such systems will not prevent a vandal (or negligent engineer/conductor) from moving a train in a train yard after the train has received the track warrant but before the train has received a circulation authority to move the train to the section of main line track for which the dispatcher has issued the track warrant. Such unauthorized movement of the train can obviously cause much damage. In contrast, some embodiments of the system 100 will not allow a train that has received a track warrant to move until it has received a circulation authority to move to the section of main line track corresponding to the track warrant. Alternatively, some embodiments will accept an authority that includes both a block of main line track and an area of non-main line track. (In such systems, either a single entity controls both main line track and non-main line track, or the dispatcher and yardmaster communicate with each other so that such an authority may be issued). Once an authority has been received by the system 100, the system 100 allows the conductor or engineer to move the train within the limits of that authority. As discussed above, a track warrant (or track authority) permits the operator to move the train along a block of main line track. The block is typically defined by specified mileposts or other boundaries. In addition to geographic limitations, authorities may also be limited by direction (i.e., a train may be authorized to move only north in a given block, or may be given authority to move back and forth along the track in the block) and/or speed. All authorities are maintained in memory by the control module 110. When authorities are received from the dispatcher or yard master, all existing authorities are transmitted back to the dispatcher/yard master for verification. If the repeated authorities are correct, the dispatcher/yard master transmits an acknowledgment. Only after the acknowledgment is received is the train allowed to move. After this initial exchange, the dispatcher/yard master periodically transmits the current authority (or a number or other code associated with the current authority) to the control module 110. This serves as a “heartbeat” signal to the control module 110. When the current authority is received by the control module 110, it is checked against the authority that the control module believes is current. If the two authorities don't match, or if a current authority message has not been received for some threshold period of time, the control module 110 immediately stops the train and notifies the dispatcher of this event. In addition to authorities, the control module 110 keeps track of other restrictions on movement of the train, such as wayside signals (which may or may not be under the control of the central dispatcher/authority), and permanent, temporary, and train-based speed restrictions. Temporary speed restrictions are sometimes referred to as Form A, Form B or Form C restrictions. Form A restrictions are typically issued as a result of temporary track conditions; e.g., if a section of track is somewhat damaged but still passable, a temporary speed restriction is issued. Form B speed restrictions are typically issued when maintenance personnel or some other personnel are on the track. Form C restrictions, which are mostly used in the northeastern U.S., are similar to Form A restrictions in that they involve track conditions. Train-based restrictions are based upon the type of train and/or locomotive. If the train is in danger violating any authority, speed limit, wayside signal, or other restriction, the system 100 first takes corrective action in the form of warning the conductor or engineer via the display 180. If the conductor or engineer fails to take the requisite corrective action, the system 100 automatically implements further corrective action, such as applying a brake penalty. For example, the control module will monitor the train's position and determine its distance and time from the boundary of its authority being approached. The control module will also calculate the time and/or distance required to stop the train using the equations of physics, basic train handling principles and train control rules. This time/distance will depend upon factors such as the speed of the train, the weight and length of the train, the grade and amount of curvature of the upcoming track (which are determined using position information from the GPS receiver 130 as an index into the map database 140), braking power, braking ratios, type of brake equipment, aerodynamic drag of the train, etc. In more sophisticated embodiments, the location and weight of each car will be taken into account rather than simply a total weight of the train as differences in weight between cars becomes important when the different cars are on sections of track with different grades. A safety factor will be added in and, as a general rule, the safety factor can be smaller as additional information is taken into account because the equations should become more accurate. The braking penalty may be full or graduated. A full braking penalty involves applying sufficient brake pressure to stop the train. Such a braking penalty may be imposed, for example, when the system is in semi-automatic mode and the engineer/conductor fails to acknowledge a stop signal. Completely stopping the train makes sense in this situation as the failure to acknowledge a stop signal may indicate that the conductor/engineer has become incapacitated. In this situation, the train may remain stopped until a central dispatcher authorizes the train to move again, thereby allowing the central dispatcher to ascertain the reason for the missed stop signal and to ensure that it is again safe to allow the train to move. A graduated braking penalty involves applying brake pressure until the train is in compliance with the signal, restriction or other condition. For example, when a train violates a temporary speed restriction, the brakes may be applied until the train has slowed to the maximum allowable speed. As another example, the brake pressure may be adjusted to reduce the speed of the train to ensure that the speed is such that the train is further away from a stop signal than the maximum distance required to stop the train. With such a graduated penalty, the brakes will be applied until the train slows to a stop just before the stop signal. Communications between the various components of the system 100 can be conducted using methods currently developed or developed in the future. In some embodiments employing a modular construction wherein logical portions of the system are in separate physical units, one form of communication that may be used is power line carrier communication. Power line carrier communication involves transmitting information signals over conductors carrying electrical power (power line carrier communication is well known to those of skill in the art and thus will not be discussed in further detail herein). Thus, for example, communications between the HOT transceiver 160 and the EOT transceiver 172 may be performed using power line carrier methods. In some embodiments, power line communications or other communication methods may be employed to provide for redundancy in the case of a system failure. For example, in some embodiments, if a portion of the system such as the GPS receiver 130 fails in the lead locomotive of a multi-locomotive consist, the control module 110 may communicate via power line communication (or other) methods with the next-closest GPS receiver 130 in one of the other locomotives near the front of the train. In such embodiments, a complete system 100 may be formed from components in a number of different locomotives/cars on a single consist. In some embodiments, a collision avoidance feature is also included. In such embodiments, each train transmits its current location and speed, and receives current locations and speeds from other trains. This allows the control module 110 to automatically detect that a collision will occur and take appropriate corrective action, which can include stopping the train, warning the other train to stop, and warning the operator and the dispatcher. In other embodiments, the central dispatcher sends the location, speed and direction of each of the other trains in a nearby area to the control module 110. The control module 110 displays this information in graphical form on the display 180 in a PPI (plan position indicator) format similar to the graphical representation of aircraft on an air traffic controller screen (e.g., with a graphical vector wherein the orientation of the vector indicates the direction in which the other trains are traveling and the length of the vector indicates the speed). This allows conductors/engineers to quickly detect potential collisions and take action to avoid such collisions. In the embodiments discussed above, the control module 110 is located on the train. It should also be noted that some or all of the functions performed by the control module 110 could be performed by a remotely located processing unit such as processing unit located at a central dispatcher. In such embodiments, information from devices on the train (e.g., the brake interface 150) is communicated to the remotely located processing unit via the communications module 120. Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to railroads generally, and more particularly to automatic control of trains. 2. Discussion of the Background Controlling the movement of trains in a modern environment both in a train yard and on the main line is a complex process. Collisions with other trains must be avoided and regulations in areas such as grade crossings must be complied with. The pressure to increase the performance of rail systems, in terms of speed, reliability and safety, has led to many proposals to automate various aspects of train operation. One traditional method for controlling trains is known as track warrant control. This method is most often used in areas of dark territory (track that does not include a wayside signaling system). Simply put, a track warrant is permission to occupy a given section of track, i.e., a block. The traditional track warrant control method, which is defined in the General Code of Operational Rules, involves “written” verbal orders which may be modified or rescinded by communication over a radio with a dispatcher. In the system, a dispatcher gives a train or a maintenance crew verbal authority (a warrant) to occupy a portion of main line track between named locations (e.g., mile markers, switches, stations, or other points). In addition to specifying certain track sections, track warrants can specify speed limits, direction, time limits, and whether to clear the main line (e.g., by entering a secondary track such as a siding) and/or any other section of track (sidings, yards secondary track, etc . . . ). There is a complicated and time consuming procedure by which track warrants are issued which involves the train conductor or engineer reading back the warrant to the dispatcher before the warrant goes into effect. One important disadvantage to this system is that it relies on human beings, both to communicate the warrant properly and to ensure that the warrant is complied with. The system is thus subject to errors which can be disastrous. Some systems, such as the Track Warrant Control System sold by RDC (Railroad Development Corporation), have automated some of the track warrant control method, such as by sending the warrant to the train via a computer system. Another system, Automatic Block Signaling (ABS), provides for automated wayside signaling of block status and authority to enter or occupy a block. In this system, track warrants may overlap and the conductor or engineer uses the automatic wayside signals to determine when and how to proceed in a given block. Again, human beings are involved and errors are possible. In another system known as Cab Signal, a display is provided in the cab for the engineer/conductor. This display basically displays wayside signals to the engineer/conductor and forces the engineer/conductor to acknowledge signals that are more restrictive than the current signal. However, the Cab Signal system does not force the engineer/conductor to obey the more restrictive signal. Thus, an engineer/conductor may be forced to acknowledge a signal that reduces the maximum speed from 20 m.p.h. to 10 m.p.h., but the train will not be forced to slow to 10 m.p.h.; rather, the engineer/conductor must take action to slow the train. Once again, the potential for error exists. A second traditional system known as Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) allows a dispatcher to control movement of trains by controlling track switches and wayside signals from a central dispatch office. In these systems, there is no direct communication with the locomotive cab; rather, the dispatcher sends commands to switches and wayside signals and receives feedback from them. Again, the wayside signal indicate authority to occupy a block or to proceed to the next block. These systems still require a human operation to control movement of the train in accordance with wayside signals. Updated CTC systems such as the Radio Actuated Code System from Harmon Electronics integrate differential GPS (global positioning system) technology and other technology into these systems, but they are still subject to human error. Some efforts at automation have been made. For example, a rudimentary system known as Automatic Train Stop (ATS), sold by Union Switch and Signal Inc., functions by means of a mechanical contact between a wayside trip arm and a brake emergency trip switch or cock mounted to the car. If the wayside signal is in a stop condition and the train passes the signal, the wayside trip arm activates the emergency brake switch, thereby initiating an emergency brake operation. One problem with a rudimentary system such as this is that the braking operation is not started until the train passes the wayside switch, which means the train will not stop until some point after the switch. Thus, the system will not prevent a collision with an object that is close to the wayside signal. Another problem with all of the foregoing system is that they require wayside signaling. These wayside signal systems are expensive to maintain and operate. Doing away with wayside signaling has been desired by train operators for many years. The foregoing concerns have led to more automated systems. For example, in the Automatic Train Control (ATC) system, train location information, speed information, and train control information are continually exchanged between a train cab and computerized wayside controllers in real time (in some systems, track rails are used to carry this information). In this system, it is not necessary for a conductor or engineer to look for wayside signals. If a wayside signal is missed by a conductor or engineer, or conditions change after the wayside signal is passed, the information is available to the conductor or engineer in the cab. Some ATC systems automatically apply the brakes if a stop signal is passed. As discussed above in connection with the ABS system, such after-the-fact braking systems may not prevent collision with an object located in close proximity to a wayside signal. Other systems, such as the Advanced Train Control System proposed by Rockwell International, will automatically apply the brakes if a track warrant is about to be exceeded. An advanced version of the ATC system, referred to as the Advanced Automated Train Control (AATC) system, is offered in combination with an Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system by General Electric Transportation Systems to fully automate movement of trains. In at least one New Jersey Transit system, the ATC system has been combined with a Positive Train Stop (PTS) system. The PTS system uses transponders along the tracks and on-board receivers to supplement the ATC system. PTS is an intelligent system that anticipates signaling and will stop or slow the train automatically without operator input. For example, as discussed above, while ATC will stop the train automatically if the train runs through a stop signal, PTS will stop the train before actually going through a stop signal. In addition, the PTS system allows for “civil-speed” and “temporary construction” speed restrictions. The term Advanced Speed Enforcement System (ASES) is used when ATC and PTS are combined. Another system sold by Harmon Industries and referred to as Ultracab also involves an ATC system that will automatically stop a train before going through a stop signal. However, one drawback to both the PTS and Ultracab systems is that they assume the worst case scenario when automatically stopping a train, i.e, they employ a fixed braking curve. Thus, for example, when these system detect an upcoming stop signal, they will apply the brakes at a distance that assumes that the train is traveling downhill on the most steeply graded section of track, and that the train is at the maximum weight. This worst-case assumption/fixed braking curve makes such systems inefficient. In more recent years a next generation train control system referred to as Positive Train Control, or PTC, has been proposed. A number of companies have proposed different systems that function in different ways to implement PTC systems. For example, GE Transportation Systems markets a product referred to as the Incremental Train Control System (ITCS) and GE Harris Railway Electronics markets a version referred to as Precision Train Control. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has stated that from the point of view of safety objectives, a PTC system needs to achieve the following core functions with a high degree of reliability and effectiveness: prevent train-to-train collisions (positive train separation); enforce speed restrictions, including civil engineering restrictions and temporary slow orders; and provide protection of roadway workers and their equipment operating under specific authorities. In addition to the performance and safety issues discussed above, vandalism is becoming an increasing concern of train operators. One form of vandalism is the unauthorized moving of trains. Much like some people ‘borrow’ a car for joyriding, some will joyride on trains. Unlike cars, a key is often not required to “start” a train. While a locomotive cab may be locked, it is fairly easy to break the lock and enter the cab, at which point a train can be made to move. Unauthorized movement of a train, whether on a main line, in a train yard, or on some other section of track, can cause much damage even if a stop signal is not violated. Another vandalism problem is the uncoupling of trains while the trains are at rest. Ordinarily, but not necessarily, if a car becomes detached from a train due to some mechanical failure, the loss in pressure in the brake lines will cause the trains to immediately stop. However, if a vandal disconnects a car from a train while in the yard and properly shuts the air valve for the brake line to the remaining cars, this protection does not work. When a train has many cars, a conductor or engineer may not notice that the car has been disconnected. In this case, the car left behind may cause a collision with an oncoming train or may just roll away and then cause a collision. This problem is partially solved by the use of known end-of-train devices that include motion sensors that allow a conductor or engineer in the locomotive cab to verify that the last car is in motion. However, the motion sensors sometimes break or give false readings and, under certain circumstances described more fully herein, may mislead a conductor or engineer even when working properly. What is needed is a method and system that allows for the efficient and safe operation of a railroad while mitigating the effects of vandalism. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention meets the aforementioned need to a great extent by providing a computerized train control system in which a dispatcher sends track warrants directly to a locomotive cab, and which will not allow the train to move at all, whether the train is on the main line or in a train yard, until an appropriate authority is received and that will automatically stop in the event of a computer failure or the train before the train can exceed a track warrant limit. In one aspect of the invention, the system includes an end of train telemetry unit by which the cab can monitor movement of the last car in the train to ensure that no cars have been improperly separated from the train. In another aspect of the invention, the system can operate in a semi-automatic mode in which a conductor or engineer is able to control movement of the train as long as no track warrant limits or stop signals are violated, and in a fully automatic mode in which the system controls movement of the train. In yet another aspect of the system, a control module calculates a required stopping distance based on many factors, including but not limited to the length of the train, the number and type of loads and empties, the speed of the train, weight of the train, number of locomotives and the curvature and grade of the track on which the train will be operating as it approaches a track warrant limit. In another aspect of the invention, graduated as well as full braking ‘penalties’ can be imposed when an engineer or conductor fails to apply the brakes in a manner sufficient to comply with speed restrictions (permanent and/or temporary) and/or warrants/authorities. A full braking penalty applies sufficient brake pressure to cause the train to come to a complete stop. A graduated penalty increases the brake pressure until the train is in compliance with the signal or speed condition, or has slowed enough such that the distance between the train and a stop signal has become greater than the maximum amount of time required to stop the train under the currently applicable conditions. In still another aspect of the invention, a positioning system is used to provide train location information, and map data is used to determine the location of other objects of interest such as stop signals, block boundaries, and restricted speed areas. | 20041014 | 20051220 | 20050421 | 87309.0 | 1 | CAMBY, RICHARD M | TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING A TRAIN OR TRAINS | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,606 | ACCEPTED | Method and system for checking track integrity | A train control system includes a control module that determines a position of a train using a positioning system and consults a database to determine when the train is approaching a portion of track monitored by a track circuit. When the train is near a track circuit, but while the train is still far enough away from the track circuit such that the train can be stopped before reaching the portion of track monitored by the track circuit, the train transmits an interrogation message to a transceiver associated with the track circuit. When the track circuit receives the interrogation message, a test is initiated. The test results are transmitted back to the train. The train takes corrective action if the track circuit fails to respond or indicates a problem. | 1. A system for controlling a train, the system comprising: a control unit; a warning device in communication with the control unit; a brake interface unit, the brake interface unit being in communication with the control unit and a train brake, the brake interface unit being operable to activate the train brake under control of the control unit; and a transceiver, the transceiver being located on the train and being in communication with the control unit; wherein the control unit is configured to perform the steps of transmitting an interrogation message to a track circuit transceiver associated with a track circuit; listening for a response from the track circuit transceiver, the response including an indication as to a condition of a section of track monitored by the track circuit; and allowing the train to continue if a response with an indication that it is safe for the train to proceed is received; and activating the warning device if the response indicates that it is not safe for the train to proceed. 2. The system of claim 1, where the control unit is further configured to perform the steps of: activating the train brake via the brake interface unit if necessary to stop the train before reaching the section of track monitored by the track circuit otherwise. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the track circuit is a broken rail detection circuit. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the track circuit is a circuit that detects the presence of a train. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the track circuit is an avalanche detection circuit. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the track circuit is a bridge alignment detection circuit. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the response includes an identification number of the track circuit and wherein the control unit is further configured to perform the step of confirming that identification number received in the response corresponds to the track circuit to which the interrogation message was directed. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the interrogation message includes an identification number of a track circuit for which the interrogation message is intended. 9. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a positioning system, the positioning system being in communications with the control unit and being configured to provide position information to the control unit; and a database, the database including a plurality of locations for a plurality of track circuits; wherein the control unit is further configured to perform the steps of identifying a track circuit in the database which is a next track circuit which the train will pass based on information from the positioning system; and obtaining an identification number from the database associated with the track circuit identified in the identifying step. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to transmit the interrogation message when a distance between the train's location and the track circuit identified in the identifying step is below a threshold. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the threshold is a predetermined number based at least in part on an expected worst case distance required to stop the train. 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the threshold is determined dynamically based at least in part upon the current speed of the train. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the threshold is further based on a weight of the train. 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the database further includes a grade of a track between the train and the track circuit and the threshold is further based on the grade of the track between the train and the track circuit. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the threshold is further based on distribution of weight in the train. 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the warning device when a response with a correct configuration is not received. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to perform the step of preventing the train from continuing until an acknowledgment of the activated warning device has been received. 18. The system of claim 1, where in the warning device is a display. 19. The system of claim 1, wherein the warning device is a horn. 20. A method for controlling a train comprising the steps of: transmitting an interrogation message to a track circuit transceiver associated with a track circuit near the train; listening for a response from the track circuit transceiver, the response including an indication as to a condition of a section of track monitored by the track circuit; and reporting the response to a person operating the train. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of: allowing the train to continue if a response indicating that it is safe for the train to proceed is received; and activating the train brake if necessary to stop the train before reaching the section of track monitored by the track circuit otherwise. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the track circuit is a broken rail detection circuit. 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the track circuit is a circuit that detects the presence of a train. 24. The method of claim 20, wherein the track circuit is an avalanche detection circuit. 25. The method of claim 20, wherein the track circuit is a bridge alignment detection circuit. 26. The method of claim 20, wherein the response includes an identification number of the track circuit and the method further comprises the step of confirming that identification number received in the response corresponds to the track circuit to which the interrogation message was directed. 27. The method of claim 20, wherein the interrogation message includes an identification number of the track circuit for which the interrogation message is intended. 28. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of: identifying a track circuit in a database which is a next track circuit which the train will pass based on information from a positioning system located on the train; and obtaining an identification number associated with the track circuit identified in the identifying step from the database. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the interrogation message is transmitted when a distance between the train's location and the track circuit identified in the identifying step is below a threshold. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the threshold is a predetermined number based at least in part on an expected worst case distance required to stop the train. 31. The method of claim 29, wherein the threshold is determined dynamically based at least in part upon the current speed of the train. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein the threshold is further based on a weight of the train. 33. The method of claim 31, wherein the database further includes a grade of a track between the train and the section of track monitored by the track circuit and the threshold is further based on a grade of the track between the train and the section of track monitored by the track circuit. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the threshold is further based on distribution of weight in the train. 35. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of activating a warning device when a response with a correct configuration is not received. 36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of preventing the train from continuing until an acknowledgment of the activated warning device has been received. 37. A system for controlling a train, the system comprising: a control unit; a warning device connected to the control unit; a brake interface unit, the brake interface unit being in communication with the control unit and connected to a train brake, the brake interface unit being operable to activate the train brake under control of the control unit; and a transceiver, the transceiver being located on the train and being in communication with the control unit; wherein the control unit is configured to perform the steps of transmitting an interrogation message to a track circuit transceiver associated with a track circuit near the train; listening for a response from the track circuit transceiver, the response including an indication as to a condition of a section of track monitored by the track circuit; allowing the train to continue if the response indicates that it is safe for the train to proceed is received; if no response is received or if a response with an indication that it is not safe to proceed is received, activating a warning device to provide a warning; stopping the train by activating the brakes via the brake interface unit if an acknowledgment of the warning is not received or the train is not slowed to a safe speed within a period of time; and if an acknowledgment of the warning is received and the train is slowed to the safe speed within the period of time, ensuring that the safe speed is maintained until the section of track has been passed. 38. The system of claim 37, wherein the warning device is a horn. 39. The system of claim 37, wherein the warning device is a display. 40. The system of claim 38, wherein the control unit is further configured to perform the step of preventing the train continuing until permission is received from a dispatcher if the train has been stopped by the control unit in the stopping step. 41. The system of claim 37, wherein the period of time is based on a worst-case assumption that the train is traveling at a maximum speed and weighs a maximum amount. 42. The system of claim 37, further comprising a positioning system in communication with the control unit and located on the train, wherein the period of time is based on an actual speed of the train based on information reported by the positioning system and a weight of the train. 43. The system of claim 37, further comprising a track database in communication with the control unit, wherein the period of time is further based on a grade of a section of track between the train and the track circuit. 44. The system of claim 37, wherein the track circuit is a broken rail detection circuit. 45. The system of claim 37, wherein the track circuit is a circuit that detects the presence of a train. 46. The system of claim 37, wherein the track circuit is an avalanche detection circuit. 47. The system of claim 37, wherein the track circuit is a bridge alignment detection circuit. 48. The system of claim 37, wherein the response includes an identification number of the track circuit and wherein the control unit is further configured to perform the step of confirming that identification number received in the response corresponds to the track circuit to which the interrogation message was directed. 49. The system of claim 37, wherein the interrogation message includes an identification number of a track circuit for which the interrogation message is intended. 50. A method for controlling a train comprising the steps of: transmitting an interrogation message to a track circuit transceiver associated with a track circuit near the train, the track circuit being configured to monitor a section of track; listening for a response from the track circuit, the response including an indication as to a condition of a section of track monitored by the track circuit; allowing the train to continue if a response indicating that it is safe for the train to proceed is received; if a response with a correct configuration is not received or if the response indicates that it is not safe for the train to proceed, reducing a speed of the train; activating a warning device to provide a warning; stopping the train if an acknowledgment of the warning is not received with a period of time or the train is not reduced to a safe speed; and if an acknowledgment of the warning is received and the train is reduced to the safe speed within the period of time, ensuring that the safe speed is maintained until the section of track monitored by the track circuit has been passed. 51. The method of claim 50, wherein the period of time is based on a worst-case assumption that the train is traveling at a maximum speed and weighs a maximum amount. 52. The method of claim 50, wherein the period of time is based on an actual speed of the train based on information reported by a positioning system and a weight of the train. 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the period of time is further based on a grade of a section of track between the train and the track circuit. 54. The method of claim 50, wherein the track circuit is a broken rail detection circuit. 55. The method of claim 50, wherein the track circuit is a circuit that detects the presence of a train. 56. The method of claim 50, wherein the track circuit is an avalanche detection circuit. 57. The method of claim 50, wherein the track circuit is a bridge alignment detection circuit. 58. The method of claim 50, wherein the response includes an identification number of the track circuit and wherein the control unit is further configured to perform the step of confirming that identification number received in the response corresponds to the track circuit to which the interrogation message was directed. 59. The method of claim 50, wherein the interrogation message includes an identification number of a track circuit for which the interrogation message is intended. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to railroads generally, and more particularly to a method and system for identifying problems with train tracks. 2. Discussion of the Background Track circuits of various types have been used for many years in the railroad industry to determine whether sections or blocks of train track are safe for transit. These track circuits determine such things as whether there is a train in a section of track, whether there is a broken rail in a section of track, whether there has been an avalanche or whether snow or other debris is on the section of track, and whether the section of track is properly aligned with a bridge (with moveable and/or permanent spans). These and other such track circuits will be referred to herein as “track integrity circuits” or simply “track circuits.” Some known circuits combine the functions of detecting broken rails and detecting trains in a section of track. In their simplest form, these circuits involve applying a voltage across an electrically discontinuous section of rail at one end and measuring the voltage at the other end. If a train is present between the point at which the voltage is applied and the point at which the measuring device is located, the wheels and axle of the train will short the two rails and the voltage at the other end of the track will not be detected. Alternatively, if there is a break in one of the rails between the point at which the voltage is applied and the point at which the voltage measuring device is located, the voltage won't be detected. Thus, if the voltage cannot be detected, there is either a break in the rail or the track is occupied by another train. In either event, it is not safe for a train to enter the section of track monitored by the track circuit. Many variations of such circuits have been proposed. Examples of such circuits can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,102,340; 5,743,495; 5,470,034; 5,145,131; 4,886,226; 4,728,063; and 4,306,694. These circuits vary in that some use A.C. signals while other employ D.C. signals. Additionally, some of these circuits employ radio links between the portions of the circuit which apply the signal to the rails and the portions of the circuit that detect the signals. There are yet other differences in these circuits. These differences are not important within the context of the present invention and any of these circuits may be used in connection with the invention. In traditional systems, the track circuit was connected to a wayside color signal to indicate the status of the track to approaching trains and the track circuit operated continuously or periodically regardless of whether any train was approaching the section of track monitored by the track circuit. There are two major problems with such systems. First, the operation of the track circuit in the absence of an oncoming train wasted power. This limited the use of such systems to locations near a source of power. Second, the use of wayside signals was not failsafe in that it required the conductor/engineer to observe the signal and stop the train when the signals indicated that there was a problem such as a train on the track or a broken rail. Because human beings are not perfect, signals were sometimes missed and accidents resulted. Some known systems solve the first problem by activating the track detection circuit only when a train is approaching. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,226 describes activating a broken rail circuit only when an approaching train triggers a “feed” positioned before the section of track monitored by the track circuit. While this solution does conserve power and allow the broken rail detection circuit to be used with a solar cell or battery power source, it has the disadvantage of high maintenance costs associated with the “feed”. Another prior art system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,063 requires a dispatcher to monitor a location of a train and activate a broken rail detection circuit by radio when the train nears the end of the block. The status of the track as reported by the broken rail detection circuit is then transmitted back to the dispatcher, who in turn passes it along by radio to the train. This system is inefficient in that it places an increased processing load on the dispatcher, as the dispatcher is forced to receive and send such messages each time each train reaches a new track circuit. It is also problematic when communications between the dispatcher and the broken rail detection circuit become interrupted. Approach lit signaling is also know in the art. In those system, the signal lights are only lit when a train approaches the signal. However, in the systems known to the inventors, the track integrity circuit remains on even when the signal lights are out (the main reason the signal lights are turned off is to make the signal lights less attractive to vandals). Furthermore, the track integrity circuits in these systems conserve relatively large amounts of power. These systems are therefore not suitable for use with solar and/or battery power. What is needed is a method and system for activating track circuits in an economical manner that allows such circuits to be used in a way that minimizes power consumption while avoiding undue burden on a dispatcher or other control authority. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention meets the aforementioned need to a great extent by providing a computerized train control system in which a control module determines a position of a train using a positioning system such as a global positioning system (GPS) and consults a database to determine when the train is approaching a portion of track monitored by a track circuit. When the train is approaching a track circuit, but while the train is still far enough away from the track circuit that the train can be stopped before reaching the portion of track monitored by the track circuit, the train transmits an interrogation message to a transceiver associated with the track circuit. In preferred embodiments, the message is transmitted wirelessly to the track circuit. Other transmission methods are also possible, including transmitting an interrogation message to a transceiver associated with the track circuit via one or both of the rails. When the track circuit receives the interrogation message, a test is initiated. The results of the test are transmitted back to the train, which then takes some form of corrective action if the track circuit indicates a problem. In some embodiments, the train will come to a complete stop before reaching the portion of the track monitored by the track circuit when a problem is indicated. In other embodiments, if the engineer/conductor acknowledges a message warning of the problem and slows the train to a safe speed, the system will allow the train to proceed at the safe speed while the engineer/conductor visually determines whether it is safe to continue. In such embodiments, the system will stop the train if the engineer/conductor fails to acknowledge the warning message or fails to slow the train to a safe speed. Preferably, the safe speed is determined on the basis of the weight of the train as well as other characteristics (e.g., the grade of the track, the distribution of the weight on the train, etc.) that affect braking distance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant features and advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a logical block diagram of a train control system according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a flow chart of processing performed by the train control system of FIG. 1 in one embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 3a and 3b are a flow chart of processing performed by the train control system of FIG. 1 in a second embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be discussed with reference to preferred embodiments of train control systems. Specific details, such as specific track circuits and signals, are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The preferred embodiments discussed herein should not be understood to limit the invention. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, certain method steps are delineated as separate steps; however, these steps should not be construed as necessarily distinct nor order dependent in their performance. Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 is a logical block diagram of a train control system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The train control system includes a train unit 105 and a plurality of pairs of track circuits 180 and transceivers 190 that monitor various sections of track 185. These track circuit 180/transceiver 190 pairs may be placed only at certain locations on the track 185 (e.g., only near mountainsides when the track circuits 185 are of the form of avalanche detection circuits), or may be positioned such that the entire length of track is monitored. It should also be noted that the track circuit 180 is not necessarily connected to the track rails themselves as is shown in FIG. 1. For example, avalanche detection circuits are typically connected to slide fences rather than to the track itself. In this case, the circuits detect breaks in the slide fences, which indicate that debris has broken through the fence and, potentially, onto the track. The train unit 105 includes a control module 110, which typically, but not necessarily, includes a microprocessor. The control module 110 is responsible for controlling the other components of the system. A positioning system 120 is connected to the control module 110. The positioning system supplies the position (and, in some cases, the speed) of the train to the control module 110. The positioning can be of any type, including a global positioning system (GPS), a differential GPS, an inertial navigation system (INS), or a Loran system. Such positioning systems are well known in the art and will not be discussed in further detail herein. (As used herein, the term “positioning system” refers to the portion of a positioning system that is commonly located on a mobile vehicle, which may or may not comprise the entire system. Thus, for example, in connection with a global positioning system, the term “positioning system” as used herein refers to a GPS receiver and does not include the satellites that transmit information to the GPS receiver.) A map database 130 is also connected to the control module 110. The map database 130 preferably comprises a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk, flash memory, CD-ROM or other storage device, on which map data is stored. Other types of memory, including volatile memory, may also be used. The map data preferably includes positions of all track circuits in the railway. The map data preferably also includes information concerning the direction and grade of the track in the railway. By using train position information obtained from the positioning system 120 as an index into the map database 140, the control module 110 can determine its position relative to track circuits. When the control module 110 determines that the train is approaching a track circuit 180 (which includes a transceiver 190) that monitors a section of track 185 and is within range for conducting communications, it interrogates the device 180 through transceiver 150. The transceiver 150 can be configured for any type of communication, including communicating through rails and wireless communication. In addition to communicating with track circuit transceivers 190, the transceiver 150 may communicate with transceivers connected to other devices such as switches and grade crossing gates, and may also communicate with a dispatcher (not shown in FIG. 1) from whom route information and track warrants and authorities are received. In other embodiments, separate communications devices are used for wayside device communication and communication with a dispatcher. Also connected to the control module 110 is a brake interface 160. The brake interface 160 monitors the train brakes and reports this information to the control module 110, and also allows the control module 110 to activate and control the brakes to stop or slow the train when necessary. A warning device 170 is also connected to the control module 110. The warning device 170 is used to warn the conductor/engineer that a malfunction has been detected. The warning device 170 may also be used to allow the engineer/conductor to acknowledge the warning. In some embodiments, the warning device 170 is in the form of a button on an operator display such as the display illustrated in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/186,426, entitled, “Train Control System and Method of Controlling a Train or Trains” filed Jul. 2, 2002, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. In other embodiments, the warning device 170 may be a stand-alone button that illuminates when a malfunction is detected. In yet other embodiments (e.g., those in which no acknowledgment of a warning is required), the warning device 170 may comprise or consist of a horn or other device capable of providing an audible warning. FIG. 2 is a flowchart 200 illustrating operation of the control module 110 in connection with a track circuit 180 in one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, which is particularly well suited for use with track circuits such as broken rail detection circuits and avalanche detection circuits, the train will be preferably be brought to a complete halt, either by the operator or automatically by the control module 110 if the operator fails to take action, before reaching the section of track monitored by the track circuit. Forcing the train to come to a complete stop forces an operator to make a positive decision to move the train forward through the section of track indicated as bad, thereby dramatically decreasing the chances that the operator will miss the warning provided by the track circuit. In some embodiments of the invention, permission from the dispatcher is required before the control module 110 will allow the train to move again. The control module 110 begins the process by obtaining the locations of nearby track circuits 180 from the map database 130 at step 210. The control module 110 then determines the train's current position from information provided by the positioning system 120 at step 212. If no track circuit 180 is within a threshold distance, steps 210 et seq. are repeated. If a track circuit 180 is within a threshold distance at step 214, the transceiver 190 associated with the track circuit 180 is interrogated at step 216. In some embodiments, this threshold distance is a predetermined distance based upon the communication ranges of the transceiver 150 on the train and the transceiver 190 connected to the track circuit 180. In other embodiments, the threshold distance is equal to a distance required to stop the train under a worst-case assumption (i.e., an assumption that a train having the greatest possible weight is traveling at a maximum allowable or possible speed in a downhill direction on a portion of track with the steepest grade in the system) plus an offset to allow the track circuit to perform the track test and respond to the interrogation. In yet other embodiments, the threshold is dynamically determined based on the actual speed and weight of the train and the grade of the track between the train and the track circuit such that there is sufficient time for the track circuit 180 to test the track 185 and report the results in response to the interrogation. In other embodiments, the calculation may take into account the distribution of weight in the train as this will effect the required stopping distance as discussed in the aforementioned co-pending U.S. patent application. In some embodiments, the interrogation includes an identification number associated with the track circuit 180. This identification number is obtained from the map database 130. Only the track circuit corresponding to the identification number will respond to the interrogation. This avoids contention between multiple devices (track circuits or other devices—e.g., switches, crossing gates, etc.) attempting to respond to the interrogation on the same frequency. Thus, by assigning unique device numbers to track circuits and other devices, all devices can share the same frequency. If the track circuit 180 fails to respond at step 218, or reports a problem with the track at step 220, the control module 110 warns the conductor/engineer of the problem via the warning device 170 at step 224. The control module 110 then determines whether the brakes have been activated at step 226 by communicating with the brake interface 160 directly and/or by obtaining speed information from the positioning system 120. Preferably, the control module 110 calculates the braking force necessary to stop the train prior to reaching the section of track monitored by the track circuit 180 taking into account the speed and weight of the train, the distribution of the weight on the train, the grade of the track, and the characteristics of the braking system itself. If the operator has not activated the brakes in a manner sufficient to stop the train in time at step 226, the control module 110 automatically activates the brakes to stop the train at step 228. If the track circuit 180 responds to the interrogation at step 218 and reports that the track 185 is intact at step 220, then the control module 110 returns to step 210 to repeat the process. Returning to step 210 will result in interrogating the track circuit 180 device multiple times as the train approaches. This is desirable for safety purposes because it will detect any problems that occur after the initial interrogation (e.g., a vandal dislodging a rail) from causing and accident. Whether or not the interrogation of step 218 includes the device's identification number, it is preferable for the device's response to include its identification number as this allows for greater assurance that a response from some other source has not been mistaken as a response from the track circuit 180 of interest. FIGS. 3a and 3b together form a flowchart 300 illustrating operation of the control unit 110 in connection with configurable devices 180 according to a second embodiment of the invention. This embodiment allows a train to proceed through a section of track at a reduced speed such that the train can be stopped if the operator visually determines that there is a problem with the track (e.g., a broken rail or another train on the tracks) rather than forcing the train to come to a complete halt. This is done because track circuits sometimes give a false indication of a problem. Steps 310-320 of the flowchart 300 are similar to steps 210-220 of the flowchart 200 of FIG. 2; therefore, the detailed discussion of these steps will not be repeated. If a track circuit 180 does not respond at step 318 or reports a problem with the track 185 at step 320 after being interrogated at step 316, the control module 110 activates the warning device 170 at step 330. When the warning device 170 is activated, the operator/engineer is given a period of time in which to acknowledge the warning and slow the train to a speed that is slow enough to allow the operator to stop the train before reaching a problem (e.g., a broken rail or another train on the track) that the operator detects visually. This period of time may be predetermined based on a worst-case assumption of required distance to stop the train if the operator doesn't acknowledge the problem and slow the train to the safe speed, or may be determined dynamically based on factors such as the current speed of the train, the braking characteristics of the brakes on the train, the weight of the train, the distribution of weight on the train, and/or the grade of the track as determined from the map database 130 using the train position from the positioning system 120, as well as other factors that affect the required stopping distance/time. If the operator acknowledges the warning at step 332 and reduces the speed of the train to the safe speed at step 334 within the allowable time period, the control module 110 monitors the train's speed such that the reduced speed is maintained at step 336 until the train has passed through the section of track monitored by the track circuit 180 at step 338. If the conductor/engineer fails to acknowledge the warning at step 332 or fails to reduce the train's speed to the safe speed at step 334 within the allowed time period, the control module 110 commands the brake interface to stop the train at step 342. The control module 110 then notifies the dispatcher of the stopped train at step 344. One advantage of those embodiments of the invention in which a configurable device is interrogated as the train approaches is that such devices are not required to transmit information when trains are not in the area. This saves power as compared to those systems in which wayside devices continuously or periodically transmit information regardless of whether a train is close enough to receive such information. As discussed above, preferred embodiments of the invention include an identification number in the interrogation messages sent to transponders 190 associated with track circuits 180. However, it is also possible to transmit interrogation messages without identification numbers, in which case each transporter that receives the interrogation will respond and include an identification number in its response. In either case, this allows all transponders to share the same frequency, which reduces complexity and cost. In the embodiments discussed above, the control module 110 is located on the train. It should also be noted that some or all of the functions performed by the control module 110 could be performed by a remotely located processing unit such as processing unit located at a central dispatcher. In such embodiments, information from devices on the train (e.g., the brake interface 160) is communicated to the remotely located processing unit via the transceiver 150. One particularly important advantage of the invention is that it facilitates use of track circuits in remote areas. That is, because an approaching train transmits an interrogation message, the track detection circuit need only be “on” when the train approaches and may be in a low-power standby or off state with the transceiver in a low power “listening state” at other times when no train is nearby. This in turn facilitates the use of solar cells as a power source for these track circuit/transponder combinations. Furthermore, no high-maintenance mechanical device is required to detect the presence of the train. An important consequence of this is that the invention provides the ability to include broken rail protection in dark territory in which no power source is available at low cost. Another important aspect of the invention is its failsafe nature. Because the control unit 110 ensures that corrective action is taken if the track circuit 180 does not respond to an interrogation, there is no danger if the track circuit 180 and/or the track circuit transceiver 190 fails to respond, thereby making the system failsafe. This also eliminates the need to perform preventive maintenance. Additionally, no signal lights are necessary, which eliminates a failure mode. Maintenance costs are dramatically reduced as a consequence of these two aspects. Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to railroads generally, and more particularly to a method and system for identifying problems with train tracks. 2. Discussion of the Background Track circuits of various types have been used for many years in the railroad industry to determine whether sections or blocks of train track are safe for transit. These track circuits determine such things as whether there is a train in a section of track, whether there is a broken rail in a section of track, whether there has been an avalanche or whether snow or other debris is on the section of track, and whether the section of track is properly aligned with a bridge (with moveable and/or permanent spans). These and other such track circuits will be referred to herein as “track integrity circuits” or simply “track circuits.” Some known circuits combine the functions of detecting broken rails and detecting trains in a section of track. In their simplest form, these circuits involve applying a voltage across an electrically discontinuous section of rail at one end and measuring the voltage at the other end. If a train is present between the point at which the voltage is applied and the point at which the measuring device is located, the wheels and axle of the train will short the two rails and the voltage at the other end of the track will not be detected. Alternatively, if there is a break in one of the rails between the point at which the voltage is applied and the point at which the voltage measuring device is located, the voltage won't be detected. Thus, if the voltage cannot be detected, there is either a break in the rail or the track is occupied by another train. In either event, it is not safe for a train to enter the section of track monitored by the track circuit. Many variations of such circuits have been proposed. Examples of such circuits can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,102,340; 5,743,495; 5,470,034; 5,145,131; 4,886,226; 4,728,063; and 4,306,694. These circuits vary in that some use A.C. signals while other employ D.C. signals. Additionally, some of these circuits employ radio links between the portions of the circuit which apply the signal to the rails and the portions of the circuit that detect the signals. There are yet other differences in these circuits. These differences are not important within the context of the present invention and any of these circuits may be used in connection with the invention. In traditional systems, the track circuit was connected to a wayside color signal to indicate the status of the track to approaching trains and the track circuit operated continuously or periodically regardless of whether any train was approaching the section of track monitored by the track circuit. There are two major problems with such systems. First, the operation of the track circuit in the absence of an oncoming train wasted power. This limited the use of such systems to locations near a source of power. Second, the use of wayside signals was not failsafe in that it required the conductor/engineer to observe the signal and stop the train when the signals indicated that there was a problem such as a train on the track or a broken rail. Because human beings are not perfect, signals were sometimes missed and accidents resulted. Some known systems solve the first problem by activating the track detection circuit only when a train is approaching. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,226 describes activating a broken rail circuit only when an approaching train triggers a “feed” positioned before the section of track monitored by the track circuit. While this solution does conserve power and allow the broken rail detection circuit to be used with a solar cell or battery power source, it has the disadvantage of high maintenance costs associated with the “feed”. Another prior art system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,063 requires a dispatcher to monitor a location of a train and activate a broken rail detection circuit by radio when the train nears the end of the block. The status of the track as reported by the broken rail detection circuit is then transmitted back to the dispatcher, who in turn passes it along by radio to the train. This system is inefficient in that it places an increased processing load on the dispatcher, as the dispatcher is forced to receive and send such messages each time each train reaches a new track circuit. It is also problematic when communications between the dispatcher and the broken rail detection circuit become interrupted. Approach lit signaling is also know in the art. In those system, the signal lights are only lit when a train approaches the signal. However, in the systems known to the inventors, the track integrity circuit remains on even when the signal lights are out (the main reason the signal lights are turned off is to make the signal lights less attractive to vandals). Furthermore, the track integrity circuits in these systems conserve relatively large amounts of power. These systems are therefore not suitable for use with solar and/or battery power. What is needed is a method and system for activating track circuits in an economical manner that allows such circuits to be used in a way that minimizes power consumption while avoiding undue burden on a dispatcher or other control authority. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention meets the aforementioned need to a great extent by providing a computerized train control system in which a control module determines a position of a train using a positioning system such as a global positioning system (GPS) and consults a database to determine when the train is approaching a portion of track monitored by a track circuit. When the train is approaching a track circuit, but while the train is still far enough away from the track circuit that the train can be stopped before reaching the portion of track monitored by the track circuit, the train transmits an interrogation message to a transceiver associated with the track circuit. In preferred embodiments, the message is transmitted wirelessly to the track circuit. Other transmission methods are also possible, including transmitting an interrogation message to a transceiver associated with the track circuit via one or both of the rails. When the track circuit receives the interrogation message, a test is initiated. The results of the test are transmitted back to the train, which then takes some form of corrective action if the track circuit indicates a problem. In some embodiments, the train will come to a complete stop before reaching the portion of the track monitored by the track circuit when a problem is indicated. In other embodiments, if the engineer/conductor acknowledges a message warning of the problem and slows the train to a safe speed, the system will allow the train to proceed at the safe speed while the engineer/conductor visually determines whether it is safe to continue. In such embodiments, the system will stop the train if the engineer/conductor fails to acknowledge the warning message or fails to slow the train to a safe speed. Preferably, the safe speed is determined on the basis of the weight of the train as well as other characteristics (e.g., the grade of the track, the distribution of the weight on the train, etc.) that affect braking distance. | 20041014 | 20060502 | 20050324 | 78065.0 | 1 | MCCARRY JR, ROBERT J | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CHECKING TRACK INTEGRITY | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,666 | ACCEPTED | Group III nitride based light emitting diode structures with a quantum well and superlattice, group III nitride based quantum well structures and group III nitride based superlattice structures | A light emitting diode is provided having a Group III nitride based superlattice and a Group III nitride based active region on the superlattice. The active region has at least one quantum well structure. The quantum well structure includes a first Group III nitride based barrier layer, a Group III nitride based quantum well layer on the first barrier layer and a second Group III nitride based barrier layer. A Group III nitride based semiconductor device and methods of fabricating a Group III nitride based semiconductor device having an active region comprising at least one quantum well structure are provided. The quantum well structure includes a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride, a quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the well support layer and a cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well layer. A Group III nitride based semiconductor device is also provided that includes a gallium nitride based superlattice having at least two periods of alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN, where 0≦X<1 and 0≦Y<1 and X is not equal to Y. The semiconductor device may be a light emitting diode with a Group III nitride based active region. The active region may be a multiple quantum well active region. | 1-57. (Canceled). 58. A Group III nitride based semiconductor device, comprising: a gallium nitride based superlattice having at least two periods of alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN, where 0≦X<1 and 0≦Y<1 and X is not equal to Y. 59. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 58, wherein the gallium nitride based superlattice comprises from about 5 to about 50 periods. 60. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 58, wherein the gallium nitride based superlattice comprises 25 periods. 61. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 58, wherein the gallium nitride based superlattice comprises 10 periods. 62. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 58, wherein layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN of the alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGal yN have a combined thickness of less than about 70 Å. 63. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 58, wherein X=0. 64. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 63, wherein InGaN layers of the alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN have a thickness of from about 5 to about 40 Å and GaN layers of the alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN have a thickness of from about 5 to about 100 Å. 65. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 63, wherein InGaN layers of the alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN have a thickness of about 15 Å and GaN layers of the alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN have a thickness of from about 30 Å. 66. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 58, wherein the gallium nitride based superlattice is doped with an n-type impurity to a level of from about 1×1017 cm−3 to about 5×1019 cm−3. 67. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 66, wherein the doping level of the gallium nitride based superlattice is an actual doping level of layers of the alternating layers. 68. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 66, wherein the doping level is an average doping level of layers of the alternating layers. 69. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 58, further comprising doped Group III nitride layers adjacent the superlattice and wherein the doped Group III nitride layers are doped with an n-type impurity to provide an average doping of the doped Group III nitride layers and the superlattice of from about 1×1017 cm−3 to about 5×1019 cm−3. 70. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 58, wherein a bandgap of the superlattice is about 3.15 eV. 71. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 58, wherein a bandgap of the superlattice is from about 2.95 to about 3.15 eV. 72. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 58, wherein the semiconductor device comprises a light emitting diode, the light emitting diode further comprising a Group III nitride based active region on the superlattice. 73. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 72, further comprising a Group III nitride based spacer layer between the active region and the superlattice. 74. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 73, wherein the spacer layer comprises undoped GaN. 75. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 72, wherein the active region comprises at least one quantum well. 76. The Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to claim 75, wherein a bandgap of the at least one quantum well is less than a bandgap of the superlattice. 77. A gallium nitride based light emitting diode, comprising: a gallium nitride based superlattice having at least two periods of alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN, where 0≦X<1 and 0≦Y<1 and X is not equal to Y; and a gallium nitride based active region on the gallium nitride based superlattice. 78. The gallium nitride based light emitting diode of claim 77, wherein a bandgap of the gallium nitride based active region is less than a bandgap of the superlattice. 79. A method of fabricating a Group III nitride based semiconductor device having an active region comprising at least one quantum well structure, comprising: forming a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride; forming a quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well support layer; and forming a cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well layer. 80. The method of claim 79, wherein the step of forming a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride comprises forming the well support layer at a first temperature; wherein the step of forming a quantum well layer comprises forming the quantum well layer at a second temperature which is less than the first temperature; and wherein the step of forming a cap layer comprises forming the cap layer at a third temperature which is less than the first temperature. 81. The method of claim 80, wherein the third temperature is substantially the same as the second temperature. 82. The method of claim 81, wherein the well support layer comprises a gallium nitride based layer, the quantum well layer comprises an indium gallium nitride layer and the cap layer comprises a gallium nitride based layer. 83. The method of claim 82, wherein the first temperature is from about 700 to about 900° C. 84. The method of claim 82, wherein the second temperature is from about 0 to about 200° C. less than the first temperature. 85. The method of claim 82, wherein the second temperature is less that the first temperature. 86. The method of claim 82, wherein the indium gallium nitride layer is formed in a nitrogen atmosphere. 87. The method of claim 82, wherein the steps of forming a well support layer and forming a cap layer comprise forming a cap layer of InXGa1-XN, where 0≦X<1 and forming a well support layer of InXGa1-XN, where 0≦X<1. 88. The method of claim 87, wherein an indium composition of the well support layer and the cap layer is less an indium composition of the quantum well layer. 89. The method of claim 82, wherein the steps of forming a well support layer and forming a cap layer comprise forming a cap layer of AlXInYGa1-X-YN, where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1 and forming a well support layer of AlXInYGa1-X-YN, where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1. 90. The method of claim 89, wherein X≦Y+0.05. 91. The method of claim 82, wherein the well support layer and the cap layer are undoped. 92. The method of claim 82, wherein the well support layer and the cap layer have a doping level of less than about 5×1019 cm3. 93. The method of claim 79, wherein the cap layer and the well support layer have a higher bandgap than the quantum well layer. 94. The method of claim 82, wherein a combined thickness of the well support layer and the cap layer is from about 50 to about 400 Å. 95. The method of claim 82, wherein a thickness of the well support layer is greater than a thickness of the cap layer. 96. The method of claim 82, wherein the quantum well layer has a thickness of from about 10 to about 50 Å. 97. The method of claim 82, wherein a percentage of indium in the quantum well layer is from about 5% to about 50%. 98. The method of claim 82, further comprising the step of forming a superlattice, wherein the well support layer is on the superlattice. 99. The method of claim 98, further comprising the step of forming a Group III nitride based spacer layer between the well support layer and the superlattice. 100. The method of claim 99, wherein the spacer layer comprises undoped GaN. 101. The method of claim 98, wherein a bandgap of the quantum well layer is less than a bandgap of the superlattice. 102. The method of claim 79, further comprising: forming a second well support layer comprising a Group III nitride on the cap layer; forming a second quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the second well support layer; and forming a second cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the second quantum well layer. 103. The method of claim 102, wherein the step of forming a second well support layer comprising a Group III nitride comprises forming the second well support layer at substantially the first temperature; wherein the step of forming a second quantum well layer comprises forming the second quantum well layer at substantially the second temperature which is less than the first temperature; and wherein the step of forming a second cap layer comprises forming the second cap layer at substantially the third temperature which is less than the first temperature. 104. The method of claim 103, wherein the third temperature is substantially the same as the second temperature. 105. The method of claim 80, further comprising forming from about 2 to about 10 repetitions of the at least one quantum well structures. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of, and priority from, Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/294,445, filed May 30, 2001 entitled MULTI-QUANTUM WELL LIGHT EMITTING DIODE STRUCTURE, Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/294,308, filed May 30, 2001 entitled LIGHT EMITTING DIODE STRUCTURE WITH SUPERLATTICE STRUCTURE and Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/294,378, filed May 30, 2001 entitled LIGHT EMITTING DIODE STRUCTURE WITH MULTI-QUANTUM WELL AND SUPERLATTICE STRUCTURE, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as if set forth fully herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to microelectronic devices and fabrication methods therefor, and more particularly to strictures which may be utilized in Group III nitride semiconductor devices, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs). BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Light emitting diodes are widely used in consumer and commercial applications. As is well known to those having skill in the art, a light emitting diode generally includes a diode region on a microelectronic substrate. The microelectronic substrate may comprise, for example, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, alloys thereof, silicon carbide and/or sapphire. Continued developments in LEDs have resulted in highly efficient and mechanically robust light sources that can cover the visible spectrum and beyond. These attributes, coupled with the potentially long service life of solid state devices, may enable a variety of new display applications, and may place LEDs in a position to compete with the well entrenched incandescent lamp. One difficulty in fabricating Group III nitride based LEDs, such as gallium nitride based LEDs, has been with the fabrication of high quality gallium nitride. Typically, gallium nitride LEDs have been fabricated on sapphire or silicon carbide substrates. Such substrates may result in mismatches between the crystal lattice of the substrate and the gallium nitride. Various techniques have been employed to overcome potential problems with the growth of gallium nitride on sapphire and/or silicon carbide. For example, aluminum nitride (AlN) may be utilized as a buffer between a silicon carbide substrate and a Group III active layer, particularly a gallium nitride active layer. Typically, however, aluminum nitride is insulating rather than conductive. Thus, structures with aluminum nitride buffer layers typically require shorting contacts that bypass the aluminum nitride buffer to electrically link the conductive silicon carbide substrate to the Group III nitride active layer. Alternatively, conductive buffer layer materials such as gallium nitride (GaN), aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN), or combinations of gallium nitride and aluminum gallium nitride may allow for elimination of the shorting contacts typically utilized with AlN buffer layers. Typically, eliminating the shorting contact reduces the epitaxial layer thickness, decreases the number of fabrication steps required to produce devices, reduces the overall chip size, and/or increases the device efficiency. Accordingly, Group III nitride devices may be produced at lower cost with a higher performance. Nevertheless, although these conductive buffer materials offer these advantages, their crystal lattice match with silicon carbide is less satisfactory than is that of aluminum nitride. The above described difficulties in providing high quality gallium nitride may result in reduced efficiency the device. Attempts to improve the output of Group III nitride based devices have included differing configurations of the active regions of the devices. Such attempts have, for example, included the use of single and/or double heterostructure active regions. Similarly, quantum well devices with one or more Group III nitride quantum wells have also been described. While such attempts have improved the efficiency of Group III based devices, further improvements may still be achieved. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention provide a light emitting diode having a Group III nitride based superlattice and a Group III nitride based active region on the superlattice. The active region has at least one quantum well structure. The quantum well structure includes a first Group III nitride based barrier layer, a Group III nitride based quantum well layer on the first barrier layer and a second Group III nitride based barrier layer on the quantum well layer. In further embodiments of the present invention, the light emitting diode includes from about 2 to about 10 repetitions of the at least one quantum well structure. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the superlattice includes a gallium nitride based superlattice having at least two periods of alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN, where 0≦X<1 and 0≦Y<1 and X is not equal to Y. The first Group III nitride based barrier layer provides a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride and the second Group III nitride based barrier layer provides a cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well layer. In such embodiments, the cap layer may have a lower crystal quality than the well support layer. In still further embodiments of the present invention, the well support layer comprises a gallium nitride based layer, the quantum well layer comprises an indium gallium nitride layer and the barrier layer comprises a gallium nitride based layer. In such embodiments, the well support layer and the cap layer may be provided by layers of InXGa1-XN where 0≦X<1. Furthermore, the indium composition of the well support layer and the cap layer may be less than the indium composition of the quantum well layer. The well support layer and the cap layer may also be provided by a layer of AlXInYGa1-X-YN where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1. Furthermore, the well support layer and the cap layer may be undoped. Alternatively, the well support layer and the cap layer may have an n-type doping level of less than about 5×1019 cm−3. The cap layer and the well support layer may also have a higher bandgap than the quantum well layer. The combined thickness of the well support layer and the cap layer may be from about 50 to about 400 Å. The thickness of the well support layer may be greater than a thickness of the cap layer. The quantum well layer may have a thickness of from about 10 to about 50 Å. For example, the quantum well layer may have a thickness of about 20 Å. Furthermore, the percentage of indium in the quantum well layer may be from about 15% to about 40%. In additional embodiments of the present invention, a Group III nitride based spacer layer is provided between the well support layer and the superlattice. The spacer layer may be undoped GaN. In other embodiments of the present invention, the bandgap of the quantum well is less than the bandgap of the superlattice. In further embodiments of the present invention, the light emitting diode includes a second well support layer comprising a Group III nitride on the cap layer, a second quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the second well support layer and a second cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the second quantum well layer. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the gallium nitride based superlattice comprises from about 5 to about 50 periods. The alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN may have a combined thickness of from about 10 to about 140 Å. In particular embodiments of the present invention, X=0 for layers of InXGa1-XN of the superlattice. In such embodiments, the InGaN layers may have a thickness of from about 5 to about 40 Å and the GaN layers may have a thickness of from about 5 to about 100 Å. In further embodiments of the present invention, the gallium nitride based superlattice is doped with an n-type impurity to a level of from about 1×1017 cm−3 to about 5×1019 cm−3. The doping level of the gallium nitride based superlattice may be an actual doping level of layers of the alternating layers. The doping level may also be an average doping level of layers of the alternating layers. Thus, for example, the light emitting diode may include doped Group III nitride layers adjacent the superlattice where the doped Group III nitride layers are doped with an n-type impurity to provide an average doping of the doped Group III nitride layers and the superlattice of from about 1×1017 cm−3 to about 5×1019 cm−3. The bandgap of the superlattice may be from about 2.95 eV to about 3.35 eV and, in certain embodiments, may be about 3.15 eV. In other embodiments of the present invention, a Group III nitride based semiconductor device having an active region comprising at least one quantum well structure is provided. The quantum well structure includes a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride, a quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the well support layer and a cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well layer. The cap layer may have a lower crystal quality than the well support layer. The well support layer may be provided by a gallium nitride based layer, the quantum well layer may be provided by an indium gallium nitride layer and the barrier layer may be provided by a gallium nitride based layer. In such embodiments, the well support layer and the cap layer may be provided by layers of InXGa1-XN where 0≦X<1. Furthermore, the indium composition of the well support layer and the cap layer may be less the indium composition of the quantum well layer. Similarly, the well support layer and the cap layer may be provided by layers of AlXInYGa1-X-YN where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1. Furthermore, the well support layer and the cap layer may be undoped. Alternatively, the well support layer and the cap layer may have a doping level of less than about 5×10 cm−3. In further embodiments of the present invention, the cap layer and the well support layer have a higher bandgap than the quantum well layer. The combined thickness of the well support layer and the cap layer may be from about 50 to about 400 Å. For example, the combined thickness of the well support layer and the cap layer may be greater than about 90 Å. Similarly, the combined thickness of the well support layer and the cap layer may be about 225 Å. The thickness of the well support layer may be greater than the thickness of the cap layer. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the quantum well layer has a thickness of from about 10 to about 50 Å. For example, the quantum well layer may have a thickness of about 25 Å. Furthermore, the percentage of indium in the quantum well layer may from about 5% to about 50%. In further embodiments of the Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to the present invention, a superlattice is provided and the well support layer is on the superlattice. The superlattice may have a bandgap of about 3.15 eV. Furthermore, a Group III nitride based spacer layer may be provided between the well support layer and the superlattice. The spacer layer may be undoped GaN. Also, the bandgap of the at least one quantum well may be less than the bandgap of the superlattice. In still further embodiments of the present invention, a second well support layer comprising a Group III nitride is provided on the cap layer. A second quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride is provided on the second well support layer; and a second cap layer comprising a Group III nitride is provided on the second quantum well layer. In particular embodiments of the present invention, the Group III nitride based semiconductor device includes from about 2 to about 10 repetitions of the at least one quantum well structures. Embodiments of the present invention further provide a Group III nitride based semiconductor device that includes a gallium nitride based superlattice having at least two periods of alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN, where 0≦X<1 and 0≦Y<1 and X is not equal to Y. In further embodiments of the present invention, the gallium nitride based superlattice includes from about 5 to about 50 periods. For example, the gallium nitride based superlattice may include 25 periods. Similarly, the gallium nitride based superlattice may include 10 periods. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the gallium nitride based superlattice comprises from about 5 to about 50 periods. The alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN may have a combined thickness of from about 10 to about 140 Å. In particular embodiments of the present invention, X=0 for layers of InXGa1-XN of the superlattice. In such embodiments, the InGaN layers may have a thickness of from about 5 to about 40 Å and the GaN layers may have a thickness of from about 5 to about 100 Å. In still further embodiments of the present invention, the gallium nitride based superlattice is doped with an n-type impurity to a level of from about 1×1017 cm−3 to about 5×1019 cm−3. The doping level of the gallium nitride based superlattice may be an actual doping level of layers of the alternating layers or may be an average doping level of layers of the alternating layers. In certain embodiments of the present invention, doped Group III nitride layers are provided adjacent the superlattice. The doped Group III nitride layers are doped with an n-type impurity to provide an average doping of the doped Group III nitride layers and the superlattice of from about 1×1017 cm−3 to about 5×1019 cm−3. In additional embodiments of the present invention, a bandgap of the superlattice is about 3.15 eV. In embodiments of the present invention where the Group III nitride based semiconductor device comprises a light emitting diode, the light emitting diode includes a Group III nitride based active region on the superlattice. Additionally, a Group III nitride based spacer layer may also be provided between the active region and the superlattice. Such a spacer layer may be undoped GaN. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the active region comprises at least one quantum well. In such embodiments, a bandgap of the quantum well may be less than a bandgap of the superlattice. Additional embodiments of the present invention provide a method of fabricating a Group III nitride based semiconductor device having an active region comprising at least one quantum well structure. The quantum well structure is fabricated by forming a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride, forming a quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well support layer and forming a cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well layer. In particular embodiments of the present invention, forming a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride is provided by forming the well support layer at a first temperature. Forming a quantum well layer is provided by forming the quantum well layer at a second temperature which is less than the first temperature. Forming a cap layer is provided by forming the cap layer at a third temperature which is less than the first temperature. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the third temperature is substantially the same as the second temperature. In further embodiments of the present invention, the well support layer comprises a gallium nitride based layer, the quantum well layer comprises an indium gallium nitride layer and the cap layer comprises a gallium nitride based layer. In such embodiments, the first temperature may be from about 700 to about 900° C. Furthermore, the second temperature may be from about 0 to about 200° C. less than the first temperature. The indium gallium nitride layer may be formed in a nitrogen atmosphere or other atmosphere. Preferably, forming a well support layer and forming a cap layer are provided by forming a cap layer of InXGa1-XN, where 0≦X<1 and forming a well support layer of InXGa1-XN, where 0≦X<1. Also, the indium composition of the well support layer and the cap layer may be less an indium composition of the quantum well layer. In additional embodiments of the present invention, forming a well support layer and forming a cap layer are provided by forming a cap layer of AlXInYGa1-X-YN, where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1 and forming a well support layer of AlXInYGa1-X-YN, where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1. Further embodiments of the present invention include forming a superlattice, where the well support layer is on the superlattice. Additional embodiments of the present invention include, forming a Group III nitride based spacer layer between the well support layer and the superlattice. The spacer layer may be undoped GaN. Additional embodiments of the present invention include forming a second well support layer comprising a Group III nitride on the cap layer, forming a second quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the second well support layer and forming a second cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the second quantum well layer. In such embodiments, the second well support layer may be formed at substantially the first temperature, the second quantum well layer may be formed at substantially the second temperature which is less than the first temperature and the second cap layer formed at substantially the third temperature which is less than the first temperature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a Group III nitride light emitting diode incorporating embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a Group III nitride light emitting diode incorporating further embodiments of the present invention; and FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a quantum well structure and a multi-quantum well structure according to additional embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region or substrate is referred to as being “on” or extending “onto” another element, it can be directly on or extend directly onto the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” or extending “directly onto” another element, there are no intervening elements present. Moreover, each embodiment described and illustrated herein includes its complementary conductivity type embodiment as well. Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 that illustrates a light emitting diode (LED) structure 40. The LED structure 40 of FIG. 1 includes a substrate 10, which is preferably 4H or 6H n-type silicon carbide. Substrate 10 may also comprise sapphire, bulk gallium nitride or another suitable substrate. Also included in the LED structure 40 of FIG. 1 is a layered semiconductor structure comprising gallium nitride-based semiconductor layers on substrate 10. Namely, the LED structure 40 illustrated includes the following layers: a conductive buffer layer 11, a first silicon-doped GaN layer 12, a second silicon doped GaN layer 14, a superlattice structure 16 comprising alternating layers of silicon-doped GaN and/or InGaN, an active region 18, which may be provided by a multi-quantum well structure, an undoped GaN and/or AlGaN layer 22, an AlGaN layer 30 doped with a p-type impurity, and a GaN contact layer 32, also doped with a p-type impurity. The structure further includes an n-type ohmic contact 23 on the substrate 10 and a p-type ohmic contact 24 on the contact layer 32. Buffer layer 11 is preferably n-type AlGaN. Examples of buffer layers between silicon carbide and group III-nitride materials are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,393,993 and 5,523,589, and U.S. application Ser. No. 09/154,363 entitled “Vertical Geometry InGaN Light Emitting Diode” assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Similarly, embodiments of the present invention may also include structures such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,201,262 entitled “Group III Nitride Photonic Devices on Silicon Carbide Substrates With Conductive Buffer Interlay Structure,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference as if set forth fully herein. GaN layer 12 is preferably between about 500 and 4000 nm thick inclusive and is most preferably about 1500 nm thick. GaN layer 12 may be doped with silicon at a level of about 5×1017 to 5×108 cm−3. GaN layer 14 is preferably between about 10 and 500 Å thick inclusive, and is most preferably about 80 Å thick. GaN layer 14 may be doped with silicon at a level of less than about 5×1019 cm−3. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a superlattice structure 16 according to embodiments of the present invention includes alternating layers of InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN, wherein X is between 0 and 1 inclusive and X is not equal to Y. Preferably, X=0 and the thickness of each of the alternating layers of InGaN is about 5-40 Å thick inclusive, and the thickness of each of the alternating layers of GaN is about 5-100 Å thick inclusive. In certain embodiments, the GaN layers are about 30 Å thick and the InGaN layers are about 15 Å thick. The superlattice structure 16 may include from about 5 to about 50 periods (where one period equals one repetition each of the InXGa1-XN and InYGa1-YN layers that comprise the superlattice). In one embodiment, the superlattice structure 16 comprises 25 periods. In another embodiment, the superlattice structure 16 comprises 10 periods. The number of periods, however, may be decreased by, for example, increasing the thickness of the respective layers. Thus, for example, doubling the thickness of the layers may be utilized with half the number of periods. Alternatively, the number and thickness of the periods may be independent of one another. Preferably, the superlattice 16 is doped with an n-type impurity such as silicon at a level of from about 1×1017 cm−3 to about 5×1019 cm−3. Such a doping level may be actual doping or average doping of the layers of the superlattice 16. If such doping level is an average doping level, then it may be beneficial to provide doped layers adjacent the superlattice structure 16 that provide the desired average doping which the doping of the adjacent layers is averaged over the adjacent layers and the superlattice structure 16. By providing the superlattice 16 between substrate 10 and active region 18, a better surface may be provided on which to grow InGaN-based active region 18. While not wishing to be bound by any theory of operation, the inventors believe that strain effects in the superlattice structure 16 provide a growth surface that is conducive to the growth of a high-quality InGaN-containing active region. Further, the superlattice is known to influence the operating voltage of the device. Appropriate choice of superlattice thickness and composition parameters can reduce operating voltage and increase optical efficiency. The superlattice structure 16 may be grown in an atmosphere of nitrogen or other gas, which enables growth of higher-quality InGaN layers in the structure. By growing a silicon-doped InGaN/GaN superlattice on a silicon-doped GaN layer in a nitrogen atmosphere, a structure having improved crystallinity and conductivity with optimized strain may be realized. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the active region 18 may comprise a single or multi-quantum well structure as well as single or double heterojunction active regions. In particular embodiments of the present invention, the active region 18 comprises a multi-quantum well structure that includes multiple InGaN quantum well layers separated by barrier layers (not shown in FIG. 1). Layer 22 is provided on active region 18 and is preferably undoped GaN or AlGaN between about 0 and 120 Å thick inclusive. As used herein, undoped refers to a not intentionally doped. Layer 22 is preferably about 35 Å thick. If layer 22 comprises AlGaN, the aluminum percentage in such layer is preferably about 10-30% and most preferably about 24%. The level of aluminum in layer 22 may also be graded in a stepwise or continuously decreasing fashion. Layer 22 may be grown at a higher temperature than the growth temperatures in quantum well region 25 in order to improve the crystal quality of layer 22. Additional layers of undoped GaN or AlGaN may be included in the vicinity of layer 22. For example, LED 1 may include an additional layer of undoped AlGaN about 6-9 Å thick between the active region 18 and the layer 22. An AlGaN layer 30 doped with a p-type impurity such as magnesium is provided on layer 22. The AlGaN layer 30 may be between about 0 and 300 Å thick inclusive and is preferably about 130 Å thick. A contact layer 32 of p-type GaN is provided on the layer 30 and is preferably about 1800 Å thick. Ohmic contacts 24 and 25 are provided on the p-GaN contact layer 32 and the substrate 10, respectively. FIG. 2 illustrates further embodiments of the present invention incorporating a multi-quantum well active region. The embodiments of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2 include a layered semiconductor structure 100 comprising gallium nitride-based semiconductor layers grown on a substrate 10. As described above, the substrate 10 may be SiC, sapphire or bulk gallium nitride. As is illustrated in FIG. 2, LEDs according to particular embodiments of the present invention may include a conductive buffer layer 11, a first silicon-doped GaN layer 12, a second silicon doped GaN layer 14, a superlattice structure 16 comprising alternating layers of silicon-doped GaN and/or InGaN, an active region 125 comprising a multi-quantum well structure, an undoped GaN or AlGaN layer 22, an AlGaN layer 30 doped with a p-type impurity, and a GaN contact layer 32, also doped with a p-type impurity. The LEDs may further include an n-type ohmic contact 23 on the substrate 10 and a p-type ohmic contact 24 on the contact layer 32. In embodiments of the present invention where the substrate 10 is sapphire, the n-type ohmic contact 23 would be provided on n-type GaN layer 12 and/or n-type GaN layer 14. As described above with reference to FIG. 1, buffer layer 11 is preferably n-type AlGaN. Similarly, GaN layer 12 is preferably between about 500 and 4000 nm thick inclusive and is most preferably about 1500 nm thick. GaN layer 12 may be doped with silicon at a level of about 5×1017 to 5×1018 cm−3. GaN layer 14 is preferably between about 10 and 500 Å thick inclusive, and is most preferably about 80 Å thick. GaN layer 14 may be doped with silicon at a level of less than about 5×1019 cm−3. The superlattice structure 16 may also be provided as described above with reference to FIG. 1. The active region 125 comprises a multi-quantum well structure that includes multiple InGaN quantum well layers 120 separated by barrier layers 118. The barrier layers 118 comprise InXGa1-XN where 0≦X<1. Preferably the indium composition of the barrier layers 118 is less than that of the quantum well layers 120, so that the barrier layers 118 have a higher bandgap than quantum well layers 120. The barrier layers 118 and quantum well layers 120 may be undoped (i.e. not intentionally doped with an impurity atom such as silicon or magnesium). However, it may be desirable to dope the barrier layers 118 with Si at a level of less than 5×1019 cm−3, particularly if ultraviolet emission is desired. In further embodiments of the present invention, the barrier layers 118 comprise AlXInYGa1-X-YN where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1. By including aluminum in the crystal of the barrier layers 118, the barrier layers 118 may be lattice-matched to the quantum well layers 120, thereby providing improved crystalline quality in the quantum well layers 120, which increases the luminescent efficiency of the device. Referring to FIG. 3, embodiments of the present invention that provide a multi-quantum well structure of a gallium nitride based device are illustrated. The multi-quantum well structure illustrated in FIG. 3 may provide the active region of the LEDs illustrated in FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 2. As seen in FIG. 3, an active region 225 comprises a periodically repeating structure 221 comprising a well support layer 218a having high crystal quality, a quantum well layer 220 and a cap layer 218b that serves as a protective cap layer for the quantum well layer 220. When the structure 221 is grown, the cap layer 218b and the well support layer 218a together form the barrier layer between adjacent quantum wells 220. Preferably, the high quality well support layer 218a is grown at a higher temperature than that used to grow the InGaN quantum well layer 220. In some embodiments of the present invention, the well support layer 218a is grown at a slower growth rate than the cap layer 218b. In other embodiments, lower growth rates may be used during the lower temperature growth process and higher growth rates utilized during the higher temperature growth process. For example, in order to achieve a high quality surface for growing the InGaN quantum well layer 220, the well support layer 218a may be grown at a growth temperature of between about 700 and 900° C. Then, the temperature of the growth chamber is lowered by from about 0 to about 200° C. to permit growth of the high-quality InGaN quantum well layer 220. Then, while the temperature is kept at the lower InGaN growth temperature, the cap layer 218b is grown. In that manner, a multi-quantum well region comprising high quality InGaN layers may be fabricated. The active regions 125 and 225 of FIGS. 2 and 3 are preferably grown in a nitrogen atmosphere, which may provide increased InGaN crystal quality. The barrier layers 118, the well support layers 218a and/or the cap layers 218b may be between about 50-400 Å thick inclusive. The combined thickness of corresponding ones of the well support layers 218a and the cap layers 218b may be from about 50-400 Å thick inclusive. Preferably, the barrier layers 118 the well support layers 218a and/or the cap layers 218b are greater than about 90 Å thick and most preferably are about 225 Å thick. Also, it is preferred that the well support layers 218a be thicker than the cap layers 218b. Thus, the cap layers 218b are preferably as thin as possible while still reducing the desorption of Indium from or the degradation of the quantum well layers 220. The quantum well layers 120 and 220 may be between about 10-50 Å thick inclusive. Preferably, the quantum well layers 120 and 220 are greater than 20 Å thick and most preferably are about 25 Å thick. The thickness and percentage of indium in the quantum well layers 120 and 220 may be varied to produce light having a desired wavelength. Typically, the percentage of indium in quantum well layers 120 and 220 is about 25-30%, however, depending on the desired wavelength, the percentage of indium has been varied from about 5% to about 50%. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the bandgap of the superlattice structure 16 exceeds the bandgap of the quantum well layers 120. This may be achieved by by adjusting the average percentage of indium in the superlattice 16. The thickness (or period) of the superlattice layers and the average Indium percentage of the layers should be chosen such that the bandgap of the superlattice structure 16 is greater than the bandgap of the quantum wells 120. By keeping the bandgap of the superlattice 16 higher than the bandgap of the quantum wells 120, unwanted absorption in the device may be minimized and luminescent emission may be maximized. The bandgap of the superlattice structure 16 may be from about 2.95 eV to about 3.35 eV. In a preferred embodiment, the bandgap of the superlattice structure 16 is about 3.15 eV. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the LED structure illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a spacer layer 17 disposed between the superlattice 16 and the active region 125. The spacer layer 17 preferably comprises undoped GaN. The presence of the optional spacer layer 17 between the doped superlattice 16 and active region 125 may deter silicon impurities from becoming incorporated into the active region 125. This, in turn, may improve the material quality of the active region 125 that provides more consistent device performance and better uniformity. Similarly, a spacer layer may also be provided in the LED structure illustrated in FIG. 1 between the superlattice 16 and the active region 18. Returning to FIG. 2, the layer 22 may be provided on the active region 125 and is preferably undoped GaN or AlGaN between about 0 and 120 Å thick inclusive. The layer 22 is preferably about 35 Å thick. If the layer 22 comprises AlGaN, the aluminum percentage in such layer is preferably about 10-30% and most preferably about 24%. The level of aluminum in the layer 22 may also be graded in a stepwise or continuously decreasing fashion. The layer 22 may be grown at a higher temperature than the growth temperatures in the active region 125 in order to improve the crystal quality of the layer 22. Additional layers of undoped GaN or AlGaN may be included in the vicinity of layer 22. For example, the LED illustrated in FIG. 2 may include an additional layer of undoped AlGaN about 6-9 Å thick between the active regions 125 and the layer 22. An AlGaN layer 30 doped with a p-type impurity such as magnesium is provided on layer 22. The AlGaN layer 30 may be between about 0 and 300 Å thick inclusive and is preferably about 130 Å thick. A contact layer 32 of p-type GaN is provided on the layer 30 and is preferably about 1800 Å thick. Ohmic contacts 24 and 25 are provided on the p-GaN contact layer 32 and the substrate 10, respectively. Ohmic contacts 24 and 25 are provided on the p-GaN contact layer 32 and the substrate 10, respectively. While embodiments of the present invention have been described with multiple quantum wells, the benefits from the teachings of the present invention may also be achieved in single quantum well structures. Thus, for example, a light emitting diode may be provided with a single occurrence of the structure 221 of FIG. 3 as the active region of the device. Thus, while different numbers of quantum wells may be utilized according to embodiments of the present invention, the number of quantum wells will typically range from 1 to 10 quantum wells. While embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to gallium nitride based devices, the teachings and benefits of the present invention may also be provided in other Group III nitrides. Thus, embodiments of the present invention provide Group III nitride based superlattice structures, quantum well structures and/or Group III nitride based light emitting diodes having superlattices and/or quantum wells. In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed typical preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Light emitting diodes are widely used in consumer and commercial applications. As is well known to those having skill in the art, a light emitting diode generally includes a diode region on a microelectronic substrate. The microelectronic substrate may comprise, for example, gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, alloys thereof, silicon carbide and/or sapphire. Continued developments in LEDs have resulted in highly efficient and mechanically robust light sources that can cover the visible spectrum and beyond. These attributes, coupled with the potentially long service life of solid state devices, may enable a variety of new display applications, and may place LEDs in a position to compete with the well entrenched incandescent lamp. One difficulty in fabricating Group III nitride based LEDs, such as gallium nitride based LEDs, has been with the fabrication of high quality gallium nitride. Typically, gallium nitride LEDs have been fabricated on sapphire or silicon carbide substrates. Such substrates may result in mismatches between the crystal lattice of the substrate and the gallium nitride. Various techniques have been employed to overcome potential problems with the growth of gallium nitride on sapphire and/or silicon carbide. For example, aluminum nitride (AlN) may be utilized as a buffer between a silicon carbide substrate and a Group III active layer, particularly a gallium nitride active layer. Typically, however, aluminum nitride is insulating rather than conductive. Thus, structures with aluminum nitride buffer layers typically require shorting contacts that bypass the aluminum nitride buffer to electrically link the conductive silicon carbide substrate to the Group III nitride active layer. Alternatively, conductive buffer layer materials such as gallium nitride (GaN), aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN), or combinations of gallium nitride and aluminum gallium nitride may allow for elimination of the shorting contacts typically utilized with AlN buffer layers. Typically, eliminating the shorting contact reduces the epitaxial layer thickness, decreases the number of fabrication steps required to produce devices, reduces the overall chip size, and/or increases the device efficiency. Accordingly, Group III nitride devices may be produced at lower cost with a higher performance. Nevertheless, although these conductive buffer materials offer these advantages, their crystal lattice match with silicon carbide is less satisfactory than is that of aluminum nitride. The above described difficulties in providing high quality gallium nitride may result in reduced efficiency the device. Attempts to improve the output of Group III nitride based devices have included differing configurations of the active regions of the devices. Such attempts have, for example, included the use of single and/or double heterostructure active regions. Similarly, quantum well devices with one or more Group III nitride quantum wells have also been described. While such attempts have improved the efficiency of Group III based devices, further improvements may still be achieved. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Embodiments of the present invention provide a light emitting diode having a Group III nitride based superlattice and a Group III nitride based active region on the superlattice. The active region has at least one quantum well structure. The quantum well structure includes a first Group III nitride based barrier layer, a Group III nitride based quantum well layer on the first barrier layer and a second Group III nitride based barrier layer on the quantum well layer. In further embodiments of the present invention, the light emitting diode includes from about 2 to about 10 repetitions of the at least one quantum well structure. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the superlattice includes a gallium nitride based superlattice having at least two periods of alternating layers of In X Ga 1-X N and In Y Ga 1-Y N, where 0≦X<1 and 0≦Y<1 and X is not equal to Y. The first Group III nitride based barrier layer provides a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride and the second Group III nitride based barrier layer provides a cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well layer. In such embodiments, the cap layer may have a lower crystal quality than the well support layer. In still further embodiments of the present invention, the well support layer comprises a gallium nitride based layer, the quantum well layer comprises an indium gallium nitride layer and the barrier layer comprises a gallium nitride based layer. In such embodiments, the well support layer and the cap layer may be provided by layers of In X Ga 1-X N where 0≦X<1. Furthermore, the indium composition of the well support layer and the cap layer may be less than the indium composition of the quantum well layer. The well support layer and the cap layer may also be provided by a layer of Al X In Y Ga 1-X-Y N where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1. Furthermore, the well support layer and the cap layer may be undoped. Alternatively, the well support layer and the cap layer may have an n-type doping level of less than about 5×10 19 cm −3 . The cap layer and the well support layer may also have a higher bandgap than the quantum well layer. The combined thickness of the well support layer and the cap layer may be from about 50 to about 400 Å. The thickness of the well support layer may be greater than a thickness of the cap layer. The quantum well layer may have a thickness of from about 10 to about 50 Å. For example, the quantum well layer may have a thickness of about 20 Å. Furthermore, the percentage of indium in the quantum well layer may be from about 15% to about 40%. In additional embodiments of the present invention, a Group III nitride based spacer layer is provided between the well support layer and the superlattice. The spacer layer may be undoped GaN. In other embodiments of the present invention, the bandgap of the quantum well is less than the bandgap of the superlattice. In further embodiments of the present invention, the light emitting diode includes a second well support layer comprising a Group III nitride on the cap layer, a second quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the second well support layer and a second cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the second quantum well layer. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the gallium nitride based superlattice comprises from about 5 to about 50 periods. The alternating layers of In X Ga 1-X N and In Y Ga 1-Y N may have a combined thickness of from about 10 to about 140 Å. In particular embodiments of the present invention, X=0 for layers of In X Ga 1-X N of the superlattice. In such embodiments, the InGaN layers may have a thickness of from about 5 to about 40 Å and the GaN layers may have a thickness of from about 5 to about 100 Å. In further embodiments of the present invention, the gallium nitride based superlattice is doped with an n-type impurity to a level of from about 1×10 17 cm −3 to about 5×10 19 cm −3 . The doping level of the gallium nitride based superlattice may be an actual doping level of layers of the alternating layers. The doping level may also be an average doping level of layers of the alternating layers. Thus, for example, the light emitting diode may include doped Group III nitride layers adjacent the superlattice where the doped Group III nitride layers are doped with an n-type impurity to provide an average doping of the doped Group III nitride layers and the superlattice of from about 1×10 17 cm −3 to about 5×10 19 cm −3 . The bandgap of the superlattice may be from about 2.95 eV to about 3.35 eV and, in certain embodiments, may be about 3.15 eV. In other embodiments of the present invention, a Group III nitride based semiconductor device having an active region comprising at least one quantum well structure is provided. The quantum well structure includes a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride, a quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the well support layer and a cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well layer. The cap layer may have a lower crystal quality than the well support layer. The well support layer may be provided by a gallium nitride based layer, the quantum well layer may be provided by an indium gallium nitride layer and the barrier layer may be provided by a gallium nitride based layer. In such embodiments, the well support layer and the cap layer may be provided by layers of In X Ga 1-X N where 0≦X<1. Furthermore, the indium composition of the well support layer and the cap layer may be less the indium composition of the quantum well layer. Similarly, the well support layer and the cap layer may be provided by layers of Al X In Y Ga 1-X-Y N where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1. Furthermore, the well support layer and the cap layer may be undoped. Alternatively, the well support layer and the cap layer may have a doping level of less than about 5×10 cm −3 . In further embodiments of the present invention, the cap layer and the well support layer have a higher bandgap than the quantum well layer. The combined thickness of the well support layer and the cap layer may be from about 50 to about 400 Å. For example, the combined thickness of the well support layer and the cap layer may be greater than about 90 Å. Similarly, the combined thickness of the well support layer and the cap layer may be about 225 Å. The thickness of the well support layer may be greater than the thickness of the cap layer. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the quantum well layer has a thickness of from about 10 to about 50 Å. For example, the quantum well layer may have a thickness of about 25 Å. Furthermore, the percentage of indium in the quantum well layer may from about 5% to about 50%. In further embodiments of the Group III nitride based semiconductor device according to the present invention, a superlattice is provided and the well support layer is on the superlattice. The superlattice may have a bandgap of about 3.15 eV. Furthermore, a Group III nitride based spacer layer may be provided between the well support layer and the superlattice. The spacer layer may be undoped GaN. Also, the bandgap of the at least one quantum well may be less than the bandgap of the superlattice. In still further embodiments of the present invention, a second well support layer comprising a Group III nitride is provided on the cap layer. A second quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride is provided on the second well support layer; and a second cap layer comprising a Group III nitride is provided on the second quantum well layer. In particular embodiments of the present invention, the Group III nitride based semiconductor device includes from about 2 to about 10 repetitions of the at least one quantum well structures. Embodiments of the present invention further provide a Group III nitride based semiconductor device that includes a gallium nitride based superlattice having at least two periods of alternating layers of In X Ga 1-X N and In Y Ga 1-Y N, where 0≦X<1 and 0≦Y<1 and X is not equal to Y. In further embodiments of the present invention, the gallium nitride based superlattice includes from about 5 to about 50 periods. For example, the gallium nitride based superlattice may include 25 periods. Similarly, the gallium nitride based superlattice may include 10 periods. In additional embodiments of the present invention, the gallium nitride based superlattice comprises from about 5 to about 50 periods. The alternating layers of In X Ga 1-X N and In Y Ga 1-Y N may have a combined thickness of from about 10 to about 140 Å. In particular embodiments of the present invention, X=0 for layers of In X Ga 1-X N of the superlattice. In such embodiments, the InGaN layers may have a thickness of from about 5 to about 40 Å and the GaN layers may have a thickness of from about 5 to about 100 Å. In still further embodiments of the present invention, the gallium nitride based superlattice is doped with an n-type impurity to a level of from about 1×10 17 cm −3 to about 5×10 19 cm −3 . The doping level of the gallium nitride based superlattice may be an actual doping level of layers of the alternating layers or may be an average doping level of layers of the alternating layers. In certain embodiments of the present invention, doped Group III nitride layers are provided adjacent the superlattice. The doped Group III nitride layers are doped with an n-type impurity to provide an average doping of the doped Group III nitride layers and the superlattice of from about 1×10 17 cm −3 to about 5×10 19 cm −3 . In additional embodiments of the present invention, a bandgap of the superlattice is about 3.15 eV. In embodiments of the present invention where the Group III nitride based semiconductor device comprises a light emitting diode, the light emitting diode includes a Group III nitride based active region on the superlattice. Additionally, a Group III nitride based spacer layer may also be provided between the active region and the superlattice. Such a spacer layer may be undoped GaN. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the active region comprises at least one quantum well. In such embodiments, a bandgap of the quantum well may be less than a bandgap of the superlattice. Additional embodiments of the present invention provide a method of fabricating a Group III nitride based semiconductor device having an active region comprising at least one quantum well structure. The quantum well structure is fabricated by forming a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride, forming a quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well support layer and forming a cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the quantum well layer. In particular embodiments of the present invention, forming a well support layer comprising a Group III nitride is provided by forming the well support layer at a first temperature. Forming a quantum well layer is provided by forming the quantum well layer at a second temperature which is less than the first temperature. Forming a cap layer is provided by forming the cap layer at a third temperature which is less than the first temperature. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the third temperature is substantially the same as the second temperature. In further embodiments of the present invention, the well support layer comprises a gallium nitride based layer, the quantum well layer comprises an indium gallium nitride layer and the cap layer comprises a gallium nitride based layer. In such embodiments, the first temperature may be from about 700 to about 900° C. Furthermore, the second temperature may be from about 0 to about 200° C. less than the first temperature. The indium gallium nitride layer may be formed in a nitrogen atmosphere or other atmosphere. Preferably, forming a well support layer and forming a cap layer are provided by forming a cap layer of In X Ga 1-X N, where 0≦X<1 and forming a well support layer of In X Ga 1-X N, where 0≦X<1. Also, the indium composition of the well support layer and the cap layer may be less an indium composition of the quantum well layer. In additional embodiments of the present invention, forming a well support layer and forming a cap layer are provided by forming a cap layer of Al X In Y Ga 1-X-Y N, where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1 and forming a well support layer of Al X In Y Ga 1-X-Y N, where 0<X<1, 0≦Y<1 and X+Y≦1. Further embodiments of the present invention include forming a superlattice, where the well support layer is on the superlattice. Additional embodiments of the present invention include, forming a Group III nitride based spacer layer between the well support layer and the superlattice. The spacer layer may be undoped GaN. Additional embodiments of the present invention include forming a second well support layer comprising a Group III nitride on the cap layer, forming a second quantum well layer comprising a Group III nitride on the second well support layer and forming a second cap layer comprising a Group III nitride on the second quantum well layer. In such embodiments, the second well support layer may be formed at substantially the first temperature, the second quantum well layer may be formed at substantially the second temperature which is less than the first temperature and the second cap layer formed at substantially the third temperature which is less than the first temperature. | 20041013 | 20071225 | 20050303 | 88227.0 | 3 | GEBREMARIAM, SAMUEL A | GROUP III NITRIDE BASED SUPERLATTICE STRUCTURES | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,841 | ACCEPTED | Vegetable oil based dielectric fluid and methods of using same | In one aspect, the present invention provides a dielectric fluid for use in electrical equipment comprising a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. In another aspect the invention provides devices for generating and distributing electrical energy that incorporate a dielectric fluid comprising a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. Methods of retrofilling electrical equipment with vegetable oil based dielectric fluids also are provided. | 1. A transformer including a housing that contains a transformer core/coil assembly, comprising: a dielectric fluid surrounding said core-coil assembly, wherein the dielectric fluid consists essentially of one or more vegetable oils and one or more antioxidant compounds, wherein the one or more vegetable oils have a viscosity of between 2 and 15 cSt at 100° C. and less than 110 cSt at 40° C., and wherein the dielectric fluid is environmentally safe. 2. The transformer of claim 1, wherein the one or more antioxidant compounds are selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), tetrahydroxybutrophenone (THBP), ascorbyl palmitate, propyl gallate and alpha-, beta- or delta-tocopherol. 3. The transformer of claim 2, wherein the dielectric fluid further consists essentially of at least one of a low temperature additive and an antimicrobial additive. 4. The transformer of claim 1, wherein the one or more vegetable oils comprise oleate modified vegetable oils. 5. An electrical transformer including a housing that contains a transformer core/coil assembly, comprising: a dielectric fluid surrounding said core-coil assembly, wherein the dielectric fluid consists essentially of one or more oleate modified vegetable oils and one or more antioxidant compounds, wherein the one or more vegetable oils have a viscosity of between 2 and 15 cSt at 100° C. and less than 110 cSt at 40° C., and wherein the dielectric fluid is environmentally safe. 6. The transformer of claim 5, wherein the one or more antioxidant compounds are selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), tetrahydroxybutrophenone (THBP), ascorbyl palmitate, propyl gallate and alpha-, beta- or delta-tocopherol. 7. The transformer of claim 6, wherein the dielectric fluid further consists essentially of at least one of a low temperature additive and an antimicrobial additive. 8. A transformer including a housing that contains a core/coil assembly, comprising: a dielectric fluid surrounding said core/coil assembly, wherein the dielectric fluid consists essentially of one or more vegetable oils, one or more antioxidant compounds and at least one of a low temperature additive and an antimicrobial additive, wherein the one or more vegetable oils have a viscosity of between 2 and 15 cSt at 100° C. and less than 110 cSt at 40° C., and wherein the dielectric fluid is environmentally safe. 9. The transformer of claim 8, wherein the one or more vegetable oils comprise oleate modified vegetable oils. 10. The transformer of claim 8, wherein the one or more antioxidant compounds are selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), tetrahydroxybutrophenone (THBP), ascorbyl palmitate, propyl gallate and alpha-, beta- or delta-tocopherol. 11. A transformer including a housing that contains a core/coil assembly, comprising: a dielectric fluid surrounding said core/coil assembly, wherein the dielectric fluid consists essentially of one or more oleate modified vegetable oils, one or more antioxidant compounds and at least one of a low temperature additive and an antimicrobial additive, wherein the one or more vegetable oils have a viscosity of between 2 and 15 cSt at 100° C. and less than 110 cSt at 40° C., and wherein the dielectric fluid is environmentally safe. 12. The transformer of claim 11, wherein the one or more antioxidant compounds are selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), tetrahydroxybutrophenone (THBP), ascorbyl palmitate, propyl gallate and alpha-, beta- or delta-tocopherol. 13. A method of using a transformer, comprising employing in the transformer a dielectric fluid, the dielectric fluid consisting essentially of one or more vegetable oils and one or more antioxidant compounds, wherein the one or more vegetable oils have a viscosity of between 2 and 15 cSt at 100° C. and less than 110 cSt at 40° C., and wherein the dielectric fluid is environmentally safe. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more antioxidant compounds are selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), tetrahydroxybutrophenone (THBP), ascorbyl palmitate, propyl gallate and alpha-, beta- or delta-tocopherol. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the dielectric fluid further consists essentially of at least one of a low temperature additive and an antimicrobial additive. 16. A method of using a transformer, comprising employing in the transformer a dielectric fluid, the dielectric fluid consisting essentially of one or more oleate modified vegetable oils and one or more antioxidant compounds, wherein the one or more vegetable oils have a viscosity of between 2 and 15 cSt at 100° C. and less than 110 cSt at 40° C., and wherein the dielectric fluid is environmentally safe. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more antioxidant compounds are selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), tetrahydroxybutrophenone (THBP), ascorbyl palmitate, propyl gallate and alpha-, beta- or delta-tocopherol. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the dielectric fluid further consists essentially of a least one of a low temperature additive and an antimicrobial additive. 19. A method of retrofilling a transformer, comprising: removing an existing dielectric fluid from the transformer and replacing the existing dielectric fluid with a dielectric fluid consisting essentially of one or more vegetable oils and one or more antioxidant compounds, wherein the one or more vegetable oils have a viscosity of between 2 and 15 cSt at 100° C. and less than 110 cSt at 40° C. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the dielectric fluid is environmentally safe. 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more antioxidant compounds are selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), tetrahydroxybutrophenone (THBP), ascorbyl palmitate, propyl gallate and alpha-, beta- or delta-tocopherol. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the dielectric fluid further consists essentially of at least one of a low temperature additive and an antimicrobial additive. 23. The method of claim 19, further comprising drying the transformer prior to replacing the existing dielectric fluid. 24. A method of retrofilling a transformer, comprising removing an existing dielectric fluid from the transformer and replacing the existing dielectric fluid with a dielectric fluid consisting essentially of one or more oleate modified vegetable oils and one or more antioxidant compounds, wherein the one or more vegetable oils have a viscosity of between 2 and 15 cSt at 100° C. and less than 110 cSt at 40° C. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the dielectric fluid is environmentally safe. 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more antioxidant compounds are selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), tetrahydroxybutrophenone (THBP), ascorbyl palmitate, propyl gallate and alpha-, beta- or delta-tocopherol. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the dielectric fluid further consists essentially of at least one of a low temperature additive and an antimicrobial additive. 28. The method of claim 24, further comprising drying the transformer prior to replacing the existing dielectric fluid. 29. A method of retrofilling a transformer, comprising: removing an existing dielectric fluid from the transformer and replacing the existing dielectric fluid with a dielectric fluid consisting essentially of one or more vegetable oils and one or more antioxidant compounds, wherein the one or more vegetable oils have a viscosity of between 2 and 15 cSt at 100° C. and less than 110 cSt at 40° C., and wherein the dielectric fluid is environmentally safe. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the one or more antioxidant compounds are selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), tetrahydroxybutrophenone (THBP), ascorbyl palmitate, propyl gallate and alpha-, beta- or delta-tocopherol. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the dielectric fluid further consists essentially of at least one of a low temperature additive and an antimicrobial additive. 32. The method of claim 29, further comprising drying the transformer prior to replacing the existing dielectric fluid. 33. The method of claim 29, wherein the one or more vegetable oils comprise oleate modified vegetable oils. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/619,893, filed Jul. 15, 2003, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/116,259, filed Apr. 4, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,250, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/288,877, filed Apr. 9, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,986, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/276,191, filed Mar. 25, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,459, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/728,261, filed Oct. 8, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,537, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/576,372, filed Dec. 21, 1995 (abandoned). FIELD OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the present invention relates to dielectric fluid compositions, including insulating oils, for use in electrical distribution and power equipment, including transformers, switching gear, and electric cables. In another aspect the invention relates to vegetable oil-based insulating fluids and, more particularly, to the use of compositions comprising one or more vegetable oils. In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to the modification of electrical distribution equipment in a manner that enhances their suitability for vegetable oil-containing dielectric fluid compositions. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Dielectric (or insulating) fluids used in electrical distribution and power equipment—including transformers, switching gear and electric cables—perform two important functions. These fluids act as an electrical insulating medium, i.e., exhibit dielectric strength, and they transport generated heat away from the equipment, i.e., act as a cooling medium. When used in a transformer, for example, dielectric fluids transport heat from the windings and core of the transformer or connected circuits to cooling surfaces. Apart from possessing dielectric strength and cooling capacity, an ideal dielectric fluid for electrical equipment also exhibits little or no detrimental impact on the environment, is compatible with materials used to construct the equipment, and is relatively nonflammable. For more than a century, mineral oils derived from crude petroleum were used extensively as insulating and cooling liquids in electrical equipment. Though such oils possess a satisfactory dielectric strength and are compatible with equipment materials, they are not considered nonflammable, and, because they are petroleum-based, they are considered to carry with them an environmental cost. In the middle part of this century, as safety standards became more demanding for many indoor and vault equipment installations, mineral oils were replaced to a large extent by nonflammable liquids such as askarel (polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCB) fluids. Beginning in the 1930s, for example, PCBs—which generally are considered nonflammable—were used extensively to replace mineral oils in fire sensitive locations as insulating fluids in electrical equipment. PCBs eventually were recognized for their environmental hazards, and as a result the production and sale of PCBs as well as their use in new equipment was banned. For existing PCB-filled equipment, stringent regulations now require removal of PCB fluids at certain installations and, for all other installations, place stringent restrictions on the use of PCB-filled equipment. Spill reporting, clean-up, and disposal of PCB-filled equipment also now require compliance with very strict EPA regulations. Because of the disadvantages and shortcomings of PCB-based fluids and because of the increasing sensitivity to the potential adverse environmental impact of mineral oils and available alternatives, there have been and continue to be numerous efforts undertaken to develop relatively inexpensive, environmentally safe, and nonflammable dielectric fluids. To date, these efforts have not been completely successful. There are a number of specific functional properties characteristic of dielectric oils. An oils dielectric breakdown, or dielectric strength, for example, provides an indication of its ability to resist electrical breakdown and is measured as the minimum voltage required to cause arcing between two electrodes at a specified gap submerged in the oil. The impulse dielectric breakdown voltage provides an indication of an oils ability to resist electrical breakdown under transient voltage stresses such as lightning and power surges. The dissipation factor of an oil is a measure of the dielectric losses in the oil; a low dissipation factor indicates low dielectric loss and a low concentration of soluble, polar contaminants. The gassing tendency of an oil measures the oils tendency to evolve or absorb gas under conditions where partial discharge is present. Because one function of a dielectric fluid is to carry and dissipate heat, factors that significantly affect the relative ability of the fluid to function as a dielectric coolant include viscosity, specific heat, thermal conductivity, and the coefficient of expansion. The values of these properties, particularly in the range of operating temperatures for the equipment at full rating, must be weighed in the selection of suitable dielectric fluids for specific applications. In addition to the foregoing properties that affect heat transfer, a dielectric fluid, to be useful in commercial applications, should have a relatively high dielectric strength, low dissipation factor, a dielectric constant that is compatible with the solid dielectric, a low gassing tendency, and it must be compatible with the electrical equipment materials to which it is exposed. Current codes and standards require further that any dielectric fluid intended for use as a coolant not be classified as Flammable, but rather as a Class IIIB Combustible liquid. Specific safety requirements, however, vary with the application to which the electric equipment containing the fluid is used. Such applications include, for example, indoor and rooftop installations, vault applications, and installations adjacent to building structures. According to the degree of hazard attendant to these varied applications, one or more additional safeguards may be required. One recognized safeguard is the substitution of conventional mineral oils with less-flammable and/or nonflammable liquids. Less-flammable liquids are considered to be those having an open-cup fire point equal to or greater than 300° C. Several dielectric fluids are known and used in electrical equipment. Due, however, to an increasing awareness and sensitivity toward environmental concerns, it has become increasingly desirable to provide a dielectric fluid that: (1) poses minimal environmental hazards; (2) degrades quickly and easily so that spills do not contaminate the soil or the water table for any significant period of time; and (3) does not interfere in any significant way with natural biodegradation processes. It also is becoming more desirable to replace non-renewable resources with renewable resources, particularly given the undesirability of dependence on petroleum-derived products, and there generally is increased demand by the industrial and retail markets for all-natural products. This is due, at least in part, from the attention paid to the long-term effects of materials and their degradation by-products. In prior, related co-pending application Ser. No. 08/728,261, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,537—which is incorporated in its entirety by reference—we described a class of insulating dielectric fluids comprising vegetable oil materials. These compositions, useful in electrical distribution and power equipment, utilize low maintenance vegetable oil-based dielectric coolants that meet or exceed applicable safety and performance standards and that are free of substantial environmental hazards. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the present invention provides a dielectric fluid for use in electrical equipment. The dielectric fluid comprises a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. In another aspect the invention provides devices for transforming, generating, and/or distributing electrical energy, including electrical transmission cables, switching gear and transformers, that incorporate a dielectric fluid comprising a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. In yet another aspect, the invention provides methods of retrofilling electrical equipment with vegetable oil-based dielectric fluids. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 provides a cross-sectional view of a transformer tank housing incorporating a vegetable oil-based dielectric fluid and oxygen absorption material housed in an oxygen permeable encasement. FIG. 2 shows oxygen absorption material housed in an oxygen permeable encasement fastened to the tank cover of an electrical transformer. FIGS. 3-4 provide cross-sectional views of a transformer tank incorporating a vegetable oil-based dielectric fluid and an oxygen absorption material housed in an oxygen permeable encasement. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As their most essential component, the dielectric fluids of the present invention comprise one or more vegetable oil compositions, many of which are derived from plant matter. Vegetable oils typically comprise mixed glycerides formed from a polyol backbone, such as glycerin, in which the constituent hydroxyl groups are esterified with an equal or nearly equal number of fatty acid molecules. Many useful vegetable oils are triglycerides, i.e., are glycerides having three fatty acid molecules chemically bonded to the glycerin backbone. Such triglycerides generally are of the formula: wherein R1, R2 and R3 each, independently, is an alkyl or alkenyl group that may be straight-chained or branched, may be saturated or unsaturated, and may be unsubstituted or may be substituted with one or more functional or non-functional moieties. Differences in the functional properties of vegetable oils generally are attributable to the variation in their constituent fatty acid molecules. Several different fatty acids exist, including the following, all of which may be present in the vegetable oils of the invention: myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, arachidic, eicosenoic, behenic, erucic, paInitiolic, docosadienoic, lignoseric, tetracossenoic, margaric, margaroleic, gadoleic, caprylic, capric, lauric, pentadecanoic, and heptadecanoic acids. These fatty acid molecules can also vary in their degree of unsaturation. Fatty acid molecules may be arranged on a polyol backbone in any number of ways, and each polyol can have one, two or several different constituent fatty acid molecules. The three fatty acid molecules on a triglyceride molecule, for example, may be the same or may comprise two or three different fatty acid molecules. While the compositions of triglyceride compounds found in plant matter vary from species to species, and less so from strain to strain of a particular species, vegetable oil derived from a single strain of plant species generally will have the same fatty acid composition. Every naturally occurring triglyceride has a unique set of properties. For example, some triglycerides are more susceptible to oxidation than are others. According to the present invention, it is preferred to use oils having fatty acid molecules that include a component having at least one degree of unsaturation (i.e., at least one C═C double bond). This selection strikes a balance between the effects of oxidation with a desired reduction in the evolution of hydrogen gas. It has been found that oils containing mono-unsaturates oxidize less rapidly than do polyunsaturated oils and are therefore somewhat preferred for use in the present invention. Specific, representative, vegetable oils suitable for use in the present invention include the following: castor, coconut, corn, cottonseed, crambie, jojoba, lesquerella, linseed, olive, palm, rapeseed (canola), safflower, sunflower, soya, and veronia. Useful vegetable oils preferably have an open-cup fire point well above the accepted minimum standard of 300° C. for both conventional dielectric fluids and for less-flammable liquids. Several oils, for example, typically have fire points of approximately 350° C. According to the present invention, preferred oils have viscosities between about 2 and about 15 cSt at 100° C. and less than about 110 cSt at 40° C. and have heat capacities (specific heats) of greater than about 0.3 cal/g-° C. The vegetable oils of the invention also preferably have a dielectric strength of greater than about 30 kV/100 mil gap, more preferably greater than 35 kV/100 mil gap, and have a dissipation factor of less than about 0.05% at 25° C., more preferably less than about 0.03% at 25° C. The vegetable oils of the invention may be used alone or may be blended together with one or more other vegetable oils. In appropriate circumstances, a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend may also be combined with a minor amount of one or more synthetic oils, including mineral oils. When a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend is combined with one or more synthetic oils, the amount and/or character of the non-vegetable oil component of the resulting blend should not interfere with the beneficial properties of the vegetable oil fluid. Thus, for example, any significant amount of a chlorinated fluid (aromatic chlorinated compounds such as trichlorobenzene or polychlorinated biphenyls) will negate many of the positive environmental attributes of the vegetable oil component. Where such blends are employed, the blend should contain less than 50 percent by weight of a petroleum-derived mineral oil, preferably less than 30 percent by weight, more preferably less than 20 percent by weight, and should contain less than 20 percent by weight of a chlorinated fluid, preferably less than 5 weight percent, and more preferably less than 1 percent by weight. It is also preferred that the vegetable oil blend be food grade, i.e., that it not contain any component that is considered toxic or otherwise biologically hazardous. The vegetable oil and oil blends, where desired, may be pigmented or colored with a suitable dye or pigment. Any known dye or pigment can be used for this purpose, and many are available commercially as food additives. The most useful dyes and pigments are those that are oil soluble. Because of its negative effect on dielectric performance, the presence of water, a polar contaminant, in the vegetable oil-based fluid is undesirable. Water in the fluid tends to increase the rate of chemical breakdown of fatty acid esters in the vegetable oil in proportion to the amount of water available for such a reaction. The most obvious indicator of such reactions is a significant increase in the value of the neutralization number as measured by ASTM D974. This problem can be compounded by the wide temperature range over which electrical distribution equipment must operate. It is known that the dielectric breakdown characteristics and other dielectric properties of mineral oils are directly related to the percent saturation of water present in the oil. The water saturation point of an oil is in turn a function of temperature. As the saturation point is reached, dielectric strength falls rapidly. The water saturation point for mineral oils typically used as dielectric coolants is approximately 65 ppm at room temperature but over 500 ppm at normal operating temperatures (approx. 100° C.). Electrical distribution equipment exposed to a wide variation in temperature can suffer a fluctuation in the degree of water saturation in the dielectric fluid, and water that is dissolved or in vapor/liquid equilibrium at high operating temperatures can precipitate or condense when the temperature of the oil decreases. Currently accepted standards typically require the removal of moisture from conventional mineral oils to below about 35 ppm for use in new distribution equipment. The moisture removal process uses either evaporation in a reduced pressure chamber or filtration, or a combination of both, to reach a level of between about 15 and 25 percent saturation at room temperature (10-15 ppm) prior to filling of the distribution equipment. In contrast to mineral oils, vegetable oils generally have much higher moisture saturation points; typically over 500 ppm at room temperature. Therefore, acceptable moisture levels in vegetable oils used in new distribution equipment can be much higher than those for conventional mineral oils. Because the presence of water in vegetable oils can cause the additional breakdown of the constituent fatty acid esters, however, the moisture removal process used in the preparation of vegetable oil-based dielectric fluids should strive for moisture levels that reach below, as a percentage of saturation, those typically required for mineral oils. A moisture level between about 5 and about 10 percent of the saturation level of water in the vegetable oil at room temperature is preferred. The oils also are preferably processed by filtration or other suitable means to remove particulate and other contaminants. This can be accomplished in a manner similar to the techniques for treating and processing convention mineral oil-based dielectric materials. Most useful vegetable oils are susceptible to polymerization upon exposure to free oxygen. Free oxygen activates unsaturated bonds in such vegetable oils to begin an oxidative polymerization process. Such polymerization manifests itself in a marked increase in viscosity and a corresponding decrease in dielectric properties of the affected oil. The rate of this polymerization is, in part, a function of the temperature of the oil at the time of exposure to free oxygen, and the by-products produced as a result of such polymerization are undesirable because they have chemical properties that are inferior to the virgin, or unpolymerized, oils. This degradation of vegetable oil by oxidative polymerization is due to long-term exposure to free oxygen, and it therefore can escape immediate detection. The dielectric fluids of the invention optionally further comprise an oxidation reducing composition. Such compositions comprise one or more compounds that absorb, or scavenge, oxygen that otherwise would dissolve in the vegetable oil composition and result in oxidative breakdown of the oil. When used, the oxygen absorbing compound is preferably encased in a housing composed primarily of a polymeric material that is substantially permeable to oxygen and substantially impermeable to water and water vapor and that exhibits a high degree of mechanical strength throughout the operating temperatures of the electrical equipment in which they are employed. Useful oxidation reducing compounds are those that are capable of reducing the concentration of free oxygen in the atmosphere surrounding the dielectric fluid inside the sealed housing of electrical distribution equipment and that in turn reduce the presence of dissolved oxygen in the fluid itself. Such compounds can be referred to as oxygen scavenging compounds. Useful oxygen scavenging compounds include those commonly employed in the food packaging industry. Representative of the oxygen scavenging compounds useful in the practice of the invention include the following: sodium sulfite; copper sulfate pentahydrate; a combination of carbon and activated iron powder; mixtures of hydrosulfite, calcium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate and activated carbon; a metal halide powder coated on the surface of a metal powder; and combinations of alkali compounds, such as calcium hydroxide, with sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate. Mixtures and combinations of one or more of the above compositions are also considered useful. Also useful as oxygen scavenging compounds are those compositions provided according to of U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,651, which is incorporated by reference, including an oxygen remover composition comprising an intermixing of a sulfite salt and an accelerator such as hydrated copper sulfate, stannous chloride, or cobaltous oxide. Another useful class of oxygen scavenging compounds are those compositions comprising a salt of manganese, iron, cobalt or nickel, an alkali compound, and a sulfite or deliquescent compound, such as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,972, which also is incorporated by reference. Preferred oxygen scavenging compounds include (or include as their base component) at least one basic iron oxide, such as a ferrous iron oxide, or are made of mixtures of iron oxide materials. Useful iron oxide-containing compositions are available commercially, for example, under the Ageless trade name from the Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company of Duncan, S.C. and under the Freshmax trade name from Multisorb Technologies, Inc. of Buffalo, N.Y. Also useful are oxygen absorbing agents comprising a mixture of ferrous salts and an oxidation modifier and/or a metallic sulfite or sulfate compound. Such compounds react with oxygen according to the following reaction mechanism: Fe→Fe+2+2e− O2+H2O+2e−→2OH− Fe+2+2OH−→Fe(OH)2 Fe(OH)2+O2+H2O→Fe(OH)3 It should be noted that, in the reaction scheme outlined above, water is also consumed, an advantageous benefit in the present application, because, as outlined previously, water is a polar contaminant that can itself adversely affect the dielectric properties of the vegetable oils when present in significant quantities. The oxygen scavenging material is encased in a housing composed essentially of a polymeric material that exhibits a high permeability to oxygen and that also preferably exhibits a low permeability to water and water vapor and that exhibits significant mechanical strength throughout the temperature range typically encountered in electrical distribution equipment. Specifically, useful polymeric materials are those that have an oxygen permeability of at least about 2,000 cc-mil/100 in2/24 hrs/atm, preferably at least about 3,000 cc-mil/100 in2/24 hrs/atm, and more preferably at least about 4,000 cc-mil/100 in2/24 hrs/atm. Permeability values for some representative polymers are provided, for example, in G. Gruenwald, Plastics: How Structure Determines Properties, p. 242 (Hanser, 1992). Useful polymeric materials also preferably have a tensile strength measured according to ASTM method D 882 of at least about 3500 psi, more preferably at least about 4,000 psi, and have a melting temperature higher than about 160° C. Examples of suitable polymeric materials include polyolefins such as high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene, and copolymers thereof; polyphenylene oxide; polyethersulfone; nonwoven materials, including polyester felt; and cellulose pressboards. A particularly preferred polymer material is polymethylpentene. The encasement housing for the oxidation reducing composition may be made from the polymeric material in any manner that permits the oxidation reducing composition to be in communication with the dielectric fluid headspace and allow for the direct exposure of any oxygen in the environment with the oxidation reducing composition. The housing may be a simple pouch construction in which the oxidation reducing composition is encased within a film made of the polymeric material that is sealed to itself by ultrasonic welding, thermal sealing or other suitable sealing method, or the housing may be constructed of metal, hard plastic, or other suitable material and have a window of film made of the oxygen permeable polymeric material through which the oxidation reducing composition communicates with the dielectric fluid headspace. The encasement housing may be placed inside the electrical distribution equipment in any configuration that allows for communication (through the polymeric material) between the oxidation reducing composition and the dielectric fluid headspace. The housing thus may form an integral portion of the tank portion of the electrical equipment that holds the dielectric fluid. The housing may also be placed immediately inside and attached to the dielectric fluid tank portion of the electrical equipment and held there within the headspace of the tank. The long term stability of the dielectric fluids of the invention may be improved by utilizing any of the conventional methods known for improving the stability or performance of dielectric fluids. For example, one or more antioxidant or antimicrobial compounds may be added to the dielectric fluid. Useful antioxidant compounds for this purpose can be dissolved directly in the dielectric fluid comprising the vegetable oil and include, for example, BHA (butylated hydroanisole), BHT (butylated hydrotoluene), TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone), THBP (tetrahydrobutrophenone), ascorbyl palmitate (rosemary oil), propyl gallate, and alpha-, beta- or delta-tocopherol (vitamin E). It is generally also desirable to include in the dielectric fluid one or more additives to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Any antimicrobial substance that is compatible with the dielectric fluid may be blended into the fluid. In some cases, compounds that are useful as antioxidants also may be used as antimicrobials. It is known, for example, that phenolic antioxidants such as BHA also exhibit some activity against bacteria, molds, viruses and protozoa, particularly when used with other antimicrobial substances such as potassium sorbate, sorbic acid or monoglycerides. Vitamin E, ascorbyl palmitate and other known compounds also are suitable for use as antimicrobial additives to the dielectric fluid. The performance of dielectric fluids at low temperatures is important in some applications. Some vegetable oils do not, by themselves, have pour point values sufficiently low to be suitable for standard electrical power distribution applications. Vegetable oils, unlike some conventional mineral oils, may also solidify or gel when cooled to a temperature just slightly above their pour point temperature for an extended period of time. A typical electrical power distribution application requires that a coolant have a pour point below about −20° C. The dielectric fluids of the invention, where insufficient themselves, can be modified to ensure flowability at moderately low temperatures typically encountered during off-cycles (lower than about −20° C.). Suitable modification of the dielectric fluids include the addition of a pour point depressant. Suitable pour point depressants include polyvinyl acetate oligomers and polymers and/or acrylic oligomers and polymers. Low temperature characteristics may also be improved by judicious blending of oils. Certain oil blends, for example, have lower pour points than their individual constituent oils. For example, a blend of 25 percent by weight soya oil (I) with 75 percent by weight rapeseed oil (II) has a pour point of −24° C., compared with −15° C. and −16° C. for the constituent (I) and (II) oils respectively. Other vegetable oil blends that exhibit similarly advantageous reductions in pour points include: 25% soybean oil +75% oleate modified oil; 50% soybean oil +50% oleate modified oil; and 25% soybean oil +75% sunflower oil. It will be understood that this list of oil blends is not exhaustive and is offered merely to illustrate the nature of the invention. The dielectric fluids of the invention preferably are introduced into the electrical equipment in a manner that minimizes the exposure of the fluid to atmospheric oxygen, moisture, and other contaminants that could adversely affect their performance. A preferred process includes drying of the tank contents, evacuation and substitution of air with dry nitrogen gas, filling under partial vacuum, and immediate sealing of the tank. If the electrical device requires a headspace between the dielectric fluid and tank cover, after filling and sealing of the tank, the gas in the headspace should be evacuated and substituted with an inert gas, such as dry nitrogen, under a stable pressure of between about 2 and about 3 psig at 25° C. It is preferable in any case to minimize or eliminate the presence of oxygen in the headspace of the electrical equipment that contains a vegetable oil-based dielectric fluid. There are several different approaches to the design of electrical equipment. One design that generally is not suitable for the use of vegetable oil-based dielectric fluids is the conservator non-sealed type. A more common design type in ANSI/IEEE standard electrical distribution and medium power equipment employs the use of a tank headspace to allow for the expansion and contraction of the tank contents. Even if the headspace of the equipment is purged of air and replaced with inert gases, it is possible over the operating life for oxygen (air) to leak into the headspace from the openings of the cover or accessories, the slow migration of air through gaskets, and the operation of pressure relief devices. Ingress of oxygen into the headspace will eventually contribute to the consumption of any antioxidant additives in the fluid. It is also desirable therefore to minimize the presence of oxygen throughout the lifetime of the electrical equipment through careful design and manufacture. One such method for reducing the ingress of oxygen into the dielectric tank is to weld any components, covers, or access points that communicate with the tank headspace, as gaskets and other means for sealing such openings are all susceptible to leakage over time. The dielectric fluids of the invention may be used in any application into which conventional dielectric fluids are employed. Thus, the vegetable oil based fluids of the invention may be incorporated into all types of electrical equipment, including, but not limited to, reactors, switchgear, regulators, tap changer compartments, high voltage bushings, and oil-filled cables. Cables that are used for the transmission and distribution of electricity generally incorporate a dielectric fluid, and are often referred to simply as oil-filled cables. Oil-filled cables typically comprise at least one conductor around which there is provided a solid, stratified insulation formed by windings of insulation material tapes that are impregnated with an insulating oil. These cables also generally have at least one longitudinal duct or canal that allows for the movement of the insulating oil along the length of the cable. Oil-filled cables are used both for underwater and land-based applications, and particularly where submerged underwater, filled cables can be extremely sensitive to gasing tendency. Because they are most often pressurized, leakage from oil-filled cables can have a greater environmental impact from release of insulating fluid. The dielectric fluids of the present invention can be used to fill electrical cables. They can also be used to retrofill cables that initially contain a non-vegetable oil dielectric fluid. Electrical transformers and switchgear typically are constructed by immersing the core and windings and other electrical equipment in a dielectric fluid and enclosing the immersed components in a sealed housing or tank. The windings in larger equipment frequently are also wrapped with a cellulose or paper material. The dielectric fluid of the invention can be used to fill new electrical equipment in the manner described above. The fluids can also be used to retrofill existing electrical equipment that incorporate other, less desirable dielectric fluids. Retrofilling existing equipment can be accomplished using any suitable method known in the art, though because of the increased sensitivity of vegetable oil fluids to moisture, it is important first to dry components of the electrical equipment prior to the introduction of the vegetable oil based dielectric fluid. This is important especially with respect to the cellulose or paper wrapping, which can absorb moisture over time. Because of the relatively high solubility of water in vegetable oils, a vegetable oil fluid can itself be used to dry out existing electrical equipment. One method of retrofilling mineral oil containing transformers is discussed generally by Sundin in Retrofilling Mineral Oil Transformers With Fire Resistant Fluids, Electricity Today, pp. 14-15 (May 1996), which is incorporated by reference. A useful method for retrofilling oil-filled electrical transmission cables is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,002, which is incorporated by reference. Other suitable methods will be known by those skilled in the art. The following descriptions and Figures are offered to provide an illustration of the invention and are given in reference to an electrical transformer. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that the compositions and methods encompassed by the present invention are equally suited for use in all types of electrical equipment, including those described above. These descriptions are to be understood as preferred and/or illustrative embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope thereof. Referring now to FIG. 1, a transformer tank 10 typically comprises a tank body 12, a tank cover 14 bolted or welded to tank body 12 and sealed with gasket 16. Tank body 12 is sealed. Tank 10 houses the transformer core and windings (not shown) or other electrical equipment, immersed in a dielectric fluid 18. The space between the surface of the fluid and the tank cover is the tank headspace 20. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a polymer container 22 containing an oxidation reducing composition is mounted in the headspace of the tank, preferably on the inside of the tank cover as shown in FIG. 1. As set forth above, container 22 is a pouch or bag encasement constructed of a oxygen permeable film. A simple embodiment of the oxidation reducing composition is shown in FIG. 2 where a pre-packaged oxygen scavenging compound 8, such as is available commercially under the Ageless and Freshmax trade names, is encased in a pouch 22 constructed of a oxygen permeable polymer film, a polyester felt or a cellulose pressboard. The pouch is attached to the tank cover 14 by means of a simple clasp 6 or other suitable fastening means. This embodiment finds particular utility in relatively small electrical equipment, such as in pole-mounted transformer assemblies. According to another preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the container 22 is supported in a polyolefin housing 24 mounted adjacent to a threaded opening 26 in the tank cover. A threaded plug 28 seals the container in the opening in the tank cover 14 and preferably includes a transparent view port 30. It will be understood that view port 30 can alternatively be incorporated into another part of the tank cover or tank wall. When it is desired or necessary to replace the container containing the oxidation reducing composition, the threaded plug 28 can be removed, and the container 22 removed from the polyolefin housing and replaced. The low gas permeability of housing 24 prevents significant gas exchange between the headspace 20 and the outside atmosphere during the short period of time that the threaded plug is removed. This can be accomplished even though the gas permeability of the container is not so high as to impede the operation of the oxidation reducing composition over more extended periods of time. Still in reference to FIG. 3, in addition to the oxidation reducing composition, it is preferred to provide a means for indicating the presence of oxygen in the tank headspace. This indicator preferably is an oxygen sensitive compound 32 such as that marketed by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company under the trade name Ageless Eye. This compound exhibits a pink-to-blue color change when the ambient oxygen concentration exceeds 0.1%. The oxygen indicator preferably is housed in the tank headspace wall in such a manner that it can both chemically contact the gas in the headspace and be visible for inspection from the outside of the tank. One way to accomplish this is to mount the oxygen indicator adjacent to the view port 30 as shown. In addition to the foregoing, the use of a vegetable oil-based dielectric fluid in transformers can be facilitated through several modifications to the transformer tank. These include providing a sealed, accessible chamber such as described above in which the oxidation reducing composition can be replaced without increasing the exposure of the fluid in the tank to outside air. Other modifications reduce the leakage of the gas from within the tank, to thereby reduce the long-term exposure of the fluid to air. Referring to FIG. 4, one such modification relates to the volume of the tank headspace 20. Current ANSI/IEEE C57 series standards, for example, require distribution transformer tanks to remain sealed over a top oil temperature range of from −5° C. to 105° C. for pole-mounted and pad-mounted designs and over a 100° C. top oil range for substation transformers. Outside this range the tank is typically vented to avoid damage to the tank or related equipment. According to the present invention, the headspace volume is increased so that the temperature range over which the tank remains sealed increases correspondingly, thus reducing the probability of oxygen (air) leaking into the tank. Specifically, the present tank preferably includes a headspace volume sufficient to allow the tank to remain sealed from −20° C. to 115° C. In addition, each tank includes an automatic pressure release device (PRD) 40 for venting the tank as described above. The PRD 40 can be calibrated to automatically vent headspace gas when the internal pressure exceeds acceptable levels, typically 9±1 psig, and to automatically reseal when the pressure reduces to a desired level, typically to 6±1 psig. Because the PRD reseals at a positive pressure, the headspace will maintain a positive pressure even after venting by the PRD. Maintaining a positive pressure in the headspace helps to prevent the ingress of air into the tank. It is also preferable to replace conventional gaskets (not shown) with gaskets made from a material that is substantially gas impermeable. It will be understood that such gasket material must also be resistant to degradation by the dielectric fluid. Examples of suitable gasket material include nitrile rubber with a high acrylonitrile content, and various fluoroelastomers, of which the compound sold under the trade name VITON from the E.I. du Pont Nemours & Company, is representative. Other suitable fluoroelastomers are available commercially from Dyneon LLC of Oakdale, Minn. Materials with a relatively high gas permeability, such as silicone rubber and nitrile rubber having a low acrylonitrile content, are less suitable for gasket material. It will be understood that this list is illustrative only, and that other resilient, gas impermeable materials could be used to form the gaskets for the transformer tank. As mentioned above, another way to avoid the leakage associated with the long-term use of gaskets is to weld the equipment housing shut and thereby eliminate completely gasketed seals. Another method for reducing gas ingress is to reduce or eliminate altogether the headspace and provide for thermal expansion by other means. The pressure/partial vacuum withstand would be based on a thermal range of the average fluid temperature of about −20° C. through about 115° C. For units with sufficient headspace, vegetable oil-based dielectric fluids could also serve as excellent material in the recent development of High Temperature Transformers, which typically have a maximum top oil rated temperature rise over ambient of 115° C. In addition to the foregoing, vegetable oil-based dielectric fluids in electrical equipment in which paper insulation has been substituted by non-cellulose insulating paper would have greater inherent stability. This is largely because cellulose materials liberate water as they degrade thermally. Candidate materials include aramid insulating materials, polyester materials, and polyamides. While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described hereinabove, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Dielectric (or insulating) fluids used in electrical distribution and power equipment—including transformers, switching gear and electric cables—perform two important functions. These fluids act as an electrical insulating medium, i.e., exhibit dielectric strength, and they transport generated heat away from the equipment, i.e., act as a cooling medium. When used in a transformer, for example, dielectric fluids transport heat from the windings and core of the transformer or connected circuits to cooling surfaces. Apart from possessing dielectric strength and cooling capacity, an ideal dielectric fluid for electrical equipment also exhibits little or no detrimental impact on the environment, is compatible with materials used to construct the equipment, and is relatively nonflammable. For more than a century, mineral oils derived from crude petroleum were used extensively as insulating and cooling liquids in electrical equipment. Though such oils possess a satisfactory dielectric strength and are compatible with equipment materials, they are not considered nonflammable, and, because they are petroleum-based, they are considered to carry with them an environmental cost. In the middle part of this century, as safety standards became more demanding for many indoor and vault equipment installations, mineral oils were replaced to a large extent by nonflammable liquids such as askarel (polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCB) fluids. Beginning in the 1930s, for example, PCBs—which generally are considered nonflammable—were used extensively to replace mineral oils in fire sensitive locations as insulating fluids in electrical equipment. PCBs eventually were recognized for their environmental hazards, and as a result the production and sale of PCBs as well as their use in new equipment was banned. For existing PCB-filled equipment, stringent regulations now require removal of PCB fluids at certain installations and, for all other installations, place stringent restrictions on the use of PCB-filled equipment. Spill reporting, clean-up, and disposal of PCB-filled equipment also now require compliance with very strict EPA regulations. Because of the disadvantages and shortcomings of PCB-based fluids and because of the increasing sensitivity to the potential adverse environmental impact of mineral oils and available alternatives, there have been and continue to be numerous efforts undertaken to develop relatively inexpensive, environmentally safe, and nonflammable dielectric fluids. To date, these efforts have not been completely successful. There are a number of specific functional properties characteristic of dielectric oils. An oils dielectric breakdown, or dielectric strength, for example, provides an indication of its ability to resist electrical breakdown and is measured as the minimum voltage required to cause arcing between two electrodes at a specified gap submerged in the oil. The impulse dielectric breakdown voltage provides an indication of an oils ability to resist electrical breakdown under transient voltage stresses such as lightning and power surges. The dissipation factor of an oil is a measure of the dielectric losses in the oil; a low dissipation factor indicates low dielectric loss and a low concentration of soluble, polar contaminants. The gassing tendency of an oil measures the oils tendency to evolve or absorb gas under conditions where partial discharge is present. Because one function of a dielectric fluid is to carry and dissipate heat, factors that significantly affect the relative ability of the fluid to function as a dielectric coolant include viscosity, specific heat, thermal conductivity, and the coefficient of expansion. The values of these properties, particularly in the range of operating temperatures for the equipment at full rating, must be weighed in the selection of suitable dielectric fluids for specific applications. In addition to the foregoing properties that affect heat transfer, a dielectric fluid, to be useful in commercial applications, should have a relatively high dielectric strength, low dissipation factor, a dielectric constant that is compatible with the solid dielectric, a low gassing tendency, and it must be compatible with the electrical equipment materials to which it is exposed. Current codes and standards require further that any dielectric fluid intended for use as a coolant not be classified as Flammable, but rather as a Class IIIB Combustible liquid. Specific safety requirements, however, vary with the application to which the electric equipment containing the fluid is used. Such applications include, for example, indoor and rooftop installations, vault applications, and installations adjacent to building structures. According to the degree of hazard attendant to these varied applications, one or more additional safeguards may be required. One recognized safeguard is the substitution of conventional mineral oils with less-flammable and/or nonflammable liquids. Less-flammable liquids are considered to be those having an open-cup fire point equal to or greater than 300° C. Several dielectric fluids are known and used in electrical equipment. Due, however, to an increasing awareness and sensitivity toward environmental concerns, it has become increasingly desirable to provide a dielectric fluid that: (1) poses minimal environmental hazards; (2) degrades quickly and easily so that spills do not contaminate the soil or the water table for any significant period of time; and (3) does not interfere in any significant way with natural biodegradation processes. It also is becoming more desirable to replace non-renewable resources with renewable resources, particularly given the undesirability of dependence on petroleum-derived products, and there generally is increased demand by the industrial and retail markets for all-natural products. This is due, at least in part, from the attention paid to the long-term effects of materials and their degradation by-products. In prior, related co-pending application Ser. No. 08/728,261, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,537—which is incorporated in its entirety by reference—we described a class of insulating dielectric fluids comprising vegetable oil materials. These compositions, useful in electrical distribution and power equipment, utilize low maintenance vegetable oil-based dielectric coolants that meet or exceed applicable safety and performance standards and that are free of substantial environmental hazards. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In one aspect, the present invention provides a dielectric fluid for use in electrical equipment. The dielectric fluid comprises a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. In another aspect the invention provides devices for transforming, generating, and/or distributing electrical energy, including electrical transmission cables, switching gear and transformers, that incorporate a dielectric fluid comprising a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. In yet another aspect, the invention provides methods of retrofilling electrical equipment with vegetable oil-based dielectric fluids. | 20041012 | 20100126 | 20050224 | 88896.0 | 2 | OGDEN JR, NECHOLUS | VEGETABLE OIL BASED DIELECTRIC FLUID AND METHODS OF USING SAME | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,963,869 | ACCEPTED | Flashlight system | An energy efficient flashlight system having multiple lighting display modes and a single operating switch that enables a user to step through the modes. The flashlight illuminates via the use of a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that preferably contain at least two colors, such as red and white, and are designed to coordinate in order to provide the plurality of modes including an emergency signaling mode, a red map reading mode or directional pointing mode and a bright illumination mode. The flashlight enables a user to hold, operate and toggle between modes using a single hand. | 1. A flashlight comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a power source positioned in said housing; (c) first and second light sources mounted on the housing; and (d) a single operating switch for selecting between a plurality of modes of operation wherein said first and second light sources are separately illuminated in respective modes of operation. 2. The flashlight as in claim 1 wherein: (a) said switch is a single finger activated switch. 3. The flashlight as in claim 2 wherein: (a) said switch is a push button switch. 4. The flashlight in claim 1 wherein: (a) said first light source is a plurality of white light emitting diodes. 5. The flashlight as in claim 4 wherein: (a) said plurality of light emitting diodes are arranged in a circular configuration. 6. The flashlight as in claim 4 wherein: (a) said second light source is a red light emitting diode. 7. The flashlight as in claim 5 wherein: (a) said configuration further includes one center light emitting diode and represents said second light source. 8. The flashlight as in claim 7 wherein: (a) said center light emitting diode is a red light emitting diode. 9. The flashlight as in claim 7 including: (a) a microcontroller for controlling selection and operation of said modes. 10. The flashlight as in claim 1 wherein: (a) said switch is a toggle switch. 11. The flashlight as in claim 1 wherein: (a) one of said modes is an emergency signaling mode. 12. The flashlight as in claim 1 wherein: (a) in said signaling mode said first light source is caused to flash in an SOS signal pattern. 13. The flashlight as in claim 1 wherein: (a) one of said modes is a red light illumination mode. 14. The flashlight as in claim 1 wherein: (a) one of said modes is a bright white light illumination mode. 15. A flashlight having a single finger operated switch and a plurality of operational modes including: p1 (a) an off mode; (b) a first illumination mode of a first light color; and (c) a second illumination mode of a second light color wherein successive activation of said switch toggles through a pattern of said modes. 16. The flashlight according to claim 15 wherein: (a) said first light color is provided by white light LEDs; and (b) said second light color is provided by a red light LED. 17. The flashlight according to claim 16 wherein: (a) said first illumination mode provides a visually continuous source of light; and including (b) a third illumination mode wherein said first illumination mode provides a visually discontinuous source of light. 18. The flashlight according to claim 17 wherein: (a) in said third illumination mode said first light source is flashed in a SOS pattern. 19. In a flashlight having a light source; the improvement comprising: (a) said light source being toggleable through a first mode of visually continuous illumination and a second mode of discontinuous pattern illumination utilizing a single finger operated push button switch. 20. In a flashlight having a first white light illumination source, the improvement comprising: (a) a second red light illumination source; and (b) a single switch to toggle between modes of illumination displaying said first and second illumination sources. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a flashlight system, and more particularly, to such a flashlight system with a single operating switch that steps or toggles through a plurality of light display modes, including an emergency signaling mode, a red map reading or directional laser navigation mode, a bright illumination mode and an off mode. Flashlights having multiple lighting display settings or modes have been previously produced. Typically, such flashlights have a primary illumination mode for traditional flashlight use along with a variety of other modes. A limitation with prior art flashlights is that in order to select a desired mode, a user must use two hands to manipulate the flashlight with one supporting the flashlight while the other adjusts an appropriate mode-activation switch, because the switch requires twisting or other manipulation or because multiple switches are utilized that require the user to move between such switches or the switch must be slid along a track to a plurality of different positions. Further, selection of the appropriate mode often requires the user to view an indicia or label on the flashlight, which may be obscured, especially when there is insufficient light. This requirement is unnecessarily complicated and burdensome, especially to handicapped users with impaired dexterity or vision. Some flashlight manufacturers have began replacing traditional filament light bulbs with light emitting diodes or “LEDs”, which provides a number of advantages. Most significantly is an improvement in energy efficiency. LEDs provide a light source lasting for an amount of time that is substantially longer than traditional light bulbs. While a single LED has dimmer light emission capabilities, which is adequate for some applications, a grouping or cluster of strategically placed LEDs can greatly compound the light emission of a single LED. Another advantage of utilizing LEDs opposed to filament bulbs is heightened design options. For instance, when employing a design that utilizes a cluster of LEDs, it is much easier to design a flashlight capable of emitting light of various colors. Specifically, because there are multiple light sources, i.e. LEDs, such flashlights facilitate the introduction of LEDs with various colors, thus adding to the functionality of such flashlights. It is advantageous to provide a flashlight having LEDs of different colors other than white such as red for aesthetic and/or functional purposes. For instance, red light is ideal in situations where the user does not want disrupt normal night vision and by utilizing a flashlight having a red light rather than a white light, the user can employ the flashlight in dark environments without interfering with normal night vision. The use of a traditional white light would cause the user's eyes to adjust in order to become accustom to the white light and require the user's eyes to readjust to the darkness after switching the flashlight off. An example of ideal use of a red light is the situation where the user wants to quickly reference a map while driving at night. Disruption of the user's night vision from a white light in this scenario could result in catastrophe. It is also desirable to provide modes of operation that group different lights for purpose of altering the intensity of the light or providing an intermittent light for emergency or signaling purposes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention addresses the continuing need to improve the design, operation and energy efficiency of flashlights and especially the user-friendliness of such flashlights. The present flashlight includes a simple push button mode-select switch, which allows a user to select one of a number of flashlight modes by simple depression of the switch with the thumb while the other fingers of the hand grip the body of the flashlight. The modes may include an emergency signaling mode, a red map reading or directional laser mode and a bright illumination mode. The flashlight has a number of white light emitting diodes (LEDs) situated in a cluster configuration on one end of a tubular body with a red LED located in the center of the cluster. For example, the modes may include all off, red light LED on, all white light LEDs on and all white light LEDs flashing on in an emergency signal. As the user toggles from mode to mode by depressing the mode-selection switch, the LEDs alternate from on and off positions depending on the mode. In the emergency signaling mode, all white light LEDs automatically cycle on and off or pulse in accordance with the universal SOS signal followed by a pause with the pattern repeating thereafter until the mode is changed. In the red map reading or directional laser mode, all white light LEDs are off with the center red light LED on. In the bright illumination mode, all of the white light LEDs are on and the red light LED is off. OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the objects of the present invention are: to provide an improved flashlight; to provide such a flashlight system that is energy efficient; to provide such a flashlight having a plurality of modes; to provide such a flashlight system that has a single mode selector switch that is operable using a single finger; to provide such a flashlight that is capable of toggling between a plurality of modes using the mode selector switch; to provide such a flashlight that can be used with one hand; to provide such a flashlight utilizing multiple white light LEDs for increased brightness; to provide such a flashlight having a plurality of modes and that allows a user to alternate between modes while holding the flashlight with one hand; to provide such a flashlight that has operational modes that include off, white light on only, reading or laser light on only and white light flashing in an emergency signaling sequence; to provide such a flashlight which can be produced at an economical cost, enabling sales to a mass consumer market; to provide such a flashlight system which is attractive, rugged, reliable and which is particularly well-suited for the intended purpose thereof. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flashlight in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the flashlight. FIG. 3 is an electrical schematic of an electrical system of the flashlight. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. The reference number 1 generally represents a flashlight in accordance with the present invention and as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. An electrical circuit 2 for illustrated embodiment of the flashlight 1 is shown in FIG. 3. The flashlight 1 has a metal tubular housing 3, although it is foreseen that the housing 3 may be constructed of high-impact plastic or other like material. The housing 3 has front and rear ends 5 and 6 with the front end 5 having a screw on front cap 10 with a lens 12. Within the cap 10 and behind the lens 12 is a cluster of six (6) white light producing LEDs 14 that are situated in a circular pattern. Furthermore, a seventh red light producing LED 15 is centrally located and surrounded by the white light LEDs 12. It is foreseen that the cluster of LEDs can contain any number of LEDs in order to satisfy the intended design. On the rear end 6 is a rear cap 17 that opens into a compartment for a 6-volt battery 21 that is shown in FIG. 3. Located on the housing 3 in a location that is especially adapted to be operated by a user's thumb when the housing 3 is held in the hand of a user is a single operating switch 24 that is of a push button type and adapted for stepping through multiple lighting display modes by successive depression of the switch 24. The circuit 2 shown in FIG. 3 is a rough schematic of the electrical system of the flashlight 1. In general, the circuit 2 includes the battery 21 joined by electrically conductive wiring 28 to the remaining elements of the circuit 2. In general, the circuit 2 includes capacitors 30 and resistors 31. The white light LEDs 14 are grouped in two banks 33 and 34. Three transistors 37, 38 and 39 are utilized to power the banks 33 and 34 and the red light LED 15 respectively. An integrated circuit chip or microcontroller 40 controls the operation of the flashlight 1 through selection by the user in operating the switch 24. The microcontroller 40 is a conventional device such as one of the PICs offered by Microchip Inc. A specific microcontroller that can be utilized in accordance with the invention is produced by Likki Plastic Manufactury, Ltd of Hong Kong as part number SNC112-SC112 EL002. The microcontroller 40 includes an oscillator port 45 provided at a pin and operatively joined to the battery 21 to provide and operate a clock or timing function therein. The microcontroller 40 also includes a reset function joined to the battery 21 through port 46. The switch 24 joins to the microcontroller 40 through a port 47. Positive and ground leads of the battery 21 join with the microcontroller 40 through connectors 50 and 51 respectively and the positive also through port 52. Outputs of the microcontroller 40 are directed to ports 55, 56 and 57. The output of ports 55, 56 and 57 operatively control transistors 37, 38 and 39 and consequently the banks 33, 34 and light 15 respectively. When the switch 24 is in the open or off configuration seen in FIG. 3, the flashlight 1 is in the off mode. When a button 61 of the switch 24 is thereafter depressed, the switch 24 closes and electrical current is first channeled to port 57 to turn on red light LED 15. When the button 61 is again depressed, electrical current is then channeled to the ports 55 and 56 collectively so as to turn on the white light banks 33 and 34 simultaneously and continuously. A third depression of the thumb button 61 of the switch 24 causes the controller 40 to toggle to the fourth mode in which electrical current is intermittently channeled from ports 55, 56 and 57 to turn on the banks 33 and 34. In the last mode, the LEDs 14 of the banks 33 and 34 are simultaneously flashed in a pattern to provide an emergency signal, especially a SOS signal. Preferably, the flashlight 1 operating modes include an off mode, a red map reading or directional red light mode, a bright illumination mode and an emergency signaling mode. As the user toggles from mode to mode by successive depression of the mode-selection switch 24, the LEDs 14 and 15 alternate from on and off positions depending on the desired and chosen lighting display mode. In the emergency signaling mode, all white light LEDs 14 cycle on and off in intervals so as to produce the conventional SOS signaling pattern. In the red map reading mode, all white light LEDS 14 are off with the center red light LED 15 on. In the bright illumination mode, all of the white light LEDs 14 are on and the red light LED 15 is off. In the off mode, all LEDs 14 and 15 are off. It is foreseen that other modes could be incorporated, such as a mode to produce a dim white light by activating only 1 or less than 6 of the white light LEDs 14. It is also foreseen that the center light or another could produce a directional or pointing red beam or could produce another color light for a different purpose. In use, the user holds the flashlight 1 in one hand and manipulates the switch 24 by successive depression of the switch 24 to step through or toggle to the desired lighting display mode. It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention is directed to a flashlight system, and more particularly, to such a flashlight system with a single operating switch that steps or toggles through a plurality of light display modes, including an emergency signaling mode, a red map reading or directional laser navigation mode, a bright illumination mode and an off mode. Flashlights having multiple lighting display settings or modes have been previously produced. Typically, such flashlights have a primary illumination mode for traditional flashlight use along with a variety of other modes. A limitation with prior art flashlights is that in order to select a desired mode, a user must use two hands to manipulate the flashlight with one supporting the flashlight while the other adjusts an appropriate mode-activation switch, because the switch requires twisting or other manipulation or because multiple switches are utilized that require the user to move between such switches or the switch must be slid along a track to a plurality of different positions. Further, selection of the appropriate mode often requires the user to view an indicia or label on the flashlight, which may be obscured, especially when there is insufficient light. This requirement is unnecessarily complicated and burdensome, especially to handicapped users with impaired dexterity or vision. Some flashlight manufacturers have began replacing traditional filament light bulbs with light emitting diodes or “LEDs”, which provides a number of advantages. Most significantly is an improvement in energy efficiency. LEDs provide a light source lasting for an amount of time that is substantially longer than traditional light bulbs. While a single LED has dimmer light emission capabilities, which is adequate for some applications, a grouping or cluster of strategically placed LEDs can greatly compound the light emission of a single LED. Another advantage of utilizing LEDs opposed to filament bulbs is heightened design options. For instance, when employing a design that utilizes a cluster of LEDs, it is much easier to design a flashlight capable of emitting light of various colors. Specifically, because there are multiple light sources, i.e. LEDs, such flashlights facilitate the introduction of LEDs with various colors, thus adding to the functionality of such flashlights. It is advantageous to provide a flashlight having LEDs of different colors other than white such as red for aesthetic and/or functional purposes. For instance, red light is ideal in situations where the user does not want disrupt normal night vision and by utilizing a flashlight having a red light rather than a white light, the user can employ the flashlight in dark environments without interfering with normal night vision. The use of a traditional white light would cause the user's eyes to adjust in order to become accustom to the white light and require the user's eyes to readjust to the darkness after switching the flashlight off. An example of ideal use of a red light is the situation where the user wants to quickly reference a map while driving at night. Disruption of the user's night vision from a white light in this scenario could result in catastrophe. It is also desirable to provide modes of operation that group different lights for purpose of altering the intensity of the light or providing an intermittent light for emergency or signaling purposes. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention addresses the continuing need to improve the design, operation and energy efficiency of flashlights and especially the user-friendliness of such flashlights. The present flashlight includes a simple push button mode-select switch, which allows a user to select one of a number of flashlight modes by simple depression of the switch with the thumb while the other fingers of the hand grip the body of the flashlight. The modes may include an emergency signaling mode, a red map reading or directional laser mode and a bright illumination mode. The flashlight has a number of white light emitting diodes (LEDs) situated in a cluster configuration on one end of a tubular body with a red LED located in the center of the cluster. For example, the modes may include all off, red light LED on, all white light LEDs on and all white light LEDs flashing on in an emergency signal. As the user toggles from mode to mode by depressing the mode-selection switch, the LEDs alternate from on and off positions depending on the mode. In the emergency signaling mode, all white light LEDs automatically cycle on and off or pulse in accordance with the universal SOS signal followed by a pause with the pattern repeating thereafter until the mode is changed. In the red map reading or directional laser mode, all white light LEDs are off with the center red light LED on. In the bright illumination mode, all of the white light LEDs are on and the red light LED is off. | 20041013 | 20081014 | 20060413 | 95674.0 | F21L404 | 2 | TSIDULKO, MARK | FLASHLIGHT SYSTEM | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | F21L | 2,004 |
|
10,963,919 | ACCEPTED | Utility table with integral receiving members | A pivotable folding utility table includes a table top having a pair of support pedestals pivotally attached thereto. A first pivotal support brace including a distal end and a proximal end attached to the first support pedestal. A second pivotal support brace including a distal end and a proximal end attached to the second support pedestal. The distal ends of the first and second pivotal support braces pivotally attached to a retaining assembly preferably mounted in relation to the table top. Specifically, the retaining assembly includes a cross-brace member operably disposed through openings formed in the distal ends of the first and second pivotal support braces, thus providing a pivotal engagement in relation to the table top. Alternatively, a second retaining assembly including a cross-brace member may be mounted in relation to the table top, wherein the distal end of the first pivotal support brace pivotally engages the first retaining member and the distal end of the second pivotal support brace pivotally engages the second retaining member. In addition, the first and second support pedestals may comprise at least one support leg, wherein each support leg of the first and second support pedestals are laterally offset from each other so as to permit an offset displacement of the support legs when the support pedestals are disposed in a collapsed position. | 1. A table: a table top constructed from blow-molded plastic, the table top including an interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process; a first leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the first leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed position, the first leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; and a second leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the second leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed, the second leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; a first securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the first securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the first securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position, the first securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top; and a second securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of the unitary, one-piece structure, the second securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the second securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position, the second securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top; wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are generally disposed between a first inner portion of the lip and a second inner portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table; and wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly generally do not extend beyond a plane that is generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 2. The table as in claim 1, wherein the body of the first securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the first leg assembly is inserted into the first securing member in a snap fit configuration when the first leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position; and wherein the body of the second securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the second leg assembly is inserted into the second securing member in a snap fit configuration when the second leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position. 3. The table as in claim 1, wherein the first securing member engages a portion of the first leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position; and wherein the second securing member engages a portion of the second leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position. 4. The table as in claim 1, further comprising a first pair of first securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position; and further comprising a second pair of second securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position. 5. The table as in claim 4, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other; and wherein second pair of second securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other. 6. The table as in claim 4, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed in an offset configuration; and wherein the second pair of second securing members are disposed in an offset configuration. 7. The table as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first leg assembly and at least a portion of the second leg assembly abut a portion of the undersurface of the table top when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 8. A table: a table top constructed from blow-molded plastic, the table top including an interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process; a generally downwardly extending lip integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece construction, the lip including an interior chamber that is formed during the blow-molding process and is integral with the interior chamber of the table top, the lip being generally free-standing and independent from other reinforcement structures that are integrally formed in the table top as part of the unitary, one-piece construction; a first leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the first leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed position, the first leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; and a second leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the second leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed, the second leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; a first securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the first securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the first securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position, the first securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top; and a second securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of the unitary, one-piece structure, the second securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the second securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position, the second securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top; wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are generally disposed between a first inner portion of the lip and a second inner portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table; and wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly generally do not extend beyond a plane that is generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 9. The table as in claim 8, wherein the body of the first securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the first leg assembly is inserted into the first securing member in a snap fit configuration when the first leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position; and wherein the body of the second securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the second leg assembly is inserted into the second securing member in a snap fit configuration when the second leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position. 10. The table as in claim 8, wherein the first securing member engages a portion of the first leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position; and wherein the second securing member engages a portion of the second leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position. 11. The table as in claim 8, further comprising a first pair of first securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position; and further comprising a second pair of second securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position. 12. The table as in claim 11, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other; and wherein second pair of second securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other. 13. The table as in claim 11, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed in an offset configuration; and wherein the second pair of second securing members are disposed in an offset configuration. 14. The table as in claim 8, wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are positioned within an envelope defined by a portion of the undersurface of the table top, a first inner portion of the lip, a second inner portion of the lip and a plane generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position. 15. The table as in claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the first leg assembly and at least a portion of the second leg assembly abut a portion of the undersurface of the table top when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 16. A table: a table top constructed from blow-molded plastic, the table top including an interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process; a generally downwardly extending lip integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece construction, the lip including an interior chamber that is formed during the blow-molding process and is integral with the interior chamber of the table top, the lip being generally free-standing and independent from other reinforcement structures that are integrally formed in the table top as part of the unitary, one-piece construction; a frame that is connected by one or more fasteners only to the lip and not to other portions of the table top in order to help maintain the structural integrity of the table top; a first leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the first leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed position, the first leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; and a second leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the second leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed, the second leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; a first securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the first securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the first securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position, the first securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top; and a second securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of the unitary, one-piece structure, the second securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the second securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position, the second securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top. wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are generally disposed between a first inner portion of the lip and a second inner portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table; and wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly generally do not extend beyond a plane that is generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 17. The table as in claim 16, wherein the body of the first securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the first leg assembly is inserted into the first securing member in a snap fit configuration when the first leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position; and wherein the body of the second securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the second leg assembly is inserted into the second securing member in a snap fit configuration when the second leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position. 18. The table as in claim 16, wherein the first securing member engages a portion of the first leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position; and wherein the second securing member engages a portion of the second leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position. 19. The table as in claim 16, further comprising a first pair of first securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position; and further comprising a second pair of second securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position. 20. The table as in claim 19, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other; and wherein second pair of second securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other. 21. The table as in claim 19, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed in an offset configuration; and wherein the second pair of second securing members are disposed in an offset configuration. 22. The table as in claim 16, wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are positioned within an envelope defined by a portion of the undersurface of the table top, a first inner portion of the lip, a second inner portion of the lip and a plane generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position. 23. The table as in claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the first leg assembly and at least a portion of the second leg assembly abut a portion of the undersurface of the table top when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 24. The table as in claim 16, wherein the frame includes a first side rail that is attached to the first inner portion of the lip by the one or more fasteners which only extend through a main body portion of the side rail and the first inner portion of the lip; and wherein the frame includes a second side rail that is attached to the second inner portion of the lip by the one or more fasteners which only extend through a main body portion of the side rail and the second inner portion of the lip. 25. The table as in claim 16, wherein the frame includes a first side rail and the first side rail has a generally S-shaped cross-section with a main body portion, a first outwardly extending flange and a second outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the first inner portion of the lip, the first outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the undersurface of the table top and the second outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip; and wherein the frame includes a second side rail and the second side rail has a generally S-shaped cross-section with a main body portion, a first outwardly extending flange and a second outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the second inner portion of the lip, the first outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the undersurface of the table top and the second outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the lower portion of the lip. 26. The table as in claim 16, wherein the frame includes a first side rail and the first side rail has a main body portion and an outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the first inner portion of the lip and the outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the undersurface of the table top; and wherein the frame includes a second side rail and the second side rail has a main body portion and an outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the second inner portion of the lip and the outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the undersurface of the table top. 27. The table as in claim 16, wherein the frame includes a first side rail and the first side rail has a main body portion and an outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the first inner portion of the lip and the outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip; and wherein the frame includes a second side rail and the second side rail has a main body portion and an outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the second inner portion of the lip and the outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the lower portion of the lip. 28. The table as in claim 16, wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly do not extend beyond a plane that is generally aligned with a lower portion of the frame when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position in order to facilitate stacking of the table. 29. The table as in claim 16, further comprising a first side rail that forms at least a part of the frame, the first side rail having a height that is generally equal to or less than a height of the first inner portion of the lip; and further comprising a second side rail that forms at least a part of the frame, the second side rail having a height that is generally equal to or less than a height of the second inner portion of the lip. 30. A table: a table top constructed from blow-molded plastic, the table top including an interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process; a first leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the first leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed position, the first leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; and a second leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the second leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed, the second leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; at least one retaining portion at least partially disposed between the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly; at least one mounting member integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece structure during the blow-molding process, each mounting member being at least partially disposed away from an outer edge of the table top, each mounting member including a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, each mounting member being sized and configured to receive and retain at least a portion of one retaining assembly in a generally fixed position relative to the table top; a first securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the first securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the first securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position, the first securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top; and a second securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of the unitary, one-piece structure, the second securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the second securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position, the second securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top; wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are generally disposed between a first inner portion of the lip and a second inner portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table; and wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly generally do not extend beyond a plane that is generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 31. The table as in claim 30, wherein the body of the first securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the first leg assembly is inserted into the first securing member in a snap fit configuration when the first leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position; and wherein the body of the second securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the second leg assembly is inserted into the second securing member in a snap fit configuration when the second leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position. 32. The table as in claim 30, wherein the first securing member engages a portion of the first leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position; and wherein the second securing member engages a portion of the second leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position. 33. The table as in claim 30, further comprising a first pair of first securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position; and further comprising a second pair of second securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position. 34. The table as in claim 33, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other; and wherein second pair of second securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other. 35. The table as in claim 33, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed in an offset configuration; and wherein the second pair of second securing members are disposed in an offset configuration. 36. The table as in claim 30, wherein at least a portion of the first leg assembly and at least a portion of the second leg assembly abut a portion of the undersurface of the table top when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 37. A table: a table top constructed from blow-molded plastic, the table top including an interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process; a generally downwardly extending lip integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece construction, the lip including an interior chamber that is formed during the blow-molding process and is integral with the interior chamber of the table top, the lip being generally free-standing and independent from other reinforcement structures that are integrally formed in the table top as part of the unitary, one-piece construction; a first leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the first leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed position, the first leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; and a second leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the second leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed, the second leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; at least one retaining portion at least partially disposed between the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly; at least one mounting member integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece structure during the blow-molding process, each mounting member being at least partially disposed away from an outer edge of the table top, each mounting member including a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, each mounting member being sized and configured to receive and retain at least a portion of one retaining assembly in a generally fixed position relative to the table top; a first securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the first securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the first securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position, the first securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top; and a second securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of the unitary, one-piece structure, the second securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the second securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position, the second securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top; wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are generally disposed between a first inner portion of the lip and a second inner portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table; and wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly generally do not extend beyond a plane that is generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 38. The table as in claim 37, wherein the body of the first securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the first leg assembly is inserted into the first securing member in a snap fit configuration when the first leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position; and wherein the body of the second securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the second leg assembly is inserted into the second securing member in a snap fit configuration when the second leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position. 39. The table as in claim 37, wherein the first securing member engages a portion of the first leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position; and wherein the second securing member engages a portion of the second leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position. 40. The table as in claim 37, further comprising a first pair of first securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position; and further comprising a second pair of second securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position. 41. The table as in claim 40, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other; and wherein second pair of second securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other. 42. The table as in claim 40, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed in an offset configuration; and wherein the second pair of second securing members are disposed in an offset configuration. 43. The table as in claim 37, wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are positioned within an envelope defined by a portion of the undersurface of the table top, a first inner portion of the lip, a second inner portion of the lip and a plane generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position. 44. The table as in claim 37, wherein at least a portion of the first leg assembly and at least a portion of the second leg assembly abut a portion of the undersurface of the table top when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 45. A table: a table top constructed from blow-molded plastic, the table top including an interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process; a generally downwardly extending lip integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece construction, the lip including an interior chamber that is formed during the blow-molding process and is integral with the interior chamber/of the table top, the lip being generally free-standing and independent from other reinforcement structures that are integrally formed in the table top as part of the unitary, one-piece construction; a frame that is connected by one or more fasteners only to the lip and not to other portions of the table top in order to help maintain the structural integrity of the table top; a first leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the first leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed position, the first leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; and a second leg assembly being selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to the table top, the second leg assembly being disposed generally parallel and adjacent to an undersurface of the table top in the collapsed, the second leg assembly extending outwardly from the table top in the extended position; at least one retaining portion at least partially disposed between the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly; at least one mounting member integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece structure during the blow-molding process, each mounting member being at least partially disposed away from an outer edge of the table top, each mounting member including a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, each mounting member being sized and configured to receive and retain at least a portion of one retaining assembly in a generally fixed position relative to the table top; a first securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of a unitary, one-piece structure, the first securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the first securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position, the first securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top; and a second securing member integrally formed in the table top as part of the unitary, one-piece structure, the second securing member including a body with a hollow interior portion that is formed during the blow-molding process and is in direct communication with the hollow interior portion of the table top, the second securing member being sized and configured to selectively receive and retain a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position, the second securing member being spaced apart from an outer lip of the table top. wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are generally disposed between a first inner portion of the lip and a second inner portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table; and wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly generally do not extend beyond a plane that is generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 46. The table as in claim 45, wherein the body of the first securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the first leg assembly is inserted into the first securing member in a snap fit configuration when the first leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position; and wherein the body of the second securing member includes an engagement portion and a receiving portion, and wherein the portion of the second leg assembly is inserted into the second securing member in a snap fit configuration when the second leg assembly is moved from the extended position to the collapsed position. 47. The table as in claim 45, wherein the first securing member engages a portion of the first leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position; and wherein the second securing member engages a portion of the second leg assembly that extends away from the table top in the extended position. 48. The table as in claim 45, further comprising a first pair of first securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the first leg assembly in the collapsed position; and further comprising a second pair of second securing members that are sized and configured to cooperatively receive a portion of the second leg assembly in the collapsed position. 49. The table as in claim 48, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other; and wherein second pair of second securing members are disposed substantially parallel to each other. 50. The table as in claim 48, wherein the first pair of first securing members are disposed in an offset configuration; and wherein the second pair of second securing members are disposed in an offset configuration. 51. The table as in claim 45, wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are positioned within an envelope defined by a portion of the undersurface of the table top, a first inner portion of the lip, a second inner portion of the lip and a plane generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position. 52. The table as in claim 45, wherein at least a portion of the first leg assembly and at least a portion of the second leg assembly abut a portion of the undersurface of the table top when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position to facilitate stacking of the table. 53. The table as in claim 45, wherein the frame includes a first side rail that is attached to the first inner portion of the lip by the one or more fasteners which only extend through a main body portion of the side rail and the first inner portion of the lip; and wherein the frame includes a second side rail that is attached to the second inner portion of the lip by the one or more fasteners which only extend through a main body portion of the side rail and the second inner portion of the lip. 54. The table as in claim 45, wherein the frame includes a first side rail and the first side rail has a generally S-shaped cross-section with a main body portion, a first outwardly extending flange and a second outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the first inner portion of the lip, the first outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the undersurface of the table top and the second outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip; and wherein the frame includes a second side rail and the second side rail has a generally S-shaped cross-section with a main body portion, a first outwardly extending flange and a second outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the second inner portion of the lip, the first outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the undersurface of the table top and the second outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the lower portion of the lip. 55. The table as in claim 45, wherein the frame includes a first side rail and the first side rail has a main body portion and an outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the first inner portion of the lip and the outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the undersurface of the table top; and wherein the frame includes a second side rail and the second side rail has a main body portion and an outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the second inner portion of the lip and the outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the undersurface of the table top. 56. The table as in claim 45, wherein the frame includes a first side rail and the first side rail has a main body portion and an outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the first inner portion of the lip and the outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with a lower portion of the lip; and wherein the frame includes a second side rail and the second side rail has a main body portion and an outwardly extending flange, the main body portion being generally aligned with the second inner portion of the lip and the outwardly extending flange being generally aligned with the lower portion of the lip. 57. The table as in claim 45, wherein the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly do not extend beyond a plane that is generally aligned with a lower portion of the frame when the first leg assembly and the second leg assembly are in the collapsed position in order to facilitate stacking of the table. 58. The table as in claim 45, further comprising a first side rail that forms at least a part of the frame, the first side rail having a height that is generally equal to or less than a height of the first inner portion of the lip; and further comprising a second side rail that forms at least a part of the frame, the second side rail having a height that is generally equal to or less than a height of the second inner portion of the lip. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/385,385, filed Mar. 10, 2003, entitled PORTABLE FOLDING UTILITY TABLE WITH INTEGRAL RECEIVING MEMBERS, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/097,104, filed Mar. 12, 2002, entitled PORTABLE FOLDING UTILITY TABLE WITH INTEGRAL RECEIVING MEMBERS, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,331, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/635,303, filed Aug. 9, 2000, entitled PORTABLE FOLDING UTILITY TABLE WITH CENTER SUPPORT ASSEMBLY, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,092, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/228,326, filed Jan. 11, 1999, entitled PORTABLE FOLDING UTILITY TABLE WITH CENTER SUPPORT ASSEMBLY, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,674, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/095,372, filed Oct. 21, 1998, entitled UTILITY TABLE, now U.S. Pat. No. Des. 414,626, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/105,094, filed May 17, 1999, entitled UTILITY TABLE, now U.S. Pat. No. Des. 419,332, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. The Field of the Invention The present invention is related to a utility table, and more particularly, to a portable folding utility table having one or more center support assemblies and off-set support legs that selectively support the utility table above a surface. 2. The Technical Background Portable folding utility tables are indispensable for groups or organizations that have limited floor space usable for multiple purposes. For example, foldable utility tables can be placed in a pre-determined configuration to meet the space requirements of a school gymnasium, a church multi-purpose room, or a hotel conference meeting room. Afterward, the tables can be neatly stored away and the conference or meeting room used for a different purpose. Thus, portable folding utility tables allow a group or organization to maximize the efficiency and utility of a particular space. Foldable utility tables can also provide an immediate temporary work space in a garage, tool shed, and the like. The portability and foldability of these utility tables allows a user to conveniently set up, take down, and store the table whenever and wherever the user chooses. A major drawback with many portable folding utility tables of the prior art, however, is their inherent size and bulkiness. Many such utility tables require two people to collapse and store the table after use. Moreover, some prior art portable folding utility tables are heavy enough to cause injury if dropped or mishandled. These unwieldy tables are usually made from hardwood, particle board, or similarly heavy materials. In an attempt to overcome this weight and bulkiness problem, some prior art portable utility tables are formed of lighter-weight materials. However, many of these lightweight utility tables generally lack the sturdiness of the heavier-weight prior art utility tables. Another disadvantage to prior art utility tables is the means used for attaching the table support legs or two or more support pedestals to the underside of the table. As will be appreciated, prior art table support legs are typically attached to the table top using threaded screws or bolts that are drilled into the underside of the table top. This means of attachment may compromise the integrity of the table top thereby making it weaker at the point of attachment between the table support legs and the table top. Other attachment mechanisms may include a form of bonding the table support legs as support pedestals directly against the surface of the table top. Often, however, this means of attachment by bonding weakens the structural integrity of the table top. Thus, when the table support legs fail, a portion of the material forming the table top may pull away at the point of the bonded attachment thereby making the table costly, if not impossible to repair. In an attempt to overcome the foregoing disadvantages, prior art utility tables were developed by those skilled in the art that are equipped with complex or heavy-duty attachment mechanisms that facilitate a secure attachment between the table support legs or the support pedestals and the table top. These types of attachment mechanisms, however, are normally heavier, more costly, more difficult to install, and typically require additional time to manufacture. The previously stated disadvantages are compounded by the fact that many prior art utility tables incorporate a separate and distinct attachment mechanism for attaching each table support leg or pedestal to the table top. As appreciated, most existing portable folding utility tables have two sets of support legs or pedestal supports, one at each end of the table. Each of these supports is typically attached to the underside of the table top at two places or points of contact. Correspondingly, many of these types of utility tables have at least four separate points of attachment, each attachment between the support legs or pedestal supports facilitated by a separate attachment mechanism. One particular problem with utility tables having separate and distinct attachment mechanisms is that they are generally susceptible to bowing in the center of the table top under stress. This is especially true with larger banquet style tables. Yet another drawback with many prior art utility tables is that the hard materials used to maintain a sufficient rigidity and sturdiness of the table top often have sharp edges which may be uncomfortable for the user to lean against or rest their arms upon. Further, these materials may also be susceptible to damage or degradation from the elements of nature. In addition, smaller utility tables that are found in the prior art usually comprise shortened support legs that fail to provide sufficient height to the table top in relation to the underlying surface, thus these types of table are generally uncomfortable to users. In particular, when these prior art utility tables are configured in the folded position for storage, the table support legs are required to be short enough so not to interfere with each other when folded in a conventional fashion underneath the table top. Small folding utility tables of the prior art are also typically bulky when disposed in the folded position because complex and unwieldy mechanisms are generally required to accommodate the use of longer support legs that may be incorporated to overcome the inherent height deficit found in most smaller utility tables. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that it would be an advancement in the art to provide a portable folding utility table that is durable enough to withstand the increased wear and tear that portable utility tables are subjected to over long periods of time and sturdy enough to support varying sized loads that will be placed on the table, while at the same time being light-weight enough to be easily set up and taken down. It would be another advancement in the art to provide a portable folding utility table having a leg or support pedestal attachment mechanism that does not involve a complex design, heavy duty attachment hardware, or need to be screwed, bolted, or bonded to the under side of the table top. It would be a further advancement in the art to provide a portable folding utility table that minimizes the points of attachment to the surface of the table top and facilitates attachment mechanisms that interrelate with each other to support the table top above an underlying surface. Furthermore, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a portable folding utility table that may provide a smaller working surface than larger utility table, but that is comfortable to work at in relation to its height disposition and which is capable of withstanding the elements of nature. Finally, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a portable folding utility table in which the support legs or pedestals, having a length greater than the corresponding length of the table top, can fold against the underside of the table top when disposed for storage without interfering with each other, so that smaller frames and table tops can be used that accommodate a sufficient height disposition in relation to the underlying support surface. Such a portable folding utility table is disclosed and claimed herein. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a novel portable folding utility table having a center support assembly. The utility table includes a table top supported by a pair of support pedestals. In one presently preferred embodiment, the table top includes a mounting surface and a working surface formed opposite the mounting surface. The working surface may be textured and may include an outer periphery, at least a portion of which is beveled to provide comfort to a user. A first end of each support pedestal is preferably attached to the mounting surface of the table top. In one presently preferred embodiment, the support pedestals are pivotally attached to the mounting surface of the table top, to allow each support pedestal to be moved between a collapsed position and an extended position for supporting the table top above a surface. A securing member may also be attached to the mounting surface for releasably securing one or more support pedestals in the collapsed position. Additionally, the utility table may include a first pivoting support brace attached to the first support pedestal at a proximal end and to the mounting surface at a distal end thereof. Similarly, a second pivoting support brace may be attached to the second support pedestal at a proximal end and to the mounting surface at a distal end thereof. In one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the distal ends of the first and second pivotal support braces are disposed contiguous to each other at a retention assembly attached to the mounting surface or, in the alternative, to a support frame. In one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the retention assembly may include a single cross-brace member disposed through openings formed at the distal ends of the pivotal support braces and secured to the mounting surface. The mounting surface may be configured such that opposing ends of the cross-brace member are introduced through openings disposed in opposing sides of the mounting surface of the table top and may further include a mount for receiving and retaining the cross-brace member therein. Thus, the distal ends of both support pedestals are preferably attached along the length of the cross-brace member which is secured to the mounting surface, thereby reducing the number of attachment mechanisms and interrelating the support pedestals to the table top to increase structural support and efficiency of manufacture. In another presently preferred embodiment, each support pedestal includes a first member pivotally engaging the mounting surface of the table top and a second member configured for telescoping engagement with the first member. This configuration permits the height of the support pedestal to be disposed between a lengthened position and a retracted position. In an alternative presently preferred embodiment, the table may include two cross-brace members providing separate attachment points for the first and second pivotal support braces. Such a configuration is particularly desirable for tables having an extended length, in which it may not be advantageous for each of the pivotal support braces to have lengths sufficient for extending into the center of the table top. Correspondingly, a dual cross-brace configuration may provide additional space for accommodating one or more user's legs under the table top. Moreover, in yet another presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, each support pedestal may include two legs slightly offset from the corresponding legs of the other support pedestal disposed on the opposing side of the table top, so that longer support legs can be accommodated under a smaller table top when disposed above an underlying surface. This off-set distance is sufficient to keep the support legs of the opposing support pedestal from interfering with one another, thus allowing displacement substantially against the mounting surface of the table top when disposed in the retracted position for storage. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a portable folding utility table that is durable enough to withstand increased wear and tear yet is light-weight for easy set up and take down. The present invention also provides a novel center support assembly that provides increased structural stability to the table top with efficient design such that to allow the interrelation of the support pedestals. The center support assembly is also cost effective to manufacture and does not compromise the structural integrity of the table top. Further, the present invention provides a utility table that facilitates a height that is comfortable for one or more users to work at. The foregoing and other advantages and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent by examination of the following description of the presently preferred embodiments and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To better understand the invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to the appended drawings. These drawings only provide information concerning typical embodiments of the invention and are not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective cut-away view of one presently preferred embodiment of a portable folding utility table with center support assembly; FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 illustrating various components of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 illustrates a retaining assembly and support pedestals in relation to a mounting surface of the table top; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another presently preferred embodiment of the portable folding utility table that includes two center support assemblies; and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of yet another presently preferred embodiment of the portable folding utility table with center support assembly with an off-set disposition of the legs of the opposing support pedestals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the assembly and method of the present invention, as represented in FIGS. 1 through 5, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but it is merely representative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention. The presently preferred embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. One presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, designated generally at 10, is best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown, with particular reference to FIG. 1, a utility table according to the present invention is generally designated at 10. The utility table 10 preferably includes a table top 12 having a mounting surface 14 and a working surface 16 disposed opposite the mounting surface 14. In one presently preferred embodiment, the table top 12 is supported by a first support pedestal 18 and a second support pedestal 20. The first and second support pedestals 18, 20 may each comprise a first end 22 attached to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the utility table 10 of one presently preferred embodiment includes a first pivotal support brace 24 having a proximal end 26 attached to the first support pedestal 18 and a distal end 28 attached to the mounting surface 14. Similarly, a second pivotal support brace 30 is shown having a proximal end 32 attached to the second support pedestal 20 and a distal end 34 attached to the mounting surface 14. The distal end 28 of the first pivotal support brace 24 may be disposed contiguous the distal end 34 of the second pivotal support brace 30. The distal ends 28, 34 of the pivotal support braces 24, 30 are disposed in relation to a retaining assembly 36, which may be attached to the mounting surface 14. In one preferred embodiment, the retaining assembly 36 comprises a cross member. As shown in FIG. 2, the utility table 10 includes a frame 40. The frame 40 may comprise a first side rail 42 and an opposing second side rail 44. Preferably, the first side rail 42 is disposed substantially parallel the opposing second side rail 44, thereby providing a generally longitudinal alignment therebetween. The first and second side rails 42, 44 may be configured with a plurality of retaining apertures 46 to facilitate attachment of the support pedestals 18, 20 and the cross brace member 36 to the frame 40. In one presently preferred embodiment, the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 comprises opposing longitudinal interior side walls 48 and opposing orthogonal interior side walls 52 disposed along an interior periphery of the table top 12. The first and second side rails 42, 44 may be secured to respective opposing longitudinal side walls 48, thus adding rigidity and strength to the structural integrity of table top 12. In one presently preferred embodiment, the side rails 42, 44 are secured to the opposing longitudinal side walls 48 by fasteners. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the side rails 42, 44 may be secured to the opposing longitudinal side walls 48 of the mounting surface 14 using any number or variety of fasteners readily known in the art, such as, for example, screws, bolts, rivets, adhesives, or the like. The cross-section of the side rails 42, 44 may be configured having an S-shape. In one presently preferred embodiment, the side rails 42, 44 may be attached to the respective longitudinal side walls 48, 50 as to form respective channels 50 along the side rails 42, 44 between the side rails 42, 44 and the longitudinal side walls 48 (See FIGS. 1 and 2). In this configuration, the first end 22 of the support pedestals 18, 20 may be positioned within opposing respective retaining apertures 46 formed in the side rails 42, 44 abutting the longitudinal side walls 48 within the channels 50, thereby substantially preventing lateral movement of the support pedestals 18, 20 relative to the table top 12. Likewise, the cross brace member 36 may be positioned within opposing respective retaining apertures 46 formed in the side rails 42, 44 abutting the longitudinal side walls 48 within the channels 50, thereby substantially preventing lateral movement of the cross brace member 36 relative to the table top 12. In one presently preferred embodiment, the support pedestals 18, 20 and the cross brace member 36 are preferably disposed substantially parallel to each other and in spaced-apart relationship, wherein the cross brace member 36 is positioned between the opposing support pedestals 18, 20. Still referring to FIG. 2, the frame 40 may also comprise a first end rail 54 and an opposing second end rail 56. Preferably, the first end rail 54 is disposed substantially parallel to the opposing end rail 56. Each end rail 54, 56 has a first end 58 and a second end 60 and is preferably positioned along the opposing orthogonal interior side walls 52 of the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. In one presently preferred embodiment, the first end 58 of each end rail 54, 56 is disposed within the channel 50 adjacent respective ends 62a, 62b of the first side rail 42. Likewise, the second end 60 of each end rail 54, 56 is disposed within a channel 50 adjacent respective ends 64a, 64b of the second side rail 44, thereby providing a generally rectangular shape to substantially correspond with the generally preferable rectangular shape of the table top 12. In one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second ends 58, 60 of respective end rails 54, 56 are configured with a tab member 66. The tab member 66 may be configured to fit within respective channels 50 beneath the retaining aperture 46 near the ends 62, 64 of the respective side rails 42, 44 with the utility table 10 in an upright position. It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that, in this configuration, the tab members 66 act as levers with the support pedestals 18, 20 (positioned within the channels 50 near the ends 62, 64 of the respective side rails 42, 44), thus acting as corresponding fulcrums. In this manner, the end rails 54, 56 strengthen respective ends 68a, 68b of the table top 12, and protect against bowing of the table top 12 at the ends 68a, 68b. The first and second side rails 42, 44 in combination with the first and second end rails 54, 56 provide a means for structurally supporting the table top 12, the support pedestals 18, 20, and the pivotal support braces 24, 30. In this configuration, lighter weight table tops 12 may be used with this novel construction without losing rigidity or structural integrity. As will be appreciated, the end rails 54, 56 may interrelate to the side rails 42, 44 in a variety of ways to provide structural support for the utility table 10 and help protect against bowing under various loads that may be applied to the utility table 10 For example, the end rails 54, 56 may be welded to the side rails 42, 44. The end rails 54, 56 may also be bonded to the side rails 42, 44 using a variety of suitable epoxies or resins. Further, the end rails 54, 56 and the side rails 42, 44 may be formed as a single unitary piece configured to the desired size and shape. Moreover, it will be also appreciated that the end rails 54, 56 and the side rails 42, 44 need not interrelate at all, but could simply be attached to the respective interior opposing side walls 48, 52 of the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. In one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame 40 is formed of a substantially sturdy, rigid material sufficient to provide structural integrity to the table top 12. For example, the frame 40 may be formed of metal. However, it will be readily appreciated that the frame may be formed of a wide variety of other suitable materials which are consistent with the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that the size and configuration of the frame 40 will depend, in part, on the size and configuration of the table top 12. Accordingly, the table top 12 and the frame 40 may be configured in a variety of shapes and configurations, including, but not limited to, a circle, polygon, square, rectangle, triangle, or any other suitable geometrical configuration. Referring now to FIG. 3, the shape and size of the frame 40 is configured to generally conform to the periphery of the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. Specifically, in one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame 40 is attached in relation to the mounting surface 14 by means of fasteners (not shown) which generally penetrate both the frame 40 and an adjacent point of contact of the mounting surface 14. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a variety of other suitable means or methods for attaching the frame 40 to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 may be employed, including, but not limited to, rivets, screws, bolts, glues, epoxies, or other bonding materials. As can be best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 is preferably configured to facilitate the attachment of the frame 40 to the mounting surface of the table top 12, in one presently preferred embodiment, the mounting surface 14 is configured with seats (not shown) positioned such that the end rails 54, 56 may be positioned between respective opposing orthogonal interior walls 52 and the seats (not shown). In this configuration, the end rails 54, 56 are substantially prevented from bowing inwardly toward the center of the utility table 10 under loads exerted upon the opposing ends of the table top. It will be readily appreciated that the mounting surface 14 need not have interior side walls 48, 52 at all to practice the teachings of the present invention. In this regard, the teachings of the present invention may be practiced without a frame 40 if the table top 12 is sufficiently rigid. It will further be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in the embodiments where there is 110 frame, the support pedestals 18, 20 and cross brace member 36 may be attached to an interior portion of the mounting surface 14. Further, in preferred embodiments where there are interior side walls 48, 52 but no frame 40, the support pedestals 18, 20 and cross brace member 36 may be positioned directly in retaining apertures (not shown) formed within the interior side walls 48, 52 of the mounting structure 14 of the table top 12. Referring back to FIG. 2, the support pedestals 18, 20 are pivotally attached to the mounting surface 14, thereby permitting each of the support pedestals 18, 20 to be moved between a collapsed position, in which each support pedestal 18, 20 lies flat in substantially the same plane as the table top 12, and an extended position, in which each support pedestal 18, 20 is folded outward, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the table top 12. Each support pedestal 18, 20 may include a pair of substantially parallel legs, or posts 80. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the teachings of the present invention can be practiced if each support pedestal 18, 20 has more or less than two posts 80. Each pair of posts 80 comprises a first end 82 and a second opposing end 84. In one presently preferred embodiment, the first end 82 of each respective pair of posts 80 is secured to a cross pole 86. Respective ends 88 of each cross pole 86 are preferably positioned within opposing retaining apertures 46 disposed within the opposing side rails 42, 44 of the frame 40 such that the support pedestals 18, 20 may be disposed substantially parallel to each other. In this configuration, each cross pole 86 rotates within respective pairs of retaining apertures 46 when respective pedestals 18, 20 move between the collapsed position and the extended position. In one presently preferred embodiment, a stabilizer arm 90 is preferably disposed between the respective pairs of posts 80 to assist in structurally maintaining the spaced-apart relationship of the posts 80. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the support pedestals 18, 20 may be configured in a variety of ways such that to practice the teachings of the present invention. For example, the support pedestals 18, 20 may comprise a solid or integral piece or the posts 80 may be curved in a different manner (e.g., see FIG. 3). It will further be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the support pedestals 18, 20 need not be in pivotal engagement with the table top 12 to be collapsible. For example, the support pedestals 18, 20 may simply be detachably engaged in relation to the table top 12 such that when it is desired to collapse the utility table 10 for storage, the support pedestals 18, 20 are removed from selective engagement with the table top 12. As stated above, the first and second support pedestals 18, 20 are preferably connected to the table top 12 by means of the first and second pivotal support braces 24, 30, respectively. In one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the proximal ends 26, 32 of the respective pivotal support braces 24, 30 are bifurcated to facilitate pivotal engagement with the posts 80 of the respective support pedestals 18, 20 as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The bifurcated proximal ends of the pivotal support braces 24, 30 each preferably comprise a pair of angled members 100. Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the angled members 100 may include a tab member 102 which pivotally engages and partially overlaps a corresponding tab member 104 adjacent each of the distal ends 28, 34 of the pivotal support braces 24, 30, respectively, at an overlapping portion 106. When the support pedestals 18, 20 are in the extended position, the tabs 102 of the angled members 100 of the bifurcated proximal ends 26, 32 are disposed substantially parallel to the tabs 104 adjacent each distal end 28, 34 of the pivotal support braces 24, 30. When the support pedestals 18, 20 are in the collapsed position, the tabs 102 of the angled members 100 of the bifurcated proximal ends 26, 32 are disposed substantially unparallel to the tabs 104 adjacent each distal end 28, 34 of the pivotal support braces 24, 30. The utility table 10 may include a pair of locking collars 108 which slidably engage respective pivotal support braces 24, 30. The locking collars 108 are preferably sized to fit over respective overlapping portions 106 of the pivotal support braces 24, 30 when the support pedestals 18, 20 are in the extended position. With the locking collars 108 positioned over respective overlapping portions 106, the bifurcated proximal ends 26, 32 are prevented from moving relative to corresponding distal ends 28, 34 of the pivotal support braces 24, 30, thus preventing the support pedestal supports 18, 20 from being positioned in the collapsed position without first disengaging the locking collars 108, respectively. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that with the utility table 10 in an upright position and the support pedestals 18, 20 in the extended position, the collars 108 may, under the force of gravity, position themselves about the overlapping portions 106. It will be further appreciated that a variety of other locking mechanisms as assemblies may be utilized to lock the support pedestals 18, 20 in the extended position which are consistent with the spirit and scope of the present invention, including latches or other fasteners. With reference now to FIG. 3, the utility table 10 is shown having an alternative configuration of the support pedestals 18, 20. In this alternate embodiment, each support pedestal 18, 20 comprises a first member 114 pivotally engaged to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 and a second member 116 configured for telescoping engagement with the first member 114, thereby permitting the height of each support pedestal 18, 20 to be selectively disposed at a plurality of predetermined heights between a lengthened position and a retracted position. In one presently preferred embodiment, each first member 114 of the support pedestals 18, 20 includes a pair of outer members 118 each having a proximal end 120 and a distal end 122. The proximal end of each outer member 118 is connected to the table top 12 by means of the cross pole 86 to which they are preferably fixed (e.g., welded). The second member 116 of each support pedestal 18, 20 includes a pair of inner members 124 each having a proximal end 126 and a distal end 128. The proximal end 126 of the inner members 124 are configured in dimensional size and shape to engage the distal ends 122 of the outer members 118 in telescopic engagement. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that one or more stabilizer arms 90 may be employed to support the telescopic pedestals 18, 20. Preferably, the inner members 124 and outer members 118 are separated by a hard plastic bushing (not shown) to facilitate the slidable movement of the inner members 124 relative to the outer members 118. Each bushing may be held in place with two small extensions that extend through small holes (not shown) in the outer members 118. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that there are a number of ways to facilitate the telescopic movement of the first member 114 relative to the second member 116 of each support pedestal 18, 20. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the support pedestals 18, 20 include means for locking the support pedestals 18, 20 in preselected positions between the retracted position and the lengthened position. At least one of the inner members 124 is configured with a first hole 134. A corresponding outer member 18 may be configured with at least one hole 136 and preferably a plurality of holes 136 positioned such that at a preselected table top 12 height the first hole 134 in the inner member 124 may be aligned with a second hole 136 in the outer member 118. In one presently preferred embodiment, a snap pin mechanism 138 may be positioned adjacent the first hole 134 within the inner member 124 such that the pin 138 is biased outwardly through the aligned holes 134, 136, thereby locking the inner and outer members 118, 124 of the support pedestals 18, 20 in a preselected position. By supplying sufficient force to the pin mechanism 138, it may be disengaged and removed from the hole 136 in the outer member 118, thereby permitting relative movement between the inner 124 and outer 118 members of the support pedestals 18, 20 and allowing the support pedestals 18, 20 to be selectively raised or lowered. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a variety of other adjustment mechanisms as assemblies known in the art for locking the first and second support pedestals 18, 20 in an extended position may be utilized and are herein incorporated. As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the distal ends 28, 34 of each pivotal support brace 24, 30 are engageably secured to the retaining assembly 36 (e.g., cross brace member). In one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the distal ends 28, 34 of each pivotal support brace 24, 30, respectively, are pivotally attached to the retaining assembly 36. Each of said distal ends 28, 34 are configured with an opening 142 having an interior periphery sufficient for engaging at least a portion of the linear length of the cross-brace member 36. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the retaining assembly 36 generally provides structural support to the center of the table top 12 of the utility table 10. It will further be appreciated that with the distal ends 28, 34 attached contiguous each other in retention to the cross brace member 36 forces applied to the table top 12 which would ordinarily be transferred through one of the support pivotal braces 24, 30, respectively, into the table top 12 causing it to bow, will substantially be nullified by the counter force provided by the opposing pivotal support brace 24, 30, respectively. For example, the horizontal component of a force applied by a user at one end 68a of the table top 12 will act upon the pivotal support brace 18 and, because the distal ends 28, 34 of the pivotal support braces 24, 30, respectively, are attached to the retaining assembly 36, an equal and opposite horizontal force component applied by the other pivotal support brace 20 will substantially cancel out the horizontal component of the original force. Accordingly, the present invention provides increased structural support to the table top 12 with fewer parts. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the retaining assembly 36 can be disposed in a variety of configurations which are consistent with the spirit and scope of the present invention so as to allow the pivotal support braces 24, 30 to supportably interrelate with each other. Such alternative configurations are discussed below. With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the table top 12 is preferably formed of a blow-molded plastic, and specifically, high density polyethylene. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, however, that the table top 12 may be formed of a variety of other sufficiently sturdy materials such as, plywood, particle board, solid wood, wood slates, metal alloys, fiberglass, ceramics, graphite, any of numerous organic, synthetic or processed materials, including thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers of high molecular weight with or without additives, such as, plasticisers, auto oxidants, extenders, colorants, ultraviolet light stabilizers, or fillers and/or other composite materials. Referring back to FIG. 1, in one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the working surface 16 of the table top 12 may be smooth or, in the alternative, textured, if desired. In addition, the working surface 16 may comprise an outer periphery 144 having at least a portion 146 which is beveled to increase the comfort of a person resting their arms against the edges of the table top 12. In one presently preferred embodiment, the entire outer periphery 144 of the working surface 16 of the table top 12 is beveled. The height of the blow-molded table top 12 of one presently preferred embodiment is about five centimeters, the thickness of any pan 13 of the blow-molded table top 12 is preferably about one-half of a centimeter to about three-quarters of a centimeter. Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the mounting surface 14 may include at least one mounting member 148. Preferably, a pair of mounting members 148 is attached to the mounting surface 14 to receive and retain the cross brace member 36 of the retaining assembly. Each mounting member 148 includes a groove 150 configured as a corresponding size and shape sufficient to retain the cross brace member 36 therein. In one presently preferred embodiment, the cross brace member 36 may be snap fit into the groove 150 of the mounting member 148. In greater detail, as shown in FIG. 2, the mounting member 148 preferably includes an engagement portion 148a, and an opening 148b to the groove 150. The engagement portion 148a, the opening 148b, and the groove 150 cooperate to retain the cross brace member 36 within the mounting member 148. For example, the cross brace member 36 is preferably snap fit into the groove 150 of each mounting member 148 by pushing the cross brace member 36 into the opening 148b of the mounting member 148. The opening 148b preferably has a size slightly smaller than the size of the cross brace member 36. Because the cross brace member 36 is slightly larger than the opening 148b, the engagement portion 148a of the mounting member 148 temporarily deforms to allow the cross brace member 36 to enter the groove 150. When the cross brace member 36 is inserted into the groove 150, the engagement portion 148a returns to its normal position and the cross brace member 36 is securely retained by the mounting member 148. The mounting member 148 may also have one or more supporting portions 148c. The supporting portions 148c desirably securely attach the mounting member 148 to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. As shown in the accompanying figures, the supporting portions 148c preferably extend longitudinally along the length of the table 10 and they have a sloped or curved outer surface that extends from the engagement portion 148a to the mounting surface 14 of the table top. One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the mounting member 148 may have other suitable shapes and configurations depending, for example, upon the size and combination of the cross brace member 36 to be attached to the table top 12. Advantageously, the mounting member 148 may be integrally formed as part of a one-piece structure with the table top 12. In particular, the mounting member 148 is preferably constructed as an integral part of the table top 12 when it is formed from a blow-molded plastic such as high density polyethylene. Significantly, if the mounting member 148 is integrally formed as part of the table top 12, the mounting member 148 does not have to be screwed, bolted, bonded or otherwise connected to the mounting surface 14 of the table top. Thus, the integrally formed mounting member 148 does not compromise the integrity or decrease the strength of the table top 12 by requiring the mounting member to be screwed, bolted or bonded to the table top. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the mounting member 148 could be connected to the table top 12 by any suitable mechanism or method such as fasteners, adhesives and the like. Additionally, the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 may further include one or more securing members 152 for securing each of the support pedestals 18, 20, respectively. Preferably, a pair of securing members 152 are disposed in relation to the mounting surface 14 for releasably securing a respective support pedestal 18, 20 in the collapsed position adjacent the mounting surface 14. Each securing member 152 is generally configured and disposed relative to the mounting surface 14 such that when the support pedestals 18, 20 are in the collapsed position, at least one securing member 152 frictionally engages a support pedestal post 80 such that the support pedestals 18, 20, respectively, are maintained in the collapsed position, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In one presently preferred embodiment, a pair of securing members 152 are offset on opposing sides of a single support pedestal post 80 for securing each of the support pedestals 18 or 20, respectively, in the collapsed position. It will be apparent that other mechanisms may be constructed in accordance with the inventive principles set forth herein for securing the support pedestals 18, 20 in the collapsed position. It is intended, therefore, that the examples provided herein be viewed as exemplary of the principles of the present invention, and not as restrictive to a particular structure for implementing those principles. It will also be apparent that the securing members 152 may be configured to contact any desired portion of the support pedestals. For example, the securing members 152 may be configured to engage post 80 along either the first member 114, as shown in FIG. 3, the second member 116, or both, if desired. Alternatively, securing members 152 could be disposed on the mounting surface 14 to engage both posts 80 of a respective support pedestal 18, 20. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the securing members 152 could be disposed in any suitable positions depending, for example, upon the desired portion of the support pedestal to be engaged by the securing members. In greater detail, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each securing member 152 desirably includes an engagement portion 152a, a receiving portion 152b and a support portion 152c. The engagement portion 152a includes a lip or forwardly extending extension that overhangs at least a portion of the receiving portion 152b. The receiving portion 152b is sized and configured to receive a portion of the support pedestal 18, 20, such as the post 80. The support portion 152c supports the securing member 152 in the desired location. The engagement portion 152a and receiving portion 152b of the securing member 152 cooperate to releasably secure a respective support pedestal 18, 20 in the collapsed position. For example, when it is desired to move a support pedestal 18, 20 into the collapsed position, the pedestal is pivoted towards the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. As the support pedestal 18, 20 approaches the table top 12, a portion of the support pedestal contacts the engagement portion 152a. This contact causes the engagement portion 152a to temporarily deform or move to allow a portion of the support pedestal 18, 20 to be received by the receiving portion 152b. Once the support pedestal 18, 20 is received within the receiving portion 152b, the engagement portion 152a returns to its original shape or position, and that prevents the support pedestal 18, 20 from being inadvertently released from the securing member 152. The support pedestal 18, 20 is now secured in its collapsed position within the securing member 152, as shown in FIG. 3. When it is desired to move the support pedestal 18, 20 from the collapsed position to an extended position, the support pedestal is simply pivoted away from the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 with a force sufficient to remove the support pedestal from the receiving portion 152b and past the engagement portion 152a, thereby removing the support pedestal from the securing member 152. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the receiving portion 152b preferably has a curved surface to receive the support pedestal 18, 20. In particular, the receiving portion 152b preferably has a concave surface and the engagement portion 152a includes an extension or lip that extends at least partly beyond the concave surface of the receiving portion 152b. Advantageously, the engagement portion 152a and receiving portion 152b allow the support pedestal 18, 20 to be snap fit into the securing member 152. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the engagement portion 152a and receiving portion 152b may have other suitable configurations depending, for example, upon the shape and configuration of the support pedestal 18, 20 or the position of the support pedestal to be releasably secured by the securing member 152. The securing member 152 preferably includes one or more support portions 152c to securely attach the securing member 152 to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. As shown in the accompanying figures, the supporting portion 152c preferably extends in the opposing direction as the receiving portion 152b and has a sloped or curved outer surface that extends from the engagement portion 152a to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. One skilled in the art will understand that the securing member 152 may have other suitable shapes and configurations depending, for example, upon the size and configuration of the portion of the support pedestal 18 20 to be releasably secured. Advantageously, the securing member 152 may be integrally formed as part of a one-piece structure with the table top 12. In particular, the securing member 152 is preferably constructed as an integral part of the table top 12 when it is formed from a blow-molded plastic such as high density polyethylene. Significantly, if the securing member 152 is integrally formed as part of the table top 12, it does not have to be screwed, bolted, bonded or otherwise connected to the mounting surface 14 of the table top. Thus, the integrally formed securing member 152 does not compromise the integrity or decrease the strength of the table top 12 by requiring the securing member to be screwed, bolted or bonded to the table top. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the securing member 152 could be connected to the table top 12 by any suitable mechanism or method such as fasteners, adhesives and the like. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a first manifold 154 and a second manifold 156 are preferably disposed at opposing ends 68a, 68b of the table top 12. The manifolds 154, 156 provide additional support for the ends 68a, 68b of the table top 12 and assist in facilitating the blow molding process by providing a means for uniformly dispersing air down the length of the table top 12. The mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 may also include a plurality of depressions 158 (e.g., kiss-offs) which tend to add structural support and integrity to the table top 12. In one presently preferred embodiment, these depressions 158 are uniformly distributed throughout the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. The structural features of the table top 12, including the beveled edges and/or textured working surface 16, the mounting members 148, the securing members 152, the manifolds 154, 156, and the depressions 158 may be integral with the table top 12 and may be formed by means of a corresponding mold and blow-molding process. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there are alternative ways to create and attach these features. For example, the mounting members 148, securing members 152, and manifolds 154, 156 may be separate pieces that are attached to the mounting surface 14 by adhesive bonding or the use of conventional fasteners. Likewise, the texturing and/or beveling of the edges of the working surface of the table top and the introduction of depressions into the mounting surface may also be accomplished after the table top 12 is molded by a variety of conventional methods readily known in the art. As best illustrated in FIG. 1, when the utility table 10 is disposed in an upright position in relation to an underlying surface and the support pedestals 18, 20 extended with the collars 108 placed over the overlapping portions 106 of the respective pivotal support braces 24, 30, the utility table 10 of the present invention is positioned for use. When a user desires to collapse the utility table 10 for storage, one presently preferred method for doing so is to invert the utility table 10, as shown in FIG. 3. With the utility table 10 in the inverted position, the collars 108 may be slid away from engagement with the overlapping portion 106 of the respective pivotal support braces 24, 30. This allows the support pedestals 18, 20 to be folded inwardly toward the table top 12 into the collapsed position. With the support pedestals 18, 20 in the collapsed position, the utility table 10 can easily be moved and stored. With reference now to FIG. 4, another presently preferred embodiment of the utility table of the present invention is generally designated at 210. In this embodiment, the utility table 210 includes a table top 12 having a mounting surface 14 and a working surface 16 disposed opposite the mounting surface 14. A first support pedestal 18 and a second support pedestal 20 are pivotally attached to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. Preferably, the first and second support pedestals 18 20 are independently attached to a support bar 212 having opposing ends 211 configured to engage receiving apertures 46 formed in opposing side rails 42, 44 of a rigid flame 40 supportably disposed in relation to the table top 12. In one presently preferred embodiment, the support bar 212 is configured having a bend formed at its opposing ends 211 to ensure that the first and second support pedestals 18, 20, respectively, fold properly against the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 when disposed in the collapsed position As appreciated, the slight bend formed at the opposing ends 211 of the support bar 212 has the structural effect of extending the central portion of the support bar 212 away from the axis of rotation of the support bar 212 relative to the frame 40. Moreover, the bending configuration of the support bar 212 at its opposing ends 211 provides additional safety, in proportion to the weight applied against the table top 12, by maintaining the first and second support pedestals 18 and 20 in the extended position The support bar 212 may be omitted from engagement with the proximal end 120 of the support pedestals 18, 20 in favor of a suitable attachment assembly designed to facilitate pivotal engagement between the support pedestals 18, 20 and the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize other possible modifications and adaptations which are consistent with the spirit and scope of the present invention and which are herein contemplated by the present invention. Still referring to FIG. 4, the utility table 210 of the present invention may include each first member 114 of the support pedestals 18, 20 having a pair of outer members 118 each having a proximal end 120 and a distal end 122. The proximal end of each outer member 118 is connected to the table top 12 by means of the support bar 212 to which they are preferably fixed (e.g., welded). The second member 116 of each support pedestal 18, 20 includes a pair of inner members 124 each having a proximal end 126 and a distal end 128. The proximal end 126 of the inner members 124 are configured in dimensional size and shape to slidably engage the distal ends 122 of the outer members 118 in telescopic engagement. Preferably, the inner members 124 and outer members 118 are separated by a hard plastic bushing (not shown) to facilitate the slidable movement of the inner members 124 relative to the outer members 118. Each bushing may be held in place with two small extensions that extend through small holes (not shown) in the outer members 118. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that there are numerous ways to facilitate the telescopic movement of the first member 114 relative to the second member 116 of each support pedestal 18, 20 which are readily contemplated herein. It is also contemplated herein that the length of the support pedestals 18, 20 may be fixed and, thus not selectively adjustable to a plurality of heights. As illustrated in FIG. 4, an elongated foot member 213 may be rigidly attached at the distal end 128 of each of the inner members 124 of the support pedestals 18, 20 so as to provide additional stability to the table top 12 when disposed in the upright position. Preferably, the foot member 213 facilitates a more even dispersion of the supportable weight of the utility table 210 over a greater portion of the underlying surface in addition, because the length of the foot member 213 tends to span the distance between the first and second members 114, 116, one or more stabilizer arms 90 may be unnecessary. Similar to the preferred embodiments of the utility table illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the utility table 210 includes a first pivotal support brace 224 having a bifuircated proximal end 226 attached to the first support pedestal 18 and a distal end 228 pivotally attached to a first retaining assembly 36a. Similarly, a second pivotal support brace 230 having a bifurcated proximal end 232 attached to the second support pedestal 20 and a distal end 234 pivotally attached to a second retaining assembly 36b. In one presently preferred embodiment, each of the retaining assemblies 36a, 36b comprise a cross-brace member having opposing ends and an intermediate body portion formed therebetween. Each of the distal ends 228, 234 of the pivotal support braces 224, 230 are configured with openings 242 having an internal periphery sufficient for engaging at least a portion of the length of the intermediate body portion of the cross-brace members 36a, 36b, respectively. The opposing ends of the first and second cross-brace members 36a, 36b, respectively, are configured so as to be introduced and retained within corresponding retaining apertures 46 formed in opposing side rails 42, 44 of the frame 40 or, in the alternative, within opposing, interior side walls of the table top 12. Preferably, the first and second cross-brace members 36a, 36b are separated by a central portion 216 of the table top 12. Structurally, this central potion 216 of the table top 12 must have sufficient structural integrity to support a compressive load, either through the frame 40, the entire surface of the table top 12, or by some combination of the two, when weight is applied against the table top 12 to avoid bowing. The dual cross-brace supportable configuration of the utility table 210 of the present invention is advantageous because the pivotal support braces 24, 30 obstruct less of the available space beneath the table top 12 and between the support pedestals 18, 20 Consequently, more room is available to accommodate the legs of one or more users beneath the table top 12, thereby making the utility table 210 more comfortable to users. Furthermore, the absence of the cross-brace members 36a, 36b from the central portion 216 of the table top 12 provides usable storage space to accommodate the foot members 213 when the support pedestals 18, 20 are disposed in the collapsed position. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the central portion 216 integrally formed in the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 may be configured having a wider or narrower dimension than illustrated by way of example in FIG. 4, depending on the overall extended length of the table top 12, the supportable weight the table top is designed to bear, the size of the foot members 213, and/or the need for usable space beneath the table top 12 when the utility table 210 is disposed in the usable position. In one presently preferred embodiment, a pair of locking collars 217 is provided which slidably engage respective overlapping portions of the pivotal support braces 224, 230. The locking collars 217 are preferably configured and sized such that when the support pedestals 18, 20 are selectively disposed in the extended position, the locking collars 217 may be engageably positioned in relation to the overlapping portions to prevent the bifurcated proximal ends 226, 232 from moving relative to the corresponding distal ends 228, 234 of the pivotal support braces 224, 230, thus preventing the support pedestal supports 18, 20 from being positioned in the collapsed position without first disengaging the locking collars 217, respectively. As with the previous preferred embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, a plurality of kiss-offs 218 may be formed in the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 to add structural integrity and strength to the working surface 16 of the blow molded table top. In addition, a plurality of plateaus 219 and longitudinal trenches 220 may also be formed in the mounting surface 14 to further add stiffening and strength to the table top 12. Correspondingly, these plateaus 219 and trenches 220 operably function to increase the section modulus of the table top 12 by moving material away from the neutral axis of the table top 12, thus making it more difficult to bend the table top 12 in a longitudinal direction, as when a heavy load is positioned in the middle of the table top 12. As will be appreciated, the kiss-offs 218 may be formed within the trenches 220 to ensure that the table top 12 can be made hollow without concern that the working surface 16 may have a tendency to flex inwardly toward the mounting surface 14 when a weight is placed on the table top 12. Additionally, an opening 222 may be formed in the table top 12 to provide means for introducing a support pole of an umbrella assembly (not shown) or the like. Although certain structural elements and components, such as: (1) one or more stabilizer arms 90 engageably disposed in relation to the first and second member 114, 116 of the support pedestals 18, 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 3); (2) one or more mounting members 148 for supportably retaining the retaining assembly 36 in relation to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 (see FIGS. 2 and 3); (3) one or more securing members 152 attached to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 for securing the support pedestals 18, 20 in the collapsed position (see FIGS. 2 and 3); (4) one or more manifolds 154, 156 that assist in facilitating the blow molding process by providing for uniform dispersion of air along the length of the blow molded table top 12 (see FIGS. 2 and 3); and (5) beveled edges and/or a textured working surface 16 (see FIG. 1) have been omitted from the embodiment of the utility table 210 illustrated in FIG. 4. It is contemplated herein that one or more of these structural features, however, may be incorporated into the alternate design of the utility table 210, if desired. With reference now to FIG. 5, another presently preferred embodiment of the utility table of the present invention is (generally designated at 310. As shown, the utility table 310 includes a table top 12 having a mounting surface 14 and a working surface 16 disposed opposite the mounting surface. Structurally, the table top 12 is preferably supported above an underlying surface by a first support pedestal 18 and a second support pedestal 20 disposed at spaced-apart relationship to the first support pedestal. Both the first and second support pedestals 18, 20 are preferably attached to the mounting surface 14 or, in the alternative, to a rigid support frame 40. A first pivotal support brace 324 includes a proximal end 326 pivotally attached to the first support pedestal 18 and a distal end 328 pivotally attached to a retaining assembly 36. Similarly, a second pivotal support brace 330 is shown having a proximal end 332 pivotally attached to the second support pedestal 20 and a distal end 334 pivotally attached to the retaining assembly 36 As will be appreciated, the distal ends 328, 334 of the first and second pivotal support brace 324, 330, respectively, may be pivotally attached to the mounting surface 14 by means of a engaging bracket (not shown). Because the alternate preferred embodiment of the utility table 310, as illustrated in FIG. 5, is substantially similar in construction to the utility table 10 shown in FIGS. 1-3, only those structural variations which exist between these two embodiments will be further disclosed hereinbelow. Specifically, one presently preferred embodiment of the utility table 310 includes a first support pedestal 18 having two support legs 312, 314. Each of the support legs 314, 312 of the first support pedestal 18 may be formed having a proximate end 316 rigidly attached to a cross pole 86 mounted in pivotal relation to the frame 40 or, in the alternative, to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 independent of the other leg. Similarly, each of the support legs 314, 312 of the second support pedestal 20 may be formed having a proximate end 316 rigidly attached to a cross pole 86 mounted in pivotal relation to the frame 40 or, in the alternative, to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 independent of the other leg. To accommodate a table top 12 having a length that is smaller than the fixed or extendable length of the legs 312, 314 of the support pedestals 18, 20, the relative disposition of the distal ends 318 of each of the support legs 312, 314 of the first support pedestal 18 are offset from the corresponding distal ends 318 of each of the support legs 312, 314 of the second support pedestal 20 disposed on an opposite side of the table top 12. The distal end 318 of the first support leg 312 of the first support pedestal 18 is offset in a lateral direction 320 from the second support leg 314 of the first support pedestal. Similarly, the distal end 318 of the first support leg 312 of the second support pedestal 20 is offset in a lateral direction 320 from the second support leg 314 of the second support pedestal 20. This offset configuration enables the use of a smaller table top 12 and frame 40 because the support pedestals 18, 20 can include a length greater than the distance between the opposing ends of the table top 12, and yet still fold into a parallel configuration relative to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 without interference by the distal ends 318 of each of the support legs 312, 314 of the first and second support pedestals 18, 20. The foregoing function can be structurally accomplished in a variety of ways. For example, both the proximal and distal ends 316, 318 of the support legs 312, 314 may be laterally offset so that the legs 312, 314 are always parallel to the frame 40, as shown in FIG. 5. Alternatively, the proximal ends 316 may remain aligned in the folded position, and the legs 312, 314 may fold at an angle. This may be done by pivotally mounting the proximal ends 316 to the mounting surface 14 at an angle, or by mounting the cross pole 86 at a diagonal angle with respect to the frame 40 and table top 12. As discussed above, the retaining assembly 36 generally provides structural support to the center of the table top 12 of the utility table 310. It will be further appreciated that with the distal ends 328, 334 attached contiguous each other in retention to the cross-brace member 36, forces applied to the table top 12 which would ordinarily be transferred through one of the support pivotal braces 324, 330, respectively, into the table top 12 causing it to bow, will substantially be nullified by the counter force provided by the opposing pivotal support brace 324,330, respectively. For example, the horizontal component of a force applied by a user at one end of the table top 12 will act upon the one of the support pedestals 18, 20 and, because the distal ends 328, 334 of the pivotal support braces 224, 330, respectively, are attached to the retaining assembly 36, an equal and opposite horizontal force component applied by the other pivotal support brace 18, 20 will cancel out the horizontal force component of the original force. Accordingly, although the support legs 212, 214 of the support pedestals 18, 20 are offset, the structural configuration of the present invention provides increased structural support to the table top 12 with fewer parts. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the retaining assembly 36 may be disposed in a variety of configurations which are consistent with the spirit and scope of the present invention so as to slow the pivotal support braces 324, 330 to supportably interrelate with each other. Moreover, the utility table 210 shown in FIG. 4 and discussed in detail hereinabove, may include support pedestals 18, 20 that comprise spaced apart support legs which are offset from the corresponding support legs of the opposing support pedestal to provide the advantages of overlapping the legs, if desired. Although certain structural elements and components, such as: (1) telescoping support legs operable to adjust the height of the table top 12 above an underlying surface, (2) a second cross-brace member 36b formed independent of a first cross-brace member 36a (see FIG. 4); (3) a plurality of kiss-offs 158 formed in the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), (4) one or more mounting members 148 for supportably retaining the retaining assembly 36 in relation to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 (See FIGS. 2 and 3), (5) one or more securing members 152 attached to the mounting surface 14 of the table top 12 for securing the support pedestals 18, 20 in the collapsed position (see FIGS. 2 and 3); (6) one or more manifolds 154, 156 that assist in facilitating the blow molding process by providing for uniform dispersion of air along the length of the blow molded table top 12 (see FIGS. 2 and 3); (7) a bend formed in the opposing ends 211 of the support bar 212 (see FIG. 4); (8) beveled edges and/or a textured working surface 16 (See FIG. 1); and (9) a plurality of plateaus 219 and longitudinal trenches 220 may also be formed in the mounting surface 14 to further add stiffening and strength to the table top 12 (see FIG. 4) have been omitted from the embodiment of the utility table 310 illustrated in FIG. 5. It is contemplated herein that one or more of the foregoing structural however, may be incorporated into the design of the utility table 310, if desired. Many of the problems associated with prior art portable folding utility tables are addressed by the teachings of the present invention. From the above discussion, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a novel portable folding utility table having a center support assembly that is durable enough to withstand increased wear and tear, yet is lightweight enough to easily set up and take down. The present invention also provides a utility table with a center support retaining assembly that provides increased stability and structural integrity with an efficient design that allows the interrelation of the support pedestals to each other. The center support retaining assembly of the utility table of the present invention is also cost effective to manufacture and does not compromise the structural integrity of the table top. The present invention also provides a portable folding utility table that includes a work surface disposed at a height that is comfortable to work at Additionally, features are provided to improve the functionality of longer and smaller tables under various use and loading conditions. It should be appreciated that the apparatus of the present invention is capable of being incorporated in the form of a variety of embodiments, only a few of which have been illustrated and described above. The invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. The Field of the Invention The present invention is related to a utility table, and more particularly, to a portable folding utility table having one or more center support assemblies and off-set support legs that selectively support the utility table above a surface. 2. The Technical Background Portable folding utility tables are indispensable for groups or organizations that have limited floor space usable for multiple purposes. For example, foldable utility tables can be placed in a pre-determined configuration to meet the space requirements of a school gymnasium, a church multi-purpose room, or a hotel conference meeting room. Afterward, the tables can be neatly stored away and the conference or meeting room used for a different purpose. Thus, portable folding utility tables allow a group or organization to maximize the efficiency and utility of a particular space. Foldable utility tables can also provide an immediate temporary work space in a garage, tool shed, and the like. The portability and foldability of these utility tables allows a user to conveniently set up, take down, and store the table whenever and wherever the user chooses. A major drawback with many portable folding utility tables of the prior art, however, is their inherent size and bulkiness. Many such utility tables require two people to collapse and store the table after use. Moreover, some prior art portable folding utility tables are heavy enough to cause injury if dropped or mishandled. These unwieldy tables are usually made from hardwood, particle board, or similarly heavy materials. In an attempt to overcome this weight and bulkiness problem, some prior art portable utility tables are formed of lighter-weight materials. However, many of these lightweight utility tables generally lack the sturdiness of the heavier-weight prior art utility tables. Another disadvantage to prior art utility tables is the means used for attaching the table support legs or two or more support pedestals to the underside of the table. As will be appreciated, prior art table support legs are typically attached to the table top using threaded screws or bolts that are drilled into the underside of the table top. This means of attachment may compromise the integrity of the table top thereby making it weaker at the point of attachment between the table support legs and the table top. Other attachment mechanisms may include a form of bonding the table support legs as support pedestals directly against the surface of the table top. Often, however, this means of attachment by bonding weakens the structural integrity of the table top. Thus, when the table support legs fail, a portion of the material forming the table top may pull away at the point of the bonded attachment thereby making the table costly, if not impossible to repair. In an attempt to overcome the foregoing disadvantages, prior art utility tables were developed by those skilled in the art that are equipped with complex or heavy-duty attachment mechanisms that facilitate a secure attachment between the table support legs or the support pedestals and the table top. These types of attachment mechanisms, however, are normally heavier, more costly, more difficult to install, and typically require additional time to manufacture. The previously stated disadvantages are compounded by the fact that many prior art utility tables incorporate a separate and distinct attachment mechanism for attaching each table support leg or pedestal to the table top. As appreciated, most existing portable folding utility tables have two sets of support legs or pedestal supports, one at each end of the table. Each of these supports is typically attached to the underside of the table top at two places or points of contact. Correspondingly, many of these types of utility tables have at least four separate points of attachment, each attachment between the support legs or pedestal supports facilitated by a separate attachment mechanism. One particular problem with utility tables having separate and distinct attachment mechanisms is that they are generally susceptible to bowing in the center of the table top under stress. This is especially true with larger banquet style tables. Yet another drawback with many prior art utility tables is that the hard materials used to maintain a sufficient rigidity and sturdiness of the table top often have sharp edges which may be uncomfortable for the user to lean against or rest their arms upon. Further, these materials may also be susceptible to damage or degradation from the elements of nature. In addition, smaller utility tables that are found in the prior art usually comprise shortened support legs that fail to provide sufficient height to the table top in relation to the underlying surface, thus these types of table are generally uncomfortable to users. In particular, when these prior art utility tables are configured in the folded position for storage, the table support legs are required to be short enough so not to interfere with each other when folded in a conventional fashion underneath the table top. Small folding utility tables of the prior art are also typically bulky when disposed in the folded position because complex and unwieldy mechanisms are generally required to accommodate the use of longer support legs that may be incorporated to overcome the inherent height deficit found in most smaller utility tables. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that it would be an advancement in the art to provide a portable folding utility table that is durable enough to withstand the increased wear and tear that portable utility tables are subjected to over long periods of time and sturdy enough to support varying sized loads that will be placed on the table, while at the same time being light-weight enough to be easily set up and taken down. It would be another advancement in the art to provide a portable folding utility table having a leg or support pedestal attachment mechanism that does not involve a complex design, heavy duty attachment hardware, or need to be screwed, bolted, or bonded to the under side of the table top. It would be a further advancement in the art to provide a portable folding utility table that minimizes the points of attachment to the surface of the table top and facilitates attachment mechanisms that interrelate with each other to support the table top above an underlying surface. Furthermore, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a portable folding utility table that may provide a smaller working surface than larger utility table, but that is comfortable to work at in relation to its height disposition and which is capable of withstanding the elements of nature. Finally, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a portable folding utility table in which the support legs or pedestals, having a length greater than the corresponding length of the table top, can fold against the underside of the table top when disposed for storage without interfering with each other, so that smaller frames and table tops can be used that accommodate a sufficient height disposition in relation to the underlying support surface. Such a portable folding utility table is disclosed and claimed herein. | <SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention is directed to a novel portable folding utility table having a center support assembly. The utility table includes a table top supported by a pair of support pedestals. In one presently preferred embodiment, the table top includes a mounting surface and a working surface formed opposite the mounting surface. The working surface may be textured and may include an outer periphery, at least a portion of which is beveled to provide comfort to a user. A first end of each support pedestal is preferably attached to the mounting surface of the table top. In one presently preferred embodiment, the support pedestals are pivotally attached to the mounting surface of the table top, to allow each support pedestal to be moved between a collapsed position and an extended position for supporting the table top above a surface. A securing member may also be attached to the mounting surface for releasably securing one or more support pedestals in the collapsed position. Additionally, the utility table may include a first pivoting support brace attached to the first support pedestal at a proximal end and to the mounting surface at a distal end thereof. Similarly, a second pivoting support brace may be attached to the second support pedestal at a proximal end and to the mounting surface at a distal end thereof. In one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the distal ends of the first and second pivotal support braces are disposed contiguous to each other at a retention assembly attached to the mounting surface or, in the alternative, to a support frame. In one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the retention assembly may include a single cross-brace member disposed through openings formed at the distal ends of the pivotal support braces and secured to the mounting surface. The mounting surface may be configured such that opposing ends of the cross-brace member are introduced through openings disposed in opposing sides of the mounting surface of the table top and may further include a mount for receiving and retaining the cross-brace member therein. Thus, the distal ends of both support pedestals are preferably attached along the length of the cross-brace member which is secured to the mounting surface, thereby reducing the number of attachment mechanisms and interrelating the support pedestals to the table top to increase structural support and efficiency of manufacture. In another presently preferred embodiment, each support pedestal includes a first member pivotally engaging the mounting surface of the table top and a second member configured for telescoping engagement with the first member. This configuration permits the height of the support pedestal to be disposed between a lengthened position and a retracted position. In an alternative presently preferred embodiment, the table may include two cross-brace members providing separate attachment points for the first and second pivotal support braces. Such a configuration is particularly desirable for tables having an extended length, in which it may not be advantageous for each of the pivotal support braces to have lengths sufficient for extending into the center of the table top. Correspondingly, a dual cross-brace configuration may provide additional space for accommodating one or more user's legs under the table top. Moreover, in yet another presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, each support pedestal may include two legs slightly offset from the corresponding legs of the other support pedestal disposed on the opposing side of the table top, so that longer support legs can be accommodated under a smaller table top when disposed above an underlying surface. This off-set distance is sufficient to keep the support legs of the opposing support pedestal from interfering with one another, thus allowing displacement substantially against the mounting surface of the table top when disposed in the retracted position for storage. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a portable folding utility table that is durable enough to withstand increased wear and tear yet is light-weight for easy set up and take down. The present invention also provides a novel center support assembly that provides increased structural stability to the table top with efficient design such that to allow the interrelation of the support pedestals. The center support assembly is also cost effective to manufacture and does not compromise the structural integrity of the table top. Further, the present invention provides a utility table that facilitates a height that is comfortable for one or more users to work at. The foregoing and other advantages and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent by examination of the following description of the presently preferred embodiments and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. | 20041013 | 20050823 | 20050303 | 96010.0 | 1 | CHEN, JOSE V | TABLE WITH INTEGRAL RECEIVING MEMBERS | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,964,105 | ACCEPTED | Devices and methods for creating an electrical connection | The described embodiments provide devices and methods for creating an electrical connection in an electronic system. The devices and methods include a standoff that connects a circuit element with a circuit board and supports the circuit element at a sufficient height above the circuit board to create an additional layout area. The additional layout area may be utilized to mount additional circuit elements to the circuit board. | 1. An electronic system, comprising: at least one standoff having a contact pad substantially lying in a first plane and an electrical conductor extending from the contact pad; at least one circuit element having a body and at least one compression lead connectable between the body and the contact pad, the body having a footprint corresponding to a two-dimensional area associated with a portion of the body; a circuit board having a surface with an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area on the surface usable for mounting circuit elements, wherein the at least one standoff is connectable to the circuit board, wherein the surface substantially lies in a second plane spaced apart from and overlying the first plane, and wherein the available layout area includes at least a portion of a projected area of the footprint. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the contact pad and the electrical conductor are integrally formed. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electrical conductor comprises at least one rigid lead. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the contact pad and the mounting mechanism consist essentially of an electrically-conductive material. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one circuit element comprises a component selected from the group consisting of an audio speaker, a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor, a switch, an electrical frequency filter, an electrical connector, a circuit board, a chip, an electrical or radio signal shield, a visual display unit, a keyboard unit, a battery unit, a memory device, a processor, an integrated circuit or chip or set of microminiaturized electronic circuits, a transistor, a motor, a rotating unbalanced mechanism, an antenna mechanism, a microphone, a buzzer and an acoustical device. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit board forms at least a portion of a communications module operable for transmitting and receiving communications signals. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a visual output or display device, an audio output device, a mobile phone, a satellite phone, a portable phone, a pager, a wireless two way communications device, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a gaming system, a remote control system, a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver or controller, devices communicating via Bluetooth technology, and communications systems involving the receipt and/or transmission of short- or long-range communications signals. 8. An electronic system, comprising: a circuit board having a surface including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces; and at least one standoff having an electrically-conductive contact plate and at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead, wherein the standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces, and wherein the contact plate is positioned at a predetermined height above the surface and provides a mechanical support for at least one circuit element to be positioned at a sufficient height above the surface to allow additional circuit elements to be mounted to the surface below the at least one circuit element. 9. An electronic system, comprising: a circuit board having a surface with an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area usable for mounting circuit elements, the available layout area including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces; at least one standoff having an electrically-conductive contact plate in electrical communication with at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead, wherein the at least one standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces, wherein the contact plate comprises a flat area at a sufficient height to support at least one connectable circuit element away from the surface such that the available layout area includes at least a portion of an area on the surface under the circuit element. 10. An electronic system, comprising: a circuit board having a surface including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces, the surface having an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area usable for mounting circuit elements; a plurality of standoffs each having an electrically-conductive contact plate in electrical communication with at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead, wherein each standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces, wherein each standoff lead supports a respective contact plate at a predetermined height relative to the surface, wherein each contact plate comprises a flat area; at least one circuit element having a body and a pair a compression leads, wherein the pair of compression leads are contactable with the corresponding contact plates of the plurality of standoffs, wherein the body is supportable by at least one of the plurality of standoffs at a sufficient height from the surface such that the available layout area includes at least a portion of an area of the surface facing the body. 11. A mobile communications device, comprising: a circuit board having a surface that includes a pattern of electrically-conductive traces; a plurality of standoffs each having a contact pad electrically connected to the pattern of electrically-conductive traces, wherein the contact pad is positioned at a constant predetermined height above the surface of the circuit board; a first housing having an internal surface that includes a circuit element housing with a first alignment feature; and a circuit element having at least one lead and a body with a second alignment feature, the circuit element at least partially positionable within the circuit element housing such that the second alignment feature mates with the first alignment feature to orient the at least one lead with the corresponding one of the plurality of standoffs, each lead connectable between the corresponding standoff and the circuit element, and wherein the circuit element is supportable by the standoffs at a sufficient height above the circuit board surface to create an additional layout area between the surface and the body. 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the pair of leads comprise compression leads extending from the body of the circuit element. 13. The device of claim 12, wherein each of the standoffs further include a pair of standoff leads that connect the contact pad and the pattern of electrically-conductive traces, wherein the pair of standoff leads have a predetermined constant length. 14. The device of claim 13, further comprising at least one of a visual display unit, an antenna mechanism, a battery, a near-field speaker, a microphone, a keyboard, a navigation mechanism and a push-to-talk button. 15. A method of mounting circuit elements on a circuit board, comprising: connecting a first lead from a first standoff to a pattern of electrically-conductive traces on a surface of the circuit board, where the first standoff includes a first contact plate spaced a first predetermined constant distance above the surface; connecting a second lead from a second standoff to the pattern of electrically-conductive traces on the surface of the circuit board, where the second standoff includes a second contact plate spaced a second predetermined constant distance above the surface; connecting at least one circuit element in at least a portion of an area on the surface adjacent to the first standoff and the second standoff that corresponds to a projected area on the surface of a body of an elevated circuit element contactable with and supportable by the first standoff and the second standoff. 16. The method of claim 15, where the first predetermined constant distance and the second predetermined constant distance are substantially equal distances. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming the first standoff and the second standoff in a U-shape. 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming the first standoff and the second standoff from an electrically-conductive material. 19. The method of claim 18, where the electrically-conductive material comprises a strip of material. 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising contacting at least one electrical lead extending from the elevated circuit element to a corresponding one of the first contact plate and the second contact plate. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This invention is related to applicants' following U.S. patent applications, each hereby incorporated by reference: application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Devices And Methods For Retaining An Antenna,” Attorney Docket No. 030078, filed concurrently herewith; application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Devices And Methods For Retaining A Lens In A Mobile Electronic Device,” Attorney Docket No. 040336, filed concurrently herewith; and application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Devices And Methods For Connecting Housings,” Attorney Docket No. 040386, filed concurrently herewith. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT This invention was made with government support under United States government contract MDA904-01-G-0620 awarded by the National Security Agency. The government may have certain rights in this invention. BACKGROUND The described embodiments relate to electronic systems, and more particularly, to devices and methods for connecting electrical components within electronic systems. In electronic devices that utilize a circuit board, there are a number of different mechanisms for linking two electrical components, such as the circuit board and a circuit element such as a resistor, capacitor, etc. For example, such circuit elements may have leads that are mounted in plated through holes in the circuit board, known as “through hole” technology, or on contact pads on the surface of the circuit board, known as “surface mount” technology. The plated through holes and the contact pads are electrically connected to a conductive pattern of traces on the surface and/or in various layers of the circuit board. The circuit elements may then be soldered to the circuit board to complete a circuit and form a working electronic device. One drawback of “through hole” and “surface mount” technology, however, is that each circuit element takes up space on the surface of the circuit board. With an increasing demand for more complex electronic devices, an increasing number of circuit elements are required, which thereby requires an increased amount of circuit board surface area for mounting the circuit elements. Additionally, there is an increasing demand for mobile electronic devices, with an emphasis on compact design. Thus, there is a demand for mounting an increasing number of circuit elements onto a circuit board having the smallest possible area. To address this need, some components are electrically linked through pin and socket type connectors. Pin and socket connectors may directly mate adjacent components, or the components may be positioned at any convenient location with the pin and socket connectors linked together by flexible cables. These types of connectors include ribbon cable connectors and pig tail connectors. These pin and socket type connectors have a number of drawbacks, however, such as a relatively high cost due to the number and complexity of the parts of the connector. Additionally, pin and socket type connectors require relatively high tolerances between the mating pins and sockets. Further, the ribbon cable and pig tail type flexible connectors may be inadvertently left in the unconnected state during assembly or rework, leading to additional costs associated with discovering and correcting this error. Other types of connectors include compression connectors, which consist of a plastic body that houses spring-like leads extending out of the top of the body that resiliently compress when contacted with a mating component. A drawback is that these types of connectors take up a substantial amount of circuit board space as they are sized to accommodate various bends in the metal leads to achieve the spring-like characteristic. Further, these types of connectors typically include gull-wing leads, extending from a bottom portion of the body, that are soldered to the circuit board. These projecting gull-wing leads further reduce the available space for mounting or connecting additional circuit elements to the circuit board. Additionally, gull-wing solder joints are known to fail when subjected to static compressive loads and cyclic compressive loads. Many electronic devices, such as any device having a phone keypad, a QWERTY keyboard, and navigation or gaming keys, are typically subjected to both static and cyclic compressive loads due to the many key presses over time. Such compressive loads have been known to cause failures due to broken gull-wing solder joints between a circuit board and a component, or in board-to-board connections. Thus, devices and methods for connecting electrical components are desired which increase the number of circuit elements that can be connected in a given limited area of a circuit board space, and that can better withstand static and cyclic compressive loading. BRIEF SUMMARY In accordance with one aspect, the described embodiments provide a device and method for securely connecting circuit elements to a circuit board in a manner that increases the density of circuit elements mounted directly to the surface of the circuit board. In one embodiment, an electronic system comprises at least one standoff having a contact pad substantially lying in a first plane and an electrical conductor extending from the contact pad. The system further includes at least one circuit element having a body and at least one compression lead connectable between the body and the contact pad. The body having a footprint corresponding to a two-dimensional area associated with a portion of the body. And, the system including a circuit board having a surface with an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area on the surface usable for mounting circuit elements, wherein at least one standoff is connectable to the circuit board. Further, the surface substantially lies in a second plane spaced apart from and overlying the first plane, and the available layout area includes at least a portion of a projected area of the footprint. In another embodiment, an electronic system comprises a circuit board having a surface including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces and at least one standoff having an electrically-conductive contact plate and at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead. The standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces. And, the contact plate is positioned at a predetermined height above the surface and provides a mechanical support for at least one circuit element to be positioned at a sufficient height above the surface to allow additional circuit elements to be mounted to the surface below the at least one circuit element. In yet another embodiment, an electronic system comprises a circuit board having a surface with an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area usable for mounting circuit elements, where the available layout area including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces. The system includes at least one standoff having an electrically-conductive contact plate in electrical communication with at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead, wherein at least one standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces. The contact plate comprises a flat area at a sufficient height to support at least one connectable circuit element away from the surface such that the available layout area includes at least a portion of an area on the surface under the circuit element. In a further embodiment, an electronic system comprises a circuit board having a surface including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces and an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area usable for mounting circuit elements. The system includes a plurality of standoffs each having an electrically-conductive contact plate in electrical communication with at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead. Each standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces. Further, each standoff lead supports a respective contact plate at a predetermined height relative to the surface, wherein each contact plate comprises a flat area. Additionally, the system includes at least one circuit element having a body and a pair a compression leads. The pair of compression leads are contactable with the corresponding contact plates of the plurality of standoffs. And, the body is supportable by at least one of the plurality of standoffs at a sufficient height from the surface such that the available layout area includes at least a portion of an area of the surface facing the body. In still another embodiment, a mobile communications device comprises a circuit board having a surface that includes a pattern of electrically-conductive traces and a plurality of standoffs each having a contact pad electrically connected to the pattern of electrically-conductive traces. Each contact pad is positioned at a constant predetermined height above the surface of the circuit board. The device further includes a first housing having an internal surface that includes a circuit element housing with a first alignment feature and an audio speaker having at least one lead and a body with a second alignment feature. The audio speaker is at least partially positionable within the circuit element housing such that the second alignment feature mates with the first alignment feature to orient at least one lead with a corresponding one of the plurality of standoffs. Each lead being connectable with the corresponding standoff and the audio speaker such that the audio speaker is supportable by the standoffs at a sufficient height above the circuit board surface to create an additional layout area between the surface and the body. Further, another embodiment discloses a method of mounting circuit elements on a circuit board. The method comprises connecting a first lead from a first standoff to a pattern of electrically-conductive traces on a surface of the circuit board, where the first standoff includes a first contact plate spaced a first predetermined constant distance above the surface. Further, the method includes connecting a second lead from a second standoff to the pattern of electrically-conductive traces on the surface of the circuit board, where the second standoff includes a second contact plate spaced a second predetermined constant distance above the surface. And, the method includes connecting at least one circuit element in at least a portion of an area on the surface adjacent to the first standoff and the second standoff that corresponds to a projected area on the surface of a body of an elevated circuit element contactable with and supportable by the first standoff and the second standoff. Additional aspects and advantages of the described embodiments are set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part are obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the described embodiments. The aspects and advantages of the described embodiments may also be realized and attained by the means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the present invention, wherein like designations denote like elements, and in which: FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of an electronic system, such as a mobile phone, including a pair of standoffs that connect a circuit element to a circuit board at a sufficient height above the circuit board to create an additional layout area for mounting additional circuit elements; FIG. 2 is a front view of the electronic system of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-section view along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the circuit board and standoffs of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of one embodiment of a circuit element housing and recess formed on an internal surface of the rear housing of FIG. 1; and FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of a circuit element, a far-field speaker in this case, positioned within the recess of the circuit element housing of FIG. 5 such that an alignment projection on the circuit element mates with an alignment notch in the circuit element housing to orient the circuit element leads relative to the standoffs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Before select embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that these embodiments are not limited in application to the details of the construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed embodiments are capable of other forms and may be carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Referring to FIGS. 1-4, one embodiment of a system and method for creating an electrical connection to an electronic device includes one or more standoffs 10, 12, 14 that form an electrical connection between circuit element 16, such as a speaker, and a pattern of electrically-conductive traces 18 on surface 20 of circuit board 22. In this embodiment, standoffs 10 and 14 contact opposing leads 24, 26 (FIG. 3) that extend from circuit element 16 to transmit electrical signals that control the interaction between the circuit element and the electronic system 28, and in particular circuit board 22. Additionally, standoffs 10 and 14 are structural components that support circuit element 16 a sufficient height 30 (FIG. 3) above surface 20 to create an additional layout area 32 (FIGS. 1 and 4) where additional circuit elements 34 (FIGS. 1 and 4) may be placed on surface 20. By allowing placement of additional circuit elements 34 on surface 20, standoffs 10 and 14 enhance the functionality and provide for a more compact design of electronic system 28. Standoff 12, which is an optional component, may also be utilized to provide additional structural support to maintain circuit element 16 in a position off of surface 20. Thus, standoffs 10, 12, 14 provide an electrical connection and structural support to elevate circuit element 16 off of circuit board 22, thereby providing an additional layout area 32 in which additional circuit elements 34 may be connected to circuit board 22. Standoffs 10, 12, 14 each include a contact pad or plate 36 for connecting with circuit elements and electrical conductors or leads 38, 40 extending from the contact pad 36 to connect with the pattern of conductive traces 18 on circuit board 22. Contact pad or plate 36 may include a flat, planar surface or a curvilinear surface having a sufficient area in which to make electrical contact with corresponding leads of a circuit element. Leads 38, 40 have a predetermined length, which may be a constant length, and may be substantially rigid or non-compressive such that they support contact pad or plate 36 at a predetermined height 42 (FIG. 3) above surface 20. For instance, surface 20 may lie substantially in a first plane and contact pad or plate 36 may lie substantially in a second plane at predetermined height 42. It should be noted that predetermined height 42 of the contact pads or plates 36 may be the same height as sufficient height 30 of circuit element 16, or these two height may differ. For example, if the contact pads or plates 36 connect directly to the body of circuit element 16, then both heights 30, 42 may be the same. In another example, circuit element 16 may include leads 24, 26 extending from its body, or may include an additional support mechanism 43 (FIGS. 3 and 6), such as a elastic body, felt, or non-electrically-conductive material, that further aid in supporting circuit element 16 such that height 42 may be less than height 30. Additionally, it may be desired to support circuit element 16 at some angle relative to surface, thereby causing heights 30, 42 to be different. Further, circuit element 16 may have a body with an uneven shape that may cause the height 42 of each contact pad or plate 36 to be different. Leads 38, 40 may have the same width as contact pad or plate 36, as detailed below, or they may have a different width. Further, leads 38, 40 may include one or more legs or extensions that function to connect contact pad or plate 36 with circuit board 22. Additionally, leads 38, 40 may have any one of a variety of shapes, such as a straight leg or extension, a J-shaped extension, an L-shaped extension or a gull-wing type of extension. Moreover, leads 38, 40 may be formed integrally with contact pad or plate 36, or they may be independently formed and attached. All or portions of contact pad or plate 36 and leads 38, 40 may be formed from an electrically-conductive material. Suitable examples of electrically-conductive materials include, but are not limited to, silver, copper, gold, aluminum and super-conducting ceramics. In one embodiment, for example, standoffs 10, 12, 14 may be fashioned from a strip of copper material, where a predetermined length of material is cut from the strip, and then the predetermined length of material is bent twice to form leads 38, 40 and contact pad or plate 36. In alternate embodiments, for example, the contact pad or plate and the leads may be formed as electrically-conductive deposits or inserts on a non-electrically-conductive body or block of material. Thus, standoffs 10, 12, 14 include any connector having a contact pad or plate supported at a predetermined height above and electrically connected to a circuit board. Circuit element 16 includes any electrical component capable of being mounted to circuit board 22 and/or connected to the pattern of conductive traces 18 that, along with additional circuit elements 34, form a circuit that performs an electrical function. Suitable examples of circuit element 16 include, but are not limited to: an audio speaker; a resistor; a capacitor; an inductor; a switch; an electrical frequency filter; an electrical connector; a circuit board; a chip; an electrical or radio signal shield; a visual display unit; a keyboard unit; a battery unit; a memory device; a processor; an integrated circuit or chip or set of microminiaturized, electronic circuits; a transistor; a motor; a rotating unbalanced mechanism; an antenna mechanism; a microphone; a buzzer; and an acoustical device. Circuit element 16 generally includes a body or package 44 that contains the functional components and leads 24, 26 that electrically connect the circuit element to the circuit. Body or package 44 may be of any shape or size, and has a footprint that corresponds to additional layout area 32 created by circuit element 16 being positioned above surface 20 of circuit board 22. The term “footprint” therefore refers to an area on surface 20 that would be covered by body or package 44 if circuit element 16 were mounted on surface 20. Leads 24, 26 may be of any shape or design suitable for connecting circuit element 16 to contact pad or plate 36. Suitable examples of types of leads 24, 26 include but are not limited to compression leads, gull-wing leads, J-leads, contact pads or plates, lands and standoffs. All or portions of leads 24, 26 may be formed from an electrically-conductive material. Suitable examples of electrically-conductive materials include, but are not limited to, silver, copper, gold, aluminum and super-conducting ceramics. Circuit element 16 is supported by standoffs 10, 12, 14 at height 30 (FIG. 3), which is a suitable height for allowing additional circuit elements 34 to be mounted in the area 32 (FIG. 4) of the footprint of circuit element 16. Additional circuit elements 34 may include any of the circuit elements described above that are capable of being mounted on surface 20 of circuit board 22 in the additional layout area 32 created by standoffs 10,12, 14 raising circuit element 16 off of surface 20. Circuit board 22 includes any substrate having integral electrically-conductive elements, including active and/or passive circuitry. For example, circuit board 22 may include rigid or flexible, single, double or multilayered boards that are processed to contain circuit configurations. In particular, circuit board 22 may include a substrate of a glass fabric impregnated with a resin, such as epoxy, that is cured and clad with a metal, such as copper, upon which the pattern of conductive traces 18 are fabricated to create circuitry and/or interconnect circuit elements. The area on surface 20 suitable for mounting and/or connecting circuit elements is known as the “available layout area.” In general, the entire area of surface 20 may be utilized for mounting and/or connecting circuit elements. In practice, however, the available layout area is less than the entire surface area of circuit board 22 in order to create clearance between circuit elements or adjacent components, such as to reduce electrical or magnetic interference or to create attachment areas, and because many circuit elements have a footprint on the surface that is substantially larger than the area needed to connect that circuit element to the circuit board 22. Circuit board 22 and the various circuit elements mounted thereon generally define an electronics module 46 (FIG. 3) that provides the electrical functionality to electronic system 28. Electronic system 28 may include any type of device designed to perform an electrical function. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in one embodiment, electronic system 28 may be a mobile electronic device such as a portable device having electronics module 46 (FIG. 3) for sending output signals to a visual display unit 48 which creates a textual or graphical image viewable by a user. Suitable examples of a mobile electronic device include a communications device, a gaming device, a remote control device, a personal computer-type device, a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver or controller, etc. Suitable examples of a communications device for sending and/or receiving communications-related signals include a mobile phone such as a code division multiple access (“CDMA”)-based system, a wide-band code division multiple access (“WCDMA”)-based system, a global system for mobile communications (“GSM”)-based system, an advance mobile phone service (“AMPS”)-based system and a time division multiple access (“TDMA”)-based system, a satellite phone, a portable phone, a pager, a wireless two way communications device, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, devices communicating via Bluetooth technology, and other similar types of communications systems involving the receipt and/or transmission of short- or long-range communications signals. For example, one embodiment of a mobile electronic device includes the Qualcomm QSec 2700 mobile phone. Electronic system 28, such as the mobile device of FIGS. 1 and 2, may further include a front housing 50 that mates with rear housing 52 for encasing and protecting the components of electronic system 28. In particular, securing mechanisms 53, 55, such as internal snaps or detents, may be aligned to fix together housings 16, 18, and may also help to bias internal mounting surfaces and/or internal components against lens assembly 84. Further, additional securing mechanisms 57, 59, such as nails or screws and associated receiving bosses, may be installed in both housings 50, 52 after they are placed together. The securing mechanisms 53, 55 and 57, 59 fix the housings together in a substantially irreversible manner such that any subsequent attempt to separate the housings results in noticeable damage to the housings. Front and rear housings 50, 52 may be formed from metals, plastics, composites and other similar materials. Either front or rear housing 50, 52 may provide one or more mounting surfaces for some of the components of electronic system 28. In one embodiment, for example referring to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, rear housing 52 includes an internal surface 54 that supports electronics module 46 and circuit board 22. Additionally, internal surface 54 of rear housing 52 may include a circuit element housing 56 to aid in holding and positioning circuit element 16 relative to standoffs 10, 12, 14. In this embodiment, circuit element housing 56 includes a wall 58 that projects from internal surface 54 and that further defines an alignment notch 60 (FIGS. 5 and 6) into which mates a corresponding alignment projection 62 extending from body 44 of circuit element 16. Alignment notch 60 and alignment projection 62 thereby form interactive portions of an alignment structure that insures that leads 24, 26 line up with contact pads or plates 36 when housings 50, 52 of electronic system 28 are connected together. Additionally, wall 58 of circuit element housing 56 may define a recess 64 into which at least a portion of circuit element 16 is positioned. For instance, circuit element 16 may be contained within recess 64 during the assembly process. In the embodiment where circuit element 16 is a speaker, internal surface 54 of rear housing 52 may further include holes 66 to allow sound waves to enter and/or exit rear housing 52. Referring back to FIG. 1, in the embodiment where electronic system 28 includes a mobile device, rear housing 52 may include a recessed portion 70 having one or more openings 72, 74. For instance, a power module 78, such as a battery pack, may be removably positioned in recessed portion 70 such that its electrical connectors mate through opening 72 with corresponding electrical connector on circuit board 22. Further, a communications card 76, such as a removable user identity module (“RUIM”), may be removably positioned within recessed portion 70, such as with a retaining clip 79, such that its electrical connectors mate through opening 74 with a corresponding electrical connector on circuit board 22. Additionally, electronic device 28 may include input and/or output devices 80 and 82, such as a near field speaker and a microphone, respectively, connected to circuit board 22 and positioned on front housing 50. A lens assembly 84, such as a lens member 85 and a gasket member 87, may be mounted adjacent to opening 89 in front housing 50 and over visual display unit 48 to provide a protective, see-through covering. Further, lens assembly 84 may be fixed between housings 50, 52 in a substantially immovable manner so that any attempt to separate the lens from the front housing results in damage to the front housing and/or the lens, and thus provides evidence of tampering. Further, an input mechanism 86, such as a keypad and navigation mechanism and corresponding keys, may be located within housings 50, 52 and extend through predetermined openings 88 in front housing 50. An antenna mechanism 90 for transmitting and receiving electronic signals, such as communications signals, may be mounted to one of housings 50, 52 and connected to circuit board 22. For instance, in one embodiment, antenna mechanism 90 may include an engagement mechanism 91, such as detents, that fix antenna mechanism 90 to one of housings 50, 52 in a substantially irreversible manner such that attempted removal of antenna mechanism 90 results in damage to at least one of the antenna mechanism and the housings to provide evidence of tampering. Further, in the embodiment of a phone, a push-to-talk button 98 may extend from housings 50, 52 and connect to corresponding switches on circuit board 22. Similarly, a vibrator motor 94 for silently signaling a user may be positioned within one of housings 50, 52 and connected to circuit board 22. In operation, the use of standoffs 10, 12, 14 allow additional circuit elements 34 to be mounted to circuit board 22 in the footprint of circuit element 16. By raising circuit element 16 a sufficient height 42 above surface 20, standoffs 10, 12 14 allow the footprint of circuit element 16 on surface 20 to be utilized as additional layout area 32. For instance, in one embodiment, a method for mounting circuit elements on circuit board and assembling an electronic system includes connecting the respective leads from a first and a second standoff to a pattern of electrically-conductive traces that form part of a circuit on a circuit board. The connection method may include any manner of establishing electrical continuity between the standoffs and the pattern of traces, such as via removable contact or fixed contact such as via hand soldering, wave soldering, welding, sonic welding, etc. Further, the standoffs may be formed as surface mount or through hole components. Additionally, the standoffs are connected such that at least a portion of their respective contact pads or plates lie a predetermined constant distance above the surface of the circuit board. The predetermined constant distant may vary depending on the size and configuration of the circuit element to be connected with the standoffs, as well as depending on the size and configuration of the additional circuit elements to be mounted on the circuit board between the circuit board surface and the circuit element suspended by the standoffs. Then, the method further includes connecting a circuit element to one or more standoffs such that the standoffs electrically connect the circuit element to the pattern of electrically-conductive traces. This method of connection may include removable contact or fixed contact, as noted above. Additionally, this connection results in the standoffs supporting the circuit element at a sufficient height above the circuit board surface. The sufficient height varies depending on the configuration of the circuit element leads, the size and configuration of the circuit element body, and the size and configuration of the additional circuit elements to be mounted below the suspended circuit element. In one embodiment, the step of connecting the circuit element and the standoffs further includes positioning the circuit element within a circuit element housing formed on the internal surface of a front or rear housing of the electronic system. The circuit element housing supports the circuit element, and may further include an alignment feature such as a notch that interacts with a corresponding feature of the circuit element, such as a projection. The alignment feature of the circuit element housing orients the circuit element leads in a predetermined relative position with respect to the standoffs so as to insure contact with the standoffs when the front and rear housings are joined. The method further includes mounting additional circuit elements to the surface of the circuit board, including in the additional layout area created by the standoffs raising the at least one circuit element above the surface of the circuit board. Finally, the electronic system is assembled by mounting the circuit board and any additional system components within the front or rear housing of the system, and removably or fixedly joining together the housings. Thus, the standoffs allow the electronic system to have increased circuitry and/or functionality, as well as a more compact design, by allowing additional circuit elements to be mounted in the additional layout area created by raising the circuit element above the circuit board surface. Further, additional details of the structure and assembly of the antenna mechanism may be found in co-pending application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Devices And Methods For Retaining An Antenna,” Attorney Docket No. 030078, filed concurrently herewith and incorporated by reference above. Similarly, additional details of the structure and assembly of the lens assembly may be found in co-pending application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Devices And Methods For Retaining A Lens In A Mobile Electronic Device,” Attorney Docket No. 040336, filed concurrently herewith and incorporated by reference above. And, additional details of the structure and assembly of the mechanisms for connecting together the housings may be found in co-pending application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Devices And Methods For Connecting Housings,” Attorney Docket No. 040386, filed concurrently herewith and incorporated by reference above. The above-described embodiments are provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use these described embodiments. Various modifications to these described embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without the use of the inventive faculty. Thus, this application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. Other features and advantages of the described embodiments are set forth in the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>The described embodiments relate to electronic systems, and more particularly, to devices and methods for connecting electrical components within electronic systems. In electronic devices that utilize a circuit board, there are a number of different mechanisms for linking two electrical components, such as the circuit board and a circuit element such as a resistor, capacitor, etc. For example, such circuit elements may have leads that are mounted in plated through holes in the circuit board, known as “through hole” technology, or on contact pads on the surface of the circuit board, known as “surface mount” technology. The plated through holes and the contact pads are electrically connected to a conductive pattern of traces on the surface and/or in various layers of the circuit board. The circuit elements may then be soldered to the circuit board to complete a circuit and form a working electronic device. One drawback of “through hole” and “surface mount” technology, however, is that each circuit element takes up space on the surface of the circuit board. With an increasing demand for more complex electronic devices, an increasing number of circuit elements are required, which thereby requires an increased amount of circuit board surface area for mounting the circuit elements. Additionally, there is an increasing demand for mobile electronic devices, with an emphasis on compact design. Thus, there is a demand for mounting an increasing number of circuit elements onto a circuit board having the smallest possible area. To address this need, some components are electrically linked through pin and socket type connectors. Pin and socket connectors may directly mate adjacent components, or the components may be positioned at any convenient location with the pin and socket connectors linked together by flexible cables. These types of connectors include ribbon cable connectors and pig tail connectors. These pin and socket type connectors have a number of drawbacks, however, such as a relatively high cost due to the number and complexity of the parts of the connector. Additionally, pin and socket type connectors require relatively high tolerances between the mating pins and sockets. Further, the ribbon cable and pig tail type flexible connectors may be inadvertently left in the unconnected state during assembly or rework, leading to additional costs associated with discovering and correcting this error. Other types of connectors include compression connectors, which consist of a plastic body that houses spring-like leads extending out of the top of the body that resiliently compress when contacted with a mating component. A drawback is that these types of connectors take up a substantial amount of circuit board space as they are sized to accommodate various bends in the metal leads to achieve the spring-like characteristic. Further, these types of connectors typically include gull-wing leads, extending from a bottom portion of the body, that are soldered to the circuit board. These projecting gull-wing leads further reduce the available space for mounting or connecting additional circuit elements to the circuit board. Additionally, gull-wing solder joints are known to fail when subjected to static compressive loads and cyclic compressive loads. Many electronic devices, such as any device having a phone keypad, a QWERTY keyboard, and navigation or gaming keys, are typically subjected to both static and cyclic compressive loads due to the many key presses over time. Such compressive loads have been known to cause failures due to broken gull-wing solder joints between a circuit board and a component, or in board-to-board connections. Thus, devices and methods for connecting electrical components are desired which increase the number of circuit elements that can be connected in a given limited area of a circuit board space, and that can better withstand static and cyclic compressive loading. | <SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY <EOH>In accordance with one aspect, the described embodiments provide a device and method for securely connecting circuit elements to a circuit board in a manner that increases the density of circuit elements mounted directly to the surface of the circuit board. In one embodiment, an electronic system comprises at least one standoff having a contact pad substantially lying in a first plane and an electrical conductor extending from the contact pad. The system further includes at least one circuit element having a body and at least one compression lead connectable between the body and the contact pad. The body having a footprint corresponding to a two-dimensional area associated with a portion of the body. And, the system including a circuit board having a surface with an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area on the surface usable for mounting circuit elements, wherein at least one standoff is connectable to the circuit board. Further, the surface substantially lies in a second plane spaced apart from and overlying the first plane, and the available layout area includes at least a portion of a projected area of the footprint. In another embodiment, an electronic system comprises a circuit board having a surface including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces and at least one standoff having an electrically-conductive contact plate and at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead. The standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces. And, the contact plate is positioned at a predetermined height above the surface and provides a mechanical support for at least one circuit element to be positioned at a sufficient height above the surface to allow additional circuit elements to be mounted to the surface below the at least one circuit element. In yet another embodiment, an electronic system comprises a circuit board having a surface with an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area usable for mounting circuit elements, where the available layout area including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces. The system includes at least one standoff having an electrically-conductive contact plate in electrical communication with at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead, wherein at least one standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces. The contact plate comprises a flat area at a sufficient height to support at least one connectable circuit element away from the surface such that the available layout area includes at least a portion of an area on the surface under the circuit element. In a further embodiment, an electronic system comprises a circuit board having a surface including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces and an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area usable for mounting circuit elements. The system includes a plurality of standoffs each having an electrically-conductive contact plate in electrical communication with at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead. Each standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces. Further, each standoff lead supports a respective contact plate at a predetermined height relative to the surface, wherein each contact plate comprises a flat area. Additionally, the system includes at least one circuit element having a body and a pair a compression leads. The pair of compression leads are contactable with the corresponding contact plates of the plurality of standoffs. And, the body is supportable by at least one of the plurality of standoffs at a sufficient height from the surface such that the available layout area includes at least a portion of an area of the surface facing the body. In still another embodiment, a mobile communications device comprises a circuit board having a surface that includes a pattern of electrically-conductive traces and a plurality of standoffs each having a contact pad electrically connected to the pattern of electrically-conductive traces. Each contact pad is positioned at a constant predetermined height above the surface of the circuit board. The device further includes a first housing having an internal surface that includes a circuit element housing with a first alignment feature and an audio speaker having at least one lead and a body with a second alignment feature. The audio speaker is at least partially positionable within the circuit element housing such that the second alignment feature mates with the first alignment feature to orient at least one lead with a corresponding one of the plurality of standoffs. Each lead being connectable with the corresponding standoff and the audio speaker such that the audio speaker is supportable by the standoffs at a sufficient height above the circuit board surface to create an additional layout area between the surface and the body. Further, another embodiment discloses a method of mounting circuit elements on a circuit board. The method comprises connecting a first lead from a first standoff to a pattern of electrically-conductive traces on a surface of the circuit board, where the first standoff includes a first contact plate spaced a first predetermined constant distance above the surface. Further, the method includes connecting a second lead from a second standoff to the pattern of electrically-conductive traces on the surface of the circuit board, where the second standoff includes a second contact plate spaced a second predetermined constant distance above the surface. And, the method includes connecting at least one circuit element in at least a portion of an area on the surface adjacent to the first standoff and the second standoff that corresponds to a projected area on the surface of a body of an elevated circuit element contactable with and supportable by the first standoff and the second standoff. Additional aspects and advantages of the described embodiments are set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part are obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the described embodiments. The aspects and advantages of the described embodiments may also be realized and attained by the means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. | 20041012 | 20060718 | 20060413 | 72767.0 | H01R1200 | 0 | ABRAMS, NEIL | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR MOUNTING CIRCUIT ELEMENTS | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | H01R | 2,004 |
|
10,964,156 | ACCEPTED | Threadform for medical implant closure | A thread is located on a cylindrical closure for an open headed medical implant. The thread has a leading surface and a trailing surface that both slope rearwardly from an interior edge to an exterior edge thereof. | 1. A medical device, comprising: a receiver member including a plurality of wall sections defining a longitudinal bore in said medical device, said receiver member also including a transverse channel substantially perpendicular to said bore; and a closure member including a substantially cylindrical engagement portion having a longitudinal axis, and a reverse angle thread formed on said engagement portion so that said engagement portion is adapted to be threadedly engaged within said bore to said wall sections. 2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said wall sections include an inner reverse angle thread corresponding to said reverse angle thread of said engagement portion of said closure member, whereby said reverse angle thread of said wall sections and said reverse angle thread of said engagement portion are engaged when said engagement portion is threadedly engaged within said bore to said wall sections. 3. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said receiver member is a part of a bone fixation device. 4. The medical device of claim 3, wherein said bone fixation device is a bone screw. 5. The medical device of claim 3, wherein said reverse angle thread includes a rearward thread surface, wherein an angle measured from a plane normal with said longitudinal axis to said rearward thread surface is between about −1 degrees and −40 degrees. 6. The medical device of claim 5, wherein said angle is about −5 degrees. 7. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said closure member is a set screw. 8. An apparatus for connecting an elongated member and a bone, comprising: a receiver member having an inner-threaded longitudinal bore, a channel communicating with and substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal bore for accommodating the elongated member and a fixation portion for fixing said receiver member to the bone; and a closure member having a longitudinal axis and an outer threaded portion for threaded engagement with said threaded portion of said receiver member, wherein said threaded portion of said receiver member and said threaded portion of said closure member include a reverse angle thread. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said reverse angle thread of said closure member includes a rearward thread surface such that an angle measured from a plane normal with said longitudinal axis to said rearward thread surface of said closure member is between about −1 degrees and −40 degrees, and said reverse angle thread of said receiver member includes a rearward thread surface such that an angle measured from a plane normal with an axis of said longitudinal bore to said rearward thread surface of said receiver member is between about −1 degrees and −40 degrees. 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said closure member is a set screw. 11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said fixation portion is integral with said receiver member. 12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said fixation portion includes a threaded portion. 13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said bone fixation device is a bone screw. 14. A medical device, comprising: a receiver member including a plurality of wall sections separated by a slot, said wall sections at least partially defining a longitudinal bore in said medical device; and a closure member including a substantially cylindrical engagement portion having a longitudinal axis, and a reverse angle thread formed on said engagement portion so that said engagement portion is adapted to be threadedly engaged within said bore to said wall sections. 15. The medical device of claim 14, wherein said wall sections include an inner reverse angle thread corresponding to said reverse angle thread of said engagement portion of said closure member, whereby said reverse angle thread of said wall sections and said reverse angle thread of said engagement portion are engaged when said engagement portion is threadedly engaged within said bore to said wall sections. 16. The medical device of claim 14, wherein said receiver member includes a transverse channel substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal bore of said receiver member. 17. The medical device of claim 16, wherein said receiver member is a part of a bone fixation device. 18. The medical device of claim 17, wherein said bone fixation device is a bone screw. 19. The medical device of claim 17, wherein said reverse angle thread includes a rearward thread surface, wherein an angle measured from a plane normal with said longitudinal axis to said rearward thread surface is between about −1 degrees and −40 degrees. 20. The medical device of claim 19, wherein said angle is about −5 degrees. 21. The medical device of claim 14, wherein said closure member is a set screw. 22. The medical device of claim 14, wherein a plurality of slots separate said wall sections. 23. The medical device of claim 22, wherein said plurality of slots form at least one channel transverse to said longitudinal bore. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a threadform for use in threadedly joining together two elements and, in particular, to a threadform for joining together medical implants. The threadform includes a leading surface and a trailing surface, both of which slant rearwardly and away from the direction of advancement from an inner edge to an outer edge thereof. Medical implants present a number of problems to both surgeons installing implants and to engineers designing them. It is always desirable to have the implant be strong and unlikely to fail or break during usage. It is also desirable for the implant to be as small and lightweight as possible so that it is less intrusive on the patient. These are normally conflicting goals, and often difficult to resolve. One particular type of implant presents special problems. In particular, spinal bone screws, hooks, etc. are used in many types of back surgery for repair of injury, disease or congenital defect. For example, spinal bone screws of this type are designed to have one end that inserts threadably into a vertebra and a head at an opposite end thereof. The head is designed to receive a rod or rod-like member which is then both captured in the head and locked in the head to prevent relative movement between the various elements subsequent to installation. There are two different major types of bone screws and similar devices. The types are closed head and open head. The closed head devices are highly effective at capturing the rod since the rod is threaded through an opening in the head. Unfortunately, closed head devices are very difficult to work with in actual surgery as the spine is curved and the rods are also curved in order to follow the spine. Consequently, the more heads that the rod must pass through, the more difficult it is to thread it. The second type of head is an open head wherein a channel is formed in the head and the rod is simply laid in an open channel. The channel is then closed with a closure. The open headed bone screws and related devices are much easier to use and in some situations must be used over the closed headed devices. While the open headed devices are often necessary and often preferred for usage, there is a significant problem associated with them. That is, the open headed devices conventionally have two upstanding arms that are on opposite sides of a channel that receives the rod member. In order to lock the rod member in place, significant forces must be exerted on a relatively small device. The forces are required to provide enough torque to insure that the rod member is locked in place relative to the bone screw so that it does not move axially or rotationally therein. This typically requires torques on the order of 100 inch pounds. Because the bone screws, hooks and the like are relatively small, the arms that extend upwardly at the head can be easily bent by radially outward directed forces due to the application of substantial forces required to lock the rod member. Historically, early closures were simple plugs that were threaded and which screwed into mating threads on the inside of each of the arms. However, conventionally threaded plugs push the arms radially outward upon the application of a significant amount of torque which ends up bending the arms sufficiently to allow the threads to disengage and the closure to fail. To counter this various engineering techniques were applied to allow the head to resist the spreading force. For example, the arms were significantly strengthened by increasing the width of the arms by many times. This had the unfortunate effect of substantially increasing the weight and the size of the implant, which was undesirable. Many prior art devices have also attempted to provide rings or some other type of structure that goes about the outside of the arms to better hold the arms in place while the center plug is installed. This additional structure has typically caused the locking strength of the plug being reduced which is undesirable. Also, the additional elements are unfavorable from a point of view of implants, as it typically desirable to maintain the number parts associated with the implants at a minimum. Consequently, a lightweight and low profile closure plug was desired that resists spreading of the arms while also not requiring additional elements that circle around the outside of the arms so as to hold the arms in place. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A threaded closure for use in conjunction with an open headed medical implant wherein the thread associated with the closure exerts forces that draw the arms radially inward toward the closure rather than outward from the closure during installation. In this manner the arms do not spread substantially during installation of the closure under the torque required to lock a rod member within the head of the implant. The thread is preferably helically wound about a cylindrical outer surface of the closure and preferably has an inner radius and outer radius that remain constant over substantially the entire length of the thread. The thread has both a leading surface and a trailing surface that have inner edges that are spaced from one another. Preferably the outer edges of the leading and trailing surfaces are in close proximity to one another such that the thread has a generally obtuse triangular shaped cross-section, with minor reduction or rounding at the outer tip. Whereas in V-shaped thread forms, the leading surface slopes rearwardly from the inner edge and the trailing surface slopes frontwardly from the leading edge, and in buttress-type threads, the leading surface slopes rearwardly from the inner edge and the trailing surface slopes slightly frontwardly or has no slope, the thread of the present invention is such that both the leading surface and the trailing surface slope rearwardly with respect to the direction of advancement from the respective inner edges to outer edges thereof. That is, the intersections of a plane passing through an axis of rotation of the closure with the leading and trailing surfaces both slope rearwardly from the respective inner edges of the leading and trailing surfaces relative to the direction of advancement of the closure in the open-headed implant. The inner facing surfaces of the arms are likewise threaded with a mating threadform that is sized and shaped to mate with the thread on the closure. The mating threadform on the implant arms is discontinuous between the arms. Because of the configuration of the thread on the closure and the mating thread on the arms, forces applied to the closure, during installation of the closure between the arms, produce a reactive axial force on the arms of the implant, but also produce a somewhat inward force thereon. Therefore, the arms are urged toward the closure during installation rather than away from the closure during installation. In this manner the thread and mating thread function in a gripping manner between the opposed elements to hold them together, rather than force them apart. OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the objects of the present invention are: to provide a closure for an open headed lightweight and low profile medical implant wherein the implant has a pair of spaced arms and the closure closes between the arms; to provide such a closure which is threaded and which does not substantially space the arms during insertion, so as to reduce the likelihood of failure of the implant and closure system during use; to provide such a closure having a threadform that includes leading and trailing surfaces, both of which surfaces slope rearwardly from inner edges to outer edges thereof; to provide such a closure wherein the inner edges of both the trailing and leading surfaces have substantially constant radius over an entire length of the thread; to provide such a closure which can be installed at comparatively high torques so as to lock a rod member in the open head of the implant; and to provide such a closure and implant that are relatively easy to use and especially well adapted for the intended usage thereof. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an open headed bone screw, rod and closure for the bone screw in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the bone screw, rod and closure installed in the bone screw. FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the closure, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a highly enlarged and fragmentary side elevational view of the bone screw, rod and closure with a right hand arm of the bone screw shown in phantom lines in order to better illustrate features of the closure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. The reference 1 generally indicates a thread form or thread in accordance with the present invention that is located on a medical implant closure 5 that is used in conjunction with a rod member 6 and an open headed medical implant 7. Describing the elements in reverse order, the illustrated open headed medical implant 7 is a bone screw for use in spinal surgery. The implant 7 includes a shank 11 having a bone engaging and implantation thread 12 thereon. The implant 7 also includes an open head 14. The head 14 is U-shaped having a base 16 and a pair of upstanding spaced arms 17 and 18. The arms 17 and 18 are spaced by a channel 20 having a seat 21 at the bottom thereof. The arms 17 and 18 have facing surfaces 24 and 25 that are sides of the channel 20. Each of the surfaces 24 and 25 have facing threaded sections 28 and 29 respectively. While the medical implant 7 shown here in is an open headed bone screw, it is foreseen that the present invention can be easily used and adapted with other types of open headed implants such as hooks and the like. The rod member 6 is typically simply an elongated cylindrical rod which may be bent by benders to conform with the desired curvature of the spine. The rod member may be smooth or knurled. The rod member 6 may also include other types of similar structures such as connectors having a cylindrical or rod like nipple associated therewith for insertion into the bone screw head 14. The illustrated closure 5 is a cylindrical shaped plug having a generally cylindrical shaped radially outer surface 32, a flat bottom 33 and a flat top 34. The closure 5 has an axis of rotation, generally indicated by the reference numeral A. The axis of rotation A is at the radial center of the closure 5. A bore 37 that is co-axial with the axis of rotation A extends through the top 34 and partially though the closure 5. The bore 37 is polyfaceted so as to have a hexagonal cross section such that closure 5 can be installed or removed with an allen type wrench that fits the bore 37. Although a particular closure 5 has been illustrated herein, it is foreseen that the invention can be used in conjunction with plugs and set screws of various types and configurations. For example, the closure 5 may include a break off head for insertion and various types of structure for removal, as opposed to the bore 37. The closure 5 may also include structure to assist in engaging and securing the rod member 6, such as a depending point, a roughened under surface, or a cutting ring. Finally, although the closure of the present invention is illustrated in use in conjunction with an open headed implant, it is foreseen that the closure 5 could be utilized in conjuncture with closed bores, either as a plug or set screw. The thread 1 winds about the outer surface 32 of the closure 5 in a generally helical pattern or configuration, which is typical of threads and can have various pitches, be counterclockwise advanced or vary in most of the ways that conventional threads vary. The thread 1 has a leading surface 40 and a trailing surface 41. As used herein the terms leading and trailing refer to the direction of advancement of the closure 5 when used to close the implant 7 which is downward or in the direction of the rod member 6 in FIG. 4. In the illustrated embodiment, advancement is produced by clockwise rotation. The leading surface 40 has an inner edge 44 and an outer edge 45. The trailing surface 41 also has an inner edge 48 and an outer edge 49. With reference to FIG. 3, the leading surface inner edge 44 and trailing surface inner edge 48 are substantially spaced. Both the leading surface inner edge 44 and trailing surface inner edge 48 have substantialably constant radius with respect to the axis of rotation A, preferably throughout the length of the thread 1 and at least throughout substantially most of the thread 1. The leading surface outer edge 45 and trailing surface outer edge 49 are closely spaced relative to one another and may be slightly relieved as shown so as to have a slight connecting wall 50 that decreases the sharpness of the thread 1 and increases the strength thereof. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the general shape of the cross section of the thread 1 is that of a obtuse triangle with the outer sharpened edge slightly reduced. It can also be seen that the intersection of the leading surface 40 and the trailing surface 41 with a plane passing through the axis of rotation A which is essentially what is shown in the front or closest surface shown in FIG. 3 both slope rearwardly, as indicated by the arrow shown FIG. 3 from inner edges 44 and 48 to outer edges 45 and 49 thereof. The angle indicated by the reference numeral B is between the intersection D of a plane passing through the axis of rotation A and the leading surface 40 and a radius perpendicular to the axis of rotation A. The angle indicated by the reference numeral C is between the intersection E of a plane passing through the axis of rotation A and the trailing surface 41 and a radius perpendicular to the axis of rotation A. The angle B is substantially greater than the angle C. The angle C will normally be between about 1 and 45° with the preferred angle being between 5° and 20° and with the most preferred angle being between being 7 to 15°. Greater angles than 45° may be utilized, but the thread decreases in strength as the angle C increases which increases the likelihood that the thread may break in use. The key feature of the trailing surface 41 is that the surface 41 slopes rearwardly from inside to outside. The angle B will vary with desired thread strength and width of wall 50, but will always be greater than angle C. Preferably the angle B is in the range from 30° to 70° and it is preferred that the angle B be in the range from 40° to 50°. In the illustrated embodiment angle C is approximately 45° and angle B is approximately 15°. As is best seen in FIG. 4, the threaded sections 28 and 29 of the arms 17 and 18 respectively are provided with a threadform 53 that is sized and shaped to threadedly receive the thread 1. The threadform 53 is discontinuous, as it extends over the threaded sections 28 and 29. The threadform 53 has a first surface 55 that abuts against the leading surface 40 and a second surface 56 that abuts against the trailing surface 41 during use. It is noted that as torque is applied to closure 5 in a clockwise manner so as to advance the closure 5 in the implant 7, the trailing surface 41 engages and pushes against the second surface 56 associated with implant 7. The force exerted on the closure 5 by this process is countered by a reactive force acting on the implant 7 that has a first component that is axial, that is parallel to the axis of rotation of the closure 5, and second component that has a radial inward vector, that is toward the axis of rotation of the closure 5. The surfaces 40 and 41 are non parallel to each other. It is foreseen that the thread 1 can be continuous or discontinuous, as is threadform 53. It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention is directed to a threadform for use in threadedly joining together two elements and, in particular, to a threadform for joining together medical implants. The threadform includes a leading surface and a trailing surface, both of which slant rearwardly and away from the direction of advancement from an inner edge to an outer edge thereof. Medical implants present a number of problems to both surgeons installing implants and to engineers designing them. It is always desirable to have the implant be strong and unlikely to fail or break during usage. It is also desirable for the implant to be as small and lightweight as possible so that it is less intrusive on the patient. These are normally conflicting goals, and often difficult to resolve. One particular type of implant presents special problems. In particular, spinal bone screws, hooks, etc. are used in many types of back surgery for repair of injury, disease or congenital defect. For example, spinal bone screws of this type are designed to have one end that inserts threadably into a vertebra and a head at an opposite end thereof. The head is designed to receive a rod or rod-like member which is then both captured in the head and locked in the head to prevent relative movement between the various elements subsequent to installation. There are two different major types of bone screws and similar devices. The types are closed head and open head. The closed head devices are highly effective at capturing the rod since the rod is threaded through an opening in the head. Unfortunately, closed head devices are very difficult to work with in actual surgery as the spine is curved and the rods are also curved in order to follow the spine. Consequently, the more heads that the rod must pass through, the more difficult it is to thread it. The second type of head is an open head wherein a channel is formed in the head and the rod is simply laid in an open channel. The channel is then closed with a closure. The open headed bone screws and related devices are much easier to use and in some situations must be used over the closed headed devices. While the open headed devices are often necessary and often preferred for usage, there is a significant problem associated with them. That is, the open headed devices conventionally have two upstanding arms that are on opposite sides of a channel that receives the rod member. In order to lock the rod member in place, significant forces must be exerted on a relatively small device. The forces are required to provide enough torque to insure that the rod member is locked in place relative to the bone screw so that it does not move axially or rotationally therein. This typically requires torques on the order of 100 inch pounds. Because the bone screws, hooks and the like are relatively small, the arms that extend upwardly at the head can be easily bent by radially outward directed forces due to the application of substantial forces required to lock the rod member. Historically, early closures were simple plugs that were threaded and which screwed into mating threads on the inside of each of the arms. However, conventionally threaded plugs push the arms radially outward upon the application of a significant amount of torque which ends up bending the arms sufficiently to allow the threads to disengage and the closure to fail. To counter this various engineering techniques were applied to allow the head to resist the spreading force. For example, the arms were significantly strengthened by increasing the width of the arms by many times. This had the unfortunate effect of substantially increasing the weight and the size of the implant, which was undesirable. Many prior art devices have also attempted to provide rings or some other type of structure that goes about the outside of the arms to better hold the arms in place while the center plug is installed. This additional structure has typically caused the locking strength of the plug being reduced which is undesirable. Also, the additional elements are unfavorable from a point of view of implants, as it typically desirable to maintain the number parts associated with the implants at a minimum. Consequently, a lightweight and low profile closure plug was desired that resists spreading of the arms while also not requiring additional elements that circle around the outside of the arms so as to hold the arms in place. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>A threaded closure for use in conjunction with an open headed medical implant wherein the thread associated with the closure exerts forces that draw the arms radially inward toward the closure rather than outward from the closure during installation. In this manner the arms do not spread substantially during installation of the closure under the torque required to lock a rod member within the head of the implant. The thread is preferably helically wound about a cylindrical outer surface of the closure and preferably has an inner radius and outer radius that remain constant over substantially the entire length of the thread. The thread has both a leading surface and a trailing surface that have inner edges that are spaced from one another. Preferably the outer edges of the leading and trailing surfaces are in close proximity to one another such that the thread has a generally obtuse triangular shaped cross-section, with minor reduction or rounding at the outer tip. Whereas in V-shaped thread forms, the leading surface slopes rearwardly from the inner edge and the trailing surface slopes frontwardly from the leading edge, and in buttress-type threads, the leading surface slopes rearwardly from the inner edge and the trailing surface slopes slightly frontwardly or has no slope, the thread of the present invention is such that both the leading surface and the trailing surface slope rearwardly with respect to the direction of advancement from the respective inner edges to outer edges thereof. That is, the intersections of a plane passing through an axis of rotation of the closure with the leading and trailing surfaces both slope rearwardly from the respective inner edges of the leading and trailing surfaces relative to the direction of advancement of the closure in the open-headed implant. The inner facing surfaces of the arms are likewise threaded with a mating threadform that is sized and shaped to mate with the thread on the closure. The mating threadform on the implant arms is discontinuous between the arms. Because of the configuration of the thread on the closure and the mating thread on the arms, forces applied to the closure, during installation of the closure between the arms, produce a reactive axial force on the arms of the implant, but also produce a somewhat inward force thereon. Therefore, the arms are urged toward the closure during installation rather than away from the closure during installation. In this manner the thread and mating thread function in a gripping manner between the opposed elements to hold them together, rather than force them apart. | 20041013 | 20101123 | 20060413 | 69815.0 | A61F230 | 1 | LEWIS, RALPH A | THREADFORM FOR MEDICAL IMPLANT CLOSURE | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | A61F | 2,004 |
|
10,964,317 | ACCEPTED | Method of providing contact via to a surface | A contact via to a surface of a semiconductor material is provided, the contact via having a sidewall which is produced by anisotropically etching a dielectric layer which is placed on via openings. A protective layer is provided on the surface of the semiconductor material. To protect the substrate, an initial etch through an interlayer dielectric is performed to create an initial via which extends toward, but not into the substrate. At least a portion of the protective layer is retained on the substrate. In another step, the final contact via is created. During this step the protective layer is penetrated to open a via to the surface of the semiconductor material. | 1. A method of providing a contact via to a surface of a material, the method comprising: forming a first dielectric layer on the surface; forming a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer; providing a first aperture which extends from a surface of the second dielectric layer toward the surface of the material for a distance which is less than a combined thickness of the first and second dielectric layers; providing a third dielectric layer covering a surface of the aperture and an exposed surface of the first dielectric layer; and removing a portion of the third dielectric layer and a portion of the first dielectric layer to expose a portion of the surface of the material. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein forming a first dielectric layer on the surface comprises depositing a layer of silicon nitride on the surface. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein forming a first dielectric layer on the surface comprises depositing a layer of silicon oxynitride on the surface. 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein depositing a layer of silicon nitride comprises depositing the layer of silicon nitride using a chemical vapor deposition process. 5. The method according to claim 3. wherein depositing a layer of silicon oxynitride comprises depositing the layer of silicon oxynitride using a chemical vapor deposition process. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein removing a portion of the third dielectric layer and the first dielectric layer to expose a portion of the surface of the material comprises performing an anisotropic etch process. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein forming a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer comprises forming a layer of silicon dioxide on the first dielectric layer. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the first aperture comprises performing an etch process. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein performing an etch process comprises performing a reactive ion etch process. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein removing a portion of the third dielectric layer and the first dielectric layer comprises performing a reactive ion etch | FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the field of manufacturing semiconductor devices and more particularly to opening a contact via to a surface of a material in a semiconductor device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, it is desirable to provide relatively small diameter openings to contact areas of the device. One limitation in doing this is the diameter of openings utilized in photomasks to expose areas of photoresist covering the materials to be etched. It is desirable to produce openings which are smaller than those otherwise available using the photomask along with a light exposing the photoresist. This has been achieved in a prior art by after exposing the photoresist with a photomask, etching a via down to the surface to be contacted. Next a liner material is applied to the via and the surface to be contacted. After deposition of the liner material, an anisotropic etch is performed. Because of the nature of anisotropic etching, the liner material at the bottom of the aperture is etched and removed, while a portion of the liner material is retained during this etch process. The surface to be contacted at the bottom of the via is thus etched once again, damaging the substrate material which will ultimately be contacted by an electrical connection. Thus it will be appreciated that in the prior art technique, the first etch opens the via down to the surface to be contacted and this is followed by the application of the liner of material and subjecting the liner material to anisotropic etching. Using this prior art process results in a double etch of the material at the base of the opening, thus unnecessarily damaging that material in advance of providing a contact to the material at the base of the via. Thus what is needed is a process by which only a single etch is utilized to open the contact area at the base of the via while concurrently establish a liner covering the interior walls of the via. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a method of providing a contact via to a surface of a material is provided which avoids the damaging effects which resulted in prior art techniques. In one aspect of the invention, a contact via to a surface of a material is performed by forming a first dielectric layer on the surface, forming a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer, providing a first aperture which extends from a surface of the second dielectric layer toward the contact surface area of the material for a distance which is less than a combined technique of the first and second dielectric layers. Next, a third dielectric layer is provided covering a surface of the aperture and an exposed surface of the first dielectric layer. A portion of the third dielectric layer and a portion of the first dielectric layer are removed to expose a portion of the contact surface area of the material. In a further aspect of the present invention, forming a first dielectric layer on the surface comprises depositing a layer of silicon nitride on the surface. In a further embodiment, forming a first dielectric layer on the surface comprises depositing a layer of silicon oxynitride on the surface. In a further embodiment, the first dielectric layer is formed using a chemical vapor deposition process. In a further embodiment, the first dielectric layer is formed by depositing a layer of silicon oxynitride using a chemical vapor deposition process. In a further embodiment of the present invention, removal of a portion of the third dielectric layer and the first dielectric layer to expose a portion of the surface of the material is performed by an anisotropic etch process. In a further aspect, the forming of a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer comprises forming a layer of silicon dioxide on the first dielectric layer. In a further embodiment, providing a first aperture comprises performing an etch process. In a further embodiment, the etch processes performed using a reactive ion etching. In a further aspect of the present invention, removing a portion of a third dielectric layer in the first dielectric layer comprises performing a reactive ion etch. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a semiconductor substrate in a cross-sectional view, the substrate including source and drain regions, gate oxide, a gate and a protective layer; FIG. 2 illustrates a view of the structure of FIG. 1 in which a protective layer has been applied; FIG. 3 illustrates in cross-section the structure of FIG. 2 in which a second dielectric layer is applied and a photoresist layer is applied with a resultant etching to the protective layer applied in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view in which a via opening is etched to the gate; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the step in which a third dielectric material is applied to first and second via openings; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure resulting from an anisotropic etch of the structure shown in FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) Referring to FIG. 1, a portion of a semiconductor substrate 1 shown in cross-section. Substrate 1 includes a gate oxide 2 on the surface 3 of the substrate and a gate 4 positioned on top of gate oxide 2. Positioned on gate 4 is a protective layer 5, sometimes also referred to as gate nitride, which may be comprised of, for example, a layer of silicon nitride (Si3N4). Gate oxide 2 may be any of the oxides well known to those skilled in the art. Gate 4 may be comprised of, for example, of polycrystalline silicon. The structure illustrated in FIG. 1 can be formed by techniques well-known to those skilled in the art and accordingly does not require a description. Also shown in FIG. 1 is source region 6 and drain region 7 which are associated with gate 4. It is desirable to provide connections to the gate source and drain regions with minimal damage to them and the process for doing so is described herein. Referring to FIG. 2, a protective layer 8, also sometimes referred to as a barrier layer, is applied and covers surface 3 as well as the gate 4, protective layer 5 and gate oxide 2. Protective layer 8 may be composed of silicon nitride (Si3N4) or silicon oxynitride (Si3OxNY). In the silicon oxynitride formula, x and y may each range from 0-2. Protective layer 8 may be applied by using the well-known techniques such as low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Protective layer 8 may have various thicknesses, ranging from 20 Å to 500 Å in thickness. For example, it has been found that a thickness of about 230 Å is a desirable one to use. Turning to FIG. 3, a second dielectric layer 9 is applied over protective layer 8 and as further illustrated in FIG. 3 a layer of photoresist 10 is applied and exposed using a photomask to provide an opening which will ultimately be used to provide a via to source region 6. An initial via 11 is etched through a second dielectric layer 9 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The etching through dielectric layer 9 is stopped on surface 12 of protective layer 8. The etching of initial via 11 may be performed using conventional etching processes such as, for example, the reactive ion etching using a gas such as C4F6/O2/Ar. As will be appreciated from reference to FIG. 3, the etching process which forms initial via 11 is stopped after reaching protective layer 8. Since it does not penetrate through the thickness of protective layer 8, this avoids any damage to substrate 1 in the region of the contact to be made to the source region 6. Second dielectric layer 9 provides insulation between active layers of the semiconductor structure, and is commonly referred to in the art as an interlayer dielectric. Second dielectric layer 9 may be made of various insulating materials such as, for example, silicon dioxide (SiO2). After completing the etching in FIG. 3, photoresist mask 10 is removed and replaced with photoresist layer 13 which is exposed to light and second dielectric layer 9 is etched to provide an initial opening 14 which extends down to gate 4. Etching of initial opening 14 may be performed using the same process described above with regard to providing initial via 11. After initial opening 14 which is opened through protective layer 8 and protective layer 5 (also sometimes referred to as a gate nitride), photoresist layer 13 is removed. For convenience of illustration, only initial via 11 is illustrated as the beginning point for providing an opening to source region 6, however a similar technique would be utilized to provide a via for drain region 7. Turning to FIG. 5, a third dielectric layer 15 is applied as an initial step of providing a liner for the via openings to source region 6 and gate 4. Third dielectric layer 15 may be, for example, silicon nitride (Si3N4) or silicon oxynitride (Si3OxNY), where x and y may have the ranges as pointed out above with regard to protective layer 8. Third dielectric layer 15 may be applied, for example, through the use of LPCVD or PECVD techniques. A suitable range of thickness for dielectric layer 15 ranges from 20 Å to 500 Å. A typical thickness which has been found to be desirable is about 150 Å. Turning to FIG. 6, an anisotropic etch is performed to remove the portions of third dielectric layer 15 which are on the surface of a second dielectric layer 9 and above the portion of protective layer 8 in the via leading to source region 6. It will also be appreciated from reference to FIG. 6 that the etching removes, in addition to third dielectric layer 15, the portion of protective layer 8 which is in the via above source region 6. The etchants and their formulation are shown below in Table 1. The etching is performed by well-known reactive ion etching techniques. As illustrated in Table 1, the etch ratio for two exemplary etching to compositions is illustrated. The reactive ion etching yields liner 16 and 17 which are included in the final vias 18 and 19 which lead to the source region and the gate respectively. It will be appreciated that by using the above technique, only one etch into the substrate in the region of the source region 6 is required and thus the damage to the substrate is minimalized. TABLE 1 CHF3/Ar (NS) CF4/CHF3/Ar E/R U % E/R U % SiN E/R (A/min) 1121 3.65% 1721.3 11.90% or higher or higher SiO2 E/R (A/min) 766 5.24% 1816.7 5.26% or higher or higher Si E/R (A/min) 420 or higher 600 or higher SiN:SiO2 Selectivity 1.46 or lower 0.95 or lower SiN:Si Selectivity 2.67 or higher 2.87 or higher | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, it is desirable to provide relatively small diameter openings to contact areas of the device. One limitation in doing this is the diameter of openings utilized in photomasks to expose areas of photoresist covering the materials to be etched. It is desirable to produce openings which are smaller than those otherwise available using the photomask along with a light exposing the photoresist. This has been achieved in a prior art by after exposing the photoresist with a photomask, etching a via down to the surface to be contacted. Next a liner material is applied to the via and the surface to be contacted. After deposition of the liner material, an anisotropic etch is performed. Because of the nature of anisotropic etching, the liner material at the bottom of the aperture is etched and removed, while a portion of the liner material is retained during this etch process. The surface to be contacted at the bottom of the via is thus etched once again, damaging the substrate material which will ultimately be contacted by an electrical connection. Thus it will be appreciated that in the prior art technique, the first etch opens the via down to the surface to be contacted and this is followed by the application of the liner of material and subjecting the liner material to anisotropic etching. Using this prior art process results in a double etch of the material at the base of the opening, thus unnecessarily damaging that material in advance of providing a contact to the material at the base of the via. Thus what is needed is a process by which only a single etch is utilized to open the contact area at the base of the via while concurrently establish a liner covering the interior walls of the via. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In accordance with the present invention, a method of providing a contact via to a surface of a material is provided which avoids the damaging effects which resulted in prior art techniques. In one aspect of the invention, a contact via to a surface of a material is performed by forming a first dielectric layer on the surface, forming a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer, providing a first aperture which extends from a surface of the second dielectric layer toward the contact surface area of the material for a distance which is less than a combined technique of the first and second dielectric layers. Next, a third dielectric layer is provided covering a surface of the aperture and an exposed surface of the first dielectric layer. A portion of the third dielectric layer and a portion of the first dielectric layer are removed to expose a portion of the contact surface area of the material. In a further aspect of the present invention, forming a first dielectric layer on the surface comprises depositing a layer of silicon nitride on the surface. In a further embodiment, forming a first dielectric layer on the surface comprises depositing a layer of silicon oxynitride on the surface. In a further embodiment, the first dielectric layer is formed using a chemical vapor deposition process. In a further embodiment, the first dielectric layer is formed by depositing a layer of silicon oxynitride using a chemical vapor deposition process. In a further embodiment of the present invention, removal of a portion of the third dielectric layer and the first dielectric layer to expose a portion of the surface of the material is performed by an anisotropic etch process. In a further aspect, the forming of a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer comprises forming a layer of silicon dioxide on the first dielectric layer. In a further embodiment, providing a first aperture comprises performing an etch process. In a further embodiment, the etch processes performed using a reactive ion etching. In a further aspect of the present invention, removing a portion of a third dielectric layer in the first dielectric layer comprises performing a reactive ion etch. | 20041012 | 20080520 | 20060413 | 59678.0 | H01L214763 | 1 | FEENEY, BRETT A | METHOD OF PROVIDING CONTACT VIA TO A SURFACE | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | H01L | 2,004 |
|
10,964,345 | ACCEPTED | Wire for coil | In a coil wire having a square sectional shape, arc-shaped chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square. The sectional area of the coil wire having the chamfers is set to at least 1.15 times as large as that of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of the square. | 1. A coil wire having a square sectional shape, wherein chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and sectional area of said wire having the chamfers is at least 1.15 times as large as that of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. 2. A coil wire according to claim 1, wherein arc-shaped chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and length of the radius of an arc of said arc-shaped chamfer is set so that the sectional area of said wire having said chamfers is at least 1.15 times as large as that of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. 3. A coil wire having a square sectional shape, wherein chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and overall length of an outer circumference of the section of said wire having said chamfers is at least 1.09 times as long as circumference of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. 4. A coil wire according to claim 3, wherein arc-shaped chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and length of the radius of an arc of said arc-shaped chamfer is set so that overall length of an outer circumference of the section of said wire having said chamfers is at least 1.09 times as long as circumference of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. 5. A coil wire according to claims 1, wherein length of one side of said square is 1 mm or less. 6. A coil wire according to claims 2, wherein length of one side of said square is 1 mm or less. 7. A coil wire according to claims 3, wherein length of one side of said square is 1 mm or less. 8. A coil wire according to claims 4, wherein length of one side of said square is 1 mm or less. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wire for a coil, having a square shape in cross section. 2. Related Art It is known that most of conventional coil wires have a circular shape in section (hereinbelow, a coil wire having a circular sectional shape will be called a “round wire”). By covering a round wire as a conductor with an insulating layer, a round electric wire is formed. When a coil is manufactured by using such a round wire, naturally, a gap is created between round wires. The coil therefore has a drawback of a low packing factor. It is also known that a coil wire having a conductor whose sectional shape is a square is manufactured to solve the drawback (hereinbelow, a coil wire having a square shape in section will be called “square wire”). However, it is also known that the square wire requires a know-how different from that of the conventional method of forming a round wire with respect to formation of an insulating layer and a winding method for obtaining a coil shape. For example, the square wire has a drawback that it is difficult to form a uniform insulating layer at four corners in section. We have already proposed a method providing a novel insulating layer, and so on, to solve the drawback, thereby obtaining the insulating layer for which the shape of each corner is stable. We have found that the method produces an effect of improving mass productivity. Generally, to improve a packing factor, an ideal square is preferable as a sectional shape. Specifically, a shape in which chamfers (including arc-shaped chamfers (“R part”) and linear chamfers) are not provided at all at the corners is preferable. In the case where the sectional shape is a perfect square, a wire is wound while sides are closely attached to each other, so that the sides function as a guide. However, in the case of providing an insulating layer for a perfect square, which is not chamfered, a problem occurs such that the thickness of the insulating layer at the corners varies. For example, in a wire generally called a slit wire obtained by cutting a thin plate made of a conductive material and having a predetermined thickness into parts each having a predetermined width by slitter, the corners are not chamfered, but a small burr which is disadvantageous to form an insulating film occurs. In the case of providing an insulating layer for a square wire as the slit line, the thickness of the insulating layer in the corner varies, as mentiond above. Naturally, it is not preferable as a coil wire. In addition, in the case of providing an insulating layer, in a square wire having no chamfers at corners, a phenomenon tends to occur that the insulating layer is destroyed in a position at which a layer lies on another layer in a winding process, for example, in a position at which the second layer lies on the first layer. Since the corners of the square wire are not chamfered, the corners easily come into engagement with each other. On the other hand, in the case where the corners are chamfered, if the dimension of the chamfer is too large, a so-called rolling phenomenon occurs in the winding process. As a result, the packing factor becomes lower than that of the round wire, and the performance deteriorates. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to improvement in a coil wire having a square sectional shape, and its object is to provide a coil wire by which a higher-performance and higher-quality coil can be obtained at a price almost equal to that of a conventional round wire. The invention according to claim 1 relates to a coil wire having a square sectional shape, wherein chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and sectional area of said wire having the chamfers is at least 1.15 times as large as that of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. The invention according to claim 2 relates to a coil wire having a square sectional shape, wherein arc-shaped chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and length of the radius of an arc of said arc-shaped chamfer is set so that the sectional area of said wire having said chamfers is at least 1.15 times as large as that of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. The invention according to claim 3 relates to a coil wire having a square sectional shape, wherein chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and overall length of an outer circumference of the section of said wire having said chamfers is at least 1.09 times as long as circumference of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. The invention according to claim 4 relates to a coil wire having a square sectional shape, wherein arc-shaped chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and length of the radius of an arc of said arc-shaped chamfer is set so that overall length of an outer circumference of the section of said wire having said chamfers is at least 1.09 times as long as circumference of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. In the invention according to one of claims 1 to 4, length of one side of said square may be 1 mm or less. According to the invention, the following advantageous effects are produced. By forming a sectional shape in which chamfers of dimensions optimized for the length of one side of a square are provided at four corners in a cross section of a square wire, variations in the thickness of an insulating layer in the chamfers do not occur, and an uniform insulating layer is stably obtained. No problem occurs also in a winding process, and further, the packing factor improves with reliability as compared with that of a coil using a conventional round wire (hereinbelow, called “round wire coil”). Therefore, the coil having higher performance than that of the round wire coil can be obtained. In the coil winding structure using the coil wire of the invention, a gap is smaller than that of the round wire coil, so that a heat radiation effect and heat resistance can be improved. The coil wire of the invention can achieve productivity, which is equivalent to that of a conventional round wire, at an almost same cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a first explanatory diagram showing a change in a chamfer according to an embodiment of the invention, and changes in a sectional area and length of circumference of a cross section of a wire; FIG. 2 is a second explanatory diagram showing a change in a chamfer according to the embodiment of the invention, and changes in a sectional area and length of circumference of a cross section of a wire; FIG. 3 is a third explanatory diagram showing a change in a chamfer according to the embodiment of the invention, and changes in a sectional area and length of circumference of a cross section of a wire; FIG. 4 is a fourth explanatory diagram showing a change in a chamfer according to the embodiment of the invention, and changes in a sectional area and length of circumference of a cross section of wire; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a square sectional shape of a square wire and a circular sectional shape of a round wire as the base of creation of the wire of the invention; and FIG. 6 is a graph showing frequency characteristics by the relation between output sound pressure level and frequency in examples of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 4 are diagrams each showing a sectional shape according to an embodiment of a coil wire of the invention, a change in a chamfer and changes in the sectional area of the wire and the length of the circumference. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a square sectional shape of a square wire and a circular sectional shape of a round wire as the base of creation of the wire of the invention. For explanation, a length D of one side of a square 3 having a square sectional shape as the base of creation of the wire of the invention shown in FIG. 5 is set to 0.3 mm. In the invention, it is desirable to set the length D of one side of the square 3 to 1 mm or less. The diameter D, of a circle 4, having the sectional shape of a round wire is 0.3 mm which is the same as one side of the square 3. The radius R of an arc-shaped chamfer obtained when the square 3 and the circle 4 are overlapped each other is the radius of the circle 4, and is 0.15 mm (D/2). In FIG. 5, the area A of the circuit 4 is equal to 0.785D*D, the overall length L of the outer circumference is equal to 3.14*D, the area A of the square 3 is equal to D*D (up 27.3% (1.27 times)), and the overall length L of the outer circumference is equal to 4*D (up 27.3% (1.27 times)). As shown in FIG. 1, in a coil wire of the invention (hereinbelow, called “wire of the invention”) serving as a conductive part of an electric wire for a coil, an arc-shaped chamfer 21 is provided at each of the four corners in a cross section of a square wire having a square sectional shape and whose one side is D. It is assumed that the area of a sectional shape 11 of the wire of the invention is at least 1.15 times as large as the area of the circle 4, or the overall length of the outer circumference of the sectional shape 11 of the wire of the invention is at least 1.09 times as long as the circumference of the circle 4. An electric wire for a coil is constructed by covering the wire (conductive part) of the invention having such a sectional shape with an insulating layer. The length D of one side of the square 3 is 0.3 mm. In the case where the sectional shape of the wire of the invention is out of the range of the invention, that is, when the sectional area is less than 1.15 times as large as the area of the circle 4, or the length of the outer circumference is less than 1.09 times as long as the circumference of the circle 4, the yield decreases and, as a result, productivity deteriorates. A so-called rolling phenomenon such that the wire lies out of the range of normal winding occurs in the winding process, and a gap between a wire and a wire becomes larger than that in normal winding of a round wire. The sectional shape of the wire of the invention does not include a complete square. When the sectional shape is a perfect square, problems described in the above item “Related Art” such as variations in the thickness of the insulating layer occur. In FIG. 1, while the radius of the circle 4 is 0.15 mm, the radius R of the circle 5 constructing an arc of the arc-shaped chamfer 21 is 0.1 mm. The circumference of the circle 5 is in contact with a side of the square 3 at the corners. The area of the arc-shaped chamfer 21 is smaller than that of the arc-shaped chamfer created when the square 3 and the circle 4 shown in FIG. 5 are overlapped with each other. In other words, the area of the sectional shape 11 of the wire of the invention is larger than that of the circle 4. For example, in FIG. 1, the area of the sectional shape 11 is about 1.15 times as large as that of the circle 4 (up 15.1%). As described above, by setting the length of the radius R of the arc (the radius R of the circle 5) of the arc-shaped chamfer 21, the area of the sectional shape 11 of the coil wire can be set to a desired value. The overall length of the outer circumference of the sectional shape 11 in FIG. 1 is 1.09 times as long as the circumference of the circle 4 (up 9.1%). By setting the length of the radius R of the arc of the arc-shaped chamfer 21 (radius R of the circle 5), the overall length of the outer circumference of the sectional shape 11 can be set to a desired length. In FIG. 2, while the diameter D of the circle 4 is 0.3 mm, the radius R of the arc of the arc-shaped chamfer 22 is 0.06 mm, and the area of the sectional shape 12 is 1.22 times as large as that of the circle 4 (up 22.8%). The overall length of the outer circumference of the sectional shape 12 is 1.16 times as long as the circumference of the circle 4 (up 16.4%). In FIG. 3, while the diameter D of the circle 4 is 0.3 mm, the radius R of the arc of the arc-shaped chamfer 23 is 0.03 mm, and the area of the sectional shape 13 is 1.26 times as large as that of the circle 4 (up 26.1%). The overall length of the outer circumference of the sectional shape 13 is 1.21 times as long as the circumference of the circle 4 (up 21.9%). In FIG. 4, while the diameter D of the circle 4 is 0.3 mm, the radius R of the arc of the arc-shaped chamfer 24 is 0.01 mm, and the area of the sectional shape 14 is 1.27 times as large as that of the circle 4 (up 27.1%). The overall length of the outer circumference of the sectional shape 14 is 1.25 times as long as the circumference of the circle 4 (up 25.5%). Although not shown, the chamfer can take the form of a linear chamfer. In this case as well, it is sufficient to set the area ratio between the sectional shape of the conductive part and the circle 4 or the ratio between the overall length of the outer circumference and the circumference of the circle 4 to be within the range of the invention. As described above, by improving the sectional shape of the square wire constructing the conductive part of the coil electric wire, and optimizing the dimensions by providing chamfers at four corners in the section of the square, the insulating layer at the corners can be uniformly and stably obtained. Further, the packing factor is certainly improved as compared with that of the conventional round wire coil, so that a coil having higher performance than the round wire coil can be obtained, and stable winding can be performed also in the winding process. The productivity is not disturbed. Embodiment 1 The invention will be described in more details by examples. A speaker was manufactured by using a coil wire of the invention, and compared with a speaker manufactured by using a conventional round wire. The length of one side D of a square sectional shape of a square wire as the base of the invention shown in FIG. 5 was set to 0.16 mm. The square wire was used as a base, a shape shown in FIG. 1 is prepared, that is, the four corners in the square section were chamfered so that the area becomes 1.15 times as large as that of the circle 4 having a diameter (0.16 mm) which is the same as D, or the overall length of the outer circumference of the sectional shape becomes 1.09 times as that of the circle 4. Such chamfered wire (conductive part) of the invention was covered with an insulating layer, thereby preparing the coil electric wire (“Example 1 of the invention”). The length of one side including the chamfer in the sectional shape of the prepared coil electric wire (hereinbelow, called “regular square electric wire”) was 0.185 mm. By using the regular square electric wire, a speaker coil (voice coil) having a diameter of about 50 mm, winding width of 5.74 mm, and impedance of 3.5Ω was prepared, and further, a speaker was manufactured by using the voice coil. In contrast, in Comparative Example 1, a round electric wire was prepared by covering a circular round wire (conductive part) having the same section area as that in Example 1 of the invention with the insulating layer, a round wire coil was produced by using the round electric wire, and concerning other parts, a speaker for comparison was produced by using the same parts as those of the above-described speaker. The performances of the speakers were compared. The performance comparison was made by comparing output sound pressure level values (dB) in F characteristic measurement by a method similar to that in Example 2 of the invention, which will be described later. As a result, an effect was recognized that the sound pressure of Example 1 of the invention is higher than that of Comparative Example 1 by 0.5 dB. Embodiment 2 The length of one side D of the sectional shape of the square wire as the base of the invention shown in FIG. 5 was set to 0.16 mm. By using the square wire as a base, the following coil wires were prepared: the coil wire (Example 1 of the invention) shown in FIG. 1 and used in Example 1 of the invention; a coil wire (called “Example 2 of the invention”) having chamfers at the four corners shown in FIG. 2 so that the sectional area becomes 1.22 times as large as the area of the circle 4, or the overall length of the outer circumference of the sectional shape becomes 1.16 times as long as the circumference of the circle 4; a coil wire (called “Example 3 of the invention”) having chamfers shown in FIG. 3 at the four corners so that the sectional area becomes 1.26 times as large as the area of the circle 4, or the overall length of the outer circumference of the sectional shape becomes 1.21 times as long as the circumference of the circle 4; and a coil wire (called “Example 4 of the invention”) shown in FIG. 4 having chamfers at four corners so that the sectional area becomes 1.27 times as large as the area of the circle 4, or the overall length of the outer circumference of the sectional shape becomes 1.25 times as long as the circumference of the circle 4. Each of the prepared coil wires was covered with an insulating layer in a manner similar to Example 1 of the invention, thereby preparing an electric wire for a coil (regular square electric wire). The length of one side including the chamfer in the sectional shape of the prepared regular square electric wire was 0.185 mm. By using the regular square electric wires of Examples 1 to 4 of the invention prepared as described above, in a manner similar to Example 1 of the invention, a coil for a speaker (voice coil) having a diameter of about 50 mm, winding width of 5.74 mm, and impedance of 3.5Ω was manufactured. By using the voice coil, a speaker was manufactured. In Comparative Example 2, a round electric wire was prepared by covering a round wire in which the diameter of the circle 4 as a sectional shape of the conductive part is set to the same length as one side D (0.16 mm) of the square with an insulating layer. By using the round electric wire, a round wire coil was produced. By using the same parts as those of the above speaker concerning other parts, a speaker for comparison was produced. The performances of the speakers were compared. FIG. 6 shows frequency characteristics as the result of comparison, and is a graph showing frequency characteristics by the relation between output sound pressure level and frequency. In FIG. 6, Example 1 of the invention is indicated by a broken line, Example 2 of the invention is indicated by an alternate double-dot-dashed line, Example 3 of the invention is shown by a thick solid line, and Comparative Example 2 is expressed by a thin solid line. The performance comparison was made by comparing output sound pressure level values (dB) in the F characteristic measurement. 300 Hz, 400 Hz, 500 Hz, and 600 Hz in the frequency values in FIG. 6 were set as designated frequencies, and the average value of the output sound pressure level values (dB) at the four frequencies was used as sensitivity of the speaker. By comparing the average values, the performances were compared. As shown in FIG. 6, the sensitivity of Example 1 of the invention is 89.7 dB, and that of Comparative Example 2 is 89.2 dB. It was confirmed that the sound pressure of Example 1 of the invention is improved by about 0.5 dB as compared with Comparative Example 2. The sensitivity of Example 2 of the invention is 90.3 dB, and that of Comparative Example 2 is 89.2 dB. It was confirmed that the sound pressure of Example 2 of the invention is improved by about 1.0 dB to 1.5 dB as compared with Comparative Example 2. The sensitivity of Example 3 of the invention is 92.0 dB, and that of Comparative Example 2 is 89.2 dB. It was confirmed that the sound pressure of Example 3 of the invention is improved by about 2.0 dB to 2.5 dB as compared with Comparative Example 2. Although the sensitivity of Example 4 of the invention is not shown, it was confirmed that the sound pressure is improved by about 2.5 dB to 3.0 dB as compared with Comparative Example 2. Almost theoretical improvement in sound pressure could be achieved. In FIG. 6, the characteristic of Comparative Example 2 is the reference characteristic (φ0.16 round electric wire), and the sensitivity is 89.2 dB. In Example 1 of the invention, the regular square electric wire is used. The sectional area is 1.15 times, and the length of the circumference in section is 1.09 times with respect to the reference φ0.16, and the sensitivity is 89.7 dB. In Example 2 of the invention, the regular square electric wire is used. The sectional area is 1.23 times, and the length of the circumference in section is 1.17 times with respect to the reference φ0.16, and the sensitivity is 90.3 dB. In Example 3 of the invention, the regular square electric wire is used. The sectional area is 1.26 times, and the length of the circumference in section is 1.22 times with respect to the reference φ0.16, and the sensitivity is 92.0 dB. Conditions of sensitivity (output sound pressure level average at designated frequencies) are SPL average points at 300, 400, 500, and 600 Hz. In Embodiment 1 of the invention, the coil wire of the invention was compared with a round wire in which the sectional area of the conductive part is the same as that in the invention. In Embodiment 2 of the invention, the coil wire of the invention was compared with a round wire of a circular sectional shape having a diameter, which is the same as the length of one side of a square wire as the base of creation of the invention. It was understood from Embodiments 1 and 2 that the invention produces more excellent results. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. Thus, it is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby. The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-384209 filed on Nov. 13, 2003 including the specification, claims, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wire for a coil, having a square shape in cross section. 2. Related Art It is known that most of conventional coil wires have a circular shape in section (hereinbelow, a coil wire having a circular sectional shape will be called a “round wire”). By covering a round wire as a conductor with an insulating layer, a round electric wire is formed. When a coil is manufactured by using such a round wire, naturally, a gap is created between round wires. The coil therefore has a drawback of a low packing factor. It is also known that a coil wire having a conductor whose sectional shape is a square is manufactured to solve the drawback (hereinbelow, a coil wire having a square shape in section will be called “square wire”). However, it is also known that the square wire requires a know-how different from that of the conventional method of forming a round wire with respect to formation of an insulating layer and a winding method for obtaining a coil shape. For example, the square wire has a drawback that it is difficult to form a uniform insulating layer at four corners in section. We have already proposed a method providing a novel insulating layer, and so on, to solve the drawback, thereby obtaining the insulating layer for which the shape of each corner is stable. We have found that the method produces an effect of improving mass productivity. Generally, to improve a packing factor, an ideal square is preferable as a sectional shape. Specifically, a shape in which chamfers (including arc-shaped chamfers (“R part”) and linear chamfers) are not provided at all at the corners is preferable. In the case where the sectional shape is a perfect square, a wire is wound while sides are closely attached to each other, so that the sides function as a guide. However, in the case of providing an insulating layer for a perfect square, which is not chamfered, a problem occurs such that the thickness of the insulating layer at the corners varies. For example, in a wire generally called a slit wire obtained by cutting a thin plate made of a conductive material and having a predetermined thickness into parts each having a predetermined width by slitter, the corners are not chamfered, but a small burr which is disadvantageous to form an insulating film occurs. In the case of providing an insulating layer for a square wire as the slit line, the thickness of the insulating layer in the corner varies, as mentiond above. Naturally, it is not preferable as a coil wire. In addition, in the case of providing an insulating layer, in a square wire having no chamfers at corners, a phenomenon tends to occur that the insulating layer is destroyed in a position at which a layer lies on another layer in a winding process, for example, in a position at which the second layer lies on the first layer. Since the corners of the square wire are not chamfered, the corners easily come into engagement with each other. On the other hand, in the case where the corners are chamfered, if the dimension of the chamfer is too large, a so-called rolling phenomenon occurs in the winding process. As a result, the packing factor becomes lower than that of the round wire, and the performance deteriorates. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The invention relates to improvement in a coil wire having a square sectional shape, and its object is to provide a coil wire by which a higher-performance and higher-quality coil can be obtained at a price almost equal to that of a conventional round wire. The invention according to claim 1 relates to a coil wire having a square sectional shape, wherein chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and sectional area of said wire having the chamfers is at least 1.15 times as large as that of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. The invention according to claim 2 relates to a coil wire having a square sectional shape, wherein arc-shaped chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and length of the radius of an arc of said arc-shaped chamfer is set so that the sectional area of said wire having said chamfers is at least 1.15 times as large as that of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. The invention according to claim 3 relates to a coil wire having a square sectional shape, wherein chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and overall length of an outer circumference of the section of said wire having said chamfers is at least 1.09 times as long as circumference of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. The invention according to claim 4 relates to a coil wire having a square sectional shape, wherein arc-shaped chamfers are provided at four corners in the section of the square, and length of the radius of an arc of said arc-shaped chamfer is set so that overall length of an outer circumference of the section of said wire having said chamfers is at least 1.09 times as long as circumference of a circle having a diameter which is the same as the length of one side of said square. In the invention according to one of claims 1 to 4 , length of one side of said square may be 1 mm or less. According to the invention, the following advantageous effects are produced. By forming a sectional shape in which chamfers of dimensions optimized for the length of one side of a square are provided at four corners in a cross section of a square wire, variations in the thickness of an insulating layer in the chamfers do not occur, and an uniform insulating layer is stably obtained. No problem occurs also in a winding process, and further, the packing factor improves with reliability as compared with that of a coil using a conventional round wire (hereinbelow, called “round wire coil”). Therefore, the coil having higher performance than that of the round wire coil can be obtained. In the coil winding structure using the coil wire of the invention, a gap is smaller than that of the round wire coil, so that a heat radiation effect and heat resistance can be improved. The coil wire of the invention can achieve productivity, which is equivalent to that of a conventional round wire, at an almost same cost. | 20041013 | 20070703 | 20050519 | 70589.0 | 1 | MAI, ANH T | WIRE FOR COIL | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,964,457 | ACCEPTED | Electrical socket having terminals with elongated mating beams | An electrical socket for interconnecting an LGA chip with a PCB includes an insulative housing (2) and a multiplicity of terminals (1). The housing includes a plurality of passageways (26) extending therethrough for engagingly accommodating corresponding terminals. Each terminal includes a locating plate (10) arranged in rows, and a mating beam (12) connected to the locating plate and extending along the corresponding row. The terminals and the mating beams are arranged so that a projection A of each mating beam along the corresponding row is longer than a distance B between each two adjacent locating plates of two adjacent terminals arranged in the same row. Accordingly, when the mating beams are engaged with electrodes of the LGA chip, the mating beams are long enough to provide excellent resilient deflection characteristics, thereby ensuring good mechanical and electrical connection between the mating beams and the electrodes. | 1. An electrical socket comprising: a dielectric housing; and a plurality of terminals assembled in the housing in rows, each terminal comprising a locating plate for retaining the terminal in the housing, and a mating beam connected to the locating plate and extending along the corresponding row, the corresponding locating plates of the two every adjacent terminals along the corresponding row defining a first distance, from a top view, therebetween; wherein each mating beam has an upper connecting portion extending upwardly and forwardly along the corresponding row with a second distance from said top view, said second distance being larger than the first distance. 2. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 1, wherein said corresponding locating plates of said two every adjacent terminals along the corresponding row are essentially coplanar with each other. 3. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 2, wherein each terminal comprises a bridging portion extending from the locating plate for connecting the mating beam to the locating plate, and the upper connecting portion is oriented above the bridging portion and a lower connecting portion of the corresponding mating beam is oriented below the bridging portion. 4. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mating beams are parallel to and spaced apart from each other in the same row, and the upper connecting portion of each mating beam extends through and locates above the lower connecting portion of the adjacent mating beam. 5. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 4, wherein each terminal further comprises a mating portion defined on the upper connecting portion of the terminal for contacting with a corresponding electrode of an associated electronic package. 6. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 5, wherein each terminal further comprises a planar horizontal soldering base at a distal end thereof, for soldering to a circuit pad of a printed circuit board. 7. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 6, wherein the housing defines a plurality of passageways arranged in rows for accommodating the corresponding terminals. 8. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 7, wherein each passageway comprises an upper retention portion and two lower retention portions for retaining the corresponding terminal. 9. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 8, wherein each locating plate of the terminal comprises an upper barb on one side thereof for interferentially engaging with the upper retention portion, and two lower barbs on two opposite sides thereof for interferentially engaging with the two lower retention portions. 10. An electrical socket for electrically connecting an electronic package with a circuit substrate, comprising: an insulative housing defining a plurality of passageways arranged in rows and columns, every two adjacent passageways define a first space therebetween in a first direction along said rows and a second space therebetween in a second direction along said columns; and a plurality of terminals assembled in the corresponding passageways, each terminal having a mating beam for electrically connecting to the electronic package; wherein an upper connecting portion of the mating beam extends from one corresponding passageway and through one of said first space and second space so as to have a portion of said upper connecting portion is located right above one corresponding adjacent passageway while being spaced away from the mating beam of the corresponding terminal disposed in said corresponding adjacent passageway without interference regardless of whether both said mating beams are in a relaxed manner or in a compressed manner. 11. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 10, wherein each terminal comprises a locating plate for retaining the terminal in the passageway. 12. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 11, wherein the mating beam is connected to a lateral edge of the locating plate. 13. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 10, wherein the upper connecting portion extends in an upward oblique direction. 14. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 13, wherein said upper connecting portion extends linearly from a top view. 15. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 14, wherein said upper connecting portion extends parallel to said rows or said columns from the top view. 16. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 10, wherein both said two mating beams of the corresponding two adjacent terminals are spaced from each other in a vertical direction. 17. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 10, wherein said one of the first space and second space is the first space. 18. An electrical socket for electrically connecting an electronic package with a circuit substrate, comprising: an insulative base plate having a mating face for engaging with the electronic package, a positioning face for engaging with the circuit substrate, and a plurality of terminal-receiving passageways arranged in columns and rows and extending through the base plate from the mating face to the positioning face, and a plurality of terminals received in the terminal-receiving passageways, each of said terminals including: a locating plate for engaging in the corresponding terminal-receiving passageway; and a mating beam extending from the locating plate of the terminal toward the mating face of the base plate; wherein said mating beam includes an upper connecting portion extending upwardly and obliquely, from a side view, and further beyond the locating plate of one neighboring terminal located in the adjacent passageway in a row direction along which, from a top view, the whole upper connecting portion roughly directs to. 19. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 18, wherein said locating plate extends in a vertical plane parallel to said row direction. 20. The electrical socket as claimed in claim 18, wherein, from the top view, the whole upper connecting portion of the mating beam of the terminal extends straightforward along said row direction. | This application is a continuation application of the copending application Ser. No. 10/625,237 filed Jul. 22, 2003. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to electrical sockets, and particularly to an electrical socket having terminals with resilient mating beams. 2. Description of the Prior Art With the trend toward miniaturization in computer technology, land grid array (LGA) electrical sockets are becoming smaller and smaller. The LGA socket mainly comprises an insulative housing and a multiplicity of terminals. Due to the small size of the terminals, mating beams thereof are easily damaged because of large stress produced therein when the terminals are engaged with electrodes of a complementary electronic package such as a central processing unit (CPU). Several solutions have been developed to overcome this problem. One solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,315,576 and 6,290,507. The structure of the terminals is modified so as to obtain optimal electrical and mechanical performance of the mating beams of the terminals. Another solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,186,797 and 6,132,220. The arrangement of the terminals with respect to a base of an insulative housing of the socket is modified. In an electrical socket as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,797, a base plate of the socket defines an array of terminal holes arranged in a lattice-like array for receiving corresponding terminals therein. Respective rows of the terminal holes are oriented at a same angle, preferably 45 degrees, with respect to sides of the base plate. In this way, not only is miniaturization of the pitch of adjacent terminals enhanced, but also the performance of the terminals is improved. However, the terminals cannot be fitted into the lattice-shaped terminal holes of the base plate simultaneously, due to the limitations of existing manufacturing technology for the terminals. Thus assembly of the terminals is unduly complicated. Furthermore, in forming the terminal holes oriented at 45 degrees, core pins of the base plate mold also need to be oriented at 45 degrees. This complicates formation of the base plate mold. Therefore, it would be very beneficial to provide an electrical socket having terminals which reliably electrically connect with electrodes of an electronic package, and which allows easy assembly of the terminals into terminal holes of the electrical socket. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, a main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical socket having conductive terminals, wherein the terminals enhance the performance of the socket while still maintaining a high density array in the socket. To fulfill the above-mentioned object, an electrical socket for connecting an LGA chip with a PCB is provided by the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the electrical socket includes an insulative housing having a plurality of passageways extending therethrough, and a plurality of terminals assembled in the corresponding passageways of the housing. Each terminal includes a locating plate arranged in rows, and a mating beam connected to the locating plate and extending along the corresponding row. The terminals and the mating beams are arranged so that a projection of each mating beam along the corresponding row is longer than a distance between each two adjacent locating plates of two adjacent terminals arranged in the same row. Accordingly, when the mating beams are engaged with electrodes of the LGA chip, the mating beams are long enough to provide excellent resilient deflection characteristics, thereby ensuring good mechanical and electrical connection between the mating beams and the electrodes. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one terminal of an LGA electrical socket in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the terminal of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a left side elevation view of the terminal of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a top elevation view of the terminal of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is an isometric view of one terminal-receiving unit of the LGA electrical socket in accordance with the present invention, with a top of the terminal-receiving unit nearest the viewer; FIG. 6 is an isometric view of two adjacent terminal-receiving units and corresponding terminals of the LGA electrical socket in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of part of FIG. 6, with parts of the shown terminal-receiving unit cut away; FIG. 8 is a front elevation cut-away view of part of the LGA electrical socket in accordance with the present invention, together with a corresponding part of an LGA chip in an initial position loosely engaged on the LGA electrical socket; and FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 8, but showing the part of the LGA chip in a final position firmly engaged on the LGA electrical socket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe the present invention in detail. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, an LGA electrical socket in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of terminals 1 stamped from a sheet of resilient metallic material. Each terminal 1 comprises a locating plate 10, a mating beam 12, and a bridging portion 11 interconnecting the locating plate 10 and the mating beam 12. The locating plate 10 connects to a carrier strip (not shown), for facilitating insertion of a row of the terminals 1 into the LGA socket. A pair of lower barbs 101 protrudes from two opposite edges of the locating plate 10 respectively. An upper barb 100 depends from one of said edges of the locating plate 10, above one of the lower barbs 101. The lower barbs 101 and the upper barb 100 are provided for fixing the terminal 1 in the LGA socket. The bridging portion 11 extends forwardly and laterally from the other of said edges of the locating plate 10. The mating beam 12 comprises an elongated upper connecting portion 120 extending laterally and upwardly from the bridging portion 11 for mechanically and electrically connecting with a corresponding electrode 31 of an LGA chip 3 (as shown in FIG. 8), and a lower connecting portion 121 depending from the bridging portion 11 for mechanically and electrically connecting with a corresponding circuit pad of a PCB (not shown). The upper connecting portion 120 comprises a mating portion 1200 at a distal end thereof, for contacting the electrode 31. The lower connecting portion 121 comprises a planar horizontal soldering base 1210 at a distal end thereof, for soldering to the circuit pad of the PCB. Referring to FIG. 5, a plurality of terminal-receiving units is provided in an insulative housing 2 of the LGA socket, for accommodating corresponding terminals 1 therein. The terminal-receiving units are arranged in a regular rectangular array. Each terminal-receiving unit comprises a rear isolating wall 20, a first retaining block 21 adjoining a bottom of the isolating wall 20, and a second retaining block 22 adjoining the bottom of the isolating wall 20 and spaced apart from the first retaining block 21. A passageway 26 is thereby defined between the first and second retaining blocks 21, 22. A pair of lower retaining portions 23 is formed on the first and second retaining blocks 21, 22 respectively adjacent the passageway 26, for interferentially engaging with the lower barbs 101 of a corresponding terminal 1. An upper retaining portion 24 is formed on the second retaining block 22 above the corresponding lower retaining portion 23, for interferentially engaging with the upper barb 100 of the terminal 1. Referring to FIGS. 6 to 9, in assembly of the LGA socket, adjacent locating plates 10 of a row of the terminals 1 are pre-connected on the carrier strip. Then the row of terminals 1 is loaded into corresponding terminal-receiving units via the carrier strip. In this way, all the terminals 1 are inserted into corresponding terminal-receiving units of the housing 2. A distance between any two adjacent locating plates 10 is a predetermined constant. A distance between any two adjacent terminal-receiving units is a predetermined constant. Therefore, a space between each two adjacent loaded terminals 1 is a predetermined constant. The terminals 1 are arranged such that the upper connecting portion 120 of each terminal 1 has a projection A along a direction of the corresponding row of terminals 1, each two adjacent locating plates 10 define a distance B therebetween, and the projection A is longer than the distance B. A space 25 is defined between each two adjacent passageways 26. The upper connecting portion 120 of each terminal 1 extends through one space 25 and further extends above a second adjacent space 25, such that the upper connecting portion 120 of each terminal 1 is spaced apart from but disposed above the mating beam 12 of an adjacent terminal 1. The upper connecting portions 120 of the terminals 1 are parallel to each other in the same row of terminals 1, and the mating portion 1200 of each upper connecting portion 120 is disposed above the lower connecting portion 121 of a terminal 1 located two places away in the row. Accordingly, when the terminals 1 are engaged with electrodes 31 of the LGA chip 3, the upper connecting portions 120 are long enough to provide excellent resilient deflection characteristics, thereby ensuring good mechanical and electrical connection between the mating beams 12 and the electrodes 31. Referring particularly to FIG. 8, in use of the LGA socket, the LGA chip 3 is placed in an initial position. In the initial position, the LGA chip 3 is disposed in a receiving cavity 27 of the housing 2 of the LGA socket. The mating portions 1200 of the terminals 1 loosely contact the corresponding electrodes 31 of the LGA chip 3 respectively. The upper connecting portions 120 are substantially parallel to each other, and resiliently support the LGA chip 3 thereon. A distance C is defined between each two adjacent upper connecting portions 120. FIG. 9 shows the LGA chip 3 pressed downwardly by an external force. The electrodes 31 of the LGA chip 3 resiliently deflect the upper connecting portions 120 downwardly. When the LGA chip 3 has reached a final engaged position, the upper connecting portions 120 are still spaced from each other and substantially parallel to each other. A distance C′ is defined between each two adjacent upper connecting portions 120. The distance C′ is less than the distance C. The mating beams 120 of the terminals 1 deflect under force from the LGA chip 3 from the initial position to the final position. Because of the elongated configurations of the upper connecting portions 120, they deflect uniformly and steadily under increasing application of force. That is, the LGA chip 3 can be placed on the mating portions 1200 of the upper connecting portions 120 in the initial position, and pressed downwardly with steadily increasing force to the final position to reliably establish electrical connection with the terminals 1. This enhances the performance of the LGA socket while maintaining a high density of the terminals 1 therein. That is, stable and reliable electrical connection between the LGA chip 3 and the terminals 1 is attained. While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been shown and described, equivalent modifications and changes known to persons skilled in the art according to the spirit of the present invention are considered within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to electrical sockets, and particularly to an electrical socket having terminals with resilient mating beams. 2. Description of the Prior Art With the trend toward miniaturization in computer technology, land grid array (LGA) electrical sockets are becoming smaller and smaller. The LGA socket mainly comprises an insulative housing and a multiplicity of terminals. Due to the small size of the terminals, mating beams thereof are easily damaged because of large stress produced therein when the terminals are engaged with electrodes of a complementary electronic package such as a central processing unit (CPU). Several solutions have been developed to overcome this problem. One solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,315,576 and 6,290,507. The structure of the terminals is modified so as to obtain optimal electrical and mechanical performance of the mating beams of the terminals. Another solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,186,797 and 6,132,220. The arrangement of the terminals with respect to a base of an insulative housing of the socket is modified. In an electrical socket as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,797, a base plate of the socket defines an array of terminal holes arranged in a lattice-like array for receiving corresponding terminals therein. Respective rows of the terminal holes are oriented at a same angle, preferably 45 degrees, with respect to sides of the base plate. In this way, not only is miniaturization of the pitch of adjacent terminals enhanced, but also the performance of the terminals is improved. However, the terminals cannot be fitted into the lattice-shaped terminal holes of the base plate simultaneously, due to the limitations of existing manufacturing technology for the terminals. Thus assembly of the terminals is unduly complicated. Furthermore, in forming the terminal holes oriented at 45 degrees, core pins of the base plate mold also need to be oriented at 45 degrees. This complicates formation of the base plate mold. Therefore, it would be very beneficial to provide an electrical socket having terminals which reliably electrically connect with electrodes of an electronic package, and which allows easy assembly of the terminals into terminal holes of the electrical socket. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Accordingly, a main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical socket having conductive terminals, wherein the terminals enhance the performance of the socket while still maintaining a high density array in the socket. To fulfill the above-mentioned object, an electrical socket for connecting an LGA chip with a PCB is provided by the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the electrical socket includes an insulative housing having a plurality of passageways extending therethrough, and a plurality of terminals assembled in the corresponding passageways of the housing. Each terminal includes a locating plate arranged in rows, and a mating beam connected to the locating plate and extending along the corresponding row. The terminals and the mating beams are arranged so that a projection of each mating beam along the corresponding row is longer than a distance between each two adjacent locating plates of two adjacent terminals arranged in the same row. Accordingly, when the mating beams are engaged with electrodes of the LGA chip, the mating beams are long enough to provide excellent resilient deflection characteristics, thereby ensuring good mechanical and electrical connection between the mating beams and the electrodes. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: | 20041012 | 20050621 | 20050217 | 60304.0 | 2 | DUVERNE, JEAN F | ELECTRICAL SOCKET HAVING TERMINALS WITH ELONGATED MATING BEAMS | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,964,553 | ACCEPTED | Systems for processing workpieces | Systems, including method and apparatus, for processing workpieces driven automatically along a linear path to a plurality of positions disposed substantially along the linear path. In some embodiments, a workpiece may be processed at one or more of the positions using two or more processing stations, such as a first processing station that cuts the workpiece into segments and a second processing station that performs another processing operation on the workpiece. | 1. A system for processing workpieces, comprising: a pusher mechanism configured to move a workpiece along a linear path to a plurality of positions disposed substantially along the linear path; a first processing station configured to cut the workpiece into segments at one or more of the plurality of positions; a second processing station configured to modify the workpiece at one or more of the plurality of positions; and a computer configured to receive data corresponding to a cut list, a characteristic dimension of the workpiece, and a position of one or more defects, if any, within the workpiece, and to control operation of the pusher mechanism and the first and second processing stations according to the data so that the operation is automated during workpiece processing and utilization of the workpiece is optimized. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processing station includes a saw. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second processing stations are arranged so that regions of the workpiece are moved to the second processing station before the first processing station by the pusher mechanism. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to select cutting sites so that the workpiece is cut into one or more products having lengths defined by the cut list, and wherein the computer is configured to select the cuffing sites so that the one or more defects are excluded from each of the one or more products. 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for inputting at least a portion of the data to the computer manually. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processing station is configured to at least one of mark, rout, cut, drill, sand, bore, deburr, paint, and glue the workpiece. 7. A system for processing workpieces, comprising: a pusher mechanism configured to move a workpiece along a linear path to a plurality of positions disposed substantially along the linear path; a saw station configured to cut the workpiece at one or more of the plurality of positions; a drill station configured to drill the workpiece at one or more of the plurality of positions; and a computer configured to receive a cut list and to control operation of the pusher mechanism according to the cut list so that utilization of the workpiece is optimized. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein processing of the workpiece by the saw station and the drill station is controlled by the computer. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the saw station is configured to cut through a full-length form of the workpiece one or more times to create a segmented form of the workpiece, and wherein the drill station is configured to drill at least one of the full-length form and the segmented form. 10. The system of claim 7, the workpiece having a length, wherein the computer is configured to receive length data corresponding to the length and to control operation of the pusher mechanism based on the length data. 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an optical measuring device in communication with the computer and configured to measure the length. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the drill station is disposed closer to the pusher mechanism than the saw station. 13. The system of claim 7, wherein the workpiece is configured to be processed into one or more workpiece products and remainder material, and wherein the computer is configured to manage salvage or disposal of the remainder material. 14. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer is configured to receive defect data about the workpiece and to select cutting sites in the workpiece based on the defect data. 15. The system of claim 7, further comprising a printer in communication with the computer and configured to print labels for one or more workpiece products created from the workpiece. 16. The system of claim 7, wherein the cut list defines dimensions for a set of desired products, and wherein the computer is configured to receive a drill list defining positions for holes in the desired products. 17. The system of claim 7, further comprising a marking station configured to place a surface mark on the workpiece at one or more of the plurality of positions. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the marking station includes an inkjet device. 19. A method of processing workpieces, comprising: receiving data, the data corresponding to a cut list, a characteristic dimension of a workpiece, and a position of one or more defects, if any, within the workpiece; pushing a workpiece automatically along a linear path to a plurality of positions disposed substantially along the linear path; cutting the workpiece into segments with a first processing station at one or more of the plurality of positions; and modifying the workpiece with a second processing station at one or more of the plurality of positions, wherein pushing, cutting, and modifying are performed automatically according to the data during workpiece processing and so that utilization of the workpiece is optimized. 20. The method of claim 19, the workpiece having a length, wherein the step of receiving includes receiving data corresponding to the length of each product of a set of desired products and corresponding to the length of the workpiece. 21. The method of claim 19, wherein cutting is started before modifying. 22. The method of claim 19, wherein modifying and cutting are performed at one or more overlapping times. 23. The method of claim 19, wherein modifying is performed during pushing. 24. The method of claim 19, wherein pushing, cutting, and modifying create a set of one or more products from the workpiece so that each of the products excludes the one or more defects. 25. The method of claim 19, further comprising inputting the characteristic dimension and the position of the one or more defects manually to the computer. 26. A method of processing a workpiece, comprising: receiving a cut list defining a characteristic dimension of each member of a set of desired products; pushing a workpiece automatically along a linear path to a plurality of positions disposed substantially along the linear path; cutting the workpiece at one or more of the plurality of positions; and drilling the workpiece at one or more of the plurality of positions, wherein pushing and cutting are performed according to the cut list and so that utilization of the workpiece is optimized. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of receiving includes receiving a cut list defining the length of each member of the set. 28. The method of claim 26, further comprising processing data with a computer to create instructions for pushing, cutting, and drilling. 29. The method of claim 26, wherein cutting and drilling are performed automatically. 30. The method of claim 26, wherein the workpiece is not moving during cutting and drilling. 31. The method of claim 26, the steps of pushing, cutting, and drilling producing one or more workpiece products corresponding to at least one desired product, the method further comprising automatically printing at least one label for identification of the one or more workpiece products. 32. The method of claim 26, the workpiece having a length, further comprising receiving length data corresponding to the length, wherein cutting and pushing are performed based on the length data. 33. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving defect data about the workpiece, wherein the steps of pushing and cutting are performed based on the defect data. 34. The system of claim 26, wherein cutting cuts through a full-length form of the workpiece one or more times to create a segmented form of the workpiece, and wherein drilling is performed on at least one of the full-length form and the segmented form. 35. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving a drill list defining locations of holes for the desired products, wherein drilling is performed automatically based on the drill list. 36. The method of claim 26, further comprising placing a surface mark on the workpiece at one or more of the plurality of positions. 37. A system for cutting and drilling workpieces, comprising: means for receiving a cut list defining a characteristic dimension of each member of a set of desired products; means for pushing a workpiece automatically along a linear path to a plurality of positions disposed substantially along the linear path; means for cutting the workpiece at one or more of the plurality of positions; and means for drilling the workpiece at one or more of the plurality of positions, wherein pushing and cutting are performed according to the cut list and so that utilization of the workpiece is optimized. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIORITY APPLICATION This application is based upon and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of the following U.S. provisional patent application, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes: Ser. No. 60/510,292, filed Oct. 9, 2003. CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED MATERIALS This application incorporates by reference the following U.S. Pat. No.: 491,307; 2,315,458; 2,731,989; 2,740,437; 2,852,049; 3,886,372; 3,994,484; 4,111,088; 4,144,449; 4,286,880; 4,434,693; 4,541,722; 4,596,172; 4,939,379; 4,658,687; 4,791,757; 4,805,505; 4,901,992; 5,042,341; 5,142,158; 5,201,258; 5,251,142; 5,254,859; 5,443,554; 5,444,635; 5,460,070; 5,524,514; 5,960,104; 6,216,574; 6,549,438; and 6,631,006. This application also incorporates by reference the following U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 10/104,492, filed Mar. 22, 2002; Ser. No. 10/642,349, filed Aug. 15, 2003; Ser. No. 10/642,350, filed Aug. 15, 2003; Ser. No. 10/642,351, Aug. 15, 2003; Ser. No. 10/645,826, filed Aug. 20, 2003; Ser. No. 10/645,827, filed Aug. 20, 2003; Ser. No. 10/645,828, filed Aug. 20, 2003; Ser. No. 10/645,831, filed Aug. 20, 2003; Ser. No. 10/645,832, filed Aug. 20, 2003; Ser. No. 10/645,865, filed Aug. 20, 2003; Ser. No. 10/897,997, filed Jul. 22, 2004; and Ser. No.______, filed Oct. 4, 2004, titled “System for Forming Dados,” and naming Spencer B. Dick, as inventor. This application also incorporates by reference the following U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/574,863, filed May 26, 2004. BACKGROUND Many manufactured goods are constructed from components that are cut from stock material, processed further, and then assembled. For example, wood products, such as cabinets, often are constructed in a series of operations including cutting components of the appropriate length from stock lumber, modifying each component to facilitate assembly (and/or to add functionality and/or improve appearance), and then assembling the modified components. Performing of these operations can be inefficient, even when one or more of the operations are automated. For example, an automated saw may use a computer to determine where to cut stock lumber for construction of cabinets according to a user-supplied list of the required lengths of cabinet components (i.e., a cut list). The computer controls sites of cutting along the stock lumber based on the cut list and in a manner that optimizes utilization of the lumber to create the cabinet components. However, the cabinet components are generally handled to reposition them between cutting and further modification (such as drilling, marking, forming a joint surface, etc.), adding substantial time and expense to the construction of cabinets. A more efficient approach to processing components from stock material thus is needed. SUMMARY The present teachings provide systems, including method and apparatus, for processing workpieces driven automatically along a linear path to a plurality of positions disposed substantially along the linear path. In some embodiments, a workpiece may be processed at one or more of the positions using two or more processing stations, such as a first processing station that cuts the workpiece into segments and a second processing station that performs another processing operation on the workpiece. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary system for processing workpieces driven along a linear path past a plurality of processing stations disposed generally along the linear path, in accordance with aspects of the present teachings. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a controller and data input/output devices of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present teachings. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a sequence of operations that may be performed in an exemplary method of processing workpieces at two or more processing stations, in accordance with aspects of the present teachings. FIG. 4 is a view of an exemplary system for drilling and cutting workpieces driven along a linear path past a drill station and a saw station, in accordance with aspects of the present teachings. FIG. 5 is a view of selected portions of the system of FIG. 4, particularly the drill station and saw station and their relationship to an exemplary workpiece, in accordance with aspects of the present teachings. FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevation view of selected portions of another exemplary system for processing workpieces at a plurality of processing stations, particularly showing a print station printing indicia on a workpiece driven past the print station, in accordance with aspects of the present teachings. FIG. 7, is a plan view of the system of FIG. 6, taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a somewhat schematic view of selected portions of still another exemplary system for processing workpieces at a plurality of processing stations, particularly showing a marker station marking a workpiece with transverse lines, in accordance with aspects of the present teachings. FIG. 9 is a somewhat schematic, partially sectional view of selected portions of yet another exemplary system for processing workpieces at a plurality of processing stations, particularly showing a spacer placement station firing spacer balls into a longitudinal groove of a workpiece as the workpiece is moving past the placement station, in accordance with aspects of the present teachings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present teachings provide systems, including method and apparatus, for processing workpieces driven automatically along a linear path (a processing path) to a plurality of positions disposed substantially along the linear path. In some embodiments, a workpiece may be processed at one or more of the positions using two or more processing stations. One of the processing stations may be a cutting station, for example a saw station, that cuts through the workpiece to create segments (a segmented form of the workpiece). A computer may receive data about the workpiece, such as its length, positions of one or more defects, if any, in the workpiece, and a cut list defining a characteristic dimension (e.g., the length) of each of a set of desired products. The computer may select sites along the workpiece where cutting is to be performed, according to the cut list and to optimize use of the workpiece (and, optionally, to exclude one or more defects of the workpiece from each of the workpiece products). The computer also may control operation of a workpiece drive mechanism that moves the workpiece along the linear path for cutting at the selected sites by the cutting station to produce segments corresponding in length to one or more of the desired products (unless slated to be shortened by additional processing). Other processing operations (such as drilling, marking, routing, sawing at another saw station, sanding, deburring, fluid addition, member addition, etc.) also may be performed on the workpiece, generally under control of the computer, during a single pass of the workpiece past the processing stations. Accordingly, the systems of the present teachings may offer increased automation, more rapid workpiece processing, less operator handling, and/or higher production efficiencies, among others. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary system 20 for processing workpieces with two or more processing stations. System 20 may include a drive mechanism 22 for moving a workpiece 24 along a linear path 26. In the present illustration, drive mechanism 22 is configured as a pusher mechanism or pusher 28 that engages a distal end region 30 of the workpiece and advances (and stops) adjustably, indicated in phantom outline at 32, to push the workpiece forward. The drive mechanism may move the workpiece past two or more processing stations disposed generally along and/or adjacent the linear path. In the present illustration, system 20 includes three processing stations 34, 36, 38 (labeled “A,” “B,” and “C,” respectively). However, two, four, or more processing stations may be included. The processing stations may modify the workpiece at positions, shown at 40, substantially along the linear path to form one or more workpiece products. System 20 also may include at least one controller 42 (a computer) in communication with drive mechanism 22, shown at 44, and generally also in communication with each processing station, shown at 46. A controller or computer, as used herein, is any programmable electronic machine for processing information (data). The controller is configured to control operation of the workpiece drive mechanism, to move the workpiece automatically into position for modification by the processing stations. In some examples, the controller also may be configured to control operation of one or more (or all) of the processing stations, to automate modification of the workpiece during and/or after movement of the workpiece into and/or through processing stations. Data thus may be received by the controller and/or sent from the controller using communication pathways, such as communication links 44, 46 and/or data input/output devices 48. The terms “automatically” and “automated,” as used herein, refer to operations or processes (or processing stations) that do not require human intervention for their execution (or actuation in processing). For example, processing a workpiece automatically with a pusher mechanism and one or more processing stations means that the pusher mechanism and the one or more processing stations can operate in coordination to modify the workpiece without human intervention after the pusher mechanism begins moving the workpiece toward the processing stations. The term “manually” or “manual,” as used herein, refer to processes or operations (or processing stations) that involve human intervention for their execution (or actuation in processing). In some examples, one or more of the processing stations may be operated manually during processing, for example, a saw station that cuts workpieces with manual movement of a power-driven blade of the station through workpieces. FIG. 2 shows an exemplary schematic configuration of selected portions of controller 42 and connected input/output devices 48. Controller 42 may include a processor 60 and memory 62, among other devices. Processor 60 may be configured to process data, for example, by performing arithmetic, logical, and/or other operations on the data. Memory 62 may include input data 64 received, for example, from communication links 44, 46 (see FIG. 1) and/or input/output devices 48. Memory also may include instructions 66, generally in the form of software, for processing data and/or instructing operation of the workpiece drive mechanism, processing stations, and/or other devices of the system. Input data 64 may include any suitable data related to workpieces, products, modes of processing, user-defined preferences for processing or system operation, etc. Exemplary input data may include product data 68 and workpiece data 70. Product data 68 may be information about desired products and/or about workpiece products already produced by the system, among others. Information about desired products may include a cut list 72 with cut list data corresponding to a characteristic dimension (e.g., the length) of each desired product (and/or longer precursors (of the desired products) that are slated for additional shortening in the system, such as by processing of newly cut ends). Accordingly, the cut list may define the spacing between cuts within a workpiece and/or between a cut and the end of the workpiece, among others. The cut list (and/or the product list) also may provide data corresponding to the relative or absolute number of each desired product that the system should produce. Information about desired products also or alternatively may include data corresponding to a list of other processing operations, shown at 74, to be performed on workpieces. For example, the list of other processing operations may include a drill list with data corresponding to positions on desired products at which holes should be formed (and/or the depth/angle of each hole), a joinery list with data corresponding to joinery structures (e.g., joint surfaces) to be created in desired products, a marking list with data corresponding to positions at (and content of) surface marks to be created on each desired product, etc. Accordingly, the list of other processing operations may be related to desired products having lengths formed by cutting workpieces, although these other processing operations may be conducted before, during, and/or after workpieces are cut into segments having lengths corresponding (approximately or substantially) to desired products. In some examples, other processing operations may be specified by processing rules that allow processing positions to be calculated for each desired product based, for example, on the length of the desired product. Exemplary processing rules may include processing at the longitudinal midpoint of a desired product, processing at a constant spacing from the opposing ends of a desired product, etc. Workpiece data 70 may be information about any suitable aspect of a workpiece to be processed by the processing stations of the system. Exemplary workpiece data may include a characteristic dimension (e.g., the length, width, and/or thickness, among others) of the workpiece, grade of workpiece (and/or its material), type of workpiece, composition, shape, appearance (such as its color), defect data (e.g., position(s), type of defect, degree of defect, etc.), and/or the like. Further aspects of workpieces and data that may be input about workpieces are included in Sections IV and V. Instructions 66 may be configured to use input data 64 about a workpiece and desired products, among others, to generate processing instructions that control automated operation of the workpiece drive mechanism and/or the processing stations (see FIG. 1). Exemplary instructions may include an optimization algorithm 76. The optimization algorithm may be configured to optimize utilization of each workpiece based on data about desired products (and, optionally, based also on products already produced). In particular, the optimization algorithm may be configured to optimize utilization of each workpiece based on cut list 72. Accordingly, the optimization algorithm may select sites along a workpiece at which the workpiece will be cut into segments, based on desired products indicated by the cut list. The sites may be selected according to the length of the workpiece, the position(s) and length of defects in the workpiece, and other aspects of the workpiece, such as the grade of workpiece material. Optimization of the use of a workpiece may include selecting cutting sites so that workpiece defects, if any (as determined by a person operating the system and/or automatically), are excluded from workpiece products formed from the workpiece. Other exemplary instructions may include a remainder management algorithm 78 to manage processing of remainder material. Remainder material, as used herein, is one or more segments of a workpiece that will not be processed into workpiece products corresponding to desired products. The remainder material may include a defect and/or may be a portion of the workpiece too short to form a product on the cut list after cutting sites have been selected on the workpiece. The management algorithm may determine, for example, whether each remainder segment should be cut into smaller pieces or not. Accordingly, the management algorithm may determine, for example, whether each remainder segment is thrown away or salvaged. In some examples, the management algorithm may manage sorting of workpiece products, alternatively or in addition to managing cutting and/or sorting of remainder material. Further aspects of processing remainder material for salvage or disposal are included in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/645,828, filed Aug. 20, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. Additional exemplary instructions may include device drivers 80. Drivers 80 may be responsible for control signals or instructions sent to the workpiece drive mechanism and/or the processing stations, among others. A software driver for the workpiece drive mechanism may control operation of this drive mechanism and thus movement of a workpiece along a linear path. Drivers for the processing stations may control operation of each processing station, for example, by controlling a station drive mechanism for each station. Exemplary aspects of control for the workpiece drive mechanism (and/or workpiece), and/or processing stations may include speed, acceleration, distance of travel, starting position(s), stopping position(s), and/or actuation/de-actuation times, among others. In some examples, aspects of the controller, and particularly device drivers, may be included in the workpiece drive mechanism and/or processing stations. Data input/output devices 48 may be disposed in communication with the controller. Exemplary input/output devices may include one or more user interfaces 82, such as a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a screen, and/or a joystick, among others, to allow an operator to input data to the controller, for example, by pressing keys and/or through a graphical user interface. Alternatively, or in addition, the operator may input data more directly into controller memory from a portable memory storage device holding input data that was added to the storage device using another computing device. Other exemplary input/output devices may include at least one sensor 84, such as a distance, position, velocity, or activity sensor, among others. The sensor may be configured, for example, to permit an operator to input data about workpieces (e.g., dimensional, defect, and/or grade data, among others), and/or may sense this data automatically (e.g., by sensing an end and/or defect of the workpiece and/or by sensing machine-readable indicia on the workpiece). In some examples, a sensor may be configured to sense manual operation of a processing station by a person during otherwise automated processing. For example, the sensor may inform the computer that a person has performed a cut in a workpiece, so that the computer can instruct the drive mechanism to advance to workpiece for additional processing or output. Addition exemplary input/output devices may include one or more printers 86 to output data. The printer may be configured, for example, to print data about workpieces, workpiece processing (such as numbers/types of products, time of processing, etc.), user preferences, etc. Alternatively, or in addition, the printer may be configured to print labels for workpiece products. The labels may be applied manually or automatically to the products. Further aspects of label printing are included in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/645,831, filed Aug. 20, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. In some examples, a printing device (a printhead) may be included in a processing station to apply a colorant (such as ink) to a workpiece (see Examples 2 and 3). In some examples, the input/output devices may include one or more audio/visual devices 88. Each audio/visual device may be configured to create an audible or visible signal for an operator of the system. Exemplary audible signals may include a buzzer, a bell, a tone, a whistle, a spoken word, and/or the like. Exemplary visible signals may include a light(s). The light or lights may be of different colors, intensities, positions, and/or flashing durations/patterns, among others, to signal different information. The signals may be configured to indicate any suitable aspect of data input, data output, workpiece processing, and/or system operation, among others. For example, the signals may indicate that data (such as workpiece length, grade, defect position(s)) has or has not been input successfully, that workpiece processing has been initiated, that workpiece processing is complete, a malfunction of the system, etc. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of method steps that may be performed in an exemplary method 110 of processing workpieces at two or more processing stations in a processing system. The steps shown may be performed in any suitable order, in any suitable combination, and any suitable number of times. Inputs may be received, shown at 112. The inputs may be received by a controller and may include any data related to a workpiece to be processed, desired products, processing parameters, system parameters, and/or the like. The inputs may be provided to the controller from an operator, automatically (such as from a sensor), and/or by data processing, among others. Processing instructions may be determined based on the inputs, shown at 114. The processing instructions may include any aspects of how the workpiece drive mechanism, processing stations, and/or other system devices operate. For example, the processing instructions may include where (and/or when/how) the workpiece drive mechanism (and generally the workpiece) starts and stops, when (and/or where/how) the processing stations modify the workpiece, and/or the like. The workpiece may be positioned adjacent (and/or in) two or more processing stations, shown at 116. A workpiece positioned adjacent and/or in a processing station is disposed to be engaged by a portion of the processing station and/or a component released therefrom (such as an expelled component, e.g., ink, a fastener, a spacer element, etc.). The workpiece may be processed with each processing station, shown at 118. The action of the processing stations forms one or more workpiece products. Further aspects of the present teachings are described in the following sections, including, among others, (I) processing stations, (II) drive mechanisms, (Ill) support/guide structures, (IV) workpieces, (V) input of workpiece and product data, and (VI) examples. I. PROCESSING STATIONS The systems of the present teachings each may include two or more processing stations for processing workpieces. The term “processing,” as used herein, can be any action or set of actions that result in structural modification of a workpiece. A structural modification is any change in the shape, size, a surface aspect, and/or other intrinsic property of a workpiece, for example, by removing material from the workpiece, adding material to the workpiece, deforming the workpiece, and/or changing the molecular structure of the workpiece, among others. Accordingly, a processing station is any portion of a system that can effect processing of a workpiece. Each processing station generally includes a machine or set of machines configured to perform a processing operation, and an associated space in which the processing can be performed on a workpiece. A system with two or more processing stations may include distinct processing stations that perform two or more different types of processing operations and/or that can perform the same type of processing operation at different positions (for example, at the same time). A processing station may include a processing element that engages a workpiece and/or ejects a material or projectile toward the workpiece. Exemplary processing elements that engage a workpiece may include a blade, a drill bit, a router bit, a pen, a tip, a scribe, a brush, etc. Exemplary processing elements that eject (or fire) a material or projectile toward the workpiece, with, or more generally without workpiece contact, may include a printhead, a sprayer, a dropper, a projectile gun, etc. (Exemplary projectiles may include spacers, fasteners, joint members (e.g., dowels, biscuits, butterfly locks, etc.). and/or the like. Processing elements may have any suitable disposition and/or direction of travel relative to a workpiece. For example, processing elements may be disposed above, below, laterally, and/or adjacent an end of the workpiece (and/or a segment thereof). Furthermore, processing elements may be movable translationally and/or pivotably, in any suitable direction, including downward, upward, transverse, oblique, and/or longitudinal motion, among others, relative to the workpiece. This motion may position the processing element at a suitable position along the length, width, and/or depth of the workpiece, and in some examples (e.g., drilling, sawing, and/or routing, among others), may introduce the processing element into and/or through the workpiece. Accordingly, the processing elements may be configured to process faces, edges and/or ends of workpieces. Movement of processing elements, termed processing movement, to dispose the elements in operational position relative to workpieces, is generally computer controlled. However, processing elements also may have a basic repetitive operating motion, such as rotation, reciprocation, and/or travel along a looped path, among others, which may be actuated separately by an element driver, and thus may or may not be computer controlled. The processing stations of a system may have any suitable positional, functional, and operational relationship. Two or more of the processing stations may be disposed upstream and downstream of one another, generally along a processing path. Alternatively, or in addition, two or more of the processing stations may have about the same position along the processing path, for example, when the processing stations occupy substantially nonoverlapping positions around the workpiece. The processing stations may have a fixed or adjustable positional relationship relative to one another (and/or to the workpiece), particularly along the processing path of the workpiece. Accordingly, in some examples, the processing stations may be movable to the same position in the processing path. The processing stations may perform processing operations on a workpiece at any suitable relative times. For example, the processing stations may operate in a sequential manner on the same region of the workpiece (e.g., forming a cavity in a region with a first station, and then placing a component in the cavity with a second station), may operate at overlapping times on the workpiece (e.g., cutting a workpiece at a saw station as the workpiece is being drilled at a drill station), and/or may operate at non-overlapping times on the workpiece (e.g., processing a workpiece using a station and during a first time period (or a first set of intervals), while the workpiece is moving, and processing the workpiece using another station and during a second, nonoverlapping time period (or set of nonoverlapping intervals), while the workpiece is not moving). Processing operations performed with two or more processing the stations, and workpiece movement, all may be coordinated by computer. A processing station may be configured for removing material from a workpiece, to change the shape, size, and/or a surface aspect of the workpiece. Exemplary processing stations for removing material include a saw station (or another cutting station including a laser, knife, flame, electron beam, etc.) for cutting a workpiece, a router station for routing/milling a workpiece, a scorer station for scoring the surface of a workpiece, a sander station for smoothing the surface of a workpiece, a hole-forming or drill station for forming a hole in a workpiece, a borer station for widening a hole in a workpiece, a shearer station for shearing a workpiece, a deburrer station for deburring a cut end and/or other surface of a workpiece, a V-groove station for cutting a V-groove in a workpiece, a punch station for punching a hole in a workpiece, and/or the like. A saw station may include any suitable type of saw, saw blade, blade orientation, and blade movement. Exemplary blades may include circular blades, band blades, and/or reciprocating blades, among others. The blades may be configured to perform crosscuts (generally transverse to the length of a workpiece; e.g., chop saws), rip cuts (generally along the length of a workpiece; e.g., rip saws), miter cuts, dado cuts, angle cuts, nonlinear cuts, etc. The saw station thus may include a motor that drives the blade rotationally (e.g., circular saws), around a loop (e.g., band saws), and/or back and forth (e.g., reciprocating saws). The driven saw blade may be configured to be actuated for cutting a workpiece by movement of the driven blade, generally computer-controlled movement, in any suitable direction relative to a workpiece, include translationally (e.g., a radial arm saw) and or along an arc through pivoting motion (e.g., a chop saw, using an upward and/or downward motion). A drill station may include any suitable components and may operate by any suitable approach to a workpiece. The drill station may include a driver and a drill bit rotated by the driver. Positioning of drill bit may be controlled by computer. This positioning may be parallel to the long axis of the drill bit (to control depth of drilling for through-holes or recesses), and/or transverse to this axis. Accordingly, the depth of drilling may be controlled, to form through-holes or recesses. Also, the transverse, longitudinal, and/or vertical position of hole formation on a workpiece may be controlled, as may the angle of hole formation. Alternatively, or in addition, one or more aspects of the position of the driver may be set manually before the workpiece is processed. A processing station may be configured to add material to a workpiece, to change the shape, size, and/or a surface aspect of the workpiece. Exemplary processing stations for adding material include a print station for adding one or more surface marks (an indicium or indicia) to a workpiece, a fastener station for adding a fastener to a workpiece (such as a nail, screw, bolt, rivet, bracket, hook, staple, dowel, biscuit, butterfly lock, spline, etc.), a coating station for adding a surface coating or fluid (e.g., paint, varnish, stain, sealant, glue, etc.) to a surface or surface region of a workpiece, a spacer station for adding a spacer element (e.g., a spacer ball, a block, a spline, etc.) to a workpiece, an assembly station that connects (e.g., joins) the workpiece with one or more other components, and/or the like. A processing station may be configured to change the shape of a workpiece by deformation of the workpiece. Exemplary deformation may include bending, twisting, folding, compression, stamping, and/or the like. A processing station may be configured to change the molecular structure of a workpiece. Exemplary operations that may be used to change the molecular structure of a workpiece, either globally or locally in the workpiece, may include heating, cooling, exposure to electromagnetic radiation (e.g., visible light, radiofrequency waves, microwaves, ultraviolet light, X-rays, gamma-rays, etc.) or particle radiation, compression, and/or the like. II. DRIVE MECHANISMS The systems of the present teachings each may include any suitable number of drive mechanisms. Each drive mechanism may be configured to move workpieces, workpiece products, a processing station(s), a processing element of a processing station, and/or the like. Drive mechanisms may be configured to move workpieces, products, stations, and/or elements translationally, rotationally, and/or pivotally, among others. Operation of all or a subset of the drive mechanisms of a processing system may be computer controlled. A computer thus may control when a drive mechanism is actuated (movement starts), de-actuated (movement stops), the speed of the drive mechanism, acceleration of the drive mechanism, the direction of the drive mechanism, and/or the like. The drive mechanism may include an encoder that informs the computer of the position, speed, velocity, acceleration, and/or direction of a drive mechanism. Each drive mechanism may include a motor and a mechanical linkage that couples operation of the motor to movement of a load. The load may include a conveyor belt, a pusher element that engages a distal end of the workpiece, and/or a portion or all of a processing station, among others. Any suitable motor(s) may be used in the drive mechanism. Each motor may be an AC or DC electric motor, or may be air-powered or gas-powered, among others. Exemplary motors may be single or multiphase, universal, servo, induction, synchronous, stepper, and/or gear motors. Each motor may rotary or linear. The drive mechanism may employ any suitable linkage to the load. Exemplary linkages may include a belt(s), a screw(s), a gear(s) (e.g., a worm gear), a chain(s), a cable(s), a pulley(s), a rod(s), a rack and pinion, and/or the like. The linkage also may include a guide structure or track that directs and/or facilitates sliding movement of the load. Accordingly, the guide structure or track may include bearings or other elements that promote sliding. Workpieces may be moved along a linear path by a workpiece drive mechanism. The workpiece drive mechanism may be configured to engage any suitable surface of workpieces, such as a trailing end (as in a pusher mechanism) to push the workpieces, a face or edge (e.g., using a conveyor belt or conveyor wheels, among others) to carry or propel the workpieces, and/or a leading end region, to pull the workpieces. In exemplary embodiments, the pusher mechanism may include a worm gear formed of a threaded rod, and a worm wheel connected to a pusher carriage. Further aspects of pusher mechanisms that may be suitable are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/642,350, filed Aug. 15, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. Processed workpieces (products) may be moved away from processing stations by any suitable drive mechanism(s). In some examples, the workpiece drive mechanism also may be used to push workpiece products through an ouffeed site after their processing is complete. Alternatively, or in addition, products may be moved actively by a distinct product drive mechanism. The product drive mechanism may include a conveyor, for example, to carry the products farther, generally along the linear path of processing, to move the products laterally, and/or to carry the products in a direction generally opposite to the linear path. In some examples, the product drive mechanism may include a pusher mechanism that engages an edge of products and pushes them out of the linear path, for example, down a ramp and/or onto a conveyor. A processing portion of a processing station may be moved by any suitable drive mechanism. For example, processing stations may include drive mechanisms that move processing portion of the stations relative to workpieces, for example, into engagement with the workpieces or into suitable proximity to the workpieces. The drive mechanisms thus may be operated, generally by computer control, to position processing sites on a workpiece and/or to conduct processing. In some examples, processing stations, such as fixed printheads that print on workpieces, may lack a drive mechanism so that they are stationary during operation. A processing station may use distinct drive mechanisms for driving a processing element in its basic operating motion (e.g., rotating a circular saw blade) and for driving processing of the element with the processing element (e.g., moving the rotating circular saw blade through a workpiece). The element drive mechanism may or may not be computer controlled. However, the processing drive mechanism generally is computer controlled. The systems of the present teachings may include a clamp mechanism that holds a workpiece in place as it is being processed by a processing station. The clamp mechanism may include a clamp member (or members) coupled to a drive mechanism, so that the clamp member can be moved into engagement with the workpiece to effect clamping, for example, when the workpiece is not moving, and can be moved out of engagement with the workpiece to permit movement of the workpiece by the workpiece drive mechanism. Operation of the clamp drive mechanism may be under computer control (i.e., automated). An exemplary clamp mechanism is shown and described in Example 1. III. SUPPORT/GUIDE STRUCTURES The systems of the present teachings may include various support and/or guide structures that support, guide, and/or facilitate movement of workpieces, processing stations, and/or processing portions of processing stations. For example, the support structures may include a table on which workpieces can slide. The table may include a rail or rails that restrict lateral movement of the workpieces, thus, along with the workpiece drive mechanism, defining the linear path along which workpieces are driven. The table and/or rails may include structures that facilitate sliding, such as wheels or bearings, among others. Processing stations may be attached to the table or to adjacent support structures. Upward and/or lateral movement of workpieces also or alternatively may be restricted or biased by a superior or lateral wheel and/or a clamp mechanism (see Section II). Further aspects of a wheel for biasing movement and/or creating drag are described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/574,863, filed May 26, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference. IV. WORKPIECES The systems of the present teachings process workpieces. A workpiece, as used herein, is any piece of material that will be, or is being, processed by a processing system. Accordingly, a workpiece may be in a raw or “unprocessed” form (before any processing by a system), in a partially processed form (during and/or after partial processing by the system), or in a fully processed form (after processing of the workpiece by the system has been completed and/or the workpiece has passed through the system). Each processing station of a system thus may process the raw form of the workpiece, a partially processed form of the workpiece (such as a workpiece cut into smaller pieces or segments (a segmented form of the workpiece) and/or modified otherwise), or both. The fully processed form of a workpiece, as used herein, is termed a workpiece product or product. Although “fully processed” by a first pass through the system, a product may be processed additionally outside the system or during a second pass through the system. A workpiece may have any suitable composition. Workpieces thus may be formed of wood, metal, plastic, fabric, cardboard, paper, glass, ceramic, or a combination thereof, among others. The composition may be generally uniform or may vary in different regions of a workpiece (e.g., a wood workpiece with a vinyl coating). Exemplary workpieces are wood products, for example, sawn lumber, wood laminates, wood composites, etc. Other exemplary workpieces are metal sheets or strips. A workpiece may have any suitable shape and size. Generally, the workpiece is elongate, so that the workpiece can be moved along a linear processing path that is parallel to the long axis of the workpiece. However, in some embodiments, the workpiece may not be elongate and/or may not be oriented so that the long axis of the workpiece is parallel to the linear processing path. The workpiece may have any suitable length. Exemplary lengths are based on available lengths of stock pieces, such as stock lumber of about six feet to twenty feet in length, for the purpose of illustration. In some examples, the workpiece may have a rectangular cross section, opposing ends, edges, and faces. A workpiece may be of generic stock or may be pre-processed according to a particular application, before processing in a system. For example, the workpiece may be a standard piece of raw lumber. Alternatively, the workpiece, before processing by the system, may include one or more holes, grooves, ridges, surface coatings, markings, etc., created, for example, based on desired features of products to be formed by the system. V. INPUT OF WORKPIECE AND PRODUCT DATA Data about workpieces and/or desired products may input into a system, by communicating this data to a controller. The data may be input through any suitable user interface. Any suitable data may be input about a workpiece. The data may relate to the type of workpiece, one or more characteristic dimensions (e.g., the length, width, and/or thickness, among others) of the workpiece, grade of workpiece material (e.g., high grade, medium grade, low grade, etc.), composition, shape, defect data (e.g., defect position(s), degree of defect, etc.), color, and/or the like. Workpiece data may be input through the action of a person and/or automatically. Accordingly, the workpiece data may be input through a computer interface, such as a graphical user interface, a keyboard, a keypad, etc. Alternatively, or in addition, the workpiece data, particularly one or more characteristic dimensions and/or defect data about of the workpiece, may be input through a controller-linked measuring device. The measuring device may include an optical measuring device (e.g., see Example 1). Alternatively, or in addition, the measuring device may be an encoder-based measuring device that an operator can slide parallel to the length of a workpiece and selectively actuate, for example, by pushing a button, to send information about the relative position of the workpiece ends, one or more defects, and/or other workpiece features to the controller. Exemplary measuring devices that may be suitable for use in the processing systems of the present teachings are described in the patents and patent applications identified above under Cross-References, which are incorporated herein by reference, Any suitable data may be input about desired products to provide a product list. The data may correspond to the length of each product (a cut list), the absolute or relative number desired of each product, type(s) of processing to be included in each product, position(s) where processing should be performed for each product, order of processing operations for each product, etc. In some examples, the data may correspond to a destination for the product, such as a bin or chute, among others, to which the product should be direct automatically, so that products are sorted after processing. VI. EXAMPLES The following examples describe, without limitation, further aspects of the present teachings. These aspects include exemplary systems for processing workpieces driven along a linear path through (and/or adjacent) two or more processing stations, and exemplary processing stations for such systems, among others. Example 1 This example describes an exemplary system for drilling and cutting workpieces driven along a linear path; see FIG. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 shows an exemplary system 130 for automated cutting (sawing) and drilling of workpieces driven along a linear path. System 130 may include a pusher mechanism 132 configured to push a workpiece 134 along a linear path 136. System 130 also may include a saw station 138 and a drill station 140 disposed at spaced positions generally along the linear path. The pusher mechanism thus may position the workpiece suitably along the linear path so that the saw station and drill station can saw and drill the workpiece to form one or more workpiece products 142. The workpiece may be supported by a table 144, guided by one or more guide rails 146, and held in position by a selectively actuable clamp mechanism 148. System 130 may include one or more controllers (computers) for automating aspects of system operation. For example, the system may include a local controller 150 and a project management controller 152. The local controller may be configured to send instructions to, and thus control, each of the pusher mechanism, the saw station, and the drill station, so that movement of the workpiece along the linear path, cutting the Workpiece, and drilling the workpiece each are automated. The local controller also may send instructions to, and thus control selective actuation (and de-actuation) of, the clamp mechanism. The local controller further may be configured to receive input data about workpieces and/or desired products, among others, and may optimize and coordinate processing of workpieces by the saw station and the drill station according to the products desired. Project management controller 152 may be used remotely from the local controller, to store, edit, combine, or modify data about desired products (and/or workpieces), such as cut/drill lists, prior to downloading one or more of the lists to the local controller. Data (such as length, grade, type, etc.) about workpieces and/or system operation may be input by any suitable mechanism. For example, local controller 150 may include a keypad 154 through which data may be input in by an operator of the system. Alternatively, or in addition, system 130 may include an optical measuring device 156 that inputs data to the local controller based on a path followed by light 158. For example, interruption of the light path by an end of a future workpiece 160 to be processed after current workpiece 134, and/or by an object placed manually (using human energy) in the light path, may be used to input the length of the future workpiece and/or a position(s) of a defect 162 along the length of the future workpiece, among others. An audio/visual device, such as an indicator light 164, may be used to signal successful (and/or unsuccessful) input of data, such as length and/or defect positions, to the local controller. Signals, such as processing start or stop signals, among others, also may be input by using the optical measuring device as a “virtual keyboard” and/or with other user interfaces, such as keypad 154, a graphical user interface, or a foot pedal 165, among others. System 130 also may include other devices or features to facilitate workpiece management. For example, the system may include a printer 166 configured to print labels 168 for manual or automatic application to workpiece products. System 130 also or alternatively may include an outfeed structure 169 configured to receive workpiece products, salvage pieces, and waste pieces. The ouffeed structure may include a waste opening 170 sufficient to selectively receive only waste pieces. Accordingly, the system may be configured to cut pieces, designated for disposal, to a size small enough to fit through the waste opening. Further aspects of processing and separating salvage and waste pieces are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/645,828, filed Aug. 20, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference. FIG. 5 shows selected portions of system 130, particularly portions of saw station 138 and drill station 140, and their relationship to workpiece 134. Saw station 138 may include a saw blade 180 driven rotationally or reciprocably by a motor. Control of the saw station by the local controller may include moving the saw blade into engagement with the workpiece, for example, by instructing the saw station to move the saw blade upward, transverse, and/or downward to (and/or through) the workpiece. In the present illustration, the saw blade is instructed to cut the workpiece by transverse movement, shown at 181. Drill station 140 may include a drill bit 182 driven to rotate and/or pivot by a motor to form one or more holes 183 in the workpiece. Operation of the drill station by the local controller may include instructing the drill station to move the drill bit into engagement with the workpiece, for example, by movement that is upward, transverse, oblique, and/or downward into (and/or through) the workpiece. In the present illustration, the drill bit approaches and moves away from the workpiece by downward and upward movement, respectively, along a vertical axis, shown at 184. The depth of drilling may be controlled by how far the drill bit is advanced into the workpiece. The drill station also may include a drive mechanism that moves the drill bit along a transverse axis, shown at 186 (and/or a longitudinal axis or vertical axis, among others), to adjust the transverse (and/or longitudinal or vertical) position at which the drill bit enters the workpiece. In some examples, the drill station may include a drive mechanism that permits automatic adjustment of the angle at which the drill bit drills the workpiece. In the present illustration, the drill station is closer to the pusher mechanism than the saw station. However, in alternative embodiments, the saw station may be closer to the pusher mechanism than the drill station, or they may be disposed at about the same distance from the pusher mechanism. Clamp mechanism 148 may include a drive mechanism 188. The drive mechanism may move the clamp mechanism along an axis, shown at 190, that is transverse to the linear processing path, for example, a horizontal or vertical axis. The controller may be configured to instruct drive mechanism 188 when, where, and/or how to move, thus controlling its operation. Example 2 This example describes an exemplary workpiece processing system with multiple processing stations, including a print station for printing indicia on a workpiece driven past the print station; see FIGS. 6-7. FIG. 6 shows a side view of a workpiece processing system 210 including a print station 212. The print station may be configured to print indicia on a workpiece 214 driven along a linear path 216. The workpiece may be supported during printing and other processing by a support structure, such as a table having a horizontal support surface 217. The print station may include a printhead 218, for example, an inkjet printhead configured to fire ink droplets 220 onto a surface of the workpiece, for example, upper surface 222. The printhead may include a plurality of nozzles, from which individual droplets may be fired, such as by actuation of thin-film firing elements (e.g., thin-film heater elements and/or piezoelectric elements, among others). The print station may be fixed or movable during operation, for example, movable transverse to the linear path of workpiece movement. If fixed, the print station may print indicia while the workpiece is moving or not moving along the linear path. Operation of the print station while the workpiece is moving may increase the speed of workpiece processing, relative to printing only when the workpiece is stopped. In some examples, operation of the printhead may be coordinated with the position of the workpiece, based on an encoder in the workpiece drive mechanism. FIG. 7 shows a plan view of system 210, taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 6. In the present illustration, workpiece 214 includes fully printed indicia 224 where the workpiece has advanced past the print station, and partially printed indicia 226 in the process of being printed by the print station. The indicia or surface marks may include one or more lines 228, one or more alphanumeric characters 230, one or more words, a bar code, a symbol, and/or the like. The indicia may be used, for example, to identify products and/or to guide additional processing or assembly of products. For example, in the present illustration, characters “A5” may identify a particular product or a particular end of a product. The characters (or other indicia, such as colors, symbols, etc.) also or alternatively may indicate which component (e.g., by name or part number) is to be assembled with the marked product, and vice versa, so that pairs of products may be marked to identify their partners for mating with one another. Line 228 may define, for example, an accurate position at which another component is to be attached to the workpiece (see Example 3). Example 3 This example describes an exemplary workpiece processing system with multiple processing stations, including a marking station for placing a visible surface mark (an indicium or indicia) on a workpiece driven past the marking station; see FIG. 8. System 250 may include a marking station 252 that can place one or more surface marks such as lines 254 on a workpiece 256. The marking station may include a marking instrument, such as a pen 258, an inkjet device (see Example 2), or a scoring device (such as a scribe or sharp-pointed awl), among others, that creates a surface mark with ink (or another colorant of any suitable color, including black) or by scratching the workpiece surface, as the marking instrument moves across the workpiece. The marking instrument may be configured to form a mark that extends linearly (or nonlinearly) in a direction orthogonal, oblique, or parallel to the linear path 260 followed by the workpiece. An orthogonal mark may be formed by orthogonal movement of the marking instrument while the workpiece is not moving. Alternatively, or in addition, an orthogonal mark may be formed while the workpiece is moving, by oblique movement of the marking instrument, shown at 262, for example, along an obliquely disposed guide rail 264. The oblique movement may have an angle, for example 45°, and a speed selected so that the speed of forward movement of the workpiece along the linear path matches the speed of the marking instrument for travel parallel to the linear path. Alternatively, an oblique mark may be formed while the workpiece is moving or not moving. In some examples, the marking instrument may be replaced with a cutting instrument, such as a saw, to provide a flying crosscut that is created as the workpiece is moving. In any case, operation of the marking instrument or cutting instrument may be controlled by a computer and coordinated with operation of a drive mechanism that moves the workpiece along a linear path. System 250 may be useful, for example, in forming parts for kitchen cabinets. Kitchen cabinets generally have a face frame that sits behind doors and/or drawers. The face frame may have a top rail, a bottom rail, and one or more intermediary rails each attached to opposing stiles. The position for future attachment of the intermediary rails may be marked on a workpiece (particularly a portion of the workpiece corresponding to a future stile) using marking station 252 of system 250. In some examples, marks may be placed on a workpiece before (and/or during and/or after) the workpiece is cut by a saw station of a processing system. Example 4 This example describes an exemplary workpiece processing system with multiple processing stations, including a spacer placement station; see FIG. 9. System 280 may include a spacer placement station 282 that adds spacer elements (such as spacer balls 284, foam blocks, one or more rubber splines, etc.) to a workpiece 286. The spacer elements may be used, for example, to allow a panel in a frame and panel door to be free-floating, to allow the panel to expand and contract, and/or to dampen panel rattling, among others. The spacer elements may be configured to be received in a cavity formed in the workpiece, for example, a longitudinal groove 288. The longitudinal groove or other cavity may be formed upstream of the spacer placement station within system 280, for example, using a rip saw or a router that is oriented to cut longitudinally (with or without concurrent workpiece movement). Alternatively, the groove or other cavity may be formed outside of system 280 before the workpiece is processed by the system. The spacer placement station 282 may be configured to fire the spacer elements, shown at 290, at the workpiece without direct contact with the workpiece, as shown in the present illustration. For example, the spacer placement station may include a modified paint ball gun or similar firing device that can fire the spacer elements at the workpiece. Accordingly, in some examples, the spacer elements may be added to the workpiece while the workpiece is moving (and, generally, with the spacer placement station not moving), to save processing time. The spacer placement station may fire spacer elements vertically, as shown in the present illustration, horizontally, or along any other suitable path. Alternatively, a spacer(s) may be pressed into the groove or other cavity. In some examples, the spacer elements may be slightly oversized, so that they deform and stay in position when placed into the groove or other cavity. Controller software may be configured to calculate where and/or when spacer elements should be fired at workpieces, as the workpieces are moving past the spacer placement station. For example, positions along a workpiece at which spacer elements are to be added may be determined by the controller software according to stored specifications of desired products. In particular, the controller software may determine which product or products are being produced from the workpiece, which of the produced products, if any, should include spacer elements, and what position or positions along the length of each product should include a spacer element. The positions of spacer elements may be predefined or may be calculated “on the fly.” In an exemplary embodiment, spacer balls are placed three inches from each end of rails and two inches from each end on stiles. The software thus may include an algorithm that determines the length and part description of each product to be formed from a workpiece, and based on these two factors, calculates both the placement and frequency of spacer elements to be inserted and in turn the actual ordinate positions along the length of the workpiece. Accordingly, the spacer elements may be added to selected workpieces automatically and at predefined positions within these selected workpieces, in some cases while the workpieces are moving and/or without contacting the workpieces with the spacer placement station. Example 5 This example describes exemplary workpiece processing systems with multiple processing stations, including a station for forming a joint surface. Joints are sites where two or more components are joined together. Each component includes a joint surface that mates with a complementary joint surface of an adjacent component. Exemplary joint surfaces formed by workpiece processing may be joined with each other to produce finger joints, miter joints, mortise and tenon joints, dovetail joints, dado joints, lap joints, splined joints, tongue and groove joints, and/or the like. A joint surface for joining to a complementary joint surface may be formed by removing material from any suitable surface of a workpiece using the systems of the present teachings. Accordingly, the joint surface may be formed on an end of a workpiece, an edge of a workpiece, and/or a face of a workpiece. For example, a mortise for a tenon (or a tenon for a mortise) may be routed automatically from a face, edge, or end of a workpiece. In some examples, the joint surface may be formed as a workpiece is cut, for example, a butt joint surface formed by an orthogonal crosscut, or a miter joint surface formed by a miter cut. In some examples, the joint surface may be formed on a cut end produced by cutting the workpiece in a system of the present teachings. For example, a finger joint surface may be formed with the newly cut end of a workpiece using a finger joint cutter after the workpiece has been cut by a saw station. After cutting, the newly created ends of the leading and trailing pieces may be separated, for example, by advancing the leading piece with a conveyor. The leading and/or trailing piece then may be clamped in position and automatically processed with a station that cuts finger joints. Example 6 This example describes exemplary workpiece processing systems with multiple processing stations, including a station for forming a cavity and another station for inserting a joining member into the cavity. Joints may be strengthened by using joining members that span joints. Such joining members may strengthen joints, for example, by increasing the surface area of a joint (and thus the surface area for a glue) and/or may swell after their installation, among others. Exemplary joining members include dowels, biscuits (used, for example, to span miter joints in frames), butterfly locks, or the like. Processing systems of the present teachings may include processing stations configured to install joining members into workpieces automatically. The systems may include a processing station that forms a receiver cavity in a workpiece, and another processing station that inserts the joining member into the receiver cavity. The receiver cavity and the joining member may have complementary structure, so that a portion of the joining member fits into the receiver cavity, sometimes relatively snugly. In some examples, the joining member may include a coating of an adhesive when it is inserted. Alternatively, the receiver cavity may be processed at a glue station at which glue is injected automatically into the receiver cavity before the joining member is inserted. A partner component of the processed workpiece, with a complementary joint surface then may be joined with the workpiece and its joining member, to complete the joint. Joining the partner component may be performed outside the processing systems or automatically by the processing systems. Example 7 This example describes exemplary workpiece processing systems with multiple processing stations, including a drill station for forming a pocket hole in a workpiece. Pocket holes are obliquely oriented holes that may be used, for example, to receive fasteners, such as screws, to secure a joint, such as a butt joint. The systems of the present teachings may be used to form pocket holes automatically. In some examples, the systems also may include a saw station. The pocket holes near an end of a workpiece product may be formed before or after the workpiece is cut. In exemplary embodiments, pocket holes configured to receive screws to join face frame members are drilled after cutting a workpiece to length. Example 8 This example describes exemplary workpiece processing systems with multiple processing stations for processing workpieces formed of metal. The systems may be configured to cut and remove burrs from metal. Accordingly, the systems may include a cutting station (such as a saw station) and a deburring station. The systems may cut a metal workpiece to produce a newly cut end, and then may move the workpiece to the deburring station to remove any sharp edges of the newly cut end. The deburring station may include, for example, a rotating metal brush and/or a rotating wheel with sandpaper flaps, among others. The systems may be configured to cut metal and then notch the newly cut end. Accordingly, the systems may include a cutting station (such as a saw station) and a notching station. After cutting a workpiece to produce a newly cut end, the systems may move the workpiece to the notching station for notching for the newly cut end. The resultant notched product may be suitable, for example, as a structural member of a window blind. The notched end may be configured to receive an end cap, so that a fastener or a string, among others, can be received in the notch. The systems may be configured for automatic insertion of rivets. The rivets may include fastener structure, for example, a female or male thread, or a bracket, among others. The rivets may be inserted into a workpiece before, during, and/or after the workpiece is cut to length. The systems may be configured for automaticaly tapping holes (that is, forming a thread in the holes). The systems may include a drill station and a tap station. A hole may be drilled automatically in a metal workpiece and then tapped afterward. In some embodiments, the tap station may be disposed downstream of the drill station. In some embodiments, the drill station and the tap station may be configured to drill and tap a hole while the workpiece is in the same position, that is, without moving the workpiece between operations. The systems may be configured to automatically place fasteners into holes. The systems may include a drill station and a fastener placement station. After a hole is drilled in a workpiece, the fastener placement station may press a self-clinching fastener, such as PEM stud or nut, into the hole. The systems may be configured to deform metal workpieces automatically. The systems may include a cutting station (such as a saw station) and a deformation station. Before, during, and/or after a workpiece is cut, the workpiece may be deformed, for example, bent, twisted, stamped, formed, etc. Deformation may be conducted, for example, by a press brake. The systems may be configured to punch holes automatically. The systems may include a cutting station (such as a saw station) and a punch station. Before, during, and/or after a workpiece is cut to length, holes may be punched in the workpiece. Punching may be suitable, for example, in the window industry to provide an attachment site within an aluminum, perimeter frame member for an intermediate frame member of a window frame. Example 9 This example describes exemplary workpiece processing systems with multiple processing stations that process workpieces for assembly of miter-fold boxes. The systems may include a V-grooving machine and a glue station. The systems optionally may cut a workpiece to length. The V-grooving machine may form V-shaped transverse grooves in a face of the workpiece, before, during, and/or after cutting the workpiece to length. The grooves generally do not extend to the opposing face of the workpiece, for example, leaving a plastic backing of the workpiece uncut. The glue station then may apply glue to the V-grooves. The grooved workpiece with glue then may be folded to mate opposing surfaces of each V-groove, to form the sides of a box, optionally in the presence of a panel that fits into longitudinal grooves disposed on the sides. Folding may be performed automatically by the system, or manually or automatically outside the system. This resulting box may provide a drawer or speaker box, among others. Example 10 This example describes exemplary workpiece processing systems with multiple processing stations that process workpieces for bending. In the packaging industry, corner cushioning pieces (e.g., formed of cardboard or foam) may need to be cut to length from stock, and scored for bending. The systems thus may include a cutting station and a scoring station, which may operate in any suitable order on a workpiece. Example 11 This example describes exemplary workpiece processing systems with multiple processing stations and configured to sort processed products. The systems may include various chutes or gates that may be operated automatically. Operation of the chutes or gates may be determined by a sorting algorithm that controls sorting of workpiece products according to product identity, product type, sets of related products, etc., so that the products are sorted into appropriate bins. Example 12 This example describes exemplary workpiece processing systems with multiple processing stations, including a station for boring/drilling holes for attaching hinges. Hinge holes may be formed in door frame members and face frame members automatically, before, during, and/or after cutting the members to length. Example 13 This example describes exemplary combinations of processing stations that may be included in the systems of the present teachings. A processing system may include any suitable combination of two, three, four, or more processing stations, such as any of the processing stations of the present teachings. In some examples, the processing system may include a cutting station, such as a saw station, and at least one other processing station. The at least one other processing station may include a marking station, a printing station, a drilling station, a router station, a deburring station, a scoring station, a fluid-addition station (for application of paint, glue, varnish, etc.), a member addition station (for addition of one or more members, such as a dowels, biscuits, butterfly locks, fasteners, spacers, labels, etc.), a shearing station, a deformation station, a punching station, a folding station, a cutting station (such as a second saw station), a sanding station, and/or the like. In some examples, the processing system may include a cutting station (such as a saw station) and a marking station (such as a scoring, printing, or line-drawing station for creating a surface mark on a workpiece), and at least a third processing station (such as a drill station, a second cutting station, a routing station (with a router that removes material from the workpiece), a fluid-addition station, a member-addition station, etc.). The stations may have any suitable disposition relative to each other and relative to a workpiece drive mechanism. In some examples, a first station may be disposed in a first position closest to the drive mechanism, a second station may be disposed in a second position that is spaced farther from the drive mechanism than the first position, and, optionally, third and/or higher order stations may be disposed in third and higher positions disposed farther from the workpiece drive mechanism than lower order positions. Each of the first, second, third, fourth, or higher order station may be a cutting station, a drill station, a marking station, a router station, a member-addition station, a fluid addition station, or any other processing station described herein. In some examples, first and second processing stations may be disposed with the second processing station closest to the drive mechanism, that is, so that regions of a workpiece are moved through the second processing station before the first processing station. The disclosure set forth above may encompass multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. Although each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form(s), the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein. The following claims particularly point out certain combinations and subcombinations regarded as novel and nonobvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed in applications claiming priority from this or a related application. Such claims, whether directed to a different invention or to the same invention, and whether broader, narrower, equal, or different in scope to the original claims, also are regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>Many manufactured goods are constructed from components that are cut from stock material, processed further, and then assembled. For example, wood products, such as cabinets, often are constructed in a series of operations including cutting components of the appropriate length from stock lumber, modifying each component to facilitate assembly (and/or to add functionality and/or improve appearance), and then assembling the modified components. Performing of these operations can be inefficient, even when one or more of the operations are automated. For example, an automated saw may use a computer to determine where to cut stock lumber for construction of cabinets according to a user-supplied list of the required lengths of cabinet components (i.e., a cut list). The computer controls sites of cutting along the stock lumber based on the cut list and in a manner that optimizes utilization of the lumber to create the cabinet components. However, the cabinet components are generally handled to reposition them between cutting and further modification (such as drilling, marking, forming a joint surface, etc.), adding substantial time and expense to the construction of cabinets. A more efficient approach to processing components from stock material thus is needed. | <SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>The present teachings provide systems, including method and apparatus, for processing workpieces driven automatically along a linear path to a plurality of positions disposed substantially along the linear path. In some embodiments, a workpiece may be processed at one or more of the positions using two or more processing stations, such as a first processing station that cuts the workpiece into segments and a second processing station that performs another processing operation on the workpiece. | 20041012 | 20070206 | 20050602 | 79331.0 | 1 | ROSS, DANA | SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING WORKPIECES | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,964,705 | ACCEPTED | Storage bin assembly for a refrigerator | A refrigerator includes a storage bin assembly removably mounted to an inner liner of a door. The storage bin assembly includes a base portion having a frontal opening, and a face portion. The frontal opening is defined by first and second side portions, as well as a bottom portion. Each of the side portions is provided with a mounting component and a mounting element. The face portion includes top, bottom and opposing side sections, with each of the opposing side sections being provided with a mounting member and a mounting part. The mounting component interengages with the mounting member and the mounting element interengages with the mounting part upon snap-fittingly securing the face portion to the base portion across the frontal opening. | 1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet shell; a liner disposed in the cabinet shell that defines at least a fresh food compartment; a door pivotally mounted relative to the cabinet for selectively closing the fresh food compartment, said door including an outer shell and an inner liner; and a storage bin assembly detachably supported on the inner liner of the door, said storage bin assembly including: a base portion having front, bottom, rear and opposing side walls, said front wall including a frontal opening collectively defined by first and second side portions and a bottom portion, each of said first and second side portions including a mounting component and a mounting element, said bottom portion being provided with a recess; and a face portion mounted in the frontal opening, said face portion including top, bottom and opposing side sections, each of said side sections including a mounting member and a mounting part, wherein said bottom section is nested in said recess, said mounting member is interengaged with a respective said mounting component and the mounting part is interengaged with a respective said mounting element to secure the face portion to the base portion. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein each of the mounting elements is constituted by a depression formed in a respective one of the first and second side portions of the front wall. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein each of the mounting members is constituted by a raised rib. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein each of the mounting components is constituted by a slot formed on a respective one of the first and second side portions, with said slot receiving a respective said raised rib. 5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein each of the opposing side sections of the face portion is provided with a respective boss, with said boss being received in a respective said slot for pivotally interconnecting the face portion to the base portion. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein each of the mounting parts is constituted by a flange, with said flange being nested in a respective said depression. 7. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the bottom section of face portion includes a lip, said lip being nested within the recess formed in the bottom portion of the base portion. 8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein each of the mounting elements is constituted by a notch formed in a respective one of the first and second side portions. 9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein each of the mounting components is constituted by a notch formed in the rear surface of a respective one of the first and second side portions. 10. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein each of the mounting members is constituted by a finger extending from a respective one of the opposing side sections of the face portion. 11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein each of the mounting parts is constituted by a finger extending from a respective one of the opposing side sections of the face portion. 12. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the bottom portion of the base portion includes inner and outer wall portions, said inner and outer wall portions collectively defining the recess. 13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, further comprising: at least one aperture opening into the recess; and at least one clip projecting from the bottom section of the face portion, said clip being formed with a hook extending through the at least one aperture and snap-fittingly engaging the bottom wall of the base portion. 14. A storage bin assembly for a door of a refrigerator comprising: a base portion having front, bottom, rear and opposing side walls, said front wall including a frontal opening collectively defined by first and second side portions and a bottom portion, each of said first and second side portions including a mounting component and a mounting element, said bottom portion being provided with a recess; and a face portion mounted in the frontal opening, said face portion including top, bottom and opposing side sections, each of said side sections including a mounting member and a mounting part, wherein said bottom section is nested in said recess, said mounting member is interengaged with a respective said mounting component and the mounting part is interengaged with a respective said mounting element to secure the face portion to the base portion. 15. A method of assembling a refrigerator storage bin including a base portion having front, bottom, rear and opposing side walls and a frontal opening collectively defined by first and second side portions and a bottom portion, and a face portion including top, bottom and opposing side sections comprising: engaging a mounting member, located on one of the opposing side sections of the face portion, with a corresponding mounting component provided on a respective one of the side walls of the base portion; positioning a mounting part located on one of the opposing side sections of the face portion with a corresponding mounting element provided on a respective one of the side walls of the base portion; and snap-fittingly interconnecting the face portion in the frontal opening of the base portion by shifting the face portion relative to the base portion so as to inter-engage both the mounting member with the mounting component and the mounting part with the mounting element. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: aligning a clip projecting from the bottom section of the face portion with an aperture formed in the bottom portion; and snap-fittingly engaging a hook member provided on the clip with the bottom wall of the storage bin through the aperture upon shifting of the face portion relative to the base portion. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising: pivotally interconnecting the face portion to the base portion prior to snap-fittingly interconnecting the face portion in the frontal opening of the base portion. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the face portion is shifted toward the bottom wall and substantially parallel to the rear wall of the base portion to snap-fittingly interconnect the face portion to the base portion. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the face portion is shifted toward the front wall of the base portion to snap-fittingly interconnect the face portion to the base portion. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the bottom section of the face portion extends into a recess provided along the bottom portion upon interconnecting the face portion to the base portion. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a storage bin assembly for retaining articles on a door of a refrigerator. 2. Discussion of the Prior Art It is well known in the art of refrigerated appliances to form doors having inner liners that are provided with structure to support storage units for retaining various food containers. Typically, the storage units are in the form of fixed or removable bins that are supported by the door. The removable bins can be arranged at various positions on the inner liner to provide adequate spacing for food items and containers having varying heights. In many cases, the bins are of a unitary construction and typically injection molded from plastic. In other cases, the bins are formed from multiple pieces that enable designers to construct creative shapes and/or tailor the bins to meet particular consumer tastes. Multiple-piece bins generally take the form of a base portion to which is attached a unique facade. The facade can either be opaque or transparent and shaped or formed with various designs that enable the bin to blend or otherwise compliment aesthetic features present in the refrigerator. The prior art contains a number of examples of multi-piece bins, as well as methods of attaching a facade to a base portion. Ideally, the base portion is designed so as to cooperate with a wide range of appliance platforms and to accept a wide variety of facades. In this manner, a single base portion can be employed to create a number of different storage bin configurations for use in various appliance models. The prior art contains examples of securing facades to the base portion through use of adhesives, sonic welding or through a simple snap-in arrangement. While each method has a particular advantage, the snap-in arrangement results in lower manufacturing costs. Despite the existence of multi-piece storage bins in the prior art, there still exists a need for simple, cost effective and robust mounting arrangements for securing facades to bases of multi-piece storage bins. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to storage bin assembly that can be selectively and removably mounted to an inner liner of a refrigerator door. In accordance with the invention, the storage bin assembly includes a base portion, along with a facade or face portion. The base portion includes front, bottom, rear and opposing side walls that collectively define a storage cavity. The front wall is formed with a frontal opening that is collectively defined by first and second side portions and a bottom portion of the front wall. In further accordance with the invention, each of the first and second side portions of the front wall is provided with both a mounting element and a mounting component. Additionally, the bottom portion of the front wall is provided with a recess for receiving a bottom section of the face portion. Furthermore, side sections of the face portion are provided with both mounting members that engage with the mounting component on the frontal wall and a mounting part that engages with the mounting element of the frontal wall to detachably secure the face portion to the base portion. In accordance with one embodiment, the mounting element and mounting component are constituted by a slot and a depression respectively. The mounting member and mounting part are constituted by a raised rib and a flange respectively. In addition, each side portion is provided with a boss or pin. With this arrangement, the pin is inserted into the slot. Thereafter, the face portion is shifted until the raised rib snaps into the slot in order to secure the face portion in the frontal opening of the base portion. Once in place, the flange nests within the depression to prevent forward excursion of the face portion. In accordance with another embodiment, the mounting element and mounting component are constituted by first and second notches formed in a rear surface of the first and second side portions, while the mounting member and mounting part are constituted by first and second fingers that project from each of the opposing side sections of the face portion. Each notch opens into a slot that extends toward the bottom portion of the front wall. To mount a face portion to a base portion of a storage bin assembly constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the fingers are initially aligned with and inserted into respective notches. Thereafter, the face portion is shifted downward such that the fingers are retained within the slot. To provide a more robust attachment, a recessed portion of the front wall is provided with at least one aperture, and the bottom section of the face portion includes a tab. When the face portion is shifted into place, the tab extends into the aperture and engages the base portion. In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, the recess formed in the bottom portion of the front wall is provided with structure to properly align the face portion with the base portion. In accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, the structure is constituted by a guide member that extends across the frontal opening at the recess. In accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention, the structure is constituted by mounting blocks arranged in the recess. Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial, perspective view of a side-by-side refrigerator incorporating a storage bin assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is an upper right perspective view of the storage bin assembly constructed in accordance with the invention; FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the storage bin assembly of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is an upper right perspective view of the storage bin assembly of FIG. 2, illustrating a face portion of the storage bin assembly being secured to a base portion thereof; FIG. 5 is an exploded, upper rear perspective view of a storage bin assembly constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a detail view of a front corner portion of the storage bin assembly of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the storage bin assembly of FIG. 5; FIG. 8 is an exploded, upper rear perspective view of a storage bin assembly constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a detail view of a front corner portion of the storage bin assembly of FIG. 8; FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the storage bin assembly of FIG. 8; and FIG. 11 is an exploded, upper rear perspective view of a storage bin assembly constructed in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With initial reference to FIG. 1, a refrigerator, generally indicated at 2, is shown to include a cabinet shell 4 which is provided with a liner 6. As shown, liner 6 defines a fresh food compartment 8 which, in a manner known in the art, is provided with a plurality of shelves 10-12 for supporting various food articles and the like. Shelves 10-12 are adjustably mounted upon a pair of shelf rails, one of which is indicated at 14. Arranged below shelves 10-12 is a crisper bin 18 which, in a manner known in the art, provides a controlled environment for select food items. Positioned at an upper portion of fresh food compartment 8 is a control housing 19 which enables a consumer to set various settings for refrigerator 2. In a manner known in the art, refrigerator 2 is also shown to include a fresh food door 20 which selectively extends across fresh food compartment 8. In a manner also known in the art, refrigerator 2 is provided with a freezer door 22 that selectively closes a freezer compartment (not shown). In any event, fresh food door 20 is shown to include an outer shell 24 and an inner liner 26. Arranged at an upper portion (not separately labeled) of inner liner 26 is a compartment 30 for holding butter and the like. Additionally, side portions (not separately labeled) of inner liner 26 are provided with a plurality of support rails one of which is indicated at 32, which enable a consumer to selectively position a plurality of storage bins 36-39 on inner liner 26. Although storage bins 36-39 could be formed in various ways, each storage bin 36-39 is preferably injection molded as two-pieces which are assembled as discussed further below with reference to storage bin 37. Reference will now be made to FIGS. 2-4 in describing storage bin 37 constructed in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention. As shown, storage bin 37 includes a base portion 51 having a front wall 54, bottom wall 55, rear wall 56, and opposing side walls 57 and 58 that collectively define a storage cavity 59. In a manner known in the art, arranged on each opposing side wall 57, 58 is a support lug 61. Support lug 61 is designed to cooperate with support rails 32 on inner liner 26 to position and retain storage bin 37 on fresh food door 20. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, base portion 51 includes a frontal opening 66 defined by a first side portion 68, a second side portion 69 and a bottom portion 71 of front wall 54. In accordance with the invention, first and second side portions 68 and 69 are provided with corresponding first and second mounting components 80 and 81. First and second side portions 68 and 69 are also provided with corresponding first and second mounting elements 85 and 86. In accordance with the embodiment shown, first and second mounting components 80 and 81 are constituted by slots formed in first and second side portions 68 and 69 respectively, while first and second mounting elements 85 and 86 are constituted by depressions formed on a rear side (not separately labeled) of first and second side portions 68 and 69. In addition, bottom portion 71 is provided with a recess 92 that, in combination with mounting components 80 and 81 and mounting elements 85 and 86, function to retain a face portion 100 of storage bin 37 across frontal opening 66. Preferably, face portion 100 is formed from a plastic-like material that can be either transparent or opaque. In addition, face portion 100 can be molded with various different designs depending upon the particular model type of refrigerator 2 into which storage bin 37 is to be incorporated. In any event, regardless of the particular material used, face portion 100 includes a top section 110, a bottom section 111 and opposing side sections 112 and 113 which surround a front surface 114 and a rear surface 115. In accordance with the embodiment shown, opposing side sections 112 and 113 are provided with corresponding first and second mounting members 119 and 120, as well as first and second mounting parts 122 and 123. As shown, each mounting member 119, 120 is constituted by a raised, laterally projecting rib, while each mounting part 122, 123 is constituted by a lateral flange. In order to secure face portion 100 to base portion 51 while, at the same time, prevent forward excursion of face portion 100 beyond front wall 54, mounting members 119 and 120 are adapted to interengage with mounting components 80 and 81 on first and second side portions 68 and 69. In addition, mounting parts 122 and 123 are formed so as to engage with, and actually nest within, mounting elements 85 and 86. Furthermore, in order to ensure that a seamless fit is achieved between face portion 100 and base portion 51, bottom section 111 is provided with a lip 130 that projects within recess 92 in bottom portion 71. To still further aid in the overall positioning and mounting of face portion 100 to base portion 51, a respective pin or boss 134, 135 is provided on a lower section (not separately labeled) of each opposing side section 112 and 113. Face portion 100 is actually snap-fittingly secured to base portion 51 through interengagement of mounting members 119 and 120 with mounting components 80 and 81, as well as the engagement of mounting parts 122 and 123 with mounting elements 85 and 86. More specifically, with particular reference to FIG. 4, pins 134 and 135 are initially positioned within first and second mounting components 80 and 81. At this point, face portion 100 is rotated upward so that first and second mounting members 119 and 120 snap into first and second mounting components 80 and 81 while the first and second mounting parts 122 and 123 abut and nest within mounting elements 85 and 86. With lip 130 resting within recess 92, an overall seamless appearance is established for storage bin 37 as clearly represented in FIG. 2. Reference will now be made to FIGS. 5-7 in describing a second embodiment of the present invention where like reference numbers refer to corresponding parts in the various views. In accordance with the embodiment shown, a of storage bin 37′ includes a base portion 51 that is provided with a frontal opening 150. Frontal opening 150 includes first and second side portions 153 and 154, as well as a bottom portion 156. Each side portions 153, 154 is provided with mounting components 159 and 160 defined by openings formed in rear sections (not separately labeled) of side portions 153 and 154. Mounting components 159 and 160 are constituted by notches that lead into respective slots, one of which is shown at 163. In addition to mounting components 159 and 160, side portions 153 and 154 are provided with mounting elements 166 and 167 which are also defined by notches formed on rear sections (not separately labeled) of side portions 153 and 154 that lead into respective slots, such as indicated at 169. In the embodiment shown, mounting elements 166 and 167 are actually positioned below mounting components 159 and 160. In addition, bottom portion 156 is provided with a recess 180 having a plurality of openings 182 and 183, as well as a plurality of slots 186-188, the details of which will be provided more fully below. In a manner similar to that described above, frontal opening 150 is adapted to receive a face portion 196 that provides a seamless appearance for storage bin 37′. Toward that end, face portion 196 includes a top section 202, a bottom section 203 and opposing side sections 204 and 205 which define a front surface 206 and a rear surface 207. Each opposing side section 204, 205 includes a corresponding mounting member 209, 210, as well as a corresponding mounting parts 213, 214. In the embodiment shown, each mounting member 209, 210 and mounting parts 213, 214 is constituted by a square-shaped lug or finger which is adapted to engage with a corresponding one of mounting components 159 and 160 and mounting elements 166 and 167. In addition, bottom section 203 is provided with a plurality of clips 218 and 219, each having an associated hook element 220 (see FIG. 6) that are sized to extend into openings 182 and 183 respectively. In order to ensure proper positioning of face portion 196, a plurality of tabs 222-224 are also formed on bottom section 203 and are designed to extend into slots 186-188 respectively. Finally, bottom section 203 is also provided with a lip 225 used in mounting face portion 196 as detailed further below. With this construction, face portion 196 is joined to base portion 51 by simultaneously aligning and inserting mounting members 209 and 210 and mounting parts 213 and 214 into mounting components 159 and 160 and mounting elements 166 and 167 respectively. At this point, face portion 196 is shifted downward such that mounting members 209 and 210 and mounting parts 213 and 214 move through slots 163 and 169 allowing clips 218 and 219 and tabs 222-224 to extend through openings 182 and 183 and slots 186-188 respectively. Once face portion 196 is fully seated, hooks 220 and 221 engage with bottom portion 55 of base portion 51, while a rear surface of side portions 153 and 154 retain mounting members 209 and 210 and mounting parts 213 and 214 to snap-fittingly retain face portion 196 to base portion 51. Reference will now be made to FIGS. 8-10 in describing a third embodiment of the present invention wherein like reference numbers refer to corresponding parts in the various views. As shown, storage bin 37″ includes a base portion 51 having a frontal opening 230. Frontal opening 230 includes first and second side portions 233 and 234, as well as a bottom portion 236. In a manner similar to that described above with respect to frontal opening 150, first and second side portions 233 and 234 include corresponding first and second mounting components 159 and 160 defined by notches or openings that lead into a slot 163. Likewise, side portions 233 and 234 are provided with corresponding first and second mounting elements 166 and 167 which lead into associated slots 169. In further accordance with the embodiment shown, bottom portion 236 includes an inner wall portion 250 spaced from an outer wall portion 251 by a central recess 256. Inner wall portion 250 includes a pair of notches 260 and 261 which are positioned adjacent openings 264 and 265 provided in recess 256. In addition to openings 264 and 265, a guide member 267 is formed within recess 256 which assists in the overall positioning of a front face portion 276 in a manner as will be discussed more fully below. In a manner similar to that described with respect to the previous embodiments, a frontal opening 230 is fitted with a face portion 276 including a top section 281, a bottom section 282, opposing side sections 283 and 284, a front surface 285 and a rear surface 286. Opposing side sections 283 and 284 of face portion 276 are provided with corresponding first and second mounting members 209 and 210 as well as corresponding first and second mounting parts 213 and 214. Mounting members 209 and 210 and mounting parts 213 and 214 are adapted to interengage with mounting components 159 and 160 and mounting elements 166 and 167 respectively. In accordance with the embodiment shown, bottom section 282 of face portion 276 is formed with a pair of clips 298 and 299, each having a corresponding hook 300 (see FIG. 9). In addition, bottom section 282 is provided with a web section 304 which extends substantially perpendicularly from bottom section 186 and preferably interconnects clips 298 and 299. In accordance with the present embodiment, face portion 276 is placed within bottom portion 51 such that mounting members 209 and 210 and mounting parts 213 and 214 align with corresponding ones of mounting components 159 and 160 and mounting elements 166 and 167. Likewise, clips 298 and 299 must be aligned with notches 264 and 265 formed in inner wall section 250. At this point, face portion 276 is shifted forward such that each of the aforementioned components intergage, causing front surface 285 to be substantially coplanar with front wall 54. At this point, face portion 276 is shifted downward such that mounting members 209 and 210 and mounting parts 213 and 214 respectively nest within mounting components 159 and 160 and mounting elements 166 and 167. In addition, clips 298 and 299 extend through and secure within openings 264 and 265, while web section 304 rides against guide member 267 ensuring that front surface 285 provides a seamless appearance. In accordance with a still further form of the invention shown in FIG. 11, instead of guide member 267, bottom section 282 of storage bin 37′″ is provided with a pair of guide blocks 366 and 368 which cooperate with a positioning element 425 formed on bottom section 282 of front face portion 276. Positioning element 425 cooperates with guide blocks 366 and 368 to ensure that front surface 285 and front portion 156 are substantially co-planar providing for a seamless, finished appearance. In any event, it should be recognized that the present invention allows for a simple and robust mounting arrangement for securing a facade or front face portion to a base portion so as to form or establish a multi-piece storage bin for mounting in a refrigerator. Although described with reference to preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be readily understood that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a storage bin assembly for retaining articles on a door of a refrigerator. 2. Discussion of the Prior Art It is well known in the art of refrigerated appliances to form doors having inner liners that are provided with structure to support storage units for retaining various food containers. Typically, the storage units are in the form of fixed or removable bins that are supported by the door. The removable bins can be arranged at various positions on the inner liner to provide adequate spacing for food items and containers having varying heights. In many cases, the bins are of a unitary construction and typically injection molded from plastic. In other cases, the bins are formed from multiple pieces that enable designers to construct creative shapes and/or tailor the bins to meet particular consumer tastes. Multiple-piece bins generally take the form of a base portion to which is attached a unique facade. The facade can either be opaque or transparent and shaped or formed with various designs that enable the bin to blend or otherwise compliment aesthetic features present in the refrigerator. The prior art contains a number of examples of multi-piece bins, as well as methods of attaching a facade to a base portion. Ideally, the base portion is designed so as to cooperate with a wide range of appliance platforms and to accept a wide variety of facades. In this manner, a single base portion can be employed to create a number of different storage bin configurations for use in various appliance models. The prior art contains examples of securing facades to the base portion through use of adhesives, sonic welding or through a simple snap-in arrangement. While each method has a particular advantage, the snap-in arrangement results in lower manufacturing costs. Despite the existence of multi-piece storage bins in the prior art, there still exists a need for simple, cost effective and robust mounting arrangements for securing facades to bases of multi-piece storage bins. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention is directed to storage bin assembly that can be selectively and removably mounted to an inner liner of a refrigerator door. In accordance with the invention, the storage bin assembly includes a base portion, along with a facade or face portion. The base portion includes front, bottom, rear and opposing side walls that collectively define a storage cavity. The front wall is formed with a frontal opening that is collectively defined by first and second side portions and a bottom portion of the front wall. In further accordance with the invention, each of the first and second side portions of the front wall is provided with both a mounting element and a mounting component. Additionally, the bottom portion of the front wall is provided with a recess for receiving a bottom section of the face portion. Furthermore, side sections of the face portion are provided with both mounting members that engage with the mounting component on the frontal wall and a mounting part that engages with the mounting element of the frontal wall to detachably secure the face portion to the base portion. In accordance with one embodiment, the mounting element and mounting component are constituted by a slot and a depression respectively. The mounting member and mounting part are constituted by a raised rib and a flange respectively. In addition, each side portion is provided with a boss or pin. With this arrangement, the pin is inserted into the slot. Thereafter, the face portion is shifted until the raised rib snaps into the slot in order to secure the face portion in the frontal opening of the base portion. Once in place, the flange nests within the depression to prevent forward excursion of the face portion. In accordance with another embodiment, the mounting element and mounting component are constituted by first and second notches formed in a rear surface of the first and second side portions, while the mounting member and mounting part are constituted by first and second fingers that project from each of the opposing side sections of the face portion. Each notch opens into a slot that extends toward the bottom portion of the front wall. To mount a face portion to a base portion of a storage bin assembly constructed in accordance with this embodiment, the fingers are initially aligned with and inserted into respective notches. Thereafter, the face portion is shifted downward such that the fingers are retained within the slot. To provide a more robust attachment, a recessed portion of the front wall is provided with at least one aperture, and the bottom section of the face portion includes a tab. When the face portion is shifted into place, the tab extends into the aperture and engages the base portion. In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, the recess formed in the bottom portion of the front wall is provided with structure to properly align the face portion with the base portion. In accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, the structure is constituted by a guide member that extends across the frontal opening at the recess. In accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention, the structure is constituted by mounting blocks arranged in the recess. Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. | 20041015 | 20071113 | 20060420 | 76391.0 | A47B9616 | 1 | KUHN, MART K | STORAGE BIN ASSEMBLY FOR A REFRIGERATOR | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | A47B | 2,004 |
|
10,964,953 | ACCEPTED | Detachable stringed musical instrument pick | The invention is a detachable musical instrument pick. A sheet of material is provided that has a plurality of musical instrument picks formed therein by a cut line around the perimeter of the picks. The picks are detachably retained on the sheet of material by at least one of an interference fit between the picks and the sheet of material and an uncut web joining the picks to the sheet of material. A pick can be detached from the card body by severing the web to remove a pick when desired and/or by interrupting the interference fit to reveal a pick-shaped aperture, and can be replaced back in the aperture for storage. The sheet of material can be sized to be carried in a purse or wallet or hung on a microphone stand and the like for easy access. | 1. Detachable musical instrument picks, comprising: a sheet of material with at least one musical instrument pick formed therein by at least one cut line formed around at least a portion of the pick, wherein the at least one musical instrument pick is detachably retained together with the sheet of material by at least one of having an interference fit between the pick and the sheet of material, and having at least one uncut area around the at least one pick defining a web joining the at least one musical instrument pick to a card body outside of the at least one cut line, wherein the pick can be detached from the card body by at least one of displacing the at least one pick from the card body to interrupt the interference fit and severing the at least one web. 2. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, wherein the sheet of flat material comprises generally rigid plastic sheet material. 3. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, wherein the cut lines are formed by die cutting. 4. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, wherein the sheet of flat material comprises a first and second portion which are separatable, with each of the first and second portion carrying detachable picks. 5. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, wherein the plurality of picks on a sheet have the same size and shape. 6. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, wherein the plurality of picks on a sheet are different in at least one of size and shape. 7. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, further comprising an aperture for carrying the card body on another structure. 8. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 7, wherein the aperture is one of preformed on the card body and comprising a break-away section that can be readily removed to expose the aperture when desired by the user. 9. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, wherein each pick is attached to the card body by a single web. 10. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, wherein the sheet of flat material is selected from the group consisting of plastic sheet material, shell, bone, metal and paper. 11. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, wherein the sheet of material is flat. 12. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, wherein the picks bear graphical indicia. 13. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 1, wherein the pick which is removed from the sheet material can be retained back onto the sheet of material from which it is removed by bringing perimeter edges of the pick which is removed from the card back into contact in an interference fit with an aperture that is formed when the pick is removed, or similar sized and shaped aperture in the sheet of material. 14. Detachable musical instrument picks, comprising: a sheet of material with a plurality of musical instrument pick formed therein by at least one cut line formed around a perimeter of the picks, wherein the picks are detachably retained together with the sheet of material by at least one of having an interference fit between the pick and the sheet of material, and having at least one uncut area around the picks defining a web joining the picks to a card body outside of the at least one cut line, wherein the picks are detachable from the card body by at least one of displacing the picks from the card body to interrupt the interference fit and severing the at least one web. 15. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 14, wherein the sheet of flat material comprises generally rigid plastic sheet material. 16. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 14, wherein the sheet of flat material comprises a first and second portion which are separable, with each of the first and second portions carrying detachable picks. 17. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 14, further comprising an aperture for carrying the card body on another structure. 18. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 14, wherein the picks bear graphical indicia. 19. The detachable musical instrument pick of claim 14, wherein the pick which is removed from the sheet material can be retained back onto the sheet of material from which it is removed by bringing perimeter edges of the pick which is removed from the card back into contact in an interference fit with an aperture that is formed when the pick is removed, or similar sized and shaped aperture in the sheet of material. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/811,091, filed on Mar. 26, 2004. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is in the field of plectrums, or “picks”, for stringed musical instruments, and more particularly a pick for guitars and other stringed musical instruments that can be easily detached from a card, sheet, strip and the like. Many stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolins, basses are played with picks, which consist of small generally flat pieces of material that are usually (but not always) flexible. Picks come in many sizes and are made of many kinds of materials including plastics (e.g. PVC, acetal polyoxymethylene (POM) resins (i.e. Delrin®), Nylon, etc), shell, metal, stone, paper, composite materials and other materials. Picks are manufactured to have a variety of thicknesses and stiffnesses, depending on a user's preferences. Picks are often shaped to have one or more rounded points, and can have a generally ogive shape at one or more ends. Picks come in numerous colors and can have graphics appearing thereon. Indeed, picks are collected by musicians and non-musicians alike. Picks are often displayed at music stores in bulk in plastic bags, in open containers, displayed on paper displays, and the like. Although picks can last a long time, they are frequently lost or misplaced, and users may wish to use different picks for different songs, instruments and conditions. Lacking a proper pick, a musician can improvise and use another object, such as a coin as a pick if required. It would be useful for musicians to have a convenient way to carry extra picks so that they are available anytime and any place. It would also be useful to provide a readily accessible supply of picks to musicians during performances that can easily be taken when needed, yet will not be misplaced or lost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further advantages of the invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a first exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks. FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the wallet-sized card of FIG. 1 after one pick is removed and the removed pick. FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks. FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a third exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks. FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks. FIG. 6 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of detachable picks on a larger sheet. FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of detachable picks on a strip of picks that can be supported on a microphone stand and the like. FIG. 8 is a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card of detachable picks bearing graphical images. FIG. 9 is a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of a two-part card containing detachable picks. FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the embodiment of a two-part card containing detachable picks of FIG. 9, with the two part card detached into two sections and with one pick detached from one of the two cards. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a top plan view of a first exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card 10 of detachable picks. In this card 10, three detachable picks 12A, 12B and 12C are attached to the card body 14 by webs 16 separating cut line sections 18A, 18B and 18C. The picks can be conveniently die-cut from the card leaving the webs intact so that the picks remain integral with the card until the webs are broken or cut (e.g. by pushing on the pick or slicing the webs with a blade.) The width and size of the webs can be varied depending on how much force is desired to remove a pick from the card. Although three webs 16 are shown bridging between each pick and the card body 10, a lesser or greater number of webs can be used depending on how secure the picks need to be carried on the card. Depending on the materials used, the card thickness (and thus pick thickness) can be varied to control the stiffness of the pick. Using PVC sheet material, good results have been achieved with 0.51 mm thickness material (0.02″ or 20 mil), 0.76 mm thickness material (0.03″ or 30 mil), 1.02 mm thickness material (0.04″ or 40 mil), and 1.27 mm thickness material (0.05″ or 50 mil). Other thicknesses can be used, and these thicknesses apply to all of the embodiments disclosed herein. FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the wallet-sized card 10 of FIG. 1 with two picks removed and one of the removed picks 12A. As can be seen, after picks are removed from the card, holes 20 are left with remnants of webs 22 shown on the perimeter 24 of the cut line. Snapped off pick 12A is shown, with remnants of webs 26 shown around its perimeter 28 FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card 30 of detachable picks. The picks 32A, 32B and 32C are integral with card body 34 and are connected therewith with webs 36, and are die cut from card with cut lines 38A, 38B and 38C between the webs. The picks 32A, 32B and 32C have a different shape than the picks 12A, 12B and 12C of FIGS. 1 and 2, but in other respects, this embodiment is similar. FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a third exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card 40 of detachable picks, where the picks 42A, 42B, 42C, 42D and 42E are integral with card body 44 but each pick is connected to the card by two webs 46 and has cut lines 48A and 48B between the webs 46. While a total of five picks 42A, 42B, 42C, 42D and 42E are shown, a greater or lesser number of picks can be arranged on the card. FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card 50 of detachable picks, where the picks 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D and 52E are integral with card body 54 but each pick is connected to the card by two webs 56 and has cut lines 58A and 58B between the webs 56. While a total of five picks 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D and 52E are shown, a greater or lesser number of picks can be arranged on the card. In this embodiment, the picks 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D and 52E all have a different size and shape. With respect to the card bodies of FIGS. 1-5, they can be conveniently sized to be the same or similar to charge cards, credit cards or business cards (e.g. from about 50.8 mm to 54 mm (2″ to 2.125″) by about 85.7 mm to 88.9 mm (3.375″ to 3.5″)) so that it can be conveniently carried in a user's wallet or handbag along with other similar sized cards. Naturally, other sizes can be used. FIG. 6 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a large sheet 60 with detachable picks 62 die cut from a sheet of material 64. Each pick is detachably attached to the card body 64 by breakable and cutable webs 66. These large sheets can hang from a display stand by an optional hole 68 formed in the card body 64. FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a strip 70 of detachable picks that can be hung from a microphone stand and the like. The strip 70 has a plurality of picks 72A, 72B, 72C and 72D integral with the strip body 74. The picks are attached to the strip body 74 by at least one web 76. The strip 70 will preferably have a hole 78 formed therein for hanging on a microphone stand or other support so that the picks are readily available during musical performances. If desired, instead of a hole, a die cut break away portion that will readily permit a hole to be formed in the strip can be provided in the strip (not shown.) With the single web design, one or more picks 72A, 72B, 72C and 72D can be swung out from the plain of the strip body 74 so that a user can easily grab a pick and twist it to free a pick very easily and quickly. Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of a wallet-sized card 80 of detachable picks 84, 88 and 92, wherein each pick bears graphical images 90, 86 and 94, respectively. A single card can also be printed with a single image, and each pick can bear a part of that entire image. The physical construction of this exemplary embodiment can be similar to that shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of a two-part card 100 that has a first part 102 and a second part 104, with detachable picks 106A, 106B and 106C carried on first part 102 and has detachable picks 108A, 108B, 108C and 108D carried on second part 104. For purposes of illustration of this exemplary embodiment, detachable pick 106B is shown as having a different shape and size compared to detachable picks 106A, 106C, 108A, 108B, 108C and 108D, but the size and number of detachable picks can be varied as desired. The first part 102 and a second part 104 are shown as being detachably connected together with a serration line 110 that permits the first part 102 and second part 104 to be snapped apart, as best shown in FIG. 10. Also, while two separable parts 102 and 104 are shown, a single card can also be provided, or more than two portions can be provided. The two parts 102 and 104 can preferably be sized to have roughly the same dimensions as standard credit cards, viz., about 8.57 cm×5.40 cm (3⅜″×2⅛″) or smaller so as to be capable of being stored by users in wallets, billfolds and the like. However, other card sizes can also be used if desired. For purposes of allowing ready display of the two-part card 100 on a retail display, a suspension aperture 110 may optionally be provided in the first part 102 of the two part card 100. Graphics 116 and 118 can appear on the card parts 102 and 104. With modern die cutting equipment, very thin die cut lines can be formed such that the cut line does not remove much, if any, material along the cut line. Accordingly, with use of the proper die cutting equipment, the object being die cut (“die cut object”) from a section of material (“base material”) may be snapped back into place and frictionally retained with an interference fit in the opening in the base material from which the die cut object was cut. In such cases, interruption(s) in the die cut line to form webs between the die cut object and the base material can be made to be very thin so that the dimensions and number of webs can be adjusted as desired to adjust the amount of force necessary to be applied to detach a die cut object from the base material. In cases where the die cut line is very thin and there is a sufficient interference fit between the die cut object and the base material, it is possible to eliminate webs entirely or make them exceptionally narrow so that the die cut object when removed from the base material detaches cleanly from the base material and leaves little if no remnant of the web on the perimeter of the die cut object, thereby providing a smooth edge of the object. Also, depending on the thickness of the blade used and angle of the cutting edge of the blade, when die cutting the object from the base material, the perimeter edge of the pick may become somewhat rounded off and become very smooth. Referring again to FIG. 9, there is shown a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of two-part card 100 of detachable picks with cards 102 and 124 that are connected together by a frangible line 104. Referring to pick 106A, it is formed by a cut line 112 that goes around substantially all of the pick's perimeter, except for interruptions 114A, 114B and 114C that form webs between the pick 106A and the first part 102. The picks can be conveniently die-cut from the card leaving the webs 114A, 114B and 114C intact so that the pick 106A remains integral with the first part 102 of the card 100 until the webs are broken or cut (e.g. by pushing on the pick). The width and size of the webs can be varied depending on how much force is desired to remove a pick from the card, although as noted above, it is possible to eliminate webs entirely if the interference fit between the picks and the cards is sufficiently great to prevent the picks from falling out of the card. Although three webs 114A, 114B and 114C are shown bridging between each pick and the first card part 102, a greater or lesser number of webs can be used depending on how secure the picks need to be carried on the card. The card thickness (and thus pick thickness) and type of sheet material chosen can be selected to determine the stiffness of the detachable pick. FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the two-part card 100 of FIG. 9, with the two part card detached into two parts 102 and 124 and with one pick 106A detached from part 102 and with picks 128A and 128B detached from part 124. Picks 106B and 106C remain attached to part 102 and picks 128C and 128D remain attached to part 124. Graphics (e.g., a zebra pattern) 130 are located on part 124 which are different than the indicia (e.g., the word “The PIKCARD”) 118 that appears on card 102. The graphics and indicia can extend across more than one pick, as shown, if desired. The cards 10, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 100 can be made of material such as plastic (e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acetal polyoxymethylene (POM) resins (i.e. Delrin®), polycarbonate, Nylon, etc., Teslin® (a synthetic dimensionally stable, highly filled, single layer, microporous film that is polyolefin-based with 60% of its weight comprised of non-abrasive filler and 65% of its volume comprised of air), laminated paper, composite materials, etc., and the like. Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, it should not be construed to limit the scope of the appended claims. For example, the present invention may be implemented to include a variety of different pick sizes, shapes, thicknesses and layouts. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications may be made to the described embodiment. Moreover, to those skilled in the various arts, the invention itself herein will suggest solutions to other tasks and adaptations for other applications. It is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The invention is in the field of plectrums, or “picks”, for stringed musical instruments, and more particularly a pick for guitars and other stringed musical instruments that can be easily detached from a card, sheet, strip and the like. Many stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolins, basses are played with picks, which consist of small generally flat pieces of material that are usually (but not always) flexible. Picks come in many sizes and are made of many kinds of materials including plastics (e.g. PVC, acetal polyoxymethylene (POM) resins (i.e. Delrin®), Nylon, etc), shell, metal, stone, paper, composite materials and other materials. Picks are manufactured to have a variety of thicknesses and stiffnesses, depending on a user's preferences. Picks are often shaped to have one or more rounded points, and can have a generally ogive shape at one or more ends. Picks come in numerous colors and can have graphics appearing thereon. Indeed, picks are collected by musicians and non-musicians alike. Picks are often displayed at music stores in bulk in plastic bags, in open containers, displayed on paper displays, and the like. Although picks can last a long time, they are frequently lost or misplaced, and users may wish to use different picks for different songs, instruments and conditions. Lacking a proper pick, a musician can improvise and use another object, such as a coin as a pick if required. It would be useful for musicians to have a convenient way to carry extra picks so that they are available anytime and any place. It would also be useful to provide a readily accessible supply of picks to musicians during performances that can easily be taken when needed, yet will not be misplaced or lost. | 20041013 | 20060718 | 20050929 | 95482.0 | 1 | LOCKETT, KIMBERLY R | DETACHABLE STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PICK | SMALL | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
||||
10,965,182 | ACCEPTED | Imidazopyrazine tyrosine kinase inhibitors | Compounds of the formula and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein Q1 and R1 are defined herein, inhibit the IGF-1R enzyme and are useful for the treatment and/or prevention of various diseases and conditions that respond to treatment by inhibition of tyrosine kinases. | 1. A compound represented by Formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein: Q1 is aryl1, heteroaryl1, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; R1 is alkyl, cycloalkyl, bicycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, heterocyclyl, or heterobicycloalkyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; G1 and G41 are each independently halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2, —NR2R3(R3a)j1, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j1R2, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —(C═S)OR2, —(C═O)SR2, —NR2(C═NR3)NR2aR3a, —NR2(C═NR3)OR2a, —NR2(C═NR3)SR3a, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, —O(C═O)SR2, —S(C═O)OR2, —S(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j1a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j1aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, or —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j2a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j2aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, or —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j3a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j3aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, or —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; G11 is halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR21, —NR21R31(R3a1)j4, —C(O)R21, —CO2R21, —CONR21R31, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4R21, —SO2NR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —(C═S)OR21, —(C═O)SR21, —NR21 (C═NR31)NR2a1R3a1, —NR21(C═NR31)OR2a1, —NR21(C═NR31)SR3a1, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, —O(C═O)SR21, —S(C═O)OR21, —S(C═O)NR21R31, —P(O)OR21OR31, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, —P(O)OR2221OR3331, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —R2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j5a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j5aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, —P(O)OR2221R3331, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j6a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j6aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j6aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, —P(O)OR2221OR3331, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or G11 is taken together with the carbon to which it is attached to form a double bond which is substituted with R5 and G111; R2, R2a, R3, R3a, R222, R222a, R333, R333a, R21, R2a1, R31, R3a1, R2221, R222a1, R3331, and R333a1 are each independently equal to C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more G111 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more G111 substituents; or in the case of —NR2R3(R3a)j1 or —NR222R333(R333a)j1a or —NR222R333(R333a)j2a or —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j3a or —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a or —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j5a or —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j6a, R2 and R3 or R222 and R3333 or R2221 and R3331 taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a 3-10 membered saturated ring, unsaturated ring, heterocyclic saturated ring, or heterocyclic unsaturated ring, wherein said ring is optionally substituted by one or more G111 substituents; X1 and Y1 are each independently —O—, —NR7—, —S(O)j7—, —CR5R6—, —N(C(O)OR7)—, —N(C(O)R7)—, —N(SO2R7)—, —CH2O—, —CH2S—, —CH2N(R7)—, —CH(NR7)—, —CH2N(C(O)R7)—, —CH2N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH2N(SO2R7)—, —CH(NHR7)—, —CH(NHC(O)R7)—, —CH(NHSO2R7)—, —CH(NHC(O)OR7)—, —CH(OC(O)R7)—, —CH(OC(O)NHR7)—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —C(═NOR7)—, —C(O)—, —CH(OR7)—, —C(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)C(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)2— —OC(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —NR7C(O)O—, —S(O)N(R7)—, —S(O)2N(R7)—, —N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —N(C(O)R7)S(O)2—, —N(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —C(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —S(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —S(O)2N(R7)C(O)—, —OS(O)N(R7)—, —OS(O)2N(R7)—, —N(R7)S(O)O—, —N(R7)S(O)2O—, —N(R7)S(O)C(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)2C(O)—, —SON(C(O)R7)—, —SO2N(C(O)R7)—, —N(R7)SON(R7)—, —N(R7)SO2N(R7)—, —C(O)O—, —N(R7)P(OR8)O—, —N(R7)P(OR8)—, —N(R7)P(O)(OR8)O—, —N(R7)P(O)(OR8)—, —N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)O—, —N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)—, —N(C(O)R7)P(O)(OR8)O—, —N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)—, —CH(R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(SO2R7)—, —CH(R7)O—, —CH(R7)S—, —CH(R7)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH(R7)N(SO2R7)—, —CH(R7)C(═NOR7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)CH(OR7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2—, —CH(R7)OC(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)NR7C(O)O—, —CH(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)OS(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)OS(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)C(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2C(O)—, —CH(R7)SON(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)SO2N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)SON(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)SO2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)P(OR8)O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)P(OR8)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)P(O)(OR8)O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)P(O)(OR8)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)O—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)P(O)(OR8)O—, or —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)—; or X1 and Y1 are each independently represented by one of the following structural formulas: R10, taken together with the phosphinamide or phosphonamide, is a 5-, 6-, or 7-membered aryl, heteroaryl or heterocyclyl ring system; R5, R6, and G111 are each independently a C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR77, —NR77R87, —C(O)R77, —CO2R77, —CONR77R87, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR77, —SO2NR77R87, NR77(C═O)R87, NR77(C═O)OR87, NR77(C═O)NR78R87, NR77S(O)j5aR87, —(C═S)OR77, —(C═O)SR77, —NR77(C═NR87)NR78R88, —NR77(C═NR87)OR78, —NR77(C═NR87)SR78, —O(C═O)OR77, —O(C═O)NR77R87, —O(C═O)SR77, —S(C═O)OR77, —P(O)OR77OR87, or —S(C═O)NR77R87 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR77, —NR77R87, —C(O)R77, —CO2R77, —CONR77R87, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR77, —SO2NR77R87, NR77(C═O)R87, NR77(C═O)OR87, NR77(C═O)NR78R87, NR77S(O)j5aR87, —(C═S)OR77, —(C═O)SR77, —NR77(C═NR87)NR78R88, —NR77(C═NR87)OR78, —NR77(C═NR87)SR78, —O(C═O)OR77, —O(C═O)NR77R87, —O(C═O)SR77, —S(C═O)OR77, —P(O)OR77R87, or —S(C═O)NR77R87 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR77, —NR77R87, —C(O)R77, —CO2R77, —CONR77R87, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR77, —SO2NR77R87, NR77(C═O)R87, NR77(C═O)OR87, NR77(C═O)NR78R87, NR77S(O)j5aR87, —(C═S)OR77, —(C═O)SR77, —NR77(C═NR87)NR78R88, —NR77(C═NR87)OR78, —NR77(C═NR87)SR78, —O(C═O)OR77, —O(C═O)NR77R87, —O(C═O)SR77, —S(C═O)OR77, —P(O)OR77OR87, or —S(C═O)NR77R87 substituents; or R5 with R6 taken together with the respective carbon atom to which they are attached, form a 3-10 membered saturated or unsaturated ring, wherein said ring is optionally substituted with R69; or R5 with R6 taken together with the respective carbon atom to which they are attached, form a 3-10 membered saturated or unsaturated heterocyclic ring, wherein said ring is optionally substituted with R69; R7 and R8 are each independently H, acyl, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocyclyl or cycloalkyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more G111 substituents; R4 is H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more G41 substituents; R69 is equal to halo, —OR78, —SH, —NR78R88, —CO2R78, —CONR78R88, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j8R78, —SO2NR78R88, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-9alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —OR778, —SO2NR778R888, or —NR778R888 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —OR778, C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CONR778R888, —SO2NR778R888, or —NR778R888 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —OR778, C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CONR778R888, —SO2NR778R888, or —NR778R888 substituents; or mono(C1-6alkyl)aminoC1-6alkyl, di(C1-6alkyl)aminoC1-6alkyl, mono(aryl)aminoC1-6alkyl, di(aryl)aminoC1-6alkyl, or —N(C1-6alkyl)-C1-6alkyl-aryl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —OR778, C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CONR778R888 SO2NR778R888, or —NR778R888 substituents; or in the case of —NR78R88, R78 and R88 taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a 3-10 membered saturated ring, unsaturated ring, heterocyclic saturated ring, or heterocyclic unsaturated ring, wherein said ring is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, hydroxy, nitro, C1-10alkoxy, —SO2NR778R888, or —NR778R888 substituents; R77, R78, R87, R88, R778, and R888 are each independently C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylcarbonyl, C2-10alkenylcarbonyl, C2-10alkynylcarbonyl, C1-10alkoxycarbonyl, C1-10alkoxycarbonylC1-10alkyl, monoC1-6alkylaminocarbonyl, diC1-6alkylaminocarbonyl, mono(aryl)aminocarbonyl, di(aryl)aminocarbonyl, or C1-10alkyl(aryl)aminocarbonyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, hydroxy, nitro, C1-10alkoxy, —SO2N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), or —N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl) substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —O(C0-4alkyl), C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CON(C0-4alkyl)(C0-10alkyl), —SO2N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), or —N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl) substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —O(C0-4alkyl), C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CON(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), —SO2N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), or —N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl) substituents; or mono(C1-6alkyl)aminoC1-6alkyl, di(C1-6alkyl)aminoC1-6alkyl, mono(aryl)aminoC1-6alkyl, di(aryl)aminoC1-6alkyl, or —N(C6alkyl)-C1-6alkyl-aryl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —O(C0-4alkyl), C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CON(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), —SO2N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), or —N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl) substituents; and n, m, j1, j1a, j2a, j3a, j4, j4a, j5a, j6a, j7, and j8 are each independently equal to 0, 1, or 2. 2. The compound of claim 1, wherein Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G1 substituents. 3. The compound of claim 2, wherein Q1 is heteroaryl1, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G1 substituents. 4. The compound of claim 3, wherein Q1 is aryl1, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G1 substituents. 5. The compound of claim 1, wherein G1 is halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —S(O)j1R2, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j1a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j1aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, or —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j2a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j2aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, or —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j3a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j3aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222 (C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, or —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents. 6. The compound of claim 1, wherein G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR22S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents. 7. The compound of claim 1, wherein G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents. 8. The compound of claim 1, wherein G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2 NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4. 9. The compound of claim 1, wherein X1 and Y1 are each independently —O—, —NR7—, —S(O)j7—, —CR5R6—, —N(C(O)OR7)—, —N(C(O)R7)—, —N(SO2R7)—, —CH2O—, —CH2S—, —CH2N(R7)—, —CH(NR7)—, —CH2N(C(O)R7)—, —CH2N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH2N(SO2R7)—, —CH(NHR7)—, —CH(NHC(O)R7)—, —CH(NHSO2R7)—, —CH(NHC(O)OR7)—, —CH(OC(O)R7)—, —CH(OC(O)NHR7)—, —C(O)—, —CH(OR7)—, —C(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)C(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)2— —OC(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —NR7C(O)O—, —S(O)N(R7)—, —S(O)2N(R7)—, —N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —N(C(O)R7)S(O)2—, —N(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —C(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —S(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —S(O)2N(R7)C(O)—, —OS(O)N(R7)—, —OS(O)2N(R7)—, —N(R7)S(O)O—, —N(R7)S(O)2O—, —N(R7)S(O)C(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)2C(O)—, —SON(C(O)R7)—, —SO2N(C(O)R7)—, —N(R7)SON(R7)—, —N(R7)SO2N(R7)—, —C(O)O—, —CH(R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(SO2R7)—, —CH(R7)O—, —CH(R7)S—, —CH(R7)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH(R7)N(SO2R7)—, —CH(R7)C(═NOR7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)CH(OR7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2—, —CH(R7)OC(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)NR7C(O)O—, —CH(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)OS(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)OS(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)C(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2C(O)—, —CH(R7)SON(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)SO2N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)SON(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)SO2N(R7)—, or —CH(R7)C(O)O—. 10. The compound of claim 1 wherein Q1 is substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O—, —NR7—, —CR5R6—, —S(O)j7—, or —C(O)—, and wherein n and m are both equal to 1 and j7 is equal to 1 or 2. 11. The compound of claim 1 wherein Q1 is substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein X1 and Y1 are each independently —O— or —CR5R6—, and wherein n and m are equal to 1. 12. The compound of claim 1 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, bicycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, heterocyclyl, or heterobicycloalkyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 13. The compound of claim 1 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, or heterocyclyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 14. The compound of claim 1 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 15. The compound of claim 1 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 16. The compound of claim 1 wherein R1 is heterocyclyl optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 17. The compound of claim 1 wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, or heteroaralkyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 18. The compound of claim 1 wherein R1 is aryl or heteroaryl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 19. The compound of claim 1 wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31(R31a)j4, —C(O)R21, —CO2R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j5a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j5aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j6a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j6aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j6aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents. 20. The compound of claim 1 wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents. 21. The compound of claim 1 wherein R4 is H, alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents. 22. The compound of claim 10 wherein R4 is alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents. 23. The compound of claim 11 wherein R4 is alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents. 24. The compound of claim 1 wherein Q1 is phenyl substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein n=1 and X1 is 3-(—O—), m=1 and Y1 is —(—CH2—), and R4 is aryl optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents. 25. The compound of claim 24 wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 26. The compound of claim 25 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 27. The compound of claim 26 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 28. The compound of claim 27 wherein R1 is cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 29. The compound of claim 27 wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents. 30. The compound of claim 1 wherein Q1 is phenyl substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein n=1 and X1 is 4-(—O—), m=1 and Y1 is —(—CH2—), and R4 is aryl optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents. 31. The compound of claim 30 wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 32. The compound of claim 31 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 33. The compound of claim 32 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 34. The compound of claim 33 wherein R1 is cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 35. The compound of claim 33 wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents. 36. The compound of claim 1 wherein Q1 is phenyl substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein n=1 and X1 is 3-(—O—), m=0, and R4 is (C0-C8)alkyl or cycloalkyl optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents. 37. The compound of claim 36 wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 38. The compound of claim 37 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 39. The compound of claim 38 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 40. The compound of claim 39 wherein R1 is cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 41. The compound of claim 39 wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents. 42. The compounds of claim 36 wherein R4 is (C0-C6)alkyl. 43. The compound of claim 41 wherein R4 is (C0-C6)alkyl. 44. The compounds of claim 36 wherein R4 is H or methyl. 45. The compound of claim 43 wherein R4 is H or methyl. 46. The compound of claim 1 wherein Q1 is phenyl substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein n=1 and X1 is 3-(—O—), m=0, and R4 is aryl optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents. 47. The compound of claim 46 wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 48. The compound of claim 46 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 49. The compound of claim 48 wherein R1 is cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 50. The compound of claim 48 wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents. 51. The compounds of claim 46 wherein R4 is phenyl optionally substituted with G41. 52. The compound of claim 1 wherein Q1 is phenyl substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein n=1 and X1 is 3- or 4-(—NH—), m=1 and Y1 is —(—SO2—), and R4 is aryl optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents. 53. The compound of claim 52 wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 54. The compound of claim 53 wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 55. The compound of claim 54 wherein R1 is cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents. 56. The compound of claim 54 wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents. 57. The compound of claim 56 wherein R1 is cis- or trans-cyclobutyl substituted at the 3-position by G11 wherein G11 is —OH, —NH2, —N(CH3)2, —NHAc, —NH(CO)NHCH3, —NH(CO)OCH3, —CH2OH, —CH2NH2, —CH2NHAc, CO2H, CONH2, —CH2N(CH3)2, —CH2NH(CO)NHMe, —CH2NH(CO)OCH3, CO2CH3, CONHCH3, 58. The compound of claim 56 wherein R1 is cis- or trans-cyclohexyl substituted at the 4-position by G11 wherein G11 is —OH, —NH2, —N(CH3)2, —NHAc, —NH(CO)NHCH3, —NH(CO)OCH3, —CH2OH, —CH2NH2, —CH2NHAc, CO2H, CONH2, —CH2N(CH3)2, —CH2NH(CO)NHMe, —CH2NH(CO)OCH3, CO2CH3, CONHCH3, 59. A compound selected from the group consisting of: [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine], 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-phenyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 3-Benzyl-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-naphthalen-1-yl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-naphthalen-2-yl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclopentyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclohexyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cycloheptyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(tetrahydro-furan-3-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, trans-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanol, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(1-methyl-piperidin-4-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide, trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide, cis-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol, trans-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol, cis-2-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione, trans-2-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione, cis-3-(4-Aminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, trans-3-(4-Aminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-acetamide, or trans-N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-acetamide. or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 60. A method of inhibiting protein kinase activity comprising administering a compound of claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 61. The method of claim 60 wherein said protein kinase is IGF-IR. 62. The method of claim 60 wherein the activity of said protein kinase affects hyperproliferative disorders. 63. The method of claim 60 wherein the activity of said protein kinase influences angiogenesis, vascular permeability, immune response, cellular apoptosis, tumor growth, or inflammation. 64. A method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 65. The method of claim 64 wherein said protein kinase is IGF-IR. 66. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is a hyperproliferative disorder. 67. The method of claim 64 wherein the activity of said protein kinase influences angiogenesis, vascular permeability, immune response, cellular apoptosis, tumor growth, or inflammation. 68. The method of claim 64 wherein the protein kinase is a protein serine/threonine kinase or a protein tyrosine kinase. 69. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is one or more ulcers. 70. The method of claim 69 wherein the ulcer or ulcers are caused by a bacterial or fungal infection; or the ulcer or ulcers are Mooren ulcers; or the ulcer or ulcers are a symptom of ulcerative colitis. 71. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is Lyme disease, sepsis or infection by Herpes simplex, Herpes Zoster, human immunodeficiency virus, parapoxvirus, protozoa, or toxoplasmosis. 72. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is von Hippel Lindau disease, pemphigoid, psoriasis, Paget's disease, or polycystic kidney disease. 73. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is fibrosis, sarcoidosis, cirrhosis, thyroiditis, hyperviscosity syndrome, Osler-Weber-Rendu disease, chronic occlusive pulmonary disease, asthma, exudtaes, ascites, pleural effusions, pulmonary edema, cerebral edema or edema following burns, trauma, radiation, stroke, hypoxia, or ischemia. 74. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, preeclainpsia, menometrorrhagia, or endometriosis. 75. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase-activity is chronic inflammation, systemic lupus, glomerulonephritis, synovitis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, glomerulonephritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, or graft rejection. 76. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is sickle cell anaemia. 77. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is an ocular condition. 78. The method of claim 77 wherein the ocular condition is ocular or macular edema, ocular neovascular disease, seleritis, radial keratotomy, uveitis, vitritis, myopia, optic pits, chronic retinal detachment, post-laser treatment complications, conjunctivitis, Stargardt's disease, Eales disease, retinopathy, or macular degeneration. 79. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is a cardiovascular condition. 80. The method of claim 79 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is atherosclerosis, restenosis, ischemia/reperfusion injury, vascular occlusion, venous malformation, or carotid obstructive disease. 81. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is cancer. 82. The method of claim 81 wherein the cancer is a solid tumor, a sarcoma, fibrosarcoma, osteoma, melanoma, retinoblastoma, a rhabdomyosarcoma, glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, teratocarcinoma, an hematopoietic malignancy, or malignant ascites. 83. The method of claim 82 wherein the cancer is Kaposi's sarcoma, Hodgkin's disease, lymphoma, myeloma, or leukemia. 84. The method of claim 64 wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is Crow-Fukase (POEMS) syndrome or a diabetic condition. 85. The method of claim 84 wherein the diabetic condition is insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or microangiopathy. 86. The method of claim 64 wherein the protein kinase activity is involved in T cell activation, B cell activation, mast cell degranulation, monocyte activation, signal transduction, apoptosis, the potentiation of an inflammatory response or a combination thereof. 87. A composition comprising a compound according to claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 88. A composition comprising a compound according to claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and an anti-neoplastic, anti-tumor, anti-angiogenic, or chemotherapeutic agent. 89. A composition comprising a compound according to claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and a cytotoxic cancer therapeutic agent. 90. A composition comprising a compound according to claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and an angiogenesis inhibiting cancer therapeutic agent. 91. A method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition according to claim 87. 92. A compound selected from the group consisting of: trans-N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-acetamide, 1-Biphenyl-3-yl-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Bromo-phenyl)-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(4′-t-Butylbiphenyl-3-yl)-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(4′-methylbiphenyl-3-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(4′-methoxybiphenyl-3-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-cyclopentylmethylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-cyclohexylmethylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-trifluoromethylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzamide, 3-Cyclobutyl-1-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, (trans-3-(4-Azetidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, trans-1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine), trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester, (trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, (trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methylamide, 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethylamide, trans-1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, trans-3-(3-Azetidin-1-ylmethylcyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-3-(3-Azetidin-1-ylmethylcyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutylmethyl ester, {3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}methanol, 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-methyl-cyclobutanol, 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-ethyl-cyclobutanol, 1-Allyl-3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanol, 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-tert-butylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-1-[3-(Benzyloxy)phenyl]-3-[3-(dimethylamino) cyclobutyl]imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-amine, 3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol, 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4-fluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-hydroxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester, 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzamide, {3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-phenyl}-methanol, 3-(3-Aminomethylphenyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 2-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione, 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester, 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, cis-3-(3-Dimethylaminomethyl-cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-3-(3-Azetidin-1-ylmethylcyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-3-(3-Pyrrolidin-1-ylmethylcyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-3-(3-Azidomethyl-cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-3-(3-aminomethyl-cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutane-carboxylic acid amide, trans-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutane-carboxylic acid amide, 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxymethyl-cyclobutanol, cis-Toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxy-cyclobutylmethyl ester, trans-Toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxy-cyclobutylmethyl ester, trans-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-azetidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutanol, cis-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-azetidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutanol, 1-[3-(4-tert-Butoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-Benzonitrile, 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2-nitro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-[3-(2-Bromo-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-[3-(3-Aminomethyl-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzoic acid methyl ester, 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzamide, {3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-methanol, 2-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione, 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzoic acid, 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-N-methyl-Benzamide, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-methoxymethylene-cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl] cyclobutanecarbaldehyde, cis-1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-methoxy-cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, trans-1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-methoxy-cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-tert-Butyl (({3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutyl}oxy)acetate, cis-2-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutoxy}ethanol, cis-Toluene-4-sulfonic acid 2-{3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutoxy}ethyl ester, cis-1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-[3-(2-dimethylaminoethoxy)-cyclobutyl]imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl amine, cis-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutoxy}acetic acid, cis-2-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutoxy}-N-methylacetamide, cis-2-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutoxy}acetamide, 1-(3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-4-fluorophenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-4-isopropoxyphenyl)-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-4-ethoxyphenyl)-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 4-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-2-benzyloxyphenol, 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide, 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methylamide, N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-acetamide, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 93. A compound selected from the group consisting of: Structure Name N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-benzamide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-butyramide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-2-hydroxy-propionamide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-2-morpholin-4-yl-acetamide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-2-methoxy-propionamide Tetrahydro-furan-2-carboxylic acid {3-[3-(8-amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-amide Pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid {3-[3-(8-amino-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}- amide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyc1obutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-methanesulfonamide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-nicotinamide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-2-(2-oxo-pyrrolidin-1-yl)- acetamide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-2-pyridin-4-yl-acetamide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-2-pyridin-2-yl-acetamide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-benzenesulfonamide N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-isonicotinamide Pyridine-2-carboxylic acid {3-[3-(8-amino-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}- amide 1-Methyl-1H-imidazole-4-sulfonic acid {3-[3-(8-amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-amide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 94. A compound selected from the group consisting of: Structure Name N-{2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazol[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-benzamide N-{2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-2-morpholin-4-yl-acetamide N-{2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-2-methoxy-propionamide Tetrahydro-furan-2-carboxylic acid {2-[3-(8-amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-amide N-{2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-2-hydroxy-propionamide N-{2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-nicotinamide N-{2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-2-pyridin-2-yl-acetamide N-{2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-isonicotmamide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 95. A compound selected from the group consisting of: R1 Name 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-phenylaminomethyl-cyclohexyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-morpholin-4-ylmethyl- cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[4-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-ylmethyl)- cyclohexyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-diethylaminomethyl-cyclohexyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-piperidin-4-ol 3-(4-Azepan-1-ylmethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-{4-[(ethyl-methyl-amino)-methyl]- cyclohexyl}-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-piperidin-3-ol N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-N,N′,N′-trimethyl-ethane-1,2-diamine 2-({4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-methyl-amino)-ethanol 4-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-piperazin-2-one 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[4-(2,5-dihydro-pyrrol-1-ylmethyl)- cyclohexyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-propylaminomethyl-cyclohexyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-[4-(Benzylamino-methyl)-cyclohexyl]-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[4-(isopropylamino-methyl)- cyclohexyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-butylaminomethyl-cyclohexyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-N′,N′-dimethyl-ethane-1,2-diamine 2-({4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-amino)-ethanol (1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-piperidin-3-yl)-methanol (1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-piperidin-4-yl)-methanol 1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-pyrrolidin-3-ol 1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-pyrrolidin-3-ol 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-{[(tetrahydro-furan-2-ylmethyl)- amino]-methyl}-cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-N′,N′-dimethyl -propane-1,3-diamine 1-({4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-amino)-propan-2-ol 3-({4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-amino)-propan-1-ol 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-{[(pyridin-3-ylmethyl)-amino]- methyl}-cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-{4-[(2-pyrrolidin-1-yl-ethylamino)- methyl]-cyclohexyl}-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-N′,N′-diethyl-ethane-1,2-diamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-{4-[(1-methyl-piperidin-4-ylamino)- methyl]-cyclohexyl}-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine N-[2-({4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-amino)-ethyl]-acetamide 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-piperidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclohexyl)- imidazo[I ,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein * is the point of attachment. 96. A compound selected from the group consisting of: R1 Name 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-phenylaminomethyl-cyclobutyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-{3-[(ethyl-methyl-amino)-methyl]- cyclobutyl}-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[3-(2-methyl-pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl)- cyclobutyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-piperidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-butylaminomethyl-cyclobutyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[3-(2,5-dihydro-pyrrol-1-ylmethyl)- cyclobutyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-(3-Azepan-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-propylaminomethyl-cyclobutyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 4-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclobutylmethyl}-piperazin-2-one 3-[3-(Benzylamino-methyl)-cyclobutyl]-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazol[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[3-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-ylmethyl)- cyclobutyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 2-({3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclobutylmethyl}-methyl-amino)-ethanol 1-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclobutylmethyl}-piperidin-4-ol 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[3-(isopropylamino-methyl)- cyclobutyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-morpholin-4-ylmethyl-cyclobutyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine N-[2-({3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutylmethyl}-amino)-ethyl]-acetamide 1-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclobutylmethyl}-piperidin-3-ol 2-({3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclobutylmethyl}-amino)-ethanol 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[3-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-ylmethyl)- cyclobutyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein * is the point of attachment. 97. A compound selected from the group consisting of: R1 Name 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-diethylamino-ethyl)-amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-methoxy-ethyl)-amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-hydroxy-ethyl)-amide {4-[Amino-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-morpholin-4-yl-methanone 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid benzylamide {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-(4-hydroxy-piperidin-1-yl)-methanone 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-hydroxy-ethyl)-methyl-amide {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-azepan-1-yl-methanone {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-piperidin-1-yl-methanone 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid butylamide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-acetylamino-ethyl)-amide {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-(3-hydroxy-piperidin-1-yl)-methanone 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-dimethylamino-ethyl)-methyl- amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethyl-methyl-amide {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-pyrrolidin-1-yl-methanone 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid cyclopropylamide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid phenylamide {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-methanone 4-{4-{8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 3-yl]-cyclohexanecarbonyl}-piperazin-2-one {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-(3-hydroxymethyl-piperidin-1-yl)-methanone {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-(4-hydroxymethyl-piperidin-1-yl)-methanone {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-(3-hydroxy-pyrrolidin-1-yl)-methanone {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-(3-hydroxy-pyrrolidin-1-yl)-methanone 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (tetrahydro-furan-2-ylmethyl)- amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (3-dimethylamino-propyl)-amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-hydroxy-propyl)-amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazol[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (3-hydroxy-propyl)-amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (pyridin-3-ylmethyl)-amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-pyrrolidin-1-yl-ethyl)-amide {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexyl}-azetidin-1-yl-methanone 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazol[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (1-methyl-piperidin-4-yl)-amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid [2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)-ethyl]- amide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid propylamide 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3- yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid isobutyl-amide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein * is the point of attachment. 98. A compound selected from the group consisting of: R1 Name 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-ethanol 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3-phenethyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3-isobutoxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3-morpholin-4-yl-propoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2-piperidin-1-yl-ethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3-cyclohexylmethoxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2-imidazol-1-yl-ethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine [3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-acetic acid tert-butyl ester 1-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-butan-2-one [3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-acetic acid methyl ester 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3-methyl-but-2-enyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2-diethylamino-ethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine [3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-acetonitrile 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3-cyclohexylmethoxy-phenyl)-imidazol[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-acetamide 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3-cyclopropylmethoxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3-cyclopentylmethoxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2-methoxy-ethoxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3-methyl-butoxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2-pyrrolidin-1-yl-ethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-1-morpholin-4-yl-ethanone 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-1-pyrrolidin-1-yl-ethanone 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-N-propyl-acetamide 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-N-methyl-acetamide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein * is the point of attachment. 99. A compound selected from the group consisting of: R1 Name 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3-methoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(2-Chloro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(3-Chloro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(4-Chloro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(pyridin-3-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazol[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(5-methyl-isoxazol-3-ylmethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,6-dichloro-pyridin-4-ylmethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazol[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(Biphenyl-4-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(2-Benzenesulfonyl-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(naphthalen-2-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4-[1,2,4]triazol-1-yl-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4-methyl-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,6-dichloro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3-trifluoromethyl-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(4-tert-Butyl-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(Biphenyl-2-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 4-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]-benzonitrile 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,3-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3,5-dimethyl-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3-trifluoromethoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]-benzonitrile 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4-trifluoromethoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3,4-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(Benzo[1,2,5]oxadiazol-5-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3,4,5-trifluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2-fluoro-5-trifluoromethyl-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazm-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4-difluoromethoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(5-Chloro-benzo[b]thiophen-3-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(4-Chloro-2-fluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3,5-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazol[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3-fluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazol[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(naphthalen-1-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,5-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 1-[3-(2-Chloro-6-fluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,3,6-trifluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2-fluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2-difluoromethoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3-difluoromethoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(quinolin-8-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(1-phenyl-ethoxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]-benzoic acid 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(pyridin-2-ylmethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3,5-dimethyl-isoxazol-4-ylmethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(5-methyl-3-phenyl-isoxazol-4- ylmethoxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein * is the point of attachment. 100. A compound selected from the group consisting of: R1 Name [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]- isopropyl-amine [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]- ethyl-amine Allyl-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]-amine [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]- prop-2-ynyl-amine [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]- propyl-amine [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]- cyclopropylmethyl-amine Benzyl-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 8-yl]-amine [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]- phenyl-amine [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]- methyl-amine [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]- (2-methoxy-ethyl)-amine 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-8- morpholin-4-yl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazine [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]- diethyl-amine [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]- (2-methoxy-ethyl)-amine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein * is the point of attachment. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to novel imidazopyrazines, their salts, and compositions comprising them. In particular, the present invention is directed to imidazopyrazines as novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors that inhibit tyrosine kinase enzymes in animals, including humans, for the treatment and/or prevention of various diseases and conditions such as cancer. Phosphoryl transferases are a large family of enzymes that transfer phosphorous-containing groups from one substrate to another. Kinases are a class of enzymes that function in the catalysis of phosphoryl transfer. The phosphorylation is usually a transfer reaction of a phosphate group from ATP to the protein substrate. Almost all kinases contain a similar 250-300 amino acid catalytic domain. Protein kinases, with at least 400 identified, constitute the largest subfamily of structurally related phosphoryl transferases and are responsible for the control of a wide variety of signal transduction processes within the cell. The protein kinases may be categorized into families by the substrates they phosphorylate (e.g., protein-tyrosine, protein-serine/threonine, etc.). Protein kinase sequence motifs have been identified that generally correspond to each of these kinase families. Lipid kinases (e.g. PI3K) constitute a separate group of kinases with structural similarity to protein kinases. The “kinase domain” appears in a number of polypeptides which serve a variety of functions. Such polypeptides include, for example, transmembrane receptors, intracellular receptor associated polypeptides, cytoplasmic located polypeptides, nuclear located polypeptides and subcellular located polypeptides. The activity of protein kinases can be regulated by a variety of mechanisms and any individual protein might be regulated by more than one mechanism. Such mechanisms include, for example, autophosphorylation, transphosphorylation by other kinases, protein-protein interactions, protein-lipid interactions, protein-polynucleotide interactions, ligand binding, and post-translational modification. Phosphorylation of target proteins occurs in response to a variety of extracellular signals (hormones, neurotransmitters, growth and differentiation factors, etc.), cell cycle events, environmental or nutritional stresses, etc. Protein and lipid kinases regulate many different cell processes by adding phosphate groups to targets such as proteins or lipids. Such cell processes include, for example, proliferation, growth, differentiation, metabolism, cell cycle events, apoptosis, motility, transcription, translation and other signaling processes. Kinase catalyzed phosphorylation acts as molecular on/off switches to modulate or regulate the biological function of the target protein. Thus, protein and lipid kinases can function in signaling pathways to activate or inactivate, or modulate the activity (either directly or indirectly) of the targets. These targets may include, for example, metabolic enzymes, regulatory proteins, receptors, cytoskeletal proteins, ion channels or pumps, or transcription factors. A partial list of protein kinases includes abl, AKT, bcr-abl, Blk, Brk, Btk, c-kit, c-met, c-src, CDK1, CDK2, CDK3, CDK4, CDKS, CDK6, CDK7, CDK8, CDK9, CDK10, cRaf1, CSFir, CSK, EGFR, ErbB2, ErbB3, ErbB4, Erk, Fak, fes, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, FGFR4, FGFR5, Fgr, flt-1, Fps, Frk, Fyn, Hck, IGF-1R, INS-R, Jak, KDR, Lck, Lyn, MEK, p38, PDGFR, PIK, PKC, PYK2, ron, tie, tie2, TRK, Yes, and Zap70. Thus, protein kinases represent a large family of proteins which play a central role in the regulation of a wide variety of cellular processes, maintaining control over cellular function. Uncontrolled signaling due to defective control of protein phosphorylation has been implicated in a number of diseases and disease conditions, including, for example, inflammation, cancer, allergy/asthma, disease and conditions of the immune system, disease and conditions of the central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular disease, dermatology, and angiogenesis. Initial interest in protein kinases as pharmacological targets was stimulated by findings that many viral oncogenes encode structurally modified cellular protein kinases with constitutive enzyme activity. One early example was the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) or avian sarcoma virus (ASV), which caused highly malignant tumors of the same type or sarcomas within infected chickens. Subsequently, deregulated protein kinase activity, resulting from a variety of mechanisms, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of a number of important human disorders including, for example, cancer, CNS conditions, and immunologically related diseases. The development of selective protein kinase inhibitors that can block the disease pathologies and/or symptoms resulting from aberrant protein kinase activity has therefore become an important therapeutic target. Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) are enzymes that catalyse the phosphorylation of specific tyrosine residues in cellular proteins. Such post-translational modification of the substrate proteins, often enzymes themselves, acts as a molecular switch regulating cell proliferation, activation or differentiation (for review, see Schlessinger and Ullrich, 1992, Neuron 9:383-391). Aberrant or excessive PTK activity has been observed in many disease states including benign and malignant proliferative disorders as well as diseases resulting from inappropriate activation of the immune system (e.g., autoimmune disorders), allograft rejection, and graft vs. host disease. In addition, endothelial-cell specific receptor PTKs such as KDR and Tie-2 mediate the angiogenic process, and are thus involved in supporting the progression of cancers and other diseases involving inappropriate vascularization (e.g., diabetic retinopathy, choroidal neovascularization due to age-related macular degeneration, psoriasis, arthritis, retinopathy of prematurity, infantile hemangiomas). Tyrosine kinases can be of the receptor-type (having extracellular, transmembrane and intracellular domains) or the non-receptor type (being wholly intracellular). The Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) comprise a large family of transmembrane receptors with at least nineteen distinct RTK subfamilies having diverse biological activities. The RTK family includes receptors that are crucial for the growth and differentiation of a variety of cell types (Yarden and Ullrich, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 57:433-478, 1988; Ullrich and Schlessinger, Cell 61:243-254, 1990). The intrinsic function of RTKs is activated upon ligand binding, which results in phosphorylation of the receptor and multiple cellular substrates, and subsequently in a variety of cellular responses (Ullrich & Schlessinger, 1990, Cell 61:203-212). Thus, RTK mediated signal transduction is initiated by extracellular interaction with a specific growth factor (ligand), typically followed by receptor dimerization, stimulation of the intrinsic protein tyrosine kinase activity and receptor transphosphorylation. Binding sites are thereby created for intracellular signal transduction molecules and lead to the formation of complexes with a spectrum of cytoplasmic signaling molecules that facilitate the appropriate cellular response such as cell division, differentiation, metabolic effects, and changes in the extracellular microenvironment (see Schlessinger and Ullrich, 1992, Neuron 9:1-20). Proteins with SH2 (src homology-2) or phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains bind activated tyrosine kinase receptors and their substrates with high affinity to propagate signals into cell. Both of the domains recognize phosphotyrosine. (Fantl et al., 1992, Cell 69:413-423; Songyang et al., 1994, Mol. Cell. Biol. 14:2777-2785; Songyang et al., 1993, Cell 72:767-778; and Koch et al., 1991, Science 252:668-678; Shoelson, Curr Opin. Chem. Biol. (1997), 1(2), 227-234; Cowburn, Curr Opin. Struct. Biol. (1997), 7(6), 835-838). Several intracellular substrate proteins that associate with RTKs have been identified. They may be divided into two principal groups: (1) substrates which have a catalytic domain; and (2) substrates which lack such a domain but serve as adapters and associate with catalytically active molecules (Songyang et al., 1993, Cell 72:767-778). The specificity of the interactions between receptors or proteins and SH2 or PTB domains of their substrates is determined by the amino acid residues immediately surrounding the phosphorylated tyrosine residue. For example, differences in the binding affinities between SID domains and the amino acid sequences surrounding the phosphotyrosine residues on particular receptors correlate with the observed differences in their substrate phosphorylation profiles (Songyang et al., 1993, Cell 72:767-778). Observations suggest that the function of each receptor tyrosine kinase is determined not only by its pattern of expression and ligand availability but also by the array of downstream signal transduction pathways that are activated by a particular receptor as well as the timing and duration of those stimuli. Thus, phosphorylation provides an important regulatory step which determines the selectivity of signaling pathways recruited by specific growth factor receptors, as well as differentiation factor receptors. Several receptor tyrosine kinases such as FGFR-1, PDGFR, Tie-2 and c-Met, and growth factors that bind thereto, have been suggested to play a role in angiogenesis, although some may promote angiogenesis indirectly (Mustonen and Alitalo, J. Cell Biol. 129:895-898, 1995). One such receptor tyrosine kinase, known as “fetal liver kinase 1” (FLK-1), is a member of the type III subclass of RTKs. Human FLK-1 is also known as “kinase insert domain-containing receptor” (KDR) (Terean et al., Oncogene 6:1677-83, 1991). It is also called “vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 2” (VEGFR-2) since it binds vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) with high affinity. The murine version of FLK-1/VEGFR-2 has also been called NYK. (Oelrichs et aI, Oncogene 8(1):11-15, 1993). Numerous studies (such as those reported in Millauer et al., supra), suggest that VEGF and FLK-1/KDR/VEGFR-2 are a ligand-receptor pair that play an important role in the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells (vasculogenesis), and the formation and sprouting of blood vessels (angiogenesis). Accordingly, VEGF plays a role in the stimulation of both normal and pathological angiogenesis (Jakeman et al., Endocrinology 133:848-859, 1993; Kolch et al., Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 36: 139-155, 1995; Ferrara et al., Endocrine Reviews 18(1); 4-25, 1997; Ferrara et al., Regulation of Angiogenesis (ed. L D. Goldberg and E. M. Rosen), 209-232, 1997). In addition, VEGF has been implicated in the control and enhancement of vascular permeability (Connolly, et al., 1. BioI. Chem. 264: 20017-20024, 1989; Brown et al., Regulation of Angiogenesis (ed. L D. Goldberg and E. M. Rosen), 233-269, 1997). Another type III subclass RTK related to FLK-1/KDR (DeVries et al. Science 255:989-991, 1992; Shibuya et al., Oncogene 5:519-524, 1990) is “fms-like tyrosine kinase-I” (Flt-1), also called “vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 1” (VEGFR-1). Members of the FLK-1/KDR/VEGFR-2 and Flt-1/VEGPR-1 subfamilies are expressed primarily on endothelial cells. These subclass members are specifically stimulated by members of the VEGF family of ligands (Klagsbum and D'Amore, Cytokine & Growth Factor Reviews 7: 259270, 1996). VEGF binds to Flt-1 with higher affinity than to FLK-1/KDR and is mitogenic toward vascular endothelial cells (Terman et al., 1992, supra; Mustonen et al. supra; DeVries et al., supra). Flt-1 is believed to be essential for endothelial organization during vascular development. Flt-1 expression is associated with early vascular development in mouse embryos, and with neovascularization during wound healing (Mustonen and Alitalo, supra). Expression of Flt-1 in monocytes, osteoclasts, and osteoblasts, as well as in adult tissues such as kidney glomeruli suggests an additional function for this receptor that is no related to cell growth (Mustonen and Alitalo, supra). Placenta growth factor (PlGF) has an amino acid sequence that exhibits significant homology to the VEGF sequence (Park et al., 1. Biol. Chem. 269:25646-54, 1994; Maglione et al. Oncogene 8:925-31, 1993). As with VEGF, different species of PlGF arise from alternative splicing of mRNA, and the protein exists in dimeric form (Park et al., supra). PlGF-1 and PlGF-2 bind to Flt-1 with high affinity, and PlGF-2 also avidly binds to neuropilin-1 (Migdal et al., 1. Biol. Chem. 273 (35): 22272-22278), but neither binds to FLK-1/KDR (Park et al., supra). PlGF has been reported to potentiate both the vascular permeability and mitogenic effect of VEGF on endothelial cells when VEGF is present at low concentrations (purportedly due to heterodimer formation) (Park et al., supra). VEGF-B is thought to play a role in the regulation of extracellular matrix degradation, cell adhesion, and migration through modulation of the expression and activity of urokinase type plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (Pepper et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (1998), 95(20):11709-11714). VEGF-C can also bind KDR/VEGFR-2 and stimulate proliferation and migration of endothelial cells in vitro and angiogenesis in in vivo models (Lymboussaki et. al., Am. J Pathol. (1998), 153(2):395-403; Witzenbichler et al., Am. J. Pathol. (1998), 153(2), 381-394). The transgenic overexpression of VEGF-C causes proliferation and enlargement of only lymphatic vessels, while blood vessels are unaffected. Unlike VEGF, the expression of VEGF-C is not induced by hypoxia (Ristimaki et al, J. Biol. Chem. (1998), 273(14), 8413-8418). Structurally similar to VEGF-C, VEGF-D is reported to bind and activate at least two VEGFRs, VEGFR-3/Flt-4 and KDR/VEGFR-2. It was originally cloned as a c-fos inducible mitogen for fibroblasts and is most prominently expressed in the mesenchymal cells of the lung and skin (Achen et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (1998), 95(2), 548-553 and references therein). VEGF, VEGF-C and VEGF-D have been claimed to induce increases in vascular permeability in vivo in a Miles assay when injected into cutaneous tissue (PCT/US97/14696; WO98/07832, Witzenbichler et al., supra). The physiological role and significance of these ligands in modulating vascular hyperpermeability and endothelial responses in tissues where they are expressed remains uncertain. Tie-2 (TEK) is a member of a recently discovered family of endothelial cell specific RTKs involved in critical angiogenic processes such as vessel branching, sprouting, remodeling, maturation and stability. Tie-2 is the first mammalian RTK for which both agonist ligands (e.g., Angiopoietin1 (“Ang1”), which stimulates receptor autophosphorylation and signal transduction), and antagonist ligands (e.g., Angiopoietin2 (“Ang2”)), have been identified. The current model suggests that stimulation of Tie-2 kinase by the Ang1 ligand is directly involved in the branching, sprouting and outgrowth of new vessels, and recruitment and interaction of periendothelial support cells important in maintaining vessel integrity and inducing quiescence. The absence of Ang1 stimulation of Tie-2 or the inhibition of Tie-2 autophosphorylation by Ang2, which is produced at high levels at sites of vascular regression, may cause a loss in vascular structure and matrix contacts resulting in endothelial cell death, especially in the absence of growth/survival stimuli. Recently, significant upregulation of Tie-2 expression has been found within the vascular synovial pannus of arthritic joints of humans, consistent with a role in the inappropriate neovascularization, suggesting that Tie-2 plays a role in the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. Point mutations producing constitutively activated forms of Tie-2 have been identified in association with human venous malformation disorders. Tie-2 inhibitors are, thereful, useful in treating such disorders, and in other situations of inappropriate neovascularization. Non-receptor tyrosine kinases represent a collection of cellular enzymes which lack extracellular and transmembrane sequences (see, Bohlen, 1993, Oncogene 8:2025-2031). Over twenty-four individual non-receptor tyrosine kinases, comprising eleven (11) subfamilies (Src, Frk, Btk, Csk, Abl, Zap70, Fes/Fps, Fak, Jak, Ack and LIMK) have been identified. The Src subfamily of non-receptor tyrosine kinases is comprised of the largest number of PTKs and include Src, Yes, Fyn, Lyn, Lck, Blk, Hck, Fgr and Yrk. The Src subfamily of enzymes has been linked to oncogenesis and immune responses. Plk-1 is a serine/threonine kinase which is an important regulator of cell cycle progression. It plays critical roles in the assembly and the dynamic function of the mitotic spindle apparatus. Plk-1 and related kinases have also been shown to be closely involved in the activation and inactivation of other cell cycle regulators, such as cyclin-dependent kinases. High levels of Plk-1 expression are associated with cell proliferation activities. It is often found in malignant tumors of various origins. Inhibitors of Plk-1 are expected to block cancer cell proliferation by disrupting processes involving mitotic spindles and inappropriately activated cyclin-dependent kinases. Cdc2 (cdk1)/cyclin B is another serine/threonine kinase enzyme which belongs to the cyclin-dependent kinase (cdks) family. These enzymes are involved in the critical transition between various phases of cell cycle progression. It is believed that uncontrolled cell proliferation, the hallmark of cancer, is dependent upon elevated cdk activities in these cells. The loss of control of cdk regulation is a frequent event in hyperproliferative diseases and cancer (Pines, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 4:144-148 (1992); Lees, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 7:773-780 (1995); Hunter and Pines, Cell, 79:573-582 (1994)). The inhibition of elevated cdk activities in cancer cells by cdc2/cyclin B kinase inhibitors could suppress proliferation and may restore the normal control of cell cycle progression. Malignant cells are associated with the loss of control over one or more cell cycle elements. These elements range from cell surface receptors to the regulators of transcription and translation, including the insulin-like growth factors, insulin growth factor-I (IGF-1) and insulin growth factor-2 (IGF-2). [M. J. Ellis, “The Insulin-Like Growth Factor Network and Breast Cancer”, Breast Cancer, Molecular Genetics, Pathogenesis and Therapeutics, Humana Press 1999]. The insulin growth factor system consists of families of ligands, insulin growth factor binding proteins, and receptors. A major physiological role of the IGF-1 system is the promotion of normal growth and regeneration, and overexpressed IGF-1R can initiate mitogenesis and promote ligand-dependent neoplastic transformation. Furthermore, IGF-1R plays an important role in the establishment and maintenance of the malignant phenotype. IGF-1R exists as a heterodimer, with several disulfide bridges. The tyrosine kinase catalytic site and the ATP binding site are located on the cytoplasmic portion of the beta subunit. Unlike the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, no mutant oncogenic forms of the IGF-1R have been identified. However, several oncogenes have been demonstrated to affect IGF-1 and IGF-1R expression. The correlation between a reduction of IGF-1R expression and resistance to transformation has been seen. Exposure of cells to the mRNA antisense to IGF-1R RNA prevents soft agar growth of several human tumor cell lines. Apoptosis is a ubiquitous physiological process used to eliminate damaged or unwanted cells in multicellular organisms. Disregulation of apoptosis is believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of many human diseases. The failure of apoptotic cell death has been implicated in various cancers, as well as autoimmune disorders. Conversely, increased apoptosis is associated with a variety of diseases involving cell loss such as neurodegenerative disorders and AIDS. As such, regulators of apoptosis have become an important therapeutic target. It is now established that a major mode of tumor survival is escape from apoptosis. IGF-1R abrogates progression into apoptosis, both in vivo and in vitro. It has also been shown that a decrease in the level of IGF-1R below wild-type levels causes apoptosis of tumor cells in vivo. The ability of IGF-1R disruption to cause apoptosis appears to be diminished in normal, non-tumorigenic cells. Inappropriately high protein kinase activity has been implicated in many diseases resulting from abnormal cellular function. This might arise either directly or indirectly, by failure of the proper control mechanisms for the kinase, related to mutation, over-expression or inappropriate activation of the enzyme; or by over- or underproduction of cytokines or growth factors also participating in the transduction of signals upstream or downstream of the kinase. In all of these instances, selective inhibition of the action of the kinase might be expected to have a beneficial effect. The type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) is a transmembrane RTK that binds primarily to IGF-1 but also to IGF-II and insulin with lower affinity. Binding of IGF-1 to its receptor results in receptor oligomerization, activation of tyrosine kinase, intermolecular receptor autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of cellular substrates (major substrates are IRS1 and Shc). The ligand-activated IGF-1R induces mitogenic activity in normal cells and plays an important role in abnormal growth. Several clinical reports underline the important role of the IGF-1 pathway in human tumor development: 1) IGF-1R overexpression is frequently found in various tumors (breast, colon, lung, sarcoma.) and is often associated with an aggressive phenotype. 2) High circulating IGF1 concentrations are strongly correlated with prostate, lung and breast cancer risk. Furthermore, IGF-1R is required for establishment and maintenance of the transformed phenotype in vitro and in vivo (Baserga R. Exp. Cell. Res., 1999, 253, 1-6). The kinase activity of IGF-1R is essential for the transforming activity of several oncogenes: EGFR, PDGFR, SV40 T antigen, activated Ras, Raf, and v-Src. The expression of IGF-1R in normal fibroblasts induces neoplastic phenotypes, which can then form tumors in vivo. IGF-1R expression plays an important role in anchorage-independent growth. IGF-1R has also been shown to protect cells from chemotherapy-, radiation-, and cytokine-induced apoptosis. Conversely, inhibition of endogenous IGF-1R by dominant negative IGF-1R, triple helix formation or antisense expression vector has been shown to repress transforming activity in vitro and tumor growth in animal models. Many of the tyrosine kinases, whether an RTK or non-receptor tyrosine kinase, have been found to be involved in cellular signaling pathways involved in numerous pathogenic conditions, including cancer, psoriasis, and other hyperproliferative disorders or hyper-immune responses. Therefore, much research is ongoing for inhibitors of kinases involved in mediating or maintaining disease states to treat such diseases. Examples of such kinase research include, for example: (1) inhibition of c-Src (Brickell, Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis, 3:401-406 (1992); Courtneidge, Seminars in Cancer Biology, 5:236-246 (1994), raf (Powis, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 62:57-95 (1994)) and the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 1, 2 and 4 in cancer (Pines, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 4:144-148 (1992); Lees, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 7:773-780 (1995); Hunter and Pines, Cell, 79:573-582 (1994)), (2) inhibition of CDK2 or PDGF-R kinase in restenosis (Buchdunger et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA, 92:2258-2262 (1995)), (3) inhibition of CDK5 and GSK3 kinases in Alzheimers (Hosoi et al., Journal of Biochemistry (Tokyo), 117:741-749 (1995); Aplin et al., Journal of Neurochemistry, 67:699-707 (1996), (4) inhibition of c-Src kinase in osteoporosis (Tanaka et al., Nature, 383:528-531 (1996), (5) inhibition of GSK-3 kinase in type-2 diabetes (Borthwick et al., Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications, 210:738-745 (1995), (6) inhibition of the p38 kinase in inflammation (Badger et al., The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 279:1453-1461 (1996)), (7) inhibition of VEGF-R 1-3 and TIE-1 and 2 kinases in diseases which involve angiogenesis (Shawver et al., Drug Discovery Today, 2:50-63 (1997)), (8) inhibition of UL97 kinase in viral infections (He et al., Journal of Virology, 71:405-411 (1997)), (9) inhibition of CSF-1R kinase in bone and hematopoetic diseases (Myers et. al., Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 7:421-424 (1997), and (10) inhibition of Lck kinase in autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection (Myers et. al., Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 7:417-420 (1997)). Inhibitors of certain kinases may be useful in the treatment of diseases when the kinase is not misregulated, but it nonetheless essential for maintenance of the disease state. In this case, inhibition of the kinase activity would act either as a cure or palliative for these diseases. For example, many viruses, such as human papilloma virus, disrupt the cell cycle and drive cells into the S-phase of the cell cycle (Vousden, FASEB Journal, 7:8720879 (1993)). Preventing cells from entering DNA synthesis after viral infection by inhibition of essential S-phase initiating activities such as CDK2, may disrupt the virus life cycle by preventing virus replication. This same principle may be used to protect normal cells of the body from toxicity of cycle-specific chemotherapeutic agents (Stone et al., Cancer Research, 56:3199-3202 (1996); Kohn et al., Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 54:44-452 (1994). Inhibition of CDK 2 or 4 will prevent progression into the cycle in normal cells and limit the toxicity of cytotoxics which act in S-phase, G2 or mitosis. Furthermore, CDK2/cyclin E activity has also been shown to regulate NF-kB. Inhibition of CDK2 activity stimulates NF-kB-dependent gene expression, an event mediated through interactions with the p300 co-activator (Perkins et al., Science, 275:523-527 (1997)). NF-kB regulates genes involved in inflammatory responses (such as hematopoetic growth factors, chemokines and leukocyte adhesion molecules) (Baeuerle and Henkel, Annual Review of Immunology, 12:141-179 (1994)) and maybe involved in the suppression of apoptotic signals within the cell (Beg and Baltimore, Science, 274:782-784 (1996); Wang et al., Science, 274:784-787 (1996); Van Antwerp et aI., Science, 274:787-789 (1996). Thus, inhibition of CDK2 may suppress apoptosis induced by cytotoxic drugs via a mechanism which involves NF-kB and be useful where regulation of NF-kB plays a role in etiology of disease. A further example of the usefulness of kinase inhibition is fungal infections: Aspergillosis is a common infection in immune-compromised patients (Armstrong, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 16: 1-7 (1993)). Inhibition of the Aspergillus kinases Cdc2/CDC28 or Nim A (Osmani et al., EMBO Journal, 10:2669-2679 (1991); Osmani et al., Cell, 67:283-291 (1991)) may cause arrest or death in the fungi, effectively treating these infections. The identification of effective small compounds which specifically inhibit signal transduction and cellular proliferation by modulating the activity of receptor and non-receptor tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases to regulate and modulate abnormal or inappropriate cell proliferation, differentiation, or metabolism is therefore desirable. In particular, the identification of methods and compounds that specifically inhibit the function of a tyrosine kinase which is essential for angiogenic processes or the formation of vascular hyperpermeability leading to edema, ascites, effusions, exudates, and macromolecular extravasation and matrix deposition as well as associated disorders would be beneficial. In view of the importance of PTKs to the control, regulation, and modulation of cell proliferation and the diseases and disorders associated with abnormal cell proliferation, many attempts have been made to identify receptor and non-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors using a variety of approaches, including the use of mutant ligands (U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,849), soluble receptors and antibodies (International Patent Publication No. WO 94/10202; Kendall & Thomas, 1994, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci 90:10705-09; Kim et al., 1993, Nature 362:841-844), RNA ligands (Jellinek, et al., Biochemistry 33:1045056; Takano, et al., 1993, Mol. Bio. Cell 4:358A; Kinsella, et al. 1992, Exp. Cell Res. 199:56-62; Wright, et al., 1992, 1. Cellular Phys. 152:448-57) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (International Patent Publication Nos. WO 94/03427; WO 92/21660; WO 91/15495; WO 94/14808; U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,992; Mariani, et al., 1994, Froc. Am. Assoc. Cancer Res. 35:2268). More recently, attempts have been made to identify small molecules which act as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Bis-, mono-cyclic, bicyclic or heterocyclic aryl compounds (International Patent Publication No. WO 92/20642) and vinylene-azaindole derivatives (International Patent Publication No. WO 94/14808) have been described generally as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Styryl compounds (U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,999), styryl-substituted pyridyl compounds (U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,606), certain quinazoline derivatives (EP Application No. 0566266 A1; Expert Opin. Ther. Pat. (1998), 8(4): 475-478), selenoindoles and selenides (International Patent Publication No. WO 94/03427), tricyclic polyhydroxylic compounds (International Patent Publication No. WO 92/21660) and benzylphosphonic acid compounds (International Patent Publication No. WO 91/15495) have been described as compounds for use as tyrosine kinase inhibitors for use in the treatment of cancer. Anilinocinnolines (PCT WO97/34876) and quinazoline derivative compounds (International Patent Publication No. WO 97/22596; International Patent Publication No. WO97/42187) have been described as inhibitors of angiogenesis and vascular permeability. Bis(indolylmaleimide) compounds have been described as inhibiting particular PKC serine/threonine kinase isoforms whose signal transducing function is associated with altered vascular permeability in VEGF-related diseases (International Patent Publication Nos. WO 97/40830 and WO 97/40831). IGF-1R performs important roles in cell division, development, and metabolism, and in its activated state, plays a role in oncogenesis and suppression of apoptosis. IGF-1R is known to be overexpressed in a number of cancer cell lines (IGF-1R overexpression is linked to acromegaly and to cancer of the prostate). By contrast, down-regulation of IGF-1R expression has been shown to result in the inhibition of tumorigenesis and an increased apoptosis of tumor cells. International Patent Publication Nos. WO 03/018021 and WO 03/018022 describe pyrimidines for treating IGF-1R related disorders, International Patent Publication Nos. WO 02/102804 and WO 02/102805 describe cyclolignans and cyclolignans as IGF-1R inhibitors, International Patent Publication No. WO 02/092599 describes pyrrolopyrimidines for the treatment of a disease which responds to an inhibition of the IGF-1R tyrosine kinase, International Patent Publication No. WO 01/72751 describes pyrrolopyrimidines as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. International Patent Publication No. WO 00/71129 describes pyrrolotriazine inhibitors of kinases. International Patent Publication No. WO 97/28161 describes pyrrolo [2,3-d]pyrimidines and their use as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Parrizas, et al. describes tyrphostins with in vitro and in vivo IGF-1R inhibitory activity (Endocrinology, 138:1427-1433 (1997)), and International Patent Publication No. WO 00/35455 describes heteroaryl-aryl ureas as IGF-1R inhibitors. International Patent Publication No. WO 03/048133 describes pyrimidine derivatives as modulators of IGF-1R. International Patent Publication No. WO 03/024967 describes chemical compounds with inhibitory effects towards kinase proteins. International Patent Publication No. WO 03/068265 describes methods and compositions for treating hyperproliferative conditions. International Patent Publication No. WO 00/17203 describes pyrrolopyrimidines as protein kinase inhibitors. Japanese Patent Publication No. JP 07/133,280 describes a cephem compound, its production and antimicrobial composition. A. Albert et al., Journal of the Chemical Society, 11: 1540-1547 (1970) describes pteridine studies and pteridines unsubstituted in the 4-position, a synthesis from pyrazines via 3,4-dhydropteridines. A. Albert et al., Chem. Biol. Pteridines Proc. Int. Symp., 4th, 4: 1-5 (1969) describes a synthesis of pteridines (unsubstituted in the 4-position) from pyrazines, via 3-4-dihydropteridines. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to compounds of Formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The compounds of Formula I inhibit the IGF-1R enzyme and are useful for the treatment and/or prevention of various diseases and conditions that respond to treatment by inhibition of IGF-1R. The compounds of this invention are useful as inhibitors of serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases. In particular, compounds of this invention are useful as inhibitors of tyrosine kinases that are important in hyperproliferative diseases, especially cancer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a compound of Formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein: Q1 is aryl1, heteroaryl1, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; R1 is alkyl, cycloalkyl, bicycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, heterocyclyl, or heterobicycloalkyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; G1 and G41 are each independently halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2, —NR2R3(R3a)j1, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j1R2, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —(C═S)OR2, —(C═O)SR2, —NR2(C═NR3)NR2aR3a, —NR2(C═NR3)OR2a, —NR2(C═NR3)SR3a, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, —O(C═O)SR2, —S(C═O)OR2, —S(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j1a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j1aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j2a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j2aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, or —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j3a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j3aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, or —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; G11 is halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR21, —NR21R31(R3a1)j4, —C(O)R21, —CO2R21, —CONR21R31, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4R21, —SO2NR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —(C═S)OR21, —(C═O)SR21, —NR21(C═NR31)NR2a1R3a1, —NR21(C═NR31)OR2a1, —NR21(C═NR31)SR3a1, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, —O(C═O)SR21, —S(C═O)OR21, —S(C═O)NR21R31, —P(O)OR21OR31, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2211S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, —P(O)OR2221OR3331, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j5a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j5aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, —P(O)OR2221OR3331, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j6a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j6aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j6aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, —P(O)OR2221OR3331, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or G11 is taken together with the carbon to which it is attached to form a double bond which is substituted with R5 and G111; R2, R2a, R3, R3a, R222, R222a, R333, R333a, R21, R2a1, R31, R3a1, R2221, R222a1, R3331, and R333a1 are each independently equal to C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more G111 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more G111 substituents; or in the case of —NR2R3(R3a)j1 or —NR222R333(R333a)j1a or —NR222R333(R333a)j2a or —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j3a or —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a or —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j5a or —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j6a, R2 and R3 or R222 and R333 or R2221 and R3331 taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a 3-10 membered saturated ring, unsaturated ring, heterocyclic saturated ring, or heterocyclic unsaturated ring, wherein said ring is optionally substituted by one or more G111 substituents; X1 and Y1 are each independently —O—, —NR7—, —S(O)j7—, —CR5R6—, —N(C(O)OR7)—, —N(C(O)R7)—, —N(SO2R7)—, —CH2O—, —CH2S—, —CH2N(R7)—, —CH(NR7)—, —CH2N(C(O)R7)—, —CH2N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH2N(SO2R7)—, —CH(NHR7)—, —CH(NHC(O)R7)—, —CH(NHSO2R7)—, —CH(NHC(O)OR7)—, —CH(OC(O)R7)—, —CH(OC(O)NHR7)—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —C(═NOR7)—, —C(O)—, —CH(OR7)—, —C(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)C(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)2— —OC(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —NR7C(O)O—, —S(O)N(R7)—, —S(O)2N(R7)—, —N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —N(C(O)R7)S(O)2—, —N(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —C(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —S(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —S(O)2N(R7)C(O)—, —OS(O)N(R7)—, —OS(O)2N(R7)—, —N(R7)S(O)O—, —N(R7)S(O)2O—, —N(R7)S(O)C(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)2C(O)—, —SON(C(O)R7)—, —SO2N(C(O)R7)—, —N(R7)SON(R7)—, —N(R7)SO2N(R7)—, —C(O)O—, —N(R7)P(OR8)O—, —N(R7)P(OR8)—, —N(R7)P(O)(OR8)O—, —N(R7)P(O)(OR8)—, —N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)O—, —N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)—, —N(C(O)R7)P(O)(OR8)O—, —N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)—, —CH(R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(SO2R7)—, —CH(R7)O—, —CH(R7)S—, —CH(R7)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH(R7)N(SO2R7)—, —CH(R7)C(═NOR7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)CH(OR7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2—, —CH(R7)OC(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)NR7C(O)O—, —CH(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)OS(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)OS(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)C(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2C(O)—, —CH(R7)SON(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)SO2N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)SON(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)SO2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)P(OR8)O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)P(OR8)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)P(O)(OR8)O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)P(O)(OR8)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)O—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)P(O)(OR8)O—, or —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)P(OR8)—; or X1 and Y1 are each independently represented by one of the following structural formulas: R10, taken together with the phosphinamide or phosphonamide, is a 5-, 6-, or 7-membered aryl, heteroaryl or heterocyclyl ring system; R5, R6, and G111 are each independently a C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR77, —NR77R87, —C(O)R77, —CO2R77, —CONR77R87, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR77, —SO2NR77R87, NR77(C═O)R87, NR77(C═O)OR87, NR77(C═O)NR78R87, NR77S(O)j5aR87, —(C═S)OR77, —(C═O)SR77, —NR77(C═NR87)NR78R88, —NR77(C═NR87)OR78, —NR77(C═NR87)SR78, —O(C═O)OR77, —O(C═O)NR77R87, —O(C═O)SR77, —S(C═O)OR77, —P(O)OR77OR87, or —S(C═O)NR77R87 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR77, —NR77R87, —C(O)R77, —CO2R77, —CONR77R87, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR77, —SO2NR77R87, NR77(C═O)R87, NR77(C═O)OR87, NR77(C═O)NR78R87, NR77S(O)j5aR87, —(C═S)OR77, —(C═O)SR77, —NR77(C═NR87)NR78R88, —NR77(C═NR87)OR78, —NR77(C═NR87)SR78, —O(C═O)OR77, —O(C═O)NR77R87, —O(C═O)SR77, —S(C═O)OR77, —P(O)OR77OR87, or —S(C═O)NR77R87 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR77, —NR77R87, —C(O)R77, —CO2R77, —CONR77R87, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR77, —SO2NR77R87, NR77(C═O)R87, NR77(C═O)OR87, NR77(C═O)NR78R87, NR77S(O)j5aR87, —(C═S)OR77, —(C═O)SR77, —NR77(C═NR87)NR78R88, —NR77(C═NR87)OR78, —NR77(C═NR87)SR78, —O(C═O)OR77, —O(C═O)NR77R87, —O(C═O)SR77, —S(C═O)OR77, —P(O)OR77OR87, or —S(C═O)NR77R87 substituents; or R5 with R6 taken together with the respective carbon atom to which they are attached, form a 3-10 membered saturated or unsaturated ring, wherein said ring is optionally substituted with R69; or R5 with R6 taken together with the respective carbon atom to which they are attached, form a 3-10 membered saturated or unsaturated heterocyclic ring, wherein said ring is optionally substituted with R69; R7 and R8 are each independently H, acyl, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocyclyl or cycloalkyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more G111 substituents; R4 is H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more G41 substituents; R69 is halo, —OR78, —SH, —NR78R88, —CO2R78, —CONR78R88, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j8R78, —SO2NR78R88, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —OR778, —SO2NR778R888, or —NR778R888 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —OR778, C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CONR778R888, —SO2NR778R888, or —NR778R888 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —OR778, C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CONR778R888, —SO2NR778R888, or —NR778R888 substituents; or mono(C1-6alkyl)aminoC1-6alkyl, di(C1-6alkyl)aminoC1-6alkyl, mono(aryl)aminoC1-6alkyl, di(aryl)aminoC1-6alkyl, or —N(C1-6alkyl)-C1-6alkyl-aryl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —OR778, C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CONR778R888, —SO2NR778R888, or —NR778R888 substituents; or in the case of —NR78R88, R78 and R88 taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a 3-10 membered saturated ring, unsaturated ring, heterocyclic saturated ring, or heterocyclic unsaturated ring, wherein said ring is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, hydroxy, nitro, C1-10alkoxy, —SO2NR778R888, or —NR778R888 substituents; R77, R78, R87, R88, R778, and R888 are each independently C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylcarbonyl, C2-10alkenylcarbonyl, C2-10alkynylcarbonyl, C1-10alkoxycarbonyl, C1-10alkoxycarbonylC1-10alkyl, monoC1-6alkylaminocarbonyl, diC1-6alkylaminocarbonyl, mono(aryl)aminocarbonyl, di(aryl)aminocarbonyl, or C1-10alkyl(aryl)aminocarbonyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, hydroxy, nitro, C1-10alkoxy, —SO2N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), or —N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl) substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —O(C0-4alkyl), C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CON(C0-4alkyl)(C0-10alkyl), —SO2N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), or —N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl) substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —O(C0-4alkyl), C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CON(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), —SO2N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), or —N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl) substituents; or mono(C1-6alkyl)aminoC1-6alkyl, di(C1-6alkyl)aminoC1-6alkyl, mono(aryl)aminoC1-6alkyl, di(aryl)aminoC1-6alkyl, or —N(C1-6alkyl)-C1-6alkyl-aryl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, cyano, nitro, —O(C0-4alkyl), C1-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, haloC1-10alkyl, haloC2-10alkenyl, haloC2-10alkynyl, —COOH, C1-4alkoxycarbonyl, —CON(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), —SO2N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl), or —N(C0-4alkyl)(C0-4alkyl) substituents; and n, m, j1, j1a, j2a, j3a, j4, j4a, j5a, j6a, j7, and j8 are each independently equal to 0, 1, or 2. In an aspect of the present invention, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, or heterocyclyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In a second aspect of the present invention, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In an embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O—, —NR7—, —CR5R6—, —S(O)j7—, or —C(O)—; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; wherein Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O— or —CR5R6—; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O— or —CH2—; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; R4 is H, alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; R4 is aryl or heteroaryl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; R4 is aryl or heteroaryl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31(R31a)j4, —C(O)R21, —CO2R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j5a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j5aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j6a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j6aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j6aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cis- or trans-cyclobutyl substituted at the 3-position by G11; G11 is —OH, —NH2, —N(CH3)2, —NHAc, —NH(CO)NHCH3, —NH(CO)OCH3, —CH2OH, —CH2NH2, —CH2NHAc, CO2H, CONH2, —CH2N(CH3)2, —CH2NH(CO)NHMe, —CH2NH(CO)OCH3, CO2CH3, CONHCH3, and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cis- or trans-cyclohexyl substituted at the 4-position by G11; G11 is —OH, —NH2, —N(CH3)2, —NHAc, —NH(CO)NHCH3, —NH(CO)OCH3, —CH2OH, —CH2NH2, —CH2NHAc, CO2H, CONH2, —CH2N(CH3)2, —CH2NH(CO)NHMe, —CH2NH(CO)OCH3, CO2CH3, CONHCH3, and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein Q1 is aryl1 substituted by one to five independent G1; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; n and m are both equal to 1; X1 is —O—; Y1 is —CH2—; R4 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G41 substituents; R1 is cis- or trans-cyclohexyl substituted at the 4-position by G11; G11 is —OH, —NH2, —N(CH3)2, —NHAc, —NH(CO)NHCH3, —NH(CO)OCH3, —CH2OH, —CH2NH2, —CH2NHAc, CO2H, CONH2, —CH2N(CH3)2, —CH2NH(CO)NHMe, —CH2NH(CO)OCH3, CO2CH3, CONHCH3, and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In still another embodiment of this second aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein Q1 is aryl1 substituted by one to five independent G1; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; n and m are both equal to 1; X1 is —O—; Y1 is —CH2—; R4 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G41 substituents; R1 is cis- or trans-cyclobutyl substituted at the 3-position by G11; G11 is —OH, —NH2, —N(CH3)2, —NHAc, —NH(CO)NHCH3, —NH(CO)OCH3, —CH2OH, —CH2NH2, —CH2NHAc, CO2H, CONH2, —CH2N(CH3)2, —CH2NH(CO)NHMe, —CH2NH(CO)OCH3, CO2CH3, CONHCH3, and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In a third aspect of the present invention, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a salt thereof, wherein R1 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents, and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In an embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O—, —NR7—, —CR5R6—, —S(O)j7—, or —C(O)—; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O— or —CR5R6—; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O— or —CH2—; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; R4 is H, alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; R4 is aryl or heteroaryl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; R4 is aryl or heteroaryl, optionally substituted by one or more G41 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents, G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31(R31a)j4, —C(O)R21, —CO2R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j5a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j5aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j6a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j6aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j6aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is cycloalkyl substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is phenyl optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In still another embodiment of this third aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein Q1 is aryl1 substituted by one to five G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; X1 is —O—; Y1 is —CH2—; R4 is aryl, optionally substituted by one or more G41 substituents; R1 is phenyl substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In a fourth aspect of the present invention, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In an embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1), —(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O—, —NR7—, —CR5R6—, —S(O)j7—, or —C(O)—; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O— or —CR5R6—; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O— or —CH2—; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; R4 is H, alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more G11 substituents; Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; R4 is aryl or heteroaryl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is substituted by one to five independent G1 substituents; wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; R4 is aryl or heteroaryl, optionally substituted by one or more G41 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl represented by the structural formula: and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl represented by the structural formula: wherein G11 is equal to —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, —S(O)j1R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl represented by the structural formula: wherein G11 is equal to —C(O)R2, —CO2R3, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, —S(O)j1R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl represented by the structural formula: wherein G11 is equal to —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, —S(O)j1R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2 NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2R222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. In still another embodiment of this fourth aspect, a compound is represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is heterocyclyl represented by the structural formula: wherein G11 is equal to —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, —S(O)j1R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; and the other variables are described as above for Formula I. The compounds of the present invention include compounds represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically salt thereof, wherein Q1 is aryl1 or heteroaryl1, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G1 substituents; or wherein Q1 is heteroaryl1, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G1 substituents; or wherein Q1 is aryl1, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G1 substituents; or wherein G1 is halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —S(O)j1R2, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkynyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkynyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkynyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j1a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j1aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j2a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j2aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222 (C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, or —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-CO010alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333(R333a)j3a, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j3aR222, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —(C═S)OR222, —(C═O)SR222, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, —NR222(C═NR333)OR222a, —NR222(C═NR333)SR333a, —O(C═O)OR222, —O(C═O)NR222R333, —O(C═O)SR222, —S(C═O)OR222, or —S(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or wherein G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkoxyC2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkylC2-10alkenyl, cycloC3-8alkenylC2-10alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or wherein G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j2aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222(C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j3aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or wherein G1 is halo, —OR2, —NR2R3, —C(O)R2, —CO2R2, —CONR2R3, —SO2NR2R3, NR2(C═O)R3, NR2(C═O)OR3, NR2(C═O)NR2R3, NR2S(O)j1R3, —O(C═O)OR2, —O(C═O)NR2R3, C0-10alkyl, C2-10alkenyl, C1-10alkoxyC1-10alkyl, C1-10alkylthioC1-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, or heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR222, —NR222R333, —C(O)R222, —CO2R222, —CONR222R333, —SO2NR222R333, NR222 (C═O)R333, NR222(C═O)OR333, NR222(C═O)NR222R333, NR222S(O)j1aR333, —NR222(C═NR333)NR222aR333a, or —O(C═O)NR222R333 substituents; or —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4; or wherein X1 and Y1 are each independently —O—, —NR7—, —S(O)j7—, —CR5R6—, —N(C(O)OR7)—, —N(C(O)R7)—, —N(SO2R7)—, —CH2O—, —CH2S—, —CH2N(R7)—, —CH(NR7)—, —CH2N(C(O)R7)—, —CH2N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH2N(SO2R7)—, —CH(NHR7)—, —CH(NHC(O)R7)—, —CH(NHSO2R7)—, —CH(NHC(O)OR7)—, —CH(OC(O)R7)—, —CH(OC(O)NHR7)—, —C(O)—, —CH(OR7)—, —C(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)C(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)2— —OC(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —NR7C(O)O—, —S(O)N(R7)—, —S(O)2N(R7)—, —N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —N(C(O)R7)S(O)2—, —N(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —N(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —C(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —S(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —S(O)2N(R7)C(O)—, —OS(O)N(R7)—, —OS(O)2N(R7)—, —N(R7)S(O)O—, —N(R7)S(O)2O—, —N(R7)S(O)C(O)—, —N(R7)S(O)2C(O)—, —SON(C(O)R7)—, —SO2N(C(O)R7)—, —N(R7)SON(R7)—, —N(R7)SO2N(R7)—, —C(O)O—, —CH(R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(SO2R7)—, —CH(R7)O—, —CH(R7)S—, —CH(R7)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)OR7)—, —CH(R7)N(SO2R7)—, —CH(R7)C(═NOR7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)CH(OR7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2—, —CH(R7)OC(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)C(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)NR7C(O)O—, —CH(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(C(O)R7)S(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)C(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)S(O)2N(R7)C(O)—, —CH(R7)OS(O)N(R7)—, —CH(R7)OS(O)2N(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2O—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)C(O)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)S(O)2C(O)—, —CH(R7)SON(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)SO2N(C(O)R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)SON(R7)—, —CH(R7)N(R7)SO2N(R7)—, or —CH(R7)C(O)O—; or wherein Q1 is substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein X1 and Y1 are each independently equal to —O—, —NR7—, —CR5R6—, —S(O)j7—, or —C(O)—, and wherein n and m are both equal to 1 and j7 is equal to 1 or 2; or wherein Q1 is substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein X1 and Y1 are each independently —O— or —CR5R6—, and wherein n and m are equal to 1; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, bicycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, heterocyclyl, or heterobicycloalkyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, or heterocyclyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is heterocyclyl optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, or heteroaralkyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is aryl or heteroaryl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31(R31a)j4, —C(O)R21, —CO2R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or aryl-C0-10alkyl, aryl-C2-10alkenyl, or aryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j5a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j5aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j5aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331, substituents; or hetaryl-C0-10alkyl, hetaryl-C2-10alkenyl, or hetaryl-C2-10alkynyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j6a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j6aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j6aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or wherein R4 is H, alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; or wherein R4 is alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; or wherein R4 is alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkenyl, or heterocycloalkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; or wherein Q1 is phenyl substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein n=1 and X1 is 3-(—O—), m=1 and Y1 is —(—CH2—), and R4 is aryl optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; or wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or wherein Q1 is phenyl substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is (X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein n=1 and X1 is 4-(—O—), m=1 and Y1 is —(—CH2—), and R4 is aryl optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; or wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or wherein Q1 is phenyl substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein n=1 and X1 is 3-(—O—), m=0, and R4 is (C0-C8)alkyl or cycloalkyl optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; or wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221 (C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221 or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or wherein R4 is (C0-C6)alkyl; or wherein R4 is H or methyl; or wherein R4 is H or methyl; or wherein Q1 is phenyl substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein n=1 and X1 is 3-(—O—), m=0, and R4 is aryl optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; or wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or wherein R4 is phenyl optionally substituted with G41; or wherein Q1 is phenyl substituted by said one to five independent G1 substituents wherein at least one of said G1 substituents is —(X1)n—(Y1)m—R4, and wherein n=1 and X1 is 3- or 4-(—NH—), m=1 and Y1 is —(—SO2—), and R4 is aryl optionally substituted by one or more independent G41 substituents; or wherein R1 is aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein R1 is cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl, optionally substituted by one or more independent G11 substituents; or wherein G11 is —OR21, —NR21R31, —CO2R21, —C(O)R21, —CONR21R31, NR21(C═O)R31, NR21(C═O)OR31, NR21(C═O)NR21R31, NR21S(O)j4R31, —O(C═O)OR21, —O(C═O)NR21R31, C0-10alkyl, cycloC3-8alkyl, cycloC3-8alkenyl, heterocyclyl-C0-10alkyl, or heterocyclyl-C2-10alkenyl, any of which is optionally substituted with one or more independent halo, oxo, —CF3, —OCF3, —OR2221, —NR2221R3331(R333a1)j4a, —C(O)R2221, —CO2R2221, —CONR2221R3331, —NO2, —CN, —S(O)j4aR2221, —SO2NR2221R3331, NR2221(C═O)R3331, NR2221(C═O)OR3331, NR2221(C═O)NR2221R3331, NR2221S(O)j4aR3331, —(C═S)OR2221, —(C═O)SR2221, —NR2221(C═NR3331)NR222a1R333a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)OR222a1, —NR2221(C═NR3331)SR333a1, —O(C═O)OR2221, —O(C═O)NR2221R3331, —O(C═O)SR2221, —S(C═O)OR2221, or —S(C═O)NR2221R3331 substituents; or wherein R1 is cis- or trans-cyclobutyl substituted at the 3-position by G11 wherein G11 is —OH, —NH2, —N(CH3)2, —NHAc, —NH(CO)NHCH3, —NH(CO)OCH3, —CH2OH, —CH2NH2, —CH2NHAc, CO2H, CONH2, —CH2N(CH3)2, —CH2NH(CO)NHMe, —CH2NH(CO)OCH3, CO2CH3, CONHCH3, wherein R1 is cis- or trans-cyclohexyl substituted at the 4-position by G11 wherein G11 is —OH, —NH2, —N(CH3)2, —NHAc, —NH(CO)NHCH3, —NH(CO)OCH3, —CH2OH, —CH2NH2, —CH2NHAc, CO2H, CONH2, —CH2N(CH3)2, —CH2NH(CO)NHMe, —CH2NH(CO)OCH3, CO2CH3, CONHCH3, wherein the compound of Formula I is selected from the group consisting of: [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine], 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-phenyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 3-Benzyl-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-naphthalen-1-yl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-naphthalen-2-yl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclopentyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclohexyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cycloheptyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(tetrahydro-furan-3-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, trans-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanol, 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(1-methyl-piperidin-4-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide, trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide, cis-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol, trans-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol, cis-2-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione, trans-2-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione, cis-3-(4-Aminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, trans-3-(4-Aminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, cis-N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-acetamide, or trans-N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-acetamide; or and the other variables are as defined above for Formula I. The present invention includes a method of inhibiting protein kinase activity comprising administering a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of inhibiting IGF-IR activity comprising administering a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of inhibiting protein kinase activity wherein the activity of said protein kinase affects hyperproliferative disorders comprising administering a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of inhibiting protein kinase activity wherein the activity of said protein kinase influences angiogenesis, vascular permeability, immune response, cellular apoptosis, tumor growth, or inflammation comprising administering a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by IGF-1R activity, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a hyperproliferative disorder, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the activity of said protein kinase influences angiogenesis, vascular permeability, immune response, cellular apoptosis, tumor growth, or inflammation, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the protein kinase is a protein serine/threonine kinase or a protein tyrosine kinase, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is one or more ulcers, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is one or more ulcers wherein the ulcer or ulcers are caused by a bacterial or fungal infection; or the ulcer or ulcers are Mooren ulcers; or the ulcer or ulcers are a symptom of ulcerative colitis, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is Lyme disease, sepsis or infection by Herpes simplex, Herpes Zoster, human immunodeficiency virus, parapoxvirus, protozoa, or toxoplasmosis, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is Lyme disease, sepsis or infection by Herpes simplex, Herpes Zoster, human immunodeficiency virus, parapoxvirus, protozoa, or toxoplasmosis, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is von Hippel Lindau disease, pemphigoid, psoriasis, Paget's disease, or polycystic kidney disease, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is fibrosis, sarcoidosis, cirrhosis, thyroiditis, hyperviscosity syndrome, Osler-Weber-Rendu disease, chronic occlusive pulmonary disease, asthma, exudtaes, ascites, pleural effusions, pulmonary edema, cerebral edema or edema following burns, trauma, radiation, stroke, hypoxia, or ischemia, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, preeclainpsia, menometrorrhagia, or endometriosis, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase-activity is chronic inflammation, systemic lupus, glomerulonephritis, synovitis, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, glomerulonephritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, or graft rejection, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is sickle cell anaemia, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is an ocular condition, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is an ocular condition wherein the ocular condition is ocular or macular edema, ocular neovascular disease, seleritis, radial keratotomy, uveitis, vitritis, myopia, optic pits, chronic retinal detachment, post-laser treatment complications, conjunctivitis, Stargardt's disease, Eales disease, retinopathy, or macular degeneration, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is a cardiovascular condition, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is atherosclerosis, restenosis, ischemia/reperfusion injury, vascular occlusion, venous malformation, or carotid obstructive disease, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is cancer, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is cancer wherein the cancer is a solid tumor, a sarcoma, fibrosarcoma, osteoma, melanoma, retinoblastoma, a rhabdomyosarcoma, glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, teratocarcinoma, an hematopoietic malignancy, or malignant ascites, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is cancer wherein the cancer is Kaposi's sarcoma, Hodgkin's disease, lymphoma, myeloma, or leukemia, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is Crow-Fukase (POEMS) syndrome or a diabetic condition, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the condition mediated by protein kinase activity is Crow-Fukase (POEMS) syndrome or a diabetic condition wherein the diabetic condition is insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or microangiopathy, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity wherein the protein kinase activity is involved in T cell activation, B cell activation, mast cell degranulation, monocyte activation, signal transduction, apoptosis, the potentiation of an inflammatory response or a combination thereof, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention includes a composition comprising a compound according to Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The present invention includes a composition comprising a compound according to Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and an anti-neoplastic, anti-tumor, anti-angiogenic, or chemotherapeutic agent. The present invention includes a composition comprising a compound according to Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and a cytotoxic cancer therapeutic agent. The present invention includes a composition comprising a compound according to Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and an angiogenesis inhibiting cancer therapeutic agent. The present invention includes a method of treating a patient having a condition which is mediated by protein kinase activity, said method comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound according to Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Unless otherwise stated, the connections of compound name moieties are at the rightmost recited moiety. That is, the substituent name starts with a terminal moiety, continues with any bridging moieties, and ends with the connecting moiety. For example, hetarylthioC1-4alkyl has a heteroaryl group connected through a thio sulfur to a C1-4 alkyl that connects to the chemical species bearing the substituent. As used herein, for example, “C0-4alkyl” is used to mean an alkyl having 0-4 carbons—that is, 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 carbons in a straight or branched configuration. An alkyl having no carbon is hydrogen when the alkyl is a terminal group. An alkyl having no carbon is a direct bond when the alkyl is a bridging (connecting) group. In all embodiments of this invention, the term “alkyl” includes both branched and straight chain alkyl groups. Typical alkyl groups are methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, n-pentyl, isopentyl, n-hexyl, n-heptyl, isooctyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, octadecyl, eicosyl and the like. The term “halo” refers to fluoro, chloro, bromo or iodo. The term “haloalkyl” refers to an alkyl group substituted with one or more halo groups, for example chloromethyl, 2-bromoethyl, 3-iodopropyl, trifluoromethyl, perfluoropropyl, 8-chlorononyl and the like. The term “cycloalkyl” refers to a cyclic aliphatic ring structure, optionally substituted with alkyl, hydroxy and halo, such as cyclopropyl, methylcyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, 2-hydroxycyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, 4-chlorocyclohexyl, cycloheptyl, cyclooctyl and the like. The term “alkylcarbonyloxyalkyl” refers to an ester moiety, for example acetoxymethyl, n-butyryloxyethyl and the like. The term “alkynylcarbonyl” refers to an alkynylketo functionality, for example propynoyl and the like. The term “hydroxyalkyl” refers to an alkyl group substituted with one or more hydroxy groups, for example hydroxymethyl, 2,3-dihydroxybutyl and the like. The term “alkylsulfonylalkyl” refers to an alkyl group substituted with an alkylsulfonyl moiety, for example mesylmethyl, isopropylsulfonylethyl and the like. The term “alkylsulfonyl” refers to a sulfonyl moiety substituted with an alkyl group, for example mesyl, n-propylsulfonyl and the like. The term “acetylaminoalkyl” refers to an alkyl group substituted with an amide moiety, for example acetylaminomethyl and the like. The term “acetylaminoalkenyl” refers to an alkenyl group substituted with an amide moiety, for example 2-(acetylamino)vinyl and the like. The term “alkenyl” refers to an ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon group, straight or branched chain, having 1 or 2 ethylenic bonds, for example vinyl, allyl, 1-butenyl, 2-butenyl, isopropenyl, 2-pentenyl and the like. The term “haloalkenyl” refers to an alkenyl group substituted with one or more halo groups. The term “cycloalkenyl” refers to a cyclic aliphatic ring structure, optionally substituted with alkyl, hydroxy and halo, having 1 or 2 ethylenic bonds such as methylcyclopropenyl, trifluoromethylcyclopropenyl, cyclopentenyl, cyclohexenyl, 1,4-cyclohexadienyl and the like. The term “alkynyl” refers to an unsaturated hydrocarbon group, straight or branched, having 1 or 2 acetylenic bonds, for example ethynyl, propargyl and the like. The term “haloalkynyl” refers to an alkynyl group substituted with one or more halo groups. The term “alkylcarbonyl” refers to an alkylketo functionality, for example acetyl, n-butyryl and the like. The term “alkenylcarbonyl” refers to an alkenylketo functionality, for example, propenoyl and the like. The term “aryl” refers to phenyl or naphthyl which may be optionally substituted. Typical aryl substituents include, but are not limited to, phenyl, 4-chlorophenyl, 4-fluorophenyl, 4-bromophenyl, 3-nitrophenyl, 2-methoxyphenyl, 2-methylphenyl, 3-methyphenyl, 4-methylphenyl, 4-ethylphenyl, 2-methyl-3-methoxyphenyl, 2,4-dibromophenyl, 3,5-difluorophenyl, 3,5-dimethylphenyl, 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl, 4-methoxyphenyl, naphthyl, 2-chloronaphthyl, 2,4-dimethoxyphenyl, 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl and 2-iodo-4-methylphenyl. The term “aryl1” refers to phenyl which may be optionally substituted. Typical aryl1 substituents include, but are not limited to, phenyl, 4-chlorophenyl, 4-fluorophenyl, 4-bromophenyl, 3-nitrophenyl, 2-methoxyphenyl, 2-methylphenyl, 3-methyphenyl, 4-methylphenyl, 4-ethylphenyl, 2-methyl-3-methoxyphenyl, 2,4-dibromophenyl, 3,5-difluorophenyl, 3,5-dimethylphenyl, 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl, 4-methoxyphenyl, 2,4-dimethoxyphenyl, 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl and 2-iodo-4-methylphenyl. The terms “heteroaryl” or “hetaryl” refer to a substituted or unsubstituted 5- or 6-membered unsaturated ring containing one, two, three or four heteroatoms, preferably one or two heteroatoms independently selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur or to a bicyclic unsaturated ring system containing up to 10 atoms including one heteroatom selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur. Examples of hetaryls include, but are not limited to, 2-, 3- or 4-pyridinyl, pyrazinyl, 2-, 4-, or 5-pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, triazolyl, tetrazolyl, imidazolyl, 2- or 3-thienyl, 2- or 3-furyl, pyrrolyl, oxazolyl, isoxazolyl, thiazolyl, isothiazolyl, oxadiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, quinolyl, isoquinolyl, benzimidazolyl, benzotriazolyl, benzofuranyl, and benzothienyl. The heterocyclic ring may be optionally substituted with up to two substituents. The terms “heteroaryl1” or “hetaryl1” refer to a substituted or unsubstituted 5- or 6-membered unsaturated ring containing one, two, three or four heteroatoms, preferably one or two heteroatoms independently selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur. Examples of hetaryl1s include, but are not limited to, 2-, 3- or 4-pyridinyl, pyrazinyl, 2-, 4-, or 5-pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, triazolyl, tetrazolyl, imidazolyl, 2- or 3-thienyl, 2- or 3-furyl, pyrrolyl, oxazolyl, isoxazolyl, thiazolyl, isothiazolyl, oxadiazolyl, and thiadiazolyl. The heterocyclic ring may be optionally substituted with up to two substituents. The terms “aryl-alkyl” or “arylalkyl” are used to describe a group wherein the alkyl chain can be branched or straight chain with the aryl portion, as defined hereinbefore, forming a bridging portion of the aryl-alkyl moiety. Examples of aryl-alkyl groups include, but are not limited to, optionally substituted benzyl, phenethyl, phenpropyl and phenbutyl such as 4-chlorobenzyl, 2,4-dibromobenzyl, 2-methylbenzyl, 2-(3-fluorophenyl)ethyl, 2-(4-methylphenyl)ethyl, 2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ethyl, 2-(2-methoxyphenyl)ethyl, 2-(3-nitrophenyl)ethyl, 2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl, 2-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl, 3-phenylpropyl, 3-(3-chlorophenyl)propyl, 3-(2-methylphenyl)propyl, 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propyl, 3-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)propyl, 3-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)propyl, 4-phenylbutyl, 4-(4-chlorophenyl)butyl, 4-(2-methylphenyl)butyl, 4-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)butyl, 4-(2-methoxphenyl)butyl and 10-phenyldecyl. The terms “aryl-cycloalkyl” or “arylcycloalkyl” are used to describe a group wherein the aryl group is attached to a cycloalkyl group, for example phenylcyclopentyl and the like. The terms “aryl-alkenyl” or “arylalkenyl” are used to describe a group wherein the alkenyl chain can be branched or straight chain with the aryl portion, as defined hereinbefore, forming a bridging portion of the aralkenyl moiety, for example styryl (2-phenylvinyl), phenpropenyl and the like. The terms “aryl-alkynyl” or “arylalkynyl” are used to describe a group wherein the alkynyl chain can be branched or straight chain with the aryl portion, as defined hereinbefore, forming a bridging portion of the aryl-alkynyl moiety, for example 3-phenyl-1-propynyl and the like. The terms “aryl-oxy” or “aryloxy” are used to describe a terminal aryl group attached to a bridging oxygen atom. Typical aryl-oxy groups include phenoxy, 3,4-dichlorophenoxy and the like. The terms “aryl-oxyalkyl” or “aryloxyalkyl” are used to describe a group wherein an alkyl group is substituted with an aryl-oxy group, for example pentafluorophenoxymethyl and the like. The terms “hetaryl-oxy” or “heteroaryl-oxy” or “hetaryloxy” or “heteroaryloxy” are used to describe a terminal hetaryl group attached to a bridging oxygen atom. Typical hetaryl-oxy groups include 4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yloxy and the like. The terms “hetarylalkyl” or “heteroarylalkyl” or “hetaryl-alkyl” or “heteroaryl-alkyl” are used to describe a group wherein the alkyl chain can be branched or straight chain with the heteroaryl portion, as defined hereinbefore, forming a bridging portion of the heteroaralkyl moiety, for example 3-furylmethyl, thenyl, furfuryl and the like. The terms “hetarylalkenyl” or “heteroarylalkenyl” or “hetaryl-alkenyl” or “heteroaryl-alkenyl” are used to describe a group wherein the alkenyl chain can be branched or straight chain with the heteroaryl portion, as defined hereinbefore, forming a bridging portion of the heteroaralkenyl moiety, for example 3-(4-pyridyl)-1-propenyl. The terms “hetarylalkynyl” or “heteroarylalkynyl” or “hetaryl-alkynyl” or “heteroaryl-alkynyl” are used to describe a group wherein the alkynyl chain can be branched or straight chain with the heteroaryl portion, as defined hereinbefore, forming a bridging portion of the heteroaralkynyl moiety, for example 4-(2-thienyl)-1-butynyl. The term “heterocyclyl” refers to a substituted or unsubstituted 5 or 6 membered saturated ring containing one, two or three heteroatoms, preferably one or two heteroatoms independently selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur or to a bicyclic ring system containing up to 10 atoms including one heteroatom selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur wherein the ring containing the heteroatom is saturated. Examples of heterocyclyls include, but are not limited to, tetrahydrofuranyl, tetrahydrofuryl, pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl, 4-pyranyl, tetrahydropyranyl, thiolanyl, morpholinyl, piperazinyl, dioxolanyl, dioxanyl, indolinyl, 5-methyl-6-chromanyl and The terms “heterocyclylalkyl” or “heterocyclyl-alkyl” are used to describe a group wherein the alkyl chain can be branched or straight chain with the heterocyclyl portion, as defined hereinabove, forming a bridging portion of the heterocyclylalkyl moiety, for example 3-piperidinylmethyl and the like. The terms “heterocyclylalkenyl” or “heterocyclyl-alkenyl” are used to describe a group wherein the alkenyl chain can be branched or straight chain with the heterocyclyl portion, as defined hereinbefore, forming a bridging portion of the heterocyclylalkenyl moiety, for example 2-morpholinyl-1-propenyl. The terms “heterocyclylalkynyl” or “heterocyclyl-alkynyl” are used to describe a group wherein the alkynyl chain can be branched or straight chain with the heterocyclyl portion, as defined hereinbefore, forming a bridging portion of the heterocyclylalkynyl moiety, for example 2-pyrrolidinyl-1-butynyl. The term “carboxylalkyl” includes both branched and straight chain alkyl groups as defined hereinbefore attached to a carboxyl (—COOH) group. The term “carboxylalkenyl” includes both branched and straight chain alkenyl groups as defined hereinbefore attached to a carboxyl (—COOH) group. The term “carboxylalkynyl” includes both branched and straight chain alkynyl groups as defined hereinbefore attached to a carboxyl (—COOH) group. The term “carboxylcycloalkyl” refers to a carboxyl (—COOH) group attached to a cyclic aliphatic ring structure as defined hereinbefore. The term “carboxylcycloalkenyl” refers to a carboxyl (—COOH) group attached to a cyclic aliphatic ring structure having 1 or 2 ethylenic bonds as defined hereinbefore. The terms “cycloalkylalkyl” or “cycloalkyl-alkyl” refer to a cycloalkyl group as defined hereinbefore attached to an alkyl group, for example cyclopropylmethyl, cyclohexylethyl and the like. The terms “cycloalkylalkenyl” or “cycloalkyl-alkenyl” refer to a cycloalkyl group as defined hereinbefore attached to an alkenyl group, for example cyclohexylvinyl, cycloheptylallyl and the like. The terms “cycloalkylalkynyl” or “cycloalkyl-alkynyl” refer to a cycloalkyl group as defined hereinbefore attached to an alkynyl group, for example cyclopropylpropargyl, 4-cyclopentyl-2-butynyl and the like. The terms “cycloalkenylalkyl” or “cycloalkenyl-alkyl” refer to a cycloalkenyl group as defined hereinbefore attached to an alkyl group, for example 2-(cyclopenten-1-yl)ethyl and the like. The terms “cycloalkenylalkenyl” or “cycloalkenyl-alkenyl” refer to a cycloalkenyl group as defined hereinbefore attached to an alkenyl group, for example 1-(cyclohexen-3-yl)allyl and the like. The terms “cycloalkenylalkynyl” or “cycloalkenyl-alkynyl” refer to a cycloalkenyl group as defined hereinbefore attached to an alkynyl group, for example 1-(cyclohexen-3-yl)propargyl and the like. The term “carboxylcycloalkylalkyl” refers to a carboxyl (—COOH) group attached to the cycloalkyl ring portion of a cycloalkylalkyl group as defined hereinbefore. The term “carboxylcycloalkylalkenyl” refers to a carboxyl (—COOH) group attached to the cycloalkyl ring portion of a cycloalkylalkenyl group as defined hereinbefore. The term “carboxylcycloalkylalkynyl” refers to a carboxyl (—COOH) group attached to the cycloalkyl ring portion of a cycloalkylalkynyl group as defined hereinbefore. The term “carboxylcycloalkenylalkyl” refers to a carboxyl (—COOH) group attached to the cycloalkenyl ring portion of a cycloalkenylalkyl group as defined hereinbefore. The term “carboxylcycloalkenylalkenyl” refers to a carboxyl (—COOH) group attached to the cycloalkenyl ring portion of a cycloalkenylalkenyl group as defined hereinbefore. The term “carboxylcycloalkenylalkynyl” refers to a carboxyl (—COOH) group attached to the cycloalkenyl ring portion of a cycloalkenylalkynyl group as defined hereinbefore. The term “alkoxy” includes both branched and straight chain terminal alkyl groups attached to a bridging oxygen atom. Typical alkoxy groups include methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, isopropoxy, tert-butoxy and the like. The term “haloalkoxy” refers to an alkoxy group substituted with one or more halo groups, for example chloromethoxy, trifluoromethoxy, difluoromethoxy, perfluoroisobutoxy and the like. The term “alkoxyalkoxyalkyl” refers to an alkyl group substituted with an alkoxy moiety which is in turn substituted with a second alkoxy moiety, for example methoxymethoxymethyl, isopropoxymethoxyethyl and the like. The term “alkylthio” includes both branched and straight chain alkyl groups attached to a bridging sulfur atom, for example methylthio. The term “haloalkylthio” refers to an alkylthio group substituted with one or more halo groups, for example trifluoromethylthio. The term “alkoxyalkyl” refers to an alkyl group substituted with an alkoxy group, for example isopropoxymethyl. The term “alkoxyalkenyl” refers to an alkenyl group substituted with an alkoxy group, for example 3-methoxyallyl. The term “alkoxyalkynyl” refers to an alkynyl group substituted with an alkoxy group, for example 3-methoxypropargyl. The term “alkoxycarbonylalkyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkyl substituted with an alkoxycarbonyl, for example ethoxycarbonylmethyl, 2-(methoxycarbonyl)propyl and the like. The term “alkoxycarbonylalkenyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkenyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with an alkoxycarbonyl, for example 4-(ethoxycarbonyl)-2-butenyl and the like. The term “alkoxycarbonylalkynyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkynyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with an alkoxycarbonyl, for example 4-(ethoxycarbonyl)-2-butynyl and the like. The term “haloalkoxyalkyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with a haloalkoxy, for example 2-chloroethoxymethyl, trifluoromethoxymethyl and the like. The term “haloalkoxyalkenyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkenyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with a haloalkoxy, for example 4-(chloromethoxy)-2-butenyl and the like. The term “haloalkoxyalkynyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkynyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with a haloalkoxy, for example 4-(2-fluoroethoxy)-2-butynyl and the like. The term “alkylthioalkyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with an alkylthio group, for example methylthiomethyl, 3-(isobutylthio)heptyl and the like. The term “alkylthioalkenyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkenyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with an alkylthio group, for example 4-(methylthio)-2-butenyl and the like. The term “alkylthioalkynyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkynyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with an alkylthio group, for example 4-(ethylthio)-2-butynyl and the like. The term “haloalkylthioalkyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with an haloalkylthio group, for example 2-chloroethylthiomethyl, trifluoromethylthiomethyl and the like. The term “haloalkylthioalkenyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkenyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with an haloalkylthio group, for example 4-(chloromethylthio)-2-butenyl and the like. The term “haloalkylthioalkynyl” refers to a straight chain or branched alkynyl as defined hereinbefore substituted with a haloalkylthio group, for example 4-(2-fluoroethylthio)-2-butynyl and the like. The term “dialkoxyphosphorylalkyl” refers to two straight chain or branched alkoxy groups as defined hereinbefore attached to a pentavalent phosphorous atom, containing an oxo substituent, which is in turn attached to an alkyl, for example diethoxyphosphorylmethyl. The term “oligomer” refers to a low-molecular weight polymer, whose number average molecular weight is typically less than about 5000 g/mol, and whose degree of polymerization (average number of monomer units per chain) is greater than one and typically equal to or less than about 50. Compounds described herein contain one or more asymmetric centers and may thus give rise to diastereomers and optical isomers. The present invention includes all such possible diastereomers as well as their racemic mixtures, their substantially pure resolved enantiomers, all possible geometric isomers, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The above Formula I is shown without a definitive stereochemistry at certain positions. The present invention includes all stereoisomers of Formula I and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Further, mixtures of stereoisomers as well as isolated specific stereoisomers are also included. During the course of the synthetic procedures used to prepare such compounds, or in using racemization or epimerization procedures known to those skilled in the art, the products of such procedures can be a mixture of stereoisomers. The invention also encompasses a pharmaceutical composition that is comprised of a compound of Formula I in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Preferably the composition is comprised of a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a non-toxic therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I as described above (or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof). Moreover, within this preferred embodiment, the invention encompasses a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of disease by inhibiting kinases, comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a non-toxic therapeutically effective amount of compound of Formula I as described above (or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof). The term “pharmaceutically acceptable salts” refers to salts prepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic bases or acids. When the compound of the present invention is acidic, its corresponding salt can be conveniently prepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic bases, including inorganic bases and organic bases. Salts derived from such inorganic bases include aluminum, ammonium, calcium, copper (ic and ous), ferric, ferrous, lithium, magnesium, manganese (ic and ous), potassium, sodium, zinc and the like salts. Particularly preferred are the ammonium, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium slats. Salts derived from pharmaceutically acceptable organic non-toxic bases include salts of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, as well as cyclic amines and substituted amines such as naturally occurring and synthesized substituted amines. Other pharmaceutically acceptable organic non-toxic bases from which salts can be formed include ion exchange resins such as, for example, arginine, betaine, caffeine, choline, N′,N′-dibenzylethylenediamine, diethylamine, 2-diethylaminoethanol, 2-dimethylaminoethanol, ethanolamine, ethylenediamine, N-ethylmorpholine, N-ethylpiperidine, glucamine, glucosamine, histidine, hydrabamine, isopropylamine, lysine, methylglucamine, morpholine, piperazine, piperidine, polyamine resins, procaine, purines, theobromine, triethylameine, trimethylamine, tripropylamine, tromethamine and the like. When the compound of the present invention is basic, its corresponding salt can be conveniently prepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic acids, including inorganic and organic acids. Such acids include, for example, acetic, benzenesulfonic, benzoic, camphorsulfonic, citric, ethanesulfonic, formic, fumaric, gluconic, glutamic, hydrobromic, hydrochloric, isethionic, lactic, maleic, malic, mandelic, methanesulfonic, mucic, nitric, pamoic, pantothenic, phosphoric, succinic, sulfuric, tartaric, p-toluenesulfonic acid and the like. Preferred are citric, hydrobromic, formic, hydrochloric, maleic, phosphoric, sulfuric and tartaric acids. Particularly preferred are formic and hydrochloric acid. The pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention comprise a compound represented by Formula I (or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof) as an active ingredient, a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and optionally other therapeutic ingredients or adjuvants. The compositions include compositions suitable for oral, rectal, topical, and parenteral (including subcutaneous, intramuscular, and intravenous) administration, although the most suitable route in any given case will depend on the particular host, and nature and severity of the conditions for which the active ingredient is being administered. The pharmaceutical compositions may be conveniently presented in unit dosage form and prepared by any of the methods well known in the art of pharmacy. In practice, the compounds represented by Formula I, or a prodrug, or a metabolite, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, of this invention can be combined as the active ingredient in intimate admixture with a pharmaceutical carrier according to conventional pharmaceutical compounding techniques. The carrier may take a wide variety of forms depending on the form of preparation desired for administration. e.g., oral or parenteral (including intravenous). Thus, the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention can be presented as discrete units suitable for oral administration such as capsules, cachets or tablets each containing a predetermined amount of the active ingredient. Further, the compositions can be presented as a powder, as granules, as a solution, as a suspension in an aqueous liquid, as a non-aqueous liquid, as an oil-in-water emulsion, or as a water-in-oil liquid emulsion. In addition to the common dosage forms set out above, the compound represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, may also be administered by controlled release means and/or delivery devices. The compositions may be prepared by any of the methods of pharmacy. In general, such methods include a step of bringing into association the active ingredient with the carrier that constitutes one or more necessary ingredients. In general, the compositions are prepared by uniformly and intimately admixing the active ingredient with liquid carriers or finely divided solid carriers or both. The product can then be conveniently shaped into the desired presentation. Thus, the pharmaceutical compositions of this invention may include a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, of Formula I. The compounds of Formula I, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, can also be included in pharmaceutical compositions in combination with one or more other therapeutically active compounds. The pharmaceutical carrier employed can be, for example, a solid, liquid, or gas. Examples of solid carriers include lactose, terra alba, sucrose, talc, gelatin, agar, pectin, acacia, magnesium stearate, and stearic acid. Examples of liquid carriers are sugar syrup, peanut oil, olive oil, and water. Examples of gaseous carriers include carbon dioxide and nitrogen. In preparing the compositions for oral dosage form, any convenient pharmaceutical media may be employed. For example, water, glycols, oils, alcohols, flavoring agents, preservatives, coloring agents, and the like may be used to form oral liquid preparations such as suspensions, elixirs and solutions; while carriers such as starches, sugars, microcrystalline cellulose, diluents, granulating agents, lubricants, binders, disintegrating agents, and the like may be used to form oral solid preparations such as powders, capsules and tablets. Because of their ease of administration, tablets and capsules are the preferred oral dosage units whereby solid pharmaceutical carriers are employed. Optionally, tablets may be coated by standard aqueous or nonaqueous techniques. A tablet containing the composition of this invention may be prepared by compression or molding, optionally with one or more accessory ingredients or adjuvants. Compressed tablets may be prepared by compressing, in a suitable machine, the active ingredient in a free-flowing form such as powder or granules, optionally mixed with a binder, lubricant, inert diluent, surface active or dispersing agent. Molded tablets may be made by molding in a suitable machine, a mixture of the powdered compound moistened with an inert liquid diluent. Each tablet preferably contains from about 0.05 mg to about 5 g of the active ingredient and each cachet or capsule preferably containing from about 0.05 mg to about 5 g of the active ingredient. For example, a formulation intended for the oral administration to humans may contain from about 0.5 mg to about 5 g of active agent, compounded with an appropriate and convenient amount of carrier material which may vary from about to about 95 percent of the total composition. Unit dosage forms will generally contain between from about 1 mg to about 2 g of the active ingredient, typically 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, 300 mg, 400 mg, 500 mg, 600 mg, 800 mg, or 1000 mg. Pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention suitable for parenteral administration may be prepared as solutions or suspensions of the active compounds in water. A suitable surfactant can be included such as, for example, hydroxypropylcellulose. Dispersions can also be prepared in glycerol, liquid polyethylene glycols, and mixtures thereof in oils. Further, a preservative can be included to prevent the detrimental growth of microorganisms. Pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention suitable for injectable use include sterile aqueous solutions or dispersions. Furthermore, the compositions can be in the form of sterile powders for the extemporaneous preparation of such sterile injectable solutions or dispersions. In all cases, the final injectable form must be sterile and must be effectively fluid for easy syringability. The pharmaceutical compositions must be stable under the conditions of manufacture and storage; thus, preferably should be preserved against the contaminating action of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The carrier can be a solvent or dispersion medium containing, for example, water, ethanol, polyol (e.g., glycerol, propylene glycol and liquid polyethylene glycol), vegetable oils, and suitable mixtures thereof. Pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention can be in a form suitable for topical use such as, for example, an aerosol, cream, ointment, lotion, dusting powder, or the like. Further, the compositions can be in a form suitable for use in transdermal devices. These formulations may be prepared, utilizing a compound represented by Formula I of this invention, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, via conventional processing methods. As an example, a cream or ointment is prepared by admixing hydrophilic material and water, together with about 5 wt % to about 10 wt % of the compound, to produce a cream or ointment having a desired consistency. Pharmaceutical compositions of this invention can be in a form suitable for rectal administration wherein the carrier is a solid. It is preferable that the mixture forms unit dose suppositories. Suitable carriers include cocoa butter and other materials commonly used in the art. The suppositories may be conveniently formed by first admixing the composition with the softened or melted carrier(s) followed by chilling and shaping in molds. In addition to the aforementioned carrier ingredients, the pharmaceutical formulations described above may include, as appropriate, one or more additional carrier ingredients such as diluents, buffers, flavoring agents, binders, surface-active agents, thickeners, lubricants, preservatives (including anti-oxidants) and the like. Furthermore, other adjuvants can be included to render the formulation isotonic with the blood of the intended recipient. Compositions containing a compound described by Formula I, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, may also be prepared in powder or liquid concentrate form. Generally, dosage levels on the order of from about 0.01 mg/kg to about 150 mg/kg of body weight per day are useful in the treatment of the above-indicated conditions, or alternatively about 0.5 mg to about 7 g per patient per day. For example, inflammation, cancer, allergy/asthma, disease and conditions of the immune system, disease and conditions of the central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular disease, dermatology, and angiogenesis may be effectively treated by the administration of from about 0.01 to 50 mg of the compound per kilogram of body weight per day, or alternatively about 0.5 mg to about 3.5 g per patient per day. It is understood, however, that the specific dose level for any particular patient will depend upon a variety of factors including the age, body weight, general health, sex, diet, time of administration, route of administration, rate of excretion, drug combination and the severity of the particular disease undergoing therapy. Compounds described herein contain one or more asymmetric centers and may thus give rise to diastereomers and optical isomers. The present invention includes all such possible diastereomers as well as their racemic mixtures, their substantially pure resolved enantiomers, all possible geometric isomers, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The above Formula I is shown without a definitive stereochemistry at certain positions. The present invention includes all stereoisomers of Formula I and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Further, mixtures of stereoisomers as well as isolated specific stereoisomers are also included. During the course of the synthetic procedures used to prepare such compounds, or in using racemization or epimerization procedures known to those skilled in the art, the products of such procedures can be a mixture of stereoisomers. The invention also encompasses a pharmaceutical composition that is comprised of a compound of Formula I in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Preferably the composition is comprised of a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a non-toxic therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I as described above, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Moreover, within this preferred embodiment, the invention encompasses a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of disease by inhibiting tyrosine kinase enzymes, resulting in cell proliferation, growth, differentiation, metabolism, cell cycle events, apoptosis, motility, transcription, phosphorylation, translation and other signaling processes, comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a non-toxic therapeutically effective amount of compound of formula I as described above (or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof). The term “pharmaceutically acceptable salts” refers to salts prepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic bases or acids. When the compound of the present invention is acidic, its corresponding salt can be conveniently prepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic bases, including inorganic bases and organic bases. Salts derived from such inorganic bases include aluminum, ammonium, calcium, copper (ic and ous), ferric, ferrous, lithium, magnesium, manganese (ic and ous), potassium, sodium, zinc and the like salts. Particularly preferred are the ammonium, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium slats. Salts derived from pharmaceutically acceptable organic non-toxic bases include salts of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, as well as cyclic amines and substituted amines such as naturally occurring and synthesized substituted amines. Other pharmaceutically acceptable organic non-toxic bases from which salts can be formed include ion exchange resins such as, for example, arginine, betaine, caffeine, choline, N′,N′-dibenzylethylenediamine, diethylamine, 2-diethylaminoethanol, 2-dimethylaminoethanol, ethanolamine, ethylenediamine, N-ethylmorpholine, N-ethylpiperidine, glucamine, glucosamine, histidine, hydrabamine, isopropylamine, lysine, methylglucamine, morpholine, piperazine, piperidine, polyamine resins, procaine, purines, theobromine, triethylameine, trimethylamine, tripropylamine, tromethamine and the like. When the compound of the present invention is basic, its corresponding salt can be conveniently prepared from pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic acids, including inorganic and organic acids. Such acids include, for example, acetic, benzenesulfonic, benzoic, camphorsulfonic, citric, ethanesulfonic, fumaric, gluconic, glutamic, hydrobromic, hydrochloric, isethionic, lactic, maleic, malic, mandelic, methanesulfonic, mucic, nitric, pamoic, pantothenic, phosphoric, succinic, sulfuric, tartaric, p-toluenesulfonic acid and the like. Particularly preferred are citric, hydrobromic, hydrochloric, maleic, phosphoric, sulfuric and tartaric acids. The pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention comprise a compound represented by formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, as an active ingredient, a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and optionally other therapeutic ingredients or adjuvants. The compositions include compositions suitable for oral, rectal, topical, and parenteral (including subcutaneous, intramuscular, and intravenous) administration, although the most suitable route in any given case will depend on the particular host, and nature and severity of the conditions for which the active ingredient is being administered. The pharmaceutical compositions may be conveniently presented in unit dosage form and prepared by any of the methods well known in the art of pharmacy. In practice, the compounds represented by Formula I, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, of this invention can be combined as the active ingredient in intimate admixture with a pharmaceutical carrier according to conventional pharmaceutical compounding techniques. The carrier may take a wide variety of forms depending on the form of preparation desired for administration. E.g., oral or parenteral (including intravenous). Thus, the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention can be presented as discrete units suitable for oral administration such as capsules, cachets or tablets each containing a predetermined amount of the active ingredient. Further, the compositions can be presented as a powder, as granules, as a solution, as a suspension in an aqueous liquid, as a non-aqueous liquid, as an oil-in-water emulsion, or as a water-in-oil liquid emulsion. In addition to the common dosage forms set out above, the compound represented by Formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, may also be administered by controlled release means and/or delivery devices. The compositions may be prepared by any of the methods of pharmacy. In general, such methods include a step of bringing into association the active ingredient with the carrier that constitutes one or more necessary ingredients. In general, the compositions are prepared by uniformly and intimately admixing the active ingredient with liquid carriers or finely divided solid carriers or both. The product can then be conveniently shaped into the desired presentation. Thus, the pharmaceutical compositions of this invention may include a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of Formula I. The compounds of Formula I, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, can also be included in pharmaceutical compositions in combination with one or more other therapeutically active compounds. The pharmaceutical carrier employed can be, for example, a solid, liquid, or gas. Examples of solid carriers include lactose, terra alba, sucrose, talc, gelatin, agar, pectin, acacia, magnesium stearate, and stearic acid. Examples of liquid carriers are sugar syrup, peanut oil, olive oil, and water. Examples of gaseous carriers include carbon dioxide and nitrogen. In preparing the compositions for oral dosage form, any convenient pharmaceutical media may be employed. For example, water, glycols, oils, alcohols, flavoring agents, preservatives, coloring agents, and the like may be used to form oral liquid preparations such as suspensions, elixirs and solutions; while carriers such as starches, sugars, microcrystalline cellulose, diluents, granulating agents, lubricants, binders, disintegrating agents, and the like may be used to form oral solid preparations such as powders, capsules and tablets. Because of their ease of administration, tablets and capsules are the preferred oral dosage units whereby solid pharmaceutical carriers are employed. Optionally, tablets may be coated by standard aqueous or nonaqueous techniques. A tablet containing the composition of this invention may be prepared by compression or molding, optionally with one or more accessory ingredients or adjuvants. Compressed tablets may be prepared by compressing, in a suitable machine, the active ingredient in a free-flowing form such as powder or granules, optionally mixed with a binder, lubricant, inert diluent, surface active or dispersing agent. Molded tablets may be made by molding in a suitable machine, a mixture of the powdered compound moistened with an inert liquid diluent. Each tablet preferably contains from about 0.05 mg to about 5 g of the active ingredient and each cachet or capsule preferably containing from about 0.05 mg to about 5 g of the active ingredient. For example, a formulation intended for the oral administration to humans may contain from about 0.5 mg to about 5 g of active agent, compounded with an appropriate and convenient amount of carrier material which may vary from about 5 to about 95 percent of the total composition. Unit dosage forms will generally contain between from about 1 mg to about 2 g of the active ingredient, typically 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, 300 mg, 400 mg, 500 mg, 600 mg, 800 mg, or 1000 mg. Pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention suitable for parenteral administration may be prepared as solutions or suspensions of the active compounds in water. A suitable surfactant can be included such as, for example, hydroxypropylcellulose. Dispersions can also be prepared in glycerol, liquid polyethylene glycols, and mixtures thereof in oils. Further, a preservative can be included to prevent the detrimental growth of microorganisms. Pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention suitable for injectable use include sterile aqueous solutions or dispersions. Furthermore, the compositions can be in the form of sterile powders for the extemporaneous preparation of such sterile injectable solutions or dispersions. In all cases, the final injectable form must be sterile and must be effectively fluid for easy syringability. The pharmaceutical compositions must be stable under the conditions of manufacture and storage; thus, preferably should be preserved against the contaminating action of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The carrier can be a solvent or dispersion medium containing, for example, water, ethanol, polyol (e.g., glycerol, propylene glycol and liquid polyethylene glycol), vegetable oils, and suitable mixtures thereof. Pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention can be in a form suitable for topical sue such as, for example, an aerosol, cream, ointment, lotion, dusting powder, or the like. Further, the compositions can be in a form suitable for use in transdermal devices. These formulations may be prepared, utilizing a compound represented by Formula I of this invention, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, via conventional processing methods. As an example, a cream or ointment is prepared by admixing hydrophilic material and water, together with about 5 wt % to about 10 wt % of the compound, to produce a cream or ointment having a desired consistency. Pharmaceutical compositions of this invention can be in a form suitable for rectal administration wherein the carrier is a solid. It is preferable that the mixture forms unit dose suppositories. Suitable carriers include cocoa butter and other materials commonly used in the art. He suppositories may be conveniently formed by first admixing the composition with the softened or melted carrier(s) followed by chilling and shaping in molds. In addition to the aforementioned carrier ingredients, the pharmaceutical formulations described above may include, as appropriate, one or more additional carrier ingredients such as diluents, buffers, flavoring agents, binders, surface-active agents, thickeners, lubricants, preservatives (including anti-oxidants) and the like. Furthermore, other adjuvants can be included to render the formulation isotonic with the blood of the intended recipient. Compositions containing a compound described by Formula I, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, may also be prepared in powder or liquid concentrate form. Generally, dosage levels on the order of from about 0.01 mg/kg to about 150 mg/kg of body weight per day are useful in the treatment of the above-indicated conditions, or alternatively about 0.5 mg to about 7 g per patient per day. For example, inflammation, cancer, allergy/asthma, disease and conditions of the immune system, disease and conditions of the central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular disease, dermatology, and angiogenesis may be effectively treated by the administration of from about 0.01 to 50 mg of the compound per kilogram of body weight per day, or alternatively about 0.5 mg to about 3.5 g per patient per day. It is understood, however, that the specific dose level for any particular patient will depend upon a variety of factors including the age, body weight, general health, sex, diet, time of administration, route of administration, rate of excretion, drug combination and the severity of the particular disease undergoing therapy. Biological Assays The efficacy of the Examples of the invention, compounds of Formula I, as inhibitors of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) were demonstrated and confirmed by a number of pharmacological in vitro assays. The following assays and their respective methods have been carried out with the compounds according to the invention. Activity possessed by compounds of Formula I may be demonstrated in vivo. In Vitro Tyrosine Kinase Assay The IGF-1R inhibitory of a compound of formula I can be shown in a tyrosine kinase assay using purified GST fusion protein containing the cytoplasmic kinase domain of human IGF-1R expressed in Sf9 cells. This assay is carried out in a final volume of 90 μL containing 1-100 nM (depending on the specific activity) in an Immulon-4 96-well plate (Thermo Lab systems) pre-coated with 1 μg/well of substrate poly-glu-tyr (4:1 ratio) in kinase buffer (50 mM Hepes, pH 7.4, 125 mM NaCl, 24 mM MgCl2, 1 mM MnCl2, 1% glycerol, 200 μM Na3VO4, and 2 mM DTT). The enzymatic reaction was initiated by addition of ATP at a final concentration of 100 μM. After incubation at room temperature for 30 minutes, the plates were washed with 2 mM Imidazole buffered saline with 0.02% Tween-20. Then the plate was incubated with anti-phosphotyrosine mouse monoclonal antibody pY-20 conjugated with horse radish peroxidase (HRP) (Calbiochem) at 167 ng/mL diluted in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) containing 3% bovine serum albumin (BSA), 0.5% Tween-20 and 200 μM Na3VO4 for 2 hours at room temperature. Following 3×250 μL washes, the bound anti-phosphotyrosine antibody was detected by incubation with 100 μl/well ABTS (Kirkegaard & Perry Labs, Inc.) for 30 minutes at room temperature. The reaction was stopped by the addition of 100 μl/well 1% SDS, and the phosphotyrosine dependent signal was measured by a plate reader at 405/490 nm. Examples 1-21 showed inhibition of IGF-1R. Examples 1-21 showed efficacy and activity by inhibiting IGF-1R in the biochemical assay with IC50 values less than 15 μM. Preferably the IC50 value is less than 5 μM. More advantageously, the IC50 value is less than 1 μM. Even more advantageously, the IC50 value is less than 200 nM. The most preferred Examples are selective towards IGF-1R. Cell-Based Autophosphotyrosine Assay NIH 3T3 cells stably expressing full-length human IGF-1R were seeded at 1×104 cells/well in 0.1 ml Dulbecco's minimal essential medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) per well in 96-well plates. On Day 2, the medium is replaced with starvation medium (DMEM containing 0.5% FCS) for 2 hours and a compound was diluted in 100% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), added to the cells at six final concentrations in duplicates (20, 6.6, 2.2, 0.74, 0.25 and 0.082 μM), and incubated at 37° C. for additional 2 hours. Following addition of recombinant human IGF-1 (100 ng/mL) at 37° C. for 15 minutes, the media was then removed and the cells were washed once with PBS (phosphate-buffered saline), then lysed with cold TGH buffer (1% Triton-100, 10% glycerol, 50 mM Hepes [pH 7.4]) supplemented with 150 mM NaCl, 1.5 mM MgCl, 1 mM EDTA and fresh protease and phosphatase inhibitors [10 μg/ml leupeptin, 25 μg/ml aprotinin, 1 mM phenyl methyl sulphonyl fluoride (PMSF), and 200 μM Na3VO4]. Cell lysates were transferred to a 96-well microlite2 plate (Corning CoStar #3922) coated with 10 ng/well of IGF-1R antibody (Calbiochem, Cat#GR31L) and incubated at 4° C. overnight. Following washing with TGH buffer, the plate was incubated with anti-phosphotyrosine mouse monoclonal antibody pY-20 conjugated with horse radish peroxidase (HRP) for 2 hours at room temperature. The autophosphotyrosine was then detected by addition of Super Signal ELISA Femto Maximum Sensitivity Substrate (Pierce) and chemiluminescence was read on a Wallac Victor2 1420 Multilabel Counter. The IC50 curves of the compounds were plotted using an ExcelFit program. The following Examples showed efficacy and activity by inhibiting IGF-1R in the above assay with IC50 values between 100 μM-about 8 nM, with selectivity over insulin receptor expected to be in a range from 1-15 fold. The selectivity is preferably 5 fold, even more preferably the selectivity is 10 fold. Preferably the IC50 value is less than 5 μM. More advantageously, the IC50 value is less than 1 μM. Even more advantageously, the IC50 value is less than 200 nM. Insulin receptor autophosphotyrosine assays are performed essentially as described above for IGF-1R cell-based assays, but use insulin (10 nM) as activating ligand and an insulin receptor antibody as capture antibody with HepG2 cells expressing endogenous human insulin receptor. EXPERIMENTAL Schemes 1-13 below, as well as the Examples that follow, show how to synthesize compounds of this invention and utilize the following abbreviations: Me for methyl, Et for ethyl, iPr or iPr for isopropyl, n-Bu for n-butyl, t-Bu for tert-butyl, Ac for acetyl, Ph for phenyl, 4Cl-Ph or (4Cl)Ph for 4-chlorophenyl, 4Me-Ph or (4Me)Ph for 4-methylphenyl, (p-CH3O)Ph for p-methoxyphenyl, (p-NO2)Ph for p-nitrophenyl, 4Br-Ph or (4Br)Ph for 4-bromophenyl, 2-CF3-Ph or (2CF3)Ph for 2-trifluoromethylphenyl, DMAP for 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine, DCC for 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, EDC for 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride, HOBt for 1-hydroxybenzotriazole, HOAt for 1-hydroxy-7-azabenzotriazole, CDI for 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole, NMO for 4-methylmorpholine N-oxide, DEAD for diethlyl azodicarboxylate, DIAD for diisopropyl azodicarboxylate, DBAD for di-tert-butyl azodicarboxylate, HPFC for high performance flash chromatography, rt for room temperature, min for minute, h for hour, and Bn for benzyl. Accordingly, the following are compounds which are useful as intermediates in the formation of IGF-1R inhibiting Examples. The compounds of Formula I of this invention and the intermediates used in the synthesis of the compounds of this invention were prepared according to the following methods. Method A was used when preparing compounds of Formula I as shown below in Scheme 1: Method A: where Q1 and R1 are as defined previously for compound of Formula I. In a typical preparation of compounds of Formula I, compound of Formula II was reacted with ammonia in a suitable solvent. Suitable solvents for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), glyme, and the like; dimethylformamide (DMF); dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); acetonitrile; alcoholics such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, trifluoroethanol, and the like; and chlorinated solvents such as methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) or chloroform (CHCl3). If desired, mixtures of these solvents were used, however, the preferred solvent was isopropanol. The above process was carried out at temperatures between about −78° C. and about 120° C. Preferably, the reaction was carried out between 80° C. and about 100° C. The above process to produce compounds of the present invention was preferably carried out at about atmospheric pressure although higher or lower pressures were used if desired. Substantially, equimolar amounts of reactants were preferably used although higher or lower amounts were used if desired. The compounds of Formula II of Scheme 1 were prepared as shown below in Scheme 2. where Q1 and R1 are as defined previously for compound of Formula I. In a typical preparation of a compound of Formula II, an intermediate of Formula III was treated with POCl3 in a suitable solvent at a suitable reaction temperature. Suitable solvents for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), glyme, and the like; and chlorinated solvents such as methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) or chloroform (CHCl3). If desired, mixtures of these solvents were used. The preferred solvent was methylene chloride. The above process was carried out at temperatures between about −78° C. and about 120° C. Preferably, the reaction was carried out between 40° C. and about 70° C. The above process to produce compounds of the present invention was preferably carried out at about atmospheric pressure although higher or lower pressures were used if desired. Substantially, equimolar amounts of reactants were preferably used although higher or lower amounts were used if desired. where Q1 and R1 are as defined previously for compound of Formula I and A1=OH, alkoxy, or a leaving group such as chloro or imidazole. In a typical preparation, of a compound of Formula III, a compound of Formula IV and compound of Formula V were reacted under suitable amide coupling conditions. Suitable conditions include but are not limited to treating compounds of Formula IV and V (when A1=OH) with coupling reagents such as DCC or EDC in conjunction with DMAP, HOBt, HOAt and the like. Suitable solvents for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), glyme, and the like; dimethylformamide (DMF); dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); acetonitrile; halogenated solvents such as chloroform or methylene chloride. If desired, mixtures of these solvents were used, however the preferred solvent was methylene chloride. The above process was carried out at temperatures between about 0° C. and about 80° C. Preferably, the reaction was carried out between 22° C. The above process to produce compounds of the present invention was preferably carried out at about atmospheric pressure although higher or lower pressures were used if desired. Substantially, equimolar amounts of reactants were preferably used although higher or lower amounts were used if desired. Additionally, other suitable reaction conditions for the conversion of RNH2 to CONHR can be found in Larock, R. C. Comprehensive Organic Transformations, 2nd ed.; Wiley and Sons: New York, 1999, pp 1941-1949. The compounds of Formula IV of Scheme 3 were prepared as shown below in Scheme 4: where Q1 is as defined previously for compound of Formula I and A2=phthalimido or N3. In a typical preparation, of a compound of Formula IV, a compound of Formula VI is reacted under suitable reaction conditions in a suitable solvent. When A2=phthalimido, suitable conditions include treatment of compound of Formula VI with hydrazine in a suitable solvent. Suitable solvents for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), glyme, and the like; dimethylformamide (DMF); dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); acetonitrile; halogenated solvents such as chloroform or methylene chloride; alcoholic solvents such as methanol and ethanol. If desired, mixtures of these solvents may be used, however the preferred solvent was ethanol. The above process was carried out at temperatures between about 0° C. and about 80° C. Preferably, the reaction was carried out between 22° C. The above process to produce compounds of the present invention was preferably carried out at about atmospheric pressure although higher or lower pressures were used if desired. Substantially, equimolar amounts of reactants were preferably used although higher or lower amounts were used if desired. The compounds of Formula IV of Scheme 3 can alternatively be prepared as shown below in Scheme 4a: where Q1 is as defined previously for compound of Formula I. In a typical preparation, of a compound of Formula IV, an aldehyde Q1-CHO was reacted under suitable reaction conditions in a suitable solvent with lithium hexamethyldisilazide to give an N-TMS imine Q1-C═N—Si(CH3)3. Suitable solvents for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), glyme, and the like. The preferred solvent was THF. The above process was carried out at temperatures between about −78° C. and about 20° C. The preferred temperature was about 0° C. The imine Q1-C═N—Si(CH3)3 thus obtained was then cooled to about −78° C. and treated with a lithiated 2-chloropyrazine under suitable reaction conditions in a suitable solvent to give a compound of Formula IV. Lithiated 2-chloropyrazine may be obtained by treating 2-chloropyrazine with a base such as lithium tetramethylpiperidide (Li-TMP). Lithium tetramethylpiperidide may be prepared by reacting tetramethylpiperidine with n-butyllithium at −78° C. and warming up to 0° C. Suitable solvents for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), glyme, and the like. Polar solvents such as hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA), 1,3-dimethyl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2(1H)-pyrimidinone (DMPU), and the like may be added if necessary. If desired, mixtures of these solvents were used, however, the preferred solvent was THF. The above process may be carried out at temperatures between about −80° C. and about 20° C. Preferably, the reaction was carried out at −78° C. to 0° C. The above process to produce compounds of the present invention was preferably carried out at about atmospheric pressure although higher or lower pressures were used if desired. Substantially, equimolar amounts of reactants were preferably used although higher or lower amounts were used if desired. The compounds of Formula VI of Scheme 4 were prepared as shown below in Scheme 5: where Q1 is as defined previously for compound of Formula I and A2=phthalimido or N3. In a typical preparation of a compound of Formula VI (when A2=phthalimido), a compound of Formula VII was reacted with a phthalimide under typical Mitsunobu conditions in a suitable solvent in the presence of suitable reactants. Suitable solvents for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), glyme, and the like; dimethylformamide (DMF); dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); acetonitrile (CH3CN); chlorinated solvents such as methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) or chloroform (CHCl3). If desired, mixtures of these solvents were used, however, the preferred solvent was THF. Suitable reactants for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, triphenylphosphine and the like and an azodicarboxylate (DIAD, DEAD, DBAD). The desired reactants were triphenylphosphine and DIAD. The above process may be carried out at temperatures between about −78° C. and about 100° C. Preferably, the reaction was carried out at 22° C. The above process to produce compounds of the present invention was preferably carried out at about atmospheric pressure although higher or lower pressures were used if desired. Substantially, equimolar amounts of reactants were preferably used although higher or lower amounts were used if desired. Generally, one equivalent of triphenylphospine, DIAD and phthalimide was used per equivalent of compound of Formula VII. The compounds of Formula VII were prepared according to known procedures (Ple, N.; et. al. Tetrahedron, 1998, 54, 9701-9710) from aldehydes Q1-CHO. Additionally, compound of Formula VII can be reacted with Ts2O, Ms2O, Tf2O, TsCl, MsCl, or SOCl2 in which the hydroxy group is converted to a leaving group such as its respective tosylate, mesylate triflate or halogen such as chloro and subsequently reacted with an amine equivalent such as NH(Boc)2, phthalimide, or azide. Conversion of the amine equivalents by known methods such as by treating under acidic conditions (NH(Boc)2), with hydrazine (phthalimide) as shown in Scheme 4, or with triphenylphosphine/water (azide) will afford the desired amine as shown in Scheme 4. The compounds of Formula I-A (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CONR2R3) were prepared as shown below in Scheme 6: where Q1, R2, and R3 are as defined previously for compound of Formula I and A3=hydrogen or alkyl such as methyl or ethyl. In a typical preparation of compound of Formula I-A (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CONR2R3), when A3=alkyl and R2 and R3 were both equal to H, reaction of compound of Formula II-A with ammonia in a suitable solvent, afforded compound of Formula I-A. Suitable solvents for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), glyme, and the like; dimethylformamide (DMF); dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); acetonitrile; alcoholics such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, trifluoroethanol, and the like; and chlorinated solvents such as methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) or chloroform (CHCl3). If desired, mixtures of these solvents were used, however, the preferred solvent was isopropanol. The above process was carried out at temperatures between about −78° C. and about 120° C. Preferably, the reaction was carried out between 80° C. and about 100° C. The above process to produce compounds of the present invention was preferably carried out at about atmospheric pressure although higher or lower pressures were used if desired. Substantially, equimolar amounts of reactants were preferably used although higher or lower amounts were used if desired. Additionally, in a typical preparation of compound of Formula I-A (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CONR2R3), compound of Formula II-A (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CO2A3) was reacted with HNR2R3 followed by ammonia in a suitable solvent. When A3=H, typical coupling procedures as described in Scheme 3 (conversion of CO2H to COCl via treatment with SOCl2 or oxalyl chloride followed by reaction with HNR2R3 or treatment of CO2H and HNR2R3 with EDC or DCC in conjunction with DMAP, HOBT, or HOAt and the like) were employed to afford the transformation of a carboxylic acid to an amide. When A3=alkyl such as methyl or ethyl, treatment of the ester with Al(NR2R3) afforded conversion of CO2A3 to CO(NR2R3). Subsequent treatment with ammonia afforded compounds of Formula I-A. The compounds of Formula II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH) and I-B (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2OH) were prepared as shown below in Scheme 7: where Q1 is as defined previously for compound of Formula I and A3=hydrogen or alkyl such as methyl or ethyl. In a typical preparation of compound of Formula I-B (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2OH), compound of Formula II-A (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CO2A3) is treated with a suitable reducing agent such as lithium aluminum hydride in a suitable solvent, such as THF to afford compound of Formula II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH). Subsequent treatment of compound of Formula II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH) with ammonia in a suitable solvent, afforded compound of Formula I-B (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2OH). Suitable solvents for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), glyme, and the like; dimethylformamide (DMF); dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); acetonitrile; alcoholics such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, trifluoroethanol, and the like; and chlorinated solvents such as methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) or chloroform (CHCl3). If desired, mixtures of these solvents were used. The preferred solvent was isopropanol. The above process was carried out at temperatures between about −78° C. and about 120° C. Preferably, the reaction was carried out between 80° C. and about 100° C. The above process to produce compounds of the present invention was preferably carried out at about atmospheric pressure although higher or lower pressures were used if desired. Substantially, equimolar amounts of reactants were preferably used although higher or lower amounts were used if desired. The compounds of Formula II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH), II-C (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2A4), II-D (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-A5(R2)(R3)d), I-B (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2OH) and I-C (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-A5(R2)(R3)d) were prepared as shown below in Scheme 8: where Q1, R2, and R3 are as defined previously for compound of Formula I; A4=suitable leaving group such as OTs, OMs, OTf, or halo such as chloro, bromo, or iodo; d=0 or 1; and A5=N, O or S. In a typical preparation of compound of Formula I-C (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-A5(R2)(R3)d), the hydroxy group of compound of Formula II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH) was converted to a suitable leaving group, A4, such as Cl or OTs, OMs, or OTf, by reaction with SOCl2 or Ts2O, Ms2O, or Tf2O to afford compound of Formula II-C (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2A4). Reaction of compound of Formula II-C (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2A4) with HA5(R2)(R3)d afforded compound of Formula II-D (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-A5(R2)(R3)d). Subsequent reaction of compound of Formula II-D (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-A5(R2)(R3)d) with ammonia in a suitable solvent such as isopropanol or methanol, afforded compound of Formula I-C (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-A5(R2)(R3)d). Additionally, compound of Formula II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH) was converted to compound of Formula I-B (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2OH) as described previously in Scheme 7. Further reaction of compound of Formula I-B (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2OH) to compound of Formula I-C (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-A5(R2)(R3)d) was accomplished by following the previously described conditions for the conversion of compound of Formula II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH) to compound of Formula II-C (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2A4) and the further conversion of compound of Formula II-C (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2A4) to compound of Formula II-D (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-A5(R2)(R3)d) (in the net conversion of OH to A5(R2)(R3)d). Furthermore, compound of Formula II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH) can be directly converted to compound of Formula II-D (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-A5(R2)(R3)d) by treating compound of Formula II-B with various alkylating agent or with phenols via the Mitsunobu reaction to afford compounds Formula II-D (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-A5(R2)(R3)d) in which A5=O, d=0, and R2=alkyl or aryl. The compounds of Formula I-C′ (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2-A2), I-C″ (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2—NH2), and I-C′″ (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2—N(R2)(R3)) were prepared as shown below in Scheme 8a: where Q1, R2, and R3 are as defined previously for compound of Formula I and A2=phthalimido. In a typical preparation of compounds of Formula I-C′ (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2-A2), I-C″ (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2—NH2), and I-C′″ (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2—N(R2)(R3)), the hydroxy group of compound of Formula I-B (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2OH) was converted to A2, a phthalimide group, following the procedures as described in Scheme 5 for the conversion of compound of Formula VII to compound of Formula VI. Reaction of compound of Formula I-C′ under conditions described in Scheme 4 afforded compound of Formula I-C″. Reaction of compound of Formula I-C″ with but not limited to various alkylating agents, various aldehydes/ketones under reductive amination conditions, various acylating agents such as acetic anhydride, benzoyl chlorides, or with carboxylic acids in the presence of EDC or DCC with HOBT or HOAT, or with sulphonylating agents such as Ts2O or MeSO2Cl afforded compounds of Formula I-C′″. For example, in a typical preparation of compounds of Formula I-C′″ (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z-CH2—N(R2)(R3)), a compound of Formula I-C″ is treated with a suitable acylating agent in the presence of a suitable base in a suitable solvent. Suitable solvents for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), glyme, and the like; and chlorinated solvents such as methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) or chloroform (CHCl3). If desired, mixtures of these solvents were used, however, the preferred solvent was chloroform. Suitable bases for use in the above process included, but were not limited to, trialkylamines such as diisopropylethylamine, triethylamine, or resion bound trialkylamines such as PS-DIEA. The preferred base was PS-DIEA. In the case where the suitable acylating agent was acetic anhydride, the conversion of compound of Formula I-C″ to compound of Formula I-C′″ where R2=H and R3=COCH3 was accomplished. The above process was carried out at temperatures between about −78° C. and about 120° C. Preferably, the reaction was carried out between 0° C. and about 20° C. The above process to produce compounds of the present invention was preferably carried out at about atmospheric pressure although higher or lower pressures were used if desired. Substantially, equimolar amounts of reactants were preferably used although higher or lower amounts were used if desired. The compounds of Formula I-D (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z2-H and Z2 is a heterocyclyl ring containing a nitrogen atom connected to H) and I-E (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z2-R2 and Z2 is a heterocyclyl ring containing a nitrogen atom connected to R2) were prepared as shown below in Scheme 9: where Q1 and R2 are as defined previously for compound of Formula I, G1 is C(═O)A or CO2A6, and A6=alkyl, aryl, or aralkyl. In a typical preparation of compound of Formula I-E (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z2-R2 and Z2 is a heterocyclyl ring containing a nitrogen atom connected to R2), compound of Formula II-E (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z2-G1 and Z2 is a heterocyclyl ring containing a nitrogen atom connected to G1) is treated with suitable reagents capable of deprotecting G1 to H and therefore afford compound of Formula I-D (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z2-H and Z2 is a heterocyclyl ring containing a nitrogen atom connected to H). For example, treatment of compound of Formula II-E (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z2-G1 and Z2 is a heterocyclyl ring containing a nitrogen atom connected to G1) when G1 is equal to C(═O)CF3 with ammonia in methanol affords compound of Formula I-D (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z2-H and Z2 is a heterocyclyl ring containing a nitrogen atom connected to H). Compound of Formula I-D (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z2-H and Z2 is a heterocyclyl ring containing a nitrogen atom connected to H) can be subjected to various conditions including but not limited to reductive aminations, alkylations and ar(hetar)ylations, and acylations to afford amides, ureas, guanidines, carbamates, thiocarbamates, and variously substituted nitrogen adducts to afford the net conversion of NH to NR2. The compounds of Formula II-G (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3-OH), II-H (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3-A5(R2)(R3)d), I-F (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z31-OH), and I-G (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-A5(R2)(R3)d) were prepared as shown below in Scheme 10: where Q1, R2, and R3 are as defined previously for compound of Formula I; d=0 or 1; and A5=N, O or S. In a typical preparation of compound of Formula I-F (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH) and I-G (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-A5(R2)(R3)d), the following transformations occurred: Compound of Formula II-F (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-C═O) was reduced with a suitable reducing agent in a suitable solvent, such as sodium borohydride in methanol to afford compound of Formula II-G (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3-OH). Compound of Formula II-G (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3-OH) was subjected to ammonia in methanol to afford compound of Formula I-F (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH). Additionally, compounds of Formula II-F (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-C═O) can be reacted with various amines under reductive amination conditions (NaBH3CN with HA5(R2)(R3)d where d=0, A5=N, and R2 and R3 are as previously described for compound of Formula I) to afford compounds of Formula II-H (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3-A5(R2)(R3)d) where d=0, A5=N, and R2 and R3 are as previously described for compound of Formula I. Subsequent reaction of compounds of Formula II-H (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3-A5(R2)(R3)d where d=0, A5=N, and R2 and R3 are as previously described for compound of Formula I) with ammonia in methanol afforded compounds of Formula I-G (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-A5(R2)(R3)d). Furthermore, compounds of Formula II-H from II-G and I-G from I-F can be synthesized according to the conditions described in Scheme 8 for the transformations of II-B to II-D and I-B to I-C, respectively. The compounds of Formula II-F (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3=O) and II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH) were prepared as shown below in Scheme 11: where Q1 is as defined previously for compound of Formula I. In a typical preparation of compound of Formula II-F (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3=O), compounds of Formula II-J (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3=CH2) were treated under suitable oxidizing conditions to afford the conversion of the exocyclic methylene moiety to its respective ketone (see 3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanone (compound of Formula II-F where Z3=3-cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) in the Example section). Additionally, compound of Formula II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH) can be prepared by reacting compounds of Formula II-J (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3=CH2) under suitable hydroboration-oxidation conditions (see {3-[1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}methanol in the Example section). It should be noted that compounds of Formula II-B (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CH2OH) can be treated under suitable oxidative conditions such as those described within Example 65(a) to afford compounds of Formula II-A (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z-CO2A3). The compounds of Formula I-H (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2OH)), I-J (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2A4)), and I-K (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2A5(R2)(R3)d), were prepared as shown below in Scheme 12: where Q1, R2, and R3 are as defined previously for compound of Formula I; A4=suitable leaving group such as OTs, OMs, or OTf; d=0 or 1; and A5=N, O or S. In a typical preparation of compounds of Formula I-H (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2OH)), I-J (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2A4)) and I-K (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2A5(R2)(R3)d)), the exocyclic olefinic moiety of compound of Formula II-J (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3=CH2) was reacted with a suitable dihydroxylating agent such as osmium tetraoxide in the presence of NMO in a suitable solvent such as THF to afford compound of Formula II-K (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3-OH(CH2OH)) as a mixture of cis and trans isomers. Compound of Formula II-K (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3-OH(CH2OH)) was reacted under ammonolysis conditions in a suitable solvent such as isopropanol in a sealed pressure vessel at 110° C. to afford compound of Formula I-H (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2OH)). The primary hydroxy group of compound of Formula I-H (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2OH)) was converted to a suitable leaving group, A4, such as OTs, OMs, or OTf, by reaction with Ts2O, Ms2O, or Tf2O in the presence of a suitable base such as diisopropylamine or pyridine and solvent such as THF or methylene chloride to afford compound of Formula I-J (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2A4)). Reaction of compound of Formula I-J (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2A4)) with HA5(R2)(R3)d in a suitable solvent such as THF or methylene chloride afforded compound of Formula I-K (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(CH2A5(R2)(R3)d). The compounds of Formula I-L (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(G11)) were prepared as shown below in Scheme 13: where Q1 and G11 are as defined previously for compound of Formula I. In a typical preparation of compounds of Formula I-L (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(G11)), the ketone moiety of compound of Formula II-F (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3=O) was reacted with a suitable nucleophilic reagent such as MeMgBr or MeLi in a suitable solvent such as THF to afford compound of Formula II-L (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3-OH(G11)) as a mixture of cis and trans isomers. Compound of Formula II-L (compounds of Formula II where R1=Z3-OH(G11)) was reacted under previously described ammonolysis conditions in a sealed pressure vessel at 110° C. to afford compound of Formula I-L (compounds of Formula I where R1=Z3-OH(G11)). It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in some situations, a substituent that is identical or has the same reactivity to a functional group which has been modified in one of the above processes, will have to undergo protection followed by deprotection to afford the desired product and avoid undesired side reactions. Alternatively, another of the processes described within this invention may be employed in order to avoid competing functional groups. Examples of suitable protecting groups and methods for their addition and removal may be found in the following reference: “Protective Groups in Organic Syntheses”, T. W. Green and P. G. M. Wutz, John Wiley and Sons, 1989. The following examples are intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the present invention. Analytical HPLC Conditions: Unless otherwise stated, all HPLC analyses were run on a Micromass system with a XTERRA MS C18 5μ 4.6×50 mm column and detection at 254 nm. Table A below lists the mobile phase, flow rate, and pressure. TABLE A Time Flow Pressure (min) % CH3CN 0.01% HCOOH in H2O % (mL/min) (psi) 0.00 5 95 1.3 400 4.00 100 0 1.3 400 5.50 100 0 1.3 400 6.00 5 95 1.3 400 7.00 5 95 1.3 400 Semipreparative HPLC Conditions: Where indicated as “purified by Gilson HPLC”, the compounds of interest were purified by a preparative/semipreparative Gilson HPLC workstation with a Phenomenex Luna 5μ C18 (2) 60×21 20 MM 5μ column and Gilson 215 liquid handler (806 manometric module, 811C dynamic mixer, detection at 254 nm). Table B lists the gradient, flow rate, time, and pressure. TABLE B Time Flow Pressure (min) % CH3CN 0.01% HCOOH in H2O % (mL/min) (psi) 0.00 5 95 15 1000 15.00 60 40 15 1000 15.10 100 0 15 1000 19.00 100 0 15 1000 20.00 5 95 15 1000 Example 1 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine] (compound of Formula I where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)): A methanolic solution (1.0 mL) of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) (47.0 mg, 0.12 mmol) in a sealed tube was charged with 3.0 mL of 7N NH3 in MeOH and heated to 110° C. for 48 h. The reaction was concentrated in vacuo, taken up into CH2Cl2 and purified using HPFC with a 2 g Jones silica gel column, (30% EtOAc:Hex) to yield the desired product as a off-white solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.99-2.18 (m, 2H), 2.47-2.52 (m, 2H), 2.61-2.66 (m, 2H), 3.81 (q, 1H, J=8.6 Hz), 5.15 (s, 4H), 7.02-7.05 (m, 2H), 7.10 (d, 1H, J=5.0 Hz), 7.24-7.52 (m, 8H); MS (ES) 371.30 (M+1), 372.31 (M+2), 373.31 (M+3). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)): Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] Amide (100.0 mg, 0.25 mmol) was dissolved in POCl3 (0.8 mL) and CH2Cl2 (0.2 mL) and allowed to stir at 45° C. for 24 h. The reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo to a yellow oil, dissolved in EtOAc and neutralized with cold sat. NaHCO3. The aqueous layer was extracted with EtOAc (3×) and the combined organic layers were dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated in vacuo, to yield the desired product as a yellow gum; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.18-2.21 (m, 1H), 2.49-2.53 (m, 2H), 2.63-2.69 (m, 2H), 3.82 (q, 1H, J=8.5 Hz), 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.03-7.05 (m, 1H), 7.29-7.49 (m, 9H); MS (ES) 390.21 (M+1), 392.20 (M+3), 393.21 (M+4). b) Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] Amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)): Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid (21.2 mg, 0.2 mmol), EDC (61.0 mg, 0.3) and HOBt (32.5 mg, 0.2 mmol) were dissolved in CH2Cl2 (1.0 mL) and allowed to stir at rt for 10 min. A CH2Cl2 solution (1.0 mL) of C-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-C-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine (compound of Formula IV where Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) (69.0 mg, 0.2 mmol) was added to the reaction mixture and allowed to react at rt for 24 h. Purification via HPFC using a 5 g Jones silica gel column (30% EtOAc:Hex) yielded the desired product as a yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.57 (s, 1H), 1.87-2.13 (m, 1H), 2.13-2.18 (m, 3H), 3.06 (q, 1H, J=8.5 Hz), 5.05 (s, 2H), 6.54 (d, 1H, J=7.9 Hz), 6.86-6.94 (m, 3H), 7.20-7.58 (m, 5H), 8.31 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz), 8.53 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz); MS (ES) 408.26 (M+1), 410.26 (M+3), 411.27 (M+4). c) C-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-C-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine (compound of Formula IV where Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)): 2-[(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione (compound of Formula VI where Q1=Ph-(3-OBn) and A2=phthalimido) (2.76 g, 6.05 mmol) was dissolved in EtOH (12 mL) and CH2Cl2 (4 mL) charged with N2H4 (0.57 mL, 18.16 mmol) and allowed to react for 16 h at rt. The white precipitate that was formed was filtered and washed with EtOAc. The filtrate and organic washings were concentrated in vacuo, and purified via HPFC using a 100 g Jones silica gel column (50% EtOAc:Hex to 5% MeOH:CH2Cl2) to yield the desired product as a reddish oil; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.04 (s, 2H), 5.52 (s, 1H), 6.85-6.98 (m, 2H), 7.21-7.26 (m, 2H), 7.30-7.41 (m, 5H), 8.26 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz), 8.52 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz); MS (ES) 326.25 (M+1), 328.23 (M+3), 329.24 (M+4). An alternative preparation of this compound is as follows: To a solution of 3-benzyloxybenzaldehyde (compound of Formula Q1-CHO where Q1=Ph-(3-OBn) (1.00 g, 4.71 mmol) in dry THF (5 mL), cooled by ice/water, was added LiHMDS (1 M solution in THF; 4.8 mL, 4.8 mmol). After 30 min at 0° C., this solution of (3-Benzyloxybenzylidene)-trimethylsilylamine (compound of Formula Q1-C═N—Si(CH3)3 where Q1=Ph-(3-OBn) was cooled by CO2(s)/acetone. To a solution of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (0.90 mL, 0.75 g, 5.3 mmol) in dry THF (10 mL), cooled by CO2(s)/acetone, was added nBuLi (2.5 M in hexanes; 2.2 mL, 5.5 mmol). The cooling bath was replaced with an ice/water bath for 15 min, and then the solution was re-cooled to −78° C. After 15 min, 2-chloropyrazine (0.39 mL, 0.50 g, 4.4 mmol) was added. The cooled solution of (3-Benzyloxybenzylidene)-trimethylsilylamine (vide supra) was transferred into this solution of lithiochloropyrazine 2 by cannula 30 min later, and the mixture is stirred at −78° C. for 2.5 h and at 0° C. for 0.5 h. The reaction was quenched by adding water and EtOAc. The mixture was filtered through Celite, the layers were separated, the aqueous layer was extracted with EtOAc (4×30 mL), and the combined EtOAc extracts were washed with water and brine and dried over MgSO4. The crude material was adsorbed onto Hydromatrix and chromatographed on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 50 g/150 mL cartridge, eluting with hexanes:EtOAc 4:1 (1-44)→1:1 (45-64)→EtOAc (65-97)], yielding the target compound as an orange foam. d) 2-[(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione (compound of Formula VI where Q1=Ph-(3-OBn) and A2=phthalimido): (3-Chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-(3-benxyloxy-phenyl)-methanol (2.00 g, 6.12 mmol), triphenylphosphine (1.80 g, 6.70 mmol), and phthalimide (986 mg, 6.70 mmol) were dissolved in THF (20.0 mL) at rt. The reaction mixture was charged with DIAD (1.30 mL, 6.70 mmol) dropwise and allowed to react for 24 h at rt (TLC analysis (20% EtOAc:Hex)). The crude product was purified by applying HPFC with a 100 g Jones silica gel column (20% EtOAc:Hex) to yield the desired product as a pale yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.02 (s, 2H), 6.41 (brs, 1H), 6.87-6.97 (m, 3H), 7.26-7.40 (m, 3H), 7.72-7.76 (m, 2H), 7.83-7.86 (m, 2H), 8.34 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.55 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz). e) (3-Chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-methanol [Compound of Formula VII where Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)]: A THF (20 mL) solution of 2M n-BuLi in cyclohexanes was cooled to −78° C. and charged with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (1.8 mL, 10.48 mmol). The reaction vessel was removed from the cooling bath and allowed to warm to 0° C. for 15 min, then cooled back to −78° C. and charged with 2-chloropyrazine (1.0 g, 8.73 mmol) dropwise. The reaction was allowed to react for 15 min, and charged with a 10.0 mL THF solution of 3-benzyloxybenzaldehyde (2.0 g, 9.60 mmol) slowly at −78° C. The reaction was allowed to react for 2 h (TLC analysis (30% EtOAc:Hex)) and quenched with HClconc. (2.0 mL), and H2O (30.0 mL). The crude product was extracted from the aqueous/THF layer 4× with CH2Cl2. The organic layers were combined and washed 1× with H2O, 1× brine, dried over Na2SO4 and concentrated in vacuo, to yield the crude product as a brown oil. High performance flash chromatography (HPFC) with a 70 g Jones silica gel column (30% EtOAc:Hex) was applied to yield the desired product as a pale yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.01 (s, 3H), 6.00 (s, 2H), 6.90-6.96 (m, 3H), 7.23-7.41 (m, 6H), 8.36 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.54 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz); MS (ES) 327.16 (M+1), 329.16 (M+3). Example 2 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-phenyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I where R1=phenyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for Example 1 above except for the substitution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with 1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=phenyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); white solid, 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 5.12 (s, 2H), 6.12 (bs, 2H), 7.04-7.06 (m, 2H), 7.20 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 7.25-7.55 (m, 10H), 7.70 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz), 7.79 (d, 2H, J=8.0 Hz). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=phenyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide with N-[(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)methyl]benzamide (compound of Formula III where R1=phenyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); yellow solid, 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 5.12 (s, 2H), 6.98 (ddd, 1H, J=1.2, 2.8, 8.2 Hz), 7.21-7.43 (m, 8H), 7.52-7.59 (m, 4H), 7.84-7.87 (m, 2H), 8.37 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz). b) N-[(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)methyl]benzamide (compound of Formula III where R1=phenyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of benzoic acid for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 5.02 (s, 2H), 6.58 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 6.91-6.93 (m, 2H), 6.99 (s, 1H), 7.21-7.49 (m, 9H), 7.85 (d, 2H, J=7.2 Hz), 8.43 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.63 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 9.23 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz). Example 3 3-Benzyl-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I where R1=benzyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for Example 1 above except for the substitution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with 3-benzyl-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=benzyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); white solid; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 4.40 (s, 2H), 5.12 (s, 2H), 6.08 (bs, 2H), 7.03 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz), 7.08 (ddd, 1H, J=1.2, 2.8, 8.2 Hz), 7.19-7.49 (m, 13H), 7.57 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz). a) 3-Benzyl-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=benzyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide with N-[(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl-methyl]-2-phenylacetamide (compound of Formula III where R1=benzyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); yellow solid; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 5.12 (s, 2H), 6.98 (ddd, 1H, J=1.2 Hz, 2.8 Hz, 8.2 Hz), 7.21-7.43 (m, 8H), 7.52-7.59 (m, 4H), 7.84-7.87 (m, 2H), 8.37 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz). b) N-[(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl-methyl]-2-phenylacetamide (compound of Formula III where R1=benzyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of phenylacetic acid for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid. Example 4 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-naphthalen-1-yl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I where R1=naphthalen-1-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for Example 1 above except for the substitution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-naphthalen-1-yl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=naphthalen-1-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); White solid; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 5.20 (s, 2H), 6.27 (bs, 2H), 7.05 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz), 7.13 (m, 1H), 7.21 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.33-7.51 (m, 8H), 7.55-7.65 (m, 3H), 7.70-7.72 (m, 1H), 7.82-7.85 (m, 2H), 8.09 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 8.16 (d, 1H, J=8.4 Hz). a) 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-naphthalen-1-yl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=naphthalen-1-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide with naphthalene-1-carboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=naphthalen-1-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 462.46 (M+1), 464.46 (M+3). b) Naphthalene-1-carboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=naphthalen-1-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of 1-naphthanoic acid for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid; White solid; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 5.12 (s, 2H), 6.72 (d, 1H, J=7.4 Hz), 6.98 (dd, 1H, J=2.4 Hz, 8.2 Hz), 7.06 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 7.12 (bs, 1H), 7.29-7.44 (m, 5H), 7.53-7.57 (m, 4H), 7.65 (d, 1H, J=7.0 Hz), 7.97-8.03 (m, 2H), 8.13-8.15 (m, 1H), 8.52 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz), 8.73 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz). Example 5 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-naphthalen-2-yl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I where R1=naphthalen-2-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for Example 1 above except for the substitution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-naphthalen-2-yl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=naphthalen-2-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); White solid; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 5.18 (s, 2H), 6.18 (bs, 2H), 7.11-7.47 (m, 9H), 7.58-7.61 (m, 2H), 7.94-8.10 (m, 5H), 8.44 (s, 2H). a) 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-naphthalen-2-yl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=naphthalen-2-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide with naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=naphthalen-2-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 462.49 (M+1), 464.48 (M+3). b) Naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=naphthalen-2-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of 2-naphthanoic acid for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid; Off white solid, 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 5.12 (s, 2H), 6.70 (d, 1H, J=7.5 Hz), 6.89-7.09 (m, 3H), 7.29-7.44 (m, 6H), 7.60-7.63 (m, 2H), 7.97-8.11 (m, 4H), 8.50 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz), 8.58 (s, 1H), 8.72 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz). Example 6 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclopentyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I where R1=cyclopentyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for Example 1 above except for the substitution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclopentyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclopentyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 385.5 (M+1). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclopentyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclopentyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide with cyclopentanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclopentyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 404.2 (M+1), 406.2 (M+3). b) Cyclopentanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclopentyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclopentane carboxylic acid for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid; MS (ES) 422.2 (M+1), 424.2 (M+3). Example 7 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclohexyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I where R1=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for Example 1 above except for the substitution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclohexyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 399.3 (M+1). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclohexyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide with cyclohexylcarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 418.2 (M+1), 420.2 (M+3). b) Cyclohexane carboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclohexane carboxylic acid for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid; MS (ES) 436.2 (M+1), 438.2 (M+3). Example 8 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cycloheptyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I where R1=cycloheptyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for Example 1 above except for the substitution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cycloheptyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cycloheptyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 413.3 (M+1). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cycloheptyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cycloheptyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide with cycloheptylcarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=cycloheptyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 432.2 (M+1), 434.2 (M+3). b) Cycloheptane carboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=cycloheptyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cycloheptane carboxylic acid for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid; MS (ES) 450.2 (M+1), 452.2 (M+3). Example 9 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(tetrahydro-furan-3-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I where R1=tetrahydrofuran-3-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for Example 1 above except for the substitution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-(tetrahydro-furan-3-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=tetrahydrofuran-3-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 387.5 (M+1). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-(tetrahydro-furan-3-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=tetrahydrofuran-3-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide with tetrahydro-furan-3-carboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=tetrahydrofuran-3-yl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 406.2 (M+1), 408.2 (M+3). b) Tetrahydro-furan-3-carboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula II where R1=3-tetrahydrofuranyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of tetrahydro-furan-3-carboxylic acid for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid; MS (ES) 424.2 (M+1), 426.2 (M+3). Example 10 trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide (compound of Formula I-A where Z=cyclohexyl, C(═O)NR2R3=4-trans-C(═O)NH2, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared as follows: A 0.2 M 2-propanol solution of trans-4-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl] cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester (compound of Formula II-A where Z=cyclohexyl, CO2A3=4-trans-CO2Me, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) (150 mg, 0.32 mmol) in a 15 mL sealed tube was cooled to −78° C. and charged with ammonia for 30 sec. The reaction was heated to 110° C. for 4d, after which time the reaction mixture was charged with EtOAc and sat. NaHCO3. The EtOAc layer washed with sat. NaHCO3 (3×) and brine (1×) and the organic layer was dried over Na2SO4, filtered, and concentrated in vacuo to afford the desired product as an off-white solid. The product was dry-loaded and purified by silica gel chromatography, eluting with 2% MeOH/CH2Cl2 to 5% MeOH/CH2Cl2. The resulting white solid was recrystallized with CH2Cl2, CH3CN, and hexanes to afford the title compound as a white powder; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 1.57-1.66 (m, 4H), 1.86-1.88 (m, 2H), 1.98-2.00 (m, 2H), 2.17-2.23 (m, 1H), 3.07-3.13 (m, 1H), 5.17 (s, 1H), 6.02 (bs, 2H), 6.70 (bs, 2H), 7.03 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.07 (ddd, 1H, J=0.8, 2.4, 8.4 Hz), 7.18 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 7.21-7.22 (m, 1H), 7.32-7.37 (m, 1H), 7.40 (d, 1H, J=1.6 Hz), 7.41-7.44 (m, 2H), 7.46 (s, 1H), 7.50 (d, 1H, J=1.6 Hz), 7.66 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz); MS (ES) 442.5 (M+1). a) trans-4-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl (compound of Formula II-A where Z=cyclohexyl, CO2A3=4-trans-CO2Me, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with trans-4-{[(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-carbamoyl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (compound of Formula III where R1=trans-4-cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 476.2 (M+1), 478.2 (M+3). b) trans-4-{[(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-carbamoyl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (compound of Formula III where R1=trans-4-cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of trans-cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid monomethyl ester for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid; MS (ES) 494.3 (M+1), 496.3 (M+3). Example 11 trans-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol (compound of Formula I-B where Z=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of 4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide except for the substitution of trans-4-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl] cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester (compound of Formula II-A where Z=cyclohexyl, CO2A3=4-trans-CO2Me, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with {4-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol (compound of Formula II-B where Z=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.21 (ddd, 2H, J=25.2 Hz, 12.8 Hz, 3.6 Hz), 1.65-1.71 (m, 1H), 1.91 (ddd, 2H, J=29.6 Hz, 13.2 Hz, 3.6 Hz), 2.00-2.05 (m, 2H), 2.12-2.16 (m, 2H), 2.93 (tt, 1H, J=11.6 Hz, 4.0 Hz), 3.56 (d, 2H, J=6.0 Hz), 5.11 (bs, 2H), 5.16 (s, 2H), 7.05 (ddd, 1H, J=8.0 Hz, 2.8 Hz, 1.2 Hz), 7.07 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.20-7.22 (m, 2H), 7.23-7.24 (m, 2H), 7.31-7.35 (m, 1H), 7.36-7.41 (m, 2H), 7.42-7.45 (m, 2H); MS (ES) 429.5 (M+1). a) trans-{4-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol (compound of Formula II-B where Z=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)): A 0.2 M THF solution of trans-4-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl] cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester (800 mg, 1.68 mmol) was cooled to −78° C. and charged with LiAlH4 (63.8 mg, 1.68 mmol) portionwise; the reaction vessel was removed from the −78° C. cooling bath and allowed to warm to rt. After 2 h, the reaction mixture was charged with EtOAc, Na2SO4.10H2O, and silica gel and concentrated in vacuo to yellow solids. The material was purified by silica gel chromatography, eluting with EtOAc, to afford the desired product as a yellow solid; MS (ES) 448.2 (M+1), 450.2 (M+3). Example 12 cis-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanol (compound of Formula I-F where Z3=cis-3-cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)): 3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanol (compound of Formula II-G where Z3=cis-3-cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) (84.0 mg, 0.2 mmol) was placed in a sealed tube and charged with 3.0 mL of 7N NH3 in MeOH and heated to 110° C. for 60 h. The reaction was concentrated in vacuo, taken up into CH2Cl2 and purified using HPFC with a 5 g Jones silica gel column (2% MeOH:CH2Cl2) to yield the desired product as a off-white solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.45-2.51 (m, 2H), 2.90-2.97 (m, 2H), 3.31 (q, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 4.39 (q, 1H, J=7.0 Hz), 5.03 (brs, 1H), 5.15 (s, 2H), 7.03-7.13 (m, 2H), 7.23-7.52 (m, 9H); MS (ES) 387.3 (M+1), 389.3 (M+3). a) cis-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanol (compound of Formula II-G where Z3=cis-3-cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)): A methanolic-CH2Cl2 solution (1.0 mL) of 3-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanone (compound of Formula II-F where Z3=cis-3-cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) (80.0 mg, 0.2 mmol) was cooled to 0° C. and charged with MP-borohydride (200.0 mg, 2.0 eq.). The reaction mixture was allowed to warm up to rt over a 24 h period. The resin-bound reducing agent was filtered and washed with EtOAc. The combined filtrate was concentrated in vacuo to yield the desired product as a light yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.61-2.68 (m, 2H), 2.94-3.01 (m, 2H), 3.36 (q, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 4.42 (q, 1H, J=7.3 Hz), 5.15 (s, 2H), 7.00-7.09 (m, 1H), 7.30-7.47 (m, 9H), 7.56 (d, 1H, J=5.0 Hz); MS (ES) 407.2 (M+1), 409.2 (M+3). b) 3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanone (compound of Formula II-F where Z3=3-cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)): 3-Oxo-cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula III where R1=3-cyclobutanone and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) (614.0 mg, 1.5 mmol) was dissolved in POCl3 (8.0 mL) and CH2Cl2 (2.0 mL) and allowed to stir at 55° C. for 24 h. The reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo to a yellow solid, dissolved in cold EtOAc and neutralized with cold sat. NaHCO3. The aqueous layer was extracted with EtOAc (3×) and the combined organic layers were dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated in vacuo. Purification via HPFC using a 20 g Jones silica gel column (50% EtOAc:Hex to 1% MeOH:CH2Cl2) followed by a recrystalization from hot EtOH yielded the desired product as a light yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.61-3.68 (m, 2H), 3.86-3.95 (m, 3H), 5.15 (s, 2H), 7.00-7.09 (m, 1H), 7.30-7.47 (m, 9H), 7.61 (d, 1H, J=5.0 Hz); MS (ES) 404.2 (M+1), 406.2 (M+3). Alternatively, 3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanone can be prepared from 1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-(3-methylenecyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (Example 44b) as follows: To a solution of 1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-(3-methylenecyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (100 mg, 0.25 mmol) in THF (3 mL) and water (1 mL) were added NMO (0.1 mL, 0.5 mmol, 50% aq. solution) and K2OsO4.H2O (5 mg, 0.013 mmol). The resulting mixture was stirred at rt overnight. TLC showed the reaction was complete. The reaction was quenched with Na2SO3 (160 mg, 1.25 mmol), then diluted with EtOAc (40 mL) and water (5 mL), washed with brine (20 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to give 3-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxymethyl-cyclobutanol as a yellow solid (100 mg). LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 436/438 (3/1) [MH+]. The solution of 3-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxymethyl-cyclobutanol in THF (3 mL) and water (1 mL) was cooled to 0° C. and charged with sodium periodate (64 mg, 0.3 mmol). The resulting mixture was slowly warmed to rt in 2 h. TLC showed the reaction was complete. The mixture was diluted with EtOAc (40 mL) and water (5 mL), washed with brine (20 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure and the crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography (Hexanes:EtOAc=50:50→30:70) to give the title compound as a yellow solid (70 mg, 70% yield over two steps); LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 404/406 (3/1) [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.60-3.67 (m, 2H), 3.81-3.94 (m, 3H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 3.81-3.94 (m, 3H), 7.06 (m, 1H), 7.27-7.47 (m, 9H), 7.59 (d, J=4.9 Hz, 1H). c) 3-Oxo-cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula III where R1=3-cyclobutanone and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)): 3-Oxo-cyclobutanecarboxylic acid (184.2 mg, 1.8 mmol), EDC (529.1 mg, 2.8 mmol) and HOBt (281.8 mg, 1.8 mmol) were dissolved in CH2Cl2 (18.0 mL) and allowed to stir at rt for 10 min. A CH2Cl2 solution (1.0 mL) of C-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-C-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine (600.0 mg, 1.8 mmol) was added to the reaction mixture, which was allowed to stir at rt for 24 h. Purification via HPFC using a 20 g Jones silica gel column (30% EtOAc:Hex to 50% EtOAc:Hex) yielded the desired product as a white solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.07-3.22 (m, 3H), 3.42-3.48 (m, 2H), 5.03 (s, 2H), 6.55 (d, 1H, J=7.8 Hz), 6.89-6.96 (m, 3H), 7.22-7.39 (m, 5H,), 8.35 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz), 8.50 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz); MS (ES) 422.2 (M+1), 424.2 (M+3). Example 13 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(1-methyl-piperidin-4-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I where R1=4-N-methylpiperidine and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for Example 1 above except for the substitution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-(1-methyl-piperidin-4-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=4-N-methylpiperidine and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); white solid, purified by Gilson HPLC to yield the desired product as the formic acid salt as a colorless gum; 1H NMR (CD3OD, 400 MHz) δ 2.24-2.27 (m, 4H), 2.94 (s, 3H), 3.24 (m, 1H), 3.55-3.66 (m, 4H), 5.17 (s, 2H), 7.05-7.49 (m, 10H), 7.65 (d, 1H, J=5.1 Hz); MS (ES) 414.3 (M+1). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-(1-methyl-piperidin-4-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=4-N-methylpiperidine and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide with 1-methyl-piperidine-4-carboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula III where R1=4-N-methylpiperidine and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); Yellow oil; MS (ES) 433.2 (M+1), 435.2 (M+3). b) 1-Methyl-piperidine-4-carboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (compound of Formula III where R1=4-N-methylpiperidine and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of 1-methyl-piperidine-4-carboxylic acid for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.25-2.33 (brm, 10H), 2.95 (brs, 2H), 5.02 (s, 1H), 6.50 (d, 1H, J=7.8 Hz), 6.87-6.94 (m, 3H), 7.19-7.38 (m, 5H), 8.33 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz), 8.50 (d, 1H, J=2.5 Hz); MS (ES) 451.2 (M+1), 453.2 (M+3). Example 14 cis-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide (compound of Formula I-A where Z=cyclohexyl, C(═O)NR2R3=4-cis-C(═O)NH2, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for Example 10 except for the substitution of trans-4-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl] cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester (compound of Formula II-A where Z=cyclohexyl, CO2A3=4-trans-CO2Me, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with cis-4-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl] cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester (compound of Formula II-A where Z=cyclohexyl, CO2A3=4-cis-CO2Me, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 442.4 (M+1). a) cis-4-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (compound of Formula II-A where Z=cyclohexyl, CO2A3=4-cis-CO2Me, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (compound of Formula II where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with cis-4-{[(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-carbamoyl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (compound of Formula III where R1=trans-4-cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 476.2 (M+1), 478.2 (M+3). b) cis-4-{[(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-carbamoyl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (compound of Formula III where R1=cis-4-cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] amide (compound of Formula III where R1=cyclobutyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the substitution of cis-cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid monomethyl ester for cyclobutanecarboxylic acid; MS (ES) 494.3 (M+1), 496.3 (M+3). Example 15 cis-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol (compound of Formula I-B where Z=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of trans-4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide except for the substitution of cis-4-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl] cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester (compound of Formula II-A where Z=cyclohexyl, CO2A3=4-cis-CO2Me, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with {4-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol (compound of Formula II-B where Z=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); MS (ES) 429.2 (M+1). a) cis-{4-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol (compound of Formula II-B where Z=cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared as described for the synthesis of trans-{4-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol (compound of Formula II-B where Z=trans-1,4-cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) except for the substitution of trans-4-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl] cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester with cis-4-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl] cyclohexane carboxylic acid methyl ester; MS (ES) 448.2 (M+1), 450.2 (M+3). Example 16 cis-2-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione (compound of Formula I-C′ where Z=cis-1,4-cyclohexyl, A2=phthalimido and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared as follows: cis-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol (compound of Formula I-B where Z=cis-1,4-cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) (175 mg, 0.41 mmol), phthalimide (72 mg, 0.49 mmol), and resin-bound triphenylphosphine (PS-Ph3P [Argonaut, 2.33 mmol/g]) (263 mg) were dissolved in 2 mL of THF, evacuated, placed under nitrogen atmosphere and charged with DIAD (97 μL, 0.49 mmol). After stirring for 16 h, the reaction mixture was filtered through a cotton pipet plug, washed 6× with EtOAc, concentrated in vacuo, and purified by silica gel column chromatography (gradient of 30% EtOAc/hexanes to 70% EtOAc/hexanes) to afford the desired product as a foamy yellow solid; MS (ES+): m/z 558.5 (M+1). Example 17 trans-2-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione (compound of Formula I-C′ where Z=4-trans-cyclohexyl, A2=phthalimido and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described in Example 16 above except for the replacement of cis-{4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol with trans-{4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol; MS (ES+): m/z 558.4 [MH+]. Example 18 cis-3-(4-Aminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I-C″ where Z=cis-1,4-cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared as follows: An ethanolic solution of cis-2-{4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione (compound of Formula I-C′ where Z=cis-1,4-cyclohexyl, A2=phthalimido and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) (490 mg, 0.92 mmol) was charged with an excess of hydrazine (10 μL) and allowed to stir at rt for 16 h. The solution was filtered through a fritted glass funnel and the solids washed with EtOH (4×). The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and the crude product was purified by High Pressure Flash Chromatography (HPFC) (dry loaded, gradient of CH2Cl2 to 2% ˜7N NH3 in MeOH/CH2Cl2) to afford the desired product as a white foamy solid; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 1.66-1.72 (m, 4H), 1.77-1.86 (m, 4H), 2.00-2.07 (m, 3H), 2.75 (d, 2H, J=8.0 Hz), 3.10-3.13 (m, 1H), 5.10 (bs, 2H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.00-7.04 (m, 2H), 7.18-7.25 (m, 3H), 7.33-7.46 (m, 6H); MS (ES+): m/z 428.4 [MH+]. Example 19 trans-3-(4-Aminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I-C″ where Z=trans-1,4-cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for the synthesis of cis-3-(4-aminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I-C″ where Z=cis-1,4-cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the replacement of cis-2-{4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione (compound of Formula I-C′ where Z=cis-1,4-cyclohexyl, A2=phthalimido and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with trans-2-{4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione (compound of Formula I-C′ where Z=trans-1,4-cyclohexyl, A2=phthalimido and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 1.13 (ddd, 2H, J=25.2 Hz, 12.8 Hz, 3.6 Hz), 1.31-1.52 (m, 3H), 1.88 (ddd, 2H, J=29.6 Hz, 13.2 Hz, 3.6 Hz), 2.00-2.05 (m, 2H), 2.12-2.16 (m, 2H), 2.62 (d, 2H, J=6.4 Hz), 2.93 (tt, 1H, J=11.6 Hz, 4.0 Hz), 5.02 (bs, 2H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.01 (ddd, 1H, J=8.0 Hz, 2.8 Hz, 1.2 Hz), 7.04 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.21-7.22 (m, 2H), 7.23-7.24 (m, 2H), 7.34-7.36 (m, 1H), 7.36-7.41 (m, 2H), 7.42-7.45 (m, 2H); MS (ES) 428.5 (M+1). Example 20 cis-N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-acetamide (compound of Formula I-C′″ where Z=cis-1,4-cyclohexyl, R2=H, R3=C(═O)CH3, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared as follows: cis-3-(4-Aminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I-C″ where Z=cis-1,4-cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) (10.8 mg, 0.03 mmol) was dissolved in 0.3 mL of chloroform and charged with PS-DIEA (10 mg, 0.04 mmol) followed by acetic anhydride (2.1 μL, 0.02 mmol) and allowed to stir for 0.5 h. The solution was filtered through a cotton pipet plug and the solids washed with chloroform (4×). The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and the crude product was purified by silica gel chromatography (2% ˜7N NH3 in MeOH/CH2Cl2) to afford the desired product as a foamy white solid; MS (ES) 470.5 (M+1). Example 21 trans-N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-acetamide (compound of Formula I-C′″ where Z=trans-1,4-cyclohexyl, R2=H, R3=C(═O)CH3, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) was prepared according to the procedures described for cis-N-{4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl}-acetamide (compound of Formula I-C′″ where Z=cis-1,4-cyclohexyl, R2=H, R3=C(═O)CH3, and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) above except for the replacement of cis-3-(4-aminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I-C″ where Z=cis-1,4-cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)) with trans-3-(4-aminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (compound of Formula I-C″ where Z=trans-1,4-cyclohexyl and Q1=Ph-(3-OBn)); 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 1.18 (ddd, 2H, J=25.2 Hz, 12.8 Hz, 3.6 Hz), 1.60-1.66 (m, 1H), 1.85 (ddd, 2H, J=29.6 Hz, 13.2 Hz, 3.6 Hz), 1.94-1.98 (m, 2H), 2.01 (s, 3H), 2.08-2.12 (m, 2H), 2.90 (tt, 1H, J=11.6 Hz, 4.0 Hz), 3.20 (dd, 2H, J=6.4 Hz, 6.4 Hz), 5.07 (bs, 2H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 5.49 (m, 1H), 7.02 (ddd, 1H, J=8.0 Hz, 2.8 Hz, 1.2 Hz), 7.04 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.19-7.22 (m, 2H), 7.23-7.24 (m, 2H), 7.31-7.36 (m, 1H), 7.36-7.41 (m, 2H), 7.43-7.46 (m, 2H); MS (ES) 470.5 (M+1). The following examples were synthesized according to the procedures described in Examples 1-22 unless stated otherwise. Example 22 1-Biphenyl-3-yl-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, white solid, MS (ES) 341.38 (M+1). a) 1-Biphenyl-3-yl-8-chloro-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine, yellow solid, MS (ES) 360.36 (M+1). b) Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [biphenyl-3-yl-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)methyl]amide: Prepared according to the procedures for Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] Amide, off-white oil, MS (ES) 378.37 (M+1). c) C-Biphenyl-3-yl-C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine: Prepared according to the procedures for C-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-C-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine, orange oil, MS (ES) 296.18 (M+1), 279.18 (M−17). d) 2-[Biphenyl-3-yl-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione: Prepared according to the procedures for 2-[(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione, orange oil, MS (ES) 426.92 (M+1). e) Biphenyl-3-yl-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methanol: Prepared according to the procedures for (3-Chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-methanol, orange oil, MS (ES) 297.11 (M+1), 278.13 (M−17). f) Biphenyl-3-carbaldehyde: Prepared from 3-bromo-benzaldehyde and phenylboronic acid utilizing Pd(PPh3)4, K2CO3, 4:1 DMF:H2O (see detailed description under the General synthesis to Suzuki analogues in Examples 24-26), following standard Suzuki Coupling procedures as described in the following reference: Strongin, R. M.; et. al. Org. Lett., 2000, 20, 3201-3204; Clear oil, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 7.38-7.51 (m, 3H), 7.60-7.65 (m, 3H), 7.87 (dd, 2H, J=2.8 Hz, 8.4 Hz), 8.11-8.12 (m, 1H), 10.0 (s, 1H); MS (ES) 183.28 (M+1). Example 23 1-(3-Bromo-phenyl)-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, Light pink solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.02-2.21 (m, 2H), 2.45-2.65 (m, 4H), 3.81 (p, 1H, J=8.8 Hz), 5.03 (bs, 2H), 7.07 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz), 7.13 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz), 7.33-7.37 (m, 1H), 7.53 (d, 1H, J=7.2 Hz), 7.60 (d, 1H, J=7.2 Hz), 7.88 (d, 1H, J=1.6 Hz). a) 1-(3-Bromophenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine, Yellow solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.04-2.22 (m, 2H), 2.50-2.67 (m, 4H), 3.84 (p, 1H, J=8.8 Hz), 7.29-7.33 (m, 2H), 7.51 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz), 7.52-7.55 (m, 1H), 7.61-7.64 (m, 1H), 7.86-7.87 (m, 1H). b) Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-bromophenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)methyl]amide: Prepared according to the procedures for Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] Amide, White solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.83-2.02 (m, 2H), 2.13-2.29 (m, 4H), 3.09 (p, 1H, J=8.8 Hz), 6.53 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.08 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.16-7.20 (m, 1H), 7.34-7.43 (m, 3H), 7.37 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz), 8.53 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz). c) C-(3-Bromophenyl)-C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine: Prepared according to the procedures for C-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-C-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine, Orange oil, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.54 (s, 1H), 7.17-7.21 (m, 1H), 7.31 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.39 (d, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 7.51-7.53 (d, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 8.31 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz), 8.56 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz). d) 2-[(3-Bromophenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione: Prepared according to the procedures for 2-[(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione, Orange oil, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 6.84 (s, 1H), 7.47-7.53 (m, 2H), 7.74-7.86 (m, 6H), 8.37 (dd, 1H, J=1.2 Hz, 2.6 Hz), 8.48 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz). e) (3-Bromophenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methanol: Prepared according to the procedures for (3-Chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-methanol, Light yellow solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 4.66 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 5.98 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.18-7.23 (m, 1H), 7.29-7.49 (m, 3H), 8.40 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.57 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz). General Synthesis to Suzuki Analogues Examples 24-26. A 4:1 DMF:H2O solution was purged with N2 for 45 minutes prior to the reaction. 1-(3-Bromo-phenyl)-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (1.0 equiv), the suitable boronic acid (1.1 equiv), K2CO3 (2.25 equiv), and PS-Pd(Ph3)4 (0.05 equiv) were slurried in enough 4:1 DMF:H2O to give a 0.25 M solution. The reaction mixture was heated to 90° C. overnight with stirring, cooled, diluted with CH2Cl2, filtered through Celite, and the resin washed with additional CH2Cl2. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo, redissolved in DCM, and purified by chromatography (Jones Flashmaster Personal, 50:50 Hexane:EtOAc to 100% EtOAc) to afford desired imidazopyrazines Examples 24-26. EXAMPLE 24 1-(4′-t-Butylbiphenyl-3-yl)-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Light brown solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.34 (s, 9H), 2.02-2.21 (m, 2H), 2.45-2.68 (m, 4H), 3.83 (p, 1H, J=8.8 Hz), 5.18 (bs, 2H), 7.06 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.13 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.50-7.65 (m, 7H), 7.89 (d, 1H, J=1.6 Hz). Example 25 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(4′-methylbiphenyl-3-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Off-white solid, MS (ES) 355.37 (M+1). Example 26 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(4′-methoxybiphenyl-3-yl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: White solid, MS (ES) 371.21 (M+1). Example 27 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-cyclopentylmethylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, Clear oil, MS (ES) 399.20 (M+1). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxphenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclopentylmethylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine, Yellow oil, MS (ES) 418.37 (M+1). b) N-[(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-2-cyclopentyl-acetamide: Prepared according to the procedures for Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] Amide, White solid, MS (ES) 436.32 (M+1). Example 28 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-cyclohexylmethylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, White solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.07-1.27 (m, 5H), 1.64-1.73 (m, 5H), 1.83-1.93 (m, 1H), 2.86 (d, 1H, J=6.8 Hz), 5.02 (bs, 2H), 5.15 (s, 2H), 7.01-7.06 (m, 2H), 7.19 (d, 1H, J=2.0 Hz, 4.8 Hz), 7.23-7.25 (m, 2H), 7.33-7.46 (m, 7H). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclohexylmethylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine, Yellow oil, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.08-1.26 (m, 5H), 1.66-1.73 (m, 5H), 1.85-1.93 (m, 1H), 2.92 (d, 1H, J=7.2 Hz), 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.03 (dd, 1H, J=2.0 Hz, 7.8 Hz), 7.29-7.41 (m, 6H), 7.44-7.46 (m, 2H), 8.32 (d, 1H, J=2.0 Hz), 7.59 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz). b) N-[(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-2-cyclohexyl-acetamide: Prepared according to the procedures for Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] Amide, White solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 0.88-0.97 (m, 2H), 1.09-1.29 (m, 3H), 1.63-1.82 (m, 6H), 2.11 (d, 1H, J=7.2 Hz), 5.02 (s, 2H), 6.55 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 6.86-6.94 (m, 3H), 7.03 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 7.19-7.25 (m, 1H), 7.30-7.40 (m, 6H), 8.32 (d, 1H, J=2.0 Hz), 8.49 (d, 1H, J=2.0 Hz). Example 29 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, White solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.09 (bs, 2H), 5.15 (s, 2H), 7.05-7.10 (m, 3H), 7.34-7.45 (m, 8H), 8.11 (s, 1H). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine, Yellow oil, MS (ES) 336.06 (M+1). b) N-[(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-formamide: Prepared according to the procedures for Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] Amide, White solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.03 (s, 2H), 6.62 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.88-6.97 (m, 3H), 7.22-7.24 (m, 1H), 7.32-7.41 (m, 5H), 8.29 (bs, 1H), 8.35 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.51 (d, 1H, J=2.0 Hz). Example 30 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-trifluoromethylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, Pink solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.15 (s, 2H), 5.25 (bs, 2H), 7.08-7.11 (m, 1H), 7.23-7.29 (m, 3H), 7.34-7.45 (m, 6H), 7.54 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-trifluoromethylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine, Yellow oil, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.08-7.11 (m, 1H), 7.28-7.46 (m, 8H), 7.59 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz), 7.99 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz). b) N-[(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-2,2,2-trifluoroacetamide: Prepared according to the procedures for Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] Amide, White solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.03 (s, 2H), 6.46 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 6.92-6.96 (m, 3H), 7.28-7.41 (m, 5H), 8.16 (d, 1H, J=6.4 Hz), 8.40 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.55 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz). Example 31 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzamide: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, Yellow solid, 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 5.20 (s, 2H), 6.23 (bs, 2H), 7.12 (dd, 1H, J=2.4 Hz, 8.2 Hz), 7.16 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 7.27 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 7.32-7.50 (m, 8H), 7.85 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.96 (d, 2H, J=8.8 Hz), 8.07 (d, 2H, J=8.8 Hz), 8.14 (bs, 1H). a) 4-[1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzoic Acid Methyl Ester: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine, Yellow solid, MS (ES) 469.90 (M+1). b) N-[(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-terephthalamic Acid Methyl Ester: Prepared according to the procedures for Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] Amide, Yellow solid, MS (ES) 490.01 (M+2). Example 32 3-Cyclobutyl-1-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Gaseous NH3 was condensed into a cooled (−78° C.) solution of 8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-1-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (602.9 mg, 2.125 mmol) in NH3/i-PrOH (2M, 15 mL) in a pressure tube until the volume had doubled. The tube was sealed and heated to 110° C. for 2 d. After excess NH3/i-PrOH was removed in vacuo, the residue was extracted with CH2Cl2 (3×30 mL), and the combined organic layers were washed with brine (3×30 mL), dried over anhydrous MgSO4, filtered, and concentrated. The material obtained (670 mg) was recrystallized from EtOAc, granting 393.3 mg (70%, 1.488 mmol) of the title compound, as pale pink crystals. The mother liquor was reduced ca. 50% in vacuo and again recrystallized from EtOAc, affording an additional 38.4 mg (7%, 0.145 mmol) of the title compound, as pink crystals, >99% pure by HPLC; mp. 164-166° C.; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.98-2.09 (m, 1H), 2.11-2.23 (m, 1H), 2.44-2.54 (m, 2H), 2.58-2.70 (m, 2H), 3.82 (quint, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 5.02 (s, br, —NH2), 7.05 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H), 7.12 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.38-7.43 (m, 1H), 7.46-7.53 (m, 2H), 7.65-7.70 (m, 2H). 13C NMR (CDCl3, 100.6 MHz, DEPT135): δ 18.87 (−), 26.94 (2C, −), 31.48 (+), 106.61 (+), 113.93 (Cquart), 127.43 (+), 128.08 (+), 128.81 (2C, +), 129.67 (2C, +), 134.87 (Cquart), 135.32 (Cquart), 143.90 (Cquart), 151.75 (Cquart). MS (ES+): m/z 265.2 (100) [MH+]. a) 8-Chloro-3-cyclobutyl-1-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: A mixture of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-phenylmethyl]-amide (710 mg, 2.35 mmol) and POCl3 (15 mL, 25 g, 163 mmol) was heated to 55° C., under N2 atmosphere, for 21 h. POCl3 was evaporated in vacuo, a cold solution of NH3 in i-PrOH (2M, 15 mL) was added until pH was basic, and rotary evaporation was used to remove excess solvent. The crude material was suspended between EtOAc and dH2O, the layers were separated, and the aqueous layer was extracted with EtOAc (4×50 mL). The combined organic layers were washed with NaHCO3 sat. aq. sol. (2×50 mL) and brine (1×50 mL), dried over anhydrous MgSO4, and filtered. Sample was purified by filtration through a silica gel plug with 10% EtOAc:CH2Cl2 (250 mL) and filtrate was concentrated in vacuo, affording 602.9 mg (90%, 2.125 mmol) of the title compound, containing ≈0.5 equivalents of reduced DIAD and ≦0.06 equivalents of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-phenylmethyl]-amide (4), as a gold-colored solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.00-2.11 (m, 1H), 2.13-2.26 (m,1H), 2.47-2.57 (m, 2H), 2.60-2.72 (m, 2H), 3.85 (quint, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 7.30 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.38-7.47 (m, 3H), 7.50 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.67-7.71 (m, 2H). MS (ES+): m/z 284.1/286.1 (100/55) [MH+]. b) Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-phenylmethyl]-amide: To a solution of C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-C-phenylmethylamine (610.7 mg, 2.780 mmol), DMAP (17 mg, 0.139 mmol), and (iPr)2EtN (726 μL, 539 mg, 4.17 mmol) in dry CH2Cl2 (10 mL), cooled to 0° C., cyclobutanecarbonyl chloride (350 μL, 363 mg, 3.058 mmol) was added under N2 atmosphere, the cooling bath was removed, and the reaction mixture stirred at ambient temperature for 2 h. The reaction mixture was quenched with dH2O, taken up by CH2Cl2 (3×20 mL), washed (1×30 mL each) with 0.25M citric acid (pH 2-3), dH2O, NaHCO3 sat. aq. sol., and brine, dried over anhydrous MgSO4, and filtered. Sample was purified by filtration through a silica gel plug with 10% EtOAc:CH2Cl2 (250 mL) and filtrate was concentrated in vacuo, yielding the title compound as a gold-colored solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.80-2.02 (m, 2H), 2.10-2.22 (m, 2H), 2.22-2.34 (m, 2H), 3.09 (quint, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 6.58 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 1H), 7.01 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.24-7.36 (m, 5H), 8.33 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 8.52 (d, J=2.0 Hz, 1H). c) C-(3-Chloropyrazin-2-yl)-C-phenylmethylamine: To a solution of 2-[(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-phenylmethyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione (7.70 g, 22 mmol), containing ≈0.77 eq. of reduced DIAD, in EtOH (10 mL) and co-solvent CH2Cl2 (15 mL), N2H4 (10 mL, 7.91 g, 0.172 mol) was added and the reaction solution was stirred at rt, under N2, for 1 d. The suspension was filtered, the orange solid was washed several times with CH2Cl2, and the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo. The residue was suspended between HCl (2M)/EtOAc and the EtOAc layer was discarded. The aqueous layer was brought to a basic pH using NaOH and extracted with CH2Cl2 (5×60 mL), washed with brine (2×50 mL), dried over MgSO4, filtered, and concentrated, giving 2.1923 g (45%; 9.9795 mmol) of the title compound, containing ≈0.1 eq. of reduced DIAD, as a brown oil; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.24 (s, br, 2H), 5.56 (s, 1H), 7.26-7.38 (m, 5H), 8.27 (s, 1H), 8.55 (s, 1H). MS (ES+): m/z 203.2/205.2 (100/73) [MH+-NH3]. C-(3-Chloropyrazin-2-yl)-C-phenylmethylamine hydrochloride (2-HCl): To a solution of C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-C-phenylmethylamine (1.582 g, 7.20 mmol) in 1,4-dioxane (≦5 mL), HCl (2 mL, 7.55 mmol, 4M soln. in 1,4-dioxane) was added and left for approx. 5 min. The reaction mixture was filtered and the solid was washed several times with 1,4-dioxane, yielding the title compound as a tan solid. Sample contains ≈0.1 eq. of 1,4-dioxane by 1H NMR; 1H NMR (d-MeOH, 400 MHz) δ 5.85 (s, 1H), 7.35 (s, 1H), 8.44 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 8.65 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H). d) 2-[(3-Chloropyrazin-2-yl)-phenylmethyl]isoindole-1,3-dione: Prepared according to the procedures for 2-[(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione, Yellow oil, MS (ES) 350.04 (M+1). e) (3-Chloropyrazin-2-yl)-phenylmethanol: Prepared according to the procedures for (3-Chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-methanol, Yellow solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 4.62 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.04 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.29-7.36 (m, 5H), 8.37 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.56 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz). General procedure to Examples 33 and 34: A THF solution (3 mL) of trans-toluene-4-sulfonic acid 4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl ester (200 mg, 0.34 mmol) in a sealed tube was charged with azetidine (8.92 mmol, 510 mg) and stirred at 50° C. for 24 h. The reaction mixture concentrated in vacuo and partitioned b/w EtOAc and sat. NaHCO3. The organic layer was washed with sat. NaHCO3 (2×), water (1×), brine (1×), dried over Na2SO4, filtered, and concentrated to a yellow oil. The crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography [Jones Flashmaster, 5 g/25 mL cartridge, eluting with CH2Cl2 to 2% ˜7 N NH3 in MeOH/CH2Cl2] to afford trans-3-(4-azetidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine as a white solid (130 mg, 82%). Example 33 (trans-3-(4-Azetidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: MS (ES+): m/z 468.1. Example 34 trans-1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine): MS (ES+): m/z 482.3. a) trans-Toluene-4-sulfonic acid 4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl ester: A pyridine solution (23 mL) of trans-{4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}-methanol (2.00 g, 4.67 mmol) was cooled to −20° C. and charged with Ts2O (1.52 g, 4.67 mmol). The reaction was allowed to warm to rt and stirred for 16 h. The mixture was concentrated in vacuo to a tan foam and partitioned between CHCl3 and water. The organic layer was washed with 1M NaOH (2×), water (1×), brine (1×), dried over Na2SO4, filtered, and concentrated to tan foam. The crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography [Jones Flashmaster, 50 g/150 mL cartridge, eluting with 50% EtOAc/Hexanes to 5% MeOH/EtOAc] to afford trans-toluene-4-sulfonic acid 4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl ester as a tan foam (1.90 g, 70%); MS (ES+): m/z 583.1 Example 35 trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester: An isopropanol solution (42 mL) of trans-4-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (4.00 g, 8.4 mmol) in a sealed tube was cooled to −78° C. Ammonia was bubbled into the solution for 2 min; the tube was capped and heated to 110° C. for 1 d. The reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo and partitioned b/w EtOAc and water. The organic layer was washed with water (2×), brine (1×), dried over Na2SO4, filtered, and concentrated to a yellow oil. The crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography [Jones Flashmaster, 20 g/70 mL cartridge, eluting with 50% EtOAc/Hexanes to 2% ˜7 N NH3 in MeOH/EtOAc] to afford trans-4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester as a tan foam (1.50 g, 39%); recovered trans-4-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (1.20 g, 30%); MS (ES+): m/z 457.1. Example 36 (trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid): A THF solution (11 mL) of trans-4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (1.50 g, 3.28 mmol) was charged with 10 M NaOH (1.64 mL, 16.42 mmol); a minimal amount of methanol was added to make the reaction mixture homogeneous. The reaction stirred at rt for 2 h. The reaction mixture was concentrated to solids and acidified to pH 5 with 2 M HCl. The resulting ppt was filtered, washed with water, and dried in a vacuum oven overnight at 50° C. to afford acid trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid as an off-white solid (1.10 g, 76%); MS (ES+): m/z 443.1. General procedure to EXAMPLES 37 and 38: A DMF solution (2 mL) of acid trans-4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (100 mg, 0.23 mmol) and methylamine hydrochloride (153 mg, 2.26 mmol) in a sealed tube was charged with DIEA (394 μL, 2.26 mmol), 0.6 M HOAt in DMF (377 μL, 0.23 mmol), and then EDC (65 mg, 0.34 mmol). The reaction mixture stirred at rt for 16 h. The reaction mixture was concentrated to solids, taken up in CH2Cl2, charged with silica, and concentrated to brown solids. The crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography [Jones Flashmaster, 20 g/70 mL cartridge, eluting with 2% ˜7 N NH3 in MeOH/CH2Cl2 to 5% ˜7 N NH3 in MeOH/CH2Cl2] to afford trans-4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methylamide as an off-white solid (60 mg, 57%). Example 37 (trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methylamide: MS (ES+): m/z 456.3. Example 38 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethylamide: MS (ES+): m/z 470.4. General Reductive Amination Procedures: 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanecarbaldehyde (225 mg, 565 mmol) was dissolved in dichloroethane (DCE) (4.0 mL) followed by the addition of resin bound-BH(OAc)3 (562 mg, 1.129 mmol), AcOH (70 μL, 1.186 mmol) and pyrrolidine (0.14 mL, 1.694 mmol). After stirring for 24 h at rt the resin was filtered and washed with CH2Cl2 and the filtrate combined and concentrated in vacuo. The crude oil was purified by silica gel column chromatography (2-5% 7N NH3 in MeOH:CH2Cl2) to yield the desired compounds. The more polar spot is the cis isomer, which is the major isomer. Example 39 trans-1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Followed general reductive amination conditions; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 1.75 (brs, 4H), 2.35 (brs, 2H), 2.66 (brm, 9H), 3.68-3.75 (m, 1H), 4.94 (brs, 2H), 5.08 (s, 2H), 6.98-6.99 (m, 3H), 7.20-7.42 (m, 8H); MS (ES+): 454.15 (M+1), 455.15 (M+2), 456.17 (M+3); Example 40 cis-1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Followed general reductive amination conditions; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 1.88-1.91 (m, 4H), 2.39-2.43 (m, 2H), 2.64-2.82 (m, 9H), 3.73-3.90 (m, 1H), 5.20 (brs, 2H), 5.26 (s, 2H), 7.13-7.15 (m, 1H), 7.22 (d, 1H, J=5.0 Hz), 7.35-7.57 (m, 8H); MS (ES+): 454.11 (M+1), 455.06 (M+2), 456.20 (M+3); Example 41 trans-3-(3-Azetidin-1-ylmethylcyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Followed general reductive amination conditions; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 2.07-2.11 (m, 2H), 2.20-44 (m, 2H), 2.51 (brm, 1H), 2.63-2.71 (m, 4H), 3.25 (t, 4H, J=7.04 Hz), 3.71-3.75 (m, 1H), 5.00 (brs, 2H), 5.11 (s, 2H), 6.98-6.99 (m, 3H), 7.20-7.42 (m, 8H). Example 42 cis-3-(3-Azetidin-1-ylmethylcyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Followed general reductive amination conditions; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 1.98-2.02 (m, 2H), 2.18-2.21 (m, 2H), 2.44-2.54 (m, 4H), 3.12 (t, 4H, J=7.0 Hz), 3.52-3.57 (m, 1H), 4.98 (brs, 4H), 6.95-6.97 (m, 2H), 7.03 (d, 1H, J=5.0 Hz), 7.16-7.45 (m, 8H); MS (ES+): 440.08 (M+1), 441.08 (M+2), 442.13 (M+3). Alternatively, cis-3-(3-Azetidin-1-ylmethylcyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine could be prepared as follows: A sealed tube containing a solution of toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutylmethyl ester (15 mg, 0.027 mmol) in THF (3 mL) was charged with azetidine (0.04 mL, 0.54 mmol), sealed, and heated at 50° C. overnight. The mixture was concentrated and the residue was diluted with ethyl acetate (20 mL), washed with sat. aq. NaHCO3 (2×10 mL) and brine (2×10 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to afford a white solid. Example 43 Toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutylmethyl ester: A solution of {3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}methanol (23 mg, 0.057 mmol) in dry methylene chloride (3 mL) was charged with pyridine (0.1 mL) and Ts2O (21 mg, 0.063 mmol) at −20° C. under N2 atmosphere. The mixture was slowly warmed to rt overnight. The reaction was quenched with water (1 mL), diluted with ethyl acetate (20 mL), washed with sat. aq. NaHCO3 (10 mL) and brine (2×10 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure, and the crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluting with EtOAc:MeOH=98:2→96:4), yielding the title compound as a white solid. Partial trans isomer was removed by chromatography and the ratio of cis and trans isomers raised to 8:1; MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 555 [MH+]. 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.27-2.35 (m, 2H), 2.41 (s, 3H), 2.55-2.62 (m, 2H), 2.80 (m, 1H), 3.66 (m, 1H), 4.07 (d, J=6.7 Hz, 2H), 5.01 (br s, 2H, NH2), 5.15 (s, 2H), 7.02-7.85 (m, 15H). Anal. Calcd for C31H30N4O4S.⅓H2O: C, 66.41; H, 5.51; N, 9.99. Found: C, 66.43; H, 5.44; N, 10.07. Example 44 {3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}methanol: A solution of {3-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}methanol (40 mg, 0.095 mmol) in 5 mL of 2N NH3/iPrOH was cooled to −78° C. and charged with NH3 gas for 1 min. This sealed tube was equipped with a teflon O-ring, sealed and heated at 110° C. overnight. The mixture was cooled to rt and the cap was removed. The solution was concentrated under reduced pressure and the crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluting with 100% ethyl acetate→EtOAc:iPrOH=80:20), yielding the title compound as a white solid, a mixture of cis and trans isomers. MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 401 [MH+]. 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.37-2.44 (m, 2H), 2.61-2.74 (m, 3H), 3.65-3.82 (m, 3H), 5.03 (br s, 2H, NH2), 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.01-7.46 (m, 11H). a) {3-[1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}methanol: To a solution of 1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-(3-methylenecyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (345 mg, 0.86 mmol) in dry THF (5 mL) was added 9-BBN (2.6 mL, 1.3 mmol, 0.5 M in THF) dropwise at 0° C. under nitrogen atmosphere. The temperature was slowly warmed to rt overnight. Upon which time TLC showed the reaction was complete. The mixture was cooled to 0° C., and 2 mL 1N aq. NaOH and 0.4 mL 30% aq. H2O2 were added, the resulting mixture was stirred at 0° C. for 10 min, then rt for 30 min. The resulting white solid was filtered off, the filtrate was diluted with ethyl acetate (60 mL), washed with brine (3×20 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure, and the crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluting with 100% ethyl acetate), yielding the title compound as a yellow viscous oil, a mixture of cis and trans isomers. MS (ES, Pos.): MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 420/422 (3/1) [MH+]. 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.32 (br s, 1H), 2.60-2.85 (m, 5H), 3.88-4.11 (m, 3H), 5.36 (s, 2H), 7.27 (m, 1H), 7.48-7.69 (m, 9H), 7.77 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H). b) 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-(3-methylenecyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: A mixture of 3-methylenecyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)methyl]amide (190 mg, 0.45 mmol) and POCl3 (2 mL) was heated at 55° C. under N2 atmosphere overnight. The mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure, the residue was cooled to 0° C., quenched with 2N NH3/iPrOH to pH>10, and the solid was filtered off and washed with methylene chloride. The filtrate was concentrated and the crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluting with hexanes:EtOAc=80:20→60:40), yielding the title product as a yellow solid; MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 402/404 (3/1) [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.26-3.44 (m, 4H), 3.86 (m, 1H), 4.94 (m, 2H), 5.16 (s, 2H), 7.07 (ddd, J=8.2, 2.6, 1.1 Hz, 1H), 7.30-7.50 (m, 9H), 7.54 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H). c) 3-Methylenecyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)methyl]amide: To a suspension of C-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)methylamine hydrochloride (724 mg, 2.0 mol) in methylene dichloride (10 mL) was added iPr2NEt (1.7 mL, 10.0 mmol), at which time the solid dissolved. The reaction was charged with 3-methylenecyclobutanecarboxylic acid (560 mg, 5.0 mmol), EDC (1.15 g, 6.0 mmol) and HOBt (270 mg, 2.0 mmol) and the resulting mixture was stirred at rt overnight. The mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate (50 mL), washed with sat. aq. NaHCO3 (2×20 mL) and brine (2×20 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure, and the crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluting with hexanes:EtOAc=80:20→60:40), yielding the title product as a light-yellow viscous oil; MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 420/422 (3/1) [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.85-3.09 (m, 5H), 4.78 (m, 2H), 5.03 (s, 2H), 6.55 (d, J=7.9 Hz, 1H), 6.87-6.95 (m, 3H), 7.08 (br d, 1H, NH), 7.21-7.41 (m, 6H), 8.33 (d, J=2.5 Hz, 1H), 8.49 (d, J=2.5 Hz, 1H). d) 3-Methylenecyclobutanecarboxylic acid: To a solution of 3-methylenecyclobutanecarbonitrile (10.0 g, 107.4 mmol) in ethanol (100 mL) and water (100 mL) was added potassium hydroxide (28.0 g, 430 mmol, 85% pure); the resulting mixture was refluxed for 8 h. Ethanol was removed under reduced pressure, then the solution was cooled to 0° C. and acidified with conc. HCl to pH=1. The mixture was extracted with diethyl ether (4×100 mL). The combined organic phases were dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. Concentration in vacuo afforded the desired product as a colorless oil; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.91-3.18 (m, 4H), 3.14-3.22 (m, 1H), 4.83 (m, 2H); 3C NMR (CDCl3, 100 MHz) δ 32.95, 35.30, 107.14, 143.77, 181.02 ppm. Procedures for General Grignard Reaction: 3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanone (100 mg, 248 mols) was dissolved in dry THF (1.0 mL) under inert atmosphere and cooled to −78° C. A solution of MeMgBr (40 μL, 322 mols) in toluene: THF (75:25) was added slowly to the cooled solution. After 24 h of reaction at rt the reaction was cooled to 0° C. and quenched with NH4Cl sat. aq. solution and the aqueous layer was washed with EtOAc (2×). The organic layers where combined, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated in vacuo. The crude oil was purified by silica gel column chromatography [Jones Flashmaster, 10 g/70 mL cartridge, eluting with 2-5% ((7N NH3) in MeOH):CH2Cl2], yielding 3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-methyl-cyclobutanol as a brown solid. Example 45 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-methyl-cyclobutanol: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, Light brown crystals, 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 1.43 (s, 3H), 2.49-2.64 (m, 4H), 3.27-3.32 (m, 1H), 5.07 (s, 2H), 6.96-7.38 (m, 1H); MS (ES+): 401.34 (M+1), 402.41 (M+2), 403.43 (M+3). a) 3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-methyl-cyclobutanol was prepared according to the Procedures for General Grignard Reaction: MS (ES+): 420.35 (M+1), 422.35 (M+3), 423.47 (M+4). Example 46 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-ethyl-cyclobutanol: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, Light yellow gum (7.9 mg, 22%) Light brown crystals, 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 0.94 (t, 3H, J=7.2 Hz), 1.66 (q, 2H, J=7.4 Hz), 2.41-2.46 (m, 2H), 2.60-2.65 (m, 2H), 3.26-3.32 (m, 1H), 5.06 (s, 2H), 6.95-6.97 (m, 2H), 7.05 (d, 1H, J=5.1 Hz), 7.26-7.38 (m, 8H); MS (ES+): 415.27 (M+1), 416.34 (M+2), 417.40 (M+3). a) 3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-ethyl-cyclobutanol was prepared according to the Procedures for General Grignard Reaction: Light yellow gum (38 mg, 36%), 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 0.95 (t, 3H, J=7.36 Hz), 1.68 (q, 2H, J=7.36 Hz), 2.54-2.69 (m, 4H), 3.31-3.39 (m, 1H), 5.08 (s, 2H), 6.99-7.00 (m, 1H), 7.19-7.40 (m, 9H), 7.50 (d, 1H, J=5.0 Hz); MS (ES+): 434.08 (M+1), 436.09 (M+3), 437.05 (M+4). Example 47 1-Allyl-3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanol: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine, Light yellow foam (8.2 mg, 34%), 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 2.41 (d, 2H, J=7.2 Hz), 2.47-2.52 (m, 2H), 2.63-2.68 (m, 2H), 3.29-3.33 (m, 1H), 5.07 (s, 2H), 5.13-5.18 (m, 2H), 5.86-5.92 (m, 1H), 6.95-6.97 (m, 2H), 7.05 (d, 1H, J=5.0 Hz), 7.26-7.38 (m, 8H); MS (ES+): 427.28 (M+1), 428.34 (M+2), 429.38 (M+3). a) 1-Allyl-3-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanol was prepared according to the Procedures for General Grignard Reaction: Light yellow gum (25 mg, 23%), 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 2.40 (d, 2H, J=7.2 Hz), 2.49-2.68 (m, 4H), 3.29-3.33 (m, 1H), 5.06 (brs, 4H), 5.84 (m, 1H), 6.99-7.00 (m, 1H), 7.19-7.40 (m, 9H), 7.50 (d, 1H, J=5.0 Hz); MS (ES+): 446.08 (M+1), 448.07 (M+3), 449.05 (M+4). Example 48 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-tert-butylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Gaseous NH3 is condensed into a cooled (dry ice/acetone) solution of 1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-3-tert-butyl-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (61.8 mg, 0.158 mmol) in iPrOH (2 mL) in a pressure tube until the volume is doubled, then the tube is sealed and heated to 110° C. (bath temp.) overnight. The seal has leaked during that time, LC indicates ≈50% conversion; therefore, ammonia is condensed in and the tube is heated as described before. The crude material is purified by preparative TLC (1000 μm silica gel layer, 20×20 cm plate), eluting once with 1% MeOH in CH2Cl2 and then three times with hexanes:EtOAc 3:1. One obtains the title compound as pale yellow solid, >95% pure by HPLC; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.57 (s, 9H), 5.06 (brs, 2H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 6.99-7.04 (m, 2H), 7.22-7.26 (m, 2H), 7.31-7.42 (m, 4H), 7.44 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 2H), 7.46 (d, J=5.3 Hz, 1H). MS (ES+): m/z 373.1 (100) [MH+]. a) 1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-tert-butyl-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: A mixture of POCl3 (3 mL, 5 g, 33 mmol) and N-[(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-2,2-dimethylpropionamide (109 mg, 0.266 mmol) is heated to 55° C. for 6 d. POCl3 is evaporated, a cold solution of NH3 in iPrOH (2 M, 5 mL) is added, the suspension is filtered, and the solid is washed with iPrOH. The crude material contained in the combined filtrate and washings is adsorbed onto Hydromatrix and chromatographed on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 10 g/70 mL cartridge, eluting with hexanes:EtOAc 10:1 (1-22)→5:1 (23-40)], yielding the title compound as yellow oil that slowly solidifies; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.59 (s, 9H), 5.13 (s, 2H), 7.03 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.27-7.42 (m, 7H), 7.46 (d, J=7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.87 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H). MS (ES+): m/z 392.1/394.0 (12/4) [MH+]. b) N-[(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-2,2-dimethylpropionamide: To a solution of the crude C-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine (444 mg, max. 1.36 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (5 mL), cooled by ice/water, are added NEt3 (210 μL, 152 mg, 1.51 mmol), DMAP (8 mg, 0.07 mmol), and pivaloyl chloride (185 μL, 181 mg, 1.50 mmol), then the cooling bath is removed, and the reaction solution is stirred at ambient temperature for 4.5 h. More pivaloyl chloride (90 μL, 88 mg, 0.73 mmol) and NEt3 (100 μL, 73 mg, 0.72 mmol) are added and also after further 2.5 h, and the solution is stirred overnight at ambient temperature. The reaction mixture is taken up in EtOAc (35 mL), washed with diluted HCl, water, NaHCO3 sol., and brine, dried over MgSO4, filtered, and concentrated in vacuo. The crude material is chromatographed on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 50 g/150 mL cartridge, eluting with hexanes:EtOAc 10:1 (1-17)→3:1 (18-41)→2:1 (42-56)], yielding the title compound as orange oil; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.21 (s, 9H), 5.03 (s, 2H), 6.50 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 6.86-6.90 (m, 1H), 6.93-6.97 (m, 2H), 7.23 (t, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.29-7.43 (m, 6H), 8.32 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 2H), 8.50 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H). MS (ES+): m/z 410.1/412.1 (100/36) [MH+], 309.1/311.1 (32/12) [MH+-tBuCONH2]. Example 49 cis-1-[3-(Benzyloxy)phenyl]-3-[3-(dimethylamino) cyclobutyl]imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-amine: A light yellow isopropanol solution (5.0 mL) of cis-[3-(8-chloro-1-phenyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl)-cyclobutyl]-dimethyl-amine (0.21 mmol, 90 mg) in a 15 mL sealed tube was cooled to −78° C. Ammonia was bubbled into the solution for 90 sec; the tube was capped and heated to 114° C. for 10 h. The sealed tube was cooled to rt and then −78° C. before it was uncapped. The reaction mixture was filtered through a Buchner funnel to remove NH4Cl salt and the remaining solid was washed with EtOAc (15 mL×2) and MeOH (15 mL×2). The combined filtrates were concentrated to provide the light yellow greasy compound (90 mg), which was purified by mass directed HPLC (gradient: 5% to 60% CH3CN in water at pH 9 in 6 min). The title compound was obtained as off-white solid with >95% purity; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ 7.45 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 2H), 7.41-7.31 (m, 4H), 7.26-7.22 (m, 2H), 7.13 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.04 (d, J=4.0 Hz, 1H), 7.01 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 5.11 (d, J=24 Hz, 2H), 3.41 (p, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 2.80 (p, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 2.68-2.62 (m, 2H), 2.49-2.41 (m, 2H). MS (ES+): m/z 414 (100) [MH+]. a) cis-[3-(8-Chloro-1-phenyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl)-cyclobutyl]-dimethyl-amine: An DCE solution of 3-{1-[3-(benzyloxy)phenyl]-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}cyclobutanone was charged with dimethylamine (0.37 mmol, 0.19 mL) and then catalytic amount of AcOH (7 μL). The mixture was stirred at rt for 30 min before resin-bound triacetoxyborohydride (0.5 mmol, 240 mg) was added. Reaction mixture was stirred at rt for 16 h before the solution was filtered through a Buchner funnel to remove the resin. The filtrate was concentrated and the obtained oil was dissolved in DCM (15 mL), washed with saturated NaHCO3 solution (2×15 mL) and brine (2×15 mL). The solvent was dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure. The title compound was obtained as a yellow greasy oil; MS (ES+): m/z 433 (100) [MH+]. Example 50 3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol: A solution of 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (1.82 g, 4.92 mmol) in 4M HCl in dioxane (20 mL) was heated to 75° C. in a sealed tube for 1.5 h. The reaction was allowed to cool to rt, the dioxane was decanted off and the brown gum residue was cooled to 0° C. in an ice-bath and charged with 7N NH3 in MeOH until basic. The reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo, triturated with EtOAc and CHCl3, and the NH4Cl salts filtered off. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and purified by flash silica chromatography (8% MeOH in CHCl3) resulting in an off-white solid; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 1.84-1.99 (m, 1H), 2.00-2.16 (m, 1H), 2.34-2.48 (m, 4H), 3.86-4.00 (m, 1H), 6.08 (brs, 2H), 6.81 (dd, 1H, J=8.4 Hz, 8.0 Hz), 6.95-7.06 (m, 3H), 7.30 (t, 1H, J=8.4 Hz); 7.41 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 9.63 (brs, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 281.39 [MH+]. Example 51 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4-fluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: An anhydrous DMF (2 mL) solution of 3-(8-amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol (50 mg, 0.179 mmol) and K2CO3 (27 mg, 0.197 mmol) was charged with 1-bromomethyl-4-fluoro-benzene (7) (24 μL, 0.197 mmol) and stirred 12 h at 40° C. The reaction mixture was partitioned between CHCl3 and H2O and separated. The aqueous layer was re-extracted with CHCl3 (3×) and the combined organic fractions were washed with H2O (1×), brine (1×), dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated in vacuo. The crude mixture was purified by MDP resulting in a light tan/waxy solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.99-2.08 (m, 1H), 2.11-2.25 (m, 1H), 2.44-2.55 (m, 2H), 2.58-2.70 (m, 2H), 3.75-3.88 (m, 1H), 5.06 (brs, 2H), 5.10 (s, 2H), 6.98-7.15 (m, 5H); 7.20-7.34 (m, 3H), 7.35-7.47 (m, 3H); MS (ES+): m/z 389.14. Example 52 trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-hydroxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester: A solution of trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (50 mg, 0.110 mmol) in 4M HCl in dioxane (2 mL) was heated to 75° C. in a oil-bath for ˜2 h. The reaction mixture was allowed to cool to rt, the dioxane was decanted off and the reaction mixture was quenched with 7N NH3 in MeOH solution (˜2 mL). This crude mixture was concentrated in vacuo resulting in 79 mg of an off-white solid (containing NH4Cl salts). The crude material was purified by flash silica chromatography (10% 7N NH3 in MeOH in CHCl3) resulting in an off-white solid; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 1.51-1.78 (m, 4H), 1.95-2.08 (m, 4H), 2.38-2.48 (m, 1H), 3.07-3.20 (m, 1H), 3.63 (s, 3H), 6.06 (brs, 2H), 6.76-6.89 (m, 1H), 6.95-7.05 (m, 3H), 7.29 (t, 1H, J=7.8 Hz), 7.65 (d, 1H, J=5.1 Hz), 9.62 (brs, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 367.26 [MH+]. Example 53 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzamide: Gaseous NH3 was condensed into a cooled (−78° C.) solution of 3-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzoic acid methyl ester (102 mg, 0.216 mmol) in NH3/i-PrOH (2M, 3 mL) in a pressure tube until the volume had doubled. The tube was sealed and heated to 110° C. for 2 d. After excess NH3/i-PrOH was removed in vacuo, the crude material was taken up in CH2Cl2, adsorbed onto Hydromatrix, and purified by chromatography on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 5 g/25 mL cartridge, eluting with MeOH:CH2Cl2 1%→5%], yielding the title compound, as an off-white solid; 1H NMR (d-DMSO, 400 MHz) δ 5.18 (s, 2H), 6.30 (s, br, —NH2), 7.10-7.18 (m, 2H), 7.25-7.58 (m, 9H), 7.67 (t, J=7.6 Hz, 1H), 7.81 (d, J=4.4 Hz, 1H), 8.00 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 2H), 8.16 (s, 1H), 8.31 (s, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 436.0 (100) [MH+]. a) 3-[1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzoic acid methyl ester: To a solution of N-[(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isophthalamic acid methyl ester (610 mg, 1.25 mmol) in THF (5 mL), cooled to 0° C., KOtBu (1.6 mL, 1M, 1.6 mmol) was added under N2 atmosphere, the cooling bath was removed, and the reaction mixture stirred at rt for 5 min. Upon addition, the color of the solution changed from yellow to brown. THF was evaporated under reduced pressure, POCl3 (10 mL, 17 g, 109 mmol) was added, and the reaction mixture was vortexed at 55° C. for 2 d. POCl3 was removed in vacuo, a cold solution of NH3/i-PrOH (2M, 10 mL) was added, and excess solvent was evaporated. The residue was taken up in EtOAc (4×30 mL), washed with NaHCO3 sat. aq. sol. (2×20 mL) and brine (1×20 mL), dried over anhydrous MgSO4, filtered, and concentrated in vacuo. The crude material was dissolved in CH2Cl2, adsorbed onto Hydromatrix, and purified by chromatography on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 50 g/150 mL cartridge, eluting with EtOAc:CH2Cl2 1%→5%], giving 264 mg (45%, 0.562 mmol) of the title compound, as a yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.97 (s, 3H), 5.15 (s, 2H), 7.08 (ddd, J=8.0, 2.4, 1.2 Hz, 1H), 7.30-7.43 (m, 7H), 7.44-7.48 (m, 2H), 7.67 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 1H), 8.04 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H), 8.05-8.09 (m, 1H), 8.19-8.22 (m, 1H), 8.50-8.52 (m, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 469.8/471.9 (100/39) [MH+]. Example 54 {3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-phenyl}-methanol: Gaseous NH3 was condensed into a cooled (−78° C.) solution of {3-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-phenyl}-methanol (366 mg, 0.829 mmol) in NH3/i-PrOH (2M, 5 mL) in a pressure tube until the volume had doubled. The tube was sealed and heated to 110° C. for 19 h. After excess NH3/i-PrOH was removed in vacuo, the residue was suspended between CH2Cl2 and water, the layers were separated, and the aqueous layer was extracted with CH2Cl2 (3×30 mL). The combined organic layers were washed with brine (3×30 mL), dried over anhydrous MgSO4, and filtered. The crude material was purified by filtration through a plug of silica gel, eluting with 5% MeOH:CH2Cl2 (400 mL), concentrated in vacuo, giving 311.5 mg (89%, 0.737 mmol) of the title compound, as a yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 4.80 (s, 2H), 5.09 (s, —NH2), 5.16 (s, 2H), 7.05-7.09 (m, 1H), 7.11 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H), 7.29-7.37 (m, 3H), 7.37-7.48 (m, 5H), 7.47-7.51 (m, 1H), 7.54 (t, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.63 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H), 7.73-7.78 (m, 1H), 7.86 (s, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 423.0 (100) [MH+]. a) {3-[1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-phenyl}-methanol: To a solution of 3-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzoic acid methyl ester (552 mg, 1.17 mmol) in THF (25 mL), cooled to 0° C., 1M LiAlH4 (880 μL, 797 mg, 0.880 mmol) was added, under N2, and the reaction solution was vortexed for 2 h. Upon addition, the reaction mixture changed from yellow to dark green in color. The reaction was quenched with potassium sodium tartrate sat. aq. sol. (25 mL), extracted with EtOAc (3×20 mL), washed with brine (1×40 mL), dried over MgSO4, and filtered. The crude material was purified by filtration through a plug of silica gel plug [eluting with EtOAc:CH2Cl2 1:1 (400 mL)] and concentrated, affording 366.3 mg (71%, 0.829 mmol) of the title compound, as a yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 4.82 (d, J=6.0 Hz, 2H), 5.15 (s, 2H), 7.05-7.11 (m, 1H), 7.32-7.43 (m, 7H), 7.44-7.49 (m, 2H), 7.52-7.61 (m, 2H), 7.73-7.78 (m, 1H), 7.87 (s, 1H), 8.05 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 441.9/443.9 (100/38) [MH+]. Example 55 3-(3-Aminomethylphenyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: To a solution of 2-{3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione (328 mg, 0.594 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (4 mL), N2H4 (56 μL, 57 mg, 1.78 mmol) was added and the reaction was vortexed at rt for 17 h, under N2 atmosphere. Additional N2H4 (40 μL, 41 mg, 1.27 mmol) and CH2Cl2 (10 mL) were added and vortexing was continued for 3 d. The suspension was filtered, the solid was washed extensively with CH2Cl2, and the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo. The crude material (273 mg) was purified by chromatography on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 5 g/25 mL cartridge, eluting with MeOH (7N NH3):CH2Cl2 5%→10%], affording 107.4 mg (43%, 0.255 mmol) of the title compound, as a yellow solid, containing 0.18 eq. of DMF. Mixed fractions were also collected, giving an additional 67.4 mg (max. 16%, 0.159 mmol) of the title compound, as a yellow solid, containing 0.8 eq. of DMF; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.88 (s, br, —NH2), 3.97 (s, 2H), 5.15 (s, 4H), 7.05-7.09 (m, 1H), 7.10 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H), 7.29-7.47 (m, 9H), 7.51 (t, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.63 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.69 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 1H), 7.81 (s, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 422.0 (14) [MH+]. Example 56 2-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-benzyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione: To a solution/suspension of {3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-phenyl}-methanol (312 mg, 0.737 mmol), isoindole-1,3-dione (130 mg, 0.885 mmol), and PS-PPh3 (loading 2.12 mmol/g; 696 mg, 1.47 mmol) in anhydrous THF (15 mL), cooled to 0° C., DIAD (218 μL, 224 mg, 1.11 mmol) was added dropwise, under N2 atmosphere. After 10 min, the cooling bath was removed and the reaction mixture stirred at ambient temperature for 3d. The resin was filtered off on a glass frit (porosity M) and washed with large volumes of THF and then CH2Cl2. The filtrate was concentrated, adsorbed onto Hydromatrix, and the crude material (0.6843 g) was purified by chromatography on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 20 g/70 mL cartridge, eluting with MeOH:CH2Cl2 0.5%→3%], yielding the title compound as a yellow solid. Sample contains ≈0.3 eq. of reduced DIAD by 1H NMR; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 4.94 (s, 2H), 5.07 (s, 2H), 5.16 (s, 2H), 7.07 (ddd, J=8.4, 2.8, 1.2 Hz, 1H), 7.11 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.28-7.33 (m, 3H), 7.33-7.36 (m, 1H), 7.37-7.43 (m, 2H), 7.43-7.47 (m, 2H), 7.50 (t, J=7.6 Hz, 1H), 7.53-7.56 (m, 1H), 7.62 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.72 (dd, J=5.6, 2.8 Hz, 2H), 7.74-7.77 (m, 1H), 7.86 (dd, J=5.2, 3.2 Hz, 2H), 7.92 (s, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 552.3 (100) [MH+]. Example 57 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester: The procedures for 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4-fluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine were applied; MS (ES+): m/z 493.16 [MH+]. Example 58 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid: The saponification procedures applied to the synthesis of trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid was applied to 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester to afford the title compound; MS (ES+): m/z 479.10 [MH+]. Example 59 cis-3-(3-Dimethylaminomethyl-cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: A sealed tube containing a solution of cis-toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutylmethyl ester (100 mg, 0.18 mmol) in THF (3 mL) was charged with dimethylamine solution (1.8 mL, 3.6 mmol, 2.0 M in THF), sealed, and heated at 50° C. overnight. The mixture was concentrated and the residue was diluted with ethyl acetate (40 mL), washed with sat. aq. NaHCO3 (2×15 mL) and brine (2×15 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure, and the residue was recrystallized to afford a white solid; LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 428 [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.23 (s, 6H), 2.24-2.32 (m, 2H), 2.42 (d, J=6.1 Hz, 2H), 2.61-2.69 (m, 3H), 3.64 (m, 1H), 4.98 (br s, 2H, NH2), 5.15 (s, 2H), 7.00-7.04 (m, 2H), 7.12 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H), 7.23-7.27 (m, 2H), 7.31-7.46 (m, 6H). Example 60 cis-3-(3-Azetidin-1-ylmethylcyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Procedures for 3-(3-Dimethylaminomethyl-cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine were followed, replacing dimethylamine with azetidine, LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 440 [MH+]. Example 61 cis-3-(3-Pyrrolidin-1-ylmethylcyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Procedures for 3-(3-Dimethylaminomethyl-cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine were followed, replacing dimethylamine with pyrrolidine, LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 454 [MH+]. Example 62 cis-3-(3-Azidomethyl-cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: A solution of cis-toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutylmethyl ester (100 mg, 0.18 mmol) in DMF (2 mL) was charged with sodium azide (35 mg, 0.54 mmol), the resulting mixture was stirred at rt overnight. The mixture was diluted with water (5 mL), then extracted with ethyl acetate (3×10 mL), the combined organic phases were washed with water (2×10 mL) and brine (10 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure, and the residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluting with 100% ethyl acetate), yielding the title compound as a white solid; LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 426 [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.36-2.44 (m, 2H), 2.63-2.79 (m, 3H), 3.37 (d, J=6.7 Hz, 2H), 3.69 (m, 1H), 5.14 (s, 4H, —OCH2— and —NH2), 7.02-7.05 (m, 2H), 7.10 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H), 7.25-7.45 (m, 8H). Example 63 cis-3-(3-aminomethyl-cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: cis-3-(3-Azidomethyl-cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (35 mg, 0.082 mmol) was dissolved in ethanol (5 mL) upon heating, the mixture was cooled to rt. and charged with Lindlar catalyst (30 mg). The mixture was hydrogenated at rt overnight. LC-MS showed the reaction was complete and clean. The catalyst was removed by filtration through a pad of celite, the filtrate was concentrated and the residue was purified by mass-directed purification to give a white solid; LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 400 [MH+]; 1H NMR (CD3OD, 400 MHz) δ 2.17-2.24 (m, 2H), 2.56-2.67 (m, 3H), 2.79 (d, J=6.5 Hz, 2H), 3.84 (m, 1H), 5.17 (s, 2H), 6.98 (d, J=5.1 Hz, 1H), 7.15-7.47 (m, 10H). Example 64 cis-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutane-carboxylic acid amide: A solution of cis-3-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutane-carboxylic acid methyl ester (115 mg, 0.26 mmol) in 4 mL of iPrOH was cooled to −78° C. and charged with NH3 gas for 2 min. This sealed tube was equipped with a teflon O-ring, sealed and heated at 110° C. overnight. The mixture was cooled to −78° C. and the cap was removed. The mixture was diluted with EtOAc (30 mL) and washed with brine (15 mL), dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure and the crude product was purified by mass-directed purification to afford an off-white solid; LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 414 [MH+]; 1H NMR (CD3OD, 400 MHz) δ 2.65-2.73 (m, 4H), 3.24 (m, 1H), 3.87 (m, 1H), 5.17 (s, 2H), 6.99 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.10-7.48 (m, 10H). Example 65 trans-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutane-carboxylic acid amide: The title compound was prepared according to the procedure described for cis-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutane-carboxylic acid amide above, LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 414 [MH+]; 1H NMR (CD3OD, 400 MHz) δ 2.70-2.78 (m, 4H), 3.28 (m, 1H), 4.03 (m, 1H), 5.18 (s, 2H), 6.99 (d, J=5.1 Hz, 1H), 7.10-7.48 (m, 10H). a) cis and trans-3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutane-carboxylic acid methyl ester: A solution of (COCl)2 (3.17 g, 2.2 mL, 25.0 mmol) in dry methylene chloride (20 mL) was charged with a solution of DMSO (3.90 g, 50.0 mmol) in methylene chloride (10 mL) dropwise at −78° C. under nitrogen. The resulting mixture was stirred at −78° C. for 30 min, followed by the addition of {3-[1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}methanol in methylene chloride (15 mL). The mixture was stirred at −78° C. for 30 min, then quenched with Et3N (17.5 mL, 125 mmol) and slowly warmed to rt. The mixture was diluted with methylene chloride (100 mL), then washed with water (30 mL), sat. aq. NaHCO3 (2×30 mL) and brine (30 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. TLC showed the reaction completed and produced the desired aldehydes (trans isomer is less polar than cis one). Evaporation afforded the crude product as a yellow oil, which was directly used to the next step. The solution of the above aldehyde in anhydrous methanol (50 mL) was charged with NIS (6.75 g, 30 mmol) and potassium carbonate (4.14 g, 30 mmol), the resulting mixture was stirred in the dark at rt overnight. TLC showed the reaction almost completed. The reaction was quenched with 20 mL of water and diluted with ethyl acetate (150 mL), then washed with sat. aq. Na2S2O3 (2×30 mL) and brine (50 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure, and the crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluting with Hexanes:EtOAc=70:30→60:40→50:50) by which the two isomers were separated. cis-3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutane-carboxylic acid methyl ester: yellow oil; LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 448/450 (3/1) [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.73-2.80 (m, 2H), 2.89-2.97 (m, 2H), 3.30 (m, 1H), 3.70 (s, 3H), 3.78 (m, 1H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.04 (m, 1H), 7.26-7.47 (m, 9H), 7.58 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H). trans-3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutane-carboxylic acid methyl ester: yellow oil; LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 448/450 (3/1) [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.76-2.83 (m, 2H), 2.88-2.95 (m, 2H), 3.33 (m, 1H), 3.77 (s, 3H), 4.03 (m, 1H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.05 (m, 1H), 7.26-7.47 (m, 9H), 7.50 (d, J=4.9 Hz, 1H). Example 66 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxymethyl-cyclobutanol: To a solution of 1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-(3-methylenecyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (1.0 g, 2.5 mmol) in THF (21 mL) and water (7 mL) were added NMO (1.0 mL, 5.0 mmol, 50% aq. solution) and K2OsO4.H2O (46 mg, 0.125 mmol). The resulting mixture was stirred at rt overnight. TLC showed the reaction was complete. The reaction was quenched with Na2SO3 (1.60 g, 12.5 mmol). Water (15 mL) was added to dissolve the salts and the organic phase was separated. The aqueous phase was extracted with EtOAc (3×25 mL), and the combined organic phases were washed with brine (20 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to give a yellow solid, a mixture of two isomers in ca. 3:2 ratio by 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz). LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 436/438 (3/1) [MH+]. The solution of the above diol (260 mg, 0.6 mmol) in 5 mL of iPrOH was cooled to −78° C. and charged with NH3 gas for 1 min. This sealed tube was equipped with a teflon O-ring, sealed and heated at 110° C. overnight. The mixture was cooled to −78° C. and the cap was removed. The mixture was diluted with methylene chloride (30 mL) and the salt was filtered off. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure and the crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography (100% ethyl acetate→EtOAc:MeOH=95:5 to 90:10), the title compound as a pale solid, a mixture of two isomers in ca. 3:2 ratio; LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 417 [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.54-2.80 (m, 4H), 2.80, 3.85 (2×m, 1H, 2:3 ratio), 3.67, 3.71 (2×s, 2H, 3:2 ratio), 5.06 (br s, 2H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.03-7.45 (m, 11H). Example 67 and 68 cis- and trans-Toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxy-cyclobutylmethyl ester: A solution of 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxymethyl-cyclobutanol (500 mg, 1.2 mmol) in dry methylene chloride (10 mL) and pyridine (3 mL) was charged with a solution of Ts2O (470 mg, 1.44 mmol) in methylene chloride (3 mL) at −40° C. under N2 atmosphere. The mixture was slowly warmed to rt overnight. TLC showed the reaction was complete. The reaction was quenched with water (2 mL), diluted with methylene chloride (40 mL), washed with sat. aq. NaHCO3 (2×15 mL) and brine (15 mL), and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure, and the crude material was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluting with Hexanes:EtOAc=50:50→30:70→100% ethyl acetate, then 5% MeOH/EtOAc) afforded each pure isomer. cis-Toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxy-cyclobutylmethyl ester: less polar isomer, light yellow solid, LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 571 [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.46 (s, 3H), 2.50-2.55 (m, 2H), 2.79-2.84 (m, 2H), 3.41 (m, 1H), 4.10 (s, 2H), 5.06 (br s, 2H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.03-7.11 (m, 3H), 7.21-7.23 (m, 2H), 7.33-7.45 (m, 8H), 7.85 (d, J=8.3 Hz, 2H). trans-Toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxy-cyclobutylmethyl ester: light yellow solid, LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 571 [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.37 (s, 3H), 2.60-2.70 (m, 4H), 3.85 (m, 1H), 4.24 (s, 2H), 5.08 (br s, 2H), 5.17 (s, 2H), 6.99-7.08 (m, 3H), 7.20-7.27 (m, 3H), 7.33-7.47 (m, 7H), 7.71 (d, J=8.3 Hz, 2H). Example 69 trans-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-azetidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutanol: A sealed tube containing a solution of trans-toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-hydroxy-cyclobutylmethyl ester (100 mg, 0.18 mmol) in THF (5 mL) was charged with azetidine (0.24 mL, 3.6 mmol), sealed, and heated at 50° C. overnight. The mixture was concentrated and the residue was purified by mass-directed purification to afford the title compound as a white solid; LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 456 [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.05-2.12 (m, 2H), 2.50-2.63 (m, 6H), 3.30 (t, J=7.0 Hz, 4H), 3.96 (m, 1H), 4.15 (br s, 1H, —OH), 5.15 (s, 4H, —OCH2— and —NH2), 7.03-7.09 (m, 3H), 7.25-7.46 (m, 8H). Example 70 cis-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-azetidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutanol: The title compound was prepared according to the procedure described for trans-3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-1-azetidin-1-ylmethyl-cyclobutanol above, white solid; LC-MS (ES, Pos.): m/z 456 [MH+]; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.05-2.17 (m, 2H), 2.56-2.68 (m, 4H), 2.70 (s, 2H), 3.30 (m, 1H), 3.39 (t, J=7.0 Hz, 4H), 4.29 (br s, 1H, —OH), 5.10 (br s, 2H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 7.01-7.05 (m, 2H), 7.13 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H), 7.22-7.26 (m, 2H), 7.33-7.46 (m, 6H). Example 71 1-[3-(4-tert-Butoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: A solution of 3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol (200 mg, 0.71 mmol) in DMF (3.5 mL) was charged with Cs2CO3 (348 mg, 1.07 mmol) and stirred at rt for 30 min. A solution of 1-bromomethyl-4-tert-butoxy-benzene (162 mg, 0.71 mmole) in 0.5 mL of DMF, was added to the reaction mixture. After 15 h, the reaction was complete by LC/MS analysis. The product was an orange/brown solid. The crude product was chromatographed on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 5 g cartridge, eluting with 10% ethyl acetate]. The product was then recrystalized with ethyl acetate and hexanes yielding the title compound as a white solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.36 (s, 9H), 2.11-2.23 (m, 2H), 2.45-2.52 (m, 2H), 2.59-2.69 (m, 2H), 3.77-3.85 (m, 1H), 5.08 (s, 2H), 5.49 (brs, 2H), 7.01-7.04 (m, 3H), 7.05 (dd, J=4.00 Hz, 1H), 7.10 (d, J=5.02 Hz, 1H), 7.23-7.25 (m, 1H), 7.29 (q, J=40 Hz, 1H), 7.34-7.36 (m, 2H), 7.41 (t, J=16 Hz, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 443.04 (100) [MH+]. Example 72 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-Benzonitrile: A solution of 3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol (500 mg, 1.78 mmol) in DMF (8.9 mL) was charged with Cs2CO3 (871 mg, 2.68 mmol) and stirred for 30 min. at rt. A solution of 2-cyanobenzyl bromide (500 mg, 1.78 mmol) in DMF was added to the reaction mixture. After 24 h at rt the reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo and chromatographed on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 10 g cartridge, eluting with 50% EtOAc:hexanes to 100% EtOAc]. The product was then recrystalized with CH2Cl2 and hexanes yielding the title compound as a light red solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.02-2.06 (m, 1H), 2.11-2.33 (m, 1H), 2.45-2.53 (m, 2H), 2.59-2.69 (m, 2H), 3.77-3.86 (m, 1H), 5.33 (s, 2H), 7.02-7.04 (m, 1H), 7.05 (dd, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 7.10 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.29-7.30 (m, 1H), 7.33 (q, J=3.6, 11H), 7.40-7.64 (m, 2H), 7.61-7.66 (m, 1H), 7.70-7.72 (m, 2H); MS (ES+): m/z 395.99 (100) [MH+]. Example 73 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2-nitro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: A solution of 3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol (2.00 g, 7.13 mmol) in DMF (36.7 mL) was charged with Cs2CO3 (3.48 g, 10.7 mmol) and stirred at rt for 30 min. A DMF solution of 2-nitrobenzyl bromide (1.54 g, 7.13 mmol), was then added to the reaction mixture. The reaction was allowed to progress at rt under nitrogen for 3.5 h. TLC analysis showed that the reaction was complete. The product was purified using silica gel column chromatography (1-3% NH3 in MeOH:CH2Cl2). The final product was concentrated to a yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.00-2.08 (m, 1H), 2.11-2.23 (m, 1H), 2.45-2.53 (m, 2H), 2.59-2.69 (m, 2H), 3.77-3.86 (m, 1H), 5.57 (s, 2H), 7.01-7.05 (m, 2H), 7.11 (d, J=5.6 HZ, 1H), 7.27-7.30 (m, 1H), 7.32-7.33 (m, 1H), 7.42 (t, J=16.4 Hz, 1H), 7.48-7.52 (m, 1H), 7.67-7.71 (m, 1H), 7.92 (dd, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 8.17 (d, J=9.5 Hz, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 416.01 (100) [MH+]. Example 74 1-[3-(2-Bromo-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: A solution of 3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol (100 mg, 0.36 mmol) in DMF (1.8 mL) was charged with Cs2CO3 (174 mg, 0.54 mmol) and stirred at rt for 30 min. A solution of 2-bromobenzyl bromide (89.2 mg, 0.36 mmol) in DMF was added to the reaction mixture. Reaction mixture was stirred overnight at rt under nitrogen. The crude product was left under high vacuum to remove the DMF for 2 h. The product was then purified by silica gel column chromatography (3% NH3 in MeOH):CH2Cl2 to yield the title compound as a brown/red solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.02-2.08 (m, 1H), 2.14-2.21 (m, 1H), 2.45-2.53 (m, 2H), 2.59-2.69 (m, 2H), 3.77-3.85 (m, 1H), 5.21 (s, 2H), 7.00 (d, J=5.6 Hz, 1H), 7.04-7.07 (m, 1H), 7.11 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.18-7.23 (m, 1H), 7.25-7.30 (m, 2H), 7.33-7.37 (m, 1H), 7.42 (t, J=16 Hz, 1H), 7.55-7.61 (m, 2H); MS (ES+): m/z 450.81 (100) [MH+]. Example 75 1-[3-(3-Aminomethyl-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: 2-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione (100 mg, 0.19 mmol) was dissolved in EtOH (0.76 mL) and charged with hydrazine (60 mg, 1.89 mmol) and stirred overnight at rt. The white ppt filtered and washed with EtOH. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo, silica gel was added in CH2Cl2, and concentrated to solid. The product was chromatographed on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 2 g cartridge, eluting with ˜2% 7N NH3 MeOH:CH2Cl2] and isolated the title compound as a yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.84-1.92 (m, 1H), 1.97-2.09 (m, 1H), 2.34-2.40 (m, 2H), 2.44-2.46 (m, 2H), 3.69 (s, 2H), 3.84-3.92 (m, 1H), 5.10 (s, 2H), 6.96 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.01-7.03 (m, 1H), 7.13-7.16 (m, 1H), 7.18-7.19 (m, 1H), 7.23-7.32 (m, 3H), 7.35-7.40 (m, 3H); MS (ES+): m/z 400.17 (100) [MH+]. Example 76 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzoic acid methyl ester. A solution of 3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol (2.87 g, 10.2 mmol) in DMF was charged with Cs2CO3 (4.98 g, 15.3 mmol) and stirred at rt for 30 min. A DMF solution of methyl (3-bromomethyl)benzoate (2.33 g, 10.2 mmol) was added to the reaction mixture. The reaction mixture was stirred overnight at rt under nitrogen. The crude product was placed under high vacuum to remove the residual DMF. The product was then purified using silica gel column chromatography (1% NH3 in MeOH:CH2Cl2). The product was recrystalized with CH2Cl2 and hexanes to yield the title compounds as a white solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.00-2.07 (m, 1H), 2.11-2.22 (m, 1H), 2.45-2.52 (m, 2H), 2.58-2.68 (m, 2H), 3.76-3.85 (m, 1H), 3.93 (s, 3H), 5.18 (s, 2H), 7.01-7.04 (m, 2H), 7.10-7.11 (m, 1H), 7.24-7.29 (m, 2H), 7.38-7.49 (m, 2H), 7.65 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 1H), 8.01 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 8.13 (s, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 429.18 (100) [MH+]. Example 77 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-Benzamide: 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzoic acid methyl ester (150 mg, 0.35 mmol) was dissolved in a sealed tube with 2.0 ml of 7N NH3 in MeOH and heated to 60° C. overnight. LC/MS analysis indicated that the reaction was incomplete, therefore NH3 gas was bubbled into the solution and the reaction was run at 100° C. in a 100 mL Parr pressure vessel. The product was chromatographed on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 5 g cartridge, eluting with 2% NH3 in MeOH:CH2Cl2] to yield the title compound as a white solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.99-2.08 (m, 1H), 2.13-2.25 (m, 1H), 2.46-2.55 (m, 2H), 2.55-2.65 (m, 2H), 3.78-3.87 (m, 1H), 5.21 (s, 2H), 6.95 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.08-7.11 (m, 1H), 7.13 (d, J=5.6 Hz, 1H), 7.22-7.24 (m, 2H), 7.42-7.51 (m, 2H), 7.61 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 7.80-7.83 (m, 1H), 7.94 s, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 414.21 (100) [MH+]. Example 78 {3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-methanol: A solution of 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzoic acid methyl ester (600 mg, 1.40 mmol) in THF was cooled to −78° C. in an acetone/dry ice bath for 5.0 min. The reaction was purged with nitrogen and charged dropwise with 1M lithium aluminum hydride (LAH) (1.40 mL). After all the LAH was added, the solution was removed from the bath and allowed to warm to room temperature (rt). As the solution warmed, a white solid formed on the sides of the flask. The reaction mixture was then charged with ethyl acetate, Na2SO4.10H2O and silica. This solution was then concentrated in vacuo to a solid, and was chromatographed on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 50 g cartridge, eluting with 2% NH3 in MeOH:CH2Cl2] to yield the title compound as a white solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.99-2.07 (m, 1H), 2.11-2.22 (m, 1H), 2.44-2.52 (m, 2H), 2.58-2.68 (m, 2H), 3.76-3.84 (m, 1H), 4.69 (s, 2H), 5.16 (s, 2H), 6.98 (d, J=13.2 Hz, 1H), 7.02-7.05 (m, 1H), 7.08 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H), 7.16-7.17 (m, 1H), 7.25-7.28 (m, 1H), 7.35-7.43 (m, 5H); MS (ES+): m/z 401.19 (100) [MH+]. Example 79 2-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzyl}-isoindole-1,3-dione: Phthalimide (44 mg, 0.25 mmol), PS-triphenylphosphine (169 mg, 0.37 mmol) and {3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-methanol (100 mg, 0.25 mmol) were added to a dry rbf and dissolved with THF (1.25 mL), which was then evacuated and purged three times with nitrogen. DIAD (61 mg, 0.30 mmol) was added slowly to the reaction mixture and allowed to slowly stir for 24 h at rt. LC/MS analysis indicated that the reaction was nearly finished with some starting material left, but mostly product. Therefore, 0.2 eq. of DIAD and phthalimide were added and the reaction was left to proceed. The reaction mixture was filtered through a glass frit and washed with CH2Cl2 multiple times. The filtrate was concentrated to a red/brown oil and purified using silica gel column chromatography (1% NH3 in MeOH:CH2Cl2) to afford the title compound; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.00-2.09 (m, 1H), 2.11-2.23 (m, 1H), 2.45-2.53 (m, 2H), 2.59-2.69 (m, 2H), 3.77-3.85 (m, 1H), 4.87 (s, 2H), 5.11 (s, 2H), 6.99-7.02 (m, 2H), 7.10 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.23-7.26 (m, 2H), 7.35-7.42 (m, 4H), 7.49 (s, 1H), 7.69-7.73 (m, 2H), 7.82-7.87 (m, 2H); MS (ES+): m/z 530.14 (100) [MH+]. Example 80 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzoic acid: A 5 mL methanolic solution of 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzoic acid methyl ester (600 mg, 1.40 mmol) with 5 mL THF was charged with 5 mL of 10 N NaOH and the reaction mixture was heated to 60° C. After 1 h, the reaction was allowed to cool to rt and the pH of the reaction mixture was lowered to 3-4. A white precipitate formed, which was filtered and washed with hexanes to afford the title compound as a white powder; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.90-1.97 (m, 1H), 2.04-2.15 (m, 1H), 2.36-2.56 (m, 4H), 3.60-3.79 (m, 1H), 5.10 (s, 2H), 6.84 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 6.97-7.01 (m, 1H), 7.07 (d, J=5.6 Hz, 1H), 7.12-7.15 (m, 2H), 7.32-7.40 (m, 2H), 7.54 (d, J=7.2 Hz, 1H), 7.91 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 1H), 8.02 (s, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 415.15 (100) [MH+]. Example 81 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-N-methyl-Benzamide: A solution of 3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-benzoic acid (100 mg, 0.24 mmol) and methylamine HCl (163 mg, 2.41 mmol) in DMF (1.2 mL) was charged with DIEA (0.42 mL, 2.41 mmol), HOBt (37.0 mg, 0.24 mmol), and EDC (69.0 mg, 0.36 mmol). The brown colored reaction mixture was allowed to stir for 18 h. LC/MS analysis indicated that the reaction was nearly complete. The reaction was heated to 50° C. and allowed to react for an additional 18 h. The DMF was removed in vacuo and the product was chromatographed on silica gel [Jones Flashmaster, 5 g cartridge, eluting with 2% 7N NH3 MeOH:CH2Cl2] to yield the title compound as a pink solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.99-2.07 (m, 1H), 2.11-2.20 (m, 1H), 2.44-2.50 (m, 2H), 2.57-2.67 (m, 2H), 3.01 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 3H), 3.76-3.85 (m, 1H), 5.17 (s, 2H), 6.99-7.02 (m, 2H), 7.10 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 7.24-7.27 (m, 2H), 7.37-7.46 (m, 2H), 7.55 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 1H), 7.71 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 1H), 7.85 (s, 1H); MS (ES+): m/z 428.17 (100) [MH+]. Example 82 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-methoxymethylene-cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine; Light brown foam; 1H NMR (CD3OD, 400 MHz) δ 3.27-3.29 (m, 4H), 3.58 (s, 3H), 3.85 (q, 1H, J=7.7 Hz), 5.13 (s, 2H), 5.93 (s, 1H), 7.26-7.66 (m, 1H); MS (ES) 413.15 (M+1), 414.11 (M+2), 415.12 (M+3). a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-(3-methoxymethylene-cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: To a solution of Ph3PCH2OMeCl (2.6 g, 7.44 mmol) in benzene (37 mL) a solution of sodium tert-amylate (819.0 mg, 7.44 mmol) in benzene (9.0 mL) was added at rt. The dark red solution was allowed to stir at rt for 10 min. at which point a solution of 3-[1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutanone in benzene (30.0 mL) was added dropwise at rt. The reaction mixture was then heated to 70° C. for 4 h. The reaction was then quenched with NH4Cl sat. Aq. and extracted with diethyl ether (3×). The organic layers were washed with H2O (1×), brine (1×), dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated in vacuo. Purification via HPFC using a 50 g Jones silica gel column (30% EtOAc:Hex) to yield the desired product as a light yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.29-3.33 (m, 4H), 3.59 (s, 3H), 3.90 (q, 1H, J=8.2 Hz), 5.14 (s, 2H), 5.93 (s, 1H), 7.26-7.66 (m, 11H); MS (ES) 432.05 (M+1), 434.01 (M+3), 435.02 (M+4). Example 83 3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl] cyclobutanecarbaldehyde: To a methylene chloride solution (6.0 mL) of 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3-methoxymethylene-cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (287.0 mg, 0.696 mmol), CF3CO2H (0.11 mL, 1.392 mmol) was added, followed by H2O (0.5 mL). The reaction mixture was allowed to react for 1 h at rt. After which an ethanolic solution (5.0 mL) of K2CO3 (192.3 mg, 1.392 mmol) was added to the reaction and allowed to stir at rt for an additional 2 h. The reaction mixture extracted between water and EtOAc. The organic layers were washed with brine (1×), dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated in vacuo to yield the desired product as a brown solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) (mixture of cis and trans isomers) δ 2.45-2.84 (m, 4H), 3.25-3.32 (m, 1H), 3.74-3.79 (m, 1H), 5.22 (s, 2H), 6.84-6.85 (m, 1H), 7.00-7.17 (m, 5H), 7.27-7.39 (m, 6H), 9.69 (s, 1H), 9.88 (s,1H); MS (ES) 399.07 (M+1), 400.0 (M+2), 401.0 (M+3). Example 84-A and 84-B cis/trans-1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-methoxy-cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine. 84-A (Cis-isomer): Off-white solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.59-2.11 (m, 5H), 2.12-2.21 (brm, 3H), 3.01 (m, 1H), 3.35 (s, 3H), 3.56 (brs, 1H), 5.15 (s, 2H), 6.92 (d, 1H, J=5.4 Hz), 7.09 (dd, 1H, J=0.9 Hz), 7.20-7.52 (m, 9H); MS (ES) 430.16 (M+1), 431.11 (M+2), 432.12 (M+3). 84-B (Trans-isomer): Off-white solid, 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.30-1.34 (m, 4H), 1.80-2.22 (brm, 6H), 2.85 (tt, 1H, J=3.6 Hz), 3.18-3.31 (m, 1H), 3.33 (s, 3H), 5.03 (s, 2H), 6.93 (d, 2H, J=5.4 Hz), 7.19-7.38 (m, 9H); a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-(4-methoxy-cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine utilizing 4-Methoxy-cyclohexanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (331.0 mg, 0.71 mmol), POCl3 (3.0 mL); Yellow oil; MS (ES) 448.11 (M+1), 450.13 (M+3), 451.08 (M+4). b) 4-Methoxy-cyclohexanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide: Prepared according to the procedures for Cyclobutanecarboxylic Acid [(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl] Amide utilizing 4-methoxy-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (145.7 mg, 0.92 mmol), EDC (264.8 mg, 1.38 mmol), HOBt (141.1 mg, 0.92 mmol) and C-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-C-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine (300.0 mg, 0.92 mmol); Purified using a 5 g Jones silica column, (30% EtOAc:Hex) to yield afford the title compound as a light yellow solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.44-2.23 (m, 10H), 3.29 (s, 3H), 5.02 (s, 2H), 6.53 (t, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.91-6.94 (m, 3H), 6.86-7.41 (m, 7H), 8.31 (t, 1H, J=3.0 Hz), 8.53 (d, 1H, J=2.6 Hz); MS (ES) 466.41 (M+1), 468.38 (M+3), 469.45 (M+4). Example 85 cis-tert-Butyl ({3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutyl}oxy)acetate: Prepared according to the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 7.48-7.31 (m, 7H), 7.26 (t, J=1.6 Hz, 1H), 7.20 (td, J=1.2, 6.4 Hz, 1H), 7.13 (dd, J=4, 8 Hz, 1H), 6.99 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 5.18 (s, 2H), 4.21 (p, J=6.8 Hz, 1H), 3.99 (s, 2H), 3.43-3.35 (m, 1H), 2.87-2.81 (m, 2H) 2.49-2.41 (m, 2H), 1.49 (s, 9H). MS (ES+): m/z 501 (100) [MH+]. a) cis-tert-Butyl ({3-[8-chloro-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}oxy) acetate: cis-3-[1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-8-chloroimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutanol (1.58 mmol, 640 mg) was dissolved in THF (8 mL) and cooled to −78° C. when it was charged with sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (2.37 mmol, 2.37 mL), followed by adding tert-butyl bromoacetate (3.15 mmol, 0.47 mL) portion by portion. The reaction mixture was stirred under −20° C. for 30 min and 0° C. for 1 h before it was allowed to warm to rt slowly and stirred for 16 h. The reaction mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure, dissolved in DCM, washed with water (3×15 mL) and dried over Na2SO4. The crude oil was purified by silica gel column chromatography (Jones Flashmaster, 50 g/150 mL cartridge, eluting with EtOAc:Hexane (2:3)), yielding the title compound as a colorless oil; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 7.53 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H), 7.46 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.40-7.27 (m, 7H), 7.04 (dd, J=2.0, 8.0 Hz, 1H), 5.14 (s, 2H), 4.25 (p, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 3.36-3.27 (m, 1H), 2.90-2.84 (m, 2H), 2.70-2.62 (m, 2H), 1.48 (s, 9H). Example 86 cis-2-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutoxy}ethanol: cis-tert-Butyl ({3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}oxy)acetate (0.4 mmol, 200 mg) was dissolved in THF (2 mL) and charged with LiAlH4 (4 mmol, 4 mL, 1 M in THF) at −78° C., and stirred under rt for 1 h before the reaction mixture was heated to 50° C. for 16 h. Mixture was charged with EtOAc and allowed to stir at rt for 10 min, followed by an addition of Na2SO4.10H2O. The reaction mixture was passed through a pad of Celite and concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude oil was purified by silica gel column chromatography (Jones Flashmaster, 20 g/70 mL cartridge, eluting with 1-3% MeOH in DCM), yielding the title compound as a colorless oil; NMR 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 7.47(td, 2H), 7.43-7.42 (m, 1H), 7.39-7.36 (m, 2H), 7.33-7.29 (m, 1H), 7.25 (t, J=2.0 Hz, 1H), 7.19 (td, J=1.2 Hz, 8 Hz, 1H), 7.13 (dd, J=2.4 Hz, 8.0 Hz, 1H), 6.98 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H), 5.17 (s, 2H), 4.16 (p, J=7.2 Hz, 1H), 3.66-3.65 (m, 2H), 3.51 (t, J=2.4 Hz, 2H), 3.50-3.43 (m, 1H), 2.88-2.81 (m, 2H), 2.46-2.38 (m, 2H). MS (ES+): m/z 431 (100) [MH+]. Example 87 cis-Toluene-4-sulfonic acid 2-{3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutoxy}ethyl ester: Followed tosylation procedures described for previously described Toluene-4-sulfonic acid 3-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutylmethyl ester; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 7.85-7.76 (m, 2H), 7.47-7.29 (m, 9H), 7.21-7.06 (m, 4H), 6.81 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 5.19 (s, 2H), 4.20-4.10 (m, 3H), 3.65-3.60 (m, 2H), 3.34-3.27 (m, 1H), 2.84-2.80 (m, 2H), 2.57-2.44 (m, 2H), 2.44-2.41 (m, 4H). MS (ES+): m/z 585 (100) [MH+]. Example 88 cis-1-(3-Benzyloxyphenyl)-3-[3-(2-dimethylaminoethoxy)-cyclobutyl]imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl amine: Followed general procedures described in Examples 33 and 34; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 7.47-7.44 (m, 3H), 7.42-7.35 (m, 3H), 7.33-7.28 (m, 1H), 7.25-7.24 (m, 1H), 7.19 (td, J=0.8 Hz, 8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.12 (ddd, J=0.8 Hz, 2.8 Hz, 8.0 Hz, 1H), 6.98 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 5.17 (s, 2H), 4.12 (q, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 3.55 (t, J=5.2 Hz, 2H), 3.49-3.40 (m, 1H), 2.85-2.82 (m, 2H), 2.61 (t, J=5.6 Hz, 2H), 2.42-2.39 (m, 2H), 2.32 (s, 6H). MS (ES+): m/z 458 (100) [MH+]. Example 89 cis-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclobutoxy}acetic acid: cis-tert-Butyl ({3-[8-chloro-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}oxy) acetate (0.1 mmol, 50 mg) was dissolved in 1 mL DCM and cooled in ice bath when it was charged with Et3SiH (0.1 mmol, 15 μL) and 1 mL TFA. The reaction mixture was warmed to rt during 1 h and stirred for another hour at rt. Reaction mixture was diluted with 10 mL DCM and quenched with K2CO3 (20 mL) aqueous solution. The desired product was extracted in aqueous layer and reaction impurities were left in organic phase. The aqueous phase was acidified to pH 3 before it was washed with DCM (3×15 mL). DCM solution was dried over Na2SO4 and concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude oil was brought to next step without purification; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 7.65 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 2H), 7.52-7.45 (m, 4H), 7.40-7.36 (m, 2H), 7.34-7.32 (m, 2H), 7.26 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.25-7.19 (m, 2H), 6.96 (d, J=6.4 Hz, 1H), 5.18 (s, 2H), 4.25 (p, J=6.8 Hz, 1H), 3.50 (p, J=6.8 Hz, 1H), 2.90-2.83 (m, 2H), 2.55-2.46 (m, 2H). MS (ES+): m/z 445 (100) [MH+]. Example 90 cis-2-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutoxy}-N-methylacetamide: Followed general procedures described in Example 37; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 7.47-7.41 (m, 4H), 7.37 (t, J=7.6 Hz, 2H), 7.32-7.28 (m, 1H), 7.25 (t, J=1.6 Hz, 1H), 7.20 (d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 7.13 (td, J=1.2 Hz, 8 Hz, 1H), 6.99 (d, J=5.2 Hz, 1H), 5.17 (s, 2H), 4.18 (p, J=8 Hz, 1H), 3.91 (s, 2H), 3.46 (p, J=8 Hz, 1H), 2.88-2.79 (m, 2H), 2.76 (s, 3H), 2.50-2.43 (m, 2H). MS (ES+): m/z 458 (100) [MH+]. Example 91 cis-2-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutoxy}acetamide was prepared from cis-tert-Butyl ({3-[8-chloro-1-(3-benzyloxyphenyl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]cyclobutyl}oxy) acetate following the procedures for 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 7.34-7.21 (m, 6H), 7.15-7.10 (m, 3H), 6.96-6.93 (m, 1H), 6.91 (d, J=4.8 Hz, 1H), 6.50 (b, 1H), 5.74 (b, 1H), 5.19 (b, 2H), 5.04 (s, 2H), 4.02 (p, J=0.8 Hz, 1H), 3.71 (s, 2H), 3.25 (p, J=2 Hz, 1H), 2.72-2.65 (m, 2H), 2.31-2.26 (m, 2H). MS (ES+): m/z 444 (100) [MH+]. Example 92 1-(3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: An iPrOH (5 ml)/DCM (4 ml) solution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (290 mg, 87%, 0.601 mmol), cooled to −78° C. in a dry ice/acetone bath, was charged with liquid NH3 for 15 min. The sealed tube was equipped with a Teflon washer, sealed and heated 110° C. for 14 h. After that time, the excess NH3 and the solvent were evaporated. The remaining material was purified by chromatography on silica gel to obtain the title compound as a brown oil. The impurities that could not be removed by conventional methods (eg. TLC, HPLC etc.), were removed by SCX column (washed with 7 ml of DCM, 7 ml of MeOH and 7 ml of 2 N NH3 in MeOH); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.00-2.24 (m, 2H), 2.42-2.66 (m, 4H), 3.78 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 3.95 (s, 3H), 4.95 (brs, 2H), 5.23 (s, 2H), 6.98-7.02 (m, 2H), 7.07 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.17 (d, 1H, J=2.0 Hz), 7.23 (dd, 1H, J=2.0 and 8.0 Hz), 7.29-7.45 (m, 5H); MS(ES): 401.1 (M+1). (a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (308 mg, 0.703 mmol) was dissolved in POCl3 (5 ml) and heated at 55° C. for 17 h. After that time, the excess POCl3 was removed in vacuo and the remaining mixture was basified with NH3 (2 N in iPrOH). The precipitate formed was filtered off and washed with CH2Cl2, and the filtrate was purified by chromatography on silica gel to obtain a yellow-brown solid of the title compound (87% purity by LC-MS); 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 2.03-2.20 (m, 2H), 2.47-2.67 (m, 4H), 3.95 (s, 3H), 5.22 (s, 2H), 7.00 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.25-7.47 (m, 8H); MS(ES): 420.0/422.1 (M/M+2). (b) Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide: Into the DMF (6 ml) solution of C-(3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine (290 mg, 0.815 mmol), cyclobutanecarboxylic acid (156 μl, 2 eq.) and Et3N (342 μl, 3 eq.), was added EDC hydrochloride (469 mg, 3 eq.) and HOBt monohydrate (250 mg, 2 eq.) at rt under N2, After stirring for 24 h at rt, the mixture was poured into saturated Na2CO3 (10 ml) and H2O (10 ml), extracted with EtOAc (3×20 ml). The extracts were washed with H2O (20 ml) and brine (20 ml), and dried over MgSO4. After concentration in vacuo, a brown syrup (363 mg) was obtained that was then purified by chromatography on silica gel and a brown syrup of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide was obtained; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.86-1.98 (m, 2H), 2.11-2.27 (m, 4H), 3.04 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 3.85 (s, 3H), 5.12 (s, 2H), 6.43 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.79-6.90 (m, 4H), 7.28-7.38 (m, 5H), 8.29 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz), 8.45 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 438.1/440.1 (M/M+2). (c) C-(3-Benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine: The mixture of 2-[(3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione (400 mg, 0.823 mmol) and H2NNH2 (64.0 μl, 3 eq.) in EtOH (6 ml)/CH2Cl2 (2 ml) was stirred at rt under N2 for 65 h. After that time, the grey solid was filtered off, and the solvent and the excess hydrazine were removed in vacuo to obtain a brown-red oil of C-(3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine; 1H NMR (CD3OD, 400 MHz) δ 3.84 (s, 3H), 4.96 & 5.00 (AB, 2H, J=12.0 Hz), 5.41 (s, 1H), 6.94-6.97 (m, 3H), 7.29-7.40 (m, 5H), 8.34 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz), 8.63 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 356.1/358.1 (M/M+2). (d) 2-[(3-Benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione: DIAD (515 μl, 1.1 eq.) was added dropwise into the THF solution (14 ml) of MS-PPh3 (2.12 mmol/g, 1.24 g, 1.1 eq.), (3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methanol (849 mg, 2.38 mmol) and phthalimide (385 mg, 1.1 eq.) at 0° C. under N2 over 5 min. After stirring for 20 h at rt, the mixture was separated by chromatography on silica gel and eluted incrementally with 400 ml, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% EtOac/Hexane, to obtain a light-yellow oil of 2-[(3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.87 (s, 3H), 5.08 & 5.14 (AB, 2H, J=12.0 Hz), 6.75 (s, 1H), 6.85 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.88-6.92 (m, 2H), 7.17-7.35 (m, 5H), 7.72-7.75 (m, 2H), 7.82-7.84 (m, 2H), 8.31 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.43 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 486.0/487.9 (M/M+2). (e) (3-Benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methanol 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidine (1775 μl, 1.2 eq.) was added dropwise over 5 min into the THF (20 ml) solution of n-BuLi (2.5 M in cyclohexane, 4.2 ml, 1.2 eq.), which was cooled in a dry ice/acetone bath. The reaction vessel was removed from the cooling bath and allowed to warm to 0° C. for 15 min, then cooled back to −78° C. and charged with chloropyrazine (780 μl, 8.733 mmol) dropwise over 5 min. The reaction was allowed to react for 15 min, and charged with a THF (10 ml) solution of 3-benzyloxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (2328 mg, 1.1 eq.) over 10 min. After 2 h, the reaction mixture was warmed to rt and aqueous HCl (1 N, 15 ml) was added. The mixture was extracted with CH2Cl2 (3×50 ml). The combined extracts were washed with water (50 ml) and brine (50 ml), and dried over MgSO4. After concentration in vacuo, a crude black oil (3.163 g) was obtained that was then purified by chromatography on silica gel (500 ml 10%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% EtOAc/Hexane) and a brown oil of (3-benzyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methanol was obtained; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 3.74 (s, 3H), 5.04 (s, 2H), 6.00 (d, 1H, J=6.0 Hz), 6.09 (d, 1H, J=6.0 Hz), 7.10 (s, 1H), 7.31-7.42 (m, 7H), 8.43 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.67 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 357.4/359.4 (M/M+2). Example 93 1-(3-Benzyloxy-4-fluorophenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Followed General Ammonolysis described in Example 92; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.98-2.24 (m, 2H), 2.44-2.66 (m, 4H), 3.78 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 5.22 (s, 2H), 7.01 (d, 1H, J=4.8 Hz), 7.10 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.20-7.46 (m, 8H); MS(ES): 389.1 (M+1). (a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-4-fluorophenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: Followed General Cyclization described in Example 92-(a); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 2.05-2.24 (m, 2H), 2.50-2.69 (m, 4H), 3.84 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 5.21 (s, 2H), 7.15-7.49 (m, 9H); MS(ES): 408.0/410.0 (M/M+2). (b) Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-4-fluorophenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide: Followed General Amide Formation described in Example 92-(b); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.82-1.97 (m, 2H), 2.11-2.34 (m, 4H), 3.04 (quintet, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 5.10 (s, 2H), 6.44 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 6.75-6.79 (m, 1H), 6.95-7.02 (m, 3H), 7.27-7.38 (m, 5H), 8.31 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.46 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 426.0/428.0 (M/M+2 (c) C-(3-Benzyloxy-4-fluorophenyl)-C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine: Followed General Primary Amine Formation described in Example 92-(c); 1H NMR (CD3OD, 400 MHz) δ 5.15 & 5.19 (AB, 2H, J=12.0 Hz), 5.44 (s, 1H), 6.90-6.95 (m, 1H), 7.02-7.12 (m, 2H), 7.28-7.38 (m, 5H), 8.33 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.61 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 327.3/329.3 (M−16/M−16+2). (d) 2-[(3-Benzyloxy-4-fluorophenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione: Followed General Mitsunobu Reaction described in Example 92-(d); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.07 & 5.12 (AB, 2H, J=11.6 Hz), 6.78 (s, 1H), 6.89-6.92 (m, 1H), 7.03-7.09 (m, 2H), 7.28-7.37 (m, 2H), 7.74-7.77 (m, 2H), 7.84-7.86 (m, 2H), 8.35 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.45 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz). MS(ES): 474.0/476.0 (M/M+2). (e) (3-Benzyloxy-4-fluorophenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methanol: Followed General Lithiation described in Example 92-(e); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 4.58 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 5.00 & 5.04 (AB, 2H, J=12.0 Hz), 5.94 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.85-6.89 (m, 1H), 6.98-7.06 (m, 2H), 7.26-7.40 (m, 5H), 8.36 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz), 8.53 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 327.1/329.1 (M−18/M−18+2). (f) 3-Benzyloxy-4-fluorobenzaldehyde: The mixture of benzyl bromide (1062 μL, 1.050 eq.), potassium carbonate (1500 mg, 1.274 eq.), 4-fluoro-3-hydroxybenzaldehyde (1193 mg, 8.515 mmol) and acetone (50 ml) was stirred at rt for 24 h. After that time, water (40 ml) was added to dissolve inorganic solid and the acetone was removed in vacuo. The mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate (3×50 ml), the combined organic extracts were washed with aqueous acetic acid (5%, 40 ml), water (2×40 ml) and brine (40 ml), and dried over MgSO4. After concentration in vacuo, a brown oil of 3-benzyloxy-4-fluorobenzaldehyde was obtained; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.20 (s, 2H), 7.23-7.59 (m, 8H), 9.89 (s, 1H). (g) 4-Fluoro-3-hydroxybenzaldehyde: BBr3 (125 ml, 3.383 eq., 1 M in CH2Cl2) was added into the solution of 4-fluoro-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (5.695 g, 36.95 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (50 ml) under N2 at 0° C. over 30 min. After stirring at rt for 19 h, the reaction mixture was poured into ice/water (250 ml) slowly. After separation, the oil phase was extracted with aqueous NaOH (2 N, 2×150 ml). The basic extracts were acidified by aqueous HCl (37%) until pH<2, which was then extracted with CH2Cl2 (3×200 ml). The organic extracts was washed with brine (100 ml) and dried over MgSO4. After concentration in vacuo, a yellow-brown solid of 4-fluoro-3-hydroxybenzaldehyde was obtained; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) δ 7.43-7.52 (m, 3H), 9.93 (s, 1H), 10.55 (brs, 1H). Example 94 1-(3-Benzyloxy-4-isopropoxyphenyl)-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Followed General Ammonolysis described in Example 92; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.40 (d, 6H, J=6.0 Hz), 1.98-2.21 (m, 2H), 2.43-2.67 (m, 4H), 3.77 (quintet, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 4.60 (septet, 1H, J=6.1 Hz), 4.88 (brs, 2H), 5.21 (s, 2H), 7.00 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.04-7.08 (m, 2H), 7.17-7.22 (m, 2H), 7.29-7.45 (m, 5H); MS(ES): 429.1 (M+1). (a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-4-isopropoxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: quantitative yield: Followed General Cyclization described in Example 92-(a); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.40 (d, 6H, J=6.0 Hz), 1.87-2.09 (m, 2H), 2.43-2.72 (m, 4H), 3.82 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 4.61 (septet, 1H, J=6.1 Hz), 5.19 (s, 2H), 7.03 (d, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 7.24-7.47 (m, 9H); MS(ES): 447.9/449.9 (M/M+2). (b) Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-4-isopropoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide: Followed General Amide Formation described in Example 92-(b); quantitative yield; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.34 (d, 6H, J=6.0 Hz), 1.84-1.98 (m, 2H), 2.11-2.30 (m, 4H), 3.05 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 4.48 (septet, 1H, J=5.9 Hz), 5.11 (s, 2H), 6.45 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 6.82-6.90 (m, 4H), 7.28-7.38 (m, 5H), 8.31 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz), 8.45 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz). MS(ES): 465.9/467.9 (M/M+2). (c) C-(3-Benzyloxy-4-isopropoxyphenyl)-C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine: Followed General Primary Amine Formation described in Example 92-(c); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.34 (s, 6H, J=6.0 Hz), 4.48 (septet, 1H, J=6.2 Hz), 5.10 (s, 2H), 5.43 (s, 1H), 6.33 (brs, 2H), 6.84-6.91 (m, 3H), 7.28-7.40 (m, 5H), 8.24 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.49 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz); MS(ES): 384.0/386.0 (M/M+2). (d) 2-[(3-Benzyloxy-4-isopropoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione: Followed General Mitsunobu Reaction described in Example 92-(d); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.35 (d, 6H, J=6.0 Hz), 4.53 (septet, 1H, J=6H), 5.05 & 5.10 (AB, 2H, J=12.0 Hz), 6.75 (s, 1H), 6.82-6.90 (m, 2H), 6.94 (s, 1H), 7.19-7.52 (m, 5H), 7.72-7.74 (m, 2H), 7.82-7.84 (m, 2H), 8.31 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.43 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 513.9/515.9 (M/M+2). (e) (3-Benzyloxy-4-isopropoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methanol: Followed General Lithiation described in Example 92-(e); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.34 (d, 6H, J=6.4 Hz), 4.50 (septet, 1H, J=6.0 Hz), 5.10 (AB, 2H, J=12.4 Hz), 5.91 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.84-6.86 (m, 4H), 7.26-7.39 (m, 5H), 8.34 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.50 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 367.0/369.0 (M/M+2). (f) 3-Benzyloxy-4-isopropoxybenzaldehyde: A mixture of 3-benzyloxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (1297 mg, 5.683 mmol) and Cs2CO3 (2777 mg, 1.5 eq.) in DMF (5 ml) was stirred at rt for 30 min under N2, and then 2-bromopropane (800 μl, 1.5 eq.) was added and heated with stirring at 75° C. overnight. The reaction mixture was cooled, and to it was added H2O (20 ml), and then was extracted with EtOAc (4×20 ml). The organic extracts were washed with H2O (3×20 ml) and brine (20 ml), and dried over MgSO4. After concentration in vacuo, a brown oil of 3-benzyloxy-4-isopropoxybenzaldehyde was obtained, which was used without further purification. 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.43 (d, 6H, J=6.4 Hz), 4.69 (septet, 1H, J=6.0 Hz), 5.18 (s, 2H), 7.01 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.26-7.46 (m, 7H), 9.81 (s, 1H); MS(ES): 271.1 (M+1). (g) 3-Benzyloxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde: A solution of 3-benzyloxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)-benzaldehyde (2593 mg, 7.443 mmol) in AcOH (20 ml) was heated to reflux (150° C.) for 27 h. The reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo and the residue was dissolved in EtOAc (20 ml). The organic solution was washed with H2O (20 ml) and aqueous NaOH (0.5 N, 5×20 ml). The basic extracts were combined, acidified to pH=2-3 with aqueous HCl (2 N) and back-extracted with EtOAc (2×30 ml). The organic solution was dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated to give 3-benzyloxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde as a brown solid. 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 5.18 (s, 2H), 6.22 (brs, 1H), 7.08 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.39-7.52 (m, 7H), 9.82 (s, 1H); MS(ES): 229.1 (M+1). (h) 3-Benzyloxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)-benzaldehyde: Benzyl bromide (5.84 ml, 1.1 eq.) was added dropwise into the mixture of 3-hydroxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)-benzaldehyde (11.5 g, 44.6 mmol) and cesium carbonate (8.73 g, 0.6 eq.) in DMF (75 ml) at rt under N2 over 15 min. After stirring at rt for 70 h, the reaction mixture was poured into water (150 ml) and was then extracted with ethyl acetate (200 ml). The organic extracts were washed with water (100 ml), aqueous NaOH (0.5 M, 100 ml), and brine (100 ml) and dried over MgSO4. After concentration in vacuo, a crude brown solid of 3-benzyloxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)-benzaldehyde was obtained; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.83 (s, 3H), 5.18 (s, 2H), 5.20 (s, 2H), 6.92 (dd, 2H, J=2 and 6.8 Hz), 7.04 (d, 2H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.33-7.47 (m, 9H), 9.80 (s, 1H). (i) 3-Hydroxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)-benzaldehyde: 4-Methoxybenzyl chloride (11.9 g, 1.05 eq.) was added dropwise into the mixture of 3,4-dihydrobenzaldehyde (10.0 g, 72.4 mmol), (n-C4H9)4NI (21.4 g, 0.8 eq.) and cesium carbonate (17.7 g, 0.75 eq.) in DMF (100 ml) at rt under N2 over 15 min. After stirring at rt for 67 h, the reaction mixture was poured into water (200 ml) and, was then extracted with ethyl acetate (3×100 ml). The organic extracts was washed with aqueous HCl (0.5 M, 200 ml), water (4×100 ml), and brine (100 ml) and dried over MgSO4. After concentration in vacuo, a crude yellow-brown solid (18.0 g) was obtained, which was then triturated with ethyl acetate/hexane (75 m/150 ml) to give a yellow-brown solid of 3-hydroxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)-benzaldehyde; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.84 (s, 3H), 5.13 (s, 2H), 5.78 (brs, 1H), 6.96 (d, 2H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.06 (d, 2H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.37 (d, 2H, J=8.4 Hz), 7.40-7.45 (m, 2H), 9.84 (s, 1H); MS(ES): 259.2 (M+1). Example 95 1-(3-Benzyloxy-4-ethoxyphenyl)-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine: Followed General Ammonolysis described in Example 92; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.50 (t, 3H, J=7.0 Hz), 1.99-2.19 (m, 2H), 2.42-2.67 (m, 4H), 3.78 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 4.19 (q, 2H, J=6.9 Hz), 4.83 (brs, 2H), 5.23 (s, 2H), 6.98-7.47 (m, 10H); MS(ES): 415.1 (M+1). (a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-4-ethoxyphenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: quantitative yield: Followed General Cyclization described in Example 92-(a); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz): 1.49 (t, 3H, J=7.0 Hz), 2.01-2.22 (m, 2H), 2.48-2.70 (m, 4H), 3.82 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 4.17 (q, 2H, J=7.0 Hz), 5.21 (s, 2H), 7.00 (d, 1H, J=8.8 Hz), 7.25-7.47 (m, 9H); MS(ES): 433.9/435.9 (M/M+2). (b) Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-4-ethoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide: A mixture of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (162 mg, 0.382 mmol) and Cs2CO3 (187 mg, 0.573 mmol) in DMF (2 ml) was stirred at rt for 30 min under N2, and then EtI (45.9 μL, 0.573 mmol) was added and heated with stirring at 50° C. for 5 h. The reaction mixture was cooled, and to it was added H2O (15 ml), and then was extracted with EtOAc (3×15 ml). The organic extracts were washed with H2O (3×15 ml) and brine (15 ml), and dried over MgSO4. After concentration in vacuo, a brown oil of 3 cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-4-ethoxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide was obtained, which was used without further purification. A more pure sample was obtained by Gilson HPLC purification for LC-MS and HPLC; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.42 (t, 3H, J=7.0 Hz), 1.84-2.11 (m, 2H), 2.12-2.18 (m, 4H), 3.04 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 4.04 (q, 2H, J=6.9 Hz), 5.11 (s, 2H), 6.43 (d, 1H, J=7.6 Hz), 6.78-6.88 (m, 4H), 7.25-7.38 (m, 5H), 8.29 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.44 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 451.9/453.9 (M/M+2). (c) Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide: A solution of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [[3-benzyloxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)-phenyl]-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (300 mg, 0.551 mmol) in AcOH (10 ml) was heated to reflux (150° C.) for 7 h. The reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo and the residue was dissolved in EtOAc (15 ml). The organic solution was washed with saturated NaHCO3 (10 ml), H2O (2×10 ml) and brine (10 ml), and dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated to give a brown oil. The crude oil was purified by silica gel (eluting with 200 ml of 2%, 4%, 6% MeOH/CH2Cl2) to obtain a light-yellow oil of cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.82-1.99 (m, 2H), 2.13-2.31 (m, 4H), 3.07 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 5.10 (s, 2H), 5.64 (brs, 1H), 6.47 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.72 (dd, 1H, J=1.6 & 8.0 Hz), 6.84 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.98 (d, 1H, J=7.2 Hz), 7.03 (d, 1H, J=1.6 Hz), 7.30-7.38 (m, 5H), 8.32 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.49 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz); MS(ES): 423.9/425.9 (M/M+2). (d) Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [[3-benzyloxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)-phenyl]-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide: Followed General Amide Formation described in Example 92-(b); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.84-1.98 (m, 2H), 2.11-2.26 (m, 4H), 3.04 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 3.80 (d, 3H, J=1.2 Hz), 5.04 (s, 2H), 5.12 (s, 2H), 6.44 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.78-6.89 (m, 6H), 7.26-7.38 (m, 7H), 8.29 (d, 1H, J=2.0 Hz), 8.50 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 544.0/546.0 (M/M+2). (e) C-[3-Benzyloxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)-phenyl]-C-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine: Followed General Primary Amine Formation described in Example 92-(c); quantitative yield; 1H NMR (CD3OD, 400 MHz) δ 3.80 (s, 3H), 5.04 (s, 2H), 5.12 (m, 2H), 6.89-6.92 (m, 3H), 6.98-7.00 (m, 2H), 7.30-7.39 (m, 7H), 8.34 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.63 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz); MS(ES): 461.9/463.9 (M/M+2). (f) 2-[[3-Benzyloxy-4-(4-methoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione: Followed General Mitsunobu Reaction described in Example 92-(d); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.80 (s, 3H), 4.97-5.14 (m, 4H), 6.75 (s, 1H), 6.87-6.91 (m, 4H), 6.96 (d, 1H, J=2.0 Hz), 7.19-7.24 (m, 2H), 7.33-7.36 (m, 5H), 7.72-7.74 (m, 2H), 7.82-7.84 (m, 2H), 8.31 (dd, 1H, J=0.8 and 2.4 Hz), 8.43 (d, 1H, J=2.0 Hz); MS(ES): 592.0/594.0 (M/M+2). (g) [3-Benzyloxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)phenyl]-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methanol: Followed General Lithiation described in Example 92-(e); 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 3.80 (s, 4H), 4.49 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 5.06 (s, 2H), 5.10 & 5.14 (AB, 2H, J=12.4 Hz), 5.91 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 6.82-6.88 (m, 5H), 7.27-7.38 (m, 7H), 8.33 (d, 1H, J=2.4 Hz), 8.49 (d, 1H, J=2.8 Hz); MS(ES): 444.9/446.9 (M−18/M−18+2). Example 96 4-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-2-benzyloxyphenol: Phosphoramidic acid 2-benzyloxy-4-(8-chloro-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenyl ester isopropyl ester (300 mg, 0.569 mmol) was dissolved in 2 N NH3 in iPrOH (3 ml) and charged with liquid NH3 (1 ml) in a dry ice/acetone bath. The above mixture was then sealed in a sealed tube and heated at 110° C. After stirring for 14 h, the excess NH3 and the solvent were evaporated. THF (3 ml) was added followed by the addition of LiAlH4 (88.0 mg, 2.28 mmol) at 0° C. under N2. The mixture was then stirred at rt for 26 h. After that time, the reaction mixture was poured into aqueous AcOH (5%, 15 ml) and extracted with EtOAc (3×20 ml). The extracts were washed with H2O (3×15 ml), brine (15 ml) and dried over MgSO4. After concentrating in vacuo, a brown oil (50 mg) was obtained, which was purified by TLC eluting with 3% MeOH/CH2Cl2 to afford 4-(8-amino-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-2-benzyloxyphenol as an off-white solid; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.96-2.22 (m, 2H), 2.44-2.68 (m, 4H), 3.80 (quintet, 1H, J=8.6 Hz), 5.06 (brs, 2H), 5.19 (s, 2H), 7.01 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.05 (d, 1H, J=8.0 Hz), 7.09 (d, 1H, J=5.2 Hz), 7.17 (dd, 1H, J=1.6 & 8.4 Hz), 7.25 (d, 1H, J=2.0 Hz), 7.35-7.44 (m, 5H); MS(ES): 387.0 (M+1). (a) Phosphoramidic acid 2-benzyloxy-4-(8-chloro-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenyl ester isopropyl ester: Followed General Cyclization described in Example 92-(a) whereby Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [[3-benzyloxy-4-(4-methoxybenzyloxy)-phenyl]-(3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide was treated with POCl3 and then quenched with 2N NH3 in iPrOH to afford the title compound; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) δ 1.31 (d, 3H, J=6.0 Hz), 1.35 (d, 3H, J=6.4 Hz), 2.01-2.26 (m, 2H), 2.47-2.69 (m, 4H), 3.02 (d, 2H, J=4.0 Hz), 3.84 (quintet, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 4.78 (septet, 1H, J=6.1 Hz), 5.17 (s, 2H), 7.27-7.53 (m, 10H); MS(ES): 526.9/528.9 (M/M+2). Example 97 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide: The procedures for trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid amide were applied to 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester to afford the title compound; MS (ES+): m/z 478.02 [MH+]. Example 98 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methylamide: The amide coupling procedures applied to the synthesis of (trans-4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methylamide was applied to 4-{8-Amino-1-[3-(2,6-difluoro-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid to afford the title compound; MS (ES+): m/z 492.12 [MH+]. The following analytical conditions and equipment were utilized in Examples 99-293: NMR spectra were acquired at 27° C. on a Varian Mercury 400 spectrometer operating at 400 MHz or on a Bruker AMX2 500 spectrometer operating at 500 MHz. Flow-injection samples were run on a Bruker BEST system comprising the Bruker AMX2 500 spectrometer, a Gilson 215 autosampler, a heated transfer line and a Bruker 4 mm FI-SEI NMR probe. The BEST system was controlled by XWINNMR software V2.6. Analytical LC/MS: Samples were analyzed on a multiplexed LC/MS system consisting of a Micromass LCT mass spectrometer with a 5 channel MUX interface, a Waters 1525 binary HPLC pump, 4 Jasco PU-1585 pumps, a CTC HTS PAL autosampler with 4 injection valves, a Waters 2488 UV detector and 4 Waters Atlantis C18 columns (3.1×30 mm, 3 μm). A water/acetonitrile+0.1% formic acid gradient with a cycle time of 6 minutes and a flow rate of 0.85 ml/min was used to elute the compounds. The UV detector was set to 220 nm. The system was controlled by MassLynx 4.0 software. Mass-directed Purification: The Mass-directed Purification system consisted of a Micromass Platform LC mass spectrometer, a Waters 600 HPLC pump, a Waters Reagent Manager, a Waters 2700 autosampler, a Waters 996 PDA detector, a Waters Fraction Collector II and Waters Xterra Prep MS C18 columns (19×50 mm). Compounds were eluted with variable water/acetonitrile+0.1% formic acid gradients running over a period of 8 minutes. The flow rate was 20 ml/min. The system was controlled by MassLynx and FractionLynx software V3.5. UV-directed Purification: UV-directed Purification was carried out on a 4 channel Biotage Parallex Flex system equipped with 4 Waters Xterra Prep MS C18 columns (1 9×50 mm). Compounds were eluted using a water/acetonitrile+0.1% formic acid gradient with a cycle time of 10 minutes and a flow rate of 20 ml/min. UV detection was at 220 nm and 254 nm. The system was controlled by Biotage Parallex Flex software V2.9. Analytical LC/MS: Compounds are analyzed using an LC/MS method using the following parameters: HPLC Gradient: Solvent A—HPLC grade water+0.1% Formic Acid Solvent B—HPLC grade Acetonitrile+0.1% Formic Acid Flow rate 0.85 ml/min 0-0.3 mins 100% A 0.3-4.25 mins 100% A to 10% A 4.25-4.40 mins 10% A to 0% A 4.40-4.90 mins hold at 100% B 4.90-5.00 mins 0% A to 100% A 5.00-6.00 mins Hold at 100% A for re-equilibration Column: Waters Atlantis C18 3u 2.1×30 mm with Phenomenex Polar RP 4.0×2.0 mm Guard column; UV Detection: 220 nm; MS conditions: 80-700 amu scan; Sample cone 30V; Capillary 3.2 kV; Methods run using the following equipment: Waters 1525 Binary HPLC pump 4× Jasco PU-1585 pumps CTC HTS Pal Autosampler with 4 injection valves Waters 2488 UV detector Micromass LCT with 5 channel MUX interface Data acquired using Masslynx V4.0 Mass-directed Purification Micromass Platform LC Masslynx V3.5 Waters 600 HPLC pump Waters Reagent manager Waters 2700 Autosampler Waters Fraction Collector II Waters 996 PDA detector Flow rate 20 ml/min Acetonitrile/Water+0.1% Formic Acid with Gradient running over a period of 8 minutes. Waters Xterra Prep MS C18 columns 19×50 mm UV-directed Purification Biotage Parallex Flex 4 Channel UV prep system. UV detection at 220 and 254 nm Waters Xterra Prep MS C18 columns 19×50 mm Acetonitrile/Water+0.1% Formic Acid with Gradient running from 95% Aqueous to 100% Organic over a period of 10 minutes. Flex software V2.9 Example 99 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-acetamide Argon was bubbled through a suspension of 1-[3-(3-bromobenzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine (1, 25 mg, 0.056 mmol), potassium carbonate (15 mg, 0.109 mmol), copper(I) iodide (10 mg, 0.052 mmol), acetamide (40 mg, 0.68 mmol) and N,N′-dimethylethylenediamine (5 mg, 0.057 mmol), in dioxane (0.5 ml) in a thick walled 5 ml microwave tube. The tube was sealed and heated to 170° C. for 2 hours using the CEM Discover microwave oven at a maximum power of 250 W. The reaction mixture was then partitioned between water (3 ml) and ethyl acetate (3 ml) and the aqueous layer was extracted with further ethyl acetate (2×3 ml). The combined organic extracts were washed with water (2×3 ml) and brine (3 ml) then evaporated in vacuo. The residues after evaporation were dissolved in methanol and loaded on to 1 g SCX cartridges, then eluted with methanol and methanol/ammonia (concentrated aqueous ammonia in methanol, 3% v/v). Fractions containing product were combined and evaporated to furnish N-{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-acetamide as an off white solid (10 mg, 0.023 mmol, 42%, 85% pure). This was purified further using preparative mass directed HPLC purification (conditions) to afford 2 as an off white solid (6.3 mg, 0.015 mmol, 27%; (M+H)+ m/z 428.2; Retention Time; 2.87 min; 1H-NMR (D4-MeOH) δ 7.72 (1H, br t), 7.53 (1H, br d, J=8 Hz), 7.49 (1H, t, J=8 Hz), 7.43 (1H, d, J=5.1 Hz), 7.35 (1H, t, 7.8 Hz), 7.29 (1H, br t), 7.25-7.22 (2H, m), 7.17 (1H, dd, J=2.8, 8.2 Hz), 7.01 (1H, d, J=5.1 Hz), 5.21 (2H, s), 4.00 (1H, p, J=8.4 Hz), 2.55 (4H, m), 2.22 (1H, m), 2.15 (3H, s), 2.10-2.02 (1H, m). The following Examples were synthesized following the method described for -{3-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]-phenyl}-acetamide. (M+H) HPLC Example Structure Name +m/z Mass Rt 100 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-benzamide 490.2 13.1 mg 3.21 min 101 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}- butyramide 456.2 10.2 mg 3.09 min 102 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-2- hydroxy- propionamide 458.2 7.5 mg 2.74 min 103 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-2- morpholin-4-yl- acetamide 513.3 22.8 mg 2.52 min 104 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-2- methoxy- propionamide 472.2 17.1 mg 2.94 min 105 Tetrahydro-furan- 2-carboxylic acid {3-[3-(8-amino-3- cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-amide 484.2 22.8 mg 3.01 min 106 Pyrrolidine-2- carboxylic acid {3- [3-(8-amino-3- cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phhenyl}-amide 483.2 8.6 mg 2.56 min 107 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 33-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}- methanesulfonamide 464.1 8.1 mg 2.90 min 108 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}- nicotinamide 491.1 17.6 mg 2.79 min 109 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-2-(2-oxo- pyrrolidin-1-yl)- acetamide 511.2 7.7 mg 2.84 min 110 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-2-pyridin- 4-yl-acetamide 505.2 6 mg 2.57 min 111 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-2-pyridin- 2-yl-acetammide 505.2 10.3 mg 2.76 min 112 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl-imi- dazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}- benzenesulfonamide 526.1 13.1 mg 3.20 min 113 N-{3-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl-imi- dazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}- isonicotinamide 491.2 10.2 mg 2.93 mg 114 Pyridine-2- carboxylic acid {3- [3-(8- amino-3- cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5-a]- pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}- amide 491.2 15.7 mg 3.26 min 115 1-Methyl-1H- imidazole-4- sulfonic acid {3-[3- (8-amino-3- cyclobutyl-imi- dazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 1-yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-amide 530.1 2.1 mg 2.87 min The following compounds were synthesized in the same manner using the isomeric 1-[3-(2-bromobenzyloxy)-phenyl]-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine as starting material. (M+H) HPLC Example Structure Name +m/z Mass Rt 116 N-{2-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl-imi- dazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}- benzamide 490.2 14 mg 3.01 min 117 N-{2-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- pheenyl}-2- morpholin-4-yl- acetammide 513.2 14 mg 2.57 min 118 N-{2-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-2- methoxy- propionamide 472.2 14.9 mg 2.87 min 119 Tetrahydro-furan- 2-carboxylicc acid {2-[3-(8-amino-3- cyclobutyl- imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-amide 484.2 13.7 mg 2.94 min 120 N-{2-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl-imi- dazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-2- hydroxy- propionamide 458.2 10 mg 2.77 mg 121 N-{2-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl-imi- dazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}- nicotinamide 491.2 3.8 mg 2.79 min 122 N-{2-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl-imi- dazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}-2- pyridin-2-yl- acetamide 505.2 7.5 mg 2.67 min 123 N-{2-[3-(8-Amino- 3-cyclobutyl-imi- dazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1- yl)-phenoxymethyl]- phenyl}- isonicotinamide 491.2 11.4 mg 2.72 min General Procedure for Alkylation Reactions of toluene-4-sulfonic acid 4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl ester and toluene-4-sulfonic acid 4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-2-ethyl-butyl ester with amines Example 124 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-phenylaminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine To a solution of toluene-4-sulfonic acid 4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexylmethyl ester (29 mg, 0.05 mmol) in DMF (0.5 ml) was added aniline (23 μl, 0.25 mmol). The reaction was irradiated in the microwave (200 W, 150° C., 10 m), then evaporated to dryness. The crude reaction product was dissolved in MeOH (2 ml) and added to a pre-wetted MCX cartridge (6 mV/500 mg). The cartridge was washed with MeOH (10 ml) and the product was then eluted using 1% NH3 in MeOH (15 ml). The product was further purified using mass-directed HPLC, to give 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4-phenylaminomethyl-cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine formic acid salt (7.8 mg, 31%) as an off-white solid: 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 8.25 (s, 1H), 7.60 (d, 1H, J=5.5 Hz), 7.48-7.41 (m, 3H), 7.36 (t, 2H, J=7.3 Hz), 7.33-7.27 (m, 1H), 7.25-7.22 (m, 1H), 7.18 (d, 1H, J=7.4 Hz), 7.13 (dd, 1H, J=5.5 Hz, 2.3 Hz), 7.08 (t, 2H, J=7.8 Hz), 6.97 (d, 1H, J=5.5 Hz), 6.63 (d, 2H, J=7.4 Hz), 6.58 (t, 1H, J=7.4 Hz), 5.16 (s, 2H), 3.12 (m, 1H), 3.00 (d, 2H, J=6.7 Hz), 2.06 (br. d, 4H, J=11.7 Hz), 1.88-1.70 (m, 3H), 1.30-1.22 (m, 2H), 3H not observed (NH2 and NH); MS (ES+) m/z 504.24 [MH+] at Rt 3.47 min. HPLC Example R1 Name MH+ Rt 124 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4- phenylaminomethyl- cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 504.24 3.47 mins 125 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4- morpholin-4-ylmethyl- cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 498.24 2.69 mins 126 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[4- (4-methyl-piperazin-1- ylmethyl)-cyclohexyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylammine 511.37 2.47 mins 127 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4- diethylaminomethyl- cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 484.28 2.87 mins 128 3-(4-Azepan-1-ylmeethyl- cyclohexyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 8-ylamine 510.29 2.90 mins 130 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-{4- [(ethyl-methyl-amino)- methyl]-cyclohexyl}- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 470.18 2.59 mins 131 1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzoyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-piperidin- 3-ol 512.21 2.59 mins 132 N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-N,N′,N′- trimethyl-ethasne-1,2-diamine 513.23 2.54 mins 133 2-({4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-methyl- amino)-ethanol 486.18 2.59 mins 134 4-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-piperazin- 2-one 511.17 2.49 mins 135 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[4- (2,5-dihydro-pyrrol-1- ylmethyl)-cyclohexyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 480.26 2.84 mins 136 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4- propylaminomethyl- cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 470.26 2.69 mins 137 3-[4-(Benzylamino-methyl)- cyclohexyl]-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 8-ylamine 518.25 2.74 mins 138 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[4- (isopropylamino-methyl)- cyclohexyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 470.26 2.69 mins 139 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4- butylaminomethyl- cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 484.27 2.69 mins 140 N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-N′,N′- dimethyl-ethane-1,2-diamine 499.23 2.32 mins 141 2-({4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-amino)- ethanol 472.26 2.74 mins 142 (1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-piperidin- 3-yl)-methanol 526 2.95 mins 143 (1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-piperidin- 4-yl)-methanol 526.02 2.99 mins 144 1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-pyrrolidin- 3-ol 498.02 3.24 mins 145 1-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-pyrrolidin- 3-ol 497.99 2.94 mins 146 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4- {[(tetrahydro-furan-2- ylmethyl)-amino]-methyl}- cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 511.99 2.99 mins 147 N-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-N′,N′- dimethyl-propane-1,3-diamine 513.04 2.87 mins 148 1-({4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-amino)- propan-2-ol 486.01 2.87 mins 149 3-({4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-amino)- propan-1-ol 486 2.87 mins 150 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4- {[(pyridin-3-ylmethyl)-amino]- methyl}-cyclohexyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 518.99 2.82 mins 151 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-{4- [2-pyrrolidin-1-yl- ethylamino)-methyl]- cyclohexyl}-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 525.05 2.99 mins 152 N-{4-[8-Ammino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-N′,N′- diethyl-ethane-1,2-diamine 527.05 2.87 mins 153 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-{4- [(1-methyl-piperidin-4- ylamino)-methyl]-cyclohexyl}- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 524.97 2.62 mins 154 N-[2-({4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexylmethyl}-amino)- ethyl]-acetamide 513.02 2.72 mins 155 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(4- piperidin-1-ylmethyl- cyclohexyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylaamine 496.4 2.69 mins 156 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3- phenylaminomethyl- cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 476.22 3.09 mins 157 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-{3- [(ethyl-methyl-amino)- methyl]-cyclobutyl}- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 442.18 2.59 mins 158 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[3- (2-methyl-pyrrolidin-1- ylmethyl)-cyclobutyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylammine 468.26 2.64 mins 159 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3- piperidin-1-ylmeethyl- cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 468.26 2.81 mins 160 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3- butylamminomethyl-cyclobutyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 456.23 2.72 mins 161 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[3- (2,5-dihydro-pyrrol-1- ylmethyl)-cyclobutyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 452.21 2.64 mins 162 3-(3-Azepan-1-ylmethyl- cyclobutyl)-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 8-ylamine 482.28 2.74 mins 163 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3- propylaminomethyl- cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 442.24 2.59 mins 164 4-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclobutylmethyl}-piperazin- 2-one 483.18 2.49 mins 165 3-[3-(Benzylamino-methyl)- cyclobutyl]-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin- 8-ylamine 490.224 2.99 mins 166 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[3- (4-methyl-piperazin-1- ylmethyl)-cyclobutyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 483.19 2.37 mins 167 2-({3-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclobutylmethyl}-methyl- amino)-ethanol 458.24 2.57 mins 168 1-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclobutylmethyl}-piperidin-4- ol 484.26 2.52 mins 169 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[3- (isopropylamino-methyl)- cyclobutyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 442.25 2.82 mins 170 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-(3- morpholin-4-ylmethyl- cyclobutyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 470.24 2.62 mins 171 N-[2-({3-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclobutylmethyl}-amino)- ethyl]-acetamide 485.24 2.72 mins 172 1-{3-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclobutylmethyl}-piperidin-3- ol 484.24 2.49 mins 173 2-({3-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclobutylmethyl}-amino)- ethanol 458.23 2.54 mins 174 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-[3- (4-methyl-piperazin-1- ylmethyl)-cyclobutyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 482.98 2.49 mins General Procedure for Amide Couplings of 4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid with amines Example 175 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-diethylamino-ethyl)-amide To a stirred solution of 2-(dimethylamino)ethylamine (11.6 mg, 0.1 mmol) in MeCN (0.4 ml) was added 4M HCl in 1,4-dioxane (0.1 ml, 0.4 mmol). After stirring for 1 hour at room temperature, a solution of 4-[8-amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (22 mg, 0.05 mmol) in DMF (1 ml) was added, followed by a solution of EDCI.HCl (14.3 mg, 0.075 mmol), HOAt (10.2 mg, 0.075 mmol) and a catalytic amount of DMAP in DMF (0.5 ml). DIPEA (0.087 ml, 0.5 mmol) was added, and the reaction was stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction mixture was poured onto saturated aqueous NaHCO3 solution (10 ml) and extracted with EtOAc (2×10 ml). The combined organics were washed with brine (3×10 ml), dried (MgSO4), filtered and concentrated in vacuo. The crude product was purified using mass-directed HPLC to give 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-diethylamino-ethyl)-amide bis-formic acid salt (10.8 mg, 40%) as an off-white solid: 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 8.38 (s, 2H), 7.60 (d, 1H, J=5.4 Hz), 7.47-7.43 (m, 3H), 7.37 (t, 2H, J=7.4 Hz), 7.33-7.28 (m, 1H), 7.24 (s, 1H), 7.19 (d, 1H, J=7.4 Hz), 7.15-7.13 (dd, 1H, J=5.3 Hz, 2.4 Hz), 6.99 (d, 1H, 5.5 Hz), 5.17 (s, 2H), 3.56 (t, 2H, J=6.1 Hz), 3.32-3.24 (m, 6H), 3.18 (t, 1H, J=10.0 Hz), 2.38 (t, 1H, J=8.4 Hz), 2.10 (dd, 2H, J=7.9 Hz, 2.4 Hz), 2.01 (dd, 2H, J=6.7 Hz, 2.7 Hz), 1.89-1.66 (m, 4H), 1.34 (t, 6H, J=7.4 Hz), 3H not observed (NH2 & NH); LCMS (ES+) m/z 541.01 [MH+] at Rt 2.99 min. HPLC Example R1 Name MH+ Rt 175 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-diethylamino-ethyl)-amide 541.01 2.99 mins 176 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-methoxy-ethyl)-amide 500.22 2.94 mins 177 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-hydroxy-ethyl)-amidce 486.25 3.02 mins 178 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5-a a]pyrazin-3-yl]-ccyclohexyl}- morpholin-4-yl-methanone 512.33 3.04 mins 179 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid benzylamide 532.26 3.36 mins 180 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}- (4-hydroxy-piperidin-1-yl)- methanone 526.77 2.94 mins 181 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-hydroxy-ethyl)-methyl- amide 500.16 2.97 mins 182 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}- azepan-1-yl-methanone 524.4 3.36 mins 183 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}- piperidin-1-yl-methanone 510.19 3.27 mins 184 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid butylamide 498.2 3.45 mins 185 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-acetylamino-ethyl)-amide 527.21 2.94 mins 186 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}- (3-hydroxy-piperidin-1-yl)- methanone 526.2 2.97 mins 187 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-dimethylamino-ethyl)- methyl-amide 527.26 2.87 mins 188 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethyl-methyl amide 484.21 3.24 mins 189 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}- pyrrolidin-1-yl-methanone 496.22 3.09 mins 190 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid cycloprropylammide 482.21 3..20 mins 191 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid phenylamide 518.21 3.34 mins 192 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}- (4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)- methanone 525.25 2.59 mins 193 44-{4-[8-Amino-1-(3- benzyloxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarbonyl}- piperazin-2-one 525.22 2.89 mins 194 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-ccyclohexyl}- (3-hydroxymethyl-piperidin- 1-yl)-methanone 539.94 3.45 mins 195 {4-[8-Ammino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}- (4-hydroxymethyl-piperidin- 1-yl)-methanone 539.97 3.26 mins 196 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-hydroxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}- (3-hydroxy-pyrrolidin-1-yl)- methanone 511.93 3.45 mins 197 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}- (3-hydroxy-pyrrolidin-1-yl)- methanone 511.96 3.32 mins 198 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-amide 533.03 2.74 mins 199 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (tetrahydro-furan-2- ylmethyl)-amide 525.93 3.36 mins 200 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (3-dimethylamino-propyl)- amide 527.02 3.20 mins 201 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-hydroxy-propyl)-amide 499.95 3.29 mins 202 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (3-hydroxy-propyl)-amide 499.94 3.45 mins 203 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (pyridin-3-ylmethyl)-amide 532.96 3.04 mins 204 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-amide 532.96 3.06 mins 205 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (2-pyrrolidin-1-yl-ethyl)- amide 539.01 2.97 mins 206 {4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]-pyrazin-3-yl]-cyclohexyl}- azetidin-1-yl-methanone 482.22 2.99 mins 207 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (1-methyl-piperidin-4-yl)- amide 539 3.17 mins 208 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid [2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)-ethyl]- amide 535.98 3.09 mins 209 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarboxylic acid propylammide 484.23 3.04 mins 210 4-[8-Amino-1-(3-benzyloxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-3-yl]- cyclohexanecarbboxylic acid isobutyl-amide 498.28 3.21 mins General Procedure for Phenolic Alkylations of 3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol with alkyl halides Example 211 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxy]-ethanol To a solution of 3-(8-amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol (28 mg, 0.1 mmol) in anhydrous DMF (1 ml) was added cesium carbonate (49 mg, 0.15 mmol) followed by a solution of 2-bromoethanol (12.5 mg, 0.1 mmol) in DMF (0.5 ml). The reaction was stirred at 60° C. overnight. The reaction was poured onto saturated NaHCO3 (10 ml) and extracted with EtOAc (2×10 ml). The combined organics were washed with water (10 ml) and aqueous brine solution (3×10 ml), dried (MgSO4), filtered and concentrated in vacuo. Purification by mass-directed HPLC gave 2-[3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenoxy]-ethanol formic acid salt (4.0 mg, 12%) as an off-white solid: 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 8.54 (s, 1H), 7.48-7.41 (m, 2H), 7.13-7.09 (m, 2H), 7.01 (d, 1H, J=10.3 Hz), 6.93 (d, 1H, J=5.8 Hz), 4.14 (t, 2H, J=4.9 Hz), 4.03-3.97 (m, 1H), 3.92 (t, 2H, J=4.9 Hz), 2.61-2.51 (m, 4H), 2.15-2.10 (m, 1H), 2.06-2.01 (m, 1H), 3H not observed (NH2 & OH); LCMS (ES+) m/z 325.08 [MH+] at Rt 2.39 min. HPLC Example R1 Name MH+ Rt 211 2-[3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-ethanol 325.08 2.39 mins 212 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3- phenethoxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 385.37 3.32 mins 213 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3- isobutoxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 337.31 3.01 mins 214 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3- morpholin-4-yl-propoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 408.34 2.15 mins 215 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2- piperidin-1-yl-ethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 392.35 2.17 mins 216 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3- cyclohexylmethoxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 377.35 3.22 mmins 217 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2- imidazol-1-yl-ethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]-pyrazin-8-ylamine 375.29 2.22 mins 218 [3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-acetic acid tert- butyl ester 395.16 2.99 mins 219 1-0[3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-butan-2-one 351.15 2.69 mins 220 [3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-acetic acid methyl ester 353.14 2.64 mins 221 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3- methoxy-phenyl)- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 295.13 2.56 mins 222 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3- methyl-but-2-enyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 349.17 3.06 mins 223 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2- diethylamino-ethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 380.2 2.15 mins 224 [3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-acetonitrile 320.15 2.64 mins 225 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3- cyclohexylmethoxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 363.17 3.24 mins 226 2-[3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-acetamide 338.05 2.54 mins 227 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3- cyclopropylmethoxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 335.15 3.01 mins 228 3-Cyclobutyl-1-(3- cyclopentylmethoxy- phenyl)-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 349.11 2.97 mins 229 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2- methoxy-ethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 339.11 2.79 mins 230 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3- methyl-butoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 351.11 3.22 mins 231 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2- pyrrolidin-1-yl-ethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 378.12 2.34 mins 232 2-[3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-1-morpholin-4- yl-ethanone 408.15 2.65 mins 233 2-[3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-1-pyrrolidin-1- yl-ethanone 392.15 2.89 mins 234 2-[3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-N-propyl- acetamide 380.15 2.72 mins 235 2-[3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxy]-N-methyl- acetamide 352.11 2.65 mins General Procedure for Phenolic Alkylations of 3-(8-Amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol with benzyl halides Example 236 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3-methoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine To a solution of 3-(8-amino-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-1-yl)-phenol (28 mg, 0.1 mmol) in anhydrous DMF (1 ml) was added cesium carbonate (49 mg, 0.15 mmol) followed by a solution of 3-methoxybenzyl bromide (20 mg, 0.1 mmol) in DMF (0.5 ml). The reaction was stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction was poured onto saturated NaHCO3 (10 ml) and extracted with EtOAc (2×10 ml). The combined organics were washed with water (10 ml) and aqueous brine solution (3×10 ml), dried (MgSO4), filtered and concentrated in vacuo, to give 3-cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3-methoxy-benzyloxy)-phenyl]-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-ylamine as a brown solid (24.1 mg, 60%): 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 7.42 (t, 1H, J=7.8 Hz), 7.35-7.27 (m, 3H), 7.13 (d, 1H, J=5.1 Hz), 7.08-7.03 (m, 4H), 6.90 (d, 1H, J=8.6 Hz), 5.17 (s, 2H), 3.84 (s, 3H), 3.86-3.79 (m, 1H, obscured), 2.72-2.62 (m, 2H), 2.56-2.47 (m, 2H), 2.25-2.14 (m, 1H), 2.11-2.02 (m, 1H), 2H not observed (NH2); LCMS (ES+) m/z 401.34 [MH+] at Rt 3.20 min. HPLC Example R1 Name MH+ Rt 236 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3- methoxy-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 4401.34 3.20 mins 237 1-[3-(2-Chloro- benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 405.29 3.22 mins 238 1-[3-(3-Chloro- benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 405.29 3.14 mins 239 1-[3-(4-Chloro- benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 405.29 3.14 mins 240 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3- (pyridin-3-ylmethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 372.36 2.39 mins 241 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(5- methyl-isoxazol-3- ylmethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 376.33 2.74 mins 242 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,6- dichloro-pyridin-4- ylmethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 440.27 3.12 mins 243 1-[3-(Biphenyl-4- ylmethoxy)-phhenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 447.34 3.45 mins 244 1-[3-(2-Benzenesulfonyl- benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 525.42 3.34 mins 245 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3- (naphthalen-2- ylmethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 421.31 3.42 mins 246 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4- [1,2,4]triazol-1-yl- benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylammine 438.35 2.87 mins 247 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4- methyl-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 385.36 2.90 mins 248 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,6- dichloro-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 439.27 3.39 mins 249 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3- trifluoromethyl- benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 439.3 3.17 mins 250 1-[3-(4-tert-Butyl- benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 427.38 3.54 mins 251 1-[3-(Biphenyl-2- ylmethoxy)-phenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 447.37 3.26 mins 252 4-[3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- benzonitrile 396.29 3.12 mins 253 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,3- difluoro-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 407.29 3.07 mins 254 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3,5- dimethyl-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 399.34 3.36 mins 255 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3- trifluoromethoxy- benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 455.31 3.24 mins 256 2-[3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]- benzonitrile 396.31 3.14 mins 257 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4- trifluoromethoxy- benzyloxxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylammine 455.32 3.20 mins 258 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3,4- difluoro-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylammine 407.31 3.24 mins 259 1-[3- (Benzo[1,2,5]oxadiazol- 5-ylmethoxy)-phhenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 413.31 3.01 mins 260 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3,4,5- trifluoro-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 425.3 3.37 mins 261 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2- fluoro-5-trifluoromethyl- benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 457.3 3.22 mins 262 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(4- difluoromethoxy- benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 437.31 3.26 mins 263 1-[3-(5-Chloro- benzo[b]thiophen-3- ylmethoxy)-phenyl]-3- ccyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 461.29 3.37 mins 264 1-[3-(4-Chloro-2-fluoro- benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3- ccyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 423.27 3.36 mins 265 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3,5- difluoro-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 407.27 3.09 mins 266 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,6- difluoro-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 407.25 3.09 mins 267 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3- fluoro-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-i imidazo-[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylammine 389.34 3.27 mins 268 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3- (naphthalen-1- ylmethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 421.36 3.19 mins 269 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,5- difluoro-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylammine 407.31 3.11 mins 270 1-[3-(2-Chloro-6-fluoro- benzyloxy)-phenyl]-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 423.33 3.07 mins 271 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2,3,6- trifluoro-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 425.34 3.07 mins 272 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2- fluor-benzyloxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 389.31 2.99 mins 273 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(2- difluoromethoxy- benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 437.31 3.24 mins 274 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3- difluoromethoxy- benzyloxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 437.32 3.12 mins 275 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3- (quinolin-8-ylmethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 422.26 2.95 mins 276 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(1- phenyl-ethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylammine 385.33 3.04 mins 277 3-[3-(8-Amino-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-1-yl)- phenoxymethyl]-benzoic acid 415.34 2.90 mins 278 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3- (pyridin-2-ylmethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 372.18 2.49 mins 279 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(3,5- dimethyl-isoxazol-4- ylmethoxy)-phenyl]- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8- ylamine 390.22 2.87 mins 280 3-Cyclobutyl-1-[3-(5- methyl-3-phenyl- isoxazol-4-ylmethoxy)- phenyl]-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-ylamine 452.19 3.07 mins General Procedure for SNAr Reactions of 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine with amines Example 281 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]-isopropyl-amine To a solution of 1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (30 mg, 0.075 mmol) in NMP (0.4 ml) was added isopropylamine (44 mg, 0.75 mmol). The reaction was irradiated in the microwave (200 W, 150° C., 5 min.) and then poured onto water (10 ml) and extracted with EtOAc (2×10 ml). The combined organics were washed with brine (3×10 ml), dried (MgSO4), filtered and evaporated to dryness. Purification by mass-directed HPLC gave [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8-yl]-isopropyl-amine formic acid salt (11.0 mg, 36%) as a colorless solid: 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ 8.21 (s, 1H), 7.49 (d, 3H, J=8.2 Hz), 7.44-7.31 (m, 4H), 7.29 (s, 1H), 7.24-7.17 (m, 2H), 7.04 (d, 1H, J=5.1 Hz), 5.21 (s, 2H), 4.24-4.11 (m, 1H), 4.04-3.94 (m, 1H), 2.64-2.47 (m, 4H), 2.28-2.17 (m, 1H), 2.10-2.01 (m, 1H), 1.14 (d, 6H, J=6.7 Hz), 1H not observed (NH); LCMS (ES+) m/z 413.21 [MH+] at Rt 3.40 min. HPLC Example R1 Name MH+ Rt 281 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-isopropyl-amine 413.21 3.40 mins 282 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-ethyl-amine 399.21 3.20 mins 283 Allyl-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-amine 411.19 3.19 mins 284 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-prop-2-ynyl- amine 409.22 3.47 mins 285 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-propyl-amine 413.21 3.40 mins 286 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]- cyclopropylmethyl-amine 411.2 3.15 mins 287 Benzyl-[1-(3-benzyloxy-phenyl)- 3-cyclobutyl-imidazol[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-amine 461.22 3.54 mins 288 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-phenyl-amine 447.21 3.94 mins 289 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-methyl-amine 385.35 2.99 mins 290 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-(2-methoxy- ethyl)-amine 429.27 3.20 mins 291 1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-8-morpholin-4-yl- imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine 441.22 3.56 mins 292 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-diethyl-amine 427.27 3.54 mins 293 [1-(3-Benzyloxy-phenyl)-3- cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5- a]pyrazin-8-yl]-(2-methoxy- ethyl)-amine 415.22 3.11 mins Example 294 8-Amino-1-(3-Benzyloxy-2-fluorophenyl)-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: 1-(3-Benzyloxy-2-fluoro-phenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutyl-imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine (500 mg, 1.2 mmole) in methylene chloride was placed in a Parr pressure reactor, cooled in ice salt bath and charged with a saturated solution of NH3 in 2-propanol (10 mL). The pressure reactor was heated at 125° C. overnight. The reaction was cooled to room temperature and the crude reaction mixture was evaporated and triturated with methylene chloride and filtered. The filtrate was evaporated to dryness and purified by silica-gel column chromatography [eluant CH2Cl2:hexane (70:30)] to afford the title compound (350 mg, 75%); FAB-MS: m/z 388.9 (M+H)+. a) 1-(3-Benzyloxy-2-fluorophenyl)-8-chloro-3-cyclobutylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazine: Cyclobutanecarboxylic acid [(3-benzyloxy-2-fluoro-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-amide (0.850 g, 2 mmole) was dissolved in POCl3 (6 mL) and heated at 55° C. overnight. The excess POCl3 was removed in vacuo. The residue was cooled to 0° C. and charged with a saturated solution of NH3 in 2-propanol (6 mL). The mixture was left overnight at room temperature. The separated solid was then filtered and washed with methylene chloride. The filtrate was evaporated to dryness and purified by silica-gel column chromatography using hexane:ethyl acetate (60:40) as the eluant to afford the title compound (615 mg, 75%). FAB-MS: m/z 408.3 (M+H)+. b) N-[(3-benzyloxy-2-fluorophenyl) (3-chloropyrazin-2-yl)methyl] cyclobutylcarboxamide: To a solution of C-(3-benzyloxy-2-fluoro-phenyl)-C-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methylamine (1.1 g, 3.2 mmole) in methylene chloride (10 mL) was added diisopropylethylamine (1.1 mL, 6.4 mmole) under a nitrogen atmosphere. The reaction mixture was cooled in an ice bath and cyclobutanecarboxylic acid chloride (0.55 mL, 4.8 mmole) was added in one portion. The reaction mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature then quenched with water (10 mL). The organic layer separated and washed with 10% aqueous NaHCO3, dried over anhydrous Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography using hexane:ethyl acetate (60:40) as an eluant to give the title compound (911 mg, 67%). FAB-MS: m/z 426.3 (M+H)+. c) (3-Benzyloxy-2-fluorophenyl) (3-chloropyrazin-2-yl) aminomethane: A mixture of 2-[(3-benzyloxy-2-fluoro-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione (1.63 g, 3.45 mmole) and hydrazine (0.270 mL, 8.6 mmole) in ethanol (30 mL) and methylene chloride (10 mL) was stirred at room temperature under nitrogen. After 65 h, separated phthalazine-1,4-dione solid was filtered, and the solid cake was washed with methylene chloride. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo to obtain red oil comprising the desired title compound, which solidified on standing (1.0 g, 85%). d) 2-[(3-Benzyloxy-2-fluoro-phenyl)-(3-chloro-pyrazin-2-yl)-methyl]-isoindole-1,3-dione: In a 250 mL three-necked flask, equipped with a N2-inlet and a thermometer was placed triphenylphosphine (3.28 g, 12.5 mmole) in THF (30 mL). The mixture was cooled to 0 to 5° C. and DEAD (1.97 mL, 12.5 mmole) was added slowly in 15 minutes while maintaining the temperature at 0-3° C. Stirring was continued for a further 30 minutes at the same temperature. To the cold solution was then added a solution of (3-benzyloxy-2-fluorophenyl) (3-chloropyrazin-2-yl) carbinol (1.96 g, 5.685 mmole) and phthalimide (8, 1.0 g, 6.8 mmole) in THF (30 mL) at 0-5° C. over 10 min. The temperature was slowly allowed to rise to room temperature and then left stirring overnight. The reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo and purified by column chromatography using hexane:ethyl acetate (70:30) as the eluant. The pure desired product was obtained. e) (3-Benzyloxy-2-fluorophenyl) (3-chloropyrazin-2-yl) carbinol: In a 100 mL three-necked round-bottom flask equipped with a N2-inlet and a thermometer was placed THF (28 mL). This was cooled to 40° C. and there was added 2.5 M solution of n-BuLi in hexane (11.52 mL, 28.8 mmole) followed by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (4.84 mL, 28.8 mmole). The temperature of the mixture was allowed to rise to 0° C. and stirring was continued at −5 to 0° C. for 30 minutes. The mixture was then cooled to −70° C., and the chloropyrazine (1.28 mL, 14.4 mmole) was added slowly over 15 minutes and the stirring was continued for 30 minutes. A solution of 3-benzyloxy-2-fluorobenzaldehyde (3.04 g. 13.2 mmole) in THF (7 mL) was then added at −70° C. and stirring was continued at −70 to −60° C. for 2 h. There after the temperature was allowed to rise to room temperature over 1 h. The reaction mixture was quenched with 2 N HCl (6 mL) and stirred overnight at room temperature. The mixture was then evaporated on a rotary evaporator to remove most of the THF. Ethyl acetate (20 mL) was added to the residue. The organic layer was separated, washed with water (10 mL), finally with brine (10 mL), dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated. The crude residue obtained was 4.4 g. The above reaction was repeated four times and the products were combined. This was purified by silica-gel column chromatography using as the eluent ethyl acetate:hexane (30:70) and the title compound (3.8 g, 21%) was obtained. f) 3-Benzyloxy-2-fluorobenzaldehyde: 3-Hydroxy-2-fluorobenzaldehyde {reported by Kirk et. al., J. Med. Chem. 1986, 29, 1982} (15 g, 107 mmole) was added to an aqueous NaOH solution {(5.14 g, 128 mmole in water (50 mL)} and the mixture was stirred for 5 min to effect complete dissolution. To this was added a solution of benzyl bromide (16.46 g, 96.3 mmole) in methylene chloride (75 mL) followed by tetrabutylammonium iodide (0.5 g, 1.35 mmole) and vigorous stirring was continued overnight. The organic layer was separated and the aqueous layer was extracted with methylene chloride (100 mL). The combined organic layers were washed with 5% aqueous NaOH solution (2×25 mL) followed by water (50 mL) and finally with brine (20 mL). This solution was dried over anhydrous Na2SO4, filtered and evaporated to dryness. The resulting crude light yellow solid was crystallized from cyclohexane (150 mL) to afford the title compound (16.5 g, 75%); mp 88-89° C. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention is directed to novel imidazopyrazines, their salts, and compositions comprising them. In particular, the present invention is directed to imidazopyrazines as novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors that inhibit tyrosine kinase enzymes in animals, including humans, for the treatment and/or prevention of various diseases and conditions such as cancer. Phosphoryl transferases are a large family of enzymes that transfer phosphorous-containing groups from one substrate to another. Kinases are a class of enzymes that function in the catalysis of phosphoryl transfer. The phosphorylation is usually a transfer reaction of a phosphate group from ATP to the protein substrate. Almost all kinases contain a similar 250-300 amino acid catalytic domain. Protein kinases, with at least 400 identified, constitute the largest subfamily of structurally related phosphoryl transferases and are responsible for the control of a wide variety of signal transduction processes within the cell. The protein kinases may be categorized into families by the substrates they phosphorylate (e.g., protein-tyrosine, protein-serine/threonine, etc.). Protein kinase sequence motifs have been identified that generally correspond to each of these kinase families. Lipid kinases (e.g. PI3K) constitute a separate group of kinases with structural similarity to protein kinases. The “kinase domain” appears in a number of polypeptides which serve a variety of functions. Such polypeptides include, for example, transmembrane receptors, intracellular receptor associated polypeptides, cytoplasmic located polypeptides, nuclear located polypeptides and subcellular located polypeptides. The activity of protein kinases can be regulated by a variety of mechanisms and any individual protein might be regulated by more than one mechanism. Such mechanisms include, for example, autophosphorylation, transphosphorylation by other kinases, protein-protein interactions, protein-lipid interactions, protein-polynucleotide interactions, ligand binding, and post-translational modification. Phosphorylation of target proteins occurs in response to a variety of extracellular signals (hormones, neurotransmitters, growth and differentiation factors, etc.), cell cycle events, environmental or nutritional stresses, etc. Protein and lipid kinases regulate many different cell processes by adding phosphate groups to targets such as proteins or lipids. Such cell processes include, for example, proliferation, growth, differentiation, metabolism, cell cycle events, apoptosis, motility, transcription, translation and other signaling processes. Kinase catalyzed phosphorylation acts as molecular on/off switches to modulate or regulate the biological function of the target protein. Thus, protein and lipid kinases can function in signaling pathways to activate or inactivate, or modulate the activity (either directly or indirectly) of the targets. These targets may include, for example, metabolic enzymes, regulatory proteins, receptors, cytoskeletal proteins, ion channels or pumps, or transcription factors. A partial list of protein kinases includes abl, AKT, bcr-abl, Blk, Brk, Btk, c-kit, c-met, c-src, CDK1, CDK2, CDK3, CDK4, CDKS, CDK6, CDK7, CDK8, CDK9, CDK10, cRaf1, CSFir, CSK, EGFR, ErbB2, ErbB3, ErbB4, Erk, Fak, fes, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, FGFR4, FGFR5, Fgr, flt-1, Fps, Frk, Fyn, Hck, IGF-1R, INS-R, Jak, KDR, Lck, Lyn, MEK, p38, PDGFR, PIK, PKC, PYK2, ron, tie, tie2, TRK, Yes, and Zap70. Thus, protein kinases represent a large family of proteins which play a central role in the regulation of a wide variety of cellular processes, maintaining control over cellular function. Uncontrolled signaling due to defective control of protein phosphorylation has been implicated in a number of diseases and disease conditions, including, for example, inflammation, cancer, allergy/asthma, disease and conditions of the immune system, disease and conditions of the central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular disease, dermatology, and angiogenesis. Initial interest in protein kinases as pharmacological targets was stimulated by findings that many viral oncogenes encode structurally modified cellular protein kinases with constitutive enzyme activity. One early example was the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) or avian sarcoma virus (ASV), which caused highly malignant tumors of the same type or sarcomas within infected chickens. Subsequently, deregulated protein kinase activity, resulting from a variety of mechanisms, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of a number of important human disorders including, for example, cancer, CNS conditions, and immunologically related diseases. The development of selective protein kinase inhibitors that can block the disease pathologies and/or symptoms resulting from aberrant protein kinase activity has therefore become an important therapeutic target. Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) are enzymes that catalyse the phosphorylation of specific tyrosine residues in cellular proteins. Such post-translational modification of the substrate proteins, often enzymes themselves, acts as a molecular switch regulating cell proliferation, activation or differentiation (for review, see Schlessinger and Ullrich, 1992 , Neuron 9:383-391). Aberrant or excessive PTK activity has been observed in many disease states including benign and malignant proliferative disorders as well as diseases resulting from inappropriate activation of the immune system (e.g., autoimmune disorders), allograft rejection, and graft vs. host disease. In addition, endothelial-cell specific receptor PTKs such as KDR and Tie-2 mediate the angiogenic process, and are thus involved in supporting the progression of cancers and other diseases involving inappropriate vascularization (e.g., diabetic retinopathy, choroidal neovascularization due to age-related macular degeneration, psoriasis, arthritis, retinopathy of prematurity, infantile hemangiomas). Tyrosine kinases can be of the receptor-type (having extracellular, transmembrane and intracellular domains) or the non-receptor type (being wholly intracellular). The Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) comprise a large family of transmembrane receptors with at least nineteen distinct RTK subfamilies having diverse biological activities. The RTK family includes receptors that are crucial for the growth and differentiation of a variety of cell types (Yarden and Ullrich, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 57:433-478, 1988; Ullrich and Schlessinger, Cell 61:243-254, 1990). The intrinsic function of RTKs is activated upon ligand binding, which results in phosphorylation of the receptor and multiple cellular substrates, and subsequently in a variety of cellular responses (Ullrich & Schlessinger, 1990 , Cell 61:203-212). Thus, RTK mediated signal transduction is initiated by extracellular interaction with a specific growth factor (ligand), typically followed by receptor dimerization, stimulation of the intrinsic protein tyrosine kinase activity and receptor transphosphorylation. Binding sites are thereby created for intracellular signal transduction molecules and lead to the formation of complexes with a spectrum of cytoplasmic signaling molecules that facilitate the appropriate cellular response such as cell division, differentiation, metabolic effects, and changes in the extracellular microenvironment (see Schlessinger and Ullrich, 1992 , Neuron 9:1-20). Proteins with SH2 (src homology-2) or phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains bind activated tyrosine kinase receptors and their substrates with high affinity to propagate signals into cell. Both of the domains recognize phosphotyrosine. (Fantl et al., 1992 , Cell 69:413-423; Songyang et al., 1994 , Mol. Cell. Biol. 14:2777-2785; Songyang et al., 1993 , Cell 72:767-778; and Koch et al., 1991 , Science 252:668-678; Shoelson, Curr Opin. Chem. Biol. (1997), 1(2), 227-234; Cowburn, Curr Opin. Struct. Biol. (1997), 7(6), 835-838). Several intracellular substrate proteins that associate with RTKs have been identified. They may be divided into two principal groups: (1) substrates which have a catalytic domain; and (2) substrates which lack such a domain but serve as adapters and associate with catalytically active molecules (Songyang et al., 1993 , Cell 72:767-778). The specificity of the interactions between receptors or proteins and SH2 or PTB domains of their substrates is determined by the amino acid residues immediately surrounding the phosphorylated tyrosine residue. For example, differences in the binding affinities between SID domains and the amino acid sequences surrounding the phosphotyrosine residues on particular receptors correlate with the observed differences in their substrate phosphorylation profiles (Songyang et al., 1993 , Cell 72:767-778). Observations suggest that the function of each receptor tyrosine kinase is determined not only by its pattern of expression and ligand availability but also by the array of downstream signal transduction pathways that are activated by a particular receptor as well as the timing and duration of those stimuli. Thus, phosphorylation provides an important regulatory step which determines the selectivity of signaling pathways recruited by specific growth factor receptors, as well as differentiation factor receptors. Several receptor tyrosine kinases such as FGFR-1, PDGFR, Tie-2 and c-Met, and growth factors that bind thereto, have been suggested to play a role in angiogenesis, although some may promote angiogenesis indirectly (Mustonen and Alitalo, J. Cell Biol. 129:895-898, 1995). One such receptor tyrosine kinase, known as “fetal liver kinase 1” (FLK-1), is a member of the type III subclass of RTKs. Human FLK-1 is also known as “kinase insert domain-containing receptor” (KDR) (Terean et al., Oncogene 6:1677-83, 1991). It is also called “vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 2” (VEGFR-2) since it binds vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) with high affinity. The murine version of FLK-1/VEGFR-2 has also been called NYK. (Oelrichs et aI, Oncogene 8(1):11-15, 1993). Numerous studies (such as those reported in Millauer et al., supra), suggest that VEGF and FLK-1/KDR/VEGFR-2 are a ligand-receptor pair that play an important role in the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells (vasculogenesis), and the formation and sprouting of blood vessels (angiogenesis). Accordingly, VEGF plays a role in the stimulation of both normal and pathological angiogenesis (Jakeman et al., Endocrinology 133:848-859, 1993; Kolch et al., Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 36: 139-155, 1995; Ferrara et al., Endocrine Reviews 18(1); 4-25, 1997; Ferrara et al., Regulation of Angiogenesis (ed. L D. Goldberg and E. M. Rosen), 209-232, 1997). In addition, VEGF has been implicated in the control and enhancement of vascular permeability (Connolly, et al., 1 . BioI. Chem. 264: 20017-20024, 1989; Brown et al., Regulation of Angiogenesis (ed. L D. Goldberg and E. M. Rosen), 233-269, 1997). Another type III subclass RTK related to FLK-1/KDR (DeVries et al. Science 255:989-991, 1992; Shibuya et al., Oncogene 5:519-524, 1990) is “fms-like tyrosine kinase-I” (Flt-1), also called “vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 1” (VEGFR-1). Members of the FLK-1/KDR/VEGFR-2 and Flt-1/VEGPR-1 subfamilies are expressed primarily on endothelial cells. These subclass members are specifically stimulated by members of the VEGF family of ligands (Klagsbum and D'Amore, Cytokine & Growth Factor Reviews 7: 259270, 1996). VEGF binds to Flt-1 with higher affinity than to FLK-1/KDR and is mitogenic toward vascular endothelial cells (Terman et al., 1992, supra; Mustonen et al. supra; DeVries et al., supra). Flt-1 is believed to be essential for endothelial organization during vascular development. Flt-1 expression is associated with early vascular development in mouse embryos, and with neovascularization during wound healing (Mustonen and Alitalo, supra). Expression of Flt-1 in monocytes, osteoclasts, and osteoblasts, as well as in adult tissues such as kidney glomeruli suggests an additional function for this receptor that is no related to cell growth (Mustonen and Alitalo, supra). Placenta growth factor (PlGF) has an amino acid sequence that exhibits significant homology to the VEGF sequence (Park et al., 1 . Biol. Chem. 269:25646-54, 1994; Maglione et al. Oncogene 8:925-31, 1993). As with VEGF, different species of PlGF arise from alternative splicing of mRNA, and the protein exists in dimeric form (Park et al., supra). PlGF-1 and PlGF-2 bind to Flt-1 with high affinity, and PlGF-2 also avidly binds to neuropilin-1 (Migdal et al., 1 . Biol. Chem. 273 (35): 22272-22278), but neither binds to FLK-1/KDR (Park et al., supra). PlGF has been reported to potentiate both the vascular permeability and mitogenic effect of VEGF on endothelial cells when VEGF is present at low concentrations (purportedly due to heterodimer formation) (Park et al., supra). VEGF-B is thought to play a role in the regulation of extracellular matrix degradation, cell adhesion, and migration through modulation of the expression and activity of urokinase type plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (Pepper et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (1998), 95(20):11709-11714). VEGF-C can also bind KDR/VEGFR-2 and stimulate proliferation and migration of endothelial cells in vitro and angiogenesis in in vivo models (Lymboussaki et. al., Am. J Pathol . (1998), 153(2):395-403; Witzenbichler et al., Am. J. Pathol . (1998), 153(2), 381-394). The transgenic overexpression of VEGF-C causes proliferation and enlargement of only lymphatic vessels, while blood vessels are unaffected. Unlike VEGF, the expression of VEGF-C is not induced by hypoxia (Ristimaki et al, J. Biol. Chem . (1998), 273(14), 8413-8418). Structurally similar to VEGF-C, VEGF-D is reported to bind and activate at least two VEGFRs, VEGFR-3/Flt-4 and KDR/VEGFR-2. It was originally cloned as a c-fos inducible mitogen for fibroblasts and is most prominently expressed in the mesenchymal cells of the lung and skin (Achen et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A . (1998), 95(2), 548-553 and references therein). VEGF, VEGF-C and VEGF-D have been claimed to induce increases in vascular permeability in vivo in a Miles assay when injected into cutaneous tissue (PCT/US97/14696; WO98/07832, Witzenbichler et al., supra). The physiological role and significance of these ligands in modulating vascular hyperpermeability and endothelial responses in tissues where they are expressed remains uncertain. Tie-2 (TEK) is a member of a recently discovered family of endothelial cell specific RTKs involved in critical angiogenic processes such as vessel branching, sprouting, remodeling, maturation and stability. Tie-2 is the first mammalian RTK for which both agonist ligands (e.g., Angiopoietin1 (“Ang1”), which stimulates receptor autophosphorylation and signal transduction), and antagonist ligands (e.g., Angiopoietin2 (“Ang2”)), have been identified. The current model suggests that stimulation of Tie-2 kinase by the Ang1 ligand is directly involved in the branching, sprouting and outgrowth of new vessels, and recruitment and interaction of periendothelial support cells important in maintaining vessel integrity and inducing quiescence. The absence of Ang1 stimulation of Tie-2 or the inhibition of Tie-2 autophosphorylation by Ang2, which is produced at high levels at sites of vascular regression, may cause a loss in vascular structure and matrix contacts resulting in endothelial cell death, especially in the absence of growth/survival stimuli. Recently, significant upregulation of Tie-2 expression has been found within the vascular synovial pannus of arthritic joints of humans, consistent with a role in the inappropriate neovascularization, suggesting that Tie-2 plays a role in the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. Point mutations producing constitutively activated forms of Tie-2 have been identified in association with human venous malformation disorders. Tie-2 inhibitors are, thereful, useful in treating such disorders, and in other situations of inappropriate neovascularization. Non-receptor tyrosine kinases represent a collection of cellular enzymes which lack extracellular and transmembrane sequences (see, Bohlen, 1993 , Oncogene 8:2025-2031). Over twenty-four individual non-receptor tyrosine kinases, comprising eleven (11) subfamilies (Src, Frk, Btk, Csk, Abl, Zap70, Fes/Fps, Fak, Jak, Ack and LIMK) have been identified. The Src subfamily of non-receptor tyrosine kinases is comprised of the largest number of PTKs and include Src, Yes, Fyn, Lyn, Lck, Blk, Hck, Fgr and Yrk. The Src subfamily of enzymes has been linked to oncogenesis and immune responses. Plk-1 is a serine/threonine kinase which is an important regulator of cell cycle progression. It plays critical roles in the assembly and the dynamic function of the mitotic spindle apparatus. Plk-1 and related kinases have also been shown to be closely involved in the activation and inactivation of other cell cycle regulators, such as cyclin-dependent kinases. High levels of Plk-1 expression are associated with cell proliferation activities. It is often found in malignant tumors of various origins. Inhibitors of Plk-1 are expected to block cancer cell proliferation by disrupting processes involving mitotic spindles and inappropriately activated cyclin-dependent kinases. Cdc2 (cdk1)/cyclin B is another serine/threonine kinase enzyme which belongs to the cyclin-dependent kinase (cdks) family. These enzymes are involved in the critical transition between various phases of cell cycle progression. It is believed that uncontrolled cell proliferation, the hallmark of cancer, is dependent upon elevated cdk activities in these cells. The loss of control of cdk regulation is a frequent event in hyperproliferative diseases and cancer (Pines, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 4:144-148 (1992); Lees, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 7:773-780 (1995); Hunter and Pines, Cell, 79:573-582 (1994)). The inhibition of elevated cdk activities in cancer cells by cdc2/cyclin B kinase inhibitors could suppress proliferation and may restore the normal control of cell cycle progression. Malignant cells are associated with the loss of control over one or more cell cycle elements. These elements range from cell surface receptors to the regulators of transcription and translation, including the insulin-like growth factors, insulin growth factor-I (IGF-1) and insulin growth factor-2 (IGF-2). [M. J. Ellis, “The Insulin-Like Growth Factor Network and Breast Cancer”, Breast Cancer, Molecular Genetics, Pathogenesis and Therapeutics, Humana Press 1999]. The insulin growth factor system consists of families of ligands, insulin growth factor binding proteins, and receptors. A major physiological role of the IGF-1 system is the promotion of normal growth and regeneration, and overexpressed IGF-1R can initiate mitogenesis and promote ligand-dependent neoplastic transformation. Furthermore, IGF-1R plays an important role in the establishment and maintenance of the malignant phenotype. IGF-1R exists as a heterodimer, with several disulfide bridges. The tyrosine kinase catalytic site and the ATP binding site are located on the cytoplasmic portion of the beta subunit. Unlike the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, no mutant oncogenic forms of the IGF-1R have been identified. However, several oncogenes have been demonstrated to affect IGF-1 and IGF-1R expression. The correlation between a reduction of IGF-1R expression and resistance to transformation has been seen. Exposure of cells to the mRNA antisense to IGF-1R RNA prevents soft agar growth of several human tumor cell lines. Apoptosis is a ubiquitous physiological process used to eliminate damaged or unwanted cells in multicellular organisms. Disregulation of apoptosis is believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of many human diseases. The failure of apoptotic cell death has been implicated in various cancers, as well as autoimmune disorders. Conversely, increased apoptosis is associated with a variety of diseases involving cell loss such as neurodegenerative disorders and AIDS. As such, regulators of apoptosis have become an important therapeutic target. It is now established that a major mode of tumor survival is escape from apoptosis. IGF-1R abrogates progression into apoptosis, both in vivo and in vitro. It has also been shown that a decrease in the level of IGF-1R below wild-type levels causes apoptosis of tumor cells in vivo. The ability of IGF-1R disruption to cause apoptosis appears to be diminished in normal, non-tumorigenic cells. Inappropriately high protein kinase activity has been implicated in many diseases resulting from abnormal cellular function. This might arise either directly or indirectly, by failure of the proper control mechanisms for the kinase, related to mutation, over-expression or inappropriate activation of the enzyme; or by over- or underproduction of cytokines or growth factors also participating in the transduction of signals upstream or downstream of the kinase. In all of these instances, selective inhibition of the action of the kinase might be expected to have a beneficial effect. The type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) is a transmembrane RTK that binds primarily to IGF-1 but also to IGF-II and insulin with lower affinity. Binding of IGF-1 to its receptor results in receptor oligomerization, activation of tyrosine kinase, intermolecular receptor autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of cellular substrates (major substrates are IRS1 and Shc). The ligand-activated IGF-1R induces mitogenic activity in normal cells and plays an important role in abnormal growth. Several clinical reports underline the important role of the IGF-1 pathway in human tumor development: 1) IGF-1R overexpression is frequently found in various tumors (breast, colon, lung, sarcoma.) and is often associated with an aggressive phenotype. 2) High circulating IGF1 concentrations are strongly correlated with prostate, lung and breast cancer risk. Furthermore, IGF-1R is required for establishment and maintenance of the transformed phenotype in vitro and in vivo (Baserga R. Exp. Cell. Res., 1999, 253, 1-6). The kinase activity of IGF-1R is essential for the transforming activity of several oncogenes: EGFR, PDGFR, SV40 T antigen, activated Ras, Raf, and v-Src. The expression of IGF-1R in normal fibroblasts induces neoplastic phenotypes, which can then form tumors in vivo. IGF-1R expression plays an important role in anchorage-independent growth. IGF-1R has also been shown to protect cells from chemotherapy-, radiation-, and cytokine-induced apoptosis. Conversely, inhibition of endogenous IGF-1R by dominant negative IGF-1R, triple helix formation or antisense expression vector has been shown to repress transforming activity in vitro and tumor growth in animal models. Many of the tyrosine kinases, whether an RTK or non-receptor tyrosine kinase, have been found to be involved in cellular signaling pathways involved in numerous pathogenic conditions, including cancer, psoriasis, and other hyperproliferative disorders or hyper-immune responses. Therefore, much research is ongoing for inhibitors of kinases involved in mediating or maintaining disease states to treat such diseases. Examples of such kinase research include, for example: (1) inhibition of c-Src (Brickell, Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis, 3:401-406 (1992); Courtneidge, Seminars in Cancer Biology, 5:236-246 (1994), raf (Powis, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 62:57-95 (1994)) and the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 1, 2 and 4 in cancer (Pines, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 4:144-148 (1992); Lees, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 7:773-780 (1995); Hunter and Pines, Cell, 79:573-582 (1994)), (2) inhibition of CDK2 or PDGF-R kinase in restenosis (Buchdunger et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA, 92:2258-2262 (1995)), (3) inhibition of CDK5 and GSK3 kinases in Alzheimers (Hosoi et al., Journal of Biochemistry ( Tokyo ), 117:741-749 (1995); Aplin et al., Journal of Neurochemistry, 67:699-707 (1996), (4) inhibition of c-Src kinase in osteoporosis (Tanaka et al., Nature, 383:528-531 (1996), (5) inhibition of GSK-3 kinase in type-2 diabetes (Borthwick et al., Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications, 210:738-745 (1995), (6) inhibition of the p38 kinase in inflammation (Badger et al., The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 279:1453-1461 (1996)), (7) inhibition of VEGF-R 1-3 and TIE-1 and 2 kinases in diseases which involve angiogenesis (Shawver et al., Drug Discovery Today, 2:50-63 (1997)), (8) inhibition of UL97 kinase in viral infections (He et al., Journal of Virology, 71:405-411 (1997)), (9) inhibition of CSF-1R kinase in bone and hematopoetic diseases (Myers et. al., Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 7:421-424 (1997), and (10) inhibition of Lck kinase in autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection (Myers et. al., Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 7:417-420 (1997)). Inhibitors of certain kinases may be useful in the treatment of diseases when the kinase is not misregulated, but it nonetheless essential for maintenance of the disease state. In this case, inhibition of the kinase activity would act either as a cure or palliative for these diseases. For example, many viruses, such as human papilloma virus, disrupt the cell cycle and drive cells into the S-phase of the cell cycle (Vousden, FASEB Journal, 7:8720879 (1993)). Preventing cells from entering DNA synthesis after viral infection by inhibition of essential S-phase initiating activities such as CDK2, may disrupt the virus life cycle by preventing virus replication. This same principle may be used to protect normal cells of the body from toxicity of cycle-specific chemotherapeutic agents (Stone et al., Cancer Research, 56:3199-3202 (1996); Kohn et al., Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 54:44-452 (1994). Inhibition of CDK 2 or 4 will prevent progression into the cycle in normal cells and limit the toxicity of cytotoxics which act in S-phase, G2 or mitosis. Furthermore, CDK2/cyclin E activity has also been shown to regulate NF-kB. Inhibition of CDK2 activity stimulates NF-kB-dependent gene expression, an event mediated through interactions with the p300 co-activator (Perkins et al., Science, 275:523-527 (1997)). NF-kB regulates genes involved in inflammatory responses (such as hematopoetic growth factors, chemokines and leukocyte adhesion molecules) (Baeuerle and Henkel, Annual Review of Immunology, 12:141-179 (1994)) and maybe involved in the suppression of apoptotic signals within the cell (Beg and Baltimore, Science, 274:782-784 (1996); Wang et al., Science, 274:784-787 (1996); Van Antwerp et aI., Science, 274:787-789 (1996). Thus, inhibition of CDK2 may suppress apoptosis induced by cytotoxic drugs via a mechanism which involves NF-kB and be useful where regulation of NF-kB plays a role in etiology of disease. A further example of the usefulness of kinase inhibition is fungal infections: Aspergillosis is a common infection in immune-compromised patients (Armstrong, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 16: 1-7 (1993)). Inhibition of the Aspergillus kinases Cdc2/CDC28 or Nim A (Osmani et al., EMBO Journal, 10:2669-2679 (1991); Osmani et al., Cell, 67:283-291 (1991)) may cause arrest or death in the fungi, effectively treating these infections. The identification of effective small compounds which specifically inhibit signal transduction and cellular proliferation by modulating the activity of receptor and non-receptor tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases to regulate and modulate abnormal or inappropriate cell proliferation, differentiation, or metabolism is therefore desirable. In particular, the identification of methods and compounds that specifically inhibit the function of a tyrosine kinase which is essential for angiogenic processes or the formation of vascular hyperpermeability leading to edema, ascites, effusions, exudates, and macromolecular extravasation and matrix deposition as well as associated disorders would be beneficial. In view of the importance of PTKs to the control, regulation, and modulation of cell proliferation and the diseases and disorders associated with abnormal cell proliferation, many attempts have been made to identify receptor and non-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors using a variety of approaches, including the use of mutant ligands (U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,849), soluble receptors and antibodies (International Patent Publication No. WO 94/10202; Kendall & Thomas, 1994 , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci 90:10705-09; Kim et al., 1993 , Nature 362:841-844), RNA ligands (Jellinek, et al., Biochemistry 33:1045056; Takano, et al., 1993 , Mol. Bio. Cell 4:358A; Kinsella, et al. 1992 , Exp. Cell Res. 199:56-62; Wright, et al., 1992, 1 . Cellular Phys. 152:448-57) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (International Patent Publication Nos. WO 94/03427; WO 92/21660; WO 91/15495; WO 94/14808; U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,992; Mariani, et al., 1994 , Froc. Am. Assoc. Cancer Res. 35:2268). More recently, attempts have been made to identify small molecules which act as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Bis-, mono-cyclic, bicyclic or heterocyclic aryl compounds (International Patent Publication No. WO 92/20642) and vinylene-azaindole derivatives (International Patent Publication No. WO 94/14808) have been described generally as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Styryl compounds (U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,999), styryl-substituted pyridyl compounds (U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,606), certain quinazoline derivatives (EP Application No. 0566266 A1 ; Expert Opin. Ther. Pat . (1998), 8(4): 475-478), selenoindoles and selenides (International Patent Publication No. WO 94/03427), tricyclic polyhydroxylic compounds (International Patent Publication No. WO 92/21660) and benzylphosphonic acid compounds (International Patent Publication No. WO 91/15495) have been described as compounds for use as tyrosine kinase inhibitors for use in the treatment of cancer. Anilinocinnolines (PCT WO97/34876) and quinazoline derivative compounds (International Patent Publication No. WO 97/22596; International Patent Publication No. WO97/42187) have been described as inhibitors of angiogenesis and vascular permeability. Bis(indolylmaleimide) compounds have been described as inhibiting particular PKC serine/threonine kinase isoforms whose signal transducing function is associated with altered vascular permeability in VEGF-related diseases (International Patent Publication Nos. WO 97/40830 and WO 97/40831). IGF-1R performs important roles in cell division, development, and metabolism, and in its activated state, plays a role in oncogenesis and suppression of apoptosis. IGF-1R is known to be overexpressed in a number of cancer cell lines (IGF-1R overexpression is linked to acromegaly and to cancer of the prostate). By contrast, down-regulation of IGF-1R expression has been shown to result in the inhibition of tumorigenesis and an increased apoptosis of tumor cells. International Patent Publication Nos. WO 03/018021 and WO 03/018022 describe pyrimidines for treating IGF-1R related disorders, International Patent Publication Nos. WO 02/102804 and WO 02/102805 describe cyclolignans and cyclolignans as IGF-1R inhibitors, International Patent Publication No. WO 02/092599 describes pyrrolopyrimidines for the treatment of a disease which responds to an inhibition of the IGF-1R tyrosine kinase, International Patent Publication No. WO 01/72751 describes pyrrolopyrimidines as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. International Patent Publication No. WO 00/71129 describes pyrrolotriazine inhibitors of kinases. International Patent Publication No. WO 97/28161 describes pyrrolo [2,3-d]pyrimidines and their use as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Parrizas, et al. describes tyrphostins with in vitro and in vivo IGF-1R inhibitory activity (Endocrinology, 138:1427-1433 (1997)), and International Patent Publication No. WO 00/35455 describes heteroaryl-aryl ureas as IGF-1R inhibitors. International Patent Publication No. WO 03/048133 describes pyrimidine derivatives as modulators of IGF-1R. International Patent Publication No. WO 03/024967 describes chemical compounds with inhibitory effects towards kinase proteins. International Patent Publication No. WO 03/068265 describes methods and compositions for treating hyperproliferative conditions. International Patent Publication No. WO 00/17203 describes pyrrolopyrimidines as protein kinase inhibitors. Japanese Patent Publication No. JP 07/133,280 describes a cephem compound, its production and antimicrobial composition. A. Albert et al., Journal of the Chemical Society, 11: 1540-1547 (1970) describes pteridine studies and pteridines unsubstituted in the 4-position, a synthesis from pyrazines via 3,4-dhydropteridines. A. Albert et al., Chem. Biol. Pteridines Proc. Int. Symp., 4 th, 4: 1-5 (1969) describes a synthesis of pteridines (unsubstituted in the 4-position) from pyrazines, via 3-4-dihydropteridines. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to compounds of Formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The compounds of Formula I inhibit the IGF-1R enzyme and are useful for the treatment and/or prevention of various diseases and conditions that respond to treatment by inhibition of IGF-1R. The compounds of this invention are useful as inhibitors of serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases. In particular, compounds of this invention are useful as inhibitors of tyrosine kinases that are important in hyperproliferative diseases, especially cancer. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? | 20041014 | 20081202 | 20060420 | 72597.0 | A61K31498 | 1 | TUCKER, ZACHARY C | IMIDAZOPYRAZINE TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITORS | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | A61K | 2,004 |
|
10,965,436 | ACCEPTED | Flat thin screen TV/monitor automotive roof mount | A vehicle roof mounted video display is disclosed. The display is rotatable 180° about a first axis, between a stored position within a housing and a second position in which the display lies flat against the vehicle roof. The display is also rotatable at least 60°, and preferably 90°, about a second axis that intersects and is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. Each axis includes self-tensioning hinges to hold the display in any position. The display self aligns as it reaches either of the first and second positions so that the display is substantially parallel to the roof. When the display is in the storage position, the display screen faces, and is safely enclosed by, the housing. The invention also includes a number of built-in features to provide passengers with a wide range of entertainment options. | 1. An assembly mountable on an inside surface of a vehicle roof, the assembly comprising: a housing having a first side defining a mounting surface and a second side opposite the first side defining a storage location, the housing defining a first hinge portion; a video display having a first face defining a video screen, the video display defining a second hinge portion, the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion cooperating to pivotably connect the housing and the video display, such that the video display is movable between a storage position and a viewing position; and a microswitch selectively blocking power to the video screen; wherein when the video display is in the storage position the video display is at least partially disposed within the storage location, and the microswitch is in an off position in which no power may be channeled to the video screen. 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein as the video display is moved toward the viewing position the microswitch is moved to an on position in which power may be channeled to the video screen. 3. An assembly mountable on an inside surface of a vehicle roof, the assembly comprising: a housing; a video display secured to the housing, the video display having a first face defining a video screen; and a wireless earphone transmitter; wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit an audio signal to earphones. 4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the housing defines a first hinge portion. 5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the video display defines a second hinge portion, the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion cooperating to pivotably connect the housing and the video display. | RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/120,552, filed on Apr. 9, 2002, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/717,928, filed on Nov. 21, 2000, which claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 60/248,981, filed on Nov. 14, 2000. The entirety of each of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to devices for mounting video displays on the inside surface of an automobile roof. More specifically, the device provides a vehicle mounted video display that incorporates a wide range of entertainment options, is convenient to use and poses little risk of harm to passengers. 2. Description of the Related Art & Summary of the Invention Overhead consoles for vans and other large vehicles are well known. One type of overhead console contains a video display screen and other components to keep passengers entertained on long journeys. These consoles are generally mounted near the center of the transverse axis of the vehicle with the display screen facing the rear. However, current overhead consoles for video display screens include features that make them either unsafe or inconvenient to use, or both. U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,030 to Mola discloses a vehicle overhead console with flip down navigation unit. The vehicle overhead console assembly includes a console body with a door pivotally attached to the console body. The door is pivotally movable between open and closed positions. A navigation display unit is connected to the door such that the navigation display unit is exposed for viewing by a vehicle occupant when the door is in the open position, and hidden from view when the door is in the closed position. A groove in a substantially U-shaped flexible latch member engages an edge portion of the console body for securing the door in the latched position. The pins on which the door pivots engage a plurality of detents to hold the door in the desired open position. The principal drawback of the '030 device is the hazard that it poses to passengers. The device swings forward, from a stored position, to a viewing position where the display screen is substantially perpendicular to the roof of the vehicle. Due to the design of the pivots and the obstruction posed by the console body, the screen cannot swing forward any farther than this position. Thus, it poses a significant obstacle for passengers moving within the vehicle. A passenger who is thrown forward during a collision could be seriously injured by striking the screen. Another drawback of the '030 design is the limited range of viewing positions available for the display screen. The screen may only rotate about one axis, as described. The screen may not be rotated to the left or right to accommodate viewers who are not seated directly in front of the screen. This drawback is especially acute if the display screen is an LED, which can only be seen from a narrow range of angles in front of the screen. U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,762 to Vitito discloses an overhead console having a flip-down monitor. The console includes an elongated console housing having a leading end and a trailing end, a monitor mounted in the leading end of the console housing, and a compartment for storing a source of video signals. The '762 design flips downward from a storage position, in which the screen faces the floor of the vehicle, to a viewing position in which the screen faces the back of the vehicle. Like the '030 design, the display may not be rotated farther than this position in which the display is perpendicular to the roof of the vehicle. Thus, the display of the '762 design poses a hazard to passengers moving toward the rear of the vehicle. Neither may the screen be rotated to the left or right, limiting the range of viewing positions for passengers. Furthermore, the display screen, which is typically glass, is always exposed to the interior of the vehicle. Thus, inadvertent contact with the screen is potentially hazardous to passengers even when the display is in a storage position. The invention provides a vehicle roof mounted video display. The display is rotatable 180° about a first axis, between a stored position within a housing and a second position in which the display lies flat against the vehicle roof. The display is also rotatable at least 60°, and preferably 90°, about a second axis that intersects and is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. Each axis includes self-tensioning hinges to hold the display in any position. The display self aligns as it reaches either of the first and second positions. Force acting on the edge of the display as it approaches the roof or the housing causes the display to rotate about the second axis until the display is substantially parallel to the roof. The rotational capability of the display, 180° in one direction and between 60° and 90° in another, allows the display to be easily displaced when contacted by a passenger or other object. Thus, the display does not pose a significant hazard to a passenger who inadvertently bumps into it, either casually or during a vehicle collision. When the display is in the storage position, the display screen desirably faces, and is safely enclosed by, the housing. The display screen is protected from damage in this position, and passengers are protected from broken pieces of the display screen as might result from a vehicle collision. The invention also includes a number of built-in features to provide passengers with a wide range of entertainment options. The features include: A television antenna and tuner, A/V input jacks, video-game input jacks, audio-out cables, an FM transmitter cable, and wireless headphone transmitters. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a vehicle roof mount of the present invention disposed within a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred vehicle roof mount of the present invention illustrating the display in a viewing position. FIG. 3 is a top view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the internal components. FIG. 4 is a front view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the A/V input jacks. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the display in its storage position. FIG. 6 is a front view of the intersecting hinges of the vehicle roof mount. FIG. 6A is a top view of the vehicle roof mount hinge, illustrating the positive stops. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the ability of the display to rotate to the side while in a viewing position. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the ability of the display to rotate to the side while in a viewing position. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the display in its fully extended position, 180° from its storage position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention provides a vehicle roof mount 20 for a video display 22, as illustrated in FIG. 1. It will be understood by one of skill in the art that the invention may be used to mount, among others, television monitors or navigation units that receive airborne signals, as well as closed circuit monitors that receive signals from a source within the vehicle. For the sake of simplicity, the term “display” or “video display” will be used throughout to refer to the visual display component of the invention. No intention to limit the scope of the invention to any particular type of visual display is implied. The vehicle roof mount 20 of the present invention comprises a housing 24 adapted to be secured to the interior of a vehicle roof 26, and a video display 22 hingedly attached to the housing 24. FIG. 2 illustrates the display 22 in a viewing position. The housing 24 features an integrated dome light 28 to facilitate manipulation of the various controls of the invention, which are described in detail below. The invention has a wide range of capabilities to ensure that passengers are entertained on even the longest of journeys. The internal components that enable each of these capabilities are illustrated in FIG. 3, which is a view of the inside of the housing 24 from an upper perspective. Through a UHF antenna 30 and television tuner 32, the invention can receive and display broadcast television signals. A/V input jacks 34 allow connection of a VCR, DVD player, or other similar closed circuit video source. The A/V input jacks 34, which protrude from the leading portion of the housing 24, can be seen in FIG. 4. A multi-pin input jack 36 allows a video game unit to transmit audio and video signals to the invention. If better sound quality is desired, the speakers connected to the vehicle's stereo system can be used to broadcast the audio from the unit 20 by connecting the unit's FM transmitter 38 to the stereo system. Alternatively, or in addition, audio output cables 40 allow auxiliary speakers to be connected to the unit 20. In order to reduce the level of disturbance to the driver, wireless headphone transmitters 42 are provided to broadcast the audio to headphones worn by the passengers. Advantageously, the unit 20 is entirely self-contained and is rather easily installed. Thus it is well adapted to be installed in existing vehicles as a retrofit. The housing 24 is preferably mounted on the vehicle roof 26 in an orientation such that the portion 44 of the housing 24 to which the display 22 is attached faces the vehicle's forward direction of travel. In this orientation, the display 22 is movable from a storage position, in which it resides inside a recess 46 in the housing 24, to a viewing position, in which the display 22 screen faces the rear of the vehicle. In the storage position, seen in FIG. 5, the display 22 screen faces the housing 24, out of sight of the passengers. The display 22 is held in the storage position by a slidable tab 48, which engages a notch (not shown) on the housing 24. To conserve power when the unit 20 is not in use, a micro-switch (not shown) automatically shuts off the unit 20 when the display 22 is placed in the storage position. With the display screen 50, which is typically made of glass, stowed safely inside the plastic casing of the housing 24, not only is damage to the screen 50 itself minimized, but the risk of injury to passengers from broken glass is largely eliminated. Furthermore, with the display 22 disposed within the recess 46 of the housing 24, the unit 20 acquires a streamlined profile. Advantageously, the height of the unit 20 in this position is less than three inches. Thus it does not act as an obstruction to passengers who are moving about within the vehicle. This characteristic of the unit 20 is of course advantageous from the standpoint of crash safety, but the advantage of the low profile isn't limited to crashes and other emergency situations. This unit 20 is typically installed in vans and other large vehicles where passengers tend to climb over seats and generally move around more freely than they would in smaller vehicles. The unit's streamlined profile provides greater safety to these passengers as well by reducing the risk of inadvertent bumps against the unit 20. As alluded to, the display 22 is connected to the housing 24 by hinges, which are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 6 and 6A. More specifically, two hinges are provided so that the display 22 is rotatable about perpendicular axes. The first hinge 52 is disposed within the leading portion 44 of the housing 24 and defines a first axis 54 that is substantially parallel with the roof 26 and perpendicular to the direction of forward travel of the vehicle. The second hinge 56 intersects the first hinge 52 and the display 22 in a manner that allows the display 22 to rotate about a second axis 58 whose orientation is defined by the position of the display 22, but is always substantially perpendicular to the first axis 54. The side-to-side rotational capability of the display 22 is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. Both hinges 52, 56 are self-tensioning. The first hinge 52 is essentially a cylindrical axle as shown in FIG. 6. The ends of the first hinge 52 are disposed within the housing 24 and mounted in such a way as to provide uniform resistance to rotation of the hinge 52. The second hinge 56 is also a substantially cylindrical axle that intersects the first hinge 52 through a bore 60 in its center, and is held in place with a threaded nut 62. The second hinge 56 and the bore 60 in the first hinge 52 are sized so as to provide a friction fit between the two components. The friction fit produces a uniform resistance to rotation of the second hinge 56. The intersecting first and second axes 54, 58, and the self-tensioning character of the hinges 52, 56, provide the invention with two very important features. First, they enable the display 22 to be positioned at a wide variety of viewing angles. The display 22 may be rotated 180° about the first axis 54, from its storage position within the housing 24 to a point where it lies flat against the roof 26 in front of the housing 24, as FIG. 9 illustrates. The leading portion 44 of the housing 24 is designed so as not to interfere with the 180° range of motion of the display 22. The display 22 may also be rotated at least 30°, and preferably 45°, both to the right and to the left about the second axis 58. Positive stops (FIGS. 6 and 6A) within the housing 24 prevent the display 22 from being rotated any further. This range of angles in two different directions, coupled with the ability of the self-tensioning hinges 52, 56 to hold the display 22 in any position, accommodates a wide range of seating positions within the vehicle. The second important consequence of the two intersecting axes 54, 58 is passenger safety. Whether a passenger is simply adjusting his position within the vehicle, or flying through the air as a result of a severe collision, any contact he makes with the display 22 will simply push the display 22 harmlessly out of the way. Whether the contact is made from the front or the back of the display 22, the display 22 has the ability to swing toward the roof 26, or toward the housing 24, until it lies flat against the one or the other and poses no obstruction to passengers. Even if the display 22 is twisted to the left or right when the impact happens, it will still be pushed flat against the roof 26 or housing 24. As the display 22 nears the roof 26 or housing 24, the force of the roof 26 or housing 24 upon one edge of the display 22 will cause the display 22 to rotate about the second axis 58 until it aligns with the roof 26 or housing 24. And if a passenger contacts the display 22 from the left or right side, the rotation of the display 22 about the second axis 58 will deflect the blow, resulting in little or no harm to the passenger. The above presents a description of the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use this invention. This invention is, however, susceptible to modifications and alternate constructions from that discussed above which are fully equivalent. Consequently, it is not the intention to limit this invention to the particular embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternate constructions coming within the spirit and scope of the invention as generally expressed by the following claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter of the invention. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to devices for mounting video displays on the inside surface of an automobile roof. More specifically, the device provides a vehicle mounted video display that incorporates a wide range of entertainment options, is convenient to use and poses little risk of harm to passengers. 2. Description of the Related Art & Summary of the Invention Overhead consoles for vans and other large vehicles are well known. One type of overhead console contains a video display screen and other components to keep passengers entertained on long journeys. These consoles are generally mounted near the center of the transverse axis of the vehicle with the display screen facing the rear. However, current overhead consoles for video display screens include features that make them either unsafe or inconvenient to use, or both. U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,030 to Mola discloses a vehicle overhead console with flip down navigation unit. The vehicle overhead console assembly includes a console body with a door pivotally attached to the console body. The door is pivotally movable between open and closed positions. A navigation display unit is connected to the door such that the navigation display unit is exposed for viewing by a vehicle occupant when the door is in the open position, and hidden from view when the door is in the closed position. A groove in a substantially U-shaped flexible latch member engages an edge portion of the console body for securing the door in the latched position. The pins on which the door pivots engage a plurality of detents to hold the door in the desired open position. The principal drawback of the '030 device is the hazard that it poses to passengers. The device swings forward, from a stored position, to a viewing position where the display screen is substantially perpendicular to the roof of the vehicle. Due to the design of the pivots and the obstruction posed by the console body, the screen cannot swing forward any farther than this position. Thus, it poses a significant obstacle for passengers moving within the vehicle. A passenger who is thrown forward during a collision could be seriously injured by striking the screen. Another drawback of the '030 design is the limited range of viewing positions available for the display screen. The screen may only rotate about one axis, as described. The screen may not be rotated to the left or right to accommodate viewers who are not seated directly in front of the screen. This drawback is especially acute if the display screen is an LED, which can only be seen from a narrow range of angles in front of the screen. U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,762 to Vitito discloses an overhead console having a flip-down monitor. The console includes an elongated console housing having a leading end and a trailing end, a monitor mounted in the leading end of the console housing, and a compartment for storing a source of video signals. The '762 design flips downward from a storage position, in which the screen faces the floor of the vehicle, to a viewing position in which the screen faces the back of the vehicle. Like the '030 design, the display may not be rotated farther than this position in which the display is perpendicular to the roof of the vehicle. Thus, the display of the '762 design poses a hazard to passengers moving toward the rear of the vehicle. Neither may the screen be rotated to the left or right, limiting the range of viewing positions for passengers. Furthermore, the display screen, which is typically glass, is always exposed to the interior of the vehicle. Thus, inadvertent contact with the screen is potentially hazardous to passengers even when the display is in a storage position. The invention provides a vehicle roof mounted video display. The display is rotatable 180° about a first axis, between a stored position within a housing and a second position in which the display lies flat against the vehicle roof. The display is also rotatable at least 60°, and preferably 90°, about a second axis that intersects and is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. Each axis includes self-tensioning hinges to hold the display in any position. The display self aligns as it reaches either of the first and second positions. Force acting on the edge of the display as it approaches the roof or the housing causes the display to rotate about the second axis until the display is substantially parallel to the roof. The rotational capability of the display, 180° in one direction and between 60° and 90° in another, allows the display to be easily displaced when contacted by a passenger or other object. Thus, the display does not pose a significant hazard to a passenger who inadvertently bumps into it, either casually or during a vehicle collision. When the display is in the storage position, the display screen desirably faces, and is safely enclosed by, the housing. The display screen is protected from damage in this position, and passengers are protected from broken pieces of the display screen as might result from a vehicle collision. The invention also includes a number of built-in features to provide passengers with a wide range of entertainment options. The features include: A television antenna and tuner, A/V input jacks, video-game input jacks, audio-out cables, an FM transmitter cable, and wireless headphone transmitters. | <SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a vehicle roof mount of the present invention disposed within a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred vehicle roof mount of the present invention illustrating the display in a viewing position. FIG. 3 is a top view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the internal components. FIG. 4 is a front view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the A/V input jacks. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the display in its storage position. FIG. 6 is a front view of the intersecting hinges of the vehicle roof mount. FIG. 6A is a top view of the vehicle roof mount hinge, illustrating the positive stops. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the ability of the display to rotate to the side while in a viewing position. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the ability of the display to rotate to the side while in a viewing position. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the vehicle roof mount illustrating the display in its fully extended position, 180° from its storage position. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? | 20041014 | 20080527 | 20050303 | 81634.0 | 1 | HSIA, SHERRIE Y | FLAT THIN SCREEN TV/MONITOR AUTOMOTIVE ROOF MOUNT | SMALL | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,965,553 | ACCEPTED | Child-resistant squeeze-and-turn closure and container package | A child-resistant package includes a container having a finish with at least one external thread, at least one axial lug on a shoulder spaced from the thread and an external abutment on the finish adjacent to the lug. A closure of integrally molded plastic construction includes a base wall, a peripheral outer wall, and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall and having at least one internal thread for securement to the container finish. The outer wall has diametrically opposed gaps, and the inner wall extends axially in radial alignment with the gaps for circumferential abutment with the at least one lug on the container. The inner wall is flexible inwardly for clearing the lug between the lug and the external abutment, and for permitting removal of the closure from the container finish. The external abutment preferably is in the form of an external bead that extends circumferentially around the finish in alignment with an edge of the lug. | 1. A child-resistant package that includes: a container having a finish with at least one external thread, at least one axial lug on a shoulder spaced from said thread and an external abutment on said finish radially adjacent to said lug, and a closure of integrally molded plastic construction and including: a base wall, a peripheral outer wall, and an inner wall spaced from said outer wall and having at least one internal thread from securement to the container finish, said outer wall having diametrically opposed circumferential gaps, said inner wall extending in radial alignment with said gaps for circumferential abutment with said container lug and having axially extending ribs on an outer surface of said inner wall within said gaps, said inner wall being flexible inwardly for clearing said lug between said lug and said external abutment, and permitting removal of said closure from said container finish. 2. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said external abutment includes an external bead extending circumferentially around said finish between said external thread and said shoulder. 3. The package set forth in claim 2 wherein said ribs terminate short of an edge of said inner wall and said closure includes a shelf interconnecting ends of said ribs spaced from said base wall. 4. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said lug has a concave abutment face for engagement by said inner wall absent inward flexure of said inner wall to clear said lug. 5. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said external abutment is radially inwardly aligned with said lug. 6. The package set forth in claim 5 wherein said external abutment is radially inwardly aligned with an upper edge of said lug. 7. The package set forth in claim 6 wherein said external abutment includes an external bead extending circumferentially around said finish. 8. A child-resistant package that includes: a container having a finish with at least one external thread and at least one axial lug on a shoulder spaced from said thread, and a closure of integrally molded plastic construction and including: a base wall, a peripheral outer wall, and an inner wall spaced from said outer wall and having at least one internal thread from securement to the container finish, said outer wall having diametrically opposed circumferential gaps, said inner wall extending in radial alignment with said gaps for circumferential abutment with said container lug and having axially extending ribs on an outer surface of said inner wall within said gaps, said ribs having ends spaced from an edge of said inner wall and connected by an arcuate radially outwardly extending shelf, said inner wall being flexible inwardly for clearing said lug and permitting removal of said closure from said container finish. 9. The package set forth in claim 8 wherein said container finish has an external abutment adjacent to said lug, said inner wall being flexible inwardly for clearing said lug between said lug and said external abutment. 10. The package set forth in claim 9 wherein said external abutment includes an external bead extending circumferentially around said finish between said external thread and said shoulder. 11. A container for a child-resistant package, which includes: a body and a finish with at least one external thread, at least one axial lug on a shoulder spaced from said thread and an external abutment on said finish radially inwardly adjacent to but spaced from said lug. 12. The container set forth in claim 11 wherein said external abutment includes an external bead extending circumferentially around said finish between said external thread and said shoulder. 13. The container set forth in claim 11 wherein said lug has a concave abutment face for engagement by said inner wall absent inward flexure of said inner wall to clear said lug. 14. The container set forth in claim 11 wherein said external abutment is radially inwardly aligned with said lug. 15. The container set forth in claim 14 wherein said external abutment is radially inwardly aligned with an upper edge of said lug. 16. The container set forth in claim 15 wherein said external abutment includes an external bead extending circumferentially around said finish. 17. A child-resistant closure for a container having a finish with an external thread and an axial lug on a shoulder spaced from the thread, said closure being of integrally molded plastic construction and including: a base wall, a peripheral outer wall, and an inner wall spaced from said outer wall and having at least one internal thread for securement to the container finish, said outer wall having diametrically opposed circumferential gaps, said inner wall extending axially in radial alignment with said gaps for circumferential abutment with the container lug, said inner wall being flexible inwardly for clearing the lug and permitting removal of the closure from the container finish, said inner wall having axially extending ribs on an outer surface of said inner wall within said gaps, said ribs terminating short of an edge of said wall to permit passage of the container lugs beneath said ribs, ends of said ribs being interconnected by an arcuate radially outwardly extending shelf. | The present invention relates to child-resistant closures, containers and packages of the type in which a user must squeeze opposite sides of the closure to be able to turn the closure and remove the closure from the container. Such closures and packages are commonly referred to as squeeze-and-turn closures and packages. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,921 discloses a child-resistant closure, container and package in which the closure is a dual-wall closure having an inner wall with internal threads for receipt on a container finish and an outer wall for enclosing the child-resistance structure. The outer wall has diametrically opposed gaps, and finger pads extend from the inner wall in alignment with the gaps. When the closure is threaded clockwise onto the finish of the container, the finger pads cam inside of lugs on the shoulder of the container. Stop faces on the lugs prevent counterclockwise removal of the closure unless the finger pads are squeezed radially inwardly so that the pads clear the insides of the lugs. It is a general object of the present invention to provide a child-resistant closure, container and package that embody one or more improvements on the closure, container and package disclosed in the noted patent. A child-resistant package in accordance with one aspect of the present includes a container having a finish with at least one external thread (or thread segment), at least one axial lug on a shoulder spaced from the thread and an external abutment on the finish adjacent to the lug. A closure of integrally molded plastic construction includes a base wall, a peripheral outer wall, and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall and having at least internal thread (or thread segment) for securement to the container finish. The outer wall has diametrically opposed gaps, and the inner wall extends axially in radial alignment with the gaps for circumferential abutment with the at least one lug on the container. The inner wall is flexible inwardly for clearing the lug between the lug and the external abutment, and for permitting removal of the closure from the container finish. The external abutment preferably is in the form of an external bead that extends circumferentially around the finish in alignment with an edge of the lug. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the child-resistant closure has external ribs on the finger pads that extend from the inner wall of the closure. The ribs do not extend entirely to the bottom of the finger pads, so that the bottoms of the pads can clear the lugs on the container shoulder beneath the ribs, while the ribs prevent the fingers of a user from stubbing on the container lugs. The ribs also increase the mechanical advantage on pressing the pads radially inwardly to clear the lugs, which can assist elderly users in removing the closure. The ribs have an additional advantage in that, by extending the ribs upwardly along the outer surface of the pads and the inner wall, the finger pads can be made stiffer for different sizes or different materials of the closure. The ends of the ribs are interconnected by an arcuate radially outwardly extending shelf to prevent the user's fingers from engaging the ends of the ribs. A container for a child-resistant package in accordance with a third aspect of the invention includes a body having a finish with at least one external thread, at least one axial lug on a shoulder spaced from the thread and an external abutment on the finish adjacent to the lug. The external abutment in the preferred embodiment includes a circumferential bead radially inwardly aligned with the edge of the lug. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will be best understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned elevational view of two child-resistant packages in accordance with an exemplary presently preferred embodiment of the invention stacked one upon the other; FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the portion of FIG. 2 within the area 3; FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a partially sectioned elevational view of the container in the package of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the container in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the closure in the package of FIG. 1; FIGS. 8 and 9 are sectional views taken substantially along the respective lines 8-8 and 9-9 in FIG. 7; FIG. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view taken from the direction 10 in FIG. 9; and FIG. 11 is a partially sectioned elevational view taken substantially along the line 11-11 in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The disclosure of above-noted U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,921 is incorporated herein by reference. FIG. 1 illustrates a pair of closure and container packages 20, in accordance with one exemplary but presently preferred embodiment of the invention, stacked one upon another. Each package 20 includes a container 22 and a closure 24. Container 22 (FIGS. 1 and 5-6) includes a body 26 from which a finish 28 extends. Finish 28 is generally of cylindrical construction, and has one or more external threads (or thread segments) 30 for securement of closure 24. A pair of diametrically opposed lugs 32 extend axially from a shoulder 34 of container 22. Each lug 32 has an abutment face 34 facing in a clockwise direction (FIG. 6), and a cam edge 36 facing in a counterclockwise direction. Lugs 32 are spaced radially outwardly from finish 28 for reasons to be described. An external abutment 70 is disposed on finish 28 adjacent to each lug 32. External abutment 70 preferably is in the form of a circumferential bead that extends around finish 28. Bead 70 preferably is circumferentially continuous, and preferably is radially inwardly aligned with the upper edges of lugs 32 as best seen in FIG. 5. Bead 70 preferably lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis of finish 28. Closure 24 (FIGS. 1 and 7-11) includes a base wall 38 from which an outer peripheral wall or skirt 40 axially extends. Base wall 38 has a circular periphery in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, and wall 40 is of frustoconical construction in the illustrated embodiment. Wall 40 could be of non-circular cross section in other embodiments of the invention to blend with the geometry of the container body. An inner wall or skirt 42 extends axially from the underside of base wall 38 within outer skirt 40. Inner wall 42 has one or more internal threads (or thread segments) 44 for securing closure 24 to external threads 38 of container finish 28. Outer wall 40 is not circumferentially continuous, but has opposed edges that form a pair of diametrically spaced gaps 46, 48 (FIGS. 2 and 7). Decoration in the form of ribs may extend axially along the outer surface of outer wall 40. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 9, a pair of diametrically opposed finger tabs or pads 52, 54 extend from inner wall 42 in an axial direction parallel to but spaced radially inwardly from outer wall 40. As best seen in FIGS. 7, 8 and 11, these finger pads 52, 54 are in radial alignment with gaps 46,48 in outer wall 40. A plurality of circumferentially spaced external ribs 56 extend axially along each finger tab 52, 54. In the preferred embodiment, ribs 56 extend from a position adjacent to closure base wall 38 to a position adjacent to but spaced from the lower edges of the finger pads, being thickest in the radial direction (FIG. 9) in the portions of pads 52, 54 that extend from inner wall 42. A flat arcuate radially outwardly extending shelf 72 interconnects the lower ends of ribs 56. Shelves 72 lie in a common plane perpendicular to the axis of inner wall 42. To apply closure 24 to container finish 28, inner wall 42 is positioned over the container finish and the closure is rotated clockwise with respect to the container finish (or the container is rotated counterclockwise with respect to the closure). The lower ends of finger pads 56 are positioned radially of the axis of rotation (the axes of finish 28 and wall 42) to engage the cam edges 36 of lugs 32. The inner face 58 of each lug 38 is rounded so as to cam finger pads 52, 54 radially inwardly during clockwise rotation of the closure onto the container finish, so that the finger pads clear the lugs. When it is attempted to remove the closure by rotating the closure counterclockwise with respect to the container finish (or rotating the container clockwise with respect to the closure), finger pads 52, 54 are brought into engagement with abutment faces 34 of stop lugs 32, as best seen in FIGS. 2-4. Finger pads 52, 54 must be manually pressed radially inwardly to clear lugs 32 in the spaces between lugs 32 and the outside surface of container finish 28. Provision of a pocket or concavity on the abutment face 34 of each lug 32 helps make the pads self-centering on the lugs in child-resistant operation, which helps prevent inadvertent movement of the finger pad in the event of brute-force turning of the closure with respect to the container finish. Provision of ribs 56, coupled with the fact that the ribs stop short of the lower edge of the finger pads 52, 54, helps prevent the fingers of a user from stubbing against lugs 36 when the closure is removed from the container. Ribs 56 also increase the mechanical advantage on pressing the finger pads radially inwardly to clear the lugs, which can assist elderly users in removing the closure. It will be noted in the drawings that ribs 56 are thickest outside of the flexible portions of finger pads 52, 54, and are relatively thin along the outside surface of inner wall 42. The radial thicker portions of ribs 56 may be extended upwardly along wall 42 to make the finger pads stiffer for different sizes or different materials of the closure. Abutment bead 70 limits radial inward movement of pads 52, 54, which cooperation with shelves 72 further to prevent the user's fingers from stubbing on lugs 32. A pair of arcuate ribs 60, 62 extend axially upwardly from the upper surface of closure base wall 38. These ribs 60, 62 extend angularly around the base wall substantially in alignment with the segmented portions of outer wall 40, as best seen in FIG. 7. These ribs 60, 62, which are concentric with the central axis of the closure, form a projection or protrusion that is adapted to be received within a depression or pocket 64 on the bottom of container body 26 for stacking the packages one upon another, as shown in FIG. 1. There have thus been disclosed a child-resistant squeeze-and-turn closure, container and package that fully satisfy all of the objects and aims previously set forth. The invention has been disclosed in conjunction with an exemplary presently preferred embodiment thereof, and a number of modifications and variations have been discussed. Other modifications and variations will readily suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art. The invention is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,921 discloses a child-resistant closure, container and package in which the closure is a dual-wall closure having an inner wall with internal threads for receipt on a container finish and an outer wall for enclosing the child-resistance structure. The outer wall has diametrically opposed gaps, and finger pads extend from the inner wall in alignment with the gaps. When the closure is threaded clockwise onto the finish of the container, the finger pads cam inside of lugs on the shoulder of the container. Stop faces on the lugs prevent counterclockwise removal of the closure unless the finger pads are squeezed radially inwardly so that the pads clear the insides of the lugs. It is a general object of the present invention to provide a child-resistant closure, container and package that embody one or more improvements on the closure, container and package disclosed in the noted patent. A child-resistant package in accordance with one aspect of the present includes a container having a finish with at least one external thread (or thread segment), at least one axial lug on a shoulder spaced from the thread and an external abutment on the finish adjacent to the lug. A closure of integrally molded plastic construction includes a base wall, a peripheral outer wall, and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall and having at least internal thread (or thread segment) for securement to the container finish. The outer wall has diametrically opposed gaps, and the inner wall extends axially in radial alignment with the gaps for circumferential abutment with the at least one lug on the container. The inner wall is flexible inwardly for clearing the lug between the lug and the external abutment, and for permitting removal of the closure from the container finish. The external abutment preferably is in the form of an external bead that extends circumferentially around the finish in alignment with an edge of the lug. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the child-resistant closure has external ribs on the finger pads that extend from the inner wall of the closure. The ribs do not extend entirely to the bottom of the finger pads, so that the bottoms of the pads can clear the lugs on the container shoulder beneath the ribs, while the ribs prevent the fingers of a user from stubbing on the container lugs. The ribs also increase the mechanical advantage on pressing the pads radially inwardly to clear the lugs, which can assist elderly users in removing the closure. The ribs have an additional advantage in that, by extending the ribs upwardly along the outer surface of the pads and the inner wall, the finger pads can be made stiffer for different sizes or different materials of the closure. The ends of the ribs are interconnected by an arcuate radially outwardly extending shelf to prevent the user's fingers from engaging the ends of the ribs. A container for a child-resistant package in accordance with a third aspect of the invention includes a body having a finish with at least one external thread, at least one axial lug on a shoulder spaced from the thread and an external abutment on the finish adjacent to the lug. The external abutment in the preferred embodiment includes a circumferential bead radially inwardly aligned with the edge of the lug. | <SOH> BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,921 discloses a child-resistant closure, container and package in which the closure is a dual-wall closure having an inner wall with internal threads for receipt on a container finish and an outer wall for enclosing the child-resistance structure. The outer wall has diametrically opposed gaps, and finger pads extend from the inner wall in alignment with the gaps. When the closure is threaded clockwise onto the finish of the container, the finger pads cam inside of lugs on the shoulder of the container. Stop faces on the lugs prevent counterclockwise removal of the closure unless the finger pads are squeezed radially inwardly so that the pads clear the insides of the lugs. It is a general object of the present invention to provide a child-resistant closure, container and package that embody one or more improvements on the closure, container and package disclosed in the noted patent. A child-resistant package in accordance with one aspect of the present includes a container having a finish with at least one external thread (or thread segment), at least one axial lug on a shoulder spaced from the thread and an external abutment on the finish adjacent to the lug. A closure of integrally molded plastic construction includes a base wall, a peripheral outer wall, and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall and having at least internal thread (or thread segment) for securement to the container finish. The outer wall has diametrically opposed gaps, and the inner wall extends axially in radial alignment with the gaps for circumferential abutment with the at least one lug on the container. The inner wall is flexible inwardly for clearing the lug between the lug and the external abutment, and for permitting removal of the closure from the container finish. The external abutment preferably is in the form of an external bead that extends circumferentially around the finish in alignment with an edge of the lug. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the child-resistant closure has external ribs on the finger pads that extend from the inner wall of the closure. The ribs do not extend entirely to the bottom of the finger pads, so that the bottoms of the pads can clear the lugs on the container shoulder beneath the ribs, while the ribs prevent the fingers of a user from stubbing on the container lugs. The ribs also increase the mechanical advantage on pressing the pads radially inwardly to clear the lugs, which can assist elderly users in removing the closure. The ribs have an additional advantage in that, by extending the ribs upwardly along the outer surface of the pads and the inner wall, the finger pads can be made stiffer for different sizes or different materials of the closure. The ends of the ribs are interconnected by an arcuate radially outwardly extending shelf to prevent the user's fingers from engaging the ends of the ribs. A container for a child-resistant package in accordance with a third aspect of the invention includes a body having a finish with at least one external thread, at least one axial lug on a shoulder spaced from the thread and an external abutment on the finish adjacent to the lug. The external abutment in the preferred embodiment includes a circumferential bead radially inwardly aligned with the edge of the lug. | 20041013 | 20100105 | 20060525 | 99490.0 | B65D5502 | 0 | SMALLEY, JAMES N | CHILD-RESISTANT SQUEEZE-AND-TURN CLOSURE AND CONTAINER PACKAGE | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | B65D | 2,004 |
|
10,965,829 | ACCEPTED | Dual arbor scrap chopper and chopper blade | A dual arbor scrap chopper is disclosed having a number of chopper blades attached to each arbor. The blades are designed to be more easily fitted into a blade recess formed on the arbor, and are preferably designed to provide a blade cutting surface which more closely resembles the optimal elliptical shape without the need for complex cutting patterns. A dual arbor scrap chopper with improved blade performance and ease of blade change-over is provided. | 1. (canceled) 2. A dual arbor scrap chopper as claimed in claim 12 wherein said mounting means comprises two substantially flat right angled surfaces against which, said substantially flat back surface, and at least one of said substantially flat side surfaces of said blade, will rest. 3. The dual arbor scrap chopper of claim 11 wherein said drive means for said arbors comprises a motor and an inner-connected speed regulation mechanism with gearing reduction. 4. A blade for use in a dual arbor scrap chopper comprising a pair of spaced, substantially flat and parallel side surfaces, a substantially flat back surface, and a outwardly curved, transversely flat, face surface, and two cutting edges formed at the substantially right angle intersection of each of said side surfaces and said face surface, wherein said curved surface of said face surface is formed having two or more circular radii. 5. A blade as claimed in claim 4 additionally comprising a pair of spaced, substantially flat and parallel top and bottom surfaces at right angles to said side surfaces and said back surface. 6. (canceled) 7. A blade as claimed in claim 4 wherein said curved surface is formed having three circular radii. 8. A blade as claimed in claim 4 wherein said curved surface is symmetrical. 9. A blade as claimed in claim 4 wherein said curved surface is formed wherein said circular radii meet, on said curved surface, at a point where the curved surfaces of adjacent circular radii are most closely tangential to each other. 10. A blade as claimed in claim 7 wherein said curved surface is symmetrical, and all of the circular radii used to produce said curved surface are formed from circles having centre points resting on a centre axis line which is perpendicular to said curved surface. 11. A dual arbor scrap chopper comprising: a support housing; a pair of oppositely disposed arbors rotatably positioned within said housing; drive means interconnecting and controlling relative rotational speed of said arbors; at least one mounting means on said arbor for holding a blade in angularly transverse relation to said arbor, at least one blade secured angularly and transversely of said arbors in said mounting means on each arbor, and at least one cutting edge on each blade, which cutting edge on each blade is oppositely disposed on each arbor in order to coact upon matched rotation of said arbors, so that said cutting edges are aligned into a progressive shearing relationship on rotation of said arbor, whereby scrap metal material may be cut at high speeds, and wherein each blade is substantially the same length, height and width, and comprises a pair of spaced, substantially flat and parallel side surfaces, and a outwardly curved, transversely flat, face surface, and two cutting edges formed at the substantially right angle intersection of each of said side surfaces and said face surface, wherein said curved surface of said face surface is formed from two or more circular radii. 12. A dual arbor scrap chopper as claimed in claim 11 wherein each blade has a substantially flat back surface. | FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to choppers that are used to cut the scrap edge trimmings from flat sheet metal materials (or which result from other strip production processes), that necessitate the effective collection, cutting and removal of large quantities of scrap strip material. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior Art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different configurations all of which are aimed at the same end result of high speed incremental chopping of strip scrap. The reader is referred to, example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,125,939, 3,084,582, 3,799,020, and 4,858,506 (Buta). In U.S. Pat. No. 2,125,939, a rotary shear knife is disclosed that uses raked cutting edges on cutting knives positioned on drums so that they register as opposing knives when brought together to shear the material. Each of the knives cutting edges are of an involuted curved configuration so that the cut will be square in relation to the strip being cut. U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,582 discloses a rotatable shearing blade device for progressive transverse cutting using a pair of blades each mounted on a separate spindle with a gear tooth mechanism inner-connecting them. Each blade is held by bolts and springs for relative adjustment. Each blade has only one cutting edge for engagement against the material to be cut. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,020 a scrap chopper is shown having a fixed station knife and a multiple bladed rotary arbor aligned for cutting registration therewith. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,506 a scrap chopper is shown have a dual arbor with at least one pair of blades which have been mounted in an angular, transverse relationship to the arbor. The blades themselves are defined as being in a symmetrical, multi-sided configuration wherein a front and back surface of the blade is curved on a constant radius to provide four curved cutting surfaces. As such, each side edge of the blade provides an identical cutting surface and four individual cutting edges can be selected by inverting and/or rotation of the blade. The blade is adapted to be held within a curved slot provided in the arbor, and a sound pad of variable thickness is added to assist in fitting of the blade within the slot. Due to the arbor and blade design configurations a unique cutting ability is provided on matched counter rotation of the arbors to bring a pair of oppositely disposed blades, and their associated cutting edges, into the progressive shearing relationship which is required for cutting strip scrap material at high speed. While this configuration has proved to be acceptable for use, precise and immovable fitting of the curved blade, within the curved blade well of the arbor, has proven to be difficult and time consuming. As such, it would be preferred to provide improved blade and arbor designs and configurations which can be more easily changed or replaced. It is also known in the prior art that, for a dual arbor configuration, an elliptical radius on the blade provides optimal contact across the entire width of the blade. However, milling the blade to an elliptical configuration can be complex, can be difficult, and typically is not worth the additional expense involved. As previously mentioned, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,506, the blade surface has a single constant radius, and the constant radius is selected in order to provide a reasonably close fit to the elliptical shape design. While this approach is acceptable for use, it would be desirable to provide a simple blade design which more closely matches the optimal elliptical design. Further, this should be achieved without significantly increasing the complexity of the blade milling operation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a principal advantage of the present invention to provide a blade for a dual arbor scrap chopper which provides for easier and improved fitting, while providing a multi-cutting edge blade design. It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a blade for a dual arbor scrap chopper which more closely approximates an elliptical cutting surface than that provided by the prior art. The advantages set out hereinabove, as well as other objects and goals inherent thereto, are at least partially or fully provided by the dual arbor scrap chopper, and dual arbor scrap chopper blades of the present invention, as set out herein below. Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a dual arbor scrap chopper comprising: a support housing; a pair of oppositely disposed arbors rotatably positioned within said housing; drive means interconnecting and controlling relative rotational speed of said arbors; at least one mounting means on said arbor for holding a blade in angularly transverse relation to said arbor; at least one blade secured angularly and transversely of said arbors in said mounting means on each arbor; and at least one cutting edge on each blade, which cutting edge on each blade is oppositely disposed on each arbor in order to coact upon matched rotation of said arbors, so that said cutting edges are aligned into a progressive shearing relationship on rotation of said arbor, whereby scrap metal material may be cut at high speeds, and wherein each blade is substantially the same length, height and width, and comprises a pair of spaced, substantially flat and parallel side surfaces, a substantially flat back surface, and an outwardly curved, transversely flat, front surface, wherein said cutting edge is formed at the substantially right angle intersection of each of said side surfaces and said front surface. In a further aspect, the present invention also provides a blade for use in a dual arbor scrap chopper comprises a pair of spaced, substantially flat and parallel side surfaces, a substantially flat back surface, and a outwardly curved, transversely flat, front surface, and two cutting edges formed at the substantially right angle intersection of each of said side surfaces and said front surface. The blade is preferably used in the dual arbor scrap chopper described hereinabove with respect to the present invention. In a still further aspect, the present invention also provides a blade for use in a dual arbor scrap chopper comprising a pair of spaced, substantially flat and parallel side surfaces, and a outwardly curved, transversely flat, face surface, and two cutting edges formed at the substantially right angle intersection of each of said side surfaces and said face surface, wherein said curved surface of said face surface is formed having two or more circular radii. Again, the blade is preferably used in the dual arbor scrap chopper described hereinabove with respect to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the present application, the dual arbor scrap chopper is described with reference to its use to chop long strips of scrap metal into smaller pieces, and the present application is primarily directed to this use. However, while the present application is primarily described with particular reference to the scrap metal industry (for clarity and brevity), the skilled artisan would be aware that the dual arbor scrap chopper, and the attendant chopper blades, described in the present application are equally useful in other areas. Accordingly, the present invention primarily provides a dual arbor scrap chopper and blades for use with high speed flat sheet trimming processes that uses multiple edge cutting blades on dual arbors for progressive registration cutting using curved cutting edge configurations. In addition, the blades of the dual arbor scrap chopper have a curved front surface which can be used to form a pair of cutting edges, and a substantially flat back surface, which provides for easy mounting of the blade to the arbor. Also, the blade cutting surfaces are preferably fabricated so that the blade edges have at least a two, and preferably a three or more, radius design configuration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of this invention will now be described by way of example only in association with the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the dual arbor scrap chopper with associated drive unit; FIG. 2 is a side view of the arbor sections of the dual arbor scrap chopper shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an end view of the arbors of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a top plan view of relative blade position on the arbor; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a single blade and its associated cutting edges; FIG. 6 is a graphic illustration of blade curve determination according to the prior art; and FIG. 7 is a graphic illustration of blade curve determination according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the present invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example only. In the drawings, like reference numerals depict like elements. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a dual arbor scrap chopper 10 is shown comprising a mounting enclosure 12 securing to a base 11. The mounting enclosure 12 has an opening at 13 in which is positioned a pair of rotating arbors 14 and 15. Located on each arbor are a series of cutting (or chopping) blades 24 (see FIG. 2) which align with one another to produce a cutting action, as the arbors are rotated. The arbors 14 and 15 in scrap chopper 10 are rotated using a motor 16B which is preferably connected to the arbors using associated support bearings and a speed regulator, gearing reduction mechanism 1 6A connected between motor 16B, and dual arbor scrap chopper 10, as will be well understood and known in the art. The arbors shown have a diameter of 19.68 cm, although, the size of the arbor can vary depending on the application. Typically, however, the arbors preferably have identical diameters of between 10 cm and 65 cm, but values outside of this range are also possible. The design of the dual arbor chopper is known to those skilled in the art, who can determine the arbor diameter and blade width required based on factors such as the nature of the material to be cut, the line speed, and the like. Once these factors have been determined, the blades are designed to provide the closest approximation to the elliptical line configuration in order to maximize blade efficiency while minimizing blade wear. In this embodiment, each arbor has three blades. However, those skilled in the art would be well aware that fewer or more blades can be included on each arbor. Typically, however, each arbor has between 1 and 6 blades, and more preferably, between 2 and 4 blades. The number of blades can be higher, though, depending on the size of the arbor and the size of the material being cut. Referring also to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, each of arbors 14 and 15 has an outer surface configuration defined by transverse recesses 17. A flattened surface area 19 extends from each transverse recess 17 and provides for material clearance. Each of the transverse recesses 17 extend from flattened surface area 19 to an angular upstanding edge mount 20 which is apertured at 21 to receive a blade fastener bolt. The surface of the transverse recesses 17 are at right angles with the upstanding edge mount 20 defining a blade seat 23. Three identical blades 24 are positioned on each arbor 14, 15; one in each blade seat 23. In FIG. 4, a front view of a cutaway portion of blade 24 is shown located in blade seat 23 formed from surface area 17 and upstanding edge mount 20. As shown in FIG. 5, each of blades 24 is preferably made from a steel bar blank (although other materials might be used) of a known length, height and thickness having spaced parallel side surfaces 24A, and 24B. The blank is machined to form a longitudinally curved transversely flat surface 25 at right angles to side surfaces 24A and B. Each curved surface has two matching oppositely disposed cutting edges 27 and 28 formed at the top and bottom edges of longitudinally curved surface 25. Opposite curved surface 25, at the back of blade 24, is a flat, substantially planar back surface 26. The blade seat 23 on the arbor has a two flat planar surfaces (e.g. 17 and 20) at right angles to one another, which structure conforms to either blade surfaces 24A or 24B, and back surface 26 so that blade 24 fits within blade seat 23, and rests against recess 17 and edge mount 20. Blade 24 is thereby easily fitted into place on the arbor 14 or 15. Blade 24 is also invertible giving access to both cutting edges 27 and 28. As such, each blade has two cutting surfaces, only one of which is in use at any given time. For blade replacement, the blade need only be unbolted, and flipped over in order to provide a new blade edge. After both edges 27 and 28 have been used, the blade 24 can be removed for refurbishment and a new or refurbished blade inserted in its place. The blade 24 may be positioned in blade seat 23 using a dowel located within dowel location holes 31. However, in a preferred feature, blade seat 23 is machined so as to have shoulder sections 32 which form a keyway to correctly position blade 24. Blade 24 is then bolted into place using a bolt inserted into opening 21. The size of each blade can vary depending on the arbor design. Commonly, the blade has a length (l) of between 5 and 25 cm., a width (w) of between 1 and 5 cm. and a depth (d) of between 2 and 10 cm. Again, however, the actual dimensions of the blade can be more or less than these values depending on the arbor design and the size of the material being cut. Width (w) will vary as blade 24 is refurbished in that surfaces 24A and/or 24B are milled to provide fresh cutting edges. As such, width (w) will decrease over the life of the blade. In order to compensate for this change in width (w), a shim 30 (or shims) is inserted behind blade 24 in order for the blade edge to be located in the correct position on the arbor. The flat, substantially planar back surface can be produced at a lower cost than some prior art blades because an essentially flat surface requires less machining time than the time required to form a blade. Further, machining a simple flat “seat” in the arbor to hold the blade, is also easier than machining a curved seat. As such, a flat, right angle “seat” 23 as shown in the drawings, is more easily produced on the arbor than the curved structure of prior art devices. As indicated hereinabove, dowels might be used to correctly position blade 24. However, preferably, seat 23 is optionally fitted with a keyway, as shown in FIG. 4, for locating the blade laterally in the blade seat on the arbor. With this design, the bolt(s) which hold the blade in place only need to be aligned on 1 axis. In the curved, prior art design, a diamond shaped dowel was commonly used to hold the blade in place, but this required alignment of the dowels in 2 axis. As such, replacement of the prior art blades was more complex than in the current design. With respect to the blade design, for a dual arbor chopper blade having a normal width of 1 to 5 cm, the optimum cutting surface would consist of a helical pattern with curves in 2 axis of the blade face. This helical design would permit the blades to closely align with one another during the cutting action;—across the edges and the entire surface of the blade. As such, the variance in gap (between the cutting edges of the blades) and the variance in overlap (between the blade face surfaces) would be minimized. This would provide in optimal blade life and the most effective cutting action. However, this helical pattern results in blades that likely could only be fitted in one direction, and would require a complex milling operation to produce the blade. To avoid this complex milling operation, the prior art had a constant curve (i.e. curved in only 1 axis) across the face of the blade, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,506, and as shown in FIG. 6. While acceptable for use, it would be preferred to provide a multi-curved surface with improved properties over this constant radius design, and thus achieve a blade configuration which would be closer to an elliptical design. It would also be preferred if this could be accomplished without necessitating the time and expense of elliptical or helical blade manufacture. Referring now to FIG. 6 of the drawings, a graphic comparison between a true elliptical line E and a selected, true radius R on a constant radius blade 24′ of the prior art, is shown. Blade 24′, shown in outline, is merely designed having a single, constant radius (R) design configuration. In FIG. 6, a portion of an ellipse is represented by line E. The representative blade area i.e. the portion of the line E over which ideally the cutting edge of the blade would fall is defined by the letters BA, since in reality only a small portion of the true ellipse is used in a dual arbor configuration. The relative line position shown in FIG. 6 is exaggerated for illustration purposes. One of the cutting edges 27′ on the blade 24′ is shown in broken lines superimposed over the elliptical line E. To determine an acceptable simple radius R for the curved surface 25, a crossover point CP is calculated as the distance from the centre of the blade where the line E is intersected by the proposed radius of the curved surface of the blade. An example of the same is illustrated in FIG. 6 as having a crossover point of 4.45 cm from centre with a calculated radius of 50.5 cm having no deviation from the true elliptical line E at both point A, which is the centre of the blade, and at the crossover point of 4.45 cm from the centre, as indicated by point CP. From centre A to crossover point CP, the deviation of the selected radius R is under the elliptical line E and is indicated graphically as a shaded area indicated by the letter U. Conversely past crossover point CP, the deviation of the selected radius is over or above the elliptical line E as indicated by the letter O. The amount of deviation of the selected radius from the elliptical line E that is acceptable is in direct relation to the thickness of the material to be cut. The greater the material thickness the greater the amount of deviation that can be tolerated while a thinner material must have less deviation. However, it is desirable to minimize the amount of deviation as much as possible in order to provide more effective cutting, and also to minimize the knife gap across the full width of the blade to improve the overall blade life. In FIG. 7, a blade 24, according to one aspect of the present invention is shown, which is compared over section BA to a true elliptical line E. Blade 24 is based on a three circular radius design which is symmetrical from the centre line of blade 24. The number of circular radii selected can be any value greater than or equal to 2. However, a preferred range of radii would number between 2 and 5. An odd number of radii is also preferable since it allows a centre radii to be cut, and have a symmetrical construction from the centre of the blade. As such, a preferred number of radii would be 3 in a symmetrical design which would result in a simple, symmetrical blade design. The radii might be have a centre point which fall on different axis lines. However, in a preferred embodiment, the centre points for all radii fall on the same axis line, and further, preferably, the centre axis line C passes through the centre of blade 24. Also, preferably, for a symmetrical design, the centre points for corresponding, non-centre portions of the blade, fall on the same point on the centre axis line, as shown in FIG. 7. For this blade 24 design, the centre radius R2 is 86.6 cm, and the radius for the outer 2 radii R, is 135.8 cm. With this design, both the centre portion 30 of blade 24, and the outer blade portions 32 are closer, overall, to line E than the prior art design. The radius selected will vary depending on the blade design, and the arbor design criteria. Typically, the radii for all blade designs will be greater than 10 cm, more preferably greater than 50 cm, and still more preferably greater than 75 cm. A preferred range of radii would be between 10 and 500 cm. The tangent point(s) T where the blade face changes from one radius to another, such as from radius R2 to radius R1 for the design shown in FIG. 7, can be selected using an iterative process which mathematically compares the gap and overlap values for a blade design. Using this approach, the length of the radii, the tangent point T, and the position of centre point for each radius can be adjusted until the gap and overlap values are optimal for the selected dual arbor scrap chopper design which has been selected. For this example, tangent points (T) of 30 mm from the end of each blade was determined to be optimal for the design criteria used. A mathematical comparison of the gap and overlap values of two blade designs, similar to those shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, are shown in Tables 1 and 2, wherein gap and overlap values are presented for blades 24 and 24′ which are manufactured having a single, constant radius design (as shown in FIG. 6), and a three-radii design (as shown in FIG. 7). In practise, these values can vary depending on the blade size selected, and the like. However, of most interest in these results is the fact that the three-radii design provides more consistent gap and overlap values across the face of the blade. This is true on a blade design which is essentially the same size as the prior art blade. This consistency of the gap and overlap values on the blade of the present invention allows for improved cutting efficiency. This, in turn, leads to improved overall efficiency of the dual arbor chopper, while minimizing wear on the blade surface. As such, it is clearly apparent that the 3 radii design provides improved efficiency over a single, constant radius design, and more closely approximates the gap and overlap values which would be obtainable with an elliptical blade configuration. Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, a dual arbor scrap chopper and blades therefor, which fully satisfies the goals, objects, and advantages set forth hereinbefore. Therefore, having described specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that alternatives, modifications and variations thereof may be suggested to those skilled in the art, and that it is intended that the present specification embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims. Additionally, for clarity and unless otherwise stated, the word “comprise” and variations of the word such as “comprising” and “comprises”, when used in the description and claims of the present specification, is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. Moreover, the words “substantially” or “essentially”, when used with an adjective or adverb is intended to enhance the scope of the particular characteristic; e.g., substantially planar is intended to mean planar, nearly planar and/or exhibiting characteristics associated with a planar element. Further, use of the terms “he”, “him”, or “his”, is not intended to be specifically directed to persons of the masculine gender, and could easily be read as “she”, “her”, or “hers”, respectively. Also, while this discussion has addressed prior art known to the inventor, it is not an admission that all art discussed is citable against the present application. TABLE 1 Prior Art, Single Radius Design (similar to that shown in FIG. 6) Distance from End of Knife Gap Overlap Blade (mm) (mm) (mm) 5 0.1421 0.3962 15 0.0928 0.102 25 0.0622 0.2488 40 0.0451 0.5775 55 0.0538 0.7972 75 0.0864 0.9042 95 0.1189 0.7948 110 0.1272 0.5734 125 0.1097 0.2433 135 0.0787 0.1059 145 0.0288 0.4043 Blade: Length (l): 150 mm Edge Radius (R): 68.5 cm (Constant) Depth (d): 53.6 mm Width (w): 25 mm TABLE 2 Three Radii Design (similar to that shown in FIG. 7) Distance from End of Knife Gap Overlap Blade (mm) (mm) (mm) 5 0.069 0.1458 15 0.069 0.1497 25 0.068 0.1809 40 0.065 0.2437 55 0.064 0.3018 75 0.069 0.3249 95 0.064 0.2988 110 0.065 0.2385 125 0.068 0.1745 135 0.069 0.1436 145 0.069 0.139 Blade: Length (l): 145 mm Edge Radius - Centre (R2): 86.6 cm Edge Radius - End(s) (R1): 135.8 cm Depth (d): 65 mm Width (w): 50 mm Location of Tangent Point (T): 30 mm from each end (determined by an interative process) | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Prior Art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different configurations all of which are aimed at the same end result of high speed incremental chopping of strip scrap. The reader is referred to, example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,125,939, 3,084,582, 3,799,020, and 4,858,506 (Buta). In U.S. Pat. No. 2,125,939, a rotary shear knife is disclosed that uses raked cutting edges on cutting knives positioned on drums so that they register as opposing knives when brought together to shear the material. Each of the knives cutting edges are of an involuted curved configuration so that the cut will be square in relation to the strip being cut. U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,582 discloses a rotatable shearing blade device for progressive transverse cutting using a pair of blades each mounted on a separate spindle with a gear tooth mechanism inner-connecting them. Each blade is held by bolts and springs for relative adjustment. Each blade has only one cutting edge for engagement against the material to be cut. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,020 a scrap chopper is shown having a fixed station knife and a multiple bladed rotary arbor aligned for cutting registration therewith. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,506 a scrap chopper is shown have a dual arbor with at least one pair of blades which have been mounted in an angular, transverse relationship to the arbor. The blades themselves are defined as being in a symmetrical, multi-sided configuration wherein a front and back surface of the blade is curved on a constant radius to provide four curved cutting surfaces. As such, each side edge of the blade provides an identical cutting surface and four individual cutting edges can be selected by inverting and/or rotation of the blade. The blade is adapted to be held within a curved slot provided in the arbor, and a sound pad of variable thickness is added to assist in fitting of the blade within the slot. Due to the arbor and blade design configurations a unique cutting ability is provided on matched counter rotation of the arbors to bring a pair of oppositely disposed blades, and their associated cutting edges, into the progressive shearing relationship which is required for cutting strip scrap material at high speed. While this configuration has proved to be acceptable for use, precise and immovable fitting of the curved blade, within the curved blade well of the arbor, has proven to be difficult and time consuming. As such, it would be preferred to provide improved blade and arbor designs and configurations which can be more easily changed or replaced. It is also known in the prior art that, for a dual arbor configuration, an elliptical radius on the blade provides optimal contact across the entire width of the blade. However, milling the blade to an elliptical configuration can be complex, can be difficult, and typically is not worth the additional expense involved. As previously mentioned, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,506, the blade surface has a single constant radius, and the constant radius is selected in order to provide a reasonably close fit to the elliptical shape design. While this approach is acceptable for use, it would be desirable to provide a simple blade design which more closely matches the optimal elliptical design. Further, this should be achieved without significantly increasing the complexity of the blade milling operation. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Accordingly, it is a principal advantage of the present invention to provide a blade for a dual arbor scrap chopper which provides for easier and improved fitting, while providing a multi-cutting edge blade design. It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a blade for a dual arbor scrap chopper which more closely approximates an elliptical cutting surface than that provided by the prior art. The advantages set out hereinabove, as well as other objects and goals inherent thereto, are at least partially or fully provided by the dual arbor scrap chopper, and dual arbor scrap chopper blades of the present invention, as set out herein below. Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a dual arbor scrap chopper comprising: a support housing; a pair of oppositely disposed arbors rotatably positioned within said housing; drive means interconnecting and controlling relative rotational speed of said arbors; at least one mounting means on said arbor for holding a blade in angularly transverse relation to said arbor; at least one blade secured angularly and transversely of said arbors in said mounting means on each arbor; and at least one cutting edge on each blade, which cutting edge on each blade is oppositely disposed on each arbor in order to coact upon matched rotation of said arbors, so that said cutting edges are aligned into a progressive shearing relationship on rotation of said arbor, whereby scrap metal material may be cut at high speeds, and wherein each blade is substantially the same length, height and width, and comprises a pair of spaced, substantially flat and parallel side surfaces, a substantially flat back surface, and an outwardly curved, transversely flat, front surface, wherein said cutting edge is formed at the substantially right angle intersection of each of said side surfaces and said front surface. In a further aspect, the present invention also provides a blade for use in a dual arbor scrap chopper comprises a pair of spaced, substantially flat and parallel side surfaces, a substantially flat back surface, and a outwardly curved, transversely flat, front surface, and two cutting edges formed at the substantially right angle intersection of each of said side surfaces and said front surface. The blade is preferably used in the dual arbor scrap chopper described hereinabove with respect to the present invention. In a still further aspect, the present invention also provides a blade for use in a dual arbor scrap chopper comprising a pair of spaced, substantially flat and parallel side surfaces, and a outwardly curved, transversely flat, face surface, and two cutting edges formed at the substantially right angle intersection of each of said side surfaces and said face surface, wherein said curved surface of said face surface is formed having two or more circular radii. Again, the blade is preferably used in the dual arbor scrap chopper described hereinabove with respect to the present invention. | 20041018 | 20060815 | 20060427 | 75483.0 | B02C1816 | 0 | ROSENBAUM, MARK | DUAL ARBOR SCRAP CHOPPER AND CHOPPER BLADE | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | B02C | 2,004 |
|
10,965,991 | ACCEPTED | Radio frequency local area network | An apparatus and a method for routing data in a radio data communication system having one or more host computers, one or more intermediate base stations, and one or more RF terminals organizes the intermediate base stations into an optimal spanning-tree network to control the routing of data to and from the RF terminals and the host computer efficiently and dynamically. Communication between the host computer and the RF terminals is achieved by using the network of intermediate base stations to transmit the data. | 1-20. (canceled) 21. A communication network, comprising: a gateway node adapted to provide wireless communication and wired communication; a plurality of wireless access points; and a plurality of wireless devices coupled to the wireless access points and comprising a first wireless device and a second wireless device, the first wireless device communicating with the second wireless device along a selected communication signal path through the gateway node and at least two wireless access points, wherein the selected communication signal path can be dynamically adapted according to communication signal path conditions. 22. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the communication network comprises a multi-hop communication network. 23. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of wireless access points comprise a plurality of bridges. 24. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the gateway node comprises a root node. 25. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the gateway node comprises a switch node. 26. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein some wireless access points provide wired communication. 27. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the first wireless device communicates with the second wireless device along the selected communication signal path through the gateway node and at least three wireless access points. 28. The communication network according to claims 21, wherein the communication signal path conditions comprise bandwidth conditions. 29. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the communication signal path conditions comprise information rate conditions. 30. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the communication signal path conditions comprise interference conditions. 31. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the communication signal path conditions comprise data interference conditions. 32. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the communication signal path conditions comprise a defined level of performance. 33. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the gateway node, the plurality of wireless access points and the plurality of wireless devices form a hierarchical communication architecture. 34. The communication network according to claim 33, wherein the gateway node selects the communication signal path between the first wireless device and the second wireless device according to the communication signal path conditions. 35. The communication network according to claim 33, wherein the plurality of wireless access points comprises a first wireless access point and a second wireless access point, and wherein the gateway node monitors the communication signal path conditions between the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point. 36. The communication network according to claim 33, wherein the plurality of wireless access points comprises a first wireless access point and a second wireless access point, and wherein the gateway node monitors the communication signal path conditions between at least one of the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point and at least one of the first wireless device and the second wireless device. 37. The communication network according to claim 33, wherein the selected communication signal path is part of a set of possible communication paths. 38. The communication network according to claim 37, wherein the gateway node selects a particular communication signal path from the set of possible communication signal paths according to the communication signal path conditions of the particular communication signal path. 39. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of wireless access points and the plurality of wireless devices form an ad hoc communication architecture. 40. The communication network according to claim 39, wherein each wireless device or each wireless access point along the selected communication signal path provides the best peer-to-peer communication signal path conditions between nodes. 41. The communication network according to claim 40, wherein the selected communication signal path is determined on a peer-to-peer basis based on respective peer-to-peer communication signal path conditions. 42. The communication network according to claim 39, wherein at least some wireless device independently create and maintain locally stored information to specify how communication traffic should flow through that bridge. 43. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein some wireless access points or some wireless devices dynamically create and revise communication pathways according to communication signal path conditions. 44. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein some wireless access points or some wireless devices independently store and maintain local information that specifies how communication traffic should flow through a local access point or a local wireless device. 45. The communication network according to claim 21, further comprising: a central switch coupled to the gateway node. 46. The communication network according to claim 45, wherein the central switch is adapted to provide a higher level access node than the gateway node. 47. The communication network according to claim 21. wherein the plurality of wireless devices comprises means for automatically connecting to the gateway node through a plurality of hops. 48. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of wireless device comprises means for connecting to the gateway node using a HELLO packet protocol. 49. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein at least some wireless access points or at least some wireless devices use spread spectrum communication techniques. 50. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of wireless devices comprises a plurality of terminals. 51. A method for communicating in a communication network, comprising: (a) creating a hierarchical communication structure comprising a gateway node, a plurality of wireless access points and a plurality of wireless devices; (b) determining communication signal path conditions of a first communication signal path and a second communication signal path, the first communication signal path and the second communication signal path providing a communication signal path between a first wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices and a second wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices, the first communication path and the second communication path each passing through at least two wireless access points of the plurality of wireless access points; and (c) selecting a particular communication signal path from the first communication signal path and the second communication signal path based on the determined communication signal path conditions of the first communication signal path and the second communication signal path. 52. The method according to claim 51, wherein the gateway node performs (c). 53. The method according to claim 51, further comprising. storing local node-to-node communication signal path conditions in local nodes. 54. The method according to claim 51, further comprising: storing local node-to-node communication signal path conditions in the gateway node. 55. The method according to claim 51, wherein the hierarchical communication structure comprises a spanning tree. 56. The method according to claim 51, further comprising: monitoring the determined communication signal path conditions of the first communication signal path and the second communication signal path to determine whether the selected communication signal path should be changed. 57. A method for communicating between a first wireless device and a second wireless device in a communication network, comprising: (a) creating an ad hoc communication structure comprising a gateway node, a plurality of wireless access points and a plurality of wireless devices, the plurality of wireless device comprising the first wireless device and the second wireless device; (b) creating a communication signal path between the first wireless device and the second wireless device through at least two wireless access points of the plurality of wireless access points, the communication signal path comprising a plurality of node-to-node signal paths; (c) selecting a particular node-to-node signal path according to node-to-node communication signal path conditions; (d) based on dynamically changing node-to-node communication signal path conditions, modifying the communication signal path between the first wireless device and the second wireless device through at least two wireless access points of the plurality of wireless access points. 58. The method according to claim 57, further comprising: storing node-to-node communication signal path conditions between a first node and a second node in at least one of the first node and the second node. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a continuation in part of a pending application of Meier et al., U.S. Ser. No. 07/769,425, filed Oct. 1, 1991 (Attorney Docket Nos. 91 P 668; DN37882). This application is also a continuation in part of pending PCT application of Mahany et al., Ser. No. PCT/US92/08610, filed Oct. 1, 1992 (Attorney Docket Nos. 92 P 661; DN37882Y). The entire disclosures of each of these pending applications including the drawings and appendices are incorporated herein by reference as if set forth fully in this application. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a typical radio data communication system having one or more host computers and multiple RF terminals, communication between a host computer and an RF terminal is provided by one or more base stations. Depending upon the application and the operating conditions, a large number of these base stations may be required to adequately serve the system. For example, a radio data communication system installed in a large factory may require dozens of base stations in order to cover the entire factory floor. In earlier RF (Radio Frequency) data communication systems, the base stations were typically connected directly to a host computer through multi-dropped connections to an Ethernet communication line. To communicate between an RF terminal and a host computer, in such a system, the RF terminal sends data to a base station and the base station passes the data directly to the host computer. Communicating with a host computer through a base station in this manner is commonly known as hopping. These earlier RF data communication systems used a single-hop method of communication. In order to cover a larger area with an RF data communication system and to take advantage of the deregulation of the spread-spectrum radio frequencies, later-developed RF data communication systems are organized into layers of base stations. As in earlier RF data communications systems, a typical system includes multiple base stations which communicate directly with the RF terminals and the host computer. In addition, the system also includes intermediate stations that communicate with the RF terminals, the multiple base stations, and other intermediate stations. In such a system, communication from an RF terminal to a host computer may be achieved, for example, by having the RF terminal send data to an intermediate station, the intermediate station send the data to a base station, and the base station send the data directly to the host computer. Communicating with a host computer through more than one station is commonly known as a multiple-hop communication system. Difficulties often arise in maintaining the integrity of such multiple-hop RF data communication systems. The system must be able to handle both wireless and hard-wired station connections, efficient dynamic routing of data information, RF terminal mobility, and interference from many different sources. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves many of the problems inherent in a multiple-hop data communication system. The present invention comprises an RF Local-Area Network capable of efficient and dynamic handling of data by routing communications between the RF Terminals and the host computer through a network of intermediate base stations. In one embodiment of the present invention, the RF data communication system contains one or more host computers and multiple gateways, bridges, and RF terminals. Gateways are used to pass messages to and from a host computer and the RF Network. A host port is used to provide a link between the gateway and the host computer. In addition, gateways may include bridging functions and may pass information from one RF terminal to another. Bridges are intermediate relay nodes which repeat data messages. Bridges can repeat data to and from bridges, gateways and RF terminals and are used to extend the range of the gateways. The RF terminals are attached logically to the host computer and use a network formed by a gateway and the bridges to communicate with the host computer. To set up the network, an optimal configuration for conducting network communication spanning tree is created to control the flow of data communication. To aid understanding by providing a more visual description, this configuration is referred to hereafter as a “spanning tree” or “optimal spanning tree”. Specifically, root of the spanning tree are the gateways; the branches are the bridges; and non-bridging stations, such as RF terminals, are the leaves of the tree. Data are sent along the branches of the newly created optimal spanning tree. Nodes in the network use a backward learning technique to route packets along the correct branches. One object of the present invention is to route data efficiently, dynamically, and without looping. Another object of the present invention is to make the routing of the data transparent to the RF terminals. The RF terminals, transmitting data intended for the host computer, are unaffected by the means ultimately used by the RF Network to deliver their data. It is a further object of the present invention for the network to be capable of handling RF terminal mobility and lost nodes with minimal impact on the entire RF data communication system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an RF data communication system incorporating the RF local-area network of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a bridging node's construction and maintenance of the spanning tree. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an RF data communication system. In one embodiment of the present invention, the RF data communication system has a host computer 10, a network controller 14 and bridges 22 and 24 attached to a data communication link 16. Also attached to the data communication link 16 is a gateway 20 which acts as the root node for the spanning tree of the RF data network of the present invention. A bridge 42 is attached to the gateway 20 through a hard-wired communication link and bridges 40 and 44 are logically attached to gateway 20 by two independent RF links. Additional bridges 46, 48, 50 and 52 are also connected to the RF Network and are shown in the FIG. 1. Note that, although shown separate from the host computer 10, the gateway 20 (the spanning tree root node) may be part of host computer 10. The FIG. 1 further shows RF terminals 100 and 102 attached to bridge 22 via RF links and RF terminal 104 attached to bridge 24 via an RF link. Also, RF terminals 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and 120 can be seen logically attached to the RF Network through their respective RF links. The RF terminals in FIG. 1 are representative of non-bridging stations. In alternate embodiments of the present invention, the RF Network could contain any type of device capable of supporting the functions needed to communicate in the RF Network such as hard-wired terminals, remote printers, stationary bar code scanners, or the like. The RF data communication system, as shown in FIG. 1, represents the configuration of the system at a discrete moment in time after the initialization of the system. The RF links, as shown, are dynamic and subject to change. For example, changes in the structure of the RF data communication system can be caused by movement of the RF terminals and by interference that affects the RF communication links. In the preferred embodiment, the host computer 10 is an IBM 3090, the network controller 14 is a model RC3250 of the Norand Corporation, the data communication link 16 is an Ethernet link, the nodes 20, 22, 24, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 and 52 are intelligent base transceiver units of the type RB4000 of the Norand Corporation, and the RF terminals 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118 and 120 are of type RT1100 of the Norand Corporation. The optimal spanning tree, which provides the data pathways throughout the communication system, is stored and maintained by the network as a whole. Each node in the network stores and modifies information which specifies how local communication traffic should flow. Optimal spanning trees assure efficient, adaptive (dynamic) routing of information without looping. To initialize the RF data communication system, the gateway 20 and the other nodes are organized into an optimal spanning tree rooted at the gateway 20. To form the optimal spanning tree, in the preferred embodiment the gateway 20 is assigned a status of ATTACHED and all other bridges are assigned the status UNATTACHED. The gateway 20 is considered attached to the spanning tree because it is the root node. Initially, all other bridges are unattached and lack a parent in the spanning tree. At this point, the attached gateway node 20 periodically broadcasts a specific type of polling packet referred to hereafter as “HELLO packets”. The HELLO packets can be broadcast using known methods of communicating via radio frequency (RF) link or via a direct wire link. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the RF link is comprised of spread-spectrum transmissions using a polling protocol. Although a polling protocol is preferred, a carrier-sense multiple-access (CSMA), busy-tone, or any other protocol might also manage the communication traffic on the RF link. HELLO packets contain 1) the address of the sender, 2) the hopping distance that the sender is from the root, 3) a source address, 4) a count of nodes in the subtree which flow through that bridge, and 5) a list of system parameters. Each node in the network is assigned a unique network service address and a node-type identifier to distinguish between different nodes and different node types. The distance of a node from the root node is measured in hops times the bandwidth of each hop. The gateway root is considered to be zero hops away from itself. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a bridge's participation in the construction and maintenance of the spanning tree. At a block 201, the bridge begins the local construction of the spanning tree upon power-up. Next, at a block 203, the bridge enters the UNATTACHED state, listening for HELLO packets (also referred to as HELLO messages herein) that are broadcast. By listening to the HELLO messages, bridges can learn which nodes are attached to the spanning tree. At a block 205, the bridge responds to a HELLO packet received by sending an ATTACH.request packet to the device that sent the received HELLO packet. The ATTACH.request packet is thereafter forwarded towards and to the root node which responds by sending an ATTACH.response packet back down towards and to the bridge. The bridge awaits the ATTACH.response packet at a block 207. Upon receipt of the ATTACH.response packet, at a block 209, the bridge enters an ATTACHED state. Thereafter, at a block 211, the bridge begins periodically broadcasting HELLO packets and begins forwarding or relaying packets received. Specifically, between HELLO packet broadcasts, the bridge listens for HELLO, DATA, ATTACH.request and ATTACH.response packets broadcast by other devices in the communication network. Upon receiving such a packet, the bridge branches to a block 213. At the block 213, if the bridge detects that it has become detached from the spanning tree the bridge will branch back to the block 203 to establish attachment. Note that although the illustration in FIG. 2 places block 213 immediately after the block 211, the bridges functionality illustrated in block 213 is actually distributed throughout the flow diagram. If at the block 213 detachment has not occurred, at a block 214, the bridge determines if the received packet is a HELLO packet. If so, the bridge analyzes the contents of the HELLO packet at a block 215 to determine whether to change its attachment point in the spanning tree. In a preferred embodiment, the bridge attempts to maintain attachment to the spanning tree at the node that is logically closest to the root node. The logical distance, in a preferred embodiment, is based upon the number of hops needed to reach the root node and the bandwidth of those hops. The distance the attached node is away from the root node is found in the second field of the HELLO message that is broadcast. In another embodiment of the present invention, the bridges consider the number of nodes attached to the attached node as well as the logical distance of the attached node from the root node. If an attached node is overloaded with other attached nodes, the unattached bridge may request attachment to the less loaded node, or to a more loaded node as described above in networks having regions of substantial RF overlap. In yet another embodiment, to avoid instability in the spanning tree, the bridge would only conclude to change attachment if the logical distance of the potential replacement is greater than a threshold value. If no change in attachment is concluded, at a block 217 the bridge branches back to the block 211. If a determination is made to change attachment, a DETACH packet is sent to the root as illustrated at a block 219. After sending the DETACH packet, the bridge branches back to the block 205 to attach to the new spanning tree node. Note that the order of shown for detachment and attachment is only illustrative and can be reversed. Referring back to the block 214, if the received packet (at block 211) is not a HELLO packet, the bridge branches to a block 221 to forward the received packet through the spanning tree. Afterwards, the bridge branches back to the block 211 to continue the process. Specifically, once attached, the attached bridge begins broadcasting HELLO packets (at the block 211) seeking to have all unattached bridges (or other network devices) attach to the attached bridge. Upon receiving an ATTACH.request packet, the bridge forwards that packet toward the root node (through the blocks 211, 213, 214 and 221. On its path toward the root, each node records the necessary information of how to reach requesting bridge. This process is called “backward learning” herein, and is discussed more fully below. As a result of the backward learning, once the root node receives the ATTACH.request packet, an ATTACH.response packet can be sent through the spanning tree to the bridge requesting attachment. After attaching to an attached node, the newly attached bridge (the child) must determine its distance from the root node. To arrive at the distance of the child from the root node, the child adds the broadcast distance of its parent from the root node to the distance of the child from its parent. In the preferred embodiment, the distance of a child from its parent is based on the bandwidth of the data communication link. For example, if the child attaches to its parent via a hard-wired link (data rate 26,000 baud), then the distance of that communication link might equal, for example, one hop. However, if the child attaches to its parent via an RF link (data rate 9600 baud), then the distance of that communication link might correspondingly be equal 3 hops. The number of the hop corresponds directly to the communication speed of the link. This may not only take into consideration baud rate, but also such factors as channel interference. Initially, only the root gateway node 20 is broadcasting HELLO messages and only nodes 40, 42 and 44 are within range of the HELLO messages broadcast by the gateway. Therefore, after the listening period has expired, nodes 40, 42 and 44 request attachment to the gateway node 20. The unattached nodes 40, 42, and 44 send ATTACH.request packets and the attached gateway node 20 acknowledges the ATTACH.request packets with local ATTACH.confirm packets. The newly attached bridges are assigned the status ATTACHED and begin broadcasting their own HELLO packets, looking for other unattached bridges. Again, the remaining unattached nodes attempt to attach to the attached nodes that are logically closest to the root node. For example, node 48 is within range of HELLO messages from both nodes 40 and 42. However, node 40 is three hops, via an RF link, away from the gateway root node 20 and node 42 is only one hop, via a hard-wired link, away from the gateway root node 20. Therefore, node 48 attaches to node 42, the closest node to the gateway root node 20. The sending of HELLO messages, ATTACH.request packets and ATTACH.confirm packets continues until the entire spanning tree is established. In addition, attached bridges may also respond to HELLO messages. If a HELLO message indicates that a much closer route to the root node is available, the attached bridge sends a DETACH packet to its old parent and an ATTACH.request packet to the closer node. To avoid instability in the system and to avoid overloading any given node, an attached bridge would only respond to a HELLO message if the hop count in a HELLO packet is greater than a certain threshold value, CHANGE_THRESHOLD. In the preferred embodiment, the value of the CHANGE_THRESHOLD equals 3. In this manner, an optimal spanning tree is formed that is capable of transmitting data without looping. Nodes, other than the gateway root node, after acknowledging an ATTACH.request packet from a previously unattached node, will send the ATTACH.request packet up the branches of the spanning tree to the gateway root node. As the ATTACH.request packet is being sent to the gateway root node, other nodes attached on the same branch record the destination of the newly attached node in their routing entry table. When the ATTACH.request packet reaches the gateway root node, the gateway root node returns an end-to-end ATTACH.confirm packet. After the spanning tree is initialized, the RF terminals listen for periodically broadcasted Hello packets to determine which attached nodes are in range. After receiving HELLO messages from attached nodes, an RF terminal responding to an appropriate poll sends an ATTACH.request packet to attach to the node logically closest to the root. For example, RF terminal 110 is physically closer to node 44. However, node 44 is three hops, via an RF link, away from the gateway root node 20 and node 42 is only one hop, via a hard-wired link, away from the gateway root node 20. Therefore, RF terminal 110, after hearing HELLO messages from both nodes 42 and 44, attaches to node 42, the closest node to the gateway root node 20. Similarly, RF terminal 114 hears HELLO messages from nodes 48.and 50. Nodes 48 and 50 are both four hops away from the gateway root node 20. However, node 48 has two RF terminals 110 and 112 already attached to it while node 50 has only one RF terminal 116 attached to it. Therefore, RF terminal 114 will attach to node 50, the least busy node of equal distance to the gateway root node 20. Attaching to the least busy node proves to be the most efficient practice when the communication system has little overlap in the RF communication regions. In another embodiment, however, instead of attaching to the least busy node of equal distance to the gateway root node 20, the attachment is established with the busiest node. The attached node acknowledges the ATTACH.request and sends the ATTACH.request packet to the gateway root node. Then, the gateway root node returns an end-to-end ATTACH.confirm packet. In this manner, the end-to-end ATTACH.request functions as a discovery packet enabling the gateway root node, and all other nodes along the same branch, to learn the address of the RF terminal quickly. This process is called backward learning. Nodes learn the addresses of terminals by monitoring the traffic from terminals to the root. If a packet arrives from a terminal that is not contained in the routing table of the node, an entry is made in the routing table. The entry includes the terminal address and the address of the node that sent the packet. In addition, an entry timer is set for that terminal. The entry timer is used to determine when RF terminals are actively using the attached node. Nodes maintain entries only for terminals that are actively using the node for communication. If the entry timer expires due to lack of communication, the RF terminal entry is purged from the routing table. The RF links among the RF terminals, the bridges, and the gateway are often lost. Therefore, a connection-oriented data-link service is used to maintain the logical node-to-node links. In the absence of network traffic, periodic messages are sent and received to ensure the stability of the RF link. As a result, the loss of a link is quickly detected and the RF Network can attempt to establish a new RF link before data transmission from the host computer to an RF terminal is adversely affected. Communication between terminals and the host computer is accomplished by using the resulting RF Network. To communicate with the host computer, an RF terminal sends a data packet in response to a poll from the bridge closest to the host computer. Typically, the RF terminal is attached to the bridge closest to the host computer. However, RF terminals are constantly listening for HELLO and polling messages from other bridges and may attach to, and then communicate with, a bridge in the table of bridges that is closer to the particular RF terminal. Under certain operating conditions, duplicate data packets can be transmitted in the RF Network. For example, it is possible for an RF terminal to transmit a data packet to its attached node, for the node to transmit the acknowledgement frame, and for the RF terminal not to receive the acknowledgement. Under such circumstances, the RF terminal will retransmit the data. If the duplicate data packet is updated into the database of the host computer, the database would become corrupt. Therefore, the RF Network of the present invention detects duplicate data packets. To ensure data integrity, each set of data transmissions receives a sequence number. The sequence numbers are continuously incremented, and duplicate sequence numbers are not accepted. When a bridge receives a data packet from a terminal directed to the host computer, the bridge forwards the data packet to the parent node on the branch. The parent node then forwards the data packet to its parent node. The forwarding of the data packet continues until the gateway root node receives the data packet and sends it to the host computer. Similarly, when a packet arrives at a node from the host computer directed to an RF terminal, the node checks its routing entry table and forwards the data packet to its child node which is along the branch destined for the RF terminal. It is not necessary for the nodes along the branch containing the RF terminal to know the ultimate location of the RF terminal. The forwarding of the data packet continues until the data packet reaches the final node on the branch, which then forwards the data packet directly to the terminal itself. Communication is also possible between RF terminals. To communicate with another RF terminal, the RF terminal sends a data packet to its attached bridge. When the bridge receives the data packet from a terminal directed to the host computer, the bridge checks to see if the destination address of the RF terminal is located within its routing table. If it is, the bridge simply sends the message to the intended RF terminal. If not, the bridge forwards the data packet to its parent node. The forwarding of the data packet up the branch continues until a common parent between the RF terminals is found. Then, the common parent (often the gateway node itself) sends the data packet to the intended RF terminal via the branches of the RF Network. During the normal operation of the RF Network, RF terminals can become lost or unattached to their attached node. If an RF terminal becomes unattached, for whatever reason, its routing entry is purged and the RF terminal listens for HELLO or polling messages from any attached nodes in range. After receiving HELLO or polling messages from attached nodes, the RF terminal sends an ATTACH.request packet to the attached node closest to the root. That attached node acknowledges the ATTACH.request and sends the ATTACH.request packet onto the gateway root node. Then, the gateway root node returns an end-to-end ATTACH.confirm packet. Bridges can also become lost or unattached during normal operations of the RF Network. If a bridge becomes lost or unattached, all routing entries containing the bridge are purged. The bridge then broadcasts a HELLO.request with a global bridge destination address. Attached nodes will broadcast HELLO packets immediately if they receive an ATTACH.request packet with a global destination address. This helps the lost node re-attach. Then, the bridge enters the LISTEN state to learn which attached nodes are within range. The unattached bridge analyzes the contents of broadcast HELLO messages to determine whether to request attachment to the broadcasting node. Again, the bridge attempts to attach to the node that is logically closest to the root node. After attaching to the closest node, the bridge begins broadcasting HELLO messages to solicit ATTACH.requests from other nodes or RF terminals. The spread-spectrum system provides a hierarchical radio frequency network of on-line terminals for data entry and message transfer in a mobile environment. The network is characterized by sporadic data traffic over multiple-hop data paths consisting of RS485 or ethernet wired links and single-channel direct sequenced spread spectrum links. The network architecture is complicated by moving, hidden, and sleeping nodes. The spread spectrum system consists of the following types,of devices: Terminal controller—A gateway which passes messages from a host port to the RF network; and which passes messages from the network to the host port. The host port (directly or indirectly) provides a link between the controller and a “host” computer to which the terminals are logically attached. Base station—An intermediate relay node which is used to extend the range of the controller node. Base station-to-controller or base station-to-base station links can be wired or wireless RF. Terminal—Norand RF hand-held terminals, printers, etc. In addition, a controller device has a terminal component. The devices are logically organized as nodes in an (optimal) spanning tree, with the controller at the root, internal nodes in base stations or controllers on branches of the tree, and terminal nodes as (possibly mobile) leaves on the tree. Like a sink tree, nodes closer to the root of the spanning tree are said to be “downstream” from nodes which are further away. Conversely, all nodes are “upstream” from the root. Packets are only sent along branches of the spanning tree. Nodes in the network use a “BACKWARD LEARNING” technique to route packets along the branches of the spanning tree. Devices in the spanning tree are logically categorized as one of the following three node types: 1) Root (or root bridge)—A controller device which functions as the root bridge of the network spanning tree. In the preferred embodiment, the spanning tree has a single root node. Initially, all controllers are root candidates from which a root node is selected. This selection may be based on the hopping distance to the host, preset priority, random selection, etc. 2) Bridge—An internal node in the spanning tree which is used to “bridge” terminal nodes together into an interconnected network. The root node is also considered a bridge and the term “bridge” may be used to refer to all non-terminal nodes or all non-terminal nodes except the root, depending on the context herein. A bridge node consists of a network interface function and a routing function. 3) Terminal—leaf node in the spanning tree. A terminal node can be viewed as the software entity that terminates a branch in the spanning tree. A controller device contains a terminal node(s) and a bridge node. The bridge node is the root node if the controller is functioning as the root bridge. A base station contains a bridge node. A terminal device contains a terminal node and must have a network interface function. A “bridging entity” refers to a bridge node or to the network interface function in a terminal. The basic requirements of the system are the following. a) Wired or wireless node connections. b) Network layer transparency. c) Dynamic/automatic network routing configuration. d) Terminal mobility. Terminals should be able to move about the RF network without losing an end-to-end connection. e) Ability to accommodate sleeping terminals. f) Ability to locate terminals quickly. g) Built-in redundancy. Lost nodes should have minimal impact on the network. h) Physical link independence. The bridging algorithm is consistent across heterogeneous physical links. The software for the spread-spectrum system is functionally layered as follows. Medium Access Control (MAC) The MAC layer is responsible for providing reliable transmission between any two nodes in the network (i.e. terminal-to-bridge). The MAC has a channel access control component and a link control component. The link control component facilitates and regulates point-to-point frame transfers in the absence of collision detection. The MAC channel access control component regulates access to the network. Note that herein, the MAC layer is also referred to as the Data Link layer. Bridging Layer The bridging layer, which is also referred to herein as the network layer, has several functions as follows. 1. The bridging layer uses a “HELLO protocol” to organize nodes in the network into an optimal spanning tree rooted at the root bridge. The spanning tree is used to prevent loops in the topology. Interior branches of the spanning tree are relatively stable (i.e. controller and relay stations do not move often). Terminals, which are leaves on the spanning three, may become unattached, and must be reattached, frequently. 2. The bridging layer routes packets from terminals to the host, from the host to terminals, and from terminals to terminals along branches of the spanning tree. 3. The bridging layer provides a service for storing packets for SLEEPING terminals. Packets which cannot be delivered immediately can be saved by the bridging entity in a parent node for one or more HELLO times. 4. The bridging layer propagates lost node information throughout the spanning tree. 5. The bridging layer maintains the spanning tree links. 6. The bridging layer distributes network interface addresses. Logical Link Control Layer A logical link control layer, also known herein as the Transport layer herein, is responsible for providing reliable transmission between any two nodes in the network (i.e., terminal-to-base station). The data-link layer provides a connection-oriented reliable service and a connectionless unreliable service. The reliable service detects and discards duplicate packets and retransmits lost packets. The unreliable services provides a datagram facility for upper layer protocols which provide a reliable end-to-end data path. The data-link layer provides ISO layer 2 services for terminal-to-host application sessions which run on top of an end-to-end terminal-to-host transport protocol. However, the data-link layer provides transport (ISO layer 4) services for sessions contained within the SST network. Higher Layers For terminal-to-terminal sessions contained within the SST network, the data-link layer provides transport layer services and no additional network or transport layer is required. In this case, the MAC, bridging, and data-link layers discussed above can be viewed as a data-link layer, a network layer, and a transport layer, respectively. For terminal-to-host-application sessions, higher ISO layers exist on top of the SST data-link layer and must be implemented in the terminal and host computer, as required. This document does not define (or restrict) those layers. This document does discuss a fast-connect VMTP-like transport protocol which is used for transient internal terminal-to-terminal sessions. Specifically, a network layer has several functions, as follows. 1) The network layer uses a “hello protocol” to organize nodes in the network into an optimal spanning tree rooted at the controller. (A spanning tree is required to prevent loops in the topology.) Interior branches of the spanning tree are relatively stable (i.e., the controller and base stations do not move often). Terminals, which are leaves on the spanning tree, become unattached, and must be reattached frequently. 2) The network layer routes messages from terminals to the host, from the host to terminals, and from terminals to terminals along branches of the spanning tree. 3) The network layer provides a service for storing messages for SLEEPING terminals. Messages which cannot be delivered immediately can be saved by the network entity in a parent node for one or more hello times. 4) The network layer propagates lost node information throughout the spanning tree. 5) The network layer maintains the spanning tree links in the absence of regular data traffic. A transport layer is responsible for establishing and maintaining a reliable end-to-end data path between transport access points in any two nodes in the network. The transport layer provides unreliable, reliable and a transaction-oriented services. The transport layer should be immune to implementation changes in the network layer. The responsibilities of the transport layer include the following. 1) Establishing and maintaining TCP-like connections for reliable root-to-terminal data transmission. 2) Maintaining VMTP-like transaction records for reliable transient message passing between any two nodes. 3) Detecting and discarding duplicate packets. 4) Retransmitting lost packets. Layers 1 through 4 are self-contained within the Norand RF network, and are independent of the host computer and of terminal applications. The session layer (and any higher layers) are dependent on specific applications. Therefore, the session protocol (and higher protocols) must be implemented as required. Note that a single transport access point is sufficient to handle single sessions with multiple nodes. Multiple concurrent sessions between any two nodes could be handled with a session identifier in a session header. Network address requirements are as follows. DLC framed contain a hop destination and source address in the DLC header. network packets contain an end-to-end destination and a source address in the network header. Transport messages do not contain an address field; instead, a transport connection is defined by network layer source and destination address pairs. Multiple transport connections require multiple network address pairs. The transport header contains a TRANSPORT ACCESS POINT identifier. DLC and network addresses are consistent and have the same format. Each node has a unique LONG ADDRESS which is programmed into the node at the factory. The long address is used only to obtain a SHORT ADDRESS from the root node. The network entity in each node obtains a SHORT ADDRESS from the root node, which identifies the node uniquely. The network entity passes the short address to the DLC entity. Short addresses are used to minimize packet sizes. Short addresses consist of the following. There is: an address length bit (short or long). a spanning tree identified. a node-type identifier. Node types are well known. a unique multi-cast or broadcast node identifier. The node-identifier parts of root addresses are well known and are constant. A default spanning tree identifier is well known by all nodes. A non-default spanning tree identifier can be entered into the root node (i.e., by a network administrator) and advertised to all other nodes in “hello” packets. The list of non-default spanning trees to which other nodes can attach must be entered into each node. A node-type identifier of all 1's is used to specify all node types. A node identifier of all 1's is used to specify all nodes of the specified type. A DLC identifier of all 0's is used to specify a DLC entity which does not yet have an address. The all-0's address is used in DLC frames that are used to send and receive network ADDRESS packets. (The network entity in each node filters ADDRESS packets based on the network address.) Short-address allocation is accomplished as follows. Short node identifiers of root nodes are well known. All other nodes must obtain a short node identifier from the root. To obtain a short address, a node send an ADDRESS request packet to the root node. The source addresses (i.e., DLC and network) in the request packet are LONG ADDRESSES. The root maintains an address queue of used and unused SHORT ADDRESSES. If possible, the root selects an available short address, associates the short address with the long address of the requesting node, and returns the short address to the requesting node in an ADDRESS acknowledge packet. (Note that the destination address in the acknowledge packet is a long address.) A node must obtain a (new) short address initially and whenever an ADDRESS-TIMEOUT inactivity period expires without having the node receive a packet from the network entity in the root. The network entity in the root maintains addresses in the address queue in least recently used order. Whenever a packet is received, the source address is moved to the end of the queue. The address at the head of the queue is available for use by a requesting node if it has never been used or if it has been inactive for a MAX-ADDRESS-LIFE time period. MAX-ADDRESS-LIFE must be larger than ADDRESS-TIMEOUT to ensure that an address is not in use by any node when it becomes available for another node. If the root receives an ADDRESS request from a source for which an entry exists in the address queue, the root simply updates the queue and returns the old address. The network layer organizes nodes into an optimal spanning tree with the controller at the root of the tree. (Note that the spanning three identifier allows two logical trees to exist in the same coverage area.) Spanning tree organization is facilitated with a HELLO protocol which allows nodes to determine the shortest path to the root before attaching to the spanning tree. All messages are routed along branches of the spanning tree. Nodes in the network are generally categorized as ATTACHED or UNATTACHED. Initially, only the root node is attached. A single controller may be designated as the root, or multiple root candidates (i.e. controllers) may negotiate to determine which node is the root. Attached bridge nodes and root candidates transmit “HELLO” packets at calculated intervals. The HELLO packets include: a) the source address, which includes the spanning tree ID). b) a broadcast destination address. c) a “seed” value from which the time schedule of future hello messages can be calculated. d) a hello slot displacement time specifying an actual variation that will occur in the scheduled arrival of the very next hello message (the scheduled arrival being calculated from the “seed”). e) the distance (i.e., path cost) of the transmitter from the host. The incremental portion of the distance between a node and its parent is primarily a function of the type of physical link (i.e., ethernet, RS485, RF, or the like). If a signal-strength indicator is available, connections are biased toward the link with the best signal strength. The distance component is intended to bias path selection toward (i.e., wired) high-speed connections. Setting a minimum signal strength threshold helps prevent sporadic changes in the network. In addition, connections can be biased to balance the load (i.e., the number of children) on a parent node. f) a pending message list. Pending message lists consist of 0 or more destination-address/message-length pairs. Pending messages for terminals are stored in the terminal's parent node. g) a detached-node list. Detached-node lists contain the addresses of nodes which have detached from the spanning tree. The root maintains two lists. A private list consists of all detached node addresses, and an advertised list consists of the addresses of all detached nodes which have pending transport messages. The addresses in the hello packet are equivalent to the advertised list. An internal node learns which entries should be in its list from hello messages transmitted by its parent node. The root node builds its detached-node lists from information received in DETACH packets. Entries are included in hello messages for DETACH-MSG-LIFE hello times. Attached notes broadcast “SHORT HELLO” messages immediately if they receive an “HELLO.request” packet with a global destination address; otherwise, attached nodes will only broadcast hello messages at calculated time intervals in “hello slots.” Short hello messages do not contain a pending-message or detached-node list. Short hello messages are sent independently of regular hello messages and do not affect regular hello timing. Unattached nodes (nodes without a parent in the spanning tree) are, initially, in an “UNATTACHED LISTEN” state. During the listen state, a node learns which attached base station/controller is closest to the root node by listening to hello messages. After the listening period expires an unattached node sends an ATTACH.request packet to the attached node closest to the root. The attached node immediately acknowledges the ATTACH.request, and send the ATTACH.request packet onto the root (controller) node. The root node returns the request as an end-to-end ATTACH.confirm packet. If the newly-attached node is a base station, the node calculates its link distance and adds the distance to the distance of its parent before beginning to transmit hello messages. The end-to-end ATTACH.request functions as a discovery packet, and enables the root node to learn the address of the source node quickly. The end-to-end ATTACH. request, when sent from a node to the root, does not always travel the entire distance. When a downstream node receives an ATTACH.request packet and already has a correct routing entry for the associated node, the downstream node intercepts the request and returns the ATTACH.confirm to the source node. (Note that any data piggy-backed on the ATTACH.request packet must still be forwarded to the host.) This situation occurs whenever a “new” path has more than one node in common with the “old” path. The LISTEN state ends after MIN_HELLO hello time slots if hello messages have been received from at least one node. If no hello messages have been received the listening node waits and retries later. An attached node may respond to a hello message from a node other than its parent (i.e., with an ATTACH.request) if the difference in the hop count specified in the hello packet exceeds a CHANGE-THRESHOLD level. Unattached nodes may broadcast a GLOBAL ATTACH.request with a multi-cast base station destination address to solicit short hello messages from attached base stations. The net effect is that the LISTEN state may (optionally) be shortened. (Note that only attached base station or the controller may respond to ATTACH. requests.) Normally, this facility is reserved for base stations with children and terminals with transactions in progress. ATTACH. requests contain a (possibly empty) CHILD LIST, to enable internal nodes to update their routing tables. ATTACH.requests also contain a “count” field which indicates that a terminal may be SLEEPING. The network entity in the parent of a SLEEPING terminal con temporarily store messages for later delivery. If the count field is non-zero, the network entity in a parent node will store pending messages until 1) the message is delivered, or 2) “count” hello times have expired. Transport layer data can be piggy-backed on an attached request packet from a terminal. (i.e., an attach request/confirm can be implemented with a bit flag in the network header of a data packet.) Network Layer Routing All messages are routed along branches of the spanning tree. Base stations “learn” the address of terminals by monitoring traffic from terminals (i.e., to the root). When a base station receives (i.e., an ATTACH.request) packet, destined for the root, the base station creates or updates an entry in its routing table for the terminal. The entry includes the terminal address, and the address of the base station which sent the packet (i.e., the hop address). When a base station receives an upstream packet (i.e., from the root, destined for a terminal) the packet is simply forwarded to the base station which is in the routing entry for the destination. Upstream messages (i.e., to a terminal) are discarded whenever a routing entry does not exist. Downstream messages (i.e., from a terminal to the root) are simply forwarded to the next downstream node (i.e., the parent in the branch of the spanning tree. TERMINAL-TO-TERMINAL COMMUNICATIONS is accomplished by routing all terminal-to-terminal traffic through the nearest common ancestor. In the worst case, the root is the nearest common ancestor. A “ADDRESS SERVER” facilitates terminal-to-terminal communications (see below). DELETING INVALID ROUTING TABLE ENTRIES is accomplished in several ways: connection oriented transport layer ensures that packets will arrive from nodes attached to the branch of the spanning tree within the timeout period, unless a node is disconnected.) 2) Whenever the DLC entity in a parent fails RETRY MAX times to send a message to a child node, the node is logically disconnected from the spanning tree, with one exception. If the child is a SLEEPING terminal, the message is retained by the network entity in the parent for “count” hello times. The parent immediately attempts to deliver the message after it sends its next hello packet. If, after “count” hello times, the message cannot be delivered, then the child is logically detached from the spanning tree. Detached node information is propagated downstream to the root node, each node in the path of the DETACH packet must adjust its routing tables appropriately according to the following rules: a) if the lost node is a child terminal node, the routing entry for the terminal is deleted and a DETACH packet is generated, b) if the node specified in DETACH packet is a terminal and the node which delivered the packet is the next hop in the path to the terminal, then the routing table entry for the terminal is deleted and the DETACH packet is forwarded, c) if the lost node is a child base station node then all routing entries which specify that base station as the next hop are deleted and a DETACH packet is generated for each lost terminal. IN GENERAL, WHENEVER A NODE DISCOVERS THAT A TERMINAL IS DETACHED, IT PURGES ITS ROUTING ENTRY FOR THE TERMINAL. WHENEVER A NODE DISCOVERS THAT A BASE STATION IS DETACHED, IT PURGES ALL ROUTING ENTRIES CONTAINING THE BASE STATION. ONLY ENTRIES FOR UPSTREAM NODES ARE DELETED. When DETACH packets reach the root node, they are added to a “detached list.” Nodes remain in the root node's detached list until a) the node reattaches to the spanning tree, or b) the list entry times out. The detached list is included in hello messages and is propagated throughout the spanning tree. For example, if a terminal detaches and reattaches to a different branch in the spanning tree, all downstream nodes in the new branch (quickly) “learn” the new path to the terminal. Nodes which were also in the old path change their routing tables and no longer forward packets along the old path. At least one node, the root, must be in both the old and new path. A new path is established as soon as an end-to-end attach request packet from the terminal reaches a node which was also in the old path. 4) A node (quickly) learns that it is detached whenever it receives a hello message, from any node, with its address in the associated detached list. The detached node can, optionally, send a global ATTACH.request, and then enters the UNATTACHED LISTEN state and reattaches as described above. After reattaching, the node must remain in a HOLD-DOWN state until its address is aged out of all detached lists. During the HOLD-DOWN state the node ignores detached lists. 5) A node becomes disconnected and enters the UNATTACHED LISTEN state whenever HELLO-RETRY-MAX hello messages are missed from its parent node. 6) A node enters the ATTACHED LISTEN state whenever a single hello message, from its parent, is missed. SLEEPING terminals remain awake during the ATTACHED LISTEN state. The state ends when the terminal receives a data or hello message from its parent. The terminal becomes UNATTACHED when a) its address appears in the detached list of a hello message from an ode other than its parent, or b) HELLO-RETRY-MAX hello messages are missed. The total number of hello slots spend in the LISTEN state is constant. If a node in the ATTACHED LISTEN state discovers a path to the root which is CHANGE-THRESHOLD shorter, it can attach to the shorter path. Periodically, SLEEPING terminals must enter the ATTACHED LEARN state to discovery any changes (i.e., shorter paths) in the network topology. Hello Synchronization. All attached non-terminal nodes broadcast periodic “hello” messages in discrete “hello slots” at calculated intervals. Base station nodes learn which hello slots are busy and refrain from transmitting during busy hello slots. A terminal refrains from transmitting during the hello slot of its parent node and refrains from transmitting during message slots reserved in a hello message. The hello message contains a “seed” field used in a well-known randomization algorithm to determine the next hello slot for the transmitting node and the next seed. The address of the transmitting node is used as a factor in the algorithm to guarantee randomization. Nodes can execute the algorithm i times to determine the time (and seed) if the i-the hello message from the transmitter. After attached, a base station chooses a random initial seed and a non-busy hello slot and broadcasts a hello message in that slot. The base station chooses succeeding hello slots by executing the randomization algorithm. If an execution of the algorithm chooses a busy slot, the next free slot is used and a hello “displacement” field indicates the offset from a calculated slot. Cumulative delays are not allowed (i.e., contention delays during the i hello transmission do not effect the time of the i+1 hello transmission). HELLO-TIME and HELLO-SLOT-TIME values are set by the root node and flooded throughout the network in hello messages. The HELLO-SLOT-TIME value must be large enough to minimize hello contention. A node initially synchronizes on a hello message from its parent. A SLEEPING node can power-down with an active timer interrupt to wake it just before the next expected hello message. The network entity in base station nodes can store messages for SLEEPING nodes and transmit them immediately following the hello messages. This implementation enables SLEEPING terminals to receive unsolicited messages. (Note that the network layer always tries to deliver messages immediately, before storing them.) Retries for pending messages are transmitted in a round-robin order when messages are pending for more than one destination. Note that a child node that misses i hello messages, can calculate the time of the i+1 hello message. Transport Layer Theory and Implementation Notes. The transport layer provides reliable, unreliable, and transaction-oriented services. Two types of transport connections are defined: 1) a TCP-like transport connection may be explicitly requested for long-lived connections or 2) a VMTP-like connection-record may be implicitly set up for transient connections. In addition, a connectionless service is provided for nodes which support an end-to-end transport connection with the host computer. The interfaces to the next upper (i.e., application) layer include: CONNECT (access_point, node_name) LISTEN (access_point) UNITDATA (access_point, node_name, buffer, length) SEND (handle, buffer, length) RECEIVE (handle, buffer, length) CLOSE (handle) The “handle” designates the connection type, and is the connection identifier for TCP-like connections. SEND messages require a response from the network node (root or terminal) to which the message is directed. UNITDATA messages do not require a response. UNITDATA is used to send messages to a host which is capable of supporting end-to-end host-to-terminal transport connections. Because the network layer provides an unreliable service, the transport layer is required to detect duplicate packets and retransmit lost packets. Detecting duplicates is facilitated by numbering transport packets with unambiguous sequence numbers. Transport Connections. TCP-like transport connections are used for message transmission over long-lived connections. The connections may be terminal-to-root or terminal-to-terminal (i.e., base stations are not involved in the transport connection). TCP-like transport connections are established using a 3-way handshake. Each end selects its initial sequence number and acknowledges the other end's initial sequence number during the handshake. The node which initiates the connection must wait a MAX-PACKET-LIFE time, before requesting a connection, to guarantee that initial sequence numbers are unambiguous. Sequence numbers are incremented modulo MAX-SEQ, where MAX-SEQ is large enough to insure that duplicate sequence numbers do not exist in the network. Packet types for establishing and breaking connections are defined as in TCP. A TCP-like connection is full-duplex and a sliding window is used to allow multiple outstanding transport packets. An ARQ bit in the transport header is used to require an immediate acknowledgment from the opposite end. VMTP-like connections are used for transient messages (i.e. terminal-to-terminal mail messages). VMTP-like connection records are built automatically. A VMTP-like connection record is built (or updated) whenever a VMTP-like transport message is received. The advantage is that an explicit connection request is not required. The disadvantage is that longer and more carefully selected sequence numbers are required. A VMTP-like connection is half-duplex. (A full-duplex connection at a higher layer can be built with two independent half-duplex VMTP-like connections.) Acknowledgments must be handled by higher layers. Transport connections are defined by the network end-to-end destination and source addresses. A MAX_TP_LIFE timeout is associated with transport connections. Transport connection records are purged after a MAX T_LIFE time expires without activity on the connection. The transport entity in a terminal can ensure that its transport connection will not be lost by transmitting an empty time-fill transport packet whenever TP_TIMEOUT time expires without activity. The transport entity in a node stores messages for possible retransmission. Note that retransmissions may not always follow the same path (primarily) due to moving terminals and the resulting changes in the spanning tree. For example, the network entity in a parent node may disconnect a child after the DLC entity reports a message delivery failure. The child will soon discover that it is detached and will reattach to the spanning tree. Now when the transport entity (i.e. in the root) re-sends the message, it will follow the new path. Transport Message Timing and Sleeping Terminals. The transport entity in a terminal calculates a separate timeout for SEND and TRANSACTION operations. Initially, both timeouts are a function of the distance of the terminal from the root node. A TCP-like algorithm is used to estimate the expected propagation delay for each message type. Messages, which require a response, are retransmitted if twice the expected propagation time expires before a response is received. SLEEPING terminals can power down for a large percentage of the expected propagation delay before waking up to receive the response message. Note that missed messages may be stored by the network layer for “count” hello times. Medium Access Control (MAC) Theory and Implementation Notes. Access to the network communications channel is regulated in several ways: executing the full CSMA algorithm (see MAC layer above). The sender retransmits unacknowledged messages until a RETRY_MAX count is exhausted. The retry time of the DLC must be relatively short so that lost nodes can be detected quickly. When the DLC layer reports a failure to deliver a message to the network layer, the network layer can 1) save messages for SLEEPING terminals for later attempts, or 2) DETACH the node from the spanning tree. Note that most lost nodes are due to moving terminals. The node identifier part of the DLC address is initially all 0's for all nodes except the root node. The all 0's address is used by a node to send and received data-link frames until a unique node identifier is passed to the DLC entity in the node. (The unique node identifier is obtained by the network entity.) Address Resolution. Well-known names too are bound to network addresses in several ways: The network address and TRANSPORT ACCESS ID of a name server, contained in the root, is well-known by all nodes. A node can register a well-known name with the name server contained in the root node. A node can request the network access address of another application from the name server by using the well-known name of the application. Possible Extensions. Base station-to-base station traffic could also be routed through the controller if the backward learning algorithm included base station nodes. (Each base station would simply have to remember which direction on its branch of the spanning tree to send data directed toward another base station.) The possibility of multiple controllers is kept open by including a spanning-tree identifier in address fields. Each controller defines a unique spanning tree. A node can be in more than one spanning tree, with separate network state variables defined for each. Thus, the preferred embodiment of the present invention describes an apparatus and a method of efficiently routing data through a network of intermediate base stations in a radio data communication system. In alternate embodiments of the present invention, the RF Networks contain multiple gateways. By including a system identifier in the address field of the nodes, it is possible to determine which nodes are connected to which networks. As is evident from the description that is provided above, the implementation of the present invention can vary greatly depending upon the desired goal of the user. However, the scope of the present invention is intended to cover all variations and substitutions which are and which may become apparent from the illustrative embodiment of the present invention that is provided above, and the scope of the invention should be extended to the claimed invention and its equivalents. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In a typical radio data communication system having one or more host computers and multiple RF terminals, communication between a host computer and an RF terminal is provided by one or more base stations. Depending upon the application and the operating conditions, a large number of these base stations may be required to adequately serve the system. For example, a radio data communication system installed in a large factory may require dozens of base stations in order to cover the entire factory floor. In earlier RF (Radio Frequency) data communication systems, the base stations were typically connected directly to a host computer through multi-dropped connections to an Ethernet communication line. To communicate between an RF terminal and a host computer, in such a system, the RF terminal sends data to a base station and the base station passes the data directly to the host computer. Communicating with a host computer through a base station in this manner is commonly known as hopping. These earlier RF data communication systems used a single-hop method of communication. In order to cover a larger area with an RF data communication system and to take advantage of the deregulation of the spread-spectrum radio frequencies, later-developed RF data communication systems are organized into layers of base stations. As in earlier RF data communications systems, a typical system includes multiple base stations which communicate directly with the RF terminals and the host computer. In addition, the system also includes intermediate stations that communicate with the RF terminals, the multiple base stations, and other intermediate stations. In such a system, communication from an RF terminal to a host computer may be achieved, for example, by having the RF terminal send data to an intermediate station, the intermediate station send the data to a base station, and the base station send the data directly to the host computer. Communicating with a host computer through more than one station is commonly known as a multiple-hop communication system. Difficulties often arise in maintaining the integrity of such multiple-hop RF data communication systems. The system must be able to handle both wireless and hard-wired station connections, efficient dynamic routing of data information, RF terminal mobility, and interference from many different sources. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention solves many of the problems inherent in a multiple-hop data communication system. The present invention comprises an RF Local-Area Network capable of efficient and dynamic handling of data by routing communications between the RF Terminals and the host computer through a network of intermediate base stations. In one embodiment of the present invention, the RF data communication system contains one or more host computers and multiple gateways, bridges, and RF terminals. Gateways are used to pass messages to and from a host computer and the RF Network. A host port is used to provide a link between the gateway and the host computer. In addition, gateways may include bridging functions and may pass information from one RF terminal to another. Bridges are intermediate relay nodes which repeat data messages. Bridges can repeat data to and from bridges, gateways and RF terminals and are used to extend the range of the gateways. The RF terminals are attached logically to the host computer and use a network formed by a gateway and the bridges to communicate with the host computer. To set up the network, an optimal configuration for conducting network communication spanning tree is created to control the flow of data communication. To aid understanding by providing a more visual description, this configuration is referred to hereafter as a “spanning tree” or “optimal spanning tree”. Specifically, root of the spanning tree are the gateways; the branches are the bridges; and non-bridging stations, such as RF terminals, are the leaves of the tree. Data are sent along the branches of the newly created optimal spanning tree. Nodes in the network use a backward learning technique to route packets along the correct branches. One object of the present invention is to route data efficiently, dynamically, and without looping. Another object of the present invention is to make the routing of the data transparent to the RF terminals. The RF terminals, transmitting data intended for the host computer, are unaffected by the means ultimately used by the RF Network to deliver their data. It is a further object of the present invention for the network to be capable of handling RF terminal mobility and lost nodes with minimal impact on the entire RF data communication system. | 20041015 | 20090127 | 20050414 | 63550.0 | 8 | DUONG, FRANK | RADIO FREQUENCY LOCAL AREA NETWORK | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,966,015 | ACCEPTED | System and method for management of hair and personal hygiene | A system and method for the management of hair and personal hygiene is provided. The system comprises a hair care instrument including a mounting base having opposing sides each defining a mounting portion in its cross-section. The base includes a proximal end. A first implement is removably connected to at least one of said opposing sides of said base. A handle is provided having an interface edge, the interface edge is adjacent the proximal end of the base, wherein the handle is removably connected to the proximal end of the mounting base. A method of managing personal hygiene for a plurality of users comprising the steps of: providing a personal hygiene tool including a handle removably connected to a first base; connecting the handle to the first base; providing a family of hygiene management implements; connecting at least one of the family of hygiene management implements to the first base; using the at least one of the family of hygiene management implements on a selected first user; removing the at least one of the family of hygiene management implements from the first base; and, connecting at least another of the family of hygiene management implements to the first base. | 1. A system for the management of hair, comprising: a hair care instrument including a mounting base having opposing sides each defining a mounting portion in its cross-section, said base including a proximal end; a first implement removably connected to at least one of said opposing sides of said base; and, a handle having an interface edge, said interface edge adjacent said proximal end of said base, wherein said handle is removably connected to said proximal end of said mounting base. 2. The system for the management of hair of claim 1, further including a second implement removably connected to at least another of said opposing sides of said base. 3. The system for the management of hair of claim 2, wherein said first implement and said second implement each include a mounting surface, said mounting surfaces having a semi-circular cross-section. 4. The system for the management of hair of claim 2, wherein said first implement and said second implement each include a mounting surface, said mounting surfaces having a linear cross-section. 5. The system for the management of hair of claim 2, wherein said first implement and said second implement each include a mounting surface, said mounting surfaces having a plurality of apertures therethrough. 6. The system for the management of hair of claim 5, wherein said apertures are generally configured in the shape of a cruciform. 7. The system for the management of hair of claim 5, wherein a surface area defined by said mounting surface is reduced by at least one third by said apertures therethrough. 8. The system for the management of hair of claim 5, wherein said mounting surfaces define a semi-circular cross-section. 9. The system for the management of hair of claim 1, wherein said handle includes at least one shaft projecting outward from said interface edge, said base includes at least one opening for receiving said at least one shaft for removably connecting said handle to said base. 10. A system for the management of hair, comprising: a first hair management implement; a second hair management implement; a central base having a first side and a second side; said first hair management implement removably secured to said first side of said central base; said second hair management implement removably secured to said second side of said central base; and, said first and second hair management implements each include a mounting surface and opposing mounting edges, said mounting surfaces include a plurality of apertures therethrough, wherein said mounting edges removably engage said central base. 11. The system for the management of hair of claim 10, wherein said apertures are generally configured in the shape of a cruciform. 12. The system for the management of hair of claim 10, wherein said first and said second sides each include recessed portions for the collection of dirt and dander. 13. The system for the management of hair of claim 10, wherein said mounting surface includes a semi-circular cross-section. 14. The system for the management of hair of claim 10, wherein said first and said second sides each include recessed portions for the collection of dirt and dander. 15. The system for the management of hair of claim 10, wherein said base includes a proximal end; and, a handle near said proximal end, an interface edge on said handle, at least one shaft connected to said handle at said interface edge, wherein said handle is removably connected to said proximal end of said mounting base 16. The system for the management of hair of claim 10, wherein at least one of said first and second hair management implements comprises a stiff toothed hair brush. 17. The system for the management of hair of claim 10, wherein at least one of said first and second hair management implements comprises a bristle brush. 18. The system for the management of hair of claim 10, wherein said mounting surface includes bristles secured thereto. 19. The system for the management of hair of claim 18, wherein said at least one of said first and said second hair management implements are adapted for one time use and are disposable. 20. The system of the management of hair of claim 18, wherein said at least one of said first and said second hair management implements are adapted for cleaning separate from said base and said handle. 21. The system of the management of hair of claim 10, further including a family of hair management implements, said family of hair management implements interchangeable with said first and second hair management implements. 22. A method of managing personal hygiene for a plurality of users comprising the steps of: providing a personal hygiene tool including a handle removably connected to a first base; connecting said handle to said first base; providing a family of hygiene management implements; connecting at least one of said family of hygiene management implements to said first base; using said at least one of said family of hygiene management implements on a selected first user; removing said at least one of said family of hygiene management implements from said first base; and, connecting at least another of said family of hygiene management implements to said first base. 23. The method of managing personal hygiene of claim 22, further comprising the step of disposing of said at least one of said family of hygiene management implements after said use. 24. The method of managing personal hygiene of claim 22, further comprising the step of cleaning of said at least one of said family of hygiene management implements after said use. 25. The method of managing personal hygiene of claim 24, further comprising the step of re-using said at least one of said family of hygiene management implements on a selected second user. 26. The method of managing personal hygiene of claim 24, further comprising the steps of removing said first base from said handle; cleaning of said first base after said use; connecting said first base to said handle; and, using said at least one of said family of hygiene management implements on a selected second user. 27. The method of managing personal hygiene of claim 25, wherein said family of hygiene management implements comprise hair management implements. 28. The method of managing personal hygiene of claim 22, further comprising the steps of removing said first base from said handle; connecting a second base to said handle; providing another family of hygiene management implements; and, connecting at least one of another family of hygiene management implements to said second base. | FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to hair care and personal hygiene. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new system and method for the management of hair and personal hygiene. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Typically, devices for the management of hair and personal hygiene, such as combs, brushes and the like, are separate integrated units. Thus, when a hair care professional such as a barber or stylist needs to utilize a combination of items such as a comb and a brush, that person must use one item and set it down before picking up the next item. This may create clutter and may be difficult for a busy professional who needs to change tools often, sometimes causing the barber or stylist to drop the devices onto an unsanitized floor compromising hygiene. These devices also pose problems for the average person who utilizes them, such as an individual who may be visually challenged. Having several separate items may create confusion with the increased clutter they cause. In addition, typical hair management and personal hygiene devices, i.e. combs, have small handles. Thus, when a person with arthritis or a similar condition attempts to hold and use the device, it is often difficult and painful. Such small handles also present problems for professionals utilizing the tools for extended periods of time. These professionals use techniques known in the art that may be problematic with devices of the prior art. Such techniques include the clipper-over-comb and the comb-brush techniques. For example, in the clipper-over-comb technique, hair to be cut is drawn away from a customer's head by a comb which is grasped in between the forefinger and thumb of the barber or stylist. Once the portion of hair held out by the comb is cut, the comb is rotated under the next portion of hair to be cut and then rotated out so as to hold that hair away from the customer's head. This process continues for each customer until all of that customer's hair has been cut. Performing this repeated rotation of the small-handled hair management device throughout the day may cause severe discomfort. Moreover, constant rotation of the apparatus using the forefinger and thumb becomes an awkward maneuver due to the small, flat handle types of devices of the prior art, again causing the barber or stylist to drop the tool and forcing her or him to obtain a new, sanitary one. If the barber or stylist attempts to overcome this problem by rotating the device through raising and dropping his or her wrist, such repeated wrist motion may cause pain and even problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Thus, problems are created by devices of the prior art through separate hair management instruments and small handle configurations that do not allow easy and firm gripping and rotation. Personal hygiene and hair management devices in a commercial, or multi-user, setting necessitate sanitizing the management instruments between uses. Cleaning and sanitizing the instruments is cumbersome due to the number of instruments that can be used on any one individual and due to the bulk of separate devices. Current separate management devices do not provide for single use disposable instruments or implements, nor do they provide an economical and simple means for sanitizing multi-use instruments between uses. Also, a significant monetary investment is necessary to acquire all the multi-use devices desired, particularly in a commercial setting. There have been attempts to combine hair management devices in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 288,534 issued to Wilkerson discloses a comb having a solid end which forms the back of a brush. U.S. Pat. No. 2,261,747 issued to Vegh discloses a brush with a handle forming a comb. However, these devices lack the flexibility to adapt to different implements and do not allow the user to easily grip or rotate the apparatus. Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a new apparatus for the management of hair which would overcome the foregoing difficulties by providing for the use of multiple instruments while allowing for easier grip and rotation by a user. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a new system and method for the management of hair and personal hygiene is provided. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for the management of hair and personal hygiene is provided. The system includes a hair care instrument having a mounting base with opposing sides each defining a mounting portion in its cross-section. The base includes a proximal end. A first implement is removably connected to at least one of the opposing sides of the base. A handle is provided having an interface edge, the interface edge is adjacent the proximal end of the base, wherein the handle is removably connected to the proximal end of the mounting base. In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a system for the management of hair is provided. The system comprises a first hair management implement and a second hair management implement. A central base is provided having a first side and a second side. The system includes a first means for removably securing the first hair management implement to the first side of the central base and a second means for removably securing the second hair management implement to the second side of the central base. The first and second hair management implements each include a mounting surface and opposing mounting edges, the mounting surface includes a plurality of apertures therethrough, wherein the mounting edges removably engage the central base. In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method of managing personal hygiene is described for a plurality of users comprising the steps of: providing a personal hygiene tool including a handle removably connected to a first base; connecting the handle to the first base; providing a family of hygiene management implements; connecting at least one of the family of hygiene management implements to the first base; using the at least one of the family of hygiene management implements on a selected first user; removing the at least one of the family of hygiene management implements from the first base; and, connecting at least another of the family of hygiene management implements to the first base. The benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may take form in certain components and structures, exemplary embodiments of which will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an apparatus for the management of hair in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a top view of an alternative hair management implement for use with the device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the alternative hair management implement shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the alternative hair management implement shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 6 is a top view of another alternative hair management implement for use with the devices shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the alternative hair management implement shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the alternative hair management implement shown in FIG. 6; and, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a personal hygiene management system in accordance with the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the same, FIGS. 1-9 show the components of an apparatus for the management of hair and personal hygiene in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the components of a device for the management of hair in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. An apparatus 200 comprises a mounting or central base 212 that removably couples a first hair management implement 214 and a second hair management implement 216 on opposing sides 218,220. In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting base 212 has a cylindrical configuration at a proximal end 222 and the first implement 214 is a half-round bristle brush and the second implement 216 is a half-round bristle brush. A handle 224 can be removably connected to the mounting base 212. The handle 224 includes an interface edge 226. The handle 224 can include a pair of shafts 230, 232 projecting therefrom. The proximal end 222 of the base 212 can include a pair of openings (not illustrated) for receiving the shafts 230, 232, thereby providing a retaining mechanism for removably connecting the handle 224 to the base 212. Means to facilitate the coupling of the first implement 214 and the second implement 216 into a single apparatus 200 may include first outer mounting edges 240, 241 and second outer mounting edges 242, 243 that are defined at opposing outside edges 244, 246 of the mounting base 212. The first hair management implement can include edges 250, 251 and the second hair management implement can include edges 252, 253 for mounting with the compatible edges 240, 241 and 242, 243. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second hair management implements 214, 216, when in the mounted position, terminate at shoulders 247, 249 of base 212. Such coupling may be accomplished by any means known in the art, including pin and orifice, snap-fit, interference type fittings, slide friction fittings, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting base 212 further includes first inner mounting edges 260, 261 and second inner mounting edges 262, 263 providing alternative mounting means for other implements as described below. As illustrated, each implements can be removably coupled to the mounting base. Referring now to FIGS. 3-9, it is to be appreciated that other mounting bases and implements can be used with handle 224, to create a family of personal hygiene management implements. For example, the implements can include bath brushes (not shown), stiff toothed hair brushes 316 (FIGS. 3-5), and/or bristle brushes 416 (FIGS. 6-8), etc. The implements can be mixed and matched, such that any pair of implements can be mounted on opposing sides 218, 220 of the base 212. Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, one example of a hair management implement 316 is therein shown. The implement 316 includes a plurality of stiff teeth 330 projecting from a mounting surface 332. The mounting surface includes a plurality of apertures 334 therethrough to allow items such as dander and small particles to pass between the teeth 330 and through the mounting surface 332 to the base 212, rather than remaining on the mounting surface 332 near the teeth 330 of the implement 316. The apertures 334 can be in the shape of a cruciform and can reduce the surface area of the mounting surface 332 by at least one third. The implement 316 can be removed from the base 212, and the base 212 can be removed from the handle 324 enabling easier cleaning and sanitizing. The implement 316 can alternatively be disposed of, i.e. single use implement, and a new implement can be connected to the base 212 in preparation for another user or another management task creating a more sanitary environment without the need for multiple separate hair management assemblies. Thus, the embodiments, and alternative implements, of FIGS. 1 -9 provide for more sanitary implements and the easy and secure connection of two implements. Referring now to FIG. 4 an interior side 333 is therein shown. The mounting surface 332 can be offset from mounting edges 340, 342 of the implement 316 to allow for a collection space to be created between the side 218 of the base 212 and the interior side 333 of the mounting surface 332. Referring now to FIGS. 6-8, another example of a hair management implement 416 is therein shown. The implement 416 includes a plurality of bristles 430 projecting from a mounting surface 432. The mounting surface 432 includes a plurality of apertures 434 therethrough to allow items such as dander and small particles to pass between the bristles 430 and through the mounting surface 432 to the base 212, rather than remaining on the mounting surface 432 near the bristles 430 of the implement 416. As described above, the apertures 434 can be in the shape of a cruciform and can reduce the surface area of the mounting surface 432 by at least one third. The implement 416 can be removed from the base 212, and the base 212 can be removed from the handle 224 enabling easier cleaning and sanitizing. The implement 416 can alternatively be disposed of, i.e. single use implement, and a new implement can be connected to the base 212 in preparation for another user or another management task creating a more sanitary environment without the need for multiple separate brush assemblies. Similar to FIG. 4, implement 416 includes an interior side 433 of mounting surface 432 offset from mounting edges 440, 442. As illustrated, the various implements 214, 216, 316, 416 can be selectively removably coupled to the base 212. Thus, the present invention also provides for an apparatus which may be designed to have two different implements for example 316, 416 attached to the mounting base 212 along with the handle 224 or a three-piece (two separate implements both removably coupled to a central mounting base) device. For example, professionals could have multiple implements of the same type and may place many implements in a sterilizing medium while one implement is in use. When a new customer is to be serviced, a clean implement may easily be placed on the mounting base 212. Referring now to FIG. 9, wherein different bases and different personal hygiene implements are therein shown. The system 400 shown in FIG. 9 includes mounting bases 212, 512, 612 and 712 which are interchangeable with handle 224. Mounting base 212 can be used with one or two implements, for example, implements 316, 416. Mounting base 512 can be used, for example, with implements 514, 516. Mounting base 612 can be used, for example, with implements 614, 616. Mounting base 712 can be used, for example, with implements 714, 716. The system shown in FIG. 9 shows the interchangeability of the different implements in association with different mounting bases. It is to be appreciated that the different implements can be interchanged and configured to suit a single customer. In addition, the separate implements and bases can be separately removed and sterilized in preparation for a second user. It is to be appreciated that implements 316, 416, 514, 516, 614, 616, 714, 716 can be either disposable (one-time use) or multi-use. Moreover, the entire device could be changed for each customer or use, not only for sanitary reasons, but depending on the implements needed for each customer, as mentioned above. For example, for some individual styles of hair, a comb instrument and a bristle brush instrument may be optimal. Other tools may be selected from the list above or from any other implements typically used for hair care or personal hygiene. Although the examples above describe hair brushes, it is to be appreciated that other personal hygiene implements can be used, i.e. teeth cleaning devices, bath brushes, etc. Many different hair management instruments may be used in the apparatus o 200, 400 of the present invention. For example, as described above, a stiff toothed hair brush and a bristle brush may be used. Other instruments such as a hair pick may be used. Various tools known in the art may be adapted for use with the mounting base. These tools may include, in addition to those previously described, a single rod tail pick, a clipper attachment, a hair color bottle, a hot comb, a beard comb, a moustache comb and other specialized combs and tools. The specific tool configuration that is used may depend on the particular hair care service that is to be performed, hence making performance of that specific hair care service easier. Thus, the present invention provides for an apparatus which may be designed to have one or two tools or implements removably coupled to a mounting base, which is in turn removably coupled to a handle. As a result, there is tremendous flexibility for both home users and for professionals. For example, professionals could have multiple instruments of the same type, such as a brush, may place many brushes in a sterilizing medium while one brush is in use. When a new customer is to be serviced, a clean brush may easily be placed on the mounting base. Similarly, for others, a comb and a hair pick may provide the best combination. Other tools may be selected from the list above or from any other instruments typically used for hair care. This interchangeability provides many advantages for professionals and consumers, including greater versatility and sanitation with a tool that can be configured for each customer and/or use. Home users may also benefit from the advantage of multiple tools given by the present invention. A person could use a single apparatus having two tools, reducing the amount of clutter, and may also be able to exchange multiple tools on the same apparatus. While a comb and a brush may work best at one point, a comb and a fine-toothed moustache comb may be preferred by the user at another point. For a visually impaired person, the use of one multi-instrument apparatus rather than multiple separate items of the prior art is much more convenient. Thus, the present invention allows for multiple advantages to many types of users of hair management devices. The invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof. | <SOH> FIELD OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to hair care and personal hygiene. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new system and method for the management of hair and personal hygiene. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>According to the present invention, a new system and method for the management of hair and personal hygiene is provided. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for the management of hair and personal hygiene is provided. The system includes a hair care instrument having a mounting base with opposing sides each defining a mounting portion in its cross-section. The base includes a proximal end. A first implement is removably connected to at least one of the opposing sides of the base. A handle is provided having an interface edge, the interface edge is adjacent the proximal end of the base, wherein the handle is removably connected to the proximal end of the mounting base. In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a system for the management of hair is provided. The system comprises a first hair management implement and a second hair management implement. A central base is provided having a first side and a second side. The system includes a first means for removably securing the first hair management implement to the first side of the central base and a second means for removably securing the second hair management implement to the second side of the central base. The first and second hair management implements each include a mounting surface and opposing mounting edges, the mounting surface includes a plurality of apertures therethrough, wherein the mounting edges removably engage the central base. In accordance with yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method of managing personal hygiene is described for a plurality of users comprising the steps of: providing a personal hygiene tool including a handle removably connected to a first base; connecting the handle to the first base; providing a family of hygiene management implements; connecting at least one of the family of hygiene management implements to the first base; using the at least one of the family of hygiene management implements on a selected first user; removing the at least one of the family of hygiene management implements from the first base; and, connecting at least another of the family of hygiene management implements to the first base. The benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description. | 20041015 | 20070403 | 20060420 | 59465.0 | A45D2430 | 0 | STEITZ, RACHEL RUNNING | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGEMENT OF HAIR AND PERSONAL HYGIENE | MICRO | 0 | ACCEPTED | A45D | 2,004 |
|
10,966,017 | ACCEPTED | Supervising monitoring and controlling activities performed on a client device | A client monitoring application operating on a client device records and monitors human activity performed thereon. The client monitoring application forwards recorded activity to supervisor server(s) over a network. The supervisor server(s) enable a human supervisor to review human activity performed on the client device, issue alerts to the human when a particular activity is performed on the client device, and/or instruct the client monitoring application to intercept and block certain activities or classes of activities from taking place on the client device at any time or at designated times, or limited to designated durations. Recording and monitoring human activity performed on the client device includes capturing screen shots of real-time human activity performed on the client device, enabling viewing a screen shots even if data associated with the screen shots are transmitted, received, or saved in an encrypted format, which is particularly useful in the realm of counter terrorism, and child protection. | 1. A method, comprising: receiving a rule, wherein the rule defines a particular human activity performed on a client device based on at least one of (i) a class of human activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device, (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device; monitoring human activity performed on the client device; determining whether a particular human activity performed on the client device matches a particular human activity performed on the client device defined by the rule; sending an alert message to a human supervisor, via a data-bearing communication link, when the particular human activity performed on the client device matches a particular human activity performed on the client device defined by the rule; and restricting the particular human activity performed on the client device automatically, when the particular human activity attempted on the client device matches the rule wherein the act of restricting the particular human activity performed on the client device includes instructing the client device to intercept and block initiation of a particular human activity from taking place on the client device. 2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device includes at least one of viewing, creating, transmitting and sending information associated with a particular subject matter, including at least one of sex, drugs, violence, infidelity, hate language, a predefined keystroke, and a subject matter designated by the human supervisor. 3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of monitoring the human activity performed on the client device includes monitoring at least one of Internet activity, an electronic mail message, an instant message, a chat session, a key word, a keystroke, a screen shot, an application, the date and time a particular human activity was performed, the time an application was used by a human, and the duration of any human activity performed or application used. 4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising permitting a human supervisor to review the human activity performed on a client device including reviewing at least one of an Internet activity, an electronic mail message, an instant message, a chat session, a key word, a keystroke, a screen shot, an application, the date and time a particular human activity was performed, and the duration of any human activity performed or application used. 5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising recording human activity performed on the client device, and transmitting the recorded human activity performed on the client device over a network for display to a client device operated by the human supervisor. 6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of monitoring the human activity performed on the client device is performed by a computer program module operating in a background environment of the client device. 7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of monitoring the human activity performed on the client device is performed by a computer program module operating in a background environment of the client device in a stealth mode without alerting a human of the client device. 8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising recording human activity performed on the client device and forwarding the recorded activity from the client device to one or more servers. 9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of sending the alert message to the human supervisor, includes sending at least one of an electronic mail message, a text message, and an audio message. 10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of sending the alert message to the human supervisor, includes sending at least one of an electronic mail message, a text message, and an audio message, wherein each message includes at least one of a summary of the particular human activity performed by the human on the client device, a duration of the particular human activity performed, and a time and date the particular human activity was performed. 11. A method, comprising: receiving a rule, wherein the rule defines a particular human activity attempted on the client device based on a class of human activity associated with the particular human activity attempted on the client device; monitoring human activity performed on the client device; determining whether a particular human activity attempted on the client device matches a particular human activity defined by the rule; and restricting the particular human activity attempted on the client device automatically and in real-time, when the particular human activity attempted on the client device matches the rule wherein the act of restricting a particular human activity attempted on the client device includes instructing the client device to intercept and block initiation of a particular human activity from taking place on the client device. 12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending an alert message to the human supervisor if a particular human activity is restricted on the client device. 13. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to: enable a rule, wherein the rule defines a particular human activity performed on the client device based on at least one of (i) a class of activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device, (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device; monitor human activity performed on the client device; determine whether a particular human activity performed on the client device matches a particular human activity performed on the client device defined by the rule; send an alert message to a human supervisor, via a data-bearing communication link, when the particular human activity performed on the client device matches a particular human activity performed on the client device defined by the rule; and restrict the particular human activity performed on the client device automatically, when the particular human activity attempted on the client device matches the rule wherein the act of restricting the particular human activity performed on the client device includes instructing the client device to intercept and block initiation of a particular human activity from taking place on the client device. 14. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to: enable a rule, wherein the rule defines a particular human activity performed on the client device based on at least one of (i) a class of activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device, (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device; monitor human activity performed on the client device; determine whether a particular human activity performed on the client device matches a particular human activity defined by the rule; and restricting a particular human activity performed on the client device when the particular human activity performed on the client device matches a particular human activity defined by the rule, wherein the restricting includes instructing the client device to intercept and block initiation of the particular human activity from taking place on the client device. 15. A method of supervising and controlling human activity performed on a client device, comprising: monitoring a human activity attempted on a client device; determining if the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches a particular human activity defined by a rule, wherein the rule defines the particular human activity for which a human supervisor desires to block from occurring and be notified if a human of the client device attempts to perform the particular human activity on the client device; sending an alert message, via a data-bearing communication link, to the human supervisor if it is determined that the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches the particular human activity defined by the rule; and intercepting and blocking the particular human activity from occurring on the client device, if it is determined that the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches the particular human activity defined by the rule. 16. A web-based method for supervising, monitoring and controlling human activities performed a client device, comprising: receiving a rule, wherein the rule defines a class of human activities for which a human supervisor desires to be notified if a human performs a particular human activity on a client device matching the class of human activities; receiving monitored human activity performed on the client device; determining if the monitored human activity performed on the client device matches the class of human activities; sending an alert message, via a data-bearing communication link, to the human supervisor if it is determined that the monitored human activity performed on the client device matches the class of human activities; and restricting the particular human activity performed on the client device automatically and real-time, when the particular human activity attempted on the client device matches the class of human activities wherein the act of restricting the particular human activity performed on the client device includes instructing the client device to intercept and block initiation of a particular human activity from taking place on the client device. 17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising recording human activity occurring on the client device including capturing screen shots of real-time human activity occurring on the computer and transmitting the recorded human activity to a web-based server via a data-bearing communication link for review by a human supervisor. 18. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising recording human activity occurring on the computer including capturing screen shots of real-time human activity performed on the computer, including those screen shots for which human generated content is transmitted or received in an encrypted format. 19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of receiving the monitored human activity performed on the client device includes recording human activity performed on the client device including a description of the human activity performed and at least one of the following a date, time and duration of the human activity performed. 20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of determining if the monitored human activity performed on the client device matches the class of human activities includes determining whether a human has attempted to perform an activity on the client device for a duration longer than a predetermined maximum duration. 21. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of determining if the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches the class of human activities includes determining whether a human has attempted to visit a category of web sites on the client device. 22. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the class of human activities for which a human supervisor desires to be notified includes at least one of game playing, e-mailing, e-mailing to a particular address, e-mailing from a free mail site, instant messaging, surfing the web, surfing particular web sites, using particular key stokes, using particular language, viewing a particular topic, viewing sexual content, using sexually explicit language, using infidelity related content, viewing hate group content, using hate related language, using violent language, viewing a terrorist organization website, using language that may be associated with a terrorist organization, and using a particular chat colloquialism. 23. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to: monitor a human activity attempted on a client device; determine if the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches a particular human activity defined by a rule, wherein the rule defines the particular human activity for which a human supervisor desires to block and be notified if a human of the client device attempts to perform the particular human activity on the computer, wherein the particular human activity performed on a client device for which a human supervisor desires to block and be notified includes at least one of game playing, e-mailing, e-mailing to a particular address, e-mailing from a free mail site, instant messaging, instant messaging to a particular person, surfing the web, surfing particular web sites, using particular key stokes, using particular language, viewing a particular topic, viewing sexual content, using sexually explicit language, using infidelity related content, viewing hate group content, using hate related language, using violent language, viewing a terrorist organization website, using language that may be associated with a terrorist organization, using a particular chat colloquialism, attempting to perform an activity on the client device for a duration longer than a predetermined maximum duration, attempting to visit a category of web sites on the client device, and attempting to perform the particular human activity on the client device during a certain time; send an electronic message to a communication device if it is determined 1 that the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches the particular human activity defined by the rule; intercept and block the particular human activity from occurring on the client device, if it is determined that the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches the particular human activity defined by the rule. 24. The one or more or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 23, wherein the communication device is a server computer. 25. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 23, wherein the communication device is an alerting device. 26. A client device comprising: one or more processors; one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the client device to: receive a rule, wherein the rule defines a particular human activity attempted on a client device for which a human supervisor desires to be notified if a human of the client device attempts to perform the particular human activity on the client device based on at least one of (i) a class of activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device, (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device; monitor a human activity attempted on the client device; determine if the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches the particular human activity defined by the rule; send a message to a computer device if it is determined that the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches the particular human activity defined by the rule; and restrict the particular human activity performed on the client device automatically, when the particular human activity attempted on the client device matches the rule wherein the act of restricting the particular human activity performed on the client device includes instructing the client device to intercept and block initiation of a particular human activity from taking place on the client device. 27. The client device as recited in claim 26, wherein the computer device is a remote server connected to the client device via a data-bearing communication link. 28. A server, comprising: one or more processors; one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the server to: receive human activity recorded on a client device; allow a human supervisor to enable a rule, wherein the rule defines a particular human activity performed on the client device for which a human supervisor desires to be notified if a human of the client device performs the particular human activity on the client device based on at least one of (i) a class of activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device; and notify the human supervisor if the recorded human activity performed on the client device matches the particular human activity defined by the rule. 29. The server as recited in claim 28, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the server to enable a human supervisor to view the human activity recorded on the client device. 30. The server as recited in claim 28, wherein computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the server to enable a human supervisor to view the human activity recorded on the client device, and to view real-time human activity. 31. The server as recited in claim 28, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the server to enable a human supervisor to view the human activity recorded on the client device including at least one of e-mails, chat sessions, applications used, and screen shots. 32. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause one or more computer devices to: receive human activity recorded performed on a client device; allow a human supervisor to request an alert be sent if a human of the client device performs a particular human activity on the client device based on at least one of (i) a class of activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device, (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device; and notify the human supervisor if the recorded human activity performed on the client device matches the particular human activity requested by the human supervisor. 33. A method, comprising: receiving a rule, wherein the rule defines a particular human activity attempted on a client device for which a human supervisor desires to block from occurring if a human of the client device attempts to perform the particular human activity on the client device based on at least one of (i) a class of activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device, (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device; monitoring a human activity attempted on the client device; determining if the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches the particular human activity defined by the rule; and preventing the monitored human activity attempted on the client device from being carried out, if the human activity attempted is determined to match the particular human activity defined by the rule; and notifying the human supervisor automatically if the monitored human activity attempted on the client device is determined to match the particular human activity defined by the rule. 34. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein notifying the supervisor comprises sending a message to the supervisor with a description of any of the monitored human activity attempted on the client device determined to match the rule. 35. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein the act of preventing the monitored human activity attempted on the client device from being carried out includes intercepting commands associated with the monitored human activity attempted. 36. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to: monitor a human activity attempted on a client device: determine if the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches a particular human activity defined by a rule, wherein the rule defines a particular human activity for which a human supervisor desires to prevent from occurring if a human of the client device attempts to perform the particular human activity on the client device based on at least one of (i) a class of activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device, (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device; and prevent the monitored human activity attempted on the client device from being carried out, if the human activity attempted is determined to match the particular human activity defined by the rule. 37. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 36, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processors to send an electronic alert message to a remote device if it is determined that the monitored human activity attempted on the client device matches the particular human activity defined by the rule. 38. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 37; wherein the electronic alert message is in a viewable and/or audible format. 39. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 36, wherein preventing the monitored human activity attempted on the client device from being carried out comprises intercepting commands associated with the particular human activity attempted on the client device. 40. A system, comprising: means for permitting a human supervisor to review human activity performed on a client device; means for monitoring automatically the human activity performed on the client device; means for receiving a request to notify the human supervisor when a particular human activity is performed on the client device based on at least one of (i) a class of activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device, (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device; and means for sending an alert message to the human supervisor if the particular human activity is performed on the client device. 41. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein the means for permitting the human supervisor to review the human activity performed on the client device comprises at least one of a network accessible front end. 42. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein the means for monitoring automatically the human activity performed on the client device comprises at least one of a local action monitor module. 43. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein the means for receiving a request to notify the human supervisor when the particular human activity is performed on the client device comprises at least one of a network accessible front end and a rule composer module. 44. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein the means for sending an alert message to the human supervisor if the particular human activity is performed on the client device comprises at least one of an alert module. 45. A system, comprising: means for permitting a human supervisor to review human activity performed on a client device; means for monitoring automatically the human activity performed on the client device; means for receiving a request from the human supervisor to restrict a particular human activity performed on the client device based on at least one of (i) a class of activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device, (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device; and means for restricting, automatically, the particular human activity performed on the client device. 46. The system as recited in claim 45, wherein the means for receiving a request from the human supervisor to restrict a particular human activity performed on the client device comprises at least one of a network accessible front end module, and a rule composer module. 47. The system as recited in claim 45, wherein the means for restricting, automatically, the particular human activity performed on the client device comprises at least one of an intercept rule list module, a local action interceptor module, a local interceptor rule list, a client communication module, and a server communication module. 48. A computer system, comprising: one or more supervisor servers configured to upload recorded human activity performed a client device forwarded from a monitoring application operating as a background application on the client device; wherein the one or more supervisor servers enable a human supervisor to login to the one or more supervisor servers and review the recorded human activity performed on the client device, including at least one identifying the human activity performed on the client device, application used, and data associated therewith, including at least one of an Internet activity, an electronic mail message, an instant message, a chat session, a key word, a keystroke, a screen shot, an application, the date and time a particular human activity was performed or an application was used, and the duration of any human activity performed or application used wherein the one or more supervisor servers further enable a human supervisor to login to the one or more supervisor servers and enable the one or more supervisor servers to send instructions to the monitoring application to send an alert message to a human supervisor, via a data-bearing communication link, when the particular human activity performed on the client device matches a rule based on at least one of (i) a class of activity associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device, (ii) when the particular human activity is performed on the client device, (iii) when a certain duration of the particular human activity performed on the client device is reached, and (iv) human generated content associated with the particular human activity performed on the client device. 49. The computer system as recited in claim 48, wherein the monitoring application operates on the client device in a stealth mode without alerting the human of the client device that the application is running on the client device. 50. The computer system as recited in claim 48, wherein the one or more supervisor servers enable a human supervisor to instruct the monitoring application to intercept and block initiation of the particular human activity from taking place on the client device when the particular human activity performed on the client device matches the rule. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present patent application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/511,213 filed on Oct. 15, 2003. The content of the aforementioned application is fully incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to supervising, monitoring, and controlling user activities performed on a computer device. BACKGROUND People often have a desire to supervise user activity (i.e., activities performed by a human) taking place on a particular computer. For instance, in a household environment, parents want to make sure their children are not exposed to potentially dangerous situations on the Internet, especially when they are not present to closely supervise their children. Specifically, parents often want to protect their children from unintentionally interacting with child molesters, viewing internet pornography, speaking to strangers, mentioning using drugs, visiting hate group web sites, gambling on-line and so forth. Unfortunately, filters and other preventive measures on the market today are often bypassed by computer savvy children, or are ineffective and deficient, leaving children vulnerable. In an organizational environment, employers often have an inadequate understanding of what employees are doing on their computers, for example what sites they are visiting, how much time they are spending on particular sites, whether they are spending time on non-work related activities, such as games and internet surfing. In addition, current filters and preventive measures are circumvented by employees through the use of non-standard e-mail to avoid employer detection. For instance, some employees may use free mail sites or instant messaging sites that leave no permanent record of the content of their messages or activities on the employer's computer systems. In a domestic relationship environment, a spouse or friend of an individual may suspect that the individual is cheating, using drugs, or engaging in some other types of negative behavior, and the individual may use a computer to perpetrate the suspected behavior. However, the individual may be using free mail sites, chat rooms, or instant messaging on the computer, making it difficult for their spouse or friend to assess the situation discreetly. In law enforcement and counter terrorism environments, it is often very difficult to monitor communication taking place between suspected terrorists on a particular computer, even if law enforcement is able to eavesdrop on communications to and from the particular computer. Terrorists often use encryption software to encrypt their data, making it extremely difficult for government agencies to quickly comprehend the nature of the terrorists' communications while in transit. These are just a few examples of the various problems associated with supervising, monitoring, and controlling the computer activity of a user today. SUMMARY Supervising, monitoring, and controlling user computer activity is described herein. A client monitoring application operating on a client device records and monitors user activity performed thereon. The client monitoring application typically operates as a background application and may operate in a stealth mode, without alerting the user. The client monitoring application forwards recorded activity (real-time activity or stored activity) to one or more supervisor servers over a network, such as a Local Area Network or the Internet. Human supervisors are then able to login to the supervisor servers and review the activity performed on the client device. In one innovative implementation, a human supervisor is able to review the activity performed on the client device, including, but not limited to, identifying the activities performed, applications used, and data associated therewith, such as Internet activity, electronic mail messages, instant messages, chat sessions, key words, keystrokes, screen shots, applications, the date and time particular activities were performed or applications were used, and the duration of any activity performed or application used. The human supervisor can supervise and monitor the client device remotely over a network. In another innovative implementation, the human supervisor is able to request notification when a particular activity is performed on the client device. For instance, the human supervisor can request that an alert message be sent to the human supervisor if certain subjects, such as, but not limited to, sex, drugs, violence, infidelity, hate language, and other subjects designated by the human supervisor are performed (e.g., viewed, created, transmitted, or received) on the client device. The alert message may be generated in accordance with when an activity is performed, when a certain duration of an activity performed is reached, or other parameters designated by the human supervisor. The alert message may be sent from the one or more supervisor servers to an alerting device. For instance, the alert message may be sent to: a computer such as another client device, a cell phone, a beeper, a land-line phone, a portable digital assistant, a handheld device, a television set-top box, and so forth. The alert message may be sent in various formats including, but not limited to, an electronic mail message, a text message, and/or an audio message. The alert message may also summarize the particular user activity performed by the user on the client device, and include other information, such as the duration of, or time and date the particular user activity that was performed. In another innovative implementation, the human supervisor is able to subscribe to a service whereby particular real-time activity performed on the client device is automatically restricted when it falls with certain designated parameters. For instance, the human supervisor can instruct the client device to intercept and block the initiation of certain activities to prevent them from taking place on the client device. Activities can be blocked: (i) based on the class of activity attempted, (ii) based on the duration of, or time and/or date the particular user activity that was performed, or (iii) based on a particular activity and/or keystroke. Additionally, once the activity is attempted, an alert message may be sent to the human supervisor. In another innovative implementation, monitoring and recording of user activity performed on the computer includes capturing screen shots of real-time user activity performed on the client device. These captured screen shots include screen shots generated by applications or devices that transmit and receive information in an encrypted format. In the realm of counter terrorism and government investigations, this enables the human supervisor, such as a law enforcement official, to view the content of messages or activity in an unencrypted format, regardless of whether the message or activity is transmitted or received in an encrypted format. These and other implementations will be described below when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary computing environment in which supervising, monitoring, and controlling user activity on a computer device may be implemented. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a supervision monitoring application residing in memory of a supervision server. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a user interface displayed for the human supervisor by a display module. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a user interface associated with setting-up alerts, which is displayed for the human supervisor by a rule composer module. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a user interface associated with setting-up intercepts, which is displayed for the human supervisor by the rule composer module. FIG. 6 illustrates an example database table structure of a rule/parameter entry stored by an alerts rule list. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a client monitoring application residing in memory of a client device. FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method of operation associated with supervising, monitoring and controlling user activity on a client device. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating another exemplary method of operation associated with supervising, monitoring and controlling user activity on a client device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Exemplary Environment FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary computing environment 100 in which supervising, monitoring, and controlling user activity on a computer device may be implemented. The innovative systems and methods described herein are operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. The exemplary computing environment is only one example of a suitable computing environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of systems and methods described herein. Additionally, the exemplary computing environment should not be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated in the computing environment. Examples of well known computing systems and/or component configurations that may be suitable for use in the exemplary computing environment 100 include, but are not limited to, Personal Computers (PCs) hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, servers, mainframe computers, portable communication devices, and the like. For example, according to one exemplary implementation, environment 100 includes one or more client devices 102(1), 102(1), . . . ,102(N) coupled to a supervision server 104 via a network 106. Also, connected to server 104 are one or more alerting devices 108(1), 108(2), . . . , 108(N). Each shall now be described in more detail. Network 106 represents any of a variety of networks and may include the Internet, or one or more other networks (e.g., a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN). Additionally, it may also be possible for various devices to communicate directly with other devices without using network 106 as a communication link in the form of a point-to-point connection. Client devices 102 can be any of variety of computer devices, including desktop PCs, workstations, notebook or laptop computers, hand held or portable PCs, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, Internet appliances, gaming consoles, portable communication devices, tablet PCs, televisions/set-top boxes, wireless devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor systems, programmable consumer electronics, multimedia systems, a combination of any of the above example devices, and other smart devices. Each client device 102 includes at least one processor 120 and memory 122. Memory 122 may include volatile memory (e.g., RAM) and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM, PCMCIA cards, etc.). In some implementations, memory 122 is used as part of a computer's cache, permitting application data to be accessed quickly without having to permanently store data in a non-volatile memory device. Resident in the memory 122 are one or more operating systems (not shown), and programs 124 that execute on the one or more processors 120. For purposes of illustration, programs and other executable program modules are illustrated herein as discrete blocks, although it is recognized that such programs and components reside at various times in different storage components of the client device 102, and are executed by the one or more processors 120 of the client device 102. Example of programs include, but are not limited to, application programs, email programs, word processing programs, spreadsheets programs, Internet browser programs, Web services and so forth. As shall be described in more detail, an innovative client monitoring application 126 also resides in memory 122. The client monitoring application 126 is a program that monitors user activity performed on the client device 102, forwards recorded activity (real-time activity or stored activity) to the supervisor server 104 over network 106, and is able to intercept and block the initiation of certain activities from taking place on the client device 102. Other elements such as power supplies, keyboards, touch pads, I/O interfaces, displays, LEDs, audio generators, vibrating devices, and so forth are not shown as being a part of client device 102, but could easily be a part of the exemplary client device 102. Additionally, although not shown, a system bus or point-to-point connections typically connects the various components within client device 102. Supervision server 104 is a computer system capable of communicating with client devices 102. Supervision server 104 may refer to, but is not limited to, a server, a computer, a router, a mainframe computer, an enterprise server, and potentially other devices that communicate with and provide services to client devices. Additionally, server 104 may also communicate with alerting devices 108. Although only one supervision server is shown in FIG. 1, it is readily appreciated that environment 100 may include more than one supervision server 104. Supervision server 104, also includes at least one processor 130 and memory 132. Resident in the memory 132 are one or more operating systems (not shown), and programs 134 that execute on the one or more processor 130. Other elements such as power supplies, keyboards, touch pads, I/O interfaces, displays, LEDs, audio generators, vibrating devices, and so forth are not shown in supervision server 104, but could easily be a part of the exemplary supervision server 104. Additionally, although not shown, a system bus or point-to-point connections typically connects the various components within supervision server 104. As shall be described in more detail, an innovative supervision monitoring application 136 also resides in memory 132. The supervision monitoring application 136 is a program that communicates with a client device 102, and uploads information forwarded by the client monitoring application 124. Accordingly, the supervision monitoring application 136 enables a human supervisor to login into the supervisor server 104 and review user activity (real-time and stored) recorded on the client device 102. The supervision monitoring application 136 also enables a human supervisor to request notification in a variety of circumstances if a particular user activity is performed on the client device 102. The supervision monitoring application is also able to instruct the client monitoring application 124 to intercept and block the initiation of certain activities from taking place on the client device 102. Accordingly, client devices 102 and supervision server 104 are designed to either run or interface with one or more programmable software applications, such as client monitoring application 126 and supervision monitoring application 136, that are programmable application components, that are reusable, and that interact programmatically over network 106 or through other communication links, typically through standard Web protocols, such as extensible markup language (XML), hypertext transport protocol (HTTP), and simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP). However, other means of interacting with over network 106 may be used, such as simple object access protocol (SOAP), remote procedure call (RPC) or object broker type technology. In the exemplary implementation, alerting devices 108 are communication devices that can be used by a human supervisor to monitor user activity on a client device 102 and/or to receive alert messages if certain activity is detected on the client device. An alerting device 108 includes, but is not limited to a client device 102, a telephone, a beeper, a printer, a television, a display device, and other related devices. The alerting device 108 may be connected to server 104 via the network 106 or through other communication links 110, such as wired and wireless links. Alternatively, the alerting device 108 may be connected directly to a client device 102 via a network 106 or communication link 110, and receive alert messages directly from the client device 102 being monitored. Having introduced an exemplary environment 100, it is now possible to describe the innovative client monitoring application 126 and supervision monitoring application 136 in more detail. Exemplary Supervision Server (Supervision Monitoring Application) FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a supervision monitoring application 136 residing in memory 132 of supervision server 104. In this example, supervision monitoring application 136 comprises program modules and program data. Program modules typically include routines, programs, objects, components, and so on, for performing particular tasks or implementing particular abstract data types. The processor 130 is configured to fetch and execute computer program instructions from the program modules in memory 132, and is further configured to fetch data from program data while executing the supervision monitoring application 136. In the exemplary implementation, supervision monitoring application 136 comprises a network accessible front end 202, a client communication module 204, an alerts module 206, an alerts rule list 208, an intercept rule list 210, and a client action data files 212. Network accessible front end 202 is a module that allows a human supervisor to connect (i.e., login) into the supervision server 104 over a local or remote network 106 and access a user interface (to be described below). Using the user interface, the human supervisor can control and monitor the user's activity on the client device 102. For example, network accessible front end 202 comprises a display module 220 and a rule composer module 222. Display module 220 enables the human supervisor to review and monitor various activities which have taken place on the client device 102. For example, the display module 220 transmits a user interface for display by the human supervisor on a computer device over network 106. Rule composer module 222 enables a human supervisor to configure and deploy rules for alerts and intercepts. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a user interface 302 displayed for the human supervisor by display module 220. Referring to FIG. 3, user interface 302 enables the human supervisor to click on various icons and view end user activity based on different parameters, such as the types of activities. For example, in one implementation, user interface 302 includes a screen watch icon 304, a chat watch icon 306, a mail watch icon 308, a user activity icon 310, and a browser watch icon 312. If the human supervisor selects screen watch icon 304, user interface 302 will display recent snap shots of real-time activity taking place on the client device in intervals, such as at evenly spaced duractions or based on each new activity launched, depending on the supervisor's preference. These snap shots are screen captures that may be displayed as a slide show, such as in window 330. Accordingly, the human supervisor can view recently saved, accessed, or modified files pertinent to supervision, view a list of recently launched applications, view system activity, such as recent keystrokes and processor usage. If the human supervisor selects the chat watch icon 306, user interface 302 will display recent network chat sessions including the content of anything displayed by the user of the client device, in window 330. If the human supervisor selects the mail watch icon 308, user interface 302 will display a list of recently received, or sent e-mail messages that the human supervisor can click on to display their actual contents in window 330. It is noted that monitoring and recording of user activity performed on the computer includes capturing screen shots of real-time user activity performed on the client device. These captured screen shots include screen shots generated by applications or devices that transmit and receive information in an encrypted format. In the realm of counter terrorism and government investigations, this enables the human supervisor, such as a law enforcement official, to view the content of messages or activity in an unencrypted format, such as in window 330, regardless of whether the message or activity is transmitted or received in an encrypted format. If the human supervisor selects the user activity icon 310, user interface 302 will display a list of all activities performed on the client device, typically in the order in which they were performed. User interface 302 will list the program name, program path, machine name, duration for which the application was used, and time and date the program was launched. If the human supervisor selects the browser watch icon 312, user interface 302 will display a list of visited web sites visited, such as by their URL address, and the date and time the web sites were visited. Any of the one or more of the icons on user interface 302 may appear on other display screens/pages presented on display device. Accordingly, some or all of the icons may be displayed in different formats, in different screens, in different order, with different verbiage, etc. and user interface 302 is only illustrated as one exemplary implementation. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a user interface 402 displayed for the human supervisor by rule composer module 222. Referring to FIG. 4, user interface 402 enables the human supervisor to configure and deploy rules for alerts. For example, in one implementation, user interface 402 includes a custom window 404 in which the human supervisor can enter keywords or key strokes that the human supervisor desires to be alerted by some type of an alert message (such an e-mail, a page, a phone call, a text message, etc.) if they are used during chat sessions or 19 in other communication venues such as e-mail. The contents may be completely customized and any subject designated by the human supervisor may be set for alert. For example, keystrokes may include chat colloquialisms such as “cul8r” to “see you later” or from Spanish to English, etc.). The human supervisor can also select to be notified when a particular activity is performed on the client device by setting pull-down boxes: drug-related content box 405, sex-related content box 406, violence-related content box 408, and infidelity-related content box 410. By setting these boxes, the human supervisor can request that an alert message be sent to the human supervisor, if a topic or subject matter concerning sex, drugs, violence, infidelity, and/or hate language, are performed (e.g., viewed, created, transmitted, or received) on the client device. Further the human supervisor can request via control icon 412 that alerts be generated when an activity is performed, daily, weekly and so forth. Alerts can also be sent at different intervals. Additionally, the human supervisor using an icon 414 can also request an alert be generated when a certain duration of an activity performed is reached on the client device, or other customized parameters designated by the human supervisor. When the alerts are sent to the human supervisor, they may include a message identifying the activity performed on the client device, and other information, such as the date and time of the occurrence, user identity, content, and other information that the human supervisor may desire to view. User interface 402 includes an alert designation preference window 450 in which the human supervisor can designate the alert message be sent via a particular communication method, such as Instant Messaging, pager, mobile phone text message, e-mail, a phone call, a phone cal via Interactive Voice Response (IVR), etc. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a user interface 502 displayed for the human supervisor by rule composer module 222. Referring to FIG. 5, user interface 502 enables the human supervisor to configure and deploy rules for intercepts. The human supervisor is able to designate parameters via parameter icons 504 and parameter window 506 that are forwarded to the client device and instruct the client device to automatically restrict activity performed on the client device when it falls with certain designated parameters. For instance, the human supervisor can instruct the client device to intercept and block the initiation of certain activities to prevent them from taking place on the client device. Activities can be blocked: (i) based on the class of activity attempted, (ii) based on the duration of, or time and/or date the particular user activity that was performed, or (iii) based on a particular activity and/or keystroke. For example by using parameter window 506, the human supervisor can request to block “all network chats with jeff42” or “block all web surfing to adultsonline.website.” Using parameter icons 504, the human supervisor may classify usage of office productivity software as WORK and everything else, such as games and web surfing as PLAY. Accordingly, by checking box 508, the human supervisor can set up a rule that blocks all PLAY activity. It is also possible to request that specific class of activity, such as WORK or PLAY be blocked based on a schedule. For instance, using an time icon 510, it is possible to permit PLAY on the client device only between 4 pm and 6 pm. It is also possible to request that specific class of activity be blocked based or a maximum duration. For instance using duration icon 512, it is possible for the human supervisor to restrict computer PLAY activities to one hour per day maximum. Accordingly, using user interface 402 (FIG. 4) and 502 (FIG. 5) generated by rule composer module 222 (FIG. 2), a human supervisor may request to be notified if the user of the client device has attempted any activity that was intercepted. Typically, the act of notifying the human supervisor involves transmitting an alert message to one or more various alerting devices 108 (FIG. 1) designated by the human supervisor, such as a computer, a cell phone, a beeper, a land-line phone, a portable digital assistant, a handheld device, a television set-top box, and so forth. The alert message may be sent in various formats including, but not limited to, an electronic mail message, a text message, and/or an audio message. The alert message may also summarize the particular user activity performed by the user on the client device, and include other information, such as the duration of, or time and date the particular user activity that was performed. For example, in one scenario the alert message may notify the human supervisor via a text message to the human supervisor's cell phone if the user of the client device has attempted to visit a prohibited website and include the link of the prohibited website. In another scenario, the alert message may notify the human supervisor via e-mail, if the user of the client device has attempted to play computer games for more than two hours in one day and include the name of the games played. In another scenario, the alert message may notify the human supervisor via e-mail if the user of the client device has exceeded more than one hour of activity classified as PLAY. Any of the one or more of the icons on user interface 402 (FIG. 4) and 502 (FIG. 5) may appear on other display screens/pages presented on display device. Accordingly, some or all of the icons may be displayed in different formats, in different screens, in different order, with different verbiage, etc. and user interfaces 402 and 502 are only illustrated as one exemplary implementation. Referring back to FIG. 2, client communication module 204 connects the supervision server 104 to the client device 102 over network 106 to transmit and receive various data required by client monitoring application 126 and supervision monitoring application 136. The client communication module 204 accepts transmission of local action data files from the client device 102 for storage on the supervision server 104. The client communication module 204 also facilitates transmission instructions and rules for intercepting activities to the client device 102, which are stored in the intercept rule list 210. This enables the client device to store the instructions and rules as indicated by client monitoring application 126. Alerts module 206 scans client action data files 212 (to be described in more detail) on a regular basis. The scan may be configured to be performed on a schedule, such as every five minutes. Alternatively, the scan may be configured to be performed automatically for any new Client Activity Data File received by the supervision server 104. Alerts module 206 then compares the files to rules stored in the alerts rule list 208. If there is a match, an alert is triggered and transmitted to the human supervisor according to their chosen method of communication that is supported by supervision server 104, such as e-mail, or a text message sent to a mobile phone. In one implementation, each alert is also logged, in accordance with a human supervisor's preferences. Alerts module 206, may create a connection to network 106 to transmit an alert message, or it may make the connection through an optional hardware device (not shown) to send the alert message directly to an alerting device 108 (FIG. 1), through non-networked connections, such as an interactive voice response (IVR) system which would be useful for the vision impaired or those not able to receive alerts over network, such as parents on vacation. Alerts rule list 208 is a file that is created by the rule composer module 222, when the human supervisor connects to the network accessible front end 202, and modifies or creates rules/parameters using the rule composer module 222. Alerts rule list 208 is used by the alerts module 206 to determine if a particular user activity stored in the client action data files 212 matches a rule and alert, and if so, an alert should be sent to the human supervisor. If an alert should be sent, alerts rule list 208 also stores the preferred method of communication and contact information, e.g., e-mail address, phone number for audio message, beeper number for text message, etc. In one implementation, the alerts rule list 208 stores rules received from the human supervisor as a database. For example, for each rule criteria defining the rule is entered into the database. For example, FIG. 6 illustrates an example database table structure 600 of a rule/parameter entry 602 stored by the alerts rule list 208. The entry comprises a rule ID 604, the human supervisor that requested the rule 606, the particular client device the rule applies 608, the activity type that the rule should be matched to 610, the alert type 612, and the alert data 614 that should be matched. If there are multiple entries in the database for a particular rule ID 604, they are linked together with a logical “AND” by the alerts rule list 208. For instance, a human supervisor may set a rule ID called “Too Much Gameplaying” where the human supervisor can be notified if applications categorized as GAMES are played for more than four hours daily. With this rule, there would be entries in the data base with the following data: Too Much Gameplaying, jsmith, purplePC, application, category, GAMES Too Much Gameplaying, jsmith, purplePC, application, max_duration, 240. Additionally, FIG. 6 shows an exemplary category database 650 that comprises activated categories (preexisting or configured) for use by the human supervisor to oversee a particular category of user activity. Accordingly, category database 650 does not necessarily have to be stored in the alerts rule list, but can also be stored in the intercept rule list and on the client machine (if an intercept is desired). Category database 650 may include one or more categories types such as WORK and PLAY. For example, a human supervisor may designate all work-related activity under WORK, and everything else as PLAY. WORK activity may include the usage of office productivity software and visiting approved web sites over a network. The two categories could then be used to set rules, such as “Send me an alert if PLAY activity exceeds two hours daily” or “Block all PLAY activity over four hours daily.” In one exemplary implementation, the category database 650 includes a table structure as shown with a Category ID 652, an Activity Type 654, and a Matching Criteria 656. For instance: WORK, application, MyWordProcessor WORK, application, MySpreadsheet WORK, application, MyPresentationDesigner WORK, application, MyEmailProgram WORK, web site, CompanyLANSite PLAY, application, CardGame PLAY, application, Network Chat Client PLAY, website, all other Company LANSite PLAY, email, all from free email services. Referring back to FIG. 2, intercept rule list module 210 is a file created by the network accessible front end 202 rule composer module 222. When a human supervisor modifies or creates rules/parameters using the rule composer module 222, these rules/parameters become a part of the intercept rule list 210. These rules/parameters are transmitted to the client device 102 via the client communication module 204. The rules are then implemented by the local action interceptor (to be described) operating on the client device 102. Client action data files 212 are received from the client device. The client action data files 212 comprise an ongoing record of user activity performed on the client device 102. For example these data files may include chat sessions in HTML format, screen captures (screen shots), keystrokes logged, a list of recently sent e-mails, a list of recently visited web sites, a list of recently launched applications, and a list of recently created or modified files. The client action data files 212 may include other descriptive data, such as the date/time and duration of is these activities. The client action data files are typically received from the client device 102 via the client communication module 204. Additionally, the action data files may be displayed to the human supervisor by the network accessible front end module 202. Further, as described above, the alerts module 208 scans these files on a regular basis to determine if any activity has taken place on the client device which would call for an alert message to be sent to the human supervisor. Exemplary Client Device (Client Monitoring Application) FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a client monitoring application 126 residing in memory 122 of a client device 102. The client monitoring application 126 typically operates as a background application and may operate in a stealth mode, without alerting the user. The client monitoring application forwards recorded activity (real-time activity or stored activity) to one or more supervisor servers 104 over network 106. Human supervisors are then able to login to the supervisor servers and review the activity performed on the client device. In this example, client monitoring application 126 comprises program modules and program data. The processor 120 is configured to fetch and execute computer program instructions from the program modules in memory 122, and is further configured to fetch data from program data while executing the client monitoring application 126. In one implementation, client monitoring application 126 comprises a server communications module 702, a local action monitor module 704, a local action interceptor 706, a local action data files 708, and a site local intercept rule list 710. Server communications module 702 connects the client device to the supervision server so as to transmit and receive various data required by the applications. The server communications module 702 may transmit local action data files 708 (to be described) for storage on the supervision server 104. The server communications module 702 can also receive any interceptor rules/instructions from the supervision server 104. Local action monitor module 704 records activity performed on the client device and stores the information in the local action data files 608. In one exemplary implementation, activity being recorded may include: chat session in HTML format, screen captures, keystrokes logged, a list of emails (received or sent) a list of recently visited web sites, a list of recently launched applications, and a list of recently created or modified files. The local action monitor module 704 may also record other descriptive data, such as the date/time and duration of these activities. The local action module 704 uses the server communication module 702 to transmit data/files stored in the local action data files 708. Local action interceptor module 706 analyzes the user activity performed on the client device 102 and scans the local interceptor rule list 710 to determine if an activity performed on the client device matches an interceptor rule. If it does match an interceptor rule, local action interceptor module 706 can instruct that the particular activity being performed is intercepted prior to being fully launched, and in effect blocked from taking place on the client device 102. Local action data files 708 are stored files recorded by the local action 11 module 704. Local action data files 708 typically comprise an ongoing record of user activity on the client device. For example, these data files may include: chat sessions in HTML format, screen captures, keystrokes logged, a list of recently sent e-mails, a list of recently visited web sites, a list of recently launched applications, and a list of recently created or modified files. The local action data files may also include other descriptive data, such as the date/time and duration of these activities. Local intercept rule list 710 comprises a list of intercept rules/parameters specified by the human supervisor on the supervision server 104. These rules are implemented by the local action interceptor module 704. In one implementation, the list is stored as database similar to the database structures described above with reference to FIG. 6. In this instance, the client device blocks the particular kinds of activity found in the list. Methods of Operation Methods for supervising, monitoring and controlling user activity on a client device may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions. Generally, computer-executable instructions include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. and the like that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types. The described methods may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where functions are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, computer-executable instructions may be located in both local and remote computer storage 11 media, including memory storage devices (computer-readable media). FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method 800 of operation associated with supervising, monitoring and controlling user activity on a client device 102. The order in which the method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method. Each of the operations and blocks may be optional and do not necessarily have to be implemented. Furthermore, the method can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof. Exemplary method 800 includes blocks 802, 804, 806, 808, and 810. In block 802, a rule is received. The rule defines a particular activity performed on a client device for which a human supervisor desires to be notified if a user of the client device performs the particular user activity on the client device. For example, supervision monitoring application 136 of one or more supervision servers 104 (FIG. 1) receives a rule created by a human supervisor using the network accessible front end 202 (FIG. 2). In particular the human supervisor uses rule composer module 222 to configure and deploy rules for alerts. In block 804, the rule is stored in a database or file. For example, alerts module 206 stores the rule in the alerts rule list 208. In a block 806, monitored user activity performed on the client device is received by the supervision server. For example, the local action module 704 (FIG. 7), monitors user activity and forwards local action data files 708 (FIG. 7) to the client communication module 204 (FIG. 2). The client communication module 204 stores the client action data files in the client action data files 212 (FIG. 2). In a decisional block 808, a determination is made as to whether any of the monitored user activity performed on the client device matches the particular user activity defined by the rule. For example, the alerts module 206 scans the client action data files 212 to determine whether any actions recorded therein match any rules defined in the alerts rule list 208. The alerts module 206 scans the client action data files 212 for Activity, Type, Alert Type, and Alert Data that matches the any rules in the alerts rule list 208. If there are not matches according to the NO branch of decisional block 808 the alerts module 206 continues to scan the client action data files 212. If there is a match, according the YES branch of decisional block 808, then method 800 proceeds to block 810. For example, if the alerts module 206 matches a single Rule ID from the alerts rule list 208, it may search the rule list 208 further to determine if there are other matches. Then, method 800 proceeds to block 810. In block 810 an alert message is sent, if it is determined that the monitored user activity performed on the client device matches the particular user activity defined by the rule. For example, alerts module 206 triggers an alert message which is sent to an alerting device 108 for a human supervisor to receive via any number of different methods, including e-mail, text messaging, paging, phone call, etc. The alert message may include a description of the particular user activity performed by the user on the client device including a date and time the particular user activity was attempted, the type of activity performed, etc. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating another exemplary method 900 of operation associated with supervising, monitoring and controlling user activity on a client device 102. The order in which the method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method. Each of the operations and blocks may be optional and do not necessarily have to be implemented. Furthermore, the method can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof. Exemplary method 900 includes blocks 902, 904, 906, 908, 910, and 912. In block 902, a rule is received. The rule defines a particular activity performed on a client device for which a human supervisor desires to block from executing if a user of the client device performs the particular user activity on the client device. For example, supervision monitoring application 136 of one or more supervision servers 104 (FIG. 1) receives a rule created by a human supervisor using the network accessible front end 202 (FIG. 2). In particular the human supervisor uses rule composer module 222 to configure and deploy rules for intercepts. In block 904, the rule is stored in a database or file. For example, the rule composer module 222 stores the intercept rule in the intercept rule list 210. This intercept rule list 210 is then forward to the client device via client communication module 204 and stored in a local interceptor rule list 710. In a block 906, user activity is monitored on the client device. For example, a local action interceptor module 706 monitors user activity performed on the client device. In a decisional block 908, a determination is made whether any of the monitored user activity performed on the client device matches the particular user activity defined by the rule. For example, a local action interceptor module 706, analyzes the user activity performed on the client device 102 and scans the local interceptor rule list 710 to determine if an activity performed on the client device matches an interceptor rule. If according to the YES branch of decisional block 908, it does match an interceptor rule, the user activity attempted on the client device can be prevented from being carried out as indicated in block 910. For example, the local action interceptor module 706 can instruct that the particular activity being performed is intercepted prior to being fully launched, and in effect blocked from taking place on the client device 102. That is, the local action interceptor module 706 analyzes the user activity to create a set of characteristics of the action for matching to the local intercept rule list 710, such as the activity type, (e-mail, or chat, for instance), and the time of day. The local action intercept module 706 iterates through each rule in the local intercept rule list 710, comparing the activity set of characteristics to the rules, each time an activity is performed by the user on the client device, such as sending an e-mail, attempting to perform an instant messaging chat with a stranger, visiting a particular web site, etc. As soon as any of the rules in the local intercept rule list 710 is matched, the action is blocked. In block 912, if the human supervisor has configured an alert for any intercepted activity, the server communication module 702 will notify the client communications module 204 of the intercepted activity as indicated. The supervision server's alerts module 206 can then send the alert message to the human supervisor (to the alert device 108) according to configured preferences stored in the alerts rule list 208. From the foregoing exemplary implementations, it is possible to supervise, monitor, and control real-time computer and Internet usage on any client device using the client monitoring application 126 and supervision monitoring application 136 operating on computer devices. It is possible to monitor, record, and control keystrokes, instant message chats, screen captures, launched applications, web sites visited, emails, sent and received including attachments. Supervision can include coordinating activities with parents and children, and employers/employees. It is possible to install the client monitoring application 126 (software) on a computer of a suspected terrorist/criminal, most likely without the individual's knowledge, to gain access to encrypted information. Conclusion Although the invention has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claimed invention. | <SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>People often have a desire to supervise user activity (i.e., activities performed by a human) taking place on a particular computer. For instance, in a household environment, parents want to make sure their children are not exposed to potentially dangerous situations on the Internet, especially when they are not present to closely supervise their children. Specifically, parents often want to protect their children from unintentionally interacting with child molesters, viewing internet pornography, speaking to strangers, mentioning using drugs, visiting hate group web sites, gambling on-line and so forth. Unfortunately, filters and other preventive measures on the market today are often bypassed by computer savvy children, or are ineffective and deficient, leaving children vulnerable. In an organizational environment, employers often have an inadequate understanding of what employees are doing on their computers, for example what sites they are visiting, how much time they are spending on particular sites, whether they are spending time on non-work related activities, such as games and internet surfing. In addition, current filters and preventive measures are circumvented by employees through the use of non-standard e-mail to avoid employer detection. For instance, some employees may use free mail sites or instant messaging sites that leave no permanent record of the content of their messages or activities on the employer's computer systems. In a domestic relationship environment, a spouse or friend of an individual may suspect that the individual is cheating, using drugs, or engaging in some other types of negative behavior, and the individual may use a computer to perpetrate the suspected behavior. However, the individual may be using free mail sites, chat rooms, or instant messaging on the computer, making it difficult for their spouse or friend to assess the situation discreetly. In law enforcement and counter terrorism environments, it is often very difficult to monitor communication taking place between suspected terrorists on a particular computer, even if law enforcement is able to eavesdrop on communications to and from the particular computer. Terrorists often use encryption software to encrypt their data, making it extremely difficult for government agencies to quickly comprehend the nature of the terrorists' communications while in transit. These are just a few examples of the various problems associated with supervising, monitoring, and controlling the computer activity of a user today. | <SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>Supervising, monitoring, and controlling user computer activity is described herein. A client monitoring application operating on a client device records and monitors user activity performed thereon. The client monitoring application typically operates as a background application and may operate in a stealth mode, without alerting the user. The client monitoring application forwards recorded activity (real-time activity or stored activity) to one or more supervisor servers over a network, such as a Local Area Network or the Internet. Human supervisors are then able to login to the supervisor servers and review the activity performed on the client device. In one innovative implementation, a human supervisor is able to review the activity performed on the client device, including, but not limited to, identifying the activities performed, applications used, and data associated therewith, such as Internet activity, electronic mail messages, instant messages, chat sessions, key words, keystrokes, screen shots, applications, the date and time particular activities were performed or applications were used, and the duration of any activity performed or application used. The human supervisor can supervise and monitor the client device remotely over a network. In another innovative implementation, the human supervisor is able to request notification when a particular activity is performed on the client device. For instance, the human supervisor can request that an alert message be sent to the human supervisor if certain subjects, such as, but not limited to, sex, drugs, violence, infidelity, hate language, and other subjects designated by the human supervisor are performed (e.g., viewed, created, transmitted, or received) on the client device. The alert message may be generated in accordance with when an activity is performed, when a certain duration of an activity performed is reached, or other parameters designated by the human supervisor. The alert message may be sent from the one or more supervisor servers to an alerting device. For instance, the alert message may be sent to: a computer such as another client device, a cell phone, a beeper, a land-line phone, a portable digital assistant, a handheld device, a television set-top box, and so forth. The alert message may be sent in various formats including, but not limited to, an electronic mail message, a text message, and/or an audio message. The alert message may also summarize the particular user activity performed by the user on the client device, and include other information, such as the duration of, or time and date the particular user activity that was performed. In another innovative implementation, the human supervisor is able to subscribe to a service whereby particular real-time activity performed on the client device is automatically restricted when it falls with certain designated parameters. For instance, the human supervisor can instruct the client device to intercept and block the initiation of certain activities to prevent them from taking place on the client device. Activities can be blocked: (i) based on the class of activity attempted, (ii) based on the duration of, or time and/or date the particular user activity that was performed, or (iii) based on a particular activity and/or keystroke. Additionally, once the activity is attempted, an alert message may be sent to the human supervisor. In another innovative implementation, monitoring and recording of user activity performed on the computer includes capturing screen shots of real-time user activity performed on the client device. These captured screen shots include screen shots generated by applications or devices that transmit and receive information in an encrypted format. In the realm of counter terrorism and government investigations, this enables the human supervisor, such as a law enforcement official, to view the content of messages or activity in an unencrypted format, regardless of whether the message or activity is transmitted or received in an encrypted format. These and other implementations will be described below when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. | 20041015 | 20090310 | 20050421 | 76306.0 | 2 | ROBINSON, GRETA LEE | SUPERVISING MONITORING AND CONTROLLING ACTIVITIES PERFORMED ON A CLIENT DEVICE | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,966,034 | ACCEPTED | Nitride semiconductor device | The present invention provides a nitride semiconductor light emitting device with an active layer of the multiple quantum well structure, in which the device has an improved luminous intensity and a good electrostatic withstanding voltage, thereby allowing the expanded application to various products. The active layer 7 is formed of a multiple quantum well structure containing InaGa1-aN (0≦a<1). The p-cladding layer 8 is formed on said active layer containing the p-type impurity. The p-cladding layer 8 is mode of a multi-film layer including a first nitride semiconductor film containing Al and a second nitride semiconductor film having a composition different from that of said first nitride semiconductor film. Alternatively, the p-cladding layer 8 is made of single-layered layer made of AlbGa1-bN (0≦b≦1). A low-doped layer 9 is grown on the p-cladding layer 8 having a p-type impurity concentration lower than that of the p-cladding layer 8. A p-contact layer is grown on the low-doped layer 9 having a p-type impurity concentration higher than those of the p-cladding layer 8 and the low-doped layer 9. | 1. A nitride semiconductor device comprising: an n-type first nitride semiconductor layer; a p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; and an active layer located between said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer and said p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; wherein said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer comprises an n-type contact layer, a first n-region multi-film layer located between said n-type contact layer and said active layer, and a second n-region multi-film layer located between said first n-region multi-film layer and said active layer, wherein said first n-region multi-film layer comprises a lamination of an undoped lower layer, a middle layer doped with an n-type impurity and an undoped upper layer, and wherein said second n-region multi-film layer comprises a lamination of at least three layers, said at least three layers including at least one third nitride semiconductor layer of a nitride semiconductor containing In, and said at least three layers further including at least one fourth nitride semiconductor layer of a composition which is different than that of said third nitride semiconductor layer, and wherein at least one of said third and fourth nitride semiconductor layers has a thickness of 100 Å or less. 2. A nitride semiconductor device comprising: an n-type first nitride semiconductor layer; a p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; and an active layer located between said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer and said p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; wherein said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer comprises an n-type contact layer, an undoped single-film layer located between said n-type contact layer and said active layer, and an n-region multi-film layer located between said undoped single-film layer and said active layer, wherein said n-region multi-film layer comprises a lamination of at least three layers, said at least three layers including at least one third nitride semiconductor layer of a nitride semiconductor containing In, and said at least three layers further including at least one fourth nitride semiconductor layer of a composition which is different than that of said third nitride semiconductor layer, and wherein at least one of said third and fourth nitride semiconductor layers has a thickness of 100 Å or less. 3. A nitride semiconductor device comprising: an n-type first nitride semiconductor layer; a p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; and an active layer located between said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer and said p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; wherein said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer comprises an n-type contact layer, a first n-region multi-film layer located between said n-type contact layer and said active layer, and a second n-region multi-film layer located between said first n-region multi-film layer and said active layer, wherein said first n-region multi-film layer comprises a lamination of an undoped lower layer, a middle layer doped with an n-type impurity, and an undoped upper layer, said undoped lower layer, said middle layer and said undoped upper layer having a same composition, wherein said second n-region multi-film layer comprises a lamination of at least three layers, said at least three layers including at least one third nitride semiconductor layer of a nitride semiconductor containing In, and said at least three layers further including at least one fourth nitride semiconductor layer of a composition which is different than that of said third nitride semiconductor layer, and wherein at least one of said third and fourth nitride semiconductor layers has a thickness of 100 Å or less. 4. A nitride semiconductor device comprising: an n-type first nitride semiconductor layer; a p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; and an active layer located between said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer and said p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; wherein said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer comprises an n-type contact layer, and an n-region multi-film layer contacting said active layer and located between said n-type contact layer and said active layer, and wherein said n-region multi-film layer comprises a lamination of at least four layers, said at least four layers including at least two third nitride semiconductor layers of InGaN and at least two fourth nitride semiconductor of GaN, and wherein at least one of said third and fourth nitride semiconductor layers has a thickness of 100 Å or less. 5. A nitride semiconductor device comprising: an n-type first nitride semiconductor layer; a p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; and an active layer located between said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer and said p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; wherein said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer comprises an n-type contact layer, and n-region multi-film layer contacting said active layer and located between said n-type contact layer and said active layer, wherein said n-region multi-film layer comprises a lamination of at least four layers, said at least four layers including at least two third nitride semiconductor layers of undoped InGaN and at least two fourth nitride semiconductor of undoped GaN, and wherein at least one of said third and fourth nitride semiconductor layers has a thickness of 100 Å or less. 6. A nitride semiconductor device comprising: an n-type first nitride semiconductor layer; a p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; and an active layer located between said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer and said p-type second nitride semiconductor layer; wherein said active layer has a multiple quantum well structure that includes well layers of InaGa1-aN (0≦a<1) and barrier layers, wherein said n-type first nitride semiconductor layer comprises an n-type contact layer, and an n-region multi-film layer contacting said active layer and located between said n-type contact layer and said active layer, wherein said n-region multi-film layer comprises a lamination of at least four layers, said at least four layers including at least one third nitride semiconductor layers of InkGa1-kN (0<k<1) and at least one fourth nitride semiconductor layer of InmGa1-mN (0≦m<1, m<k), and wherein at least one of said third and fourth nitride semiconductor layers has a thicknesses 100 Å or less. 7. The nitride semiconductor device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising a second n-region multi-film layer between said n-region multi-film layer and said active layer, said second n-region multi-film layer comprising a lamination of an undoped lower layer, a middle layer doped with an n-type impurity and an undoped upper layer. 8. The nitride semiconductor device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said undoped lower layer, said middle layer and said undoped upper layer have a same composition. 9. The nitride semiconductor device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said undoped lower layer has a thickness of 500 Å to 8000 Å. 10. The nitride semiconductor device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising an undoped single-film layer having a thickness of 1000 Å to 3000 Å and located between said second n-region multi-film layer and said n-type contact layer. 11. The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein said undoped single-film layer has a thickness of 1000 Å to 3000 Å 12. The nitride semiconductor device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said third nitride semiconductor layer is comprised of InkGa1-kN (0<k<1) and said fourth nitride semiconductor layer is comprised of InmGa1-mN (0≦m<1, m<k). 13. The nitride semiconductor device as claimed in claim 12, wherein m=0. 14. The nitride semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the thickness of both said third and fourth nitride semiconductor layers is 100 Å or less. 15. The nitride semiconductor device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6, wherein said third and fourth nitride semiconductor layers are undoped. 16. The nitride semiconductor device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, said active layer has a multiple quantum well structure that includes well layers of InaGa1-aN (0≦a<1) and barrier layers. 17. The nitride semiconductor device as claimed in any one of claims 1 or 3, wherein said middle layer has a thickness of 150 Å to 400 Å. 18. The nitride semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 or 3, wherein said lower layer has a thickness of 500 Å to 8000 Å. 19. The nitride semiconductor device as in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said n-side contact layer is formed on an undoped GaN layer. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a divisional of, and a claim of priority is made to, U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 09/534,503, filed Mar. 24, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical Field of the Invention This invention relates to a light emitting device such as a light emitting diode (LED) and a laser diode (LD), a photodetector such as a solar cell and an optical sensor, and other nitride semiconductor devices used for electrical devices, for example, a transistor and a power device (which is expressed in the formula, for instance, InXAlYGa1-X-YN, 0≦X, 0≦Y, X+Y≦1). 2. Description of Related Art A nitride semiconductor device has been practically developed for use of a high luminous blue and pure green LED to fabricate light sources of a full color LED display, a traffic signal, and an image scanner. The LED device basically comprises a substrate of sapphire, a buffer layer made of GaN, an n-contact layer made of GaN doped with Si, an active layer made of a single quantum well (SQW) structure of InGaN or made of a multiple quantum well (MQW) structure containing InGaN, a p-cladding layer made of AlGaN doped with Mg, and a p-contact layer made of GaN doped with Mg, in which those layers are successively formed on the substrate. The LED device has an excellent opto-electronic characteristic, for example, the blue LED has a peak wavelength of 450 nm, a luminous intensity of 5 mW, and an external quantum efficiency of 9.1%, and the green LED has the peak wavelength of 520 nm, the luminous intensity of 3 mW, and the external quantum efficiency of 6.3%, at the forward current of 20 mA. Since the multiple quantum well structure has a plurality of mini-bands, each of which emits light efficiently even with a small current, it is expected that the device characteristics is improved, for example, the LED device with the active layer of the multiple quantum well structure characteristics has the luminous intensity greater than that with of the single quantum well structure. JP10-135514, A, for example, describes the LED device with an active layer of the multiple quantum well structure, which includes a light emitting layer with a barrier layer of undoped GaN and a well layer of undoped InGaN, and also includes cladding layers having bandgap greater than that of the barrier layer of the active layer, in order to improve the luminous efficiency and a luminous intensity. However the luminous intensity of the conventional LED device is not enough for use as a light source of an illumination lamp and/or an outside display exposed to direct sunshine. It has been long felt needed that the light emitting device having an active layer of quantum well structure will be improved in its luminous intensity, but such a LED device with higher luminous intensity has not yet been available. Also, the device made of nitride semiconductor has a layer structure, which may be inherently be weak against the electrostatic voltage. Thus, the device of nitride semiconductor may be easily damaged even by the electrostatic voltage of 100V which is much lower than that people can feel. There are substantial risks of damaged device characteristics in handling the device, for example, taking it out of an antistatic bag, and assembling it to a product. Therefore, the electrostatic withstanding voltage of the device has been desirably improved reducing the aforementioned risks, thereby enhancing the reliability of the nitride semiconductor device. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The first object of the present invention is to provide a first nitride semiconductor light emitting device with an active layer of the multiple quantum well structure, in which the device has an improved luminous intensity and a good electrostatic withstanding voltage, thereby allowing the expanded application to various products. The second object of the invention is to provide a nitride semiconductor light emitting device having an improved electrostatic withstanding voltage. The first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention as will be described below can achieve the first object. The first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, comprising: a) a substrate; b) an active layer of a multiple quantum well structure containing InaGa1-aN (0≦a<1); c) an n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure interposed between the substrate and the active layer; d) a p-type multi-film layer formed on the active layer, the p-type multi-film layer including, a first nitride semiconductor film containing Al, a second nitride semiconductor film having a composition different from that of the first nitride semiconductor film, at least one of the first and second nitride semiconductor films having a p-type impurity; e) a p-type low-doped layer formed on the p-type multi-film layer, having a concentration of the p-type impurity lower than that of the p-type multi-film layer; and f) a p-contact layer formed on the p-type low-doped layer, having a concentration of the p-type impurity higher than that of the p-type multi-film layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and the p-type low-doped layer has a composition ratio of Al less than that of the p-type multi-film layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is formed of a multi-film layered structure with layers made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and an average composition ratio of Al of the p-type low-doped layer is less than that of the p-type multi-film layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the impurity contained within the p-type multi-film layer and the p-contact layer is diffused into the p-type low-doped layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the concentration of the p-type impurity of the multi-film layer falls within the range of 5×1017/cm3 through 1×1021/cm3. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the concentration of the p-type impurity of the low-doped layer is less than 1×1019/cm3. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, wherein the concentration of the p-type impurity of the p-contact layer falls within the range of 1×1018/cm3 through 5×1021/cm3. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, wherein the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure includes an n-region multi-film layer having a lower-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor, a middle-film doped with an n-type impurity, and an upper-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure further includes an undoped GaN layer and an n-contact layer containing an n-type impurity, successively formed on the substrate. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-type first multi-film layer is formed on the n-contact layer, and the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer, the n-contact layer, and the n-type first multi-film layer falls within the range of 2 through 20 μm. According to another first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, comprising: a) a substrate; b) an active layer of a multiple quantum well structure containing InaGa1-aN (0≦a<1); c) an n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure interposed between the substrate and the active layer; d) a p-type single-layered layer formed on the active layer, made of AlbGa1-bN (0≦b≦1) containing a p-type impurity; e) a p-type low-doped layer formed on the p-type single-layered layer, having a concentration of the p-type impurity lower than that of the p-type single-layered layer; and f) a p-contact layer formed on the p-type low-doped layer, having a concentration of the p-type impurity higher than that of the p-type single-layered layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and the p-type low-doped layer has a composition ratio of Al less than that of the p-type single-layered layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and an average composition ratio of Al of the p-type low-doped layer is less than that of the p-type single-layered layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the impurity contained within the p-type single-layered layer and the p-contact layer is diffused into the p-type low-doped layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the concentration of the p-type impurity of the single-layered layer falls within the range of 5×1017/cm3 through 1×1021/cm3. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the concentration of the p-type impurity of the low-doped layer is less than 1×1019/cm3. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the concentration of the p-type impurity of the p-contact layer falls within the range of 1×1018/cm3 through 5×1021/cm3. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure includes an n-region multi-film layer having a lower-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor, a middle-film doped with an n-type impurity, and an upper-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure further includes an undoped GaN layer and an n-contact layer containing an n-type impurity, successively formed on the substrate. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-type first multi-film layer is formed on the n-contact layer, and the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer, the n-contact layer, and the n-type first multi-film layer falls within the range of 2 through 20 μm. Therefore, the first nitride semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises a p-type layer (p-type multi-film layer or p-type single-layered layer), a low-doped layer, and a p-contact layer, which are successively deposited on the active layer (in the p-region of the device). Each of the p-type layer, the low-doped layer, and the p-contact layer is adjusted to have the p-type impurity concentration comparatively medium-doped, low-doped, and high-doped, respectively. The resultant distribution of the p-type impurity concentration results in improving the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage. Although the p-type layer, in general, functions as a cladding layer, it is not specifically limited thereto, it would fall within the scope of the present invention even in case where the p-type layer does not function as a cladding layer. Further, the p-type low-doped layer is made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5) and has the composition ratio of Al less than that of the p-type layer (the average composition ratio of Al where the p-type layer is multi-film layer), so that the low-doped layer can be thinned maintaining the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage favorable. Thus, the manufacturing step for the low-dope layer can be shortened. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer may be formed of the multi-film layer including layers made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), in which the average Al composition ratio of the p-type low-doped layer is set less than that of the p-type multi-film cladding layer. The p-type low-doped layer contains the p-type impurity not only because the impurity is taken from the source of the impurity gas flow into the p-type low-doped layer during manufacturing, but also because the impurity within the p-cladding layer adjacent thereto is diffused into the p-type low-doped layer during manufacturing. Therefore, the p-type impurity concentration of the p-cladding layer can be readily adjusted by adjusting the p-type impurity concentration of the p-type low-doped layer. As described above, the p-cladding layer (p-type multi-film layer or p-type single-layered layer), the low-doped layer, and the p-contact are adjusted to have the p-type impurity concentration comparatively medium-doped, low-doped, and high-doped, respectively, and in addition to that, preferably, they fall within the range of 5×1017/cm3 through 1×1021/cm3, less than 1×1018/cm3, and 1×1018/cm3 through 5×1021/cm3, respectively. Thus, the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention is provided, of which luminous intensity and electrostatic withstanding voltage are improved. The first nitride semiconductor device according to the present invention preferably comprises the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure including an n-region multi-film layer having a lower-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor, a middle-film doped with an n-type impurity, and an upper-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor, thus resulting in improving the electrostatic withstanding voltage. Further, the first nitride semiconductor device according to the present invention preferably comprises an n-contact layer and an undoped layer, which are grown on the substrate and beneath the first n-region multi film layer, thereby reducing the electrostatic withstanding voltage. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, in order to further reduce the electrostatic withstanding voltage, the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer, the n-contact layer, and the first n-region multi-film layer is set to fall within the range of 2 through 20 μm, preferably 3 through 10 μm, more preferably 4 through 9 μm. It is noted that the terminology of “undoped layer” means the layer, in which the impurity is not intentionally doped. Even if the layer contains the impurity due to the diffusion from the adjacent layers, or due to the contamination from the material and the manufacturing equipment, the layer is still referred to as the undoped layer. If the layer diffused with the impurity from the adjacent layers may often have the gradient impurity distribution in the direction of the thickness. Also, it is noted that layers having different composition mean, for example, layers which are made of different elements (such as elements of the binary and ternary compounds), layers which have different composition ratios, and layers which have different bandgaps each other. In case where the layer is formed of the multi-film layer, the composition ratios and bandgaps are averaged. Further, various measurement methods can be adapted for measuring the impurity concentration, for example, the Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry can be used. The Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention as will be described below can achieve the second object. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, comprising: a) a substrate; b) an n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure formed on the substrate; c) an active layer of a multiple quantum well structure formed on the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure; d) a first p-type layer formed on the active layer, being made of p-type nitride semiconductor; e) a p-contact layer; f) a p-type low-doped layer interposed between the active layer and the p-contact layer, wherein the p-type low-doped layer has the p-type impurity concentration that is minimized to less than 1×1019/cm3 and gradually increases towards the p-contact layer and the first p-type layer. Since the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention includes the low-doped layer interposed between the p-contact layer and the first p-type layer, the electrostatic withstanding voltage can be improved. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of undoped nitride semiconductor, and the impurity contained within the p-contact layer and the first p-type layer is diffused into the p-type low-doped layer. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer has the thickness adjusted so that the minimum of the p-type impurity concentration is less than 1×1019/cm3. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the active layer is made of the multiple quantum well structure including at least one layer made of InaGa1-aN (0≦a<1). Thus, the luminous intensity as well as the electrostatic withstanding voltage can be improved resulting in the expanded application of the nitride semiconductor device with the active layer of the multiple quantum well structure for various products. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer are formed of a multi-film layer by alternately laminating two kinds of films, which have compositions different from each other. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the first p-type layer contains Al. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the first p-type layer is formed of p-type multi-film layer by laminating a first nitride semiconductor film containing Al and a second nitride semiconductor film having a composition different from that of the first nitride semiconductor film, and at least one of the first and second nitride semiconductor film contains the p-type impurity therein. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of GaN. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and the p-type low-doped layer has a composition ratio of Al less than that of the p-type multi-film layer. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is formed of a multi-film layered structure with layers made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and an average composition ratio of Al of the p-type low-doped layer is less than that of the p-type multi-film layer. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is formed by alternately laminating layers made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5) and layers made of GaN. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure includes an n-region multi-film layer having a lower-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor, a middle-film doped with an n-type impurity, and an upper-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure further includes an n-contact layer containing an n-type impurity, and an undoped GaN layer interposed between the substrate and the n-contact layer. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-type first multi-film layer is formed on the n-contact layer, and the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer, the n-contact layer, and the n-type first multi-film layer falls within the range of 2 through 20 μm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinafter and accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention and is characterized in that, FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an LED device according to an embodiment of the present invention showing its layer structure; FIG. 2 is a schematic graph of a distribution of a p-type impurity concentration within a low-doped layer of the present invention, a medium-doped p-cladding layer, and a high doped p-contact layer; and FIG. 3 is a graph of an average electrostatic withstanding voltage against the impurity concentration of the low-doped layer (average voltage for 100 samples). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an LED device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The nitride semiconductor device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention relates to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, and the structure of the first nitride semiconductor device is not limited to the embodiments as described hereinafter. Rather, the present invention can be applied to any nitride semiconductor devices which comprises, at least, a medium-doped p-cladding layer (formed of a p-type multi-film layer or a p-type single-layered layer), a p-type low-doped layer doped with a low p-type impurity concentration, and a high-doped p-contact layer doped with a high p-type impurity concentration, in which those layers are successively grown on the active layer. As shown in FIG. 1, the nitride semiconductor device of Embodiment 1 comprises a substrate 1, a buffer layer 2, undoped GaN layer 3, an n-contact layer 4 doped with n-type impurity, a first n-region multi-film layer 5 which has an undoped lower-film 5a, middle-film 5b doped with n-type impurity, and an undoped upper-film 5c, a second multi-film layer 6 having a third and a fourth nitride semiconductor film, an active layer 7 of the multiple quantum well structure, a p-cladding layer 8 made of a p-type multi-film layer or a p-type single-layered layer, a low-doped p-type layer 9 doped with a low concentration of p-type impurity, and a high doped p-contact layer 10 doped with a high concentration of p-type impurity, in which those layers are formed in this order the substrate. The nitride semiconductor device further comprises an n-electrode 12 formed on the n-contact layer 4, and p-electrode 11 deposited on the p-contact layer 10. Details of each layer of the nitride semiconductor device according to Embodiment 1 will be described hereinafter. According to the present invention, the substrate 1 may be made of insulative material such as sapphire having its principal surface represented by a C-, R- or A-face or spinel (MgAl2O4), or semiconductor material of SiC (including 6H, 4H or 3C), Si, ZnO, GaAs, GaN, or the like. Also, the buffer layer 2 may be made of the nitride semiconductor expressed in a formula of GadAl1-dN (where 0<d≦1). However, since the buffer layer has better crystallinity as the composition ratio of Al is less, the buffer layer 2 preferably has small composition ratio of Al, and more preferably is made of GaN. The buffer layer 2 may have a thickness adjusted to fall within the range of 0.002 through 0.5 μm, preferably within the range of 0.005 through 0.2 μm, and more preferably within the range of 0.01 through 0.02 μm, so that the nitride semiconductor of the buffer layer 2 has good crystalline morphology, thereby improving the crystallinity of the nitride semiconductor layers to be grown on the buffer layer 2. The growth temperature of the buffer layer 2 is adjusted to fall within the range of 200 through 900° C. and preferably within the range of 400 through 800° C., so that the resultant buffer layer 2 exhibits an excellent polycrystallinity. The buffer layer 2, in turn, act as a seed crystal to improve the crystallinity of the nitride semiconductor layers to be grown on the buffer layer 2. The buffer layer 2 which is grown at a relatively low temperature may not be essential and may therefore be eliminated depending on the type of material for the substrate 1 and/or the growing method employed. Next, the undoped GaN layer 3 is formed on the buffer layer 2 by depositing GaN on the buffer layer 2 and doping no n-type impurity into the GaN layer. The undoped GaN layer 3 grown on the buffer layer 2 can be formed with a good crystallinity, which in turn, allows the n-contact layer 4 subsequently deposited on the undoped GaN layer 3 to have a good crystallinity. The undoped GaN layer 3 has a thickness not thinner than 0.01 μm, preferably not thinner than 0.5 μm, and more preferably not thinner than 1 μm. If the undoped GaN layer 3 has a thickness as specified above, the other layers to be successively grown over the undoped GaN layer 3 have good crystallinity. Although the upper limit of thickness of the undoped GaN layer 3 may not be essential for the invention and therefore not specified, it should be properly adjusted in consideration of the manufacturing efficiency. Also, the uppermost thickness of the undoped GaN layer 3 may be preferably adjusted so that the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer 3, the n-contact layer 4, and the first n-region multi-film layer 5 falls within the range of 3 through 20 μm (preferably within the range of 3 through 10 μm, more preferably within the range of 4 through 9 μm) in order to improve the characteristics of the electrostatic withstanding voltage. According to the present invention, the n-contact layer 4 doped with n-type impurity contains the n-type impurity in the concentration of not less than 3×1018/cm3, and preferably not less than 5×1018/cm3. The use of the relatively high concentration of the n-type impurity in the n-contact layer 4 is effective to lower the Vf (forward voltage) and threshold current. On the other hand, if the concentration of the n-type impurity departs from the range specified above, the Vf will hardly lower. Since the n-contact layer 4 is formed on the undoped GaN layer 3 having low concentration of n-type impurity and a good crystallinity, the n-contact layer has a good crystallinity even though it contains the relatively high concentration of the n-type impurity. Although the present invention does not specifically require the uppermost concentration limit of the n-type impurity concentration within the n-contact layer 4, the uppermost limit is preferably not greater than 5×1021/cm3, which allows the contact layer 4 capable of functioning as a contact layer. The n-contact layer 4 may be formed of material expressed as the general formula of IneAlfGa1-e-fN (where 0≦e, 0≦f, and e+f≦1). However, the use of GaN or AlfGa1-fN where suffix f is not greater than 0.2 is advantageous in that the nitride semiconductor layer having a minimized crystal defect can easily be obtained. The n-contact layer 4 may, although not limited thereto, have a thickness within the range of 0.1 through 20 μm, preferably within the range of 1.0 through 10 μm, so that the n-contact layer 4 on which the n-electrode 12 is formed can be formed with a low resistivity thereby to reduce the Vf. Also, the uppermost thickness of the n-contact layer 4 can be preferably adjusted so that the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer 3, the n-contact layer 4, and the first n-region multi-film layer 5 falls within the range of 3 through 20 μm (preferably within the range of 3 through 20 μm, more preferably within the range of 4 through 9 μm), which allows the electrostatic withstanding voltage to be improved. And the n-contact layer 4 can be omitted by forming the first n-region multi-film layer 5 relatively thick. Next, according to Embodiment 1, the first n-region multi-film layer 5 includes three films of an undoped lower-film 5a, a middle-film 5b doped with n-type impurity and an undoped upper-film 5c. It is noted that any other films may be included in the first multi-film layer 5 according to the present invention. Also, the first n-region multi-film layer 5 may contact with the active layer, alternatively, another layer may be interposed between the active layer and the first n-region multi-film layer. In case where the first n-region multi-film layer is formed in the n-region as Embodiment 1, the device characteristics such as the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage can be improved. Therefore, it is understood that the first n-region multi-film layer 5 substantially contributes the improved electrostatic withstanding voltage. The nitride semiconductor including the lower-film 5a through the upper-film 5c can be formed of various composition of the nitride semiconductor expressed in a formula of IngAlhGa1-g-hN (0≦g<1, 0≦h<1), and preferably, it is made of the composition of GaN. Also the composition of each film of the first n-region multi-film layer 5 may be same or different. Although the thickness of the first n-region multi-film layer 5 may fall within the range of 175 through 12000 angstroms, preferably within the range of 1000 through 10000 angstroms, more preferably in the range of 2000 through 6000 angstroms. Also, the thickness of the first n-region multi-film layer 5 is preferably adjusted with the aforementioned range, and in addition to that, the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer 3, the n-contact layer 4, and the first n-region multi-film layer 5 falls within the range of 3 through 20 μm (preferably within the range of 3 through 10 μm, more preferably within the range of 4 through 9 μm), which allows the electrostatic withstanding voltage to be improved. The total thickness of the first n-region multi-film layer 5 may be adjusted to fall within the above-mentioned range by adjusting each thickness of the lower-film 5a, the middle-film 5b, and the upper-film 5c. Although each thickness of the lower-film 5a, the middle-film 5b, and the upper-film 5c, which composes the first n-region multi-film layer 5, are not specifically limited thereto according to the present invention, each thickness of the films of the first n-region multi-film layer 5 has slightly different impact to the device characteristics. Therefore, in order to optimize the device characteristics, in consideration of the device characteristics most influenced by each thickness of the three films, the preferable ranges for each film thickness can be determined by fixing two films and gradually varying the thickness of the other film. Even though each film alone of the first n-region multi-film layer 5 may not influence the electrostatic withstanding voltage, the combination of the films of the first n-region multi-film layer 5 may improve the various device characteristics as a whole. In particular, the first n-region multi-film layer 5 combined with such films can greatly improve the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage of the device. Such effect can be approved after the device including the first n-region multi-film layer 5 is actually produced. Showing some particular thickness of each film, the tendency of change of the device characteristics influenced by the various thickness of each film will be described hereinafter. The thickness of the lower-film 5a falls within the range of 100 through 10000 angstroms, preferably within the range of 500 through 8000 angstroms, and more preferably within the range of 1000 through 5000 angstroms. As the lower-film 5a gradually becomes thicker, the electrostatic withstanding voltage becomes higher, while the Vf increases rapidly around at 10000 angstroms. On the other hand, as the lower-film 5a becomes thinner, the Vf decreases while the electrostatic withstanding voltage decreases so that the productivity tends to be reduced at the thickness less than 100 angstroms due to the lower electrostatic withstanding voltage. Since the lower-film 5a is provided to improve the crystallinity which are deteriorated by the contact layer 4 doped with n-type impurity, the lower-film 5a is preferably grown with a thickness of 500 through 8000 angstroms in order to efficiently improve the crystallinity of the layers to be formed subsequently on the lower-film. The thickness of the middle-film 5b doped with n-type impurity falls within the range of 50 through 1000 angstroms, preferably within the range of 100 through 500 angstroms, and more preferably within the range of 150 through 400 angstroms. The middle-film 5b doped with n-type impurity has a carrier concentration sufficiently high to intensify the luminous intensity. The light emitting device without the middle-film 5b has luminous intensity less than that having this film. Contrary to this, where the thickness of the middle-film 5b is over than 1000 angstroms, the luminous intensity is reduced. Meanwhile, the electrostatic withstanding voltage is improved as the middle-film 5b is thicker, but it is reduced as the thickness is less than 50 angstroms in comparison with that where the thickness is over 50 angstroms. The thickness of the undoped upper-film 5c falls within the range of 25 through 1000 angstroms, preferably within the range of 25 through 500 angstroms, and more preferably within the range of 25 through 150 angstroms. The undoped upper-film 5c among the first n-region multi-film layer is formed in contact with, or most adjacent to the active layer 6 preventing the current from leaking. Where the thickness of the upper-film 5c is less than 25 angstroms, it can not efficiently prevent the current from leaking. And where the thickness of the upper-film 5c is over 1000 angstroms, then the Vf is increased and the electrostatic withstanding voltage is reduced. As described above, considering the device characteristics particularly influenced by either one of the lower-film 5a through the upper-film 5c, the thickness of each film, which are combined to form the first n-region multi-film layer 5, is adjusted so that every device characteristics is equally optimized, in particular, the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage are optimized. Also, the thickness of each of the lower-film 5a, the middle-film 5b, and the upper-film 5c is adjusted to fall within the aforementioned range, and the aforementioned three p-type layers with different p-type impurity concentration according to the present invention are appropriately combined with the first n-region multi-film layer 5 so that the luminous intensity, the product reliability, as well as the electrostatic withstanding voltage of the device products can be improved. In other words, each thickness of the films of the first n-region multi-film layer 5 are determined so that the device characteristics is optimized in consideration of the relation between the p-type three layers of the present invention and the first n-region multi-film layer 5, the composition of the active layer varying corresponding to the wavelength, the condition required by the device specification such as dimensions and configurations depending on the LED device and the like. Each film of the first multi-film layer 5 is made of composition, which may be expressed in the formula of IngAlhGa1-g-hN (0≦g<1, 0≦h<1) and may be same or different from those of the other films. However, according to the present invention, the films of the first multi-film layer 5 have the composition ratios of In and Al are small, and preferably are made of AlhGa1-hN in order to improve the crystallinity thereof and reduce the Vf, and more preferably of GaN. Where the first n-region multi-film layer 5 is made of AlhGa1-hN, the composition ratio of Al can be adjusted to fall within the range of 0≦h<1, as mentioned above, as the composition ratio of Al is smaller, then the crystallinity can be improved and the Vf is reduced. The middle-film 5b has the n-impurity concentration not less than 3×1018/cm3, and preferably not less than 5×1018/cm3. The upper limit of the n-impurity concentration thereof is preferably not greater than 5×1021/cm3, where the middle-film 5b has the n-impurity concentration within the range, the films can be grown with a comparatively good crystallinity, thereby reducing the Vf while maintaining the high luminous intensity. An n-type impurity element may be selected from IVB or VIB Groups in the periodic table such as Si, Ge, Se, S, and O, preferably Si, Ge, or S is used for the n-type impurity. In case where the active layer 7 is formed on the first n-region multi-film layer 5, the upper-film 5c of the first n-region multi-film layer 5 which is formed in contact with the active layer 7 may act as a barrier layer by forming the upper-film 5c of GaN. In other words, the lower-film 5a and upper-film 5c among the first n-region multi-film layer 5, which actually contact with another layer may be formed as a part having another function in connection with the other layer. Also, according to the present invention, an undoped single-layered layer may be used instead of the first n-region multi-film layer 5. Although the single-layered layer may be made of nitride semiconductor as expressed in a general formula of IngAlhGa1-g-hN (0≦g<1, 0≦h<1), the composition ratios of In and Al contained in the undoped single-layered layer are small, and preferably it is made of AlhGa1-hN, and more preferably of GaN. Where the undoped single-layered layer 5 is made of AlhGa1-hN, the composition ratio of Al can be adjusted to fall within the range of 0≦h<1. Preferably the composition ratio of the Al should be small, since the crystallinity can be improved and the Vf is reduced as the composition ratio of Al is smaller. In case where the undoped singled-layered layer is grown, the electrostatic withstanding voltage is not as good as that in case where the first n-region multi-film layer 5 is grown, but is better than that of the conventional devices. Other device characteristics are almost as good as those in case where the first n-region multi-film layer 5 is grown. Although the thickness of the single-layered layer is not specifically limited, preferably falls within the range of 1000 through 3000 angstroms. Next, according to the present invention, a second n-region multi-film layer 6 is composed of a third nitride semiconductor film and a fourth nitride semiconductor film having different composition from that of the third nitride semiconductor film. At least one of each of the third and fourth nitride semiconductor films is laminated alternatively (at least two films in total). Preferably three films and more preferably at least two films (at least four films) in total are laminated alternately. At least one of the third and the fourth films of the second n-region multi-film layer 6 is set to have a thickness of 100 angstroms or less, preferably 70 angstroms or less, more preferably 50 angstroms or less. Further more preferably, both of the third and the fourth film of the second n-region multi-film layer 6 are set to have thickness of 100 angstroms or less, preferably 70 angstroms or less, more preferably 50 angstroms or less. The second n-region multi-film layer 6 is formed with such thin films to be of a superlattice structure so that the crystallinity of the second n-region multi-film layer 6 is enhanced thereby improving the luminous intensity. At least one of the third and fourth films has thickness of 100 angstroms or less, which is thinner than the critical elastic thickness so that the crystallinity is improved. Where the crystallinity of such thin film is improved, then the another film formed on the thin film can be also formed with the improved crystallinity, so that the second n-region multi-film layer as a whole has a good crystallinity thereby improving the luminous intensity. Also, both of the third and fourth films have thickness of 100 angstroms or less, which are thinner than the critical elastic thickness so that the crystallinity of the nitride semiconductor films are more improved in comparison with the case where it is formed of a single-layered layer or where either one of the third and fourth film has the critical elastic thickness. Where the thickness of both of the third and fourth nitride semiconductor films are 70 angstroms or less, the second n-region multi-film layer 6 is formed of superlattice structure, so that much more improved crystallinity can be achieved. The active layer 7 formed on the second n-region multi-film layer 6 can be formed with a greatly improved crystallinity as the second n-region multi-film layer 6 acts as a buffer layer. As described above, the three layers having different p-type impurity concentration according to the present invention are combined with the first and second n-region multi-film layer so that the light emitting device can be obtained with very high luminous intensity and low Vf. The reason is not clearly explained but presumably, the crystallinity of the active layer formed on the second n-region multi-film layer is improved. Adjacent two of the third nitride semiconductor films sandwiching the fourth nitride semiconductor film among the second n-region multi-film layer 6 have thickness that are same or different each other. Adjacent two of the fourth nitride semiconductor films sandwiching the third nitride semiconductor film among the second n-region multi-film layer 6 have thickness that are same or different each other. In particular, where the third and fourth nitride semiconductor film are made of the InGaN and GaN, respectively, the thickness of each of the third nitride semiconductor films of InGaN can be thicker or thinner as the third nitride semiconductor film is closer to the active layer, so that the refractive index of the second n-region multi-film layer can be substantially and gradually varied. Therefore, the resultant nitride semiconductor layer achieves the same effect as it has the substantially gradient composition. In such formed device that requires beam waveguides like a laser device, the beam waveguides are formed with the multi-film layer so that the mode of the laser beam can be adjusted. Also, adjacent two of the third nitride semiconductor films sandwiching the fourth nitride semiconductor film of the second n-region multi-film layer 6 have a composition that are same or different each other. In addition, adjacent two of the fourth nitride semiconductor films sandwiching the third nitride semiconductor film of the second n-region multi-film layer 6 have a composition ratio of the III group element that are same or different each other. In particular, where the third and fourth nitride semiconductor film are made of the InGaN and GaN, respectively, the In composition ratio of each of the third nitride semiconductor films of InGaN may be gradually increased or decreased as the third nitride semiconductor film is closer to the active layer, so that such formed second n-region multi-film layer of nitride semiconductor has substantially gradient composition and the refractive index thereof can be varied. It is noted that as the In composition ratio is decreased, the refractive index is reduced. The second n-region multi-film layer 6 may be formed spaced away from the active layer, preferably in contact with the active layer. The second n-region multi-film layer 6 formed in contact with the active layer contributes more luminous intensity. Where the second n-region multi-film layer 6 is formed in contact with the active layer, the first film thereof contacting with the firstly laminated layer (well layer or barrier layer) of the active layer may be the third nitride semiconductor film or the fourth nitride semiconductor film, and the laminating order of the third and fourth nitride semiconductor films are not specifically limited thereto. Although FIG. 1 shows the second n-region multi-film layer 6 formed in contact with the active layer 7, another n-type nitride semiconductor layer may be interposed between the active layer 7 and the second n-region multi-film layer 6. The third nitride semiconductor film is made of a nitride semiconductor containing In, or preferably a ternary compound of InkGa1-kN (0<k<1), is characterized in that suffix k is preferably not greater than 0.5 and more preferably not greater than 0.2. On the other hand, the fourth nitride semiconductor film may be made of any suitable nitride semiconductor, which is different from that of the third nitride semiconductor film. Although not specifically limited thereto, the fourth nitride semiconductor film may be made of binary or ternary compound expressed ion the formula of InmGa1-mN (0≦m<1, and m<k), which has bandgap higher than that of the third nitride semiconductor film to have an excellent crystallinity. Preferably, the fourth nitride semiconductor film may be made of GaN to have a good crystallinity. Therefore, the third and fourth nitride semiconductor films are preferably made of InkGa1-kN (0<k<1) and InmGa1-mN (0≦m<1, and m<k) (GaN is more preferable), respectively. More preferably, the third and fourth nitride semiconductor films are made of InkGa1-kN (k≦0.5) and GaN, respectively. Both of, either one of, or none of the third and fourth nitride semiconductor films may be doped with n-type impurity. In order to improve the crystallinity thereof, the films may be preferably modulation-doped, and more preferably, both of them are undoped. It is noted that where both of the third and fourth nitride semiconductor films are doped, the impurity concentration thereof may be different from each other. Also it is noted that the layer, in which either one of the third and fourth nitride semiconductor film is doped with n-type impurity, is referred to as a modulation-doped layer, such modulation-doped layer contributes the higher luminous intensity. An element selected from IV or VI Group in the periodic table such as Si, Ge, Sn, and S is used as the n-type impurity, preferably Si or Sn is used for the n-type impurity. The impurity concentration is adjusted to be not greater than 5×1021/cm3 and preferably not greater than 1×1020/cm3. If the impurity concentration is greater than 5×1022/cm3, the crystallinity of the nitride semiconductor films will be deteriorated, thereby reducing the luminous intensity. This is also applied for the case where the layer is modulation-doped. According to the present invention, the active layer 7 of the multiple quantum well structure is formed of nitride semiconductor containing In and Ga, preferably InaGa1-aN (where 0≦a<1). Further, although the active layer 7 may be doped with n-type or p-type impurity, preferably is undoped (with no impurity added), so that a strong band-to-band light emission can be obtained with the half width of the emission wavelength narrowed. The active layer 7 may be doped with either n-type impurity or p-type impurity or even with both impurity. Where the active layer 7 is doped with n-type impurity, the band-to-band light emission strength can further be increased as compared with the undoped active layer 7. On the other hand, the active layer 7 is doped with p-type impurity, so that the peak wavelength is shifted towards that having energy level less by 0.5 eV and the spectrum has the half width widened. The active layer doped with both of n-type and p-type impurity has the luminous intensity greater than that emitted by the active layer doped only with the p-type impurity. In particular, where the active layer doped with a p-type dopant is formed, the active layer preferably has an n-type conductivity as a whole by doping an n-type dopant such as Si therein. In order to grow the active layer with a good crystallinity, the active layer is preferably doped with no impurity, that is, non-doped. Also, according to Embodiment 1, the device having the active layer formed of single quantum well structure has the electrostatic withstanding voltage as good as that of the multiple quantum well structure, although the former has luminous intensity less than that of the later. The sequence of lamination of barrier and well layers forming the active layer 7 may start with the well layer and terminate with the well layer, or start with the well layer and terminate with the barrier layer. Alternatively, the sequence may start with the barrier layer and terminate with the barrier layer or start with the barrier layer and terminate with the well layer. The well layer has thickness adjusted to be not greater than 100 angstroms, preferably not greater than 70 angstroms and more preferably not greater than 50 angstroms. Although not specifically limited, the lowermost limit of thickness of the well layer may correspond to thickness of a single atom layer and, preferably not smaller than 10 angstroms. If the well layer is greater than 100 angstroms, the luminous intensity will be difficult to increase. On the other hand, the barrier layer has thickness adjusted to be not greater than 2,000 angstroms, preferably not greater than 500 angstroms and more preferably not greater than 300 angstroms. Although not specifically limited, the lowermost limit of thickness of the barrier layer may correspond to the film thickness of a single atom layer and, preferably not smaller than 10 angstroms. If the thickness of the barrier layer falls within the above-specified range, the luminous intensity can be increased advantageously. In addition, the thickness of the active layer 7 in total is not specifically limited to a particular value, but the active layer 7 may have a total film thickness by adjusting the number of the barrier and well layers laminated and/or the sequence of lamination thereof in consideration of the desired wavelength of the eventually resulting LED device. According to the present invention, the p-cladding layer 8 is formed as a multi-film layer or a single-layered layer with p-type impurity such that the concentration thereof may contain a medium concentration (medium-doped) between those of the p-type low-doped layer 9 and the high-doped p-contact layer 10. Where the p-cladding layer 8 made of he multi-film layer (superlattice structure) will be described hereinafter. A p-cladding layer made of a multi-film layer is referred hereinafter as a multi-film p-cladding layer. Films composing the multi-film p-cladding layer are a first nitride semiconductor film containing Al and a second nitride semiconductor film with different composition from that of the first nitride semiconductor film. At least ones of first and second nitride semiconductor films include the p-type impurity. The case where the first and second nitride semiconductor film has different composition each other will be rephrased hereinafter as that they have different bandgap each other. According to the present invention, the multi-film p-cladding layer 8 may be formed by alternately laminating the first nitride semiconductor film and the second nitride semiconductor film with bandgap greater than that of the first nitride semiconductor film. At least one of the first and second nitride semiconductor films contains p-type impurity, and the p-type impurity concentration may be same or different. The first and second nitride semiconductor films have thickness adjusted to be 100 angstroms or less, preferably 70 angstroms or less, and more preferably in the range of 10 through 40 angstroms. And the thickness of both films may be same or different. Each film has the thickness within the above-mentioned range so that each thickness is thinner than the critical elastic thickness, thereby having a good crystallinity in comparison with the thick layer of the nitride semiconductor layer. Thus, a p-layer doped with p-type impurity having the higher carrier concentration and the reduced resistance can be grown, so that the Vf and threshold value can be reduced. The multi-film layer is grown by laminating a plurality of the two types (as a pair) of films having thickness specified above of films. Either ones of the first and second nitride semiconductor films are deposited more by one time than the others. In particular, the first nitride semiconductor film is firstly and also lastly laminated. And the total thickness of the multi-film p-cladding layer 8 may be set by adjusting the thickness and laminating numbers of the first and second nitride semiconductor films. Although the total thickness of the multi-film p-cladding layer 8 is, not specifically limited thereto, 2000 angstroms or less, preferably 1000 angstroms or less, and more preferably 500 angstroms or less. The total thickness of the layer falls within the above-mentioned range, so that its luminous intensity can be increased and the Vf can be decreased. The first nitride semiconductor film is formed of nitride semiconductor containing at least Al preferably expressed in the formula of AlnGa1-nN (where 0<n≦1). Meanwhile, the second nitride semiconductor film is formed of binary or ternary compound nitride semiconductor such as AlpGa1-pN (where 0≦p<1 and n>p) or InrGa1-rN (where 0≦r≦1). Where the p-cladding layer 8 is grown of the multi-film layer laminating alternately the first and second nitride semiconductor film, the Al composition ratio of the p-type multi-film layer will be referred to as an average ratio across the layer. Also, where the p-type low-doped layer 9 as described hereinafter is formed of AlsGa1-sN (where 0<s<0.5) or is grown with multi-film structure including films of AlsGa1-sN (where 0<s<0.5), the Al composition ratio of the multi-film p-cladding layer is preferably adjusted to be greater than that of the p-type low-doped layer 9, so that the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage can be advantageously improved. Further the p-cladding layer 8 is formed of the superlattice structure so that the device has the improved crystallinity, the reduced resistance, and the reduced Vf. The p-type impurity concentration of the medium-doped p-cladding layer 8 will be described hereinafter. The p-type impurity concentration of the first and second nitride semiconductor film may be same or different each other. Firstly, the case where the p-type impurity concentration of the first and second nitride semiconductor film is different each other will be described hereinafter. Where the p-type impurity concentration of the first and second nitride semiconductor film is different each other, for example, the p-type impurity concentration of the first nitride semiconductor film with bandgap greater than that of the second nitride semiconductor film may be adjusted greater than that of the second nitride semiconductor film. Alternately, the p-type impurity concentration of the first nitride semiconductor film with bandgap greater than that of the second nitride semiconductor film may be adjusted less than that of the second nitride semiconductor film. As described above, the formation of the first and second nitride semiconductor film having different the p-type impurity concentration can reduce the threshold voltage, the Vf, or the like. This is because the formation of the first nitride semiconductor film with high impurity concentration that leads high carrier density and second nitride semiconductor film with low impurity concentration that leads high carrier mobility in the multi-film p-cladding layer 8 may cause a great number of carrier from the film with high carrier density move in the film with high carrier mobility, so that the resistance of the multi-film layer can be reduced. Thus, the device has the threshold voltage the Vf reduced as mentioned above. It is noted that where the first and second nitride semiconductor films are formed with p-type impurity concentration different from each other, the film having lower p-type impurity concentration is preferably undoped, so that the threshold voltage, the Vf (the forward voltage), or the like can be further reduced. Where the first and second nitride semiconductor films have p-type impurity concentration different from each other, the p-type impurity concentration of the first nitride semiconductor film is adjusted such that the average p-impurity concentration of the multi-film layer is greater than that of the low-doped layer 9 and less than that of the p-contact layer 10. In particular, the p-type impurity concentration of the first nitride semiconductor film is adjusted to fall within the range of 5×1017/cm3 through 1×1021/cm3, preferably 5×1018/cm3 through 5×1020/cm3. Where the p-type impurity concentration of the first nitride semiconductor film is greater than 5×1017/cm3, the injection efficiency into the active layer 7 is improved resulting in the higher luminous intensity and the lower Vf. Also, where the p-type impurity concentration of the first nitride semiconductor film is less than 1×1021/cm3, the crystallinity shows the tendency to be good. Where the first and second nitride semiconductor films have p-type impurity concentration different from each other, the p-type impurity concentration of the second nitride semiconductor film is adjusted such that the average p-impurity concentration of the multi-film layer is greater than that of the low-doped layer 9 and less than that of the p-contact layer 10. In particular, although not specifically thereto, the second nitride semiconductor film has the p-type impurity concentration which is less than one-tenth of the p-type impurity concentration of the first nitride semiconductor film, or preferably is undoped. Nevertheless, the second nitride semiconductor film has the thickness that is so thin that some of the p-type impurity within the first nitride semiconductor film is diffused into the second nitride semiconductor film. In consideration of the mobility of the second nitride semiconductor film is preferably not greater than 1×1020/cm3. Also, this is also applied for the case where the p-type impurity concentration of the first nitride semiconductor film with bandgap greater than that of the second nitride semiconductor film may be adjusted less than that of the second nitride semiconductor film. Next, in case where both of the first and second nitride semiconductor films have the same p-type impurity concentration, the p-type impurity concentration will be described hereinafter. In this case, the p-type impurity concentration of the first and second nitride semiconductor films may be adjusted to be more than that of the p-type low-doped layer 9 and less than that of the p-contact layer 10. In particular, the range of the p-type impurity concentration of the first and second nitride semiconductor films is similar to that of the first nitride semiconductor film in case where the first and second nitride semiconductor films have different p-type impurity concentration. Where the first and second nitride semiconductor films have the same p-type impurity concentration, then the p-cladding layer 8 has the crystallinity less than that in case where they have different p-type impurity concentration. However, the p-cladding layer 8 can be easily grown with high carrier density to have the increased luminous intensity, advantageously. The p-type impurity doped into the aforementioned p-cladding layer is selected from elements of the IIA or IIB Group, such as Mg, Zn Ca, and Be, preferably is Mg, Ca, or the like. In case where the aforementioned medium-doped multi-film p-cladding layer 8 is formed by alternately laminating a plurality of the first and second nitride semiconductor films that have different p-type impurity concentration, ones of the higher doped nitride semiconductor films are laminated with p-type impurity concentration, which are gradually less (preferably undoped) towards end portions of the p-cladding layer 8 along the thickness direction thereof, and are higher around the middle of the p-cladding layer 8. Thus, the resistibility thereof can be advantageously reduced. Next, the case where the single-layered p-cladding layer is made of AlbGa1-bN (0≦b≦1) containing the p-type impurity will be described hereinafter. The p-cladding layer 8 formed of a single layer is referred to as a single-layered p-cladding layer. According to the present invention, the single-layered p-cladding layer 8 is formed of nitride semiconductor of AlbGa1-bN (0≦b≦1) as described. And in case where the p-type low-doped layer 9 as will be discussed later is formed of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), the Al composition ratio of the single-layered p-cladding layer 8 is adjusted greater than that of the p-type low-doped layer 9, so that the higher luminous intensity as well as greater electrostatic withstanding voltage can be advantageously achieved. Also, the single-layered p-cladding layer 8 containing no Al has the luminous intensity less than that containing Al, but has the electrostatic withstanding voltage as high as that containing Al. Although not specifically limited thereto, in order to improve the luminous intensity and to reduce the Vf, the thickness of the single-layered p-cladding layer 8 is 2000 angstroms or less, preferably 1000 angstroms or less, more preferably in the range of 500 through 100 angstroms. The p-type impurity concentration of the single-layered p-cladding layer 8 is adjusted to fall within the range of 5×1017/cm3 through 1×1021/cm3, preferably in the range of 5×1018/cm3 through 5×1020/cm3, so that the single-layered with an improved crystallinity, thereby increasing the luminous intensity, advantageously. Although the single-layered p-cladding layer 8 has crystallinity less than but almost as good as the multi-film p-cladding layer, the manufacturing steps of the p-cladding layer 8 can be simplified because of the single-layered layer. Next, according to the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer 9 that is doped with low impurity concentration can be formed of various nitride semiconductor expressed in the general formula of InrAlsGa1-r-sN (0≦r<1, 0≦s<1, r+s<1), preferably formed of the ternary compound nitride semiconductor such as InrGa1-rN (0≦r<1) or AlsGa1-sN (0≦s<1), more preferably formed of the binary nitride compound semiconductor of GaN because of the crystallinity. Thus, the p-type low-doped layer 9 is formed of GaN to have the crystallinity improved and the electrostatic withstanding voltage increased. Where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is made of the ternary nitride compound semiconductor as expressed in the formula of AlsGa1-sN (0≦s<1), the Al composition ratio (or an average Al composition ratio where the layer 9 is made of multi-film layer) of the ternary nitride compound semiconductor is adjusted to be less than the average Al composition ratio of the aforementioned multi-film p-cladding layer 8 or the single-layered p-cladding layer 8, so that the low-doped layer 9 of ternary nitride compound semiconductor causes the forward voltage (Vf) suppressed, and also the luminous intensity and electrostatic withstanding voltage improved as good as the that made of GaN. Also, in case where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is made of nitride semiconductor of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and the Al composition ratio of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is less than that of the p-cladding layer 8, the p-type low-doped layer 9 can be formed with high luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage even when the p-type low-doped layer 9 is thinner than that in case where being made of GaN. Therefore, the growth time can be shortened in comparison with the GaN p-cladding layer 8. According to Embodiment 1 of the invention, the p-type low-doped layer 9 can be formed as a multi-film layer by alternately laminating a plurality of two types of nitride semiconductor films. The similar characteristics to that of the single-layered layer can be obtained. Where the p-type low-doped layer 9 can be formed of a multi-film layer, preferably, ones of nitride semiconductor films are made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and another ones of nitride semiconductor films are made of GaN, so that the average of Al composition ratio of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is adjusted less than that of the p-cladding layer 8. S In case where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is composed of the multi-film layer having nitride semiconductor films made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5) or having nitride semiconductor films made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5) and nitride semiconductor films made of GaN, then the crystallinity of the p-type low-doped layer 9 can be improved and the electrostatic withstanding voltage can be increased. Also, where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is formed of a multi-film layer, in order to improve the crystallinity thereof, each film has the thickness preferably in the range of several angstroms through 100 angstroms. According to the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer 9 has a thickness within the range of 100 through 10000 angstroms, preferably 500 through 8000 angstroms, and more preferably 1000 through 4000 angstroms, in order to improve the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage. Also, in case where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is made of nitride semiconductor of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and the Al composition ratio of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is less than that of the p-cladding layer 8, or in case where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is made of nitride semiconductor films of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and the Al composition ratio of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is less than that of the p-cladding layer 8, the thickness of the low-doped layer 9 has a thickness within the range of 100 through 10000 angstroms, preferably 300 through 5000 angstroms, and more preferably 300 through 3000 angstroms. Also, in case where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is made of nitride semiconductor of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), and the Al composition ratio of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is less than that of the p-cladding layer 8, the p-type low-doped layer 9 can be formed with a good characteristics even when the p-type low-doped layer 9 is thinner than that in other cases. According to the present invention, as described above, the p-type impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 is adjusted to be less than that of the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact layer 10. Like this, the p-type low-doped layer 9 having the p-type impurity concentration less than that of the p-contact layer 10 and greater than that of the p-cladding layer 8 are grown between the p-contact layer 10 and the p-cladding layer 8, so that the luminous intensity as well as the electrostatic withstanding voltage can be improved. Although the p-type impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 is not specifically limited thereto if it is less than that of the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact layer 10, the p-type impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 falls within the range of 1×1019/cm3 or less, preferably 5×1018/cm3 or less in order to improve the electrostatic withstanding voltage, as shown in FIG. 3. The low-doped layer 9 has no particular lowermost limit of the p-type impurity concentration, and may be undoped. The p-type impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 depends upon the doping dose while the layer 9 is grown. Further, the p-type impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 depends on the p-type impurity concentration of the p-cladding layer 8 and the thickness of the low-doped layer 9. Therefore, even where the low-doped layer 9 is grown and doped with the p-type impurity concentration, the p-type impurity is diffused into the low-doped layer 9 also from the p-cladding layer. Thus, the distribution of the p-type impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 has a similar one as shown in FIG. 2 of Embodiment 2. The distribution has a bottom region, in which the lowest p-type impurity concentration is preferably, for instance, 5×1017/cm3 or more. Next, according to the present invention, the p-contact layer 10 as well as the aforementioned low-doped layer 9 can be formed of various nitride semiconductor expressed in the general formula of InrAlsGa1-r-sN (0≦r<1, 0≦s<1, r+s<1). And in order to obtain layers with good crystallinity, the p-contact layer 10 is preferably formed of the ternary nitride compound semiconductor, more preferably formed of the binary nitride compound semiconductor of GaN not including In or Al, so that the p-electrode can be grown with a better ohmic contact thereby increasing the luminous intensity. In order to reduce the Vf and increase the electrostatic withstanding voltage, the thickness of the p-contact layer 10 may fall within the range of 0.001 through 0.5 μm, preferably within the range of 0.01 through 0.3 μm, more preferably within the range of 0.05 through 0.2 μm. Although various elements of the p-type impurity to be doped into the high-doped p-contact layer 10, which are similar to ones doped into the p-cladding layer 8, can be used, the p-contact layer is preferably doped with Mg. Where Mg is doped into the p-contact layer 10, the p-type characteristics and the ohmic contact can be easily achieved. The p-type impurity concentration of the contact layer 10 is not specifically limited thereto if it is adjusted to be greater than those of the p-cladding layer 8 and the low-doped layer 9. However, according to the present invention, in order to suppress the Vf, the p-type impurity concentration of the p-contact layer 10 falls within the range of 1×1018/cm3 through 5×1021/cm3, preferably within the range of 5×1019/cm3 through 3×1020/cm31 and more preferably of approximately 1×1020/cm3. Furthermore, the n-electrode 12 and the p-electrode 11 are deposited on the n-contact layer 4 and the p-contact layer 9 that is doped with the p-type impurity, respectively. Although not specifically limited thereto, the material of the n-electrode 12 and the p-electrode 11 can be used with, for example, W/Al and Ni/Au, respectively. Embodiment 2 Embodiment 2 according to the present invention will be described hereinafter. The nitride semiconductor device of Embodiment 2 relates to the Second nitride semiconductor device according to the present invention. The nitride semiconductor device of Embodiment 2 is grown as the way similar to that of Embodiment 1 except that the p-type low-doped layer 9 is undoped such that the p-type low-doped layer 9 has the p-type impurity concentration adjusted to be lower than those of the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact layer 10, and also has the bottom region with a p-type impurity minimal concentration of 1×1019/cm3 or less. It is noted that the p-cladding layer of Embodiment 2 corresponds to the first p-layer according to Second nitride semiconductor device. Thus, according to Embodiment 2, the p-type low-doped layer 9 is undoped, such that the impurity is doped from the p-cladding layer 8 and p-contact layer 10 into the p-type low-doped layer 9, of which p-type impurity concentration is adjusted to be less than those of the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact layer 10, and of which the p-type impurity minimal concentration is adjusted to be less than 1×1019/cm3. The p-type impurity minimal concentration is referred to as, for instance as shown in FIG. 2, a point 51 having a minimal impurity concentration in the distribution of the p-type impurity concentration, which is adjusted mainly by the thickness of the p-type low-doped layer 9, as will be discussed later. FIG. 2 shows the distribution of the p-type impurity concentration across the p-cladding layer 8, the p-type low-doped layer 9, and the p-contact layer 10 versus the thickness from the surface of the contact layer 10, which is schematically drawn based upon the experimental values. As described above, where the distribution of the p-type impurity concentration of the p-type low-doped layer 9 (which is referred to as a p-type impurity concentration distribution) depends upon the diffusion of the impurity from adjacent layers, the p-type impurity concentration of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is less as remote along the thickness from the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact layer 10. And on the curve of the p-type impurity concentration distribution 50, there is a minimal point 51 (p-type impurity minimal concentration) of the impurity concentration between the composition faces of the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact layer 10. In the distribution curve 50 shown in FIG. 2, the slope from the composition face between the low-doped layer 9 and the p-contact layer 10 to the concentration minimal point 51 is more abrupt than that from the composition face between the low-doped layer 9 and the p-cladding layer 8 to the concentration minimal point 51. Therefore, the concentration minimal point is formed adjacent to the p-contact layer 10 rather the p-cladding layer 8 in the distribution curve 50. The reason why there is a difference in the slopes in the distribution curve as described above, is understood because the slope adjacent to the p-cladding layer 8 is caused by the diffusion during the growth of the low-doped layer 9, contrary to this, the slope adjacent to the p-contact layer 10 is caused by the diffusion after the growth of the low-doped layer 9. As described above, where the p-type impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 depends upon the diffused impurity from adjacent layers, and the p-type impurity concentration thereof is much influenced by various conditions such as the impurity concentration of adjacent layers, the growth temperature, the layer thickness, and the growth rate of adjacent layers and the low-doped layer itself. Therefore, the growth conditions as above should be adjusted appropriately for the p-type impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9. Since the p-type impurity concentration of the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact 10 layer are determined to achieve the desired characteristics of the device, according to Embodiment 2 of the invention, the p-type impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 should be adjusted mainly by the thickness of the p-type low-doped layer 9. For instance, the concentration minimal point 51 of the low-doped layer 9 is lower as the p-type impurity low-doped layer 9 is thicker even where the p-type impurity concentration of the p-cladding layer is unchanged. In other words, according to the nitride semiconductor device of Embodiment 2, the thickness of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is adjusted such that the p-type low-doped layer 9 has the p-type impurity concentration minimal point controlled to be less than 1×1019/cm3 in consideration of the p-type impurity concentration of the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact layer 10. Also, the p-type low-doped layer 9 has the thickness adjusted thick enough to have the p-type impurity concentration minimal point suppressed, but preferably thin enough to have it exceeding 5×1017/cm3. As the p-type low-doped layer 9 is thicker, then the p-type impurity concentration distribution has the bottom region of the impurity concentration less than 1×1019/cm3 widened, it is needless to mention that such the wider bottom region affects advantageously according to the present invention. In the nitride semiconductor device according to Embodiment 2, since the p-type low-doped layer 9 is formed as an undoped layer, the distribution of the p-type impurity among three layers of the p-cladding layer 8, the p-type low-doped layer 9, and the p-contact layer 10 can be readily adjusted as those of a medium doped layer, a low-doped layer, and a high doped layer, respectively. Thus, the device as well as Embodiment 1 can be improved in the luminous intensity and an electrostatic withstanding voltage. The reason because the electrostatic withstanding voltage can be improved according to the device of Embodiment 2 is similar to that of Embodiment 1, that is, the p-type low-doped layer 9 acts as a high resistivity layer. The p-type low-doped layer 9 of Embodiment 2, as well as of Embodiment 1, can be formed of any nitride semiconductor expressed in the general formula of InrAlsGa1-r-sN (0≦r<1, 0≦s<1, r+s<1), preferably formed of the ternary compound nitride semiconductor such as InrGa1-rN (0≦r<1) or AlsGa1-sN (0≦s<1), more preferably formed of the binary nitride compound semiconductor of GaN. If the p-type low-doped layer 9 is formed of GaN, then its crystallinity can be improved and its electrostatic withstanding voltage can be increased. Where the ternary compound nitride semiconductor expressed in the formula of AlsGa1-sN (0≦s<1) is used for the p-type low-doped layer 9, preferably its Al composition ratio is less than the average Al composition ratio of the p-type multi-film layer or the p-type single-layered layer (the Al composition ratio of the p-cladding layer 8). Thus, the forward voltage (Vf) can be suppressed, and further the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage can be improved as good as the case where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is made of GaN. It is noted that the p-type low-doped layer 9 can be formed of a multi-film layer by laminating two kinds of nitride semiconductor films that have different composition each other, so formed device has the characteristics similar to that of the single-layered layer. And where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is formed of a multi-film layer, preferably either ones of the nitride semiconductor films are made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5) and the average Al composition ratio of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is less than that of the p-cladding layer 8. Also where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is formed of a multi-film layer, more preferably, either ones of the nitride semiconductor films are made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5) while the other films are made of GaN, and the average Al composition ratio of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is less than that of the p-cladding layer 8. As described above, the p-type low-doped layer 9 is formed of a multi-film layer having the nitride semiconductor film made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5), or a multi-film layer having the nitride semiconductor film made of AlsGa1-sN (0<s<0.5) and the nitride semiconductor film made of GaN, so that the films containing Al have the crystallinity improved and the electrostatic withstanding voltage increased. Further, where the p-type low-doped layer 9 is formed of a multi-film layer, each of the film thickness is adjusted to be less than 100 angstroms and more than several angstroms. It is noted that, in the practice of the invention, the p-type impurity can be added while the p-type low-doped layer 9 is grown. In case where the p-type impurity can be added while the p-type low-doped layer 9 is grown, the impurity concentration of the p-type low-doped layer 9 has the distribution curve of the p-type impurity similar to that as shown in FIG. 2, and also has the minimal point adjusted to be a relative low value, for example, less than 1×1019/cm3, so that a similar effect to the present embodiment can be achieved. In Embodiment 2 as described above, the preferable structure for the nitride semiconductor layers (the multi-film layer or single layered layer, composition and impurity concentration, or the like) rather than the p-type low-doped layer 9 as mentioned above, is similar to that of Embodiment 1, the effect cased by the structure is also similar to that of Embodiment 1. According to the present embodiment, the active layer 7 may be formed of the multiple quantum well structure or the single quantum well structure. According to Embodiment 2, the device with the active layer 7 formed of the single quantum well structure has a luminous intensity lower than that with the active layer 7 formed of the multiple quantum well structure. Both of devices have the electrostatic withstanding voltage, which are similarly and substantially improved. As described above, in the nitride semiconductor device of Embodiment 2, the distribution of the p-type impurity concentration among three layers of the p-cladding layer 8, the p-type low-doped layer 9, and the p-contact layer 10 is adjusted to those of a medium doped layer, a low-doped layer, and a high doped layer. If the p-type impurity concentration of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is adjusted to be less than those of the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact layer 10, and the minimal point thereof is less than 1×1019/cm3, the p-type impurity concentration of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is not limited thereto. In other words, according to the present invention, the p-type impurity concentration of the p-cladding layer 8 may be the same as or greater than that of the p-contact layer 10 under the above-mentioned condition. So formed device with the active layer of the single quantum well structure has the electrostatic withstanding voltage increased, and so formed device with the active layer of the multiple quantum well structure has both of the luminous intensity and electrostatic withstanding voltage increased. Also, in order to make the p-region layers have the p-type characteristics and the resistivity lowered, an annealing step is conducted for the resultant nitride semiconductor device according to the present invention. As the annealing step is described in the Japanese Patent JP-2540791, which is incorporated herein as a reference, after growing the a nitride based compound semiconductor doped with p-type impurity by a vapor phase epitaxy, the nitride based compound semiconductor doped with p-type impurity is thermally exposed in the atmosphere at the temperature of 400° C., so that a hydrogen is forced to come out of the nitride gallium based compound semiconductor thereby having the semiconductor to have the p-type characteristics. Although several examples are disclosed hereinafter, the present invention is not particularly limited thereto. EXAMPLE 1 Referring to FIG. 1, Example 1 is explained hereinafter. A substrate 1 of sapphire (C-face) is set within a MOCVD reactor flown with H2, and the temperature of the substrate is set to 1050° C., the substrate 1 is cleaned. (Buffer Layer 2) Subsequently, the growth temperature is decreased to 510° C. and a buffer layer 2 made of GaN which has a thickness of about 100 angstroms is grown on the substrate 1 flown with H2 as a carrier gas, and NH3 and TMG (trimethylgallium) as material gases into the reactor. (Undoped GaN Layer 3) After growing the buffer layer 2, only TMG is held, and the substrate temperature is increased to 1050° C. After the temperature is stable, again the material gas of TMG and NH3 and the carrier gas of H2 are flown into the reactor to grow the undoped GaN layer 3 having a thickness of 1.5 μm on the buffer layer 2. (n-Contact Layer 4) While the growth temperature is kept to 1050° C., the material gas of TMG and NH3, and an impurity gas of SiH4 are flown into the reactor to grow the n-contact layer 4 of GaN doped with Si having the Si impurity concentration of 5×1018/cm3 and thickness of 2.265 μm on the undoped GaN layer 3. (First n-Region Multi-Film Layer 5) Only SiH4 gas is held and the substrate temperature is maintained at 1050° C., the first multi-film layer 5 is grown, which comprises three films, that is, a lower-film 5a, a middle-film 5b, and a upper-film 5c. The material gas of TMG and NH3 is flown into the reactor to grow the lower-film 5a of GaN undoped with the thickness of 2000 angstroms. Next, the impurity gas of SiH4 is, in addition, flown into the reactor to grow the middle-film 5b of GaN doped with Si having the impurity concentration of 4.5×1018/cm3 and the thickness of 300 angstroms. And finally, the impurity gas is held, maintaining the growth temperature, to grow the upper-film 5c of GaN undoped with the thickness of 50 angstroms. (Second n-Region Multi-Film Layer 6) Next, at the same growth temperature, the fourth nitride semiconductor film of undoped GaN is grown with the thickness of 40 angstroms. And after the growth temperature is set to 800° C., the material gases of TMG, TMI, and NH3 are flown into the reactor to grow the third nitride semiconductor film of undoped In0.13Ga0.87N with the thickness of 20 angstroms. By repeating the steps, the fourth and third nitride semiconductor films are laminated alternately and ten times and the fourth nitride semiconductor film is finally laminated with the thickness of 40 angstroms to complete the second n-region multi-film layer 6 of the superlattice structure with the thickness of 640 angstroms. (Active Layer 7) In order to grow the active layer 7, the barrier layer made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 200 angstroms is laminated, the growth temperature is set to 800° C., and then the well layer made of In0.4Ga0.6N with a thickness of 30 angstroms is deposited thereon using TMG, TMI, and NH3. These steps are repeated four times. And another barrier layer made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 200 angstroms is laminated thereon. The active layer 7 has a multiple quantum well structure with a thickness of 1120 angstroms in total. (Medium-Doped Multi-Film p-Cladding Layer 8) After the growth temperature is set to 1050° C., the material gas of TMG, TMA (trimethylaluminum) and NH3, the impurity gas of Cp2Mg (cyclopentadienyl magnesium), the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a first nitride semiconductor film made of p-type Al0.2Ga0.8N doped with Mg in the concentration of 5×1019/cm3 with a thickness of 40 angstroms. Then the growth temperature is set to 800° C., the material gas of TMG, TMA and NH3, the impurity gas of Cp2Mg, the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a second nitride semiconductor film made of p-type In0.03Ga0.97N doped with Mg in the concentration of 5×1019/cm3 with a thickness of 25 angstroms. These steps are repeated five times in the order of the first and second nitride semiconductor film. And finally, another first nitride semiconductor film with a thickness of 40 angstroms is laminated thereon to complete the multi-film p-cladding layer 8 with a thickness of 365 angstroms, which has a super-lattice structure. (p-Type Low-Doped Layer 9) The growth temperature is set to 1050° C., the material gas of TMG and NH3, the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a p-type low-doped layer 9 made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 2000 angstroms. Although the p-type low-doped layer 9 is laminated with the material of undoped GaN, the impurity Mg doped within the multi-film p-cladding layer 8 is diffused into the p-type low-doped layer 9 while the p-type low-doped layer 9 is laminated on the multi-film p-cladding layer 8. Furthermore, as described below, the impurity Mg doped in the high-doped p-type contact layer 10 is also diffused into the p-type low-doped layer 9 while the high-doped p-type contact layer 10 is laminated on the p-type low-doped layer 9. Therefore, the low-doped layer 9 shows a p-type characteristics. As shown in FIG. 2, the distribution of the Mg impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 has the minimal value 2×1018/cm3, and a value similar to that of the p-cladding layer 8 adjacent to the composition face between the p-cladding layer 8 and the low-doped layer 9. The distribution of the Mg impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 is reduced gradually as being apart from the p-cladding layer 8 to the minimal value adjacent to the composition face (just before the formation of the p-contact layer 10) between the low-doped layer 9 and the p-contact layer 10. (High-Doped p-Contact Layer 10) The growth temperature is set to 1050° C., the material gas of TMG, and NH3, the impurity gas of Cp2Mg, the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a p-contact layer made of p-type GaN doped with Mg in the concentration of 1×1020/cm3 with a thickness of 1200 angstroms. After growing the p-contact layer 10 and the temperature is cooled down to the room temperature, then the wafer is annealed at 700° C. within the N2 atmosphere to make the p-type layers have less resistivity. After annealing, the resultant wafer is taken out of the reactor, a desired mask is formed on the top surface of the p-contact layer 10, and the wafer is etched from a side of the p-contact layer 10 to expose surfaces of the n-type contact layer 4 as shown in FIG. 1. After being etched, a transparent p-electrode 11 containing Ni and Au with a thickness of 200 angstroms and a p-electrode pad 12 made of Au with a thickness of 0.5 μm for wire-bonding are successively formed on the substantially overall surface of the p-contact layer 10. Meanwhile, an n-electrode 12 containing W and Al is formed on the exposed surface by the etching step. Thus, the LED device is completed. This LED device has optical and electrical characteristics emitting light with a peak wavelength of 520 nm at the forward current of 20 mA and the forward voltage of 3.5V. The forward voltage is less by approximately 1.0V and the luminous intensity is improved to double in comparison with those of the conventional LED device of the multiple quantum well structure. Advantageously, the resultant LED device has a reverse electrostatic withstanding voltage that is more than that by 1.5 times and a forward electrostatic withstanding voltage that is more by 2 times than those of the conventional LED device. The conventional LED device is comprised by successively depositing a first buffer layer made of GaN, a second buffer layer made of undoped GaN, an n-contact layer made of GaN doped with Si, an active layer of the multiple quantum well structure similar to Example 1, a single-layered layer made of Al0.1Ga0.9N doped with Mg, and a p-contact layer made of GaN doped with Mg. EXAMPLE 2 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the active layer 7 is formed as described below. Therefore, no further explanation will be made thereto. (Active Layer 7) The barrier film made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 250 angstroms is laminated, and after the growth temperature is set to 800° C., the material gas of TMG, TMI, and NH3, and the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a well layer made of undoped In0.3Ga0.7N with a thickness of 30 angstroms. These steps are repeated 6 times, and lastly, another barrier layer is laminated, so that each of the well layers is sandwiched by the barrier layers on both surfaces. Thus, the active layer 7 of Example 2 is grown of the multiple quantum well structure with a thickness of 1930 angstroms. The resultant LED device emits pure blue light with a peak wavelength of 470 nm at the forward current of 20 mA and has favorable optical and electrical characteristics similar to that of Example 1. EXAMPLE 3 Again, another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the active layer is formed as described below. Therefore, no further explanation will be made thereto. (Active Layer 7) The barrier film made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 250 angstroms is laminated, and after the growth temperature is set to 800° C., the material gas of TMG, TMI, and NH3, and the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a well layer made of undoped In0.3Ga0.07N with a thickness of 30 angstroms. These steps are repeated 5 times, and lastly, another barrier layer is laminated, so that each of the well layers is sandwiched by the barrier layers on both surfaces. Thus, the active layer 7 of Example 3 is grown of the multiple quantum well structure with a thickness of 1650 angstroms. The resultant LED device emits pure blue light with a peak wavelength of 470 nm at the forward current of 20 mA and has favorable optical and electrical characteristics similar to that of Example 1. EXAMPLE 4 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the active layer is formed as described below. Therefore, no further explanation will be made thereto. (Active Layer 7) The barrier film made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 250 angstroms is laminated, and after the growth temperature is set to 800° C., the material gas of TMG, TMI, and NH3, and the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a well layer made of undoped In0.35Ga0.65N with a thickness of 30 angstroms. These steps are repeated 6 times, and lastly, another barrier layer is laminated, so that each of the well layers is sandwiched by the barrier layers on both surfaces. Thus, the active layer 7 of Example 4 is grown of the multiple quantum well structure with a thickness of 1930 angstroms. The resultant LED device emits bluish green light with a peak wavelength of 500 nm at the forward current of 20 mA and has favorable optical and electrical characteristics similar to that of Example 1. EXAMPLE 5 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the active layer is formed as described below. Therefore, no further explanation will be made thereto. (Active Layer 7) The barrier film made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 250 angstroms is laminated, and after the growth temperature is set to 800° C., the material gas of TMG, TMI, and NH3, and the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a well layer made of undoped In0.35Ga0.65N with a thickness of 30 angstroms. These steps are repeated 3 times, and lastly, another barrier layer is laminated, so that each of the well layers is sandwiched by the barrier layers on both surfaces. Thus, the active layer 7 of Example 5 is grown of the multiple quantum well structure with a thickness of 1090 angstroms. The resultant LED device emits bluish green light with a peak wavelength of 500 nm at the forward current of 20 mA and has favorable optical and electrical characteristics similar to that of Example 1. EXAMPLE 6 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the second n-region multi-film layer 6 is not grown. Therefore, no further explanation will be made thereto. The resultant LED device has the device characteristics including the luminous intensity which are less desirable than that of Example 1, but has the electrostatic withstanding voltage similar to that of Example 1. EXAMPLE 7 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the multi-film layer 8 is modified as described below. Therefore, no further explanation will be made thereto. (Single-Layered p-Cladding Layer 8) The growth temperature is set to 1050° C., the material gas of TMG, TMA, and NH3, and the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to grow a single-layered p-cladding layer 8 made of Al0.16Ga0.84N in the Mg impurity concentration of 5×1019/cm3 with a thickness of 300 angstroms. The p-cladding layer 8 is formed of the single-layered structure rather than the multi-film layer structure, so that the device characteristics such as the luminous intensity is less desirable but the electrostatic withstanding voltage is similar to that of Example 1. In case where the p-cladding layer 8 is formed of the single-layered structure, the LED devices can be manufactured more easily than the case where it is formed of the multi-film layer structure. EXAMPLE 8 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the thickness of the n-contact layer 4 and the first n-region multi-film layer 5 are modified as described below. Therefore, no further explanation will be made thereto. (n-Contact Layer 4) The n-contact layer 4 is modified to have the thickness of 2.165 μm. (First n-Region Multi-Film Layer 5) Only SiH4 gas is held and the substrate temperature is maintained at 1050° C., the first multi-film layer 5 is grown, which comprises three films, that is, a lower-film 5a, a middle-film 5b, and a upper-film 5c. The material gas of TMG and NH3 is flown into the reactor to grow the lower-film 5a of undoped GaN with the thickness of 3000 angstroms. Next, the impurity gas of SiH4 is, in addition, flown into the reactor to grow the middle-film 5b with the thickness of 300 angstroms made of GaN doped with Si in the impurity concentration of 4.5×1018/cm3. And the impurity gas is again held, maintaining the growth temperature, to grow the upper-film 5c of GaN undoped with the thickness of 50 angstroms. Thus the first n-region multi-film layer 5 is obtained with the thickness of 3350 angstroms in total. The resultant LED device has favorable optical and electrical characteristics similar to those of Example 1. EXAMPLE 9 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 8 except that the thickness of the n-contact layer 4 is 4.165 μm and the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer 3, the n-contact layer 4, and the first n-region multi-film layer 5 is 6.0 μm. Therefore, no further explanation will be made thereto. The resultant LED device has the electrostatic withstanding voltage more favorable than that of Example 8, and has the other optical and electrical characteristics similar to those of Example 8. EXAMPLE 10 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 8 except that the p-type low-doped layer has the thickness of 3000 angstroms and minimal value of the Mg impurity concentration of 1×1018/cm3. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics similar to those of Example 8. EXAMPLE 11 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 8 except that the Mg impurity concentration of the medium-doped multi-film layer 8 including the first and second nitride semiconductor film, the high-doped p-contact layer 10, and the low-doped layer 9 is 1×1019/cm3, 5×1019/cm3, and 1×1018/cm3, respectively. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics similar to those of Example 8. EXAMPLE 12 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 8 except that the first nitride semiconductor film of the medium-doped multi-film p-cladding layer 8 is doped in the Mg impurity concentration of 5×1019/cm3 and the second nitride semiconductor film is undoped. Thus, the first nitride semiconductor film has the impurity concentration different from that of the second nitride semiconductor film. The average of the Mg impurity concentration of the medium-doped multi-film p-cladding layer 8 is 2×1019/cm3, and the minimum of the Mg impurity concentration of the low-doped layer 9 adjacent thereto is 3×1018/cm3. The Mg impurity concentration of the high-doped p-contact layer 10 is 1×1020/cm3. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics similar to those of Example 8. EXAMPLE 13 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that a p-type low-doped layer 9 made of Al0.05Ga0.95N with a thickness of 1000 angstroms is grown with the material gas of TMG, TMA, and NH3. The low-doped layer 9 is grown so that the low-doped layer 9 has also the minimum of the Mg concentration, which is lower than that of the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact layer 10. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics similar to those of Example 1. EXAMPLE 14 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the flow rate of the impurity gas of Cp2Mg is controlled so that the p-type low-doped layer 9 made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 2000 angstroms is grown to have the minimum of the Mg impurity concentration of 8×1018/cm3. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics similar to those of Example 1. EXAMPLE 15 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 8 except that the p-type low-doped layer 9 with a thickness of 1000 angstroms is grown to have the minimum of the Mg impurity concentration of 6.4×1018/cm3. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics similar to those of Example 8. EXAMPLE 16 Two kinds of another LED device are manufactured which are similar to that of Example 8 except that the n-contact layer 4 has the thickness of 5.165 μm and 7.165 μm, and the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer 3, the n-contact layer 4, and the first n-region multi-film layer 5 is 7.0 μm and 9.0 μm, respectively. The resultant LED device has the electrostatic withstanding voltage slightly more favorable than that of Example 8, and has the other optical and electrical characteristics similar to those of Example 8. EXAMPLE 17 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 8 except that the medium-doped multi-film layer p-cladding layer 8 includes the first nitride semiconductor film made of undoped Al0.2Ga0.8N and the second nitride semiconductor film made of In0.03Ga0.97N doped with Mg in the concentration of 5×1019/cm3. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 8. EXAMPLE 18 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 8 except that the first n-region multi-film layer 5 includes the lower-film 5a made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 3000 angstroms, the middle-film 5b made of Al0.1Ga0.9N with a thickness of 300 angstroms, and the upper-film 5c with a thickness of 50 angstroms. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 8 and favorable. EXAMPLE 19 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 8 except that the first n-region multi-film layer 5 includes the lower-film 5a made of undoped Al0.1Ga0.9N with a thickness of 3000 angstroms, the middle-film 5b made of Al0.1Ga0.9N doped in the concentration of 5×1019/cm3 with a thickness of 300 angstroms, and the upper-film 5c made of undoped Al0.1Ga0.9N with a thickness of 50 angstroms. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 8 and favorable. EXAMPLE 20 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 8 except that the first n-region multi-film layer 5 includes the lower-film 5a made of undoped Al0.1Ga0.9N with a thickness of 3000 angstroms, the middle-film 5b made of GaN doped in the concentration of 4.5×1018/cm3 with a thickness of 300 angstroms, and the upper-film 5c made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 50 angstroms. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 8 and favorable. EXAMPLE 21 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 8 except that the n-contact layer 4 is made of Al0.05Ga0.95N doped with Si in the concentration of 4.5×1018/cm3 with a thickness of 4.165 μm. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 8. EXAMPLE 22 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that an single-layered undoped GaN layer with a thickness of 1500 angstroms is grown substituting for the first n-region multi-film layer 5. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 1, although the electrostatic withstanding voltage is slightly reduced. EXAMPLE 23 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the second n-region multi-film layer 6 includes a fourth nitride semiconductor film and a third nitride semiconductor film made of In0.13Ga0.87N doped with Si in the concentration of 5×1018/cm3. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 1. EXAMPLE 24 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the p-type low-doped layer 9 is grown by alternately laminating the undoped Al0.05Ga0.95N layer with a thickness of 50 angstroms and the undoped GaN layer with a thickness of 50 angstroms, so that the total thickness of the p-type low-doped layer 9 is 2000 angstroms. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 1. EXAMPLE 25 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the p-cladding layer 8 and the p-contact layer 10 has the p-type impurity concentration of 1×1020/cm3 and 1×1019/cm3, and the p-type low-doped layer has the minimum of the impurity concentration which is less than 1×1019/cm3. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 1. EXAMPLE 26 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the p-cladding layer (a first p-type layer) 8 is made of GaN doped with Mg in the concentration of 5×1019/cm3 with a thickness of 300 angstroms, and the p-type low-doped layer 9 is made of undoped GaN layer with a thickness of 2000 angstroms. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 1, although the luminous intensity is slightly less than that of Example 1. EXAMPLE 27 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 1 except that the p-cladding layer (a first p-type layer) 8 is made of GaN doped with Mg in the concentration of 5×1019/cm3 with a thickness of 300 angstroms, and the p-type low-doped layer 9 is made of undoped Al0.05Ga0.95N layer with a thickness of 2000 angstroms. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 1, although the luminous intensity is slightly less than that of Example 1. EXAMPLE 28 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 9 except that the active layer 7 and the p-type low-doped layer 9 are manufactured as described below. (Active Layer 7) The barrier film made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 250 angstroms is laminated, and after the growth temperature is set to 800° C., the material gas of TMG, TMI, and NH3, and the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a well layer made of undoped In0.3Ga0.7N with a thickness of 30 angstroms. These steps are repeated 5 times, so that each of the well layers is sandwiched by the barrier layers on both surfaces. Thus, the active layer 7 of Example 2 is grown of the multiple quantum well structure with a thickness of 1650 angstroms. (p-Type Low-Doped Layer 9) The p-type low-doped layer 9 is formed of undoped Al0.05Ga0.95N layer with a thickness of 2000 angstroms with use of TMG, TMA, and NH3. And the Mg impurity within the adjacent layers is diffused into the p-type low-doped layer 9 so that the p-type low-doped layer 9 has the minimum of the Mg impurity concentration, which is less than 2×1018/cm3. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 9 and favorable. EXAMPLE 29 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 28 except that the active layer 7 is manufactured as described below. (Active Layer 7) The barrier film made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 250 angstroms is laminated, and after the growth temperature is set to 800° C., the material gas of TMG, TMI, and NH3, and the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a well layer made of undoped In0.35Ga0.65N with a thickness of 30 angstroms. These steps are repeated 6 times, so that each of the well layers is sandwiched by the barrier layers on both surfaces. Thus, the active layer 7 of Example 29 is grown of the multiple quantum well structure with a thickness of 1930 angstroms. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 28 and favorable. EXAMPLE 30 Another LED device is manufactured, which is similar to that of Example 28 except that the active layer 7 is manufactured as described below. (Active Layer 7) The barrier film made of undoped GaN with a thickness of 250 angstroms is laminated, and after the growth temperature is set to 800° C., the material gas of TMG, TMI, and NH3, and the carrier gas of H2, are flown into the reactor to laminate a well layer made of undoped In0.4Ga0.6N with a thickness of 30 angstroms. These steps are repeated 4 times, so that each of the well layers is sandwiched by the barrier layers on both surfaces. Thus, the active layer 7 of Example 29 is grown of the multiple quantum well structure with a thickness of 1370 angstroms. The resultant LED device has the optical and electrical characteristics substantially similar to those of Example 28 and favorable. EFFECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION As clearly shown in the above description, according to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the nitride semiconductor device with the active layer of the multiple quantum well structure can be provided, in which the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage are improved allowing the expanded application to various products. Also, according to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the nitride semiconductor device can be provided, in which the electrostatic withstanding voltage is improved to make the nitride semiconductor device robust against the electrostatic withstanding voltage. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Technical Field of the Invention This invention relates to a light emitting device such as a light emitting diode (LED) and a laser diode (LD), a photodetector such as a solar cell and an optical sensor, and other nitride semiconductor devices used for electrical devices, for example, a transistor and a power device (which is expressed in the formula, for instance, In X Al Y Ga 1-X-Y N, 0≦X, 0≦Y, X+Y≦1). 2. Description of Related Art A nitride semiconductor device has been practically developed for use of a high luminous blue and pure green LED to fabricate light sources of a full color LED display, a traffic signal, and an image scanner. The LED device basically comprises a substrate of sapphire, a buffer layer made of GaN, an n-contact layer made of GaN doped with Si, an active layer made of a single quantum well (SQW) structure of InGaN or made of a multiple quantum well (MQW) structure containing InGaN, a p-cladding layer made of AlGaN doped with Mg, and a p-contact layer made of GaN doped with Mg, in which those layers are successively formed on the substrate. The LED device has an excellent opto-electronic characteristic, for example, the blue LED has a peak wavelength of 450 nm, a luminous intensity of 5 mW, and an external quantum efficiency of 9.1%, and the green LED has the peak wavelength of 520 nm, the luminous intensity of 3 mW, and the external quantum efficiency of 6.3%, at the forward current of 20 mA. Since the multiple quantum well structure has a plurality of mini-bands, each of which emits light efficiently even with a small current, it is expected that the device characteristics is improved, for example, the LED device with the active layer of the multiple quantum well structure characteristics has the luminous intensity greater than that with of the single quantum well structure. JP10-135514, A, for example, describes the LED device with an active layer of the multiple quantum well structure, which includes a light emitting layer with a barrier layer of undoped GaN and a well layer of undoped InGaN, and also includes cladding layers having bandgap greater than that of the barrier layer of the active layer, in order to improve the luminous efficiency and a luminous intensity. However the luminous intensity of the conventional LED device is not enough for use as a light source of an illumination lamp and/or an outside display exposed to direct sunshine. It has been long felt needed that the light emitting device having an active layer of quantum well structure will be improved in its luminous intensity, but such a LED device with higher luminous intensity has not yet been available. Also, the device made of nitride semiconductor has a layer structure, which may be inherently be weak against the electrostatic voltage. Thus, the device of nitride semiconductor may be easily damaged even by the electrostatic voltage of 100V which is much lower than that people can feel. There are substantial risks of damaged device characteristics in handling the device, for example, taking it out of an antistatic bag, and assembling it to a product. Therefore, the electrostatic withstanding voltage of the device has been desirably improved reducing the aforementioned risks, thereby enhancing the reliability of the nitride semiconductor device. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The first object of the present invention is to provide a first nitride semiconductor light emitting device with an active layer of the multiple quantum well structure, in which the device has an improved luminous intensity and a good electrostatic withstanding voltage, thereby allowing the expanded application to various products. The second object of the invention is to provide a nitride semiconductor light emitting device having an improved electrostatic withstanding voltage. The first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention as will be described below can achieve the first object. The first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, comprising: a) a substrate; b) an active layer of a multiple quantum well structure containing In a Ga 1-a N (0≦a<1); c) an n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure interposed between the substrate and the active layer; d) a p-type multi-film layer formed on the active layer, the p-type multi-film layer including, a first nitride semiconductor film containing Al, a second nitride semiconductor film having a composition different from that of the first nitride semiconductor film, at least one of the first and second nitride semiconductor films having a p-type impurity; e) a p-type low-doped layer formed on the p-type multi-film layer, having a concentration of the p-type impurity lower than that of the p-type multi-film layer; and f) a p-contact layer formed on the p-type low-doped layer, having a concentration of the p-type impurity higher than that of the p-type multi-film layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of Al s Ga 1-s N (0<s<0.5), and the p-type low-doped layer has a composition ratio of Al less than that of the p-type multi-film layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is formed of a multi-film layered structure with layers made of Al s Ga 1-s N (0<s<0.5), and an average composition ratio of Al of the p-type low-doped layer is less than that of the p-type multi-film layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the impurity contained within the p-type multi-film layer and the p-contact layer is diffused into the p-type low-doped layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the concentration of the p-type impurity of the multi-film layer falls within the range of 5×10 17 /cm 3 through 1×10 21 /cm 3 . According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the concentration of the p-type impurity of the low-doped layer is less than 1×10 19 /cm 3 . According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, wherein the concentration of the p-type impurity of the p-contact layer falls within the range of 1×10 18 /cm 3 through 5×10 21 /cm 3 . According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, wherein the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure includes an n-region multi-film layer having a lower-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor, a middle-film doped with an n-type impurity, and an upper-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure further includes an undoped GaN layer and an n-contact layer containing an n-type impurity, successively formed on the substrate. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-type first multi-film layer is formed on the n-contact layer, and the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer, the n-contact layer, and the n-type first multi-film layer falls within the range of 2 through 20 μm. According to another first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, comprising: a) a substrate; b) an active layer of a multiple quantum well structure containing In a Ga 1-a N (0≦a<1); c) an n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure interposed between the substrate and the active layer; d) a p-type single-layered layer formed on the active layer, made of Al b Ga 1-b N (0≦b≦1) containing a p-type impurity; e) a p-type low-doped layer formed on the p-type single-layered layer, having a concentration of the p-type impurity lower than that of the p-type single-layered layer; and f) a p-contact layer formed on the p-type low-doped layer, having a concentration of the p-type impurity higher than that of the p-type single-layered layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of Al s Ga 1-s N (0<s<0.5), and the p-type low-doped layer has a composition ratio of Al less than that of the p-type single-layered layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of Al s Ga 1-s N (0<s<0.5), and an average composition ratio of Al of the p-type low-doped layer is less than that of the p-type single-layered layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the impurity contained within the p-type single-layered layer and the p-contact layer is diffused into the p-type low-doped layer. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the concentration of the p-type impurity of the single-layered layer falls within the range of 5×10 17 /cm 3 through 1×10 21 /cm 3 . According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the concentration of the p-type impurity of the low-doped layer is less than 1×10 19 /cm 3 . According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the concentration of the p-type impurity of the p-contact layer falls within the range of 1×10 18 /cm 3 through 5×10 21 /cm 3 . According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure includes an n-region multi-film layer having a lower-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor, a middle-film doped with an n-type impurity, and an upper-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure further includes an undoped GaN layer and an n-contact layer containing an n-type impurity, successively formed on the substrate. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-type first multi-film layer is formed on the n-contact layer, and the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer, the n-contact layer, and the n-type first multi-film layer falls within the range of 2 through 20 μm. Therefore, the first nitride semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises a p-type layer (p-type multi-film layer or p-type single-layered layer), a low-doped layer, and a p-contact layer, which are successively deposited on the active layer (in the p-region of the device). Each of the p-type layer, the low-doped layer, and the p-contact layer is adjusted to have the p-type impurity concentration comparatively medium-doped, low-doped, and high-doped, respectively. The resultant distribution of the p-type impurity concentration results in improving the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage. Although the p-type layer, in general, functions as a cladding layer, it is not specifically limited thereto, it would fall within the scope of the present invention even in case where the p-type layer does not function as a cladding layer. Further, the p-type low-doped layer is made of Al s Ga 1-s N (0<s<0.5) and has the composition ratio of Al less than that of the p-type layer (the average composition ratio of Al where the p-type layer is multi-film layer), so that the low-doped layer can be thinned maintaining the luminous intensity and the electrostatic withstanding voltage favorable. Thus, the manufacturing step for the low-dope layer can be shortened. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer may be formed of the multi-film layer including layers made of Al s Ga 1-s N (0<s<0.5), in which the average Al composition ratio of the p-type low-doped layer is set less than that of the p-type multi-film cladding layer. The p-type low-doped layer contains the p-type impurity not only because the impurity is taken from the source of the impurity gas flow into the p-type low-doped layer during manufacturing, but also because the impurity within the p-cladding layer adjacent thereto is diffused into the p-type low-doped layer during manufacturing. Therefore, the p-type impurity concentration of the p-cladding layer can be readily adjusted by adjusting the p-type impurity concentration of the p-type low-doped layer. As described above, the p-cladding layer (p-type multi-film layer or p-type single-layered layer), the low-doped layer, and the p-contact are adjusted to have the p-type impurity concentration comparatively medium-doped, low-doped, and high-doped, respectively, and in addition to that, preferably, they fall within the range of 5×10 17 /cm 3 through 1×10 21 /cm 3 , less than 1×10 18 /cm 3 , and 1×10 18 /cm 3 through 5×10 21 /cm 3 , respectively. Thus, the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention is provided, of which luminous intensity and electrostatic withstanding voltage are improved. The first nitride semiconductor device according to the present invention preferably comprises the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure including an n-region multi-film layer having a lower-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor, a middle-film doped with an n-type impurity, and an upper-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor, thus resulting in improving the electrostatic withstanding voltage. Further, the first nitride semiconductor device according to the present invention preferably comprises an n-contact layer and an undoped layer, which are grown on the substrate and beneath the first n-region multi film layer, thereby reducing the electrostatic withstanding voltage. According to the first nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, in order to further reduce the electrostatic withstanding voltage, the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer, the n-contact layer, and the first n-region multi-film layer is set to fall within the range of 2 through 20 μm, preferably 3 through 10 μm, more preferably 4 through 9 μm. It is noted that the terminology of “undoped layer” means the layer, in which the impurity is not intentionally doped. Even if the layer contains the impurity due to the diffusion from the adjacent layers, or due to the contamination from the material and the manufacturing equipment, the layer is still referred to as the undoped layer. If the layer diffused with the impurity from the adjacent layers may often have the gradient impurity distribution in the direction of the thickness. Also, it is noted that layers having different composition mean, for example, layers which are made of different elements (such as elements of the binary and ternary compounds), layers which have different composition ratios, and layers which have different bandgaps each other. In case where the layer is formed of the multi-film layer, the composition ratios and bandgaps are averaged. Further, various measurement methods can be adapted for measuring the impurity concentration, for example, the Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry can be used. The Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention as will be described below can achieve the second object. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, comprising: a) a substrate; b) an n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure formed on the substrate; c) an active layer of a multiple quantum well structure formed on the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure; d) a first p-type layer formed on the active layer, being made of p-type nitride semiconductor; e) a p-contact layer; f) a p-type low-doped layer interposed between the active layer and the p-contact layer, wherein the p-type low-doped layer has the p-type impurity concentration that is minimized to less than 1×10 19 /cm 3 and gradually increases towards the p-contact layer and the first p-type layer. Since the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention includes the low-doped layer interposed between the p-contact layer and the first p-type layer, the electrostatic withstanding voltage can be improved. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of undoped nitride semiconductor, and the impurity contained within the p-contact layer and the first p-type layer is diffused into the p-type low-doped layer. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer has the thickness adjusted so that the minimum of the p-type impurity concentration is less than 1×10 19 /cm 3 . According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the active layer is made of the multiple quantum well structure including at least one layer made of In a Ga 1-a N (0≦a<1). Thus, the luminous intensity as well as the electrostatic withstanding voltage can be improved resulting in the expanded application of the nitride semiconductor device with the active layer of the multiple quantum well structure for various products. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer are formed of a multi-film layer by alternately laminating two kinds of films, which have compositions different from each other. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the first p-type layer contains Al. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the first p-type layer is formed of p-type multi-film layer by laminating a first nitride semiconductor film containing Al and a second nitride semiconductor film having a composition different from that of the first nitride semiconductor film, and at least one of the first and second nitride semiconductor film contains the p-type impurity therein. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of GaN. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is made of Al s Ga 1-s N (0<s<0.5), and the p-type low-doped layer has a composition ratio of Al less than that of the p-type multi-film layer. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is formed of a multi-film layered structure with layers made of Al s Ga 1-s N (0<s<0.5), and an average composition ratio of Al of the p-type low-doped layer is less than that of the p-type multi-film layer. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the p-type low-doped layer is formed by alternately laminating layers made of Al s Ga 1-s N (0<s<0.5) and layers made of GaN. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure includes an n-region multi-film layer having a lower-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor, a middle-film doped with an n-type impurity, and an upper-film made of undoped nitride semiconductor. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-region nitride semiconductor layer structure further includes an n-contact layer containing an n-type impurity, and an undoped GaN layer interposed between the substrate and the n-contact layer. According to the Second nitride semiconductor device of the present invention, the n-type first multi-film layer is formed on the n-contact layer, and the total thickness of the undoped GaN layer, the n-contact layer, and the n-type first multi-film layer falls within the range of 2 through 20 μm. | 20041018 | 20080325 | 20050707 | 57729.0 | 1 | MALDONADO, JULIO J | NITRIDE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,966,161 | ACCEPTED | Reducing probe traffic in multiprocessor systems | A computer system having a plurality of processing nodes interconnected by a first point-to-point architecture is described. Each processing node has a cache memory associated therewith. A probe filtering unit is operable to receive probes corresponding to memory lines from the processing nodes and to transmit the probes only to selected ones of the processing nodes with reference to probe filtering information. The probe filtering information is representative of states associated with selected ones of the cache memories. | 1. A computer system comprising a plurality of processing nodes interconnected by a first point-to-point architecture, each processing node having a cache memory associated therewith, the computer system further comprising a probe filtering unit which is operable to receive probes corresponding to memory lines from the processing nodes and to transmit the probes only to selected ones of the processing nodes with reference to probe filtering information representative of states associated with selected ones of the cache memories. 2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the probe filtering unit corresponds to an additional node interconnected with the plurality of processing nodes via the first point-to-point architecture. 3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the additional node comprises a cache coherence controller, and the probe filtering information comprises a cache coherence directory which includes entries corresponding to memory lines stored in the selected cache memories. 4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of processing nodes comprises a first cluster of processors, the computer system comprising a plurality of clusters of processors including the first cluster, the plurality of clusters being interconnected via a second point-to-point architecture. 5. The computer system of claim 4 further comprising a cache coherence controller on the first point-to-point architecture which is operable to facilitate interconnection of the first cluster with others of the plurality of clusters via the second point-to-point architecture. 6. The computer system of claim 5 wherein the cache coherence controller comprises the probe filtering unit, and the probe filtering information comprises a cache coherence directory. 7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the first point-to-point architecture comprises a HyperTransport architecture. 9. The computer system of claim 1 wherein each of the processing nodes is operable to transmit the probes only to the probe filtering unit. 10. The computer system of claim 9 wherein each of the processing nodes has at least one routing table associated therewith which governs which portions of the first point-to-point architecture the associated processing node employs for communicating with others of the processing nodes, the at least one routing table in each of the processing nodes being configured to direct all of the probes to the probe filtering unit. 11. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the at least one routing table in each of the processing nodes is configured to direct all broadcasts to the probe filtering unit. 12. The computer system of claim 1 wherein each of the processing nodes is programmed to complete a memory transaction after receiving a first number of responses to a first probe, the first number being fewer than the number of processing nodes. 13. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the probe filtering unit has temporary storage associated therewith for holding read response data from one of the cache memories, and the first number is one. 14. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the probe filtering unit is operable to forward read response data to a requesting node before accumulating all probe responses associated with the memory transaction, and the first number is two. 15. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the probe filtering unit is further operable to modify the probes such that the selected processing nodes transmit responses to the probes to the probe filtering unit. 16. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the probe filtering unit is operable to accumulate responses to each probe, and respond to requesting nodes in accordance with the accumulated responses. 17. A probe filtering unit for use in a computer system comprising a plurality of processing nodes interconnected by a first point-to-point architecture, each processing node having a cache memory associated therewith, the probe filtering unit being operable to receive probes corresponding to memory lines from the processing nodes and to transmit the probes only to selected ones of the processing nodes with reference to probe filtering information representative of states associated with selected ones of the cache memories. 18. An integrated circuit comprising the probe filtering unit of claim 17. 19. The integrated circuit of claim 18 wherein the integrated circuit comprises an application-specific integrated circuit. 20. At least one computer-readable medium having data structures stored therein representative of the probe filtering unit of claim 17. 21. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the data structures comprise a simulatable representation of the probe filtering unit. 22. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the simulatable representation comprises a netlist. 23. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the data structures comprise a code description of the probe filtering unit. 24. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the code description corresponds to a hardware description language. 25. A set of semiconductor processing masks representative of at least a portion of the probe filtering unit of claim 17. 26. A computer implemented method for reducing probe traffic in a computer system comprising a plurality of processing nodes interconnected by a first point-to-point architecture, each processing node having a cache memory associated therewith, the method comprising: transmitting a probe from a first one of the processing nodes only to a probe filtering unit, the probe corresponding to a memory line; evaluating the probe with the probe filtering unit to determine whether a valid copy of the memory line is in any of the cache memories, the evaluating being done with reference to probe filtering information associated with the probe filtering unit and representative of states associated with selected ones of the cache memories; transmitting the probe from the probe filtering unit only to selected ones of the processing nodes identified by the evaluating; accumulating probe responses from the selected processing nodes with the probe filtering unit; and responding to the probe from the first processing node only with the probe filtering unit. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/288,347 for METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING PROBE REQUESTS filed on Nov. 4, 2002 (Attorney Docket No. NWISP024), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The subject matter described in the present application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/288,399 for METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING PROBE REQUESTS filed on Nov. 4, 2002 (Attorney Docket No. NWISP025), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to accessing data in a multiple processor system. More specifically, the present invention provides techniques for reducing memory transaction traffic in a multiple processor system. Data access in multiple processor systems can raise issues relating to cache coherency. Conventional multiple processor computer systems have processors coupled to a system memory through a shared bus. In order to optimize access to data in the system memory, individual processors are typically designed to work with cache memory. In one example, each processor has a cache that is loaded with data that the processor frequently accesses. The cache is read or written by a processor. However, cache coherency problems arise because multiple copies of the same data can co-exist in systems having multiple processors and multiple cache memories. For example, a frequently accessed data block corresponding to a memory line may be loaded into the cache of two different processors. In one example, if both processors attempt to write new values into the data block at the same time, different data values may result. One value may be written into the first cache while a different value is written into the second cache. A system might then be unable to determine what value to write through to system memory. A variety of cache coherency mechanisms have been developed to address such problems in multiprocessor systems. One solution is to simply force all processor writes to go through to memory immediately and bypass the associated cache. The write requests can then be serialized before overwriting a system memory line. However, bypassing the cache significantly decreases efficiency gained by using a cache. Other cache coherency mechanisms have been developed for specific architectures. In a shared bus architecture, each processor checks or snoops on the bus to determine whether it can read or write a shared cache block. In one example, a processor only writes an object when it owns or has exclusive access to the object. Each corresponding cache object is then updated to allow processors access to the most recent version of the object. Bus arbitration is used when both processors attempt to write the same shared data block in the same clock cycle. Bus arbitration logic decides which processor gets the bus first. Although, cache coherency mechanisms such as bus arbitration are effective, using a shared bus limits the number of processors that can be implemented in a single system with a single memory space. Other multiprocessor schemes involve individual processor, cache, and memory systems connected to other processors, cache, and memory systems using a network backbone such as Ethernet or Token Ring. Multiprocessor schemes involving separate computer systems each with its own address space can avoid many cache coherency problems because each processor has its own associated memory and cache. When one processor wishes to access data on a remote computing system, communication is explicit. Messages are sent to move data to another processor and messages are received to accept data from another processor using standard network protocols such as TCP/IP. Multiprocessor systems using explicit communication including transactions such as sends and receives are referred to as systems using multiple private memories. By contrast, multiprocessor system using implicit communication including transactions such as loads and stores are referred to herein as using a single address space. Multiprocessor schemes using separate computer systems allow more processors to be interconnected while minimizing cache coherency problems. However, it would take substantially more time to access data held by a remote processor using a network infrastructure than it would take to access data held by a processor coupled to a system bus. Furthermore, valuable network bandwidth would be consumed moving data to the proper processors. This can negatively impact both processor and network performance. Performance limitations have led to the development of a point-to-point architecture for connecting processors in a system with a single memory space. In one example, individual processors can be directly connected to each other through a plurality of point-to-point links to form a cluster of processors. Separate clusters of processors can also be connected. The point-to-point links significantly increase the bandwidth for coprocessing and multiprocessing functions. However, using a point-to-point architecture to connect multiple processors in a multiple cluster system sharing a single memory space presents its own problems. Consequently, it is desirable to provide techniques for improving data access and cache coherency in systems having multiple processors connected using point-to-point links. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, various techniques are provided for reducing traffic relating to memory transactions in multi-processor systems. According to various specific embodiments, a computer system having a plurality of processing nodes interconnected by a first point-to-point architecture is provided. Each processing node has a cache memory associated therewith. A probe filtering unit is operable to receive probes corresponding to memory lines from the processing nodes and to transmit the probes only to selected ones of the processing nodes with reference to probe filtering information. The probe filtering information is representative of states associated with selected ones of the cache memories. According to other embodiments, methods and apparatus are provided for reducing probe traffic in a computer system comprising a plurality of processing nodes interconnected by a first point-to-point architecture. A probe corresponding to a memory line is transmitted from a first one of the processing nodes only to a probe filtering unit. The probe is evaluated with the probe filtering unit to determine whether a valid copy of the memory line is in any of the cache memories. The evaluation is done with reference to probe filtering information associated with the probe filtering unit and representative of states associated with selected ones of the cache memories. The probe is transmitted from the probe filtering unit only to selected ones of the processing nodes identified by the evaluating. Probe responses from the selected processing nodes are accumulated by the probe filtering unit. Only the probe filtering unit responds to the first processing node. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative of specific embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrammatic representation depicting a system having multiple clusters. FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a cluster having a plurality of processors. FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a cache coherence controller. FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation showing a transaction flow for a data access request from a processor in a single cluster. FIG. 5A-5D are diagrammatic representations showing cache coherence controller functionality. FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic representation depicting a transaction flow for a request with multiple probe responses. FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic representation showing a cache coherence directory. FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation showing probe filter information that can be used to reduce the number of probes transmitted to various clusters. FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic representation showing a transaction flow for probing of a home cluster without probing of other clusters. FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic representation showing a transaction flow for probing of a single remote cluster. FIG. 11 is a flow process diagram showing the handling of a request with probe filter information. FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic representation showing memory controller filter information. FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic representation showing a transaction flow for probing a single remote cluster without probing a home cluster. FIG. 14 is a flow process diagram showing the handling of a request at a home cluster cache coherence controller using memory controller filter information. FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic representation showing a transaction flow for a cache coherence directory eviction of an entry corresponding to a dirty memory line. FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic representation showing a transaction flow for a cache coherence directory eviction of an entry corresponding to a clean memory line. FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic representation of a cache coherence controller according to a specific embodiment of the invention. FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic representation of a cluster having a plurality of processing nodes and a probe filtering unit. FIG. 19 is an exemplary representation of a processing node. FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating local probe filtering according to a specific embodiment of the invention. FIG. 21 is a diagrammatic representation of a transaction flow in which local probe filtering is facilitated according to a specific embodiment of the invention. FIG. 22 is a diagrammatic representation of another transaction flow in which local probe filtering is facilitated according to a specific embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to some specific embodiments of the invention including the best modes contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention. Examples of these specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention is described in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the described embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Multi-processor architectures having point-to-point communication among their processors are suitable for implementing specific embodiments of the present invention. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. Well-known process operations have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. Furthermore, the present application's reference to a particular singular entity includes that possibility that the methods and apparatus of the present invention can be implemented using more than one entity, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. According to various embodiments, techniques are provided for increasing data access efficiency in a multiple processor system. In a point-to-point architecture, a cluster of processors includes multiple processors directly connected to each other through point-to-point links. By using point-to-point links instead of a conventional shared bus or external network, multiple processors are used efficiently in a system sharing the same memory space. Processing and network efficiency are also improved by avoiding many of the bandwidth and latency limitations of conventional bus and external network based multiprocessor architectures. According to various embodiments, however, linearly increasing the number of processors in a point-to-point architecture leads to an exponential increase in the number of links used to connect the multiple processors. In order to reduce the number of links used and to further modularize a multiprocessor system using a point-to-point architecture, multiple clusters may be used. According to some embodiments, multiple processor clusters are interconnected using a point-to-point architecture. Each cluster of processors includes a cache coherence controller used to handle communications between clusters. In one embodiment, the point-to-point architecture used to connect processors are used to connect clusters as well. By using a cache coherence controller, multiple cluster systems can be built using processors that may not necessarily support multiple clusters. Such a multiple cluster system can be built by using a cache coherence controller to represent non-local nodes in local transactions so that local nodes do not need to be aware of the existence of nodes outside of the local cluster. More detail on the cache coherence controller will be provided below. In a single cluster system, cache coherency can be maintained by sending all data access requests through a serialization point. Any mechanism for ordering data access requests (also referred to herein as requests and memory requests) is referred to herein as a serialization point. One example of a serialization point is a memory controller. Various processors in the single cluster system send data access requests to one or more memory controllers. In one example, each memory controller is configured to serialize or lock the data access requests so that only one data access request for a given memory line is allowed at any particular time. If another processor attempts to access the same memory line, the data access attempt is blocked until the memory line is unlocked. The memory controller allows cache coherency to be maintained in a multiple processor, single cluster system. A serialization point can also be used in a multiple processor, multiple cluster system where the processors in the various clusters share a single address space. By using a single address space, internal point-to-point links can be used to significantly improve intercluster communication over traditional external network based multiple cluster systems. Various processors in various clusters send data access requests to a memory controller associated with a particular cluster such as a home cluster. The memory controller can similarly serialize all data requests from the different clusters. However, a serialization point in a multiple processor, multiple cluster system may not be as efficient as a serialization point in a multiple processor, single cluster system. That is, delay resulting from factors such as latency from transmitting between clusters can adversely affect the response times for various data access requests. It should be noted that delay also results from the use of probes in a multiple processor environment. Although delay in intercluster transactions in an architecture using a shared memory space is significantly less than the delay in conventional message passing environments using external networks such as Ethernet or Token Ring, even minimal delay is a significant factor. In some applications, there may be millions of data access requests from a processor in a fraction of a second. Any delay can adversely impact processor performance. According to various embodiments, probe management is used to increase the efficiency of accessing data in a multiple processor, multiple cluster system. A mechanism for eliciting a response from a node to maintain cache coherency in a system is referred to herein as a probe. In one example, a mechanism for snooping a cache is referred to as a probe. A response to a probe can be directed to the source or target of the initiating request. Any mechanism for filtering or reducing the number of probes and requests transmitted to various nodes is referred to herein as managing probes. In one example, managing probes entails characterizing a request to determine if a probe can be transmitted to a reduced number of entities. In typical implementations, requests are sent to a memory controller that broadcasts probes to various nodes in a system. In such a system, no knowledge of the cache line state needs to be maintained by the memory controller. All nodes in the system are probed and the request cluster receives a response from each node. In a system with a coherence directory, state information associated with various memory lines can be used to reduce the number of transactions. Any mechanism for maintaining state information associated with various memory lines is referred to herein as a coherence directory. According to some embodiments, a coherence directory includes information for memory lines in a local cluster that are cached in a remote cluster. According to others, such a directory includes information for locally cached lines. According to various embodiments, a coherence directory is used to reduce the number of probes to remote quads by inferring the state of local caches. According to some embodiments, such a directory mechanism is used in a single cluster system or within a cluster in a multi-cluster system to reduce the number of probes within a cluster. FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic representation of one example of a multiple cluster, multiple processor system that can use the techniques of the present invention. Each processing cluster 101, 103, 105, and 107 can include a plurality of processors. The processing clusters 101, 103, 105, and 107 are connected to each other through point-to-point links 111a-f. In one embodiment, the multiple processors in the multiple cluster architecture shown in FIG. 1A share the same memory space. In this example, the point-to-point links 111a-f are internal system connections that are used in place of a traditional front-side bus to connect the multiple processors in the multiple clusters 101, 103, 105, and 107. The point-to-point links may support any point-to-point protocol. FIG. 1B is a diagrammatic representation of another example of a multiple cluster, multiple processor system that can use the techniques of the present invention. Each processing cluster 121, 123, 125, and 127 can be coupled to a switch 131 through point-to-point links 141a-d. It should be noted that using a switch and point-to-point links allows implementation with fewer point-to-point links when connecting multiple clusters in the system. A switch 131 can include a processor with a coherence protocol interface. According to various implementations, a multicluster system shown in FIG. 1A is expanded using a switch 131 as shown in FIG. 1B. FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a multiple processor cluster, such as the cluster 101 shown in FIG. 1A. Cluster 200 includes processors 202a-202d, one or more Basic I/O systems (BIOS) 204, a memory subsystem comprising memory banks 206a-206d, point-to-point communication links 208a-208e, and a service processor 212. The point-to-point communication links are configured to allow interconnections between processors 202a-202d, I/O switch 210, and cache coherence controller 230. The service processor 212 is configured to allow communications with processors 202a-202d, I/O switch 210, and cache coherence controller 230 via a JTAG interface represented in FIG. 2 by links 214a-214f. It should be noted that other interfaces are supported. It should also be noted that in some implementations, a service processor is not included in multiple processor clusters. I/O switch 210 connects the rest of the system to I/O adapters 216 and 220. It should further be noted that the terms node and processor are often used interchangeably herein. However, it should be understood that according to various implementations, a node (e.g., processors 202a-202d) may comprise multiple sub-units, e.g., CPUs, memory controllers, I/O bridges, etc. According to specific embodiments, the service processor of the present invention has the intelligence to partition system resources according to a previously specified partitioning schema. The partitioning can be achieved through direct manipulation of routing tables associated with the system processors by the service processor which is made possible by the point-to-point communication infrastructure. The routing tables are used to control and isolate various system resources, the connections between which are defined therein. The processors 202a-d are also coupled to a cache coherence controller 230 through point-to-point links 232a-d. Any mechanism or apparatus that can be used to provide communication between multiple processor clusters while maintaining cache coherence is referred to herein as a cache coherence controller. The cache coherence controller 230 can be coupled to cache coherence controllers associated with other multiprocessor clusters. It should be noted that there can be more than one cache coherence controller in one cluster. The cache coherence controller 230 communicates with both processors 202a-d as well as remote clusters using a point-to-point protocol. More generally, it should be understood that the specific architecture shown in FIG. 2 is merely exemplary and that embodiments of the present invention are contemplated having different configurations and resource interconnections, and a variety of alternatives for each of the system resources shown. However, for purpose of illustration, specific details of server 200 will be assumed. For example, most of the resources shown in FIG. 2 are assumed to reside on a single electronic assembly. In addition, memory banks 206a-206d may comprise double data rate (DDR) memory which is physically provided as dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs). I/O adapter 216 may be, for example, an ultra direct memory access (UDMA) controller or a small computer system interface (SCSI) controller which provides access to a permanent storage device. I/O adapter 220 may be an Ethernet card adapted to provide communications with a network such as, for example, a local area network (LAN) or the Internet. According to a specific embodiment and as shown in FIG. 2, both of I/O adapters 216 and 220 provide symmetric 1/0 access. That is, each provides access to equivalent sets of I/O. As will be understood, such a configuration would facilitate a partitioning scheme in which multiple partitions have access to the same types of I/O. However, it should also be understood that embodiments are envisioned in which partitions without I/O are created. For example, a partition including one or more processors and associated memory resources, i.e., a memory complex, could be created for the purpose of testing the memory complex. According to one embodiment, service processor 212 is a Motorola MPC855T microprocessor which includes integrated chipset functions. The cache coherence controller 230 is an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) supporting the local point-to-point coherence protocol. The cache coherence controller 230 can also be configured to handle a non-coherent protocol to allow communication with I/O devices. In one embodiment, the cache coherence controller 230 is a specially configured programmable chip such as a programmable logic device or a field programmable gate array. FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of one example of a cache coherence controller 230. According to various embodiments, the cache coherence controller includes a protocol engine 305 configured to handle packets such as probes and requests received from processors in various clusters of a multiprocessor system. The functionality of the protocol engine 305 can be partitioned across several engines to improve performance. In one example, partitioning is done based on packet type (request, probe and response), direction (incoming and outgoing), or transaction flow (request flows, probe flows, etc). The protocol engine 305 has access to a pending buffer 309 that allows the cache coherence controller to track transactions such as recent requests and probes and associate the transactions with specific processors. Transaction information maintained in the pending buffer 309 can include transaction destination nodes, the addresses of requests for subsequent collision detection and protocol optimizations, response information, tags, and state information. The cache coherence controller has an interface such as a coherent protocol interface 307 that allows the cache coherence controller to communicate with other processors in the cluster as well as external processor clusters. The cache coherence controller can also include other interfaces such as a non-coherent protocol interface 311 for communicating with I/O devices. According to various embodiments, each interface 307 and 311 is implemented either as a full crossbar or as separate receive and transmit units using components such as multiplexers and buffers. It should be noted, however, that the cache coherence controller 230 does not necessarily need to provide both coherent and non-coherent interfaces. It should also be noted that a cache coherence controller in one cluster can communicate with a cache coherence controller in another cluster. FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation showing the transactions for a cache request from a processor in a system having a single cluster without using a cache coherence controller or other probe management mechanism. A processor 401-1 sends an access request such as a read memory line request to a memory controller 403-1. The memory controller 403-1 may be associated with this processor, another processor in the single cluster or may be a separate component such as an ASIC or specially configured Programmable Logic Device (PLD). To preserve cache coherence, only one processor is typically allowed to access a memory line corresponding to a shared address space at anyone given time. To prevent other processors from attempting to access the same memory line, the memory line can be locked by the memory controller 403-1. All other requests to the same memory line are blocked or queued. Access by another processor is typically only allowed when the memory controller 403-1 unlocks the memory line. The memory controller 403-1 then sends probes to the local cache memories 405, 407, and 409 to determine cache states. The local cache memories 405, 407, and 409 then in turn send probe responses to the same processor 401-2. The memory controller 403-1 also sends an access response such as a read response to the same processor 401-3. The processor 401-3 can then send a done response to the memory controller 403-2 to allow the memory controller 403-2 to unlock the memory line for subsequent requests. It should be noted that CPU 401-1, CPU 401-2, and CPU 401-3 refer to the same processor. FIGS. 5A-5D are diagrammatic representations depicting cache coherence controller operation. The use of a cache coherence controller in multiprocessor clusters allows the creation of a multiprocessor, multicluster coherent domain without affecting the functionality of local nodes in each cluster. In some instances, processors may only support a protocol that allows for a limited number of processors in a single cluster without allowing for multiple clusters. The cache coherence controller can be used to allow multiple clusters by making local processors believe that the non-local nodes are merely a one or more local nodes embodied in the cache coherence controller. In one example, the processors in a cluster do not need to be aware of processors in other clusters. Instead, the processors in the cluster communicate with the cache coherence controller as though the cache coherence controller were representing all non-local nodes. In addition, although generally a node may correspond to one or a plurality of resources (including, for example, a processor), it should be noted that the terms node and processor are often used interchangeably herein. According to a particular implementation, a node comprises multiple sub-units, e.g., CPUs, memory controllers, I/O bridges, etc. It should be noted that nodes in a remote cluster will be referred to herein as non-local nodes or as remote nodes. However, non-local nodes refer to nodes not in a request cluster generally and includes nodes in both a remote cluster and nodes in a home cluster. A cluster from which a data access or cache access request originates is referred to herein as a request cluster. A cluster containing a serialization point is referred to herein as a home cluster. Other clusters are referred to as remote clusters. The home cluster and the remote cluster are also referred to herein as non-local clusters. FIG. 5A shows the cache coherence controller acting as an aggregate remote cache. When a processor 501-1 generates a data access request to a local memory controller 503-1, the cache coherence controller 509 accepts the probe from the local memory controller 503-1 and forwards it to non-local node portion 511. It should be noted that a coherence protocol can contain several types of messages. In one example, a coherence protocol includes four types of messages; data or cache access requests, probes, responses or probe responses, and data packets. Data or cache access requests usually target the home node memory controller. Probes are used to query each cache in the system. The probe packet can carry information that allows the caches to properly transition the cache state for a specified line. Responses are used to carry probe response information and to allow nodes to inform other nodes of the state of a given transaction. Data packets carry request data for both write requests and read responses. According to various embodiments, the memory address resides at the local memory controller. As noted above, nodes including processors and cache coherence controllers outside of a local cluster are referred to herein as non-local nodes. The cache coherence controller 509 then accumulates the response from the non-local nodes and sends a single response in the same manner that local nodes associated with cache blocks 505 and 507 send a single response to processor 501-2. Local processors may expect a single probe response for every local node probed. The use of a cache coherence controller allows the local processors to operate without concern as to whether non-local nodes exist. It should also be noted that components such as processor 501-1 and processor 501-2 refer herein to the same component at different points in time during a transaction sequence. For example, processor 501-1 can initiate a data access request and the same processor 501-2 can later receive probe responses resulting from the request. FIG. 5B shows the cache coherence controller acting as a probing agent pair. When the cache coherence controller 521-1 receives a probe from non-local nodes 531, the cache coherence controller 521-1 accepts the probe and forwards the probe to local nodes associated with cache blocks 523, 525, and 527. The cache coherence controller 521-2 then forwards a final response to the non-local node portion 531. In this example, the cache coherence controller is both the source and the destination of the probes. The local nodes associated with cache blocks 523, 525, and 527 behave as if the cache coherence controller were a local processor with a local memory request. FIG. 5C shows the cache coherence controller acting as a remote memory. When a local processor 541-1 generates an access request that targets remote memory, the cache coherence controller 543-1 forwards the request to the non-local nodes 553. When the remote request specifies local probing, the cache coherence controller 543-1 generates probes to local nodes and the probed nodes provide responses to the processor 541-2. Once the cache coherence controller 543-1 has received data from the non-local node portion 553, it forwards a read response to the processor 541-3. The cache coherence controller also forwards the final response to the remote memory controller associated with non-local nodes 553. FIG. 5D shows the cache coherence controller acting as a remote processor. When the cache coherence controller 561-1 at a first cluster receives a request from a processor in a second cluster, the cache coherence controller acts as a first cluster processor on behalf of the second cluster processor. The cache coherence controller 561-1 accepts the request from portion 575 and forwards it to a memory controller 563-1. The cache coherence controller 561-2 then accumulates all probe responses as well as the data fetched and forwards the final response to the memory controller 563-2 as well as to non-local nodes 575. By allowing the cache coherence controller to act as an aggregate remote cache, probing agent pair, remote memory, and remote processor, multiple cluster systems can be built using processors that may not necessarily support multiple clusters. The cache coherence controller can be used to represent non-local nodes in local transactions so that local nodes do not need to be aware of the existence of nodes outside of the local cluster. FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic representation depicting the transactions for a data request from a local processor sent to a non-local cluster using a cache coherence controller. The multicluster system includes a request cluster 600, a home cluster 620, and a remote cluster 640. As noted above, the home cluster 620 and the remote cluster 640 as well as any other clusters excluding the request cluster 600 are referred to herein as non-local clusters. Processors and cache coherence controllers associated with local and non-local clusters are similarly referred to herein as local processors, local cache coherence controllers, non-local processors, and non-local cache coherence controllers, respectively. According to various embodiments, processor 601-1 in a local cluster 600 sends a data access request such as a read request to a cache coherence controller 603-1. The cache coherence controller 603-1 tracks the transaction in the pending buffer of FIG. 3 and forwards the request to a cache coherence controller 621 -1 in a home cluster 620. The cache coherence controller 621-1 at the home cluster 620 receives the access request and tracks the request in its pending buffer. In one example, information associated with the requests are stored in the pending buffer. The cache coherence controller 621-1 forwards the access request to a memory controller 623-1 also associated with the home cluster 620. At this point, the memory controller 623-1 locks the memory line associated with the request. In one example, the memory line is a unique address in the memory space shared by the multiple processors in the request cluster 600, home cluster 620, and the remote cluster 640. The memory controller 623-1 generates a probe associated with the data access request and forwards the probe to local nodes associated with cache blocks 625 and 627 as well as to cache coherence controller 621-2. It should be noted that although messages associated with requests, probes, responses, and data are described as forwarded from one node to another, the messages themselves may contain variations. In one example, alterations are made to the messages to allow the multiple cluster architecture to be transparent to various local nodes. It should be noted that write requests can be handled as well. In write requests, the targeted memory controller gathers responses and sends the responses to the processor when gathering is complete. The cache coherence controller 641-1 associated with the remote cluster 640 receives a probe from cache coherence controller 621-2 and probes local nodes associated with cache blocks 645, 647, and 649. Similarly, the cache coherence controller 603-2 associated with the request cluster 600 receives a probe and forwards the probe to local nodes associated with cache blocks 605, 607, and 609 to probe the cache blocks in the request cluster 600. Processor 601-2 receives probe responses from the local nodes associated with cache blocks 605, 607, and 609. According to various embodiments, cache coherence controller 621-3 accumulates probe responses and sends the probe responses to cache coherence controller 603-3, which in turn forwards the probe responses to the processor 601-3. Cache coherence controller 621-4 also sends a read response to cache coherence controller 603-4, which forwards the read response to processor 601-4. While probes and probe responses carry information for maintaining cache coherency in the system, read responses can carry actual fetched data. After receiving the fetched data, processor 601-4 may send a source done response to cache coherence controller 603-5. According to various embodiments, the transaction is now complete at the requesting cluster 600. Cache coherence controller 603-5 forwards the source done message to cache coherence controller 621-5. Cache coherence controller 621-5 in turn sends a source done message to memory controller 623-2. Upon receiving the source done message, the memory controller 623-2 can unlock the memory line and the transaction at the home cluster 620 is now complete. Another processor can now access the unlocked memory line. It should be noted that because the cache coherence controller 621-3 waits for remote cluster probe responses before sending a probe response to cache coherence controller 603-3, delay is introduced into the system. According to various embodiments, probe responses are gathered at cache coherence controller 603-3. By having remote clusters send probe responses through a home cluster, both home cluster probe responses and remote cluster probe responses can be delayed at the home cache coherence controller. In one example, remote cluster probe responses have to travel an additional hop in order to reach a request cluster. The latency for transmission of a probe response between a remote cluster and a request cluster may be substantially less than the latency for transmission of a probe response between a remote cluster and a request cluster through a home cluster. Home cluster probe responses are also delayed as a result of this added hop. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the specific transaction sequences involving requests, probes, and response messages can vary depending on the specific implementation. In one example, a cache coherence controller 621-3 may wait to receive a read response message from a memory controller 623-1 before transmitting both a probe response message and a read response message to a cache coherence controller 603-3. In other examples, a cache coherence controller may be the actual processor generating the request. Some processors may operate as both a processor and as a cache coherence controller. Furthermore, various data access request messages, probes, and responses associated with reads and writes are contemplated. As noted above, any message for snooping a cache can be referred to as a probe. Similarly, any message for indicating to the memory controller that a memory line should be unlocked can be referred to as a source done message. It should be noted that the transactions shown in FIG. 6 show examples of cache coherence controllers performing many different functions, including functions of remote processors, aggregate local caches, probing agent pairs, and remote memory as described with reference to FIGS. 5A-5D. The cache coherence controller 621-1 at the home cluster 620 is acting as a remote processor. When the cache coherence controller receives a request from a request cluster processor, the cache coherence controller is directed to act as the requesting processor on behalf of the request cluster processor. In this case, the cache coherence controller 621-1 accepts a forwarded request from processor 601-1 and sends it to the memory controller 623-1, accumulates responses from all local nodes and the memory controller 623-1, and forwards the accumulated responses and data back to the requesting processor 601-3. The cache coherence controller 621-5 also forwards a source done to the local memory controller 623-2. The cache coherence controller 603-1 at the request cluster 600 is acting as a remote memory. As remote memory, the cache coherence controller is designed to forward a request from a processor to a proper remote cluster and ensure that local nodes are probed. In this case, the cache coherence controller 603-1 forwards a probe to cache coherence controller 621-1 at a home cluster 620. Cache coherence controller 603-2 also probes local nodes 605, 607, and 609. The cache coherence controller 641-1 at the request cluster 640 is acting as a probing agent pair. As noted above, when a cache coherence controller acting as a probing agent pair receives a probe from a remote cluster, the cache coherence controller accepts the probe and forwards it to all local nodes. The cache coherence controller accumulates the responses and sends a final response back to the request cluster. Here, the cache coherence controller 641-1 sends a probe to local nodes associated with cache blocks 645, 647, and 649, gathers probe responses and sends the probe responses to cache coherence controller 621-3 at home cluster 620. Similarly, cache coherence controller 603-2 also acts as a probing agent pair at a request cluster 600. The cache coherence controller 603-2 forwards probes to local nodes including local nodes associated with cache blocks 605, 607, and 609. The cache coherence controller 621-2 and 621-3 is also acting as an aggregate remote cache. The cache coherence controller 621-2 is responsible for accepting the probe from the memory controller 623-1 and forwarding the probe to the other processor clusters 600 and 640. More specifically, the cache coherence controller 621-2 forwards the probe to cache coherence controller 603-2 corresponding to request cluster 600 and to cache coherence controller 641-1 corresponding to remote cluster 640. As noted above, using a multiple cluster architecture may introduce delay as well as other undesirable elements such as increased traffic and processing overhead. Probes are transmitted to all clusters in the multiple cluster system even though not all clusters need to be probed. For example, if a memory line associated with a request is invalid or absent from cache, it may not be necessary to probe all of the caches associated with the various clusters. In a system without a coherence directory, it is typically necessary to snoop all clusters. However, by using a coherence directory, the number of transactions in the system can be reduced by probing only a subset of the clusters (or nodes) in a system in order to minimize traffic and processing overhead. By using a coherence directory, global memory line state information (with respect to each cluster) can be maintained and accessed by a memory controller or a cache coherence controller in a particular cluster. According to various embodiments, the coherence directory tracks and manages the distribution of probes as well as the receipt of responses. If coherence directory information indicates that probing of a specific cluster is not required, the probe to the specific cluster can be eliminated. In one example, a coherence directory indicates that probing of requesting and remote clusters is not necessary. A cache coherence controller in a home cluster probes local nodes without forwarding probes to the request and remote clusters. The cache coherence controller in the home cluster then sends a response to the request cluster after probe responses are received. However, in typical multiple cluster systems, a requesting cluster expects a predetermined number of responses from the various probed clusters. In one example, if the multiple cluster system includes four clusters, a request cluster would expect probe responses associated with nodes in all four clusters. According to various embodiments, the techniques of the present invention provide a completion bit associated with a probe response. The completion bit indicates to the requesting cluster that no other probe responses from other clusters should be expected. Any mechanisms for notifying a request cluster that no other probe responses should be expected from other clusters is referred to herein as a completion indicator. In one example, a completion indicator is a completion bit included in the response sent to a request cluster after local nodes are probed. In another example, a completion indicator is separate data transmitted to a request cluster. By using a coherence directory and a completion indicator, the number of transactions associated with probing various clusters can be reduced. For example, with reference to FIG. 6, probes to cache coherence controller 603-2 and cache coherence controller 641-1 can be eliminated. A single response with a completion indicator can be transmitted by cache coherence controller 621-4 to the request cluster 600. FIG. 7 is one example of a coherence directory that can be used to allow management and filtering of probes. Various coherence directories are available. In one example, a full directory provides an entry for every memory line in a system. In this example, the coherence directory is maintained at the memory controller and is accessible by a cache coherence controller. However, in a system with a large amount of system memory, a full directory may not be efficient or practical. According to various embodiments, a sparse directory is provided with a limited number of entries associated with a selected set of memory lines. In one example, the coherence directory 701 includes state information 713, dirty data owner information 715, and an occupancy vector 717 associated with the memory lines 711. In some embodiments, the memory line states are modified, owned, shared, and invalid. In the invalid state, a memory line is not currently available in cache associated with any remote cluster. In the shared state, a memory line may be present in more than one cache, but the memory line has not been modified in any of these caches. When a memory line is in the shared state, an occupancy vector 717 can be checked to determine what caches share the relevant data. An occupancy vector 717 may be implemented as an N-bit string, where each bit represents the availability of the data in the cache of N clusters. Any mechanism for tracking what clusters hold a copy of the relevant memory line in cache is referred to herein as an occupancy vector. The memory line with address 741 is in the shared state, and the occupancy vector 717 indicates that clusters 1 and 3 each have a copy of the shared memory line in cache. In the modified state, a memory line has been modified and the modified copy exists in cache associated with a particular cluster. When a memory line is modified, dirty data owner information field 715 can be checked to determine the owner of the dirty data. Any mechanism for indicating what cluster owns a modified copy of the memory line in cache is referred to herein as a dirty data owner information field. In one example, the memory line associated with address 781 is modified, and the dirty data owner field 715 indicates that cluster 2 owns the memory line. In the owned state, a dirty memory line is owned by a single cache but may be resident in multiple caches. In this case, the copy held in memory is stale. If the memory line is in the owned state, dirty data owner field 715 can be accessed to determine which cluster owns the dirty data. In one example, the memory line associated with address 761 is in the owned state and is owned by cluster 4. The occupancy vector 717 can also be checked to determine what other caches may have the relevant data. In this example, the occupancy vector 717 indicates that clusters 2, 3, and 4 each have a copy of the data associated with the memory line in cache. Although the coherence directory 701 includes the four states of modified, owned, shared, and invalid, it should be noted that particular implementations may use a different set of states. In one example, a system may have the five states of modified, exclusive, owned, shared, and invalid. The techniques of the present invention can be used with a variety of different possible memory line states. The coherence directory tracks the various transactions such as requests and responses in a multiple cluster system to determine when memory lines are added to the coherence directory, when memory lines are removed from the directory, and when information associated with each memory line is updated. By using the coherence directory, specific embodiments of the present invention recognize that the number of transactions such as probes can be reduced by managing or filtering probes that do not need to be sent to specific clusters. In addition, some embodiments employ this notion to manage or filter probes within a single cluster. FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation showing probe filter information that can be used to reduce the number of transactions in a multiple or single cluster system. Any criterion that can be used to reduce the number of clusters or nodes probed is referred to herein as probe filter information. Transactions such as probes can have a variety of characteristics. Characteristics of the probe include the next state of the memory line associated with the probe which indicates the type of the associated request for instance whether the probe is a read block (read) 823 or a read block modify (read/write) 825. According to various embodiments, a coherence directory maintains information for memory lines in the local cluster that are cached in non-local clusters, where non-local clusters can include request and remote clusters. According to other embodiments, such a directory includes information about locally cached lines. If the state of the memory line associated with a probe is invalid 831 as indicated in the coherence directory, no copies of the memory line reside in other clusters (or other nodes for single cluster embodiments). Consequently, only the home cluster needs to be probed and a completion bit can be used to indicate to a request cluster that the request cluster should expect only a single response from home cluster instead of a response from each of the clusters. If the memory line associated with the probe is in the shared state 833, and the transaction is a read transaction, only the home cluster needs to be probed and a completion bit can again be used to indicate to the request cluster that only a single response from home cluster should be expected (803). For read transactions on owned memory lines, only the remote cluster with the line cached in the owned state needs to be probed. The remote cluster can transmit the response with a completion bit back to a request cluster. For transactions on modified memory lines, the probe can be sent to the remote cluster with the line cached in the modified state. Although transactions such as read block (read) and read block modify (read/write) are described, it should be noted that other transactions such as test and test and set are contemplated. FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic representation depicting one example of transactions for probing only a home cluster as indicated in entries 801, 809, and 803 in FIG. 8. According to various embodiments, processor 901-1 in a local cluster 900 sends a data access request such as a read request to a cache coherence controller 903-1. The cache coherence controller 903-1 forwards the request to a cache coherence controller 921-1 in a home cluster 920. The cache coherence controller 921-1 at the home cluster 920 receives the access request and forwards the access request to a memory controller 923-1, which then probes local nodes 925, 927, and cache coherence controller 921-2. It should be noted that a cache coherence controller 921-1 is typically responsible for updating the coherence directory during various transactions. The cache coherence controller 921-2 determines characteristics associated with the probe from the memory controller 923-1 to determine whether remote probes are needed and whether a completion bit can be used. Here, the cache coherence controller 921-2 determines that no remote probes are needed and does not forward probes to the remote cluster 940 or to request cluster 900. After cache coherence controller 921-4 receives the probe responses from local nodes as well as the read response from the memory controller 923-1, the response message with a completion indicator is transmitted to the request cluster. With the completion indicator, the request cluster does not wait for additional responses from other clusters. The coherence controller 903-4 forwards the response with the completion bit set to CPU 901-4. After receiving the response with the completion bit set, the CPU does not wait for additional responses from the local caches. CPU 901-4 forwards a source done message to cache coherence controller 903-5 to home cluster cache coherence controller 921-5, which can then perform updates of its coherence directory. The source done is then forwarded to memory controller 923-1. FIG. 9 shows one example of a sequence where only the home cluster needs to be probed. FIG. 10 shows one example of a sequence where only a single remote cluster needs to be probed. FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic representation depicting an example of transactions for probing a remote cluster as indicated in entries 805, 807, and 815 in FIG. 8. According to various embodiments, processor 1001-1 in a local cluster 1000 sends a data access request such as a read request to a cache coherence controller 1003-1. The cache coherence controller 1003-1 forwards the request to a cache coherence controller 1021-1 in a home cluster 1020. The cache coherence controller 1021-1 at the home cluster 1020 receives the access request and forwards the access request to a memory controller 1023-1, which then probes local nodes 1025, 1027, and cache coherence controller 1021-2. The cache coherence controller 1021-2 determines characteristics associated with the probe from the memory controller 1023-1 to determine whether remote probes are needed and whether a completion bit can be used. Here, the cache coherence controller 1021-2 determines that only a remote cluster needs to be probed and does not forward a probe to request cluster 1000. After cache coherence controller 1021-4 receives the probes from local nodes as well as the read response from the memory controller 1023-1, a response message is not transmitted to the request cluster because the remote cluster is sending a response message with a completion indicator is transmitted to the request cluster. With the completion indicator, the request cluster does not wait for additional responses from other clusters. The response is forwarded to CPU 1001-4 and a source done message is sent from cache coherence controller 1003-5 to home cluster cache coherence controller 1021-5. With the completion bit set in the response to CPU 1001-4, it does not wait for any other local responses. After all responses from local nodes are received, the source done is then forwarded to memory controller 1023-1, which can then perform updates of its coherence directory. FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram showing one example of a technique for handling requests at a home cache coherence controller. At 1101, a request associated with a memory line is received. At 1105, the cache coherence controller forwards the request to the memory controller. At 1109, the cache coherence controller receives a probe from the memory controller and accesses a coherence directory and probe filter information at 1113 to determine whether the number of probes to various clusters in the system can be reduced. At 1121, it is determined whether filtering and a completion indicator can be used. In one example, it is determined the filtering and a completion indicator can be used by identifying the criteria specified in FIG. 8 and by accessing a coherence directory as shown in FIG. 7. If a completion indicator cannot be used, probes are broadcast to the various nodes with no filtering and no completion bit 1145. If filtering and a completion indicator can be used, it is determined at 1131 if a remote cluster should be probed. If a single remote cluster is the cluster that should be probed, the probe is forwarded with the completion indicator to the remote cluster at 1135. At 1139, home cluster probe responses are received but are not forwarded to the request cluster. The response is not sent to the request cluster from home cluster because a remote cluster is sending a response with a completion indicator to the request cluster. At 1149, source done information is received from the request cluster and forwarded to the memory controller. If it is determined at 1131 that only the home cluster needs to be probed, then the cache coherence controller at 1141 does not send probes to any request or remote clusters and instead sends a response to the request cluster with a completion indicator. The cache coherence controller sends the response with the completion indicator after receiving home cluster probe responses. At 1149, the cache coherence controller at the home cluster receives source done information from the request cluster and forwards the source done information to the memory controller. According to various embodiments, when the only cluster that needs to be probed is the home cluster, only the nodes in the home cluster are probed. No probes are transmitted to any request or remote cluster. However, when the only cluster that needs to be probed is a remote or request cluster, not only are the nodes in the remote cluster probed, but the nodes in the home cluster are probed as well. As will be seen, in some embodiments, the nodes within a home cluster may be filtered using probe filter information corresponding to locally cached lines. According to various embodiments, the techniques of the present invention provide that when only a remote or request cluster needs to be probed, the memory controller can sometimes be bypassed to allow probing of only the remote or request cluster. In one example, a probe is not forwarded within the home cluster and a probe is forwarded directly to the remote cluster from the home cluster cache coherence controller. FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic representation showing exemplary memory controller filter information. Any criterion used to reduce the number of requests forwarded to a memory controller is referred to herein as memory controller filter information. Characteristics of a request can again be analyzed when a cache coherence controller receives the request from a request cluster. Requests can have a variety of characteristics. Some characteristics include whether the request is a read block (read) 1223 or a read block modify (read/write) 1225. When the state of the memory line associated with the request is invalid 1231, no remote probes are required because no remote clusters have a copy of the memory line in cache. In some embodiments, the cache coherence controller does not maintain knowledge of the home cluster cache state. In such cases, the request is forwarded to the memory controller. In other embodiments, the cache coherence controller does maintain such information and uses it to reduce the number of nodes probed within the home cluster. For read block transactions on a shared memory line 1203, there is no need to probe the remote clusters as the home cluster contains a valid copy of the memory line in either cache or the memory controller. Consequently the request is forwarded to the memory controller. For read block modify transactions on shared memory lines 1211, the local node state is unknown and the request is sent to the memory controller. For read block transactions on an owned memory line 1205, there is no need to send a request to the target or probe local nodes as the owned state implies that the home cluster caches are invalid or shared. A probe is forwarded directly to the owning cluster to acquire the cached data. For read block write transactions on an owned memory line 1213, the local state is unknown and consequently the request is forwarded to the memory controller. When the state of the memory line associated with the request is modified 1237, there is no need to probe local nodes, as a modified state implies the home cluster state is invalid. A probe is forwarded to the cluster owning the memory line. FIG. 13 shows one example of a sequence where a request does not need to be forwarded to the home cluster memory controller. According to various embodiments, processor 1301-1 in a local cluster 1300 sends a data access request such as a read request to a cache coherence controller 1303-1. The cache coherence controller 1303-1 forwards the request to a cache coherence controller 1321-1 in a home cluster 1320. The cache coherence controller 1321-1 at the home cluster 1320 receives the access request and determines whether the memory controller can be bypassed. Forwarding a probe to a remote or request cluster without forwarding the request to a memory controller is referred to herein as bypassing the memory controller. In one embodiment, the determination can be made by using memory controller filter information. If the probe characteristics fall within entries 1205, 1207, or 1215, the memory controller is bypassed and a probe is sent to cache coherence controller 1341-1 in the remote cluster 1340. In one example, the probe is forwarded with an indication that a completion bit should be used. The cache coherence controller 1321-1 in the home cluster 1320 is acting as a serialization point in place of the memory controller to maintain cache coherency. Once it is determined that the memory controller can be bypassed, the cache coherence controller 1321-1 blocks all other incoming requests and outgoing probes until a final source done is received from the request cluster. The remote cluster cache coherence controller 1341-1 probes remote cluster nodes and sends a response with a completion indicator to the request cluster 1300. The response is forwarded to CPU 1301-4 and a source done message is sent from cache coherence controller 1303-5 to home cluster cache coherence controller 1321-5. The source done is not forwarded to the memory controller, because the memory controller never processed the transaction. FIG. 14 is a flow process diagram showing request handling at a home cache coherence controller using memory controller filter information. At 1401, a request associated with a particular memory line is received. At 1403, characteristics associated with the request are identified. At 1411, it is determined if the memory controller can be bypassed. According to various embodiments, memory controller filter information shown in FIG. 12 is used to determine whether a memory controller can be bypassed. If it is determined that a memory controller can be bypassed, requests associated with the same memory line are blocked at 1415 and a probe is sent to a remote or a request cluster. At 1417, the memory line is unblocked after receiving a source done from the request cluster. If it is determined at 1411 that a memory controller can not be bypassed, the request is forwarded to a serialization point 1405. The transaction sequence can then proceed with or without probe filtering and a completion indicator as shown in 1109 of FIG. 11. As described above and according to some embodiments, a cache coherence directory is a mechanism associated with each cache coherence controller which facilitates the tracking by that cache coherence controller of where particular memory lines within its cluster's memory are being cached in remote clusters. That is, a portion of the global memory space for the multi-cluster system is associated with each cluster. The cache coherence directory enables the cache coherence controller in each cluster to track which memory lines from the portion of the global memory space associated with its cluster have been cached with processors in remote clusters. Each cache coherence controller in each cluster has such a cache coherence directory associated with it. Given the size of the memory space associated with each cluster, it is not practical to have an entry in the coherence directory for each memory line. Rather, the directory is sized in relation to the amount of cache memory associated with the processors in all remote clusters, a much smaller amount of memory. That is, the coherence directory is an associative memory which associates the memory line addresses with their remote cache locations. According to one embodiment, the cache coherence directory is fully associative. According to another embodiment, the directory is set-associative. According to a specific embodiment, a typical entry in the cache coherence directory includes the memory address corresponding to the cached memory line, the remote cache location, whether the line is “clean” or “dirty,” and whether the associated processor has read-only access or read/write access. This information corresponds to the standard coherence protocol states which include “invalid” (not cached in any remote clusters), “shared” (cached as “clean” and read-only), “modified” (cached as “dirty” and read/write), and “owned” (cached as “dirty” but read-only). A coherence directory entry also includes one or more fields identifying which, if any, of the remote clusters have the line cached in the “dirty” state, and which other clusters have the line cached in the “shared” state. When the cache coherence controller in a particular cluster, e.g., the home cluster, receives a request for a particular memory line in its memory, it transmits the request to a memory controller associated with one of the local nodes to which the requested address maps, e.g., the home controller. To determine whether the most recently modified copy of the memory line resides in any of the cache memories in the system, the home controller then generates probes to all of the nodes in the cluster (including the cache coherence controller) asking whether any of the nodes have the requested memory line stored in their corresponding caches in either a “dirty” (i.e., modified) or “clean” (unmodified) state. These probes can tell the nodes to invalidate their copies of the memory line, as well as to return the memory line in the case where the memory line has been modified. Because the cache coherence controller in each cluster maps to the remainder of the global memory space outside of its cluster, it is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate processors in remote clusters receive corresponding probes. This is where the cache coherence directory comes into play. Without such a mechanism, the cache coherence controller would have to transmit probes to all of the nodes in all of the remote clusters having cache memories associated with them. By contrast, because the cache coherence directory provides information about where memory lines are cached as well as their states, probes only need be directed toward the clusters in which the requested memory line is cached. The state of a particular cached line will determine what type of probe is generated. As will be seen, such a cache coherence controller may also be configured to include information about locally cached memory lines and be operable to use such information to reduce the number of probes within its cluster. The associative nature of the cache coherence directory of the present invention necessitates an eviction mechanism so that the most relevant information may be maintained in the limited number of directory entries. In addition, the distributed, multi-cluster architecture described herein also requires that the eviction mechanism be able to guarantee that the memory line corresponding to an evicted directory entry is purged from all remote caches. As mentioned above, the directory entry field indicating the location(s) of the memory line helps to reduce the number of transactions required to effect this purging. In addition, the appropriate type of request to effect the purging depends on the state of the remotely cached memory lines. Thus, if a directory entry to be purged indicates that the line is only cached in the “clean” state, what is required is a mechanism which invalidates the memory line in each of the remote caches in which the line is cached. On the other hand, if the directory entry indicates that the line is in the “dirty” state in any of the remote caches, the modified memory line to memory must first be written back to memory before the line is invalidated. In a conventional multiprocessor system, i.e., a system which does not have remote clusters of processors, there typically are not mechanisms by which external requests to a particular processor may be generated for the purpose of instructing the processor how to manage its cache. That is, in such a system, each processor is responsible for maintaining its own cache and evicting and/or writing lines back to memory to free up room for new entries. Thus, there is no provision for allowing one processor to instruct another processor to write a particular line back to memory. Similarly, there is no provision for allowing one processor to instruct another processor to invalidate a particular line in its cache without returning any data. That is, transactions between processor in a cache coherence protocol typically assume that one processor is trying to get a copy of the line from the other. Therefore, according to the present invention, mechanisms are provided for a system having a plurality of multiprocessor clusters by which such requests may be generated. According to various specific embodiments of the invention, the semantics of transaction types developed for a single cluster system are altered to enable external devices to generate requests to specific processors to invalidate cache entries and to write cache entries back to memory. According to one embodiment which assumes the multi-cluster architecture described above, one such transaction type referred to herein as a “sized write” (i.e., a partial line write to memory) is employed to achieve the effect of instructing a processor having a “dirty” copy of a memory line stored in its cache to write the line back to memory. The sized write transaction normally allows a processor to initiate a write to a any arbitrarily sized portion of a memory line (e.g., a particular byte or the entire line). That is, a request to write the byte to the memory line is sent to the memory controller which maps to the memory line. The memory controller then sends out a request to any other caches in the system having the corresponding line in the “dirty” state. If a positive response is received, i.e., if a modified copy of the line is returned in response to the request, the memory controller than merges the original byte with the retrieved memory line, and then writes the merged line back to memory. Generally speaking, the eviction of a cache coherence directory entry corresponding to a “dirty” line in a remote cache requires that the remote cache write the line back to memory and invalidate its copy. Thus, a transaction is needed which results in the following actions: 1. A write back is generated for the cached memory line, 2. The copy of the line in the cache is invalidated, and 3. The eviction mechanism is notified when the memory line has been written back to memory. According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the semantics of the sized write transaction are altered resulting in a transaction having these characteristics. The altered sized write is generated such that no data are provided for the partial write, i.e., the sized write request has zero size. When the cache coherence directory associated with the cache coherence controller in a particular cluster, i.e., the home cluster, determines that it needs to evict an entry which corresponds to remotely cached “dirty” memory line, it generates a sized write request specifying no data and directs the request to the local memory controller corresponding to the memory line, i.e., the home memory controller. The home memory controller then generates probes to all of the local nodes in the cluster (including the cache coherence controller) requesting the most recent copy of the memory line. The local nodes respond as described above, returning any dirty copy of the line and invalidating the corresponding entries in their caches. As described above, the cache coherence controller forwards the probe to the appropriate remote cluster(s) based on the information in its associated cache coherence directory which indicates the existence and location of any remotely cached copies of the memory line. The nodes in remote clusters which receive the probe behave similarly to the local nodes in that they respond by returning any dirty copy of the line and invalidating the corresponding entries in their caches. The home memory controller receives the “dirty” copy of the memory line (if one exists), performs a NOP (because there are no data to merge with the modified line), writes the line back to memory, and notifies the cache coherence directory (i.e., the originator of the transaction) that the transaction is complete. In this way, the “altered” sized write transaction is employed to achieve the effect of instructing a remote processor to write back a specific “dirty” line in its cache to memory. According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the notification by the home memory controller that the transaction is complete plays an important part in avoiding race conditions. That is, because the coherence directory is in flux during the period of time required to complete an eviction, it is possible that subsequent transactions corresponding to the same memory line might be generated somewhere in the system. Fortunately, as described above, the memory controllers of the multi-cluster architecture described herein act as serialization points for memory transactions. That is, once a memory controller accepts a transaction for one of its memory lines, it blocks all other transaction to that same memory line. Therefore, once the home memory controller accepts the sized write transaction, it does not allow any further transactions for the same memory line until the eviction process is completed. Generally speaking, the eviction of a cache coherence directory entry corresponding to a “clean” line in a remote cache requires that the remote cache invalidate its copy. Thus, a transaction is needed which results in the following actions: 1. The copy of the line in the cache is invalidated, and 2. The eviction mechanism is notified when the invalidation is complete. According to some embodiments, the zero sized write described above is employed as described with reference to dirty lines. According to another embodiment of the invention, the semantics for another type of transaction referred to herein as a “validate block” transaction are altered to achieve these results. That is, the semantics of the validate block transaction are altered such that it has the effect of instructing remote systems nodes having “clean” copies of a memory line to invalidate those lines in their caches without resulting in any returned copies of the line in response to the request. The validate block transaction is normally intended for the case in which a processor or I/O device (via the I/O bridge) writes an entire memory line of data atomically. This might occur, for example, when an I/O device, such as a disk drive, is writing blocks of data to memory. Such a transaction does not require a data response from the memory controller responsible for the memory line. In such a case, however, there still is a need to invalidate all cached copies of the line. The transaction saves the bandwidth that would normally be consumed to send the line from the memory controller to the processor or I/O bridge, which would be completely overwritten. Therefore, according to a specific embodiment of the invention, when the cache coherence directory associated with the cache coherence controller in a particular cluster, i.e., the home cluster, determines that it needs to evict an entry which corresponds to one or more remotely cached “clean” memory lines, it generates a validate block request and directs the request to the local memory controller corresponding to the memory line, i.e., the home memory controller. The home memory controller then generates invalidating probes to all of the local nodes in the cluster (including the cache coherence controller). The local nodes invalidate their copies of the memory line and send confirming responses to home memory controller indicating that the invalidation took place. The cache coherence controller forwards the invalidating probe to the appropriate remote cluster(s) based on the information in its associated cache coherence directory which indicates the existence and location of any remotely cached copies of the memory line. The remote nodes behave similarly to the local nodes in that they also invalidate any copies of the memory line and send the corresponding responses back to the cache coherence controller in the home cluster. The cache coherence controller aggregates the responses and transmits the aggregated response to the home memory controller. The home memory controller receives the responses from the local nodes and the cache coherence controller, and notifies the cache coherence directory (i.e., the originator of the transaction) that the transaction is complete. The cache coherence directory then transmits a “source done” to the memory controller in response to which the memory line is freed up for subsequent transactions. In this way, the validate block transaction is employed to achieve the effect of instructing a remote processor to invalidate its copy of a “clean” memory line. As with the altered sized write transaction, the home memory controller acts as a serialization point for the validate block transaction thereby avoiding race conditions caused by subsequent transactions corresponding to the same memory line. As described above, the eviction mechanism employed to effect an eviction of an entry from the cache coherence directory may depend on the indicated state of the corresponding memory line, e.g., “clean” vs. “dirty.” According to specific embodiments of the invention, the determination of which of the existing entries is to be evicted to make room for a new entry may be done in a wide variety of ways. For example, different approaches might select the oldest or least frequently used entries. According to one embodiment, “modified” lines are chosen ahead of “shared” lines, with a random mechanism being employed to select among like copies. It will be understood that any kind of policy for selecting the entry to be evicted may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention. As described above, the serialization point of the home memory controller guarantees that transactions to the memory line corresponding to the directory entry being evicted will be locked out once the home memory controller receives the sized write or validate block request from the directory. However, it is possible that conflicting transactions may be generated during the time between when the cache coherence directory to evict a particular entry and the corresponding request is received by the memory controller. Until the sized write or validate block request corresponding to the entry being evicted is received by the memory controller, it is desirable to guarantee that any other requests corresponding to the same memory line are properly serviced. Therefore, according to a specific embodiment of the invention, an eviction buffer is provided in the cache coherence directory in which the directory places the entry it has determined should be evicted. The entry in the eviction buffer remains visible to the cache coherence controller as one of the entries in the directory, i.e., the cache coherence controller cannot distinguish between entries in the directory and entries in the eviction buffer. The entry in the eviction buffer remains there until the home memory controller receives the corresponding eviction request from the cache coherence directory and the cache coherence controller receives a probe corresponding to the eviction request, at which point the entry in the eviction buffer is invalidated. However, if an intervening request corresponding to the entry in the eviction buffer is received, it may be processed by the cache coherence controller with reference to the eviction buffer entry and, because of the ordering of transactions at the memory controller serialization point, it is guaranteed that this intervening transaction will complete before the eviction request is serviced by the memory controller. In this way, a cache coherence directory entry may be “earmarked” for eviction, but may still be used for servicing subsequent requests until the memory line is locked by the home memory controller for the eviction process. According to a specific embodiment, if the eviction buffer is full, a status bit instructs the cache coherence controller to stall, i.e., to queue up any new requests for which there are no corresponding entries already in the cache coherence directory. FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic representation showing a transaction flow for a cache coherence directory eviction of a directory entry corresponding to a “dirty” memory line according to a specific embodiment of the invention. When the cache coherence directory 1501-1 determines that an eviction of one of its entries showing a “dirty” state must occur, e.g., in response to a new request for which no entry exists, it places the entry to be evicted into its eviction buffer and generates a sized write request (having zero size) to the local memory controller responsible for the memory line corresponding to the directory entry being evicted, i.e., the home memory controller 1502-1. Assuming a previous transaction corresponding to the same memory line is not currently being processed, the home memory controller 1502-1 accepts the sized write request and generates invalidating probes to all nodes in its cluster including local nodes 1503-1505 and cache coherence controller 1506-1. Each of the local nodes 1503-1505 invalidates any copies of the memory line and responds accordingly to the home memory controller 1502-2. When the cache coherence controller 1506-1 in the home cluster receives the invalidating probe, it forwards the invalidating probe to the remote cluster having the dirty copy of the memory line according to the directory information (i.e., the entry in the eviction buffer). The directory entry in the eviction buffer is then invalidated. The cache coherence controller 1507-1 in the remote cluster receives the invalidating probe and forwards it to the local nodes in the remote cluster, i.e., local nodes 1508-1510. The local node having the “dirty” copy of the memory line replies to cache coherence controller 1507-2 with a dirty data response (i.e., returning the modified copy of the memory line from its cache), and the other local nodes reply with clean responses. In addition, any copies of the memory line in the remote cluster's caches are invalidated. The cache coherence controller 1507-2 then forwards the dirty data response back to the cache coherence controller 1506-2 in the home cluster which forwards the response to the home memory controller 1502-3. The home memory controller 1502-3 receives the dirty data response and merges the modified data with the data from the sized write request (i.e., no data). Once all responses from the local nodes are received by the home memory controller 1502-3, a target done (TD) message is sent by the home memory controller 1502-3 to the cache coherence directory 1501-2 which completes the transaction with a source done (SD) message back to the home memory controller 1502-4, which then unlocks the memory line for subsequent transactions. As mentioned above, this mechanism may also be employed to evict directory entries corresponding to “clean” memory lines. FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic representation showing a transaction flow for an eviction of a directory entry corresponding to a “clean” memory line according to another specific embodiment of the invention. When the cache coherence directory 1601-1 determines that an eviction of one of its entries showing a “clean” state must occur it places the entry to be evicted into its eviction buffer and generates a validate block request for the corresponding memory line and sends the request to the local memory controller responsible for the memory line, i.e., the home memory controller 1602-1. Assuming the memory line is not locked, the home memory controller 1602-1 accepts the validate block request and generates invalidating probes to all nodes in its cluster including local nodes 1603-1605 and cache coherence controller 1606-1. Each of the local nodes 1603-1605 invalidates any copies of the memory line and responds accordingly to the home memory controller 1602-2. When the cache coherence controller 1606-1 in the home cluster receives the invalidating probe, it forwards the invalidating probe to any remote clusters having a copy of the memory line according to the directory information (i.e., the entry in the eviction buffer). The directory entry in the eviction buffer is then invalidated. The cache coherence controller 1607-1 in any such remote cluster receives the invalidating probe and forwards it to the local nodes in the remote cluster, i.e., local nodes 1608-1610. Each of the local nodes 1608-1610 having a copy of the line invalidates its copy and responds accordingly to the cache coherence controller 1607-2. The cache coherence controller 1607-2 aggregates and forwards these responses back to the cache coherence controller 1606-2 in the home cluster which sends a source done (SD) message to the home memory controller 1602-3, which then unlocks the memory line for subsequent transactions. In general, the entry in the eviction buffer may be invalidated by an earlier request, such as a write by a local processor. When the invalidating probe, associated with the eviction request, reaches the coherence controller, it will find the directory entry in the eviction buffer invalid. In this case, the coherence controller responds to the request without generating any remote probes. The foregoing description assumes that the cache coherence directory includes processing functionality, e.g., an eviction manager, which may, according to different embodiments of the invention, be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, the directory may include its own memory controller configured to manage the directory and implement the various functionalities described above. Alternatively, these functionalities may reside in application specific hardware, e.g., an ASIC, as a separate eviction manager. A further alternative might configure the cache coherence controller to incorporate at least some of the functionalities described. According to a specific embodiment illustrated in FIG. 17, the eviction manager 1702 is part of the cache coherence directory 1701 which is a functional block within the cache coherence controller 1700. The protocol engine 1705 (which may actually be one or more protocol engines) is responsible for processing transactions and corresponds to the CCC blocks in FIGS. 15 and 16. The cache coherence directory corresponds to the DIR blocks in FIGS. 15 and 16. The remaining blocks within controller 1700 are similar to the corresponding blocks described above with reference to FIG. 3. Eviction manager 1702 communicates with protocol engine 1705 via coherent interface 1707. The protocol engine 1705 communicates with the coherence directory via a dedicated interface, which is used to communicate lookup and update commands and responses. The basic architecture of FIG. 17 may also be used to implement a probe filtering unit which is operable to reduce probe traffic within a cluster of processing nodes. Various embodiments of such a probe filtering unit are described below with reference to FIGS. 18-22. As described above with reference to FIGS. 12-14, embodiments of the invention are contemplated in which the memory controller in the home cluster may be bypassed with reference to characteristics of a received request in accordance with, for example, the memory controller information described with reference to FIG. 12. According to such embodiments, if the request is forwarded to the memory controller in the home cluster, all of the local nodes in the home cluster are then probed as shown in and described above with reference to FIG. 4. On the other hand, if the request is not forwarded to the memory controller in the home cluster, none of the local nodes are probed. As will be understood, such embodiments are effective in reducing unnecessary probe traffic in the former case, but may still generate unnecessary probes in the latter. That is, for example, in cases where the memory controller filter information of FIG. 12 indicates that a valid copy of the requested memory line may exist in the home cluster, all of the local nodes in the home cluster end up being probed whether or not they have valid copies of the line in their caches. It is therefore desirable to provide techniques by which probe traffic may be more precisely “filtered” and system performance may be further enhanced. It will be understood that any reference herein to “filtering” includes any mechanism or technique by which the number of recipients of a probe is reduced. According to specific embodiments of the invention, the techniques described above are adapted to reduce the number of probes within a cluster. Such techniques are referred to herein as local probe filtering. It should be noted that the following discussion applies both to systems having multiple multi-processor clusters such as those described above, as well as to systems having multiple processing nodes configured in a single cluster. The behavior of a single cluster of processors implemented without local probe filtering will now be described again with reference to FIG. 4. CPU 401-1 sends a read request to memory controller MC 403-1 which is responsible for controlling access to the memory range including the line identified in the request. If the memory controller MC 403-1 is available to respond to the request, it generates probes to the other processing nodes in the system (405, 407 and 409), each of which sends a probe response back to the requesting CPU 401-2. These probe responses may or may not include copies of the requested memory line depending on whether a valid copy of the line existed in the caches associated with these nodes. To account for the case in which the memory line does not exist in any of the caches, MC 403-1 also generates a read response back to the requesting CPU 401-3 which includes the memory line retrieved from main memory. In implementations without local probe filtering, CPU 401 is programmed to expect responses from each of the nodes probed (including its own node) as well as a response from memory controller MC 403. It will only send the “source done” message to the memory controller (which then unlocks the memory line) when all of the expected messages have been received. Thus, where the requested memory line is not held by a particular node's cache, there is unnecessary probe related traffic consuming the precious bandwidth of the system's point-to-point infrastructure. It will be understood that the foregoing is an exemplary read transaction in which the probe responses and read responses are directed to the requesting processor. It should also be understood that the present invention is applicable to operations in which the responses are directed to the memory controller, e.g., write operations. The former probe responses are precipitated by what is called a probe source; the latter by a probe target. Probes also include “next state” information which indicates to each node what the state of its copy of the line should be at the end of the transaction. According to a specific embodiment, the next state information indicates one of three possibilities, i.e., that there should be no change to the line status, that it should be moved to “shared,” or moved to “invalid.” In general, for the typical memory transaction depicted in FIG. 4, each of the nodes in the cluster is “consulted” and makes its own independent assessment of how to proceed based on its current condition. As mentioned above, the filtering of probes within a cluster, i.e., local probe filtering, may be implemented in systems having multiple clusters as well as systems having a single cluster of processors. In the former and as described above, the probe filtering functionalities described herein may be implemented in a cache coherence controller which facilitates communication between clusters. In the latter, these functionalities may be implemented in a device which will be referred to herein as a probe filtering unit (PFU) which may occupy a similar location in the cluster as the cache coherence controller, and may include some subset of the other functionalities of the cache coherence controller. In either case, it should be noted that the functionalities described may be implemented in a single device, e.g., a cache coherence controller or probe filtering unit, or be distributed among multiple devices including, for example, the processing nodes themselves. It should be understood that the use of the term “probe filtering unit” or “PFU” in the following discussion is not intended to be limiting or exclusive. Rather, any device or object operable to perform the described functionalities, e.g., a cache coherency controller as described herein, is within the scope of the invention. FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic representation of a multiple processor system 1800 in which embodiments of the invention relating to the filtering of probes within a single cluster of processors may be practiced. System 1800 may comprise one cluster in a multiprocessor system (as described above with reference to FIG. 2) or the entirety of a single cluster system. System 1800 includes processing nodes 1802a-1802d, one or more Basic I/O systems (BIOS) 1804, a memory subsystem comprising memory banks 1806a-1806d, and point-to-point communication links 1808a-1808e. The point-to-point communication links are configured to allow interconnections between processing nodes 1802a-1802d, I/O switch 1810, and probe filtering unit 1830 according to a point-to-point communication protocol. According to embodiments having multiple clusters of processors, PFU 1830 may comprise a cache coherence controller which facilitates communication with remote clusters as described above. According to one embodiment, PFU 1830 is an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) supporting the local point-to-point coherence protocol. PFU 1830 can also be configured to handle a non-coherent protocol to allow communication with I/O devices. In one embodiment, PFU 1830 is a specially configured programmable chip such as a programmable logic device or a field programmable gate array. An exemplary architecture for PFU 1830 may be implemented as described above with reference to FIG. 17. I/O switch 1810 connects the rest of the system to I/O adapters 1816 and 1820. As mentioned above with reference to FIG. 2, it should be understood that a node (e.g., processing nodes 1802a-1802d) may comprise multiple sub-units, e.g., CPUs, memory controllers, I/O bridges, etc. According to various embodiments of the invention, processing nodes 1802a-1802d are substantially identical. FIG. 19 is a simplified block diagram of such a processing node 1802 which includes an interface 1902 having a plurality of ports 1904a-1904c and routing tables 1906a-1906c associated therewith. Each port 1904 allows communication with other resources, e.g., processors or I/O devices, in the computer system via associated links, e.g., links 1808a-1808e of FIG. 18. The infrastructure shown in FIG. 19 can be generalized as a point-to-point, distributed routing mechanism which comprises a plurality of segments interconnecting the systems processors according to any of a variety of topologies, e.g., ring, mesh, etc. Each of the endpoints of each of the segments is associated with a connected processing node which has a unique node ID and a plurality of associated resources which it “owns,” e.g., the memory and I/O to which it's connected. The routing tables associated with each of the nodes in the distributed routing mechanism collectively represent the current state of interconnection among the computer system resources. According to a specific embodiment, each node has different routing tables for requests, broadcasts (e.g., probes), and responses. Each of the resources (e.g., a specific memory range or I/O device) owned by any given node (e.g., processor) is represented in the routing table(s) associated with the node as an address. When a request arrives at a node, the requested address is compared to a two level entry in the node's routing table identifying the appropriate node and link, i.e., given a particular address within a range of addresses, go to node x; and for node x use link y. As shown in FIG. 19, processing node 1802 can conduct point-to-point communication with three other processing nodes according to the information in the associated routing tables. According to a specific embodiment, routing tables 1906a-1906c comprise two-level tables, a first level associating the unique addresses of system resources (e.g., a memory bank) with a corresponding node (e.g., one of the processors), and a second level associating each node with the link (e.g., 1808a-1808e) to be used to reach the node from the current node. Processing node 1802 also has a set of JTAG handshake registers 1908 which, among other things, may be used to facilitate modification of the routing tables (which are initially set by the BIOS). That is, routing table entries can be written to handshake registers 1908 for eventual storage in routing tables 1906a-1906c. It should be understood that the processor architecture depicted in FIG. 19 is merely exemplary for the purpose of describing a specific embodiment of the present invention. For example, a fewer or greater number of ports and/or routing tables may be used to implement other embodiments of the invention. According to a specific embodiment, the processing nodes in a single cluster are programmed according to their normal setup rules with a few exceptions. First, the broadcast routing tables in each of the nodes are programmed such that the broadcasts initiated from each node go directly to the PFU rather than on all of the node interfaces. Second, the broadcast routing table in each node is programmed such that broadcasts originating from the PFU enter the node and are not forwarded to any other node. Third, each node is programmed to expect only one or two probe responses instead of one from each node in the system. More specifically, each node is programmed to expect one probe response if the PFU contains temporary storage to hold dirty data, and two if it does not. Some of the exemplary embodiments described below will assume the latter. However, this should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Referring now to FIG. 20, when a memory controller generates a probe (2002), the node's routing table is consulted (2004) and the probe is sent only to the PFU (2006), and not to any of the nodes (including the node associated with the memory controller). The PFU accepts the probe and looks up the address in its directory of shared cache states (2008). According to a specific embodiment, the directory of shared states may be implemented as described above with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, and indicates where particular memory lines are cached within the cluster. According to various embodiments, the directory may be full or sparse. And in embodiments where the directory is sparse, eviction mechanisms such as those described above with reference to the cache coherence controller may be employed. If the directory lookup determines that the cache line is not cached anywhere in the system, i.e., ignoring the requesting node (2010), then the PFU responds to the probe with no traffic generated to any of the other nodes. That is, the response is sent back to the correct unit (either the CPU or the memory controller depending on the type of the probe) with an indication that there are no copies of the line in the system (2012). If the node counts are programmed to expect two probe responses, then the PFU sends two copies of the response. If, on the other hand, the directory lookup determines the cache line may be cached in the system (2010), the PFU sends out a probe only on links corresponding to the nodes that may contain the cache line (2014). The outgoing probe is the same as the incoming probe, except that it is modified to identify the PFU as the target, i.e., the source of the probe, and the command is changed such that it is always a “Probe—respond to target” regardless of the original command (either respond to source or respond to target). The nodes that receive the modified probe automatically look up the cache line (2016) and return their response to the PFU (2018). The PFU uses these responses to update the directory (which may remove the responding node from the list of nodes that is caching the data) (2020). Once all the nodes to which the probe was sent have responded (2022), the PFU accumulates the responses as described above with reference to remote probe filtering (2024), and responds to the node from which the original request originated (2026). As mentioned above, embodiments are contemplated in which the requesting node is programmed to expect two responses from the PFU. This relates to the fact that it may be desirable to immediately forward “dirty” data to the requesting node even where the PFU has not yet received all of the expected responses from the probed nodes. That is, if a probed node has the requested line “dirty” in its cache, i.e., it is the exclusive owner of the most recent copy of the line, that node sends back a read response with the requested data. If the PFU receives a read response from one of the probed nodes, but waits for all probe responses before sending a final response to the requesting node, deadlock may occur (i.e., if the PFU's buffers are full of dirty data, it won't be able to receive the incoming read responses). Therefore, according to this embodiment, when the PFU receives a read response from one of the probed nodes, it immediately forwards the response to the requesting node. A final response which is cumulative of all received probe responses is then sent to the requesting node to complete the transaction. In cases where the PFU does not receive a read response, i.e., none of the probed nodes own the line, two copies of the final probe response must be sent to the requesting node to complete the transaction, i.e., it is expecting two responses. Alternatively, embodiments are contemplated in which the PFU includes sufficient temporary storage for dirty data, and the requesting nodes are programmed to expect only one response. In either case, because the PFU centrally manages the probe traffic, cache coherency can be maintained without having all nodes respond to a requester. FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a memory request in a multi-processor system designed according to a specific embodiment of the invention. In this example, a four processing node system with a PFU or cache coherence controller (e.g., the system of FIG. 18) is assumed. A CPU makes a memory request Req to the memory controller M to which the requested line corresponds. The memory controller retrieves the requested line from the memory banks (as indicated by read response RR), and generates a probe to the probe filtering unit PFU for any cached copies of the line. The PFU, in turn, probes nodes N0 and N2 after it applies its directory lookup and probe filtering algorithm. As discussed above, the determination as to which nodes get probed depends on the state of the PFU's directory and is independent of the source of the request, i.e., the requesting node may receive a probe. The PFU then accumulates the responses from nodes N0 and N2 and sends two responses (one of which may be a read response from N0 or N2) back to the requesting CPU. As mentioned above, some embodiments may only require a single response. The CPU then sends a source done to the memory controller to complete the transaction and unlock the memory line. FIG. 22 is an example of a memory request in which the PFU does not have to probe any nodes. This example illustrates the case in which the local filtering mechanism has its greatest effect. That is, because the PFU determines that none of the nodes in the system (i.e., N0-N3) has the requested line in its cache (i.e., a directory miss), no probes are needed, and the two probe responses PR are immediately sent back to the requesting CPU which then sends the source done (SD) to the memory controller to complete the transaction. Thus, the probe traffic between the requesting CPU and each of nodes N0-N3 which would have otherwise consumed bandwidth and clock cycles is almost entirely eliminated, i.e., only one probe to the PFU and two probe responses back to the requester are required. As mentioned above, some embodiments may only require a single response to the requesting CPU. In some embodiments, the modification of routing tables also affects transactions that must go to every node in the system (and thus should not be filtered). Such broadcast transactions include, for example, lock requests and system management messages. In such embodiments, the probe filtering unit or cache coherence controller is programmed to send out such broadcasts and to accumulate the responses. It should be noted that some of the arrows shown in these diagrams may represent multiple “hops” in the point-to-point infrastructure interconnecting the processing nodes. That is, depending on the number of processors and the topology in which the processors are interconnected, a probe from the PFU to a particular processor may need to go through another node before it arrives at its intended destination. In any case, whether a transmission requires one or multiple hops, it is represented in the figures by a single arrow for clarity. One of the benefits of local probe filtering is that it allows a multi-processor system to scale better because it reduces or eliminates unnecessary probes that go to nodes that are known not to be caching the desired data. In addition, latency may be significantly reduced for lines which are not highly shared across nodes by reducing the number of messages that have to be sent. Moreover, where the underlying multi-processor architecture comprises the HyperTransport™ architecture from AMD, embodiments of the invention may be implemented with little or no alteration to the underlying architecture. That is, redirecting probes to a probe filtering unit and probe responses back to the probe filtering unit can be accomplished with little or no change to the current HyperTransport architecture and the implementation of that architecture. In addition, embodiments of the invention may be implemented in which non-probe related traffic (requests and responses) go directly between the nodes without having to go through the probe filtering unit. While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in the form and details of the disclosed embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, embodiments of the present invention may be employed with multiple processor clusters connected through a point-to-point, switch, or bus architecture. In another example, multiple clusters of processors may share a single cache coherence controller, or multiple cache coherence controllers can be used in a single cluster. In addition, the mechanisms for facilitating local and remote probe filtering may be included in the same device or in separate devices. For example, the remote probe filtering functionality of a cache coherence controller in a multi-cluster system can be extended to facilitate local probe filtering. Alternatively, local probe filtering could be provided in a separate device deployed on a cluster's point-to-point interconnect. In addition, although various advantages, aspects, and objects of the present invention have been discussed herein with reference to various embodiments, it will be understood that the scope of the invention should not be limited by reference to such advantages, aspects, and objects. Rather, the scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention generally relates to accessing data in a multiple processor system. More specifically, the present invention provides techniques for reducing memory transaction traffic in a multiple processor system. Data access in multiple processor systems can raise issues relating to cache coherency. Conventional multiple processor computer systems have processors coupled to a system memory through a shared bus. In order to optimize access to data in the system memory, individual processors are typically designed to work with cache memory. In one example, each processor has a cache that is loaded with data that the processor frequently accesses. The cache is read or written by a processor. However, cache coherency problems arise because multiple copies of the same data can co-exist in systems having multiple processors and multiple cache memories. For example, a frequently accessed data block corresponding to a memory line may be loaded into the cache of two different processors. In one example, if both processors attempt to write new values into the data block at the same time, different data values may result. One value may be written into the first cache while a different value is written into the second cache. A system might then be unable to determine what value to write through to system memory. A variety of cache coherency mechanisms have been developed to address such problems in multiprocessor systems. One solution is to simply force all processor writes to go through to memory immediately and bypass the associated cache. The write requests can then be serialized before overwriting a system memory line. However, bypassing the cache significantly decreases efficiency gained by using a cache. Other cache coherency mechanisms have been developed for specific architectures. In a shared bus architecture, each processor checks or snoops on the bus to determine whether it can read or write a shared cache block. In one example, a processor only writes an object when it owns or has exclusive access to the object. Each corresponding cache object is then updated to allow processors access to the most recent version of the object. Bus arbitration is used when both processors attempt to write the same shared data block in the same clock cycle. Bus arbitration logic decides which processor gets the bus first. Although, cache coherency mechanisms such as bus arbitration are effective, using a shared bus limits the number of processors that can be implemented in a single system with a single memory space. Other multiprocessor schemes involve individual processor, cache, and memory systems connected to other processors, cache, and memory systems using a network backbone such as Ethernet or Token Ring. Multiprocessor schemes involving separate computer systems each with its own address space can avoid many cache coherency problems because each processor has its own associated memory and cache. When one processor wishes to access data on a remote computing system, communication is explicit. Messages are sent to move data to another processor and messages are received to accept data from another processor using standard network protocols such as TCP/IP. Multiprocessor systems using explicit communication including transactions such as sends and receives are referred to as systems using multiple private memories. By contrast, multiprocessor system using implicit communication including transactions such as loads and stores are referred to herein as using a single address space. Multiprocessor schemes using separate computer systems allow more processors to be interconnected while minimizing cache coherency problems. However, it would take substantially more time to access data held by a remote processor using a network infrastructure than it would take to access data held by a processor coupled to a system bus. Furthermore, valuable network bandwidth would be consumed moving data to the proper processors. This can negatively impact both processor and network performance. Performance limitations have led to the development of a point-to-point architecture for connecting processors in a system with a single memory space. In one example, individual processors can be directly connected to each other through a plurality of point-to-point links to form a cluster of processors. Separate clusters of processors can also be connected. The point-to-point links significantly increase the bandwidth for coprocessing and multiprocessing functions. However, using a point-to-point architecture to connect multiple processors in a multiple cluster system sharing a single memory space presents its own problems. Consequently, it is desirable to provide techniques for improving data access and cache coherency in systems having multiple processors connected using point-to-point links. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>According to the present invention, various techniques are provided for reducing traffic relating to memory transactions in multi-processor systems. According to various specific embodiments, a computer system having a plurality of processing nodes interconnected by a first point-to-point architecture is provided. Each processing node has a cache memory associated therewith. A probe filtering unit is operable to receive probes corresponding to memory lines from the processing nodes and to transmit the probes only to selected ones of the processing nodes with reference to probe filtering information. The probe filtering information is representative of states associated with selected ones of the cache memories. According to other embodiments, methods and apparatus are provided for reducing probe traffic in a computer system comprising a plurality of processing nodes interconnected by a first point-to-point architecture. A probe corresponding to a memory line is transmitted from a first one of the processing nodes only to a probe filtering unit. The probe is evaluated with the probe filtering unit to determine whether a valid copy of the memory line is in any of the cache memories. The evaluation is done with reference to probe filtering information associated with the probe filtering unit and representative of states associated with selected ones of the cache memories. The probe is transmitted from the probe filtering unit only to selected ones of the processing nodes identified by the evaluating. Probe responses from the selected processing nodes are accumulated by the probe filtering unit. Only the probe filtering unit responds to the first processing node. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings. | 20041015 | 20071113 | 20070308 | 94924.0 | G06F1328 | 22 | PEUGH, BRIAN R | REDUCING PROBE TRAFFIC IN MULTIPROCESSOR SYSTEMS | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | G06F | 2,004 |
|
10,966,551 | ACCEPTED | Methods for marking a biopsy site | Implantable devices and methods of use are disclosed for marking the location of a biopsy or surgery for the purpose of identification. The methods include providing a biodegradable radiodense implant and taking a tissue sample from a biopsy site within a breast of a patient. The biodegradable implant is then positioned at the biopsy site. The tissue sample is tested and the biopsy site is then relocated. In one embodiment, the entire implant is radiodense. In another embodiment, the entire implant is biodegradable. Methods of using a biodegradable implant having a radiodense material and a biodegradable implant that is visible using an imaging system are also included. | 1. A method for breast biopsy, comprising the steps of: providing a biodegradable radiodense implant; taking a tissue sample from a biopsy site within a breast of a patient; positioning the biodegradable implant at the biopsy site; testing the tissue sample; and relocating the biopsy site. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entire implant is radiodense. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the entire implant is biodegradable. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the implant is a plastic. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the implant comprises a plurality of beads or pellets. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein a diameter of a bead or pellet is about 500 μm. 8. A method for breast biopsy, comprising the steps of: providing a biodegradable implant having a radiodense material; taking a tissue sample from a biopsy site within a breast of a patient; positioning the biodegradable implant at the biopsy site; testing the tissue sample; and relocating the biopsy site. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the entire implant is radiodense. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the entire implant is biodegradable. 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising an adhesive. 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the implant is a plastic. 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the implant comprises a plurality of beads or pellets. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein a diameter of a bead or pellet is about 500 μm. 15. A method for breast biopsy, comprising the steps of: providing a biodegradable implant that is visible using an imaging system; taking a tissue sample from a biopsy site within a breast of a patient; positioning the biodegradable implant at the biopsy site; testing the tissue sample; and relocating the biopsy site using the imaging system. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the implant is radiodense. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the entire implant is radiodense. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the entire implant is biodegradable. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the imaging system is a mammographic imaging system. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the implant is a plastic. | This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/630,883, filed Jul. 30, 2003, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/213,638, filed Aug. 7, 2002, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/954,646, filed Sep. 18, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/776,125, filed Feb. 2, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/858,389, filed May 19, 1997, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,055, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/308,097, filed Sep. 16, 1994, now abandoned. All of the above patents and applications are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to methods and devices for marking and defining particular locations in human tissue, and more particularly relates to methods and devices for permanently defining the location and margins of lesions detected in a human breast. It is desirable and often necessary to perform procedures for detecting, sampling, and testing lesions and other abnormalities in the tissue of humans and other animals, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancerous tumors, pre-malignant conditions and other diseases or disorders. Typically, in the case of cancer, when a physician establishes by means of known procedures (i.e., palpation, x-ray, MRI, or ultrasound imaging) that suspicious circumstances exist, a biopsy is performed to determine whether the cells are cancerous. Biopsy may be an open or percutaneous technique. Open biopsy removes the entire mass (excisional biopsy) or a part of the mass (incisional biopsy). Percutaneous biopsy on the other hand is usually done with a needle-like instrument and may be either a fine needle aspiration (FNA) or a core biopsy. In FNA biopsy, very small needles are used to obtain individual cells or clusters of cells for cytologic examination. The cells may be prepared such as in a Papanicolaou (Pap) smear. In core biopsy, as the term suggests, a core or fragment of tissue is obtained for histologic examination which may be done via a frozen section or paraffin section. The chief difference between FNA and core biopsy is the size of the tissue sample taken. A real time or near real time imaging system having stereoscopic capabilities, such as the stereotactic guidance system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,011, is employed to guide the extraction instrument to the lesion. Advantageous methods and devices for performing core biopsies are described in the assignee's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/217,246, filed on Mar. 24, 1994, and herein incorporated by reference. Depending upon the procedure being performed, it is sometimes desirable to completely remove suspicious lesions for evaluation, while in other instances it may be desirable to remove only a sample from the lesion. In the. former case, a major problem is the ability to define the margins of the lesions at all times during the extraction process. Visibility of the lesion by the imaging system may be hampered because of the distortion created by the extraction process itself as well as associated bleeding in the surrounding tissues. Although the lesion is removed and all fluids are continuously aspirated from the extraction site, it is likely that the process will “cloud” the lesion, thus impairing exact recognition of its margins. This makes it difficult to ensure that the entire lesion will be removed. Often, the lesion is merely a calcification derived from dead abnormal tissue, which may be cancerous or pre-cancerous, and it is desirable to remove only a sample of the lesion, rather than the entire lesion, to evaluate it. This is because such a lesion actually serves to mark or define the location of adjacent abnormal tissue, so the physician does not wish to remove the entire lesion and thereby lose a critical means for later re-locating the affected tissue. One of the benefits to the patient from core biopsy is that the mass of the tissue taken is small. However, oftentimes, either inadvertently or because the lesion is too small, the entire lesion is removed for evaluation, even though it is desired to remove only a portion. Then, if subsequent analysis indicates the tissue to be malignant (malignant tissue requires removal, days or weeks later, of tissue around the immediate site of the original biopsy), it is difficult for the physician to determine the precise location of the lesion, in order to perform necessary additional procedures on adjacent potentially cancerous tissue. Additionally, even if the lesion is found to be benign, there will be no evidence of its location during future examinations, to mark the location of the previously removed calcification so that the affected tissue may be carefully monitored for future reoccurrences. Thus, it would be of considerable benefit to be able to permanently mark the location or margins of such a lesion prior to or immediately after removing or sampling same. Marking prior to removal would help to ensure that the entire lesion is excised, if desired. Alternatively, if the lesion were inadvertently removed in its entirety, marking the biopsy site immediately after the procedure would enable re-establishment of its location for future identification. A number of procedures and devices for marking and locating particular tissue locations are known in the prior art. For example, location wire guides, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,269 to Miller et al., are well known for locating lesions, particularly in the breast. The device described by Miller comprises a tubular introducer needle and an attached wire guide, which has at its distal end a helical coil configuration for locking into position about the targeted lesion. The needle is introduced into the breast and guided to the lesion site by an imaging system of a known type, for example, x-ray, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), at which time the helical coil at the distal end is deployed about the lesion. Then, the needle may be removed from the wire guide, which remains in a locked position distally about the lesion for guiding a surgeon down the wire to the lesion site during subsequent surgery. While such a location system is effective, it is obviously intended and designed to be only temporary, and is removed once the surgery or other procedure has been completed. Other devices are known for marking external regions of a patient's skin. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,270 to Carswell, Jr. discloses a syringe which dispenses a colorant to give a visual indication on the surface of the skin of the point at which an injection has or will be given. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,307 to Gluck discloses a device which has patterning elements for impressing a temporary mark in a patient's skin, for guiding the location of an injection or the like. It is also known to tape or otherwise adhere a small metallic marker, e.g. a 3 millimeter diameter lead sphere, on the skin of a human breast in order to delineate the location of skin calcifications (see Homer et al., The Geographic Cluster of Microcalcifications of the Breast, Surgery, Gynecology, & Obstetrics, December 1985). Obviously, however, none of these approaches are useful for marking and delineating internal tissue abnormalities, such as lesions or tumors. Still another approach for marking potential lesions and tumors of the breast is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,959. In the described procedure, the skin of the portion of the body to be evaluated, such as the breasts, is coated with a heat sensitive color-responsive chemical, after which that portion of the body is heated with penetrating radiation such as diathermy. Then, the coated body portion is scanned for color changes which would indicate hot spots beneath the skin surface. These so-called hot spots may represent a tumor or lesion, which does not dissipate heat as rapidly because of its relatively poor blood circulation (about {fraction (1/20)} of the blood flow through normal body tissue). This method, of course, functions as a temporary diagnostic tool, rather than a permanent means for delineating the location of a tumor or lesion. A method of identifying and treating abnormal neoplastic tissue or pathogens within the body is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,151 to Dougherty et al. In this method, a tumor-selective photosensitizing drug is introduced into a patient's body, where it is cleared from normal tissue faster than it is cleared from abnormal tissue. After the drug has cleared normal tissue but before it has cleared abnormal neoplastic tissue, the abnormal neoplastic tissue may be located by the luminescence of the drug within the abnormal tissue. The fluorescence may be observed with low intensity light, some of which is within the drugs absorbance spectrum, or higher intensity light, a portion of which is not in the drugs absorbance spectrum. Once detected, the tissue may be destroyed by further application of higher intensity light having a frequency within the absorbance spectrum of the drug. Of course, this method also is only a temporary means for marking the abnormal tissue, since eventually the drug will clear from even the abnormal tissue. Additionally, once the abnormal tissue has been destroyed during treatment, the marker is destroyed as well. It is also known to employ biocompatible dyes or stains to mark breast lesions. First, a syringe containing the colorant is guided to a detected lesion, using an imaging system. Later, during the extraction procedure, the surgeon harvests a tissue sample from the stained tissue. However, while such staining techniques can be effective, it is difficult to precisely localize the stain. Also, the stains are difficult to detect fluoroscopically and may not always be permanent. Additionally, it is known to implant markers directly into a patient's body using invasive surgical techniques. For example, during a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), which of course constitutes open heart surgery, it is common practice to surgically apply one or more metallic rings to the aorta at the site of the graft. This enables a practitioner to later return to the site of the graft by identifying the rings, for evaluative purposes. It is also common practice to mark a surgical site with staples, vascular clips, and the like, for the purpose of future evaluation of the site. A technique has been described for the study of pharyngeal swallowing in dogs, which involves permanently implanting steel marker beads in the submucosa of the pharynx (S. S. Kramer et al., A Permanent Radiopaque Marker Technique for the Study of Pharyngeal Swallowing in Dogs, Dysphagia, Vol. 1, pp. 163-167, 1987). The article posits that the radiographic study of these marker beads during swallowing, on many occasions over a substantial period of time, provides a better understanding of the pharyngeal phase of degluitition in humans. In the described technique, the beads were deposited using a metal needle cannula having an internal diameter slightly smaller than the beads to be implanted. When suction was applied to the cannula, the bead sat firmly on the tip. Once the ball-tipped cannula was inserted through tissue, the suction was broken, thereby releasing the bead, and the cannula withdrawn. Of course, this technique was not adapted or intended to mark specific tissue sites, but rather to mark an entire region or structure of the body in order to evaluate anatomical movements (i.e., swallowing motions). It also was not intended for use in humans. Accordingly, what is needed is a method and device for non-surgically implanting potentially permanent markers at the situs of a lesion or other abnormal tissue, for the purpose of defining the margins of a lesion before it is removed and/or to establish its location after it has been removed. The markers should be easy to deploy and easily detected using state of the art imaging techniques. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention solves the problems noted above by providing an implantable device which is particularly adapted to mark the location of a biopsy or surgery for the purpose of identification. The device is remotely delivered, preferably percutaneously. Visualization of the marker is readily accomplished using various state of the art imaging systems. Using the invention, it is possible to permanently mark the location or margins of a lesion or other tissue site, prior to removing or sampling same. The markers function to provide evidence of the location of the lesion after the procedure is completed, for reference during future examinations or procedures. More particularly, a device is provided for marking tissue within a human body to identify a selected location for a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. The device comprises a marker element and an apparatus for remotely delivering the marker element from outside the human body to the selected tissue location. Since, with remote delivery (e.g. percutaneously) direct visual access is not possible, an aided visualization device is used, such as an imaging system, an endoscope, or the like. Deployment of the marker element is such that it becomes implanted in the tissue. The delivery apparatus preferably includes a member, which may comprise a tube, such as a needle, cannula, or trocar, of any known type for delivering medications, surgical equipment, or other items to the interior of a patient's body. The member may also be the body of an optical instrument such as an endoscope, laparoscope, or arthroscope. In the preferred embodiment, a biopsy needle or gun, such as is often used to extract tissue for examination in a biopsy procedure, is used in conjunction with the marking device, comprising a portion of the delivery apparatus, in order to provide a means for entering the patient's body and positioning the marker element at the selected tissue location. However, in other embodiments, the marking device is self contained, having a means itself for obtaining entry to the body, and being guided by a commercially available guidance system, such as a stereotactic guidance system. The aforementioned member or tube, which typically comprises a cannula or needle having a lumen, has a distal end portion or region and a proximal end portion or region, and is adapted to extend through the body. The distal region is adapted to retain and deploy the marker element and the proximal region is linked to the distal region, so that predetermined marker deployment functions may be communicated from the proximal region to the distal region. In some embodiments, these deployment functions are communicated by means of the marker elements themselves traveling through the lumen for deployment from the distal region. In other embodiments, an actuator extends axially through the lumen to communicate deployment functions to the marker element held on or by the distal region. The apparatus is preferably guided to the selected tissue location, i.e., the site of the detected lesion or other abnormality, using a stereotactic guidance system or similar imaging system. Several alternative embodiments of the marking device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the distal region of the tube includes a forming die, which is adapted to form each marker element into a predetermined shape, preferably a helix, as the marker element is deployed from the lumen. In a number of alternative embodiments, a mechanism, such as a mandrel, is used to push the marker elements through the tube. The marker elements may comprise a pre-formed spring having a predetermined shape, which is compressed into a linear position within the tube lumen. Upon deployment from the lumen, the spring is adapted to expand and assume its predetermined shape to such an extent that the energy of its expansion is sufficient to implant the marker element into the tissue at the selected tissue location. In some embodiments, implantation is accomplished because the marker elements have a plurality of attachment elements, each having a tip end (sometimes sharpened) which expands outwardly with sufficient energy to embed and anchor itself into the tissue at the selected tissue location. In other embodiments, the marker element has blunt, rather than sharpened edges, but is adapted to expand sufficiently upon exiting from the tube that its edges press radially against the selected tissue, thereby wedging and implanting the marker element. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the tube lumen is adapted to receive a deployment actuator connector, or center wire, which extends axially through the lumen. The connector includes a distal portion which extends distally of the tube and a proximal portion which extends proximally of the tube. The proximal portion is attached to a deployment actuator, such as a pull ring, while the distal portion is attached to the marker element. On the connector, proximal to the distal portion, is a predetermined failure point which is adapted to be the weak point on the connector by failing first under tension. In operation, once the tube distal region has been positioned at the selected tissue location, the deployment actuator is actuated in a proximal direction to pull the marker element against the distal region of the tube. The tube distal region thus functions as a forming die to cause the marker element to bend until it abuts the tube distal region at its junction with the distal portion of the connector, such that the marker element is reconfigured to a desired shape. The proximal portion of the connector is adapted to be severed from the distal portion at the predetermined failure point upon the application of continued tension on the deployment actuator after abutment of the marker element against the tube distal region, thereby releasing and implanting the marker element. Another important feature of the invention is the ability to utilize marker elements having a plurality of shapes. In some embodiments, these shapes may be created merely by utilizing different sized material stock or different cross sections. This shape diversity permits the adoption of a system wherein each shape denotes a different selected tissue location or event. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is adapted to be employed in combination with a medical instrument which transports the device to the selected tissue location responsive to positional control by a guidance system. The medical instrument preferably draws a vacuum to isolate and retain tissue at the selected location in a tissue receiving port. The marking device is adapted to deploy the marker element into the retained tissue. In another aspect of the invention, a marker element is provided for marking tissue within a human body to identify a selected location for a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. The marker element, which is preferably comprised of a biocompatible, implantable, and substantially radiopaque material, is adapted to be deployed to the selected tissue location percutaneously by a delivery instrument, so as to become implanted in the tissue. A number of different marker element configurations and materials may be employed. Materials may include stainless steel, titanium, and the like, as well as non-metallic materials, such as polymers, salts, and ceramics, for example. In some embodiments, the marker element may actually be formed into a desired shape by a forming die in the delivery instrument, while in other embodiments, it may comprise a spring which radially expands upon exit from the delivery instrument to embed itself in the tissue. In yet another aspect of the invention, a method for permanently marking tissue in a human body to identify a selected location for a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure is disclosed, which comprises actuating a delivery instrument, having a tube with a distal region, to a position wherein the tube extends through the human body and the distal region is at the selected location. A marker element is then deployed from the tube distal region to the selected tissue location so that it becomes anchored in the tissue. These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the following detailed description and claims, particularly when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts bear like reference numerals. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a biopsy instrument embodiment as described in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 08/217,246, configured to be utilized as a preferred instrument for use in conjunction with the inventive tissue marking device; FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views illustrating the sequential steps in the operation of the biopsy instrument embodiment needed to capture tissue targeted for marking; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a tissue marking device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, illustrating the device in a first position in preparation for delivering a marker to tissue targeted for marking; FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are cross-sectional views similar to FIG. 4, illustrating sequentially the delivery of a marker to the targeted tissue; FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 are schematic cross-sectional views of an alternative embodiment of a tissue marking device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, illustrating sequentially the delivery of a marker to the targeted tissue; FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a third alternative embodiment of a tissue marking device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention; FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a fourth alternative embodiment of a tissue marking device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention; FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a fifth alternative embodiment of a tissue marking device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention; FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a sixth alternative embodiment of a tissue marking device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention; FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a seventh alternative embodiment of a tissue marking device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention; FIG. 17 is a front elevation view of an alternative marker element embodiment; FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another alternative marker element embodiment; FIG. 19 is a front elevation view of yet another alternative marker element embodiment; and FIG. 20 is a front elevation view of still another alternative marker element embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Now with more particular reference to the drawings, FIGS. 4-8 illustrate sequentially the deposit of a marker into a desired tissue location, utilizing a preferred embodiment of the invention. Specifically, the marking instrument 10 comprises a marker element 12 which includes an umbrella end comprising a pair of attachment members or wings 14 and 16, and a center wire 18. All three wires 14, 16 and 18 are joined at the distal end 20 of the center wire 18, preferably by welding. At the proximal end 22 of the center wire is a deployment actuator or pull ring 24, which is preferably attached by welding or brazing. To place the marker element 12 at a desired location, a biopsy needle or gun is preferably used, though other known delivery means could be used as well. For example, the stand-mounted biopsy instrument described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/217,246, previously incorporated by reference into this application, is a preferred instrument for introducing the marker element into the body of a patient. One embodiment of such an instrument 26 is partially illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The biopsy instrument 26 includes a housing 28. A hollow outer piercing needle 38 is attached to the housing 28 at location 34. A distal end of the hollow outer piercing needle 38 includes a point 40. Hollow outer piercing needle 38 also includes a tissue receiving port or bowl 42 (FIGS. 2 and 3). A cannular inner cutter 44 is movably positioned coaxially within the hollow outer piercing needle 38 and housing 28. A vacuum line 46 supplies vacuum to ports 50 in the bottom of the receiving bowl 42. Operation of the biopsy instrument to facilitate the placement of a tissue marker is illustrated sequentially in FIGS. 1-3. FIG. 1 illustrates the distal end point 40 of the hollow outer piercing needle 38 in position to pierce a target tissue 51. The initial position of the point 40 with respect to the tissue area being marked is determined by the overall position of the biopsy instrument with respect to the patient. For example, the entire biopsy instrument may be mounted on a commercially available stereotactic guidance system (not shown) commonly used in the medical field for accurate positioning of a variety of medical devices with respect to a patient. A detailed description of such a motorized biopsy needle positioner, i.e., stereotactic guidance system, is given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,011, issued on Aug. 31, 1993 to Michael Assa, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The suspect lesion within tissue 51 is to be targeted and marked according to the instructions provided with the stereotactic guidance system. As shown in FIG. 1, the stereotactic guidance system has positioned the biopsy instrument 26 such that the distal end point 40 is immediately adjacent to the surface of the tissue 51. Once the point 40 is adjacent the specific lesion to be marked, the needle 38 is fired into the lesion such that the point 40 traverses through the lesion, thereby placing the tissue receiving bowl 42 in the center of the lesion. As shown in FIG. 2, after the hollow outer piercing needle 38 has been positioned at the precise location within the tissue 51 at which it is desired to mark tissue, the cutter 44 is moved proximally of the housing 28 to provide an entry access for the tissue marker delivery system. As shown in FIG. 3, a vacuum source attached to vacuum line 46 is actuated, thereby generating a region of low pressure at the vacuum ports 50 to facilitate the prolapse of tissue 51a immediately adjacent to the tissue receiving port 42 into the hollow interior of hollow outer piercing needle 38. Now again referring to FIGS. 4-8, the marking instrument 10 includes a tube 54. The center wire 18 runs axially through a lumen 56 of the tube 54, with the pull ring 24 being attached to the proximal end of the'center wire 18, proximally of the tube 54. The distal end 20 of the center wire extends distally of the tube 54 and is joined to attachment members 14 and 16, as described above. In operation, the tube 54 of the marking instrument is inserted into the patient's body in the direction of the arrow 58, as shown in FIG. 4, until the distal end 20 of the center wire 18 approaches the desired location, adjacent to or in the abnormal tissue or lesion. Because direct visual access to the targeted tissue is impossible, an aided visualization device, such as the stereotactic guidance system described above, is used to guide the distal portion of the marking instrument to the targeted tissue. Then, if the biopsy instrument shown in FIGS. 1-3 is utilized to deploy the markers, the targeted tissue 51a (FIG. 5) is vacuumed into the tissue receiving port 42. Referring particularly to FIG. 5, once the distal end 20 of the center wire reaches the targeted, vacuumed tissue, the ring 24 is pulled away from the tissue in the direction of the arrow 60. This action deploys the marker attachment members 14 and 16 as they are forced into a die formed in the tip 62 of the tube. This die may take any desired form, depending upon the desired deployed configuration of the attachment members 14, 16. With reference to FIG. 6, tension continues to be applied to the ring 24, in the direction shown by the arrow 64, until the distal end of the marker is fully deployed. Forcing the attachment members into the die 62 causes them to extend outwardly, as illustrated, into the tissue. Their outward energy anchors the marker element 12 in the tissue for permanent implantation. The tips 66 and 68 of the attachment members may be configured to be less traumatic as an implant, or may alternatively be sharpened to provide a more secure grip. At full deployment, the width of the umbrella end of the marker element is preferably about 0.035 to 0.045 inches, though other sizes may be utilized within the scope of the invention. Now referring to FIG. 7, even after the attachment members 14 and 16 have been fully deployed, the pull ring 24 is pulled to further increase tension in the direction of the arrow 70, until the center wire 18 is sheared at a point of weakness or detent 72 (see FIGS. 4-6) which is established in the center wire 18 proximally of the tip 20. Once failure has occurred, the pull ring 24 and the proximal portion 18′ of the center wire may be discarded as they are severed from the marker element 12 and remaining distal portion 18″ of the center wire. Finally, with reference to FIG. 8, to finish placing the marker element 12, the tube 54 is withdrawn in the direction of the arrow 74, as illustrated. The marker element is thereby permanently secured to locate the lesion site for future examination by known imaging methods. In the preferred embodiment, the marker element 12 is fabricated of stainless steel. However, many other biocompatible, radiopaque, implantable materials may be used for the marker element 12 as well, including, for example, titanium, tantalum, or nickel-titanium alloys. Additionally, while a 3-pronged umbrella end is shown and described, any number of prongs may be used, if desired. While it is preferred that the marker element 12 be deployed using the biopsy instrument described and shown in FIGS. 1-3, any instrument capable of delivering the element percutaneously may be utilized. Such instruments, for example, may include the hand-held biopsy gun described in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 34,056, entitled “TISSUE SAMPLING DEVICE” and issued to Lindgren et al. All of these types of instruments include a tube (typically a cannula or needle) which is adapted to enter the body, and would be capable of delivering the marker element. It is also within the scope of the invention to deliver the marker element through any tube which has access to the body or using optical medical instruments, such as endoscopes, arthroscopes, or laparoscopes, in which case the marker element is delivered to the desired tissue site from outside the body of the patient, through the body of the instrument. Now with reference to FIGS. 9-11, an alternative embodiment of a marking instrument 10a is shown, which is identical to the instrument 10 in all respects not shown or described herein. Portions of the instrument 10a corresponding to portions of the instrument 10 are designated by corresponding reference numerals followed by the letter a. The FIG. 9 embodiment is substantially similar to the FIG. 4 embodiment, in that the marking instrument includes a tube 54a which has a lumen 56a, and may utilize a cannula, needle, or imaging instrument (i.e., endoscope, laparoscope, or the like) for access to a delivery site within the body and to aid in delivery. Again, as is the case for all succeeding embodiments, it is preferred that the tube 54a utilize the hollow outer piercing needle 38 of the biopsy instrument shown in FIGS. 1-8, though any other instrument which is capable of delivering a marker percutaneously or through a body orifice from a location outside the patient's body may be utilized. A center wire 18a runs longitudinally through the lumen 56a. At the proximal end of the center wire 18a is a deployment actuator or pull ring 24a. At the distal end of the center wire is the marker element 12a. A primary difference between the FIG. 4 and FIG. 9 embodiments is that the FIG. 9 marker element 12a is preferably a generally “U” shaped element resembling a surgical ligating clip, having tips 66a and 68a, which is captured by the distal looped end 20a of the twisted center wire. In operation, once the tips 66a and 68a of the marking element 12a reach the targeted tissue, the ring 24a is pulled rightwardly in the direction of the arrow 76 (FIG. 10). This action retracts the base portion 78 of the marker element 12a into a forming recess 80 (FIG. 9), wherein the recessed tube wall 82 forces prongs 86 and 88 together until tips 66a and 68a of the prongs 86 and 88, respectively, contact or nearly contact one another (FIG. 10). At this point, increasing tension applied to the pull ring 24a causes the wire 18a to fail at a point of weakness or detent (not shown) provided in the center wire at or near its tip end 20a, thereby releasing the marker into the target tissue, as illustrated in FIG. 11. Referring now to FIG. 12, a second alternative embodiment of a marking instrument 10b is shown, which is identical to the instrument 10 in all respects not shown or described herein. Portions of the instrument 10b corresponding to portions of the instrument 10 are designated by corresponding reference numerals followed by the letter b. The FIG. 12 embodiment is substantially similar to the FIG. 4 embodiment, in that the marking instrument includes a tube 54b which has a lumen 56b, and may utilize a cannula, needle, or imaging instrument (i.e., endoscope, laparoscope, or the like) for access to delivery site within the body and to aid in delivery. There are two primary differences between the embodiments of FIGS. 4 & 9 and that of FIG. 12. First, in the FIG. 12 embodiment, a plurality of marker elements 12b (two are shown, though any number may be employed) may be preloaded into the tube 54b, each comprising a pre-formed spring which is deployed through the tube's distal region 90 in an axial direction. Second, the nature of the deployment mechanism utilizes a compressive rather than tensile force. It may further be noted that, though end deployment of the marker elements in the FIG. 12 embodiment is illustrated, they may be similarly deployed radially through a side port (not shown) in tube 54b, or at any other angle, to accommodate delivery through an existing instrument (i.e., cannula, needle, endoscope, laparoscope, or the like). In being deployed radially, the distal region 90 is not used for passage of the marker element and could be utilized to house a piercing element (not shown) similar to that shown in FIGS. 1-3. Armed with the piercing element, this marker delivery system would not be dependent on a positioning system as described in FIGS. 1-3 for placement at the tissue site and could be used alone in conjunction with a commercially available stereotactic or other guidance system. This concept may be applied to all subsequent embodiments except that illustrated in FIG. 16. Still with reference to FIG. 12, each marker element or spring 12b preferably includes a center coil 92 from which a pair of attachment members 94 and 96 extend, and is adapted to automatically attach itself to the target tissue by utilizing its own stored energy. Thus, in operation, each spring 12b is held in a compressed position within the tube 54b. When it is desired to deploy the marker, a mandrel 98 is preferably utilized to push the spring 12b through the center lumen 56b and out through the distal open end 90 of the tube. Once the spring exits the tube, stored energy causes the attachment members 94 and 96 to expand outwardly, as shown. As this expansion occurs, the tips 102 and 104 of the attachment members 94 and 96, respectively, anchor themselves into the tissue to permanently secure the marker element in the desired location. As with the FIG. 4 embodiment, the tips 102 and 104 may be blunt to be less traumatic as an implant, or may alternatively be sharpened or barbed to provide a more secure grip. Once a spring has been deployed, the instrument may be repositioned to the next desired location for the immediate deployment of another marker until the supply in the tube 54b is exhausted, eliminating the need to remove and re-load the marking instrument 10b between each deployment. Again in this embodiment, the spring 12b may be fabricated of any known biocompatible, implantable, radiopaque material, though stainless steel is preferred. Additionally, the forces required to deploy the attachment members on the spring may be customize by varying the spring filar, dimensions, material, and/or the number of coils in the torsional part of the spring. FIG. 13 illustrates another alternative embodiment of the marking instrument 10, which is identical to the instrument 10b of FIG. 12 in all respects not shown or described herein. Portions of the instrument 10c corresponding to portions of the instrument 10b of FIG. 12 are designated by corresponding reference numerals followed by the letter c. In actuality, the FIG. 13 embodiment is substantially identical to that of FIG. 12, except for the shape of each spring 12c, and is employed in precisely the same manner. Thus, to deploy a marker element 12c, the mandrel 98c is utilized to push the spring 12c through the center lumen 56c and out through the distal open end 90c of the tube. As in the FIG. 12 embodiment, the marker element travels in the direction of the arrow 100c, until the attachment members 94c and 96c extend outwardly sufficiently to anchor themselves to the target tissue. Also, the FIG. 13 embodiment is similar to the FIG. 12 embodiment in that the instrument may be re-positioned to immediately deploy another marker element without re-loading, and marker elements may be deployed radially through a side port in tube 54c (not shown), or any other angle, to accommodate delivery through an existing instrument (i.e., cannula, needle, endoscope, laparoscope, or the like). FIG. 14 shows still another alternative embodiment of the marking instrument 10, which is also substantially identical to the instrument 10b of FIG. 12 in all respects not shown or described herein. Portions of the instrument 10d corresponding to portions of the instrument 10b of FIG. 12 are designated by corresponding reference numerals followed by the letter d. Again, the FIG. 14 embodiment is substantially identical to those of FIGS. 12 and 13, except for the shape of the marker element or spring 12d. A marker element 12d is deployed preferably using a mandrel 98d or the like to push the spring 12d through the center lumen 56d until it exits through the open end 90d of the tube. As in the FIGS. 12 and 13 embodiments, the marker element travels in the direction of the arrow 100d, until the tips 102d and 104d extend outwardly sufficiently to anchor themselves to the target tissue. In practice, a radiologist or other operator of the equipment can use a marker shaped like marker 12b, as shown in FIG. 12, during one biopsy, then use a differently shaped marker, such as the marker 12c in the FIG. 13 embodiment, or the marker 12d in the FIG. 14 embodiment, during a subsequent biopsy procedure. The differently shaped markers permit the distinction between different biopsy procedures during future imaging procedures, as well as between biopsy sites which may be close in proximity, thereby improving the information available to the radiologist and thus the ability to monitor or diagnose the patient's future condition more precisely. FIG. 15 illustrates yet another alternative embodiment of the marking instrument 10, which is also substantially identical to the instrument 10b of FIG. 12 in all respects not shown or described herein. Portions of the instrument 10e corresponding to portions of the instrument 10b of FIG. 12 are designated by corresponding reference numerals followed by the letter e. In this embodiment, each marker element 12e is deployed distally through the open distal region 90e of the tube 54e by a mandrel 98e, much as in the previous embodiments shown in FIGS. 12, 13, and 14. The primary difference, however, between this embodiment and the previous embodiments is that, while the marker elements in the previous embodiments rely largely on the barbed nature of the spring to secure themselves in the tissue, in this embodiment, the springs are secured simply because of their significant expansion upon exit from the tube. This embodiment particularly lends itself to marking the boundaries of a biopsy or other desired site by defining the perimeter of the site. The expansion of the spring 12e causes the blunt edges 102e and 104e to press outwardly against the selected tissue, thereby wedging the spring securely into position. An advantage of this embodiment is that, because of the tight compression of the springs 12e within the tube 54e, a larger number of markers can be inserted therein simultaneously, thereby permitting the deployment of more markers without having to pause and disengage to reload. Another advantage the FIG. 15 embodiment provides is the ability to deploy springs adapted to expand to a number of different sizes all from the same lumen. Larger sized springs would require more coils within a given lumen than smaller sized springs (not shown). It should be noted that the springs need not be limited to the configuration illustrated, but could include any spring of any configuration which expands to secure its position. While stainless steel is presently preferred, any other biocompatible, implantable, and radiopaque material could be used alternatively. Also as in the previous embodiments, marker elements may be similarly deployed radially through a side port in tube 54e (not shown), or any other angle, to accommodate delivery through an existing instrument (i.e., cannula, needle, endoscope, laparoscope, or the like). Still another alternative embodiment of the marking instrument 10 is shown in FIG. 16. In this embodiment, the marking instrument 10f comprises a tube 54f. Wire segments 106 of any desired length are preloaded into the lumen 56f, which runs along substantially the entire length of the tube 54f. Once the needle is properly positioned, the marker elements 12f are deployed by pushing them out of the tip of the needle, through the side exit port 108. A curved portion 110 of the lumen 56f comprises a die portion, and is adapted to form the wire segments 106 into helical marker elements 12f as they pass therethrough, pushed by a mandrel (not shown) or other known means from the tip of the needle through the exit port 108. The nature of the curve or curves in the die portion 110 and preformed curves imparted into the wire segments determine the final shape (which resembles a partial or whole helix) and dimensions of the marker element. This embodiment is versatile in that it is capable of continuously deploying any number of marker elements without the necessity of re-loading, since all that is required is a continuous feed of wire segments into the proximal region of the tube 54f. Furthermore, differently sized and shaped helixes may be delivered in the same procedure by utilizing marker wires of different diameters and/or preformed curves, which approximate different helical shapes as they pass through the die portion. Thus, loading a plurality of different sized wires into the needle yields a plurality of different shaped markers. Of course, as with the previous embodiments, although stainless steel is presently preferred, many different types of biocompatible, implantable, and radiopaque materials could be utilized within the scope of the invention. Also as in the previous embodiments, marker elements may be similarly deployed at different angles to accommodate delivery through an existing instrument (i.e., cannula, needle, endoscope, laparoscope, or the like). Unlike previous embodiments, FIG. 16 preferably incorporates a piercing element 112 enabling this marker to be delivered without the aid of the positioning system described in FIGS. 1-3 for placement at the tissue site. This embodiment could be used alone in conjunction with a commercially available stereotactic or other (i.e., ultrasonic) guidance system. Though a number of different embodiments of the conceptual invention have been described and shown, it is considered to be within the scope of the invention for the marking elements and delivery instruments to take on many other forms. For example, embolization coils like that illustrated in FIG. 17 and designated with reference numeral 12g are well known in the medical field for placement into vessels such as veins and arteries in order to block off fluid flow abnormalities (such as fistulas and arteriovenous malformations). These coils have been made of various materials, including stainless steel, platinum, and gold, and are wound into configuration similar to that of a light bulb filament. They are generally placed into the body using a catheter or trocar system. The inventors in the present application have discovered that such coils may indeed also be used as marker elements, for permanent implantation in target tissue, in a manner similar to that described previously with respect to FIGS. 1-16. Marker elements of many other materials and configurations may be used as well. For example, one such multi-appendaged jack-shaped marker 12h is illustrated in FIG. 18. Additionally, small beads 12i (FIG. 19) of calcium carbonate or other radiodense materials, which are highly visible by mammographic imaging, could be deployed as marker elements. One such application would be to place a plurality of such beads or pellets (each having a diameter of about 500 .mu.) around the entirety of a breast lesion prior to the extraction procedure, which would then serve as guides to ensure that all of the margins had been removed. During subsequent imaging procedures, they would function to denote the location of the previous biopsy for reference purposes. Referring now to FIG. 20, yet another alternative marker element 12j, which is of a woven construction, is illustrated. Other such marker materials may include adhesives and epoxies which would be injected at the biopsy site. Biodegradable polymers and other plastics could also be used, as long as they are biocompatible, implantable, and visible using an imaging system. While this invention has been described with respect to various specific examples and embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that it can be variously practiced within the scope of the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>This invention relates to methods and devices for marking and defining particular locations in human tissue, and more particularly relates to methods and devices for permanently defining the location and margins of lesions detected in a human breast. It is desirable and often necessary to perform procedures for detecting, sampling, and testing lesions and other abnormalities in the tissue of humans and other animals, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancerous tumors, pre-malignant conditions and other diseases or disorders. Typically, in the case of cancer, when a physician establishes by means of known procedures (i.e., palpation, x-ray, MRI, or ultrasound imaging) that suspicious circumstances exist, a biopsy is performed to determine whether the cells are cancerous. Biopsy may be an open or percutaneous technique. Open biopsy removes the entire mass (excisional biopsy) or a part of the mass (incisional biopsy). Percutaneous biopsy on the other hand is usually done with a needle-like instrument and may be either a fine needle aspiration (FNA) or a core biopsy. In FNA biopsy, very small needles are used to obtain individual cells or clusters of cells for cytologic examination. The cells may be prepared such as in a Papanicolaou (Pap) smear. In core biopsy, as the term suggests, a core or fragment of tissue is obtained for histologic examination which may be done via a frozen section or paraffin section. The chief difference between FNA and core biopsy is the size of the tissue sample taken. A real time or near real time imaging system having stereoscopic capabilities, such as the stereotactic guidance system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,011, is employed to guide the extraction instrument to the lesion. Advantageous methods and devices for performing core biopsies are described in the assignee's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/217,246, filed on Mar. 24, 1994, and herein incorporated by reference. Depending upon the procedure being performed, it is sometimes desirable to completely remove suspicious lesions for evaluation, while in other instances it may be desirable to remove only a sample from the lesion. In the. former case, a major problem is the ability to define the margins of the lesions at all times during the extraction process. Visibility of the lesion by the imaging system may be hampered because of the distortion created by the extraction process itself as well as associated bleeding in the surrounding tissues. Although the lesion is removed and all fluids are continuously aspirated from the extraction site, it is likely that the process will “cloud” the lesion, thus impairing exact recognition of its margins. This makes it difficult to ensure that the entire lesion will be removed. Often, the lesion is merely a calcification derived from dead abnormal tissue, which may be cancerous or pre-cancerous, and it is desirable to remove only a sample of the lesion, rather than the entire lesion, to evaluate it. This is because such a lesion actually serves to mark or define the location of adjacent abnormal tissue, so the physician does not wish to remove the entire lesion and thereby lose a critical means for later re-locating the affected tissue. One of the benefits to the patient from core biopsy is that the mass of the tissue taken is small. However, oftentimes, either inadvertently or because the lesion is too small, the entire lesion is removed for evaluation, even though it is desired to remove only a portion. Then, if subsequent analysis indicates the tissue to be malignant (malignant tissue requires removal, days or weeks later, of tissue around the immediate site of the original biopsy), it is difficult for the physician to determine the precise location of the lesion, in order to perform necessary additional procedures on adjacent potentially cancerous tissue. Additionally, even if the lesion is found to be benign, there will be no evidence of its location during future examinations, to mark the location of the previously removed calcification so that the affected tissue may be carefully monitored for future reoccurrences. Thus, it would be of considerable benefit to be able to permanently mark the location or margins of such a lesion prior to or immediately after removing or sampling same. Marking prior to removal would help to ensure that the entire lesion is excised, if desired. Alternatively, if the lesion were inadvertently removed in its entirety, marking the biopsy site immediately after the procedure would enable re-establishment of its location for future identification. A number of procedures and devices for marking and locating particular tissue locations are known in the prior art. For example, location wire guides, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,269 to Miller et al., are well known for locating lesions, particularly in the breast. The device described by Miller comprises a tubular introducer needle and an attached wire guide, which has at its distal end a helical coil configuration for locking into position about the targeted lesion. The needle is introduced into the breast and guided to the lesion site by an imaging system of a known type, for example, x-ray, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), at which time the helical coil at the distal end is deployed about the lesion. Then, the needle may be removed from the wire guide, which remains in a locked position distally about the lesion for guiding a surgeon down the wire to the lesion site during subsequent surgery. While such a location system is effective, it is obviously intended and designed to be only temporary, and is removed once the surgery or other procedure has been completed. Other devices are known for marking external regions of a patient's skin. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,270 to Carswell, Jr. discloses a syringe which dispenses a colorant to give a visual indication on the surface of the skin of the point at which an injection has or will be given. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,307 to Gluck discloses a device which has patterning elements for impressing a temporary mark in a patient's skin, for guiding the location of an injection or the like. It is also known to tape or otherwise adhere a small metallic marker, e.g. a 3 millimeter diameter lead sphere, on the skin of a human breast in order to delineate the location of skin calcifications (see Homer et al., The Geographic Cluster of Microcalcifications of the Breast, Surgery, Gynecology, & Obstetrics , December 1985). Obviously, however, none of these approaches are useful for marking and delineating internal tissue abnormalities, such as lesions or tumors. Still another approach for marking potential lesions and tumors of the breast is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,959. In the described procedure, the skin of the portion of the body to be evaluated, such as the breasts, is coated with a heat sensitive color-responsive chemical, after which that portion of the body is heated with penetrating radiation such as diathermy. Then, the coated body portion is scanned for color changes which would indicate hot spots beneath the skin surface. These so-called hot spots may represent a tumor or lesion, which does not dissipate heat as rapidly because of its relatively poor blood circulation (about {fraction (1/20)} of the blood flow through normal body tissue). This method, of course, functions as a temporary diagnostic tool, rather than a permanent means for delineating the location of a tumor or lesion. A method of identifying and treating abnormal neoplastic tissue or pathogens within the body is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,151 to Dougherty et al. In this method, a tumor-selective photosensitizing drug is introduced into a patient's body, where it is cleared from normal tissue faster than it is cleared from abnormal tissue. After the drug has cleared normal tissue but before it has cleared abnormal neoplastic tissue, the abnormal neoplastic tissue may be located by the luminescence of the drug within the abnormal tissue. The fluorescence may be observed with low intensity light, some of which is within the drugs absorbance spectrum, or higher intensity light, a portion of which is not in the drugs absorbance spectrum. Once detected, the tissue may be destroyed by further application of higher intensity light having a frequency within the absorbance spectrum of the drug. Of course, this method also is only a temporary means for marking the abnormal tissue, since eventually the drug will clear from even the abnormal tissue. Additionally, once the abnormal tissue has been destroyed during treatment, the marker is destroyed as well. It is also known to employ biocompatible dyes or stains to mark breast lesions. First, a syringe containing the colorant is guided to a detected lesion, using an imaging system. Later, during the extraction procedure, the surgeon harvests a tissue sample from the stained tissue. However, while such staining techniques can be effective, it is difficult to precisely localize the stain. Also, the stains are difficult to detect fluoroscopically and may not always be permanent. Additionally, it is known to implant markers directly into a patient's body using invasive surgical techniques. For example, during a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), which of course constitutes open heart surgery, it is common practice to surgically apply one or more metallic rings to the aorta at the site of the graft. This enables a practitioner to later return to the site of the graft by identifying the rings, for evaluative purposes. It is also common practice to mark a surgical site with staples, vascular clips, and the like, for the purpose of future evaluation of the site. A technique has been described for the study of pharyngeal swallowing in dogs, which involves permanently implanting steel marker beads in the submucosa of the pharynx (S. S. Kramer et al., A Permanent Radiopaque Marker Technique for the Study of Pharyngeal Swallowing in Dogs, Dysphagia , Vol. 1, pp. 163-167, 1987). The article posits that the radiographic study of these marker beads during swallowing, on many occasions over a substantial period of time, provides a better understanding of the pharyngeal phase of degluitition in humans. In the described technique, the beads were deposited using a metal needle cannula having an internal diameter slightly smaller than the beads to be implanted. When suction was applied to the cannula, the bead sat firmly on the tip. Once the ball-tipped cannula was inserted through tissue, the suction was broken, thereby releasing the bead, and the cannula withdrawn. Of course, this technique was not adapted or intended to mark specific tissue sites, but rather to mark an entire region or structure of the body in order to evaluate anatomical movements (i.e., swallowing motions). It also was not intended for use in humans. Accordingly, what is needed is a method and device for non-surgically implanting potentially permanent markers at the situs of a lesion or other abnormal tissue, for the purpose of defining the margins of a lesion before it is removed and/or to establish its location after it has been removed. The markers should be easy to deploy and easily detected using state of the art imaging techniques. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>This invention solves the problems noted above by providing an implantable device which is particularly adapted to mark the location of a biopsy or surgery for the purpose of identification. The device is remotely delivered, preferably percutaneously. Visualization of the marker is readily accomplished using various state of the art imaging systems. Using the invention, it is possible to permanently mark the location or margins of a lesion or other tissue site, prior to removing or sampling same. The markers function to provide evidence of the location of the lesion after the procedure is completed, for reference during future examinations or procedures. More particularly, a device is provided for marking tissue within a human body to identify a selected location for a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. The device comprises a marker element and an apparatus for remotely delivering the marker element from outside the human body to the selected tissue location. Since, with remote delivery (e.g. percutaneously) direct visual access is not possible, an aided visualization device is used, such as an imaging system, an endoscope, or the like. Deployment of the marker element is such that it becomes implanted in the tissue. The delivery apparatus preferably includes a member, which may comprise a tube, such as a needle, cannula, or trocar, of any known type for delivering medications, surgical equipment, or other items to the interior of a patient's body. The member may also be the body of an optical instrument such as an endoscope, laparoscope, or arthroscope. In the preferred embodiment, a biopsy needle or gun, such as is often used to extract tissue for examination in a biopsy procedure, is used in conjunction with the marking device, comprising a portion of the delivery apparatus, in order to provide a means for entering the patient's body and positioning the marker element at the selected tissue location. However, in other embodiments, the marking device is self contained, having a means itself for obtaining entry to the body, and being guided by a commercially available guidance system, such as a stereotactic guidance system. The aforementioned member or tube, which typically comprises a cannula or needle having a lumen, has a distal end portion or region and a proximal end portion or region, and is adapted to extend through the body. The distal region is adapted to retain and deploy the marker element and the proximal region is linked to the distal region, so that predetermined marker deployment functions may be communicated from the proximal region to the distal region. In some embodiments, these deployment functions are communicated by means of the marker elements themselves traveling through the lumen for deployment from the distal region. In other embodiments, an actuator extends axially through the lumen to communicate deployment functions to the marker element held on or by the distal region. The apparatus is preferably guided to the selected tissue location, i.e., the site of the detected lesion or other abnormality, using a stereotactic guidance system or similar imaging system. Several alternative embodiments of the marking device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the distal region of the tube includes a forming die, which is adapted to form each marker element into a predetermined shape, preferably a helix, as the marker element is deployed from the lumen. In a number of alternative embodiments, a mechanism, such as a mandrel, is used to push the marker elements through the tube. The marker elements may comprise a pre-formed spring having a predetermined shape, which is compressed into a linear position within the tube lumen. Upon deployment from the lumen, the spring is adapted to expand and assume its predetermined shape to such an extent that the energy of its expansion is sufficient to implant the marker element into the tissue at the selected tissue location. In some embodiments, implantation is accomplished because the marker elements have a plurality of attachment elements, each having a tip end (sometimes sharpened) which expands outwardly with sufficient energy to embed and anchor itself into the tissue at the selected tissue location. In other embodiments, the marker element has blunt, rather than sharpened edges, but is adapted to expand sufficiently upon exiting from the tube that its edges press radially against the selected tissue, thereby wedging and implanting the marker element. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the tube lumen is adapted to receive a deployment actuator connector, or center wire, which extends axially through the lumen. The connector includes a distal portion which extends distally of the tube and a proximal portion which extends proximally of the tube. The proximal portion is attached to a deployment actuator, such as a pull ring, while the distal portion is attached to the marker element. On the connector, proximal to the distal portion, is a predetermined failure point which is adapted to be the weak point on the connector by failing first under tension. In operation, once the tube distal region has been positioned at the selected tissue location, the deployment actuator is actuated in a proximal direction to pull the marker element against the distal region of the tube. The tube distal region thus functions as a forming die to cause the marker element to bend until it abuts the tube distal region at its junction with the distal portion of the connector, such that the marker element is reconfigured to a desired shape. The proximal portion of the connector is adapted to be severed from the distal portion at the predetermined failure point upon the application of continued tension on the deployment actuator after abutment of the marker element against the tube distal region, thereby releasing and implanting the marker element. Another important feature of the invention is the ability to utilize marker elements having a plurality of shapes. In some embodiments, these shapes may be created merely by utilizing different sized material stock or different cross sections. This shape diversity permits the adoption of a system wherein each shape denotes a different selected tissue location or event. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is adapted to be employed in combination with a medical instrument which transports the device to the selected tissue location responsive to positional control by a guidance system. The medical instrument preferably draws a vacuum to isolate and retain tissue at the selected location in a tissue receiving port. The marking device is adapted to deploy the marker element into the retained tissue. In another aspect of the invention, a marker element is provided for marking tissue within a human body to identify a selected location for a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. The marker element, which is preferably comprised of a biocompatible, implantable, and substantially radiopaque material, is adapted to be deployed to the selected tissue location percutaneously by a delivery instrument, so as to become implanted in the tissue. A number of different marker element configurations and materials may be employed. Materials may include stainless steel, titanium, and the like, as well as non-metallic materials, such as polymers, salts, and ceramics, for example. In some embodiments, the marker element may actually be formed into a desired shape by a forming die in the delivery instrument, while in other embodiments, it may comprise a spring which radially expands upon exit from the delivery instrument to embed itself in the tissue. In yet another aspect of the invention, a method for permanently marking tissue in a human body to identify a selected location for a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure is disclosed, which comprises actuating a delivery instrument, having a tube with a distal region, to a position wherein the tube extends through the human body and the distal region is at the selected location. A marker element is then deployed from the tube distal region to the selected tissue location so that it becomes anchored in the tissue. These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the following detailed description and claims, particularly when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts bear like reference numerals. | 20041015 | 20070612 | 20050303 | 62502.0 | 3 | SMITH, FANGEMONIQUE A | METHODS FOR MARKING A BIOPSY SITE | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,966,652 | ACCEPTED | Automotive vehicle seat having a comfort system | There is disclosed a comfort system suitable for use in a seat of an automotive vehicle. The system preferably includes an air mover in fluid communication with an open space below a trim layer of the seat for providing ventilation, heating and/or cooling to the seat occupant. | 1. A ventilated seat for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle seat having a seat cushion component and a backrest cushion component, at least one of which is ventilated, each ventilated component having an air-permeable trim surface at the occupant contact areas of the seat; an open space located beneath the trim surface of each ventilated component; and an air mover in fluid communication with the open space of the insert. 2. The ventilated seat of claim 1 wherein the air mover is fastened to one or more members that extend substantially vertically when the seat backrest component is in the upright position. 3. The ventilated seat of claim 2 wherein the one or more members comprise a pair of lumbar rods in the backrest. 4. The ventilated seat of claim 1 further comprising a tubular structure at least partially providing the fluid communication between the air mover and the open space. 5. The ventilated seat of claim 1 wherein the cushion includes an opening extending therethrough for at least assisting in providing fluid communication between the air mover and the open space. 6. The ventilated seat of claim 1 further comprising a tubular structure wherein the cushion includes an opening extending therethrough and the tubular structure extends at least partially into the opening. 7. The ventilated seat of claim 6 wherein the tubular structure includes a proximate portion, a distal portion and an arced portion therebetween. 8. The ventilated seat of claim 6 wherein the tubular structure extends toward a forward edge of the cushion to attach to the air mover. 9. The ventilated seat of claim 1 further comprising a forward layer disposed over the open space. 10. The ventilated seat of claim 9 wherein the forward layer includes a heater sub-layer, a barrier sub-layer or both. 11. The ventilated seat of claim 1 wherein the air mover is a blower that is attached to a frame structure of the seat. 12. The ventilated seat of claim 1 wherein the ventilated seat component is the seat cushion component. 13. The ventilated seat of claim 1 wherein the air mover includes a thermoelectric unit. 14. A ventilated seat for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle seat having a seat cushion component and a backrest cushion component, at least one of which is ventilated, each ventilated component having an air-permeable trim surface at the occupant contact areas of the seat; an air mover attached to the extension of the insert in fluid communication with the open space of the insert wherein the air mover is attached to one or more components of the seat behind the cushion component; an open space located beneath the trim surface of each ventilated component, the open space provided by a spacer layer; and a tubular structure providing fluid communication between the air mover and the open space. 15. The ventilated seat of claim 14 further comprising a forward layer disposed over the spacer layer. 16. The ventilated seat of claim 15 wherein the forward layer includes a heater sub-layer and a barrier sub-layer. 17. The ventilated seat of claim 14 wherein the tubular structure extends at least partially through the cushion of the ventilated component. 18. The ventilated seat of claim 14 wherein the air mover is attached to a mounting structure. 19. The ventilated seat of claim 18 wherein the air mover is a blower and the mounting structure is a plate. 20. The ventilated seat of claim 18 wherein a plurality of fasteners are attached to the mounting structure. 21. The ventilated seat of claim 14 wherein the one or more components behind the cushion are metal rods and the plurality of fasteners are attached to the metal rods. 22. The ventilated seat of claim 21 wherein the metal rods are part of a lumbar or back support adjustment assembly. 23. The ventilated seat of claim 22 wherein the ventilated seat component is the backrest cushion component. | CLAIM OF PRIORITY This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/512,237, filed on Oct. 17, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to an automotive vehicle seat, and more particularly to an automotive vehicle seat having a comfort system configured for providing heating, cooling, ventilation, a combination thereof or the like to a passenger of the vehicle seat. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many years the transportation industry has been concerned with designing seats for automotive vehicles that provide added comfort to occupants in the seats. Various innovations in providing seating comfort are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,064,037; 5,921,314; 5,403,065; 6,048,024 and 6,003,950, all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In addition, other innovations in providing seating comfort are discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/619,171, filed Jul. 19, 2000, titled “Ventilated Seat Having a Pad Assembly and a Distribution Device”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/755,505, filed Jan. 5, 2001, titled “Ventilated Seat”; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/755,506, filed Jan. 5, 2001, titled “Portable Ventilated Seat”, each of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In the interest of continuing such innovation, the present invention provides an improved comfort system, which is preferably suitable for employment within or as part of an automotive vehicle seat and which assists in providing comfort control to an occupant in the seat. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is disclosed an automotive vehicle seat. The seat typically provides an open space beneath an air-permeable trim surface of the seat. Preferably, the open space is located between the trim surface and a cushion of the seat. An air mover is typically in fluid communication with the open space for moving air through the open space, the air permeable trim surface or both. In one embodiment, the air mover is conveniently mounted upon or fastened to one or more components of the seat such as a lumbar adjustment assembly (e.g., lumbar wires or other guide members) of the seat or a frame of the seat. Advantageously, such components of the seat may be a standard part of a particular seat or may be easily adaptable for supporting the air mover such that minimal costs are added to the seat. In alternative or additional embodiments, a tubular structure may assist in providing fluid communication between the air mover and the open space. Advantageously, such a tubular structure can assist in allowing the air mover to be more conveniently located relative to various seating components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The features and inventive aspects of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description, claims and drawings, of which the following is a brief description: FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a portion of an exemplary seat according to the present invention; FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of various layers and sub-layers of an exemplary comfort system according to an aspect of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary air mover according to an aspect of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective partially cut-away view of an exemplary insert, which may be used according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the insert of FIG. 3 taken along line 4-4; FIG. 5 is a rear cut away perspective view of an exemplary backrest component with an air mover assembly and an exemplary tubular structure assembled thereto. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary fastener, which is employed for attaching the air mover assembly to a seat. FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of another exemplary tubular structure being assembled to an exemplary partially cut away seat component of a vehicle seat. FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the exemplary seat component of FIG. 7 during assembly. FIG. 9 is another bottom perspective view of the exemplary seat component of FIG. 7 after assembly. FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of an exemplary blower assembly according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the exemplary blower assembly of FIG. 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is predicated upon providing an automotive vehicle seat configured for providing heating, cooling, ventilation or a combination thereof to an occupant in the seat. The seat typically includes an open space beneath an air-permeable trim surface of the seat. Preferably, the open space is located between the trim surface and a cushion of the seat. An air mover is typically in fluid communication with the open space for moving air through the open space, the air permeable trim surface or both. In one embodiment, the air or other fluid mover is conveniently mounted upon or fastened to one or more components of the seat such as a lumbar adjustment assembly (e.g., lumbar rods or wires) of the seat or a frame of the seat. Advantageously, such components of the seat may be a standard part of a particular seat or may be easily adaptable for supporting the air mover such that minimal costs are added to the seat. In alternative or additional embodiments, a tubular structure may assist in providing fluid communication between the air mover and the open space. Advantageously, such a tubular structure can assist in allowing the air mover to be more conveniently located relative to various seating components. In other additional or alternative embodiments, the seat may include a barrier layer disposed between the trim layer of the seat and the open space. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 1A, there are illustrated portions of a seat component 10, which could be a backrest cushion component or a seat cushion component according to the present invention. The seat component 10 typically includes a seat cushion 12, a trim layer 14 and an open space 16 therebetween. In the embodiment depicted, the seat component 10 also advantageously includes a forward layer 20, which may include a barrier sub-layer, a heater sub-layer or both. In another embodiment, the layer 20 may be located between open space 16 and the seat cushion 12. As used herein, seat cushion is used to refer to both the cushion upon which the occupant sits and to the cushion against the occupant may lean, i.e. the backrest cushion. The trim layer 14 may be formed of any materials suitable for automotive vehicle seats such as cloth, perforated and non-perforated leather, combinations thereof or other like materials. In a preferred embodiment, the trim layer 14 is formed of a perforated leather having openings (e.g., through-holes) suitable for having fluid (e.g., ambient air, heated air, cooled air or a combination thereof) flow therethrough. In one embodiment, the leather is tanned or otherwise treated in a manner to maintain a relatively high moisture content, reduce its thermal insulation value effectively allowing it to alter its intrinsic specific heat so that the leather maintains less thermal energy. Also, such leather may permit the number of openings in the perforated leather may be reduced or eliminated. The cushion 12 may also be formed of any material suitable for automotive vehicle seats. Exemplary materials includes foams (e.g., polymer/isocyanate foams) or other cushion materials. The cushion or cushion material include an air-impermeable barrier between the cushion and the open space. The air-impermeable barrier typically covers at least the portion of the cushion that is used by an occupant, although the barrier may be located on other portions of the cushion including on any through passages or sub-passages in the cushion. The barrier may additionally or alternatively include a coating material applied to the material of the cushion, a separate lining material that may be attached to the cushion or a space layer a chemically treated a surface of the cushion (e.g. a skin), or any combination thereof. The open space 16 may be provided in a variety of ways, but is typically provided by positioning a spacer layer 24 between the seat cushion 12 and the trim layer 14. The spacer layer 24 is typically formed of a spacer material and the spacer material may be selected from a variety of different materials. The spacer material may be provided as a variety of synthetic materials such as plastic or polymeric materials, padding and stuffing materials, lining and carrier materials, combinations thereof or the like. Preferably, the spacer material is at least partially pliable or flexible. As examples, the spacer layer may be provided as a plurality of rubber, foam, plastic or other members or fibers. The members or fibers are preferably spaced apart from each other to define the open space 16 therebetween while still being close enough together to provide cushion and support. As another example the spacer layer may be formed of a 3-dimensional spacer fabric structure or material. The particular spacer layer 24 shown is formed of polymeric (e.g., polyester) strand material that is interwoven to provide opposing honeycomb structures 28 (e.g., fabric panels), which are interconnected by several additional polymeric strand materials to provide the open space 16 between the structures 28 while still providing cushion and support. As an example, one preferred material is sold under the tradename 3MESH® and is commercially available from Müller Textil GmbH, Germany or Müller Textiles, Inc., Rhode Island, USA. As discussed, the forward layer 20, when included, can have a barrier sub-layer, a heater or heater sub-layer or both. In the embodiment depicted, the forward layer 20 includes a heater sub-layer 32, which is preferably laminated to a gas barrier sub-layer 34 (e.g., a film, a textile or otherwise) although neither are necessarily required. Various different types of heaters are suitable for incorporation into a car seat and it is contemplated that any of such heaters may be incorporated into the seat of the present invention. Such heaters typically incorporate flexible electrical heating elements that are preferably thin, flat, non-obtrusive or a combination thereof. As examples, a lay-wire heater, a carbon fiber heater, a positive thermal coefficient (PTC) heater, a thermoelectric heater or the like, which are typically supported with a backing (e.g., a cloth or fabric type backing) may be used. In a preferred embodiment, the heater sub-layer is a carbon fiber type heater with a backing (e.g., a nonwoven layer). One exemplary preferred heater is sold under the tradename CARBOTEX® and commercially available from W.E.T Automotive Systems, Inc. in Germany and/or FTG Fraser-Technik GmbH, Schleizer Strasse 56-58, D-95028 Hot/Saale, Germany. An example of such a heater is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,037, issued May 16, 2000, herein expressly incorporated by reference for all puposes. When included, the barrier sub-layer 34 is typically formed of a plastic or polymeric material that softens or melts upon exposure to heat to assist the sub-layer 34 in adhering to one or more other layers or sub-layers. Alternatively, the barrier sub-layer 34 may be formed of fabrics, woven materials (e.g, goretex or microfibers), nylon, foam, including closed pore foam or other materials. Preferably, the barrier sub-layer 34 is substantially impermeable to fluids and particularly air such that the sub-layer 34 can assist in forming an air barrier as will be described further herein. Dimensionally, for a film barrier sub-layer, it is preferable for the film thickness to be about 0.1 mm to about 2.0 mm thick and more preferably about 0.7 mm to about 1.0 mm thick. Of course, it is contemplated that the film sub-layer 28 may have a variable thickness and may be outside of the aforementioned ranges. As mentioned above, gas barrier sub-layer 34 also may be located between the open space and the cushion. In this aspect, the barrier sub-layer preferably provides a barrier adapted to prevent fluid flow through or into the cushion. In another embodiment, multiple similar or different sub-layers are utilized. The forward layer 20 can also include one or more buffer sub-layers, one or more adhesives or adhesive sub-layers, one or more tape sub-layers, one or more porous foam layers or a combination thereof. Adhesive may be supplied in layers, drops or in a variety of other configurations. Preferably, the buffer layer is at least partially formed of an insulating material. In the preferred embodiment depicted, the forward layer includes two adhesive sub-layers 38, one strip of tape 40 and one buffer sub-layer 44. The adhesive sub-layers 38 are preferably formed of a hot melt adhesive although not necessarily required. The adhesive may be provided as a web or otherwise and may be continuous or non continuous (e.g., may be applied in drops, dabs or the like). The adhesive sub-layers may include polyamides, polyesters, elastomers, urethanes, olefin polymers or a combination thereof. Moreover, the adhesives may be formulated as desired for particular processing parameters or conditions. Preferably, the adhesive sub-layers are substantially free of anti-blocking solutions, blowing additives, process contaminants or the like which might interfere with adhesive performance. As an example, one suitable hot melt adhesive is commercially available as a non-woven web under the tradename SPUNFAB® from Spunfab, Ltd. 175 Muffin Lane, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44223. The buffer sub-layer 44 in the embodiment depicted is a layer of gauze which is capable of protecting the heater sub-layer 32 although various alternative protective materials may be used such as cloth, fleece or the like. Optionally the buffer sub-layer 44 may include adhesive material for laminating it to other sub-layers. The tape 40, when used, is preferably tacky on two sides. It is also contemplated that the seat component 10 may include a second open space (not shown) provided between the barrier sub-layer 34 and the trim layer 14, although not required. Thus, it is contemplated that the forward layer 20 may also include a spacer layer (not shown), which may be located between the buffer sub-layer 44 and an occupant of the seat. The air-permeable layer, which may be any one of a variety of air-permeable materials (such as reticulated foam, for example) may be able to help distribute air under the occupant. It is also contemplated that such a spacer layer may be formed of any of the other materials described in relation to the other spacer layer 24. In such an embodiment, the heater sub-layer 32, when provided, may be above or below the second open space. Generally, it is contemplated that the various layers and sub-layers described above may be combined in a variety of sequences and according to a variety of protocols and technique. Thus, the order in which the various layers and sub-layers are combined and the techniques of combining should not in any way limit the present invention unless such order or techniques is specifically claimed. It is also contemplated that there may be greater or fewer layers and that each layer may include greater or fewer sub-layers. Moreover, it is contemplated that the layers may be secured between the cushion and trim layer using a variety of techniques. The layers and sub-layers discussed, may be provided by a bag-type or a peripheral edge sealed insert such as that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. An example of such an insert is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/434,890, filed May 9, 2003 and expressly incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, however, the layers may be provided in a non-sealed condition or as an open edge insert as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 1A such that there is no added peripheral seal about the spacer layer 24. According to a preferred method, the sub-layers of the forward layer are each laminated to each other followed by laminating the forward layer to the spacer layer. Of course, the forward layer and the spacer layer could be laminated together at the same time that the sub-layers of the forward layer are laminated together. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 1A, the forward layer is formed according to a preferred method by feeding the various sub-layers 32, 34, 38, 44 to a laminator (e.g., a belt and roller laminator). The sub-layers 32, 34, 38, 44 are preferably fed to the laminator from rolls or otherwise and are cut to shape to form the forward layer after lamination. The forward layer 20 may be cut to nearly any desired shape or configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the forward layer 20 is cut to be generally rectangular and to include a plurality of through-holes 48. The through-holes 48 may be arranged in a generally rectangular configuration or any other configuration and may each be substantially the same size or differently sized. In FIGS. 1A and 3, however, the through-holes 48 are shown in a preferred configuration as progressively becoming larger from one side of the forward layer to another. The through-holes 48 are optional especially for layers and sub-layers that are not located between the spacer layer and the occupant. Indeed, in some embodiments, the sub-layer, e.g. barrier sub-layer, does not have through-holes. Once the spacer layer 24 has been appropriately cut or otherwise shaped to the proper configuration, which preferably corresponds to the forward layer 20, the forward layer is laminated to the spacer layer 24. Of course, it is contemplated that the forward layer 20 and the spacer layer 24 may be laminated to each other prior to cutting the layers. In the preferred embodiment, the layers 20, 24 are laminated in a stationary lamination device at elevated temperatures such that the adhesive sub-layer 38 of the forward layer 20 adheres and attaches the forward layer 20 to the spacer layer 24 (e.g., the honeycomb structure). As such, laminating of the layers and cutting of the layers may be integrated into a single processing step. For example, it is contemplated that supplies (e.g., rolls) of each of the layers 20, 24 may be provided to a machine that laminates the layers 20, 24 together and cuts the layers 20, 24, to the desired configuration. Alternatively, such cutting may be performed by another cutting machine or device. In such an embodiment, it is contemplated that the through-holes in the forward layer 20 may be formed prior to, during or after lamination. It is also contemplated that additional cutting or laminating steps may also be employed. For example, it is contemplated that the layers, the sub-layers or both may be partially cut or shaped prior to stationary or other lamination and further cut or shaped after such lamination. During final assembly, for embodiments including the heater sub-layer 32, a wire harness or other electrical connection is preferably inserted within a pocket formed by the tape or otherwise attached to the forward layer 20. For assembly of the layers to a vehicle seat, the laminated layers are preferably connected (e.g., sewn, adhered or otherwise attached) to a portion of the seat such as the cover (e.g., a perforated leather cover) or to the cushion (e.g., foam) of the seat. In one preferred embodiment, a seat cover may be configured to include a pocket for receiving the layers. Alternatively, it is contemplated that hook and loop fasteners may be utilized to attach the layers to portions (e.g., the cover or foam cushion) of the seat. For example, a strip of hook and loop fastener may be attached (e.g., adhered) to the spacer layer and another strip of hook and loop fastener may be attached (e.g., adhered) to the foam cushion within a trench. Thus, the strips can be fastened to each other thereby attaching the layers 20, 24 to the cushion 12. The forward layer 20 is preferably closer to the outer seat cover relative to the spacer layer 24 although not necessarily required. Generally, the present invention provides for fluid communication between an air mover and the open space 16. In one embodiment, the air mover may be in direct fluid communication with the open space. In other embodiments, however, a tubular structure is provided for facilitating fluid communication between the air mover and the open space 16. It is contemplated that a variety of air movers may be employed according to the present invention. Exemplary air movers include, without limitation, blowers, fans, pumps combinations thereof or the like. Air movers of the present invention may be configured for moving heated air, cooled air, ambient air or a combination thereof. As an example, an ambient air mover might be a fan or blower that pushes or pulls air from inside the vehicle cabin through the open space of the comfort system. A heated or cooled air mover might be, for example, a blower or fan coupled with a heating and/or cooling unit (e.g., a thermoelectric heater, cooler or both) wherein the unit heats or cools air from the cabin of the vehicle prior to pushing the air through the open space of the system to the trim surface of the seat. In one embodiment, the air mover may be coupled with a heating and/or cooling unit in a single integrated component. For example a thermoelectric element may comprise on or more parts of a blower or fan, (e.g. as part of the blades). For example, as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,119,463; 6,223,539; and 6,606,866, all of which are incorporated by reference. The air mover may be positioned in a variety of locations relative to the components of the seat for allowing it to move air through the open space of the system and/or for allowing it to move air through the trim layer of the seat. The air mover may be directly adjacent the open space provided by the spacer material. In such an embodiment, the air mover may be located in a recess of the occupant side of the seat cushion and may provide direct fluid communication between the open space of the system and an opening (e.g., a through-hole) in the seat cushion. Alternatively, the air mover may be located at least partially between the seat cushion component and the backrest component for providing fluid communication between the open space and the air mover, the interior of the vehicle cabin or both. In addition, the air mover may be located within the seat cushion remote from the occupant side i.e. enclosed within at least a minimal amount of seat cushion material, on the underside of the seat cushion or remote from the backrest e.g. near the front of the seat cushion. One or more structures may facilitate fluid communication between an air mover and the open space. For example, one or more passages or sub-passages may be formed within, through or on the seat cushion for forming a tubular structure that provides fluid communication between the open space and the air or other fluid mover through the opening. As discussed above, the passages may be coated or lined to improve their air-impermeability. Such passages and sub-passages may also include structures or features that reduce the collapse of the passages and sub-passages under the weight of the occupant. Typically, the passage will be centrally located, e.g. along either the front-to-back or side-to-side centerline of the cushion, so as efficiently distribute air from the air mover; however, this is not necessarily the case. This passage may be located anywhere on the seat (e.g. proximate or within a thigh bolster) such as along the front or back edges of the seat or along either side edge. The passage may also be located in any quadrant of the cushion. Alternatively, additional components may be employed to provide fluid communication between the air mover and the open space. Examples of such additional components include, without limitation, tubes or tubular structures formed of materials such as polymers, foams, fabrics, adhesives, metals, fibrous materials, combinations thereof or the like. For embodiments including a tubular structure, the tubular structure may extend behind the seat cushion, to the underside of the cushion, to a location within the cushion or elsewhere. When extending to the air or other fluid mover, the tubular structure may extend around the seat cushion, extend between two or more seat cushions or portions of seat cushions, extend through a portion or the entirety of the seat cushion (e.g. a through-hole), a combination thereof or the like. Also, more than one tubular structure may be utilized. When multiple tubular structure are utilized, one or more air or other fluid movers may be utilized and the tubular structures may be the same or different in the manner in which they extend to the air or other fluid mover. Moreover, it is contemplated that the tubular structure may be shaped as desired to assist it in extending to a desired location behind the seat cushion. For example, the extension may be arced, angled, contoured, straight or otherwise configured as it extends away from the rest of the insert. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is illustrated a seat backrest component 54 having a system in accordance with the present invention. Like in FIG. 1, the system of FIGS. 4 and 5 includes the spacer layer 24 for forming the open space 16 and, optionally, includes the forward layer 20. In the embodiment depicted, the spacer layer 24 overlays a forward surface 56 of a backrest cushion 60 of the backrest component 54. Of course, the layer 20, 24 may be attached to the cushion 60 or a cover or trim layer using any of the attachments disclosed herein. The system also includes a tubular structure 62 for providing fluid communication between the open space 16 and an air mover 66. As shown, the backrest cushion 60 has an opening 68 (e.g., a slot or through-hole) extending generally through the cushion 60 of the backrest component 54. In particular, the opening 68 extends through the forward surface 56 and a rearward surface 72 of the cushion 60 at a central area of the cushion 60. In the embodiment shown, the opening 68 is sized to receive the tubular structure 62 and the tubular structure 62 extends at least partially or fully into and through the opening 68 and the cushion 60 preferably substantially seals (e.g., interferingly seals, adhesively seals or otherwise seals) about an outer surface of the tubular structure 62. Alternatively, however, it is contemplated that the tubular structure 62 may not extend into the opening 68 and that the structure 62 is otherwise situated (e.g., abuttingly adhered) to form substantially fluid tight communication between the tubular structure 62 and the opening 68. The tubular structure 62 also extends behind the cushion 60 to oppose at least a portion of the rearward surface 72 of the cushion 60. In the embodiment shown, the tubular structure 62 extends to the air mover 66 (e.g., a blower or blower assembly), which is also located behind the cushion 60. As can be seen, the tubular structure 62 is generally flexible thereby allow the structure 62 to be contoured (e.g., curved or angled) to extend to and/or through the opening 68. Referring to FIGS. 7-9, there is illustrated an alternative system with a seat cushion component 78 having the spacer layer 24 for forming the open space 16 and, optionally, includes the forward layer 20 an alternative tubular structure 80 according to the present invention. As with previous systems, the tubular structure 80 can be configured in a manner similar to any of the tubular structures described herein, however, the tubular structure 80 is additionally contoured (e.g., arced or angle) or non-linear. In particular, the tubular structure 80 extends from a first end portion 84 to a second end portion 86 with a contoured (e.g., arced, angled or non-linear) portion 88 therebetween. Preferably, the contoured portion 88 arcs to allow at least the second end portion 86 to be of the tubular structure 80 to substantially coextend or become substantially parallel with a side edge 42 of a cushion 94. It should be recognized that the tubular structure 80 is naturally contoured (e.g., arced, angled or non-linear), which as used herein means that the contoured portion is contoured without external forces required to create the contoured portion. As shown in cut-away, the seat cushion 94 has an opening 98 (e.g., a slotted through-hole) extending generally through the cushion 94 of the seat cushion component 78. In particular, the opening 98 extends through a forward surface 102 and a rearward surface 104 of the cushion 94 at a side area of the cushion 94. In the embodiment shown, the opening 98 is sized to receive the tubular structure 80 and the tubular structure 80 extends at least partially or fully into and through the opening 98 and the cushion 94 preferably substantially seals (e.g., interferingly seals, adhesively seals or otherwise seals) about an outer surface of the tubular structure 80. Alternatively, however, it is contemplated that the tubular structure 80 may not extend into the opening 98 and that the structure 80 is otherwise situated (e.g., abuttingly adhered) to form substantially fluid tight communication between the tubular structure 80 and the opening 98. The tubular structure 80 also extends behind the cushion 94 to oppose at least a portion of the rearward surface 104 of the cushion 94. In the embodiment shown, the tubular structure 80 extends to an air mover 66 (e.g., a blower assembly or blower), which is also located behind the cushion 104. As an added advantage, the contoured portion 88 allows the tubular structure 80 to easily extend toward a forward edge 112 of the seat cushion 60 and/or seat cushion component 78. It should be understood, however, that such a contoured portion 88 may be configured to allow the tubular structure 80 to extend toward any desired location. It should be understood that in any of the embodiments disclosed herein, steps used to assemble the system to a seat may be carried out in any desired order. For example, the spacer material may be attached to the cushion followed by extending the tubular structure through the cushion opening. Alternatively, the tubular structure may be extended through the cushion first. Generally, the air mover (e.g., the blower or blower assembly) may be attached as needed or desired to various different components of the vehicle seat or to other portions of the vehicle depending upon the seat configuration, the vehicle configuration or both. For example, the air mover may be attached to a cushion of the seat (e.g., a seat or backrest cushion), a frame of the seat, one or more rod supports of the seat, one or more location adjustment components of the seat, one or more frame supports for the seat, combinations thereof or the like. It is also contemplated that the blower may not be attached to any components other than the tubular structure. Preferably, the air mover is attached to a component that maintains a substantially identical location with respect to a seat or backrest cushion particularly during adjustment of the cushion position or seat. Of course, it is contemplated that the location of the air mover may change relative to the seat or backrest cushion as well. It is also contemplated that the air mover may be attached to components of the seat or other portions of the vehicle with a variety of fastening mechanisms. For example, the air mover may be attached to the various components with one or more mechanical fasteners such as clips, rivets, screws, bolts, interference fit fasteners, snap fit fasteners, integral fasteners, non-integral fasteners, combinations thereof or the like. Other fasteners which may be employed include adhesives, tapes, magnets, combinations thereof or the like. Depending on the desired configuration, the one or more fasteners may be integrally formed with the air mover (e.g., the housing or other components of a blower) or the one or more fasteners may be separately formed from the air mover and attached thereto. Alternatively, a mounting structure may be attached to the air mover and the one or more fasteners may be integrally formed with the mounting structure or the one or more fasteners may be separately formed from the mounting structure and attached thereto. When used, the mounting structure may be attached to the air mover using any of the fasteners or fastening methods disclosed herein with respect to the air mover and the seat. It is also contemplated that the mounting structure may be integrally formed with one or more of the seat components discussed herein. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, there is illustrated one exemplary air mover or blower assembly 130 according to the present invention. The assembly 130 includes the blower 66 attached to a mounting structure 132. Of course, the blower 66 may be configured for moving heated air, cooled air, ambient air or a combination thereof. In the particular embodiment shown, the blower 66 includes a housing 136 (e.g., a plastic housing) that is attached to the mounting structure 132 with a plurality of fasteners 138 (e.g., screws). The mounting structure 132 is shown as a substantially rectangular metal plate with rounded off corners 142 and a plurality of openings 144 (e.g., through-holes) extending through the plate, one opening 144, adjacent each corner 142. Of course, it is contemplated that a variety of structures other than plates may be employed as the mounting structure and a variety of materials (e.g., plastics, fabrics or the like) may be employed for forming the structure in a variety of alternative configurations. The assembly 130, as shown in FIG. 5 also includes one or more (e.g., four) fasteners 150 attached thereto. As shown in FIG. 6, each fastener 150 includes a body portion 152 with projections 156,158 extending therefrom for interference fitting the fastener 150 to the mounting structure 132. In the embodiment shown, each fastener 150 includes a pair of projections 156 extending from an end 162 of the fastener 156 and a conical projection 158. Preferably the pair of projections 156 and the conical projection 158 extend at least partially toward each other, although not required. Each fastener 150 also includes a fastening mechanism 166 for attaching the fastener 150, the blower assembly 130 or both to one or more components of the seat or other portions of the automotive vehicle. Preferably, the fastening mechanism 106 can be attached by interference fit, adhesion, magnetism or otherwise. In the particular embodiment depicted, the fastening mechanism 166 is a C-shaped clip configured for forming an interference fit. It is generally contemplated that the fastening mechanism may be fitted with a locking mechanism (not shown) to enhance the ability of the fastening mechanism 166 in attaching to members. In FIG. 5, the air mover assembly 130 is attached to a pair of members 170 that extend substantially parallel to the back surface 72 of the backrest cushion 60 or backrest cushion component 54. As shown, the members 170 extend substantially vertically when the backrest component 54 is in the upright position, although they may extend in a variety of directions depending upon the members 170 employed and the seat configuration. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the members 170 are cylindrical metal rods that form a portion of a lumbar or back support adjustment assembly. Preferably, the members 170 are substantially stationary relative to the backrest component 54, although this is not required. In addition to the above, it is contemplated that the air mover 66 or air mover assembly 130 might be attached to various different components of a lumbar support adjustment assembly. For example, the air mover 66 or air mover assembly 130 may be attached to plates, flexible members, fasteners, motors or other components of such an assembly. For attaching the air mover assembly 130 to the members 170, the end 162 and projections 156 of the fasteners 150 are extended through the openings 144 of the mounting structure 132 until the mounting structure 132 is interference fit between the pair of projections 156 and the conical projection 158. Also, the fastening mechanisms 66 of each of fasteners 150 are interference fit (e.g., at least partially clipped about) the members 170. As shown, the mounting structure 132 is between the members 170 and the cushion 60. In an alternative embodiment, however, the mounting structure 132 may be located on a side of the members 170 away from the cushion 60. In such an embodiment, the fasteners 150 would have to be reversed such that the fastening mechanisms 166 extend toward the cushion 60 and the air mover 66 would be located at least partially between the members 170. Advantageously, such an embodiment can provide for greater space between the air mover 66 and the cushion 60 for allowing air to flow to or from the air mover 66 more easily. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the air mover assembly 130 is attached to a support frame 174 for the cushion 94. As depicted, the mounting structure 132 is attached to the support frame 174. It is contemplated, however, that the air mover 66 may be directly attached to the support frame 174 and the mounting structure 132 may be removed. Moreover, the support frame 174, particularly when molded of plastic, can be molded to specifically receive the air mover 66 and assist in its attachment thereto. Any one of the tubular structures of the present invention may be placed in fluid communication with the air movers of the present invention using a variety of different techniques, fastening mechanisms or the like. As an example, a tubular structure may be fastened (e.g., adhered, mechanically fastened, magnetized, combinations thereof or the like) to an air mover or another component to provide fluid communication. Preferably, although not required, fluid communication is established by positioning the tubular structure relative to the air mover such that the air movers can pull air from or push air into an opening (e.g., a tunnel or passage) defined by the tubular structure. According to one embodiment, the air mover 66 (e.g., the blower assembly) of FIGS. 5 and 8, is preferably attached to an attachment component 180 (e.g., a ring) of the respective tubular structures 62, 80 for placing the air mover in fluid communication with the tubular structures. Additionally, the tubular structures 62, 80 include an opening 186 (e.g., a through-hole) extending in fluid communication with an internal opening 190 (e.g., a tunnel) of the tubular structures 62, 80. At least partially surrounding the openings 62, 80 are attachment components 180, which are attached (e.g., adhered) to the tubular structures 62, 80. In the embodiment shown, and with additional reference to FIG. 2, the housing 130 includes flanges 194 suitable for snap-fitting the housing 136 to the attachment component 180. In this manner, the air mover 66 can be attached to and placed in fluid communication with the tubular structures 62, 80 and can, in turn, be placed in fluid communication with the through-holes 48 of the forward layer 20, the open space 16 of the spacer layer 24. Advantageously, the attachment component 180 and flanges 194 can provide a unique and efficient method of attaching the air mover to the tubular structure. It is contemplated however, that various other methods of attachment (e.g., fasteners, sewing, mating threaded attachments, quick connects or the like) may be used to attach the air mover to the tubular structures. It is also contemplated that the attachment component 180 and the housing 136 and flanges 194 of the air mover may be varied within the scope of the present invention. While is contemplated that any of the tubular structures may be attached to the air mover using the attachment component 180 of FIG. 2, it is also possible to design a ring, which aids in the assembly of the tubular structure to the blower. As an example, there is an attachment component 200 (e.g., a ring) illustrated in FIG. 11 having an extension 204 (e.g., a semi-circular extension) extending from the component 200 and a lip 208 located adjacent an interface of the component 200 and the extension 204. As shown, the extension 204 extends away from the ring component 200 in the same plane as the component 200 and the lip 208 extends from the extension 204 at least partially perpendicular to the plane of the attachment component 200 and the extension 204. Thus, the lip 208 is configured for extending outwardly away from any tubular structure into which the component 200 is installed. To assemble the component 200, and the tubular structure when attached to the component 200, to the air mover 130, the lip 108 can be abuttingly engaged with the housing 136 of the blower 66 adjacent an edge 212 of the housing 308. In turn, the component 200 is aligned with fasteners 220 of the air mover 66 such that the component 200 may be snap-fit to the fasteners 200 as described previously with regard to the component 180 of FIG. 2. It should be recognized that various alternative attachments other than the rings described may be employed to attach the air movers to the tubular structures. For example, attachments such as twist locks, spring locks, tabs on a ring, tabs on the air mover housing, combinations thereof or the like may be employed. It should be further recognized that the air mover, the snap ring or both can include protective equipment such as fingerguards (e.g., cross-bars) or the like. Operation In operation, the comfort system of the present invention can preferably provide heating, cooling, ventilation or a combination thereof to an occupant of a seat having the insert. In one embodiment, heating is provided by inducing electrical current (e.g., from the automotive vehicle battery) to travel through the heater sub-layer 32 such that the heater sub-layer 32 provides heat to the trim layer 14, an occupant of the seat or both. Alternatively, heating may be provided by warming or heating air (e.g., with a thermoelectric air mover) and moving the air via the air mover through one of the tubular structures 62, 80, the open space 16, the openings 48 in the forward layer 20, the opening 186 in the tubular structures and ultimately to the trim layer 14, the occupant or both. If ventilation is desired, the air mover can be operated to pull air or push air through the trim layer 14, the openings 48 in the forward layer 20, the open space 16, the openings 186 of the tubular structures 20 or a combination thereof. Such air preferably flows at least partially past the occupant of the seat and before of after flowing through the seat cover (e.g., a perforated leather seat cover or cloth seat cover) thereby providing ventilation to the occupant and providing convective heat transfer from the occupant to the flowing air. If cooling is desired, the air pushed toward the trim layer 14, the occupant or both may be cooled by cooling air (e.g., with a thermoelectric air mover) and moving the air through the tubular structures, the open space 16 or both and ultimately to the trim layer, the occupant or both. It should be understood that cooling, ventilating, heating or a combination thereof may be controlled by the control unit. In embodiment having a heater sub-layer, it may be preferable for only the heater sub-layer 32 or the ventilation or cooling system to be running at one time, however, it is contemplated that both may be operated simultaneously. Moreover, it is contemplated that both the heater sub-layer 32 and the ventilation or cooing system may be operated at various levels (e.g., 2 or more levels of output) such as by having an air mover that can operate at different levels or by having various levels of electricity flowing through or throughout the heater sub-layer 32. It is also contemplated that one or more temperature sensors (e.g., a thermostat, a thermistor or the like) may be included adjacent the heater sub-layer, the trim layer or the like. Preferably, any temperature sensors are near a seating surface of the seat closely related to (e.g., at or near) a temperature being experienced by an individual in the seat. Such temperature sensors may be in signaling communication with the control unit such that the control unit can control the air mover, the heater sub-layer or both for attaining or maintaining a desired temperature at areas adjacent the individual and/or the temperature sensor. Moreover, the control unit may be programmed with instructions for commanding the air mover, the heater layer or both to change output levels (e.g., turn on or turn off) if the temperature sensor senses a temperature above or below one or more threshold levels. An example of such programming is described in a copending patent application titled “AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SEATING COMFORT SYSTEM”, Ser. No. 60/428,003, filed Nov. 21, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the invention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Plural structural components can be provided by a single integrated structure. Alternatively, a single integrated structure might be divided into separate plural components. In addition, while a feature of the present invention may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present invention. The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed. A person of ordinary skill in the art would realize however, that certain modifications would come within the teachings of this invention. Therefore, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of the invention. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>For many years the transportation industry has been concerned with designing seats for automotive vehicles that provide added comfort to occupants in the seats. Various innovations in providing seating comfort are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,064,037; 5,921,314; 5,403,065; 6,048,024 and 6,003,950, all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In addition, other innovations in providing seating comfort are discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/619,171, filed Jul. 19, 2000, titled “Ventilated Seat Having a Pad Assembly and a Distribution Device”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/755,505, filed Jan. 5, 2001, titled “Ventilated Seat”; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/755,506, filed Jan. 5, 2001, titled “Portable Ventilated Seat”, each of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In the interest of continuing such innovation, the present invention provides an improved comfort system, which is preferably suitable for employment within or as part of an automotive vehicle seat and which assists in providing comfort control to an occupant in the seat. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>According to the present invention, there is disclosed an automotive vehicle seat. The seat typically provides an open space beneath an air-permeable trim surface of the seat. Preferably, the open space is located between the trim surface and a cushion of the seat. An air mover is typically in fluid communication with the open space for moving air through the open space, the air permeable trim surface or both. In one embodiment, the air mover is conveniently mounted upon or fastened to one or more components of the seat such as a lumbar adjustment assembly (e.g., lumbar wires or other guide members) of the seat or a frame of the seat. Advantageously, such components of the seat may be a standard part of a particular seat or may be easily adaptable for supporting the air mover such that minimal costs are added to the seat. In alternative or additional embodiments, a tubular structure may assist in providing fluid communication between the air mover and the open space. Advantageously, such a tubular structure can assist in allowing the air mover to be more conveniently located relative to various seating components. | 20041015 | 20080916 | 20050505 | 64013.0 | 1 | NELSON JR, MILTON | AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SEAT HAVING A COMFORT SYSTEM | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,966,653 | ACCEPTED | Automotive vehicle seat insert | There is disclosed a sealed edge insert suitable for placement within a seat of an automotive vehicle. The insert includes multiple layers, one of which includes a heater for providing an occupant of the seat with warmth. The insert also includes an air mover (e.g., a fan) for providing ventilation to the seat occupant. Further, the insert includes an extension that extends to a backside of a cushion component of the seat for attachment to provide fluid communication from the insert to the air mover. | 1. A ventilated seat for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle seat having a seat cushion component and a seat backrest component, at least one of which is ventilated, each ventilated component having an air-permeable trim surface at the occupant contact areas of the seat and a cushion; an insert that is sealed about its peripheral edge, the insert being located beneath the trim surface of each ventilated component, the insert including an extension extending from a body portion of the insert, the extension having a first opening defined therein, wherein: i) the insert defines an internal open space that provides fluid communication between the first opening and a plurality of second openings of the insert; and ii) the extension extends through a forward and a rearward surface of the cushion of the ventilated component; and a fan attached to the extension of the insert in fluid communication with the open space of the insert. 2. A ventilated seat as in claim 1 wherein the extension is contoured as it extends away from the body portion. 3. A ventilated seat as in claim 2 wherein the extension includes a proximate portion, a distal portion and an arced portion therebetween. 4. A ventilated seat as in claim 3 wherein the extension extends from an edge of the body portion of the insert such that the distal portion is substantially coextensive with the edge of the body portion. 5. A ventilated seat as in claim 4 wherein the edge of the body portion is substantially coextensive with an edge of the cushion. 6. A ventilated seat as in claim 5 wherein the extension extends toward a forward edge of the cushion to attach to the air mover. 7. A ventilated seat as in claim 6 wherein the plurality of second openings are in fluid communication with the trim surface. 8. A ventilated seat as in claim 7 wherein the air mover is a fan that is attached to a frame structure of the seat and is adapted for blowing air toward the seat occupant for a predetermined amount of time, after which the fan draws air in a direction away from the occupant. 9. A ventilated seat as in claim 8 wherein the ventilated seat component is the seat cushion component. 10. A ventilated seat as in claim 1 further comprising a heater integrated into the insert. 11. A ventilated seat for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle seat having a seat cushion component and a seat backrest component, at least one of which is ventilated, each ventilated component having an air-permeable trim surface at the occupant contact areas of the seat and a cushion; an insert that is sealed about its peripheral edge, the insert being located beneath the trim surface of each ventilated component, the insert including an extension extending from a body portion of the insert, the extension have a first opening defined therein, wherein the insert defines an open space that provides fluid communication between the first opening and a plurality of second openings of the insert; and an air mover attached to the extension of the insert in fluid communication with the open space of the insert wherein the air mover is attached to one or more components of the seat behind the cushion. 12. A ventilated seat as in claim 11 wherein the insert include a heater sub-layer. 13. A ventilated seat as in claim 11 wherein the extension extends through a forward and a rearward surface of the cushion of the ventilated component. 14. A ventilated seat as in claim 13 wherein the air mover is attached to a mounting structure. 15. A ventilated seat as in claim 13 wherein the air mover is a fan and the mounting structure is a plate. 16. A ventilated seat as in claim 14 wherein a plurality of fasteners are attached to the mounting structure. 17. A ventilated seat as in claim 16 wherein the one or more components behind the cushion are metal wires and the plurality of fasteners are attached to the metal wires. 18. A ventilated seat as in claim 17 wherein the metal wires are part of a lumbar guide or back support adjustment assembly. 19. A ventilated seat as in claim 18 wherein the ventilated seat component is the backrest cushion component. 20. A ventilated seat for an automotive vehicle, comprising: an automotive vehicle seat having a seat cushion component and a seat backrest component, at least one of which is ventilated, each ventilated component having an air-permeable trim surface at the occupant contact areas of the seat and a cushion; an insert that is sealed about its peripheral edge, the insert being located beneath the trim surface of each ventilated component, the insert including an extension extending from a body portion of the insert, the extension have a first opening defined therein, wherein the insert defines an open space that provides fluid communication between the first opening and a plurality of second openings of the insert; and an air mover in fluid communication with the insert for drawing air from the insert, and being attached to at least one lumbar guide wire of the seat backrest. | CLAIM OF PRIORITY The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/512,230, filed on Oct. 17, 2003. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sealed insert for providing heating, ventilation or a combination thereof to a seat of an automotive vehicle. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many years the transportation industry has been concerned with designing seats for automotive vehicles that provide added comfort to occupants in the seats. Various innovations in providing seating comfort are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,064,037; 5,921,314; 5,403,065; 6,048,024 and 6,003,950, all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In addition, other innovations in providing seating comfort are discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/619,171, filed Jul. 19, 2000, titled “Ventilated Seat Having a Pad Assembly and a Distribution Device”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/755,505, filed Jan. 5, 2001, titled “Ventilated Seat”; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/755,506, filed Jan. 5, 2001, titled “Portable Ventilated Seat”, each of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In the interest of continuing such innovation, the present invention provides an improved sealed insert for an automotive vehicle seat for assisting in providing comfort control to an occupant in the seat. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is disclosed a sealed insert for providing heating and ventilation to an automotive vehicle seat. The insert includes a middle layer sandwiched and between a forward layer and a rearward layer and sealed about a peripheral edge. The forward layer, the rearward layer or both preferably include a first opening and a plurality of second openings. Moreover, the middle layer preferably defines an open space in fluid communication with the first opening, the plurality of second openings or both. According to one embodiment, the vehicle seat includes a seat cushion component and a seat backrest component, at least one of which is ventilated. Each ventilated component includes an air-permeable trim surface at the occupant contact areas of the seat and a cushion. The insert is located beneath the trim surface of each ventilated component and the insert includes an extension with the first opening defined therein. The extension preferably extends through a forward and a rearward surface of the cushion of the ventilated component and an air mover is attached to the extension of the insert in fluid communication with the open space of the insert. In one highly preferred embodiment, the insert includes a body portion from which the extension extends and the extension is contoured as it extends away from the body portion. In another embodiment, the air mover is fastened to lumbar guide wires of the automotive vehicle seat BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The features and inventive aspects of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description, claims and drawings, of which the following is a brief description: FIG. 1 is a blown up perspective view of a seat insert in accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a flow diagram for producing seat inserts in accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a partially cut-away elevational view of the seat insert of FIG. 1 after assembly of the insert; FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the insert of FIGS. 1 and 3 taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary fan suitable for application in the insert of the present invention; and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the insert attached in an exemplary manner to a seat of an automotive vehicle according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of an exemplary insert being assembled to an exemplary backrest component of a vehicle seat. FIG. 8A is a rear cut away perspective view of the exemplary backrest component of FIG. 7 with the exemplary insert assembled thereto. FIG. 8B is a perspective view of an exemplary fastener, which is employed for attaching an air mover assembly to a seat. FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of another exemplary insert being assembled to an exemplary partially cut away seat component of a vehicle seat. FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the exemplary insert of FIG. 9 assembled to the exemplary seat component. FIG. 11A is a bottom perspective view of the exemplary seat component of FIG. 9 during assembly. FIG. 11B is another bottom perspective view of the exemplary seat component of FIG. 9 after assembly. FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of an exemplary fan assembly according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of the exemplary fan assembly of FIG. 12. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is predicated upon providing an insert suitable for placement within an automotive vehicle seat to provide heating, ventilation or a combination thereof to an occupant in the seat. The insert will typically include multiple (e.g., three) layers and each of the layers may include one or more sub-layers. The insert preferably includes an extension that extends to a backside of a seating component (e.g., a backrest or seat support component) of the seat. As an example, the extension may extend through a cushion of the seat to a backside of the cushion. The extension of the insert typically connects the insert to a fan for providing ventilation. Advantageously, the extension can be shaped to allow the fan to be attached to various parts such as a frame or lumbar guide wires of a vehicle seat. One exemplary insert that may be employed in the present invention is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/434,890, filed May 9, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-5, there is illustrated an exemplary insert 10 suitable for placement within a seat of an automotive vehicle. The insert 10 preferably includes a plurality of layers that may be separate but are preferably attached to each other to form the insert. In the embodiment shown, the insert 10 includes a first or forward layer 14 (e.g., the layer of the insert configured to be closest an occupant of the seat), a second or middle layer 16 and a third or rearward layer 20 (e.g., the layer of the insert configured to be furthest from the occupant of the seat). It is preferred that one of the layers 14, 16, 20 includes a heater. In the embodiment depicted, the forward layer 14 includes a heater sub-layer 26, which is preferably laminated to a gas barrier sub-layer 28 (e.g., a film, a textile or otherwise) although such film is not necessarily required. Various different types of heaters are suitable for incorporation into a car seat and it is contemplated that any of such heaters may be incorporated into the insert 10 of the present invention. Such heaters typically incorporate flexible electrical heating elements that are preferably thin, flat, non-obtrusive or a combination thereof. As examples, a lay-wire heater, a carbon fiber heater, a positive thermal coefficient (PTC) heater, a thermoelectric heater or the like, which are typically supported with a backing (e.g., a cloth or fabric type backing) may be used within the insert. In a preferred embodiment, the heater sub-layer 26 is a carbon fiber type heater with a backing (e.g., a nonwoven layer). One exemplary preferred heater is sold under the tradename CARBOTEX® and commercially available from W.E.T Automotive Systems, Inc. in Germany and/or FTG Fraser-Technik GmbH, Schleizer Strasse 56-58, D-95028 Hot/Saale, Germany. An example of such a heater is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,037, issued May 16, 2000, herein expressly incorporated by reference for all purposes. The barrier sub-layer 28 is typically formed of a plastic or polymeric material that softens or melts upon exposure to heat to assist the sub-layer 28 to adhere to one or more other layers or sub-layers. Alternatively, the barrier sub-layer 28 may be formed of fabrics, woven materials (e.g, goretex or microfibers), nylon, closed pore foam or other materials. Preferably, the barrier sub-layer 28 is substantially impermeable to fluids and particularly air such that the sub-layer 28 can assist in forming an air barrier as will be described further herein. Dimensionally, for a film barrier sub-layer, it is preferable for the film thickness to be about 0.1 mm to about 2.0 mm thick and more preferably about 0.7 mm to about 1.0 mm thick. Of course, it is contemplated that the film sub-layer 28 may have a variable thickness and may be outside of the aforementioned ranges. The first layer 14 also includes one or more buffer sub-layers, one or more adhesives or adhesive sub-layers, one or more tape sub-layers, one or more porous foam layers or a combination thereof. Adhesive may be supplied in layers, drops or in a variety of other configurations. Preferably, the buffer layer is at least partially formed of an insulating material. In the preferred embodiment depicted, the first layer 14 includes two adhesive sub-layers 34, one strip of tape 36 and one buffer sub-layer 38. The adhesive sub-layers 34 are preferably formed of a hot melt adhesive although not necessarily required. According to an alternative embodiment, it is contemplated that the first layer 14 may also include an air-permeable layer (not shown) between the buffer sub-layer 38 and an occupant of the seat. The air-permeable layer, which may be any one of a variety of air-permeable materials (such as reticulated foam, for example) may be able to help distribute air under the occupant. One of the layers 14,16, 20, preferably the middle layer 16, includes a spacer sub-layer 48 formed of a spacer material. In the preferred embodiment depicted, the middle layer 16 includes only the spacer sub-layer 48, however, it is contemplated that additional sub-layers (e.g., adhesive sub-layers) or other materials (e.g., adhesives) may be incorporated into the middle layer 16. The particular sub-layer 48 shown is formed of polymeric (e.g., polyester) strand material that is interwoven to provide opposing honeycomb structures 56 (e.g., fabric panels), which are interconnected by several additional polymeric strand materials to provide open space 58 between the structures 56 while still providing cushion and support. As an example, one preferred material is sold under the tradename 3MESH® and is commercially available from Müller Textil GmbH, Germany or Müller Textiles, Inc., Rhode Island, USA. In another of the layers 14,16, 20 of the insert 10, preferably the rearward layer 20, there is included an outer protective or buffer sub-layer and another barrier sub-layer. In the embodiment shown, one integrated sub-layer 62 provides the both the barrier sub-layer 66 and the outer protective sub-layer 68 although they may be provided separately. The barrier sub-layer 66 for the rearward layer 20 may be the same or different than the barrier sub-layer 28 of the forward layer 14. Preferably, the protective sub-layer 68 is formed of a fleece material, however, various other materials may be used such as gauze, cloth, fabric or the like. It is also preferable for the rearward layer 20 to include an adhesive or adhesive sub-layer 70 similar to or the same as those discussed in relation to the forward layer 14. According to a preferred embodiment, the adhesive sub-layer 70 is provided integrally with the integrated sub-layer 62. In a highly preferred embodiment, an attachment component 72 is included in one of the layers 14, 16, 20. The attachment component 72 shown in FIG. 1 is a frame member that preferably defines an opening or through-hole 74. It is contemplated that the frame member may be in a variety of configurations (e.g., annular, rectangular, square, geometric or otherwise) and may be formed of a variety of preferably rigid or semi-rigid materials (metal, plastic or the like). Notably, several of the materials of the various layers and sub-layers of the insert 10 may be environmentally friendly. For example, and without limitation, the materials of the spacer sub-layer 48, the buffer and protective sub-layers 38, 68 and the barrier sub-layers 28, 66 may be recyclable. Assembly Generally, for forming a vehicle seat insert according to the present invention, it is contemplated that the various layers and sub-layers of the insert as described above may be combined in a variety of sequences and according to a variety of protocols and technique as long as the insert is or becomes sealed about its periphery. Thus, the order in which the various layers and sub-layers are combined and the techniques of combining should not in any way limit the present invention unless such order or techniques is specifically claimed. Moreover, it is also contemplated that there may be greater or fewer layers and that each layer may include greater or fewer sub-layers. According to a preferred method, the sub-layers of the front or first layer and the third or rearward layer are each laminated separately followed by laminating the front layer to the rearward layer with the middle layer in between. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first layer 14 is formed according to a preferred method by feeding the various sub-layers 38, 36, 34, 26, 28 to a laminator 80 (e.g., a belt and roller laminator). The sub-layers 36, 38, 34, 26, 28 are preferably fed to the laminator 80 from rolls or otherwise and are cut to shape to form the first layer 14 after lamination. The first layer 14 may be cut to nearly any desired shape or configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the first layer 14 is cut to be generally rectangular and to include an extension 84 and a plurality of through-holes 86. In FIG. 1, the through-holes 86 are arranged in a generally rectangular configuration and are each substantially the same size. In FIG. 3, however, the through-holes 86 are shown in a preferred configuration as progressively becoming larger from one side of the insert 10 to another. Referring to FIG. 3, the through-holes 86 preferably increase in size as the distance of the holes from the fan increases. This increase in size can provide a more uniform flow of air throughout the insert 10. It is believed that the increase in the total cross-sectional area of through-holes 86 as the distance from the fan increases allows air to enter or exit the openings at a more uniform rate than if the cross-sectional areas of through-holes at different distances from the fan were equal. The rearward layer 20, like the front layer 14, may be formed by attaching it sub-layers 62, 70 in a lamination process. Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the barrier sub-layer 66, the protective sub-layer 68 and the adhesive sub-layer 70 are fed to a laminator 90 (e.g., a belt laminator) such that the barrier sub-layer 66 is between and attached to the adhesive sub-layer 70 and the protective sub-layer 68. Thereafter, the rearward layer 20 is cut to have a shape substantially corresponding to the first layer 14. Of course, it is contemplated that the rearward layer may be cut into a variety of other configurations as well. Preferably, the rearward layer 20 includes a through-hole 98 as shown in FIG. 3 through an extension 100 of the rearward layer 20 that corresponds to the extension 84 of the first layer 14. It is contemplated, however, that the through-hole 98 may also be formed in the forward layer 14 if desired. Once the middle layer 16 has been appropriately cut or otherwise shaped to the proper configuration, which preferably corresponds to the forward and rearward layers 14, 20, each of the layers 14, 16, 20 are laminated together to attach the layers 14, 16, 20 to each other. As shown, the middle layer 16 may be cut to include an extension 96 corresponding to the extensions 84, 100. In the preferred embodiment, the layers 14, 16, 20 are laminated in a stationary lamination device 104 at elevated temperatures such that the adhesive sub-layer 70 of the rearward layer 20 and the outermost adhesive sub-layer 34 of the forward layer 14 both adhere and attach the forward layer 14 and the rearward layer 20 to the middle layer 16 (e.g., the honeycomb structure). At the same time, the barrier sub-layer 28 of the front layer 14 and the barrier sub-layer 66 of the rearward layer 20 are adhered to one another about an outer peripheral strip 106 of the insert 10. For desirably locating the strip 106 (i.e., closer to the rearward layer, the forward layer or somewhere therebetween), it is contemplated that the forward or rearward layers may be cut slightly larger or smaller than each other or they may be the same size. It is also preferred that the attachment component 72 be sandwiched and attached between at least portion of the rearward layer 20 and the middle layer 16 although the attachment component may be otherwise attached (e.g., retrofit, fastened, or the like). Advantageously, the adhesive sub-layers 34, 70 and the outer laminated peripheral strip 106 separately and together assist in forming the insert 10 as a tightly integrated unit wherein the layers 14,16, 20 are substantially immobile relative to each other. While pre-cutting the layers 14, 16, 20 followed by laminating the peripheral edges of at least two of the layers 14, 20 have been discussed, it is contemplated that cutting of the layers 14, 16, 20 and laminating of the layers may be integrated into a single processing step. For example, it is contemplated that supplies (e.g., rolls) of each of the layers 14, 16, 20 may be provided to a machine that laminates outer edges of each of the layers 14, 16, 20 together for forming the peripheral strip 106 as the supplies continuously or intermittently provide the layer 14, 16, 20 to the machine. Thus, inserts 10 may be formed by cutting the inserts 10 with the peripheral strip 106 from the laminated layers 14, 16, 20 and such cutting may be performed by the laminating machine or by another cutting machine or device. In such an embodiment, it is contemplated that the through-holes in the forward layer 14 and the through-hole in the rearward layer may be formed prior to, during or after lamination forming the outer peripheral strip 106. It is also contemplated that additional cutting or laminating steps may also be employed. For example, it is contemplated that the layers, the sub-layers or both may be partially cut or shaped prior to stationary or other lamination and further cut or shaped after such lamination. During final assembly 110, the wire harness 40 is preferably inserted within the pocket formed by the tape 36 or otherwise attached to the insert 10. Also, a fan, the housing 120 of which is shown in FIG. 5, is preferably attached to the attachment component 72 of the insert 10. In the embodiment shown, the housing 120 include flanges 124 suitable for snap-fitting the housing 120 to the attachment component 72. In this manner, the fan can be attached to the rest of the insert 10 and can be placed in fluid communication with the through-holes 86 of the first layer 14, the open space 58 of the middle layer 16 and the through-hole 98 of the rearward layer 20. Advantageously, the attachment component 72 and flanges 124 provide a unique and efficient method of attaching the fan to the insert 10. It is contemplated however, that various other methods of attachment (e.g., fasteners, sewing, mating threaded attachments, quick connects or the like) may be used to attach the fan to the insert 10. It is also contemplated that the attachment component 72 and the housing 120 and flanges 124 of the fan may be varied within the scope of the present invention. For assembly of the insert 10 to a vehicle seat (not shown), the insert 10 is preferably connected (e.g., sewn, adhered or otherwise attached) to a portion of the seat such as the cover (e.g., a perforated leather cover) or to a cushion (e.g., foam) of the seat. In one preferred embodiment, a seat cover may be configured to include a pocket for receiving the insert 10. Alternatively, it is contemplated that hook and loop fasteners may be utilized to attach the insert 10 to portions (e.g., the cover or foam) of the seat. For example, a strip of hook and loop fastener may be attached (e.g., adhered) to the insert and another strip of hook and loop fastener may be attached (e.g., adhered) to the foam cushion within a trench. Thus, the strips can be fastened to each other thereby attaching the insert to the cushion. The insert 10 is preferably positioned in the seat such that the first layer 14 is closer to the outer seat cover relative to the rearward layer 20 although not necessarily required. It is also preferable for an extension 139 formed by the extensions 84, 96, 100 of the layers 14, 20 to extend behind, in front of or through the cushion of the seat such that the fan may be attached to a portion of the frame of the vehicle seat. Of course, attachment of the insert to the fan and attachment of the fan to the seat or other portion of the vehicle may be accomplished in any order. Preferably, the extension 139 is a tubular structure for providing fluid communication between the open space of the spacer layer 48 and the fan. Additionally, the wire harness 40, the heater sub-layer 26, the fan or a combination thereof are preferably connected in signaling communication with a control unit 130 and/or each other. The control unit 130 may be separate from or integrated into the vehicle. Moreover, while the air movers are typically shown as being configured for connecting to the extension of the insert. It is also contemplated that an air mover may be otherwise located relative to the insert. For example, a fan might be attached to a main or body portion of the insert and the fan may be attached to the foam cushion of the seat. In such an embodiment, it would typically be desirable to provide fluid communication to the fan, for example, by providing an opening in the foam cushion. In one embodiment referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the insert 10 is formed with one or more (e.g., three) through-holes 140 that extend through the layers, sub-layers or both of the insert 10 such that the through-holes 140 extend entirely or substantially entirely through the insert 10. Preferably, the insert 10 (e.g., the barrier layers 28, 66) have a seal 141 about the through-holes 140 for substantially preventing direct fluid communication between the through-holes 140 and the open space 58 within the insert 10. In the embodiment depicted, the barrier sub-layers 28, 66 are attached to each other during the lamination process to form a substantially air-tight seal 141 about the through-holes 140. Advantageously, the through-holes 140 can assist in the assembly of the insert 10 and/or a seat cover 142 to a seat 144 of an automotive vehicle. As shown, for each through-hole 140, a portion 148 (e.g., a cushion layer, a felt layer, a leather layer, combinations thereof or the like) of the seat cover 142 is extended through the through-hole 140 and is attached to foam 154 of the seat 144. In the embodiment depicted, the portion 148 is attached to the foam 154 by wrapping or otherwise attaching the portion 148 about a member 162 (e.g., a bar or wire) that is attached to (e.g., at least partially imbedded within) the foam 154. Additionally, one or more loops 166 (e.g., metal loops) are integrated with the portion 148 and are looped about the member 162 for assisting in attaching the portion 148 to the member 162. It shall be appreciated that, in embodiments alternative to the one depicted, a variety of materials or members such as wire, thread, stitches, fasteners, foam or the like may extend through the through-holes 140 in the insert 10 for assisting in the attachment of the seat cover 142, the insert 10 or both to the other components of the seat 144. Moreover the materials or members may be connected to the seat cover, the foam, the seat frame, other portions of the seat or vehicle or the like depending on the desired configuration. It is also contemplated that other attachment methods such as the use of alternative fastening devices may be employed in addition to or alternative to the through-holes 140. For example, hook and loop fasteners, sewing, adhesives or other fastening devices or mechanisms may be employed to locate the insert 10 relative to the seat cushion, the seat cover 142 or both. Operation In operation, the insert of the present invention can preferably provide heating, ventilation or a combination thereof to an occupant of a seat having the insert. In particular, if heat is desired, electric current can be induced to travel through the heater sub-layer 26 by the control unit 130 or otherwise such that the heater sub-layer 26 can provide heat to the occupant. Alternatively, if ventilation is desired, the fan can be operated via the control unit 130 or otherwise to pull air through the through-holes 86 in the first layer 14 of the insert 10, through the open space 58 of the middle layer 48 of the insert 10 and through the through-hole 98 of the rearward layer 20. Such air preferably flows at least partially past the occupant of the seat and through the seat cover (e.g., a perforated leather seat cover or cloth seat cover) thereby providing ventilation to the occupant and providing convective heat transfer from the occupant to the flowing air. Although, it may be preferable for only the heater sub-layer 26 or the ventilation system to be running at one time, it is contemplated that both may be operated simultaneously. Moreover, it is contemplated that both the heater sub-layer 26 and the ventilation system may be operated at various levels (e.g., 2 or more levels of output) such as by having a fan that can operate at different levels or by having various levels of electricity flowing through or throughout the heater sub-layer 26. It is also contemplated that the fan may push air into the open space 58 of the insert 10, such as during an initial short duration cool-down period for a vehicle interior (e.g., after the vehicle has been in sunlight or other hot conditions), as well as pulling air from the open space 58 thereafter. It is also contemplated that one or more temperature sensors (e.g., a thermostat, a thermistor or the like) may be included adjacent the insert, the trim layer or the like. Preferably, any temperature sensors are near the seat cover or the insert for sensing a temperature closely related to (e.g., at or near) a temperature being experienced by an individual in the seat. Such temperature sensors may be in signaling communication with the control unit 130 such that the control unit 130 can control the fan 22, the heater layer 28 or both for attaining or maintaining a desired temperature at areas adjacent the individual and/or the temperature sensor. Moreover, the control unit 130 may be programmed with instructions for commanding the fan 22, the heater layer 28 or both to change output levels (e.g., turn on or turn off) if the temperature sensor senses a temperature above or below one or more threshold levels. An example of such programming is described in a copending patent application titled “AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SEATING COMFORT SYSTEM”, Ser. No. 60/428,003, filed Nov. 21, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Advantageously, the plastic film sub-layers 28, 66 respectively of the first and third layers 14, 20 provide a substantially gas-tight seal about the middle layer 16 (e.g., the spacer sub-layer 48). In this manner, gas flow relative to the open space 58 of the spacer sub-layer 48 is substantially restricted to flowing through the through-holes 86, 98 of the first and third layers 14, 20. In alternative embodiments, the extension of the insert may extend behind the seat cushion by extending around the seat cushion, extending between two seat cushions, extending through a portion or the entirety of the seat cushion, a combination thereof or the like. Moreover, it is contemplated that the extension may be shaped as desired to assist the extension in extending to a desired location behind the seat cushion. For example, the extension may be arced, angled, contoured, straight or otherwise configured as it extends away from the rest of the insert. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8A, there is illustrated the insert 10 of the present invention assembled to a seat backrest component 200. In the particular embodiment, a body portion 202 of the insert 10 overlays a forward surface 204 of a backrest cushion 206 of the backrest component 200. Preferably, the body portion 202 of the insert 10 is attached to the cushion 206 of the backrest component 200, although it may alternatively be attached to a cover layer or other portion of a seat. Of course, the insert 10 may be attached to the cushion 206 or cover layer using any of the attachments disclosed herein. As shown, the backrest cushion 206 has an opening 210 (e.g., a slot or through-hole) extending generally through the cushion 206 of the backrest component 200. In particular, the opening 210 extends through the forward surface 204 and a rearward surface 212 of the cushion 206 at a central area of the cushion 206. Advantageously, the opening 210 is sized to receive the extension 139 of the insert 10 and the extension 139 extends into and through the opening 210 and behind the cushion 206 to oppose at least a portion of the rearward surface 212 of the cushion 206. In the embodiment shown, the extension 139 extends to an air mover 216 (e.g., a blower or other fan), which is also located behind the cushion 206. Referring to FIGS. 9-11B, there is illustrated an alternative insert 220 according to the present invention. The insert 220 is configured in a manner similar to any of the inserts described herein, however, the insert includes an extension 222 that is contoured (e.g., arced or angle) or non-linear as it extends away from a body portion 226 of the insert 220 and the extension 222 extends from a different edge of the body portion 226 of the insert 220 than shown in previous embodiments. In particular, the extension 222 extends from an edge 228 that is configured to be coextensive with or extending substantially parallel to a side edge 230 of a seat cushion 232 or seat cushion component 234 as shown. Moreover, the extension 222 extends outward from the body portion 226 of the insert 220 from a proximate portion 236 to a distal portion 238 with a contoured (e.g., arced, angled or non-linear) portion 240 therebetween. Preferably, the contoured portion 240 arcs to allow at least the distal portion 238 of the extension 222 to substantially coextend or become substantially parallel with the edge 228. As shown, the body portion 226 of the insert 220 overlays a forward surface 246 of the seat cushion 232 of the seat cushion component 234. Preferably, the body portion 226 of the insert 220 is attached to the cushion 232 of the seat cushion component 234, although it may alternatively be attached to a cover layer or other portion of a seat. Of course, the insert 220 may be attached to the cushion 232 or cover layer using any of the attachments disclosed herein. As shown in cut-away, the seat cushion 232 has an opening 250 (e.g., a slotted through-hole) extending generally through the cushion 232 of the seat cushion component 234. In particular, the opening 250 extends through the forward surface 246 and a rearward surface 254 of the cushion 232 at a side area of the cushion 232. Advantageously, the opening 250 is sized to receive the extension 222 of the insert 220 and the extension 222 extends into and through the opening 250 and behind the cushion 232 to oppose at least a portion of the rearward surface 250 of the cushion 232. In the embodiment shown, the extension 222 extends to an air mover (e.g., a blower or other fan), which is also located behind the cushion 232. As an added advantage, the contoured portion 240 allows the extension 222 to extend toward a forward edge 254 of the seat cushion 232 and/or seat cushion component 234. It should be understood, however, that such a contoured portion 240 may be configured to allow the extension 222 to extend toward any desired location. It should be understood that in any of the embodiments disclosed herein, steps used to assemble the insert to a cushion component may be carried out in any desired order. For example, the insert may be attached to the cushion component followed by extending the extension through the cushion opening. Alternatively, the extension may be extended through the cushion first. Preferably, the air mover is attached to a component that maintains a substantially identical location with respect to a seat or backrest cushion to which the insert is applied particularly during adjustment of the cushion position or seat. Of course, it is contemplated that the location of the air mover may change relative to the seat or backrest cushion as well. Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, there is illustrated one exemplary fan assembly 300 according to the present invention. The assembly 300 includes the fan 216 attached to a mounting structure 304. In the particular embodiment shown, the fan 216 includes a housing 308 (e.g., a plastic housing) that is attached to the mounting structure 304 with a plurality of fasteners 312 (e.g, screws). The mounting structure 304 is shown as a substantially rectangular metal plate with rounded off corners 314 and a plurality of openings 318 (e.g., through-holes) extending through the plate, one opening 318, adjacent each corner 314. Of course, it is contemplated that a variety of structures other than plates may be employed as the mounting structure and a variety of materials (e.g., plastics, fabrics or the like) may be employed for forming the structure in a variety of alternative configurations. The assembly 300, as shown in FIG. 8A also includes one or more fasteners 324 attached thereto. As shown in FIG. 8B, each fastener 324 includes a body portion 326 with projections 328, 330 extending therefrom for interference fitting the fastener 324 to the mounting structure 304. In the embodiment shown, each fastener 324 includes a pair of projections 330 extending from an end 336 of the fastener 324 and a conical projection 328. Preferably the pair of projections 330 and the conical projection 328 extend at least partially toward each other, although not required. Each fastener 324 also includes a fastening mechanism 340 for attaching the fastener 324, the fan assembly 300 or both to one or more components of the seat or other portion of the automotive vehicle. Preferably, the fastening mechanism 340 can be attached by interference fit, adhesion, magnetism or otherwise. In the particular embodiment depicted, the fastening mechanism 340 is a C-shaped clip configured for forming an interference fit. It is generally contemplated that the fastening mechanism may be fitted with a locking mechanism (not shown) to enhance the ability of the fastening mechanism 340 in attaching to members. In FIG. 8A the fan assembly 300 is attached to a pair of members 350 that extend substantially parallel to the back surface 212 of the backrest component 200. As shown, the members 350 extend substantially vertically when the backrest component 200 is in the upright position, although they may extend in a variety of directions depending upon the members 350 employed and the seat configuration. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the members 350 are cylindrical metal wires that form a portion of a lumbar guide or back support adjustment assembly. Preferably, the members 350 are substantially stationary relative to the backrest component 200, although not required. For attaching the fan assembly 300 to the members 350, the end 336 and projections 330 of the fasteners 324 are extended through the openings 318 of the mounting structure 304 until the mounting structure 304 is interference fit between the pair of projections 330 and the conical projection 328. Also, the fastening mechanisms 340 of each of fasteners 324 are interference fit (e.g., at least partially clipped about) the members 350. As shown, the mounting structure 304 is between the members 350 and the cushion 206. In an alternative embodiment, however, the mounting structure 304 may be located on a side of the members 350 away from the cushion 206. In such an embodiment, the fasteners 324 would have to be reversed such that the fastening mechanisms 340 extend toward the cushion 206 and the fan 216 would be located at least partially between the members 350. Advantageously, such an embodiment can provide for greater space between the fan 216 and the cushion 206 for allowing air to flow to or from the fan 216 more easily. Referring to FIGS. 11A-11B, the fan assembly 300 is attached to a support frame 360 for the cushion 232. As depicted, the mounting structure 304 is attached to the support frame 360 and an opening 364 (e.g., a through hole) extending into the insert 220 is placed in fluid communication with the fan 216. It is contemplated, however, that the fan 216 may be directly attached to the support frame 360 and the mounting structure 304 may be removed. Moreover, the support frame 360, particularly when molded of plastic, can be molded to specifically receive the fan 216 and assist in its attachment thereto. While is contemplated that any of the inserts or extensions may be attached to the fan using the ring 72 of FIG. 5, it is also possible to design a ring, which aids in the assembly of the insert to the fan. As an example, there is a ring 370 illustrated in FIG. 13 having an extension 372 (e.g., a semi-circular extension) extending from the ring 370 and a lip 376 located adjacent an interface of the ring 370 and the extension 372. As shown, the extension 372 extends away from the ring 370 in the same plane as the ring 370 and the lip 376 extends from the extension 372 at least partially perpendicular to the plane of the ring 370 and the extension 372. Thus, the lip 376 is configured for extending outwardly away from any insert into which the ring 370 is installed. To assemble the ring 370 and the insert when attached to the ring 370 to the fan 216, the lip 376 can be abuttingly engaged with the housing 308 of the fan 216 adjacent an edge 380 of the housing 308. In turn, the ring 370 is aligned with fasteners 384 of the fan 216 such that the ring 370 may be snap-fit to an inner annular edge 386 of the fasteners 384 as described previously with regard to the ring 72 of FIG. 5. It should be recognized that various alternative attachments other than the rings described may be employed to attach the air movers to the inserts. For example, attachments such as twist locks, spring locks, tabs on a ring, tabs on the air mover housing, combinations thereof or the like may be employed. It should be further recognized that the air mover, the snap ring or both can include protective equipment such as fingerguards (e.g., cross-bars) or the like. Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the invention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Plural structural components can be provided by a single integrated structure. Alternatively, a single integrated structure might be divided into separate plural components. In addition, while a feature of the present invention may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present invention. The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed. A person of ordinary skill in the art would realize however, that certain modifications would come within the teachings of this invention. Therefore, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of the invention. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>For many years the transportation industry has been concerned with designing seats for automotive vehicles that provide added comfort to occupants in the seats. Various innovations in providing seating comfort are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,064,037; 5,921,314; 5,403,065; 6,048,024 and 6,003,950, all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In addition, other innovations in providing seating comfort are discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/619,171, filed Jul. 19, 2000, titled “Ventilated Seat Having a Pad Assembly and a Distribution Device”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/755,505, filed Jan. 5, 2001, titled “Ventilated Seat”; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/755,506, filed Jan. 5, 2001, titled “Portable Ventilated Seat”, each of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In the interest of continuing such innovation, the present invention provides an improved sealed insert for an automotive vehicle seat for assisting in providing comfort control to an occupant in the seat. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>According to the present invention, there is disclosed a sealed insert for providing heating and ventilation to an automotive vehicle seat. The insert includes a middle layer sandwiched and between a forward layer and a rearward layer and sealed about a peripheral edge. The forward layer, the rearward layer or both preferably include a first opening and a plurality of second openings. Moreover, the middle layer preferably defines an open space in fluid communication with the first opening, the plurality of second openings or both. According to one embodiment, the vehicle seat includes a seat cushion component and a seat backrest component, at least one of which is ventilated. Each ventilated component includes an air-permeable trim surface at the occupant contact areas of the seat and a cushion. The insert is located beneath the trim surface of each ventilated component and the insert includes an extension with the first opening defined therein. The extension preferably extends through a forward and a rearward surface of the cushion of the ventilated component and an air mover is attached to the extension of the insert in fluid communication with the open space of the insert. In one highly preferred embodiment, the insert includes a body portion from which the extension extends and the extension is contoured as it extends away from the body portion. In another embodiment, the air mover is fastened to lumbar guide wires of the automotive vehicle seat | 20041015 | 20080513 | 20050630 | 94666.0 | 1 | BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL | AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE SEAT INSERT | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,966,767 | ACCEPTED | Protocol for communication with dynamic memory | A system and method for performing data transfers within a computer system is provided. The system includes a controller configured to dynamically adjust the interleave of the communications required to perform a series of data transfer operations to maximize utilization of the channel over which the communications are to be perform ed. The controller is able to vary the time interval between the transmission of control information that requests a data transfer and the performance of the data transfer by signaling the beginning of the data transfer with a strobe signal sent separate from the control information. The controller is able to defer the determination of how much data will be transferred in the operation by initiating the termination of a data transfer with a termination signal. The method provides a technique for distinguishing between identical control signals that are carried on the same line. The system includes a memory device with control circuitry that allows no more than one memory bank powered by any given power supply line to perform sense or precharge operations. | 1. A method for performing data transfers within a computer system, the method comprising the steps of: causing a controller to perform the steps of transmitting control information on a bus, the control information specifying a data transfer operation and a first location of data to be transferred; after transmitting the control information on the bus, performing the steps of determining a desired amount of data to be transferred in the data transfer operation; transmitting over the bus additional locations of data if the desired amount of data is greater than a predetermined amount of data; transmitting over the bus a terminate indication at a time that is based on the desired amount of data to be transferred; causing a memory device to perform the steps of reading the control information on the bus; performing the specified data transfer operation on data stored at the first location; performing the specified data transfer operation on data stored at the additional locations when the desired amount of data is greater than the amount of data associated with the first location; continuing to perform the specified data transfer operation until detecting the terminate indication on the bus; ceasing to perform the data transfer operation at a time that is based on the time at which the terminate indication is detected. 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: causing the controller to transmit a strobe signal on the bus after transmitting the control information; and causing the memory device to begin performing the specified data transfer operation at a time that is based upon when the memory device detects the strobe signal on the bus. 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of: causing the controller to select an interleave pattern based on the specified data transfer operation and requests received for one or more data transfer operations other than the specified data transfer operation; and causing the controller to transmit control information over the bus for at least one of the one or more data transfer operations after transmitting the control information for the specified data transfer operation and prior to transmitting the strobe signal. 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: during the transfer operation, causing the controller to determine whether the memory device is to perform a precharge operation after the memory device performs the data transfer operation; at or about the end of the data transfer operation, causing the controller to communicate to the memory device whether the memory device is to perform a precharge operation after the memory device performs the data transfer operation. 5. The method of claim 4 further wherein the step of causing the controller to communicate to the memory device whether the memory device is to perform a precharge operation after the memory device performs the data transfer operation includes the steps of: establishing a correlation between a plurality of clock cycles and a plurality of precharge options; selecting a precharge option from the plurality of precharge options; and causing the controller to transit the termination indication during a clock cycle that corresponds to the selected precharge option. 6. A memory device for storing data and performing data transfer operations, the memory device comprising: control circuitry coupled to a bus; and memory for storing data; wherein the control circuitry is configured to read control information carried on the bus; wherein the control information includes data that specifies a data transfer operation and a first address; wherein the memory device is configured to perform the specified data transfer operation on data stored in the memory beginning at the first address; wherein the memory device is configured to perform the specified data transfer operation on data stored beginning at additional locations specified in address information carried over the bus until detecting a terminate indication on the bus; and wherein the memory device ceases to perform the data transfer operation at a time that is based on the time at which the terminate indication is detected. 7. The memory device of claim 6 further configured to detect a strobe signal on the bus, and to begin performing the specified data transfer operation at a time based on the time at which the strobe signal is detected. 8. The memory device of claim 6 further configured to read address information carried on one or more lines of the bus while performing the specified data transfer operation using one or more other lines of the bus, wherein the address information specifies where data involved in the specified data transfer operation is located. 9. The memory device of claim 7 wherein the control information specifies a location of a first set of data, the memory device being configured to retrieve the first set of data from the location prior to detecting the strobe signal. 10. The memory device of claim 9 wherein: the memory device is further configured to read address information from one or more lines of the bus, the address information specifies locations for one or more additional sets of data to be transmitted in the data transfer operation, the memory device retrieves the one or more additional sets of data upon reading the address information, and the memory device transmits the one or more additional sets of data after transmitting the first set of data. 11. A method, for use in a memory controller, for maximizing usage of a bus that connects the memory controller to one or more memory devices, the method comprising the steps of: selecting an interleave pattern based on requests received for a plurality of data transfer operations; and for each data transfer operation of the plurality of data transfer operations transmitting control information over the bus, wherein the control information specifies the data transfer operation; determining how much time must elapse between transmission of the control information and the start of the data transfer operation to provide the interleave pattern; and transmitting a start indicator over the bus that specifies when the data transfer operation is to begin. 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting a start indicator is performed by transmitting a delay value in the control information, the delay value indicating when the data transfer operation is to begin relative to the time at which the control information is transmitted over the bus. 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting a start indicator is performed by transmitting a strobe signal a selected number of clock cycles after transmitting the control information, wherein the number of clock cycles is determined based on how much time must elapse between transmission of the control information and the start of the data transfer operation to provide the interleave pattern. 14. A method for reducing the number of lines required to transmit control information to one or more memory devices, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a request packet that specifies a data transfer operation over a channel to which the one or more memory devices are connected, wherein the request packet includes a value that indicates how to identify a strobe signal associated with the data transfer operation that will appear on a particular control line of the channel; transmitting zero or more control signals with signal characteristics identical to the strobe signal on the particular control line after transmitting the request packet and prior to transmitting the strobe signal; and transmitting the strobe signal on the particular control line. 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the value indicates how many signals that are identical to the strobe signal will appear on the particular control line prior to the strobe signal. 16. The method of claim 14 wherein the data transfer operation is one of a plurality of data transfer operations to be performed over the channel, the method further comprising the step of dynamically determining an interleave pattern for the plurality of data transfer operations, wherein the amount of time between the transmission of the request packet and the transmission of the strobe signal varies based on the interleave pattern. 17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of causing the one or more memory devices to enter a powered down mode in which the one or more memory devices do not monitor the channel; and transmitting a wakeup signal over the particular control line prior to transmitting the request packet, the wakeup signal causing the memory device of the one or more memory devices that is required to service the data transfer operation to exit the power down mode and to begin monitoring the channel. 18. A method, for use by a memory controller coupled to a memory device over a bus, for deferring precharge decisions, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a request packet to the memory device over a first number of lines of the bus, wherein the request packet specifies a data transfer operation; receiving requests for additional data transfer operations while the memory device is performing the data transfer operation; determining, based on the requests received for the additional transfer transactions, whether a precharge operation should be initiated after the data transfer operation; transmitting to the memory device over a second number of lines of the bus, at or about the end of the data transfer operation, a control signal that indicates whether a precharge operation should be initiated after the data transfer operation, wherein the second number of lines is less than the first number of lines. 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the'step of transmitting the control signal is performed by transmitting a termination signal to the memory device, the memory device terminating the data transfer operation at a time that is based on when the memory device receives the termination signal. 20. The method of claim 19 wherein: the memory device is configured to terminate the data transfer operation after a particular data packet is transmitted if the memory device detects the termination signal on any one of a plurality of clock cycles; the memory controller indicates that a precharge operation is to be performed by transmitting the termination signal on a particular clock cycle of the plurality of clock cycles; the memory controller indicates that a precharge operation is not to be performed by transmitting the termination signal on a different clock cycle of the plurality of clock cycles; and the memory device initiates a precharge operation based the clock cycle on which the termination signal is detected by the memory device. 21. The method of claim 19 wherein: the memory device contains a plurality of banks; the memory device terminates the data transfer operation after a particular data packet is transmitted if the memory device detects the termination signal on any one of a plurality of clock cycles; the method further includes the step of establishing a correspondence between the plurality of clock cycles and the plurality of banks; the memory controller indicates a bank within the memory device on which a precharge operation is to be performed by transmitting the termination signal on the clock cycle of the plurality of clock cycles that corresponds to the bank; and the memory device initiates a precharge operation on the bank that corresponds to the clock cycle on which the memory device detects the termination signal. 22. A method for performing a data transfer operation, the method comprising the steps of: causing a controller to perform the steps of constructing an operation code for the data transfer operation, the operation code including a plurality of bits that correspond to a plurality of control lines within a memory device; and transmitting the operation code to the memory device over a bus; causing the memory device to perform the steps of receiving the operation code over the bus; for each control line of the plurality of control lines, applying a signal to the control line based on the value of the bit that corresponds to the control line in the operation code; and performing the data transfer operation specified in the operation code. 23. The method of claim 22 wherein: one of the control lines is a write control line; the plurality of bits includes a bit that corresponds to the write control line; the method further comprises the steps of: the controller setting the bit that corresponds to the write control line based on whether the data transfer operation is a write operation or a read operation; and the memory device applying a signal to the write control line based on whether the bit that corresponds to the write control line is set. 24. The method of claim 22 wherein: the memory device includes a plurality of registers; one of the control lines is a register control line; the plurality of bits includes a bit that corresponds to the register control line; the method further comprises the steps of: the controller setting the bit that corresponds to the register control line based on whether the data transfer operation is a register operation; and the memory device applying a signal to the register control line based on whether the bit that corresponds to the register control line is set. 25. The method of claim 22 wherein: the step of receiving the operation code over the bus includes receiving each of the plurality of bits at different pins of the memory device; the method further comprises the steps of routing each of the bits from the pin on which it was received to a decoder associated with the control line to which the bit corresponds; causing the decoder associated with each control line to apply a signal to the control line based on the bit that corresponds to the control line and state information maintained in the decoder. 26. A method for use by a memory device to determine whether to process a request packet, the method comprising the steps of: receiving the request packet over a bus, the request packet including an operation code that specifies a data transfer operation and an address; comparing the address in the request packet to an address associated with the memory device; and processing the request packet if either the address in the request packet matches the address associated with the memory device, or a particular bit in the operation code has a particular state. 27. A method for performing data transfer operations, the -method comprising the steps of: causing a controller to perform the steps of: receiving a request for a data transfer operation; determining a memory device that will be involved in the data transfer operation; determining whether the memory device should perform any internal memory core operations before or after performing the data transfer operation; transmitting over a bus control information that includes a first set of I bits that specify the data transfer operation and a second set of bits that specify zero or more internal memory core operations to be performed by the memory device; causing the memory device to perform the steps of: receiving the control information over the bus; performing the data transfer operation specified in the first set of bits; and performing the internal memory core operations specified in the second set of bits. 28. The method of claim 27 wherein the second set of bits specifies a sequence to the data transfer operation and the internal memory core operations, the memory device performing the data transfer operation and the internal memory core operations in the sequence specified by the second set of bits. 29. The method of claim 27 wherein: the controller maintains a record of a current state of the memory device; and the step of determining whether the memory device should perform any internal memory core operations is performed by the controller based on the current state of the memory device. 30. The method of claim 29 wherein: the controller maintains a record of an address of data that is currently stored in sense amplifiers in the memory device; and the controller performs the step of determining whether the memory device should perform any internal memory core operations based on the address of data that is currently stored in sense amplifiers in the memory device and an address of the data involved in the data transfer operation. 31. A memory device for storing digital data, the memory device including: a power supply line; a plurality of banks coupled to the power supply line, each bank of the plurality of banks drawing current from the power supply line when a core operation is performed on the bank; control circuitry coupled to the plurality of banks and to an external bus, the control circuitry receiving requests for data transfer operations over the external bus; the control circuitry being configured to detect when performance of any of the data transfer operations would result in core operations being concurrently performed on two or more of the plurality of banks; and the control circuitry being configured to perform each of the data transfer operations only if performance of the data transfer operation would not result in core operations being concurrently performed on two or more of the plurality of banks. 32. The memory device of claim 31 further comprising a queue that corresponds to all banks on the power supply line, the control circuitry placing data transfer operations that require performance of core operations on any of the plurality of banks into the queue, the control circuitry sequentially servicing the queue to prevent core operations from being concurrently performed on two or more of the plurality of banks. 33. The memory device of claim 31 wherein the control circuitry is configured to ignore each data transfer operation whose execution would result in core operations being concurrently performed on two or more of the plurality of banks. 34. The memory device of claim 31 further comprising a queue, the control circuitry placing data transfer operations that require performance of core operations on any banks in the memory device into the queue, the control circuitry sequentially servicing the queue to prevent core operations from being concurrently performed on two or more banks within the memory device. 35. A memory device for use in a computer system that includes a controller coupled to a channel, the memory device comprising: an input circuit coupled to the channel, the input circuit being configured to receive control information from the controller over the channel, the control information specifying data transfer operations, wherein the data transfer operations include some data transfer operations that require core operations must be performed for the memory device to perform the data transfer operations; a plurality of memory banks; a power supply line coupled to the plurality of memory banks, the power supply line for carrying current to the plurality of memory banks to supply current required to perform the core operations, the power supply line being configured to reliably supply current for no more the one core operation at a time; control circuitry coupled to the input circuit, the control circuitry being configured to cause the memory device to perform the data transfer operations specified in the control information without regard to whether performance of the transfer transactions would cause more than one core operation to be concurrently performed on the plurality of memory banks, the controller controlling transmission of the control information to prevent more than one core operation from being concurrently performed on the plurality of memory banks. 36. A method for performing data transfers within a computer system, the method comprising the steps of: causing a controller to perform the steps of transmitting control information on a bus, the control information specifying a data transfer operation and a first location of data to be transferred; determining a delay interval; transmitting a control signal over the bus after the delay interval has elapsed from when the step of transmitting the control information on the bus was performed; causing a memory device to perform the steps of reading the control information on the bus; detecting the control signal on the bus; performing the specified data transfer operation on data stored at the first location at a time based on when the control signal was detected on the bus. 37. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of causing the controller to change the delay interval for successive data transfer operations. 38. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of causing the controller to determine a desired interleave, wherein the controller performs the step of determining a delay interval based on the desired interleave. 39. The method of claim 36 further comprising the steps of: causing the controller to transmit a terminate signal over the bus; and causing the memory device to continue to perform the data transfer operation until detecting the terminate signal on the bus. 40. A memory controller configured to maximize usage of a bus that connects the memory controller to one or more memory devices, the memory controller comprising: a control unit configured to select an interleave pattern based on requests received for a plurality of data transfer operations; and an output unit coupled to the control unit and to the bus; the control unit being further configured to perform the following steps for each data transfer operation of the plurality of data transfer operations: transmitting control information through the output unit to the bus, wherein the control information specifies the data transfer operation; determining how much time must elapse between transmission of the control information and the start of the data transfer operation to provide the interleave pattern; and transmitting a start indicator through the output unit to the bus, wherein the start indicator specifies when the data transfer operation is to begin. 41. The memory controller of claim 40 wherein the step of transmitting a start indicator is performed by transmitting a delay value in the control information, the delay value indicating when the data transfer operation is to begin relative to the time at which the control information is transmitted over the bus. 42. The memory controller of claim 40 wherein the step of transmitting a start indicator is performed by transmitting a strobe signal a selected number of clock cycles after transmitting the control information, wherein the number of clock cycles is determined based on how much time must elapse between transmission of the control information and the start of the data transfer operation to provide the interleave pattern. | FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for controlling data transfers to and from a dynamic random access memory. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) components, such as those illustrated in FIG. 1A, provide an inexpensive solid-state storage technology for today's computer systems. Digital information is maintained in the form of a charge stored on a two-dimensional array of capacitors. One such capacitor is illustrated in FIG. 1B. FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art memory system including DRAM with the corresponding control, address and data wires which connect the DRAM to the processor or memory controller component. In synchronous DRAMs, a write access is initiated by transmitting a row address on the address wires and by transmitting row address strobe (RAS) signal. This causes the desired row to be sensed and loaded by the column amplifiers. The column address is transmitted on the address wires and the column address strobe (CAS) signal is transmitted along with the first word of the write data WData(a,1). The data word is then received by the DRAM and written into the column amplifiers at the specified column address. This step can be repeated “n” times in the currently loaded row before a new row is sensed and loaded. Before a new row is sensed, the old row must be restored back to the memory core and the bit lines of the DRAM precharged. FIG. 3A illustrates synchronous write timing. In the figure, a, b . . . represent a row address; 1, 2 . . . n represent a column address, WData [row, col] represents the DRAM address of data words, the row address strobe (RAS) is a control signal for initiating a sense operation, and WRITE(CAS) initiates the write operation on the column amplifiers. In the present example, the row column address delay timing parameter is equal to two clock cycles. After the row address is asserted at the first clock cycle, column addresses and write data are asserted after the delay to write the data into the DRAM array. FIG. 3B illustrates synchronous read timing. A processor initiates a read access by transmitting a row address on the address wires and by transmitting the row address strobe (RAS) signal. This causes the desired row to be sensed by the column amplifiers. The column address is then transmitted on the address wire and the column address strobe (CAS) signal is transmitted. The first word of the read data RData (a,1) is then transmitted by the DRAM and received by the processor. This step can be repeated “n” times in the currently loaded row before a new row is sensed and loaded. Before a new row is sensed, the old row must be restored back to the memory array. Various attempts have been made to improve the performance of conventional DRAMs. Such attempts have resulted in DRAM architectures that deviate in varying degrees from conventional DRAM architectures. Various alternative DRAM architectures are described in detail in NEW DRAM TECHNOLOGIES, by Steven A. Przybylskti, published by MicroDesign Resources, Sebastopol, Calif. (1994). Some of those architectures are generally described below. Extended Data-Out DRAMS The prior art includes Extended Data-Out (EDO) memory systems. In EDO DRAMs, the output buffer is controlled by signals applied to output enable (OE) and column address stobe (CAS) control lines. In general, data remains valid at the output of an EDO DRAM longer than it does for conventional DRAMs. Because the data remains valid longer, the transfer of the data to the latch in the memory controller can be overlapped with the next column precharge. As a result, burst transfers can be performed in fewer clock cycles. Synchronous DRAMS The prior art also includes Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) memory systems. The interface of an SDRAM includes a multiplexed address bus and a high-speed clock. The high speed clock is used to synchronize the flow of addresses, data, and control on and off the DRAM, and to facilitate pipeining of operations. AU address, data and control inputs are latched on the rising edge of the clock. Outputs change after the rising edge of the clock. SDRAMs typically contain a mode register. The mode register may be loaded with values which control certain operational parameters. For example, the mode register may contain a burst length value, a burst type value, and a latency mode value. The burst length value determines the length of the data bursts that the DRAM will perform The burst type value determines the ordering of the data sent in the bursts. Typical burst orders include sequential and sub-block ordered. The latency mode value determines the number of clock cycles between a column address and the data appearing on the data bus. The appropriate value for this time interval depends largely on the operating frequency of the SDRAM. Since the SDRAM cannot detect the operating frequency, the latency mode value is programmable by a user. Request Oriented DRAM Systems The prior art also includes memory systems in which data transfer operations are performed by DRAMs in response to transfer requests issued to the DRAMs by a controller. Referring to FIG. 4, it illustrates a memory system in which data transfers are made in response to transfer requests. The request packet format is designed for use on a high speed multiplexed bus for communicating between master devices, such as processors, and slave devices, such as memories. The bus carries substantially all address, data, and control information needed by the master devices for communication with the slave devices coupled to the bus. The bus architecture includes the following signal transmission lines: BusCtl, BusData [8:0], BusEnable, as well as clock signal lines and power and ground lines. These lines are connected in parallel to each device. The processors communicate with the DRAMs to read and write data to the memory. The processors form request packets which are communicated to the DRAMs by transmitting the bits on predetermined transmission lines at a predetermined time sequence (i.e. at predetermined clock cycles). The bus interface of the DRAM receiver processes the information received to determine the type of memory request and the number of bytes of the operation. The DRAMs then perform the memory operation indicated by the request packet. FIG. 5 illustrates command control information 500 that is sent in a data transfer request according to a prior art protocol. In the illustrated example, the command control information 500 is sent over a BusCtl line and a nine-bit data bus (BusData[8:0]) in six clock cycles. The command control information 500 includes groups of bits 501, 502, 504, 506 and 508 that constitute an address, an operation code consisting of six bits 510, 512, 514, 516, 518 and 520, and groups of bits 522, 524 and 528 that specify a count. The address identified in the command control information 500 specifies the target DRAM and the beginning location within the DRAM of the data on which the operation is to be performed. The count identified in the command control information 500 specifies the amount of information on which the operation is to be performed. SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION One object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism to decouple control timing from data timing. Another object of the present invention is to provide mechanisms that use minimal bandwidth to determine data timing while minimizing the latency from signaling that the data transfer should terminate to the transmission of the final data packet. Another object of the present invention is to provide mechanisms for arbitrarily long data transfers following a command. This may include simultaneous provision of a new column address for each data packet transferred. Another object of the present invention is to provide a means to signal simultaneously with termination of the data transfer that a precharge operation should be performed. Another object of the present invention is to provide mechanisms and methods for interleaving control and data information in such a fashion that pin utilization is maximized without placing latency requirements upon the DRAM core that are difficult or expensive to satisfy. Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for interleaving control and data information that minimizes bandwidth consumed for signaling the beginning and ending of data transfers. Another object of the present invention is to provide for devices that do not always interpret the information presented at their pins. Each command provides sufficient information that all further control information related to the command can be easily determined even in the presence of control information related to previous command transfers. Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for optionally sequencing a series of core operations prior to data transmission and, optionally, a final core operation after data transmission is terminated. Another object of the present invention is to provide a DRAM core which allows a single high current RAS operation at any one time in order to minimize the cost and complexity of the DRAM. Another object of the present invention is to provide an encoding of the command such that decoding space and time is minimized and functionality is maximized. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for performing data transfers within a computer system The method includes causing a controller to transmit control information on a bus. The control information specifies a data transfer operation and a beginning location of data to be transferred. The controller determines, after transmitting the control information on the bus, a desired amount of data to be transferred in the data transfer operation. The controller transmits over the bus a terminate indication at a time that is based on the desired amount of data and a beginning time of the data transfer operation. A memory device reads the control information on the bus. The memory device performs the specified data transfer operation on data stored at the beginning location. The memory device continues to perform the specified data transfer operation until detecting the terminate indication on the bus. The memory device ceases to perform the data transfer operation at a time that is based on the time at which the terminate indication is detected. Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which: FIG. 1A is a block diagram of prior art dynamic random access memory (DRAM) component; FIG. 1B illustrates a storage cell of the DRAM shown in FIG 1A; FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a DRAM system and input/output pins and signal lines for accessing the DRAM; FIG. 3A is a timing diagram illustrating synchronous write timing; FIG. 3B is a prior art timing diagram illustrating synchronous read timing; FIG. 4 is a prior art memory system in which a memory controller issues request packets to DRAM over a channel; FIG. 5 illustrates command control information that is sent from a controller to a DRAM according to a prior art protocol; FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a computing system that includes the present invention; FIG. 7 is a block diagram the illustrates the control and decode circuitry of a DRAM according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating the protocol employed by a controller to initiate data transfers according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 illustrates a request packet according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a timing diagram illustrating interleaved read/write transaction timing when the read latency equals the write latency according to a prior art protocol; FIG. 11 is a timing diagram which illustrates synchronous interleaved read timing with multiplexed data/row/control information according to an alternative prior art protocol; FIG. 12 illustrates the timing of five transactions performed in a non-interleaved embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 illustrates the timing of five transactions performed in an interleaved embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 14 illustrates circuitry for decoding operation codes according to the prior art; FIG. 15 illustrates circuitry for decoding operation codes according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 16A illustrates an operation code encoding scheme according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 16B is a continuation of the table illustrated in FIG. 16A; FIG. 17 illustrates a prior art circuit for determining whether a particular DRAM should respond to an operation request; and FIG. 18 illustrates a circuit for determining whether a particular DRAM should respond to an operation request according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 19 illustrates a mapping between Open and Close bits and the operations that are performed by a DRAM in response to the bits according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 20A is a block diagram illustrating a DRAM configured to allow no more than one high current operation to be performed over each internal power supply line according to an embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 20B is a block diagram illustrating a DRAM configured to allow no more than one high current operation to be performed within the DRAM at any given time according to an embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a computing system that includes the present invention. The data transport system includes a central processing unit 600, a memory controller 601 and a DRAM 603. The memory controller 601 connects the CPU 600 to a channel 622 to which DRAM 603 is connected. For the purposes of explanation, a single DRAM is shown on channel 622. However, the present invention is not limited to any particular number of DRAMs on the channel 622. The CPU 600 may be, for example, a microprocessor. When the CPU 600 executes instructions that require a data transfer operation, the CPU 600 transmits control signals specifying the desired transfer operations to memory controller 601. Memory controller 601 may be, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) memory controller configured to transmit request packets to DRAM 603 over channel 622 to specify the desired transfer operation. According to one embodiment, channel 622 includes a line 624 for initializing daisy chain input, a “clock to end” line 650, a “clock from master” line 628, a “clock to master” line 630, and a plurality of lines 626 that includes a BusEnable line, a BusCtl line and a nine-bit data bus (BusData[8:0]). The “clock to end” line 650 carries a clock signal from memory controller 601 to the end of line 630. The “clock to master” line 630 routes the clock signal to the various devices on channel 622 and back to memory controller 601. The “clock from master” line 628 routes the clock signal from the “clock to master” line 630 back to the various devices on channel 622. The clock signal on the “clock from master” line 628 is aligned with request and write data packets transmitted by controller 601. The clock signal on the “clock to master” line 630 is aligned with read data packets transmitted by DRAM 603. The information communicated over lines 626 includes request packets, data transfer control signals, and data packets. DRAM 603 is divided into three sections: an storage section 632, a control section 634, and a I/O section 636. The storage section 632 includes a DRAM core consisting of two independent memory banks 602 and 606. It should be noted that a two-bank DRAM shall be described simply for the purposes of explanation. The present invention is not limited to DRAMs with any particular number of memory banks. Each of the memory banks 602 and 606 has a latching sense amplifier cache 604 and 608. The caches 604 and 608 hold the currently sensed row of their respective memory banks. The control section 634 includes control logic 610 and control registers 614. Control logic 610 performs initialization operations in response to control signals on line 624. Control registers 614 are read and written to using special register space commands. The contents of the control registers 614 determine how DRAM 603 operates. For example, the control registers 614 may store values that determine the output drive current used by DRAM 603, the base address of DRAM 603 and the configuration and size of DRAM 603. The I/O section 636 includes a clock generator 618, a receiver 620, and a transmitter 616. The clock generator 618 uses the external clock signals to create clock signals used internally by DRAM 603. The receiver 620 and transmitter 616 contain multiplexing and storage hardware to permit internal data paths to operate at a slower clock rate, but equivalent bandwidth, to lines 626. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a DRAM in which the present invention may be implemented according to one embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 7, a DRAM 700 generally includes I/O and control circuitry 722, four banks of memory, a plurality of column decoders 718 and 720, and a plurality of row decoders 704, 706, 712 and 714. Each of the four banks are split into two memory blocks. Specifically, BANK0 is distributed over blocks 702A and 702B, BANK1 is distributed over blocks 708A and 708B, BANK2 is distributed over blocks 710A and 710B and BANK3 is distributed over blocks 716A and 716B. I/O and control circuitry 722 receives request packets from a controller over a channel 724. The request packets include an address that corresponds to a storage location and an operation code that specifies the operation to be performed on the data stored in the specified storage location. To perform a read operation, I/O and control circuitry 722 transmits control signals to the row decoders 704, 706, 712 and 714 to cause the row that contains the specified data to be moved into a cache. Then the I/O and control circuitry 722 transmits control signals to the column decoders 718 and 720 to cause the data from a column of the row in the row cache to be transmitted out onto the channel 724. The column that is transmitted is the column that corresponds to the address contained in the request packet. Controller Operation Referring to FIG. 8, it is a flow chart that illustrates the protocol employed by a controller to initiate data transfers according to one embodiment of the invention. At step 802, the controller transmits a wakeup signal to the DRAM that will be involved in the data transfer operation (the “target DRAM”). At step 804, the controller transmits command control information to the target DRAM. The contents of the command control information according to one embodiment of the invention are illustrated in FIG. 9. Referring to FIG. 9, the command control information is transmitted over the BusCtl line and BusData[8:0] lines over three clock cycles, where each clock cycle has even and odd phases. A start bit 902 is sent over the BusCtl line on the even phase of the first clock cycle. As shall be described in greater detail below, the start bit serves as a flag which allows the DRAM to identify the signals as command control information. The command control information includes an address 904 that identifies the beginning memory location in the target DRAM that will be involved in the specified data transfer operation. The command control information further includes an operation code, open and close bits, and a Pend value. As shall be explained below, certain bits in the operation code directly correspond to control lines within the target DRAM. Specifically, the operation code includes a Write bit 906, a Reg bit 908 and a NoByteM bit 910 that correspond to control lines in the target DRAM. Upon receipt of the command control information, the DRAM simply places the value stored in these bits on the respective control line. The operation code also contains a broadcast bit 912 to indicate whether the specified operation is a broadcast operation. The Open, Close and Pend values serve functions described in greater detail below. In general, the Open and Close bits specify whether precharge and/or sense operations are to be performed before and/or after the operation specified in the operation code. The Pend value indicates how many odd phase bits will appear on the BusCtl line after the command control information and before the strobe signal that corresponds to the operation specified in the command control information (other than any odd phase bits in request packets for other transactions). The command control information also contains other values “EvalCC” and “Mask” that do not relate to the present invention. Referring again to FIG. 8, control passes from step 804 to step 806. During step 806, the controller transmits the strobe signal over the BusCtl line (step 810). If the transaction involves more than one data packet, then the column address for data packets that are to be sent subsequent to the first data packet are transmitted serially over the BusEnable line (step 808). Steps 808 and 810 are combined in step 806 to indicate that step 810 is performed concurrently with step 808. In one embodiment, the transmission of the address for subsequent data packets begins at a sufficient interval prior to the time at which those data packets are to be sent to allow the second and subsequent data packets to be sent after the first data packet without interruption. At step 814, the data is transmitted over the data bus (BusData[8:0]). During this step, the data may be transmitted to or from the target DRAM, depending on whether the data transfer operation is write or read operation. At some fixed period of time prior to the transmission of the last the last data packet, the controller transmits the terminate signal on the BusCtl line (step 816). Steps 816 and 814 are shown as a single step 812 to indicate that step 816 is performed during the performance of step 814. As shall be explained below, one embodiment of the memory controller dynamically adjusts the interleave of data and control information to more fully utilize the channel. Interleave refers to the relative ordering of data, requests and control signals that are associated to multiple transactions. To allow dynamic interleave adjustment, there is no fixed time period between the execution of steps 804 and 806. Rather, the controller is free to adjust the tiring of step 806 relative to the timing of step 804 as needed to provide the desired interleave (e.g., to provide time to transmit the command control information for other transactions between execution of steps 804 and 806). In one embodiment, the controller is configured to limit the number of requests that are targeted to any given DRAM. For example, if two data transfer operations have been requested for a given DRAM, the controller will refrain from issuing a third request until one of the outstanding requests has been serviced. By limiting the number of requests any DRAM must handle at any given time, the size of the command queue within the DRAM may be reduced, decreasing the complexity of the DRAM. In one embodiment, the number of outstanding requests on the channel may be larger than the number of requests being processed by any single DRAM. Preferably, the number of outstanding requests is limited only by the size of the field which indicates the number of outstanding requests, and the aggregate number of requests which can be handled by all of the DRAMs on the channel. Deferred Transfer Size Determination In typical EDO and SDRAM components, only a finite number of data transfer sizes are supported. For each data transfer size, there is a fixed ratio between the amount of control information that must be sent to a DRAM and the amount of data to be transferred in the operation. Thus, the larger the amount of data to be transferred, the larger the amount of control information that must be sent to the DRAM. For example, with an SDRAM that only supports transfers of one or four data words, two four-word transfers must be performed to transfer eight data words. Thus, all of the control information that a controller must send to the DRAM for a four data word transfer, including an operation code and an address, must be sent twice. In prior art request-oriented systems, a data transfer count is part of the command control information that a controller sends to a DRAM to initiate a data transfer operation. The amount of bits allocated in the control information for sending the data transfer count is fixed. Consequently, the size of data transfers that a system may perform in response to a single transfer request is limited to the number of data packets that can be specified in the available number of bits. The size limit thus placed on data transfers makes it necessary for transfers of large amounts of data to be performed using numerous requests for smaller data transfer operations. For example, if the data transfer count is only five bits long and data packets are eight bytes, then the maximum size of a data transfer is 256 bytes (32 data packets). For transfers larger than 256 bytes, more than one request packet must be used. In one prior art request-oriented system, the controller is allowed to prematurely terminate a data transfer operation by transmitting a terminate control signal to the DRAM. Upon receipt of the terminate control signal during a particular data transfer operation, the DRAM ceases to process data for the operation, even if the amount of data that has been transferred is less than the amount of data that was specified in the data transfer count of the operation. This technique allows the controller to shorten data transfers after a particular transfer size has been specified, but does not overcome the limitations associated with having a maximum size limit per requested transaction. According to one aspect of the present invention, the command control information within a request packet no longer contains size information. Rather, the DRAM is configured to start and end the transmission of data based on data transfer control information sent by the controller to the DRAM separate from and subsequent to the transmission of the command control information. According to one embodiment, the data transfer control information includes data transfer start information (a “strobe signal”) sent from the controller to indicate when the DRAM is to begin sending data, and data transfer end information (a “terminate signal”) to indicate when the DRAM is to stop sending data. The number of clock cycles that elapse between the transmission of the strobe signal and the terminate signal indicates the size of the data transfer. If a data transfer operation involves more than one data packet, then the controller serially transmits column address information on the BusEnable line to specify the columns that contain the data to be sent in the second and subsequent data packets. Preferably, the controller begins to transmit the column address information at a time that allows the DRAM to have sufficient time to reconstruct the column addresses and prefetch the data from the specified columns in the DRAM core before the data packets that correspond to the column addresses are to be transmitted over the channel. Because the DRAM continuously receives column addresses over the BusEnable line during multi-packet transfers, the DRAM itself does not have to maintain a counter to determine from where to retrieve data for the next data packet. By transmitting data transfer control information separate from the command control information, it is possible to specify a transfer operation for any amount of data. Thus, large transfers do not have to be broken up into multiple requests for smaller amounts of data In one embodiment, the control circuitry within the DRAM is configured to begin retrieving requested data from the DRAM core as soon as possible after receipt of a request packet The DRAM does not wait for the strobe signal to begin retrieving the data from the DRAM core. However, the DRAM does not transmit any data on the channel until the strobe signal is received. Because the initial data packet to be transmitted by the DRAM has been prefetched from the core, the data packet can be transmitted over the channel with minimal delay from when the strobe signal ultimately arrives. There are numerous benefits to reducing the delay between the transmission of (1) a strobe signal for a transfer operation and (2) the first packet in the transfer operation. For example, the minimum latency between a transfer request and the beginning of the transfer can never be less than the strobe-to-data delay. Therefore, the strobe-to-data delay may determine the critical path for DRAMs that support fast core operations. In addition, the longer the strobe-to-data delay, the more complex the controller must be to accurately and efficiently pipeline the command control information and strobe signals. The bandwidth required to indicate the start and end of a data transfer operation with single bit strobe and terminate signals is minimal. In one embodiment, a single line (the BusCtl line) is used to carry a variety of control signals, including the strobe and terminate signals. Further, the channel utilization employed to start and terminate a transfer operation does not vary with the size of the data to be transferred. Due to intrinsic circuit delays, the DRAM does not instantly terminate data transmission upon the receipt of the terminate signal. Rather, the terminate signal causes the DRAM to initiate termination of the data transfer. Transmission of the last data packet in a transfer actually occurs on some clock cycle after the receipt of the terminate signal. When a terminate signal is used to specify the end of a transfer operation, it is important to minimize the latency between the transmission of the terminate signal for the transaction and the transmission of the last data packet of the transaction. By reducing the latency between the terminate signal for a transaction and the time at which the channel ceases to be used to send data for the transaction, the amount of time required for the controller to use the channel for another transaction is reduced. This is particularly important when there are multiple requesters that are contending for use of the same channel. According to one embodiment, the terminate signal may be used to either end a transaction or suspend a transaction. The exact timing of the terminate signal may be used to indicate whether a transfer operation should be terminated or merely suspended. For example, if the terminate signal is sent at one modulus relative to the strobe signal, the DRAM is configured to terminate the data transfer operation. A modulus is the remainder obtained after dividing one integer by another integer. If the terminate signal is sent at a different modulus relative to the strobe signal, the DRAM is configured to suspend the transfer operation. The DRAM may be configured to continue transfer operations that have been suspended upon receipt of a continue control signal. Decoupled Data Transfer Control Information In prior art systems, the timing of a data transfer is dictated by the timing of the request for the data transfer. Thus, given that a transfer request arrived on a particular clock cycle, it was known that the data specified in the request would begin to appear on BusData[8:0] a predetermined number of clock cycles from the particular clock cycle. For example, the number of clock cycles that elapse between a request packet and the transfer of data specified in the request packet may be determined by a value stored in a register within the DRAM. This fact renders prior art systems inflexible with respect to how control and data signals may be interleaved to maximize the use of the channel. As mentioned above, the data transfer control information which controls the timing of the data transfer associated with a request packet is sent separately from the command control information to which it corresponds. According to another aspect of the invention, the timing of the data transfer control information is variable relative to the timing of the corresponding request packet. That is, the number of clock cycles between the transmission of a request packet and the transmission of the strobe signal to begin the transfer specified in the request packet may vary from transaction to transaction. According to an alternate embodiment of the invention, the amount of time that elapses between the transmission of a request packet and the transmission of the data specified in a request packet is varied without the use of strobe and terminate signals. In this embodiment, the reset packet contains a delay value that indicates to the DRAM when the data specified in the request packet will begin to be sent relative to the time at which the request packet is sent. The DRAM would include a counter to count the clock cycles that elapse from the arrival of the request packet in order to send or receive the data specified in the request on the appropriate clock cycle. Because the controller may vary the latency between request packet and data transmission, the controller is able to dynamically adjust the operative interleave on the channel, as shall be described in greater detail below. Dynamic Interleave Adjustment As mentioned above, the fixed timing between requests and data transmissions renders prior art systems inflexible with respect to how control and data signals may be interleaved. For example, FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate the timing of transactions for particular prior art protocol systems. Referring to FIG. 10, it illustrates interleaved timing of read and write accesses. The interleave structure permits read accesses to a DRAM to be interleaved with write accesses to another DRAM. FIG. 11 illustrates synchronous interleaved read timing with multiplexed data/row/control information according to an alternative prior art protocol. Both of these prior art interleave patterns increase utilization of the channel and the internal resources of the DRAM relative to non-interleaved protocols. However, the timing between requests and data transfers is fixed, so the interleave patterns are fixed. Consequently, controllers cannot make interleave adjustments to maximize usage of the channel and DRAM resources in response to changing conditions in the system. The ability to vary the timing between the transmission of a request packet and the transmission of the data specified in the command control information makes it possible to interleave the information on BusData[8:0] in variations that were not previously possible. According, to one embodiment of the invention, controllers dynamically adjust the interleave to maximize the use of the channel in the face of internal DRAM latencies that are long with respect to the transmission of control information or data. Referring to Appendix A and FIG. 12, they illustrate the timing of five non-interleaved data transfer operations. At clock cycle 0, a wakeup signal associated with transaction 0 is transmitted from the controller to the DRAM on the BusCtl line “BC”. At clock cycles 4 through 6 the command control information for transaction 0 is sent from the controller to the DRAM over the BusCtl line and nine bus data lines “BD[8:0]”. At clock cycle 10 the DRAM begins sensing the row specified in the command control information of the bank specified in the command control information. At clock cycle 17 the controller sends the strobe signal associated with transaction 0 to the DRAM. At clock cycle 23 the DRAM begins transferring data beginning at the address specified in the command control information. At clock cycle 30 the controller sends a terminate signal associated with transaction 0 to the DRAM. At clock cycle 38, the DRAM sends the last data associated with transaction 0. The wakeup signal for transaction 1 is transmitted at clock cycle 35. At clock cycles 39 through 41 the command control information for transaction 1 is transmitted. The timing for transactions 1 through 4 proceeds as illustrated. This example clearly illustrates that there is minimal timing overlap between transactions when signals for different transactions are not interleaved. Consequently, bandwidth that may be used to begin subsequent transactions goes unused. Referring to Appendix B and FIG. 13, they illustrate the timing of interleaved data-transfer operations. In the illustrated example, the wakeup signal for transaction 1 is transmitted at clock cycle 20, even before data has started to be sent for transaction 0. By the time the terminate signal has been sent for transaction 0, the wakeup signal and command control information have been sent to the DRAM for transaction 1. The transmission of this information during the execution of transaction 0 does not result in any performance penalty because the bandwidth used to transfer the information was otherwise unused. Significantly, five transactions are completed by clock cycle 131 using the interleaved example shown in Appendix B, while completion of five transactions requires 172 clock cycles in the non-interleaved system shown in Appendix A. The ability to dynamically adjust the interleave of control and data information allows controllers to increase the utilization of the channel. In addition, the controller can adapt the interleave to the changing demands being placed on the bus to minimize latency. For example, the controller can transition from a cold start, where the bus is idle, to an active state by issuing a series of requests back-to-back and then waiting for the data that will be sent in response to the requests. After start, the controller adjusts the interleave to shift from minimizing latency to maximizing utilization of the channel and internal resources of the DRAM. Therefore, after a steady state has been achieved, the controller avoids having too many back-to-back requests. Rather, the controller switches to a smoother interleave pattern, such as the pattern illustrated in Appendix B. An exemplary series of transactions that illustrate how a controller that employs the protocol of the present invention is able to dynamically change the interleave of transactions shall be discussed in greater detail below with reference to Appendix C. Signal Overload To help maximize utilization of the channel, the same control line may be used to carry numerous control signals. For example, in the protocol illustrated in Appendixes A and B, the BusCtl line is used to carry wakeup signals, strobe signals, portions of the command control information, and terminate signals. According to one embodiment of the invention, clock cycles are divided into even and odd phases. The command control information is preceded by a non-zero value “start bit” on the BusCtl line at an even phase of the clock cycle. Upon detection of a start bit, a DRAM knows that any signals on the BusCtl line during the three subsequent odd phases of the clock cycle are part of the command control information, and not strobe, wakeup or terminate signals. The strobe signals, wakeup signals and terminate signals are all indicated by non-zero values on the BusCtl line at an odd phase of the clock cycle. Consequently, the DRAM must have some mechanism for distinguishing between the signals. In an embodiment of the invention that uses fixed interleaves, an operation begins at a fixed interval relative to the command control information that specifies the operation. Therefore, DRAMs simply use the arrival time of the command control information and the known interval to determine when to perform the operation. The terminate signal associated with a transaction is always the next odd-phased signal on the BusCtl line after its corresponding command control information. Therefore, if the command control information can be identified, the terminate signal can also be identified. Any signal on the BusCtl line during an odd phase of a clock cycle is a wakeup signal. The method described above for distinguishing between identical control signals (i.e. control signals that use the same line and have the same characteristics) works well in an embodiment that employs fixed interleaves. However, where the timing interval between a request packet and its corresponding strobe signal is variable, a mechanism must be provided to indicate to the DRAMs when to look for the strobe signal that corresponds to a request packet that has been received. In the example illustrated in Appendix B, the period between the transmission of the command control information for a transaction and the strobe signal for the transaction is not fixed. Consequently, the DRAM must have some other mechanism for determining that, of all the signals that arrive on the BusCtl line, the signal at clock cycle 47 is the strobe signal associated with the command control information for transaction 1. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the DRAM is able to distinguish between identical signals on the BusCtl line based on knowledge of what information has previously appeared on the channel. To obtain information about data on the channel, the DRAM constantly monitors the channel. Because the DRAM constantly monitors the channel, the controller does not have to transmit wakeup signals to the DRAM. Therefore, the only identical signals on the BusCtl line are the strobe signal and the terminate signal. According to this embodiment, the order in which the controller sends strobe and terminate signals must match the order in which the controller sends request packets. For example, if the controller transmits request packets for transactions 0, 1, and 2, in that order, then the controller must send strobe and terminate signals for transactions 0, 1, and 2, in that order. Under the constraints described above, the DRAM has the information it requires to correctly identify the strobe and terminate signals on the channel. Specifically, the first control signal on the BusCtl line will always be a strobe signal associated with the first transaction. The control signal that follows any strobe signal is always the terminate signal for the transaction that corresponds to the preceding strobe signal. The control signal that follows any terminate signal will always be a strobe signal for the transaction that immediately follows the transaction associated with the previous strobe signal. While the approach described above allows a DRAM to accurately identify strobe and terminate signals, it has two obvious disadvantages. First, it requires that all DRAMs monitor the channel at all times. If any DRAM fails to monitor the line for any period, the DRAM will not be able to accurately identify the identical control signals. Because the DRAM has to constantly monitor the channel, the DRAM will not be able to conserve energy by entering a power-down mode. The expense associated with keeping all DRAMs powered up at all times is significant. The second disadvantage is that the controller must send the control signals in exactly the same order as the command control information. As a result, the controller is limited with respect to the type of interleave patterns it may select. Specifically, the controller may not select any interleave patterns that retire a transaction out of order. According to an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to transmit, as part of the command control information in a request packet, data which allows the DRAM to identify the strobe signal that corresponds to the command control information. For example, in one embodiment, the controller includes a “Pend” value in the command control information. The Pend value in a request packet indicates how many control signals that are identical to the strobe signal will occur between the end of the command control information for a transaction and the actual strobe signal for the transaction. Based on the Pend value, a DRAM is able to identify control signals without having to know what has transpired on the channel prior to the arrival of the command control information. In the example illustration Appendix B, the command control information for transaction 1 is sent at clock cycle 24, and the strobe signal for transaction 1 is sent at clock cycle 47. Between the transmission of the command control information for transaction 1 and the transmission of the strobe signal for transaction 1, a terminate signal for transaction 0, a wakeup signal for transaction 2 and a request packet for transaction 2 are sent. (The DRAM knows to ignore the command control information for transaction 1 by detecting its start bit on an even phase of the clock cycle.). The terminate signal for transaction 0 and the wakeup signal for transaction 2 both have identical characteristics to strobe signals. Therefore, the Pend value sent in the command control information for transaction 1 is two. By this Pend value, the DRAM is made aware that two strobe-like signals will appear on the BusCtl line prior to the actual strobe signal for transaction 1. The DRAM monitors the channel after the receipt of the command control information for transaction 1. Based on the Pend information in the command control information for transaction 1 and the signals that occur on the channel after receipt of the command control information for transaction 1, the DRAM can identify the strobe for transaction 1. The Pend approach overcomes the disadvantages of the constant channel monitoring approach because the DRAM involved in a transaction does not need to know what transpired on the channel prior to the arrival of the command control information for the transaction. Consequently, a DRAM may assume a powered down mode until the arrival of a wakeup signal just prior to the transmission of a request packet. In addition, the Pend approach does not require transactions to be retired in the same order as the order in which they are requested. Therefore, a controller may specify interleave patterns in which some transactions are retired out of order. Deferred Precharge Notification At the time that a request packet is transmitted by a controller, the controller may not have enough information to determine whether a precharge operation should be performed after the completion of the transaction. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the invention, the command control information sent in request packets does not contain an indication of whether or not a precharge is to be performed after the transaction. Rather, the controller communicates to the DRAM whether a precharge is to be performed when the terminate signal that initiates the termination of a transfer operation is sent to the DRAM. Because the transmission of the terminate signal is deferred, the determination of whether or not a precharge operation is appropriate may be made by the controller based on information obtained between the transmission of the request packet and the transmission of the terminate signal. For example, at the time that the request packet is sent, additional requests for data from different rows in the same DRAM may not have arrived. Therefore, it would appear that no post-operation precharge is required. However, prior to the transmission of the terminate signal, a request may arrive for an operation to be performed on a different row of the same bank within a DRAM. When the controller sends the terminate signal for the current operation, the controller can communicate to the DRAM that a precharge operation is to be performed. The DRAM can therefore begin a precharge operation for the bank containing the appropriate row while the current data transfer operation is being completed. The technique used by the controller to communicate whether a precharge is to be performed after an operation preferably takes advantage of the fact that data is typically transferred as a series of one or more fixed-sized packets, where each packet contains more data than can be transmitted during a single clock cycle. Because the transmission of a single packet is performed over multiple clock cycles, the terminate. signal may be sent during any one of a plurality of clock cycles to specify that a particular packet is the last packet For example, assume that it takes four clock cycles to send a single packet of data, and that the DRAM is configured to send exactly one data packet after receipt of the terminate signal. As long as the terminate signal is sent at any one of the four clock cycles during which the penultimate data packet is sent, the data transmission will terminate at the appropriate time. According to one embodiment of the invention, the controller uses the exact tiring of the terminate signal to indicate to the DRAM whether the DRAM is to perform a precharge operation. For example, assume that the controller can terminate a transfer at the appropriate time by sending the terminate signal during any one of four clock cycles, as described above. The controller can indicate to the DRAM that precharge is to be performed by transmitting the terminate signal in the first of the four possible clock cycles, and indicate that precharge is not to be performed by transmitting the terminate signal on the second of the four possible clock cycles. The DRAM decodes the precharge information by determining on which of the four possible clock cycles the terminate signal appeared. The DRAM may make this determination, for example, by determining the modulus of the clock cycle on which the terminate signal was received relative to the clock cycle on which the corresponding strobe was received. According to an alternate embodiment, a particular precharge operation is associated with each of the four available clock cycles. For example, the DRAM may contain four banks of memory. The technique described above may be extended so that a terminate signal in the first possible clock cycle causes the DRAM to precharge the first memory bank, a terminate signal in the second possible clock cycle causes the DRAM to precharge the second memory bank, a terminate signal in the third possible clock cycle causes the DRAM to precharge the third memory bank, and a terminate signal in the fourth possible clock cycle causes the DRAM to precharge the fourth memory bank. Significantly, this embodiment allows the position of the terminate signal for an operation on one memory bank to indicate that a precharge operation is to be performed on a different memory bank. In this embodiment, the command control information may contain a bit for specifying that no precharge is to be performed, regardless of the timing of the terminate signal. Optimized Operation Encoding Typically, a controller indicates to a DRAM the operation it desires the DRAM to perform by transmitting to the DRAM a request packet that includes an operation code that corresponds to the desired operation. To determine how to respond to a request packet, each of the bits of the operation code must be wired from its point of reception on the DRAM and to a decoder prior to being globally transmitted through the interface in order to control functionality. The wiring and decoding process consumes space and power. A typical circuit for performing operation code decoding is illustrated in FIG. 14. Referring to FIG. 14, a decoding circuit 1400 includes a plurality of pins 1402, a plurality of global control lines 1404, and a plurality of decode units 1406. Each decode unit 1406 corresponds to a particular global control line 1404. When a multiple-bit operation code is received at pins 1402, the entire operation code is routed to each of decode units 1406. Each of decode units 1406 decodes the operation code to determine the appropriate signal to apply to the control line 1404 to which it corresponds. Referring to FIG. 15, it illustrates a decode circuit 1500 according to an embodiment of the invention. Similar to decode circuit 1400, decode circuit 1500 includes a plurality of pins 1502, 1504 and 1506, a plurality of decode units 1508,. 1510 and 1512, and a plurality of global control lines 1516, 1518 and 1520. Each of decode units 1508, 1510 and 1512 corresponds to one of the control lines 1516, 1518 and 1520. Unlike the prior art decode circuit 1400, each of decode units 1508, 1510 and 1512 receives only the signal from one pin. Based on the signal from the pin and state information stored in the decode unit, the decode unit applies the appropriate signal to the control line to which it corresponds. The advantages of decode circuit 1500 over the prior art circuit shown in FIG. 14 include decreased wiring requirements, decreased power consumption and decreased circuit complexity. Specifically, only one line per pin is required to route the signals from pins 1502, 1504 and 1506 to decode units 1508, 1510 and 1512, respectively. Further, the complexity of decoders 1508, 1510 and 1512 is significantly reduced. For decode circuit 1500 to work correctly, the operation codes transmitted by the controller must include bits that directly correspond to the signals carried on lines 1516, 1518 and 1520. Typically, the global control lines include a NoByteM line, a Reg line, and a Write line. The NoByteM line indicates whether a byte mask should be used on the data specified in the operation. The Reg line indicates whether the operation relates to a register or to memory. The Write line indicates whether the operation is a read operation or a write operation. FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrates an operation code encoding scheme according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIGS. 16A and 16B, they illustrate an operation-to-operation-code mapping in which bits in the operation code directly dictate the signals to be placed on each of the global control lines to perform the corresponding operation. Specifically, each operation code has a bit “OP[2]” that specifies whether a signal should be placed on the NoByteM control line, a bit “OP[1]” that specifies whether a signal should be placed on the Reg control line, and a bit “OP[O]” that specifies whether a signal should be placed on the Write control line. The operation code that corresponds to each possible type of operation has the various operation code bits set so as to cause the appropriate signals to be generated on the global control lines. For example, to perform a register read directed operation, a signal must be generated on the NoByteM and Reg control lines, but not on the Write control line. Therefore, in the operation code that corresponds to the register read directed operation, the bits that correspond to the NoByteM, Reg and Write control lines are respectively “1”, “1” and “0”. Broadcast Operations DRAMs respond to request packets if the operations specified in the request packets are specifically directed to the DRAM, or if the request packets specify broadcast operations. FIG. 17 illustrates a prior art circuit for determining whether a particular DRAM should respond to an operation request. Referring to FIG. 17, a comparator 1702 compares the address bits in an request packet with the device D of the DRAM. If the address bits in the request packet do not match the device ID, then a logical LOW is transmitted to one input of AND gate 1706. Consequently, the output of AND gate 1706 will be LOW. The operation code contained in the request is decoded by decode unit 1704. Decode unit 1704 decodes the operation code in the request packet and transmits signals over lines 1708 and 1710 based on the operation specified by the operation code. If the operation code represents a broadcast operation, then the decode unit 1704 applies a logical HIGH to line 1710. If the operation code represents a non-broadcast operation, then the decode unit 1704 transmits a signal on line 1708 indicative of the command, and a logical LOW on line 1710. Line 1710 and the output of AND gate 1706 are applied to an OR gate 1712. The signal at output of OR gate 1712 determines whether the DRAM should process the specified operation. When the specified operation is a broadcast operation, the output of OR gate 1712 will be HIGH regardless of the output of AND gate 1706. Referring to FIG. 18, it illustrates a circuit for determining whether a DRAM should respond to request packet, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the circuit shown in FIG. 17, circuit 1800 includes a comparator 1802 for comparing the address bits in a request packet with the device ID of the DRAM. However, circuit 1800 is configured for a protocol in which one bit in the operation code of a request indicates whether the request is for a broadcast operation. Referring again to FIGS. 16A and 16B, the operation codes employed in one embodiment include a bit “Op[3]” that indicates whether the operation specified by the operation code is a broadcast operation. Because the operation code contains a bit which indicates whether the operation is a broadcast operation, it is not necessary to decode the operation code to determine whether the operation is a broadcast operation. Rather, the value of the broadcast bit is fed directly into one input of an OR gate 1804. The other input of the OR gate 1804 receives a signal that indicates whether the address in the request matched the device ID of the DRAM. The output of the OR gate 1804 indicates whether the DRAM should respond to the request. Because the operation code for every type of operation contains a bit that specifies whether the operation is a broadcast operation, the need to decode the operation codes to identify broadcast operations is avoided. Consequently, circuit 1800 is clearly simpler and more efficient that the circuit shown in FIG. 17. Controller-Specified State Changes In typical DRAMs, data is not directly transmitted from the storage cells. Rather, data is temporarily copied to sense amplifiers prior to transmission. Typically, the sense amplifiers only store one row of data. If an operation is to be performed on a row of data other than the currently stored row, two operations must be performed. The first operation is referred to as a precharge operation, where pairs of bit lines within the memory are equalized to a midpoint voltage level. The second operation is referred to as a sense operation, where the row on which the operation is to be performed is copied onto the sense amplifiers. Between the precharge operation and the subsequent sense operation, the DRAM in question is said to be in a closed state. At all other times, the DRAM is said to be in an open state. In the prior art, DRAMs are configured to determine whether precharge and sense operations have to be performed prior to servicing a data transfer request from a controller. Typically, the DRAM performs this determination by comparing the address contained in the request packet to the current address in the bank. If the addresses match, then the data is transmitted from the sense amplifiers and no precharge or sense operations are required. If the addresses do not match, then the DRAM performs a precharge and sense operation to load the sense amplifiers with data from the appropriate row, but does not service the data transfer request. The overhead and complexity required for the DRAM to perform the address comparison results in a significant cost and performance penalty. Consequently, the present invention provides a controller that determines whether precharge and/or sense operations are required prior to making data transfer requests. Because the controller makes the determination, the complexity of the DRAM is reduced while the performance of the overall data transfer system is improved. The controller makes the determination of whether precharge and/or sense operations are required based on the address of the data in the operation, the current state of the bank that corresponds to the address and the address of the data that is currently stored in the bank. Typically, this information is already maintained by the controller for other purposes. Therefore, little additional overhead is required for the controller to make the determination. Once the controller has made the determination for a particular data transfer operation, the controller must communicate the decision to the DRAM. Preferably, the controller communicates the determination to the DRAM through data sent with the command control information for the transaction. According to one embodiment of the invention, the command control information includes two bits (“Open” and “Close”) that indicate to the DRAM what action to take with respect to the sensing and precharging the memory cells that correspond to the operation. Based on the current bank state and the value of the Open and Close bits, the DRAM determines what action to perform. In general, the Close bit indicates whether to precharge the memory bank after performing the operation specified in the command control information, and the Open bit indicates whether some type of sense or precharge/sense operation must be performed before the operation. The actions performed in response to the Open and Close bits depends on the previous state of the bank in question. FIG. 19 illustrates how the combinations of values for the Open bit, Close bit, and previous bank state are mapped to actions to be performed according to one embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 19, if the current bank state is closed and the Open and Close bits are “0” and “1”, respectively, then the DRAM performs no action in response to the data transfer request. Since no action is performed, the state of the bank remains closed If the current bank state is closed and the Open and Close bits are “1” and “0”, respectively, then the DRAM senses the bank and then performs the operation specified in the command control information. After the operation is performed, the bank will be in the open state. If the current bank state is closed and the Open and Close bits are both “1”, then the DRAM senses the bank, performs the specified operation, and precharges the bank. After these actions have been performed, the bank will be in the closed state. If the current bank state is closed, then both Open and Close bits cannot be “0”. If the current bank state is open and the Open and Close bits are both “0” then the DRAM simply performs the operation specified in the command control information. After the operation, the bank will still be in the open state. If the current bank state is open and the Open and Close bits are “0” and “1”, respectively, then the DRAM performs the command and then precharges the memory bank. After the bank is precharged, it will be in the Closed state. If the current bank state is open and the Open and Close bits are “1” and “0”, respectively, then the DRAM precharges the bank, senses the bank, and performs the specified operation. After the operation is performed, the bank will be in the open state. If the current bank state is open and the Open and Close bits are both “1”, then the DRAM precharges the bank, senses the bank, performs the specified operation, then precharges the bank. After these actions have been performed, the bank will be in the closed state. In addition to giving the controller significantly more control over internal DRAM operation, the present invention establishes a one-to-many correspondence between request packets and specified operations. Specifically, a single request packet can cause a DRAM to perform (1) a plurality of DRAM core operations, (2) a DRAM core operation and a data transfer operation, or (3) a data transfer operation and a plurality of DRAM core operations. By increasing the number of operations performed by the DRAM in response to a request packet, the ratio of control information per operations performed is significantly reduced. Line Noise Reduction In typical DRAMs, multiple banks of memory receive power over the same power supply line. Every precharge or sense operation performed on a bank of memory generates some noise on the power supply line to which the bank is connected. In general, memory banks are not aware of operations that are concurrently being performed by other memory banks. Consequently, two or more memory banks that are powered over the same power supply line may concurrently perform precharge and/or sense operations. The increased noise that the power supply line experiences due to the concurrent execution of multiple noise-producing operations impairs the reliability of the DRAM in question or forces the power supply line to be larger, consuming precious die area. To prevent these reliability problems, those prior art DRAMs must be exhaustively tested to ensure that all possible sense and precharge patterns can be performed without error. In the present invention, the DRAM includes a control circuit that is configured to allow no more than one bank on any given power supply line from performing precharge or sense operations at any given time. Because the DRAM does not allow more than one bank on a power supply line to be charged or sensed at a time, the DRAM is not susceptible to the noise problems that concurrent sense and precharge operations create. Further, the DRAM does not need to be tested for patterns that will never occur. In addition, the die size of the DRAM may be reduced because the power supply lines do not have to be able to handle current for more than one operation. The control circuit within the DRAM may enforce this restriction in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the control circuit includes a queue for each power supply line. Such an embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 20A. Referring to FIG. 20A, a DRAM 2000 includes control circuitry 2002 and four memory banks powered over two power supply lines that extend from a bond site 2020. The control circuit 2002 receives request packets from the controller 2004 over the channel 2008 through an I/O unit 2030. The request packets specify data transfer operations and the memory banks on which the operations are to be performed. The control circuit 2002 is configured to detect when the specified operations require precharge or sense operations. When a requested operation requires a precharge or a sense operation, the operation is placed on the queue associated with the power supply line to which the memory bank specified in the request packet is connected. For example, assume that control circuit 2002 receives a request packet that specifies an operation that requires bank 2010 to be precharged, and a request packet that specifies an operation that requires bank 2012 to be sensed. Banks 2010 and 2012 are powered by the same power supply line 2014. Therefore, control circuitry 2002 will place both operations in the queue 2016 associated with power supply line 2014. The control circuit 2002 services the operations in any given queue one at a time. Thus, in the example given above, the control circuitry 2002 may cause the operation on bank 2010 to be performed, then cause the operation on bank 2012 to be performed. Because the operations are serviced sequentially, no more than one sense or precharge operation will be performed concurrently on banks connected to the same power supply line. Because the control circuitry 2002 maintains separate queues for each power supply line, precharge and sense operation may be perform concurrently on banks that are powered by different power supply lines within the same DRAM 2000. In this embodiment, the controller 2004 is preferably configured to set the Open and Close bits in each request packet to prevent the queues associated with the power supply lines from overflowing. In an alternate embodiment, control circuitry 2002 is configured to ignore request packets for operations that require a sense or precharge operation to be performed on a bank that is connected to the same power supply line as another bank on which a sense or precharge operation is currently being performed. In yet another embodiment, control circuitry 2002 does not process request packets that would violate the restriction, but transmits a message back to the controller 2004 to indicate that the request packet will not be serviced. While a prohibition against concurrent sense and precharge operations by banks on the same power supply line limits the amount of concurrency that can take place between the memory banks, the overall architecture of the present invention is designed to maximize channel utilization without violating this restriction. Specifically, the controller adjusts the interleave of transactions in such a way as to maximize usage of the channel. No amount of concurrency within a DRAM will increase the throughput of a channel that is already fully utilized. Therefore, the enforcement of a prohibition against concurrent sense and precharge operations by banks on the same power supply line does not detrimentally affect the performance of the data transport system. In an alternate embodiment illustrated in FIG. 20B, the DRAM 2000 contains a single queue 2050. AU operations that require the DRAM 2000 to perform a precharge or sense operation on any memory bank within DRAM 2000 are placed in the queue 2050 by control circuitry 2002. The control circuitry 2002 processes the operations stored in the queue 2050 sequentially, preventing more than one precharge or sense operation from being performed at the same time. While this embodiment does not allow the concurrency that is possible with the one-queue-per-power supply line embodiment, it requires less complex control circuitry. In yet another embodiment, the control circuitry on the DRAM does not enforce the one core operation per power supply line restriction. Rather, control circuitry within the controller is configured to transmit request packets by selecting an order and timing that will not cause more than one core operation to be performed at the same time on banks connected to the same power supply line. In this embodiment, the DRAM may be manufactured with power supply lines designed to only support one core operation at a time, even though the DRAM itself does not enforce the restriction. Example of Dynamically Adjusting Interleave Referring to Appendix C, it illustrates a series of transactions in which a controller has dynamically adjusted the interleave. The controller transmits the wakeup signal for the first transaction (transaction 0) over the BusCtrl line at clock cycle 0. The controller transmits the request packet for transaction 0 over the BusCtrl line and the BusData[8:0] lines from clock cycle 4 to clock cycle 6. The controller transmits column address information over the BusEnable line from clock cycle 8 to clock cycle 10. This column address information indicates the column address of the data for the second and subsequent data packets that will be involved in the transaction. The column address of the data for the first packet is included in the request packet. At clock cycle 10, the controller transmits the strobe signal for transaction 0. The timing of the strobe signal indicates to the DRAM when the DRAM is to begin retrieving and sending data for transaction 0. In response to the strobe signal, the DRAM begins to retrieve data from the specified columns at clock cycle 10, and begins sending the data over BusData[8:0] lines at clock cycle 16. The DRAM first retrieves data from the column specified in the request packet, and then from the columns specified in the column address information that is sent over the BusEnable line. The controller transmits the terminate signal for transaction 0 over the BusCtrl line at clock cycle 15. The timing of the terminate signal indicates to the DRAM when to stop sending data for transaction 0. In response to the terminate signal, the DRAM ceases to retrieve data after clock cycle 18, and ceases to transfer data after clock cycle 23. A total of two octbyte data packets are transmitted for transaction 0. The controller transmits the wakeup signal for the transaction 1 over the BusCtrl line at clock cycle 8. The controller transmits the request packet for transaction 1 over the BusCtrl line and the BusData[8:0] lines from clock cycle 12 to clock cycle 14. The controller transmits column address information over the BusEnable line from clock cycle 20 to clock cycle 31. This column address information indicates the column address of the data for the second and subsequent data packets that will be involved in the transaction. The column address of the data for the first packet is included in the request packet. At clock cycle 22, the controller transmits the strobe signal for transaction 1. The timing of the strobe signal indicates to the DRAM when the DRAM is to begin retrieving and sending data for transaction 1. In response to the strobe signal, the DRAM begins to retrieve data from the specified columns at clock cycle 23, and begins sending the data over BusData[8:O] lines at clock cycle 28. The DRAM first retrieves data from the column specified in the request packet, and then from the columns specified in the column address information that is sent over the BusEnable line. The controller transmits the terminate signal for transaction 1 over the BusCtrl line at clock cycle 35. The timing of the terminate signal indicates to the DRAM when to stop sending data for transaction 1. In response to the terminate signal, the DRAM ceases to retrieve data after clock cycle 38, and ceases to transfer data after clock cycle 43. A total of four octbyte data packets are transmitted for transaction 1. The controller transmits the wakeup signal for the transaction 2 over the BusCtrl line at clock cycle 20. The controller transmits the request packet for transaction 2 over the BusCtrl line and the BusData[8:0] lines from clock cycle 24 to clock cycle 26. The controller does not transmit column address information over the BusEnable line because transaction 1 involves only one octbyte data packet, the column address for which is included in the request packet. At clock cycle 50, the controller transmits the strobe signal for transaction 2. The timing of the strobe signal indicates to the DRAM when the DRAM is to begin relieving and sending data for transaction 2. In response to the strobe signal, the DRAM begins to retrieve data from the specified columns at clock cycle 51, and begins sending the data over BusData[8:0] lines at clock cycle 56. The controller transmits the terminate signal for transaction 2 over the BusCtrl line at clock cycle 51. The timing of the terminate signal indicates to the DRAM when to stop sending data for transaction 2. In response to the terminate signal, the DRAM ceases to retrieve data after clock cycle 54, and ceases to transfer data after clock cycle 59. A single octbyte data packet is transmitted for transaction 2. The controller transmits the wakeup signal for the transaction 3 over the BusCtrl line at clock cycle 40. The controller transmits the request packet for transaction 3 over the BusCtrl line and the BusData[8:0] lines from clock cycle 44 to clock cycle 46. The “open, no-close” parameters contained within the request packet indicates to the DRAM that the DRAM must perform a precharge and sense operation prior to performing the requested data transfer. Without waiting for the strobe signal for transaction 3, the DRAM performs the precharge operation from clock cycle 50 to clock cycle 57, and the sense operation from clock cycle 58 to clock cycle 65. After the sense operation, a RAS operation is performed from clock cycle 66 to clock cycle 73. The controller does not transmit column address information over the BusEnable line because transaction 3 involves only one octbyte data packet, the column address for which is included in the request packet. At clock cycle 66, the controller transmits the strobe signal for transaction 3. The timing of the strobe signal indicates to the DRAM when the DRAM is to begin retrieving and sending data for transaction 3. In response to the strobe signal, the DRAM begins to retrieve data from the specified columns at clock cycle 66, and begins sending the data over BusData[8:0] lines at clock cycle 72. The controller transmits the terminate signal for transaction 3 over the BusCtrl line at clock cycle 67. The timing of the terminate signal indicates to the DRAM when to stop sending data for transaction 3. In response to the terminate signal, the DRAM ceases to retrieve data after clock cycle 70, and ceases to transfer data after clock cycle 75. A total of one octbyte data packet is transmitted for transaction 3. The controller transmits the wakeup signal for the transaction 4 over the BusCtrl line at clock cycle 48. The controller transmits the request packet for transaction 4 over the BusCtrl line and the BusData[8:0] lines from clock cycle 52 to clock cycle 54. The controller does not transmit column address information over the BusEnable line because transaction 1 involves only one octbyte data packet, the column address for which is included in the request packet. At clock cycle 58, the controller transmits the strobe signal for transaction 4. The timing of the strobe signal indicates to the DRAM when the DRAM is to begin retrieving and sending data for transaction 4. In response to the strobe signal, the DRAM begins to retrieve data from the specified columns at clock cycle 59, and begins sending the data over BusData[8:0] lines at clock cycle 64. The controller transmits the terminate signal for transaction 4 over the BusCtrl line at clock cycle 59.The timing of the terminate signal indicates to the DRAM when to stop sending data for transaction 4. In response to the terminate signal, the DRAM ceases to retrieve data after clock cycle 62, and ceases to transfer data after clock cycle 67. A single octbyte data packet is transmitted for transaction 4. The transactions described-above illustrate how the protocol employed by the present invention enables a controller to dynamically adjust numerous parameters relating to the timing and interleave of signals on the channel. For example, each of the transactions illustrates how the controller uses strobe and terminate signals to determine the timing and size of data transfers. Thus, the size of the request packets for transaction 1 and transaction 3 are equal, but four times as much data is transmitted in transaction 1 as in transaction 3 because of the relative delay between the strobe and terminate signals for transaction 1. In addition, the controller can dynamically adjust the Le between a request packet and the transmission of the data associated with the request. For example, three clock cycles elapse between the transmission of the request packet and the transmission of the strobe signal that dictates when the DRAM starts to send data for transaction 0. In contrast, twenty-one clock cycles elapse between the transmission of the request packet for transaction 2 and the strobe signal that dictates when the DRAM starts to send data for transaction 2. Because the controller is able to adjust the time between the transmission of a request packet of a transaction and the transmission of data involved in the transaction, the controller can delay the transmission of data to allow the channel to be used for other purposes prior to the transmission of data. For example, the only signals sent over the BusCtrl and BusData[8:0] lines between the request packet for transaction 0 and the strobe for transaction 0 is a wakeup signal for transaction 1. Therefore, the strobe signal for transaction 0 is sent three clock cycles after the request packet for transaction 0. In contrast, the signals sent over the BusCtrl and BusData[8:0] lines between the request packet for transaction 2 and the strobe signal for transaction 2 include the data for transaction 1, the terminate signal for transaction 1, the wakeup signal for transaction 3, the request packet for transaction 3 and the wakeup signal for transaction 4. To allow all of this information to be sent before the data for transaction 3, the strobe signal for transaction 3 is not sent until 24 clock cycles after the request packet for transaction 3. The transactions illustrated in Appendix C also illustrate that the protocol of the present invention enables a controller to alter the retirement order of transactions. In a typical DRAM system, transactions are serviced in the same order in which they are requested. However, the protocol of the present invention enables a controller to retire transactions out of order. In the example illustrated in Appendix C, the request packet for transaction 3 is transmitted at clock cycle 44 and the request packet for transaction 4 is transmitted 8 clock cycles later at clock cycle 52. However, the strobe to start the data transfer for transaction 4 is transmitted at clock cycle 58, while the strobe to start the data transfer for transaction 3 is not transmitted until clock cycle 66. Consequently, transaction 4 is completely retired before the transmission of the data involved in transaction 3 even begins. The transactions illustrated in Appendix C also illustrate that the protocol of the present invention enables a controller to adjust the interleave in a manner that causes the number of transactions outstanding on the channel to vary over time. For example, at clock cycle 15, two transactions have been requested and none have been completed. Thus, two requests are outstanding. At clock cycle 55, five transactions have been requested and two have been completed. Thus, three requests are outstanding. As explained above, the protocol of the present invention enables a controller to dynamically adjust (1) the time at which data is sent relative to the time at which it is requested, (2) the retirement order of transactions, and (3) the number of outstanding requests. In addition, the protocol enables a controller to dictate the core operations to be performed by the DRAM, and the sequence in which the DRAM is to perform the core operations. The enhanced channel control bestowed by the protocol gives the controller the flexibility necessary to maximize the channel usage, allowing any given set of data transactions to be completed within a shorter period of time. In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Appendix A Explanation of Transaction Templates 1.0 Introduction This appendix contains a transaction template that shows the information that is communicated over a channel and the internal DRAM core states that occur during a series of transactions. Timing information proceeds down the template, with each horizontal row representing a clock cycle or two bus samples. Each row represents 4 ns at 500 MHz or 3.75 ns at 533 MHz. 1.1 Clk Cyc Column The first column, labeled clock cycles, represents the time in clock cycles since the beginning of this template. 1.2 BE Column The 2nd column labeled BE, is the state of the BusEnable pin during that clock cycle. BusEnable is only used to send serial addresses to the RDRAM. 1.3 BC Column The 3rd column labeled BC, is the state of the BusCtrl pin during that clock cycle. BusCtrl is used to send request packets, strobe, terminate and wakeup information. During a request packet, this fields identifies the request number, so requests and data can be tracked, the request type, and the value of the Pend field for that transaction. For wakeup, strobes, and terminates it also indicates which transaction is being started, strobed and terminated, by the value carried with it, i.e. (strobe 0) 1.4 BD[8:0] Column The 4th column, labeled BD[8:0], is the state of the BusData wires during that clock cycle. During the data packet it indicates the transaction number and the octbyte being sent or received. During request packets it indicates the state of the control bits Open and Close. These bits are used to tell the RDRAM what core operations to perform. The state that is assumed for the bank being accessed and the addressed bank is also included in the last field of a request packet. 1.5 DRAM Internal State Columns The 5th through 9th Columns represent the activity in an RDRAM labeled 0, with the 5th column being it's CAS activity, and the next four being the activity or state of each of the 4 banks (Bank[0:3]). The 10th through 14th Columns represent the activity in any other RDRAM, labeled 1, with the 10th column being it's CAS activity, and the next four being the activity or state of each of the 4 banks (Bank[0:3]). 1.6 Column Encoding The column encodings consist of two numbers. The first is the request number. The second is the octbyte number. 1.7 Bank[0:3] Encodings. These columns include a symbol that represents an operation and the number of the transaction that caused the operation. The meaning of the symbols is given in the table below. Symbol Name Meaning Length p Precharge Precharge is the 8 Clocks closing of a page (deassertion of RAS) and can be caused by closing at the end of a transaction, or opening a page that has not previously been precharged s Sense Sense is the 8 Clocks operation of loading the sense amps to prepare for a CAS and is caused by a command with Open required r RAS RAS always 8 Clocks follows the sense, and is needed to insure that the minimum RAS low time of the core is met. Non-interleaved precharged 4 oct 1 bank RWWRR Clk 0 Bank 1 Bank Cyc BE BC BD[8:0] Col 0 1 2 3 Col 0 1 2 3 0 — wakeup 0 — — — — — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 3 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 4 — req 0 open — — — — — — — — — — 5 — read close — — — — — — — — — — 6 — pend 0 precharged 0 — — — — — — — — — — 7 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 8 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 9 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 10 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 11 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 12 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 13 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 14 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 15 0 1 — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 16 0 1 — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 17 0 1 strobe 0 — — s0 — — — — — — — — 18 0 1 — — 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 19 0 2 — — 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 20 0 2 — — 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 21 0 2 — — 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 22 0 2 — turn 0 1 r0 — — — — — — — — 23 0 3 — data 0 0 0 1 r0 — — — — — — — — 24 0 3 — data 0 0 0 1 r0 — — — — — — — — 25 0 3 — data 0 0 0 1 r0 — — — — — — — — 26 0 3 — data 0 0 0 2 — — — — — — — — — 27 — — data 0 1 0 2 — — — — — — — — — 28 — — data 0 1 0 2 — — — — — — — — — 29 — — data 0 1 0 2 — — — — — — — — — 30 — term 0 data 0 1 0 3 — — — — — — — — — 31 — — data 0 2 0 3 — — — — — — — — — 32 — — data 0 2 0 3 — — — — — — — — — 33 — — data 0 2 0 3 — — — — — — — — — 34 — — data 0 2 — — — — — — — — — — 35 — wakeup 1 data 0 3 — p0 — — — — — — — — 36 — — data 0 3 — p0 — — — — — — — — 37 — — data 0 3 — p0 — — — — — — — — 38 — — data 0 3 — p0 — — — — — — — — 39 — req 1 open — p0 — — — — — — — — 40 — write close — p0 — — — — — — — — 41 — pend 0 precharged 0 — p0 — — — — — — — — 42 — — — — p0 — — — — — — — — 43 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 44 1 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — 45 1 1 — — — s1 — — — — — — — — 46 1 1 — — — s1 — — — — — — — — 47 1 1 strobe 1 — — s1 — — — — — — — — 48 1 2 — data 1 0 — s1 — — — — — — — — 49 1 2 — data 1 0 — s1 — — — — — — — — 50 1 2 — data 1 0 — s1 — — — — — — — — 51 1 2 — data 1 0 — s1 — — — — — — — — 52 1 3 — data 1 1 — s1 — — — — — — — — 53 1 3 — data 1 1 1 0 r1 — — — — — — — — 54 1 3 — data 1 1 1 0 r1 — — — — — — — — 55 1 3 — data 1 1 1 0 r1 — — — — — — — — 56 — — data 1 2 1 0 r1 — — — — — — — — 57 — — data 1 2 1 1 r1 — — — — — — — — 58 — — data 1 2 1 1 r1 — — — — — — — — 59 — — data 1 2 1 1 r1 — — — — — — — — 60 — term 1 data 1 3 1 1 r1 — — — — — — — — 61 — — data 1 3 1 2 — — — — — — — — — 62 — — data 1 3 1 2 — — — — — — — — — 63 — — data 1 3 1 2 — — — — — — — — — 64 — — — 1 2 — — — — — — — — — 65 — — — 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 66 — — — 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 67 — wakeup 2 — 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 68 — — — 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 69 — — — — p1 — — — — — — — — 70 — — — — p1 — — — — — — — — 71 — req 2 open — p1 — — — — — — — — 72 — write close — p1 — — — — — — — — 73 — pend 0 precharged 0 — p1 — — — — — — — — 74 — — — — p1 — — — — — — — — 75 — — — — p1 — — — — — — — — 76 2 1 — — — p1 — — — — — — — — 77 2 1 — — — s2 — — — — — — — — 78 2 1 — — — s2 — — — — — — — — 79 2 1 strobe 2 — — s2 — — — — — — — — 80 2 2 — data 2 0 — s2 — — — — — — — — 81 2 2 — data 2 0 — s2 — — — — — — — — 82 2 2 — data 2 0 — s2 — — — — — — — — 83 2 2 — data 2 0 — s2 — — — — — — — — 84 2 3 — data 2 1 — s2 — — — — — — — — 85 2 3 — data 2 1 2 0 r2 — — — — — — — — 86 2 3 — data 2 1 2 0 r2 — — — — — — — — 87 2 3 — data 2 1 2 0 r2 — — — — — — — — 88 — — data 2 2 2 0 r2 — — — — — — — — 89 — — data 2 2 2 1 r2 — — — — — — — — 90 — — data 2 2 2 1 r2 — — — — — — — — 91 — — data 2 2 2 1 r2 — — — — — — — — 92 — term 2 data 2 3 2 1 r2 — — — — — — — — 93 — — data 2 3 2 2 — — — — — — — — — 94 — — data 2 3 2 2 — — — — — — — — — 95 — — data 2 3 2 2 — — — — — — — — — 96 — — — 2 2 — — — — — — — — — 97 — — — 2 3 — — — — — — — — — 98 — — — 2 3 — — — — — — — — — 99 — wakeup 3 — 2 3 — — — — — — — — — 100 — — — 2 3 — — — — — — — — — 101 — — — — p2 — — — — — — — — 102 — — — — p2 — — — — — — — — 103 — req 3 open — p2 — — — — — — — — 104 — read close — p2 — — — — — — — — 105 — pend 0 precharged 0 — p2 — — — — — — — — 106 — — — — p2 — — — — — — — — 107 — — — — p2 — — — — — — — — 108 — — — — p2 — — — — — — — — 109 — — — — s3 — — — — — — — — 110 — — — — s3 — — — — — — — — 111 — — — — s3 — — — — — — — — 112 — — — — s3 — — — — — — — — 113 — — — — s3 — — — — — — — — 114 3 1 — — — s3 — — — — — — — — 115 3 1 — — — s3 — — — — — — — — 116 3 1 strobe 3 — — s3 — — — — — — — — 117 3 1 — — 3 0 r3 — — — — — — — — 118 3 2 — — 3 0 r3 — — — — — — — — 119 3 2 — — 3 0 r3 — — — — — — — — 120 3 2 — — 3 0 r3 — — — — — — — — 121 3 2 — turn 3 1 r3 — — — — — — — — 122 3 3 — data 3 0 3 1 r3 — — — — — — — — 123 3 3 — data 3 0 3 1 r3 — — — — — — — — 124 3 3 — data 3 0 3 1 r3 — — — — — — — — 125 3 3 — data 3 0 3 2 — — — — — — — — — 126 — — data 3 1 3 2 — — — — — — — — — 127 — — data 3 1 3 2 — — — — — — — — — 128 — — data 3 1 3 2 — — — — — — — — — 129 — term 3 data 3 1 3 3 — — — — — — — — — 130 — — data 3 2 3 3 — — — — — — — — — 131 — — data 3 2 3 3 — — — — — — — — — 132 — — data 3 2 3 3 — — — — — — — — — 133 — — data 3 2 — — — — — — — — — — 134 — wakeup 4 data 3 3 — p3 — — — — — — — — 135 — — data 3 3 — p3 — — — — — — — — 136 — — data 3 3 — p3 — — — — — — — — 137 — — data 3 3 — p3 — — — — — — — — 138 — req 4 open — p3 — — — — — — — — 139 — read close — p3 — — — — — — — — 140 — pend 0 precharged 0 — p3 — — — — — — — — 141 — — — — p3 — — — — — — — — 142 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 143 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 144 — — — — s4 — — — — — — — — 145 — — — — s4 — — — — — — — — 146 — — — — s4 — — — — — — — — 147 — — — — s4 — — — — — — — — 148 — — — — s4 — — — — — — — — 149 4 1 — — — s4 — — — — — — — — 150 4 1 — — — s4 — — — — — — — — 151 4 1 strobe 4 — — s4 — — — — — — — — 152 4 1 — — 4 0 r4 — — — — — — — — 153 4 2 — — 4 0 r4 — — — — — — — — 154 4 2 — — 4 0 r4 — — — — — — — — 155 4 2 — — 4 0 r4 — — — — — — — — 156 4 2 — turn 4 1 r4 — — — — — — — — 157 4 3 — data 4 0 4 1 r4 — — — — — — — — 158 4 3 — data 4 0 4 1 r4 — — — — — — — — 159 4 3 — data 4 0 4 1 r4 — — — — — — — — 160 4 3 — data 4 0 4 2 — — — — — — — — — 161 — — data 4 1 4 2 — — — — — — — — — 162 — — data 4 1 4 2 — — — — — — — — — 163 — — data 4 1 4 2 — — — — — — — — — 164 — term 4 data 4 1 4 3 — — — — — — — — — 165 — — data 4 2 4 3 — — — — — — — — — 166 — — data 4 2 4 3 — — — — — — — — — 167 — — data 4 2 4 3 — — — — — — — — — 168 — — data 4 2 — — — — — — — — — — 169 — — data 4 3 — p4 — — — — — — — — 170 — — data 4 3 — p4 — — — — — — — — 171 — — data 4 3 — p4 — — — — — — — — 172 — — data 4 3 — p4 — — — — — — — — 173 — — — — p4 — — — — — — — — 174 — — — — p4 — — — — — — — — 175 — — — — p4 — — — — — — — — 176 — — — — p4 — — — — — — — — Appendix B Explanation of Transaction Templates 1.0 Introduction This appendix contains a transaction template that shows the information that is communicated over a channel and the internal DRAM core states that occur during a series of transactions. Timing information proceeds down the template, with each horizontal row representing a clock cycle or two bus samples. Each row represents 4 ns at 500 MHz or 3.75 ns at 533 MHz. 1.1 Clk Cyc Column The first column, labeled clock cycles, represents the time in clock cycles since the beginning of this template. 1.2 BE Column The 2nd column labeled BE, is the state of the BusEnable pin during that clock cycle. BusEnable is only used to send serial addresses to the RDRAM. 1.3 BC Column The 3rd column labeled BC, is the state of the BusCtrl pin during that clock cycle. BusCtrl is used to send request packets, strobe, terminate and wakeup information. During a request packet, this fields identifies the request number, so requests and data can be tracked, the request type, and the value of the Pend field for that transaction. For wakeup, strobes, and terminates it also indicates which transaction is being started, strobed and terminated, by the value carried with it, i.e. (strobe 0) 1.4 BD[8:0] Column The 4th column, labeled BD[8:0], is the state of the BusData wires during that clock cycle. During the data packet it indicates the transaction number and the octbyte being sent or received. During request packets it indicates the state of the control bits Open and Close. These bits are used to tell the RDRAM what core operations to perform. The state that is assumed for the bank being accessed and the addressed bank is also included in the last field of a request packet. 1.5 DRAM Internal State Columns The 5th through 9th Columns represent the activity in an RDRAM labeled 0, with the 5th column being it's CAS activity, and the next four being the activity or state of each of the 4 banks (Bank[0:3]). The 10th through 14th Columns represent the activity in any other RDRAM, labeled 1, with the 10th column being it's CAS activity, and the next four being the activity or state of each of the 4 banks (Bank[0:3]). 1.6 Column Encoding The column encodings consist of two numbers. The first is the request number. The second is the octbyte number. 1.7 Bank[0:3] Encodings. These columns include a symbol that represents an operation and the number of the transaction that caused the operation. The meaning of the symbols is given in the table below. Symbol Name Meaning Length p Precharge Precharge is the 8 Clocks closing of a page (deassertion of RAS) and can be caused by closing at the end of a transaction, or opening a page that has not previously been precharged s Sense Sense is the 8 Clocks operation of loading the sense amps to prepare for a CAS and is caused by a command with Open required r RAS RAS always 8 Clocks follows the sense, and is needed to insure that the minimum RAS low time of the core is met. Interleaved precharge 4 oct 2 bank 1 RDRAM RWWRWWRRR Clk 0 Bank 1 Bank Cyc BE BC BD[8:0] Col 0 1 2 3 Col 0 1 2 3 0 — wakeup 0 — — — — — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 3 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 4 — req 0 open — — — — — — — — — — 5 — read close — — — — — — — — — — 6 — pend 1 precharged 0 — — — — — — — — — — 7 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 8 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 9 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 10 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 11 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 12 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 13 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 14 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 15 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 16 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 17 — — — — s0 — — — — — — — — 18 — — — 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 19 — — — 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 20 0 1 wakeup 1 — 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 21 0 1 — — 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 22 0 1 strobe 0 — 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 23 0 1 — — 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 24 0 2 req 1 open 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 25 0 2 write close 0 0 r0 — — — — — — — — 26 0 2 pend 2 precharged 1 0 0 — — — — — — — — — 27 0 2 — turn 0 1 — — — — — — — — — 28 0 3 — data 0 0 0 1 — — — — — — — — — 29 0 3 — data 0 0 0 1 — — — — — — — — — 30 0 3 — data 0 0 0 1 — s1 — — — — — — — 31 0 3 — data 0 0 0 2 — s1 — — — — — — — 32 — — data 0 1 0 2 — s1 — — — — — — — 33 — — data 0 1 0 2 — s1 — — — — — — — 34 — — data 0 1 0 2 — s1 — — — — — — — 35 — term 0 data 0 1 0 3 — s1 — — — — — — — 36 — — data 0 2 0 3 — s1 — — — — — — — 37 — — data 0 2 0 3 — s1 — — — — — — — 38 — — data 0 2 0 3 — r1 — — — — — — — 39 — — data 0 2 — — r1 — — — — — — — 40 — wakeup 2 data 0 3 — p0 r1 — — — — — — — 41 — — data 0 3 — p0 r1 — — — — — — — 42 — — data 0 3 — p0 r1 — — — — — — — 43 — — data 0 3 — p0 r1 — — — — — — — 44 1 1 req 2 open — p0 r1 — — — — — — — 45 1 1 write close — p0 r1 — — — — — — — 46 1 1 pend 2 precharged 0 — p0 — — — — — — — — 47 1 1 strobe 1 — — p0 — — — — — — — — 48 1 2 — data 1 0 — — — — — — — — — — 49 1 2 — data 1 0 — — — — — — — — — — 50 1 2 — data 1 0 — s2 — — — — — — — — 51 1 2 — data 1 0 — s2 — — — — — — — — 52 1 3 — data 1 1 — s2 — — — — — — — — 53 1 3 — data 1 1 1 0 s2 — — — — — — — — 54 1 3 — data 1 1 1 0 s2 — — — — — — — — 55 1 3 — data 1 1 1 0 s2 — — — — — — — — 56 — — data 1 2 1 0 s2 — — — — — — — — 57 — — data 1 2 1 1 s2 — — — — — — — — 58 — — data 1 2 1 1 r2 — — — — — — — — 59 — — data 1 2 1 1 r2 — — — — — — — — 60 — term 1 data 1 3 1 1 r2 — — — — — — — — 61 — — data 1 3 1 2 r2 — — — — — — — — 62 — — data 1 3 1 2 r2 — — — — — — — — 63 — — data 1 3 1 2 r2 — — — — — — — — 64 2 1 req 3 open 1 2 r2 — — — — — — — — 65 2 1 read close 1 3 r2 — — — — — — — — 66 2 1 pend 3 precharged 1 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 67 2 1 strobe 2 — 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 68 2 2 — data 2 0 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 69 2 2 — data 2 0 — — p1 — — — — — — — 70 2 2 — data 2 0 — — p1 — — — — — — — 71 2 2 — data 2 0 — — p1 — — — — — — — 72 2 3 — data 2 1 — — p1 — — — — — — — 73 2 3 — data 2 1 2 0 — p1 — — — — — — — 74 2 3 — data 2 1 2 0 — p1 — — — — — — — 75 2 3 — data 2 1 2 0 — p1 — — — — — — — 76 — — data 2 2 2 0 — p1 — — — — — — — 77 — — data 2 2 2 1 — — — — — — — — — 78 — — data 2 2 2 1 — s3 — — — — — — — 79 — — data 2 2 2 1 — s3 — — — — — — — 80 — term 2 data 2 3 2 1 — s3 — — — — — — — 81 — — data 2 3 2 2 — s3 — — — — — — — 82 — — data 2 3 2 2 — s3 — — — — — — — 83 — — data 2 3 2 2 — s3 — — — — — — — 84 — — — 2 2 — s3 — — — — — — — 85 — — — 2 3 — s3 — — — — — — — 86 — — — 2 3 — r3 — — — — — — — 87 — — — 2 3 — r3 — — — — — — — 88 3 1 wakeup 4 — 2 3 — r3 — — — — — — — 89 3 1 — — 3 0 p2 r3 — — — — — — — 90 3 1 strobe 3 — 3 0 p2 r3 — — — — — — — 91 3 1 — — 3 0 p2 r3 — — — — — — — 92 3 2 req 4 open 3 0 p2 r3 — — — — — — — 93 3 2 write close 3 0 p2 r3 — — — — — — — 94 3 2 pend 2 precharged 0 3 0 p2 — — — — — — — — 95 3 2 — turn 3 1 p2 — — — — — — — — 96 3 3 — data 3 0 3 1 p2 — — — — — — — — 97 3 3 — data 3 0 3 1 — — — — — — — — — 98 3 3 — data 3 0 3 1 s4 — — — — — — — — 99 3 3 — data 3 0 3 2 s4 — — — — — — — — 100 — — data 3 1 3 2 s4 — — — — — — — — 101 — — data 3 1 3 2 s4 — — — — — — — — 102 — — data 3 1 3 2 s4 — — — — — — — — 103 — term 3 data 3 1 3 3 s4 — — — — — — — — 104 — — data 3 2 3 3 s4 — — — — — — — — 105 — — data 3 2 3 3 s4 — — — — — — — — 106 — — data 3 2 3 3 r4 — — — — — — — — 107 — — data 3 2 — r4 — — — — — — — — 108 — wakeup 5 data 3 3 — r4 p3 — — — — — — — 109 — — data 3 3 — r4 p3 — — — — — — — 110 — — data 3 3 — r4 p3 — — — — — — — 111 — — data 3 3 — r4 p3 — — — — — — — 112 4 1 req 5 open — r4 p3 — — — — — — — 113 4 1 write close — r4 p3 — — — — — — — 114 4 1 pend 2 precharged 1 — — p3 — — — — — — — 115 4 1 strobe 4 — — — P3 — — — — — — — 116 4 2 — data 4 0 — — — — — — — — — — 117 4 2 — data 4 0 — — — — — — — — — — 118 4 2 — data 4 0 — — s5 — — — — — — — 119 4 2 — data 4 0 — — s5 — — — — — — — 120 4 3 — data 4 1 — — s5 — — — — — — — 121 4 3 — data 4 1 4 0 — s5 — — — — — — — 122 4 3 — data 4 1 4 0 — s5 — — — — — — — 123 4 3 — data 4 1 4 0 — s5 — — — — — — — 124 — — data 4 2 4 0 — s5 — — — — — — — 125 — — data 4 2 4 1 — s5 — — — — — — — 126 — — data 4 2 4 1 — r5 — — — — — — — 127 — — data 4 2 4 1 — r5 — — — — — — — 128 — term 4 data 4 3 4 1 — r5 — — — — — — — 129 — — data 4 3 4 2 — r5 — — — — — — — 130 — — data 4 3 4 2 — r5 — — — — — — — 131 — — data 4 3 4 2 — r5 — — — — — — — 132 5 1 req 6 open 4 2 — r5 — — — — — — — 133 5 1 read close 4 3 — r5 — — — — — — — 134 5 1 pend 3 precharged 0 4 3 — — — — — — — — — 135 5 1 strobe 5 — 4 3 — — — — — — — — — 136 5 2 — data 5 0 4 3 — — — — — — — — — 137 5 2 — data 5 0 — p4 — — — — — — — — 138 5 2 — data 5 0 — p4 — — — — — — — — 139 5 2 — data 5 0 — p4 — — — — — — — — 140 5 3 — data 5 1 — p4 — — — — — — — — 141 5 3 — data 5 1 5 0 p4 — — — — — — — — 142 5 3 — data 5 1 5 0 p4 — — — — — — — — 143 5 3 — data 5 1 5 0 p4 — — — — — — — — 144 — — data 5 2 5 0 p4 — — — — — — — — 145 — — data 5 2 5 1 — — — — — — — — — 146 — — data 5 2 5 1 s6 — — — — — — — — 147 — — data 5 2 5 1 s6 — — — — — — — — 148 — term 5 data 5 3 5 1 s6 — — — — — — — — 149 — — data 5 3 5 2 s6 — — — — — — — — 150 — — data 5 3 5 2 s6 — — — — — — — — 151 — — data 5 3 5 2 s6 — — — — — — — — 152 — — — 5 2 s6 — — — — — — — — 153 — — — 5 3 s6 — — — — — — — — 154 — — — 5 3 r6 — — — — — — — — 155 — — — 5 3 r6 — — — — — — — — 156 6 1 wakeup 7 — 5 3 r6 — — — — — — — — 157 6 1 — — 6 0 r6 p5 — — — — — — — 158 6 1 strobe 6 — 6 0 r6 p5 — — — — — — — 159 6 1 — — 6 0 r6 p5 — — — — — — — 160 6 2 req 7 open 6 0 r6 p5 — — — — — — — 161 6 2 read close 6 0 r6 p5 — — — — — — — 162 6 2 pend 2 precharged 1 6 0 — p5 — — — — — — — 163 6 2 — turn 6 1 — p5 — — — — — — — 164 6 3 — data 6 0 6 1 — p5 — — — — — — — 165 6 3 — data 6 0 6 1 — — — — — — — — — 166 6 3 — data 6 0 6 1 — s7 — — — — — — — 167 6 3 — data 6 0 6 2 — s7 — — — — — — — 168 — — data 6 1 6 2 — s7 — — — — — — — 169 — — data 6 1 6 2 — s7 — — — — — — — 170 — — data 6 1 6 2 — s7 — — — — — — — 171 — term 6 data 6 1 6 3 — s7 — — — — — — — 172 — — data 6 2 6 3 — s7 — — — — — — — 173 — — data 6 2 6 3 — s7 — — — — — — — 174 — — data 6 2 7 0 — r7 — — — — — — — 175 — — data 6 2 7 0 — r7 — — — — — — — 176 — — data 6 3 7 0 p6 r7 — — — — — — — 177 — — data 6 3 7 0 p6 r7 — — — — — — — 178 — — data 6 3 7 0 p6 r7 — — — — — — — 179 — — data 6 3 7 0 p6 r7 — — — — — — — 180 — — — 7 0 p6 r7 — — — — — — — 181 — — — 7 0 p6 r7 — — — — — — — 182 — — — 7 0 p6 — — — — — — — — 183 — — — 7 0 p6 — — — — — — — — 184 7 1 wakeup 8 — 7 0 — — — — — — — — — 185 7 1 — — 7 0 — — — — — — — — — 186 7 1 strobe 7 — 7 0 — — — — — — — — — 187 7 1 — — 7 0 — — — — — — — — — 188 7 2 req 8 open 7 0 — — — — — — — — — 189 7 2 read close 7 0 — — — — — — — — — 190 7 2 pend 2 precharged 0 7 0 — — — — — — — — — 191 7 2 — turn 7 1 — — — — — — — — — 192 7 3 — data 7 0 7 1 — — — — — — — — — 193 7 3 — data 7 0 7 1 — — — — — — — — — 194 7 3 — data 7 0 7 1 s8 — — — — — — — — 195 7 3 — data 7 0 7 2 s8 — — — — — — — — 196 — — data 7 1 7 2 s8 — — — — — — — — 197 — — data 7 1 7 2 s8 — — — — — — — — 198 — — data 7 1 7 2 s8 — — — — — — — — 199 — term 7 data 7 1 7 3 s8 — — — — — — — — 200 — — data 7 2 7 3 s8 — — — — — — — — 201 — — data 7 2 7 3 s8 — — — — — — — — 202 — — data 7 2 8 0 r8 — — — — — — — — 203 — — data 7 2 8 0 r8 — — — — — — — — 204 8 1 wakeup 9 data 7 3 8 0 r8 p7 — — — — — — — 205 8 1 — data 7 3 8 0 r8 p7 — — — — — — — 206 8 1 strobe 8 data 7 3 8 0 r8 p7 — — — — — — — 207 8 1 — data 7 3 8 0 r8 p7 — — — — — — — 208 8 2 — — 8 0 r8 p7 — — — — — — — 209 8 2 — — 8 0 r8 p7 — — — — — — — 210 8 2 — — 8 0 — p7 — — — — — — — 211 8 2 — turn 8 1 — p7 — — — — — — — 212 8 3 — data 8 0 8 1 — — — — — — — — — 213 8 3 — data 8 0 8 1 — — — — — — — — — 214 8 3 — data 8 0 8 1 — — — — — — — — — 215 8 3 — data 8 0 8 2 — — — — — — — — — 216 — — data 8 1 8 2 — — — — — — — — — 217 — — data 8 1 8 2 — — — — — — — — — 218 — — data 8 1 8 2 — — — — — — — — — 219 — term 8 data 8 1 8 3 — — — — — — — — — 220 — — data 8 2 8 3 — — — — — — — — — 221 — — data 8 2 8 3 — — — — — — — — — 222 — — data 8 2 8 3 — — — — — — — — — 223 — — data 8 2 — — — — — — — — — — 224 — — data 8 3 — P8 — — — — — — — — 225 — — data 8 3 — P8 — — — — — — — — 226 — — data 8 3 — P8 — — — — — — — — 227 — — data 8 3 — p8 — — — — — — — — 228 — — — — P8 — — — — — — — — 229 — — — — P8 — — — — — — — — 230 — — — — P8 — — — — — — — — 231 — — — — P8 — — — — — — — — Appendix C Explanation of Transaction Templates 1.0 Introduction This appendix contains a transaction template that shows the information that is communicated over a channel and the internal DRAM core states that occur during a series of transactions. Timing information proceeds down the template, with each horizontal row representing a clock cycle or two bus samples. Each row represents 4 ns at 500 MHz or 3.75 ns at 533 MHz. 1.1 Clk Cyc Column The first column, labeled clock cycles, represents the time in clock cycles since the beginning of this template. 1.2 BE Column The 2nd column labeled BE, is the state of the BusEnable pin during that clock cycle. BusEnable is only used to send serial addresses to the RDRAM. 1.3 BC Column The 3rd column labeled BC, is the state of the BusCtrl pin during that clock cycle. BusCtrl is used to send request packets, strobe, terminate and wakeup information. During a request packet, this fields identifies the request number, so requests and data can be tracked, the request type, and the value of the Pend field for that transaction. For wakeup, strobes, and terminates it also indicates which transaction is being started, strobed and terminated, by the value carried with it, i.e. (strobe 0) 1.4 BD[8:0] Column The 4th column, labeled BD[8:0], is the state of the BusData wires during that clock cycle. During the data packet it indicates the transaction number and the octbyte being sent or received. During request packets it indicates the state of the control bits Open and Close. These bits are used to tell the RDRAM what core operations to perform. The state that is assumed for the bank being accessed and the addressed bank is also included in the last field of a request packet. 1.5 DRAM Internal State Columns The 5th through 9th Columns represent the activity in an RDRAM labeled 0, with the 5th column being it's CAS activity, and the next four being the activity or state of each of the 4 banks (Bank[0:3]). The 10th through 14th Columns represent the activity in any other RDRAM, labeled 1, with the 10th column being it's CAS activity, and the next four being the activity or state of each of the 4 banks (Bank[0:3]). 1.6 Column Encoding The column encodings consist of two numbers. The first is the request number. The second is the octbyte number. 1.7 Bank[0:3] Encodings. These columns include a symbol that represents an operation and the number of the transaction that caused the operation. The meaning of the symbols is given in the table below. Symbol Name Meaning Length p Precharge Precharge is the 8 Clocks closing of a page (deassertion of RAS) and can be caused by closing at the end of a transaction, or opening a page that has not previously been precharged s Sense Sense is the 8 Clocks operation of loading the sense amps to prepare for a CAS and is caused by a command with Open required r RAS RAS always 8 Clocks follows the sense, and is needed to insure that the minimum RAS low time of the core is met. Vary data size, retirement order, outstanding requests, data time Clk 0 Bank 1 Bank Cyc BE BC BD[8:0] Col 0 1 2 3 Col 0 1 2 3 0 — wakeup 0 — — — — — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 3 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 4 — req 0 no-open — — — — — — — — — — 5 — read no-close — — — — — — — — — — 6 — pend 1 sensed 0 — — — — — — — — — — 7 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 8 0 1 wakeup 1 — — — — — — — — — — — 9 0 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — 10 0 1 strobe 0 — — — — — — — — — — — 11 0 1 — — 0 0 — — — — — — — — — 12 — req 1 no-open 0 0 — — — — — — — — — 13 — read no-close 0 0 — — — — — — — — — 14 — pend 2 sensed 0 0 0 — — — — — — — — — 15 — term 0 turn 0 1 — — — — — — — — — 16 — — data 0 0 0 1 — — — — — — — — — 17 — — data 0 0 0 1 — — — — — — — — — 18 — — data 0 0 0 1 — — — — — — — — — 19 — — data 0 0 — — — — — — — — — — 20 1 1 wakeup 2 data 0 1 — — — — — — — — — — 21 1 1 — data 0 1 — — — — — — — — — — 22 1 1 strobe 1 data 0 1 — — — — — — — — — — 23 1 1 — data 0 1 1 0 — — — — — — — — — 24 1 2 req 2 no-open 1 0 — — — — — — — — — 25 1 2 read no-close 1 0 — — — — — — — — — 26 1 2 pend 3 sensed 0 1 0 — — — — — — — — — 27 1 2 — turn 1 1 — — — — — — — — — 28 1 3 — data 1 0 1 1 — — — — — — — — — 29 1 3 — data 1 0 1 1 — — — — — — — — — 30 1 3 — data 1 0 1 1 — — — — — — — — — 31 1 3 — data 1 0 1 2 — — — — — — — — — 32 — — data 1 1 1 2 — — — — — — — — — 33 — — data 1 1 1 2 — — — — — — — — — 34 — — data 1 1 1 2 — — — — — — — — — 35 — term 1 data 1 1 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 36 — — data 1 2 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 37 — — data 1 2 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 38 — — data 1 2 1 3 — — — — — — — — — 39 — — data 1 2 — — — — — — — — — — 40 — wakeup 3 data 1 3 — — — — — — — — — — 41 — — data 1 3 — — — — — — — — — — 42 — — data 1 3 — — — — — — — — — — 43 — — data 1 3 — — — — — — — — — — 44 — req 3 open — — — — — — — — — — 45 — read no-close — — — — — — — — — — 46 — pend 5 sensed 0 — — — — — — — — — — 47 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 48 — wakeup 4 — — — — — — — — — — — 49 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 50 — strobe 2 — — p3 — — — — — — — — 51 — term 2 — 2 0 p3 — — — — — — — — 52 — req 4 no-open 2 0 p3 — — — — — — — — 53 — read no-close 2 0 p3 — — — — — — — — 54 — pend 0 sensed 0 2 0 p3 — — — — — — — — 55 — — turn — p3 — — — — — — — — 56 — — data 2 0 — p3 — — — — — — — — 57 — — data 2 0 — p3 — — — — — — — — 58 — strobe 4 data 2 0 — s3 — — — — — — — — 59 — term 4 data 2 0 — s3 — — — 4 0 — — — — 60 — — — — s3 — — — 4 0 — — — — 61 — — — — s3 — — — 4 0 — — — — 62 — — — — s3 — — — 4 0 — — — — 63 — — turn — s3 — — — — — — — — 64 — — data 4 0 — s3 — — — — — — — — 65 — — data 4 0 — s3 — — — — — — — — 66 — strobe 3 data 4 0 3 0 r3 — — — — — — — — 67 — term 3 data 4 0 3 0 r3 — — — — — — — — 68 — — — 3 0 r3 — — — — — — — — 69 — — — 3 0 r3 — — — — — — — — 70 — — — 3 0 r3 — — — — — — — — 71 — — turn — r3 — — — — — — — — 72 — — data 3 0 — r3 — — — — — — — — 73 — — data 3 0 — r3 — — — — — — — — 74 — — data 3 0 — — — — — — — — — — 75 — — data 3 0 — — — — — — — — — — | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) components, such as those illustrated in FIG. 1A , provide an inexpensive solid-state storage technology for today's computer systems. Digital information is maintained in the form of a charge stored on a two-dimensional array of capacitors. One such capacitor is illustrated in FIG. 1B . FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art memory system including DRAM with the corresponding control, address and data wires which connect the DRAM to the processor or memory controller component. In synchronous DRAMs, a write access is initiated by transmitting a row address on the address wires and by transmitting row address strobe (RAS) signal. This causes the desired row to be sensed and loaded by the column amplifiers. The column address is transmitted on the address wires and the column address strobe (CAS) signal is transmitted along with the first word of the write data WData(a,1). The data word is then received by the DRAM and written into the column amplifiers at the specified column address. This step can be repeated “n” times in the currently loaded row before a new row is sensed and loaded. Before a new row is sensed, the old row must be restored back to the memory core and the bit lines of the DRAM precharged. FIG. 3A illustrates synchronous write timing. In the figure, a, b . . . represent a row address; 1, 2 . . . n represent a column address, WData [row, col] represents the DRAM address of data words, the row address strobe (RAS) is a control signal for initiating a sense operation, and WRITE(CAS) initiates the write operation on the column amplifiers. In the present example, the row column address delay timing parameter is equal to two clock cycles. After the row address is asserted at the first clock cycle, column addresses and write data are asserted after the delay to write the data into the DRAM array. FIG. 3B illustrates synchronous read timing. A processor initiates a read access by transmitting a row address on the address wires and by transmitting the row address strobe (RAS) signal. This causes the desired row to be sensed by the column amplifiers. The column address is then transmitted on the address wire and the column address strobe (CAS) signal is transmitted. The first word of the read data RData (a,1) is then transmitted by the DRAM and received by the processor. This step can be repeated “n” times in the currently loaded row before a new row is sensed and loaded. Before a new row is sensed, the old row must be restored back to the memory array. Various attempts have been made to improve the performance of conventional DRAMs. Such attempts have resulted in DRAM architectures that deviate in varying degrees from conventional DRAM architectures. Various alternative DRAM architectures are described in detail in NEW DRAM TECHNOLOGIES, by Steven A. Przybylskti, published by MicroDesign Resources, Sebastopol, Calif. (1994). Some of those architectures are generally described below. | <SOH> SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION <EOH>One object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism to decouple control timing from data timing. Another object of the present invention is to provide mechanisms that use minimal bandwidth to determine data timing while minimizing the latency from signaling that the data transfer should terminate to the transmission of the final data packet. Another object of the present invention is to provide mechanisms for arbitrarily long data transfers following a command. This may include simultaneous provision of a new column address for each data packet transferred. Another object of the present invention is to provide a means to signal simultaneously with termination of the data transfer that a precharge operation should be performed. Another object of the present invention is to provide mechanisms and methods for interleaving control and data information in such a fashion that pin utilization is maximized without placing latency requirements upon the DRAM core that are difficult or expensive to satisfy. Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for interleaving control and data information that minimizes bandwidth consumed for signaling the beginning and ending of data transfers. Another object of the present invention is to provide for devices that do not always interpret the information presented at their pins. Each command provides sufficient information that all further control information related to the command can be easily determined even in the presence of control information related to previous command transfers. Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for optionally sequencing a series of core operations prior to data transmission and, optionally, a final core operation after data transmission is terminated. Another object of the present invention is to provide a DRAM core which allows a single high current RAS operation at any one time in order to minimize the cost and complexity of the DRAM. Another object of the present invention is to provide an encoding of the command such that decoding space and time is minimized and functionality is maximized. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for performing data transfers within a computer system The method includes causing a controller to transmit control information on a bus. The control information specifies a data transfer operation and a beginning location of data to be transferred. The controller determines, after transmitting the control information on the bus, a desired amount of data to be transferred in the data transfer operation. The controller transmits over the bus a terminate indication at a time that is based on the desired amount of data and a beginning time of the data transfer operation. A memory device reads the control information on the bus. The memory device performs the specified data transfer operation on data stored at the beginning location. The memory device continues to perform the specified data transfer operation until detecting the terminate indication on the bus. The memory device ceases to perform the data transfer operation at a time that is based on the time at which the terminate indication is detected. Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows below. | 20041015 | 20071023 | 20050324 | 92226.0 | 3 | NEURAUTER JR, GEORGE C | METHOD OF CONTROLLING A MEMORY DEVICE HAVING A MEMORY CORE | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,966,982 | ACCEPTED | Loudspeaker system providing improved sound presence and frequency response in mid and high frequency ranges | A speaker system includes a first, second and third sound radiators with the second sound radiator positioned medially between the first and third sound radiators. The radiators project first, second and third sound vectors respectively, with the second sound vector oriented vertically and the first and third sound vectors directed generally toward each other at angles above the horizontal so as to intersect at an inclusive angle between 90 and 170 degrees. Sound from the first and third radiators impinges on the second radiator so as to cause an echo effect improving sound spaciousness. The first and third radiators are placed at different angles relative to the listener and at different heights as well to improve time delays in the two radiated signals. | 1. A speaker system comprising: a first, second and third sound radiators with the second sound radiator positioned medially between the first and third sound radiators, the radiators projecting first, second and third sound vectors respectively, with the second sound vector oriented vertically and the first and third sound vectors directed generally toward each other at angles above the horizontal so as to intersect at an inclusive angle of between 90 and 170 degrees. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sound vectors intersect at a common point. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein an enclosure of the second radiator has a curved surface symmetrical about the second vector, the curved surface terminating upwardly above dispersion angles of the first and third radiators such that a portion of the sound radiated from the first and third radiators is reflected from the curved surface. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the curved surface is positioned above a vertically oriented annular pleated surface, a horizontal intersection of the curved surface and the pleated surface positioned below dispersion angles of the first and third radiators, such that spurious portions of the sound radiated from the first and third radiators is diffused by the pleated surface. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and third radiators are displaced vertically. 6. The system of claim 1 wherein angles between the horizontal and the first and third sound vectors respectively, are unequal. 7. The system of claim 1 wherein horizontal projections of the first and the third sound vectors form an obtuse angle. 8. A speaker system comprising: a pair of sound radiators, the radiators projecting sound vectors therefrom generally toward a reflective surface positioned medially between the pair of sound radiators, the sound vectors directed at angles above the horizontal so as to intersect at an inclusive angle of between 90 and 170 degrees, the reflective surface providing a circularly symmetrical surface terminating upwardly above dispersion angles of the pair of radiators such that a portion of the sound radiated from the pair of radiators is reflected from the curved surface. 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the curved surface is positioned above a vertically oriented annular pleated surface, a horizontal intersection of the curved surface and the pleated surface positioned below dispersion angles of the pair of radiators, such that spurious portions of the sound radiated from the first and third radiators is diffused by the pleated surface. 10. The system of claim 8 wherein the pair of radiators are displaced vertically. 11. The system of claim 8 wherein angles between the horizontal and the pair of sound vectors are unequal. 12. The system of claim 8 wherein horizontal projections of the pair of sound vectors form an obtuse angle. | RELATED APPLICATION This application claims the priority date of a prior filed, and now pending, provisional patent application having Ser. No. 60583495 and official filing date of Jun. 29, 2004. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to loudspeaker systems, and more particularly to a loudspeaker system using plural sound radiators in a specific arrangement resulting in a wider dispersion of sound over the full range of audio frequencies. 2. Description of Related Art The following art defines the present state of this field and each disclosure is hereby incorporated herein by reference: Borisenko, U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,345, describes a stereophonic sound-reproducing system comprising two sound-reproducing sets separated by a base distance and each having a high-frequency section and a mid frequency section. The mid frequency section is provided with an acoustic focuser, the acoustic axis of which is so oriented towards the base line as to make the perception of the spatial sound panorama practically independent of the listener's position on a line parallel to the base line. LeTourneau, U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,008, describes a loudspeaker assemblage that is made up of a group of cylindrical speaker housings, with a speaker mounted in each housing. A respective spacer in the form of a wedge block or angle sleeve is interposed between adjacent housings, so that housing end closures abut respective wedges. A flexible tension member passes through each speaker housing and spacer so that when the tension member is taut, the housings and spacers are clamped to make up a relatively rigid structure having a generally toroidal shape. The tension member is releasable so that the speaker housings can be rotated about a respective axis normal to the speaker axis to selectively orient the speakers. When the tension member is taut, the speakers are retained in the selected orientation. Carlson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,031, describes a loudspeaker with a pair of speaker units and a manifold chamber between the speaker units for combining the sound from both speaker units. The manifold chamber is formed by walls having an exit opening and a pair of rectangular apertures, the apertures confronting each other on opposite sides of the chamber and the exit opening being disposed normal to a plane centrally between the apertures, and the apertures and exit opening having parallel axes of elongation. One of the speaker units is coupled to each of the apertures to direct sound into the manifold chamber, and the manifold chamber is provided with a wedge confronting the apertures to direct sound parallel to the central plane between the apertures toward the exit opening. In one construction, a horn is coupled to the exit opening to conduct sound from the manifold chamber. Also in that construction, each of the speaker units has a vibratile cone confronting the apertures to which it is coupled and the cone is disposed in an enclosure provided with a bass reflex port. In another construction, four speaker units with vibratile cones are coupled to four apertures in walls forming a single manifold chamber with a single exit opening. In still another construction, a compression driver is coupled to each of the apertures through a transition section of the driver. Sohn, U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,162, describes a speaker system designed to use wider resonant sound waves by two conventional speakers which are symmetrically and oppositely disposed to face one another along a co-axis on which both axes of the cone paper vibrator of the speakers are aligned. A sponge like sound wave absorbing material with cone-shaped recesses may be disposed in between the speaker and spherical speaker case. Beale, U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,645, describes a loudspeaker system that comprises an array of cells each including a loudspeaker driver unit. The axes of all the driver units converge at a single point in front of the array, such point normally lying between the array and the listeners. An arrangement is described for steering the sound from the system by varying the relative level of the audio frequency signals applied to the driver units. Gaidarov et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,027, describes a loudspeaker that particularly comprises two-aperture radiator containing paired in-phase counter-radiating apertures and reproducing middle frequencies. Apertures face each other, and their geometrical axis F is positioned vertically, while the distance between apertures equals to at least the radius of aperture but does not exceed the wavelength of the lowest frequency reproduced by paired apertures. Nakamura, U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,214, describes the efficiency of a vertical array speaker device that is raised to obtain an adequate level of sound and to confine the horizontal radiation of the listening area of a surround sound system. A pair of baffle boards are mounted to a vertical array with small diameter speakers, in symmetrical opposition, the boards are attached together at their rear edges while the front edges are held open a predetermined width. LaCarrubba, U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,080, describes an apparatus for the redistribution of acoustic energy which comprises a lens having a reflective surface defined by the surface of revolution R1 of an elliptical arc A1 rotated about a line L through an angle .alpha.1 and the surface of revolution R2 of an elliptical arc A2 rotated about the line L through an angle .alpha.2. Each elliptical arc A1 and A2 constitutes a portion of an ellipse E1 or E2 having a focal point located at a point F1 on line L, and shares an end point P which lies on the reflective surface and the line L. The angle .alpha.1 is chosen such that the surface of revolution R1 is convex with respect to an adjoining surface S1 and the angle .alpha.2 is chosen such that the surface of revolution R2 is concave with respect to the adjoining surface S1. Rocha, U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,883, describes an improved loudspeaker system that increases low frequency directivity and minimizes directivity discontinuities during frequency transitions, includes a first low frequency transducer, a second low frequency transducer, a middle frequency transducer assembly, and a middle frequency horn assembly having a small input aperture and a large output aperture. The middle frequency transducer assembly is attached at the small aperture of the horn assembly and directs a middle frequency acoustical signal into the horn assembly. The low frequency transducers and are mounted to opposite interior surfaces, preferably the top and bottom surfaces, of the horn assembly, and direct a low frequency acoustical signal into the horn assembly. A composite acoustical signal directed out of the horn assembly from the large aperture. The distance D.sub.1, measured from the upper transducer voice coil to the lower transducer voice coil, is substantially equal to 0.9048 of the distance D.sub.2, measured from the bottom edge of the output aperture to the top edge of the output aperture. Such a relationship between D1 and D2 results in a smooth transition and a substantially continuous acoustical beam width in the composite acoustic signal within low frequency to middle frequency crossover band. Our prior art search with abstracts described above teaches: specific loudspeaker system layouts, an arbitrary coverage angle sound integrator, a vertical array type speaker system, a stereophonic sound reproducing system, a structure and arrangement for loudspeaker assemblage, an environment for demonstrating a stereo loudspeaker system, a high output loudspeaker system, a sound innovation speaker system, a system for controlling low frequency acoustical directivity patterns and minimizing directivity discontinuities during frequency transitions, and an apparatus for the redistribution of acoustic energy. Thus, the prior art shows, that it is known to arrange loudspeakers in a particular manner to achieve improvements in sound dispersion and uniformity of various frequency ranges. However, the prior art fails to teach opposing mid-range radiators set with differing positions relative to the listener and with their radiation impinging on a central tweeter radiator so as to improve sound quality through echo, delay, and muffling of spurious echo. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below. In the best mode embodiment of the present invention, a speaker system includes a first, second and third sound radiators with the second sound radiator positioned medially between the first and third sound radiators. The radiators project first, second and third sound vectors respectively, with the second sound vector oriented vertically and the first and third sound vectors directed generally toward each other at angles above the horizontal so as to intersect at an inclusive angle a between about 90 and 170 degrees (see FIG. 30). Sound from the first and third radiators impinges on the second radiator so as to cause an echo effect improving sound presence, by which is meant the illusion of spaciousness to the listener. The first and third radiators are placed at different angles relative to the listener and at different heights as well to improve time delays in the two radiated signals. A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that yields advantages not taught by the prior art. Another objective of the invention is to provide a sound system that has improved sound qualities without expensive hardware improvements. A further objective of the invention is to accomplish such improvements by placement of mid-range sound radiators relative to a high range radiator. A still further objective of the invention is to make such placements so as to use sound reflection and diffusion, as keys to improved sound spaciousness, depth of field, and improved dispersion. Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of at least one of the possible embodiments of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings illustrate at least one of the best mode embodiments of the present invention. In such drawings: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a further embodiment thereof; and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a still further embodiment thereof. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The above described drawing figures illustrate the present invention in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiments, which is further defined in detail in the following description. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications in the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of example and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined in the following. In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a speaker system includes a first 10, second 20, third 30 and fourth 40 sound radiators, preferably common loudspeakers mounted in speaker cabinets, as shown, with the second sound radiator 20 positioned medially between the first 10 and third 30 sound radiators, as shown. In this specification, each sound radiator may be comprised of one or more loudspeakers, or the equivalent thereof, and such plural loudspeakers may be placed and or oriented in various ways not limited to the illustrated formats, but which will not diminish the effects produced by the system as disclosed. The radiators 10, 20, 30 and 40 are able to project sound waves, as is known in the art, and such sound waves extend from each of the radiators in an outwardly traveling cone shaped dispersion pattern 50 as shown schematically in FIG. 1 with respect to radiator 10. Such a cone shaped pattern 50 may be represented by a vector arrow, as shown in FIG. 1. The vector arrows define the center line of symmetry of the cone shaped sound radiation in the figures, and by its length, the frequency range of the sound radiation, with a longer vector arrow representing a lower frequency range, and shorter vector arrow representing a higher frequency range. Thus the length of the vector arrows schematically represent the wavelength ranges associated with the sound radiators. The vector arrows define the direction in which the sound is traveling, i.e., away from the radiators. In FIG. 1, sound vectors are shown for the first 10, second 20, third 30 and fourth 40 sound radiators as vectors 12, 22, 32 and 42 respectively. Preferably the second sound vector 22 is pointed vertically and the first 12 and third 32 sound vectors are directed generally toward each other at angles above the horizontal, represented by plate 45. Sound vectors 12 and 32 intersect, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, above sound radiator 20 and centered on it, at an angle in the range between 90 and 170 degrees, with a preferred angle of about 120 degrees. This arrangement has shown to have the advantage of boosting the high end of the audio spectrum and providing improved sound spaciousness, and, when used in pairs, provides a true stereophonic effect over a wide listening area as well. Radiators 10 and 30 are interconnected with the related sound amplifier system (not shown) in such manner as to compliment rather than cancel each others sound, as is well known in the art. As is well known in the audio art also, the placement of a low end radiator (bass or woofer) is less significant since the low frequencies radiate in an multidirectional manner. Thus, radiator 40 may be placed as shown or at other positions with relatively little effect on the present invention's objectives. In the present invention, it has been found to be significant to have the sound vectors 12, 22, and 32 intersect at a common point directly above sound radiator 20. However, as shown below, alternative vector directions are advantageous. As shown in FIG. 2, the enclosure of the second sound radiator 20 preferably presents a curved surface 24 which is symmetrical about the second vector 22, the curved surface 24 terminating upwardly within the dispersion pattern 50 of both the first 10 and third 30 sound radiators. The bounce or echo effect from this relationship provides improved apparent depth to the sound of the mid-range radiators 10 and 30 due to part of the sound vectors 12 and 32 being delayed relative to the dominant portions therefrom. Preferably, the curved surface 24 is positioned above a vertically oriented annular pleated surface 26. A horizontal intersection 27 of the curved surface 24 and the pleated surface 26 is positioned below dispersion cones 50 of the first 10 and third 30 radiators providing the advantage of suppressing the radiation of sound that bounces one or more times between the several radiator enclosures, and this eliminates a noise effect related thereto. As shown in FIG. 3, the first 10 and third 30 radiators are displaced vertically with H1 and H3 the heights of the centers of the radiators 10 and 30 respectively, not equal. This has the advantage of improved sound spaciousness or depth effect due to a slight time delay between corresponding portions of the sound vectors 12 and 32. Further, the angles the sound vectors 12 and 32 make with the horizontal 45 are not equal, i.e., the enclosures have different sloping front surfaces, again causing time delays between corresponding portions of the sound radiated from the two sound sources, radiators 10 and 30. Preferably, the first 12 and the third 32 sound vectors form an obtuse angle of intersection when viewed in a top plan view of the system, i.e., each of the two sound sources 10 and 30 are rotated about their respective vertical axes toward the listening audience, but by different degrees of rotation R1 and R3 where R1 is not equal to R3. The enablements described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of one best mode embodiment of the instant invention and to the achievement of the above described objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element. The definitions of the words or elements of the embodiments of the herein described invention and its related embodiments not described are, therefore, defined in this specification to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the invention and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope of the invention and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. The invention and its various embodiments are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the invention. While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that the inventor(s) believe that the claimed subject matter is the invention. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to loudspeaker systems, and more particularly to a loudspeaker system using plural sound radiators in a specific arrangement resulting in a wider dispersion of sound over the full range of audio frequencies. 2. Description of Related Art The following art defines the present state of this field and each disclosure is hereby incorporated herein by reference: Borisenko, U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,345, describes a stereophonic sound-reproducing system comprising two sound-reproducing sets separated by a base distance and each having a high-frequency section and a mid frequency section. The mid frequency section is provided with an acoustic focuser, the acoustic axis of which is so oriented towards the base line as to make the perception of the spatial sound panorama practically independent of the listener's position on a line parallel to the base line. LeTourneau, U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,008, describes a loudspeaker assemblage that is made up of a group of cylindrical speaker housings, with a speaker mounted in each housing. A respective spacer in the form of a wedge block or angle sleeve is interposed between adjacent housings, so that housing end closures abut respective wedges. A flexible tension member passes through each speaker housing and spacer so that when the tension member is taut, the housings and spacers are clamped to make up a relatively rigid structure having a generally toroidal shape. The tension member is releasable so that the speaker housings can be rotated about a respective axis normal to the speaker axis to selectively orient the speakers. When the tension member is taut, the speakers are retained in the selected orientation. Carlson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,031, describes a loudspeaker with a pair of speaker units and a manifold chamber between the speaker units for combining the sound from both speaker units. The manifold chamber is formed by walls having an exit opening and a pair of rectangular apertures, the apertures confronting each other on opposite sides of the chamber and the exit opening being disposed normal to a plane centrally between the apertures, and the apertures and exit opening having parallel axes of elongation. One of the speaker units is coupled to each of the apertures to direct sound into the manifold chamber, and the manifold chamber is provided with a wedge confronting the apertures to direct sound parallel to the central plane between the apertures toward the exit opening. In one construction, a horn is coupled to the exit opening to conduct sound from the manifold chamber. Also in that construction, each of the speaker units has a vibratile cone confronting the apertures to which it is coupled and the cone is disposed in an enclosure provided with a bass reflex port. In another construction, four speaker units with vibratile cones are coupled to four apertures in walls forming a single manifold chamber with a single exit opening. In still another construction, a compression driver is coupled to each of the apertures through a transition section of the driver. Sohn, U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,162, describes a speaker system designed to use wider resonant sound waves by two conventional speakers which are symmetrically and oppositely disposed to face one another along a co-axis on which both axes of the cone paper vibrator of the speakers are aligned. A sponge like sound wave absorbing material with cone-shaped recesses may be disposed in between the speaker and spherical speaker case. Beale, U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,645, describes a loudspeaker system that comprises an array of cells each including a loudspeaker driver unit. The axes of all the driver units converge at a single point in front of the array, such point normally lying between the array and the listeners. An arrangement is described for steering the sound from the system by varying the relative level of the audio frequency signals applied to the driver units. Gaidarov et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,027, describes a loudspeaker that particularly comprises two-aperture radiator containing paired in-phase counter-radiating apertures and reproducing middle frequencies. Apertures face each other, and their geometrical axis F is positioned vertically, while the distance between apertures equals to at least the radius of aperture but does not exceed the wavelength of the lowest frequency reproduced by paired apertures. Nakamura, U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,214, describes the efficiency of a vertical array speaker device that is raised to obtain an adequate level of sound and to confine the horizontal radiation of the listening area of a surround sound system. A pair of baffle boards are mounted to a vertical array with small diameter speakers, in symmetrical opposition, the boards are attached together at their rear edges while the front edges are held open a predetermined width. LaCarrubba, U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,080, describes an apparatus for the redistribution of acoustic energy which comprises a lens having a reflective surface defined by the surface of revolution R1 of an elliptical arc A1 rotated about a line L through an angle .alpha.1 and the surface of revolution R2 of an elliptical arc A2 rotated about the line L through an angle .alpha.2. Each elliptical arc A1 and A2 constitutes a portion of an ellipse E1 or E2 having a focal point located at a point F1 on line L, and shares an end point P which lies on the reflective surface and the line L. The angle .alpha.1 is chosen such that the surface of revolution R1 is convex with respect to an adjoining surface S1 and the angle .alpha.2 is chosen such that the surface of revolution R2 is concave with respect to the adjoining surface S1. Rocha, U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,883, describes an improved loudspeaker system that increases low frequency directivity and minimizes directivity discontinuities during frequency transitions, includes a first low frequency transducer, a second low frequency transducer, a middle frequency transducer assembly, and a middle frequency horn assembly having a small input aperture and a large output aperture. The middle frequency transducer assembly is attached at the small aperture of the horn assembly and directs a middle frequency acoustical signal into the horn assembly. The low frequency transducers and are mounted to opposite interior surfaces, preferably the top and bottom surfaces, of the horn assembly, and direct a low frequency acoustical signal into the horn assembly. A composite acoustical signal directed out of the horn assembly from the large aperture. The distance D.sub.1, measured from the upper transducer voice coil to the lower transducer voice coil, is substantially equal to 0.9048 of the distance D.sub.2, measured from the bottom edge of the output aperture to the top edge of the output aperture. Such a relationship between D1 and D2 results in a smooth transition and a substantially continuous acoustical beam width in the composite acoustic signal within low frequency to middle frequency crossover band. Our prior art search with abstracts described above teaches: specific loudspeaker system layouts, an arbitrary coverage angle sound integrator, a vertical array type speaker system, a stereophonic sound reproducing system, a structure and arrangement for loudspeaker assemblage, an environment for demonstrating a stereo loudspeaker system, a high output loudspeaker system, a sound innovation speaker system, a system for controlling low frequency acoustical directivity patterns and minimizing directivity discontinuities during frequency transitions, and an apparatus for the redistribution of acoustic energy. Thus, the prior art shows, that it is known to arrange loudspeakers in a particular manner to achieve improvements in sound dispersion and uniformity of various frequency ranges. However, the prior art fails to teach opposing mid-range radiators set with differing positions relative to the listener and with their radiation impinging on a central tweeter radiator so as to improve sound quality through echo, delay, and muffling of spurious echo. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below. In the best mode embodiment of the present invention, a speaker system includes a first, second and third sound radiators with the second sound radiator positioned medially between the first and third sound radiators. The radiators project first, second and third sound vectors respectively, with the second sound vector oriented vertically and the first and third sound vectors directed generally toward each other at angles above the horizontal so as to intersect at an inclusive angle a between about 90 and 170 degrees (see FIG. 30 ). Sound from the first and third radiators impinges on the second radiator so as to cause an echo effect improving sound presence, by which is meant the illusion of spaciousness to the listener. The first and third radiators are placed at different angles relative to the listener and at different heights as well to improve time delays in the two radiated signals. A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that yields advantages not taught by the prior art. Another objective of the invention is to provide a sound system that has improved sound qualities without expensive hardware improvements. A further objective of the invention is to accomplish such improvements by placement of mid-range sound radiators relative to a high range radiator. A still further objective of the invention is to make such placements so as to use sound reflection and diffusion, as keys to improved sound spaciousness, depth of field, and improved dispersion. Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of at least one of the possible embodiments of the invention. | 20041015 | 20090818 | 20051229 | 60667.0 | 1 | OLANIRAN, FATIMAT O | LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM PROVIDING IMPROVED SOUND PRESENCE AND FREQUENCY RESPONSE IN MID AND HIGH FREQUENCY RANGES | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,967,668 | ACCEPTED | Surgical access system and related methods | A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue retraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site. Some embodiments of the surgical access system may be particularly suited for establishing an operative corridor to a surgical target site in the spine. Such an operative corridor may be established through the retroperitoneal space and the psoas muscle during a direct lateral, retroperitoneal approach to the spine. | 1. A method included in providing surgical access to a spinal target site through a substantially lateral, retroperitoneal approach, the method comprising: inserting at least a portion of a finger through a first incision and into a retroperitoneal space; piercing the skin with a distal tip of a initial dilator through a second incision, and directing the distal tip of the dilator toward the finger; using the finger to direct the distal tip of the dilator toward the psoas muscle; and advancing the distal tip of the initial dilator in a substantially lateral direction through the psoas muscle toward a spinal target site while using a stimulation electrode coupled to the initial dilator to detect nerves proximal to the initial dilator. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial dilator includes at least a K-wire. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating a control unit to electrically stimulate said stimulation electrode, sensing a response of a nerve depolarized by said stimulation, and determining a direction from a surgical accessory to the nerve based upon the sensed response. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a distraction corridor by advancing one or more secondary dilators over the initial dilator to sequentially widen said distraction corridor. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein creating said distraction corridor comprises detecting nerves using at least one stimulation electrode coupled to at least one of the the secondary dilators. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting nerves includes operating a control unit to electrically stimulate said at least one stimulation electrode, sensing a response of a nerve depolarized by said stimulation, and determining a direction from a surgical accessory to the nerve based upon the sensed response. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising retracting a distraction corridor to produce a substantially lateral operative corridor to said spinal target site. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein retracting said distraction corridor comprises: a simultaneously introducing a plurality of retractor blades into said distraction corridor; and opening said plurality of retractor blades to create an operative corridor to said spinal target site. 9. A method of accessing an spinal target site, comprising: creating a distraction corridor to an spinal target site through a substantially lateral, retroperitoneal approach, comprising: inserting a guide member through a first incision into a retroperitoneal space, inserting a distal end of an initial dilator through a second incision into tissue in a substantially lateral direction toward the spinal target site, engaging the initial dilator with the guide member proximal to the distal end while guiding the distal end through the retroperitoneal space, and advancing the initial dilator in a substantially lateral direction toward the spinal target site while using a stimulation electrode coupled to the initial dilator to detect nerves proximal to the initial dilator; and retracting said distraction corridor to produce an operative corridor to said spinal target site. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the guide member comprises at least a portion of a finger. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the initial dilator includes at least a K-wire. 12. The method of claim 9, wherein creating said distraction corridor includes operating one or more secondary dilators to sequentially widen said distraction corridor. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein further comprising detecting nerves using at least one stimulation electrode nerves using at least one stimulation electrode coupled to at least one of the secondary dilators. 14. The method of claim 9, further comprising operating a control unit to electrically stimulate said stimulation electrode, sensing a response of a nerve depolarized by said stimulation, and determining a direction from a surgical accessory to the nerve based upon the sensed response. 15. The method of claim 9, wherein retracting said distraction corridor comprises: a simultaneously introducing a plurality of retractor blades into said distraction corridor; and opening said plurality of retractor blades to create an operative corridor to said surgical target site. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of retractor blades are simultaneously introduced to the surgical target site while in a generally closed position. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of retractor blades are opened by selectively moving said retractor blades to create a customized operative corridor to said surgical target site. | CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit of priority from commonly owned and co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/512,594 (filed on Oct. 17, 2003 by Curran et al.) entitled “System and Methods for Performing Lateral Lumbar Surgery,” the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference into this disclosure as if set forth fully herein. The present application is a continuation-in-part of commonly owned and co-pending International patent application Ser. No. PCT/______ (filed on Sep. 27, 2004 by Miles et al.) entitled “Surgical Access System and Related Methods,” which claims the benefit of priority from commonly owned and co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/506,136 (filed on Sep. 25, 2003), the entire contents of both such applications are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into this disclosure as if set forth fully herein. The present application also incorporates by reference the following co-pending and co-assigned patent applications in their entireties: PCT App. Ser. No. PCT/US02/22247, entitled “System and Methods for Determining Nerve Proximity, Direction, and Pathology During Surgery,” filed on Jul. 11, 2002; PCT App. Ser. No. PCT/US02/30617, entitled “System and Methods for Performing Surgical Procedures and Assessments,” filed on Sep. 25, 2002; PCT App. Ser. No. PCT/US02/35047, entitled “System and Methods for Performing Percutaneous Pedicle Integrity Assessments,” filed on Oct. 30, 2002; and PCT App. Ser. No. PCT/US03/02056, entitled “System and Methods for Determining Nerve Direction to a Surgical Instrument,” filed Jan. 15, 2003 (collectively “NeuroVision PCT Applications”). BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for performing surgical procedures and, more particularly, for accessing a surgical target site in order to perform surgical procedures. II. Discussion of the Prior Art A noteworthy trend in the medical community is the move away from performing surgery via traditional “open” techniques in favor of minimally invasive or minimal access techniques. Open surgical techniques are generally undesirable in that they typically require large incisions and high amounts of tissue displacement to gain access to the surgical target site, which produces concomitantly high amounts of pain, lengthened hospitalization (increasing health care costs), and high morbidity in the patient population. Less-invasive surgical techniques (including so-called “minimal access” and “minimally invasive” techniques) are gaining favor due to the fact that they involve accessing the surgical target site via incisions of substantially smaller size with greatly reduced tissue displacement requirements. This, in turn, reduces the pain, morbidity and cost associated with such procedures. The access systems developed to date, however, fail in various respects to meet all the needs of the surgeon population. One drawback associated with prior art surgical access systems relates to the ease with which the operative corridor can be created, as well as maintained over time, depending upon the particular surgical target site. For example, when accessing surgical target sites located beneath or behind musculature or other relatively strong tissue (such as, by way of example only, the psoas muscle adjacent to the spine), it has been found that advancing an operative corridor-establishing instrument directly through such tissues can be challenging and/or lead to unwanted or undesirable effects (such as stressing or tearing the tissues). While certain efforts have been undertaken to reduce the trauma to tissue while creating an operative corridor, such as (by way of example only) the sequential dilation system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,044 to Foley et al., these attempts are nonetheless limited in their applicability based on the relatively narrow operative corridor. More specifically, based on the generally cylindrical nature of the so-called “working cannula,” the degree to which instruments can be manipulated and/or angled within the cannula can be generally limited or restrictive, particularly if the surgical target site is a relatively deep within the patient. Efforts have been undertaken to overcome this drawback, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,320 to DiPoto, wherein an expandable portion is provided at the distal end of a cannula for creating a region of increased cross-sectional area adjacent to the surgical target site. While this system may provide for improved instrument manipulation relative to sequential dilation access systems (at least at deep sites within the patient), it is nonetheless flawed in that the deployment of the expandable portion may inadvertently compress or impinge upon sensitive tissues adjacent to the surgical target site. For example, in anatomical regions having neural and/or vasculature structures, such a blind expansion may cause the expandable portion to impinge upon these sensitive tissues and cause neural and/or vasculature compromise, damage and/or pain for the patient. This highlights yet another drawback with the prior art surgical access systems, namely, the challenges in establishing an operative corridor through or near tissue having major neural structures which, if contacted or impinged, may result in neural impairment for the patient. Due to the threat of contacting such neural structures, efforts thus far have largely restricted to establishing operative corridors through tissue having little or substantially reduced neural structures, which effectively limits the number of ways a given surgical target site can be accessed. This can be seen, by way of example only, in the spinal arts, where the exiting nerve roots and neural plexus structures in the psoas muscle have rendered a lateral or far lateral access path (so-called trans-psoas approach) to the lumbar spine virtually impossible. Instead, spine surgeons are largely restricted to accessing the spine from the posterior (to perform, among other procedures, posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF)) or from the anterior (to perform, among other procedures, anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)). Posterior-access procedures involve traversing a shorter distance within the patient to establish the operative corridor, albeit at the price of oftentimes having to reduce or cut away part of the posterior bony structures (i.e. lamina, facets, spinous process) in order to reach the target site (which typically comprises the disc space). Anterior-access procedures are relatively simple for surgeons in that they do not involve reducing or cutting away bony structures to reach the surgical target site. However, they are nonetheless disadvantageous in that they require traversing through a much greater distance within the patient to establish the operative corridor, oftentimes requiring an additional surgeon to assist with moving the various internal organs out of the way to create the operative corridor. The present invention is directed at eliminating, or at least minimizing the effects of, the above-identified drawbacks in the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention accomplishes this goal by providing a novel access system and related methods which involve detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor through (or near) any of a variety of tissues having such neural structures which, if contacted or impinged, may otherwise result in neural impairment for the patient. It is expressly noted that, although described herein largely in terms of use in spinal surgery, the access system of the present invention is suitable for use in any number of additional surgical procedures wherein tissue having significant neural structures must be passed through (or near) in order to establish an operative corridor. According to one broad aspect of the present invention, the access system comprises a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue retraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures. The tissue distraction assembly (in conjunction with one or more elements of the tissue retraction assembly) is capable of, as an initial step, distracting a region of tissue between the skin of the patient and the surgical target site. The tissue retraction assembly is capable of, as a secondary step, being introduced into this distracted region to thereby define and establish the operative corridor. Once established, any of a variety of surgical instruments, devices, or implants may be passed through and/or manipulated within the operative corridor depending upon the given surgical procedure. The electrode(s) are capable of, during both tissue distraction and retraction, detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures such that the operative corridor may be established through (or near) any of a variety of tissues having such neural structures which, if contacted or impinged, may otherwise result in neural impairment for the patient. In this fashion, the access system of the present invention may be used to traverse tissue that would ordinarily be deemed unsafe or undesirable, thereby broadening the number of manners in which a given surgical target site may be accessed. The tissue distraction assembly may include any number of components capable of performing the necessary distraction. By way of example only, the tissue distraction assembly may include a K-wire, an initial dilator of split construction, and one or more dilators of traditional (that is, non-split) construction for performing the necessary tissue distraction to receive the remainder of the tissue retractor assembly thereafter. One or more electrodes may be provided on one or more of the K-wire and dilator(s) to detect the presence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures during tissue distraction. The tissue retraction assembly may include any number of components capable of performing the necessary retraction. By way of example only, the tissue retraction assembly may include one or more retractor blades extending from a handle assembly. The handle assembly may be manipulated to open the retractor assembly; that is, allowing the retractor blades to separate from one another (simultaneously or sequentially) to create an operative corridor to the surgical target site. In a preferred embodiment, this is accomplished by maintaining a posterior retractor blade in a fixed position relative to the surgical target site (so as to avoid having it impinge upon any exiting nerve roots near the posterior elements of the spine) while the additional retractor blades (i.e. cephalad-most and caudal-most blades) are moved or otherwise translated away from the posterior retractor blade (and each other) so as to create the operative corridor in a fashion that doesn't infringe upon the region of the exiting nerve roots. The retractor blades may be optionally dimensioned to receive and direct a rigid shim element to augment the structural stability of the retractor blades and thereby ensure the operative corridor, once established, will not decrease or become more restricted, such as may result if distal ends of the retractor blades were permitted to “slide” or otherwise move in response to the force exerted by the displaced tissue. In a preferred embodiment, only the posterior retractor blade is equipped with such a rigid shim element. In an optional aspect, this shim element may be advanced into the disc space after the posterior retractor blade is positioned, but before the retractor is opened into the fully retracted position. The rigid shim element is preferably oriented within the disc space such that is distracts the adjacent vertebral bodies, which serves to restore disc height. It also preferably advances a sufficient distance within the disc space (preferably past the midline), which serves the dual purpose of preventing post-operative scoliosis and forming a protective barrier (preventing the migration of tissue (such as nerve roots) into the operative field and the inadvertent advancement of instruments outside the operative field). The retractor blades may optionally be equipped with a mechanism for transporting or emitting light at or near the surgical target site to aid the surgeon's ability to visualize the surgical target site, instruments and/or implants during the given surgical procedure. According to one embodiment, this mechanism may comprise, but need not be limited to, coupling one or more light sources to the retractor blades such that the terminal ends are capable of emitting light at or near the surgical target site. According to another embodiment, this mechanism may comprise, but need not be limited to, constructing the retractor blades of suitable material (such as clear polycarbonate) and configuration such that light may be transmitted generally distally through the walls of the retractor blade light to shine light at or near the surgical target site. This may be performed by providing the retractor blades having light-transmission characteristics (such as with clear polycarbonate construction) and transmitting the light almost entirely within the walls of the retractor blade (such as by frosting or otherwise rendering opaque portions of the exterior and/or interior) until it exits a portion along the interior (or medially-facing) surface of the retractor blade to shine at or near the surgical target site. The exit portion may be optimally configured such that the light is directed towards the approximate center of the surgical target site and may be provided along the entire inner periphery of the retractor blade or one or more portions therealong. According to another aspect of the invention, a minimally invasive lateral lumber surgery may be performed using various embodiments of the surgical access system. The surgical method may be accomplished by guiding at least a portion of the tissue distraction assembly to the surgical target site using a lateral, retroperitoneal approach. According to some embodiments, the access system is used to access the lumbar spine via a direct lateral, retroperitoneal approach. In such embodiments, blunt finger dissection may be used to safely enter the retroperitoneal space posteriorly and sweep the peritoneal cavity anteriorly. A distal end of the K-wire, and possibly other components of the tissue distraction assembly, are then escorted through the retroperitoneal space to the psoas muscle utilizing finger dissection. In some instances, the initial dilator is guided through the retroperitoneal space by a finger in contact with the distal end, so the potential of peritoneal disruption may be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Many advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art with a reading of this specification in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals are applied to like elements and wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tissue retraction assembly (in use) forming part of a surgical access system according to the present invention; FIGS. 2-3 are perspective views illustrating the front and back of a shim element for use with a posterior retractor blade of the retractor according to the retractor of the present invention; FIGS. 4-5 are perspective views illustrating the front and back of a narrow retractor extender for use with one of a cephalad and caudal retractor blade according to the retractor of the present invention; FIGS. 6-7 are perspective views illustrating the front and back of a wide retractor extender for use with one of a cephalad and caudal retractor blade according to the retractor of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a perspective, partially exploded view of the retractor assembly of the present invention, without the retractor blades; FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the components and use of an initial distraction assembly (i.e. K-wire, an initial dilating cannula with handle, and a split-dilator housed within the initial dilating cannula) forming part of the surgical access system according to the present invention, for use in distracting to a surgical target site (i.e. annulus); FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the K-wire and split-dilator of the initial distraction assembly with the initial dilating cannula and handle removed; FIG. 11 is a posterior view of the vertebral target site illustrating the split-dilator of the present invention in use distracting in a generally cephalad-caudal fashion according to one aspect of the present invention; FIG. 12 is a side view illustrating the use of a secondary distraction assembly (comprising a plurality of dilating cannulae over the K-wire) to further distract tissue between the skin of the patient and the surgical target site according to the present invention; FIG. 13 is a side view of a retractor assembly according to the present invention, comprising a handle assembly having three (3) retractor blades extending there from (posterior, cephalad-most, and caudal-most) disposed over the secondary distraction assembly of FIG. 12 (shown in a first, closed position); FIG. 14 is a side view of a retractor assembly according to the present invention, comprising a handle assembly having three (3) retractor blades extending there from (posterior, cephalad-most, and caudal-most) with the secondary distraction assembly of FIG. 12 removed and shim element introduced; FIGS. 15-16 are perspective and top views, respectively, of the retractor assembly in a second, opened (i.e. retracted) position to thereby create an operative corridor to a surgical target site according to the present invention; FIGS. 17-18 are perspective and side views, respectively, of the retractor assembly in the second, opened (i.e. retracted) position (with the secondary distraction assembly removed) and with the retractor extenders of FIGS. 4-5 and 6-7 coupled to the retractor according to the present invention. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an exemplary nerve monitoring system capable of performing nerve monitoring before, during and after the creating of an operative corridor to a surgical target site using the surgical access system in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 20 is a block diagram of the nerve monitoring system shown in FIG. 19;and FIGS. 21-22 are screen displays illustrating exemplary features and information communicated to a user during the use of the nerve monitoring system of FIG. 19. FIGS. 23-50 illustrate a method for accessing a surgical target site in the spine using a substantially lateral, retroperitoneal approach. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. It is furthermore to be readily understood that, although discussed below primarily within the context of spinal surgery, the surgical access system of the present invention may be employed in any number of anatomical settings to provide access to any number of different surgical target sites throughout the body. The surgical access system disclosed herein boasts a variety of inventive features and components that warrant patent protection, both individually and in combination. The present invention involves accessing a surgical target site in a fashion less invasive than traditional “open” surgeries and doing so in a manner that provides access in spite of the neural structures required to be passed through (or near) in order to establish an operative corridor to the surgical target site. Generally speaking, the surgical access system of the present invention accomplishes this by providing a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue retraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures. In some embodiments, the surgical access system may be used access a surgical target site on the spine via a substantially lateral, retroperitoneal approach (as shown, for example, in FIGS. 23-50). These electrodes are preferably provided for use with a nerve surveillance system such as, by way of example, the type shown and described in the co-pending and commonly assigned NeuroVision PCT Applications referenced above, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated by reference as if set forth herein in their entirety. Generally speaking, this nerve surveillance system is capable of detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures during the distraction and retraction of tissue by detecting the presence of nerves by applying a stimulation signal to such instruments and monitoring the evoked EMG signals from the myotomes associated with the nerves being passed by the distraction and retraction systems of the present invention. In so doing, the system as a whole (including the surgical access system of the present invention) may be used to form an operative corridor through (or near) any of a variety of tissues having such neural structures, particularly those which, if contacted or impinged, may otherwise result in neural impairment for the patient. In this fashion, the access system of the present invention may be used to traverse tissue that would ordinarily be deemed unsafe or undesirable, thereby broadening the number of manners in which a given surgical target site may be accessed. The tissue distraction assembly of the present invention (comprising a K-wire, an initial dilator, and a split-dilator disposed within the initial dilator) is employed to distract the tissues extending between the skin of the patient and a given surgical target site (preferably along the posterior region of the target intervertebral disc). A secondary distraction assembly (i.e. a plurality of sequentially dilating cannulae) may optionally be employed after the initial distraction assembly to further distract the tissue. Once distracted, the resulting void or distracted region within the patient is of sufficient size to accommodate a tissue retraction assembly of the present invention. More specifically, the tissue retraction assembly (comprising a plurality of retractor blades extending from a handle assembly) may be advanced relative to the secondary distraction assembly such that the retractor blades, in a first, closed position, are advanced over the exterior of the secondary distraction assembly. At that point, the handle assembly may be operated to move the retractor blades into a second, open or “retracted” position to create an operative corridor to the surgical target site. According to one aspect of the invention, following (or before) this retraction, a posterior shim element (which is preferably slideably engaged with the posterior retractor blade) may be advanced such that a distal shim extension in positioned within the posterior region of the disc space. If done before retraction, this helps ensure that the posterior retractor blade will not move posteriorly during the retraction process, even though the other retractor blades (i.e. cephalad-most and caudal-most) are able to move and thereby create an operative corridor. Fixing the posterior retractor blade in this fashion serves several important functions. First, the distal end of the shim element serves to distract the adjacent vertebral bodies, thereby restoring disc height. It also rigidly couples the posterior retractor blade in fixed relation relative to the vertebral bodies. The posterior shim element also helps ensure that surgical instruments employed within the operative corridor are incapable of being advanced outside the operative corridor, preventing inadvertent contact with the exiting nerve roots during the surgery. Once in the appropriate retracted state, the cephalad-most and caudal-most retractor blades may be locked in position and, thereafter, retractor extenders advanced therealong to prevent the ingress or egress of instruments or biological structures (i.e. nerves, vasculature, etc. . . . ) into or out of the operative corridor. Once the operative corridor is established, any of a variety of surgical instruments, devices, or implants may be passed through and/or manipulated within the operative corridor depending upon the given surgical procedure. FIG. 1 illustrates a tissue retraction assembly 10 forming part of a surgical access system according to the present invention. The retraction assembly 10 includes a plurality of retractor blades extending from a handle assembly 20. By way of example only, the handle assembly 20 is provided with a first retractor blade 12, a second retractor blade 16, and a third retractor blade 18. The retractor assembly 10 is shown in a fully retracted or “open” configuration, with the retractor blades 12, 16, 18 positioned a distance from one another so as to form an operative corridor 15 there between and extending to a surgical target site (e.g. an annulus of an intervertebral disc). Although shown and described below with regard to the three-bladed configuration, it is to be readily appreciated that the number of retractor blades may be increased or decreased without departing from the scope of the present invention. Moreover, although described and shown herein, for example in FIGS. 1, 9-18, and 23-50, with reference to a generally lateral approach to a spinal surgical target site (with the first blade 12 being the “posterior” blade, the second blade 16 being the “cephalad-most” blade, and the third blade 18 being the “caudal-most” blade), it will be appreciated that the retractor assembly 10 of the present invention may find use in any number of different surgical approaches, including generally posterior, generally postero-lateral, generally anterior and generally antero-lateral. The retractor blades 12, 16, 18 may be equipped with various additional features or components. By way of example only, posterior retractor blade 12 may be equipped with a shim element 22 (shown more clearly in FIGS. 2-3). Shim element 22 serves to distract the adjacent vertebral bodies (thereby restoring disc height), helps secure the retractor assembly 10 relative to the surgical target site, and forms a protective barrier to prevent the ingress or egress of instruments or biological structures (i.e. nerves, vasculature, etc. . . . ) into or out of the operative corridor. Each of the remaining retractor blades (cephalad-most blade 16 and caudal-most blade 18) may be equipped with a retractor extender, such as the narrow retractor extender 24 shown in FIGS. 4-5 or the wide retractor extender 25 shown in FIGS. 6-7. The retractor extenders 24/25 extend from the cephalad-most and caudal-most retractor blades 16, 18 to form a protective barrier to prevent the ingress or egress of instruments or biological structures (i.e. nerves, vasculature, etc. . . . ) into or out of the operative corridor 15. According to the present invention, any or all of the retractor blades 12, 16, 18, the shim element 22 and/or the retractor extenders 24/25 may be provided with one or more electrodes 39 (preferably at their distal regions) equipped for use with a nerve surveillance system, such as, by way of example, the type shown and described in the NeuroVision PCT Applications. Each of the shim element 22 and/or the retractor extenders 24/25 may also be equipped with a mechanism to selectively and releasably engage with the respective retractor blades 12, 16, 18. By way of example only, this may be accomplished by configuring the shim element 22 and/or the retractor extenders 24/25 with a tab element 27 capable of engaging with corresponding rachet-like grooves (shown at 29 in FIG. 1) along the inner-facing surfaces of the retractor blades 12, 16, 18. Each of the shim element 22 and/or the retractor extenders 24/25 is provided with a pair of engagement elements 37 having, by way of example only, a generally dove-tailed cross-sectional shape. The engagement elements 37 are dimensioned to engage with receiving portions on the respective retractor blades 12, 16, 18. In a preferred embodiment, each of the shim element 22 and/or the retractor extenders 24/25 are provided with an elongate slot 43 for engagement with an insertion tool (not shown). Each tab member 27 is also equipped with an enlarged tooth element 49 which engages within corresponding grooves 29 provided along the inner surface of the retractor blades 12, 16, 18. The handle assembly 20 may be coupled to any number of mechanisms for rigidly registering the handle assembly 20 in fixed relation to the operative site, such as through the use of an articulating arm mounted to the operating table. The handle assembly 20 includes first and second arm members 26, 28 hingedly coupled via coupling mechanism shown generally at 30. The cephalad-most retractor blade 16 is rigidly coupled (generally perpendicularly) to the end of the first arm member 26. The caudal-most retractor blade 18 is rigidly coupled (generally perpendicularly) to the end of the second arm member 28. The posterior retractor blade 12 is rigidly coupled (generally perpendicularly to) a translating member 17, which is coupled to the handle assembly 20 via a linkage assembly shown generally at 14. The linkage assembly 14 includes a roller member 34 having a pair of manual knob members 36 which, when rotated via manual actuation by a user, causes teeth 35 on the roller member 34 to engage within ratchet-like grooves 37 in the translating member 17. Thus, manual operation of the knobs 36 causes the translating member 17 to move relative to the first and second arm members 26, 28. Through the use of handle extenders 31, 33 (FIG. 8), the arms 26, 28 may be simultaneously opened such that the cephalad-most and caudal-most retractor blades 16, 18 move away from one another. In this fashion, the dimension and/or shape of the operative corridor 15 may be tailored depending upon the degree to which the translating member 17 is manipulated relative to the arms 26, 28. That is, the operative corridor 15 may be tailored to provide any number of suitable cross-sectional shapes, including but not limited to a generally circular cross-section, a generally ellipsoidal cross-section, and/or an oval cross-section. Optional light emitting devices 39 may be coupled to one or more of the retractor blades 12, 16, 18 to direct light down the operative corridor 15. FIG. 9 illustrates an initial distraction assembly 40 forming part of the surgical access system according to the present invention. The initial distraction assembly 40 includes a K-wire 42, an initial dilating cannula 44 with handle 46, and a split-dilator 48 housed within the initial dilating cannula 44. In use, the K-wire 42 and split-dilator 48 are disposed within the initial dilating cannula 44 and the entire assembly 40 advanced through the tissue towards the surgical target site (i.e. annulus). One exemplary method for advancing an initial dilator towards a spinal target site is described in more detail later in connection with FIGS. 23-50. Again, this is preferably accomplished while employing the nerve detection and/or direction features described above. After the initial dilating assembly 40 is advanced such that the distal ends of the split-dilator 48 and initial dilator 44 are positioned within the disc space (FIG. 9), the initial dilator 44 and handle 46 are removed (FIG. 10) to thereby leave the split-dilator 48 and K-wire 42 in place. As shown in FIG. 11, the split-dilator 48 is thereafter split such that the respective halves 48a, 48b are separated from one another to distract tissue in a generally cephalad-caudal fashion relative to the target site. The split dilator 48 may thereafter be relaxed (allowing the dilator halves 48a, 48b to come together) and rotated such that the dilator halves 48a, 48b are disposed in the anterior-posterior plane. Once rotated in this manner, the dilator halves 48a, 48b are again separated to distract tissue in a generally anterior-posterior fashion. Each dilator halve 48a, 48b may be, according to the present invention, provided with one or more electrodes (preferably at their distal regions) equipped for use with a nerve surveillance system, such as, by way of example, the type shown and described in the NeuroVision PCT Applications. Following this initial distraction, a secondary distraction may be optionally undertaken, such as via a sequential dilation system 50 as shown in FIG. 12. According to the present invention, the sequential dilation system 50 may include the K-wire 42, the initial dilator 44, and one or more supplemental dilators 52, 54 for the purpose of further dilating the tissue down to the surgical target site. Once again, each component of the secondary distraction assembly 50 (namely, the K-wire 42, the initial dilator 44, and the supplemental dilators 52, 54 may be, according to the present invention, provided with one or more electrodes (preferably at their distal regions) equipped for use with a nerve surveillance system, such as, by way of example, the type shown and described in the NeuroVision PCT Applications. As shown in FIG. 13, the retraction assembly 10 of the present invention is thereafter advanced along the exterior of the sequential dilation system 50. This is accomplished by maintaining the retractor blades 12, 16, 18 in a first, closed position (with the retractor blades 12-16 in generally abutting relation to one another). Once advanced to the surgical target site, the sequential dilation assembly 50 may be removed and the shim element 22 engaged with the posterior retractor blade 12 such that the distal end thereof extends into the disc space as shown in FIG. 14. At this point, the handle assembly 20 may be operated to move the retractor blades 16, 18 into a second, open or “retracted” position as shown generally in FIGS. 15-16. As one can see, the posterior retractor blade 12 is allowed to stay in the same general position during this process, such that the cephalad-most and caudal-most retractor blades 14, 16 move away from the posterior retractor blade 12. At this point, the narrow and wide retractor extenders 24, 25 may be engaged with the caudal-most retractor blade 18 and cephalad-most retractor blade 16, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 17-18. As mentioned above, any number of distraction components and/or retraction components (including but not limited to those described herein) may be equipped to detect the presence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures during the steps tissue distraction and/or retraction. This is accomplished by employing the following steps: (1) one or more stimulation electrodes are provided on the various distraction and/or retraction components; (2) a stimulation source (e.g. voltage or current) is coupled to the stimulation electrodes; (3) a stimulation signal is emitted from the stimulation electrodes as the various components are advanced towards or maintained at or near the surgical target site; and (4) the patient is monitored to determine if the stimulation signal causes muscles associated with nerves or neural structures within the tissue to innervate. If the nerves innervate, this may indicate that neural structures may be in close proximity to the distraction and/or retraction components. Neural monitoring may be accomplished via any number of suitable fashions, including but not limited to observing visual twitches in muscle groups associated with the neural structures likely to found in the tissue, as well as any number of monitoring systems, including but not limited to any commercially available “traditional” electromyography (EMG) system (that is, typically operated by a neurophysiologist). Such monitoring may also be carried out via the surgeon-driven EMG monitoring system shown and described in the following commonly owned and co-pending NeuroVision PCT Applications referenced above. In any case (visual monitoring, traditional EMG and/or surgeon-driven EMG monitoring), the access system of the present invention may advantageously be used to traverse tissue that would ordinarily be deemed unsafe or undesirable, thereby broadening the number of manners in which a given surgical target site may be accessed. For example, the surgical access system may be advantageously used to traverse tissue through the retroperitoneal space and the psoas muscle during a substantially lateral, retroperitoneal approach to the lumbar spine, as shown in FIGS. 23-50. FIGS. 19-20 illustrate, by way of example only, a monitoring system 120 of the type disclosed in the NeuroVision PCT Applications suitable for use with the surgical access system 10 of the present invention. The monitoring system 120 includes a control unit 122, a patient module 124, and an EMG harness 126 and return electrode 128 coupled to the patient module 124, and a cable 132 for establishing electrical communication between the patient module 124 and the surgical access system of the present invention (retractor assembly 10 of FIG. 1 and distraction assemblies 40, 50 of FIGS. 9-12). More specifically, this electrical communication can be achieved by providing, by way of example only, a hand-held stimulation controller 152 capable of selectively providing a stimulation signal (due to the operation of manually operated buttons on the hand-held stimulation controller 152) to one or more connectors 156a, 156b, 156c. The connectors 156a, 156b, 156c are suitable to establish electrical communication between the hand-held stimulation controller 152 and (by way of example only) the stimulation electrodes on the K-wire 42, the dilators 44, 48, 52, 54, the retractor blades 12, 16, 18 and/or the shim members 22, 24, 25 (collectively “surgical access instruments”). In order to use the monitoring system 120, then, these surgical access instruments must be connected to the connectors 156a156b and/or 156c, at which point the user may selectively initiate a stimulation signal (preferably, a current signal) from the control unit 122 to a particular surgical access instruments. Stimulating the electrode(s) on these surgical access instruments before, during and/or after establishing operative corridor will cause nerves that come into close or relative proximity to the surgical access instruments to depolarize, producing a response in a myotome associated with the innervated nerve. The control unit 122 includes a touch screen display 140 and a base 142, which collectively contain the essential processing capabilities (software and/or hardware) for controlling the monitoring system 120. The control unit 122 may include an audio unit 118 that emits sounds according to a location of a surgical element with respect to a nerve. The patient module 124 is connected to the control unit 122 via a data cable 144, which establishes the electrical connections and communications (digital and/or analog) between the control unit 122 and patient module 124. The main functions of the control unit 122 include receiving user commands via the touch screen display 140, activating stimulation electrodes on the surgical access instruments, processing signal data according to defined algorithms, displaying received parameters and processed data, and monitoring system status and report fault conditions. The touch screen display 140 is preferably equipped with a graphical user interface (GUI) capable of communicating information to the user and receiving instructions from the user. The display 140 and/or base 142 may contain patient module interface circuitry (hardware and/or software) that commands the stimulation sources, receives digitized signals and other information from the patient module 124, processes the EMG responses to extract characteristic information for each muscle group, and displays the processed data to the operator via the display 140. In one embodiment, the monitoring system 120 is capable of determining nerve direction relative to one or more of the K-wire 42, the dilators 44, 48, 52, 54, the retractor blades 12, 16, 18 and/or the shim elements 22, 24, 25 before, during and/or following the creation of an operative corridor to a surgical target site. Monitoring system 120 accomplishes this by having the control unit 122 and patient module 124 cooperate to send electrical stimulation signals to one or more of the stimulation electrodes provided on these instruments. Depending upon the location of the surgical access system 10 within a patient (and more particularly, to any neural structures), the stimulation signals may cause nerves adjacent to or in the general proximity of the surgical access system 10 to depolarize. This causes muscle groups to innervate and generate EMG responses, which can be sensed via the EMG harness 126. The nerve direction feature of the system 120 is based on assessing the evoked response of the various muscle myotomes monitored by the system 120 via the EMG harness 126. By monitoring the myotomes associated with the nerves (via the EMG harness 126 and recording electrode 127) and assessing the resulting EMG responses (via the control unit 122), the surgical access system 10 is capable of detecting the presence of (and optionally the distant and/or direction to) such nerves. This provides the ability to actively negotiate around or past such nerves to safely and reproducibly form the operative corridor to a particular surgical target site, as well as monitor to ensure that no neural structures migrate into contact with the surgical access system 10 after the operative corridor has been established. In spinal surgery, for example, this is particularly advantageous in that the surgical access system 10 may be particularly suited for establishing an operative corridor to an intervertebral target site in a postero-lateral, trans-psoas fashion so as to avoid the bony posterior elements of the spinal column. For example, one such operative corridor to an intervertebral target site may be established through the retroperitoneal space and the psoas muscle during a substantially lateral, retroperitoneal approach to the lumbar spine, as shown in FIGS. 23-50. FIGS. 21-22 are exemplary screen displays (to be shown on the display 140) illustrating one embodiment of the nerve direction feature of the monitoring system shown and described with reference to FIGS. 19-20. These screen displays are intended to communicate a variety of information to the surgeon in an easy-to-interpret fashion. This information may include, but is not necessarily limited to, a display of the function 180 (in this case “DIRECTION”), a graphical representation of a patient 181, the myotome levels being monitored 182, the nerve or group associated with a displayed myotome 183, the name of the instrument being used 184 (in this case, a dilator 46, 48), the size of the instrument being used 185, the stimulation threshold current 186, a graphical representation of the instrument being used 187 (in this case, a cross-sectional view of a dilator 44, 48) to provide a reference point from which to illustrate relative direction of the instrument to the nerve, the stimulation current being applied to the stimulation electrodes 188, instructions for the user 189 (in this case, “ADVANCE” and/or “HOLD”), and (in FIG. 22) an arrow 190 indicating the direction from the instrument to a nerve. This information may be communicated in any number of suitable fashions, including but not limited to the use of visual indicia (such as alpha-numeric characters, light-emitting elements, and/or graphics) and audio communications (such as a speaker element). Although shown with specific reference to a dilating cannula (such as at 184), it is to be readily appreciated that the present invention is deemed to include providing similar information on the display 140 during the use of any or all of the various instruments forming the surgical access system 10 of the present invention, including the initial distraction assembly 40 (i.e. the K-wire 42 and dilators 44, 48) and/or the retractor blades 12, 16, 18 and/or the shim elements 22, 24, 25. Referring now to FIGS. 23-50, some embodiments of the surgical access system 10 may be particularly suited for establishing an operative corridor to a surgical target site in the spine. Such an operative corridor may be established through the retroperitoneal space and the psoas muscle during a direct lateral, retroperitoneal approach to the spine. A surgeon may have direct visualization of the patient's anatomy without the cumbersome requirements associated with using endoscopes or operating coaxial through narrow tubes. Moreover, when using the access system 10 through a lateral approach to the spine, the potential of damaging nerves while advancing instruments through the psoas muscle may be substantially reduced. It will, of course, be appreciated that the surgical access system and related methods of the present invention may find applicability in any of a variety of surgical and/or medical applications such that the following description relative to the direct lateral, retroperitoneal approach to the spine is not to be limiting of the overall scope of the present invention. When accessing a spinal target site via the substantially lateral, retroperitoneal approach described in connection with FIGS. 23-50, the surgeon should consider several anatomical reference points, such as the iliac crest, the twelfth rib, and the lateral border of the erector spinae muscle groups. In certain embodiments, blunt finger dissection is used to pass between these muscle groups and access the retroperitoneal space. Such a technique offers simple access to the retroperitoneal space while minimizing the potential of visceral lesion. Furthermore, in such embodiments, the finger may be used to escort one or more dilators through the retroperitoneal space, thus reducing the potential of peritoneal disruption. In some instances, each dilator is preferably advanced through the psoas muscle between the middle and anterior third of the muscle so that the nerves of the lumbar plexus are located posterior and outside the operative corridor. A monitoring system 120 of the type disclosed in the NeuroVision PCT Applications may be used to avoid damage to any peripheral nerves embedded throughout the psoas muscle as the dilator is advanced through the muscle to the surgical target site in the spine. Referring now to FIGS. 23-24, a patient 200 is positioned on a surgical table 250 in preparation of spinal surgery. In some embodiments, a cushion 252 is positioned between the patient's lateral side and the surgical table 250 to arrange the patient 200 in such a way as to increase the distance between the patient's iliac crest 202 and rib cage 204. Alternatively, a flexion of the surgical table 250 may be used to accomplish the desired arrangement. Such an arrangement helps to open the invertebral disc space 206 at or near the surgical target site. Referring to FIG. 25, an articulating arm assembly 60 is coupled to the surgical table 250 to maintain the access system 10 in a substantially fixed position relative to the surgical target site when the operative corridor has been established. In this embodiment, the articulating arm assembly 60 is mounted to a bedrail 254 of the surgical table 250. In some instances, a fluoroscopy system 260 is disposed proximal to the surgical table 250 to provide the surgeon with visualization of the surgical target area. This fluoroscopy system 260 includes a display monitor 262 that is positioned such that the surgeon may view the monitor 262 during the operation. In addition, a monitoring system 120 of the type disclosed in the NeuroVision PCT Applications may be positioned near the surgical table 250 so that the surgeon may view a display 140 of the monitoring system 120 during the operation. Referring now to FIGS. 26-28, one or more instruments, such as K-wires 42, are positioned laterally over an area of the patient 200 and then viewed using the lateral fluoroscopy. The instruments are used to identify a lateral incision location 208 that is substantially lateral to the surgical target site (e.g., the invertebral disc space 206). As shown in FIG. 28, a first mark is made on the patient 200 at the lateral incision location 208. In addition, a second mark is made on the patient at a posteriolateral incision location 209 near the lateral incision location 208. In this embodiment, the posteriolateral incision location 209 is approximately at the lateral border of the erector spine muscle. Preferably, the posteriolateral incision location 209 is within a finger's length of the lateral incision location 208. Referring to FIG. 29, an incision is made at the posteriolateral incision location 209, and the subcutaneous layers 210 are dissected until reaching the muscular masses 212. A dissection instrument, such as blunt dissection scissors 270, is used to spread the muscle fibers 212 until the retroperitoneal space 215 is reached. Preferably, the surgeon uses great caution to avoid perforation of the peritoneum 214. Referring to FIGS. 30-31, after the retroperitoneal space 215 is reached, a guide member 275 is inserted through the posteriolateral incision 209 into the retroperitoneal space 215. In a presently preferred embodiment, the guide member is a finger 275 of the surgeon, which is preferably covered with a surgical glove for hygienic purposes. In other embodiments, the guide member 275 may be an instrument or tool configured to extend and maneuver in the retroperitoneal space as described herein. As shown in FIGS. 30-31, the finger 275 may sweep a portion of the retroperitoneal space 215 and then palpate down to the psoas muscle 220. This motion of the finger 275 in the retroperitoneal space 215 may loosen some fatty tissue before a dilator is advanced therethrough. Referring to FIGS. 32-33, after the psoas muscle 220 is identified, the finger 275 is swept away from the psoas muscle 220 toward the lateral incision location 208. A scalpel 272 or other like instrument is used to make and incision at this location 208. The incision should be of a sufficient size to receive a distal end 41 an initial dilator 40. Referring to FIGS. 34-35, the finger 275 is used to direct the distal end 41 of the initial dilator 40 through the retroperitoneal space 215 toward the psoas muscle 220. In the presently preferred embodiment, the initial dilator 40 includes at least a K-wire 42 and may also include a split-dilator 48 slideably passed over the K-wire 42 (see, for example, FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 34, the distal end 41 is introduced through the lateral incision location 208 and directed to the finger 275 in the retroperitoneal space 215. As shown in FIG. 35, the finger 275 engages the initial dilator 40 proximal to the distal end 41 and guides the distal end 41 to the psoas muscle 220. By escorting the dilator 40 through the retroperitoneal space 215 using the finger 275, the potential for breaching or disrupting the peritoneal is reduced. Upon reaching the psoas muscle 220, the location of the distal end 41 relative to the target site may be verified using an imaging system, such as an image intensifier. Referring to FIGS. 36-37, the distal end 41 of the initial dilator 40 is advanced in a substantially lateral direction through the psoas muscle 220 toward the invertebral disc space 206 at or near the surgical target site. In the presently preferred embodiment, the fibers of the psoas muscle 220 are split using blunt dissection and NeuroVision neurophysiologic monitoring of the type disclosed in the NeuroVision PCT Applications. A stimulation connector 156 of the NeuroVision monitoring system 120 (see FIG. 19) is coupled to the initial dilator 40 to provide a stimulation signal 157 as the dilator 40 is advanced through the psoas muscle 220. It should be understood that the stimulation signal 157 is depicted in FIG. 36 for illustrative purposes and is generally not visible. Descending nerves of the lumbar plexus normally lie in the posterior one-third of the psoas muscle 220. The NeuroVision monitoring system 120 of the type disclosed in the NeuroVision PCT Applications assists with the safe passage by these nerves and/or confirmation of the nerves' posterior location. The NeuroVision monitoring system 120 will continuously search for the stimulus threshold that elicits an EMG response on the myotomes monitored and then reports such thresholds on a display 140 as shown in FIG. 37. As the dilator is advanced through the psoas muscle 220, the stimulus necessary to elicit an EMG response will vary with distance from the nerve. In the presently preferred embodiment, experience has shown that threshold values greater than 10 mA indicate a distance that allows for safe passage through the psoas muscle 220 and continued nerve safety. Referring to FIGS. 38-40, a K-wire 42 of the initial dilator 40 is introduced into the targeted disc space 206 after the dilator 40 is passed through the psoas muscle 220. Preferably, the position of the distal end 41 of the dilator 40 is confirmed using fluoroscopic imaging before the K-wire 42 is introduced into the disc space 206. After a distal portion of the K-wire 42 is inserted into the targeted disc space 206, depth markings 45 (FIG. 39) on the dilator 40 may be read at the skin level to determine the appropriate length of retractor blades 12, 16, 18 that will be used with the handle assembly 20 of the access system 10. As shown in FIG. 40, the appropriate length blades 12, 16, and 18 may be secured to the handle portion 20 by tightening fasteners with a driver instrument 274. Referring to FIG. 41, the sequential dilation system 50 (previously described in connection with FIG. 12), including one or more supplemental dilators 52, 54, may be guided over the initial dilator 40 for the purpose of further dilating the tissue down to the surgical target site. In the presently preferred embodiment, the NeuroVision monitoring system 120 of the type disclosed in the NeuroVision PCT Applications is used with the supplemental dilators 52, 54 to provide safe passage through the psoas muscle 220. The initial dilator 40 and the supplemental dilators 52, 54 are advanced through the lateral incision location 208 to the targeted disc space 206 in a substantially lateral direction to create a distraction corridor. Still referring to FIG. 41, the retractor blades 12, 16, 18 of the access system 10 are introduced over the supplemental dilator 54 (or the initial dilator 40 if the sequential dilation system 50 is not employed) toward the disc space 206; Again, the NeuroVision monitoring system 120 of the type disclosed in the NeuroVision PCT Applications may be used with the blades 12, 16, 18 to provide safe passage through the psoas muscle 220. In some embodiments, the posterior shim element 22 and/or the retractor extenders 24, 25 are engaged with the retractor blades 12, 16, 18 (as previously described in connection with FIGS. 1-7). After the retractor blades 12, 16, 18 are introduced along the distraction corridor, fluoroscopic imaging may be used to confirm the position of the blades 12, 16, 18 proximal to the disc space 206. Referring to FIG. 42, the articulating arm assembly 60 is coupled to the handle member 20 of the access system 10. As previous described in connection with FIG. 25, the articulating arm assembly 60 is also coupled to the surgical table 250 so as to maintain the access system 10 in a substantially fixed position. Handles 62 and 64 may be turned to substantially fix the position of articulating arm assembly 60. Referring now to FIGS. 43-44, handle extenders 31 and 33 may be squeeze to spread the blades 12, 16, 18 and knob members 36 may be turned to selectively adjust the posterior retractor blade 12 (previously described in connection with FIGS. 13-18). Such movement by the blades 12, 16, 18 retracts the distraction corridor so as to form an operative corridor 15. FIG. 45 shows a lateral view of the operative corridor 15 down to the targeted disc space 206 in the patient's spine. Light emitting devices 39 may be coupled to one or more of the retractor blades 12, 16, 18 to direct light down the operative corridor 15. In this embodiment, the light emitting devices 39 are coupled to a xenon arthroscopy light source. The surgeon may use direct visualization and/or a NeuroVision probe of the type disclosed in the NeuroVision PCT Applications to confirm that the operative corridor 15 is neurologically clear. Referring to FIGS. 46-50, various instruments may be inserted through the operative corridor 15 to prepare the targeted disc space 206. In the presently preferred embodiment, the operative corridor 15 has a 15-20 mm annulotomy to provide ample space for the various instruments. In other embodiments, the operative corridor 15 may have other configurations, depending on the surgical task to be performed. In this embodiment depicted in FIGS. 46-50, the disc space 206 is undergoing a discectomy and insertion of a spinal implant. As shown in FIG. 46, at least one preparation tool 276 such as a disc cutter, pituitary, scraper, curette, or the like is inserted through the operative corridor 15 to prepare the disc space 206. Referring more closely to FIG. 47, one or more sizers 277 are inserted to the disc space 206 to provide appropriate disc height restoration. As shown in FIG. 48, a broach 278 may be used in the disc space 206 to remove osteophytes and to facilitate implant insertion. Referring now to FIGS. 49-50, an appropriately sized implant 282 is advanced into the disc space 206 with an inserter tool 280. The implant 282 is releasably secured to the inserter tool 280 such that the surgeon may release the implant when it is properly positioned in the disc space 206. The implant may comprise a material that facilitates bone fusion (such as allograft or autograft), and autograft or graft extenders may be used in the disc space 206 after the implant is inserted. After the procedure on the targeted disc space 206 is complete, the access system 10 is carefully removed from the operative corridor 15. Direct visualization may be used to confirm the absence of significant bleeding in the disc space 206 or the psoas muscle 220. The skin around the operative corridor may be closed using a suturing method, such as a subcuticular suture. Accordingly, certain methods of using the access system 10 can safely and effectively establish a minimally invasive operative corridor through the retroperitoneal space 215 and the psoas muscle 220 via a direct lateral, retroperitoneal approach to the spine. Such a method allows the surgeon to directly visualize the patient's anatomy without the cumbersome requirements associated with using endoscopes or operating coaxial through narrow, artificial tube. Moreover, when employing such a method to laterally approach the spine, the potential of damaging nerves while advancing dilators and other instruments through the psoas muscle 220 may be substantially reduced. As evident from the above discussion and drawings, the present invention accomplishes the goal of gaining access a surgical target site in a fashion less invasive than traditional “open” surgeries and, moreover, does so in a manner that provides the ability to access such a surgical target site regardless of the neural structures required to be passed through (or near) in order to establish an operative corridor to the surgical target site. The present invention furthermore provides the ability to perform neural monitoring in the tissue or regions adjacent the surgical target site during any procedures performed after the operative corridor has been established. The surgical access system of the present invention can be used in any of a wide variety of surgical or medical applications, above and beyond the spinal applications discussed herein. Such spinal applications may include any procedure wherein instruments, devices, implants and/or compounds are to be introduced into or adjacent the surgical target site, including but not limited to discectomy, fusion (including PLIF, ALIF, TLIF and any fusion effectuated via a lateral or far-lateral approach and involving, by way of example, the introduction of bone products (such as allograft or autograft) and/or devices having ceramic, metal and/or plastic construction (such as mesh) and/or compounds such as bone morphogenic protein), total disc replacement, etc. . . . ). Moreover, the surgical access system of the present invention opens the possibility of accessing an increased number of surgical target sites in a “less invasive” fashion by eliminating or greatly reducing the threat of contacting nerves or neural structures while establishing an operative corridor through or near tissues containing such nerves or neural structures. In so doing, the surgical access system of the present invention represents a significant advancement capable of improving patient care (via reduced pain due to “less-invasive” access and reduced or eliminated risk of neural contact before, during, and after the establishment of the operative corridor) and lowering health care costs (via reduced hospitalization based on “less-invasive” access and increased number of suitable surgical target sites based on neural monitoring). Collectively, these translate into major improvements to the overall standard of care available to the patient population, both domestically and overseas. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>I. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for performing surgical procedures and, more particularly, for accessing a surgical target site in order to perform surgical procedures. II. Discussion of the Prior Art A noteworthy trend in the medical community is the move away from performing surgery via traditional “open” techniques in favor of minimally invasive or minimal access techniques. Open surgical techniques are generally undesirable in that they typically require large incisions and high amounts of tissue displacement to gain access to the surgical target site, which produces concomitantly high amounts of pain, lengthened hospitalization (increasing health care costs), and high morbidity in the patient population. Less-invasive surgical techniques (including so-called “minimal access” and “minimally invasive” techniques) are gaining favor due to the fact that they involve accessing the surgical target site via incisions of substantially smaller size with greatly reduced tissue displacement requirements. This, in turn, reduces the pain, morbidity and cost associated with such procedures. The access systems developed to date, however, fail in various respects to meet all the needs of the surgeon population. One drawback associated with prior art surgical access systems relates to the ease with which the operative corridor can be created, as well as maintained over time, depending upon the particular surgical target site. For example, when accessing surgical target sites located beneath or behind musculature or other relatively strong tissue (such as, by way of example only, the psoas muscle adjacent to the spine), it has been found that advancing an operative corridor-establishing instrument directly through such tissues can be challenging and/or lead to unwanted or undesirable effects (such as stressing or tearing the tissues). While certain efforts have been undertaken to reduce the trauma to tissue while creating an operative corridor, such as (by way of example only) the sequential dilation system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,044 to Foley et al., these attempts are nonetheless limited in their applicability based on the relatively narrow operative corridor. More specifically, based on the generally cylindrical nature of the so-called “working cannula,” the degree to which instruments can be manipulated and/or angled within the cannula can be generally limited or restrictive, particularly if the surgical target site is a relatively deep within the patient. Efforts have been undertaken to overcome this drawback, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,320 to DiPoto, wherein an expandable portion is provided at the distal end of a cannula for creating a region of increased cross-sectional area adjacent to the surgical target site. While this system may provide for improved instrument manipulation relative to sequential dilation access systems (at least at deep sites within the patient), it is nonetheless flawed in that the deployment of the expandable portion may inadvertently compress or impinge upon sensitive tissues adjacent to the surgical target site. For example, in anatomical regions having neural and/or vasculature structures, such a blind expansion may cause the expandable portion to impinge upon these sensitive tissues and cause neural and/or vasculature compromise, damage and/or pain for the patient. This highlights yet another drawback with the prior art surgical access systems, namely, the challenges in establishing an operative corridor through or near tissue having major neural structures which, if contacted or impinged, may result in neural impairment for the patient. Due to the threat of contacting such neural structures, efforts thus far have largely restricted to establishing operative corridors through tissue having little or substantially reduced neural structures, which effectively limits the number of ways a given surgical target site can be accessed. This can be seen, by way of example only, in the spinal arts, where the exiting nerve roots and neural plexus structures in the psoas muscle have rendered a lateral or far lateral access path (so-called trans-psoas approach) to the lumbar spine virtually impossible. Instead, spine surgeons are largely restricted to accessing the spine from the posterior (to perform, among other procedures, posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF)) or from the anterior (to perform, among other procedures, anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)). Posterior-access procedures involve traversing a shorter distance within the patient to establish the operative corridor, albeit at the price of oftentimes having to reduce or cut away part of the posterior bony structures (i.e. lamina, facets, spinous process) in order to reach the target site (which typically comprises the disc space). Anterior-access procedures are relatively simple for surgeons in that they do not involve reducing or cutting away bony structures to reach the surgical target site. However, they are nonetheless disadvantageous in that they require traversing through a much greater distance within the patient to establish the operative corridor, oftentimes requiring an additional surgeon to assist with moving the various internal organs out of the way to create the operative corridor. The present invention is directed at eliminating, or at least minimizing the effects of, the above-identified drawbacks in the prior art. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention accomplishes this goal by providing a novel access system and related methods which involve detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor through (or near) any of a variety of tissues having such neural structures which, if contacted or impinged, may otherwise result in neural impairment for the patient. It is expressly noted that, although described herein largely in terms of use in spinal surgery, the access system of the present invention is suitable for use in any number of additional surgical procedures wherein tissue having significant neural structures must be passed through (or near) in order to establish an operative corridor. According to one broad aspect of the present invention, the access system comprises a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue retraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures. The tissue distraction assembly (in conjunction with one or more elements of the tissue retraction assembly) is capable of, as an initial step, distracting a region of tissue between the skin of the patient and the surgical target site. The tissue retraction assembly is capable of, as a secondary step, being introduced into this distracted region to thereby define and establish the operative corridor. Once established, any of a variety of surgical instruments, devices, or implants may be passed through and/or manipulated within the operative corridor depending upon the given surgical procedure. The electrode(s) are capable of, during both tissue distraction and retraction, detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures such that the operative corridor may be established through (or near) any of a variety of tissues having such neural structures which, if contacted or impinged, may otherwise result in neural impairment for the patient. In this fashion, the access system of the present invention may be used to traverse tissue that would ordinarily be deemed unsafe or undesirable, thereby broadening the number of manners in which a given surgical target site may be accessed. The tissue distraction assembly may include any number of components capable of performing the necessary distraction. By way of example only, the tissue distraction assembly may include a K-wire, an initial dilator of split construction, and one or more dilators of traditional (that is, non-split) construction for performing the necessary tissue distraction to receive the remainder of the tissue retractor assembly thereafter. One or more electrodes may be provided on one or more of the K-wire and dilator(s) to detect the presence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures during tissue distraction. The tissue retraction assembly may include any number of components capable of performing the necessary retraction. By way of example only, the tissue retraction assembly may include one or more retractor blades extending from a handle assembly. The handle assembly may be manipulated to open the retractor assembly; that is, allowing the retractor blades to separate from one another (simultaneously or sequentially) to create an operative corridor to the surgical target site. In a preferred embodiment, this is accomplished by maintaining a posterior retractor blade in a fixed position relative to the surgical target site (so as to avoid having it impinge upon any exiting nerve roots near the posterior elements of the spine) while the additional retractor blades (i.e. cephalad-most and caudal-most blades) are moved or otherwise translated away from the posterior retractor blade (and each other) so as to create the operative corridor in a fashion that doesn't infringe upon the region of the exiting nerve roots. The retractor blades may be optionally dimensioned to receive and direct a rigid shim element to augment the structural stability of the retractor blades and thereby ensure the operative corridor, once established, will not decrease or become more restricted, such as may result if distal ends of the retractor blades were permitted to “slide” or otherwise move in response to the force exerted by the displaced tissue. In a preferred embodiment, only the posterior retractor blade is equipped with such a rigid shim element. In an optional aspect, this shim element may be advanced into the disc space after the posterior retractor blade is positioned, but before the retractor is opened into the fully retracted position. The rigid shim element is preferably oriented within the disc space such that is distracts the adjacent vertebral bodies, which serves to restore disc height. It also preferably advances a sufficient distance within the disc space (preferably past the midline), which serves the dual purpose of preventing post-operative scoliosis and forming a protective barrier (preventing the migration of tissue (such as nerve roots) into the operative field and the inadvertent advancement of instruments outside the operative field). The retractor blades may optionally be equipped with a mechanism for transporting or emitting light at or near the surgical target site to aid the surgeon's ability to visualize the surgical target site, instruments and/or implants during the given surgical procedure. According to one embodiment, this mechanism may comprise, but need not be limited to, coupling one or more light sources to the retractor blades such that the terminal ends are capable of emitting light at or near the surgical target site. According to another embodiment, this mechanism may comprise, but need not be limited to, constructing the retractor blades of suitable material (such as clear polycarbonate) and configuration such that light may be transmitted generally distally through the walls of the retractor blade light to shine light at or near the surgical target site. This may be performed by providing the retractor blades having light-transmission characteristics (such as with clear polycarbonate construction) and transmitting the light almost entirely within the walls of the retractor blade (such as by frosting or otherwise rendering opaque portions of the exterior and/or interior) until it exits a portion along the interior (or medially-facing) surface of the retractor blade to shine at or near the surgical target site. The exit portion may be optimally configured such that the light is directed towards the approximate center of the surgical target site and may be provided along the entire inner periphery of the retractor blade or one or more portions therealong. According to another aspect of the invention, a minimally invasive lateral lumber surgery may be performed using various embodiments of the surgical access system. The surgical method may be accomplished by guiding at least a portion of the tissue distraction assembly to the surgical target site using a lateral, retroperitoneal approach. According to some embodiments, the access system is used to access the lumbar spine via a direct lateral, retroperitoneal approach. In such embodiments, blunt finger dissection may be used to safely enter the retroperitoneal space posteriorly and sweep the peritoneal cavity anteriorly. A distal end of the K-wire, and possibly other components of the tissue distraction assembly, are then escorted through the retroperitoneal space to the psoas muscle utilizing finger dissection. In some instances, the initial dilator is guided through the retroperitoneal space by a finger in contact with the distal end, so the potential of peritoneal disruption may be reduced. | 20041018 | 20110315 | 20050707 | 62502.0 | 1 | SMITH, FANGEMONIQUE A | SURGICAL ACCESS SYSTEM AND RELATED METHODS | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,967,797 | ACCEPTED | Orthodontic methods and apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth | Transfer apparatus is constructed for applying an orthodontic composition such as a bonding composition to selected areas of multiple teeth simultaneously. The selected areas of the teeth that receive the composition substantially correspond to areas of the teeth that subsequently receive orthodontic appliances. As a result, contact of the composition with other regions of the oral cavity such as the gingival tissue is avoided. | 1. Apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth for use in an orthodontic treatment program that includes a plurality of orthodontic appliances bonded to selected areas of the patient's teeth, the apparatus comprising: a substrate having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of the patient's dental arch, the substrate also including a plurality of transfer sections each corresponding to a respective tooth of the dental arch, and wherein the transfer sections are located adjacent the selected areas of the teeth to receive the appliances when the substrate is placed on the patient's dental arch; and a quantity of a composition applied to the transfer section for transfer to the selected areas of the corresponding teeth when the substrate is placed on the patient's dental arch. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a formed sheet of thermoplastic material. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the thermoplastic material comprises ethylene vinyl acetate. 4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the substrate includes a buccolabial wall portion and an occlusal wall portion. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the substrate further includes a lingual wall portion. 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transfer sections comprise a plurality of protrusions. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises one or more of the following: an etchant, an adhesive primer, an adhesive, an adhesive component, and a sealant. 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transfer sections are bonded to the substrate. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transfer sections each have a shape that generally matches the shape of the respective orthodontic appliance. 10. A packaged article comprising a container including a chamber, and where the apparatus of claim 1 is received in the chamber. 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the composition comprises one or more of the following: an etchant, an adhesive primer, an adhesive, an adhesive component, and a sealant 12. The packaged article of claim 10 wherein the chamber has a configuration substantially matching the configuration of the placement device. 13. A method of applying a composition to a patient's teeth comprising: providing a transfer apparatus having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of a patient's dental arch; determining the locations of certain areas of the patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances; determining the locations of sections of the transfer apparatus that correspond to the locations of the certain areas of the patient's teeth; applying a quantity of composition to the sections of the transfer apparatus; and placing the transfer apparatus in contact with the dental arch in order to transfer at least part of the composition to the certain areas of the patient's teeth. 14. The method of applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 13 wherein the act of providing a transfer apparatus includes the act of making a model of at least a portion of a patient's dental arch and the act of forming a material over the model. 15. The method of applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 14 wherein the act of providing a transfer apparatus includes the act of placing appliqués over areas of the model that correspond to the certain areas of the patient's teeth. 16. The method of applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 15 wherein each appliquéincludes a number of protrusions. 17. The method of applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 13 wherein the act of applying a quantity of composition includes the act of activating a robotic arm that is connected to a source of the composition in order to apply the composition to the sections of the transfer apparatus. 18. The method of applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 13 wherein the composition includes one or more of the following: an etchant, an adhesive primer, an adhesive, an adhesive component, and a sealant. 19. The method of applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 13 wherein the sections of the transfer apparatus each have an overall area that is no greater than about 125% of the selected, respective areas of the patient's teeth. 20. The method of applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 13 wherein at least one of the act of providing a transfer apparatus, the act of determining the locations of the certain areas of the patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances, and the act of determining the locations of the sections of the transfer apparatus is carried out using digital data. 21. A method of making an apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth comprising: providing a transfer apparatus having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of a patient's dental arch; determining the locations of areas of the patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances; determining the locations of sections of the transfer apparatus that correspond to the locations of the areas of the patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances; and applying a quantity of composition to the sections of the transfer apparatus. 22. The method of making apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 21 wherein the act of providing a transfer apparatus includes the act of making a model of at least a portion of a patient's dental arch and the act of forming a material to conform to at least a portion of the model. 23. The method of making apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 21 wherein the act of providing a transfer apparatus includes the act of placing appliqués over areas of the model that correspond to the certain areas of the patient's teeth. 24. The method of making apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 21 wherein the act of applying a quantity of composition includes the act of activating a robotic arm that is connected to a source of the composition in order to apply the composition to the sections of the transfer apparatus. 25. The method of making apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 21 wherein the composition includes one or more of the following: an etchant, an adhesive primer, an adhesive, an adhesive component, and a sealant. 26. The method of making apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 21 wherein the sections of the transfer apparatus each have an overall area that is no greater than about 125% of the selected, respective areas of the patient's teeth. 27. The method of making apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 21 wherein at least one of the act of providing a transfer apparatus, the act of determining the locations of the certain areas of the patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances, and the act of determining the locations of the sections of the transfer apparatus is carried out using digital data. 28. The method of making apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to claim 21 wherein the act of providing a transfer apparatus includes the act of placing the transfer apparatus in a container, and wherein the act of applying a quantity of bonding composition is carried out before the act of placing the transfer apparatus in a container. 29. A method of bonding orthodontic appliances comprising: providing a transfer apparatus having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of a patient's dental arch; applying a quantity of bonding composition to selected sections of the transfer apparatus; placing the transfer apparatus in contact with the dental arch in order to transfer at least part of the bonding composition to certain areas of the patient's teeth; removing the transfer apparatus from the dental arch; and subsequently bonding orthodontic appliances to the certain areas of the patient's teeth. 30. The method of bonding orthodontic appliances according to claim 29 and including the act of providing a model of the patient's dental arch, and wherein the act of providing a transfer apparatus includes the act of forming a sheet of thermoplastic material over the model. 31. The method of bonding orthodontic appliances according to claim 30 and including the act of applying a plurality of appliqués to the model in locations corresponding to the certain areas of the patient's teeth. 32. The method of bonding orthodontic appliances according to claim 31 wherein the selected sections comprise the appliqués. 33. The method of bonding orthodontic appliances according to claim 29 wherein the act of applying a quantity of bonding composition to selected sections of the transfer apparatus is carried out at least in part using digital data. 34. The method of bonding orthodontic appliances to teeth according to claim 29 wherein the act of bonding orthodontic appliances to the certain areas of the patient's teeth is carried out with an indirect bonding placement apparatus. 35. The method of bonding orthodontic appliances to teeth according to claim 29 wherein the act of providing a transfer apparatus includes the act of placing the transfer apparatus in a container, and wherein the act of applying a quantity of bonding composition is carried out before the act of placing the transfer apparatus in a container. 36. The method of bonding orthodontic appliances to teeth according to claim 29 wherein the act of applying a quantity of bonding composition to selected sections of the transfer apparatus includes the act of omitting bonding composition in portions of the transfer apparatus that correspond to portions of the teeth that will subsequently underlie edge portions of the appliance. | BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to methods and apparatus used in an orthodontic treatment program to apply a composition to external areas of the patient's teeth. 2. Description of the Related Art Orthodontic treatment involves movement of malpositioned teeth to improved locations. Orthodontic treatment can greatly enhance the aesthetic appearance of the patient, especially in areas near the front of the oral cavity. Orthodontic treatment can also improve the patient's occlusion so that the teeth function better with each other during mastication. One type of common orthodontic treatment program includes the use of a set of small slotted appliances known as brackets. The brackets are affixed to the patient's teeth and an archwire is placed in the slot of each bracket. The archwire forms a track to guide movement of the teeth to desired positions. End portions of the archwire are often captured in buccal tube appliances that are affixed to the patient's molar teeth. Many orthodontic appliances are directly bonded to the patient's tooth enamel by an adhesive composition. The adhesive composition may be a photocurable adhesive, which begins to cure upon exposure to light in certain ranges of wavelength. Another common type of orthodontic bonding composition is provided as two initially separate components that begin to cure once mixed together. Regardless of the type of bonding composition used by the practitioner, it is important that bond failures do not occur and that the appliances remain securely fixed to the teeth for the intended length of treatment time. If, for example, one or more of the appliances detach from the teeth during the course of treatment, the progress of treatment is often interrupted and the patent should then return to the practitioner's office for reattachment or replacement of the detached appliances. Bond failures of orthodontic appliances represent a significant nuisance in terms of time and expense for both the practitioner and the patient that should be avoided if at all possible. As a consequence, careful preparation of the appliances and the patient's teeth is an important task prior to the appliance bonding procedure. Preparation of the patient's teeth usually includes the steps of etching and priming the teeth following tooth cleaning. In one procedure, the practitioner applies an etchant such as phosphoric acid to each tooth using, for example, a small brush or swab. Next, the teeth are rinsed of the etchant and dried. The practitioner then applies a primer composition to each tooth, again using, for example, a small brush or swab. Alternatively, following tooth cleaning, the practitioner may choose to use a single composition that serves as both an etchant and a primer. In any case, however, it is usually preferred to apply the etchant and primer compositions, or the combination etchant/primer composition, to only those areas of the teeth that will be adjacent the base of the appliance once the appliance has been bonded to the teeth. Etchant compositions are acidic and may irritate a patient's gingival tissue. For that reason, it is desired to carefully apply the etchant composition in a controlled manner with a small applicator so that contact with the gingival tissue is avoided. Additionally, some patients may have an allergic reaction or develop a sensitivity to certain components present in orthodontic primers. Consequently, it is important to also carefully apply the primer to the patient's teeth in order to avoid contact of the primer with gingival tissue. It is also important to avoid placing primer in interproximal regions of the dental arch because the primer may hinder movement of the teeth to desired positions once the primer has hardened. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed toward methods and apparatus for applying an orthodontic composition to selected areas of multiple teeth simultaneously. The selected areas of the teeth that receive the composition substantially correspond to the areas of the teeth that will subsequently lie directly beneath the base of orthodontic appliances such as brackets and buccal tubes once the appliances are bonded to the teeth. The invention significantly reduces the amount of time needed for the practitioner to apply the composition to each of the patient's teeth. Advantageously, the present invention helps insure that the application of excessive amounts of composition is avoided. As a consequence, the time and effort needed to clean excess composition from the tooth surface is reduced. Moreover, the present invention reduces the likelihood that the composition will come into contact with the patient's gingival tissue and other regions of the oral cavity to be avoided such as the interproximal regions of the dental arch. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes wall portions having a configuration that matches the configuration of selected portions of the patient's dental arch. The composition is pre-applied to certain sections of the apparatus that correspond to intended areas of the patient's teeth that will ultimately receive the appliances. As the apparatus is placed on the patient's dental arch, the sections of the apparatus with the composition are automatically positioned adjacent the previously selected areas of the teeth and the composition is applied and transferred to all of the selected areas at the same time. In more detail, the present invention is directed in one aspect to an apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth for use in an orthodontic treatment program that includes a plurality of orthodontic appliances bonded to selected areas of the patient's teeth. The apparatus comprises a substrate having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of the patient's dental arch. The substrate also includes a plurality of transfer sections each corresponding to a respective tooth of the dental arch. The transfer sections are located adjacent the selected areas of the teeth to receive the appliances when the substrate is placed on the patient's dental arch. The apparatus also includes a quantity of composition applied to the transfer sections for transfer to the selected areas of the corresponding teeth when the substrate is placed on the patient's dental arch. The present invention is directed in another aspect to a method of applying a composition to a patient's teeth. The method comprises: providing a transfer apparatus having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of a patient's dental arch; determining the locations of areas of a patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances; determining the locations of sections of a transfer apparatus that correspond to the locations of the certain areas of the patient's teeth; applying a quantity of composition to the sections of the transfer apparatus; and placing the transfer apparatus in contact with the dental arch in order to transfer at least part of the composition to the certain areas of the patient's teeth. Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of making an apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth. This method comprises: providing a transfer apparatus having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of a patient's dental arch; determining the locations of areas of the patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances; determining the locations of sections of the transfer apparatus that correspond to the locations of the areas of the patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances; and applying a quantity of composition to the sections of the transfer apparatus. Another aspect of the present invention is directed toward a method of bonding orthodontic appliances. This method comprises: providing a transfer apparatus having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of a patient's dental arch; applying a quantity of bonding composition to selected sections of the transfer apparatus; placing the transfer apparatus in contact with the dental arch in order to transfer at least part of the bonding composition to certain areas of the patient's teeth; removing the transfer apparatus from the dental arch; and subsequently bonding orthodontic appliances to the certain areas of the patient's teeth. These and other features of the invention are described in the paragraphs that follow and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an orthodontic transfer apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of an exemplary model of a patient's dental arch for use in making the transfer apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and illustrating a plurality of appliqués connected to selected areas of the teeth of the model dental arch to serve as transfer sections; FIG. 3 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of one of the model teeth and appliqués illustrated in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a sheet of polymeric material being formed over the model tooth and appliquédepicted in FIG. 3 in order to make the transfer apparatus shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the transfer apparatus illustrated in FIG. 4 after the apparatus has been removed from the model teeth, trimmed and placed in contact with the patient's teeth; FIG. 6 is a view somewhat similar to FIG. 5 except that the transfer apparatus has been removed from the patient's teeth, and wherein also is shown an exemplary indirect bonding tray for bonding orthodontic appliances to the patient's teeth; FIG. 7 is a view somewhat similar to FIG. 6 except that the appliance has been bonded to the patient's tooth and the indirect bonding tray has been removed; FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of an orthodontic transfer apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth according to another embodiment of the invention; FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a packaged article that includes a container and a transfer apparatus received in a chamber of the container according to yet another embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the packaged article shown in FIG. 9, except that a cover of the container has been closed. DEFINITIONS “Mesial” means in a direction toward the center of the patient's curved dental arch. “Distal” means in a direction away from the center of the patient's curved dental arch. “Occlusal” means in a direction toward the outer tips of the patient's teeth. “Gingival” means in a direction toward the patient's gums or gingiva. “Buccolabial” means in a direction toward the patient's lips or cheeks. “Lingual” means in a direction toward the patient's tongue. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A transfer apparatus for applying a composition to an orthodontic patient's teeth is broadly designated by the numeral 20 in FIG. 1. The apparatus 20 includes a substrate 21 having a buccolabial wall portion 22, a gingival wall portion 24 and a lingual wall portion 26. Preferably, the wall portions 22, 24, 26 are integrally connected to each other and form a unitary body. The buccolabial wall portion 22, the occlusal wall portion 24 and the lingual portion 26 preferably have a configuration that matches the buccolabial portions, the occlusal portions and the lingual portions respectively of the patient's dental arch when the apparatus 20 is placed on the dental arch. Preferably, the configuration of the wall portions 22, 24, 26 is substantially identical to underlying portions of the patient's dental arch so that the apparatus 20 is matingly received on the dental arch in relatively tight-fitting relation. As a result, relative lateral movement between the dental arch and the apparatus 20 when the latter is placed on the dental arch is substantially avoided. The apparatus 20 in the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 has a curved central longitudinal axis 28. The wall portions 22, 24, 26 present a generally “U”-shaped configuration in references planes perpendicular to the central axis 28. This “U”-shaped configuration defines a channel 30 that receives the dental arch. The exemplary apparatus 20 that is shown in FIG. 1 has a shape adapted to extend along all of the teeth of one of the patient's dental arches. However, other constructions are also possible. For example, the apparatus 20 may have a length that extends along only some of the teeth of the dental arch. For instance, three transfer apparatus could be provided: one apparatus could have a configuration adapted to extend along the six teeth in the middle of the patient's dental arch, a second transfer apparatus could be adapted to extend along the bicuspid and molar teeth of the right hand side of the dental arch, and a third transfer apparatus could be adapted to extend along the bicuspid and molar teeth of the left hand side of the dental arch. The transfer apparatus 20 includes a number of transfer sections 32. Preferably, a transfer section 32 is provided for each tooth that receives an adhesively bonded orthodontic appliance such as a bracket or a buccal tube. When the apparatus 20 is placed over the dental arch, each transfer section 32 is positioned directly over a certain pre-selected area of the tooth that is to receive the chosen orthodontic appliance. As an option, each of the transfer sections 32 has a shape in reference planes perpendicular to a buccolabial-lingual reference axis that is similar in shape to the base of the respective orthodontic appliance. For example, if the orthodontic appliance has a base that is generally rectangular in shape, the transfer section 32 corresponding to that appliance will have a rectangular shape of similar configuration. Each of the transfer sections 32 has an overall area in reference planes perpendicular to a buccolabial-lingual reference axis that is preferably no greater than about 125% and more preferably no greater than about 110% of the overall area of the base of the selected, respective appliance. Optionally, the transfer sections 32 are made of the same material as the substrate 21 and form an integral, unitary component. For example, the transfer sections 32 could be designated sections of a smooth interior surface of the buccolabial wall portion 22. As another example, the transfer sections 32 could be roughened regions, regions with pores or cavities, or regions formed with protrusions that are integral with remaining smooth regions of the interior surface of the buccolabial wall portion 22. As another option, the transfer sections 32 are made of a material that is different than the material of the substrate 21 and are adhered or otherwise fixed to the inner surface of the buccolabial wall portion 22. Optionally, each of the transfer sections 32 provides a discrete reservoir in the channel 30 of the transfer apparatus 20 that is at least partially contained along its mesial, gingival, distal and occlusal sides. The provision of reservoirs with contained or partially contained sides increases the likelihood that the composition will be transferred only to the pre-selected areas of each tooth to receive an appliance, and not to adjacent areas including areas next to the gingival margin and interproximal areas between adjacent teeth. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-5, the transfer sections 32 include a plurality of protrusions 36 that are integrally connected to a backing 37. The backing 37 is fixed to the inner surface of the buccolabial wall portion 22. The protrusions 36 may be any one of a number of a variety of shapes, such as cones, truncated cones, rods, pyramids, truncated pyramids, cubes, gum drops, cylinders, nail heads or mushroom-shaped members, and the like. The protrusions 36 may have an outer end that is flat, rounded, pointed or another shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the protrusions 36 include a stem and an outer, enlarged head. The protrusions 36 are exaggerated in size in the drawings for the purposes of illustration, and preferably are much smaller and arranged in rows presenting a density ranging from, for example, 78 to 465 protrusions per square centimeter. Optionally, the protrusions 36 may be made by a micro-replication method such as the methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,917 (Pieper et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,273 (Holmes et al.). Various manufacturing processes for forming an array of upstanding added protrusions integral with a backing layer are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,174 (Kalleberg), U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,339 (Provost et al.), WO 94/23610 (Miller et al.), WO 98/30381 (Miller et al.) and PCT/US97/15960 (Kempfer). An example of a suitable material for making the transfer sections 32 is a die-cut section of the hook side of a polypropylene micro-replicated mechanical fastener such as No. CS-200 diaper tape from 3M Company. Other suitable materials for making the transfer sections 32 include non-woven materials and the materials described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,322,360, 6,142,780 and 6,126,443 (Burgio). The apparatus 20 further includes a composition 34 that is received on each of the transfer sections 32. The composition 34 preferably extends across a substantial majority of the area of each transfer section 32, and more preferably extends across the entire area of each transfer section 32. Such construction helps ensure that the composition 34 is transferred to at least a majority, if not entirely all, of the selected area of the respective tooth to receive the base of the appliance. The composition 34 may comprise one or more of the following: an etchant, an adhesive primer, an adhesive, an adhesive component and a sealant. Suitable examples of the composition 34 include “TRANSBOND” XT brand etchant gel, “TRANSBOND” XT brand primer, and “TRANSBOND” MIP primer, all from 3M Unitek Corporation. The composition 34 may also comprise methacrylated phosphoric esters such as those found in self-etching orthodontic primers including “TRANSBOND” PLUS brand self-etching primer, from 3M Unitek Corporation. The composition 34 may also comprise a self-etching orthodontic adhesive or a self-adhesive composition. A suitable sealant is “CLINPRO” brand sealant from 3M Espe. As another alternative, the composition 34 may comprise a liquid that later serves to activate an ionic cement that has been precoated onto the base of an orthodontic appliance such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,815 (Adam et al.). As another option, the composition 34 may be a color-changing composition. For example, the composition 34 may change in color upon exposure to actinic radiation, upon contact with other compositions or after a period of time. Examples of color-changing orthodontic adhesives are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,555. The composition 34 may be a color-changing primer having an initial color that contrasts with the color of the tooth and a final color that is clear or closely matches the color of the tooth. The use of a color-changing primer composition is an advantage when the apparatus 20 is used prior to a direct bonding procedure, since the initial color of the primer can provide a “target” for properly placing and positioning the appliance on the tooth. The initial color of the primer composition also facilitates clean-up of excess composition subsequent to placement of the appliance. After the primer has changed color, it is rendered aesthetic and is difficult to see. As an alternative to the constructions set out above, one or more of the transfer sections 32 may be constructed to omit the application of composition to certain areas of the tooth that will lie beneath the appliance base. For example, a transfer section 32 may have an overall width in a mesial-distal direction that is less than the overall width of the appliance base. When the transfer section 32 is used to apply a bonding composition to the tooth, the composition is omitted in portions of the apparatus 20 corresponding to areas of the tooth that will subsequently lie beneath mesial and distal edge portions of the appliance, thereby reducing the bond strength between the appliance and the tooth in those areas. The adhesive bond in remaining areas beneath the appliance base is sufficient to securely retain the appliance on the tooth during the normal course of treatment, but the appliance can be readily debonded when desired by pivoting the appliance about an occlusal-gingival reference axis. As another example, the transfer section 32 may have an overall height in an occlusal-gingival direction that is less than the overall height of the appliance base. The transfer section 32 applies bonding composition to areas that will subsequently lie beneath the appliance base except for a gingival edge portion of the base. In this example, the adhesive bond in remaining areas of the appliance is sufficient to securely retain the appliance on the tooth during the course of treatment, but the appliance can be readily debonded from the tooth when desired by pivoting the appliance about a mesial-distal reference axis. A preferred method of making the transfer apparatus 20 includes the act of making a model of the patient's dental arch. FIG. 2 illustrates a model 38 of an exemplary lower dental arch of an orthodontic patient. Alternatively, the model dental arch may be a replica of the patient's upper dental arch. As a further option, the model may represent only a portion of the upper or lower dental arch, such as the anterior and cuspid teeth of the arch. In the example illustrated, the model 38 includes a number of model teeth 40 representing all of the teeth of the lower dental arch. Optionally, the model arch 38 is made by first taking an impression of the patient's lower dental arch, using care to avoid undue distortion. Optionally, an alginate impression material is used such as Unijel II brand alginate impression material from 3M Unitek Corporation. Alternatively, a hydrocolloid or vinyl polysiloxane impression material may also be used, such as Position Penta brand vinyl polysiloxane impression material from 3M ESPE. The model arch 38 is then made from the impression. Optionally, the model arch 38 is a “stone” model made from plaster of Paris, using care to avoid bubbles in the model. If small voids are present, the voids can be filled with a small, additional quantity of plaster of Paris. As an option, the model arch 38 includes only the model teeth 40 and sufficient replica gingival tissue 42 to hold the model teeth 40 together. As an alternative, the model arch 38 may be made using digital data that is representative of the patient's teeth and adjacent gingival tissue. The digital data may be obtained by use of a hand-held intra-oral scanner or other device known in the art. As another option, the digital data may be obtained by scanning an impression or a stone model made from an impression. The model arch 38 may then be made from the digital data using, for example, a stereolithographic printer or a CNC milling machine similar to the CAD/CIM milling machines sold by Cerec Network of Buelach, Switzerland. The intra-oral camera associated with the Cerec machines may be used to obtain digital data mentioned above. Preferably, the model arch 38 is an accurate replica of the patient's oral structure. In particular, the model teeth 40 preferably have a size, shape and orientation that is identical to the size, shape and orientation of the corresponding teeth of the orthodontic patient. Next, and as shown in FIG. 3, a transfer section 32 is applied to each model tooth 40 that is to receive an orthodontic appliance. Preferably, however, before the transfer section 32 is applied to the model tooth 40, a determination is first made of the exact location of the orthodontic appliance on the respective tooth of the patient. The corresponding location of this selected area is then found on the model tooth 40. For example, the practitioner may use hand instruments such as gauges to determine the location of the bracket base with respect to the model tooth. For instance, if the archwire slot of the selected bracket is to be 5 mm from the incisal edge of the patient's tooth, a 5 mm gauge may be used to assist in drawing a pencil line on the model tooth that is 5 mm from its incisal edge. The practitioner may then mark the intersection of the long axis of the model tooth with the drawn pencil line, using a visual assessment of the shape of the model tooth to determine the location of the long axis. As another option, the practitioner may choose to use computer software to determine the proper placement of the selected appliance and hence the proper placement of the transfer section. For example, the practitioner may desire the appliance to be aligned with the facial axis point of the clinical crown (the “FA point”) of the tooth, such that the archwire slot of the bracket is oriented in a plane parallel to the patient's occlusal plane and the occlusal-gingival axis of the bracket is aligned with the long axis of the patient's tooth. The software utilizes a digital data file representative of the patient's tooth and determines the location of the FA point. The FA point on the model tooth 40, corresponding to the same FA point on the patient's tooth, is then located. In addition, the orientation of the archwire slot and the occlusal-gingival axis of the bracket are then determined with respect to the model tooth 40, using the FA point of the model tooth 40, a determination of the occlusal plane of the dental arch and a determination of the long axis of the tooth. A suitable computer program for determining the long axis of a tooth is described in U.S. Patent Publication no. 2004/0054304 (Raby). Subsequently, the area that the bracket base will cover on the patient's tooth (and which will correspond to the area covered by the transfer section 32 on the model tooth 40) is determined, using known information regarding the dimensions of the base of the selected bracket. Next, the transfer section 32 is prepared by trimming stock material as needed until the dimensions of the transfer section 32 are similar to the dimensions of the selected bracket base. The transfer section 32 is then applied to the model tooth 40 as illustrated in FIG. 3 in such a manner that the transfer section 32 is placed in the selected area of the model tooth 40 that corresponds to the selected area of the patient's tooth that will ultimately receive the base of the bracket. For instance, and with respect to the example set out above, the transfer section 32 may be manipulated as needed until, for example, the center of the transfer section 32 lies over the FA point, the mesial and distal edges are parallel with the selected orientation of the occlusal-gingival reference axis of the bracket and the occlusal and gingival edges are parallel with the selected orientation of the archwire slot of the bracket. As an alternative to determining the exact location of the orthodontic appliance as described above, the practitioner may elect to instead determine only an approximate location of the appliance. For example, the practitioner may elect to apply the composition 34 (such as, for example, a primer or etchant) to the entire facial or buccolabial surface of the tooth crown, except for a 3 mm boundary or peripheral edge region that extends along the gingival margin, the interproximal regions and the occlusal edge of the tooth. In this manner, the appliance may be placed anywhere within the boundary and optionally manipulated later as desired to a precise location and orientation. In this alternative procedure, the transfer sections 32 may be prepared ahead of time by trimming the sections 32 to the approximate shapes of the buccolabial surfaces of the teeth, minus the boundary regions. The transfer sections 32 may be applied to the teeth of the model arch 38 by hand. Alternatively, a robotic arm may be used to pick up the transfer sections 32 and apply the same to the model arch 38, using the digital data described above. Once all of the transfer sections 32 have been applied to respective model teeth 40 as may be desired, a sheet of polymeric material such as the thermoplastic materials mentioned above is placed over the model arch 38 including the transfer sections 32. The sheet of material is then thermoformed or vacuumed formed over the model arch 38 and the transfer sections 32 in order to conform the sheet of material to the configuration of the model arch 38. Heat may be applied during the forming process in order to facilitate conformance of the sheet of material to the exact configuration of the model arch 38 and transfer sections 32. The formed apparatus 20 is illustrated in FIG. 4. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transfer sections 32 are appliqués that initially include an adhesive sheet 44 having a layer of adhesive on both sides. The adhesive sheet 44 retains the transfer sections 32 in place on the model teeth 40 during the forming of the sheet of material to make the apparatus 20. Once the apparatus 20 has been formed and cooled, the apparatus 20 is removed from the model arch 38 and the adhesive sheet 44 is detached from the transfer sections 32 and discarded. In the illustrated embodiment, the transfer sections 32 are embedded within the sheet of material forming the wall portions 22, 24, 26. Alternatively, or in addition, an adhesive may be provided to securely fix the transfer sections 32 to the wall portion 22. Once the apparatus 20 has been detached from the model arch 38, the apparatus 20 is trimmed as desired. Preferably, the trimming operation includes trimming of the lingual wall portion 26 so that, for example, it extends only about one-half of the distance from the occlusal edge of the tooth to the lingual margin of the exposed tooth crown. The buccolabial wall portion 22 is also trimmed to avoid contact with the gingival tissue. Next, and after the adhesive sheet 44 has been detached from the protrusions 36, the composition 34 (FIG. 5) is applied to each of the transfer sections 32. Optionally, the composition 34 may be dispensed onto the transfer sections 32 in automated fashion, using a robotic arm that is connected to a source of the composition 34. For example, the end of the robotic arm may carry a cannula having a solenoid valve, and the cannula is coupled by tubing to a pressurized container of the composition 34. The apparatus 20 is placed on a support and the robotic arm dispenses composition through the cannula to each of the transfer sections 32 in sequential fashion. Movement of the robotic arm and dispensing of the composition by operation of the valve are controlled by a computer, using the digital data that represents the dimensions and location of each transfer section 32. When the practitioner elects to bond appliances to the patient's teeth, the patient's teeth are cleaned and rinsed in preparation to receive the composition 34. If the composition 34 is a primer that should be applied to dry teeth, the patient's teeth are then dried using a stream of air. The transfer apparatus 20 is then placed over the corresponding dental arch of the patient and seated, optionally with a swinging, hinge-type motion. Since the shape of the channel 30 matches the shape of the underlying dental arch, the transfer sections 32 are simultaneously seated against the areas of the patient's teeth at precisely the same locations corresponding to the previous position of the transfer sections 32 on the model teeth 40. FIG. 5 is an illustration showing the transfer apparatus 20 in place over a dental arch 46 of an orthodontic patient. Once the apparatus 20 is in place, each of the transfer sections 32 extends over and is preferably in contact with a corresponding tooth 48 of the dental arch 46. The composition 34 associated with each transfer section 32 then wets the adjacent areas of the tooth 48 and partially transfers to the same. Preferably, light finger pressure is then applied to the buccolabial wall portion 22 in areas over each of the transfer sections 32 to help ensure that a sufficient amount of the composition 34 has been transferred to the selected areas of the patient's tooth enamel. After the composition 34 has been transferred to the selected areas of the patient's teeth, the transfer apparatus 20 is detached from the dental arch 46 and removed from the patient's oral cavity. Depending upon the choice of the composition 34, the composition 34 is then dried as needed. Subsequently, an orthodontic appliance such as a bracket or buccal tube is bonded to the area of the patient's tooth 48 that has received the composition 34. The appliances may be placed on the selected areas of the patient's teeth by hand, using hand instruments or bracket placement instruments having a built-in gauge. Alternatively, each of the appliances is oriented using the digital data described above in order to align its archwire slot and occlusal-gingival reference axis with the orientations of the archwire slot and occlusal-gingival reference axis selected earlier. FIG. 6 is an illustration of an exemplary bonding technique using an indirect bonding tray 50. In this example, the bonding tray 50 includes a shell 52 and matrix material 54. The transfer tray 50 also includes a plurality of appliances 56 (only one is shown) that, in this example, is an orthodontic bracket. The appliances 56 are positioned in the tray 50 using the digital data described above. The appliances 56 preferably include a custom base 58 and a quantity of orthodontic adhesive 60. Suitable appliances include appliances that are precoated with a light-curable adhesive such APC brand adhesive precoated appliances from 3M Unitek Corporation. Alternatively, an adhesive (chemical-cure or photocurable) may be applied to the appliances by hand. The tray 50 is applied to the dental arch 46 in a manner similar to the application of the apparatus 20. In particular, the tray 50 is positioned over the corresponding teeth and seated, optionally using a swinging, hinge-type motion. The shape of the cavity presented by the matrix material 54 matches the shape of the patient's underlying teeth, and as a result the appliances 56 are simultaneously seated against the teeth at locations that correspond to previously selected locations. Preferably, pressure is applied to the occlusal, labial and buccolabial surfaces of the shell 52 until such time as the adhesive 60 has sufficiently hardened. Optionally, finger pressure may be used to firmly press the appliances 56 against the enamel surfaces of the patient's teeth. Once the adhesive 60 is hardened, the tray 50 is carefully removed from the patient's dental arch 46. Preferably, the shell 52 is first separated from the matrix material 54, which remains in place over the dental arch 46 along with the appliances 56. Next, the matrix material 54 is detached from the appliances 56. Optionally, a hand instrument such as a scaler may be used to help hold each appliance 56 in place against the surface of the respective tooth 48 of the patient as the matrix material 54 is peeled away from the appliances 56. Preferably, the transfer tray 50 is made according to the disclosure of applicant's pending U.S. patent application entitled “APPARATUS FOR INDIRECT BONDING OF ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME”; U.S. Ser. No. 10/678,286 filed Oct. 3, 2003. Other aspects and additional options for the transfer tray 50 are set out in that patent application. Preferably, a duplicate model arch that is identical to the model arch 38 is used to make the tray 50. As another option, the model arch 38 used to make the transfer apparatus 20 may be also used to make the tray 50. The digital data used to determine the orientation and location of the transfer sections 32 is also used to determine the location and orientation of the appliances 56. FIG. 7 is an illustration depicting one of the appliances 56 mounted on one of the patient's teeth 48, showing the appliance 56 held securely in place by the bond to the patient's tooth enamel provided by the hardened adhesive 60. The appliance 56 is now ready to receive an archwire in order to initiate orthodontic treatment. A transfer apparatus 20a according to another embodiment of the invention is shown in cross-sectional view in FIG. 8. Except as described below, the transfer apparatus 20a is substantially the same as the transfer apparatus 20 set out above. The transfer apparatus 20a includes a substrate 21a in the form of a jig. The substrate 21a includes an occlusal wall portion 24a adapted to fit over an occlusal portion of the patient's dental arch. Preferably, the substrate 21a has a cavity with a configuration that is substantially identical to the occlusal portion of the patient's dental arch so that the apparatus 20a is matingly received on the dental arch in relatively tight-fitting relation. The transfer apparatus 20a also includes a number of arms 62a connected to the substrate 21a. Optionally, an arm 62a is provided for each tooth corresponding to the number of teeth to receive the composition. A transfer section 32a is connected to each arm 62a and is oriented to apply the composition to pre-selected areas of the dental arch. Preferably, the transfer sections 32a are identical to the transfer sections 32 described above. The transfer sections 32a may be coupled to the arms 62a by an adhesive, although other options are also possible. Following application of the composition to the patient's tooth surfaces, the transfer apparatus 20a is removed from the dental arch. Orthodontic appliances are then bonded to the areas of the teeth that have received composition transferred by the transfer sections 32a. Optionally, the transfer apparatus of the present invention can be provided as part of a packaged article that is ready for use. In FIGS. 9 and 10, a packaged article 70 is shown and includes the transfer apparatus 20 described above for purposes of illustration. However, transfer apparatus constructed in accordance with other embodiments of the invention, such as the transfer apparatus 20a, may be used in place of the apparatus 20. The packaged article 70 includes a container 72 having a chamber 74. A cover 76 of the container 72 is movable between a closed position as shown in FIG. 10 wherein the cover 76 extends across the chamber 74 and an open position as shown in FIG. 9 wherein the cover 76 is spaced apart from the chamber 74 for access to the transfer apparatus 20. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the container 72 has a generally “U”-shaped bottom and an upright side wall that defines a generally “U”-shaped configuration in bottom view. A rectangular top flange surrounds an opening to the chamber 74 and is integrally connected to the side wall of the container 72. A pressure sensitive adhesive on the cover 76 engages the top flange for releasably retaining the cover 76 in the closed position. Other constructions are also possible. Preferably, the chamber 74 has structure that contacts the transfer apparatus 20 so that the latter does not unduly shift when the cover 76 is closed. For example, the sides of the chamber 74 may have a shape complemental to the shape of the transfer apparatus 20. Alternatively, bars, posts or other structure could be provided in the chamber 74 to contact the transfer apparatus 20 and prevent undue movement. As an additional option, the chamber 74 may have structure for facilitating gripping of the sides of the transfer apparatus 20 so that the apparatus 20 can be easily removed from the chamber 74 when desired. For example, sides of the chamber 74 may have recesses for receiving the practitioner's fingers, so that the sides of the transfer apparatus 20 can be easily grasped. As another option, the posts or bars mentioned in the previous paragraph could be properly sized and spaced apart from each other in order to enhance gripping of the sides of the transfer apparatus 20. The cover 76 is constructed to protect the composition 34 from contaminates such as dust, moisture and the like. In addition, when the composition 34 is an adhesive, primer or etchant, the container 72 including the cover 76 is constructed to avoid deterioration of the bonding characteristics provided by the composition 34, so that the ultimate strength of the bond between the appliance and tooth is relatively high. If, for example, the composition 34 is curable upon exposure to actinic radiation, the container 72 is constructed of a material that provides a substantial barrier to the transmission of actinic radiation. Suitable materials for the container 72 include flexible plastic materials such as black or red polyethyleneterephthalate glycol (PETG). Preferably, the container 72 is made of a material that substantially hinders the passage of actinic radiation but enables the passage of light in at least a portion of the visible spectrum so that the presence of the transfer apparatus 20 within the container 72 can be confirmed without opening the cover 76. As another option, the cover 76 may include a layer of paper that is bonded to a barrier layer such as aluminum foil. Examples of suitable materials for the container 72 as well as methods for constructing the container 72 are set out in applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,538,129 and 5,354,199 as well as in applicant's pending U.S. patent application entitled “CONTAINERS FOR PHOTOCURABLE MATERIALS” Ser. No. 10/126804, filed Apr. 18, 2002. Alternatively, the container 72 may include a hermetic seal in regions between the flange of the container 72 and the cover 76 instead of the pressure sensitive adhesive. The use of a hermetic seal helps to prevent volatile components of the composition 34 from contacting a pressure sensitive adhesive such as the pressure sensitive adhesive on the cover 76 as described above. As a result, the hermetic seal decreases the loss of volatile components from within the chamber 74. As an additional option, the container 72 may be provided with an additional quantity of one or more components of the composition 34 that are volatile, in order to help decrease the loss of volatile components that are present in the composition 34. For example, the composition 34 may be an adhesive that contains ethyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate (“EDMAB”) and/or camphorquinone (“CPQ”), both of which may volatilize over a period of time after the container 72 is closed. By adding an additional quantity of such components in the chamber 74, equilibrium is shifted and there is less likelihood of losing an undue quantity of such components from the composition 34 that is applied to the apparatus 20. As a result, there is less likelihood that the characteristics of the composition 34 are impaired over a period of time. The additional volatile components may be provided in a liquid that is placed in a well adjoining the chamber 74, or may be placed in a porous material (such as a sponge or fabric) that optionally serves as a packing material for the transfer apparatus 20. Preferably, the container 72 is constructed so that the cover 76 is self-retained in the open position as illustrated in FIG. 9 once the container 72 is opened. To this end, the cover 76 may be provided with a line of weakness such as a series of perforations that extends along an axis that is designated 78 in FIG. 9. In addition to helping retain the cover 76 in an open orientation, the perforations also provide tactile feedback to the user that the cover 76 is open so that the user does not continue to pull on the cover 76 and separate the same from the flange of the container 72. All of the patent and patent applications identified herein are expressly incorporated by reference. Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications and alternative constructions may be made without departing from the essence of this invention. Accordingly, the invention should not deemed limited to the specific examples described in detail above, but instead only by a fair scope of the claims that follow along with their equivalents. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to methods and apparatus used in an orthodontic treatment program to apply a composition to external areas of the patient's teeth. 2. Description of the Related Art Orthodontic treatment involves movement of malpositioned teeth to improved locations. Orthodontic treatment can greatly enhance the aesthetic appearance of the patient, especially in areas near the front of the oral cavity. Orthodontic treatment can also improve the patient's occlusion so that the teeth function better with each other during mastication. One type of common orthodontic treatment program includes the use of a set of small slotted appliances known as brackets. The brackets are affixed to the patient's teeth and an archwire is placed in the slot of each bracket. The archwire forms a track to guide movement of the teeth to desired positions. End portions of the archwire are often captured in buccal tube appliances that are affixed to the patient's molar teeth. Many orthodontic appliances are directly bonded to the patient's tooth enamel by an adhesive composition. The adhesive composition may be a photocurable adhesive, which begins to cure upon exposure to light in certain ranges of wavelength. Another common type of orthodontic bonding composition is provided as two initially separate components that begin to cure once mixed together. Regardless of the type of bonding composition used by the practitioner, it is important that bond failures do not occur and that the appliances remain securely fixed to the teeth for the intended length of treatment time. If, for example, one or more of the appliances detach from the teeth during the course of treatment, the progress of treatment is often interrupted and the patent should then return to the practitioner's office for reattachment or replacement of the detached appliances. Bond failures of orthodontic appliances represent a significant nuisance in terms of time and expense for both the practitioner and the patient that should be avoided if at all possible. As a consequence, careful preparation of the appliances and the patient's teeth is an important task prior to the appliance bonding procedure. Preparation of the patient's teeth usually includes the steps of etching and priming the teeth following tooth cleaning. In one procedure, the practitioner applies an etchant such as phosphoric acid to each tooth using, for example, a small brush or swab. Next, the teeth are rinsed of the etchant and dried. The practitioner then applies a primer composition to each tooth, again using, for example, a small brush or swab. Alternatively, following tooth cleaning, the practitioner may choose to use a single composition that serves as both an etchant and a primer. In any case, however, it is usually preferred to apply the etchant and primer compositions, or the combination etchant/primer composition, to only those areas of the teeth that will be adjacent the base of the appliance once the appliance has been bonded to the teeth. Etchant compositions are acidic and may irritate a patient's gingival tissue. For that reason, it is desired to carefully apply the etchant composition in a controlled manner with a small applicator so that contact with the gingival tissue is avoided. Additionally, some patients may have an allergic reaction or develop a sensitivity to certain components present in orthodontic primers. Consequently, it is important to also carefully apply the primer to the patient's teeth in order to avoid contact of the primer with gingival tissue. It is also important to avoid placing primer in interproximal regions of the dental arch because the primer may hinder movement of the teeth to desired positions once the primer has hardened. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention is directed toward methods and apparatus for applying an orthodontic composition to selected areas of multiple teeth simultaneously. The selected areas of the teeth that receive the composition substantially correspond to the areas of the teeth that will subsequently lie directly beneath the base of orthodontic appliances such as brackets and buccal tubes once the appliances are bonded to the teeth. The invention significantly reduces the amount of time needed for the practitioner to apply the composition to each of the patient's teeth. Advantageously, the present invention helps insure that the application of excessive amounts of composition is avoided. As a consequence, the time and effort needed to clean excess composition from the tooth surface is reduced. Moreover, the present invention reduces the likelihood that the composition will come into contact with the patient's gingival tissue and other regions of the oral cavity to be avoided such as the interproximal regions of the dental arch. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes wall portions having a configuration that matches the configuration of selected portions of the patient's dental arch. The composition is pre-applied to certain sections of the apparatus that correspond to intended areas of the patient's teeth that will ultimately receive the appliances. As the apparatus is placed on the patient's dental arch, the sections of the apparatus with the composition are automatically positioned adjacent the previously selected areas of the teeth and the composition is applied and transferred to all of the selected areas at the same time. In more detail, the present invention is directed in one aspect to an apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth for use in an orthodontic treatment program that includes a plurality of orthodontic appliances bonded to selected areas of the patient's teeth. The apparatus comprises a substrate having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of the patient's dental arch. The substrate also includes a plurality of transfer sections each corresponding to a respective tooth of the dental arch. The transfer sections are located adjacent the selected areas of the teeth to receive the appliances when the substrate is placed on the patient's dental arch. The apparatus also includes a quantity of composition applied to the transfer sections for transfer to the selected areas of the corresponding teeth when the substrate is placed on the patient's dental arch. The present invention is directed in another aspect to a method of applying a composition to a patient's teeth. The method comprises: providing a transfer apparatus having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of a patient's dental arch; determining the locations of areas of a patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances; determining the locations of sections of a transfer apparatus that correspond to the locations of the certain areas of the patient's teeth; applying a quantity of composition to the sections of the transfer apparatus; and placing the transfer apparatus in contact with the dental arch in order to transfer at least part of the composition to the certain areas of the patient's teeth. Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of making an apparatus for applying a composition to a patient's teeth. This method comprises: providing a transfer apparatus having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of a patient's dental arch; determining the locations of areas of the patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances; determining the locations of sections of the transfer apparatus that correspond to the locations of the areas of the patient's teeth to receive orthodontic appliances; and applying a quantity of composition to the sections of the transfer apparatus. Another aspect of the present invention is directed toward a method of bonding orthodontic appliances. This method comprises: providing a transfer apparatus having at least one wall portion with a configuration that matches the configuration of at least one portion of a patient's dental arch; applying a quantity of bonding composition to selected sections of the transfer apparatus; placing the transfer apparatus in contact with the dental arch in order to transfer at least part of the bonding composition to certain areas of the patient's teeth; removing the transfer apparatus from the dental arch; and subsequently bonding orthodontic appliances to the certain areas of the patient's teeth. These and other features of the invention are described in the paragraphs that follow and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. | 20041018 | 20070130 | 20060420 | 91128.0 | A61C300 | 0 | WEHNER, CARY ELLEN | ORTHODONTIC METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A COMPOSITION TO A PATIENT'S TEETH | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | A61C | 2,004 |
|
10,967,799 | ACCEPTED | Method and system for controlling messages printed by an in-store label printer and related label structure | A method for selectively printing different messages on labels printed by an in-store scale involves providing an in-store scale including a label printing mechanism with a supply of labels and a communications link for receiving information from a site external to the store. The scale label printing mechanism is configured in a first state and, during the first state, simultaneous printing of two types of information on a first label takes place. In particular, both (i) product information for a specified product to which the first label will be applied and (ii) a first message pertaining to a product which is different than the specified product to which the first label will be applied, are printed on the first label. The in-store scale receives a message control signal via the communications link which configures the scale label printing mechanism in a second state. During the second state, simultaneous printing of two types of information on a second label takes place. In particular, both (i) product information for a specified product to which the second label will be applied and (ii) a second message, different than the first message, and also pertaining to a product which is different than the specified product to which the second label will be applied, are printed on the second label. | 1-26. (Canceled). 27. A method for distributing a coupon and a product pricing label, the method including the steps of: utilizing a supply of labels in the form a liner having a release surface, a plurality of labels removably attached to the release surface of the liner and each including a coupon portion, a product pricing portion, a front side and a read side, the coupon portion having a pre-printed coupon bar code located at the rear side thereof to face toward the release surface of the liner, the pre-printed coupon bar code relates to a predetermined product and the front side of the coupon portion includes pre-printed information regarding the predetermined product, the front side of the product pricing portion having a pricing region for having price information printed thereon, wherein at least one separation line is formed between the coupon portion and the product pricing portion, wherein the rear side of the product pricing portion is adhesive and the rear side of the coupon portion is deadened, wherein the liner and the plurality of labels are formed into a roll; incorporating the supply of labels into a scale having an associated printer, the scale located in a store; weighing a food product with the scale; printing, with the printer of the scale, pricing information for the weighed food product in the pricing region on the product pricing portion of a given label of the plurality of labels; after the printing step, applying the given label to a package containing the weighed food product while the coupon portion and product pricing portion remain attached to one another, the given label applied such that the pre-printed coupon bar code of the coupon portion faces downward against the package and the given label is held to the package by adhesive at the rear side of the product pricing portion; and providing the package to a customer in the store. 28. The method of claim 27 including the further step of scanning the pre-printed coupon bar code of the coupon portion of the given label when the coupon portion is removed from the product pricing portion and presented at checkout. 29. The method of claim 27 wherein the scale is located in a perishables department of the store and the food product is a perishable food product. 30. The method of claim 27 wherein the scale is part of a weigh/wrap machine in the store. 31. The method of claim 27 wherein the preprinted information regarding the predetermined product includes a name of the product. 32. The method of claim 31 wherein the preprinted information regarding the predetermined product includes a design element of the predetermined product. 33. A method for distributing a coupon and a product pricing label, the method including the steps of: utilizing a supply of labels in the form a liner having a release surface, a plurality of labels removably attached to the release surface of the liner, a multiplicity of the labels including a coupon portion, a product pricing portion, a front side and a rear side, the coupon portion having a pre-printed coupon bar code located at the rear side thereof to face toward the release surface of the liner, the pre-printed coupon bar code relates to a predetermined product and the front side of the coupon portion includes pre-printed information regarding the predetermined product, the front side of the product pricing portion having a pricing region for having price information printed thereon, wherein at least one separation line is formed between the coupon portion and the product pricing portion, wherein the rear side of the product pricing portion is adhesive and the rear side of the coupon portion is deadened, wherein the liner and labels are formed into a roll; incorporating the supply of labels into a scale having an associated printer, the scale located in a store; weighing a food product with the scale; printing, with the printer of the scale, pricing information for the weighed food product in the pricing region on the product pricing portion of a given label of the multiplicity of labels; after the printing step, outputting the given label from the scale and applying the given label to a package containing the weighed food product while the coupon portion and product pricing portion remain attached to one another, the given label applied such that the pre-printed coupon bar code of the coupon portion faces downward against the package and the adhesive of the product pricing portion holds the given label to the package. 34. The method of claim 33 wherein the package, with the given label applied thereto, is provided to a customer in the store. 35. The method of claim 33 wherein the preprinted information regarding the predetermined product includes a name of the product. 36. The method of claim 33 wherein the preprinted information regarding the predetermined product includes a design element of the predetermined product. 37. A method for distributing a coupon and a product pricing label, the method including the steps of: utilizing a supply of labels in the form of a liner including a release surface, a plurality of labels removably attached to the release surface of the liner and including a coupon portion, a product pricing portion, a rear side and a front side, the coupon portion having a pre-printed bar code located at the rear side thereof to face toward the release surface of the liner, the front side of the product pricing portion including a pricing region for having at least price information printed thereon, at least one separation line between the coupon portion and the product pricing portion, wherein the liner and labels are formed into a roll; incorporating the supply of labels into a scale having an associated printer; weighing a food product using the scale; printing, with the printer of the scale, pricing information for the weighed food product in the pricing region on the product pricing portion of a given label of the multiplicity of labels; after the printing step, applying the given label to a package containing the weighed food product while the coupon portion and product pricing portion remain attached to one another, the given label applied with the pre-printed bar code facing downward against the package and such that adhesive of the product pricing portion of the given label holds the label to the package but the coupon portion is removable from the package by separation from the product pricing portion along the separation line; and providing the package to a customer. 38. The method of claim 37 including the further step of scanning the pre-printed bar code of the coupon portion of the given label when the coupon portion is removed from the product pricing portion and presented at checkout. 39. The method of claim 37 wherein the scale is located in a perishables department of the store and the food product is a perishable food product. 40. The method of claim 37 wherein the scale is part of a weigh/wrap machine in the store. 41. A method for distributing a coupon and a product pricing label, the method including the steps of: utilizing a supply of labels in the form of a liner including a release surface, a plurality of labels removably attached to the release surface of the liner, a multiplicity of the labels each including a coupon portion, a product pricing portion, a front side and a rear side, the coupon portion having a pre-printed bar code pertaining to a specific product, the pre-printed bar code located at the rear side of the coupon portion to face toward the release surface of the liner, the rear side of the coupon portion is deadened, the front side of the coupon port includes a pre-printed name of the specific product and a pre-printed design element associated with the specific product, the front side of the product pricing portion includes a pricing region for having at least price information printed thereon, the rear side of the product pricing portion is adhesive, at least one separation line between the coupon portion and the product pricing portion, wherein the liner and labels are formed into a roll; incorporating the supply of labels into a scale having an associated printer; weighing a food product using the scale; printing, with the printer of the scale, pricing information for the weighed food product in the pricing region on the product pricing portion of a given label of the multiplicity of labels; after the printing step, applying the given label to a package containing the weighed food product while the coupon portion and product pricing portion remain attached to one another, the given label applied such that the pre-printed bar code of the coupon portion faces downward against the package thereby preventing scanning of the pre-printed bar code in such orientation. 42. The method of claim 41 including the further step of providing the package, with the given label applied thereto, to a customer. 43. A method of distributing coupons, comprising the steps of: producing a label roll in which a plurality of labels include a coupon portion, a product pricing portion, a front side and a rear side, in accordance with the following steps: deadening adhesive on the rear side of the coupon portion of each of the plurality of labels; printing a bar code at the rear side of the coupon portion of each of the plurality of labels, the bar code pertaining to a specific product; printing at least a name of the specific product on the front side of the coupon portion of each label of the plurality of labels; attaching the plurality of labels to a release liner; forming a separation line between the coupon portion and the product pricing portion of each of the plurality of labels; forming the plurality of labels and release liner into a roll; providing the roll of labels to a store for placement in a scale including a printer. 44. The method of claim 43 wherein during production of the label roll a design element of the specific product is also printed on the front side of the coupon portion of each label of the plurality of labels. 45. The method of claim 43 wherein the bar code printing step takes place after the adhesive deadening step. | FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to in-store printer mechanisms utilized for printing labels applied to products and to label structures utilized by such printer mechanisms, and more particularly, to a method and system for controlling messages printed on labels by an in-store scale for increasing marketing and promotional opportunities. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The perishable foods sections of most supermarkets and grocery stores such as the meat department, bakery, deli and produce department, typically include one or more in-store printers for printing labels with item name, weight or count, and price information. The labels are then applied to the packaged items. Many such printers are provided as part of in-store scales or systems including scales. FIG. 9A represents a front surface view of a typical pre-printed label 200 which may be utilized in the scale. The label 200 is often times pre-printed with store-specific information such as the store name and/or logo in a predetermined portion 202 of the label and a remaining portion 204 of the label is left blank to permit the scale printer to print product name, weight, price information, and product bar code in such space. FIG. 9B represents a front surface view of another label 210 which has been used in the past and which is pre-printed with store-specific information such as the store name and/or logo in a predetermined portion 212 and is also pre-printed in label portion 214 with an advertisement message/logo which may relate to any other product sold in the store. Remaining portion 216 is left blank to permit the scale printer to print product name, weight, price information, and product bar code in such space. The problem with the pre-printed advertisement is that it is permanent and cannot be adjusted at the store. Increasingly, in-store equipment such as scales/scale systems may include a communications link for receiving information externally of the store. As used herein the term scale system refers to any scale device or any larger device which includes a scale, such as a weigh/wrap machine. For example, prior art scale systems exist in which pricing information in the goods database is updated remotely from a central location so that all related stores in a chain use the same pricing scheme. Chain personnel can also use communications links with in-store scale systems to monitor scale status/function. Still further, prior art in-store scale systems exist which are capable of printing two labels, one which includes the product and price information and another which prints a marketing message. An example of such a prior art system is illustrated in FIG. 10 where a store 300 is shown and external site 302 is shown. A scale system 304 including a controller 306 and associated printer 308 is located in the store 302, along with a second printer 310 which is connected to controller 306 for control thereby. The controller 306 is also connected via communications link 312 to a computer 314 at external site 302. In the illustrated system, computer 314 has been used to control pricing information used by scale 304 for printing on a first label by printer 308, and to also control merchandising messages printed on a second, separate label by printer 310, where the pricing information printed by printer 308 and the merchandising information printed by printer 310 related to the same product. Examples of merchandising messages printed on the second label by printer 310 include “Great For The Grill” or “100% Pure Ground Beef” or “50¢ Off”. Such prior art systems have also been used to print similar merchandising messages, regarding the product to which a pricing label is applied, on the pricing label itself. Product manufacturers, distributors, advertisers and store operators are continually looking for new and improved ways to market and advertise products within the store. Accordingly, given the number of labels printed on a daily basis by such scales, and the fact that the packages containing such labels are typically placed directly in front of consumers or into the consumer's hands, it would be desirable to utilize such scales to deliver marketing and promotional messages for numerous products in a controlled manner. In the label printing field it is also known to provide coupons on labels which are applied to products. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,797 provides a label structure which includes both a product bar code and a coupon bar code on a front surface of the label. The coupon portion of the label is designed to be torn off by the customer. However, some customers may not tear off the coupon. In such cases, this label structure can be problematic because checkout scanners can be confused by the presence of two bar codes on the label. Accordingly, it would also be desirable to provide a label structure which provides coupon capability while overcoming the aforementioned problem. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of the present invention, a method for selectively printing different messages on labels printed by an in-store scale involves providing an in-store scale including a label printing mechanism with a supply of labels and a communications link for receiving information from a site external to the store. The scale label printing mechanism is configured in a first state and, during the first state, simultaneous printing of two types of information on a first label takes place. In particular, both (i) product information for a specified product to which the first label will be applied and (ii) a first message pertaining to a product which is different than the specified product to which the first label will be applied, are printed on the first label. The in-store scale receives a message control signal via the communications link which configures the scale label printing mechanism in a second state. During the second state, simultaneous printing of two types of information on a second label takes place. In particular, both (i) product information for a specified product to which the second label will be applied and (ii) a second message, different than the first message, and also pertaining to a product which is different than the specified product to which the second label will be applied, are printed on the second label. Thus, the method enables messages imprinted on labels to be selectively controlled by parties such as the manufacturer or distributor of the predetermined product, or an advertising agency charged with increasing sales of the predetermined product. In one variation of the method, the first and second messages relate to coupon discount amounts for the predetermined product. In connection with this variation, another aspect of the invention provides a label structure including a base paper having front and rear surfaces, at least one pre-printed information region toward the rear surface of the base paper. The pre-printed information region is formed by an adhesive layer adjacent the rear surface of the base paper, an adhesive deadening layer overlaying the adhesive layer in a defined area, and a layer of printed information overlaying at least portions of the adhesive deadening layer. The layer of printed information may include a coupon bar code which can be tied to the coupon discount information to be printed on the front surface of the label. Because the coupon bar code is provided on the rear surface of the label, it will face inward against a package and will not cause confusion with the product bar code on the front surface of the label during scanning, in the event the customer does not detach the coupon before checkout. Still a further aspect of the invention provides a method for controlling an in-store label coupon printing system involves providing an in-store label printing mechanism including a controller and associated memory, and a user input device. A supply of labels is also provided for the in-store printing mechanism, each label including a pre-printed coupon bar code on a rear surface portion thereof. The user input device is selectively utilized to establish a coupon message to be printed on a front surface of the labels by the in-store printing mechanism. A stored discount amount associated with the coupon bar code is provided in at least one of an in-store point-of-sale computer system memory and a store computer system memory. The stored discount amount is adjusted as needed to coincide with changes made in the coupon message printed by the in-store label printing mechanism. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a label printing system in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a scale mechanism including a label printer; FIG. 3 is a flowchart of steps according to one embodiment of a method of the present invention; FIGS. 4A and 4B show front and rear surface views of one embodiment of a label structure according to the invention; FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4A; FIG. 6 is a side view of a supply roll of labels; FIGS. 7A and 7B show front and rear surface views of a printed label; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a labeled package assembly; FIGS. 9A and 9B show front and rear surface views of prior art labels; and FIGS. 10 is a schematic diagram of a prior art system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Referring to drawing FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of a system 10 useful in carrying out the present invention includes a store 12, a communications path 14, and a retail headquarters, product manufacturer, distributor or advertising agency location 15. The store includes scale system 16 which is connected to the communications path 14 via communications link 18 for receiving externally generated messages, such as those generated by a computer 20 at location 15. The store 12 also includes a store computer system 22 which may be used for tracking and maintaining inventory and a point-of-sale (POS) computer system 24 which is utilized for customer checkout and typically includes a plurality of bar code scanners. Communications link 26 between the scale system 16 and POS system 24 may be provided and communications link 28 between the store computer system 22 and scale system 16 may also be provided. While the use of communications link 18 to enable the scale to receive external messages is preferred, it is recognized that the scale could receive such externally generated messages via indirect links such as a communications link comprised of link 30, store computer system 22 and link 28. Links 18, 26, 28 and 30 are preferably hard-wired links such as typical telephone line or coax links, but it is recognized that wireless links could also be utilized. Communications path 14 may preferably be an Internet link but might also be a dedicated type link. In either case the path may be formed by any one of hard-wired, fiber-optic or wireless type arrangements, and combinations of the same. As shown in FIG. 2, the scale system 16 includes a controller 40 with an associated communications interface 42. The controller 40 typically includes associated memory for storing firmware, software and data as needed. At least one load cell and associated circuitry 44 are provided for delivering weight information to the controller 40. The controller 40 is connected for controlling a display 46 such as an LED or LCD, and also for controlling a printing mechanism portion which includes print head 48, label supply 50, and mechanism such as a motor drive (not shown) for moving label stock past the print head 48 along a predefined path 52. A user input device 54 such as a plurality of user input keys or a touch screen arrangement associated with the display 46 enables a user to input information such as the product type and cost per pound or product code, as well as other information, to the controller 40. Scale system 16 may be representative of the typical scale system utilized in one or more of the perishables departments of a supermarket or grocery store for printing labels which are then applied to products. For example, stand alone scales in the deli department print labels which are typically applied to lunch meats, cheeses, side salads and the like. Such scales can also be utilized in the produce department or meat and fish departments. Weigh/wrap type machines are also commonly used. Regardless of where the scale system is located, the present invention enables it to be utilized in a new and improved manner for selective control of messages printed on labels. In particular, referring to the flow chart 60 of FIG. 3, exemplary steps in one embodiment of the message control method of the present invention are shown. It is assumed at initial step 62 that the in-store scale system 16 including label printing mechanism 48, supply of labels 50, and communications link 18 for receiving information from a site external to the store is configured in a first state. At step 64 a specified product (e.g. lunch meat) is weighed and price calculated. At step 66 simultaneous printing of two types of information on a first label takes place. In particular, both (i) product information (name and price) for the specified product to which the first label will be applied and (ii) a first message pertaining to a product (e.g. potato chips) which is different than the specified product, are printed on the first label. Thereafter, at step 68 a stand by for the next weigh and print is indicated. If there is no change from the first state of the scale system printer then path 70 will be followed and the next label will be simultaneously imprinted with specified product information and the first message. However, if there is a change from a first state of the scale printer to a second state of the scale system printer, then path 72 will be followed and the next scale weigh operation will take place at step 74 and at step 76 simultaneous printing of two types of information on a second label takes place. In particular, both (i) product information (name and price) for the specified product to which the second label will be applied and (ii) a second message, different than the first and pertaining to the a product which is different than the specified product, are printed on the second label. A new standby state 78 is then shown, with optional paths 80 and 82 according to whether a state change in the scale system printer occurs. As used herein, the terminology “simultaneous printing” of information on a label refers to printing which takes place on the label as it passes by the printhead in a single pass, and encompasses, without limitation, both side-by-side printing of information and printing first information on a first portion of the label as the first portion passes by the print head and, subsequently, printing second information on a second portion of the label as the second portion of the label passes by the print head. The state change of the scale system printer may be controlled by receipt by the in-store scale of a message control signal via the communications link which configures the scale label printer in a second state. In one embodiment the scale 16 includes a stored table of selectable message options, each including an associated message indicator as shown in representative Table I below: TABLE I STORED MESSAGE OPTIONS TABLE Message Indicator Message Option 0000 50 Cents Off - Expires MM/DD/YY 0001 25 Cents Off - Expires MM/DD/YY 0010 10 Cents Off - Valid MM/DD/YY - MM/DD/YY 0011 2 For 1 Special - Valid MM/DD/YY - MM/DD/YY 0100 Try New (BRAND) Chips - Now With Less Fat 0101 Try (BRAND)'s New Barbecue Style In this arrangement, the scale system also includes a memory location including a selected message indicator. Thus, in state 1 of the example described above the stored selected message indicator could be “0000” in which case during the printing operation of step 66 the scale controller references stored message options Table I and retrieves the “50 Cents Off—Expires MM/DD/YY” message for printing. The control message received via the communications link to cause the state change will be another message indicator such as “0010” which in turn is automatically and immediately overwritten into the selected message indicator memory location. Thereafter, during the printing operation of step 76 the scale controller references stored message options Table I and retrieves the “10 Cents Off—Valid MM/DD/YY—MM/DD/YY” message for printing. Alternatively, the control message received via the communications link may include a new message indicator and associated time or date at which such new message indicator is to be utilized as the selected message indicator. In such cases the data structure storing the selected message indicator may also comprise a table such as Table II below: TABLE II SELECTED MESSAGE INDICATORS Start Date Selected Message Indicator MM/DD/YY 0000 MM/DD/YY 0010 MM/DD/YY 0100 In this arrangement the scale system controller is configured to utilize a running time clock to determine when to change the scale system printer state and begin using a new message indicator. Thus, externally generated message control signals can be utilized to establish a future message selection pattern as desired. Utilizing the stored message table technique enables the store owner/operator and the outside entity (product manufacturer, distributor or advertiser) to agree upon permissible messages in advance. However, an alternative embodiment in which the scale system merely stores the message to be printed for state 1 in memory and in which the message control signal received by the scale contains the new message for printing (as opposed to a message indicator) in state 2 is contemplated. Still further, where the stored message table arrangement is utilized, it is possible that the communications link could be utilized to update or revise the stored message table in memory of the scale. In either embodiment, the system and method enables messages printed on labels in the store to be selectively controlled by parties such as chain personnel at retail headquarters, the manufacturer or distributor of the predetermined product, or an advertising agency charged with increasing sales of the predetermined product. It is recognized that Table I is merely representative of one type of message options table and that others could be utilized. For example, an alternative message options table is set forth below as Table III: TABLE III STORED MESSAGE OPTIONS TABLE Message Indicator Message Option - Part 1 Message Option - Part 2 0000 50 Cents Off Expires MM/DD/YY 0001 25 Cents Off Expires MM/DD/YY 0010 10 Cents Off Valid MM/DD/YY - MM/DD/YY 0011 2 For 1 Special Valid MM/DD/YY - MM/DD/YY 0100 Try New (BRAND) Chips Now With Less Fat 0101 (BRAND)'s Barbecue Style Preferred 2 To 1 Notably, Table II includes two message option parts which the controller can retrieve for printing at different locations on the label. It is also contemplated that a three-dimensional message table or map could be utilized. Such a table could store messages as a function of message indicator and specified product to which a label is to be applied, so that the message is varied according to selected message indicator and the product to which the label is to be applied. For example, if steak is purchased a message for one product might be printed while if hot dogs are purchased a message for another product might be printed. As demonstrated by the last two messages in each of Tables I and III, the messages which are selected for printing may be non-coupon messages. However, in a preferred arrangement the messages which are selected for printing on labels output by the scale system relate to coupon discount information for the predetermined product. For example, as indicated in Table I above the message may be an amount off, a 2 for 1 type special, or might also be a percent off type coupon discount amount. In this regard, a preferred label structure 90 for use in combination with the message control method is illustrated in front and rear surface views respectively in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Label structure 90 includes a front face 92 having a store name/logo 94 pre-printed thereon, a central region 96 defined by a separation line 98 and a lower region 100 defined by the edges of the label and separation line 102. Separation lines 98 and 102 may be formed by any known means including perforation or other weakening of the base paper. The region between store name/logo 94 and the separation line 102 will be used during a printing operation of the scale system to print name and price information and/or product bar code for the specified product to which the label is to be attached. The region below separation line 102 will be used during a printing operation of the scale system to print the message information for the predetermined product. In this regard, the lower region may include a pre-printed name and/or design element of the predetermined product in region 104, with the selectable message then being printed to the right of region 104. Where the selectable message is a coupon discount message, the label structure rear surface 110 preferably includes a pre-printed coupon bar code 112 on the lower portion of the label so that when the lower portion of the label is detached, the coupon bar code stays with the coupon message printed on the front side. On the rear side of the region defined by separation line 98, other pre-printed information may be provided such as recipe type information. Where the selectable message information is a coupon discount message, a further step is in order to correlate the change in coupon discount information to the coupon bar code which will be scanned at check-out by the P.O.S. computer system 24 (FIG. 1). One or both of the P.O.S. computer system 24 and the store computer system 22 will include a stored discount amount associated with the coupon bar code 112. When the coupon discount message is changed, the stored discount amount associated with bar code 112 will also need to be changed at some point in the future. Generally, the stored discount amount associated with bar code 112 will be changed at a time corresponding to both the expiration of the valid period for coupons having a first coupon message and the beginning of the valid period for other coupons having a second coupon message. Links 26 and 28 facilitate adjustment of the stored discount amount associated with the coupon bar code 112 as needed. The expiration date of a given coupon discount is printed on the front of the label (see Tables I and III) to prevent problems with customers attempting to use a coupon after the stored amount has been changed. Referring again to FIGS. 4A and 4B, an important distinction exists between pre-printed information provided on a label and information which is printed by the in-store scale system. In particular, “pre-printed” information exists on the labels when supplied to a store and therefore cannot be changed or modified by the store unless a different label format is chosen/selected or unless an attempt is made to overwrite or black out a pre-printed message on the front of a label. Referring to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 the label structure 90 is formed by a base paper 114. Toward the front surface side of the base paper a layer 116 formed by a thermally sensitive composition is first provided and atop the thermal layer 116 a layer or coating 118 of a sealing composition is provided to prevent loss of the thermal layer 116. Atop the sealing layer 118 an ink-based layer 120 of pre-printed information is provided in those regions where such pre-printing is desired. When indicia 122 (e.g. selectable messages) are printed by the thermal print head of the scale, such messages are formed in the thermal layer 116 but are visible through the clear sealing layer 118. Toward the rear side of the base paper 114 a layer 124 of an adhesive composition is provided for securing the label to a product package. In those regions where pre-printed information is provided on the rear surface of the label 90, the adhesive layer 124 is covered by an adhesive deadening layer 126 so that that portion of the label can be removed from the package easily. The adhesive deadening layer may typically be formed by a layer of white ink applied over the adhesive. An ink-based layer 128 of pre-printed information (e.g. coupon bar code or recipe) is then applied over the adhesive deadening layer. Referring to FIG. 6 a representative supply roll 130 of label structures 90 is shown. The supply roll includes a liner 132 having a silicone release layer 134 applied thereto such that when the adhesive side of label structures 90 is applied to the liner they can be easily removed for dispensing from the scale and application to a product package. The manufacturing method for producing such label stock involves starting with a wide roll of stock with label material with adhesive side attached to the release surface base paper. The label material is then re-applied to the base paper. The label material is then die cut to form individual labels and length cut to form multiple label supply rolls. After printing product information and message information on a label as described above, the resulting label structure may be that shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B where front and rear surface portions of a printed label structure 140 are shown. In particular the front surface 142 of printed label structure 140 includes a product bar code 144 thereon as printed by the scale print head. The rear surface 146 of the label structure includes the pre-printed coupon bar code 148. This arrangement eliminates the possibility that the P.O.S. scanners will confuse the two bar codes during check-out. Because the coupon portion of the label might be removed by the consumer prior to check-out, the product bar code 146 on the front surface is preferably positioned at a location spaced from but proximate to a location of the scannable coupon information bar code. In this regard, the term “proximate” is used to refer to a location which results in positioning of the product bar code 142 toward the same side 150 (FIG. 8) of a product package 152 as the coupon bar code 148 when the label is applied to the product package forming a label and package assembly 154. Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail it is to be clearly understood that the same is intended by way of illustration and example only and is not intended to be taken by way of limitation. For example, while a major advantage of the above-described method provides retailers, product manufacturers, distributors and advertisers the ability to selective control messages printed on labels printed in a store, it is recognized that the user input device 54 may be used to selectively control messages as well. Thus, a method for controlling an in-store label coupon printing system is provided which involves providing an in-store label printing mechanism including a controller and associated memory, and a user input device, and providing a supply of labels for the in-store printing mechanism, each label including a pre-printed coupon bar code on a rear surface portion thereof. The user input device is selectively utilized to establish a coupon message to be printed on a front surface of the labels by the in-store printing mechanism. A stored discount amount associated with the coupon bar code is provided in at least one of an in-store point-of-sale computer system memory and a store computer system memory. The stored discount amount can be adjusted to coincide with changes made in the coupon message printed by the in-store label printing mechanism. Further, while the use of a scale system with an associated print head is primarily discussed herein, it is recognized that other in-store label printing mechanisms could also be used for selective control of messages printed on labels. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The perishable foods sections of most supermarkets and grocery stores such as the meat department, bakery, deli and produce department, typically include one or more in-store printers for printing labels with item name, weight or count, and price information. The labels are then applied to the packaged items. Many such printers are provided as part of in-store scales or systems including scales. FIG. 9A represents a front surface view of a typical pre-printed label 200 which may be utilized in the scale. The label 200 is often times pre-printed with store-specific information such as the store name and/or logo in a predetermined portion 202 of the label and a remaining portion 204 of the label is left blank to permit the scale printer to print product name, weight, price information, and product bar code in such space. FIG. 9B represents a front surface view of another label 210 which has been used in the past and which is pre-printed with store-specific information such as the store name and/or logo in a predetermined portion 212 and is also pre-printed in label portion 214 with an advertisement message/logo which may relate to any other product sold in the store. Remaining portion 216 is left blank to permit the scale printer to print product name, weight, price information, and product bar code in such space. The problem with the pre-printed advertisement is that it is permanent and cannot be adjusted at the store. Increasingly, in-store equipment such as scales/scale systems may include a communications link for receiving information externally of the store. As used herein the term scale system refers to any scale device or any larger device which includes a scale, such as a weigh/wrap machine. For example, prior art scale systems exist in which pricing information in the goods database is updated remotely from a central location so that all related stores in a chain use the same pricing scheme. Chain personnel can also use communications links with in-store scale systems to monitor scale status/function. Still further, prior art in-store scale systems exist which are capable of printing two labels, one which includes the product and price information and another which prints a marketing message. An example of such a prior art system is illustrated in FIG. 10 where a store 300 is shown and external site 302 is shown. A scale system 304 including a controller 306 and associated printer 308 is located in the store 302 , along with a second printer 310 which is connected to controller 306 for control thereby. The controller 306 is also connected via communications link 312 to a computer 314 at external site 302 . In the illustrated system, computer 314 has been used to control pricing information used by scale 304 for printing on a first label by printer 308 , and to also control merchandising messages printed on a second, separate label by printer 310 , where the pricing information printed by printer 308 and the merchandising information printed by printer 310 related to the same product. Examples of merchandising messages printed on the second label by printer 310 include “Great For The Grill” or “100% Pure Ground Beef” or “50¢ Off”. Such prior art systems have also been used to print similar merchandising messages, regarding the product to which a pricing label is applied, on the pricing label itself. Product manufacturers, distributors, advertisers and store operators are continually looking for new and improved ways to market and advertise products within the store. Accordingly, given the number of labels printed on a daily basis by such scales, and the fact that the packages containing such labels are typically placed directly in front of consumers or into the consumer's hands, it would be desirable to utilize such scales to deliver marketing and promotional messages for numerous products in a controlled manner. In the label printing field it is also known to provide coupons on labels which are applied to products. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,797 provides a label structure which includes both a product bar code and a coupon bar code on a front surface of the label. The coupon portion of the label is designed to be torn off by the customer. However, some customers may not tear off the coupon. In such cases, this label structure can be problematic because checkout scanners can be confused by the presence of two bar codes on the label. Accordingly, it would also be desirable to provide a label structure which provides coupon capability while overcoming the aforementioned problem. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In one aspect of the present invention, a method for selectively printing different messages on labels printed by an in-store scale involves providing an in-store scale including a label printing mechanism with a supply of labels and a communications link for receiving information from a site external to the store. The scale label printing mechanism is configured in a first state and, during the first state, simultaneous printing of two types of information on a first label takes place. In particular, both (i) product information for a specified product to which the first label will be applied and (ii) a first message pertaining to a product which is different than the specified product to which the first label will be applied, are printed on the first label. The in-store scale receives a message control signal via the communications link which configures the scale label printing mechanism in a second state. During the second state, simultaneous printing of two types of information on a second label takes place. In particular, both (i) product information for a specified product to which the second label will be applied and (ii) a second message, different than the first message, and also pertaining to a product which is different than the specified product to which the second label will be applied, are printed on the second label. Thus, the method enables messages imprinted on labels to be selectively controlled by parties such as the manufacturer or distributor of the predetermined product, or an advertising agency charged with increasing sales of the predetermined product. In one variation of the method, the first and second messages relate to coupon discount amounts for the predetermined product. In connection with this variation, another aspect of the invention provides a label structure including a base paper having front and rear surfaces, at least one pre-printed information region toward the rear surface of the base paper. The pre-printed information region is formed by an adhesive layer adjacent the rear surface of the base paper, an adhesive deadening layer overlaying the adhesive layer in a defined area, and a layer of printed information overlaying at least portions of the adhesive deadening layer. The layer of printed information may include a coupon bar code which can be tied to the coupon discount information to be printed on the front surface of the label. Because the coupon bar code is provided on the rear surface of the label, it will face inward against a package and will not cause confusion with the product bar code on the front surface of the label during scanning, in the event the customer does not detach the coupon before checkout. Still a further aspect of the invention provides a method for controlling an in-store label coupon printing system involves providing an in-store label printing mechanism including a controller and associated memory, and a user input device. A supply of labels is also provided for the in-store printing mechanism, each label including a pre-printed coupon bar code on a rear surface portion thereof. The user input device is selectively utilized to establish a coupon message to be printed on a front surface of the labels by the in-store printing mechanism. A stored discount amount associated with the coupon bar code is provided in at least one of an in-store point-of-sale computer system memory and a store computer system memory. The stored discount amount is adjusted as needed to coincide with changes made in the coupon message printed by the in-store label printing mechanism. | 20041018 | 20060829 | 20050310 | 63344.0 | 1 | POKRZYWA, JOSEPH R | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING MESSAGES PRINTED BY AN IN-STORE LABEL PRINTER AND RELATED LABEL STRUCTURE | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,967,854 | ACCEPTED | Multiple integrated machine system | A multiple integrated machine system (“MIMS”) capable of performing as multiple digital machines. The MIMS comprises multiple elements controlled by one operating system. Each element is different. Each element includes hardware and software and can perform as part of one machine. An element grouping control unit is provided. Upon receiving a first machine selection, the control unit automatically, operatively connects elements in a first combination forming a first machine. Upon receiving a second machine selection, the control unit automatically, operatively connects elements in a second combination forming a second machine. The first and second combinations differ. Multiple subgroup function control units are provided. Each subgroup function control unit corresponds to either the first or second machine selecting one or more functions to be performed by the respective machine. Four types of MIMS (desktop, kiosk, mobile and hospitality) are disclosed, with multiple machines being selectable for different functions. | 1. A mobile multiple integrated machine system capable of performing as at least a communication machine and a personal digital assistant machine, the mobile multiple integrated machine system comprising: two or more digital machine elements controlled by the same operating system software, each of the digital machine elements including hardware portions and software portions and each digital machine element being capable of performing as part of at least one of the communication machine and the personal digital assistant machine; a digital machine element grouping control unit automatically and operatively connecting predetermined digital machine elements in a first combination to form the communication machine whereby the digital machine elements forming the communication machine are capable of performing one or more functions of the communication machine, and automatically and operatively connecting predetermined digital machine elements in a second combination to form the personal digital assistant machine upon receipt of a second digital machine selection the personal digital assistant machine whereby the digital machine elements forming the personal digital assistant machine are capable of performing one or more functions of the personal digital assistant machine; a first subgroup function control unit associated with the communication machine for selecting for use one or more of the functions to be performed by the communication machine; and a second subgroup function control unit associated with the personal digital assistant machine for selecting for use one or more function modes to be performed by the personal digital assistant machine. 2. The mobile multiple integrated machine system of claim 1, wherein the same operating system software is defined further as Linux operating system software. 3. The mobile multiple integrated machine system of claim 1, wherein the same operating system software is defined further as Windows NT operating system software. 4. The mobile multiple integrated machine system of claim 1, wherein the personal digital assistant machine includes an operating system software running thereon, the operating system software running on the personal digital assistant machine being different from the operating system software controlling each of the digital machine elements. 5. The mobile multiple integrated machine system of claim 1, wherein the communication machine is defined further as a cellphone. 6. The mobile multiple integrated machine system of claim 1, wherein the communication machine is defined further as a pager. 7. The mobile multiple integrated machine system of claim 1, wherein the communication machine includes a message center. | CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/472,712, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,806,977, issued on Oct. 19, 2004; which claims priority to the provisional patent application identified by U.S. Ser. No. 60/114,594, filed on Dec. 31, 1998, the entire contents of both applications are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the last five years there has been an explosion of useful digital information machines (Phones, Fax, Printers, Scanners, CDROMS, Digital cameras, Pagers, Pocket computers, digital sound systems, etc) many of which were originally analog digital machines. In most cases these digital machines have been connected to PC digital machine systems using industry hardware and software connection standards. During this same period, the explosion of the Internet has made the Internet Service Provider (ISP) with E-mail service a common (and in many cases preferred) form of message communication. Technology developed to handle the Internet/WWW/E-mail servers (i.e. Software such as HTML and JAVA) are being combined with the object oriented application developer software (e.g. C++, Visual Basic, Pearl) to solve both the company Intranet PC digital machine Network connection problems, and digital information digital machine integration problems. Two basic approaches to integrating these digital information digital machines with the PC digital machine and integrating the PC digital machine into the worldwide communication networks have evolved. One will be referred to as the “Client/Server” approach, and the other, the “All in One” digital machine approach. A notable client/server approach is the one developed by Microsoft, who maintains the operating system for most PC digital machine's in use today. The Microsoft approach is one that requires every new digital machine recently being referred to as “digital appliances” to “Plug” into a PC digital machine (or network) and “play” for those persons who are allowed to operate that PC digital machine or network (referred to as “Plug and Play”). The client/server approach works good for sharing company database resources such as an Airline Ticketing worldwide network with many Travel Agents needing to access a common database. The approach also has some merit if very expensive resources such as specialty printers in a printing company need to be shared or maybe in the wireless network home environment when used to share resources not requiring operator interaction. But the client/server approach has not worked well when trying to integrate the many new digital information digital machines into user friendly Information systems practical for most individuals at home or office. The Client/Server approach requires a software element compatible and approved by Microsoft, for every new digital machine, which is to be connected to a PC digital machine or PC digital machine network system running under one of Microsoft's operating systems for example. This software element is of course in addition to the hardware and software elements which the digital machine manufacture already designed to make the digital machine operate without being connected to a PC digital machine. As noted earlier Client/Server systems certainly have their role in connecting large company resources together and sharing expensive information digital machine subsystems such as printers, faxes, scanners, modems, backup units, and large company databases with many employees. The complexity for this type system along with the computer specialist required to operate them are in many cases worth the increased software, cabling, and employee training cost, when data integrity and information value to a large company is considered. However the need for a much simpler user friendly digital machine integration approach in general has led to the popular “All in One” multiple function digital machines such as the HP 3100, 1170C, and 1175C whereby faxing, printing, scanning, and copying are done with a single housing digital machine. The more advanced “All in One” or Multifunction digital machines as they are technically known when connected to a separate PC digital machine or PC digital machine network will even let scanned documents be sent to E-mail addresses. It is this “All in One” integration which is considered a better approach for the individual, and the Small Office Home Office (SOHO) market. Another, even newer, digital information communication digital machine is the Web TV unit designed to make Web site access and E-mail retrieval (ISP access) much easier for the Home. Both of these digital machine design approaches have moved away from PC digital machine dependence, except where it is most convenient for the digital machine designer. For example in the current “All in One” digital machines a parallel printer connection to the digital machine is made so that the PC digital machine word processor can (must) be used for typing the information. The PC data is sent to be printed by the “All in One” digital machine. The same connector is also used to send scanned document data back to the PC digital machine storage unit, etc. Another very important example is that, currently, the individuals PC digital machine (or network server) must be used to send and receive documents between other PC digital machine's, Internet E-mail, or web sites. This is because even the so called “All in One” digital machines which are really single multiple function digital machines cannot in most cases even perform there multiple functions in a standalone configuration (note the HP Digital 9100C Sender or the Ricoh Fax 4800L shown at the 1998 Comdex show). Thus the current situation requires that several digital information digital machines be connected together using interface requirements produced by at least three separate industries in order to produce a larger information system. These three industries are the Communication Industry, the PC digital machine Industry (the youngest of the three), and the Peripheral Digital machine Industry. Also the youngest of the three currently has the integration responsibility of making larger and more useful information systems by connecting the smaller digital machines together. The current complexity explosion is very akin to the electronic era complexity explosion that finally abated with the advent of the integrated circuit. Then, the electronics industry manpower requirements started growing exponentially when Radio's. TV's, computers, and all Military electronic digital machines were being built by individually connecting Transistors, Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, together according to Industry and individual company interface specifications. Today we find a similar situation in the manpower explosion for, Certified PC and Network technicians along with application programmers. Ironically it is growing for a reason similar to the growth in the electronic era mentioned plus one additional reason. The similar reason is that the PC digital machine technology explosion spread to the Peripheral Digital machine Manufacturers and the method to connect all of these digital machines together was never the responsibility of any one manufacture. Thus, connection standards between digital machines were adopted (e.g. RS232, RJ11, LPT1, BCN, WIN98, and many more) and expanded to include software and communication interface requirements such as HTML 3.2 until now a company information system may have 50 to 100 digital machines connected together by no less than 500 to 10,000 interface elements (counting software elements). The additional reason for the complexity explosion is that the PC digital machine industry (the youngest of the three industries mentioned earlier) developed so rapidly that three additional separate industries where spawned. Also, none of the three new industries were responsible for integrating the smaller digital machines into user friendly information systems. One of the three new industries built the computers, another built the computer operating system and the third wrote application programs to make the computer fulfill more tasks. At present all three of these industries are concerned about the multiple digital machine explosion and offer various integration solutions of which the most notable, (Client/Server) was discussed earlier. Ironically, while this invention was being developed the three new industries groups along with the two older industry groups and the Federal Government were arguing about each infringing on the others territory. The design approach taken in this invention will most likely move the integration task to either the computer manufacture or the peripheral digital machine Manufacture. The design presented herein is an integration method to incorporate multiple digital information digital machines of which each previously required a connection to a PC digital machine located in a separate housing, to be able to operate from a single digital machine. The method involves moving the elements (both hardware and software) of several digital information digital machines into a single housing, sharing these hardware and software elements in such a manner that an individual can select a useful digital machine from a simple list of available digital machines. For example, such a design would allow a PC digital machine plus an “All in One” office digital machine to be combined into a single MIMS housing with a digital machine selector switch having two choices. When the PC digital machine is selected, users can use the MIMS as a PC digital machine with built in “All in One” features (note that such a digital machine is not currently available). When the Office digital machine is selected, users can use the MIMS as an “All in One” digital machine with built in PC digital machine features (note that such a digital machine is currently not available). In the future a PC digital machine selection switch will probably not be available on most companies MIMS (the leading cause of wasted man-hours is employee use of the company PC digital machine for personal matters). Also things like PC digital machine viruses, hackers, etc, will be virtually eliminated when the company PC digital machine and client/server workstations are incorporated into MIMS workstations. Important to the manufacture is that, they can now build proprietary and less expensive hardware and software elements for the various functions to be preformed in each of the digital machine stand alone modes. It is this key integration step that makes the MIMS design approach so radically different (exactly opposite in approach) from the Client/Server approach discussed earlier. The steps taken in this invention removes most user inconveniences of the information systems on the market today by having the conventional PC digital machine be invisible unless the PC digital machine can be selected from the MIMS model purchased. Requiring the PC digital machine, Client/Server, Programming and Digital “All in One” digital machine Designs to share a single housing provides a much healthier Information Systems growth environment. Such a design approach could do for the information age what the integrated circuit did for the electronic age. It requires the application programmers to work much more closely with the digital machine manufacture designers. This will even become true of the PC digital machine game industry in the future when a MIMS Game digital machine will be added to the home MIMS digital machine to provide a simple flexible, fun digital machine for both adult and children to play games without having to be PC digital machine literate. The concept of combining several digital machines into the same housing system is not claimed in this invention. The method to combine and share both the software and hardware elements of several digital information digital machines in the same housing system along with selection controls to have more features after integration than before (i.e. functional synergism) is claimed in this invention. There are numerous examples of combining several digital machines in the same housing such as home centers which incorporate TV, Radio, VCR into a single housing. The “All in One” multiple function digital machine was discussed earlier as an example of combining elements in the same housing with a function selector switch to create a multiple function digital machine. However the method of combining elements from multiple digital machines in the same housings in a manner that several digital machines can be selected and in a manner that each selected digital machine has multiple functions has not been done nor has it been done in the manner described herein. Two other earlier digital information digital machines directed at simplifying the process for individuals and businesses where invented by the current author. The Point of Sale Information Manufacturing Digital machine (POSIMM) was invented in the early 1980's, patent # 4,528,643 and the first modern electronic message unit was invented in the late 1980's patent # 4,837,797. Since then and especially in the last three years there have been many improvements in these digital machines. One digital machine (Trade name “Touch Net” usually found in airports and malls) for copy and fax service has a simple touch command screen to sell these services. They recently expanded the digital machine functions to include Internet access along with local merchant information services. The “Touch Net” retail digital machine along with the Card, Music, and similar Information Kiosk's located in Drug stores and Malls are covered by the '643 POSIMM patent and are good examples of single digital multifunction information digital machine that work. Another class of single digital information multiple function digital machines that work well are the retail Franchise digital machines (Macdonald, Burger King, Kroger, Jiffy Lube, etc) which utilize a touch command digital machine to operate the company retail store. Most all of these multiple function digital machines are operated by persons not PC digital machine literate. An example of a single digital multifunction information digital machine that is very impractical to operate is a PC digital machine running windows95/98. Very few people can operate the digital machine and most do not try because of the digital machine complexity. Furthermore the digital machine can perform almost no useful functions unless it is connected to other digital machines and additional software elements are added, a very striking example of the industries fragmentation. Internet communication systems for generating information have surfaced which will eventually greatly increase the productivity of the individual at the office and home. A significant one in terms of the need for a MIMS is the interactive Web site covered by patent # 5,694,162. Interactive Web sites puts the consumer in direct contact with the information or product manufacture. The '162 patent allows all companies (or individuals) to have both low cost advertising and direct sales from a single Broadcast station located on the WWW. The Web Site technology is causing vast information databases to be created along with virtual stores selling information and other products worldwide. The need for a MIMS that includes an Internet Digital machine with the features being incorporated into the current Web TV set top boxes is already apparent. Because of the industry fragmentation, the proliferation of application programs being developed to turn a PC digital machine into a useful digital machine for daily tasks are expanding geometrically (excluding PC digital machine game applications). This current situation occurred in less than 10 years and has led to astounding user choice chaos. By way of example, there are no less than 20 software programs designed to turn a PC digital machine into a message or communication center (e.g. Communicate! PRO is one such PC digital machine program). Each of them has at least four modes (multifunction ability) such as a, Phone, Pager, E-mail, and Fax mode. In addition each of the 20 programs must be made to work on the individuals PC digital machine which is no simple task with the proliferation of PC digital machine models and software operating systems. Thus 20 programs each with 4 functions to learn and say 10 PC digital machine configurations (counting portables) require a user knowledge base of 20×4×10=800 sets of procedures. These are associated with just one type of useful digital multifunction information digital machine where a PC digital machine is used to integrate the 20 software elements into the digital machine. Expanding the above example to say at least 30 good multifunctional digital machines being required in today's world and each with 3 price models leads to 72,000 sets of procedures in the current approach of letting the PC digital machine be the primary integration digital machine. But it gets worse, the requirement that multiple digital machines be connected to the PC digital machine in order to have useful information digital machine for home and office further compounds the present situation. The other connected digital machines such as, printers, Faxes, copiers, scanners; ISP's yield another multiplier of say 10(type digital. machines)×6(manufactures for each digital machine) which is 60. Thus we are talking at a minimum of 60×72000, or over four million sets of procedures cast upon today's user with the current design approach. Such and approach has clearly created To Many Digital machines (TMM) and To Much Information (TMI) for even the very PC digital machine literate to master. Considering that only a few percent of the working population are or will be PC digital machine literate indicates why single digital information digital machines like the “All in One” and Web TV will be the only practical solution (i.e. digital machine integration must happen just like circuit integration happened before). It also shows why the De-coupling of programmers from digital machine designers over the last ten years has led to choice chaos. The MIMS design approach advocates solving the TMM/TMI problem by combining the many single digital information digital machines into only a few single housing Multi-digital machines where each digital machine has multiple function or subgroup modes and where each mode has several useful functions. For example let the 30 single multifunction digital machines used in the earlier example be incorporated into say 5 MIMS digital machines (and average of six information digital machines per MIMS). Let these be made by say 6 major manufacturers, each with a low cost medium cost and high cost version (3 price models as before). Then only 6×3×5=90 MIMS would have to be understood by the professionals and probably no more than 10 for the average individual (Military versions would clearly have some special digital machine modes). Again, letting each of the 6 MIMS digital machines selected have 4 functions gives a maximum set of 360 operational procedures to be digested instead of over four million. Note that the first example is very close to representing the current TMM/TMI situation. A dependence on a digital machine integration approach developed by programmers rather than digital machine manufacturers is clearly leading to a situation akin to the electronics industry complexity explosion prior to the integrated circuit. Also remembering Mainframe Computer Technology dependence lessons (the early form of client/server systems) should be enough, to remind us to keep new digital machine integration simple for the user and independent of computer administrators. Especially when integrating the new Internet Service Provider (ISP) communication protocols and document formats into user friendly systems. This is not to say that a MIMS digital machine should not have the ability to have a PC digital machine selection and connect to networks. It is to say, trying to extend the PC digital machine beyond its useful 4 to 10 functions (note that this is a well known limit in humans for any digital machine) such as, accounting, spread sheets, database mining, Word processing, calculator, etc using application programmers with no digital machine constraints has led to massive TMM/TMI for both companies and individuals. The Client/Server (C/S) solutions being created today by companies such as Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Cisco for example, is like re-creating the old mainframe departments and programmers that went along with renaissance mainframes. Today the TMM/TMI problem is creating the IT, Webmaster, Certified Technician, to deal with the more than 4,000,000 sets of procedures illustrated in the earlier example. The C/S approach is practical to solve large database and communication infrastructure problems, but should stay invisible to the individual who has the day to day responsibility of operating the company and personal information digital machines. The office and home Information Digital machines of the future should be very simple to operate and not require PC digital machine literacy for most routine daily tasks. In summary, there currently is not a multiple digital machine integration approach to combine the shareable elements in PC digital machines, office digital machines, multimedia digital machines, communication digital machines, ISP digital machines, and the many Peripheral digital machines, into several simpler digital machine systems for the convenience of the company or individual. That is, a need exists for a simple MIMS, by which a person can perform most of one's daily personal and business tasks simply and conveniently without having to be PC digital machine literate. Currently a user is required to operate a PC digital machine connected to many other digital machines often located in remote locations in order to perform most of the daily functions required. The invention herein is referred to as the “MIMS” approach to distinguish it from the prior art multiple function and network integration approaches discussed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a Multiple Integrated Machine System (MIMS) that integrates into a single housing multiple digital hardware and software machine elements in such a manner that several very different Information Digital machines can be selected. The user can select the MIMS digital machines from a MIMS selector switch and have available all of the functions that the MIMS designer incorporated into the selected digital machine. To make the MIMS more user friendly the functions available with a particular MIMS digital machine selection come from regrouping the digital hardware and software machine elements incorporated into the MIMS. In the example used to demonstrate the invention method a number of office digital hardware and software machines elements and PC digital hardware and software machine elements are combined into a single MIMS along with phone digital hardware and software machine elements, TV hardware and software machine elements, and network hardware and software machine elements and connections. The digital hardware and software machine elements are regrouped in the MIMS to allow four machines to be selected. The MIMS digital machine selections are referred to as, (a) a SOHO digital machine, (b) a TV digital machine, (c) a Network digital machine and (d) a PC digital machine. Each of the selected MIMS digital machines have additional digital machine function or subgroup modes which can be selected. For example, in one preferred embodiment, the MIMS SOHO digital machine has four additional digital machine function or subgroup modes referred to as, (a) a message center mode that allow Phone, Pager, Fax, and E-mail functions, (b) a Storage center mode allowing, Floppy drive, Fixed Hard drive, Portable Hard disk, Tape drive, CDROM drive along with a PCMCIA memory slot functions (c) a Document center mode which allows printing, copying, and scanning functions, (d) an Internet center mode which provides for Web site, service provider, and a Search engine functions. Each of the MIMS digital machines selected operates as if the digital machine was located in a separate housing. In essence the MIMS provides a user with all of the capabilities normally requiring a Client/Server system connected to numerous digital machine housings at many separate locations. The MIMS allows all of this and more at a single location, at much less cost, and with a much more user friendly and reliable system. With MIMS digital machine designs, manufactures can use their own proprietary hardware and software, rather than be bound to conform to interface requirements of multiple digital machine and multiple software manufacturers as currently required. The difference between digital machine switching and function mode switching is that the set of MIMS hardware and software elements available are both changed when switching between the available MIMS digital machines where as only software programs sets are changed when switching between the available mode functions of a selected digital machine. In other words this invention describes a general hardware and software machine element integration process by which the basic elements of several (at least two) digital information machines are integrated into a single information digital machine system akin to what was done when separate electrical circuit components were integrated onto a single chip to create the integrated circuit process except the current process allows predetermined combinations of elements to be combined upon command to produce distinct circuits performing different functions. That is, the Multiple Integrated Machine System (MIMS) described herein integrates hardware and software elements from several digital information digital machines into a single MIMS and provides a means to select various digital information machines to operate which have more functions than the digital machines had separately before being integrated into the MIMS. The first digital machine elements incorporated into the MIMS are those from a PC digital machine. Other digital machines elements incorporated into the MIMS housing come from Phone, Fax, Printer, Scanner, copier, E-mail, Storage, and more such digital information digital machines. All of the other digital machine elements incorporated are referred to as Small Office Home Office digital machine elements. After the elements are incorporated, a MIMS PC digital machine can be selected, the user can then operate the MIMS just as if the user had a regular PC digital machine connected to the other digital machines incorporated into the MIMS. However it is much more convenient to print, copy, fax, and scan documents, because of the MIMS single housing or co-location design feature. When the SOHO digital machine is selected all of the various communication and document tasks can be accomplished without having to use a PC digital machine. Thus many existing type digital machines are physically, functionally and logically combined and integrated into one digital machine to eliminate duplication of many parts and software elements. Preliminary analysis of cost savings using off the shelf parts shows close to a 80% reduction in cost over buying the PC digital machine and the Multifunction digital machines separately. Also, those users who currently have learned to use a particular manufacturers Multifunction digital machine (e.g. HP, Epson, Cannon, Xerox etc), will have similar operating procedures when that manufacture implements the design of this invention. When the MIMS includes a PC digital machine it still has a the capability to Network with other computers and share it's resources just as if several separate digital machines were connected to the network including the MIMS PC digital machine. Because of the digital machine cost savings alone, the current invention probably would eliminate the need for network computers except for database sharing in small to medium size offices. Even in large companies, resource sharing of fax, scanners, E-mail, printers, modems, etc. would be greatly reduced and the need for complex costly and unreliable high-speed printers and copy digital machines becomes questionable. That is, the MIMS SOHO digital machine mode of operation virtually solves all of the problems currently being addressed by client/server system designers, and with a much simpler and reliable design. The reliability factor alone, (i.e. every workstation has most of the required resources locally and net work failures only effect shared databases etc.) makes this invention a very sound business approach since man-hours is still most companies largest inefficiency. Energy consumption is another great saving brought about by the Multi-Mode single power supply design. Energy savings is close to 80% over individual digital machines operating separately (i.e. PC digital machine, Fax, copier, printer, scanner). When the MIMS SOHO digital machine is selected the individual can easily print, copy, scan documents, send faxes and E-mail, type letters and memos directly at the MIMS by using predetermined and simple selection and simple screen touch controls rather than having to be PC digital machine literate. Other improvements allow the individual to read messages received by the MIMS before selecting those messages which need to be printed. Paper savings will be enormous over the current Fax digital machines operating in standalone fashion. Currently Faxes must go to a PC digital machine separate from the Fax or Printer digital machine to have this preview paper saving capability. The virus, hackers, Internet privacy problems wasting so much time are additional by products of this same design approach. A PC digital machine mode should be (at most) only one of the selectable digital machines in a MIMS designed for a company. The MIMS designers should focus first on the company operational tasks such as order entry, accounts receivable, etc. to have a MIMS company digital machine. These can be combined along with office tasks such as faxing, E-mail, document scanning, copying, web site access, etc to have a single office MIMS housing that has several selectable digital machines. MIMS designed digital machines will allow these tasks to be accomplished simply, quickly, and reliably while avoiding TMM/TMI, which was discussed above in the Background section. Also, in the future, the Service industry will most likely start renting PC digital machine's (see co-pending application for such a PC digital machine rental system). A MIMS, such as described herein may be the only digital machine that a company or person needs to be fully functional in a typical SOHO information age environment. The employee training and digital machine service cost alone would yield tremendous savings to companies. The SOHO storage mode adds convenient storage capabilities to the MIMS that currently are not available in information digital machines other than PC digital machines or very specialized digital machines (see iomega beyond the PC products brochure given out at the 1998 Comdex show). These features will make it much easier for the SOHO individual to input and save digital machine information with out having to be PC digital machine literate. For example, received color messages can be stored on a Floppy disk located at one digital machine and transported to a color printer (more expensive MIMS) located at another digital machine or saved to the hard drive for later processing. In one preferred embodiment, two other digital machines, a TV digital machine and a Network digital machine, are incorporated into the MIMS to have a four digital machine system. Many more advantages to these options will be discussed in the more detailed description of the MIMS. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a multiple integrated machine system (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a “MIMS”), which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 1a is a diagrammatic view of a second embodiment of a multiple integrated machine system, which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the multiple integrated machine system in its logical interconnect form. FIG. 2a is a logical stand alone block diagram illustrating the elements of the multiple integrated machine system elements before being combined into the single block diagram of FIG. 2. FIG. 2b is an interconnect block diagram of the combined elements of the multiple integrated machine system. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the key subsystem hardware and Software elements which are fixed automatically when the various stand alone digital machines are selected. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the MIMS Digital machine Selector and Information Manager Menu display views and depicting four SOHO Multifunction or subgroup modes that can be selected by the user after selecting the SOHO digital machine. FIG. 5 is a more detailed illustration of the MIMS SOHO digital machine Message Center Manager display views depicting the Phone/Pager, Fax, and E-mail Manager View option choices. FIG. 6 is a more detailed illustration of the MIMS SOHO digital machine Document Center Manager display views depicting the Print, Copy, and Scan Manager View option choices. FIG. 7 is a more detailed illustration of the MIMS SOHO digital machine Storage Center Manager display views depicting the Disk, CD, and Tape Manager View option choices. FIG. 8 is a more detailed illustration of the MIMS SOHO digital machine Internet Center Manager display views depicting the Web Site, Service Provider, and Search Manager View option choices. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the digital machine selector switch for all four digital machines along with the subgroup functions selections view for each of the four digital machines. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a kiosk MIMS, which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a mobile MIMS, which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a hospitality MIMS, which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With the aid of FIGS. 1 thru 9 preferred embodiments of one Multiple Integrated Digital machine System (MIMS) 1 is described. The MIMS 1 is capable of performing as at least two or more digital machines 2. In the preferred embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1 and 1a, the MIMS 1 includes four digital machines 2, which by way of example are a Small Office Home Office machine (hereinafter referred to as a SOHO digital machine) 51, a PC digital machine 54, a network digital machine 52 and a TV digital machine 53. The MIMS 1 comprises two or more digital machine elements controlled by the same operating system software. In one preferred embodiment the operating system software is an operating system software commonly known in the art as “Linux” and in another preferred embodiment the operating system software is an operating system software commonly known in the art as “Windows NT”. In one preferred embodiment each digital machine element includes hardware portions and software portions as shown in the drawings and discussed hereinafter. Each machine element is capable of performing as part of one of the digital machines 2 and in one preferred embodiment each of the machine elements are different in structure and performance. The MIMS 1 further comprises a digital machine element grouping control unit 4 utilizes the same operating system software, such as Linux or Windows NT discussed above, for automatically and operatively connecting predetermined digital machine elements in a first combination to form one of the digital machines 2, such as the SOHO digital machine 51, upon receipt of a first digital machine selection whereby the digital machine elements forming the digital machine 2 are capable of performing one or more functions of the digital machine 2, and automatically and operatively connecting predetermined digital machine elements in a second combination to form another one of the digital machines 2, such as the PC digital machine 54, upon receipt of a second digital machine selection whereby the digital machine elements forming the second digital machine are capable of performing one or more functions of the second digital machine. The first combination of predetermined digital machine elements is different from the second combination of digital machine elements. Each of the digital machines 2 can have its own operating system software which can be different than the operating system software utilized by the digital machine element grouping control unit 4, or the operating system software utilized by the other digital machines. For example, in one preferred embodiment the operating system software utilized by the digital machine element grouping control unit 4 is a publicly available operating system software, such as Linux, and the operating system software utilized by the PC digital machine is a Windows operating system software produced by Microsoft, Inc. The MIMS 1 also includes a plurality of subgroup function control units with each subgroup function control unit being associated with one of the digital machines 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a subgroup function control unit 505 is associated with the SOHO digital machine 51, a subgroup function control unit 502 is associated with the network digital machine 52, a subgroup function control unit 503 is associated with the TV digital machine 53, and a subgroup function control unit 504 is associated with the PC digital machine 54. The subgroup function control units 505, 502, 503 and 504 selects for use one or more function modes to be performed by each respective digital machine 51, 52, 53 and 54. The terms “subgroup function control unit(s)”, “subgroup function mode view(s) and “view(s)” are utilized interchangeably herein. The digital machine elements incorporated into a housing 5 are shown in FIGS. 1 and FIG. 1a are described with the aid of FIG. 2, FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b along with FIG. 3 to describe how the individual digital machine elements are interconnected so as to allow selected digital machines 2 to share many of the same digital machine elements. Each of the four digital machines 2 that can be selected are described with the aid of FIG. 4 and FIG. 9. FIG. 4 also shows a digital machine manager view for the SOHO digital machine 51 that is one of the four selectable digital machines 2. The SOHO four multiple function subgroups are described in detail relative to each subgroup view available when the SOHO digital machine 51 is selected. The menus for each of the subgroup function control units for the SOHO digital machine 51 selected in FIG. 4 are described with the aid of FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 to illustrate the difference between selecting one of the multiple digital machines 2 that can be incorporated into the MIMS 1 and selecting one of the multiple function or subgroup modes that allow several functions to be performed in each mode available for the selected digital machine 2. The housing 5 for the MIMS 1 is shown in FIG. 1 along with some of the key digital machine elements. The power supply element 70 is connected to outside power via 7 and will provide power to all of the digital machine elements incorporated into each of the four selectable digital machines 2. A display 10 such as used in a portable computer like a Dell Inspiron 7500 is shown and is used by all four digital machines 2 as described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 2, 3 and FIGS. 5-8. A four digital machine selector switch 50 is shown along with four digital machine selections that are described in more detail in connection with FIG. 2 and FIG. 4. The digital machine selector switch 50 could have also been shown on the display 10 but was shown separately as touch keys on the housing 5 for clarity purposes as to draw a distinction between the selection of one of the available digital machines 2 discussed in connection with FIG. 2 and 4 as opposed to the selection of one of the digital machines multiple function or subgroup modes where each selected individual digital machine mode allows selection of multiple functions that can be performed by that particular digital machine 2 as discussed in connection with FIGS. 2, 3 and FIGS. 5-8. A keyboard 60 with mouse 3 such as used in a portable computer like a Dell Inspiron 7500 can be made to fold up into the housing 5 or made to attach to the housing 5 and is used by all four digital machines 2 as described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 2, 3 and FIGS. 5-8. Document feeder elements 20, 22, and 26 along with the paper feed elements 20, 24, and 26 like used in a HP office jet model 710 are used by all four digital machines as described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 2, 3 and FIGS. 5-8. A sound system 40 having a microphone 41 and speaker 47 like used in the Micron Millennia max model 733 is used by two of the digital machines 2 but in principal could be used by all four digital machines 2 if sound commands were incorporated into controlling the operation of each selected digital machine 2 for example. Communication connections to the MIMS 1 are made via connectors 91 through 96. Connection 91 is a standard RS 232 connection for connecting any of a multitude of devices using such standards such as a digital camera. Connection 92 is a standard USB connection for connecting any of a multitude of devices using such standards such as a video camera. Connection 93 is a standard network connection such as RJ 45 for connecting any of a multitude of network devices such as used in modern office client server network. Connection 94 is a standard Parallel 25 pin connection such as used by most printers for connecting any of a multitude of devices such as a video camera. Connection 95 is a set of three RJ 11 connections (could be one DSL connection) for connecting a number of phone lines so that several phone dependent devices in several digital machines 2 can be operating simultaneously when the digital machines 2 are placed in automatic mode as described in more detail in connection with FIG. 4. Connection 96 is a standard RJ 51 cable connection for connecting high bandwidth systems such as a TV network to the MIMS 1. A storage system 30 with a hard disk plus a number of storage elements are shown in convenient proximity to the MIMS digital machine operator. A removable hard disk 32 such as used by lomega along with standard storage drives for Floppy disk storage units 34, PCMCIA storage units 37, CD ROM or DVD storage units 36 and Tape storage units 38 are shown in FIG. 1. The storage elements are used by all four digital machines as described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 2, 3 and FIGS. 5-8. The elements and connections described in FIG. 1 are all incorporated into a single housing which only requires the consumer to unpack a single unit and make the proper power and communication connections to have a four digital machine system ready for operation within a manner of a few minutes. The fact that one of the four digital machines 2 that can be selected (see selector 50) is an advanced PC digital machine 54 that can print without having to be connected by external cables to a separate printer digital machine or can scan documents with out having to be connected to a separate scanner digital machine is truly convenient to the consumer. But when one also considers that another of the four digital machines that can be selected (see selector 50) is a small office home office (SOHO) digital machine 51 which has four multifunction or subgroup modes (see FIG. 4) of which just one of the four multifunction or subgroup modes is the equivalent of a single “multiple function digital machine” being built today such as a HP model 710 multiple function digital machine then the features incorporated into the MIMS design becomes apparent. Verification that the consumer wants true digital machine “plug and play” is evident by the resurgence of interest in the Apple Computers when they recently combined many of the simple PC elements into a single housing such as the modem and sound system that are configured automatically when the consumer makes a few simple connections. The Apple changes were just to a single multiple function digital machine but the consumer embraced the “plug and play” digital machine element packaging approach. The multiple digital machine elements in the same housing were also proven quickly with for example the popularity of the single digital machine with multiple functions such as the HP model 710 multifunction digital machine that performs four functions when connected to a PC. When not connected to a PC the HP model 710 digital machine can perform two functions. The convenience features of the multiple digital machine each with multiple modes each having multiple functions will become more evident with the descriptions in connection with FIGS. 5-8. In FIG. 1a all the elements described in connection with FIG. 1 are again shown but rather than have all elements incorporated into the single housing 5, a basic computer housing is connected to a much lower cost housing for the other elements required to construct the same four digital machine MIMS 1. Such an arrangement of elements is the preferred embodiment that allows manufactures much more flexibility and allows consumers with computers (especially portable computers) to purchase the low cost version of the MIMS 1 until they are ready to upgrade to a single housing MIMS 1. Also the element configuration of FIG. 1a allows the housing 5 elements with the digital machine selector switch 50 to be connected to the PC housing 5 elements via an office network system connector 93 where every client on the network would have a four digital machine MIMS 1 at their disposal even though they might have to go to a different location to use some of the document center functions. MIMS key subsystem electronic machine elements corresponding to the physical digital machine elements of FIGS. 1 and 1a are shown in FIG. 2 and again in FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b. In FIG. 2 the key subsystem machine elements inside of the MIMS housing 5 along with their interconnections are shown. The power supplied to all of the key subsystem elements is derived from the common power supply 70 and sent to the key subsystem machine elements described in FIG. 1 and shown again in FIG. 2 in their electrical form via lines 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 and 77. The preferred power supply 70 embodiment would have redundant power supply ability to supply key machine elements such as the MIMS motherboard unit 80. The MIMS motherboard unit 80 in combination with the digital machine selector switch 50 form the digital machine element grouping control unit 4. That is, the MIMS motherboard unit 80 and the digital machine selector switch 50 cooperate to provide all of the functionality of the machine element grouping control unit 4. The power supply 70 receives energy from line 7 which could be either ac or dc energy. The key subsystem logic elements are housed on the MIMS motherboard unit 80 discussed in detail in connection with FIG. 3. The MIMS motherboard unit 80 in cooperation with the digital machine selection switch 50 connected to the MIMS motherboard unit 80 via line 52 controls the predetermined subsystem elements used by each digital machine 2 selected and in part helps configure the predetermined individual function mode selection subsystem element drivers discussed in more detail in connection with FIG. 3. For example if a digital machine 2 is selected via the digital machine selection switch 50 via line 52 connected to the MIMS motherboard unit 80 that requires the use of the sound system 40 elements 41 or 47 the line 85 from the MIMS motherboard unit 80 selects the digital machine elements to go with the selected digital machine 2 that uses the sound system 40 elements 41 and 47 in some or all of its predetermined function mode functions. Subsequently the line 82 from the MIMS motherboard unit 80 is connected to the sound system 40 elements 41 or 47 as required by the function mode control menu selections described in more detail in connection with both FIG. 3 and FIGS. 5-8. A similar connection process allows commands sent on the digital machine selection line 85 along with commands sent on the mode function selection line 81 to control the MIMS display 10. The MIMS keyboard 60 is connected and controlled by commands sent on line 83 and commands sent on line 85 in a similar manner. The predetermined communication ports are selected for the digital machine 2 by commands sent on line 85 and for the function or subgroup modes by commands sent on line 84. The predetermined storage elements 30 are selected for the digital machine 2 by commands sent on line 85 and for the function or subgroup modes by commands sent on lines 870's described in more detail in connection with FIG. 3. The predetermined paper product elements are selected for the digital machine 2 by commands sent on line 85 and for the function or subgroup modes by commands sent on lines 860's described in more detail in connection with FIG. 3. In FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b and alternative description of how common generic elements from individual multiple function digital machines are integrated into a single system whereby the individual subsystem elements can be shared and predetermined individual digital machines can be constructed in the multiple integrated digital machine system so that the selected digital machines have more multiple function capability than they had before being integrated into a MIMS designed system. For the sake of clarity items on FIGS. 2a and 2b are identified so as not to correspond to items on any of the other Figures since FIGS. 2a and 2b are only used to describe the invention in terms that might make the integration process more clear to those skilled in the art of digital machine design. In FIG. 2a six multiple function digital machines are depicted wherein all of the key subsystem digital machine elements of each digital machine such as 003 representing the keyboard (KB) element, 005 representing the housing (H) element, 007 representing the power supply (PS) element, 010 representing the display (D) element, 015 representing the software driver (SDE) elements, 020 representing the paper product (PU) elements, 022 representing the memory (M) element, 025 representing the hardware driver (HDE) elements, 037 representing the software program (SE) elements, 040 representing the storage elements (STE), 050 representing the computer (C) element, and 060 representing the connector port (CP) elements. For each digital machine 2 that has such a digital machine element described above, a digital machine symbol to denote that element is present if that particular multiple function digital machine 2 requires such an element. The symbol “S” is used in FIG. 2a for scanner multiple function digital machine subsystem elements. The symbol “C” is used in FIG. 2a for the copier multiple function digital machine subsystem elements. The symbol “P” is used in FIG. 2a for the Phone multiple function digital machine subsystem elements. The symbol “F” is used in FIG. 2a for the Fax multiple function digital machine subsystem elements. The symbol “TV” is used in FIG. 2a for the TV multiple function digital machine subsystem elements. The symbol “PC” is used in FIG. 2a for the Personal Computer multiple function digital machine subsystem elements. Thus FIG. 2a shows how much redundancy is present when the six digital machines shown are purchased separately and especially if the digital machines are purchased by the same individual or company which is normally the case. FIG. 2b shows the same elements with the number “1” preceding each of the generic subsystem machine elements and adding an “M” following the digital machine element such as 1003M in FIG. 2b to denote the shared key board in the MIMS design versus the six 003 keyboards of FIG. 2a and 1010M in FIG. 2b denoting the shared display in the MIMS design versus the six 010 displays of FIG. 2a. The descriptions of FIGS. 2a and 2b along with the operational description given with FIG. 2 make it clear to those skilled in the art how to physically and electrically integrate the multiple digital machine elements into the single housing 5 where many of the subsystem digital machine elements are shared by each of the predetermined selectable digital machines 2. In FIG. 3 the MIMS motherboard 80 design is further described to make it clear to software designers skilled in the art how to construct and control the key subsystem digital machine elements used in the four digital machine system used to describe the MIMS design method. In FIG. 3 the MIMS hardware and software drivers located on the MIMS motherboard 80 are each shown receiving power via line 71 and interconnected to a MIMS computer processor and memory unit 800 that also receives power via line 71. The MIMS computer processor and memory unit 800 houses the digital machine configuration control logic for each of the key subsystem machine elements and can be built using one (or several if redundancy is important) Intel Pentium III class processor with 256K of cache memory connected to 128 megabytes of RAM by those skilled in the art using one of the linux or Windows NT operating systems or each manufacture can design their own operating system since most of the drivers and programs are digital machine specific. The MIMS computer processor and memory unit 800 runs the operating system software to automatically and operatively connect predetermined digital machine elements in predetermined combinations to form the digital machines 2, such as the SOHO digital machine 51, the network digital machine 52, the TV digital machine 53 and the PC digital machine 54. This is especially true for future digital machines where the PC digital machine 54 is not even one of the selections (most likely for MIMS 1 built for company use.) or the PC digital machine 54 is nothing more than a webTV based service provider requiring a local keyboard, display, storage, and printing system. Each of the four digital machine configurations are predetermined and the predetermined key subsystem digital machine elements are connected automatically upon selection by the digital machine operator of one of the four choices provided by the digital machine selector switch 50. Upon selecting a specific digital machine 2 via the digital machine selector switch 50 the 800 unit is notified via line 52 connected to the digital machine selector hardware driver 500 which is connected to the MIMS computer processor and memory unit 800 via line 501. Once the MIMS computer processor and memory unit 800 receives a signal on line 501 to the software driver (noted by the “s block connected to line 501”) associated with the digital machine 2 selected, a unique command is sent out on line 85 connected to all other key element software driver blocks also located on the MIMS computer processor and memory unit 800 and to all the hardware driver elements as discussed in connection with FIG. 2. Depending upon the predetermined command generated by the 501s software driver and sent to all other software driver control programs via line 85 each key subsystem digital machine element can then be made to operate as part of the selected digital machine 2 or not made to operate as part of the selected digital machine 2 or made to operate in a particular fashion as part of the selected digital machine 2 (for example the software and hardware driver for the printer element might be one configuration when the SOHO digital machine 51 is selected and another configuration when the PC digital machine 54 is selected). Once the digital machine key subsystem software driver elements which are drivers normally supplied by the manufactures of these elements housed on the MIMS computer processor and memory unit 800 are activated via the command from 501s sent via line 85 to one or more of the 601s, 101s, 401s, 381s, 361s, 341s, 321s, 331s, 211s, 221s, 241s, 261s, 842s, 844s, 845s, 841s, 843s, and 846s drivers they then cause an active set of predetermined digital machine hardware and software drivers to be formed that can be used by the selected digital machine 2 subgroup function control unit, e.g. the multiple function mode control menus (described in more detail in connection with FIG. 4 and FIGS. 5-9) to cause the selected digital machine 2 to perform predetermined functions using predetermined programs that cause the digital machine 2 to perform the predetermined function selected by the digital machine operator from one of the menus. These activated hardware elements are subsequently controlled via active software drivers 601s, 101s, 401s, 381s, 361s, 341s, 321s, 331s, 211s, 221s, 241s, 261s, 842s, 844s, 845s, 841s, 843s, and 846s sending commands via lines 601, 101, 401, 381, 361, 341, 321, 331, 211, 221, 241, 261, 842, 844, 845, 841, 843, and 846 to the hardware driver elements 600, 100, 400, 380, 360, 340, 320, 330, 210, 220, 240, 260, 942. 944, 945, 941, 943, and 946 each of which can be made from well known electrical interface units to those skilled in the art. For example digital machine element 330 could be the equivalent of a Maxtor 20.4 GB IDE hard drive model 92040D or the equivalent of a 18.2 IBM model 31835ON using a SCSI controller Adaptec model 294OU. Digital machine elements 320 and 340 could be the equivalent of the Presario 1800 3.5″ 120/1.44 MB hi-capacity super disk drive, element 360 could be the equivalent of Toshiba model XM6602B or element 360 could be the equivalent of Toshiba DVD RAM 3 drives in one, element 380 could be the equivalent of Sony Model 7000AI, element 370 could be the equivalent of the type II card slot in the Sony Model VAIO Z505. It should be noted however that there are the equivalent of two modems for 945 elements such as a Compaq 56K V.90 data/fax modem plus a legacy public phone interface along with a DSL for fast internet connection and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) drivers and the network 943 elements could have both wireless and hardwire connection port drivers for many home or office appliances being built to use the new wireless network protocol such as Bluetooth and the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) being incorporated into mobile devices. These hardware and software drivers are commercially available and the prior art versions or newer versions incorporated into the MIMS 1 by those skilled in the art. Once one of the digital machines 2 is selected by the digital machine selector switch 50 using the method described in connection with FIG. 3 then the selected digital machine 2 can perform predetermined functions as described with the aid of FIG. 4 and FIGS. 5-9. FIG. 4 shows the four digital machine selector switch 50 where the SOHO digital machine 51 has been selected and the selection causes a configuration manager view 505 to be displayed to the digital machine operator. In one preferred embodiment, the SOHO digital machine 51 has at least two (and preferably all) of the function modes selected from the group comprising a message center mode, a document center mode, a storage center mode, and an internet center mode as indicated by the reference numerals 510, 540, 570, or 580 of the SOHO digital machine to operate either automatically by selecting 511, 541, 571, or 581 or manually by selecting 512, 542, 572, or 582. When operating automatically both the hardware and software driver elements discussed in connection with FIG. 3 are activated even though the SOHO digital machine 51 might not be the currently selected digital machine. The automatic selection is the preferred default selection for the SOHO digital machine 51. The reasons will become more apparent when discussing the multiple functions associated with each of the four SOHO digital machine function or subgroup modes 510, 540, 570, and 580 described in more detail with the aid of FIGS. 5-8. Each of the FIGS. 5-8 shows a selection view which first appears when one of the four functions or subgroup modes is selected from the display 505. The selection view has three additional managers views, for each of the subgroup functions that can be selected, shown on the same Figure as the selection view for clarity purposes. These additional subgroup function views for each of the four subgroup function modes are all part of the single SOHO digital machine 51. Upon selecting one of the three subgroup functions views from the selection menu in each of the four Figures the actual predetermined functions that can be performed are available to the operator using choices available on one of the three subgroup functions views. For these descriptions it will be assumed that each of the four SOHO digital machine subgroup function modes subsystem machine elements have been placed in the automatic position. This action for example allows all three phone lines 95a, 95b. and 95c to be in operation at the same time. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the SOHO digital machine 51 could be sending e-mail via one of the methods selectable from view 535, answering the fax line via one of the methods selectable from view 525, while the operator is using view 515 to talk on the phone. If for example the SOHO digital machine 51 was not in the automatic mode the fax line and e-mail line might not be made to operate if view 515 was selected by the operator. The simple function features given as an example for FIG. 5 operating in the automatic mode are currently only available with office message centers connected into elaborate and expensive client/server systems. With the MIMS design most of these common occurrence type multiple operating functions are automatic and each of them take place by predetermined methods designed into the system, rather than by skills learned to operate a complicated PC or Work station system. More interesting is that these same three functions could also be taking place simultaneously if the operator had been using the PC digital machine 54 and wanted to use skills learned at some earlier time and possibly do more sophisticated PC related communications task than possible when using the functions available from the three SOHO digital machine views 515, 525 and 535. Thus, the skill levels of the MIMS user can range from the sophisticated client/server user to the PC illiterate operator and in all cases the MIMS allows a much more productive person no matter their skill level. The three managers views shown with each of the FIGS. 5-8 can be displayed simultaneously, individually or placed on an icon bar that allows quick access to each of the modes or subgroup functions manager views. The main functions for each of the managers views can be described with the aid of the lower case symbols labeling each of the view choices. The 12 SOHO views shown in FIGS. 5-8 and the multiple functions shown for each view are only some of those that could be designed into a commercial MIMS 1 rather than the ones selected to demonstrate the invention in this application. However, the views selected and the functions available on each view selected are for a preferred embodiment of the SOHO digital machine 51. For each View selected a predetermined subgroup of function software programs are loaded into the RAM memory 800 element from the hard disk 330 element discussed in connection with FIG. 3. The software programs are, in one preferred embodiment, object oriented programs that run independently once activated by a view operator command as described in connection with the manager views. These predetermined object oriented programs are part of the MIMS 1 and utilize the software driver element subsystems that had been activated for the selected digital machine 2 to perform the predetermined function selected by the operator to make the subsystem element hardware drivers work properly as discussed in connection with FIG. 3. Since they are part of the MIMS 1, the MIMS manufacture can provide improved sub groups of software programs to their customers that can be used to up grade some or all digital machines 2 in the MIMS 1 and add more predetermined functions or even add more views instead of requiring customers to buy new digital machines 2 every few years. This software upgrade concept is currently only done for computer digital machines when a new operating system is made available such as upgrading from windows 95 to windows 98 or specialty program upgrades such as upgrading from office 97 to office 2000. The MIMS 1 design extends the concept to multiple digital machines housed in the same apparatus other than just computer upgrades. The computer upgrades would of course still be available in the embodiment of the MIMS 1 having the PC digital machine 54 as one of the multiple digital machine selections by selecting the PC digital machine 54 and installing the upgrade package per the vendor instruction. However, in one preferred embodiment, the same operating system software controlling each of the digital machine elements of the MIMS 1 is upgraded to provide at least one or more additional predetermined combination of digital machine elements to form at least one or more additional machines and an additional subgroup function control unit for each additional digital machine than was present in the MIMS 1 prior to the upgrade. Of course, in this last embodiment, the digital machine selector switch 50 of the digital machine element grouping control unit 4 would also be automatically updated by the upgrade to provide a reference thereon to permit selection of the additional digital machine or machines added by the upgrade. Furthermore, in this last embodiment the digital machine selector switch 50 could be provided on the display 10 and selected by the MIMS user by any suitable device, such as the mouse 3, the keyboard 60 or touch keys provided on the display 10. FIG. 5 shows the message center mode 512 selection view which appears if 570 is selected from the display 505. The managers view 512 has three additional message subgroup functions managers views that can be selected. These additional views are designated as 515 for the phone/pager functions management, 525 for the fax functions management and 535 for the E-mail functions management which are all part of the SOHO digital machine 51 single message center mode 510. Upon selecting one of the three views 515, 525, or 535 from the menu 512 the actual predetermined functions that can be performed are available to the operator. In the preferred embodiment of operation, selecting the phone/page manager view 515 automatically allows the operator to start dialing a number using the keyboard 60 and the number shows up on the display 10 in the 515d window or a phone or pager directory can be used by clicking on either 515e or 515f and selecting a number. The selected number will be dialed automatically by selecting 515dd and sent by the legacy phone systems or over the internet if the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is used by selecting 515c. When a call is incoming either by legacy or over the Internet the 515 menu automatically pops up (even if another digital machine is being used such as the TV digital machine 53 or PC digital machine 54) and the calling person's number or name (if the calling number is in the phone book with a name) is given to the operator on 515d and the operator can take the call by selecting 515dd or 515c depending on the type of call. In the preferred embodiment, if the incoming call includes a digital machine protocol the 515 menu will not pop up (that is the SOHO digital machine 51 will check to see if a digital machine (FAX, Modem, etc) is calling and connect to the proper view 515, 525 or 535. This feature is very important as automated digital machine communication systems become the dominant communication means in the future and ringing is not necessary if digital machine language is being sent. The 515 view also allows the operator to cause their pager messages to show up on the display 10 if the paging company offers this dual service (send the message both Internet and wireless) as disclosed in a co-pending advanced phone system application. These messages along with audio messages can be seen by selecting 515l. Incoming messages that a person does not want to take can be sent to the voice box by selecting 515a. A person can be put on hold by selecting 515g and a person can hang up the phone by selecting 515k. Messages can be recorded to send to individuals or groups by selecting 515b and recording messages can be stored by selecting 515h. Messages can be sent to groups by selecting 515i and then selecting the group of numbers from 515e or 515f or typing from the keyboard 60. When the group of numbers is complete the 515dd or 515c is selected to send the message out to all the numbers in the group. Other means of getting messages for sending or saving is to select 515b during a phone conversation and the portion of the conversation transpiring while 515b has been activated is being saved and can be heard by selecting 515h and can be sent to others by the method described earlier. When 515j is selected the phone system directs all messages to the voice box 515a. To cancel the view click on 515k. In the preferred embodiment of operation, selecting the Fax manager view 525 automatically allows the operator to start filling in a fax cover sheet that has a predetermined format with a place for name, text, sender information and phone numbers (or using a saved cover sheet) including the number to be dialed using the keyboard 60. In this last example, the data shows up on the cover sheet presented to the operator on the display 10 shown as the 525d window. Also a fax directory can be used by clicking on either 525f or 525g and selecting a number or fax group of numbers for use with the message. The selected numbers will be dialed automatically by selecting 525e and sent by the legacy phone systems (or over the internet if the Internet view has configured the apparatus to send all messages over the Internet). When a Fax call is incoming either by legacy or over the Internet the 525 menu will automatically pop up (even if another digital machine is being used such as the TV or PC digital machine) and the calling fax number or name (if the calling number is in the phone book with a name) is given to the operator on 525d and the operator can see the fax by selecting 525j or print the fax by selecting 525b. In the preferred embodiment, if the incoming call is a digital machine protocol the 515 menu will not pop up (that is the apparatus will check to see if a digital machine (FAX, Modem, etc) is calling and connect to the proper view 515, 525 or 535. The 525 view also allows the operator to attach messages to faxes that might be stored in the PC digital machine directory or from a Storage unit element by selecting 525h and selecting the message to be sent before selecting 525e. Messages can also be faxed from articles scanned in by selecting 525bb and then selecting 525e. A fax transmission can be canceled at any time by selecting 525i. The incoming faxes go into the fax box automatically if the operator does not respond to an incoming fax unless the print option 525b is selected as the no answer option. The preferred embodiment selects the fax box as the default option in case no response is given from the pop up 525 view within 5 seconds, for example. Incoming faxes or faxes stored in the fax box can be recorded on any of the storage center choices if 525c is selected. To cancel the view click on 525i. In the preferred embodiment of operation selecting the E-mail manager view 535 automatically allows the operator to start filling in an E-mail cover sheet that has a predetermined format with a place for name, text, sender information and E-mail addresses (or using a saved cover sheet) including the e-mail address using the keyboard 60 and the data shows up on the cover sheet presented to the operator on the display 10 shown as the 535d window. Also an E-mail directory can be used by clicking on either 535f or 535g and selecting an address or group of E-mail address for use with the message. The selected numbers will be dialed automatically by selecting 535e and sent over the internet using the ISP set up when using one of the Internet manager views when 580 is selected. When an E-mail call is incoming over the Internet the 535 menu will automatically pop up (even if another digital machine 2 is being used such as the TV digital machine 53 or PC digital machine 54) and the calling E-mail number or name (if the calling number is in the phone book with a name) is given to the operator on 535d and the operator can see the E-mail by selecting 535j or print the E-mail by selecting 535b. In the preferred embodiment, if the incoming call is a digital machine protocol the 515 menu will not pop up (that is the apparatus will check to see if a digital machine (FAX, Modem, etc) is calling and connect to the proper view 515, 525 or 535. The 535 view also allows the operator to attach messages to E-mail that might be stored in the PC digital machine directory or from a Storage unit element by selecting 535h and selecting the message to be sent before selecting 535e. Messages can also be E-mailed from articles scanned in by selecting 535bb and then selecting 535e or if the 535 view is called up while on the internet, web pages can be attached and sent to individuals and groups. An E-mail transmission can be canceled at any time by selecting 535i. The incoming E-mail messages go into the E-mail box automatically if the operator does not respond to an incoming E-mail unless the print option 535b is selected as the no answer option. The preferred embodiment selects the E-mail box as the default option in case no response is given from the pop up 535 view within 5 seconds, for example. Incoming E-mail or E-mail stored in the E-mail box can be recorded on any of the storage center choices if 535c is selected. To cancel the view click on 535i. FIG. 6 shows the Document center mode 542 selection view which appears if 540 is selected from the display 505. The selection view 542 has three additional document function managers views that can be selected. These additional views are 545 for the Print functions management, 555 for the copy functions management and 565 for the scan functions management which are all part of the SOHO digital machine single document center mode 540. Upon selecting one of the three views 545, 555, or 565 from the menu 542 the actual predetermined functions that can be performed are available to the operator. In the preferred embodiment the print manager view 545 allows the operator to start typing on the display 10 as represented by 545d using the keyboard 60 and using a predetermined word processor with a predetermined Graphical User Interface (GUI) program such as MS word or a simple What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) program. The operator can open a previously saved document using 545h and 545b or save a document using 545i. The select function 545b can also be used to select only a portion of a document on 545d to save using 545i, or print using 545a or send using 545c. Colors can be selected from 545e including black and white only and paper size can be selected using 545f to easily control paper requirements that are predetermined selections compatible with the hardware paper product digital machine elements 24 and 26. Any of the printed documents on the 545d screen can be sent by e-mail or fax by using 545c as these selections automatically pull up the views 525 and 535 discussed in connection with FIG. 5. When a document is ready to print the operator mouse clicks or touches 545a or if speech commands are incorporated as discussed earlier the operator might say “print”. To cancel the view click on 545g. In one preferred embodiment, one of the digital machine elements of the SOHO digital machine 51 is a storage digital machine element, such as the removable hard disk 32, storing a plurality of predetermined email addresses and wherein when the subgroup function control unit 505 selects the document center mode 540 and the SOHO digital machine 51 receives an email message transmitted from an email address stored in the storage digital machine element, the SOHO digital machine 51 prints the email message. In the preferred embodiment, the copy manager view 555 allows the operator to start selecting documents using 555b to copy in the paper product assembly 28 or to add another document that can be opened by 555h to the document that is in the assembly 28 (this feature is not currently available with stand alone copy digital machines). The selection function 555b also allows the single or combined documents to be reviewed prior to copying. Both documents can be put on the display 10 as represented by 545d using the 555b review option. The operator can save a document using 545i without printing so that using just 555b and 555h along with 555i the document center allows physical documents to be added and saved without actually printing the documents. The select function 555b can also be used to select only a portion of a document displayed on 555d to save using 555i, or copy using 555a or send using 555c. Colors can be selected from 555e including black and white only and paper size can be selected using 555f to easily control paper requirements that are predetermined selections compatible with the hardware paper product digital machine elements 28 and 26. Any of the compiled documents on the 555d screen can be sent by e-mail or fax by using 555c as these selections automatically pull up the views 525 and 535 discussed in connection with FIG. 5. When a document is ready to copy the operator mouse clicks or touches 555a or if speech commands are incorporated as discussed earlier the operator might say “copy”. To cancel the view click on 555g. In the preferred embodiment, the scan manager view 565 allows the operator to start selecting documents using 565b to scan in from the paper product assembly 28 or to add another document that can be opened by 565h to the document that is in the assembly 28 (this feature is not currently available with stand alone scan digital machines). The selection function 565b also allows the single or combined documents to be reviewed prior to saving or sending or printing (note the document pulled up from storage does not have to be scanned to the display 10). Both documents can be put on the display 10 as represented by 565d using the 565b review option. The operator can save a document using 565i without printing so that using just 565b and 565h along with 565i the scan center also allows physical documents to be added to previously saved documents and saved without actually printing the documents. The select function 565b can also be used to select only a portion of a document displayed on 565d to save using 565i, or print using 565e or send using 565c. Paper size can be selected using 565f to easily control paper requirements that are predetermined selections compatible with the hardware paper product digital machine elements 24 and 26. Any of the printed documents on the 565d screen can be sent by e-mail or fax by using 565c as these selections automatically pull up the views 525 and 535 discussed in connection with FIG. 5. When a document is ready to print the operator mouse clicks or touches 565e or if speech commands are incorporated as discussed earlier the operator might say “print”. To cancel the view click on 565g. FIG. 7 shows the Storage center mode 572 selection view which appears if 570 is selected from display 505. The selection view 572 has three additional storage functions managers views that can be selected. These additional views are 575 for the disk functions management, 585 for the CD functions management and 595 for the tape functions management which are all part of the SOHO digital machine single Storage center mode 510. Upon selecting one of the three views 575, 585, or 595 from the menu 572 the actual predetermined functions that can be performed are available to the operator. In the preferred embodiment the disk manager view 575 allows the operator to start selecting the storage elements using 575a for a floppy or other 3.5″ removable disk, 575b selects the hard drive options and 575c selects the PMCIA card options. The directory and file information on the media in that drive will automatically be displayed on the display 10 as noted by 575d. 575f can be used to open any of the files selected from the display 10. The opened file can be saved to another media using 575e and 575g along with 575f or the information on the display 10 can be printed using 575h which pulls up the 545 view discussed in connection with FIG. 6. In the preferred embodiment the CD manager view 585 allows the operator to start selecting the storage elements using 585a for a CD ROM drive or 585b selects a DVD drive even though they might use the same hardware element as discussed in connection with FIG. 3. The directory and file information on the media in that drive will automatically be displayed on the display 10 as noted by 585d. 585f can be used to open any of the files selected from the display 10. The opened file can be saved to another media using 585e and 585g along with 585f or the information on the display 10 can be printed using 585h which pulls up the 545 view discussed in connection with FIG. 6. In the preferred embodiment, the tape manager view 595 allows the operator to select the tape element function using 595a to open up the directory for display on 10 as indicated by 595d or 595b selects the Tape backup function. When 595a is selected, the directory and file information on the tape will automatically be displayed on the display 10 as noted by 595d (non digital tapes can be displayed if the TV digital machine has been set up to convert the tapes to the display 10 otherwise they can only be displayed using the TV display as described in connection with the TV digital machine). 595f can be used to open any of the files selected from the display 10. The opened file can be saved to another media using 595e and 595g along with 595f or the information on the display 10 can be printed using 595h which pulls up the 545 view discussed in connection with FIG. 6. If print is selected before a file is opened then the 545 view allows the file directory to be printed. If the backup function 595b is selected files can be opened using 595e and select opened files displayed on the display 10 using 595f. The selection process can be repeated until all of the files selected are ready to be backed up onto tape. Once all the files listed on the display 10 are ready to be backed up, the saved function 595g asks for information identifying the batch of files selected and then clicking or touching the backup function 595b again causes the files to be backed up onto the tape or tapes. FIG. 8 shows the Internet center mode 582 selection view which appears if 580 is selected from display 505. The selection view 582 has three additional Internet functions managers views that can be selected. These additional views are 583 for the website functions management, 587 for the service provider functions management and 588 for the search engine functions management which are all part of the SOHO digital machine single Internet center mode 580. Upon selecting one of the three views 583, 587, or 588 from the menu 582 the actual predetermined functions that can be performed are available to the operator. In the preferred embodiment, the web site manager view 583 allows the operator to select the Web site to build, modify or visit using 583a and 583b. 583a requires the operator to either select “new” or enter a URL before selecting 583b will cause one of the predetermined function programs to operate. The new or established Website selected will be displayed on the display 10 as indicated by 583d. Web sites can be saved or opened using 583h or 583g along with 583f. Also 583g can be used to open other files along with the select 583f function in the same manner as described in connection with FIGS. 6 and 7 and the save function 583h is also used in a similar fashion as the earlier descriptions. The print function 583e causes the print manager view 545 to appear and can be operated as described in connection with FIG. 6. To cancel the view click on 583c. In the preferred embodiment, the Service provider manager view 587 allows the operator to select the service providers used for the various websites the operator has access and authorization to visit or obtain service for the digital machine. In many cases this will be determined by the client/server system the MIMS 1 is connected as described in more detail in connection with the network digital machine. Using 587a and 587b automatically connects the digital machine to the service provider selected and automatically selects the preferred browser for that service provider. 587g allows a set of service providers to be opened if one knows the account and password information and 587h allows a service provider to be saved along with the security information required to be connected. The print function 587e causes the print manager view 545 to appear and can be operated as described in connection with FIG. 6. To cancel the view click on 587c. In the preferred embodiment the Search manager view 588 allows the operator to select predetermined types of search such as a single engine search or a multiple engine search that is available with the service provider selected on view 587. The information can be saved using 588g and 588h. The print function 587e causes the print manager view 545 to appear and can be operated as described in connection with FIG. 6. To cancel the view click on 588c. In FIG. 9 the digital machine manager View for the Network digital machine 52 is shown as 502, the view for the TV digital machine 53 is 503, and the PC digital machine 54 view is 504. Each of the three digital machine manager views are similar in design and functional purpose to the SOHO digital machine manager view 505 shown in FIG. 4 and shown again in FIG. 9 to emphasize the distinction between a multiple digital machine apparatus where each digital machine has multiple function subgroups like disclosed in this invention versus a prior art apparatus that is a multiple function single digital machine device or a prior art apparatus sometimes referred to as an “All In One” device. Each of the views in FIG. 9 show the subgroup functions available for each of the four digital machines 51, 52, 53, and 54. Each of the views 502, 503, 504 or 505 will be produced from the selector switch 50 as described to select the SOHO digital machine with the aid of FIG. 4. Also, for each digital machine selected the detailed subgroup function mode views could be described in the same manner used to describe the four SOHO digital machine subgroup mode multiple function views with the aid of FIGS. 5-8. However, since each of the subgroup mode views 505, 502, 503 and 504 for each of the digital machines 51, 52, 53, and 54 in FIG. 9 use the same procedures as described previously for selecting each subgroup functions view for each digital machine in this four digital machine apparatus these steps will not be repeated. Instead, the key subgroup functions for each of the 502 subgroup functions 502a and 502b, 503 subgroup functions 503a, and 503b and 504 subgroup functions 504a and 504b will be discussed in terms of basic multiple function capability for each of the three digital machines. The Network Digital machine 52 has two subgroup function selections as shown in the digital machine subgroup functions view 502 of FIG. 9. The 502a subgroup of functions referred to as the client/server center produce a selection view for the client and a selection view for the server (two subgroup functions selection menus). The client view (not shown) associated with 502a controls the functions involved in connecting the operators digital machine to a server network and allows the client to share resources including the multiple digital machines available in the particular MIMS connected to the network. For example the client can share their SOHO digital machine or just parts of the SOHO digital machine such as the Storage center functions and the document center functions. The server view (not shown) associated with 502a shows the client what other resources and MIMS digital machines and subgroup functions on the network are available the clients MIMS network digital machine. For example the Server view functions would allow connection to the company Internet service provider or the company Intranet server and provide a list of available Applications that can be run when the client selects the MIMS PC digital machine. Note that only two multiple function views were associated with the client/server center where as three views (515, 525, and 535) were associated with the message center multiple subgroup functions discussed in connection with FIG. 5. The 502b subgroup of functions referred to as the home center produce a selection view for connecting the digital machine to home networks and a selection view for the connecting home appliance devices (two subgroup functions selection menus). The home networks view (not shown) associated with 502b controls the functions involved in connecting the digital machine to home network including wireless and allows the operator to share resources including the multiple digital machines available in the particular MIMS connected to the network. For example the client can share their SOHO digital machine or just parts of the SOHO digital machine such as the Storage center functions and the document center functions to other household users with computer digital machines. The Appliances view (not shown) associated with 502b allows the operator to connect other resources on the home network. For example the appliances view functions would allow connection to a wireless keyboard for keyboard 60 in FIG. 1 and for selecting the home TV as the display so that the operator could watch TV while surfing the net. Note that only two multiple function views were also associated with the 502b center whereas three views (515, 525, and 535) were associated with the message center multiple subgroup functions discussed in connection with FIG. 5. The TV Digital machine 53 has two subgroup function selections as shown in the digital machine subgroup functions view 503 of FIG. 9. The 503a subgroup of functions referred to as the TV center produce a single selection view for selecting TV connections (one subgroup functions selection menu). The TV connection view (not shown) associated with 503a controls the functions involved in connecting the operators digital machine to a cable, antenna, or satellite system and allows the operator to select Web TV operation and connect through the phone or cable (if cable Web TV connection is available) Also this view allows the operator to connect the TV system to the SOHO digital machine Storage center for recording TV shows and programming recording channels and recording times. Note that only one multiple subgroup functions view was associated with the TV center (two would be logical one for connections and one for recording but one was used to emphasize the flexibility offered the manufacture) where as three views (515, 525, and 535) were associated with the message center multiple subgroup functions discussed in connection with FIG. 5. The 503b subgroup of functions referred to as the sound center produce a selection view for connecting the digital machine to home audio equipment (a one subgroup functions selection menu). The sound center view (not shown) associated with 503b controls the functions involved in connecting the digital machine to audio and radio equipment and selecting the recording capabilities associated with each one. For example the operator can record music from a home entertainment center to a SOHO Storage center device. Note that only one multiple subgroup functions view was associated with the sound center (two would be logical one for connections and one for recording but one was used to emphasize the flexibility offered the manufacture) where as three views (515, 525, and 535) were associated with the message center multiple subgroup functions discussed in connection with FIG. 5. The PC Digital machine 54 has multiple PC digital machine program functions and wherein the subgroup function control unit 504 selects for use one or more of the PC digital machine program functions as shown in the subgroup function control unit 504 of FIG. 9. The term “PC digital machine program functions” as utilized herein means any program or group of programs which is capable of being run on a personal computer, including operating system software, application programs and combinations thereof. For example, one PC digital machine program function can be an operating system such as Linux or Windows 98, another PC digital machine program function can be a word processing software, such as Microsoft Word, and yet another PC digital machine program function can be a database program such as Microsoft Access. The 504a subgroup of functions referred to as the Computer center produce a single selection view for selecting computers and computer configurations (one subgroup functions selection menu). The computer view (not shown) associated with 504a controls the functions involved in connecting the operators digital machine to the computer selected for operation when the PC digital machine 54 is selected and allows the operator to select the GUI configuration for the selected computer. For example the MIMS designer might have incorporated four computer systems (operating systems) into the PC digital machine 54 so that the PC digital machine 54 can operate as an apple compatible computer, an IBM compatible computer, a Network computer or as a split PC computer like developed in co-pending applications that only require a Local keyboard and display for operation in one version and a Web TV in the other version. Note that only one multiple subgroup functions view was associated with the Computer center (two would be logical one for computer selection and one for computer configuration but one was used to emphasize the flexibility offered the manufacture) where as three views (515, 525, and 535) were associated with the message center multiple subgroup functions discussed in connection with FIG. 5. The 504b subgroup of functions referred to as the Application Service Provider (ASP) center produce a selection view for selecting and loading the application programs to be run on the computer (a one subgroup functions selection menu). The ASP center view (not shown) associated with 504b controls the functions involved in loading new programs on to the digital machine or upgrading software programs already on the digital machine. For example the operator can load a new program onto the disk drive portion predetermined by the manufacture to be allocated to the PC digital machine selected in the 504a view. Note that only one multiple subgroup functions view was associated with the ASP center (two would be logical: one for connections; and one for recording but one was used to emphasize the flexibility offered the manufacturer) whereas three views (515, 525, and 535) were associated with the message center multiple subgroup functions discussed in connection with FIG. 5. The number of subgroup functions views associated with each digital machine multifunction center depends on the apparatus designer but good designs will keep the multiple functions grouped for logical convenience to the operator like the single multiple function digital machines that perform fax, copying and scanning functions or the 3 in one storage disk drives that have recently appeared. For example just the SOHO digital machine alone in this disclosure put four single multiple functions digital machines (the message center, the document center, the storage center, and the internet center) in one housing. The prior art has the message center in at least one housing, the document centers are in at least one housing, the internet center has not yet been put in one housing separate from a PC or client/server system (there are some recent non PC devices allowing access to the internet but they are not multiple function subgroup devices shown at the Comdex 99 fall convention) and their still is not a storage center multiple function digital machine in a housing separate from a PC digital machine other than those used with computer systems. Considering that three other digital machines were also incorporated into the same housing as the SOHO each of the other three digital machines having multiple subgroup functions gives some idea of what Multiple Integrated Digital machine Systems (MIMS) can do to reduce the proliferation of digital machines with only one set of multiple functions. The MIMS 1 hereinbefore described depicts only one combination of digital machines 2. However, it should be understood that the combination of digital machines 2 can be varied to achieve different functions, purposes and objectives. For example, a kiosk MIMS 1a, a mobile MIMS 1b and a hospitality MIMS 1c are diagrammatically shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 that were designed using the same methods as the MIMS 1 described using FIGS. 1-9. FIG. 10 diagrammatically illustrates the kiosk MIMS 1a that also has four selectable digital machines as indicated in a digital machine selector switch 50a. The kiosk MIMS 1a is similar in construction and function to the MIMS 1, which was hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 1-9, except as discussed hereinafter. The network digital machine 52 and the TV digital machine 53 have been removed from the MIMS 1, and a digital information manufacturing machine 56, and a digital purchase machine 57 have been substituted therefor. The digital information manufacturing machine 56 and the digital purchase machine 57 are commercial digital machines with hardware and software elements similar but some what different than those used in the network digital machine 52 and the TV digital machine 53 depicted in FIG. 9. The digital information manufacturing machine 56 has three sets of hardware and software elements as shown in 506 to manufacture products from information reproduced in material objects provided at the point of sale location as controlled by the selection functions available with views 506a for audio information manufacturing onto a material object (using commercial grade audio storage devices for example) at the point of sale, and as controlled by the selection functions available with views 506b for video information manufacturing onto a material object (using the commercial grade video storage devices for example) at the point of sale, and as controlled by the selection functions available with views 506c for written information manufacturing onto a material object (using the commercial grade printing devices for example) at the point of sale. The digital information manufacturing machine 56 can be constructed and operated in a manner similar as the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,909,638 and 4,528,643. The entire content of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,909,638 and 4,528,643 is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. The digital purchase machine 57 has two sets of hardware and software elements as shown in 507 to order physically deliverable products (those that can not be manufactured at the point of sale) at the point of demand as controlled by the selection functions available with views 507a for products that can be ordered and paid for at local stores and subsequently delivered to the location designated by the purchaser or picked up at a later time such as tickets to a play or a pass to a theme park or merchandise from a local store for example and by the selection functions available with views 507b for products that can be ordered and paid for at global stores and subsequently delivered to the location designated by the purchaser such as merchandise ordered from a virtual store or foreign country. The other two machines 51 and 54 of the Kiosk MIMS 50a shown in FIG. 10 are the same digital machines as 505 and 504 of the MIMS 1 described in connection with FIG. 9 although commercial grade elements would be used so the Kiosk MIMS 50a could be placed in a store, mall or airport and collect revenues from each of the digital machines selected by the consumer. The revenues can be collected by the kiosk MIMS 50a by including a digital machine element, such as a keypad or other device (such as a credit card swipe machine) in the kiosk MIMS 50a to receive the consumer's credit card number. The revenues can be charged on either a time or a per transaction basis. The amount of revenue would depend both on the machine selected by the consumer and the function service selected from the machine. For example the cost to use the commercial SOHO digital machine would most likely depend on which of the four multiple functions 510, 540, 570 or 580 was selected while the cost to use the information manufacturing machine would most likely depend on the product selected for manufacture, for example. As yet another example, shown in FIG. 11 is the mobile MIMS 1b that only has three selectable digital machines as indicated in 50b and all three of the digital machines 57, 58 and 59 have hardware and software elements similar in function to the machines discussed in connection with FIG. 10 but most of the elements are very much smaller than those used in the machines of FIG. 10 and the subgroup views offer fewer selectable and much lower power functions. For example the 508 and 509 selections in FIG. 11 are very much smaller machines than their cousins 505 and 504 shown in FIG. 10. The reason is because the Kiosk MIMS 1a is a commercial and stationary system and can take up several cubic feet of space and use several hundred wafts of power if necessary where as the Mobile MIMS 1b of FIG. 11 is portable and has to be put into a housing measured in cubic inches and use power per function measured in milliwatts or microwatts such as used in the digital cellphones, pagers or PDA's. Consequently, in one preferred embodiment, the message center 508a for example only provides those phone/pager center functions currently available on a Nokia 8860 phone and Motorola Pagewriter 2000 pager plus. The mobile MIMS 1b is also provided with a storage unit 508b, which in one preferred embodiment can be constructed in a similar manner as a storage unit included in the Ericsson T18d smart card device size or Handspring PDA unit with on board recording, or in the Samsung 8500 digital Cell phone. The Internet center 508c, in one preferred embodiment, only allows e-mail functions like are incorporated in the digital phones scheduled for the year 2000 plus the Internet down load services currently available. The same sort of scale down is down from the PC digital machine 54 to the PDA machine 59 both the size and power (Desk top display and key board PC computer versus Palm VII PDA capacity) as well as the number of functions available are greatly reduced. But again the PDA machine 59 (which includes a computer machine) can be selected by the user, a communication machine 58 can be selected by the user and a Purchase machine 507 can be selected by the user that will change the Mobile MIMS 1b into three distinct machines with distinct functions. Comparing this scaled down capacity with the MIMS SOHO message center services shows that although many of the same functions are available in the Mobile MIMS message center they are scaled back. This fact does not change the fact that in the Mobile MIMS many different stand alone Mobile machines can be combined into a single housing in the manner described in this application. Consequently the Mobile MIMS 1b allows the user to “Morph” on demand the Mobile MIMS 1b into one of several multiple function digital machines. As yet another example, shown in FIG. 12 is the hospitality MIMS 1c that also has four selectable digital machines as indicated in a digital machine selector switch 50c. The functions for three of the digital machines 54, 57 and 58 in the hospitality MIMS 1c have already been discussed herein with reference to one or more of the digital machines in FIGS. 9, 10 or 11 and will not be repeated again for purposes of clarity. The hospitality MIMS 1c is further provided with an entertainment digital machine 65 to allow the existing services such as “pay per View movies” and interactive games to be included into the same housing as other services soon to be demanded by hotel and convention patrons that are willing to pay for such services. Integrating the four machines into the common housing and operated by a wireless keyboard is the preferred embodiment for the 54, 57, 58 and 65 machines. With the Hospitality MIMS 1c, guests can purchase tickets to events and select their seats from the purchase machine 57. Guests can also order movies or play games from the entertainment machine 65. The communication machine 58 permits the guests to send or receive e-mail and documents along with typing and sending letters. Furthermore, the guests can use or work on the PC digital machine 54 the same as they have at home or use their own PC if they are renting one from a service provider (See co-pending patent application Ser. No. 09/014,859, entitled “split personal computer system” and Ser. No. 09/408,598, entitled “A Multiple Customer and Multiple Location PC Service Provider System” the entire content of both patent applications being hereby incorporated herein by reference). The hotel will charge for each and all of these services and the guests will be more than glad to pay for the convenience of having all these services available in the room accessible from an easy to use wireless keyboard with a four machine selection menu provided by the hospitality MIMS 1c. Changes may be made in the various elements, components, parts and assemblies described herein or in the steps or sequences of steps in the methods described herein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In the last five years there has been an explosion of useful digital information machines (Phones, Fax, Printers, Scanners, CDROMS, Digital cameras, Pagers, Pocket computers, digital sound systems, etc) many of which were originally analog digital machines. In most cases these digital machines have been connected to PC digital machine systems using industry hardware and software connection standards. During this same period, the explosion of the Internet has made the Internet Service Provider (ISP) with E-mail service a common (and in many cases preferred) form of message communication. Technology developed to handle the Internet/WWW/E-mail servers (i.e. Software such as HTML and JAVA) are being combined with the object oriented application developer software (e.g. C++, Visual Basic, Pearl) to solve both the company Intranet PC digital machine Network connection problems, and digital information digital machine integration problems. Two basic approaches to integrating these digital information digital machines with the PC digital machine and integrating the PC digital machine into the worldwide communication networks have evolved. One will be referred to as the “Client/Server” approach, and the other, the “All in One” digital machine approach. A notable client/server approach is the one developed by Microsoft, who maintains the operating system for most PC digital machine's in use today. The Microsoft approach is one that requires every new digital machine recently being referred to as “digital appliances” to “Plug” into a PC digital machine (or network) and “play” for those persons who are allowed to operate that PC digital machine or network (referred to as “Plug and Play”). The client/server approach works good for sharing company database resources such as an Airline Ticketing worldwide network with many Travel Agents needing to access a common database. The approach also has some merit if very expensive resources such as specialty printers in a printing company need to be shared or maybe in the wireless network home environment when used to share resources not requiring operator interaction. But the client/server approach has not worked well when trying to integrate the many new digital information digital machines into user friendly Information systems practical for most individuals at home or office. The Client/Server approach requires a software element compatible and approved by Microsoft, for every new digital machine, which is to be connected to a PC digital machine or PC digital machine network system running under one of Microsoft's operating systems for example. This software element is of course in addition to the hardware and software elements which the digital machine manufacture already designed to make the digital machine operate without being connected to a PC digital machine. As noted earlier Client/Server systems certainly have their role in connecting large company resources together and sharing expensive information digital machine subsystems such as printers, faxes, scanners, modems, backup units, and large company databases with many employees. The complexity for this type system along with the computer specialist required to operate them are in many cases worth the increased software, cabling, and employee training cost, when data integrity and information value to a large company is considered. However the need for a much simpler user friendly digital machine integration approach in general has led to the popular “All in One” multiple function digital machines such as the HP 3100, 1170C, and 1175C whereby faxing, printing, scanning, and copying are done with a single housing digital machine. The more advanced “All in One” or Multifunction digital machines as they are technically known when connected to a separate PC digital machine or PC digital machine network will even let scanned documents be sent to E-mail addresses. It is this “All in One” integration which is considered a better approach for the individual, and the Small Office Home Office (SOHO) market. Another, even newer, digital information communication digital machine is the Web TV unit designed to make Web site access and E-mail retrieval (ISP access) much easier for the Home. Both of these digital machine design approaches have moved away from PC digital machine dependence, except where it is most convenient for the digital machine designer. For example in the current “All in One” digital machines a parallel printer connection to the digital machine is made so that the PC digital machine word processor can (must) be used for typing the information. The PC data is sent to be printed by the “All in One” digital machine. The same connector is also used to send scanned document data back to the PC digital machine storage unit, etc. Another very important example is that, currently, the individuals PC digital machine (or network server) must be used to send and receive documents between other PC digital machine's, Internet E-mail, or web sites. This is because even the so called “All in One” digital machines which are really single multiple function digital machines cannot in most cases even perform there multiple functions in a standalone configuration (note the HP Digital 9100C Sender or the Ricoh Fax 4800L shown at the 1998 Comdex show). Thus the current situation requires that several digital information digital machines be connected together using interface requirements produced by at least three separate industries in order to produce a larger information system. These three industries are the Communication Industry, the PC digital machine Industry (the youngest of the three), and the Peripheral Digital machine Industry. Also the youngest of the three currently has the integration responsibility of making larger and more useful information systems by connecting the smaller digital machines together. The current complexity explosion is very akin to the electronic era complexity explosion that finally abated with the advent of the integrated circuit. Then, the electronics industry manpower requirements started growing exponentially when Radio's. TV's, computers, and all Military electronic digital machines were being built by individually connecting Transistors, Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, together according to Industry and individual company interface specifications. Today we find a similar situation in the manpower explosion for, Certified PC and Network technicians along with application programmers. Ironically it is growing for a reason similar to the growth in the electronic era mentioned plus one additional reason. The similar reason is that the PC digital machine technology explosion spread to the Peripheral Digital machine Manufacturers and the method to connect all of these digital machines together was never the responsibility of any one manufacture. Thus, connection standards between digital machines were adopted (e.g. RS232, RJ11, LPT1, BCN, WIN98, and many more) and expanded to include software and communication interface requirements such as HTML 3.2 until now a company information system may have 50 to 100 digital machines connected together by no less than 500 to 10,000 interface elements (counting software elements). The additional reason for the complexity explosion is that the PC digital machine industry (the youngest of the three industries mentioned earlier) developed so rapidly that three additional separate industries where spawned. Also, none of the three new industries were responsible for integrating the smaller digital machines into user friendly information systems. One of the three new industries built the computers, another built the computer operating system and the third wrote application programs to make the computer fulfill more tasks. At present all three of these industries are concerned about the multiple digital machine explosion and offer various integration solutions of which the most notable, (Client/Server) was discussed earlier. Ironically, while this invention was being developed the three new industries groups along with the two older industry groups and the Federal Government were arguing about each infringing on the others territory. The design approach taken in this invention will most likely move the integration task to either the computer manufacture or the peripheral digital machine Manufacture. The design presented herein is an integration method to incorporate multiple digital information digital machines of which each previously required a connection to a PC digital machine located in a separate housing, to be able to operate from a single digital machine. The method involves moving the elements (both hardware and software) of several digital information digital machines into a single housing, sharing these hardware and software elements in such a manner that an individual can select a useful digital machine from a simple list of available digital machines. For example, such a design would allow a PC digital machine plus an “All in One” office digital machine to be combined into a single MIMS housing with a digital machine selector switch having two choices. When the PC digital machine is selected, users can use the MIMS as a PC digital machine with built in “All in One” features (note that such a digital machine is not currently available). When the Office digital machine is selected, users can use the MIMS as an “All in One” digital machine with built in PC digital machine features (note that such a digital machine is currently not available). In the future a PC digital machine selection switch will probably not be available on most companies MIMS (the leading cause of wasted man-hours is employee use of the company PC digital machine for personal matters). Also things like PC digital machine viruses, hackers, etc, will be virtually eliminated when the company PC digital machine and client/server workstations are incorporated into MIMS workstations. Important to the manufacture is that, they can now build proprietary and less expensive hardware and software elements for the various functions to be preformed in each of the digital machine stand alone modes. It is this key integration step that makes the MIMS design approach so radically different (exactly opposite in approach) from the Client/Server approach discussed earlier. The steps taken in this invention removes most user inconveniences of the information systems on the market today by having the conventional PC digital machine be invisible unless the PC digital machine can be selected from the MIMS model purchased. Requiring the PC digital machine, Client/Server, Programming and Digital “All in One” digital machine Designs to share a single housing provides a much healthier Information Systems growth environment. Such a design approach could do for the information age what the integrated circuit did for the electronic age. It requires the application programmers to work much more closely with the digital machine manufacture designers. This will even become true of the PC digital machine game industry in the future when a MIMS Game digital machine will be added to the home MIMS digital machine to provide a simple flexible, fun digital machine for both adult and children to play games without having to be PC digital machine literate. The concept of combining several digital machines into the same housing system is not claimed in this invention. The method to combine and share both the software and hardware elements of several digital information digital machines in the same housing system along with selection controls to have more features after integration than before (i.e. functional synergism) is claimed in this invention. There are numerous examples of combining several digital machines in the same housing such as home centers which incorporate TV, Radio, VCR into a single housing. The “All in One” multiple function digital machine was discussed earlier as an example of combining elements in the same housing with a function selector switch to create a multiple function digital machine. However the method of combining elements from multiple digital machines in the same housings in a manner that several digital machines can be selected and in a manner that each selected digital machine has multiple functions has not been done nor has it been done in the manner described herein. Two other earlier digital information digital machines directed at simplifying the process for individuals and businesses where invented by the current author. The Point of Sale Information Manufacturing Digital machine (POSIMM) was invented in the early 1980's, patent # 4,528,643 and the first modern electronic message unit was invented in the late 1980's patent # 4,837,797. Since then and especially in the last three years there have been many improvements in these digital machines. One digital machine (Trade name “Touch Net” usually found in airports and malls) for copy and fax service has a simple touch command screen to sell these services. They recently expanded the digital machine functions to include Internet access along with local merchant information services. The “Touch Net” retail digital machine along with the Card, Music, and similar Information Kiosk's located in Drug stores and Malls are covered by the '643 POSIMM patent and are good examples of single digital multifunction information digital machine that work. Another class of single digital information multiple function digital machines that work well are the retail Franchise digital machines (Macdonald, Burger King, Kroger, Jiffy Lube, etc) which utilize a touch command digital machine to operate the company retail store. Most all of these multiple function digital machines are operated by persons not PC digital machine literate. An example of a single digital multifunction information digital machine that is very impractical to operate is a PC digital machine running windows95/98. Very few people can operate the digital machine and most do not try because of the digital machine complexity. Furthermore the digital machine can perform almost no useful functions unless it is connected to other digital machines and additional software elements are added, a very striking example of the industries fragmentation. Internet communication systems for generating information have surfaced which will eventually greatly increase the productivity of the individual at the office and home. A significant one in terms of the need for a MIMS is the interactive Web site covered by patent # 5,694,162. Interactive Web sites puts the consumer in direct contact with the information or product manufacture. The '162 patent allows all companies (or individuals) to have both low cost advertising and direct sales from a single Broadcast station located on the WWW. The Web Site technology is causing vast information databases to be created along with virtual stores selling information and other products worldwide. The need for a MIMS that includes an Internet Digital machine with the features being incorporated into the current Web TV set top boxes is already apparent. Because of the industry fragmentation, the proliferation of application programs being developed to turn a PC digital machine into a useful digital machine for daily tasks are expanding geometrically (excluding PC digital machine game applications). This current situation occurred in less than 10 years and has led to astounding user choice chaos. By way of example, there are no less than 20 software programs designed to turn a PC digital machine into a message or communication center (e.g. Communicate! PRO is one such PC digital machine program). Each of them has at least four modes (multifunction ability) such as a, Phone, Pager, E-mail, and Fax mode. In addition each of the 20 programs must be made to work on the individuals PC digital machine which is no simple task with the proliferation of PC digital machine models and software operating systems. Thus 20 programs each with 4 functions to learn and say 10 PC digital machine configurations (counting portables) require a user knowledge base of 20×4×10=800 sets of procedures. These are associated with just one type of useful digital multifunction information digital machine where a PC digital machine is used to integrate the 20 software elements into the digital machine. Expanding the above example to say at least 30 good multifunctional digital machines being required in today's world and each with 3 price models leads to 72,000 sets of procedures in the current approach of letting the PC digital machine be the primary integration digital machine. But it gets worse, the requirement that multiple digital machines be connected to the PC digital machine in order to have useful information digital machine for home and office further compounds the present situation. The other connected digital machines such as, printers, Faxes, copiers, scanners; ISP's yield another multiplier of say 10(type digital. machines)×6(manufactures for each digital machine) which is 60. Thus we are talking at a minimum of 60×72000, or over four million sets of procedures cast upon today's user with the current design approach. Such and approach has clearly created To Many Digital machines (TMM) and To Much Information (TMI) for even the very PC digital machine literate to master. Considering that only a few percent of the working population are or will be PC digital machine literate indicates why single digital information digital machines like the “All in One” and Web TV will be the only practical solution (i.e. digital machine integration must happen just like circuit integration happened before). It also shows why the De-coupling of programmers from digital machine designers over the last ten years has led to choice chaos. The MIMS design approach advocates solving the TMM/TMI problem by combining the many single digital information digital machines into only a few single housing Multi-digital machines where each digital machine has multiple function or subgroup modes and where each mode has several useful functions. For example let the 30 single multifunction digital machines used in the earlier example be incorporated into say 5 MIMS digital machines (and average of six information digital machines per MIMS). Let these be made by say 6 major manufacturers, each with a low cost medium cost and high cost version (3 price models as before). Then only 6×3×5=90 MIMS would have to be understood by the professionals and probably no more than 10 for the average individual (Military versions would clearly have some special digital machine modes). Again, letting each of the 6 MIMS digital machines selected have 4 functions gives a maximum set of 360 operational procedures to be digested instead of over four million. Note that the first example is very close to representing the current TMM/TMI situation. A dependence on a digital machine integration approach developed by programmers rather than digital machine manufacturers is clearly leading to a situation akin to the electronics industry complexity explosion prior to the integrated circuit. Also remembering Mainframe Computer Technology dependence lessons (the early form of client/server systems) should be enough, to remind us to keep new digital machine integration simple for the user and independent of computer administrators. Especially when integrating the new Internet Service Provider (ISP) communication protocols and document formats into user friendly systems. This is not to say that a MIMS digital machine should not have the ability to have a PC digital machine selection and connect to networks. It is to say, trying to extend the PC digital machine beyond its useful 4 to 10 functions (note that this is a well known limit in humans for any digital machine) such as, accounting, spread sheets, database mining, Word processing, calculator, etc using application programmers with no digital machine constraints has led to massive TMM/TMI for both companies and individuals. The Client/Server (C/S) solutions being created today by companies such as Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Cisco for example, is like re-creating the old mainframe departments and programmers that went along with renaissance mainframes. Today the TMM/TMI problem is creating the IT, Webmaster, Certified Technician, to deal with the more than 4,000,000 sets of procedures illustrated in the earlier example. The C/S approach is practical to solve large database and communication infrastructure problems, but should stay invisible to the individual who has the day to day responsibility of operating the company and personal information digital machines. The office and home Information Digital machines of the future should be very simple to operate and not require PC digital machine literacy for most routine daily tasks. In summary, there currently is not a multiple digital machine integration approach to combine the shareable elements in PC digital machines, office digital machines, multimedia digital machines, communication digital machines, ISP digital machines, and the many Peripheral digital machines, into several simpler digital machine systems for the convenience of the company or individual. That is, a need exists for a simple MIMS, by which a person can perform most of one's daily personal and business tasks simply and conveniently without having to be PC digital machine literate. Currently a user is required to operate a PC digital machine connected to many other digital machines often located in remote locations in order to perform most of the daily functions required. The invention herein is referred to as the “MIMS” approach to distinguish it from the prior art multiple function and network integration approaches discussed. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention relates to a Multiple Integrated Machine System (MIMS) that integrates into a single housing multiple digital hardware and software machine elements in such a manner that several very different Information Digital machines can be selected. The user can select the MIMS digital machines from a MIMS selector switch and have available all of the functions that the MIMS designer incorporated into the selected digital machine. To make the MIMS more user friendly the functions available with a particular MIMS digital machine selection come from regrouping the digital hardware and software machine elements incorporated into the MIMS. In the example used to demonstrate the invention method a number of office digital hardware and software machines elements and PC digital hardware and software machine elements are combined into a single MIMS along with phone digital hardware and software machine elements, TV hardware and software machine elements, and network hardware and software machine elements and connections. The digital hardware and software machine elements are regrouped in the MIMS to allow four machines to be selected. The MIMS digital machine selections are referred to as, (a) a SOHO digital machine, (b) a TV digital machine, (c) a Network digital machine and (d) a PC digital machine. Each of the selected MIMS digital machines have additional digital machine function or subgroup modes which can be selected. For example, in one preferred embodiment, the MIMS SOHO digital machine has four additional digital machine function or subgroup modes referred to as, (a) a message center mode that allow Phone, Pager, Fax, and E-mail functions, (b) a Storage center mode allowing, Floppy drive, Fixed Hard drive, Portable Hard disk, Tape drive, CDROM drive along with a PCMCIA memory slot functions (c) a Document center mode which allows printing, copying, and scanning functions, (d) an Internet center mode which provides for Web site, service provider, and a Search engine functions. Each of the MIMS digital machines selected operates as if the digital machine was located in a separate housing. In essence the MIMS provides a user with all of the capabilities normally requiring a Client/Server system connected to numerous digital machine housings at many separate locations. The MIMS allows all of this and more at a single location, at much less cost, and with a much more user friendly and reliable system. With MIMS digital machine designs, manufactures can use their own proprietary hardware and software, rather than be bound to conform to interface requirements of multiple digital machine and multiple software manufacturers as currently required. The difference between digital machine switching and function mode switching is that the set of MIMS hardware and software elements available are both changed when switching between the available MIMS digital machines where as only software programs sets are changed when switching between the available mode functions of a selected digital machine. In other words this invention describes a general hardware and software machine element integration process by which the basic elements of several (at least two) digital information machines are integrated into a single information digital machine system akin to what was done when separate electrical circuit components were integrated onto a single chip to create the integrated circuit process except the current process allows predetermined combinations of elements to be combined upon command to produce distinct circuits performing different functions. That is, the Multiple Integrated Machine System (MIMS) described herein integrates hardware and software elements from several digital information digital machines into a single MIMS and provides a means to select various digital information machines to operate which have more functions than the digital machines had separately before being integrated into the MIMS. The first digital machine elements incorporated into the MIMS are those from a PC digital machine. Other digital machines elements incorporated into the MIMS housing come from Phone, Fax, Printer, Scanner, copier, E-mail, Storage, and more such digital information digital machines. All of the other digital machine elements incorporated are referred to as Small Office Home Office digital machine elements. After the elements are incorporated, a MIMS PC digital machine can be selected, the user can then operate the MIMS just as if the user had a regular PC digital machine connected to the other digital machines incorporated into the MIMS. However it is much more convenient to print, copy, fax, and scan documents, because of the MIMS single housing or co-location design feature. When the SOHO digital machine is selected all of the various communication and document tasks can be accomplished without having to use a PC digital machine. Thus many existing type digital machines are physically, functionally and logically combined and integrated into one digital machine to eliminate duplication of many parts and software elements. Preliminary analysis of cost savings using off the shelf parts shows close to a 80% reduction in cost over buying the PC digital machine and the Multifunction digital machines separately. Also, those users who currently have learned to use a particular manufacturers Multifunction digital machine (e.g. HP, Epson, Cannon, Xerox etc), will have similar operating procedures when that manufacture implements the design of this invention. When the MIMS includes a PC digital machine it still has a the capability to Network with other computers and share it's resources just as if several separate digital machines were connected to the network including the MIMS PC digital machine. Because of the digital machine cost savings alone, the current invention probably would eliminate the need for network computers except for database sharing in small to medium size offices. Even in large companies, resource sharing of fax, scanners, E-mail, printers, modems, etc. would be greatly reduced and the need for complex costly and unreliable high-speed printers and copy digital machines becomes questionable. That is, the MIMS SOHO digital machine mode of operation virtually solves all of the problems currently being addressed by client/server system designers, and with a much simpler and reliable design. The reliability factor alone, (i.e. every workstation has most of the required resources locally and net work failures only effect shared databases etc.) makes this invention a very sound business approach since man-hours is still most companies largest inefficiency. Energy consumption is another great saving brought about by the Multi-Mode single power supply design. Energy savings is close to 80% over individual digital machines operating separately (i.e. PC digital machine, Fax, copier, printer, scanner). When the MIMS SOHO digital machine is selected the individual can easily print, copy, scan documents, send faxes and E-mail, type letters and memos directly at the MIMS by using predetermined and simple selection and simple screen touch controls rather than having to be PC digital machine literate. Other improvements allow the individual to read messages received by the MIMS before selecting those messages which need to be printed. Paper savings will be enormous over the current Fax digital machines operating in standalone fashion. Currently Faxes must go to a PC digital machine separate from the Fax or Printer digital machine to have this preview paper saving capability. The virus, hackers, Internet privacy problems wasting so much time are additional by products of this same design approach. A PC digital machine mode should be (at most) only one of the selectable digital machines in a MIMS designed for a company. The MIMS designers should focus first on the company operational tasks such as order entry, accounts receivable, etc. to have a MIMS company digital machine. These can be combined along with office tasks such as faxing, E-mail, document scanning, copying, web site access, etc to have a single office MIMS housing that has several selectable digital machines. MIMS designed digital machines will allow these tasks to be accomplished simply, quickly, and reliably while avoiding TMM/TMI, which was discussed above in the Background section. Also, in the future, the Service industry will most likely start renting PC digital machine's (see co-pending application for such a PC digital machine rental system). A MIMS, such as described herein may be the only digital machine that a company or person needs to be fully functional in a typical SOHO information age environment. The employee training and digital machine service cost alone would yield tremendous savings to companies. The SOHO storage mode adds convenient storage capabilities to the MIMS that currently are not available in information digital machines other than PC digital machines or very specialized digital machines (see iomega beyond the PC products brochure given out at the 1998 Comdex show). These features will make it much easier for the SOHO individual to input and save digital machine information with out having to be PC digital machine literate. For example, received color messages can be stored on a Floppy disk located at one digital machine and transported to a color printer (more expensive MIMS) located at another digital machine or saved to the hard drive for later processing. In one preferred embodiment, two other digital machines, a TV digital machine and a Network digital machine, are incorporated into the MIMS to have a four digital machine system. Many more advantages to these options will be discussed in the more detailed description of the MIMS. | 20041018 | 20071127 | 20050505 | 92634.0 | 18 | GRANT II, JEROME | MULTIPLE INTEGRATED MACHINE SYSTEM | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,968,056 | ACCEPTED | Intelligent computer cabling | The present invention provides a data transfer system apparatus that automatically loads the necessary drivers and code through two interface elements to facilitate the transfer of electronic data from one EDP to another. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the apparatus consists of a cable, USB interface plug, floppy drive transfer device (diskette), processor, controller, memory, circuitry components and software code. The electronic components and software applications are contained in the cable housing unit. Each interface element is attached at one end of the cable so they can be inserted into the respective EDP interfaces. Insertion of the apparatus into the EDP interfaces automatically triggers the execution of the embedded software for auto loading of the necessary code to control the transfer of the data directly from one EDP to the other. The system emulates the apparatus as a peripheral device attached to the EDP through its USB port interface coupled to the other EDP using its FDD to transfer the data, using the data storage capacity of the receiving EDP as the serial bus end-point. | 1. An apparatus for data transfer between two electronic data processing (EDP) devices, the apparatus comprising: (a) a cable housing; (b) a cable extending from two points of said cable housing; (c) a solid state board inside said cable housing, wherein the solid state board is wired to said cable; (d) a processor and memory chip mounted on said solid state board; (e) a first EDP interface at the first end of said cable; and (f) a second EDP interface at the second end of said cable; wherein, upon insertion of the first EDP interface into the first EDP device and insertion of the second EDP interface into the second EDP device, the apparatus automatically loads and executes software code stored in said memory chip onto said EDP devices, wherein said software code controls the direct transfer and storage of data from one EDP device to the other EDP device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller mounted on said solid state board. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory chip is flash memory. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus emulates a peripheral storage device. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein transfer of selected data between the EDP devices is performed using respective existing operating systems and user interfaces of each EDP device. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first EDP interface may be one of the following: a universal serial bus plug; an IEEE-1394 plug; a diskette compatible with a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive, wherein the diskette contains a controller on a circuitry board wired to said cable and a magnetic transducer connected to the controller that transfers data through the read/write head of the floppy disk drive. 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second EDP interface may be one of the following: a universal serial bus plug; an IEEE-1394 plug; a diskette compatible with a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive, wherein the diskette contains a controller on a circuitry board wired to said cable and a magnetic transducer connected to the controller that transfers data through the read/write head of the floppy disk drive. 8. A method for transferring data between two electronic data processing (EDP) devices, the method comprising the steps of: (a) inserting a first EDP interface into the first EDP device and inserting a second EDP interface into the second EDP, wherein the first and second EDP interfaces are connected by a cable that extends from two points of a cable housing, wherein said cable housing contains a solid state board wired to said cable, and wherein a processor and memory chip are mounted on said solid state board; and (b) automatically loading and executing software code stored in said memory chip onto said first and second EDP devices upon insertion of the first EDP interface into the first EDP device and insertion of the second EDP interface into the second EDP device, wherein said software code controls the direct transfer and storage of data from one EDP device to the other EDP device. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein step (b) further comprises automatically selecting a drive on both the first EDP device and second EDP device, wherein said selected drives are used for sending and receiving data. 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second EDP interfaces transfers data through the read/write head of a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the read/write heads is automatically set to read from track 00. 12. The method according to claim 8, wherein step (b) further comprises transferring a storage file from one EDP device to the file directory of a resident operating system in the other EDP device. 13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the transfer of data between the two EDP devices may be both unidirectional and bidirectional. 14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the device comprising the first and second EDP interfaces, cable, and cable housing emulates a peripheral storage device. 15. The method according to claim 8, wherein transfer of selected data between the EDP devices is performed using respective existing operating systems and user interfaces of each EDP device. | TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates generally to the field of data transfer devices, which create a data link between two electronic data processing (EDPs) machines or devices using standard EDP interfaces. More specifically, the invention describes a cable based data transfer system with embedded code to automate the process of moving the data from one EDP to another using standard EDP connectivity interfaces. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are numerous methods of transferring data from one electronic data processing machine (EDP) to another, including copying data to floppy disks, compact disks (CD), flash memory sticks or external data storage devices. There are also software programs and devices available to manage the data transfer using a cable or wireless connection using a standard parallel port, serial port, USB, PCMCI or other network (Ethernet or telephony) interface. These methods require the creation and management of a network. Almost all of the above methods require manual installation and configuration of the device or the program managing the data transfer, except for the copy function of data to or from a data storage disk using a standard EDP read/write device such as a floppy disk drive (FDD). The drawback with current cable and wireless methods is that the expertise required to install and configure the device and the related software application to manage the device and execute the desired data transfer is far beyond the expertise of the average computer user. In particular, these prior art data transfer systems lack a process to automate the loading, execution and configuration of the necessary code to facilitate the data transfer between two EDPs. Therefore, it would be desirable to have an apparatus that automatically loads the drivers and code necessary to facilitate the transfer of data between EDP using standard EDP connectivity interfaces. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a data transfer system apparatus that automatically loads the necessary drivers and code through two interface elements to facilitate the transfer of electronic data from one EDP to another. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the apparatus consists of a cable, USB interface plug, FDD transfer device (diskette), processor, controller, memory, circuitry components and software code. The electronic components and software applications are contained in the cable housing unit. Each interface element is attached at one end of the cable so they can be inserted into the respective EDP interfaces. Insertion of the apparatus into the EDP interfaces automatically triggers the execution of the embedded software for auto loading of the necessary code to control the transfer of the data directly from one EDP to the other. The system emulates the apparatus as a peripheral device attached to the EDP through its USB port interface coupled to the other EDP using its FDD to transfer the data, using the data storage capacity of the receiving EDP as the serial bus end-point. The invention provides an apparatus with an embedded system, which uses flash memory to automate code loading and file execution. This method replaces current data transfer methods between two EDPs that require three separate physical components of cable, software and a peripheral device (or device emulation). The manual loading of software onto each EDP is eliminated by using programmable memory arrays (flash memory) and by using the power source provided by the USB port on one EDP to supply current to the processor(s) and memory. The present invention allows for a reduction in the steps required to use a cable based data transfer system. Utilization of the FDD allows data transfer to or from EDPs that do not have USB ports, which is helpful when transferring data files from older EDPs. The present invention also eliminates the complexity of manual software application loads and configuration, which provides a low cost data transfer system that can be used by the average non-expert user. Because of the current supplied by the USB port, there is no requirement for an external power source, internal batteries or internal current generator, further reducing the cost of using the invention. Furthermore, the present invention is operating system (OS) agnostic, and the data transfer volumes are limited only by the available data storage capacity of the EDP receiving the transferred data. The functional result of the apparatus use is an easy-to-use true “plug and play” data transfer system through the emulation of the target EDP as a peripheral storage device connected to the source EDP. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 depicts a 3.5″ FDD compatible diskette in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 shows two EDPs connected with a FDD compatible diskette assembly; FIG. 3A shows the top side of the FDD diskette interface in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3B shows the bottom side of the FDD diskette; FIG. 4 shows an example configuration of the inside of the FDD diskette; FIG. 5 show the architecture of the cable-housing unit connected to the diskette at one end and a standard USB plug type A on the other end; FIG. 6 shows the diskette of the present invention inserted into an EDP 201 through a standard 3.5″ FDD external interface; FIG. 7 is a general flowchart of the auto-load process of the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8A shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention with USB plugs at both ends of the cable; FIG. 8B shows an embodiment of the present invention with a USB plug at one end of the cable and an IEEE-1394 plug at the other end; FIG. 8C shows an embodiment of the present invention with IEEE-1394 plugs at both ends of the cable; FIG. 8D shows an embodiment of the present invention with FDD interfaces at both ends of the cable; and FIG. 8E shows an embodiment of the present invention with a FDD interface at one end of the cable and an IEEE-1394 plug at the other end. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention provides a cable based data transfer apparatus that contains embedded electronics using flash memory to automatically load the drivers and code to facilitate the transfer of data utilizing standard electronic data processing (EDP) connectivity interfaces. Universal serial bus (USB) interfaces are becoming the de facto interface standard for connectivity to peripheral devices and is currently included in the manufacturing of new EDPs. USB specifications provide built-in functionality to make peripheral expansion more user friendly as well as providing a single cable model for connectivity to an EDP. These features include self-identification of USB compliant peripherals, auto mapping of functions to a driver and enabling a peripheral device to be dynamically attachable and re-configurable. The USB specification also includes a data flow model, which provides the architecture to manage data transfer from a host platform to an end-point on a device (pipe). The USB Specification provides requirements for the electrical and physical connection between the peripheral device and the host using the bus. An important feature of the USB interface is that it provides up to 500 milliamps of electrical power at 5 volts and signals very fast at 480 Mb/s for high speed USB devices compared to 115 kbits/s for serial and parallel port interfaces. For the transfer of data from one EDP to another using the USB specification, cables are typically used as the transport medium between a standard USB port on an EDP (connector type A) and a USB compatible peripheral device (connector type B) or another USB port on another EDP. Using the USB specification to transfer data from one EDP to another requires the creation or emulation of a peripheral type device to utilize the embedded USB functionality. This is typically accomplished by loading and configuring a software application that in turn loads the appropriate drivers and provides the necessary code to create the USB end-point and manage what has become a cable based peripheral. This process normally involves loading a compact disk in the CD drive and loading and configuring the necessary application and/or code, which requires considerable expertise on the user's part. Like USB, IEEE-1394 is an external bus standard that uses twisted pair wiring to move data. It also supplies an electric current along with support for Plug-and-play or “hot plugging” with compatible peripheral devices. The basic feature/functionality sought in the development of this standard is the same as USB, mainly to replace the myriad of I/O connectors employed by consumer electronics equipment and personal computers. Like USB, it supports the concept of an isochronous device, a device that needs a certain amount of bandwidth for streaming data. IEEE-1394 is considered a high performance serial bus in that it supports data transfer rates substantially higher than current USB specifications. It has two forms, 1394a and 1394b with the later supporting transfer rates of 800 Mbps, twice that of 1394a. IEEE-1394 is a layered transport system. The current standard defines three layers: Physical, Link and Transaction. The Physical layer provides the signals required by the IEEE-1394 bus. The Link layer takes the raw data from the Physical layer and formats it into recognizable 1394 packets. The Transaction layer takes the packets from the Link layer and presents them to the application. Because of its high data transfer rates and multiplexing capabilities of a variety of different types of digital signals, IEEE-1394 is being adopted as the de facto standard for the transfer of large data volumes, particularly those devices that require real-time transfer of high levels of data such as compressed video and digitized audio. IEEE-1394 interfaces are beginning to be included in the manufacturing of personal EDP machines. Floppy disk drives (FDDs) have been included in the manufacturing of most EDPs to date. The current standard for an EDP is an FDD that utilizes a 3.5″ floppy magnetic disk. The important feature of a standard FDD relative to this invention is the read/write head, which is used to convert binary data to electromagnetic pulses when writing to the disk, and the reverse when reading from the disk. However, FDDs are being phased out as part of the normal technology life cycle for computer disk drives due to the adoption of the compact disk (CD) and digital versatile disk (DVD). FDDs are typically used for loading new software applications onto to the memory of the EDP or for extracting data to a floppy disk for storage or data transfer. FDDs are also typically used to create “boot disks” for the EDP's operating system. One of the major drawbacks of FDDs leading to its obsolescence is the limitation of the amount of data that can be stored on a standard floppy disk as well as the slow transfer rates. Elements exist that can interface with the standard read/write heads of most FDDs using a smart-diskette. This creates a physical transfer interface using a basic magnetic transducer that is essentially a simple antenna-based transmitter and receiver of the electromagnetic pulses created by the FDD's read/write heads. However, these elements lack an automated process and transfer medium for transferring data from one EDP to another. Such smart-diskette based technologies are primarily used to provide an interface for smart cards (e.g., medical patient smart-cards and various peripheral memory cards) to the host EDP through the FDD read/write head mechanism. There are also a number of other drawbacks to current smart-diskette technologies including the requirement for a voltage generator and/or batteries to provide the necessary electrical current to run the necessary processors and controllers and the lack of an interface to any of the current standard EDP interfaces including the USB specification. Other disadvantages include the requirement for loading and configuring a software application prior to usage and the lack of an automated method to self-discover a peripheral plugged into a smart-diskette interface or plug. Flash-memory using programmable gate array based memory modules is a relatively new type of solid-state technology. This type of electronic non-volatile memory chip can also be erasable. Inside the flash memory chip is a grid of columns and rows, with a two-transistor cell at each intersecting point on the grid. A thin oxide layer separates the two transistors. One of the transistors is known as the floating gate, and the other one is the control gate. The electrons in the cells of a flash-memory chip can be manipulated by the application of an electric field, a higher-voltage charge. Flash-memory uses in-circuit wiring to apply this electric field either to the entire chip or to predetermined sections known as blocks. These blocks can be programmed or erased and re-written. Flash memory works much faster than traditional electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) chips because instead of erasing one byte at a time, flash memory erases a block or the entire chip. Peripheral devices containing flash memory modules have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive and require relatively little power as compared to traditional magnetic storage disks. Most devices containing flash memory connect to the host EDP using one of the standard EDP interfaces (e.g., USB, PCMCIA, etc.) and then use the low cost chips to either provide a self-contained data storage medium or send a driver to the host EDP and rely on a separately loaded software application to manage the device. With reference now to the figures, FIG. 1 depicts a 3.5″ FDD compatible diskette in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment of the invention, the data transfer apparatus 100 comprises a 3.5″ FDD compatible diskette 101 containing electronic components connected to a twisted pair cable 102 that is in turn connected to a cable housing unit 103. The cable housing unit 103 contains additional electronic components mounted on a solid-state board/card and is connected by the twisted pair cable 102 to a USB type A plug 104. FIG. 2 shows two EDPs connected by a FDD compatible diskette assembly. The diskette 101 is inserted into the 3.5″ FDD 210 of the first EDP 201, and the USB plug 104 is inserted into the USB port interface 220 of the second EDP 202. The USB interface, through existing USB specifications and functionality provided with EDP 202, provides an electrical current to the apparatus 100. Electrical current is also provided by the twisted pair cable 102 to the diskette 101 to power its electronic components. When the data transfer apparatus 100 is plugged into the port interface 220 in the second EDP 202, USB interfaces auto-generate a request signal from the EDP 202. The processor and flash memory contained in the cable housing unit 103 answers the request from the EDP 202 with a reply that loads the necessary driver(s) and identifies the apparatus 100 as a peripheral storage type device and displays a drive letter and identifier in the EDP operating system's (OS) user interface. The processor in the cable-housing unit 103 then sends a storage file folder to the OS file structure and displays it in the user interface of the OS of EDP 202. Simultaneous to the auto-loading of driver(s) and code to EDP 202, the processor and flash memory in cable housing unit 103 signals the controller 303 in the diskette 101 (shown in FIG. 4) to initiate the auto load process of drive selection, head alignment to track 00, and setting of the transfer rate with the FDD 210 of the first EDP 201. The processor in the cable housing unit 103 then sends a storage file folder to the OS file structure of EDP 201 through the twisted pair cable 102 and the electronic components in the diskette 101 and displays the file in the OS user interface of EDP 201. The transfer of data from the first EDP 201 to the second EDP 202 is accomplished by simply copying the desired data to the appropriate FDD drive letter (usually Drive A:) through the default OS user interface resident on EDP 201. The data flow is regulated by the FDD 210 internal to EDP 201 and controller 303 in diskette 101 to move through the twisted pair cable 102 into the electronic components in cable housing unit 103 and then through twisted pair cable 102 and USB plug 104 into USB port interface 220 in EDP 202. The USB controller in housing unit 103 manages the flow of the data to EDP 202, directing it to the loaded file folder. Transfer rates are dependent on the form implemented including the length and quality of twisted pair cable 102, its insulation/sheathing qualities, processing speeds of EDP internal processing chips, electrical current strength from USB port 220, as well as electronic component configurations and module types in cable housing unit 103 and diskette 101. With reference now to FIG. 3A, the top side of the diskette 101 is depicted in accordance with the present invention. The diskette 101 is comprised of an outer casing 301 protecting the electronic components and wiring, which are contained inside the diskette and mounted on a solid-state circuit-type card wired to the twisted pair cable 102. The diskette 101 is approximately the same width (maybe slightly wider) and length of a standard 3.5″ floppy disk. The positioning of the attachment of twisted pair cable 102 can vary depending on the form of the configuration of the inner electronic components and wiring of the inside circuitry board of the diskette. The write-protect window 302 is the same size and shape and in the same position as write-protect windows found on standard 3.5″ floppy disks. The write-protect window 302 is in the open position and contains no moving window or slider so that the diskette emulates a write-ready floppy disk. The outer casing 301 of diskette 101 also has a cutout 303 on the top of the diskette exposing the inside of the diskette casing. Cutout 303 provides an area where the top read/write head rests while the diskette 101 is in the inserted position inside the FDD. FIG. 3B depicts the bottom side of the diskette. A recess 304 accommodates and aligns the bottom read/write head of the FDD. In the center of the diskette 101 there is a circular recess 305 where the drive for a magnetic floppy disk would normally be, with another smaller and deeper circular recess 306 in the center to accommodate the drive spindle of the FDD. The positioning, shape and size of recesses 305, 306 is the same as found on standard 3.5″ floppy disks. FIG. 4 shows an example configuration of the inside of diskette 101 in accordance with the present invention. Twisted pair cable 102 is wired to a circuitry-type board, which connects the twisted pair wires to the controller 401. Controller 401 manages the data flow to and from the cable housing unit through twisted pair wires 102. The controller 401 also controls data flow to and from the FDD by means of an electrically connected magnetic transducer 402 that receives and sends the signal pulses to and from the read/write head of the FDD. The read/write head sits in recess 304 to align the head on the diskette 101 so that an emulation of a 3.5″ floppy disk set at track 00 can be accomplished using the magnetic transducer 402 as an antenna-type receiver/transmitter of the electromagnetic pulse signals. FIG. 5 shows the architecture of the cable-housing unit connected to the diskette at one end and a standard USB plug type A on the other end. The cable-housing unit 103 contains a solid-state circuit-type board/card configuration holding a microprocessor 501, memory (flash-type) 502 and a USB controller 503 along with wiring connecting the board and electrical components to the twisted pair cable 102. Processor 501 is connected to the circuitry-type board allowing it to send and receive signals to and from the diskette controller 401 and USB controller 503 as well as receive electrical current from the USB port interface on the EDP. The flash memory 502 module is a floating gate array type module containing all the code necessary to perform the execution of the application loads and driver installations upon system initialization when the apparatus is inserted into the first and second EDPs. The USB controller 503 manages the data flow and interaction with the second EDP using standard USB specifications and functionality, as described above. FIG. 6 shows the diskette 101 of the present invention inserted into an EDP 201 through a standard 3.5″ FDD external interface. The internal interface is depicted by showing diskette 101 in the inserted position and the FDD top arm assembly 601 holding read/write head 602 resting in recess of the diskette. Internal control of the FDD 603 is provided by the disk controller 604, which manages the data transfer internally between the FDD 603 and the internal processor and memory components of the EDP 201. These components are found with most all FDD devices. FIG. 7 is a general flowchart of the auto-load process of the present invention. The process is achieved by executing software code embedded in the memory of the apparatus contained in cable housing unit. The process begins with insertion of the diskette into the FDD interface of the first EDP and insertion of the USB plug into the USB port interface of the second EDP, which activates the initialization of the auto load process (step 701). The USB port interface provides the electrical current to the apparatus to power the processor and other electronic components contained in the cable housing unit and diskette. Software code execution then launches two parallel processes of loading the necessary file(s), driver(s) and code to each EDP (step 702). The first process stream begins by answering the request generated by the second EDP and sending a response and the necessary driver(s) identifying the apparatus as a peripheral device (step 703). The auto-loading of the driver(s) creates a drive letter displayed in the OS user interface of the EDP identifying the apparatus as a peripheral device (step 704). The apparatus then transfers a file folder to the file structure of the EDP OS and displays it as a file related to the data transfer system apparatus (step 705). The second process stream begins by installing a driver on the first EDP and sending a signal to the FDD identifying the diskette as a drive, using the default OS identifier for the FDD (normally displayed as drive A: in most operating systems) (step 706). The apparatus then sends a signal to the FDD disk controller to move the read/write head to track 00 (step 707). The diskette controller accommodates the emulation of the diskette as a floppy disk with track 00. The data transfer rate is set in the same manner of sending a signal managed by the controller through the magnetic transducer to the read/write head of the FDD (step 708). The apparatus then auto transfers a file folder to the file structure of the first EDP OS and displays it as a file related to the data transfer system apparatus (step 709). The data transfer process can now begin on each EDP by using the existing OS user interface of each machine to copy and move the files from one machine to another (step 710). To copy data from the second EDP to the first, the user copies the data to the drive letter (i.e. A:) that identifies the drive as the apparatus (step 711). The copy procedure is the same procedure already used by the user to copy data and files from one location to another using the character based command line user interface or the graphical user interface (GUI) provided by the EDP's OS. When the copy function is completed, the USB controller sends the data to the cable-housing unit, which passes the data to diskette controller, and the diskette controller then sends the data as signals to the read/write head as an emulation of track 00 on a floppy disk (step 712). The FDD of the first EDP reads from track 00 (step 713) and sends the data to the file folder that was sent to the first EDP in step 709 earlier in the auto load process (step 717). Transfer of data from the first EDP to the second is essentially the reverse of steps 711-713. The process begins by copying the desired data from the first EDP to the FDD drive letter (step 714). Again, the copy procedure is the same procedure typically used to copy data and files from one location to another. When the copy function is completed, the FDD disk controller writes the data to track 00 (step 715), which is then picked up by the magnetic transducer and sent by the diskette controller to the USB controller through the cable-housing unit (step 716). The data transfer process is completed by the USB controller sending the data through the USB port interface to the file folder on the second EDP (step 717). In both copy processes, the users of the EDPs use the existing user interfaces of their respective machines provided by the operating systems. The default copy, move, and erase procedures are also followed to move the transferred data from the storage file folder placed in the EDPs' file structure in step 704 and 709 to the desired location on the EDPs. Using the present invention, the data volume that can be transferred from one EDP to another is limited only by the total available data storage capacity of the EDP receiving the transferred data. In addition to the example embodiment described above employing 3.5″ FDD and USB interfaces, the present invention may also be implemented with the IEEE-1394 standard. By incorporating the FDD, USB and IEEE-1394 interfaces, the present invention is capable of five alternate embodiments in addition to the one described above. FIG. 8A shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention with USB plugs 801, 802 at both ends of the cable. FIG. 8B shows an embodiment of the present invention with a USB plug 811 at one end of the cable and an IEEE-1394 plug 812 at the other end. FIG. 8C shows an embodiment of the present invention with IEEE-1394 plugs 821, 822 at both ends of the cable. FIG. 8D shows an embodiment of the present invention with FDD interfaces 831, 832 at both ends of the cable using a battery 833, 834 inserted into each diskette to provide the necessary current to power the controller. FIG. 8E shows an embodiment of the present invention with a FDD interface 841 at one end of the cable and an IEEE-1394 plug 842 at the other end. The USB and IEEE-1394 interfaces provide almost identical feature/functionality in terms of issuing and handling requests from a peripheral device. (The invention apparatus is emulating a peripheral storage device.) USB and IEEE-1394 specifications are managed by separate governing bodies but the way in which the invention sends and receives data using the cable-based system is the same. The embodiments that include an FDD interfaces are more complicated than the USB and IEEE-1394 ones in that additional electronics are required to transfer, manage and control the data through the read/write head of the FDD. However, because the additional electronics are contained inside the diskette unit itself a single cable-housing unit can be manufactured to support all six embodiments. In this way, only the interface plugs/devices at the end of the cable change, which significantly reduces the cost to manufacture multiple products that have the same end function and user experience. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations will be possible to the disclosed embodiments without going outside the scope of the invention as disclosed in the claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>There are numerous methods of transferring data from one electronic data processing machine (EDP) to another, including copying data to floppy disks, compact disks (CD), flash memory sticks or external data storage devices. There are also software programs and devices available to manage the data transfer using a cable or wireless connection using a standard parallel port, serial port, USB, PCMCI or other network (Ethernet or telephony) interface. These methods require the creation and management of a network. Almost all of the above methods require manual installation and configuration of the device or the program managing the data transfer, except for the copy function of data to or from a data storage disk using a standard EDP read/write device such as a floppy disk drive (FDD). The drawback with current cable and wireless methods is that the expertise required to install and configure the device and the related software application to manage the device and execute the desired data transfer is far beyond the expertise of the average computer user. In particular, these prior art data transfer systems lack a process to automate the loading, execution and configuration of the necessary code to facilitate the data transfer between two EDPs. Therefore, it would be desirable to have an apparatus that automatically loads the drivers and code necessary to facilitate the transfer of data between EDP using standard EDP connectivity interfaces. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention provides a data transfer system apparatus that automatically loads the necessary drivers and code through two interface elements to facilitate the transfer of electronic data from one EDP to another. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the apparatus consists of a cable, USB interface plug, FDD transfer device (diskette), processor, controller, memory, circuitry components and software code. The electronic components and software applications are contained in the cable housing unit. Each interface element is attached at one end of the cable so they can be inserted into the respective EDP interfaces. Insertion of the apparatus into the EDP interfaces automatically triggers the execution of the embedded software for auto loading of the necessary code to control the transfer of the data directly from one EDP to the other. The system emulates the apparatus as a peripheral device attached to the EDP through its USB port interface coupled to the other EDP using its FDD to transfer the data, using the data storage capacity of the receiving EDP as the serial bus end-point. The invention provides an apparatus with an embedded system, which uses flash memory to automate code loading and file execution. This method replaces current data transfer methods between two EDPs that require three separate physical components of cable, software and a peripheral device (or device emulation). The manual loading of software onto each EDP is eliminated by using programmable memory arrays (flash memory) and by using the power source provided by the USB port on one EDP to supply current to the processor(s) and memory. The present invention allows for a reduction in the steps required to use a cable based data transfer system. Utilization of the FDD allows data transfer to or from EDPs that do not have USB ports, which is helpful when transferring data files from older EDPs. The present invention also eliminates the complexity of manual software application loads and configuration, which provides a low cost data transfer system that can be used by the average non-expert user. Because of the current supplied by the USB port, there is no requirement for an external power source, internal batteries or internal current generator, further reducing the cost of using the invention. Furthermore, the present invention is operating system (OS) agnostic, and the data transfer volumes are limited only by the available data storage capacity of the EDP receiving the transferred data. The functional result of the apparatus use is an easy-to-use true “plug and play” data transfer system through the emulation of the target EDP as a peripheral storage device connected to the source EDP. | 20041019 | 20060919 | 20060420 | 66771.0 | G06K1906 | 2 | LABAZE, EDWYN | INTELLIGENT COMPUTER CABLING | SMALL | 0 | ACCEPTED | G06K | 2,004 |
|
10,968,231 | ACCEPTED | Anti-marking coverings for printing presses | In a printing press and attached onto the transfer cylinders, an anti-marking system that uniformly supports the transport and the release of the wet printed sheet from one station to the next. The anti-marking sheet consists of a two plus layer system, the outer layer being a textured surface and the inner layer being a microcellular material that is both compressible and resilient. The outer textured layer may be treated with either conductive/anti-static layers or an ink repellent layer or both. The two plus layer system is easily attached to both transfer cylinders and tracking/skeleton wheels using any combination of fixtures from Velcro™, magnetic, metallic, and pressure sensitive double sided tape to elastic loops. | 1. An anti-marking sheet for mounting on a transfer cylinder or skeleton or tracking wheels in a printing machine to uniformly support a freshly printed sheet material as it is conveyed from a first print station to a next station without marking, the anti-marking sheet comprising: a flexible substrate layer having opposed first and second sides and a textured surface protruding from the first side; a flexible microcellular material that is resilient to compressive forces provided on the second side of the flexible substrate. 2. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, further comprising a coating or substrate adhered to a backside of the flexible microcellular layer. 3. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the anti-marking sheet is treated with an ink-repellent compound. 4. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the anti-marking sheet is treated with an anti-static or conductive coating. 5. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the textured surface comprises a plurality of partially exposed spheroidal shaped elements having exposed convex portions ranging from about 0.1-20 thousandths of an inch. 6. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the textured surface is a fabric. 7. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the flexible microcellular material is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a closed cell foam or open cell foam and has a density of about 2-60 lbs/cubic ft. 8. The anti-marking sheet of claim 7, wherein the foam comprises a urethane or polyolefin. 9. The anti-marking sheet of claim 8, wherein the foam comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl acetate or a combination thereof. 10. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein the flexible microcellular material is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a rubber-like polymer saturated paper or fabric, a compressible cork, and a compressible fiber. 11. The anti-marking sheet of claim 3, wherein an anti-static or conductive coating is applied to the anti-marking sheet prior to, or simultaneously with the application of the ink repellent 12. The anti-marking sheet of claim 3, wherein said ink repellent compound comprises a silicone or fluorocarbon. 13. The anti-marking sheet of claim 4, wherein the anti-static or conductive coating comprises ionic elements, salts, carbon, graphite, aluminum, silver, nickel, tin, or stainless steel 14. The anti-marking sheet of claim 1, wherein holes are perforated in the anti-marking sheet in a pattern corresponding to air flow holes provided in a specific press cylinder to facilitate pressurized air flow and suction through the flexible microcellular material layered sheet to aid in the transport of the freshly printed sheet and prevention of its marking. 15. A method of making an anti-marking jacket using the anti-marking sheet of claim_ 1 whereby the anti-marking jacket easily and quickly attaches onto a cylinder or tracking or skeleton wheels of a printing press, the method comprising the steps of: precutting the anti-marking sheet to fit the dimension of the cylinder, the cut anti-marking sheet having two longitudinal edges corresponding to the cylinder's longitudinal length; and affixing to each longitudinal edge of the anti-marking sheet a means for attaching it to an edge of the cylinder. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the means for attaching comprises at least one elastic loop adhered to the longitudinal edge of the anti-marking sheet. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the means for attaching is configured to be affixed to the cylinder of a Heidelberg SM-74 press and comprises a re-usable fixture that attaches to one longitudinal edge of the anti-marking sheet. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the means for attaching comprises a magnetic means at each longitudinal edge or along the entire backside of the anti-marking sheet. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the means for attaching comprises a hook and loop fastening material for affixing the anti-marking sheet to the cylinder or tracking or skeleton wheels that have hook and loop mating material. 20. The method claim 15, wherein the means for attaching comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive means for affixing the anti-marking sheet adhesively to the cylinder. | RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/197,837, filed Jul. 18, 2002, which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 60/306,791, filed Jul. 20, 2001 and entitled Anti-Marking Coverings for Printing Presses. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to an improved anti-marking sheet and method for providing improved support along the entire width of a freshly printed sheet material in a printing press or similar machine and particularly to an improved anti-marking sheet/jacket for a print press transfer/perfector cylinder. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Since the first printing press was placed into operation, operators have wrestled with the problem of freshly printed sheets becoming undesirably marked as they travel from one printing station to the next. To solve this problem, press manufacturers and innovators have tried various methods ranging from tracking/skeleton wheels, pneumatic devices, to cylindrical coverings of sandpaper, glass beaded paper, dimpled metal and loose mesh fabric. While most of these devices are effective to some degree, none of them fully satisfy the needs of a printer. A brief history illustrating the development of such anti-marking systems is outlined below. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,085,845, Binkley applies “a coating granular material such as silicon carbide, emery, etc.” onto the face of the fabric which has a barrier coating adhered onto rear side and is adhered to the make-ready and then clamped to the tympan roll. Here, Binkley asserts that using a sandpaper-like material will provide the advantage of decreasing the marking of freshly printed sheets. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,319, ross also studies the application of granular materials to rolls within a printing machine and tests granular materials ranging from glass culets, silicon carbide and aluminum oxide and compares them to spherical glass beads. He asserts that the spherical glass beads offer a smooth and round uniform surface that is superior to that of granular grit. Cross further asserts that spherical beads allow the freshly printed/inked sheet to be uniformly supported by the tops of millions of uniform glass beads resulting in a decrease of marking printed sheets. Cross also teaches of both the benefits of back coating a porous substrate and over-coating the beaded side to improve adhesion of the glass beads to the substrate as well as to aid in repelling printing inks/solvents. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,750, Greene attempts to improve on known rolls having granular surfaces by using “an elastic member that is attachable to each flange and is stretchably positionable around the circumferential granular surface.” Greene's use of elastic bands to make an easily installable anti-marking product falls short in two areas: first the elastic bands impede use of the full width of the cylinder (thus limit sheet size). Second, since the elastic bands run circumferentially around the cylinder, they do not provide adequate uniform tension across the entire sheet resulting in movement of the granular sheet and ultimately marking results. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,784, Wurz employs perforations in various textured surfaced anti-marking sheets that come into alignment with a hole or bore of the air ducts in the cylinder. The purpose of using compressed air is to aide in the transport of the freshly printed sheet as it travels mark-free from one printing station to the next. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,641, DeMoore uses an ink repellent PTFE sheet that is affixed to skeleton wheel. Later, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,267, DeMoore improves upon this design by adding “a loosely retained ink repellent fabric covering” known in the industry as SUPER BLUE™ over the cylinder sheet. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,412, Greenway et al. also uses a light weight fabric with preferred axial air permeability not less than about 0.138 cfm and a surface structure with closely spaced features of a spacing not more than about 0.125 inch.” This fabric is known in the industry as QUACK™. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,914 B1, Sudo et al. follows Cross's process for manufacturing an ink repellent anti-marking sheet as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,319. Sudo uses a urethane crosslinked silicone top coat well known in the industry and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,935 as an ink-repellent coating over the glass beaded surface. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,178 B1, DeMoore recognizes the importance of easy installibility and further improves his SUPER BLUE™ fabric to include asserted improvements such as pre-stretched, pressed flat and pre-cut to the cylinder dimensions complete with anti static/conductive filaments and ink-repellent coating. Despite the efforts made in these many patents or products in the market today, marking of printed sheets in printing presses remains problematic. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the problems of printing press anti-marking systems in the prior art, and particularly to solve the problem of wet ink marking/smearing on the sheet/web due to the contact of freshly printed sheets with the transfer cylinder or the anti-marking surface covering it. The present invention recognizes that for an anti-marking system to be optimal, it preferably meets four conditions: 1. Technically, the surface of the anti-marking system should perform its function of uniformly supporting and conveying the freshly printed sheet from one printing station to the next without marking the freshly printed sheet. 2. Installability, the anti-marking sheet/jacket should be uniformly applied to the surface of the desired cylinder. If the operator cannot easily apply the anti-marking cover uniformly over the cylinder, then ridges, bubbles and creases develop which by themselves create undesirable marks. 3. Durability, the anti-marking product should withstand contact with hundreds of thousands of printed sheets to include various thickness' and the inadvertent creased/folded sheet which typically can damage an anti-marking system. 4. Cleanability, the anti-marking surface needs to easily cleaned upon completion of the printing job to include ink and oil residue from the printing machine. The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for supporting and conveying sheet or web material that has been freshly printed on at least one side wherein the printed material is supported by a cylindrical roll or skeleton or tracking wheels which has mounted on the outer surface thereof an anti-marking material having at least two layers. The anti-marking material comprises at least an outer textured surface layer and an inner microcellular layer. The outer textured surface layer is the surface that actually comes in contact with the wet printed sheet. The contact between the outer textured surface and the wet printed ink is important to anti-marking performance. Too much surface or uneven contact will cause the wet ink to smear or mark. Too little surface or uneven contact will cause the sheet to be inadequately supported (resulting again in marking) as it is transferred from one printing station to the next. The pattern of the textured surface is therefore preferably uniform across the entire surface and strikes a delicate balance between adequate support for and good release of the wet printed sheet without marking. A textured surface that contains uniform raised contact points spaced apart by lower areas is preferred. For embossed patterns, the percent area of the raised ridges should preferably not exceed about 60% or the contact area with the wet printed sheet will not release cleanly without marking. The percent area of the raised contact can be minimized by careful tooling of the embossing roll. Care should be taken to uniformly space the raised contact points while minimizing their surface area. The minimum area in this scenario approaches zero and is constrained only by current manufacturing processes to single digit percentages. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method and apparatus for supporting and conveying sheet or web material that has been freshly printed on at least one side wherein the printed material is supported by a cylindrical roll or skeleton/tracking wheels which has mounted on the outer surface thereof an anti-marking material comprising an outer glass bead textured surface layer and an inner microcellular layer. In this embodiment, the textured surface is created by adhering glass/zirconia/plastic beads uniformly to the outer surface. Here, only the convex portions of the glass beads come in contact with the wet printed sheet. Glass beads are extremely durable and provide an excellent uniform surface to support the sheet while allowing for any excess ink to slide down the glass bead and collect in the low areas between the bead peaks. The inner microcellular layer is the perfect compliment to the textured surface. When adhered to the planer or flat underside of the textured surface, the microcellular layer conforms to the outer surface of the cylinder ensuring a perfectly uniform outer textured surface. The key features of the microcellular layer are that it is both compressible and resilient. In one embodiment, a five pound/cubic foot polyolefin microcellular foam was extruded and laminated to the planer surface. In another embodiment, a thirty pound/cubic foot urethane microcellular foam was extruded and laminated to the planer surface. In yet another embodiment, a rubber saturated paper was laminated to the planer surface. In all these cases, the microcellular layer provided the required compression under weight/pressure and were sufficiently resilient when the weight/pressure was removed. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the build up of ink is prevented on the textured surface through the use of an ink-repellent coating applied thereon. In one embodiment, the ink-repellent coating is a cross-linkable silicone or fluorocarbon. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention the buildup of static or electrical charge on the textured surface is prevented through the use of either conductive coatings or an anti-static coatings applied thereon to one or both sides of the anti-marking sheet. Conductive coatings can be metal foils or metallized substrates. Anti-static coatings are preferably salt based. In order to effectively dissipate static electrical charges, it is critical to ground the surface of the anti-marking material to the cylinder or some other suitable ground. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for easily and quickly affixing an anti-marking jacket to a transfer cylinder. The process begins by precutting an anti-marking sheet of the present invention to the proper sheet dimensions for a given cylinder. Depending on the press model, cylinder location and the personal preferences of the press operator, the sheet may be either mechanically attached or adhesively adhered to the cylinder. In one embodiment, a magnetic strip was adhesively adhered to the longitudinal edges of the anti-marking sheet and magnetically attached to the cylinder. In another embodiment, a Velcro™ or other hook and loop type fastening strip can be adhered to the longitudinal edges of the anti-marking sheet and mechanically affixed to a cylinder having a mating portion of Velcro™ affixed along its longitudinal edges. Alternatively, a fibrous Velcro™ backing can be adhesively adhered to the base of the anti-marking sheet and be mechanically affixed to the tracking/skeleton wheels having a mating portion of Velcro™ affixed along the edge of its circumference. In a still further embodiment, a double-sided pressure sensitive tape can be adhered to the longitudinal edges of the anti-marking sheet and mechanically affixed to the cylinder. Alternatively, double-sided pressure sensitive adhesive can be adhered to the entire sheet of the present invention and then applied to the cylinder. In a further alternative, a double-sided adhesive tape can be adhered along the circumference edge of a tracking/skeleton wheel and then the anti-marking sheet can be applied to the wheel in such a manner as to form the shape of a cylinder. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for easily and quickly affixing an anti-marking jacket to the transfer cylinder is provided using at least one elastic loop affixed to the longitudinal edge of an anti-marking sheet of the invention. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, this elastic loop jacket is specifically designed to fit on a Heidelberg printing press. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for easily and quickly affixing an anti-marking jacket to the transfer cylinder of a Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 printing press is provided using reusable affixing hardware (for example, eight clips supported onto a stainless steel rod that slides into a sewn loop of an anti-marking sheet of the present invention) on one longitudinal edge of the present invention and a flat permanently affixed strip (stainless steel or other suitable firm strip) to the other. The operator first slides the flat end into a groove and firmly clamps it down in place. Holding the clip end of the jacket, the operator slowly rotates the cylinder until the clips come in alignment with and fit over eight pins on a support bar. The pressman next tightens a center bolt that tensions the jacket over the transfer cylinder. This jacket may be installed in five minutes. When the jacket materials useful life is over, the stainless steel rod and eight clips are saved and re-used on a new jacket saving hardware costs. Alternatively, an anti-marking sheet of the present invention may be laminated to a thin conductive sheet metal. The ends of this sheet metal may be easily die cut and bent to affix both over these eight pins as well as in the thin groove. The jacket is tensioned up in a similar manner. In another embodiment of the present invention, holes are perforated through the anti-marking sheet of any of the above constructions allowing for pressurized air to flow through specific air feed holes bored through the transfer cylinder. Air is blown through these feed holes facilitating the mark free transport of the freshly printed sheet as it moves from one print station to the next. The microcellular layer is of particular benefit in these perforated sheets as the compressible layer forms an air tight seal between each perforated hole and the transfer cylinder's surface thus ensuring pressurized air is fully directly through each hole and does not escape laterally. The result is a uniform air pressure through each hole surrounding the entire cylinder. Constant pressure through uniform air feed holes ensures constant air volume and velocity providing for a mark free transport of the wet printed sheet. In another embodiment of the present invention, the anti-marking sheet of the invention having at least two layers could be alternatively used for multiple other cylinder coverings besides transfer cylinders. In one embodiment the two plus layer sheet was mounted on a plate cylinder with the plate mounted thereon. In another embodiment, the two plus layer sheet was mounted on both the blanket and impression cylinders. In both the plate and impression cylinders, the outer textured layer coupled with the inner microcellular layer proved a suitable combination for improving the quality of print on the sheet. To meet the economical constraints of packing sheets, the textured surface may be omitted. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the anti-marking material of the invention having at least two layers could be slit into narrow width rolls that could be easily applied to the cylinders of flexographic/web printing machines for mark free transitions. The rolls of anti-marking tape were used to spiral wind around the transport and nip cylinders in such a manner that during application, the inner microcellular layer compressed and held tightly to the surface of the cylinder while the outer textured layer lay perfectly flat around the circumference of the cylinder. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be explained in the detailed description of the invention below, having reference to the following drawings: FIG. 1 is an illustration of a four color offset printing press highlighting the transfer cylinders upon which an anti-marking sheet of the present invention is applied; FIG. 2a is a cross-sectional view showing the layers of material of an anti-marking sheet of the invention covering the circumferential surface of a transfer cylinder of FIG. 1; FIG. 2b is a cross-sectional view of an alternative construction of the anti-marking sheet of FIG. 2a using glass beads as the textured surface; FIG. 3 is a diagram of a transfer cylinder fitted with an anti-marking sheet of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram of a one step jacket of the invention that mounts on a Heidelberg printing press; FIG. 5 is a diagram of skeleton/tracking wheels fitted with an anti-marking sheet of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of a conductive anti-static ink repellent glass beaded surface affixed to a microcellular layer, the entire sheet containing perforations for allowing pressurized air to flow through either way; and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an anti-marking sheet of the present invention having perforations. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Prior to describing the invention in detail, the following definitions are set forth to facilitate the understanding of the present invention. A. Flexible substrate: Any dimensionally stable film such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN, polycarbonate, polyolefins, styrene, nylon, polyether ester ketone (PEEK), polyester sulfone (PES), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP); metal foils such as aluminum, copper, nickel tin, steel, coated steel, stainless steel, brass; paper, both natural and synthetic; and fabric, both woven and non-woven. Substrate thickness may range from about 0.5-20 thousands of an inch depending on desired total thickness. Substrates may be pre-coated with adhesion promoters, anti-statics, ink repellents, and/or a print receptive layer. B. Textured surface: The non-smooth surface that is on the exposed side of the anti-marking material and which comes in contact with the freshly printed sheet. The textured surface may be embossed with any pattern that provides raised ridges and valleys such that the high points adequately support the freshly printed sheet. Preferred embossed patterns are similar in appearance to the hemispherical portion of the spheroidal element. Alternatively the textured surface maybe formed by partially embedding elements/particles into an adhesive/substrate. Preferred elements are spheroidal partially embedded into the adhesive layer. Alternative textured surfaces include textiles such as woven fabric that has suitable ridges resulting from the warp and fill construction. Other textured surfaces maybe created by plasma coating or sand blasting a metal surface followed by plasma/non-stick coatings. C. Glass/plastic beads: Spheroidal elements of any refractive index having a diameter ranging from about 1 to 100 thousandths of an inch depending on desired end product. Due to their durability and natural ink repellency, spheroidal glass elements are preferred. Alternative spheroidal elements are either plastic or milling beads typically containing Zirconia/zirconium To obtain the desired textured surface these spheroidal elements are partially embedded into an adhesive layer typically supported by a flexible substrate. D. Embossed height/partially embedded depth: The protruding height of the textured surface; the height from the apex of the protruding element to the lowest point where the embossed pattern ceases or to where the upper layer of adhesive bonds the spheriodal elements together and onto the flexible substrate. Embedded depth may be varied within a given glass bead diameter by methods well known in the art. These include but are not limited to: varying the thickness/viscosity of the adhesive layer used to initially adhere the glass beads to the flexible substrate; or by later applying a prime or tycot coating that fills in the spaces between the glass beads to control the percent of the glass bead exposed/embedded. Partially embedded depth is typically a ratio of bead diameter which ranges from about 0.05 D to 0.6 D (D is diameter of bead/embossed pattern) depending on desired end use application. For the diameter glass beads typically used, embedded bead depth ranges from about 0.1 mils to 4 mils. For larger glass beads the embedded depth will correspondingly increase to about 20 mils. E. Microcellular layer A layer that is made up of one or more materials containing minute gaseous areas that allow the layer to compress when placed under pressure/weight and provide the layer resiliency upon release of this pressure/weight. F. Foam: A preferred microcellular layer that can be based on polymers and cross-linked polymers ranging from urethanes, polyvinylchloride nitriles, polyolefins, hypolons, to silicones or the like. Commercially extruded foams are available from Voltek Inc. (Lawrence, Mass.), Sentenial (Hyannis, Mass.), and Rogers Corp.(Rogers, Conn.). G. Foam-like: An alternative microcellular layer that possesses the unique qualities that allow it to act like a foam with its compressibility and resiliency. Typically, these materials are elastic polymer-saturated paper/fabric. These substrates contain small gaseous areas that allow for a degree of compressibility and resiliency even when saturated or coated with a resin. A preferred Rubber-saturated paper is available from Sunshine Paper Co. (Aurora, Colo.). A preferred Rubber/urethane saturated fabric is available form Cooley, Inc. (Pawtucket, R.I.). H. Adhesives: Polymers used to either emboss the textured pattern or to embed and bond the elements used for the textured surface. The same polymers may be used to laminate the substrates together. Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA), thermoplastic and thermoset resins such as phenolics, polycarbonates, polyesters, epoxys, urethanes, acrylics, nylons and polyolefins or suitable alternatives. I. Ink repellent coatings: An optional coating that may be applied to the textured surface of the anti-marking sheet. These coatings improve the performance of the anti-marking material by repelling printing inks, increasing product life, and allowing for easier surface cleanup at the end of a printing run. Preferable ink repellent coatings are crosslinked resins of silicone (platinum addition cure, tin moisture cure, rhodium cationic radiation cure, free radical cure), fluorocarbon, Teflon, PTFE , silicone/urethane adducts, silicone/epoxy adducts, nylon, fatty acid, or carbomate. J. Anti-static or conductive coatings: An optional coating that may be applied to both the textured surface and the rear substrate of the anti-marking sheet. These coatings serve to make the surfaces of the anti-marking material conductive thereby preventing electrical charge buildup. Anti-static coatings contain elements such as salts, graphite, etc. Preferred conductive materials include: carbon, aluminum, indium, silver, nickel, copper, tin, and stainless steel. Conductive sheet material may be laminated either between the flexible textured surface and the compressible microcellular material or to the rear of the compressible microcellular material. Conductive materials can easily be vapor deposited onto sheet or web surfaces. Alternatively, conductive materials maybe chemically etched onto the surface or simply coated in solution form. Anti-static and conductive coatings may be applied before/during or after the ink repellent coating. K. Anti-marking material: A material that is applied to the outer portion of a transfer cylinder that reduces the smearing or marking of a freshly printed wet ink sheet/web as it travels through the printing machine. L. Transfer cylinder. Cylinders within a printing machine that facilitate the transfer or transport of a freshly printed sheet from one station to the next. Transfer cylinders are commonly referred to as delivery cylinders, transfer drums, delivery wheels, skeleton/tracking/guide wheels, transfer rollers, delivery rollers and any other movable apparatus that is capable of transferring a freshly printing substrate in a printing press. M. Magnetic materials: A material used to mechanically affix the present invention to a transfer cylinder. A preferred magnetic material comes in sheet and roll form in varying thickness' that can be easily laminated to the rear surface of the anti-marking sheet. Typically this material is made out of an iron and possesses strong magnetic properties enabling it to attract to the steel transfer cylinder. N. PSA materials: A pressure sensitive adhesive material used to attach the present invention to a transfer cylinder and/or alternatively laminate the layers of the anti-marking material together. Pressure sensitive adhesives can be applied in thickness ranging from about 0.5-4 thousandths of an inch and are typically polymers ranging from: urethane, acrylic, rubber, to silicone. O. Velcro™ materials: A material used to mechanically affix the present invention to a transfer cylinder. This material is made out of two layers, one that has a barbed-like protrusion, the other is the mate to it—a dense layer of loose fibers that mechanically entangle/affix to the barbed protuberances (these layers are sometimes referred to as hook and loop fasteners). It is preferable to place the dense layer of loose fiber-like material on the backside of the anti-marking sheet, and the barbed layer on the transfer cylinder. P. Nonwoven/woven fabric: A substrate that can be used as the flexible layer or textured surface in the anti-marking material. Commonly used materials include: nylon, polyester, polyolefin, cotton, rayon, acrylic or combinations thereof. It is preferred to use fabrics that have been scoured and heat-set for stability. They may be further processed or saturated with an elastic resin or ink repellency. Q. Printing press: Printing presses tend to be categorized as sheet feed presses such as offset printing or web fed machines such as flexographic. Anti-marking sheets are predominantly used in offset printing as the substrate cannot be held under constant tension as it moves from one printing station to the next. Anti-marking tape that is spiral wound around support/transfer cylinders is typically used on flexographic machines. R. Elastic Loop: The material affixed to the longitudinal edge of the present invention. The elastic loop may be made out of any elastic material such as rubber, epdin, urethane, silicone etc. The preferred materials are urethane and silicone due to their resistance to solvents and oils. The degree of elasticity (elongation) should be selected according to desired fit on the press. Likewise the thickness of the elastic loop should be selected to ensure proper fit within the transfer cylinders edge and tolerances upon rotation. S. SM-74 Clip: The reusable hardware affixed to the longitudinal edge of an anti-marking sheet of present invention that fits on a Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 transfer cylinder. There are eight clips that are approximately 1″×1″ square {fraction (50/1000)}″ inch thick metal with a 0.5″ die punched hole through the center and a rolled lip that slides over a stainless steel ⅛″ rod. The SM-74 clips are threaded onto the stainless steel rod as the rod is slipped through the sewn/notched loop of the present invention jacket. When the useful life of the jacket is over, the pressman simply orders a new jacket (without hardware) and reuses the hardware from the former jacket. This makes such jackets extremely economical. T. SM-102 Rivet: The non-reusable hardware affixed to the longitudinal edge of an anti-marking sheet of the present invention that fits on the newer Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 transfer cylinder. There are ten rivets that fasten through the sheet after being wrapped around a steel strip. This end of the jacket fits easily into a spring bar that is already affixed to the Hidelberg transfer cylinder. The other end of the jacket can either have a stainless steel strip or an elastic/non-elastic die cut loop which fits securely on the other side of the transfer cylinder. U. Compressible packing: Packing is an industry term that refers to the product used to pack or fill the gap that is desired between two cylinders on a printing press. This is typically part of the make-ready process where the pressman decides what thickness packing is required to run a desired paper weight. Packing can range from just a few mils (thousandths of an inch) to several hundred mils depending on the press and the cylinder. Packing prevalent in the industry today is typically paper, but film and film with PSA backing is also used. The term compressible packing is meant to describe a type of packing that is a hybrid of the current invention and traditional packing. The present invention can be used as packing in place of traditional packing on any cylinder with excellent results. To minimize cost (packing is typically a low cost item), an alternative is to use only the microcellular layer as packing. For easier installation, paper or film may be laminated to this microcellular layer, this however, adds additional cost to the compressible packing. The examples and embodiments depicted in the drawings and described herein include anti-marking sheets of the invention having a minimum of two layers: a textured surface outer layer and a microcellular inner layer. These embodiments are for use on high speed printing equipment, for example on offset printing machines. This equipment typically uses transfer cylinders and/or skeleton/tracking wheels for handling freshly wet printed sheets between printing stages and upon delivery of the printed sheet to the discharge stack Those skilled in the art will readily understand both the benefits and flexible alternatives for mounting this new textured surface anti-marking sheet with a microcellular layer to any cylinder on printing machines. Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred, but not necessarily the only, forms of the present invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The improved method and apparatus for supporting freshly printed sheet material in accordance with the present invention is typically used in high speed printing presses, most often in offset printing. A brief summary of the printing process follows by reference to FIG. 1. A sheet is feed into the printing press from the sheet feeder 1, and travels through the first color printing station 10A to be printed with the first color as the sheet is pressed between the blanket cylinder 3 and impression cylinder 4. This freshly wet printed sheet now must travel from the first printing station 10a to the second color printing station 10b. In order to accomplish this, the sheet is supported and transported with its wet ink side down over the first transfer cylinder 6 (T1). Next the sheet is transferred with its wet ink side up onto and over the intermediate transfer cylinder 7 (T2), and then over to the third transfer cylinder 5 (T3) with its wet ink side down, and then back up to receive the second color as the sheet is pressed in between the blanket cylinder 3 and the impression cylinder 4 in printing station 10b. This process is repeated each time as the sheet travels from one color station to the next until reaching the last station where the sheet travels again with its wet ink side down over the delivery cylinder 8 (T4) and on through the conveyer system 11 and onto the sheet stacker 12. From the above description, one can readily understand that marking or smearing of the wet printed sheet occurs when sheet is being supported and transported with its wet ink side down over the transfer cylinders T1 and T3 on its way to the next printing station. The present invention provides an anti-marking cover having at least two layers that is easily applied to the outer surface of these transfer rolls. The layers comprise at a minimum an outer and inner layer with optional layers/coatings as portrayed in FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b. The outer layer is a durable textured surface 110 that provides a raised pattern that supports the wet ink side of the sheet being printed, and prevents the marking or smearing of the wet ink on the sheet during transfer. The inner layer is a microcellular layer 120 that allows for uniform application and support of the outer layer onto the cylinder. The microcellular layer 120 is compressible and resilient allowing for easy level installation and uniform packing. The microcellular layer further improves durability of the outer textured layer by allowing distinct areas to compress when required (creased/folded paper sheet) and then resiliently returning to its former position. The present invention is sometimes referred to as the “two plus layer” system meaning that there are two layers required and several optional coatings/layers that can be added to improve the characteristics or installation of the present invention. The two required layers are: the outer layer 190 consisting of a minimum of the textured surface 110 and the inner layer 195 consisting of a minimum of the microcellular layer 120. Referring to the exemplary construction of FIG. 2a, the textured surface 110 is embossed in the pattern of hemispherical spheroids, or half spheres adhered to an optional flexible substrate 100. This pattern, though preferred, is not depicted to limit the various embossing patterns that are suitable and fall within the scope of the present invention. An optional vapor deposited aluminum conductive coating 150 can be applied onto the exposed surface of the embossed pattern 110. Upon this conductive coating an optional ink repellent coating 160 can be applied. The outer layer can then be flipped upside down and a laminating adhesive can be coated onto the underside of the flexible substrate 100 whereupon a microcellular layer 120 can be laminated. Next an optional anti-static conductive coating 140 can be applied to a flexible substrate 130 and then laminated to the underside of the microcellular layer 120. This example is for illustration only and a person of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand the various raw materials and processes that can be alternatively used to obtain similar desired results. Numerous methods exist for the construction of an anti-marking sheet of the present invention. One skilled in the art of manufacturing either sand paper or reflective sheeting will readily understand how to partially embed glass beads onto a substrate. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,319 for example, Goss fully discloses the steps for manufacturing this textured surface to include prime coating the surface of the glass beads for better adhesion and also ink repellency. Such techniques can be used to manufacture the textured surface of the anti-marking sheet depicted in FIG. 2b. In this embodiment, the textured surface is constructed from glass beads 110 that are partially embedded into the flexible adhesive 105 supported by the flexible substrate 100. The desired end product use (type of printing press coupled with the type of sheets printed) determines both the proper selection of glass bead diameter as well as the thickness of adhesive 105 required to properly secure and embed the glass beads. Next, an anti-static material 150 can be coated upon the surface of the exposed glass beads followed by an ink repellent coating 160. This coating also falls in the valleys between the spaces of the glass beads aiding in the prevention of ink buildup and vastly improves the cleanliness of the textured surface. This outer layer can then be flipped upside down and a laminating adhesive coated onto the flexible substrate 100 where upon a microcellular layer 120 can then be laminated. Next an anti-static conductive coating 140 can be applied to a flexible substrate 130 and laminated to the underside of the microcellular layer 120. Again, this example is for illustration only, one skilled in the art will readily understand the various raw materials and processes that can be alternatively used to obtain similar desired results. The anti-marking sheet of the present invention may be readily modified so that it may be easily mounted to any manufacturers printing press transfer cylinder. FIG. 3 depicts the present invention as mounted onto a transfer cylinder 200. Depending on the press and the thickness of the sheet paper being run, the press operator may decide to include packing 180. The packing 180 may be secured in place by the anti-marking sheet microcellular layer or by the use of a pressure sensitive adhesive. Likewise, the anti-marking sheet may be secured to the transfer cylinder along the length of the cylinder with pressure sensitive double-sided tape. Here, the textured surface 110 can be coated simultaneously with an ink repellent and an anti-static coating 170. The microcellular layer 120 allows the operator to easily install the outer textured layer so that is lays perfectly flat against the cylinder surface thereby preventing bubbles, ridges or creases that typically occur when applying anti-marking sheets to transfer cylinders. An anti-static coating 180 can be applied to the exposed surface of the microcellular layer 120 prior to mounting it to surface of the transfer cylinder. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the two plus layer anti-marking material is modified by affixing at least one elastic loop 210 to the longitudinal edge 240 of the sheet. FIG. 4 depicts a Heidelberg transfer cylinder with an elastic loop jacket of the present invention thereon mounted. The particular printing press model (transfer cylinder size) determines the placement of the die cut areas 215 along the longitudinal axis of the elastic loop 210. To affix an anti-marking sheet of the present invention to the cylinder, the operator attaches the first longitudinal edge 235 to the cylinder 200. There are various means, as determined by the model of the press, for affixing the first longitudinal edge 235. In some presses, there is a clamp along this edge and the operator can open and slide the longitudinal edge or a flat fixture pre-mounted thereon (such a strip of stainless steel or suitable firm material) and then tightly close the clamp. In other presses a double loop jacket is preferable. Still in other presses, alternative mounting means are desired and readily understood and quickly fixtured by one skilled in the art. This is the case with the newer Heidelberg presses such as the SM102 which use slotted rivets on one side that clip into corresponding holes in a spring plate permanently affixed to one side of the transfer cylinder. After affixing the first longitudinal edge 235, the operator slowly rotates the transfer cylinder while firmly holding the second longitudinal edge 240 of the anti-marking sheet. This step of the installation process of the anti-marking material is crucial. No matter how technically exceptional the anti-marking outer surface is, if the operator cannot install or mount this very large sheet uniformly without bubbles, ridges or creases then the product will not function properly. The present invention guarantees easy and uniform installation by providing the microcellular layer 120 that is both compressible and resilient. The microcellular layer 120 is non slip and allows the operator to achieve an excellent fit over the entire width of the transfer cylinder 200 as the cylinder is rotated. The compressible microcellular layer 120 fills in any low areas or voids due to wear or damage of the cylinder 200; and likewise compresses over any high points in the cylinder 200 making for an extremely uniform outer layer 110. Once the second longitudinal edge 240 of the sheet is against the second longitudinal edge of the cylinder, the operator simply stretches the elastic loop 210 by applying downward pressure against the steel rod 220 using a “C” tool 243 or suitable push tool. As the elastic loop stretches, the rod can glide over the clamp heads 230 so that when the operator releases downward pressure, the steel rod 220 snaps into its locked position under the clamp heads 230. The operator repeats this process for each die cut area 215 until the present invention is firmly mounted under constant tension around the transfer cylinder 200. In this preferred embodiment, the microcellular layer 120 is under slight constant compression thus ensuring the most uniform fit at every point along the cylinder 200 such that the outer textured surface is perfectly aligned with the surface of the freshly printed wet inked sheet. This perfect alignment coupled with the technological surface texture 110, two plus layer structure, and optional coatings 170 make for a mark free transfer of the wet inked sheet from one station to the next. The newer Heidelberg SM-74 press requires a fixture that fits over eight pins that extend out of a support bar on one side of the transfer cylinder. This support bar is then extended by rotating a single hex bolt by the pressman, thereby tensioning the jacket. There are two types of fixtures that can be used for this press, a permanent fixture and a re-useable fixture. A permanent fixture is one that cannot be easily re-used by the pressman; i.e. it is permanently affixed to the anti-marking sheet of the present invention either by riveting, sewing or adhesive bonding. A re-useable fixture is one that can be easily re-used by the pressman; this requires the upfront design of both the anti-marking sheet jacket and fixture system that readily fits over the SM-74 pins and is securely affixes the jacket to the cylinder. To meet these constraints, eight individual clips were designed and manufactured interchangeably fit the base jacket of the present invention for the SM-74 press. These clips easily slide over a stainless steel rod and fit in the die cut areas of the present invention jacket. When the jacket becomes worn, the pressman removes the clip/rod hardware from the old jacket and discards the jacket. The pressman then installs the same hardware in the new jacket making this jacket much more economical than others. In another embodiment of the present invention, a fibrous Velcro™ tape 320 is applied to the backside of the microcellular anti-marking sheet so that it may be easily mounted to the modified surface of skeleton/tracking wheelsT4 which likewise have been modified with the barbed Velcro™ tape 310. As depicted in FIG. 5, the operator affixes the first longitudinal edge 330 of the anti-marking sheet 350 of this embodiment to the skeleton/tracking wheels 300 by pairing up the mating surfaces of the Velcro™ tapes 310 and 320. Once firmly secured, the operator will slowly rotate the cylinder, all the while applying constant tension from the second longitudinal edge 410 in such a manner that the anti-marking sheet is applied uniformly and lays flat against the surface of the tracking wheel. Upon completion of the cylinder's rotation, the second longitudinal edge 340 is secured to the skeleton/tracking wheels 300. Unlike any other system, the present invention allows for not only quick and easy installation, but for a firm cylinder-like shape of the anti-marking sheet 350 even when installed over as few as two wheels 300. This perfect shape coupled with the technological surface texture 110, two plus layer configuration, and optional coatings 170 make for a mark free transfer of the wet inked sheet from the final print station to the discharge unit. Velcro™ tape has likewise been used to secure the present invention to transfer cylinders T1 and T3. One skilled the art will also recognize many alternatives for mounting the present invention 198/199 to transfer cylinders. Magnetic or double sided pressure sensitive adhesive tape can be alternatively used. Many presses have transfer cylinders that use pressurized air to aid in the support and delivery of freshly printed sheets 430. Though this system was designed to eliminate the need for anti-marking sheets, those familiar with these presses will agree that marking still occurs. By modifying the present invention with perforations 420 (in pre-arranged locations as determined by the model printing press) marking in these presses can be greatly reduced and eliminated. A section of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 6 with perforations 420 that allow pressurized air to flow freely through each hole. FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the present invention as it is applied to the cylinder 400. The perforated holes 420 line up with the pressured air/suction feed holes 410 in the cylinder. One of the additional benefits of using the present invention in this manner is the perfect fit 450 between the microcellular layer 120 that compresses and provides for an air tight seal with cylinder's surface 400 around each air feed hole 410. The pressurized air is fed up or sucked through the hole 420 with no incident loss of air escaping between the base of the anti-marking material 198/199 and the surface of the cylinder 400. The benefit of this perfect fit 450 is uniform air flow through each perforation 420. Uniform air flow means that the sheet 430 will be float over the textured surface 110 and optional coatings 170 with no sags along the width due to variances in air pressure. The result is a mark free transfer of the wet inked sheet from one print station to the next. An unanticipated and very effective use for the present invention 198/199 was discovered by applying it to the plate cylinder 2, blanket cylinder 3 and impression cylinder 4. In this embodiment, the microcellular layer 120 provided the required compressibility allowing tolerance for the plate to compress uniformly during the ink transfer to the blanket cylinder 3. It was found that choice of textured surface/embossed pattern could be optimized for each cylinder, the hemisphere pattern performs quite well on the plate 2 and impression 4 cylinders; while to minimize cost, ordinary packing (paper/film) was laminated to the compressible microcellular layer 120 for the plate 2 and blanket 3 cylinders providing extraordinary compressible packing. For most economical cases, the microcellular layer 120 alone may be used as excellent compressible packing. Another unanticipated and very effective use for the present invention 198/199 was discovered by slitting the anti-marking product into two inch wide rolls of tape and applying it to the transfer cylinders in flexographic/web printing machines. The product was applied to the transfer/idler rolls in a spiral fashion such that the entire roll was covered uniformly with the present invention 198/199. The microcellular layer compressed slightly under constant application tension in such a manner as to provide a seamless uniform covering over the cylinder. The result is a non-slip, mark-free transfer of the wet inked web from one print station to the next. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate further features and advantages of the invention based on the above-described embodiments. For example, various elements and concepts employed in the embodiments described above may be intermixed in an anti-marking product for use anywhere that sheets having wet ink are transported within the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims. All publications and references cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entity. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Since the first printing press was placed into operation, operators have wrestled with the problem of freshly printed sheets becoming undesirably marked as they travel from one printing station to the next. To solve this problem, press manufacturers and innovators have tried various methods ranging from tracking/skeleton wheels, pneumatic devices, to cylindrical coverings of sandpaper, glass beaded paper, dimpled metal and loose mesh fabric. While most of these devices are effective to some degree, none of them fully satisfy the needs of a printer. A brief history illustrating the development of such anti-marking systems is outlined below. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,085,845, Binkley applies “a coating granular material such as silicon carbide, emery, etc.” onto the face of the fabric which has a barrier coating adhered onto rear side and is adhered to the make-ready and then clamped to the tympan roll. Here, Binkley asserts that using a sandpaper-like material will provide the advantage of decreasing the marking of freshly printed sheets. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,319, ross also studies the application of granular materials to rolls within a printing machine and tests granular materials ranging from glass culets, silicon carbide and aluminum oxide and compares them to spherical glass beads. He asserts that the spherical glass beads offer a smooth and round uniform surface that is superior to that of granular grit. Cross further asserts that spherical beads allow the freshly printed/inked sheet to be uniformly supported by the tops of millions of uniform glass beads resulting in a decrease of marking printed sheets. Cross also teaches of both the benefits of back coating a porous substrate and over-coating the beaded side to improve adhesion of the glass beads to the substrate as well as to aid in repelling printing inks/solvents. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,750, Greene attempts to improve on known rolls having granular surfaces by using “an elastic member that is attachable to each flange and is stretchably positionable around the circumferential granular surface.” Greene's use of elastic bands to make an easily installable anti-marking product falls short in two areas: first the elastic bands impede use of the full width of the cylinder (thus limit sheet size). Second, since the elastic bands run circumferentially around the cylinder, they do not provide adequate uniform tension across the entire sheet resulting in movement of the granular sheet and ultimately marking results. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,784, Wurz employs perforations in various textured surfaced anti-marking sheets that come into alignment with a hole or bore of the air ducts in the cylinder. The purpose of using compressed air is to aide in the transport of the freshly printed sheet as it travels mark-free from one printing station to the next. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,641, DeMoore uses an ink repellent PTFE sheet that is affixed to skeleton wheel. Later, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,267, DeMoore improves upon this design by adding “a loosely retained ink repellent fabric covering” known in the industry as SUPER BLUE™ over the cylinder sheet. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,412, Greenway et al. also uses a light weight fabric with preferred axial air permeability not less than about 0.138 cfm and a surface structure with closely spaced features of a spacing not more than about 0.125 inch.” This fabric is known in the industry as QUACK™. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,914 B1, Sudo et al. follows Cross's process for manufacturing an ink repellent anti-marking sheet as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,319. Sudo uses a urethane crosslinked silicone top coat well known in the industry and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,935 as an ink-repellent coating over the glass beaded surface. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,178 B1, DeMoore recognizes the importance of easy installibility and further improves his SUPER BLUE™ fabric to include asserted improvements such as pre-stretched, pressed flat and pre-cut to the cylinder dimensions complete with anti static/conductive filaments and ink-repellent coating. Despite the efforts made in these many patents or products in the market today, marking of printed sheets in printing presses remains problematic. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the problems of printing press anti-marking systems in the prior art, and particularly to solve the problem of wet ink marking/smearing on the sheet/web due to the contact of freshly printed sheets with the transfer cylinder or the anti-marking surface covering it. The present invention recognizes that for an anti-marking system to be optimal, it preferably meets four conditions: 1. Technically, the surface of the anti-marking system should perform its function of uniformly supporting and conveying the freshly printed sheet from one printing station to the next without marking the freshly printed sheet. 2. Installability, the anti-marking sheet/jacket should be uniformly applied to the surface of the desired cylinder. If the operator cannot easily apply the anti-marking cover uniformly over the cylinder, then ridges, bubbles and creases develop which by themselves create undesirable marks. 3. Durability, the anti-marking product should withstand contact with hundreds of thousands of printed sheets to include various thickness' and the inadvertent creased/folded sheet which typically can damage an anti-marking system. 4. Cleanability, the anti-marking surface needs to easily cleaned upon completion of the printing job to include ink and oil residue from the printing machine. The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for supporting and conveying sheet or web material that has been freshly printed on at least one side wherein the printed material is supported by a cylindrical roll or skeleton or tracking wheels which has mounted on the outer surface thereof an anti-marking material having at least two layers. The anti-marking material comprises at least an outer textured surface layer and an inner microcellular layer. The outer textured surface layer is the surface that actually comes in contact with the wet printed sheet. The contact between the outer textured surface and the wet printed ink is important to anti-marking performance. Too much surface or uneven contact will cause the wet ink to smear or mark. Too little surface or uneven contact will cause the sheet to be inadequately supported (resulting again in marking) as it is transferred from one printing station to the next. The pattern of the textured surface is therefore preferably uniform across the entire surface and strikes a delicate balance between adequate support for and good release of the wet printed sheet without marking. A textured surface that contains uniform raised contact points spaced apart by lower areas is preferred. For embossed patterns, the percent area of the raised ridges should preferably not exceed about 60 % or the contact area with the wet printed sheet will not release cleanly without marking. The percent area of the raised contact can be minimized by careful tooling of the embossing roll. Care should be taken to uniformly space the raised contact points while minimizing their surface area. The minimum area in this scenario approaches zero and is constrained only by current manufacturing processes to single digit percentages. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method and apparatus for supporting and conveying sheet or web material that has been freshly printed on at least one side wherein the printed material is supported by a cylindrical roll or skeleton/tracking wheels which has mounted on the outer surface thereof an anti-marking material comprising an outer glass bead textured surface layer and an inner microcellular layer. In this embodiment, the textured surface is created by adhering glass/zirconia/plastic beads uniformly to the outer surface. Here, only the convex portions of the glass beads come in contact with the wet printed sheet. Glass beads are extremely durable and provide an excellent uniform surface to support the sheet while allowing for any excess ink to slide down the glass bead and collect in the low areas between the bead peaks. The inner microcellular layer is the perfect compliment to the textured surface. When adhered to the planer or flat underside of the textured surface, the microcellular layer conforms to the outer surface of the cylinder ensuring a perfectly uniform outer textured surface. The key features of the microcellular layer are that it is both compressible and resilient. In one embodiment, a five pound/cubic foot polyolefin microcellular foam was extruded and laminated to the planer surface. In another embodiment, a thirty pound/cubic foot urethane microcellular foam was extruded and laminated to the planer surface. In yet another embodiment, a rubber saturated paper was laminated to the planer surface. In all these cases, the microcellular layer provided the required compression under weight/pressure and were sufficiently resilient when the weight/pressure was removed. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the build up of ink is prevented on the textured surface through the use of an ink-repellent coating applied thereon. In one embodiment, the ink-repellent coating is a cross-linkable silicone or fluorocarbon. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention the buildup of static or electrical charge on the textured surface is prevented through the use of either conductive coatings or an anti-static coatings applied thereon to one or both sides of the anti-marking sheet. Conductive coatings can be metal foils or metallized substrates. Anti-static coatings are preferably salt based. In order to effectively dissipate static electrical charges, it is critical to ground the surface of the anti-marking material to the cylinder or some other suitable ground. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for easily and quickly affixing an anti-marking jacket to a transfer cylinder. The process begins by precutting an anti-marking sheet of the present invention to the proper sheet dimensions for a given cylinder. Depending on the press model, cylinder location and the personal preferences of the press operator, the sheet may be either mechanically attached or adhesively adhered to the cylinder. In one embodiment, a magnetic strip was adhesively adhered to the longitudinal edges of the anti-marking sheet and magnetically attached to the cylinder. In another embodiment, a Velcro™ or other hook and loop type fastening strip can be adhered to the longitudinal edges of the anti-marking sheet and mechanically affixed to a cylinder having a mating portion of Velcro™ affixed along its longitudinal edges. Alternatively, a fibrous Velcro™ backing can be adhesively adhered to the base of the anti-marking sheet and be mechanically affixed to the tracking/skeleton wheels having a mating portion of Velcro™ affixed along the edge of its circumference. In a still further embodiment, a double-sided pressure sensitive tape can be adhered to the longitudinal edges of the anti-marking sheet and mechanically affixed to the cylinder. Alternatively, double-sided pressure sensitive adhesive can be adhered to the entire sheet of the present invention and then applied to the cylinder. In a further alternative, a double-sided adhesive tape can be adhered along the circumference edge of a tracking/skeleton wheel and then the anti-marking sheet can be applied to the wheel in such a manner as to form the shape of a cylinder. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for easily and quickly affixing an anti-marking jacket to the transfer cylinder is provided using at least one elastic loop affixed to the longitudinal edge of an anti-marking sheet of the invention. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, this elastic loop jacket is specifically designed to fit on a Heidelberg printing press. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for easily and quickly affixing an anti-marking jacket to the transfer cylinder of a Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 printing press is provided using reusable affixing hardware (for example, eight clips supported onto a stainless steel rod that slides into a sewn loop of an anti-marking sheet of the present invention) on one longitudinal edge of the present invention and a flat permanently affixed strip (stainless steel or other suitable firm strip) to the other. The operator first slides the flat end into a groove and firmly clamps it down in place. Holding the clip end of the jacket, the operator slowly rotates the cylinder until the clips come in alignment with and fit over eight pins on a support bar. The pressman next tightens a center bolt that tensions the jacket over the transfer cylinder. This jacket may be installed in five minutes. When the jacket materials useful life is over, the stainless steel rod and eight clips are saved and re-used on a new jacket saving hardware costs. Alternatively, an anti-marking sheet of the present invention may be laminated to a thin conductive sheet metal. The ends of this sheet metal may be easily die cut and bent to affix both over these eight pins as well as in the thin groove. The jacket is tensioned up in a similar manner. In another embodiment of the present invention, holes are perforated through the anti-marking sheet of any of the above constructions allowing for pressurized air to flow through specific air feed holes bored through the transfer cylinder. Air is blown through these feed holes facilitating the mark free transport of the freshly printed sheet as it moves from one print station to the next. The microcellular layer is of particular benefit in these perforated sheets as the compressible layer forms an air tight seal between each perforated hole and the transfer cylinder's surface thus ensuring pressurized air is fully directly through each hole and does not escape laterally. The result is a uniform air pressure through each hole surrounding the entire cylinder. Constant pressure through uniform air feed holes ensures constant air volume and velocity providing for a mark free transport of the wet printed sheet. In another embodiment of the present invention, the anti-marking sheet of the invention having at least two layers could be alternatively used for multiple other cylinder coverings besides transfer cylinders. In one embodiment the two plus layer sheet was mounted on a plate cylinder with the plate mounted thereon. In another embodiment, the two plus layer sheet was mounted on both the blanket and impression cylinders. In both the plate and impression cylinders, the outer textured layer coupled with the inner microcellular layer proved a suitable combination for improving the quality of print on the sheet. To meet the economical constraints of packing sheets, the textured surface may be omitted. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the anti-marking material of the invention having at least two layers could be slit into narrow width rolls that could be easily applied to the cylinders of flexographic/web printing machines for mark free transitions. The rolls of anti-marking tape were used to spiral wind around the transport and nip cylinders in such a manner that during application, the inner microcellular layer compressed and held tightly to the surface of the cylinder while the outer textured layer lay perfectly flat around the circumference of the cylinder. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be explained in the detailed description of the invention below, having reference to the following drawings: FIG. 1 is an illustration of a four color offset printing press highlighting the transfer cylinders upon which an anti-marking sheet of the present invention is applied; FIG. 2 a is a cross-sectional view showing the layers of material of an anti-marking sheet of the invention covering the circumferential surface of a transfer cylinder of FIG. 1 ; FIG. 2 b is a cross-sectional view of an alternative construction of the anti-marking sheet of FIG. 2 a using glass beads as the textured surface; FIG. 3 is a diagram of a transfer cylinder fitted with an anti-marking sheet of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram of a one step jacket of the invention that mounts on a Heidelberg printing press; FIG. 5 is a diagram of skeleton/tracking wheels fitted with an anti-marking sheet of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of a conductive anti-static ink repellent glass beaded surface affixed to a microcellular layer, the entire sheet containing perforations for allowing pressurized air to flow through either way; and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an anti-marking sheet of the present invention having perforations. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? | 20041019 | 20070918 | 20050519 | 78193.0 | 1 | VO, HAI | ANTI-MARKING COVERINGS FOR PRINTING PRESSES | SMALL | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
|||
10,968,248 | ACCEPTED | Assembly, and associated method, for facilitating frequency allocations in a radio communication system to attain statistical spreading of electromagnetic energy | Apparatus, and an associated method, by which to facilitate frequency channel allocation, and reallocation, in a radio communication system. Channel allocation and reallocation is effectuated to attain a desired statistical emission spectrum. Implementation is effectuated, for instance, in a WLAN system operable pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard but implemented in a 5 GHz frequency band. | 1. In a radio communication system for communicating data between a mobile station and a communication station, an improvement of an assembly for facilitating dynamic selection of frequency allocations upon which to communicate the data, said assembly comprising: at least a first dynamic frequency selection message generator coupled to at least one of the communication station and the mobile station, said at least first dynamic frequency selection message generator for generating a dynamic frequency selection message, the dynamic frequency selection message of values indicative of an indicia associated with a frequency allocation by which to communicate subsequent data, the frequency allocation made to attain a statistical spreading of electromagnetic energy over a selected frequency range. 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said first dynamic frequency selection message generator is coupled to the communication station to form a portion thereof and wherein the dynamic frequency selection message generated thereat is of values indicative of whether a frequency allocation change of subsequent data communications is to be made. 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said first dynamic frequency selection message generator is coupled to the communication station to form a portion thereof and wherein the dynamic frequency selection message generated thereat is of values indicative of at least a first frequency selection of a frequency allocation change at which subsequent communications are to be made. 4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the dynamic frequency selection message generated at said first dynamic frequency selection message generator is further of values indicative of a second frequency selection of a frequency allocation change at which subsequent communications are to be made. 5. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the dynamic frequency selection message generated at said first dynamic frequency selection message generator is further of values indicative of at least a relative time at which the frequency allocation change at which the subsequent communications are to be made shall occur. 6. The assembly of claim 2 further comprising a second dynamic frequency selection message generator, said second dynamic frequency selection message generator located at the mobile station, and said second dynamic frequency selection message generator also for generating a dynamic frequency selection message of values indicative of an indicia associated with a frequency allocation by which to communicate subsequent data. 7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the dynamic frequency selection message generated by said second dynamic frequency selection message generator is of values indicative of a request initiated at the mobile station of a frequency allocation change of subsequent data communications. 8. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the dynamic frequency selection message generated by said second dynamic frequency message generator is of values indicative of selection made at the mobile station of which at least two frequency allocation changes are to be made. 9. The assembly of claim 6 further comprising a determiner positioned at the mobile station, said determiner for determining availability of a channel defined by a frequency associated with a frequency allocation by which to communicate subsequent data. 10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said first dynamic frequency selection message generator is positioned at the mobile station to form a portion thereof and wherein the dynamic frequency message generated thereat is of values indicative of whether a frequency allocation change of subsequent data communications is to be made. 11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the radio communication system comprises a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) system generally operable pursuant to an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802.11 standard and wherein said at least first dynamic frequency selection message generator generates the dynamic frequency selection message to cause alteration of the frequency allocation by which to communicate the subsequent data to attain the statistical spreading of the electromagnetic energy. 12. In a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) system operable generally pursuant to an IEEE 802.11 standard, an improvement of apparatus for facilitating dynamic selection of frequency allocations upon which to communicate data between an access point and a mobile station, said apparatus comprising: a dynamic frequency selection message generator for generating a dynamic frequency selection message, the dynamic frequency selection message of values associated with a change of frequency allocations upon which to communicate the data, the change made to attain a statistical spreading of electromagnetic energy generation over a selected frequency range. 13. In a method for communicating data between a mobile station and a communication station of a radio communication system, an improvement of a method for facilitating dynamic selection of frequency allocations upon which to communicate data, said method comprising: generating a dynamic frequency selection message of values indicative of an indicia associated with a frequency allocation by which to communicate subsequent data, the frequency allocation made to attain a statistical spreading of electromagnetic energy generation over a selected frequency range; and communicating the dynamic frequency selection message between the mobile station and the fixed-site communication station. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the dynamic frequency selection message generated during said operation of generating is generated at network infrastructure of the radio communication system. 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the dynamic frequency selection message generated during said operation of generating is indicative of whether a frequency allocation change of subsequent data communications is to be made. 16. The method of claim 13 wherein the dynamic frequency selection message generated during said operation of generating is indicative of at least a first frequency selection of a frequency allocation change at which subsequent communications are to be made. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the dynamic frequency selection message generated during said operation of generating is further indicative of a second frequency selection of a frequency allocation change at which subsequent communications are to be made. 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the additional operation of selecting one of the first frequency selection and the second frequency selection at which to perform the subsequent communications. 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the additional operation of communicating indications of the selection made during said operation of selecting between the mobile station and the communication station. 20. The method of claim 18 wherein said operation of selecting comprises determining whether the first frequency selection and the second frequency selection are available for the subsequent communications to be performed thereon. | The present invention relates generally to communications between communication stations of a radio communication system, such as a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) operable generally pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard. More particularly, the present invention relates to an assembly, and an associated method, by which to facilitate allocation of frequencies upon which to communicate data during operation of the communication system. Signal messages are generated and communicated between the communication stations to facilitate allocation of frequencies in a manner to attain a selected statistical spread of electromagnetic energy across a range of frequencies. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the introduction, and popularization, of new types of communication systems. In various of such new types of communication systems, the rate of data transmission and the corresponding amount of data permitted to be communicated, has increased relative to existing types of communication systems. New types of radio communication systems are exemplary of communication systems made possible as a result of advancements in communication technologies. Communication channels of a radio communication system are formed upon radio-links, thereby obviating the need for conventional wireline connections between sending and receiving stations operable therein. A radio communication system, therefore, inherently permits increased communication mobility in contrast to conventional wireline systems. Bandwidth limitations sometimes limit the communication capacity of the communication system. That is to say, the bandwidth capacity of the communication channel, or channels, available to a communication system to communicate information between sending and receiving stations is sometimes limited. And, the limited capacity of the communication channel, or channels, limits increase of the communication capacity of the communication system. The communication capacity of the radio communication system is particularly susceptible to capacity limitation resulting from communication channel bandwidth limitations. Generally, a radio communication system is allocated a limited portion of the electromagnetic spectrum upon which to define communication channels. Communication capacity increase of a radio communication system is, therefore, sometimes limited by such allocation. Increase of the communication capacity of the radio communication system, therefore, is sometimes only possible if the efficiency by which the allocated spectrum is used is increased. Digital communication techniques provide a manner by which the bandwidth efficiency of communications in the communication system may be increased. Because of the particular need in a radio communication system to efficiently utilize the spectrum allocated in such a system, the use of digital communication techniques is particularly advantageously implemented therein. When digital communication techniques are used, information which is to be communicated is digitized. In one technique, the digitized information is formatted into packets, and the packets are communicated to effectuate the communication. Individual ones, or groups, of the packets of data can be communicated at discrete intervals, and, once communicated, concatenated together to recreate the informational content contained therein. Because packets of data can be communicated at the discrete intervals, a communication channel need not be dedicated solely for the communication of packet data generated by one sending station to one receiving station as conventionally required in circuit-switched communications. Instead, a single channel can be shared amongst a plurality of different sending and receiving station-pairs. Because a single channel can be utilized to effectuate communications by the plurality of pairs of communication stations, improved communication capacity is possible. Packet data communications are effectuated, for instance, in conventional LANs (Local Area Networks). Wireless networks, operable in manners analogous to wired LANs, have also been developed and are utilized to communicate packets of data over a radio-link, thereby to effectuate communications between a sending and a receiving station. For example, an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802.11 standard defines a system for operation of a wireless LAN. Three physical layers are defined in the 802.11, the 802.11a, and the 802.11b standards. The physical layers defined in the 802.11a standard already exist and form the 5 GHz 802.11 standard. Proposals have been set forth to utilize an unlicensed band located at 5 GHz, also to implement a WLAN operable generally pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard. While 5 GHz band is unlicensed, at least in Europe, compliance with certain regulations must be met when communicating in the 5 GHz band. Such regulations include adherence to allowable electromagnetic emissions. A communication system operable at the 5 GHz band must be capable of dynamic adaptation to local interference conditions. Also, systems operable at the 5 GHz band must generate electromagnetic energy emissions which are spread over available frequency channels defined therein. The requirement is a statistical requirement that must be satisfied on a large scale rather than that of a single system. For instance, in systems operable in the 5,470-5,725 MHz range, electromagnetic emissions must be spread across a minimum of 255 MHz. The IEEE 802.11 standard does not provide for dynamic frequency selection which would facilitate compliance with the electromagnetic emissions spreading regulations. If a manner could be provided by which to adapt the IEEE 802.11 standard to facilitate frequency allocation upon which to communicate data during operation of a communication system to achieve emission spreading, a communication system operable pursuant to-such standard could be used in the 5 GHz frequency band. It is in light of this background information related to the communication of data in a radio communication system that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, accordingly, advantageously provides an assembly, and an associated method, by which to facilitate allocation of frequency channels in a radio communication system, such as a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) operable generally pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard. Operation of an embodiment of the present invention provides a manner by which to facilitate frequency allocations of frequencies upon which to communicate data during operation of the communication system. Through appropriate frequency allocations, a selected statistical spread of electromagnetic energy, generated as a product of operation of the communication system, across a range of frequencies is achieved. In one aspect of the present invention, a message is generated during operation of the radio communication system. The message is of a value to indicate that a change of frequency upon which to communicate subsequent data shall be changed. Such a message is broadcast at selected intervals. A mobile station operable in the communication system is turned-on, such as by exiting of the mobile station out of a sleep mode, and is able to detect the message broadcast at the selected intervals. In another aspect of the present invention, a message is generated at the network infrastructure of the radio communication system. The message is of a value to indicate the frequency channel upon which to communicate subsequent data. In one message, a single frequency channel is indicated. In another message, more than one frequency channels are indicated from which subsequent selection is made. In another aspect of the present invention, a message is generated at the network infrastructure of the radio communication system. The message is of a value to indicate, at least on a relative basis, when a change in frequency channel allocation shall be made. When detected by a mobile station, the mobile station is thereby able to determine when to become tuned to the newly-allocated frequency channel. The relative time is comprised of, for instance, a count of a number of beacons prior to which the frequency allocation change shall be effectuated. In another aspect of the present invention, a message is generated at a mobile station operable in the radio communication system. The message is generated responsive to a prior message generated by the network infrastructure associated with a change in frequency allocation of a frequency channel upon which to communicate subsequent data. The message is of a value to select one of a first and at least a second frequency channel upon which to communicate the subsequent data. In another aspect of the present invention, a message is generated at the mobile station of the radio communication system. The message is generated responsive to prior receipt of a message generated by the network infrastructure and communicated to the mobile station. The message is of a value to indicate whether the frequency channel upon which communication of data is subsequently to be made. In another aspect of the present invention, a determination is made at the mobile station of the availability of newly-allocated frequency channels allocated to the mobile station for subsequent communication of data. If the frequency channel is determined to be available for the subsequent communications, an indication of the availability is returned to the network infrastructure. If a determination is made that the frequency channel or frequency channels are not available for subsequent communications, a corresponding indication is similarly returned to the network infrastructure. In another aspect of the present invention, messages are generated by a mobile station which forms an IBSS (independent BSS) in an infrastructureless system. Messages representative of a change of frequency upon which to communicate subsequent data and of the selected frequency channel are transmitted by the IBSS. In one implementation, a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) system constructed generally pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard is installed and operable at the 5 GHz band. Frequency channel allocations are made in manners to attain a selected statistical spread of electromagnetic energy across a range of frequencies. Messages are generated at both the network infrastructure and at a mobile station operable in the WLAN system. Network-generated messages are transmitted to the mobile station to inform the mobile station of a change in frequency channel allocation as well as indications of at when the frequency allocation changes shall be effectuated. Messages generated by the mobile station indicate whether a frequency channel is available upon which to communicate data as well as to acknowledge acceptance of an allocated frequency channel. In these and other aspects, therefore, an assembly, and an associated method, is provided for facilitating dynamic selection of frequency allocations upon which to communicate data in a radio communication system. The radio communication system is operable to communicate data between a mobile station and a fixed-site communication station. The fixed-site communication station forms a portion of network infrastructure of the communication system. At least a first dynamic frequency selection message generator is coupled to at least one of the network infrastructure and the mobile station. The at least first dynamic frequency selection message generator generates a dynamic frequency selection message. The dynamic frequency selection message is of values indicative of an indicia associated with a frequency allocation by which to communicate subsequent data. The frequency allocation is made to attain a statistical spreading of electromagnetic energy over a selected frequency range. A more complete appreciation of the present invention and the scope thereof can be obtained from the accompanying drawings which are briefly summarized below, the following detailed description of the presently-preferred embodiments of the invention, and the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of a communication system, here constructed to the IEEE 802.11 standard, which embodies an embodiment of the present invention as a portion thereof. FIG. 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of a mobile station and an access point which form portions of the communication system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 illustrates a table showing the possible values of an exemplary DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) message generated during operation of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 illustrates another table also showing the possible values of an exemplary DFS message generated during operation of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates another table showing the possible value of another exemplary DFS message generated during operation of another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning first to FIG. 1, communication system, shown generally at 10, is operable to communicate data between a mobile station 12 and a selected access point 14 which forms a portion of the network infrastructure of the communication system. In the exemplary implementation, the radio part of the communication system forms a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) constructed generally to be operable pursuant to the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802.11 standard. The communication system is exemplary, and, while operation of an embodiment of the present invention shall be described below with respect to the exemplary communication system shown in FIG. 1, the teachings of the present invention are analogously applicable in other types of communication systems. For instance, an embodiment of the present invention is operable in an infrastructure-free implementation in which selected mobile stations form IBSSs (independent BSSs). Messages described below to be generated by network infrastructure are, in an infrastructure-free implementation, generated by an IBSS. During operation of the communication system, data is communicated by way of radio links 15 between the mobile station and a selected-access point 14. Data communicated by the mobile station to the access point is sometimes referred to as being communicated on a reverse link channel, and data communicated by the access point 14 to the mobile station is sometimes referred to as being communicated upon a forward link channel. When data is communicated, either upon the forward or reverse link channels of the radio link 15, the data is communicated in the form of electromagnetic energy. The electromagnetic energy emissions are generated at frequencies corresponding to the frequencies at which the forward and reverse link channels of the radio link are defined. The existing IEEE 802.11 standard does not require spreading of emissions over a range of frequencies on a statistical basis. However, and as noted above, a radio communication system constructed to be operable in the 5 GHz range, at least in Europe, must exhibit electromagnetic emissions which are statistically spread throughout a range of frequencies. Operation of an embodiment of the present invention facilitates effectuation of emission spreading by providing messages to be signaled between the mobile station 12 and a selected access point 14. The communication system 10 is further shown to include a control hub/server 22 coupled to the access points 14. The control hub/server 22 is operable, amongst other things, to control operation of the access points and communications in the WLAN system. The control hub/server is connected, here by way of a router 24 to a packet data network 26. And, in turn, the packet data network is coupled to a communication station 28. During operation of the communication system, communication of data between the mobile station 12 and the communication station 28 is possible through appropriate formation of a communication path therebetween. While not shown, the control hub/server can also be coupled, through appropriate coupling elements to a PSTN (Public-Switched Telephonic Network) or other circuit-switched network, in conventional manner. Communication between the mobile station 12 and a circuit-switched communication station coupled to such a PSTN is analogously also possible by way of a suitable communication path formed therebetween. In the exemplary implementation, each of the access points 14 includes a DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) message generator 34. And, the mobile station 12 includes a dynamic frequency selection message generator 36. The message generators 34 and 36 are operable pursuant to an embodiment of the present invention to generate messages to be communicated upon the radio link 14 to facilitate frequency channel allocation to attain a selected statistical emission spreading in compliance with the requirements related to operation of a radio communication system at the 5 GHz frequency band. In an implementation in which a mobile station forms an IBSS, i.e., in an infrastructure-free implementation, the functions performed at the message generator 34 are instead performed at the message generator 36. FIG. 2 again illustrates a mobile station 12 together with an access point 14, shown previously in FIG. 1. Communication of data is effectuated between the mobile station 12 and the access point 14 by way of a radio link 15. Data communicated by the mobile station 12 is generated at a transmit portion 42 and transduced into electromagnetic form at the antenna transducer 44, thereafter to be communicated by way of a channel defined upon the radio link 15 to the access point 14. The access point 14 includes an antenna transducer 46 capable of detecting the data communicated thereto by way of the radio link 16 and to convert the detected signal into electrical form and provide it to a receive portion 48 of the access point. Analogously, data to be communicated by the access points to the mobile station is generated at, or provided to, a transmit portion 52 of the access point. Data to be communicated to the mobile station 12 is transduced by the antenna transducer 46, communicated upon a channel defined upon the radio link 15, thereby to be communicated to the mobile station 12. The antenna transducer 44 of the mobile station transduces the data detected thereat into electrical form, and indications thereof are provided to a receive portion 54 of the mobile station. The access point 14 is again shown to include a DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) message generator 34, and the mobile station is again shown to include a DFS message generator 36. The DFS message generators 34 and 36 are operable pursuant to an embodiment of the present invention to generate DFS messages to be communicated upon the radio link 15 to facilitate allocation of frequency channels upon which to communicate data, thereby to attain a selected spread of electromagnetic emissions over a selected frequency range. Messages generated by the DFS message generator 34, for instance, are provided to the transmit portion 52 of the access point. The transmit portion converts the DFS message into a form to permit its transmission upon the radio link 16 and provides the DFS message to the antenna transducer 46 to be transduced therefrom. When detected at the antenna transducer 44 of the mobile station, the DFS message is converted into electrical form and provided to the receive portion 54 of the mobile station. Responsive to values of the DFS message, selected operation of the mobile station commences. If the value of the DFS message is indicative of a newly allocated frequency channel to which the mobile station should tune, a determination is made at a determiner 56 of the mobile station as to whether the channel is available for subsequent communications to be performed thereon. Responsive to determinations made by the determiner, the DFS message generator 36 is caused to generate a message to acknowledge whether the allocated frequency channel is available for subsequent data communications. The DFS message generator 36 is further operable to generate an acknowledgment to acknowledge reception at the mobile station of DFS messages generated by the access point. An exemplary DFS message, here a DFS_FREQUENCY_INFO message 62, is generated during operation of the DFS message generator 34, as shown in FIG. 3. Fields of the message are indicated in the column 64 and the size associated with each field is indicated in the column 66. Permitted values of the associated field are noted in the column 68. The message 62 is sent by an access point, or corresponding MAC entity acting as a first mobile station in the IBSS. The message is operable to indicate that the access point/first mobile station is changing the frequency channel allocation or to indicate the frequency channel to which the subsequent change shall be effectuated. The first field, the “action” field, of a single bit size, is, when the bit is of a value of a logical one is a frequency indication and is broadcast periodically throughout a coverage area encompassed by the access point which transmits the message. By broadcasting the message at selected intervals, if a mobile station is in a sleep mode during a prior broadcast of the message, upon exiting the sleep mode, the mobile station is able to detect subsequently-generated messages. By repeatedly broadcasting the message, a need otherwise to wake all sleeping mobile stations out of a sleep mode prior to generation of a single message is obviated. The message 62 can also be directed to a particular mobile station 12, such as during an initial association phase, to ensure that the newly-allocated frequency channel is made known to the mobile station. When the action field is of a logical 1 value indicating that frequency channel information is contained in the message, as contrasted to a logical 0 in which a frequency change indication is provided by the message, a subsequent field, the frequency 1 field also forms a portion of the message. The frequency 1 field indicates the frequency channel to which the subsequent communications are to be communicated. An additional field, a maximum transmit power field, is further indicated in the message to provide mobile stations with indications of maximum transmit power levels at which data communications are permitted to be effectuated. If more than one frequency channel is selectable, an additional field is added to a subsequent message 62 to include an indication of a second frequency field, a frequency 2 field, indicating the second frequency channel upon which subsequent communications shall be permitted. The second frequency is possible if the action equals 1 while the nr of beacons only when the action equals 0. A final field, a number of beacons field, indicates how far in the future, in terms of subsequently-generated beacons, that the frequency change shall take effect. FIG. 4 illustrates a message, shown generally at 72, exemplary of a message generated by the DFS generator 36 during operation of an embodiment of the present invention. The message 72 includes a plurality of fields listed in the column 74 of field sizes indicated in the associated column 76 and which is of values indicated in the column 78. The message 72 here forms a DFS_PROPOSAL message generated by the DFS message generator 36 to an access point 14, or to a first mobile station. The message 72 is generated when the mobile station requests a frequency change or when the mobile station wants to indicate to an access point which of more than one frequency change selections are free, or, alternatively, are unavailable for subsequent communications. If the determiner 56, for instance, determines that an allocated frequency channel is unavailable, e.g., occupied by another 802.11 MAC device, the message is generated and communicated to indicate such availability or, alternatively, unavailability of the frequency channel. The first field, a free-valid field, is of a logical value to indicate that the allocated frequency channel either is, or is not, available for subsequent communications. The free frequency field contains a value of a frequency channel which is available and is recommended when a subsequent frequency channel reallocation shall be made. The occupied-valid field is of a logical value to indicate whether the occupied frequency field is, or is not, being utilized. The 802.11 MAC detected is of a logical value to indicate whether a MAC device is detected in the occupied frequency channel. And, the occupied frequency field contains an indication of the occupied frequency channel which should not be utilized for subsequent communications. Determination is made whether a frequency channel is free or occupied, e.g., using primitives defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard. A MLME-SCAN request/confirm procedure is utilized in which a BSS type, BSSID, SSID scan type, channel list, minimum channel time, and maximum channel time parameter settings are utilized. The BSS type is set to ANY_BSS. The BSS_ID setting is set to all valid if not currently use and all but used MAC addresses in the BSS/IBSS if used channel/frequency. The SSID scan type is set to passive effused channel/frequency; active if other frequency. The channel list setting is set according to the DFS algorithm in the mobile station, usually channels indicated in the DFS_FREQUENCY_INFO message 62 or the used channel/frequency. A minimum channel time is selected and a maximum channel time equal to the minimum channel time is selected. During the minimum channel time, the MAC monitors whether the CCA indicates a busy medium. In the IEEE 802.11 standard, a CSMA/CA setting has three CCA modes. The first mode is energy above threshold, a second mode is carrier sense with timer mode, and a third mode is a combination of the first two modes. DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) measurement on any of the other frequencies utilizing the third CCA mode. Each frame defined in the IEEE 802.11a standard starts with a 16 microsecond preamble part. The PHY standard states that a start of a valid OFDM transmission at a receive level equal or greater than a minim 6 Mbit/s sensitivity (−82 dBm) shall cause the CCA to indicate a busy indication with a probability of greater than 90% within 4 microseconds. If the preamble portion is missed, the receiver shall hold the CS signal busy for any signal 20 dB above a minimum 6 Mbit/s sensitivity (−62 dBm). The second CCA mode, noted above, measurement time is specified to be at least 22 microseconds in length (the actual value used is implementation-specific). In these measurements, a longer timer value of TIMER_1 milliseconds is used. If during that time period, a mobile station detects any energy above a threshold THRESHOLD—1=−62 dBm or detects a preamble, the frequency is marked as occupied. Even if the threshold is exceeded, the entire time is utilized measuring, in contrast to the third CCA mode, as the station searches the channels for other 802.11a traffic. If the station succeeds in synchronizing to a preamble, the mobile station may receive the actual data part of the transmission. The same method is used in handover measurements. In a handover measurement, the mobile station listens to the transmissions of other channels until another access point, e.g., a beacon generated therefrom, is located. If the MLME-SCAN confirm indicates a found BSS other than the own BSS, the channel/frequency is considered occupied, and the 802.11 MAC detected field in the DFS_PROPOSAL message is set to logical I value. If the MLME-SCAN confirm indicates that the BSS is not located, and CCA indicates a busy indication, the channel/frequency is considered to be occupied, and the 802.11 MAC detected field in the DFS_PROPOSAL message is set to a logical 0 value. If the MLME-SCAN confirm indicates that the BSS is not found and the CCA indicates an idle state, the channel/frequency is considered to be free and the 802.11 MAC detected field in the DFS_PROPOSAL message is set to a logical 0 value. FIG. 5 illustrates another message, here a generic DFS message 92, generated during exemplary operation of another embodiment of the present invention. The message 92 is generated by either of the DFS message generators 34 or 36. A common format is utilized. The values indicate, however, whether the signal is generated at the access point or a mobile station. Again, the message includes a plurality of fields indicated in the column 94, each field of which is of a size indicated in the column 96, and which is of a value indicated in the column 98. A first field, the source field, is of a logical value to indicate whether the message is being generated by the access point or the mobile station. The action field indicates whether the message is to indicate a change in frequency channel allocation or the frequency channel information. The number of beacons field is of a value to indicate the number of beacons prior to when the frequency change shall take effect. An allow negotiation field is of a value to indicate whether negotiations are permitted between a mobile station and the access point. The response field is of a value to indicate rejection, acceptance, or modification of an allocated frequency channel. A no frequency elements field is of a value to indicate the number of frequency elements in use in the message. And, frequency element fields are of values to indicate frequency channels. Various message-types are creatable through the use of the generic DFS message format 92. By providing a manner by which to exchange messages between the access point and the mobile station, allocation of frequency channels to attain a desired emission spreading can better be achieved. The preferred descriptions are of preferred examples for implementing the invention, and the scope of the invention should not necessarily be limited by this description. The scope of the present invention is defined by the following claims. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the introduction, and popularization, of new types of communication systems. In various of such new types of communication systems, the rate of data transmission and the corresponding amount of data permitted to be communicated, has increased relative to existing types of communication systems. New types of radio communication systems are exemplary of communication systems made possible as a result of advancements in communication technologies. Communication channels of a radio communication system are formed upon radio-links, thereby obviating the need for conventional wireline connections between sending and receiving stations operable therein. A radio communication system, therefore, inherently permits increased communication mobility in contrast to conventional wireline systems. Bandwidth limitations sometimes limit the communication capacity of the communication system. That is to say, the bandwidth capacity of the communication channel, or channels, available to a communication system to communicate information between sending and receiving stations is sometimes limited. And, the limited capacity of the communication channel, or channels, limits increase of the communication capacity of the communication system. The communication capacity of the radio communication system is particularly susceptible to capacity limitation resulting from communication channel bandwidth limitations. Generally, a radio communication system is allocated a limited portion of the electromagnetic spectrum upon which to define communication channels. Communication capacity increase of a radio communication system is, therefore, sometimes limited by such allocation. Increase of the communication capacity of the radio communication system, therefore, is sometimes only possible if the efficiency by which the allocated spectrum is used is increased. Digital communication techniques provide a manner by which the bandwidth efficiency of communications in the communication system may be increased. Because of the particular need in a radio communication system to efficiently utilize the spectrum allocated in such a system, the use of digital communication techniques is particularly advantageously implemented therein. When digital communication techniques are used, information which is to be communicated is digitized. In one technique, the digitized information is formatted into packets, and the packets are communicated to effectuate the communication. Individual ones, or groups, of the packets of data can be communicated at discrete intervals, and, once communicated, concatenated together to recreate the informational content contained therein. Because packets of data can be communicated at the discrete intervals, a communication channel need not be dedicated solely for the communication of packet data generated by one sending station to one receiving station as conventionally required in circuit-switched communications. Instead, a single channel can be shared amongst a plurality of different sending and receiving station-pairs. Because a single channel can be utilized to effectuate communications by the plurality of pairs of communication stations, improved communication capacity is possible. Packet data communications are effectuated, for instance, in conventional LANs (Local Area Networks). Wireless networks, operable in manners analogous to wired LANs, have also been developed and are utilized to communicate packets of data over a radio-link, thereby to effectuate communications between a sending and a receiving station. For example, an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802.11 standard defines a system for operation of a wireless LAN. Three physical layers are defined in the 802.11, the 802.11a, and the 802.11b standards. The physical layers defined in the 802.11a standard already exist and form the 5 GHz 802.11 standard. Proposals have been set forth to utilize an unlicensed band located at 5 GHz, also to implement a WLAN operable generally pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard. While 5 GHz band is unlicensed, at least in Europe, compliance with certain regulations must be met when communicating in the 5 GHz band. Such regulations include adherence to allowable electromagnetic emissions. A communication system operable at the 5 GHz band must be capable of dynamic adaptation to local interference conditions. Also, systems operable at the 5 GHz band must generate electromagnetic energy emissions which are spread over available frequency channels defined therein. The requirement is a statistical requirement that must be satisfied on a large scale rather than that of a single system. For instance, in systems operable in the 5,470-5,725 MHz range, electromagnetic emissions must be spread across a minimum of 255 MHz. The IEEE 802.11 standard does not provide for dynamic frequency selection which would facilitate compliance with the electromagnetic emissions spreading regulations. If a manner could be provided by which to adapt the IEEE 802.11 standard to facilitate frequency allocation upon which to communicate data during operation of a communication system to achieve emission spreading, a communication system operable pursuant to-such standard could be used in the 5 GHz frequency band. It is in light of this background information related to the communication of data in a radio communication system that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved. | <SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention, accordingly, advantageously provides an assembly, and an associated method, by which to facilitate allocation of frequency channels in a radio communication system, such as a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) operable generally pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard. Operation of an embodiment of the present invention provides a manner by which to facilitate frequency allocations of frequencies upon which to communicate data during operation of the communication system. Through appropriate frequency allocations, a selected statistical spread of electromagnetic energy, generated as a product of operation of the communication system, across a range of frequencies is achieved. In one aspect of the present invention, a message is generated during operation of the radio communication system. The message is of a value to indicate that a change of frequency upon which to communicate subsequent data shall be changed. Such a message is broadcast at selected intervals. A mobile station operable in the communication system is turned-on, such as by exiting of the mobile station out of a sleep mode, and is able to detect the message broadcast at the selected intervals. In another aspect of the present invention, a message is generated at the network infrastructure of the radio communication system. The message is of a value to indicate the frequency channel upon which to communicate subsequent data. In one message, a single frequency channel is indicated. In another message, more than one frequency channels are indicated from which subsequent selection is made. In another aspect of the present invention, a message is generated at the network infrastructure of the radio communication system. The message is of a value to indicate, at least on a relative basis, when a change in frequency channel allocation shall be made. When detected by a mobile station, the mobile station is thereby able to determine when to become tuned to the newly-allocated frequency channel. The relative time is comprised of, for instance, a count of a number of beacons prior to which the frequency allocation change shall be effectuated. In another aspect of the present invention, a message is generated at a mobile station operable in the radio communication system. The message is generated responsive to a prior message generated by the network infrastructure associated with a change in frequency allocation of a frequency channel upon which to communicate subsequent data. The message is of a value to select one of a first and at least a second frequency channel upon which to communicate the subsequent data. In another aspect of the present invention, a message is generated at the mobile station of the radio communication system. The message is generated responsive to prior receipt of a message generated by the network infrastructure and communicated to the mobile station. The message is of a value to indicate whether the frequency channel upon which communication of data is subsequently to be made. In another aspect of the present invention, a determination is made at the mobile station of the availability of newly-allocated frequency channels allocated to the mobile station for subsequent communication of data. If the frequency channel is determined to be available for the subsequent communications, an indication of the availability is returned to the network infrastructure. If a determination is made that the frequency channel or frequency channels are not available for subsequent communications, a corresponding indication is similarly returned to the network infrastructure. In another aspect of the present invention, messages are generated by a mobile station which forms an IBSS (independent BSS) in an infrastructureless system. Messages representative of a change of frequency upon which to communicate subsequent data and of the selected frequency channel are transmitted by the IBSS. In one implementation, a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) system constructed generally pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard is installed and operable at the 5 GHz band. Frequency channel allocations are made in manners to attain a selected statistical spread of electromagnetic energy across a range of frequencies. Messages are generated at both the network infrastructure and at a mobile station operable in the WLAN system. Network-generated messages are transmitted to the mobile station to inform the mobile station of a change in frequency channel allocation as well as indications of at when the frequency allocation changes shall be effectuated. Messages generated by the mobile station indicate whether a frequency channel is available upon which to communicate data as well as to acknowledge acceptance of an allocated frequency channel. In these and other aspects, therefore, an assembly, and an associated method, is provided for facilitating dynamic selection of frequency allocations upon which to communicate data in a radio communication system. The radio communication system is operable to communicate data between a mobile station and a fixed-site communication station. The fixed-site communication station forms a portion of network infrastructure of the communication system. At least a first dynamic frequency selection message generator is coupled to at least one of the network infrastructure and the mobile station. The at least first dynamic frequency selection message generator generates a dynamic frequency selection message. The dynamic frequency selection message is of values indicative of an indicia associated with a frequency allocation by which to communicate subsequent data. The frequency allocation is made to attain a statistical spreading of electromagnetic energy over a selected frequency range. A more complete appreciation of the present invention and the scope thereof can be obtained from the accompanying drawings which are briefly summarized below, the following detailed description of the presently-preferred embodiments of the invention, and the appended claims. | 20041019 | 20170307 | 20060810 | 79326.0 | H04Q720 | 0 | LY, ANH VU H | Assembly, and associated method, for facilitating frequency allocations in a radio communication system to attain statistical spreading of electromagnetic energy | UNDISCOUNTED | 1 | CONT-ACCEPTED | H04Q | 2,004 |
|
10,968,482 | ACCEPTED | Controlled release sterile injectable aripiprazole formulation and method | A controlled release sterile freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation is provided which is formed of aripiprazole of a desired mean particle size and a vehicle therefor, which upon constitution with water and intramuscular injection releases aripiprazole over a period of at least about one week and up to about eight weeks. A method for preparing the controlled release freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation, and a method for treating schizophrenia employing the above formulation are also provided. | 1. A controlled release sterile aripiprazole injectable formulation which upon injection releases aripiprazole over a period of at least one week, which comprises: (a) aripiprazole, (b) a vehicle therefor, and (c) water for injection. 2. The formulation as defined in claim 1 wherein said vehicle comprises one or more suspending agents. 3. A controlled release aripiprazole injectable formulation which upon injection releases aripiprazole over a period of at least one week, which comprises: (a) aripiprazole, and (b) a vehicle therefor, said vehicle comprising: (1) one or more suspending agents, (2) optionally one or more bulking agents, and (3) optionally one or more buffering agents, and (c) water for injection. 4. The formulation as defined in claim 3 further including a pH adjusting agent. 5. The formulation as defined in claim 3 in the form of a sterile suspension. 6. The formulation as defined in claim 3 in the form of a sterile suspension containing solids having a mean particle size within the range from about 1 to about 30 microns. 7. The formulation as defined in claim 3 in the form of a sterile suspension containing solids having a mean particle size within the range from about 1 to about 20 microns. 8. The formulation as defined in claim 7 wherein the solids have a mean particle size from about 1 to about 10 microns. 9. The formulation as defined in claim 3 designed to release aripiprazole at a controlled rate over a two week to four week period. 10. The formulation as defined in claim 3 in the form of a suspension where: (a) the aripiprazole is present in an amount within the range from about 1 to about 40%, (b) the suspending agent is present in an amount within the range from 0.2 to about 10%, (c) the bulking agent is present in an amount within the range from about 2 to about 10%, (d) the buffer is present in an amount within the range from about 0.02 to about 2% to adjust the pH of the suspension within the range from about 6 to about 7.5, all of the above % being % by weight/volume % based on the volume of suspension. 11. The formulation as defined in claim 3 wherein the suspending agent is carboxymethylcellulose or its sodium-salt, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, or polyvinylpyrrolidone, the bulking agent is mannitol, sucrose, maltose, lactose, xylitol or sorbitol, and the buffer is sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate or TRIS buffer. 12. The formulation as defined in claim 3 which upon injection releases aripiprazole over a two to four week period comprising: (a) aripiprazole, (b) carboxymethyl cellulose or its sodium salt, (c) mannitol, (d) sodium phosphate to adjust pH to about 7, (e) optionally sodium hydroxide to adjust pH to about 7, and (f) water for injection. 13. The formulation as defined in claim 16 comprising aripiprazole 100 mg 200 mg 400 mg carboxymethyl 9 mg 9 mg 9 mg cellulose mannitol 45 mg 45 mg 45 mg Na phosphate 0.8 mg 0.8 mg 0.8 mg sodium qs to adjust qs to adjust qs to adjust hydroxide pH to 7 pH to 7 pH to 7 water for qs to 1 mL qs to 1 mL qs to 1 mL injection 14. The formulation as defined in claim 4 which permits delivery of from about 0.1 to about 600 mg of aripiprazole per 1 mL of suspension. 15. The formulation as defined in claim 1 wherein the aripiprazole is in anhydrous form or in the form of a monohydrate. 16. The formulation as defined in claim 15 wherein the aripiprazole is in the form of Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B or Aripiprazole Hydrate A. 17. A sterile freeze-dried controlled release aripiprazole formulation which comprises: (a) aripiprazole, and (b) a vehicle therefor, which formulation upon constitution with water forms a sterile injectable formulation which upon injection releases aripiprazole over a period of at least about two weeks. 18. The freeze-dried formulation as defined in claim 17 having a mean particle size within the range from about 1 to about 10 microns which upon constitution with water for injection releases aripiprazole over a period of at least about three weeks. 19. The freeze-dried formulation as defined in claim 18 having a mean particle size of about 2.5 microns. 20. The freeze-dried formulation as defined in claim 17 wherein said vehicle comprises: (a) one or more suspending agents, (b) one or more bulking agents, and (c) one or more buffering agents. 21. The freeze-dried formulation as defined in claim 20 further including a pH adjusting agent. 22. The freeze-dried formulation as defined in claim 20, which upon constitution with water and injection releases aripiprazole over at least about a three week period, comprising: (a) aripiprazole, (b) carboxymethyl cellulose or its sodium salt, (c) mannitol, (d) sodium phosphate to adjust pH to about 7, and (e) optionally sodium hydroxide to adjust pH to about 7. 23. The freeze-dried formulation as defined in claim 22 which upon reconstitution with water and injection releases aripiprazole over about a four week period. 24. The freeze-dried formulation as defined in claim 23 wherein the aripiprazole is the form of anhydrous crystals or is in the form of a monohydrate. 25. A method for preparing the sterile freeze-dried formulation as defined in claim 17 which comprises the steps of: (a) preparing sterile bulk aripiprazole having a desired particle size distribution, (b) preparing a sterile vehicle for the sterile bulk aripiprazole, (c) combining said sterile aripiprazole and said sterile vehicle to form a sterile primary suspension which includes a sterile mixture of solids, (d) reducing the mean particle size of said sterile mixture of solids in said sterile primary suspension to within the range from about 1 to about 10 microns to form a sterile final suspension, and (e) freeze drying said sterile final suspension to form the freeze-dried formulation. 26. The method as defined in claim 25 wherein the step of reducing the mean particle size of the sterile mixture of solids in said sterile primary suspension is carried out employing wet milling. 27. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the wet milling comprises wet ball milling. 28. The method as defined in claim 25 wherein said freeze drying step is carried out by cooling the sterile final suspension to about −40° and drying said cooled sterile final suspension at below about 0° C., to form freeze-dried aripiprazole in the form of its monohydrate. 29. The method as defined in claim 25 where the freeze drying step of the sterile final suspension is carried out in three phases: (1) a freezing phase which includes cooling of the sterile final suspension at about −40° C., (2) a primary drying phase which is performed at below about 0° C., and (3) a secondary drying phase which is performed at above about 0° C., to form aripiprazole in anhydrous form. 30. A method of treating schizophrenia, which comprises administering to a patient in need of treatment the formulation as defined in claim 3. 31. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein the formulation is administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously. | FIELD OF THE INVENTION This application claims a benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/513,618 the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. The present invention relates to a controlled release sterile freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation, an injectable formulation which contains the sterile freeze-dried aripiprazole and which releases aripiprazole over at least a one week period, a method for preparing the above formulation, and a method for treating schizophrenia and related disorders employing the above formulation. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,528 to Oshiro et al. discloses 7-[(4-phenylpiperazino)-butoxy]carbostyrils, which include aripiprazole, as dopaminergic neurotransmitter antagonists. Aripiprazole which has the structure is an atypical antipsychotic agent useful in treating schizophrenia. It has poor aqueous solubility (<1 μg/mL at room temperature). U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,989 to Liversidge, et al. discloses a method for preventing crystal growth and particle aggregation in nanoparticulate compositions wherein a nanoparticulate composition is reduced to an optimal effective average particle size employing aqueous milling techniques including ball milling. U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,506 to Midler, et al. relates to a process for the direct crystallization of a pharmaceutical having high surface area particles of high purity and stability wherein impinging jet streams are employed to achieve high intensity micromixing of particles of the pharmaceutical followed by nucleation and direct production of small crystals. A long-acting aripiprazole sterile injectionable formulation has merit as a drug dosage form in that it may increase the compliance of patients and thereby lower the rate of relapse in the treatment of schizophrenia. Examples of known long acting drug products for the treatment of schizophrenia include haloperidol decanoate and fluphenazine decanoate both of which have an ester compound of low water solubility dissolved in sesame oil. Microcapsules containing Risperidone (WO95/13814) and Olanzapine (WO99/12549) are also known. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a sterile freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation which upon constitution with water for injection releases aripiprazole, in therapeutic amounts, over a period of at least about one week, and preferably over a period of two, three or four weeks and up to six weeks or more. The freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation of the invention includes: (a) aripiprazole, and (b) a vehicle for the aripiprazole, which formulation upon constitution with water forms an injectable suspension which, upon injection, preferably intramuscularly, releases therapeutic amounts of aripiprazole over a period of at least one week, preferably two, three or four weeks, and up to six weeks or more. The freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation of the invention will preferably include: (a) aripiprazole, (b) one or more suspending agents, (c) optionally one or more bulking agents, (d) optionally one or more buffers, and (e) optionally one or more pH adjusting agents. A mean particle size of the freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation within the range from about 1 to about 30 microns is essential in formulating an injectable which releases aripiprazole over a period of at least about one week and up to six weeks or more, for example up to 8 weeks. It has been found that the smaller the mean particle size of the freeze-dried aripiprazole, the shorter the period of extended release. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, when the mean particle size is about 1 micron, the aripiprazole will be released over a period of less than three weeks, preferably about two weeks. When the mean particle size is more than about 1 micron, the aripiprazole will be released over a period of at least two weeks, preferably about three to four weeks, and up to six weeks or more. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the aripiprazole release duration can be modified by changing the particle size of the aripiprazole in the freeze-dried formation. The term “mean particle size” refers to volume mean diameter as measured by laser-light scattering (LLS) methods. Particle size distribution is measured by LLS methods and mean particle size is calculated from the particle size distribution. In addition, in accordance with the present invention, a controlled release sterile injectable aripiprazole formulation in the form of a sterile suspension, that is, the freeze-dried formulation of the invention suspended in water for injection, is provided which, upon injection, preferably intramuscularly, releases therapeutic amounts of aripiprazole over a period of at least one week, which includes: (a) aripiprazole, (b) a vehicle therefor, and (c) water for injection. The controlled release sterile injectable formulation of the invention in the form of a sterile suspension allows for high drug loadings per unit volume of the formulation and therefore permits delivery of relatively high doses of aripiprazole in a small injection volume (0.1-600 mg of drug per 1 mL of suspension). Further, in accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for preparing the sterile freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation described above which includes the steps of: (a) preparing sterile bulk aripiprazole, preferably having a desired particle size distribution and mean particle size within the range from about 5 to about 100 microns, (b) preparing a sterile vehicle for the sterile bulk aripiprazole, (c) combining the sterile bulk aripiprazole and the sterile vehicle to form a sterile primary suspension, (d) reducing the mean particle size of aripiprazole in the sterile primary suspension to within the range from about 1 to about 30 microns, to form a final sterile suspension, and (e) freeze drying the final sterile suspension to form a sterile freeze-dried suspension of the aripiprazole of desired polymorphic form (anhydrous, monohydrate, or a mixture of both). In carrying out the above method, the reduction of the mean particle size of the sterile primary suspension to the desired mean particle size is carried out employing an aseptic wet milling procedure, which preferably is aseptic wet ball milling. Aseptic wet milling is essential in forming a homogeneous and sterile aripiprazole formulation of desired mean particle size distribution. In addition, in accordance with the present invention, a method for freeze drying the final sterile suspension of aripiprazole is provided which produces a sterile freeze-dried aripiprazole of desired polymorphic form, that is anhydrous, monohydrate, or a mixture of both. Still further in accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for treating schizophrenia and related diseases which includes the step of administering to a patient in need of treatment therapeutic amounts of the above described controlled release injectable aripiprazole formulation. As an unexpected observation, it has been discovered that a suspension of aripiprazole suspended in an aqueous solvent system will maintain a substantially constant aripiprazole drug plasma concentration when administered by injection; preferably as an intramuscular injection. No large “burst phenomenon” is observed and it is considerably surprising that a constant aripiprazole drug plasma concentration can be maintained from one (1) to more than eight (8) weeks employing the aripiprazole suspension of the invention. The daily starting dose for an orally administered aripiprazole formulation is fifteen (15) milligrams. In order to administer a drug dose equivalent to one (1) to more than eight (8) weeks of the oral dosage quantity requires the administration of a very large amount of the drug as a single dose. The aqueous aripiprazole injectable formulation of the invention may be administered to deliver large amounts of the drug without creating patient compliance problems. The aripiprazole injectable formulation of the invention may include anhydrous or monohydrate crystalline forms of aripiprazole or an admixture containing both. If the monohydrate is used, the maintenance of an extended drug plasma concentration is possible. The aripiprazole injectable formulation of the invention can be administered as an aqueous ready-to-use suspension; however, by freeze-drying this suspension a more useful drug product can be supplied. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES FIG. 1 is a graph depicting mean plasma concentrations versus time profiles of the Example 1 formulation of the invention in rats; FIG. 2 is a graph depicting mean plasma concentrations versus time profiles of the Example 1 formulation of the invention in dogs; and FIG. 3 is a graph depicting mean plasma concentrations vs. time profiles of the Example 1 formulation of the invention in humans. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The controlled release sterile injectable aripiprazole formulation of the invention will include aripiprazole in an amount within the range from about 1 to about 40%, preferably from about 5 to about 20%, and more preferably from about 8 to about 15% by weight based on the weight of the sterile injectable formulation. As indicated, desired mean particle size of the aripiprazole is essential in producing an injectable formulation having the desired controlled release properties of the aripiprazole. Thus, to produce desired controlled release, the aripiprazole should have a mean particle size within the range from about 1 to about 30 microns, preferably from about 1 to about 20 microns, and more preferably for about 1 to about 10 to 15 microns. Where the desired controlled release period is at least about two weeks, up to six weeks or more, preferably about three to about four weeks, the aripiprazole will have a mean particle size within the range from about 1 to about 20, preferably from about 1 to about 10 microns, more preferably from about 2 to about 4 microns, and most preferably about 2.5 microns. The aripiprazole having a mean particle size of about 2.5 microns will have a particle size distribution as follows: Preferred More Preferred 95% < 20 microns 95% < 8 microns 90% < 15 microns 90% < 6 microns 50% < 10 microns 75% < 3 microns 10% < 2 microns 50% < 1.5 microns 10% < 0.5 microns The aripiprazole formulation of the invention will preferably be formed of: A. aripiprazole, B. a vehicle therefor, which includes: (a) one or more suspending agents, (b) one or more bulking agents, (c) one or more buffers, and (d) optionally one or more pH adjusting agents. The suspending agent will be present in an amount within the range from about 0.2 to about 10% by weight, preferably for about 0.5 to about 5% by weight based on the total weight of the sterile injectable formulation. Examples of suspending agents suitable for use include, but are not limited to, one, two or more of the following: sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, and polyvinylpyrrolidone, with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and polyvinylpyrrolidone being preferred. Other suspending agents suitable for use in the vehicle for the aripiprazole include various polymers, low molecular weight oligomers, natural products, and surfactants, including nonionic and ionic surfactants, such as cetyl pyridinium chloride, gelatin, casein, lecithin (phosphatides), dextran, glycerol, gum acacia, cholesterol, tragacanth, stearic acid, benzalkonium chloride, calcium stearate, glycerol monostearate, cetostearyl alcohol, cetomacrogol emulsifying wax, sorbitan esters, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers (e.g., macrogol ethers such as cetomacrogol 1000), polyoxyethylene castor oil derivatives, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters (e.g., the commercially available Tweens® such as e.g., Tween 20° and Tween 80® (ICI Specialty Chemicals)); polyethylene glycols (e.g., Carbowaxs 3350® and 1450®, and Carbopol 934® (Union Carbide)), dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, polyoxyethylene stearates, collodial silicon dioxide, phosphates, sodium dodecylsulfate, carboxymethylcellulose ti calcium, hydroxypropyl celluloses (e.g., HPC, HPC-SL, and HPC-L), methylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose phthalate, noncrystalline cellulose, magnesium aluminum silicate, triethanolamine, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)-phenol polymer with ethylene oxide and formaldehyde (also known as tyloxapol, superione, and triton), poloxamers (e.g., Pluronics F68® and F108®, which are block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide); poloxamines (e.g., Tetronic 908®, also known as Poloxamine 908®, which is a tetrafunctional block copolymer derived from sequential addition of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide to ethylenediamine (BASF Wyandotte Corporation, Parsippany, N.J.)); a charged phospholipid such as dimyristoyl phophatidyl glycerol, dioctylsulfosuccinate (DOSS); Tetronic 1508® (T-1508) (BASF Wyandotte Corporation), dialkylesters of sodium sulfosuccinic acid (e.g., Aerosol OT®, which is a dioctyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinic acid (American Cyanamid)); Duponol P®, which is a sodium lauryl sulfate (DuPont); Tritons X-200®, which is an alkyl aryl polyether sulfonate (Rohm and Haas); Crodestas F-110®, which is a mixture of sucrose stearate and sucrose distearate (Croda Inc.); p-isononylphenoxypoly-(glycidol), also known as Olin-10G® or Surfactant 10-G® (Olin Chemicals, Stamford, Conn.); Crodestas SL-40® (Croda, Inc.); and SA90HCO, which is C18H37CH2(CON(CH3))—CH2(CHOH)4(CH2OH)2 (Eastman Kodak Co.); decanoyl-N-methylglucamide; n-decyl β-D-glucopyranoside; n-decyl β-D-maltopyranoside; n-dodecyl β-D-glucopyranoside; n-dodecyl β-D-maltoside; heptanoyl-N-methylglucamide; n-heptyl-β-D-glucopyranoside; n-heptyl β-D-thioglucoside; n-hexyl β-D-glucopyranoside; nonanoyl-N-methylglucamide; n-nonyl β-D-glucopyranoside; octanoyl-N-methylglucamide; n-octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside; octyl β-D-thioglucopyranoside; and the like. Most of these suspending agents are known pharmaceutical excipients and are described in detail in the Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients, published jointly by the American Pharmaceutical Association and The Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (The Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (The Pharmaceutical Press, 1986), specifically incorporated by reference. The suspending agents are commercially available and/or can be prepared by techniques known in the art. Carboxymethyl cellulose or the sodium salt thereof is particularly preferred where the desired mean particle size is about 1 micron or above. The bulking agent (also referred to as a cryogenic/lyophilize protecting agent) will be present in an amount within the range from about 1 to about 10% by weight, preferably from about 3 to about 8% by weight, more preferably from about 4 to about 5% by weight based on the total weight of the sterile injectable formulation. Examples of bulking agents suitable for use herein include, but are not limited to, one, two or more of the following: mannitol, sucrose, maltose, xylitol, glucose, starches, sorbital, and the like, with mannitol being preferred for formulations where the mean particle size is about 1 micron or above. It has been found that xylitol and/or sorbitol enhances stability of the aripiprazole formulation by inhibiting crystal growth and agglomeration of drug particles so that desired particle size may be achieved and maintained. The buffer will be employed in an amount to adjust pH of an aqueous suspension of the freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation to from about 6 to about 8, preferably about 7. To achieve such pH, usually the buffer, depending on type, will be employed in an amount within the range from about 0.02 to about 2% by weight, preferably from about 0.03 to about 1% by weight, and more preferably about 0.1% by weight based on the total weight of the sterile injectable formulation. Examples of buffers suitable for use herein include, but are not limited to, one, two or more of the following: sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, or TRIS buffer, with sodium phosphate being preferred. The freeze-dried formulation of the invention may optionally include a pH adjusting agent which is employed in an amount to adjust pH of the aqueous suspension of the freeze-dried aripiprazole within the range from about 6 to about 7.5, preferably about 7 and may be an acid or base depending upon whether the pH of the aqueous suspension of the freeze-dried aripiprazole needs to be raised or lowered to reach the desired neutral pH of about 7. Thus, where the pH needs to be lowered, an acidic pH adjusting agent which as hydrochloric acid or acetic acid, preferably hydrochloric acid, may be employed. When the pH needs to be raised, a basic pH adjusting agent will be employed such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide or magnesium hydroxide, preferably sodium hydroxide. The freeze-dried aripiprazole formulations may be constituted with an amount of water for injection to provide from about 10 to about 400 mg of aripiprazole delivered in a volume of 2.5 mL or less, preferably 2 mL for a two to six week dosage. In carrying out the method for preparing the freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation of the invention, it is required that everything be sterile so that sterile aripiprazole and sterile vehicle are combined aseptically to form a sterile suspension and that the sterile suspension be freeze-dried in a manner to form sterile freeze-dried powder or cake. Thus, an aseptic procedure is employed to produce sterile bulk aripiprazole of desired particle size distribution. The sterile bulk aripiprazole will have a mean particle size within the range from about 5 to about 100 microns, preferably from about 10 to about 90 microns. Preferably, an impinging jet crystallization method is employed to produce sterile aripiprazole of desired small particle size and a narrow size distribution, high surface area, high chemical purity, high stability due to improved crystal structure, while employing continuous processing. The impinging jet crystallization utilizes two jet streams that strike each other head-on. One of the streams carries a solution rich in the aripiprazole and the other carries an anti-solvent, such as water. The two streams strike each other which allows rapid homogeneous mixing and supersaturation due to high turbulence and high intensity of micromixing upon impact. This immediate achievement of supersaturation initiates rapid nucleation. In general, the average crystal size decreases with increasing supersaturation and decreasing temperature of the anti-solvent. Therefore, in order to obtain the smallest particle size, it is advantageous to have the highest possible concentration of the rich solution and the lowest temperature of the anti-solvent. The vehicle for the sterile bulk aripiprazole including suspending agent, bulking agent, buffer, optional pH adjusting agent and water is prepared and subjected to sterilization. Thereafter, the sterile bulk aripiprazole and sterile vehicle are aseptically combined to form a sterile primary suspension and the particle size of the aripiprazole is reduced to a desired level. This is preferably carried out employing an aseptic wet milling procedure wherein sterile particles of aripiprazole dispersed in the sterile vehicle are subjected to grinding means in the presence of grinding media to reduce the particle size of the aripiprazole to within the range of about 1 to about 10 microns, depending upon desired controlled release period. The aseptic wet milling procedure is preferably wet ball milling. When the desired mean particle size of the aripiprazole is above about 1 micron, the primary suspension (combined aripiprazole-vehicle) is passed through a wet ball mill a single time (single pass) at from about 5 to about 15 L/hr, preferably from about 8 to about 12 L/hr, and more preferably about 10 L/hr, to reduce mean particle size of the aripiprazole to within the desired range, for example, from about 1 to about 5 microns. In addition to ball mills, such as Dyno mills, other low and high energy mills may be employed such as a roller mill, and high energy mills may be employed such as Netzsch mills, DC mills and Planetary mills. However, it is essential that the milling procedure and equipment employed be capable of producing sterile aripiprazole formulation of desired mean particle size. Other techniques for particle size reduction which may be employed include aseptic controlled crystallization, high shear homogenization, high pressure homogenization and microfluidization to produce particles having a mean particle size ranging from about 1 to about 100 microns. The resulting final suspension is aseptically filled into sterile vials and aseptically loaded into a sterilized freeze drier. It is essential that a carefully designed freeze drying cycle be applied in order to form and/or maintain the desired crystalline form of the aripiprazole, which is known to exist in monohydrate form (Aripiprazole Hydrate A) as well as in a number of anhydrous forms, namely Anhydride Crystals B, Anhydride Crystals C, Anhydride Crystals D, Anhydride Crystals E, Anhydride Crystals F, and Anhydride Crystals G, all of which may be employed in the formulation of the invention. The aripiprazole monohydrate (grains) or hydrate as referred to below employed in the present invention has the physicochemical properties given in (1)-(5) below. This aripiprazole hydrate is described hereinafter as “Aripiprazole Hydrate A”. (1) It has an endothermic curve characterized by the appearance of a small peak at about 71° C. and a gradual endothermic peak around 60° C. to 120° C. (2) It has an 1H-NMR spectrum which has characteristic peaks at 1.55-1.63 ppm (m, 2H), 1.68-1.78 ppm (m, 2H), 2.35-2.46 ppm (m, 4H), 2.48-2.56 ppm (m, 4H+DMSO), 2.78 ppm (t, J=7.4 Hz, 2H), 2.97 ppm (brt, J=4.6 Hz, 4H), 3.92 ppm (t, J=6.3 Hz, 2H), 6.43 ppm (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 6.49 ppm (dd, J=8.4 Hz, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 7.04 ppm (d, J=8.1 Hz, 1H), 7.11-7.17 ppm (m, 1H), 7.28-7.32 ppm (m, 2H) and 10.00 ppm (s, 1H). (3) It has a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum which has characteristic peaks at 2θ=12.6°, 15.4°, 17.3°, 18.0°, 18.6°, 22.5° and 24.8°. (4) It has clear infrared absorption bands at 2951, 2822, 1692, 1577, 1447, 1378, 1187, 963 and 784 cm−1 on the IR (KBr) spectrum. (5) It has a mean grain size of 50 μm or less. Aripiprazole Hydrate A is manufactured by milling conventional aripiprazole hydrate. Conventional milling methods can be used to mill the aripiprazole hydrate. For example, the aripiprazole hydrate can be milled in a milling machine. A widely used milling machine can be used, such as an atomizer, pin mill, jet mill or ball mill. Of these, the atomizer is preferred. Regarding the specific milling conditions when using an atomizer, a rotational speed of 5000-15000 rpm could be used for the main axis, for example, with a feed rotation of 10-30 rpm and a screen hole size of 1-5 mm. The mean grain size of the Aripiprazole Hydrate A obtained by milling should normally be 50 μm or less, preferably 30 μm or less. Mean grain size can be ascertained by the grain size measurement method described hereinafter. Grain Size Measurement: 0.1 g of the grains to be measured were suspended in a 20 ml n-hexane solution of 0.5 g soy lecithin, and grain size was measured using a size distribution meter (Microtrack HRA, Microtrack Co.). The aripiprazole anhydride crystals employed in the present invention have the physicochemical properties given in (6)-(10) below. These aripiprazole anhydride crystals are referred to hereinafter as “Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B”. (6) They have an 1H-NMR spectrum which is substantially the same as the 1H-NMR spectrum (DMSO-d6, TMS) shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, they have characteristic peaks at 1.55-1.63 ppm (m, 2H), 1.68-1.78 ppm (m, 2H), 2.35-2.46 ppm (m, 4H), 2.48-2.56 ppm (m, 4H+DMSO), 2.78 ppm (t, J=7.4 Hz, 2H), 2.97 ppm (brt, J=4.6 Hz, 4H), 3.92 ppm (t, J=6.3 Hz, 2H), 6.43 ppm (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 6.49 ppm (dd, J=8.4 Hz, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 7.04 ppm (d, J=8.1 Hz, 1H), 7.11-7.17 ppm (m, 1H), 7.28-7.32 ppm (m, 2H) and 10.00 ppm (s, 1H). (7) They have a powder x-ray diffraction spectrum which is substantially the same as the powder x-ray diffraction spectrum shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, they have characteristic peaks at 2θ=11.0°, 16.6°, 19.3°, 20.3° and 22.1°. (8) They have clear infrared absorption bands at 2945, 2812, 1678, 1627, 1448, 1377, 1173, 960 and 779 cm−1 on the IR (KBr) spectrum. (9) They exhibit an endothermic peak near about 141.5° C. in thermo-gravimetric/differential thermal analysis (heating rate 5° C./min). (10) They exhibit an endothermic peak near about 140.7° C. in differential scanning calorimetry (heating rate 5° C./min). Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B employed in the present invention have low hygroscopicity. For example, Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B employed in the present invention maintain a water content of 0.4% or less after 24 hours inside a dessicator set at a temperature of 60° C. and a humidity of 100%. Well-known methods of measuring water content can be used as long as they are methods commonly used for measuring the water content of crystals. For example, a method such as the Karl Fischer method can be used. The Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B employed in the present invention are prepared for example by heating the aforementioned Aripiprazole Hydrate A at 90-125° C. The heating time is generally about 3-50 hours, depending on heating temperature. The heating time and heating temperature are inversely related, so that for example the heating time will be longer the lower the heating temperature, and shorter the higher the heating temperature. Specifically, if the heating temperature of Aripiprazole Hydrate A is 100° C., the heating time should normally be 18 hours or more or preferably about 24 hours. If the heating temperature of Aripiprazole Hydrate A is 120° C., on the other hand, the heating time can be about 3 hours. The Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B of the present invention can be prepared with certainty by heating Aripiprazole Hydrate A for about 18 hours at 100° C., and then heating it for about 3 hours at 120° C. Furthermore, the Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B employed in the present invention are prepared for example by heating conventional aripiprazole anhydride crystals at 90-125° C. The heating time is generally about 3-50 hours, depending on heating temperature. The heating time and heating temperature are inversely related, as described above. Specifically, if the heating temperature of the aripiprazole anhydride crystals is 100° C., the heating time can be about 4 hours, and if the heating temperature is 120° C. the heating time can be about 3 hours. The aripiprazole anhydride crystals which are the raw material for preparing the Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B employed in the present invention are prepared for example by Method a or b below. Method a: Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B are prepared by well-known methods, as by reacting 7-(4-bromobutoxy)-3,4-dihydrocarbostyril with 1-(2,3-dichlorophenyl) piperidine and recrystallizing the resulting raw aripiprazole crystals with ethanol as described in Example 1 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 191256/1990. Method b: Aripirazole Anhydride Crystals B are prepared by heating conventional aripiprazole hydrate at a temperature of at least 60° C. and less than 90° C. The heating time is generally about 1-30 hours, depending on heating temperature. The heating time and heating temperature are inversely related, as decribed above. Specifically, if the heating temperature of the aripiprazole hydrate is about 60° C., the heating time can be about 8 hours, while if the heating temperature is 80° C., the heating time can be about 4 hours. Method b is described in the Proceedings of the 4th Japanese-Korean Symposium on Separation Technology (Oct. 6-8, 1996). Furthermore, the Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B employed in the present invention are prepared for example by heating conventional aripiprazole hydrate at 90-125° C. The heating time is generally about 3-50 hours, depending on heating temperature. The heating time and heating temperature are inversely related. Specifically, if the heating temperature of the aripiprazole hydrate is 100° C., the heating time can be about 24 hours, while if the heating temperature is 120° C., the heating time can be about 3 hours. The aripiprazole hydrate which is the raw material for preparing the Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B employed in the present invention is prepared for example by Method c below. Method c: Aripiprazole hydrate is obtained by dissolving the aripiprazole anhydride crystals obtained by Method a above in a hydrous solvent, and heating and then cooling the resulting solution. Using this method, aripiprazole hydrate is precipitated as crystals in the hydrous solvent. An organic solvent containing water is usually used as the hydrous solvent. The organic solvent should be one which is miscible with water, such as for example an alcohol such as methanol, ethanol, propanol or isopropanol, a ketone such as acetone, an ether such as tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, or a mixture thereof, with ethanol being particularly desirable. The amount of water in the hydrous solvent can be 10-25% by weight of the solvent, or preferably close to 20% by weight. As mentioned above, the Aripiprazole Anhydride Crystals B employed in the present invention are prepared by heating at 90-125° C. of the Aripiprazole Hydrate A, conventional aripiprazole anhydride crystals or conventional aripiprazole hydrate, and the Aripiprazole Hydrate A, conventional aripiprazole anhydride crystals or conventional aripiprazole hydrate may be used either individually or in combination. The above crystal forms and other crystal forms of aripiprazole and methods for making such crystal forms which may be employed herein include Hydrate A and Anhydride Crystals B as well as Anhydride Crystals C, Anhydride Crystals D, Anhydride Crystals E, Anhydride Crystals F, and Anhydride Crystals G, as disclosed in PCT WO 03/26659, published Apr. 4, 2003. If the monohydrate form of the aripiprazole in the freeze-dried formulation is desired then the freeze drying cycle should include cooling of the formulation to about −40° C. at a suitable cooling rate. The primary drying should be performed at a temperature below around 0° C. and a suitable vacuum and duration. If the anhydrous form of the aripiprazole in the freeze-dried formulation is desired then the freeze drying cycle should include three phases: freezing, primary drying, and secondary drying. The freezing phase should include cooling of the formulation to about −40° C. at a suitable cooling rate. The primary drying should be performed at a temperature below about 0° C. and a suitable vacuum and duration. The secondary drying should be performed at a temperature above about 0° C. and a suitable vacuum and duration. The vials with the resulting freeze-dried aripiprazole suspension are aseptically stoppered under atmospheric pressure or partial vacuum and sealed. Preferred injectable formulations in the form of aqueous suspensions are set out below: Preferred Particle Size of About 1-10 Microns (Preferably About 2.5 Microns) Preferred Range % w/v Range % w/v (1) Sterile Aripiprazole - (mean particle 1 to 40 8 to 15 size from about 1 to about 5 microns) (2) Suspending Agent (preferably 0.2 to 10 0.5 to 5 carboxymethyl cellulose Na salt) (3) Bulking Agent (preferably mannitol) 1 to 10 4 to 5 (4) Buffer (preferably sodium 0.02 to 2 0.03 to 1 phosphate) (adjust pH to about 6 to about 7.5) (5) pH Adjusting Agent (preferably As needed As needed sodium hydroxide) (adjust pH to about 6 to about 7.5) (6) Water for injection As needed As needed The aripiprazole will be present in the aqueous injectable formulation in an amount within the range from about 1 to about 40% (w/v), preferably from about 5 to about 20% (w/v), and more preferably from about 8 to about 15% (w/v), based on the total injectable formulation. In preferred embodiments, the aripiprazole will be present in the aqueous injectable formulation to provide from about 50 to about 400 mg/2 mL of formulation, preferably from about 100 to about 200 mg/mL of formulation. Preferred individual dose injectable formulations in accordance with the invention are as follows: aripiprazole 100 mg 200 mg 400 mg carboxymethyl 9 mg 9 mg 9 mg cellulose mannitol 45 mg 45 mg 45 mg Na phosphate 0.8 mg 0.8 mg 0.8 mg sodium qs to adjust qs to adjust qs to adjust hydroxide pH to 7 pH to 7 pH to 7 water for qs to 1 mL qs to 1 mL qs to 1 mL injection The aripiprazole formulations of the invention are used to treat schizophrenia and related disorders such as bipolar disorder and dementia in human patients. The preferred dosage employed for the injectable formulations of the invention will be a single injection or multiple injections containing from about 100 to about 400 mg aripiprazole/mL given one to two times monthly. The injectable formulation is preferably administered intramuscularly, although subcutaneous injections are acceptable as well. The following examples represent preferred embodiments of the invention. EXAMPLES Example 1 An aripiprazole injectable (IM Depot) aqueous suspension (200 mg aripiprazole/2 mL, 200 mg/vial) was prepared as follows. Aripiprazole Microsuspension Prepared by Media Milling A microparticulate dispersion of aripiprazole was prepared using a DYNO®-MILL (Type KDL A, manufactured by Willy A. Bachoffen AG Maschinenfabrik, Basel, Switzerland). The following ingredients were added to a 3L glass jacketed vessel maintained at 15° C. (±5° C.) to form a sterile primary suspension: Aripiprazole 100 g Carboxymethylcellulose, 9.0 g Sodium Salt 7L2P Mannitol 45 g Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic 0.8 g Sodium Hydroxide Solution, 1N q.s. to adjust pH to 7.0 Water for Injection, USP q.s. to 1040 g The primary suspension was mixed at 500-1000 rpm for about 0.5 hour and then at 300-500 rpm for an additional 1 hour under 20″ Hg (±5″Hg) vacuum. The media mill was prepared accordingly for the media milling process. The grinding container was partially filled with zirconium oxide beads and the dispersion was passed through the mill operating at the following conditions: Grinding container: water jacketed 0.6 L stainless steel vessel Coolant temperature: 15° C. (±5° C.) Agitation speed: 2500 rpm Grinding medium: 500 mL of very-high-density (VHD) zirconium oxide beads Suspension flow rate: 10 L/h Milling time: 6 minutes After a single pass milling, a sample of the processed suspension was removed and evaluated for particle size distribution using Horiba LA-910 Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyzer. The particles were determined to have a mean particle size of 2.5 microns (μ) and the following particle size distribution: 10%<0.4μ, 50%<1.6μ, 75%<3.3μ, 90%<5.9μ, and 95%<7.6μ. 2.5 mL of the above suspension were aseptically filled into sterilized vials which were then aseptically partially stoppered with sterilized stoppers. The vials were aseptically transferred to a freeze dryer and lyophilized according to the following cycle: (a) thermal treatment: freeze product at −40° C. over 0.1-1 h and keep at −40° C. for at least 3 h, (b) cool the condenser to −50° C. or below, (c) primary drying: lower chamber pressure to approximately 100 microns Hg and increase product temperature to −5° C. over approximately 2 h; continue primary drying at −5° C. and 100 microns Hg for at least 48 h, (d) stopper the vials under atmospheric pressure or partial vacuum using sterile nitrogen or air and remove from the freeze dryer, (e) seal the vials with the appropriate seals and label. Example 2 An aripiprazole injectable (IM Depot) aqueous suspension (200 mg aripiprazole/2 mL, 200 mg/vial) was prepared as follows. Aripiprazole Microsuspension Prepared by Impinging Jet Crystallization A microparticulate dispersion of aripiprazole was prepared using impinging jet crystallization. The following procedure was employed to form a sterile bulk aripiprazole: 1. Suspend 100 g of aripiprazole in 2000 mL of 95% ethanol. Heat the suspension to 80° C. until it becomes a clear solution. 2. Polish filter the aripiprazole solution into a holding vessel and maintain at 80° C. 3. Polish filter 2000 mL water to another holding vessel and heat to 80° C. 4. Pump the aripiprazole solution through a 0.02 inch diameter nozzle at 0.25 kg/min and impinge it with the 30° C. water pumped at 0.25 kg/min through a 0.02 inch diameter nozzle to form a crystal slurry which is collected in an impingement vessel. 5. Agitate the newly formed crystal slurry in the impingement vessel while continuously transferring it to a receiver to maintain a constant volume in the impingement vessel. 6. At the end of impingement, cool the slurry in the receiver to room temperature. 7. Filter the slurry. 8. Dry the wet cake at 35° C. under vacuum to yielding 100 g (96% recovery) of aripiprazole with reduced particle size (90%<100 μm). The following ingredients were added to a 3 L glass jacketed vessel maintained at 15° C. (±5° C.) to form a sterile primary suspension: Aripiprazole (prepared by impinging jet 100 g crystallization): Carboxymethylcellulose, 9.0 g Sodium Salt 7L2P Mannitol 45 g Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic 0.8 g Sodium Hydroxide Solution, 1N q.s. to adjust pH to 7.0 Water, USP q.s. to 1040 g The sterile suspension was mixed at 500-1000 rpm for about 0.5 hour and then at 300-500 rpm for an additional 1 hour under 20″ Hg (±5″Hg) vacuum. The sterile suspension was found to contain particles having mean particle size of 2.5 microns and the following particle size distribution: 10% < 0.4μ 50% < 1.6μ 75% < 3.3μ 90% < 5.9μ 95% < 7.5μ 2.5 mL of the above suspension were aseptically filled into sterilized vials which were then aseptically partially stoppered with sterilized stoppers. The vials were aseptically transferred to a freeze dryer and lyophilized according to the following cycle: (a) thermal treatment: freeze product at −40° C. over 0.1-1 h and keep at −40° C. for at least 6 h, (b) cool the condenser to −50° C. or below, (c) primary drying: lower chamber pressure to approximately 100 microns Hg and increase product temperature to −5° C. over approximately 2 h; continue primary drying at −5° C. and 100 microns Hg for at least 48 h, (d) stopper the vials under atmospheric pressure or partial vacuum using sterile nitrogen or air and remove from the freeze dryer, (e) seal the vials with the appropriate seals and label. Example 3 Animal PK Data A. Single-dose I.M. depot study in rats Aripiprazole I.M. depot formulation prepared in Example 1 was injected into the thigh muscle of fifteen rats (M-males, F-females) at doses of 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg. Blood samples for the evaluation of systemic exposure after aripiprazole I.M. depot administration were collected on days 1 (6 h postdose), 2, 4, 7, 10, 15, 22, 28, 36, and 43 and analyzed for aripiprazole. FIG. 1 shows mean plasma concentrations vs. time profiles of aripiprazole in rats. B. Single-dose I.M. Depot Study in Dogs The aripiprazole intramuscular (I.M). depot formulation prepared in Example 1 was injected into the thigh muscle of five dogs (M-males, F-females) at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg. Blood samples for the evaluation of systemic exposure after aripiprazole I.M. depot administration were collected on days 1 (10 and 30 minutes, and 1, 3, and 8 h postdose), 2, 4, 7, 10, 15, 22, 28, 36, and 42 and analyzed for aripiprazole. FIG. 2 shows mean plasma concentrations vs. time profiles of aripiprazole in dogs. PK Profiles Mean aripiprazole rats' serum concentration-time profiles are shown graphically in FIG. 1. Aripiprazole aqueous suspensions showed steady serum concentration for at least 4 weeks in the rats' model. Mean aripiprazole dogs' serum concentration-time profiles are shown graphically in FIG. 2. Aripiprazole aqueous suspensions showed steady serum concentration for 3-4 weeks in the dogs' model. Example 4 Human PK Data Single-dose I.M. depot study in patients Aripiprazole I.M. depot formulation prepared in Example 1 was administered intramuscularly to patients diagnosed with chronic, stable schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder at. The study design included administration of a 5-mg dose of aripiprazole solution to all subjects followed by a single dose of IM depot at 15, 50, and 100 mg per patient. Samples for PK analysis were collected until plasma concentrations of aripiprazole were less than the lower limit of quantification (LLQ) for 2 consecutive visits. FIG. 3 shows mean plasma concentrations vs. time profiles of aripiprazole in subjects 2 and 3 dosed with 15 mg of IM Depot, and subjects 4 and 5 who received 50 mg of IM Depot. In all cases aripiprazole plasma levels showed a fast onset of release and sustained release for at least 30 days. | <SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,528 to Oshiro et al. discloses 7-[(4-phenylpiperazino)-butoxy]carbostyrils, which include aripiprazole, as dopaminergic neurotransmitter antagonists. Aripiprazole which has the structure is an atypical antipsychotic agent useful in treating schizophrenia. It has poor aqueous solubility (<1 μg/mL at room temperature). U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,989 to Liversidge, et al. discloses a method for preventing crystal growth and particle aggregation in nanoparticulate compositions wherein a nanoparticulate composition is reduced to an optimal effective average particle size employing aqueous milling techniques including ball milling. U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,506 to Midler, et al. relates to a process for the direct crystallization of a pharmaceutical having high surface area particles of high purity and stability wherein impinging jet streams are employed to achieve high intensity micromixing of particles of the pharmaceutical followed by nucleation and direct production of small crystals. A long-acting aripiprazole sterile injectionable formulation has merit as a drug dosage form in that it may increase the compliance of patients and thereby lower the rate of relapse in the treatment of schizophrenia. Examples of known long acting drug products for the treatment of schizophrenia include haloperidol decanoate and fluphenazine decanoate both of which have an ester compound of low water solubility dissolved in sesame oil. Microcapsules containing Risperidone (WO95/13814) and Olanzapine (WO99/12549) are also known. | <SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a sterile freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation which upon constitution with water for injection releases aripiprazole, in therapeutic amounts, over a period of at least about one week, and preferably over a period of two, three or four weeks and up to six weeks or more. The freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation of the invention includes: (a) aripiprazole, and (b) a vehicle for the aripiprazole, which formulation upon constitution with water forms an injectable suspension which, upon injection, preferably intramuscularly, releases therapeutic amounts of aripiprazole over a period of at least one week, preferably two, three or four weeks, and up to six weeks or more. The freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation of the invention will preferably include: (a) aripiprazole, (b) one or more suspending agents, (c) optionally one or more bulking agents, (d) optionally one or more buffers, and (e) optionally one or more pH adjusting agents. A mean particle size of the freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation within the range from about 1 to about 30 microns is essential in formulating an injectable which releases aripiprazole over a period of at least about one week and up to six weeks or more, for example up to 8 weeks. It has been found that the smaller the mean particle size of the freeze-dried aripiprazole, the shorter the period of extended release. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, when the mean particle size is about 1 micron, the aripiprazole will be released over a period of less than three weeks, preferably about two weeks. When the mean particle size is more than about 1 micron, the aripiprazole will be released over a period of at least two weeks, preferably about three to four weeks, and up to six weeks or more. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the aripiprazole release duration can be modified by changing the particle size of the aripiprazole in the freeze-dried formation. The term “mean particle size” refers to volume mean diameter as measured by laser-light scattering (LLS) methods. Particle size distribution is measured by LLS methods and mean particle size is calculated from the particle size distribution. In addition, in accordance with the present invention, a controlled release sterile injectable aripiprazole formulation in the form of a sterile suspension, that is, the freeze-dried formulation of the invention suspended in water for injection, is provided which, upon injection, preferably intramuscularly, releases therapeutic amounts of aripiprazole over a period of at least one week, which includes: (a) aripiprazole, (b) a vehicle therefor, and (c) water for injection. The controlled release sterile injectable formulation of the invention in the form of a sterile suspension allows for high drug loadings per unit volume of the formulation and therefore permits delivery of relatively high doses of aripiprazole in a small injection volume (0.1-600 mg of drug per 1 mL of suspension). Further, in accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for preparing the sterile freeze-dried aripiprazole formulation described above which includes the steps of: (a) preparing sterile bulk aripiprazole, preferably having a desired particle size distribution and mean particle size within the range from about 5 to about 100 microns, (b) preparing a sterile vehicle for the sterile bulk aripiprazole, (c) combining the sterile bulk aripiprazole and the sterile vehicle to form a sterile primary suspension, (d) reducing the mean particle size of aripiprazole in the sterile primary suspension to within the range from about 1 to about 30 microns, to form a final sterile suspension, and (e) freeze drying the final sterile suspension to form a sterile freeze-dried suspension of the aripiprazole of desired polymorphic form (anhydrous, monohydrate, or a mixture of both). In carrying out the above method, the reduction of the mean particle size of the sterile primary suspension to the desired mean particle size is carried out employing an aseptic wet milling procedure, which preferably is aseptic wet ball milling. Aseptic wet milling is essential in forming a homogeneous and sterile aripiprazole formulation of desired mean particle size distribution. In addition, in accordance with the present invention, a method for freeze drying the final sterile suspension of aripiprazole is provided which produces a sterile freeze-dried aripiprazole of desired polymorphic form, that is anhydrous, monohydrate, or a mixture of both. Still further in accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for treating schizophrenia and related diseases which includes the step of administering to a patient in need of treatment therapeutic amounts of the above described controlled release injectable aripiprazole formulation. As an unexpected observation, it has been discovered that a suspension of aripiprazole suspended in an aqueous solvent system will maintain a substantially constant aripiprazole drug plasma concentration when administered by injection; preferably as an intramuscular injection. No large “burst phenomenon” is observed and it is considerably surprising that a constant aripiprazole drug plasma concentration can be maintained from one (1) to more than eight (8) weeks employing the aripiprazole suspension of the invention. The daily starting dose for an orally administered aripiprazole formulation is fifteen (15) milligrams. In order to administer a drug dose equivalent to one (1) to more than eight (8) weeks of the oral dosage quantity requires the administration of a very large amount of the drug as a single dose. The aqueous aripiprazole injectable formulation of the invention may be administered to deliver large amounts of the drug without creating patient compliance problems. The aripiprazole injectable formulation of the invention may include anhydrous or monohydrate crystalline forms of aripiprazole or an admixture containing both. If the monohydrate is used, the maintenance of an extended drug plasma concentration is possible. The aripiprazole injectable formulation of the invention can be administered as an aqueous ready-to-use suspension; however, by freeze-drying this suspension a more useful drug product can be supplied. | 20041019 | 20101005 | 20050707 | 99465.0 | 2 | CHONG, YONG SOO | CONTROLLED RELEASE STERILE INJECTABLE ARIPIPRAZOLE FORMULATION AND METHOD | UNDISCOUNTED | 0 | ACCEPTED | 2,004 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.