1. The communication control apparatus for common bus connection devices provided between a plurality of devices to which addresses are allocated and a common bus and controlling an access between each of the plurality of devices and the common bus, the communication control apparatus comprising:
an input determination unit configured to recognize an identification signal indicating the beginning and end of a packet for the common bus which is an information unit capable of being transmitted by one transfer operation through the common bus, thereby determining whether or not there is an input from the common bus to the device in question;
a transmission determination unit configured to determine whether or not there is a transmission of the packet from the device in question on the common bus to the common bus; and
an access suspend unit configured to determine that another device on the common bus is performing a packet operation and suspending a clock in each unit in the device in question when the input determination unit determines that the address of the packet inputted through the common bus from the other device is not destined for the device in question and when the transmission determination unit determines that there is not a transmission request for the packet from the device in question.
2. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input determination unit, the transmission determination unit and the access suspend unit constitute a power control unit configured to control power saving of the communication control apparatus and the peripheral circuitry by suspending the clock during a clock operation to other devices through a USB as the common bus when there is no packet supply or transmission between the USB and the device in question.
3. The communication control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a USB interface for connecting the power control unit with the USB.
4. The communication control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a USB control unit configured to control major USB transfers, an interface (IF) unit for USB devices which includes a register accessible to a peripheral device and controls an access from a peripheral device, and a USB host being connected to the USB.
5. The communication control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an RAM for storing data for transferring between a USB host connected to the USB and a peripheral device.
6. The communication control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power controls unit comprises a SYNCEOP determination unit configured to recognize a SYNC (synchronous) signal always appended to the beginning of the USB packet for synchronization and an EOP (End Of Packet) signal always appended to the end of the USB packet, and a power control signal generating unit configured to generate a power control signal to control power supply into the controller and peripheral circuit based on signal information from the SYNCEOP determination unit and the USB control unit.
7. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input determination unit comprises a SYNCEOP determination unit configured to determine a synchronization portion (SYNC) attached to the beginning of a USB packet which is sent through a USB as the common bus, and an end portion as an EOP attached to the end of the USB packet.
8. The communication control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when starting to transfer a new packet in condition that the power control signal is enabled by the power control signal generating unit to provide power saving, the SYNCEOP determination unit determines the SYNC signal appended to the beginning of the packet and temporary disables the power control signal, subsequently, when the address value of the packet matches that of a device controlled by the USB device controller, by continuing to disable the power control signal, the packet can be processed by the USB control unit.
9. The communication control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, since the matchmismatch information of the address values is generated by a normal USB process, the information determined by the USB control unit is sent to the power control signal generating unit using the USB control signal.
10. The communication control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, for start-frame packet not having an address value such as a SOF (Start Of Frame) packet, it is determined whether or not saving power consumption when the USB control unit also determines whether or not it is a SOF, then the result of the determination is sent to the power control signal generating unit.
11. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission determination unit comprises a USB control unit configured to determine that a packet is sent when there is an access of a packet for the common bus having transmission request from the peripheral circuit as a common bus connection device for which the communication control apparatus is provided, and for performing normal control of transfer.
12. The communication control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when starting to transfer a new packet in condition that the power control signal is enabled by the power control signal generating unit to provide power saving, the SYNCEOP determination unit determines the SYNC signal appended to the beginning of the packet and temporary disables the power control signal, subsequently, when the address value of the packet matches that of a device controlled by the USB device controller, by continuing to disable the power control signal, the packet can be processed by the USB control unit.
13. The communication control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, since the matchmismatch information of the address values is generated by a normal USB process, the information determined by the USB control unit is sent to the power control signal generating unit using the USB control signal.
14. The communication control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, for start-frame packet not having an address value such as a SOF (Start Of Frame) packet, it is determined whether or not saving power consumption when the USB control unit also determines whether or not it is a SOF, then the result of the determination is sent to the power control signal generating unit.
15. The communication control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the access suspend unit comprises a power control signal generating unit configured to generate a power control signal as well as turning off the power saving mode for the power control signal and disabling the clock in each part in the device in question when a packet having the address of the peripheral device as a common bus connection device for which the communication device is provided is supplied from a USB as the common bus as a result of the determination of the input determination unit or when there is a transmission request from the device to another device.
16. The communication control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein when starting to transfer a new packet in condition that the power control signal is enabled by the power control signal generating unit to provide power saving, the SYNCEOP determination unit determines the SYNC signal appended to the beginning of the packet and temporary disables the power control signal, subsequently, when the address value of the packet matches that of a device controlled by the USB device controller, by continuing to disable the power control signal, the packet can be processed by the USB control unit.
17. The communication control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, since the matchmismatch information of the address values is generated by a normal USB process, the information determined by the USB control unit is sent to the power control signal generating unit using the USB control signal.
18. The communication control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, for start-frame packet not having an address value such as a SOF (Start Of Frame) packet, it is determined whether or not saving power consumption when the USB control unit also determines whether or not it is a SOF, then the result of the determination is sent to the power control signal generating unit.
19. A communication control method of controlling common bus connection devices being provided between a plurality of devices to which addresses are allocated and a common bus and controlling an access between each of the plurality of devices and the common bus, the method comprising:
determining whether or not there is an input from the common bus to the device in question, after recognizing an identification signal indicating the beginning and end of a packet for the common bus which is an information unit capable of being transmitted by one transfer operation through the common bus;
determining whether or not there is a transmission of the packet from the device in question on the common bus to the common bus; and
determining that another device on the common bus is performing a packet operation and suspending a clock in each unit in the device in question when the input determination unit determines that the address of the packet inputted through the common bus from the other device is not destined for the device in question and when the transmission determination unit determines that there is not a transmission request for the packet from the device in question.
20. The communication control method according to claim 19, wherein the input determination is performed by determining a SYNCEOP of a synchronization portion (SYNC) attached to the beginning of a USB packet which is sent through a USB as the common bus, and determining an end portion as an EOP attached to the end of the USB packet.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A process for upgrading a sulfur-containing crude oil feedstream to improve the API gravity and reduce the sulfur content, the process comprising:
a. mixing the crude oil with one or more hydrotreating catalysts having a reaction surface to provide a catalyst-crude oil reaction mixture;
b. irradiating the mixture of the crude oil and one or more hydrotreating catalysts with microwave energy in the presence of hydrogen at a pressure level of from one atmosphere to 400 psig to raise the temperature of the reaction mixture to a reaction mixture temperature in the range from 70\xb0 C. to about 400\xb0 C.;
c. maintaining the reaction mixture temperature by varying the microwave energy, for a period of time that is sufficient to form soluble sulfur compounds and thereby reduce the sulfur content of the crude oil;
d. separating the irradiated mixture into a catalyst-containing solid phase and an upgraded oil phase; and
e. recovering the upgraded oil phase.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more catalysts is selected from the group consisting of powdered iron, palladium oxide, calcium oxide, an alkali metal oxide catalyst, traditional hydrotreating catalysts, and combinations thereof.
3. The process of claim 1, wherein the hydrotreating catalyst comprises at least one metal selected from Group VIB or VIIIB of the Periodic Table.
4. The process of claim 3 in which the at least one metal is selected from the group consisting of iron palladium, nickel, cobalt, chromium, vanadium, molybdenum, tungsten, a combination of metals such as nickel-molybdenum, cobalt-nickel-molybdenum, cobalt-molybdenum, nickel-tungsten and nickel-tungsten-titanium.
5. The process of claim 1 that includes adding a polar compound to the mixture of crude oil and catalyst in step (a).
6. The process of claim 5, wherein the polar compound is an ethanolamine.
7. The process of claim 1 which includes adding activated carbon to the mixture of step (a).
8. The process of claim 1, wherein said microwave radiation of step (b) is at a frequency of from about 200 MHz to about 10,000 MHz.
9. The process of claim 1, wherein the microwave energy is at a power level of from about 100 watts to about 10,000 watts for an exposure time of up to 30 minutes.
10. The process of claim 9, wherein the power level is from 500 watts to 5,000 watts and the exposure time is between 20 and 25 minutes.
11. The process of claim 1, wherein the temperature is in the range from 80\xb0 C. to about 200\xb0 C.
12. The process of claim 1, wherein the reaction is carried out in a flow-through reactor at an hourly space velocity of the liquid phase that is in range of from 0.10 per hour to 10 per hour.
13. The process of claim 12, wherein the liquid phase hourly space velocity is in the range from 0.30 per hour to 3 per hour.
14. The process of claim 1 in which the crude oil feedstream in the form of an oil and water emulsion, the process comprising the additional preliminary steps of:
i. separating and recovering any free water from the standing crude oil-water emulsion to provide an oil-water containing only bound water;
ii. separating any free crude oil from the emulsion;
iii. irradiating the emulsion with microwave energy to substantially break the emulsion;
iv. separating the free water from the oil to provide oil containing less than 3% water, and thereafter performing steps (a)-(e).
15. The method of claim 14, wherein water is retained in the crude oil as a microwave energy absorber.
16. The process of claim 14 in which a polar compound and microwave sensitizer is added to the mixture of crude oil and catalyst.