1. A positioning device coupled to a network, comprising:
a receiver portion;
a transmitter portion;
a processor coupled to the receiver portion and transmitter portion; and
a memory coupled to the processor to store one or more instruction sequences, said instruction sequences to cause the positioning device to transmit communication signals between said positioning device and a second positioning device, wherein said memory further includes information representative of a topology said network, said information to be updated in response to network topology changes, said positioning device and second positioning device to be addressable by one or more parameters that are useable to selectively communicate data, wherein a master transmitter sets the basic frequency and phase of said network and said positioning device.
2. The positioning device of claim 1, wherein said positioning device and second positioning device transmit said communications signals wirelessly.
3. The positioning device of claim 2, wherein said one or more parameters comprise spatial parameters for said positioning device and second positioning device, said spatial parameters to include at least one of a position parameter and a velocity parameter.
4. The positioning device of claim 1, wherein said network is self-configuring in that a new device may join said network by protocol sharing, and said information representative of the topology will be automatically updated to reflect the addition of said new device to the network.
5. The positioning device of claim 1, wherein said communication signals include non-position data and relative position information.
6. The positioning device of claim 1, wherein relative position information is derived from said communication signals using triangulation techniques.
7. The positioning device of claim 1, wherein the network further comprising weak-position-signal devices and strong-position-signal devices, and wherein said communication signals are transmitted to said weak-position-signal nodes by being relayed through said strong-position-signal nodes.
8. The positioning device of claim 1, wherein the network further comprises a plurality of navigation beacons which transmit position signals to said positioning device and second positioning device.
9. The positioning device of claim 8, wherein said communication signals are synchronized to said position signals.
10. The positioning device of claim 8, wherein said communication signals are used as ranging signals for additional positioning devices, said additional positioning devices to determine signal propagation time using signal time tagging.
11. The positioning device of claim 8, wherein said position signals are usable for determining absolute positioning information for said positioning device and second positioning device.
12. The positioning device of claim 8, wherein said communication signals include non-position data and absolute position information.
13. The positioning device of claim 8, wherein said communication signals substitute for said position signals in determining position information.
14. The positioning device of claim 13, wherein said communication signals are used to provide frequency and signal phase assistance in the determination of position information.
15. The positioning device of claim 14, wherein said frequency and signal phase assistance is used by said positioning device to detect attenuated positioning signals from said plurality of navigation beacons.
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 metallic effect pigment
wherein
the metallic effect pigment comprises at least three layers:
A) a layer A which comprises at least one metal MA and has an average oxygen content OA, based on the total amount of MA and OA in the layer A,
B) a layer B comprising at least one metal MB and having an average oxygen content OB of 0 to 77 atom %, based on the total amount of MB and OB in the layer B,
C) a layer C which comprises at least one metal MC and has an average oxygen content OC, based on the total amount of MC and OC in the layer C,
the average oxygen content OAC in layers A and C being determined in accordance with the formula (I)
O
AC
=
1
2
\ue89e
(
O
A
M
A
+
O
A
+
O
C
M
C
+
O
C
)
(
I
)
and being situated within a range from 2 to 77 atom %.
2. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
at least one of the layers A and C have a largely homogeneous chemical composition in terms of at least one of oxygen OA and OC and at least one of metal MA and MC, respectively.
3. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
layers A and C of the metallic effect pigment have an average oxygen content OAC of 30 to 57 atom %.
4. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
layers A and C of the metallic effect pigment have an average oxygen content OAC of 35 to 56 atom %.
5. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
in at least one of layers A and C of the metallic effect pigment, the total amount of MA and of OA is 90 to 100 atom %, based on all of the components of the layer A, and the total amount of MC and of OC is 90 to 100 atom %, based on all of the components of the layer C.
6. The metallic effect pigment of any of the preceding claims claim 1,
wherein
the average oxygen content OA, based on the total amount of MA and OA in the layer A, and the average oxygen content OC, based on the total amount of MC and OC in the layer C, are each situated independently of one another in a range from 25 to 58 atom %.
7. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the at least one of at least one metal MA and MC is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, chromium, silver, copper, gold, zinc, tin, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, titanium, tantalum, molybdenum, mixtures thereof, and alloys thereof.
8. The metallic effect pigment of any of the preceding claims claim 1,
wherein
the at least one of layer A and C comprises different phases of metal and metal oxide in finely divided form.
9. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the at least one of layer A and C independently of one another possess an average thickness of 10 to 250 nm.
10. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the at least one metal MB is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, silver, copper, gold, zinc, tin, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, titanium, mixtures thereof, and alloys thereof.
11. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the average oxygen content OB, based on the total amount of MB and OB in the layer B, is situated in a range from 0 to less than 25 atom %.
12. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the average oxygen content OB, based on the total amount of MB and OB in the layer B, is situated at 25 to 58 atom %.
13. The metallic effect pigment of claim 11,
wherein
the layer B has a metallic character and possesses an average thickness of 10 to 200 nm.
14. The metallic effect pigment of claim 12,
wherein
the layer B has a largely metallic or oxidic character and possesses an average thickness of 50 to 2000 nm.
15. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the overall metallic effect pigment possesses an average thickness of 30 to 550 nm.
16. The metallic effect pigment of claim 15,
wherein
the overall metallic effect pigment possesses an average thickness of 50 to 300 nm.
17. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the metal MB is at least one of aluminum andor silver.
18. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the metals MA and MC are the same.
19. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the metals MA, MB, and MC are the same.
20. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the average layer thicknesses of layers A and C are substantially the same.
21. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
at least one of said metal MA and MC is substantially chromium and in at least one of the layer A and C independently of one another the average oxygen content OA or OC is situated in the range from 35 to 48 atom %, based on the respectively total amount of chromium and oxygen in layer A and C, respectively.
22. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
at least one of said metal MA and MC is substantially aluminum and in at least one of said layer A and C independently of one another the average oxygen content OA or OC is situated in the range from 30 to 55 atom %, based on the respectively total amount of aluminum and oxygen in layer A and C, respectively.
23. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
layers A, B, and C are arranged immediately following one another.
24. The metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the metallic effect pigment is coated with an anticorrosion layer.
25. The metallic effect pigment of claim 24,
wherein
the anticorrosion layer comprises SiO2.
26. A process for preparing a metallic effect pigment of claim 1,
wherein
the individual layers A, B, and C are arranged in succession by PVD techniques, by vapor deposition of MA, MB, and MC, with at least one of said layers A and C being vapor-deposited in the presence of at least one oxygen-donating oxygen source.
27. The process according to claim 26 for preparing a metallic effect pigment,
wherein
the process comprises the following steps:
a) coating a mobile substrate in a vacuum chamber by physical vapor deposition (PVD) with at least one metal MA in the presence of oxygen, to form the layer A on the substrate,
b) coating the layer A in a vacuum chamber by physical vapor deposition (PVD) with at least one metal MB in the presence or absence of oxygen, to form the layer B,
c) coating the layer B in a vacuum chamber by physical vapor deposition (PVD) with at least one metal MC in the presence of oxygen, to form the layer C,
d) detaching the metallic layer stack from the substrate,
e) comminuting the metallic layer stack to give metallic effect pigments, and
f) optionally converting the metallic effect pigments into a dispersion or paste.
28. The process according to claim 26 for preparing a metallic effect pigment of,
wherein
the process comprises the following steps:
a) coating a substrate, in a vacuum chamber with at least the metal MA from a vaporizer source VQA in the presence of an oxygen-donating oxygen source, to form the layer A,
b) coating the layer A on the substrate, in a vacuum chamber with at least the metal MB from a vaporizer source VQB in the presence or absence of an oxygen source, to form the layer B,
c) coating the layer B on the substrate, in a vacuum chamber with at least the metal MC from a vaporizer source VQC in the presence of an oxygen source, to form the layer C,
d) detaching the metallic layer stack from the substrate,
e) comminuting the metallic layer stack to form metallic effect pigments, and
f) optionally converting the metallic effect pigments into a dispersion or a paste.
29. The process according to claim 28 for preparing a metallic effect pigment,
wherein
the individual vaporizer sources VQA, VQB, and VQC are separate from one another or separate in each case in pairs from one another.
30. The process according to claim 26 for preparing a metallic effect pigment, wherein
MA, MB, and MC are identical, identical in pairs or different from one another, and, from at least one metal vaporizing source and wherein a mobile substrate is coated with metal in a vacuum chamber in the presence of one or more oxygen-donating oxygen sources, accompanied by formation, between the metal vaporizing source, the oxygen source, and the mobile substrate, of three-dimensional concentration regions of metal vapor and oxygen in the vacuum chamber, as a result of which, by physical vapor deposition, the at least three layers A, B, and C are deposited on the mobile substrate in succession with metal contents and oxygen contents that are distinguishable from one another.
31. The process according to claim 30 for preparing a metallic effect pigment,
wherein
at least one cover device is are arranged between a metal vaporization source, oxygen source, and mobile substrate, said at least one device suppressing the possible formation of transition layers between the layers A, B, and C, with the consequence that the at least three successive layers A, B, and C are deposited each with mutually distinguishable metal and oxygen contents.
32. The process according to claim 26 for preparing a metallic effect pigment,
wherein
the at least one oxygen source is disposed in the form of at least one of water, water-donating substances, oxygen-donating substances and oxygen gas in the vacuum chamber.
33. The process according to claim 26 for preparing a metallic effect pigment,
wherein
during step a) and step c), and optionally during step b), there is controlled metering of oxygen gas into the vacuum chamber.
34. A method of making a material selected from the group consisting of coatings, paints, automobile finishes, powder coatings, printing inks, digital-printing inks, plastics and cosmetic formulations, wherein the method comprises combining the material with a quantity of the metallic effect pigments of claim 1.
35. A coating composition
wherein
the coating composition comprises metallic effect pigments of claim 1.
36. The coating composition of claim 35,
wherein
the coating composition is selected from the group consisting of coatings, paints, automobile finishes, powder coatings, printing inks, digital-printing inks, plastics, and cosmetic formulations.
37. A coated article
wherein
the article is provided with the metallic effect pigments of claim 1.
38. The metallic effect pigment according to claim 1, wherein the layer B has an average oxygen content OB of 0 to 58 atom %.
39. The metallic effect pigment according to claim 1, wherein the average oxygen content OAC in layers A and C is situated within a range from 25 to 58 atom %.
40. The metallic effect pigment according to claim 6, wherein the average oxygen content OA, based on the total amount of MA and OA in the layer A, and the average oxygen content OC, based on the total amount of MC and OC in the layer C are each situated independently of one another in a range from 30 to 57 atom %.
41. The metallic effect pigment of claim 8, wherein said at least layer A and C comprises different phases of metal and metal oxide sized in the nanometer range.
42. The metallic effect pigment of claim 24, wherein the metallic effect pigment is envelopingly coated with an anticorrosion layer.
43. The metallic effect pigment of claim 25, wherein the anticorrosion layer consists of SiO2.
44. The process according to claim 28 for preparing a metallic effect pigment, wherein the substrate is a mobile substrate.
45. The process according to claim 44 for preparing a metallic effect pigment, wherein the mobile substrate is a circulating belt or a moving belt.
46. The process according to claim 30 for preparing a metallic effect pigment, wherein the mobile substrate is a rotating belt or a moving belt.
47. A coated article wherein the article is provided with a coating composition according to claim 35.