A drive train system includes at least one internal combustion engine, at least one generator driven by the internal combustion engine for generating electrical energy, at least one electrical machine electrically connected to the generator, at least one driven front axle and at least one driven rear axle, an automatic or manual transmission located between the internal combustion engine and the respective axles, and at least one epicyclic gear unit. Each of the at least one drive front axle and at least one drive rear axle includes output means and is driven by the internal combustion engine.

A drive train consists of a drive unit and mechanical components such as a crankshaft, a transmission and a differential, which transfer the power from the drive unit onto the surface being driven on. The drive unit can be an internal combustion engine or an electric motor, or a hybrid solution.
U.S. Publication No. 2015/0210151A1 describes a tractor having a battery in conjunction with an electrical generator and an electric motor and including a first motor/generator, which is connected to the motor and to which the battery is connected. The first motor/generator can be operated as a motor, and thus the output shaft is supplied at least in part by electrical energy from the battery.
There is a need to adjust the drive unit in agricultural vehicles flexibly to power demands and simultaneously improve driving comfort.


A convertible couch, twin bed, and queen bed includes a U-shaped section having a first arm, a second arm, and a back section; a first end section; a second end section; and first, second and third mattress sections; the first mattress section is rotatably joined to the second mattress section, which is rotatably joined to the third mattress section, which has a first bottom edge and an opposing second bottom edge; the first mattress section has an internal first edge and an opposing internal section edge; the internal first edge has a second portion of the first zipper, and the internal second edge has a second portion of the second zipper; the first zipper releasably joins the first end section and the first mattress section, and the second zipper releasably joins the second end section and the first mattress section.

Many attempts have been made to make couch and bed combination inventions. Most common are the sleeper sofa having a concealed pull-out bed, the futon, and the daybed. Each of these couch and bed combinations suffer from deficiencies, however, typically relating to comfort in one configuration relative to the other, ease of transitioning between different configurations, superfluous pieces, and a general inability to be configured into a configuration other than a couch and one bed form.

Convertible couch, twin bed, and queen bed

Milliard Enterprises Limited Liability Company


To provide a blood purification apparatus in which the hot-water-disinfection time can be optimized with consideration for environmental conditions. A blood purification apparatus provided with a dialyzer for giving dialysis treatment to a patient, and with a tube for introducing dialysate into or discharging drain liquid from the dialyzer. The apparatus includes a thermistor that is capable of detecting an environmental condition at a time of a hot-water-disinfection process in which the tube is disinfected with hot water or a parameter regarding the environmental condition, and an estimating device that estimates a hot-water-disinfection time required for the hot-water disinfection of the tube in accordance with the environmental condition or the parameter regarding the environmental condition detected by thermistor.

In general, a dialysis apparatus serving as a blood purification apparatus intended for dialysis treatment is provided with tubes, such as a dialysate introduction line and a dialysate drain line, for introducing dialysate into a dialyzer (a blood purification device) connected to a blood circuit and for discharging the dialysate containing waste products resulting from the dialysis from the dialyzer. The dialysate introduction line and the dialysate drain line are connected at the distal ends thereof to a dialysate inlet and a dialysate outlet, respectively, of the dialyzer. Furthermore, the dialysate introduction line is connected at the proximal end thereof to a dialysate-supplying device. Thus, the dialysate is allowed to be supplied to the dialyzer.
In such a blood purification apparatus, the tubes such as the dialysate introduction line and the dialysate drain line are disinfected by washing prior to the dialysis treatment. In recent years, a hot-water-disinfection process in which hot water (with citric acid) is used as a washing-and-disinfection solution has been becoming popular. As disclosed by PTL 1, for example, such a known blood purification apparatus includes a circulation tube for forming a circulation flow route that allows liquid (washing water) to circulate in the hot-water-disinfection process, a heater (a heating device) capable of heating the liquid that circulates through the circulation flow route and generating hot water that is at a temperature required for hot-water disinfection, and a thermistor (a temperature-measuring device) capable of measuring the temperature of the liquid heated by the heater. The tubes are disinfected with hot water by causing the hot water at a predetermined temperature to circulate through the circulation flow route for a period of time required for hot-water disinfection.
PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-097197
The above known blood purification apparatus has the following problem.
The hot-water disinfection of tubes greatly depends on environmental conditions at the time of the hot-water-disinfection process. Therefore, the hot-water-disinfection time and so forth are set such that a satisfactory level of disinfection effect can be obtained even under the worst environmental conditions. That is, assuming that environmental conditions, such as the heating function of the heater (the power-source voltage); the supply water temperature; and the ambient temperature, are all at the worst levels in terms of generating hot water suitable for hot-water disinfection, a long hot-water-disinfection time estimated for the worst conditions is set so that a satisfactory level of hot-water-disinfection effect is guaranteed.
However, the hot-water-disinfection time that is set as described above tends to be greatly different from the hot-water-disinfection time that is required under normal environmental conditions. Therefore, the hot-water-disinfection time thus set tends to be excessively long. That is, in the known technique, hot-water disinfection cannot be performed efficiently, which may increase the power consumption and the heat stress given to components such as filters provided to the tubes. Hence, to make the hot-water-disinfection process more efficient, the hot-water-disinfection time needs to be optimized with consideration for environmental conditions.


A circuit arrangement comprising a plurality of electronic components; a plurality of first access lines and second access lines, wherein each electronic component is coupled with at least one first access line and second access lines, the second access lines comprising at least two bit-lines; an access controller controlling access to at least one of the electronic components via the at least one first access line and the second access lines; and a first group of switches, wherein each switch comprises at least one control terminal and at least two controlled terminals. Each switch of the first group is connected to one of the at least two bit-lines via its control terminal and in a path between one first access line and a sense amplifier via its controlled terminals, and adjacent switches are connected via their control terminals to different bit-lines of the at least two bit-lines.

Flash memories typically require a high voltage for modifying data. For example, a multiplexer circuit used for selecting a memory cell to be connected to a sense amplifier or to a write buffer circuit requires high voltage devices. If a sense amplifier is designed for lower voltages, it may need a protection device. The high voltage may be generated by a charge pump and leakage current of the multiplexer circuit may be reduced, in particular minimized.
High voltage devices have thicker gate oxides and larger channel widths and channel lengths than low-voltage devices, so that they can bear higher electric fields caused by the high voltages. As a result, high voltage devices have high threshold voltages and large device areas. The layout and the circuit architecture are therefore optimized to minimize the required area. On the other hand, low voltage devices show improved analog characteristics, and, due to thinner gate oxide, have better matching characteristics, which is important for building analog circuits, such as the sense amplifier. Therefore, the combination of high voltage and low voltage devices is beneficial for the combination of protection and accurate read operation. Because of rather poor characteristics of p-channel devices, n-channel devices may be used predominantly.
During a read operation, a memory cell is selected by means of a first access line, for example a bit-line, and a second access line, for example a word-line. First access lines of memory cells that are not used for selecting and accessing the memory cell may be kept at a defined bias, for example, by being connected to a defined potential, such as the ground potential. As a result, the read operation of the selected memory cell will not be disturbed by capacitive coupling with adjacent first access lines. Usually, n-channel devices are used for biasing the adjacent first access lines. The phrase "adjacent" is used in the specification to mean, e.g., "next to in location" or "neighboring".
Because the devices in the multiplexer circuit and the discharge devices have the same polarity, an additional bus with an inverted signal has to be routed. The bus is preferably designed for high voltages because the bit-line is biased to voltages larger than the break down voltage of the low voltage devices during write or erase operations. However, a high voltage design requires a high voltage level shifter for the control of the gates which requires area and consumes dynamic power during operation provided by the charge pumps. Typically, charge pumps draw a large current on a supply line conveying a supply voltage VDD. The use of p-channel devices for biasing is possible, however, a negative overdrive is required or the first access lines that are not used for selecting the memory cell are only weakly biased. This situation arises especially in scaled technology nodes where the supply voltage VDD is in the range of the threshold voltage of the high voltage devices.

Circuit arrangement and method for operating a circuit arrangement


A bone screw assembly including a coupling member with a lower surface and a channel formed by two arms extending from a base portion. The coupling member has a hole extending from the base portion of the channel to its lower surface. The assembly further includes a spacer having a top surface adjacent the base portion of the channel and a bottom surface generally opposite the top surface within the hole of the coupling member, and includes a hollow retaining ring within the hole of the coupling member, the retaining ring comprising an inner surface, an outer surface, a top surface spaced from the bottom surface of the spacer, and a slot extending from the inner surface of the ring to the outer surface of the ring. The assembly includes a bone screw having a head portion with an outer surface adjacent to the inner surface of the retaining ring.

Surgically implanted systems, such as fixation devices and apparatuses, are commonly used to correct a variety of back structure problems, including those that occur as a result of trauma or improper development during growth. Generally, these systems correct such problems by providing a desired corrective spatial relationship between vertebral bodies. A typical spinal fixation system generally comprises a support rod or system of support rods that are secured along at least a portion of the spinal column intended to be immobilized by bone screws or hooks or other bone engaging components. Particular systems may include one or more fixation rods that are coupled to adjacent vertebra by attaching the rods to various anchoring devices, such as hooks, bolts, wires, or screws. Such bone anchors or devices may be directly connected to the support rods or may be connected indirectly by using medial/lateral connectors or other similar components. The bone screws, bone hooks, medial/lateral connectors, and/or related items that function to anchor the support rods to the bones are often collectively referred to as bone engaging hardware or implants.
Bone anchors such as screws and hooks are commonly utilized to facilitate segmental attachment of connective structures to the posterior surfaces of the spinal laminae. In a basic spinal fixation system, bone screws have a rod receiving opening extending through a head portion of each bone screw. The bone screws are typically secured through the pedicles and into the vertebral bodies at desired locations and a support rod is then extended through the opening in each bone screw. In particular, in order to accommodate connection to a spinal rod, many of these bone anchors are open-ended at an end distal from the end that is secured to a vertebra and have a yoke with a pair of upstanding arms that can receive a spinal rod in a channel formed between the arms. Because the rod connection portion of such bone anchors are open-ended, some type of fastener must be used in order to capture the rod or other structure as it is received within the open end of the anchor.
In order in order to fix the translational and rotational relationship of a support rod within the openings, various fastening techniques and devices can further be used to facilitate the securing of a spinal rod or rods to bone anchors of a spinal fixation system. For example, in one typical spinal fixation system, bone screws that have a rod receiving slot or opening in a head portion of the screw are implanted in predetermined vertebrae of the spine (adjacent vertebra, for example) and a spinal rod is then extended through the slot opening in each bone screw. The bones screws are then connected to the spinal rod by a setscrew or nut that engages the rod through or over a wall of the screw head. Tightening the setscrew or nut causes the spinal rod to be forced or clamped within the head of the bone screw thereby providing a holding force that attaches the spinal rod to the bone screw. The application of a pre-specified torque to the screw or nut provides a rigid construct for indefinite duration.
The fixation rods for a particular spinal fixation system are chosen according to a particular implantation site, and once installed, the fixation system holds the vertebral bodies in a desired spatial relationship, either until desired healing or spinal fusion has taken place, or for some longer period of time. For a spinal alignment correction with any of these systems that use a rod, the shapes of the support rods are utilized as the means to define and maintain the desired spinal curvature or vertebral alignment. Each rod is designed or selected to support a particular spine in a desired manner or to exert the desired corrective or stabilizing forces to the spine. Thus, each support rod can be bent or formed to a predetermined contour prior to positioning it in the rod-receiving opening of the bone screw. Alternatively, the support rods may be bent during the surgical procedure to accommodate the spinal correction or stabilization needed for each individual patient.
Other fixation systems have been developed that use medial/lateral connectors in association with bone screws to secure the support rods to the vertebra. The bone screws used in these systems typically include a threaded stud extending from the screw heads. The medial/lateral connectors include an arm and a head, and a rod receiving opening that extends through the head for connection to a support rod with a setscrew or other locking device. The arm of the connector includes an opening, such as a hole or slot that can receive the threaded stud of a bone screw. A fastener can then be used to attach the bone screw to the medial/lateral connector. This type of system is utilized in correcting spinal structural deformities or abnormalities is the same general manner as the fixation system above described wherein the support rods are shaped to define and maintain a desired spinal alignment.
With any of these systems that utilize a bone screw, it is common for the screw to pivot or otherwise move in at least one direction to achieve variable angular positions relative to the rod. In some cases, the screws are provided with the capability to move in three dimensions with respect to the rod in order to provide additional flexibility for positioning of the bone screw relative to the rod. These types of screws are often referred to as poly-axial or multi-axial screws.
Several types of multi-axial bone screw mechanisms have been developed and are available in the market. Generally, these are of two types that can be referred to as top-loaded and bottom-loaded systems. In top-loaded systems, a bone screw is assembled into a coupling member from the top, with the threaded portion inserted first and through the coupling member until the bone screw head engages the bottom portion of the cavity inside the coupling member. One disadvantage of these systems is that since the threaded portion of the bone screw must go through the coupling member, the dimensions of the coupling member must be able to accommodate the largest thread diameter of the bone screw. Typically, this results in a relatively large and bulky coupling member in a system that is desirably as small as possible.
In bottom-loaded systems, the bone screw is assembled into a coupling member from the bottom, which typically allows for a smaller coupling member since the screw member does not pass through the coupling member during assembly. However, one difficulty with bottom-loaded systems is preventing the head from being pushed out of the coupling member once it is inserted into the coupling member cavity. One design, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,660,004 to Barker et al., makes use of an internal retaining ring deployed inside a groove at the bottom of the coupling member. However, this design is limited in the amount of angulation between the bone screw and the coupling member. In order to maintain a desired level of strength for the grooved portion of the coupling member, a certain amount of material must be left at the bottom of the coupling member in order to support the retaining ring. This extra material impinges on the neck connecting the threaded portion to the head of the bone screw. In order to increase the angulation, the neck diameter must be reduced, which could weaken the bone screw. It is thus desirable to provide a bone screw system that allows for a higher degree of angulation while maintaining a sufficiently large neck diameter for strength of the screw.


A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell which generates electric power using supplied reactive gases; a load control device for controlling a load applied to the fuel cell; a voltage measuring device for measuring a voltage generated by the fuel cell; a fuel cell driving control device for controlling at least a supply of the reactive gases to the fuel cell; and a voltage variation rate obtaining device for obtaining a rate of variation in the voltage generated by the fuel cell when the load is varied. The fuel cell driving control device is controlled based on the rate of variation in the generated voltage obtained by the voltage variation rate obtaining device. The voltage variation rate being obtained when the generated voltage increases. The load being varied by applying momentarily a load to the fuel cell when the voltage variation rate is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell system and a method of activating a fuel cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a fuel cell which generates electric power through a reaction between reactive gases supplied thereto, if water is frozen in the fuel cell, passages are blocked or closed, which obstructs diffusion of the reactive gases and reduces the effective power generation area of the fuel cell. That is, in comparison to when operating at ordinary temperatures, consumption of the reactive gases is reduced, thereby degrading the performance of the fuel cell in generating electric power. Therefore, when the fuel cell is activated at a below-zero temperature, a specific activating operation for below-zero temperatures is executed so as to increase the temperature of the fuel cell and obtain the required ability of the fuel cell to generate electric power.
Conventionally, the temperature of the fuel cell is measured, and it is determined whether such a specific activating operation for below-zero temperatures is executed based on the measured temperature. When the specific activating operation is executed, the pressure for supplying the reactive gases or the amount of such gases is increased in comparison to when operating at ordinary temperatures. See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2005-44795.
However, the state where the passages inside of the fuel cell are closed (also known as the passage closing state or the diffusion state of the reactive gases) does not always depend on the temperature of the fuel cell. That is, even when the temperature of the fuel cell is low, the passages inside of the fuel cell may not be closed and the diffusion of the reactive gases may be in a desired state. Also, conversely, even when the temperature of the fuel cell is not very low, the fuel cell may have a closed passage and the diffusion of the reactive gases may be in an undesired state.
When the passage closing state inside the fuel cell does not depend on the temperature of the fuel cell, if the presence or the absence of a below-zero-temperature activating operation and the conditions for supplying the reactive gases are determined based on the temperature of the fuel cell 1 as in the conventional systems, the below-zero-temperature activating operation may be executed even when the activating operation for ordinary temperatures is enough. In this case, there may be an increase in the amount of the reactive gases being supplied, as well as the pressure of the gases, which may result in an undesired influence on a solid polymer electrolyte membrane of the fuel cell.

Fuel cell system and activation method of fuel cell


An electric power steering system includes a motor and a soft-disable controller in signal communication with the motor for reducing the abruptly increased reaction torque felt by a driver when an assist torque is abruptly disabled.

In a vehicle equipped with electric power steering (xe2x80x9cEPSxe2x80x9d), the steering assist torque may be provided by an electric motor coupled to a steering column or shaft. Typically, when a condition that requires an immediate shutdown occurs in such an EPS system, the assist torque provided by the motor is abruptly commanded to zero, power is removed from the transistors that drive the motor, and the system is shut down. An immediate shutdown might be triggered, for example, if the torque sensor failed or its signal was lost.
When an EPS system is shut down, the steering system typically reverts to manual steering. If the system is shut down while the EPS motor is applying a low magnitude assist torque, the shutdown may be imperceptible to the driver. However, if the system is shut down while the EPS motor is applying a moderate or higher magnitude torque, the driver may feel an abruptly increased reaction torque in the steering wheel or hand-wheel due to the sudden reduction in assist torque. The abruptly increased reaction torque results when the stored energy in the tires and steering system is released as the assist torque from the motor is instantaneously removed. Typically, the instantaneous removal of the assist torque allows the stored energy in the system to back drive the motor at moderate to high velocity for a moment. The driver feels this motion as the abruptly increased reaction torque in the steering wheel.
The above described and other features are exemplified by the following Figures and Description in which an electric power steering system is disclosed that includes a motor and a soft-disable controller in signal communication with the motor for reducing the abruptly increased reaction torque felt by a driver when an assist torque is abruptly disabled.

Soft-disable damping for electric power steering


The water gas shift catalyst for a reformer of a fuel cell system where a supporter includes a clay and ZnO filled between layers of the clay; and an active material including CuO supported on the supporter.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catalyst for water gas shift for a reformer of a fuel cell system, a method of preparing the same, and a fuel cell system including the same.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A fuel cell is a power generation system for producing electrical energy through an electrochemical redox reaction of an oxidant and a fuel such as hydrogen, or a hydrocarbon-based material, such as methanol, ethanol, natural gas, and the like. Such a fuel cell is a clean energy source that can replace fossil fuels. It includes a stack composed of unit cells and produces various ranges of power output. Since it has four to ten times higher energy density than a small lithium battery, it has been highlighted as a small portable power source.
Representative exemplary fuel cells include a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and a direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC). The direct oxidation fuel cell includes a direct methanol fuel cell that uses methanol as a fuel.
The polymer electrolyte fuel cell has advantages of a high energy density and high power, but it also has problems in the need to carefully handle hydrogen gas and the requirement for accessory facilities such as a fuel reforming processor for reforming methane or methanol, natural gas, and the like in order to produce hydrogen as the fuel gas.
On the contrary, a direct oxidation fuel cell has lower energy density than that of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell, but has the advantages of easy handling of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a low operation temperature, and no need for additional fuel reforming processors.
In the above-mentioned fuel cell system, a stack that generates electricity substantially includes several to many unit cells stacked adjacent to one another, and each unit cell is formed of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) and a separator (also referred to as a bipolar plate). The membrane-electrode assembly is composed of an anode (also referred to as a "fuel electrode" or an "oxidation electrode") and a cathode (also referred to as an "air electrode" or a "reduction electrode") that are separated by a polymer electrolyte membrane.
A fuel is supplied to an anode and adsorbed on catalysts of the anode, and the fuel is oxidized to produce protons and electrons. The electrons are transferred into a cathode via an external circuit, and the protons are transferred into the cathode through the polymer electrolyte membrane. In addition, an oxidant is supplied to the cathode, and then the oxidant, protons, and electrons are reacted on catalysts of the cathode to produce electricity along with water.
A fuel cell system is composed of a stack, a reformer, a fuel tank, and a fuel pump. The stack forms a body of the fuel cell system, and the fuel pump provides the fuel stored in the fuel tank to the reformer. The reformer reforms the fuel to generate the hydrogen gas and supplies the hydrogen gas to the stack.
A reformer of a general fuel cell system includes a reforming reaction portion that generates hydrogen gas from a fuel through a catalyst reforming reaction using heat energy, and a carbon monoxide reducing portion that reduces carbon monoxide concentration in the hydrogen gas through an oxidation reaction of hydrogen gas with the oxidant. Such a reforming reaction is performed by a reforming catalyst, and therefore there is a great deal of research being undertaken regarding reforming catalysts.

Catalyst for a water gas shift for a fuel cell system, a method of preparing the same, and a fuel cell system including the same


Systems and methods for securing a screen-type active electrode to the distal tip of an electrosurgical device used for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location within or on a patient's body. A securing electrode is disposed through the screen electrode and mechanically joined to an insulative support body while also creating an electrical connection and mechanical engagement with the screen electrode. The electrosurgical device and related methods are provided for resecting, cutting, partially ablating, aspirating or otherwise removing tissue from a target site, and ablating the tissue in situ. The present methods and systems are particularly useful for removing tissue within joints, e.g., synovial tissue, meniscus, articular cartilage and the like.

Conventional electrosurgical methods are widely used since they generally achieve hemostasis and reduce patient bleeding associated with tissue cutting operations while improving the surgeon's visibility of the treatment area. Many of the electrosurgical devices used in electrosurgery make use of a screen-type active electrode which is typically cut, or etched, from a sheet of conductive material. These electrosurgical devices and procedures, however, suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, screen-type active electrodes typically require some method of securement to an insulative body and furthermore to the distal tip of the device itself. Failure to adequately secure the screen electrode to the insulative body may result in improper device function and possible patient harm during the electrosurgical procedure.
Prior attempts to secure the screen active electrode to the insulative body have involved mechanical, thermal, and chemical means or various combinations thereof. Numerous mechanical forms of securement have been utilized, while adhesives have been used as a chemical form of joining, and welding the screen may provide one thermal method of joining. These mechanical joining methods may also include the use of plastic, or non-recoverable, deformations of the materials being used for securement. However, even in combination with other joining methods, the above-listed methods for fixation provide only marginally effective solutions that typically are challenged over extended periods of use.
Accordingly, devices and methods which allow for the securement of flat screen active electrodes to the insulative body of an electrosurgical instrument while maintaining electrical connections through the insulative body are desired. In particular, mechanical methods for providing reasonable and durable securement of an electrically connected screen active electrode to the insulative body at the distal tip of an electrosurgical device while providing enhanced electrosurgical operating parameters are desired.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for screen electrode securement


A method for preparing an oxide superconductor cable includes transposing a plurality of oxide superconductor strands along a longitudinal axis so as to form a cable and exposing the cable to a two step heat treatment after cabling of the oxide strands, the heat treatment comprising, (a) heating the cable to and maintaining the cable at a first temperature sufficient to partially melt the article, such that a liquid phase co-exists with the desired oxide superconductor phase; and (b) cooling the cable to and maintaining the cable at a second temperature sufficient to substantially transform the liquid phase into the desired oxide superconductor. The oxide superconductor multistrand cable includes a plurality of oxide superconductor strands, each of the strands including an oxide superconductor having an irreversible melt characteristic, wherein the plurality of oxide strands are transposed about a longitudinal axis, such that each of the strands are substantially electrically and substantially mechanically isolated; and wherein the cable exhibits critical transport properties (J.sub.c) of at least about 10,000 A/cm.sup.2 at 77K, self field.

Since the discovery of oxide superconducting materials with transition temperatures above about 20 Kelvin the possibility of using them to obtain greater efficiency in electrical and magnetic applications has attracted considerable interest. However, to be practical outside the laboratory, most electrical and magnetic applications require flexible cabled lengths of conductor manufacturable with high packing factors which can be manufactured at reasonable cost and with high engineering current-carrying capacity. High packing factor forms are needed because limited space constraints and high overall current requirements are major design issues. Conductors which are flexibly cabled, that is, composed of twisted, helically wound, braided or otherwise transposed bundles of electrically, and sometimes mechanically, isolated conductor strands, are desired in many applications, including coils, rotating machinery and long length cables. In comparison to monolithic conductors of comparable composition and cross-section, cabled forms which are made from a number of isolated conductors strands will have much higher flexibility. Substantially mechanically isolated cable strands have some ability to move within the cable, although some degree of mechanical locking of the strands is desired for stability and robustness of the conductor to stay together during handling and winding. Electrical isolation of the cable strands is preferred but not required. In low temperature superconducting conductors, cables which are made from a number of substantially electrically isolated and transposed conductor strands have been shown to have greatly reduced AC losses in comparison to monolithic conductors. See "Superconducting Magnets" by Martin Wilson (1983,1990), pp 197, 307-309. It has been proposed that the same relation will hold for high temperature superconductors. Flexibility increases in proportion to the ratio between the cable cross-section and the strand cross-section. AC losses are believed to decrease in relation to cable cross-section, strand cross-section and twist pitch. Thus, the greater the number of strands in a cable of given dimension, the more pronounced these advantages will be.
However, it has not been considered feasible to form oxide superconductors in high winding density, tightly transposed configurations because of the physical limitations of the material. Superconducting oxides have complex, brittle, ceramic-like structures which cannot by themselves be drawn into wires or similar forms using conventional metal-processing methods and which do not possess the necessary mechanical properties to withstand cabling in continuous long lengths. Consequently, the more useful forms of high temperature superconducting conductors usually are composite structures in which the superconducting oxides are supported by a matrix material, typically a noble metal, which adds mechanical robustness to the composite.
Even in composite forms, the geometries in which high-performance superconducting oxide articles may be successfully fabricated are constrained by the relative brittleness of the composite, by the electrical anisotropy characteristic of the oxide superconductor, and by the necessity of "texturing" the oxide material to achieve adequate critical current density. Unlike other known conductors, the current-carrying capacity of a superconducting oxide composite depends significantly on the degree of crystallographic alignment and intergrain bonding of the oxide grains, together known as "texturing", induced during the composite manufacturing operation.
Known processing methods for obtaining textured oxide superconductor composite articles include an iterative process of alternating anneal and deformation steps. The anneal is used to promote reaction-induced texture (RIT) of the oxide superconductor in which the anisotropic growth of the superconducting grains is enhanced. Each deformation provides an incremental improvement in the orientation of the oxide grains (deformation-induced texturing or DIT).
The texture derived from a particular deformation technique will depend on how closely the applied strain vectors correspond to the slip planes in the superconducting oxide. Thus, superconducting oxides such as the BSCCO family, which have a micaceous structure characterized by highly anisotropic preferred cleavage planes and slip systems, possess a highly anisotropic current-carrying capacity. Such superconducting oxides are known to be most effectively DIT textured by non-axisymmetric techniques such as pressing and rolling, which create highly aspected (greater than about 5:1) forms. Other methods of texturing BSCCO 2223 have been described in U.S. Ser. No. 08/302,601, filed Sep. 8, 1994 entitled "Torsional Texturing of Superconducting Oxide Composite Articles", which describes a torsional texturing technique; U.S. Ser. No. 08/041,822 filed Apr. 1, 1993, entitled "Improved Processing for Oxide Superconductors" now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,456; and U.S. Ser. No. 08/198,912 filed Feb. 17, 1994, entitled "Improved Processing of Oxide Superconductors" which is now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,456 which describes an RIT technique based on partial melting. These techniques have been observed to provide the greatest improvement in the Jc's of BSCCO 2223 samples when used in combination with a highly non-axisymmetric DIT technique, such as rolling.
Although superconducting oxide composite articles may be textured by various methods, including magnetic alignment, longitudinal deformation (DIT) or heat treatment (RIT), not all texturing methods are equally applicable to, or effective for, all superconducting oxides. For example, known techniques for texturing the two-layer and three-layer phases of the bismuth-strontium-calcium-copper-oxide family of superconductors (Bi.sub.2 Sr.sub.2 Ca.sub.1 Cu.sub.2 O.sub.x and Bi.sub.2 Sr.sub.2 Ca.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x, also known as BSCCO 2212 and BSCCO 2223, respectively) are described in Tenbrink et al., "Development of Technical High-T.sub.c Superconductor Wires and Tapes", Paper MF-1, Applied Superconductivity Conference, Chicago(Aug. 23-28, 1992), H. B. Liu and J. B. Vander Sande, submitted to Physica C, (1995), and Motowidlo et al., "Mechanical and Electrical Properties of BSCCO Multifilament Tape Conductors", paper presented at Materials research Society Meeting, Apr. 12-15, 1993. Micaceous oxides such as the BSCCO family which demonstrate high current carrying capacity in the absence of biaxial texture have been considered especially promising for electrical applications because they can be textured by techniques which are readily scalable to long-length manufacturing.
Liquid phases in co-existence with solid oxide phases have been used in processing of oxide superconductors. One type of partial melting, known as peritectic decomposition, takes advantage of liquid phases which form at peritectic points of the phase diagram containing the oxide superconductor. During peritectic decomposition, the oxide superconductor remains a solid until the peritectic temperature is reached, at which point the oxide superconductor decomposes into a liquid phase and a new solid phase. The peritectic decompositions of Bi.sub.2 Sr.sub.2 CaCu.sub.2 O.sub.8+x, (BSCCO 2212, where 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.5), into an alkaline earth oxide and a liquid phase and of YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-.delta. (YBCO 123, where 0.ltoreq..delta..ltoreq.1.0) into Y.sub.2 BaCuO.sub.5 and a liquid phase are well known. Kase et al. in IEEE Trans. Mag. 27(2), 1254 (1991) report obtaining highly textured BSCCO 2212 by slowly cooling through the peritectic point, a RIT technique because BSCCO 2212 totally melts and reforms during melt textured growth, any texturing induced by deformation prior to the melting will not influence the final structure.
However, BSCCO 2223 cannot be effectively textured by the melt-textured growth technique. Instead of peritectic melting, BSCCO 2223 exhibits irreversible melting in that solid 2223 does not form directly from a liquid of 2223 composition. RIT techniques applicable to BSCCO 2223 rely on some type of partial melting, such as eutectic melting, solid solution melting or formation of non-equilibrium liquids, in which the oxide superconductor coexists with a liquid phase rather than being totally decomposed.
Partial melting of (Bi,Pb).sub.2 Sr.sub.2 Ca.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.10+x, ((Bi,Pb)SCCO 2223, where 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.5) and (Bi).sub.2 Sr.sub.2 Ca.sub.1 Cu.sub.2 O.sub.10+x ((Bi)SCCO 2223, where 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.5) at temperatures above 870.degree. C. in air has been reported; see, for example, Kobayashi et al. Jap. J. Appl. Phys. 28, L722-L744 (1989), Hatano et al. Ibid. 27(11), L2055 (Nov. 1988), Luo et al. Appl. Super. 1, 101-107, (1993), Aota et al. Jap. J. Appl. Phys. 28, L2196-L2199 (1989) and Luo et al. J Appl. Phys. 72, 2385-2389 (1992). The exact mechanism of partial melting of BSCCO-2223 has not been definitively established.
Such partial melting techniques are inherently more dependent on the geometry of the initial phase than melt-textured growth, and texturing induced by deformation prior to the partial melting will have a significant impact on the texturing of the final product. In short, for superconducting oxides with irreversible melting characteristics, such as BSCCO 2223, superior texturing and current-carrying capacity are most obtainable in highly aspected forms such as tapes.
Unfortunately, highly aspected superconducting oxide tapes are particularly difficult to cable. All superconducting oxide composites are brittle by the standards of conventional conductors. It is well known that exerting any bend strain in excess of a critical strain which is determined by the composition and geometry of the composite (and which is typically on the order of 0.1-1%) will severely degrade its electrical and mechanical properties. Strands which are round in cross-section can be bent in any plane and the bend strain will be the same, but the strain on a highly aspected strand will depend on the bend direction, with highest strains when the bend is in the plane of the longer cross-sectional dimension. The effect on strand performance can be considerable, since the bend strain increases proportionally to the thickness of the bent material and the critical current drops asymptotically at bend strains in excess of the critical strain.
Since the lowest coupling losses are predicted to come from fully transposed cables, limitations on the direction in which the strands can be cabled also limits the potential usefulness of the cabled conductor. Unfortunately, some forms of transposition makes it inevitable that some portion of the cabled conductor will not be oriented in the preferred direction. Thus, an important consideration in fabricating high performance oxide superconducting conductors is maximizing the portions which do have the desired orientations. It is thus desirable to main a common orientation for all strands in the cable. In rigid cabling techniques the oxide superconducting strands rotate around cable axis resulting in strands of various orientations. In planetary cabling, the oxide superconductor strands do not rotate and transposition only results in slight misorientation.
The difficulties of handling superconducting oxide strands appear even more pronounced when the need for a low cost, scalable cable manufacturing process is considered. There are a number of well-known cabling techniques, such as Rutherford cabling, braiding, and other forms of Litz cabling, for transposing low aspect ratio strands of conventional conductor material on automated machinery, which rely on gradual radial bending of the conductor strands, but to make high packing factor cables on these machines requires bending strains in excess of those tolerated by conventional oxide superconductor strands. The problem is even worse for aspected forms. The best-known automatic technique for cabling conventional highly aspected conductors requires sharp bends in the strand at regular intervals and so, not surprisingly, has never been demonstrated to be practicable for oxide superconducting composites.

Multifilament composite BSCCO oxide superconductor


In the present invention, a gas flow rate adjustment apparatus that outputs a raw material gas to an ozone generation apparatus is provided. The gas flow rate adjustment apparatus includes a plurality of flow rate adjustment parts, and outputs a second mixed gas serving as the raw material gas to the ozone generation apparatus. The second mixed gas includes an oxygen gas outputted from a first oxygen flow rate adjustment part and a first mixed gas outputted from a mixed gas flow rate adjustment part. The raw material gas generated by the gas flow rate adjustment apparatus, which includes an oxygen gas and a nitrogen gas, contains the nitrogen gas added to the oxygen gas with the rate of addition being in a range of more than 0 PPM and not more than 100 PPM.

Conventional techniques for supplying an oxygen gas and a nitrogen gas into an ozone generation apparatus in order to generate an ozone gas are shown in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4.
In the techniques shown in Patent Documents 1 to 4, a raw material gas is supplied to an ozone generation apparatus. Here, the raw material gas contains a nitrogen gas of not less than several hundred PPM (and more, several thousand PPM) added to an oxygen gas. In the ozone generation apparatus, an ozone gas is generated from the raw material gas by using a silent discharge. In this manner, in the techniques according to Patent Documents 1 to 4, adding the nitrogen gas of not less than several hundred or several thousand PPM to the oxygen gas allows generation of a high-concentration ozone gas.
As shown in FIG. 12, an ozone generation apparatus 330 according to Patent Documents 1 to 4 includes discharge surfaces (main surfaces that confront electrodes 301a and 301b) facing a discharge space where the silent discharge occurs. At least one side of the discharge surface, a dielectric material 302 made of alumina ceramic or the like is formed (however, the discharge surface facing the discharge space of the ozone generation apparatus 330 includes an ordinary metal material or insulating material having no photocatalytic material). In the discharge space of the ozone generation apparatus 330, an AC voltage is applied to the oxygen gas (raw material gas) containing a large amount of nitrogen as illustrated in Patent Documents 1 to 4, thereby causing a silent discharge. As a result, the ozone generation apparatus 330 generates a high-concentration ozone gas.
In the ozone generation apparatus 330 of Patent Documents 1 to 4, a mechanism of ozone generation is explained based on the theory of particle collisional dissociation. Here, the theory of particle collisional dissociation explains a detailed mechanism for generating a high-concentration ozone gas from an oxygen gas containing a nitrogen gas added thereto. This theory explains a mechanism in which generation of a short-gap silent discharge achieves a high electric field discharge so that an electron having high energy collides with an oxygen molecule, resulting in dissociation of an oxygen gas.
In the ozone generation based on the theory of particle collisional dissociation, a high-concentration ozone gas can be generated irrespective of the amount of added nitrogen contained in a raw material oxygen gas (irrespective of whether or not nitrogen is added). However, the following fact has been confirmed experimentally. That is, in a case where an oxygen gas to which a large amount of nitrogen gas is not added is adopted as a raw material gas, a high-concentration ozone gas cannot be generated even though a short-gap silent discharge is achieved in the ozone generation apparatus 330. For example, in the actual ozone generation apparatus 330, use of an oxygen gas containing no nitrogen results in a failure to generate a high-concentration ozone gas of about 200 g/m3 (160000 ppm) or more, and merely a low-concentration ozone gas of about 20 g/m3 (9333 ppm) can be generated.
Therefore, a mechanism for generating the high-concentration ozone gas in the ozone generation apparatus 330 configured as shown in FIG. 12 cannot be sufficiently explained by the theory of particle collisional dissociation.
The fact that the theory of particle collisional dissociation cannot explain the mechanism of ozone gas generation in the ozone generation apparatus 330 will be detailed little more.
In a silent discharge (dielectric material barrier discharge), generally, a high electric field plasma is obtained depending on a discharge gap length d and gas pressure P. In the ozone generation apparatus 330, generally, the discharge gap d is in a range from several mm to 0.05 mm that is a short gap, and the gas pressure P is in a range from the atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa) to 0.4 MPa. In the dielectric material barrier discharge under the discharge gap length d and the gas pressure P within such ranges, the plasma density of ion/electron is about 108 (/cm3) to 1010 (/cm3).
In a case where a raw material gas containing a large amount of nitrogen (about 10000 ppm) added to an oxygen gas is supplied into plasma with a plasma density of 1010 (/cm3), an ozone molecule density σmax (/cm3) that provides a maximum ozone concentration of 290 g/m3 (135000 ppm) shown in FIG. 13 which will be described later is as follows, based on the theory of particle collisional dissociation (the oxygen gas and electrons repeatedly and frequently collide with each other, to dissociate the oxygen gas into oxygen atoms).
The ozone molecule density σmax={1.35×105/106}×6.02×1023/2.24×104=˜3.63×1018 (/cm3).
In a case where a raw material gas containing a small amount of nitrogen (about 1 ppm) added to an oxygen gas is supplied into plasma with a plasma density of 1010 (/cm3), an ozone molecule density min (/cm3) that provides an ozone concentration of 40 g/m3 (32000 ppm) shown in FIG. 13 which will be described later is as follows, based on the theory of particle collisional dissociation (the oxygen gas and electrons repeatedly and frequently collide with each other, to dissociate the oxygen gas into oxygen atoms).
The ozone molecule density σmin={3.2×104/106}×6.02×1023/2.24×104=8.6×1016 (/cm3).
Thus, under the same plasma density, addition of a large amount of nitrogen (10000 ppm) generates ozone having a molecule density of 3.63×1018 (/cm3), while adding a small amount of nitrogen (1 ppm) generates ozone having a molecule density of 8.6×1016 (/cm3).
As described above, the molecule density of generated ozone varies in double digits depending on the amount of added nitrogen. This result means that the mechanism of ozone generation in the ozone generation apparatus 330 is not sufficiently explained by the theory of particle collisional dissociation that is based on a high electric field discharge.
In this respect, Patent Document 5 discloses that the mechanism of ozone gas generation in the ozone generation apparatus 330 is based on a catalytic activity.
As described above, under the condition of the plasma with a plasma density of 1010 (/cm3), it is assumed that the ozone molecule density is 1014 to 1016 (/cm3) order when the theory of particle collisional dissociation is adopted. However, the actual ozone molecule density is as high as 1018 (/cm3). Therefore, it is inferred that, due to the behavior of a molecule of the nitrogen gas itself, an effect of a chemical action (for example, a catalytic reaction of nitrogen) contributes so that the above-mentioned high concentration ozone gas is generated. Based on this inference, Patent Document 5 explains a mechanism of generation of a high concentration ozone gas (addition of a nitrogen gas causes generation of a large amount of oxygen atoms because of a photochemical reaction between a small amount of an NO2 gas and an NO gas that are generated during a discharge, resulting in generation of a high-concentration ozone gas). In the following, a slight mention will be made of the disclosure of Patent Document 5.
Patent Document 5 discloses such a mechanism that an ozone gas is generated due to a catalytic activity like a chemical reaction caused between a large amount of nitrogen gas itself contained in an oxygen gas and a discharge, based on the experimental fact that adding a large amount of nitrogen gas (for example, 1% (10000 ppm)) provides a high-concentration ozone gas of about 200 g/m3 (160000 ppm) or more and the experimental fact that a high concentration ozone gas of 16 times or more is generated in accordance with the amount of an added nitrogen gas.
Patent Document 5 describes a chemical reaction in which an NO2 gas is generated from a nitrogen gas as a result of the discharge, as follows.
That is, when an oxygen gas containing a nitrogen gas is supplied into a discharge space where a silent discharge is occurring, an NO2 gas is generated based on the following Reaction Formulae 1 and 2. N2+e→2N+ (the reaction of ionizing a nitrogen molecule; Reaction Formula 1). 2N++O2+M→>NO2 (the reaction of generating NO2; Reaction Formula 2). Based on these Reaction Formulae 1 and 2, an NO2 gas of several ppm to several tens ppm is generated.
Moreover, Patent Document 5 discloses that: the NO2 gas generated as a result of the reactions indicated by Reaction Formulae 1 and 2 causes a photodissociation reaction (a catalytic activity like a photochemical reaction) due to discharge light wavelength energy (hv), resulting in generation of an NO gas and an oxygen atom (O) (Reaction Formula 3); the generated NO gas causes an oxidation reaction with an oxygen molecule, resulting in generation of an oxygen atom (O) and an NO2 gas (Reaction Formula 4); and Reaction Formula 3 and Reaction Formula 4 are alternately repeated, to thereby generate a large amount of oxygen atoms (O).
Here, Reaction Formula 3 is NO2+hv→NO+O (photodissociation reaction of NO2), and Reaction Formula 4 is NO+O2 (an oxygen gas that is a primary component of the raw material gas) NO2+O (an oxidation reaction of NO).
In the technique according to Patent Document 5, when the amount of added nitrogen is 4% or more of the oxygen gas, the NO2 gas of 400 ppm or more is generated as a result of the discharge, and this NO2 gas reacts with oxygen (and generated ozone), so that a large amount of a nitrogen compound gas (NOx gas) such as an N2O5 gas is generated. As a result, as shown in the following Reaction Formula 5 rather than Reaction Formulae 3 and 4 that are the dissociation reaction into oxygen atoms, a chemical reaction between the generated ozone and NOx gas accounts for an increased percentage, which causes an ozonolysis reaction at an accelerated rate. Reaction Formula 5 is O3+N2O5→2O2+2NO2 (decomposition of ozone due to impurities).
In this manner, in the technique according to Patent Document 5, when the amount of the nitrogen gas added to the raw material gas exceeds 4%, a large amount of NOx gas such as an NO2 gas, which is a by-product caused by the discharge, is generated. This increases the percentage of the chemical reaction between the generated ozone gas and NOx gas, which promotes the action for decomposing the generated ozone gas, resulting in a failure to extract a high-concentration ozone gas.
As described above, Patent Document 5 discloses, instead of the ozone gas generation mechanism based on the theory of particle collisional dissociation, the ozone gas generation mechanism based on the catalytic activity like a chemical reaction (a large amount of dissociation into oxygen atoms is caused due to a photochemical reaction using the generated nitrogen compound gas and the discharge light, and the oxygen atoms obtained as a result of the dissociation are efficiently bound with oxygen molecules, so that a high-concentration ozone gas is generated).
FIG. 13 shows the relationship between the rate γ of nitrogen addition in the oxygen gas and the concentration of the ozone gas generated in the ozone generation apparatus 330. A result shown in FIG. 13 was obtained under conditions that, in the ozone generation apparatus 330 shown in FIG. 12, the short-gap discharge space was 0.1 mm and the gas pressure was 0.25 MPa, and a silent discharge was caused.
FIG. 13 reveals that, in the ozone generation apparatus 330 shown in FIG. 12, a decrease in the rate γ of nitrogen addition accordingly decreases the concentration of the generated ozone gas.
Accordingly, in order to suppress a decrease in the concentration of the generated ozone gas even when the amount of added nitrogen gas is reduced in the ozone generation apparatus 330, it is necessary to change the gap of the discharge space, the gas pressure, the area of the discharge surface, and the like (for example, an increase in the discharge surface area enables generation of an ozone gas having a higher concentration).
Here, even when the gap of the discharge space is changed in a range from 0.05 mm to several mm, the gas pressure is also changed, and/or the area of the discharge surface is also changed, the graph shown in FIG. 13 still has the same shape. Such changes merely cause the solid line graph shown in FIG. 13 to move up and down.
For example, in FIG. 13, when the rate of nitrogen addition is 10000 ppm, the concentration of the generated ozone gas is 290 g/m3 (135000 ppm), and when the rate of nitrogen addition is 1 ppm, the concentration of the generated ozone gas is 40 g/m3 (32000 PPM). Even if the gap of the discharge space, the gas pressure, the area of the discharge surface, and the like, are changed in the above-described manner, the concentration of the ozone gas generated when the rate of nitrogen addition is 10000 ppm and the concentration of the ozone gas generated when the rate of nitrogen addition is 1 ppm are increased and decreased, respectively, but, for example, the ratio of "(the concentration of the ozone gas generated when the rate of nitrogen addition is 10000 ppm)/(the concentration of the ozone gas generated when the rate of nitrogen addition is 1 ppm)" is unchanged.
Patent Document 6 shows an ozone generation apparatus that adopts an ozone gas generation method different from that of the ozone generation apparatus 330 shown in FIG. 12. Patent Document 6 discloses an ozone generation apparatus (called a nitrogen-free ozone generation apparatus) that generates a high-concentration ozone gas by using a raw material gas that contains only a high purity oxygen gas.
In the ozone generation apparatus according to Patent Document 6, a photocatalytic material is applied to a discharge surface facing a discharge space where a silent discharge occurs. When an AC voltage is applied to the oxygen gas supplied to the discharge space of the ozone generation apparatus and a silent discharge is caused, light having a wavelength of the visible light region (visible light of 428 nm to 620 nm) is emitted (discharged). The photocatalytic material absorbs the light having a wavelength of the visible light region which is emitted in the discharge. As a result, the discharge surface having the photocatalytic material, over which the gas passes, is excited, to exert a photocatalytic activity function. A photocatalytic effect of the photocatalytic material dissociates the oxygen gas in the discharge space. A chemical reaction between oxygen atoms obtained as a result of the dissociation and oxygen molecules contained in the oxygen gas generates a high-concentration ozone gas. Details of a mechanism and a configuration for generating a high-concentration ozone gas from a high-purity oxygen gas by using a photocatalytic material are known, as disclosed in Patent Document 6.
For example, in the field of semiconductor fabrication, the ozone gas generated in each of the above-described ozone generation apparatuses is used for an ozone treatment process such as formation of an ozone oxide insulating film and ozone washing, which is performed in a treatment apparatus provided separately from the ozone generation apparatus.
In the two different ozone gas generation apparatuses (the ozone generation apparatus 330 shown in FIG. 12 and the nitrogen-free ozone generation apparatus) described above, a voltage applied across electrodes that form the discharge space was applied in a stepwise manner, and a rise in the ozone concentration of the generated ozone in such a case was examined. A result thereof is shown in FIG. 14.
In FIG. 14, the broken line indicates ozone concentration rise characteristics obtained when a raw material gas containing a large amount of nitrogen gas added was supplied to the ozone generation apparatus shown in FIG. 12. In FIG. 14, the solid line indicates ozone concentration rise characteristics obtained when a raw material gas containing only a high-purity oxygen gas was supplied to the nitrogen-free ozone generation apparatus shown in FIG. 11 which will be described later.
As indicated by the solid line in FIG. 14, in the nitrogen-free ozone generation apparatus, when the voltage is applied stepwise, the ozone concentration promptly rises, and within about five seconds, reaches a steady-state concentration. On the other hand, in the ozone generation apparatus 330 shown in FIG. 12, when the voltage is applied stepwise, the ozone concentration rises after a delay of several seconds, gradually and asymptotically approaches a steady-state value, and about two to three minutes later, reaches a steady-state concentration.
Thus, the two ozone gas generation apparatuses described above exhibit different ozone concentration rise characteristics, and the difference in the ozone concentration rise characteristics is due to a difference in the mechanism for generating the ozone gas.
In the ozone generation apparatus 330 shown in FIG. 12, as seen from the ozone gas generation mechanism based on the Reaction Formula 1 to 4 mentioned above, generation of the NO2 gas from the raw material gas containing a nitrogen gas added to an oxygen gas is once caused by the discharge, and then the ozone gas is generated by the catalytic activity. In this ozone gas generation mechanism, the rise in the ozone concentration is delayed when the stepwise voltage is applied as indicated by the broken line in FIG. 14.
On the other hand, in the nitrogen-free ozone generation apparatus, when the stepwise voltage is applied and the silent discharge is caused, the discharge light is immediately emitted. This discharge light promptly excites the photocatalytic material (reference numeral 303 in FIG. 11). This enables the photocatalytic effect to be immediately exerted, which can dissociate the supplied raw material gas (oxygen gas) into oxygen atoms due to the photocatalytic effect, so that the ozone gas is generated. This ozone gas generation mechanism of the nitrogen-free ozone generation apparatus enables the ozone concentration to promptly rise when the stepwise voltage is applied.
As thus far described, each of the ozone generate mechanisms has been demonstrated in the experiment shown in FIG. 14.

TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION


The mRNA coded by the "anti-sense" strand of the complementary DNA produced by HTLV-I infection contains significant open reading frames. Cells infected by HTLV-I virus produce mRNA that is anti-sense to the viral RNA genome. Infected cells may produce proteins from the newly discovered mRNA. The production of the anti-sense in mRNA initiates from a newly discovered transcriptional promoter located within 1.8 kb from the 3' terminus of the viral genome. The mRNA, protein, and antibodies directed thereto can be used in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HTLV-I infections.

Retroviruses are causative agents for many human and animal diseases. They differ from other viruses in that the genetic information of the retrovirus is carried in the viral particle in the form of single-stranded RNA (sense viral RNA) and in the host cells as double-stranded DNA called the provirus. In the case of human and animal lymphotrophic retroviruses, the genome consists of about 9000 bases, including sequences called long terminal repeats (LTR's) of about 700-800 bases at each end of the provirus. Previous studies of human lymphotrophic retroviruses (HTLV-I HTLV-II, and HIV) have identified a number of proteins that are coded directly in the RNA of the various retroviruses.
Retroviral viral particles consist of, in part, envelope (env), group-associated antigens (gag), and reverse transcriptase (pol) proteins together with the RNA genome. Upon infection of a host cell, the reverse transcriptase enzyme uses the sense viral RNA as a template to construct a cDNA molecule (complementary sense DNA; see FIG. 1) complementary to the viral RNA from nucleic acids present in the host cell. The complementary sense DNA molecule is then used as a template by a polymerase to produce a double-stranded DNA, one strand of which corresponds to the original sense viral RNA. This double-stranded DNA copy of the viral RNA (the provirus) then integrates into the host genome and begins to produce viral RNA, mRNA, and proteins. Naturally occurring retroviruses contain all the information required to generate many new retroviral particles from one host cell infection event.
Prior to the present invention, those skilled in the art have only studied the proteins and RNA coded directly by the "sense strand" of the HTLV-I retroviral genome (sense viral RNA and sense mRNA). By identifying open forward reading frames in the sense RNA, many lymphotrophic retroviral proteins have been characterized. We have used this approach to identify proteins coded for on the "anti-sense" mRNA. Moreover, we have detected this anti-sense mRNA and, therefore, proteins encoded by this anti-sense mRNA may be present in HTLV-I infected cells. Further, patients infected with HTLV-I may make antibodies against these anti-sense strand encoded proteins.

HTLV-I anti-sense RNA and encoded proteins


Methods for detecting receptivity of mammalian endometrium to embryo implantation comprising obtaining a sample of the endometrium, contacting the endometrium with a monoclonal antibody for xcex23 and detecting xcex23 in the endometrium. The invention also provides for methods of diagnosing infertility in a mammal and methods of detecting the window of embryo implantation in endometrium. Methods of in vitro fertilization, methods of preventing embryo implantation and a method of monitoring endometrial maturation are also within the scope of the present invention. The present invention is also directed to contraceptives. Diagnostic kits useful in the practice of the methods of the invention are also provided.

Over the past decade, investigators have come to recognize the importance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in directing the growth, differentiation and function of the overlying epithelium. Getzenberg et al., xe2x80x9cThe Tissue Matrix: Cell Dynamics and Hormone Actionxe2x80x9d, Endocrine Rev., 11:399-417 (1990). The interaction between cell and extracellular matrix (or substratum) is mediated by several classes of cell adhesion molecules, one of the most important being the integrins. Albelda et al., xe2x80x9cIntegrins and Other Cell Adhesion Moleculesxe2x80x9d, FESEB J., 4:2868-2880 (1990). Buck et al., xe2x80x9cIntegrin, a Transmembrane Glycoprotein Complex Mediating Cell-Substratum Adhesionxe2x80x9d, J. Cell Sci. Suppl., 8:231-250 (1987). This diverse family of glycoprotein receptors is expressed on the cell membrane as heterodimeric xcex1 and xcex2 subunits and is involved in both cell-cell and cell-substratum adhesion. Specific recognition and binding of extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as fibronectin (FN), laminin (LM) and collagen (Col) transmit information to the cytoskeletal structure, an interaction which may have major roles in promoting hormone responsiveness and genomic activation. Burridge et al., xe2x80x9cFocal Adhesions: Transmembrane Junctions Between the Extracellular Matrix and the Cytoskeletonxe2x80x9d, Ann. Rev. Cell. Biol. 4: 487-525 (1988) and Getzenberg et al. supra.
Although extensive information exists about specific integrin proteins, for example, Hemler, M. E. xe2x80x9cVLA Proteins in the Integrin Family: Structures, Functions and Their Role on Leukocytesxe2x80x9d, Annu. Rev. Immunol: 365-400 (1990), little is known concerning the distribution of these receptors in the female reproductive tract. In the uterus, the endometrium, composed of glandular epithelium and associated mesenchyme (stroma), maintains complex temporal and spatial functions in response to the cyclic hormonal milieu. The search for morphological or biochemical markers for uterine receptivity has been unsuccessful to date as reported by Rogers and Murphy, xe2x80x9cUterine Receptivity for Implantation: Human Studiesxe2x80x9d, in Blastocyst Implantation, Yoshinaga, K. ed., Serono Symposia, pp. 231-238 (1989). Once such markers are identified, their role in endometrial phenomena including embryo implantation, fertility, contraception and endometrial maturation and receptivity can likely also be identified. Thus, as some integrins appear to meet the criteria for markers of receptivity there is a great need for methods of detecting integrin cell adhesion molecules in endometrium.
The present invention is directed to methods of detecting receptivity of endometrium to embryo implantation by detecting the xcex23 subunit of the xcex1v/xcex23 integrin in endometrium with a monoclonal antibody.
Methods of diagnosing fertility and methods of monitoring endometrial maturation in a mammal are also provided by monitoring the appearance of the xcex23 subunit of integrin in endometrium from a plurality of stages of the endometrial cycle. This is preferably done with a monoclonal antibody.
The present invention also provides methods of detecting the optimal window of embryo implantation in the endometrium by detecting the xcex23 subunit of integrin in an endometrial sample, preferably with a monoclonal antibody.
Further aspects of the invention include methods of preventing embryo implantation by contacting the xcex23 subunit of integrin in the endometrium with neutralizing Fab antibody fragments to xcex23. Methods of in vitro fertilization are also embodiments of the invention. These comprise detecting the xcex23 subunit of integrin in an endometrial sample, fertilizing an egg in vitro, and introducing the zygote into the uterus having endometrial tissue expressing the xcex23 subunit.
Contraceptive and diagnostic kits are also contemplated hereby.
These and other aspects of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the following figures.

Determination of endometrial receptivity toward embryo implantation

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


An optical switching apparatus includes at least one optical waveguide to deliver at least one input optical beam. A dispersion device spatially separates the at least one input optical beam into individual wavelength channels. An optical power device aligns the individual wavelength channels. An optical switch has at least one transflective polarizing element, at least one birefringent wedge and at least two polarization switches. The individual wavelength channels are directed to independently addressable regions of the polarization switches for wavelength selective switching. A second optical power device aligns the individual wavelength channels from the optical switch. A second dispersion device spatially combines individual wavelength channels from the second optical power device. At least one output optical waveguide receives at least one of the individual wavelength channels from the second dispersion device.

A dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) optical network, as with any information network, requires switches to perform routing of signals. DWDM networks pass several information channels along the same optical waveguide (e.g., optical fiber). Each channel corresponds to a different wavelength of light with the wavelengths typically separated by less than a nanometer. Consequently, DWDM networks require switches that are wavelength selective with very high resolution.
Regarding terminology, a 1×M optical switch comprises one input fiber (or port) and M output fibers (ports) to which the input can be selectively routed. A 1×M wavelength-selective switch similarly has one input port and M output ports and the capability of directing each of a number of discrete wavelengths from the input to any of the M output ports. The techniques of the invention may also be used to support M input fibers (ports) and I output fiber (port). Further, the techniques of the invention may be used to construct a system with M input fibers (ports) and M output fibers (ports).
For wavelength-selective optical switching, two commonly employed switching elements are micro-electromechanical (MEM) mirrors and liquid crystals (LC). These technologies use free space optics: the optical signal is removed from the fiber waveguide, manipulated using unguided optical components and then reinserted into an output fiber waveguide. Waveguided approaches (e.g., planar light circuits or PLCs) have been proposed for such functions but to date their promise has not been realized because of technical problems remaining to be overcome.
MEM micromirrors are constructed using microlithographic techniques. The mirrors are deformed or reoriented using electrostatic forces. Because of their small size and method of fabrication, it is straightforward to produce the arrays of mirrors required for wavelength-selective switching. Also, because the mirrors can take on a range of orientations they are conceptually easy to implement for higher port count wavelength-selective switches. It is the flexibility of the beam steering mechanism that makes MEM devices so promising and at the same time creates significant challenges for control and long term stability. MEM devices rely on steering a reflected beam; controlling the angle of reflection is paramount. Small deviations (<0.1 degree) in signal deflection can dramatically increase the coupling losses to an output port. Fabrication of the MEMs arrays requires an expensive processing facility, which makes them a costly solution for low volume applications.
Liquid crystal (LC) technology has a relatively long history in the prior art for optical switching applications. Liquid crystals are fluids that derive their anisotropic physical properties from the long range orientational order of their constituent molecules. Liquid crystals exhibit birefringence and the optic axis of a LC fluid can be reoriented by an electric field. This switchable birefringence is the mechanism underlying all applications of liquid crystals to optical switching and attenuation.
Two mechanisms have been proposed in the prior art for optical switching using liquid crystals: polarization modulation and total internal reflection (TIR). This refers to signal redirection to one of at least two channels (1×M switch; M>1). On/off liquid crystal optical switches can also be constructed on the principle of switchable scattering.
TIR liquid crystal switches rely on the difference in refractive index between the liquid crystal and the confining medium (e.g., glass). By proper choice of materials and angle of incidence of the light at the liquid crystal interface, it is possible to totally internally reflect the light when no field is applied to the liquid crystal. The effective index of the liquid crystal may be changed by reorienting the optic axis of the liquid crystal so that the total internal reflection criterion is no longer met; light then passes through the liquid crystal rather than reflecting from the interface. As with other types of reflective devices, such as MEM devices, controlling the reflection angle is critical. Also, since unwanted surface reflections are always present to some degree, crosstalk can be a significant problem.
Polarization modulation is the most common mechanism used in liquid crystal devices for optical switching. Switching is achieved between two orthogonal polarization states: for example, two orthogonal linear polarizations or left and right circular polarization. By way of illustration, a simple liquid crystal polarization modulator is shown in FIG. 1. The structure of the device is shown in cross-section FIG. 1a. A layer of nematic liquid crystal 1 is sandwiched between two transparent substrates 2 and 3. Transparent conducting electrodes 4 and 5 are coated on the inside surfaces of the substrates. The electrodes are connected to a voltage source 6 through an electrical switch 7. Directly adjacent to the liquid crystal surfaces are two alignment layers 8 and 9 (e.g., rubbed polyimide) that provide the surface anchoring required to orient the liquid crystal. The alignment is such that the optic axis of the liquid crystal is substantially the same through the liquid crystal and lies in the plane of the liquid crystal layer when the switch 7 is open. FIG. 1b depicts schematically the liquid crystal configuration in this case. The optic axis in the liquid crystal 10 is substantially the same everywhere throughout the liquid crystal layer. FIG. 1c shows the variation in optic axis orientation 12 as a result of molecular reorientation that occurs when the switch 7 is closed. The liquid crystal cell as described is known in the field as an electrically controlled birefringence device (or ECB). Such a liquid crystal polarization modulator was described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,747 as part of an optical switch/variable optical attenuator (VOA) for fiber optic communications applications.
To act as a switch, the modulator must produce two orthogonal polarizations at the exit of the modulator that can then be differentiated with additional optical components. This polarization conversion scheme provides the foundation for a number of electro-optic devices. If a linear polarizer is placed at the exit to the modulator, a simple on/off switch is obtained. If a polarizing beam splitter is placed at the exit, a 1×2 switch can be realized.
As an example, we consider a switchable half wave retardation plate. For this case, the liquid crystal layer thickness, d, and birefringence, Δn, are chosen so that
                                          Δ                                                                          nd                    λ                =                  1          2                                    (        1        )            where λ is the wavelength of the incident light. In this situation, with reference to FIG. 1b, if linearly polarized light with wave vector 13 is incident normal to the liquid crystal layer with its polarization 14 making an angle 15 of 45 degrees with the plane of the optic axis 10 of the liquid crystal, the light will exit the liquid crystal linearly polarized with its polarization direction 16 rotated by 90 degrees from the incident polarization 14.
Referring now to FIG. 1c, the optic axis in the liquid crystal is reoriented by a sufficiently high field. If the local optic axis in the liquid crystal makes an angle Θ with the wave vector k of the light, the effective birefringence at that point is
                                          Δ                                                                                n              eff                                =                                                                      n                  e                                                                  n                  o                                                                                n                      o                      2                                                                                cos                      2                                                            Θ                                    +                                                            n                      e                      2                                                                                sin                      2                                                            Θ                                                                        -                          n              o                                      ,                            (        2        )            where no and ne are the ordinary and extraordinary indices of the liquid crystal, respectively. The optic axis in the central region of the liquid crystal layer is nearly along the propagation direction 13. In this case, according to Eq. 2, both the extraordinary 17 and ordinary components 18 of the polarization see nearly the same index of refraction. Ideally, if everywhere in the liquid crystal layer the optic axis were parallel to the direction of propagation, the medium would appear isotropic and the polarization of the exiting layer 19 would be the same as the incident light 14.
Besides the ECB device described above, a number of other liquid crystal devices can operate as polarization switches: 90° degree twisted nematic, 270° twisted nematic, and ferroelectric LC are three common examples.
While it is easy to conceptualize a 1×2 LC-based switch, unlike the MEM device technology, generalization to 1×M with M>2 is problematic because of the discrete 2-state nature of the polarization switching. Cascading schemes have been proposed for broadband signal routing; however, these approaches are not amenable to wavelength-selective switching in a DWDM network.
The liquid crystal device of FIG. 1 is appropriate for broadband signal routing. However, for wavelength-selective switching, a liquid crystal device with more than one independently switchable element (pixel) is useful. A 1×N linear array of N separately addressable pixels is illustrated in FIG. 2. The structural cross-section of this LC array is identical to that of FIG. 1a. The liquid crystal is confined between two glass substrates 202 and 204 by means of a seal 206. Substrate 202 has one continuous electrode 208 which serves as the common electrode for the pixels. Substrate 204 has an array of N photolithographically patterned electrodes 210. Each pixel 212 is defined by the region of overlap between the common electrode and one of the patterned electrodes. By applying an independent voltage to each patterned electrode, the electro-optic response of each pixel in the array can be separately controlled.

Apparatus and method for optical switching with liquid crystals and birefringent wedges


Routing algorithms can be modified to increase the number of programmable interconnect points (PIPs) used in a routing pattern. A file is set up to store information on whether a PIP has been covered. The cost of a node can be decreased by a predetermined value if two nodes are connected by an uncovered PIP. In another embodiment, a file is set up to store a count for each PIP. The count is increased each time the PIP is used in a routing. The cost of a node can be increased by multiplying a predetermined value and the count of a PIP associated with the node.

The present invention relates to programmable logic device, and more particularly to coverage of programmable interconnect points in a programmable logic device.
Programmable logic devices (PLDS) exist as a well-known type of integrated circuit (IC) that may be programmed by a user to perform specified logic functions. There are different types of programmable logic devices, such as programmable logic arrays (PLAs) and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs). One type of programmable logic devices, called the field programmable gate array (FPGA), is very popular because of a superior combination of capacity, flexibility and cost.
A typical FPGA comprises a large number of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) surrounded by input-output blocks and interconnectable through a routing structure. The routing structure comprises many interconnect wires and associated programmable interconnect points (PIPs). In one embodiment, a PIP contains a pass transistor that can be turned on and off, thereby allowing an associated interconnect wire to be either connected or disconnected (depending on the state of the transistor) to other circuit elements. The CLBs and routing structure of the FPGA are arranged in an array or in a plurality of sub-arrays wherein respective CLBs and associated portions of the routing structure are placed edge to edge in what is commonly referred to as a tiled arrangement. The CLB portion of a tile comprises a plurality of primitive cells which may be interconnected in a variety of ways to perform a desired logic function. For example, a CLB may comprise a plurality of lookup tables (LUTS), multiplexers and registers. The CLBs, IOBs, and interconnect structure are typically programmed by loading a stream of configuration data (bitstream) into internal configuration memory cells that define how the CLBS, IOBs, and interconnect structure are configured. The configuration bitstream may be read from an external memory (e.g., an external PROM). The collective states of the individual memory cells then determine the function of the FPGA.
It can be seen from above that a typical FPGA is a very complex IC device. For example, some FPGAs in the Virtex-II family, marketed by Xilinx, Inc. of San Jose, Calif., contain several million gates. In addition, there are millions of interconnect lines. A FPGA may be unusable when a very small number of gates, PIPs or interconnect lines malfunction (e.g., due to fabrication errors, fabrication defects, or physical failure). Thus, it is important to test the FPGA to determine if there are defects.
One criteria of a successful testing is whether at least a predetermined percentage of PIPs have been tested. If not enough PIPs have been tested, the chance that a user design may use one of the untested PIPs (which may be faulty) is unacceptably high. Consequently, there is a need to be able to test as many PIPs as possible efficiently.
The present invention involves methods for increasing the number of PIPs that can be covered in a routing. A file is set to store information indicating whether a PIP has been covered. A predetermined value (used for modifying the cost) is inputted. The node are then routed. The routing routine includes expanding from a first node to a second node. A modified cost for the second node (equal to cost of the first node plus base cost of the second node minus the inputted value) is calculated. This modified cost is applied if the first node and a second node are connected through an uncovered PIP and if the modified cost is lower than the cost of the second node. Routing is performed using the cost calculated above.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a signal from a routed pattern is ripping up. Routing is performed on the ripped up signal by applied the above method. Other signals in the routed pattern can also be ripped up and rerouted.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a different file is set up. This file stores a xe2x80x9ccountxe2x80x9d for each PIP. The nodes are then routed. A new cost is calculated by adding to the base cost a term equal to a product of the count and a predetermined value. After a routing run, the file is updated by increasing the count of each visited PIP by one.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment of the present invention. The figures and detailed description that follow provide additional example embodiments and aspects of the present invention.

Method and apparatus for improving PIP coverage in programmable logic devices


A liquid crystal display device is provided which is capable of realizing high-quality display screen with low power consumption. A charge equilibration control signal VCST is outputted by a control unit (for example, driving timing generating section) for charge equilibration time in accordance with a video signal. At time of change in polarities of common voltages vCOM1 and vCOM2, a charge equilibration unit causes a shorting of a circuit between common electrodes COM1 and COM2 in accordance with the charge equilibration control signal so that a charge equilibration occurs between the common electrodes COM1 and COM2. The switching section turns off common voltages vCOM1 and vCOM respectively to the common electrodes COM1 and COM2. According to the charge equilibration control signal, the connection is turned on between the common electrodes COM1 and COM2.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, a driving method and an integrated circuit to be used in the same, and more particularly to the liquid crystal display device, the driving method and the integrated circuit to be suitably used when a high-quality display screen is realized with low power consumption.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as one of measures against global warming, lowed power consumption in electrical goods is required. Therefore, in a field of image display devices in particular, a liquid crystal display device has become widely used owing to its greater possibility of low power consumption and space saving compared with a conventional CRT (Cathode Ray Tube).
As a related technology of this kind, a liquid crystal display device is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Sho63-296092 (Pages. 1-2, FIGS. 1 and 2) (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Reference 1) and Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Hei06-149174 (Abstract, FIGS. 1 and 2) (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Reference 2).
The disclosed liquid crystal display device, as shown in FIG. 5, includes a liquid crystal panel 1, a data driving section 2, a gate driving section 3, a VCOM generating section 4, and a driving timing generating section 5. The disclosed liquid crystal panel 1 is made up of data electrodes Xi (i=1, 2, . . . , m; for example, m=1920), gate electrodes Yj (j=1, 2, . . . , n; for example, n=1080), pixels SPi,j, common electrodes COM1 and COM2. The common electrode COM 1 is a facing electrode of each of the pixels SPi,j mounted in a manner to correspond to odd-numbered columns of the data electrodes Xi. The common electrode COM2 is a facing electrode of each of the pixels SPi,j in a manner to correspond to each even-numbered column of the data electrodes Xi. Each of the pixel SPi,j is mounted at an intersection of each of the data electrodes Xi and each of the gate electrodes Yj and is made up of a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) Q and a capacitor C. The capacitor C schematically shows a holding capacitor to hold a voltage corresponding to applied pixel data Di (D1, D2, . . . , Dm) and a liquid crystal layer displaying a pixel with a gray level corresponding to the pixel data Di.
The driving timing generating section 5 sends out, at timing based on a video signal vi and according to a specified AC (Alternating Current) driving method (for example, to a data line inversion driving) a control signal ct1 to the data driving section 2, a control signal ct2 to the gate driving section 3, and a control signal ct3 to the VCOM generating section 4. The data driving section 2 applies, in accordance with the control signal ct1, a voltage corresponding to pixel data Di through each data electrode Xi to each of the pixels SPi,j of the liquid crystal panel 1. The gate driving section 3 applies a scanning signal Gj (G1, G2, . . . , Gn) in a preset order in accordance with a control signal ct2. The VCOM generating section 4, in accordance with a control signal ct3, applies common voltages vCOM 1 and vCOM 2 being opposite to each other in polarity for every frame period. In the liquid crystal display device, as shown in FIG. 6, data line inversion driving is performed by the application of the common voltages vCOM1 and vCOM2 being opposite to each other in polarity for every frame period to the common electrodes COM1 and COM2.
The liquid crystal display device disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Hei05-188881 (Abstract, FIGS. 1 and 4) (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Reference 3), as shown in FIG. 7, includes a display section 10, a power circuit 21, a control section 22, a common electrode driver 23, and a switching section 24. The display section 10 has a liquid crystal panel 11, a data driving section 12, and a gate driving section 13. The liquid crystal panel 11 has a plurality of common electrodes. The common electrode driver 23, in accordance with an alternating current control signal b, drives the common electrodes of the liquid crystal panel 11 through a driving line. The power circuit 21 supplies power current to the common electrode driver 23. The switching section 24 has switches S1, Sn and, in accordance with a switch control signal d, connects and disconnects a driving line used to connect the common electrode driver 23 with the common electrode of the liquid crystal panel 11 with and from the power circuit 21 and turns on/off a common electrode signal c (c1) and sends out, as a feedback signal e (e1) to the power circuit 21. The control section 22, based on an alternated control signal a, outputs the alternating current control signal b and the switch control signal d and performs gate line inversion driving on the display section 10.
In the disclosed liquid crystal display device, when the above driving line is periodically switched by the common electrode driver 23 between two different potentials, the common electrode is driven and the driving line is connected by the control section 22 through the switching section 24 to the power circuit 21 for a specified period of time following the timing at which each driving line is switched from a high potential state to a low potential state and, as shown in FIG. 8, a common electrode signal c (ci) being part of the driving current is fed back as a feed-back signal e (ei) to the power circuit 21.
Additionally, the liquid crystal display device disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Hei11-030975 (Abstract, FIG. 1) (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Reference 4) includes a liquid crystal panel 31, a data driving section 32, and a gate driving section 33.
The disclosed liquid crystal display device 31, as in the case of the liquid crystal display device 1 in FIG. 5, has data electrodes Xi, gate electrodes Yj, pixels SPi,j, however, has a common electrode COM only as the facing electrode. The data driving section 32 applies a voltage corresponding to pixel data Di through each data electrode Xi to every pixel SPi, j on the liquid crystal panel 31. Moreover, the data driving section 32 has switches SWC1, SWC2, . . . , SWCm to disconnect outputs from the data electrode Xi, X2, . . . , Xm and switches SWD1, SWD2, . . . , SWDm-1 to cause a short between the data electrodes Xi adjacent to each other. The gate driving section 33 applies a scanning signal Gj to each scanning line Y1 in preset orders.
In the disclosed liquid crystal display device, the switches SWC1, SWC2, . . . , SWCm are put into an ON state at a specified timing and the switches SWD1, SWD2, . . . , SWDm-1 are put into an OFF state at a specified timing and, therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, during a charge equilibration period f, the data electrode X1, . . . , Xm are charged and discharged to a specified level whereby the electric charge equilibration occurs and, as a result, power consumption to drive the liquid crystal panel 31 is reduced.
However, the disclosed liquid crystal display device has the following problems. That is, in the liquid crystal display device disclosed in the related art Patent Reference 1 and 2, the data line inversion driving is performed and, therefore, the power consumption is lower compared with the case of the dot inversion driving, however, flicker readily occurs, thus causing the deterioration of display quality.
The liquid crystal display device disclosed in the related art Patent Reference 3 has also a problem in that, though outputs of the common electrode driver 23 is kept to be connected to the driving line, since output impedance of the common electrode driver 23 is low and impedance of the power circuit 21 is high and, as a result, even by returning a feed back signal e (ei) back to the power circuit 21, no charge collection occurs at all. Moreover, since the gate line inversion driving is performed on the display section 10, display quality is lowered due to the occurrence of flicker.
In the liquid crystal display device disclosed in the related art Patent References 1, 2, and 3, by the sacrifice of display quality, low power consumption is to be achieved, the trade-off between high display quality and low power consumption, that is, the trade-off between the dot inversion driving to provide high display quality and the line inversion driving to provide low display quality, has not yet been overcome. To try to overcome the trade-off, by decreasing the number of times of discharge of capacitive load of the liquid crystal panel, the low power consumption is to be achieved, however, the problem still remains unsolved that display quality is lowered due to the occurrence of flicker and high display quality is incompatible with the low power consumption.
In addition, in the liquid crystal display device disclosed in the related art Patent Reference 4, since the supply voltage itself for driving of the liquid crystal panel 31 has not decreased, in the circuit of the data driving section 32, power to be consumed at the place where the supply power is being applied remains high. Therefore, the problem still remains unsolved in terms of low power consumption.

Liquid crystal display device, and driving method and integrated circuit used in same