An electric field that changes across space is synthesized, by applying voltage levels independent of one another at several locations. The independence in voltage levels allows the electric field that is synthesized to be made periodic or aperiodic. Such a synthesized electric field may be changed at any time for use in, for example, a tunable laser. In one embodiment, the voltage levels are oversampled, although in other embodiments the voltage levels need not be oversampled, e.g. if the to-be-synthesized electric field is aperiodic. Also, in one embodiment, the electric field is used to change the refractive index of an electro-optic substance (such as lithium niobate) in an optical filter. Such an optical filter can be used as part of a wavelength agile laser or in an optical add drop multiplexer or in an optical switch. Such a filter can also be used for dynamic power balancing and/or for dynamic gain equalization.

The evolution of telecommunications networks has been such that the complexity and speed of networks in general have greatly increased. In addition to the development of network design, new and novel optical components are being brought to bear on the issues of speed and reach of optical channels. A particular aspect of network design is the need for dynamic configuration of networks. For example in an optical mesh many circuits based on an assignation of a specific wavelength are set up and reconfigured either for reasons of efficient traffic engineering or restoration. For a detailed description of optical network design see Journal of Lightwave Technology, Special Issue on Optical Networks, December 2000, vol. 18 pages 1606–2223 inclusive, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
An enabling device for such next generation optical networks is a wavelength agile laser. A wavelength agile laser (hereafter "laser") is a lasing device that may be tuned to either any discrete wavelength or arbitrarily tunable (or continuously tunable) within a given wavelength window. For telecommunications applications involving dense wavelength division multiplexing (hereafter DWDM) the wavelength range used is in what is known as the third window. The third window is the spectral region within which the attenuation exhibited by the transmission medium (commonly silica glass) is the lowest. Although loosely defined the third window may be identified to lie in the spectral region from 1500 nm to 1650 nm. Within this window the designations "S", "C" and "L" represent subdivisions of this spectral region.
A requirement of tunable laser performance is therefore the capability to address the spectral region associated with S, C and L-band wavelengths. A further requirement of a tunable laser is that it is compliant with what is known as the "ITU grid". The ITU grid is a defined standard covering the placement, in frequency space, of optical channels launched onto a fibre. In addition to the wavelength tunability requirements wavelength agile lasers must exhibit optical specifications compatible with high performance optical transmission. For a detailed description of the structure an optical performance requirements set on transmission lasers see J. Gowar, "Optical Communications Systems", Second Edition, Prentice Hall International Series in Optoelectronics, pages 257 to 487, inclusive, the contents of which are incorporated herein as background.
An additional application enabled by tunable lasers is that of hardware restoration of an optical link in the event of the failure of a transmission source(s). A logical link may be assigned a specific wavelength from amongst a stream of optical wavelengths and, in order to protect every link, every wavelength must be protected individually. This leads therefore to the need for 100% redundancy in an optical transmission system and a consequent doubling of the equipment cost. The reason for this duplication in equipment is the very limited tunability of existing laser transmission sources. For a detailed description of the semiconductor based solutions to tunable laser solutions see V. Jayaraman et al., "Theory, Design and Performance of Extended Range Semiconductor Lasers with Sampled Gratings", IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 29, no. 6, June 1993 the contents of which are incorporated herein as background. In addition see Session TuL from Optical Fibre Communications 2000, (OFC 2000) Technical Digest p. 177 onwards the contents of which are incorporated herein.
One approach to an electro-optically controllable filter is the work of Alferness et al., as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,384,760, 4,390,236, 4,533,207, 4,667,331, 4,728,168, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. A device of this type may also be seen in the article entitle "Narrow Linewidth, Electro-Optically Tuneable InGaAsP—Ti:LiNbO3 Extended Cavity Laser" by F. Heisman et al., Applied Physics Letters, 51, page 64 (1987), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Wavelength selected polarization mode coupling is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,256 issued to Bischel et al., which is also incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Electrode structures disclosed in the above-described patents are similar to the ones disclosed by the Kaminow in U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,782 that is also incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.


A magnet is provided on a detection member that moves on a straight line. A Hall element serving as a magneto-electric element is provided on a fixed member that opposes the magnet. A surface of the magnet that opposes the Hall element is formed into a radius or trapezoidal shape. With this arrangement, linear outputs can be obtained at any rotational angles even when a rotator rotates a plurality of times.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic displacement detecting device coupled to a steering shaft of, for example, an automobile, to detect a steering angle of a steering wheel and, more particularly, to a magnetic displacement detecting device that permits highly accurate detection of a moving object that linearly moves.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9 is a top plan view showing a conventional magnetic displacement detecting device 40. The magnetic displacement detecting device 40 has a detection member 41, a fixed member 42, a magnet 43, and a Hall element 44 serving as a magnetic detecting means.
The detection member 41 is supported by a rod-shaped guiding member 45, and the detection member 41 linearly moves along the guiding member 45. The detection member 41 is provided with the magnet 43 having a hexahedron shape, which has been magnetized so that one end in a traveling direction of the detection member 41 carries the north pole, while the other end carries the south pole. The fixed member 42 is secured to a surface of a case (not shown) that opposes the magnet 43. The Hall element 44 is provided on surface of the fixed member 42 that opposes the magnet 43. The Hall element 44 detects an intensity of a component in a direction of z of a magnetic force emitted from the magnet 43.
For instance, in a magnetic displacement detecting device for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel, a torque of a rotator that rotates together with the steering wheel is converted into a linear moving force of the detection member 41. The magnet 43 moves together with the detection member 41, opposing the Hall element 44, and a changing rate in the z-direction component of a magnetic field emitted from the magnet 43 at this time is detected through the Hall element 44, thereby allowing a rotational angle of the steering wheel to be known.
In this type of magnetic displacement detecting device 40, the Hall element 44 detects the intensity of a magnetic field in the z-direction, i.e., a direction orthogonal to a traveling direction of the detection member 41. Based on a changing rate in detection values of the magnetic field in the z-direction, a travel amount of the detection member 41 is recognized.
As shown in FIG. 9, however, the surface of the conventional magnet 43 that opposes the Hall element 44 is flat in the traveling direction. Therefore, a changing rate in the intensity of the magnetic field in the z-direction with respect to a traveling distance is relatively large in the vicinity of both ends in the traveling directions of the magnet 43. In contrast, at a central portion of the magnet 43 in the traveling direction, an area wherein a magnetic force line E0 is substantially flat in the traveling direction expands, and a changing rate in the intensity of the magnetic field in the z-direction with respect to the traveling distance of the magnet 43 becomes extremely small.
For the above reason, a changing rate of the intensity of the magnetic field in the z-direction with respect to the traveling distances of the detection member 41 and the magnet 43 becomes nonlinear, making it difficult to accurately grasp the traveling distance of the detection member 41.
To detect the steering angle of the steering wheel mentioned above, the detection member 41 is moved by the rotator that rotates together with the steering wheel. Another rotation detecting means is provided that detects the rotational angle of the rotator with a higher resolution than that of the Hall element 44. In a range wherein the Hall element 44 moves from the center of the magnet 43 to a front or rear end thereof, rough detection of xc2x1720 degrees of the rotator is performed. During the rough detection, more accurate rotational angle of the rotator is detected by the foregoing rotation detecting means. At this time, a further accurate angle is recognized by the rotation detecting means, by using a detection angle based on a detection value supplied from the Hall element 44.
In such a device, if the accuracy of the detection member 41 for detecting the moving distance deteriorates, causing a difference between the rotational angle of the rotator and a detection value, then a reference value used for performing detailed angle detection of the rotator varies. As a result, an error occurs in the detection of the rotational angle of the steering wheel.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made with a view toward solving the problem described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic displacement detecting device for detecting a relative travel amount as linearly as possible by a magnetic detecting means in a case where a detection member having a magnet and a magnetic detecting means relatively move.
To this end, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic displacement detecting device having a detection member that linearly moves and a fixed member provided such that it opposes the detection member, one of the detection member or the fixed member being provided with a magnet having a north pole and a south pole in a traveling direction of the detection member, while the other being provided with a magnetic detecting means, and a magnetic force emitted from the magnet being detected by the magnetic detecting means thereby to detect a movement of the detection member, wherein a distance between the magnet and the magnetic detecting means is the smallest in the vicinity of a center of the magnet and increases toward ends of the magnet.
Shaping the magnet so that it bulges at its center toward the magnetic detecting means causes a changing rate of a magnetic field in a direction orthogonal to a traveling direction of the magnet to be linear or nearly linear over a longitudinal full length of the magnet in the traveling direction. With this arrangement, the relative travel distances of the detection member and the magnetic detecting device can be detected with higher accuracy by making use of a changing rate in the magnetic field.
In a preferred form of the present invention, a surface of the magnet that opposes the magnetic detecting means has a radius shape, including a convex surface in addition to a precise radius shape. denoted by H, and the radius of the curved surface is denoted by R, then the magnet preferably has a shape represented by: W=10 to 20, H=1 to 5, and R=20 to 50.
In another preferred form of the present invention, the surface of the magnet that opposes the magnetic detecting means is trapezoidal.
In this case, if a width of the magnet in a direction in which the magnet or the magnetic detecting means travels is denoted by W, a thickness of the magnet in a direction in which the magnet and the magnetic detecting means face each other is denoted by H, a length of cutoffs in the H-direction of tapers at both ends of the trapezoid is denoted by Y, and a length of cutoffs in the W-direction of the tapers is denoted by X, then the magnet preferably has a shape represented by: W=10 to 20, H=1 to 5, X=4.25 to 4.75, and Y=0.4 to 0.6.
In yet another preferred form of the present invention, the detection member is provided with a rotator, and the detection member linearly is operated by a rotational operation of the rotator, and further provided with an additional detecting means for detecting a rotational angle of the rotator with a higher resolution than that of a detection output obtained by the magnet and the magnetic detecting means together.
In this case, by using positional recognition based on a change in a magnetic field intensity detected by the magnetic detecting means as a reference, a detailed rotational angle of the rotator is determined from a detection output from the additional detecting means. Thus, highly accurate positional detection can be achieved by the. detection member and the magnetic detecting means. This prevents variations in a reference value for determining a more detailed rotational angle, permitting highly accurate detection of a rotational angle of the rotator.

Magnetic displacement detecting device having linear changing magnetic field over the length of the service

c/o Alps Electric Co., Ltd., 1-7 Yukigaya, Otsuka-cho, Ota-ku

c/o Alps Electronic Co., Ltd., 1-7 Yukigaya, Otsuka-cho, Ota-ku


A reflective liquid crystal display device includes a first transparent substrate, a first electrode disposed on one surface of the first transparent substrate, a second transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface, and a second electrode disposed on the first surface of the second transparent substrate. The first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate are arranged so that the first electrode and the second electrode face each other and a space is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode. A guest-host liquid crystal layer is disposed in the space, and the first electrode and the second electrode define a plurality of picture element positions. A reflector unit having a shape of a trigonal pyramid is disposed at each of the plurality of picture element positions on the second surface of the second transparent substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reflective guest-host liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a low cost, simple structure which realizes both high contrast ratio and high reflectivity.
2. Description of the Related Art
An LCD device including a backlight has been widely used as a display device of a desk top personal computer, a portable type personal computer and PDA (Personal Digital Assistants). The latter two portable devices require an LCD device which is thin, light weight and has low power consumption. Therefore, when the LCD device requiring the backlight is used in the portable devices, a power load of the portable equipment is increased.
In place of the LCD device requiring the backlight, a reflective LCD device which uses a guest-host layer and does not require the backlight has been developed as the LCD device of the personal devices. The xe2x80x9cguestxe2x80x9d means dichroic dye added to the liquid crystal and the xe2x80x9chostxe2x80x9d means the liquid crystal. The dichroic dye indicates a high absorbance along its longitudinal direction or a long axis. In the guest-host scheme, an alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules is controlled by an electric field generated by an applied voltage, and the dichroic dyes are simultaneously aligned in the same direction as that of the liquid crystal molecules. If the liquid crystal has a positive anisotropy of dielectric constant, when the electric field is turned off, the guest-host layer sandwiched between two glass substrates is aligned into the homogeneous structure. When the homogeneous structure is illuminated by a visible light, the dichroic dye absorbs a linear polarization component in a plane parallel to its longitudinal direction and passes a linear polarization component in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. When the electric field is applied, the liquid crystal molecules and the dichroic dyes are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the glass substrates, and all the incident light passes through the guest-host layer to provide a bright state.
Both high reflectivity at the bright state and high contrast ratio are key factors to the improvement of the reflective guest-host LCD display. Hereinbelow, four types of conventional reflective guest-host LCD devices using the liquid crystal of the positive anisotropy of dielectric constant are described.
In the first-type reflective guest-host LCD device, a single guest-host layer of the homogeneous structure is used. When the voltage applied to the guest-host layer is turned off to provide a dark state, the linear polarization component of the incident light in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the dichroic dye passes through the guest-host layer and is reflected toward the guest-host layer by a reflector disposed at the bottom side of the guest-host layer. This reflected linear polarization component passes through the guest-host layer and is observed by a user. Hence, in the dark state, although one linear polarization component of the incident light is suppressed, the other linear polarization component is not suppressed, so that high contrast ratio is not obtained.
In the second-type reflective guest-host LCD device called a xe2x80x9cWhite-Taylor mode devicexe2x80x9d, the liquid crystal molecules and the dichroic dyes are twisted more than 200 degrees between the two glass substrates when the voltage is turned-off, to absorb all the linear polarization components to improve the contrast ratio. However, this type of LCD device does not realize the high reflectivity at the bright state or at the turn on of the voltage. Hence, both the first and second LCD device types cannot simultaneously realize both high contrast ratio and high reflectivity.
In the third-type reflective guest-host LCD device called a xe2x80x9cdouble layer guest-host LCD devicexe2x80x9d, a space between the two glass substrates is separated into an upper compartment and a lower compartment by a transparent separator placed between the two glass substrates. At the turn off of the voltage or the electric field, the guest-host layer of the homogeneous structure in the upper compartment is aligned in one direction, such as a direction parallel to the plane of this page, and the guest-host layer of the homogeneous structure in the lower compartment is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the above one direction, such as a direction passing through the plane of this page. In the dark state, when the electric field is turned off, although the linear polarization component of the incident light in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the dichroic dye passes through the guest-host layer in the upper compartment, this passed linear polarization component is suppressed by the guest-host layer in the lower compartment since the plane of the passed linear polarization component matches the plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the dichroic dyes in the guest-host layer in the lower compartment. Although the third-type LCD device can perfectly block the light at the dark state, a parallax is generated, the structure is complicated, and the fabrication cost is expensive in comparison with the single guest-host layer.
In the fourth-type reflective guest-host LCD device, a reflector, a quarter-wave plate (xcex/4 plate) and an ITO electrode are formed on an inside surface of a lower glass substrate in this order. The ITO is formed on an inside surface of a upper glass substrate. The guest-host layer is sandwiched between the two glass substrates. The linear polarization component of the incident light in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the dichroic dye passes through the guest-host layer. During the reflection by the combination of the xcex/4 plate and the reflector, the plane of the passed linear polarization component is rotated by 90 degrees and this 90-degrees-rotated linear polarization component is blocked by the guest-host layer, so that the light is perfectly blocked at the dark state and both high contrast ratio and high reflectivity are realized. However, in this fourth-type device, it is difficult and expensive to design the xcex/4 plate which passes the visible light of a range 450 nm to about 700 nm, and a complicated assembly process is required.
In view of the foregoing and other problems, disadvantages, and drawbacks of the conventional methods and structures, an object of the present invention is to provide a reflective guest-host LCD device having a low cost, simple structure which realizes both high contrast ratio and high reflectivity.
A reflective liquid crystal display device in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention includes a first transparent substrate, a first electrode disposed on one surface of the first transparent substrate, a second transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface, and a second electrode disposed on the first surface of the second transparent substrate, wherein the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate are so arranged that the first electrode and the second electrode face each other and a space is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, a guest-host liquid crystal layer is disposed in the space, the first electrode and the second electrode define a plurality of picture element positions, and a reflector unit having a shape of a trigonal pyramid is disposed at each of the plurality of picture element (pixel) positions on the second surface of the second transparent substrate.
The trigonal pyramid preferably includes a bottom plane of a shape of a right-angled isosceles triangle having two shorter edges and one longer edge, a first reflecting plane extending from one of the shorter edges, a second reflecting plane extending from the other of the shorter edges, and a third reflecting plane extending from the longer edge, an angle between the bottom plane and the first reflecting plane is approximately 45 degrees, an angle between the bottom plane and the second reflecting plane is approximately 45 degrees, and an angle between the bottom plane and the third reflecting plane is approximately 87 degrees to about 90 degrees.
Preferably, the second transparent substrate and the reflector units are integrally formed by a transparent material having a refractive index equal to or larger than approximately 1.3.
Preferably, one of the shorter edges of the right-angled isosceles triangle is aligned to a rubbing direction for the guest-host liquid crystal layer. Preferably, a light scattering layer is disposed between the one surface of the first transparent substrate and the first electrode.
Preferably, a color filter layer is disposed between the light scattering layer and the first electrode.
A reflective liquid crystal display device in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention includes a first transparent substrate, a first electrode disposed on one surface of the first transparent substrate, a second transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface, and a second electrode disposed on the first surface of the second transparent substrate, wherein the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate are arranged so that the first electrode and the second electrode face each other and a space is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, a guest-host liquid crystal layer is disposed in the space, the first electrode and the second electrode define a plurality of picture element positions, and two reflector units each of which has a shape of a trigonal pyramid are disposed at each of the plurality of picture element positions on the second surface of the second transparent substrate.
The trigonal pyramid preferably includes a bottom plane of a shape of a right-angled isosceles triangle having two shorter edges and one longer edge, a first reflecting plane extending from one of the shorter edges, a second reflecting plane extending from the other of the shorter edges, and a third reflecting plane extending from the longer edge, an angle between the bottom plane and the first reflecting plane is approximately 45 degrees, an angle between the bottom plane and the second reflecting plane is preferably about 45 degrees, an angle between the bottom plane and the third reflecting plane is preferably about 87 degrees to about 90 degrees, and the two reflector units at each of the plurality of picture element positions are so disposed that the third reflecting plane of one of the two reflector units is adjacent to the third reflecting plane of the other of the two reflector units.
Preferably, a top point of the one reflector unit and a top point of the other reflector unit are separated by an air gap of about 2 xcexcm to about 10 xcexcm. A top point of the one reflector unit and a top point of the other reflector unit are more preferably separated by an air gap of about 5 xcexcm to about 8 xcexcm.
A reflector unit array for a reflective guest-host liquid crystal display device in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention includes two reflector units disposed at each of a plurality of picture element positions of the liquid crystal display device for reflecting an incident light into the liquid crystal display device, wherein each of the reflector units has a shape of a trigonal pyramid.
The trigonal pyramid includes a bottom plane of a shape of a right-angled isosceles triangle having two shorter edges and one longer edge, a first reflecting plane extending from one of the shorter edges, a second reflecting plane extending from the other of the shorter edges, and a third reflecting plane extending from the longer edge, an angle between the bottom plane and the first reflecting plane is preferably approximately 45 degrees, an angle between the bottom plane and the second reflecting plane is preferably approximately 45 degrees, an angle between the bottom plane and the third reflecting plane is preferably approximately 87 degrees to about 90 degrees, and the two reflector units at each of the plurality of picture element positions are so disposed that the third reflecting plane of one of the two reflector units is adjacent to the third reflecting plane of the other of the two reflector units.
The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 11-359670, filed Dec. 17, 1999, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Reflective liquid crystal display device

International Business Machines Corporation


A semiconductor microwave amplifier includes input- and output-side microstrip lines formed on a printed-circuit board to oppose each other, input and output electrodes formed on the microstrip lines to be parallel to the microstrip lines, a pair of ground electrodes formed in a direction perpendicular to the input and output electrodes to oppose each other, and a semiconductor amplification device connected to all of the electrodes. This amplifier further has a metal plate connected to the ground electrodes to ensure high-frequency isolation between the input electrode and the output electrode and shield electromagnetic connection, and a through hole for connecting a ground portion of the semiconductor device to a ground surface for the microstrip lines, the ground surface being formed on the printed-circuit board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor microwave amplifier based on a microstrip line mainly using a surface-mounted semiconductor amplification device for which automatic mounting or reflow is easy to perform.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventionally, since a semiconductor microwave amplifier of this type uses a small semiconductor amplification device, the input and output electrodes of the semiconductor amplification device are close to each other, so high-frequency isolation can hardly be obtained. Consequently, the deviation in frequency characteristics of the gain increases, and additionally, little output power is obtained, or the output power is positively fed back to the input to easily cause oscillation.
Techniques for solving these problems have been developed. In a microwave semiconductor device disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 63-63121 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 57-141944), the semiconductor amplification device is covered with a metal member having an opening with a predetermined shape, thereby obtaining desired isolation.
In a microwave amplifier disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 1-122618, a surface-mounted field effect transistor is used as the amplification device to form a microstrip high-frequency amplification circuit. In this microwave amplifier, the source electrode is grounded using a through hole. However, since the through hole has an inductance, the return loss degrades, the gain decreases, and oscillation or a decrease in output power due to positive feedback occurs. To prevent these disadvantages, the inductance of the through hole must be lowered. For this purpose, a large-sized through hole is used, and it is formed as close as possible to the source electrode to decrease the excess distribution constant between the source electrode and the ground surface. This measure also provides an effect for connection between the ground electrode and the ground surface in use of a semiconductor amplification device other than the field effect transistor.
This measure is effective for the above-described microwave semiconductor device disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 63-63121 as far as the semiconductor amplification device allows direct mounting on the ground surface. However, in use of a semiconductor amplification device to be surface-mounted on a printed-circuit board, when the semiconductor amplification device is to be covered with a metal member, the structure becomes complex because the printed circuit board must be subjected to special working such as hole formation for metal member attachment or connection for obtaining the ground surface. Additionally, in forming a microstrip amplification circuit, the metal member must be connected to the ground electrode at a low impedance. However, this process is difficult to perform for the surface-mounted semiconductor amplification device because of its shape.
In the microwave semiconductor device disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 63-63121, the holes formed in the printed-circuit board degrades isolation. Therefore, if high-frequency isolation is required between the upper and lower surfaces of the printed-circuit board, and an internal layer ground surface is formed, the ground surface for the microstrip line is formed in the multilayered printed-circuit board, so the above measure cannot be applied.
Furthermore, in the microwave semiconductor device disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 63-63121, a general automatic mounting machine for surface-mounted components performs only two-dimensional component mounting and does not cope with such three-dimensional assembly. For this reason, surface-mounted components can hardly be automatically mounted.
In the microwave amplifier disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 1-1226181, a large through hole must be formed near the ground electrode to decrease the impedance. However, if device soldering is performed using reflow, the solder flows into the through hole. A solder necessary for fixing the ground electrode may also flow into the through hole, resulting in degradation in soldering of the ground electrode. For this reason, the connection impedance between the ground electrode of the semiconductor amplification device and the ground surface for the microstrip line can hardly be lowered because of the structure.


A vapor horn device for use in an elongated, generally upright mass transfer and/or heat exchange column having an internal region comprises an elongated, generally arcuate wall arranged to be located within the internal region and disposed to extend around a longitudinal axis of the column. The arcuate wall includes an inlet area positioned for being contacted by a vapor or mixed phase stream entering the column and causing the stream to flow along an outer surface of the arcuate wall and generally around the axis. The device also includes a primary elongated vane extending outwardly from the outer surface of the arcuate wall. This primary vane has an inner end located adjacent the outer surface of the inner wall and an outer end disposed in spaced relationship relative to the outer surface of the wall. The vane is disposed at a tangential angle relative to the direction of flow of the stream such that the inner end of the vane is further downstream than the outer end thereof whereby any portion of the stream impinging on the primary vane is redirected toward the outer surface of the arcuate wall. The device also desirably includes one or more vanes that extend radially outwardly from the inner wall.

This invention relates in general to mass transfer and heat exchange columns and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus to improve vapor distribution in such columns.
In mass transfer and heat exchange columns, liquid and vapor streams are brought into contact with each other, normally in countercurrent flow, for mass or heat transfer, fractionation or other operations. Various types of internals, such as trays and random and structured packing, have been developed to facilitate interaction between the liquid and vapor streams within selected contact regions of the column. In order to increase the efficiency of the mass transfer or heat exchange taking place between the vapor and liquid within these contact regions, it is important that the liquid and vapor be uniformly distributed across the horizontal cross section of the column, particularly at the lower vapor-liquid interface where the vapor enters the packing or other contacting or internal device.
In columns of the types described above, vapor or mixed phase feed streams are frequently introduced radially or tangentially into the column through a feed nozzle at a location below the contact region. The vapor phase of the feed stream then rises through the contact region and interacts with downwardly flowing liquid. In certain specialized columns, the vapor or mixed phase feed stream is fed at high velocity through the feed nozzle into a flash zone located just above a section where the column transitions to a reduced diameter. The vapor then rises through overlying internals, such as trays, random packing, structured packing, grid packing, open spray chambers or side-to-side shower decks. Examples of such columns include, but are not limited to, virgin crude vacuum columns, virgin crude columns, FCCU main fractionator slurry pumparounds, visbreaker vacuum flashers, heavy oil vacuum towers, heavy oil fractionators, coker main fractionators, visbreaker fractionator, flexicoker main fractionators, and recovered lube oil vacuum towers.
Various devices have been developed in an attempt to interrupt the radial or tangential momentum of the feed stream entering columns of the types described above and redirect it so that it is able to rise in a more uniformly distributed manner across the cross section of the column as well as to separate the liquid components present in the feed stream from the vapor phase. An example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,544 to Lee et al., where internal vanes are positioned within an annular vapor horn and are oriented to redirect the vapor or mixed phase feed stream downwardly through the open bottom of the vapor horn. The downwardly deflected vapor is then said to rise in a more uniform manner into an overlying packing bed. These internal vanes are also angled toward the external column shell in the direction of fluid flow so that the feed stream is deflected to impact against the inner surface of the column shell to facilitate separation of the liquid from the feed stream. As a result of computational fluid dynamics ("CFD") modeling, it has been discovered that the internal vanes, when angled toward the column shell in the direction of fluid flow, create a localized high velocity zone of upwardly flowing vapor in the center of the column. This high velocity zone is undesirable because the high velocity and horizontal maldistribution of vapor reduces the efficiency of the mass transfer or other processing occurring in the overlying zones. A need has thus developed for a way to further improve the distribution of the vapor across the column cross section.

Method and apparatus for facilitating more uniform vapor distribution in mass transfer and heat exchange columns


A computer system takes redundancy into account when allocating hardware resources to workloads in the event of a failure of a non-data-handling component.

High-availability computing systems use redundancy to guarantee continuous operation even when a component fails. When a failure of a component is detected, a system administrator can be notified and the component replaced. However, until the failed component is replaced, the computer system is subject to an increased risk of failure due to the reduction in redundancy.
If the failed component is a data-handling component, e.g., a data processor, a data storage device, or a communication device, a workload that had been using that component can be reconfigured or migrated to use alternative hardware. If the failure is of a non-data component, e.g., a power supply or a cooling component such as a fan, 1) the system can continue to run at increased risk of interruption due to a second failure, 2) the system can be shutdown immediately, 3) components can be monitored for problems, and the system can be shutdown if problems (e.g., excessive heating) are detected, or 4) performance can be throttled to within the capability of the remaining non-data components.
Herein, related art is described to facilitate understanding of the invention. Related art labeled "prior art" is admitted prior art; related art not labeled "prior art" is not admitted prior art.

Workload management for maintaining redundancy of non-data computer components

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A direct-coupling control method capable of improving fuel efficiency by performing slip direct-coupling control of a torque converter, in which a driving force transmission of an automatic transmission is operated under an approximate direct-coupling condition that permits slight slippage of the torque converter, in a predetermined operating range of the automatic transmission such as a low speed range thereof, and capable of positively detecting and preventing direct-coupling vibration caused by deterioration of hydraulic oil or the like. In the slip direct-coupling control, an occurrence of direct-coupling vibration is detected when a variation of a slip amount changing beyond predetermined upper and lower limit values is found a predetermined number of times during a predetermined period of time, or when a variation in the rotational rate of the output shaft of the torque converter still continues even after the slip direct-coupling control is interrupted for the reason that the rotational rate has varied beyond a permissible range. Upon detection of the direct-coupling vibration, the slip direct-coupling control is inhibited.

The present invention relates to a direct-coupling control method for an automatic transmission equipped with a driving force transmission which has input and output-side driving force transmitting elements normally coupled to each other through hydraulic oil for torque transmission between them. It further has a direct-coupling mechanism through which, if necessary, the transmitting elements are directly coupled to each other in a manner permitting occurrence of slip therebetween. More particularly, it relates to a direct-coupling control method which is capable of suppressing vibration caused by deteriorated hydraulic oil.
An automatic transmission mounted on a motor vehicle has a driving force transmission, e.g., a torque converter, installed between an internal combustion engine and a gear transmission. It is arranged to transmit the driving force of the engine to the gear transmission via the torque converter. The torque converter is provided with an impeller (input-side driving force transmitting element) coupled to a crankshaft of the engine for rotation in unison with a front cover of the converter, a turbine (output-side driving force transmitting element) coupled to an output shaft of the converter for torque transmission between itself and the impeller through hydraulic oil, and a direct-coupling mechanism.
The direct-coupling mechanism operates to control an amount of slip between the crankshaft and the impeller, i.e., slippage (a rotational speed difference) between the turbine and the impeller. In a predetermined operating area of the internal combustion engine, the direct-coupling mechanism serves to reduce the slip amount to zero, so as to eliminate energy loss caused by the slippage between the turbine and the impeller, thereby improving fuel efficiency. The larger the direct-coupling operating area wherein the slip amount is controlled to zero, the better the fuel efficiency will be. For this reason, even in a particular operating area of the internal combustion engine such as a low engine speed area thereof, there has been a demand for direct-coupling operation in which the slip amount is controlled to zero.
However, if the slip amount is reduced completely to zero in the particular operating area such as the low engine speed area, then body vibration called "confined noise" is generated, posing a problem of uncomfortable drive feeling. Thus, it has been proposed to employ minute-slip direct-coupling control that is designed to allow slight slippage rather than controlling the slip amount completely to zero in the particular operating area such as the low engine speed area.
In such minute-slip direct-coupling control, it is important to ensure stable control of the direct-coupling mechanism in an area with an extremely small slip amount .DELTA.S. In this connection, it is necessary to use hydraulic oil having such a characteristic that a friction factor .mu. of engaging elements of the direct-coupling mechanism decreases as the slip amount .DELTA.S decreases as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1. To obtain such a characteristic, a special additive is added to the hydraulic oil. However, when the hydraulic oil deteriorates after extended use so that the friction factor suddenly increases in the minuteslippage area as shown by the broken line in FIG. 1, the minute-slip control becomes difficult, presenting problems such that hunting occurs in the slip amount, and direct-coupling vibration takes place.

Direct-coupling clutch control method for an automatic transmission

Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


An electromechanical drive system with drop-in capability allows manipulation of the majority of existing endoscopes. The invention does not require retrofitting of existing endoscopes and maintains the current clinical workflow. The drive system can be controlled through a human/machine interface, which could consist of a variety of different input devices, including a joystick, keyboard, or game controller.

Flexible endoscopy is a ubiquitous means of diagnosis and therapy in nearly all aspects of medicine, including ureteroscopy, colonoscopy, gastroscopy, duodenoscopy, bronchoscopy, ventriculoscopy, and sinus endoscopy. Endoscopic systems from the major manufacturers are very similar with controls based on simple flexion of the tip of the endoscope, rotational control, and in and out translational movement. These three movements are controlled by the operator at the head of the instrument and are all distinct in their character, making intuitive control difficult to learn and perform. Efficient and safe control could be enhanced by a control interface that permits intuitive movements with faithful visual feedback (e.g. when a target is identified, it can be reached smoothly). Because of the complexity of movements needed for many applications, an integrated movement/control system would have the potential to greatly enhance the safety, efficacy, and efficiency of these instruments. While physicians who do endoscopy every day become quite skilled at the contortions that can be needed for effective placement of the instrument tip, the shortcomings of the current approach extend the time required for procedures [Harewood 2008], increase user fatigue [Berguer 2007], and have the potential to increase the frequency of errors. For those physicians who perform endoscopy on an occasional basis, the need for a more user-friendly, intuitive means of control becomes even more pronounced.
The basic design and functionality of all flexible endoscopes is similar, with differences dependent upon size. Smaller instruments have simpler but more limited control mechanisms with fewer degrees of freedom. Uretero-renoscopy is often performed with flexible ureteroscopes for access and manipulation in the ureter and kidney. Uses include stone removal, diagnosis for bleeding or malignancy, as well as direct biopsy and destruction of malignant lesions. In stone disease, ureteroscopy is becoming more widely used than the other minimally invasive means to remove stones in both adults and children [Kerbl 2002]. Ureteroscopes have improved in visual acuity and have become small enough to minimize trauma and permit use in small children. They have greater flexion capacity but remain controlled by the basic three-function mechanisms. Control is performed with two hands, one to move the ureteroscope in and out, and the other to rotate and flex the ureteroscope. This leaves no hand free to perform manipulations through the working port, which can include stone basketing, laser lithotripsy, tumor fulguration, or biopsy. In many clinical situations, the entire interior of the kidney must be carefully inspected to avoid leaving stone fragments or residual tumor. This requires moving the ureteroscope into each of the 10 to 12 calyces in the human kidney. Such delicate control requires significant skill and is often challenging and slow, even for the experienced endoscopist, particularly in the lower pole of the kidney where the instrument must be tightly flexed and then rotated and pulled back to move into the lower calyces.
Manipulation of the endoscope can be challenging, even for experienced physicians. The physician is typically watching the video image from the endoscope, while trying to navigate the anatomy. The physician must make the mental map from the anatomy to control the endoscope, which is often complex. Development of an effective and intuitive control system based on the visual image and directionality of the endoscope would be of great value in enhancing safety, efficiency, and efficacy of these procedures. It is well documented that more complex procedures require more time endoscopically and may have to be staged due to time constraints [Schuster 2001]. Particularly with regard to ureteroscopy, minimizing the time of the procedure is important since injury to the interior of the kidney may occur with ongoing ureteroscope manipulation and infusion of irrigating fluid to provide a clear view. With the complex movements needed to direct the ureteroscope tip to a particular location, the orientation of the visual field changes, which disorients the operator and renders the combination of movements needed to achieve the required direction not intuitively apparent. The complex choreography of movements needed to direct the ureteroscope into the various parts of the kidney is neither ergonomic nor efficient.
The importance of positional information through navigation has been recognized for many years, but there remains no clinically effective system for instrument navigation in the abdomen or urinary tract. This importance has been described with reference to the needs of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) [Rasswiler et al. 2009]. Endoscopic procedures necessarily imply limitations in perception and spatial orientation of tools. Left unresolved, these limitations give rise to surgical complications. Fernández-Esparrach et al. conducted animal studies to assess the role of CT-based navigation for NOTES. This study resulted in minor complications in 40% of standard approach procedures, compared with 13% in procedures employing navigation through preoperative CT-based image registration [Fernández-Esparrach et al. 2010].
Several groups have investigated navigation in flexible endoscopy, but there is currently no commercially available system that integrates a robotic-like control system with flexible endoscopy. The Hansen Medical robotic catheter system (Sensei, Hansen Medical, Mountainview, Calif.) is most similar in concept, but drives a passive catheter element and relies solely on visual feedback. Initially developed for intracardiac electrophysiologic applications, a modified system was used to perform flexible uretero-renoscopy in swine [Desai et al. 2008]. This modified system was recently extended to humans in an 18 patient study of laser lithotripsy for renal calculi [Desai et al. 2011]. This system, while similar in principle, uses a steerable guide catheter and sheath assembly to control catheter placement. Limitations with such an approach include lack of intuitive control and positional information. In summary, we are not aware of any system that provides the capabilities of precision device manipulation proposed here by providing a "snap-in capability" for existing endoscopes as described below.

Enhanced control of flexible endoscopes through human-machine interface


The invention relates to the use of a mixture comprising a mineral binder (a) and at least one SuperAbsorbent Polymer (SAP) (b),

1. Field of the Invention
The technical field of the invention is that of powder compositions intended for the preparation of wet formulations for the construction industry, for example renders, mortars, concretes or adhesives for construction.
These wet formulations can be obtained:                directly by mixing the powder compositions on site (e.g. renders, mortars, concretes or adhesives for construction),        by mixing the powder compositions on industrial sites to produce prefabricated parts such as for example plates, concrete blocks or monomer blocks.
More precisely, the invention relates to the use of a SuperAbsorbent Polymer (SAP) in dry compositions based on mineral binders, these compositions being capable, after mixing with water at high mixing ratios, for example greater than 50%, of producing wet formulations that make it possible to produce lightweight hardened articles, such as exterior or interior coverings or renders (e.g. exterior thermal insulation system (ETI)/decoration/protection/waterproofing), adhesives, solid objects, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
In this technical field, there is a constant need for a "foam" system that incorporates air into the wet or hardened renders, mortars and concretes, so as to make them lighter and give them beneficial properties in particular as regards sound and/or thermal insulation and thermal resistance or fire resistance. These low-density wet render, mortar or concrete foams must also have good workability or handling. The sound and/or thermal insulation properties of these render, mortar or concrete foams would be particularly acceptable for floor coverings or resurfacing, exterior renders for protecting facades and firestop mortars, among others.
A certain number of admixtures for render, mortar or concrete compositions are already known, the function of which is to generate gases in situ and therefore to form a foam after mixing and porosity after hardening. This is the case in particular for aluminium powders capable of producing hydrogen in an aqueous or alkaline medium, as well as for hydrogen peroxide, which quickly releases oxygen when it comes into contact with catalysts such as silver or potassium permanganate. Other families of admixtures that generate gas in situ in a cementitious medium, such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ammonia and methane, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,288,147B by the company Construction Research & Technology.
Thus the lightweight blocks of the YTONG® type and the lightweight walls marketed by the company XELLA® are obtained by autoclaving blocks of calcium silicate that have previously been made lighter by introducing aluminium powder, which generates hydrogen. These prefabricated elements have properties of thermal insulation and mechanical strength allowing their use as structural elements (in the case of Thermopierre blocks, which have a lambda value close to 0.12 W/m·Kt and mechanical strength of 3-5 MPa approximately) or as non-bearing cladding elements, contributing additional thermal insulation (in the case of Multipor® cladding, which has a lambda value close to 0.048 W/m·K and mechanical strength of 0.5 MPa). Obtaining these elements requires aluminium powder to be handled, which requires particular precautions in view of its explosive nature. Moreover, a costly autoclaving stage is necessary to confer the necessary mechanical strength on these elements. This technique therefore cannot be used on site. Moreover, with respect to the production of prefabricated parts, there is a demand for alternative technologies for the production of prefabricated elements having the same types of mechanical and thermal insulation performance, which avoid the use of aluminium powder (eliminating the potential problems of explosion) and which avoid the costly autoclaving stage: energy cost, low productivity and specific investments.
Air-entraining admixtures are also known for renders, mortars and concrete, the purpose of which is to trap the surrounding air, during blending with water (mixing) of the dry compositions of renders, mortars or concrete. These air-entraining agents are for example surfactants, fatty acids and alkali salts of fatty acids such as sodium lauryl sulphate. Such known air-entraining admixtures are capable of improvement.
In fact, all of the difficulty of this route of production of foams by air-entrainment lies in the stabilization of the air trapped within the wet matrix of render, mortar or concrete.
This stabilization is even more problematical in that it must not be obtained to the detriment of the standard properties (e.g. ease of use) of the wet forms of render, mortar or concrete foams, or to the detriment of the properties (in particular mechanical) expected for the hardened forms of these foams.
Moreover, the stability of the foam must also be present at each stage of the preparation and application processes. This must be embodied by a density that does not vary during each stage, whether in the mixing vat, after passing through the pipes (lance output density l.o.d.) or during spraying, when the application is carried out in this way. Conversely, this density can be different between each stage. The reproducibility and reliability of the method of producing these foams, although problematical in an industrial environment, represent a real problem of robustness when use directly on site by unqualified operators is envisaged. In practice, their use on site is very limited as it requires highly qualified labour.
In order to improve this route of production of air-entraining foams, FR 2955103A proposes a dry composition for the preparation of render, mortar or concrete foams for the construction industry, which become porous once hardened, so that they are lightweight, thermally and/or sound insulating, both in paste form and hardened form, and which are obtained by air-entrainment during mixing. This composition includes a foaming admixture comprising:                A. a modified starch ether having a Brookfield viscosity comprised between 500 and 25,000 mPa·s.;        B. a stabilizer comprising at least one linear polyacrylamide;        C. a film-forming polymer.
FR2955104A relates to a thermally-insulating material with a cellular structure comprising by weight relative to the total weight of the material: −4 to 96% of a hydraulic binder characterized, before coming into contact with water, in that it comprises at least one phase chosen from C3A, CA, C12A7, C11A7CaF2, C4A3$ (ye'elimite), C2A(1-x)Fx (with C→CaO; A→Al2O3; F→Fe2O3 and x belonging to]0, 1]), amorphous hydraulic phases having a molar ratio C/A comprised between 0.3 and 15 and such that the cumulative Al2O3 content of these phases is comprised between 3 and 70% by weight of the total hydraulic binder, −4 to 96% of at least one filler; said material having a coefficient of thermal conductivity at 20° C. that is equal to or less than 0.20 W/m·° C. This thermally-insulating material is obtained from a foam.
These aqueous foams according to FR2955103A & FR2955104A can be improved, as, on the one hand, their stability is not infallible, and, on the other hand, their blending with a cement slurry is an incorporation operation that must be carried out carefully in order to avoid breaking down these foams. Such an operation is difficult to carry out under on-site conditions and requires the use of specific machines.
It is also important that the gain in terms of being lightweight is not achieved to the detriment of the other properties required for structures obtained from the wet formulations of renders, mortars and concretes, produced from dry cementitious compositions. This relates to the properties of the wet formulation: ease of use, workability, pumpability, rheology, ease of blending and application, as well as cleaning the tools, and the properties of the hardened products obtained from this wet formulation: protection/waterproofing, thermal and sound insulation, hardness, crack resistance, flexural strength, compressive strength, and durability.
Patent application US2003/144386 describes mixtures of hydraulically setting building materials, comprising less than 2% by weight of particles of a size greater than 200 μm of a polymer capable of forming a hydrogel. In particular, US 2003/144386 discloses standard mortars prepared according to standard EN 196 (1,350 g of standardized sand-450 g of cement-225 g of water for mixing), in which are incorporated 0.5% by weight of the SuperAbsorbent Polymers (SAP) Hysorb C3746-1 & C Hysorb 3746-5 from BASF having less than 2% by weight of particles of a size greater than 200 μm as well as a comparative SAP Hysorb C 7015 from BASF having substantially more than 2% by weight of particles of a size greater than 200 μm. The SAPs Hysorb C3746-1 & C Hysorb 3746-5 make it possible to increase the compressive and flexural strength of the hardened finished products obtained from these mortars, compared with the comparative SAP Hysorb C 7015.
Patent application US2010/190888 describes a dry mixture of hydraulically setting building materials, preferably a tile adhesive in accordance with standard EN 12004, characterized in that it comprises:
a) 10 to 95 percent by weight of a cement-containing hydraulic binder,
b) 5 to 75 percent by weight of mineral fillers and/or organic fillers,
c) 0.5 to 10 percent by weight of a re-dispersible polymer powder,
d) 0.1 to 1.5 percent by weight of a water-retaining agent that is based on polysaccharide structures and is preferably water-soluble and is preferably chosen from the group constituted by cellulose ethers, starch ethers and synthetic or natural microbial polysaccharides,
e) 0.3 to 4.0 percent by weight of a setting accelerator, preferably hydrosoluble, chosen from the group constituted by calcium formate, calcium chloride, calcium nitrate and
fa) or fb) 0.02 to 2.0 percent by weight of an acrylic copolymer of the pulverulent anionic or cationic type, which is preferably capable of swelling by means of water or salt solutions and is particularly preferably insoluble in water and can advantageously be prepared by radical polymerization of unsaturated ethylene vinyl compounds; fa) or fb) having a particle size distribution that is determined in accordance with standard 420 EDANA.2-02, such that more than 98% by weight pass through a sieve having a mesh size of 200 μm. The compositions disclosed are:
Composite thermal insulationTile adhesiveTile adhesivesystema) CEM II A 42.5 Ra) Portland cement CEM Ia) Portland cement (for exampleCEM I 42.5 R)b) Lightweight silica fillerb) Silica sand and calcareousb) Silica sand or comminutedaggregateslimestonec) Vinyl acetate ethylenec) Vinyl acetate ethylenec) Vinyl acetate ethylenecopolymercopolymercopolymerd) Hydroxypropyld) Hydroxypropyld) Hydroxypropyl methylcellulosemethylcellulosemethylcellulose and starch ethere) Calcium formatee) Calcium formate acceleratore) Calcium formatefa) Copolymer 1 (anionic): 0.30fa) Copolymer 1 (anionic) orfa) Copolymer 1 (anionic) oror 0.45%fb) copolymer 2 (cationic): 0.30fb) copolymer 2 (cationic): 0.30 oror 0.45%0.4%Cellulose fibresCellulose fibresNa bentoniteFeSO4—7H2OMixing ratio: 76, 56, 58 &Mixing ratio: 36%Mixing ratio: 25%61%
The compositions according to application US2010/190888 aim to improve the yield, namely the ratio between the volume of the wet formulation and the mass of the dry mortar, for economic reasons (e.g. reducing the stocks of dry mortar). The increase in the setting rate and the stability of the dry mortar. The use of calcium formate or other calcium salts contributes to this result according to application US2010/190888.
It therefore appears that the prior art does not teach any means for improving the thermal insulation characteristics of the hardened products for the construction industry obtained from wet formulations produced by the mixing of dry compositions based on mineral binder and a SuperAbsorbent Polymer (SAP).

Use of at least one superabsorbent polymer (SAP), in a dry composition based on mineral binder and intended for the preparation of a hardenable wet formulation for the construction industry

Abstract: in order to improve the thermal insulation characteristics of a hardened product intended for the construction industry, by reducing its thermal conductivity λ (W·m−1·K−1), this hardened product being obtained from a dry composition or a wet formulation comprising this mixture.

Abstract: The dry composition, the wet formulation obtained by mixing this dry composition with water, the methods for preparing this dry composition and the corresponding wet formulation, the hardened construction products obtained from the wet formulation and the structures produced with these products, are other subjects of the invention.


Novel antigen-binding polypeptides (ABP) and uses thereof are provided.

A naturally produced antibody (Ab) is a tetrameric structure consisting of two identical immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chains and two identical light chains. The heavy and light chains of an Ab consist of different domains. Each light chain has one variable domain (VL) and one constant domain (CL), while each heavy chain has one variable domain (VH) and three or four constant domains (CH). Each domain, consisting of about 110 amino acid residues, is folded into a characteristic β-sandwich structure formed from two β-sheets packed against each other, the immunoglobulin fold. The VL domains each have three complementarity determining regions (CDR1-3) and the VH domains each have up to four complimentarity determining regions (CDR1-4), that are loops, or turns, connecting β-strands at one end of the domains. The variable regions of both the light and heavy chains generally contribute to antigen specificity, although the contribution of the individual chains to specificity is not necessarily equal. Antibody molecules have evolved to bind to a large number of molecules by using randomized CDR loops.
Functional substructures of Abs can be prepared by proteolysis and by recombinant methods. They include the Fab fragment, which comprises the VH-CH1 domains of the heavy chain and the VL-CL1 domains of the light chain joined by a single interchain disulfide bond, and the Fv fragment, which comprises only the VH and VL domains, and the Fc portion which comprises the non-antigen binding region of the molecule. In some cases, a single VH domain retains significant affinity for antigen (Ward et al., 1989, Nature 341, 554-546). It has also been shown that a certain monomeric κ light chain will specifically bind to its antigen. (L. Masat et al., 1994, PNAS 91:893-896). Separated light or heavy chains have sometimes been found to retain some antigen-binding activity as well (Ward et al., 1989, Nature 341, 554-546).
Another functional substructure is a single chain Fv (scFv), comprised of the variable regions of the immunoglobulin heavy and light chain, covalently connected by a peptide linker (S-z Hu et al., 1996, Cancer Research, 56, 3055-3061). These small (Mr 25,000) proteins generally retain specificity and affinity for antigen in a single polypeptide and can provide a convenient building block for larger, antigen-specific molecules. The short half-life of scFvs in the circulation limits their therapeutic utility in many cases.
A small protein scaffold called a "minibody" was designed using a part of the Ig VH domain as the template (Pessi et al., 1993, Nature 362, 367-369). Minibodies with high affinity (dissociation constant (Kd) about 10−7 M) to interleukin-6 were identified by randomizing loops corresponding to CDR1 and CDR2 of VH and then selecting mutants using the phage display method (Martin et al., 1994, EMBO J. 13, 5303-5309).
Camels often lack variable light chain domains when IgG-like material from their serum is analyzed, suggesting that sufficient antibody specificity and affinity can be derived from VH domains (three or four CDR loops) alone. "Camelized" VH domains with high affinity have been made, and high specificity can be generated by randomizing only the CDR3.
An alternative to the "minibody" is the "diabody." Diabodies are small bivalent and bispecific antibody fragments, having two antigen-binding sites. The fragments comprise a heavy-chain variable domain (VH) connected to a light-chain variable domain (VL) on the same polypeptide chain (VH-VL). Diabodies are similar in size to the Fab fragment. By using a linker that is too short to allow pairing between the two domains on the same chain, the domains are forced to pair with the complementary domains of another chain and create two antigen-binding sites. These dimeric antibody fragments, or "diabodies," are bivalent and bispecific. See, P. Holliger et al., PNAS 90:6444-6448 (1993).
CDR peptides and organic CDR mimetics have been made (Dougall et al., 1994, Trends Biotechnol. 12, 372-379). CDR peptides are short, typically cyclic, peptides which correspond to the amino acid sequences of CDR loops of antibodies. CDR loops are responsible for antibody-antigen interactions. CDR peptides and organic CDR mimetics have been shown to retain some binding affinity (Smyth & von Itzstein, 1994, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 116, 2725-2733). Mouse CDRs have been grafted onto the human Ig framework without the loss of affinity (Jones et al., 1986, Nature 321, 522-525; Riechmann et al., 1988).
In the body, specific Abs are selected and amplified from a large library (affinity maturation). The processes can be reproduced in vitro using combinatorial library technologies. The successful display of Ab fragments on the surface of bacteriophage has made it possible to generate and screen a vast number of CDR mutations (McCafferty et al., 1990, Nature 348, 552-554; Barbas et al., 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 7978-7982; Winter et al., 1994, Annu. Rev. Immunol. 12, 433-455). An increasing number of Fabs and Fvs (and their derivatives) are produced by this technique. The combinatorial technique can be combined with Ab mimics.
A number of protein domains that could potentially serve as protein scaffolds have been expressed as fusions with phage capsid proteins. Review in Clackson & Wells, Trends Biotechnol. 12:173-184 (1994). Several of these protein domains have already been used as scaffolds for displaying random peptide sequences, including bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Roberts et al., PNAS 89:2429-2433 (1992)), human growth hormone (Lowman et al., Biochemistry 30:10832-10838 (1991)), Venturini et al., Protein Peptide Letters 1:70-75 (1994)), and the IgG binding domain of Streptococcus (O'Neil et al., Techniques in Protein Chemistry V (Crabb, L., ed.) pp. 517-524, Academic Press, San Diego (1994)). These scaffolds have displayed a single randomized loop or region. Tendamistat has been used as a presentation scaffold on the filamentous phage M13 (McConnell and Hoess, 1995, J. Mol. Biol. 250:460-470).
Receptor tyrosine kinases of the ErbB family play pivotal roles in cell growth and differentiation. Aberrant activation of these receptors is associated with human cancers. Dimerization (the pairing of receptors) is essential to the signaling activity of all ErbB receptors. Blocking the dimerization activity of ErbB2 has been shown to directly inhibit the ability of ErbB2 to dimerize with other ErbB receptor proteins. Inhibiting receptor dimerization prevents the activation of ErbB signaling pathways. An antagonistic molecule that down regulates ErbB signaling could function as an anti-tumor agent. The ErbB signaling network is currently a major target in the development of anti-tumor drugs. ErbB-1 is a specific receptor for EGF, while ErbB-2 has no known natural ligand. ErbB2 is able to form heterodimers with ErbB-1 upon addition of EGF. ErbB2 also functions as the preferred dimerization partner for the kinase-dead ErbB-3 and for ErbB-4, which are both receptors for the neuregulins. The ErbB signaling network can also be activated in an indirect manner during signaling by cytokines and ligands of G-coupled protein receptors, indicating that it plays a central role in the growth control of many different cell types.
The proto-oncogene c-erbB-1 encodes the epidermal growth factor receptor. Its name originates from the viral homolog v-erbB which was isolated from an avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV) where it was contained as a fragment of the chicken c-ErbB-1 gene lacking the amino-terminal ligand-binding domain. Over expression of erbB-1 genes occurs in a wide range of tumors, including squamous carcinomas of various sites and adenocarcinomas. The human c-erbB-1 gene is located in the chromosomal region 7p14 and 7p12.
The ErbB-2 proto-oncogene (also referred to as Neu, EGFR-2 or HER-2) is a member of the transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase family, which also includes EGF receptor and EGFR-3 (HER-3 or ErbB-3). ErbB-2 encodes a transmembrane receptor-like glycoprotein of 185 kDa with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. Although, ErbB-2 does not have any known high-affinity ligands, its kinase activity can be activated without ligand by either over expression or hetero-association with other members of the ErbB family of receptors. Amplification of the ErbB-2 gene and over expression of its product has been detected in almost 40% of primary human breast tumors. ErbB-2 over expression is also observed in ovarian, gastric, salivary and non-small cell lung carcinomas. ErbB-2 is activated by the neuregulins in heterodimers with the neuregulin receptors ErbB-3 and ErbB-4. The humanized anti-ErbB-2 monoclonal antibody Herceptin (from monoclonal 4D5) has received FDA approval for treatment of cancers that over express ErbB-2. Another anti-ErbB2 antibody in development is Pertuzumab (from monoclonal 2C4). Specific inhibitors of the tyrosine kinase activity of ErbB-1 (EGF receptor) are also in clinical trials.
Anti-ErbB2 antibodies are known in the art, and include but are not limited to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,753,894; 5,169,774; 5,677,171; 5,720,937; 5,720,954; 5,725,856; 5,770,195; 5,772,997; 5,783,186; 6,054,561; 6,165,464; 6,333,169; 6,015,567; 6,387,371; 6,399,063; 6,441,143; 6,458,356; 6,627,196, each of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Covalent attachment of the hydrophilic polymer poly(ethylene glycol), abbreviated PEG, is a method of increasing water solubility, bioavailability, increasing serum half-life, increasing therapeutic half-life, modulating immunogenicity, modulating biological activity, or extending the circulation time of many biologically active molecules, including proteins, peptides, and particularly hydrophobic molecules. PEG has been used extensively in pharmaceuticals, on artificial implants, and in other applications where biocompatibility, lack of toxicity, and lack of immunogenicity are of importance. In order to maximize the desired properties of PEG, the total molecular weight and hydration state of the PEG polymer or polymers attached to the biologically active molecule must be sufficiently high to impart the advantageous characteristics typically associated with PEG polymer attachment, such as increased water solubility and circulating half life, while not adversely impacting the bioactivity of the parent molecule.
PEG derivatives are frequently linked to biologically active molecules through reactive chemical functionalities, such as lysine, cysteine and histidine residues, the N-terminus and carbohydrate moieties. Proteins and other molecules often have a limited number of reactive sites available for polymer attachment. Often, the sites most suitable for modification via polymer attachment play a significant role in receptor binding, and are necessary for retention of the biological activity of the molecule. As a result, indiscriminate attachment of polymer chains to such reactive sites on a biologically active molecule often leads to a significant reduction or even total loss of biological activity of the polymer-modified molecule. R. Clark et al., (1996), J. Biol. Chem., 271:21969-21977. To form conjugates having sufficient polymer molecular weight for imparting the desired advantages to a target molecule, prior art approaches have typically involved random attachment of numerous polymer arms to the molecule, thereby increasing the risk of a reduction or even total loss in bioactivity of the parent molecule.
Reactive sites that form the loci for attachment of PEG derivatives to proteins are dictated by the protein's structure. Proteins, including enzymes, are composed of various sequences of alpha-amino acids, which have the general structure H2N—CHR—COOH. The alpha amino moiety (H2N—) of one amino acid joins to the carboxyl moiety (—COOH) of an adjacent amino acid to form amide linkages, which can be represented as —(NH—CHR—CO), —, where the subscript "n" can equal hundreds or thousands. The fragment represented by R can contain reactive sites for protein biological activity and for attachment of PEG derivatives.
For example, in the case of the amino acid lysine, there exists an —NH2 moiety in the epsilon position as well as in the alpha position. The epsilon —NH2 is free for reaction under conditions of basic pH. Much of the art in the field of protein derivatization with PEG has been directed to developing PEG derivatives for attachment to the epsilon —NH2 moiety of lysine residues present in proteins. "Polyethylene Glycol and Derivatives for Advanced PEGylation", Nektar Molecular Engineering Catalog, 2003, pp. 1-17. These PEG derivatives all have the common limitation, however, that they cannot be installed selectively among the often numerous lysine residues present on the surfaces of proteins. This can be a significant limitation in instances where a lysine residue is important to protein activity, existing in an enzyme active site for example, or in cases where a lysine residue plays a role in mediating the interaction of the protein with other biological molecules, as in the case of receptor binding sites.
A second and equally important complication of existing methods for protein PEGylation is that the PEG derivatives can undergo undesired side reactions with residues other than those desired. Histidine contains a reactive imino moiety, represented structurally as —N(H)—, but many chemically reactive species that react with epsilon —NH2 can also react with —N(H)—. Similarly, the side chain of the amino acid cysteine bears a free sulfhydryl group, represented structurally as —SH. In some instances, the PEG derivatives directed at the epsilon —NH2 group of lysine also react with cysteine, histidine or other residues. This can create complex, heterogeneous mixtures of PEG-derivatized bioactive molecules and risks destroying the activity of the bioactive molecule being targeted. It would be desirable to develop PEG derivatives that permit a chemical functional group to be introduced at a single site within the protein that would then enable the selective coupling of one or more PEG polymers to the bioactive molecule at specific sites on the protein surface that are both well-defined and predictable.
In addition to lysine residues, considerable effort in the art has been directed toward the development of activated PEG reagents that target other amino acid side chains, including cysteine, histidine and the N-terminus. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,610,281 which is incorporated by reference herein, and "Polyethylene Glycol and Derivatives for Advanced PEGylation", Nektar Molecular Engineering Catalog, 2003, pp. 1-7. A cysteine residue can be introduced site-selectively into the structure of proteins using site-directed mutagenesis and other techniques known in the art, and the resulting free sulfhydryl moiety can be reacted with PEG derivatives that bear thiol-reactive functional groups. This approach is complicated, however, in that the introduction of a free sulfhydryl group can complicate the expression, folding and stability of the resulting protein. Thus, it would be desirable to have a means to introduce a chemical functional group into bioactive molecules that enables the selective coupling of one or more PEG polymers to the protein while simultaneously being compatible with (i.e., not engaging in undesired side reactions with) sulfhydryls and other chemical functional groups typically found in proteins.
As can be seen from a sampling of the art, many of these derivatives that have been developed for attachment to the side chains of proteins, in particular, the —NH2 moiety on the lysine amino acid side chain and the —SH moiety on the cysteine side chain, have proven problematic in their synthesis and use. Some form unstable linkages with the protein that are subject to hydrolysis and therefore decompose, degrade, or are otherwise unstable in aqueous environments, such as in the bloodstream. Some form more stable linkages, but are subject to hydrolysis before the linkage is formed, which means that the reactive group on the PEG derivative may be inactivated before the protein can be attached. Some are somewhat toxic and are therefore less suitable for use in vivo. Some are too slow to react to be practically useful. Some result in a loss of protein activity by attaching to sites responsible for the protein's activity. Some are not specific in the sites to which they will attach, which can also result in a loss of desirable activity and in a lack of reproducibility of results. In order to overcome the challenges associated with modifying proteins with poly(ethylene glycol) moieties, PEG derivatives have been developed that are more stable (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,498, which is incorporated by reference herein) or that react selectively with thiol moieties on molecules and surfaces (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,610,281, which is incorporated by reference herein). There is clearly a need in the art for PEG derivatives that are chemically inert in physiological environments until called upon to react selectively to form stable chemical bonds.
Recently, an entirely new technology in the protein sciences has been reported, which promises to overcome many of the limitations associated with site-specific modifications of proteins. Specifically, new components have been added to the protein biosynthetic machinery of the prokaryote Escherichia coli (E. coli) (e.g., L. Wang, et al., (2001), Science 292:498-500) and the eukaryote Sacchromyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) (e.g., J. Chin et al., Science 301:964-7 (2003)), which has enabled the incorporation of non-genetically encoded amino acids to proteins in vivo. A number of new amino acids with novel chemical, physical or biological properties, including photoaffinity labels and photoisomerizable amino acids, keto amino acids, and glycosylated amino acids have been incorporated efficiently and with high fidelity into proteins in E. coli and in yeast in response to the amber codon, TAG, using this methodology. See, e.g., J. W. Chin et al., (2002), Journal of the American Chemical Society 124:9026-9027; J. W. Chin, & P. G. Schultz, (2002), Chem Bio Chem 11:1135-1137; J. W. Chin, et al., (2002), PNAS United States of America 99:11020-11024; and, L. Wang, & P. G. Schultz, (2002), Chem. Comm., 1-10. These studies have demonstrated that it is possible to selectively and routinely introduce chemical functional groups, such as ketone groups, alkyne groups and azide moieties, that are not found in proteins, that are chemically inert to all of the functional groups found in the 20 common, genetically-encoded amino acids and that may be used to react efficiently and selectively to form stable covalent linkages.
The ability to incorporate non-genetically encoded amino acids into proteins permits the introduction of chemical functional groups that could provide valuable alternatives to the naturally-occurring functional groups, such as the epsilon —NH2 of lysine, the sulfhydryl —SH of cysteine, the imino group of histidine, etc. Certain chemical functional groups are known to be inert to the functional groups found in the 20 common, genetically-encoded amino acids but react cleanly and efficiently to form stable linkages. Azide and acetylene groups, for example, are known in the art to undergo a Huisgen [3+2]cycloaddition reaction in aqueous conditions in the presence of a catalytic amount of copper. See, e.g., Tornoe, et al., (2002) Org. Chem. 67:3057-3064; and, Rostovtsev, et al., (2002) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 41:2596-2599. By introducing an azide moiety into a protein structure, for example, one is able to incorporate a functional group that is chemically inert to amines, sulfhydryls, carboxylic acids, hydroxyl groups found in proteins, but that also reacts smoothly and efficiently with an acetylene moiety to form a cycloaddition product. Importantly, in the absence of the acetylene moiety, the azide remains chemically inert and unreactive in the presence of other protein side chains and under physiological conditions.
The present invention addresses, among other things, problems associated with the activity and production of antigen-binding polypeptides and fragments thereof, and also addresses the production of antigen-binding polypeptides with improved biological or pharmacological properties, such as improved therapeutic half-life.

Antigen-binding polypeptides and their uses


Described are a system and method of accessing vital product data (VPD) information. A first processing system may initiate a configuration write request to a VPD address register. A second processing system may access a VPD data register associated with the VPD address register in response to an interrupt signal.

1. Field
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to processing platforms. In particular, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to accessing information relating to devices or subsystems in a processing platform.
2. Information
Processing platforms typically comprise processing resources which are integrated to meet one or more system requirements. For example, a typical processing platform may comprise devices or subsystems that enable the processing platform to fulfill system requirements. Such system requirements may be associated with one or more aspects of platform performance, reliability or availability.
A processing platform typically comprises one or more management subsystems to monitor other subsystems or devices. The management subsystems typically define data structures to maintain information associated with various field replaceable units (FPUs), software or firmware in the processing platform. Such information typically includes performance or failure data associated with a particular device or subsystem.

System and method of accessing vital product data


A method for controlling a synchronous double stator electric machine. A first stator and a first set of magnetic poles on a common rotor forms a first electric machine. A second stator and a second set of magnetic poles on the rotor forms a second electric machine. The first electric machine and the second electric machine is shifted mechanically by a predetermined angle. An electrical shift is produced to the control of at least the mechanically shifted electric machine with a respective frequency converter in order to at least partly compensate for the mechanical shift in the mechanically shifted electric machine.

A synchronous double stator electric machine may be formed of at least one double stator unit comprising a rotor and two stators connected to the rotor. The rotor may comprise a first side provided with a first set of magnetic poles and an opposite second side provided with a second set of magnetic poles. A first stator may be positioned facing towards the first side of the rotor. A second stator may be positioned facing towards the second side of the rotor. The first stator may be connected to a first frequency converter which is controlled with a first controller. The second stator may be connected to a second frequency converter which is controlled by a second controller. Each of the stators may thus be controlled individually. The rotor and the first stator may form a first electric machine and the rotor and the second stator may form a second electric machine.
Cogging torque of electrical machines is the torque due to the interaction between the permanent magnets of the rotor and the stator slots of electric machine. It is also known as detent or "no-current" torque. This torque is position dependent and its periodicity per revolution depends on the number of magnetic poles and the number of teeth on the stator. Cogging torque is an undesirable component for the operation of the electric machine. It is especially prominent at lower speeds, with the symptom of jerkiness. Cogging torque results in torque as well as speed ripple. There exists prior art solutions to eliminate the cogging torque. One solution is to shift the first stator and the second stator mechanically by a predetermined angle in relation to each other in a synchronous double stator electric machine. The shift between the first stator and the second stator may be half slot pitch in a situation in which the first stator and the second stator has an equal number of slots. The cogging torque of the first electric machine and the cogging torque of the second electric machine will in such case be in an opposite phase due to the shift of half slot pitch between the first stator and the second stator. The cogging torque of the synchronous double stator electric machine may thus be reduced. The side effect of this shift is that also the power and/or the torque of the synchronous double stator electric machine is reduced.
The stator field lags the rotor field in a synchronous generator and vice a versa in a synchronous motor. This lagging expressed in angle is called the load angle. The term load angle is in this application used for the angle between the rotor flux and the stator flux in an electric machine i.e. in a synchronous electric motor and in a synchronous electric generator.

Method for controlling a synchronous double stator electric machine


Money transfer system authorizing an escrow agent computer electronically by touch-tone telephone, computer modem, P.O.S.(point of sale) terminal, live operators, to send cash transfers from a sender's account such as their credit, debit, bank, or ATM card, or a bank account, to a recipient who accesses the money at any remote ATM type location or P.O.S.(point of sale) terminal by using cards such as a specialized magnetic cards, credit cards, debit cards, and automated teller machine(ATM) card, at anytime and anywhere. Senders can authorize the transfer by touch-tone and PIN(personal identification number) secure codes. The system can operate without pre-existing relationships, and monitor transactions and take surcharges based on transfer amounts, and use a cards tethered to ATM machines and be used with double magnetic sided cards.

There are existing services available to initiate remote cash disbursements. For example, Western Union and Money Gram currently service more than 90% of the market for sending remote cash disbursements from one party to another. In 1997 alone, there were an estimated 48 million money transfers from Western Union, and approximately 9 million money transfers from MoneyGram, with the total amount of funds transferred being over $17 billion dollars, and the average transfer amount being approximately $300.00 with each transfer having an average transfer fee of approximately $29.00. In addition to the high transfer fee costs, there are other problems with these known services. For example, both Western Union and Money Gram offer limited hours of availability and a limited number of cash disbursement locations for the recipient. In 1997 there were approximately 40,000 Western Union locations worldwide and approximately 69,000 planned MoneyGram locations. Thus, if a location is not near a sender and a recipient, delays and inconvenience are common results of using these services. These services further require having paid persons at the cash location pickup sites, that add additional expenses to their use.
Over the years, various types of patents have been proposed for using debit type cards for money transfers. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,422 to Dethloff et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,906 to Brody et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,290 to Smorodinsky et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,710 to Fleming; U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,748 to Taskett; U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,136 to Brake, Jr. et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,360 to Picciallo; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,664 to Pieterse et al.
Dethloff '422 discloses a multi-user card where one party can assign cash values to the cards for being used by third parties having access to PIN type numbers, and is primarily limited to being an IC(integrated circuit) card and not to a card that uses a magnetic type stripe. Additionally, this patent requires that users possess related cards in advance of needing a money transfer
Brody '290 describes using a magnetic type card where a sponsor can allow a remote user a selected PIN number and use of a money transfer by card/account of an issuer. Brody '290 generally requires "sponsors", which are generally retail type outlets to sell pre-programmed cards or to place amounts on the magnetic cards by store clerks. Additionally, this system would require ATM(automated teller machines) having programs to transfer money from the issuer account to a sub-account and to an ATM in the same "sponsor" chain having that program.
Smorodinsky et al. '290 describes a money transfer system for paying bills using intercoupled computers, that requires pre-arranged accounts billing payment authorization between three computers.
Fleming '710 describes a system in which a credit or debit card issuer can issue a parent held card and one or more pre-linked child held cards, where the parent can control the available funds accessible by the child held cards. This system requires that the cards be linked by a pre-arrangement relationship to each other.
Taskett '748 describes a combined prepaid telephone type card and "transaction instrument" (credit or debit card) for allowing fund transfers from the "transaction card" to the prepaid telephone type card, and requires a pre-existing type connection and/or pre-existing ink between the credit/debit card and the prepaid telephone type card.
Brake, Jr. et al. '136 describes a prepaid telephone card or gasoline type card which can have a secondary use as a credit card, but is not used as a money transfer card.
Picciallo '360 describes a magnetic card system where the cards can be given to third parties and charged remotely but require "pre-established customer accounts", for the transfers, and further requires the recipient to have a card pre-correlated to a secondary(or sub-account) of the pre-established fund holding account.
Pieterse et al. '664 describes a rechargeable type smart card system primarily for electronic orders and payments and can use magnetic type cards, but not for money transfer type services.
Thus, the need exists for an improved system for transferring money to remote locations.

Integrated technology money transfer system