In a shape determining method of a reflective surface 10a of a reflector 1 in a vehicle lamp in such structure that a basic shape thereof is a free-formed surface 20 satisfying shape constraints etc. and that reflective surface elements are assigned to segments obtained by dividing the free-formed surface 20 into an array pattern, a reference plane is defined as a plane opposite to the free-formed surface 20 and normal to the optical axis Ax, and the free-formed surface 20 is projected onto the reference plane to determine the reflective surface. This permits uniform handling independent of the shape of the free-formed surface 20 and thus can simplify design steps and make the resultant shape of the reflective surface suitable. Thus, the reflective surface determining method of the reflector in the vehicle lamp permitting efficient creation of the segments on the free-formed surface and efficient creation of the reflective surface elements assigned to the respective segments can be realized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of determining a reflective surface of a reflector in a vehicle lamp used in vehicles such as automobiles and the like.
2. Related Background Art
The vehicle lamps need to meet (1) the conditions from the aspect concerning the function as lamps and, in addition thereto, (2) the conditions from the aspect concerning the shape (shape constraints) and (3) the conditions from the aspect concerning the appearance (appearance constraints) because of their use in a mounted state on the vehicles such as the automobiles and the like. It is thus necessary to realize lamps optimized as to the conditions from the functional aspect while satisfying the given constraints from the shape aspect and the appearance aspect.
The conditions from the functional aspect include light uniformity with which the entire lamp lights uniformly, light diffusibility with which light is properly diffused to be observed from various directions, and so on, depending upon types of lamps.
As for the constraints from the vehicle and body side, the shape constraints include conditions defined by the volume and shape of lamp receiving portions of the body, the continuous shape of the outer surface of the lamp (the outer surface of lens) from the other body portions, and so on. The appearance constraints include conditions resulting from harmony with the appearance of the other body portions, requirements from the design aspect of the body, and so on.
In recent years, there are increasing needs for lamps meeting strict shape constraints, e.g., further decrease in the depth of the lamp, because of restrictions on the lamp receiving portions from the aspect of construction of the body, the increasing tendency toward fascinating styling of cars, and so on. Under such circumstances, when a lamp was constructed, for example, using a reflector wherein the basic shape of its reflective surface was a unifocal paraboloid, decrease was insufficient in the thickness of the lamp and it was difficult to comply with the above-stated shape constraints such as the decrease in the depth of the lamp.
As against it, another reflector was proposed in such structure that the basic shape of the reflective surface was a free-formed surface created so as to match the shape constraints and other conditions. With use of the free-formed surface, it is relatively easy to meet the shape constraints such as the decrease in the depth of the lamp because of its degrees of freedom in designing thereof (for example, reference is made to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-33708). However, since reflective surface shapes of respective portions in the reflective surface need to satisfy the conditions from the functional aspect of reflecting the light from the light source into the direction along the given optical axis, they are normally formed in the shape of paraboloid of revolution or in the shape approximate thereto with light diffusing capability. Therefore, it is common practice to form the reflective surface by dividing the above-stated free-formed surface into a plurality of segments and assigning reflective surface elements having respective, reflective surface shapes of paraboloids of revolution to the respective segments.
In creating the reflective surface with the basic shape of the free-formed surface as described above, however, the shape often largely differs depending upon individual lamps, and the free-formed surface is often asymmetric because of the given shape constraints and the like. Therefore, there was the problem of complicated design steps for creating the segments on the free-formed surface used for determination of the reflective surface in each reflector and for determining the reflective surface shapes of the reflective surface elements assigned to the respective segments.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above problems and an object of the present invention is thus to provide a method of determining a reflective surface of a reflector in a vehicle lamp, which permits efficient creation of the segments on the free-formed surface and efficient creation of the reflective surface elements assigned to the respective segments.
In order to accomplish the above object, a method of determining a reflective surface of a reflector used in a vehicle lamp according to the present invention is a method comprising: (1) a free-formed surface creating step of creating a free-formed surface satisfying a predetermined shape constraint; (2) a reference plane defining step of defining a reference plane as a plane facing the free-formed surface; (3) a reference segment creating step of creating a reflective surface outline on the reference plane and dividing a region on the reference plane including the interior of the reflective surface outline, into a plurality of reference segments; (4) a representative point creating step of selecting reference representative points for the respective reference segments and projecting the reference segments and the reference representative points onto the free-formed surface, thereby creating dividing segments of the free-formed surface and representative points specifying positions for determining surface shapes in the segments; (5) a surface shape determining step of finding shape parameters at the representative points for the respective segments and determining the surface shapes in the segments, based on the shape parameters; and (6) a reflective surface determining step of assigning reflective surface elements having the surface shapes determined, to the respective segments to determine a reflective surface comprising a plurality of the reflective surface elements.
In the above reflective surface determining method, for the free-formed surface created as the basic shape of the reflective surface so as to satisfy the shape constraint from the body side, the steps of dividing it into segments and determining the surface shapes of the reflective surface elements assigned to the respective segments are not carried out directly on the free-formed surface the shape of which is complex and varies depending upon the reflective surface to be designed, but are done on the opposite reference plane defined separately. When the steps for determination of the reflective surface are not executed on the free-formed surface, but on the reference plane in this way, uniform handling becomes feasible independent of the shape of the reflective surface to be designed, which simplifies the design steps of the reflective surface.
The reference plane defined as a plane facing the free-formed surface is a plane equivalent to the field where an observer observes the reflector or the lamp. Therefore, when the reflective surface is created by making use of this reference plane, it becomes feasible to gain the reflective surface formed in the suitable shape and appearance of the reflective surface when observed from its axial direction, and provided with preferable light reflection characteristics.
Further, the determination of surface shape can be made more efficient when the surface shape is determined by selecting a representative point for each of the segments obtained by division. Particularly, when the representative points are also determined based on the selection of reference representative points in the reference segments on the reference plane, it becomes feasible to select the representative points on a uniform basis, independent of the shape of the free-formed surface.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not to be considered as limiting the present invention.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Method of determining reflective surface of reflector in vehicle lamp


A wide tire kit for motorcycles has a swing arm frame, to which a first outboard strut and a second outboard strut are attached by a first side plate and a second side plate, respectively. An arced surface of the swing arm frame provides accommodating space for the wide tire, and the outboard struts are connected to the axle of the wheel. The wide tire kit is easily assembled, not requiring any specialized parts or labor to install.

Transportation, the movement of people, animals, goods and other items from one place to another, is an essential part of life for many people. If one stays in one's home, it is relatively difficult to support oneself unless one lives on a farm with the knowledge and resources to do so. Most people must travel to other places in order to purchase necessities such as food and clothing, to purchase other less important items such as books, toys, or accessories, and to commute to and from their place of work. There are many other reasons for a person to traverse significant distances, including taking a vacation, sightseeing, visiting relatives, making purchases, transporting items from one place to another, and going on business trips.
Transportation and has come a long way throughout the ages. In primitive times, the primary method of travel aside from on foot was riding atop animals such as horses, mules, camels and other beasts of burden. As knowledge and technology developed, new and improved forms of transportation came into existence, such as the bicycle, horse-drawn carriages and eventually the transportation methods we are familiar with today including motor vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses, aircraft such as fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters, trains, and watercraft such as motorboats.
A motorcycle is a two or three wheeled motor vehicle that can be said to be essentially an evolution of the bicycle or a fusion or halfway step between a bicycle and a car, since a motorcycle has the general structure of and similar operation to a bicycle but it is heavier and motorized like a car, making it a feasible transportation alternative to a car in many situations. Depending on the region, motorcycles may be less or more common than cars for the primary means of motorized transport. In Taiwan, for example, the number of motorcycles per population is purportedly twice that of automobiles per population due to lack of public transport and income levels that put automobiles out of financial reach for many. In the United States, on the other hand, motorcycles are a less common method of personal transportation than cars, but those who do own motorcycles tend to take great pride in the appearance and performance of their motorcycle. Motorcycle owners enjoy spending time on the care and maintenance of their motorcycle and may choose to make custom modifications to the motorcycle in order to achieve a unique appearance. Large motorcycles in particular are often a source of great pride for their owners, due to their distinct appearance, distinct sound and high performance. One popular motorcycle modification is to replace the original rear wheel tire with an oversize aftermarket tire, which has the effect of enhancing the expression of power and performance of the motorcycle. A wide tire modification also has the practical benefit of improving the ride of the motorcycle as well as the handling, maneuverability and traction of the motorcycle.
A wide tire cannot simply be swapped into a motorcycle with all stock parts because the dimensions of the oversized tire are too large to be compatible, so further modifications are necessary including custom support members for the wheel and drive components as well as custom drive components due to the misalignment of the drive pulley that results from installing a wider tire.
Motorcycle modifications tend to be quite costly due to the cramped nature of the drive elements and the use of custom parts and special tools. A motorcycle owner may wish to make a modification such as installation of a wide tire, but may not have the mechanical inclination or appropriate tools to do it themselves and so must take the motorcycle to a fabrication shop, which can be expensive. A kit providing all the necessary components and detailed instructions for a non-mechanically inclined motorcycle owner is desired so that the motorcycle owner may perform the modifications themselves. Modifications kits do exist, but they do not provide a complete system for the motorcycle owner to do everything on their own, forcing the owner to secure the additional services of a fabrication shop in order to complete the modification. In addition, in securing the services of a fabrication shop, the motorcycle owner is handing their motorcycle over to be worked on by someone who may not have their best interests at heart, and a real possibility exists that the outcome will not be what the owner expected or desired. Being able to perform the complete modification from beginning to end is desired so that the owner may be assured of the integrity and safety of the modification and achieve the satisfaction and comfort of knowing that they accomplished a noteworthy goal with only their own effort.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a user-friendly wide tire install kit for motorcycles.


A process is disclosed for the separation and removal of hydrogen, alone or together with carbon monoxide, from a mixture of these gases with olefinic hydrocarbons by contacting the mixture with oxygen over a catalyst at conditions sufficient to oxidize the hydrogen to form water while suppressing reaction of the reactive, unsaturated hydrocarbons. The catalyst contains at least one metal or metal oxide from Groups Ib, IIb, IIIa, IVa and Va of the Periodic Table, and the temperature of the reaction may range from about 40.degree. C. to 300.degree. C. and a pressure of about 14.7 psig to 1,000 psig, and the flow rate of the entering feed ranges from about 1 GHSV to about 50,000 GHSV. The process can be conducted using one, two or three reaction zones.

The separation of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from mixtures containing reactive unsaturates, such as olefinic and or aromatic hydrocarbons, or mixtures containing light olefinic hydrocarbons such as ethylene, propylene, or other C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 olefins, is a costly, but often necessary, operation because hydrogen and carbon monoxide are contaminants, or poisons for many downstream processes, such as polyethylene and polypropylene manufacturing.
The existing technology for separating hydrogen and carbon monoxide from reactive unsaturated hydrocarbons calls for cryogenic distillation which requires expensive equipment and high energy consumption. Other techniques, such as membrane, and absorption and adsorption are used only for separation of hydrogen from other components, and these techniques are effective only when the system pressure is high; generally greater than 100 psi.
The reason that hydrogen and carbon monoxide are so difficult to separate from mixtures containing light olefins is that the physical properties of the contaminants, hydrogen and carbon monoxide, are very similar to the light olefins in the mixture that they are to be separated from.
For example, carbon monoxide and ethylene, are similar in terms of molecular dimension and bonding characteristics; which makes physical separation very difficult.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved process for the selective separation of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from mixtures of these gases with reactive unsaturated hydrocarbons, such as light olefinic hydrocarbons, without significant loss of the valuable olefins via side reactions.

Process for selectively separating hydrogen, or both hydrogen and carbon monoxide from olefinic hydrocarbons


The present invention provides processes for removing organic solvent from crystals of atorvastatin hemi-calcium containing organic solvent. In one process, the organic solvent is displaced by vapor diffusion of water in a vessel maintained at elevated humidity. In a second process, the organic solvent is removed by fluidized bed drying. The present invention further provides atorvastatin hemi-calcium containing 1% or less organic solvent, which can be obtained from atorvastatin hemi-calcium that has been crystallized from an organic solvent-containing solution by practice of the processes of the invention.

Crystallization is a convenient, effective technique for purifying organic compounds. Purification by crystallization generally involves dissolving an impure substance in a solvent, removing insoluble impurities by filtering the solution and then precipitating the desired compound from the solution. Most soluble impurities are excluded from the growing crystals as the compound crystallizes. Ideally, soluble impurities remain in solution and are separated from the crystals by separating the solvent and washing the crystals.
Bulk producers of small organic molecules like pharmaceuticals endeavor to develop optimal crystallization techniques and thereby avoid less convenient purification techniques like chromatography.
Molecules of the solvent used in the crystallization, which are usually low volume, low molecular weight species, sometimes become incorporated into crystals during crystallization. Large, highly branched molecules are especially prone to this phenomenon. Solid materials that are obtained when molecules of a compound (hereafter referred to as the "host" compound) co-crystallize with a solvent (or "guest") are called "solvates." In some solvates, molecules of the host compound and guest are incorporated into the crystal in a fixed stoichiometric ratio. Some workers in the field of solid state chemistry and materials science reserve the term "solvate" for crystals whose ratio of host to guest is non-variable. In this disclosure, the term is used in the more broad sense in which it is understood in these fields to refer to any crystalline substance in which solvent is incorporated into the crystal lattice. In some solvates, the ratio of host compound to the guest is variable. In such solvates, the amount of solvent incorporated into the crystal can depend upon the specific crystallization procedure used to obtain the material and the conditions under which the material is maintained, such as the temperature and pressure. Solvates may be mixed. In other words, a crystal may contain more than one type of guest molecule in the crystal lattice. It is particularly relevant to this invention that a crystal can be a solvate of water (known as a hydrate) and an organic solvent.
Turning to other relevant background information relating to this invention, atorvastatin is the trivial name of ([R-(R*,R*)]-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-β,δ-dihydroxy-5-(1-methylethyl)-3-phenyl-4-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-1H-pyrrole-1-heptanoic acid. Atorvastatin is administered to patients at risk for heart disease to lower their low density lipoprotein levels. Atorvastatin can be safely administered orally as a hemi-calcium salt. The crystalline form of atorvastatin hemi-calcium that has been approved by United States Food and Drug Administration for medical use is a trihydrate.
Although there is a general interest among chemical manufacturers in doing chemical synthesis in water for environmental reasons, as yet, atorvastatin has not been synthesized and crystallized using only reactions conducted in water. When conducting a synthesis in purely aqueous solvents is impracticable, lower alcohol solvents are a favorable alternative because they are able to dissolve substances of low polarity that do not dissolve in water, their toxicity is low compared to many other organic solvents, their cost is low and their solubility in water is high, which allows continuous variation of the properties of the solvent system by varying the ratio of alcohol and water, which can occur over a wide range.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,995 describes a preparation of atorvastatin hemi-calcium in which the atorvastatin lactone is dissolved in a mixture of methanol and water. A little less than one equivalent of sodium hydroxide is added to the solution until the lactone has been opened as determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Then, one equivalent or a slight excess of calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl2.2H2O) is added at elevated temperature. After completing the addition, atorvastatin hemi-calcium is obtained as a precipitate by cooling the solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,627 discloses another process for preparing atorvastatin hemi-calcium. First, atorvastatin sodium is produced from an N,N-diphenyl amide analog of atorvastatin without intermediate isolation of the lactone by treating the amide with sodium hydroxide in a mixture of methanol and water. Following workup, an aqueous layer containing methanol and atorvastatin sodium is obtained. An aqueous solution of calcium acetate (Ca(OAc)2) is then added to this aqueous layer at room temperature and the hemi-calcium salt is then precipitated by cooling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,156 discloses atorvastatin hemi-calcium crystalline Forms I, II and III. According to the three examples in the '156 patent, each of these crystalline forms is obtained from a solution of methanol and water. In Example 1, a solution of atorvastatin sodium in a methanol and water mixture is treated with a solution of calcium acetate hemihydrate in water. After seeding with a crystal of Form I, followed by heating to 51–57° C. for at least ten minutes and then cooling to 15–40° C., a precipitate is filtered off, washed with ethanol and water and dried at 60–70° C. under vacuum for 4 days to give "Form I atorvastatin" (presumably the hemi-calcium salt). In Example 2, Form II is said to result by suspending Form I in a mixture of methanol and water. In Example 3, Form IV is said to result by following generally the procedure for producing Form I but with certain variations. Form IV also is obtained by precipitation from a mixture of methanol and water.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,461 describes atorvastatin hemi-calcium Form III which, according to Example 3 of the '461 patent, can be prepared by exposing atorvastatin hemi-calcium Form II to 95% relative humidity for eleven days.
Commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0183378 discloses crystalline Forms VI, VIII–XII of atorvastatin hemi-calcium. Some of the forms are accessible by contacting atorvastatin hemi-calcium with mixtures of water and a lower alcohol, while others are accessible by other processes. In particular, atorvastatin hemi-calcium Form VI is obtained from a mixture of acetone and water. Atorvastatin hemi-calcium Form VII is obtained by treating certain atorvastatin hemi-calcium polymorphs with ethanol, preferably absolute ethanol with a low water content.
Atorvastatin hemi-calcium Form VIII is prepared under controlled conditions by a variety of procedures, some of which involve contacting atorvastatin hemi-calcium with mixtures of lower alcohols and water. In our hands and on our instrumentation, Form VIII produced a powder X-ray diffraction pattern with peaks at 6.9, 9.3, 9.6, 16.3, 17.1, 19.2, 20.0, 21.6, 22.4, 23,9, 24.7, 25.6, and 26.5±0.2 degrees 2θ. Form VIII has a monoclinic unit cell with lattice dimensions: a=18.55–18.7 Å, b=5.52–5.53 Å, c=31.0–31.2 Å and angle β between the a and c axes of 97.5–99.5°. Form VIII produced a solid-state cross-polarized/magic angle spinning ("CP/MAS") 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum with resonances at shift positions of about 17.8, 20.0, 24.8, 25.2, 26.1, 40.3, 40.8, 41.5, 43.4, 44.1, 46.1, 70.8, 73.3, 114.1, 116.0, 119.5, 120.1, 121.8, 122.8, 126.6, 128.8, 129.2, 134.2, 135.1, 137.0, 138.3, 139.8, 159.8, 166.4, 178.8, 186.5 ppm. Obtaining CP/MAS 13C NMR spectra with reproducible chemical shift positions can be difficult due to the need for an external standard. Chemical shift differences do not suffer from this problem. For atorvastatin hemi-calcium Form VIII, the shift differences between the lowest ppm resonance and the other resonances are: 2.2, 7.0, 7.4, 8.3, 22.5, 23.0, 23.7, 25.6, 26.3, 28.3, 53.0, 55.5, 96.3, 98.2, 101.7, 102.3, 104.0, 105.0, 108.8, 111.0, 111.4, 116.4, 117.3, 119.2, 120.5, 122.0, 142.0, 148.6, 161.0 and 168.7 ppm.
Further, according to the '378 publication, atorvastatin hemi-calcium Form IX can be obtained from heterogeneous mixtures of atorvastatin hemi-calcium and a diluent containing a lower alcohol and water. Atorvastatin hemi-calcium Form X can be prepared by reprecipitating certain crystalline forms of atorvastatin hemi-calcium from mixtures of ethanol and water. Atorvastatin hemi-calcium Form XI is obtained from a gel formed of atorvastatin hemi-calcium and isopropyl alcohol. Atorvastatin hemi-calcium Form XII is obtained after performing a functional group deprotection of an atorvastatin precursor in aqueous solvent.
Thus, it will be appreciated that mixtures of water and organic solvents, especially lower alcohols, are used extensively in the preparation of atorvastatin and its isolation as a hemi-calcium salt. When atorvastatin hemi-calcium is crystallized from mixtures of water and a lower alcohol as taught in the '995, '627 and '156 patents, and the '378 publication, it tends to form a mixed solvate with water and the lower alcohol. We have found that atorvastatin hemi-calcium obtained by crystallization from solvent systems containing lower alcohols like methanol, ethanol and butan-1-ol may contain from about 1% up to about 5% by weight of the alcohol in their crystal structure.
Some solvates can be desolvated by heating them and/or by placing them in a container that is maintained under positive vacuum. Depending on the host molecule and the particle size of the material, the ease of solvent release by heating and/or application of a vacuum may be facile, futile or somewhere in between. In many cases the desolvation requires heating to a temperature that produces an adverse effect on the quality of the product, both chemical and physical (which is the case with atorvastatin hemi-calcium). In addition, when the starting material is a mixed solvate and the desired product is a solvate of one of the solvent molecules initially present, heating and/or exposure to vacuum must selectively remove only the undesired solvent to be successful.
Where heating and reduced pressure fail, sometimes more exotic techniques will succeed at removing an undesirable solvent molecule from a mixed solvate. U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,759 describes a process for removing organic solvent from (−)-trans-4-(4′-fluorophenyl)-3-(3′, 4′-methenedioxyphenoxymethyl)-piperidine (paroxetine hydrochloride) by displacement with water. In the examples of the '759 patent, paroxetine hydrochloride containing any of a variety of organic solvents was stirred in liquid water to reduce the amount of organic solvent. For instance, in Example 1, paroxetine hydrochloride containing 13% propan-2-ol was stirred in a beaker with water for twenty minutes and then separated and dried. This caused a recrystallization of the paroxetine hydrochloride in anhydrous Form A. The '759 technique of displacement with liquid water appears to have general applicability with paroxetine hydrochloride since the examples show that paroxetine can be desolvated of a wide variety of organic solvents by that technique. However, a technique that is general in the sense that it can be used to remove a variety of solvents from crystals of a host compound does not necessarily mean it is applicable to a different host compound. Indeed, in the study of crystals, the results obtained by manipulating a material are frequently counterintuitive. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,011 discloses a method for desolvating a benzimidazole alcohol solvate comprising forming a suspension of the solvate in water. The end product is not only substantially free of alcohol it is also substantially free of water. As another example, there is cortisone acetate which precipitates from polar solvents containing less than 1% water as a hydrate. However, increasing the amount of water above 1% favors the formation of anhydrous cortisone acetate. See Carless, J. E. et. al J. Pharm. & Pharmacol.1966, 18, 190S–197S.
Processes for freeing atorvastatin hemi-calcium solvates and mixed solvates of organic solvent and water of the organic component have now been discovered.

Desolvation process for the production of atorvastatin hemi-calcium essentially free of bound organic solvent


A network of interconnected self-service machines (SSMs), wherein each of the SSMs executes a relational database management system (RDBMS) that maintains a relational database stored on the SSM. The relational databases are partitions of a global relational database and each partition stores information for only those customers that frequent the SSM that executes the RDBMS. The relational databases are used to more effectively serve the customer at the SSM and to market products and services to the customer at the SSM.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods of data warehousing applications, and in particular to data warehouse applications for networks of self-service machines (SSMs).
2. Description of the Related Art
Database management systems are used to collect, store, disseminate, and analyze data. Large-scale, integrated database management systems provide an efficient, consistent, and secure data warehouse capability for storing, retrieving, and analyzing vast amounts of data. This ability to collect, analyze, and manage massive amounts of information has become a virtual necessity in business today.
The information stored by these data warehouses can come from a variety of sources. One important data warehouse application involves the collection and analysis of information collected in the course of transactions between businesses and consumers. For example, when an individual uses a debit or credit card to access an automated teller machine (ATM) or purchase an item at a retail store, the identity of the customer, the transaction, and other related information are collected. Traditionally, this information is used only to determine if the transaction should be completed, and rarely for other purposes.
However, such data could also be used to identify demographic information concerning the customers and cross-sell other services and products. Unfortunately, the infrastructure of SSM networks does not support such uses of the information. Thus, there is a need in the art for mechanisms that allow for the exploitation of this information.

Data warehouse applications for networks of self-service machines


Examples of the present disclosure provide a method for displaying a message, in which a terminal receives a message posted by a user, obtains LBS information of the user, sends to a server the LBS information and the received message; the server stores the message received and the LBS information associated with the message, for each message stored, when a request for viewing the message is received from the user, the server displays, through the terminal, the message and the LBS information associated with the message to the user. Various examples of the present disclosure also provide a system for displaying a message, a terminal and a server thereof. When the method, system, and apparatuses provided by the examples of the present disclosure are employed, other users can exactly know a geographical location where the user is in when the user posted the message.

Currently, microblog has become an important means for exchanging information among people.
In practice, a user may have a demand that when the user views a microblog of a person, e.g., a buddy of the user, the user may want to know a geographical location where the buddy is in currently, so as to obtain the latest development of the buddy. For example, if it is known through the microblog that the buddy is in Beijing yesterday, but today is in Shanghai, then it may be inferred that the buddy may have a business trip.
In the prior art, another person cannot know a geographical location where the user is in through a microblog message posted by the user unless the user indicates the geographical location in the microblog message, in other words, the prior art cannot satisfy the demand of the user described above.

Method and system for displaying a message, and terminal and server thereof

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


Within a method of making an optical interference filter, sample spectra and measurements of a predetermined characteristic associated with respective spectra are provided. Upon selection of an initial number of filter layers and a thickness for each layer, a transmission spectrum is determined. Each sample spectrum is applied to a regression formula that relates interaction of light with the transmission spectrum to a regression value. A comparison relationship between the calculated regression values and the sample measurements is defined and optimized, wherein thickness of each layer is an optimization variable.

The present invention relates to the design of optical filters for use in spectroscopy analysis systems.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,531, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, methods are known by which to construct optical filters having predetermined transmission spectra. In general, such an optical filter is an interference filter having alternating layers of high and low refractive index materials. By properly selecting the materials and layer thicknesses, the filter can be made to selectively pass predetermined percentages of incident light at different wavelengths, where the transmission percentage varies over the wavelength range.
One method of designing such a filter begins with a desired transmission spectrum and a selection of materials for the filter layers. Given this information, an algorithm optimizes the number of layers and their thicknesses to define a filter having a transmission spectrum that differs from the desired spectrum by an amount within an acceptable error tolerance. The procedure relies upon a merit function ("MF") that describes the difference between the desired spectrum and any other spectrum:MF=ΣW(Tc−Tt)k/W,  (equation 1a)where Tc is the transmission percentage of the "other" transmission spectrum at a given wavelength, Tt, is the transmission percentage of the desired, or "target," spectrum at the same wavelength, W is the number of wavelength channels measured and used in the merit function, and k is a constant. As should be understood in the art, constant k is a factor that determines the weighting applied in the MF to higher order differences between Tc and Tt. If k is equal to 1, the merit function calculates average error between the two transmission spectra. A constant of 2 provides a mean square error.
Other merit functions may be used, for example:MF=(1/W)ΣW((Tc−Tt)k/TOl)1/k,  (equation 1b)where TOl is the design tolerance. In another merit function,MF(x)=Σm(Ro(m)−R(x,m))2,  (equation 1c)where x is the vector of design variables, Ro is the specified reflectance at wavelength m, and R is the computed value of reflectance at m for particular values of x.
To determine the "other" transmission spectrum, the user makes an initial guess of the number of filter layers and their thicknesses. The layer materials, the substrate material and thickness, and the incident material (i.e. the material through which the light sample passes in travelling to the filter—typically air) are selected as initial conditions. The transmission spectrum of the resulting optical filter, constructed according to the design defined by the initial conditions and the initial guess, is determined. Procedures for determining a transmission spectrum from such information are known and are described in more detail below.
Referring to FIG. 1, if the thickness of each layer defines an axis in a coordinate system, a plot of the merit function as a function of layer thickness produces a cup-shaped surface 8 that is parabolic in any given cross-section parallel to the merit function axis. Thus, if the thicknesses of layers 1 and 2 are O and P, respectively, the error between the resulting transmission spectrum and the desired spectrum, as defined by the merit function, is the MF axis value of point B on surface 8. Once on surface 8, a quasi-Newton method of nonlinear optimization may be used to find points on surface 8 that are successively closer to the surface's minimum point A, eventually finding point A or a point acceptably close to point A.
Point A corresponds to thicknesses M and N of layers 1 and 2, respectively. The merit function value at these thicknesses, using the assumed materials and substrate, is not zero. That is, it is impossible under the assumed conditions to achieve the desired transmission spectrum. If the error represented by this merit function value is unacceptable, a second guess is made that includes a third layer of a material with a refractive index different from that of the second layer. The third guess may begin with the thicknesses determined in the first iteration for the first two layers, or the user may choose three new thicknesses. In either event, the algorithm re-optimizes for all three layer thicknesses, and the third guess therefore results in a four-dimensional space. The algorithm proceeds in the same manner outlined above, except with an additional thickness variable, and continues to add layers until the merit function value falls within the acceptable tolerance, thereby establishing the final filter design. A computer program distributed under the name TFCALC by Software Spectra, Inc. of Portland, Oreg. may be used to execute this iterative method of designing thin film layers.
A procedure for determining a transmission spectrum of an optical filter defined by an assumption of layer thicknesses and selection of layer materials, substrate material, substrate thickness and incident medium is based on a matrix method. Each filter layer is associated with a matrix Y1 as follows:
                              Y          l                =                                                            cos                                                                                δ                                                                    i                                                  /                                                n                                                                                sin                                                                                δ                                                                                i                                                                                n                                                                                sin                                                                                δ                                                                    cos                                                                                δ                                                                        (                  equation                                                              2                )            n is a complex refractive index:n=n1+ik1,  (equation 3)where n1 is the real refractive index, and k1 is the absorption coefficient. δ is a phase factor defined as:δ=(2Πn1k1x/λ)cos θ1,  (equation 4)where λ is wavelength, x is layer thickness, and θ1 is the interior angle of propagation in layer 1. For normally incident light, cos θ1=1. For tilted filters, however, in which the incident angle is oblique,cos θ1=(1−(no2 sin2θo)/n12)0.5,  (equation 5)where n0 is the refractive index of the incident medium (e.g. air), and θ0 is the angle of incidence in radians. The characteristic matrix of the entire film stack (M) is determined by multiplying the individual layer matrices:M=Y1×Y2× . . . ×Yl,  (equation 6)where layer 1 is the layer closest to the substrate.
Light transmitted through the film layers includes an electric vector component, E, and a magnetic vector component, H. The characteristic matrix M relates the electric and magnetic fields at individual layer boundaries as follows:
                                                                                  E                                                                    H                                                              =                  M                                                              x                                                                                            1                                                                                n                      s                                        +                                          i                                                                                k                        s                                                                                                                              (                  equation                                                              7                )            where ns and ks are the substrate's refractive index and absorption coefficient.
The propagation of light through a single thin film coating is illustrated in FIG. 11. As indicated in the figure, there are multiple reflections of incident light at the air/film and substrate/air interfaces. The transmittance and reflectance at the air/film interface are:T1=(4nsn)/(n+ns)2, and  (equation 8)R1=1−T1.  (equation 9)For normally incident light, n=no=1, where n is the refractive index. When the filter is tilted, however, the propagated wave splits into two plane-polarized components, one with the electric vector in the plane of incidence ("p-polarized"), and one with the electric vector normal to the plane of incidence ("s-polarized"). The refractive index of the incident light is therefore modified as follows:n=no/cos θo(p-polarization), and  (equation 10)n=no cos θo (s-polarization).  (equation 11)The transmittance and reflectance of the next interface, T2 and R2, are related to the real and imaginary components of E and H (i.e., E1, E2 and H1, H2) determined from equation 7:T2=(4nsn)/((E1+H1)2+(E2+H2)2)  (equation 12)R2=((E1−H1)2+(E2−H2)2/((E1+H1)2+(E2+H2)2)  (equation 13)
The total transmittance of the film and substrate at a given wavelength channel can be determined by summing the infinite series of the combined reflectance and transmittance terms, i.e., T1T2, T1T2R1R2, T1T2(R1R2)2, T1T2(R1R2)3, etc. The method for calculating total reflectance is performed in a like manner. This results in the following expressions for total transmittance T and reflectance R:T(λ, x, n1, ns, θo)=100(T1T2)/(1−R1R2),  (equation 14a)R(λ, x, n1, ns, θo)=100(R1′+T1′T1R2/(1−R1R2),  (equation 14b)where n1 and ns are the complex refractive indices of layer 1 and substrate s.
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the invention.

Filter design algorithm for multi-variate optical computing


In accordance with an embodiment, a pattern inspection method includes applying a light to a substrate including an inspection target pattern in a plurality of optical conditions, detecting a reflected light from the substrate to acquire a pattern image for each of the optical conditions, outputting a gray value difference between the pattern image and a reference image for each of the optical conditions, and specifying a position of the defect in a stacking direction of the stacked film from a relation of the obtained gray value difference between the optical conditions. The pattern is formed by a stacked film, the optical conditions includes at least a first optical condition for detection of a defect on a surface of the stacked film.

In the fields of semiconductor devices, flat panel displays, and micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), and so on, a structure having micro patterns formed on its surface (hereinafter referred to as a "microstructure") is manufactured, for example, by lithographic technology.
An optical inspection apparatus is used for the inspection of such a microstructure. The conventional optical inspection apparatus applies a light to an inspection target pattern formed on a substrate such as a wafer from, for example, a laser light source or a lamp light source, detects a reflected light from the pattern by a detector, and compares the signal intensity of the detected light by, for example, die-to-die comparison, thereby conducting a defect inspection. Recently, patterns having high aspect ratios have been produced due to advanced miniaturization and integration of the microstructures. For example, in a trench pattern having a high aspect ratio, defects can be generated at various positions in a depth direction. Therefore, when it is judged that there is a defect, a correct judgment of its position in the depth direction is required.

Pattern inspection method and pattern inspection apparatus


The present invention provides methods and apparatus for implementing spatial multiplexing in conjunction with the one or more multiple access protocols during the broadcast of information in a wireless network. A subscriber unit for use in a cellular system is disclosed. The subscriber unit includes: spatially separate receivers, a spatial processor, and a combiner. The spatially separate receivers receive the assigned channel composite signals resulting from the spatially separate transmission of the subscriber downlink datastream(s). The spatial processor is configurable in response to a control signal transmitted by the base station to separate the composite signals into estimated substreams based on information obtained during the transmission of known data patterns from at least one of the base stations. The spatial processor signals the base stations when a change of a spatial transmission configuration is required. The combiner combines the estimated substreams into a corresponding subscriber datastream.

1. Field of Invention
The field of the present invention relates in general to the field of wireless broadcast of information using one or more multiple access protocols and in particular to methods and apparatus for implementing spatial multiplexing in conjunction with the one or more multiple access protocols during the broadcast of information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In wireless broadcast systems, information generated by a source is transmitted by wireless means to a plurality of receivers within a particular service area. The transmission of such information requires a finite amount of bandwidth, and in current state of the art transmission of information from different sources, must occur in different channels.
Since there are quite a few services (e.g. television, FM radio, private and public mobile communications, etc.) competing for a finite amount of available spectrum, the amount of spectrum which can be allocated to each channel is severely limited. Innovative means for using the available spectrum more efficiently are of great value. In current state of the art systems, such as cellular telephone or broadcast television, a suitably modulated signal is transmitted from a single base station centrally located in the service area or cell and propagated to receiving stations in the service area surrounding the transmitter. The information transmission rate achievable by such broadcast transmission is constrained by the allocated bandwidth. Due to attenuations suffered by signals in wireless propagation, the same frequency channel can be re-used in a different geographical service area or cell. Allowable interference levels determine the minimum separation between base stations using the same channels. What is needed is a way to improve data transfer speed in the multiple access environments currently utilized for wireless communications within the constraints of available bandwidth.

Spatial multiplexing in a cellular network


A carrier for a semiconductor device includes a body having an opening formed therein to receive the semiconductor device and a pair of rollers to hold the semiconductor device between the rollers in the opening.

When handling semiconductor devices such as microprocessors for the purpose of installing the devices in a test fixture, it is known to use carriers. A semiconductor device may be temporarily inserted in a carrier. The carrier and the device to be tested are transported to a test fixture such as a test interface unit (TIU) and the device, while still held in the carrier, is interfaced to the text fixture. After the necessary test procedure is performed, the carrier and the device are transported away from the test fixture, and the device is then removed from the carrier.
In a known type of carrier, an edge or lip on the carrier contacts the bottom of the device to retain the device within an opening formed in the carrier to receive the device. With a carrier of this type, certain areas or zones on the bottom of the device package must be kept free of contacts so as not to interfere with the handling of the device via the carrier. Such an arrangement, however, adversely affects the pin-count that may be provided on the device package.

Carrier to hold semiconductor device using opposed rollers


A fan control device includes a fan rotation control circuit adapted to be connected electrically to a fan and adapted to control activation and deactivation of the fan. The fan rotation control circuit generates a voltage output corresponding to driving current flowing through the fan to indicate operating speed of the fan. A comparator circuit is connected to the fan rotation control circuit and is operable so as to perform a comparison operation in order to compare the voltage output of the fan rotation control circuit with a reference speed signal, and so as to generate a logic output corresponding to result of the comparison operation. A processor receives the logic output of the comparator circuit, and controls the fan rotation control circuit to deactivate the fan upon determining that the operating speed of the fan is abnormally slow, indicating that the fan is in a near-breakdown condition, based on the logic output of the comparator circuit. A warning circuit is connected to and controlled by the processor so as to generate a warning output upon determination by the processor that the operating speed of the fan is abnormally slow.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fan control device, more particularly to a fan control device with a breakdown warning capability so as to be capable of shutting down a fan and of generating a warning signal upon detecting that the fan speed is abnormally slow, indicative of a near-breakdown condition.
2. Description of the Related Art
After operating for a period of time, an electrical appliance, such as a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a server or an uninterruptible power system, generates heat that causes the internal temperature of the electrical appliance to rise. This increase in temperature can lead to malfunctioning of the electrical appliance that, in some cases, can result in loss of data and even in damage to electronic components of the appliance. In order to dissipate heat quickly from the interior of the electrical appliance, a heat-dissipating device, such as a fan, is usually installed inside the appliance.
A conventional low-cost heat-dissipating fan commonly found in electrical appliances has two input wires to be connected to positive and negative terminals of a power supply. When the appliance is activated, power is supplied to operate the fan. When the appliance is deactivated, power is cut-off to stop operation of the fan. However, when breakdown of the fan has occurred and is not detected in time, malfunctioning of the electrical appliance can still occur and can result in loss of data and even in damage to electronic components of the appliance.
It has been observed that, before the fan comes to a full stop due to breakdown, the speed of the fan gradually decreases from the normal operating speed. As such, whether or not breakdown of the fan is about to occur can be determined by observing the speed of the fan. To this end, another conventional heat-dissipating fan has been developed to incorporate two power input wires for connection to positive and negative terminals of a power supply, and a clock output wire that provides a clock output corresponding to the speed of the fan. That is, when the fan operates at a relatively fast speed, a high-speed clock output is generated at the clock output wire. Accordingly, when the fan operates at a relatively slow speed, a low-speed clock output is generated at the clock output wire. Thus, by observing the speed of the clock output, one can determine whether or not breakdown of the fan is about to occur so that replacement of the fan can be conducted.
However, because of the relatively high cost of the conventional three-wire heat-dissipating fan, most electrical appliances, such as desktop computers, notebook computers, servers and uninterruptible power systems, still use the conventional two-wire heat-dissipating fan described beforehand.

Fan control device with breakdown warning capability


A substrate having a fingerprint sensing system usable as a command interface using finger movements. A user's fingerprint pattern is recognized and compared to previously stored reference patterns. If the fingerprint pattern matches a previously stored pattern, the user is then permitted to enter certain commands via the same interface system. For example, in the case of an automobile, a user may identify themselves with their fingerprint, and then perform such functions as unlocking the doors, setting the seat to a selected location, or even pre-starting the car prior to their entering the automobile. The very same devices which perform the fingerprint identification and sensing are also used for the input sensing and command recognition to perform the various commands. A user is thus able to securely control desired functions in an automobile, while being assured that an unauthorized user will not have access to the automobile, even as they were able to obtain the command interface device.

Presently, automobiles are opened, closed, locked and unlocked by keys, door handles and other mechanical latching and unlatching devices. There is also available today for many automobiles a hand-held remote device with buttons thereon. Each button corresponds to a specific command. Currently, there is one button per command with the most common commands including lock doors, unlock doors, unlock trunk, set alarm, or honk horn. The user presses a specific button in order to implement and transfer the specific command to the automobile.
Remote devices currently used do not distinguish one user from another. For example, if the owner of the car drops or loses the remote activation device, a passerby may pick up the remote, which usually has the key attached thereto. Any person holding the remote device may unlock the doors, honk the horn, or perform other functions permitted by the command keys. This has created the unfortunate situation in which the security of the automobile is significantly compromised.
Formerly, if only a key was lost, any person finding the key would be required to test the physical key out on many automobiles and, given the options in a large parking lot, it difficult or impossible to find the automobile which matched the key. With current remote command devices, a passerby who has picked up the remote access device can honk the horn, turn on the lights, or perform other functions which will identify at a distance the automobile. Even at some distance, a hundred feet or more away, a person may press the command buttons which will identify the car for which he holds the key. While this is convenient for a user approaching their own car, any other person can also easily walk up and down the rows of a parking lot, pressing the command button in an attempt to locate the automobile corresponding to the remote command device. It thus provides an advantage to a thief who has obtained the remote command device and is using it in an attempt to steal the car.

Command interface using fingerprint sensor input system


The invention relates to a noise compensation system, configured for compensating phase noise in coherent optical communications, and to a method for compensating phase noise. The noise compensation system comprises a transmitter (1) comprising a pilot unit (5) configured for providing a pilot tone comprising a pilot spectrum, wherein the transmitter (1) is configured for transmitting an information signal comprising an information spectrum, a detecting unit (2) comprising a local oscillator lasing unit (7) configured for transmitting a local oscillator signal, wherein the detecting unit (2) is configured for combining the information signal with the local oscillator signal such that an input signal spectrum generated at an output of the detecting unit comprises an information about phase noise in the information spectrum, and a phase noise compensator (3) comprising a first branch, configured for filtering the pilot tone, and a second branch, configured for mixing the information signal with the filtered pilot tone, wherein after mixing an output signal spectrum is obtained at an output of the phase noise compensator (3) on the basis of the information about phase noise in the information spectrum such that the output signal spectrum corresponds to a phase noise compensated copy of the pilot spectrum. In this way, a noise compensation system is provided which is simple and cost-effective to realize and allows compensating phase noise in the analog domain without the need of knowledge about transmission parameters.

Phase noise results upon mixing two free running lasers in a coherent receiver. There is a need for compensating phase noise which is usually done in a digital signal processor, DSP for short. In certain applications is not desirable to have a DSP or it might even be impossible if, for instance, an unknown analog signal is to be transmitted. Such systems are for instance antenna distribution systems or remote antenna connections to a mobile base station where digitizing the complete signal requires unreasonable data rate in the transmission link. However, transmission of an analog signal over an optical link requires a high signal-to-noise-ratio, SNR for short, a high dynamic range and a good linearity. An optical communication link which is based on quadrature modulation and coherent detection provides a superior performance in these aspects but requires compensation of the laser phase noise in order to operate properly.
Coherent detection including balanced photo detection offers superior performance in terms of receiver sensitivity, linearity and dynamic range compared to conventional intensity detection. A main problem with coherent detection is that additional laser light is required in the receiver that is mixed, i.e. multiplied, with the incoming signal to be detected. In principle the linear detection process requires the transmitter and receiver lasers to be phase locked in order to allow full recovery of amplitude and phase. Since such a locking is not possible in practice, the detected electrical signal contains significant phase noise that must be subsequently mitigated. It is noted that phase noise estimation and compensation in principle requires prior knowledge of some properties of the data transmitted, such as modulation format and baud rate, which limit the flexibility of the transmission system.
So far it has not been reported that a coherent optical link works for arbitrary signals such as radio channels from, for instance, mobile base stations or for unknown and arbitrary waveforms from, for instance, antennas or sensors. In addition, the DSP sometimes limits the performance of a phase noise mitigation algorithm due to clock frequency limitations in the DSP application specific integrated circuit, DSP ASIC for short. There are also limitations in sampling rate of the analog-to-digital converters, ADCs for short. In practice, any signal that is supposed to be transmitted over longer distances is today electronically digitized before modulated onto an optical carrier.
Nowadays coherent optical systems implement phase noise compensation in a DSP by prior knowledge about modulation format, baud rate and signal bandwidth. Such systems cannot communicate unknown and arbitrary signals unless these are first digitized and formatted for transmission over a link. However, there exist analog optical links based on intensity modulation or detection but these suffer from poor linearity and dynamic range. Such links are not suitable for long distance communication due to deterioration from chromatic fibre dispersion, CD for short. These coherent analog links do principally not mitigate phase noise and thus usually only transmit either amplitude or phase information and thus sacrifice information capacity. Further, it is difficult to recover both amplitude and phase in the analog domain. The concept of analog carrier recovery is not the best one since it requires prior knowledge of data format used. Moreover, rather complicated recovery circuits exist for achieving a demodulation carrier as well as data recovery clock.

Analog phase noise compensation for coherent optical communication


Disclose is a system, method, and program for accessing files maintained in a server that is capable of being accessed over a network. A request is received for a file maintained in the server. A determination is then made as to whether a copy of the requested file is stored in a storage system. The system then determines a delay time associated with retrieving the copy of the requested file from the storage system after determining that the storage system includes the copy of the requested file. A determination is then made as to whether the delay time exceeds a maximum delay time. The system retrieves the requested file from the storage system to return to the request after determining that the delay time does not exceed the maximum delay time. Alternatively, the system retrieves the requested file from the server over the network to return to the request after determining that the delay time exceeds the maximum delay time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, system, and program for retrieving a file from either a storage system or a server over a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A person accesses the Internet or World Wide Web using an Internet Web browser, also known as an Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) client, that can process Web pages coded in the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) format. The HTTP client sends a request message to a server over the Internet which includes HTTP server software to process the request message. The request message typically includes a Universal Resource Locator (URL) which specifies the path of the requested information on the Internet and the name of the file at the specified path. The HTTP server processes the request and returns the requested file at the URL if it is available as part of a response message to the requesting HTTP client.
The popularity of the World Wide Web has led to long communication delays to retrieve information from servers connected to the World Wide Web client/server architecture. Two of the primary causes of server and Internet communication delay are bandwidth constraints of the transmission medium between computer systems and latency in server processing time of file requests. Bandwidth constraints are exasperated as network traffic increases and reduces available bandwidth resources to handle further transmissions. Current techniques for addressing communication delay include increasing the bandwidth by developing more robust transmission medium and conserving bandwidth by using proxy servers. Proxy servers cache previously requested files retrieved from over a network, such as the Internet. The proxy server conserves network bandwidth by servicing requests for network files from the cache instead of consuming bandwidth to retrieve the requested file from over the network.
A caching proxy server is a server that provides an interface between client computers and the World Wide Web. A client that accesses the World Wide Web via a proxy server requests the web page from the proxy server. The proxy server processes the request by first determining whether the requested web page is maintained in local cache. If so, the proxy server returns the requested web page from the local cache. Otherwise, the proxy server acts to retrieve the requested web page over the World Wide Web network. The request may utilize a communication protocol such as the HTTP, file transfer protocol (FTP), etc. Upon retrieving the requested web page, the proxy server stores the web page in local cache and returns the page to the requesting client. Subsequent requests for the web page may be serviced from the cache. In this way, the proxy server conserves bandwidth by returning files from cache instead of network transmission lines. Returning requested data from local cache not only conserves bandwidth, but also improves retrieval speed if the retrieval time from the cache storage medium is faster than the network transmission time.
One problem with caching proxy servers is the storage limitations of the local cache. The proxy server must continuously delete files from the local cache to make room for more recently retrieved web pages. This in turn reduces the likelihood that the proxy server can return a file from cache and conserve bandwidth resources. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide an improved system for returning requested files from a cache to improve bandwidth savings over current proxy server techniques.
To overcome limitations in the art described above, preferred embodiments disclose a system, method, and program for accessing files maintained in a server that are capable of being accessed over a network. A request is received for a file maintained in the server. A determination is then made as to whether a copy of the requested file is stored in a storage system. The system then determines a delay time associated with retrieving the copy of the requested file from the storage system after determining that the storage system includes the copy of the requested file. A determination is then made as to whether the delay time exceeds a maximum delay time. The system retrieves the requested file from the storage system to return to the request after determining that the delay time does not exceed the maximum delay time. Alternatively, the system retrieves the requested file from the server over the network to return to the request after determining that the delay time exceeds the maximum delay time.
In further embodiments, the time to process all file requests comprises determining the delay time for each queued file request by adding (1) a set-up time estimating time needed to ready the storage system for data transfer operations and (2) a data transfer time to transfer the data of the requested file from the secondary storage. The delay times for each queued file request are added to estimate the time to process all file requests queued against the storage system.
Preferred embodiments provide a method to determine whether the time to access a requested file from local storage exceeds a maximum wait time. This method is particularly applicable to situations where a storage system, such as a tape library, is used to cache files retrieved from a server over a network. If the delay time to retrieve the file from the storage system exceeds the maximum wait time, then the file may be retrieved from the server over the network. In further embodiments, the network response time to retrieve the file from over the network may be determined. If the time to access the requested file exceeds the maximum wait time, but is still less than the network response time, then the request will be queued against the storage system. In this case, the storage system, although slower than the maximum wait time, is still faster than the network.
This method and system for determining whether to access a requested file from storage is particularly applicable to preferred embodiments where the storage or cache of files retrieved from servers over the network comprises a primary storage system and a slower secondary storage, such as a tape library. In preferred embodiments, the secondary storage substantially increases the cache storage size at a substantially lower cost per unit of storage than the primary storage. If the number of files migrated to the secondary storage results in lengthy queues of file requests against the secondary storage, then there may be a significant delay time to retrieve files from secondary storage. In such case, the method of the preferred embodiments bypasses the secondary storage and instead retrieves the requested file from over the network, thereby avoiding queue delays at the secondary storage.

System, method, and program for accessing secondary storage in a network system

International Business Machines Corporation


Foamed thin materials such as foamed film and foamed fibrillated materials produced by extruding a composition consisting of 100 parts by weight of aliphatic polyester having a melt viscosity of 1.0.times.10.sup.3 -1.0.times.10.sup.5 poises at a temperature of 190.degree. C. and a shear rate of 100 sec.sup.-1, and having a melting point of 70.degree.-200.degree. C., and 0.2-5 parts by weight of foaming agent. These foamed thin materials has biodegradability, excellent mechanical, insulating, touch and aesthetic properties. They are useful materials as insulating, packaging, oil absorbing materials and filters.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to foamed thin materials, especially, films and fibrillated materials having excellent fineness and feel which are prepared by using aliphatic polyesters with biodegradability and sufficiently high molecular weight and specific melt properties for practical use.
2. Discussion of the Background
In recent years, foamed films are used as insulating materials, packaging materials, industrial and agricultural materials. Further, an adsorptive plastic cellular fibrillated material has been used such processes as the separation of oil spills, removal of toxious floats on rivers, removal of nicotine from cigarettes and the like. On the other hand, as it also has a soft feel and aesthetic properties and has been utilized in industrial materials such as mats.
However, there has greatly been a community problem in that the plastic waste resulting from their use can pollute rivers, oceans, soil and the like. To prevent such pollution the development of biodegradable plastics has been desired; for, example, poly(3-hydroxybutylate) produced by fermentation methods using microorganisms, blends of general-purpose plastics and starch, a naturally occurring polymer, and the like are already known. The former polymer has a drawback in that it is poor in molding properties because the polymer has a heat decomposition temperature close to its melting point and a raw material efficiency is very bad because it is produced by microorganisms. On the other hand, since the naturally occurring polymer of the latter does not by itself have thermoplasticity, the polymer has defects in molding properties, and is greatly limited in its range of application.
On the other hand, although it is known that aliphatic polyesters are biodegradable, they have hardly been used because the polymer which has sufficient high molecular weight to obtain practical molded product cannot be obtained. Recently, it has been found that a ring-opening polymerization of .epsilon.-caprolactone produces a higher molecular weight polymer, and proposed to use the polymer as a biodegradable resin. However, the resulting polymer is limited to only special applications because of a low melting point of 62.degree. C. and a high cost thereof. Further, although glycolic acid, lactic acid and the like are polymerized by a ring-opening polymerization of glycolide and lactide thereof to obtain polymers with higher molecular weights so as to be sometimes used as medical fibers and the like, the polymers are not used in great amounts as materials preventing pollution of environment because their decomposition temperatures are close to their melting point and they have defects in their molding properties.
It is no exaggeration to say that high molecular weight polyesters (referring to polyesters having number-average molecular weights of at least 10,000) generally used for foamed film and split materials are limited to polyethylene terephthalete, a condensate of terephthalic acid (including dimethyl terephthalate) and ethylene glycol. Although there are cases of 2,6-naphtbalenedicarboxylic acid being used instead of terephthalic acid, there are no reports of trials which obtained polymers with biodegradability.
Therefore, it is safe to say that there has been no concept of trying to make the foamed film and fibrillated materials in practical use by molding using biodegradable aliphatic polyesters in which aliphatic dicarboxylic acid was used.
One of the reasons why this application concept has not been thought of is felt to be that in spite of the required special molding conditions and physical properties for the above foamed film and split materials, most of the above-mentioned aliphatic polyesters have melting points of 100.degree. C. or lower even if they are crystalline, and have poor heat stability when melted above that. Of further importance is that the properties, particularly mechanical properties such as tensile strength, of these aliphatic polyesters show markedly poor values even when they are the same level of number-average molecular weight as the above-mentioned polyethylene terephthalete, so just conceiving that the molded articles having required strength and the like would be obtained was difficult.
Another reason seems to be that studies for improving the physical properties of the aliphatic polyesters by increasing their number-average molecular weights have not been sufficiently advanced because of their poor heat stability.
The object of the present invention is to provide foamed thin materials prepared by using the above-mentioned aliphatic polyesters as their components which have sufficiently high molecular weights for practical use, and excellent mechanical properties represented by heat stability and tensile strength as well as fineness and feel, and which can be decomposed by microorganisms and the like, i.e., are biodegradable as one means of waste disposal so that they may be easily disposed of after the use thereof.


A programmable logic array (PLA) is provided with a decoder at the input. Each product term line of the PLA has an associated power switch that is controlled by an output of the decoder. Only a portion of the PLA that includes the product term lines activated for a particular operation is powered up for that operation, thus minimizing power consumption.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates the field of programmable logic arrays (PLAs), and more particularly relates to high performance PLAs utilized in applications requiring a minimal power consumption.
2. Background Art
PLAs have been used for decades to efficiently implement logic in circuit design. PLAs are widely used, for example, in integrated circuits making up the component parts of computers, including personal computers.
Recently, the market place for personal computers has been demanding ever smaller and more portable personal computers. Such portable computers are typically powered by batteries. This has been feasible using CMOS technology integrated circuits using traditional circuit designs, since CMOS technology is inherently a relatively low power technology, compared, for example, to bipolar circuit technology.
However, personal computers implemented in traditional CMOS circuitry nonetheless still consume enough power to discharge batteries in a period of time short enough to be considered undesirable. One of the sources of this excessive power consumption is the aforementioned PLAs.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional static PLA implemented in CMOS in a Static NOR-NOR configuration with grounded pull-up P type devices to achieve high density. This approach provides the smallest layout area for the PLA in CMOS, and provides excellent performance, but consumes considerably more DC power than a conventional CMOS dynamic PLA implementation, as is known.
Attempts have been made to lower the power consumption requirements of high performance PLAs of this type. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,769, entitled "MOS Read Only Memory Device," which issued Aug. 2, 1988, and was assigned to Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., discloses a PLA having a clock signal generator circuit for generating a pair of positive and negative clock signals by detecting a change in the input signal to the PLA. In response thereto, a charging control circuit arrangement powers up the array. In this way, it is claimed that power consumption is reduced because the PLA is only powered up when needed. However, even this arrangement results in unacceptable power consumption for battery powered computers.
Other references in the general field are U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,726, entitled, "Low Power Programming Circuit For User Programmable Digital Logic Array," which issued Sep. 3, 1991, to North American Phillips Corporation, and which discloses a user programmable PLA comprising a plurality of bipolar transistors arranged in respective rows and columns. Programming current of sufficient magnitude is provided to selected rows and columns to cause a fused connection to be made, thereby characterizing the PLA. The circuit is configured such that row drivers and transmission gates only draw quiescent operating current in operation if the associated link has been previously fused.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,017, entitled "Programmable Logic Array With Reduced Power Consumption," which issued on Jul. 16, 1991, and was assigned to Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu Micro Computer Systems Limited, discloses a PLA having a precharge and discharge arrangement which operates in synchronism with a clock signal supplied thereto. A circuit is provided that holds the programmable logic array in a precharged state by setting the clock signal to a fixed level when the PLA is not selected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,105, entitled "CMOS Programmable Logic Array," which issued on Sep. 29, 1987 and was assigned to the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories, discloses a PLA including a dynamic AND plane and an OR plane using clock load devices. The high precharged voltage state in the AND plane places the logic lines in the OR plane in a low voltage state during precharge. The OR logic lines may then be pulled to a high level during the decode operation. A clock having a delay path is used to control the precharge and decode operations of the PLA.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,646, entitled "Programmable Logic Array Using Emitter-Coupled Logic," which issued on Mar. 21, 1989 and was assigned to Monolithic Memories, Inc., discloses an ECL PLA in which various expedients allegedly produce lower power operation, including the provision of a switched current source pull-down means for pulling down the rows of the PLA array, and by allowing each pair of output terminals to share a predefined set of product terms.
None of the above arrangements provide the desired level of low power operation, combined with high performance operation of the PLA.


A chip-type solid electrolytic capacitor comprises capacitor elements. A cathode terminal comprising a plate-like conductor is interposed between cathode layers of the capacitor elements. The capacitor elements are bonded to each other by a bonding agent such as a solder or a conductive adhesive. The cathode terminal is provided with a through hole formed at a portion to be brought into contact with each of the capacitor elements. Bonding surfaces of the capacitor elements are directly connected at the through hole.

This invention relates to a chip-type solid electrolytic capacitor using a sintered body of a valve metal as an anode member and a method of producing the same and, in particular, to a chip-type solid electrolytic capacitor having a large capacity and a low equivalent series resistance (hereinafter abbreviated to ESR) and a method of producing the same.
In a solid electrolytic capacitor, an oxide layer obtained by electrolytic oxidation of an anode member is used as a dielectric member. The anode member comprises a sintered body of a so-called valve metal, such as aluminum, tantalum, niobium, titanium, hafnium, and zirconium, allowing formation of the oxide layer which is dense and highly insulative.
Typically, the solid electrolytic capacitor mentioned above is produced by a method comprising steps of forming an oxide layer by electrochemical anodic oxidation of a sintered body of a valve metal to serve as an anode member, forming a cathode layer and attaching a cathode terminal thereto, and attaching an anode terminal to an anode lead, thereby obtaining the capacitor For example, manganese dioxide is used as the cathode layer. In order to further improve the frequency characteristic, development is made of a solid electrolytic capacitor in which a conductive polymer is used as the cathode layer so as to reduce the ESR.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a typical conventional chip-type solid electrolytic capacitor will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the solid electrolytic capacitor comprises a capacitor element 1, an anode lead 2, a cathode terminal 3, and an anode terminal 6. The capacitor element 1 comprises an anode member 7, an oxide layer 8, and a cathode layer 9. The anode lead 2 is extracted from the anode member 7. The above-mentioned components are enclosed in an encapsulating resin 10 formed by resin molding.
As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the anode lead 2 is insulated from the cathode layer 9 by the oxide layer 8. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the cathode terminal 3 and the anode terminal 6 are generally formed into shapes along the encapsulating resin 10 so as to be adapted to surface mounting.
The chip-type solid electrolytic capacitor having such a structure suitable for surface mounting is small in size, large in capacitance, and excellent in frequency characteristic and is widely used in a power supply circuit of a CPU and the like. However, as an operation frequency of the CPU becomes higher, there is an increasing demand for an improvement in noise characteristic of the power supply circuit as well as an increase in allowable ripple current. As a consequence, a capacitor further lowered in ESR is required.
Further, an apparatus to which the CPU is mounted is under development towards a smaller size and an advanced function. Accordingly, it is necessary to simultaneously satisfy not only the demand for a lower ESR but also the demand for a small size, a large capacitance, and a thin profile.
Generally, if a plurality of capacitors are connected in parallel, a total capacitance (Ctotal) and a total ESR (ESRtotal) are given by:Ctotal=C1+C2+ . . . +Cn  (1)1/ESRtotal=1/ESR1+1/ESR2+ . . . +1/ESRn  (2)Herein, Ci and ESRi represent the capacitance and the ESR of an i-th (i being a natural number between 1 and n) capacitor, respectively.
Therefore, by connecting a plurality of capacitor elements having the shape illustrated in FIG. 1A in parallel, the capacitance will be increased and the ESR will be reduced. This also applies to the case where the solid electrolytic capacitor is operated as a transmission-line noise filter.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-284192 (Reference 1) discloses a first conventional technique of connecting a plurality of capacitor elements in parallel. Specifically, anode leads of a plurality of capacitor elements having the structure illustrated in FIG. 1A are connected to an anode terminal comprising a lead frame. A cathode layer of at least one capacitor element is connected to a cathode terminal comprising a lead frame.
Referring to FIG. 2, connection of a plurality of capacitor elements disclosed in Reference 1 will be described. In the figure, two capacitor elements 1d are connected to each other by the use of a silver paste through a cathode terminal 3c comprising a lead frame. Anode leads 2d are connected to opposite surfaces of an anode terminal 6 comprising a lead frame, respectively.
The present inventor developed a second conventional technique as a further improvement of the first conventional technique disclosed in Reference 1. The invention related to the second conventional technique is a subject of Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-106565 (not yet published). In the second conventional technique, a plurality of capacitor elements are connected in the following manner. A plate-like anode terminal is provided with at least one slit and divided by the slit into a plurality of parts, which are bent in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the anode terminal to form branched portions. Anode leads of the capacitor elements are individually connected to the branched portions of the anode terminal, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 3, connection of a plurality of capacitor elements disclosed in the second conventional technique will be described. In FIG. 3, two capacitor elements 1a and 1c are connected to each other. Anode leads 2a and 2c are extracted from the capacitor elements 1a and 1c, respectively. A cathode terminal 3d is interposed between the capacitor elements 1a and 1c. The anode leads 2a and 2c are connected to an anode terminal 6a.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the anode terminal 6a has a plate-like shape and has an end portion divided by a slit into two parts, which are bent in a vertical direction in FIG. 3 to form branched portions. Each of the anode leads 2a and 2c is extracted from a side surface of each of the capacitor elements 1a and 1c and is positioned in the vicinity of an end portion of the side surface. The capacitor elements 1a and 1c are laminated so that the anode leads 2a and 2c are apart from each other.
The capacitor elements 1a and 1c are connected through the cathode terminal 3d. Therefore, a cathode layer (not shown) formed on a surface of each capacitor element is connected to the cathode terminal 3d. In Reference 2, the anode leads 2a and 2c are connected to the anode terminal 6a in the above-mentioned manner so that an interference between nuggets formed by welding or between fillets formed by brazing is avoided and the variation in bonding strength is suppressed.
However, in the techniques disclosed in the above-mentioned references, the capacitor elements are almost individually and separately bonded to the cathode terminal. The surface conditions of the capacitor elements are nonuniform. Further, the amount of a conductive adhesive applied to bond the capacitor elements and the cathode terminal is not uniform. The two capacitor elements are individually connected to opposite surfaces of the cathode terminal by the conductive adhesive, respectively. Therefore, nonuniformity or variation tends to occur in bonding strength between the capacitor elements and the cathode terminal. For example, the bonding strength between one capacitor element and the cathode terminal may be within a managing standard while the bonding strength between the other capacitor element and the cathode terminal may not meet the standard. Consequently, the variation in bonding strength is difficult to suppress. This may result in variation in characteristic of a solid electrolytic capacitor as a finished product.

Chip-type solid electrolytic capacitor and method of producing the same


The invention provides novel compounds which bind to the high affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E (IgE) designated FcεRI and methods for identifying and preparing such compounds. In particular aspects, the invention provides to the treatment of disorders mediated by IgE utilizing the novel compounds of the invention. The invention also provides composition, such as pharmaceutical compositions, comprising the novel compounds, as well as for their use in research, diagnostic, therapeutic, and prophylactic methods.

IgE plays a central role in allergic disorders. IgE high affinity receptors (FcεRI) are located on mast cells and basophils, which serve as antigenic targets stimulating the further release of inflammatory mediators producing many of the manifestations of allergic disease.
IgE-mediated inflammation occurs when antigen binds to the IgE antibodies that occupy the FcεRI receptor on mast cells. Within minutes, this binding causes the mast cell to degranulate releasing certain preformed mediators. Subsequently, the degranulated cell begins to synthesize and release additional mediators de novo. The result is a two-phase response: an initial immediate effect on blood vessels, smooth muscle, and glandular secretion (immediate hypersensitivity), followed up a few hours later by cellular infiltration of the involved site.
IgE antibodies bind to mast cells via the numerous high-affinity Fc receptors on the surface of each cell. The binding is noncovalent and reversible, so that bound antibodies are in constant equilibrium with the pool of circulating IgE. As a result, each mast cell can bind many different antigens. A response is initiated when a multivalent antigen binds two or more IgE antibodies occupying FcεRI receptors. The cross-linking transmits a signal that activates the mast cell, resulting in activation of protein tyrosine kinases and increasing the intracellular free calcium levels. Soon after, cytoplasmic granules fuse with one another and with the surface membrane, discharging their contents to the exterior. Basophils also express FcεRI receptors, but their effect on immediate hypersensitivity reactions is unknown.
This immediate phase of the inflammatory response results mainly from preformed mediators (especially histamine) that are stored in mast cell granules, as well as certain rapidly synthesized arachidonate derivatives. Maximal intensity of the response results after about 15 minutes after the initial antigen contact. Characteristics of this phase are erythema, localized edema in the form of a wheal and pruritus (itching). However, the granule contents also induce local expression of the vascular addressin VCAM-1 (Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule) which assists in vascular permeability. Additional mast cell granule contents include RANTES and other chemokines, which are molecules having chemoattractant activity for leukocytes and fibroblasts, ultimately resulting in inflammation of the site.
Manifestations of the late phase are due in part to presynthesized TNF-α and in part to other mediators (e.g., PAF, IL-4 and arachidonate metabolites), the synthesize of which begins after mast cell degranulation. The effects of these mediators becomes apparent about six hours after antigen contact and are marked by an infiltrate of eosinophils and neutrophils. Clinical features of the late phase include erythema, induration, warmth, pruritus, and a burning sensation at the affected site. Mast cell-derived IL-4 promotes the production of TH2 cells. TNF-α not only functions in the short term as a leukocyte chemoattractant, but can also stimulate local angiogenesis, fibroblast proliferation, and scar formation during prolonged hypersensitivity reactions.
IgE-mediated inflammation is the mechanism underlying atopic allergy (such as hay fever, asthma and atopic dermatitis), systemic anaphylactic reactions and allergic urticaria (hives). It may normally play a role as a first line of immunologic defense, since it causes rapid vasodilation, facilitating entry of circulating soluble factors and cells to the site of antigen contact. Many of the most destructive attributes of allergic disease are due to the actions of the chemoattracted leukocytes, rather than from the mast cells themselves.
The use of bacteriophage particles for display of diverse peptide libraries (phage display) has been described (Lowman, (1997) Ann. Rev. Biophys. Biomol. Struct. 26:401–424). Phage display technology provides a means for generating both structurally constrained and unconstrained peptide libraries (Devin et al., (1990) Science 249:404–406; Cwirla et al., (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:6378–6382; Lowman and Wells (1991) Methods: Comp. to Methods Enzymol. 3:205–216; Lowman (1997) Ann. Rev. Biophys. Biomol. Struct. 26:401–424). These libraries can be used in the identification and selection of peptide ligands that bind a predetermined target molecule (Lowman (1997), supra); Clackson and Wells (1994) Trends Biotechnol. 12:173–184; Devlin et al., (1990) supra). Phage display has been used to identify peptide motifs that home to a cellular target (Arap et al., (1998) Science 279:377–380); bind the human type I interleukin 1 (IL-1) receptor and block the binding of IL-1 (Yanofsky et al., (1996) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 93:7381–7386); bind to and activate the receptor for the cytokine erythropoietin (EPO)(Wrighton et al., (1996) Science 273:458–463); bind the human thrombopoietin receptor and compete with the binding of the natural ligand thrombopoietin (TPO)(Cwirla et al., (1997) Science, 276:1696–1699), bind and inhibit Factor Vila (Dennis et al. (2000) Nature 404:465) or to generate affinity improved or matured peptide ligands from native protein binding ligands (Lowman et al., (1991) Biochemistry 30: 10832–10838).
Using structurally constrained peptide libraries generated by monovalent phage display, 14 amino acid peptides that bind to insulin-like growth factor 1 binding proteins (IGFBPs) have been isolated (Lowman et al., (1998) Biochemistry, 37:8870–8878). The peptides contain a helix structure and bind IGFBPs in vitro liberating insulin like growth factor-a (IGF-1) activity (Lowman et al., (1998) supra). Utilizing in vivo phage selection, the technique has been used to identify and isolate peptides capable of mediating selective localization to various organs such as brain and kidney (Pasqualini and Ruoslohti (1996) Nature 380:364–366) as well as to identify peptides that home to particular tumor types bearing αvβ3 or αvβ5 integrins (Arap et al., (1998) Science 279:377–380). U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,263 describes peptides that are recognized by and selectively bind the α5β1 integrin. Examples of affinity or specificity improved proteins include human growth hormone, zinc fingers, protease inhibitors, ANP, and antibodies (Wells, J. and Lowman H. (1992) Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 2:597–604; Clackson, T. and Wells, J. (1994) Trends Biotechnol. 12:173–184; Lowman et al., (1991) Biochemistry 30(10):832–838; Lowman et al. and Wells J. (1993) J. Mol. Biol. 234:564–578; Dennis M. and Lazarus R. (1994) J Biol. Chem. 269(22):22137–22144.
The allergic response, when mediated by immunoglobulins of the E classification (IgE), is associated with disease states such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. The interaction between IgE and its high affinity receptor is a key step this allergic response. IgE immunoglobulins, specific for particular allergens, bind through their Fc region to specific high affinity receptors, FcεRI, on mast cells, basophils, and other cells (Ishizaka et al., (1970) Immunochemistry 7:687–702; Metzger et al., (1986) Ann. Rev. Immunol. 4:419–470; Kinet (1999) Ann. Rev. Immunol. 17:931–972). Antigen crosslinking of IgE bound FcεRI initiates an allergic cascade that results in mast cell degranulation and release of mediators of the allergic response such as histamine, leukotrienes and prostaglandins. Release of these mediators in turn leads to increased vascular permeability and the infiltration of platelets, eosinophils and neutrophils into surrounding tissue.
The FcεRI is present on cells as either a trimeric αγ2 or tetrameric αβ2 structure with the extracellular domains of the a chain conferring high affinity IgE binding. The crystal structure of the α chain has recently been solved (Garman S. C., et al. (1998) Cell 95:951–961). Mutagenesis studies have been performed to identify residues which contribute to IgE-Fc/FcεRI complex formation (Nissim et al., (1991) EMBO J. 10:101–107). Reports of the crystal structure of a complex of human FcεRI with bound IgE-Fc suggest two distinct binding sites for IgE-Fc in the IgE-Fc/FcεRI structure (Garman et al., (2000) Nature 406:259–266).
The binding of antibodies to the Fc portion of IgE can inhibit binding of IgE to receptor (Presta et al., (1993) J. Immunol. 151:2623–2632; Kolbinger et al., (1993) Protein Engineering 6:971–980) and can reduce free IgE levels in vivo (Saini et al., (1999) J. Immunol. 162:5624–5630). It has also been reported that certain peptides, designed to mimic a portion of the FcεRI receptor, can bind to the Fc portion of IgE and inhibit IgE binding to receptor (McDonnell et al., Nature Struct. Biol. 3:419425; McDonnell et al., (1997) Biochem. Soc. Trans. 25:387–392).
Presta et al. (1993) J. Immunol. 151:2623–2632 disclose a humanized anti-IgE antibody that prevents the binding of free IgE to FcεRI but does not bind to FcεRI-bound IgE. Clinical studies of allergic individuals using an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody have been reported (Jardieu and Fick (1999) Intl. Arch. Allergy Immunol. 118:112–115).
As a result, molecules which block the binding of IgE to FcεRI, the IgE high affinity receptor would also be expected to have efficacy in the treatment of IgE-mediated disorders.