Genes for proteins which spontaneously form dimers and/or oligomers can be recombinantly linked together, which upon expression in E. coli produces stable dimeric fusion proteins that spontaneously self-assemble into enormous, polyvalent complexes having increased immunogenicity and functionality. Linear, network and agglomerate complexes with enormous sizes and polyvalences are constructed using glutathione S-transferase, Norovirus P domains (NoV P− and NoV+), the protruding (P) domain of hepatitis E virus (HEV P), the astrovirus P domain (AstV), a monomeric peptide epitope (M2e of influenza virus), and/or a protein antigen (VP8* of rotavirus) fused in different combinations. The resulting complexes can contain hundreds to thousands NoV P-protein, HEV, AstV, M2e and/or VP8* copies and exhibit higher immunogenicity than the individual proteins alone. The large size and multivalent nature of the complexes are candidates as a bivalent or multivalent vaccines against Norovirus and other pathogens, and for generation of antibodies for diagnosis and research purposes.

Norovirus (NoV), also known previously as "Norwalk-Like Virus" (NLV) or small round structured virus, is the most important viral pathogen of epidemic acute gastroenteritis that occurs in both developed and developing countries. These genetically diverse viruses comprise two major genogroups (GI and GII) and approximately 30 genotypes. NoVs belong to the genus Norovirus in the Caliciviridae family and are non-enveloped, icosahedral, single stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses whose outer protein capsids are composed of 180 copies of a single major structural protein, the VP1 protein.
The NoV genome is ˜7.6 kb in length, and is composed of three open reading frames (ORFs), of which the latter two encode the major (VP1) and minor (VP2) structural proteins of NoV capsid, respectively. When expressed in vitro in eukaryotic cells, the NoV capsid protein self-assembles into virus-like particle (VLPs) that are structurally and antigenically indistinguishable from native NoV virions. The crystal structure of NoV capsid reveals a T=3 icosahedral symmetry, formed by 180 VP1s that organize into 90 dimers (17). Each VP1 can be divided into two major domains, the shell (S) and the protruding (P) domains that constitute the icosahedral shell and protruding arches of the capsid, respectively. The protruding arch, formed by a P dimer, represents the surface antigenic structure of NoV and is responsible for virus-host interactions and immune responses of NoVs. NoV VLPs serve as a useful tool for NoV research, owing to the lack of an effective cell culture and a small animal model for human NoVs. The S and P domains appear to be structurally and functionally independent. Expression of the S domain alone forms S particles with a smooth surface without binding function to histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs), the viral receptors or ligands of human NoVs. On the other hand, expression of the P domain (with or without end-modifications) can form three types of P domain complexes, each having binding function to HBGAs. They are the P dimer, and two larger oligomers of the P dimer: the 12-mer small P particle, and the 24-mer P particle. We have also recently identified 18-mer and 36-mer P complexes, demonstrating the interchangeable nature and dynamic relationship of all P domain complexes. Since the P dimer and the P particle can be easily produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli) and retain HBGA-binding function, they have been used as models for the study of NoV-HBGA interaction extensively. U.S. Pat. No. 8,277,819, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, describes Norovirus capsid protein monomers having only the P domain that can assemble spontaneously into a P-particle having an icosahedral form. These stable P-particles are useful in methods for diagnosing and treating Norovirus-infected individuals, and in methods for making vaccines and for the treatment, amelioration and prevention of Norovirus infections.
Previously it has been demonstrated that the P particle can be applied as a vaccine platform for foreign antigen presentation. Each P domain has three surface loops on the distal end, corresponding to the outermost surface of the P particle. Previous studies demonstrated that these loops are excellent sites in presenting a foreign antigen for increased immune responses. U.S. Pat. Publication 2010-0322962, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses that a distal portion of the NoV P-domain monomer includes a peptide string into which a peptide unit of a foreign antigen, and in particular a foreign viral antigen, can be inserted. The resulting antigen-P-domain monomers can spontaneously assemble into a nanoparticle called an antigen-P-particle, typically of an octahedral form, that consists of 24 of the antigen-P-domain monomers arranged into 12 dimers. This P-particle is easily produced in E. coli, extremely stable, and highly immunogenic. We studied this particle using a His-tag as a model and obtained excellent results.
Bioengineering has become an important field that advances many technologies of modern medicine. Development of recombinant viral subunit vaccines for control and prevention of infectious diseases is a typical example. Unlike traditional vaccines, which are either live attenuated or inactivated viruses, the subunit vaccines are recombinant viral proteins. Therefore, the subunit vaccines do not have risk of infection while inducing protective antiviral immune responses and thus represent a new, safer generation of vaccines. Successful examples of such recombinant vaccines include the four commercially available virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines: Recombivax HB (Merck) and Energix-B (GlaxoSmithKline, GSK) against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Gardasil (Merck) and Cervarix (GSK) against human papilloma virus (HPV). Additionally, numerous other subviral vaccines, including the Norovirus (NoV) VLP and P particle vaccines are under intensive development. Hence, recombinant subunit vaccine technology represents an innovative vaccine strategy complementary to conventional vaccine approaches.
An important factor for a recombinant viral antigen to become an effective vaccine is its immunogenicity. Most icosahedral VLPs are highly immunogenic because of their large sizes and polyvalent antigenic structures. However, many other monomeric, dimeric and oligomeric viral antigens possess a low immunogenicity due to their smaller sizes and low valences. Traditionally, these small antigens need to be presented by a large, multivalent vaccine platform for improved immunogenicity to become candidate vaccines. For example, rotavirus VP8* antigen (159 residues), the outermost portion of the spike protein VP4, has been conjugated to the surface loop of the 24-meric NoV P particle for increased immunogenicity and protective immunity. However, although a number of small viral or bacterial antigens have been successfully presented by different multivalent platforms, limitations clearly exist depending on the structural compatibility between the antigens and the platforms, which prevent a wider application of the current vaccine platforms.
Notwithstanding the advancements in the therapeutic treatment of and vaccine development against viral and bacterial infection, including NoV infections, there remains a need for improving and/or enhancing the immunogenicity of vaccines in general, and in particular providing a vaccine against NoV that has increased immunogenicity. It would also be beneficial to provide a large, multivalent immunogenic composition that can significantly increase the functionality of a functional group, such as a drug effective group, and/or enhance the immunogenicity of an antigen or epitope. There also remains a need to provide therapeutic treatment in the form of a multivalent vaccine for infections caused by NoV, as well as virus types other than NoV.

Protein complex system for increased immunogenicity and functionality, and methods making and use


There is provided a method and circuit for trimming a functional resistor on a thermally isolated micro-platform such that a second functional resistor on the same micro-platform remains substantially untrimmed; a method and circuit for providing and trimming a circuit such that at least two circuit elements of the circuit are subjected to a same operating environment and the operating environment is compensated for by distributing heat generated during operation of the circuit among the two circuit elements; a method and circuit for trimming a functional resistor on a thermally-isolated micro-platform such that a constant temperature distribution is obtained across the functional resistor; and a method and circuit for calculating a temperature coefficient of resistance of a functional resistor.

The trimming (adjustment) of resistors is a widely used procedure in the manufacture of microelectronics and electronic components, and in common design of user circuits, especially where precision calibration is desired. In principle, one trims the resistor until an observable local or global circuit parameter reaches a desired value. Resistor trimming is widespread in both manufacturing of a variety of components and instruments, and in the user community.
Several methods exist for trimming resistors, applicable at various levels of the manufacturer-to-user chain, including laser-trimming, electrical trimming, trimming by reconfiguration of resistor networks using fuses, and the use of trimpots (potentiometers) having variable numbers of resistive turns.
Electro-thermal trimming phenomena have been observed by several authors, for the trimming of a variety of resistor materials. For example, Kato and Ono ("Constant Voltage Trimming of Heavily-Doped Polysilicon Resistors," Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 34, 1995, pp.45-53), related experimental results to a theoretical model, whereby the instability of polysilicon as a function of applied voltage and current were explained by melting-segregation at grain boundaries in the polysilicon, modified by the temperature dependence of grain resistance. In their formulation, the resistance behavior is found to be highly non-linear, with little or no change in resistance for low power dissipation (below a certain threshold), and dramatically increased instability above a certain threshold. Also, research at Motorola by D. Feldbaumer, J. Babcock, ("Theory and Application of Polysilicon Resistor Trimming", Solid-State Electronics, 1995, vol. 38, pp. 1861-1869) prove that polysilicon resistors, so-trimmed at higher temperature(s), exhibit excellent stability in absolute resistance, during operation at or near room temperature.
The thermal instability, (unstable resistance variation with temperature) of polysilicon resistors located on micro-machined platform suspended over cavities, is known (Canadian Microelectronics Corporation Report #IC95-08 September 1995; and O. Grudin, R. Marinescu, L. M. Landsberger, D. Cheeke, M. Kahrizi, "CMOS-Compatible High-Temperature Micro-Heater: Microstructure Release and Testing," Canadian Journal of Elec. and Comp. Engineering, 2000, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 29-34.) It is known that, for a resistance element on a micro-platform, the resistance could be increased or decreased depending on the power applied through that resistance element. This is usually considered to be a disadvantage for the use of polysilicon for resistive elements where stability is important. This present invention concerns the use of this instability (or any similar threshold-dependent instability in resistive materials), to overcome any of a group of several obstacles present in the aggregate of the prior art. In particular, the material should be stable below a certain threshold of temperature or power dissipation, and relatively less stable above such a threshold, such that its resistance can be modified.
There exists electrical trimming of metal resistors based on inducing electro-migration in the resistive elements by pulsing high currents (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,870,472, 4,606,781). This method relies on very high current density to cause the electro-migration.
There exists electrical trimming based on thermally-induced changes in resistivity of polysilicon resistors residing on a substrate (U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,996; D. Feldbaumer, J. Babcock, V. Mercier, C. Chun, "Pulse Current Trimming of Polysilicon Resistors", IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, 1995, vol. 42, pp. 689-695; D. Feldbaumer, J. Babcock, "Theory and Application of Polysilicon Resistor Trimming", Solid-State Electronics, 1995, vol. 38, pp. 1861-1869), or resistors made from other thermally-mutable types of materials). This method relies on the application of highly dissipated power (such as several watts), to sufficiently heat the resistors while they are on the substrate which effectively acts as a heat-sink. This in turn requires high voltage and brings the danger of damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD).
Arguably in large part to get around this problem, Motorola invented thermal trimming of a functional resistor by an auxiliary resistor which is electrically-isolated from the functional resistor. This allows functional trimming to set a parameter of a larger circuit (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,679,275, 5,635,893, 5,466,484), with the trimmable resistor as a component, without repeated disconnection-reconnection of the functional resistor. This also allows the trimming of resistors having high resistance values, without extra constraints on the heater resistor.
The Motorola invention involves placing the resistors one over the other, separated by a very thin electrically-insulating film. This configuration is required principally because the two resistors are situated on the substrate, which acts as a heat sink. Thus, a substantial amount of power is required to be dissipated to attain the trimming temperature. Consequently, the one-over-the-other configuration is preferred in the prior art, in order to maximize the heat transferred from the heater-resistor to the functional-resistor. Any other configuration, such as side-by-side and made from the same deposited layer, would require much higher power-dissipation in the heater-resistor, which in turn would require a higher supply voltage and would unduly heat the substrate. It should be noted that the substantial power dissipated in the heater resistor must be conducted away through the insulating oxide, functional resistor, and other surrounding layers and devices.
The concept of a micro-platform or microstructure suspended over a cavity in a substrate (such as a cavity micro-machined in silicon), including electrically-resistive elements for heating and/or sensing, has been well-known in the literature for a decade or more (Canadian Microelectronics Corporation Report #IC95-08 September 1995; F. Volklein and H. Baltes, "A Microstructure for Measurement of Thermal Conductivity of Polysilicon Thin Films", J. Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 1, No. 4, December 1992, p. 193, and references therein; Y. C. Tai and R. S. Muller, "Lightly-Doped Polysilicon Bridge as an Anemometer," Transducers '87, Rec. of the 4th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors and Actuators 1987, pp. 360-363; N. R. Swart and A. Nathan, "Reliability Study of Polysilicon for Micro-hotplates," Solid State Sensor and Actuator Workshop, Hilton Head, Jun. 13-16, 1994, pp. 119-122.). Micro-platforms with embedded resistive elements are commonly seen in micro-sensor, micro-actuator and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) literature since 1990 or earlier (e.g. I. H. Choi and K. Wise, "A Silicon-Thermopile-Based Infrared Sensing Array for Use in Automated Manufacturing," IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. ED-33, No. 1, pp. 72-79, January 1986).
The concept of using a resistive heater to heat an entire suspended micro-platform or microstructure is also well-known in the literature for at least approximately a decade (C. H. Mastrangelo, J. H.-L. Yeh, R. S. Muller, "Electrical and Optical Characteristics of Vacuum-Sealed Polysilicon Micro-lamps", IEEE Trans. Electron. Dev., vol.39, No. 6, June 1992, pp. 1363-1375; N. R. Swart, and A. Nathan, "Reliability of Polysilicon for Micro-plates," Solid-State Sensor and Actuators Workshop, Hilton Head, S.C., Jun. 13-16, 1994, pp. 119-122; S. Wessel, M. Parameswaran, R. F. Frindt, and R. Morrison, "A CMOS Thermally-isolated Heater Structure as Substrate for Semiconductor Gas Sensors," Microelectronics, Vol. 23, No. 6, September 1992, pp. 451-456; M. Parameswaran, A. M. Robinson, Lj. Ristic, K. C. Chau, and W. Allegretto, "A CMOS Thermally Isolated Gas Flow Sensor," Sensors and Materials, 2, 1, (1990), pp. 17-26.)
University of Michigan has patented (U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,321), the thermally-induced modification of parameters such as resonance frequency and Q of micro-machined resonators and other micro-structures residing on a micro-platform, using a separate micro-heater, also on the micro-platform.
Thermal trimming of a thermo-anemometer-type of sensor (such as a thermal accelerometer) is known (U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,197), where temperature-sensitive metal resistors are heated until they oxidize, hence changing the resistance of the metal film. This procedure is not reversible, and can be used only at the manufacturing stage (not practical for user- or field-trimming).
A method of creating a precise resistance having little-to-no drift with temperature (so-called "zero-TCR"), based on combination (connection) of two resistors having positive and negative temperature coefficients of resistance (TCR's), with subsequent laser trimming, has also been invented (U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,276). The method involves calibration steps wherein the resistor is heated up to a predetermined temperature (T), then the T-induced resistance drift is measured, then the structure is laser-trimmed to minimize net TCR of the combined resistor, and then the process is repeated until the TCR is reduced to the desired level.
The inclusion of trimmable resistors in certain devices and applications has also been considered in prior inventions (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,679,275, 5,635,893, 5,466,484). In particular, the use in op amps, in reference voltage sources, and in digital-to-analog convertors and analog-to-digital convertors (DAC/ADC's) has been outlined (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,679,275, 5,635,893, 5,466,484.)
There is a need for highly accurate trimming that can exceed the accuracy achieved by laser trimming and does not require special equipment such as powerful lasers.


An image quantization method and apparatus are provided in which a block with a high possibility of having color distortion is more elaborately quantized using a predetermined color distortion removing quantization matrix. The image quantization method includes determining a possibility of color distortion in the block using discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients and pixel values of the block of predetermined size of an image and performing initial quantization on the block using a predetermined color distortion quantization matrix to remove color distortion if the block has a high possibility of color distortion.

1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to image encoding, and more particularly, to image quantization which is performed elaborately by applying a predetermined color distortion removing quantization matrix to a block that has a high possibility of having color distortion.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital image signal is divided into blocks of a predetermined size, e.g., 8×8 blocks, in a spatial domain to be transformed into a frequency domain using discrete cosine transforms (DCTs). In general, since the human visual system is sensitive to low-frequency components, quantization is performed on the digital image signal using a quantization matrix based on the characteristics of the human visual system and compression efficiency in image compression standards such as the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standard.
A color signal includes a luminance signal indicating brightness characteristics of the color signal and a chrominance signal indicating color characteristics of the color signal. In related art methods such as the MPEG-2 standard, the same DCT transformation matrix is applied to both the luminance signal and the chrominance signal. For example, if an input 8×8 block is X, an 8×8 DCT transformation matrix is C, and Y is a DCT-transformed matrix based on an 8×8 block based DCT transformation, a forward DCT is defined as Y=CXCT and C is defined as follows:
                              C          =                      [                                                                                C                    4                                                                                C                    4                                                                                C                    4                                                                                C                    4                                                                                C                    4                                                                                C                    4                                                                                C                    4                                                                                C                    4                                                                                C                    1                                                                                C                    3                                                                                C                    5                                                                                C                    7                                                                                -                                          C                      7                                                                                -                                          C                      5                                                                                -                                          C                      3                                                                                -                                          C                      1                                                                                C                    2                                                                                C                    6                                                                                -                                          C                      6                                                                                -                                          C                      2                                                                                -                                          C                      2                                                                                -                                          C                      6                                                                                C                    6                                                                                C                    2                                                                                C                    3                                                                                -                                          C                      7                                                                                -                                          C                      1                                                                                -                                          C                      5                                                                                C                    5                                                                                C                    1                                                                                C                    7                                                                                -                                          C                      3                                                                                C                    4                                                                                -                                          C                      4                                                                                -                                          C                      4                                                                                C                    4                                                                                C                    4                                                                                -                                          C                      4                                                                                -                                          C                      4                                                                                C                    4                                                                                C                    5                                                                                -                                          C                      1                                                                                C                    7                                                                                C                    3                                                                                -                                          C                      3                                                                                -                                          C                      7                                                                                C                    1                                                                                -                                          C                      5                                                                                C                    6                                                                                -                                          C                      2                                                                                C                    2                                                                                -                                          C                      6                                                                                -                                          C                      6                                                                                C                    2                                                                                -                                          C                      2                                                                                C                    6                                                                                C                    7                                                                                -                                          C                      5                                                                                C                    3                                                                                -                                          C                      1                                                                                C                    1                                                                                -                                          C                      3                                                                                C                    5                                                                                -                                          C                      7                                                                                ]                                                                              (                                                    C                n                            =                              cos                                                  (                                      n                                                                                π                      /                      16                                                        )                                                      ,                          n              =              1                        ,            …                                                              ,            7                    )                                    (        1        )
According to the MPEG-2 standard, the same quantization matrix is used to quantize both a luminance signal and a chrominance signal that are sampled at a ratio of 4:2:0 and then undergo transformation to the frequency domain using DCTs. For example, a quantization matrix such as Equation 2 shown below is applied to a DCT coefficient block of intrapredicted luminance and chrominance signals and a quantization matrix such as Equation 3 shown below is applied to a DCT coefficient block of interpredicted luminance and chrominance signals.
                    [                                            8                                      16                                      19                                      22                                      26                                      27                                      29                                      34                                                          16                                      16                                      22                                      24                                      27                                      29                                      34                                      37                                                          19                                      22                                      26                                      27                                      29                                      34                                      34                                      38                                                          23                                      22                                      26                                      27                                      29                                      34                                      37                                      40                                                          22                                      26                                      27                                      29                                      32                                      35                                      40                                      48                                                          26                                      27                                      29                                      32                                      35                                      40                                      48                                      58                                                          26                                      27                                      29                                      34                                      38                                      46                                      56                                      69                                                          27                                      29                                      35                                      38                                      46                                      56                                      69                                      83                                      ]                            (        2        )                                [                                            16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                                          16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                                          16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                                          16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                                          16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                                          16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                                          16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                                          16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      16                                      ]                            (        3        )
FIG. 1A is a view illustrating a frame DCT method according to the related art and FIG. 1B is a view illustrating a field DCT method according to the prior art.
Referring to FIG. 1A, in the frame DCT method, an entire input 8×8 block is directly transformed to the frequency domain using DCT, i.e., even-numbered rows and odd-numbered rows of the input block are transformed as a whole. Referring to FIG. 1B, in the field DCT method, an input 8×8 block is divided into even-numbered fields composed of even-numbered rows and odd-numbered fields composed of odd-numbered rows and the transformations to the frequency domain using DCT's on the even-numbered fields and the odd-numbered fields are carried out separately.
In the MPEG-2 standard, a chrominance signal sampled at a ratio of 4:2:0 is transformed using DCT using the frame DCT method at all times. However, when this chrominance signal is presented in an interlaced format, if chrominance signals change significantly between fields, the occurrence of color distortion is inevitable.
For example, it is assumed that an input 8×8 color block X has a characteristic in which there exists a large difference between fields, i.e., pixel values of even-numbered rows and pixel values of odd-numbered rows are as follows:
                    X        =                  [                                                    170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                                                    30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                                                    170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                                                    30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                                                    170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                                                    30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                                                    170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                            170                                                                    30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                            30                                              ]                                    (        4        )
After the input block X is transformed using DCT and quantized, inverse quantization and inverse DCT are performed on the DCT-transformed and quantized block, thereby generating a reconstructed block X′ as follows:
                              X          ′                =                  [                                                    139                                            139                                            139                                            139                                            139                                            139                                            139                                            139                                                                    38                                            38                                            38                                            38                                            38                                            38                                            38                                            38                                                                    225                                            225                                            225                                            225                                            225                                            225                                            225                                            225                                                                    0                                            0                                            0                                            0                                            0                                            0                                            0                                            0                                                                    246                                            246                                            246                                            246                                            246                                            246                                            246                                            246                                                                    1                                            1                                            1                                            1                                            1                                            1                                            1                                            1                                                                    188                                            188                                            188                                            188                                            188                                            188                                            188                                            188                                                                    87                                            87                                            87                                            87                                            87                                            87                                            87                                            87                                              ]                                    (        5        )
Referring to Equation 4 and Equation 5, when DCT, quantization, inverse quantization, and inverse DCT are performed on a block such as the input block X in which there is a large difference between pixel values of the fields, the amount of change between pixel values of fields of the reconstructed block X′ increases even more, thereby causing color distortion. Such color distortion becomes worse during up-scaling and deinterlacing of the chrominance signal at a decoder side.

Image quantization method and apparatus with color distortion removing quantization matrix


A process for reacting a first component with itself or a second component to produce a third component in which a first material comprising a first component or said first component and a second component is fed to divided wall column having a catalytic distillation structure in at least one of the separate vertical sections of the divided wall column where concurrently: (1) a first component alone or with a second component is contacted with a catalytic distillation structure in a distillation reaction zone thereby catalytically reacting at least a portion of the first component with itself or with the second component to form a product and (2) a first mixture comprising the first component and the product or the first component, the second component and the product; and withdrawing the product from the distillation column reactor; while within the column concurrently with the catalytic reaction and fractionation a second mixture is fractionated, which contains the first component and the product or first and second components (if a second component is present) and the product in a parallel and separate distillation non reaction zone to fractionate the product and withdrawing the product from said distillation non reaction zone. For example, tertiary amyl methyl ether may be prepared by reacting methanol with isoamylene in a C5 stream utilizing a distillation column reactor wherein the distillation column reactor comprises one side of a divided wall column. On one side the product, tertiary amyl methyl ether, is separated from the unreacted methanol and C5's and on the other side the remaining isoamylenes are reacted with methanol and a separation of the tertiary amyl methyl ether and C5's from the methanol/C5 azeotrope is effected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and the method for carrying out catalytic distillations using a divided wall column, for example the etherification of isoolefins, particularly C5 isoolefins with methanol to produce the corresponding tertiary ether, wherein catalytic distillation is used in a divided wall catalytic distillation reactor to simultaneously separate tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME) and react substantially all of the methanol to preclude the use of a separate methanol recovery system.
2. Related Information
A divided wall distillation column or divided wall column is a distillation vessel having a vertical partition separating one side from the other for a portion or all of the height of the vessel. The divided wall column may have a common rectification section, a common stripping section or both. Such divided wall columns are variously described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,230,533; 4,582,569; 4,826,574; 5,339,648 and 5,755,933. Engineering design methods are assumed to be used to assure proper distribution of upflowing vapor to the alternate sides of a divided-wall column. Such methods to control vapor split may be active or passive. Also, engineering design methods are assumed to assure the proper controlled split of the liquid to both sides of a divided wall device. Such splits are purposely targeted to accomplish specific design objectives as determined from rigorous simulation analysis of the intended operation.
A specialized use of a distillation column, known as catalytic distillation has been used in etherifications, hydrogenations, hydrodesulfurizations, isomerizations, thioetherifications, oligomerizations and others. The catalytic distillation process employs a catalyst system (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,215,011 and 4,302,356) which provides for both reaction and distillation concurrently in the same reactor, at least in part within the catalyst system. The method involved is briefly described as one where concurrent reaction and distillation occur in a combination reactor-distillation structure as described in several U.S. Patents, namely U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,242,530; 4,250,052; 4,232,177; 4,302,356; 4,307,254; and 4,336,407.
The reaction of an alcohol and an olefin and concurrent separation of the reactants from the reaction products by fractional distillation has been practiced for some time. The process is variously described in several of the previously cited patents and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,504,687; 4,987,807; and 5,118,873.
As an example, in a catalytic distillation etherification system the alcohol and isoolefin are fed to a distillation column reactor having a distillation reaction zone containing suitable catalyst, such as an acid cation exchange resin, preferably in the form of catalytic distillation structure, and also preferably, having a distillation zone containing an inert distillation structure, e.g., trays, saddles, and the like. As embodied in the etherification of iC4='s and/or iC5='s the olefin and an excess of methanol may be first fed to a straight pass reactor wherein most of the olefin is reacted to form the corresponding ether, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) or tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME). The feeds may contain both normal and iso olefins. The reaction is highly selective toward the isoolefins. The straight pass reactor is preferably operated at a given pressure such that the reaction mixture is at the boiling point, thereby limiting the temperature rise across the reactor by permitting the exothermic heat of reaction to partially vaporize the mixture. A straight pass reactor and process are described more completely in U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,803 which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The effluent from the first reactor is then fed to a distillation column reactor wherein the unreacted isoolefins are converted to ether, the excess methanol and unreacted hydrocarbons are withdrawn as an overhead product while the ether is withdrawn as bottoms product stream.
As noted above, in the etherification of olefins with an alcohol there is preferably an excess of the alcohol available. This excess alcohol is typically recovered from the overhead stream in downstream units.
In the case of the C5's system the overhead product will contain the azeotropic level of MeOH which is about 12 wt %. If the net flow of methanol into the column (allowing for that reacting in the column) is less than the azeotrope concentration in the distillate, the methanol concentration in the reaction distillation zone will be relatively quite low, about 1%. If the net methanol flow into the column is higher than the azeotrope, the methanol concentration will increase (60% has been measured) until methanol leaves with the TAME bottoms product. Neither case is desirable because at low concentration the conversion of isoamylene to TAME is low whereas at high concentrations the TAME purity is affected by the presence of the excess methanol.
The methanol feed is thus best controlled to produce the highest methanol concentration within the catalyst bed while preventing methanol leaving with the bottoms product. This results in close to the azeotropic concentration in the distillate product and in the reaction distillation zone. The methanol must be separated from the hydrocarbons so that the hydrocarbons can be used for gasoline blending and to conserve methanol. The separation is usually achieved by washing the hydrocarbon/methanol mixture with water. The methanol is selectively absorbed in the water phase which is subsequently fractionated to separate the methanol.
The recovery of the methanol requires considerable amounts of water energy and significant number of theoretical stages which substantially increases the operating and capital cost of the process. It is an advantage of the present invention that in an etherification embodiment wherein an alcohol azeotrope is formed an alcohol recovery section is not required. It is a further advantage of the present invention that the alcohol/hydrocarbon azeotrope is maintained throughout essentially all of the reaction distillation zone, maximizing conversion of the reactive olefins.

Process and apparatus for catalytic distillations


At least some aspects of the invention are directed to methods and apparatus for controlling an uninterruptible power supply and subsystems of a UPS. A first aspect of the invention is directed to a method of controlling a DC-DC converter having a predetermined maximum peak load current value. The DC-DC converter has first and second outputs to couple to a load with a capacitor coupled across the first and second outputs. The method includes in a first mode of operation, charging the capacitor to a predetermined output voltage value, and in a second mode of operation, providing output current having the maximum peak load current value to a load coupled to the output of the DC-DC converter, wherein a first portion of the output current is provided by the DC-DC converter and a second portion of the output current is provided by discharging the capacitor to a voltage value that is less than the predetermined output voltage value.

1. Field of Invention
At least one embodiment of the invention relates generally to a method for providing uninterruptible, regulated power to critical and/or sensitive loads. More specifically, at least one embodiment of the invention relates to control of a DC-DC converter of an uninterruptible power supply.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The use of uninterruptible power supplies to provide regulated, uninterrupted power for sensitive and/or critical loads, such as computer systems and other data processing systems, is known. A number of different UPS products are available including those identified under the trade name SMART-UPS from American Power Conversion Corporation of West Kingston R.I. In a typical UPS, a battery is used to provide backup power for a critical load during blackout or brownout conditions and a DC-DC converter may be used in conjunction with the battery.

Method for portioning output current of a DC-DC converter


The principles of the present invention relate to appropriately rendering a graphical object when a corresponding outline has exact or inexact control points. Based on the positions of control points on an outline it is calculated, that between a first parent control point and a second parent control point, the outline passes approximately though the center of a grid location. The positions of the first and second parent control points are adjusted by a first and second fraction of the size of a grid location respectively. The position of the child control point is realigned along a second axis of the grid space based on the positions of the first and second parent control points. The child control point position is rounded by a fraction of the size of a grid location based on the positions of the first and second parent control points.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rendering graphical objects such as text. More specifically, the present invention relates to appropriately rendering a graphical object when a corresponding outline has exact or inexact control points.
2. Background and Related Art
Computing technology has transformed the way we work and play. Computing systems now take a wide variety of forms including desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet PCs, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and the like. Even household devices (such as refrigerators, ovens, sewing machines, security systems, and the like) have varying levels of processing capability and thus may be considered computing systems. As time moves forward, processing capability may be incorporated into a number of devices that traditionally did not have processing capability. Accordingly, the diversity of computing systems may likely increase.
Almost all computing systems that interface with human beings use a display to convey information. In many cases, the appeal of the display is considered an important attribute of the computing system. Display of textual information (e.g., Latin-based characters) typically includes processing glyphs that represent characters of a font. A glyph includes control points and instructions for connecting the control points such that an outline of a corresponding character can be generated in an arbitrary grid space (e.g., a pixel grid). Often, characters will be defined for display at a larger size and higher resolution and then mathematically scaled down (or otherwise manipulated) when the characters are to be rendered at smaller sizes and lower resolutions (or as bold, italic, etc.). Thus, a reduced number of descriptions, and potentially only one description, for a character (per font) need be stored.
To scale down a character, the location of control points can be divided by a scaling factor. For example, to scale a character down by a scaling factor of 10, the coordinates of each control point defining the character (at the higher resolution) can be divided by 10. It may be that control points defining a character for display on a 100×100 grid are to be scaled down for display on a 10×10 grid. Thus, a control point at grid position (50, 30) can be scaled down to a control point at grid position (5, 3), a control point at grid position (70, 70) can be scaled down to a control point at grid position (7, 7), etc. Accordingly, a smaller outline representing the character may be calculated and there is a reduced need for storing a number of different sizes of bit-maps for the character.
The smaller outline can then be analyzed to identify grid locations (e.g., pixels) that are to be turned on and that are to be turned off (a process often referred to as "scan conversion"). One scan conversion algorithm determines if the center of a grid position is inside or outside a resulting scaled down outline. When the center of a grid position is inside the scaled down outline the grid position is turned on. On the other hand, when the center of a grid position is outside the scaled down outline the grid position is turned off.
Unfortunately, at times, and especially at lower resolutions, the results of scan conversion produce an unacceptable representation of a character. Unacceptable character representations can result from rounding errors in the scaling down process or from the scan conversion process itself Further, rounding errors have a greater effect on character representation when a single grid location (e.g., a pixel) is on scale with the features of a character. For example, a rounding error that causes one grid location to be inappropriately turned on (or turned off) on a 50×50 grid may not even be detectable by the human eye. However, a rounding error that causes one grid location to be inappropriately turned on (or turned off) on a 4×4 grid may result in a character that is perceived as unacceptable to the human eye. Thus, at lower resolutions scan conversion can even fail to preserve the topology of the original outline of the character, for example, causing disconnected grid locations, inappropriately located features, and lack of symmetry.
For example, when an outline has a reduced number of control points associated with a corresponding character feature, scan conversion of the outline can result in the corresponding character feature being rendered at a non-optimal location in a grid space. A number of characters in Latin (Greek, Cyrillic, etc.) fonts have a horizontal stroke ("cross-bar") somewhere between the top and the bottom of the character. For example, a capital "H" has a cross-bar approximately halfway between the top and the bottom. FIG. 1 depicts an outline 100 of Times New Roman capital "H". By design, the position of the cross-bar is marginally above the mathematical halfway point of the vertical stroke of the "H". That is, distance 101 is less than distance 102.
However, by the time the "H" is rendered at a smaller size and lower resolution (e.g., 9 pt on a 96 dpi device), accumulated quantization errors can result in the cross-bar being rendered below the mathematical halfway point. Rendering the cross-bar below the half-way points is less than optimal, since the cross-bar was, by design, to be rendered above the halfway point. Pixel pattern 103 represents the pixels that would be turned on to render Times New Roman capital "H" at 9 pt and at 96 dpi resolution (i.e., the results of performing scan conversion on outline 100). As depicted in pixel pattern 103, the cross-bar is below the mathematical halfway point of the vertical stroke of the "H".
One cause of non-optimal rendering results from the "H" having control points on the edges of the cross-bar, but not having control points, for example, on an imaginary line (represented by dashed line 104) along the center between the edges of the cross-bar. Traditional hinting solutions thus add a first constraint to a first control point, for example, on the top edge of the cross-bar (control point 107). The first constraint enforces a proportional position of the first control point in vertical direction relative to other control points on the base line (e.g. control point 109) and the caps line (e.g., control point 106). Subsequently, traditional solutions also add a second constraint to a second control point, for example, on the bottom edge of the cross-bar (control point 108). The second constraint enforces a distance between the second control point on the bottom edge and the previously constrained first control point (control point 107) on the top edge.
Since both the first and second constraints will have to round positions in the vertical direction to the nearest grid position (e.g., pixel), each of the first and second constraints can introduce a rounding error of up to half a pixel, either way (up or down). In unfortunate cases, these rounding errors accumulate (e.g., both the first and second constraints round down)—to place the cross-bar below the mathematical halfway point.
Further, when an outline passes through the center of one or more grid locations, scan conversion of the outline can result in the character being rendered asymmetrically in a grid space. Italic fonts pose a particularly challenging problem because the jagged nature of diagonal strokes makes italic fonts more difficult to process, and quantization errors can compound the problem.
As previously mentioned, scan-converters have to define an interior pixel, even in cases where a pixel could just as well be an interior or an exterior pixel (e.g., when an outline passes through the center of the pixel). For example, TrueType® defines that when an outline is through the center of a pixel, the pixel is to be turned on. Thus, if an outline is a straight line, and if the line's run and rise (slope) reduce to a pair of odd numbers, the outline will pass through one or more pixel centers, and TrueType® will turn on a pixel, which may look like an extra pixel.
Referring now to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 depicts an Arial Italic Capital "H". The right edge of the left italic stroke (from control point 211 to control point 214) may rise 5 pixels for every pixel it runs across—a total of 2 pixels over and 10 pixels up, which reduces to a pair of odd numbers 1 and 5—and we can readily observe extra pixels (pixels 231, 232, and 233). Further, even when pixels having their centers exactly on an outline are turned off problems can still occur. For example, in FIG. 2, if pixels whose centers are exactly on the outline were to be turned off (instead of on), there would be two missing pixels (pixels 234 and 236), yielding a discontinuity in the pixel pattern. One approach is to define pixels whose centers are exactly on an outline to alternate between interior and exterior pixels as edges alternate between left and right edges. While this could solve the problem for some italic strokes, such an alternating approach would also introduce new problems on round strokes. For example, such an alternating approach could lead to asymmetrical pixel patterns in characters such as, an "O".
Further, any movement of control points to comply with constraints can cause control points to be moved to inexact locations. Utilizing a control point that is at an inexact location for further calculations can result in non-optimal rendering of a corresponding character in a grid space. Often, hinting control points can include aligning some control points with other control points. For example, still referring to FIG. 2, control points 212 and 213 may have to be aligned with control points 211 and 214 because control points 211 and 214 may have been moved as a result of complying with their own constraints (e.g., constrained to caps and base lines respectively). While the act of aligning is a mathematically exact concept, its implementation in terms of a font hinting language (e.g., TrueType®) likely introduces numerical inaccuracies, because the internal numerical precision of font hint processors is typically limited. For example, the font hinting language TrueType® uses 6 binary places to store fractional control point location data and thus every numerical result can be accurate to only 26th or 1/64 of a pixel. Accordingly, the result of aligning, for example, control point 212 with its parent points 211 and 214 will be accurate to the nearest 1/64 of a pixel only—at best.
More specifically, since the line from control point 214 to control point 211 is 2 pixels over and 10 pixels up (as depicted in pixel pattern 203), it will run 0.2 pixels over for every pixel up. Accordingly, it should be 1.2 pixels over at control point 3, because control point 3 is 6 pixels up, or in terms of 1/64 of a pixel, it should be 1 12.8/64 pixel over. Unfortunately, 12.8/64 is beyond the precision limit of most, if not all, font hint processors. That is, 12.8/64 simply cannot be represented, and has to be rounded one way or the other (e.g., up or down to the nearest 1/64). Hint processors are typically configured with a default rounding behavior, for example, to always truncate, always round down, or always round up. In FIG. 2, and seemingly by chance, control points of the cross-bar are rounded down, even though rounding up would be a better approximation of the actual value (12.8 is closer to 13 than to 12). This error appears to be harmless, because it led neither to a spurious pixel, nor to a missing pixel.
Conversely, for control point 215, which again is over by 1 12.8/64 pixel, rounding down did lead to a spurious pixel (pixel 235), while rounding up would have prevented it. Moreover, the generality of typical font hint processors can produce results that are off by a fraction of a pixel, irrespective of the direction of rounding. Thus, even if rounding were to be correct, alignment problems can still result.
Additionally, character outlines that have too many control points can result in non-optimal rendering of a corresponding character in a grid space. For example, erroneous pixels can potentially arise when the exact shapes of outlines have increased complexity. For example, FIG. 3 depicts a Palatino Italic "H". The Palatino Italic "H" includes significantly more control points than the Arial Italic "H" depicted in FIG. 2. The edges of the strokes of the Palatino Italic "H" are slightly curved, and thus include extra control points to model these curves. As depicted in FIG. 3, these control points are positioned in a seemingly random fashion on outline 300. Applying traditional scan conversion to outline 300 would result in a non-optimal pixel pattern, such as, for example, pixel pattern 303.
Unfortunately, some hint processors refer to control points by consecutive number and removing a control point can cause other control points to be renumbered. Thus, renumbering control points can cause existing hinting instructions to refer to incorrect control point numbers. For example, removing what may be viewed as extraneous control points on outline 300 could cause existing hints to be inappropriately applied to any remaining control points (or not be applied at all). Inappropriate application of hints to remaining control points can significantly degrade a corresponding pixel pattern.
Accordingly, to compensate for the sometimes non-optimal or inappropriate results of scan conversion (e.g., at lower point sizes and lower resolutions), a human typographer programmatically controls the scan conversion process on an ad-hoc basis by manually adding delta-exception hints (e.g., TrueType® instructions) to character outlines. Delta-exception hints are hints which are specific to individual characters and specific to a particular type size. That is, for each type size (of a font) at which there is an unfortunate quantization problem, the human typographer has to add possibly a plurality of delta-exception instructions, as appropriate. Since delta-exception hints are so specific, delta-exception hints are typically stored along with the character the delta-exception hints will be applied to (e.g., in a font file). Moreover, the use of delta-exception hints is an iterative process requiring repeated visual inspection of a plurality of type sizes before and after the application of corresponding exception instructions, which is laborious and prone to introduction of inconsistencies.
Due in part to the wide variety of different artistic and technical features in different fonts, delta-exception hints must also be tailored to an individual font. That is, delta-exception hints for one font typically can not be reused for other fonts (even for the same character). Thus, for each new font, a typographer is required to iteratively determine appropriate delta-exception hints. Accordingly, the resources needed to compensate for non-optimal or inappropriate results of scan conversion across a variety of different fonts can be quite large. Therefore, what would be advantageous are mechanisms for automating the optimization of pixel patterns.

Appropriately rendering a graphical object when a corresponding outline has exact or inexact control points


A nonaqueous electrolyte composition for use in a redox flow battery system, comprising:                a nonaqueous supporting electrolyte; and        a metal ligand complex of formula II:

Inexpensive grid scale energy storage is required to further utilize renewable energy sources (wind, solar). Although redox flow batteries (RFB) are commercially available, the price is still too high for significant adoption. This price, in part, derives from the poor density of energy storage—which is attributed to the narrow electrochemical window of aqueous media (˜1.7 v), poor solubility of the electron carriers (<1 M), and only storing one electron/carrier molecule. The charge carrier described herein will address all three of these shortcomings using a modular design.

Abstract: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 and R6 are each independently H, halogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, aryloxy, substituted aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, substituted heteroaryloxy, or a polyether,

Abstract: wherein R5 is H, alkyl, or substituted alkyl; and M is a transition metal or zinc.


A transmitter includes a pair of output terminals which output an image data, and a transmitting unit. When the transmitting unit outputs the image data, a first output terminal of the pair is connected to a reference electric potential and a second output terminal of the pair is to a floating state, based on the image data. When the transmitting unit does not output an image data, the first and second output terminals of the pair become to a floating state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transmission and reception technology, specifically, the technology of transmitting and receiving data among semiconductor integrated circuits.
2. Description of Related Art
As the semiconductor technology advances, information processing devices each containing a high-density semiconductor integrated circuit have become prevalent. In these information processing devices, data are transmitted through a transmission path among semiconductor integrated circuits. The semiconductor integrated circuit on the transmitting side of data includes a transmitter circuit (hereinafter referred to as "the transmitter circuit", and the semiconductor integrated circuit on the receiving side of data includes a receiver circuit (hereinafter referred to as "the receiver circuit.")
Due to a massive volume of data being processed by the information processing devices in recent years, it has become necessary to accelerate the transmission speed of data among the semiconductor integrated circuits in order to achieve a high transmission speed of processing devices. On the other hand, it is also required to reduce the power consumption of information processing devices and to reduce power required for data transmission. Particularly, in the case of mobile terminals such as PDA and mobile phone that have become rapidly prevalent lately, it is rigorously required to reduce the power consumption of component parts, and the component parts responsible for the transmission of display data between the housing and the display panel are not exempt from such requirement.
In the case of data transmission technology by voltage signals, any attempt to accelerate voltage signals results in delays because of parasitic capacity of the transmission path and thus there is a limit to the acceleration of voltage signals. Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Application No., 2001-052598 discloses a technology of accelerating the transmission of data among semiconductor integrated circuits by transmitting data with electric current signals. This technology can contain the effect of parasitic capacitance of the transmission path and achieve a high transmission speed of signals. The technology of providing the power source in the receiving unit without providing one in the transmitting unit is disclosed so that the work of designing the transmitting unit may be facilitated without the necessity of changing the specification on the transmitter side even if the number of receiving units has change.
Specifically, a pair of wiring cables is provided to transmit signals between the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit, and in the transmitter circuit one of the wiring cables is connected with the ground electrode and the other is kept in the floating state (high-impedance state). This leads to the flow of electric current in the wiring cables extending from the power source provided in the receiver circuit to the ground electrode and no flow of current to the other wiring cables. As a result, complimentary current signals can be transmitted by a pair of wiring cables. This transmission method is referred hereinafter to as "the CMADS (Current Mode Advanced Differential Signaling).
Lately, small display devices such as mobile telephone in particular include the function of decreasing the amount of image data such as subtractive color mode. This function reduces the amount of data transmitted between the housing and the display panel from 18 bits to 3 bits by reducing for example the image data in 260,000 colors to eight colors.
In the case of transferring image data by reducing their amount in this way, a dummy transfer is carried out other than that of the data required for the display of images. While the dummy transfer is going on, no image data are outputted from the transmitting unit.
However, as current continues flowing in the wiring cables between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit in spite of the fact that no image data are transmitted while the dummy transfer is going on, useless power is consumed.
Taking note of this issue, Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. 2003-323147 displays the technology of reducing power consumption in the transfer of data by the CMADS method. This technology reduces power consumption by cutting off current flowing in the wiring cables when no image data are outputted from the transmitting unit.
FIG. 10 shows a schematic illustration of data transmission by this technology. Between the transmitting unit 210 for transmitting data (V-I conversion circuits 8 and 9 in FIG. 1 of the 2nd patent application) and the receiving unit 220 for receiving data (I-V conversion circuits 21 and 22 in FIG. 1), two transmission paths, i.e., data transmission path 230 and clock transmission path 240 and STP signal line 250 (wiring cables 11 in FIG. 1) are provided.
The data transmission path 230 includes a pair of wiring cables (data line 230a and data line 230b: wiring cables 4a and 4b in FIG. 1) provided between the transmitter circuit 212 in the transmitting unit (V-I conversion circuits 8 and 9 in FIG. 1) and the receiver circuit 222 in the receiving unit 220 (I-V conversion circuit 21 in FIG. 1). The clock transmission path 240 includes a pair of wiring cables (clock line 240a and clock line 240b: wiring cable 5a and 5b in FIG. 1) provided between the transmitter circuit 214 in the transmitting unit 210 (V-I conversion circuit 9 in FIG. 1) and the receiver circuit 224 in the receiving unit 220 (I-V conversion circuit 22 in FIG. 1).
The STP signal line 250 is provided to allow the flow of signals for controlling whether electric current should be allowed to flow in the data transmission path 230 and the clock transmission path 240 (receiver control signal described in Patent Document 2, referred hereinafter to as "STP signal"), and is a CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) signal line. The STP signal is outputted by a timing control circuit not shown. This signal is a signal for indicating whether the transmitting unit is outputting image data.
The receiving unit 220 receives image data by allowing electric current flow in the data transmission path 230 and the clock transmission path 240 when it is receiving this STP signal and the transmitting unit 210 is outputting image data. On the other hand, when the transmitting unit 210 is not outputting image data, it operates in such a way that current may not flow in the data transmission path 230 and the clock transmission path 240. In this way, it is possible to realize a low level of power consumption in the case of image data transmission based on a reduced number of colors.
Also, taking note of the uniform data of each pixel in the case of uniform images such as for example the totally white display, the 2nd patent application discloses a technology of restricting power consumption by cutting off current in the transmission path when the same data continue during a transfer of data. For this operation, the output of image data is interrupted and STP signals are outputted to the receiving unit 220 when the data to be transmitted and the data that had been transmitted a drive timing before are identical. Upon receipt of the STP signal, the receiving unit 220 operates to block the flow of current in the data transmission path 230 and the clock transmission path 240. This results in the subsequent data not being received when the same data continue. In the normal state, the receiving unit 220, generates data for display DATA OUT based on the data received and outputs the same in the image display unit not shown, and when the STP signals are high, the same data as the data generated for display DATA OUT based on the data transmitted a drive timing before are outputted. This process enables to accelerate data transmission, and at the same time enables to contain power consumption by reducing the amount of image data to be transmitted when uniform images such as wholly white display are to be displayed and by interrupting the supply of power to the transmission path when image data are not transmitted.
Incidentally, in the case of mobile phone for example, due to a slender construction of the hinge between the housing and the display panel adopted in consideration of the design aspect, voices are raised requesting to reduce as far as possible the wiring cables for data transmission between the housing and the display panel. In view of such an opinion, the technology described in the 2nd patent application increases the wiring cable for STP signals between the transmitting unit 210 and the receiving unit 220.

Transmitter and receiver capable of reducing current consumption and signal lines for data transfer


Contactor-circuit breaker housing firstly power poles and an electromagnet serving to activate the moving contacts in contactor mode and including a fixed magnetic circuit, a moving magnetic circuit and a coil whose electric supply is controlled by a switch, and secondly at least one current sensor serving to control a releasing electromagnet. The activating electromagnet and the releasing electromagnet are constituted by a single electromagnet whose moving magnetic circuit is a pivoting pallet linked mechanically to the contact-holders of the poles and having a weak moment of inertia. An electric unit is provided for the rapid reduction of the magnetic flux, triggered by an electronic control device associated with the current sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a contactor-circuit breaker housing firstly power poles which include moving contact bridges cooperating with fixed contact bridges, and an electromagnet serving to activate the moving contacts in contactor mode and comprising a fixed magnetic circuit, a moving magnetic circuit and a coil whose electric supply is controlled by a switch, and secondly at least one current sensor serving to control a releasing electromagnet.
2. Discussion of the Background
A contactor is used to cut off or to supply, in response to a control signal, the supply line of a load such as a motor. A circuit breaker is usually associated with the contactor, the purpose of which circuit breaker being to open the line if an overcurrent, due for example to a short-circuit, is detected. The circuit-breaker function is necessary in order to open the line quickly, for the opening of the contactor for the purpose of cutting off the supply to the electromagnet coil would take too long because of the slow decline of the current through the coil.
The contactor and circuit breaker functions are sometimes combined in a single electric switch appliance, referred to as contactor-circuit breaker, such as the appliance described in French patent FR2638563. A protection device, such as for example a striker, is thus associated with the contact bridge of the contactor, which device acts directly on the moving contact bridge so as to open the contacts in case of detection of a short-circuit current. This appliance also comprises a lock which receives orders from the (thermal and magnetic) protective device in order to act on the supply of the coil. However, such an appliance remains bulky and expensive.


An image forming device including a cleaning member that is made of an elastic material and cleans the surface of the image carrier by contacting with the surface. The drive unit rotates the image carrier in a reverse direction while the cleaning member is contacting with the surface of the image carrier, before the image carrier is rotated in a positive direction for an image formation. The control unit controls the rotation of the image carrier in the reverse direction, in accordance with information indicating a size of a frictional force generated between the cleaning member and the image carrier being rotated.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device that includes a cleaning unit for cleaning the surface of an image carrier by contacting with the surface, and to an image forming method for the image forming device.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, tandem printers have become prevalent. In these tandem printers, a plurality of image creating units, a photosensitive drum, and a transferring unit are arranged along an intermediate transfer belt, toner images formed by the image creating units are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt by a multiple transfer, and the toner images of respective colors are transferred from the intermediate transfer belt onto a recording sheet all at once to obtain a full-color image.
In such printers, a cleaner is used to remove remnant toners remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt after the transferring, or to remove paper powder or the like attached to the surface of the transfer belt. A typical method of cleaning the remnant toners or the like is to press a cleaning blade, which is made of an elastic material such as polyurethane, onto the intermediate transfer belt surface to collect the remnant toners or the like by shaving them off.
In this method of contacting the cleaning blade, however, as shown in FIG. 16A, as the number of prints increases, more amounts of remnant toner, paper powder, dust and the like become present between a contacting surface 903 of a cleaning blade 901 and an intermediate transfer belt 902. Then it becomes as if a foreign object is inserted between the cleaning blade 901 and the intermediate transfer belt 902, in which minute gaps are created between them and toners and the like pass through the gaps to cause a defective cleaning.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-300916 discloses a construction in which the intermediate transfer belt is rotated in the reverse direction by a predetermined amount before the belt is driven to be rotated in the positive direction (positive rotation). With this reverse rotation, the paper powder and the like are liberated from between the cleaning blade 901 and the intermediate transfer belt 902, and fly away from the cleaning blade 901, as shown in FIG. 16B. This allows the cleaning blade 901 and the intermediate transfer belt 902 to return to the normal contact state in which the foreign object has been removed from between the cleaning blade 901 and the intermediate transfer belt 902, as shown in FIG. 16C.
FIG. 16C shows the state in which the cleaning blade 901 is in close contact with the intermediate transfer belt 902. In the actuality, however, when the cleaning blade 901 and the intermediate transfer belt 902 returns to the normal contact state as the positive rotation is started, remnants such as the toner and a toner additive like silica remaining between the cleaning blade 901 and the intermediate transfer belt 902 play a role of a lubricant agent that keeps the frictional force, which occurs between the cleaning blade 901 and the intermediate transfer belt 902, to an appropriate size. And this prevents an inverse warpage of the cleaning blade 901 which occurs due to the friction.
The paper powder and the like having flown away come back before the cleaning blade 901 as the intermediate transfer belt 902 rotates in the positive direction, and are shaved off and collected by the cleaning blade 901 since the contact state of the cleaning blade 901 has returned to the normal state by then.
However, with the construction disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Publication, an inverse warpage may occur, for the following reasons.
For example, when an image read out from a document having a low coverage rate is printed continuously onto a large number of sheets, only a small amount of toner is transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 902, and thus a small amount of toner and toner additive becomes present between the cleaning blade 901 and the intermediate transfer belt 902.
If, in this state after the print job, the intermediate transfer belt 902 is driven to be rotated in the reverse and positive directions before it is rotated in the positive direction for another job, the toner and toner additive, which are present between the cleaning blade 901 and the intermediate transfer belt 902 and play a role of a lubricant agent although a small amount, are removed from the cleaning blade 901 by the reverse rotation, and hardly exist when the intermediate transfer belt 902 is rotated in the positive direction.
This increase the frictional force between the cleaning blade 901 and the intermediate transfer belt 902. And when this happens, the edge of the cleaning blade 901 is pulled by the intermediate transfer belt 902 that moves in the positive direction, and is warped in the inverse direction by the force of the moving intermediate transfer belt 902, as shown in FIG. 16D.
When such an inverse warpage occurs, the cleaning blade 901 may be deformed or cut in part, becomes unable to shave the toner off fully, and the cleaning performance is degraded.
This problem is not limited to the cleaning blade for cleaning the intermediate transfer belt, but may also occur, for example, to the cleaning blade for cleaning remnant toner from the photosensitive drum.

Control for cleaning image carrier surface in image forming device

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


A method for manufacturing an organic-inorganic hybrid solar cell, the method including forming a first electrode, forming a first common layer on the first electrode, forming a first light absorbing layer by applying a first perovskite precursor solution including a first organic halide and a first metal halide on the first common layer, forming a second light absorbing layer by applying a second perovskite precursor solution including a second organic halide on the first light absorbing layer, forming a second common layer on the second light absorbing layer; and forming a second electrode on the second common layer.

In order to solve the global environmental problems caused by the depletion of fossil fuels and the use thereof, studies have been actively conducted on alternative energy sources, which may be regenerated and are clean, such as solar energy, wind power, and water power. Among them, interests in solar cells which change electric energy directly from the sunlight have been greatly increased. Here, the solar cell means a cell which produces current-voltage by using a photovoltaic effect of absorbing photoenergy from the sunlight to generate electrons and holes.
Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have recently drawn attention as a light absorbing material for organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells due to the characteristics in which the absorption coefficient is high and the material can be easily synthesized through a solution process.
In general, an absorbing layer used in an organic-inorganic hybrid solar cell is composed of a single cation, a metal ion, and a halogen ion as a basic structure which uses an AMX3 component, but in this case, there are problems with low efficiency and stability due to moisture, UV rays, and the like.
Further, among perovskites to which the aforementioned single cation is applied, when HC(NH2)2+ and Cs+ are used, a phase transition temperature has room temperature to 50° C. or less, so that a phase transition occurs during the driving or during the storage at room temperature, and as a result, there is a problem in that the crystal type changes. It is known that lattice spacing caused by the phase transition is mainly responsible for deterioration in stability.

Method for manufacturing organic-inorganic hybrid solar cell


A button feeder for guiding and feeding a button element having an oriented pattern on its front face along a feed path and for insuring a desired orientation of the pattern. This button feeder provides a button pusher having a finger member projected from its frontal edge and urged resiliently downwardly from the pusher and the pusher provides a cam contactor projecting downwardly, the cam contactor riding on a cam surface, wherein the frontal edge of the pusher is guided and downwardly moved along the cam surface during transport and rotation of the button by the pusher along the feed path, and the finger member is lowered to engage a recess formed on the back face of the button head to arrest the rotation of the button element so as to orient and place a pattern on the button surface in a desired orientation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a button feeder for guiding a button element into a pocket disposed directly below a punch of a caulking unit, after being delivered from a chute to the button feeder in a button applicator, and more particularly to a button feeder for guiding and arranging the direction of surface pattern provided on the front face of the button element.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This kind of button feeders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,815 and in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. H 3-12738 (1991).
The button feeder disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,815 is composed of that a link pusher is rotatably attached to the tip of a swing lever pivoted to a frame and is reciprocated in a pusher guide trough defined in a button feed path to extrude and transfer a button element into a caulking unit of a button applicator. Then, a projecting portion is provided in the lower half part of the fore end of the pusher to place a part of the back face of the button element thereon and is always urged resiliently by means of a tension spring which is set between the swing lever and the pusher.
Further, the button feed path is defined in an unit composed of a metal square block and a web member having an L-shaped cross section. That is, a longitudinal trough is formed on the underside of the square block and has a wedge-shaped space for feeding the button body and a pusher guide trough. The wedge-shaped space is formed along the square block to contact the head surface of the button element with a receiving surface of the square block and to pinch a part of the front and back of the periphery of the button head. Further, a pressuring surface of the web member of the L-shaped cross section is disposed opposite to the receiving surface of the square block and is urged resiliently toward the receiving surface.
In this construction, when the button element having a tongue protruding from the rear face of the head is fed from the chute with its head surface facing downwardly into the button feed path of the feeder unit, a part of the button head is put on the projecting portion of the pusher, and at the same time, the pusher is advanced to extrude and transfer the button element. Then, since the head of the button element put in the wedge-shaped space has a larger slide resistance than the other part, the button element is transported while it rotates about its axis. This rotation is arrested as soon as the tongue of the button element is engaged in an engaging recess of the projecting portion of the pusher. Then, the button element is guided to the pocket of the caulking unit of the button applicator without rotation while the tongue is kept being engaged in the engaging element. Accordingly, the button element transported to the caulking unit is arranged in a desired direction to provide a desired orientation of the surface pattern.
The button feeder for the button applicator disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. H 3-12738 comprises a guide base, a pressuring member of a substantially L-shaped cross section being urged resiliently downwardly perpendicular to the guide base, a wedge member being set between a pressuring surface of the pressuring member and the guide base and having a slanted surface, and a side guide member of a substantially L-shaped cross section being disposed opposite to the pressuring member and the wedge member and being urged resiliently toward each of the above individual members. In this case, the button feed path is defined by these members.
Further, when the button element is passed through the button feed path, the head of the button element with a large diameter is pinched between the wedge member and the pressuring member. Therefore, as the button head is transported in the button feed path from the chute to the caulking unit, one side of the button element has a larger friction coefficient than the other side thereof. Accordingly, when the button element is extruded by the pusher, it is transported while it rotates about its axis. Then, a finger is moved together with the pusher and a downward projection of the finger is engaged in the recess formed on the back face of the button head to orient and place a desired direction of the button element.
However, with these button feeders, when a part of the button element is pressurized by the pressuring member, a portion of the button element put in the wedge-shaped groove is pushed by the slanted surface in the horizontal direction, and at the same time, the periphery of the button element put in the opposite groove is pinched resiliently between the upper and lower faces of the groove. Therefore, the button element can not be rotated smoothly due to reduced rotating force and thus can not be arranged in the desired direction surely as was expected.
Further, with the button feeder disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,815, since the button feed path of the wedge-shaped cross section is formed directly in the square block, it is impossible to exchange the block with a new one. Furthermore, with the button feeder disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. H 3-12738, since the both pressuring member and side guide member are rotatably attached to the guide base by a pin, and at the same time, compression coil springs are set between the both members and the guide base, they can not be easily disassembled once they are assembled as the feed unit. As a result, the button feed unit is difficult to correspond with various button elements having a variety of diameters of heads. Accordingly, the button feeder can not be used widely for various buttons and button feed units as many as the number of the varieties of button elements are required if various button elements are used.