Disclosed is a wind direction control method for an airconditioner which effectively controls a wind direction of discharge air according to a position of the air-conditioner. In the air-conditioner which divides the room into a plurality of zones and has a human body sensor for sensing a human body position in each divided zone, the present invention senses whether a human body is present in each zone by using the plurality of human body sensors, calculates a time ratio every zone according to the human body presence time, compares the time ratio with first and second proportional constants, varies a driving range of a louver according to a compared result, and controls a wind direction of the discharge air. A wind direction control method for an air-conditioner varies a wind direction of a discharge air according to a human body existence time ratio in each zones, prevents a deterioration of the air-conditioning performance and a power-consumption due to cool air's discharge towards an empty space, thereby performing an effective air-conditioning operation.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wind direction control method for an air-conditioner. More particularly, it relates to a wind direction control method for an air-conditioner which varies a wind direction of discharge air according to a sensed amount of time of a human body is present in certain zones where the air-conditioner is installed.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional air-conditioner having sensing capabilities to sense positions of persons, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a driving control method of the conventional air-conditioner having sensing capabilities.
Referring to FIG. 4, the conventional air-conditioner having sensing capabilities includes: a human body sensor 12 for sensing a position of a human body, and sensing a distance between the air-conditioner and a human body; a main controller 2b for performing a main control of the air-conditioner; a set temperature variation portion 2c for varying a set temperature; a ventilation variation portion 2d for varying a ventilation direction; wind direction control flaps 2e for horizontally and vertically varying the ventilation direction; a wind direction control flap driving portion 2i for driving the wind direction control flaps 2e; a wind velocity variation portion 2g for varying a ventilation velocity; a ventilator 2h for performing ventilation; and a ventilator driving portion 2f for driving the ventilator 2h.
Referring to FIG. 5, a direction of a human body position is sensed by a human body sensor 12 in step S211. In a step S212, it is determined whether a human body is within a predetermined distance from the air-conditioner. If a human body is not within the predetermined distance, a step S211 is continuously repeated until a human body is sensed by the human body sensor 12 as being within a predetermined distance from the air-conditioner. Next, the set temperature variation portion 2c changes a set temperature determined by the user in step S213. Regarding the variation of the set temperature, the set temperature can be changed to be higher than a current indoor temperature for a heating operation, or the set temperature can be changed to be lower than the current indoor temperature for a cooling operation. Next, the ventilation variation portion 2d directs an airflow in the direction toward the human body in step S214. After this step, the wind velocity variation portion 2g changes a ventilation velocity to a high state in step S215. In step S216 it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed after operating the air-conditioner. If a predetermined time has elapsed in step S216, a series of operations are completed. If a predetermined time has not elapsed in step S216, the steps starting from the step S212 are repeated until a predetermined time has elapsed.
Referring to FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C, the conventional air-conditioner is installed at a suitable indoor position. The human body sensor 12 divides a fan range into three zones R, C, and L and senses whether or not a human body is present in any of three zones R, C, and L. However, as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, zone D, in which the human body sensor 12 cannot sense whether a human body is present, is created if the air-conditioner is installed to either the right or left of the room. Further, zone D increases in size the more, the air-conditioner is installed to one side of the room.
Accordingly, not only is the sensing of a human body by the human body sensor 12 not possible in zone D, but as air from this zone can enter the other zones, an accurate sensing of the existence of a human body is not possible. As a result, fan control cannot be efficiently performed, reducing the overall performance of the air-conditioner.
Also, to prevent the creation of such a non-active zone, installation locations of the air-conditioner are greatly limited.

Wind direction control method for air conditioner


A dental tray having a planar portion and a single wall, useful for dental treatments including bleaching, fluoride applications, desensitizing teeth, antibacterial treatments and other dental operations. At least one groove or bead, either continuous or segmented, divides the planar portion into a first planar portion and a second foldable portion inside the tray that can be raised by the patient to form an inner wall after the tray has been inserted into the patient's mouth. The tray is formed from any dental tray material. Preferred are copolymer formed from ethylene and vinyl acetate having a forming temperature between 125° F. and 135° F. and a freezing point between about 80° F. and 106° F.

Dental trays are receptacles that are used to carry a medicine or dental hygiene materials, such as bleaching agents or fluoride application, and apply them to the teeth. It confines the material next to the teeth during the application.
The invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,791, uses ethylene vinyl acetate and creates a customized dental tray. The resultant tray is so thick that it may cause discomfort. Additionally, it is not hard at normal temperatures and gives less than a custom fit.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,027 discloses a hard, thin dental tray, suitable for many types of dental and at home procedures and uses. The patent uses ethylene vinyl acetate for an outer, non-impression forming tray that can be softened using boiling water. The thin inner tray is customizable to the same accuracy as more expensive custom trays created on a model, but at a fraction of the cost in time, professional expertise or equipment. The inner tray is principally made of a composition of polycaprolactone polymer with co-polymers and additives. The thin dental trays can be customized and molded in the home or outside of a dental office. The problem with this prior art tray and all the others of similar design is that it uses a polymer that can not be shaped at warm temperatures but requires higher temperatures to form, such as when the tray is heated in boiling water.
Since the early 1960s, there have been trays formable by the use of boiling water, which is far too hot for use with a patient. When the tray cools to a usable temperature, the window of pliability and comfort is so small that either the patient experiences discomfort or a bad fit is achieved.
Another industry where hot melting of thermoplastics is the athletic mouthguard industry. U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,218 teaches a protective mouthpiece that can be softened with boiling or near boiling water, then cooled to a temperature and formed in situ by the user. It has been found that a person normally can tolerate a thermoplastic at a temperature of less than 160° F. With a mouthguard, the fit is not as critical as it is with a dental tray but there is another important difference between mouthguards and dental trays. Specifically, mouthguards are thick and hold the heat longer, allowing the user to adjust the shape and fit over a longer period of time than is possible with the thinner and therefore faster cooling dental trays. Thus the window of time and temperature is much smaller for dental trays.
At the present time, the only available dental trays are those which include a front wall and a back wall, with a horseshoe or U-shaped trough in which the treating agent is placed. These two-wall trays are limited in length and wall height because of the requirements when placing the tray in a patient's mouth.
One embodiment of the present invention is the formation of a dental tray that has only one outer labial front wall, thus permitting it to be inserted into a patient's mouth without the obstruction of an inner (lingual) wall.
Another embodiment is to provide a flexible joint on the bottom or planar portion of the tray that can be raised or lifted by the patient, preferably using its tongue, to form an inner (lingual) wall after insertion.
Other embodiments will appear hereinafter.


A fiber optic face plate for a display. The display includes a light source, a transparent cover, a diffuser, a brightness enhancement film, and the fiber optic face plate. The fiber optic face plate allows light to be transmitted through the fiber optic face plate based on the light being incident on the fiber optic face plate within an angular region defined by an acceptance cone. The fiber optic face plate absorbs light based on the light being incident on the fiber optic face plate outside the angular region defined by the acceptance cone. A top angular extent of the acceptance cone is positioned at a positive angle from a fiber optic face plate normal and a bottom angular extent of the acceptance cone is positioned at a negative angle from the fiber optic face plate normal.

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of displays. More specifically, the disclosure relates to systems for and methods of reducing light leakage.
An aircraft which includes a bubble canopy may be subject to stray light from the cockpit display. This stray light may reflect off the canopy and interfere with the pilot's ability to see outside the aircraft. When the aircraft is flown at night or during low-visibility conditions, interference associated with the stray light can be more problematic. The source of the stray light may be from the cockpit display which may be an active-matrix liquid crystal display ("AMLCD"). The AMLCD may allow light to exit the display outside of the designed head box at high angles.
Thus, there is a need for systems and methods which may reduce stray light from displays. Further, there is a need for an avionics' display that reduces adverse affects of light interference from stray light from the display. In addition, there is a need for a display which reduces stray light interference during night flights and/or low-visibility conditions.

AMLCD backlight angular control using fiberoptic face plate


The proposed method presents a novel error correction scheme utilizing LDPC codes that provides desired error floor performance. The error floor performance is achieved through combination of the two design parameters of the method. Encoding a block of user data of length S*K bits includes (A) dividing the block into S sub-blocks of equal length, each sub-block having K bits; (B) encoding each of the sub-blocks using a first Error-Correcting-Code; (C) computing bit-wise XOR of all the sub-blocks, thereby generating a new sub-block of K bits; and (D) encoding the new sub-block using a second Error-Correcting-Code.

The communication and storage system block diagrams are depicted in FIG. 1. Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes have been recognized as the class of codes that can achieve performance very close to theoretical maximum. Based on these attributes LDPC codes have been adopted for use in various communication standards, Wi-Fi 802.11, DVB, etc. The LDPC codes are known to exhibit the error floor at high Signal-To-Noise Ratios (SNR) attributed to structures known as trapping sets, absorbing sets or near code words. The error floor is degradation in performance of the LDPC codes that causes diminishing improvements in performance with increase in SNR.
The error floor behavior of LDPC codes can be mitigated to some extent by careful code construction, by using a particular internal structure and by increasing the length of the code. Each approach has its drawbacks. The code construction with error floor optimization becomes very difficult for code lengths above 3000-4000 bits due to an exponential increase in the number of structures that have to be considered by optimization algorithm. Construction of LDPC codes with particular internal structure, specifically very high column weight, is known to lower the error floor, but this method has a substantial impact on the hardware implementation of the LDPC decoder, particularly the throughput of the decoder and power consumption. Furthermore, actual performance cannot be guaranteed and has to be measured through simulations, which is often unfeasible.
Increasing the length of the code has limited impact on error floor performance, but it could be viable option for particular code rates and relaxed error floor requirements. This option also impacts the hardware implementation by requiring large memories to store the long code.
The stringent error recovery requirements, especially in storage systems like Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD), are impossible to verify in practice by either software or hardware simulation, so neither of the above mentioned methods provides guaranteed performance. Therefore the error floor presents a significant challenge when designing the system with LDPC codes. This is also of great importance in the production of Hard Disk Drives (HDD), where performance of the product must be estimated during production in a very short time. The proposed invention, described below, enables such estimation so that performance is guaranteed. Therefore, the proposed method can provide significant saving in production time of the HDD's.

Method for iterative error correction with designed error floor performance


A new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant named ‘David's Lavender’, characterized by its upright plant habit; columnar plant form; vigorous growth habit; large inflorescences with numerous lavender-colored flowers; long flowering period; good garden performance; and resistant to Powdery Mildew.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant, botanically known as Phlox paniculata, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name David's Lavender.
The new Phlox is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Phlox paniculata cultivar David, not patented. The new Phlox was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering branch of a plant of 'David' in a controlled environment in Blairsville, Ga.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings at Dahlonega, Ga. since March, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Phlox are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


The present disclosure provides multi-junction solar cell structures and fabrication methods thereof that improve electrical testing capability and reduce chip failure rates. In the present invention a special masking pattern is used in the layout such that all or some of the epitaxial layers are etched away in the corner areas of each solar cell. Consequently, the semiconductor substrate or one or more of the interconnections between junctions become accessible from the top (the side facing the sun) to make electrical connections.

Conventional multi-junction solar cells are widely used for terrestrial and space applications and provide the highest efficiency for solar energy conversion. Multi-junction solar cells comprise multiple p-n or n-p diodes (junctions) in series connection, realized by growing thin regions of epitaxy in stacks on semiconductor substrates. Each junction in a stack is optimized for absorbing a different portion of the solar spectrum, thereby improving the efficiency of solar energy conversion. These types of structures are varied and are well known to those skilled in the art.
Typical fabrication steps in state-of-the-art multi-junction solar cell processing have been described by D. Danzilio et al. "Overview of EMCORE's Multi-junction Solar Cell Technology and High Volume Manufacturing Capabilities", CS MANTECH Conference, May 14-17, 2007, Austin, Tex., USA. Multi-junction solar cell fabrication generally involves two parts; namely, front-end and back-end processing. Front-end processing includes growth of epitaxial layers, front and backside metallization, and solar cell die isolation. Standard semiconductor fabrication techniques are used in front-end processing, which yields multiple solar cell die on a semiconductor wafer. The die are electrically isolated and the cells are fully functional. Back-end processing includes steps such as singulation of cells on the wafer (e.g. using dicing blade), packaging, and wirebonding.
FIG. 1A shows a top view of a prototypical multi-junction solar cell die (prior art) after front-end processing. FIG. 1B shows the side view of the cross-section 9 in FIG. 1A. Solar cell die 100 are typically rectangular in shape and are laid out on wafer 5 using a grid pattern. A regular rectangular grid is preferred to yield the maximum number of cells of a given size on the wafer. Metal busbars 22 and gridlines 2 sit on a mesa structure 6, which is obtained by partially or completely eliminating epitaxial layers 4 along the outer edges of each die 100. This process step is referred to as the "mesa isolation process". The die on the wafer are electrically isolated as a result of mesa structure formation. The mesa isolation process leaves an exposed region 8 of the underlying substrate that runs near and parallel to the edges of the mesa structures 6. The width y of the exposed corner regions 8 is typically on the order of tens of micrometers and these regions serve as dicing streets. Dicing streets are narrow pathways along which the wafer is to be cut during back-end processing to singulate the die on the wafer. A metal contact region 52 is provided on the backside of the substrate 5 and serves as an electrode. The other electrodes are the busbars 22, which are typically located along one or more edges of each die. Multijunction solar cells typically have additional features as well, such as anti-reflection coating (not shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B) and cap regions 3. Cap regions 3 are patterned epitaxial regions underlying metal gridlines 2 to provide an electrical contact between the metal and the underlying semiconductor structure 41. Such features and structures are well known to those skilled in the art.
The active area of a solar cell is defined as the area that actually absorbs the sunlight and generates photocurrent. The active area includes the grid of thin metal lines 2 placed in parallel or in other configurations but excludes the areas occupied by the busbars 22. Consequently, the areas under the busbars do not contribute to the generated electrical power. Henceforth, the active area is the area of the mesa 6 less the area of the busbars 22. In the design of multi-junction solar cells, busbar width x is chosen using engineering practices such that current is collected with minimal resistive losses, wirebonding requirements are fulfilled, and the busbars occupy a small area on the die.
In the prior art, typical testing procedure includes voltage and current measurements that are conducted while the cell is illuminated from the top with a solar simulator. Voltage and current measurements can be done after front-end processing (wafer scale) as well as after singulation of solar cell die. These measurements are important to determine and eliminate defective die before packaging. Prior art solar cells have features that reduce the accuracy of electrical measurements.
Multi-junction solar cells (prior art) typically have two electrodes. The top electrode consists of the busbars 22 and the gridlines 2 and the bottom electrode consists of the metal coating 52 on the backside. The junctions 41, 42, and 43 are serially connected through the epitaxy. Voltage contributions of individual junctions cannot be measured, merely the total voltage difference across all junctions can be measured. In addition, certain features of the test setup negatively impact the accuracy of voltage measurements.
Wafer scale measurements are typically done when the wafer is placed on a vacuum chuck. Henceforth, the metal-coated back surface of the wafer makes electrical contact with the chuck. Electrical measurements are done through microscopic mechanical contacts (pins or probes, typically on a probe card) on the top electrode (busbars) and through the chuck on the back electrode. Voltage and current are typically measured using independent pins. For voltage measurements, contact resistance between the chuck and the back metal and the resistance of the chuck play an important role. Multi-junction solar cells used in concentrated photovoltaic applications are typically high-current devices. The current may result in a significant voltage drop on the chuck due to the resistance. The voltage measured in the test setup is the total voltage including the voltage drop across the chuck. The voltage component coming from the chuck reduces the accuracy of the measurement of the actual solar cell voltage, which is the voltage across the junctions.
Voltage measurements on singulated cells have additional challenges. FIG. 2 shows a schematic of a diced chip 101 being tested on a vacuum chuck 13. The back metal 52 (back electrode) is in contact with the chuck 13 and the probe card 12 is in contact with the busbar 22 (top electrode). For singulated cells, typically the vacuum pull is not strong enough to ensure a good electrical contact between the chuck and the chip. The downward pressure coming from the probe card 12 may prevent a portion of the backside of the chip 101 from making contact with the chuck 13. These effects result in increased contact resistance between the chuck 13 and the backside 52 of the chip, resulting in a higher voltage drop due to photo-generated current. Furthermore, the contact resistance between the chuck 13 and the solar cell chip 101 is inconsistent from run to run. Therefore, as a consequence there is increased inaccuracy in voltage measurements for singulated die compared to full-wafer testing.
One way to eliminate the uncertainty in voltage measurements is to probe the substrate only from the top for voltage measurements. In this measurement configuration, the path of the photo-generated current stays the same. Referring to FIG. 3, the path of the current I includes the junctions 4, the substrate 5, the contact between the back metal 52 and the chuck 13, and through the chuck 13, each with an associated voltage drop. The voltage V is measured using a probe 14 in contact with the exposed areas 81 on the substrate and another probe (not shown in FIG. 3) in contact with the busbars 22. The voltage measured does not include variations coming from the resistance of the chuck-back contact interface 53 and the resistance of the chuck 13. The contact resistance of the busbars 22 and the contact regions 3 is typically small. The resistance of the contact 145 between the voltage probe 14 and the substrate 5 must also be small. However, since the contact 145 is not on the current flow path, there is much smaller current flowing through this contact compared to other contacts. Consequently, variations in the resistance of the contact 145 do not result in significant uncertainty in voltage measurements. Nevertheless, it may be preferred to provide a metal contact region (not shown in FIG. 3) on the surface 81 of the exposed substrate to facilitate probing. It may also be preferred to flow short pulses of high current for "burning" contacts, to thereby provide a low resistance path between the probe and the substrate.
Probing the substrate from the top typically improves the accuracy of voltage measurements; however, it is not the preferred method in the prior art. Referring to FIG. 1A, the regions 8, where the substrate is exposed, isolate devices on the wafer and serve as dicing streets. There is a requirement to yield the maximum number of chips per wafer in order to minimize manufacturing costs. Consequently, there is a requirement to make y as small as possible; hence the exposed substrate regions 8 occupy a minimum area on the wafer. The width y of the regions 8 is typically chosen to be on the order of tens of micrometers to ensure electrical isolation and fulfill dicing requirements. It is generally difficult to probe the substrate from narrow exposed corner regions. Nevertheless, for wafer scale measurements the width y of the exposed corner regions 8 might be sufficient such that the substrate can be probed by using small probe tips. Although, in many cases it will be difficult to align the probe and the devices on the wafer and the devices can be damaged during testing. On the other hand, for singulated chips (FIG. 3), the exposed substrate region 81 has a much smaller width z compared to y. This is because, after singulation the total width y is shared between two adjacent die and also some of the substrate material is removed during dicing. Therefore, probing the substrate from the top will be much more challenging for singulated chips. For both wafer-scale and singulated cell measurements, if larger substrate probing areas are used, fewer chips can be placed on the wafer. Therefore, front side voltage probing is not a preferred method in the prior art.
In typical multi-junction solar cells, the voltage contribution of individual junctions cannot be determined. The ability to measure the voltage drop on each junction is desirable to determine the root cause of failures and to optimize the performance of solar cell devices. For such voltage measurements, it is required to probe the interconnection regions between junctions. This can be achieved by a layout modification such that the epitaxial material is partially removed in certain areas around the cell so that interfacial epitaxy regions between junctions become exposed and accessible from the top. Such a layout change requires dedicating real estate on the wafer, which can reduce the number of solar cells of a given active area yielded per wafer. Consequently, the voltage contribution of individual junctions is not typically measured in the prior art.
In multi-junction solar cell characterization, it may be desirable to obtain certain electrical measurements without a back metal contact 52. For example, such a requirement may come from a process sequence that includes thinning down the substrate 5 (e.g. by lapping and/or grinding). In such a case, the back metal 52 is provided subsequent to the substrate thinning step. To reduce processing costs, it can be desirable to identify defective devices and low-yield wafers through electrical measurements before the substrate is thinned down. A sacrificial back contact metallization (to be removed before substrate thinning) can be used. However, this approach results in additional cost and complexity in the process.
In summary, there are problems in the prior art of multi-junction solar cell characterization, which are as listed as follows:                1. Using back contacts for voltage measurements adds uncertainty to voltage measurements because of the voltage drop on the test chuck and across the solar cell—test chuck interface.        2. The uncertainty in measured voltage is even more pronounced for singulated cells because of additional resistance at the solar cell—test chuck interface.        3. Probing the substrate from the top can eliminate the uncertainty in voltage measurements. However, this approach typically requires dedicating additional real estate on the wafer, reducing the number of chips yielded from each wafer.        4. Measurement of the voltage contribution of individual junctions in a multi-junction stack is desirable, but typically requires allocating real estate on the wafer, thereby reducing the number of chips yielded per wafer.        5. It is desirable in some process flows to conduct certain electrical measurements without a back contact.
Thermal runaway is a phenomenon that reduces the lifetime and reliability of semiconductor devices. The power dissipated in a semiconductor device is often released as heat, resulting in an increase in the temperature of a device. In certain semiconductor devices, such as diodes and multi-junction solar cells, the increased temperature may result in an even greater increase in the power dissipated. Such a positive feedback loop typically results in the destruction of the semiconductor device. This process is referred to as "thermal runaway" in semiconductor terminology.
Solar cells tested under sun or under electrical forward bias show a common failure pattern of thermal runaway. Typical III-V solar cell die are bonded to a heatsink before on-sun or forward bias testing. Thermal runaway induced failure may result from an imperfect die-attach process whereby one corner of a die is physically higher than the other three with increased thermal resistance in that corner. The corner of the cell which is the highest will heat up more and consequently thermal runaway failure will occur in that corner. The heating consequences of an imperfect die-attach are further exacerbated by the fact that much of the forward bias current flows under the busbars of the chip, and these busbars typically extend into the corners of the chip.
Both electrical testing and thermal runaway problems of the prior art are addressed by the present invention.

Methods and apparatus for identifying and reducing semiconductor failures


An image monitoring technology for accurately collecting information about a monitoring target is provided. An image monitoring apparatus according to the present invention tracks the monitoring target on the basis of images sent from an overhead camera and images sent from gazing cameras, and switches gazing targets for the gazing cameras on the basis of the position and event information of the monitoring target, and tracking information about the monitoring target.

Recently, the importance of security has come to be confirmed more and more with an increase in heinous crimes. Therefore, a number of monitoring cameras are installed in crowded places such as shopping areas and airports. Image information shot with these monitoring cameras are stored in storage devices such as monitoring recorders, and they are consulted as needed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei8 (1996)-265741 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-081125 disclose image monitoring systems equipped with plural monitoring cameras. In the image monitoring systems disclosed in these patent documents, in order to obtain detailed information about a specific monitoring target, the monitoring target is shot with a camera that has a narrow field of view angle but that is capable of shooting an image in detail and that is controlled to track the target on the basis of the image shot with a camera having a comparatively wide field of view angle.

Image monitoring apparatus, image monitoring system, and image monitoring system configuration method


There is disclosed carbon black for a tire tread rubber which has a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area (N.sub.2 SA) of 60 to 160 m.sup.2 /g and a dibutyl phthalate absorption (DBP) of 90 to 150 ml/100 g which belong to the respective regions of hard grades of carbon black, and an intraaggregate void volume Vp (ml/g) which is at most equal to the value calculated according to the formula.

The present invention relates to carbon black for a tire tread rubber, and more particularly, to carbon black which can remarkably lower the heat build-up in a tire tread rubber while keeping the abrasion resistance of the tire tread rubber on a conventional level.
The effect of reinforcing a rubber by carbon black has heretofore been considered to be largely governed by the specific surface area (particle size) and the structure of carbon black. Accordingly, there are known many grades of carbon black differing in these properties.
In compounding carbon black into a rubber component, an appropriate choice is made of the grade of carbon black having characteristics adapted to the application of a rubber composition to be prepared. For example, a hard grade of carbon black, such as N110 or N220, is used in a rubber member requiring a high abrasion resistance, such as a tire tread portion subject to severe running conditions. As the running conditions for tires have recently become more and more severe, however, such a high performance has been required of a tire tread portion so as to satisfy particularly a high abrasion resistance and a low heat build-up at the same time.
In general, it is known that the abrasion resistance of a tire tread portion is enhanced as the specific surface area and structure of carbon black compounded thereinto are increased. However, it is also known that the heat build-up in the tire tread portion is increased in keeping with increases in the specific surface area and structure of carbon black. Thus, the abrasion resistance has an antinomic relation with the heat build-up. Accordingly, it has been considered extremely difficult to simultaneously impart a high abrasion resistance and a low heat build-up to a rubber composition.
With a view to solving such a difficulty, there have been proposed various attempts to use carbon black having specified properties (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-34149 and Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 63-112638). Despite such proposals, however, no rubber compositions containing, compounded thereinto, carbon black having such specified properties can simultaneously secure the satisfactory levels of abrasion resistance and heat build-up, in which further improvements has therefore been demanded.
In view of the above, the inventors of the present invention have made investigations on the intraaggregate void volume of carbon black and found that, when carbon black in the form of aggregates having a certain structure level and a relatively small intraaggregate void volume is compounded into a rubber component, the resulting rubber composition has a high abrasion resistance and a low heat build-up. The present invention has been completed based on this finding.


A method for monitoring and controlling a chassis pneumatic ride-height control system. Repeatedly measuring a current height of the chassis; detecting when the current height of the chassis exceeds at least one predefined height threshold. A time interval threshold is associated with the height threshold; repeatedly measuring a time interval in which the current height of the chassis exceeds the predefined height threshold; detecting when the measured lime interval exceeds the predefined time interval threshold associated with the predefined height threshold; repeatedly checking whether both the height threshold and the associated time interval threshold are exceeded, and if so, preventing the current height of the chassis from rising further and/or increasing stability of the chassis; deactivating the measures when the repeated check shows that the current height of the chassis is below the at least one height threshold and the associated time interval threshold.

ISO 26262, an ISO standard for safety-relevant electrical/electronic systems in motor vehicles, calls for the performance of a hazard analysis and risk estimation within its process framework and procedure model. For this purpose the potential hazards of the electrical/electronic system of a motor vehicle must be identified. This is done by observing the malfunctions of the system under investigation in specific hazard situations. Then each hazard is classified with a safety requirement level in four categories or is classified as not being safety-relevant. In ISO 26262 the risk analysis takes place by means of a specified qualitative methodology. For this purpose for each identified hazard the severity of the effect, the frequency of the hazard situation and the manageability of the malfunction in the respective hazard situation, for example by the driver, must be individually estimated. From a specified table for each hazard the classification can be read out as not safety-relevant (QM—Quality Management) or as a hazard of a certain class (ASIL class A-D), wherein ASIL stands for Automotive Safety Integrity Level.
With increasing ASIL the requirements on safety also increase. According to the current prior art, there is currently no computer-implemented method that carries out a continuous hazard analysis and risk estimation of the system according to the classification system of ISO standard 26262, an assessment of the potential hazard according to the ISO standard 26262 in a safety-relevant electrical/electronic system of a motor vehicle, for example a pneumatic ride height regulating system of a chassis system, and automatically implements the methods provided by the process framework and the procedure model of ISO standard 26262 to fulfil the respective safety requirement.

Method for monitoring and controlling a pneumatic ride-height control system of a chassis system


A method is provided for generating a ground compaction image. A pressure sensing panel is placed on a relatively rigid planar supporting surface. The pressure sensing panel is covered with a depth of particulate material. A loaded tire is placed on the particulate material, and a ground compaction image is generated with the pressure sensing panel. A ground compaction display may be created by superimposing the ground compaction image on a physical three-dimensional model of an interface between the particulate material and the loaded tire.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to methods of generating ground compaction images representative of the pressure distribution within the soil at a depth below a loaded tire, and to displays incorporating such ground compaction images.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that the compaction of soil can be detrimental to the growth and development of plants which are planted in the soil. Excessive soil compaction can impede root growth and decrease the plants' ability to consume nutrients and moisture from the soil.
A major cause of soil compaction is the tires of tractors and other agricultural implements, and this problem increases as the agricultural equipment becomes larger and heavier.
One technique for reducing the amount of soil compaction due to wheeled traffic through a field is to reduce the tire pressure and thus spread the load over a larger footprint of the tire. Improved tire designs are being developed which are durable at these decreased inflation pressures.
To date, however, there has been no systematic technique available for demonstrating the soil compaction created by a given tire or to compare tire designs to determine or demonstrate the relative soil compaction performance of different tires.

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC


The present invention is directed towards new 18F-folate radiopharmaceuticals, wherein fluorine-18 is covalently linked to the glutamate portion of a folate or derivative thereof, a method of their preparation, as well as their use in diagnosis and monitoring of therapy of cancer and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Cell-specific targeting for delivery of effector moieties such as diagnostic or therapeutic agents is a widely researched field and has led to the development of non-invasive diagnostic and/or therapeutic medical applications. In particular in the field of nuclear medicine procedures and treatments, which employ radioactive materials emitting electromagnetic radiations as γ-rays or photons or particle emitting radiation, selective localization of these radioactive materials in targeted cells or tissues is required to achieve either high signal intensity for visualization of specific tissues, assessing a disease and/or monitoring effects of therapeutic treatments, or high radiation dose, for delivering adequate doses of ionizing radiation to a specified diseased site, without the risk of radiation injury in other e.g. healthy tissues. It is thus of crucial interest to determine and assess cell-specific structures and in particular structures that are present in case of tumors (i.e. cancer) or inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as receptors, antigens, haptens and the like which can be specifically targeted by the respective biological vehicles.
The folate receptor (FR) has been identified as one of these structures. The FR is a high-affinity (KD<10−9 M) membrane-associated protein. In normal tissues and organs FR-expression is highly restricted to only a few organs (e.g. kidney, lungs, choroids plexus, and placenta), where it largely occurs at the luminal surface of epithelial cells and is therefore not supplied with folate in the circulation. The FR-alpha is frequently overexpressed on a wide variety of specific cell types, such as epithelial tumours (e.g. ovarian, cervical, endometrial, breast, colorectal, kidney, lung, nasopharyngeal), whereas the FR-beta is frequently overexpressed in leukaemia cells (approx. 70% of acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) are FR-beta positive). Both may therefore be used as a valuable tumour marker for selective tumour-targeting (Elnakat and Ratnam, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 2004; 56:1067-84). In addition, the FR-beta isoform has been found on activated (but not resting) macrophages. Activated macrophages are involved in inflammatory pathologies such as e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, atherosclerosis, diabetes, osteoarthritis, glomerulonephritis, infections, etc.
The literature reports several preclinical studies of folate-based imaging agents for detection/localization of sites of inflammation as well as folate receptor targeted therapy of theses diseases. Recently, a clinical study has been published that reports the results of imaging studies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using the FolateScan (Turk et al., Arthritis and Rheumatism 2002, 45, 1947-1955; Paulos et al., Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 2004, 56, 1205-1217; Chen et al., Arthritis Research & Therapy 2005, 7, 310-317; Hattori et al., Biol. & Pharm. Bull. 2006, 29, 1516-1520; Chandraseka et al., J. Biomed. Mat. Res. Part A 2007, 82, 92-103; Varghese et al., Mol. Pharmaceutics 2007, 4, 679-685; Low et al. Discovery and development of folic-acid-based receptor targeting for imaging and therapy of cancer and inflammatory diseases 2008, 41, 120-129; Matteson et al., Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2009, 27, 253-259).
Folic acid, which is based on a pteridine skeleton conjugated through a benzoylamino moiety to a glutamate, and its derivatives have thus been intensively studied over the past 15 years as targeting agents for the delivery of therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents to cell populations bearing folate receptors in order to achieve a selective concentration of therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents in such cells relative to normal cells.
Various folic acid derivatives and conjugates are known and have been (pre) clinically evaluated, including folate radiopharmaceuticals (Leamon and Low, Drug Discov. Today 2001; 6:44-51; U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,280), fluorinated folate chemotherapeutics (U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,090), folate-conjugates with chemotherapeutic agents (Leamon and Reddy, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 2004; 56:1127-41; Leamon et al, Bioconjugate Chem. 2005; 16:803-11), with proteins and protein toxins (Ward et al, J. Drug Target. 2000; 8:119-23; Leamon et al, J. Biol. Chem. 1993; 268:24847-54; Leamon and Low, J. Drug Target. 1994; 2:101-12), with antisense oliconucleotides (Li et al, Pharm. Res. 1998; 15:1540-45; Zhao and Lee, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 2004; 56:1193-204), with liposomes (Lee and Low, Biochim. Biophys. Acta-Biomembr. 1995; 1233:134-44; Gabizon et al, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 2004; 56:1177-92), with hapten molecules (Paulos et al, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 2004; 56:1205-17), with MRI contrast agents (Konda et al, Magn. Reson. Mat. Phys. Biol. Med. 2001; 12:104-13) etc.
Folate radiopharmaceuticals can be in particular very useful for an improved diagnosis and evaluation of the effectiveness of cancer and inflammatory and autoimmune disease therapy. This may include assessment and/or prediction of a treatment response and consequently improvement of radiation dosimetry. Typical visualization techniques suitable for radioimaging are known in the art and include positron emission tomography (PET), planar or single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) imaging, gamma cameras, scintillation, and the like.
Both PET and SPECT use radiotracers to image, map and measure activities of target sites of choice. Yet while PET uses positron emitting nuclides which require a nearby cyclotron, SPECT uses single photon emitting nuclides which are available by generator systems, which may make its use more convenient. However SPECT provides less sensitivity than PET and beside a few approaches quantification methods are lacking. In case of PET, the positron annihilation results in two gamma rays of 511 keV which provide the basis for well developed quantification methods. Thus PET is one of the most sophisticated functional imaging technologies to assess regional uptake and affinity of ligands or metabolic substrates in brain and other organs and thus provides measures of imaging based on metabolic activity. This is for example achieved by administering a positron emitting isotope to a subject, and as it undergoes radioactive decay the gamma rays resulting from the positron/electron annihilation are detected by the PET scanner.
Factors that need to be considered in the selection of a suitable isotope useful for PET include sufficient half-life of the positron-emitting isotope to permit preparation of a diagnostic composition optionally in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier prior to administration to the patient, and sufficient remaining half-life to yield sufficient activity to permit extra-corporeal measurement by a PET scan. Furthermore, a suitable isotope should have a sufficiently short half-life to limit patient exposure to unnecessary radiation. Typically, a suitable radiopharmaceutical for PET may be based on a metal isotope, such as gallium or copper. These two require however a chelator for entrapment of the metal, which may have an effect on steric and chemical properties. Alternatively a radiopharmaceutical may be based on a covalently linked isotope which provides minimal structural alteration. Radionuclides used for covalent attachment and which could be suitable for PET scanning are typically isotopes with short half lives such as 11C (ca. 20 min), 13N (ca. 10 min), 15O (ca. 2 min), 18F (ca. 110 min).
To date, a number of chelate-based folate radiopharmaceuticals have been synthesized and successfully evaluated as diagnostic agents for imaging folate receptor-positive tumors. The most widely studied derivatives were labeled either with 111In and 99mTc (Siegel et al., J. Nucl. Med. 2003, 44:700; Müller et al., J. Organomet. Chem. 2004, 689:4712) for SPECT or with 68Ga for PET (Mathias et al., Nucl. Med. Biol. 2003, 30(7):725). However, all of the above need a suitable chelating agent, which is typically linked to folic acid through its glutamate portion.
Thus a folate radiopharmaceutical having a covalently linked isotope would be of great interest. In particular a 18F-labeled folate radiopharmaceutical would be most suitable for PET Imaging because of its excellent imaging characteristics which would fulfil all of the above considerations. Compared with other suitable radionuclides (11C, 13N, 15O), 18F is very useful because of its long half-life of approximately 110 minutes and because it decays by emitting positrons having the lowest positron energy, which allows for the sharpest images with a high-resolution PET. Furthermore, the longer half-life of 18F also allows for syntheses that are more complex and satellite distribution to PET centers with no radiochemistry facilities.
Yet, to date, there have been only few 18F-labeled folic acid derivatives reported in the literature (Bettio et al., J. Nucl. Med., 2006, 47(7), 1153; Ross et al., Bioconjugate Chem., 2008, 19, 2402; WO 2006/071754; WO 2008/098112; WO 2008/125613; WO 2008/125615; WO 2008/125617), in addition to few reports on folate derivatives labeled with isotopes having much longer half-lives, such as 131I (60 days) and 125I (8 days: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,276,280, 4,298,735) and 75Se (120 days: GB 1501119, U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,976). Moreover, some of the methodologies suffer from drawbacks including time-consuming radiosyntheses giving only low radiochemical yields of less than 5% (Bettio et al., J. Nucl. Med., 2006, 47(7), 1153) or unfavoruable pharmacokinetics for molecular imaging purposes (Ross et al., Bioconjugate Chem., 2008, 19, 2402). Thus, there is still a need for specific radiopharmaceuticals suitable for metabolic imaging of tumors to improve diagnosis and treatment of cancer and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Applicants have now found efficient and versatile methods for production of new 18F-labeled folate radiopharmaceuticals wherein fluorine-18 is linked to the glutamate portion of a folate or derivative thereof. The present method is highly effective giving the desired 18F-folate in good yields to meet the expectations for a clinical application in humans. In addition, the new radiosynthesis is applicable in an automated synthesis module which allows a fast and convenient labeling procedure which meets the requirements of GMP guidelines. Preliminary in-vitro and in-vivo studies suggested their suitability as powerful diagnostic agents for FR-positive tumours.


A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system to transmit optical beams including at least two up-chirp signals and at least two down-chirp signals toward targets in a field of view of the LIDAR system and receive returned signals of the up-chirp and the down-chirp as reflected from the targets. The LIDAR system generates a baseband signal in a frequency domain of the returned signals of the at least two up-chirp signals and the at least two down-chirp signals. The baseband signal includes a first set of peaks associated with the at least one up-chirp signal and a second set of peaks associated with the at least one down-chirp signal. The LIDAR system determines the target location using the first set of peaks and the second set of peaks.

LIDAR systems, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) LIDAR systems use tunable, infrared lasers for frequency-chirped illumination of targets, and coherent receivers for detection of backscattered or reflected light from the targets that are combined with a local copy of the transmitted signal. Mixing the local copy with the return signal (e.g., a returned signal), delayed by the round-trip time to the target and back, generates signals at the receiver with frequencies that are proportional to the distance to each target in the field of view of the system. An up sweep of frequency and a down sweep of frequency may be used to detect a range and velocity of a detected target. However, when one or more of the LIDAR system and a target (or multiple targets) are moving, the issue of associating the peaks corresponding to each target arises.

Techniques for ghosting mitigation in coherent LIDAR systems using multiple chirp rates


A method for switching on a subscriber signal wherein a transmission path from a calling terminal device of a switched-through telecommunications network to a called terminal device of a packet transmission network is defined using a network transmission function. An alert message comes from the called terminal device end. When the alert message occurs, a following signaling message is generated which indicates that a subscriber signal has not yet been generated for the calling terminal device. The ringing tone is not switched on, and a standard signaling message is not generated, until the following signaling message has been processed.

The present invention relates to a method in which a transmission path from a calling terminal device of a switched-through telecommunications network to a called terminal device of a packet transmission network is defined using a network gateway function. A signaling message which is defined for the packet transmission network comes from the called terminal device end and indicates that the called terminal device is signaling the call to a subscriber. When the signaling message which is defined for the packet transmission network occurs, a signaling message is also generated for the switched-through network. In addition, a subscriber signal, for example a ringing tone, must be transmitted to the calling terminal device.
The switched-through telecommunications network is, for example, a network in which the user data is forwarded in time slots in accordance with a time-division multiplex method; for example, in time slots of a PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) system. Such a network is, for example, the telephone network of Deutsche Telekom AG. The terminal device is, for example, an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) telephone, an analog telephone or a videophone.
The packet transmission network is, for example, the Internet or a data transmission network which operates according to the Internet protocol. However, other packet transmission networks, for example ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) networks, are also used. In an ATM network, the data packets are also referred to as cells. The data packets or cells contain steering data which are used for forwarding the user data contained in the data packets.
In the packet transmission network, signaling is carried out in the wider sense according to protocol SIP (Session Invocation Protocol), see Defacto standard RFC 25423 (Request For Comment) of the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), or according to standard H.323 of the ITU-T (International Telecommunications Union—Telecommunications Standardization Sector).
If the standard H.323 is complied with, the following standards defined by the ITU-T are significant:                H.323 (1998) "Packed-based multimedia communications systems";        H.225.0 (1999) "Call signaling protocols and media stream packetization for packed-based multimedia communications systems";        H.450.1 (1998) "Generic functional protocol for the support of supplementary services in H.323";        H.246 (02/98) "Interworking of H-Series multimedia terminals with H-Series multimedia terminals and voice/voiceband terminals on GSTN and ISDN"; and        H.246 Annex C (02/00) "ISDN user part function—H.225.0 interworking Annex C".
In the last-mentioned standard, the switching of a subscriber signal, specifically of a ringing tone, when a call is set up from the switched-through network into the packet transmission network is dealt with in section C.7.1.3 "Sending of the Address Complete Message (ACM)". According to the text here, when "voice data" or "3.1 kHz Audio" is transmitted, a ringing tone, for example, should be transmitted to the calling terminal device after the reception of the first alerting message.
An object of the present invention is to devise a simple method for switching on a subscriber signal, in particular a ringing tone. In addition, an associated switching office and an associated program are to be devised as well.

Method for switching on a subscriber signal, associated switching office and associated program


A laser treatment apparatus which irradiates a laser beam produced by a treatment laser source to an area of treatment, the apparatus comprises an irradiation condition setting device which sets irradiation conditions of the laser beam, such as an irradiation area, a laser scanning device provided with a plurality of reflectors including at least a reflector which is continuously rotated in a predetermined direction by a motor to perform a laser two-dimensional scanning on the treatment area, a scanning controller which controls the operation of the laser scanning device, and an irradiation controller which controls the laser source to turn on and off the laser beam depending on the irradiation conditions in correspondence with the operation of the laser scanning device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser treatment apparatus which is used to treat a patient by irradiating a laser beam to a part of body to be treated (diseased part).
2. Description of Related Art
Laser treatment apparatus for treating a part of a patient's body to be treated (diseased part) by irradiating a laser beam thereto has been used for the treatment of various diseases based on the selection of the wavelength of treatment laser.
In the recent neoplasty for removing wrinkles, ephelides, birthmarks, stains, etc. of patients, attention is paid to laser treatment apparatus that use the CO.sub.2 laser (carbon dioxide gas laser) having infrared wavelengths. In the neoplasty using these laser treatment apparatus, a treatment laser beam is irradiated through a hand piece to the diseased part of a patient. For one of the laser treatment apparatus, there is an apparatus provided with the hand piece having driven mirrors which deflect a treatment laser beam and an aiming light to scan the diseased part in the X-direction and the Y-direction respectively.
However, the driven mirrors for the X- and Y-directions in the conventional laser treatment apparatus are swinging mirrors such as galvano-mirrors, which will change its moving speed according to swinging angle. Consequently, the mirror in moving slowly causes the over-irradiation of the treatment laser beam onto the part to be treated.


An integrated micro chip, method of integrating a micro chip, and micro chip integration system are described. In an embodiment, a micro chip such as a micro RFID chip or integrated passive device (IPD) is electrostatically transferred and bonded to a conductive pattern including a line break. In an embodiment, the line break is formed by a suitable cutting technique such as laser laser ablation, ion beam etching, or photolithography with chemical etching to accommodate the micro chip.

Field
The present invention relates to integrated micro chip applications. More particularly embodiments of the present invention relate to an RFID tag with an integrated micro chip.
Background Information
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a manner of identifying objects with a wireless communication protocol. The technology can be used to identify, track, sort or detect a wide variety of objects. An RFID system generally includes an RFID tag and a reader. Passive RFID tags include an integrated circuit or chip and an antenna, and are powered by an electromagnetic field provided by the reader. The available power from the reader reduces rapidly with distance and is generally regulated resulting in limited communication distances up to several meters. Passive RFID tags can be operated over the entire frequency range available to RFID systems including low frequency (LF; <300 kHz; 125 kHz primary frequency), high frequency (HF; 3 MHz-30 MHz; primary frequency 13.56 MHz), ultra-high frequency (UHF; 860 MHz-950 MHz; 915 MHz primary frequency in United States, 950 MHz primary frequency in Japan, 868 MHz primary frequency in Europe), and microwave (2.45 GHz-5.8 GHz; 5.8 GHz primary frequency). Active RFID tags include an integrated circuit or chip, an antenna, and a built-in power supply, such as a battery or solar cell to provide voltage to the chip. As a result the electric field detected by the antenna can be much weaker than the electric field that would be required to power a passive RFID tag. This allows communication with the reader at distances of over several kilometers. Active RFID tags most often are operated at the UHF and microwave frequencies.
A variety of characteristics are used to characterize RFID tags such as their capability to read and write data, memory capacity, operating frequency, operating range (distance), and security requirements. At the low-end spectrum of RFID tag functionality, are included read-only passive RFID tags that store a small amount of data. At the high-end spectrum of RFID tag functionality, are included read-write active RFID tags that may additionally include a microprocessor to facilitate more complex logic.
RFID tags generally receive energy and communicate with the reader using two methods. In one manner, the RFID tag communicates with the reader using magnetic field, also termed near field, inductive coupling in which the tag inductively couples to the magnetic field circulating around the reader antenna. The RFID tag associated with near field inductive coupling often includes a coiled antenna that operates at the LF or HF frequencies. A typical read range for passive RFID tags with LF and HF antennas is less than 0.5 meters and approximately 1 meter, respectively. In another manner, the RFID tag couples to the electric field, also termed far field, of the reader and communicates to the reader using backscatter. The RFID tag associated with far field coupling often includes a dipolar antenna that operates at the UHF or microwave frequencies. A typical read range for passive RFID tags with UHF and microwave antennas is approximately 4-5 meters and approximately 1 meter, respectively.
Other related characteristics of RFID tags are cost and reliability. The type of materials and assembly methods used to package RFID tags impact the final cost, and to some extent their performance. A typical RFID tag assembly process includes forming a conductive antenna on a substrate, connecting the chip to the antenna, and forming a protective overlay material over the antenna and chip. Chip connection is typically performed using wire bonding, flip chip, or cut clamp technology (CCT). The protective overlay is typically a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) lamination, epoxy resin, or adhesive. Chip size is also a factor in overall cost.

RFID tag and micro chip integration design


An endless conveyor device comprises a conveyor unit having at least one endless conveyor, which is configured to convey items; a drive roller assembly, which is drivable by a drive belt and configured to drive the endless conveyor and has a support element; a deflecting roller assembly and an intermediate body, disposed between the drive roller assembly and the deflecting roller assembly, as well as between a conveying strand and a return strand of the endless conveyor. The endless conveyor device further comprises a drive unit comprising the drive belt, a motor and a support device, which is configured to engage with the support element. The drive belt is relaxable by pivoting the conveyor unit relative to the drive unit about a rotation axis of the drive roller assembly in a first direction. A method for removing a conveyor unit from an endless conveyor device is also provided.

Endless conveyor devices are known from practice for conveying items. In many cases they comprise for example a belt or several straps, which are mounted on a system of rollers and can convey items by circulating around these rollers. In DE 10 2018 204 043 A1 by the applicant, a transport device is described, which comprises a conveyor belt guided by a pivotable support. The tension of the conveyor belt may, therefore, be changed by pivoting the support between different positions in order to enable a stripping of the conveyor belt, for example for cleaning purposes.
Even though the relaxing of the conveyor belt already facilitates cleaning of conveyor devices, conveyor devices are known, in which cleaning is hampered by further components, for example drive units for the rollers of the conveyor device. Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to further facilitate cleaning of endless conveyor devices.

Endless conveyor device having removable conveyor unit and method

MULTIVAC MARKING & INSPECTION GMBH & CO. KG


A sealing gasket includes a liner and a polyurethane foam layer disposed on the liner. The polyurethane foam layer can have a density of 50 kg/m3 to 250 kg/m3, a force-to-compress at 25% compression of not greater than 5.0 psi, and an 50% springback parameter of not greater than 2.0 seconds. The polyurethane foam has a thickness in a range of 0.3 mm to 10.0 mm. A surface of the polyurethane foam layer has a skin.

Demand for electronic products has been increasing at an ever accelerating rate. In particular, demand for mobile electronic devices, such as telephones, game consoles, music players, laptop computers, and tablet computers, are becoming more prevalent in society than ever before. Such electronic devices and in particular, such mobile electronic devices can be damaged easily when exposed to environmental conditions, particularly humidity or moisture.
Typical electronic devices are housed within a casing formed in several sections that fit together and are secured by screws or by compression fittings. Such casings generally utilize gaskets to at least partially isolate the inside of the casing from the external environment.
In the mobile electronic devices industry, there is increasing pressure to reduce the weight and cost associated with devices. Oftentimes, the industry turns to lighter materials, such as plastics for the casings and seeks to use lighter materials for the gaskets and other components. However, thin-walled plastic casings can exhibit some degree of flexibility, placing additional strain on gaskets. Conventional gaskets that have poor response to repeated compression can fail to reform a seal between the casing portions after stress in adequate time to prevent dust and particulate from entering the device. Accumulation of dust and particulate can ultimately lead to degradation of device components and failure of the device.
As such, improved sealing gaskets would be desirable.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation


The present disclosure describes techniques for generating, maintaining, and operating a cooperative virtual reality (VR) environment across multiple computing devices. By utilizing these techniques, disparate users are able to work independently or in collaboration on projects within a single VR environment without the latency issues that plague prior VR environments. That is, unlike prior systems which are plagued with latency issues that interrupt the user's VR experience, the techniques described in the present disclosure allow for cooperative VR environments to be rendered in real time across large numbers of computing devices while enabling each computing device to provide a smooth user experience. Additionally, the techniques described herein distribute the data processing and analysis between the VR server and the individual computing devices rendering the cooperative VR environment.

Due to technological improvements in computer processing and graphics rendering, computing systems capable of providing virtual reality (VR) environments are widely available. Because of this availability of VR capable systems, users desire VR solutions that enable them to perform individual and collaborative projects within VR environments. However, present VR environments are plagued with many technical issues. For example, current VR systems suffer from latency issues, where a noticeable delay occurs between a user action and a resultant change in the VR environment. In addition to causing a frustrating user experience, latency issues make collaboration via contemporaneous actions by different users impractical, or even impossible. Another technical issue effecting current VR environments is the lack of tools for converting user actions into changes within the VR environment. As a result, current computing systems struggle to convert sensor data relating to user gestures into the generation and manipulation of virtual objects/relationships within the VR environment.

Technological infrastructure for enabling multi-user collaboration in a virtual reality environment


There is provided an apparatus that estimates the NOx adsorption amount, comprising a NOx trap catalyst that is disposed in an exhaust passage of an engine, for adsorbing NOx in exhaust gases during lean operation and releasing and reducing the adsorbed NOx during rich operation, an operation unit that computes an amount of emission from the catalyst during rich operation by using a map or a polynomial equation that reflects emissions from the catalyst based on the exhaust gas temperature and the exhaust gas flow rate of the exhaust passage and the excess-air factor upstream of the catalyst, and an estimating unit that estimates an amount of adsorption in the NOx trap catalyst from the computed emission amount.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for estimating the amount of NOx adsorption in a NOx trap catalyst provided in an exhaust passage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a NOx trap catalyst adsorbs NOx (nitrogen oxides) in exhaust gases when the exhaust air-fuel ratio is lean, and releases and reduces the adsorbed NOx when the exhaust air-fuel ratio is rich. Specifically, the catalyst adsorbs NOx in exhaust gases as nitrate salt in an oxygen excess condition (oxidized atmosphere) and reduces the adsorbed NOx into nitrogen in a carbon monoxide excess condition (reduced atmosphere).
In an engine equipped with the above catalyst, rich spike is performed such that the mode of operation is intermittently switched to rich operation before the NOx adsorption amount reaches a level of saturation, thereby suppressing the deterioration of catalytic performance caused by an increase in NOx adsorption amount. As a result, the catalyst is regenerated, and exhaust gases are satisfactorily purified.
The rich spike can be implemented in two ways: in-cylinder rich operation and out-of-cylinder rich operation. Specifically, the in-cylinder rich operation can be implemented by, for example, a method in which exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) is performed at a high recirculation rate such that carbon monoxide (CO) emitted from cylinders by imperfect combustion is used as a reductant, or a method in which unburned fuel (HC) as a reductant is supplied into cylinders by post (after) injection in exhaust strokes. On the other hand, the out-of-cylinder rich operation can be implemented by, for example, a method in which the HC is added to an exhaust passage, that is, fuel is directly supplied to the catalyst.
Here, to perform the rich spike, it is necessary to accurately estimate or detect the NOx adsorption amount. For this purpose, there has been proposed a technique in which the NOx adsorption amount is estimated using a mathematical catalytic model based on chemical/physical reactions of a catalyst (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H09-72235).
According to this technique, at least one oxygen sensor is provided downstream of the catalyst so that the amount of NOx adsorption in the catalyst can be estimated. However, the principal objective of this technique is to control the air-fuel ratio for a three-way catalyst. That is, it is difficult to apply this technique to the NOx trap catalyst because the three-way catalyst differs from the NOx trap catalyst in model structure. Also, in the case where the NOx adsorption amount is estimated using other catalytic model, it is necessary to sequentially change model equations because the characteristic value varies depending on types of catalyst. Besides, to cope with the deterioration of the catalyst, more detailed modeling is required. Thus, according to the above conventional technique, even though it is possible to estimate the NOx adsorption amount, problems to be addressed still remain where accurate estimation of the NOx adsorption amount is concerned.
Also, to estimate the amount of NOx adsorption in the NOx trap catalyst, it is necessary to keep in mind that the NOx emission during the rich spike, i.e. a decrease in NOx adsorption amount has to found. This is because the latest NOx adsorption amount cannot be accurately identified unless a decrease in NOx adsorption amount caused by the rich spike is taken into consideration. To estimate the NOx adsorption amount, a method can be envisaged in which values related to a reductant emitted from cylinders are estimated in advance, the NOx emission is calculated using the values, and the NOx adsorption amount is then estimated. However, this method raises concern that the scope of application of the rich spike is narrowed.

Apparatus and method for estimating NOx trap catalyst adsorption amount

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation


Embodiments of the present invention provide a novel solution that enables traditional network management services to be automated without requiring the standard user oversight often required by conventional networking systems. Embodiments of the present invention are operable to utilize in-band communications used by network devices within an existing Layer 2 network to automatically generate a virtualized Layer 2 management network. By using MAC address learning procedures and/or generating a logical convergence state for an existing physical Layer 2 network, embodiments of the present invention can generate a virtual layer 2 network interface that facilitates automatic network connectivity for new and/or existing network devices. As such, embodiments of the present invention can enable communication between various network layers (e.g., Layer 3/Layer 4 networks) that allows network devices to be bootstrapped to an existing network infrastructure in a manner that requires no configuration.

In utilizing cloud computing technology, companies often employ the use of multiple data centers which provide the computational resources required for companies to meet the needs of their customers. Data centers can host a number of different network devices (i.e., servers, network switches, etc.) and are used to provide different forms of media and/or offer vast amounts of storage space to customers. However, as user demand for media and/or storage increases, companies need to correspondingly increase the computing capacity of their data centers. Thus, companies need to increase the number of network devices within their data centers.
However, when acquiring new network devices for these data centers, companies are often required to manually install and manage these devices. For instance, the management ports of each network device must be manually provisioned and manually configured by an experienced end-user (i.e., a network administrator). This is done to ensure that these network devices, as well as the networks in which these devices are placed within, properly function in an expected manner. As such, the process of planning, wiring, configuring and managing a network is a cumbersome task for a company and requires significant oversight. Accordingly, these companies are forced to spend a significant amount of time, money and computing power to effectively manage existing network infrastructures within their data centers. This imposes a huge toll on companies since this is not their primary aspect of business.

Method and system for an overlay management control network


Balloon catheters are prepared to include body affecting chemicals within microcapsules on the exterior of the balloon either alone or with a stent. The coating releases from the balloon when the balloon is inflated into contact with the lumen to be treated. The device provides accurate placement of the dosage required at the location in need of treatment. A sheath may be employed over the balloon and microcapsules to prevent the microcapsules from being rubbed off during delivery through a body lumen. The catheters are especially useful in balloon angioplasty procedures.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to balloon catheters and more particularly to balloon angioplasty catheters having plaque-affecting compound releasably attached to a balloon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dilatation balloons on catheters are well known in the art and are used to decrease the restriction caused by plaque within a vessel wall. Plaque varies greatly in consistency and may be anything from a soft fatty tissue to a harder calcified material. In either case, it is often desirable to do more than simply force a balloon against the plaque or other restriction in the hopes that any plaque and vessel wall may be stretched to open the lumen more fully. Laser angioplasty uses lasers to vaporize the plaque at the stenosis.
Researchers are currently screening a number of drugs to limit or dissolve plaque. Unfortunately, such compositions have been difficult to apply directly where needed. Instead, such drugs tend to be applied systemically which essentially treats portions of the body which need no treatment. Also, such treatments mean that the dosage to the body must be quite high to insure that the area having a need for treatment will receive adequate drugs.
Researchers at the University of Chicago School of medicine incorporated a drug with magnetite particles in albumin solution and formed microcapsules 1.5 .mu.m in diameter. The microcapsules were localized with the use of external magnetic fields. The local effects obtained matched those obtained with one hundred times as much drug given intravenously. J. Widder et al, Adv. Pharm. Chemother., 16, 213 (1979).
Concentrated heparin is delivered by a perforated balloon catheter in work by Wolinsky et al, as described in European Patent publication 0 383 429 of C. R. Bard, Inc. The drug is sprayed through minute holes in the balloon. Also see JACC Vol. 15, No. 2, February 1990:475-81 by Wolinsky et al. The assignee of the present invention has filed a patent application entitled "Intralumenal Drug Eluting Prosthesis", Ser. No. 07/486,580, filed Feb. 28, 1990, now abandoned which places a stent bearing drug at the location desired. Other attempts have involved an application of catheters having separated balloons and the introduction of the drug from an internal lumen of the catheter to the space formed between two inflated balloons. Obviously, this procedure requires the introduction of drug through a lumen within the catheter meaning that the volume of the drug is quite high. Also, if the plaque is badly fissured there will not be a complete seal between the two balloons and the drug will escape to other parts of the body through the vessel.
The art described in this section is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is "prior art" with respect to this invention, unless specifically designated as such. In addition, this section should not be construed to mean that a search has been made or that no other pertinent information as defined in 37 C.F.R. Section 56(a) exists.

Releasable microcapsules on balloon catheters


An improved weathered stone panel is provided that is strong and durable, but flexible enough to accommodate curved surfaces, is suitable for water-based applications, and is lighter and less costly to ship while still maintaining the aesthetically pleasing smooth texture of the panel. The improved method for manufacturing a weathered stone panel includes preparing a base mixture comprising wood glue and plaster of paris and applying the base mixture to a substrate. The method further includes cutting the substrate to create panels of a desired size, applying light air movement to the panels until the panels are dry, applying an acrylic base to the panels, applying light air movement to the panels until the panels are dry, cutting the panels to preferred sizes, manipulating the panels by hand until at least one crack is created in each panel, applying a glaze to the panels for coloring, and finally drying the panels.

a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to stone for construction and the like, and, more particularly to weathered stone and the manufacturing method thereof.
b. Description of Related Art
It may be desirable in the construction industry to simulate the look of aged materials, such as weathered stone panels, natural stone, or ceramic tiles for architectural and aesthetic purposes. While materials may exist for use as decorative wall coverings or exterior finishing for walls, there exists a need for panels that may be used in other applications in addition to wall coverings. For example, it may be advantageous to produce a material with equivalent strength and durability, but sufficient flexibility for application to curved surfaces, in order to be used in connection with floors, countertops, shower stalls, and furniture.
Conventional designs for weathered stone and manufacturing methods have a number of deficiencies. For example, current base mud mixtures used to manufacture weathered stone may not produce weathered stone with sufficient strength and durability. Attempts to alter the composition of the base mud mixture to improve the strength, durability, and flexibility of the final product have resulted in undesirable consistencies, for example, producing a liquid effect on the base mud mixture during manufacturing and hampering drying. Furthermore, the thickness of the base mud mixture may prevent the weathered stone from wrapping around corners during installation without continuing to crack. In addition, conventional designs may not be adapted for use in water applications and some designs may require the application of multiple layers of a base composition to create the desired look of aged material. In addition, the standard weight sheet rock compound that provides the desired smoothness to the product is extremely heavy, resulting in a heavy final product with expensive shipping costs.
The inventors herein have recognized a need for weathered stone and a manufacturing method thereof that will minimize and/or eliminate the above-identified deficiencies.

Weathered stone and the manufacturing method thereof


In an engine torque loss computing section, a pump loss computing section computes a pump torque loss, and a frictional loss computing section computes a frictional torque loss. The pump torque loss and the frictional torque loss are summed to obtain an engine torque loss. Furthermore, a torque loss correction amount computing section computes a torque loss correction amount, and a correction amount changing section changes the torque loss correction amount based on a result of determination of whether fuel cut-off is currently executed. The torque loss correction amount is added to the uncorrected initial engine torque loss to obtain a corrected engine torque loss.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a torque control apparatus and a vehicle control system having the same.
2. Description of Related Art
In a previously proposed control system of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, a torque demand (also referred to as a demanded torque) is computed based on an operational amount (an accelerator operational amount or alternatively referred to as an opening degree) of an accelerator operated by a driver, and then actuators of the engine are operated to achieve this torque demand. For example, according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-50889, a target shaft torque of an engine is computed based on an accelerator operational amount and an engine rotational speed, and a combustion pressure torque is computed based on the target shaft torque and an engine operational state. Then, a target intake air quantity is computed based on the combustion pressure torque, and an opening degree of a throttle valve is controlled in a manner that achieves the target intake air quantity. Furthermore, at the time of computing the combustion pressure torque, a frictional torque loss, a pump torque loss and an indicated torque are computed based on the engine operational state (e.g., an engine rotational speed, an engine coolant temperature, an engine load), and the combustion pressure torque is computed based on them.
However, the combustion state of the engine changes with time. Therefore, for example, a cylinder temperature and a cylinder pressure change due to the change in the combustion state. Accordingly, the torque loss also changes. For example, a torque loss in a fuel cut-off period differs from a torque loss in a normal combustion period. In such a case, the torque loss cannot be accurately computed, and thereby a torque demand, which is demanded by a driver, cannot be achieved.
Lately, development of a torque based control system is in progress for implementing its commercial use. The torque based control system collectively controls operation of various actuators in addition to the engine based on the torque demand, which is demanded by a driver. In this torque based control system, when the torque demand cannot be met in the engine, a torque balance relative to the other actuators is deteriorated, so that the desired vehicle control cannot be implemented. For example, in a case of a brake control apparatus, which controls braking of the vehicle, at the time of decelerating the vehicle, the torque demand may be met by a brake system. However, at this time, in the engine side, fuel cut-off is executed, and thereby an error in an engine torque occurs due to a change in a torque loss caused by the fuel cut-off. Therefore, in such a case, a demanded deceleration may not be achieved.

Torque control apparatus and vehicle control system having the same


Disclosed are systems, methods and devices for providing positioning assistance data to a mobile device. In a particular implementation, a mobile device may receive parameters representing an inference model. The mobile device may then apply observations to the inference model to classify the location of the mobile device as being in a particular region. The mobile device may then request positioning assistance data based, at least in part, on the particular region.

1. Field
Embodiments described herein are directed to mobile positioning and/or navigation techniques.
2. Information
Global positioning system (GPS) and other like satellite positioning systems (SPSs) have enabled navigation services for mobile handsets in outdoor environments. Since satellite signals may not be reliably received and/or acquired in an indoor environment, different techniques may be employed to enable navigation services. For example, mobile devices can typically obtain a position fix by measuring ranges to three or more terrestrial wireless access points which are positioned at known locations. Such ranges may be measured, for example, by obtaining a MAC ID address from indoor signals received from such access points and measuring one or more characteristics of signals received from such access points such as, for example, signal strength, round trip delay, just to name a few examples.

System, method and devices for delivering positioning assistance data


An example device includes a microfluidic channel and a movable element retained in the microfluidic channel to move from a first position to a second position by fluid flow through the microfluidic channel. The device includes a sensor to take a sensor reading to determine fluid flow through the microfluidic channel. The device includes a microfluidic pump to return the movable element from the second position to the first position. The device includes a controller to actuate the microfluidic pump and to determine a flow rate of the fluid flow through the microfluidic channel based on the sensor reading.

Microfluidics involves the manipulation of fluids constrained within small volumes. Such fluids may be moved through small channels, chambers, or other small components. Flow rates of such fluids may be measured by various flow meters.
Measurement of microfluidic flow rates is useful for various applications of microfluidics, such as inkjet printing, nucleic acid testing and amplification, and similar applications where accurate delivery of a fluid over time is expected.

Devices to measure flow rates with movable elements

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A metal oxide thin film may be obtained by providing a source gas and an oxidizer gas. The source gas may include a hydrolyzable metallic compound. The oxidizer gas may include a hydrate of a metal salt. The metal oxide thin film may be obtained by alternately feeding the source gas and the oxidizer gas into a reaction chamber in which a substrate is placed.

1. Field of the Invention
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of forming a metal oxide thin film including deposition of one monolayer by alternately feeding a source gas and an oxidizer gas to a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In contrast to the CVD which is a method adapted to deposit a film continuously by incessant feed of materials, the atomic layer deposition method (hereinafter will be referred to as "ALD method") is a method of depositing individual films each comprising a single layer of a substance step by step and is excellent in deposition of a strictly controlled layer of high quality.
Known metal oxide film deposition methods utilizing the ALD method include: (1) a method of forming a metal oxide thin film by alternately feeding a source gas comprising a hydrolyzable metallic compound and an oxidizer gas (comprising H2O or O2 for example); (2) a method using a metal chloride and a metal salt as a source gas and an oxidizer gas, respectively, to form a metal oxide film, specifically, using Hf(NO3)4 (hafnium nitrate) and HfCl4 to form an HfO2 film or using Hf(NO3)4 and AlCl3 or ZrCl4 to form an HfAlOx or HfZrOx film, as described in Appl. Phy. Lett. 84. P398 (2004); and (3) a method using such a chloride as AlCl3, HfCl4 or SiCl4 and a metal alkoxide to form a compound metal oxide thin film (comprising TiAlOx, ZrAlOx, HfAlOx, ZrTiOx, HfTiOx, or ZrSiOx), as described in SCIENCE Vo.288 P319 (2000).
In depositing a compound metal oxide (comprising two or more kinds of metal oxide) by the conventional ALD method, the aforementioned method (1) needs to repeat six steps consisting of feed of metal gas A→gas purge→feed of oxidizer gas→gas purge→feed of metal gas B→gas purge→feed of oxidizer gas→gas purge. Thus, multiple gas feed steps are required, which results in a problem that the film deposition time taken by the ALD method, which essentially involves a film deposition speed problem, is further prolonged.
The aforementioned method (2) is capable of forming a compound metal oxide film (comprising HfZrOx for example) by repeating four steps consisting of feed of source gas (comprising a metal chloride, for example, ZrCl4)→gas purge→feed of oxidizer gas (comprising a metal salt, for example, Hf(NO3)4)→gas purge. However, the method (2) can form only limited kinds of compound oxide because of the use of metal salt.
The aforementioned method (3) using a metal alkoxide involves a similar drawback that only limited kinds of metal alkoxide can be used as oxidizers and, hence, only limited kinds of compound metal oxide can be deposited as film because metal alkoxides inherently have high hydrolyzability.
Accordingly, it is an embodiment of the present invention to provide a method which can solve the foregoing problems at a time and which is capable of forming metal oxide thin films of diverse kinds including, in particular, a compound metal oxide thin film comprising different kinds of metal by utilizing the ALD method without affecting the film deposition speed.

Metal thin film and semiconductor comprising a metal thin film


First position information formed on a conveyance body is read by an information detecting portion, and second position information formed on a second image carrier is read by the information detecting portion. Control is made such that a position of an image on the second image carrier matches with a position of an image on the conveyance body from information read by the information detecting portion in transferring the image from the second image carrier to the conveyance body. The information detecting portion is held by a hold member and is disposed at a transfer region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, and a multi-function printer, and more specifically to a configuration in which a plurality of image carriers is juxtaposed in a conveying direction of a conveyance body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In regard to an electrophotographic color image forming apparatus, various types of so-called tandem type image forming apparatuses each including a plurality of image forming portions and configured to transfer images of different colors sequentially on an intermediate transfer belt or on a recording medium held on a conveyor belt is proposed to speed up operations.
However, such tandem type image forming apparatuses have the following problem. That is, a gap or the like may occur between travels of an outer circumferential surface of a photoconductive drum and the intermediate transfer belt at a transfer position of each image forming portion variously per each color due to fluctuation of speeds of the plurality of photoconductive drums and the intermediate transfer belt caused by uneven mechanical precision or the like. Therefore, the tandem type image forming apparatuses have a possibility of causing a color registration error, i.e., a color shift of respective colors, when the images are superimposed.
Then, various configurations for suppressing such a color shift have been proposed since the past. For instance, according to one configuration, image position information provided on an intermediate transfer belt and image position information provided on a photoconductive drum are read, respectively, by information detecting portions separately provided. Then, each image forming portion is controlled such that an image formed on a first photoconductive drum located upstream in a conveying direction of the intermediate transfer belt and transferred to the intermediate transfer belt coincides with an image formed on a second photoconductive drum located downstream in the conveying direction. It is noted that a method utilizing an electrostatic latent image, a magnetic record or the like is used to form the image position information.
For instance, in configurations described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 2009-134264 and 2004-145077, an information detecting portion for detecting information on a photoconductive drum and an information detecting portion for detecting information on an intermediate transfer belt are separately installed. That is, the information detecting portions are mounted separately. Due to that, fluctuation of relative positions of the respective information detecting portions caused by temperature changes or the like and a difference of vibrations of the respective information detecting portions may cause an error in registering the images.


Disclosed is a tunnel protection structure suitable for active fault areas and high ground stress areas, and relates to the technical field of tunnel engineering construction. The tunnel protection structure comprises at least one protection unit, wherein a plurality of protection units are sequentially connected and distributed along the axial direction of a tunnel, and the protection units comprise a radial protection ring and two axial protection rings which are fixedly arranged between a lining structure and surrounding rock and are distributed along the axial direction of the tunnel; the radial protection ring comprises a plurality of radial buffer energy consumption layers which are sequentially sleeved along the radial direction of the tunnel; and the axial protection ring comprises a plurality of axial buffer energy consumption layers which are sequentially and fixedly connected along the axial direction of the tunnel.

The Sichuan-Tibet railway traffic gallery is complex in geological conditions, dense in active faults and generally high in ground stress, and the active faults and the high ground stress act on the surrounding rock of the railway tunnel engineering at the same time, so that the surrounding rock generates severe radial deformation and axial deformation and accumulates high strain energy, construction earthquake disasters and engineering disasters such as tunnel engineering construction (structure) dislocation, rock burst and large deformation are easily induced, and construction, operation and maintenance of Sichuan-Tibet railways are seriously threatened. Research and development of tunnel engineering protection measures suitable for environmental conditions with crossing active faults and high ground stress are key points for determining success and failure of tunnel engineering.
Aiming at the protection aspect of tunnel engineering crossing active faults, the patent with the publication number of CN111287756A discloses only a single protection structure form which is not strong enough during the fault activity of a normal fault, a reverse fault and a strike-slip fault. In addition, the anti-dislocation effect is unknown. The tunnel structure disclosed in the patent with the publication number of CN110159315A uses high cost materials and also requires high construction standards. The anti-seismic structure disclosed in the patent with the publication number of CN108547633A also uses high cost materials. In addition, the anti-dislocation effects of the anti-seismic structures in these patents are highly uncertain when the damping ring is built in a pressure injection mode. Furthermore, the adverse effect of the high ground stress environment on tunnel engineering are not considered in these patents.
Therefore, there is a need for a low cost tunnel protection structure which resists active faults and dislocation under high ground stress environment conditions.

Tunnel protection structure suitable for active fault areas and high ground stress areas

Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences