Apparatus and method are provided for small cell energy saving. In one novel aspect, switch-off-request is broadcasted by the small cell detecting the low-load condition. The small cells upon receiving the switch-off-request message enter the frozen state, which prevents the small cells from switching off. In another novel aspect, the small cell in the low-load condition request measurement reports from the UEs. The UEs replies with the measurement-reports message, which includes the detected neighboring IDs and the UE's traffic load. The low-load small cell includes the information derived from the measurement-reports in the switch-off-request message. In another novel aspect, the small cell broadcasts the switch-on-request message. Upon receiving switch-on-acknowledge messages from switched-off neighboring small cells, the small cell selects one or more target cells to send the cell-activation-request. The switched-off small cells, upon receiving the request to switch-on, uses a cost function to determine whether to switch on.

The explosive growth of mobile data demands tremendous growth of mobile service coverage and network capacity. A promising solution is to offload data traffic to small cells, such as micro cells, pico cells and femto cells. The small cells can be deployed at hotspot areas within a cellular macro cell. Small cells provide low power, low cost and efficient connectivity and coverage for all users. The increasing popularity of smart phones and tablet also drives the exponential growth in small cell deployment.
One of the main issue with the exponential growth of small cells deployment is energy saving. The traffic pattern of a small cell may fluctuate sharply. A small cell designed to support a peak traffic is inevitably under used when the traffic dramatically reduced or even disappeared. For example, the traffic of a small cell serving a conference room is designed to support a large number of users during a meeting. The traffic needs of this small cell may be dramatically reduced during other time. With the exponential growth of the small cell deployment, it is important to address the energy saving issue for the small cells when underutilized.
One solution is network-based energy saving for small cells. This approach has low impact on base stations. However, it has high network impact because it involves high complexity OAM implementation and increases costly wireless core network overhead. Further, costly network upgrade makes such centralized solution hard to make dynamic changes. As the technology for small cell and other wireless is evolving rapidly, these shortcomings make such solution less appealing.
The other solution to the energy saving for small cells is signal-based solution. Its major impact is on base stations. However, it offers very low core network impact and requires few core network overhead. Further, signal-based solution offers more flexibility for dynamic changes. Therefore, signal-based energy saving for small cells is a preferred solution.
Though signal-based solution has advantages over the network-based solutions, several problems exist. Small cell energy saving requires switching off underutilized small cells and switching on neighboring small cells to offload traffic when needed. The problem with the existing switching off scheme occurs when two or more neighboring small cells switching off independently upon detecting the low traffic load of their own. Switching-off small cells hand off their traffic to the neighboring small cells. When multiple small cells switching off at the about the same time, the traffic load to the neighboring small cells increases dramatically, resulting in the neighboring cell overloading. Problems exist for the current switch-on scheme as well. The first problem is activating unhelpful small cells. Upon detecting a high traffic load, the small cell broadcast the switch-on request to its neighboring cells, resulting in unnecessarily activating small cells. The second problem is the small cells switches on upon receiving switch-on request from neighbor cells. Upon switching on, the small cell determines that the traffic load is below the low traffic threshold triggering the switch off procedures. During switching off, the traffic is handed over to the previous small cell resulting in the higher than the high-threshold traffic. Such ping-pong effect makes the current switch-on scheme problematic as well.
Improvements and enhancements are required to provide more efficient and reliable energy saving method for small cells.

Energy saving functionality for small cells in E-UTRA and E-UTRAN


The invention relates to a method and device for the time-synchronised relaying of signals, whereby various signals from at least one signal source are relayed over various signal paths to at least one signal receiver, with time markers overlaid on the various signals. The delays occurring in the various signal paths are determined, a minimum total delay is calculated from the determined delays and information as to the minimal total delay is inserted in the various signals in the form of time-markers. A time-synchronous relaying of the signals is guaranteed in each signal path by means of an individual signal delay, the delay value of which corresponds to the difference between the minimal total delay and the delay caused by signal processing imposed on the signal in each signal path.

The invention is concerned with a method and a device for time-synchronous conduction of signals.
Such time-synchronous conduction of signals is of importance for example for audio/video systems and for multichannel audio systems. In those cases, there is always the necessity to have signals, transferred from one or several signal sources to one or several signal sinks through various signal paths, be conducted to the sink or sinks time-synchronously and to reproduce them there.
In case of conducting synchronous signals through asynchronous signal paths, time-synchronous conduction to the signal sinks can be achieved by introducing time marks into the data signal to be transferred. These introduced time markers are used at the end of an asynchronous path for conducting the signals correctly in time. The time marks are then removed again from the transferred data signal.
Known digital transfer systems are based on this principle. In these, by predetermining a reference model for the receiver, the occurring delay times and processing times are known, so that the sender or the signal source can calculate the time marks to be introduced into the data signals, using a common time basis and the known delay times or processing times. Systems which operate according to this procedure are described, for example, in the Standard IEC 13818 "Coding of moving pictures and associated audio" as well as in IEC 61883-4 "Consumer audio/video equipment—Digital interface—Part 4: MPEG data transmission".
In the known procedure, it is a disadvantage that it can only be used if known signal processing paths are present, because a prerequisite is the presence of a reference model of the different data paths with the aid of which the occurring delay times and processing times can be determined.
Based on this state of the art, the task of the invention is to create a method or a device for time-synchronous conduction of signals which does not have the above disadvantages.

Method and device for time-synchronized relaying of signals


According to one embodiment, a holding apparatus includes a holding part, a rotating part, a supporting part, and a moving mechanism. The holding part is configured to hold an article. The rotating part is configured to rotate the holding part. The supporting part is configured to support the article from below. The moving mechanism is configured to move the holding part with respect to the supporting part.

A depalletizing machine intended for logistics suctions and holds articles placed on a palette one by one, and moves them to a target location (e.g., a belt conveyor). For an article handling apparatus such as a depalletizing machine intended for logistics, there is a demand for handling articles that cannot be held only by suction, such as extremely heavy articles or articles wrapped in paper.

Holding apparatus, article handling apparatus, and control apparatus


An image heating member includes a first region having a Curie temperature higher than a preset temperature, and a second region having a Curie temperature lower than the Curie temperature of the first region. A width of the first region in a conveying direction of a recording material is equal to or larger than a width of the recording material of a maximum size to be fed. The second region is provided outside the first region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image heating device using an induction heating system for a device using an electrophotography process, such as an electrophotography copier, an electrostatic printer, or a facsimile.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fixers that fix images to recording materials have been widely used. Such a fixer includes a heating roller having a cylindrical core metal and a release layer provided on the surface of the core metal, and a pressure roller having an elastic layer to press the heating roller. The fixer fixes a toner image to a recording material passing through a nip by heat and pressure with the surface temperature of the heating roller held at a predetermined fixing temperature.
A known example of the heating system of such a heating roller is that a halogen lamp is inserted into the heating roller, and the halogen lamp is turned ON and OFF for holding the temperature of the heating roller at the fixing temperature.
However, with this system, a long rise time is necessary from that the power of the device body is tuned ON to that the surface temperature of the heating roller of the fixer reaches a predetermined fixing temperature.
In addition, since the heat of the halogen lamp indirectly heats the heating roller, the power consumption tends to be increased.
In recent years, a fixer using the induction heating system has been developed. With this heating system, since a fixing roller generates heat due to magnetic flux, the rise time and the heat exchange efficiency are advantageous as compared with those of the halogen system.
For example, a configuration is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-9027. With the configuration, when a high frequency voltage is applied, a coil generates magnetic flux, and a core metal portion of a heating roller made of magnetic ferrous metal generates heat due to the magnetic flux.
Another configuration is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 02975435 using the induction heating system. With the configuration, the heating roller core metal has a Curie temperature which is almost equal to the fixing temperature. When the temperature of the heating roller core metal reaches the Curie temperature, the core metal loses the magnetic property. Accordingly, the magnetic portion is not increased in temperature, and hence, the magnetic portion can be held at a uniform fixing temperature.
In addition, a coil that defines the heating region has a width larger than the width of a recording material of the maximum size so as to provide the reliable fixing temperature at the edges of the recording material of the maximum size.
However, by determining the width of the coil as described above, regions outside the area corresponding to the width of the recording material of the maximum size are also heated. As a result, resin components such as a gear, and electric components disposed at the end portions of the fixing roller may be heated. This may cause these components to be deteriorated.

Image heating device using induction heating system


A control device, parts therefor and methods of making the same are provided, the control device having a temperature sensing unit comprising a rod and tube means utilizing a heat expandable and contractible polymeric member disposed between one end of the rod and an abutment of the tube to tend to cause an outer end of the rod to move toward an actuator of the control device upon the unit sensing decreasing temperature and to tend to cause that end of the rod to move away from the actuator upon the unit sensing increasing temperature, a biasing member being operatively interconnected to the unit to continuously place the tube under compression between an open end thereof and the abutment thereof and to continuously place the rod under tension between the opposite ends thereof to tend to reduce the temperature differential of the control device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new control device, such as for controlling the burner means of a water heater, and to new parts for such a control device as well as to new methods of making such a control device and such new parts therefor.
2. Prior Art Statement
It is known to provide a control device comprising a housing means provided with actuator means therein, and a temperature sensing unit carried by the housing means for operating the actuator means in response to temperature sensed by the unit, the unit comprising a tubular member having an open end secured to the housing means and having another end disposed remote from the housing means, the unit comprising a rod means disposed in the tubular member and having a first end projecting out of the open end of the tubular member and engaging the actuator means, the rod means having a second end disposed adjacent the other end of the tubular member, the tubular member having abutment means disposed between the ends thereof, the unit comprising a heat expandable and contractible polymeric member disposed between the second end of the rod means and the abutment means to tend to cause the first end of the rod means to move toward the actuator means upon the unit sensing decreasing temperature and to tend to cause the first end of the rod means to move away from the actuator means upon the unit sensing increasing temperature. For example, see the Katchka et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,501.

Control device, parts therefor and methods of making the same


A turbine, in particular a steam turbine, has a gap between a head region of a first turbine blade and a turbine component. The gap is followed downstream by a limiting surface which is inclined by an acute angle relative to a rotational axis of the turbine and is formed, at least in some regions, by the turbine component. The first turbine blade is followed by a second turbine blade which has a blade region with a radial offset relative to the blade region of the first turbine blade. The turbine component or the head region in the sealing gap additionally or alternatively has an indentation for deflecting a flow of an action fluid in the sealing gap by a circumferential angle in circumferential direction. A turbine blade includes a head region having a circumferential surface substantially perpendicular to a blade axis. The circumferential surface has at least one indentation for flow deflection substantially by a circumferential angle. A blade region adjoins said head region for deflecting an action fluid by the circumferential angle.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a turbine, in particular a steam turbine, which is oriented along a rotational axis and includes a turbine blade. The turbine blade is oriented along a blade axis and has a head region and a blade region adjoining the head region. The steam turbine also includes a turbine component extended along the rotational axis, a mainstream course with a mainstream direction, and a gap flow course communicating fluidically with the mainstream course and leading through a sealing gap between the head region and the turbine component. The blade region makes it possible to deflect an action fluid, which can be carried through the mainstream course, by a circumferential angle. The invention also relates to a turbine blade that is oriented along a blade axis and has both a head region and a blade region adjoining the head region. The blade region deflects an action fluid by a circumferential angle.
An impulse or action steam turbine with a rotor, a stator and a plurality of stages is described in European Patent 0 509 921 B1. Each stage has one fixed set of blades and one movable set of blades. The fixed set of blades accomplishes more than 85% of a pressure drop at the base of each stage. The movable set of blades is mounted directly on the rotor. The fixed set of blades has a shroud on an inner ring, with a base diameter that is substantially equivalent to the diameter of the rotor. A seal is also provided, for sealing off the stationary set of blades from the rotor. European Patent 0 509 921 B1 discloses a plurality of different embodiments both for the seal and for a flow course of fluid emerging from the seal. In one embodiment, both the shroud on a downstream side and a guide blade following the shroud, in a root region, are chamfered so that fluid flowing through the seal flows essentially axially into a mainstream of the fluid.
A wall contour for an axial turbomachine is described in later-published European Patent Application 0 799 973 A1. In particular, the wall contour pertains to a channel contour in the bladed region of a steam turbine and can be used for sets of blades that have tip seals or those which have shroud plates or shroud plate seals. European Patent Application 0 799 973 A1 describes provisions that are intended to improve a reentering flow of a labyrinthine mass flow between a rotor blade and the wall contour. The shroud band of the rotor blade or the shroud band of the guide blade is lengthened in the axial direction in that case and cut in such a way that a labyrinth exit is radially as narrow as possible, to avoid unnecessary dissipation. Due to the lengthening of the shroud plate, the outflow from the labyrinth can occur as close as possible to the following guide blade inlet.
In Patent Abstracts of Japan, Vol. 007, No. 221 (M-246), Sept. 30, 1983, for Japanese Patent Application published under No. 58 113504, a plurality of slots are disposed in a housing of an axial turbomachine. Those slots have a rectangular cross section. The slots are shaped in such a way that at each end point of a rotor blade adjacent the housing, the direction at every point of the slot agrees with the direction of the absolute velocity vector of the fluid at the end of each point of the rotor blade.
Swiss Patent 529 914 discloses a turbine stage of a turbine which is used, for instance, for driving an electrical generator or an aircraft engine. An intermediate space is formed between a false bottom of a guide blade and a rotor disk, through which a leakage flow of operating medium can flow. In a transitional region from the intermediate space to the rotor blade, a protrusion is provided, which is constructed in the form of a ring and partly covers the root surface of the rotor blade. As a result, an annular gap is formed with the root surface for the passage therethrough of some of the operating medium, referred to as a leakage flow. Grooves are constructed on an inside surface of the protrusion and extend at an angle that is identical to the exit angle of the guide blade. Providing the oblique grooves on the inside surface of the protrusion lends the leakage flow a spin toward the side of the rotation of the rotor wheel of the turbine stage. The swirling leakage flow leads energy to the utilization of the leakage flow at the rotor blades of the rotor, which is intended to increase the efficiency of the turbine stage.
In an article by J. D. Denton, entitled "Loss Mechanisms in Turbomachines" in ASME Paper 93-GT-439, 1993, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, various loss mechanisms that reduce the efficiency of a steam turbine are described, and a quantitative and qualitative assessment of those losses is provided. A substantial proportion of the loss, that counts as one of the causes of fluidic loss, is due to what is known as gap loss, which can amount to up to about 30% of the total loss. The gap loss arises upon a flow through a sealing portion between a fixed component and a rotating component of the steam turbine. The fluid flowing through the sealing portion then re-enters the mainstream of the fluid. The sealing portion acts in that case to seal off the rotating component from the fixed component, for instance in order to seal off a rotor blade from the turbine housing and a guide blade from the turbine shaft. The magnitude of the gap loss is proportional, among other things, to the proportion of the mass flow flowing through the seal to the main mass flow, depending on the velocity ratio of the fluid in the gap and in the mainstream and on the angle at which the fluid emerges from the gap into the mainstream. According to Denton, the latter, because of the difference in temperature and velocity between the mainstream and the gap flow, leads to a temperature increase and thus to an additional loss of efficiency.

Turbine, in particular steam turbine, and turbine blade


The invention relates to a device and a method for cooling a roll. The roll concerned can be a roller in a roll stand or a measuring roll. The device comprises a cooling shell having a cross section in the shape of a section of a circular arc, for covering a surface region of the roll (200), wherein, in the region of an edge of the cooling shell, a bearing is formed with a pivot joint (120) with an axis of rotation running perpendicular to the circular arc-shaped cross-section, for pivoting the cooling shell about the axis of rotation. According to the invention, in order to ensure that the size of the cooling gap during the rolling operation or during the operation of a measuring roll is always autonomously optimally set, the bearing has a degree of freedom in radial direction r with respect to the circular arc-shaped cross-section of the cooling shell, such that the cooling shell is mounted in the bearing in such a way as to be freely movable in the radial direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a device and a method for cooling a roll. The roll can be a roller in a rolling stand for the rolling of typically metallic rolled product or a measuring roller. The cooling of the roll occurs by using a cooling shell mounted on the roll. The invention furthermore concerns a rolling stand and a measurement device with such a device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices for the cooling of a roll by using a cooling shell are basically known in the prior art, for example from the documents JP 63303609 A, DE 3616070 C2, DE 20 2010 202 340 A1, DE 10 2012 219 722 A1 and DE 10 2012 216 570 A1. The first two cited publications disclose a cooling device with a cooling shell to realize a forced convection for the cooling of the roll. What is common to all cited publications is that each time there is provided a fixed positioning of a cooling shell relative to the particular roll being cooled and thus a fixed adjustment of the size of a cooling gap between the cooling shell and the surface of the roll being cooled for the passage of a cooling agent. However, in order to achieve an optimal cooling it is important for the height or size of the cooling gap to be adapted to unchanged surrounding or process conditions. Thus, the rolls during their lifetime are repeatedly regrinded, while each grinding of the roll typically requires a readjustment of the cooling gap. The adjustments needed for this in the cooling devices or screw-down devices for the cooling shells known in the prior art are undertaken manually or semiautomatically by using set screws in the prior art. These adjustments must be done outside of the rolling stand, since this is not possible in the rolling stand for reasons of time, space, and danger. Likewise, it seems doubtful that the mentioned manual adjustments of the gap height could even be done with the requisite precision in the rolling stand.
Moreover, it should be noted that the cooling shells described in the prior art are connected to the roll chocks, i.e., fastened to the bearing blocks of the rolls. This means that each roll must be outfitted with such a cooling shell and the corresponding screw-down mechanism. Therefore, for the grinding of the roll, both the roll itself and the chocks and cooling shells mounted thereon need to be dismounted and then put back in place and manually adjusted. Since in practical rolling mill operations a first roll set is always installed in the rolling stands whenever possible, while at least a second roll set is kept on hand in the roll workshop, typically twice as many cooling shells with their corresponding screw-down devices are kept on hand as rolls needed for the rolling operation in a production line.
Another drawback of the cooling devices known in the prior art, i.e., the cooling shells and their screw-down devices, is that their mounting on the chocks of the rolls on the one hand makes the weight distribution uneven between the inlet and the outlet of the rolled product in a rolling stand and on the other hand the rigidity of the overall system is further increased for a bending about the axis of rotation of the roll, both effects have a negative impact on the roll bending. This is detrimental to the friction and regulating behavior of the rolls. If the cooling medium at the end of the cooling gap between the cooling shell and the roll being cooled cannot drain out freely or without impediment, this is detrimental to the cooling action. It can be shown by simulations that the cooling medium would then develop unwanted turbulent cross flows at the drainage end of the cooling gap, resulting in a non-uniform cooling and thus a non-uniform wear of the rolls across the breadth of the rolls. The resulting diameter differences across the breadth of the roll could no longer be balanced out or remedied, so that the roll would then produce an unwanted profile in the rolled product, which would detract from the quality of the rolled product.


In an embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a hat stiffener. The hat stiffener has a cap. The hat stiffener further has a first web and a second web extending from opposite ends of the cap. The first web and the second web are non-linear and include at least one canted portion. The hat stiffener further has a first flange extending outwardly from a first web base portion and a second flange extending outwardly from a second web base portion.

1) Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates generally to structural parts and the production of structural parts, and more specifically, to hat stiffener configurations and methods used in forming stiffened panel structures such as used in aircraft.
2) Description of Related Art
Composite and metal structures are used in a wide variety of applications. In aircraft construction, composites and metals are typically used to form the fuselage, wings, tail section and other aircraft components. For example, aircraft fuselage may be formed of stiffened panel structures having skin panel structures constructed of composite or metal to which stiffening elements, such as stringers, may be coupled to improve the strength, stiffness and stability of the skin panel structures. The stringers may be bonded or attached to the skin panel structures and may be configured to carry various loads. In addition, aircraft may incorporate stiffening elements, such as stringers, in the wings, where the stringers may be coupled to the skin panel structures in order to form upper and lower surfaces of the wings.
Stiffening elements, such as stringers, may be provided in a wide variety of cross-sectional shapes. For example, a stringer may comprise a hat stiffener made of a metal material or a plurality of composite plies and having a cross-section with a hat-shaped configuration. The hat stiffener may have a cap, a pair of webs where each web extends from opposite ends of the cap, and a pair of flanges where each flange extends outwardly from a base portion of each web. The flanges may facilitate coupling of the stringer to the skin panel structure.
The design of stiffened panel structures, such as those reinforced with hat stiffeners, may be limited in performance and/or weight efficiency by the stability of the webs of the hat stiffener. For example, to achieve greater bending stiffness of the stiffened panel structure, it may be beneficial to offset the cap of the hat stiffener farther away from the skin panel structure. However, as the webs of the hat stiffener which support the cap get taller, they may become more prone to instability, such as by buckling. Thus, web stability of the hat stiffener may be a limiting factor in the design and optimization of stiffened panel structures, such as those reinforced with hat stiffeners.
Methods and systems exist for designing and sizing stiffened panel structures reinforced with hat stiffeners. For example, one known method includes limiting the height of the webs of the hat stiffener. However, the bending efficiency of the stiffened panel structure may be related to the relative height of the webs of the hat stiffener. Therefore, by limiting the height of the webs, potential bending efficiency may, in turn, be limited.
Another known method for designing and sizing stiffened panel structures reinforced with hat stiffeners includes increasing the thickness of the entire hat stiffener or increasing the thickness of the webs of the hat stiffener. However, increasing the thickness of the entire hat stiffener or even just the webs of the hat stiffener may not be the most weight efficient method for generating buckling or crippling resistance, such that the end result may be a design with a considerable strength margin but with a minimal or zero stability margin. Such design may result in increased overall weight of the stiffened panel structures which may, in turn, result in increased fuel costs and decreased vehicle efficiency.
Further, another known method for designing and sizing stiffened panel structures reinforced with hat stiffeners includes decreasing the cap angle, that is, the angle formed between the cap and each web, which may increase the steepness of each web. Decreasing such cap angle may also decrease the length of each web necessary to achieve a particular offset of the cap in relation to the skin panel structure of the stiffened panel structure. However, this may be less effective as the cap angle approaches 90 degrees. Moreover, as the webs become steeper, the shear path between the cap and skin panel structure may be compromised which may, in turn, lead to radius opening issues if the stiffened panel structure is loaded in shear.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved hat stiffener and method that provide advantages over known designs and methods.


The invention relates to a method of disabling the keyboard keys of a command-emitting device. The inventive method is characterised in that it comprises repeated iterations of the following steps: the automatic disabling of at least some keys on the command-emitting device once a command has been sent and the cancellation of said key-disabling operation by means of a specific action on the command-emitting device. One such method can be used to disable the keyboard keys of a command-emitting device when said device is being placed in a pocket or bag.

The invention relates to a method of disabling the buttons of the keypad of a command transmitter intended to control an appliance. The invention further relates to a command transmitter comprising a microcontroller connected to buttons and to means for transmitting commands and intended to implement such a method.
Such a method applies in particular to the remote control, for example by radio frequencies, of maneuvering or locking of doors, such as garage doors or entrance doors to dwellings.
More generally, the invention may be applied to the fields of security of access and/or of protection by alarm. When the command transmitter is portable and, in particular, when it is transported in the pocket or in the bag of a user, there is a risk of accidental pressing of the control buttons of the transmitter.

Method of disabling the keyboard keys of a command-emitting device


The present invention is directed to a recombinant mite allergen obtainable by expression of a mite-body-derived gene, a gene which codes for said allergen, a mite allergen fragment, a polypeptide having an epitope contained in said allergen, an expression vector capable of expressing the gene, a bacterium, yeast or mammalian cell transformed with said expression vector, a method for producing said allergen, and a pharmaceutical composition or a diagnostic reagent for the treatment of mite allergic diseases.

House dust mites are important as a major cause of allergic diseases such as atopic bronchial asthma.
Traditionally, hyposensitization therapy using a causative substance of allergy has been recognized as the most important basic approach to the treatment of allergic diseases, and its efficacy has already been well established in the treatment of allergic diseases caused by unavoidable inhaled allergen such as pollenosis, house dust allergy and fungal allergy.
However, this hyposensitization therapy necessitates administration of a safe therapeutic antigen since it involves a risk of anaphylaxis due to a sensitized antigen, and investigations are being made on such a sensitized antigen.
With respect to mite allergic diseases, two mite species, namely Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae are reported as important sources of allergen in house dust [Allerg. Asthma, 10, 329-334 (1964); J. Allergy, 42, 14-28 (1968)]. From these mite species, major mite allergens were fractionally separated and identified as glycoproteins (pI 4.6 to 7.2) having a molecular weight of 24 to 28 kD and/or proteins (pI 5 to 7.2) having a molecular weight of 14.5 to 20 kD, both of which are contained in mite excretion and/or mite bodies [J. Immunol., 125, 587-592 (1980); J. Allergy Clin. Immunol., 76, 753-761 (1985); Immunol., 46, 679-687 (1982); Int. Arch. Allergy Appl. Immunol., 81, 214-223 (1986); J. Allergy Clin. Immunol., 75, 686-692 (1985) and other publications].
However, none of the existing antigens for hyposensitization therapy is effective and safe.
Mite allergen genes have been cloned; for example, with respect to Der p I (molecular weight: 25,371) and Der p II (molecular weight: 14,131 and 17,460), the major allergens of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Der f II (the molecular weight remains undetermined because the initiation codon remains unidentified), the major allergen of Dermatophagoides farinae, the gene of each major allergen was cloned and its nucleotide sequences were determined [Int. Arch. Allergy Appl. Immunol., 85, 127-129 (1988); J. Exp. Med., 167, 175-182 (1988); J. Exp. Med., 170, 1457-1462 (1989); Int. Arch. Allergy Appl. Immunol., 91, 118-123 (1990); Int. Arch. Allergy Appl. Immunol., 91, 124-129 (1990); Jpn. J. Allergol., 39, 557-561 (1990); Agric. Biol. Chem., 55, 1233-1238 (1991)], and attempts have been made to study mite allergens by genetic recombination technology.
However, none of the existing mite allergens can serve as a sensitized antigen.
On the other hand, the diagnosis of mite allergic diseases has been mostly based on inquiry in combination with skin reaction test using a house dust extract and/or mite body extract, with measurements of serum IgE antibody titer (relative value) taken by the RAST (radio allergosorbent test) method, an inhalation provocation test and a nasal mucosal provocation test conducted concurrently in only a few cases. It has therefore been very difficult to make direct diagnosis of mite allergic diseases.
It has been the traditional practice to use a house dust extract for hyposensitization therapy for bronchial asthma caused by house dust mites as a specific antigen. However, it is subject to extreme limitation with respect to dose and its therapeutic effect is very low, since its chemical composition is very indefinite and it contains a wide variety of impure substances which may induce anaphylaxis.
Thus, from the viewpoint of efficacy and safety, it is desired to develop a useful antigen for hyposensitization therapy, and it is also expected that such a high quality antigen for hyposensitization therapy will be supplied stably.
However, it is difficult to stably supply such a safe mite allergen in sufficient amounts to ensure the desired effect by a method based on extraction and purification of mite allergen from mite culture because this method lacks mass-productivity and is subject to quantitative limitation.

Recombinant 40 KDa Dermatophagoides farinae allergen


The disclosure relates to a method for controlling a display direction of an electronic device. A method operating the electronic device includes displaying content on a screen of the electronic device, determining a display direction of content on the basis of a user profile upon detecting a tilt change of the electronic device by using a sensor, and displaying the content on the screen depending on the determined display direction.

A screen rotation is an operation for displaying various types of content on a display of portable electronic devices. A user may rotate a smartphone to change a direction of the displayed content between two display modes, i.e., a horizontal mode and a vertical mode. Methods currently in use are configured to operate only when the user is in a sitting or standing position, which makes it easy to distinguish a relative position between a device and the ground. Examples of the method include a technique which calculates an appropriate timing for changing a screen mode by using an accelerometer, a technique which determines whether to change the screen mode by detecting a user's face position with a camera, or a technique which determines whether to change the screen mode by using a touch sensor.

Method and electronic device for controlling display direction of content


A pressure sensor according to the present invention comprises: a differential pressure diaphragm, which is provided to a center part of a sensor chip; a differential pressure gauge, which is provided to a perimeter edge part of the differential pressure diaphragm and is formed in radial directions; a differential pressure gauge, which is disposed at a position at which it opposes the differential pressure gauge and, together with the first differential pressure gauge, sandwiches the differential pressure diaphragm and is formed in perimeter directions, which are perpendicular to the radial directions; a differential pressure gauge, which is provided in the vicinity of the differential pressure gauge and is provided in the perimeter directions; a differential pressure gauge, which is disposed at a position at which it opposes the differential pressure gauge and, together with the differential pressure gauge, sandwiches the differential pressure diaphragm and is formed in the radial directions; a static pressure diaphragm, which is disposed at a position that lies in the perimeter directions between the differential pressure gauge and the differential pressure gauge; and a static pressure diaphragm, which is disposed at a position at which it opposes the static pressure diaphragm and, together with the static pressure diaphragm, sandwiches the differential pressure diaphragm.

Because pressure sensors that take advantage of a semiconductor's piezoresistive effect are compact, lightweight, and highly sensitive, they are widely used in the fields of industrial measurement, medical care, and the like. In such pressure sensors, a diaphragm is formed on a semiconductor substrate. Furthermore, a strain gauge is formed on the diaphragm. When pressure is applied to the diaphragm, the strain gauge deforms. The piezoresistive effect allows any change in the resistance of the strain gauge to be detected, and thereby the pressure is measured.
A monolithic pressure sensor that provides a differential pressure diaphragm and a static pressure diaphragm on the same substrate has been disclosed (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H5-72069 ("JP '069")). In this disclosure, strain dividers are formed between differential pressure strain gauges and static pressure strain gauges. Forming these strain dividers ensures that, when static pressure is applied, the stress generated by the static pressure diaphragm spreads to and affects the differential pressure diaphragm, which prevents the applied pressure from affecting the differential pressure measurement value. For example, when a differential pressure is applied, the change in the differential pressure diaphragm generates excess stress on the sensor chip. This stress affects the static pressure gauges. In addition, when static pressure is applied, the change in the static pressure diaphragm generates excess stress on the sensor chip. This stress affects the differential pressure gauges. The strain dividers mitigate these impacts.
In addition, a pressure sensor of another configuration has been disclosed (refer to Japanese Patent No. 3359493 ("JP '493")). This pressure sensor adopts a structure wherein appropriate nonbonded regions are provided at the corners of the surface of the sensor chip to which a pedestal is bonded. Specifically, a differential pressure diaphragm is formed in a center part of the sensor chip, and nonbonded regions are formed in the corner parts of the sensor chip. Thereby, temperature-induced zero shift and the attendant dispersion is minimized, which makes it possible to provide satisfactory temperature characteristics.
Nevertheless, in JP '069, if the sensor chip is made compact, then sufficient space for providing the strain dividers must still be secured, which is a problem. Namely, the strain dividers themselves increase the size of the sensor chip. In addition, if the configuration recited in JP '493 is adapted to the monolithic pressure sensor, then securing spaces to form the nonbonded regions in the corner parts of the sensor chip becomes difficult.
Thus, it is difficult to implement a compact, high performance pressure sensor, which is a problem.
The present invention was conceived to solve the aforementioned problems; it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact, high performance pressure sensor.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A conveyor belt includes a cut and gouge resistant cover layer defining a load carrying surface, a pulley layer disposed parallel to the cover layer, and a carcass comprising one or more reinforcement layers, where the carcass is disposed between the cover layer and the pulley layer. The cover layer is formed by curing an admixture including a rubber component, a sulfur curative, and an additive including oxidized high density polyethylene, maleated high density polyethylene, and/or non-functionalized high density polyethylene. The rubber component includes styrene-butadiene rubber and natural rubber. The cut and gouge resistant cover layer has a cut resistance and gouge resistance value of 1.00 grams or less, after the admixture is cured, and the cut and gouge resistant cover layer has an abrasion resistance of value of 110 or less after the admixture is cured.

This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the disclosure. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Amongst currently available conventional conveyor belts, there are no single conveyor belts having cover compounds that can simultaneously provide both exceptional cut/gouge resistance and exceptional abrasion resistance. Two different types of cover compounds are typically used to provide, on the one hand good cut/gouge resistance, or on the other hand another type for good abrasion resistance. Certain conveyor belts applications require exceptional cut/gouge resistance and exceptional abrasion resistance characteristics for effective operation, and good belt service life. However, the user has to choose between exceptional cut/gouge resistance or exceptional abrasion resistance characteristics. In addition, the present situation complicates inventory and product management as several types of belts must always be made available.
Thus, there is an ongoing need for rubber articles, such as conveyor belts, formed of materials which provide exceptional cut/gouge resistance and exceptional abrasion resistance, such need met, at least in part, with embodiments according to the following disclosure.

High cut/gouge and abrasion resistance conveyor belt cover


A process for preparing a compound having the formula ##STR1## is disclosed, said process comprising hydrolyzing an organosilicon compound of the formula ##STR2## wherein X is a radically polymerizable group-functional organic group, R.sup.1 is independently selected from monovalent hydrocarbon groups that are free of aliphatic unsaturation, R.sup.2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a monovalent hydrocarbon group and m is an integer having a value of 1 to 3.

Silanol compounds containing a radically polymerizable group such as the methacryloxy group are useful for potting electrical and electronic components. Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (Kokai or Unexamined) Number Hei 6-256355 (256,355/1994), for example, teaches the direct hydrolysis of 3-methacryloxypropyldimethylchlorosilane as one method for the preparation of such silanol compounds. Unfortunately, the implementation of this process on an industrial scale is highly problematic due to the use of highly flammable ether as solvent and use of column chromatography for purification of the obtained silanol compound. In addition, in the absence of purification by column chromatography, the silanol compound afforded by this process suffers from a decline in purity with elapsed time and results in a poor storage stability. Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) Number Hei 3-49910 (49,910/1991) teaches a process for synthesizing silanol compounds by first reacting chloropropyldimethylchlorosilane and potassium methacrylate and then hydrolyzing the product. However, the first-stage reaction in this process must be run for an extended period of time at high temperatures. This results in polymerization of the methacryloxy group during the synthesis, which prevents production of the desired silanol compound.

Process for the preparation of radically polymerizable group-functional silanol compounds


An auxetic material, which has a negative Poisson ratio so that it has the property of expanding or contracting transversely to a direction in which it is extended or compressed, is made in filamentary or fibrous form. A suitable process involves cohering and extruding heated polymer powder so that the cohesion and extrusion is effected with spinning to produce auxetic filaments. Typically the powder is heated to a temperature sufficient to allow some degree of surface melting yet not high enough to enable bulk melting.

This invention relates to synthetic auxetic materials, that is, to polymeric materials having a negative Poisson ratio whereby, when stretched in one direction by application of a tensile load, the material expands transversely to that direction. Alternatively, when compressed in one direction, the material contracts transversely to that direction.
Synthetic auxetic materials-have been known since 1987. In the first instance, and as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,557, auxetic materials were prepared as open-celled polymeric foam, negative Poisson ratio properties being obtained as a consequence of mechanical deformation of the foam by compression.
More recently, auxetic materials have been formed as polymer gels, carbon fibre composite laminates, metallic foams, honeycombs and microporous polymers.
Published patent specification WO 91/01210 describes a polymeric material having an auxetic microstructure of fibrils interconnected at nodes. As described, this material is obtained by a process which comprises compacting polymer particles at elevated temperatures and pressures and then deforming the compacted polymer by draw-assisted extrusion through a die to produce a cylindrical rod of auxetic material. A typical process may use a compaction stage with a specially designed processing rig heated to 110-125° C. with a blank die inserted. Polymer powder is added into a barrel of the rig and is allowed to come to temperature for between 3-10 minutes before compaction pressure is applied with a ram at a rate of up to 140 mm/min. The pressure is held at 0.04 GPa for 10-20 minutes and the resulting rod of compacted material is then removed from the barrel of the processing rig and allowed to air cool. The processing rig is then fitted with an extrusion die in place of the blank die and heated up to 160° C. The compacted rod is reinserted into the barrel and sintered at 160° C. for 20 minutes. It is then immediately extruded at a rate of 500 mm/min at 160° C. through a conical die of geometry entry diameter 15 mm, exit diameter 7-7.5 mm, cone semi-angle 30° and capillary length 3.4 mm.
The material obtained from this typical process has auxetic properties derived from the microstructure of the material, namely fibrils interconnected at nodes capable of transverse expansion and increased porosity when the material is stretched.
Auxetic materials are of interest as a consequence of predicted enhancement of mechanical properties such as plane strain fracture toughness and shear modulus. This enhancement has been demonstrated in practice in tests in terms of indentation resistance and ultrasound attenuation with blocks of auxetic microporous ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.
Enhancements in hardness of up to three times at low loads, and very large enhancements (again up to three times) in the attenuation coefficient (i.e. how much of an ultrasound signal is absorbed) are exhibited as between the auxetic material and conventional polyethylene.
Known auxetic materials have been made in the form of bodies with relatively low aspect ratios, and in the case of auxetic microporous polymers these have been made from powder using a three stage process involving compaction, sintering and ram extrusion through a conical die as described above.
Hitherto therefore auxetic materials have not successfully been made in the form of fibres (i.e. with high aspect ratios), despite the interest in such materials. Typically a fibre is an elongate body having a length at least 100 times its diameter.
An object of the present invention is to provide a viable process for the production of auxetic materials in fibre form.
According to one aspect of the invention therefore there is provided an auxetic polymeric material which is of filamentary or fibrous form.
According to a further aspect of the invention therefore there is provided a method of forming an auxetic material comprising cohering and extruding heated thermoformable particulate polymeric material, wherein cohesion and extrusion is effected with spinning to produce filamentary material having auxetic properties.
With this arrangement, surprisingly the use of spinning with cohesion and extrusion provides an effective means of producing auxetic material in filamentary form. It has been found that this process can provide an auxetic microstructure of fibrils and nodes, as with the above mentioned prior art process, but without requiring the separate compaction and sintering stages of the prior art.


A device for estimating the acceleration of a vibrational component acting on a vehicle body in a lateral direction when a railway vehicle having a vehicle body tilting device runs in a curve section includes a sensor for detecting the acceleration acting on the vehicle body in a lateral direction, a calculation unit for acquiring track information at a running point, a running speed, and ON/OFF information of vehicle body tilting operation, and calculating a theoretical excess centrifugal acceleration αL acting on the vehicle body by equations, and a calculation unit for deriving the acceleration of the vibrational component acting on the vehicle body based on the acceleration detected by the sensor and the acceleration αL determined by the calculation unit. Vibration generated in the vehicle body in a lateral direction is suppressed, so that the acceleration of the vibrational component can be estimated.

In a railway vehicle like a Shinkansen bullet train, during running, in association with the imposition of various types of vibration acceleration such as swaying and rolling, a vibration in a lateral direction is generated. Since the vibration deteriorates riding comfort, a vibration suppression device is mounted in a general railway vehicle, so that an air cushion, a coil spring, a damper, and/or the like are disposed between a vehicle body and a bogie truck to absorb the impact that the vehicle body receives from the bogie truck, and an actuator capable of extending and retracting in a lateral direction is disposed to attenuate the vibration of the vehicle body.
As the actuator, a fluid pressure type actuator with pneumatic pressure or hydraulic pressure as a drive source, an electric actuator with electric power as a drive source, and the like are adopted. In the actuator, a main body is coupled to any one of the bogie truck side and the vehicle body side, and a movable rod is coupled to the other side. By detecting the acceleration acting on the vehicle body in a lateral direction by an acceleration sensor and by extending and retracting a rod in association with the detected acceleration, the actuator causes the vehicle body to vibrate and at the same time, adjusts a damping force of the actuator to attenuate the vibration.
When the railway vehicle runs in a curve section, not only a vibrational component for generating the vibration in the vehicle body but also a steady-state component steadily acting on the vehicle body attributable to a centrifugal force is superimposed on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor. Thus, when extension/retraction motion of the actuator is controlled based on only an output from the acceleration sensor, there is a risk that the vibration of the vehicle body cannot effectively be suppressed.
As a technique for solving this problem in the background art, for example, PATENT LITERATURE 1 discloses a vibrational component acceleration estimation device and a vibrational component acceleration estimation method for, with a damper capable of changing a damping force for suppressing a vibration of a vehicle body being adopted, estimating the acceleration of a vibrational component acting on the vehicle body in order to perform skyhook semi-active control to the damper when a railway vehicle runs in a curve section.
The estimation device disclosed in PATENT LITERATURE 1 includes a detection means for detecting the acceleration acting on the vehicle body in a lateral direction, a theoretical excess centrifugal acceleration calculation means for determining a theoretical excess centrifugal acceleration αL acting on the vehicle body in a lateral direction based on track information at a running point of the railway vehicle and a running speed of the railway vehicle, and a vibration acceleration calculation means for determining the acceleration of the vibrational component acting on the vehicle body based on the acceleration detected by the detection means and the theoretical excess centrifugal acceleration αL determined by the theoretical excess centrifugal acceleration calculation means. In the estimation device and the estimation method disclosed in PATENT LITERATURE 1, determining the theoretical excess centrifugal acceleration αL is differently performed between the case where the railway vehicle is provided with a vehicle body tilting mechanism having a vehicle body tilting device for tilting the vehicle body relative to a bogie truck and the case where the railway vehicle is a non-tilting vehicle having no vehicle body tilting device, and the following Equation (a) or (b) is used.
In a case with the vehicle body tilting mechanism:αL=D×(V2/R−g×C/G×β−g×θ)   (a)
in a case of the vehicle body free of tilting function:αL=D×(V2/R−g×C/G×β)   (b)
wherein in the above Equations (a) and (b), D represents a positive or negative sign showing the direction of curvature, V denotes a running speed, R denotes a curvature radius of the track, g denotes gravitational acceleration, C denotes a cant amount of the track, G denotes a track gauge, β denotes a curve coefficient, and θ denotes a tilting angle of the vehicle body relative to the bogie truck.

Vibrational component acceleration estimation device and vibrational component acceleration estimation method for railway vehicle

NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION


A floor structure comprises a plurality of steel beams 4 arranged in parallel, each steel beam 4 including a web, an upper flange disposed at an upper end of the web, and a lower flange disposed at a lower end of the web, a floor surface being formed on the upper flange 2. The floor structure further includes displacement preventing spacers interposed between the upper flanges and/or lower flanges of the adjacent steel beams. Each displacement preventing spacer includes a load receiving part which is brought into engagement with the adjacent upper flanges and/or lower flanges to receive an active load incurred by the individual steel beams 4 so as to inhibit the steel beams 4 from displacing downward.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floor structure such as a floor plate bridge structure built on a river or land, a slab structure of respective hierarchies such as a steel frame building and an iron reinforced concrete building, a roadbed structure formed on an upper surface of an underground construction, a roadbed structure laid on a ground surface, or the like.
2. Related Art
Patent Document 1 shows a bridge structure, in which steel beams each consisting of an upper flange, a lower flange and a web are arranged in parallel, an iron reinforcement is arranged and concrete is placed between the adjacent steel stocks, i.e., in a space defined by upper and lower flanges of the adjacent steel beams and the web, and the iron reinforced concrete and the web are tightly connected to each other by a PC steel beam piercing the iron reinforced concrete and the web in the width direction of the bridge.
The above bridge structure is based on such a designing idea that the bridge strength against an active load such as vehicles is borne by an iron reinforced concrete placed between the adjacent steel stocks (i.e., steel beams).
Moreover, the slab structure of the respective hierarchies of the conventional steel frame building is formed by supporting a floor plate by beam members, and the slab structure of the respective hierarchies of the iron reinforced concrete building is normally formed with a monolithically placed concrete. Likewise, the roadbed structure temporarily laid on the upper surface of an underground construction employs a method in which iron plates are supported by beam members, and the construction site where trucks and heavy machines frequently come in and out, typically employs a method in which iron plates are merely laid on a ground surface to form a temporary roadbed.
It should be noted that the "Patent Document 1" mentioned above refers to Official Gazette of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H08-253912


A database for a telecommunication service includes a first record for a first number having a predetermined NXX, and a second record for a second number having the predetermined NXX. The first record includes an indication that a call having an automatic number identification associated therewith is acceptable for the first number. The second record includes an indication that a call having at least one of an automatic number identification and a calling party identification associated therewith is acceptable for the second number. Associated methods and systems for providing a telecommunication service for the predetermined NXX are disclosed.

Previously, "555" NXX calls were dedicated for directory assistance services. For example, a "555-1212" call provides directory assistance within a calling party's area code, and a "NPA-555-1212" call provides directory assistance within another area code depending on a local dialing plan.
The Industry Numbering Committee (INC) approved guidelines to broaden the assignment of 555 NXX line numbers in a document entitled, 555 NXX Assignment Guidelines, INC#94-0429-002. These guidelines enable the assignment of 555 numbers on either a national basis or a non-national basis. In accordance with these guidelines, the number 555-1212 is considered unassignable for any purpose other than directory assistance services provided by interexchange and local exchange carriers. In addition, a block of one hundred 555 line numbers from 555-0100 to 555-0199 are reserved as fictitious non-working numbers for use by the entertainment and advertising industries. Other 555 numbers also have been grandfathered.
Using these guidelines, many enhanced service providers, information providers, and businesses have requested and been assigned 555 numbers for their use.
As of June 1996, 2,143 numbers have been assigned of the available 555 numbers. Of these assigned numbers, 1,785 (83%) numbers are national numbers. The industry expectation is a 7 digit dialed 555 number.

Method, system, and database for providing a telecommunication service


A test system measures parameters of a device under test (DUT), including a transistor. The test system includes a first voltage source unit for supplying a gate voltage; a second voltage source unit for supplying one of a drain voltage or a source voltage, the second voltage source having a current measurement device for detecting one of a drain current or a source current flowing through the transistor, respectively; a feedback unit for outputting a feedback current, based on the one of the drain or source currents; and an error amplifier for outputting a feedback control signal, based on comparison of the feedback current and a target current value. The first voltage source unit adjusts the gate voltage based on the feedback control signal so that the one of the drain or source currents converges to match the target current value.

It is difficult under certain circumstance to measure various voltages of a device under test (DUT), particularly when the DUT includes one or more field-effect transistors (FETs). There are a number of conventional methods used for measuring the threshold voltage of a FET. For example, according to a conventional linear search method, a gate voltage of the FET is swept between lower and upper limits of a predetermined search range, while drain current or source current flowing through the FET is measured for each gate voltage. When the gate voltage causes the drain current or the source current to obtain the desired value, the measurement is finished. However, the overall measurement time of the linear search method may be rather long because the measurement of the drain current or the source current at each gate voltage requires a sufficient convergence waiting time, which must be repeated several times at close intervals in order to obtain necessary resolution.
Another example is a conventional binary search method, according to which the gate voltage of the FET is swept between lower and upper limits of a predetermined search range, again, while the drain current or the source current flowing through the FET is measured for each gate voltage. When the gate voltage causes the drain current or the source current to obtain the desired value, the measurement is finished. By determining a setting of the gate voltage based on the binary search method, the number of times that the gate voltage is set until the search is finished is generally less than using the linear search method, thus shortening measurement time. In this method, on the assumption that there are N points of measurement from the lower limit to the upper limit of the search range based on resolution, the search may be completed with log 2N times of measurement at most, and the gate voltage is therefore applied less often than in the linear search method.
However, in order to perform the binary search method measurement with high precision, the gate voltage is set and applied a sufficient number of times to obtain the desired high resolution. The operation of performing the measurement by waiting for the corresponding convergence is repeated, and hence the binary search method is disadvantageous in that the overall measurement time becomes longer. In addition, a voltage higher than a convergence value of the voltage may be applied as the gate voltage before the convergence value is finally determined. Therefore, due to influences of thermal stress on the particular DUT, the binary search method may actually be inferior to the linear search method with respect to precision, reproducibility, and stability of the measured value. For example, the measured values may fluctuate due to stress on the DUT.
Thus, generally, conventional measurement devices and corresponding methods have a number of drawbacks. For example, setting the gate voltage and measuring the current are typically performed to search for the threshold voltage, and hence the measurement requires much time. Also, feedback gain of the measurement device may be difficult to set, resulting in taking too wide of a margin, which increases convergence time. In addition, only a source current can be fed back.

System and method for converging current with target current in device under test


Disclosed is a method for providing and using information about inter-layer prediction when providing a video signal to a plurality of layers by encoding the video signal. The method for encoding an image signal to bit streams of an enhanced layer and a base layer, includes the steps of coding an image block in a picture of the enhanced layer into residual data based on image data of a block of the base layer corresponding to the vide block, and providing indication information through the bit stream of the enhanced layer, the indication information representing whether the coding is achieved in inter-layer prediction constraint or inter-layer prediction unconstraint.

According to a Scalable Video Codec (SVC) scheme, a video signal is encoded with a best video quality in such a manner that a low quality video can be presented even though parts of picture sequences (frame sequences intermittently selected from among the picture sequences) derived from the encoding are decoded. A motion compensated temporal filter (or filtering) (MCTF) is one of encoding schemes suggested for the SVC scheme.
However, although picture sequences encoded through the SVC scheme can present a low quality image even if only parts of received picture sequences are processed, image quality is seriously degraded if a bit rate is lowered. In order to overcome the image quality degradation, an additional assistant picture sequence having a low transmission rate, such as a small-sized video and/or a picture sequence having the smaller number of frames per second, may be provided in a hierarchy structure having at least one layer
On the assumption that two sequences are processed, an assistance sequence (a lower layer sequence) and a main picture sequence (an upper layer sequence) are called a base layer and an enhancement layer, respectively. However, since the base layer and the enhanced layer are obtained by encoding the same video source, redundancy information exists in video signals of both layers. Accordingly, in order to improve the coding rate of the enhanced layer, the video signal of the enhanced layer is coded using coding information of the base layer. This is one of inter-layer prediction schemes.
For example, when the type of a current macro block in the enhanced layer is determined as an intra mode macro block, the current macro block is coded into residual data using image data of a corresponding block in an intra mode of the base layer (this corresponding block temporarily simultaneous with and identical to the macro block of the enhanced layer).
The coded macro block is called an 'intra BL mode block', and the specification of the intra BL mode for the macro block may be limited or not. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the inter-layer prediction may be constrained by allowing the inter-layer prediction only when the corresponding block of the base layer is coded in the intra mode. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1B, the inter-layer prediction may not be constrained by allowing the inter-layer prediction when the corresponding block of the base layer is coded in an inter mode as well as in an intra mode.
A encoding mode (in the side of an encoder) or a decoding mode (in the side of a decoder) is determined from one of modes shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B based on the value of a 'constrained_intra_pred_flag' of the base layer. When a macro block having residual data coded in an intra mode is reconstructed, this flag is used for indicating that a fixed value (constrained_intra_pred_flg=1) or a reconstructed pixel value (constrained_intra_pred_flg=0)) is employed for the adjacent inter mode block.
However, when a video signal is encoded in three layers as shown in FIG. 2, and when both the upper layer (L1) and the middle layer (L2) are coded by employing the lower layer (L3) as a prediction layer and then are provided to the decoder, both the upper layer (L1) and the middle layer (L2) are constrained in a coding scheme for an intra mode block of the lower layer (L3). In other words, when the constrained_intra_pred_flag of the lower layer (L3) is '1', prediction-constraint is assigned to the upper layer (L1) and the middle layer (L2) so that the upper layer (L1) and the middle layer (L2) are coded through a constrained scheme as shown in FIG. 1A. In addition, when the constrained_intra_pred_flag is '0', prediction-unconstraint is assigned to the upper layer (L1) and the middle layer (L2) so that the upper layer (L1) and the middle layer (L2) are coded through an unconstraint scheme as shown in FIG. 1B. In other words, when inter-layer prediction is performed based on the lower layer (L3), the upper layers of the lower layer cannot individually select the inter-layer prediction constraint or the inter-layer prediction unconstraint.
In addition, since inter-layer prediction constraint (unconstraint) is determined for "constrained_intra_pred_flag" having a different attribute, if the "constrained_intra_pred_flag" of a lower layer has a specific value from among a plurality of layers, the upper layer may loss the degree of freedom for the inter-layer prediction constraint. In other words, only one of inter-layer prediction constraint and inter-layer prediction unconstraint is forcibly determined for the upper layer.

Method for providing and using information about inter-layer prediction for video signal


A system, and method for making and using the same, for an on-site evaluation of flooring materials, condition, and value, and further, for providing replacement flooring. The system includes an interconnected system which includes estimation logic, project management logic and installation logic for managing an insurance claim from start to finish in a just in time fashion.

Property insurers, such as insurance companies and other adjusting companies, have long dealt with problems associated with the replacement of damaged flooring in residential and commercial buildings of those they insure. A major expense is felt by both an insurer and a customer, or insured flooring owner, due to time expended during both the evaluation of the claim and restitution of the damaged flooring. Generally, in addition to the cost of replacement or restoration, the insurer also faces lodging expenses incurred by the customer if the damaged flooring creates an inhabitable condition in the building. Additionally, whether the building is a home or a business, the customer is inconvenienced until the replacement of the damaged flooring is completed, especially if the building cannot be fully utilized.
Presently, monetary value relationships for flooring generally rely on a subjective valuation. For example, one method used by insurers is to agree in advance with the customer on a monetary worth for a specified flooring owned by the customer when an insurance policy or agreement is formed. One problem is that such a method can produce disparate results. If the flooring is overvalued, then the insurer pays more than the flooring is worth. If the flooring is undervalued, the customer will only receive the agreed upon amount and will often be dissatisfied, especially if prices of equivalent replacement flooring have substantially increased above the agreed amount the customer will receive.
Another method often employed by insurers to determine the value of the existing flooring in order to settle damage claims is to require the customer to "get two quotes" from two independent flooring retailers which estimate the cost of replacement flooring. Generally, one quote, or an average of both quotes, is used to determine the amount of monetary coverage that will be allotted to the customer by the insurer. Such a practice can result in fraud by the retailer to the detriment of the insurer, for example, when the retailer "buries" a deductible by adding extra cost so as to effectively pass the expense of the deductible to the insurer. Also, since the customer is responsible for the acquisition of the quotes, further delay and/or high-price quotes may result, further adding to the cost incurred by the insurer.
An alternative method often used by insurers is to send a sample of the damaged flooring to a remote laboratory so that laboratory technicians can determine certain specifications for the composition and construction of the flooring so that comparably equivalent replacement flooring with similar composition and construction can be determined and/or suggested. Laboratory testing can be both costly and time consuming, as laboratory results and replacement flooring suggestions are not returned until several working days after samples have been sent out and received by the laboratory. Such delay can result in further inconvenience to the customer and added hotel and other expenses to the insurer. Further, the evaluation does not always result in a fair assessment since the tester or technician of the damaged flooring is in a laboratory remotely located from the flooring site and has not seen the actual applied flooring, and are instead dependent on the subjective selection of samples by an adjuster.
The current methods of assigning values of monetary worth to flooring, such as for example those discussed above, which involve subjective methods and/or non-expert assessments, often result in unfair value assignments and dissatisfaction, or possibly even litigation, between the insurer and the customer. A major problem with current subjective and comparative methods is that such methods do not allow for an objective scientific evaluation to determine an initial monetary market value of the specified flooring, i.e. a value of the specified flooring in new, pre-use condition, or further, to determine a devaluated monetary market value, i.e. a value of the specified flooring taking into consideration the loss of value or depreciated value of the specified flooring caused by normal wear or abuse incurred during the life of the specified flooring. The determination of the devaluated monetary market value is especially beneficial, because when degradation due to such loss factors as aging, staining, wear, and tear of the specified flooring are not taken into account to devalue the specified flooring, the insurer may pay more than the realistic current worth of the specified flooring.
To Applicant's knowledge there is no interconnected system which includes estimation logic, project management logic and installation logic for managing an insurance claim from start to finish in a just in time fashion.
Thus, a need exists for a flooring evaluation system which more objectively assigns monetary market value to flooring, and more specifically, but not by way of limitation, which more objectively assigns an initial monetary market value and/or a devaluated monetary market value in a timely and efficient manner, so as to facilitate the providing of restitution to customers and to reduce costs of expenditures, inconvenience, and delays incurred by customers and/or insurers. It is to such a flooring evaluation system that the present invention is directed.

Just-in-time insurer's flooring evaluation and replacement system


Disclosed herein are a light emitting display device which can reduce hysteresis of a driving transistor to improve picture quality, and a method for driving the same. The device includes a pixel cell formed in an area defined by a data line supplied with a data voltage, at least one scan line supplied with a scan signal, a light emission control signal line supplied with a light emission control signal, a driving voltage line supplied with a driving voltage, and a compensation voltage line supplied with a compensation voltage of a first voltage level or a second voltage level different from the first voltage level. The pixel cell includes a light emitting element for emitting light by current, and a pixel circuit for providing current corresponding to the data voltage to the light emitting element using the data voltage, scan signal, light emission control signal, driving voltage and compensation voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting display device, and more particularly, to a light emitting display device which is capable of reducing hysteresis of a driving transistor to improve picture quality, and a method for driving the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, various flat panel display devices which are small in volume and weight compared with a cathode ray tube have been developed, and a light emitting display device using a light emitting element which has a high luminous efficiency, excellent brightness, wide viewing angle and high response speed, among the flat panel display devices, has been especially highlighted.
The light emitting element has a structure where a light emitting layer, which is a thin film emitting light, is disposed between a cathode electrode and an anode electrode, and a characteristic where excitons are generated in the light emitting layer by injecting electrons and holes into the light emitting layer and recombining them therein and light is emitted from the light emitting layer when the generated excitons falls to their low energy states. Such light emitting elements are classified into an inorganic light emitting element and an organic light emitting element according to materials of the light emitting layer.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a pixel cell of a general light emitting display device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the pixel cell of the general light emitting display device, denoted by reference numeral 10, includes a pixel circuit 12 and a light emitting element 14 formed in an area defined by a data line DLm, a scan line SLn and a driving voltage line PL.
A data voltage is supplied to the data line DLm, and a scan signal is supplied to the scan line SLn. Also, a driving voltage of a constant level is supplied to the driving voltage line PL.
The pixel circuit 12 includes a switching element ST, a driving transistor DT, and a capacitor Cst. Here, the switching element ST and driving transistor DT are p-channel (or P-type) metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistors.
The switching element ST supplies the data voltage from the data line DLm to a first node N1 in response to the scan signal supplied to the scan line SLn.
The driving transistor DT supplies current corresponding to the data voltage supplied to the first node N1 to the light emitting element 14 using the driving voltage supplied to the driving voltage line PL.
The capacitor Cst stores a voltage corresponding to the data voltage supplied to the first node N1, and then holds an ON state of the driving transistor DT for a period of one frame when the switching element ST is turned off.
The light emitting element 14 emits light by the current corresponding to the data voltage, supplied from the driving voltage line PL via the driving transistor DT. At this time, current I flowing to the light emitting element 14 can be expressed by the following equation 1:I=β/2(Vgs−Vth)2=β/2(Vdata−Vdd−Vth)2  [Equation 1]
In the equation 1, I represents the current flowing to the light emitting element 14, Vgs represents a gate-source voltage of the driving transistor DT, Vth represents a threshold voltage of the driving transistor DT, Vdata represents the data voltage, and β represents a constant.
In the general light emitting display device as mentioned above, the current as in the equation 1 is supplied to the light emitting element 14 by the pixel circuit 12 to turn on the light emitting element 14 so as to display an image.
However, in this general light emitting display device, a negative data voltage is always applied to the gate electrode of the driving transistor DT through the switching element ST, so that the gate-source voltage of the driving transistor ST is always negative. As a result, the hysteresis of the driving transistor DT increases as shown in FIG. 2, resulting in a problem that the current corresponding to the data voltage cannot be supplied to the light emitting element 14 as it is.
In detail, a first curve C1 can be obtained by measuring source-drain current Ids of the driving transistor DT while varying the gate voltage of the driving transistor DT having hysteresis from a low voltage to a high voltage. Also, a second curve C2 can be obtained by measuring the source-drain current Ids of the driving transistor DT while varying the gate voltage of the driving transistor DT having hysteresis from a high voltage to a low voltage. As a result, the general light emitting display device is problematic in that the threshold voltage Vth of the driving transistor DT is subject to a variation ΔVth due to the hysteresis of the driving transistor DT.
FIG. 3A shows a display state of an image of a chess pattern in the general light emitting display device, and FIG. 3B shows a display state of an image of the same gray scale pattern in the general light emitting display device immediately after the image of the chess pattern is displayed in the display device.
A degradation in picture quality due to the hysteresis of the driving transistor DT will hereinafter be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B in association with FIG. 2.
When the image of the chess pattern shown in FIG. 3A is displayed in the light emitting display device, white areas A and black areas B are displayed on a display panel of the light emitting display device. At this time, a white data voltage is applied to the gate electrode of each driving transistor DT formed in each white area A, and a black data voltage is applied to the gate electrode of each driving transistor DT formed in each black area B.
When the image of the same gray scale pattern is displayed on the display panel of the light emitting display device immediately after the image of the chess pattern is displayed on the display panel, it is ideal that a gray scale image of the same brightness is supposed to be displayed on the entire screen of the display panel.
However, in the case where the driving transistor DT of the light emitting display device has hysteresis, each driving transistor DT formed in each white area A and each driving transistor DT formed in each black area B have different threshold voltages Vth, thereby causing each light emitting element 14 in each white area A and each light emitting element 14 in each black area B to display different brightnesses. That is, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the image of the same gray scale pattern is displayed on the display panel immediately after the image of the chess pattern is displayed on the display panel, brightness C of a gray scale pattern displayed in each white area A is displayed more darkly than brightness D of a gray scale pattern displayed in each black area B.
In conclusion, the general light emitting display device has a disadvantage in that picture quality is degraded due to an afterimage formed as the image of the same gray scale is displayed with a different brightness value because of an increase in the hysteresis of the driving transistor.

Light emitting display device and driving method thereof


A therapeutic agent used for photodynamic therapy of atherosclerosis of mammals, which agent comprises at least one member of fluorescent compounds selected from the group consisting of tetrapyrrole carboxylic acids having at least one carboxyl group, corresponding di- or tetrahydrotetrapyrrole carboxylic acids, and mono-, di- or polyamides of the tetrapyrrole carboxylic acids with amino-mono- or dicarboxylic acids and their salts.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a therapeutic agent for photodynamic therapy of the atherosclerosis of animals, especially of mammals. More particularly, the invention relates to specific fluorescent compounds having a tetrapyrrole skeletal structure. An effective quantity of the compound is administered to a host and light rays of necessary wavelength are applied to the area of atherosclerosis to be treated, thereby regressing the atherosclerotic lesion by the cytotoxic singlet oxygen produced by the compound which is photodynamically excited.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Atherosclerosis is a general term for local diseases of arteries, in which the functions of arteries are depressed by the intimal thickening, hardening and reconstruction of arterial walls. Included in these diseases are coronary atherosclerosis inducing myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, atherosclerosis obliterating in peripheral artery and abdominal aorta, and cerebral atherosclerosis inducing transient cerebral ischemia and cerebral infarction. As referred to above, the atherosclerosis is quite a serious condition as a fatal disease inducing myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, cerebral apoplexy or the like.
At present, there are two approaches for treating the atherosclerosis. One of them is surgical treatment in which the portion affected by atherosclerosis is directly treated. The other measure is medical treatment in which etiological factors relating to the occurrence and aggravation of the symptom of atherosclerosis is remedied. The medical treatment is mainly adopted presently for preventing the worsening and the occurrence of terminal complication by total amelioration of undesirable factors with alimentotherapy, exercise cure and pharmacological treatment. Meanwhile, there are few potential agents and curative means for direct treatment of atherosclerosis.
In the ordinary diagnosis of atherosclerosis, morbid parts in respective internal organs are mainly detected. Meanwhile, there are few methods for the diagnosis of artery system, the early detection of atherosclerotic portion and their quantitative evaluation.
There is hitherto known a method of diagnosis and therapy of atherosclerosis by administering a hematoporphyrin derivative to hypercholesterolemia rabbits and applying light rays. A typical hematoporphyrin derivative is exemplified by Photofrin II, which is described in THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY, 56, pp 667-671, 1985 "Effect of Hematoporphyrin Derivative and Photodynamic Therapy on Atherosclerotic Rabbits".
However, it was clarified by experiments of the present inventors that, when Photofrin II is used, it cannot be caused to accumulated selectively in the atherosclerotic lesion and marked therapeutic effect cannot be expected.
Incidentally, the compounds themselves in the present invention are already known as photodynamic diagnostic and photodynamic therapeutic agents for cancer which are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,693,885; 4,656,186; 4,675,338; and 4,977,177 and European Laid-Open Patent No. 210351. It should be noted, however, that the field of art in the present invention is of course different from the field of art in the diagnosis and the therapy of cancer.

Therapeutic agent for treating atherosclerosis of mammals


Techniques for automated titration of CPAP device for a subject include receiving multiple ultrasound images representing a cross section of an airway in a neck of the subject at corresponding different times. Multiple different positive pressure values imposed by a device on the airway of the subject are also received at each of the corresponding times. For each of the ultrasound images, a mask of pixels associated with an air-tissue interface is automatically formed, and a value of a statistic of pixels within the mask is automatically determined. A titration pressure for a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device is automatically determined based on the positive pressures and the value of the statistic for each of the ultrasound images. Output data that indicates the titration pressure for the CPAP device is presented on a display device, such as by operating the CPAP device itself at the titration pressure.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome occurs with an estimated prevalence of 2-9% in adult American population with an increasing incidence (Strollo et al. 1996; Shamsuzzaman et al. 2003). OSA has been recognized as a major cause of morbidity in recent years. The condition is firmly seated within a spectrum of sleep-related breathing disorders (Flemons 2002), including snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome and obesity-hypoventilation syndrome. Left untreated, OSA can manifest in conditions with significant detriment to quality of life: daytime sleepiness (Johns 1993) and cognitive impairment (Findley et al. 1986). More significantly untreated OSA leads to increased morbidity and mortality from systemic and pulmonary hypertension (Marin et al. 2005), myocardial infarction (Hung et al. 1993), cardiac arrhythmias (Guilleminault et al. 1983), stroke and an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents (Teran-Santos et al. 1999). Given these implications, accurate and early diagnosis of OSA can potentially benefit early interventions to halt initiation and progression of cardiovascular diseases. However, due to the lack of consensus regarding specific diagnostic tools and criteria, most of the subjects with OSA remain untreated and the management of complications adds to the burden of healthcare costs.
Obstructive events occur when tissue in the upper airway collapses during sleep. This occurs during the negative pressure environment of inspiration. The exact sites of collapse vary in each person depending on their anatomy and to date there is no acceptable mechanism to predict or identify site of obstruction.
Treatment for sleep apnea events include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) provided by a CPAP device. The process to determine the positive pressure to keep an airway open is called CPAP titration. A CPAP titration study will typically follow an in lab diagnostic study for sleep apnea. The titration study itself is done in a lab and is for the purposes of calibrating a CPAP machine to ensure CPAP therapy is successful at keeping the airway open and preventing a sleep apnea event.

Automatic ultrasound titration of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for sleep apnea

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


A chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus includes a wafer carrier with a very low center of gravity which allows pressure to be applied evenly on a wafer being polished. The wafer carrier includes top, center, and bottom mating subassemblies with only the center and bottom subassembly or wafer holder actually rotating. The bottom of the central subassembly and the top of the bottom subassemblies are shaped as negative and positive, mating truncated pyramids with a downward extension at the center axis of the central subassembly which terminates in a ball in a recess in the top of the lower subassembly. The ball is positioned as low as possible to provide a very low center of gravity to ensure even pressure distribution over a wafer being polished. The truncated pyramidal shapes are to provide a geometry which exhibits a rigid structure with incrementally decreasing mass with distance from the central axis.

Chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) is used for wafer surface layer planarization in an ever widening number of applications. The proliferation of CMP apparatus in the manufacturing environment has been accompanied by industry pressure to increase throughput and to reduce costs.
In the CMP process a wafer carrier urges a wafer against a rotating platen which carries a polishing pad. One way to increase throughput is to increase the pressure on the wafer. At present, such apparatus allows a pressure of about 10 pounds per square inch on the wafer. A significantly increased pressure per square inch is desirable though to obtain faster removal rates. But the commercially available apparatus is not capable of permitting such pressures without having unwanted effects on wafer uniformity.
A typical wafer carrier assembly is shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,732 issued Jul. 19, 1994. The assembly comprises three subassemblies: The first subassembly is at the top of the wafer carrier and is attached along its central axis to the actuator which raises, lowers, and rotates the wafer carrier. This first assembly has an enlarged diameter lower section. The second subassembly has a top portion which has a C shaped cross section which engages the enlarged diameter lower section of the first assembly. The second (or center) subassembly is spring-loaded on the top of the enlarged diameter section and includes ball bearings which permit the second assembly to cant with respect to the first assembly.
The third (or bottom) subassembly comprises the wafer holder and is fixedly connected to the bottom of the second subassembly. Some CMP apparatus includes a wafer guard inside of a guard ring which encompasses the wafer being polished.
In all presently available CMP apparatus, all those subassemblies rotate and are driven from the top along the central axis. An increase in pressure on a wafer in such apparatus causes the wafer to pull to one side and pick up on the other side because the apparatus does not permit the pressure to be distributed evenly. It is difficult to achieve evenly distributed pressure in prior art CMP apparatus.

Wafer carrier rotating head assembly for chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus