All The Claims

1. A formwork tie rod for use in a hardened concrete which said tie rod is formed by a threaded rod that includes threaded end portions and a middle threaded portion between said end portions, and which is provided, for removal from the hardened concrete, with a conical plastic sheath between the threaded end portions, said conical plastic sheath being connected form-fittingly to a thread of the threaded rod between the end portions, such that said threads form projections in said middle threaded portion and said plastic sheath is anchored to said middle threaded portion by penetration of said projections into said plastic sheath to prevent displacement of said plastic sheath in an axial direction extending along a length of said threaded rod, wherein the threaded rod is a hot-rolled threaded rod which has a yield point of at least 700 Nm2, and wherein the conicity of the plastic sheath is 0.5 to 2.5 mm per 100 mm of length of the plastic sheath.
2. The tie rod according to claim 1, wherein the plastic sheath is so applied by a shaping process that it extends between the projections formed by the thread.
3. The tie rod according to claim 2, wherein one of said end portions defines a rod end that is struck or pulled on for removal of the tie rod from the hardened concrete, and wherein said rod end is provided with a marking.
4. The tie rod according to claim 3, wherein the plastic sheath has an annular shoulder at an enlarged end which projects radially outwardly of an outer conical surface of said plastic sheath at said enlarged end and is formed out of said plastic sheath as a single unitary piece.
5. The tie rod according to claim 2, wherein the plastic sheath has an annular shoulder at an enlarged end which projects radially outwardly of an outer conical surface of said plastic sheath at said enlarged end and is formed out of said plastic sheath as a single unitary piece.
6. The tie rod according to claim 1, wherein one of said end portions defines a rod end that is struck or pulled on for removal of the tie rod from the hardened concrete, wherein said rod end is provided with a marking.
7. The tie rod according to claim 6, wherein the plastic sheath has an annular shoulder at an enlarged end which projects radially outwardly of an outer conical surface of said plastic sheath at said enlarged end and is formed out of said plastic sheath as a single unitary piece.
8. The tie rod according to claim 1, wherein the plastic sheath has an annular shoulder at an enlarged end which projects radially outwardly of an outer conical surface of said plastic sheath at said enlarged end and is formed out of said plastic sheath as a single unitary piece.
9. The tie rod according to claim 1, wherein said tie rod has plane-parallel faces along a length thereof, where said faces are located circumferentially spaced from each other and said threads are formed by thread segments which are separated circumferentially by said faces disposed circumferentially between said thread segments.
10. The tie rod according to claim 9, wherein said plastic sheath is anchored on said threaded rod by said thread segments and said faces.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for monitoring, modeling and managing a physical system, comprising the steps of:
providing a physical data model of the physical system;
obtaining real time data from the physical system;
updating the physical data model based on the real time data;
creating an analytic model of the physical system based on the updated physical data model; and
controlling operation of the physical system based on output from the analytic model.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical system comprises a data center.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the model comprises one or more data types, elements, and properties associated with the physical system.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
building the data model of the physical system.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of building the data model is performed by a user.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
updating the data model to reflect changes in the physical system.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of updating the model is performed by a user.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the analytic model comprises a physics-based model or a statistical model.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the analytic model is based on a measurement based dynamic modeling architecture.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
displaying the analytic model results.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling operation of the physical system further comprises the step of:
alerting a user of the output from the analytic model.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling operation of the physical system further comprises the step of:
directly controlling operation of the physical system based on output from the analytic model.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling operation of the physical system further comprises the step of:
recommending control actions based on output from the analytic model.
14. An article of manufacture for monitoring, modeling and managing a physical system, comprising a machine-readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of the method according to claim 1.
15. A platform for monitoring, modeling and managing a physical system, comprising:
a data model builder configured to build a data model of the physical system;
a real time data manager configured to obtain real time data from the physical system;
a physical model manager configured to update the model based on the real time data;
an analytic model manager configured to create an analytic model of the physical system based on the updated data model; and
a control manager configured to control operation of the physical system based on output from the analytic model.
16. The platform of claim 15, further comprising:
a post-processing manager configured to display the analytic model results.
17. An apparatus for modeling thermal zones in a space, the apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor device, coupled to the memory, operative to:
provide a physical data model of the physical system;
obtain real time data from the physical system;
update the physical data model based on the real time data;
create an analytic model of the physical system based on the updated physical data model; and
control operation of the physical system based on output from the analytic model.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor device is further operative to:
alert a user of the output from the analytic model.
19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor device is further operative to:
directly control operation of the physical system based on output from the analytic model.
20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor device is further operative to:
recommend control actions based on output from the analytic model.

1. An illumination device comprising:
a light guide plate;
a light source disposed on a side face of the light guide plate; and
a light modulation element disposed on a surface or in an inside of the light guide plate and adhered to the light guide plate,
wherein the light guide plate has a plurality of convex portions extending in a direction parallel to a normal to a face opposed to the light source among side faces of the light guide plate,
the light source is configured of a plurality of light source blocks capable of being independently driven, and
the light modulation element includes:
a pair of transparent substrates disposed separately and oppositely to each other,
a plurality of first electrodes provided on a surface of one of the pair of transparent substrates, and extending in a direction crossing an extending direction of the convex portions,
a second electrode provided on a surface of another of the pair of transparent substrates, and
a light modulation layer provided in a gap between the pair of transparent substrates, and exhibiting a scattering property or a transparent property to light from the light source depending on magnitude of an electric field.
2. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein a cross section of each of the convex portions in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the relevant convex portion has a rectangular shape, a trapezoidal shape, or a triangle shape.
3. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein height of each of the convex portions is relatively low at a point near the light source, and relatively high at a point away from the light source.
4. The illumination device according to claim 3, wherein height of each of the convex portions is zero at a point proximate to the light source.
5. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first electrodes has an irregular shape on an edge thereof adjacent to another first electrode.
6. The illumination device according to claim 5, wherein each of the first electrodes has a plurality of openings.
7. The illumination device according to claim 6, wherein each of the first electrodes has the plurality of openings in any portion excluding the edge having the irregular shape.
8. The illumination device according to claim 6, wherein each of the first electrodes has metal lines electrically connected to the portion excluding the edge having the irregular shape.
9. The illumination device according to claim 5, wherein the irregular shape corresponds to a zigzag shape, a wave shape, a trapezoidal shape, a ramp shape, or a random shape.
10. The illumination device according to claim 9, wherein the irregular shape corresponds to a zigzag shape with a plurality of convex portions being arranged, each convex portion having an acute end, and,
one or more of profiles of each of the convex portions corresponds to a function of the power of m of the sine with an end as an origin, wherein m is an even number.
11. The illumination device according to claim 9, wherein the irregular shape is configured of a plurality of convex portions arranged along an edge, and
a respective plurality of convex portions formed on edges of the first electrodes adjacent to each other are alternately disposed.
12. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is configured of a single sheet-like electrode, and
the sheet-like electrode is patterned, where pattern density is different depending on a distance from the light source.
13. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is configured of a plurality of belt-like electrodes, and
each of the belt-like electrodes is patterned, where pattern density is different depending on a distance from the light source for each of the belt-like electrodes.
14. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is configured of a single sheet-like electrode or a plurality of belt-like electrodes, and
the second electrode is patterned, where pattern density is different depending on a distance from the light source for each of portions opposed to the first electrodes.
15. The illumination device according to claim 1,
wherein each of the first electrodes has an irregular shape on an edge thereof adjacent to another first electrode,
the second electrode is configured of a single sheet-like electrode or a plurality of belt-like electrodes,
the second electrode is patterned, where pattern density is different depending on a distance from the light source for each of portions opposed to the first electrodes, and
in the second electrode, a boundary between a portion of thin pattern density and a portion of dense pattern density is disposed within a region of the relevant second electrode opposed to the irregular shape of each of the first electrodes.
16. The illumination device according to claim 1,
wherein each of the first electrodes has an irregular shape on an edge thereof adjacent to another first electrode,
the second electrode is configured of a single sheet-like electrode or a plurality of belt-like electrodes,
the second electrode is patterned, where pattern density is different depending on a distance from the light source for each of portions opposed to the first electrodes, and
in the second electrode, a section from a point, at which pattern density starts to decrease, to a point, at which pattern density starts to increase, is within a range opposed to a section enclosed by bottoms of concave portions included in two irregular shapes adjacent to each other in the first electrodes.
17. The illumination device according to claim 16,
wherein the second electrode is configured of a plurality of belt-like electrodes, and
when pattern density of the second electrode is D1 at the point, at which pattern density starts to decrease, and pattern density of the second electrode is D2 at the point, at which pattern density starts to increase, D1 and D2 satisfy the following relational expression:
1<D1D2<(duty ratio of voltage applied to a belt-like electrode relatively near the light source between two belt-like electrodes adjacent to each other)(duty ratio of voltage applied to a belt-like electrode relatively away from the light source between the two belt-like electrodes adjacent to each other).
18. The illumination device according to claim 12, wherein the second electrode has a plurality of openings, and
one or both of diameter and density of each of the openings is different depending on a distance from the light source.
19. The illumination device according to claim 1, further comprising a drive circuit applying a voltage to the light modulation element,
wherein the drive circuit applies, to each of the first electrodes of the light modulation element, a voltage modulated depending on a distance from the light source to the first electrode.
20. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the light modulation layer exhibits a transparent property when no voltage is applied to the electrodes, and exhibits a scattering property when a voltage is applied to the electrodes.
21. A display device comprising:
a display panel having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, where the plurality of pixels are driven based on an image signal; and
an illumination device lighting the display panel,
wherein the illumination device includes:
a light guide plate,
a light source disposed on a side face of the light guide plate, and
a light modulation element disposed on a surface or in an inside of the light guide plate and adhered to the light guide plate,
wherein the light guide plate has a plurality of convex portions extending in a direction parallel to a normal to a face opposed to the light source among side faces of the light guide plate,
the light source is configured of a plurality of light source blocks capable of being independently driven, and
the light modulation element includes
a pair of transparent substrates disposed separately and oppositely to each other,
a plurality of first electrodes provided on a surface of one of the pair of transparent substrates, and extending in a direction crossing an extending direction of the convex portions,
a second electrode provided on a surface of another of the pair of transparent substrates, and
a light modulation layer provided in a gap between the pair of transparent substrates, and exhibiting a scattering property or a transparent property to light from the light source depending on magnitude of an electric field.
22. The display device according to claim 21, further comprising a drive circuit applying, to each of the light source blocks, a voltage modulated depending on a distance from the light source to a first electrode as a voltage application object, and based on the video signal.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method of identifying degradation of a media service, the media service being conducted by a wireless device in a wireless system, the media service having an expected packet generation rate, the method comprising the steps of:
counting a number of data packets actually received by said wireless device over a period of time;
calculating a packet loss rate from said counted number of data packets and the expected packet generation rate; and
determining that the media service is experiencing significant quality degradation based upon said packet loss rate exceeding a threshold.
2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of determining includes triggering output of a user alert signal if said packet loss rate exceeds said threshold.
3. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein said user alert signal comprises a sensible signal selected from the list consisting of an auditory signal, a visual signal, and a kinetic signal.
4. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein said threshold comprises a packet loss rate between about 10% and 20%.
5. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of determining includes terminating the media service if said packet loss rate exceed said threshold.
6. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein said step of terminating said service comprises sending a service termination message.
7. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein said threshold comprises a packet loss rate of about 30%.
8. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said threshold includes a first threshold and a second threshold and wherein said step of determining includes triggering output of a user alert signal if said packet loss rate is between said first threshold and said second threshold, and terminating the service if said packet loss rate exceeds said second threshold.
9. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the media service is established over real-time transport protocol and wherein the media service employs a codec conforming to the G.711 standard for encoding audio media.
10. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of calculating includes a step of calculating a number of expected packets from the product of said period of time and the expected packet generation rate, and a step of calculating said packet loss rate in accordance with the formula:
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11. The method claimed in claim 1, further including a step of establishing the media service, wherein said step of establishing the media service includes determining the expected packet generation rate.
12. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein said step of establishing the media service includes selecting a codec and a payload size, and wherein said step of determining the expected packet generation rate includes ascertaining said expected packet generation rate based upon said codec and said payload size.
13. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein said step of ascertaining includes reading a look-up table containing expected packet generation rates corresponding to various codecs and payload sizes.
14. A mobile wireless device for engaging in a media service through a wireless communication system, the media service having an unexpected packet generation rate, the mobile wireless device comprising:
a communications subsystem for establishing a connection with the wireless communication system and receiving RF communications, including data packets from a termination point;
a memory storing the expected packet generation rate;
a processor associated with said memory and controlling said communications subsystem; and
a packet loss module for identifying degradation of the media service, said packet loss module including,
a packet loss calculation component for counting a number of data packets actually received over a period of time and calculating a packet loss rate from said counted number of data packets and the expected packet generation rate, and
a service degradation handling component for determining that the media service is experiencing significant quality degradation based upon said packet loss rate exceeding a threshold.
15. The device claimed in claim 14, wherein said service degradation handling component includes a component for triggering output of a user alert signal if said packet loss rate exceeds said threshold.
16. The device claimed in claim 15, wherein said user alert signal comprises a sensible signal selected from the list consisting of an auditory signal, a visual signal, and a kinetic signal.
17. The device claimed in claim 15, wherein said threshold comprises a packet loss rate between about 10% and 20%.
18. The device claimed in claim 14, wherein said service degradation handling component includes a component for terminating the media service if said packet loss rate exceed said threshold.
19. The device claimed in claim 18, wherein component for terminating sends a service termination message.
20. The device claimed in claim 18, wherein said threshold comprises a packet loss rate of about 30%.
21. The device claimed in claim 14, wherein said threshold includes a first threshold and a second threshold and wherein said service degradation handling component includes a component for triggering output of a user alert signal if said packet loss rate is between said first threshold and said second threshold, and includes a component for terminating the media service if said packet loss rate exceeds said second threshold.
22. The device claimed in claim 14, wherein the media service is established over real-time transport protocol and wherein the media service employs a codec conforming to the G.711 standard for encoding audio media.
23. The device claimed in claim 14, wherein said packet loss calculation component includes a component for calculating a number of expected packets from the product of said period of time and the expected packet generation rate, and a component for calculating said packet loss rate in accordance with the formula:
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24. The device claimed in claim 14, further including a component for determining the expected packet generation rate.
25. The device claimed in claim 24, further including a service set-up component for establishing the media service and selecting a codec and a payload size, and wherein said component for determining the expected packet generation rate ascertains said expected packet generation rate based upon said codec and said payload size.
26. The method claimed in claim 25, wherein said memory further includes a stored look-up table containing expected packet generation rates corresponding to various codecs and payload sizes and wherein said component for determining reads said look-up table.