What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for mining ores and minerals remotely and removing the mined ores and minerals from the mine, comprising:
a shield having two side surfaces and a top surface;
a means for advancing the shield into a mine; and
a mining means for mining ores and minerals;
a material transferring means for transporting the mined ores and minerals from the mine.
2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shield further includes a bottom surface.
3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the bottom surface of the shield is substantially flat.
4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the bottom surface of the shield incorporates wheels.
5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the mining means is protected by the shield in such a manner that the mining means can advance or retreat independently of the shield.
6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the material transferring means is protected by the shield in such a manner that the material transferring means can advance or retreat independently of the shield.
7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shield further includes a means for connecting to a second shield.
8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the means for connecting the shield to the second shield is a hook and pin system.
9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for advancing the shield into a mine is selected from the group consisting of electrical power, battery power, hydraulic power and a winch system.
10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the conveying means is a truss conveyor, comprising:
a conveyor belt;
belt rollers for advancing the conveyor belt; and
at least two side support frames.
11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein the conveyor means is situated within the shield in such a manner that the conveyor means can advance or retreat independently of the shield.
12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein the conveying means further includes a means for connecting to a second truss conveyor.
13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the means for connecting the conveying means to the second conveying means is a hook and pin system.
14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the conveying system is a continuous belt system.
15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the conveying system is a shuttle car.
16. A method for remotely mining ores and minerals and for removing the mined ores and minerals from the mine, comprising:
advancing a miner into a mine;
advancing a first shield into the mine which shield protects the sides and top of the miner and which allows the miner to advance and retreat independently from the shield;
advancing a conveying system into the mine;
advancing a second shield into the mine which shield protects the sides and top of the conveying system and which allows the conveying system to advance and retreat independent of the second shield;
excavating material from the mine using the miner;
removing the excavated material from the mine using the conveying system.
17. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the first shield and the second shield are connected.
18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein the conveying system further comprises supports which support the roof of the second shield.
19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 16 further comprising a plurality of shields which are connected.
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 computer-implemented method of collecting content into a collection, comprising:
displaying a user librarian interface display that receives a librarian selection user input selecting an automated librarian component to identify and add content to the collection;
adding user-identified content to the collection;
adding librarian-identified content, identified by the automated librarian component, to the collection; and
displaying the content in the collection to indicate whether the content is user-identified content or librarian-identified content.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein adding librarian-identified content to the collection, comprises:
accessing user information with the automated librarian component; and
identifying the librarian-identified content, with the automated librarian component, based on the user information.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein identifying the librarian-identified content comprises:
accessing the user-identified content added to the collection; and
identifying the librarian-identified content, identified by the automated librarian component, based on the user-identified content added to the collection.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein accessing the user-identified content added to the collection, comprises:
identifying a subject matter of user-identified content added to the collection; and
wherein identifying the librarian-identified content comprises identifying the librarian-identified content, with the automated librarian component, based on the subject matter of the user-identified content added to the collection.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein adding the librarian-identified content to the collection, comprises:
receiving a frequency setting user input indicative of a content addition frequency with which the automated librarian component is to add content to the collection; and
adding the librarian-identified content to the collection at the content addition frequency.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein receiving a frequency setting user input comprises:
receiving a frequency setting that sets the content addition frequency relative to a user content addition frequency comprising a frequency with which the user adds content to the collection.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein receiving a frequency setting user input comprises:
receiving a frequency setting that sets the content addition frequency relative to a duration since the automated librarian component was selected by the user.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein adding librarian-added content comprises:
receiving a duration user input indicative of a duration over which content is to be added to the collection; and
adding the librarian-identified content to the collection for the duration.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein adding the librarian-added content to the collection, comprises:
receiving a specificity user input indicative of a specificity of subject matter of the librarian-identified content; and
identifying, as the librarian-identified content, content that has the specificity.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein displaying the content in the collection further comprises:
identifying a target language for the content in the collection;
translating the content in the collection from a source language in which the content is identified to the target language; and
displaying the content in the collection in the target language.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein adding librarian-identified content to the collection, comprises:
accessing a set of priority metrics;
prioritizing the librarian-identified content based on the priority metrics; and
adding only librarian-identified content having a priority that meets a priority threshold to the collection.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein displaying the content in the collection comprises:
identifying connections between items of the content in the collection and between items of the content in the collection and the user; and
displaying the connections.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein displaying the content in the collection comprises:
automatically sorting the content in the collection into categories;
generating an affinity diagram for the content in the collection; and
displaying the affinity diagram.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein displaying the content in the collection comprises:
automatically generating summaries of the content in the collection; and
displaying the summaries.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein accessing user information comprises:
accessing knowledge information indicative of user knowledge about a given subject area; and
wherein identifying the librarian identified content comprises identifying the librarian-identified content based on the knowledge information.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein accessing user information comprises:
accessing reading level information indicative of user reading level; and
wherein identifying the librarian-identified content comprises identifying the librarian-identified content based on the reading level information.
17. A content collection system that collects content into a collection, comprising:
a user interface component displaying a user librarian interface display that receives a librarian selection user input;
an automated librarian component activated based on the librarian selection user input to access user information and identify and add content to the collection based on the user information, the user interface display component displaying the content in the collection to indicate whether the content is user-identified content or librarian-identified content; and
a computer processor being a functional part of the system and activated by the automated librarian component to identify and add content to the collection.
18. The content collection system of claim 18 wherein the user interface component generates a frequency user interface display that receives a frequency user input indicative of a frequency of addition with which the automated librarian component adds content to the collection, the automated librarian component accessing the frequency user input and adding content to the collection at the frequency of addition.
19. A computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, comprising:
displaying a user librarian interface display that receives a librarian selection user input selecting an automated librarian component to identify and add content to the collection;
adding user-identified content to the collection;
identifying librarian-identified content, with the automated librarian component, based on user information;
adding the librarian-identified content, identified by the automated librarian component, to the collection; and
displaying the content in the collection to indicate whether the content is user-identified content or librarian-identified content.
20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein identifying the librarian-identified content comprises:
accessing the user-identified content added to the collection; and
identifying the librarian-identified content, identified by the automated librarian component, based on the user-identified content added to the collection.