1. A time certifying server comprising:
a clock unit for outputting time information;
time acquiring means for acquiring from the time information units of time equal to or larger than a predetermined unit;
correction time acquiring means for acquiring a correction time from a correction time generating unit;
time correcting means for correcting units of time from the time information smaller than the predetermined unit using the acquired correction time and without correcting the acquired units of time equal to or larger than the predetermined unit;
reference time receiving means for receiving a reference time from a reference time distributing server that distributes reference time;
verification means for verifying that the clock unit operates at a precision falling within a predetermined range by confirming that, in the time of the units equal to or larger than the predetermined unit, the time acquired by the time acquiring means and the received reference time coincide with each other;
certification target information receiving means for receiving certification target information that serves as time certification target from a client terminal;
time certification information generating means for generating time certification information of the received certification target information after verification of the operational precision of the clock unit and using the corrected units of time; and
time certification information transmitting means for transmitting the generated time certification information to the client terminal.
2. A time certifying server according to claim 1; wherein the verification means verifies that the clock unit operates at a precision falling within the predetermined range when it is confirmed that the reference time used for the verification is a time later than the time used at a previous verification.
3. A time certifying server according to claim 1; further comprising predetermined unit changing means for changing the predetermined unit.
4. A time certifying server according to claim 3; wherein the predetermined unit changing means sets the predetermined unit to a first unit; and wherein the predetermined unit changing means sets, using the first unit, the predetermined unit to a second unit smaller than the first unit when the verification means verifies a precision of the clock unit.
5. A time certifying server according to claim 1; further comprising operational mode switching means for switching between a first operational mode in which the verification means and the time certification information generating means operate and a second operational mode in which the time correction means operates; and wherein the operational mode switching means switches the operational mode after an operation is completed in each of the operational modes.
6. A time certifying server according to claim 5; wherein the first operational mode includes a verification mode in which the verification means verifies the clock unit, and a time certification information generating mode in which the time certification information generating means generates the time certification information; and wherein the operational mode switching means switches, in the switching between the verification mode and the time certification information generating mode, the operational mode to a mode switching destination after the operation in a mode switching source is completed.
7. A time certifying method executed by a computer having a clock unit for outputting time information, the method comprising:
acquiring from the time information units of time equal to or larger than a predetermined unit;
acquiring a correction time;
correcting units of time from the time information smaller than the predetermined unit using the acquired correction time and without correcting the acquired units of time equal to or larger than the predetermined unit;
receiving a reference time from a reference time distributing server that distributes reference time;
verifying that the clock unit operates at a precision falling within a predetermined range by confirming that, in the time of the units equal to or larger than the predetermined unit, the acquired time and the received reference time coincide with each other;
receiving certification target information that serves as time certification target from a client terminal;
generating time certification information of the received certification target information after verification of the operational precision of the clock unit and using the corrected units of time; and
transmitting the generated time certification information to the client terminal.
8. A time certifying method according to claim 7; further comprising setting the predetermined unit to a first unit and setting, using the first unit, the predetermined unit to a second unit smaller than the first unit when the precision of the clock unit is verified.
9. A computer readable storage medium encoded with computer program instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
acquire from previously output time information units of time equal to or larger than a predetermined unit;
acquire a correction time;
correct units of time from the time information smaller than the predetermined unit using the acquired correction time and without correcting the acquired units of time equal to or larger than the predetermined unit;
receive a reference time from a reference time distributing server that distributes reference time;
verify that the clock unit operates at a precision falling within a predetermined range by confirming that, in the time of the units equal to or larger than the predetermined unit, the acquired time and the received reference time coincide with each other;
receive certification target information that serves as time certification target from a client terminal;
generate time certification information of the received certification target information after verification of the operational precision of the clock unit and using the corrected units of time; and
transmit the generated time certification information to the client terminal.
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 treating a load of woody material made up of stacked elements, particularly a load of wood, by high-temperature heat treatment, using an enclosed treatment space which comprises means for processing a load of woody material that is to be treated (5), this load of woody material delimiting, within said enclosed space, a first volume (8) known as the \u201craised-pressure chamber\u201d, situated upstream of the load that is to be treated (5) and a second volume (9) known as the \u201crecovery chamber\u201d, situated downstream of said load, heating means (10) for heating a heat-transfer fluid circulating in said enclosed space (1), circulating means (11) continuously circulating said heat-transfer fluid, monitoring means for monitoring the temperature and moisture content of the enclosed space, regulating means (12) for regulating the temperature and humidity of the enclosed treatment space, and sealing means sealing the top and bottom of the load of material, said method being characterized in that it comprises the steps consisting:
in permanently monitoring and measuring the atmosphere in each of said chambers using the temperature monitoring means then in comparing the data emanating from these monitoring means so as to act simultaneously and uniformly on the altering of the power of the means (10) for heating and, if any, on the cooling, of the heat-transfer gas by the regulating means (12) thus running a heat-treatment cycle, the rise in temperature of which is either linear or in steps, the temperature step levels and their duration being preestablished; this rise in temperature is then governed as a function of the behavior of the load of woody material (5) in terms of its thermal conductivity and as a function of equilibrium between the flow rate and the speed of the heat-transfer fluid between the two chambers (8, 9).
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each of the temperature levels in the treatment cycle is reached when there is equilibrium between the temperature (T1) in the raised-pressure chamber (8) and the temperature (T2) in the recovery chamber (9), and in that equilibrium is determined using the following formulae:
T1=T2\u2212\u0394\xb0 C. when the temperature in the treatment cycle is rising, and
T2=T1+\u0394\u2032\xb0 C. when the temperature in the treatment cycle is falling, where \u0394 and \u0394\u2032 are temperature constants ranging between 5 and 25 degrees Celsius.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the constants \u0394 and \u0394\u2032 are respectively equal to 5 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius.
4. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that progression to a level at least equal to 100 degrees Celsius is permitted only if the volume of the enclosed space (1) contains less than 3% oxygen.
5. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that if an incident concerning the heating means (10) is detected above a mean temperature in excess of 120 degrees Celsius, the temperature regulating means (12) are set off until a mean temperature of below 100 degrees Celsius is detected in the chambers (8, 9) before any resumption of the treatment cycle is permitted.
6. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic control means controlling the oven are also connected to computerized equipment that allows all the data from the sensors arranged in the enclosed space to be printed out during a treatment cycle together with the temperature curves, in real time.
7. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed at which the heat-transfer fluid circulates is kept constant in the enclosed treatment space by monitoring said speed and acting on the flow rate of the means that propel said heat-transfer fluid.