Author: claimsbot

1. A method for securely guaranteeing a privacy policy between two enterprises, comprising:
creating a message at a first enterprise, wherein the message includes a request for data concerning a specifically identified third party for data stored by a second enterprise and a privacy policy of the first enterprise;
signing and certifying the message that the first enterprise has a tamper-proof system with a privacy rules engine and that the privacy policy of the first enterprise will be enforced by the privacy rules engine of the first enterprise;
sending the message to the second enterprise; and
running a privacy rules engine at the second enterprise to compare the privacy policy of the first enterprise with a set of privacy rules for the third party, wherein in response to a match between the privacy policy of the first enterprise and the set of privacy rules for the third party: encrypting the data requested by the first enterprise; and sending the encrypted requested data from the second enterprise to the first enterprise.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the certifying step includes the preliminary act of registering the first enterprise with a trusted agency; and
the second enterprise checks the trusted agency to verify the certification.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein both the first and second enterprises include a secure co-processor.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein both the first and second enterprises each includes a hardware device built with a cryptographic identifier that allows the hardware device of the first enterprise and the hardware device of the second enterprise to recognize and certify each other.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first enterprise comprises a merchant system, the second enterprise comprises a financial institution system, and the data comprises credit card information regarding an individual.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first enterprise comprises a service provider, the second enterprise comprises a vehicle, and the data comprises information derived from the vehicle.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the information comprises identification information and one of location and diagnostic information.
8. A method for securely guaranteeing a privacy policy between two enterprises, comprising:
creating a message at a first enterprise, wherein the message includes a request for data concerning a specifically identified third party for data stored by a second enterprise and a privacy policy of the first enterprise;
signing and certifying the message that the first enterprise has a tamper-proof system with a privacy rules engine and that the privacy policy of the first enterprise will be enforced by the privacy rules engine of the first enterprise, wherein: the certifying step includes the preliminary act of registering the first enterprise with a trusted agency; and the second enterprise checks the trusted agency to verify the certification;
sending the message to the second enterprise; and
running a privacy rules engine at the second enterprise to compare the privacy policy of the first enterprise with a set of privacy rules for the third party.
9. A method for securely guaranteeing a privacy policy between two enterprises, comprising:
creating a message at a first enterprise, wherein the message includes a request for data concerning a specifically identified third party for data stored by a second enterprise and a privacy policy of the first enterprise;
signing and certifying the message that the first enterprise has a tamper-proof system with a privacy rules engine and that the privacy policy of the first enterprise will be enforced by the privacy rules engine of the first enterprise;
sending the message to the second enterprise; and
running a privacy rules engine at the second enterprise to compare the privacy policy of the first enterprise with a set of privacy rules for the third party. wherein both the first and second enterprises each includes a hardware device built with a cryptographic identifier that allows the hardware device of the first enterprise and the hardware device of the second enterprise to recognize and certify each other.

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 ballasted anaerobic system for treating wastewater comprising:
at least one anaerobic treatment reactor;
a weighting agent impregnation subsystem configured to mix weighting agent with biological flocs to form weighted biological flocs to create a weighted anaerobic sludge blanket in the at least one anaerobic treatment reactor; and
a weighting agent recovery subsystem configured to recover the weighting agent from excess sludge and reintroduce the weighting agent to the weighting agent impregnation subsystem.
2. The system of claim 1 in which the weighted anaerobic sludge blanket is configured to treat the wastewater and provide a treated effluent.
3. The system of claim 1 in which the weighting agent impregnation subsystem includes an impregnation tank and at least one mixer.
4. The system of claim 3 in which the weighting agent impregnation subsystem includes a storage subsystem for storing virgin weighting agent and dispensing the virgin weighting agent into the impregnation tank.
5. The system of claim 1 in which the weighting agent impregnation subsystem includes a venturi mixereductor.
6. The system of claim 1 in which the weighting agent recovery subsystem includes a separator subsystem for separating the weighting agent from the biological flocs.
7. The system of claim 6 in which the separator subsystem includes at least one of a shear mill, a centrifugal separator, an ultrasonic separator and a wet drum magnetic separator.
8.-13. (canceled)
14. The system of claim 7 in which the shear mill includes a rotor and a stator, wherein the rotor andor the stator include slots sized as to optimize separation of weighting agent from the weighted biological flocs.
15. (canceled)
16. The system of claim 1 in which a majority of the weighting agent has a particle size less than about 40 \u03bcm.
17. The system of claim 1 in which a majority of the weighting agent has a particle size less than about 20 \u03bcm.
18. The system of claim 1 in which said weighting agent includes magnetite.
19. (canceled)
20. The system of claim 1 further including a wasting subsystem for wasting excess sludge to control the population of microorganisms.
21. (canceled)
22. A ballasted anaerobic method for treating wastewater, the method comprising:
receiving influent wastewater in at least one anaerobic treatment reactor;
forming biological flocs in the at least one anaerobic treatment reactor;
impregnating weighting agent into the biological flocs to form weighted biological flocs to create a weighted anaerobic sludge blanket; and
recovering weighting agent from the weighted biological flocs.
23. The method of claim 22 further including the step of directing the wastewater through the weighted anaerobic sludge blanket to provide a treated effluent.
24. (canceled)
25. The method of claim 22 further including the step of recycling the weighting agent.
26. The method of claim 22 further including the step of providing weighting agent in which the majority of the weighting agent has a particle size less than about 100 \u03bcm.
27. The method of claim 22 further including the step of providing weighting agent in which the majority of the weighting agent has a particle size less than about 40 \u03bcm.
28. The method of claim 22 further including the step of providing weighting agent in which the majority of the weighting agent has a particle size less than about 20 \u03bcm.
29. The method of claim 23 further including the step of enhancing the quality of the treated effluent by reducing suspended solids and associated contaminants therein.
30. The method of claim 22, further comprising wasting excess sludge from the at least one anaerobic treatment reactor.

1. A liquid holding container that supplies a liquid to a liquid consuming apparatus, the container comprising:
a first liquid holding section capable of holding a liquid therein;
a liquid outflow opening through which the liquid flows from the first liquid holding section to the liquid consuming apparatus;
an air intake opening, provided lower than the liquid surface of the liquid in the first liquid holding section, that is connected to an air flow channel that takes air into the first liquid holding section;
a second liquid holding section that is capable of holding a liquid therein and that communicates with the first liquid holding section;
an injection opening, provided in the second liquid holding section, that can be closed in an airtight state and opened in an opened state so as to allow the liquid to be injected; and
a divider member, provided in an area where the first liquid holding section and the second liquid holding section communicate, that switches between a state in which the first liquid holding section and the second liquid holding section communicate and a state in which the first liquid holding section and the second liquid holding section are separated from each other in an airtight state.
2. The liquid holding container according to claim 1,
wherein the first liquid holding section communicates with the second liquid holding section in a plurality of locations whose positions are different relative to the liquid surface of the liquid in the first liquid holding section; and
the divider member is provided for each location where the first liquid holding section and the second liquid holding section communicate with each other.
3. A liquid consuming apparatus comprising the liquid holding container according to claim 1.
4. A liquid consuming apparatus comprising the liquid holding container according to claim 2.

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 hybrid vehicle drive control apparatus characterized by comprising: an electric power generator mechanically connected to an engine; a drive motor driven by at least one of an electric current generated by the electric power generator and an electric current supplied from a battery; battery state detecting means for detecting a battery state of the battery; target drive motor torque setting means for setting a target torque of the drive motor based on the battery state.
2. The hybrid vehicle drive control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target drive motor torque setting means calculates a lowest limit value of the battery state which does not cause the electric power generator to race, based on a rotating state of the electric power generator, and sets a target torque of the drive motor so that the present battery state does not exceed the lowest limit value.
3. The hybrid vehicle drive control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target drive motor torque setting means calculates a lowest limit value of the battery state which at least allows the electric power generator to maintain a present rotational state, and sets the target torque of the drive motor so that the present battery state does not exceed the lowest limit value.
4. The hybrid vehicle drive control apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the target drive motor torque setting means calculates a maximum limit value of the target torque of the drive motor based on a difference between the present battery state and the lowest limit value of the battery state, and sets the target torque of the drive motor so as not to exceed the maximum limit value of the target torque.
5. The hybrid vehicle drive control apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the target drive motor torque setting means sets the target torque of the drive motor at such a value that a battery state can be maintained only by an electric power generated by the electric power generator.
6. The hybrid vehicle drive control apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the target drive motor torque setting means calculates a correction value of the target torque of the drive motor based on a difference between the present battery state and the lowest limit value of the battery state, and corrects the target torque of the drive motor by the correction value.
7. The hybrid vehicle drive control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: an output shaft mechanically connected to the drive motor and a drive wheel; and a differential gear device that has at least three gear elements, each of the gear elements being connected to the engine, the electric power generator, and the output shaft, respectively.
8. A control method of a hybrid vehicle drive apparatus characterized by comprising the steps of: generating an electric current by an electric power generator mechanically connected to an engine; driving a drive motor by at least one of the electric current generated by the electric power generator and an electric current supplied from a battery; detecting a battery state of the battery; and setting a target torque of the drive motor based on the battery state.
9. A program of a control method of a hybrid vehicle drive apparatus including an electric power generator mechanically connected to an engine, a drive motor driven by at least one of an electric current generated by the electric power generator and an electric current supplied from a battery, and battery state detecting means for detecting a battery state of the battery, characterized in that a computer functions as target drive motor torque setting means for setting a target torque of the drive motor based on the battery state.