Author: claimsbot

1. An apparatus for connecting superior and inferior vertebrae, comprising:
a fastener adapted for connecting the superior vertebra to the inferior vertebra; and
a receiver for positioning between the superior and inferior vertebrae, the receiver including a passage for receiving the fastener, the receiver having a first surface for positioning adjacent the first vertebrae and a second surface for positioning adjacent to the inferior vertebrae, the passage extending at an angle relative to the first and second surfaces.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver includes first and second passages, each adapted for receiving a fastener for connecting with the superior and inferior vertebrae.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first and second passages extend at angles relative to each other.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a tool adapted for temporarily connecting with the receiver, the tool including a guide for guiding a drilling element for forming an opening in one of the superior or inferior vertebrae when connected to the receiver.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the guide is tubular.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the guide is connected to the tool for movement along an arcuate path to a position in alignment with the angled passage of the receiver.
7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the tool comprises a connector adapted for connecting to the body of the receiver.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a tubular guide for guiding a drilling element for forming an opening in one of the superior or inferior vertebrae.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tubular guide is connected to the receiver in alignment with the angled passage.
10. An apparatus for use in connection with a procedure for connecting superior and inferior vertebrae using a receiver including at least one passage, comprising:
a tool adapted to be connected to the receiver for guiding a drilling element for forming an opening in one of the superior or inferior vertebrae.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the tool comprises a guide adapted for receiving the drilling element.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the guide is connected to the tool for movement along an arcuate path to a position in alignment with the angled passage of the receiver.
13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the tool includes a connector for connecting to the receiver in a manner that prevents relative rotation during use in forming the opening on one of the superior or inferior vertebrae.
14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the tool includes a connector for connecting to the receiver in a manner that allows relative rotation after forming the opening on one vertebrae to form an opening in the other vertebra.
15. An apparatus for use in connection with a procedure for connecting superior and inferior vertebrae, comprising:
a receiver for positioning between the superior and inferior vertebrae, the receiver adapted for positioning between the superior vertebra and the inferior vertebra; and
a tool adapted to be connected to the receiver for guiding a drilling element for forming an opening in one of the superior or inferior vertebrae.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the receiver includes at least one passage adapted for receiving a fastener, the passage extending at an angle relative to a first surface of the receiver for positioning adjacent to the superior vertebra and a second surface of the receiver for positioning adjacent to the inferior vertebra.
17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the tool comprises a guide adapted for receiving the drilling element.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the guide is connected to the tool for movement along an arcuate path to a position in alignment with the angled passage of the receiver.
19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the tool includes a connector for connecting to the receiver in a manner that prevents relative rotation during use in forming the opening on one of the superior or inferior vertebrae.
20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the tool includes a connector for connecting to the receiver in a manner that allows relative rotation after forming the opening on one vertebrae to form an opening in the other vertebra.

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 cap structure comprising a cap body, a glass and a connecting unit for connecting the cap body with the glass, wherein:
the cap body has a peak section outward extending from a part of the periphery of the cap body, at least one magnetic member being inlaid in the peak section, the magnetic member being movable toward a front edge of the peak section;
the connecting unit includes a pivot seat and a pivot block pivotally connected with the pivot seat, at least one magnetic member being disposed in one end of the pivot seat opposite to the pivot block, whereby the magnetic member of the peak section and the magnetic member of the pivot seat can attract each other; and
the glass is fixedly connected with one end of the pivot block opposite to the pivot seat.
2. The cap structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic member in the peak section is a circular magnet, an elongated rectangular seat body being embedded in the peak section, the seat body having two wing sections on two sides for sewing the seat body in the peak section, the seat body being formed with two internal slide channels, two magnetic members being respectively placed in the slide channels and reciprocally slidable within the slide channels.
3. The cap structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic members of the pivot seat are cylindrical magnetic bodies, the pivot seat having a plane face opposite to the pivot block, two dents being formed on the plane face, in which the magnetic members of the pivot seat are respectively fixedly accommodated.
4. The cap structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pivot seat has a substantially U-shaped pivot section facing the pivot block and the pivot block has a substantially T-shaped pivot section corresponding to the pivot section of the pivot seat, whereby the pivot section of the pivot block can be pivotally connected with the pivot section of the pivot seat.
5. The cap structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pivot seat has a substantially T-shaped pivot section facing the pivot block and the pivot block has a substantially U-shaped pivot section corresponding to the pivot section of the pivot seat, whereby the pivot section of the pivot block can be pivotally connected with the pivot section of the pivot seat.
6. The cap structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein one end of the pivot block is formed with a groove opposite to the pivot seat, in which an upper edge of the glass is inlaid, at least one screw being perpendicularly screwed into the groove to abut against the glass to fix the glass with the pivot block.
7. The cap structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pivot block has a boss in the middle of the groove, the upper edge of the glass being formed with a notch corresponding to the boss, whereby when the upper edge of the glass is inlaid in the groove, the boss is snugly fitted into the notch.

1. A recording apparatus for recording a duplicate of a product onto a recording medium, the product being a copyrighted digital product having a copy attribute embedded as a watermark thereon, comprising:
an acquiring unit operable to acquire the copy attribute embedded on the product;
a changing unit operable to change the acquired copy attribute into a copy attribute showing no more copy when the acquired copy attribute shows one generation copy;
a reading unit operable to read from the recording medium at least a part of medium ID information recorded on the recording medium in an unalterable state; and
a recording unit operable to record onto the recording medium the duplicate that has both the copy attribute showing no more copy and the read part of medium ID information embedded as a watermark thereon,
wherein the read part of medium ID information is embedded as part of the watermark if the copy attribute is changed from one generation copy to no more copy.
2. The recording apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recording medium is an optical disc and the part of medium ID information read by the reading unit is information recorded on a burst cutting area of the optical disc.
3. The recording apparatus of claim 2, wherein the information recorded on the burst cutting area of the optical disc is a lot number assigned during a manufacture of the optical disc.
4. The recording apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a storing unit operable to store one of (a) an area code of the recording apparatus, (b) an area code of a package media that recorded the product, and (c) an area code of a provider that supplied the product, wherein
the stored area code is embedded, together with both the copy attribute and the part of medium ID information, as a watermark on the duplicate.
5. The recording apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a generating unit operable to generate reproduction quality information showing restrictions relating to a reproduction quality of the duplicate, wherein
the generated reproduction quality information is embedded, together with both the copy attribute and the part of medium ID information, as a watermark on the duplicate.
6. A computer-readable medium embodying a program for instructing a computer to record a duplicate of a product onto a recording medium, the product being a copyrighted digital product having a copy attribute embedded as a watermark thereon, and the program instructing the computer to perform a method comprising:
acquiring the copy attribute embedded on the product;
changing the acquired copy attribute into a copy attribute showing no more copy when the acquired copy attribute shows one generation copy;
reading from the recording medium at least a part of medium ID information recorded on the recording medium in an unalterable state; and
recording onto the recording medium the duplicate that has both the copy attribute showing no more copy and the read part of medium ID information embedded as a watermark thereon,
wherein the read part of medium ID information is embedded as part of the watermark if the copy attribute is changed from one generation copy to no more copy.
7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the recording medium is an optical disc, and the part of medium ID information read during said reading is information recorded on a burst cutting area of the optical disc.
8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the information recorded on the burst cutting area of the optical disc is a lot number assigned during a manufacture of the optical disc.
9. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, the computer comprising:
a storing unit operable to store one of (a) an area code of the recording apparatus, (b) an area code of a package media that recorded the product, and (c) an area code of a provider that supplied the product, wherein
the stored area code is embedded, together with both the copy attribute and the part of medium ID information, as a watermark on the duplicate.
10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, the program further instructing the computer to perform a method comprising:
generating reproduction quality information showing restrictions relating to a reproduction quality of the duplicate, wherein
the generated reproduction quality information is embedded, together with both the copy attribute and the part of medium ID information, as a watermark on the duplicate.
11. A recording method for recording a duplicate of a product onto a recording medium, the product being a copyrighted digital product having a copy attribute embedded as a watermark thereon, the method comprising:
acquiring the copy attribute embedded on the product;
changing the acquired copy attribute into a copy attribute showing no more copy when the acquired copy attribute shows one generation copy;
reading from the recording medium at least a part of medium ID information recorded on the recording medium in an unalterable state; and
recording onto the recording medium the duplicate that has both the copy attribute showing no more copy and the read part of medium ID information embedded as a watermark thereon,
wherein the read part of medium ID information is embedded as part of the watermark if the copy attribute is changed from one generation copy to no more copy.
12. A recording apparatus for recording a duplicate of a product onto a recording medium, the product being a copyrighted digital product having a copy attribute attached thereon, comprising:
an acquiring unit operable to acquire the copy attribute embedded on the product;
a changing unit operable to change the acquired copy attribute into a copy attribute showing no more copy when the acquired copy attribute shows one generation copy;
a reading unit operable to read from the recording medium at least a part of medium ID information recorded on the recording medium in an unalterable state; and
a recording unit operable to record onto the recording medium the duplicate that has both the copy attribute showing no more copy and the read part of medium ID information embedded as a watermark thereon,
wherein the read part of medium ID information is embedded as part of the watermark if the copy attribute is changed from one generation copy to no more copy.

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 comprising:
obtaining energy consumption information representative of energy consumption behaviors of multiple customers;
grouping the multiple customers into multiple different clusters based on the consumption behaviors of the multiple customers; and
generating an energy consumption model for each different cluster to enable forecasting of energy demand of the multiple customers.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy consumption information includes a percentage of times a customer opts out from a demand response (DR) event.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy consumption information includes historical thermostat telemetry for a customer.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy consumption information includes weather information data analysis for a customer.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy consumption information includes a sum of electric heatingcooling status throughout a typical day of a customer.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy consumption information includes geographical location.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein each customer is assigned a customer id, and each cluster is assigned a cluster id, and wherein each customer id is mapped to a cluster id.
8. The method of claim 7 and further comprising:
obtaining a load modification criterion;
using an energy forecaster to run simulations of the effect of DR signals on customers selected from different clusters; and
sending DR signals to customers based on the simulations.
9. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:
predicting a response for a typical customer in each of multiple clusters based on the model for each cluster; and
aggregating the responses to determine overall consumption of the multiple clusters.
10. A method comprising:
forming multiple clusters of energy utilizing customers based on the customer behavior;
identifying a model for each of the multiple clusters that predicts energy utilization of a typical customer in each of the multiple clusters responsive to a demand response event; and
using the clusters and models to generate and simulate multiple scenarios of issuing demand response events and predict energy utilization for each scenarios in order to find a scenario that meets a desired energy load modification criteria.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the energy consumption information includes a percentage of times a customer opts out from a demand response (DR) event.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein the energy consumption information includes historical thermostat telemetry for a customer.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein the energy consumption information includes weather information data analysis for a customer.
14. The method of claim 10 wherein the energy consumption information includes a sum of electric heatingcooling status throughout a typical day of a customer.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein the energy consumption information includes geographical location.
16. The method of claim 10 wherein each customer is assigned a customer id, and each cluster is assigned a cluster id, and wherein each customer id is mapped to a cluster id.
17. A device comprising:
a processor;
a memory device coupled to the processor and having a program stored thereon for execution by the processor to:
obtain energy consumption information representative of energy consumption behaviors of multiple customers;
group the multiple customers into multiple different clusters based on the consumption behaviors of the multiple customers; and
generate an energy consumption model for each different cluster to enable forecasting of energy demand of the multiple customers.
18. The device of claim 17 wherein the energy consumption information includes a percentage of times a customer opts out from a demand response (DR) event, and wherein the energy consumption information includes historical thermostat telemetry for a customer.
19. The device of claim 17 wherein the program is further executed on the processor to:
obtain a load modification criterion;
use an energy forecaster to run simulations of the effect of DR signals on customers selected from different clusters; and
send DR signals to customers based on the simulations.
20. The device of claim 17 wherein the program is further executed on the processor to:
predict a response for a typical customer in each of multiple clusters based on the model for each cluster; and
aggregate the responses to determine overall consumption of the multiple clusters.