Author: claimsbot

1. A radiation detector comprising:
a radiation detecting unit including a radiation sensor detecting a radiation sensitive to light, a signal amplifier, a pulse-height discriminator, and a counter;
an optical pulse emitting unit configured to emit an optical pulse for confirming operational integrity of the radiation detecting unit;
an emission controlling unit configured to control an operation of the optical pulse emitting unit; and
a light path through which light is led from the optical pulse emitting unit to a vicinity of the radiation sensor,
the emission controlling unit including a mechanism for adjusting emission time characteristics of the optical pulse emitting unit.
2. The radiation detector according to claim 1, wherein the emission controlling unit includes a clock generator, a rising edge detector, a triangular wave generator, an amplifier, and a pulse-height discriminator, and the amplifier includes an amplification varying unit configured to adjust the emission time characteristics.
3. The radiation detector according to claim 2, wherein the amplification varying unit is composed of a variable resistor.
4. The radiation detector according to claim 1, wherein the emission controlling unit includes a clock generator, a rising edge detector, a triangular wave generator, an amplifier, and a pulse-height discriminator, and the pulse-height discriminator includes a discriminated pulse-height value varying unit configured to adjust the emission time characteristics.
5. The radiation detector according to claim 4, wherein the discriminated pulse-height value varying unit in the pulse-height discriminator is composed of a variable resistor.
6. The radiation detector according to claim 1, further comprising an amount-of-light adjusting mechanism adjusting an amount of light incident on the radiation sensor.
7. The radiation detector according to claim 6, wherein the amount-of-light adjusting mechanism has a configuration varying a distance from the end of the light path toward the radiation sensor to the radiation sensor, the incident light being led from the optical pulse emitting unit to a vicinity of the radiation sensor through the light path.
8. The radiation detector according to claim 1, further comprising a circuit board to which the radiation sensor is attached, and a filter provided around the circuit board and configured to adjust response characteristics of the radiation.
9. The radiation detector according to claim 8, wherein the filter along the light path has a thickness smaller than that of a remaining portion of the filter.
10. The radiation detector according to claim 8, wherein the filter is formed with a groove along which the light path is provided.
11. The radiation detector according to claim 8, wherein a portion of the filter along the light path is formed of a material different from a material of the remaining portion of the filter.
12. The radiation detector according to claim 1, wherein the light path has, at a tip end thereof, an extension made of a material similar to that of the light path.
13. The radiation detector according to claim 1, wherein the light path is formed of an optical fiber.
14. The radiation detector according to claim 1, further comprising a light sensor disposed at a portion near the radiation sensor for monitoring emission characteristics.
15. The radiation detector according to claim 14, wherein the emission time characteristics of the optical pulse emitting unit are adjusted in accordance with an output from the light sensor.
16. The radiation detector according to claim 14, wherein the distance from the end of the light path to the radiation sensor is varied in accordance with an output from the light sensor.
17. The radiation detector according to claim 14, wherein an amplification of the amplifier or a discriminated pulse-height value of the pulse-height discriminator is varied in accordance with an output from the light sensor.
18. The radiation detector according to claim 1, wherein the radiation sensor is composed of a silicon diode, a scintillator and a photomultiplier, or a semiconductor made of cadmium telluride.

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

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for performing optical routing, comprising:
a metal layer having first and second sides;
a regular array of structures positioned along the first side;
an input optical waveguide positioned to illuminate a portion of the first side, the portion being adjacent to ones of the structures; and
a plurality of output optical waveguides positioned to receive light radiated from portions of the metal layer not illuminated by the input optical waveguide.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second ones of the output optical waveguides are positioned to receive light radiated from different portions of the metal layer, the different portions having different angular positions about a point located in the regular array.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising another regular array of structures along the first side, the another regular array being positioned to cause surface plasmons to radiate light towards one of the output optical waveguides.
4. Then apparatus of claim 1, wherein the regular array comprises a plurality of rows of the structures, adjacent ones of the rows being separated by substantially the same distance.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each row comprises a series of the structures, adjacent structures of one of the series being separated by the same distance.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a substantially transparent dielectric layer in contact with the first side of the metal layer.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the structures are selected from one of substantially identical holes in the metal layer and substantially identical holes in the dielectric layer.
8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a device capable of varying the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a device capable of varying one of an incidence angle on the metal layer or a polarization for light emitted from the input optical waveguide.
10. A method, comprising:
producing a jet of surface plasmons on a metal surface in response to receiving an optical signal from an input optical waveguide;
selectively producing an optical signal in a first output optical waveguide from the produced jet in response to the received optical signal having a first wavelength; and
selectively producing an optical signal in a second output waveguide from the produced jet in response to the received optical signal having a second wavelength.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the surface plasmons propagate in a first direction in response to the received optical signal having the first wavelength and the surface plasmons propagate in a second direction in response to the received optical signal having the second wavelength.
12. The method of claim 1O, further comprising producing a second jet of surface plasmons in response to the received optical signal having the first wavelength.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the producing a jet includes illuminating a portion of a regular array of deformations along the metal surface with light from the optical signal.
14. An optical router, comprising:
a substantially transparent dielectric layer;
a metal layer with a first side that forms an interface with the dielectric layer;
an input optical waveguide positioned to illuminate a portion of the interface;
an output optical waveguide; and
wherein the interface is configured to cause light from the input waveguide to produce surface plasmons that radiate light to the output optical waveguide.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:
a second output optical waveguide positioned to receive light via other surface plasmons; and
wherein the interface is configured to cause light from the input waveguide to produce the other surface plasmons.
16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a regular array of deformations along the interface, the array configured to cause light from the input optical waveguide of a selected frequency to produce the surface plasmons.
17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the regular array comprises a plurality of rows of deformations, adjacent ones of the rows being separated by substantially the same distance.
18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising another regular array of deformations along the interface, the another array being configured to cause the surface plasmons to radiate light to the output optical waveguide.
19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the deformations are selected from one of holes in the metal layer and holes in the dielectric layer.

1. Optical recording medium, wherein at least a part of a reflective layer of a read-only area of the optical recording medium is replaced by a light sensitive layer stack that changes its reflectivity upon illumination.
2. Optical recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the light sensitive layer stack is a low-to-high layer stack with a saturation reflectivity equal to or higher than a required reflectivity, or a high-to-low layer stack with a saturation reflectivity equal to or lower than the required reflectivity.
3. Optical recording medium according to claim 2, further having one or more areas with a metal reflection layer having the required reflectivity.
4. Optical recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the light sensitive layer stack comprises an AgSb-layer or a GeSbTe-layer.
5. Optical recording medium according to claim 4, wherein the AgSb-layer or the GeSbTe-layer is sandwiched between an upper and a lower ZnS\u2014SiO2-dielectric layer.
6. Optical recording medium according to claim 5, wherein the AgSb-layer has a thickness of around 16 nm, the lower ZnS\u2014SiO2-dielectric layer has a thickness of around 60 nm, and the upper ZnS\u2014SiO2-dielectric layer has a thickness between 10 nm and 150 nm, or wherein the GeSbTe-layer has a thickness of around 9 nm, the lower ZnS\u2014SiO2-dielectric layer has a thickness of around 80 nm, and the upper ZnS\u2014SiO2-dielectric layer has a thickness between 0 nm and 140 nm.
7. Optical recording medium according to claim 6, wherein the upper ZnS\u2014SiO2-dielectric layer has a thickness around 108 nm.
8. Optical recording medium according to claim 1, having at least a first area with a low-to-high layer stack and at least a second area with a high-to-low layer stack.
9. Method for initializing an optical recording medium according to claim 1, having the step of illuminating selected areas of the one or more areas provided with a light sensitive layer stack with a light source, wherein the illumination results in at least two areas with different reflectivities, which render the optical recording medium unplayable.
10. Method for activating an optical recording medium according to claim 1, having the step of illuminating non-initialized areas of the one or more areas provided with a light sensitive layer stack with a light source, wherein the illumination aligns the reflectivity of the non-initialized areas to the reflectivity of initialized areas to render the optical recording medium playable.
11. Method according to claim 9, wherein selection of the areas to be illuminated is performed by a mask andor the illumination time andor power is controlled by a controller.
12. Apparatus for initializing an optical recording medium according to claim 1, having a mask for selecting one or more areas provided with a light sensitive layer stack to be illuminated, and a light source for illuminating the one or more selected areas, wherein the illumination results in at least two areas with different reflectivities, which render the optical recording medium unplayable.
13. Apparatus for activating an optical recording medium according to claim 1, having a mask for selecting non-initialized areas provided with a light sensitive layer stack to be illuminated, and a light source for illuminating the selected non-initialized areas, wherein the illumination aligns the reflectivity of the non-initialized areas to the reflectivity of initialized areas to render the optical recording medium playable.
14. Method for producing an optical recording medium, having the step of providing at least a part of a read-only area of the optical recording medium with a first type of light sensitive layer stack that changes its reflectivity upon illumination and serves as a reflective layer.
15. Method according to claim 14, further having the step of providing at least a second area of the optical recording medium with a second type of light sensitive layer stack that changes its reflectivity upon illumination in a different way than said first type of layer stack.
16. Method according to claim 10, wherein selection of the areas to be illuminated is performed by a mask andor the illumination time andor power is controlled by a controller.

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 fill cover assembly for a liquid fuel storage tank of a road tanker, the assembly comprising:
a base plate;
a seat member having a frame, the frame defining a fill aperture, the frame configured to be fixedly coupled to the base plate of a liquid storage tank, the base plate having a plate aperture formed therein; and
a fill-cover coupled to the frame and arranged to be moveable with respect to the frame between a closed condition and an open condition;
wherein in the closed condition, a fluid tight seal is formed between the fill cover and the seat member whereby there is no venting of pressurized fluid from the liquid storage tank when a pressure of the fluid is below a prescribed value, and in the open condition, fluid may be passed through said fill aperture to fill said storage tank;
wherein the frame of the seat member is in the form of an insert member having a flange portion with a peripheral face arranged to abut a portion of a face of the base plate around a periphery of the plate aperture and a lip portion arranged to project from the flange portion through the plate aperture;
wherein the lip portion is configured to abut an edge of the wall member defining the plate aperture so that the flange portion forms a fluid tight seal between the seat member and the base plate of the liquid storage tank around said plate aperture;
wherein the base plate is arranged to be coupled to a liquid storage tank having an access aperture formed therein and forms a fluid tight seal around the access aperture; and
wherein the assembly is further arranged to allow venting of pressurized fluid from the liquid storage tank in the even that a pressure of the fluid exceeds said prescribed value when the fill cover is in a closed condition.
2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fill cover is movable with respect to the seat member thereby to allow venting to take place.
3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fill cover is a floating fill cover.
4. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one resilient member arranged to urge the fill-cover against the seat member when the fill cover is in the closed condition, the assembly being arranged to allow the fill-cover to be displaced away from the seat member against an action of one of the at least one resilient members when the pressure in the storage tank exceeds the prescribed value.
5. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lip is provided around substantially an entire circumference of the flange portion.
6. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fill-cover is arranged to be hingedly movable with respect to the frame, the frame having at least one formation arranged to be hingedly coupled to said fill-cover.
7. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat member comprises a formation hingedly coupled to a lock member, the lock member being arranged to be coupled to the fill-cover when the fill-cover is in the closed condition thereby to prevent the fill-cover from assuming the open condition.
8. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base plate is in the form of a generally planar member having a pair of opposed major faces, the base plate being configured to be coupled to the wall of a storage tank to form a fluid-tight seal with either of said major faces facing into said storage tank.
9. An assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the seat member is configured to be attachable to the base plate in one of a plurality of rotational orientations.
10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the seat member is provided with a plurality of holes in said flange portion of the seat member, the holes being arranged to receive fixing elements thereby to fix said seat member to said base plate.
11. An assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said holes are tapped blind holes.
12. An assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein said blind holes are provided with an opening at said peripheral face.
13. An assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein a plurality of corresponding raised portions are provided on an opposite side of the seat member frame to the holes to provide an increased depth of said holes in said frame.
14. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat member is provided with a seal element arranged to provide the fluid-tight seal between the fill-cover and the frame.
15. An assembly as claimed in claim 14 further comprising a barrier member, the barrier member being arranged to prevent a free end of a fill arm from being lowered onto the seal member, the barrier member comprising a skirt member formed around at least a portion of the fill aperture.
16. An assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the skirt member is formed around substantially the entire circumference of the fill aperture.
17. An assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the skirt member is provided with at least one opening therein arranged to allow passage of fluid therethrough, said fluid being forced out from said fill aperture under pressure when said fill-cover is in the closed condition.
18. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate member has a diameter in the range from around 15 to around 25 inches (around 38.1 cm to around 63.5 cm).
19. An assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the plate member has a diameter of substantially 21 inches (53.3 cm).
20. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fill-cover has a diameter in the range from around 5 inches to around 15 inches (around 12.7 cm to around 38.1 cm).
21. An assembly as claimed in claim 20, wherein the fill-cover has a diameter of substantially 10 inches (25.4 cm).
22. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat member is a cast member.
23. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 formed from aluminium.
24. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat member is arranged not to deform sufficiently to affect an integrity of a seal between the fill-cover and the seat member when a pressure in the storage tank rises to a around 126 psi and then falls back to atmospheric pressure.
25. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat member comprises an annular member.
26. A fluid storage tank comprising an assembly as claimed in claim 1.
27. A tank as claimed in claim 26 for containing a substance that is in substantially liquid form at standard temperature and pressure.
28. A tank as claimed in claim 26 containing a liquid fuel.
29. A tank as claimed in claim 26 containing at least one distillate being a mid or high distillate.
30. A road tanker comprising a fluid storage tank as claimed in claim 26.
31. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fill aperture is adjacent to and fixedly coupled to the base plate.