Author: claimsbot

1. An apparatus for processing solid waste products, said apparatus comprising:
a rotatably mounted cylindrical vessel having a first end, a second end and an interior surface, at least one end terminating in a hatch that may be opened to allow access to the interior of said vessel and sealably closed to allow pressurization of said vessel;
a steam inlet for injecting steam into at least one of said ends;
a plurality of substantially straight blades protruding from said interior surface of said vessel, and each said blade extending substantially the entire length of said vessel while leaving free space within said vessel and about its longitudinal axis, so as to be capable of transporting waste material from the bottom of said vessel toward the top of said vessel, and releasing the waste material to fall toward the bottom of said vessel; and
at least one actuator for moving said vessel between a position wherein said first end is higher than said second end and a position wherein said second end is higher than said first end during rotation of said vessel.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of substantially straight blades are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said vessel.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of substantially straight blades are configured such that adjacent pairs of blades converge toward opposite ends of said vessel.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said blades are provided with perforations.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said blades are mounted so as to provide a space between said blades and said interior surface.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one actuator comprises a pair of mechanical screw actuators disposed respectively on either side of the gravitational center of said vessel.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1 additionally comprising load sensors adapted to sense the load on either side of the gravitational center of said vessel.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7 additionally comprising a microprocessor or PLC controller associated with said load sensors, said microprocessor or PLC controller having programming instructions so as to determine the load on each of said at least one actuator and adapted to signal said at least one actuator in response to changes in the distribution of a charge of waste products contained in said vessel.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1 additionally comprising a plurality of thermocouples disposed along the length of said vessel.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9 additionally comprising a microprocessor or PLC controller associated with said plurality of thermocouples, said microprocessor or PLC controller having programming instructions adapted to calculate the amount of energy absorbed by a charge of waste products contained in said vessel over time.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10 additionally comprising load sensors associated with said at least one actuator, said load sensors adapted to determine the mass of a charge of waste products contained in said vessel, and a microprocessor or PLC controller having programming instructions so as to determine the energy absorption per mass of a charge of waste products contained in said vessel.
12. A method of processing solid waste products in a vessel having a central longitudinal axis, comprising:
loading the vessel with a charge of solid waste products along the bottom of said vessel, the vessel having a plurality of substantially straight blades extending from said interior surface of said vessel and each said blade extending substantially the entire length of said vessel;
sealing the vessel;
introducing steam into said vessel;
rotating said vessel so as to cause said charge of solid waste products to be moved from the bottom of said vessel toward the top of said vessel and allowed to fall through said vessel so as to maintain a low density region of waste substantially along the length of said vessel while moving said vessel between a position wherein said first end is higher than said second end and a position wherein said second end is higher than said first end; and
thereafter depressurizing the vessel and unloading the processed waste therefrom.
13. A method according to claim 12 wherein said vessel is rotated without substantial compression of said charge of solid waste products along a direction parallel to said central longitudinal axis.
14. A method according to claim 12 wherein said charge of solid waste products is actively leveled while said vessel is being rotated.
15. A method according to claim 12 wherein said solid waste products are transported back and forth along a direction parallel to said central longitudinal axis while said vessel is being rotated.
16. A method according to claim 12 wherein said solid waste products are moved from the bottom of said vessel toward the top of said vessel and allowed to fall in a series of discreet portions.
17. A method according to claim 12 wherein said steam is superheated steam introduced in pulses into said vessel.
18. A method according to claim 12 additionally comprising measuring the mass distribution of said charge of solid waste products and measuring the energy absorbed by said charge of solid waste products while said vessel is rotating, and determining the time required to treat said charge of solid waste products from the amount of energy absorbed by said charge of solid waste products over time.
19. A method according to claim 18 additionally comprising halting the treatment of said charge of solid waste products after the time determined to be required to treat said charge of solid waste products from the amount of energy absorbed by said charge of solid waste products over time.
20. An apparatus for processing solid waste products, said apparatus comprising:
a rotatably mounted cylindrical vessel having a first end, a second end and an interior surface, at least one end terminating in a hatch that may be opened to allow access to the interior of said vessel and closed and sealed to allow pressurization of said vessel;
a steam inlet or inlets for injecting steam into at least one of said ends;
a plurality of blades protruding from said interior surface of said vessel and each having a straight longitudinal axis and an inward facing edge, and each said blade extending substantially the entire length of said vessel, wherein said blades are configured such that adjacent pairs of blades converge toward opposite ends of said vessel, and wherein said blades are twisted about said straight longitudinal axis such that the inward facing edges of adjacent pairs of blades that converge are twisted away from one another while the inward facing edges of adjacent blades that diverge are twisted toward one another, so as to be capable of transporting waste material from the bottom of said vessel toward the top of said vessel, and releasing the waste material to fall to the bottom of said vessel.
21. An apparatus according to claim 20 additionally comprising at least one actuator for moving said vessel between a position wherein said first end is higher than said second end and a position wherein said second end is higher than said first end.
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 polishing cloth for edge polishing comprising a multi-layer structure of at least two layers including a polishing fabric layer and a sponge layer having a hardness lower than the polishing fabric layer being laminated, wherein an Asker C hardness of the polishing fabric layer is 65 or higher and an Asker C hardness of the sponge layer is 40 or lower.
2. The polishing cloth for edge polishing according to claim 1, wherein the polishing fabric layer has a thickness of 1.3 mm or less and the sponge layer has a thickness of 1.0 mm or more.
3. An apparatus for edge polishing comprising a rotary drum with a polishing cloth adhered on an outer surface thereof and a wafer rotating device holding and rotating a wafer, wherein the wafer is edge polished such that the wafer in rotation is put into contact with the polishing cloth at a prescribed angle thereto while supplying polishing slurry to the contact portion of the polishing cloth, the polishing cloth in use being the polishing cloth for edge polishing according to claim 1.
4. An apparatus for edge polishing comprising a rotary drum with a polishing cloth adhered on an outer surface thereof and a wafer rotating device holding and rotating a wafer, wherein the wafer is edge polished such that the wafer in rotation is put into contact with the polishing cloth at a prescribed angle thereto while supplying polishing slurry to the contact portion of the polishing cloth, the polishing cloth in use being the polishing cloth for edge polishing according to claim 2.
5. An apparatus for edge polishing comprising a rotary drum with a polishing cloth adhered on an outer surface thereof and a wafer rotating device holding and rotating a wafer, wherein the wafer is edge polished such that the wafer in rotation is put into contact with the polishing cloth at a prescribed angle thereto while supplying polishing slurry to the contact portion of the polishing cloth, the polishing cloth being of a single layer structure including only a polishing fabric layer having an Asker C hardness of 65 or higher.
6. An apparatus for edge polishing according to claim 5, wherein a thickness of the polishing fabric layer is 1.3 mm or less.
7. A method for edge polishing a wafer having a chamfered portion, comprising the steps of: edge polishing the chamfered portion while controlling an over-polish width to 400 \u03bcm or less wherein edge polishing is achieved by using one of a polishing cloth comprising a multi-layer structure of at least two layers including a polishing fabric layer and a sponge layer having a hardness lower than the polishing fabric layer being laminated with an Asker C hardness of the polishing fabric layer of 65 or higher and an Asker C hardness of the sponge layer of 40 or lower and a polishing cloth comprising a single layer structure including only a polishing fabric layer having an Asker C hardness of 65 or higher and wherein a chamfered portion of a wafer is edge polished while controlling an over-polish width to 400 \u03bcm or less.
8. A method for edge polishing according to claim 7, wherein the chamfer portion is edge polished such that a polishing load is 2 kgf or more, a tilt angle of the wafer against the polishing cloth is in the range of from 40 degrees to 55 degrees using an apparatus according to claim 3.
9. A method for edge polishing according to claim 7, wherein the chamfer portion is edge polished such that a polishing load is 2 kgf or more, a tilt angle of the wafer against the polishing cloth is in the range of from 40 degrees to 55 degrees using an apparatus according to claim 4.
10. A method for edge polishing according to claim 7, wherein the chamfer portion is edge polished such that a polishing load is 2 kgf or more, a tilt angle of the wafer against the polishing cloth is in the range of from 40 degrees to 55 degrees using an apparatus according to claim 5.
11. A method for edge polishing according to claim 7, wherein the chamfer portion is edge polished such that a polishing load is 2 kgf or more, a tilt angle of the wafer against the polishing cloth is in the range of from 40 degrees to 55 degrees using an apparatus according to claim 6.

1. A computer implemented method of determining a market for a new product, the method comprising:
receiving, by an identification processor, identification of a new product for which an order book is not available on an exchange, the new product comprising first and second components;
identifying, by the identification processor in response to the receiving, a first available order book for a first available product listed on the exchange and a second available order book for a second available product listed on the exchange, the first available product comprising one of the first and second components and the second available product comprising the other of the first and second components;
correlating, by a correlation processor coupled with the identification processor, the first and second available order books based on the first and second components; and
generating, by a market generator coupled with the identification processor and the correlation processor, a new order book for the new product based on the correlating, the new order book comprising one or more orders to buy or sell the new product, each of the one or more orders having been generated based on one or more orders to buy or sell the first available product comprised by the first available order book, one or more orders to buy or sell the second available product comprised by the second available order book, or a combination thereof, and causing the new product to be listed on the exchange having the new order book such that subsequently received orders to buy or sell the new product may be matched to at least one of the one or more orders in the new order book if counter thereto or otherwise be entered into the new order book to await a further subsequent order counter thereto.
2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first available product further comprises a first correlatable component and the second available product further comprises a second correlatable component, the correlating being based on a correlation of the first and second correlatable components.
3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 where the first and second correlatable components are the same.
4. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein the first and second correlatable components are correlatable via a third available order book for a third available product comprising both of the first and second correlatable components.
5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first and second components each comprise a currency.
6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the new order book is capable of reflecting both orders implied by the first and second available order books and outright orders received for the new product.
7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 where in the correlating is based on a transitive relationship between the one or more orders to buy or sell in the first available order book and the one or more orders to buy or sell in the second available order book.
8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the generating of each of the one or more orders to buy or sell the new product in the new order book comprises interpolating between one of the one or more orders to buy or sell the first available product in the first available order book and one of the one or more orders to buy or sell the second available product in the second available order book.
9. A system for determining a market for a new product, the system comprising:
an identification processor coupled with an exchange and operative to receive identification of a new product for which an order book is not available on the exchange, the new product comprising first and second components;
the identification processor being further operative to, in response to the receipt of identification of the new product, identify a first available order book for a first available product listed on the exchange and a second available order book for a second available product listed on the exchange, the first available product comprising one of the first and second components and the second available product comprising the other of the first and second components;
a correlation processor coupled with the identification processor and operative to correlate the first and second available order books based on the first and second components; and
a market generator coupled with the exchange, the identification processor, and the correlation processor and operative to generate a new order book for the new product based on the correlation between the first and second available order books, the new order book comprising one or more orders to buy or sell the new product, each of the one or more orders having been generated based on one or more orders to buy or sell the first available product comprised by the first available order book, one or more orders to buy or sell the second available product comprised by the second available order book, or a combination thereof, and wherein the market generator is further operative to cause the new product to be listed on the exchange having the new order book such that subsequently received orders to buy or sell the new product may be matched to at least one of the one or more orders in the new order book if counter thereto or otherwise be entered into the new order book to await a further subsequent order counter thereto.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first available product further comprises a first correlatable component and the second available product further comprises a second correlatable component, the correlation processor being further operative to correlate the first and second available order books based on a correlation of the first and second correlatable components.
11. The system method of claim 10 where the first and second correlatable components are the same.
12. The system method of claim 10 wherein the first and second correlatable components are correlatable via a third available order book for a third available product comprising both of the first and second correlatable components.
13. The system method of claim 9 wherein the first and second components each comprise a currency.
14. The system method of claim 9 wherein the new order book is capable of reflecting both orders implied by the first and second available order books and outright orders received for the new product.
15. The system method of claim 9 wherein the correlation processor is further operative to correlate the first and second available order books based on a transitive relationship between the one or more orders to buy or sell in the first available order book and the one or more orders to buy or sell in the second available order book.
16. The system method of claim 9 wherein the market generator is further operative to generate each of the one or more orders to buy or sell the new product in the new order book based on an interpolation between one of the one or more orders to buy or sell the first available product in the first available order book and one of the one or more orders to buy or sell the second available product in the second available order book.
17. A system for determining a market for a new product, the system comprising a processor coupled with an exchange and a computer readable storage media coupled with the processor, the system further comprising:
first logic stored in the computer readable storage media and executable by the processor to receive identification of a new product for which an order book is not available on an exchange, the new product comprising first and second components, and, in response to the receipt of identification of the new product, identify a first available order book for a first available product listed on the exchange and a second available order book for a second available product listed on the exchange, the first available product comprising one of the first and second components and the second available product comprising the other of the first and second components;
second logic stored in the computer readable storage media and executable by the processor to correlate the first and second available order books based on the first and second components; and
third logic stored in the computer readable storage media and executable by the processor to generate a new order book for the new product based on the correlation between the first and second available order books, the new order book comprising one or more orders to buy or sell the new product, each of the one or more orders having been generated based on one or more orders to buy or sell the first available product comprised by the first available order book, one or more orders to buy or sell the second available product comprised by the second available order book, or a combination thereof, and wherein the third logic is further operative to cause the new product to be listed on the exchange having the new order book such that subsequently received orders to buy or sell the new product may be matched to at least one of the one or more orders in the new order book if counter thereto or otherwise be entered into the new order book to await a further subsequent order counter thereto.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the first available product further comprises a first correlatable component and the second available product further comprises a second correlatable component, the second logic being further executable by the processor to correlate the first and second available order books based on a correlation of the first and second correlatable components.
19. The system method of claim 18 where the first and second correlatable components are the same.
20. The system method of claim 18 wherein the first and second correlatable components are correlatable via a third available order book for a third available product comprising both of the first and second correlatable components.
21. The system method of claim 17 wherein the first and second components each comprise a currency.
22. The system method of claim 17 wherein the new order book is capable of reflecting both orders implied by the first and second available order books and outright orders received for the new product.
23. The system method of claim 17 wherein the second logic is further executable by the processor to correlate the first and second available order books based on a transitive relationship between the one or more orders to buy or sell in the first available order book and the one or more orders to buy or sell in the second available order book.
24. The system method of claim 17 wherein the third logic is further executable by the processor to generate each of the one or more orders to buy or sell the new product in the new order book based on an interpolation between one of the one or more orders to buy or sell the first available product in the first available order book and one of the one or more orders to buy or sell the second available product in the second available order book.
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 system comprising:
one or more memories storing information about a card;
one or more hardware processors in communication with the one or more memories and operable to:
receive a first communication including an indication of a desire of a user to perform a purchase transaction using the card;
perform a balance inquiry for the card;
perform an address inquiry for the card;
determine, at least in part from the balance inquiry and the address inquiry, if the card is a non-reloadable prepaid card;
send a second communication including an indication that the card is the non-reloadable prepaid card if the card is determined to be the non-reloadable prepaid card; and

wherein the card is determined to be the non-reloadable prepaid card, at least in part, if the balance inquiry returns an indication that there is a positive balance and if the address inquiry returns an indication that the non-reloadable prepaid card is not supported or that information regarding the non-reloadable prepaid card is not available.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein a billing address of the card is not used for the purchase transaction.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the address inquiry is an Address Verification System (AVS) inquiry.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication that the non-reloadable prepaid card is not supported or that information regarding the non-reloadable prepaid card is not available is provided by the Address Verification System (AVS) inquiry returning a code of U or a code of S.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further operable to determine if the positive balance is sufficient to cover the purchase transaction and only determining that the purchase transaction is to be authorized if the positive balance is sufficient to cover the purchase transaction.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication is received from an online merchant.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second communication is sent to the online merchant.
8. A method comprising:
storing, in one or more memories, information about a card;
receiving, via one or more hardware processors in communication with the one or more memories, a first communication including an indication of a desire of a user to perform a purchase transaction using the card;
performing, via the one or more hardware processors, a balance inquiry for the card;
performing, via the one or more hardware processors, an address inquiry for the card;
determining, via the one or more hardware processors, at least in part from the balance inquiry and the address inquiry, if the card is a non-reloadable prepaid card;
sending, via the one or more hardware processors, a second communication including an indication that the card is the non-reloadable prepaid card if the card is determined to be the non-reloadable prepaid card; and
wherein the card is determined to be the non-reloadable prepaid card, at least in part, if the balance inquiry returns an indication that there is a positive balance and if the address inquiry returns an indication that the non-reloadable prepaid card is not supported or that information regarding the non-reloadable prepaid card is not available.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein a billing address of the card is not used for the purchase transaction.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the address inquiry is an Address Verification System (AVS) inquiry.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the indication that the non-reloadable prepaid card is not supported or that information regarding the non-reloadable prepaid card is not available is provided by the Address Verification System (AVS) inquiry returning a code of U or a code of S.
12. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining, via the one or more hardware processors, if the positive balance is sufficient to cover the purchase transaction and only determining that the purchase transaction is to be authorized if the positive balance is sufficient to cover the purchase transaction.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first communication is received from an online merchant.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second communication is sent to the online merchant.
15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable and executable code for instructing one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:
storing information about a card;
receiving a first communication including an indication of a desire of a user to perform a purchase transaction using the card;
performing a balance inquiry for the card;
performing an address inquiry for the card;
determining at least in part from the balance inquiry and the address inquiry, if the card is a non-reloadable prepaid card;
sending a second communication including an indication that the card is the non-reloadable prepaid card if the card is determined to be the non-reloadable prepaid card; and
wherein the card is determined to be the non-reloadable prepaid card, at least in part, if the balance inquiry returns an indication that there is a positive balance and if the address inquiry returns an indication that the non-reloadable prepaid card is not supported or that information regarding the non-reloadable prepaid card is not available.
16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein a billing address of the card is not used for the purchase transaction.
17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the address inquiry is an Address Verification System (AVS) inquiry.
18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the indication that the non-reloadable prepaid card is not supported or that information regarding the non-reloadable prepaid card is not available is provided by the Address Verification System (AVS) inquiry returning a code of U or a code of S.
19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising determining if the positive balance is sufficient to cover the purchase transaction and only determining that the purchase transaction is to be authorized if the positive balance is sufficient to cover the purchase transaction.
20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first communication is received from an online merchant and the second communication is sent to the online merchant.