Author: claimsbot

1. A seatbelt apparatus having a limited non-disengagement crash-load-limiting payout slip (limited slip) belt engagement device, wherein the threshold of resistance to slip of said apparatus varies.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said limited slip occurs in response to an adaptively variable load.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said threshold of resistance to slip adaptively varies in response to at least one of vehicle speed, occupant mass, and vehicle crush resistance.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said limited slip defines a peak belt load mitigating slip.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said limited slip defines at least a partial slip of a belt male connection member from a belt female connection member.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said limited slip occurs in response to a crash.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is adapted such that in a first scenario said apparatus allows limited release of a seatbelt in response to a seatbelt tension disengagement load, and wherein in a second scenario said apparatus allows complete release of a seatbelt in response to a hands-free seatbelt tension disengagement load.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a load required to cause said limited slip in said first scenario is greater than the load required to cause complete release of said seatbelt in said second scenario.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said load of said first scenario defines a load in the range of 20 to 750 pounds, and wherein said load of said second scenario defines a load in the range of 1 to 200 pounds.
10. A seatbelt apparatus adapted such that in a first scenario said apparatus allows limited non-disengagement crash-load-limiting payout release (limited release) of a seatbelt in response to a seatbelt tension disengagement load, and wherein in a second scenario said apparatus allows complete release (complete disconnection) of a seatbelt in response to a hands-free seatbelt tension disengagement load, wherein the threshold of resistance to release of said seatbelt varies.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said limited release defines a limited slip of a limited slip belt engagement device.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said limited release of a seatbelt occurs in response to an adaptively variable load.
13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said threshold of resistance to release of said seatbelt adaptively varies in response to at least one of vehicle speed, occupant mass, and vehicle crush resistance.
14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said limited release of a seatbelt defines a peak belt load mitigating limited release.
15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said limited release of a seatbelt defines at least a partial release of a first belt connection member from a second belt connection member.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first belt connection member defines a belt male connection member and wherein said second belt connection member defines a belt female connection member.
17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said limited release of a seatbelt occurs in response to a crash.
18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a load required to cause said limited release of a seatbelt in said first scenario is greater than the load required to cause complete release of said seatbelt in said second scenario.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said load of said first scenario defines a load in the range of 20 to 750 pounds, and wherein said load of said second scenario defines a load in the range of 1 to 200 pounds.
20. A seatbelt apparatus that disengages in response to a hands-free seatbelt tension disengagement load.

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. An apparatus for imaging a section of a medium which receives and returns light from the section and from sites adjacent to the section, the apparatus comprising:
an optical system for directing light in beams of different polarization in the medium along an optical axis and returning light from the medium, the optical system comprising:
a pinhole lens assembly configured to receive the returned light, the pinhole lens assembly having a focal length, and wherein the focal length is configured such that a first focal point of the pinhole lens assembly is located substantially at a pupil of the optical system such that the pinhole assembly is telecentric; and

a detector configured to receive the returned light from the pinhole lens assembly and produce an electrical signal in response to the received light.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processor in communication with the detector and configured to generate an image of the section based on the electrical signal of the detector.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical signal of the detector is configured to correspond to a polarization parameter of the received light.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the polarization parameter is a function of a differential circular dichroism or optical activity of the returned light.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the polarization parameter is a degree of rotation of the polarization of the returned light.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beams overlap in the medium to reduce a portion of the light returned from the sites adjacent to the section that are spaced generally along the optical axis.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beams are incident in the medium at spots spaced from each other along the optical axis.
8. A method of imaging a section of a medium which receives and returns light from the section and from sites adjacent to the section, the method comprising the steps of:
directing light in beams of different polarization to the medium along an optical axis;
directing light returned from the medium to a detector by way of a pinhole assembly;
causing the returned light to be substantially telecentric at the detector;
detecting, at the detector, the returned light; and
generating an image of the section from the detected light, the image generated in response to a polarization parameter of the returned light.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the beams overlap in the medium to reduce a portion of the light returned from the sites adjacent to the section which are spaced generally along the optical axis.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the beams are incident in the medium at spots spaced from each other along the optical axis.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the polarization parameter is a degree of rotation of the polarization of the returned light.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein said polarization parameter is a function of a differential circular dichroism or optical activity of the returned light.

1-7. (canceled)
8. A playback apparatus for playing a video stream recorded on a recording medium, the recording medium including a computer program that is executed during playback of the video stream,
the video stream including control information for specifying a location on a time axis relating to a playback timing of video of the video stream, and
the computer program including predetermined codes for calling an API function in which an argument is graphics information, the graphics information including a plurality of images and a rendition time at which each image is to be rendered, each rendition time relating to a location on a time axis relating to the playback timing of the video,
the playback apparatus comprising:
a storage;
a player operable to successively play the video according to the control information;
a virtual machine operable to, when the API function that uses the graphics information as an argument and is for storing the plurality of images and the corresponding rendition times to the storage based on the graphics information used as the argument is called by a predetermined code of the program, interpret and execute the called API function, and store the plurality of images and the corresponding rendition times in the storage;
an image selector operable to select at least one image of the plurality of images to be rendered based on:
a specified location on the time axis relating to the playback timing of the video included in the control information, and
the rendition time corresponding to each image stored in the storage; and

a renderer operable to render the selected at least one image during playback of the video.
9. The playback apparatus of claim 8, wherein each rendition time designated by the predetermined codes comprise a rendition start time and a rendition end time, and
the image selector selects the at least one image corresponding to a rendition time that includes, in a range defined by the rendition start time through to the rendition end time, the specified location on the time axis relating to video currently being played.
10. A playback method used in a playback apparatus for playing a video stream recorded on a recording medium, the recording medium including a computer program that is executed during playback of the video stream,
the video stream including control information for specifying a location on a time axis relating to a playback timing of video of the video stream,
the computer program including predetermined codes for calling an API function in which an argument is graphics information, the graphics information including a plurality of imaged and rendition time at which each image is to be rendered, each rendition time relating to a location on the time axis relating to the playback timing of the video, and
the playback apparatus including a storage,
the playback method comprising:
successively playing the video according to the control information;
interpreting and executing the called API function, and storing the plurality of images and the corresponding rendition times in the storage when the API function that used the graphics information as an argument and is for storing the plurality of images and the corresponding rendition times to the storage based on the graphics information used as the argument is called by a predetermined code of the program;
selecting at least one image of the plurality of images to be rendered based on:
a specified location on the time axis relating to the playback timing of the video included in the control information, and
the rendition time corresponding to each image stored in the storage; and

rendering the selected at least one image during playback of the video.
11. The playback method of claim 10, wherein each rendition time designated by the predetermined code comprises a rendition start time and a rendition end time, and
the selecting at least one image of the plurality of images to be rendered selects the at least one image corresponding to a rendition time that includes, in a range defined by the rendition start time through to the rendition end time, the specified location on the time axis relating to video currently being played.

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 is claimed is:

1. A fixing device for attaching and detaching a dust receptacle of a cyclone type vacuum cleaner, the cyclone type vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaner body including a mounting portion, and a cyclone unit including a cyclone body and the dust receptacle, comprising:
a dust receptacle comprising a sliding groove, the sliding groove formed with a predetemined depth and height extended backward from an approximate center of a bottom side of the dust receptacle that is opposite to a bottom side of the mounting portion;
a guide member disposed in the sliding groove for guiding attachment and detachment of the dust receptacle, and comprising a cam guider having first and second receiving recesses in different heights, respectively; and
an operation lever comprising a cam part having a cam projection for insertion into the cam guider, a rotary shaft extended from the cam part, and a manipulating part formed at one end of the rotary shaft,
wherein the operation lever is disposed in the cleaner body to be protruded outside of the cleaner body for rotation and counter-rotation to thereby move the guide member upward and downward at a height according to an eccentricity of the cam part.
2. A cyclone type vacuum cleaner, comprising:
a cleaner body having a vacuum generating device, and a suction bush at a lower portion of the cleaner body;
a cyclone body disposed in a mounting portion of the cleaner body for separating contaminants in air drawn in through an inflow passage which is in fluid communication with the suction brush, and discharging the clean air through an outflow passage which is in fluid communication with the vacuum generating device;
a dust receptacle detachably connected to the cyclone body for collecting the contaminants which are separated in the cyclone body; and
a fixing device for separately attaching and detaching the dust receptacle to and from the mounting portion, independently from the cyclone body,
wherein the fixing device further comprises a dust receptacle comprising a sliding groove, the sliding groove formed with a predetermined depth and height extended backward from a center of a bottom side of the dust receptacle that is opposite to a bottom side of the mounting portion,
wherein a guide member is disposed in the sliding groove for guiding attachment and detachment of the dust receptacle, and comprising a cam guider with first and second receiving recesses with different heights, respectively, and
wherein an operation lever comprises, a cam part with a cam projection for insertion into the cam guider, a rotary shaft extended from the cam part, and a manipulating part formed at one end of the rotary shaft, and wherein the operation lever is disposed in the cleaner body to protrude outside of the cleaner body for rotation and counter-rotation to thereby move the guide member upward and downward at a height according to an eccentricity of the cam part.
3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the cyclone body is mounted in the mounting portion, and a locking handle formed on a rear portion of the cyclone body is inserted in and fixed to a handle coupling portion formed on an inner wall of the mounting portion of the cleaner body.
4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein a handle is formed at a front portion of the dust receptacle for a user to grip while handling the dust receptacle.