Author: claimsbot

1. An automated banking machine apparatus comprising:
a user interface including at least one input device adapted to receive inputs identifying at least one of users and their accounts, and at least one output device;
at least one sheet handling mechanism, including:
at least one picking member moveable in engagement with a first sheet bounding a stack of sheets, wherein movement of the at least one picking member in a picking direction urges the first sheet to move in a first direction from the stack, and
at least one stripper member positioned generally opposed of the at least one picking member, wherein as the at least one picking member moves in the first direction the at least one stripper member generally acts on the first sheet to oppose movement of the first sheet in the first direction, and generally to prevent sheets other than the first sheet from moving in the first direction from the stack;
at least one sensor disposed in the first direction of the at least one stripper member, wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to sense sheet thickness;
at least one drive in operative connection with at least one of the at least one picking member and the at least one stripper member;
at least one controller in operative connection with the at least one sensor and at least one drive;
wherein, responsive to the at least one sensor sensing overlapping multiple sheets adjacent the at least one sensor, the at least one controller is operative to cause the at least one drive to move at least one of the at least one stripper member and the at least one picking member such that one of the multiple sheets engaged with the at least one stripper member is urged to move in a second direction opposed to the first direction, a distance greater than another sheet of the multiple sheets engaged with the at least one picking member is urged to move in the second direction, and wherein the at least one controller is operative to cause the at least one stripper member to urge the one of the multiple sheets engaged therewith to move in the second direction while the other of the multiple sheets engaged with the at least one picking member is held relatively stationary.
2. An automated banking machine apparatus comprising:
a user interface including at least one input device adapted to receive inputs identifying at least one of users and their accounts, and at least one output device,
at least one sheet handling mechanism, wherein a sheet handling mechanism is operative to separate sheets from a stack of sheets, wherein the sheet handling mechanism includes:
at least one moving member adapted to support the stack by engaging a first sheet bounding the stack,
at least one picker member moveable in engagement with the first sheet, wherein movement of the at least one picker member in a picking direction urges the first sheet to move in a first direction from the stack, wherein the at least one picker member is disposed from the at least one moving member,
at least one stripper member positioned generally opposed of the at least one picker member, wherein as the at least one picker member moves in the first direction the at least one stripper member generally acts on the first sheet to oppose movement of the first sheet in the first direction, and generally acts to prevent sheets other than the first sheet from moving in the first direction from the stack,
at least one sensor disposed in the first direction of the at least one stripper member, wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to sense sheet thickness,
at least one controller in operative connection with the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one controller is operative to determine overlapping sheets adjacent the at least one sensor,
wherein, responsive to a determination of overlapping sheets, the at least one controller is operative to cause the at least one moving member to urge the first sheet to move in a second direction opposed to the first direction and to cause the at least one stripper member to urge at least one overlapping sheet to move relative to the first sheet in the second direction.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein responsive to the determination of overlapping sheets, the at least one moving member urges the first sheet to move in the second direction a distance less than the stripper member urges the at least one overlapping sheet to move in the second direction.
4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein responsive to the determination of overlapping sheets, the at least one stripper member urges the at least one overlapping sheet to move at a faster rate in the second direction than the rate the at least one moving member urges the first sheet to move in the second direction.
5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein responsive to the determination of overlapping sheets, the at least one stripper member urges the at least one overlapping sheet to move for a longer period of time in the second direction than the period of time the at least one moving member urges the first sheet to move in the second direction.
6. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the at least one picker member is adapted to be operated to move in a reverse direction opposed to the picking direction, wherein responsive to the determination of overlapping sheets, the at least one picker member urges the first sheet to move in the second direction.
7. The apparatus according to claim 2 and further comprising a chute adapted to receive a stack of sheets from a user, wherein the sheet handling mechanism is operative to separate sheets from a stack input to the chute by a user, wherein the at least one moving member comprises a plurality of rotatable rolls, and wherein the rolls are positioned to engage a bottom area of an inputted stack.
8. An automated banking machine apparatus comprising:
at least one input device adapted to receive user inputs,
at least one output device,
at least one picker member,
wherein the at least one picker member is adapted to be operated to move in a picking direction to cause a first sheet bounding a stack of sheets to move in a first direction away from the stack during a sheet picking operation,
wherein the at least one picker member is adapted to be operated to move in a reverse direction opposed to the picking direction to cause a moved first sheet to move in a second direction opposed to the first direction,

at least one stripper member,
wherein the at least one stripper member is adapted to be operated to act on sheets to oppose movement of the sheets in the first direction during the sheet picking operation,

a multiple sheets detection arrangement operative to detect picking of at least one additional sheet other than the first sheet during the picking operation,
wherein responsive to detection of at least one additional sheet being picked, the at least one picker member and the at least one stripper member are operated to move the first sheet and the at least one additional sheet in the second direction, wherein the at least one additional sheet is moved relative to the first sheet.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein responsive to the detection, the at least one additional sheet is caused to be moved faster in the second direction than the first sheet.
10. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein responsive to the detection, the at least one additional sheet is caused to be moved in the second direction for a longer period of time than the first sheet.
11. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the at least one stripper member comprises at least one contact stripper roll.
12. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the at least one stripper member comprises at least one non-contact stripper roll.
13. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the at least one stripper member comprises at least one contact stripper roll and at least one non-contact stripper roll.
14. The apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising a currency sheet dispenser, wherein the at least one picker member and the at least one stripper member are operative to cause currency sheets to be separated from a currency stack.
15. The apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising a chute adapted to receive a stack of sheets from a user, and wherein the at least one picker member and the at least one stripper member are operative to separate sheets in a stack input to the chute by a user.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15 and further comprising at least one validator device adapted to determine at least one characteristic of validity of sheets separated from the stack.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 and further comprising a housing including a chest portion, and at least one transport operative to cause sheets determined to have the at least one characteristic of validity by the at least one validator device to move into the chest portion.
18. The apparatus according to claim 17 and further comprising a storage area outside the chest portion, and wherein the at least one transport is operative to move notes determined as not having the at least one characteristic of validity by the at least one validator device to be directed to the storage area.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the at least one validator device is adapted to determine validity of currency sheets, wherein the chute is adapted to receive a stack of currency sheets from a user.
20. An automated banking machine apparatus comprising:
a currency sheet dispenser,
a user fascia,
wherein the user fascia includes at least one input device adapted to receive user inputs,
wherein the user fascia includes at least one output device,
wherein the at least one output device includes a display,

wherein the user fascia includes a currency sheet dispensing opening,
wherein the user fascia includes a stack accepting opening adapted to receive a stack of sheets input by a user,

a sheet handling mechanism,
wherein the sheet handling mechanism is operative to separate sheets from a stack input by a user,
wherein the sheet handling mechanism includes a plurality of rotatable members,
wherein at least one rotatable member of the plurality of rotatable members is adapted to be rotated in opposite directions,
wherein the at least one rotatable member is adapted to be rotated to cause a first sheet bounding a stack of sheets to move in a first direction away from the stack during a sheet picking operation,
wherein the at least one rotatable member is adapted to be rotated to cause a first sheet to move in a second direction opposed to the first direction,

wherein at least one rotatable member of the plurality of rotatable members is adapted to be operated to act on sheets to oppose movement of the sheets in the first direction during the sheet picking operation and to be rotated to cause at least one sheet to move in the second direction,
a detection arrangement operative to detect picking of overlapping sheets during the sheet picking operation,
wherein responsive to the detection arrangement detecting overlapping sheets being picked, the sheet handling mechanism is operative to cause at least one overlapping sheet to move relative to a first sheet while causing movement of the at least one overlapping sheet and the first sheet in the second direction.

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 power supply line for connecting a superconducting consumer system to a current delivery point, which is at a higher temperature than the consumer system, comprising:
a carrier with first and second connectors respectively disposed on first and second ends of the carrier, the carrier comprising at least one elongated plate that includes a low heat-conducting material, wherein a top side of the plate forms a flush surface with top sides of the connectors; and
a plurality of band-shaped, mechanically and electrically parallel high-temperature superconductors (HTSL) arranged parallel adjacent to one another on the carrier, each band-shaped high-temperature superconductor comprising a normally conducting current path.
2. The power supply line according to claim 1, wherein the carrier further comprises a second plate, the band-shaped HTSL being arranged between the plate and the second plate.
3. The power supply line according to claim 1, the first and second connectors are electrically conducting and are mechanically connected to the plate such that the band-shaped HTSL are in electrical contact with the first and second connectors.
4. The power supply line according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second connectors comprises a BCS or HTSL material.
5. The power supply line according to claim 3, wherein the electric contact between the band-shaped HTSL and at least one of the first and second connector is a solder joint.
6. The power supply line according to claim 1, wherein the power supply line is connected on a warmer end to a first cooling device that keeps the warmer end at a temperature in the range of about 50 to 100 K, and on a cooler end to a second cooling device that keeps the warmer end at a temperature of <35 K.
7. The power supply line according to claim 1, wherein the power supply line is connected on a warmer end to a first cooling device that keeps the warmer end at a temperature in the range of about 50 to 100 K, and on a cooler end to a second cooling device that keeps the warmer end at a temperature of <12 K.
8. The power supply line according to claim 1, wherein each of the band-shaped HTSL comprises a multifilament conductor produced according to the PIT process.
9. The power supply line according to claim 1, wherein the band-shaped HTSL are thin-layer coated conductors.
10. The power supply line according to claim 1, wherein the power supply line is coated at least on one side with a polymerizing plastic.
11. The power supply line according to claim 10, wherein the polymerizing plastic includes at least one of: PE, PU, and PP.
12. The power supply line according to claim 1, wherein the normally conducting current path comprises a band-shaped HTSL including a metal or a metal alloy with a heat conductivity that decreases with decreasing temperature.
13. The power supply line according to claim 1, wherein the normally conducting current path comprises a band-shaped HTSL including a metal or a metal alloy.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A vehicle rear vision system for a vehicle having a vehicle communication network, comprising:
at least two rearview assemblies, each including an image transfer device for transferring images rearwardly of the vehicle in order to be observable by a vehicle driver and a housing for the image transfer device; and
a rear vision communication system providing communication between said rearview assemblies and including a communication link with the vehicle communication network.
2. A vehicle rear vision system for a vehicle having a vehicle communication network, comprising:
at least two rearview assemblies, each including an image transfer device for transferring images rearwardly of the vehicle in order to be observable by a vehicle driver and a housing for the image transfer device; and
a rear vision communication system including control modules in said rearview assemblies interconnected by a communication channel defining a rear vision communication network, at least one of said control modules effecting communication between said control modules and the vehicle communication network.
3. The rear vision system in claim 2 wherein said image transfer device is a mirror.
4. The rear vision system in claim 3 wherein said control modules include control channels which communicate with at least one of an electro-optic element, a mirror heater, a mirror-positioning device, a light-sensing device and a mirror position encoder.
5. The rear vision system in claim 3 wherein at least one of said control modules includes control channels which communicate with an electro-optic element, a mirror heater, a mirror-positioning device and a mirror position encoder.
6. The rear vision system in claim 3 wherein said at least one of said control modules is associated with a vehicle interior mirror.
7. The rear vision system in claim 3 wherein said at least one of said control modules is associated with a vehicle exterior mirror.
8. The rear vision system in claim 2 wherein at least one of said control modules includes control channels which activate at least one of a security light positioned in the associated housing and a signal device positioned in the associated housing.
9. The rear vision system in claim 8 wherein said signal device is a turn signal.
10. The rear vision system in claim 2 wherein at least one of said control modules includes control channels which communicate with at least one of an electromagnetic antenna and a blind spot detector.
11. The rear vision system in claim 10 wherein said antenna is one of a global positioning system antenna, an intelligent vehicle highway system antenna, cellular telephone antenna, a keyless entry antenna, a garage door opener antenna, a radio antenna and a radar antenna.
12. The rear vision system in claim 2 wherein said image transfer device is a solid-state-imaging array which captures images rearwardly of the vehicle for display by a display device.
13. The rear vision system in claim 2 wherein said at least one of said control modules translates protocol between the protocol of the vehicle communication network and the protocol of the rear vision communication network.
14. The rear vision system in claim 2 wherein said communication channel is a bidirectional, serial communication link and each of said control modules includes a microprocessor and at least one serial bus data node interfacing said microprocessor to said communication channel.
15. The rear vision system in claim 14 wherein said at least one of said control modules includes a serial bus data node interfacing the associated microprocessor to the vehicle communication network.
16. The rear vision system in claim 2 wherein said at least one of said control modules includes a serial bus data node interfacing to the vehicle communication network.
17. The rear vision system in claim 2 wherein said communication channel includes one of an electrical conductor, a fiber-optic path, a radio frequency link and a carrier-current modulation system.
18. A vehicle rear vision system for a vehicle having a vehicle communication network, comprising:
an interior rearview mirror assembly and at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly, each including an electro-optic reflective element and a housing for the reflective element;
said interior rearview mirror assembly including a microprocessor-based control having a control channel to establish a partial reflectance level of the associated electro-optic reflective element;
said at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly including a microprocessor-based control having a first control channel to establish a partial reflectance level of the associated electro-optic reflective element, a second control channel to selectively activate a heater element in heat transfer association with the associated electro-optic reflective element, a third control channel to operate a positioning device for the associated electro-optic reflective element and a fourth control channel for receiving positional data from an encoder coupled with the associated electro-optic reflective element; and
a communication channel interconnecting said microprocessor-based controls defining a rear vision communication network;
wherein one of said microprocessor-based controls includes a hardware node configured to interconnect with the vehicle communication network and is programmed to format messages for the vehicle communication network and decode messages from the vehicle communication network.
19. The rear vision system in claim 18 wherein said at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly includes two exterior rearview mirror assemblies, each including a microprocessor-based control having a first control channel to establish a partial reflectance level of the associated electro-optic reflective element, a second control channel to selectively activate a heater element in heat transfer association with the associated electro-optic reflective element, a third control channel to operate a positioning device for the associated electro-optic reflective element and a fourth control channel for receiving positional data from an encoder coupled with the associated electro-optic reflective element; wherein said communication channel interconnects said microprocessor-based controls of said interior rearview mirror assembly and said two exterior rearview mirror assemblies.
20. The rear vision system in claim 18 wherein said one of said microprocessor-based controls translates protocol between the protocol of the vehicle communication network and the protocol of the rear vision communication network.
21. The rear vision system in claim 18 wherein said one of said microprocessor-based controls is associated with said vehicle interior rearview mirror assembly.
22. The rear vision system in claim 18 wherein said one of said microprocessor-based controls is associated with said at least one vehicle exterior rearview mirror assembly.
23. The rear vision system in claim 18 wherein said communication channel is a bidirectional, serial communication link and each of said microprocessor-based controls includes at least one serial bus data node interfacing said microprocessor to said communication channel.
24. A vehicle rear vision system, comprising:
a plurality of rearview mirror assemblies, each including a reflective element, an actuator which adjustably positions said reflective element about at least one axis and a position encoder which monitors the position of said reflective element with respect to said at least one axis; and
a control which is responsive to said encoder for each mirror assembly in order to supply signals to the actuator for that mirror assembly to adjust the position of the associated reflective element of that mirror assembly, at least as a function of the position of the associated reflective element of that mirror assembly and the position of the reflective element of at least one other of said mirror assemblies.
25. The rear vision system in claim 24 including a user adjustable input device in order to supply signals to the actuator for the reflective element of said other of said mirror assemblies to adjust the position of the reflective element of that other of said mirror assemblies.
26. The rear vision system in claim 25 wherein said input device is a user manipulable joystick.
27. The rear vision system in claim 25 wherein said input device is a user manipulable switching device.
28. The rear vision system in claim 25 wherein said input device is an encoder mechanically coupled with a manually positionable reflective element.
29. The rear vision system in claim 25 wherein said input device is a machine vision system which monitors the position of the eyes of a vehicle driver.
30. The rear vision system in claim 24 including a lockout device to lock out said control.
31. The rear vision system in claim 24 including a zero-set device to set a zero position for the associated reflective element of that mirror assembly.
32. A vehicle rear vision system, comprising:
a plurality of rearview mirror assemblies, each including a reflective element, an actuator which adjustably positions said reflective element about at least one axis and a position encoder which monitors the position of said reflective element with respect to said at least one axis; and
a control which is responsive to said encoder for each mirror assembly to adjust the positions of said plurality of mirror assemblies in a manner which causes said reflective elements to remain aimed at a common location substantially irrespective of movement of said common location.
33. The rear vision system in claim 32 including a user adjustable input device in order to adjust said common location.
34. The rear vision system in claim 33 wherein said input device is a user manipulable joystick.
35. The rear vision system in claim 33 wherein said input device is a user manipulable switching device.
36. The rear vision system in claim 33 wherein said input device is an encoder mechanically coupled with a manually positionable reflective element.
37. The rear vision system in claim 33 wherein said input device is a machine vision system which monitors the position of the eyes of a vehicle driver.
38. The rear vision system in claim 32 wherein said common location is defined with respect to a given vertical plane and a given horizontal plane.

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 confocal laser microscope comprising:
an objective;
at least one laser whose illumination light is transmitted in direction of the microscope objective by at least one light-conducting fiber;
a first housing which houses displaceable collimating optics; and
a second housing which is configured to be plugged into the first housing and into which the light-conducting fiber projects, the second housing being provided, at its end remote of the fiber, with first optics for transmitting laser light exiting divergently from the fiber in the second housing in direction of the displaceable collimating optics in the first housing.
2. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 1;
wherein the first optics comprise a lens.
3. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 1;
wherein the first optics generate a divergent light beam, and are arranged at a distance from the end of the fiber of less than their focal length.
4. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 1;
wherein at least second optics are arranged between first optics and collimating optics.
5. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 1;
wherein the collimating optics comprise a stationary lens and a displaceable lens.
6. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 1;
wherein the first optics generate a parallel light beam, and are arranged at the distance of their focal length from the end of the fiber.
7. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 1;
wherein at least one second optics is arranged between the first optics and the collimating optics, wherein the collimating optics comprise a first stationary lens and a second displaceable lens, and wherein the second optics or the first stationary lens of the collimating optics are arranged in the parallel light beam generated by the first optics.
8. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 1;
wherein the focal point of the second optics coincides with the focal point of the collimating optics for generating a parallel light beam in direction of the microscope.
9. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 1;
wherein the first housing also houses a scanning head of the microscope.
10. A confocal laser microscope comprising:
an objective;
at least one laser whose illumination light is transmitted in direction of the microscope objective by at least one light-conducting fiber;
a first housing which houses collimating optics; and
a second housing which is configured to be plugged into the first housing and into which the light-conducting fiber projects, the second housing being provided, at its end remote of the fiber, with first optics for transmitting laser light exiting divergently from the fiber in the second housing in direction of the collimating optics in the first housing;
wherein:
at least second optics are arranged between the first optics and the collimating optics when the second housing is plugged into the first housing; or
the collimating optics comprise a stationary lens and a displaceable lens.
11. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 10;
wherein the first optics generate a parallel light beam, and are arranged at the distance of their focal length from the end of the fiber.
12. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 11;
wherein the second optics or the stationary lens of the collimating optics are arranged in the parallel light beam generated by the first optics.
13. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 10;
wherein the focal point of the second optics coincides with the focal point of the collimating optics for generating a parallel light beam in direction of the microscope.
14. The confocal laser microscope according to claim 10;
wherein the first housing also houses a scanning head of the microscope.