All The Claims

1. A polymer interlayer, comprising:
a first polymer sheet comprising poly(vinyl butyral) and a plasticizer; and
a second polymer sheet adjacent to said first polymer sheet, wherein said second polymer sheet comprises poly(vinyl butyral) and a plasticizer;
wherein at least one of said first polymer sheet and said second polymer sheet is an embossed polymer sheet comprising a first embossed surface having an Rz value of at least 20 micrometers, a waviness index of less than 20,000 square micrometers, and a permanence of less than 85 percent
wherein said embossed polymer sheet comprising said first embossed surface is prepared by a method comprising the steps of:
forming a polymer layer comprising poly(vinyl butyral) and a plasticizer; wherein said polymer layer has a first surface and a second surface, wherein said first surface has a waviness index of less than 20,000 square micrometers and an Rz value of less than 20 micrometers, and
embossing said polymer layer on said first surface with a roughness pattern to produce said embossed surface, wherein said embossed surface has a waviness index of less than 20,000 square micrometers, an Rz value of at least 20 micrometers, and a permanence of less than 85 percent.
2. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said polymer interlayer is not disposed in contact with any other polymer layer.
3. The interlayer claim 1, wherein said Rz value of said first embossed surface is at least 30 micrometers.
4. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said Rz value of said first embossed surface is at least 35 micrometers.
5. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said embossed polymer sheet has a second embossed surface with having a waviness index of less than 20,000 square micrometers, an Rz value of at least 20 micrometers, and a permanence of between 10 and 95 percent.
6. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said Rz value is at least 45 micrometers.
7. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said Rz value is at least 55 micrometers.
8. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said permanence is between 30 and 50 percent.
9. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said permanence is less than 50 percent.
10. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said forming of said polymer layer comprises using a mirror surface die roll.
11. The interlayer of claim 1, wherein said forming includes extruding molten poly(vinyl butyral) through an extrusion die having a die lip temperature in the range of from 170 to 230\xb0 C. and said first surface has an Rz value of less than 10 micrometers prior to said embossing.

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

I claim:

1. A post level bracket apparatus useful for vertically, horizontally, and diagonally aligning a post or pipe material, comprising:
a) at least one bracket, each bracket bent at a right angle forming a bend vertex and two bracket legs;
b) holding means for adjustably holding a plurality of spirit levels in selected positions relative to said bracket legs, each said spirit level having at least one lengthwise peripheral wall; and
c) adjustable attaching means for attaching said apparatus to a post or pipe material.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said bracket legs defines at least one slot extending along its length.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a structural support rod, having opposite ends, permanently attached to at least two of said brackets at their said vertex in the vicinity of said opposite ends of said support.
4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said holding means comprise at least one C spring clip having opposed, outward facing C portions connected by a base portion and adapted for releasably retaining one of said spirit levels.
5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said holding means comprises at least one inverted C spring clip having opposed, inward facing C portions, each portion having outwardly extending release fingers, said C portions connected by a base portion, said clip being adapted for releasably retaining one of said spirit levels.
6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said holding means comprises a set of U-bolts secured by wing nuts, and a machined Neoprene insert.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said attaching means is a belt and adjusting buckle.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said attaching means is a hook and loop fastener.
9. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said attaching means is a strap and buckle, said strap centrally mounted to said support rod between said opposite ends.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said brackets are made of one of thermoplastic and metallic material.
11. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said C spring clip is made of spring steel.
12. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said inverted C spring clip is made of a yieldable plastic or hard rubber material.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said attaching means comprise at least one magnetic strip located along each of said spirit levels.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said holding means comprises an attachment block located on each bracket leg and having an upper end wall, a lower end wall, an outer wall, an inner wall, and two side walls and defining an elongated slot extending through said block from one side wall to said other side wall and generally perpendicular thereto, said slot being so configured as to slidably fit over said bracket leg.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said holding means further comprises a bracket stop screw extending into said block from said upper end wall for adjustably fixing said block to said bracket leg at a desired position.
16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said holding means further comprises a groove located within said attachment block located along said inner wall and extending perpendicularly between said upper end wall and said lower end wall and so configured as to slidably fit over a peripheral lengthwise wall of said spirit gauge.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said groove is T-shaped, having a narrow portion along said inner wall and having a wide portion spaced from said inner wall by the depth of said narrow portion.
18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said groove is rectangular in shape so configured as to slidably fit over a peripheral lengthwise wall of said spirit gauge.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said attaching means is an elastic band having a hook and loop fastener.
20. A post level bracket apparatus useful for vertically, horizontally, and diagonally aligning a post or pipe material, comprising:
a) at least one bracket bent at a right angle forming a bend vertex and having at least one slot along each resulting bracket leg formed thereby;
b) holding means for holding a plurality of spirit level(s) in a selected fixed position relative to said slotted bracket leg;
c) a structural support rod, having opposite ends, permanently attached to each said bracket vertex at a point proximate said opposite ends of said support; and
d) adjustable attaching means for temporarily attaching said apparatus to a post or pipe material.

1. A method comprising:
receiving incoming material with a first applied marking and authenticating the first marking of the incoming material;
applying a second marking to the incoming material in response to authentication;
creating a first relationship between the markings, the first relationship connecting the first marking with the second marking;
creating a second relationship between the first relationship and a product, the product comprising at least the incoming material; and
improving quality control of the product, including using the second relationship to identify the incoming material.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the first marking comprises comparing the first applied marking to a source marking, the source marking including indicia associated with the incoming material as provided by the source.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising rejecting the incoming material in response to failure of the comparison of the first marking to the source marking.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing first and second relationship data in a database, the storing of the data improving efficiency with identification of the incoming material associated with the product.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising tracking the received incoming material along an associated supply chain of the product, the tracking including maintaining the first and second relationships through the associated supply chain.
6. The method of claim 4, further comprising accessing the stored second relationship data in the database, wherein the stored relationship data identifies a source associated with the product.
7. A computer system comprising:
a processing unit in communication with memory;
a functional unit in communication with the processing unit, the functional unit comprising tools to support supply chain tracking and management, including:
a receiving manager to receive incoming material with a first applied marking and authenticate the first marking of the incoming material;
a marking manager in communication with the receiving manager, the marking manager to apply a second marking to the incoming material in response to the authentication, the second marking separate from the first marking;
a connection manager in communication with the marking manager, the connection manager to create a first relationship between the markings, the first relationship connecting the first marking with the second marking and create a second relationship between the first relationship and a product, the product comprising at least the incoming material; and
a quality control manager in communication with the connection manager, the quality control manager to improve quality control of the product, including using the second relationship to identify the incoming material.
8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein to authenticate the first marking comprises to compare the first applied marking to a source marking, the source marking including indicia provided by the source.
9. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising the receiving manager to reject the incoming material in response to failure of the comparison of the first marking to the source marking.
10. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising a storage manager to store first and second relationship data in a database, the storing of the data improving efficiency with identification of the incoming material associated with the product.
11. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising the storage manager to track the received incoming material along an associated supply chain of the product, the tracking including maintaining the first and second relationships through the associated supply chain.
12. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising the storage manager to access the stored second relationship data in the database, wherein the stored relationship data identifies a source associated with the product.
13. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied thereon, which when executed cause a computer to implement the method comprising:
receiving incoming material with a first applied marking and authenticating the first marking of the incoming material;
applying a second marking to the incoming material in response to authentication;
creating a first relationship between the markings, the first relationship connecting the first marking with the second marking;
creating a second relationship between the first relationship and a product, the product comprising at least the incoming material; and
improving quality control of the product, including using the second relationship to identify the incoming material.
14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein authenticating the first marking comprises comparing the first applied marking to a source marking, the source marking including indicia provided by the source.
15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising rejection the incoming material in response to failure of the comparison of the first marking to the source marking.
16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising storing first and second relationship data in a database, the storing of the data improving efficiency with identification of the incoming material associated with the product.
17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising tracking the received incoming material along an associated supply chain of the product, the tracking including maintaining the first and second relationships through the associated supply chain.
18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising accessing the stored second relationship data in the database, wherein the stored relationship data identifies a source associated with the product.

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 print control apparatus that controls a print apparatus capable of printing an image consuming a recording agent in accordance with image data, the print control apparatus comprising:
an image data obtaining unit that obtains image data; and
a print control unit that creates image data for test printing that consumes a less amount of recording agent than the printing based on the obtained image data upon receiving a command to print multiple test copies, controls the printing of at least one copy of the obtained image data among the multiple copies, and controls the printing of the remaining copies of the created image data for the test printing.
2. The print control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the image data obtaining unit is capable of obtaining raster-type image data; and
the print control unit is a unit that extracts edges of the obtained raster-type image data and creates an image for the test printing by line drawing upon receiving the command to print multiple test copies.
3. The print control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the image data obtaining unit is capable of obtaining vector-type image data; and
the print control unit is a unit that creates an image for the test printing by omitting the fill of the obtained vector-type image data upon receiving the command to print multiple test copies.
4. The print control apparatus according to claim 1, controlling a print apparatus capable of printing an image using recording agents of multiple colors,
wherein the image data obtaining unit is capable of obtaining a color image; and
the print control unit is a unit that creates an image for the test printing by causing the obtained color image to be single-colored upon receiving the command to print multiple test copies.
5. The print control apparatus according to claim 4, further including a usage history memory unit that stores a usage history of each of the recording agencies of multiple colors,
wherein the print control unit judges a least frequently used-recording agent from among the recording agencies of multiple colors based on the stored usage histories and creates an image for the test printing by causing the obtained color image to be single-colored using the color corresponding to the color of the recording agent that has been judged to be the least frequently used-recording agent.
6. The print control apparatus according to claim 4, further including a color designation receiving unit that receives the designation of a color from a user to be used for making a single-colored image,
wherein the print control unit is a unit to create an image for the test printing by causing the obtained color image to be single-colored using a designated color.
7. A program that causes a computer to function as the print control apparatus according to claim 1.
8. A program that causes a computer to function as the print control apparatus according to claim 2.
9. A program that causes a computer to function as the print control apparatus according to claim 3.
10. A program that causes a computer to function as the print control apparatus according to claim 4.
11. A program that causes a computer to function as the print control apparatus according to claim 5.
12. A program that causes a computer to function as the print control apparatus according to claim 6.
13. A print control method that controls a print apparatus capable of printing an image consuming a recording agent in accordance with image data, comprising:
obtaining image data; and
creating an image for test printing that consumes a less amount of recording agent than the printing based on the obtained image data upon receiving a command to print multiple test copies, controlling the printing of at least one copy based on the obtained image data among the multiple copies, and controlling the printing of the remaining copies based on the created image data for the test printing.