All The Claims

1. A method for preparation of expanded polylactide bead foams comprising the following steps:
A) providing unfoamed polylactide pellets,
B) heating said unfoamed polylactide pellets to an annealing temperature and saturating with a blowing agent,
C) maintaining said polylactide pellets on the annealing temperature and saturating with said blowing agent,
D) depressurizing and cooling the saturated polylactide pellets of step C) to room temperature to form expanded polylactide bead foams.
2. The method according to claim 1, in which the annealing temperature is in the range of 60\xb0 C.-180\xb0 C.
3. The method according to claim 1, in which the annealing time during step C) is in the range of 10 min-300 min.
4. The method according to claim 1, in which the polylactide pellets in step A) are chosen from the group of linear polylactide, branched polylactide and polylactide copolymers with D-lactide contents, or combinations thereof.
5. method according to claim 4, in which step B) takes place in a suspension medium.
6. A method according to claim 4, in which the polylactide pellets in step A) are mixed with polyolefins andor polyesters.
7. An expanded polylactide bead foam having a double crystal melting peak, in which the distance between the two peaks is in the range of 5\xb0 C.-25\xb0 C.
8. (canceled)
9. The polylactide bead according to claim 7, in which the distance between the two peaks is in the range of 10\xb0 C.-20\xb0 C.
10. The polylactide bead according to claim 7, in which the polylactide beads are chosen from the group of linear polylactide, branched polylactide and PLA copolymers with D-lactide contents, or combinations thereof.
11. The polylactide bead according to claim 7, in which the polylactide beads include one or more additives chosen from the group of chain extender, nanoparticles, micro-sized solid particles, fibers, and lubricants.
12. The polylactide beads according to claim 7, in which the polylactide beads include polyolefins andor polyesters.
13. A method for the moulding of foam beads in which foamed beads are sintered in the presence of hot air andor steam, wherein as said foamed beads comprises the polylactide beads according to claim 7.
14. A foam moulding comprising sintered polylactide beads having a double crystal melting peak.
15. A packaging material, thermal insulation material, sound insulation material, construction material, or cushioning material comprising the foam moulding according to claim 14.
16. The method according to claim 2, in which the annealing temperature is about the melting peak of said polylactide pellets.
17. The method according to claim 4, in which step B) takes place in water.
18. The method according to claim 5, in which the polylactide pellets in step A) are mixed with polyolefins andor polyesters.
19. The method according to claim 1, in which said blowing agent is chosen from the group of organic compounds and volatile compounds.
20. The method according to claim 1, in which said blowing agent comprises CO2.
21. The polylactide bead according to claim 9, in which the polylactide beads are chosen from the group of linear polylactide, branched polylactide and PLA copolymers with D-lactide contents, or combinations thereof.

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 method of preparing cyclic esters from 5 or 6 carbon compounds comprising, contacting a column bed containing a solid acid catalyst with at least one starting 5 or 6 carbon compound selected from the group consisting of a sugar alcohol, a monoanhydrosugar alcohol, and a dianhydrosugar alcohol in the presence of an organic acid in a single step reaction under a single set of reaction conditions for a time sufficient to form at least one of a cyclic monoester and cyclic diester derivative of at least one of the monoanhydrosugar alcohol and a dianhydrosugar alcohol.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bed is configured in a simulated moving bed apparatus.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic acid is acetic acid.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the starting 5 or 6 carbon compound is selected from group consisting of sorbitol, isosorbide and sorbitan.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the starting 5 or 6 carbon compound is selected from the group consisting of arabinitol, ribitol, sorbitol, mannitol, isomannide, galactitol, iditol and xylitol.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid acid catalyst is an ion exchange resin.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid acid catalyst is a zeolite catalyst.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the solid acid catalyst is selected from the group consisting of Amberlyst 35, Amberlyst 15, Amberlyst 36, Amberlyst 70, and Amberlyst 131; Purolite CT-145, Lewatit S2328, Lewatit K2431, Lewatit S2568, Lewatit K2629, SK104, PK228, RCP 160 and Relite RADF.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the solid acid catalyst is Amberlyst 35.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the 5 or 6 carbon starting compound is recycled back onto the column bed.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the single step reaction under a single set of reaction conditions comprises an initial reaction temperature selected from the range of temperatures from 70\xb0 to 100\xb0 C., and wherein the reaction temperature remains constant at the initial reaction temperature.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the single step reaction is conducted in the presence of water.
13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
recycling at least one of a cyclic monoester and cyclic diester derivative of at least one of the monoanhydrosugar alcohol and a dianhydrosugar alcohol back onto the column bed to form at least one of a cyclic monoester and cyclic diester derivative of at least one of the monoanhydrosugar alcohol and a dianhydrosugar alcohol.

1. A recording apparatus comprising:
image pickup means;
a recording medium interface adapted to record first image data obtained by said image pickup means in a recording medium;
reproduction list processing means for generating reproduction list data which designates reproduction of modified image data generated using the first image data recorded in said recording medium; and
control means for controlling said recording medium interface to record the reproduction list data generated by said reproduction list processing means and said modified image data in said recording medium;
wherein said recording medium interface reproduces said first image data, said modified image data, and said reproduction list data from said recording medium, and wherein said control means controls a reproduction operation of said first image data and said modified image data by said recording medium interface in accordance with the reproduction list data reproduced by said recording medium interface; and
further comprising: instruction means for instructing invalidation of the reproduction in accordance with said reproduction list data, wherein said control means controls said recording medium interface to prohibit said modified image data from being reproduced and to reproduce said first image data instead of said modified image data prohibited from being reproduced, in response to the instruction for the invalidation by said instruction means.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: coding processing means for coding the first image data obtained by said image pickup means and said modified image data, and decoding said first image data and said modified image data reproduced from said recording medium.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: image processing means for generating said modified image data by using the first image data decoded by said coding processing means.
4. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: output means for outputting said modified image data reproduced by said recording medium interface in accordance with said reproduction list data, in a coded form to an external apparatus.

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 method of monitoring a building comprising:
taking a video within a location in the building with a video sensor, the video comprising a plurality of frames, each frame including image data;
for each frame, receiving depth data associated with the image data, the depth data corresponding to one or more distances from the video sensor to features represented by the image data;
analyzing the image data and depth data to detect and classify one or more objects depicted in the video, classification of the one or more objects comprising determining whether at least some of the one or more objects are people;
counting a number of people based on the analyzing of the image data and the depth data; and
controlling a system of the building in response to the number of people counted.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein
controlling a system comprises at least one of turning on lights and turning off lights of the building.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein
controlling a system comprises setting a thermostat temperature of a heating system or a cooling system of the building.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether at least some of the one or more objects are people comprising determining a height of the one or more objects.
5. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing an alert that at least one of a room or area is utilized when a number of people counted exceeds a predetermined value.
6. The method of claim 5, comprising providing an alert that a conference room of a building is utilized.
7. The method of claim 4, comprising counting a number of people that are sitting.
8. The method of claim 7, comprising detecting that people are sitting in front of a television, and reducing light usage of the building in response to detecting that people are sitting in front of a television.
9. The method of claim 4, further comprising detecting that a person has gone to bed.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising detecting that a person has gone to bed by determining the person has lied down at a location other than the floor.
11. The method of claim 9, further comprising detecting that a person has gone to bed by detecting a height of the person.
12. The method of claim 9, further comprising reducing light usage of the building in response to detecting that the person has gone to bed.
13. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling window blinds in response to detecting that the person has gone to bed.
14. The method of claim 4, further comprising detecting that a person has gotten out of bed.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, in response to detecting that a persona has gotten out of bed, controlling at least one of:
lights of the building;
window blinds;
heating of the building; and
cooling of the building.
16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a number of people within an area near elevators by the analyzing the image data and the depth data;
controlling elevator operation in response to the counting of the number of people.
17. The method of claim 16,
wherein the depth data is used to determine heights of detected objects; and
the determined height of the detected objects is used to determine if the detected objects are people.
18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a number of people within an elevator by the analyzing the image data and the depth data;
controlling operation of the elevator in response to the counting of the number of people.
19. The method of claim 18,
wherein the depth data is used to determine heights of detected objects; and
the determined height of the detected objects is used to determine if the detected objects are people.
20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining an action of a detected person by analyzing depth data associated with the person;
controlling a device within the building in response to the detected action.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining an action of the detected person comprises detecting that the person is waving an arm.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein controlling a device within the building in response to the detected action comprises controlling at least one of:
light operation;
projector operation; and
blind operation.