All The Claims

1. An image coding apparatus, comprising:
a single bit-plane unit which reads out image data by slicing the image data for each bit-plane;
a plurality of special-purpose dividing units which classify bit-plane data read out by said bit-plane unit into different groups that said dividing units take charge of, according to predetermined properties, and then perform thereon preprocessings for coding; and
a coder which integrates data obtained as results of the preprocessings by said plurality of special-purpose dividing units and then codes the integrated data.
2. An image coding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preprocessings by said plurality of special-purpose dividing units are executed in parallel while a time lag is kept to a degree that cross-referencing necessary among the results of the preprocessings is made.
3. An image coding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preprocessing is a processing which specifies a predicted value of a next bit to be coded, and said coder performs arithmetic coding on the image data based on the predicted value.
4. An image coding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the preprocessing is a processing which specifies a predicted value of a next bit to be coded, and said coder performs arithmetic coding on the image data based on the predicted value.
5. An image coding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the different groups are classified from a viewpoint of how the respective different groups affect a change of the predicted value.
6. An image coding apparatus, comprising:
a converter which converts image data to data on a spatial frequency;
a quantizer which quantizes data that have been converted by said converter;
a bit-plane unit which reads out data that have been quantized by said quantizer, by slicing the quantized data for each bit-plane;
a plurality of special-purpose dividing units which classify bit-plane data read out by said bit-plane unit, into different groups that said dividing units take charge of, according to predetermined properties, and then perform thereon preprocessings for coding;
a coder which integrates data obtained by as results of the preprocessings by said plurality of special-purpose dividing units and then codes the integrated data; and
a stream generator which integrates data that have been coded by said coder, so as to generate a coded stream.
7. An image coding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in compliance with JPEG2000 specifications, said plurality of exclusive-use dividing units divide, in parallel, the respective bit plane data into data of different passes.
8. An image coding apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of special-purpose dividing units divide, in parallel, the respective bit plane data into data of different passes, in compliance with JPEG2000 specifications.
9. An image coding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of special-purpose dividing units include at least first and second special-purpose dividing units which take charge of first and second groups, respectively, and wherein data of each bit-plane are processed in a manner that at a first-time scan operation the first group is first extracted by said first special-purpose dividing unit, and, at a second-time scan operation, data judged not to belong to the first group by said first special-purpose dividing unit are inputted to said second special-purpose dividing unit and the second group is extracted.
10. An image coding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said first and second special-purpose dividing units extract data of different passes from the data of each bit-plane in compliance with JPEG2000 specifications, and a processing of said second special-purpose dividing unit is started as soon as a result of a processing of said first special-purpose dividing unit is taken over to said second special-purpose dividing unit.
11. An image coding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of special-purpose dividing units include at least first and second special-purpose dividing units which take charge of first and second groups, respectively, and wherein data of each bit-plane are processed in a manner that at a first-time scan operation the first group is first extracted by said first special-purpose dividing unit, and at the same time a data position of at least the first group is recorded and at a second-time scan operation said second special-purpose dividing unit extracts the second group by referring to the recorded data.

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 landfill site covering system comprising:
(i) a plurality of freely mobile support members, which are capable of movement along the ground in all directions,
(ii) a cable array secured to the support members to form a supporting framework,
(iii) covering material attached to the supporting framework whereby to form an enclosure,
wherein the freely mobile support members have a body section and a tracked base, and the body section and the tracked base are relatively pivotable through 360 degrees.
2. A landfill site covering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each support member is self standing.
3. A landfill site covering system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each support member is moveable independently of the others.
4. A landfill site covering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each support member is self-propelled.
5. A landfill site covering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each support member comprises an arm mounted on a motorised platform.
6. A landfill site covering system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a length of water-filled flexible hose to retain edge regions of the covering material against the ground.
7. A landfill site covering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first piece of covering material is arranged on top of the supporting structure to form a roof and additional pieces of covering material depend downwardly from the roof to the ground to form the sides of the enclosure.
8. A landfill site covering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the covering material is netting.
9. A landfill site covering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein four support members are arranged at the corners of a square or rectangle with a primary cable suspended between each pair of adjacent support members.
10. A landfill site covering system as claimed in claim 9, wherein an additional primary cable extends from each support member to the centre of the enclosure with the additional primary cables being mutually connected at their free ends.
11. A landfill site covering system as claimed in claim 10, wherein secondary cables are attached to said additional primary cables parallel to the primary cables to form a plurality of concentric squares, the primary and secondary cables defining the supporting framework.

1-10. (canceled)
11. An input control unit applied to a machine for specifying a predetermined position in a display section by a pointer, said input control unit, comprising:
a pointer position determination section for generating pointer position information of a display position in the display section of the pointer based on operation information from a first operation input section of the machine;
a selection target display specification section for displaying a selection target selected by the pointer on the display section;
a match detection section for generating match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on a predetermined selection target based on the pointer position information and selection target position information indicating the display position of the selection target; and
a control section for converting the current input function of a second operation input section of the machine in response to the selection target where the pointer exists based on the match detection information.
12. The input control unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein
the selection target is an icon and said control section assigns different functions for performing different operations on the icons to a plurality of suboperation input sections contained in the second operation input section.
13. The input control unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein
the selection target is a plurality of function determination areas for determining the input functions of the second operation input section and said selection target display specification section is a function determination area display specification section for displaying the function determination areas on the display section aside from the main area, wherein
said match detection section generates match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on a predetermined function determination area based on the pointer position information and function determination area position information indicating the display position of the function determination area, and wherein
said control section converts the current input function of the second operation input section into the input function corresponding to the function determination area where the pointer exists based on the match detection information.
14. The input control unit as claimed in claim 13 wherein
the input function is a character input function through the second operation input section and the plurality of function determination areas have different character input modes.
15. The input control unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein
if the pointer exists within a predetermined distance from an end part of the display section, said control section scrolls a display screen of the display section.
16. The input control unit as claimed in claim 11 wherein
if the pointer exists within a predetermined distance from an end part of the display section and a direction is specified through the second operation input section, said control section scrolls a display screen of the display section in the direction.
17. A machine including an input control unit as claimed in claim 11, the above-mentioned display section, and the above-mentioned first and second operation input sections.
18. A mobile terminal implemented as the machine as claimed in claim 17.
19. A control method of an input control unit applied to a machine for specifying a predetermined position in a display section by a pointer, said control method comprising the steps of:
generating pointer position information of a display position in the display section of the pointer based on operation information from a first operation input section of the machine;
displaying a selection target selected by the pointer on the display section;
generating match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on a predetermined selection target based on the pointer position information and selection target position information indicating the display position of the selection target; and
converting the current input function of a second operation input section of the machine in response to the selection target where the pointer exists based on the match detection information.
20. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium and for starting an input control unit applied to a machine for specifying a predetermined position in a display section by a pointer which, when executed by the input control unit, cause said input control unit to execute the steps of:
generating pointer position information of a display position in the display section of the pointer based on operation information from a first operation input section of the machine;
displaying a selection target selected by the pointer on the display section;
generating match detection information indicating that the pointer exists on a predetermined selection target based on the pointer position information and selection target position information indicating the display position of the selection target; and
converting the current input function of a second operation input section of the machine in response to the selection target where the pointer exists based on the match detection information.

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, comprising:
receiving an identity verification request for an electronic transaction between a client device and a website;
verifying an identity of both a user associated with the client device and the web site using symmetric verification; and
transmitting verification results to the web site and the client device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the user and website are verified before the transaction occurs.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first verification result corresponding to the user’s identity is transmitted to the web site, and a second verification result corresponding to the web site’s identity is transmitted to the client device.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
locking the client device used by the user for the electronic transaction during verification, and transmission of the second verification result to the client device to unlock the client device.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the identity verification request further comprises:
receiving a first token from the client device for the transaction;
receiving a second token from the web site for the transaction; and
matching the first and second token to verify the identity of the user and the web site for the transaction.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first token is received via private-channel email from the client device, the second token is received via private-channel email from the web site, the first and second tokens transmitted over an electronic network with a private routing address for routing the private-channel email within a private domain, and wherein the electronic transaction between the client device and the website occurs over a public-channel communications link.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second token further includes data to identify the website.
8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
starting a timing loop when the first token is received; and
transmitting a warning to both the user and the website when the first and second token are not matched before the expiration of the timing loop.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving a second token further comprises:
receiving a request to obtain user ratings for the user;
requesting user ratings data for the user from at least one ratings service provider system; and
transmitting the user ratings data for the user to the website.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one ratings service provider system, from which user ratings data is requested, are selected from a group consisting of an electronic auction system, an online financial transaction processing system, and a credit reporting system.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user ratings are to enable the web site to modify one or more parameters for the transaction between the web site and the user.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of an identity verification request is received in response to a user mouse-over selection of a universal resource locator (URL) at the website.
13. A computer readable medium with instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to perform a method comprising:
receiving an identity verification request for an electronic transaction between a client device and a website;
verifying an identity of both a user associated with the client device and the web site using symmetric verification; and
transmitting verification results to the web site and the client device.
14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the identity of the user and website are verified before the transaction occurs.
15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein a first verification result corresponding to the user’s identity is transmitted to the web site, and a second verification result corresponding to the web site’s identity is transmitted to the client device.
16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:
locking the client device used by the user for the electronic transaction during verification, and transmission of the second verification result to the client device is to unlock the client device.
17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein receiving the identity verification request further comprises:
receiving a first token from the client device for the transaction;
receiving a second token from the web site for the transaction; and
matching the first and second token to verify the identity of the user and the web site for the transaction.
18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first token is received via private-channel email from the client device, the second token is received via private-channel email from the web site, the first and second tokens transmitted over an electronic network with a private routing address for routing the private-channel email within a private domain, and wherein the electronic transaction between the client device and the website occurs over a public-channel communications link.
19. A system, comprising:
a memory to store tokens; and
a token processor to, receive an identity verification request for an electronic transaction between a client device and a website, verify an identity of both a user associated with the client device and the web site using symmetric verification, and transmit verification results to the web site and the client device.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the identity of the user and website are verified before the transaction occurs.