Abstract: A waste processing system comprising a mixing tank system with an agitation system; a separation system, and a slurry tank system having a shearing system. The present invention also relates to a method of processing waste which includes the steps of: (a) mixing waste with a carrier liquid, b) separating the mixture into at least two portions, the first portion being solid debris and the second portion being processable waste c) shearing and slurrifying the processable waste, and injecting the processed mixture into a wellbore.

Abstract: A rigid chain entanglement crosslinked polymer made by dispersing at lease one monomer and at least one initiator in an immiscible liquid medium to form a liquid dispersion; and decomposing the initiator in the fluid dispersion to activate polymerization and thereby produce a chain entanglement crosslinked polymer; and the polymer that can be utilized as proppants, as ball bearings, as lubriglide monolayers, and for drilling mud applications

Abstract: A system for determining the fine angular orientation of a bar code symbol in a two-dimensional pixel image. A window is selected from the two-dimensional image for processing. Edge magnitude information and edge direction information are determined for a plurality of pixels in the selected window. For each pixel in the plurality of pixels, the edge magnitude and the edge direction of each pixel is associated with at least one of a plurality of directional ranges if the edge magnitude associated with the pixel exceeds a threshold. For each directional range in the plurality of directional ranges, a density value associated with each directional range is determined in accordance with the number of pixels associated with the directional range, an angular mean value is determined in accordance with the edge directions associated with the directional range, and a noise value is determined in accordance with the edge directions associated with the directional range.

Abstract: An insertable pallet for unloading or acquiring objects or for loading or piling objects, particularly in a stacked position, comprising at least one live roller for moving an object being unloaded or loaded along the insertable pallet. In the unloading mode of the insertable pallet, the insertable pallet is thrust at an object seam until the insertable pallet is underneath the object being unloaded a sufficient distance to engage at least one live roller of said insertable pallet for moving the object from its initial position along said pallet. In the loading mode of the insertable pallet, an object being loaded is moved to and preferably partially over the front of the insertable pallet by at least one live roller. The insertable pallet is appropriately positioned so that when the object arrives at the front of the insertable pallet an operator can nudge the object off the insertable pallet with a minimum of physical effort.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for synchronizing sequence of digital information packets is disclosed. The sequence of digital information packets is provided from a digital information source at a source rate and is later received by a device having an associated synchronization rate. In a preferred embodiment, a counter increment is determined, and a current information packet and a next information packet are selected from the sequence. The current information packet is received into the device. Upon an occurrence of a synchronization event on the device, the counter increment is subtracted from a counter and the counter is compared to a predetermined threshold. If the counter is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold, then the next information packet is received into the device, a next information packet is selected from the sequence, and a predetermined constant is added to the counter.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for scalably encoding in real time a sequence of digital video frames, a target digital processor class to be used for decoding the sequence is selected. A stillperiod value is selected in accordance with the selected target digital processor class. Every Nth frame of the sequence is then encoded as a still frame, and all other frames are encoded using interframe difference values, wherein N is equal to the stillperiod value.

Abstract: An apparatus for locking and unlocking one or more storage compartments in a truck service body includes a channel assembly that is slidably secured to the service body by at least one channel support. A rod assembly having an L-shaped locking bracket is slidably secured to the service body by a plurality of rod supports. The rod assembly passes through the channel assembly. A handle for manually moving the rod assembly between a locked position and an unlocked position is included. The handle is rigidly secured to the channel assembly and extends outside of the service body. The handle is adapted for coupling to the service body by a manual locking mechanism. An electro-mechanical actuator is coupled to the rod assembly for moving the rod assembly between its locked and unlocked positions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for partially encoding an image. The image is divided into a plurality of blocks and one block is selected for processing. A boundary lying along the selected block that is associated with a discontinuity is also selected. The errors associated with the selected block are reduced unevenly by a reduction factor that increases the degree to which the errors are reduced as the distance between the errors and the boundary increases. The selected block is encoded in accordance with the reduced errors.

Abstract: A system for detecting a bar code symbol receives a two-dimensional image containing the symbol, where the system has no a priori knowledge of the orientation of the symbol in the image. The system scans the image in one dimension to locate a quiet zone for the symbol and searches the image in one dimension to identify a start/stop character of the symbol.

Abstract: An image having at least one high frequency feature is encoded by (a) filtering the image to produce a filtered image representing the image minus the at least one high frequency feature; (b) resolving the filtered image into at least one lower level of resolution; (c) encoding a correction image at the at least one lower level of resolution; (d) producing an expanded result image having the same the level of resolution of the image; and (e) encoding at the level of resolution the image the difference between the image and the expanded result image.

Abstract: A system for decoding a bar code symbol receives a signal representative of the symbol and searches the signal in one dimension to locate two adjacent critical points corresponding to an element of the symbol. The system also computes a value representative of the signal energy between the two critical points and determines the width of the element in accordance with the value.

Abstract: A bitstream representative of at least one digital video image is decoded in real time by providing a code-book index from the bitstream, applying the code-book index to an index table to determine an index value, and comparing the index value to a first predetermined threshold. A single fixed statistical table is used for a plurality of images. If the index value is greater than the predetermined threshold, then at least one current pixel is determined by copying a corresponding previous pixel into the location of at least one current pixel; otherwise the index value is applied to a vector table to determine at least one vector value and a current pixel is determined from the vector value and a corresponding previous pixel. A digital video image is encoded in real time by selecting at least one pixel for encoding and determining at least one difference value between the selected pixel and at least one corresponding previous pixel.

Abstract: The camera system of the present invention simultaneously searches for a number of differing optical acquisition targets. This system may decode, for example, both bar codes and concentric rings. The scan signal is constantly adjusted according to both a dark reference for correcting offset and a white reference for correcting gain. The gain is also corrected according to the scanning rate as well as the amount of illumination present. A measure of this illumination may be applied directly to the optical scanning device by way of a fiber optic cable which transmits light from the illumination source. Optical calibration is eliminated by fixed optics wherein all optical elements are rigidly mounted at very close tolerances. The illumination source is disposed on one focus of an ellipse wherein the other focus is disposed at the maximum scanning distance and the reflector is formed to define the illumination ellipse to maximize the light applied to the object.

Abstract: A bitstream representative of at least one digital video image is decoded in real time by providing a code-book index from the bitstream, applying the code-book index to an index table to determine an index value, and comparing the index value to a first predetermined threshold. If the index value is greater than the predetermined threshold, then at least one current pixel is determined by copying a corresponding previous pixel into the location of at least one current pixel; otherwise the index value is applied to a vector table to determine at least one vector value and a current pixel is determined from the vector value and a corresponding previous pixel. A digital video image is encoded in real time by selecting at least one pixel for encoding and determining at least one difference value between the selected pixel and at least one corresponding previous pixel. An index value corresponding to the location in a first table of the difference value is calculated.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for scalably decoding a sequence of encoded digital video frames on a digital processor, an interpolation level is determined in accordance with the processing power of the digital processor. An encoded frame is selected from the sequence for decoding. If the interpolation level is greater than a predetermined threshold, then a scalably decoded frame is formed by interpolating the selected frame in accordance with a first pixel depth level. If the interpolation level is not greater than the predetermined threshold, then a scalably decoded frame is formed by interpolating the selected frame in accordance with a second pixel depth level, the second pixel depth level having fewer bits than the first pixel depth level.

Abstract: The conveyor system of the present invention provides an endless belt system in which roller assemblies are aligned side by side in rows beneath the upper surface of the endless belt. Each individual roller assembly is provided with a roller and an axis about which the roller rotates. The roller assemblies are disposed in support members by lowering them into a receiving region in the support members. The receiving region is adapted to removably receive the roller assembles when the roller assemblies are lowered into the receiving region at any angle within a ninety degree range to prevent jamming of the assembly during insertion. The support members rotationally immobilize and retain the axis of the roller assembly while simultaneously providing structural integrity to the conveyor system. The roller shaft is maintained within the support member both by gravity acting upon the roller assembly itself and by the weight of the belt resting upon the roller assembly.

Abstract: The camera system of the present invention simultaneously searches for a number of differing optical acquisition targets. Upon detecting an acquisition target it decodes according to corresponding differing decoding algorithms. To facilitate this operation there is a system bus as well as a dedicated data bus for applying a scan signal of an optical scanning device to differing detection circuitry. This system may decode, for example, both bar codes and concentric rings. The scan signal is constantly adjusted according to both a dark reference for correcting offset and a white reference for correcting gain. The gain is also corrected according to the scanning rate as well as the amount of illumination present. A measure of this illumination may be applied directly to the optical scanning device by way of a fiber optic cable which transmits light from the illumination source.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding an original image. The original image is divided into a plurality of regions and a region is selected therefrom for processing. A region energy value is determined in accordance with the magnitudes of the pixels in the selected region. The region energy value is compared to a threshold and a filtered image is formed by selectively zeroing the selected region in accordance with the comparison. The filtered image is resolved into at least one lower resolution image which is encoded. An expanded image is formed in accordance with the encoded lower resolution image, the expanded image being of the same level of resolution as the original image. An image representative of the difference between the original image and the expanded image is encoded at full resolution.