Abstract: A vehicle-based solar collector comprising a cylindrical array of concentrator cells, a heat sink coupled to the linear array of concentrator cells, and a plurality of modules running fore and aft in the car, wherein each of the plurality of modules has a parabolic trough mirror that reflects light onto the cylindrical array of concentrator cells.

Abstract: A software-based controller implemented on a generic computer hardware platform for dynamically allocating and controlling multiple job streams for anumerically controlling a machine tool. The software-based controller includes a first module for performing a set of first operations corresponding to a first job stream, a second module for performing a set of second operations corresponding to said first job stream, and a third module for performing a set of third operations corresponding to a second job stream. Each of the first, second and third modules are collectively defining a pointer architecture that includes a vertical data system to facilitate communication between operations in the same job stream and a horizontal data system to facilitate communication between operations in different job streams.

Abstract: The normal course of operating a numerically controlled machine tool includes the automatic collection of significant event data without any special interaction by the machine tool operator. These events are of two types: those embedded in the machine tool part program, which may be ordinary program steps or special event markers; and those which represent operator intervention of the programmed process operating on the machine tool. The theoretical time for the occurrence of the programmed events is embedded in the machine tool part program. The identity, date and time of the actual occurrence of an event is stored in nonvolatile memory. This technique may be used in a single computer controlling one or more machine tools or in a network with a host computer serving as the event depository and as the source of machine tool part programs. The event records are available for analysis to improve the productivity of the operation.