Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a collection container having a cover affixed to the top of the collection container. A mouth opens through the cover permitting access to the interior of the collection container. A lidded enclosure surrounds the mouth, and a screen may be secured within the lidded enclosure to selectively permit access through the mouth while preventing theft of the contents of the collection container.

Abstract: Thermal wake proximate to an optical element of a telescope may be reduced. Signal(s) related to respective temperatures of support struts supporting the optical element may be generated. The respective temperatures of the support struts may be determined based on the signal(s). Individual support struts may be heated based on the respective temperatures of the support struts. Heating a given support strut may cause the given support strut to thermally expand. Individual support struts may be at least partially enclosed with corresponding shrouds. Airspaces may be disposed between individual support struts and the corresponding shrouds. Heat emitted in the airspaces by the support struts may be ejected away from the optical element to prevent a thermal wake from reaching a volume proximate to the optical element.

Abstract: Thermal wake proximate to an optical element of a telescope may be reduced. Signal(s) related to respective temperatures of support struts supporting the optical element may be generated. The respective temperatures of the support struts may be determined based on the signal(s). Individual support struts may be heated based on the respective temperatures of the support struts. Heating a given support strut may cause the given support strut to thermally expand. Individual support struts may be at least partially enclosed with corresponding shrouds. Airspaces may be disposed between individual support struts and the corresponding shrouds. Heat emitted in the airspaces by the support struts may be ejected away from the optical element to prevent a thermal wake from reaching a volume proximate to the optical element.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the recording and maintenance of semantic elements in electronically-held information objects provide for grounding semantic objects in an ontology, such that inheritance and other relations between concepts are preserved in persistent storage. The disclosed method and apparatus provide semantic document authors with a means to anchor concept references to specific, persistent, semantic objects, thereby providing the system with access to all properties of the underlying data model of the semantic objects being referenced, while also specifying the type and scope of their relations, as well as behavioral aspects of the visual and editing environment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing an informed semantic merge operation comprises selecting a source region in a document and a target region in the same or a different document. A bi-directionally coupled surface region is identified in the source region and a bi-directionally coupled surface region is identified in the target region. A first semantic object coupled to the surface region in the source region is identified and a second semantic object coupled to the surface region in the target region is identified. The subcomponents of the first semantic object are combined with the subcomponents of the second semantic object by merging.

Abstract: A method of changing semantic information comprises changing a first bi-directional coupling between a surface region in a document and a first semantic object to a second bi-directional coupling between the surface region and a second semantic object. More particularly, the method may be comprised of identifying an occurrence of a surface region in a document, the surface region having a first link for coupling the surface region to a first semantic object, and the first semantic object having a first association for coupling the first semantic object with the surface region. The first link is replaced with a second link for coupling the surface region to a second semantic object. The first association is changed to a second association for coupling the second semantic object with the surface region. Another method for changing semantic information comprising selecting a semantic object stored in a data repository and changing the selected semantic object.

Abstract: One example of a semantically informed text operation comprises selecting a source region of a document and determining if the source region has a surface region bi-directionally coupled to a semantic object. The coupled semantic object is identified as are the presentation(s) associated with the semantic object. A target region of the same or anther document is selected. Any of the presentations that cannot be expressed in the target region are eliminated to identify a set of remaining presentations. A set of semantic choices based on the remaining presentations is determined. One of the semantic choices is selected and executed in the target region.

Abstract: A method and system for generating a workflow graph from empirical data of a process are described. A processing system obtains data corresponding to multiple instances of a process, the process including a set of tasks, the data including information about order of occurrences of the tasks. The processing system analyzes the occurrences of the tasks to identify order constraints. The processing system partitions nodes representing tasks into subsets based upon the order constraints, wherein the subsets are sequence ordered with respect to each other such that all nodes associated with a given subset either precede or follow all nodes associated with another subset. The processing system partitions nodes representing tasks into subgroups, wherein each subgroup includes one or more nodes that occur without order constraints relative to nodes associated with other subgroups. A workflow graph representative of the process is constructed wherein nodes are connected by edges.

Abstract: A centrally-obscured reflective telescope having a semi-active focus and thermal compensation system. The telescope has a housing having an input window, a primary mirror, a secondary mirror suspended between the input window and the primary mirror by support struts, an optional tertiary mirror, and an optional fold mirror. The system includes one or more heating elements respectively disposed on each of the support struts. A first temperature sensor (disposed on the primary mirror) generates a reference temperature, a second temperature sensor is disposed on the secondary mirror, and one or more third temperature sensors are disposed on each of the support struts. A temperature compensation controller is coupled to the heating elements and temperature sensors and controls the heat output of the plurality of heating elements to heat the support struts and control the position of the secondary mirror relative to the primary mirror.

Abstract: An optical gun sight system for an M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank supported in a lower housing which may be attached to the fixed internal upper housing in the turret of the tank. An adapter plate is provided which has two sets of openings, one to align with the openings in the upper housing and the other to align with openings in the lower housing. An alignment mechanism allows for fine adjustment of the lower housing relative to the upper housing. Operating buttons, knobs and filter wheel are conveniently located on or beneath the front face of the lower housing. A thermal imaging system includes an objective lens for receiving an image of a target object, an eyepiece lens for viewing the image of the object, and a compensator lens movably located between the objective and eyepiece lenses for providing a thermal image of the object.

Abstract: A thermal imaging system (100) for a vehicle includes an objective lens (104) for receiving an image of the object, an eyepiece lens (102) for viewing the image of the object, and a compensator lens (106) movably located between the objective and eyepiece lenses (104, 102) for providing a thermal image of the object. The system (100) includes a servo motor control system (107, 109, 110, 112 and 114) for controlling the position of the compensator lens (106) based upon temperature, range and field of view to provide an accurate thermal image of the object.

Abstract: A refractive lens element (16) with a very thin edge thickness is mounted to withstand gun shock loads by utilizing a cell cradle (14) that is contoured to conform to the lens element surface profile (24). The lens is employed in a system having a rectangular clear aperture (26) which when projected on the circular lens defines four lens segments (36a-36d) outside of the clear aperture. The cell cradle has an opening (26) conforming to the clear aperture and carries a compliant padding (40) coextensive with the lens segments outside of the clear aperture to support the lens axially. The lens perimetrical edge (20) is bonded to the cell with a compliant bond material (44) to secure the lens in a radially symmetric position.

Abstract: An automatic script determining apparatus automatically determines the gross script-type of the text image of a document. A connected component generating means generates connected components from the pixels comprising the text image. A bounding box generating means generates a bounding box surrounding each connected component. A centroid determining means determines a centroid for each bounding box. A script feature determining means determines the locations, relative to the centroid, of one or more predetermined types of features, for each bounding box. A script determining means determines a distribution of the located script features for the entire text image, and compares the determined spatial distribution to predetermined distribution for at least one script-type to determine the script type of the text image.