8185results about How to "Improve the environment" patented technology

An adaptive interface for a programmable system, for predicting a desired user function, based on user history, as well as machine internal status and context. The apparatus receives an input from the user and other data. A predicted input is presented for confirmation by the user, and the predictive mechanism is updated based on this feedback. Also provided is a pattern recognition system for a multimedia device, wherein a user input is matched to a video stream on a conceptual basis, allowing inexact programming of a multimedia device. The system analyzes a data stream for correspondence with a data pattern for processing and storage. The data stream is subjected to adaptive pattern recognition to extract features of interest to provide a highly compressed representation which may be efficiently processed to determine correspondence. Applications of the interface and system include a VCR, medical device, vehicle control system, audio device, environmental control system, securities trading terminal, and smart house. The system optionally includes an actuator for effecting the environment of operation, allowing closed-loop feedback operation and automated learning.

The current invention provides the promoter of the Zea mays nuclear gene encoding chloroplast-localized fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (F16BP) aldolase. Compositions comprising this sequence are described, as are plants transformed with such compositions. Further provided are methods for the expression of transgenes in plants comprising the use of these sequences. The methods of the invention include the direct creation of transgenic plants with the chloroplastic F16BP aldolase promoter by genetic transformation, as well as by plant breeding methods. The sequences of the invention represent a valuable new tool for the creation of transgenic plants, preferably having one or more added beneficial characteristics.

In general, in one aspect, the invention provides a modular application collaborator for providing inter-operability between applications including a plurality of connectors for communicating with a like plurality of applications and an interchange server. The interchange server includes an application collaboration module and service module. The service module transfers messages between connectors and the application collaboration module. The application collaboration defines the inter-operability between two or more applications. The interchange server service module includes a transaction service and an error service. Transactions are executed in the application collaboration module and the transaction service records each action and a compensating action for undoing an associated action. An error service monitors for errors in the interchange server, and, upon detection of an error, stops the execution of a transaction and initiates the execution of any required compensating actions to undo the interrupted transaction. The compensating transactions may be executed at the connectors and are not required to be overseen by the interchange server.

Modern farming is currently being done by powerful ground equipment or aircraft that weigh several tons and treat uniformly tens of hectares per hour. Automated farming can use small, agile, lightweight, energy-efficient automated robotic equipment that flies to do the same job, even able to farm on a plant-by-plant basis, allowing for new ways of farming. Automated farming uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are equipped with detachable implements and reservoirs and that we call “aerial farm robots.” Automated farming uses high-precision GPS and other precision positioning and vision technology to autonomously and precisely perform crop dusting, planting, fertilizing and other field related farming or husbandry tasks. The subsystems for the control, refill, recharge and communication subsystems of the aerial farm robots are part of the overall automated farming system, and can autonomously handle most of the husbandry tasks on a farm.

A system and method for a reporting information service using metadata to communicate with databases and a user interface. The invention includes software in a data access component, a report component, and a user interface component for populating, maintaining, and dispatching reports responsive to user requests for the reports via metadata. The data access component provides a logical view of data in a database via data access metadata. The report component populates, maintains, and dispatches reports via report metadata characterizing the reports. The user interface component renders the report dispatched from the report component via user interface metadata specifying rendering attributes for the report.

A low-profile surgical implant assembly is provided that includes a connector device that is an integral part of a rod, the connector device allowing the rod to be attached directly to a bone screw, such as a pedicle screw. Another aspect of the invention is a clamp device that allows the length of a rod spanning to attachment devices to be adjusted at the time of implantation, and further allows the clamp device to be secured by tightening a securing end of the clamp at the attachment device. The assemblies are useful for insertion into bone and connecting a foreign object to bone via a polyaxial coupling mechanism. A method for implanting the assembly is also provided.

“Smart” controllers for windows having controllable optical transitions are described. Controllers with multiple features can sense and adapt to local environmental conditions. Controllers described herein can be integrated with a building management system (BMS) to greatly enhance the BMS's effectiveness at managing local environments in a building. The controllers may have one, two, three or more functions such as powering a smart window, determining the percent transmittance, size, and / or temperature of a smart window, providing wireless communication between the controller and a separate communication node, etc.

A method of collecting embryonic-like stem cells from a placenta which has been treated to remove residual cord blood by perfusing the drained placenta with an anticoagulant solution to flush out residual cells, collecting the residual cells and perfusion liquid from the drained placenta, and separating the embryonic-like cells from the residual cells and perfusion liquid. Exogenous cells can be propagated in the placental bioreactor and bioactive molecules collected therefrom.

An adaptive interface for a programmable system, for predicting a desired user function, based on user history, as well as machine internal status and context. The apparatus receives an input from the user and other data. A predicted input is presented for confirmation by the user, and the predictive mechanism is updated based on this feedback. Also provided is a pattern recognition system for a multimedia device, wherein a user input is matched to a video stream on a conceptual basis, allowing inexact programming of a multimedia device. The system analyzes a data stream for correspondence with a data pattern for processing and storage. The data stream is subjected to adaptive pattern recognition to extract features of interest to provide a highly compressed representation which may be efficiently processed to determine correspondence. Applications of the interface and system include a VCR, medical device, vehicle control system, audio device, environmental control system, securities trading terminal, and smart house. The system optionally includes an actuator for effecting the environment of operation, allowing closed-loop feedback operation and automated learning.

The currency-value converter according to the present invention transmits amount-of-converted-currency data indicating the amount of basic currency identified based on the type of this currency, the amount of the currency and the exchange rate, to a controller installed in a gaming machine, when the type of currency accepted through a currency validator is not the basic currency. The exchange rate is a rate in which a correspondence relationship between an amount of the basic currency and an amount of another type of currency other than the basic currency is set for each type of currency other than the basic currency. Then, a game is played at the gaming machine based on the transmitted amount-of-converted currency.

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for interacting with a user to define business rules in a declarative manner. The invention operates to display a rule set as an editable list of conditions and an editable list of actions, the conditions and actions being linked to each other by the combination of an editable list of if-values and an editable list of then-values, wherein if-values and then-values are explicitly linked to each other, conditions and if-values are explicitly linked to each other, and then-values and actions are explicitly linked to each other in the displayed lists.

An intelligent medical vigilance system that observes and analyzes, and, only in the event of a clinically significant negative condition, notifies and reports the event to the care staff utilizing the hospital's existing nurse call system. The device includes a bedside unit connected to a pad or coverlet with a sensor array (placed under the patient) and also to an existing hospital nurse call system via an interface. Within the physical bedside unit are a signal processor and an alarm processor that measure data and evaluate whether a clinically significant event is occurring. The bedside unit is a wall-mounted unit with a display that becomes active when an alarm condition is enabled. The sensing pad or coverlet is a thin, piezoelectric film, or other similar sensing technology, with an array of sensors sheathed in soft padding and is not directly in contact with the skin of the patient. The nurse call feature is made up of hardware, software and cabling to connect to the nurse call system already installed in the hospital or care facility. The monitoring system can also be installed in vehicles to monitor operator physiological conditions.

A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered on a simulated three-dimensional surface which (i) exploits spatial memory and (ii) allows more objects to be rendered on a given screen. The objects may be moved, continuously, on the surface with a two-dimensional input device.

A system and methods allowing the creation, integration, and transaction of advantages (e.g. desired environment features and / or elements). In an illustrative implementation, the system may operate partially or completely in a computing environment. Where a computing environment is employed, the computing environment may support a computing application running on a stand alone or networked computing system. The computing application may maintain a user interface portion, a processing portion, and cooperate with a database. In operation, a user may register his / her profile information with an advantages content provider such that when navigating through the computing application, the user have access to and purchase offered advantages and interact with interactive advertisements to purchase products and / or services. The advantages may be retrieved from a cooperating database and provided to the user. A record of the transaction is stored by the computing application in accordance to user profile so that the user may be properly charged for the transacted advantages or purchased products and / or services.

A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate includes: a plurality of gate lines; a plurality of source lines arranged to cross with the plurality of gate lines; a plurality of switching elements disposed in the vicinity of crossings of the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of source lines; and a plurality of pixel electrodes connected to the plurality of switching elements. The second substrate includes a counter electrode. A plurality of pixel regions are defined by the plurality of pixel electrodes, the counter electrode, and the liquid crystal layer interposed between the plurality of pixel electrodes and the counter electrode, and each of the plurality of pixel regions includes a reflection region and a transmission region.

The present invention is a method and system for automatically analyzing a category in a plurality of the categories in a physical space based on the visual characterization, such as behavior analysis or segmentation, of the persons with regard to the category. The present invention captures a plurality of input images of the persons in the category by a plurality of means for capturing images. The present invention processes the plurality of input images in order to understand the shopping behavior of the persons with the sub-categories of the category and analyzes the level of engagement and decision process at the sub-category level. The processes are based on a novel usage of a plurality of computer vision technologies to analyze the visual characterization of the persons from the plurality of input images. The physical space may be a retail space, and the persons may be customers in the retail space.

“Smart” controllers for windows having controllable optical transitions are described. Controllers with multiple features can sense and adapt to local environmental conditions. Controllers described herein can be integrated with a building management system (BMS) to greatly enhance the BMS's effectiveness at managing local environments in a building. The controllers may have one, two, three or more functions such as powering a smart window, determining the percent transmittance, size, and / or temperature of a smart window, providing wireless communication between the controller and a separate communication node, etc.

Modern farming is currently being done by powerful ground equipment or aircraft that weigh several tons and treat uniformly tens of hectares per hour. Automated farming can use small, agile, lightweight, energy-efficient automated robotic equipment that flies to do the same job, even able to farm on a plant-by-plant basis, allowing for new ways of farming. A hybrid airship-drone has both passive lift provided by a gas balloon and active lift provided by propellers. A hybrid airship-drone may be cheaper, more stable in flight, and require less maintenance than other aerial vehicles such as quadrocopters. However, hybrid airship-drones may also be larger in size and have more inertia that needs to be overcome for starting, stopping and turning.

A low-profile surgical implant assembly is provided that includes a connector device that is an integral part of a rod, the connector device allowing the rod to be attached directly to a bone screw, such as a pedicle screw. Another aspect of the invention is a clamp device that allows the length of a rod spanning to attachment devices to be adjusted at the time of implantation, and further allows the clamp device to be secured by tightening a securing end of the clamp at the attachment device. The assemblies are useful for insertion into bone and connecting a foreign object to bone via a polyaxial coupling mechanism. A method for implanting the assembly is also provided.

A portable communication device includes a main housing, a folding housing coupled to the main housing by a hinge unit to rotate about a hinge axis, and a flexible display unit that is drawn out from the main housing to open its display screen when the folding housing unfolds.

A method for real-time remote shopping using a real-time remote shopping system includes the steps of (a) obtaining the commodity information from a hand-held terminal and registering the information on a customer, (b) sending the shopping request information including the commodity information to a host server or a mobile terminal through the wired / wireless communication device, (c) receiving, at the mobile terminal, the shopping request information from the hand-held terminal or the host server, and sending the shopping data processed in real-time to the host server or the hand-held terminal, (d) receiving, at the hand-held terminal, the shopping data from the server or the hand-held terminal, and (e) sending, at the hand-held terminal, a shopping-ended signal to the host server or the hand-held terminal, and paying the price. The hand-held terminal includes a hand-held electronic device of the customer. The system and method can be applied to an internet shopping.

The invention relates to a method of signal analysis that determines the location of a transmitter and to devices that implement the method. The method includes receiving by at least three receivers, from a transmitter, a first continuous-time signal having a first channel. The first channel includes a first plurality of signal carriers having known relative initial phases and having known frequencies which are periodically spaced and which are orthogonal to one another within a first frequency range. The signal analysis method also includes determining the phase shifts of the carriers of the first channel resulting from the distance the carriers traveled in reaching the first receiver. Analysis of the phase shifts yields time difference of arrival information amongst the receivers, which is further processed to determine the location of the transmitter.

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for interacting with a user to define business rules in a declarative manner. The invention operates to display a set of business rules as editable conditions and editable actions, the conditions and the actions being linked to each other by a combination of editable if-values and editable then-values.

An electromechanical braking (EMB) connector for electrical communication between an interior of a brake caliper assembly and an exterior of the brake caliper assembly is disclosed. The EMB connector includes a body having a distal end for insertion into the interior of the brake caliper assembly and a proximal end for exposure on the exterior of the brake caliper assembly, with the distal end and the proximal end defining a body axis. The EMB connector also includes a load sensor connector for coupling with a load sensor disposed on the interior of the brake caliper assembly. The load sensor connector is compressible along a load sensor axis that is substantially perpendicular to the body axis. The EMB connector further includes a conductive component coupled to the load sensor connector. The conductive component enables electrical connection of the load sensor to the exterior of the brake caliper assembly.

This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlating the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user.

An electronic variable stroke device comprise a base portion containing a motor-driven screw shaft, an upper portion extending from the base portion having the screw shaft extending longitudinally therein, a traveler engaged with the screw shaft to drive a part of the upper body in reciprocating longitudinal motion, and electronic controls include a transmitter / receiver for sending and receiving control signals for operating the device. A remote controller unit is provided for ergonomic operation of the device by the user. A network connection unit is provided to connect the user's device to an external service offered on the Internet or other networks, and includes controls for transmitting audio / visual content in conjunction with operation of the device. The device may be adapted as a female toy, and can exchange control signals with one or more other users operating a male toy or other electronic stimulation device. The Internet service can join a user in an interactive session with another user, or with a group of users, and even non-participating spectators. The Internet service preferably has a 3-tier structure of administrator site, host site, and affiliated play host site for efficiently handling verification of user identity and payment method, widespread offerings of user interest communities and interactive services, and distribution of revenues from customer usage to service partners. Purchasers of a network connection unit can be required to register with a warranty / registration site, to which the administrator site has access to validate a user's identity and payment method. Other applications for the Internet-based system for multi-user interactive sessions include remote game-playing and virtual videoconferencing.

The present invention relates to new adjuvants and the uses in pharmaceutical compositions, like in vaccines. In particular, the present invention provides new compounds useful as adjuvants and / or immunomodulators for prophylactic and / or therapeutic vaccination in the treatment of infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, tumors, allergies as well as for the control of fertility in human or animal populations. The compounds are particularly useful not only as systemic, but preferably as mucosal adjuvants. In addition, the invention relates to its uses as active ingredients in pharmaceutical compositions.

All access points are operated synchronously, and monitor the beacon to mate with the hopping frequency of the neighboring access point. Accordingly, the station can grasp the up-to-date radio situation of the neighboring access point to be entered subsequently, and constructs the information as the database. As a result, when the beacon quality of the current subscription (connected) access point is reduced lower than the threshold value, the hopping channel and the hopping pattern are fitted to the neighboring access point having the best communication environment by referring the database, and then the subscription operation is applied directly.