468results about How to "Improvement efforts" patented technology

A method of filtering a speech signal is presented. The method involves providing a filter (404) suited for reduction of distortion caused by speech coding, estimating acoustic noise in the speech signal, adapting the filter in response to the estimated acoustic noise to obtain an adapted filter, and applying the adapted filter to the speech signal so as to reduce acoustic noise and distortion caused by speech coding in the speech signal.

A system and method for automatically measuring, analyzing and improving exact work effort of white collar employees, without requiring manual intervention or configuration, is described. The system captures all the work effort put on by the users. Systems and methods have been described to track the daily time spent by employees, irrespective of whether the time is spent on one or more computing devices, or away from any computing system while in meetings, discussions, calls, lab work, outside travel, and remote visits. This is mapped to activities and objectives that are automatically inferred based on the applications and artifacts being used, the source of offline time usage, and the employee's position in the organization and role therein. The captured individual work effort is mapped to the organization's hierarchy and business attributes. As a result, work patterns and trends within each sub-unit/operational dimension of the business are identified.

Navigation method and navigation system for motor vehicles for navigating from a present location to a destination. In response to an emergency user request, an emergency destination closest to the present location is selected from a database, set as the destination, and a route calculated from the present location to the emergency destination. The navigation system includes a memory having a database for emergency destinations and a device for selecting, from the database, an emergency destination closest to the present location.

The disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for monitoring patient data. An exemplary method comprises obtaining plethysmographic pulse variation data that corresponds to a variation in a plethysmographic pulse of a patient, searching the plethysmographic pulse variation data for an indication of a reduction of venous return in response to a maneuver on or by the patient, and generating an output if the indication of the reduction of venous return is detected.

In the volume pricing methodology, a seller initially establishes a price structure for a product which provides for lower prices as larger quantities of the product are purchased. The price structure is electronically made available to potential buyers of the product. For example, the price structure may be displayed on an Internet site. The sellers further establish an “open session” period during which orders for the product are accepted. During the open session period, multiple buyers are able to place orders for the product up to a maximum available quantity. At the end of the open session, the total quantity of products collectively ordered by all of the buyers is calculated. Based on the total quantity ordered, the final price to all buyers is the lowest price provided from the price structure regardless of whether the lowest price had been reached at the time a particular buyer placed their order during the open session.

In the volume pricing methodology, a seller initially establishes a price structure for a product which provides for lower prices as larger quantities of the product are purchased. The price structure is electronically made available to potential buyers of the product. For example, the price structure may be displayed on an Internet site. The sellers further establish an “open session” period during which orders for the product are accepted. During the open session period, multiple buyers are able to place orders for the product up to a maximum available quantity. At the end of the open session, the total quantity of products collectively ordered by all of the buyers is calculated. Based on the total quantity ordered, the final price to all buyers is the lowest price provided from the price structure regardless of whether the lowest price had been reached at the time a particular buyer placed their order during the open session.

An apparatus and method in which the portions of the labyrinth associated with the labyrinthine sense and/or the nerves associated therewith are stimulated to perform at least one of the following functions: augment or control a patient's respiratory function, open the patient's airway, induce sleep, and/or counteract vertigo. In one embodiment, the vestibular stimulating system of the present invention includes 1) a stimulation element that performs the actual stimulation of the tissue, 2) a sensor to detect a physiological condition of the patient, and 3) a power/control unit that receives the signals provided by the sensor and causes stimulation energy to be provided to the stimulation element at an appropriate timing, level, pattern, and/or frequency to achieve the desired function. However, the present invention also contemplates eliminating the sensor in favor of applying a predetermined pattern of stimulation to the patient.

A method for providing closed-loop analysis of a business process includes using modeling objects to extend a modeling language to obtain a representation language. The representation language is used to obtain at least one model of the process. The model is implemented using at least one of simulation, project management analysis, workflow analysis and computer-aided software engineering. The method allows a variety of COTS products to be integrated into a single tool for process modeling and closed-loop analysis of business processes.

A vehicle steering apparatus includes a steering input section having at least a steering wheel to which steering input is applied, and a steering output section having at least a steering rack shaft and operatively associated with left and right steered wheels for steering the steered wheels by steering-rack-shaft movement produced by a steering force determined based on the steering input and transmitted directly or indirectly to the steering rack shaft. The steering rack shaft is split into left and right movable rack shaft portions. Also provided is a steer angle converter enabling a differential rack stroke between left and right rack strokes of the left and right movable rack shaft portions. The steer angle converter is constructed by at least one of a variable-pitch dual rack arrangement and a dual taper-pulley arrangement of a cable back-up mechanism.

An implantable medical device for treating the back of a patient. Stimulation energy is delivered to muscles or joint capsules or ligaments or nerve fibers to improve the heath of the back.

Data transmission system including a proxy connected to the Internet network and at least a content server to which a user can gain access by the intermediary of the proxy, the proxy being associated with authentication means adapted to perform form-based authentication of the user when receiving a user request for Internet resources therefrom and wherein the proxy transmits the user request to the content server which sends back a response to the proxy. The authentication means comprise a Single Sign-On (SSO) server adapted to obtain a login form from the content server when receiving the user request from the proxy, to fill the login form by using the credentials associated with the user and to send back the filled login form thereby, playing the role of the user regarding the content server, so that the content server can provide the requested information after authentication of the user.

A multipart medical engineering system, which comprises at least two components that can be connected via positioning-determining connection feature (410, 411). At least one component (44) is intended to remain in the vicinity of the patient in the connected and unconnected states of the system and at least one component (41) can be removed or replaced with other components in the unconnected state. The component (44) intended to remain in the vicinity of the patient contains a data storage element (45) that can be written to and read via an interface (46) that is mechanically integrated in the position-determining connection means (410, 411).

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having at least one sensor for detecting the presence of a survivor in a search and rescue area. The at least one sensor is preferably an ultra-wide band (UWB) transceiver sensor. The UAV includes a UAV data link transceiver for wirelessly communicating information concerning the survivor to a command center.

A method and system for detecting effort events is disclosed. Effort may be determined through feature analysis of the signal as transformed by a continuous wavelet transform, which may be compared against a reference effort measure to trigger an effort event flag that signals the onset and/or severity of an effort event. For example, a respiratory effort measure may be determined based at least in part on a wavelet transform of a photoplethysmograph (PP G) signal and features of the transformed signal. A respiratory reference effort measure may be based at least in part on past values of the respiratory effort measure, and a threshold test may be used to trigger an effort event flag, which may indicate a marked change in respiratory effort exerted by a patient.

A vehicle power indication status quantity display unit displays on an indicator a vehicle power indication status quantity obtained by dividing the torque required for driving a hybrid vehicle by the upper limit value of the torque that does not excessively increase the fuel consumption. A HV eco zone of the vehicle power indication status quantity display unit is the zone that is determined by the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the HV eco zone that indicates the motor is being effectively used to drive the vehicle. A check is made to determine whether the vehicle power indication status quantity is within the HV eco zone, and, if it is determined to be within the HV eco zone, the driving being performed is diagnosed as fuel-saving driving.