634results about How to "Increase points" patented technology

The presentment and redemption system offers discounts directly to consumers through their mobile phones. The discounts are based upon the user of the mobile phone meeting a targeting criterion and the discounts are determined using the targeting criterion. Mobile phone users that do not meet the targeting criterion are not eligible for the discount. Because the discounts can be targeted to each individual consumer, there can be a better correlation between consumers' interests and the transmitted discounts.

A method for executing a video conference is provided that includes receiving one or more audio streams associated with a video conference from one or more end points and determining an active speaker associated with one of the end points. Audio information associated with the active speaker may be received at one or more media switches. One or more video streams may be suppressed except for a selected video stream associated with the active speaker, the selected video stream propagating to one or more of the media switches during the video conference. The selected video stream may be replicated such that it may be communicated to one or more of the end points associated with a selected one of the media switches.

Some embodiments provide a meta touch interface (MTI) with multiple position indicators with each position indicator operating as a separate pointing tool that can be activated (i) using taps on a touchpad or other touch sensitive surface or (ii) by pressing certain keyboard keys. The MT pointer allows for adjacent UI elements to be selected without having to reposition the MT pointer for each selection or activation. Some embodiments provide a multi-device UI that comprises at least two UIs, wherein the first UI is presented on an essentially horizontal plane that is aligned with operational focus and the second UI that is presented on an essentially vertical plane that is aligned with visual focus of the user. Some embodiments provide a precision pointer that includes an adjustable magnified region to better present underlying on-screen content, thereby allowing the user to more precisely position the pointer.

A security agent extends the trust barrier, or trust point, from network gateway nodes to end user devices. A security agent operable to scrutinize network traffic executes on the user device and compares QoS marking attempts with the established QoS marking policy in effect. The security agent examines network traffic attributes deterministic of connection attempts by user processes. Attempts to apply inappropriate or disallowed QoS markings, as dictated by the QoS marking policy, are detected and disallowed. Therefore, only user connections consistent with the QoS marking policy are permitted into the network. Network admission control (NAC) mechanisms ensure that the security agent is the only access point from the user device to the secure network, and the security agent communicates the establishment of the trusted access point to the network gateway, thus ensuring that the network gateway may trust service level designations emanating from the user device executing the security agent.

A power electronics interface in a microsource controller allows efficient connection in a power system of small, low cost and reliable distributed generators such as microturbines, fuel cells and photovoltaic. Power electronics provide the control and flexibility to insure stable operation for large numbers of distributed generators. The power electronics controls are designed to insure that new generators can be added to the system without modification of existing equipment. A collection of sources and loads can connect to or isolate from the utility grid in a rapid and seamless fashion, each inverter can respond effectively to load changes without requiring data from other sources, and voltage sag and system imbalances can be corrected.

The present invention relates to Wireless Local Area Networks and Access Points in such networks, in particular it relates to the control and use of varying beacon intervals in such networks. According to the present invention, the beacon frames in the Wireless Local Area Network are provided with an adaptive beacon interval. The interval is adapted in dependence on a current network load such that the length of the beacon interval is decreased when the network load is decreased and increased when network load is increased. The invention is applicable in existing as well as future IEEE 802.11 standards.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for encouraging one or more viewers to engage with a broadcast of a live sporting event, and more specifically to a system and method for rewarding people for watching and interacting with live broadcast sporting events to promote loyalty to or improve recognition of sporting events, while collecting useful data about sports consumption habits as well as the rewards consumption patterns associated with those consumers.

Aspects for achieving efficient data access to data elements in a relational database management system are provided. In a computer-implemented method aspect, the efficient data access occurs by establishing a hash table for data elements of a database in a predetermined continuous space of allocated storage, and optimizing utilization of the hash table during database query operations through linear hashing, wherein extension of the hash table occurs automatically to increase a number of pages in the hash table without discernible interruptions of data access to the data elements.

A method for operating an access point in a wireless local area network is provided, wherein the access point includes a directional antenna for communicating with at least one remote station. The method includes communicating with a selected remote station using a current angle of the directional antenna, and scanning an alternate angle from a plurality of alternate angles of the directional antenna for communicating with the selected remote station. Respective signals received via the current angle and the alternate angle from the selected remote station are measured. The current angle or the alternate angle is selected as a preferred angle based upon the measured signals for continuing communications with the selected remote station.

The invention is a polymerization process for ethylene copolymers having a density less than 0.915 comprising contacting ethylene, one or more alpha-olefin monomer, and optionally one or more diene monomer, with a catalyst composition comprising the reaction product of at least one organometallic Group 4 metallocene compound derived from a bridged, fused-ring ligand containing biscyclopentadienyl hafnocene, said bridge being a substituted or unsubstituted carbon or silicon atom connecting the biscyclopentadienyl ligands, and a salt of a Group 13 element anionic complex having halogenated aromatic ligands in an essentially tetrahedral structure wherein the aromatic groups are polycyclic fused or pendant aromatic rings. The process is particularly suitable for the preparation of high comonomer content and high molecular weight ethylene-alpha-olefin plastomers and ethylene-propylene or ethylene-propylene-diene monomer elastomers.

Provided are techniques for generating optical vector beams (e.g., radially and azimuthally polarized light) using passive or active phase stable optical interferometry. Techniques may split an input optical beam into at least two output beams, and then couple those beams simultaneously into a passively phase stable optical interferometer. Beam splitting may be achieved by a diffractive optical element and coupling may be achieved by a single refractive optical device (lenses) or by a single mirror device (e.g., parabolic and spherical). The interferometer may provide the ability to manipulate (or transform) the polarization of part of the wavefront of each beam, as well as the ability to manipulate (or transform) the phase of part of the wavefront of each beam, such that the beams when combined have a vector beam polarization state.

A buck-boost converter of an H bridge type having a function for initially charging a smoothing output capacitor without a relay and a rush current preventing resistance. A compact and flat power supply is attained by employing a current critical mode H bridge system for a PFC converter and providing a function of initially charging a smoothing output capacitor to a converter circuit.

The present invention is directed to improvements for distributed antenna systems and more particularly to methods and systems for improving uplink communications. In one embodiment, Aggregation Point Noise Blocking provides for blocking or filtering the noise contributed by one or more of the branches coupled to an aggregation point that are not carrying the signal from a particular terminal. Signal activity from a given terminal on a particular branch can be identified and that information can be used to selectively block or filter the signal noise contributed by the other branches to an aggregation point. The selective blocking or filtering can also include an attenuation function to attenuate the signal and provide dynamic range smoothing. In another embodiment the signal can be regenerated to produce a signal that has a restored or very high SNR. An uplink regeneration block can be provided which demodulates the uplink signal to recover the transmitted information and then re-modulates the transmitted information to regenerate a signal at a restored or very high SNR.

Methods and compositions for additive manufacturing that include reactive or thermosetting polymers, such as urethanes and epoxies. The polymers are melted, partially cross-linked prior to the depositing, deposited to form a component object, solidified, and fully cross-linked. These polymers form networks of chemical bonds that span the deposited layers. Application of a directional electromagnetic field can be applied to aromatic polymers after deposition to align the polymers for improved bonding between the deposited layers.

The present invention discloses a heat adhesive biodegradable bicomponent fiber comprising a polylactic-acid-based low melting component and a high melting component, wherein the low melting component constitutes the sheath of the fiber, and the high melting component constitutes the core of the fiber. The material of the low melting component comprises unmodified polylactic acid or a blending with unmodified polylactic acid and modified polylactic acid. The modified polylactic acid is modified by blending unsaturated dicarboxylic acid, unsaturated anhydride or their derivatives with polylactic acid. The bicomponent fiber provided in this invention is biodegradable, environmentally benign and with excellent bonding performance to polylactic acid fibers, chemical fibers and cellulose fibers.

A process chamber is provided which includes a gate configured to align barriers with an opening of the gate and an opening of the process chamber such that the two openings are either sealed or provide an air passage to the chamber. A method is provided and includes sealing an opening of a chamber with a gate latch and exposing a topography to a first set of process steps, opening the gate latch such that an air passage is provided to the process chamber, and exposing the topography to a second set of process steps without allowing liquids within the chamber to flow through the air passage. A substrate holder comprising a clamping jaw with a lever and a support member coupled to the lever is also contemplated herein. A process chamber with a reservoir arranged above a substrate holder is also provided herein.

An internal combustion engine/water source system for a vehicle powered by a internal combustion engine wherein liquid water is produced by cooling a portion of engine exhaust gases in a vortex tube to induce condensation. In one embodiment, engine exhaust gases are pumped into the vortex tube by a compressor. After removing a portion of water vapor, cooled exhaust gases may be re-introduced to engine's combustion chamber thereby providing an exhaust gas recirculation. In an automotive vehicle, liquid water generated by the invention may be collected and provided to an electrolytic cell for electrolysis into gaseous hydrogen to reduce exhaust pollutants during cold engine start. Alternatively, water generated by the invention may be injected into engine combustion chamber to increase power and to reduce production of nitrogen oxides.

A display device includes a display panel having pixels arranged in a matrix form, a driving circuit for outputting an analog voltage according to a video signal to the pixels through signal lines, a plurality of measuring circuits each for detecting the amount of transmitted light, a single totalizing circuit for totalizing the results of measurements made by the measuring circuits, and a control circuit for adjusting a potential on a common electrode of the display panel in accordance with the result of the totalization from the totalizing circuit. The results of measurements made by the plurality of measuring circuits are totalized by the single totalizing circuit.

A continuous intersecting braided composite preform including a first member with at least one ply of biased fibers and a second member also with at least one ply of biased fiber. The first member intersects with the second member and passes continuously through the second member such that the biased fibers of the first member are interstitially arranged with respect to the biased fibers of the second member at the intersection.