71results about How to "Less noticeable" patented technology

Disclosed is an orthodontic appliance for straightening misaligned teeth. The orthodontic appliance is made of a shape memory polymer, and is formed in a cap-shaped tray capable of covering the maxillary or mandibular teeth. An original shape of the tray-type orthodontic appliance made of the shape memory polymer is identical to that of perfectly aligned teeth obtained after orthodontic treatment, and a temporarily formed shape of the tray-type orthodontic appliance is identical to that of the teeth alignment of a patient before orthodontic treatment. The tray-type orthodontic appliance is restored to the original shape memorized at a temperature above a specified glass transition temperature. The orthodontic appliance can be easily manufactured to perform orthodontic treatment, also providing appealing esthetics, in which the orthodontic appliance can be colored to be identical to a tooth with inexpensive manufacturing cost.

An optically unnoticeable and acoustically improved behind-the-ear hearing device having a housing which can be worn behind the ear, a signal processing facility which is arranged in the housing, and which comprises an optoelectrical converter, and at least one optical microphone is provided. The optical microphone is arranged outside the housing and can be positioned in the concha or in the auditory canal. Furthermore, the optical microphone is connected to the signal processing facility by way of an optical wave guide for optical signal transmission purposes. An optical microphone of this type can be realized small and in an unnoticeable fashion on / in an otoplastic, such that during the acoustic recording, the typical frequency behavior through the concha can also be used.

A system and method for printing aqueous ink jet ink in selected areas of nonabsorbent and semi-nonabsorbent substrates includes applying an ink-receptive coating having an aesthetically pleasing appearance in the selected areas, for example with printing station having a printing and drying unit for applying the ink-receptive coating in the desired area or areas of the substrate and then drying the coating, and printing an aqueous ink jet ink in the coated area with a CIJ, TIJ, pr PIJ printer. Variable print may be printed with the ink jet ink in a high speed process.

A constrained variable rate coding technique limits the number of bits used in an encoding process. A quality setting indicates a maximum level of quality to be used in the encoding process which limits the number of bits used in the encoding process. A bandwidth reclamation factor which indicates an amount of bandwidth to conserve may also be used with the quality setting. The constrained variable rate coding technique using a lower quality encoding process for less complex video data and a higher quality encoding technique for higher quality video data.

Disclosed is a sanitary napkin including a liquid absorbent layer and a liquid-permeable topsheet covering a body surface of the liquid absorbent layer. The topsheet is joined to the liquid absorbent layer in a specific pattern. The pattern includes longitudinal join lines which extend longitudinally and are laterally spaced from each other and a connecting join line which connects the longitudinal join lines. The liquid absorbent layer has a low stiffness portion in a region enclosed by the longitudinal join lines and the connecting join line. The liquid absorbent layer has a lower stiffness in the low stiffness portion than in portions outside the longitudinal join lines.

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for reducing the audio-visual synchronization problems (e.g.—“lip sync” problems) in corresponding audio and video streams by adapting a statistical distribution of temporal errors to create a new statistical distribution of temporal errors. The new statistical distribution of temporal errors being substantially within an acceptable synchronization tolerance window which is less offensive to a viewer / listener.

Individuals want to look their best because when they look good, they feel good. It affects not only how they perceive themselves, but also how others perceive them. Unfortunately, many individuals don't look as good as they would like. And even more frustrating, they don't know how to produce their optimal facial look. Imagine a plain or average looking woman being able to transform herself into a very pretty woman. Imagine an already pretty woman being able to transform herself into a gorgeous woman. The Perfect Shape™ Makeover Process empowers individuals to achieve this magical transformation. Confidence, self-esteem, perception, and respect are enhanced in very positive ways. This is something individuals want on a universal, world-wide level. The Perfect Shape™ Makeover Process instructs the client how to use makeup to reshape each of these facial features to the ultimate of what they have to work with.

A method and apparatus for detecting banding artifacts in digital images and video contents. The method operates to (i) find the locations of the banding artifacts, (ii) determine the strength of the banding artifact per block, and (iii) determine overall banding artifact strength per picture. The banding artifact detection and strength assignment is done by first finding areas that are prone to banding artifact and then considering the local characteristics of the area to reduce the false detection. The banding artifact strength of a picture is determined by considering the size and the strength of the artifact areas in this picture as well as the artifact strength in the neighboring pictures.

The present invention relates to a fixator for aligning and setting a fractured bone with an internal canal, such as a Colles' fracture of the radius. The fixator includes two positioning wires and at least one pinball fastener. An elongated portion of each wire is inserted through either the radial styloid process or the dorso-ulnar cortex and into the intramedullary canal. A shaped portion of each wire extends from the wrist. The lateral portion of the shaped portions are coplanar when viewed from above and their overlapping portions are in side-by-side relation when viewed from the side. The external portions are also preferably curved with concentric overlapping portions so that the fixator resembles a bracelet. When necessary, the fixator includes additional interfragmentary stabilizing wires that are securely joined to the positioning wires. Crimp sleeves can be used in conjunction with the pinballs to securely join the wires.

A moving picture compression coding apparatus divides a screen into at least three regions and performs compression coding for the at least three regions by encoding units. The moving picture compression coding apparatus includes a coding control unit configured to control the encoding units to encode the data for different regions in parallel and to control the encoding such that the data for an upper region out of two adjacent upper and lower regions in the vicinity of the center of the screen of the at least three regions is encoded prior to the encoding of the data for the lower region or such that the data for a left region of two adjacent left and right regions in the vicinity of the center of the screen of the at least three regions is encoded prior to the encoding of the data for the right region.

An anti-smudge body having a surface that, when fingerprints adhere to the surface, allows the fingerprint patterns to spread spontaneously to thereby cause them to become less noticeable has the surface and a plurality of protrusions provided thereto. The protrusions contain at least one of a first compound having an ester linkage in a portion other than terminal ends and a second compound having a cyclic hydrocarbon group.

Provided is an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel (4) having an operating surface that is provided with anti-glare properties and low visibility of fingerprints. A textured surface satisfying all of the following conditions ‘a’ to ‘d’ is provided on the operating surface side of the electrostatic capacitance type touch panel (4). Condition ‘a’: Ra (arithmetic mean roughness) of 0.1-0.5 μm. Condition ‘b’: RΔq (root-mean-square gradient) of 2° or greater. Condition ‘c’: Rsm (mean spacing between profile peaks) of 0.1 mm or less. Condition ‘d’: Rp (maximum peak height) of 1.0 μm or less. All of these values are measured in accordance with JIS B0601:2001.

A drain pipe coupling for connecting a primary pipe having a primary width ω1 to two or more secondary pipes, said secondary pipes having a secondary width shorter than the primary width of the primary pipe, said drain pipe coupling having a cuff for connecting to the primary pipe and a transition portion connecting to the secondary openings; a downspout extension terminating in a collapsible, extendable and flexible low profile corrugated discharge pipe having a substantially symmetrical oblong cross section but not having any internal supports; a reducing insert adapter for connecting a 2 inch rectangular downspout to a 4 inch rectangular cuff comprising a first open adapter-end sized to engage with the rectangular cuff and a second open adapter-end sized to engage with the open end of said second rectangular gravity-flow drain pipe; and a gravity-flow drain pipe having a camouflage pattern displayed on a portion of the outer surface of the pipe.

A method of treating undesired veins includes inserting a needle into a segment of an undesired vein, injecting a sclerosing agent through the needle into the undesired vein to initiate occlusion of the vein, and removing the needle from the undesired vein. The method further includes inserting a needle of a fluid delivery system into the surrounding tissue of the undesired vein, and delivering a tumescent solution through the needle of the fluid delivery system into the surrounding tissue of the vein to increase compression to the vein. A surgical apparatus for treating undesired veins includes a fluid source to store the fluid and a fluid transmitting device. A fluid delivery tube having first and second lumens is coupled to the fluid transmitting device. A first needle is in fluid communication with the first lumen and a second needle is in fluid communication with the second lumen.

Systems and methods in which an ultrasonic signal is introduced into an audio signal before the audio signal is amplified by a switching amplifier. The added ultrasonic signal (e.g., a tone at half the amplifier's switching frequency) shifts the signals input to a set of power switches so that they do not switch nearly simultaneously. The ultrasonic signal causes the output current to be well defined to eliminate dead time distortion at low signal levels. Adding the tone ultrasonic signal causes the distortion to shift to an amplitude greater than zero. Signals that exceed this amplitude will experience the distortion, but the distortion will be less noticeable than in lower-amplitude signals. Signals that do not exceed this amplitude will not experience the distortion at all. Adding an ultrasonic signal may also draw energy away from the switch frequency and its harmonics to interference with AM radio reception.

A multiple resolution imaging system employs an array of imaging devices each tracing a helical pattern on a recording medium. The imaging devices may be activated sequentially along multiple interlaced helical paths to allow a selectable image resolution with reduced imaging artifacts.

The invention relates to a method for producing an effectively invisible gemstone setting by casting a wax model of the setting and inserting a flange or post between the stones and into the floor of the setting, or into a depression or aperture on the floor of the setting, in order to secure the stones placed in the wax model of the setting. The flange is shaped so that the majority of its body is hidden beneath the gemstones and so that a narrowed portion of the flange engages the sides or girdles of the gemstones. The upper portion of the flange has sloped sides and may reflect light to and from the crown of the gemstones mounted in the setting.

The invention is an electronic cigarette vaporiser system operable in a ‘discrete’ mode to reduce the amount of vapour produced by a vaporiser that forms part of the system, compared to a normal mode. The ‘discrete’ mode causes the vapour produced to be less visible or noticeable, compared to a normal mode.

Smoke alarm comprising at least one internal chamber, which chamber has at least one opening towards the surroundings, such that air may pass through the chamber, and where means are provided for emitting light and means for detecting said light is provided in or around said chamber, where the change in light intensity registered by the means generates a smoke alarm.

An OLED device comprised of: an OLED means for generating light, two or more conductive elements adapted for conducting current, a first substrate for mounting the OLED means and the two or more conductive elements, wherein the substrate has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the OLED means is in contact with the first surface and the two or more conductive elements are mounted to the second surface.

The invention is related two a new kind of pre-processing for plasma display panel control. The plasma display technology has the drawback of a reduced grey scale portrayal. This is due to the fact that contrarily to CRTs where luminance is approximately quadratic to the applied cathode voltage, luminance is linear to the number of discharge pulses in PDPs. Therefore, an approximately quadratic degamma function has to be applied to the input video signal components R,G,B before sub-field coding can be done. Truncation to 8-bit video data is required, so that the effect of the degamma function cannot be fully maintained. Especially in the region of small video levels, where the eye sensitivity is high, the grey scale portrayal is poor. According to the invention it is proposed to use a new kind of dithering, adapted to the PDP specialities to improve the grey scale portrayal. These adaptation includes three dithering specialities which can he used singly or in combination. These are: cell-based dithering, i.e. to each colour component R, G, B of a pixel separate dithering numbers are added; object / region-based dithering, i.e. the set of disposable dithering numbers is made dependent on the region / object in the video picture; the set of disposable dithering numbers is made dependent on the video (signal) level.