847results about How to "Address rising prices" patented technology

A mobile content delivery system that optimizes the delivery of especially bandwidth-consuming content (or the flow of any peak-hour data traffic) in a way that best utilizes the free capacity in the radio network, thus enabling considerably more efficient usage of the radio capacity. It also allows new services and pricing structures to be used in the cellular network, that otherwise would not be possible. The class of delivery of message content can be selected by the user on a transaction basis, or subscription-based and pre-defined in a user profile. By choosing a scheduled delivery the user can receive the content at a fraction of the price compared to instant delivery, since the content is sent at a time when the network is least utilized.

A security network for a building using at least one RFID reader to communicate with at least one RFID transponder to provide the radio link between each of a number of openings and a control function capable of causing an alert in the event of an intrusion. A gateway provides an interface between the security network and various external networks. The control function can be located in either or both of the RFID reader and the gateway. The RFID transponder is connected to an intrusion sensor. The gateway can communicate with the RFID reader using active RF communications, power-line communications protocol, or hardwire connection. The RFID transponder can contain an energy store. The RFID reader contains means for transferring power to an RFID transponder for the purpose of charging any energy store. The security network can contain more than one RFID reader.

A system and method for incentivizing holders of financial accounts, e.g., credit card account holders, to engage in certain activities with those accounts. Account holders may be provided an up-front incentive based on a commitment to engage in certain account activities in the future. If the account holder fails to satisfy his commitment, at least a portion of the value of the incentive may be charged to a customer account. Rewards provided to an account holder to encourage particular account activities also may include merchandise rewards, discounts and rebates or entries into a lottery type drawing for prizes.

A multi-level meshed security network. The network includes a first level having a plurality of base units, supporting relatively high power RF communications, and a controller function. The second level has a plurality of transponders, supporting relatively low power RF communications, and at least one sensor. Each of the components of the first level communicates with each other and with each of the components of the second level.

A security network for use in a building with an opening to be monitored for possible intrusion. The network includes an intrusion sensor monitoring the opening; an RFID transponder associated with the sensor; an RFID reader in wireless communication with the transponder; and a portable telephone handset having first keys activating conventional telephone capability and second keys activating interaction with the other security network components. The handset wirelessly communicates with the reader. The reader may take the form of a security cradle for the handset. Alternatively, the reader may take the form of a telephone console. The console has keys enabling a user to dial remote telephone numbers; circuitry adapted to receive wireless communications from the transponder; circuitry in wireless communication with the handset; circuitry in communication with an external network; and a processor executing program code enabling the handset to communicate with the external network via the telephone console.

An RFID transponder with an associated sensor used in a security network including at least one RFID reader that transmits signals at a first frequency. The transponder has a processor controlling its other components. Transmitter circuitry coupled to a transmit antenna transmits signals to the reader at a second frequency. A receive antenna receives signals in a frequency band that includes the first frequency. One or more RF diodes obtain the signal from the receive antenna and output a power envelope signal representing the power level of the signal obtained from the receive antenna. An amplifier coupled to the output of the RF diode amplifies the power envelope signal received from the RF diode. The processor receives the amplified power envelope signal and decodes any data that have been encoded using an on-off keyed modulation scheme applied to the signal obtained from the receive antenna.

The invention is a biometric information input device including biometric information collection means for reading a relatively-moving living body site and successively collecting a plurality of partial images of the living body site as biometric information, movement direction detection means for detecting a movement direction of the living body site with respect to the biometric information collection means based on the biometric information collected by the biometric information collection means, and coordinate conversion means for performing a coordinate conversion on the biometric information collected by the biometric information collection means using the movement direction detected by the movement direction detection means, thereby allowing the device to be used irrespective of a direction in which a living body is swept when biometric information is entered.

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.

An improved crimping mechanism well-suited for use with stented prosthetic heart valves. The crimping mechanism includes a plurality of jaws configured for linear non-rotational movement toward a central axis. A rotational plate is formed with a plurality of spiral grooves or tracks for engaging the jaws. Rotational movement of the spiral tracks produces linear movement of the jaws. Nesting of the inner ends of the jaws permits each to be acted on along different radial lines while their inner faces move together evenly to reduce the crimping aperture in a smooth fashion. The crimping mechanism is particularly well-suited for use with stented prosthetic heart valves, such as a prosthetic aortic valve, though it can also be applied to other stented heart valves, venous valves, and even stent grafts which tend to be fairly large.

An entertainment system has a personal computer as the heart of the system with a large screen VGA quality monitor as the display of choice. The system has digital satellite broadcast reception, decompression and display capability with multiple radio frequency remote control devices which transmit self identifying signals and have power adjustment capabilities. These capabilities are used to provide context sensitive groups of keys which may be defined to affect only selected applications running in a windowing environment. In addition, the remote control devices combine television and VCR controls with standard personal computer keyboard controls. A keyboard remote also integrates a touchpad which is food contamination resistant and may also be used for user verification. Included in the system is the ability to recognize verbal communications in video signals and maintain a database of such text which is searchable to help identify desired programming in real time.

A transceiver is provided that can adapt itself to operate as an RF tag reader or as a bluetooth transceiver by changing its reception and transmission capabilities. The cost and area of an additional transceiver where both a bluetooth transceiver and an RF tag reader are required is avoided. The same radio part is used for both bluetooth and for RF tag reader operation. Since the operation band is the same, there is no need to change the center frequency of the resonance needed by the radio front-end. Software controlled adaptivity is included due to the different nature of these systems so that the mode of the radio hardware can be programmed easily and on the fly. This provides a software defined architecture tailored for bluetooth/RF tag operation. This invention integrates two different systems to one transceiver chip giving cost and space savings by reusing existing analog parts.

An RFID reader for use in a security network based upon RFID techniques. The RFID reader can use wireless communications to communicate with RFID transponders and other devices in the security network. The RFID reader of the security network can be provided with multiple modulation techniques, multiple antennas, and the capability to vary its power level and carrier frequency. The RFID reader can transmit RF energy useful for detecting motion or for charging the batteries in RFID transponders. The RFID reader can contain an audio transducer, a camera, or various environmental sensors to detect parameters such as smoke, temperature, and water, among others. The program code of the RFID reader can be updated. A master controller within the security network can control operations within the RFID reader.

Transactional costs associated with providing professional services are reduced by enabling prospective clients/patients and professional service providers to competitively negotiate fees for proffered services through an interactive on-line professional services auction transaction system implemented over a publicly accessible communications network such as the Internet. A separate on-line auction transaction system, which shares database resources with the professional services auction transaction system, is also provided for implementing an arrangement for auctioning options to purchase services at a discount-such as discount coupons that are applicable toward fees charged for proffered professional services. A person-to-person network marketing arrangement for rewarding existing member professional service providers for recruiting prospective new service provider members and training them in the use of the on-line auction transaction systems is also fostered and supported via the on-line professional services auction transaction system.

A fast food restaurant and method of operating a fast food restaurant, the restaurant having an order and staging station for drive through customers. The order and staging station has a plurality of order stalls for customer vehicles, each order stall having an order panel with a menu display and a touch screen or voice or speech activator for self-service menu item selection and order placement. The order panel also has a payment acceptor and an order status reporter. The customer vehicle remains in the order stall until the customer is notified that the order is ready for pickup at a delivery station.

A secondary battery module includes a battery information storage unit for storing electric characteristic information and usage history information of the secondary battery module. A battery information management device and a terminal device respectively include interfaces to be connected to the secondary battery module. The battery information management device is provided with a battery information database. The battery information management device is connected to the terminal device through a communications network. In this way, battery information stored in the battery information storage unit, which is acquired by the battery information management device and the terminal device, is accumulated in the battery information database. Moreover, the battery information management device grades the secondary battery module for reuse based on the battery information and a predetermined threshold.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip and leads electrically connected to the electrodes of the semiconductor chip. A hollow radiator base houses the semiconductor device which is molded with high-thermal-conductivity resin having an electrical insulating property. The radiator base has a cooling-medium channel therein or radiating fins on the outside. Alternatively, the radiator base is housed in a second radiator base.

A flash memory system includes a flash controller for controlling operation of at least two flash memory devices. A page buffer is allocated within each flash memory device, such that one page buffer functions as a designated target buffer and another page buffer functions as a mirror buffer. The flash controller transmits the page data to two flash memory devices simultaneously, such that no backup of the page data is required to be kept in the flash controller. Hence, there is no delay in writing the next page data from a host computer to the flash controller.