8541results about How to "Easy to optimize" patented technology

A staple line buttress material having an adhesive surface, packaged and provided in sterile, ready-to-use form. The material can be used to retrofit surgical staplers to provide an improved staple line, and with improved ease of use.

Improved podcasts and techniques that facilitate their use are disclosed. The improved techniques can pertain to creating, publishing, hosting, accessing, subscribing, managing, transferring, and / or playing podcasts. According to one aspect, a client application can subscribe to podcasts and then automatically monitor the podcasts for updates to be downloaded. In the event that user interest in a podcast becomes inadequate, downloading of further updates can be restricted. According to another aspect, a podcast can be subscribed to through use of a portable subscription file. According to still another aspect, podcast feeds can be enhanced to include segment elements and other metadata.

A novel system and method of predicting a user's rating of a new item in a collaborative filtering system is described. The invention incorporates social network information in addition to user ratings to make recommendations. The distance between users in the social network is used to enhance the estimate of user similarities for collaborative filtering. The social network can be constructed explicitly by users or deduced implicitly from observed interaction between users.

Methods, systems, and media for content ranking using real-time data are provided. In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, a method, implemented on a processor, for ranking content is provided. The method can include, among other things: receiving real-time information from a plurality of sources; supplementing the received real-time information with historical information and user influence information; analyzing the supplemented real-time information from the plurality of sources to determine real-time trend information; receiving a plurality of content snippets from a content provider; detecting similarities between each of the plurality of content snippets and the determined real-time trend information; ranking the plurality of content snippets based on the detected similarities; and displaying the ranked plurality of content snippets.

A magnetic stripe card manual swipe reader (MSR) unit capable of attaching to and communicating with a conventional personal digital assistant (PDA) from various manufacturers, using only the electrical power available as supplied by the PDA device, and capable of effective electrical power management and conservation operations. Additionally, this PDA attachable MSR unit is capable of recognizing multiple magnetic encoding formats and data record formats and converting said formats to a standardized output format, includes the capability of updating and adding new formats while in field service, and is readily allows verifying card data and encoding sensitive material prior to transmission to the PDA. These custom formats can then be used to fulfill current needs in age verification, law enforcement, security, and numerous other applications.

A system and method for improving digital flash photographs. The present invention is a technique that significantly improves low-light imaging by giving the end-user all the advantages of flash photography without producing the jarring look. The invention uses an image pair—one taken with flash the other without—to remove noise from the ambient image, sharpen the ambient image using detail from the flash image, correct for color, and remove red-eye.

A suturing apparatus is adapted for joining two objects which define a near side and a far side. The apparatus includes an elongate support structure having a working channel and an axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end. The structural support is adapted to be positioned over a guidewire extending between the two objects, in an operative position wherein the proximal end is disposed on the near side and the distal end as disposed on the far side. Removal of the guidewire permits use of a stylet for positioning a suture to extend within the working channel from the proximal end to the distal end. A pair of hooks are movable from a proximal position at the proximal end of the support structure through the objects and a pair of slots in the support structure, to a distal position wherein the hooks engage the suture within the working channel at the distal end of the support structure. The actuator is then operable to move the hooks and the engaged suture from the distal position to the proximal position in order to facilitate tying of the suture and joining of the two objects. Alternatively, suture loops can be carried through the objects by unidirectional hooks and into the working channel. The hooks can then be withdrawn leaving the suture loops in the working channel where they can be engaged by a snare and withdrawn proximally between the two objects. Suturing pledgets can be added to the suturing apparatus prior to operative disposition, and a backing member can be provided to support at least the pledgets when the hook passes through the object.

A replacement heart valve can have an expandable frame configured to engage a native valve annulus. A valve body can be mounted onto the expandable frame to provide functionality similar to a natural valve. The valve body has an upstream end and a downstream end, and a diameter at the downstream end is greater than a diameter at the upstream end.

Systems and methods for interoperable network token processing are provided. A network token system provides a platform that can be leveraged by external entities (e.g., third party wallets, e-commerce merchants, payment enablers / payment service providers, etc.) or internal payment processing network systems that have the need to use the tokens to facilitate payment transactions. A token registry vault can provide interfaces for various token requestors (e.g., mobile device, issuers, merchants, mobile wallet providers, etc.), merchants, acquirers, issuers, and payment processing network systems to request generation, use and management of tokens. The network token system further provides services such as card registration, token generation, token issuance, token authentication and activation, token exchange, and token life-cycle management.

An apparatus for sealing a passage through tissue includes a plug including external threads, a lumen extending between its proximal and distal ends, and an annular collet slidably disposed within the lumen. The plug is carried on a distal end of a handle device that includes an inner member with a distal end that is slidable axially within the lumen of the body for moving the collet into a reduced cross-sectional region of the lumen, thereby compressing the collet to seal the lumen, and for deploying the plug from the handle device. During use, the plug is threaded into a passage through tissue over a guide wire. Once a desired location is reached, the plug is deployed from the handle device, thereby compressing the collet and sealing the lumen. The guide wire and handle device are removed, leaving the plug to seal the passage.

Forming and maintaining a multi-source multi-tenant data repository on behalf of multiple tenants. Information in the multi-source multi-tenant data repository is received from multiple sources. Different sources and different data quality enhancement processes may yield different values for attributes of the same referred entity. Information in the multi-source multi-tenant data repository is tagged with annotations documenting the sources of the information, and any data quality processing actions applied to it. Tenants of the multi-source multi-tenant data repository have entitlement to values from some sources and to the results of some quality enhancement processes. Aspects of the method maintain this entitlement information; employ evolutionarily tracked source data tags; receive requests for information, locate the requested information, apply any sourcing preference, enforce entitlements and return entitled values to the requester. An outsourced reference data utility is one context where such a multi-source multi-tenant data repository is useful.

A system and method to intercept traffic at standard interface points as defined by Cellular / Wireless networks (GSM / GPRS, 3G / UMTS / HSDPA / HSUPA, CDMA, WIMAX, LTE), emulate the respective protocols on either side of the interception point, extract user / application payloads within the intercepted packets, perform optimizations, and re-encapsulate with the same protocol, and deliver the content transparently is disclosed. The optimizations include but are not limited to Content Caching, prediction & pre-fetching of frequently used content, performance of content-aware transport optimizations (TCP, UDP, RTP etc.) for reducing back-haul bandwidth, and improvement of user experience. An additional embodiment of the current invention includes injecting opportunistic content (location based, profile based or advertisement content) based on the information derived while monitoring control plane protocols.

The invention discloses a method for accelerating convolution neutral network hardware and an AXI bus IP core thereof. The method comprises the first step of performing operation and converting a convolution layer into matrix multiplication of a matrix A with m lines and K columns and a matrix B with K lines and n columns; the second step of dividing the matrix result into matrix subblocks with m lines and n columns; the third step of starting a matrix multiplier to prefetch the operation number of the matrix subblocks; and the fourth step of causing the matrix multiplier to execute the calculation of the matrix subblocks and writing the result back to a main memory. The IP core comprises an AXI bus interface module, a prefetching unit, a flow mapper and a matrix multiplier. The matrix multiplier comprises a chain type DMA and a processing unit array, the processing unit array is composed of a plurality of processing units through chain structure arrangement, and the processing unit of a chain head is connected with the chain type DMA. The method can support various convolution neutral network structures and has the advantages of high calculation efficiency and performance, less requirements for on-chip storage resources and off-chip storage bandwidth, small in communication overhead, convenience in unit component upgrading and improvement and good universality.

An apparatus for sealing a passage through tissue includes a bioabsorbable, threaded plug carried by a delivery device. A guide wire is receivable through lumens in the plug and delivery device that includes wings on a bioabsorbable distal portion. With the wings collapsed, the guide wire is advanced through the passage into a blood vessel, the wings expanding once located within the vessel, and the guide wire is withdrawn until the wings contact the vessel wall. The plug is threaded into the passage over the guide wire until the plug is disposed adjacent the wings. The distal portion of the guide wire is secured to the plug, e.g., by compressing a collet within the plug lumen that seals the lumen, and is severed from a proximal portion thereof. Thus, the plug and distal portion are deployed with the plug sealing the passage.

Opto-electrical systems having electrical and optical interconnections formed in thin layers are disclosed. In one set of preferred embodiments, optical signals are conveyed between layers by respective vertical optical couplers disposed on the layers. In other preferred embodiments, optical signals are conveyed by stack optical waveguide coupling means. Yet other preferred embodiments have electrical via means formed in one or more layers to covey electrical signals between two or more layers.

A transcutaneous recharging system for providing power to an implantable medical device comprises a primary side circuit for transmitting power in the form of magnetic flux; and a secondary side circuit integral to the implantable medical device for receiving the power transmitted from the primary side circuit and for providing the received power to recharge a battery in the implantable medical device, wherein the primary and secondary side circuits are not physically coupled. A variety of attachment configurations are disclosed for attaching and shielding the secondary circuit directly onto the housing of the implantable medical device, inclusive of flexible printed circuit coils and wire coils recessed into helical notches.

A system and method for the optimal allocation of investment funds among a portfolio of investments, and the optimal selection of candidate investments for the portfolio to optimize the financial risk of the investor relative to the financial returns. The system and method create risk tolerance functions for the investor which describe the investor's monetary utility through probability preferences with respect to specific currency amounts relative to the investor's overall assets restricted to the investors monetary range of interest. The risk tolerance function is then used in conjunction with a computed probability density function of the investment portfolio to create a probability density function of the investor's probability preferences with respect to the investor's risk tolerance function. The probability density function expresses the dispersion of risk preferences that the investor would experience as a result of the investment allocation. Investment funds are allocated to the investments of the portfolio by maximizing the expected value of the probability density function of the investor's probability preferences within a rich environment of possible parameters

The present invention provides for a magnet module adapted for use in an automatic shutdown assembly of a flip-up helmet mount for a night vision device, the magnet module comprising a vertically angled cavity with a substantially L-shaped profile, the cavity including a use end and a stowed end substantially opposite the use end and a bar magnet slidably received within the cavity and movable between the use end and the stowed end.

Music piece sequence data are composed of a plurality of event data which include performance event data and user event data designed for linking a voice to progression of a music piece. A plurality of voice data files are stored in a memory separately from the music piece sequence data. In music piece reproduction, the individual event data of the music piece sequence data are sequentially read out, and a tone signal is generated in response to each readout of the performance event data. In the meantime, a voice reproduction instruction is output in response to each readout of the user event data. In accordance with the voice reproduction instruction, a voice data file is selected from among the voice data files stored in the memory, and a voice signal is generated on the basis of each read-out voice data.

An apparatus for sealing a passage through tissue includes a threaded plug detachably carried on a distal end of a delivery device. A guide wire element is receivable through the lumens extending through the plug and delivery device that includes expandable wings adjacent its distal end, and markers adjacent its proximal end. During use, the guide wire element is advanced through a passage through tissue into a blood vessel. The wings on the distal end are expanded within the vessel, and the guide wire element withdrawn until the wings contact a wall of the vessel. The plug is threaded into the passage over the guide wire element until the markers appear from the delivery device, and released from the delivery device, thereby deploying the plug member adjacent the vessel to seal the passage.

A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system and associated techniques are disclosed. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types (e.g., printed paper as a first medium and digital content and / or web link as a second medium). In one particular embodiment, the MMR system includes an action processor and method, and MMR documents with an associated action. The MMR document structure is particularly advantageous because the ability to specify different actions for different MMR documents, combined with the ability to create any number of MMR documents for a particular location on any media, allows the MMR architecture to serve as a universal trigger or initiator for additional processing. In other words, addition processing or actions can be triggered or initiated based on MMR recognition. The action processor receives the output of the MMR recognition process which yields an MMR document including at least one action. The action processor executes that action which includes various commands to the MMR system or other systems coupled to the MMR system. The MMR system architecture is advantageous because an action can be executed by pointing the capture device at a block of text, and the action is performed. Example actions include retrieving the text in electronic form to the capture device, retrieving the specification for the action, inserting data to a MMR document, transferring data between documents, purchasing items, authoring actions or reviewing historical information about actions. The MMR system includes a variety of user applications (one or more actions) initiated by the MMR recognition of a text patch such as information retrieval for a travel guide book, stock listings or advertisements; information capture such as recording content from a conference, recording and storing multimedia associated with the document, capturing information for a calendar and on the fly authoring; purchasing media files for storage on any part of an MMR document.

A system and method provides location sensitive Web content in response to receiving location based Web content requests. Location information derived from multiple sources by a mobile terminal is included in a Web content request. Location tagged Web content is then retrieved via a Web server / search engine and filtered in accordance with the location / keyword information provided in the content request.

A personal electronic device includes a programmable display and a programmable keypad, wherein at least one of the programmable display and the programmable keypad includes a capacitive touch sensor and an EL panel in a unitary structure. A conductive layer shields the capacitive touch sensor from the EL panel and can be a separate layer or be incorporated into either the capacitive sensor or the EL panel. The conductive layer includes antimony tin oxide (ATO), other conductive oxide, or a conductive polymer, such as Orgacon™ 3010.

A multi-cyclone dust collector including at least one first cyclone forcing contaminants-laden air that is entered into a lower portion of the at least one first cyclone to whirl so as to centrifugally separate contaminants from the contaminants-laden air; and at least one second cyclone being disposed around the at least one first cyclone, the at least one second cyclone forcing semi-clean air that is discharged from the at least one first cyclone and is entered into a lower portion of the at least one second cyclone to whirl so as to centrifugally separate fine contaminants from the air.

The present invention comprises one or more microprocessors programmed to execute methods for improving the performance of an analyte monitoring device including prediction of glucose levels in a subject by utilizing a predicted slower-time constant (1 / k2). In another aspect of the invention, pre-exponential terms (1 / c2) can be used to provide a correction for signal decay (e.g., a Gain Factor). In other aspects, the present invention relates to one or more microprocessors comprising programming to control execution of (i) methods for conditional screening of data points to reduce skipped measurements, (ii) methods for qualifying interpolated / extrapolated analyte measurement values, (iii) various integration methods to obtain maximum integrals of analyte-related signals, as well as analyte monitoring devices comprising such microprocessors. Further, the present invention relates to algorithms for improved optimization of parameters for use in prediction models that require optimization of adjustable parameters.