20349results about How to "Improve response" patented technology

A method and apparatus for distributing, generating, and redeeming discount Virtual Coupons TM , rebate or gift certificates or the like which may be used on conjunction with a frequency card program or the like. Virtual Coupons TM may be distributed electronically, for example, in the form of a diskette or CD-ROM software. Software on the diskette or CD-ROM may prompt a consumer to call a 1-800 number for a validation number or code. During the phone call, telemarketing personnel may request consumer demographic and or identification information which may be entered into a centralized database. Once the software is validated, a consumer may print out a list selected Virtual Coupons TM displayed on a Graphical User Interface (GUI). When a product is purchased, the UPC code of the product may be compared electronically with a list of Virtual Coupons TM authorized for a particular consumer. An appropriate coupon discount may then be applied and the Virtual Coupon TM may be considered "redeemed". Once redeemed, consumer ID information and Virtual Coupon TM information may be retrieved electronically and used to update a central database. Accurate data may then be produced illustrating which consumers or groups of consumers are redeeming which Virtual Coupons TM . Such data may be used for marketing purposes or to generated further diskettes for distribution targeting specific consumers or groups of consumers with specific classes of Virtual Coupon TM offerings. The use of Virtual Coupons TM eliminates or reduces fraud, and allows a frequency card discount to be applied only a limited number of times.

Methods of treating cancer and infectious diseases utilizing a treatment regimen comprising administering a compound that reduces inhibitory signal transduction in T cells, in combination with a potentiating agent, such as cyclophosphamide, to produce potent T cell mediated responses, are described. Compositions comprising the PD-1 antagonists and potentiating agents useful in the methods of the invention are also disclosed.

Films are deposited on a substrate by a process in which atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used to deposit one layer of the film and pulsed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is used to deposit another layer of the film. During the ALD part of the process, a layer is formed by flowing sequential and alternating pulses of mutually reactive reactants that deposit self-limitingly on a substrate. During the pulsed CVD part of the process, another layer is deposited by flowing two CVD reactants into a reaction chamber, with at least a first of the CVD reactants flowed into the reaction chamber in pulses, with those pulses overlapping at least partially with the flow of a second of the CVD reactants. The ALD and CVD parts of the process ca be used to deposit layers with different compositions, thereby forming, e.g., nanolaminate films. Preferably, high quality layers are formed by flowing the second CVD reactant into the reaction chamber for a longer total duration than the first CVD reactant. In some embodiments, the pulses of the third reactant at separated by a duration at least about 1.75 times the length of the pulse. Preferably, less than about 8 monolayers of material are deposited per pulse of the first CVD reactant.

Compositions, apparatus incorporating a composition, and methods of use are described, one composition embodiment consisting essentially of one or more reactive metals in major proportion, and one or more alloying elements in minor proportion, with the provisos that the composition is high-strength, controllably reactive, and degradable under defined conditions. Compositions of the invention may exist in a variety of morphologies, including a reactive metal or degradable alloy processed into an alloy of crystalline, amorphous or mixed structure that may constitute the matrix of other composition, for instance a composite. Methods of using apparatus comprising a composition, particularly in oilfield operations are also described (e.g. flow and displacement control, sensors, actuators). This abstract allows a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure. It will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

A method for forming a SiN or SiCN film in a trench on a substrate by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) conducts one or more process cycles, each process cycle including: (i) feeding a precursor in a pulse to a reaction space where the substrate is place, said precursor having a Si—N—Si bond in its skeletal structure to which at least one halogen group is attached; and (ii) applying RF power to the reaction space in the presence of a reactant gas and in the absence of any precursor to form a monolayer constituting a SiN or SiCN film.

A system and method for the distribution of individualized multimedia content over a network to a number of recipients. The system assembles a message containing multimedia content which is extracted from a media content repository in response to information about the intended recipient. The multimedia content is thereby individualized for the particular recipient; for example an individualized audio greeting containing with audio annunciation of the recipient's name within multimedia message. Multimedia elements may be variously combined within an individualized message containing audio, graphics, text, animations, video, and / or ecommerce / transaction primitives. The system provides the ability to develop and manage the multimedia content repository, control the distribution of the individualized multimedia content, and report on system activity. By way of example and not of limitation, the individualized content may be delivered through an email to the recipient as part of an email campaign, as a multimedia message through other networks, or as graphic and text output on a printer.

A delivery system for a drug or bioactive agent includes an implantable pump and a delivery conduit that may be implanted in an organ or other tissue (e.g., the central or the peripheral nervous system) of a subject. A sensor is also implanted, and a controller unit receives the sensor output and directs drug delivery from within the patient pump accordingly. The sensor directly measures a primary biochemical material or state in the tissue or organ system, and the monitoring unit effects closed loop feedback control of the pump to achieve a desired end. The end may be the regulation of metabolism or maintenance of a stable metabolic or other state, or may be treatment regimen, e.g., by delivery of a dosage level or distribution of a drug in specific brain or nervous an system tissue. The sensed material may be the agent itself, a metabolite, or a related native material, tissue state or condition.

The present invention relates to transducers, their use and fabrication. The transducers convert between mechanical and electrical energy. Some transducers of the present invention include a pre-strained polymer. The pre-strain improves the conversion between electrical and mechanical energy. The present invention also relates to devices including an electroactive polymer to convert between electrical and mechanical energy. The present invention further relates to compliant electrodes that conform to the shape of a polymer included in a transducer. The present invention provides methods for fabricating electromechanical devices including one or more electroactive polymers.

The present invention features PD-1 binding proteins, a subset of which inhibits binding of PD-L1 to the PD-1 receptor. These binding proteins can be employed to modulate the immune system through the manipulation of the PD-1 signaling pathway, enhancing host immunity to treat infections and cancer.

The invention provides a technique for serving relatively non-static content in a CDN (content delivery network). Content is pushed out from an originating server to a set of mirroring servers using differential caching. Each requestable object is separated into template and delta information. The originating server determines templates for differential caching, and causes those templates to be distributed using the CDN. Each mirroring server in the CDN is able to access a copy of a recent template for each request. Hosting of the template information is decoupled from hosting of the delta information. Delta information can include (a) changes to the template information since last distributed, or (b) personalized information specific to the client or to the request. Delta information can be served separately from the originating server, or can be served separately from mirroring servers using a CDN (possibly the same CDN as used to serve template information).