475results about How to "Improvement efforts" patented technology

In the volume pricing methodology, a seller initially establishes a price structure for a product which provides for lower prices as larger quantities of the product are purchased. The price structure is electronically made available to potential buyers of the product. For example, the price structure may be displayed on an Internet site. The sellers further establish an “open session” period during which orders for the product are accepted. During the open session period, multiple buyers are able to place orders for the product up to a maximum available quantity. At the end of the open session, the total quantity of products collectively ordered by all of the buyers is calculated. Based on the total quantity ordered, the final price to all buyers is the lowest price provided from the price structure regardless of whether the lowest price had been reached at the time a particular buyer placed their order during the open session.

In the volume pricing methodology, a seller initially establishes a price structure for a product which provides for lower prices as larger quantities of the product are purchased. The price structure is electronically made available to potential buyers of the product. For example, the price structure may be displayed on an Internet site. The sellers further establish an “open session” period during which orders for the product are accepted. During the open session period, multiple buyers are able to place orders for the product up to a maximum available quantity. At the end of the open session, the total quantity of products collectively ordered by all of the buyers is calculated. Based on the total quantity ordered, the final price to all buyers is the lowest price provided from the price structure regardless of whether the lowest price had been reached at the time a particular buyer placed their order during the open session.

A lift and transfer apparatus for patient has a wheeled support base, and a main support post; the base has an upwards projecting securing portion, which has a locating room defined by front and rear short plates, and left and right inverted L shaped long plates, which each has an inverted L shaped guiding slot; the post is inserted into the locating room at lower end, and secured to the securing portion with bolts, a second one of which bolts is passed through the slots, and the post; thus, the slots allows the post to be displaced towards rear side of the apparatus until the second bolt abuts slot upper rear ends after the other bolts have been removed, and the second bolt loosened, and after the post is pivoted downwards for folding the apparatus, and length of the apparatus, in folded position, can be reduced.

A method for promoting the sale of a substitute product at the point of sale (POS). At least one POS terminal communicates with a POS server which in turn communicates with various manufacturer servers to transmit information therebetween. Upon the presentation of an original product for purchase by a consumer at a POS terminal, various manufacturers may decide to offer a substitute product to the consumer, prior to completing the purchase of the original product. As such, various manufacturers may offer promotional offers to encourage the buyer to favorably “switch” products. If the customer accepts the offer, the point of sale terminal completes the sale of the substitute product.

A method and a device for event interpretation and output of operating instructions in motor vehicles are described. The inventive idea is to bundle the wealth of information regarding errors and / or defects resulting from the multitude of sensors and the complexity of modern vehicles, optionally linking it with empirical findings and outputting operating instructions to the driver, so that the instructions do not make excessive technical demands of the driver but instead are adapted to his / her instantaneous situation. The core of the inventive concept is to use an electronic database which contains the technical information including the error codes of devices of the automotive sensor and electronic systems for analysis of event information which informs the driver comprehensively and yet comprehensibly regarding the problems that have occurred. Likewise the database may be the target of an inquiry initiated by the driver.

A system is provided for providing travel time information for a plurality of positions on an electronic map. The system provides map data including information on road segments, determines a plurality of road segment travel times based on the map data, selects a plurality of positions for which travel time information is to provided, determines a travel time for each of these positions in dependence on the road segment travel times, and displays an optical indicator for the travel times on an electronic map.

A vehicle steering apparatus includes a steering input section having at least a steering wheel to which steering input is applied, and a steering output section having at least a steering rack shaft and operatively associated with left and right steered wheels for steering the steered wheels by steering-rack-shaft movement produced by a steering force determined based on the steering input and transmitted directly or indirectly to the steering rack shaft. The steering rack shaft is split into left and right movable rack shaft portions. Also provided is a steer angle converter enabling a differential rack stroke between left and right rack strokes of the left and right movable rack shaft portions. The steer angle converter is constructed by at least one of a variable-pitch dual rack arrangement and a dual taper-pulley arrangement of a cable back-up mechanism.

An apparatus and method in which the portions of the labyrinth associated with the labyrinthine sense and / or the nerves associated therewith are stimulated to perform at least one of the following functions: augment or control a patient's respiratory function, open the patient's airway, induce sleep, and / or counteract vertigo. In one embodiment, the vestibular stimulating system of the present invention includes 1) a stimulation element that performs the actual stimulation of the tissue, 2) a sensor to detect a physiological condition of the patient, and 3) a power / control unit that receives the signals provided by the sensor and causes stimulation energy to be provided to the stimulation element at an appropriate timing, level, pattern, and / or frequency to achieve the desired function. However, the present invention also contemplates eliminating the sensor in favor of applying a predetermined pattern of stimulation to the patient.

The invention relates to chiral compounds of formula I,to liquid crystal mixtures comprising at least one chiral compound of formula I, to chiral linear or crosslinked liquid crystal polymers obtainable by polymerizing a polymerizable mixture comprising at least one chiral compound of formula I, to the use of chiral compound of formula I and mixtures and polymers obtained thereof in liquid crystal displays, active and passive optical elements, adhesives, synthetic resins with anisotropic mechanical properties, cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions, diagnostics, liquid crystal pigments, for decorative and security applications, nonlinear optics, optical information storage or as chiral dopants, and to a liquid crystal display comprising a mixture comprising at least one chiral compound of formula I.

An implantable medical device for treating the back of a patient. Stimulation energy is delivered to muscles or joint capsules or ligaments or nerve fibers to improve the heath of the back.