1817results about How to "Increase engagement" patented technology

A selectively coupleable and remotely actuateable surgical attachment for use with an electromechanical driver device for use in expanding occluded vessels and lumens. The attachment includes an axial rod which is coupleable to the electromechanical driver device, and which is selectively rotateable in accordance with the action of the electromechanical driver device. The rod is also threaded in opposing orientations at either end thereof. A pair of nuts are mounted to the rod, and specifically on the opposing threads. The rod and nuts are disposed within an axial track which permits the rod to turn, but constrains the rotational motion of the nuts, thereby permitting the nuts to move axially along the threadings of the rod when the rod turns. Attached to the nuts are a series of jointed spokes which are coupled to a flexible tubular shroud which surrounds the entire assembly. The jointed spokes are radially extended and retracted in accordance with the motion of the nuts in an umbrella-like fashion in accordance with the actuation of the electromechanical driver device. The radial expansion of the flexible tubular shroud provides the necessary force to expand an occluded vessel or lumen.

A plurality of linked gaming machines are disclosed that enhance the community participation and enjoyment of a game on multiple gaming machines. Players participate in an interactive game, either simultaneously, alternatively or in a systematic sequence, as a group or community. The participating players compete in the game such that the actions and results of each player affect the other players in the community. The interactive game combines skill and luck to improve play of the game. The interactive game could be a bonus game which players need to qualify in order to participate. If a player does not qualify, a wager can be placed to participate in the game. Players with different wagers can participate in the same game and players can wager on the outcomes of other players.

A method for promoting fusion of and / or stabilizing a facet joint between two adjacent vertebrae comprises clamping the two adjacent vertebrae across the facet joint to apply a compressive force across the joint. Apparatus for promoting fusion of and / or stabilizing a facet joint comprises at least one cinchable tether and at least one locking member coupled with the tether for locking the cinched tether to maintain compressive force across the facet joint. The tether is adapted to extend through at least one hole through each of two adjacent vertebrae, across the facet joint.

Polymeric shell appliances are provided in which the polymeric shell appliances are configured to provide one or more activation forces to facilitate tooth movement. In many embodiments, the appliances comprise interproximal engagement structures to provide activation forces to interproximal tooth surfaces. In many embodiments, the activation forces are arranged to provide a plurality of forces, including a force in a direction opposite to an intended direction of tooth movement. The polymeric shell appliances may comprise one or more tooth receiving cavities, in which each of the plurality of tooth receiving cavities is shaped and arranged to provide a counter moment of each of the plurality of teeth.

A system and method for notifying an offline global computer network user of an online interaction in which the offline user could participate. The system and method specify notification criteria of the offline user, monitor activities occurring on the global computer network, compare the activities to the notification criteria, and, if the activities satisfy the notification criteria, forward an offline communication to the offline user, which notifies the offline user of the online interaction. Examples of the online interactions include chat rooms, game sites, instant messaging services, auctions, and calls made over the global computer network. Examples of the offline communication include calls to a wireline telephone, calls to a wireless telephone, messages to a caller identification device, messages to a wireless access protocol device, messages to a one-way pager, and messages to an interactive pager.

Methods and apparatus for passing attachment apparatus (e.g., connector devices, staples, etc.) or connector material (e.g., suture thread, wire, cord, filament, monofilament, etc.) into or through the wall of a luminal anatomical structure (e.g., a blood vessel or other anatomical conduit) for the purpose of; i) closing the lumen of the anatomical structure, ii) forming an anastomotic junction between separate anatomical structures (or between approximated segments of the same anatomical structure), and / or iii) attaching an article (e.g., an endoluminal, extraluminal or transluminal graft) or other apparatus to the wall of the anatomical structure.

The present invention provides a method of manufacture and design such that very small detail features can be produced within the groove profile on an iron or wedge. The advantage in being able to do this is that spin will be enhanced for a variety of shot types and conditions when striking a golf ball with cover composed of a urethane-based material.

The present invention provides a method of manufacture and design such that very small detail features can be produced within the groove profile on an iron or wedge. The advantage in being able to do this is that spin will be enhanced for a variety of shot types and conditions when striking a golf ball with cover composed of a urethane-based material.

A spinal implant apparatus that is an expandable spacer including features to minimize or eliminate spacer cant or offset during and after completing the expansion process. The spacer includes a top component, a base component in engagement with the top component, and an expansion mechanism arranged to change the top component's position with respect to the base component. The mechanism for causing expansion may be a screw, a cam, a wedge or other form of distracting device. In one embodiment, the expandable spacer includes a base component with a set of towers and a top component with a set of corresponding silos, where the towers and silos are configured to minimize or eliminate tilt of the top component as it extends upwardly from the base component. In another embodiment, the spacer may include a stepped arrangement around the perimeter of the top component and the base component for engagement during height expansion with minimal canting or slippage. In another embodiment, the spacer may include texturing modification at the opposite ends of the longitudinal axis of the spacer to prevent tilting, slipping, or canting. Additionally, a portion of one or more exterior surfaces of the spacer may be textured, sawtoothed, dovetailed or the like to increase frictional intervertebral contact. The spacer may contain one or more passageways of selectable shape / dimension for bone growth through the spacer.

A system and method for interactively affecting the course of a program or programming content. Viewer purchase electronic tokens which can be used to vote on the sequence of content in a broadcast whether it be audio, video or a combination thereof. Users are periodically polled by a server to vote on the direction that a broadcast is taking. The broadcast is then modified with real-time or stored content based upon the polling results from the viewers. Thus communities of voters have a chance to vote on the direction of content. The invention also allows sub-communities to be formed to pre-vote on a broadcast so that the sub-community can possible vote as a bloc on the direction and content of programming that is presented.

An expandable implant is disclosed having an adjustable height for insertion between two adjacent bony structures or joint surfaces, for example between two adjacent spinal vertebrae. The implant includes at least one gear associated with at least one threaded shaft. Rotation of the gear engages the threaded shaft to expand the implant. The implant can be inserted in a collapsed configuration and expanded in situ. The invention also provides methods for using the implant to facilitate arthrodesis or fusion of adjacent joint surfaces or spinal vertebrae.

Both ends of the lead arrangement project outward from side surfaces of a package to form outer lead regions. Each of the outer lead regions includes a pair of outer lead projections and lead terminal smaller projections that are located between the outer lead projections. The outer lead projections and lead terminal smaller projections project outward. Adjustment is made to the projection amount of end surfaces of the lead smaller projections lying in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the lead arrangement, whereby the end surfaces projecting less than end surfaces of the outer lead projections. Thus, cut surfaces of lead connection portions with edged corners are not exposed. This arrangement prevents that the cut surfaces damage other devices.

A robot for providing customer service within a facility includes a locomotion platform, an upper sensor for detecting objects within an upper field of view of the robot, a lower sensor for detecting objects within a lower field of view of the robot, a display and a robot computer in communication with the locomotion platform, the upper sensor and the lower sensor. The robot computer is configured to detect the presence of a customer within the facility based on information received from at least one of the upper sensor and lower sensor, and the robot computer is further configured to access one or more databases storing information associated with products available to customers within the facility and to provide customer service to the customer based on the accessed information.

Locking mechanisms and methods of fixation, such as the fixation of a fixation device like a bone screw and of a rod to the spine. The locking mechanism includes a body, a rod seat and a set screw. The rod seat is configured to separate into two pieces when the rod exerts force on the top portion of the washer and the set screw limits movement of the washer toward the bottom of the locking mechanism.

A plastic pallet (10) having good load bearing construction and held together without mechanical fasteners, includes deck boards (30). The deck boards include ridges (24) on an upper side (32) and a lower side (34) thereof. Deck boards are positioned transversely on stringers (12) and joined thereto by either an adhesive or thermoplastic welding processes. The stringers and deck boards may be provided with end caps (26, 42) which seal interior areas of the stringers and deck boards and prevent tearing thereof. The stringers and deck boards have interior reinforcement ribs (22,40). The cross sectional profiles of the stringers, deck boards, and end caps provide a cost effective and light weight pallet. Openings which extend between the stringers allow for either two way fork entry and / or four way fork entry. The stringers and deck boards provide flexibility in constructing pallets of various designs. The plastic pallet preferably is highly durable and fully recyclable.

The various implementations of the present invention are provided as a computer-based system for enhanced communications and event management that focuses on customization of the event attendee experience. Each event attendee is provided with the tools necessary to effectively and efficiently create an event experience that most closely matches their goals and objectives. For example, a variety of dynamic event activity maps provide event attendees with the ability to quickly and easily identify and locate the most interesting and pertinent seminars, classes, speakers, vendors, exhibitors, etc. Additionally, event attendees can update and control their event schedule, customize communications that are sent and received, set up meetings with other event attendees, and receive updates about event activities and schedules. Vendors, exhibitors, and event organizers are provided with a series of tools, including “gamification” tools, that will allow them engage event attendees in event activities to increase attendee participation.

A method of playing a wagering card game for a number of player using standard playing cards having a standard rank and involving standard poker hand rankings comprises: each player placing at least four distinct wagering parts to participate in the game; dealing three cards to each player and at least two common cards, all of the at least two common cards being dealt face down; giving each player the chance to examine the cards received by that player and to withdraw at least a first part of the at least four distinct wagering parts wager based on the rank of the player's cards prior to one of the at least two common cards being dealt face down being exposed; showing the at least one common card, thereby providing at least a partial hand for each player, each player's at least a partial hand comprising the shown at least one common card and the cards each player was dealt; allowing each player to withdraw a second part of the at least four wagering parts and forfeiting a third part of the at least four wagering parts; showing at least one more common card to expose all common cards that had been dealt face down; and resolving each player's remaining wager based on the rank of that player's hand, which remaining wager was not withdrawn.

A method is provided for trading virtual goods. A game environment is provided in which a first player can acquire or develop a virtual good. This virtual good has a starting value. At least one rating of the virtual good is received from a second player via the game environment. The starting value is automatically increased or decreased as a function of the at least one rating of the virtual good. The virtual good is then made available for purchase at the new value. A system for trading virtual goods is also provided.

A system and method for recommending on-line articles and documents to users is disclosed. The method provides an article widget user interface and a full-screen widget user interfaces to allow a user to rate articles, to preview articles, to filter articles based on category, article length, or other characteristics. A recommender system is configured to provide a continually refreshing list of recommended articles to the user via the user interfaces. The system comprises a module configured to monitor the user's explicit and implicit interactions with the user interfaces, and provides a refreshed list of recommended articles accordingly. The recommender system may be configured to use a package of approaches including rule-based, content-based or collaborative filtering approaches including Slope, Co-Visitation, Mwinnow and Clustering / Co-clustering.

A method of playing a wagering card game for a number of player using standard playing cards having a standard rank and involving standard poker hand rankings comprises: each player placing at least four distinct wagering parts to participate in the game; dealing three cards to each player and at least two common cards, all of the at least two common cards being dealt face down; giving each player the chance to examine the cards received by that player and to withdraw at least a first part of the at least four distinct wagering parts wager based on the rank of the player's cards prior to one of the at least two common cards being dealt face down being exposed; showing the at least one common card, thereby providing at least a partial hand for each player, each player's at least a partial hand comprising the shown at least one common card and the cards each player was dealt; allowing each player to withdraw a second part of the at least four wagering parts and forfeiting a third part of the at least four wagering parts; showing at least one more common card to expose all common cards that had been dealt face down; and resolving each player's remaining wager based on the rank of that player's hand, which remaining wager was not withdrawn.

A method for promoting fusion of and / or stabilizing a facet joint between two adjacent vertebrae comprises clamping the two adjacent vertebrae across the facet joint to apply a compressive force across the joint. Apparatus for promoting fusion of and / or stabilizing a facet joint comprises at least one cinchable tether and at least one locking member coupled with the tether for locking the cinched tether to maintain compressive force across the facet joint. The tether is adapted to extend through at least one hole through each of two adjacent vertebrae, across the facet joint.

An RFID tag configured to contain identification information in at least three forms. For instance, the RFID tag may include an RFID system, a human readable number and a bar code that may be visible on an outer surface of the body. The RFID system, the human readable number and the bar code may be adapted to generate the same asset identification number. The RFID tag may also be formed from two or more layers having a thickness sufficient to substantially eliminate interference caused by a shipping container to which the RFID tag is attached.

The various implementations of the present invention are provided as a computer-based system for enhanced communications and event management that focuses on customization of the event attendee experience. Each event attendee is provided with the tools necessary to effectively and efficiently create an event experience that most closely matches their goals and objectives. For example, a variety of dynamic event activity maps provide event attendees with the ability to quickly and easily identify and locate the most interesting and pertinent seminars, classes, speakers, vendors, exhibitors, etc. Additionally, event attendees can update and control their event schedule, customize communications that are sent and received, set up meetings with other event attendees, and receive updates about event activities and schedules. Vendors, exhibitors, and event organizers are provided with a series of tools, including “gamification” tools, that will allow them engage event attendees in event activities to increase attendee participation.