75results about How to "Incremental cost" patented technology

A distributed voice user interface system includes a local device which receives speech input issued from a user. Such speech input may specify a command or a request by the user. The local device performs preliminary processing of the speech input and determines whether it is able to respond to the command or request by itself. If not, the local device initiates communication with a remote system for further processing of the speech input.

The invention is an audio-video communication and answering system, where system's properties make it particularly suitable as a Digital Video Messaging System for, amongst other things, answering the door. The elements of the system are a DVMS outside module that is a wireless pocket PC with a proximity sensing, a video camera, a microphone, a speaker, a digital transmitter, a digital receiver, and a keypad; a computerized controller that is a personal computer with components for plaving and recording video and audio media; a DVMS inside module having a screen, a microphone, a speaker, a digital transmitter, a digital receiver, and a keypad; a wireless mode; and a DVMS database application with a graphic user interface. The computerized controller is in communication with a public switching telephone network enabling communication with remote peripheral devices, such as a cell phone, PDA, or computer. The system is based on the Microsoft Windows® Mobile 802.11b to coordinate communication between elements. The database application coordinates responses to prompts and events. The proximity sensor activates the system when the sensor detects the visitor's presence. This then starts a series of prompts and interaction prescribed by the application. The system includes an electrically actuated lock that can be actuated through a code entry or remotely. The system enables a visitor to communicate with an occupant either offsite or onsite, where the visitor never knows the occupant's location, unless the occupant discloses his location.

Multiple finFETs containing semiconductor fins with the same height for the top but with different heights for the bottom are formed. Patterned oxygen implant masks are used to form a buried oxide layer with at least two different levels of oxide top surface. After the formation of the buried oxide layer, the top semiconductor layer has a substantially level top surface. Fins are formed by lithographically patterning and etching the top semiconductor layer. The resulting fins may be semiconductor fins with different heights or fins comprising an upper portion of semiconductor fins and a lower portion of oxide fins. In both cases, semiconductor fins of different heights are used to form finFETs with fractional on-current of a full height finFET.

A method for making an integrated circuit substrate having embedded passive components provides a reduced cost and compact package for a die and one or more passive components. An insulating layer of the substrate is embossed or laser-ablated to generate apertures for insertion of a paste forming the body of the passive component. A resistive paste is used to form resistors and a dielectric paste is used for forming capacitors. A capacitor plate may be deposited at a bottom of the aperture by using a doped substrate material and activating only the bottom wall of the aperture, enabling plating of the bottom wall without depositing conductive material on the side walls of the aperture. Vias may be formed to the bottom plate by using a disjoint structure and conductive paste technology. Connection to the passive components may be made by conductive paste-filled channels forming conductive patterns on the substrate.

An illuminated suction apparatus including a hand-held surgical device combining a high-performance illumination waveguide with suction. This device would be useful in a wide array of various surgical procedures including open and minimally invasive orthopedics.

An asset authoring and delivery system generates a number of authored assets. Each of the authored assets includes a number of asset content objects that are logically associated with one or more components included in the item of manufacture. The authored assets generated by the asset authoring and delivery system are formatted and communicated to one or more remote devices logically associated with the item of manufacture. Authored assets may be provided responsive to one or more sensed characteristics, for instance vehicle operational parameters, vehicle operation and/or driver behavior, and may be customized to a make and/or model of vehicle.

A hermetic package for a food product having a first wall, a second wall and a receiving cavity. The first wall defines a first portion of the receiving cavity and a first flange surrounding the first portion of the receiving cavity. The second wall defines a second portion of the receiving cavity and a second flange surrounding the second portion of the receiving cavity. The second flange is preferably configured so that it is generally consistent with the configuration of the first flange. The first portion of the receiving cavity and the second portion of the receiving cavity are combined to form the receiving cavity by joining the first flange of the first wall to the second flange of the second wall to form an inner seal that is disposed outside of and surrounds the receiving cavity. The first flange of the first wall and the second flange of the second wall are further joined to one another to form an outer seal that is disposed outside of and at least partially surrounds the inner seal and the receiving cavity. The inner seal and the outer seal are configured so that they are substantially separated from one another by one or more gaps where the first flange is not joined to the second flange.

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for accomplishing a strong phase shift direct write lithography process using reconfigurable optical mirrors. A maskless lithography system is provided. The maskless direct-write lithography system provided uses an array of mirrors configured to operate in a tilting mode, a piston-displacement mode, or both in combination. The controlled mirror array is used to generate strong phase shift optical patterns which are directed onto a photoimageable layer of a substrate in order to facilitate pattern transfer. In order to avoid constraining the system to forming edges of patterns aligned with the array of mirrors, gray-scale techniques are used for subpixel feature placement.

A 3-level T-type neutral point clamped (NPC) inverter/rectifier is disclosed in which neutral point clamping is dynamically enabled/disabled responsive to load, e.g. enabled at low load for operation in a first mode as a 3-level inverter/rectifier and disabled at high/peak load for operation in a second mode as a 2-level inverter/rectifier. When the neutral clamping leg is enabled only under low load and low current, middle switches S2 and S3 can be smaller, lower cost devices with a lower current rating. Si, SiC, GaN and hybrid implementations provide options to optimize efficiency for specific load ratios and applications. For reduced switching losses and enhanced performance of inverters based on Si-IGBT power switches, a hybrid implementation of the dual-mode T-type NPC inverter is proposed, wherein switches S1 and S4 comprise Si-IGBTs and switches S2 and S3 of the neutral clamping leg comprise GaN HEMTs. Applications include electric vehicle traction inverters.

A sampling-rate conversion method receives N input channels which have been digitized at an input sampling rate, and converts the sampling rate of each input channel to produce N output channels at an output sampling rate. The method comprises computing a common FIR interpolating function which depends upon the input and output sample clocks and the instantaneous output time, and applying the common FIR interpolating function to all N input channels to compute all N output channels.

An inflation and pressure regulation system for inflatable vessels, such as tires, has a main chamber containing a volume of compressible fluid, such as air, and a pump chamber which acts to maintain the fluid in the vessel at a desired pressure. The pump chamber has a rigid, fluid-tight wall facing the main chamber and a flexible wall which is part of, or adjacent to, the wall of the vessel that can be deformed under use. A fluid channel extending between the pump chamber and a source of ambient fluid admits fluid into the pump chamber. A first check valve positioned between the fluid channel and the pump chamber permits one-way flow of fluid from the exterior of the vessel into the pump chamber while it is uncompressed. A second check valve permits one-way passage of fluid from the pump chamber, when it is compressed, into the main chamber. One or more valves can be used to prevent over-inflation of the main chamber.

An apparatus for adaptively receiving, compensating, and transmitting data in optical fiber communication networks are provided. A receiver according to this invention includes at least one optical device for compensating distortion in a channel of an optical signal, at least one photodetector circuit for converting the optical signal into an electrical signal, at least one electronic device for further compensating the distortion in the electronic signal, a clock and data recovery circuit for generating a recovered data signal and a clock signal from the electronic signal, and a post-processing circuit.

A wristband is assembled from a flexible preferably vinyl carrier and a preferably laminated ID label, the carrier having a panel portion and a strap portion with a snap closure located in a toe extension at the end of the carrier adjacent the panel. The strap has a series of holes, one of which is captured within the snap closure to attach the wristband to the wearer's limb. The laminated ID label has a pair of opposing slots, one of which slips over the strap to abut the panel and the other of which is captured by the snap closure to attach the label to the carrier. The panel portion has a relieved edge formed along its opposing sides which increases the comfort of the wristband as it is worn.

The current invention is designed to improve the certainty of test-taker classifications in testing programs utilizing open-ended items. The current invention discloses methods to improve certainty in estimates of test-taker performance for all test-takers while using a minimum of scoring resources. The invention selectively allocates resources to scoring by ceasing to allocate scoring resources to test-takers whose performance has been determined with sufficient certainty, and by having an additional reader or readers score responses from test-takers whose scores are close to cutoff levels. The invention further increases precision of scores for test-takers near a cutoff by selectively allocating more reliable and accurate readers to score responses most likely to influence a test-taker's performance classification. Other scoring resources are also shown.