305results about How to "Keep full control" patented technology

An apparatus and a method for surgical suturing with thread management. An apparatus for tissue suturing comprising a cartridge having a suturing needle having a pointed end and a blunt end, the suturing needle capable of rotating about an axis; a pusher assembly comprising a cartridge holder having a needle rotation drive capable of releasably engaging the cartridge and rotating the suturing needle about the axis; and an actuator capable of releasably engaging the needle rotation drive to rotate the needle rotation drive. A method for suturing tissue comprising placing a suturing device having a cartridge containing a suturing needle to span separated tissue segments; activating an actuator to cause rotational movement of the suturing needle through the separated tissue segments; and deactivating the actuator to stop an advancing movement of the suturing needle to cause a suturing material to be pulled through the separated tissue segments forming a stitch.

A digital watermark (DWM) content identifier is steganographically embedded in content. The DWM content identifier provides a link to a rights registry storing usage rights associated with the content. In some implementations the rights registry provides an association between the DWM content identifier and a digital rights management (DRM) content identifier. The DRM content identifier is used to find associated usage rights. The DWM content identifier can also be used to transfer content from a first DRM system to a second DRM system.

An interconnection enclosure comprising at least one connector port operable for receiving a connector pair and a preterminated optical connector received in the at least one connector port, wherein the preterminated optical connector is adapted to be withdrawn from the exterior of the enclosure without entering the enclosure. The enclosure further comprising a tether means, a bend radius control means and a sealing means. An interconnection enclosure comprised of two halves held together by a fastening means, the enclosure defining an end wall and defining at least one connector port opening through the end wall for receiving a preterminated optical connector, the enclosure housing further defining an opening for receiving a distribution cable extending therethrough, wherein the preterminated optical connector is adapted to be withdrawn from the exterior of the enclosure without entering the enclosure.

A system and method for depositing a film within a reaction chamber are disclosed. An exemplary system includes a temperature measurement device, such as a pyrometer, to measure an exterior wall surface of the reaction chamber. A temperature of the exterior wall surface can be controlled to mitigate cleaning or etching of an interior wall surface of the reaction chamber.

A consumer-centric service for matching local consumers with local service providers. A matching is performed between consumer needs and local vendor capabilities and the results are presented back to the consumer so that the choice of which vendors to be contacted is left to the consumer. Mechanisms are provided for immediately and automatically contacting the chosen vendor in one or more of a plurality of communication media and offering the chosen vendor the details of the consumer's request, including the preferred method of contact information, for a fee. Also, the system immediately informs the consumer about the status of the vendor contacts, including whether or not the vendor has accepted the lead. Once a chosen vendor accepts the lead, the consumer is contacted by the vendor, in the manner requested by the consumer. Thus, the invention enables consumers to maintain control over the selection and contact process with matched vendors. The system of the invention is particularly advantageous for providing community based services such as babysitting, cleaning, painting, software support, typing, and in obtaining professional services from professionals such as electricians, carpenters, gardeners, accountants, lawyers, and the like.

A database of personal information is built and controlled by the individual users creating it. This database can then be used to enhance the functionality and user experience associated with multi-participant online communities. By collecting information from users themselves, and by allowing users to maintain such data, the data can have significant added value both to the users and to any commercial services that wish to use it. Appropriate precautions are taken to ensure that users maintain control over the data they choose to share. Data is owned by the user that provided it, and any application or release of such data is only performed at user direction and under user control. The users are also given incentives to provide such data, in the form of promised rewards. These mechanisms improve the amount and quality of collected data, so that comprehensive databases describing users can be built more easily and effectively.

A point of sale (POS) rebate method and system allows a consumer purchasing a product having an associated manufacturer's mail-in rebate to redeem the rebate at the POS. Products that have associated manufacturer rebates are recognized when the products are purchased, e.g., based on information stored in a rebate database. When such products are identified, terms and conditions of a POS rebate are determined. The value of the POS rebate may be determined based on the value of the mail-in rebate offered by the manufacturer. The value of the POS rebate may be determined by querying a server containing rebate information, such as a server operated by or on behalf of the manufacturer or retailer. The consumer is then prompted to choose whether to keep the original manufacturer's mail-in rebate, or to accept the POS rebate, along with any terms and conditions associated with the POS rebate.

System, telemetry head and method for programming an implantable medical device adapted to provide a therapeutic output to a patient, the implantable medical device being programmable through a telemetry interface. A telemetry head is adapted for transcutaneous communication with the implantable medical device through the telemetry interface when the telemetry head is positioned with respect to the implantable medical device. A computing device has computing processing power and a user interface linked with the telemetry head. The computing device processes the computing instructions associated with the implantable medical device. The computing device supplies the user interface based, at least in part, on the computing instructions associated with the implantable medical device. The telemetry head receives programming instructions from the computing device and provides the programming instructions to the implantable medical device using the transcutaneous telemetry interface.

A collaborative cloud DVR system (ccDVR), which includes a cloud storage system and a plurality of participating DVR client devices, acts collaboratively as a single communal entity in which community members authorize each other to upload, remotely store and download licensed content for time shifted viewing, in a manner which rigorously protects legal rights of the content owners while overcoming the potential physical obstacles of limited bandwidth, power failures, incomplete uploads/downloads of content, limited cloud storage capacity, etc. The collaborative cloud DVR community collaboratively shares bandwidth and cloud storage capacity among DVR viewer/users with each owner/user of a DVR client device authorizing his or her individual DVR client device to be utilized by a cloud storage system server and any other owner/user of a DVR client device in the respective service community, and receiving similar permission in return to promote the convenience of cloud storage in an authorized manner.

An inventory control and prescription management and dispensing system including a dispensing vault for storing and dispensing prescriptions, the dispensing vault in communication with a central computer system that, in turn, communicates with prescription providers, insurance companies, and other third parties; the dispensing vault including robotic means for randomly accessing pre-filled prescriptions within the vault, with the vault further including RFID, bar code, and other means for verifying the content and internal location of pre-filled prescriptions; a customer interface that uses customer biometrics to ID a customer to ensure that prescriptions are only dispensed to the correct person; a patient registration system in communication with the central computer system for collecting insurance, doctor, biometric, and other information to facilitate transactions; a labeling system for labeling pre-filled prescriptions with customer specific information upon dispensing; transport container that integrate into the dispensing vault and provide secure transportation from a pharmaceutical manufacturer or repackager to the dispensing vault, security provided through RFID tags which communicate with the central computer to verify that the transport container contains the correct formulary and that the integrity of the container (temperature range, time in transit, tampering) has not been compromised; a payment system integral to the dispensing vault that is in communication with third party banks and pharmacy billing management systems, credit agencies and the central computer; a verification system for ensuring that pre-filled bottles received from the manufacturer (before they are placed into the storage locations inside the vault) have not had their integrity compromised, with this system evaluating each container's weight, size, moisture content, shape, velocity change, color, pattern, and physical integrity (all comparisons made against standards stored in the central computer).

An autonomous correlation system correlates user data from a content provider and advertising view data from an advertising provider, wherein the user data is present on one autonomous system and the advertising view data is present on another autonomous system distinct from the one autonomous system, the systems being autonomous in that each is normally secured against unconstrained access by another. The autonomous correlation system comprises logic to accept a first message from a user, wherein the first message contains an indication of an object being presented to the user, the object being at least one of a content page and an advertisement, a first user identifier associated with the user by a presenter of the object; a reference database for storing an association between the first user identifier and the user; logic to accept a second message from the user, wherein the second message contains an indication of an object being presented to the user, the object being at least one of a content page and an advertisement, a second user identifier associated with the user by a presenter of the object; wherein the reference database stores an association between the second user identifier and the user.

A “snap-in” bit chuck assembly for a rotary hand or powered tool, includes a body having a hex shank at its rearward end and a retraction collar slidably disposed on the body. The body has a coaxial hex socket formed therein to allow a tool bit to be inserted thereinto. A coil spring biases the retraction collar forwardly and biases a retaining clip toward the bottom of an angular slot formed in the body. The bit is removed by sliding the retraction collar rearwardly, to compress the coil spring and allow the retaining clip to retract back up the slot. The bit is biased out of a locked position by a plunger that ensures that the bit remains disengaged when the retraction collar is released.

This application describes methods and systems of performing digital asset management. In one implementation a method of determining whether content should be encrypted when the content is found in an unencrypted form is provided. The unencrypted form of the content includes a digital watermark embedded therein including a message. The method recites: decoding the digital watermark from the encrypted form of the content to obtain the message; based at least in part on the message, determining whether the unencrypted form of the content should be encrypted; and if so decided by the determination, encrypting the unencrypted form of the content. Other implementations and embodiments are provided as well.

The subject invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates a controlled communication environment which allows a user to participate in a plurality of privacy contexts with other people in a simultaneous manner in an online community. A user can assign or define varying levels of privacy to his/her information or content to control the visibility of such information by others. In particular, a first user can maintain one or more “gardens” or stores of content which may be accessible to at least a subset of the online community. Access to the contents of any one garden can be based on the privacy level of the garden and the privacy level (e.g., access parameters) granted to the person. The privacy levels and arrangement of content can be hierarchal and/or non-overlapping. Thus, a user can seamlessly communicate with multiple users at the same time regardless of their context or privacy level while maintaining the privacy boundaries of each garden.

There are provided methods and systems for linking data related to a set of similar images in a manner that both facilitates collaborative data sharing and commenting to generate a more robust set of information about the collective set of images while concurrently allowing users to maintain control over their particular images. A useful and collaborative development of content is achieved between many users interacting with similar versions of the same image. The interacting users may, for example, be friends who may have shared the image through other means, perhaps many years before, or may otherwise be unknown to one another.

Architecture defining a secure virtual network of communities of two or more participants where security and business management reporting is a result of a network architecture and where participants can maintain absolute security and control over their services independent of any other participant according to implemented selection rules of the network architecture administration.

The present invention relates to methods for indirect evaporative air-cooling with the use of plates, heat exchangers and feeder wicks—of the indirect evaporative type. Several components for an indirect evaporative heat exchanger described as follows: A plate for an indirect evaporative heat exchanger where the plate is made of laminate material having one sheet of wicking material for wet zone(s) and the other of a water proof plastic material for the dry zone(s). An evaporative heat exchanger is created by assembling the plates forming spacing for wet channels, (they are created by the wet zone of the plates,) and dry channels, (they are created by the dry zone of the plates,) with channel guides or corrugated plates. The spacing between the plates is defined to reduce pressure drop for increased airflow. A feeder wick system creates the wetting of the wet channels without excess water. Sometimes the wet zone of the plate can be made of a membrane material where the opposite side of this membrane material is covered by a solid desiccant creating the wet zone of this desiccant plate. An indirect evaporative heat exchanger that is created by assembling both wick coated with plastic plates and desiccant plates, can realize not only the evaporative cooling but also the dehumidification of air.

A computer-based method for allocating funds in pre-established accounts for use by customers, by creating for each customer a customer account file containing a record of funds deposited for the customer, and limiting how the funds in each customer account file may be spent on audio and video entertainment in the form of goods and services in response to command instructions from the fund depositor, wherein the limit on the funds is a limit on transaction amount or a limit according to content on the audio or video entertainment on which the funds may be spent. Computer-based systems implementing the inventive method are also disclosed.