1877results about How to "Save effort" patented technology

A methodology and system allows a plurality of reward scheme owners to give differential rewards, through a plurality of reward distribution agents, to various users based on the user profile. The reward scheme owner may be a seller, a manufacturer, a sales promotion agent or even an intermediary. Similarly, the reward distribution agent may be an on-line or a physical retailer, a broker, a seller or an intermediary. Also the users may be consumers, businesses, brokers or other intermediaries. In one specific case, a reward scheme owner defines a plurality of reward schemes, including at least one differential reward scheme giving different rewards to different users. The reward scheme owner communicates these to a central reward scheme database server. The reward scheme owners may or may not advertise these schemes. The user visits an online or a physical store. The store acting as a reward distribution agent dynamically profiles the user, queries the central reward scheme database server if the user profile meets the criterion for one or more rewards and offers the applicable rewards to the user. The store later receives reimbursement for the rewards offered to various users, from the reward scheme owners. This methodology and system may be used for offering targeted or differential discounts on different products and services, offering different promotional schemes on different combination of products, giving loyalty points, electronically distributing prizes, free samples, product warranties, tie-in promotions, cross selling, up selling, premiums, memberships, card discounts, organizing contests, sweepstakes, games and offering other similar rewards.

Enables multiple devices of a same user to logon automatically. An example of a method includes: registering the user and the user's multiple user devices with a Multiple Device Authentication (MDA) apparatus; authenticating at least one of the user's registered devices by the MDA apparatus and selecting the authenticated device as a master device; selecting one or more slave devices from the registered user devices; adding the selected master device and one or more selected slave devices to an active device table; if a user device accessing the MDA apparatus is in the active device table, causing the user device logon directly and automatically without first authenticating the user device. Operation of authentication is needed only once to enable user's multiple devices to logon the server automatically and conveniently. Seamless switch between different devices can be implemented, resulting in improved single-sign-on solution over the prior art.

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.

Systems and methods for providing visual information to a telephone user regarding multiple voicemail services associated with the telephone user. The method includes providing a telephone comprising a display and organizing information relating to messages in the voicemail, wherein the information comprises an identifier indicating with which voicemail service each message is associated. Finally, the information is displayed on the display. Additional information may include the number of messages, a primary phone number from which each message was received, a name associated with each primary phone number, at least one alternative phone number associated with each primary phone number and a length of time for each message.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly reliable optical sensor and a production process of the same, the optical sensor being excellent in the characteristic of blocking infrared radiation and capable of being manufactured at a low cost without an increase in the number of steps carried out in the assembly of electronic apparatus. The present invention includes: a substrate 1 having an electrode 3; a photodetector 2 electrically connected to the electrode 3; and a light-transmissive resin encapsulating portion 11 for encapsulating the photodetector 2 on the substrate 1, the optical sensor further including an infrared-blocking layer either inside the light-transmissive resin encapsulating portion 11 or on an outer surface of the light-transmissive resin encapsulating portion 11 for blocking infrared radiation from the outside from reaching the photodetector.

A method of simulating a bio-transport system comprising: (a) characterizing one or more elements to represent a bio-transport system of an organism or a portion thereof; (b) constructing one or more mathematical representations that model one or more bio-transport dynamics for each element based on the characterization of the elements to form a configured simulation model; (c) initializing the configured simulation model; (d) executing the configured simulation model to obtain bio-transport dynamics data for one or more elements; and (e) outputting information to a user based on at least a portion of the bio-transport dynamics data.

The present invention relates to fabric care compositions that comprise thickeners and the use of fabric care composition in high anionic surfactant conditions.

Optimization constraints are used to select an appropriate content item from an available group of content items which are ordered in a specific manner to facilitate the proper selection of the content item, even if the exact item desired is not present. The server is then able to insert the selected content item into the outgoing content page requested by the client. The optimization constraints can be, but are not limited to, any one of the following: communication channel performance (bandwidth), client operating system, client processor, client display capabilities, client installed software (video or audio codecs for example), and/or user preferences. A software product and method enable selective delivery of content to client devices of varying performance characteristics, including varying bandwidth, by selective filtering and inclusion of markup language content using tags demarcating optional content. The optional content may include a number of alternate items of content. An optimization constraint is used to select one of the items. The server includes the selected item in an item of content requested by a client device. The optimization constraints are associated with varying levels of client/communication channel performance.

A framework may include an object model and services. The framework may gather information at run-time from metadata within the object model before the framework operates on the classes. For a class within the object model, a subclass may be generated for containing pertinent metadata about the class. Through annotations of class members, the framework may determine the various types of data within the framework. This hierarchy information may specify how objects within the object model relate to one another. An annotation set within the subclass may contain information specifying how members of the class should behave, including, which services of the framework the class member should participate in and how the class member should participate. The annotations may be used for indicating how services of the framework should persist data to various storage units, such as an XML file and/or a database table.

The invention features a photopolymerizable composition that comprises a cationically polymerizable resin, and a photoinitiator system comprising an iodonium salt, a visible light sensitizer, and one or more anthracene-based compounds as electron donors. Electron donor combinations used in the invention include multiple substituted anthracene compounds or a combination of at least one substituted anthracene compound with unsubstituted anthracene.

A system and method which may directly resolve a URL into the IP address of a web server running a regional website of a web service provider based on a user's geographic location. A user may type a URL of a website in his browser. A user location analyzer may decide the user's geographic location according to his IP address. With the user's geographic location, a DNS server may resolve the URL to a regional website of a web service provider which provides services specific to the user's geographic location. Consequently, the user may be presented a regional website of a web service provider without delays caused by re-directing, and save the user's time and effort to look for a regional website himself.

A method, a system, and an apparatus for permitting a user to remain in contact with at least one other person. The present invention provides a method, a system, and an apparatus that is capable of enabling a user to remain in contact with others through a service that checks contacts set up in a predetermined contact list. The contact list is then contacted and the user is contacted with the results. As such, the present invention permits the user to remain in contact with a significant number of entities while saving time and effort by ensuring the user is only contacted with certain information. The system and method also permits the user to remain in contact even when the user is unavailable.

An encoded clip generator comprises an input interface (402) for receiving source raw audio/video data from a media source (30). The source data comprises a series of complete video frames and a corresponding series of audio frames. The generator also includes an editor interface for receiving a clip start position and a clip end position. The generator includes a processor (410) and a memory (420) containing instructions for controlling the operation of the processor (410). Included in the memory (420) is a selection module (422) for generating a raw audio/video clip comprising video frames and audio frames selected from the source data according to the received clip start and end positions to provide an unextended raw audio/video clip; an extension module (424) for extending the unextended raw video clip by adding additional video frames and additional audio frames; an encoding module (426) for encoding the extended raw video clip to form an encoded extended video clip; and a trimming module (428) for removing excess video and audio frames from the encoded extended video clip such that all of the desired video frames are included and such that the duration of the encoded audio stream is at least as long as the duration of the encoded video stream remaining.

By exploiting an early release facility that may be provided by certain transactional memory designs, we allow for transaction software constructs that wait on removal (or satisfaction) of a condition that would otherwise result in transaction abort. Absent exploitation of such a such a facility, the act of checking the condition would typically introduce a corresponding location into the read set of the transaction, and a subsequent modification of that location that removed (or satisfied) the condition, would result in abortion of the blocked transaction. By exploiting an early release facility such as described herein, a transaction may release the location (or locations) corresponding the condition, retry, and once the transient condition is removed (or satisfied), complete and commit. In this way, computation effort may be conserved while still employing a conceptually simple and convenient coordination facility.

An ATM has a display section of a touch panel and a security camera that takes an image of at least an area from which display information on the display section is viewable. After a predetermined waiting time, the security camera takes an image. From the taken image, human faces are detected, and how many human faces are detected is counted. If the number of human faces is one, the display is carried out as peeping is not underway according to the judgment. Meanwhile, if a plurality of human faces are detected, the display is stopped as peeping is underway according to the judgment.

The present invention is a portable telephone device that is composed of two displays of substantially a same size, and can continuously perform two display processes in parallel by allocating different display processes to each of the displays.

Systems and methods for monitoring uterus contraction activity and progress of labor. The system of the subject invention can comprises (1) a plurality of sensors; (2) an amplifying/filtering means; (3) a computing means; and (4) a graphical user interface. Accurate clinical data, which can be extracted and provided to the user in real-time using the system of the invention, include without limitation, progress of labor, prediction and monitoring of preterm labor, and intrauterine pressure prediction. In a preferred embodiment, the system of the invention includes an intelligence means, such as a neural network system, to analyze and interpret clinical data for use in clinical diagnosis as well as delivery strategy.

An improved stent design and stent delivery catheter assembly for repairing a main vessel and a side branch vessel forming a bifurcation. The stent includes rings aligned along a common longitudinal axis and connected by links, where the stent has one or more portals for aligning with and partially expanding into the opening to the side branch vessel. The stent is implanted at a bifurcation so that the main stent section is in the main vessel, and the portal section covers at least a portion of the opening to the side branch vessel. A second stent can be implanted in the side branch vessel and abut the expanded central section to provide full coverage of the bifurcated area in the main vessel and the side branch vessel. Radiopaque markers on the stent and on the tip of the delivery catheter assist in aligning the portal section with the opening to the side branch vessel.

The present invention discloses a fastening structure having a fastening flange extended outward from the periphery of a cover, and the fastening flange has a latch portion under the fastening flange for latching and fixing the cover; and a hinge portion for connecting the fastening flange at the periphery of the cover, and the hinge portion has a plurality of sections of crevices for reducing a hinge area that connects the fastening flange to the cover. The invention also discloses a sealed box that includes the fastening structure, and a container having a latch structure disposed at a top edge of the container and used together with the latch portion for latching and fixing the cover. Without changing the thickness of the hinge portion, the invention can save efforts for the operation of the sealed box while maintaining the stress of the hinge portion.

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide an improved software development tool which allows a developer to visually depict an existing data definition file containing data elements and relationships between the data elements by generating an XML structure diagram from the existing data definition file. Using methods and systems consistent with the present invention, the improved software development tool also allows the developer to generate a data definition file from an existing XML structure diagram.