80results about How to "Simplifies task" patented technology

A system and method for providing automatic and coordinated sharing of conversational resources, e.g., functions and arguments, between network-connected servers and devices and their corresponding applications. In one aspect, a system for providing automatic and coordinated sharing of conversational resources inlcudes a network having a first and second network device, the first and second network device each comprising a set of conversational resources, a dialog manager for managing a conversation and executing calls requesting a conversational service, and a communication stack for communicating messages over the network using conversational protocols, wherein the conversational protocols establish coordinated network communication between the dialog managers of the first and second network device to automatically share the set of conversational resources of the first and second network device, when necessary, to perform their respective requested conversational service.

The present invention includes systems and methods for retrieving information via a flexible and consistent targeted search model that employs interactive multi-prefix, multi-tier and dynamic menu information retrieval techniques (including predictive text techniques to facilitate the generation of targeted ads) that provide context-specific functionality tailored to particular information channels, as well as to records within or across such channels, and other known state information. Users are presented with a consistent search interface among multiple tiers across and within a large domain of information sources, and need not learn different or special search syntax. A thin-client server-controlled architecture enables users of resource-constrained mobile communications devices to locate targeted information more quickly by entering fewer keystrokes and performing fewer query iterations and web page refreshes, which in turn reduces required network bandwidth. Applications are built by leveraging existing collaborative cloud services that enable the maintenance and sharing of user content.

The present invention includes systems and methods for retrieving information via a flexible and consistent targeted search model that employs interactive multi-prefix, multi-tier and dynamic menu information retrieval techniques (including predictive text techniques to facilitate the generation of targeted ads) that provide context-specific functionality tailored to particular information channels, as well as to records within or across such channels, and other known state information. Users are presented with a consistent search interface among multiple tiers across and within a large domain of information sources, and need not learn different or special search syntax. A thin-client server-controlled architecture enables users of resource-constrained mobile communications devices to locate targeted information more quickly by entering fewer keystrokes and performing fewer query iterations and web page refreshes, which in turn reduces required network bandwidth. Applications are built by leveraging existing collaborative cloud services that enable the maintenance and sharing of user content.

A contact center includes a real time threshold prediction module that determines that a selected performance measure will, during a future time interval, likely cross a selected threshold and, in response, performs at least one of the following operations: (i) determines, for the likely crossing of the selected threshold, a consequence in a selected service level agreement and determines a set of corrective actions to reduce a likelihood that the selected performance measure will cross the selected threshold.

A method useful with a computer network for providing a searchable data base of restaurants which can be accessed by prospective patrons, and once having obtained access the patron can then examine the listing and select the desired restaurant. Upon selection, the prospective patron exchanges with the restaurant data base an interactive information exchange in which the patron specifies the desired reservation date and time and the number of prospective guests. Upon receipt of this information a comparison is made between the seats desired and the number of seats estimated to be available at that time, and if the comparison matches then the requested reservation is confirmed. If there is no match, then an automated arithmetic process computes the next available time and submits that to the patron in the interactive process. In the course of the foregoing computation the process adopts a running average of occupancy intervals which is then used to estimate the next available time. This interval may be based on payment reconciliation, provided by a concurrently running process. Various attention garnering devices may be utilized by each restaaurant to attract the potential patrons.

A system (and a method) is disclosed to render information of interest on a computing device. The system is configured to identify a plurality of time periods within in a database and to access a user profile. The user profile includes data on information of interest for a user. The system compares, for each time period, the user profile with that specific time period to determine the information of interest for the user within the specific time period. The system retrieves, in response to the comparison, information from at least one data source corresponding to the determined information of interest for the user within the specific time period. The system renders at a time relative to each time period a home screen on a display of the computing device, the home screen including the determined information of interest for the user within the specific time period.

A lubricant carrier is thin and sheet-like and comprises a body with at least one associated lubricant containing container. In one embodiment the body is defined by a pair of sheets and a the container is located between the sheets. The container extends across a width of the body from side-to-side. In use, the carrier is fed into a cutting element of a shredding device. The container is cut, releasing lubricant into direct contact with the cutting element. The remaining portion of the body when fed through the cutting element absorbs excess lubricant.

An electromechanical VVA system for controlling the poppet valves in the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. The system varies valve lift, duration, and phasing in a dependent manner for one or more banks of engine valves. A rocker subassembly for each valve or valve pair is pivotably disposed on a control shaft between the camshaft and the roller finger follower. The control shaft may be displaced about a pivot axis outside the control shaft to change the angular relationship of the rocker subassembly to the camshaft, thus changing the valve opening, closing, and lift. A plurality of control shafts for controlling all valvetrains in an engine bank defines a control shaft assembly. The angular positions of the individual control shafts may be tuned to optimize the valve timing of each cylinder. The system is applicable to the intake and exhaust camshafts of diesel and gasoline engines.

A one-piece cable support having a box-shaped mounting assembly. The box-shaped mounting assembly extends over a cable tray portion of the cable support and includes several optional mounting apertures. Once secured to a building structure through the box-shaped assembly, the weight of a suspended bundle of cables is distributed evenly below the box-shaped assembly, thereby permitting the load to be balanced evenly below the assembly and reducing the bending moment and therefore the stress on the wall portion connecting the cable tray and mounting assembly portions of the support. A bracket assembly is provided on the bottom of the cable support to allow easy ganging of multiple cable supports without the need for specialized brackets. Stiffeners are included on the cable support to improve the withstanding of bending forces. A cable retaining arrangement secures cable bundles within the support.

A method for testing a web application (250,275-280) is proposed. The test process is controlled by an automation server (120), which transmits any request of loading a web page (265) to an automation agent (240) running on a corresponding test client (110). The automation agent updates the request (so as to act as a web proxy) and forwards it to a browser (250); in response thereto, the browser requests the web page to the automation agent. The automation agent downloads the web page from a corresponding test server (105) and updates it by injecting an automation applet (270). In this way, when the web page is interpreted by the browser the automation applet is downloaded and launched. The automation server can now transmit any desired command for the web page to the automation agent; the automation agent in turn forwards the command to the automation applet, which controls its execution on the web page by using the LiveConnect technology.

An application binary interface includes a descriptor specifying a binary shader for each pass of a multi-pass shader. The application binary interface also includes a graphics state of a graphics object for each pass of the multi-pass shader. The graphics state for the first pass is an initial graphics state of the graphics object. The graphics state for each subsequent pass specifies a change from the graphics state of a previous pass. The application binary interface further includes parameters for the binary shaders. The application binary interface links the binary shaders together based on the parameters. Further, the parameters of the binary shaders may be modified at run time to configure the multi-pass shader. The binary shader of each pass is then executed based on the graphics state and parameters of the pass to render the graphics object.

A bed sheet attachment system with a pair of expansion panel assemblies that attaches a top cover to a bottom sheet by a plurality of panel strips connected by a plurality of fastener strips. The fastener strips are prevented from opening during sleep by a plurality of snap tabs. The plurality of panel strips provides increased cubic capacity between the top cover and bottom sheet for the sleeper to slip into and move within the bed. The plurality of snap tabs allows the panel strips to be separated at discrete lengths to accommodate the sleeper's needs and desires for the arrangement of the top cover during sleep. The bed sheet attachment system simplifies the daily making of the bed by maintaining the proper position of the top cover during sleep so that the user merely smoothes out the wrinkles on the top cover upon arising.

A computing system, which is in communication with a multimedia source and that includes at least one application for processing multimedia content from the multimedia source, includes an Application Programming Interface (API) for obtaining basic multimedia information that may be required by applications to process the multimedia content. By doing this, the invention enables multimedia application(s) to easily obtain the basic information from the API in a predetermined and standard manner, without having to obtain the information directly from the multimedia source, thereby reducing the functionality that has to be programmed directly into the application(s) for obtaining the basic information, and thereby reducing the cost, time, and resources that are required for creating the multimedia application(s).

A stair tread overlay and a riser overlay made from solid wood for fitting over a conventional, exposed wooden stair having a generally rounded nose like those found in most residential general construction staircases and prefabricated staircases. The tread overlay and riser overlay cover the exterior surface of a conventional wooden stair from stringer to stringer to hide a construction grade stair tread and riser below that are made from a composite material or unsalvageable hardwood to present an attractive, solid wood surface that is finishable.

A graphical user interface is used along with an automated algorithm selection function to enable market participants to initiate automated, multi-algorithm trading strategies through a single drag and drop motion. A symbol representing a security can be dragged and dropped onto an icon representing a tactical or strategic algorithm. Other features of the graphical user interface show information such as the progress of the algorithms.

Methods and apparatus are presented concerning network-accessible services that provide post-production digital compositing and motion graphics authoring to users who provide their own core content, which the services supplement via a user-driven interface through the inclusion of digital still images, artwork, video, sound, and/or other supplemental content selected by the user. In one embodiment, following selection and sequencing of the various core and supplemental content components, the services automatically generate and make available to a user a finished product that integrates core and supplemental content. To simplify the compositing task, a series of pre-formatted motion graphics video templates may be made available. The end product provided by aspects of the present invention may be a professional-quality ensemble motion graphics video production that may be delivered in any popular format, such as AVI, JPEG, MPEG4 and the like to the customer and or to selected recipients via download or common carrier. To maximize user satisfaction while minimizing user learning curve frustration, the user may be directed to select from multiple skill level user interfaces. Such multiple skill level user interfaces may provide varying degrees of user control over content enhancement and automation or scripting. Other methods and apparatus are presented.

The invention relates to a method of operating a surveying instrument (10) placed in a orthogonal XYZ-system at (0,0,0) having a movable unit (20), said instrument defining a sight line (128) that is controllably rotatable around a first axis (50), essentially horizontal, and around a second axis (90), essentially vertical, wherein said second axis (90) may be inaccurately positioned so that it deviates from a true vertical axis, and said first axis (50) may deviate from being orthogonal to the second axis (90); the method comprising the steps of determining at least one of the following group of errors relating to the instrument and/or its location: a) a trunnion axis error T as a function of the deviation from 90 degrees between the first axis (50) and the second axis; b) a horizontal collimation error CH, being the deviation between the sight line (128) and the perpendicular angle as related to the first axis (50); and c) a total plumb error defined by components, PI and PII, being two separate angular values defining the tilt of the instrument as related to the plumb line through the same; and d) using these determined values in continuously controlling the alignment when aiming the instrument. The invention also relates to a surveying instrument for use with the method and an error compensation system for a surveying instrument.

A weight sensing vehicle hitch allows an operator to easily determine the load placed on the vehicle. The weight sensing vehicle hitch has a hitch receiver and a load force assembly. The load force assembly includes two layers of protective material and a load sensor disposed between the layers of protective material. The load force assembly is located in a hitch receiver tube such that the weight on the tongue of the trailer can be measured with the weight sensing vehicle hitch. It may also be used with a “turnover ball” hitch mechanism in which a load force assembly is inserted into the opening before the turnover ball.

A method constructs a variable multilinear model representing a class of deformable surfaces. First, meshes of deformable surfaces are acquired. The meshes include vertices. The meshes have different identities and different expressions. The meshes can be obtained from images of human faces, where facial features, such as eyes, eyebrows, cheeks, nose, mouth and chin, form the deformable surfaces. The meshes are stored in a memory as elements of a data tensor. The data tensor is selectively flattened to matrices composed of column vectors. An imputative incremental singular value decomposition is applied to each matrix to generate a set of orthogonal bases. Then, the orthogonal bases are applied to the data tensor, via tensor multiplication, to construct a core tensor, which is the variable multilinear model representing the class of surfaces.