410 results about "Indirect contact" patented technology

Methods, apparatus and computer code for providing information retrieval services (e.g. handling search queries and providing electronic advertising) in accordance with a given user's social network are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, an information retrieval operation is handled according to the click stream and/or taste profile and/or user profile of different associated users of the social network—for example, indirect contacts. The respective influence, for any associated user (i.e. within the social network), of the associated user's click stream and/or taste profile and/or user profile on the handling of an information retrieval operation for the “given user” may be determined by a “closeness function” between the associated user and the given user. The closeness function and/or the taste profile and/or user profile of any associated user may, in some embodiments, be determined by analyzing electronic communications—for example, text chat communications and/or voice communications that optionally include video.

A method and apparatus for implementing a heuristic user interface for a mobile device that assists a user with the management and utilization of contact identifiers (e.g. phone numbers, facsimile numbers, email addresses and uniform resource identifiers (URIs)). Content stored on or being processed by a mobile device is analyzed for the presence of predetermined classes of contact identifiers. When a contact identifier belonging to one of the predetermined classes is encountered, it is presented to the user of the mobile device on the display screen and the user interface of the mobile device is provisioned (e.g., softkey assignments and screen displays) for the particular class of contact identifier encountered. The encountered contact identifiers may be used as direct contact identifiers or indirect contact identifiers. Direct contact identifiers are used to initialize the appropriate application for the class of identifier encountered (e.g. an email application for an email contact identifier) and establish contact with an associated entity (e.g. an email addressee). Indirect contact identifiers are used to retrieve locally and remotely held records containing the encountered contact identifiers.

A method of treating a neurological disorder in a patient is provided. The method comprises intravascularly delivering a stimulation lead within the head of the patient, and placing the stimulation lead adjacent brain tissue (e.g., cortical brain tissue or deep brain tissue), the stimulation of which will treat the neurological disorder. The stimulation lead can be placed into indirect contact with the brain tissue (e.g., through a blood vessel) or indirect contact with the brain tissue (e.g., when placed within the ventricular cavity or by being introduced through an exit point within a vessel wall). Optionally, the method comprises implanting a source of stimulation within the patient's body, and then electrically coupling the proximal end of the stimulation lead, which conveniently extends from the access point within the circulatory system, to the implanted stimulation source. Using the stimulation lead, the brain tissue can then be stimulated in order to treat the neurological disorder.

A microbial fuel cell is provided according to embodiments of the present invention including electricigenic microbes containing at least about 0.075 milligrams of protein per square centimeter of the anode surface area. In particular embodiments, the electricigenic microbes are disposed on the anode such that at least about 90% of the portion of the anode surface area has a layer of electricigenic microbes, the layer greater than about 1 micron in thickness. This thickness is indicative of the layer including at least a first stratum of electricigenic microbes in direct contact with the anode and a second stratum of electricigenic microbes in direct contact with the first stratum such that the second stratum is in indirect contact with the anode.

The invention relates to a novel electronic cigarette, in particular to a novel electronic cigarette utilizing a solid smoke cartridge. A smoke cartridge fixing assembly of the novel electronic cigarette includes a fixing connector sleeve, a pressing seal sleeve and a smoking connector; a cylindrical cavity is formed in the fixing connector sleeve and communicated with an air inlet; and a smoke cartridge assembly is arranged in the cylindrical cavity. A smoke forming substance for being heated for smoking is arranged in the smoke cartridge assembly; a recess which is matched with a heating rod is arranged at the lower end of the smoke cartridge assembly, and the heating rod is inserted in the recess; air inlet holes are formed around the recess; smoke gas outlet holes are formed in the upper end of the smoke cartridge assembly, are isolated from the cylindrical cavity and communicated with an inner ring of the pressing seal sleeve. The smoking connector is arranged on the upper portion of the fixing connector sleeve and provided with a smoking hole; a smoking assembly is arranged in the smoking hole. The novel electronic cigarette releases smoke; since heating elements are in indirect contact with a smoke forming base, users do not need to clean the heating elements and service lives of the heating elements are prolonged.

A self-sufficient material property profile regulation method and system, for adjusting fluid property profiles such as in an ocean of multiple property layers, is described. Using this Fluid Property Regulator, the property profiles of a non-enclosed material, including property profiles related to material density, chemical characteristics and space-time position, are affected due to motion of the material relative to a body in the flow stream. The state of other matter with which the initial material then makes direct or indirect contact is also affected. For example, in the case of a liquid such as an ocean current, the temperature, salinity, nutrient content and other properties may be destratified (i.e. layers being combined) as the system lifts large quantities of deep water and combines this material with surface water in the downstream far-field region of the system. The resulting regulation of such ocean water property profiles may then also indirectly affect the properties of the atmosphere above the ocean so that the system can be said to affect planetary properties both oceanic and atmospheric. Rather than merely discharging a pumped material, such as cold water that might quickly re-submerge, the system regulates lasting property profiles. The new Fluid Property Regulator system described in this invention regulates material properties to produce desired outcomes such as increased food and energy production as well as to prevent undesirable outcomes such as hurricanes, elevated planetary temperatures, decreased planetary ice sheet size, raised sea level and glacial freshwater incursions that can halt important major currents.

A mechanical keypad with touch panel function includes a key set including a plurality of keycaps and a keytop covering the keycaps, a backlight layer under the key set, a capacitive touch unit selectively disposed under several keycaps, an elastic layer including an elastomer and a plunger corresponding to the keycaps and disposed under the capacitive touch unit as well as a circuit board including metal domes and dome sheets corresponding to the keycaps. Each metal dome provides a mechanical feedback force so that the keycaps are able to be in indirect contact with the metal domes and the dome sheets by means of the plunger.

A personal communications portal maintains presence information about a user who may be available at one or more terminal devices on one or more access networks comprising a multiple access network. The access networks may operate in different transmission modes and may utilize different signaling formats (text, graphics, voice, video, etc.). A watched party specifies preferences as to who may contact him, at what times, on what kind of network and device. A watching party requesting to contact the watched party may be given direct contact information for contacting the user, may be given indirect contact information for contacting the user without being informed of the watched party's whereabouts, may be placed directly in communication with the watched party, or may forward a message to the user. If the caller is forwarding a message to the user or is placed in communication with the user, and if caller and user are using different transmission modes or different signaling formats, the personal communications portal mediates communication appropriately. Further, the personal communications portal may determine the watched party's physical location based upon the presence information received from the multiple access network and possibly from information received related to events which take place outside of the multiple access network, but which are reported to the portal.

A first portion and a second portion form a container which can hold objects. The first portion and second portion is connected using screw threads. A lid can be utilized to seal one portion, enabling different objects to be placed in one portion of the container and not be indirect contact with the other portion of the container. A snack food is placed into one portion and a toy in the other portion. A lid handle is folded inward and is utilized to remove the lid and obtain the object in that portion of the container.

The invention generally relates to a method for muting an alerting portable device such as a ringing cell phone or alarming PDA. Specifically where muting is activated in a means not requiring direct contact with the keys of the device. The indirect contact such as a hand pat or smack is detected within the device by a sensor such as a microphone or accelerometer. Control circuitry detects active indirect contact and then mutes the alert, and or does some other programmable operation.

A pusher is constituted by a pusher main body, which is capable of direct contact with an electronic component to be tested, a heat absorbing and radiating body provided on the pusher main body, a heater provided on the pusher main body to enable direct or indirect contact with the electronic component to be tested, and a thermal insulating material provided between the pusher main body and the heater. According to such a pusher, temperature control of an electronic component can be performed such that the electronic component nears a target set temperature for testing.

This invention provides cost-effective alternatives to reduce the cost associated with customary blowdown from steam generating equipment. By selectively recycling process blowdown streams using secondary vaporizers, the net result is a partial replacement of wastewater stream with almost an equivalent quantity of clean steam condensate. The heat transfer is carried out by indirect contact devices, such as shell and tube heat exchanger and the like, without mixing of the two process streams to allow condensate recovery while avoiding cross contamination. This invention carries economic as well as environmental credits. A condensate recovery apparatus can be designed to enable easy connection to existing equipment already in service, as well as easy removal, without causing process disruption.

The invention relates to a novel electronic cigarette, in particular to a novel electronic cigarette utilizing a solid smoke cartridge. A smoke cartridge fixing assembly of the novel electronic cigarette includes a fixing connector sleeve, a pressing seal sleeve and a smoking connector; a cylindrical cavity is formed in the fixing connector sleeve and communicated with an air inlet; and a smoke cartridge assembly is arranged in the cylindrical cavity. A smoke forming substance which is a solid-state substance comprising tobacco extract, heat-conducting material and adhesive is arranged in the smoke cartridge assembly; a recess which is matched with a heating rod is arranged at the lower end of the smoke cartridge assembly, and the heating rod is inserted in the recess; air inlet holes are formed around the recess; smoke gas outlet holes are formed in the upper end of the smoke cartridge assembly and are communicated with an inner ring of the pressing seal sleeve. The smoking connector is arranged on the upper portion of the fixing connector sleeve and provided with a smoking hole; a smoking assembly is arranged in the smoking hole. The novel electronic cigarette releases smoke gas; since heating elements are in indirect contact with a smoke forming base, users do not need to clean the heating elements and service lives of the heating elements are prolonged.

Agent for the agronomic treatment of a living plant supported by a moist substrate, for example a soil, wherein said agent is in the solid and divided state, and comprises solid particles containing at least one active entity for the agronomic treatment, characterized in that each particle comprises: —a nucleus consisting of a grain of a solid material which is inert with respect to the substrate, comprising an inner developed surface area which is greater than its apparent surface area and, as a result, suitable for adsorption and/or absorption, —the active entity for agronomic treatment, absorbed into the grain and/or adsorbed at the surface of said grain, —a membrane encapsulating the nucleus comprising the active entity, consisting of at least one hydrophilic polymer which is permeable to the outside with respect to the active entity, when it is in direct or indirect contact with the moist substrate.

The invention is a method which surveys the coagulation status and its relevant time of annular cement under high pressure and high temperature, while simulating different depths and static conditions. It is adaptive to activities such as petroleum well and gas well reinforcement, squeezing cement, pouring cement seal and leakage repairing. The invention provides with the ability of surveying starting and ending time of different coagulation periods, in cement liquor under high temperature and high pressure, by surveying the variation of heat released by cement hydrating. First pre-heat the kettle to a experiment temperature, then put in it with a cup filled with prepared cement liquor in a reactor, seal reactor and increase the pressure to experiment value after the temperature is stable both outside and inside; initiate data processing system so to record the temperature variation automatically with a computer; finally figure out the coagulation starting and ending time by time-temperature curve line. The problem that surveying is difficult under high temperature and high pressure, is resolved with the invention which is adopted with the indirect contacting continuous survey of temperature variation.

The invention discloses methods and devices for building a tag library and searching users. The method for building the tag library includes receiving tag information which is made for tagged users by a tag user in a social network; correlating and storing the tag user, the tagged users and the tag information which is made for the tagged users by the tag user, and building the tag library on the basis of user relations in the social network. The methods and the devices have the advantages that the user relations and the tag information which is made for the other users by the user in the social network are stored, so that the tag library can be acquired, contact persons can be searched on the basis of the tag information and the user relations, searched users and the user have relations of indirect contact persons owing to the fact that the searched users are searched on the basis of the tag information and the user relations, the searched users are reliable, and the search success rate is increased.

The invention relates to the technical field of shared cars, and particularly discloses a shared car sterilization control method which includes the steps: receiving an ending signal of a leasing order; starting a residue detection system, and detecting whether residues are present in the shared car or not; starting a sterilization system to sterilize the shared car if the residues are absent in the shared car; receiving leasing dispatching signal of the shared car; responding to the leasing dispatching signal, and returning sterilization state information of the shared car. The invention further provides a sterilization control system of the shared car. The system comprises an order ending signal receiving module, a residue detection starting module, a sterilization system starting module, a dispatching signal receiving module and a sterilization information returning module. The shared car is sterilized in time after an order is completed, so that each leased shared car is clean andfree from toxicity, the residues in the car are detected before sterilization, and direct or indirect contact of a sterilization product is avoided.

The invention relates to a noise damping headset comprising at least one microphone and at least one ear phone intended to be connected via electrical conduits, preferably wires, to a transmitter and a receiver, preferably a mobile telephone, a communication radio or the like for communication between persons. The microphone consists of throat microphone for direct or indirect contact against the skin around a throat, the equipment mainly being sound tightening for sounds, coming from outside, from emerging into the throat microphone and the ear phone comprises a funnel-shape for inserting the same into the auditory canal of a person's ear, the outer limiting surfaces of the funnel-shape being sound tightening against the walls of the auditory canal, the sound coming from outside being prevented from emerging into the auditory canal, whereby a communication between said persons can be held without being disturbed in a greater extent of the sound coming from outside.

A buoyant-capable sensor system device is disclosed for use alone or on an apparatus such as a straw, stirrer, mixer, stick or utensil which detects the presence or absence of one or more substances in a beverage or liquid food such as soup comprising a sensing element(s) which is either in direct or indirect contact with the beverage or food and a buoyant sensor body to assure user-visibility of the sensing element(s).

The present invention relates to a substrate holding apparatus for holding a substrate (W) such as a semiconductor wafer in a polishing apparatus for polishing the substrate to a flat finish. A substrate holding apparatus according to the present invention comprises a top ring body (2) having a receiving space therein, and a vertically movable member (206) which is vertically movable within the receiving space in the top ring body. An abutment member (209) having an elastic membrane is attached to a lower surface of the vertically movable member. The elastic membrane (291) of the abutment member comprises an abutment portion (291b), having a flange (291a) projecting outwardly, brought into direct or indirect contact with the substrate, and a connecting portion (291c) extending upwardly from a base portion (291d) of the flange of the abutment portion and being connected to the vertically movable member. The connecting portion is made of a material having a flexibility higher than the abutment portion.

A liquid lens structure and method of fabrication are provided. The liquid lens includes a substrate with a channel opening extending through the substrate. A liquid drop is disposed within the channel and an enclosure at least partially surrounds the substrate, and forms a chamber. The liquid drop resides within the chamber, and a second liquid is disposed within the chamber in direct or indirect contact with the liquid drop at a first interface and a second interface. The first and second interfaces define first and second protruding liquid portions relative to the first and second surfaces, respectively. Taken together, the first and second liquid portions define a total protruding liquid volume. A lens magnification control is provided for adjusting magnification of the liquid lens by increasing or decreasing the total protruding liquid volume defined relative to the first and second surfaces.