12400 results about "User needs" patented technology

An illuminating device coupled with sensors or an image acquisition device and a logical controller allows illumination intensity and spectrum to be varied according to changing user needs. The system provides illumination to areas according to the principles of correct lighting practice for the optimal performance of visual tasks in the most efficient, cost effective manner. Aspects of the invention include: lighting fixtures which adapt to ambient lighting, movement, visual tasks being performed, and environmental and personal conditions affecting illumination requirements at any given instant. Lighting fixtures having spatial distribution of spectrum and intensity, providing both “background” room lighting, and “task” lighting.

A combination precision knife and blade dispenser having a handle portion configured to receive a blade and a dispenser. The dispenser is configured to support at least one blade in a new blade portion thereof. The dispenser further has a used blade portion configured to support at least one blade therein, where a user, manipulates the handle portion and engages a base of the at least one blade therein, and where in order to dispose of the blade, the user inserts the blade into the dispenser and disengages the base of the blade from the handle portion such that at no time does a user need to touch an edge portion of the blade.

A payment card comprises an internal dynamic card verification value (CVV) generator and a user display for card-not-present transactions. Card-present transactions with merchant card readers are enabled by a dynamic magnetic array internally associated with the card's magnetic stripe. The user display and a timer are triggered by the suer when the user needs to see the card verification value and/or begin a new transaction. A new card verification value is provided for each new transaction according to a cryptographic process, but the timer limits how soon a next new card verification value can be generated.

A method and apparatus is provided for a multiple light-source illuminating device, the design and construction of which is derived from the lighting requirements of a specific lighting application. The resulting illuminating device (16) provides illumination according to the principles of lighting practice for the optimal performance of visual tasks. Coupling with sensors (21) and logical control (20) allows illumination intensity and spectrum to be varied according to changing user needs. The illuminating device includes multiple discrete light emitting components of different spatial intensity distribution and color spectrum mounted in specific orientations such that the application oriented combined lighting effect is created. The control is provided via a differentiated power supply (19) capable of affecting the current, voltage and duty cycle determining the relative contribution of each light source effecting a different spatial intensity distribution and color spectrum.

A search-based email client may incorporate a number of useful features. A search function can default to a search of all email contexts, thereby eliminating user cogitation over which context an email message may be stored in. Furthermore, the search function can automatically search for related personal content and/or related information on the internet or other computer network, and present this useful information to the user in addition to the returned emails. The search function can be integrated into a user interface to allow for one-click searches on any likely search field. The search function can search the body of email messages by default, thereby widening the scope of default searches and eliminating potentially missed information and user need to proactively widen their search. A search function can search attachments, which also provides a wider search scope.

A system and method for small computing devices that present a thumbnail image of content such as a web page, allows a viewer to select a region, and zooms in on the selected region in a way that reduces scrolling and helps users to understand the content they are reading. The page is scaled such that a user need only scroll in one dimension to see the content, and is divided into regions. Regions may be arranged as cells of a grid, or arranged by logically-related content. A user navigates among the regions as desired, selects a region from the thumbnail view, and obtains an expanded version of that region. In the expanded view, the region is ordinarily scaled so that the user scrolls in only one dimension to view the content of the region. Browser “Back” commands are supported, as are frames.

A web page staging area for construction of web pages hidden from view of the user. Once the web page is constructed, it is displayed to the user based upon timer event information or receipt of a particular command instructing that it be displayed. Use of the staging area provides the user with a more television-like experience in viewing content from the Internet or other source in that the user need not view a web page being constructed on a display device. Use of timer event information for displaying the constructed web page permits synchronization of the web page with associated programming.

The present invention provides enhanced database access and performance when correlating or translating one database to another database or to an object programming application. The system and method of enhanced database access and performance of the invention provides a simplified high-level wrapper interface for global coordination of multiple software components and ease of use. Performance is also enhanced by utilizing an optional enhanced multiple user data caching system. The multiple user caching system of the invention provides a process of obtaining data from a data source, creating accessible data in the random access memory of at least one computer system the first time such data is read by a user wherein the data source corresponding to the cache is accessible to at least two users. Thus, the present invention is directed to dynamic mapping of databases to selected objects and a system and method for providing a multiple user caching system in such an environment or system.

The invention discloses a joint optimization method for task unloading and resource allocation in a mobile edge computing network, which comprises the following steps of 1, establishing an OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access)-based multi-MEC (Mobile Edge Computing) base station and a multi-user scene model, wherein the MEC base station supports the multi-user access; 2, introducing an unloading decision mechanism; Meanwhile, constructing a local calculation model and a remote calculation model, selecting a user needing to perform calculation unloading, and establishing a calculation task unloading and resource allocation scheme based on minimum energy consumption under the condition of meeting the time delay constraint according to the conditions; 3, carrying out variablefusion on three mutually constrained optimization variables, namely an unloading decision variable, a wireless resource distribution variable and a computing resource distribution variable, so as to simplify the problem; and 4, obtaining an unloading decision and a resource allocation result which enable the total energy consumption of the user in the MEC system to be minimum through a branch andbound algorithm. The method has the advantage that the energy consumption of the system can be effectively reduced on the premise that strict time delay limitation is guaranteed.

A computer system is provided for delivery of financial services, such as banking, general insurance, life assurance, pensions and investments, loans and mortgages, and financial planning and advisory services. The system comprises a number of user computers connected to a plurality of server computers by way of a network, such as the Internet. The system creates at least one mobile agent which obtains details of a user's requirements, obtains financial information from the server computers on behalf of the user in the light of the user's requirements, and then transports itself to the user's computer to deliver the financial information to the user.

Systems and methods for altering the shape of a reconfigurable surface area are presented. The present systems and methods facilitate efficient and effective interaction with a device or system. In one embodiment, a surface reconfiguration system includes a flexible surface; an elevation unit that creates alterations in the contours of the surface; and an elevation control component that controls adjustments to the elevation unit. Thus, the surface of the device is reconfigurable based on system, application, mode, and/or user needs. Accordingly, the surface can be used to provide input and output functionality. The surface can include touch detection functionality for added input functionality.

A mechanism is provided for signing on a user of a first domain into an affiliate application in a second domain. When the user needs access to the affiliate application, the request for access causes a ticket to be generated. The ticket identifies the user and is passed to an adapter. The adapter, which ultimately will perform the sign on in the affiliate application, redeems the ticket for the user's credentials (e.g., a valid userID/password combination for the affiliate application), and then presents the credentials to the affiliate application. A service is provided that issues tickets, redeems tickets, manages the registration and de-registration of affiliate applications, manages the correlation between a user and the user's credentials with an affiliate application, and manages encryption of stored records.

The invention discloses a personalized active news recommending service system for a mobile phone user, which comprises an interest acquisition module, a position acquisition module, an interest model updating module and an active recommending service processing module, wherein the interest acquisition module is used for determining the preference of the user to the news; the position acquisition module is used for determining the current location of the user according to positioned information of the mobile terminal of the user; the interest model updating module is used for updating the current news preference of the user; and the active recommending service processing module is used for recommending news for the user according to set algorithm. The invention also discloses a personalized active news recommending service method for the mobile phone user. According to the invention, news information which is more suitable for the needs of the user can be recommended to the user, so that a personalized news recommending service is truly realized, and the user can obtain the news contents in which the user is most interested without turning web pages frequently.

A method and system for automated navigation through voice menu information systems for mobile devices are disclosed. Navigation of the voice menu information systems is accomplished using a stored script (i.e., a time ordered log of the input associated with a previous interaction). A user wishing to store such a script, prior to an interaction with a voice menu system, would select this option from a menu displayed on the display screen of the wireless client device. The user is prompted to provide a label for the script. The labeled script is then created and stored by monitoring the input characters and timings thereof. After a new script has been stored, the information used to generate menu displays pertaining to available scripts for the wireless client device is updated to reflect the addition of the new script. Thereafter, for future interactions with the voice menu information system, the user need only select the appropriate script label when displayed by interacting with the wireless client device. Once a script has been launched, the script causes automated dial-in to the voice menu information system and interaction therewith in an automated fashion by way of the script. Following the processing of the script, the user can be on-line with the voice menu information system to receive the response or can have the response sent to a designated voice mailbox for later retrieval.

A batch event historian gathers, stores and presents data regarding a batch process where relationships among the various elements of data are automatically derived by an executive program. A persistent store includes structure corresponding to the relationships defined among procedural elements and equipment in accordance with batch processing industry S88.01 standards. The executive program gathers event information generated by the batch process and derives the relationships among the events in accordance with these industry standard models. Storage and corresponding retrieval and presentation of such historical data is thereby simplified for a user because the user need not manually configure the historian programs to derive the relationships. Association of any continuous data log with event information is automated thereby obviating the need for manual configuration by a user to establish such associations.

A remotely provisioned proxy within a wireless/mobile phone that proxies a wireless communication path between a disconnected piconet (e.g., BLUETOOTH™) device and a network resource such as a universal resource locator (URL) via a mating mobile phone. Thus, an application proxy module embodied within the mobile phone provides managed access of a piconet device connected to the mating mobile phone to remote services. A disconnected piconet device uses the full data bandwidth available to a wireless phone, without the need for the disconnected piconet device to include its own separate wireless front end, or to require use of a modem within the mobile phone. Thus, using a mobile phone with application proxy, the user need not pay for the luxury of a tethered data plan.

A substantially moisture-proof, airtight dispenser for both storing and dispensing several flattened articles such as diagnostic test strips. The inventive dispenser includes a novel pivotable housing that a user need merely grab and squeeze to eject a test strip. Independent movement of the user's fingers to push a button or turn a knob is unnecessary to dispense a strip, which makes the present invention well suited for diabetics suffering from nerve damage in their extremities and other complications resulting from the disease. The invention includes a novel flexible arm member and pusher head that engage and push an article from the dispenser as the two parts of the housing are pivoted together. The articles are dispensed through an exit that is configured with a novel flexible seal that maintains the dispenser substantially airtight. Several inventive seal embodiments and methods of making the same are disclosed.

An information input device has a device body made of an elastically deformable material. The device body can be held in a palm and operated with one hand. The device body is provided in its face with a touchpad. A pressure sensor and an acceleration sensor are independently provided in the device body. The device body includes therein an RF module for transmitting a sensor signal from each sensor to a personal computer. By a control unit (CPU) in the device body, for example, a determination signal for determining an operation on the touchpad as input data is assigned to the pressure sensor, and a canceling signal for canceling the determination signal is assigned to the acceleration sensor. Thus, the user need not operate the device body on a desk or the like. The user can easily hold and operate the device body with one hand, without restriction of place to operate.

A needs-matching navigator system and social network facilitator appurtenances including, for a large user plurality, software driven modules residing on electronic communications enabled platforms and devices. Beyond altruistically enhancing flourishing life horizons and life quality metrics, the modules facilitate (A) knowing respective user bias, profile, perspective, wellbeing orientation, and privacy preference; (B) understanding user needs description and wellbeing criteria; (C) finding answer and solutions to the needs by user biased projecting the description onto electronically stored knowledge-bases; (D) matching the user to the answers and solutions; and preferably (E) creating an instant electronic communications interactive community for the respective user, by inverse projecting large subsets of the answers and solutions back onto the large plurality of users; according to said users' profiles and needs descriptions. This navigable community may be classified into spontaneous castes; having various degrees of relevant understanding, expertise, experience, and/or curiosity about these answer and/or solution projections.

A power tool control system allows a user to operate a power tool through a graphical user interface communicatively coupled with a non-contact measurement and alignment device. The graphical user interface correlates user engageable selectors with a logically related menu of power tool setting options displayed on a display screen in a high quality and easily readable format. The non-contact measurement and alignment device uses one or more lasers to determine power tool settings and establish proper alignment based on user needs. The power tool control system further enables stud detection and visual indication of stud location.

Knowledge of a user's profile (contextual and behavioral) can be used to predict the likely current real-time needs of the user. Confirmation of that need can be achieved by suggesting a number of personalized status updates (based on known profile information) in a form suitable for posting to micro-blogging sites. From this list, the user selects the most appropriate one to submit to a micro-blog. In doing so, valuable profile information is confirmed which allows real-time contextual recommendations to be generated to meet the recently identified need of the user. In one aspect, these recommendations comprise revenue generating opportunities.