Abstract: A combination multi-media interactive game and video infomercial acts as an advertising business method wherein a seller of merchandise can combine both an advertising infomercial with a player and/or participant's playing an interactive game. Preferably, the game is a step-by-step strategic or random game, whereby a player and/or participant user starts at an opening “starting point” and proceeds from one interval location to another. At each interval location, the player and/or participant is interactively interfaced with one or more commercial infomercials so that the player-participant can interact with the infomercial by researching, observing and/or demonstrating the use of the products remotely, or, by shopping for the displayed products by Internet. At each infomercial the retail object for sale is related to the predetermined themes of each interval location.

Abstract: A method and system for the analysis of biological, medical and/or biochemical data having values for each of a plurality of attributes, having a receiving portion for receiving the data and entering it into a storage arrangement like a relational database in accordance with the values and attributes of the data; a calculating portion for determining discrete bins for at least one of the attributes for the data in accordance with the values of the data entered in the storage arrangement; a re-organizing portion for re-organizing the data in the storage arrangement in accordance with the discrete bins; a data mining portion for mining the organized data in the storage arrangement to determine sets of applicable logical rules; and a processing and presenting portion for logical rules or groups of logical rules. The processing portion further involves the application of at least one operator to create a subset of rules in an iterative manner.

Abstract: A method and system for the detection of heart disease in a patient, having a remote testing unit for gathering analog data concerning the status of a patient's heart, converting the data to digital form, applying FFT's to the converted data, transferring the data to a computer for analysis. The analytic computer applies mathematical translation to the data received from the remote testing unit into a plurality of different graphical patterns representative of various states of the patient's heart. A data base is also employed that has graphical patterns representative of various states of a plurality of patients' hearts from normal through disease states. The analytic computer compares the graphical patterns of the patient's heart against the data base of graphical patterns recognizes at least one pattern in the data base more similar to the graphical patterns of the patient's heart.

Abstract: A storage and retrieval system includes at least two pairs of two confrontingly opposed, columnar arrays. Each of the pairs of columnar arrays defines a plurality of vertically spaced tray-receiving recesses, and an access region between the columns, in which an indexing/insertion/extraction mechanism is positioned for pulling bins or trays housed in the recesses. The mechanism has a platform vertically displaceable in the access regions between the pairs of arrays; a shuttle table rollably mounted upon the platform for horizontal displacement thereupon between the pairs of arrays; and an extractor assembly supported by the shuttle table for causing horizontal insertion/extraction of bins onto the shuttle table.

Abstract: A system and method for receiving, organizing and displaying information received from a plurality of users, having a hierarchical database with at least one expandable level, at least one of the at least one expandable levels having at least two expandable sublevels; an interactive interface for placing each user at a level and sublevel in the database, receiving.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for a credit card holder to issue satellite debit cards out of his pre-established credit card, without the need for prior approval by his credit card company. The satellite card could be issued to himself or to any other party, and the information regarding this satellite card would be electronically transmitted to the recipient of the card. The recipient would then utilize this information to print out a unique Satellite Card, which can be accepted by merchants for purchases or for obtaining cash.

Abstract: A compressible figure form which includes an air permeable skin and a compressible resilient foam core, wherein the compressible resilient foam core includes resilient mechanical means within a cavity within said core. The resilient mechanical means is comprised of a material or configuration of material which is both more resistant to compression than the foam core and more resilient to expansion than the foam core. Thus, the compressible figure can be readily compacted by compression thereof into a compact form. Unlike traditional compressible figure forms, the release of the compressive forces thereon results in a rapid and unexpected expansion of the mechanical means within the figure, and thereby the full extension of the figure form.

Abstract: A wearable hypermedium information retrieval system for displaying predetermined digitized data, having a computer having an I/O port; a large capacity information storage and retrieval device interfaced with the I/O port adapted to receive a memory medium containing the predetermined digitized data, the storage and retrieval device being adapted to access the data on the memory medium and to provide the data to the I/O port means, the predetermined digitized data being further organized in a hypermedium format for hypermedium access and retrieval; a virtually hands-free command control device presenting no interference to ordinary use of the hands of the user to provide input commands from the user to the computer via the I/O port means; and a headset adapted to be worn by the user and a head mounted image display supported by the headset having a virtual image display having an eye-piece adapted to be positioned in front of one eve of the user and to display video display information from the computer.

Abstract: A board game and method for teaching negotiation, advocacy and judicial decision-making skills to players, in which a board is providing having spaces upon which players may randomly, sequentially land. One of the players is determined at the outset to be the judge. The remaining players move about the board. The spaces conform to a plurality of categories, and pre-mixed questions, typically contained on cards, are sequentially read each time someone lands upon the space conforming to that category. The player who lands must answer the question; the other players must determine whether to object. Where an objection occurs, the players are placed in a debaters box, for a debating period. During that period, as determined by the judge, the players debate the issue and the judge, who provides full judicial making authority for the game, determines the protocol and the outcome of the debate. Where the outcome is a success to the objecting player, a letter is forfeited by the non-objecting player to him.

Abstract: An electronic device controlling and bottle opening device, having a handle portion for grasping; a top portion of the handle portion having a keypad; a rear portion behind the top portion and having an aperture; and a bottle opening device fixedly displaced within the aperture. The bottle opening device has a bottle opening top portion for engagement with the rear portion of the device; an optional substantially centrally defined dimpled extension; and a pair of downwardly displaced extension portions depending from the top portion for engagement of the edge of a bottle cap for opening, and for leveraging the bottle cap by grasping the handle portion. The device can be used by leveraging by upward pulling against the bottle cap or by downward pushing against the bottle cap. The downwardly displaced extension portions are preferably substantially curvilinear or linear.

Abstract: An apparatus having a back region for attachment to a surface, a front region for engagement of the item of personal property, and a substantially vertical aperture region defined within and between the front and back region. The aperture region has a topward opening for initial, vertical slidable engagement of at least a portion of the item and for retention of the item after engagement, and a chamber region below the topward opening for containment of the portion of the item after engagement. The back region substantially lies in a plane and the topward opening has an elongated, semi-circular geometry. The topward opening lies in a plane, such that an angle of incidence is created between said back region plane and said topward opening plane, and the angle of incidence is less than 90°, preferably between 30° and 60°.

Abstract: A physio/energetic therapeutic method for articulating various acupressure points in a specific sequence, in which these points have been heretofore "forbidden" because of the risk of termination of pregnancy, involving three sets of points that are articulated in the first three days of a woman's period, for 3 to 5 minutes for each point, per day, in order to regulate problematic menstrual cycles by having a clearing effect on the next cycle, thereby eliminating build-up in the body which leads to PMS and cramps, and in the case of endometriosis, back flow and back-up of energy. Also shown are various acupressure point therapies for generally minimizing the effects of PMS and edema, maximizing the chances of contraception in a woman, and minimizing the chances of miscarriage or abnormal uterine bleeding. An interactive monitoring device is also shown for storing, identifying and retrieving information relative to the treatment therapies.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided an admixture of sorbic acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, crotonic acid, and optionally aconitic acid. Further contemplated by the present invention are methods for treating various pathological conditions such as viral infections, acidosis, tumors, and bacterial and fungal infections by administering various therapeutically effective amounts of an admixture described above.

Abstract: A vertically-displaceable bed platform suspended from a ceiling having a platform with two forward and two rearward engagement regions, and four pulley members each disposed an equal vertical distance from the engagement regions such that two correspond with the forward regions and two with the rearward regions. Four cables are each connected to one of the engagement regions, with a first pair of cables connected to the forward region about the corresponding forward pulleys and joining the corresponding rearward pulleys, and a second pair of cables connected to the rearward regions about the rearward pulleys to join with the first pair of cables. The joined pairs of cables are attached to a counterweight, such that downward motion of the counterweight causes an equal reduction in the four vertical distances and retraction of the platform in the direction of the ceiling to a fully retracted position.

Abstract: Method and system for the detection of suspect sales transactions in a sales environment having point of sale devices and sales locations, having a first processor for gathering record information reflecting sales transactions that have occurred in the environment, extracting from the record information a plurality of extract records relevant to suspect transactions, and converting the extract records into a form readable by the first processor; and a second processor for reading and analyzing and inputting the converted extract records, in which the second processor performs the steps of applying a plurality of exception criteria to said converted extract records to create exception records, filtering from the exception records records indicative of suspect transactions, ranking the filtered records, applying scoring table values to said ranked, filtered records to create scored records, and outputting the scored records; and a report generator for generating reports from the scored records reflecting suspec

Abstract: A storage and retrieval system includes sat least two pairs of two confrontingly opposed, columnar arrays. Each of the pairs of columnar arrays defines a plurality of vertically spaced tray-receiving recesses. One or more platforms are provided, each vertically displaceable along and between each of the pairs of arrays. Each platform carries an extraction device operable for withdrawing a selected tray from an array recess onto the platform, and for inserting a tray supported on the platform into a vacant recess in either array. The extraction device includes a retractable/extendable pin mounted in a housing configured in a manner to provide engagement with an aperture on a side face of one of the bins to create a bin-engaged state when engaged and a bin-disengaged state when disengaged. Each device has an extended cam-follower portion that rides in a cam.

Abstract: A comfortable and breathable foot gear in the form of a sneaker/boot comprises a flexible sole constituting a lower portion of said garment, and a stretch fabric material constituting an upper portion of the foot garment that is securely attached to the flexible sole. The stretch fabric material is a weave of spun yarn material and an elastomeric material adapted to form fit about a foot placed within foot gear and capable of being stretched to form fit about the wearer's calf.

Abstract: A wearable hypermedium information retrieval system for displaying predetermined digitized data, having a computer having an I/O port; a large capacity information storage and retrieval device interfaced with the I/O port adapted to receive a memory medium containing the predetermined digitized data, the storage and retrieval device being adapted to access the data on the memory medium and to provide the data to the I/O port means, the predetermined digitized data being further organized in a hypermedium format for hypermedium access and retrieval; a virtually hands-free command control device presenting no interference to ordinary use of the hands of the user to provide input commands from the user to the computer via the I/O port means; and a headset adapted to be worn by the user and a head mounted image display supported by the headset having a virtual image display having an eye-piece adapted to be positioned in front of one eye of the user and to display video display information from the computer.

Abstract: A method for processing an image, consisting of a foreground and a background, to produce a highly compressed and accurate representation of the image, including the steps of scanning the image to create a digital image of the image, comparing the digital image against a codebook of stored digital images; matching the digital image with one of the stored digital images of the codebook; producing an index code identifying the background of the stored digital image as having matched the digital image; subtracting the stored digital image from the digital image to produce a second digital image representing the foreground of the stored digital image; and storing the second digital image with the index code.

Abstract: The semantic integration problem for merging multiple databases of very large size, the merge/purge problem, can be solved by multiple runs of the sorted neighborhood method or the clustering method with small windows followed by the computation of the transitive closure over the results of each run. The sorted neighborhood method works well under this scheme but is computationally expensive due to the sorting phase. An alternative method based on data clustering that reduces the complexity to linear time making multiple runs followed by transitive closure feasible and efficient.