Abstract: In a multimedia presentation transmitted by streaming media, advertising/announcements are dynamically inserted into the stream in response to a realization of conditions preselected by the source of the advertising/announcements. In a particular embodiment providers of the streaming media content define metadata for the programming. Advertising/announcement sources define metadata for their ads to be presented. The requirements of both metadata files are compared to both program data and ad data to specify conditions that determine when an Advertisement/announcement is inserted into a media stream.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic advertising system. More specifically, the present invention creates a means to select ads for publication in the newspaper based on past performance of individual personal ads, thus attempting to optimize the number of responses to the printed personal ad column as a whole. At the same time, all personal ads are published on the Internet so as to accommodate all advertisers regardless of the past performance of their ad. Finally, by fully integrating the Internet personal ads service with the audiotex personal ad service, advertisers whose ad only is published on the Internet are in no way disadvantaged by fewer features or options.

Abstract: Electronic advertising devices and methods of using the same for providing targeted advertisements to one or more individuals based on the individual(s) consumer profile(s). The devices or systems include a sensor or receiver for receiving identifying signals from individuals such as signals emitted by cellular telephones. Using information associated with or retrieved using the identifying signal, targeted advertisements are delivered to the individuals.

Abstract: A system comprises a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a POS controller, a retail subscription system. The POS terminal allows a cashier to enter subscription sales data into the POS controller. The POS controller maintains databases on available subscriptions and produces databases containing data relating to subscriptions sold to customers. The retail subscription system verifies the subscriptions by reference to its own databases and transmits the subscriptions to a fulfillment house for distribution.

Abstract: A web site on the world-wide-web allows users to search a product/price database. The database contains product and price information for a wide variety of products from many different suppliers such as online and offline stores. Information in the database is collected and corrected by submitting users who are rewarded for product submissions. A submitting user inputs data on new product, price, supplier, or rating information using an online form. The user highlights coordinates of the model, make, and price on the supplier's web page, so that automated software can later check the supplier's web page for price and product updates. The submitting user is rewarded for submitting product and price information. When other consumer-users search the database and find the product, the submitting user is again rewarded. When these other consumer-users follow a link to the supplier's web page for that product, the submitting user is further rewarded.

Abstract: A system comprises a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a POS controller, a retail subscription system. The POS terminal allows a cashier to enter subscription sales data into the POS controller. The POS controller maintains databases on available subscriptions and produces databases containing data relating to subscriptions sold to customers. The retail subscription system verifies the subscriptions by reference to its own databases and transmits the subscriptions to a fulfillment house for distribution.

Abstract: A system comprises a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a POS controller, a retail subscription system. The POS terminal allows a cashier to enter subscription sales data into the POS controller. The POS controller maintains databases on available subscriptions and produces databases containing data relating to subscriptions sold to customers. The retail subscription system verifies the subscriptions by reference to its own databases and transmits the subscriptions to a fulfillment house for distribution.

Abstract: The pyrotechnic entertainment product has an upright spindle that may be pushed into the ground for support until a coil in the spindle engages the top surface of the ground. The image of an upright dancing bull or other creature is secured to the spindle intermediate its opposite ends and is poised as if he were performing the steps of a Mexican hat dance. A pyrotechnic pinwheel resembling a sombrero is rotatably carried on the upper end of the spindle slightly above the head of the bull. When the pinwheel is ignited, it propels itself about the spindle like a spinning sombrero while emitting a colorful plume of sparks reminiscent of the energy, color, and excitement of the traditional Mexican hat dance.

Abstract: A system and method for managing real estate transactions is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving and storing data relating to a plurality of contacts including buyers and sellers of real estate, receiving and storing data relating to a plurality of vendors each associated with at least one phase of a real estate transaction, accessing vendor data based upon occurrence of a particular phase of the real estate transaction and communicating data relating to the vendors to a contact upon occurrence of the particular phase of the real estate transaction. The system includes means for conducting each of these steps.

Abstract: A system comprises a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a POS controller, a retail subscription system. The POS terminal allows a cashier to enter subscription sales data into the POS controller. The POS controller maintains databases on available subscriptions and produces databases containing data relating to subscriptions sold to customers. The retail subscription system verifies the subscriptions by reference to its own databases and transmits the subscriptions to a fulfillment house for distribution.

Abstract: This invention relates to a lighting system for a rotating object wherein the lights are made to appear stationary by being turned on and off in synchrony with the rotation of the object. This synchronization is achieved by utilizing magnetic field sensors which determine the instantaneous orientation of the object relative to the Earth's magnetic field.

Abstract: An ornamental motion toy includes a book-shaped housing having a front design and a plurality of windows in the front design, a plurality of ornaments suspended in the windows, a driving unit, a transmission unit driven by the driving unit to move the ornaments in the windows along different paths, light and sound producing means installed in the housing and controlled to produce light and sound effects.

Abstract: A toy vehicle trackset includes a base supporting a vertically extending tower. A toy vehicle trackway includes a vertically rising portion supported by the tower which transitions to a vertical loop and a plurality of helically arranged downwardly spiraling track loop portions. The track loop portion form intersections with the vertically rising portion of the track. Each intersection is covered by a shroud to prevent injury to a child user in the event of collisions within a given intersection. The trackway includes a return which is coupled to a toy vehicle accelerator whereby toy vehicles repeatedly cycle through the trackway set.

Abstract: An egg holder toy for containing and supporting an egg and depicting with the egg a character of interest includes a support base or a pedestal that includes the lower body and feet of said character of interest and having an open hollow upper recess for receiving a first end of an egg nested therein and a pair of forelimbs of the character attached to the support base and an upper member that includes features of the top of the character of interest selected from the group including hats and upper head features, the upper member having an open hollow lower recess for receiving a second end of said egg.

Abstract: An electronic interactive puppet 10 has a body 12 with a head 14 that is capable of moving from left to right. The puppet's head 14 also has a moveable mouth 16, moveable eyes 18 and moveable eyebrows 20 to give added expression to the puppet's facial features. An actuating means 22 is provided for moving the puppet's head 14, mouth 16, eyes 18 and eyebrows 20 responsive to an actuating signal. The puppet 10 also includes a sound reproducing means 24 housed within the body 12 for reproducing pre-recorded sounds such as dialogue for the puppet. An electronic control means 26 is operatively connected to the actuating means 22 and sound reproducing means 24 of the puppet. The sound reproducing means 24 and actuating means 22 can be activated in synchronism with a sound track of a video program so that the puppet 10 appears to interact audibly and animatedly with the video program. The puppet 10 can be used with any conventional video program, and does not require a special video recording.

Abstract: An improved sound producing device, to be attached to the frame of a bicycle adjacent the wheels, the device including a clamp member having a pair of clamp arms, each clamp arm including a head portion and a handle portion at opposite ends thereof. The sound producing device includes an attachment assembly to movably attach the clamp arms to one another at respective mid-sections thereof and to exert a biasing force on the clamp arms causing the clamp heads thereof to be drawn towards one another, requiring that a compressing force be exerted on the handle portions in order to pull the clamp heads apart when engaging or disengaging the device.

Abstract: A suite of construction toy systems in which mechanical connection is provided by hermaphroditic and functionally identical (genderless) connectors. Both hub-and-rod and building-block construction toy systems are disclosed. In the hub-and-rod construction systems, the use of genderless connectors allows: rods to connect directly to rods by the same means rods connect to hubs (longer rods can be directly formed out of shorter rods); hubs to connect to hubs by the same means that rods connect to hubs; and, in some assemblies hubs to be substituted for rods. An additional useful feature of the genderless connectors used and of the overall design of these toy systems is that many of the different construction toy systems disclosed herein will inter-connect. By the application of this invention, a very wide range of very different and independent toy systems can be designed that freely inter-connect.

Abstract: Doll's garments made from an elastomeric material or rubber. The garments are particularly useful with articulated dolls and can be fitted to or removed from dolls in a life-like manner.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dynamic searching device for toys, having at least two optical sensors to sense a target and a control circuit to compare the sensed signals of the two sensors and control a driver to move the toy, thus giving the toy dynamic movement.

Abstract: A molded rubber toy is formed with a hemispherical base, a shaft extending upwardly from the base, a spoke-like array of arms extending from the shaft and a bumper formed on the top end of the shaft The arms limit the tipping movement of the base, and the base is heavier than the combined weights of the shaft, arms and bumper so that the weight of the base rolls the toy back onto the center of its spherical base surface and into an upright position when the toy is upset from its upright at-rest position.