Abstract: System and methods for management of third party satellite radio activation/deactivation by a vehicle rental service company, wherein satellite radio services may be provided in a rental car when requested by a customer. The systems and methods will enable activation of a satellite radio shortly before or at the start of the rental period, and activation may be altered by the vehicle rental service company in the event that the rental period is shortened or extended, or if the vehicle is exchanged. The systems and methods deactivate the satellite radio service at the end of the rental period. The systems and methods may also be used to activate or deactivate other equipment or services made available via a vehicle rental service company in response to a customer request.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for isolating a landing ring of a hanger from pressure inside a wellhead and sealing a portion of the hanger via a seal assembly. The hanger includes a floating ring axially interposed between the landing ring and the seal assembly, and between the landing ring and a shoulder of the hanger. The seal assembly includes one or more radially retractable elastomeric seals that are radially retracted during run in of the seal assembly. The radially retractable seals may be radially expanded via shearing of one or more shear pins by torque applied to the seal assembly. The seal assembly may also include one or more metal seals having a plurality of rings having a nib configuration that includes three smaller nibs for sealing and a larger flat nib for withstanding the energizing load on the seal assembly.

Abstract: Systems and methods which provide an adaptive unified performance management (AUPM) framework for interacting with disparate network elements using techniques adaptive to operational conditions to provide network performance adaptive root cause analysis (ARCA) are shown. An AUPM framework of embodiments of the invention implements a proxy based architecture in which a plurality of proxies are utilized to connect to and perform data communication with the disparate network elements. Centralized performance management is in communication with the proxies to obtain and unify network element data for performance monitoring, alarm reporting, and/or root cause analysis. The performance monitoring, alarm reporting, and root cause analysis provided by centralized performance management of embodiments herein implements adaptive cluster-based analysis to provide robust operation adapted to accommodate various operational scenarios, such as may include time varying conditions and learning based configuration.

Abstract: Techniques for deriving a channel estimate using a scattered pilot and a continual pilot are described. The scattered pilot is sent on different sets of carriers in different symbol periods. The continual pilot is sent in each symbol period on irregularly spaced carriers. The scattered pilot is used to identify the indices of channel taps of interest, e.g., L strongest channel taps. The continual pilot is used to determine the complex gains of these L channel taps. A receiver derives a channel impulse response estimate based on received pilot symbols for the scattered pilot, identifies the L strongest channel taps, and determines the indices of these L strongest channel taps. The receiver forms a Fourier sub-matrix based on the L tap indices and determines the gains of the L channel taps based on received pilot symbols for the continual pilot and the Fourier sub-matrix.

Abstract: A motor is provided which includes a pivotable portion having a permanent magnet mounted thereto, and first and second lamination arms, wherein the magnet induces positive and negative polarities in the first and second lamination arms, respectively. The motor further includes a fixed portion including an “E” shaped lamination having three lamination arms and a coil wound about one of the three lamination arms. When a current flowing in a first direction is applied to the coil, a first magnetic field is induced that affects polarity of at least on of the three lamination arms and thus generates a force that causes the first portion to pivot in a first direction. When the current flows in a second direction, a second magnetic field is induced that affects polarity of at least one of the three lamination arms and causes the first portion to pivot in a second direction.

Abstract: A temperature sensing device for remotely detecting the temperature of a subject having an identifying feature and a target zone in a fixed relationship to the identifying feature comprising: a distance sensor which measures the distance between the subject and the distance sensor; a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature difference in a sensing zone; a digital image capture device for capturing a digital image of the subject; a means of tilting at least the temperature sensor along at least one axis, and preferably tilting and panning along two axes; a controller that actuates the tilting means; and a support for supporting the distance sensor, the temperature sensor and the digital image capture device; wherein the controller tilts the distance sensor using the tilting means to reduce the distance between the target zone and the sensing zone; and a temperature sensor that measures a temperature difference proximate to the target zone, to detect elevated temperature illness in humans or animals.

Abstract: The present invention is a medication management system for use with a programmable mobile device, such as a cell phone, smart phone, or a tablet computer. The invention consists of a case that encases or attaches to the mobile device, with a pill container attached to the case, and software for execution by the mobile device to manage the use of medication, generally in the form of pills, by the user of the mobile device. The pill container slideably engages the case so that doses of pills in the container may be removed by sliding the container out far enough to expose the next dose of pills and turning the mobile device and case over. The software allows the user to program a dosing schedule into it and then alerts the user when it is time to take doses of pills.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for isolating a landing ring of a hanger from pressure inside a wellhead and sealing a portion of the hanger via a seal assembly. The hanger includes a floating ring axially interposed between the landing ring and the seal assembly, and between the landing ring and a shoulder of the hanger. The seal assembly includes one or more radially retractable elastomeric seals that are radially retracted during run in of the seal assembly. The radially retractable seals may be radially expanded via shearing of one or more shear pins by torque applied to the seal assembly. The seal assembly may also include one or more metal seals having a plurality of rings having a nib configuration that includes three smaller nibs for sealing and a larger flat nib for withstanding the energizing load on the seal assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for making timing adjustments in a multi carrier communications system. In an aspect, a timing correction method is provided for a multi-carrier system. This includes adjusting the time basis of two or more pilot interlaces with respect to each other in order to account for timing differences between the interlaces when combining the interlaces, and then adjusting or matching the time bases of the combined interlaces with a symbol to be demodulated. The alignment and matching is performed in order to generate channel estimates for data demodulation. The channel estimates, thus generated, along with the timing alignment information are in turn used for determining timing corrections to be applied to demodulation of a particular symbol. Corresponding apparatus are also disclosed that implement the methodology.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for styling hair includes first and second members (12, 14) operatively connected to each other and adapted for relative movement between a generally open condition to receive a length of hair and a generally approximated position to engage the length of hair and a brush (22) mounted relative to the first and second members (12, 14). The brush (22) is adapted for rotational movement about a longitudinal axis defined thereby to brush the length of hair when the first and second members (12, 14) are in the approximated condition. At least one, if not both, of the first and second members (12, 14) may include a heating element (58) for heat treating the length of hair.

Abstract: A temperature sensing device for remotely detecting the temperature of a subject having an identifying feature and a target zone in a fixed relationship to the identifying feature comprising: a distance sensor which measures the distance between the subject and the distance sensor; a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature difference in a sensing zone; a digital image capture device for capturing a digital image of the subject; a means of tilting at least the temperature sensor along at least one axis, and preferably tilting and panning along two axes; a controller that actuates the tilting means; and a support for supporting the distance sensor, the temperature sensor and the digital image capture device; wherein the controller tilts the distance sensor using the tilting means to reduce the distance between the target zone and the sensing zone; and a temperature sensor that measures a temperature difference proximate to the target zone, to detect elevated temperature illness in humans or animals.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a display device having an integral hard disk drive; in particular, a removable integral hard disk drive removable by a docking port. The display device and hard disk drive share a power supply and a housing.

Abstract: A transaction processing system for processing a transaction between a supplier and a customer, said system comprising a supplier device for initiating the transaction, a system server and a mobile communication device, said device containing a message processing program module for enabling local verification of the transaction within the mobile device, wherein a transaction message is sent from the supplier device to the system server, a message requesting payment for the transaction is sent from the system server to the mobile communication device, the transaction is authorised and verified at the mobile telecommunications device from which a verification message is sent back to the system server, and the transaction is then processed.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for making timing adjustments in a multi carrier communications system. In an aspect, a timing correction method is provided for a multi-carrier system. This includes adjusting the time basis of two or more pilot interlaces with respect to each other in order to account for timing differences between the interlaces when combining the interlaces, and then adjusting or matching the time bases of the combined interlaces with a symbol to be demodulated. The alignment and matching is performed in order to generate channel estimates for data demodulation. The channel estimates, thus generated, along with the timing alignment information are in turn used for determining timing corrections to be applied to demodulation of a particular symbol. Corresponding apparatus are also disclosed that implement the methodology.

Abstract: A transaction processing system for processing a transaction between a supplier and a customer, said system comprising a supplier device for initiating the transaction, a system server and a mobile communication device, said device containing a message processing program module for enabling local verification of the transaction within the mobile device, wherein a transaction message is sent from the supplier device to the system server, a message requesting payment for the transaction is sent from the system server to the mobile communication device, the transaction is authorized and verified at the mobile telecommunications device from which a verification message is sent back to the system server, and the transaction is then processed.

Abstract: Techniques for deriving a channel estimate using a scattered pilot and a continual pilot are described. The scattered pilot is sent on different sets of carriers in different symbol periods. The continual pilot is sent in each symbol period on irregularly spaced carriers. The scattered pilot is used to identify the indices of channel taps of interest, e.g., L strongest channel taps. The continual pilot is used to determine the complex gains of these L channel taps. A receiver derives a channel impulse response estimate based on received pilot symbols for the scattered pilot, identifies the L strongest channel taps, and determines the indices of these L strongest channel taps. The receiver forms a Fourier sub-matrix based on the L tap indices and determines the gains of the L channel taps based on received pilot symbols for the continual pilot and the Fourier sub-matrix.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program are provided for problem determination in an enterprise computer system in a distributed environment. In the method, information is obtained regarding the enterprise applications, and high-level information is presented to a user, with one or more prompts are provided to the user for more detailed information. In response to a request from a user for more detailed information about the application, more detailed information is provided to the user. Several levels of more detailed information about applications, including information as to individual threads, is available. The method also includes the steps of receiving instructions from an administrator to establish an account for a user, associating one or more servers with the account, and providing access to the corresponding user only to the associated servers. In the method, searches may be conducted for strings and requests, and identified strings and requests may be sorted by a variety of criteria.

Abstract: A tag has circuitry with a communication portion that can transmit and receive wireless signals, including wireless transmission of data blocks that each have a predefined configuration with a plurality of data slots. The circuitry includes a further portion that, in response to receipt through the communication portion of a wireless communication containing a request identifying a set of plural data items, populates respective data slots in one data block with respective data items from the set, and then causes the communication portion to effect wireless transmission of that data block.

Abstract: A tag has circuitry that can transmit and receive wireless signals, including receipt of first and second wireless signals that are different. The circuitry responds to a predetermined event by inhibiting wireless transmissions for up to a selected time interval, while waiting for receipt of one of the first and second wireless signals. The circuitry responds to receipt during the selected time interval of one of the second wireless signals before receipt of one of the first wireless signals by continuing to inhibit wireless transmissions, and responds to expiration of the selected time interval without receipt of either of the first and second wireless signals by transmitting a selected wireless signal.