Abstract: A cooking system is disclosed which includes a wok for receiving food, the wok being placed on top of a base unit housing a heating element for heating up the wok, a lid substantially covering the wok, at least a portion of the lid being able to rotate relative to the wok, a shaft secured to the rotating portion of the lid, a stirrer pivotally mounted to the shaft, a controller housed in the base unit controlling the heating element and rotations of the shaft and the lid, the rotation of the shaft causing a part of the stirrer to sweep from an edge of the wok to approximately a center of the wok in a low path and return to an edge of the wok in a high path, in the low path the part of the stirrer approximately touching a surface of the wok, in the high path the part of the stirrer being high above and not touching the surface of the wok, and a computing device residing outside of the base unit and signally coupled to the controller, the computing device storing a computer program upon execution instructing th

Abstract: The present invention discloses a tape dispenser which includes a body having a downward facing concave space at a bottom thereof, a cutting blade mounted to the body and positioned in the concave space with an cutting edge recessed in the concave space, a groove member being able to move vertically between a first and second location, at the first location, the groove member being partially submerged in the concave space and pocketing at least a portion the cutting blade for cutting a piece of tape, at the second location, the groove member being downwardly away from the bottom of the body for threading a piece of tape through a gap formed between the groove member and the bottom of the body, a side plate attached to an end of the groove member, the side plate being slidably accommodated in a hollowed space formed inside the body, the side plate having a slot for retaining a spring to urge the side plate to slide downwardly resulting in the groove member to move from the first location to the second location

Abstract: An optical touch sensor is disclosed which includes a plurality of light emitting bare dies attached directly to a first printed circuit board and placed at a first edge bordering an object surface, the plurality of light emitting bare dies being commonly encapsulated in a first encapsulation having a first reflective surface, and a plurality of light detecting bare dies attached directly to a second printed circuit board and placed at a second edge bordering the object surface across from the first edge, the plurality of light detecting bare dies being encapsulated commonly in a second encapsulation having a second reflective surface, wherein light emitted from the plurality of light emitting bare dies can be detected by the plurality of light detecting bare dies through reflections of the first and the second reflective surface, and wherein a light beam traveling from the first reflective surface to the second reflective surface is above and substantially parallel to the object surface.

Abstract: An automated cooking system is disclosed which includes a wok for receiving food and heat, a stirrer capable of making swing and rotating motions in the wok, a sensor placed in the wok for measuring ambient data, a base unit housing a heating element for heating up the wok, the base unit also housing a controller for operating the heating element, the stirrer's swing and rotating motions and the sensor, and a computing device physically separated from the base unit yet signally coupled to the controller, the computing device storing a recipe which instructs the computing device to obtain the ambient data from and send operating commands to the controller.

Abstract: A computer input method includes obtaining a time interval elapsed between a current single touch and a last single touch both on a designated object upon detecting the current single touch, comparing the time interval with a predetermined reference time, and switching a pointing input of the computer input method between an absolute coordinate mode and relative coordinate mode depending on the time comparison result.

Abstract: A computer input device is disclosed which comprised a keyboard having a plurality of keys for entering commands and characters into the computer, a touch sensor for detecting one or more touches by one or more objects on a surface area of the plurality of keys, and an input processor coupled to both the keyboard and the touch sensor, where the input processor is configured to switch the computer input device to a mouse mode when the touch sensor having detected one of the plurality of keys being touched prior to the key being pressed, and the input processor is configured to switch the computer input device to a keyboard mode when the touch sensor having detected one of the plurality of keys being touched and pressed at approximately the same starting time.

Abstract: A computer input method is disclosed which includes detecting touch on a surface of a keyboard of a keyboard-and-mouse combo device, comparing a size of the touch with a predetermined value for determining a mode of operation for the keyboard-and-mouse combo device, entering the keyboard-and-mouse combo device into a mouse mode when the size of the touch is smaller than the predetermined value, and entering the keyboard-and-mouse combo device into a keyboard mode when the size of the touch is larger than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A tea brewing apparatus is disclosed which has a first dish having a rounded periphery and a perforated area, and a second dish also having a rounded periphery and engaging the first dish to form a container, the container forming a cavity for containing tea leaves yet being able to accept water through the perforated area, and the container being able to rest freely on bottom of a tea brewing mug even when the mug is tilted slightly over horizontal position.

Abstract: An optical touch sensor is disclosed which comprises a light emitting die placed at a first edge bordering an object surface, a light detecting die placed at a second edge bordering the object surface across from the first edge, a first reflective surface directing light emitted from the light emitting die toward the light detecting die, and a second reflective surface directing light emitted from the light emitting die onto the light detecting die, wherein a light beam traveling from the first reflective surface to the second reflective surface is above and substantially parallel to the object surface.

Abstract: A system for entering text into a computing device is disclosed, the system includes an on-screen displayed (OSD) keypad having a first predetermined number of lines of keys, and a remote control unit having the same predetermined number of shift buttons, each of the shift buttons corresponding to a unique one of the lines of keys, wherein a press of one of the shift buttons immediately causes a selection of a key in the line of keys corresponding to the pressed shift button regardless which key is previously selected.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a packing tape dispenser which comprises an upper part having a downward facing concave space, a cutting blade rigidly mounted to the upper part and positioned in the concave space with an cutting edge recessed in the concave space, and a lower part having a groove member being able to move up and down relative to the upper part, during a tape cutting operation the groove member being moved upwardly into the concave space and pocketing at least a portion the cutting blade.

Abstract: A computer input method is disclosed which comprises obtaining a time interval elapsed from a time when a key of a keyboard is pressed to a time when the pressed key is released, comparing the time interval with a predetermined time period, and producing a code corresponding to the pressed key in case the time interval is equal to or shorter than the first predetermined time period.

Abstract: A computer input method includes obtaining a time interval elapsed between a current single touch and a last single touch both on a designated object upon detecting the current single touch, comparing the time interval with a predetermined reference time, and switching a pointing input of the computer input method between an absolute coordinate mode and relative coordinate mode depending on the time comparison result.

Abstract: A computer input method is described which comprises providing a plurality of light emitting and receiving devices for detecting one or more touches on a first area of a computer keyboard, coarsely scanning the first area using the plurality of light emitting and receiving devices when no contact on the first area being detected, and densely scanning a second area using a subset of the plurality of light emitting and receiving devices when one or more contact on the first area being detected, the second area being smaller than and situated within the first area.

Abstract: A computer system is described which comprises a server computer connected to the Internet, the server computer receiving, over the Internet, both a product review and a product inquiry from a user on one or more remote computers, the product being reviewed being different from the product being inquired, a database containing product information pertaining to the inquired product, the product information including a first price of the inquired product, a processing unit calculating a second price from the first price and a factor derived from the product review, a computer program residing in the server computer placing the second price on a webpage pertaining to the inquired product, the computer program also sending the webpage to the user's remote computer.

Abstract: A computer input method is described which comprises providing a plurality of light emitting and receiving devices for detecting one or more touches on a first area of a computer keyboard, coarsely scanning the first area using the plurality of light emitting and receiving devices when no contact on the first area being detected, and densely scanning a second area using a subset of the plurality of light emitting and receiving devices when one or more contact on the first area being detected, the second area being smaller than and situated within the first area.

Abstract: A computer input device is disclosed which comprised a keyboard having a plurality of keys for entering commands and characters into the computer, the keyboard having a designated surface area overlaying the plurality of keys, at least one of the plurality of keys being located outside of the designated surface area, a touch sensor for detecting one or more touches by one or more objects on the designated surface area of the keyboard, and an input processor configured to switch the keyboard into a mouse mode when the touch sensor having detected the designated surface area being touched by a single object, the input processor configured to switch the keyboard into a keyboard mode when the touch sensor having detected the designated surface area being touched by two or more objects.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a packing tape dispenser which comprises a frame for mounting a roll of tape, a cutting blade fastened to a front end of the frame, the cutting blade not being able to move relative to the frame, a first plate slidably engaging the frame and being able to slide between a front location and a rear location, when the first plate being at the front location, a front edge of the first plate being positioned in front of the cutting blade for preventing the cutting blade to come into contact with other objects, and when the first plate being at the rear location, the front edge of the first plate being positioned behind the cutting blade for exposing the same for cutting, and a spring coupled to the frame and urging the first plate to slide toward the front location.

Abstract: A computer input method is disclosed which comprises detecting key press by a keyboard having a plurality of permanent keys for entering commands and characters into the computer, a surface area of the plurality of permanent keys having a designated region, detecting touch on the surface area of the plurality of permanent keys, entering into a cursor positioning mode when only one first touch on the surface of the plurality of permanent keys being detected while the key touched by the first touch not being pressed and the first touch being located outside the designated region, entering into a scroll-and-zoom mode when only one second touch on the surface of the plurality of permanent keys being detected while the key touched by the second touch not being pressed and the second touch being located inside the designated region and in a move, and entering into a keyboard mode when two or more simultaneously touched locations on the surface area of the plurality of permanent keys being detected.

Abstract: A computer input method is disclosed which comprises detecting key press by a keyboard having a plurality of permanent keys for entering commands and characters into the computer, detecting touch on a surface area of the plurality of permanent keys, performing a primary click when the surface area of the plurality of permanent keys being touched at only one location and a touched key being pressed down for a duration shorter than a predetermined time, and performing a secondary click when the surface area of the plurality of permanent keys being touched at only one location and a touched key being pressed down for a duration longer than a predetermined time.