Abstract: Systems for controlling the motion of multiple articulated elements connected by one or more joints in an artificial appendage system. Four different embodiments includes a controller that reduces the dimension of joint state space by utilizing biomechanically inspired motion primitives; a quadratic proportional-derivative (PD) controller which employs a two-stage linearization method, applies constraints to variables for dynamic stability, and employs a corrective “sliding control” mechanism to account for errors in the linear model used; a non-prioritized balance control approach that employs enforced linear dynamics in which all control variables are truncated to linear terms in joint jerks; and a biomimetic motion and balance controller based on center of mass (CM) energetic and biomimetic zero moment conditions.

Abstract: A wireless remote control device for transmitting control commands to a Bluetooth™ enabled electronic device, such as a television set, an audio player, or a cellular telephone by manipulating the zipper in a garment, handbag or the like. The zipper fastener consists of opposing rows of interlocking teeth attached to a pair of elongated flexible supports and a manually movable sliding traveler that locks and unlocks said teeth at is moves longitudinally along the length of said flexible supports. A sensor is coupled to said zipper fastener for generating a position signal that indicates the current position of said sliding traveler with respect to said supports, and a Bluetooth™ transmitter coupled to said sensor sends control commands indicative of the current position of the slider and the state of a pushbutton attached to the slider.

Abstract: A method of issuing and managing investment instruments called “Pension Shares” which preferably take the form of securities that represents a claim against and is secured by an investment fund. A Pension Share entitles its holder to receive, at a specified maturity date, either a lump sum payment amount or, at the option of said holder, to receive a sequence of annuity payments. The Pension Share issuer creates and manages the investment fund such that its net asset value at the maturity date will be adequate to make the lump sum payment or provide the holder with the annuity. A preferred form of Pension Share provides an annuity option of one dollar per for the life of the holder, or his or her survivor, both of whom are at a predetermined age at the maturity date. A Pension Share may be redeemed on demand in advance of the maturity date so that it may be exchanged for a Pension Share having a different maturity date if the holder's plans change.

Abstract: An interface that allows a user to model and analyze the properties of three dimensional surface and the regions surrounding such surfaces. The user manipulates a deformable physical modeling material that defines the geometry of a surface. A position sensor such as a laser scanner captures position data specifying the geometry of the surface. A processor processes the geometry data using a selected analysis function to produce result data representing computed characteristics of the surface or its surrounding region. The result data projected as an image onto the deformable surface. The interface permits the user to modify a surface geometry and directly visualize the characteristics of the modified geometry in real time.

Abstract: An interface that allows a user to model and analyze the properties of three dimensional surface and the regions surrounding such surfaces. The user manipulates a deformable bed of translucent glass beads that defines the geometry of a surface. An array of light emitting diodes underneath the beads transmits infrared light upwardly through the beads such that the intensity of radiation from each position on the surface of the beads is related to the depth of the beads at that position. A digital camera captures radiation image data which is then processed to create elevation data specifying the geometry of the surface. A processor processes the elevation data using a selected analysis function to produce result data representing computed characteristics of the surface or its surrounding region. The result data is projected as an image onto the surface of the beads. The interface permits the user to modify a surface geometry and directly visualize the characteristics of the modified geometry in real time.

Abstract: An interconnect device for connecting a Bluetooth compliant cellular telephone to one or more wired telephones on an existing wired network. The interconnect device includes an interface to the wired network that emulates the behavior of a standard trunk line to a central office and includes a Bluetooth transceiver which communicates via short-range radio signaling with a Bluetooth transceiver in the cellular telephone. The interconnect device permits an outgoing call to be placed via the cellular telephone network from a conventional wired telephone by sending dial tone to the wired telephone when the cellular telephone is in range and not in use, accepting a called number from the wired telephone to the cellular telephone to initiate an outgoing call, and establishing a voice link between the wired telephone and the remote answering party via the Bluetooth transceivers and the cellular network.

Abstract: Apparatus for storing and processing a plurality of data items each comprising supplied data values organized in one or more fields each of which stores typed data. Character strings and natural language text are converted to numerical token values in an array of fixed length integers and other forms of typed data (real numbers, dates, times, boolean values, etc.) are also converted to integer form and stored in the array. Stored metadata specifies the data type of all data in the integer array to enable each integer to be rapidly accessed and interpreted. When fixed length data types are present, the metadata specifies location, size and type of each fixed length element. When variable length data is stored in the integer array, size and location data stored in the integer array is accessed to rapidly and directly access the variable size data.

Abstract: An array of piezoelectric ceramic sensors affixed to a flexible plastic membrane forms a target surface and the signals produced by the sensors are processed to produce an output signal which indicates the location where a liquid stream strikes the target. The sensor array is used to detect the presence and location of a liquid stream from a pressurized nozzle used to play an interactive game. The stream presence and position signals are fed in real time to a (personal) computer which produces an output display indicating where the target was struck by the stream. The stream detection array may be used in a variety of applications.

Abstract: A method for analyzing an EKG signal in real time to produce a heart rate indication. The most recent digitized samples of the EKG are stored in a buffer and evaluated to identify each R-wave peak sample value that (a) immediately precedes and is larger that the most recently stored digital sample value, (b) is larger than any other sample value in the buffer, and (c) differs from the first sample value in the buffer by more than a predetermined threshold value. The threshold is a fraction of the rise time slope of the last peak. The real time heart rate indication is calculated from the time duration separating the last two detected peaks, but rate indications outside the range of 30–200 beats per minute, and which depart from the preceding rate indication by more than 50 percent, are discarded.

Abstract: A radio operated data card whose outer jacket forms a sealed protected housing for internal electrical components, including an RFID integrated circuit which incorporates data storage and a radio frequency transceiver, and one or more on-card antenna structures. Manually operated electrical switching elements, or antenna structures which are responsive to the positioning of conductive members, such as the human hand, at particular locations on or near the surface of the card, are connected to the on-card electronic circuitry. The switching elements or antenna elements are selectively operated by the cardholder who manipulates the card in predetermined ways to generate data signals that may be used to activate the card, store data in the card, or transmit data to the reader.

Abstract: A device for enhancing interpersonal communication over distance through use of touch. A vibrotactile (touch-and-vibration) interface is used to improve existing remote communication by allowing tactile cues to augment the audio-visual information in real-time. The pressure exerted by each finger of the transmitter produces patterns of vibration against the corresponding finger of the receiver. A hand-held device using the interface allows a user to transmit and receive patterns of vibration to and from a remote user and signify tactile gestures, or expressive uses of touch.

Abstract: A rapidly deployable, integrated online sales system consisting of a core storefront application that executes on a conventional web database server, a guided buying and sales configuration module for selling products and services, a content management module, a recommendation system for making recommendations during a shopping session, an advertising management system, a profiling system for customizing customer interactions based on the site visitor's demonstrated interests, and reporting system that provides an analysis of a user's behavior to create the valuable reports. The various components of the desired system are first assembled as a pre-integrated prototype system on a source computer that can be rapidly recreated using pre-written operating system installation scripts which execute during the deployment process, prompting the installer to provide data values used to modify the content of pre-written configuration template files to accommodate the special needs of each individual installation.

Abstract: A portable wireless system for providing a user with access to a computer-based system includes a BARB Badge to interface with the user's body, responsive to a disruption in the interface and including a transceiver to communicate with an external source, a BARB Base to detect a presence of said BARB Badge in a vicinity of said BARB Base and relay secure communications between said BARB Badge and said computer-based system; and an administrator subsystem to regulate interfacing operations of said BARB Badge and said computer-based system based on predetermined administrative protocols. In this way, the overall security of the computer-based system is enhanced while the amount of operational burdens associated with accessing the computer-based system are reduced.

Abstract: A radio receiver and storage unit which concurrently and continuously receives and records a plurality of separate, simultaneously broadcast programs, and then selectively reproduces desired programs at desired times. User interface buttons selectively perform the following five functions not available on a conventional radio: Pause: suspends the reproduction of the live or recorded programming currently being played; Save: permits the listener to save the complete content of a live program currently being reproduced; Jukebox: permits the listener can select and playback previously recorded programming; Mark: allows the user to “bookmark” a specific position on a program; and Options: permits the user to obtain information about available programming, or to perform less frequently used functions.

Abstract: A control circuit for operating a lamp or other electrically operated device using a conventional wall socket outlet that is selectively energized under the control of a conventional wall mounted switch. To permit the lamp to be independently controlled using either the wall switch or the lamp switch, a wall adapter unit is employed that plugs into the wall outlet and into which the lamp's power cord is plugged. Sensing means are employed to detect the operation of either the wall switch or the lamp switch to control an electrically operated switch which turns the lamp ON and OFF whenever either the wall switch or the lamp switch are operated. Different embodiments are provided for use with conventional electrical wiring and with either a conventional lamp or lamp incorporating additional circuitry to adapt it for use with the wall socket adapter.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for performing specified actions when the relative position of specified objects satisfies conditions specified by a user and expressed in one or more rules. Each of the rules contains a condition part and an action part. The condition part of each rules specifies one or more conditions that are satisfied when specified objects move into or out of a predetermined range of one another. Each rule further contains an action part which specifies a function to be performed when the condition part of the rule is satisfied. The relative positions of objects are determined by an electronic interrogation device which can determine the identity of other electronic devices that are within range of the interrogation device. The electronic interrogation devices and the identification devices may be implemented using Bluetooth compliant devices, RFID tags and tag readers, or GPS devices.

Abstract: A system for automatically performing liquid chromatography analysis of low volume liquid chemical samples at nanosecond flow rates using an analysis column that integrates a pre-concentration trapping column and a chromatography separation column terminating at an electrospray nozzle of an online mass spectrometer. The analysis column consists of a capillary having an inside diameter of between 75 and 125 microns packed throughout with a porous bed of micron particles. A branch outlet positioned 10 to 16 centimeters upstream from the nozzle divides the analysis column into an upstream pre-concentration trap and a downstream separation column. An autosampler delivers low volume liquid samples to the upstream inlet via a two-position valve. Feed connections couple the autosampler to upstream inlet when the valve is open to inject a liquid sample into the pre-concentration trap at a maximum loading flow rate in the range from 0.5 to 50 microliters/minute.

Abstract: A system for selecting, erasing or reproducing program recordings using marking and descriptive data which is transmitted to a client location from a remote processing location. A database of identification signals specifying the characteristics of a known programming is maintained at a remote processing location. In a first embodiment, selected identification signals are downloaded from the database to the client location and are used by a processor at the client location to identify desired programming within a locally stored collection of previously received broadcast programming signals.

Abstract: An adapter for converting an electric light fixture into a candle-burning chandelier. A candle holder adapter includes a cavity at the bottom which fits over and is retained by the vertical light bulb socket support. The candle holder may include an wax catching tray. The candle may be a conventional candle which fits into the candle holder adapter, or may be specially formed to mate with the adapter. The adapter may hold or form a liquid fuel reservior for a fuel burning candle. In an O.E.M. fixture, the vertical light bulb socket support may be removed from the fixture and replaced by a conventional candle or a specially formed candle holder.

Abstract: A radio operated data card whose outer jacket forms a sealed protected housing for internal electrical components, including an RFID integrated circuit which incorporates data storage and a radio frequency transceiver, an on card antenna, and manually operated, normally open electrical switch contacts connected between the on-card electronic circuitry and the antenna. The open switch contacts normally disable the card, protecting the data on the card from being surreptitiously read until the switch contacts are intentionally closed by the cardholder to enable data transfer to occur. The cardholder may activate the card by applying external pressure to the surface of the card at a predetermined position, closing the switch contacts which open again automatically when pressure is removed. A tactile indicia on the surface of the card allows the cardholder to determine by touch where the card should be pressed to enable data transfers to occur.