Abstract: Quality of biometric prints is enhanced by any one of several different methods. In one embodiment, if a biometric print does not have a high enough quality, the biometric print is discarded. In another embodiment, a matching score is associated with the degree to which the two biometric prints match. In another embodiment, a ranking is associated with a biometric print, and the ranking is determined based upon two or more matching scores associated with the biometric print. In another embodiment, a variety of distinguishing features are derived from a given biometric print and are stored for authenticating a biometric print of a user requesting access to a secure entity. In an embodiment, a transformation is applied to at least a portion of a newly acquired biometric print to improve the match of the newly acquired biometric print to a stored biometric print.

Abstract: Set of attachments, including one or more attachments are attached to a portion of bedding for storing an item, such that someone lying in bed may comfortably reach the item while in bed. The set of attachments may include various sorts of holders for holding personal items, such as one or more pockets and/or one or more straps. In an embodiment the bedding is a fitted bed sheet. In other embodiments, the bedding may be other pieces of bedding where the set of attachments may be placed within reach of the person. In an embodiment, the location of the set of attachments is based on an average sized individual of a particular population and the size of the bedding. In another embodiment, the location of the pocket is based on the dimensions of the individual for which the set of attachments is made and on the individual's bedding.

Abstract: Characteristics of a code are decided upon. For example, the geometry and how noisy the background of the barcode can be may be decided upon. A representation of the code based on the code's characteristics is automatically placed in a variety of trial locations, which are each tested to see if the current trial location is acceptable. In one embodiment, the representation of the code is slid across the document, and code may be placed in the first acceptable location found. For example, in one embodiment, if placing the code in the trial location results in obscuring foreground information, the location is determined to be unacceptable. In another embodiment, if the trial location obscures information that is critical to the purpose of the document, the location is determined to be unacceptable.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling a user to remotely select which communications device to use for a particular communications session from among a plurality of communication devices connected to standard residential telephone wiring. The user enters a predetermined signal from any of the devices connected to the residential wiring. The method of the present invention analyzes the signal and, depending on the state of a number of variables related to cost effective operation, selects which of the devices is the most economical for a particular communications session.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a lock mechanism has a lock shaft, a motor, and a lock cylinder, wherein the motor rotates a cog that moves the lock cylinder into and out of the lock shaft. The lock cylinder is oriented concentric to an axis about which the lock cylinder rotates. Rotating the cog causes the lock cylinder to rotate about the axis, which in turn causes the lock cylinder to more into and out of the lock shaft in a direction along the axis. In an embodiment, the cog has no translational motion in a direction parallel to the axis. The lock cylinder may have grooves, and the cog may engage the grooves. Rotating the cog may causes the lock cylinder to rotate with the cog, and the cog to slide within the grooves as the lock cylinder moves along the axis.

Abstract: A vegetation trimmer comprising an elongate main handle to which is connected a motor that rotatably drives a trimmer head located at a distal end of the handle. The trimmer head defines a rotational axis and includes a housing and a spool rotatably received in the housing for carrying at least one coil of flexible trimmer line. The trimmer head further includes structure for enabling trimmer line to be wound through housing and onto the spool in a user-selected clockwise or counterclockwise direction without removing the spool from the housing such that trimmer line is dischargeable from the trimmer head in an appropriate clockwise or counterclockwise direction dictated by the direction of rotation of the vegetation trimmer drive shaft.

Abstract: A device has (1) an electronic key that transmits a wireless coded signal and (2) at least one tool that can receive that signal. The coded signal is compared to a coded signal stored in said tool. If the coded signal matches the stored signal, a switch is closed for a predetermined amount of time. An on/off switch then enables the user of the tool to turn the tool on and off during the predetermined amount of time. After the predetermined amount of time, the switch is opened so that the tool can no longer be used. Opening the switch may be delayed if the tool is in use. The tool may also contain a unique identification code that can be read by various electronic means to identify the tool.

Abstract: This invention relates to the machine recognition and learning of predetermined categories and more generally, to the representation of patterns, information and knowledge in computational applications. A method of learning categories is an important component of advanced software technology. This invention has applications in the following areas: bioinformatics, document classification, document similarity, financial data mining, goal-based planners, handwriting and character recognition, information retrieval, natural language processing, natural language understanding, pattern recognition, search engines, strategy based domains such as business, military and games, and vision recognition.

Abstract: An electrical conductor locating device comprises a pulse generator and a detector. The pulse generator includes a transformer with outputs for connecting to two positions along the electrical conductor to define a closed loop. The current in the closed loop produces an electromagnetic field around the conductor. The detector is comprised of a magnetic field sensor coupled to the input of an amplifier. The output of the amplifier is connected to an indicator, such as a LED. When the sensor is moved perpendicularly closer to the conductor, it senses an increasing magnetic or electromagnetic field strength so the amplifier drives the indicator at greater intensity. When the sensor is directly aligned with the conductor, the sensor is inside the equipotential point of the magnetic or electromagnetic field where the field strength approaches zero, so the amplifier drives the indicator at close to zero intensity and thus pinpoints the conductor.

Abstract: A method and system for allowing clients to retrieve data from data sources that do not necessarily support the same protocols and formats as the clients. The clients issue service requests. A pre-processor responds to the requests by generating XML-structured request objects with unresolved links to the data sources that have information required by the clients. An XML processor resolves the links by issuing requests through one or more gateways. The gateways convert the responses received from the data sources into XML, which the XML processor uses to create XML composite response documents. A post-processor filters the XML response documents, and applies XSL stylesheets to transform the XML composite response documents into client-specific responses that conform to the format required by the clients. The client-specific responses are then sent to the clients.

Abstract: A housing and float assembly allow for vapors or gases displaced during filling storage vessels to be redirected from a normal vent through a vapor or gas activated whistle or alarm without significantly restricting the venting rate of the vessel. The alarm produces a warning for the operator that the storage vessel has reached the predetermined high level to help avoid overfilling of the storage vessel. The device can be fabricated from readily available "off the shelf" parts and mounts into standard pipe threads or on to standard pipe flanges. The device can be provided as a kit to be assembled by the user.

Abstract: An attachment to a paint ball gun which adapts the gun to fire in automatic, semiautomatic, or in essentially any desired pattern of fire. The gun attachment has a mechanical mechanism for manipulating a protrusion on the gun, such as a bolt handle, a programmable pulse generator for determining the pattern of fire, and an electromechanical device for converting the signals generated by the pulse generator into a mechanical motion for driving the mechanical mechanism which manipulates the bolt handle or protrusion.