Abstract: The present invention is directed at a telephone that automatically selectively disables a microphone when the microphone is moved out of close proximity to the user's mouth. One embodiment comprises a sensor that detect if the telephone microphone is in close proximity to a user's mouth and a switch that selectively mutes the telephone in response to the detection.

Abstract: A method, system, and article of manufacture for responding to medical alerts, one embodiment of which comprises receiving a medical alert having an associated alert location, detecting a current location for each of a plurality of medical staff members, and selecting a medical staff member to respond to the medical alert based at least in part on the distance between the alert location and the current location. Some embodiments may further comprise receiving a plurality of medical alerts, determining if any of the medical alerts indicates an emergency situation, generating a prioritized task from non-emergency alerts, and selecting a highest priority medical alert from the prioritized list.

Abstract: To detect only JITed frames which are frames for codes compiled by a Java Just In Time compiler (JIT compiler) in an environment in which the memory available for use by a Java JIT compiler is limited, and JITed frames and other frames coexist in a thread stack. When the JIT compiler causes short of memory in a specific thread, all the threads are temporarily suspended. Then, each thread is searched for active methods, i.e., in each thread stack JITed code addresses are searched for. When there is no JITed last frame records, each frame is scanned from the position pointed by the current stack pointer SP to the bottom of the stack. When there is a list, it is scanned from the position pointed by the current stack pointer SP to the address of a JITed frame pointed by the latest JITed last frame record in the list. Following this, a frame pointed by a JITed last frame record and a JITed frame that can be traced from the pointed frame are detected. In FIG.

Abstract: Communications sessions between two or more radio transceivers are synchronized automatically to conserve battery power. A duty cycle is established, and the duty cycle data are communicated from one transceiver to the other(s) along with the time of day and other information. When the on-time portion of the duty cycle indicates that the transceiver is to be powered-on from a power-conserving sleep state to a full-power active state, a microprocessor causes power to be applied to the radio transceiver circuitry. Because they are synchronized, all transceivers of the system simultaneously power-on in this manner. In the active state, there is sufficient power for radio communication between the transceivers, and the users can use the transceivers in the conventional manner during the active state. The transceivers remain in the active state until the off-time portion of the duty cycle indicates to the microprocessor that the transceiver is to be powered-off from the active state to the sleep state.

Abstract: A method and system for providing information to an individual using an electronic sign in which the sign displays information in response to the identity of the tag or an account associated with the tag. The information is displayed when the tag, which may be carried by the individual or in a vehicle, approaches the sign. A user can preselect from among various information types he wishes to receive, such as news, weather, sports and personal messages. The user can also select a priority for each information type.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of reclaiming a disk substrate. The cost of reclaiming a disk substrate can be lower, and the quality higher, than making a new one from a blank. A layer of a data storage disk is stripped, e.g., by acid/oxidizing bath immersion. The stripped disk is polished in a carrier between polishing pads, with the relative velocity of the polishing pads as seen by the disk being precisely controlled so that an equal amount of stock is removed from each side. Preferably, several stripped disks are sorted into groups based on disk thickness, and disks from one of the groups are simultaneously polished in the carrier. Sorting improves stock removal uniformity from disk to disk. The polished disks are cleaned and, preferably, ordered in a cassette for stacking in a storage device based on disk thickness to more easily meet a mean center specification.

Abstract: A battery backup system has a number of batteries and number of switches interconnecting the batteries to either a high-power load or a low-power load. The batteries are selectively connected in series with each other, or in parallel with each other by the switches. When the batteries are in the parallel configuration they are also connected to power the low-power load, and when in series, to power the high-power load. Between switching from the high-power series configuration to the low-power parallel configuration, a transition phase is provided during which a transition battery powers the low-power load.

Abstract: A controller displays windows on a display. At any one time, one of the windows can be in focus. Each of the windows has an original position and an original size on the display. The controller determines, for each window, an elapsed time since it was in focus, and changes the position and size of each window in proportion to its elapsed time. The controller shrinks each window that is not in focus and moves it away from its original position and toward the boundary of the desktop in proportion to the elapsed time since it was in focus. Thus, the windows that the user is using heavily tend to stay large and near their original position while windows that the user is using lightly tend to shrink and move toward the boundary of the screen.

Abstract: A power supply includes a rectifier which receives alternating current as an input, and which provides an output of direct current pulses at a positive polarity output line thereof with respect to a negative polarity output line thereof. A back-up circuit is coupled between the positive and negative polarity output lines of the rectifier. The back-up circuit includes the series connection of a switching device, a current blocking device, at least one electrical energy source device, and a current measuring device. A circuit protection device may also be provided in the series connection. The back-up circuit can be tested while the rectifier is providing the direct current output pulses by closing the switching device and detecting at least one pulse of a test current flowing through the back-up circuit and/or a terminal voltage of the at least one electrical energy source device during the testing.