Abstract: Example systems, methods, processes, and apparatus for determining expected base sales for a product include obtaining sales data for a product sold at a point of sale location. The sales data can be organized in a time series according to a predetermined time period. The method further includes identifying a promotional event for at least one of the product and the point of sale location and excluding sales data corresponding to the promotional event. The remaining sales data is processed using a smoothed moving average model involving a plurality of passes through the remaining sales data. Expected base data for the product is generated based on the smoothed moving average model and output to a user.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 5, 2009
Date of Patent:
September 11, 2012
Assignee:
The Nielsen Company, LLC
Inventors:
James Dodge, John Donmyer, Frank J. Slavik
Abstract: A cooperative electronic media measurement system is disclosed that measures the electronic media usage of one or more individuals by a media research entity. The media research entity defines at least one specialized task useful to the media research entity. The at least one specialized task is performed by a media handler provided by another entity and concerns a handling of electronic media by the media handler. The individual is tracked with at least one software agent of the media research entity. At least one software agent obtains a product of the specialized task performed by the media handler via at least one defined interface that provides interoperability between the media handler and the at least one software agent. Cooperative media handlers automatically obtain information from, or otherwise obtain information about, presented media objects including identification tags, if present, and other information, for collection by the research data collection agents.
Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting a channel change event are disclosed. capturing a television audio signal having first, second, and third portions, the first portion occurring earlier in time than the second portion and the second portion occurring earlier in time than the third portion, identifying at least one of a first muted audio condition or a first transient audio condition in the second portion of the television audio signal, and identifying a channel change event in response to: 1) identifying the at least one of the first muted audio condition or the first transient audio condition, 2) failing to identify a second muted audio condition or a second transient audio condition in the first and third portions of the television audio signal, and 3) determining that a time domain length of the second portion of the television audio signal is greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold.
Abstract: Play gyms and methods of operating the same are disclosed. A disclosed example includes a floor mat dimensioned to be positioned within a play yard and/or a bassinet. It also includes a play gym to suspend an object above the mat when the mat is positioned in the play yard and/or the bassinet, and at least one connector to couple the play gym to the mat when the mat is removed from the play gym and/or the bassinet.
Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus provide clinical terminology services including a controlled medical vocabulary supplemented by local clinical content.
Abstract: Simulated commercial envelopes and methods of making the same are disclosed. An example envelope includes a first envelope portion having a front panel including a top edge and a bottom edge parallel to the top edge, connected by a pair of side edges. A top flap is integrally formed with the top edge of the front panel about a first fold line and a bottom flap is integrally formed with the bottom edge of the front panel about a second fold line. A second envelope portion having a rear panel is adapted to be secured to the front panel to form a pocket for a mailer insert. The bottom flap foldable about the second fold line and is secured to the rear panel on a side opposite the formed pocket, and the top flap is foldable about the first fold line and is also secured to the rear panel or the bottom flap on the side opposite the formed pocket to form the example envelope.
Abstract: A multi-protocol label switching system using multiple cores. In establishing a virtual private network in a MPLS system, more than one core is available. Paths are established over each core separately and weights are assigned to the two routes. Thus, the route which is preferred by manually configuring in advance will be chosen.
Abstract: Fluid flow control members for use with valves are described herein. An example fluid flow control member for use with a valve includes a body having a first seating surface to control a flow of fluid through the valve. The body defines a second seating surface opposite the first seating surface to control a flow of fluid through the valve. Additionally, the body defines an aperture to receive a stem of the valve, and a bore surrounded by the first seating surface to receive at least one of a seal or a sliding member each of which have a first surface to be engaged by a second surface of a spring seat coupled to the stem to control a fluid flow through the valve.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 2, 2008
Date of Patent:
September 4, 2012
Assignee:
Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Chun Lin, Eric Alan Miller, Roy Ronald Pelfrey, Yan Tao Sun, Fan Jian Jun
Abstract: A system and method for managing logical and physical address state lifecycles. A state of unknown can be assigned to an address when the state has not been assigned. The state of the address is changed when communication is targeted to the address. The state can be changed to unfulfilled when the communication includes an address resolution protocol request sent to a device having the address when a time limit for a response to the address resolution protocol request has not expired. The state can be changed to virtual when the communication is received at the address when the state of the address is unfulfilled, and a time limit for responding to the communication expires before a response is sent. The state can be changed to unknown when the state of the address is not unknown, and the address does not participate in the communication within a time limit.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 1, 2003
Date of Patent:
September 4, 2012
Assignee:
Trustwave Holdings, Inc.
Inventors:
Mark L. Wilkinson, Ronald J. Miller, Michael J. McDaniels
Abstract: Methods and apparatus for measuring heat flux in a material are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves emitting an acoustic signal into the material and determining a first propagation time associated with the propagation of the acoustic signal through the material. A first heat flux value indicative of a first heat flux of the material is then determined based on the first propagation time.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 31, 2008
Date of Patent:
September 4, 2012
Inventors:
Donald E. Yuhas, Don G. Walker, Jr., Mark J. Mutton
Abstract: Apparatus to configure fluid regulators are described. In one example, a stem guide for use with a fluid regulator is described. The stem guide includes a body having an opening to slidably receive a valve stem and an outer surface having a plurality of circumferential seals that removably couple the body within a bore of a regulator casing and align the body with the regulator casing or a valve.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 11, 2008
Date of Patent:
September 4, 2012
Assignee:
Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
James Chester Hawkins, Paul Richard Anderson, Gregory Lawrence Foust, Seth Kranz, Jason Scott Mevius
Abstract: Techniques for providing multiple power supplies in electronic devices are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an appropriate power supply is provided only to accommodate a volume setting. In other words, there are at least two power supplies, one with a low voltage and the other with a high voltage. The high voltage power supply is only applied when there is a need to accommodate a volume setting. Thus the power consumption of the amplifiers is well controlled. As a result, the designs of the device and heat dissipation therein can be simplified and lowered in cost.
Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying primary media content in a post-production media content presentation are disclosed. An example computer-implemented method to detect primary media content included in a secondary media content presentation disclosed herein comprises determining a first image corresponding to the secondary media content presentation, the first image comprising a plurality of image subregions, each image subregion representative of an inter-frame variation associated with a corresponding subregion of the secondary media content presentation, selecting a region of the first image comprising a plurality of connected image subregions of the first image together exhibiting a first type of inter-frame variation, and when a shape of the selected region of the first image corresponds to a predefined shape, processing a region of the first captured image corresponding to the selected region of the first synthetic image to identify the primary media content.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 27, 2009
Date of Patent:
September 4, 2012
Assignee:
The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
Inventors:
David Howell Wright, Ronan Heffernan, Michael McLean, Kevin Keqiang Deng, Paul Bulson
Abstract: Methods and portable devices for collecting information about portable device usage are disclosed. Embodiments provide convenient, efficient, and cost-effective methods of monitoring and collecting information about on-portal/off-portal usage, on-network/off-network data usage, interactive (e.g., streaming media, interactive gaming, mobile conferencing, etc.) usage, and wireless IP usage, where the portable device usage is monitored by the portable device itself.
Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for analysis of wireless signal session data records in order to detect a selectively defined relationship. The relationship involves one or more wireless signal performance metrics and a geographical area. The relationships can be correlated with at least one syndrome of real-world circumstances. Detection of one or more relationships can be reported and leveraged to improve wireless signal service within an area or throughout a wireless system or infrastructure. Such detection and syndrome reporting can also be used to provide valuable and time-saving information to wireless system users.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 3, 2008
Date of Patent:
August 28, 2012
Assignee:
AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
Inventors:
Steven Wright, Barret Kreiner, Edgar Shrum, Jr.
Abstract: A portable electronic device is disclosed that includes a user interface with improved menu or list controls. Each of the items of the menu or list include a target zone that is spatially arranged in such a manner as to differentiate the menu items from one another and provide an easy target for contact by a user.
Abstract: Embodiments of the presently described technology provide a method for adapting a hanging protocol based on an efficiency of use. The method includes monitoring usage information for a hanging protocol, determining a productivity factor based on an efficiency of a first user during a reading of an imaging study, and recommending at least one of a hanging protocol selection and a hanging protocol change to a second user based on the productivity factor. The usage information includes at least one of a selection of a hanging protocol and a change to the hanging protocol by a first user during the reading of the imaging study.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 4, 2007
Date of Patent:
August 28, 2012
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Murali Kumaran Kariathungal, Prakash Mahesh, Mark Morita
Abstract: Signature-based program identification apparatus and methods for use with digital audio and/or video systems are disclosed. The disclosed systems and methods develop signatures of digital audio and/or video content from a digital data stream at two or more sites and compare the signatures to one another to identify the content.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 20, 2005
Date of Patent:
August 28, 2012
Assignee:
The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
Inventors:
Morris Lee, William H. Schilp, Michael A. Hicks, Ronald Schwerer, David H. Wright, Kevin Deng
Abstract: Methods and apparatus to perform quality testing in Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia subsystem (IMS) based communication systems are disclosed. An example IMS-based system comprises a web portal to allow a user to configure quality testing for a user endpoint and to present results of the quality testing, a test server to exchange packets with the user endpoint to perform the testing, an IMS application server to implement a state machine to establish a test session between the test server and a test module of the user endpoint, the packets to be exchanged between the test server and the test module via the session, and a data analyzer to determine one or more parameters representative of performance of the session based on the exchanged packets, and to provide the same to the web portal, the web portal to present information representative of the one or more parameters to the user.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 29, 2008
Date of Patent:
August 28, 2012
Assignee:
AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
Inventors:
Chaoxin Qiu, Alexander Lisheng Huang, Michael Taylor