Abstract: An apparatus and a method for intelligent analysis of device compatibility and adaptive processing of multimedia data are disclosed. By performing a unique intelligent analysis of device compatibility, the present invention provides a full application-level compatibility between the apparatus performing the intelligent analysis and an external device operatively connected to the apparatus even when device driver-level information of the external device is unavailable. Furthermore, a unique intelligent analysis for adaptive processing of multimedia data between the apparatus and the external devices enables an efficient and flexible usage of storage space in the external device for a multimedia data transfer from the apparatus to the external device.

Abstract: A novel wind turbine configuration utilizes a permanent magnetic male and female levitation support for magnetic levitation. The novel wind turbine has a female part attached to a payload which is magnetically levitated above a male part of the levitation support. The female part and the payload are further operatively attached to a vertical axle structure which is held stationary by a point of contact. The point of contact and the vertical axle structure provide a stable axis of rotation for the payload and the female part, which can be rotated with near-zero friction due to the magnetic repulsion provided by same polarity of the female part and the male part within a conical region of the female part. In one embodiment of the invention, an alternator structure is uniquely arranged to enable the novel wind turbine to generate electricity with a high level of efficiency and durability.

Abstract: A personalized consumer to business matchmaking apparatus and its related method correlate and quantify a personalized match between a business offering products or services to a searching consumer looking for the reviewed products or services. In one embodiment of the invention, the personalized consumer to business matchmaking is based on requirements, traits, and profiles of the business, the searching consumer, and business evaluators who have reviewed the business. Whereas conventional consumer reviews such as star-ratings merely give an average rating based on inputs from the business evaluators, the personalized consumer to business matchmaking apparatus and its related method generate a personalized match score based on individual traits, requirements, and profiles of the business, the searching consumer, and the business evaluators.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are disclosed for automated projection image adjustments for a portable projection device. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus periodically polls a tilt sensor inside the portable projection device and uses the tilt sensor reading as a key to a lookup table which stores pre-computed visual distortion adjustment values. Furthermore, the apparatus can also poll a distance measurement sensor to measure a distance between a projector lens and a presumed projection surface periodically. The measured distance value can also be used as an additional parameter to the key for the lookup table to retrieve appropriate visual distortion adjustment values which are pre-computed and stored in the lookup table. The fast pre-computed adjustment value retrieval without real-time computation of graphical transformations to correct the visual distortions minimizes processor load, energy consumption, and processing delays for projection image corrections.

Abstract: A commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine is configured to use steam instead of dry-cleaning chemicals or water as a primary cleaning agent for garments rotating in a drum of the commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine. In one embodiment of the invention, a steam injector at least partially exposed to an inner surface of the drum is configured to provide a MCU-controlled fresh steam injection into the drum during a cleaning cycle of the commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine. The fresh steam into the commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine is from an outtake of a standalone boiler system which is typically used for a variety of fabric treatment machines in a commercial laundry operation. A debris and clean steam/air separation chamber periodically or continuously separates and/or filters debris, chemicals, and/or other undesirable elements from the drum and evacuates clean or cleaned-up air and moistures to an air-out duct.

Abstract: Account management methods and systems are presented for managing and administering group accounts. A group may establish a financial group account using a novel group account management system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The novel group account management system can provide financial transaction-related controls, privileges, tracking, and/or reporting for one or more users, members, and/or sub-group within the group account. A concept of user-specific, member-specific, and/or sub-group-specific privileges is integrated into the novel group account management system to assign a particular user, member, and/or sub-group to an account management level within the group account. Furthermore, a novel concept of user-managed group account-related rules is also integrated into the novel group account management system to empower, restrict, and/or control certain transaction-related actions for at least some users, members, and/or sub-groups.

Abstract: A personalized consumer to business matchmaking apparatus and its related method correlate and quantify a personalized match between a business offering products or services to a searching consumer looking for the reviewed products or services. In one embodiment of the invention, the personalized consumer to business matchmaking is based on requirements, traits, and profiles of the business, the searching consumer, and business evaluators who have reviewed the business. Whereas conventional consumer reviews such as star-ratings merely give an average rating based on inputs from the business evaluators, the personalized consumer to business matchmaking apparatus and its related method generate a personalized match score based on individual traits, requirements, and profiles of the business, the searching consumer, and the business evaluators.

Abstract: One or more apparatuses and methods are disclosed for data entry from a removable portable device cover which are configured to cover, surround, and/or encapsulate at least a portion of an exterior shell of a portable electronic device. In one embodiment of the invention, a physical keyboard is operatively connected and/or attached to a removable portable device frame of the removable portable device cover, wherein the removable portable device frame is designed to fit a portable electronic device. In some embodiments of the invention, the operative connection and/or attachment of a physical keyboard to a removable portable frame may be accomplished by using straps, connector ports, and/or wireless protocols. Furthermore, a physical keyboard operatively connected and/or attached to the removable portable device frame may be a foldable physical keyboard which enables easy touch-typing for a user if the foldable physical keyboard is fully expanded.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatuses that utilize a plurality of portable apparatuses to securely operate a plurality of host computers. Each portable apparatus including an operating system and a list of software applications is installed in a removable data storage medium. An authorization procedure is implemented before establishing a connected-state operation between a portable apparatus and a host computer. The host computer loads the operating system in the portable apparatus into its random access semiconductor memory (RAM) through the established connected-state operation.

Abstract: A novel digital photo frame is configured to display user-loaded photographs, moving pictures, and other personal data and corporate-paid advertisements which are dynamically updatable by an advertising data distribution center or another communications service provider, such as a cellular service provider. The invention also discloses a related, novel method of advertising in a digital photo frame with dynamically-updatable-ads, in which initial advertising fees for one or more dynamically-updateable ads at least partially pay for manufacturing costs of the digital photo frame for inexpensive distribution of the digital photo frame to a targeted consumer.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing background and wind noise to a microphone contained in a microphone casing comprises a clamshell enclosure. The clamshell enclosure has a top piece and a bottom piece held together by a hinge or a plastic membrane, wherein the clamshell enclosure is designed to encapsulate the microphone casing containing the microphone. The clamshell enclosure contains foam materials inside the clamshell enclosure, or the clamshell enclosure itself is made out of foam materials such as polyurethane, wherein the foam materials contribute to reduction of background and wind noises to the microphone. The clamshell enclosure may optionally incorporate one or more channels as electrical cord pathways between the microphone casing encapsulated in the clamshell enclosure and another object (e.g. electronic device, earphones, and etc.).

Abstract: A personalized consumer to business matchmaking apparatus and its related method correlate and quantify a personalized match between a business offering products or services to a searching consumer looking for the reviewed products or services. In one embodiment of the invention, the personalized consumer to business matchmaking is based on requirements, traits, and profiles of the business, the searching consumer, and business evaluators who have reviewed the business. Whereas conventional consumer reviews such as star-ratings merely give an average rating based on inputs from the business evaluators, the personalized consumer to business matchmaking apparatus and its related method generate a personalized match score based on individual traits, requirements, and profiles of the business, the searching consumer, and the business evaluators.

Abstract: An apparatus for an electrical equipment enclosure with tubular weatherproofing of electrical connections is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, one or more weatherproofing tubes attached to the lid incorporating one or more conduits are configured to serve as passageways for one or more electrical lines which need to stay weatherproof, watertight, and/or splash-proof from external elements. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the invention, one or more clusters of electrical connectors inside the electrical equipment enclosure receive a portion of the one or more electrical lines passing through the one or more conduits and the one or more weatherproofing tubes. The apparatus as embodied by the present invention provides a reliable, durable and cost-effective weatherproof electrical equipment enclosure design.

Abstract: An adjustable-voltage Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switch provides data signals and output electrical powers to a multiple number of output PoE ports. The adjustable-voltage PoE switch has an output voltage-adjusting interface, allowing a user to select a specific power level or a specific output voltage for the particular output PoE port. The adjustable-voltage PoE can also include a conventional IEEE 802.3af-compliant power mode for further utilizing PoE in communicating and powering up external devices. A plurality of light indicators corresponding to the multiple number of output PoE ports provides further convenience by indicating a specific power level or a specific output voltage for a particular output PoE port using a particular color in each color-changing light indicator.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus that utilize a portable apparatus to operate a host computer in a network environment. The portable apparatus including an operating system and a list of software applications are installed in a removable data storage medium. The basic input/output system (BIOS) of the host computer will directly or indirectly identify the portable apparatus as its boot drive. The host computer immersed in a network environment will further load the operating system in the portable apparatus into its random access semiconductor memory (RAM). In one embodiment of the invention, a hardware profile which contains host and peripheral device-related information is either stored or operatively accessible by the host computer. The operating system is capable of incorporating information from the hardware profile during an OS-loading procedure.

Abstract: Methods and systems for transmitting compressed audio/video data streams across conventional networks or channels in real time. Each system employs the Adaptive Rate Control (ARC) technique that is based on the detection of defective packets and other influencing factors such as overall system performance, usage model and channel characteristics. To control data stream congestions in the channel and maintain the visual display quality above a certain level, the present invention exploits the human visual perception and adaptability to changing visual conditions. The ARC technique relies on the client's capacity for calculating the quality of video packets received from a server and sending information of a desired transmission rate to the server. This approach simplifies the hardware and software implementation complexity otherwise imposed on the server and reduces the overall design cost by shifting the burden of monitoring bandwidth and transmission control from the server to the client.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for real-time monitoring and controlling of networked appliances over both a wide-area network (WAN) and a local-area network (LAN) using a Device State and Location Server (DSLS) as an intermediate server are disclosed. The DSLS is configured to either receive beacons from networked appliances periodically or poll networked appliances to update current activity status of each networked appliance. A unified user interface on a commanding device is configured to monitor the current activity status of each networked appliance by simply receiving updated data from the DSLS, thereby offloading a cumbersome task of tracking all networked appliances over the WAN and the LAN on its own. A color coding scheme and different icon shapes are used for ease of monitoring of the networked appliances. An orbital user interface software further helps to visualize location and current activity status of each networked appliance.

Abstract: A network-based text-to-speech (TTS) TagToe alert system is configured to take a user's textual and/or multimedia input to a TagToe user interface to schedule delivery of text-to-speech-converted TagToe information to one or more telephone call recipients. The text-to-speech converted TagToe information optionally includes e-commerce specific, location-specific, and/or product-specific information which may be presented to the one or more call recipients as additional voice information or interactive voice response (IVR) information. The TagToe alert system can be configured to provide an advanced level of integration between IP telephony and electronic transactions and online services for optimized efficiency and improved revenue to e-commerce.