Abstract: A system and method for enabling on-line purchasers to customize and personalize their purchasing options by prompting the customer to indicate customer preferences regarding merchandise and services to be purchased on-line. The system and method use intelligent process and rule-driven inquiry-databases, intelligent product databases, artificial intelligence rules, data comparison algorithms, animation software, graphics and video input and output hardware and software and/or video streaming to (1) guide consumers in specifying customer preferences, (2) make purchasing recommendations to consumers, (3) narrow selections of merchandise or services, (4) determine the fit of merchandise, (5) configure and optimize various options of subsystems into a complete system, (6) layout, compose and/or animate merchandise or models wearing merchandise, and (7) display the fitted system of multiple items with the recommended and/or selected settings.

Abstract: An automatic scrolling mechanism that converts the passive browser/web/computer media or any other information repository into an active media that can actively present and “push” information to the users/viewers while retaining the browser/web media's existing “pull” and interactivity functions. The same mechanism applied in TV/Video Media can give the TV/Video Media interactivity. The automatic scrolling can be controlled by placing a cursor on various control icons, such as a respective end of a floating border structure. The structure may be a box or a line. Furthermore, the structure may be a cluster of arrows, or other symbols. In operation, while the cursor is on the respective end, automatically scrolling occurs to bring forth the content that extends beyond the field of view of the browser display window into view. As the content is scrolled, the content is moved into the field of view of the browser display window in a predetermine direction designated by the respective end.

Abstract: An electronic acupressure aide and stimulating device implemented using a hand-held or palm-held electronic computing device or another computing device which may be a designated unit. The electronic acupressure aide and stimulating device allows a practitioner to apply a pulse sequence to a set of predetermined acu-points such as those related to acupressure, acupuncture, trigger points or Jin-Shin Jyutsu, to name a few. A displayed chart related to the acu-points identifies the health condition and the pulse sequence.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for clustered, collaged, and artistically integrated, presentation of digitally stored objects and their images. The clusters are each embedded with each of its own link-tokens and connected to a different set of related information and objects. The clustering also enables simultaneous and collective access of information associated to all objects in the cluster. A method and apparatus for composing the clustered image from individual images, partitioning existing integrated images or photograph of multiple objects, and composing and partitioning clustered images from multiple sources, for the purpose of presenting, associating, and grouping access of categorically related objects and their associated detailed information.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for high speed transmission of data over a transmission line/medium/network telephone, wherein this high speed is achieved by simultaneously, or in a timed and marked relationship, transmitting multiple bits of data over parallel frequencies rather than serially transmitting one bit of data at a time over one frequency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing deep fading of signals in satellite-based communications systems employing terrestrial repeater stations by shifting the phase of the signals transmitted from each terrestrial repeater station by a different amount so that the signals are transmitted from each terrestrial repeater station and received at a receiver at different phases, thereby effectuating time diversity in such signals to reduce deep fading of the signals. The method and apparatus can be used in CDMA and OFDM systems.

Abstract: The present invention is for a method and apparatus for analyzing the effect of a plurality of noise sources in a circuit, wherein each one of the noise sources is associated with a discrete stochastic process defined on a state-set of Markov chains. Each discrete stochastic process is modulated with a set of continuous signals that represents the noise generated by the corresponding noise source at each noise generating event. A spectral power density of the signals resulting from the modulation is computed and transferred through a linear system that represents a platform that supports the circuit. The output of the linear system comprises the spectral power density of interference signals at the points of interest and their correlations.

Abstract: An A/D converter in which a thermometer code representing an increase in analog input voltage values is asynchronously derived using a chain of buffers, the thermometer code being translated using a binary code into a ramp voltage by a D/A converter and frozen when the ramp voltage equals the amplitude of a selected analog voltage being digitized.

Abstract: A method for a cellular telephone receiver to detect the presence of a dotting sequence for a Manchester encoded cellular signal in a deep fading environment, wherein the presence of a single edge transition during the mask pulse for a predetermined number of consecutive clock cycles and the absence of any transition edges outside of the mask pulse for the predetermined number of consecutive clock cycles, indicate the presence of a dotting sequence and that the cellular receiver locked to a masked edge, thereby preventing the receiver from receiving the signal. In response, the receiver will shift the phase of its clock by 180 degrees so that it can lock to an unmasked edge of the cellular signal and thereby receive the signal.

Abstract: A system and method for selectively retrieving voice-mail and electronic mail messages from a plurality of message storage devices residing on a telephony network and a data network and storing such retrieved messages in a common message storage device from which the retrieved messages can be accessed, edited and deleted.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for waking a sleeping driver of a motor vehicle to prevent the driver from causing an accident by administering an electric shock to the driver. The invention determines whether a driver has fallen asleep by either monitoring the driver's pulse, the orientation and position of the driver's head with respect to at least two planes of movement, or the movement of the driver's eyes. The electric shock can be administered by an element integrated in or coupled to the vehicle steering wheel, or by an element worn by the driver or secured to the driver's clothing.

Abstract: A process for producing a cleaved product from a ricinic compound by a high temperature reaction, achieved by combining an alkali in aqueous solution, a thinning agent, and a ricinic compound at a first temperature sufficient to distill off volatiles in the reaction mixture and then raising the temperature to a temperature sufficient to initiate a pyrolysis reaction and form a cleaved product from the ricinic compound, wherein the amount of thinning agent is in at a level sufficient to reduce the solidification of the mass during the reaction and foaming and increase the yield and purity of the products. The thinning agent is an isocarboxylic acid, an isoaldehyde or an isoalcohol containing from 5 to 13 carbon units. The thinning agent is relatively inexpensive, non-volatile and resistant to decomposition under the reaction conditions, easy to recover, and a non-foaming agent.

Abstract: An IVR system for an information network and method for storing and executing user queries stored on the network so that such queries do not have to be re-entered each time a user wants to access information from or execute a transaction on the network. The system can also be programmed to automatically execute the query at a predetermined time or times, and deliver information retrieved from the network and/or confirmation of the execution of a transaction on the network to the user in a format specified by the user.

Abstract: A method for testing the reliability of fiber-optic laser modules by determining the change in position over time of the focal point of the fiber tip relative to the laser, wherein the coupling efficiency and influence coefficients of the laser module are used to determine whether the focal point of the fiber tip is moving relative to the laser at an unacceptable rate of displacement such that the laser module is likely to malfunction and is therefore unacceptable for use.

Abstract: A method for providing on-screen notification of alarmed elements of a managed network system, wherein an alarm icon continuously displayed on a video display screen indicates when at least one network element not visible on the video display screen is alarmed. The video screen includes a view pane which displays the map containing icon representations of elements of the network system, the map being moveable within the view pane to permit all regions of the map to be selectively viewed, wherein at least one of the network element icons is not visible in the view pane at any given time.

Abstract: A glitch-free clock switch circuit for an integrated circuit having a plurality of asynchronous clocks, wherein only one clock is selected at a time, and wherein the clock switching circuitry for switching from a currently selected clock to an inactive clock to next be selected is activated only for the time it takes to complete the switching. The clock switch circuit includes at least three sets of clock drivers, wherein each set is comprised of two drivers and separate clock drivers are each associated with the output clock, the currently selected clock and the clock to next be selected, respectively. An edge detector turns on these clock drivers in response to a clock select signal, and a set of synchronizers receive and synchronize the clock select signal first with the output clock and then with the currently selected clock and the clock to next be selected, respectively.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing a delay line filter with a single cross-coupled pair of filter elements. In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the filter is comprised of a plurality of symmetrically configured filter elements, wherein only two of the filter elements are cross-coupled. In a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the filter is comprised of a plurality of filter elements, wherein a first element is coupled to a second element, and the first and second elements are each coupled to at least two other elements and at least one of the at least two other elements for each of the first and second elements are the same.

Abstract: An apparatus and method using selectively controlled cache/no-cache bits for improving the real-time performance of applications run on computers having cache memory by controlling the caching of different regions of address space thereby reducing thrashing or other forms of interference in the cache memory and improving the WCET performance of such applications.

Abstract: A method of using an algorithm to partition a multi-dimensional data set into a minimum number of rectangular-shaped partitions that can be processed more quickly than the non-partitioned data set while satisfying certain specified performance constraints.

Abstract: An apparatus and method using a laser in conjunction with a conventional tibial aiming device for assisting a surgeon in drilling collinear tibial and femoral tunnels during ACLR surgery. The laser is used to determine the angle at which to drill the tibial tunnel with respect to a femoral reference point selected by the surgeon so that the tunnels are collinear.