Abstract: A system and method that allows content to be broadcast without commercial interruption, yet lets the company or companies that sponsor the broadcast to offer advertisements and discounts and various special offers to the viewers at a later time. The amount of time a viewer spends watching a particular broadcast is recorded along with information about the sponsoring companies or organizations for the broadcast. The viewer later accesses a central database, which sends back to the viewer advertisements, coupons, discounts, contests, and other enticements to purchase products, based on the amount of time the viewer spent watching broadcasts or segments of broadcasts that were sponsored by the advertiser.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide an improved animal feeder with an insertable feed restrictor. An example embodiment includes: a barrel into which animal feed may be deposited, the barrel including a stop attached at an edge of an upper opening of the barrel; and a feed restrictor configured for removable insertion into the opening of the barrel, the feed restrictor including a plurality of feed access holes arranged on a lower surface of the feed restrictor, the feed restrictor being configured to float on top of the animal feed deposited in the barrel, the feed restrictor being further configured to freely spin laterally in the barrel.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system is disclosed in which a network-based e-commerce environment includes billing a client at a periodic flat rate for a pre-defined scope of legal advice in pre-defined areas of legal services and offering the client, as part of the periodic flat rate, an alternative billing option of participating in a litigation defense program having a graduated fee structure based on an outcome of a litigation. In other embodiments, a network-based e-commerce environment includes offering the client participation in an accrual of credits at a predetermined multiplier of the periodic flat rate paid whereby such credits are accrued over time and may be redeemed to offset legal fees otherwise payable.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus take software source code to synthesize a hardware platform for running the software. The method determines which processor is suitable for running the code and meeting the performance parameters determined by the user. The method also determines which hardware devices are accessed by software. If the hardware target is a semiconductor chip, the invention selects the appropriate IP and creates an HDL description of the chip. If the hardware target is a printed circuit board, the invention creates a schematic or netlist that includes the appropriate microprocessor, the various semiconductor chips, and the necessary interconnections.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for providing interactive content for multiple networked users in a shared venue. In a particular embodiment, the system includes a game server, a display system in data communication with the game server, the display system including a shared screen, and a plurality of game pads in data communication with the game server, each game pad including a local game pad display device and a plurality of input devices to convey command selections to the game server, each game pad including functionality to initiate a game, at least a portion of the game being displayed on both the shared screen and the local game pad display device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented hierarchical revenue model includes providing a first revenue value associated with a first avatar component, providing a second revenue value associated with a second avatar component, and combining the first revenue value with a second revenue value to produce a third revenue value associated with a third avatar component, the third avatar component being a derived avatar component that inherits characteristics of the first and the second avatar components, the third avatar component inheriting the first revenue value from the first avatar component, the third avatar component inheriting the second revenue value from the second avatar component.

Abstract: Software that modifies the source code for readily available software tasks—typically applications and hardware drivers—so that a small, fast, reliable operating system can be synthesized to control execution of these readily available software tasks.

Abstract: A tool for developing software source code for embedded systems that allows the user to automatically generate a real-time operating system for scheduling of multi-tasking operations while preventing deadlocks between the real-time tasks. The tool takes parameters that let the user assign priorities and timing characteristics to different tasks and to experiment with different scheduling algorithms.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide systems and methods for fabricating composite laminate structures with co-laminated radar absorbing material. An example embodiment includes providing a component part fabricated from composite laminate and having an inside surface and an outside surface; providing a portion of radar absorbing material (RAM) having an inside surface and an outside surface; positioning the outside surface of the component part against the inside surface of the portion of RAM to form an assembly; and applying pressure to the assembly thereby causing the portion of RAM to bond to the outside surface of the component part.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system for enabling network communication using common search queries and sponsored chat links is disclosed. Various embodiments relate to a computer-implemented system and method for receiving a sponsored concept from a sponsoring company, receiving a search query from a user, determining if the sponsored concept and the user search query fit within a match criteria, and establishing a communication link between the sponsoring company and the user if the sponsored concept and the user search query fit within the match criteria.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide an improved snow pusher with a removable friction-reducing edge. An example embodiment includes a blade having a generally rectangular shape and being of rigid material, the blade including an angled lower portion; a slider for removable attachment to the angled lower portion of the blade, the slider being fabricated from a friction-reducing material; a handle attachment mechanism for removable attachment to the blade; and a handle for removable attachment to the handle attachment mechanism.

Abstract: A self-contained, surface-mount guitar tremolo is disclosed. A particular embodiment includes a surface-mount base plate; a plurality of individually adjustable string fingers attached to the base plate; side plates attached to the base plate; a first pivot roller attached to the side plates; a second pivot roller attached to the side plates; a rocker attached to the second pivot roller; and a spring preload adjuster attached to the rocker, the spring preload adjuster including a plurality of springs attached at one end to the base plate and attached at a second end to the spring preload adjuster.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus take software source code to synthesize a hardware platform for running the software. The method determines which processor is suitable for running the code and meeting the performance parameters determined by the user. The method also determines which hardware devices are accessed by software. If the hardware target is a semiconductor chip, the invention selects the appropriate IP and creates an HDL description of the chip. If the hardware target is a printed circuit board, the invention creates a schematic or netlist that includes the appropriate microprocessor, the various semiconductor chips, and the necessary interconnections.

Abstract: The ability of a data reader, such as a CD-ROM drive, to access, extract, or otherwise read the data on a digital audio compact disc provides a problem for the music industry. A user can use his CD-ROM drive to read the data from an audio disc into a computer file, and then that data can be copied. To provide copy protection, errors are deliberately introduced into the data on a CD, but these errors are of a type which are generally transparent to an audio player but which will interfere with the reading of the audio data by a data reader. According to the standards, the data on a CD is encoded into frames by EFM (eight to fourteen modulation). Each frame has sync data, sub-code bits providing control and display symbols, data bits and parity bits, and includes 24 bytes of data, which is audio data for a CD-DA. The standard requires that 98 such frames are grouped into a sector. To provide copy protection, each is provided with a non-standard number of frames, for example, has 99 rather than 98 frames.