Abstract: An aromatic container heater and assembly adapted to enhance the release of desirable scent from an aromatic or fragrant candle by heating the exterior of a candle container and thereby melting the candle to release the desired scent. The heater includes a conductor, held within an insulating cover, which is electrically connected to an AC plug for receiving a current and thereby generating the necessary heat to melt the candle.

Abstract: A method for highlighting quoted passages in a hypertext system. When a quotation in a reference document is selected by the user of the hypertext system, the source document for that quotation is retrieved from storage. The passage corresponding to the quotation is then located in the source document, and that quoted passage is highlighted in the initial display of the source document. Searching can locate a quoted passage even though it differs from the quotation. Optionally, differences between the quotation in the reference document and the quoted passage in the source document can be highlighted.

Abstract: A surveillance system having two or more monitoring devices moving on a single track. The monitoring devices are suitably video cameras but may also include audio monitoring. Power for the monitoring devices, control signals and signals from the monitoring devices are all transmitted on the track. Power is suitably DC and other signals are suitably RF. The system incorporates collision avoidance means to prevent collision between adjacent moving cameras. The collision avoidance means includes hand-over software so that a person can seamlessly scan a region with camera control being passed to adjacent cameras to avoid collision.

Abstract: A new method and system for adapting standard home network protocol communication signals for communication between networked computation devices over the AC power line is provided. This invention provides improvements to the standard home network protocol required for use over the AC power line, including such features as encrypting, signal amplification and improved signal to noise ratio.

Abstract: A method and system for remotely calibrating a headset telephone with a reliable, accurate and easy to use user interface is provided. This method makes use of the remote programmability of advanced telephone headsets and DTMF signal encoding and permits the customer-user to instigate the calibration procedure with an ordinary telephone call. The invention provides a way for the optimum settings to be transmitted, loaded and stored to the headset, thereby improving the audio quality of telephone headsets by providing adjustment steps for such audio qualities as microphone gain, speaker gain, background noise and echo cancellation, filter functions and diagnostics.

Abstract: This invention secures an electrical plug by inserting a locking pin through a hole in the prong(s) of a male plug or through a hole in a female plug and through a corresponding hole in the male or female receptacle that secures the device plugged into the receptacle. The locking pin is secured by a latching system or locking mechanism that limits access to those not authorized. This invention may be used in conjunction with access-control devices that control access to users of appliances such as video game systems, TVs, computers and the like.

Abstract: A air selection control valve and assembly capable of controlling the flow of air into a water conduit to accelerate, decelerate, or pulse the rate of water flowing in combination with a hot tub spa assembly is described. The control of the air inlet is controlled to control the pulsing of water. An innovative multi-way control valve system can be controlled by as few as a single solenoid for pulsing some or all of the jets of a standard hot tub spa.

Abstract: A method and system for providing high-speed, satellite-based information delivery is described. Improved communication channel efficiency is accomplished by employing an asymmetric data flow. The high bandwidth channel capacity of digital satellite systems is used for the download of large volumes of data. While relatively low speed communication channels are used for upstream data requests. The use of separate channels for upstream data and downloaded data provides an increased efficiency of use for typical internet and other electronic information service subscribers. A typical user in such systems generally makes relatively short information requests. These requests are then followed by large amounts of information being transferred to the user's computer in response to the request. The volume of data being downloaded often causes a capacity overload of typically used land lines.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing the undesirable noise in a communication signal is provided. Designed specifically to address the problem of telephone communications where the desired speech signal is contaminated by background noise, this invention employs digital signal processing of the communication signal to selectively emphasize, buffer, amplify, and smooth the components of the signal, thereby enhancing the signal quality (signal to noise ratio) of the presented communication signal.

Abstract: A method and system for providing high-speed, satellite-based information delivery is described. Improved communication channel efficiency is accomplished by employing an asymmetric data flow. The high bandwidth channel capacity of digital satellite systems is used for the download of large volumes of data. While relatively low speed communication channels are used for upstream data requests. The use of separate channels for upstream data and downloaded data provides an increased efficiency of use for typical internet and other electronic information service subscribers. A typical user in such systems generally makes relatively short information requests. These requests are then followed by large amounts of information being transferred to the user's computer in response to the request The volume of data being downloaded often causes a capacity overload of typically used land lines.

Abstract: An ice shaver machine that includes a hopper for receiving ice, a blade and scraper for drawing the received ice across the blade, thereby producing thin, snow-like ice shavings or flakes, which are scraped to a spout, which, in turn, is provided for delivering the ice shavings to a container. The spout is shaped so as to be used to create a domed-like snow ball shape on the top surface of the shaved ice in the cup container. Also provided is a flavoring delivery system that permits the user to select a flavoring for addition to the ice shavings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a reaction vessel for organic synthesis and a block device for the reaction vessel and synthetic method of compound using thereof. More particularly, the present invention provides a solid phase synthetic reaction vessel and a block device for the reaction vessels which are capable of simultaneously synthesizing chemical libraries by combinatorial chemistry method automatically or semiautomatically.

Abstract: A air selection control valve and assembly capable of controlling the flow of air into a water conduit to accelerate, decelerate, or pulse the rate of water flowing in combination with a hot tub spa assembly is described. This invention makes use of the control of the air inlet to control the pulsing of water. This invention also describes an innovative multi-way control valve system that can be controlled by as few as a single solenoid for pulsing some or all of the jets of a standard hot tub spa.

Abstract: A neurological control system for modulating activity of any component or structure comprising the entirety or portion of the nervous system, or any structure interfaced thereto, generally referred to herein as a “nervous system component.” The neurological control system generates neural modulation signals delivered to a nervous system component through one or more intracranial (IC) stimulating electrodes in accordance with treatment parameters. Such treatment parameters may be derived from a neural response to previously delivered neural modulation signals sensed by one or more sensors, each configured to sense a particular characteristic indicative of a neurological or psychiatric condition. Neural modulation signals include any control signal which enhances or inhibits cell activity.