Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer program product for an interactive toy vehicle that provides new structures and combinations of features for enhancing education and amusement, particularly for an improved small-scale vehicle toy that produces feedback (e.g., sounds or lights and a motorized output event) directly related to the amount of a child's input. The apparatus, method, and computer program product for a toy vehicle includes: a chassis; a motive element, coupled to the chassis, for moving the chassis; an impulse detector for generating an impulse signal responsive to one or more impulses applied to the chassis; and a controller, coupled to the chassis and responsive to the impulse signal, for: counting a number N of impulse signals received during a setup period; determining an operational mode responsive to the number N; setting a duty mode for the motive element responsive to the operational mode.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a universal wireless security device that provides multiple access control functions in one device without subjecting an owner to increased risk arising from unauthorized use. Authorization is established via one or more biometric characteristics of a user attempting to operate the device.

Abstract: A drawing system including a portable storage housing; a drawing surface, moveably coupled to the portable storage housing by a biasing subsystem, the drawing surface including a storage mode and a deployed mode wherein the storage mode provides the drawing surface inside the housing and inaccessible for receipt of content and wherein the deployed mode extends the drawing surface outside of the housing and accessible for receipt of content; wherein transition of the drawing surface from the storage mode to the deployed mode activates the biasing subsystem and wherein the biasing subsystem automatically transitions the drawing surface from the deployed mode to the storage mode when operated by a user.

Abstract: A biometric locking system, including a biometric validation module for receiving a biometric profile and asserting a control signal responsive to a biometric evaluation of the biometric profile; an outer cylindrical housing; an inner housing, telescopingly coupled to the outer cylindrical housing, for operating in both an operational mode and a storage mode, the operational mode having the inner housing telescoped out from the outer cylindrical housing and the storage mode having the inner housing telescoped into the outer cylindrical housing wherein the operational mode reveals a biometric scanner coupled to the biometric validation module for creation of the biometric profile by a user and wherein the storage mode covers the biometric scanner.

Abstract: The security buckle includes a first body member having one or more walls defining a receiving cavity and one or more mating slots; and a second body member adapted to engage the receiving cavity, the second body member including one or more latching tabs for engaging the one or more mating slots wherein the second body member is inhibited from disengagement while the one or more latching tabs engage the one or more mating slots, and wherein the first body member includes a portion of the one or more walls defining a security slot adapted for receiving an interfering object that includes an engagement mode for insertion and removal from the slot and an interfering mode for inhibiting the one or more latching tabs from disengaging from the one or more mating tabs until the interfering object is transitioned to the engagement mode.

Abstract: A multiuse platform and system having a flexible shape-retaining shaft for engaging, holding and pointing devices (e.g., imaging devices like cameras or video recorders). It includes a respositionable mounting system having a flexible assembly having a first end and a second end, the assembly adapted to be repetitively positioned into a plurality of orientations by moving the assembly into a first particular orientation wherein the assembly retains the particular orientation until the assembly is moved into a second particular orientation; and a first mounting head, coupled to the first end, for engaging a first mating structure.

Abstract: An amusement system including a housing having a receiving aperture at a top surface and an ejecting aperture at a front surface and further including a channel connecting the receiving aperture to the ejecting aperture; a motorized rotatable flywheel mounted inside the housing and coupled to the channel between the top surface and the channel for engaging an object travelling through the channel; a roller assembly mounted inside the housing and coupled to the channel opposite of the flywheel and disposed so an object engaging the flywheel concurrently engages the roller assembly wherein the flywheel and the roller assembly cooperatively eject the object a distance less than fifteen feet from the ejecting aperture when the flywheel rotates and contacts the object; and wherein the housing includes a mounting system to attach to an object no less than about three feet above a surface supporting the object.

Abstract: A structure motivated by an impulse to slide over a surface, including: an impulse-receiving portion for receiving the impulse, the impulse-receiving portion defining a section of a generally semi-hemispherical structure and produced from a foam material patterned to represent at least a portion of a sports ball; and a sliding portion, coupled to the impulse-receiving portion, for sliding contact with the surface on a contact surface of the sliding portion responsive to the impulse the contact surface having a generally planar smooth surface having a periphery surrounded by an extension of the impulse receiving portion, wherein a tumbling of a coupled combination of the impulse-receiving portion and the sliding portion is inhibited by shifting a center of gravity downward by a greater weighting of the sliding portion relative to the impulse-receiving portion.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus, method, and computer program product for an image compression/decompression. The method for compressing a data structure having a first plurality of sets of image elements with one or more predetermined relationships among the image elements and among the sets, and includes encoding a first set of the plurality of image elements using a variable-length encoding process; and encoding a second set of the plurality of image elements using a modification to the variable length encoding process that decreases a symbol composition size of the variable length encoding process responsive to the one or more predetermined relationships among the image elements and the sets. The computer program product includes instructions executable by a processing unit, and those instructions perform the compression/decompression as described herein.

Abstract: A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium carrying program instructions for verifying a fingerprint when executed using a computing system, the executed program instructions executing a method, the method: producing a test image of a fingerprint-under-test; producing a test ridge map from the test image and a reference ridge map from each of one or more reference fingerprint images; extracting fingerprint points of interest from the ridge maps; screening candidate reference ridge maps based upon a correspondence between the points of interest from the reference ridge maps and the points of interest from the test ridge map wherein the correspondence includes a first threshold and one or more candidate ridge maps having the correspondence within the first threshold are included in a set of candidate ridge maps; comparing local ridge data surrounding one or more points of interest of the test ridge map within a second threshold with local ridge data surrounding corresponding one or more po

Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving local illumination of a nail-cutting implement, such as clippers for human or animal nails.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for portable computing systems that simply and efficiently addresses poor ergonomics, heat buildup, and/or electromagnetic radiation, most preferably in one integrated solution. The apparatus includes a unitary blank of a substantially planar rigid sheet material including a plurality of panel portions interdivided by one or more bending line portions, wherein the unitary blank folds along the one or more bending line portions to produce a three-dimensional structure that supports a portable electronic device on at least one the panel portion over a surface at an angle inclined relative to the surface; and a fastening subsystem, coupled to the unitary blank, having a holding mode for maintaining the unitary blank folded in the three-dimensional structure and a release mode for transitioning the three-dimensional structure to a planar structure, the fastening subsystem providing for repeatable transitions between the holding mode and the release mode.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus, method, and computer program product for ridge map formation. The method for processing an image data structure to extract a feature defined by a plurality of contiguous data elements includes identifying a set of candidate image feature pixels, the set including one or more pixels from the image data structure; examining local image data surrounding one or more pixels of the set of candidate image feature pixels to identify a set of potential image feature pixels with each of the potential image feature pixels having a characteristic consistent with being associated with the feature; and identifying the feature in the image data using the set of potential image feature pixels by locating one or more of the plurality of contiguous data elements neighboring one or more pixels of the set of potential image feature pixels. The computer program product includes instructions executable by a processing unit, and those instructions perform the feature extraction as described herein.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving local illumination by a personal care implement, such as tweezers, tongs, pinchers and the like. The apparatus includes a first arm terminating at one end in a first gripping edge; a second arm, coupled to and biased away from said first arm, terminating at one end in a second gripping edge springingly engaging with said first gripping edge; an illumination system directing illumination into a field-of-view in an “ON” mode and said illumination system including an “OFF” mode in which said illumination system is inactive; a magnification system including a lens having a focus; and an illumination boom, coupled to said arms, for positioning said lens and a light source of said illumination system between a stowed position and an operating position, said stowed position engaging said OFF mode and said operating position including a stop to configure said boom and engage said ON mode to include said gripping edges within said field-of-view and at said focus.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, computer program product, and propagated signal for a transport. The transport including: a waveguide including a guiding region and one or more bounding regions for enhancing containment of transmitted radiation within the guiding region, the waveguide including an input region and an output; a plurality of constituents disposed in the waveguide for enhancing an influencer response attribute of the waveguide; and a polarization system coupled to the input region, the input polarizer system producing a wave component having a supported polarization disposed at a predetermined angular orientation at the input from an input radiation source including a set of source wave components each having one of a set orthogonal polarizations wherein the input polarizing system operates on the source wave components to pass source wave components having polarizations matching the supported polarization.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for improving intra- and inter-cultural communications by having people of one or more cultures develop and build a symbolic vocabulary of what is salient in their work and their lives. Through successive stages of formations that select and arrange building elements into models having one or more symbols of the visual vocabulary. The symbolic vocabulary is developed by a method that includes the step of creating a collective model by a plurality of participants, the collective model having a collective symbol responsive to an assignment. The model creating step further includes, in the preferred embodiment, the steps of: (a) selecting and arranging a plurality of building elements into a model having a symbol responsive to the assignment; and (b) describing the symbol, discussing symbols and developing a vocabulary. Wherein the steps are performed successively by one or more formations of units of the plurality of participants.