Abstract: A portable electronic device includes an expansion base module with a connector, a hinge mechanism mounted slidably on the expansion base module, slidable relative to the expansion base module, and including a pivot shaft, a system module pivoted to the expansion base module through the pivot shaft, and a ribbon cable having a first segment that is electrically connected to and that extends from the connector toward the pivot shaft, and a second segment that extends from the first segment, that is wound around the pivot shaft, and that is electrically connected to the system module.

Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a base module and an LCD module. The base module includes a housing that has front and rear end portions and opposite first and second sides that extend between the front and rear end portions, and a pair of pivots mounted on the rear end portion of the housing and disposed adjacent to the first and second sides of the housing, respectively. Each of the pivots is rotatable relative to the housing. The LCD module has opposite first and second sides, each of which is formed with an elongated guiding groove that receives and that engages slidably a respective one of the pivots therein.

Abstract: A flexible hybrid cable for transmitting signals between first and second devices includes a pair of hybrid connectors, each of which has a FPC terminal set and a wire terminal unit, a flexible printed circuit cable line connected electrically to the FPC terminal sets of the hybrid connectors for establishing a first signal transmission path between the first and second devices; and a wire cable line connected electrically to the wire terminal units of the hybrid connectors for establishing a second signal transmission path that is useful for high speed signal transmission between the first and second devices.

Abstract: A portable electronic device includes an expansion base module, a hinge mechanism mounted slidably on the expansion base module and slidable relative to the expansion base module, a docking unit pivoted to the hinge mechanism, defining a docking groove, and including a docking connector, and a system module including a panel having two opposite sides that respectively have two opposing end portions inserted into and detachably retained in the docking groove. The system module further includes a system connector that is mounted on the panel and that mates with the docking connector.

Abstract: The present invention provides an efficient, reliable lumber magazine feeder that can supply large numbers of boards of all sizes. Some embodiments of this magazine lumber feeder comprise of one or more modules, each capable of dispensing a particular width of board. These modules may comprise a gripper/shuttle assembly, an overhead rail, and an adjustable lumber support. The gripper/shuttle assembly contains hydraulic valving to operate two hydraulic cylinders. The first cylinder grips the bottom most board in the stack by clamping onto the narrow dimension on a board. The second cylinder is capable of moving the gripper assembly in a push or pull direction, thus sliding the bottom board from its stacked position. The present invention may also include a programmable logic controller that receives electronic commands from an automatic saw, or the like. The controller in some embodiments receives electronic signals representing a desired board size from the automatic saw.

Abstract: A sound pickup system includes a sound source tracking device that is operable to obtain distance and direction values of a target sound source relative to the sound source tracking device, and that determines nearest and farthest ones of a plurality of microphones in a microphone array relative to the target sound source with reference to determined distances of the sound source tracking device from the microphones, and the distance and direction values obtained by the sound source tracking device. A signal processing unit includes a delay calculator for determining appropriate time delays for the microphones with reference to information from the sound source tracking device, and a delay processor for processing signals generated by the microphones in the microphone array by introducing the corresponding time delays determined by the delay calculator into the signals from the microphones.

Abstract: In a voice interactive system, a detecting module detects presence of a predetermined keyword in an input voice signal. When the presence of the predetermined keyword is detected, the detecting module switches operation of a semantic recognition module from a disabled mode to an enabled mode, where the semantic recognition module performs semantic recognition upon the input voice signal. A response module generates a response according to result of the semantic recognition. A timer module operates simultaneously with operation of the semantic recognition module in the enabled mode so as to calculate and determine whether an idle time between a current input voice signal and a previous input voice signal is larger than a predetermined threshold. In the affirmative, a mode switching module enables the detecting module to switch operation of the semantic recognition module back to the disabled mode.

Abstract: A flat panel display apparatus having a tilt/swivel mechanism therein allows a user to adjustably move the display panel in an up-and-down tilt direction and a right-and-left swivel direction along the connecting area. The flat panel display apparatus includes: a flat panel display, a computer, a swivel base, a yoke, a mounting base and a pair of elastic members. The yoke is pivotally secured to the connecting area of the flat panel display. The swivel base is pivotally secured to the flat panel display with the yoke. The swivel base has a first cylinder with two grooves parallel and opposite each other on the outer surface of the first cylinder. The mounting base is located in the computer. The mounting base has a second cylinder, the second cylinder having a cable hole formed at the center of the second cylinder to hold the swivel base and two mounting slots located in the cable hole opposite each other. Each elastic member has a projection to be held in the mounting slot.

Abstract: A latch unit is mounted on an electronic device having first and second housings. The latch unit includes a hook member for interlocking the first and second housings. The hook member is mounted in the first housing and has opposite first and second engaging ends. The first engaging end projects from the first housing and extends into and releasably engages the second housing upon movement of the hook member to an engaging position when the first housing is positioned at a first transverse position. The second engaging end projects from the first housing and extends into and releasably engages the second housing upon movement of the hook member to the engaging position when the first housing is positioned at a second transverse position.

Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a base module with a housing defining upper and lower sliding grooves at each of two opposite side walls of the housing, and a system module mounted slidably on the base module through a pair of sliding units. Each of the sliding units includes an upper rolling member that is received in the upper sliding groove and that is in rolling contact with a respective one of the side walls, and a lower rolling member that is received in the lower sliding groove and that is in rolling contact with a respective one of the side walls.

Abstract: A computer with an accessible storage medium drive assembly is provided. The computer comprises a chassis, a cradle and an accessible storage medium drive assembly. The cradle, having a first aligning member, is disposed on the chassis. The storage medium drive assembly comprises a carrier, a cable assembly and a storage medium drive. The storage medium drive, disposed on the carrier, is provided with plural first connectors. The cable assembly comprises a backer board, plural second connectors and a second aligning member corresponding to the first aligning member. The backer board is disposed on the carrier, and the second aligning member is disposed on the backer board. The second connector, corresponding to the first connector, is disposed on the backer board. The storage medium drive connects to the cable assembly by the engagement between the first connector and the second connector.

Abstract: A system and method of operating system recovery in a computer system. First, a recovery button on the computer system triggers the BIOS to enable the computer system to reboot to a second disk partition, and execute a recovery system in the second disk partition to recover the original operating system by an image file in the second disk partition which is an image copy of the original operating system. Another embodiment of the present invention enables operating system recovery in a computer system coupled with a server system through a network. The computer system instructs the BIOS to enable the computer system to reboot from a second disk partition in response to a recovery instruction received from the server system, and recovers the original operating system by the image file directly.

Abstract: A security system and method for a plug-and-play (PnP). The security system includes a server, a network system and a client. The server distributes a monitor program on the client via a remote control agent in advance, and transmits a lock or unlock message to the client through the network system. The client receives the message from the server, and locks or unlocks the PnP device by the monitor program via a disk I/O API.