Abstract: Systems and methods for providing validated customer feedback information about a service provider. Generally, the method includes providing a customer with a digital ratings device, such as digital pen, that is capable of receiving feedback information from the customer and uploading the information to a third-party provider. As the customer uses the digital ratings device to provide the information, the device may associate the information with temporal data, such as the time, date, and location at which the customer provided the information. In some cases, the temporal data is checked to ensure that the customer is actually one of the provider's customers. Because the information is validated as coming from a verified customer, the information is often more reliable than it would be if it were submitted anonymously. Thus, the validated information may present a substantially fair representation of the provider and be useful to potential customers.

Abstract: Methods and Systems are provided for managing one or more communications lines associated with a user of a communications network. A service center may receive from a user line management information regarding one or more of the user's communications lines. This line management information may include a request from the user to handle all calls to the communications line in a particular manner (e.g., forward all calls to a different number). This line management information may also include information regarding scheduling the handling of calls to the communications line (e.g., scheduling call forwarding) or a request to handle calls differently based on information identifying the origination of the call (e.g., caller-ID). The service center may then forward instructions to the communications network such that the components (e.g., SSP or SCP) of the communications network implement the user's modifications.

Abstract: A security door control system for managing the sequence of operation for security doors by controlling access between non-secure and secure areas. The system comprises a software logic installed on programmable logic controllers that operates the system by processing inputs from a plurality of local and remote sources and providing in real time individualized control signals to a plurality of fully automated security doors and multiple local and remote associated security door components.

Abstract: An apparatus (200) for accelerating an ion beam comprising: a) a first electrode (202) having a proximal side and a distal side and having at least one aperture (201) therethrough, the wall of the aperture being shaped such that the radius of the aperture on the distal side of the first electrode is greater than that on the proximal side of the electrode; b) a second electrode (204) located such that it is adjacent to but spaced from the distal side of the first electrode and having at least one aperture therethrough; and c) a third electrode (206) located such that it is adjacent to and spaced from the second electrode and having at least one aperture therethrough, said at least one apertures in each electrode being aligned with corresponding apertures in the other electrodes; wherein the electrodes are arranged such that there is a potential difference between the first and second electrodes and a potential difference between the second and third electrodes.

Abstract: An active, smartpipe stand (apparatus and method) for feeding and receiving pipe in a horizontal orientation to and from a pipe handling apparatus has a first pipe-lifting mechanism, a second pipe-lifting mechanism, and a pipe-rotating mechanism positioned between the first and second pipe-lifting mechanisms. The bottom of the first pipe-lifting mechanism is connected to the skid of the pipe handling apparatus. The bottom of the second pipe-lifting mechanism is connected to the skid of the pipe handling apparatus. The bottom of the pipe-rotating mechanism is connected to the skid of the pipe handling apparatus. Individual tubulars are unloaded, prepared, staged and sequenced, assembled and presented for delivery from horizontal to vertical. The pipe stand is positioned under the boom of the pipe handling apparatus when the apparatus is in the first position. The pipe stand extends within the skid structure.

Abstract: A part location system is described that utilizes computer-based techniques for bringing together repair facilities and suppliers to increase the efficiency of locating recycled, used or aftermarket parts using a computer network, such as the Internet. The part location system receives an estimate from a first user over a communication network. The part location system then parses the estimate to extract information that identifies a list of parts needed by the first user and automatically generates a request for quote (RFQ) using the information extracted from the estimate. The part location system then sends the RFQ to suppliers via the communication network. Subsequently, the part location system receives quotations from at least one of the suppliers via the communication network in response to the RFQ and presents the quotations received in response to the RFQ to a repair facility via the communication network.

Abstract: An apparatus for a pipe handling apparatus has a main rotating structural member rotating about a pivot axis relative to a skid and moving from a first position to a second position. A tensioning mechanism is affixed to the main rotating structural member. The tensioning mechanism applies a tension to the main rotating structural member when the main rotating structural member is in the second position. The tensioning mechanism has a first cable having an end attached adjacent a top of the main rotating structural member, and a second cable having an end attached adjacent the top of the main rotating structural member. The first and second cables have opposite ends attached to a fixed surface. The first and second cables extend angularly outwardly from a front of the main rotating structural member. The first and second cables extend angularly outwardly from the sides of the main rotating structural member.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting collocation errors in a text sample using a reference database from a corpus are provided. Collocation candidates are identified within the text sample based upon syntactic patterns in the text sample. Whether a given collocation candidate contains a collocation error is detected, the detecting including: determining a first association measure using the reference database for the given collocation candidate; determining whether the first association measure satisfies a predetermined condition and identifying the given collocation candidate as proper if the first association measure satisfies the predetermined condition; determining an additional association measure for a variation of the given collocation candidate using the reference database; and determining whether or not the collocation candidate contains an error based upon the additional association measure of the variation.

Abstract: A diagnostic tool and method are provided wherein the diagnostic tool includes indicators to indicate the condition of the vehicle using a database and the DTCs present in the vehicle. The tool indicates for each DTC retrieved from the vehicle, the level of repair urgency. The tool also can indicate if the vehicle can be driven without damaging the vehicle.

Abstract: A steerable, magnetic dipole antenna for Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) or Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) applications. The antenna elements use a hole arrangement in addition to grooves in a steel tool body, which is typically a drill collar. This antenna embodiment is extremely robust, meaning that does not significantly reduce the structural integrity of the tool body in which it is disposed. The antenna embodiment is also relatively wear resistant. The resultant magnetic dipole generated by this antenna is also electrically steerable in inclination angle from a common origin. A variable dipole moment inclination angle combined with independently measured tool rotation orientation during normal drilling allows the antenna to generate a magnetic dipole moment that may be directed at any three dimensional angle and from a common origin point at the centroid of the antenna. The antenna can also be embodied to be more sensitive to resitivity in a particular azimuthal direction.

Abstract: Systems and methods for building a model for use in grading an essay are provided. A plurality of human graded essays are evaluated using a processor to generate a set of features. A score category is determined for each of the plurality of human graded essays. A weight is produced using a processor for each feature based on the score category for each of the plurality of human graded essays and the set of features. A model is generated using a processor based on the weights for the set of features for evaluating an essay. The set of features includes n features, where the first k features have optimized weights, and the last n?k features have fixed predetermined weights.

Abstract: A controller provides information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics to an end-user device prior to the controller receiving any indication of specific technical support required by the end-user. Additionally, the controller provides information regarding available automated technical support to the end-user device prior to the controller receiving any indication of specific technical support required by the end-user. The end-user device provides an indication of selection of at least a portion of the either the information regarding end-user dictated content for a plurality of technical support topics or the information regarding available automated technical support. By providing such information prior to receiving any indication of the specific technical support required by the end-user, the likelihood that the end-user can successfully resolve his/her issue without further intervention is increased.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a system and method for unit and regression testing has been developed. The system is capable to automate unit/regression test case preparation, remote execution, provide XML based assert mechanism to evaluate test results, maintenance and versioning. The present system enables model driven testing of domain specific languages and provides a user friendly mechanism to perform Unit and Regression Testing.

Abstract: A belt with multiple straps so as to achieve different looks, which comprises a main body made up of at least two straps placed one on top of the other; along a side section the belt has a holding system for keeping the various straps making up the main body together, which in turn acts as a rotation shaft for moving the belts so as to display the different faces of said straps as the external face of the main body; thus making it possible to have a plurality of colours and shapes in the same belt. At one end the main body has a buckle comprising a plate with a pivot at the top; at the end opposite the pivot is a support with a hole at the centre through which there passes a screw that supports the main body of the belt.

Abstract: An at least partially metalized plastic product for cosmetic and perfume packaging comprising a plastic body, the plastic body being directly covered at least partially by a metal layer, wherein the plastic is a polyolefin selected from: polyethylene, polypropylene, their copolymer or their mixture; and in that when the polyolefin comprises at least one polypropylene or a copolymer of polypropylene-polyethylene, this polyolefin has an infrared spectrum having: a peak at the wave number of 720 cm?1 of a height at least equal to 20; or a peak at the wave number of 809 cm?1 of a height less than 20, a peak at the wave number of 840 cm?1 of a height less than 50, a peak at the wave number of 899 cm?1 of a height less than 20, and a peak at the wave number of 997 cm?1 of a height less than 60.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition effective for a neurological disease or an autoimmune disease and methods of making and using the same.

Abstract: The present invention relates to environmentally friendly compositions and methods for removing or suppressing metal ions in waters, flowback waters, and produced waters to make such waters suitable for subsequent use in oil-field applications and for delinking metal cross-linked gelling agents. One embodiment of the present invention provides a method of providing a competitive binder and allowing the competitive binder to interact with interfering metal ions in a flowback fluid to suppress or remove interfering metal ions.

Abstract: An approach for providing virtual conferencing is described. A virtual conference platform receives, in real-time, images representing users of the respective mobile devices, selects a virtual environment among a plurality of virtual environments, and integrates the images into the selected virtual environment.

Abstract: A banking system is controlled responsive to data read from data bearing records. The banking system includes an automated banking machine. The machine is operable to carry out a financial transaction for a person responsive to a determination that the person is an authorized user of the machine based on correspondence between identifying data read by a reader of the machine and data store information. The machine includes a check acceptor that is operative to receive checks from authorized machine users. The check acceptor is operable to continuously move a received check along its transport path while simultaneously rotationally orienting the check into alignment with the transport path. A check determined not to have at least one property of an acceptable check is returned to the machine user. Acceptable checks are processed and stored in the machine.

Abstract: Fluid flow influencer devices capable of affecting fluid flow for fluid selection are described. Fluid flow influencer devices may affect fluid flowing into a turbulence, such as a vortex, having a structure that is usable to restrict fluid flow in a flow path of a chamber by different amounts based on at least one property of the fluid. The fluid flow control device may be in an autonomous fluid selector, such as a diverter, a vortex-causing device, or a whisker. Fluid properties based on which the flow influencer device can select fluid can include fluid density, fluid velocity, fluid viscosity, and Reynolds number of the fluid flow.