Abstract: A mobile computerized apparatus configured to provide membership status in a roadside assistance program after occurrence of a roadside event is disclosed. The apparatus executes instructions that cause/allow the apparatus to receive input related to an electronic membership card, retrieve from a data store membership information associated with the vehicle, and dynamically update the electronic membership card for display on the apparatus.

Abstract: A system and method for calibrating a barcode scanning tunnel comprises providing a scanning tunnel having a moveable surface, a camera, and a dimensioning device. Orientations of the dimensioning device and camera are estimated. Instances of a calibration object on the moveable surface are acquired by the dimensioning device and the camera, and a relationship is defined between the two devices. A calibration object is moved along the moveable surface through the devices' fields of view, controlling the camera's focal distance according to the relationship, so that the dimensioning device and the camera acquire instances of the calibration object, and the relationship is revised.

Abstract: A system that includes a three-dimensional (3D) printing device, processor and computer-readable memory a 3D barcode and prints a three-dimensional object containing information embedded in the 3D barcode by: (i) receiving information to be embedded in the 3D barcode; (ii) determining a barcode symbology, wherein the barcode symbology includes at least one symbol character in a z-dimension; (iii) generating a build sequence that will cause the 3D-printing device to print the 3D barcode that embeds the received information in the 3D barcode in accordance with the barcode symbology; and (iv) using the build sequence to print the 3D object so that each symbol character of the symbology that is to appear in the z-dimension is printed as a physical representation in the z-direction on the 3D object.

Abstract: A vehicle decorative lighting device and a vehicle lamp including the lighting device can include a light guide lens and a light source that can emit various color lights. The light guide lens can includes a front surface including a plurality of convex surfaces so as to emit the color lights having a substantially uniform light-intensity from the front surface. The vehicle lamp can include a lamp room between an outer lens and a housing, and can incorporate various vehicle lamps such as a headlight along with the lighting device in the lamp room. The lighting device can be located in the lamp room so as to emit the color lights along a periphery of the outer lens. Thus, the disclosed subject matter can include providing vehicle lamps including the decorative lighting device having a harmonious favorable light distribution, for example, such that combine a headlight with a position lamp.

Abstract: A generic reflector comprises a light inlet end, a light outlet end with at least one substantially rectangular light outlet opening, an optical axis, and a reflector surface which extends between the light inlet end and the light outlet end, where the reflector surface in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis defines a polygon. The reflector surface is formed such that the polygon between the light inlet end and the light outlet end at least in sections rotates about an axis of rotation which is oriented parallel to the optical axis. The invention also relates to an arrangement comprising at least two reflectors and a luminaire with a reflector and a light source, comprising an LED.

Abstract: A portable card includes a resonance circuit of the portable card that wirelessly receives power from an external source, a processor of the portable card that wirelessly transmits a predetermined data sequence in response to the resonance circuit receiving power from the external source, and a set of at least three contacts on an exterior of the portable card, wherein a user bridges the contacts with the user's fingers in a predetermined combination to create a circuit and activate the processor for transmission of the predetermined data sequence.

Abstract: An electronic voting method and system implemented in a portable device (1) that improves voting transparency and speed, encouraging participation in the voting process, comprised of registering an identifier code of the portable device (1) used by the voter to vote, associating said identifier to the voter's identity; selecting a Code A by the voter from a first plurality of random codes (20a) received in the portable device (1) and a Code B from a second plurality of random codes (20b) received in the portable device (1); casting the vote in a voting interface (30a) associating it with the random code B selected by the voter, where said association is called voting set (10b); issuing the identifier of the portable device in an identifier interface (40a) associating it with random code A selected by the voter, where said association is called identifier set (10a); sending via a network (5) to the at least one server (6) the voting information that is comprised of at least two separate batches of information,

Abstract: A method of preparing a fine powder of calcium lanthanoid sulfide is disclosed. The method includes spraying soluble calcium and lanthanoid salts into at least one precipitating solution to form a precipitate comprising insoluble calcium and lanthanoid salts, optionally, oxidizing the precipitate comprising insoluble calcium and lanthanoid salts, and sulfurizing the optionally oxidized precipitate to form a fine powder of calcium lanthanoid sulfide. An alternative method for forming the powder is by flame pyrolysis. The calcium lanthanoid sulfide powder produced by either method can have an impurity concentration of less than 100 ppm, a carbon concentration of less than 200 ppm, a BET surface area of at least 50 m2/g, and an average particle size of less than 100 nm.

Abstract: A source image having a bit depth greater than eight is captured from a moving target. The source image is processed to obtain a plurality of target images each having a bit depth of eight. A memory stores the 8-bit target images. A processor obtains statistical data about the source image, and selects one of the stored 8-bit target images based on the statistical data. A controller efficiently decodes only the selected 8-bit target image.

Abstract: An electronic device may derive information specific to the device, dynamically generate a matrix code that includes the information as well as user support information, and transmit the dynamically generated code to a display. When a user captures the matrix code with a reader device, the reader device may decode (or use a back end server to decode) the specific information specific and the user support information and initiate a user support request. Thus, user support for electronic devices may be facilitated utilizing dynamically generated matrix codes, such as (but not limited to) QR codes. In response to the initiated user support request, user support may then be provided for the user. Problems may be automatically taken care of for the user, tutorials may be provided for the user, one or more notifications may be provided to the user, service calls may be scheduled for the user, and so on.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a carrier tape housing a plurality of electronic components with seal materials includes forming housing holes in tape-shaped main body with first and second principal surfaces along a longitudinal direction of the tape-shaped main body, the housing holes penetrating from the first principal surface to the second principal surface, affixing an adhesive layer of a tape-shaped seal material to the second principal surface of the tape-shaped main body to cover the housing holes, forming cuts in the tape-shaped seal material to separate portions defining and functioning as the seal materials including portions at least partially overlapping with the respective housing holes in a planar view from the other portions, and providing chip-shaped electronic component into each of the housing holes of the tape-shaped main body and fixing the electronic component to the adhesive layer of the seal material exposed in each of the housing holes.

Abstract: A shopper selects from gifts that are compatible with a recipient's devices. When the shopper wishes to purchase a gift, descriptions of gifts are compared to the recipient's devices. Compatible gifts may be recommended, while incompatible gifts may be rejected.

Abstract: A method of accessing an element in a process control environment using a portable communicator includes defining a plurality of control areas within the process control environment, determining a position of a user operating a portable communicator with respect to one or more of the control areas, establishing an identity of the user, and selectively allowing the user to access an element within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas and on the identity of the user.

Abstract: A mobile data storage device is configured in the manner of a data storage card, or a data storage stick. The mobile data storage device can include at least one electrical coil (7), and energy storage (6), a data storage (1), at least one interface unit (3), and at least one permanent magnet (8). The at least one interface unit (3) is configured for the output or the receiving of data that is stored, or that can be stored, in the data storage (1). The energy storage (6) can be inductively charged by a magnetic alternating field, which can be generated by displacing the at least one permanent magnet (8) in a region of the electrical coil (7). At least one of the at least one interface unit (3) is electrically coupled to the energy storage for the energy supply thereof.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing navigation functionality in a retail location using local positioning technology are presented. In some embodiments, a customer assistance computing platform may receive one or more attributes associated with a beacon signal received by a customer computing device and an identifier associated with the customer computing device. Subsequently, the computing platform may determine an identity of a customer using the customer computing device. The computing platform then may determine a location of the customer using the customer computing device based on the one or more attributes associated with the beacon signal. Thereafter, the computing platform may generate one or more navigation instructions to guide the customer to another location. Then, the computing platform may send the one or more navigation instructions to the customer computing device.

Abstract: A system or method is provided to allow users to share or donate a portion of their credit line to others. In particular, the system may provide an interface between credit line donors and recipients and allow a user's friends or family to donate portions of their credit lines to the user. With the system serving as an intermediary between the borrowers and the lenders, the credit line donation arrangement may be hidden from the lenders. The system may manage the distribution of the credit line from the five donor friends to the beneficiary friend. Further, the system may manage the payoff or pay back of the credit lines from the beneficiary friend back to the lenders. In particular, based on the donation arrangement, the system may receive the payoff amount from the beneficiary user and distribute the payoff back to the lenders.

Abstract: A sensor strip cartridge and a biometric information measuring method and apparatus using the same are provided. The biometric information measuring apparatus includes a cartridge accommodator configured to accommodate a sensor strip cartridge including at least one sensor strip, a cartridge information reader configured to read cartridge information about the sensor strip cartridge from the sensor strip cartridge, a controller configured to receive biometric information through the sensor strip, and correct the received biometric information by using a biometric information correction reference corresponding to the cartridge information, and an outputter configured to output the corrected biometric information.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an information recording medium with which information symbols can be suitably read. This information recording medium comprises a sheet-form member, a plurality of information symbols that are displayed on the surface of the sheet-form member and each have the same information, and an edge line that is provided at one end and/or the other end of the sheet-form member and allows an information reading device which reads the information symbols to recognize the end of the sheet-form member.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for configuring a user device to provide a preferred payment method for payments. When a user carries their device into a store, the device may receive information from a beacon at the store that informs the device that the user is at the store. The user device may the use the information to determine which of several payment methods will provide a maximum benefit to the user if used for a payment at that store. The benefits to the user may include points, store rewards, miles, cash back rewards or other rewards associated with a particular payment method that, at a particular time or location provide more benefit to the user than other payment methods. The user device may be configured to provide the preferred payment method prior to a communication between the user device and a point of sale device of the store.

Abstract: An automatically configurable smart card comprises—a generic data structure provided for containing smart card specific data, and—a smart card operating system being adapted to automatically detect the generic data structure and to migrate the generic data structure.