Abstract: A multimedia playback apparatus and a multimedia file prefetching method are provided. In the method, a first multimedia file is downloaded and played first. Next, at least one playlist is read, and at least one second multimedia file sorted after the first multimedia file in the at least one playlist is searched. Then, the at least one second multimedia file is prefetched.

Abstract: A silicon mass flow sensor manufacture process that enables the backside contacts and eliminates the conventional front side wire binding process, and the assembly of such a mass flow sensor is disclosed in the present invention. The achieved assembly enhances the reliability by eliminating the binding wire exposure to the flow medium that may lead to detrimental failure due to the wire shortage or breakage while the miniature footprint could be maintained. The assembly further reduces flow instability from the flow sensor package including the bump of wire sealing. The invented mass flow sensor assembly can be a flow sensor module if the supporting sensor carrier is pre-designed with the control electronics. Without the control electronics, the said mass flow sensor assembly is easy to install into desired flow channels and connect to the external control electronics.

Abstract: A hand-held pointing device includes a main body, a processing circuit, a light emitting device and two image sensing devices. The main body has a first surface and a second surface for lying on an operating surface. The two image sensing devices are disposed in the main body and configured to sense first and second images through first and second transparent areas thereof, respectively. The light emitting device, disposed in the main body, is configured to emit a light source through the second transparent area. The processing circuit is configured to determine and operate the hand-held pointing device in a remote controller mode or a mouse mode according to whether the first image contains an image of a reference light source and/or the second image contains an image of the operating surface reflecting the light source. An operation for a hand-held pointing device is also provided.

Abstract: A data storage system includes a storage engine to partition data across multiple dimensions. The storage engine determines chunks according to the partitioning, and performs column-based storage of the chunks.

Abstract: Systems and methods can provide for customer value optimization. The customer value optimization can include analyzing certain transaction and/or non-transaction data of customers with one or more predictive models to determine predictive modeling scores, values, or indicators. These one or more predictive modeling scores, values, or indicators can be used with other transaction or non-transaction data of customers, either alone or with other derived values/calculations, to provide certain optimizations relating to relationship optimization.

Abstract: A system for processing accounts includes a database configured to store a plurality of accounts, the accounts including a consumer account associated with a consumer and a plurality of merchant accounts including a transacting merchant account associated with a merchant, wherein at least one account includes an amount of a virtual currency associated with the account. The system further includes a processor configured to process a financial transaction, wherein the transaction includes the consumer and the merchant, is for a specified amount of virtual currency, and processing the transaction includes transferring the specified amount of virtual currency from the consumer account to the transacting merchant account. The processor is further configured to process the at least one account, wherein processing the at least one account includes converting the associated amount of virtual currency to or from a real currency when the at least one account meets a predetermined criteria.

Abstract: A method for inhibiting dipeptidyl-peptidase IV is provided and includes administering a peptide to the dipeptidyl-peptidase IV, in which the peptide is isolated from a gelatin hydrolysate produced by enzymatic digestion with alcalase (ALA), bromelain (BRO), and flavourzyme (FLA).

Abstract: This invention provides devices and systems and methods therefrom for properly controlling negative pressure applied to oral cavity, facilitating breathing and treating sleep apnea and snoring. The systems comprise a negative pressure system providing a vacuum source and an oral device comprising a shield, a tube passing through the shield, a flexible negative pressure deliverable part connected to the shield or the tube, an optional tongue protector, where the negative pressure deliverable part is conformable to the contour of the upper palate. Negative pressure is delivered to the front and back zones inside the oral cavity via the negative pressure deliverable part to eliminate air space in the oral cavity.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a network connection method applicable to a network system including a client device and a plurality of source devices, wherein the client device is connected to the Internet through a first connection route (e.g., a power-line network or a cable network) and a second connection route (e.g., a WiFi wireless network) respectively so as to establish a connection channel with each source device, and the client device is able to analyze a data packet received from the source device to determine whether the data packet contains highly delay-sensitive data (e.g., audio/video data and communication data) or delay-insensitive data (e.g., webpage data). When it is determined that the data packet contains highly delay-sensitive data, the data packet is transmitted to the client device through the first connection route which is more stable than the second connection route, otherwise, through the second connection route instead.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rapid adjustable wrench, the wrench is provided with a worm rotation window on the lower side of the fixed wrench head, the support holes are provided on the both sides of the window, the support holes are the elongated aperture holes that enable the pin shift can radially moving up and down, the spring locating holes are provided on the lower side face of the elongated aperture holes respectively, the spring holds up the pin shaft to prompt the engagement of the teeth of the worm with the teeth of the adjustable wrench head; the length of the spring after the depress at least ensure that the length of the radial displacement of the worm teeth does not exceed the height of the adjustable wrench head teeth, the adjustable wrench head teeth have at least one tooth on the top end of the clamping face side, which height higher than that of the subsequent other teeth.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an adjustable viewing angle display device. The display device includes a display panel composed of a first substrate, a second substrate, a display medium layer interposed therebetween, a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode. Pluralities of sub-pixels are defined in the display panel. The first and second electrodes are disposed on the first substrate in the sub-pixels. The first electrode is spaced apart from the second electrode. The third electrode is disposed on the second substrate. When the display device is operated in a narrow viewing angle mode, there exists a non-zero potential difference between the second electrode and the third electrode, and when the sub-pixel is at gray level of zero, the potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode is not zero. A driving method for driving the display device is disclosed as well.

Abstract: A multimedia bitrate adaption method for individual users wherein only a set of predetermined bitrates may be selected as the multimedia bitrate of the user. The predetermined bitrates are quantized into exponentially distributed levels, and the users' experiences corresponding to the predetermined bitrates are with the same intervals, thereby increasing the service capacity and improving user satisfaction.

Abstract: An image recognition device that improves the accuracy of generic object recognition compared with conventional technologies by reducing the influence of the position, size, background clutter and the like of an object that is targeted to be recognized in the input image by the generic object recognition. The image recognition device performs a generic object recognition and includes: a segmenting unit configured to segment an input image into a plurality of regions in accordance with meanings extracted from content of the input image; a generating unit configured to compute feature data for each of the plurality of regions and generate feature data of the input image reflecting the computed feature data; and a checking unit configured to check whether or not a recognition-target object is present in the input image in accordance with the feature data of the input image.

Abstract: A method for controlling an input device is provided. The input device has a resistor matrix having M first traces, N second traces and M×N resistors. Each second trace is coupled to a reference resistor and M?1 variable resistors. M and N are integers greater than 1. A first voltage level of each second trace is measured when a first voltage is applied to a first end of the reference resistor and a second voltage is applied to first ends of the M?1 variable resistors via the M first traces. Variations of the first voltage level of each second trace are measured, such that it could be determined whether any touch point of the input device exists according to the variations of the first voltage level of each second trace.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an OLED pixel driving circuit which has a data input unit for sending out controlling signals, a voltage storage unit for storing voltages from a first power source, a driving unit for receiving the controlling signals from the data input unit to selectively activate the voltage storage unit, a second power source providing a voltage to be stored in the voltage storage unit; and a switch connected to the second power source to offset potential loss of the first power source from the voltage stored in the voltage storage unit. The compensation circuit can not only compensate the non-uniformity of the threshold voltage but also eliminate the non-uniformity of the OLED display caused by the power IR drop, so that the effect of display of the OLED are maximally improved.

Abstract: Disclosed are a process and an apparatus for improving tobacco raw material. The process mainly comprises performing an extraction from at least one of tobacco leafs, tobacco flakes, tobacco powder, stalks and cut stems by mixed solvents, conducting a solid-liquid separation for the tobacco raw material, applying the extract liquor of tobacco leaves, flakes and cuts for manufacturing tobacco extract and that of stalks and cut stems for manufacturing fertilizer, diluting and mixing a given amount of tobacco aqueous extract and ethanol extract and removing harmful components so as to get feed liquid, backfilling the feed liquid to the tobacco raw material, and drying the tobacco raw material to a certain dryness to obtain the products. The apparatus is a system composed of a plurality of interconnected independent devices such as extractor, solid-liquid separator, a feed liquid backfiller, etc.

Abstract: A tamper-evident container is disclosed. The tamper-evident container includes a containing base, a lid, and a release structure. The lid is fixed to the containing base for closing. The release structure is disposed at the lid or the containing base. The release structure comprises a break line and at least one hole. The hole is disposed on the break line and the break line is for separating the lid from the containing base.

Abstract: A method for establishing one or more terms of a financial transaction comprises: receiving a player identifier; retrieving player tracking data provided by a player tracking system; and determining the at least one term based on the player tracking data. In one embodiment, the financial transaction is cashing of a check and the at least one term is a check cashing limit. The player tracking data may comprise of a player rating established by the tracking system or at least one type of player tracking data such as the player's previous bets and/or winnings. Player tracking data may be retrieved by a real-time electronic connection to the tracking system; by periodic exportation from the tracking system and importation into a check cashing system; or by separate retrieval from the tracking system and then manual imputation into the check cashing system for embodiments without an electronic interface to the tracking system.

Abstract: A 3-D chip stacked structure is disclosed. Each chip layer is provided with plural single-layered conductive members where among the same chip layer the two adjacent conductive members are structurally formed in minor symmetric way with each other along a chip longitudinal direction and the arrangements of the single-layered conductive members of the two adjacent chip layers are shifted by a test pad distance. The single-layered conductive members of the two adjacent chip layers are communicated through a vertical TSV (through silicon via). Therefore, a selection signal or an enabling signal might be transferred through this specific metal layer and related TSV to reach targeting chip layer and targeting circuit.

Abstract: A nozzle cleaning device and a coater provided with the nozzle cleaning device are provided, the nozzle cleaning device comprise a cleaner, a vacuum pipe and a vacuum pump; the cleaner has a recessed hole coinciding in shape with the nozzle of the coater for receiving the nozzle of the coater, and the inner wall of the recessed hole is provided with a plurality of through-holes; one end of the vacuum pipe is connected to said a plurality of through-holes, and the other end of the vacuum pipe is connected to the vacuum pump. The nozzle cleaning device of the present invention can be used conveniently to remove the photoresist residue so as to clean the nozzle, which effectively improves the product yield and the production efficiency, and reduces the cost due to needing no expensive nanomaterials.