Abstract: A motorized roller shade that detects obstacles in its travel that create excess torque by sensing the current draw from a motor and method by which the motor can calibrate itself to detect excess torque. During the roller shade's travel, it will record the instantaneous torque being generated at various points. For example, it will store the greatest value in the shade motor's non-volatile memory as the normal operating torque.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose an educational system that delivers educational content/instruction to students in the form of lessons, and techniques embodied in the educational system to assess student/learner progress within and between lessons and to deliver appropriate content to students.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention discloses a method for adapting educational content. The method comprises generating data for each of a plurality of students, the data pertaining to an aspect of the student's interaction with an educational system, combining the generated data to form a combined data set; analyzing the combined data set to identify clusters, each representing similar students according to a mathematical model; and adapting the educational system to provide a customized learning experience for a particular student based on an identified cluster.

Abstract: Methods and systems automatically download computer software components from a computer network like the Internet or an intranet. The methods and systems can be used to provide dynamic or interactive multimedia components in HTML documents with HTML <OBJECT> tags. The HTML <OBJECT> tags can contain parameters including uniform resource locators (URLs) which reference dynamic or interactive multimedia components on remote computers. Network browsers and other applications can obtain computer software components from a computer network like the Internet or an intranet in a uniform, portable, architecture-neutral, robust manner. The computer software components obtained can be used to provide a variety of new multimedia functionality to an application program.

Abstract: When creating a distribution file for distributing software over a network, instructions for automatically invoking instructions for installing software can be placed in the software distribution file. If an installation program, the software, and the instructions are placed in the software distribution file, a single user action can download and activate the software distribution file, leading to automatic installation of the software. The installation can be accomplished without further user input. The software distribution file can include an extractor for automatically extracting items in the distribution file.