Abstract: A high definition multimedia interface connector comprising a connector body having an extension configured to be inserted into a high definition multimedia interface receptacle, and at least one projection on an outer surface of the extension to facilitate releasable engagement of the plug with a standard high definition multimedia receptacle. A corresponding method of releasably securing a high definition multimedia interface plug to a standard high definition multimedia interface receptacle is also provided.

Abstract: A hard disk destruction apparatus is presented having a penetrating point that is manually pressed against a hard disk. The point has an angled tip designed to penetrate the hard disk casing and deform the hard disk platters within. The manual pressing avoids the use of any electrical power or other fuel. In one described embodiment, a mechanical arbor press provides the necessary force. A transparent safety shield surrounds the hard disk during destruction. A restraint prevents upward movement of the hard disk when the point is extracted.

Abstract: A special toilet tank equipped with a pivoting urinal, to facilitate the collection of urine from a standing male person. This will protect surrounding floors, walls and structure, from urine spray. The folding urinal is moveable from a stored position in the special tank enclosure to a position above the toilet bowl. The urine drops directly into the toilet bowl eliminating the need for a separate drain line. A water line passes through a position valve, to provide rinse water inside the urinal to flush the urine from the inside surfaces. The rinse water also drops into the bowl during flushing. When the urinal is in the stored position, the position valve prevents flow of water to the urinal during normal flushing.

Abstract: A hard disk destruction apparatus is presented having a penetrating point that is manually pressed against a hard disk. The point has an angled tip designed to penetrate the hard disk casing and deform the hard disk platters within. The manual pressing avoids the use of any electrical power or other fuel. In one described embodiment, a mechanical arbor press provides the necessary force. A transparent safety shield surrounds the hard disk during destruction. A restraint prevents upward movement of the hard disk when the point is extracted.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a planar medical component having a first surface and a second surface, comprising a clamp for fixing the component and applying a tensile force, a support having a surface having a hole therein, the upper surface disposed proximate the second surface of the component, and a cutting device having a cutting head disposed proximate the support and facing the first surface, wherein the support is configured to move along the plane of the component relative to the clamp and the cutting device cutting head is configured to hold position relative to the support.

Abstract: A stent and a method of making a stent from a tubular member. The stent includes a pattern and an opening cut into the wall of the stent and extending from the first end to the second end. One or more connectors may be cut in the tubular wall and extend into the opening cut in the tubular member. The connectors may aid in subsequent expansion and/or forming of the stent.

Abstract: The vehicular monitoring system obtains audio information from the speech of occupants within the vehicle and then processes that audio information to extract information about the behavior of the vehicle occupants. Using the behavioral information the system then assesses whether said behavior is in compliance with a predefined set of rules. Severe violations are reported to a third party via cellular telephone or other means. Less severe violations are recorded in a log file that is subsequently uploaded to a networked computer system for review and analysis. The behavioral rules used to assess violations may be modified by the administrative user.

Abstract: A device usage monitoring and control system for accomplishing parental monitoring and control of devices connected to a home network includes a permissions module receiving and storing control commands from a parent defining permissions with respect to one or more children. The permissions specify levels of access to devices connected to a home network and/or classifications of media content consumable via the devices. A control module grants a child access to the devices and/or media content via the devices based on the levels of access. A monitoring module monitors the child's usage of the devices and/or the child's consumption of media content via the devices, stores a related usage history, and communicates the usage history to the parent.

Abstract: A personal item monitoring system includes a monitor having a transmitter and a receiver located therein. At least one radio identification tag is adapted to be coupled to a personal item. Alternatively, the radio identification tag may be pre-installed into the personal item. The monitor emits a radio frequency received by the radio frequency identification tag, and the radio frequency identification tag emits a responding signal if within a detection range. The monitor then alerts a user if the radio identification tag leaves the range of detection.

Abstract: A device usage monitoring and control system for accomplishing parental monitoring and control of devices connected to a home network includes a permissions module receiving and storing control commands from a parent defining permissions with respect to one or more children. The permissions specify levels of access to devices connected to a home network and/or classifications of media content consumable via the devices. A control module grants a child access to the devices and/or media content via the devices based on the levels of access. A monitoring module monitors the child's usage of the devices and/or the child's consumption of media content via the devices, stores a related usage history, and communicates the usage history to the parent.

Abstract: The vehicular monitoring system obtains audio information from the speech of occupants within the vehicle and then processes that audio information to extract information about the behavior of the vehicle occupants. Using the behavioral information the system then assesses whether said behavior is in compliance with a predefined set of rules. Severe violations are reported to a third party via cellular telephone or other means. Less severe violations are recorded in a log file that is subsequently uploaded to a networked computer system for review and analysis. The behavioral rules used to assess violations may be modified by the administrative user.

Abstract: A personal item monitoring system includes a monitor having a transmitter and a receiver located therein. At least one radio identification tag is adapted to be coupled to a personal item. Alternatively, the radio identification tag may be pre-installed into the personal item. The monitor emits a radio frequency received by the radio frequency identification tag, and the radio frequency identification tag emits a responding signal if within a detection range. The monitor then alerts a user if the radio identification tag leaves the range of detection.

Abstract: System speakers are switched to function as sound input transducers to improve recognizer performance and to support recognizer features. A crossbar switch is selectively activated, either manually or under software control, to allow system loudspeakers to function as sound input transducers that supplement the recognition system microphone or microphone array. Using loudspeakers as “microphones” improves speech recognition in noisy environments, thus attaining better recognition performance with little added system cost. The loudspeakers, positioned in physically separate locations also provide spatial information that can be used to determine the location of the person speaking and thereby offer different functionality for different persons. Acoustic models are selected based on environmental and vehicle operating conditions and may be adapted dynamically using ambient information obtained using the loudspeakers as sound input transducers.

Abstract: System speakers are switched to function as sound input transducers to improve recognizer performance and to support recognizer features. A crossbar switch is selectively activated, either manually or under software control, to allow system loudspeakers to function as sound input transducers that supplement the recognition system microphone or microphone array. Using loudspeakers as “microphones” improves speech recognition in noisy environments, thus attaining better recognition performance with little added system cost. The loudspeakers, positioned in physically separate locations also provide spatial information that can be used to determine the location of the person speaking and thereby offer different functionality for different persons. Acoustic models are selected based on environmental and vehicle operating conditions and may be adapted dynamically using ambient information obtained using the loudspeakers as sound input transducers.

Abstract: A new speaker provides speech from which comparison snippets are extracted. The comparison snippets are compared with initial snippets stored in a recorded snippet database that is associated with a concatenative synthesizer. The comparison of the snippets to the initial snippets produces required sound units. A greedy selection algorithm is performed with the required sound units for identifying the smallest subset of the input text that contains all of the text for the new speaker to read. The new speaker then reads the optimally selected text and sound units are extracted from the human speech such that the recorded snippet database is modified and the speech synthesized adopts the voice quality and characteristics of the new speaker.

Abstract: A new speaker provides speech from which comparison snippets are extracted. The comparison snippets are compared with initial snippets stored in a recorded snippet database that is associated with a concatenative synthesizer. The comparison of the snippets to the initial snippets produces required sound units. A greedy selection algorithm is performed with the required sound units for identifying the smallest subset of the input text that contains all of the text for the new speaker to read. The new speaker then reads the optimally selected text and sound units are extracted from the human speech such that the recorded snippet database is modified and the speech synthesized adopts the voice quality and characteristics of the new speaker.

Abstract: A multi-user e-mail reader system allows several users to access their e-mail accounts simultaneously and have the e-mail messages played back with speech synthesis. The user navigates through various functional states of the system using either touch-tone keypad commands or optionally voiced commands interpreted by a speech recognizer. Users can send reply e-mail messages without the use of a computer, by invoking the system's text processor. The text processor operates in conjunction with a keypad-to-ASCII conversion mechanism that allows fully punctuated and properly addressed e-mail messages to be composed from the touch-tone phone. Digital audio sound file attachments may be recorded through the telephone handset and attached to an outgoing e-mail message. A system for storing canned messages allows the user to quickly send pre-composed reply messages, either as stored or after editing using the text processor.

Abstract: The swathboard of a windrower can be remotely adjusted from the tractor seat and on-the-go using an electromechanical actuator or other remotely operated actuating device. When the swathboard is adjusted to its fully raised position, the stream of crop materials issuing from the conditioner rolls bypasses the swathboard and engages the forming shields to be converged into a windrow having a width determined by the outlet formed between the rear ends of the shields. At the other extreme, when the swathboard is fully lowered, the stream impinges against the swathboard and drops to the ground in a wide swath without ever engaging the forming shields. In any one of a number of intermediate positions, the swathboard can be used by the operator to deflect the stream to engage wider or narrower portions of the forming shields, thus controlling the width of the windrow.

Abstract: An electronic news receiving device receives text data for an electronic edition of a newspaper in the evening and audibly reads the newspaper to the user the next day. The newsreader includes a receiver which receives an electronic edition of a newspaper transmitted by a transmitter at an electronic news preparer's facility. The news preparer may mark words that do not conform to conventional letter-to-sound rules with a pronunciation flag and provide pronunciation data for the words with the electronic edition of the newspaper. The data may be compressed by providing a dictionary in the news receiving device and, at the preparer's facility, translating each word into a dictionary address. The transmission channel may include a telephone line, the vertical blanking interval of a television signal, a cable television channel, an AM/FM subcarrier signal or a satellite channel.