Abstract: A barbecue support assembly for supporting an elongate skewer or other accessories at one or more preselected heights above a barbecue grill. The barbecue support assembly includes one or more body elements having one or more parts thereof positionable substantially at one of the preselected heights. Also the part includes one or more apertures in which an end of the skewer is receivable. A rotatable and removable leg assembly is also provided.

Abstract: A seal assembly sealingly engages a packer that is retrievable from the packer. The seal assembly comprises a sealing structure for receiving by a seal bore of the packer, and a housing assembly defining an inner chamber and having at least one control line conduit and at least one flow conduit passage. The seal assembly further comprises at least one control line extending through the control line conduit into the inner chamber, and at least one flow conduit extending through the flow conduit passage into the inner chamber.

Abstract: A barbecue support assembly for supporting an elongate skewer or other accessories at one or more preselected heights above a barbecue grill. The barbecue support assembly includes one or more body elements having one or more parts thereof positionable substantially at one of the preselected heights. Also the part includes one or more apertures in which an end of the skewer is receivable. A rotatable and removable leg assembly is also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and kits for identifying clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) patients at high risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS).

Abstract: System and method for automatically programming a universal remote. In the system, the remote acquires identification data from a particular device at which it is pointed. The data is processed to determine command protocols associated with the particular device. Control commands for the particular device input to the remote by a user are formatted according to the command protocols associated with the particular device.

Abstract: A seal assembly sealingly engages a packer that is retrievable from the packer. The seal assembly comprises a sealing structure for receiving by a seal bore of the packer, and a housing assembly defining an inner chamber and having at least one control line conduit and at least one flow conduit passage. The seal assembly further comprises at least one control line extending through the control line conduit into the inner chamber, and at least one flow conduit extending through the flow conduit passage into the inner chamber.

Abstract: An automatically switched camera system includes sensors for providing data of an image scene having subjects who are behaving in a manner which make them potential targets of the camera system, a pre-take indicator for providing an advanced notification to the subjects of the image scene that one of them is about to become a target of the camera system, a multimodal image analysis module communicating with the sensors and the pre-take indicator, for analyzing the data of the image scene provided by the sensors to select one of the subjects as a target of the camera system and outputting an indicator function command that causes the pre-take indicator to provide the advanced notification to the selected subject.

Abstract: A camera system and method for operating that system. The camera system comprises a stationary camera having a wide angle view, a remotely controllable camera having a relatively smaller angle view for providing images in substantially full resolution, and a processor. The processor monitors the wide angle view of the stationary camera, receives information concerning a selected desired subject within the wide angle view, generates an electronic pan-tilt-zoom view of the selected desired subject based on the wide angle view of the stationary camera, controls the remotely controllable camera for providing a view that overlaps the electronic pan-tilt-zoom view of the desired subject, and processes the electronic pan-tilt-zoom view of the desired subject in accordance with the resolution of the remotely controllable camera.

Abstract: An interactive control system and related apparatus uses disposable, low-cost control objects, such as cards or leaflets or three-dimensional visual shapes, for controlling and navigating through electronic “menu” programs of electronic equipment. The system incorporates visual detection equipment, of known type and function, that is capable of recognizing the color and locating the spatial orientation of a particularly shaped and colored control object. When the control object is displayed to a visual sensor of the visual detection equipment, an associated microprocessor converts the shape, color and spatial orientation of the control object into electronic signals for directing and controlling an external electronic program in a known manner. Because the control objects are passive and non-electronic, they can be made at very low cost and can be treated as disposable. In addition, printed matter can be included on their exposed surfaces to provide advertising and instructional material.

Abstract: System and method for automatically programming a universal remote. In the system, the remote acquires identification data from a particular device at which it is pointed. The data is processed to determine command protocols associated with the particular device. Control commands for the particular device input to the remote by a user are formatted according to the command protocols associated with the particular device.

Abstract: An interaction simulator, such as a chatterbot, is connected with an external database, such as an electronic program guide. The information gathered during interaction, particularly conversational, is parsed and used to augment the database data. The interaction simulator may be guided by the data residing in the database so as to help fill in recognizable gaps by, for example, intermittently asking questions relating to the subject data requirement. The interaction simulator may be provided with specific response templates based on the needs of the database and a corresponding set of templates to extract the information required by the database. Another example database may be for recording and indexing by key word stories or other free-form verbal data uttered by the user. The interaction simulator may be programmed to help the user develop the story using templates designed for this purpose.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for catching-up on viewing a program on a viewing device. The apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes a storing mechanism configured for simultaneously recording and playing back digital video and audio streams. A controller is configured to control the storing mechanism to record and play back the digital video and audio streams. The controller is also configured to determine an accelerated playback speed that allows a viewer to catch-up to a real time viewing of the program. A playback mechanism operatively coupled between the storing mechanism and the viewing device is configured to control a playback speed of the video and audio streams provided to the viewing device from the storage mechanism in accordance with the accelerated playback speed.

Abstract: An interaction simulator has the ability to dynamically update response templates and response data by retrieving current information from a data source. The interaction simulator may interact verbally or by other means such as gesture, typed text, or other means to generate a “dialogue. ” The interaction simulator, by dynamically updating its responses, is able to be more interesting and useful to users and also more personally relevant than prior art, so-called chatterbots. The device also reduces the required number of rules and library of response data that must be retained compared to prior art conversation simulators. The criteria used to create new response data can come from fixed specifications, for example, the current weather, or from the content of previous conversations (for example, the system creating a new template about a topic indicated by the user to be of interest to him/her).

Abstract: An interaction simulator, such as a chatterbot, is enabled to simulate an awareness of the user to generate an interaction that is more natural and appropriate than prior art chatterbots. For example, the device may employ machine vision to detect the number of persons present or the activity of the user and respond accordingly by interrupting its output or by inviting a conversation or other interaction when a user approaches. The device may modify its responses according to the user's activity, for example, by playing music when the user falls asleep or requesting an introduction when another user speaks. The device may also respond to unrecognized changes in the situation by inquiring about what is going on to stimulate interaction or generate new responses.

Abstract: A self-annotating camera providing annotation relating to a photograph. The camera captures a desired field of view in a photograph, obtains information relating to the photograph via a plurality of information sources, produces annotation corresponding to the information obtained from the plurality of information sources, and utilizes the produced annotation to annotate at least one of a photograph and an electronic file associated with the photograph. At least one of the plurality of information sources is internal to the camera and at least one of the plurality of information sources is external to the camera.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of and system for controlling operation of a video system including a video source and a control device. The method comprises the steps of monitoring a screen area of the video source; determining whether the video source is on; detecting control signal from control device representative of a control function; performing control function in accordance with control signal if the video source is determined not to be on; and querying a user if the control function is to be performed if the video source is determined to be on. The invention further includes a system for controlling operation of a video source.

Abstract: An interactive control system and related apparatus uses disposable, low-cost control objects, such as cards or leaflets or three-dimensional visual shapes, for controlling and navigating through electronic “menu” programs of electronic equipment. The system incorporates visual detection equipment, of known type and function, that is capable of recognizing the color and locating the spatial orientation of a particularly shaped and colored control object. When the control object is displayed to a visual sensor of the visual detection equipment, an associated microprocessor converts the shape, color and spatial orientation of the control object into electronic signals for directing and controlling an external electronic program in a known manner. Because the control objects are passive and non-electronic, they can be made at very low cost and can be treated as disposable. In addition, printed matter can be included on their exposed surfaces to provide advertising and instructional material.

Abstract: An automatically switched camera system includes sensors for providing data of an image scene having subjects who are behaving in a manner which make them potential targets of the camera system, a pre-take indicator for providing an advanced notification to the subjects of the image scene that one of them is about to become a target of the camera system, a multimodal image analysis module communicating with the sensors and the pre-take indicator, for analyzing the data of the image scene provided by the sensors to select one of the subjects as a target of the camera system and outputting an indicator function command that causes the pre-take indicator to provide the advanced notification to the selected subject.