Abstract: A fluid sensor system comprises a radio frequency transmitter with adjustable output power, a radio frequency detector proximal to the radio frequency transmitter; a constant current source, and a switch coupled between the radio frequency detector and the constant current source. A method of determining the identity of a fluid using the fluid sensor system includes immersing the sensor system in a first fluid, increasing a transmit power of a radio frequency (RF) transmitter of the fluid sensor system until an RF signal is detected by a RF detector of the fluid sensor system, and determining the transmit power of the RF transmitter that first resulted in a detection of the RF signal by the RF detector to be the transmit power that is required for detecting the RF signal in the first fluid.

Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing a secure migratable architecture having improved performance features over existing virtualization systems are disclosed. One method includes allocating a portion of a memory for use by a process, the process including a firmware environment representing a virtual computing system having a second computing architecture different from a first computing architecture of a computing system on which the process is executed. The method includes associating area descriptors with each of a plurality of memory areas within the portion of the memory used by the process, and receiving a request within the firmware environment to store data within a first memory area of the plurality of memory areas, the first memory area defined by a first area descriptor of the area descriptors, the request being associated with a plurality of memory addresses within the first memory area.

Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing a secure migratable architecture are disclosed. One method includes, upon initiating execution of a process, allocating a portion of a memory for use by the process during execution, the process including a firmware environment representing a virtual computing system having a second computing architecture different from a first computing architecture of a computing system on which the process is executed. The method also includes executing the process hosted by the operating system, wherein the firmware environment manages the portion of the memory using one or more area descriptors to describe the portion of the memory, each of the one or more area descriptors defining to the firmware environment a base address at which a memory area is located, the base address translated to an address in the memory managed by the operating system, the memory area being within the portion of memory allocated for use by the process.

Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing a secure migratable architecture having improved performance features over existing virtualization systems are disclosed. One method includes allocating a portion of a memory for use by a process, the process including a firmware environment representing a virtual computing system having a second computing architecture different from a first computing architecture of a computing system on which the process is executed. The method includes associating area descriptors with each of a plurality of memory areas within the portion of the memory used by the process, and receiving a request within the firmware environment to store data within a first memory area of the plurality of memory areas, the first memory area defined by a first area descriptor of the area descriptors, the request being associated with a plurality of memory addresses within the first memory area.

Abstract: Systems and methods for content aggregation creation are disclosed herein. The system can include memory having a content database and an aggregation database. The system can include a user device having a first network interface and a first I/O subsystem. The system can include a server that can: provide content to the user device via a first electrical signal; receive a selection of a portion of the provided content from the user device via a second electrical signal; automatically extract sentences from the selected portion of the provided content via a natural language processor; automatically generate a parse tree for one of the automatically extracted sentences; identify noun phrases from the part of speech tags within the parse tree; place content associated with one of the noun phrase in a content aggregation; and output the content aggregation to the user device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing interactive features associated with multimedia content are disclosed. One method includes applying a container to multimedia content using one or more computing systems, the container defining an interface through which metadata external to the multimedia content is linked with one or more portions of the multimedia content. The method further includes receiving a request for the multimedia content from a content consumer. The method also includes associating a set of metadata describing one or more interactive features with the multimedia content, the set of metadata linked to at least a portion of the multimedia content via the container and selected from a database including metadata defining interactive features capable of being associated with the multimedia content. The method also includes, upon receiving a request for playback of the multimedia content, providing the multimedia content and the one or more interactive features to the content consumer.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that ensure high availability of such an architecture hosted on commodity platforms. One method includes initializing, by an operating system, execution of a process by the programmable circuit, the process including a firmware environment representing a virtual computing system, the process further including one or more workloads to be executed within the process. The method also includes allocating a portion of the memory for use by the process, the portion of memory including a plurality of memory segments, and generating a plurality of area descriptors associated with the plurality of memory segments, each of the area descriptors defining a location and length of a corresponding memory segment. The method includes quiescing execution of the process and capturing contents of the portion of memory and the plurality of area descriptors associated with the process.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing interactive features associated with multimedia content are disclosed. One method includes applying a container to multimedia content using one or more computing systems, the container defining an interface through which metadata external to the multimedia content is linked with one or more portions of the multimedia content. The method further includes receiving a request for the multimedia content from a content consumer. The method also includes associating a set of metadata describing one or more interactive features with the multimedia content, the set of metadata linked to at least a portion of the multimedia content via the container and selected from a database including metadata defining interactive features capable of being associated with the multimedia content. The method also includes, upon receiving a request for playback of the multimedia content, providing the multimedia content and the one or more interactive features to the content consumer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for executing virtualized processes on a computing system are disclosed, including techniques for memory management when executing such processes. One method includes allocating a portion of memory to a process hosted by an operating system of a computing system having a first computing architecture, the process comprising a firmware environment implementing a second computing architecture different from the first computing architecture, the first computing architecture applying virtual addressing to the portion of memory. The method further includes receiving a memory access request within the process, the memory access request including a direct address of a memory location within the portion of memory, according to the second computing architecture, and passing to the operating system the memory access request from the process.

Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing a secure migratable architecture having improved performance features over existing virtualization systems are disclosed. One method includes allocating a portion of a memory for use by a process, the process including a firmware environment representing a virtual computing system having a second computing architecture different from a first computing architecture of a computing system on which the process is executed. The method includes associating area descriptors with each of a plurality of memory areas within the portion of the memory used by the process, and receiving a request within the firmware environment to store data within a first memory area of the plurality of memory areas, the first memory area defined by a first area descriptor of the area descriptors, the request being associated with a plurality of memory addresses within the first memory area.

Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing a secure migratable architecture are disclosed. One method includes, upon initiating execution of a process, allocating a portion of a memory for use by the process during execution, the process including a firmware environment representing a virtual computing system having a second computing architecture different from a first computing architecture of a computing system on which the process is executed. The method also includes executing the process hosted by the operating system, wherein the firmware environment manages the portion of the memory using one or more area descriptors to describe the portion of the memory, each of the one or more area descriptors defining to the firmware environment a base address at which a memory area is located, the base address translated to an address in the memory managed by the operating system, the memory area being within the portion of memory allocated for use by the process.

Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing a secure migratable architecture having improved performance features over existing virtualization systems are disclosed. One method includes allocating a portion of a memory for use by a process, the process including a firmware environment representing a virtual computing system having a second computing architecture different from a first computing architecture of a computing system on which the process is executed. The method includes associating area descriptors with each of a plurality of memory areas within the portion of the memory used by the process, and receiving a request within the firmware environment to store data within a first memory area of the plurality of memory areas, the first memory area defined by a first area descriptor of the area descriptors, the request being associated with a plurality of memory addresses within the first memory area.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that ensure high availability of such an architecture hosted on commodity platforms. One method includes initializing, by an operating system, execution of a process by the programmable circuit, the process including a firmware environment representing a virtual computing system having a second computing architecture different from a first computing architecture of a computing system on which the operating system and process reside, the process further including one or more workloads to be executed within the process. The method also includes allocating a portion of the memory for use by the process, the portion of memory including a plurality of memory segments, and generating a plurality of area descriptors associated with the plurality of memory segments, each of the area descriptors defining a location and length of a corresponding memory segment.

Abstract: A control system for selectively operating a sound system provided in a walk-around character costume. e.g., to play audio files in an order defined by a dialog tree that can be navigated by a performer wearing the costume. The control system includes a trigger mechanism provided in the costume operable by a performer wearing the costume to generate and transmit at least one trigger signal to navigate through a dialog tree. A controller receives the trigger signal and transmits a control signal causing the sound system to playback pre-recorded dialog. The system includes a trigger processing module run by the controller for processing the trigger signal and, in response to such processing, for navigating pre-recorded audio for a show to select the set of pre-recorded dialog. The trigger mechanism includes a first and a second pressure sensor in a thumb and index finger of a glove of the costume.

Abstract: A display system that includes a projector light bulb. The system includes a light fixture with a conventional light bulb socket. A projector light bulb is provided with a socket adapter for mating electrically with the light bulb socket. A projector such as a pico projector is fit into the socket adapter or to mate with this adapter to be powered by the light bulb socket via the adapter. In lamp-type implementations, the projector is used to project onto a lamp shade-shaped rear projection screen or through a translucent shade and also upon surfaces of the ceiling or objects above the projector light bulb. A light conditioning or directing assembly may be provided that directs a portion of the projected light onto the projection screen (or shade) and another portion up onto the ceiling so as to concurrently focus on two or more surfaces at two or more focal distances.

Abstract: Methods and systems for converting speech to text are disclosed. One method includes analyzing multimedia content to determine the presence of closed captioning data. The method includes, upon detecting closed captioning data, indexing the closed captioning data as associated with the multimedia content. The method also includes, upon failure to detect closed captioning data in the multimedia content, extracting audio data from multimedia content, the audio data including speech data, performing a plurality of speech to text conversions on the speech data to create a plurality of transcripts of the speech data, selecting text from one or more of the plurality of transcripts to form an amalgamated transcript, and indexing the amalgamated transcript as associated with the multimedia content.

Abstract: A cradle for holding an ultrasound probe includes a base for securing to a stepper-stabilizer, roller-bearings supported on the base, and a probe-holder that rotates on the roller-bearings about a horizontal axis relative to the base. The probe-holder includes a front yoke and a rear yoke, with a yoke retainer supporting the front yoke. A pivot side rail and a lock side rail span rigidly between the front yoke and the rear yoke. A locking knob is captured to the lock side rail to prevent the locking knob from detaching. A latch hinged to the pivot side rail is engaged by the locking knob for securement over the probe. A detent ensures 90-degree alignment of the yoke retainer to the base. The rollers rotatably support the yoke retainer and the rear yoke, and further rotation of the front yoke enables a further adjustment to calibrate the cradle.

Abstract: A display system that includes a projector light bulb. The system includes a light fixture with a conventional light bulb socket. A projector light bulb is provided with a socket adapter for mating electrically with the light bulb socket. A projector such as a pico projector is fit into the socket adapter or to mate with this adapter to be powered by the light bulb socket via the adapter. In lamp-type implementations, the projector is used to project onto a lamp shade-shaped rear projection screen or through a translucent shade and also upon surfaces of the ceiling or objects above the projector light bulb. A light conditioning or directing assembly may be provided that directs a portion of the projected light onto the projection screen (or shade) and another portion up onto the ceiling so as to concurrently focus on two or more surfaces at two or more focal distances.

Abstract: A control system for selectively operating a sound system provided in a walk-around character costume. e.g., to play audio files in an order defined by a dialog tree that can be navigated by a performer wearing the costume. The control system includes a trigger mechanism provided in the costume operable by a performer wearing the costume to generate and transmit at least one trigger signal to navigate through a dialog tree. A controller receives the trigger signal and transmits a control signal causing the sound system to playback pre-recorded dialog. The system includes a trigger processing module run by the controller for processing the trigger signal and, in response to such processing, for navigating pre-recorded audio for a show to select the set of pre-recorded dialog. The trigger mechanism includes a first and a second pressure sensor in a thumb and index finger of a glove of the costume.

Abstract: A display system that includes a projector light bulb. The system includes a light fixture with a conventional light bulb socket. A projector light bulb is provided with a socket adapter for mating electrically with the light bulb socket. A projector such as a pico projector is fit into the socket adapter or to mate with this adapter to be powered by the light bulb socket via the adapter. In lamp-type implementations, the projector is used to project onto a lamp shade-shaped rear projection screen or through a translucent shade and also upon surfaces of the ceiling or objects above the projector light bulb. A light conditioning or directing assembly may be provided that directs a portion of the projected light onto the projection screen (or shade) and another portion up onto the ceiling so as to concurrently focus on two or more surfaces at two or more focal distances.