Abstract: An improved dryer exhaust vent assembly for a clothes dryer is disclosed. The assembly includes an exhaust pipe having a variety of features on its external surface that are constructed and arranged to provide a more secured and easier to obtain engagement with commercially available or customized vent tubing. The assembly may also utilize adjustable band clamps or lever actuated collar clamps to further secure engagement of the vent tubing to the exhaust pipe.

Abstract: A system and method are presented relating to a hybrid portable charging device having an internal battery and an internal supercapacitor. Input logic is implemented as part of the management system for the charging device. In one embodiment, input power is analyzed to determine whether the input power level is low, medium, or high, with input power being diverted to the battery or supercapacitor depending on the determined input power level. At high input power, the supercapacitor is charged first. At low input power, the battery is charged first. At medium power, the input power is split between the supercapacitor and the battery. In another embodiment, output can be directed using output logic so that power flows first from the supercapacitor so that the supercapacitor is fully discharged before battery power is output to the load on the charging device.

Abstract: A system and method are presented relating to a hybrid portable charging device having an internal battery and an internal supercapacitor. Input logic is implemented as part of the management system for the charging device. In one embodiment, input power is analyzed to determine whether the input power level is low, medium, or high, with input power being diverted to the battery or supercapacitor depending on the determined input power level. At high input power, the supercapacitor is charged first. At low input power, the battery is charged first. At medium power, the input power is split between the supercapacitor and the battery. In another embodiment, output can be directed using output logic so that power flows first from the supercapacitor so that the supercapacitor is fully discharged before battery power is output to the load on the charging device.

Abstract: A system and method are presented relating to a hybrid portable charging device having an internal battery and an internal supercapacitor. Input logic is implemented as part of the management system for the charging device. In one embodiment, input power is analyzed to determine whether the input power level is low, medium, or high, with input power being diverted to the battery or supercapacitor depending on the determined input power level. At high input power, the supercapacitor is charged first. At low input power, the battery is charged first. At medium power, the input power is split between the supercapacitor and the battery. In another embodiment, output can be directed using output logic so that power flows first from the supercapacitor so that the supercapacitor is fully discharged before battery power is output to the load on the charging device.

Abstract: A universal voice control system (aka: a Digital Voice Butler or DVB) is used to communicate with and control one or more voice activated smart devices (VASDs) with a single shared activation word. The DVB is embodied in a housing that contains a microphone, a speaker, a voice synthesizer, a list of understood spoken commands, a look up table having objects acted upon by the commands and ecosystem specific commands, and a processor in electronic communication with the microphone and speaker. A device such as a smart phone is in communication with the processor and provides a user interface for the DVB that allows specific VASDs and their associated functions to be linked to the DVB.

Abstract: A light bulb or other lamp device incorporating improved antenna configurations and integrated networking equipment is described herein. In one example, a LED light bulb is arranged to include a wireless transceiver and related wireless network processing circuitry, and is coupled to multiple antennas configured to receive and transmit signals using spatial diversity, beamforming, multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), or other multi-antenna techniques. The heat sink in the light bulb may be purposed to provide one or more of the multiple antennas, such as use of respective heat sink structures to serve as a diversity antenna. The wireless network processing circuitry may be used for control of the light bulb or for operability with wireless and non-wireless networks. For example, the network processing circuitry may operate as a wireless network access point, repeater, relay, bridge, or like function.

Abstract: A video recording device is described having an orientation sensor. The recording device rotates video data received from an image sensor according to signals received from the orientation sensor. The rotation occurs before the video data is compressed according to a video codec and stored on a tangible storage device. By rotating the video data before compression, the need for intensive, post-capture video rotation on the compressed video file is eliminated.

Abstract: A light bulb or other lamp device incorporating improved antenna configurations and integrated networking equipment is described herein. In one example, a LED light bulb is arranged to include a wireless transceiver and related wireless network processing circuitry, and is coupled to multiple antennas configured to receive and transmit signals using spatial diversity, beamforming, multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), or other multi-antenna techniques. The heat sink in the light bulb may be purposed to provide one or more of the multiple antennas, such as use of respective heat sink structures to serve as a diversity antenna. The wireless network processing circuitry may be used for control of the light bulb or for operability with wireless and non-wireless networks. For example, the network processing circuitry may operate as a wireless network access point, repeater, relay, bridge, or like function.

Abstract: A light bulb or other lamp device incorporating improved antenna configurations and integrated networking equipment is described herein. In one example, a LED light bulb is arranged to include a wireless transceiver and related wireless network processing circuitry, and is coupled to multiple antennas configured to receive and transmit signals using spatial diversity, beamforming, multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), or other multi-antenna techniques. The heat sink in the light bulb may be purposed to provide one or more of the multiple antennas, such as use of respective heat sink structures to serve as a diversity antenna. The wireless network processing circuitry may be used for control of the light bulb or for operability with wireless and non-wireless networks. For example, the network processing circuitry may operate as a wireless network access point, repeater, relay, bridge, or like function.

Abstract: A video recording device is described having an orientation sensor. The recording device rotates video data received from an image sensor according to signals received from the orientation sensor. The rotation occurs before the video data is compressed according to a video codec and stored on a tangible storage device. By rotating the video data before compression, the need for intensive, post-capture video rotation on the compressed video file is eliminated.

Abstract: A video recording device is described having an orientation sensor. The recording device rotates video data received from an image sensor according to signals received from the orientation sensor. The rotation occurs before the video data is compressed according to a video codec and stored on a tangible storage device. By rotating the video data before compression, the need for intensive, post-capture video rotation on the compressed video file is eliminated.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for validating a signature on a touchscreen using a smart stylus. Software residing on a touchscreen device disables touch input from sources other than the stylus. In one embodiment, the stylus wirelessly transmits a stylus identifier to the touchscreen device to identify the stylus to the device. The stylus may also have a stylus tip that produces an encoded voltage pulse sequence that is used to identify the stylus to the device. A stylus ID is associated with an encoded voltage pulse. The touchscreen device can look up the stylus ID in a database, determine the encoded voltage pulse associated with the stylus ID, and determine that a voltage pulse transmitted by the stylus tip is the pulse associated with the stylus ID, thus validating the source of data input on the touchscreen.

Abstract: A pear-shaped light-emitting diode (LED) light bulb housing is provided with a plurality of light-dispersing thickness variations in the bulb envelope. Dimples, bumps, or v-shaped grooves are provided in a middle portion of the bulb envelope in order to uniformly disperse light from LEDs as the light passes through the bulb envelope.

Abstract: A modular LED light bulb is presented. The bulb comprises a bulb envelope and a removable screw base. A power supply within the bulb envelope connects to an electrolytic capacitor within the screw base. When the electrolytic capacitor in the screw base requires replacement, the screw base is detached from the bulb envelope, the depleted electrolytic capacitor is discarded, and a new electrolytic capacitor is connected to the power supply. The various embodiments increase the useful life of the LED light bulb. In another aspect, the screw base may be adapted to accept swappable modules to provide the light bulb with additional functionality. The swappable modules may provide the light bulb with wireless control and motion sensing.

Abstract: Described herein are various configurations and designs for an external flash device. The external flash device can attach to a camera device, such as a mobile phone or smartphone, to provide enhanced flash performance to an internal flash of the camera device. An adjustable arm of the external flash device can include a sensor positionable to receive an optical transmission, such as a flash from the camera device. The adjustable arm can allow the external flash to function with various camera devices. In response to receiving and detecting the optical transmission, the external flash can activate one or more light emitting units to generate a flash that is synchronized with the capture of an image by the camera. One or more light emitting arrays can be included in the external flash to provide greater flash brightness or more than one color temperature of light emitting units.

Abstract: A grip-enabled touchscreen stylus for teaching a proper writing grip comprises a stylus shaft and a stylus tip for writing on a capacitive touchscreen electronic device. Three buttons situated around the stylus shaft activate the stylus tip. The stylus has a normally-off state, in which the tip is disabled and cannot interact with a touchscreen. When a thumb, index, and middle finger of a hand correctly grip the stylus by pressing all three buttons simultaneously, an actuator within the stylus causes the tip to activate in order to interact with the touchscreen. The stylus actuator may be mechanical, electronic, or electromechanical. The stylus may be supplemented by software or logic on the touchscreen-enabled device enabling the desired user experience of requiring proper grip on the stylus for touchscreen input to be validated.

Abstract: A device and method is presented that attaches a tablet computer to a vehicle headrest. A two-piece mount has a headrest coupling and a tablet housing. The tablet housing has a rigid core attached to a flexible rim portion that secures the tablet computer within the tablet housing. The rigid core has a circular cavity in the rear. The headrest coupling mounts to headrest posts in a vehicle using hinged arms and locking clips. The headrest coupling further has a circular attachment disk that fits within the circular cavity of the tablet housing. Retractable tabs in the circumference of the attachment disk fit within tracks in the walls of the circular cavity. The tabs prevent accidental separation of the tablet housing from the headrest coupling, and allow rotation of the tablet housing when attached to the headrest coupling.

Abstract: A pear-shaped light-emitting diode (LED) light bulb housing is provided with a plurality of light-dispersing thickness variations in the bulb envelope. Dimples, bumps, or v-shaped grooves are provided in a middle portion of the bulb envelope in order to uniformly disperse light from LEDs as the light passes through the bulb envelope.

Abstract: In a typical video meeting, each of two persons has a computer or a portable electronic device, controlled by one or more processors executing software instructions. Each device has a screen and a video camera. Typically, B's camera will be positioned above B's screen. Video of B is transmitted across a communication system from B's camera to A's screen. Because B is looking at A's image on the screen, A will perceive B to be focused downward, not making eye contact. The present invention analyzes video frames for the orientations of B's head and focus, and uses image editing software tools to virtually correct the gaze direction of B's eye to be directed toward B's camera. A's gaze direction may be similarly adjusted simultaneously. The approach may also be used with 3 or more participants, e.g., in a video conference.

Abstract: A pear-shaped light-emitting diode (LED) light bulb housing is provided with a plurality of light-dispersing thickness variations in the bulb envelope. Dimples, bumps, or v-shaped grooves are provided in a middle portion of the bulb envelope in order to uniformly disperse light from LEDs as the light passes through the bulb envelope.