Abstract: A modular device includes base and color sensing portions. The color sensing portion has a face, a controlled light source offset from the face to define an interior, the face configured to engage a target surface about a perimeter of the device housing wherein ambient light is restricted from entering the interior. A color sensor receives light reflected from the target surface and generates output signals representative of a surface color. The base portion communicates with the color sensor and a user device having a hosted program which generates a user interface enabling users to provide control input for the color sensor. The program further receives the output signals from the color sensing device and displays a first image of the detected color, and displays a second image of a user-selected color beside the first image. Color data values are further displayed corresponding to the difference between displayed colors.

Abstract: A computer-implemented intelligent alignment method for a color sensing device (12) which initially obtains a raw sense value measured by the color sensing device and converts the raw sense value to a tristimulus value (S401). The color sensing device may be calibrated using a known set of colors (S402). Raw readings received from the color sensing device may be mapped to known tristimulus values (S403), and mapped values may be converted to a standard reference illuminant color space (S404). A client-server system may be provided in which a color sensing device and one or more servers collectively execute operations according to the present disclosure.

Abstract: A computer-implemented intelligent alignment method for a color sensing device (12) which initially obtains a raw sense value measured by the color sensing device and converts the raw sense value to a tristimulus value (S401). The color sensing device may be calibrated using a known set of colors (S402). Raw readings received from the color sensing device may be mapped to known tristimulus values (S403), and mapped values may be converted to a standard reference illuminant color space (S404). A client-server system may be provided in which a color sensing device and one or more servers collectively execute operations according to the present disclosure.

Abstract: A modular device includes base and color sensing portions. The color sensing portion has a face, a controlled light source offset from the face to define an interior, the face configured to engage a target surface about a perimeter of the device housing wherein ambient light is restricted from entering the interior. A color sensor receives light reflected from the target surface and generates output signals representative of a surface color. The base portion communicates with the color sensor and a user device having a hosted program which generates a user interface enabling users to provide control input for the color sensor. The program further receives the output signals from the color sensing device and displays a first image of the detected color, and displays a second image of a user-selected color beside the first image. Color data values are further displayed corresponding to the difference between displayed colors.

Abstract: A modular device includes base and color sensing portions. The color sensing portion has a face, a controlled light source offset from the face to define an interior, the face configured to engage a target surface about a perimeter of the device housing wherein ambient light is restricted from entering the interior. A color sensor receives light reflected from the target surface and generates output signals representative of a surface color. The base portion communicates with the color sensor and a user device having a hosted program which generates a user interface enabling users to provide control input for the color sensor. The program further receives the output signals from the color sensing device and displays a first image of the detected color, and displays a second image of a user-selected color beside the first image. Color data values are further displayed corresponding to the difference between displayed colors.

Abstract: A computer-implemented intelligent alignment method for a color sensing device (12) which initially obtains a raw sense value measured by the color sensing device and converts the raw sense value to a tristimulus value (S401). The color sensing device may be calibrated using a known set of colors (S402). Raw readings received from the color sensing device may be mapped to known tristimulus values (S403), and mapped values may be converted to a standard reference illuminant color space (S404). A client-server system may be provided in which a color sensing device and one or more servers collectively execute operations according to the present disclosure.

Abstract: A modular device includes base and color sensing portions. The color sensing portion has a face, a controlled light source offset from the face to define an interior, the face configured to engage a target surface about a perimeter of the device housing wherein ambient light is restricted from entering the interior. A color sensor receives light reflected from the target surface and generates output signals representative of a surface color. The base portion communicates with the color sensor and a user device having a hosted program which generates a user interface enabling users to provide control input for the color sensor. The program further receives the output signals from the color sensing device and displays a first image of the detected color, and displays a second image of a user-selected color beside the first image. Color data values are further displayed corresponding to the difference between displayed colors.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and electronic system periodically select portfolio weightings for each of the plurality of assets to rebalance the investment portfolio at a pre-specified frequency. With a risk free asset, the portfolio can be optimal by maximizing long term expected return rate while constraining the risk of losses within a pre-determined limit. Rather than return standard deviation, a portfolio risk measure called Rolling Economic Drawdown (REDD) is invented. Considering current and historical risk free interest rates, REDD represents the maximum economic opportunity loss within a rolling time window of fixed or variable look-back length. The pre-determined limit for REDD can be selected as complement of constant relative risk aversion coefficient, reflecting the level of risk tolerance. The dynamic weighting of each risky asset can be derived from the assets' long term expected Sharpe ratios and the assets' shorter term updated measure of correlations and volatilities.

Abstract: A space conditioning system and method for monitoring electrical parameters and/or thermodynamic parameters relating to the heat of extraction/rejection or power consumption of the system and to communicate the monitored parameters to an external device.

Abstract: Improved electrochemical biosensor arrays and instruments are disclosed herein. Methods of making and using the electrochemical biosensor instruments are also disclosed. An electrochemical biosensor array can include an array of microelectrodes disposed on a substrate. Each microelectrode can include a conducting electrode material disposed on a portion of the substrate, a first polymeric layer disposed on at least a portion of the conducting electrode material, a second polymeric layer disposed on at least a portion of the first polymeric layer, and a capture molecule that is in physical communication with the second polymeric layer.

Abstract: A method and system allows the use of multi-touch panel gestures for PC games and applications where it is not natively supported by the games or applications. Each game or application can have its own gestures and key mappings with the use of multiple profiles available to the user of the game or application. By establishing a profile a user remaps multi-touch panel gestures that the game or application does not natively support to mouse clicks or keyboard strokes that the game or application does support. A gesture parser listens for individual touch gestures of the user. Once the system recognizes a touch gesture it matches the gesture with the established game profile, and then it sends the gesture in remapped form to the game or application, where the touch gesture is recognized and executed as a mouse click or keystroke associated with a computer OS or a computer game.

Abstract: An electronic pricing and trading system and method can be used for providing financial investment instrument or performance benchmark through an investment portfolio. The investment portfolio can have a long exposure to one or more underlying equities or an equity index. A technical rule can be used to determine a pricing trend associated with the underlying equities periodically. The technical rule can be electronically calculated based on prices of the one or more underlying equities or equity index investment, and a determined pricing trend is one of an up trend and a down trend. An option overlay component can be associated with the investment portfolio based on a determined pricing trend. For an up trend, the option overlay component contains written or shorting put options associated with the underlying equities or equity index. And, for a down trend, the option overlay component contains written or shorting call options associated with the underlying equities or equity index.

Abstract: Improved electrochemical biosensor arrays and instruments are disclosed herein. Methods of making and using the electrochemical biosensor instruments are also disclosed. An electrochemical biosensor array can include an array of microelectrodes disposed on a substrate. Each microelectrode can include a conducting electrode material disposed on a portion of the substrate, a first polymeric layer disposed on at least a portion of the conducting electrode material, a second polymeric layer disposed on at least a portion of the first polymeric layer, and a capture molecule that is in physical communication with the second polymeric layer.

Abstract: A method for preventing erroneous writing of data includes the steps of: providing a memory positioned in a writing protection state, connecting the memory to a host computer installed with a control program, using the control program to control the memory to remove the writing protection state and writing external data into the memory. Whereby, the erroneous writing of the external data is prevented and the safety of internal data of the memory is protected accurately.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are described enhancing bone density or formation, including for stabilizing bone grafts, bone repair, joint replacement, and cartilage repair that includes providing a composition including Del-1 locally to a site for enhancing bone density or formation, or to a culture or chondrocytes or multipotent chondrocyte precursor cells, whereby survival or differentiation of chondrocytes at the site is enhanced, thereby ultimately enhancing bone density or formation. Methods and compositions for stimulating hair regrowth are also provided.

Abstract: A pronunciation training system extracts pronunciation features from various pronunciation samples, links pronunciation features with corresponding muscle movements and diagram representations, displays related waveforms and pronunciation processes, and mark the differences between different waveforms and different pronunciation processes for helping a user to distinguish different sounds. First, the system collects pronunciation samples from people, categorizes these samples, analyzes them in time domain and in frequency domain, identifies the positions and movements of pronunciation organs, provides interfaces for experts to define pronunciation features, extracts and compares pronunciation features, and build links between pronunciation features and pronunciation processes.

Abstract: A consulting system helps a user on collecting information, building object model, and creating virtual environment, produces animated images, captures feedback from the user, analyzes user's response, and provides advices in various formats. First, the system provides interfaces for guiding the user to collect, manipulate, organize, search, and retrieve advices and their related examples. Next, the system provides interfaces for the user to build object models, which consist of the general object model for describing regular objects and human object model for describing human characteristics and behaviors. Further, the system provides interfaces for the user to build virtual environment from object models and creates animated images according to the events described in the related examples, properties associated with objects, and event templates. Further, the system captures user's feedback, which can be verbal requirement, facial expression, and keyboard input.

Abstract: An animating system converts a text-based document into a sequence of animating pictures for helping a user to understand better and faster. First, the system provides interfaces for a user to build various object models, specify default rules for these object models, and construct the references for meanings and actions. Second, the system will analyze the document, extract desired information, identify various objects, and organize information. Then the system will create objects from corresponding object models and provide interfaces to modify default values and default rules and define specific values and specific rules. Further, the system will identify the meanings of words and phrases. Furthermore, the system will identify, interpolate, synchronize, and dispatch events. Finally, the system provides interface for the user to track events and particular objects.

Abstract: A writing and reading assistant system helps a user to create a structured document and read a document. A structured document contains not only information as an ordinary document does but also properties and rules for holding, organizing and processing corresponding portions of information. The system helps the user as an author to search for information, generate, organize, examine, and modify ideas, to supply details, to examine one's writing from various aspects, to revise the writing, to specify information and access methods suitable for different audience, and to create a structured document. Further, the system helps the user as a reader to create and modify structures, define and modify properties and rules, and define and specify display forms, to associate text blocks with corresponding properties and rules, to extract information from an input document, to fill structures with corresponding information, to build various links among structures and display forms, and to display structures.

Abstract: An electronic pressure sensor is incorporated into a discharge pressure portion of a compressor. If the pressure sensor indicates that the discharge pressure exceeds a maximum value, the operation of the compressor motor is stopped. The pressure sensor preferably sends an electronic signal to a microprocessor such that the pressure can be compared to a predetermined maximum value. The pressure sensor includes a transducer to change the sensed pressure to a voltage value. The microprocessor communicates with a first switch, which may be a triac switch, and which stops operation of the compressor motor should an undesirably high value be detected. In addition, a second switch communicates with a comparing circuit which ensures the voltage from the pressure sensor is between a minimum and maximum value. The purpose of the comparing circuit is to ensure proper operation of the pressure sensor and its associated circuit.