Abstract: A permanent connector for making a connection point or for connecting objects together. The connector has a body with first and second ends. A male end is connected to the first end and has a neck portion with a groove. The groove has a base and straight sidewalls extending generally perpendicular to the base. A female end is connected to the second end and has an opening defined by interior walls. A recess is formed in the interior walls with a snap ring mounted in the recess. The snap ring is received within the groove when the male end is inserted into the female end resulting in the male end being permanently connected within the female end.

Abstract: A user interface for a portable electronic device. In an example implementation, a first screen presents selections for launching applications executable by the portable device, the selections being presented in a plurality of horizontal screen regions, and a second screen presents selections related to stored contacts, these selections also being presented in a plurality of horizontal screen regions. Each of the first and second screens is accessible from the other by actuating a respective tab. A selection on the first screen may include an icon representing an application, and a textual description of the application, and the textual description may be prominent in relation to the icon. Actuating a selection on the second screen may access an individual contact screen that presents a chronological history of communications with the corresponding contact.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are disclosed for extending the service life of a battery source by fully utilizing the energy in batteries and/or providing higher energy reserve using multiple batteries. An universal battery bank consists of an ensemble of possibly heterogenous batteries all connected in series to provide a usable operational energy source. For a universal battery bank consists on N batteries, the minimum operational voltage for the individual batteries (Vmin) can be lowered to Vmin/N on average, thereby extending the time interval between battery replacements and draining the individual batteries more efficiently. To exploit this power supply that may vary over a wide voltage range, electronics are designed to monitor the individual batteries, guard against excessive voltage and current, and provide constant current sources and/or constant voltage sources for various appliances.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing alternate communication paths for telephone calls. Calls directed to a telephone are relayed to a second electronic communication device, which may be a second telephone, based on the physical relationship of the telephone and the second device. According to one aspect, the physical relationship is automatically detected and compared with one or more conditions. When one of the conditions is met, an incoming call directed to the telephone is relayed to the second electronic communication device. Detection of the physical relationship may include detecting whether the telephone and the second device are in close proximity, whether one or both of the telephone and the second device is moving, or other aspects of the relationship.

Abstract: A user interface for a portable electronic device. In an example implementation, a first screen presents selections for launching applications executable by the portable device, the selections being presented in a plurality of horizontal screen regions, and a second screen presents selections related to stored contacts, these selections also being presented in a plurality of horizontal screen regions. Each of the first and second screens is accessible from the other by actuating a respective tab. A selection on the first screen may include an icon representing an application, and a textual description of the application, and the textual description may be prominent in relation to the icon. Actuating a selection on the second screen may access an individual contact screen that presents a chronological history of communications with the corresponding contact.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing alternate communication paths for telephone calls. Calls directed to a telephone are relayed to a second electronic communication device, which may be a second telephone, based on the physical relationship of the telephone and the second device. According to one aspect, the physical relationship is automatically detected and compared with one or more conditions. When one of the conditions is met, an incoming call directed to the telephone is relayed to the second electronic communication device. Detection of the physical relationship may include detecting whether the telephone and the second device are in close proximity, whether one or both of the telephone and the second device is moving, or other aspects of the relationship.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing alternate communication paths for telephone calls. Calls directed to a telephone are relayed to a second electronic communication device, which may be a second telephone, based on the physical relationship of the telephone and the second device. According to one aspect, the physical relationship is automatically detected and compared with one or more conditions. When one of the conditions is met, an incoming call directed to the telephone is relayed to the second electronic communication device. Detection of the physical relationship may include detecting whether the telephone and the second device are in close proximity, whether one or both of the telephone and the second device is moving, or other aspects of the relationship. Relaying a call to the second device may be accomplished by call forwarding, a ring-no-answer treatment, three-way calling, or other methods.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing alternate communication paths for telephone calls. Calls directed to a telephone are relayed to a second electronic communication device, which may be a second telephone, based on the physical relationship of the telephone and the second device. According to one aspect, the physical relationship is automatically detected and compared with one or more conditions. When one of the conditions is met, an incoming call directed to the telephone is relayed to the second electronic communication device. Detection of the physical relationship may include detecting whether the telephone and the second device are in close proximity, whether one or both of the telephone and the second device is moving, or other aspects of the relationship. Relaying a call to the second device may be accomplished by call forwarding, a ring-no-answer treatment, three-way calling, or other methods.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of detecting obstructive sleep apnea in subject. The method includes the steps of placing a head of an electronic stethoscope at the subject's suprasternal notch, providing an electrical signal representative of the sounds detected by the head of the electronic stethoscope within a frequency range, determining an obstructive sleep apnea index based on a ratio of the amount of the electrical signal that is associated with a frequency below a cut-off frequency with respect to a total amount of energy associated with the entire frequency range, and identifying the subject as having obstructive sleep apnea if the obstructive sleep apnea index is above a window maximum or below a window minimum.

Abstract: A favorites GUI for a TV includes a carousel-type display of icons representing user-defined favorites that is overlaid on the current background video of the TV, with the center-most icon being the “current” icon and being enlarged relative to the other icons. Live video appears in icons representing TV channels. Other icons can represent, e.g., favorite photo/music files, favorite games from a game console, favorite content from an ambient player, etc.

Abstract: An ambient, beautiful, entertaining visual experience that can be displayed on a TV requiring little or no user interaction beyond initiation. Multiple image layers that may be still or moving video, photos, etc, or a combination thereof can be overlaid on each other.

Abstract: A portable communication device includes a housing having at least three housing portions where a first housing portion is rotatably connected to a second housing portion and the second housing portion is rotatably connected to a third housing portion. A flexible display screen is connected to the first, second, and third housing portions to form a continuous surface having a first screen portion connected to the first housing portion, a second screen portion connected to the second housing portion and a third screen portion connected to the third housing portion. The portable communication device is configurable into at least three configurations including an open position where the entire screen surface is exposed and visible to the user and a closed position where the housing portions are folded to each other such that the entire screen surface is unexposed. A partially closed position allows the user to view a portion of the display screen.

Abstract: A portable communication device includes a primary display and a secondary display where the secondary display surrounds the primary display. The secondary display is translucent allowing at least some light to pass through the display to form a clear, or nearly clear, bezel around the primary display. A dot matrix system or clear LCD generates images on the secondary display and a sensing mechanism, such as a set of capacitor sensors, detects user input. User interaction with objects presented on the secondary display allows the user to manage content in the primary display.

Abstract: A user interface for a wireless communication device has a visual interface that includes multiple visual elements representing events of the same type where non-textual visual characteristics represent unique information of the events. Accordingly, the visual interface includes at least a first visual element representing a first event occurring at a wireless communication device and a second visual element representing a second event occurring at the wireless communication device and being of the same event type as the first event. The first visual element has a first non-textual visual characteristic representing first information related to the first event and the second visual element has a second non-textual visual characteristic representing second information related to the second event different from the first information.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method and apparatus for the display of an animated mosaic theme utilizing user images or video. In one embodiment, the method may include electing a mosaic template that includes a plurality of tile regions. The method may also include loading a source image from a memory. Furthermore, the method may include displaying a plurality of regions of the source image that correspond to the plurality of tile regions of the selected mosaic template to display a source image mosaic.

Abstract: An ambient, beautiful, entertaining visual experience that can be displayed on a TV requiring little or no user interaction beyond initiation. One theme is a mosaic of panes of; e.g., video from the last-watched channel, with the mosaic covering the screen. Another theme is a clock image with a single moving, fade-in fade-out pane that does not cover the entire screen.

Abstract: An ambient, beautiful, entertaining visual experience that can be displayed on a TV requiring little or no user interaction beyond initiation. Multiple image layers that may be still or moving video, photos, etc, or a combination thereof can be overlaid on each other.

Abstract: A favorites GUI for a TV includes a carousel-type display of icons representing user-defined favorites that is overlaid on the current background video of the TV, with the center-most icon being the “current” icon and being enlarged relative to the other icons. Live video appears in icons representing TV channels. Other icons can represent, e.g., favorite photo/music files, favorite games from a game console, favorite content from an ambient player, etc.