Abstract: A technique facilitates steering during, for example, a borehole drilling operation. The technique employs a drill string comprising a drill bit and a steering tool for controlling the trajectory of a borehole formed by rotating the drill bit. The steering tool includes a main body and a steering sleeve pivotably mounted to the main body by a joint located to enable pushing contact via the steering sleeve against a surrounding borehole wall at a location between the joint and the drill bit. The steering sleeve is selectively pivoted by a plurality of actuators disposed between the main body and the steering sleeve.

Abstract: A technique facilitates drilling of wellbores or other types of bore holes in a variety of applications. A steerable system is designed with a main shaft coupled to a drill bit shaft by a universal joint to provide steering functionality. A sensor system is mounted on the steerable system and comprises at least one sensor positioned to measure desired parameters, such as weight on bit and/or torque on bit parameters during drilling.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed whereby the context of user activity can be used to tailor the ambient information system. The method and apparatus use both short-term context such as recent activity and long-term context such as historical patterns to highlight specific content on channels or widgets that are likely to be of most immediate interest to the user. This contextual information provided by the framework can also be used to make intelligent decisions about how to tailor the user experience after a user has interacted with the item in question. Additionally, context information accumulated on one device such as a mobile phone can be broadcasted to other devices to influence the ambient information display application on a second device such as a desktop based on enabling remote access to the local context repository.

Abstract: Rotary steerable drilling apparatus and methods utilizing apparatus comprising a shaft, a multi-angle strike ring axially repositionable along the shaft, an articulated member coupled to the shaft, and a steering member carried by the articulated member. An actuator is operable to maintain an angular offset of the articulated member relative to the shaft by maintaining azimuthally-dependent contact between the multi-angle strike ring and the steering member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed whereby the context of user activity can be used to tailor the ambient information system. The method and apparatus use both short-term context such as recent activity and long-term context such as historical patterns to highlight specific content on channels or widgets that are likely to be of most immediate interest to the user. This contextual information provided by the framework can also be used to make intelligent decisions about how to tailor the user experience after a user has interacted with the item in question. Additionally, context information accumulated on one device such as a mobile phone can be broadcasted to other devices to influence the ambient information display application on a second device such as a desktop based on enabling remote access to the local context repository.

Abstract: A technique facilitates the drilling of deviated wellbores. A steerable drilling system is formed with a pair of components pivotably mounted with respect to each other. A removable strike ring is mounted to one of the steerable drilling system components and is positioned to engage a corresponding strike ring in a manner which limits the maximum pivot angle between the steerable drilling system components. By interchanging the removable strike ring with other removable strike rings, the maximum pivot angle can be adjusted in the field to accommodate drilling of a wider variety of deviated wellbores.

Abstract: A gutter guard mesh for application to the gutter/roof interface of a roof includes a length of woven mesh or the like having an array of apertures dimensioned to maximise traversal by rain water and minimise traversal of accumulated debris from the roof wherein at least a first edge of the mesh is fitted on a first side with a double sided acrylic foam closed cell tape having acrylic adhesive on both sides and on a second opposing side with a double sided butyl tape wherein the free side of the foam tape is available for adherence to the gutter via the acrylic adhesive and the free side of the butyl tape is available for adherence of a protective laminate.

Abstract: A technique facilitates drilling of wellbores or other types of bore holes in a variety of applications. A steerable system is designed with a main shaft coupled to a drill bit shaft by a universal joint to provide steering functionality. A sensor system is mounted on the steerable system and comprises at least one sensor positioned to measure desired parameters, such as weight on bit and/or torque on bit parameters during drilling.

Abstract: A gutter guard mesh for application to the gutter/roof interface of a roof includes a length of woven mesh or the like having an array of apertures dimensioned to maximize traversal by rain water and minimize traversal of accumulated debris from the roof wherein at least a first edge of the mesh is fitted on a first side with a double sided acrylic foam closed cell tape having acrylic adhesive on both sides and on a second opposing side with a double sided butyl tape wherein the free side of the foam tape is available for adherence to the gutter via the acrylic adhesive and the free side of the butyl tape is available for adherence of a protective laminate.

Abstract: A technique facilitates the drilling of deviated wellbores. A steerable drilling system is formed with a pair of components pivotably mounted with respect to each other. A removable strike ring is mounted to one of the steerable drilling system components and is positioned to engage a corresponding strike ring in a manner which limits the maximum pivot angle between the steerable drilling system components. By interchanging the removable strike ring with other removable strike rings, the maximum pivot angle can be adjusted in the field to accommodate drilling of a wider variety of deviated wellbores.

Abstract: A method for sharing at least one annotation between a first user media terminal (102) and a second user media terminal (104) in a communication network (100) is provided. The method includes inputting (404) the at least one annotation on the first user media terminal. Further, the method includes anchoring (406) the at least one annotation to the media stream executed on the first user media terminal at a first start time. The at least one annotation is sent (408) to the second user media terminal. The at least one annotation is received (410) at the second user media terminal. Furthermore, the at least one annotation is synchronized (412) at the second user media terminal based on a relative start time. The at least one synchronized annotation is then rendered (414) to the media stream on the second user media terminal.

Abstract: A method for sharing at least one annotation between a first user media terminal (102) and a second user media terminal (104) in a communication network (100) is provided. The method includes inputting (404) the at least one annotation on the first user media terminal. Further, the method includes anchoring (406) the at least one annotation to the media stream executed on the first user media terminal at a first start time. The at least one annotation is sent (408) to the second user media terminal. The at least one annotation is received (410) at the second user media terminal. Furthermore, the at least one annotation is synchronized (412) at the second user media terminal based on a relative start time. The at least one synchronized annotation is then rendered (414) to the media stream on the second user media terminal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed whereby the context of user activity can be used to tailor the ambient information system. The method and apparatus use both short-term context such as recent activity and long-term context such as historical patterns to highlight specific content on channels or widgets that are likely to be of most immediate interest to the user. This contextual information provided by the framework can also be used to make intelligent decisions about how to tailor the user experience after a user has interacted with the item in question. Additionally, context information accumulated on one device such as a mobile phone can be broadcasted to other devices to influence the ambient information display application on a second device such as a desktop based on enabling remote access to the local context repository.

Abstract: A mobile station (201) receives (301) a transmission from a remote source (such as, but not limited to, a reference server (206)) comprising information regarding downloadable content. This information can comprise, in a preferred approach, addresses that can be used to download corresponding selections of downloadable content. This information can further comprise, in a preferred approach, characterizing information regarding at least some of the downloadable content selections identified via such addresses. In a preferred approach, such a mobile station can then also access (302) locally developed information regarding downloading constraints of interest and then make determinations (303) regarding when to automatically download at least a portion of at least one of the selections of downloadable content as a function, at least in part, of both the characterizing information as was received via the aforementioned transmission and the locally developed information regarding relevant downloading constraints.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of battery and capacitor charging. In particular, the present invention provides pulsed current charging using changes, regardless of polarity, in the local energy environment to obtain power. The present invention relates, for example, to ambient energy charging thin film batteries, other batteries, or capacitors, via, for example, polyvinyladine fluoride homopolymer (PVDF), PVDF bi-axially poled, or other piezoelectric materials. Ambient energy may be defined as any change in energy within the local environment. Charging can be accomplished with, and is not limited to, positive or negative changes of the following energy types: thermal; visible light, including infrared and ultraviolet; mechanical motion or impact; triboelectric, including airflow or physical contact; movement in relation to a gravitational plane (increase or decrease in gravitational potential energy); and radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic energy, regardless of specific frequency.

Abstract: A communication unit (105) includes a communication interface, for transmitting and receiving communications when operably connected to a first communication network; and a processor cooperatively operable with the communication interface. Responsive to receipt of an utterance, the communication unit (105) can perform a fetch (109) over the communication interface and can transmit a first message (107) having the utterance over the communication interface. The communication unit (105) can receive a second message (113) having a result (111) of a recognition of the utterance from the communication interface in response to the fetch (109).

Abstract: A voice browser dialog enabler for multimodal dialog uses a multimodal markup document with fields have markup-based forms associated with each field and defining fragments. A voice browser driver resides on a communication device and provides the fragments and identifiers that identify the fragments. A voice browser implementation resides on a remote voice server and receives the fragments from the driver and downloads a plurality of speech grammars. Input speech is matched against those speech grammars associated with the corresponding identifiers received in a recognition request from the voice browser driver.

Abstract: A voice browser dialog enabler for multimodal dialog uses a multimodal markup document with fields have markup-based forms associated with each field and defining fragments. A voice browser driver resides on a communication device and provides the fragments and identifiers that identify the fragments. A voice browser implementation resides on a remote voice server and receives the fragments from the driver and downloads a plurality of speech grammars. Input speech is matched against those speech grammars associated with the corresponding identifiers received in a recognition request from the voice browser driver.

Abstract: A photographic printer of the type wherein a web of photographic material is advanced to and from an exposure station and wherein individual exposure areas of the photographic material are selectively marked by a thermal marking system. The thermal marking system of the present invention includes a thermally activated marking tape and a thermal print head which selectively applies thermal energy to portions of the tape. A frictional engagement between the photographic material and tape results in a movement of the tape with the photographic media when the media is driven through the printer. In a preferred embodiment, the friction between the tape and media is selectively established by intermittently establishing an intimate contact between them.