Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for electrically stimulating a patient's retina with an electrode array (32) implanted in the patient's eye, wherein one or more images are captured; at least one line and/or edge in the images is determined (21), a line of electrodes in the electrode array corresponding to a detected line and/or edge is identified (24); and electrical current is applied simultaneously to electrodes of the identified line of electrodes.

Abstract: In one example, a method includes determining, based on historical purchase data for a customer, an expectancy value that indicates when the customer is expected to make a purchase from a business, determining, based on the historical purchase data for the customer, a frequency value that indicates at what frequency the customer is expected to make purchases from the business during a future time period, and determining, based on the historical purchase data for the customer, a monetary value that indicates how much the customer is expected to spend during the future time period. In this example, the method includes determining, based on the expectancy value, the frequency value, and the monetary value, a future customer value score that indicates how valuable the customer is likely to be in the future time period.

Abstract: In one example, a method includes determining, based on historical purchase data for a customer, an expectancy value that indicates when the customer is expected to make a purchase from a business, determining, based on the historical purchase data for the customer, a frequency value that indicates at what frequency the customer is expected to make purchases from the business during a future time period, and determining, based on the historical purchase data for the customer, a monetary value that indicates how much the customer is expected to spend during the future time period. In this example, the method includes determining, based on the expectancy value, the frequency value, and the monetary value, a future customer value score that indicates how valuable the customer is likely to be in the future time period.

Abstract: An adjustable blade root spring device for turbine blade fixation in turbomachinery. The device is designed to be placed in a space in a rotor disk cavity adjacent to a tip of a blade root, where the device applies a radial outward force on the turbine blade to fix the blade position in the rotor disk. The device includes a wave spring with integral end blocks which is compressed by a bolt and a coil spring. When the wave spring is compressed in length, it increases in height and makes contact with the rotor disk and the turbine blade. The force of the wave spring on the turbine blade can be adjusted via the bolt, and the coil spring provides an increased compliance range. The body of the device has an oblong cross-sectional shape, thereby preventing rotation of the device in the space between the blade and the disk.

Abstract: A system and method which dynamically generate proxy connections in a communication system. A client computer system has a processor that is coupled by a communications path including at least one proxy connection to a first target server. An algorithm for dynamically generating proxy connections is stored in machine readable storage. The algorithm is implemented by the processor causing the client computer system to execute generating an additional one of the proxy connections in response to receiving a request and to generate a program identifier which identifies the additional proxy connection. The processor determines if the program identifier is a unique program identifier. If the program identifier is not unique, the processor changes the identifier to render it a modified program identifier so that it is unique and stores the program identifier or the modified program identifier to a configuration file at the client computer system.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for using an intermediate database management layer to manage communications between an application layer and a database layer. The database management layer can receive an initial communication from the application layer and transmit a subsequent communication to a particular database based upon a rule. The rules can specify the particular database based upon the initial communication and an availability status of the database. The rules specify criteria by which the initial communication is identified and logic specifying the particular database to receive the subsequent communication based upon the identification of the initial communication.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for ranking real estate property listings. Listings representing real estate properties are stored in memory, together with demography profiles, each representing a group of demography, and amenity types. Each listing is associated to listing amenities representing amenities present in proximity to the real estate property and each demography profile is associated to desired amenities representing amenities desired by the corresponding group of demography. A ranking value is then calculated for each listing, on the basis of a correspondence between the desired amenities of the demography profile and the listing amenities associated to the listing, in order to rank the listings for the corresponding group of demography.

Abstract: A system and method include a controller that reduces power dissipated by a switch, such as a source-controlled field effect transistor, when an estimated amount of power dissipated by the switch exceeds a predetermined threshold. Reducing the power dissipated by the switch prevents damage to the switch due to overheating. The controller determines the estimated amount of power dissipated by the switch using actual drain-to-source current and drain voltage data. In at least one embodiment, the controller includes a fail-safe, estimated power dissipation determination path that activates when the drain voltage data fails a reliability test. Additionally, in at least one embodiment, the controller includes a model of thermal characteristics of the switch. In at least one embodiment, the controller utilizes real-time estimated power dissipation by the switch and the model to determine when the estimated power dissipated by the switch exceeds a power dissipation protection threshold.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for making an electronic document easier to use based on prior interactions with the same or a similar document by other users. An electronic document is presented to one or more users in an interactive environment. Interactions between the users and the document can be recorded as usage data. The usage data may represent one or more operations performed on the electronic document by the users. Based on the usage data, an enhanced user interaction feature associated with the document is configured. The electronic document and the enhanced user interaction feature are then presented to another user in another interactive environment. The enhanced user interaction feature makes using the document easier than it would be if the feature was not present, particularly for users who are unfamiliar with the document.

Abstract: Provided herein are uses of compositions comprising extracellular matrix (ECM) and compositions comprising ECM components in the treatment of non-dental oral lesions.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and apparatus for detecting, validating, and correlating form-fields in a scanned document. The method comprises displaying a plurality of interactive form-fields associated with a scanned document, wherein each interactive form-field in the plurality of form-fields is defined by a location in the document where one or more previous users entered information on the scanned document, and a data type for the entered information.

Abstract: In at least one embodiment, an electronic system and method includes a controller to control a switching power converter in at least two different modes of operation depending on whether the controller detects a dimmer or not and/or whether a load requests more power than either of the two operational modes can provide. In at least one embodiment, the controller detects whether a dimmer is phase cutting an input voltage to a switching power converter. The controller operates the switching power converter in a first mode if the dimmer is detected, and the controller operates the switching power converter in a second mode if the dimmer is not detected. The controller also transitions between operating the switching power converter in the first mode and the second mode if a status of detection of the dimmer changes.

Abstract: A power control system includes a switching power converter and a controller. The controller is configured to detect an over-current condition of an inductor current in the switching power converter using at least one non-inductor-current signal. In at least one embodiment, the switching power converter does not have a resistor or resistor network to sense the inductor current. In at least one embodiment, the controller indirectly determines a state of the inductor current using at least one non-inductor-current signal. Potentially damaging inductor current values that are, for example, greater than a normal maximum value or at a value that causes a discontinuous conduction mode system to operate in continuous conduction mode represent exemplary inductor over-current conditions addressed by one embodiment of the power control system.

Abstract: A positioning system for determining the location of a receiver relative to a transmitter. The system includes two transmitting coils configured to transmit a periodic signal with a respective selected frequency during a positioning event, wherein the frequencies of the two signals transmitted by the two transmitting coils during the positioning event are different. A receiver includes a sensing unit for measuring the magnetic field vectors produced by the two simultaneously transmitting coils. A computing unit is configured to use the measured magnetic field vectors to calculate the position and orientation of the receiver with respect to the transmitter's coordinate frame.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for provisioning wireless devices for operation in one or more networks. In one embodiment, a provisioning service may provide access client (e.g., Subscriber Identity Module) data to a secure element in the wireless user device. The device may be preloaded with a provisioning SIM profile. The device may use the provisioning profile to roam onto a carrier, and communicate with a provisioning service, which may present the user with a list of available wireless carriers, such as carriers that service the user's current geographic location. In response to a user selection, the provisioning service may load a SIM profile associated with the selected carrier onto the secure element. The loaded SIM profile can be used to obtain wireless service from the selected carrier. The user may add multiple SIM profiles, and/or may delete SIM profiles.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for generating a representative thumbnail for an image. The method comprises determining a representative area of an image, the determining comprising determining an absence of faces in the image; dividing the image into one or more zones; and selecting a zone with maximum edge strength as the representative area; and generating a thumbnail by cropping the image to the representative area.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and apparatus for providing fault tolerance during live streaming. The method comprises creating a global manifest comprising a plurality of first entries extracted from a first manifest, wherein the first manifest comprises one or more entries of a predetermined sequence, each entry corresponding to a media fragment to be played in the predetermined sequence on a media player; identifying a gap in the plurality of first entries; receiving a second manifest; and upon receiving a second manifest comprising at least one second entry, extending the global manifest to include the at least one second entry, wherein the at least one second entry comprises a second entry that is in sequence after a last entry in the global manifest, and the at least one second entry in sequence after the last entry in the global manifest does not include a gap.

Abstract: A positioning system for determining the location of a receiver relative to a transmitter. The system includes a transmitting coil having a known orientation with respect to the earth's coordinate system and configured to transmit a periodic signal during a positioning event, at least one receiver including a sensing unit for measuring the magnetic field vector produced by the transmitting coil and the orientation of the receiver with respect to the earth's coordinate system, and at least one computing unit configured to estimate a position and orientation of the receiver with respect to the transmitter's coordinate system using the measured magnetic field vector, the measured orientation with respect to the earth's coordinate system, and the known orientation of the transmitting coil with respect to the earth's coordinate system.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for high dynamic range imaging are provided, the systems comprising: an image sensor; and a hardware processor configured to: cause the image sensor to capture first image data having a first exposure time, second image data having a second exposure time, and third image data having a third exposure time that is substantially equal to the sum of the first exposure time and the second exposure time; generate combined image data using the first image data and the second image data.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a user of communications services with free market based pricing may include providing for communications over one of multiple network paths serviced by multiple respective communications service providers via at least one communications network. One of the network paths over which to communicate based on current pricing from the multiple communications service providers may be selected and communications may be performed over the selected network path.