Abstract: A vent assembly for a vehicle cabin comprises a first set of vanes and a second set of vanes, each for directing air into the vehicle cabin, a first cam path and a second cam path defined by one or more cams, the one or more cams being mounted to a common rotatable shaft, and a first cam follower operably coupled between the first cam path and the first set of vanes, and a second cam follower operably coupled between the second cam path and the second set of vanes. Rotation of the common shaft causes the one or more cams to rotate, and the cam followers to follow the respective cam paths, to adjust the relative angle of the first and second sets of vanes. In this way, two different sets of vanes can be controlled differently using rotation of a single shaft.

Abstract: A control system for dynamic control of a climate system of a vehicle in a pre-conditioning operation mode. The climate system comprises a vent having adjustable flow-direction control, an actuator for adjusting the flow-direction of the vent and a controller. The control is configured to receive an input signal indicative of a request for a pre-conditioning operation mode and determine a dynamic vent control scheme in response to the request. The dynamic vent control scheme defines a plurality of vent flow-directions which are output as actuator control signals to adjust the vent flow-direction in accordance with the dynamic vent control scheme.

Abstract: Management of user-generated game play advice is disclosed. The present invention allows for management of game play advice that is complete and up-to-date regardless of when a particular interactive gaming title is released. Game play advice is pervasive and easily accessible to game players in addition to being accurate and credible such that game players can trust or rely upon the rendered advice.

Abstract: Management of user-generated game play advice is disclosed. The present invention allows for management of game play advice that is complete and up-to-date regardless of when a particular interactive gaming title is released. Game play advice is pervasive and easily accessible to game players in addition to being accurate and credible such that game players can trust or rely upon the rendered advice.

Abstract: A method of mounting a bumper to the body structure of a motor vehicle using a locating member having an lamp-engagement portion for engaging a lamp, and a fixing portion. The fixing portion is movably coupled to the lamp-engagement portion. The method includes attaching the fixing portion to the body structure so that the locating member is movable relative to the body structure. The locating member is positioned such that the lamp engagement portion engages the lamp and the locating member is fixedly mounted to the body structure. The bumper is located in an aligned position in relation to the lamp using an alignment portion of the locating member. The bumper is then fixed in the aligned positioned.

Abstract: A method of mounting a bumper to the body structure of a motor vehicle using a locating member having an lamp-engagement portion for engaging a lamp, and a fixing portion. The fixing portion is movably coupled to the lamp-engagement portion. The method includes attaching the fixing portion to the body structure so that the locating member is movable relative to the body structure. The locating member is positioned such that the lamp engagement portion engages the lamp and the locating member is fixedly mounted to the body structure. The bumper is located in an aligned position in relation to the lamp using an alignment portion of the locating member. The bumper is then fixed in the aligned positioned.

Abstract: Management of user-generated game play advice is disclosed. The present invention allows for management of game play advice that is complete and up-to-date regardless of when a particular interactive gaming title is released. Game play advice is pervasive and easily accessible to game players in addition to being accurate and credible such that game players can trust or rely upon the rendered advice.

Abstract: Management of user-generated game play advice is disclosed. The present invention allows for management of game play advice that is complete and up-to-date regardless of when a particular interactive gaming title is released. Game play advice is pervasive and easily accessible to game players in addition to being accurate and credible such that game players can trust or rely upon the rendered advice.

Abstract: A method for interactively defining a virtual-world space based on real-world objects in a real-world space is disclosed. In one operation, one or more real-world objects in the real-world space is captured to define the virtual-world space. In another operation, one of the real-world objects is identified, the identified object is to be characterized into a virtual-world object. In yet another operation, a user is prompted for user identification of one or more object locations to enable extraction of parameters for real-world object, and the object locations are identified relative to an identifiable reference plane in the real-world space. In another operation, the extracted parameters of the real-world object may be stored in memory. The virtual-world object can then be generated in the virtual world space from the stored extracted parameters of the real-world object.

Abstract: A mobile electronic device has a touch screen display, a processor operably coupled to the touch screen display, and a network interface coupled to the processor. An array of one or more tactile pixels is located on the display or proximate the display along at least one edge of the touch screen display. Each of the tactile pixels in the array includes an actuatable portion coupled to an actuator. The actuatable portion is actuatable by the actuator in response to execution of one or more instructions by the processor. A tactile feel of the actuatable portion changes as a result of actuation of the actuatable portion by the actuator. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: A mobile electronic device has a touch screen display, a processor operably coupled to the touch screen display, and a network interface coupled to the processor. An array of one or more tactile pixels is located on the display or proximate the display along at least one edge of the touch screen display. Each of the tactile pixels in the array includes an actuatable portion coupled to an actuator. The actuatable portion is actuatable by the actuator in response to execution of one or more instructions by the processor. A tactile feel of the actuatable portion changes as a result of actuation of the actuatable portion by the actuator. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: A hand-held electronic device is disclosed. The device may comprise a case case having one or more major surfaces; a touch screen disposed on one of the major surfaces, the touch screen; a processor operably coupled to the touch screen; and one or more tactile pixels disposed proximate the touch screen. Each of the tactile pixels includes an actuatable portion coupled to an actuator and a sensor. The actuator and sensor are coupled to the processor. The actuator is configured to actuate in response to instructions from the processor and the sensor is configured to generate signals as inputs to one or more programs executed by the processor when pressure is applied to the actuatable portion. The actuatable portion is actuatable by the actuator between first and second positions. A tactile feel of the actuatable portion is different in the first and second positions.

Abstract: A hand-held electronic device is disclosed. The device may comprise a case case having one or more major surfaces; a touch screen disposed on one of the major surfaces, the touch screen; a processor operably coupled to the touch screen; and one or more tactile pixels disposed proximate the touch screen. Each of the tactile pixels includes an actuatable portion coupled to an actuator and a sensor. The actuator and sensor are coupled to the processor. The actuator is configured to actuate in response to instructions from the processor and the sensor is configured to generate signals as inputs to one or more programs executed by the processor when pressure is applied to the actuatable portion. The actuatable portion is actuatable by the actuator between first and second positions. A tactile feel of the actuatable portion is different in the first and second positions.

Abstract: A hand-held electronic device and data transfer method are disclosed. The device may comprise a case, a processor and a memory. A case motion sensor and a remote device detector may be coupled to the processor. A communication interface may be coupled to the memory and processor. The processor may be programmed with instructions that, when executed cause the device to recognize a remote device, recognize a gesture from resulting from motion of the case, and transfer data from the hand-held device to the remote device or vice versa in response to recognition of the gesture. Alternatively, the instructions may cause the device to identify data to be transferred from a source to a destination, identify the source and/or destination, recognize a gesture resulting from motion of the case, and transfer the data from the source to the destination in response to recognition of the gesture.

Abstract: A hand-held electronic device is disclosed. The device may comprise a case case having one or more major surfaces; a touch screen disposed on one of the major surfaces, the touch screen; a processor operably coupled to the touch screen; and one or more tactile pixels disposed proximate the touch screen. Each of the tactile pixels includes an actuatable portion coupled to an actuator and a sensor. The actuator and sensor are coupled to the processor. The actuator is configured to actuate in response to instructions from the processor and the sensor is configured to generate signals as inputs to one or more programs executed by the processor when pressure is applied to the actuatable portion. The actuatable portion is actuatable by the actuator between first and second positions. A tactile feel of the actuatable portion is different in the first and second positions.

Abstract: A method for use in operation of a game apparatus includes obtaining a time series of samples containing information usable to determine activity of a plurality of predetermined objects used for controlling the game apparatus, processing the time series to determine whether one of the plurality of predetermined objects has been inactive during a game already in progress, and adding a new player to the game already in progress in response to a determination that one of the plurality of predetermined objects is currently active after determining that it was inactive. A system for use in operation of a game apparatus includes means for performing these steps.

Abstract: A method for interactively defining a virtual-world space based on real-world objects in a real-world space is disclosed. In one operation, one or more real-world objects in the real-world space is captured to define the virtual-world space. In another operation, one of the real-world objects is identified, the identified object is to be characterized into a virtual-world object. In yet another operation, a user is prompted for user identification of one or more object locations to enable extraction of parameters for real-world object, and the object locations are identified relative to an identifiable reference plane in the real-world space. In another operation, the extracted parameters of the real-world object may be stored in memory. The virtual-world object can then be generated in the virtual world space from the stored extracted parameters of the real-world object.

Abstract: Management of user-generated game play advice is disclosed. The present invention allows for management of game play advice that is complete and up-to-date regardless of when a particular interactive gaming title is released. Game play advice is pervasive and easily accessible to game players in addition to being accurate and credible such that game players can trust or rely upon the rendered advice.

Abstract: A method for use in operation of a game apparatus includes obtaining a time series of samples containing information usable to determine activity of a plurality of predetermined objects used for controlling the game apparatus, processing the time series to determine whether one of the plurality of predetermined objects has been inactive during a game already in progress, and adding a new player to the game already in progress in response to a determination that one of the plurality of predetermined objects is currently active after determining that it was inactive. A system for use in operation of a game apparatus includes means for performing these steps.

Abstract: A method for controlling an avatar in a virtual space, the virtual space accessed through a computer network using a console, is disclosed. The method begins by capturing activity of a console controller and processing the captured activity of the console controller to identify input parameters. Another operation of the method is to map selected ones of the input parameters to portions of the avatar, the avatar being a virtual space representation of a user. Wherein the capturing, processing and mapping are continuously performed to define a correlation between activity of the console controller and the avatar that is the virtual space representation of the user.