Abstract: A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient includes a table configured to receive the patient thereon. The table has an aperture formed therein configured to receive the breast of the patient pendant therethrough and positionable over and into a bath configured to contain a medium. An armature is movably disposable in the bath. The armature carries transducer arrays that are disposable in the bath, and configured to transmit and receive acoustic and/or ultrasound signals. A manual control is operatively coupled to the armature to manually move the armature and thus the transducer arrays within the bath.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for collecting and presenting region-associated ratings of wireless carriers. Customer ratings for a plurality of wireless carriers are collected in one or more computing devices. Each of the customer ratings is associated with a corresponding geographic location. A target geographic location is obtained from a client. A network page is generated including one or more maps showing a region encompassing the target geographic location. The maps indicate an aggregate customer rating for one or more of the wireless carriers for the region. The aggregate customer rating is determined based at least in part on a subset of the customer ratings that are associated with geographic locations that are encompassed by the region.

Abstract: Ports for accessing a vessels within a patient include passageways that can guide needles or other access devices directly into the vessels. The ports can be implanted subcutaneously within a patient. Some ports may be used in the creation and use of vascular access buttonholes.

Abstract: A gaming system is disclosed which comprises a plurality of reels, each reel comprising a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols, a symbol selector arranged to select a plurality of symbols from each reel for display, a reel selector arranged to select at least one reel, a function allocator arranged to allocate a function to at least one selected reel such that each displayed symbol on said at least one selected reel acquires the function, and a game outcome generator arranged to determine a game outcome based on the displayed symbols and on the function allocated to said at least one selected reel. A corresponding method of gaming is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for providing dynamic item pricing to a customer during online shopping and/or purchasing of wireless devices. In a representative embodiment, a dynamic pricing system is executed in a computing device that generates a network page to send to a client device over a network, the network page including a price for a specified wireless device. The dynamic pricing system communicates with the client device over the network to obtain a selected service plan associated with the specified wireless device. The dynamic pricing system determines an updated price for the specified wireless device in response to the selected service plan for access by the customer.

Abstract: A system and method creates an output document file that describes the appearance of a source document from a print stream of commands received from an application, and allows the output document file to be printed or displayed via a lightweight application, such as a plug-in to a browser. User interface controls are merged into the document at the time of creation, allowing those controls to be customized to viewer's needs.

Abstract: Methods for imaging the internal structures of an object using an acoustic wave field are provided. In one aspect, for example, a method of imaging internals of a physical object using acoustic waves may include transmitting an acoustic wave field toward the object, receiving a resultant acoustic wave field with a receiver, where the resultant acoustic wave field is in response to the transmitted acoustic wave field reflected from or transmitted through the object, and determining a predicted resultant acoustic wave field derived from a model of the object. The method may also include determining a residual between the predicted resultant acoustic wave field and the resultant acoustic wave field, and back propagating the residual to determine corrections to the model of the object. In another aspect, the above recited steps may be further iterated to successively refine the model of the object over a number of iterations until a predefined condition is reached.

Abstract: An engine system comprises an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger and an external wastegate valve. The turbocharger includes a housing for an exhaust gas turbine and a separate housing for the wastegate valve. The turbine housing is liquid cooled so as to reduce its operating temperature thereby allowing it to be made from an aluminium alloy so as to save cost and reducing, during use, the radiation of heat therefrom.

Abstract: A shock absorption and restraint apparatus including a plurality of co-acting cushioned pads which create a protective shock absorbing barrier for a load in a railroad car (or other shipping container) and a set of straps which are employed to restrain the cushioned pads and the load. In certain embodiments, the cushioned pads include one or more central or connector cushioned pads and one or more side or cooperating cushioned pads. In certain embodiments, the cushioned pads include strap engaging mechanisms which are configured to be engaged by the straps. The cushioned pads are preferably lightweight, easy to handle and install, recyclable, and readily reusable. In certain embodiments, the cushioned pads are configured, sized, and constructed in such a way to protect the specific load in the railroad car.

Abstract: A vacuum accessory tool has a nozzle body with a suction opening and a hose section for connecting the accessory tool with a hose of an external vacuum source. The nozzle body includes a serrated blade that can be used for grooming a domestic animal. The nozzle body further comprises a transparent or semi-transparent tool hood for viewing the area being groomed. The nozzle body is pivotally mounted to the hose section by a rotatable cuff for rotation of the nozzle body relative to the hose section. Adaptors connect the vacuum accessory tool to multiple different size hoses of a variety of vacuum cleaners.

Abstract: A system for externally actuating an animatronic figure. The system including a first robotic mechanism configured as a remote center mechanism for rotating a first rod about a first remote center point. The first rod is attached to a first driven part of the figure with the first remote center point spaced apart from the figure. The system includes a second robotic mechanism rotating a second rod about a second remote center point. The second rod is attached to the second driven part of the animatronic figure, and the second remote center point is spaced apart from the animatronic figure. The system includes a third robotic mechanism rotating a third rod about a remote center point, with the third rod attached to a third driven part of the figure, and the three robotic mechanisms are concurrently operable via a computer-based controller to provide the figure with twenty-one degrees of freedom.

Abstract: A method of analyzing performance comprises capturing video data of an interaction between a customer and a worker. The method further comprises analyzing the video data to determine performance metrics for the interaction. The method further comprises generating a scorecard of the performance metrics.

Abstract: A ventilation unit for installation in a ventilation system. The ventilation unit can include a motor coupled to a fan element and a power source. The ventilation unit can also include a calibration module having one of a voltage and current regulator for adjusting the performance of the ventilation unit based on at least one characteristic of the ventilation system.

Abstract: Embodiments for methods, systems, apparatuses for an enterprise application providing user control of sharing of data between multiple Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are disclosed. One method includes identifying types of shared data between the multiple ERPs, conveying the identified shared data types to a user, allowing the user to selectively load shared data to a parent realm based on the identified types of shared data, allowing the user to selectively indicate which data is not to be shared between ERPs to identified child realms, and providing sharing of shared data between child realms.

Abstract: A method of searching for objects of interest within captured video comprising capturing video of a plurality of scenes, storing the video in a plurality of storage elements, and receiving a request to retrieve contiguous video of an object of interest that has moved through at least two scenes of the plurality of scenes.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and processor readable media are disclosed for encoding and transmitting first media content, second media content and triggering instructions to a digital radio broadcast receiver such that the triggering instructions arrive for immediate execution to trigger immediate rendering of the second media content in synchronization with the first media content.

Abstract: A paint comprising a latex base, organic pigment, and an aqueous solution resin solid with improved stability to atmospheric l pollutants.

Abstract: Configuration of hardware and software onboard a mobile platform may be dynamically managed without significantly impacting a data stream from the mobile platform. Configuration data for equipment and resident software aboard a mobile platform is electronically reported in the form of a part number and a serial number. The configuration data is transferred to a terrestrial database via a mobile communications network. The configuration data is displayed to stakeholders, such as the network-provider enterprise and its customers. Invalid configurations may cause alerts.

Abstract: A transmission wave field imaging method, comprising the transmission of an incident wave field into an object, the incident wave field propagating into the object and, at least, partially scattering. Also includes the measuring of a wave field transmitted, at least in part, through an object to obtain a measured wave field, the measured wave field based, in part, on the incident wave field and the object. Additionally, the processing of the measured wave field utilizing a parabolic approximation reconstruction algorithm to generate an image data set representing at least one image of the object.

Abstract: An accessory tool for use with a suction source has a housing with a suction outlet and a fluid inlet. The suction outlet is adapted to be connected to the suction source. A roller assembly has a roller element rotatably mounted in the housing and adapted to contact a surface being cleaned. A turbine assembly has a turbine housing and a turbine fan rotatably mounted within the turbine housing. The turbine housing includes one or more inlet apertures in fluid communication with the atmosphere, as well as a turbine outlet in fluid communication with the suction outlet. A drive mechanism is operably coupled to both the turbine fan and to the roller element to drive rotation of the roller element when the suction source is connected to the suction outlet.