Abstract: A system includes one or more privacy vaults. At least one of the one or more privacy vaults is associated with at least one individual user, stores contents associated with the associated at least one individual user, and stores specific identification of a plurality of third-party entities, authorized to access at least a portion of the contents stored by the one or more privacy vaults, along with access permissions, one or more of the access permissions defined for each of the plurality of third-party entities. At least one of the access permissions defines accessibility of the contents for at least one of the plurality of third-party entities for which the at least one access permission is defined.

Abstract: A system includes a privacy vault storing user-associated contents. The vault also stores access permissions defined for third-parties with whom the user has a sharing relationship. An access permission defines, for at least one third party, procurement and utilization policies for vault contents accessed by the third-party. The system may access a user account to recover user-associated contents stored by the accessed account and stores the recovered contents in the privacy vault. The system receives a request from a third-party to access identified contents stored in the privacy vault and determines if the contents are procurable by the third party based on an access permission defined, in the privacy vault, for the third-party. The system provides procurable contents to the third party along with indication of any constraints on the contents defined by utilization policies of the access permission defined for the third party.

Abstract: A system includes a privacy vault storing user-associated contents. The vault also stores access permissions defined for third-parties with whom the user has a sharing relationship. An access permission defines, for at least one third party, procurement and utilization policies for vault contents accessed by the third-party. The system may access a user account to recover user-associated contents stored by the accessed account and stores the recovered contents in the privacy vault. The system receives a request from a third-party to access identified contents stored in the privacy vault and determines if the contents are procurable by the third party based on an access permission defined, in the privacy vault, for the third-party. The system provides procurable contents to the third party along with indication of any constraints on the contents defined by utilization policies of the access permission defined for the third party.

Abstract: A system includes one or more privacy vaults. At least one of the one or more privacy vaults is associated with at least one individual user, stores contents associated with the associated at least one individual user, and stores specific identification of a plurality of third-party entities, authorized to access at least a portion of the contents stored by the one or more privacy vaults, along with access permissions, one or more of the access permissions defined for each of the plurality of third-party entities. At least one of the access permissions defines accessibility of the contents for at least one of the plurality of third-party entities for which the at least one access permission is defined.

Abstract: A system includes one or more privacy vaults. At least one of the one or more privacy vaults is associated with at least one individual user, stores contents associated with the associated at least one individual user, and stores specific identification of a plurality of third-party entities, authorized to access at least a portion of the contents stored by the one or more privacy vaults, along with access permissions, one or more of the access permissions defined for each of the plurality of third-party entities. At least one of the access permissions defines accessibility of the contents for at least one of the plurality of third-party entities for which the at least one access permission is defined.

Abstract: A system includes a privacy vault storing user-associated contents. The vault also stores access permissions defined for third-parties with whom the user has a sharing relationship. An access permission defines, for at least one third party, procurement and utilization policies for vault contents accessed by the third-party. The system may access a user account to recover user-associated contents stored by the accessed account and stores the recovered contents in the privacy vault. The system receives a request from a third-party to access identified contents stored in the privacy vault and determines if the contents are procurable by the third party based on an access permission defined, in the privacy vault, for the third-party. The system provides procurable contents to the third party along with indication of any constraints on the contents defined by utilization policies of the access permission defined for the third party.

Abstract: A system receives a request to add one or more permissions for a third-party entity to access a privacy vault associated with a user and determine one or more types of contents that are stored by the privacy vault and that the entity intends to access, the determination based on identification of the one or more types of contents by the entity. The system defines a permissions policy applicable to the entity defining permissions relating to access of contents and that encompasses at least permissions relating to access of the one or more types of contents and determines whether the permissions policy falls within user-defined guidelines for automatic acceptance of new permissions policies. Further, system presents the permissions policy to a user for acceptance or modification responsive to the permissions policy falling outside the user-defined guidelines.

Abstract: A system includes one or more privacy vaults. At least one of the one or more privacy vaults is associated with at least one individual user, stores contents associated with the associated at least one individual user, and stores specific identification of a plurality of third-party entities, authorized to access at least a portion of the contents stored by the one or more privacy vaults, along with access permissions, one or more of the access permissions defined for each of the plurality of third-party entities. At least one of the access permissions defines accessibility of the contents for at least one of the plurality of third-party entities for which the at least one access permission is defined.

Abstract: A system collects ongoing user activity information relating to a predefined activity, using one or more devices having a predefined relationship to a user and determines an environmental impact value of the predefined activity based on environmental impact caused by one or more aspects of the predefined activity. The system determines at least one change to the predefined activity that would achieve a diminished environmental impact, suggests the change to the user via a device interface and, responsive to acceptance of the change, implements a control strategy to assist the user in achieving the change.

Abstract: A transformable backpack and jacket system which allows the backpack to be converted into a jacket and be reversed. The jacket and backpack can also be worn simultaneously, resulting in three total modes of wear. The first mode has a wearable jacked with a backpack, including straps, secured away in pouch in the back of the jacket and covered with a zippered lid. The second mode has the backpack removed from the pouch and worn in conjunction with the jacket. The third mode has the jacket removed and stored within a front panel of the backpack. The jacket and backpack are permanently connected. In all three of the modes, the contents of the backpack remain securely stored within a backpack storage space.

Abstract: A transformable backpack and jacket system which allows the backpack to be converted into a jacket and be reversed. The jacket and backpack can also be worn simultaneously, resulting in three total modes of wear. The first mode has a wearable jacked with a backpack, including straps, secured away in pouch in the back of the jacket and covered with a zippered lid. The second mode has the backpack removed from the pouch and worn in conjunction with the jacket. The third mode has the jacket removed and stored within a front panel of the backpack. The jacket and backpack are permanently connected. In all three of the modes, the contents of the backpack remain securely stored within a backpack storage space.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for mitigating unwanted signal components. A received carrier signal is downconverted using a local reference signal that imposes an frequency perturbation or dither. Later, when an intermediate digitized signal is filtered to remove the DC offset that is an artifact of the sampling process, the dither in the carrier signal serves to distinguish the carrier from the unwanted offset. The preferred offset filter is a low pass filter with a passband that is narrow relative to the frequency range of the dither.

Abstract: A photograph repository system includes data storage for storing photographs in the form of digital data files and a search feature that provides for searching for photographs by location and optionally by other search criteria. In one embodiment, a photograph repository service is accessible to users over a common data network, such as the Internet. In the photograph repository service, each stored photograph is associated with a location, i.e., where the photograph was taken and/or the location of an object in the photograph. Users can search for and obtain copies of their own photographs that they had stored previously with the photograph repository service. In addition, users can search for and obtain copies of photographs that had been taken by other users and stored with the photograph repository service. The photograph repository system can also be implemented as a standalone system, a hybrid system, or a peer-to-peer system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting a signal across multiple Nyquist bands. The systems include an analog to digital converter (ADC), a clock signal generator configured to output a sample clock signal to the ADC, and a processor configured to process sampled signals and control the clock signal generator. The processor is configured to iteratively identify a desired signal, determine whether a possible interfering signal exists at a next sampling rate, and instruct the clock signal generator to generate the next sampling rate if the processor determines that a possible interfering signal does not exist. The methods include sampling an input signal at a first sampling rate, processing the sampled signal to extract information from a desired signal, determining whether a possible interfering signal exists at a next sampling rate, and sampling at the next sampling rate if it is determined that a possible interfering signal does not exist.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses for receiving a desired signal at a signal receiver with an undersampling frequency. A signal converter with a local oscillator frequency, a bandpass filter, and an analog-to-digital converter are used to generate an aliased discrete-time spectrum from an input analog spectrum. In order to determine the presence of interfering signals in the aliased discrete-time spectrum and, if present, separate a desired signal from the interfering signal, the local oscillator frequency is shifted. The original discrete-time spectrum and the resulting shifted discrete-time spectrum are both analyzed to select a local oscillator frequency that does not cause interference with the desired signal when the discrete-time spectrum is generated. The selected local oscillator frequency is then utilized to process the desired signal.

Abstract: An antenna device with a system for automatic stabilization and positioning control. The antenna device incorporates micro-electromechanical (MEMs)-based accelerometer and gyroscopic integrated circuit (IC) sensors directly into the antenna base in a vehicle-mounted antenna application. The sensors enable the antenna device to automatically stabilize the antenna to achieve a desired beam sweep region, independent of vehicle movement, without requiring external sensor input. The invention eliminates the need for a communication interface to externally mounted orientation sensors, reduces cable I/O, and eases the installation procedure.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for mitigating unwanted signal components. A received carrier signal is downconverted using a local reference signal that imposes an frequency perturbation or dither. Later, when an intermediate digitized signal is filtered to remove the DC offset that is an artifact of the sampling process, the dither in the carrier signal serves to distinguish the carrier from the unwanted offset. The preferred offset filter is a low pass filter with a passband that is narrow relative to the frequency range of the dither.

Abstract: A photograph repository system includes data storage for storing photographs in the form of digital data files and a search feature that provides for searching for photographs by location and optionally by other search criteria. In one embodiment, a photograph repository service is accessible to users over a common data network, such as the Internet. In the photograph repository service, each stored photograph is associated with a location, i.e., where the photograph was taken and/or the location of an object in the photograph. Users can search for and obtain copies of their own photographs that they had stored previously with the photograph repository service. In addition, users can search for and obtain copies of photographs that had been taken by other users and stored with the photograph repository service. The photograph repository system can also be implemented as a standalone system, a hybrid system, or a peer-to-peer system.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses for receiving a desired signal at a signal receiver with an undersampling frequency. A signal converter with a local oscillator frequency, a bandpass filter, and an analog-to-digital converter are used to generate an aliased discrete-time spectrum from an input analog spectrum. In order to determine the presence of interfering signals in the aliased discrete-time spectrum and, if present, separate a desired signal from the interfering signal, the local oscillator frequency is shifted. The original discrete-time spectrum and the resulting shifted discrete-time spectrum are both analyzed to select a local oscillator frequency that does not cause interference with the desired signal when the discrete-time spectrum is generated. The selected local oscillator frequency is then utilized to process the desired signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting a signal across multiple Nyquist bands. The systems include an analog to digital converter (ADC), a clock signal generator configured to output a sample clock signal to the ADC, and a processor configured to process sampled signals and control the clock signal generator. The processor is configured to iteratively identify a desired signal, determine whether a possible interfering signal exists at a next sampling rate, and instruct the clock signal generator to generate the next sampling rate if the processor determines that a possible interfering signal does not exist. The methods include sampling an input signal at a first sampling rate, processing the sampled signal to extract information from a desired signal, determining whether a possible interfering signal exists at a next sampling rate, and sampling at the next sampling rate if it is determined that a possible interfering signal does not exist.