Abstract: An immersion sensor for use with a cushion or mattress for determining the relative immersion of a person within the cushion or mattress including a sensor, a ground and a circuit for measuring capacitance. The sensor includes a sheet of conductive material, and the ground includes a second sheet of conductive material. The circuit is adapted to send short bursts of electrical current to the sensor and a capacitor. The circuit is further adapted to measure the length of time the burst of current takes to charge the capacitor. Based upon the measured time, the circuit calculates the proximity of the object based upon the time taken to charge the capacitor. A method that may be implemented with the immersion sensor is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for investing funds from pre-paid payment accounts. Funds from accounts within a payment system are invested on behalf of account holders of the accounts. Funds are invested in accordance with a risk strategy defined for the payment system (e.g. defining investment amounts and financial assets for investment). Payments and/or gains from invested funds are disbursed to the accounts of the account holders. Payments and/or gains are disbursed in accordance with disbursement rules for the payment system (e.g., based on percentages).

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for payments using pre-paid accounts. Embodiments of the invention provide a single, universal payment method that cannot be physically stolen, that minimizes the risk of information theft, and which can be used to make both small and large payments. The universal payment method is more convenient, more efficient, and less expensive to use because it requires no exchange mechanism from one payment form to another. In addition, to the extent that prior-to-payment funds are controlled by the businesses to whom payment is to be made, the buying power is increased.

Abstract: An immersion sensor for use with a cushion or mattress for determining the relative immersion of a person within the cushion or mattress comprising a sensor, a ground and a circuit for measuring capacitance. The sensor comprises a sheet of conductive material, and the ground comprises a second sheet of conductive material. The circuit is adapted to send short bursts of electrical current to the sensor and a capacitor. The circuit is further adapted to measure the length of time the burst of current takes to charge the capacitor. Based upon the measured time, the circuit calculates the proximity of the object based upon the time taken to charge the capacitor. A method that may be implemented with the immersion sensor is also disclosed.

Abstract: A convenience kit assembled and organized to measure, fill and dispense medication and flush solutions to patients through connections to patient lines and catheters while improving safety and efficacy of such procedures by requiring fewer post-sterilization makes and breaks when compared to similar filling and dispensing methods using conventional components. Further the kit improves flush compliance by facilitating dispensing of flush solutions and decreases likelihood of infections by providing for flushing of patient lines and catheter connecting fittings without any additional line breaks. The kit is provided in resealable, tamper evident kit packaging which permits sealed transport of kit parts after initial opening and follow-on parts use. Convenience of operation is provided by a two syringe assembly which is operable by a single hand by which selective dispensing is accomplished from either of the two syringes while obstructing flow from the other syringe.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for payments using pre-paid accounts. Embodiments of the invention provide a single, universal payment method that cannot be physically stolen, that minimizes the risk of information theft, and which can be used to make both small and large payments. The universal payment method is more convenient, more efficient, and less expensive to use because it requires no exchange mechanism from one payment form to another. In addition, to the extent that prior-to-payment funds are controlled by the businesses to whom payment is to be made, the buying power is increased.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for investing funds from pre-paid payment accounts. Funds from accounts within a payment system are invested on behalf of account holders of the accounts. Funds are invested in accordance with a risk strategy defined for the payment system (e.g. defining investment amounts and financial assets for investment). Payments and/or gains from invested funds are disbursed to the accounts of the account holders. Payments and/or gains are disbursed in accordance with disbursement rules for the payment system (e.g., based on percentages).

Abstract: The present invention extends to managing prepaid purchasing accounts and depositing funds therein. A kiosk and management system are connected over a network. The management system maintains purchasing accounts usable for multiple product or service purchases. To make a deposit, the consumer enters credentials at the kiosk, the credentials identifying a purchasing account. The consumer selects a payment method for making the deposit. For one or more payment methods (e.g., electronic check payment), the consumer selects a method to guarantee the deposit. The consumer also enters a deposit amount which is verified. Cash payments may be verified by an automated cash acceptor or a retail attendant. Credit card or debit card payments may be accepted by a card authorization network. Embodiments of the system also include debiting the purchasing account by a purchase amount. In addition, the purchasing account can be managed to view prior deposits and purchases.

Abstract: The present invention extends to managing the dispensing of petroleum products. A kiosk (e.g., at a gas station) and fuel management system are connected over a network. The fuel management system maintains balances for fuel purchasing accounts that can be debited to purchase fuel. To purchase fuel, a customer enters credentials identifying a fuel purchasing account at the kiosk. After fueling is complete, the fuel purchasing account is debited by the amount of the fuel purchase. Embodiments of the fuel system can also include networked (e.g., Internet) based payments into a fuel purchasing account, either from a kiosk or from a personal computer. Consumers can pay for increased amounts of fuel, such as, for example, multiple tanks of gasoline, in a single payment, potentially reducing or even eliminating returned check losses and/or card fees associated with “tank-at-a-time” purchases.

Abstract: A sensor for attachment to an inflatable air cell cushion to detect a change in immersion depth and bottoming out of the user seated on the cushion. The sensor includes an airflow conduit for attachment to the cushion inflation tube. The airflow conduit comprises a cylindrical body having a longitudinal inner bore. There is an opening through the conduit body in fluid communication with the bore. A transducer is positioned at the opening to detect changes in air pressure within the airflow conduit. The transducer is operatively connected to a warning light, an audible sensor and a mode set button. The functions of the electronic components are preprogrammed into a computer chip. A battery powers the sensor. The recited components are secured within a housing.

Abstract: The present invention extends to managing prepaid purchasing accounts and depositing funds therein. A kiosk and management system are connected over a network. The management system maintains purchasing accounts usable for multiple product or service purchases. To make a deposit, the consumer enters credentials at the kiosk, the credentials identifying a purchasing account. The consumer selects a payment method for making the deposit. For one or more payment methods (e.g., electronic check payment), the consumer selects a method to guarantee the deposit. The consumer also enters a deposit amount which is verified. Cash payments may be verified by an automated cash acceptor or a retail attendant. Credit card or debit card payments may be accepted by a card authorization network. Embodiments of the system also include debiting the purchasing account by a purchase amount. In addition, the purchasing account can be managed to view prior deposits and purchases.

Abstract: The present invention extends to managing the dispensing of petroleum products. A kiosk (e.g., at a gas station) and fuel management system are connected over a network. The fuel management system maintains balances for fuel purchasing accounts that can be debited to purchase fuel. To purchase fuel, a customer enters credentials identifying a fuel purchasing account at the kiosk. After fueling is complete, the fuel purchasing account is debited by the amount of the fuel purchase. Embodiments of the fuel system can also include networked (e.g., Internet) based payments into a fuel purchasing account, either from a kiosk or from a personal computer. Consumers can pay for increased amounts of fuel, such as, for example, multiple tanks of gasoline, in a single payment, potentially reducing or even eliminating returned check losses and/or card fees associated with “tank-at-a-time” purchases.

Abstract: A novel vector quantization encoding system comprises a conventional vector formatter and a novel gross quantizer. The vector formatter generates vectors to be searched in a full code book of vectors. The gross quantizer generates pointers indicative of subsets of vector indices. The vector indices are indicative of groups of vectors to be searched in the full code book that are substantially less in number than the number of vectors in the full code book. A search controller is employed to search only the subset of vectors in the full code book and produce as an output the index of the one vector in the full code book closest to the formatted vector being searched so that the quality of a full code book searched is made faster without degradation of a full code book search.

Abstract: A novel vector quantization encoding system comprises a conventional vector formatter and a novel gross quantizer. The vector formatter generates vectors to be searched in a full code book of vectors. The gross quantizer generates pointers indicative of subsets of vector indices. The vector indices are indicative of groups of vectors to be searched in the full code book that are substantially less in number than the number of vectors in the full code book. A search controller is employed to search only the subset of vectors in the full code book and produce as an output the index of the one vector in the full code book closest to the formatted vector being searched so that the quality of a full code book searched is made faster without degradation of a full code book search.

Abstract: A first set of input index signals represents a row-column array of quantized pixels; and each input index signal in the first set represents a rectangular non-overlapping quantized pixel group which is aligned to a particular row and a particular column. By repeatedly performing three steps on different pairs of the input index signals in the first set, a second set of index signals is generated wherein a respective index signal exists for each individual pixel in the array and by which the image can be filtered. These three steps are: 1) selecting a pair of input index signals in the first set such that the two quantized pixel groups which the selected index signals represent are adjacent to each other in the array; 2) forming an address signal by combining the two selected input index signals; and 3) reading a memory with the address signal to thereby obtain an output index signal.