Abstract: A surgical instrument operable to sever tissue includes a body assembly and a selectively coupleable end effector assembly. The end effector assembly may include a transmission assembly and an end effector. The body assembly includes a trigger and a casing configured to couple with the transmission assembly. An information transmission system transmits instrument information received from a sensor, for example, to a secure server via a secure gateway connected to the instrument. The instrument may be previously tested on a calibration kit to pre-determine and load surgeon-specific settings onto the instrument prior to use.

Abstract: External data storage device queries the user for a password on at least the first attachment. The password is escrowed in encrypted form. If the user elects this option, the password is then passed to an encryption module which unlocks the encrypted file or partition and upon subsequent attachments of the external data storage device may automatically unlock the encrypted file or partition using the securely escrowed password. The escrow of the encrypted password is managed in an external storage device containing the encrypted file or partition.

Abstract: An audiovisual system for displaying an audiovisual advertisement to a user includes a storage subsystem adapted to receive and store audiovisual advertising segments and to retrieve and transmit stored advertising segments. The audiovisual system further includes a preference determination module coupled to the storage subsystem. The preference determination module is responsive to user input and to metadata to generate one or more user profiles. Each user profile is indicative of characteristic viewing preferences of a corresponding user and includes a time span preference parameter indicative of a preferred advertisement time span of the corresponding user. The audiovisual system further includes a system controller coupled to the storage subsystem.

Abstract: External data storage device queries the user for a password on at least the first attachment. The password is escrowed in encrypted form. If the user elects this option, the password is then passed to an encryption module which unlocks the encrypted file or partition and upon subsequent attachments of the external data storage device may automatically unlock the encrypted file or partition using the securely escrowed password. The escrow of the encrypted password is managed in an external storage device containing the encrypted file or partition.

Abstract: A method of transmitting programs from a source of programs to a user location divides a program into a plurality of program streams, wherein each program stream represents a temporal segment of the program. The method adds identification data to the plurality of program streams and multiplexes the plurality of program streams comprising the identification data into a transport stream. The transport stream is transmitted to a user location. The program represented by the plurality of program streams is transmitted in a reduced amount of time. The amount of time decreases with the number of program streams used.

Abstract: An audiovisual system for displaying an audiovisual advertisement to a user includes a storage subsystem adapted to receive and store audiovisual advertising segments and to retrieve and transmit stored advertising segments. The audiovisual system further includes a preference determination module coupled to the storage subsystem. The preference determination module is responsive to user input and to metadata to generate one or more user profiles. Each user profile is indicative of characteristic viewing preferences of a corresponding user and includes a time span preference parameter indicative of a preferred advertisement time span of the corresponding user. The audiovisual system further includes a system controller coupled to the storage subsystem.

Abstract: An audiovisual system for displaying an audiovisual advertisement to a user includes a storage subsystem adapted to receive and store audiovisual advertising segments and to retrieve and transmit stored advertising segments. The audiovisual system further includes a preference determination module coupled to the storage subsystem. The preference determination module is responsive to user input and to metadata to generate one or more user profiles. Each user profile is indicative of characteristic viewing preferences of a corresponding user. The audiovisual system further includes a system controller coupled to the storage subsystem. The system controller is responsive to the metadata and to the user profile corresponding to the user to select and retrieve a plurality of stored advertising segments from the storage subsystem and to dynamically assemble the retrieved plurality of stored advertising segments to form the advertisement which is tailored to the characteristic viewing preferences of the user.

Abstract: A video component is disclosed for displaying a program guide on a monitor. The video component comprises an interface for receiving Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data, and a component controller for generating the program guide in response to the EPG data. The program guide comprises a plurality of program identifiers for identifying a plurality of programs, wherein at least one of the programs is not recorded locally. The program guide further comprises at least one recording indicator associated with one of the programs indicating that the program has been recorded locally. The video controller for displaying the program guide on the monitor.

Abstract: An audiovisual system receives audiovisual data and includes a system controller and a storage device to store at least a portion of the audiovisual data for later playback. The audiovisual system further includes a marking module to create metadata in response to a control input for marking the program segments. The metadata includes the information regarding the program segments of the stored portion of the audiovisual data. The audiovisual system further includes a display generator to generate a mosaic representation of the program segments. The audiovisual system further includes a program selector to select a program segment in response to a user input. The selected program segment is selected based on the information of the metadata, whereby the audiovisual system selectively plays back selected program segments of the stored portion of the audiovisual data starting from selected program locations, thereby enabling a user to jump to and play back selected program segments.

Abstract: Disclosed is a client terminal connectable to a video distribution system (VDS) and a display device. The client terminal includes a VDS interface to receive program guide information and program rating data from the VDS, a display interface to display a program guide on the display device, a user interface to receive user input, a local memory to store a ranking program, and a terminal controller responsive to the user interface and the ranking program. The terminal controller responsive to the user interface and the ranking program: allows the user to select a rating source from a list of rating sources displayed on the display device, via user input; ranks the program listings based upon program rating data associated with the selected rating source; and displays the ranked program listings in the program guide on the display device.

Abstract: A video system has an input port to receive display contents including a plurality of broadcast display contents and has an output port to couple to a video display. Further, the system includes a preference engine, a storage device and a management module. The preference engine is coupled to the input port and tracks viewer selections of the broadcast display contents to create a viewer profile. The storage device is coupled to the input port, the output port and the preference engine, and records a first plurality of display contents according to the viewer profile and a second plurality of display contents upon a viewer selecting the display contents for recording. The management module is coupled to the preference engine and the storage device, and defines a third plurality of display contents based upon the available broadcast display contents for a viewing session and based upon the viewer profile.

Abstract: A digital video recorder (DVR) is disclosed for use with a monitor and a set top box (STB), the STB for demodulating program data from a program signal received over a communication channel and for generating a STB graphical user interface (GUI). The DVR comprises a local memory for storing the program data received from the STB and a plurality of program identifiers. The DVR further comprises a DVR controller for maintaining the plurality of program identifiers, and for communicating to the STB the plurality of program identifiers independent of when the STB demodulates the program data identified by the program identifiers. The STB is responsive to the plurality of program identifiers to modify at least one selected operation of the STB.

Abstract: A digital video recorder (DVR) for use with a monitor and a set top box (STB) is disclosed. The STB demodulates program data by tuning to at least one of a plurality of channels and comprises a DVR interface. The DVR comprises a local memory for storing the program data received from the STB, and a STB interface for communicating with the DVR interface. The DVR further comprises a DVR controller for communicating control data to direct the STB to tune to a selected channel, and for receiving a channel-change event from the STB in connection with the STB changing the tuned channel.

Abstract: A digital video recorder (DVR) for use with a monitor and a set top box (STB) is disclosed. The STB demodulates program data from a program signal received over a communication channel and generates a STB graphical user interface (GUI). The DVR comprises a local memory for storing the program data received from the STB, a DVR interface for communicating with the STB, and a DVR controller. The DVR controller generates a DVR GUI, and in response to user input, communicates with the STB to coordinate whether the STB GUI or the DVR GUI is displayed on the monitor.

Abstract: A system for receiving and presenting content at a user location includes a profiling agent that creates a user profile based upon a plurality of inputs by a user. The user profile represents preference characteristics of the user. A storage device is coupled to the profiling agent and stores the user profile. A receiver is configured to receive a set of parameters defined for at least one content. The set of parameters originates from a source of contents. A processing module is coupled to the receiver and the storage device and correlates the user profile with the set of parameters to determine whether parameters in the set of parameters match preference characteristics in the user profile. The processing module further generates a match signal when a sufficient number of the parameters match preference characteristics in the user profile.

Abstract: An audio/video (“A/V”) apparatus for selecting programs from a plurality of programs includes a memory, which receives and stores program information describing a plurality of programs through program attributes, and a source of user-defined criteria. The user-defined criteria identify preferred program attributes and non-preferred program attributes. The A/V apparatus includes further a preference module configured to sort through the program information to determine a program having program attributes that include the preferred program attributes and exclude the non-preferred program attributes.

Abstract: The present invention may be regarded as a data storage system and a method of controlling the acoustic noise generated by a storage drive of a data storage system. The data storage system includes a storage drive adapted to operate in a selected operational state of a plurality of operational states. Each operational state generates a corresponding acoustic noise level and operates at a corresponding performance level. The data storage system further includes a system controller coupled to the storage drive, the system controller including a system profile. The system controller is adapted to: (a) receive at least one variable parameter; (b) use the at least one variable parameter as an index to the system profile to autonomously select one of the plurality of operational states as the selected operational state; and (c) transmit a control signal to the storage drive.

Abstract: An audio/video (“A/V”) apparatus for selecting programs from a plurality of programs includes a memory, which receives and stores program information describing a plurality of programs through program attributes, and a source of user-defined criteria. The user-defined criteria identify preferred program attributes and non-preferred program attributes. The A/V apparatus includes further a preference module configured to sort through the program information to determine a program having program attributes that include the preferred program attributes and exclude the non-preferred program attributes.