| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080249936 | BILL PAYING SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - Methods of paying user bills on behalf of a user are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving from a vendor a user bill having a user identifier, a vendor identifier, and a bill amount. The method further includes obtaining the user identifier, the vendor identifier, and the bill amount, associating the bill with the user based on the user identifier, and associating the bill with the vendor based on the vendor identifier. The method further includes determining whether the bill is payable, which includes comparing the bill to stored bill data associated with the user and the vendor. When the bill is payable, the method further includes obtaining funds from an account of the user, dispersing funds to the vendor to pay the bill and storing an indication of the paying of the bill. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20140244490 | BILL PAYING SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - Methods of paying user bills on behalf of a user are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving from a vendor a user bill having a user identifier, a vendor identifier, and a bill amount. The method further includes obtaining the user identifier, the vendor identifier, and the bill amount, associating the bill with the user based on the user identifier, and associating the bill with the vendor based on the vendor identifier. The method further includes determining whether the bill is payable, which includes comparing the bill to stored bill data associated with the user and the vendor. When the bill is payable, the method further includes obtaining funds from an account of the user, dispersing funds to the vendor to pay the bill and storing an indication of the paying of the bill. | 08-28-2014 |
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| 20080209394 | Generic interface for numeric types - Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing a common generic interface for numeric types in statically typed languages. The common generic interface defines basic arithmetic operations, thereby allowing basic arithmetic operations to be performed on the numeric types. The common generic interface provides support for overflow detection when a result of an operation being performed on a particular numeric type will result in an overflow situation when the operation does not fit within a range supported by the particular numeric types. The common generic interface provides support for one or more mathematical properties to be retrieved for a particular one of the numeric types being used in a particular circumstance. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080222598 | Using a system of annotations to generate views and adapters - Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for using annotations in contracts to generate views and adapters. A framework is provided that supports annotations that can be used in a contract to allow a user to express how one or more members of the contract should be represented in at least one view, and to express how to adapt the members in at least one adapter. Annotations can also be used to indicate which of the components should be programmatically generated. The contract is accessed and at least a portion of the at least one view and the at least one adapter are generated based on the annotations and other information contained in the contract. For example, source code can programmatically be generated for a host side view, an add-in side view, a host side adapter, and an add-in side adapter using the various contract details and the annotations. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080222627 | Static extensibility models with dynamic languages and scripts - Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for generating add-in bridges that allow hosts to be extended using a dynamic language. The system programmatically determines static requirements that an add-in is required to implement in order to integrate with a particular host. The system programmatically generates the add-in bridge to conform to the requirements of the particular host and to operate like a compiled add-in while actually calling dynamic language script files that are executed by a scripting engine. The add-in bridge is generated by generating a component for the add-in that contains at least one class to conform to the host requirements. A constructor is then generated for the class. For each method the add-in is required to implement, a respective method is generated in the class that provides a stub implementation but that calls dynamic-language script files to perform a desired functionality. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080262801 | Tower of numeric types - Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing a numeric tower that represents a structure supporting statically defined numeric data types. The numeric data types each are operable to implement a different but accurate representation of a particular value. Numeric operations are supported for the numeric tower that can be performed with any of the statically defined numeric data types. The numeric tower is extensible, and allows for additional statically defined numeric data types to be added, as well as operations. The numeric tower is also operable to detect overflow situations. For example, suppose a result of an operation will result in an overflow situation because the operation does not fit within a range supported by the particular numeric type. The system converts the numeric type to a different one of the numeric data types when the result does not fit within a range supported by the first one. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080282315 | Host control of partial trust accessibility - Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing host control of partial trust accessibility. A framework allows libraries to be identified as partial trust callers allowed to indicate that the libraries are allowed to be called from partially trusted code by default. The framework allows libraries to be identified as partial trust callers enabled to indicate the libraries could be called from partially trusted code, but not by default. A hosting application is notified that a particular library has been loaded. If the particular library has been identified as partial trust callers allowed, then a determination is received from the hosting application on whether to remove or keep partial trust accessibility for the particular library. If the particular library has been identified as partial trust callers enabled, then a determination is received from the hosting application on whether or not to enable partial trust accessibility for the particular library. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20120072890 | UNIFIED DATA TYPE SYSTEM AND METHOD - A type system includes a dual representation for basic data types. One representation is the basic data type representation common to such basic built-in data types, known as an unboxed value type or simply as a value type. Each of the basic data types also has a boxed representation that can be stored in the object hierarchy of the type system. This dual representation can also be extended to user-defined types, so that user-defined types may exist both as an unboxed value type and as an object within the object hierarchy of the type system. This dual representation allows the compiler and/or runtime environment to select the most effective and efficient representation for the data type depending on the particular need at the moment. | 03-22-2012 |
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| 20090091275 | ADAPTIVE DRIVE SYSTEM USING CURRENT VALUES FOR A PERSONAL CARE APPLIANCE - An adaptive system for a personal care appliance, such as a power toothbrush, having a workpiece which is driven through an amplitude of motion by a drive mechanism which includes a stator member includes a circuit ( | 04-09-2009 |
| 20100109580 | SYSTEM FOR ADAPTING THE RESONANT OPERATION OF A PERSONAL CARE APPLIANCE DURING THE LIFETIME THEREOF - The adapting system for a resonant drive appliance includes a circuit for measuring the back EMF induced in the stator coil of the motor following turn-off of the appliance. The frequency of the back EMF signal is determined from the zero crossings of the EMF signal. The determined frequency is then compared with a running average of previous frequency determinations, and the drive frequency of the appliance is adjusted if the difference between the compared frequencies is greater than a threshold value, e.g. 1 Hz. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100141185 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING PERFORMANCE OF BATTERY-OPERATED TOOTHBRUSHES - The system periodically measures the battery voltage of the toothbrush and the current in a stator portion of the motor for the appliance. The amplitude of movement of the toothbrush workpiece is determined from the measured stator current. A circuit/control program changes the duty cycle or pulse width of the drive signal from the motor if the battery voltage drops below a first threshold value and a circuit or control program changes the drive frequency of the appliance if the amplitude of the workpiece movement falls below a first threshold value. A circuit/control program terminates the operation of the toothbrush if the voltage drops below a second threshold value or if the amplitude drops below a second threshold value, both of which are less than the respective first thresholds. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20120260441 | MOUTHPIECE WITH DRIVE FORCE CAPABILITY TO PRODUCE EFFECTIVE TEETH CLEANING - The mouthpiece assembly includes a receptacle ( | 10-18-2012 |
| 20130000093 | APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING SIDE-TO-SIDE DRIVING MOTION TO ROTATIONAL MOTION WITH A SPRING ASSEMBLY AND SYSTEM FOR TUNING THE SPRING ASSEMBLY - A method for tuning resonant spring assembly systems used in appliances such as power toothbrushes, particularly leaf spring systems, includes the step of measuring the frequency-dependent amplitude of the appliance workpiece, and then removing a portion of the spring member so as to decrease its spring rate sufficiently that the resonant frequency of the spring member closely approximates the drive frequency of the appliance. | 01-03-2013 |
| 20130015788 | ADAPTIVE DRIVE SYSTEM USING CURRENT VALUES FOR A PERSONAL CARE APPLIANCE - An adaptive system for a personal care appliance, such as a power toothbrush, having a workpiece which is driven through an amplitude of motion by a drive mechanism which includes a stator member includes a circuit ( | 01-17-2013 |
| 20130333126 | ORAL HYGIENE APPLIANCE WITH BRISTLE CHARACTERISTICS FOR EFFECTIVE CLEANING - An oral cleaning appliance, such as a toothbrush ( | 12-19-2013 |
| 20130333133 | PROCESS AND RESULTING PRODUCT FOR MATCHING A MOUTHPIECE FOR CLEANING TEETH TO A USER'S ORAL GEOMETRY - A method and the resulting product for optimizing the configuration of a mouthpiece for cleaning teeth in which the configuration of the mouthpiece is optimized to the oral geometry of individual users. The method includes a first step ( | 12-19-2013 |
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| 20100138348 | PROVIDING RESOURCE-RELATED INFORMATION USING A STANDARDIZED FORMAT - A standardized format is described for representing resource-related information associated with different utility entities. The standardized format can be expressed using three files. A usage file expresses the consumption of resources, an invoice file expresses invoices associated with the consumption of resources, and a rate file expresses different rates which have a bearing on the cost of the resources at different locations. The files are governed by three respective schemas. Functionality is also described which enables a resource management facilitator to interact with the different utility entities and receive the resource-related information therefrom. In one illustrative approach, a utility entity sends a message which indicates that one or more files are available for downloading. The resource management facilitator then retrieves the files and processes the files in an appropriate manner, as specified by information within the message. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100138363 | SMART GRID PRICE RESPONSE SERVICE FOR DYNAMICALLY BALANCING ENERGY SUPPLY AND DEMAND - A “Smart Grid Pricer” enables automated balancing of the supply and demand of energy supply and consumption, such as the generation and consumption of electricity between electricity providers and electricity consumers. The Smart Grid Pricer automatically computes and delivers real-time energy pricing information to consumers on behalf of energy retailers (e.g., electricity utilities) to help drive the balance of demand with supply. In various embodiments, real-time pricing is determined by using various probabilistic models to estimate overall consumer demand as a function of factors such as energy price, time of day, region, weather, etc. to compute a price that will result in an energy demand that is closely balanced to the available supply. On the consumer side, various components of the Smart Grid Pricer automatically respond to such pricing information to optimize energy consumption in accordance with a variety of automated and/or user defined rules and preferences. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100318376 | MESSAGE-PASSING PROTOCOL BETWEEN ENTITIES HAVING DISSIMILAR CAPABILITIES - A system is described for conducting a communication exchange between at least a first entity and a second entity. In operation, the first entity and the second entity implement a communication mechanism that relies on a common set of method modules. Each method module may receive a message that conveys a particular action selected from a hierarchical collection of possible actions. By selecting a particular action, an entity which sends such a message may attempt to invoke a particular version of a message exchange between the entities. Through this provision, the communication exchange accommodates the situation in which different entities have different respective functionalities. According to one case, the system can be applied to the situation in which entities engage in a communication exchange to manage a resource. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20120310377 | OPTIMIZED UTILITIES CONSUMPTION - A utility consumption optimization mechanism may determine an optimized period for consuming a utility based on several input parameters and several constraints. The optimization mechanism may determine an optimum consumption time and cause a device to consume the utility during that time. A schema may define various parameters that may be passed to a rate calculation mechanism, and the optimization mechanism may use the rate calculation mechanism to find an optimized consumption schedule for a particular application. The optimization mechanism may be implemented as an embedded controller in a consuming device, as a web service that may be available through an Internet connection, or in other embodiments. | 12-06-2012 |
| 20140297789 | RSS FEED GENERATION USING OBJECTS - A really simple syndication (RSS) feed generator provides a set of data related to an entity to a user in the form of a really simple syndication (RSS) feed in a manner so that the set of data includes entity information at the feed-level. A user of the RSS feed may use the feed-level entity information to consume the set of data in a number of different ways. In an embodiment, the feed-level entity information includes meta-data defining the entity such that a user may use the metadata to display the entity on the client side. The RSS feed generation system allows a user to manipulate a copy of an instance of entity data as necessary for a client. | 10-02-2014 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080249936 | BILL PAYING SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - Methods of paying user bills on behalf of a user are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving from a vendor a user bill having a user identifier, a vendor identifier, and a bill amount. The method further includes obtaining the user identifier, the vendor identifier, and the bill amount, associating the bill with the user based on the user identifier, and associating the bill with the vendor based on the vendor identifier. The method further includes determining whether the bill is payable, which includes comparing the bill to stored bill data associated with the user and the vendor. When the bill is payable, the method further includes obtaining funds from an account of the user, dispersing funds to the vendor to pay the bill and storing an indication of the paying of the bill. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20140244490 | BILL PAYING SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - Methods of paying user bills on behalf of a user are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving from a vendor a user bill having a user identifier, a vendor identifier, and a bill amount. The method further includes obtaining the user identifier, the vendor identifier, and the bill amount, associating the bill with the user based on the user identifier, and associating the bill with the vendor based on the vendor identifier. The method further includes determining whether the bill is payable, which includes comparing the bill to stored bill data associated with the user and the vendor. When the bill is payable, the method further includes obtaining funds from an account of the user, dispersing funds to the vendor to pay the bill and storing an indication of the paying of the bill. | 08-28-2014 |
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| 20110087513 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING A PROGRAM RELATING TO A PRODUCT - A method for managing a program relating to a product, the program including a plurality of program requirements for performing a plurality of program tasks, includes: (a) establishing a location reference system for a representation of the product in three dimensions; (b) identifying a plurality of task-loci in a display; the display presenting the representation of the product according to the location reference system; each respective task-locus of the plurality of task-loci being associated with a respective program task of the plurality of program tasks; (c) characterizing each respective task-locus associated with an accomplished respective program task as a respective completed task-locus; and (d) accounting for accomplishment of the respective program tasks by accounting for the respective completed task-loci. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20120188248 | Image Management and Presentation - A method for managing a number of images. A plurality of resolutions in which the number of images are to be stored and a style of presentation for the number of images is identified using a policy. A plurality of copies of the number of images in the plurality of resolutions are stored. A copy of a particular image in the number of images for a selected location in a layout defining a presentation for the number of images is selected using the style of presentation. The copy of the particular image has a desired resolution in the plurality of resolutions for the selected location in the layout. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20130311111 | DAMAGE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM AND METHODS OF OPERATING SAME - A computer-implemented method includes receiving damage information by a user interface device and quantifying at least one parameter of the damage. A structural analysis is performed to determine a damage allowability based on the parameter. An output result of the structural analysis is displayed from the user interface device. The system includes a compliance system having a database of structural information relating to the structure. A computer enabled user interface device is coupled to the compliance system. The user interface device includes a processor configured to access the structural information and display a location of the damage based on the structural information. The processor is configured to quantify at least one parameter of the damage. The processor is further configured to perform a structural analysis to determine a damage allowability based on the parameter and display a maintenance instruction based on the damage allowability. | 11-21-2013 |
| 20140279982 | IMAGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESENTATION - A method and apparatus for managing a number of images. A plurality of resolutions in which the number of images are to be stored and a style of presentation for the number of images is identified using a policy. A plurality of copies of the number of images in the plurality of resolutions are stored. A copy of a particular image in the number of images for a selected location in a layout defining a presentation for the number of images is selected using the style of presentation. The copy of the particular image has a desired resolution in the plurality of resolutions for the selected location in the layout. | 09-18-2014 |
