Issued patents:

7,545,261 B1 Automotive collision detection through passive radio analysis
The present invention discloses a vehicular collision alert system which receives signals from devices commonly associated with vehicular use. The direction of the received signals is determined, and a heading of the signal source is also determined and compared with the present location and heading of the vehicle If the comparison indicates a sufficient chance of a collision, and alert is generated to notify the driver of the vehicle of the potential collision.

Patent Applications:

20080136678 Data Input Using Knocks local cached copy
Data is entered into an electronic device using a unique pattern of knock sequences applied to the surface of the device. One or more accelerometers within the device provide an electronic output which is sampled and digitized. Matching software compares the sequences to previously recorded sequences for user identification. The user may also use a prespecified code for entering knock data.

20080174451 Improving driver safety situational awareness local cached copy
Abstract: A method for enhancing driver safety through body position monitoring with remote sensors, and furnishing feedback in response to vehicle motion, driver activities, and external driving conditions, wherein the method includes: monitoring and characterizing signals from at least one sensor mounted on the body of a driver; monitoring and characterizing signals from at least one vehicle mounted sensor; determining driver activity based on disambiguating the signals from the driver and vehicle mounted sensors; providing feedback to the driver based on the determined driver activity, vehicle motion, and external driving conditions; and wherein the feedback is employed to modify driver behavior and enhance driver safety.

20080253015 Protecting electronic devices from percussive impacts local cached copy
A system and method detects low grade physical motions of an electronic device, such as a laptop computer, and takes protective measures if the physical motions match a pre-specified physical motion pattern. The pre-specified physical motion pattern may have been selected as a pattern which, if left alone, could cause cumulative damage to the electronic device. Alternatively, the pre-specified motion pattern may have been selected as a pattern which tended to indicate that more aggressive and abrupt movements would be forthcoming. The system and method further detects sustained motion (such as in a laptop bag) such that the laptop may shut-off so that the laptop does not overheat or get damaged. The system and method may be configured such that a system administrator may be notified if laptop is being abused. In a similar manner, the history of the percussive impacts or movements may be kept or logged for future use.

20080291055 Vehicle traffic monitoring by passive RFI analysis local cached copy
A method of vehicle traffic monitoring based on the detection of characteristic Radio Frequency (RF) emissions. A detector detects RF pulses on multiple frequencies emitted by ignition sparks in a combustion chamber of a motor vehicle within a detection zone. When RF pulses occur on different frequencies simultaneously, the detector increments a count of ignition events within a first pre-defined time window. When the first time window elapses, the detector transmits the count to a central monitoring station. The central station calculates an average change within a second pre-defined time window and updates a running average. When a difference between the count and the running average is greater than a pre-defined congestion threshold, the central station sets a traffic state to "free flowing". When the difference between the count and the running average is not greater than the pre-defined congestion threshold, the central station sets the traffic state to "congested".

20080301505 Computer performance monitoring method and system local cached copy
A monitoring method and system. The method includes receiving by a software application within a computing system, data comprising a first data point associated with an operating parameter for a characteristic associated with the computing system. The software application converts the data point into a mathematical value and associates the mathematical value with a scaled value. The software application associates the scaled value with a first timbre and a harmonic interval and generates a first musical note value from the scaled value. The first musical note value is transmitted to an amplifier device within the computing system. The amplifier device generates a first audible musical note from the first musical note value and presents the first audible musical note to a user of the computing system.

20090015677 Beyond Field-of-View Tracked Object Positional Indicators local cached copy
A system and method for implementing beyond field-of-view tracked object positional indicators for television event directors and camera operators. The present invention includes a camera having a field-of-view. The camera tracks an off-screen object. A coordinate manager blends an on-screen indication of distance that the object is away from said field-of-view. The camera is positioned to avoid the object in the field-of-view.

20090103896 Automatic annoucer voice removal from s sporting event
A sound processing circuit divides an audio input signal of a televised sporting event into multiple audio segments. The audio input signal includes crowd noise and announcer commentary. If an audio segment does not exceed a pre-defined amplitude threshold, a voice removal utility adds the audio segment to a recent crowd noise library and stores the segment in an output buffer. If the amplitude of a segment exceeds the threshold, the utility adds the segment to a recent announcer voice library. The sound processing circuit generates an attenuated version of the segment and blends the attenuated version with one or more mixed segments from the recent crowd noise library. The voice removal utility stores the attenuated and blended segment in the output buffer and outputs one or more audio segments from the buffer in a chronological order.

20090175489 AUTOMATICALLY GENERATING PRECIPITATION PROXIMITY NOTIFICATIONS
A method and system for automatically generating a notification of a status of precipitation being received by a user-defined detection zone within a geographic area. An image of the geographic area is received. The image includes pixels associated with the detection zone. Each pixel is associated with a sub-area of the detection zone. Characteristics (e.g., colors) of the pixels are obtained. The characteristics indicate intensities of precipitation being received by sub-areas of the detection zone. The intensities of precipitation that are greater than a first user-defined threshold are counted to produce a count. Based on the count's comparison to a second user-defined threshold, a status of precipitation being received or not being received by the detection zone is determined. A notification of the status is generated and sent.

20090278661 HYBRID ULTRASONIC AND RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD
The tag reader includes an ultrasonic transducer capable of transmitting tones at selected ultrasonic frequencies and a radio transmitter capable of transmitting signals at selected radio frequencies. The tag reader includes a radio receiver capable of receiving signals at selected radio frequencies. The tag reader determines if a received radio frequency signal is modulated at a selected ultrasonic frequency. The radio frequency identification tag includes an array of combination resonator/reflectors. Each combination resonator/reflector of the array includes an ultrasonic resonator coupled to a radio reflector. Each resonator/reflector of the array is tuned to a unique pair of selected ultrasonic frequencies and selected radio frequencies.

20090282008 BUSINESS PROCESS METHOD FOR DELIVERING DISTRIBUTED SENSOR BASED CONTENT TO CONSUMERS
A method, system, and computer program product for receiving distributed sensor based content from content producers in data processing networks. A sensor services controller (SSC) utility manages the processes involved with connecting content producers and consumers through a set of interfaces of a Services Oriented Architecture. The set of interfaces include interfaces for publishing, finding and paying for content created by distributed sensor platform devices. For example, a query interface allows consumers of content to submit content requests to content producers. The SSC utility enables a sensor platform device to expose the device's capabilities to a sensor services controller through a standard "sensor device" interface.

20090290761 UPPER TROPOSPHERE AND LOWER STRATOSPHERE WIND DIRECTION, SPEED, AND TURBIDITY MONITORING USING DIGITAL IMAGING AND MOTION TRACKING
The visible sky is monitored by a set of cameras for contrails produced by a high-altitude aircraft. In response to identifying a contrail, the contrail is tracked across the field of view of the camera. Contrail data generated when the contrail is identified and during the tracking of the contrail is stored. The contrail data describes characteristics of the contrail including the spread of the contrail and the movement of the contrail across the field of view of the camera. Coordinates of the high-altitude aircraft are determined and compared with the contrail data to identify wind conditions.

20090319164 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING ENERGY CONSUMPTION OVER A BROAD GEOGRAPHIC AREA USING AIRCRAFT CONTRAILS
A method for controlling aircraft contrail placement including detecting an aircraft contrail, determining an approximate location of the aircraft contrail based on at least one of detected aircraft contrail pan information, tilt information, or zoom information, transmitting contrail detection information and contrail location information to a centralized controlling unit, matching the contrail location information with a database of known GPS coordinates to identify the contrail producing aircraft, determining a boundary for an energy management area, determining an amount of cloud cover over the energy management area, determining an optimal cloud cover amount for the energy management area, and transmitting a re-route request to the identified contrail producing aircraft to re-route toward or away from the energy management area based on the determining an amount of optimal cloud cover amount for the energy management area.

20100010973 Vector Space Lightweight Directory Access Protocol Data Search
A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for performing a search for data. In one embodiment, the process converts each character of the search query into a phonetic variant to form an inflected search query. The process then identifies a set of inflected data fields of a vector space library satisfying the inflected search query. The set of inflected data fields are formed from a set of lightweight directory access protocol data fields of a set of lightweight directory access protocol records. Thereafter, the process generates a search result listing records of the set of records satisfying the search query.

20100017817 METHOD FOR INSERTING ADVERTISEMENTS INTO A TRAFFIC CAMERA IMAGE
The method may receive an advertisement package, the advertisement package comprising a business identifier, a message text, and a price per congestion level. The method may store the advertisement package. The method may receive a user query for a traffic camera image. The method may receive the traffic camera image, the traffic camera image comprising a camera image, a business indicator, and coordinates of the traffic camera image. The method may associate the traffic camera image with the advertisement package. The method may then produce an overlay image associated with the advertisement package. The method may merge the traffic camera image and the overlay image into a final image. Finally, the method may display the final image.

20100077263 Autonomously Configuring Information Systems to Support Mission Objectives
A Mission SoulPad is connected to an information system via a communication bus, such as a USB bus connection. The Mission SoulPad may autonomously detect and configure components of the information system (e.g., displays, sensors, emitters, transceivers) to support the defined objectives of the Mission SoulPad. The Mission SoulPad may also identify malfunctioning components of the information system needing repair or replacement. Typical operations of malfunctioning components may be dynamically re-routed to functional components. Entire sensor and information display suites may be transitioned simply by moving the Mission SoulPad between available information systems. This ensures that mission critical information is consistently available regardless of the type of system the Mission SoulPad is connected to.

20100066563 METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE MOUNTED INFRARED WAVELENGTH INFORMATION DISPLAYS FOR TRAFFIC CAMERA VIEWERS
Systems and methods for vehicle mounted infrared wavelength information displays for traffic camera viewers are disclosed. A method includes obtaining vehicle positioning data associated with at least one vehicle and, based upon the vehicle positioning data, selectively emitting infrared wavelength light from a set of a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged on exterior surfaces of the at least one vehicle

20100063714 METHOD FOR DETERMINING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS
Early warning traffic method: detecting a signal, the signal comprising a radio frequency pulse that was emitted from a spark plug firing in an internal combustion engine; measuring a signal count over an interval of time; determining a speed condition based upon the measurement of the signal count, the speed condition comprising at least a speed reduction condition, a speed increase condition, or a no data condition; and displaying the speed condition to a driver.