Abstract:
A method and system for growing a plant, the method comprising: exposing a plant to water, growing medium and air; wherein the plant comprises a set of roots and the set of roots are located in the growing medium which is in a plant growth vessel, the plant growth vessel is located within an outer vessel, and a cooling medium is present in a space between an outer wall of the plant growth vessel and a containment wall of the outer vessel, and the cooling medium is in thermal communication with the growing medium through the outer wall, and the plant includes a set of roots and the set of roots are isolated from the cooling medium.
Abstract:
A method is provided to process data in a wireless data exchange. The method includes exchanging data between two or more wireless devices in real time and opening a thread of communications between the wireless devices, where the thread includes one or more data exchanges between the wireless devices. When the real time messaging exchange has been established, the method identifies all or portions of the thread as potential data to store. As such data is identified, the method selectively caches the identified portions of the thread for future data retrieval.
Abstract:
A flat table extension is removably attached to one end of an operating table via a support mechanism that is connected with one of the operating table support legs.The support mechanism includes a pair of support posts, one of which is rotated from a first position parallel with the operating table to a second position lower than the operating table to lower the table extension as required.
Abstract:
A traffic control system comprises at least one signal unit, at least one detector, control means for controlling the timings of signals displayed by the at least one signal unit in dependence upon output from the at least one detector, and means for determining the position of the or each detector.
Abstract:
Amphibious vehicle (10) has land propulsion means and marine propulsion means. At least two axles with wheels (12) are spaced apart along the length of the vehicle. At least one intermediate axle with retractable wheel(s) (14) is positioned between the other axles. This additional axle may improve manoeuvrability over rough ground. Wheel(s) (14) may be retracted on water and/or on land. Wheels (12) may also be retractable. One or more axles may be driven, full time or selectively. The vehicle may plane on water, and may have a vee type hull (11). Marine propulsion may be by means of a jet drive. Wheel(s) (14) may retract vertically or through arcs around a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Skid steer may be used. Mudguards, a vehicle roof, and retraction guides for the wheels (slides 16) may be fitted. Pairs of slides may provide roof supports. A forward control driving position may be provided.
Abstract:
A method and system for providing efficient menu services for an information processing system that uses a telephone or other form of audio user interface. In one embodiment, the menu services provide effective support for novice users by providing a full listing of available keywords and rotating house advertisements which inform novice users of potential features and information. For experienced users, cues are rendered so that at any time the user can say a desired keyword to invoke the corresponding application. The menu is flat to facilitate its usage. Full keyword listings are rendered after the user is given a brief cue to say a keyword. Service messages rotate words and word prosody. When listening to receive information from the user, after the user has been cued, soft background music or other audible signals are rendered to inform the user that a response may now be spoken to the service. Other embodiments determine default cities, on which to report information, based on characteristics of the caller or based on cities that were previously selected by the caller. Other embodiments provide speech concatenation processes that have co-articulation and real-time subject-matter-based word selection which generate human sounding speech. Other embodiments reduce the occurrences of falsely triggered barge-ins during content delivery by only allowing interruption for certain special words. Other embodiments offer special services and modes for calls having voice recognition trouble. The special services are entered after predetermined criterion have been met by the call. Other embodiments provide special mechanisms for automatically recovering the address of a caller.
Abstract:
A mandrel for electroforming printing screens, the mandrel comprising: a mandrel plate onto which metal is to be deposited to form a printing screen, the mandrel plate including a main deposition surface onto which metal is to be deposited to define a main body of the printing screen, at least one pair of edge sections at opposed edges of the main deposition surface which include edge deposition surfaces which extend out of a plane defined by the main deposition surface onto which metal is to be deposited to define attachment elements of the printing screen, and corner sections at respective corners of the deposition surface; non-conductive elements, as edge elements, which are disposed at the edge sections such as to define an extent of the edge sections; and non-conductive elements, as corner elements, which are disposed at the corner sections such as to shield the same and define an extent of the main deposition surface at the corner sections.
Abstract:
An electronic menu and concierge system (100) for the travel and hospitality industry. The electronic menu and concierge system (100) is a centralized, Internet-hosted service that is accessible by hotel guests and visitors. The system may provide hotel information, such as hotel events (162), directions (248), and local attractions (166). Food and/or beverages services (270) and merchandise may also be ordered through the system (100).
Abstract:
A modular surgical patient positioner unit consists of three perforated plastic boards arranged for interconnection together and for attachment to a hospital O.R. table. Two outer boards of similar length and width and a central board of similar width and greater length are employed. When employed with regular-sized patients, the three boards are arranged such that the widths thereof are in alignment. When employed with bariatric patients, the longer central board is rotated perpendicular the other two boards, to provide added width to support the bariatric patient.
Abstract:
Error diffusion is performed using a Floyd-Steinberg-like approach. A integer-representation of a running error is compressed by storing only its most significant bits and returning any remainder to the error diffusion processor. The running error is shifted to the right until only the desired number of significant bits remain, and this compressed error is stored. Any portion of the original running error that is lost due to the shifting is treated as a remainder and is returned to the error diffusion processor for use in calculating an adjusted current pixel value. The amount of the shift is retained in compressed form to keep track of the number of shifts needed to form a truncated running error from the compressed running error.