Did You Know...
...that the Band-Aid Bandage was invented by a Johnson & Johnson employee whose wife had cut herself? Earl Dickson's wife was rather accident prone, so he set out to develop a bandage that she could apply without help. He placed a small piece of gauze in the center of a small piece of surgical tape, and what we know today as the Band Aid bandage was born!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7146304 | Method and apparatus for lane and front-end planning and design analysis The Lane and Front-end Effectiveness Model (LFEM) is a self-contained PC desktop application that allows an analyst to quantitatively predict the impact of changes to their checkout operations. This application, according to the present invention, includes four simu... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7137560 | Optical scanner An optical scanner includes a scanner housing including a scan window, a laser light source, reflected light detector and a mirrored polygon spinner. The spinner is arranged to spin around both a first axis of rotation and a second axis of rotation so as to produce ... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7136061 | Three-dimensional check image viewer and a method of handling check images in an image-based check processing system A three-dimensional check image viewer comprises a display device and a processing unit. The processing unit includes means for (i) displaying on the display device an image of a first check, and (ii) displaying on the display device an image of a second check such ... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7136623 | Self-service system and method of loading an executable transaction application program from a self-service terminal to a portable electronic device A self-service terminal has a wireless communication port for communicating with a user's portable electronic device. The self-service terminal loads an executable transaction application program via the wireless communication port to a user's portable electronic de... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7131108 | Software development system having particular adaptability to financial payment switches A software development system. An inventory of software modules is maintained. When a given system is to be assembled, modules from the inventory are selected for that system. In addition, modules not contained in the inventory are developed specifically for that sy... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7130889 | Method of printing information by a network kiosk A method of printing information by a network kiosk which prints web page information, designed for printing on standard width paper, on narrower receipt paper. The method includes the steps of receiving a command to print information in a displayed web page, obtain... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7129506 | Optically detectable security feature An optically detectable security marker for emitting light at a pre-selected wavelength. The marker comprises a rare earth dopant and a carrier incorporating the rare earth dopant. The interaction of the carrier and the dopant is such that the fluorescent fingerprin... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7128268 | Bar code scanner having a mirrored spinner which operates at different speeds A bar code scanner has a housing including a surface having a transparent scanning window. The housing contains optical components including a spinner and pattern mirrors arranged to produce sets of scan lines. The spinner is operable at two, substantially constant,... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7128260 | Methods of an operator handling a fault condition in an image-based self-service check depositing terminal A method is provided of an operator who is other than a check depositing customer handling a fault condition in an image-based check depositing terminal. The method comprises inserting a non-customer identification card into a card reader of the terminal to allow th... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7128259 | Detector A detector (10) for detecting an object (42) in a media item (40), such as a check or banknote is described. The detector (10) comprises first electrically conducting means (14), such as a roller, disposed on one side of a media pa... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7130090 | Method of operating an image-based document processing system and an apparatus therefor A check processing system comprises an image capture module including a controllable image capture device disposed along a first side of the document track. The image capture device captures an image of a document item moving from an upstream end of a document track... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7127706 | System and method for controlling software configuration in a convertible self-checkout station A system determines the physical configuration of a convertible checkout station and configures the software to operate the station in correspondence with the determined configuration. The system comprises a physical configuration actuator that responds to a checkou... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7127080 | Method of processing image data to reorient an image represented by the image data in an image-based item processing system and an apparatus therefor A method of processing image data elements derived from lifting an image of an item to reorient the image data elements comprises the steps of (a) selecting a first portion of the image data elements, (b) reorienting the first portion of the image data elements sele... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7123146 | Security method for theft prone areas of a retail store A security method for theft prone areas of a retail store which alerts store employees of possible theft situations. The security method includes controlling an RFID label reader adjacent an entrance to a monitored area to determine entry of an item bearing an RFID ... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7124100 | Apparatus, system and method for electronic book distribution A system for electronic distribution of books and other media. The system includes a number of self-service stations from which a customer can select and order items and download the ordered item to a portable reader a or smart card. The system may include cryptopro... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7120570 | Methods and apparatus for design of dot matrix visual displays A design tool for choosing and modifying features of a dot matrix display. The design tool allows a user to design and save a character set and then to enter and view text to be displayed using the character set. The user is able to modify features of the display an... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7118036 | Mobile inventory management system A mobile inventory management system which reduces cost and inventory time. The mobile inventory system includes a reader in a cart for reading radio frequency identification labels on items, and wireless communication circuitry in the cart for transmitting item ide... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7116283 | Methods and apparatus for improved display of visual data for point of sale terminals Improved techniques for transmission and display of video data are described. A point of sale terminal includes a processor, memory and software executed by the processor to create frames of data and to analyze the frames of data to create differential data defining... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7117496 | Event-based synchronization A synchronization method and apparatus defines event objects to enable synchronization of execution entities (e.g., threads). In one arrangement, the synchronization method and apparatus is used in conjunction with a Unix operating system. By defining event objects ... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7113957 | Row hash match scan join using summary contexts for a partitioned database system A method, computer system, and computer program are claimed for selecting rows from first and second tables each having rows containing values in columns. In at least the first table, the rows are divided into partitions at least one of which is populated by one or ... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7108187 | Method of reading a plurality of bar codes during a scanning motion A method of reading a plurality of bar codes during a scanning motion across a bar code scanner which enhances scanner operation. The method includes the steps of obtaining data from a detector in the bar code scanner, determining position information associated wit... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7107284 | Method of generating user customized document incorporating at least a portion of discovery information recorded in the system of record database in data warehouse environment The present invention is called a document customizer. The document customizer captures and records changes made to an electronic and/or physical footprint of a data warehouse engagement by a knowledgeable field practitioner. The document customizer starts with a â€... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7100818 | Self-service terminal A self service terminal (10) and method of operating a self-service terminal (10) having a user interface (14) for interacting with a user (12). The terminal (10) includes a sensing device (18, 20, or 22) for sensing ... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7103618 | Data warehouse applications for networks of self-service machines A network of interconnected self-service machines (SSMs), wherein each of the SSMs executes a relational database management system (RDBMS) that maintains a relational database stored on the SSM. The relational databases are partitions of a global relational databas... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7099892 | Parallel moving aggregate computation A method and apparatus is provided in a parallel database system having a plurality of nodes for computing a moving aggregate of an attribute of a relation having multiple tuples. Portions of the relation are distributed across the plurality of nodes of the database... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7099845 | Electronic check presentment with image interchange system and method of operating an electronic check presentment with image interchange system A method of operating an electronic check presentment with image interchange system comprises the steps of creating a number of electronic bundle files based upon captured MICR data associated with items, processing cash letter files and captured image data associat... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7099927 | Downloading and uploading data in information networks using proxy server clients A method of downloading or uploading data via a client-server communications network, which network comprises a plurality of clients (A, B, 8, 9, 10) each having a local cache storing data downloaded via the network. The method comprises responding to a data ... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7095794 | Methods and apparatus for a spread spectrum modulated backscatter electronic shelf label system Techniques for an electronic shelf label (ESL) system which uses a digital modulation technique for a modulated backscatter uplink from an ESL to a communication base station (CBS) which utilizes pseudo-random sequences instead of a single continuous wave frequency.... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7093748 | Method and apparatus for tracking retail performance metrics during a transaction at a point of sale station The present invention provides a method of and apparatus for associating a retail performance metric with individual entries within a transaction and/or time type categories. The retail performance metric is determined by recording the time the system waited for and... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7093760 | System and method of maintaining a bar code reader A system and method of maintaining a bar code reader which bypasses a point-of-sale terminal coupled to the bar code reader. The system includes a maintenance computer, and a connection path between the maintenance computer and the bar code reader which bypasses a p... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7092882 | Noise suppression in beam-steered microphone array A system for suppressing unwanted signals in steerable microphone arrays. The lobes of a steerable microphone array are monitored, to identify lobes having large speech content and low noise content. One of the identified lobes is then used to deliver speech to a sp... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7092920 | Method and apparatus for determining one or more statistical estimators of customer behavior Businesses typically have large amounts of data about customer transactions and other customer information which is not fully utilized. The present invention provides a means of using this information to make predictions about future customer behavior, for example b... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7092951 | Auxiliary relation for materialized view Auxiliary relations are used to maintain a materialized view. The materialized view comprises results of some operation performed between two or more base relations of a parallel database management system comprising a plurality of nodes. The two or more base relati... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7092954 | Optimizing an equi-join operation using a bitmap index structure A method, computer program and database system are disclosed for joining a plurality of tables T1 through TN, where each of the tables has an associated Star Map, S1 through SN, respectively. Each Star Map includes bitmap entries having locations index... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7092968 | System and method for planning and implementing a data warehouse solution A system and method for planning, developing and implementing data warehouse solutions. A methodology including a plurality of tasks associated with the design and implementation of a data warehouse solution is represented by a visual model that identifies relations... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7093250 | Priority scheduler for database access A method for scheduling access to resources of a database is disclosed. Users logon to initiate database sessions. Commands received from a database sessions cause tasks to be initiated. Each task is classified in one of a first set of groups based at least in part ... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7092933 | Supporting user-defined datatypes A method includes receiving a request associated with a user-defined datatype. The user-defined datatype includes at least one data element. The method also includes creating an instance of the datatype. In addition, the method includes storing the instance of the d... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7089258 | System and method for structure subset generation for multiple databases A method and computer system for structure subset generation for multiple databases is disclosed. The method retrieves a database view object structure. The method includes inputting definition language specifying a database view identifier and with at least one dir... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7085769 | Method and apparatus for performing hash join A parallel hash ripple join algorithm partitions tuples of two relations for localized processing. The algorithm is non-blocking and may be performed in a parallel, multi-processor environment. At each processing node, the tuples are further partitioned such that jo... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7080028 | Methods and apparatus for promotional electronic signs Techniques for displaying promotional information by providing an electronic sign (ES) which displays promotional information, display slogans, bundled pricing, bulk pricing, and other types of information. The ES can be used by retailers to increase sales, provide ... | 07/18/2006 |
