...that in 1800 ether was first used by partyers as a fun diversion? Sniffing the gas led to hilarious and raucous laughter as people watched each other become more and more intoxicated and silly. Several doctors independently realized the value ether would have to anesthetize surgery patients. Of those who claimed rights to the "discovery," none had a happy ending. One had a seizure and died defending his rights. Another spent his life in an asylum because he had been denied acclaim. A third became addicted to chloroform and, in a New York City jail, he soaked a cloth in the drug, severed an artery and bled to death.
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| Application No. | Application Title | Issue Date |
| 20110043528 | CACHE MANAGEMENT FOR GLYPH DISPLAY This is directed to managing a cache size for glyphs used to display text or other information in an electronic device. In particular, this is directed to defining a variable hit rate for retrieving glyphs loaded in cache to limit the number of times the device is requi... | 02/24/2011 |
| 20110036451 | DEVICE FOR DOSED DISPENSING OF A LIQUID FROM A COMPOSITE CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR FILLING THE COMPOSITE CONTAINER ("LIQUID DISPENSING FLAIR") A device for the dosed dispensing of a liquid is presented. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the device can include a composite container including (i) a flexible inner container, in which a liquid can be provided, and (ii) a form-retaining outer conta... | 02/17/2011 |
| 20110036257 | Composition for Printing Value Documents The incorporation of a polycarbodiimide into a printing ink or varnish considerably enhances the hot machine wash resistance and wet adhesion of the dried ink or varnish, making it especially suitable for use in printing value documents, such as banknotes.... | 02/17/2011 |
| 20110035223 | AUDIO CLIPS FOR ANNOUNCING REMOTELY ACCESSED MEDIA ITEMS Systems and methods for retrieving and playing back audio clips for streamed or remotely received media items are provided. An electronic device can provide audio clips identifying media items at any suitable time, including for example to identify media items that are ... | 02/10/2011 |
| 20110035222 | SELECTING FROM A PLURALITY OF AUDIO CLIPS FOR ANNOUNCING MEDIA Systems and methods for selecting one of several audio clips associated with a text item for playback are provided. The electronic device can determine which audio clip to play back at any point in time using different approaches, including for example receiving a user ... | 02/10/2011 |
| 20110032413 | AUTO-FOCUSING TECHNIQUES BASED ON STATISTICAL BLUR ESTIMATION AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS This is generally directed to auto-focusing techniques based on statistical blur estimation. An image can be captured at two or more candidate lens positions. The amount of blur of each image can then be determined, and the image containing the least amount of blur can ... | 02/10/2011 |
| 20110031277 | DEVICE FOR DISPENSING HIGHLY VISCOUS LIQUIDS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE THEROF ("Soft Spoutflairs") A device for dispensing a medium from a container is presented. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an exemplary container has at least one feed opening connectable to the container by means of coupling means, a dispensing conduit manufactured from substa... | 02/10/2011 |
| 20110028041 | CONNECTOR ASSEMBLIES A headset connector assembly that includes a connector plate, a casing, and electrical contact members is provided. The connector plate can have a first mating surface, a second mating surface, and at least two apertures existing between the first and the second mating ... | 02/03/2011 |
| 20110025038 | Printing Ink for Value or Security Documents A value document, such as a banknote, is printed using a printing ink or varnish comprising an aqueous dispersion of a preferably aliphatic polycarbonate polyurethane and/or a polyether or polyester polycarbonate polyurethane copolymer having a particle size range from ... | 02/03/2011 |
| 20110024450 | Composite container and method for manufacturing same ("Multi-Layer Preform") A composite container, comprising a form-retaining outer container and a flexible inner container is presented. The inner container comprises a dispensing opening and can be mounted in a neck of the outer container, and the inner container is further connected to the ou... | 02/03/2011 |
| 20110022965 | PERSONALIZED SHOPPING AVATAR This is directed to a personalized avatar providing a true representation of the user's body, such that the avatar provides a substantially accurate graphical representation of the user's body. The avatar can be defined using any suitable approach, including by providin... | 01/27/2011 |
| 20110021084 | AUDIO PLUG WITH COSMETIC HARD SHELL Apparatus, systems and methods for assembling an audio plug with a cosmetic hard shell are provided. A plug may be coupled to a cable. An inner member may be molded about an end portion of the plug and an end portion of the cable. A strain relief member may be molded ab... | 01/27/2011 |
| 20110020970 | ETCHING OR PLATING PROCESS AND RESIST INK The present invention provides a process of etching or plating comprising the steps of: i) ink jet printing an alkali removeable water insoluble hot melt ink jet ink onto a substrate to form a resist image; ii) etching or plating the substrate in an aqueous acid medium;... | 01/27/2011 |
| 20110017770 | Method and apparatus for pressure equalized dispensing of a pressurized liquid in a container ("flair beverage valves") A method for dosed dispensing of a pressurized liquid is presented. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the method includes dispensing a liquid in a container via a dispensing opening into a dispensing space, where a difference in pressure between the con... | 01/27/2011 |
| 20110017347 | METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF PRE-FILLED PLASTIC SYRINGES A novel method for the preparation of a pre-filled plastic syringe, and preferably the preparation of a plastic syringe pre-filled with a diagnostic contrast agent wherein said syringe comprises as components a barrel, a tip seal capable of sealing the nozzle of the bar... | 01/27/2011 |
| 20110016120 | PERFORMANCE METADATA FOR MEDIA Systems and methods for generating and using performance metadata associated with a media piece (e.g., music or video) are provided. An electronic device can monitor a user's workout performance while playing a particular media piece. Workout performance may include the... | 01/20/2011 |
| 20110015765 | CONTROLLING AN AUDIO AND VISUAL EXPERIENCE BASED ON AN ENVIRONMENT Systems and methods for controlling an audio and visual experience based on an environment are provided. A system can monitor an environment while playing back music. The system can then identify a characteristic property of the environment and modify an audio-related o... | 01/20/2011 |
| 20110013779 | APPARATUS FOR TESTING AUDIO QUALITY OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE This is directed to a system for testing the quality of the audio output components of an electronic device. In particular, this is directed to measuring and quantifying the software and hardware components of audio output by an electronic device. The electronic device ... | 01/20/2011 |
| 20110013373 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING VIAS THROUGH A MODULAR COMPONENT This relates to systems and methods for providing one or more vias through a module of an electrical system. For example, in some embodiments, the module can include one or more passive elements and/or active of the electrical system around which a packaging has been pl... | 01/20/2011 |
| 20110012926 | SELECTIVE ROTATION OF A USER INTERFACE This is directed to rotating an entire user interface of a portable electronic device. In particular, this is directed to defining a UI orientation mode in which a user can direct the device to rotate a UI. When the UI orientation mode is enabled, the electronic device ... | 01/20/2011 |
| 20110010698 | TEST PARTITIONING FOR A NON-VOLATILE MEMORY Systems and methods are provided for testing a non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory. The non-volatile memory may be virtually partitioned into a test region and a general purpose region. A test application may be stored in the general purpose region, and the test... | 01/13/2011 |
| 20100332283 | SOCIAL NETWORKING IN SHOPPING ENVIRONMENTS This is directed to a system and method for providing social networking services using a portable electronic device. In some embodiments, a user may identify one or more articles of interest and transmit identifying information for the articles to mobile or other device... | 12/30/2010 |
| 20100328224 | PLAYBACK CONTROL USING A TOUCH INTERFACE This is directed to controlling media playback based on particular touch gestures detected by a touch-sensing interface. The electronic device can identify particular touch inputs, such as combinations of tapping and holding a touch sensitive surface, or circular motion... | 12/30/2010 |
| 20100321005 | PERSONAL MEDIA DEVICE DOCKING STATION HAVING AN ACCESSORY DEVICE DETECTOR Systems and methods include a circuit for detecting the insertion of a component into a docking station, e.g., an audio plug. When the component is inserted into the docking station, an electronic switch can be opened. When the switch is opened, a detector (e.g., monost... | 12/23/2010 |
| 20100316254 | USE OF Z-ORDER DATA IN AN IMAGE SENSOR Systems and methods are provided for detecting objects of an object class, such as faces, in an image sensor. In some embodiments, the image sensor can include a detector with an image buffer. The image buffer can store image data in raster order. The detector can read ... | 12/16/2010 |
| 20100315523 | OBJECT DETECTION USING AN IN-SENSOR DETECTOR Systems and methods are provided for detecting an object of object class, such as faces, in an image sensor. In some embodiments, the image sensor can provide a scan sequence that scans a scene over multiple time intervals. The image sensor can scan, in succession, port... | 12/16/2010 |
| 20100311281 | AUDIO PLUG WITH CORE STRUCTURAL MEMBER Plugs with core structural members and methods for manufacturing plugs with core structural members are provided. A plug can include a core structural member that may increase the structural integrity of the plug. The plug can further include contact pads and traces, an... | 12/09/2010 |
| 20100310190 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NOISE REDUCTION IN HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGING This is generally directed to systems and methods for noise reduction in high dynamic range (“HDR”) imaging systems. In some embodiments, multiple images of the same scene can be captured, where each of the images is exposed for a different amount of time. An HDR im... | 12/09/2010 |
| 20100309334 | CAMERA IMAGE SELECTION BASED ON DETECTED DEVICE MOVEMENT Systems and methods are providing for selecting one or more of several images captured in sequence and stored in a buffer in response to receiving a user instruction to store a captured image. An electronic device can capture information describing the movement of the d... | 12/09/2010 |
| 20100306684 | GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF OUT-OF-BOUND IMAGE SELECTION This is directed to differentiating between portions of a selection area that are within the boundary of displayed information and portions of the selection area that are beyond the boundary of the displayed information. In some embodiments, the graphical representation... | 12/02/2010 |
| 20100306075 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACCESSING CRUISE SERVICES USING A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE This is directed to systems and methods for accessing cruise services using a single, integrated application available to a portable electronic device. Through the integrated application, a user can access and control cruise services throughout all aspects of the cruise... | 12/02/2010 |
| 20100305848 | SEARCH FILTERING BASED ON EXPECTED FUTURE TIME AND LOCATION Systems and methods are provided for identifying points of interest and specific locations located in the vicinity of an expected future location of a user. When a user provides a search request for a point of interest that will be of interest only at a future time, the... | 12/02/2010 |
| 20100303383 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE EFFICIENT COMPUTATION OF IMAGE TRANSFORMS Image transforms that can be performed through a reverse lookup process in which output pixel addresses of an output image are reverse transformed into input pixel addresses. In some embodiments, rather than reverse transforming all output pixel addresses, a subset of o... | 12/02/2010 |
| 20100303227 | ON-HOLD CALL MONITORING SYSTEMS AND METHODS Systems and methods are provided for monitoring telephone calls that are placed on hold. The telephone calls may be between user electronic devices and call centers, such as customer service departments. In some embodiments, the electronic device can monitor an on-hold ... | 12/02/2010 |
| 20100302409 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PREVIEWING NEWLY CAPTURED IMAGE CONTENT AND REVIEWING PREVIOUSLY STORED IMAGE CONTENT Systems and methods for previewing newly captured image content and reviewing previously stored image content using an electronic device are provided. The previously stored image content may include an individual distinct image or at least two consecutive video frame im... | 12/02/2010 |
| 20100302278 | ROTATION SMOOTHING OF A USER INTERFACE This is directed to animating transitions in a user interface as the orientation of the user interface changes. An electronic device can display a user interface in any suitable orientation, including for example in portrait and landscape modes (e.g., based on the orien... | 12/02/2010 |
| 20100300859 | DOME ARRAY FOR USE WITH A SWITCH An array of domes is constructed from a single sheet of constructed material. For example, several domes can be stamped at a preset distribution within a sheet of metal. The domes can be placed at any suitable position along the surface of the material, including for ex... | 12/02/2010 |
| 20100299449 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADJUSTING SIGNALING PROPERTIES BASED ON CABLE ATTRIBUTES This is generally directed to adjusting signaling properties based on cable attributes. In some embodiments, the cable attributes can include information such as the length of a cable, the diameter of a cable, the type of plug on a cable, the type of or presence of shie... | 11/25/2010 |
| 20100284912 | HOMOGENIZATION OF A RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL USING SONIFICATION AND/OR ROTOR-STATOR TECHNOLOGY TO PRODUCE A HOMOGENOUS SUSPENSION, EMULSION, MIXTURE OR SOLID SUSPENSION OF IMMISCIBLE INGREDIENTS A homogenous dispersion of aqueous droplets of a radiopharmaceutical or radiodiagnostic agent within a non-aqueous medium and method of making the same is provided. The homogenous dispersion is largely free of impurities and constitutes a substantially uniform distribut... | 11/11/2010 |
| 20100282405 | MEDIA PLAYER WITH MACHINED WINDOW UNDERCUT AND TRANSPARENT WALL DISPOSED THEREIN A media player comprising a display screen is provided. The media player can include a housing having an opening and an area of reduced thickness around the opening. The media player can also include a transparent wall having a flange. Alternatively, the transparent wal... | 11/11/2010 |