Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7420564 | Shape and animation methods and systems using examples Shape animation is described. In one aspect, examples that pertain to a shape or motion that is to be animated are provided. The examples are placed within a multi-dimensional abstract space. Each dimension of the abstract space is defined by at least one of an adje... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7388586 | Method and apparatus for animation of a human speaker Methods and apparatus for representing speech in an animated image. In one embodiment, key point on the object to be animated are defined, and a table of trajectories is generated to map positions of the key points over time as the object performs defined actions ac... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7253817 | Virtual human interface for conducting surveys A virtual human interface for conducting survey questioning comprises a system and method which may include a script file which may include survey question data, response pattern data, expression data, advertising data, entertainment data, lobbying data and/or proce... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7209153 | System and method of representing personal profile in auditory form An auditory representation of a personal profile of a subject is generated, by first, acquiring a plurality of personal attributes of the subject through an assessment tool. The plurality of personal attributes is stored on a first computer system. The plurality of ... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7198490 | Apparatus and method for training using a human interaction simulator A computer based training tool and method that emulates human behavior using a computer-simulated person in a realistic scenario. It provides an interactive experience in detecting deception during interviews and acceptance of statements during interpersonal convers... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7084874 | Virtual reality presentation A real-time virtual presentation method is provided. The method includes capturing motion of a user, capturing audio of the user, transforming the audio of the user into audio of an opposite gender of the user and animating a character with the motion and transforme... | 08/01/2006 |
| 6492990 | Method for the automatic computerized audio visual dubbing of movies A method using computer software for automatic audio visual dubbing (5) using an efficient computerized automatic method for audio visual dubbing of movies by computerized image copying of the characteristic features of the lip movements of the dubber ont... | 12/10/2002 |
| 5644694 | Apparatus and method for digital movie production A method and apparatus for the production of digital movies of modeled elements within a virtual environment using a virtual camera which renders image frames. A mapper indicates those positions within the environment onto which the camera can and cannot ... | 07/01/1997 |
| 5630017 | Advanced tools for speech synchronized animation A random access animation user interface environment referred to as interFACE enabling a user to create and control animated lip-synchronized images or objects utilizing a personal computer for use in the users programs and products. A real-time random-ac... | 05/13/1997 |
| 5428732 | Playlist mechanism for specification of complex memory objects Multimedia data objects in memory need not be processed serially from beginning to end but may instead be defined as algorithmically generated data streams. This functionality is provided through an architected application programming interface with a mec... | 06/27/1995 |
| 5388993 | Method of and system for demonstrating a computer program A system and method are provided for building a help function in the form of a tutorial that physically demonstrates to an end user the function that the end user wants to understand. The invention includes a script language that includes tags or commands... | 02/14/1995 |
| 5113493 | Full speed animation system for low-speed computers and method Graphics display systems are used to display animated images, generated from a sequence of images (D) developed by an artist, and projected using a conditional replacement technique, in a manner as directed by a series of commands (E), given to the progra... | 05/12/1992 |
| 4827404 | Method and system for computer programming A method and system for computer programming provides a graphical editor function for creation and editing of a computer program by manipulation of graphical images on a high-resolution display. The program is specified in terms of a definition language w... | 05/02/1989 |
