Bizarre Patents
Mouse device with a built-in printer
A mouse device for use as an input device of a computer is provided that includes a housing in which recording paper is loadable, and a printer unit provided within the housing for printing on the recording paper print information received from the computer.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7418310 | Facilitating vending of customer-configured pizza preparation kits A vending machine comprises a first product dispensing unit configured for dispensing packaged pizza crust product, a second product dispensing unit configured for dispensing packaged pizza topping product, and an information processing apparatus coupled to the firs... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7389919 | Products and processes for promoting multiple transactions at a retail establishment Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for promoting multiple transactions at a retail establishment are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, products and processes are disclosed for receiving, via a point-of-sale terminal that is not a vending ... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7373414 | Multi-media system and method for simultaneously delivering multi-media data to multiple destinations A multimedia system and method that provides easy universal text searching for non-technical users, is disclosed. A configuration of the multimedia system and method of the present invention also facilitates content delivery through multiple, independent, simultaneo... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7369851 | Communications network capable of determining SIM card changes in electronic devices A communication network comprising a carrier network with a service coordinator is capable of acting upon SIM card change information detected by an agent located in the electronic devices used in the communication network. In general, the agent in electronic device... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7367027 | System for generating efficient and compact update packages A system for generating efficient and compact update packages makes it possible to process a source binary image of software/firmware for an electronic device and a target binary image in order to generate a compact update package. It generates bubbles information t... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7366125 | Extensible satellite communication system A satellite network [100] includes backbone satellites [110]. The backbone satellites [110] act as routers for data units transmitted through network [100]. The backbone satellites [110] communicate with one another through inter-s... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7360252 | Method and apparatus for secure distribution of software Software is securely distributed with limited usage rights. The software may be an executable program and/or one or more data files such as image or multimedia data files. The software includes an access control object which prevents at least some usage of the softw... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7356727 | Electronic device employing efficient fault tolerance Disclosed herein is an electronic device capable of providing efficient fault-tolerance update processes by employing a backup memory block used in conjunction with a block-by-block update process, wherein the backup memory block may be employed to store backup cont... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7349477 | Audio-assisted video segmentation and summarization A method segments a compressed video by extracting audio and visual features from the compressed video. The audio features are clustered according to K-means clustering in a set of classes, and the compressed video is then partitioned into first segments according t... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7343330 | Systems and methods for acquisition, evaluation, inventory, distribution, and/or re-sale of pre-owned recorded data products Data integrity of recorded data products is quantitatively evaluated by enumeration of unreadable, uncorrected, and/or corrected data subsets, and/or by measuring over-sampling of corrected data subsets. Quantitative data integrity evaluation facilitates commerce in... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7342935 | Method and apparatus for sending out multi-channel digital data, method and apparatus for programming the information and method and apparatus for managing multi-channel digital data An information source management system 11 performs inventory management for CDs and a material information management progress programming system 12 performs programming. An material information registration system 13 compresses the musical num... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7340736 | Electronic device with an update agent that employs preprocessing techniques for update Methods of updating an electronic device having an update agent employing preprocessing techniques is disclosed. The methods described permit an electronic device having a non-volatile memory to update a plurality banks in an efficient manner, by preprocessing the o... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7324953 | Demographic information database processor An apparatus and method for collecting and analyzing demographic information for consumer preference information. The system includes a computer database system adapted to accept and store product information and demographic information, and an open participation sy... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7313791 | Firmware update network and process employing preprocessing techniques A network for updating firmware, drivers, or application software facilitates the access to generated update packages by electronic devices and the update of firmware, drivers, content or application software in a fault tolerant mode. A “Bubbles” technique is em... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7305527 | Recording apparatus A recording and/or playback apparatus for recording data read out from a first storage medium into a second storage medium, includes a recording device for recording data read out from the first storage medium into the second storage medium, an input unit for inputt... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7302465 | Distributed multimedia transfer A multimedia distribution kiosk can communicate with a remote user to receive multimedia requests and can communicate with a multimedia content provider to obtain requested multimedia content. The kiosk can cache received multimedia content and provide the content a... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7266423 | Facilitating vending of customer-configured pizza preparation kits A vending machine comprises a first product dispensing unit configured for dispensing packaged pizza crust product, a second product dispensing unit configured for dispensing packaged pizza topping product, and an information processing apparatus coupled to the firs... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7266343 | Method of and system for providing identification of a piece of information A method of and a system for providing an identification of a piece of information to a person tuned to a broadcasting station which is broadcasting the piece of information. The person sends a first message to a centralized information identification location havin... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7249147 | Combination compact disc recorder and player system The combination recorder and player system includes a recorder/player unit and a remote control unit. The recorder/player unit includes a recorder/player computer system and recorder/player software that is operable to cause the recorder/player to record, play, and ... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7236946 | Operation of control system for ensuring availability of purchasable items in networked machines Embodiments of the present invention provide for a method, system and article of manufacture for operating vending machines. In general, a plurality of vending machines are nodes of a network. Each node is configured to send, receive and process signals carrying inv... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7228280 | Finding database match for file based on file characteristics A signature array of digitally sampled audio is formed from segment(s) of the digitally sampled audio by counting the number of occurrences within the segment(s) in each of a plurality of value bands or slots, such as amplitude bands. The signature array undergoes a... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7222341 | Method and system for processing software dependencies in management of software packages A software package manager uses a distribution unit containing components for a software package and a manifest file that describes the distribution unit to manage the installation, execution, and uninstallation of software packages on a computer. Information in the... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7222183 | Authorized units music distribution system Systems for distributing music to a plurality of customers via the Internet provide each customer with a uniquely identified proprietary device for receiving, playing and recording music. A music server computer system is provided for distributing the music to the p... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7218991 | System for vending physical and information items A vending machine handles a purchase transaction by receiving a payment, receiving a product selection from the customer, and dispensing the product indicated by the product selection. As part of the same transaction, the vending machine offers an information item s... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7216178 | System and method for distributing music to customers over the internet using uniquely identified proprietary devices Systems for distributing music to a plurality of customers via the Internet provide each customer with a uniquely identified proprietary device for receiving, playing and recording music. A music server computer system is provided for distributing the music to the p... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7199860 | Method of processing a roll of exposed photographic film containing photographic images into corresponding digital images and then distributing visual prints produced from the digital images This invention is directed to a method of processing at least one digital image of at least one photographic image and distributing at least one visual print produced from the at least one digital image. The method includes the steps of storing at least one digital ... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7197461 | System and method for voice-enabled input for use in the creation and automatic deployment of personalized, dynamic, and interactive voice services The delivery of voice serve messages communicating financial, personal or other news telecasts may be customized according to the identity of the recipient and controlled by voice commands. A voice service bureau may generate voice messages for individual subscriber... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7188352 | Intelligent digital audiovisual playback system Payment-based audiovisual playback system characterized by comprising a microprocessor unit, primarily including storage means for storing inter alia in digital form the visual and sound information to be used, and associated, through a number of interfaces, with di... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7185809 | RF point of purchase apparatus and method of using same The present invention provides a checkout device that includes a purchasable item having an RFID tag affixed thereto and a scanner for detecting the RFID tag. A dispenser proximate to the scanner dispenses a point of purchase product upon selection by a user of the ... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7181300 | Single use media device The present invention discloses an audio-visual retrieval and playback apparatus for a single use which has a housing having a viewing screen thereon 22 which can be sealed and packaged 14 having a headphone 16 with a pair of earpiecess 18 | 02/20/2007 |
| 7130251 | Communication system and its method and communication apparatus and its method A communication system including a first apparatus having a first storage medium, and a second apparatus for transmitting data to the first apparatus. The second apparatus has a second storage medium for storing management information of data to be transferred to th... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7120644 | Digital image storage and management system A digital image storage and management system for automatically generating distinct recorded media volumes by recording selected data thereon includes a combination of computer hardware and software components that are configured to operably receive and act upon use... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7108180 | Vending machine with electronic payment media One of a number of automatic vending machines run by one or more operators accepts payment for the goods it dispenses by creditable and debitable cash card, also called smart card. The machine includes a currency acceptor that writes on the card the sum in bank note... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7094149 | Methods and systems for facilitating play at a gaming device by means of third party offers In accordance with embodiments of the present invention an offer is presented to a player (e.g., at a gaming device or a table game in a casino). The offer defines a benefit to be provided in exchange for the player's commitment to an obligation defined by the offer... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7082549 | Method for fault tolerant updating of an electronic device Methods for updating an electronic device having a non-volatile memory are disclosed. An embodiment of the present invention may permit the update of an electronic device from a first code version to a second code version using a fault-tolerant, bank-by-bank method.... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7069274 | Method and apparatus for cataloguing and scripting the display of informational content A digital department system is disclosed. The digital department system of the present invention includes a network management center, a network operating center that is coupled to the network management center, a multimedia server, a multicasting transmission mediu... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7061837 | Digital-audio-signal recording apparatus Audio data are read out, via an ATAPI interface, from an audio CD set in a CD drive. Thus, even where an inexpensive low-speed CPU is used, high-speed copying can be performed. When audio data stored on a hard disk are to be reproduced, and if copying authorization/... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7058720 | Geographical client distribution methods, systems and computer program products Video or media content is transferred to a local video or media server by a system administrator or central content programmer. Client data processing modules, i.e., client machines, are configured to query for local content associated with a particular file and str... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7054834 | Online distribution system and method An online distribution system by which the time required for a downloading procedure in a shop can be performed in a short time by a download terminal connected to a search server through a data distribution server which is connectable to a personal terminal. The se... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7054840 | Virtual bookshelf for online storage use and sale of material A “virtual bookshelf” for users of a digital rights management system. The invention lists the purchased material and/or material that the consumer has a right to use. The invention automatically backs up the consumer's material when it is downloaded; provides f... | 05/30/2006 |
