Systems and methods for interrupted program recording

US Patent 8,670,650
March 11, 2014
Program recording systems and methods are operable to adjust recording times of a program of interest in response to an occurrence of an interrupting program that alters the scheduled recording times of the program of interest. An exemplary embodiment receives an unscheduled program flag (UPF) corresponding to an occurrence of an unscheduled program; adjusts at least one of a scheduled recording start time associated with the program of interest to an updated record start time and a scheduled recording end time associated with the program of interest to an updated record end time in response to receiving the UPF; and records the program of interest based upon at least one of the updated record start time and the updated record end time.

Systems and method for securing electronics equipment

US Patent 8,668,285
March 11, 2014
A system for a slide-out platform in a rack mount case includes a slide-out platform configured to secure electronic equipment. The platform is slideably attached to the rack mount case using a first rail and a second rail. The first and second rail have a series of indexing holes in order to allow a dagger pin to secure the platform in place.

Method and apparatus for persistent connections to a device

US Patent 8,667,115
March 4, 2014
Embodiments communicate messages between mobile devices and destination devices. An exemplary embodiment includes a first border server operable to establish a first communication connection to the mobile device over a first network operating under a first protocol, a second border server operable to establish a second communication connection to the mobile device over a second network operating under a second protocol, and a transport management server communicatively coupled to the first border server and the second border server, and operable to establish a third communication connection to the destination device over a third network operating under a third protocol. The first protocol is configured to communicate a first encapsulated portion of the message. The second protocol is configured to communicate a second encapsulated portion of the message. The third protocol is configured to communicate the first encapsulated portion of the message and the second encapsulated portion of the message.

Folding pizza wheel

US Patent 8,661,693
March 4, 2014
A pizza wheel includes a handle that is configured to fold or unfold into a variety of configurations. In a stowed, two handle halves are positioned upright, parallel to a plane defined by a cutting wheel. In a deployed position, the handle halves are rotated apart from one another to positions about 90 degrees from the original stowed position.

Systems and methods for object localization and path identification based on RFID sensing

US Patent 8,665,067
March 4, 2014
A networked radio frequency identification system includes a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tag readers, a computer in signal communication with the RFID tag readers over a network, and a software module for storage on and operable by the computer that localizes RFID tags based on information received from the RFID tag readers using a network model having endpoints and oriented links. In an additional example, at least one of the RFID tag readers includes an adjustable configuration setting selected from RF signal strength, antenna gain, antenna polarization, and antenna orientation. In a further aspect, the system localizes RFID tags based on hierarchical threshold limit calculations. In an additional aspect, the system controls a locking device associated with an access point based on localization of an authorized RFID tag at the access point and reception of additional authorizing information from an input device.

Keyword-based search engine results using enhanced query strategies

US Patent 8,645,372
March 4, 2014
Enhanced computer- and network-based methods, systems, techniques are provided for retrieving more accurate and responsive search results when searching content for a designated entity using an off-the-shelf keyword-based search engine. For example, the embodiments described herein may be used to improve search results by eliminating off-topic results when presenting queries to an existing keyword-based search engine invoked by means of an API from an intermediating application. Example embodiments provide a Keyword-Based Search Enhancement System (“KBSES”), which enables intermediating applications to obtain information more closely related to user queries by enhancing such queries, on behalf of the user, with disambiguating information when deemed necessary. Based upon a variety of rules and heuristics, which can be modified as well, the KBSES determines whether an entity name in a user’s query should be enhanced with additional disambiguating information, and to what extent, to prevent the retrieval of off-topic results.

Trial Court Claim Interpretation Given No Deference On Appeal

March 2, 2014 | Intellectual Property News
In a recent decision, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals reconfirmed that decisions of a trial court interpreting the meaning of terms used in patent claims are not given deference on appeal. Instead, the court of appeals reviews patent claim interpretations de novo, and need not give the trial court decisions any weight. In Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc., 517 U.S. 370 (1976), the Supreme Court held that patent claim instruction must be performed as a matter of law by judges, not as a matter of fact by juries. Since that time, trial courts have commonly conducted separate claim construction procedures to interpret any disputed terms used in patent claims in order to instruct the jury as to such meanings rather than allowing the juries to interpret the language themselves. This process has created distinct roles in which judges interpret patents while juries decide whether patents have been infringed. Because the matter of patent interpretation has been deemed a question of law, rather than fact, there is no discretion, no weighing of facts, and no reason for a trial court judge to have a better vantage point than an appellate court judge. As a result, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals has consistently held that it must review trial court decisions that interpret patent claims as a matter of law, without giving the trial court judge any deference. In LIghting Ballast Control LLC v. Philips Electronics North America Corp., Lighting Ballast argued that the court of appeals should afford some deference to the district court’s interpretations. In particular, it argued that interpretation of documents such as patents is fundamentally factual in nature, and that merely stating that the issue is “an issue of law” does not alter the reality that there are factual aspects in every exercise of claim construction. After all, claim construction is frequently performed by evaluating expert testimony and a variety of documentary forms of evidence, and this analysis shares much in common with evaluating questions of fact. Even if it is property characterized as a question of law, there are sound reasons to give deference to the trial court. Numerous amici submitted briefs taking sides that either aligned with Lighting Ballast, argued that appeals should continue to be a matter of de novo review, or urged a hybrid approach in which underlying factual issues would be given deference but ultimate conclusions would be treated as a question of law. In a divided opinion, the majority primarily expressed a concern for stare decisis, pointing out that in the fifteen years since its holding in Cybor Corp. v. FAS Technologies, Inc., 138 F.3d 1448 (Fed. Cir. 1998) (en banc), the review of claim construction on a de novo basis has created a significant body of precedent. As far as the majority could discern, there was no argument of public policy, no changed circumstance, and no problem in the ability to apply the current approach. In addition, there was no showing that the Cybor approach was inconsistent with any law or precedent, or that affording greater deference would produce any greater public or private benefit. Without any grave necessity or special justification, the majority of the en banc court could not justify departing from the current approach. A key argument in favor of greater deference to the trial court is that deference would create greater certainty and thereby also reduce the likelihood of an appeal in the first place. The majority argued that this proposition is unsupported, and that the available data seems to indicate that the percentage of cases that are appealed has been declining. Regardless of whether the standard of review affects the number of cases that are appealed, the lack of deference does make it more likely that an appellant can gain a reversal of the claim construction ruling.

Representation of online discussion in conjunction with primary visual content

US Patent 8,661,466
February 25, 2014
A method of representing online discussions in conjunction with primary visual content is presented. In the method, the primary visual content is transmitted to a visual display for presentation to a user. A statement of an online discussion is received. In response to receiving the statement, a representation of the statement and an icon representing a source of the statement are transmitted in conjunction with the primary visual content for presentation on the visual display. The icon and the statement are coupled graphically on the visual display, and are placed near a periphery of the visual display. After a period of time while the icon and statement are presented on the display, presuming a second statement is not received from the source, the icon and the statement are removed from the display while the primary visual content is maintained on the display.

Solar-powered collapsible lighting apparatus

US Patent 8,657,461
February 25, 2014
A solar-powered lighting apparatus having a light transmissible shade coupled to a housing that receives a solar cell, a battery and at least a portion of a lighting element assembly. In one embodiment, the shade may have a spherical shape achieved with a support unit or achieved by operation of gravity. A bottom device or bottom portion may be coupled to the shade and cooperate therewith forming and maintaining the spherical shape.

Padding system

US Patent 8,656,514
February 25, 2014
A padding system may be advantageously modular in terms of size and shape, easily removable and replaceable, and comfortable and secure while maintaining an aesthetically neat and trim look. In one embodiment, the padding system includes an inner pad coupled to an outer shell with a portion of an apparel article positioned between, The apparel may include openings to allow a direct connection between the inner pad and outer shell or fasteners may be attached to the apparel for removably engaging with one or both of the inner pad and outer shell. The inner pad may be received in a pocket, which may extend inward or outward.