Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Pathway Technologies, LLC

Kang S Lim

Joseph A Nguyen

Ashok Singhal

Bjorn O Liencres

Donald E Anderson

Stephen C O'Neal

Mark E Anderson

Jeff Price

Glenn M Anderson

A method and apparatus for safer and more effective deep trans-cervical intra-uterine artificial insemination (AI) is provided. Such a deep AI catheter causes minimal discomfort and risk of trauma, and does not require the services of a highly trained AI professional. First, a catheter is inserted into the cervical tract of the animal. A membrane, initially positioned inside a tube section of the catheter, is then extended from an opening in the tube and into the tract under pressure. The membrane extends into the tract without friction thereby reducing the discomfort and the risk of trauma or injury to the animal. When the membrane is fully extended into the tract, pressure causes the tip of the membrane to open thereby releasing the AI fluid and depositing the genetic material suspended in the fluid into the reproductive tract. Deployment of the membrane is facilitated by tapering its wall thickness towards its tip. In addition to AI and embryo transplant, other applications for the pathway include therapeutic, diagnostic, or other procedures such as introducing fluoroscopic cameras, instruments, and drug delivery.

Apparatus for creating a pathway in an animal and methods therefor

A method for permitting a user to create a plurality of outbound communication paths to a plurality of communication devices from a unified messaging system, the creating the plurality of the outbound communication paths being performed responsive to verbal input from a user through a telephone. The method includes receiving at the unified messaging system the verbal input from the user through the telephone. There is also included recognizing an action word from the verbal input which includes an action word and called party identity or contacting data. An calendar database for the callee, external to the caller's unified messaging system, is accessed via a network to determine whether a calendar entry therein temporally overlaps a time of the verbal command creating the end-to-end connection. The ascertained availability information may be provided to the caller for input whether to contact the callee. A conjunctive word with the identity or contacting data for a second callee may also be verbally input before the call table is finalized.

Voice-recognition-based methods for establishing outbound communication through a unified messaging system including intelligent calendar interface

A method for permitting a user to create a plurality of outbound communication paths to a plurality of communication devices from a unified messaging system, the creating the plurality of the outbound communication paths being performed responsive to verbal input from a user through a first telephone. The method includes receiving at the unified messaging system the verbal input from the user through the first telephone and performing voice recognition on the verbal input. There is also included detecting an action word from the verbal input after the performing voice recognition. The action word is indicative of a communication service desired by the user in creating the end-to-end connection. Additionally, there is included detecting at least one of a first called party identity and first contacting data from the verbal input after the detecting the action word. Furthermore, there are included entering the one of the first called party identity and the first contacting data in a first record of a call table and detecting a conjunctive word after the detecting the at least one of the first called party identity and the first contacting data. The method further includes detecting at least one of a second called party identity and second contacting data from the verbal input after the detecting the conjunctive word. Furthermore, there is included entering the one of the second called party identity and the second contacting data in a second record of a call table and finalizing the call table after the user finishes with the verbal input. Finalizing the call table ensuring that each record of the call table, including the first record and the second record, includes service-appropriate contact information to permit the unified messaging system to create an outbound communication path for the each record.

Computer-implemented voice-based command structure for establishing outbound communication through a unified messaging system

A learned speed dial system (LSDS) for use in a telecommunication device monitors the telephone numbers dialed by the user. When the number of times a particular telephone number is used reaches a predetermined threshold, the LSDS determines whether the telephone number is in the speed dial directory. If this telephone number is not in the speed dial directory, the LSDS prompts the user to update the speed dial directory with this telephone number. The user can then elect to update the speed dial directory with this new telephone number, as desired. The learned speed dial system may be configured to automatically add this telephone number to the speed dial directory if the directory is not full. If the speed dial directory is full, the LSDS prompts the user to select a telephone number to delete from the speed dial directory. The LSDS keeps track of the usage of the currently stored speed dial telephone numbers. The LSDS can then automatically select the least-used telephone number in the speed dial directory, which the user can then confirm. Still further, the user may configure the LSDS to automatically replace the least-used telephone number with the &ldquo;new&rdquo; telephone number. The LSDS may store deleted telephone numbers in a back-up directory so that the user can correct mistakes in removing a telephone number for the directory. The threshold and criteria can be user configurable.

Learned speed dialing

The present invention provides an 'alert' interface for a component which can be safely 'hot-plugged/unplugged' to an 'alert' interconnect of an electrically powered system. The alert interface has a mating edge which includes daughter precharge/ground connectors, a daughter (engage) waning connector, a number of daughter signal connectors and a daughter engage connector. The alert interconnect includes corresponding mother connectors. The respective connectors of the interconnect and the interface are arranged so that they mate in the following exemplary order when the interface is hot-plugged/unplugged to the interconnect: precharge/ground connectors, warning connectors, signal connectors and finally engage connectors. When the daughter (engage) warning connector mates with the mother warning connector, the component sends an 'engage warning' signal to the powered system. Eventully, all the signal connectors mate followed by the engage connectors, enabling the component to send an 'engaged' signal to the system indicating that all the signal connectors have completely mated. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the component can also be safely 'hot-unplugged' by first, substantially increasing the degree of recess of the daughter engage connector relative to the daughter signal connectors along the mating edge, and second, doubling the daughter engage connector to function as a daughter disengage warning connector.

Growing community of inventors

Danville, CA, United States of America

Kang S Lim