Abstract: A system providing various improved processing techniques for haptic feedback is described. An acoustic field is defined by one or more control points in a space within which the acoustic field may exist. Each control point is assigned an amplitude value equating to a desired amplitude of the acoustic field at the control point. Transducers are then controlled to create an acoustic field exhibiting the desired amplitude at each of the control points. When human skin interacts with the acoustic field, vibrations of the skin are interpreted by mechanoreceptors being excited and sending signals to the brain via the nervous system. Improved processing techniques allow for more efficient real-world operation.

Abstract: To utilize a shared vehicle, a user can request access to the vehicle, which results in the generation of a virtual key. The virtual key is provided to a plurality of different devices, such as a vehicle device at the vehicle, and a user device in the possession of the user. Access to the vehicle can be granted and maintained by verification of the virtual key against data from an identification device at the vehicle, or from the user device. In this way, multiple options for vehicle access are available to the user, which increases flexibility and user-friendliness.

Abstract: A digital signal generation assumes that a base frequency (the frequency with which the primitive phase angles are specified relative to) is equal to the carrier frequency for all relevant times. But this causes errors in the digital signals output to each array element transducer. Thus, it is necessary for the development of a signal generation system that is capable of producing a digital signal using the free selection of amplitude and phase. This is used to produce a substantially error-free signal that preserves the amplitude and phase relative to a constant base frequency while allowing the carrier frequency to vary.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for generating a walkable 360-degree video or virtual reality (VR) environment. 360-degree video data is obtained for a real-world environment and comprises a plurality of chronologically ordered frames captured by traversing a first path through the real-world environment. One or more processing operations are applied to generate a processed 360-degree video, which can be displayed to a user of an omnidirectional treadmill. Locomotion information is received from one or more sensors of the omnidirectional treadmill, wherein the locomotion information is generated based on a physical movement on or within the omnidirectional treadmill. Using the received locomotion information, one or more playback commands for controlling playback of the processed 360-degree video are generated. One or more selected frames of the processed 360-degree video are rendered for presentation and display to the user, based on the one or more playback commands.

Abstract: Defining critical spacing is necessary for steering of parametric audio. Comparing steering measurements both with and without a waveguide leads to a conclusion that the diffuse phyllotactic grating lobe contributes audio and is to blame for poor steering. In addition, the waveguide needs to function with correct phase offsets to achieve the steering required for performance. Arranging tubes so that the array configuration changes from rectilinear to another distribution is useful when the waveguide is short of critical spacing or constrained for space. Array designs may also capitalize on rectilinear transducer design while having the benefits of a transducer tiling that has irrational spacing to promote the spread of grating lobe energy.

Abstract: A method and system of determining whether a stationary vehicle is a blocking vehicle to improve control of an autonomous vehicle. A perception engine may detect a stationary vehicle in an environment of the autonomous vehicle from sensor data received by the autonomous vehicle. Responsive to this detection, the perception engine may determine feature values of the environment of the vehicle from sensor data (e.g., features of the stationary vehicle, other object(s), the environment itself). The autonomous vehicle may input these feature values into a machine-learning model to determine a probability that the stationary vehicle is a blocking vehicle and use the probability to generate a trajectory to control motion of the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: A method for specifying desired quantities of the energy flux of the combined waves of acoustic radiation pressure to apply producing a mid-air haptic pushing force, which has the effect of simultaneously reducing the harmonic distortion present is described. Further, a method for communicating only the summaries of acoustic field contributions at the required locations in the form of summed portions of the relatively small matrix whose row and column count depend only on the control point count is described. Further, phased arrays of ultrasonic speakers can produce a relatively large amount of acoustic energy which is usually directed in a specific direction or focused to a particular point depending on the application of the array. Further, to allow the system to be driven more strongly than usual, the complex-valued linear system that governs the drive signal to each control point is solved twice.

Abstract: Producing multiple independent fields from many phased acoustic transducers represents a difficult computational problem. By first dividing up each field to its own group of transducers and then treating each group as an element with adjustable phase, one can minimize the field-to-field interference through a power iteration solution. These solutions can be further refined by including tracking information from users in the space and how they shadow or reflect the acoustic fields.

Abstract: A respiratory treatment apparatus configured to provide a flow of breathable gas to a patient, including a breathable air outlet, an outside air inlet, and an pneumatic block module, wherein the pneumatic block module includes: a volute assembly including an inlet air passage, a mount for a blower and an outlet air passage; the blower being mounted in the mount such that an impeller of the blower is in a flow passage connecting the inlet air passage and the outlet air passage; a casing enclosing the volute assembly, wherein air passages within the casing connect air ports on the volute assembly, wherein the inlet air passage of the volute assembly is in fluid communication with the outside air inlet and the outlet air passage of the volute assembly is in fluid communication with the air outlet.

Abstract: An inference system for monitoring a cementitious mixture for three-dimensional printing is provided. The inference system includes an ambient condition sensor, a temperature sensor, a moisture sensor and an image capturing device. The inference system also includes a controller coupled to the ambient condition sensor, the temperature sensor, the moisture sensor, and the image capturing device. The controller receives sensed ambient conditions, a temperature signal, and a moisture content signal. The controller receives an image feed of a portion of a cementitious mixture. The controller also receives signals indicative of a motor speed and a motor torque associated with a mixing container. The controller builds a model and determines a material suitability of the cementitious mixture using the model based on the received ambient conditions, the temperature signal, the moisture content signal, the image feed, the motor speed, and the motor torque and determines one or more corrective actions.

Abstract: Techniques described herein provide a handshake mechanism and protocol for notifying an operating system whether system hardware supports persistent cache flushing. System firmware may determine whether the hardware is capable of supporting a full flush of processor caches and volatile memory buffers in the event of a power outage or asynchronous reset. If the hardware is capable, then persistent cache flushing may be selectively enabled and advertised to the operating system. Once persistent cache flushing is enabled, the operating system and applications may treat data committed to volatile processor caches as persistent. If disabled or not supported by system hardware, then the platform may not advertise support for persistent cache flushing to the operating system.

Abstract: To utilize a shared vehicle, a user can request access to the vehicle, which results in the generation of a virtual key. The virtual key is provided to a plurality of different devices, such as a vehicle device at the vehicle, and a user device in the possession of the user. Access to the vehicle can be granted and maintained by verification of the virtual key against data from an identification device at the vehicle, or from the user device. In this way, multiple options for vehicle access are available to the user, which increases flexibility and user-friendliness.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and apparatus for the modulation of an acoustic field for providing tactile sensations. A method of creating haptic feedback using ultrasound is provided. The method comprises the steps of generating a plurality of ultrasound waves with a common focal point using a phased array of ultrasound transducers, the common focal point being a haptic feedback point, and modulating the generation of the ultrasound waves using a waveform selected to produce little or no audible sound at the haptic feedback point.

Abstract: A method and system of determining whether a stationary vehicle is a blocking vehicle to improve control of an autonomous vehicle. A perception engine may detect a stationary vehicle in an environment of the autonomous vehicle from sensor data received by the autonomous vehicle. Responsive to this detection, the perception engine may determine feature values of the environment of the vehicle from sensor data (e.g., features of the stationary vehicle, other object(s), the environment itself). The autonomous vehicle may input these feature values into a machine-learning model to determine a probability that the stationary vehicle is a blocking vehicle and use the probability to generate a trajectory to control motion of the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: A vessel is assigned a unique vessel identifier (620). Before or after the vessel is filled, the vessel identifier is encoded into a machine-readable code that is printed or etched onto the vessel (630; 640). The code may have the property that it can be quickly read by a scanner from a variety of different angles and vessel orientations. When the vessel is sold to a user, the user may scan the machine-readable code (or a different code placed on a label associated with the vessel) using a smartphone (710), and the unique vessel identifier is linked to a user account associated with the user (740). Later, when the user places the empty vessel in the recycling stream, a scanner or camera placed in the recycling facility scans or captures the machine-readable code on the vessel and extracts the vessel identifier from the code (810; 820).

Abstract: Low waste methods for three-dimensional printing techniques are provided. A method includes performing a preceding additive infusion process including: solubilizing an additive into a medium in a supercritical fluid state; contacting a preceding material with the medium to infuse a portion of the additive into the preceding material to form a preceding additive-infused material; and separating remaining additive from the medium. Further, the method includes performing at least one succeeding additive infusion process including: solubilizing the remaining additive and, optionally, additional additive, into the medium in a supercritical fluid state; and contacting a succeeding material with the medium to infuse at least a portion of the remaining and additional additive into the succeeding material to form a succeeding additive-infused material, wherein the medium from the preceding additive infusion process is reused in the at least one succeeding additive infusion process.

Abstract: This disclosure concerns methods for estimating the breeding value of plants for the purpose of producing doubled haploid, for example, to identify selection candidates having high breeding values.

Abstract: A digital signal generation assumes that a base frequency (the frequency with which the primitive phase angles are specified relative to) is equal to the carrier frequency for all relevant times. But this causes errors in the digital signals output to each array element transducer. Thus, it is necessary for the development of a signal generation system that is capable of producing a digital signal using the free selection of amplitude and phase. This is used to produce a substantially error-free signal that preserves the amplitude and phase relative to a constant base frequency while allowing the carrier frequency to vary.

Abstract: A phased array of ultrasonic transducers may create arbitrary fields that can be utilized to manipulate fluids. This includes the translation of drops on smooth surfaces as well speeding the evaporation of fluids on wetted hands. Proposed herein is the use airborne ultrasound focused to the surface of the hand. The risk is that coupling directly into the bulk of the hand may cause damage to the cellular material through heating, mechanical stress, or cavitation. Using a phased array, the focus may be moved around, thus preventing acoustic energy from lingering too long on one particular position of the hand. While some signaling may penetrate into the hand, most of the energy (99.9%) is reflected. Also disclosed are methods to couple just to the wetted surface of the hand.