Abstract: A facility for analyzing market research survey results is described. Among a number of users who have responded to a market research survey, the facility selects users whose responses to the survey match a designated pattern of responses to the survey. The facility then generates output that identifies social networking actions performed by the selected users.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method provided for spraying a coolant to a work piece include a coolant feed line, at least one delivery nozzle for delivering the coolant, and shielding means which surround at least part of said delivery nozzle. The shielding means are arranged with the work piece to form an essentially closed space, and said shielding means includes exhausting means for exhausting gas from the essentially closed space, and means for keeping the outside of the shielding means at a temperature above the dew point.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mixture of glycerol, mono-, di- and triacetylglycerolester in which the amount of tri-ester is less than 15 mol %, the amount of glycerol is less than 25 mol %, the amount of monoester is about 20 mol % or more, more preferred about 30 mol % or more and the amount of diester is about 20 mol % or more preferred about 40 mol % or more. The invention further relates to methods to prepare such glycerolacetylester mixtures, and to the use thereof in the preparation of unsaturated polyesters. Polyesters comprising said glycerolacetylester mixtures are made from a higher amount of raw materials than obtainable from renewable resources.

Abstract: The disclosed speech recognition system enables users to define personalized, context-aware voice commands without extensive software development. Command sets may be defined in a user-friendly language and stored in an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) file. Each command object within the command set may include one or more user configurable actions, one or more configurable rules, and one or more configurable conditions The command sets may be managed by a command set loader, that loads and processes each command set into computer executable code. The command set loader may enable and disable command sets. A macro processing component may provide a speech recognition grammar to an API of the speech recognition engine based on currently enabled commands. When the speech recognition engine recognizes user speech consistent with the grammar, the macro processing component may initiate the one or more computer executable actions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cageless lavatory dispensing device comprising a hanger (10) and a compressed solid block (50). The hanger (10) has a hook end (20) for suspending the dispensing device to a sanitary-appliance, and the compressed solid block (50) comprises at least one chemical agent. A process for delivering a treatment composition to a sanitary appliance is also disclosed. Said process comprises the steps of: providing and suspending a cageless lavatory dispensing device within the sanitary appliance; periodically flushing water about the exterior of the compressed block to elute at least one chemical constituent to form a treatment composition with said water, which treatment composition provides cleaning and/or sanitizing and/or disinfecting benefit to the sanitary appliance.

Abstract: A hospitality media system includes a plurality of set-top boxes (STBs) coupled to a radio frequency (RF) coax network. Each STB has an identifier for identifying the STB. A content source broadcasts media content to the STBs utilizing the RF coax network and an update server distributes software data to the STBs. The software data causes a particular STB to perform a media function customized for the particular STB according to the identifier of the particular STB.

Abstract: A computerized collaboration system includes a core corpus of community-communication modules. Each of the community-communication modules may be propagated to a syndicate of portals that subscribe to that community-communication module. Further, upon receiving an update to a community-communication module from a portal of a syndicate subscribing to the community-communication module, the community-communication module may be modified according to the update and an updated version of the community-communication module may be propagated to all portals of the syndicate of portals subscribing to that community-communication module.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention can include systems and methods for enabling the operation of multiple control devices on the same network. Each control device on a network can be configured to monitor and receive input messages from multiple IO devices on the network. The control devices may also be configured send output messages to one or more of the IO devices. According to certain embodiments, one control device may send output messages to certain IO devices while another IO device may send output messages to different IO devices. The input and output messages can both be sent via multicast according to certain embodiments.

Abstract: A method and system for a redundant control system are provided. The control system includes a high speed network bus, a controller set communicatively coupled to the network bus wherein the controller set includes at least three Fieldbus controllers, and a Fieldbus linking device communicatively coupled to each of the at least three Fieldbus controllers in the controller set and to a Fieldbus network. The control system further includes a plurality of Fieldbus devices communicatively coupled to the Fieldbus network, where at least one of the controller set, the Fieldbus linking device, and the plurality of Fieldbus devices are configured to monitor outputs from the plurality of Fieldbus devices and determine an erroneous one of the monitored outputs.

Abstract: Methods and systems of the invention can determine the identity and quantity of analytes in a vapor. In preferred methods, a porous optical film is exposed to vapor which contains analyte. The porous optical film is heated and its optical response is monitored during heating. An optical response observed via heating can determine the identity and/or quantity of the analyte. In preferred embodiments, optical response during a thermal pulse is compared to a database of sensor responses that are characteristic of various analytes. Preferred methods are conducted a relatively low temperatures, for example below about 200° C. In preferred methods, a heating and cooling cycle produces a hysteresis curve in the optical response that is indicative of analytes. In preferred embodiments, a thermal reset pulse resets the porous optical film for later use and also provides an optical response that can be used for sensing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for operating a pressure-driven pool cleaner. The system includes a hydraulic timer assembly and a venturi vacuum assembly. The method includes directing water to the hydraulic timer assembly and the venturi vacuum assembly, driving the pressure-driven pool cleaner with the hydraulic timer assembly according to a timed movement cycle including a combination of backward movement and forward movement, and suctioning debris with the venturi vacuum assembly. The venturi vacuum assembly is independent of the hydraulic timer assembly so that suctioning occurs during the backward movement and the forward movement.

Abstract: This specification describes technologies relating to editing audio data. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include receiving an audio signal including digital audio data; receiving an input identifying particular audio data of the audio signal corresponding to a noise pulse; and replacing the audio data corresponding to the detected noise pulse using interpolation of adjacent audio data to generate an edited audio signal. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.

Abstract: Control systems and methods for controlling certain systems, devices, and apparatus are described. A control system may include a memory and at least one processor. The memory may be operable to store both a Foundation Fieldbus protocol that facilitates communication with one or more Foundation Fieldbus devices and a second protocol that facilitates communication with one or more control devices. The at least one processor may be operable to access both the Foundation Fieldbus protocol and the second protocol, and to control the one or more Foundation Fieldbus devices and the one or more control devices. A network may facilitate communications between the at least one processor and both the one or more Foundation Fieldbus devices using the Foundation Fieldbus protocol and the one or more control devices using the second protocol.

Abstract: A configuration apparatus includes a user interface allowing a user to initiate configuration of at least a target configurable device selected from a plurality of configurable devices. A command module is coupled to the user interface for dynamically generating a sequence of commands required to configure the target configurable device. The sequence of commands includes commands for entering a hidden service-configuration menu of the target configurable device. A communication module is coupled to the command module for transmitting the sequence of commands to the target configurable device.

Abstract: A configuration apparatus includes a user interface allowing a user to initiate configuration of at least a target configurable device selected from a plurality of configurable devices. A command module is coupled to the user interface for dynamically generating a sequence of commands required to configure the target configurable device. The sequence of commands includes commands for entering a hidden service-configuration menu of the target configurable device. A communication module is coupled to the command module for transmitting the sequence of commands to the target configurable device.

Abstract: The invention relates to absorptive, crosslinked polymeric compositions that are based on partly neutralized, monoethylenically unsaturated monomer carrying acid groups wherein the absorptive, crosslinked polymeric composition further includes an antioxidant and is color stable.

Abstract: This specification describes technologies relating to editing digital audio data. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of receiving an audio signal including audio data in multiple channels; identifying noise in the audio signal including identifying panning information for the audio data in the signal at each of multiple frequency bands; and attenuating the audio data at one or more frequency bands to generate an edited audio signal when the panning exceeds a specified threshold for each of the one or more frequency bands. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.

Abstract: The invention relates to absorptive, crosslinked polymeric compositions that are based on partly neutralized, monoethylenically unsaturated monomer carrying acid groups wherein the absorptive, crosslinked polymeric composition further includes an antioxidant and is color stable.

Abstract: A bi-endian multiprocessor system having multiple processing elements, each of which includes a processor core, a local memory and a memory flow controller. The memory flow controller transfers data between the local memory and data sources external to the processing element. If the processing element and the data source implement data representations having the same endian-ness, each multi-word line of data is stored in the local memory in the same word order as in the data source. If the processing element and the data source implement data representations having different endian-ness, the words of each multi-word line of data are transposed when data is transferred between local memory and the data source. The processing element may incorporate circuitry to add doublewords, wherein the circuitry can alternately carry bits from a first word to a second word or vice versa, depending upon whether the words in lines of data are transposed.

Abstract: A configuration apparatus includes a user interface allowing a user to initiate configuration of at least a target configurable device selected from a plurality of configurable devices. A command module is coupled to the user interface for dynamically generating a sequence of commands required to configure the target configurable device. The sequence of commands includes commands for entering a hidden service-configuration menu of the target configurable device. A communication module is coupled to the command module for transmitting the sequence of commands to the target configurable device.