Abstract: A distributed manufacturing platform and related techniques connect designers, manufacturers (e.g., 3D printer owners and other traditional manufacturers), shippers, and other entities and simplifies the process of manufacturing and supplying new and existing products. A distributed ledger or blockchain may be used to record transactions, execute smart contracts, and perform other operations to increase transparency and integrity of supply chain. Blockchain enabled packaging can be used to track movement and conditions of packages from manufacture, through transit, to delivery.

Abstract: Techniques for configuring and operating a fantasy sports interleaver service are described herein. In some examples, a custom content feed can be generated for a user based on one or more topics of interest to the user. The one or more topics of interest to the user may include athletes on a roster of a fantasy team associated with a fantasy sports account of the user. Content segments may be identified that are relevant to the one or more topics of interest to the user and a custom content feed may be generated for the user that includes the content segments. The custom content feed may also include content from a social networking account of the user. The custom content feed may be served to a client device of the user and/or shared with one or more contacts of the social networking account of the user.

Abstract: A fantasy sports interleaver may include a video segmenting device to create a plurality of video clips, a clip annotator to associate each of the plurality of video clips with at least one of achievement of an athlete, and an interleaver to associate and transmit at least some of the plurality of video clips to each of a plurality of users. The interleaver may interface with a fantasy sports platform hosting the fantasy team of the user, as well as incoming audio/video feeds from content providers, and content feeds from advertisers. In an “active bench” fantasy environment, users frequently move athletes of the user's fantasy team between “bench” and “field” to take advantage of a constantly evolving situation on actual fields of play. A user interfaces allows fantasy team control, provides updated video clips indicating potential opportunities, and updated rosters indicating whether athletes in non-fantasy games are benched or fielded.

Abstract: Techniques for use with vent covers of furnace ductworks are described herein. A vent cover may include a fan to actively pull air from the ductwork and into a room at least in part in response to a number of open or closed vents in ductwork to which the vent cover is connected. Active air movement through the vent cover may lower air pressure and/or temperature within the ductwork and increase airflow through heat exchangers of the furnace, thereby compensating for zones created by closed vent covers. A system may monitor factors consistent with a furnace over-temperature event, such as furnace operation, closed vent covers, high air pressure or temperature in ductwork, etc. A fan of a vent cover may be turned on to actively draw air through a vent covered by the vent cover. The fan may turn off after conclusion of at least one of the monitored factors.

Abstract: A user (e.g., a viewer of audio/video content) may select a primary or main content stream (MCS). Metadata regarding the MCS may be generated to indicate a start and a stop within the MCS of content that is not of interest to the user, such as commercials. When the MCS (e.g., a sporting event) provides undesired content, backfill content (BFC) may be provided in place of the undesired content. BFC may include content provided by a fantasy sports platform, a social media website, an email provider, a secondary content stream (e.g., highlights from a different sporting event), and/or any other content. The MCS may be presented to the user with a slight time-delay, so that the metadata identifying commercials may be determined, and to allow the primary stream to be blended seamlessly with BFC. In another example, BFC may include a second game, provided to the user's device and segmented into highlights.

Abstract: A multi-view (MV) system with multiple MV displays utilizes state information to assign personalized versions of content to display to viewers, thereby providing a coordinated MV display experience. These systems may include a sensing system for detecting viewers and other environmental conditions, and a controller to manage the content assignments for the MV displays. The controller can manage the viewer states, viewer state transitions, and content assignment changes based on changes of those viewers and conditions. The systems can be utilized to simultaneously present coordinated and personalized content to multiple viewers of multiple MV displays.

Abstract: Techniques for use with vent covers of furnace ductworks are described herein. A vent cover may include a fan to actively pull air from the ductwork and into a room at least in part in response to a number of open or closed vents in ductwork to which the vent cover is connected. Active air movement through the vent cover may lower air pressure and/or temperature within the ductwork and increase airflow through heat exchangers of the furnace, thereby compensating for zones created by closed vent covers. A system may monitor factors consistent with a furnace over-temperature event, such as furnace operation, closed vent covers, high air pressure or temperature in ductwork, etc. A fan of a vent cover may be turned on to actively draw air through a vent covered by the vent cover. The fan may turn off after conclusion of at least one of the monitored factors.

Abstract: Packages used to deliver items or other payloads via a drone may be customized and 3D printed to house the payload. The package may be customized to minimize the size and/or weight needed to house the payload. The customized packages may include one or more attachment mechanisms adapted to engage with or otherwise be coupled to the drone for delivery. Multiple individual customized packages can be secured together into a composite package for delivery by drone. The customized package may be designed to be aerodynamic given the shape of the payload and the flight characteristics of the drone. The drone itself may be the package, with the payload housed within a portion of the drone. The package and/or a portion of the drone (e.g., fuselage, wing, body, frame, etc.) may be printed at least partially in, on, or around an item or package to be transported by the drone.

Abstract: Techniques for configuring and operating a fantasy sports interleaver service are described herein. In some examples, a custom content feed can be generated for a user based on one or more topics of interest to the user. The one or more topics of interest to the user may include athletes on a roster of a fantasy team associated with a fantasy sports account of the user. Content segments may be identified that are relevant to the one or more topics of interest to the user and a custom content feed may be generated for the user that includes the content segments. The custom content feed may also include content from a social networking account of the user. The custom content feed may be served to a client device of the user and/or shared with one or more contacts of the social networking account of the user.

Abstract: Items may be packaged for shipping or storage using additive manufacturing techniques, also known as three dimensional (3-D) printing. Packages made by such processes may be referred to as 3-D printed packages. A packaging system may include a 3-D printer and a computing device communicatively coupled to the 3-D printer. The computing device may obtain a packaging model describing a package for one or more items. A print module of the computing device may include instructions to print the package at least partially about the item(s) according to the packaging model. The configuration of a 3-D printed package may be based at least in part on one or more other packages. A 3-D printed package may include multiple separable compartments. A unit of 3-D printed packages may include multiple separable packages.

Abstract: A system and process of printing a package of expanded material (e.g., expanded starch, foam or other expanded material). The expanded material can be heated and extruded, poured, sprayed, or otherwise applied in malleable form that sets up to become a porous protective covering for an item to be packaged. In an example, a layer of expanded material is laid down, and the item in a protective covering (e.g., a plastic bag, sleeve, coating, etc.) is positioned on the layer of expanded material. Additional layers or expanded material may be applied, thereby encasing the item. The top surface of the expanded material may be flattened, such as by operation of a roller, press, or cutter. The top surface may be sprayed with a shellac sealant, paint, or other coating, to allow printing of a label on the top surface.

Abstract: Techniques describe tuning a plurality of radio stations, television stations, or internet content streams, etc., and extracting content of interest, while removing other content. In an example, one or more signals are simultaneously tuned from radio and/or television station(s), or packets decoded from internet data stream(s). Digital audio data, audio/video data, and/or metadata obtained from the tuning or decoding may be buffered. The buffered data may be examined and identified. Once identified, data associated with each recognized song, video, etc., may be segmented. Metadata may be attached to each data segment. In another example, data may be identified as commercials, and purged. Preferred content segments, such as those on a user's wish list (particular songs, videos, etc.), may then be stored or provided to the user.

Abstract: A distributed manufacturing platform and related techniques connect designers, manufacturers (e.g., 3D printer owners and other traditional manufacturers), shippers, and other entities and simplifies the process of manufacturing and supplying new and existing products. A distributed ledger or blockchain may be used to record transactions, execute smart contracts, and perform other operations to increase transparency and integrity of supply chain. Blockchain enabled packaging can be used to track movement and conditions of packages from manufacture, through transit, to delivery.

Abstract: A distributed manufacturing platform and related techniques connect designers, manufacturers (e.g., 3D printer owners and other traditional manufacturers), shippers, and other entities and simplifies the process of manufacturing and supplying new and existing products. A distributed ledger or blockchain may be used to record transactions, execute smart contracts, and perform other operations to increase transparency and integrity of supply chain. Blockchain enabled packaging can be used to track movement and conditions of packages from manufacture, through transit, to delivery.

Abstract: Techniques for “scraping” and/or obtaining fantasy sports data include accessing a fantasy sports server. The access may include accessing publicly available data, accessing data for which a user's username and/or password are required, and/or accessing data by operation of an applications programming interface provided by the server(s) or by a file transfer protocol (FTP) provided by the server(s), etc. Upon gaining access, fantasy sports information may be obtained for a plurality of users. The fantasy sports information may include fantasy team roster information, fantasy team game schedule, etc. The fantasy sports information may be used to create a profile of each of a plurality of fantasy sports users. The database may be used with an interleaver or other service to determine which of a plurality of video clips of athletes should be sent to each of a plurality of users.

Abstract: Techniques describe tuning a plurality of radio stations, buffering digital audio data from each tuner, recognizing programming segments in the buffer, identifying content (e.g., song title and artist) of at least some segments, selecting from among the identified segments, and providing the selected segments to a listener. In an example, at least two signals are simultaneously tuned from at least two radio stations. Digital audio data and metadata obtained from the tuning may be buffered. The buffered data may be segmented into programming segments. Information may be obtained about the programming segments. For example, a song title and artist may be obtained for a programming segment comprising a song. In another example, a second programming segment may be identified as a commercial or may remain unidentified. The obtained information identifying programming segments may be analyzed to identify listener-preferred programming segments. Preferred programming segments may then be provided to the listener.

Abstract: A microstructured article includes a nanovoided layer having opposing first and second major surfaces, the first major surface being microstructured to form prisms, lenses, or other features. The nanovoided layer includes a polymeric binder and a plurality of interconnected voids, and optionally a plurality of nanoparticles. A second layer, which may include a viscoelastic layer or a polymeric resin layer, is disposed on the first or second major surface. A related method includes disposing a coating solution onto a substrate. The coating solution includes a polymerizable material, a solvent, and optional nanoparticles. The method includes polymerizing the polymerizable material while the coating solution is in contact with a microreplication tool to form a microstructured layer. The method also includes removing solvent from the microstructured layer to form a nanovoided microstructured article.

Abstract: Items may be packaged for shipping or storage using additive manufacturing techniques, also known as three dimensional (3-D) printing. 3-D printed packaging systems of one or more entities may be transmitted to an aggregator and used for, among other things, optimizing shipping and fulfillment of packages.

Abstract: Items may be packaged for shipping or storage using additive manufacturing techniques, also known as three dimensional (3-D) printing. Packages made by such processes may be referred to as 3-D printed packages. The 3-D printed packages may be customized based on one or more items contained in the package, a recipient of the package, a sender of the package, and/or a destination location of the package. The customizations may include two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional customizations on an interior and/or exterior of the 3-D printed packages.

Abstract: Variable index light extraction layers (100) that contain a plurality of microreplicated posts (120) are described. The variable index light extraction layers contain a plurality of microreplicated posts (120), a first region including a first lower-index substance (130) and a second region including a second higher-index substance (140). Optical films can use the variable index light extraction layers (100) in front lit or back lit display devices.