Abstract: A universal snack dispenser capable of providing crisp snacks to customers offers a touchless experience and delivers a sufficient amount of the snacks independent of the type and container.

Abstract: A vending machine includes a housing defining a product compartment and a front wall having a transparent portion. A platform is arranged within the product compartment of the vending machine for storing a product thereon, and the platform includes a first end opposite a second end. The vending machine further includes a product release mechanism that includes a gate arranged on the platform and movable from a closed position to an open position to release the product from the platform. A delivery bin having an open front end is arranged below the platform such that when the first gate is moved to the open position, the product falls under a force of gravity from the platform into the delivery bin for access by a consumer.

Abstract: A new snapshot of a storage volume is created by instructing computing nodes to suppress write requests. Once pending write requests from the computing nodes are completed, storage nodes create a new snapshot for the storage volume by allocating a new segment to the new snapshot and finalizes and performs garbage collection with respect to segments allocated to the previous snapshot. Subsequent write requests to the storage volume are then performed on the segments allocated to the new snapshot. A segment maps segments to a particular snapshot and metadata stored in the segment indicates storage volume addresses of data written to the segment. The snapshots may be represented by a storage manager in a hierarchy that identifies an ordering of snapshots and branches to clone snapshots.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing ultrahigh molecular weight polymer in powder form which is highly efficient drag reducing polymer. The process consists of polymerizing using titanium halide-based catalyst, co-catalyst, optionally a solvent, and monomer to a polymerization reactor, having stirring device and inlet charging and discharge outlet. The resulting ultrahigh molecular weight drag reducing polymers is free flowing, having intrinsic viscosity >10 dL/g. The process reduces polymerization time, temperature, and achieves high conversion, i.e., >90%.

Abstract: A validation terminal located at a registered location comprises a barcode reader, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a public key that is paired with a private key linked with the registered location of the validation terminal. The processor is operably coupled to the barcode reader and the memory, and is configured to detect an encrypted barcode that was scanned by the barcode reader from a mobile device that is located at the registered location of the validation terminal. The encrypted barcode is based at least in part upon transaction information associated with products in a digital cart, and the encrypted barcode is encrypted using the private key. The processor is further configured to decrypt the encrypted barcode using the stored public key, and to indicate the transaction is valid in response to decrypting the encrypted barcode using the public key.

Abstract: A beverage dispensing system is provided, including a main body having a base portion, and a cradle portion configured to support a beverage container including a beverage to be dispensed. The cradle portion may include an elongated cavity, and a shoulder configured to receive an inverted beverage container. The beverage dispensing system may further include an adaptor, and a self-venting tap, and the adaptor is configured to couple a beverage container to the self-venting tap, such that a beverage may be dispensed through the tap.

Abstract: A vending machine includes a housing defining a product compartment and a front wall having a transparent portion. A platform is arranged within the product compartment of the vending machine for storing a product thereon, and the platform includes a first end opposite a second end. The vending machine further includes a product release mechanism that includes a gate arranged on the platform and movable from a closed position to an open position to release the product from the platform. A delivery bin having an open front end is arranged below the platform such that when the first gate is moved to the open position, the product falls under a force of gravity from the platform into the delivery bin for access by a consumer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparation of a catalyst for polymerization of olefins. The catalyst has a particle size of between 5 to 30 microns with activity ranging from 3-4 Kg (co)polymer per g of catalyst and excellent hydrogen response. The method for preparation of the catalyst comprises the steps of: a) contacting a liquid magnesium complex, an electron donor, and a titanium halide compound to form a solution; b) obtaining the solid uniform catalyst particles by precipitation; and c) washing the catalyst particles to obtain solid uniform catalyst., for producing (co)polymer of ethylene with other olefins have fines less than 10 wt. %.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing highly reactive polyisobutylene by liquid phase polymerization of isobutylene or isobutylene containing feed stock, wherein at least 70 mole % of polymer chains in the polyisobutylene have exo olefin end groups. Further, the present invention provides a catalyst composition for polymerization, comprising of a Lewis acid complexed with at least two Lewis bases selected from sterically hindered ether and linear dialkyl ether; or a Lewis base complexed with at least two Lewis acids selected from aluminium halides mixture. The present invention additionally provides that Lewis acid with Lewis bases mixture or Lewis base with Lewis acids mixture constituting the catalyst show synergistic effect resulting in high isobutylene conversion and production of polyisobutylene having high exo olefin content, while maintaining desired molecular weight range of 250-10000 Dalton.

Abstract: A method for dispensing a beverage container to a consumer. The method includes receiving in a beverage container dispenser a first beverage container that contains a beverage corresponding to a beverage selection of a user. The method further includes dispensing a second beverage container containing the beverage from a temperature-regulated compartment of the beverage container dispenser. The second beverage container that is dispensed from the temperature-regulated compartment corresponds to the beverage selection of the user.

Abstract: A system that includes a fuel dispenser terminal and a remote controller. The fuel dispenser terminal is configured to send a service request for a fuel purchase to the remote controller and receive a personalized offer in response to sending the service request. The fuel dispenser terminal is further configured to display the personalized offer, receive a user response indicating the personalized offer was accepted, and send the user response to the remote controller. The fuel dispenser terminal is further configured to receive an authorization token for retrieving the personalized offer and output the authorization token to the customer. The remote controller is configured to update the service request by adding a purchase associated with the personized offer to the fuel purchase, send an encrypted service request to a service processor, generate the authorization token, and send the authorization token to the fuel dispenser terminal.

Abstract: A cooler includes a cabinet having an interior volume for storing a beverage container containing a beverage and a door for providing access to the interior volume of the cabinet. The cooler further includes a lock configured to maintain door in a closed position when the lock is engaged. The cooler includes a cooling unit configured to maintain the cabinet at a predetermined temperature and a temperature sensor arranged within the cabinet that detects a temperature within the cabinet. A control unit is in communication with the cooling unit and the temperature sensor, and the control unit is configured to control the cooling unit to maintain a temperature within the cabinet at a predetermined temperature as determined by the temperature sensor. The control unit may be configured to lock the door until a temperature within the cabinet is at the predetermined temperature.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for a system lab and SOP framework to support testing based on customer environments. Longevity testing must be run on every build with different test cases; thus, the system lab framework allows this testing to be performed on multiple machines in a single run, also allowing test results to be stored. The system lab framework is adapted to recreate customer issues, allowing different environments typically not accessible to be replicated and tested. The system lab framework includes central code to trigger cases on different machines. A central data collection system is able to collect all of the results from the cases and store the respective data. This system lab framework is adapted to support multiple Operating Systems (OS) including Windows, Mac, Linux, and the like.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments provide systems and techniques for mass execution of analytical models across multiple dimensions of client, collateral, deal structure, third party, and other data relevant to predicting optimal decisions in real-time. In some embodiments, disclosed systems and techniques increase decisioning speed through the reduction of computational loads on disclosed decisioning systems. Further disclosed systems and techniques may scale-out analytical modeling computations through, among other technological solutions, advanced execution environments that are asynchronous and non-blocking in nature so as to allow the execution of a plurality of analytical models in parallel and optimizing the results.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to polymerizable compounds that comprise biocidal activity and/or the potential for increased biocidal activity and that comprise at least one hydrophobic portion and at least one hydrophilic portion. Together the hydrophobic portion and the hydrophilic portion of the compounds may provide the polymerizable compounds with one or more surfactant-like properties. The polymerizable compounds can be incorporated into polymer coating formulations. The polymer coating formulations can be used to coat one or more surfaces of a substrate. The coating formulation can provide biocidal activity and/or the potential for increased biocidal activity to the coated substrate-surface.

Abstract: Coolers for dispensing products, such as beverages, having multiple doors for accessing a single product compartment. A cooler may include a housing defining a product compartment; a top door coupled to a top surface of the housing at a hinge, the top door comprising a curved transparent panel; a vertical door coupled to a vertical front surface of the housing; a collapsible shelf disposed in the product compartment that is configured to move between an extended position and a retracted position; and a lower shelf disposed below the collapsible shelf in the product compartment. A product disposed on the collapsible shelf may be accessible through the top door when the collapsible shelf is in the extended position and a product disposed on the lower shelf may be accessible through the top door when the collapsible shelf is in the retracted position.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments provide systems and techniques for mass execution of analytical models across multiple dimensions of client, collateral, deal structure, third party, and other data relevant to predicting optimal decisions in real-time. In some embodiments, disclosed systems and techniques increase decisioning speed through the reduction of computational loads on disclosed decisioning systems. Further disclosed systems and techniques may scale-out analytical modeling computations through, among other technological solutions, advanced execution environments that are asynchronous and non-blocking in nature so as to allow the execution of a plurality of analytical models in parallel and optimizing the results.

Abstract: A method for determining a capacitance value of a capacitor is provided. The method includes receiving a current signal flowing through the capacitor and receiving a voltage signal applied across the capacitor. The received voltage signal and the received current signal are filtered with a low pass filter. The filtered voltage signal and the filtered current signal are then discretized. The discretized voltage signal and the discretized current signal are transformed into a frequency domain. The capacitance value of the capacitor is determined from the transformed voltage signal and the transformed current signal.

Abstract: A method for dispensing a beverage container to a consumer. The method includes receiving in a beverage container dispenser a first beverage container that contains a beverage corresponding to a beverage selection of a user. The method further includes dispensing a second beverage container containing the beverage from a temperature-regulated compartment of the beverage container dispenser. The second beverage container that is dispensed from the temperature-regulated compartment corresponds to the beverage selection of the user.