Abstract: Washing machine appliances and suspension assemblies for suspending tubs in washing machine appliances are provided. A suspension assembly includes a frame, a mount seated on the frame, and a rod coupled to the mount. The rod is rotatable about a pivot point. The suspension assembly further includes a sensor assembly operable to monitor rotation of the rod. The sensor assembly includes a sensor and a reference surface. One of the sensor or the reference surface is coupled to the rod and rotatable with the rod relative to the other of the sensor or the reference surface. The sensor is operable to measure reference distances from the reference surface.

Abstract: Washing machine appliances and suspension assemblies for suspending tubs in washing machine appliances are provided. A suspension assembly includes a first pliable mount and a second pliable mount, the first pliable mount and second pliable mount spaced apart from each other along a lateral direction. The first and second pliable mounts each include a hollow body and a head, the head integral with the hollow body. The suspension assembly further includes a rocker arm engaging the head of the first pliable mount and the second pliable mount. The rocker arm extends between the first pliable mount and the second pliable mount along the lateral direction. The suspension assembly further includes a rod connected to the rocker arm and disposed between the first pliable mount and the second pliable mount along the lateral direction.

Abstract: Washing machine appliances and damper assemblies are provided. A damper assembly includes a cylinder defining a central longitudinal axis, the cylinder including a sidewall that defines an interior, the sidewall defining a central bore and a pocket concentrically surrounding the central bore, the sidewall including an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder that each connect the pocket and the central bore. The damper assembly further includes a piston partially disposed in the central bore and movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the cylinder. The damper assembly further includes a tube assembly concentrically surrounding the piston and at least partially disposed in the pocket, the tube assembly having a length that is less than a length of the pocket. The piston is further movable along the longitudinal axis relative to the tube assembly.

Abstract: A method and system for sharing data between software systems is provided. A graph data structure is maintained in storage of a computing device. The graph data structure has data items and relationships therebetween that are semantically described. A request received from a first software system is stored. The request is for requested data that is semantically described, and an address declared by the first software system. The requested data is semantically resolved to at least one of the data items in the graph data structure. The address is called, and a value of one of the at least one data items is passed to the first software system when the value is updated.

Abstract: A washing machine appliance is provided. The washing machine appliance includes a cabinet and a tub disposed within the cabinet. The washing machine appliance also includes features for variably damping motion of the tub relative to the cabinet, such as a damper with a first, rigid piston and a second, compliant piston slidably received within a cylinder of the damper.

Abstract: Washing machine appliances and associated methods for detecting periodic speed variation caused by an imbalanced load are provided. One example method for determining whether a load of a washing machine is imbalanced includes obtaining, by the washing machine, a sensor output signal describing a speed of a motor of the washing machine. The method includes determining, by the washing machine, a plurality of edge intervals. Each edge interval describes an interval of time between edges exhibited by the sensor output signal. The method includes determining, by the washing machine, a plurality of impulse values based on the plurality of edge intervals. The method includes determining, by the washing machine, whether the load of the washing machine is imbalanced based on the plurality of impulse values. One example washing machine includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for detecting periodic speed variation caused by an imbalanced load.

Abstract: A balance ring for an appliance is provided that has features to control fluid distribution particularly during certain critical speeds where large oscillatory motion created by an out of balance condition might otherwise cause the balance ring fluid to redistribute improperly. The balance ring can include an inner chamber that is in fluid communication with an outer chamber. The inner chamber can include baffles that impede the movement of fluid along the circumferential direction when e.g., the balance ring experiences large oscillatory motion.

Abstract: An apparatus for delivering additive into a clothes basket and cleaning remaining additive from an additive container are provided. The apparatus includes a clothes basket rotatable about an axis, a motor coupled to the clothes basket, a Venturi component, an additive container connected to a vacuum area of the Venturi component through a U-tube, a water inlet connected to the Venturi component through an inlet hose, an outlet hose connecting the Venturi component to the clothes basket, a valve controlling flow of water into the inlet hose, a valve controlling flow of water into the additive container, and a processor coupled to the motor and the valves, the processor being operative to manipulate the valve controlling flow of water into the inlet hose and the valve controlling flow of water into the additive container to deliver additive into the clothes basket and to clean remaining additive from the additive container.

Abstract: A method of forming a shaped article. The method comprises providing a pre-form 40 comprising a chromium molybdenum vanadium steel alloy, heat treating the pre-form to obtain a surface hardness of between 420 and 480 according to the Vickers hardness test, and, subsequent to the heat treating step, flow forming the pre-form 40 to shape the pre-form.

Abstract: A method for analyzing web visitors using anonymized behavior production models begins with a website visitor accessing a website. The website includes a web beacon, which redirects the website visitor's browser to the server of a marketing services provider (MSP). The MSP server reads a cookie previously set by the MSP that includes an anonymous link. The anonymous link may be used to match data related to the website visitor that is maintained by the MSP, and browsing activity for that visitor is stored in an activity database from which periodic reports may be constructed for the website owner. The anonymous link is not associated with any personally identifiable information (PII), and thus privacy for the visitor is maintained.

Abstract: A method and system for assessing the data leakage threat associated with third-party tags on a particular website, such as a content publisher site, is assessed by mimicking a standard web browser. Each third-party tag on the site is identified and investigated in a hierarchical manner, and a data leakage threat score is assigned to each third-party tag based on certain attributes associated with the tag and the resource linked by the third-party tag. A cumulative data leakage threat score is then calculated to determine if the site is a data leakage threat, such as a threat for misuse of a consumer's data.

Abstract: A system for multichannel marketing includes a redirect link that takes the place of an ordinary link to a landing page in an advertisement or interest page. A consumer activating the link is redirected momentarily to a server maintained by a marketing services provider. A cookie on the consumer's device is used to link data about this consumer to other data about the consumer that is maintained by the marketing services provider. The consumer data is held in an area where no personally identifiable information (PII) is maintained. The system allows a marketer to better track multichannel marketing efforts and to analyze the results of multichannel marketing without comprising the privacy of consumers.

Abstract: A method and system for generating a view is provided. A first set of declarations in a metadata data model retrieved from a view definition are stored in storage of a computer system. The first set of declarations are static. A second set of declarations in the metadata data model that are associated with the first set of declarations are stored in the storage. At least one request for a set of requested data is resolved to a subset of the first set of declarations and the second set of declarations using semantic descriptions provided for the first and second sets of declarations and the requested data. A view rendered from the subset of the first set of declarations and the second set of declarations is updated whenever the second set of declarations is updated.

Abstract: A method and system for enabling data sharing between software systems is provided. At least one data-sharing session is managed for each of a plurality of users with a server computer system. Each of the data-sharing sessions has a set of software systems associated with the user participating therein. The server computer system maintains requests for the software systems to be notified of updates to values of sets of requested data items. The set of software systems share data item values in the data-sharing session. The server computer system stores the shared data item values, and resolves the shared data item values to the requested data items using semantic descriptions provided for the shared data item values and the requested data items. Available updates to the shared data item values resolving to the sets of requested data items are provided to the software systems.

Abstract: A method and system for managing data sharing sessions is provided. A data-sharing session is managed with a computer system. The data-sharing session has a set of software systems participating therein. Requests are maintained for the software systems for sets of requested data. Values are stored for shared data items received from the software systems in the data-sharing session. The shared data items are resolved to at least one of the sets of the requested data using semantic descriptions provided for the shared data items and the requested data. The software systems requesting the at least one set of requested data are notified whenever updates to the values of the shared data items are available. The data-sharing session is destroyed if there is one of an absence of activity and an absence of one of the software systems having a particular characteristic in the data-sharing session.

Abstract: A method for registering software systems in data-sharing sessions is provided. A set of data-sharing session definitions are stored in storage of a computer system, each of said data-sharing session definitions identifying a set of software system types permitted to participate in data-sharing sessions governed by the data-sharing session definition. A participant registration request is received from a first software system. A priority value is determined, via the computer system for the participant registration request, for each of a first subset of the data-sharing session definitions. The first software system is registered in one of the data-sharing sessions governed by one of the data-sharing session definitions selected at least partially based on the priority values.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting an out of balance condition for a washing machine are disclosed. The wash basket of the washing machine is rotated at a constant predetermined rotational speed. If the washing machine has an unbalanced load, the wash tub will strike the cabinet as the basket rotates in the wash tub. The tub strikes cause the wash basket to lose momentum. The inverter drive control system causes the inverter to provide more current through the motor phases to the motor to maintain constant speed. From the value of the current, the severity of the tub strikes during a test period can be determined. An out of balance condition can be detected and measured based at least in part on the severity of the tub strikes.

Abstract: A balance ring for an appliance is provided that has features to control fluid distribution particularly during certain critical speeds where large oscillatory motion created by an out of balance condition might otherwise cause the balance ring fluid to redistribute improperly. The balance ring can include an inner chamber that is in fluid communication with an outer chamber. The inner chamber can include baffles that impede the movement of fluid along the circumferential direction when e.g., the balance ring experiences large oscillatory motion.

Abstract: The invention provides a device for the detection and mapping of radiation, the device comprising a polymeric core (18) located within an external shell material (1), wherein the polymeric core comprises a plurality of stacked polymeric sheets comprising at least one radiation sensitive component which is sensitive to said radiation emitted by said radioactive materials and the external sheath comprises a collimation sheath (1). Preferably, the polymeric core comprises a cubic, cylindrical, spherical or truncated spherical shape which is encased within the external shell. The external shell is preferably comprised of a metal, most preferably tungsten.

Abstract: A bulk fluid dispensing system that can detect when priming has occurred is provided. The system can prime itself so as to remove e.g., air gaps that might affect the metering of a proper amount of a fluid such as laundry detergent or fabric softener into a wash chamber or wash bin of the appliance. A pressure sensor can be used to determine when such priming has occurred. Other features can be provided as well.