Abstract: A system and method for securing communication over an optical fiber are disclosed. The system includes a transmit spatial multiplexer configured to couple a plurality of optical signals into respective ones of a plurality of spatial paths of an optical fiber, each of the spatial paths being able to carry an optical signal; wherein at least one of the plurality of optical signals is an optically modulated version of a desired sequence of information that is intended to be transferred over the optical fiber; and wherein at least one of the plurality of optical signals is an optical chaff signal; whereby a tap along the fiber cannot determine the transmitted desired sequence of information.

Abstract: Lane configuration of a lane on which an ADV is driving and a current speed of the ADV are determined. A nudge space is determined based on the lane configuration, the current speed, and a vehicle width of the ADV. Path planning is performed to generate a path to nudge an obstacle, in response to the determining that the nudge space is greater than a predetermined threshold nudge space. The ADV is controlled to drive autonomously according to the planned path to nudge the obstacle.

Abstract: A steam trap includes a replaceable condensate nozzle cartridge with a through passage forming a venturi nozzle in a straight-line working fluid flow path. The venturi through passage includes a venturi nozzle insert that reduces the pressure of the working fluid to cause the liquid water in the working fluid to flash and restrict the flow of steam through the passage. The condensate nozzle is located in a reduced pressure discharge chamber into which a nozzle outlet discharges water condensate extracted by the nozzle and emptied from a trap outlet. The reduced pressure discharge chamber has an access opening sealed by a removable cover to allow the nozzle cartridge to be removed and replaced if necessary, without removing the steam trap from the process line. Locating the removable nozzle cartridge in a lower pressure region of the steam trap overcomes rating limitations on prior steam traps with replaceable venturi nozzles.

Abstract: A die bonding system comprising a wafer lift and level assembly configured to allow rapid planarization of a wafer comprising a wafer frame configured to retain a wafer and be slidably retained within guide clevises and a leveling pedestal configured to support a wafer from below in a localized area where a die bonding operation is to take place, allowing the quick and repeatable planarization of die(s) to the wafer without the need for distinct planarization procedures that would slow cycle times and decrease production.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method of tracking soil sampling in a field is disclosed. The method comprises receiving, by a processor, digitally stored field map data and digitally stored sampling data. The method further comprises displaying, by the processor, a field map depicting the first set of sampling points in a computer-generated graphical user interface. In addition, the method comprises receiving a selection of a first sampling point and displaying first sampling data associated with the first sampling point. The method also comprises receiving an update indicating that a soil sample has been collected at the first sampling point. Finally, the method comprises determining a second sampling point at which a next soil sample is to be collected and displaying the second sampling point in the field map.

Abstract: A highly adsorptive structure includes: a substrate; and a metal-organic framework (MOF) comprising a plurality of metal atoms coordinated to a plurality of organic spacer molecules; wherein the MOF is coupled to at least one surface of the substrate, wherein the MOF is configured to adsorb and desorb a refrigerant under predetermined thermodynamic conditions. The refrigerant includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: acid halides, alcohols, aldehydes, amines, chlorofluorocarbons, esters, ethers, fluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, halocarbons, halogenated aldehydes, halogenated amines, halogenated hydrocarbons, halomethanes, hydrocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluoroethers, hydrofluoroolefins, inorganic gases, ketones, nitrocarbon compounds, noble gases, organochlorine compounds, organofluorine compounds, organophosphorous compounds, organosilicon compounds, oxide gases, refrigerant blends and thiols.

Abstract: A method and a system for traffic load balancing between a multipath-capable receiver within an administrative domain and a multipath-capable sender outside of the administrative domain, performed by at least one processor. The method includes identifying available access networks receiving media streams, accepting steering rules from the administrative domain, incrementing a counter that measures the amount of media streams arriving on the available access networks during a measurement interval, adjusting a delay value based on a timer value, the total amount of media arriving on the access networks, and the steering rules. The timer value may be set to the measurement interval and the measurement interval may be provided in the steering rules. Then, the method includes the multipath-capable sender sending acknowledgments which are delayed according to the adjusted delay value.

Abstract: Results of an authentication process are received. The authentication process allows for a graded level of authentication using a plurality of authentication types (e.g., a username/password and a fingerprint scan). Encrypted data is then accessed. The encrypted data has been encrypted using a plurality of encryption levels. The data is unencrypted based on the graded level of authentication. In a second embodiment, a system and method are provided that establish a communication session (e.g., a voice or email communication session). The communication session is between a plurality of users. During the communication session, an indication is received to change an encryption level for the communication session. In response to receiving the indication to change the encryption level for the communication session, an encryption level of the first communication session is dynamically changed from a first level of encryption to a second level of encryption.

Abstract: A composition for use in cleaning metal components having Hansen Solubility Parameters for the composition of ?D?15, ?P<6, and ?H from about 5.5 to about 6.9. The composition includes a blend of organic solvents, none of which are classified as a volatile organic compound, a hazardous air pollutant, or a potential carcinogen, or exhibit a vapor pressure of less than 0.1 mmHg at 20° C. Further, the blend of organic solvents includes a halogenated aromatic solvent having one or more halide groups and from 6 to 8 carbon atoms, an organic solvent having one or more ester functional group and from 3 to 9 carbon atoms, and one or more of a linear or branched hydrocarbon solvent with 6-12 carbon atoms with a single polar moiety head group or a solvent containing one or more ketone functional groups and from 2 to 5 carbon atoms.

Abstract: An electric driven hydraulic fracking system is disclosed. A pump configuration that includes the single VFD, the single shaft electric motor, and the single hydraulic pump that is mounted on the single pump trailer. The single VFD converts the electric power of at least 13.8 kV to a VFD rated voltage level of at least 4160V and drives the single shaft electric motor at the VFD voltage level of up to 4160V to control the operation of the single shaft electric motor and the single hydraulic pump. The single shaft electric motor drives the single hydraulic pump with the rotation at the rated RPM level of at least 750 RPM. The single hydraulic pump continuously pumps the fracking media into the well at the HP level of at least 5000 HP. The single hydraulic pump operates on a continuous duty cycle to continuously pump the fracking media at the HP level of at least 5000 HP.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling an engine idle-stop based on upcoming traffic and road conditions. In one example, a method may include receiving data including traffic information and road characteristics immediately ahead of a vehicle from one or more remote sources, and adjusting one or more vehicle thresholds based on the received data. A duration of a prospective engine idle-stop may be estimated based on the received data and an engine idle-stop may be initiated based on the duration of the prospective engine idle-stop and the adjusted one or more vehicle threshold.

Abstract: An illumination system can include a dual junction light-emitting diode (LED) array including first and second junctions that extend in a plane. The first junction can emit first light from a plurality of first light-emitting areas that are separated by first boundaries. The second junction can be disposed on the first junction such that the first light passes through the second junction. The second junction can emit second light from a plurality of second light-emitting areas. The second light-emitting areas can be separated by second boundaries that correspond in a one-to-one correspondence to the first boundaries. The second boundaries can be offset in the plane from the corresponding first boundaries. The offset can help reduce or eliminate dark bands in the combined first and second light, which could be present if the second boundaries were not offset from the first boundaries.

Abstract: A lawn mower front wheel positioning system that provides adjustment of lateral positioning of a front wheel of the mower. The front wheel positioning system includes a wheel support arm, a wheel support member, and a wheel positioning arm having an adjustable length. The wheel positioning arm having a proximal end that couples to the wheel support member and a distal end that couples to the wheel support arm. A first end of the wheel support arm couples to the front wheel. A second end of the support arm couples to the support member by way of a support arm wheel pivot that defines a wheel pivot axis. The wheel support arm and the front wheel rotate about the wheel pivot axis responsive to adjustment of the length of the wheel positioning arm.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to testing software for operating an autonomous vehicle. In one instance, a simulation may be run using log data collected by a vehicle operating in an autonomous driving mode. The simulation may be run using the software to control a simulated vehicle and by modifying a characteristic of an agent identified in the log data. During the running of the simulation, that a first type of interaction between the first simulated vehicle and the modified agent will occur may be determined. In response to determining that the particular type of interaction will occur, the modified agent may be replaced by a interactive agent that simulates a road user corresponding to the modified agent that is capable of responding to actions performed by simulated vehicles. That the particular type of interaction between the simulated vehicle and the interactive agent has occurred in the simulation may be determined.

Abstract: Manual and automated racking systems and associated methods for loading/unloading glass panels (e.g., insulating glass units (IGU), laminated glass units, glass composites, monolithic glass, and the like) onto/from a transportable rack, and a rack for use with the manual and automated racking systems.

Abstract: Techniques perform storage management. The techniques involve: in response to a target request for a target redundant array of independent disks (RAID), determining that data in a first storage block associated with the target RAID needs to be moved or copied, wherein the target request includes one of the following: a restriping request, a type conversion request, or a rebalancing request; creating an intermediate RAID associated with an idle second storage block; and copying the data in the first storage block to a corresponding storage space in the intermediate RAID to write at least part of the data in the second storage block. Based on this mode, RAID restriping, type conversion, or rebalancing can be implemented efficiently.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to systems and methods for identifying entities related to a task in a natural language input. An entity detection model is provided which receives a natural language input. The entity detection model processes the natural language input using an entity encoder and an input encoder. The entity encoder identifies and encodes relevant entities while the input encoder generates a contextual encoding which represents contextual information associated with a relevant entity. The encoded entity and contextual encodings may then be combined and processed to generate a probability score for an identified entity. A negation constraint model is also disclosed. The negation constraint model receives the natural language input and the identified entities. The natural language input is analyzed to identify negation cues and determine if the negation cue is associated with an identified entity.

Abstract: Quantization-aware neural architecture search (“QNAS”) can be utilized to learn optimal hyperparameters for configuring an artificial neural network (“ANN”) that quantizes activation values and/or weights. The hyperparameters can include model topology parameters, quantization parameters, and hardware architecture parameters. Model topology parameters specify the structure and connectivity of an ANN. Quantization parameters can define a quantization configuration for an ANN such as, for example, a bit width for a mantissa for storing activation values or weights generated by the layers of an ANN. The activation values and weights can be represented using a quantized-precision floating-point format, such as a block floating-point format (“BFP”) having a mantissa that has fewer bits than a mantissa in a normal-precision floating-point representation and a shared exponent.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning networks for predicting or determining demand metrics across multiple channels. An analytics platform can receive channel events from multiple channels corresponding to geographic areas, and channel features related to demand conditions in the channels can be extracted from the channel events. During a training phase, the channel features can be accumulated into one or more training datasets for training one or more demand prediction models. The one or more demand prediction models can be trained to predict or determine demand metrics for each of the channels. The demand metrics can indicate or predict demand conditions based on the current conditions in the channels and/or based on future, predicted conditions in the channels. Other embodiments are disclosed herein as well.

Abstract: A disintegrable rubber seal includes a rubber composite, which contains a rubber matrix including a crosslinked rubber; and an energetic filler configured to generate heat upon activation to disintegrate the rubber matrix. The energetic filler contains a metal and a metal oxide. A weight ratio of the energetic filler to the rubber matrix is about 6:1 to about 1:1.