Abstract: A waste treatment includes a package with compartments. A surfactant, an oxidizing agent, and, optionally, a liquid may be disposed within the compartments. The oxidizing agent is within a compartment that does not contain the surfactant or the liquid. A bursting force may unseal a sealed end of each compartment. The liquid flushes the surfactant and the oxidizing agent out of the package into a non-contact agitating toilet. A dual compartment package made with a fluidly disintegrable material may separate the surfactant from the oxidizing agent where the liquid may not be provided. The waste treatment may be mixed with a waste deposited within the non-contact agitating toilet. The package may disintegrate in the presence of the liquid to allow the reactive components to mix. A plurality of waste treatments may be connected. A perforated barrier may separate a first waste treatment from a second waste treatment.

Abstract: A method for Short-Time Fourier Transform-based echo muting includes receiving a microphone signal including acoustic echo captured by a microphone and corresponding to audio content from an acoustic speaker, and receiving a reference signal including a sequence of frames representing the audio content. For each frame in a sequence of frames, the method includes processing, using an acoustic echo canceler configured to receive a respective frame as input to generate a respective output signal frame that cancels the acoustic echo from the respective frame, and determining, using a Double-talk Detector (DTD), based on the respective frame and the respective output signal frame, whether the respective frame includes a double-talk frame or an echo-only frame. For each respective frame that includes the echo-only frame, muting the respective output signal frame, and performing speech processing on the respective output signal frame for each respective frame that includes the double-talk frame.

Abstract: Artificial muscle device and method of manufacturing the same for the treatment or control of an organ such as the heart. The artificial muscle device comprises artificial polymer actuators or fibers that can work together to form the artificial muscle structure. The artificial fibers are electrothermally active contractile polymers capable of various characteristics, including increased contractile forces. The artificial actuators are knittable or weavable into patterns and shapes to create unique artificial muscles that can be shaped into implantable devices.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various techniques and devices for detecting a level of fluid within a fluid collection receptacle. These techniques and devices may further determine a flow rate of fluid entering the fluid collection receptacle or a volume of fluid collected within the fluid collection receptacle. Sensors, including pressure sensors, may be installed in, on, or within the fluid collection receptacle to detect information about the liquid within the receptacle including fluid level, flow rate, and volume.

Abstract: A new and improved intrinsically safe barrier (“ISB”) provides advantages in connection with installation of field equipment in hazardous areas including Division 2/Zone 2 areas. In one embodiment the new ISB provides a pluggable/unpluggable ISB for use with a receiving terminal base adapted for individual field mounting and alternatively for use with a circuit mount terminal base to permit direct mounting of ISB on circuit boards. A highly effective heat sink design and potting material allows for heat dissipation to allow the ISB to serve a wider range of applications.

Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing customer resource telemetry and use as a service. In various embodiments, a computing system might receive, from a user, a request to access at least one network-accessible resource associated with a customer of a service provider, the user being unassociated and unrelated with the customer; might identify at least one of a user identification, a company, or a class of user associated with the user; might determine whether at least one resource record associated with the customer indicates that the user has permission to access the at least one network-accessible resource, based on the identification. If so, the computing system might provide the user with access to the at least one network-accessible resource associated with the customer. If not, the computing system might deny, to the user, access to the at least one network-accessible resource associated with the customer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for image sensing are provided. In one example, an apparatus comprises a semiconductor substrate comprising a light incident surface to receive light, a first pinned photodiode, and a second pinned photodiode, the first pinned photodiode and the second pinned photodiode forming a stack structure in the semiconductor substrate along an axis perpendicular to the light incident surface, the stack structure enabling the first pinned photodiode and the second pinned photodiode to, respectively, convert a first component of the light and a second component of the light to first charge and second charge. The apparatus further comprises one or more capacitors formed in the semiconductor substrate and configured to generate a first voltage and a second voltage based on, respectively, the first charge and the second charge.

Abstract: An electromagnetic emission shield for protecting a facility having a volume comprised of coal combustion residue. The shield includes a carbon-based material positioned inside an interior space of the coal combustion residue proximate to and interposed between a potential source of electromagnetic emission and the facility.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to display a real world event on a client device with avatars. Appropriate parameters for the real world event are provided and participants in the real world event are associated to avatars. As the real world event begins, a server is configured to provide information on the real world event to the client device, and the client device displays a representation of a virtual event using the avatars and the information received from the server.

Abstract: A pressurized-gas storage vessel includes a liner defining a chamber therein, the chamber being configured to receive a gas; a first wrapping surrounding the liner; and a second wrapping surrounding the liner. Methods of manufacturing and using the storage vessel are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for instantiating collaboration interfaces via object recognition are disclosed. An object recognition engine communicatively coupled to a database and an electronic device receives sensor data related to an object and identifies an object characteristic. A component is selected having criteria satisfied by the object characteristic and a collaboration interface is instantiated on the electronic device. This can allow a user to edit content related to an object. A substantially identical collaboration interface can be instantiated on a second electronic device to allow collaboration among user with respect to content related to the object.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for video encoding/decoding. In some examples, an apparatus for filtering in video decoding includes processing circuitry. For example, the processing circuitry determines first reconstructed sample values of reconstructed samples of a first color component within a filter support region of a to-be filtered sample of a second color component. The to-be filtered sample is at a center position of the filter support region. Based on a mapping that associates offset values with reconstructed sample values within the filter support region, a first offset value of the offset values in the mapping that is associated with the first reconstructed sample values is determined. The first offset value is applied on the second color component for the to-be filtered sample to determine a filtered sample value of the second color component for the to-be filtered sample.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a self-contained unit having a system for recovering polymer over spray from a pallet coating process. The self-contained unit includes a common enclosure having at least four walls, a ceiling and a floor. There is a collection tank located below the floor of the common enclosure and a roof platform is located above the ceiling of the common enclosure. Within the common enclosure is at least one spray booth having a waterfall wall with liquid flowing down a face of the waterfall wall to the collection tank. Mounted on the roof platform is a consolidation tank, hydrocyclone and pressure filter that are all part of the system for removing the polymer from the over spray mixture collected at the collection tank.

Abstract: Examples are disclosed relating to computing devices and methods for performing touch detection within a virtual trackpad area of a touch screen display. In one example, a non-trackpad touch input signal is received from outside the virtual trackpad area and processed with at least one touch detection algorithm applying a non-trackpad threshold value. A virtual trackpad touch input signal is determined to be received from within the virtual trackpad area. On condition of determining that the virtual trackpad touch input signal is received from within the virtual trackpad area, the virtual trackpad touch input signal is processed with the touch detection algorithm applying a virtual trackpad threshold value different from the non-trackpad threshold value.

Abstract: A deadbolt control and security system for preventing rotation of a deadbolt manual egress handle of a deadbolt lock is described herein. The system preferably includes a deadbolt interface unit and at least one actuator unit. The deadbolt interface unit has a manual mode (the deadbolt interface unit manual egress handle controlling locking and unlocking the deadbolt lock) and a remote mode (the at least one actuator unit controlling locking and unlocking the deadbolt lock). The deadbolt interface unit includes: a deadbolt interface unit manual egress handle; a gear train having a shaft coordinated with the deadbolt interface unit manual egress handle; a unit-handle coupler that interfaces between the deadbolt manual egress handle and the deadbolt interface unit manual egress handle via the shaft; and a clutch. Preferred systems prevent the deadbolt lock from being unlocked using keys and/or other bypass tools.

Abstract: Described are embodiments for Ethernet header compression. A base station sends, to a wireless device, a radio resource control message including a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) configuration parameter indicating Ethernet header compression for a data radio bearer. Based on the PDCP configuration parameter, the base station sends, to the wireless device, a message including: a source medium access control (MAC) address and a destination MAC address, and a header compression index corresponding to the source MAC address and the destination MAC address. The base station sends, to the wireless device, a compressed Ethernet packet: including a packet header being compressed based on the message; and including the corresponding header compression index.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing autonomous chauffeur services. In particular, systems and methods are provided to integrate users' calendars with a ridehail application to provide personal chauffeur-type services. Integrating a ridehail service application with a user's calendar and online schedule enables the ridehail service to act as a personal around-the-clock chauffeur, with an autonomous vehicle appearing when needed and taking the user to their destination with no additional input.

Abstract: A passive stent for retaining an organ in an expanded state configured to adhere and substantially conform to an external surface of the organ may include an inner layer, an outer layer, and a middle layer that is enclosed by the inner layer and the outer layer, comprising a plurality of components configured to interlock and maintain the organ in an expanded state upon application of a vacuum. A method for retaining an organ in an expanded state may include applying at least one force to the organ to place the organ in the expanded state; applying a passive stent to an external surface of the organ; and applying a vacuum to the passive stent sufficient to cause a plurality of components of at least one layer of the passive stent to interlock, where the at least one layer is configured to maintain the organ in the expanded state after interlocking.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments may provide keys for unlocking access to a location, like a user room, a secure location, a door at an employee location, a trunk, a closet or other locked location or item, on a payment card. Examples of a payment card include but are not limited to a credit card, a debit card, a smart card, an employee identification card, etc. A secure token that acts as digital key may be uploaded to the payment card. The payment card may then be put in close proximity of a wireless reader at the lock. The wireless reader obtains the secure token and extracts the contents. If the contents are proper, the lock is unlocked. Otherwise, the lock remains locked.

Abstract: An optimized thermocouple system and a method of optimizing a thermocouple system having a plurality of thermocouple probes and a junction box is provided and includes examining the thermocouple system to identify a first thermocouple probe of the plurality of thermocouple probes, wherein the first thermocouple probe includes a first positive leg and a first negative leg and is located electrically farthest from the junction box. The method includes calculating a first loop resistance between the first thermocouple probe and the junction box and configuring a second thermocouple probe of the plurality of thermocouple probes having a second positive leg, a second negative leg and a second loop resistance such that the second loop resistance is substantially equal to the first loop resistance.