Abstract: A sensing device for acquiring data from a finger. The device includes a carrier board having a stacked portion with a finger side and a canopy side. A tip wing extends from the stacked portion and wraps around the finger. Electrical components are coupled to the carrier board, including a first circuit board on the canopy side of the stacked portion, and one or more optical components electrically on the tip wing. The optical components are configured to transmit light towards the finger and to detect the light from the finger. The carrier board electrically couples the electrical components to acquire the data from the finger. A power system is positioned between the canopy side and the finger side of the carrier board, where the power system provides power to the electrical components via the carrier board. A cover secures the carrier board to the finger.

Abstract: System and methods for selecting one of the alternative streams of encoded media from a group of alternative streams of encoded media for use during start-up of playback of the encoded media in accordance with embodiments of this invention are disclosed. The systems and methods begin by determining an estimated stability period for a current bandwidth of a communicative connection between the playback device and a remote system providing the alternative streams of encoded. A test process is then performed on the streams of encoded media to select one of streams of encoded media that provides portions of said encoded media such that an underflow condition does not occur during the estimated stability period. The streaming of encoded media is then commenced by requesting the portions of encoded media be transmitted from the remote server using the selected stream.

Abstract: A reservoir refill system for an electronic vaping device includes a refill container and a reservoir. The refill container contains a pre-vapor formulation. The refill container includes a body, an opening in the body, and a first interlocking ring including at least one groove or at least one protrusion therein. The reservoir is configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation and includes a reservoir body, an opening in the reservoir body, and a second interlocking ring including at least one groove or at least one protrusion therein at an opening of the reservoir. The first interlocking ring is configured to mate with the second interlocking ring so as to release the pre-vapor formulation from the refill container to the reservoir.

Abstract: A cowboy hat carrier compartment is defined by a substantially rigid base and cover. The cover may be opened with a zipper, buckle or latch. The hat compartment contains a rigid tray on which the hat is stored. The tray includes a frustum-shaped mandrel that is sized, shaped and positioned to fit into the dome of the hat. The tray also includes a pan for supporting the brim of the hat. The front of the pan includes a recess sized and shaped to receive a dipped front of the brim of the cowboy hat.

Abstract: A computer, including a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions to be executed by the processor to determine a vehicle six degree of freedom (DoF) pose based on an image where the six DoF pose includes x, y, and z location and roll, pitch, and yaw orientation and transform the vehicle six DoF pose into global coordinates based on a camera six DoF pose. The instructions can include further instructions to communicate to the vehicle the six DoF pose in global coordinates.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining whether a particular feature or change implemented in at least one test store causes a significant change as compared to one or more control stores are discussed. More particularly, techniques for using a time-series clustering algorithm to identify comparable sister stores to a store in which a feature change is being considered are described. Once the sister stores are identified a testing module can perform an A/B testing so as to validate whether a particular feature change being implemented in the test store causes a significant change as compared to the control stores.

Abstract: An improved method for coding video is provided that includes Virtual Reality (VR) sequences that enables more efficient encoding by organizing the VR sequence as a single 2D block structure. In the method, reference picture and subpicture lists are created and extended to account for coding of the VR sequence. To further improve coding efficiency, reference indexing can be provided for the temporal and spatial difference between a current VR picture block and the reference pictures and subpictures for the VR sequence. Further, because the reference subpictures for the VR sequence may not have the proper orientation once the VR sequence subpictures are organized into the VR sequence, reorientation of the reference subpictures is made so that the reference subpicture orientations match the current VR subpicture orientations.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for transferring electrical power between an electrical power system of a vehicle and another device. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus includes a wireless transfer unit electrically coupled with a high voltage system of a vehicle and configured to enable wireless bidirectional power exchange between the high voltage system and an auxiliary device. The high voltage system is operable to power a drivetrain of the vehicle and the auxiliary device is separate from the vehicle and configured to at least one of provide electric power to and receive power from the high voltage system. A transfer control unit is configured to communicate with the wireless transfer unit and control at least one parameter specifying a transfer of electrical power between the high voltage system and the auxiliary device.

Abstract: A layered, laminated glove includes an outer layer, a membrane formed from a liquid-resistant, air permeable material positioned on an inner surface of the outer layer and a liner formed from a moisture absorbing material. The liner is positioned on an inner surface of the membrane. The outer layer, membrane and liner are laminated to form a single glove. The glove includes a plurality of fingertip portions in which the outer layer, membrane and liner are substantially fully laminated throughout. The glove may include a 3D pattern formed in one or more layers of the laminate. The glove may include an enlarged knuckle section. A hand mold and system for making the gloves and a method are also disclosed.

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to beam homogenization for occlusion avoidance. One embodiment includes a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device. The LIDAR device includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes a light emitter. The light emitter emits light that diverges along a fast-axis and a slow-axis. The transmitter also includes a fast-axis collimation (FAC) lens optically coupled to the light emitter. The FAC lens is configured to receive light emitted by the light emitter and reduce a divergence of the received light along the fast-axis of the light emitter to provide reduced-divergence light. The transmitter further includes a transmit lens optically coupled to the FAC lens. The transmit lens is configured to receive the reduced-divergence light from the FAC lens and provide transmit light. The FAC lens is positioned relative to the light emitter such that the reduced-divergence light is expanded at the transmit lens.

Abstract: Tunnel junctions for multijunction solar cells are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a tunnel junction includes a first layer including p-type AlGaAs, a second layer including n-type GaAs, wherein the second layer is a quantum well, and a third layer including n-type AlGaAs or n-type lattice matched AlGaInP. The quantum well can be GaAs or AlxGaAs with x being more than about 40%, and lattice matched GaInAsNSb in the Eg range of from about 0.8 to about 1.4 eV.

Abstract: A dual-wound machine comprises a dual-wound generator supplying power to two separate powered zones. The generator comprises a wound rotor with a field winding and a stator with two sets of phase windings and a field control loop that controls the excitation voltage applied to the field winding and therefore the magnetic field produced by the rotor, in order to maintain a constant field flux in the generator and mitigate dynamic coupling between the two sets of phase windings when supplying power to unbalanced loads.

Abstract: A resource-efficient modulation scheme includes both conventional and zero-amplitude states. The conventional states in 5G/6G are amplitude- or phase-modulated, or both, whereas the zero-amplitude states have zero or substantially zero amplitude. By including modulation states with zero amplitude in the modulation scheme, transmitters can transmit a message more compactly, and using less time or bandwidth, and with a substantial decrease in emitted energy. For example, in a phase-modulation scheme such as BPSK or QPSK, a zero state represents an additional modulation state with zero transmitted amplitude. In a modulation scheme with I and Q branches in quadrature, each branch is separately amplitude modulated, plus additional states with zero amplitude in one or both branches, for different effects. For example, 16QAM with nine additional zero-amplitude states totals 25 available modulation states, resulting in 36% reduction in message size and 44% reduction in transmitted energy.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a lock system including automated notification and surveillance integration. In the lock system of the present disclosure, when any of the locks included in the lock system are locked or unlocked, a notification or communication signal is sent to at least one other device. The at least one other device may be a receiver, smart phone, smart watch, laptop, desktop, and/or an Internet connected or Internet of Things (IoT) device. In one aspect, the at least one other device is an image capturing device that captures one or more images of the lock that has been locked or unlocked and the surrounding area the lock is disposed in responsive to the notification or communication signal sent. The lock system of the present disclosure is configured for use with electronic locks, mechanical locks, and/or hybrid electronic-mechanical locks.

Abstract: The present disclosure facilitates interfacing between a sales management system and a project planning system. In some embodiments, the system includes an interface and schedule engine, both executing on a server. The interface can parse a sales order from the sales management system into products and project tasks within the products. The products can also include at least one of a labor product, a parts product, and an agreements product. The schedule engine can generate schedule tasks corresponding to the project tasks, determine a performance order of the schedule tasks, and combine the schedule tasks into schedule phases based on the performance order. The schedule engine can determine a performance order of the schedule phases and combine the schedule phases into a schedule component based on the performance order. The interface can transmit the schedule component to the project planning system for execution.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides technologies that enable users to graphically merge content displayed on a first computing device with content displayed on a second computing device by the use of a simplified gesture. For example, a user can hold a portable computer displaying content up to a screen of another computer displaying other content. The user can position the portable computer to align the rendering of the content with a rendering of the other content. Measurements of the alignment are processed to determine a location that is used to graphically merge the content of the portable computer at a specific location within the other content. A scaling factor can be used to control the size of the content that is placed within the other content. The scaling factor can be based on a user gesture, preference data, or knowledge of a computing device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an assembly includes a retractor (30, 730, 930) and at least one cylindrical rod (102, 402, 502, 702, 802, 902) attached to the retractor. The rod has a fixed length portion (108, 406, 508, 708, 808, 908) and a spring portion (104, 404, 504, 718, 832, 905). The spring portion of the rod has a longitudinal dimension that changes as a function of loading on the rod. When the rod is in contact with a solid surface such as a bone, it maintains contact with such surface even while changing shape due to loading on the rod. When the assembly includes multiple rods attached to the retractor, both spring-based rods and other types of rods may be used in combination.

Abstract: User-input obfuscating techniques involving displaying multiple targets on a display device. A visual indication of the current user target moves to a first target at a first time in response to user input, and a first presentation of a visual or audio feedback signal confirming actuation of a target occurs at a second time, without a user input for actuation of a target received while the current user target has remained at the first target from the first time to the second time. The visual indication moves to a second target at a third time in response to user input. The second target is actuated in response to receiving user input for actuation of the current user target after the third time. Then, with the current user target having remained at the second target since the third time, a second presentation of the visual or audio feedback signal is provided.

Abstract: This invention is a new and distinct variety of grapevine denominated ‘IFG Forty-eight’. The new grapevine is characterized by producing small sized obtuse ovoid white berries having crisp texture with a strong muscat flavor and which ripens in early season. Berries are borne on medium size clusters which are loose and do not need gibberellin applications to thin clusters. Gibberellin is required to increase berry size.