Abstract: An aeronautical car includes a ground-travel system including a drivetrain; an air-travel system including a detachable portion configured to house a propulsion device configured to provide thrust and to be driven by the drivetrain when the detachable portion is connected to the aeronautical car, and at least one flight mechanism configured to provide lift once the aeronautical car is in motion; and a weather manipulation device. The weather manipulation device may be configured to manipulate at least one aspect of a weather condition while the aeronautical car is in the air.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to detect audio engineering problems using identification of isolated watermarks are disclosed herein. Disclosed example methods include identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, isolated watermarks in a first set of detected watermarks obtained from first media monitored at a first site. Disclosed example methods further include determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a problem has been detected with the first media associated with the first set of detected watermarks in response to a first number of isolated watermarks identified in the first set of detected watermarks satisfying a first threshold.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for performing expansion combustion in an engine of a start-stop vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving an auto-start request to restart an engine from an auto-stop, determining a fuel mass to inject into a cylinder for an expansion combustion event based on a duration of the auto-stop, and actuating a spark plug of the cylinder after injecting the determined fuel mass to perform the expansion combustion event. In this way, an air-fuel ratio of the expansion combustion event may be more accurately controlled, resulting in more robust expansion combustion engine restarts.

Abstract: An optical waveplate is provided. The optical waveplate includes a first birefringent film including optically anisotropic molecules arranged to form a first twist structure. The optical waveplate also includes a second birefringent film including optically anisotropic molecules arranged to form a second twist structure, the second birefringent film being stacked with the first birefringent film. The optically anisotropic molecules at a first portion of the first birefringent film adjacent an interface between the first birefringent film and the second birefringent film are configured with a first azimuthal angle. The optically anisotropic molecules at a second portion of the second birefringent film adjacent the interface are configured with a second azimuthal angle. The first azimuthal angle is substantially the same as the second azimuthal angle.

Abstract: A zirconocene-titanocene catalyst system comprising a zirconocene catalyst and a titanocene catalyst; polyolefins; methods of making and using same; and articles containing same.

Abstract: A lift plug for lifting a graphite electrode includes a main body and an insert coupled to one end of the main body, with the insert configured to mate with a graphite electrode to secure the lift plug to the graphite electrode. The lift plug also includes a lifting component coupled to the main body opposite the insert to lift the graphite electrode. The insert comprises a non-graphite material with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) similar to graphite, such that the lift plug expands at a similar rate as the graphite electrode when heated so as to prevent locking at a joint between the lift plug and the graphite electrode.

Abstract: A method of determining position and orientation of an object using a profilometer. A measurement body has a predetermined polyhedral basic form and a defined spatial relationship with the object. The profilometer captures rectilinear coordinates of at least three measurement points lying on a profile line defined by a profilometer scan-line. Using the coordinates and measurement body geometric values, rotations of the measurement body are calculated about a measurement body z-axis, an intermediate y-axis resulting from the z-axis rotation, and about a profilometer-defined x-axis. Next, three translation displacements of the measurement body relative to the three profilometer-defined axes are calculated using the coordinates, the geometric values of the measurement body, and the above-calculated rotations. The position and an orientation of the object is determined by then applying the defined spatial relationship of the measurement body to the object.

Abstract: A nesting equipment support pad is disclosed, in particular an outdoor air conditioner compressor pad. The pad comprises a parallelogram upper surface which contacts the compressor and descending side walls from each edge of the parallelogram upper surface. Two side walls include a notch to accommodate a matching notch of another identical support pad when placed in a nesting arrangement. These notched corners are at diagonally opposing corners of each pad permitting the nesting arrangements. Additional, support rib members and protrusions are located within the cavity formed by the four side walls to provide strength and rigidity. These rib members and protrusions are placed in an offset manner to permit the nesting arrangement without interference with the mating pad.

Abstract: Toll advertisement messages (TAMs) are broadcast via V2X communication, each of the TAMs indicating geographic locations of lanes of a roadway for which tolls are due and cost information for traversing the lanes of the roadway. A tolling usage message (TUM) is received via the V2X communication, the TUM indicating, to a roadside unit (RSU), information regarding a vehicle entering one of the lanes of the roadway and a unique random account identifier to be used by the RSU to identify the vehicle. A toll receipt message (TRM) is broadcast via the V2X communication, the TRM including the unique random account identifier and indicating, to the vehicle, a final cost charged to the vehicle for access to the one of the lanes of the roadway.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide swallowable devices, preparations and methods for delivering drugs and other therapeutic agents within the GI tract. Many embodiments provide a swallowable device for delivering the agents. Particular embodiments provide a swallowable device such as a capsule for delivering drugs into the intestinal wall or other GI lumen. Embodiments also provide various drug preparations that are configured to be contained within the capsule, advanced from the capsule into the intestinal wall and degrade to release the drug into the bloodstream to produce a therapeutic effect. The preparation can be operably coupled to delivery means having a first configuration where the preparation is contained in the capsule and a second configuration where the preparation is advanced out of the capsule into the intestinal wall. Embodiments of the invention are particularly useful for the delivery of drugs which are poorly absorbed, tolerated and/or degraded within the GI tract.

Abstract: Predicting and learning users' intended actions on an electronic device based on free-form speech input. Users' actions can be monitored to develop a list of carrier phrases having one or more actions that correspond to the carrier phrases. A user can speak a command into a device to initiate an action. The spoken command can be parsed and compared to a list of carrier phrases. If the spoken command matches one of the known carrier phrases, the corresponding action(s) can be presented to the user for selection. If the spoken command does not match one of the known carrier phrases, search results (e.g., Internet search results) corresponding to the spoken command can be presented to the user. The actions of the user in response to the presented action(s) and/or the search results can be monitored to update the list of carrier phrases.

Abstract: A patient treatment unit and method analyzes and treats pain in tissues by applying an electrical pulse train to the affected tissue. The impedance of the affected tissue is measured, and the measured impedance is correlated to a level of pain in the patient. The pulse train is further applied in response to the measured impedance to reduce the patient's pain. The patient treatment unit includes a probe stimulus generator that outputs the pulse train. The treatment unit also includes a pair of probes for contacting the patient's body and receiving the pulse train. The pulse has improved shaping based on isolation of high voltage from a low voltage control. The unit further includes a body impedance analysis circuit that senses voltage and current via the probes when the probes are contacting the patient and observe the impedance. A monitor is electrically coupled to the body impedance analysis circuit and provides an indication of the measured impedance indicative of the patient's level of pain in real-time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus decode packetized data in the presence of packet erasures using a finite sliding window technique. A decoder receives packets containing uncoded and coded symbols. When a packet with a coded symbol is received, the decoder determines whether a packet sequence number is within a sliding window of w consecutive sequence numbers that are no greater than a decoder sequence number, where the number w is fixed prior to encoding. When this is the case, the decoder decodes the coded symbol into one or more of the w input symbols using the coefficient vector. Decoding may use a forward error correcting (FEC) window within the finite sliding window. Decoding also may use a technique of Gaussian elimination to produce a “shifted” row echelon coefficient matrix.

Abstract: An a photopolymerization formulation is provided as is an improved method for forming an object using the formulation.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for controlling access to vehicles in rental, loaner, shared-use, and other vehicle fleets. Some of the present systems, devices, and methods use encrypted virtual keys that can be relayed to a vehicle computing device via a user's mobile device. Such virtual keys can be command-specific such that successful use of a virtual key results execution of a predetermined command or group of commands, and further commands require one or more additional virtual keys with the additional commands. Others of the present systems, devices, and methods provide tools: for provisioning or initial pairing of vehicle computing devices with corresponding vehicles, identifying and permitting a user to select locally available vehicles, prompting vehicle computing devices to retrieve pending commands from a server, and/or various other functions described in this disclosure.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for remote activation of an automated teller machine (ATM) to dispense cash to a customer. The customer may stage a transaction using a mobile application on a mobile device. Upon the staged transaction being authenticated and approved, the customer may visit the ATM. The customer may capture an image being displayed on a display of the ATM using a camera of the mobile device. The captured image may be sent to an application server from the mobile device. The application server may associate the ATM with the staged transaction that is staged using the mobile application, and send instructions to the ATM to dispense cash according to the staged transaction.

Abstract: An alternating current neutral and ground inductive electromagnetic rectification unit includes a first and second reactor connectable to a neutral and a ground of an existing circuit respectively. The first redactor includes a first pair of inductive coils, each coil disposed interior to a nonconductive tube. The second redactor includes a second pair of inductive coils, each coil also disposed interior to a nonconductive tube. The first pair of inductive coils are connected together in parallel, and also connected at opposing extremes terminating the neutral. The second pair of inductive coils are also connected in parallel, at opposing extremes of the ground. The first and second redactors are surrounded by an insulating matrix set within the housing. Once connected to the ground and neutral, the first and second redactors establish a magnetic field that redacts harmonic interference emerging on the neutral thereby increasing efficiency and power factor across the circuit.

Abstract: A vehicle and a system and method of operating a vehicle. The system includes a processor. The processor learns a driver's behavior of a driver of the vehicle as the driver navigates a road segment, creates a behavior policy based on the driver's behavior and a threshold associated with the road segment, and controls the vehicle to navigate the road segment using the behavior policy.