Abstract: Systems and methods for hosting one or more electronic games are described. A method in a system for hosting one or more electronic games includes receiving a selection by a player of an electronic game. The method includes enabling the electronic game to be played using a computing device operable by the player. The method also includes determining a game result based on game play by the player in the selected electronic game. The method further includes causing value to be awarded to the player in accordance with the game result. Various useful and technically advantageous features enabling play-to-earn electronic gaming where valuable payouts may be made in various non-monetary means.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for enabling beta testing of new features within a native application. In one embodiment, a native application executed by a client device may include executable instructions that are activated and executed only upon indication of a user belonging to a beta test group. The client device may receive a signal from a service or content provider that includes test group information indicating whether a user is a member of a test group. The client device may process the received signal to determine whether the user is a member of a test group and, if so, activates and executes certain instructions received as part of the native application that define a user interface enabling access to additional functionality unavailable to a user determined not to be a member of a test group.

Abstract: Various aspects of the present disclosure provide compositions including a water-insoluble therapeutic agent and a gallate-containing compound. Other aspects provide methods of using such compositions.

Abstract: A vehicular, adaptive brake light to custom light sequencing system generally includes an OEM vehicular brake light circuit electrically connected to OEM brake lights of a vehicle, and an aftermarket flashing circuit electrically connected within or to the OEM vehicular brake light circuit to cause the OEM brake lights to flash. The system further includes an aftermarket directional indicator circuit electrically connected within or to the OEM vehicular brake light circuit and electrically connected to the aftermarket flashing circuit to effectuate a flashing of at least one of an OEM left brake light and an OEM right brake light. The system also includes an aftermarket hazard light circuit that is electrically connected within or to the OEM brake light circuit and to the aftermarket flashing circuit to effectuate a flashing hazard by the OEM brake lights. Alternate sequencing systems include solid state electronics and protection against environmental contaminants.

Abstract: A robotic surgical tool includes an elongate shaft, an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft and including opposing first and second jaws, an articulable wrist that interposes the end effector and the distal end, the wrist including an articulation joint pivotable about an axis and a linkage mounted to the first and second jaws, a distal wedge positioned distal to the articulation joint and within a central portion of the wrist, and an electrical conductor extending through the wrist and to an electrode located at the end effector, wherein the distal wedge guides the electrical conductor to the electrode.

Abstract: An inner mandrel for forming a variable taper component includes a master insert and a plurality of interlocking pieces. The master insert includes opposed tapered edge faces, each tapered edge face defining at least one locking feature, a first surface having a variable taper and a plurality of recesses configured to receive a portion of the variable taper component, and a tapered second surface opposite the first surface. Each interlocking piece includes opposed tapered edge faces, one of the opposed tapered edge faces defining a locking feature and another of the opposed tapered edge faces defining a receiving feature to engage the locking feature of an adjacent interlocking piece, a first surface defining a variable taper and a plurality of recesses configured to receive a portion of the variable taper component, and a tapered second surface opposite the first surface.

Abstract: A vehicle headliner air duct assembly includes a headliner having a first surface and a second surface. A radiused edge is defined between the first surface and the second surface. A headliner duct is coupled to the first surface and the second surface of the headliner. The headliner duct defines an inlet. The inlet is disposed on the radiused edge. A connector duct is coupled to a vehicle body and at least partially overlaps the headliner duct proximate to the inlet to form a duct interface. The connector duct defines an outlet disposed on the radiused edge. The outlet is in fluid communication with the inlet via the duct interface. The duct interface is disposed on the radiused edge.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to method and/or device which is effective at cancelling or altering electrical signals or pulses, generated by, for example, digital electronic systems and components, that are induced, reflected or otherwise made present on the mains power supply conductors and/or the earthing or grounding conductor (if present.) The disclosed embodiments cancel these electrical signals thereby providing an effective means of preventing the exfiltration of various data from a computing or similar system by means of power line emissions. The disclosed embodiments may perform this subjugation by: altering the shape of the fundamental current and voltage waveforms and also altering and diminishing any non-fundamental frequency waveforms to a point where they are no longer measurable or detectable; and preventing the communication via inductive coupling of any electrical signals on mains current onto the grounding path or vice versa.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are novel personal pop-up pods designed for a single user. The personal pop-up pods can provide a user with privacy and/or protection from the surrounding elements. The personal pop-up pods are designed such that a user can remain mobile, i.e., able to move from one location to another while using a personal pop-up pod. The personal pop-up pods are designed such that a user can selectively gain access to the area surrounding the pop-up pod by opening windows and other points of access.

Abstract: A swing gear set for a large scale or heavy machine can be produced from components of a swing gear set including an internal gear ring assembled from plurality of internal toothed segments and/or an external gear ring assembled from a plurality of external toothed segments. The internal toothed segments and/or the external toothed segments are produced by bisecting a metal block in the shape of a rectangular prism into first and second intermediate blanks. The metal block can be produced by a forging process and the intermediate blanks can be machined by various machining process to produce the finished internal and external toothed segments.

Abstract: Monitoring a health of a plurality of virtual machines operating within a group of virtual machines configured to implement an application includes receiving health information from each of the plurality of virtual machines during operation of the group of virtual machines, determining a health score for each of the plurality of virtual machines based on the received health information, establishing a priority queue ranking each of the plurality of virtual machines based on the determined health score thereof, identifying one or more unhealthy virtual machines based on the established priority queue, and sending a message to at least one of the identified unhealthy virtual machines over a communication network to remove the at least one of the identified unhealthy virtual machines from the group of virtual machines when a remaining number of virtual machines in the group of virtual machines is greater than a safety number.

Abstract: A robotic surgical tool includes a handle providing a first drive input and a second drive input, an elongate shaft extendable through the handle and having an end effector arranged at a distal end thereof, and a rack extending along a portion of the shaft and operatively coupled to a knife located at the end effector. Actuation of the first drive input transitions the rack between a locked configuration, where the rack is locked to the shaft, and a released configuration, where the rack is released from the shaft. Actuation of the second drive input with the rack in the locked configuration drives the rack and causes z-axis translation of the shaft through the handle. Actuation of the second drive input with the rack in the released configuration drives the rack relative to the shaft and thereby advances or retracts the knife at the end effector.

Abstract: This invention provides particles encapsulating active agent that do not produce functional effects or remove functional effects until they are triggered by contacting with at least one exogenous source. The particles in this invention minimize toxic effects to the body of the active agent and the material that interacts with an exogenous source as well as minimize body chemicals from degrading both the active agent and the material that interacts with an exogenous source inside the particle.

Abstract: An improved artificial mangrove assembly designed to duplicate a natural mangrove that provides protection and promotes an underwater ecosystem, which can help reverse the decline in the fish population, aviary habitats, erosion, and the like and help to promote land and marine colonization.

Abstract: A robotic surgical tool includes an elongate shaft extendable through a handle providing a drive input, a drive cable extending along a portion of the shaft and having a proximal end anchored to the shaft proximal to the handle and a distal end anchored to the shaft distal to the handle, an actuation system housed within the handle and operatively coupled to the drive input such that actuation of the drive input operates the actuation system, and a toggle mechanism arranged at a proximal end of the shaft and actuatable to close or open opposing jaws of an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft. The drive cable is threaded through portions of the actuation system and the toggle mechanism such that operation of the actuation system acts on the drive cable and thereby actuates the toggle mechanism to close or open the opposing jaws.

Abstract: A robotic surgical tool includes an elongate shaft, an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft and including opposing first and second jaws, and an articulable wrist that interposes the end effector and the distal end, the wrist including a linkage providing one or more lateral arms receivable within a corresponding one or more grooves defined in the first and second jaws, wherein mounting the linkage to the first and second jaws at the corresponding one or more groove generates a jaw pivot where the first and second jaws pivot between open and closed positions.

Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle includes a vehicle controller receiving an operator-input vehicle control command with an associated torque request, and identifying any propulsion actuator constraints that limit a brake torque capacity available from the vehicle powertrain. Using the propulsion actuator constraint(s) and torque request, the controller determines a propulsion brake torque distribution for the vehicle's road wheels and a maximum brake torque capacity for the powertrain actuator(s). A first brake torque request is determined using the propulsion brake torque distribution and a vehicle control mode of the powertrain system, and a second brake torque request is determined using the maximum brake torque capacity and the vehicle control mode. A friction brake torque command is determined by arbitrating between the first and second brake torque requests.

Abstract: A propulsion control system has an electric motor configured to generate an axle torque in response to a final torque command, and has a motor constraint that specifies a maximum torque. A motor controller is configured to generate the final torque command in response to an intermediate torque command and a distributed power limit command. An open-loop function in supervisory controller is configured to calculate an initial torque command vector in response to a driver torque command, calculate an intended operating vector by mapping the initial torque command vector into a multidimensional power space, generate the intermediate torque command by clipping the intended operating vector in response to the motor constraint, generate a constrained command vector by clipping the intended operating vector in response to the motor constraint and a plurality of energy storage constraints, and generate the distributed power limit command in response to the constrained command vector.

Abstract: The present application provides an apparatus and method of determining water filming amine concentration, which includes performing a measuring cycle and a cleaning cycle. The measuring cycle includes providing sample water to a sample water measuring container, providing, to the sample water measuring container, one or more reaction chemicals which generate color in the sample water, emitting light, via a light emitter, at a wavelength range and intensity range, through the sample water having the generated color, to a light receiver, receiving an indication of a light intensity of the light emitted through the sample water and determining a filming amine concentration of the sample water based on the light intensity. The cleaning cycle includes providing a cleaning reagent to remove amines from the sample water measuring container.

Abstract: This document describes a dual-antenna system for a video-recording doorbell and associated devices and systems. The described antenna system may be implemented on an elongated printed circuit board and can be used for wideband and ultra-wideband applications. For low-cost devices, the dual-antenna system may implement diversity antennas by including first and second substantially orthogonal antennas connected to a chipset configured for single-input single-output (SISO) functionality. The dual-antenna system described herein achieves high antenna isolation and efficiency without a decoupling structure between the first and second antennas. Further, the dual-antenna system achieves high isolation while in proximity to a battery (e.g., a battery within a housing of a battery-powered, video-recording doorbell) and a metal plate for mounting the device to a wall or other structure.