Abstract: Techniques for updating persistent statistics on a multi-transactional and multi-node storage system. The techniques can be practiced in a distributed storage system including a plurality of storage nodes. Each storage node can include a persistent storage configured to accommodate a set of delta counter pages, as well as a global counter page for summarizing delta count values tracked by respective delta counters. The techniques can include, in each storage node, tracking, by each of a set of delta counters, changes to delta count values due to storage node operations performed on units of data storage, and summarizing, periodically or at least at intervals, the delta count values of the respective delta counters as global count values. The techniques can further include summarizing the global count values across the respective storage nodes in a count summarization report and sending the count summarization report to a client via a communications interface.

Abstract: Various acoustic manipulation and microphone gain adjustment techniques are enabled. For instance, a method comprises receiving, by a voice-enabled device comprising a processor and from a microphone, an input comprising environmental audio, determining, by the voice-enabled device, a level of the environmental audio, determining, by the voice-enabled device, a gain-adjust value based on the environmental audio, and adjusting, by the voice-enabled device, a gain of the microphone by the gain-adjust value.

Abstract: A processor determines metadata associated with an audio track. The processor identifies categories that are related to the audio track based on the metadata. The processor determines rankings for the categories that are related to the audio track. The ranking is indicative of a relevance of a particular category to the audio track. The processor performs a query to identify visual media for one or more of ranked categories. The visual media is related to the audio track. The processor generates a visual presentation for the audio track by selecting at least some of the visual media to include in the visual presentation.

Abstract: A window cutting system includes a window mill having a body including a connector member, a tip portion, and a plurality of blades arranged between the connector member and the tip portion. Each of the plurality of blades supports a plurality of cutting elements. A lug pocket is formed in at least one of the plurality of blades adjacent the plurality of cutting elements. A whipstock connector detachably coupled to the window mill. The whipstock connector including an outer surface and an inner surface, and at least one lug projecting radially inwardly from the inner surface. The at least one lug is selectively received by the lug pocket to connect the whipstock connector to the window mill.

Abstract: A method, a mobile device, and a computer program product for detecting loss of attention during play of media content in a mobile device. The method includes, during playback of first media content, receiving first data indicative of whether a consumer of the first media content is actively consuming the first media content. The method further includes evaluating, based on a comparison of the first data with comparative data, whether the first data indicates that the consumer is likely not currently paying attention to playback of the first media content. The method further includes identifying, based on a time of receipt of the first data that indicates that the consumer is not paying attention, a first time within the first media content at which the consumer stopped paying attention during the playback and resetting a playback location of the first media content to continue playback from the first time.

Abstract: A carpenter bee trap includes a plurality of walls surrounding a trap cavity, at least one entrance opening formed through at least one of the plurality of walls, a bottom wall coupled to a bottom of the plurality of walls, an exit opening formed through one of the walls or the bottom wall, a container disposed within the trap cavity and extending through the exit opening and into the external environment, and a funnel disposed within the cavity to direct carpenter bees into the container.

Abstract: A directional illumination apparatus comprises a waveguide with a reflective surface comprising reflective light input facets, reflective light extraction facets and an output transmissive surface. An array of sub-arrays of micro-LEDs is arranged to illuminate the reflective surface in a rearwards direction. The reflective light extraction facets cooperate to provide a uniform output illumination across the output aperture of the waveguide with collimated light that is controllable by control of the sub-arrays of micro-LEDs. A thin and efficient illumination apparatus may be used for switching high dynamic range display backlighting, privacy display or environmental illumination applications.

Abstract: A method begins with a server recording conditions for an exchange item. The method continues with the server determining whether a corresponding condition of the exchange item is compliant with one or more rules of an applicable set of rules. When the corresponding condition of the exchange item is compliant with the one or more rules, the method continues with the server establishing a secure communication with a computing device affiliated with a current owner to take control of the exchange item. While having control over the exchange item, the server securely modifies a quantifiable value of the exchange item based on the one or more rules to produce a modified exchange item and prevents the computing device or another computing device from accessing the exchange item. The method continues with the server releasing control of the modified exchange item to the computing device affiliated with the current owner.

Abstract: Various sensors, sensor controllers, and sensor control methods are provided with model-based sideband balancing. In one illustrative embodiment, a controller for a piezoelectric transducer includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a processing circuit coupled to the transmitter and receiver. The processing circuit performs calibration and echo detection, the calibration including: sensing the piezoelectric transducer's phase response as a function of frequency; deriving equivalent circuit parameters for the piezoelectric transducer from the phase response; and determining a sideband imbalance based on one or more of the equivalent circuit parameters. Once the sideband imbalance is identified, the processing circuit may perform echo-detection processing that accounts for the sideband imbalance.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a cooling arrangement. In one example, the coolant arrangement comprises a heat store configured to store and release heat in response to a temperature of coolant flowing therethrough. The cooling arrangement further comprises an intake air heat exchanger for heating intake air prior to mixing with exhaust gas to decrease condensate formation, in one example.

Abstract: A system for controlling a plurality of power converters in a power system so as to turn each of the plurality of power converters into an ON state or an OFF state as a function of a sensed input power and a sensed output power such that one or more of the plurality of power converters in the ON state are operating in an optimal power efficiency range.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing high-throughput and reliable operation in WiFi and cellular environments stem in antenna volume-constrained devices employs a switched or multiplexed cellular band antenna to support WiFi MIMO for mobile handheld operation. The device housing may a single, unitary metallic piece having the device antennas formed as part of the housing. Alternatively, one or more antennas may be internal to the device.

Abstract: A surgical balloon composed of an aseptically recovered umbilical cord vessel is provided. Methods of preparing a balloon and methods of using the same are also provided.

Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to determine that travel data, reflecting previous travel, exists for an upcoming route segment. The processor is also configured to derive a fuel-efficient control strategy for the upcoming segment, based on fuel efficient behavior reflected in the travel data. The processor is further configured to execute the control strategy in a vehicle while the vehicle travels over the route segment to instruct vehicle control in accordance with the control strategy for at least a portion of the segment.

Abstract: Methods and devices for generating hardware compatible compressed textures may include accessing, at runtime of an application program, graphics hardware incompatible compressed textures in a format incompatible with a graphics processing unit (GPU). The methods and devices may include converting the graphics hardware incompatible compressed textures directly into hardware compatible compressed textures usable by the GPU using a trained machine learning model.

Abstract: The technology relates to detecting and responding to emergency vehicles. This may include using a plurality of microphones to detect a siren noise corresponding to an emergency vehicle and to estimate a bearing of the emergency vehicle. This estimated bearing is compared to map information to identify a portion of roadway on which the emergency vehicle is traveling. In addition, information identifying a set of objects in the vehicle's environment as well as characteristics of those objects is received from a perception system is used to determine whether one of the set of objects corresponds to the emergency vehicle. How to respond to the emergency vehicle is determined based on the estimated bearing and identified road segments and the determination of whether one of the set of objects corresponds to the emergency vehicle. This determined response is then used to control the vehicle in an autonomous driving mode.

Abstract: A vehicle, radar system of the vehicle and method of operating the vehicle. A transmit antenna transmits a radio wave and a plurality of receive antennae receive echo radio waves from an object receptive to the transmitted radio wave, wherein the echo radio waves includes short-range interference. A processor generates a plurality of radar data arrays for the return signals, wherein each radar data array represents the return signal received at a corresponding receiver antennae, estimates an amount of short-range interference present in the return signal of each radar data array, subtracts the estimate of short-range interference from each of the radar data array to obtain a plurality of clutter-free radar data arrays, and detects the object using at least the plurality of clutter-free radar data arrays. A navigation system navigates the vehicle based on the detection of the object.

Abstract: A computing system that can receive an object search request from a user indicating a request to search for a specific object in an area traversed by one or more autonomous vehicle. The object search request can include a set of physical characteristics of the specific object. The computing system can then transmit a signal to an autonomous vehicle indicating a request for the autonomous vehicle to search for the specific object. The signal can cause the autonomous vehicle to transmit an image, selected based on a physical characteristic of the object, to the computing system. The computing system can then generate a score indicative of a difference between one or more physical characteristic of the object in the image and the specific object. The computing system can then selectively transmit the image to a mobile device operated by the user based on the score.

Abstract: This document describes techniques and systems that enable autocalibration for multiple cameras using near-infrared (NIR) illuminators. The techniques and systems include a user device that uses NIR images, including dot images and flood images, captured by the multiple cameras. The user device implements an autocalibration module that normalizes the contrast of each image. Then, the autocalibration module detects dot features in the dot images and detects flood features in the flood images. The autocalibration module uses the flood features to disambiguate the dot features in the dot images. Then, the autocalibration module uses the disambiguated dot features to determine new calibration parameters for recalibration of the multiple cameras. In some aspects, the autocalibration module uses the dot images, rather than the flood images, to detect the flood features for disambiguating the dot features.

Abstract: Techniques arrange a disk, a storage device, and a disk array. Such techniques involve: a bracket configured to be detachably coupled to a rack; and a button arranged in the bracket and configured to be movable under the action of an external force to decouple the bracket from the rack, wherein a first end of the button is configured to be operated by a user, and the end surface of the first end includes a first surface and a second surface, the second surface extending from the first surface towards a second end, opposite to the first end, of the button. Accordingly, such techniques not only can avoid accidental touch, improve heat dissipation efficiency, and provide a mark area, but also can help prevent loss of user data in a storage device and a disk array.