Abstract: A pellet stove to heat the interior of a structure and provide a heating surface for cooking. The pellet stove has a hopper storing pellet fuel, a core assembly inside a stove enclosure, a primary burn chamber assembly for burning pellet fuel and an air venting system. The hopper gravity feeds pellet fuel to the primary burn chamber assembly. The core assembly has a burn chamber housing connected to a flame chamber by a burn channel. The primary burn chamber assembly has a burn basket and a fuel control mechanism to control the amount of pellet fuel burned in the burn basket. The venting systems draws inlet air into and discharges exhaust air out of the pellet stove, which is sealed to prevent drawing inlet air from or discharging exhaust air to the structure interior. Fire in the flame chamber can be seen through an exterior glass panel.

Abstract: A compression roller device includes markers on roller heads for pressure-rolling over a substrate to form visual indicia that the substrate has been properly pressure-rolled. In example embodiments, there are two roller heads that each have a set of markers and that are spaced-apart with a handle center-mounted between them. In this way, the roller heads have free/unobstructed outer/opposite edges so they can be positioned closely against an obstructing surface or element for rolling substrates in tight spots with limited clearance. Also, the recess defined between the inner/facing edges of the roller heads provides clearance for rolling over any protruding fasteners securing the substrate in place. Further, the spaced-apart marker sets provide for marking the visual indicia on both sides of a seam/joint between two adjacent panels in a panel-and-tape system to show that both longitudinal side portions of the tape have been pressure-rolled.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed that leverage multi-factor authentication features of a service provider and intelligent call routing to increase security and efficiency at a customer call center. Pre-authentication of customer support requests reduces the potential for misappropriation of sensitive customer data during call handling. A contactless card uniquely associated with a client may provide a second factor of authentication to reduce the potential for malicious third-party impersonation of the client. Pre-authorized customer support calls are intelligently and efficiently routed in a manner that reduces the opportunity for malicious call interference and information theft.

Abstract: The present embodiments relate to operator control in a master-slave robotic system, including, but not limited to, wherein an operator uses a master control input device to guide the position and orientation of a tool that is driven by the robotic system. Embodiments described herein provide devices and methods of increasing precision control for complex motions by, for example, decoupling operator control of rotational and translational movement.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method is disclosed for automatically controlling a position of an implement of an agricultural work vehicle relative to a ground surface. The method may include monitoring, with one or more computing devices, an implement position parameter indicative of the position of the implement relative to the ground surface. The method may also include calculating a normal output signal based on the implement position parameter. The method may also include determining when a boost condition is satisfied based on a comparison between the implement position parameter and a predetermined implement position parameter threshold. The method may also include computing a boost output signal based on the implement position parameter. The method may also include adjusting the position of the implement relative to the ground surface based on the normal output signal and the boost output signal.

Abstract: A seating assembly includes a frame that has an upper portion that defines an attachment aperture and a lower portion. A bracket is coupled to the lower portion. A cable has a first end and a second end that is coupled to the bracket. The cable is operable between a support position and a compressed position. A guide-sleeve is operably coupled with the cable and is disposed within the attachment aperture of the upper portion of the frame. The guide-sleeve includes retention tabs that are operably coupled to the upper portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a whole tire into strips may include a cutting device having a first rotary blade and a second rotary blade. The tire is positioned between the first rotary blade and the second rotary blade, which cut the tire into one or more strips. The apparatus may further include a positioning system operable to orient the tire between a plurality of vertical, horizontal, and intermediate positions, relative to the cutting device. The apparatus may include one or more support rollers. The apparatus may further include a control system that controls the operation of the cutting device and tire positioning system as the tire is cut into strips by the cutting device. The apparatus may include a chipper to cut the tire strips into chips. The apparatus may include a bead peeler to remove the exterior rubber sheath from the wire bead.

Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring formation properties in downhole operations are provided. The systems and methods include generating, at a neutron source, neutrons that are emitted into a downhole formation (302), registering, at a detector, photons generated by chemical constituents of the downhole formation (304), measuring a response of the photons registered at the detector (306), transforming, with a computing system, the measured responses of the photons registered at the detector into thermal neutron capture probabilities (308), and transforming the thermal neutron capture probabilities into weight concentrations of the chemical constituents of the downhole formation (312).

Abstract: There is provided an optical member that achieves a desired light distribution characteristic while having a simple configuration. The optical member includes a first transparent optical sheet and a second transparent optical sheet that are superimposed on each other in a first axial direction. The first transparent optical sheet includes a structure in which a first region and a second region are alternately disposed in a second axial direction. The second transparent optical sheet includes a structure in which a third region and a fourth region are alternately disposed in a third axial direction. An angle formed by the third axial direction with respect to the second axial direction is equal to or greater than 0° and less than 45°.

Abstract: Systems and methods may be used to create and modify a co-marketed document. A system and method may include using a template with designated editable regions for each co-marketer, wherein each co-marketer may not edit regions designated for the other co-marketer. The system and method may include selecting regions of the co-marketed document for each co-marketer to determine the percentage of space each co-marketer utilizes on a co-marketed document. The system and method may include providing mechanisms for the determined percentage of space to be verified, approved, and transmitted to a printing service.

Abstract: A system for displaying one or more images to select one or more matching formulas to match color and appearance of a target coating of an article includes a computing device, a display device, a host computer connected to the computing device, one or more data input devices, a first database containing repair formulas, color characteristics, and appearance characteristics, a second database containing identification information of an article or a three-dimensional model of an article or a three-dimensional mapping of a geometry of a part of an article, and a computer program product accessible to the computing device and/or the host computer and performing a computing process to retrieve at least one preliminary matching formula from the first database, select one article or a three-dimensional mapping of a geometry of one article from the second database, generate individual matching images, and display the individual matching images on the display device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for presenting data to one or more users in a visualizable format and obtaining information based upon the user's interaction with the data are disclosed. A system may include a processor and a non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium. The non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium may include one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to provide data to at least one user via a user interface, receive one or more inputs from the at least one user, and direct a storage medium to record the one or more inputs. The data may be arranged in a user-visualizable format. The one or more inputs may correspond the user's interaction with the user interface that causes manipulation of the data.

Abstract: When awarding of a locally-incremented prize or a jackpot prize takes place in a chance-based gaming system, first there may be joy for the player who won but then there is a sense of lost opportunity for remaining other players as they come to realize at that moment that they have lost the opportunity to win that same prize and instead they must start all over in re-building a comparable prize amount. The notion of having to start from ground zero and build all the way up again may discourage some and induce them to walk away from the gaming machines. Methods are disclosed where the post-award prize reset amounts displayed to the remaining other players are not easily recognizable or attention attracting patterns that may induce the remaining other players to immediately recognize that a reset event has occurred, become disheartened and walk away.

Abstract: Apparatus (10) and methods for combining time reversal and elastic nonlinearity of formation materials for qualtitatively probing for over-pressured regions down hole in advance of a well drilling bit, to determine the distance to the over-pressured region, and for accurately measuring pore pressure downhole in a formation, are described. Classical and reciprocal time reversal methods may be utilized to achieve these measurements.

Abstract: A multi-zone media system and method for providing multi-zone media. As a non-limiting example, various aspects of this disclosure provide a system and method that flexibly presents media content (e.g., audio content) to a user as the user moves throughout a premises.

Abstract: A precast concrete wall structure and method for forming a wall structure are disclosed. A frame is positioned within a casting bed. The frame comprises first and second spaced apart metal tracks which are interconnected by a plurality of metal studs. The casting bed has a plurality of surfaces defining a generally rectangular interior area. A forming member is placed above the frame, the forming member comprising a layer of insulating material defining a plurality of integrally-formed rectangular protrusions extending in a parallel and spaced-apart relationship to one another to define a plurality of rectangular-shaped channels therebetween. Uncured concrete is placed within the casting bed and allowed to cure.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for an embedded in-vehicle platform that provides immersive user experiences. An example method includes obtaining, by a vehicle controller of a vehicle, a preference profile for a user; loading the preference profile by the vehicle controller; determining a shopping experience of the user occurring on a vehicle shopping platform within the vehicle; determining an ambience profile of a merchant identified in the shopping experience; and controlling, by the vehicle controller, an in-vehicle ambience within the vehicle based on the ambience profile and the preference profile.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides humanized and affinity matured antibodies (mAbs) and fragments thereof that specifically bind to CD79 with high affinity. The anti-CD79 mAbs and fragments thereof can be used to treat antibody-associated conditions, including autoimmune diseases, allergies, transplant rejection, or immune-mediated rejection of a therapeutics optionally in combination with an additional therapeutic agent. Furthermore, the anti-CD79 mAbs and fragments thereof can be used for diagnostic purposes, including to detect CD79 cells in biological samples and to diagnose B-cell associated disorders.

Abstract: A spark plug is provided that ensures that a ground electrode is positioned in a predefined, precise orientation when installed in a spark plug hole of an engine head. The spark plug is configured for axial insertion into the plug hole, and has a non-axisymmetric ground shield that fits into the plug hole, wherein the ground shield has an outer shield surface with a non-axisymmetric shape and the plug hole is also provided with a complementary non-axisymmetric shape. The spark plug includes a central insulator, which has an inner end surrounding a central electrode and supporting the ground shield, which is mounted on the insulator to support a ground strap adjacent the electrode for forming a spark therebetween. The insulator and ground shield are axially slidable into the plug hole, and the spark plug includes a jamb nut which is rotatable to fix the spark plug in position in a predefined orientation.

Abstract: A recoil spring assembly for a firearm provides a spring insert with an end piece. The end piece interacts with other components of the firearm to selectively secure the recoil spring in position. This allows the recoil spring to be selectively retained in the firearm when disassembling and reassembling the firearm.