Abstract: In at least some implementations, a throttle body assembly for a combustion engine includes a throttle body having a pressure chamber in which a supply of fuel is received and a throttle bore with an inlet through which air is received, a throttle valve carried by the throttle body with a valve head movable relative to the throttle bore to control fluid flow through the throttle bore, and a metering valve carried by the throttle body. The metering valve may have a valve element that is movable between an open position wherein fuel may flow from the pressure chamber into the throttle bore and a closed position where fuel is prevented or substantially prevented from flowing into the throttle bore through the metering valve.

Abstract: A vehicle management system can include self-driving vehicles. Before entering a self-driving vehicle, a rider can use a remote computing device to select a pick-up location at which a self-driving vehicle will later pick up the rider. Detecting that the remote computing device is unable to communicate with the vehicle management system can trigger several responses configured to minimize the risk of a self-driving vehicle failing to pick up the rider.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for detecting near-duplicate profile images of the users in a social network. One method includes operations for identifying an image in a profile of a user of the social network, determining a query feature vector for the image, the query feature vector comprising a set of features, and determining a dominant feature from the features, the dominant feature having a highest value from the values of the features. Further, the method includes operations for determining a bucket in a database of feature vectors based on the dominant feature, determining if the query feature vector is a near duplicate of any feature vector in the determined bucket, and determining if the profile of the user is a duplicate profile or a fake profile based on whether the query feature vector is a near duplicate of any feature vector in the determined bucket.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described wherein an initiating device sends a communication requesting a voice call session with a recipient device. In response, the initiating device receives a communication indicating that the initiating device can provide a text message instead of establishing the voice call session. In some cases, the communication may refuse the request voice call session, while in other cases the communication may simply indicate that the recipient device supports text messaging as an alternative to voice mail. As a result of the received communication, the initiating device outputs a text input prompt. After receiving text input in response to the prompt, the initiating device sends a text message containing the received text input.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to heat exchanger for a power generation system and related methods that use supercritical fluids, and in particular to a heat exchanger configured to minimize axial forces during operation.

Abstract: A composting toilet assembly has a composting bin with an agitator, a toilet bowl, and a urine bottle. The agitator has an agitator handle configured to actuate the agitator. The agitator may have a ratchet assembly including a hub, a clutch bearing disposed in the hub, and a pair of brass bushings disposed in the hub. The toilet bowl is disposed on the composting bin. The toilet bowl has a main body with a recess. The recess may have a first portion and a second portion with a partition wall. Each of the first portion and the second portion has an opening. The urine bottle is in fluid communication with the bowl. The urine bottle is configured to receive urine. The urine bottle has a drain, a handle, and a sensor. The sensor may have a light and be configured to detect a predetermined urine level in the urine bottle.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reliably providing a prognosis of the life-expectancy of a vehicle battery. A state of degradation of the battery is predicted based on a rate of convergence of a metric, that is derived from a sensed vehicle operating parameter, towards a defined threshold, determined based on past history of the metric. The predicted state of degradation is then converted into an estimate of time or distance remaining before the component needs to serviced, and displayed to the vehicle operator. Vehicle control and communication strategies may be defined with respect to the predicted state of degradation.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a content supply device, a content supply method, a program, a terminal device, and a content supply system that make it possible to transmit a file transmission unit of a segment stream without delay. According to the present disclosure, there is provided a content supply device that multicast-delivers a fragment stream of content, the content supply device including: a fragment stream generating unit configured to generate the fragment stream based on source data of the content; and a delivering unit configured to generate a file transmission unit in units of second data units by delimiting the generated fragment stream into first data units that are randomly accessible and subdividing the first data unit into the second data units and FLUTE-multicast-deliver the file transmission unit. The present disclosure can be applied to a system in which content is FLUTE-multicast-delivered.

Abstract: Innovations in hash-based block matching facilitate block copy (“BC”) prediction that is more effective in terms of rate-distortion performance and/or computational efficiency of encoding. For example, some of the innovations relate to encoding blocks with hash values determined using hash-based block matching. Other innovations relate to reconstructing blocks using hash values determined with hash-based block matching.

Abstract: A system and method (referred to as the system) detect infectious code. The system injects a repetitive software code that causes malware in a monitored device to render a detectable direct current power consumption profile. A guide wave generator generates a guide wave signal that establishes an observational window that is applied to data that represent a direct current source power consumption of the monitored device. An extraction device extracts a portion of the data that represent the direct current source power consumption of the monitored device. A deviation engine identifies the malware on the monitored device without processing data associated with a prior identification of the malware or identifying a source of the malware or identifying a location of the malware on the monitored device.

Abstract: An electromagnetic launcher with a curved or spiral-shaped, open-ended guideway and conductors for launching a projectile. The projectile, movably retained on or within the guideway, is accelerated along the guideway using electromagnetic forces until it reaches an end of the guideway, then the projectile is launched in a desired direction. The direction of the launch of the projectile is determined by orienting the guideway in the desired direction using an actuator.

Abstract: A lighting engine, system, and method of fabrication are described. The system includes a chassis with a ridge extending from a bottom that defines inner and outer cavities. A flexible printed circuit (FPC) is disposed in contact with a wall of the inner and outer cavities and on the ridge top and is connected to wiring retained within bosses in the outer cavity. LEDs are mounted on the FPC to emit light toward a center of the cavity. A light guide disposed has an edge that opposes the LEDs and receives light emitted by the LEDs. The FPC has a polyimide insulator coupled with a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), a copper layer on the polyimide insulator, and a high-reflectivity white coverlay on the copper layer. Other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a TMR-based sensor having a first magnetic field sensing element comprising a bridge having first, second, third, and fourth legs. Legs of the bridge comprise TMR elements with pillars connected to one or more switch matrixes to adjust total resistances of the bridge legs. Equalizing the resistance of the bridge legs can enhance sensor performance.

Abstract: The present application relates to systems and methods for transporting biological samples, including a transport medium configured to protect bacterial viability and optimize sample quality, for enhanced diagnostic accuracy. The disclosed systems and methods can include a transport media, a collection tube including a screen and sampling brush, and a transport case. The disclosed systems and methods allow samples to be frozen and thawed while preserving cellular wall integrity during transport or storage, and furthermore can preserve the survival of the bacterial sample, enabling more accurate detection of an infectious agent.

Abstract: A multi-core audio processor includes a data protocol interface configured to receive a stream of audio data, a plurality of data processing cores including a single sample processing core and a block data processing core, an audio fabric block configured to route samples of the stream between the data protocol interface and the plurality of data processing cores. The single sample processing core includes an execution unit configured to execute one or more low latency instructions for performing computations for the samples.

Abstract: Systems and methods can be implemented to conduct searches based on images used as queries in a variety of applications. In various embodiments, a set of visual words representing a query image are generated from features extracted from the query image and are compared with visual words of index images. A set of candidate images is generated from the index images resulting from matching one or more visual words in the comparison. A multi-level ranking is conducted to sort the candidate images of the set of candidate images, and results of the multi-level ranking are returned to a user device that provided the query image. Additional systems and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include a system for processing data. During operation, the system obtains, for a field in a data object, a set of diffs containing default values for the field and a set of mappings representing a set of conditions associated with the data object. Next, the system matches an attribute associated with an instance of the data object to a condition in the set of conditions. The system then uses the mappings to identify, in the set of diffs, a diff to be applied under the condition. Finally, the system updates the field in the instance with a default value associated with the condition by applying the diff to the instance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of controlling access to mobile radio connection(s) in a vehicle, having a policy and charging enforcement function with deep packet inspection capabilities “vePCEF” and optionally a policy and control rules function “vePCRF” in the vehicle. Furthermore, a Man In The Middle (MITM) methodology can be employed within the vehicle PCC architecture to enhance the enforcement of the PCRF/vePCRF policies. Also disclosed is a vehicle containing a PCC architecture having a MITM functionality. Also disclosed is a method of controlling access to mobile radio connection(s) in a vehicle, having a policy and charging enforcement function with deep packet inspection capabilities “vePCEF” which interfaces to a mobile core network PCRF or a cloud based PCRF.

Abstract: A metering system for a fluid atomizer includes a housing, first and second metering members, and at least one solenoid. The housing includes a mixing chamber. The first metering member is operable to control flow of a first fluid to the mixing chamber. The second metering member is arranged coaxial with the first metering member and operable to control flow of a second fluid to the mixing chamber. The at least one solenoid is configured to operate at least one of the first and second metering members.

Abstract: Methods and systems for an all-optical wafer acceptance test may include an optical transceiver on a chip, the optical transceiver comprising first, second, and third grating couplers, an interferometer comprising first and second phase modulators, a splitter, and a plurality of photodiodes. A first input optical signal may be received in the chip via the first grating coupler, where the first input optical signal may be coupled to the interferometer. An output optical signal may be coupled out of the chip via the second grating coupler for a first measurement of the interferometer. A second input optical signal may be coupled to a third grating coupler and a portion of the second input optical signal may be communicated to each of the plurality of photodiodes via the splitter. A voltage may be generated using the photodiodes based on the second input signal that may bias the first phase modulator.