Abstract: A piston ring is provided with a thermal spray coating that contains tungsten carbide and chrome carbide as a hard phase, and contains nickel as a metallic binder phase, and is characterized in that the thermal spray coating is formed by the spraying of a thermal spray powder that has been produced by means of a granulation sintering method, and that contains hard particles in which the mean particle diameter of the tungsten carbide has been adjusted by means of a BET method to fall within a range of not less than 0.15 ?m and not more than 0.45 ?m.

Abstract: A communication method for Wi-Fi Internet of Things equipment, which is used for Wi-Fi Internet of Things main control equipment to send control information to Wi-Fi Internet of Things controlled equipment, in which Wi-Fi Internet of main control equipment and Wi-Fi Internet of Things controlled equipment complete pairing, and acquire a MAC address and a communication key of each other; the Wi-Fi Internet of main control equipment sends control information to the Wi-Fi Internet of Things controlled equipment by loading a private information structure in a Wi-Fi unicast packet or multicast packet; and the Wi-Fi Internet of Things controlled equipment sends confirmation information to the Wi-Fi Internet of Things main control equipment after receiving the control information.

Abstract: An aircraft landing gear assembly having a main strut and a bogie beam pivotally coupled to the main strut via a coupling assembly. The coupling assembly is arranged to define a bogie beam pivot axis which is spaced from the landing gear assembly. The coupling assembly includes an arcuate handle portion defined by a first one of the bogie beam and the main strut, and an arcuate passage defined by the other one of the bogie beam and main strut. The arcuate handle portion is slidably housed within the arcuate passage, and the arcuate handle portion and the arcuate passage each define a respective centre point, the respective centre points being coaxial to define the bogie beam pivot axis.

Abstract: A decoupler assembly for disengaging a shaft transmitting torque between a rotatory engine and an electric generator. The decoupler assembly includes an output shaft, input shaft wherein the output shaft is selectively coupled to the input shaft. Retractable balls are incorporated into the assembly in order to couple and decouple the input shaft from the output shaft.

Abstract: There is provided apparatuses, and related systems, for effecting production of oil from a reservoir. A flow diverter is provided and configured to direct flow of reservoir fluids such that gases and solids are separated. A system is also provided, including the flow diverter, and is disposed within a wellbore. A pump is also provided, and disposed in fluid communication with, and downstream from, the flow diverter, for receiving reservoir fluids from which gaseous and solid material have been separated by the separator.

Abstract: A power generation system includes an electric generator mechanically driven by a variable speed kinetic source, a first power conversion system connected with an output of the electric generator, and a second power conversion system connected with the output of the electric generator, wherein the electric generator and power conversion systems are adapted to convert the output of the electric generator to a predetermined direct current (DC) voltage.

Abstract: A discrete input determining circuit is disclosed, which includes an input biasing network connected to a discrete input for providing a first input voltage, a voltage divider network for dividing the first input voltage into a second input voltage and a third input voltage, a first comparator, wherein a non-inverting input terminal of the first comparator receives the second input voltage, and a second comparator, wherein an inverting input terminal of the second comparator receives the third input voltage, wherein an inverting input terminal of the first comparator and a non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator receive a reference voltage, and an output terminal of the first comparator and an output terminal of the second comparator are configured to provide a logic output. A discrete input determining method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus includes an endless conveyor belt wound around outgoing path side guide pulleys in turn along a helical conveyance path in a bent state where the belt is folded in two in a width direction such that an upper edge portion thereof is supported by the outgoing path side guide pulleys, and wound around returning path side guide pulleys in turn along the helical conveyance path in the bent state where the belt is folded in two in the width direction such that the upper edge portion is supported by the returning path side guide pulleys, and folded back at each turning positions of a horizontal conveyance unit located at an upper side and a horizontal conveyance unit located at a lower side of the support frame and being in an expanded state where the belt expanded in the width direction in a vicinity of the turning position.

Abstract: A compact collator for collating and preparing product containers for packaging and its method of operation and use is provided herein. The collator includes a laner having a conveyor and defining an infeed area. Infeed sensors detect the passage of containers in and out of the infeed area. A gate retains containers in the infeed area until a set number of product containers (a slug) is detected. A slug of containers passing out of the infeed area is conveyed to a cross-pusher, which has an arm. The arm is actuated between a position adjacent to the conveyor to a position across the conveyer and over a pattern conveyor. When the slug is in a centered position relative to the arm, the arm pushes the containers 90 degrees from the laner's conveyor and onto the patterning conveyor.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for cleaning circular filter screens comprising at least one suction chamber fitted to a conduit of the dirt collection conduit system extending along a central axis of the housing of the filter screen. The suction chamber comprises a central nozzle through which fluid is forced to flow by virtue of a pressure differential between the outer surface of the filter screen and an extremity of the dirt collection conduit system. The fluid flow through the central nozzle creates a low pressure regime near the mouth of the central nozzle such that fluid is forced through a plurality of peripheral suction nozzles arranged around the central nozzle from the outer surface of the filter screen to the inside of the suction chamber, thereby forcing the dirt and retentate accumulated along the inner surface of the filter screen to be washed away.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a range switching device for performing range switching of an automatic transmission by using an actuator that is electrically controlled to be driven, and to a switching method thereof. A range switching device of an automatic transmission that can reduce collision noise occurring from a detent mechanism and a switching method thereof are provided. The automatic transmission includes a detent mechanism that presses a roller against a groove by using a spring, moves the roller between grooves, and determines a range position of the transmission, and a range of the transmission is changed by driving the detent mechanism by the actuator. In changing a range position of the transmission, the actuator is braked in accordance with a drawing force of the spring into a groove so that energy of the velocity when the roller reaches a target stop position can be controlled to approach zero.

Abstract: A wind turbine system is described comprising a plurality of wind turbine modules, each including a rotor, mounted to a support structure including a tower. In use, each rotor has an associated rotating unbalance that defines an unbalance vector. The wind turbine system includes control means configured to coordinate the rotational speeds of the plurality of rotors to attenuate oscillations of the support structure caused by the rotating unbalance of the rotors. Also described is a method of controlling such a wind turbine system. The method comprises coordinating the rotational speeds of the plurality of rotors to attenuate oscillations of the support structure caused by the rotating unbalance of the rotors.

Abstract: A media content packaging and distribution system that controls distribution of a channel to be viewed on a plurality of user-computing devices associated with a plurality of specific subscriber accounts, receives a plurality of user-preferences from at least one of the plurality of user-computing devices over one or more communication mediums, and generate a plurality of customized media feeds of a media feed of the channel, based on at least the received plurality of user-preferences. The generated plurality of customized media feeds represents a plurality of user-specific versions of the channel. The plurality of customized media feeds is communicated over the one or more communication mediums to be viewed on the plurality of user-computing devices. The media feed corresponds to at least one of a live media feed, or a stored media feed, and the plurality of user-computing devices is associated with one or more regions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the stabilization of specific RNA molecules that can either be the target for detection or the control standard.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes sequence control circuitry and processing circuitry. The sequence control circuitry executes a first pulse sequence and a second pulse sequence, the first pulse sequence including a first spoiler pulse serving as a dephasing gradient pulse of a first amount, the second pulse sequence including a second spoiler pulse serving as a dephasing gradient pulse of a second amount being different from the first amount or the second pulse sequence not including a spoiler pulse serving as a dephasing gradient pulse. The processing circuitry performs a subtraction operation between a first data obtained from the first pulse sequence and a second data obtained from the second pulse sequence, thereby generating an image.

Abstract: The systems and methods provided herein relate to the performance of inverse reconstruction algorithms from ultrasound radiofrequency data and stress-strain data. These systems and methods can be applied to any soft tissue mechanical measurements, providing information about both mechanical properties and fiber orientation, and the relationships between them.

Abstract: Disclosed are a desalination device and processes of desalination using the device. The device is directly ocean-situated and fully nature-powered with on intake, no brine production, and no electricity consumption. The device contains a heating unit, configured to receive a dry air stream and heat the dry air stream with one or more renewable energy sources to produce a heated air stream; a humidifier, configured to receive the heated air stream, evaporate at least portion of water present in the humidifier and humidify the heated air stream to produce a wet air stream, a cooling unit, configured to receive the wet stream and cool the wet air stream resulting in condensation of at least a portion of the moisture to produce fresh water and a dehumidified air stream; and a fresh water collection tank, configured to collect at least a portion of the fresh water.

Abstract: An automatic driving controller performs automatic driving using map information. A controller comprises an input unit for inputting vehicle sensor information, position information on a map, and map information, recognition processing in which information for automatic driving is set, and control processing in which information from the recognition processing provides operation target amounts for vehicle control units such as an engine, steering and brakes. The recognition processing comprises: a first unit for correcting the vehicle position information on a map; a second unit for positioning reference points at prescribed intervals on a road center line; a third unit for extracting, at the reference points, points where a line perpendicular to the road center line direction and road width lines intersect; a fourth unit for positioning lane markers at the extracted points; and a fifth unit for adjusting the prescribed intervals according to the road type or speed.

Abstract: An on-vehicle communication system is an on-vehicle communication system mounted on a vehicle, comprises: a plurality of on-vehicle devices including a first on-vehicle device and a second on-vehicle device; an acquisition unit that acquires error information concerning an error of data received by the first on-vehicle device from the second on-vehicle device; and a determination unit that performs determination processing of determining whether or not a communication route from the second on-vehicle device to the first on-vehicle device is to be switched to another communication route from the second on-vehicle device to the first on-vehicle device by way of another on-vehicle device based on the error information acquired by the acquisition unit.

Abstract: Methods and systems for predictive execution of microservices. Execution of an application program interface request may entail execution of a plurality of microservices in a series. An events message may be transmitted to an events queue corresponding to the API request. The message may be based on an operating status of one or more microservices. Based on the events message, one or more of the microservices in the series may be configured to perform early execution steps before receiving an internal message from a previous microservice in the series. Such early execution steps may comprise authenticating a user and/or a microservice, retrieving and/or caching data, or the like. The one or more of the microservices may perform subsequent execution steps after receiving an internal message from a previous microservice in the series.