Abstract: According to an embodiment, an authentication device includes an apparatus main body interface, a memory, a biosensor, and a processor. The apparatus main body interface communicates with an apparatus main body controlling a locking mechanism. The memory stores therein biological information of a registrant. The biosensor acquires biological information The processor transmits information that an operator has been authenticated as the registrant with the biological information to the apparatus main body and controlles the locking mechanism, when the processor determines that the biological information acquired with the biosensor and the biological information of the registrant are pieces of biological information of the same person.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance device, a fixing device and an air blower. The conveyance device conveys a medium along a conveyance guide. The fixing device fixes a toner image on the medium thermally by passing the medium between a fixing member and a pressing member which are rotated around axes. The air blower sucks air above the conveyance guide to attract the medium to the conveyance guide, and blows the sucked air to a pair of medium non-passing regions set on both end portions of at least the fixing member and the pressing member in the axial direction.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and system for detecting a concentration of an analyte based on a change in relative permittivity of a biological tissue within a living body. The method of detecting a concentration of an analyte may include generating a fringing field, measuring a change in a resonant frequency generated by an oscillator based on a change in capacitance attributable to a change in an analyte within a region of the fringing field, and measuring a change characteristic of the analyte within the fringing field based on the change in the resonant frequency.

Abstract: Systems and methods to enhance the flow of fracturing fluid into a wellhead during a high-pressure fracturing operation may include providing a pump frame and a crankshaft. A plurality of first plungers may be connected to the crankshaft and may reciprocate in a first plane. The hydraulic fracturing pump also may include a plurality of second plungers connected to the crankshaft and positioned to reciprocate in a second plane. The first plane and the second plane may define a non-zero offset angle between the first plane and the second plane. The crankshaft may include a plurality of crankpins, and each of the crankpins may be connected to one of the first plungers and one of the second plungers. The first plungers may pump a first fracturing fluid and the second plungers may pump a second fracturing fluid different from the first fracturing fluid.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle comprises an engine, an energy storage device, and an aftertreatment system comprising a SCR catalyst configured to treat constituents of an exhaust gas. A controller is operatively coupled to the engine, the energy storage device, and the after treatment system, and configured to estimate an exhaust gas temperature and flow rate of the exhaust gas based on a set of engine operating parameters. The controller determines an exhaust gas cooling rate based on the exhaust gas temperature, flow rate, and a SCR catalyst temperature, and an ambient cooling rate based on an ambient temperature, a vehicle speed and the catalyst temperature. The controller determines a SCR catalyst temperature change rate based on the exhaust gas and ambient cooling rates, and adjusts a load distribution between the engine and the energy storage device based on the SCR catalyst temperature change rate.

Abstract: A unit includes an electrode positioned between a first separator and a second separator in a stack. A first adhesive is positioned between the electrode and at least one of the first and second separators, and a second adhesive is positioned between the first separator and the second separator. The first adhesive composition has a degree of dispersion in an electrolyte that is larger than a degree of dispersion of the second adhesive composition in the electrolyte.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system and method for measuring bio information. The system for measuring bio information may include an external device configured to transmit wireless power from an outside of a body to an inside of the body, an implant device inserted into the body and configured to drive a sensing circuit by using the wireless power transmitted by the external device, measure bio data within the body by using the driven sensing circuit, calculate bio information based on the measured bio data, and transmit the calculated bio information to a smart device or the external device outside the body, and the smart device configured to transmit the bio information to a cloud server or display the bio information or output a warning alarm based on the bio information, when receiving the bio information from the implant device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a battery module with improved energy density and cooling efficiency. To achieve the object, the battery module according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of cylindrical battery cells electrically connected to each other and arranged in a horizontal direction, an upper frame mounted on the plurality of cylindrical battery cells, and a lower frame mounted below the plurality of cylindrical battery cells, wherein a pressing portion is formed in any one of the upper frame and the lower frame to elastically press the plurality of cylindrical battery cells in a horizontal inward direction for a dense arrangement of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell, the method including (a) receiving an electrode assembly in a preliminary battery case and sealing other outer peripheries of the preliminary battery case excluding a first side outer periphery of the preliminary battery case, through which gas is discharged, (b) attaching a protective film to at least one corner portion of an electrode assembly receiving portion, (c) performing an activation process and a degassing process, (d) resealing a first side outer periphery of the electrode assembly receiving portion, and (e) removing the protective film, wherein the inner surface of the protective film is attached to the outer surface of the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion in tight contact therewith without being crumpled in order to support the shape of the corner portion of the electrode assembly receiving portion, which is technology capable of preventing the preliminary battery case from being deformed by force contin

Abstract: A method for providing a panoramic view (152) of an environment behind a trailer (106) of a vehicle-trailer system (100). The method includes receiving a first image (133, 133b) from a rear trailer camera (132, 132b), a second image (133, 133c) from a right-side trailer camera (132, 132c), and a third image (133, 133d) from a left-side trailer camera (132, 132d). The method includes determining a panoramic view (152) based on the first image (133, 133b), the second image (133, 133c), and the third image (133, 133d). Additionally, the method includes determining a trailer angle (?) based on sensor system data (131) received from a sensor system (130). The method includes determining a viewing area (154) within the panoramic view (152) based on the trailer angle (?) and sending instructions (156) to a display (122) to display the viewing area (154).

Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes an apparatus body, a body frame, a sheet conveyance passage, an elevating tray, and an elevating unit. The elevating unit has a pair of rails. The body frame has a plurality of vertical frame members extending in the vertical direction and horizontal frame members that extends in a horizontal direction and is joined to the plurality of vertical frame members. The pair of rails are formed integrally with, among the plurality of vertical frame members, a pair of vertical frame members provided corresponding to a second side surface.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery and a lithium secondary battery including the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, non-aqueous electrolyte solution includes a lithium salt, an organic solvent, and a compound represented by Formula 1 as a first additive. A lithium secondary battery including the non-aqueous electrolyte has improved flame retardancy.

Abstract: A method of controlling assets connected to an electricity distribution grid is disclosed. For each of a plurality of assets to be configured, a trained neural network model is provided, which takes an asset configuration as input, the asset configuration specifying a response of the asset to variations in one or more operating conditions detected at the asset, and outputs one or more performance indicators relating to the operation of the asset when operated using the asset configuration. The outputs of the neural network models are provided as inputs to an optimization function. A search process optimizes the optimization function by varying asset configurations for the assets. The final asset configurations are then used to control the assets to provide a coordinated demand response service.

Abstract: A unit cell includes an electrode positioned between a first separator and a separator in a stack. A first adhesive is positioned between the electrode and at least one of the first and second separators, and a second adhesive is positioned between the first separator and the second separator. A shear strength of the first adhesive is less than or equal to a shear strength of the second adhesive.

Abstract: Compositions and methods of fracturing including a hydrophobic rendered proppant or a proppant slurry and a fracturing fluid including an aqueous base fluid, a viscosifying agent or mixture of viscosifying agents, and an enhancing proppant suspending composition including an aldehyde, a mixture of aldehydes, a ketone, a mixture of ketones, or mixtures thereof, and optionally a crosslinking agent or a mixture of crosslinking agents.

Abstract: Disclosed is a battery module improved in efficiency of resistance welding and bonding reliability. The battery module includes a plurality of secondary batteries, each having electrode terminals; a module housing having an inner space configured to accommodate the plurality of secondary batteries; and a bus bar including a body portion having a metal plate configured to electrically connect the plurality of secondary batteries to each other and a connection portion extending from the body portion to contact the electrode terminal. Each of the first connection portion, the second connection portion, and the third connection portion has at least one welding point.

Abstract: A battery pack including a battery module having a plurality of secondary batteries; and a pack housing including an outer wall to form an inner space for accommodating the battery module, a handle having a handle bar to elongate in one direction and a strap in the form of a bendable strap to respectively extend from both ends of the handle bar, and an accommodation portion such that the handle bar is loaded therein, wherein the strap is embedded in the accommodation portion in a state of being bent at least once when the handle bar is loaded in the accommodation portion, and wherein a center portion between extensions of the strap respectively extending from both ends of the handle bar is caught in the accommodation portion when the handle bar is drawn out.

Abstract: Various example embodiments for supporting selection of a transport protocol for use in supporting a label distribution protocol in a label switching network are presented. Various example embodiments for supporting selection of a transport protocol for use in supporting a label distribution protocol in a label switching network may be configured to support multiple transport protocol options for use in supporting use of the label distribution protocol between a pair of label switched routers in the label switching network. Various example embodiments for supporting selection of a transport protocol for use in supporting a label distribution protocol in a label switching network may be configured to use the selected transport protocol to support various aspects of the label distribution protocol (e.g., establishment of a label distribution protocol session based on the label distribution protocol, label distribution based on the label distribution protocol, and so forth).

Abstract: A document feeder includes a lift plate, a pickup roller, a lift motor, a retard roller, and a control unit. In a manual feed mode, the control unit rotates the retard roller to feed a document in a document conveyance direction. Further, the control unit causes the lift motor to start lowering the lift plate while the pickup roller is feeding a document after the rotation of the pickup roller is started.

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) having a substrate in which vertically coupled photodetectors and in-line optical modulators are integrated to enable vertical coupling of light using a fiber assembly block (FAB), with the planar end surface thereof being attached to a substantially planar main surface of the substrate. In an example embodiment, the photodetectors are buried in deep vias formed in the substrate, and the in-line optical modulators are waveguide-connected to the corresponding vertical-coupling optical gratings. The photodetectors and optical gratings may be arranged in a linear array along the main surface of the substrate to enable uncomplicated optical alignment of end segments of the optical fibers in the FAB with the corresponding photodetectors and optical gratings for vertical coupling of light therebetween. In some embodiments, the FAB may have more than one hundred optical fibers. In some embodiments, the PIC can be implemented using the silicon photonics material platform.