Abstract: A beverage making machine may employ a mixing chamber to mix a beverage medium with a precursor liquid, such as carbonated water. The mixing chamber may have a precursor liquid inlet coupled to a precursor liquid supply, a beverage medium chamber to receive a beverage medium into the beverage medium chamber, and a dispense outlet from which beverage medium and precursor liquid are dispensed, e.g., into a user's cup. The beverage medium chamber may include a chamber inlet coupled to the precursor liquid inlet, e.g., so precursor liquid can enter the chamber when a pressure is low in the beverage medium chamber, and a chamber outlet downstream of the chamber inlet that is coupled to the dispense outlet, e.g., so that beverage medium can exit the chamber.

Abstract: A method for interleaving time slots in a multi-antenna system for communication with RFID tags is disclosed. An example is shown for an eight antenna system. A first four antennas arranged side-by-side are sequentially energized to interrogate RFID transponders. A second set of four antennas arranged side-by-side, the first of which is adjacent to the last of the first set of antennas. A four-antenna sequence is performed for the first four antennas and a second four antenna sequence is performed for the second set of antennas. The first and second four antenna sequences are offset by only a marginal amount, sufficient to ensure that a transponder signal received four antennas away from an active antenna is not acknowledged because the receive window for the non-active antenna is delayed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, device addition to an expandable multimedia control system is performed without creating or modifying source code. A configuration bundle is stored on a first device of the expandable multimedia control system, the configuration bundle including a list of unique identifiers (UIDs) representing devices that are eligible to become a part of the expandable multimedia control system. The first device monitors a local area network (LAN), and determines a UID of a second device. The first device compares the UID of the second device with the list of UIDs in the configuration bundle. In response to a match of the UID of the second device with a UID of the list of UIDs in the configuration bundle, the second device is added to the expandable multimedia control system, and at least a portion of the configuration bundle is shared with it.

Abstract: A liquid barrier trap for a pump testing and monitoring system is disclosed herein. The liquid barrier provides a barrier to exhaust gases and fluids from escaping a pit that includes the pump under test. The pit may be a sump pit or an ejector pit. The liquid barrier may include a P-trap. The liquid barrier may include an inlet conduit in fluid communication with a valve for admitting water thereto. The liquid barrier may include an outlet fluid conduit extending through a pit cover and permitting water to be admitted into the pit.

Abstract: The present disclosure discusses systems and methods for controlling a hemorrhage. The hemorrhage control device can include a harness that is worn around an upper junctional area and a lower junctional area of a user. The hemorrhage control device can also include a compression device that is configured to reversibly couple with the harness. The compression device can include a compression puck and a handle. The handle can be coupled with the harness. When rotated the handle can constrict the harness around the upper junctional area or the lower junctional area. The constriction of the harness can also cause the compression puck to compress the upper junctional area or the lower junctional area.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter includes a fastener, a system and methods for use and manufacture. The fastener can include a head disposed at a proximal end of the fastener, a shaft connected to the head, and at least one of the head and the shaft can include a plurality of flat surfaces. A collar can extend about the longitudinal axis of the fastener and can have a proximal-most surface spaced in a longitudinal axis direction away from a proximal-most surface of the fastener. The collar can include a plurality of petals spaced about the longitudinal axis, each of the plurality of petals including a flat surface facing a respective one of the plurality of flat surfaces of the at least one of the head and the shaft. A plate and/or a cage can be included with the fastener for use in a spinal connection, kit or repair system.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a loyalty program by utilizing a pre-existing association network. When a consumer is registered with the program, the consumer's personal information is stored in a database and associated with a token ID. The token is capable of initiating a transaction message request over an association network when used in conjunction with a merchant transaction system. A program manager is provided that includes an association network interface for receiving over the association network the transaction request message initiated by the token at a merchant, where the transaction request message includes a first set of transaction information regarding a consumer-initiated product purchase transaction.

Abstract: An architecture that provides ubiquitous access to a home automation system utilizes both a home database and a configuration database maintained by remote cloud services. In one example embodiment, a system configuration of the home automation system is generated and maintained in a home database accessible on an in-home LAN. The home database is synchronized with a configuration database of cloud services over the Internet. User input is received in a home automation control UI indicating a change to one or more services or scenes provided by hardware elements of the home automation system. When there is connectivity between a device providing the home automation control UI and the in-home LAN, the system configuration in the home database is utilized to effect the indicated change. When there is no connectivity between the device providing the home automation control UI and the in-home LAN, the system configuration in the configuration database of cloud services is utilized to effect the indicated change.

Abstract: A security-monitoring platform adapted to automatically handle and route security alerts to security personnel through personnel assistant devices. The personnel assistant devices preferably include location and availability information that can be conveyed to the security-monitoring platform. The system and method includes analyzing location information for the security alert source with respect to the availability and location information for each personnel assistant device to identify one or more security guards that can handle the security alert. The system is able to automatically perform these tasks without having to first be routed through a queue for analysis from a security-monitoring platform operator. As a result, the system and method overcomes this major issue in the industry of delayed processing of security alerts and is able to more efficiently and effectively process a plurality of security alerts simultaneously.

Abstract: A method of advertising is disclosed. The method includes detachably coupling a first advertising article to a first mount coupled to an electronic visual display device located in a commercial establishment. When the first advertising article is detachably coupled to the electronic visual display device, the first advertising article is adjacent to the electronic visual display device.

Abstract: A level sender for a tank includes a sensor device. A driven member is associated with a float assembly. The sensor device is adapted to determine a level of fluid within the tank based on an angular position of the driven member. A float arm is coupled to a float at a first end and is coupled to the driven member at a second end.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus for dispensing articles includes a housing and a drive system. The housing defines a hopper chamber to hold the articles, a dispensing outlet, and a dispensing path between the hopper chamber and the dispensing outlet. The drive system includes a belt and a belt actuator operable to drive the belt. The dispensing apparatus is configured such that articles disposed in the hopper chamber are directed onto the belt and the belt, when driven by the belt actuator, conveys the articles received from the hopper chamber in a dispensing direction along the dispensing path toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed.

Abstract: Enhanced paging for an LTE mobile satellite system (MSS-LTE) network, including determining that a user terminal (UT) is in a second state in which the UT has established a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol signaling connection with the network and an active Radio Resource Control protocol (RRC) connection with the network; determining, as a result of the UT being inactive while the UT is in the second state, that the UT is in a third state in which the UT maintains the NAS connection and releases or suspends the RRC connection; receiving a request to establish a multimedia session with the UT; transmitting, in response to receiving the request and the UT being in the third state, an E-RAB SETUP REQUEST including a priority value indicating the session is suitable for a high penetration alerting procedure; receiving the E-RAB SETUP REQUEST; and in response to receiving the E-RAB SETUP REQUEST, transmitting a high penetration alert signal to the UT.

Abstract: A system and method for aligning a light beam in a spectroscopic measuring device such as a pump-probe device is provided. The system and method comprise a first motorized mirror (66b) positioned to receive and transmit a light beam (60a); a second motorized mirror (66c) positioned relative to the first mirror to receive the light beam from the first mirror and transmit the light beam to a delay line (64); a third mirror (78) positioned to receive the light beam from the delay line and transmit said light beam to a detector (80); and a computer-based processor (82) in communication with the detector and the first and second mirrors, the processor configured to a) receive and process data relating to the light beam from the detector, and b) cause movement of the first and second mirrors to change an angle of the mirrors based on the data relating to the light beam.

Abstract: The present Stacked Wall Truss Construction and its use in multi-story buildings makes use of prefabricated modular wall elements (100) that are interconnected in three dimensions to enable the rapid completion of building construction with improved quality of construction over that found in traditional multi-story building construction. The resultant building is a structural steel frame without the use of stacking columns. Vierendeel trusses (100) with vertical members (101-105) of tube steel are used, thereby the construction process becomes stacking trusses fit up as complete walls, not erecting columns. An inner “Mating Member” (131-135) enables each truss to be near perfectly positioned on top of the installed truss below.

Abstract: The present Stacked Wall Truss Construction and its use in multi-story buildings makes use of prefabricated modular wall elements (100) that are interconnected in three dimensions to enable the rapid completion of building construction with improved quality of construction over that found in traditional multi-story building construction. The walls are created with stacking modular elements to form a vertically continuous structure, and Floor Modules (161,162) are supported by a Floor Shelf (141-144) at predetermined elevations to provide a solid surface on top of which a Topping Slab (1031,1032) of concrete is poured which fills the space between the Floor Module and the Wall Trusses to create an integral structure.

Abstract: The present Stacked Wall Truss Construction and its use in multi¬story buildings makes use of prefabricated modular wall elements (100) that are interconnected in three dimensions to enable the rapid completion of building construction with improved quality of construction over that found in traditional multi-story building construction. The resultant building is a structural steel frame without the use of stacking columns. Vierendeel trusses (100) with vertical members (101-105) of tube steel are used, thereby the construction process becomes stacking trusses fit up as complete walls, not erecting columns. An inner “Mating Member” (131-135) enables each truss to be near perfectly positioned on top of the installed truss below.

Abstract: The present Stacked Wall Truss Construction and its use in multi-story buildings makes use of prefabricated modular wall elements (100) that are interconnected in three dimensions to enable the rapid completion of building construction with improved quality of construction over that found in traditional multi-story building construction. The walls are created with stacking modular elements to form a vertically continuous structure, and Floor Modules (161,162) are supported by a Floor Shelf (141-144) at predetermined elevations to provide a solid surface on top of which a Topping Slab (1031,1032) of concrete is poured which fills the space between the Floor Module and the Wall Trusses to create an integral structure.