Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for secure payment and providing multimedia at fuel dispensers are provided. In general, a fuel dispenser can include a terminal configured to receive secure information and to show multimedia. The terminal can be configured to switch between a first mode and a second mode. The terminal can include a touchscreen. In the first mode, the touchscreen can have a shield enabled thereon that is configured to reduce a field of view of the touchscreen such that the touchscreen is only visible from specific angle(s). In the second mode, the shield can be disabled such that the touchscreen does not have a reduced field of view.

Abstract: Instruments for applying tension to a securing device, such as a cable or wire, for securing bones in place and fastening implants, such as plates, to bones. In some forms, the tensioning instrument is configured with minimal parts for ease of manufacturing and allowing single use applications. The instrument may include a pretensioning mechanism for applying desired preload before connecting a cable to be tensioned to the instrument. The instrument may be sized and configured to remain attached to a tensioned cable while other cables are connected to a bone. In another form, the instrument may be expandable to remove any slack from the securing device and apply tension thereto.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments for providing altitude reporting. Some embodiments may include receiving a query from a first vehicle regarding altitude data of the first vehicle, providing the altitude data to the first vehicle, and receiving, by the computing device, a computed altitude from the first vehicle. Some embodiments include calculating an altitude uncertainty parameter for the first vehicle, determining a true altitude from the altitude data and the altitude uncertainty parameter, and determining whether the true altitude is within a predetermined threshold of a second altitude of a second vehicle. Some embodiments may be configured for, in response to determining that the true altitude is within the predetermined threshold, notifying at least one of the following: the first vehicle or the second vehicle.

Abstract: An adaptive communication system integrated into the wash functions of a carwash is provided. The adaptive communication system embodies a programmable input relay board coupled to a digital sound trigger board retrievably storing a plurality of communication events. Each wash function is adapted to transmit an output signal upon being engaged. The programmable input relay board is adapted to receive such output signals and interface with the digital sound trigger board so as to selectively activate one or more of the plurality of communication events.

Abstract: Interpretive meta-instructions are used, at a connected vehicle access system (CVAS) device, to implement various RKE protocols by: receiving an RKE-protocol-specific meta-instruction that has been generated by a back-end server; generating an RKE telegram based on the RKE-protocol-specific meta-instruction; and transmitting the RKE telegram to a vehicle. The meta-instruction may include: a device configuration that specifies a set of RF parameters of a CVAS-device transceiver; a template telegram that contains a first set of data fields with data values from the back-end server and that contains a second set of data fields for which data values will be generated and inserted at the CVAS device; and localization-processing commands containing instructions for modifying the second set of data fields of the template telegram.

Abstract: Endophytic microbial strains as biocatalysts isolated from fresh plant samples, compositions, and methods of use thereof to enhance the growth and/or yield of a plant in the presence of reduced synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are provided. Endophytic microbial strains serve as biocatalysts to solubilize organic (proteinaceous) nitrogen otherwise unavailable to plants for their nutritional needs. Thus defined, biocatalysts will serve to replace synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Also provided are materials and methods for inoculating plants with these biocatalysts at carefully selected inoculum densities to reliably reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer by 50% thus accomplishing optimal yields in technically and cost-effective manner.

Abstract: A process is provided for improving the water solubility of cannabinoids by combining cannabinoids with fat globules obtained from animals, plants, or synthetic chemistry. The animals can be mammals or non-mammals. The plants can be whole plants, tissue cultures, or genetically engineered plants. The fat globules can be used in their natural environment, and/or following processing, and/or as separated or purified particles.

Abstract: Methods and systems of using a presentation application tool include inputting a control code associated with an administrative control via the presentation application tool and a graphical user interface (GUI) of an administrative device, controlling a presentation device via the administrative device based on the control code, and setting an active user through the administrative control via the GUI of the administrative device, wherein the active user is in control of a present mode and an active user device. The method may further include associating the active user device with the present mode and the presentation device, the present mode configured to control the presentation device, and controlling a presentation screen of the presentation device in the present mode through the active user device.

Abstract: Fluid flow enhancing devices disclosed herein are adapted to enhance flow of fluid through subsurface watershed conduits, for example, culverts, drainpipe and the like. Such fluid flow enhancing devices advantageously enhance watershed runoff functionality in subsurface watershed conduits by altering watershed flow from a parabolic flow pattern to a rotational flow pattern while still accommodating fish passage requirements. This change in flow pattern beneficially provides turbulence that disrupts and flushes debris out of the subsurface watershed conduits. This disruption and flushing establishes a passive cleaning functionality within the subsurface watershed conduits that serves to clean the subsurface watershed conduits after suitable upstream water delivery event (e.g., heavy rain, controlled water release, etc.).

Abstract: A means and method of treating wastewater generated during the washing of on road and off-road vehicles by means of a filtration, advanced oxidation and post process filtration to produce a water consisting of near neutral pH, Low Total Dissolved Solids, Low Total Suspended Solids, Low Iron, Low Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), Low Bacteria, Low Sulfur and high clarity, such that the water is suited for all commercial vehicle washing operations.

Abstract: A die bonding system comprising a heated bond head with the ability to heat up and cool down quickly, change tips to handle different sized dies, and load and unload tips automatically while maintaining the precision required to handle dies smaller than 200 um2.

Abstract: A multi-protocol RFID interrogating system employs a synchronization technique (step-lock) for a backscatter RFID system that allows simultaneous operation of closely spaced interrogators. The multi-protocol RFID interrogating system can communicate with backscatter transponders having different output protocols and with active transponders including: Title 21 compliant RFID backscatter transponders; IT2000 RFID backscatter transponders that provide an extended mode capability beyond Title 21; EGOTM RFID backscatter transponders, SEGOTM RFID backscatter transponders; ATA, ISO, ANSI AAR compliant RFID backscatter transponders; and IAG compliant active technology transponders. The system implements a step-lock operation, whereby adjacent interrogators are synchronized to ensure that all downlinks operate within the same time frame and all uplinks operate within the same time frame, to eliminate downlink on uplink interference.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, an RFID-enabled table game system provides for determining whether there is a variance between an expected balance of inventory and an actual balance of inventory in a game element container. If a variance is detected, the RFID-enabled game system may identify at least one characteristic associated with an RFID-enabled game element that is determined to be a source of the variance (e.g., a player position at which the RFID-enabled game element had last been detected, a denomination or value of the game element, and/or an identifier associated with the game element). In some embodiments, an alert may be output to game provider personnel (e.g., a dealer of a card game) at the end of a game play when such a variance is detected, thus allowing the variance to be corrected in an efficient and timely manner.

Abstract: An ultraviolet (UV) sterilization system and a device for sterilizing a garment having shoulder, torso, and sleeve portions including a garment enclosure; a garment hanger; and at least three UV emitter sets, wherein the garment enclosure comprises a housing and a door that are affixed to each other to provide an interior cavity of the garment enclosure, wherein the housing further includes a plurality of housing walls that encapsulate the housing, and wherein each of the plurality of housing walls comprises a housing-wall inside surface located within the plurality of housing walls and a housing-wall outside surface located outside the plurality of housing walls.

Abstract: Methods are devices are provided for preventing fracture of a fluid-filled chamber or tank. In general an anti-fracture expansion device can be disposed internally within a fluid-filled chamber such that during a freeze event displaced fluid can compress or flow into the anti-fracture expansion device, thereby reducing the likelihood that the chamber will rupture. The internal disposition of the expansion device prevents it from interfering with other components that may be connected to or adjacent to the fluid chamber, thereby conserving space. In certain embodiments, the expansion device can have a dual function wherein it can act as a flow control valve in addition to functioning as an anti-fracture expansion device.

Abstract: A battery pack includes a thermally conductive plate that can be cooled or heated, and an array of electrochemical cells. The cells include a stacked or rolled arrangement of electrode plates, and a current collector disposed in the battery cell that forms an electrical connection with the electrode plates and provides a thermal conduction pathway for conducting heat from the electrode plates to the thermally conductive plate.

Abstract: Platoon management control systems and methods rearrange three of more vehicles cooperatively travelling seriatim as a platoon along an associated roadway into a platoon arrangement other than the linear or single file formation. Multi roadway lane platoon management control systems and methods control the three or more vehicles cooperatively travelling as a multi-lane platoon along an associated multi-lane roadway into a platoon arrangement other than the linear or single file formation. Larger platoon sizes are provided thereby enabling more vehicles to participate in the larger multi-lane platoon. A platoon management control uses a combination of the GPS position of the lead vehicle representative of the position of the vehicle relative to the associated geographical area, and braking performance data representative of the braking capabilities of following vehicles to rearrange the vehicles into the non-columnar formation.

Abstract: A denture abutment retention apparatus and a denture including one or more denture abutment retention apparatuses configured to allow the denture to be easily engaged with and secured to a plurality of denture abutments in a user's mouth using sliding motion of the denture from the sides of the plurality of denture abutments.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for auto-locating positions of a plurality of wireless sensors on a vehicle. The apparatus comprises a receiving unit for receiving signals from the plurality of wireless sensors. The apparatus further comprises a processing unit arranged to calculate a probability value for each one of the plurality of wireless sensors based upon signals that have accumulated over a period of time to provide a table of probability values. Each probability value contained in the table during a calculation cycle of the processing unit is indicative of likelihood of one of the plurality of wireless sensors being located at a corresponding one of a plurality of positions on the vehicle. Each one of the plurality of wireless sensors is associated with the position having the highest probability value during the calculation cycle.