Abstract: A system comprised of hardware, software and business processes to more effectively make multi-objective crop production plans, and in particular, single year or multi-year crop selection, acreage allocation, and resource management strategies for production agriculture that can be used by farmers, agricultural professionals who work with farmers and land managers. The method uses mathematical programming and sensitivity analysis to help the user determine optimal allocations of controllable resources such as land, capital, labor, water, machinery, and chemicals and for deploying risk management strategies such as precise combinations of forward sales and hedging, crop insurance and crop diversification, in the context of farm management objectives. The system allows the import of data and information relating to the farm and data and information from third-party industry professionals and other data sources.

Abstract: The story telling toy contains one or more characters that relate an educational story upon power up. At least one of the characters has active facial features such as eyes and mouth that move synchronous to the audio. The audio as well as control signals for the actuated features are stored in a multi-track memory within the toy. Multiple short stories are saved in memory enabling the toy to relate a different story each time it is powered up. In another embodiment, the memory is made interchangeable by using USB drives, disks, SD cards, or other devices. The behavior of the toy changes when a new memory device is loaded and it relates different stories. In another embodiment, the toy may be designed to communicate with the home internet to enable downloading new stories via internet. The active features maybe implemented mechanically using electro magnets, solenoids, or optically using displays, electrochromic coatings, or fiber optic bundles.

Abstract: A method for decision-making by an electronic system comprising a plurality of components is provided herein. The components of the system are given tunable voting authority v=[Vmin . . . Vmax], typically [?1 . . . 1]. A singleton officiating member manages the notification and voting process. A current representation of the entire system is stored in the model. The model is a state storage system that tracks the existence and condition of a group of tracked data items, called Entities. The model is managed by the singleton officiating member but may be queried by any component.

Abstract: A method for human-arbitrated conflict resolution within autonomous vehicle control system is provided herein. Autonomous operation and capabilities of an unmanned vehicle, such as an urban delivery vehicle, are improved by incorporating an onboard programmable decision unit that operates in an essentially autonomous fashion under normal operating conditions. When dynamic, changing, or unexpected conditions are encountered within the vehicle's environment, an on-board decision making unit decides how to best overcome any problems should they arise. A human operator may interact with the vehicle to resolve a conflict if an intervention delta is exceeded.

Abstract: A system including a first substrate implement with a first side, a first groove contrivance machined, molded or casted into the first side, and in which the first groove contrivance comprises a first predetermined pattern and a predetermined size. A first tracing tool includes a first end portion, in which said first end portion comprises a tip with a first predetermined diameter size and shape, wherein the first predetermined diameter size and shape is configured to correspond to the first predetermined size of the first groove contrivance. The tip of the first end portion is operable for tracing the first groove contrivance.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an antenna includes a dielectric substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a planar central antenna element provided on the first surface, and a planar electromagnetic bandgap structure provided on the first surface and surrounding the central antenna element.

Abstract: A method for manually or semi-manually mapping an urban environment to locate a safe, traversable path within the environment is provided herein. An area is mapped by an entity that traverses sidewalks, ramps, driveways, crosswalks, and other terrain in the area to create a memory of usable paths to reach addressed destinations. A human operator, possibly assisted by a computer-executed mathematical algorithm, approves routes that are considered safe. When a route is approved, it enters the memory as a safe, traversable route. If a route is not approved, it is marked as unsafe and the entity finds an alternate route to get to the same location such as by going around the block or in another direction.

Abstract: The basic concept of satellite-free time transfer using time reversal (T3R) has been invented and successfully demonstrated over long distance (about 4,000 km) with an accuracy of approximately 200 ns rms. The current invention describes new methods to drastically improve performance up to <10 ns rms—better than the current differential GPS, without satellites. The new method employs the Vernier concept utilizing the unique p-independence property of T3R irrespective of carrier frequencies. Also, a histogram method to automatically filter out extraneous data and allow high accuracy and a new method to extend the timing range of T3R beyond the pulse repetition period by removing ambiguity are proposed. A systematic way to obviate the signal blockage caused by transmit/receive window mismatch, is also proposed.

Abstract: A method for manually or semi-manually re-mapping an urban environment during delivery operations by an autonomous vehicle is provided herein. In an embodiment of the invention, an autonomous delivery vehicle performs delivery operations within an urban environment. The urban environment can comprise a city or a portion of a city such as a neighborhood. The autonomous vehicle traverses along a previously mapped and scanned route that has been determined to be safe and traversable for the delivery vehicle. As it traverses the route, the delivery vehicle scans the route again using the same sensors that were used to scan the route initially. If a sensor delta is exceeded, the vehicle may execute any one or combination of notifying an operator, deciding, choosing a different route, continuing, or executing a contingency plan.

Abstract: The new art includes a system, process and means to label microseisms generated by hydraulic fracture operations and detected by acoustic sensors so a that machine learning process may be trained to perform mapping of propped hydraulic fracture dimensions in real-time or near-real time. This labeling process creates a labeled training set that enables any supervised machine learning process to be tested and trained whereby the process may perform real-time mapping of propped and unpropped fractures in subsequent treatment stage(s).

Abstract: A lightweight 2.4 GHZ antenna designed to be clipped onto a laptop computer or mobile device to extend the range of operation. The device consists of a tubular plastic frame upon which wire loops and a reflector are mounted and aimed toward the intended source of Wi-Fi signal. Radio-Frequency energy is transferred bidirectionally from the antenna to embedded antennas in the laptop computer or mobile device so no hardwired connection is necessary. Operation requires no power. The device can be scaled to 5 GHz Wi-Fi and other frequency bands including cellular.

Abstract: The Antenna Beam Pointing System is a novel system and method to point a satellite terminal antenna beams to a satellite in near-circular orbit. Unlike other methods, the system described herein relies on the satellite orbital equations of motion to estimate its position with any precision, using a finite-term algebraic expression, and the satellite terminal position information. The system can point to the satellite as a function of the beamforming capabilities of the phased array antenna or the driving system of a mechanically steered antenna. Satellite acquisition could be attained within one second because of the long-term prediction of the orbital equations of motion with programmed initial orbit conditions and the antenna beamwidth which is wide enough to encompass the satellite uncertainty box in orbit. The system could be used with a beacon signal strength indicator or a correlating signal. The system is also applicable for satellites in elliptical orbits.

Abstract: One embodiment of system that proactively protects computers from storm-related electrical damage. System includes chassis housing microchip and circuitry; software application installed on computer; and cloud-based server. Server scans online weather services for local weather alerts. When server sends alert to software application, based on computer location, application turns computer off and wirelessly instructs chassis to disconnect computer from power supply—before storm arrives. One embodiment uses a hub-and-spoke workflow that periodically scans once and routes alerts to users' software applications in affected locations only. Protection system scans every few minutes so even fast-moving storms are not missed, yet system neither overloads weather service servers nor incurs excessive usage fees. System also protects other appliances with wireless connectivity.

Abstract: A protective headphone cover can comprise a cover member configured to interface with an outer side of a headphone, and an elastic locking member attached to the cover member and defining an elastic opening operable to wrap around the headphone. The protective headphone cover can also comprise at least one inner panel pivotally attached to the cover member and interfaceable to an inner side of the headphone. The at least one inner panel can comprise an audio opening to facilitate passage of audio waves from the headphone to the user. The at least one inner panel can comprise a first inner panel and a second inner panel attached to each other about an intermediate joint attachment section. A method of making a protective headphone cover, and a method of protecting headphones, are provided.

Abstract: The Sky Dial is a North Star based celestial observatory for measuring the position of celestial objects. This celestial observatory, when aimed at the North Star, creates a grid of stationary reference lines which divide the entire visible sky into near isosceles trapezoid shapes that can be identified by their grid coordinates, Ring Number and Hour Number. The Sky Dial allows people to observe celestial objects, and easily assign them a set of coordinates defining their current position. By comparing the grid positions of an object at different times, users can witness that all the stars rotate counter-clockwise around the North Star once every twenty-four hours, or 15 degrees per hour, and that distance from the North Star, called the ring, never changes. The Sky Dial can be used to measure the passage of time during the night just as a Sun Dial can do during the day.

Abstract: An imperative service system includes at least one server computer that is adapted to communicate with resident electronic devices and property owner systems over Internet. The imperative service system receives an imperative service licensing request with input data entered via an imperative service licensing web page, and generates an individualized property web address for a property or a set of properties. The individualized property web address indicates a protocol, a property location and a domain. The imperative service system sends the individualized property web address to the requesting computer, determines a list of imperative services for the property, receives a request for an imperative service distribution web page including web page links to the list of imperative services over Internet, generates the imperative service distribution web page, and sends the imperative service distribution web page to the requesting computer. The imperative service system can be a cloud sever system.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system is for training a subject's articulation. The system will receive, access and analyze the speech audio and video data of the subject. The data will be compared to standard speech audio and video data to calculate the deviation of the articulatory parameters between the recorded data of the subject and the standard data. The system will then deconstruct the speech unit and separately play the standard tongue movements, lip movements, jaw movements, and airstream generation. The system will then enable a gradual time converging of the initial separately played standard tongue movements, jaw movements, lip movements and airstream generation in response to a magnitude of the at least articulatory parameter deviation decreasing. Similarly, the system will adapt the display speed and the number of repetitions of these movements to optimize the articulation training.

Abstract: An novel method of manually controlling concurrent audio data recording and playback machines using an electromechanical momentary switch, an electronic device capable of detecting changes in the state of said electromechanical momentary switch, an audio data recording device, and an audio data playback device, whereby said electronic device will, upon detecting each change of state in said electromechanical momentary switch, cause said audio data recording device to stop recording the current audio data sample and start recording a new audio data sample, and cause said audio data playback device to play back the audio data sample whose recording was just stopped.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to audio speakers, and systems and methods for making audio speakers. More specifically, the present invention relates to reliable precision audio speaker coil assemblies, and systems and methods for manufacturing reliable precision audio speaker coil assemblies.

Abstract: Audio ear buds preferably include a housing, an ear tip, an audio speaker, a chamber divider and a power line. The housing preferably includes a driver cup and a chamber cup. The ear tip is attached to the driver cup. A speaker cavity is formed in the driver cup. The speaker cavity is sized to receive the audio speaker. The driver cup is inserted into the chamber cup. The chamber cup includes a divider bore and an acoustic cavity bore, which are sized to receive the chamber divider. A sound hole is formed through a wall of the chamber cup into the acoustic cavity bore. The chamber divider includes at least one air passage hole. The chamber divider creates a ported speaker chamber and an acoustic chamber. The chamber divider acts as a passive resonator. The power line supplies power to the audio speaker.