Abstract: A kit of garden torch holders for securely retaining a garden torch in the ground and on the wall is provided. A first torch holder has a hollow body having a circumferential flange and a hollow tip for planting the first torch holder into the ground for retaining a shaft therein. The kit also provides wall mountable second and third torch holders providing pairs of opposing notches for mounting both the body of the garden torch and the above mentioned first torch holder.

Abstract: A transfer rack on one floor of an inventory system can receive multiple containers each carrying an inventory item designated for an operation on a different floor of the inventory system. A vertical lift can move the transfer rack carrying the multiple containers from the one floor to the different floor. On the different floor, the multiple containers may be swapped for different multiple containers each carrying an inventory item designated for an operation on the one floor. The vertical lift may return the transfer rack carrying the different multiple containers to the one floor.

Abstract: A landscape lighting mounting system has an orientation adjustment feature between the support shaft and the ground stake on which the lighting fixture is mounted. The ground stake has a vertical threaded opening into which the threaded shaft of a pivot ball can be mounted. The shaft of the lighting fixture has a retainer cap mounted on the lower distal end. The retainer cap is mounted onto the pivot ball and secured thereto with set screws which tightly engage the pivot ball after the shaft of the lighting fixture has been oriented into a selected orientation. Re-positioning the lighting fixture only requires the loosening of the set screws to re-orient the lighting fixture before retightening the set screws. The fixture wire for the landscape lighting fixture can pass through slots in the retainer cap or through the pivot ball and a slot in the top of the ground stake.

Abstract: A method of verifying an identity of a printed item includes capturing an image of the unverified printed item, wherein the unverified printed item includes artifacts and at least some of the artifacts were not controllably producible in producing the unverified printed item; extracting information associated with the artifacts of the unverified printed item; ranking the information associated with the artifacts of the unverified printed item; retrieving stored ranked information associated with artifacts of an original printed item from a storage device; and in each of a first and second range of magnitudes, comparing the ranked information associated with the artifacts of the unverified printed item with the ranked information associated with the artifacts of the original printed item.

Abstract: A system for verifying the authenticity of a printed mark includes an image acquisition device that acquires an image of a printed mark. In one implementation, the printed mark includes an identifier that identifies the group or class of an item to which the printed mark is to be (or has been) attached. The system may also include one or more processors that carry out actions such as receiving the image from the image acquisition device; analyzing the image to identify artifacts in the printed mark, retrieving a genuine mark signature from a data storage containing genuine mark signatures, comparing the identified artifacts with the genuine mark signature, and determining whether the unverified item is authentic based on the comparison.

Abstract: An operation button includes: a body that is in a tubular shape; a top which has a light-transmitting portion and which is attached to the body at its one end; a plurality of legs that are provided at the other end of the body at intervals from each other in the circumferential direction; and a flange arranged between the one end and the other end of the body.

Abstract: A household appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a front panel forming an exterior, a display window formed with a plurality of through holes having minute or fine sizes formed at the front panel, and the plurality of through holes are filled with a coating liquid including an anti-foaming agent.

Abstract: A theater light projector including a housing, a plurality of light sources, a plurality of lenses, a light exiting output aperture, and a central integrating mask. The light exiting output aperture has a center. The plurality of light sources are arranged around a central axis. The plurality of light sources project light though the light exiting output aperture. The center of the light exiting output aperture is substantially void of projected light projected by the plurality of light sources. The central integrating mask is located in the center of the light exiting aperture and partially intersects a portion of the projected light from each of the plurality of light sources.

Abstract: A base has a base surface. Light emitting elements are disposed on the base surface along an X-axis with an X pitch and along the Y axis with a Y pitch to form a matrix. The X pitch is smaller than the Y pitch. Lenses has a batwing illumination distribution. Each of the lenses covers each of the light emitting elements. A first lenticular lens sheet is provided on the base such that a first lenticular lens sheet lower surface is opposite to the base surface. A second lenticular lens sheet is provided on the first lenticular lens sheet such that a second lenticular lens sheet lower surface is opposite to a first lenticular lens sheet upper surface.

Abstract: A decoding device includes decoding storage to store metadata of tiles of a captured image of an object, wherein each tile includes a 2D array of pixels, and the metadata is derived by a subsampling circuit from the captured image via transform and describes at least one characteristic of each tile. The decoding device also includes a processor to compare a metadata value of each tile to a first threshold to identify tiles that includes a portion of an indicia; upon identification of a cluster of adjacent tiles that each meet the first threshold and that are numerous enough to meet a second threshold, request a ROI that includes the cluster from a subsampling circuit; analyze the ROI to determine whether it contains the indicia; and decode and transmit data encoded within the indicia to a server.

Abstract: Cards embodying the invention include a core subassembly whose elements define the functionality of the card and a hard coat subassembly attached to the top and/or bottom sides of the core subassembly to protect the core subassembly from wear and tear and being scratched. The core subassembly may be formed solely of plastic layers or of different combinations of plastic and metal layers and may include all the elements of a smart card enabling contactless RF communication and/or direct contact communication. The hard coat subassembly includes a hard coat layer, which typically includes nanoparticles, and a buffer or primer layer formed so as to be attached between the hard coat layer and the core subassembly for enabling the lasering of the core subassembly without negatively impacting the hard coat layer and/or for imparting color to the card.

Abstract: Described in detail herein are methods and systems for dynamic projection. The dynamic projection system includes a projector configured to project a first set of information associated with a set of like physical objects onto a front portion of a shelving unit. The first set of information includes an image of a machine-readable element encoded with an identifier associated with the set of like physical objects. An optical scanner can scan and decode the identifier from the image of the machine-readable element. The optical scanner can transmit the identifier or location of the scanner to a computing system. The computing system can further control an output of the projector to dynamically project the second set of information associated with the set of like physical objects onto the front portion of the shelving unit receiving the identifier or location of the optical scanner.

Abstract: An apparatus may be capable of scanning barcodes and capturing non-barcode images. The apparatus may comprise a first set of imaging optics that receives, from within a first field of view, first light defining a first portion of image data captured by an image sensing system. The apparatus may also comprise a second set of imaging optics that receives, from within a second field of view, second light defining a second portion of the image data. The first field of view may be centered on a first optical pathway, and the second field of view may be centered on a second optical pathway that is nonparallel to the first optical pathway. The first set of imaging optics may be positioned to direct the first light to the image sensing system, and the second set of imaging optics may be positioned to direct the second light to the image sensing system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing checks using 2D barcodes are provided. A user submits a digital image of a check that includes a 2D barcode. The 2D barcode has embedded positional information of one or more check features which can be decoded and compared to the check features optically identified on the digital image of the check. From this, a set of rotational and scaling adjustments can be computed by comparing estimated positional information with the positional information of the one or more check features retrieved from the barcode. A more accurate representation of the check is then produced by applying the set of rotational and scaling adjustments to the digital image of the check. Once a more accurate representation of the check has been produced, the check can be electronically processed using a routing transit number found on the check.

Abstract: An automated banking machine operates to cause financial transfers responsive at least in part to data read from data bearing records. An automated banking machine is operative to dispense physical currency bills as well as virtual currency bills that are perceivable by a user wearing a wearable device. The wearable device is also operative to enable a user to perceive the deposit of virtual currency bills into the physical automated banking machine. A wearable device worn by the user is also operative by the user to obtain virtual currency bills from a virtual automated banking machine. The virtual automated banking machine may also be operative to receive the deposit of virtual currency bills therein. The wearable device may comprise augmented reality glasses that enables the user to visually perceive simultaneously physical surroundings in a direct field of view of the user and visual outputs by at least one display of the device.

Abstract: A direct-type reflective diffusion lens and a lighting installation including the reflective diffusion lens. The reflective diffusion lens includes a first reflective surface concave and having a longitudinal cross-section with a parabola shape or normal distribution shape to totally reflect incident light, and a bottom surface comprising a light incident surface concave toward the first reflective surface. The reflective diffusion lens includes a second reflective surface having a longitudinal cross-section inclined by a first angle with respect to a central axis of the lens to totally reflect incident light and a refractive surface connecting the first reflective surface with the bottom surface. The refractive surface includes a first refractive surface having a longitudinal cross-section inclined by a second angle with respect to the central axis and a second refractive surface having a longitudinal cross-section inclined by a third angle with respect to the central axis.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to systems and methods of smart packaging. In one example, a package can include an embedded data storage element that is readable at a point-of-sale terminal and includes custom data stored on the data storage element. The custom data may be associated with a specific product related to the package, such as a SIM card or phone. The custom data can include information to allow a process related to the product to be performed. The process may include allowing activation of the product only when an indicator at a server indicates the package was processed at an authorized terminal.

Abstract: A card with a magnetic stripe and increased durability is described. A protective lamina or coating may be disposed on a card with a magnetic stripe to protect the magnetic stripe embedded into the card from scratches, fractures, or chemical damage. An adhesive in the protective lamina is compatible with a material composition of the magnetic stripe such that the bond established onto the card surface is also accomplished with the magnetic stripe. The magnetic stripe has high coercivity and is overlaminated. The overlamination is performed across the entire rear side of the card. Accordingly, stress lines in cards with magnetic stripes can be avoided thereby significantly reducing cracking and fractures in cards.

Abstract: This patent specification describes an attachment for a mobile device. The attachment may have an attachment feature designed to be attached to a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet, or smartphone/tablet with a camera. The attachment may also include an optics system and/or an illumination system that cooperates with the camera to facilitate the capture of decodable barcodes. The illumination system may include a targeting illumination system that facilitates proper positioning of the article and/or an exposure illumination system that helps illuminate the article during capture. The optics system may include a lens that modifies the depth of field and/or the size of the field of view of the camera, an aperture that helps define the field of view, a filter that prevents light of undesired wavelengths from reaching the camera, and/or a mirror that redirects the camera's optical pathway.

Abstract: A device for identifying an electrical appliance when it is powered up includes a current detector coupled to an electrical power supply cable of the electrical appliance, for detecting the passage of an electrical current in the cable and generating an electrical signal. A voltage generator converts the electrical signal at the output of the current detector into a direct voltage. An RFID circuit stores identification information, coupled to an antenna suitable for receiving and transmitting signals from and to an RFID reader. The device includes a control circuit coupled to the voltage generator and to the RFID circuit, the control circuit configured for producing a change of impedance of the antenna when the direct voltage is applied, the change of impedance allowing to transmit the identification information to the RFID reader.