Abstract: A thimble assembly, which directs fluid flow through a combustor liner, includes a thimble boss and a thimble. The thimble boss is mounted an outer surface of the liner and surrounds a liner opening, thus defining a thimble boss passage. The thimble is disposed through the passage and the liner opening. The thimble wall extends from an inlet portion to an outlet of the thimble. The inlet portion has a greater diameter than the outlet and defines an inlet plane and a parallel intermediate plane. A terminal plane, parallel to the intermediate plane, includes an array of points most distant from a corresponding array of points defining the intermediate plane. The thimble wall has a non-uniform length, such that the outlet of the thimble is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the terminal plane. The thimble wall may have an arcuate shape defined as one-fourth of an ellipse.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, apparatuses, and methods for assembling cartridges for aerosol delivery devices. The cartridges may be assembled by coupling a base of the cartridge to a carriage that is transported via a track. The track transports the carriages between various substations at which one or more parts are added to the base. The carriage may be lifted from the track by a lifter mechanism at each substation in order to perform assembly operations on the base. An inspection system may inspect the cartridges at various stages of completion at or between the various substations.

Abstract: A method of dispensing compressed natural gas (CNG) includes assigning a first priority to the filling of a first destination tank and assigning a second priority to the filling of a second destination tank. The second priority is lower than the first priority. The method also includes filling the first destination tank from a first CNG source while filling the second destination tank from a second CNG source. The second CNG source provides CNG at a lower pressure relative to the pressure at which the first CNG source provides CNG.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, apparatuses, and methods for assembling cartridges for aerosol delivery devices. The cartridges may be assembled by coupling a base of the cartridge to a carriage that is transported via a track. The track transports the carriages between various substations at which one or more parts are added to the base. The carriage may be lifted from the track by a lifter mechanism at each substation in order to perform assembly operations on the base. An inspection system may inspect the cartridges at various stages of completion at or between the various substations.

Abstract: A sensor of a brightness limiting system of a vehicle may sense light from light sources around the vehicle and provide a light measurement signal. The light measurement signal may include information about brightness levels and positions of light sources relative to a window of the vehicle. A brightness controller may monitor the light source measurement signal and perform comparisons of brightness levels from the light measurement signal with brightness thresholds. The brightness controller may determine that a brightness level of a light source exceeds a brightness threshold and may provide a brightness control signal to a brightness control layer positioned adjacent to the window of the vehicle. The brightness control layer may receive the brightness control signal and limit the brightness level of light based on the brightness threshold at a brightness control area of the brightness control layer.

Abstract: A device may include a secure processor and a secure memory coupled to the secure processor. The secure memory may be inaccessible to other device systems. The secure processor may store some keys and/or entropy values in the secure memory and other keys and/or entropy values outside the secure memory. The keys and/or entropy values stored outside the secure memory may be encrypted using information stored inside the secure memory.

Abstract: A payment terminal can have a near field communication (NFC) circuit to permit the payment terminal to accept an NFC payment transaction from a payment device of a customer. The NFC circuit can have a first set of components that are located on a printed circuit board in the base of the payment terminal and a second set of components that are mounted on a flex circuit in another region of the payment terminal. The flex circuit can be coupled to the printed circuit board and have an extended portion with a plurality of traces to communicate transmit and receive data between the first set of components and the second set of components. The plurality of traces on the extended portion can have a predetermined length that is greater than or equal to 2.5% of the propagation-medium-specific wavelength of the carrier signal communicated over the traces.

Abstract: In certain exemplary embodiments, register banks are used to allow for fast beam switching (FBS) in a phased array system. Specifically, each beam forming channel is associated with a register bank containing M register sets for configuring such things as gain/amplitude and phase parameters of the beam forming channel. The register banks for all beam forming channels can be preprogrammed and then fast beam switching circuitry allows all beam forming channels across the array to be switched to use the same register set from its corresponding register bank at substantially the same time, thereby allowing the phased array system to be quickly switched between various beam patterns and orientations. Additionally or alternatively, active power control circuitry may be used to control the amount of electrical power provided to or consumed by one or more individual beam forming channels such as to reduce DC power consumption of the array and/or to selectively change the effective directivity of the array.

Abstract: A mining machine including a frame, a cutting head moveably coupled to the frame and pivotable about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to a first mine surface, and a first actuator for stabilizing the frame relative to the first mine surface. The first actuator is coupled to the frame and includes a first end extendable in a first direction to engage the first mine surface. The extension of the first actuator is automatically controlled based on measurements of at least one indicator of the force between the first actuator and the first mine surface.

Abstract: A payment device for a point-of-sale system that is configured to operate in a reader mode and in a transmitter mode. When in a first (reader) mode of operation as a seller device, the payment device is configured to receive first payment object information from a first payment object, such as a near field communication (NFC) enabled payment object. When in the second (transmitter) mode of operation as a buyer device, the payment device is configured to receive second payment information from a second payment object, such as an integrated circuit (IC) enabled payment object, and to transmit the second payment object information using a NFC protocol. The payment device includes a NFC antenna and a driving circuit configured to drive the NFC antenna to create a magnetic field when in the first mode of operation.

Abstract: Suture anchors are disclosed having suture locking features able to lock multiple suture ends extending from a body tissue, such as from a bone tunnel, with a single device.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for a trusted (or originator) device to modify the security state of a target device (e.g., unlocking the device) based on a securing ranging operation (e.g., determining a distance, proximity, etc.). The method of some embodiments exchanges messages as a part of a ranging operation in order to determine whether the trusted and target devices are within a specified range of each other before allowing the trusted device to modify the security state of the target device. In some embodiments, the messages are derived by both devices based on a shared secret and are used to verify the source of ranging signals used for the ranging operation. In some embodiments, the method is performed using multiple different frequency bands.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatuses for handling trick mode operation using multiple video streams are provided. A media server presents a first video stream having a first level of a video characteristic for display. The media server, in response to receiving a first command, presents a second video stream having a second level of the video characteristic for display while stopping presenting the first video stream for display based on a determination determined using the first level of the video characteristic and the second level of the video characteristic. The first video stream and the second video stream are directed to the same video content.

Abstract: Examples of the invention include implants, instruments and methods for surgical transosseous attachment to a bone. More particularly, examples of the invention relate to knotless suture anchors.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an acousto-optic waveguide that includes a waveguide cladding surrounding an optical core is disclosed. The method comprises providing a wafer substrate; depositing an initial amount of a first material over an upper surface of the wafer substrate to form a partial cladding layer; depositing a second material over the partial cladding layer to form an optical layer; removing portions of the second material of the optical layer to expose portions of the partial cladding layer and form an optical core comprising the remaining second material; and depositing an additional amount of the first material over the optical core and the exposed portions of the partial cladding layer to form a full cladding layer that surrounds the optical core. A relative concentration of components of the first material is adjusted to provide Brillouin gain spectral position control of the waveguide cladding to tune the acousto-optic waveguide.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for extending the communication range of mobile communication devices. A long-range radio device is controlled by a control application on a host smartphone. The long-range radio device provides signal paths for two different radios, one employing a long-range (LoRa) modulation format, and another employing a high data-rate encoding such as FSK. The system provides graceful degradation in data rate as radio link distance increases and received signal strength decreases. In addition to switching between radios, variable compression and buffering are used to adapt usage to supportable data rates. Voice, other audio, video, text, binary, and other data formats are supported, as also a wide range of co-resident host apps. Unidirectional and bidirectional links can be used.

Abstract: A bushing having a shaft seal is disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a fluid valve body, a valve shaft disposed in the fluid valve body, and a bushing disposed on the valve shaft between the valve shaft and the fluid valve body. The bushing includes a first groove disposed on an inner surface of the bushing and a second groove disposed on an outer surface of the bushing. A first seal is disposed in the first groove to seal against the valve shaft and a second seal is disposed in the second groove to seal against the valve body.

Abstract: Provided are methods for treating or preventing vasculopathy in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a prostacyclin and a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) or a MSC-conditioned culture medium or administering to the subject a MSC or a MSC-conditioned culture medium that has treated with prostacyclin. Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for such treatments are also provided.

Abstract: An interlayer structure having a cellulose ester layer for use in structural laminates is described herein. The cellulose ester layer provides rigidity and support to multilayer interlayers comprising an array of different layers. Due to the diverse properties of the cellulose ester layers, the present interlayers can be useful in producing structural laminates having high stiffness and which possess good optical clarity for a variety of applications, including outdoor structural applications.