Abstract: A flashlight assembly includes a body having a head portion at one end and an opposing tapered tail portion and a clamping assembly on a bottom side of the body. The tail portion of the body tapers rearwardly towards a tail end thereof and downwardly from an upper side towards the bottom side, such that the tail end of the tail portion merges with the bottom side of the body and forms an inclined contoured surface extending from the bottom side to the top side. A contoured switch is mounted within the inclined angled surface of the tapered tail portion, and includes a safety bail pivotably movable to selectively mechanically impede operation of the switch.

Abstract: This application is directed to recognizing unstructured information based on hints provided by structured information. A computer system obtains unstructured information collected from a handwritten or audio source, and identifies one or more terms from the unstructured information. The one or more terms includes a first term that is ambiguous. The computer system performs a recognition operation on the first term to derive a first plurality of candidate terms for the first term, and obtains first contextual information from an information template associated with the unstructured information. In accordance with the first contextual information, the computer system selects a first answer term from the first plurality of candidate terms, such that the first term is recognized as the first answer term.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for border control is described. The method involves interaction between a user computing device and a management server. The following actions are performed at the user computing device. A registration process is performed that involving captures user information and a stored biometric of the user from a user travel document. A first fresh user biometric is also captured at the user computing device for verification to register the user at the management server. At least one check step is then performed during passage through a border control area, this check step comprising capturing a second fresh user biometric for verification and generation of a time limited code for completing the check step. Suitable apparatus to implement this method is also described.

Abstract: A vehicle including a storage bin and a restraint control system. An actuation assembly is configured to activate in response to a signal from the restraint control system. A tether is operable between undeployed and deployed positions and the actuation assembly is configured to deploy the tether over an opening defined by the storage bin.

Abstract: A low power, digital audio interface includes support for variable length coding depending on content of the audio data sent from the interface. A particularized coding system is implemented that uses techniques of silence detection, dynamic scaling, and periodic encoding to reduce sent data to a minimum. Other techniques include variable packet scaling based on an audio sample rate. Differential signaling techniques are also used. The digital audio interface may be used in a headphone interface to drive digital headphones. A detector in the interface may detect whether digital or analog headphones are coupled to a headphone jack and drive the headphone jack accordingly.

Abstract: A flashlight assembly includes a body having a head portion at one end and an opposing tapered tail portion and a clamping assembly on a bottom side of the body. The tail portion of the body tapers rearwardly towards a tail end thereof and downwardly from an upper side towards the bottom side, such that the tail end of the tail portion merges with the bottom side of the body and forms an inclined angled surface extending from the bottom side to the top side. A switch is mounted within the inclined angled surface of the tapered tail portion, and includes a safety bail pivotably movable to selectively mechanically impede operation of the switch.

Abstract: A flashlight assembly includes a body having a head portion at one end and an opposing tapered tail portion and a clamping assembly on a bottom side of the body. The tail portion of the body tapers rearwardly towards a tail end thereof and downwardly from an upper side towards the bottom side, such that the tail end of the tail portion merges with the bottom side of the body and forms an inclined angled surface extending from the bottom side to the top side. A switch is mounted within the inclined angled surface of the tapered tail portion, and includes a safety bail pivotably movable to selectively mechanically impede operation of the switch.

Abstract: Virtual and augmented reality sports training environments are disclosed. A user interacts with virtual players in a simulated environment of a virtual reality sporting event. In some embodiments, the user's actions and decisions are monitored by the simulated environment. The environment evaluates the user's performance, and provides quantitative scoring based on the user's decisions and timing. Coaches and other users may design customized scenarios or plays to train and test users, and the resultant scores may be reviewed by the coach. In one application, real life pitchers and their pitching data are tracked and replicated in a simulated pitching environment. A team of users may practice against a simulation of a pitcher they are about to compete against, swinging at pitches that they would see in a real game. Such environments may maximize effective practice time for users, and help develop better players with improved decision-making skills.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a service network status in a communication network are provided. A method may include deriving a baseline or a threshold for network performance of at least one endpoint in a network. The method may also include evaluating a service network status of the network by comparing current performance metrics of the at least one endpoint to the baseline or the threshold. In addition, the method may include determining, when the evaluated service network status is degraded, at least one node or at least one link that is causing the service network status to be degraded using a root cause analysis.

Abstract: Virtual and augmented reality sports training environments are disclosed. A user interacts with virtual players in a simulated environment of a virtual reality sporting event. In some embodiments, the user's actions and decisions are monitored by the simulated environment. The environment evaluates the user's performance, and provides quantitative scoring based on the user's decisions and timing. Coaches and other users may design customized scenarios or plays to train and test users, and the resultant scores may be reviewed by the coach. In one application, real life pitchers and their pitching data are tracked and replicated in a simulated pitching environment. A team of users may practice against a simulation of a pitcher they are about to compete against, swinging at pitches that they would see in a real game. Such environments may maximize effective practice time for users, and help develop better players with improved decision-making skills.

Abstract: A method includes detecting a first path between a user equipment and a first network entity. The method also include detecting a second path between the user equipment and a second network entity, where the first path is longer than the second path. In addition, the method includes determining whether the second network entity is a proxy server located between the user equipment and the first network entity based on an estimated value of the first path and an estimated value of the second path.

Abstract: A flashlight assembly operates with a thermal optimization circuit which automatically, over time, reduces the duty cycle of the control circuit to reduce the temperature of the LED junction, improve LED performance and increase battery life.

Abstract: A system, method and user interface are described for providing a personal assistant functionality using a predictive, adaptive, dichotomous (two choices) decision engine that proactively prompts the user for decisions on matters deemed relevant by the decision engine based on past user decisions and activities.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for border control is described. The method involves interaction between a user computing device and a management server. The following actions are performed at the user computing device. A registration process is performed that involving captures user information and a stored biometric of the user from a user travel document. A first fresh user biometric is also captured at the user computing device for verification to register the user at the management server. At least one check step is then performed during passage through a border control area, this check step comprising capturing a second fresh user biometric for verification and generation of a time limited code for completing the check step. Suitable apparatus to implement this method is also described.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a service network status in a communication network are provided. A method may include deriving a baseline or a threshold for network performance of at least one endpoint in a network. The method may also include evaluating a service network status of the network by comparing current performance metrics of the at least one endpoint to the baseline or the threshold. In addition, the method may include determining, when the evaluated service network status is degraded, at least one node or at least one link that is causing the service network status to be degraded using a root cause analysis.

Abstract: Various embodiments pertain to communication network systems. In particular, various embodiments relate to multi-path probing in communication network systems that can be used to estimate the complete topology of the network. A method includes receiving data at a source node from a tracerouting probe in a network. The data includes information about at least one network node. The method also includes determining an identification for the at least one network node based on information. In addition, the method includes using the identification of the at least one network node to determine an identification of at least one device.

Abstract: A flashlight assembly operates with a thermal optimization circuit which automatically, over time, reduces the duty cycle of the control circuit to reduce the temperature of the LED junction, improve LED performance and increase battery life.

Abstract: A wearable device conveys information to a user. The device includes a master soft circuit cell and a plurality of actuation soft circuit cells. These cells are physically interconnected to form a garment that is worn by a user and each of these cells includes an electrically non-conductive fabric covering. Each of the actuation cells is electrically connected to and operates under the control of the master cell. The master cell is configured to wirelessly receive actuation instructions and activate a combination of the actuation cells based on the received actuation instructions. Each of the actuation cells is configured to generate a particular actuation that is perceived by one or more senses of the user whenever the actuation cell is activated by the master cell. A system also conveys affective state information to a user.

Abstract: A multi-merchant portal that enables a user to access e-commerce stores is provided. Each e-commerce store has respective merchant categories browsable by the user at a customer device through the portal, each merchant category comprising products available for purchase from a respective merchant. In response to receiving a request from the customer device to switch access of the user browsing a selected merchant category of the first merchant in a first e-commerce store, to a second e-commerce store, the portal determines a system category corresponding to the selected merchant category using mapping data mapping merchant categories to system categories and then determines a destination merchant category of the second merchant in the second e-commerce store corresponding to the determined system category using mapping data mapping the system categories to the merchant categories. The portal switches user's access to the destination merchant category in the second e-commerce store.

Abstract: A system and method for heating water with heat obtained from liquid that is sourced by a ground-loop system, the system including a ground-loop heat exchanger, a compressor, a hot-water-reservoir-loop heat exchanger, a subcooler heat exchanger, and a thermostatic expansion valve. The ground-loop heat exchanger is structured to transfer heat from heated ground liquid to a refrigerant. The compressor is structured to increase a pressure of the refrigerant received from the ground-loop heat exchanger. The hot-water-reservoir-loop heat exchanger is structured to transfer heat from the refrigerant to water received from the hot-water reservoir. The subcooler heat exchanger is structured to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the ground liquid before returning the liquid to the ground-loop system, and the thermostatic expansion valve structured to control a flow of the refrigerant to the ground-loop heat exchanger.