Abstract: A nozzle assembly for a cleaning apparatus can include a brushroll, a motor disposed within the brushroll and configured to rotate the brushroll, a debris receptacle comprising a debris inlet. A scraper may be disposed above the debris inlet such that the scraper projects into the brushroll. A ramp can be formed on the scraper. The ramp may extend between an outer edge of the scraper above the debris inlet and into an interior region of the debris receptacle. The ramp can include a runoff surface configured to direct debris and liquid removed from the brushroll by the scraper as the brushroll rotates into the debris receptacle at a negative angle relative to a surface being cleaned. A squeegee assembly may be disposed across a full width of the nozzle assembly.

Abstract: A method at a computing system, the method including creating a signature for a software component, the signature being created by hashing source code for the software component; checking a cache to determine whether the signature matches a cached signature; and responsive to the signature matching a cached signature, obtaining a binary for the software component from another computing system without compiling the software component.

Abstract: A composite load-bearing member is disclosed. The member includes a core with opposed upper and lower side and opposed lateral sides extending between the upper and lower side and opposed ends extending between the upper and lower sides and between the lateral sides and with a longitudinal axis extending through the ends. The core is substantially solid. The member further includes a shell that is bonded to the core on at least the upper, lower and lateral sides and that includes first reinforcing fibres and second reinforcing fibres in a first resin matrix. The first reinforcing fibres are parallel to the longitudinal axis and the second reinforcing fibres are oblique to the longitudinal axis. Also disclosed is a method of forming the composite load-bearing member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating a step length of a user are disclosed. The method involves obtaining inertial data generated by an inertial sensor, extracting orthogonal motion components a plurality of directions, and estimating, based on the orthogonal motion components for each direction, a respective parameter that is indicative of energy expenditure by the user in the corresponding direction. The step length is then estimated, based on each estimated parameter indicating energy expenditure by the user, a corresponding step length.

Abstract: A method of validating whether a building or building portion has a design target heat loss coefficient is disclosed. According to the method, also known as the VeriTherm method, a plausible range of heat loss coefficients is determined in which an estimated measurement error does not exceed a combined sensor bias. An indication of whether the design target heat loss coefficient is validated is provided depending on whether or not the design target heat loss coefficient is inside the plausible range of heat loss coefficients. An apparatus may include modules adapted to perform the steps of the method. Further, a method of heating or cooling a building portion is disclosed. According to the method a power input to a building portion is determined in dependence on one or more of: a design target heat loss coefficient, a desired maximal internal to external temperature difference, a cut-off temperature, an intended period of measurement, and a heating/cooling period.

Abstract: A digital torque wrench includes a position sensor assembly which measures the movement of a load beam with respect to an indicator beam to determine the torque being applied to a working element by the torque wrench. The position sensor assembly includes a first position sensor portion having multiple rotatable pinion gears coupled to a potentiometer, and includes a second position sensor portion having a rack gear that engages one of the pinion gears of the first position sensor portion. The first and second position sensor portions are attached to different ones of the load beam and the indicator beam so that at least one of the pinion gears rotates along the rack gear in response to force (torque) being applied through the load beam to the working element.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for compensating for the effect of a moving door on a nearby ferromagnetic object detector. The ferromagnetic object detector is of a type to produce a main sensor signal indicative of the presence of a ferromagnetic object in the vicinity of the ferromagnetic object detector. Furthermore, the door is arranged relative to the ferromagnetic object detector such that movement of the door is liable to introduce an undesirable interference signal into the main sensor signal. The apparatus comprises an input (3) for receiving the main sensor signal and a door sensor signal that is responsive to an opening angle of the door. The apparatus also comprises an interference signal estimator (4) for estimating a door-related interference signal in dependence upon the door sensor signal and a model of interference for the door.

Abstract: A digital torque wrench includes a position sensor assembly which measures the movement of a load beam with respect to an indicator beam to determine the torque being applied to a working element by the torque wrench. The position sensor assembly includes a first position sensor portion having multiple rotatable pinion gears coupled to a potentiometer, and includes a second position sensor portion having a rack gear that engages one of the pinion gears of the first position sensor portion. The first and second position sensor portions are attached to different ones of the load beam and the indicator beam so that at least one of the pinion gears rotates along the rack gear in response to force (torque) being applied through the load beam to the working element.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for compensating for the effect of a stray ferromagnetic object moving past but not through a sensing region of a ferromagnetic object detector. The ferromagnetic object detector is of a type to produce a plurality of sensor signals, each sensor signal being influenced by the presence of a genuine ferromagnetic object moving through the sensing region but also liable to be influenced by the presence of the stray object. The apparatus comprises: an input for receiving the plurality of sensor signals and first means for analysing the received signals to determine whether there is a substantially same time-varying component present in each of the signals. The apparatus also comprises second means for determining whether the plurality of signals without the contribution of that time-varying component are each or collectively below a predetermined level of significance.

Abstract: A digital torque wrench includes a position sensor assembly which measures the movement of a load beam with respect to an indicator beam to determine the torque being applied to a working element by the torque wrench. The position sensor assembly includes a first position sensor portion having multiple rotatable pinion gears coupled to a potentiometer, and includes a second position sensor portion having a rack gear that engages one of the pinion gears of the first position sensor portion. The first and second position sensor portions are attached to different ones of the load beam and the indicator beam so that at least one of the pinion gears rotates along the rack gear in response to force (torque) being applied through the load beam to the working element. Rotation of the pinion gears causes rotation of a potentiometer element, which produces a signal indicative of the relative displacement of the load beam with respect to the indicator beam.

Abstract: A method of blind signal separation of convolutively mixed signals comprises firstly processing signals to produce second order independence. In a second step, and together with ranges of signal delay and rotation parameters, the resulting processed signals are used to determine delay and rotation parameters. These parameters implement at least one elementary paraunitary matrix and transform the processed signals into output signals with improvement in independence to at least a predominant part of a maximum extent obtainable over the parameter ranges. The output signals then become the next processed signals and the second step is iterated until independence ceases to be improved significantly. The latest output signals are then unmixed signals.

Abstract: A digital torque wrench includes a position sensor assembly which measures the movement of a load beam with respect to an indicator beam to determine the torque being applied to a working element by the torque wrench. The position sensor assembly includes a first position sensor portion having multiple rotatable pinion gears coupled to a potentiometer, and includes a second position sensor portion having a rack gear that engages one of the pinion gears of the first position sensor portion. The first and second position sensor portions are attached to different ones of the load beam and the indicator beam so that at least one of the pinion gears rotates along the rack gear in response to force (torque) being applied through the load beam to the working element. Rotation of the pinion gears causes rotation of a potentiometer element, which produces a signal indicative of the relative displacement of the load beam with respect to the indicator beam.

Abstract: A method of strongly decorrelating signals comprising processing input signals to determine delay and rotation parameters which implement at least one elementary paraunitary matrix. The parameters transform the input signals into output signals with improvement in a measure of strong decorrelation. The improvement in the measure of strong decorrelation is then assessed: if it is significant the latest output signals are, designated as input signals and the process is iterated. Iteration continues until the measure of strong decorrelation ceases to improve significantly, at which point the latest output signals are designated as signals decorrelated in a wide sense.