Abstract: A home automation (HA) system may include addressable HA devices each having a respective HA device signature associated therewith and each wirelessly communicating using respective different wireless communications protocols from among different wireless communications protocols. The HA system may also include a controller and a memory coupled thereto. The memory may store HA device signatures for paired and unpaired ones of the addressable HA devices. The controller may poll the addressable HA devices, determine an unpaired addressable HA device based upon the polling, and compare the associated HA device signature of the unpaired addressable HA device with the stored HA device signatures. The controller also, when there is a match between the HA device signature of the unpaired addressable HA device and one of the stored HA device signatures, may permit pairing of the unpaired addressable HA device to communicate therewith using the respective wireless communications protocol.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes identifying an emergency event; determining that a threshold percentage of users who are associated with the emergency event have posted content related to the emergency event to an online social network; sending, in response to the determination, a safety-check prompt to each of a first set of users; determining a current-prompting probability based on one or more engagement metrics of the safety-check prompt by the first set of users; and sending, in response to determining that the current-prompting probability is above a first threshold probability, the safety-check prompt to each of a second set of users, wherein the second set of users comprises more users than the first set of users.

Abstract: A method of gaming in a gaming system comprising; generating a game outcome by spinning a plurality of reels to respective stop positions at which a plurality of symbols of each reel are displayed at respective ones of a plurality of symbol display positions; controlling spinning of the reels prior to the reels reaching their respective stop positions to include a first mode in which all of the reels spin independently of each other, and a second mode in which at least two adjacent reels are synchronized to spin together; evaluating the game outcome to determine whether to make an award in respect of the game outcome; and making any determined award.

Abstract: Disclosed is a capsule for use in a brewing device, the capsule comprising: a body part, which defines a cavity containing infusible beverage material; and a lid which is attached to the body part and which closes the cavity, wherein the lid comprises lines of weakness which define an opening region having an opening force of from 9.0 to 50 N.

Abstract: A system for maintaining thermal separation between first and second adjacent rooms or spaces. The system includes a vestibule with at least a first compartment, and other embodiments may include two or more compartments, such that the vestibule provides a passageway between the first and second rooms. At least one blower draws air from the first room through an air intake, and back into the first room through an exhaust. The system further includes an exhaust port from the first compartment in fluid communication with the exhaust, to exhaust air from the first compartment into the first room. During operation, a vacuum is formed within the first compartment that provides thermal separation between the first and second adjacent rooms.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and apparatuses for electroplating which employ seed layer detection. Such methods and related apparatuses may operate by selecting a wafer for processing, measuring from its surface one or more in-process color signals having one or more color components, calculating one or more metrics, each metric indicative of the difference between one of the in-process color signals and a corresponding set of reference color signals, determining whether an acceptable seed layer is present on the wafer surface based on whether a predetermined number of the one or more metrics are within an associated predetermined range which individually corresponds to that metric, and either electroplating the wafer when an acceptable seed layer is present or otherwise designating the wafer unacceptable for electroplating. The foregoing may then be repeated for one or more additional wafers to electroplate multiple wafers from a set of wafers.

Abstract: An electronic method of gaming comprises an electronic game controller forming a game outcome by selecting a plurality of symbols for display at respective ones of a plurality of symbol display positions of a symbol display, evaluating the game outcome to determine whether to a) make an award in respect of the game outcome, and b) remove one or more symbols from the symbol display, and upon removing one or more symbols, making an additional award upon the removal of the one or more symbols corresponding to one or more removal outcomes.

Abstract: Data is received from each of a plurality of vehicles proximate to an intersection indicating a kinetic energy and a time to the intersection. An optimized timing of a traffic light is determined based on an aggregation of the kinetic energies and times to intersection. A timing of the traffic is modified according to the optimized timing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are electroplating systems for forming a layer of metal on a wafer which include an electroplating module and a wafer edge imaging system. The electroplating module may include a cell for containing an anode and an electroplating solution during electroplating, and a wafer holder for holding the wafer in the electroplating solution and rotating the wafer during electroplating. The wafer edge imaging system may include a wafer holder for holding and rotating the wafer through different azimuthal orientations, a camera oriented for obtaining multiple azimuthally separated images of a process edge of the wafer while it is held and rotated (the process edge corresponding to the outer edge of the layer of metal formed on the wafer), and image analysis logic for determining an edge exclusion distance, wherein the edge exclusion distance is a distance between the wafer's edge and the process edge.

Abstract: A storage device for carrying medical equipment having an outer shell that is reconfigurable between a closed configuration and an open configuration. The outer shell includes first and second side panels and a fastener is provided for holding the outer shell in the closed configuration. A first support panel has support elements on its inner and outer surfaces for securing medical equipment to the first support panel. In a first configuration the first support panel covers the inner surface of the first side panel and the outer surface of the first support panel is outwardly facing and accessible and the first support panel is pivotable to a second configuration in which the inner surface of the first side panel is uncovered and both the inner surface of the first side panel and the inner surface of the first support panel are outwardly facing and accessible.

Abstract: Systems and methods for an interactive display based on interpreting driver actions are disclosed. An example disclosed vehicle includes a camera, a microphone, and a vehicle assist unit. The example vehicle assist unit is configured to in response to detecting a request for information regarding a subsystem of the vehicle via at least one of the camera or the microphone, display information about the subsystem at a first level of detail, and in response to detecting a request for more information regarding the subsystem, display information about the subsystem at second level of detail.

Abstract: A fastener driving workhead unit is provided for performing an operation on spikes of a railroad track having a plurality of ties, and includes a hammer housing configured for accommodating a hammer, the housing being attached to a hammer bushing having a hammer bushing clamp. Also included in the workhead unit is an anvil assembly having an anvil and an extension coupler, the extension coupler being releasably secured to the hammer bushing by fastening the hammer bushing clamp. Further, the workhead unit includes a jaw assembly having a jaw block, the jaw block having at least one jaw block clamp for releasably securing a guide rod to the jaw block by the jaw block clamp, such that the anvil freely reciprocates in the hammer housing for driving the spikes into the plurality of ties.

Abstract: A monocentric lens-based multi-scale imaging system is disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention comprise a monocentric lens as an objective lens that collects light from a scene. Monocentric lenses in accordance with the present invention include a spherical central lens element and a plurality of lens shell sections that collectively reduce at least one of spherical and chromatic aberration from the magnitude introduced by the spherical lens element itself. A plurality of secondary lenses image the scene through the objective lens and further reduce the magnitude of aberrations introduced by the objective lens. A plurality of sensor arrays converts optical sub-images of the scene into a plurality of digital images, which can then be used to form a composite image of the scene.

Abstract: Mechanisms are described herein for propagating a theme definition from a host application to a host extension so that the host application and the host extension are visually consistent. A theme definition may be updated after a theme change event occurs as a result of a user interacting with the host application. The theme definition may then be utilized by the host extension to update one or more UI elements presented by the host extension to enable visual consistency.

Abstract: The present invention provides a variety of systems and methods of playing a slot machine game in which players accumulate elements during one or more spins and at the conclusion of any spin may record the accumulation of said elements for future use at the same or different slot machine game. In three preferred embodiments, a player accumulates: the cumulative number of times one or more predetermined symbols appear in the symbol matrix; the cumulative number of points awarded by the game for winning symbol combinations appearing in the symbol matrix; or a set of predetermined winning symbol combinations.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to determining an activity of a user based on sensor readings from sensor(s), and providing, for presentation to the user via a user interface output of a computing device of the user, information that is based on the determined activity. In some implementations, the information may be provided in response to input entered by the user via a user interface input device of the computing device of the user. In some implementations, the input may be a search query and the information may be search results. In some implementations, the input may be a partial query and the information may be query suggestions.

Abstract: A grease gun, in one preferred embodiment, wherein the grease containing portion of the cartridge consists principally of transparent plastic material, wherein the cartridge stands alone without a surrounding supporting metal barrel, wherein the cartridge has an air vented bottom end and an open top end which is non-removably fixed to the grease inlet portion of a pumping head, wherein the pumping head body including the pumping handles is composed of a single plastic molding, wherein the cartridge has no pressurizing spring and piston and no grease compression rod, wherein ambient air pressure is utilized to load the head, wherein valving structures in the head are molded of plastic material, wherein the valving structures are positioned in the head to allow self priming of the pumping structure, and whereby the gun components are easy to assemble, are light weight, and are easy to use.

Abstract: A fluidic module rotatable about a center of rotation includes a first compression chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a second compression chamber having a fluid inlet, a first fluid channel connected to the first chamber via the fluid inlet of the first chamber, and a second fluid channel connecting the fluid outlet of the first chamber to the fluid inlet of the second chamber. Due to rotation of the fluidic module a liquid may be centrifugally driven into the first chamber and the second fluid channel through the first fluid channel, and thereby a compressible medium may be entrapped and compressed within the second chamber. By lowering the rotary frequency and due to the resultant expansion of the compressible medium, liquid may be driven out of the second fluid channel into the first chamber, out of the first chamber into and through an outlet channel.

Abstract: One example dynamic display system includes: (a) a vehicle including steering, an accelerator, brakes, sensors recording sensor data, a display, a processor, and memory; (b) a display program operatively coupled to the processor and configured to: determine a user hindrance rating based on the sensor data, and select instructions from a pool of instructions based on the hindrance rating and a user-selectable fidelity level, the pool of instructions including visual cues, and audio cues.

Abstract: A grease gun cylinder walled cartridge adapted for direct attachment to any of a variety of grease gun head constructions and grease pumping systems, wherein the cartridge wall can be of any color or completely clear and see through, wherein the grease column within the cartridge is pressured toward and through an inlet port in the gun head, which port opens on the section stroke of a piston mounted in said cylinder into a loading portion of a cylinder of the grease pumping system, and wherein the grease column pressuring means is ambient air pressure.