Abstract: A thermoforming apparatus includes a mold with a plurality of sections. Each section is independently movable. The thermoforming apparatus further includes a set of electromechanical actuators. Each electromechanical actuator is attached to a screw that moves each section of the plurality of sections to specific positions. The mold is configured to press against a blank to form a product with a shape corresponding to the specific positions of the plurality of sections.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a battery exchange station for an electric vehicle. In one example, a battery exchange station may include a vehicle platform including one or more lifters, a first storage rack positioned on a first side of the vehicle platform, and a second storage rack positioned on an opposing, second side of the vehicle platform. The first storage rack and the second storage rack may store a plurality of batteries. The battery exchange station may include a battery exchange mechanism comprising a dual component battery chamber, a first mobile table, and a second mobile table, the dual component battery chamber comprising stationary component fixed to the electric vehicle and a mobile component slideably coupled to the stationary component, wherein the mobile component is released from the stationary component when the electric vehicle is directly on the vehicle platform and lifted via the one or more lifters.

Abstract: Solar receivers including a plurality of multi-scale solar absorbing surfaces arranged such that light or heat reflected from or emitted from one or more of the plurality of solar absorbing surfaces impinges one or more other solar absorbing surfaces of the solar receiver. The disclosed receivers increase the amount of absorbed energy from a concentrated light source, such as a heliostat field, and reduce radiative and convective heat losses.

Abstract: Solar receivers including a plurality of multi-scale solar absorbing surfaces arranged such that light or heat reflected from or emitted from one or more of the plurality of solar absorbing surfaces impinges one or more other solar absorbing surfaces of the solar receiver. The disclosed receivers increase the amount of absorbed energy from a concentrated light source, such as a heliostat field, and reduce radiative and convective heat losses.

Abstract: A self-aligning roller bearing having inner and outer bearing ring elements and at least one row of roller elements disposed in between. The inner bearing ring element having a retaining flange provided on a first axial side of the roller bearing being configured for preventing the roller elements from falling out from the roller bearing. The roller bearing having a first sealing ring element located at the first axial side for sealing the first axial opening, the first sealing ring being rotatable in relation to the inner bearing ring and seals against a sealing mating surface of the inner bearing ring. The retaining flange has at least one filling slot configured for allowing the roller elements to be inserted in-between the inner and the outer bearing ring elements during assembly of the roller bearing, and the sealing mating surface being axially outside the at least one filling slot.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a battery bank supply and replacement system in an electric vehicle, particularly for an electric vehicle used for the distribution of commercial goods. The system of the present invention comprises a battery bank mounted in a metal structure that is structurally coupled to a metal mounting structure arranged on the electric vehicle and a handling device consisting of a movable base. The movable base is aligned and secured to the metal mounting structure of the vehicle for removal of the battery bank from the vehicle towards the handling device or the other way round.

Abstract: A combination of hardware and software collect profile data for asynchronous events, at code region granularity. An exemplary embodiment is directed to collecting metrics for prefetching events, which are asynchronous in nature. Instructions that belong to a code region are identified using one of several alternative techniques, causing a profile bit to be set for the instruction, as a marker. Each line of a data block that is prefetched is similarly marked. Events corresponding to the profile data being collected and resulting from instructions within the code region are then identified. Each time that one of the different types of events is identified, a corresponding counter is incremented. Following execution of the instructions within the code region, the profile data accumulated in the counters are collected, and the counters are reset for use with a new code region.

Abstract: A computer-readable storage medium, method and system for optimization-level aware branch prediction is described. A gear level is assigned to a set of application instructions that have been optimized. The gear level is also stored in a register of a branch prediction unit of a processor. Branch prediction is then performed by the processor based upon the gear level.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a battery bank supply and replacement system in an electric vehicle, particularly for an electric vehicle used for the distribution of commercial goods. The system of the present invention comprises a battery bank mounted in a metal structure that is structurally coupled to a metal mounting structure arranged on the electric vehicle and a handling device consisting of a movable base. The movable base is aligned and secured to the metal mounting structure of the vehicle for removal of the battery bank from the vehicle towards the handling device or the other way round.

Abstract: A combination of hardware and software collect profile data for asynchronous events, at code region granularity. An exemplary embodiment is directed to collecting metrics for prefetching events, which are asynchronous in nature. Instructions that belong to a code region are identified using one of several alternative techniques, causing a profile bit to be set for the instruction, as a marker. Each line of a data block that is prefetched is similarly marked. Events corresponding to the profile data being collected and resulting from instructions within the code region are then identified. Each time that one of the different types of events is identified, a corresponding counter is incremented. Following execution of the instructions within the code region, the profile data accumulated in the counters are collected, and the counters are reset for use with a new code region.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method to manage instruction cache prefetching from an instruction cache. A processor may comprise: a prefetch engine; a branch prediction engine to predict the outcome of a branch; and dynamic optimizer. The dynamic optimizer may be used to control: identifying common instruction cache misses and inserting a prefetch instruction from the prefetch engine to the instruction cache.

Abstract: An image signal processor is described. The image signal processor includes a block checking circuit. The block checking circuit comprises comparison circuitry to compare a block of luminous pixel values against respective blocks of luminous pixel values that are processed by the image signal processor after the block of luminous pixel values. The block checking circuitry further comprises circuitry to record an entry in a table if one of the blocks of respective luminous pixel values match the block of luminous pixel values. The image signal processor is to store an image signal processing resultant of the block of luminous pixel values and present the stored resultant as a respective resultant for the one of the blocks of respective luminous pixel values if the one of the blocks of respective luminous pixel values matches the block of pixel values.

Abstract: An image signal processor is described. The image signal processor includes a block checking circuit. The block checking circuit comprises comparison circuitry to compare a block of luminous pixel values against respective blocks of luminous pixel values that are processed by the image signal processor after the block of luminous pixel values. The block checking circuitry further comprises circuitry to record an entry in a table if one of the blocks of respective luminous pixel values match the block of luminous pixel values. The image signal processor is to store an image signal processing resultant of the block of luminous pixel values and present the stored resultant as a respective resultant for the one of the blocks of respective luminous pixel values if the one of the blocks of respective luminous pixel values matches the block of pixel values.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a configurable seat assembly for a vehicle, a vehicle having a configurable seat assembly, and a method of reconfiguring a configurable seat assembly. The configurable seat assembly can be configured between two work configurations and includes a detachable seat panel that can be moved out of the way of an operator when the operator is reconfiguring the configurable seat assembly and moving between the two work configurations.

Abstract: Example methods for finding a text reading order in a document are described in which text zones are determined, the text zones are clustered using semantic measure and correlation and a reading order is found within each of the clusters.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a configurable seat assembly for a vehicle, a vehicle having a configurable seat assembly, and a method of reconfiguring a configurable seat assembly. The configurable seat assembly can be configured between two work configurations and includes a detachable seat panel that can be moved out of the way of an operator when the operator is reconfiguring the configurable seat assembly and moving between the two work configurations.

Abstract: An automated document processing system is configured to normalize zones obtained from a document, and to extract articles from the normalized zones. In one configuration, the system receives at least one zone from the document, and applies at least one zone-breaking factor, thereby creating normalized sub-zones within which text lines are consistent with the at least one zone-breaking factor. The normalized sub-zones may be evaluated to obtain a reading order. Adjacent sub-zones are joined if text similarity exceeds a threshold value. Weakly joined sub-zones are separated where indicated by a topic vectors analysis of the weakly joined sub-zones.

Abstract: A dynamic step dimming interface is provided that allows a ballast to energize a lamp in a dim mode or a normal mode. The ballast includes a lamp controller that energizes the lamp using an oscillating current. The oscillating current is also provided to a voltage monitor, which indicates the voltage level of the oscillating current, and to a rectifier, which provides an output indicative of the oscillating current. The rectifier is responsive to user input indicating whether the dim mode or the normal mode is to be used. A processing circuit receives the voltage level from the voltage monitor and provides a mode command to the ballast, indicating the lamp mode, based on inputs received, and provides a reference voltage to a comparator. The comparator receives the rectifier output and the reference voltage, and generates a voltage indicative of a power level of the lamp for the processing circuit.

Abstract: A dynamic step dimming interface is provided that allows a ballast to energize a lamp in a dim mode or a normal mode. The ballast includes a lamp controller that energizes the lamp using an oscillating current. The oscillating current is also provided to a voltage monitor, which indicates the voltage level of the oscillating current, and to a rectifier, which provides an output indicative of the oscillating current. The rectifier is responsive to user input indicating whether the dim mode or the normal mode is to be used. A processing circuit receives the voltage level from the voltage monitor and provides a mode command to the ballast, indicating the lamp mode, based on inputs received, and provides a reference voltage to a comparator. The comparator receives the rectifier output and the reference voltage, and generates a voltage indicative of a power level of the lamp for the processing circuit.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for a processor to determine whether a commit action is to be performed. In an embodiment, a processor performs operations to determine whether a commit instruction is for contingent performance of a commit action. In another embodiment, one or more conditions of processor state are evaluated in response to determining that the commit instruction is for contingent performance of the commit action, where the evaluation is performed to determine whether the commit action indicated by the commit instruction is to be performed.