Abstract: An impact tool includes a housing extending along a longitudinal axis. The housing includes a motor housing portion, a first handle extending from the motor housing portion, and a front housing coupled to the motor housing portion opposite the first handle. The impact tool also includes a motor supported within the motor housing portion, an anvil extending from the front housing, an impact mechanism supported within the front housing, and an auxiliary handle assembly. The auxiliary handle assembly includes a mount, an auxiliary handle coupled to the mount and spaced from the first handle, and an adjustment mechanism. Loosening the adjustment mechanism permits rotation of the auxiliary handle assembly about the longitudinal axis relative to the housing, and tightening the adjustment mechanism secures the auxiliary handle assembly in a selected rotational position.

Abstract: A cake covering assembly for protecting a cake from airborne pathogens includes a cover that is positionable over a cake. The cover is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to protect the cake from airborne pathogens. The cover has a plurality of candle openings each extending through the cover. A plurality of candle holders is provided and each of the candle holders has a receiver to insertably receive a candle. Each of the candle holders is insertable through a respective one of the candle openings having the receiver being spaced above the cover. In this way each of the candle holders can support the candle in a vertical orientation thereby facilitating the candle to be blown out by a user in the convention of blowing out birthday candles.

Abstract: A system includes a feedforward path coupled to a signal input. The system also includes a speaker coupled to the feedforward path. The system includes a back electromotive force (BEMF) extractor coupled to the speaker, where the BEMF extractor has a first input, a second input, and an output. The BEMF extractor includes a first summing point coupled to the first input. The BEMF extractor includes a resistor amplifier coupled to the second input and the first summing point. The BEMF extractor includes a high pass filter coupled to the second input and to an inductor amplifier. The BEMF extractor also includes a low pass filter coupled to the first summing point. The BEMF extractor includes a second summing point coupled to the low pass filter, the inductor amplifier, and the output.

Abstract: A system for determining the temperature of a voice coil of a speaker includes a first pre-emphasis filter which has an input coupled to receive a digitized current sense signal. The first pre-emphasis filter applies a gain to signal components at a selected frequency band and provides a pre-emphasized current sense signal. The system includes a second pre-emphasis filter which has an input coupled to receive a digitized voltage sense signal. The second pre-emphasis filter applies a gain to the signal components at the selected frequency band and provides a pre-emphasized voltage sense signal. The system includes a first quantizer module configured to map the pre-emphasized signal to a quantized current sense signal, and includes a second quantizer module configured to map the pre-emphasized voltage sense signal to a quantized voltage sense signal.

Abstract: A battery pack including a housing and a plurality of battery cells at least partially received within the housing. The plurality of battery cells include adjacent first and second battery cells arranged within the housing in a common relative orientation. A separator forms a physical barrier between a portion of the first battery cell and a portion of the second battery cell. An electrically conductive member connects a third battery cell to at least one of the first and second battery cells. The separator supports the electrically conductive member integrally formed therein.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include an apparatus for closed loop control of a linear resonant actuator comprising a motor drive circuit configured to provide a motor drive signal, a current and voltage sensing circuit coupled to the output terminal of the motor drive circuit and across the motor, and having current sense and a voltage sense outputs. A resonant frequency and back emf extraction circuit receives the current sense and voltage sense outputs, and outputs a resonant frequency signal output and a measured back emf signal output. An actuator model circuit has inputs coupled to the output of the motor drive circuit, the resonant frequency signal output, and a mechanical system quality factor signal generated by an adaptation circuit having an input coupled to the error summing circuit output. The error summing circuit has inputs coupled to the output of the actuator model and the measured back emf signal.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein for generating PWM signals. Furthermore, a direct-drive method is disclosed in which a PWM signal is generated as a differential signal made up of OUTP and OUTN signals, where OUTP is a copy of OUTN but shifted in time by half a period. The PWM signal is generated by passing each of an input period and an input duty cycle through corresponding sigma-delta circuits to generate a refined period and a refined duty cycle, respectively. In some example cases, a threshold mapper uses a lookup table (LUT) or similar mechanism to select timing thresholds for rise times and fall times for each of the OUTP and OUTN signals, where the timing thresholds are selected based on the refined period and the refined duty cycle. In some example cases, a pulse generator generates the OUTP and OUTN signals based on the timing thresholds.

Abstract: A tire (1) has improved handling and comprises a stiffening structure (7) comprising two stiffening elements (8), each extending continuously in the toroidal interior cavity (6) from a crown interface (81) connected to a radially inner face of the crown (23) to a bead interface (82) connected to an axially inner face of the bead (41). The stiffening structure (7) is distributed circumferentially around the entire circumference of the tire. The crown interface (81) is positioned, with respect to the equatorial plane (XZ), at an axial distance A at most equal to 0.45 times the axial width S and the bead interface (82) is positioned, with respect to a radially innermost point (I) of the axially inner face of the bead (41), at a radial distance B at least equal to 0.10 times the radial height H and at most equal to 0.5 times the radial height H.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein for generating PWM signals. Furthermore, a direct-drive method is disclosed in which a PWM signal is generated as a differential signal made up of OUTP and OUTN signals, where OUTP is a copy of OUTN but shifted in time by half a period. The PWM signal is generated by passing each of an input period and an input duty cycle through corresponding sigma-delta circuits to generate a refined period and a refined duty cycle, respectively. In some example cases, a threshold mapper uses a lookup table (LUT) or similar mechanism to select timing thresholds for rise times and fall times for each of the OUTP and OUTN signals, where the timing thresholds are selected based on the refined period and the refined duty cycle. In some example cases, a pulse generator generates the OUTP and OUTN signals based on the timing thresholds.

Abstract: A system for determining the temperature of a voice coil of a speaker includes a first pre-emphasis filter which has an input coupled to receive a digitized current sense signal. The first pre-emphasis filter applies a gain to signal components at a selected frequency band and provides a pre-emphasized current sense signal. The system includes a second pre-emphasis filter which has an input coupled to receive a digitized voltage sense signal. The second pre-emphasis filter applies a gain to the signal components at the selected frequency band and provides a pre-emphasized voltage sense signal. The system includes a first quantizer module configured to map the pre-emphasized signal to a quantized current sense signal, and includes a second quantizer module configured to map the pre-emphasized voltage sense signal to a quantized voltage sense signal.

Abstract: A smart parking space and parking lot management system and method is disclosed. The system includes a parking management server, an attendant system, a plurality of smart parking spots, and an application on a driver's mobile device. Users make reservations on their mobile devices that communicate with the server over the internet. The driver checks in to the attendant system using a QRcode when arriving at the parking lot. The smart spot device informs the system when the vehicle arrives and leaves and may determine if a vehicle is in a proper spot with a reservation. Once the driver returns to the vehicle, payment for the parking is made via the application on the mobile device and the driver may leave the parking lot.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include a method for closed loop phase tracking comprised of determining a first estimated resonant frequency, generating a motor drive signal at the first estimated resonant frequency and applying the motor drive signal to a motor, measuring current and voltage of the motor drive signal, and filtering the measurements of current and voltage of the motor drive signal. The phase difference between the filtered current and voltage waveforms is measured and a second estimated resonant frequency is calculated. The generated motor drive frequency is adjusted to equal the second estimated resonant frequency.

Abstract: A container may comprise a tubular body having a rounded sidewall extending between a closed end defining a base portion and an opposite open end surrounded by a rim portion, and one or more sets of grooves defined within the vertical portion of the rounded sidewall. The base portion is configured to support the container in an upright orientation relative to a support surface and wherein the base portion defines a support ring having an at least substantially rounded perimeter. The rounded sidewall comprises a curved base transition region and a vertical portion extending between the perimeter of the base portion and the rim portion along a central axis. Each of the grooves comprises a length and a width, wherein the length is longer than the width. The grooves extend between the base portion and the rim portion along the length.

Abstract: In some examples, a device can control an HVAC system within a building. Includes an analog display including a set of markers, and where each marker of the set of markers corresponds to a respective parameter value of a parameter associated with the building; an electric motor; a pointer connected to the electric motor, where the electric motor is configured to rotate the pointer within a pointer range from a lower limit to an upper limit; and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to: determine a position of the electric motor while the pointer is positioned at one of the lower limit or the upper limit of the pointer range; and calibrate, a position function corresponding to the electric motor.

Abstract: A container may comprise a tubular body having a rounded sidewall extending between a closed end defining a base portion and an opposite open end surrounded by a rim portion, and one or more sets of grooves defined within the vertical portion of the rounded sidewall. The base portion is configured to support the container in an upright orientation relative to a support surface and wherein the base portion defines a support ring having an at least substantially rounded perimeter. The rounded sidewall comprises a curved base transition region and a vertical portion extending between the perimeter of the base portion and the rim portion along a central axis. Each of the grooves comprises a length and a width, wherein the length is longer than the width. The grooves extend between the base portion and the rim portion along the length.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include an apparatus for closed loop control of a linear resonant actuator comprising a motor drive circuit configured to provide a motor drive signal, a current and voltage sensing circuit coupled to the output terminal of the motor drive circuit and across the motor, and having current sense and a voltage sense outputs. A resonant frequency and back emf extraction circuit receives the current sense and voltage sense outputs, and outputs a resonant frequency signal output and a measured back emf signal output. An actuator model circuit has inputs coupled to the output of the motor drive circuit, the resonant frequency signal output, and a mechanical system quality factor signal generated by an adaptation circuit having an input coupled to the error summing circuit output. The error summing circuit has inputs coupled to the output of the actuator model and the measured back emf signal.