Abstract: A utility system includes a number of electrical meters, a number of load devices, and a utility controller. The utility controller is configured to receive a command and an associated managerial group and determine a number of target devices based on the received managerial group. The target devices include one or more of the electrical meters and load devices. The utility controller is further configured to determine a first optimal communication group of a number of communication groups associated with the utility system. The first optimal communication group includes one or more of the determined target devices. The utility controller is also configured to issue the received command to the determined optimal communication group.

Abstract: The disclosure provides at least an apparatus, system and method for providing a flexible planar inductive coil, such as may be embedded in a product. The apparatus, system and method may include at least one conformable substrate, and a matched function ink set, printed onto at least one substantially planar face of the at least one substrate. This printing may form at least one layer of additive conductive traces capable of receiving current flow from at least one source and layered into successive ones of the conductive traces about a center axis within a plane of the at least one conformable substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a telecommunications connector. The connector includes at least one connector portion including a front housing portion coupled to a rear housing portion, the front housing portion being rotatable relative to the rear housing portion about a longitudinal axis, the front housing portion including a ferrule and a latch, the latch defining front and rear ends and being pivotable relative to the rest of the front housing portion at a connection portion. A boot mounted on the telecommunications connector is movable longitudinally relative to the rear housing portion, wherein the boot is configured to engage at least a portion of the latch of the front housing portion and cause the latch to pivot relative to the rest of the front housing portion as the boot is moved relative to the rear housing portion.

Abstract: A method includes receiving an audio signal from a microphone and processing the audio signal to identify a signal component that is associated with a resonance of at least part of a microphone unit disposed on a vehicle. The microphone unit includes the microphone and a protective element arranged to shield the microphone from environmental material. The method includes determining, based at least in part on the identified signal components, a characteristic indicative of the protective element having shielded the microphone from environmental material.

Abstract: A method of adaptably allowing an upgrade to firmware or a configuration of target endpoint hardware to be at least one of replaced or modified by way of instructions generated by a patch generator and executed by target endpoint hardware to generate an upgrade file, install the upgrade file, and audit the installation of the upgrade file is disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for load management for electric grids. An example load management system includes a load management server associated with a utility and a first revenue meter communicatively connected to the load management server. The first revenue meter includes a first controller configured to determine a user priority of load distribution to a plurality of devices in communication with the first revenue meter and determine a current power drawn by the plurality of devices. The first controller is configured to transmit, in response to a load shed event and based on the user priority, a load shed command to the plurality of devices indicating a new amount of power to be drawn by the plurality of devices, and transmit an indication of the load shed event to the load management server.

Abstract: An electrical grid system including a phase conductor, a neutral conductor, and a neutral-to-ground conductor configured to conduct current flow between the neutral conductor and a ground. The electrical grid system further includes a fault detection sensor including a current sensor configured to sense current flowing along the neutral-to-ground conductor. The fault detection sensor further includes a controller having an electronic processor that is configured to receive signals indicative of the current flowing through the neutral-to-ground conductor from the current sensor, monitor the received signals for an occurrence of an event associated with the current flowing along the neutral-to-ground conductor; and output an occurrence of a fault in the electrical grid system based on detecting occurrence of the event.

Abstract: A disposable vital signs monitor patch includes hydrogel based conductive adhesives which contacts skin. A medical tape bonds to the skin and has printed silver-silver chloride electrodes. The hydrogel based conductive adhesives interact between the skin and the printed silver-silver chloride electrodes. A double-sided medical tape bonds to the medical tape. A printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) includes a vital signs sensor, a flexible battery, a light emitting device (LED), connects to the printed silver-silver chloride electrodes, and bonds to the double-sided medical tape. A polyethylene foam includes a cut-out for the flexible the LED. The PCBA bonds to the polyethylene foam layer. A plunger operates within a cut-out on the polyethylene foam layer. An acrylic adhesive transfer tape bonds to the acrylic adhesive transfer tape. The medical tape, the double-sided medical tape, the polyethylene foam, and the acrylic adhesive transfer tape bond to seal against environmental exposure.

Abstract: A method of adaptably allowing an upgrade to firmware or a configuration of target endpoint hardware to be at least one of replaced or modified by way of instructions generated by a patch generator and executed by target endpoint hardware to generate an upgrade file, install the upgrade file, and audit the installation of the upgrade file is disclosed.

Abstract: An electrical grid system including a phase conductor, a neutral conductor, and a neutral-to-ground conductor configured to conduct current flow between the neutral conductor and a ground. The electrical grid system further includes a fault detection sensor including a current sensor configured to sense current flowing along the neutral-to-ground conductor. The fault detection sensor further includes a controller having an electronic processor that is configured to receive signals indicative of the current flowing through the neutral-to-ground conductor from the current sensor, monitor the received signals for an occurrence of an event associated with the current flowing along the neutral-to-ground conductor; and output an occurrence of a fault in the electrical grid system based on detecting occurrence of the event.

Abstract: A grounding rod having an elongated metal rod, an adjustment member, and a bracket. The bracket is attached to a metal portion of a piece of machinery. The adjustment member is mechanical, electric, or hydraulic and raises and lowers the elongated rod from a transport position where the elongated rod does not engage the ground, to a lowered position where the elongated rod is pushed into the ground.

Abstract: Techniques for cleaning and calibrating a microphone are discussed herein. For example, a computing device can implement a microphone component to operate a speaker adjacent to a microphone to cause removal of an obstruction (e.g., rain, mud, dirt, dust, snow, ice, animal droppings, etc.) on or near the microphone. The microphone component can also or instead cause the speaker to output a frequency for testing operation of the microphone. By implementing the cleaning and/or calibrating techniques described herein, foreign particle(s) of varying size and type can be dislodged from an area near the microphone to improve performance of the microphone.

Abstract: A packing case assembly includes a packing cup configured to be disposed along a piston rod of a reciprocating gas compressor system; and a packing ring set disposed in the packing cup, the packing ring set including multiple rings. The packing ring set is configured to be disposed circumferentially around a portion of the length of the piston rod. A backup packing ring of the packing ring set includes a first region including a polymer, and a second region including a metal.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a system and method for obtaining a diagnosis of a mental health condition. An exemplary system can receive an audio input; convert the audio input into a text string; identify a speaker associated with the text string; based on at least a portion of the audio input, determine a predefined audio characteristic of a plurality of predefined audio characteristics; based on the determined audio characteristic, identify an emotion corresponding to the portion of the audio input; generate a set of structured data based on the text string, the speaker, the predefined audio characteristic, and the identified emotion; and provide an output for obtaining the diagnosis of the mental disorder or condition, wherein the output is indicative of at least a portion of the set of structured data.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an optical fiber alignment device that has an alignment housing that includes first and second ends. The alignment housing defines a fiber insertion axis that extends through the alignment housing between the first and second ends. The alignment housing includes a fiber alignment region at an intermediate location between the first and second ends. First and second fiber alignment rods are positioned within the alignment housing. The first and second fiber alignment rods cooperate to define a fiber alignment groove that extends along the fiber insertion axis. The first and second fiber alignment rods each having rounded ends positioned at the first and second ends of the alignment housing.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a system and method for obtaining a diagnosis of a mental health condition. An exemplary system can receive an audio input; convert the audio input into a text string; identify a speaker associated with the text string; based on at least a portion of the audio input, determine a predefined audio characteristic of a plurality of predefined audio characteristics; based on the determined audio characteristic, identify an emotion corresponding to the portion of the audio input; generate a set of structured data based on the text string, the speaker, the predefined audio characteristic, and the identified emotion; and provide an output for obtaining the diagnosis of the mental disorder or condition, wherein the output is indicative of at least a portion of the set of structured data.

Abstract: A packing case assembly includes a packing cup configured to be disposed along a piston rod of a reciprocating gas compressor system; and a packing ring set disposed in the packing cup, the packing ring set including multiple rings. The packing ring set is configured to be disposed circumferentially around a portion of the length of the piston rod. A backup packing ring of the packing ring set includes a first region including a polymer, and a second region including a metal.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer system for grouping parts. Sets of unigrams are generated from text in part lists for parts in a family of parts using natural language processing, wherein a set of unigrams in the sets of unigrams represent components for a part in the parts. A document term matrix is created using the sets of unigrams. The document term matrix describes a presence of components in the parts. A number of unigrams from the document term matrix that has occurrences in the document term matrix that are greater than a common design threshold is removed. Removing the number of unigrams from the document term matrix forms a processed document term matrix. The common design threshold identifies a level of occurrence not useful in differentiating the parts from each other. The parts are clustered into groups using the processed document term matrix.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a fiber holder for holding optical fibers. The fiber holder can include a main holder body having a length that extends between first and second ends of the main holder body, a width that extends between first and second side walls of the main holder body, and a height that extends between top and bottom sides of the main holder body. The main holder body can define a plurality of fiber positioning grooves that extend along the length of the main holder body and spaced across the width of the main holder body. The main holder body also includes a fiber engagement structure having a fiber engagement surface. The fiber engagement structure can be aligned with an open region that interrupts the plurality of fiber positioning grooves. The fiber engagement structure can extend through the height of the main holder body from the top side to the fiber engagement surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are implementations of acoustic metamaterial structures and geometric configurations of acoustic metamaterial structures which produce sound amplification or cancellation. An acoustic metamaterial device for using with a sound source includes a plurality of fins, where each fin is made from a very dense material with respect to air which creates the anisotropic properties of the acoustic metamaterial device, where each fin has a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, the width and length dimension being equal and substantially perpendicular to the direction of sound wave propagation from the sound source, where each fin is sized different from other fins along the width and length dimension, and where the plurality of fins are interconnected such that planes formed by the width and length dimension of each fin faces perpendicular to the sound wave propagation direction from the sound source.