Abstract: An apparatus for acoustically detecting the location of a distal end of a tube relative to a body conduit into which the tube is being inserted is provided. The apparatus including a speaker positioned to generate a sound pulse in the tube and a sensor for detecting a sound pulse in the tube at a distal position relative to the speaker, and for generating a signal corresponding to the detected sound pulse.

Abstract: A system for preventing the formation of ice or removing ice from an undercarriage or roof of an automotive vehicle such as a truck or a trailer. The system comprises a combination of a network of a plurality of conductive heating elements. The system can be implemented on the undercarriage or roof without altering the configuration of the undercarriage or roof by attaching the system to a deck and cross beams of the undercarriage or roof. The system is powered by an auxiliary power unit and controlled by a thermostatic controller.

Abstract: Receiving a telephone call to an auto-attendant, artificial intelligence, or person takes place. While this phone call is being conducted, a speech to text transcription is created and sent in real-time to another person at another network node. This person can read the transcript and interact with the phone call by sending his or her own commands, text, or speech to be made part of the phone call.

Abstract: A method of processing a telephone call from a calling party in order to determine the disposition of the call. Certain details of an incoming call or of the calling party are obtained by artificial intelligence conversations with the calling party, wherein the artificial intelligence communicates with the calling party automatically and independently. The artificial intelligence then determines how to process the call based on the certain details obtained during the conversations with the calling party along with separate call processing criteria that is provided to the artificial intelligence. Thus, the artificial intelligence can automatically determine to process the call by appropriately forwarding or not forwarding the call, providing a message or response to the calling party, taking a message from the calling party and appropriately forwarding it to the particular person, to voice mail, or to another person of the business entity, or disconnecting or terminating the call.

Abstract: A called party indicates that he or she is unavailable to receive a call. However, by way of a combination or any one of determining aspects of the who the caller is, where the caller is located, what he is speaking about, or the like as well as comparing this to prior calls, the call might be sent to a called party to be on the call. This can be by way of speech recognition of the call and creating a transcript and by receiving feedback from a called party about prior calls.

Abstract: Receiving a telephone call to an auto-attendant, artificial intelligence, or person takes place. While this phone call is being conducted, a speech to text transcription is created and sent in real-time to another person at another network node. This person can read the transcript and interact with the phone call by sending his or her own commands, text, or speech to be made part of the phone call.

Abstract: Floor sanding sponge pads (as referred to as “sponge pads”) are designed to sand both raw (unfinished) or treated (finished with stain, sealer, polyurethane, etc.) floors in order to smooth out surface roughness while applying a sufficient surface texture to allow subsequent application of finish to properly adhere. The sponge pad may have a vacuum hole configuration to remove swarf from the work surface.

Abstract: A method for simultaneously clarifying lesions on poultry paws and for blanching or whitening poultry paws is disclosed. The paws are steamed for about fifteen seconds. Next they are soaked in an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide for about twenty minutes. The hydrogen peroxide preferably comprises about 2.0% of the solution by volume and the solution preferably has a pH of between about 9.6 and about 10.6. The solution should also preferably contain about 100 ppm of a food grade surfactant suitable for dissolving oils into water. An anti-foam agent may also be included in the solution. After soaking, the skin of the paws is preferably removed, most preferably by subjecting the paws to rotating rubber fingers. When the process is complete, the paws are substantially white, and any lesions that may have been present are substantially clear. Additionally, the process will cause the paws to absorb water which will make them heavier.

Abstract: A diagnostic envelope is used to analyze measurements from an internal combustion engine. Measurements may be from a partially assembled engine during a cold test to detect subtle mechanical anomalies, or from a fully assembled engine during a cold test or a hot test (with active fuel and spark). The measurements represent vibrational amplitudes corresponding to various crankshaft angular positions of the internal combustion engine. The first step in generating the diagnostic envelope includes filtering the measurements to enhance local variations. Filtered measurements representing a number of engine cycles are then combined to reduce random cycle-to-cycle variations. The diagnostic envelope is then generated by subtracting corresponding measurements obtained from engines with known operating characteristics. The diagnostic envelope is used in analyzing and/or classifying the engine.

Abstract: A multi-layer printed circuit board or card including at least one passage in at least one of the layers of the circuit board or card for preventing the diffusion of heat throughout the circuit board or card during the securing or removal of components in plated through holes in the circuit board or card by the heating of the plating material to a temperature above a melting point of the plating material.