Abstract: An apparatus comprising means for: —receiving a video stream; —segmenting the video stream into a plurality of display areas; —recording the video stream for a subset of the plurality of display areas; and—enabling user playback control of the recorded video stream within the subset of the plurality of display areas without enabling user playback control of the video stream outside of the subset of the display areas.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to analyze characteristics of text of interest using a computing system. An example apparatus includes a text detector to provide text data from a first image, the first image including a first text region of interest and a second text region not of interest, a color-coding generator to generate a plurality of color-coded text-map images, the plurality of color-coded text-map images including color-coded segments with different colors, the color-coded segments corresponding to different text characteristics, and a convolutional neural network (CNN) to determine a first location in the first image as more likely to be the first text region of interest than a second location in the first image corresponding to the second text region that is not of interest based on performing a CNN analysis on the first image and the plurality of color-coded text-map images.

Abstract: A method comprises: determining on a user device, a quality of experience for an application running on the user device; and causing the determined quality of experience to be sent to a network entity.

Abstract: A method comprises: determining on a user device, one or more target performance indicator values associated with a target quality of experience for an application running on the user device; and causing a request to be sent to a network entity with information about the one or more target performance indicator values.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for plasma-induced decomposition of alkanes, particularly of methane, into carbon and hydrogen, comprising: a cyclone separator (2) comprising a process chamber (3) extending about a vertical axis (H) and comprising at least one gas inlet (4) designed such that introduced alkane-containing gas circulates about the vertical axis (H) of the process chamber (3), as well as a plasma device (5) formed such that alkane contained in the alkane-containing gas is decomposed in a plasma region (6) of the process chamber (3) by means of plasma (7) into a gas comprising carbon and hydrogen, so that resublimation of the carbon to carbon particles is achieved, wherein the carbon particles are separable from the gas by means of the cyclone separator (2) and the plasma region (6) is located exclusively off the vertical axis (H). The invention further relates to respective method.

Abstract: A hybrid switched-capacitor power converter for converting an input voltage into an output voltage. The power converter includes: an input voltage source configured to provide the input voltage, an output capacitor connected across a load, at least two inductors arranged in parallel branches of a circuit element between the input voltage source and the load, at least one switched capacitor connected between the parallel branches of the circuit element, and at least two switches operable to selectively charge and discharge the at least one switched capacitor and the at least two inductors. The power converter is configured to be operated in a switching cycle such that, at different stages in the switching cycle, the inductors and switched capacitor are selectively charged and discharged.

Abstract: A device is disclosed that is configured for performing localization using one or both of a depth sensor and a monocular camera that are transportable with the device. The device is adapted to receive depth data from the depth sensor, determine a benefit level of activating the monocular camera for localization, based on the depth data, and activate the monocular camera for localization based on a determination that the benefit level of activating the monocular camera satisfies an activation rule. Related methods and computer program products are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of controlling a portable device including a camera, the method including: performing localization of the portable device using a localization algorithm having as an input image data representing images captured by the camera; identifying a current focus area of the camera; determining a desired focus area for the camera; determining that a change of focus is required when the desired focus area is different to the current focus area; and generating a control signal configured to cause the focus of the camera to change in respect of a new focus area.

Abstract: A removable hot box is disclosed that includes a lower hot box portion, comprising: a lower housing comprising a plurality of lower clamping structures to clamp the lower housing to a press and locating structures to provide repeatable placing in the press; and a lower heating platen, received within the lower housing, wherein the lower housing or the lower heating platen comprises lower electrical connectors to provide a lower electrical connection to a heating system and lower cooling connectors to provide a lower cooling connection to a cooling system; and an upper hot box portion, positionable above the lower hot box portion and comprising: an upper housing comprising a plurality of upper clamping structures to clamp the upper housing to the press; an upper heating platen, received within the upper housing.

Abstract: An electronic smoking device includes a battery portion including an electric power supply, an atomizer/liquid reservoir portion having a mouthpiece opening in an end, and a liquid reservoir adapted for accommodating a liquid. The electronic smoking device further includes an atomizer arranged at a first end face of the liquid reservoir and operable when connected to the power supply to atomize liquid to create an aerosol, wherein the atomizer comprises a plurality of openings adapted for providing the aerosol, and an actuator movable inside the liquid reservoir towards the first end face and adapted for supplying liquid to the plurality of openings.

Abstract: A modular electric power converter includes a plurality of power converter modules, each module comprising a cell of a Modular Multilevel Converter, MMC, to provide a controlled ac output.

Abstract: A mobile electronic device is provided for use with a headset. A camera outputs digital pictures of a portion of the headset. A display device displays information for viewing by a user wearing the headset. A processor retrieves calibration parameters that characterize at least a pose of the camera relative to the display device, and processes a digital picture from the camera to identify a pose of an optically identifiable feature within the digital picture. A pose of the mobile electronic device is identified relative to the holder based on the identified pose of the optically identifiable feature within the digital picture and based on at least the pose of the camera relative to the display device as characterized by the calibration parameters. The processor controls where graphical objects are rendered on the display device based on the identified pose of the mobile electronic device relative to the holder.

Abstract: A method for determining a transformation between a first coordinate system of an ultrasonic haptic device and a second coordinate system of a visual sensor device. The method includes: triggering generation of an ultrasonic focal point; obtaining images depicting a body part of a user while the ultrasonic focal point is active; determining a position of the ultrasonic focal point in the second coordinate system when the body part of the user is in the ultrasonic focal point; repeating the triggering, obtaining and determining; and calculating a first transformation between the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system based on the positions of the ultrasonic focal points in the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system to thereby calibrate a relationship between the ultrasonic haptic device and the visual sensor device.

Abstract: A method (100) of controlling a portable device comprising a first camera and a second camera facing in the same direction. The method comprises: selecting (110) one of the first camera and the second camera as a visualization camera; initializing (120) a localization algorithm having as an input image data representing images captured by one of the first camera and the second camera; determining (130) a respective focus score for at least one of the first camera and the second camera, said focus score indicating a focus quality of features identified from images captured by one of the respective camera; selecting (140,) one of the first camera and the second camera as an enabled camera based on the at least one focus score; and generating a control signal configured to cause the selected camera to be enabled such that the image data representing images captured by the enabled camera are provided as the input to the localization algorithm.

Abstract: A mobile electronic device is provided for use with a headset. A camera outputs digital pictures of a portion of the headset. A display device displays information for viewing by a user wearing the headset. A processor retrieves calibration parameters that characterize at least a pose of the camera relative to the display device, and processes a digital picture from the camera to identify a pose of an optically identifiable feature within the digital picture. A pose of the mobile electronic device is identified relative to the holder based on the identified pose of the optically identifiable feature within the digital picture and based on at least the pose of the camera relative to the display device as characterized by the calibration parameters. The processor controls where graphical objects are rendered on the display device based on the identified pose of the mobile electronic device relative to the holder.

Abstract: A device is disclosed that is configured to perform localization using one or both of a monocular camera and a depth sensor that are transportable with the device. The device includes at least one processor operationally connected to the monocular camera and the depth sensor. The device also includes at least one memory storing program code that is executed by the at least one processor to perform operations to receive image data from the monocular camera. The operations determine a benefit level of activating the depth sensor for localization, based on the image data, and activate the depth sensor for localization based on a determination that the benefit level of activating the depth sensor satisfies an activation rule. Related methods and computer program products are also disclosed.

Abstract: An electronic smoking device includes a battery portion including an electric power supply, an atomizer/liquid reservoir portion having a mouthpiece opening in an end, and a liquid reservoir adapted for accommodating a liquid. The electronic smoking device further includes an atomizer arranged at a first end face of the liquid reservoir and operable when connected to the power supply to atomize liquid to create an aerosol, wherein the atomizer comprises a plurality of openings adapted for providing the aerosol, and an actuator movable inside the liquid reservoir towards the first end face and adapted for supplying liquid to the plurality of openings.

Abstract: An example apparatus includes a feature extractor to generate a first image descriptor based on a first image of a first retail product tag corresponding to a first category, the first image descriptor representative of one or more visual features of the first retail product tag; a feature descriptor generator to generate a feature descriptor corresponding to the first retail product tag by concatenating the first image descriptor and a first category signature corresponding to the first retailer category; and a classifier to generate a first probability value corresponding to a first type of promotional product tag and a second probability value corresponding to a second type of promotional product tag based on the feature descriptor; and determine whether the first retail product tag corresponds to the first type of promotional product tag or the second type of promotional product tag based on the first and second probability values.

Abstract: A device is disclosed that is configured for performing localization using one or both of a depth sensor and a monocular camera that are transportable with the device. The device is adapted to receive depth data from the depth sensor, determine a benefit level of activating the monocular camera for localization, based on the depth data, and activate the monocular camera for localization based on a determination that the benefit level of activating the monocular camera satisfies an activation rule. Related methods and computer program products are also disclosed.

Abstract: An adaptor head mountable in a drill chuck, the chuck adaptor head having interchangeable tool bits for efficiently performing drill and drive operations that require an assortment of bits. A quick change of bits is realized by mounting each bit in a pivotable yoke cradle that guides the bit from a “head-up detent position” to an “head-down” active position” when needed, eliminating the need for chucking and unchucking of bits. In a first embodiment, the chuck adaptor head is configured to mount four or more bits on yoke cradle members for rapid, uninterrupted use by rotating the bits in and out of a driver socket at the end of a rotating spindle.