Abstract: An oral care implement comprises a handle having a container containing oral care fluid, A head includes tooth cleaning elements and a fluid outlet to output fluid into the vicinity thereof. A manually actuatable pump mechanism in the handle between the container and fluid outlet is connected thereto by respective first and second conduits. The pump mechanism comprises a chamber having an inlet connected to the first conduit, an outlet connected to the second conduit, and an actuatable valve mechanism for selectively opening the inlet and outlet respectively to cause fluid flow into and out of the chamber. The mechanism comprises first and second valve elements and a deformable actuator connected to the first and second valve elements. A wall which defines at least a part of the chamber is adapted to be manually moved to operate the valve mechanism.

Abstract: Disclosed is an oral care implement, comprising: a body comprising a handle, a head having at least one oral care element extending therefrom, and at least one fluid outlet; a reservoir in the body and for storing an oral care fluid; and a pump in the body for pumping the oral care fluid from the reservoir towards the fluid outlet, wherein the pump comprises an umbrella check valve circumferentially surrounding a duckbill check valve. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing an oral care implement, comprising: providing a body comprising a base having first and second holes extending therethrough; and fitting to the body a unitary component comprising first and second valves at a position at which the first valve blocks the first hole and the second valve blocks the second hole, wherein the first valve comprises an umbrella check valve that circumferentially surrounds the second valve.

Abstract: Embodiments of a color filter array include a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units, each minimal repeating unit comprising an M×N set of individual filters, and each individual filter in the set having a photoresponse selected from among four different photoresponses. Each minimal repeating unit includes a checkerboard pattern of filters of the first photoresponse, and filters of the second, third, and fourth photoresponses distributed among the checkerboard pattern such that the filters of the second, third, and fourth photoresponses are sequentially symmetric about one or both of a pair of orthogonal axes of the minimal repeating unit.

Abstract: A lane detection system includes a non-volatile memory storing machine-readable instructions and an image processor capable of receiving a road image. The image processor, when executing the machine-readable instructions, is capable of: (i) processing the road image to identify a lane candidate within a lane-existing region of the road image, the lane-existing region having (a) a near subregion including an imaged road region nearer to the vehicle and (b) a far subregion including an imaged road region farther from the vehicle, (ii) verifying the lane candidate as a true lane candidate when a minimum distance between (a) a line fit to a portion of the lane candidate in the near subregion and (b) a predetermined reference point in the road image is less than a neighborhood distance; and (iii) extending the true lane candidate into the far subregion to form a detected lane marker demarcating the lane marker.

Abstract: This invention relates to oral care compositions comprising a basic amino acid or salt thereof, and a small particle fraction: and to methods of using and of making these compositions.

Abstract: This invention relates to oral care compositions comprising an effective amount of a salt of a basic amino acid the salt having a pH in an unbuffered solution of less than about 7.5; an effective amount of a soluble fluoride salt; and a particulate material which has a pH in an unbuffered solution of less than about 7.5; and to methods of using and of making such compositions.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for producing improved photographs suitable for measuring teeth whiteness with a handheld camera using a camera jig are provided. The camera jig includes a base that contacts a surface. The camera jig also includes a light shield made from a tubular structure defining an interior cavity. The camera jig further includes a slot in the tubular structure that supports the handheld camera at a predetermined distance from a target, which may be teeth of a user. The slot aligns a lens of the handheld camera with the target. Further, the light shield blocks substantially all ambient light, other than light of a light source of the handheld camera, from the target as it is photographed.

Abstract: Embodiments of a color filter array include a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units, each minimal repeating unit comprising an M×N set of individual filters, and each individual filter in the set having a photoresponse selected from among four different photoresponses. Each minimal repeating unit includes a checkerboard pattern of filters of the first photoresponse, and filters of the second, third, and fourth photoresponses distributed among the checkerboard pattern such that the filters of the second, third, and fourth photoresponses are sequentially symmetric about one or both of a pair of orthogonal axes of the minimal repeating unit.

Abstract: Provided is an oral care implement (1), comprising: a body (100); a carrier (130) connected to the body (100) and movable relative to the body (100), the carrier carrying one or more cleaning elements (134); a carrier drive mechanism (200) operable to drive movement of the carrier (130) relative to the body (100); an auxiliary device (400); and an auxiliary device drive mechanism (600) that is selectively engagable with the carrier drive mechanism (200) during operation of the carrier drive mechanism, so as to selectively operate the auxiliary device (400) during movement of the carrier (130) relative to the body (100). Also provided is a method of operating the oral care implement (1), and a kit of parts for an oral care implement.

Abstract: An oral care system including a handle and a toothbrush member and dispenser rotatably coupled to the handle. In one aspect, the toothbrush member is rotatably coupled to the handle for rotation between: (1) a first state in which the toothbrush member is positioned within the cavity, and (2) a second state in which the toothbrush member extends from the distal end of the handle. The first dispenser comprises a first store of oral care material and is rotatably coupled to the handle for rotation between: (1) a first state in which the first dispenser is positioned within the cavity, and (2) a second state in which the first dispenser extends from the distal end of the handle. In another aspect, the invention can be an oral care system comprising first and second dispensers and a toothbrush member rotatably coupled to a handle.

Abstract: Disclosed is an oral care implement, comprising: a body comprising a handle and a head, the body having a cavity, and the head having at least one oral care element extending therefrom; a movable wall in the cavity that divides the cavity into first and second reservoirs, the first reservoir for storing an oral care fluid; a fluid outlet through which the oral care fluid is dispensable to an exterior of the oral care implement; a passageway fluidly connecting the first reservoir with the fluid outlet; a control valve movable between a first position and a second position for preventing and permitting fluid flow from the first reservoir, respectively; a first opening fluidly connecting the second reservoir with the exterior of the oral care implement; and a first check valve for permitting and restricting air flow into and out of the second reservoir from the exterior.

Abstract: A method for combining images includes capturing a first image including a subject from a first camera. A second image is captured from a second camera and the second image includes the subject. First pre-processing functions are applied on the first image to produce a first processed image. The first pre-processing functions include applying a distortion component of a rotation matrix to the first image. The rotation matrix defines a corrected relationship between the first and the second image. Second pre-processing functions are applied on the second image to produces a second processed image. The second pre-processing functions include applying the rotation matrix to the second image. The first processed image and the second processed image are blended in a processing unit to form a composite image.

Abstract: Disclosed is an oral care implement, comprising: a body comprising a handle, a head at an end of the handle, and at least one fluid outlet, the head having at least one oral care element extending therefrom; a reservoir in the body and for storing an oral care fluid; and a supply mechanism connected to the body, the supply mechanism comprising: a user-operable selector comprising a cam, and an actuator comprising a follower in contact with the same, the actuator operable to cause the oral care fluid to flow from the reservoir towards the fluid outlet, and wherein the cam is movable relative to the body to cause movement of the follower relative to the body and thereby operate the actuator.

Abstract: Disclosed is an oral care implement, comprising: a body comprising a handle and a head at an end of the handle; the body having a cavity therein for storing an oral care fluid; the head having at least one oral care element extending therefrom, and a fluid outlet through which the oral care fluid is dispensable to an exterior of the oral care implement; a passageway fluidly connecting the cavity with the fluid outlet; a mechanism for introducing air into the cavity from the exterior of the oral care implement; and a control valve on the head movable relative to the head between a first position for preventing fluid flow from the cavity through the fluid outlet and a second position for permitting fluid flow from the cavity through the fluid outlet.

Abstract: A method of focusing an image sensor includes scanning a first portion of an image frame from an image sensor a first time at a first rate to produce first focus data. A second portion of the image frame from the image sensor is scanned at a second rate to read image data from the second portion. The first rate is greater than the second rate. The first portion of the image frame is scanned a second time at the first rate to produce second focus data. The first focus data and the second focus data are compared, and the focus of a lens is adjusted in response to the comparison of the first focus data and the second focus data.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed of a color filter array including a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units. Each minimal repeating unit comprises a set of individual filters grouped into an array of M rows by N columns, wherein each set of individual filters includes a plurality of individual filters having at least first, second, third, and fourth spectral photoresponses. If M equals N, at least two directions within each minimal repeating unit include individual filters having all the spectral photoresponses, the at least two directions being selected from a set of directions consisting of row, column, major diagonal and minor diagonal. And if M?N at least two directions within each of one or more N×N or M×M cells within the minimal repeating unit include individual filters having all the spectral photoresponses, the at least two directions being selected from a set of directions consisting of row, column, major diagonal and minor diagonal of each cell.

Abstract: A method of focusing an image sensor includes scanning a first portion of an image frame from an image sensor a first time at a first rate to produce first focus data. A second portion of the image frame from the image sensor is scanned at a second rate to read image data from the second portion. The first rate is greater than the second rate. The first portion of the image frame is scanned a second time at the first rate to produce second focus data. The first focus data and the second focus data are compared, and the focus of a lens is adjusted in response to the comparison of the first focus data and the second focus data.

Abstract: An oral care implement (1) includes a head (12), a handle (10), a neck portion (11) connecting the head and the handle, and a reservoir (15) which contains at least one active agent. The implement has an activator (22) for activating a delivery device which delivers the active agent to one or more outlets (50). A powered delivery device (18) disposed in the head to deliver a liquid from the reservoir via the outlet. A wide variety of types of active agents may be administered at appropriate and accurate doses for therapeutic, hygienic, and/or other benefit.

Abstract: A method determines a pixel value in a high dynamic range image from two images of different brightness by obtaining corresponding input pixel intensities from the two images, determining combination weights, and calculating the pixel value in the high dynamic range image as a weighted average of the input pixel intensities. Another method determines a pixel value in a high dynamic range image from more than two images by forming pairs of corresponding input pixel intensities, determining relative combination weights for the input pixels intensities for each pair, applying a normalization condition to determine absolute combination weights, and calculating the pixel value in the high dynamic range image as a weighted average of the input pixel intensities. Systems for generating high dynamic range image generation from two or more input images include a processor, a memory, a combination weight module, and a pixel value calculation module.

Abstract: An architectural planning system, that includes software and the process thereof, which actively tracks the relationship of organizational groups as well as the required connections therebetween, which information can be actively taken into account during an architectural planning phase. Generally, this provides an improved software tool and process for planning the physical locations of organizational groups within the building space. Further, changes in organizational needs can be readily modified and adapted through direct and dynamic collaboration between these parties.