Abstract: In a cooking appliance and method for baking a food product, the appliance has a generally solid plate member, a first heating element disposed above the solid plate member in spaced relationship therewith and a thin-film heating element coupled to the solid plate member.

Abstract: A cooking appliance includes an inner housing with an inner wall defining an interior space, an outer housing that includes an outer wall having an inner surface opposed to and spaced from an outer surface of the inner wall to define an insulating layer therebetween, and at least one thin-film heating element coupled to the outer surface of the inner wall.

Abstract: Devices, methods and articles advantageously allow communications between qubits to provide an architecture for universal adiabatic quantum computation. The architecture includes a first coupled basis A1B1 and a second coupled basis A2B2 that does not commute with the first basis A1B1.

Abstract: A circuit for a dimmer system is disclosed, in which a phase-cut dimmer output signal is converted to a dimming control level signal. The phase-cut dimmer output signal is used to generated a pulse modulated signal indicative of the duty cycle of the phase cut dimmer output signal, and the pulse modulated signal is directly converted to a piece-wise linear dimming control level signal. By directly converting the pulse modulated signal to a piece-wise linear dimming control level signal, no further processing is necessary to produce a dimming signal which closely resembles the ideal logarithmic response of the human eye. A corresponding method for a dimmer system is also disclosed, as is a dimmer system.

Abstract: A switching circuit and a method of operating the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, the switching circuit includes a switching transistor adapted to control operation of the switching circuit according to a control signal applied to the control terminal of the switching transistor, a regulating circuit adapted to generate the control signal, and a detecting circuit adapted to sense a voltage at the control terminal when the switching transistor is in an OFF state and to generate a drive signal according to the sensed voltage. The regulating circuit is adapted to generate the control signal based on the generated drive signal.

Abstract: In a cooking appliance and method for baking a food product, the appliance has a generally solid plate member, a first heating element disposed above the solid plate member in spaced relationship therewith and a second heating element embedded in the solid plate member.

Abstract: A bleeder circuit controller (11) configured to control a bipolar junction transistor (10) having a collector (12) configured to be connected to an output of a phase cut dimmer (2) for receiving a bleed current, an emitter (13) for connecting to ground and a base (14), the bleeder circuit controller configured to generate a control signal for controlling the bleed current through the bipolar junction transistor (10) and measure a signal indicative of the current flow through the dimmer (2) and apply a current limit to a base-emitter current flow as a function of the measured signal.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a base segment having a signal port coupler configured to selectively conductively engage with a signal port. A first assembly includes a first segment movably coupled to the base segment and a second segment movably coupled to the first segment, and a second assembly includes a third segment movably coupled to the base segment and a fourth segment movably coupled to the third segment. The first, second, third, and fourth segments include receptacles configured to receive at least an electrically conductive portion of a device plug. An electrical connection assembly is disposed in the base, first, second, third, and fourth segments and is configured to selectively conductively engage the receptacles of the first, second, third, and fourth segments with a signal port.

Abstract: A tabletop grill generally includes a first grill unit having a first grill plate and a first heating element for heating the first grill plate. The grill further includes a second grill unit positionable relative to the first grill unit. The second grill unit has a second grill plate and a second heating element for heating the second grill plate. The grill is configured to function as a broiler.

Abstract: A pump has a packing nut extending into an open end of the plunger bore and a device coupled to the packing nut. The device includes first body coupled to a second body to form a body of the device. A first post connected to the body and a second post connected to the body. The first post extending into a first opening of the packing nut and the second post extends into a second opening of the packing nut to couple said device to said packing nut. A stop forms a portion of the device. When the body is in a locked orientation, the stop of the device abuts or will abut, when the nut is rotated in a loosening direction, a connecting assembly of the pump. When the body is in the unlocked orientation, the second post is moveable, relative to the first body and the first post, in a direction out of the second opening, and a first portion of said second body, exclusive of said second post, is moveable in a direction relative to said first body and first post.

Abstract: In a container and method for processing food, the container has a closed end, and open end and a tubular sidewall extending therebetween and together with the closed end defining an interior space of the container. The container is configured to accommodate a blade member within the interior space of the container. The container has a center and the sidewall has at least one rib projecting inward of the interior space of the container and extending heightwise along at least a portion of the sidewall. The rib is asymmetric in transverse cross-section. A blade member is also disclosed and is configured to have different planes in which the blade member moves upon rotation of the blade.

Abstract: A food preparation appliance has a base, a blade member rotatable in a direction of rotation, and a container with a closed bottom, an open top and a tubular sidewall together defining an interior space of the container. The top of the container is configured for releasable connection with the base, with the blade member disposed within the interior space of the container. The sidewall has a rib projecting inward of the interior space of the container and extending lengthwise along at least a portion of the sidewall from the top of the container toward the bottom of the container. The rib has, in the direction of rotation of the blade member, a peak defined as the shortest transverse dimension measured from the center of the container to the sidewall at a respective height along the portion of the sidewall having the rib, the rib being asymmetric in transverse cross-section.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a base segment having a signal port coupler configured to selectively conductively engage with a signal port. A first assembly includes a first segment movably coupled to the base segment and a second segment movably coupled to the first segment, and a second assembly includes a third segment movably coupled to the base segment and a fourth segment movably coupled to the third segment. The first, second, third, and fourth segments include receptacles configured to receive at least an electrically conductive portion of a device plug. An electrical connection assembly is disposed in the base, first, second, third, and fourth segments and is configured to selectively conductively engage the receptacles of the first, second, third, and fourth segments with a signal port.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for issuing an alert in response to detecting a content of interest in a conference. A listening logic comprising multiple conference engines monitors speakers, topics, and words spoken during a conference. A speech-to-text engine monitors the conference and records a transcription. A word emphasis engine monitors the transcription for key words. A voice identification engine monitors the live conversation and the recorded transcript, in real time, for a particular individual to begin speaking. An outline engine may create an outline of transcription. The listening device may issue an alert upon detecting a content of interest in the conference. The listening device may additionally display an outline or a selected portion of the transcript regarding a particular content of interest to inform a user of the listening device of a portion of content of the conference that may have been missed.

Abstract: A power strip for conducting electrical power between an electrical power outlet having at least a live receptacle and a neutral receptacle, and at least two electrical device power plugs, each plug having at least a live prong and a neutral prong. The power strip includes a first housing segment having a first receptacle configured to receive at least an electrically conductive portion of a first device plug and a second housing segment having a second receptacle configured to receive at least an electrically conductive portion of a second device plug.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter for driving one or more LED (38), which converter comprises an integrated circuit (12) having a switch mode power circuit (24) and a 5 temperature sensing circuit (40) for providing an output indicating a temperature of said integrated circuit (12), the arrangement being such that, in use, said integrated circuit consumes power, some of which power is dissipated in said integrated circuit as heat causing a rise in said internal temperature, and wherein a change in said output from said temperature sensing circuit (40) is used by said integrated circuit to 10 adjust said consumed power whereby said internal temperature may be controlled.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing cushioning wrap material includes a box having a dispensing opening in communication with an interior of the box. A roll of interleaf material is rotatably positioned within the box such that a free end of the interleaf material can extend through the dispensing opening, and a roll of expandable sheet material in an unexpanded form is rotatably positioned within the box adjacent the first roll of sheet material such that a free end of the expandable sheet material can extend through the dispensing opening. A tensioning assembly is operably associated with the roll of expandable sheet material to control rotational resistance thereof. The interleaf material and the expandable sheet material can be concurrently pulled out of the box in abutting contact by a user and the rotational resistance of the roll of expandable sheet material causes the expandable sheet material to expand in thickness and length.

Abstract: A switching circuit and a method of operating the same. The switching circuit comprises: a switching transistor adapted to control operation of the switching circuit according to a control signal applied to the control terminal of the switching transistor; a regulating circuit adapted to generate the control signal; and a detecting circuit adapted to sense a voltage at the control terminal when the switching transistor is in an OFF state and to generate a drive signal according to the sensed voltage. The regulating circuit is adapted to generate the control signal based on the generated drive signal.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to discover one or more terms related to one or more query terms submitted by a user for search over a social media network, wherein the related terms discovered are trending and co-occurring with the submitted query terms over the social media network during a specific period of time. The terms related to the submitted keywords can be discovered based on based on various measurements that measure the trending characteristics of the terms in the social media content items collected over a period of time.