Abstract: An illumination system comprises a lightguide (12) having a plurality of light extraction features (LEFs); and a plurality of independently controllable light sources (11a, 11b, 11c). The LEFs have a preferred direction, with light that is incident on an LEF along the preferred direction of the LEF being extracted from the lightguide generally parallel to a reference plane, and light that is incident on an LEF not along the preferred direction of the LEF being extracted from the lightguide at an extraction angle to the reference plane, the extraction angle being related by a response function to an incidence angle between the light propagation direction and the preferred direction of LEF. The shape of the LEFs varies with distance from a reference point or respective reference point so that the response function becomes larger with increasing distance of the LEFs from the reference point.

Abstract: Floats having a buoyant portion and a chamber portion hold liquid within their chambers above the interface of the surrounding body of liquid and gas which creates a downward force which stabilizes the float. If the liquid is water, the float holds water in the inner chamber which is disposed above the waterline of the body of water in which the float is suspended. The elevated water exerts a downward force that acts against rocking, swaying, and other destabilizing forces.

Abstract: Cement slurry injected or delivered into a wellbore during cementing operations can be positively placed with a positive placement tool. The tool can be located along to a casing string and have a mandrel with a tubular centralizer sleeve rotatably fit thereabout, the centralizer sleeve having one or more radial guides extending longitudinally thereon. Reciprocal stroking of the casing string causes a helical drive arrangement, acting between the mandrel and the centralizer sleeve, to drive the centralizer sleeve longitudinally along a length of the mandrel while concurrently rotating the centralizer sleeve thereabout. The rotational movement of the centralizer sleeve provides positive impetus to force the injected cement slurry fully about the casing string.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system for generating a digital information campaign on behalf of an entity for distribution to a digital contact list maintained by the entity is disclosed. The system comprises a database server including a database of digital content items, the database including at least one sponsored digital content item originating from a sponsor of the digital information campaign and at least one non-sponsored content item. The system also includes a rules engine for the sponsor to generate a composition rule for determining a composition of the digital information campaign based on the database of digital content items, the sponsor and the entity with the composition rule of the digital marketing campaign requiring at least one sponsored content item to be included in the digital marketing campaign. The system further includes a content compiler for generating the digital marketing campaign in accordance with the composition rule.

Abstract: A method and system of detecting events and updating inventory data in an inventory management system. The system is configured to sense and monitor inventory levels at one or more inventory locations, each having a load sensor that is configured to sense the weight of inventory items at the inventory location and generate a representative sensor signal. The system receives a digital signal having data samples that represent the sensor signal and moves those through a data buffer. The system generates a moving gradient value representing an average gradient from a moving gradient window applied to at least some of the data samples in the data buffer and compares the generated moving gradient value to one or more thresholds to detect the start and end of events. The system then generates output event data comprising at least weight data representing the inventory level following the detected event.

Abstract: A head mounted display device includes a light source that emits a high coherence light beam, a beam expansion/diverging element that expands the light beam emitted by the light source, and a beam converging element that converges the expanded light beam into a viewing zone. The light beam from the beam converging element is incident onto a spatial light modulator (SLM), and the SLM is configured to add a phase pattern and/or an amplitude pattern to the light beam to generate a virtual image that is visible to a user wearing the head mounted display device. The light converging element creates a beam or scanning beam axis that converges towards the eye, which enables a large field of view for a virtual or holographic image to be displayed.

Abstract: A tool is incorporated into a tubing string and is run into a wellbore until an agitator at a bottom of the tool engages an obstruction in the wellbore. A helical drive arrangement between a mandrel and a sleeve causes the sleeve on the outside of the tool, to which the agitator is attached, to rotate as the mandrel is reciprocated between a downstroke and an upstroke. Rotation of the agitator disrupts the obstruction forming debris therefrom and a slurry of the debris in wellbore fluid. At the same time, reciprocation of the mandrel causes a standing valve and a travelling valve in the tool to be alternately opened and closed for pumping the slurry into the tool and from the tool into the tubing string for storage therein. Periodically the tool is tripped to surface and the stored debris is removed from the tubing string.

Abstract: A head-up-display (HUD) system includes at least one scanning laser projector operative to generate laser light, and a stacked array of multiple-switchable screens arranged relative to the projector to receive laser light generated by the projector, each screen of the stacked array of multiple-switchable screens spaced apart from one another and operative to switch between a transparent state and a diffusive state. A controller is operatively coupled to the stacked array of multiple-switchable screens, the controller configured to time sequentially switch each screen of the array from a transparent state to a diffusive state, wherein only one screen is switched to the diffusive state at any given time. An output of the projector is arranged at an angle or a distance from imaging optics succeeding the array of screens to prevent a specular beam emitted by the at least one scanning laser projector from intercepting the imaging optics succeeding the array of screens when all screens are in the transparent state.

Abstract: A backlight unit includes a lightguide, a light source that emits light to the lightguide, and a barrier layer positioned over the lightguide in a light emitting direction relative to the lightguide. The barrier layer defines a bezel area of the backlight unit, and an active area of the backlight unit from which light is emitted from the lightguide is an area adjacent to a boundary of the bezel area. A prism structure is positioned in the bezel area, wherein stray light emitted from the light source uncoupled to the lightguide is at least partially coupled into the lightguide by the prism structure or directed to a greater degree along the lightguide. The prism structure may be configured as a plurality of lenticular triangular prisms, and may be mounted to a mounting frame, back reflector, or flat panel connector of the backlight unit.

Abstract: A backlight unit includes a lightguide, a light source that emits light to the lightguide, and a barrier layer positioned over the lightguide in a light emitting direction relative to the lightguide. The barrier layer defines a bezel area of the backlight unit, and an active area of the backlight unit from which light is emitted from the lightguide is an area adjacent to a boundary of the bezel area. A prism structure is positioned in the bezel area, wherein stray light emitted from the light source uncoupled to the lightguide is at least partially coupled into the lightguide by the prism structure or directed to a greater degree along the lightguide. The prism structure may be configured as a plurality of lenticular triangular prisms, and may be mounted to a mounting frame, back reflector, or flat panel connector of the backlight unit.

Abstract: A backlight includes a first lightguide having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is dimensioned smaller that the first portion so as to form a rim along at least a part of the first light guide. At least one light source is positioned under the rim and separated from the first lightguide by a space, where a majority of the light emitted by the at least one light source being along a first axis of the at least one light source. The at least one light source is arranged to position the at least one axis at an angle away from a center of the lightguide in a plane parallel to the rim.

Abstract: A head-up-display (HUD) system includes at least one scanning laser projector operative to generate laser light, and a stacked array of multiple-switchable screens arranged relative to the projector to receive laser light generated by the projector, each screen of the stacked array of multiple-switchable screens spaced apart from one another and operative to switch between a transparent state and a diffusive state. A controller is operatively coupled to the stacked array of multiple-switchable screens, the controller configured to time sequentially switch each screen of the array from a transparent state to a diffusive state, wherein only one screen is switched to the diffusive state at any given time. An output of the projector is arranged at an angle or a distance from imaging optics succeeding the array of screens to prevent a specular beam emitted by the at least one scanning laser projector from intercepting the imaging optics succeeding the array of screens when all screens are in the transparent state.

Abstract: A head mounted display device includes a light source that emits a high coherence light beam, a beam expansion/diverging element that expands the light beam emitted by the light source, and a beam converging element that converges the expanded light beam into a viewing zone. The light beam from the beam converging element is incident onto a spatial light modulator (SLM), and the SLM is configured to add a phase pattern and/or an amplitude pattern to the light beam to generate a virtual image that is visible to a user wearing the head mounted display device. The light converging element creates a beam or scanning beam axis that converges towards the eye, which enables a large field of view for a virtual or holographic image to be displayed.

Abstract: A wearable device includes a light source and a display unit. The display unit includes an image engine that controls the light source to generate image content for display, and a plurality of optical elements that direct the image content into a viewing zone. An eye monitor measures information pertaining to an eye configuration of a user wearing the wearable device, and the image content is visible to the user when the eye is aligned with respect to the viewing zone. A spatial light modulator (SLM) moves a position of the viewing zone based on the eye configuration information measured by the eye monitor. The eye monitor measures pupil size of the user, and the optical elements direct the image content into the viewing zone that is smaller in at least one dimension than twice the measured pupil size. The light source may include a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) scanning mirror.

Abstract: A head mounted display device includes a switchable light source that is switched to emit light for generating at least one viewing zone, and a panel illumination unit illuminated by the light source. The panel illumination unit converges the light onto an image panel that selectively transmits light at different pixels to generate image content. An eye monitor measures information pertaining to an eye configuration of a user, and the image content is visible to the user when the eye is aligned with respect to the viewing zone. The panel illumination unit converges the light such that light emitted by the image panel converges into the viewing zone positioned based on the eye configuration information measured by the eye monitor, with limited divergence such that when the display device is worn by the user, the image panel is located at a distance from the user's eye closer than a distance where the eye can focus the pixels.

Abstract: A transparent display device includes a screen that has a plurality of light deflecting elements that are separated by transparent areas, and a projector device. The projector device is configured to direct light onto the light deflecting elements and not onto the transparent areas. The display device may include a first screen and a second screen separated longitudinally relative to the projector, wherein each screen respectively has a plurality of light deflecting elements. The projector is configured to direct light onto the light deflecting elements and not onto the transparent areas of the two screens such that light from the first and second light deflecting elements appear in different virtual depth planes. Alternatively, a single screen may have first and second pluralities of light deflecting elements of different optical powers, such that light from the first and second light deflecting elements appear in different virtual depth planes.

Abstract: An illumination system comprises a lightguide (12) having a plurality of light extraction features (LEFs); and a plurality of independently controllable light sources (11a, 11b, 11c). The LEFs have a preferred direction, with light that is incident on an LEF along the preferred direction of the LEF being extracted from the lightguide generally parallel to a reference plane, and light that is incident on an LEF not along the preferred direction of the LEF being extracted from the lightguide at an extraction angle to the reference plane, the extraction angle being related by a response function to an incidence angle between the light propagation direction and the preferred direction of LEF. The shape of the LEFs varies with distance from a reference point or respective reference point so that the response function becomes larger with increasing distance of the LEFs from the reference point.

Abstract: A backlight includes a first lightguide having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is dimensioned smaller that the first portion so as to form a rim along at least a part of the first light guide. At least one light source is positioned under the rim and separated from the first lightguide by a space, where a majority of the light emitted by the at least one light source being along a first axis of the at least one light source. The at least one light source is arranged to position the at least one axis at an angle away from a center of the lightguide in a plane parallel to the rim.

Abstract: Cement slurry injected or delivered into a wellbore during cementing operations can be positively placed with a positive placement tool. The tool can be located along to a casing string and have a mandrel with a tubular centralizer sleeve rotatably fit thereabout, the centralizer sleeve having one or more radial guides extending longitudinally thereon. Reciprocal stroking of the casing string causes a helical drive arrangement, acting between the mandrel and the centralizer sleeve, to drive the centralizer sleeve longitudinally along a length of the mandrel while concurrently rotating the centralizer sleeve thereabout. The rotational movement of the centralizer sleeve provides positive impetus to force the injected cement slurry fully about the casing string.

Abstract: A vaporizer for delivery of a volatile medium to a gas flow, the vaporizer comprising: a gas delivery unit (3) which receives a flow of gas and provides a flow of gas containing a metered amount of a vaporized medium; a reservoir unit (5) which contains a volatile medium and maintains a supply of the vaporized medium, wherein the reservoir unit is selectively fluidly connected to the gas delivery unit; a gas sensing unit (7) for sensing a flow rate and/or composition of the gas flow; a vaporized medium sensing unit (9) for sensing a flow rate of the vaporized medium; a manifold (10) which includes flow paths for the vaporized medium and fluidly connects the reservoir unit and the vaporized medium sensing unit; and a control unit (11) for controlling a flow rate of the gas flow and an amount of the vaporized medium which is metered into the gas flow.