Abstract: An electric water heater has upper and lower electric resistance type heating elements respectively controlled by a single pole, double throw upper thermostat and a single pole, single throw lower thermostat. The upper and lower thermostats are operatively interconnected by a wiring harness having outer conductor end portions that are connected to a terminal block portion of an external junction box to provide the water heater with a variety of heating element operating modes without having to replace either of the thermostats, vary the wiring harness interconnections therebetween, or vary the connection between the outer conductor end portions and the terminal block. The water heater may thus be advantageously manufactured in a single variant that may be easily and quickly modified in the field to selectively alter the heating element control mode of the water heater.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a build request containing build step instructions from a user. The build step instructions specify a usage of containers within memory hardware for building an output container. The containers include at least one private container having private contents and/or at least one public container having public contents. The method also includes authenticating the user initiating the build request and determining whether the user is authorized to access the private containers. When the user is authenticated and authorized to access the private containers, the method includes obtaining the containers specified by the build step instructions from the memory hardware, executing the build step instructions to build the output container while using the received containers, and outputting the built output container.

Abstract: A fuel-fired water heater having a top water outlet includes a water tank and a top cover assembly having the top water outlet to output water from the water tank. The water heater further includes a multi-pass heat exchanger that includes flue tubes positioned in the water tank. The water heater also includes a first plenum and a second plenum at a top end portion of the water heater. The first plenum provides a first hot gas flow path from a first set of the flue tubes to a second set of the flue tubes, and the second plenum provides a second hot gas flow path from a third set of the flue tubes to a fourth set of the flue tubes.

Abstract: A conduit fitting for an exhaust duct includes a conduit and a condensate trap. The conduit fitting defines an interior space partitioned into an upper conduit and a lower condensate reservoir. The condensate reservoir can be configured to contain a neutralizing agent for neutralizing acidic condensate prior to it exiting the reservoir.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a build request containing build step instructions from a user. The build step instructions specify a usage of containers within memory hardware for building an output container. The containers include at least one private container having private contents and/or at least one public container having public contents. The method also includes authenticating the user initiating the build request and determining whether the user is authorized to access the private containers. When the user is authenticated and authorized to access the private containers, the method includes obtaining the containers specified by the build step instructions from the memory hardware, executing the build step instructions to build the output container while using the received containers, and outputting the built output container.

Abstract: A water heater with a leak detection system includes a leak sensor assembly that is disposed in an insulation cavity between an inner storage tank and an outer protective jacket of the water heater. The leak sensor assembly is configured to detect water that leaks from the storage tank. Further, the water heater includes a barrier that is disposed in the insulation cavity and wrapped around the inner storage tank to channel the water that leaks from the storage tank towards the leak sensor assembly, and prevent the water that leaks from the storage tank from flowing through an insulation material that is disposed in the insulation cavity.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for processing a digital image of a document, for example, to determine whether the document is a long document. An exemplary method generally includes obtaining a plurality of digital images of the document, determining a type of the document, loading one or more pre-defined metrics associated with the document based on the determined type of the document, determining one or more characteristics of the document based on one or more analyses performed on the plurality of digital images of the document, comparing the one or more characteristics of the document with the one or more pre-defined metrics, and determining the document to be a long document based, at least in part, on the comparison.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for processing a digital image of a document, for example, to determine whether the document is a long document. An exemplary method generally includes obtaining a plurality of digital images of the document, segmenting at least a first digital image of the plurality of images into pixels associated with a foreground of the first digital image and pixels associated with a background of the first digital image, detecting a plurality of contours in the segmented first digital image, deciding, for each detected contour of the plurality of contours, whether that contour is an open contour or a closed contour, and determining that one or more sides of the document is out-of-bounds based, at least in part, on the decisions.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for processing a digital image of a document, for example, to determine whether the document is a long document. An exemplary method generally includes obtaining a plurality of digital images of the document, segmenting at least a first digital image of the plurality of images into pixels associated with a foreground of the first digital image and pixels associated with a background of the first digital image, detecting a plurality of contours in the segmented first digital image, deciding, for each detected contour of the plurality of contours, whether that contour is an open contour or a closed contour, and determining that one or more sides of the document is out-of-bounds based, at least in part, on the decisions.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for processing a digital image of a document, for example, to determine whether the document is a long document. An exemplary method generally includes obtaining a plurality of digital images of the document, determining a type of the document, loading one or more pre-defined metrics associated with the document based on the determined type of the document, determining one or more characteristics of the document based on one or more analyses performed on the plurality of digital images of the document, comparing the one or more characteristics of the document with the one or more pre-defined metrics, and determining the document to be a long document based, at least in part, on the comparison.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for processing a digital image of a document, for example, to determine whether the document is a long document. An exemplary method generally includes obtaining a plurality of digital images of the document, segmenting at least a first digital image of the plurality of images into pixels associated with a foreground of the first digital image and pixels associated with a background of the first digital image, detecting a plurality of contours in the segmented first digital image, deciding, for each detected contour of the plurality of contours, whether that contour is an open contour or a closed contour, and determining that one or more sides of the document is out-of-bounds based, at least in part, on the decisions.

Abstract: A social multi-camera interactive live engagement (SMILE) system including video and audio processing arrays performs an audio-video processing method. The method includes receiving multiple video streams from distinct sources and preparing multiple distinct composited video streams from the multiple video streams. Each of the distinct composited video streams configures video images from a different selected one of the multiple video streams in a primary region and video images from remaining ones of the multiple video streams in respective secondary regions adjacent to the primary region. The method include streaming the multiple distinct composited video streams configured for presentation in a user interface to a client device, at different times determined in response to user selection input from the client device, and more detailed aspects, supporting a novel user interface design.

Abstract: A social multi-camera interactive live engagement (SMILE) system including video and audio processing arrays performs an audio-video processing method. The method includes receiving multiple video streams from distinct sources and preparing multiple distinct composited video streams from the multiple video streams. Each of the distinct composited video streams configures video images from a different selected one of the multiple video streams in a primary region and video images from remaining ones of the multiple video streams in respective secondary regions adjacent to the primary region. The method include streaming the multiple distinct composited video streams configured for presentation in a user interface to a client device, at different times determined in response to user selection input from the client device, and more detailed aspects, supporting a novel user interface design.

Abstract: A social multi-camera interactive live engagement (SMILE) system including video and audio processing arrays performs an audio-video processing method. The method includes receiving multiple video streams from distinct sources and preparing multiple distinct composited video streams from the multiple video streams. Each of the distinct composited video streams configures video images from a different selected one of the multiple video streams in a primary region and video images from remaining ones of the multiple video streams in respective secondary regions adjacent to the primary region. The method include streaming the multiple distinct composited video streams configured for presentation in a user interface to a client device, at different times determined in response to user selection input from the client device, and more detailed aspects, supporting a novel user interface design.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the identification of variants of the sugar transporter AGT1 that provide enhanced fermentation of oligosaccharides when recombinantly expressed in yeast. The invention further relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants, recombinant yeast cells expressing the variants, and use of the recombinant yeast cells to ferment oligosaccharides.

Abstract: A weight-responsive chair is provided which has a weight-activated mechanism that resists rearward tilting of a chair back upright while also effecting lifting of a rear portion of the seat to counteract the rearward tilt forces. The weight-activated mechanism includes a spring package connected between the chair frame and back upright which provides for ready mounting of same to the chair frame. Further, the rear seat portion is connected in lifting engagement with the upright but also includes independent suspension for the center of the rear seat portion to allow for independent movement and flexing thereof to improve comfort for the chair occupant.

Abstract: A weight-responsive chair is provided which has a weight-activated mechanism that resists rearward tilting of a chair back upright while also effecting lifting of a rear portion of the seat to counteract the rearward tilt forces. The weight-activated mechanism includes a spring package connected between the chair frame and back upright which provides for ready mounting of same to the chair frame. Further, the rear seat portion is connected in lifting engagement with the upright but also includes independent suspension for the center of the rear seat portion to allow for independent movement and flexing thereof to improve comfort for the chair occupant.

Abstract: A method of forming a container having enhanced openability is disclosed. The method includes providing a can body, and providing a can end having an approximately planar panel, a pull tab affixed to the panel, and a moveable portion disposed beneath a handle of the tab, the moveable portion being in a first position extending upwardly toward the handle. The method also includes filling a comestible product into the can body at an elevated temperature, seaming the can end to the can body, and moving the moveable portion from the first position to a second position extending downwardly away from the handle, such that a gap is formed or enlarged between the moveable portion and the handle, enhancing accessibility to a user's finger. The moving being in response to internal negative pressure caused by cooling of the product within the can body.

Abstract: A water heater is provided with a specially designed molded bottom pad/foam dam member which is placed in its bottom pan prior to placing bottom annular portions of the water heater tank and its outwardly spaced jacket structure into the bottom pan. The pad/dam member functions to automatically center the tank relative to its jacket structure, and to prevent leakage past the bottom pan of liquid foam insulation injected into the tank/jacket annulus after bottom end portions of the tank and jacket are secured within the bottom pan. The top side of the pad/dam member has three concentric annular grooves formed therein. The outermost first groove receives an annular bottom end portion of the jacket, while a second groove receives an annular bottom end portion of the tank. The provision of the third groove permits the same pad/dam member to be alternatively used with a water heater having a different tank diameter to thereby improve the manufacturing efficiency of a line of differently sized water heaters.