Abstract: A cable management system may include a channel, a cradle, and one or more cables girdled by the channel, the cradle, or both. The channel may include one or more sets of opposing openings. The cradle may be disposed within the channel. The cradle may include a brace. The cradle may include a set of at least two detents disposed in at least one of the sets of opposing openings. Each set op opposing openings may coaxial, non-coaxial, or combinations thereof. The cable management system may further include a channel cover detachably connected to the channel by a second set of detents. Each detent of the second set of detents may be disposed in at least one of the opposing openings. Each detent of the second set of detents may be disposed across the corresponding opening from a corresponding one detent of the first set of detents.

Abstract: A device is disclosed comprising a pinchable hose with an inner wall and an outer wall. The hose comprises a flexible material and one or more springs. A central axis of the one or more springs is contained within a space between the inner wall and the outer wall of the hose.

Abstract: The invention is a planar motion mechanism with a mechanical end effector. The mechanism has a vertical slide table that moves along one or more vertical tracks. The vertical slide table includes one or more horizontal tracks, an arcuate guide rail parallel to the horizontal tracks, and a horizontal slide table that moves along the horizontal tracks. The horizontal slide table comprises an end effector, which is a suspended perpendicular arm with a lip on the bottom edge that supports a load. The end effector, when unloaded, follows the path of the arcuate guide rail as the horizontal slide table moves along the one or more horizontal tracks. In this way, the end effector engages the load in positions near the edge of the arcuate guide rail, but in central positions along the arcuate guide rail, the end effector is distanced from the load so that it can freely maneuver.

Abstract: The invention is a mobile fueling system for vehicles that includes a fleet of mobile fuel stations, such as trucks. Each mobile fuel station has at least one fuel reservoir adapted for storing either liquid fuel, gaseous fuel and electric fuel. The system also includes a data processing hub and a network providing wireless data communication between vehicles, the fleet of mobile fuel stations, and the data processing hub. The data processing hub receives vehicle data from vehicles and fleet data from each mobile fuel station over the network. The data processing hub is configured to dispatch via the network the mobile fuel stations in the fleet to vehicles in need of fuel based on at least three of the following factors: vehicle fuel level, a vehicle fuel request, vehicle location, a vehicle owner stored fueling location preference, a vehicle owner service request, reservoir fuel contents, reservoir fuel level and mobile fuel station location.

Abstract: The apparatus described herein may include a base plate, one or more walls, one or more obscured feature detectors, one or more obscured feature indicators, a controller, and a power source. The base plate may include one or more surface-mounting structures that mount the apparatus to a surface. The walls may extend at least partially perpendicularly from the base, and may include one or more device-mount structures that mount one or more removable devices to the walls. The detectors and indicators may be connected to the base, the walls, or both. Each detector may correspond to at least one of the surface-mounting structures. Each indicator may correspond to at least one of the detectors. The controller may be electrically connected to the detectors and the indicators. The controller may activate the indicators as the detectors detect a feature obscured behind a surface adjacent to the detectors.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are hub-based wireless networks employing end-devices at intermediate wireless at ranges of thousands of meters. End-devices may be such things as keypads, door latches, occupancy monitors, sprinkler controllers and other devices controlled or monitored in a campus or a collection of buildings. A device-initiated asynchronous mode may be used to communicate information related to spontaneous events to a hub. The hub receives packet retrial information from the end-devices, determines whether packet retrials are due to interference or some other cause such as collisions, and applies varying levels of redundancy based upon a recent history of success and failure of packet exchanges, which measurement may be a value of badness increased as errors are encountered and decreased as packet communication is successful. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.

Abstract: We disclose a tag for tracking and identifying pharmaceutical and nutritional products. The tag includes a paramagnetic microparticle which is connected to at least one unique and detectable chemical. The chemical may be coated on the paramagnetic microparticle or connected through functional groups. The tags may be too large to be taken into the bloodstream and therefore remain in the user's gastrointestinal tract. The tags may be fully or partially isolated from feces for analysis. The tags are attracted to an external electromagnetic force but are not magnetically attracted to each other. Consequently, the tags are safe to ingest. The tags may vary in volume or mass so as to be separable according to mass. The tags may be non-spherical in shape thus increasing the surface area to volume ratio and increasing the amount of chemical which may be attached as a taggant.

Abstract: We disclose a method of tagging a variety of pharmaceutical or nutritional products in which well-studied chemicals may be added to the products in unique ratios. The identities of the chemicals and their relative ratios comprise unique taggants. The taggants may identify which of multiple distinct categories the product falls within. The method includes the step of systematically varying the relative concentrations of the chemicals resulting in multiple ratios of the chemicals. The plurality of ratios of a defined set of chemicals may be collected to form a library of taggants associated with specified items or categories. As the number of chemicals added per product increases, the library supports more categories and the system is less likely to produce a false positive. The method may result in a series of taggants for each item which is single fault tolerant or double fault tolerant.

Abstract: An apparatus for distributing data using a short-range wireless interconnection protocol for electronic devices includes a processor communicatively connected, using a communication bus, to a number of originator antennas, each of the number of originator antennas communicating with an originating device, a plurality of device antennas, communicatively connected to the communication bus, each of the plurality of device antennas communicating with a number of client devices, and a non-transitory storage medium. The non-transitory storage medium includes a receive module, a session identify module, and a send module. The receive module receives a data packet using one of the number of originator antennas. The session identify module identifies at least one communication session with at least one remote device associated with one of the plurality of device antennas. The send module sends the data packet to the at least one remote device associated with one of the plurality of device antennas.

Abstract: Embodiments of a two-way output reverse-torque clutch described herein may include a torque input having a segmented race, a pin removably disposed adjacent to, and between, at least two segmented race segments, a torque output rotatably disposed within the segmented race, and an outer race encircling the segmented race. The torque output may include a cam surface with an interference point corresponding to at least one of the one or more pins. The cam surface may have an interference point. The outer race may be in slideable contact with the segmented race. A torque exerted directly on the output may force the interference point against the pin, wedging the pin between the interference point and the outer race and preventing torque from being transmitted to the input from the output. The clutch may prevent torque from being transmitted to the torque input from the torque output with one pin.

Abstract: A flora or fauna retrieval apparatus, comprising a frame mechanically connected to a transportation module to move the apparatus. The apparatus may comprise a location identification module, a number of flora or fauna attribute sensors communicatively connected to a communication module, and a flora or fauna storage container. The communication module may be configured to communicate with a computing device to exchange information about the animals or plants to be retrieved, and obtain information about optimal conditions for animals or plants scheduled for delivery. The flora or fauna storage container may comprise a temperature regulator, an aperture to let in air, and a humidity controller. The aperture may be adjustable.

Abstract: A novel method for managing employees using one or more processors including non-transitory memory programmed to assign job duties to the one or more employees being managed based on correlations between individual employee historical records, out-of-range deviations of non-invasive biometric indicators, indicators of production, and performance trends of the employee(s) being managed. Biometric data is collected and correlated to determine deviations from an established baseline in order to readily identify and assign optimized job duties to an employee or an employee workforce. Poor job related performance by a single employee or plurality of employees may be detected and corrected.

Abstract: In various example embodiments, an apparatus for installing a window covering is disclosed. A rotational cam member is provided for extending a first piston on one side of a headrail and compressing a second piston on the opposite side of the headrail between a window casing. A lever arm is provided for rotating the rotational cam. Spacers are provided to adjust the compression of the apparatus, along with indicators indicating whether spacers need to be added or removed. Easy installation of a window covering headrail may be achieved as one arm is used to hold the headrail while the other hand is able to actuate the lever arm. Mounting brackets are provided for easy window covering removal after installation.

Abstract: A table comprising a table base and a tabletop is disclosed. The table base comprises a top surface comprising one or more removable adhesives. The one or more removable adhesives adhere strongly when a force is applied in a horizontal direction and weakly when a force is supplied in a vertical direction. This prevents horizontal movement but allows vertical movement when a vertical force above an adhesion threshold is applied. The tabletop comprises a usable first side and a usable second side alternately mounted to the table base by means of the removable adhesives.

Abstract: A flora or fauna retrieval apparatus, comprising a frame mechanically connected to a transportation module to move the apparatus. The apparatus may comprise a location identification module, a number of flora or fauna attribute sensors communicatively connected to a communication module, and a flora or fauna storage container. The communication module may be configured to communicate with a computing device to exchange information about the animals or plants to be retrieved, and obtain information about optimal conditions for animals or plants scheduled for delivery. The flora or fauna storage container may comprise a temperature regulator, an aperture to let in air, and a humidity controller. The aperture may be adjustable.

Abstract: A distributed charge controller that matches a charging and power profile of each individual battery cell within a bank of batteries with one or more strings of photovoltaic (PV) cells in order to maintain battery health and performance. The charge controller further optimizes the performance of a solar module by allowing active unshaded strings of cells to operate independently of other strings within the module that may be shaded. Strings of PV cells are selectively matched to one or more battery cells as required.

Abstract: The invention is an automated covering for an architectural opening—such as a window blind, a roller shade, a cellular shade, or roller wall—that can be easily recharged through a charging device that is integrated into the lower edge. The automated covering includes a housing that holds a motor and a battery. An electrical conductor extends from the battery, down the automated covering, to the charging device at the bottom of the covering. The charging device may be a charging port, an electrical plug, or a magnetic charging device that engages with a magnetic charging dock. The invention allows automated coverings to be easily recharged without the inconvenience of removing batteries or of extending lengthy extension cords to out-of-reach places.

Abstract: We disclose an in-toilet urinalysis system which includes a system for collection urine and for analysis of urine components using aptamer technology. Urine collection system may dispense urine into cuvettes, channels, or other containers that include aptamers. The aptamers may detect target molecules in urine. The aptamers may measure urine analytes, detect excreted drugs or drug metabolites, or disease markers. Upon binding to the target molecule, the aptamers may produce a signal which a sensor in the toilet may detect. In some embodiments, the signal may be electrochemical, fluorescent, or colorimetric. The measurements obtained from analysis of the urine may be used to assess a user's health or diagnose disease. In some embodiments, the measurements are stored in a controller which may transmit the measurements to a healthcare provider for assessment.

Abstract: We disclose a method of using taggants to assess how and to what extent a drug in a drug composition has decayed in response to environmental conditions and time. The taggants may decay in response to environmental conditions which cause drugs to lose their efficacy. The decay may occur due to improper storage or excursions into certain environmental conditions. These environmental conditions may include light, temperature, moisture, oxidation, and age. By including taggants that have different decay characteristics, the environmental condition that caused the decay may be determined. The amount of time the drug composition was exposed to the environmental condition and the amount of effective drug remaining may also be determined. The disclosed method may reduce the need for a unique assay for each drug to assess decay and determine shelf life. The disclosed method may also be used as a quality control technique for pharmaceutical products.

Abstract: The struggle to organize many tools and miscellaneous items of greatly varying shapes and sizes has led to some innovation in garage storage systems. However, most systems are based on the similar concept of creating an overhead floor on which to store things. This is frequently inconvenient and/or inadequate. Accordingly, a garage organization solution is presented herein. The solution comprises an overhead mounting system. The system may include a channel, a device mount for light-weight devices, and a device mount for heavy-weight devices. The light-weight device mount may be detachable from a corresponding light-weight device. The heavy-weight device mount may be integrated into a corresponding heavy-weight device.