Abstract: An ice merchandiser for storing bagged ice for purchase by a customer is provided. The ice merchandiser includes a payment system structured to enable a patron to facilitate a bagged ice product transaction at the ice merchandiser, and an access control system structured to selectively provide access to the ice merchandiser during the bagged ice product transaction based on the payment system providing an indication that payment for the ice product has been validated.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system for regulating a digital door lock based on facial recognition includes a graphical user interface, an optical camera, communication circuitry, and processing circuitry configured to receive a signal corresponding to an image of the face of an individual captured by the optical camera. The processing circuitry may determine an identity of the individual based on the image of the face and determine whether or not to instruct the digital door lock to unlock or cause the interface to display instructions for the individual to access reserved goods or services based on the identity the individual. In any embodiments, a system may include a temperature sensor or other physiological parameter sensor to enable the processing circuitry to determine whether to unlock a door or provide access to goods or services based on the individual's health status, which may include a body temperature and/or other parameter.

Abstract: A wind chime has a suspension system for suspending a plurality of chimes, a central cord that suspends a clapper adjacent the chimes, and a silencer slidably mounted on the central cord. The silencer includes a plurality of chime apertures radially spaced from a center area adjacent an outer perimeter, each sized and shaped to receive one of the plurality of chimes. The central cord extends through the silencer to a clapper. An adjustable locking mechanism is mounted on the central cord between the silencer and the clapper, for locking the silencer in either a silenced position wherein the main body is positioned inside of the plurality of chimes with each of the chimes being positioned within one of the chime apertures, and a stored position wherein the main body is positioned above the chimes.

Abstract: The present disclosure features compounds such as those having the Formulae (I) and (II), which can increase cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) activity as measured in human bronchial epithelial (hBE) cells. The present disclosure also features methods of treating a condition associated with decreased CFTR activity or a condition associated with a dysfunction of proteostasis comprising administering to a subject an effective amount of a disclosed compound, such as a compound of Formula (I) or (II).

Abstract: Disclosed is an article for use with apparatus for heating smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material, the article including: a malleable container defining a cavity; a mass of smokable material in the cavity; and heating material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field to heat the smokable material. Also disclosed is a system including: such an apparatus; and an article for use with the apparatus, the article including a container defining a cavity, and a mass of smokable material in the cavity; wherein the apparatus includes a heating zone for receiving at least a portion of the article, and a magnetic field generator for generating a varying magnetic field to be used in heating the smokable material when the portion of the article is in the heating zone.

Abstract: An audio system presented herein includes a transducer array, a sensor array, and a controller. The transducer array presents audio content to a user. The controller controls the transducer array to adjust a level of tactile content imparted to the user via actuation of at least one transducer in the transducer array while presenting the audio content to the user. The audio system can be part of a headset.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) receiving, at a first device, a first stream that includes first media data from a first media object, (2) receiving, at the first device, a second stream that includes second media data from a second media object, (3) mixing, at the first device, the first media data and the second media data into a third stream, (4) compiling, while mixing the third stream, a metadata stream that includes information enabling separation of the first media data and the second media data from the third stream, (5) transmitting, from the first device to a second device, the third stream, and (6) transmitting, from the first device to the second device, the metadata stream to enable the second device to separate the first media data and the second media data from the third stream. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A flow control device (40) for controlling the flow of a pressurized fluent substance is disclosed. The device (40) includes a housing (44, 48, 52) having an inlet portion (44) for receiving the fluent substance, an outlet portion (48) for discharging the fluent substance, and a platform (52). The device (40) further has a valve (56) located within the housing (44, 48, 52). The valve (56) is located between the platform (52) and the outlet portion (48). The valve (56) has a flexible, resilient valve head portion (160) that has confronting, openable portions (212, 216) movable from a closed configuration to an open configuration when the valve head portion (160) is subjected to a pressure differential acting across the valve head portion (160).

Abstract: A game system is disclosed that enables users to play a multi-user game on their respective user devices while viewing a projection view on a separate screen, such as a movie theater screen. The projection view may be generated by a game control system by running game client that controls a special character in the game. The special character acts as a camera, generating a view that can be used as, or included in, the projection view. The game control system may control the position of the special character in a game world to generate views of selected game events.

Abstract: An audio system includes a transducer assembly, an audio sensor, and a controller. The transducer assembly is coupled to a back of an auricle of an ear of the user. The transducer assembly vibrates the auricle over a frequency range to cause the auricle to create an acoustic pressure wave in accordance with vibration instructions. The acoustic sensor detects the acoustic pressure wave at an entrance of the ear of the user. The controller dynamically adjusts a frequency response model based in part on the detected acoustic pressure wave, updates the vibration instructions using the adjusted frequency response model, and provides the updated vibration instructions to the transducer assembly.

Abstract: An audio system for a wearable device dynamically updates acoustic transfer functions. The audio system is configured to estimate a direction of arrival (DoA) of each sound source detected by a microphone array relative to a position of the wearable device within a local area. The audio system may track the movement of each sound source. The audio system may form a beam in the direction of each sound source. The audio system may identify and classify each sound source based on the sound source properties. Based on the DoA estimates, the movement tracking, and the beamforming, the audio system generates or updates the acoustic transfer functions for the sound sources.

Abstract: Described herein are embodiments of a fully-convolutional attention-based neural text-to-speech (TTS) system, which various embodiments may generally be referred to as Deep Voice 3. Embodiments of Deep Voice 3 match state-of-the-art neural speech synthesis systems in naturalness while training ten times faster. Deep Voice 3 embodiments were scaled to data set sizes unprecedented for TTS, training on more than eight hundred hours of audio from over two thousand speakers. In addition, common error modes of attention-based speech synthesis networks were identified and mitigated, and several different waveform synthesis methods were compared. Also presented are embodiments that describe how to scale inference to ten million queries per day on one single-GPU server.

Abstract: A merchandiser for storing a product for purchase by a customer is disclosed. The merchandiser includes a housing defining a cavity; a door coupled to the housing; a platform located in the cavity for holding the product; a load sensor structured to determine a weight of the product; and a controller coupled to the load sensor. The controller is structured to unlock the door based on a validation of payment information of the customer, and determine a weight of product removed during a transaction for the product based on a value regarding the weight of the product removed during the transaction being substantially constant for a preset amount of time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates and prodrugs thereof: wherein Q is selected from O, S and Se; J is S or Se; W1 and W2, when present, are independently selected from N and C; R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C12 alkyl, C2-C12 alkenyl, C2-C12 alkynyl, aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, amino, amido, alkylthio, acyl, arylalkyl and acylamido, all of which may be optionally substituted; and wherein at least one of W1 and W2 is present and is a nitrogen atom and when R1 or R2 are cyclic then the respective W1 or W2 may form part of the ring structure. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions including such compounds, to methods of treatment using such compounds, in particular in relation to NLRP3 inflammasome mediated disorders, and to associated diagnostic uses.

Abstract: Disclosed is an article for use with apparatus for heating smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material. The article includes a sheet including smokable material, and heating material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field to heat the smokable material. The sheet may be a planar sheet or a rolled sheet. Also disclosed is a system including the article and apparatus for heating smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material. The apparatus includes a heating zone for receiving at least a portion of the article, and a magnetic field generator for generating a varying magnetic field to be used in heating the smokable material when the portion of the article is in the heating zone.

Abstract: An ear-plug assembly presents audio content to an ear canal of a user. The audio content may be based in part on sound in a local area surrounding the user. The ear-plug assembly detects, via one or more acoustic sensors, sound in the area around the user. The sound waves travel through an aperture in a body of the ear-plug assembly and are propagated to a waveguide to the one or more acoustic sensors. The ear-plug assembly processes the detected sound data in a controller, which instructs a speaker assembly to present audio content based in part on the detected sound data. The detected sounds may be amplified, attenuated, filtered, and/or augmented when presented by the speaker assembly.

Abstract: A system may include at least one audio transducer and a controller. The controller may generate at least one actuation signal. The at least one actuation signal may drive the at least one audio transducer such that the at least one audio transducer generates evanescent wave audio signals in proximity to a wearer's ear. The evanescent wave audio signals may decay in strength with distance from the at least one audio transducer. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: An audio system for providing content to a user. The system includes a first and a second transducer assembly of a plurality of transducer assemblies, an acoustic sensor, and a controller. The first transducer assembly couples to a portion of an auricle of the user's ear and vibrates over a first range of frequencies based on a first set of audio instructions. The vibration causes the portion of the ear to create a first range of acoustic pressure waves. The second transducer assembly is configured to vibrate over a second range of frequencies to produce a second range of acoustic pressure waves based on a second set of audio instructions. The acoustic sensor detects acoustic pressure waves at an entrance of the ear. The controller generates the audio instructions based on audio content to be provided to the user and the detected acoustic pressure waves from the acoustic sensor.

Abstract: A device for manipulating a board is provided, the device comprising: a body having an upper side and a lower side; the body having a proximal end comprising an angled face, wherein the angled face is formed on the upper side, and wherein the angled face includes an aperture extending into the angled face and through the body; the body having a distal end including a U-shaped board engagement member including a pair of legs; and the body having at least one joist alignment member extending downwardly from the lower side.