Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for improving the throughput of ray intersection or visibility queries performed by a ray tracing hardware accelerator. Throughput is improved, for example, by releasing allocated resources before ray visibility query results are reported by the hardware accelerator. The allocated resources are released when the ray visibility query results can be stored in a compressed format outside of the allocated resources. When reporting the ray visibility query results, the results are reconstructed based on the results stored in the compressed format. The compressed format storage can be used for ray visibility queries that return no intersections or terminate on any hit ray visibility query. One or more individual components of allocated resources can also be independently deallocated based on the type of data to be returned and/or results of the ray visibility query.

Abstract: A mobile smart container system comprises a housing, an access component configured to secure access to a compartment within the housing when in a closed position, a communication interface configured to wirelessly receive a request to access the compartment, a perceivable output device, an electromechanical latch configured to engage with the access component to releasably lock the access component in the closed position, and a processor. The processor receives and authenticates the request to access the compartment and, in response to receiving and authenticating the request, activates the electromechanical latch to unlock the access component to make the compartment accessible, and outputs, upon actuation of the electromechanical latch, an alert via the perceivable output device to identify the smart container system.

Abstract: In a ray tracer, to prevent any long-running query from hanging the graphics processing unit, a traversal coprocessor provides a preemption mechanism that will allow rays to stop processing or time out early. The example non-limiting implementations described herein provide such a preemption mechanism, including a forward progress guarantee, and additional programmable timeout options that can be time or cycle based. Those programmable options provide a means for quality of service timing guarantees for applications such as virtual reality (VR) that have strict timing requirements.

Abstract: Enhanced techniques applicable to a ray tracing hardware accelerator for traversing a hierarchical acceleration structure and its underlying primitives are disclosed. For example, traversal speed is improved by grouping processing of primitives sharing at least one figure (e.g., a vertex or an edge) during ray-primitive intersection testing. Grouping the primitives for ray intersection testing can reduce processing (e.g., projections and transformations of primitive vertices and/or determining edge function values) because at least a portion of the processing results related to the shared feature in one primitive can be used to determine whether the ray intersects another primitive(s). Processing triangles sharing an edge can double the culling rate of the triangles in the ray/triangle intersection test without replicating the hardware.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for improving the throughput of ray intersection or visibility queries performed by a ray tracing hardware accelerator. Throughput is improved, for example, by releasing allocated resources before ray visibility query results are reported by the hardware accelerator. The allocated resources are released when the ray visibility query results can be stored in a compressed format outside of the allocated resources. When reporting the ray visibility query results, the results are reconstructed based on the results stored in the compressed format. The compressed format storage can be used for ray visibility queries that return no intersections or terminate on any hit ray visibility query. One or more individual components of allocated resources can also be independently deallocated based on the type of data to be returned and/or results of the ray visibility query.

Abstract: Locking actuators for thrust reverser actuation systems, engines and aircraft including the same, and associated methods. A locking actuator includes an actuator housing, an extension element, and a lock assembly. The extension element is configured to translate along an actuator axis to transition between a retracted state and an extended state. The lock assembly transitions between a locked state and an unlocked state independent of transitioning the extension element between the retracted and extended states. In examples, a thrust reverser actuation system includes an actuator assembly with the locking actuator and a hydraulic control assembly. In examples, an engine includes a thrust generator, a nacelle, a transcowl, and the thrust reverser actuation system. In examples, a method of operating a thrust reverser actuation system includes transitioning a lock assembly from a locked state to an unlocked state and transitioning an extension element from a retracted state to an extended state.

Abstract: A bin assembly, bin identification system and method are disclosed. A container bin assembly includes a bin body, a latching mechanism, and controller. A method includes receiving, via a communication interface, an authenticated request to access the smart container, actuating an electromechanical latch to disengage a fastening hook, thereby initiating a mechanical movement of an access component to make an internal compartment accessible, outputting, via an audiovisual element, an alert to identify the container, confirming that the electromechanical latch has re-engaged with the fastening hook, thereby securing the internal compartment, determining a change in a local inventory, and updating the local inventory in a non-volatile data store according to the change.

Abstract: In a ray tracer, to prevent any long-running query from hanging the graphics processing unit, a traversal coprocessor provides a preemption mechanism that will allow rays to stop processing or time out early. The example non-limiting implementations described herein provide such a preemption mechanism, including a forward progress guarantee, and additional programmable timeout options that can be time or cycle based. Those programmable options provide a means for quality of service timing guarantees for applications such as virtual reality (VR) that have strict timing requirements.

Abstract: Enhanced techniques applicable to a ray tracing hardware accelerator for traversing a hierarchical acceleration structure and its underlying primitives are disclosed. For example, traversal speed is improved by grouping processing of primitives sharing at least one feature (e.g., a vertex or an edge) during ray-primitive intersection testing. Grouping the primitives for ray intersection testing can reduce processing (e.g., projections and transformations of primitive vertices and/or determining edge function values) because at least a portion of the processing results related to the shared feature in one primitive can be used in determine whether the ray intersects another primitive(s). Processing triangles sharing an edge can double the culling rate of the triangles in the ray/triangle intersection test without replicating the hardware.

Abstract: Ray tracing hardware accelerators supporting motion blur and moving/deforming geometry are disclosed. For example, dynamic objects in an acceleration data structure are encoded with temporal and spatial information. The hardware includes circuitry that test ray intersections against moving/deforming geometry by applying such temporal and spatial information. Such circuitry accelerates the visibility sampling of moving geometry, including rigid body motion and object deformation, and its associated moving bounding volumes to a performance similar to that of the visibility sampling of static geometry.

Abstract: Enhanced techniques applicable to a ray tracing hardware accelerator for traversing a hierarchical acceleration structure are disclosed. For example, traversal efficiency is improved by combining programmable traversals based on ray operations with per-node static configurations that modify traversal behavior. The per-node static configurations enable creators of acceleration data structures to optimize for potential traversals without necessarily requiring detailed information about ray characteristics and ray operations used when traversing the acceleration structure. Moreover, by providing for selective exclusion of certain nodes using per-node static configurations, less memory is needed to express an acceleration structure that includes, for example, different geometric levels of details corresponding to a single object.

Abstract: The disclosed electronic smart mat includes a planar surface configured to receive a mobile electronic container configured to store one or more medications, an antenna configured to wirelessly communicate with the mobile electronic container when the mobile electronic container is received over the surface, a communication module configured to communicate with a server, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a medication content of the mobile electronic container responsive to the mobile electronic container being received over the surface, receive patient data associated with a patient responsive to placement of a mobile computing device associated with the patient over the surface of the electronic mat, and provide, to the server using the communication module, the patient data, and updated medication inventory based on the determined medication content of the mobile electronic container. The electronic mat may form a bottom surface of an enclosure within a dispensing machine.

Abstract: A hardware-based traversal coprocessor provides acceleration of tree traversal operations searching for intersections between primitives represented in a tree data structure and a ray. The primitives may include triangles used in generating a virtual scene. The hardware-based traversal coprocessor is configured to properly handle numerically challenging computations at or near edges and/or vertices of primitives and/or ensure that a single intersection is reported when a ray intersects a surface formed by primitives at or near edges and/or vertices of the primitives.

Abstract: The present application relates to repair systems, and more particularly to fifth metatarsal repair systems and methods of use. The repair systems described herein can include a fixation device with a threaded section. The repair systems described herein can include one or more grippers designed to be deflected outward to grip the sidewalls of an intramedullary canal of the fifth metatarsal. The repair systems described herein can include an end cap. The end cap can include a fastener including thread designed to engage the threaded section of the fixation device. The end cap can include a cap designed to move relative to the fastener.

Abstract: Enhanced techniques applicable to a ray tracing hardware accelerator for traversing a hierarchical acceleration structure are disclosed. For example, traversal efficiency is improved by combining programmable traversals based on ray operations with per-node static configurations that modify traversal behavior. The per-node static configurations enable creators of acceleration data structures to optimize for potential traversals without necessarily requiring detailed information about ray characteristics and ray operations used when traversing the acceleration structure. Moreover, by providing for selective exclusion of certain nodes using per-node static configurations, less memory is needed to express an acceleration structure that includes, for example, different geometric levels of details corresponding to a single object.

Abstract: Ray tracing hardware accelerators supporting motion blur and moving/deforming geometry are disclosed. For example, dynamic objects in an acceleration data structure are encoded with temporal and spatial information. The hardware includes circuitry that test ray intersections against moving/deforming geometry by applying such temporal and spatial information. Such circuitry accelerates the visibility sampling of moving geometry, including rigid body motion and object deformation, and its associated moving bounding volumes to a performance similar to that of the visibility sampling of static geometry.

Abstract: A shield assembly includes a closing structure configured to be disposed over an opening of an enclosure. The closing structure includes an inner surface configured to face an inside of the enclosure when the closing structure is closed and a finger bracket structure mounted on the inner surface, the finger bracket structure having a bracket and one or more finger gaskets coupled to the bracket. An electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielded gasket disposed along a portion of the opening of the enclosure shields an edge of the opening of the enclosure or a radio frequency (RF) fence bracket coupled to a frame disposed around the opening of the enclosure creates a narrow path between the frame and the closing structure, the narrow path attenuating RF signals passing through the narrow path and shielding an edge of the opening of the enclosure.

Abstract: Ray tracing hardware accelerators supporting multiple specifiers for controlling the traversal of a ray tracing acceleration data structure are disclosed. For example, traversal efficiency and complex ray tracing effects can be achieved by specifying traversals through such data structures using both programmable ray operations and explicit node masking. The explicit node masking utilizes dedicated fields in the ray and in nodes of the acceleration data structure to control traversals. Ray operations, however, are programmable per ray using opcodes and additional parameters to control traversals. Traversal efficiency is improved by enabling more aggressive culling of parts of the data structure based on the combination of explicit node masking and programmable ray operations. More complex ray tracing effects are enabled by providing for dynamic selection of nodes based on individual ray characteristics.

Abstract: A bounding volume is used to approximate the space an object occupies. If a more precise understanding beyond an approximation is required, the object itself is then inspected to determine what space it occupies. Often, a simple volume (such as an axis-aligned box) is used as bounding volume to approximate the space occupied by an object. But objects can be arbitrary, complicated shapes. So a simple volume often does not fit the object very well. That causes a lot of space that is not occupied by the object to be included in the approximation of the space being occupied by the object. Hardware-based techniques are disclosed herein, for example, for efficiently using multiple bounding volumes (such as axis-aligned bounding boxes) to represent, in effect, an arbitrarily shaped bounding volume to better fit the object, and for using such arbitrary bounding volumes to improve performance in applications such as ray tracing.

Abstract: A method including authorizing a user to access a dispensing unit upon receipt of a medication request, is provided. The dispensing unit comprises a storage location with one or more door enclosure storing at least one container. The method also includes providing a visual indicator to the user for a selected container in the storage location with one or more door enclosure, the selected container comprising a medication associated with the medication request, and unlocking the selected container for the user by wirelessly actuating a latch for a lid in the selected container from a mat that is communicatively coupled with the dispensing unit. The method also includes locking the selected container when the user verifies a transaction comprising the medication request, and updating a record and a medication inventory in a remote server based on the transaction. A storage location with one or more door enclosure and a container used in the above method are also provided.