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.

Abstract: A dishwasher having a tub and spray arm assembly for a dishwasher having a spray arm assembly for spraying wash liquid in the tub. The spray arm assembly has spray arm inlet, a bearing assembly with a bearing body that defines a through passage with a bearing inlet and a bearing outlet fluidly coupled to the spray arm inlet. The spray arm assembly also has a liquid supply conduit with a supply outlet fluidly coupled to the bearing inlet, a seal positioned between the bearing body and the liquid supply conduit; and a deflector provided within the supply outlet to effectively divide the supply outlet into at least two portions. At least one of the two portions faces upstream and defining an effective cross-sectional area confronting the bearing inlet that is less than or equal to the cross-sectional area of the bearing inlet. The deflector is also aligned with the bearing inlet and defines a turn in the supply outlet for directing liquid into the bearing inlet.

Abstract: A microphone can include a cover having a series of slits and a nest. The nest can be configured to receive a first diaphragm, a second diaphragm, and a PCB in a stacked arrangement, such that the PCB is positioned between the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm. Also the first diaphragm can define a first plane, the second diaphragm can define a second plane, and the PCB can define a third plane and the first plane, the second plane, and the third plane can extend parallel to one another. The cover can also include slits having a first length and a second length, and the first length can be greater than the second length. The slits can extend both radially and axially.

Abstract: An improved augmented reality (A/R) headset system is described. The system can feature a position sensor to determine a user's real-world view, an environmental sensor to determine objects obstructed from the real-world view, and a processing unit to correlate the data such that a merged graphical image corresponds to the user's real-world view. For example, the image can be a representation of objects that are obstructed in the user's real-world view. In addition, the image can be dynamic and change as the real-world view of the user changes, as the user rotates his head. In some instances, the position sensor includes an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, and/or a GPS device and the environmental sensor collects sonar data.

Abstract: An audio system for customizing sound fields for increased user privacy. A microphone array of a headset detects sounds from one or more sound sources in a local area of the headset. The audio system estimates array transfer functions (ATFs) associated with the sounds, and determines determining sound field reproduction filters for a loudspeaker array of the headset using the ATFs. The audio system presents audio content, via the loudspeaker array, based in part on the sound field reproduction filters. The presented audio content has a sound field that has a reduced amplitude in a first damped region of the local area that includes a first sound source of the one or more sound sources.

Abstract: A technique for subband-based audio calibration includes receiving a first audio signal captured at a microphone and a second audio signal provided to a speaker. The technique continues by synchronizing the second audio signal with the first audio signal to generate a synchronized audio signal and transforming the synchronized audio signal to a first subband representation and the first audio signal to a second subband representation. The technique then includes calculating a transfer function associated with the speaker and the microphone based on the first subband representation and the second subband representation.

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.