Abstract: Described herein is an image pre-processing system and method. One embodiment provides a method (500) including: at step (501), receiving a plurality of images captured at a first frame rate, the plurality of images captured under at least two different image conditions; pre-processing the plurality of images by: at step (502) identifying one or more regions of interest within the images; at step (503), performing a visibility measure on the one or more regions of interest; and, at step (504), selecting a subset of the plurality of images based on the visibility measure; and, at step (505), feeding the subset of images to an image processing pipeline for subsequent processing at a second frame rate that is lower than the first frame rate.

Abstract: A remote stove lock assembly includes a stove that has a plurality of burner controls and a control unit that is attached to the stove. The control unit has a biometric scanner to scan an authorized user's fingerprint and the control unit enables each of the burner controls when the biometric scanner scans the authorized user's fingerprint thereby facilitating the stove to be employed for cooking. Conversely, the control unit disables each of the burner controls until the biometric scanner scans the authorized user's fingerprint to inhibit a person with dementia from operating the stove. A personal electronic device is in remote communication with the control unit to enable each of the burner controls when the personal electronic device broadcasts an actuate command to facilitate the authorized user to remotely enable or disable the stove.

Abstract: A system for controlling thermal comfort in a space is provided with variable mode of operation. This system may include a conditioner for conditioning air in the space, and a sensor for measuring a temperature in the space. A controller is provided for controlling the conditioner based on the temperature sensed by the sensor, and a fan for circulating air within the space is regulated based on the temperature sensed by the sensor. A related system for controlling a fan based on height is also provided, as is a system and method for easily and efficiently determining the height of a fan using a simple camera, such as one on a “smart” phone. A further aspect pertains to a controller, such as for example a portable handheld device, having a user interface adapted for suggesting an increase in a set point temperature of a thermostat based on the selected speed of the fan.

Abstract: A fluid delivery system illustratively includes a spout, at least one valve in fluid communication with the spout, and a disinfectant device, illustratively an antibacterial device, fluidly coupled to the spout. The faucet is configured to selectively flow water through the disinfectant device in response to a user input to the faucet. In another illustrative embodiment, the fluid delivery system includes an outer housing, a plurality of fluid devices supported by the outer housing, and an ozone generator fluidly coupled to the fluid devices.

Abstract: A fluid delivery system illustratively includes a spout, at least one valve in fluid communication with the spout, and a disinfectant device, illustratively an antibacterial device, fluidly coupled to the spout. The faucet is configured to selectively flow water through the disinfectant device in response to a user input to the faucet. In another illustrative embodiment, the fluid delivery system includes an outer housing, a plurality of fluid devices supported by the outer housing, and an ozone generator fluidly coupled to the fluid devices.

Abstract: A disclosed system is configured to estimate an attention state of a subject within a scene. An imaging camera captures digital images of the subject and one or more light sources illuminate the subject during a period in which the digital images are captured. The system also includes a processor that processes the captured images to generate subject attention data of the subject. The processor further generates a primary visual attention ray of the subject from current subject attention data; generates a distribution of visual attention rays having an origin common to the primary visual attention ray; projects the visual attention rays onto a digital representation of the scene having a plurality of predefined regions of interest; determines an intersection of the projected visual attention rays with one or more of the regions of interest; and based on the intersection, estimates an attention state of the subject's attention.

Abstract: Described herein is an imaging system (200) for a driver monitoring system (100). The imaging system (200) includes a light source (108) for generating an input light beam (202) and projecting the input light beam (202) along a path towards a driver (102) of a vehicle. System (200) also includes a dielectric metasurface (201) positioned within the path of the input light beam (202). The metasurface (201) has a two dimensional array of surface elements configured to impose predetermined phase, polarization and/or intensity changes to the input light beam (202) to generate an output light beam (204) for illuminating the driver (102). System (200) further includes an image sensor (106) configured to image reflected light (208) being light from the output light beam (204) that is reflected from the driver.

Abstract: Described herein is a system and method for performing eye tracking. One embodiment provides a system (100) including a camera (106) for capturing images of a vehicle driver's (102) eye and light emitting diodes (LEDs—108 and 110) configured to selectively illuminate the driver's eye during image capture by the camera (106). A processor (118) is configured to process at least a subset of the captured images to determine one or more eye tracking parameters of the subjects eye and to determine one or more illumination characteristics of the images. A controller (120) is configured to send an LED control signal to the LEDs (108 and 110) to control the drive current amplitude and pulse time of the LEDs (108 and 110). The controller (120) selectively adjusts the drive current amplitude and/or pulse time based on the determined illumination characteristics of a previous captured image or images.

Abstract: A ceiling fan includes a hub adapted to be rotated, such as by an onboard motor in a low-profile motor housing. One or more fan blades are adapted to extend radially from the hub. At least one magnet is provided for coupling at least one fan blade to the hub. A hinge may connect the at least one fan blade to the hub, and may be located radially outwardly of overlapping portions of the fan blade and hub. In this manner, the blade may be adapted to extend radially from the hub when deployed and generally vertically when stowed, but in a deployed configuration, the radial extension overlies and contacts at least a portion of the fan blade along an overlapping region, but does not contact the portion of the at least one stowable fan blade when stowed. Related methods are also described.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for forming an axial flux permanent magnet synchronous motor. The apparatus includes a stator assembly including a plurality of stator poles spaced about a stator shaft, each comprising a winding. Adjacent pairs of stator poles have a spacing in a circumferential direction approximately equal to or greater than a width of the stator pole. A rotor assembly includes a plurality of rotor poles of alternating magnetic polarity arranged for electrically communicating with the windings of the stator assembly. The ratio of stator poles to rotor poles may be less than 4:6 or, more specifically, less than or equal to about 1:2.

Abstract: The present invention provides acoustically activated liposome compositions for use as drug delivery vehicles, and to methods for drug release and drug delivery for therapeutic applications including Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.

Abstract: The present invention provides acoustically activated liposome compositions for use as drug delivery vehicles, and to methods for drug release and drug delivery for therapeutic applications.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems of distinguishing between a glance event and an eye closure event in a subject monitoring system. A method includes capturing a number of images of the subject's face including at least one eye of the subject over a period of time; processing the images to determine a closure state of at least one eye; detecting potential eye closure events in which the closure state of at least one eye is determined to be in a closed state; for corresponding detected potential eye closure event, determining a head pitch angle of the subject and classifying the potential eye closure event as a glance event if a head pitch angle of the subject is detected to change by an angle greater than a predetermined head pitch angle and otherwise classifying the potential eye closure event as an eye closure event.

Abstract: Described herein is a method of registering a position and an orientation of one or more cameras in a camera imaging system. The method includes: receiving, from a depth imaging device, data indicative of a three dimensional image of the scene. The three dimensional image is calibrated with a reference frame relative to the scene. The reference frame includes a reference position and reference orientation. A three dimensional position of each of the cameras within the three dimensional image is determined relative to the reference frame. An orientation of each camera is determined to relative to the reference frame. The position and orientation of each camera is combined to determine a camera pose relative to the reference frame.

Abstract: A system for controlling thermal comfort in a space is provided with variable mode of operation. This system may include a conditioner for conditioning air in the space, and a sensor for measuring a temperature in the space. A controller is provided for controlling the conditioner based on the temperature sensed by the sensor, and a fan for circulating air within the space is regulated based on the temperature sensed by the sensor. A related system for controlling a fan based on height is also provided, as is a system and method for easily and efficiently determining the height of a fan using a simple camera, such as one on a “smart” phone. A further aspect pertains to a controller, such as for example a portable handheld device, having a user interface adapted for suggesting an increase in a set point temperature of a thermostat based on the selected speed of the fan.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods of determining a pose of a camera within a vehicle scene. In one embodiment, a method includes the initial step of capturing an image of the vehicle scene from the camera. At step, reference data indicative of the vehicle scene is loaded, the reference data includes positions and orientations of known features within the vehicle scene. Next, at step, the geometric appearance of one or more of the known features is identified within the image. Finally, at step, the three dimensional position and orientation of the camera relative to the known features identified in step c) is determined from the geometric appearance, and a pose of the camera within the vehicle scene is calculated.

Abstract: A system for controlling thermal comfort in a space is provided with a variable mode of operation. The system may include a conditioner for conditioning air in the space, and a sensor for measuring a temperature in the space. A controller is provided for controlling the conditioner based on the temperature sensed by the sensor, and a fan for circulating air within the space is regulated based on the temperature sensed by the sensor. A related system for controlling a fan based on height is also provided, as is a system and method for easily and efficiently determining the height of a fan using a simple camera, such as one on a “smart” phone. A further aspect pertains to a controller, such as for example a portable handheld device, having a user interface adapted for suggesting an increase in a set point temperature of a thermostat based on the selected speed of the fan.

Abstract: A method includes capturing images of a vehicle driver's face from a driver facing camera and images of a forward road scene from a forward facing camera. The images are analyzed to derive gaze direction data in a vehicle frame of reference. The gaze direction data are statistically collated to determine a frequency distribution of gaze angles. One or more peaks in the frequency distribution are identified and associated with corresponding reference points in the images to determine one or more reference gaze positions in the vehicle frame of reference. The one or more reference gaze positions are correlated with a position of the reference points in a forward facing camera frame of reference to determine a camera pose of a forward facing camera in the vehicle frame of reference.

Abstract: A ceiling fan includes a hub adapted to be rotated, such as by an onboard motor in a low-profile motor housing. One or more fan blades are adapted to extend radially from the hub. At least one magnet is provided for coupling at least one fan blade to the hub. A hinge may connect the at least one fan blade to the hub, and may be located radially outwardly of overlapping portions of the fan blade and hub. In this manner, the blade may be adapted to extend radially from the hub when deployed and generally vertically when stowed, but in a deployed configuration, the radial extension overlies and contacts at least a portion of the fan blade along an overlapping region, but does not contact the portion of the at least one stowable fan blade when stowed. Related methods are also described.

Abstract: A ceiling fan comprising: a fan motor and blade assembly, a mounting tube for suspending the fan motor and blade assembly from a ceiling, and a power supply mounted within the mounting tube configured to power the fan motor. Also a ceiling fan comprising a moulded stator frame, a raised turret integrally moulded within the frame configured to enclose and mount a motor controller, and an external user changeable auxiliary module. Also ceiling fan comprising: a totally enclosed safety extra low voltage fan motor assembly configured to be suspended from an upper side, and a sealing arrangement within the assembly providing a substantial degree of ingress protection against dust and water incident from at least an under side. Also a method comprising providing a ceiling fan comprising moulded stator frame, and mounting an external user changeable auxiliary module to a raised turret integrally moulded within the frame.