Abstract: Cost altering payment services (“CAPS”) system in association with a distributed enhanced payment (“DEP”) processing system includes a merchant point of sale (“POS”) terminal system and a remote enhanced payment management system (“EPMS”). The remote EPMS receives payment transactions including additional risk mitigating payment transaction (“RMPT”) information and based on that additional RMPT information provides altered transaction costs. The remote EPMS provides facilities for the merchant to review and revise payment management services so as to utilize additional RMPT information received from the merchant POS terminal system so as to alter transaction costs. Such facilities provide information to determine the relative potential transaction cost benefits of various payment management service sets utilizing cost profiles that represent the costs of archival, recorded and projected future transactions.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to drug-containing particles comprising one or more cannabinoids and a porous solid carrier. In embodiments, the one or more cannabinoids are adsorbed onto and/or in a porous solid carrier. In embodiments, the drug-containing particles exhibit improved solubility and bioavailability, among other beneficial properties. Methods of preparation and pharmaceutical compositions are also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rapid method for estimating the dry matter content of a fruit or vegetable. The method comprises drying a sample of the fruit or vegetable on a support and measuring the dry matter content, wherein the whole method can be carried out in less than 2 hours. This compares to the industry standard method for assessing dry matter in horticultural products which typically takes 6-48 hours.

Abstract: A method for die pair partitioning can include providing a circuit die. The method can additionally include providing one or more additional circuit die having one or more fuses positioned therein, wherein the one or more fuses identify the circuit die. The method can also include connecting the one or more additional circuit die to the circuit die. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system providing various improved calibration techniques for haptic feedback is described. An acoustic field is defined by one or more control points in a space within which the acoustic field may exist. Each control point is assigned an amplitude value equating to a desired amplitude of the acoustic field at the control point. Because complete control of space is not possible, controlling the acoustic field at given points yields erroneous local maxima in the acoustic field levels at other related positions. In relation to mid-air haptic feedback, these can interfere in interactions with the space by creating secondary effects and ghost phenomena that can be felt outside the interaction area. The level and nature of the secondary maxima in the acoustic field is determined by how the space is controlled. By arranging the transducer elements in different ways, unwanted effects on the acoustic field can be limited and controlled.

Abstract: A method may receive a request to open a starting interface within a browser. A cluster may be identified that includes a plurality of webpages from a browser history by: determining that the cluster includes a query and determining that a webpage of the plurality of webpages is associated with a first page access time that is within a time threshold. In response to identifying the cluster, a related search suggestion for a cluster topic may be obtained for the cluster. The user interface may include: a first region selectable to navigate to a first webpage of the plurality of webpages and a second region selectable to navigate to a second webpage of the plurality of webpages. The user interface may be displayed in the starting interface.

Abstract: A utility pole monitoring device comprising: a body adapted to couple to a utility pole, a vibration device arranged on the body and configured to generate vibrations on or in the utility pole, a sensor arranged on the body for measuring the vibrations within the utility pole generated by the vibration device, and a controller for providing an initialization signal to the vibration device, and receive measured data from the sensor.

Abstract: Creating near-instantaneous effects in a phased-array system may occur by splitting the update process of the array state into parts that depend on different update rates. Alternatively, leveraging the uncertainty of physical properties of focusing in a phased-array system may improve the intersection between the body part and the control point. Specifically, by focusing behind or in front of the intended region or at a position with a calculated geometric relationship to the intended interaction region, a larger volume (region) of space is addressed that more certainly contains the body part participating in the interaction. This larger volume is then subjected to the ultrasonic radiative energy flux that encodes the properties desired for the interaction point, which may include haptic and/or audio points.

Abstract: An acoustic field may be produced from a transducer array having known relative positions and orientations In this acoustic field, one or more control points may be defined. An amplitude may be assigned to the control point. Mid-air haptic effect for a virtual object on a human body part may be generated by moving the control point in a single closed curve comprising a plurality of curve segments. The single closed curve traverses at least one location where the human body part intersects with the virtual object. Additionally, a user may interact with virtual three-dimensional content using the user's hands while a tracking system monitoring the user's hands, a physics engine updates the properties of the virtual three-dimensional content and a haptic feedback system provides haptic information to the user.

Abstract: A browser-based tool is disclosed for providing context-based assistance during web browsing. An example method involves receiving a contextual search request pertaining to main content displayed in a browser's display area, extracting content from the main content, receiving a contextual suggestion based on the extracted content, and displaying the contextual suggestion in a designated contextual search area within the browser. This innovative approach streamlines the search process by providing users with relevant suggestions based on the content they are currently viewing, thereby improving efficiency in navigating online information.

Abstract: Fluid-dispensing systems and methods relating thereto are described. A method of dispensing an output fluid stream includes: (i) receiving a temperature setting for a desired temperature of the output fluid stream and a mechanical disturbance for a desired flow rate of the output fluid stream; (ii) converting each of the temperature setting and the mechanical disturbance to a first valve PWM signal and a second valve PWM signal; (iii) conveying the first PWM signal to a first motor and the second PWM signal to a second motor; and (iv) activating the first motor to open the first valve to produce a first fluid flow at a first fluid flow rate and second motor and the first motor to open the second valve to produce a first fluid flow at a first fluid flow rate. The combination of the first fluid flow and the second fluid flow produces the desired output fluid stream.

Abstract: A locking arrangement for an aircraft galley system comprises a sensor and a controller, wherein the sensor is configured to determine when a galley insert has been received by a galley assembly and the controller is configured to control a lock to lock the galley insert to the galley assembly in response to the galley insert being received by the galley assembly.

Abstract: Various techniques for driving phased array systems are described, specifically intended for acoustic phased arrays with applications to mid-air haptics, parametric audio, acoustic levitation and acoustic imaging, including a system: 1) that is capable of mitigating the effect of the changes in the air to provide a consistent haptic experience; 2) that produces trap points in air; 3) that defines phased-array optimization in terms of vectors for the production of more consistent haptic effects; 4) that defines one or more control points or regions in space via a controlled acoustic field; 5) that uses a reduced representation method for the construction of acoustic basis functions; 6) that performs efficient evaluation of complex-valued functions for a large quantity of throughput; 7) that generates a Krylov sub-space of a matrix; and 8) that maximizes an objective described by different control points and/or regions to those used to create the acoustic basis functions.

Abstract: A method of using a tracer additive in a wellbore that includes using a perforator device, the perforator device having an at least one shaped charge associated with the tracer additive. The method includes deploying the perforator device into the wellbore in manner whereby the perforator device arrives at a desired location, and sufficiently detonating an explosive material of the shaped charge so that the tracer additive comes into contact with a target formation. The tracer additive has a first composition, and is in powder form.

Abstract: A method of controlling a wind turbine blade anti-ice system comprising a power supply and a plurality of electrical blade heating devices. The method comprises—energising a selected one of the blade heating devices; measuring one or more electrical parameters associated with the selected one of the blade heating devices; determining the power of the selected one of the blade heating devices based on the one or more measured electrical parameters; and controlling the selected one of the blade heating devices based on the determined power draw. Beneficially the method of the invention provides for calibration of the electrical heating devices in situ during operation of the anti-ice system. Therefore, the performance of the heating devices may be assessed under a predetermined input electrical supply profile which enables the anti-ice system to be controlled more effectively.

Abstract: An acoustic field may be produced from a transducer array having known relative positions and orientations In this acoustic field, one or more control points may be defined. An amplitude may be assigned to the control point. Mid-air haptic effect for a virtual object on a human body part may be generated by moving the control point in a single closed curve comprising a plurality of curve segments. The single closed curve traverses at least one location where the human body part intersects with the virtual object. Additionally, a user may interact with virtual three-dimensional content using the user's hands while a tracking system monitoring the user's hands, a physics engine updates the properties of the virtual three-dimensional content and a haptic feedback system provides haptic information to the user.

Abstract: Defining critical spacing is necessary for steering of parametric audio. Comparing steering measurements both with and without a waveguide leads to a conclusion that the diffuse phyllotactic grating lobe contributes audio and is to blame for poor steering. In addition, the waveguide needs to function with correct phase offsets to achieve the steering required for performance. Arranging tubes so that the array configuration changes from rectilinear to another distribution is useful when the waveguide is short of critical spacing or constrained for space. Array designs may also capitalize on rectilinear transducer design while having the benefits of a transducer tiling that has irrational spacing to promote the spread of grating lobe energy.

Abstract: An anchor pier for supporting a manufactured building, in which the anchor pier includes having a shaft with a connector and a helical flight proximate a driving tip, with a brace member attached to the connector and to the manufactured building with a connector, to transfer loading between the manufactured building and the ground. A method of supporting a manufactured building is disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for radially aligning wheelsets of rail vehicles relative to a coordinate system of a wheelset diagnosis tool and/or wheelset machine tool, which method can be implemented quickly with sufficient precision and comprises the following steps: a) positioning the wheelset at a working position of the tool; b) defining a tool-side coordinate system in an assumed wheel centre point of each wheel, where an X-axis adopts a vertical extent, a Y-axis adopts a horizontal extent and a Z-axis describes the resulting depth extent of the wheel; c) measuring the distance of the wheel backs with respect to one another and defining the Z-position=0 on each wheel back; d) defining a unique Z-position for each measuring point; e) positioning each measuring sensor at the specified Z-position; f) measuring the X-position of each measuring point; g) aligning the wheelset by vertically displacing one of the wheels in order to match the X-positions of the measuring points of two wheels.

Abstract: The invention relates to bivalent bispecific monoclonal antibodies (bbmAb) or variants thereof, and methods of manufacturing such antibodies by co-expressing modified Fc-mutated derivatives of two different monoclonal antibodies in mammalian cell lines.