Abstract: The disclosure relates to smart signs or physical markers for facilitating passenger trips for autonomous vehicles. For instance, a physical marker remote from the autonomous vehicles may receive a first notification indicating a request for a trip has been made via a client computing device. The physical marker may determine when the client computing device has reached a physical marker, and in response to the determination, the physical marker may send a second notification to a dispatching server computing device indicating that the client computing device has reached a physical marker. Other aspects of the disclosure relate to various features and uses for the physical marker.

Abstract: A universal mounting clamps system and method for mounting a variety of accessories upon structures having various square, rectangular, or rounded profiles and various ratios and sizes, such as vehicle trailer hitches or bumpers, beams, posts, tubes, and pipes. In an angled-profile-structure embodiment using an angled mounting-clamp unit, an accessory-mount bracket is placed over a corner of the structure and provides area for mounting accessories. A clamping bracket is placed over the diagonally opposite corner of the structure and is fastened to the accessory-mount bracket using a fastener positioner. In a rounded-profile-structure embodiment, a curved mounting-clamp unit is fastened to the structure through a fastener slot, a positioner leg is held in position against the structure, and an accessory-mount leg is held extended from the structure and provides an area for mounting accessories.

Abstract: An electric-vehicle frame includes a mid-section and an end section. The mid-section has first and second frame rails spaced from each other by a first distance along a cross-vehicle axis defining a battery compartment therebetween. The end-section has first and second frame rails spaced from each other by a second distance along the cross-vehicle axis smaller than the first distance. A first connector is fixed to the first frame rail of the mid-section and to the first frame rail of the end-section. A second connector is fixed to the second frame rail of the mid-section and to the second frame rail of the end-section.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to context aware stopping of a vehicle without a driver. As an example, after a passenger has entered the vehicle, the vehicle is maneuvered by one or more processors in an autonomous driving mode towards a destination location along a route. The route is divided into two or more stages. A signal is received by the one or more processors. The signal indicates that the passenger is requesting that the vehicle stop or pull over. In response to the signal, the one or more processors determine a current stage of the route based on a current distance of the vehicle from a pickup location where the passenger entered the vehicle or a current distance of the vehicle from the destination location. The one or more processors then stop the vehicle in accordance with the determined current stage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing information along a shelf edge of a retailer is described. On a display configured to be oriented along an edge of a shelf of a retailer, a first user interface including first information about a first product on the shelf is provided. At least one second user interface including at least one second information about at least one second product on the shelf is provided on the display. An individual is permitted to edit a parameter of the first user interface and/or the at least one second user interface. The parameter may include at least one of: a size of the user interface on the display, a shape of the user interface on the display, and a location of the user interface on the display. The first information and the at least one second information may be outputted concurrently to the display.

Abstract: The computing device transforms lab data and field data into a first format suitable for execution with a supervised machine learning model to determine an input variable importance for a first set of input variables in predicting a field outcome. Based on the determination, the computing device generates one or more logical rules of decision metrics, selects the one or more input variables that yields a higher input variable importance, and generates one or more pass-fail indicators. The computing device combines the one or more pass-fail indicators and generates one or more prediction factor rules. The computing device transforms the field data and the one or more prediction factor rules into a second format suitable for execution with a model to determine a treatment effect for the one or more prediction factor rules. The computing device selects the prediction factor rule that maximizes the treatment effect.

Abstract: The technology relates to actively looking for an assigned passenger prior to a vehicle 100 reaching a pickup location. For instance, information identifying the pickup location and client device information for authenticating the assigned passenger is received. Sensor data is received from a perception system of the vehicle identifying objects in an environment of the vehicle. When the vehicle is within a predetermined distance from the pickup location, authenticating a client device using the client device information is attempted. When the client device has been authenticated, the sensor data is used to determine whether a pedestrian is within a first threshold distance of the vehicle. When a pedestrian is determined to be within the first threshold distance of the vehicle, the vehicle is stopped prior to reaching the pickup location, to wait for the pedestrian within the first threshold distance of the vehicle to enter the vehicle.

Abstract: A pre-cut piece of kinesiology tape is provided, the pre-cut piece of kinesiology tape having a shape that facilitates a predetermined purpose (such as pain relief, inflammation reduction, muscle inhibition, etc.). The pre-cut piece of kinesiology tape comprises a flexible fabric layer and an adhesive layer. The fabric layer is embedded with microencapsulated essential oils.

Abstract: A voting system comprises at least one voting machine comprising: at least one voting machine processor performing voting machine operations comprising initializing a vote blockchain with a vote blockchain genesis block, the vote blockchain genesis block comprising a voting machine identifier and a genesis block hash value; creating a data structure comprising a plurality of votes and a hash value of a preceding block; determining a new block hash value of the data structure; appending a new block comprising the data structure and the new block hash value to the vote blockchain; and storing the vote blockchain in the at least one voting machine memory.

Abstract: A voting system comprises at least one voting machine comprising: at least one voting machine processor performing voting machine operations comprising initializing a vote blockchain with a vote blockchain genesis block, the vote blockchain genesis block comprising a voting machine identifier and a genesis block hash value; creating a data structure comprising a plurality of votes and a hash value of a preceding block; determining a new block hash value of the data structure; appending a new block comprising the data structure and the new block hash value to the vote blockchain; and storing the vote blockchain in the at least one voting machine memory.

Abstract: The invention consists of novel systems and methods for mixing and/or applying biologies including live biologies and/or any additive having therapeutic or growth promoting value with and/or to animal feed, thereby creating treated animal feed, and for delivering such treated animal feed to animals in need via a delivery system. The invention also provides a system and method to treat seed with biologies prior to or contemporaneously with packaging, storing, and/or planting.

Abstract: The computing device transforms lab data and field data into a first format suitable for execution with a supervised machine learning model to determine an input variable importance for a first set of input variables in predicting a field outcome, generates one or more logical rules of decision metrics, selects the one or more input variables that yields a higher input variable importance, generates one or more pass-fail indicators, combines the one or more pass-fail indicators generates one or more prediction factor rules, transforms the field data and the one or more prediction factor rules into a second format suitable for execution with a model to determine a treatment effect for the one or more prediction factor rules, and selects the prediction factor rule that maximizes the treatment effect of predicting the field outcome of a performance of compounds or biological actives within a range of uncertainty.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to processing operations configured to execute a sound visualization application/service that dynamically generates graphical sound indication providing a visualization of sound for content being presented. A visualization of sound data may be generated and rendered from analysis of sound data, occurring in a manner that is independent from the application/service that is being used to present the content. The sound visualization application/service may be implemented as an independent application/service or plugin that works universally to provide graphical sound visualization regardless of whether content was developed to support graphical sound visualization. For example, a sound visualization application/service is implemented that generates and renders sound indication graphically without requiring access to code of displayed content. Rendered sound visualization may be presented concurrently with displayed content.

Abstract: The technology relates to actively looking for an assigned passenger prior to a vehicle 100 reaching a pickup location. For instance, information identifying the pickup location and client device information for authenticating the assigned passenger is received. Sensor data is received from a perception system of the vehicle identifying objects in an environment of the vehicle. When the vehicle is within a predetermined distance from the pickup location, authenticating a client device using the client device information is attempted. When the client device has been authenticated, the sensor data is used to determine whether a pedestrian is within a first threshold distance of the vehicle. When a pedestrian is determined to be within the first threshold distance of the vehicle, the vehicle is stopped prior to reaching the pickup location, to wait for the pedestrian within the first threshold distance of the vehicle to enter the vehicle.

Abstract: A connector assembly which controls impedance. The connector assembly includes a first metallic outer housing and a second metallic outer housing. The second metallic housing has a conductor receiving portion. A rib is formed in the conductor receiving portion, the rib extends in a direction which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second metallic outer shell. A terminal positioned in the connector assembly has a conductor receiving section and a mating terminal receiving section. The mating terminal receiving section has a lead-in portion and securing projections. At least one longitudinally extending opening is positioned about the circumference of the mating terminal receiving section, the opening reduces the cross section of the terminal. The opening provides impedance tuning to allow for a defined pitch of the terminal to be maintained without an impedance drop because of the close proximity of the terminal to an adjacent terminal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and compositions for providing catalysts for tail gas clean up in sulfur recovery operations. Aspects of the disclosure involve obtaining catalyst that was used in a first process, which is not a tailgas treating process and then using the so-obtained catalyst in a tailgas treating process. For example, the catalyst may originally be a hydroprocessing catalyst. A beneficial aspect of the disclosed methods and systems is that the re-use of spent hydroprocessing catalyst reduces hazardous waste generation by operators from spent catalyst disposal. Ultimately, this helps reduce the environmental impact of the catalyst life cycle. The disclosed methods and systems also provide an economically attractive source of high-performance catalyst for tailgas treatment, which benefits the spent catalyst generator, the catalyst provider, and the catalyst consumer.

Abstract: A connector for controlling impedance for use in a connector assembly, the connector has a housing made of dielectric material. The housing has a first conductor receiving opening and a second conductor receiving opening which are dimensioned to receive exposed conductors of a cable. The first conductor receiving opening and the second conductor receiving opening have conductor receiving portions, the conductor receiving portions extending at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the housing. The first conductor receiving opening and the second conductor receiving opening have conductor spacing portions which extend from the conductor receiving opening. The conductor spacing portions extend in a direction which is essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The spacing portions are spaced apart by a distance. The dielectric material and the distance the spacing portions are spaced apart being selected to match the impedance of the cable.

Abstract: An instruction directed towards a network adapter is detected. Based on the detected instruction it is determined that the network adapter should operate in a loopback mode. One or more network signals are transmitted through a dedicated loopback pathway. The transmission is based on the determination. The transmission occurs on a first network interface of the network adapter. The dedicated loopback pathway connects to a second network interface of the network adapter. Listening on the dedicated loopback pathway for the one or more network signals. Performing a network loopback test of the network adapter based on the listening.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide systems and methods for confirming the identity of a passenger and changing destination of a vehicle. This may include receiving dispatching instructions to pick up a first passenger at a pickup location and to drop off the first passenger at a first destination as well as authentication information for authenticating a first client computing device of the first passenger. Once the client device is authenticated and a second passenger enters the vehicle, the vehicle is maneuvered towards the first destination. While doing so, a location of the vehicle is compared to location information received from the client computing devices. A notification is sent to a dispatching server based on the comparison and a second destination location is received in response. The vehicle is then maneuvered towards the second destination instead of the first destination.

Abstract: A universal mounting clamps system and method for mounting a variety of accessories upon structures having various square, rectangular, or rounded profiles and various ratios and sizes, such as vehicle trailer hitches or bumpers, beams, posts, tubes, and pipes. In an angled-profile-structure embodiment using an angled mounting-clamp unit, an accessory-mount bracket is placed over a corner of the structure and provides area for mounting accessories. A clamping bracket is placed over the diagonally opposite corner of the structure and is fastened to the accessory-mount bracket using a fastener positioner. In a rounded-profile-structure embodiment, a curved mounting-clamp unit is fastened to the structure through a fastener slot, a positioner leg is held in position against the structure, and an accessory-mount leg is held extended from the structure and provides an area for mounting accessories.