Abstract: A humidification system for delivering humidified gases to a user can include a heater base, humidification chamber having an inlet, outlet, and associated fluid conduit, and breathing circuit including a supply conduit, inspiratory conduit, and optional expiratory conduit. The humidification system can include various features to help make set-up less difficult and time-consuming. For example, the supply conduit, inspiratory conduit, and optional expiratory conduit can be coupled into a one-piece circuit to aid set-up. Various components can be color-coded and can have corresponding structures to indicate which components should be connected to one another during set-up. Such features can also help make the set-up process more intuitive for an operator, which can reduce the need for specialized training and reduce the number of potential errors.

Abstract: A vehicle charging system includes a charger configured to receive power form an external power source and a connector. The connector is configured to receive power from the charger and transmit the received power to a vehicle via a high-voltage cable. The cable is configured to connect the connector to a vehicle battery. Each of the charger and the connector includes a high voltage interlock loop (HVIL) configured to cause the charger to cease power transfer upon recognizing a predetermined voltage difference at a pair of ports of the HVIL.

Abstract: A system utilizes electroadhesive surfaces for braking and metering objects in an automated environment. An electroadhesive surface can include electrodes that are configured to induce an electrostatic attraction with nearby objects upon application of voltage to the electrodes. The systems described utilize various configurations of electroadhesive surfaces, sensors, controllers and programmable processors to create smart braking, capturing and metering systems for improved automated material handling.

Abstract: A method, implemented in one or more controllers in a vehicle, includes, in a presence of a propulsive demand of the vehicle that is driven by an engine and an electric machine, holding electric machine current at a predetermined magnitude and sweeping an angle, defined between a reference current and a reference Iq component, through a predetermined range. The method further includes operating the electric machine thereafter according to a resolver offset derived from a value of the angle corresponding to an Iq component crossing zero.

Abstract: A vehicle includes an electric motor and an engine selectively coupled to the electric motor. The vehicle has an electric motor controller configured to, in response to (i) an absence of receiving a motor command signal within a predetermined time, (ii) a battery voltage being below a first threshold and (iii) a motor speed exceeding a second threshold, restrict operation of the electric motor to a limited operating mode and control the electric motor to generate a charging torque for a battery.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for preventing inadvertent viewing of media content for a media program. A processor can detect an inadvertent viewing condition including exposing content for a media program including audio content and video content. The processor can create an alert that indicates the inadvertent viewing condition exists and that includes selectable options for actions to take for the inadvertent viewing condition. The processor can provide the alert to a video display and can further block output of the audio content and the video content to the video display.

Abstract: A home automation (HA) system may include addressable HA devices, each configured to wirelessly communicate using a respective HA wireless communications protocol from among a plurality of different HA wireless communications protocols. The HA system may also include HA wireless radio controllers, each configured to wirelessly communicate using a respective different HA wireless communications protocol also from among the plurality of different HA wireless communications protocols. Each HA wireless radio controller may include circuitry and a connector coupled thereto. The HA system may also include an HA hub device that includes wireless radio port connectors, each configured to couple to a respective connector of a corresponding HA wireless radio controller, and hub processing circuitry coupled to the wireless radio port connectors and configured to communicate with the addressable HA devices based upon the respective HA wireless communications protocols.

Abstract: A vehicle is provided including an electric machine and at least one controller. The controller, or controllers, are configured to, in response to a reset of the at least one controller while a speed of the vehicle is greater than a threshold value, provide a current command to the electric machine in accordance with calibration values calculated prior to the reset such that inoperability of the electric machine due to the reset is less than one second.

Abstract: A manufactured wood product in the form of a consolidated monolith comprising a plurality of natural wood pieces adhesively bonded together by a crosslinked thermoplastic adhesive which has been cross linked during processing wherein said manufactured wood product retains its consolidated shape at elevated temperatures and wherein the crosslinked thermoplastic adhesive has a glass transition temperature at or lower than the normal use temperature of the manufactured wood product.

Abstract: A mobile point-of-sale terminal includes a payment card reader having a card interface configured to read data from a payment card and transmit the payment card data, along with other transaction information, via a non-internet communication channel to a payment processing system to process the point-of-sale transaction. The mobile point-of-sale terminal may be configured to run a register application configured to receive transaction information, including payment card information from the payment card reader, determine whether an internet connection is available, and, if an internet connection is not available, transmit the transaction information to the payment processing system using a non-internet communication channel.

Abstract: Techniques and arrangements for analyzing previous tickets of a customer at different merchants—specifying interactions of the customer at the different merchants—to determine subsequent recommendations to send to a particular merchant in real-time when the customer is located at the particular merchant. Other techniques and arrangements facilitate annotation of merchant tickets by the merchants to enrich the data maintained by the tickets and, in some instances, to enhance the described real-time recommendations. Still other techniques and arrangements create a merchant ticket for recording interactions between a merchant and customer upon the customer creating a reservation at the merchant for a specified future time, or being added to a waitlist of the merchant. Upon the customer arriving at the merchant proximate to the specified future time, the merchant may use the created ticket to track items ordered by the merchants, track tenders used to pay for items, and the like.

Abstract: A lithium ion battery pack includes a plurality of prismatic lithium polymer cells and one or more graphite heat spreaders. Each spreader has at least two major surfaces and is made of one of a sheet of a compressed mass of exfoliated graphite particles, a graphitized polyimide sheet, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A system utilizes electroadhesive surfaces for braking and metering objects in an automated environment. An electroadhesive surface can include electrodes that are configured to induce an electrostatic attraction with nearby objects upon application of voltage to the electrodes. The systems described utilize various configurations of electroadhesive surfaces, sensors, controllers and programmable processors to create smart braking, capturing and metering systems for improved automated material handling.

Abstract: A price check system may receive a vehicle identification number (VIN) or determine the VIN via an image from a mobile price check application. The price check system may determine if build data is available for a vehicle associated with the VIN and, if build data is available for the vehicle, determine one or more prices for the vehicle based on the build data and provide same to the mobile price check application. If build data is not available for the vehicle, the price check system may prepare and send a request to the mobile price check application to obtain configuration information on the vehicle from a user of the mobile price check application. The price check system may then determine one or more prices for the vehicle based on the configuration information and provide same to the mobile price check application in real time or substantially real time.

Abstract: A humidification system for delivering humidified gases to a user can include a heater base, humidification chamber having an inlet, outlet, and associated fluid conduit, and breathing circuit including a supply conduit, inspiratory conduit, and optional expiratory conduit. The humidification system can include various features to help make set-up less difficult and time-consuming. For example, the supply conduit, inspiratory conduit, and optional expiratory conduit can be coupled into a one-piece circuit to aid set-up. Various components can be color-coded and can have corresponding structures to indicate which components should be connected to one another during set-up. Such features can also help make the set-up process more intuitive for an operator, which can reduce the need for specialized training and reduce the number of potential errors.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a battery control module and a controller. The battery control module may be configured to issue at regular intervals a message indicative of an SOC of a battery. The controller may be configured to, in an absence of receiving the messages at the regular intervals while in a key-on state and a torque demand is present, restrict power flow between the battery and an electric powertrain to a limit that is based on a predicted SOC to provide limited propulsive force.

Abstract: A system for facilitating engagement with a touch screen by a visually impaired person comprises an overlay. The overlay includes a bottom surface having a capacitive component and an overlay locating element. The overlay locating element is configured to interface with a touch screen underlying the overlay to provide a position of the overlay relative to the touch screen. A top surface of the overlay includes a tactile button that is located opposite of the capacitive component. The tactile button and the capacitive component are above the region of a displayed soft button. Engagement of the tactile button by the visually impaired person results in the capacitive component interacting with the touch screen in the region of the displayed soft button to provide a capacitive input detectable by the touch screen.

Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for removing gases from a sweetened hydrocarbon stream. The process can include passing the sweetened hydrocarbon stream to a gas removal zone, contacting the sweetened hydrocarbon stream with an aqueous stream, passing the aqueous stream to the degassing drum, and removing gases including at least one of oxygen and nitrogen from the aqueous stream. Often, the gas removal zone includes a degassing drum.