Abstract: A cooking system includes a housing defining a hollow chamber configured to receive food. The housing has an upper portion defining an opening to said hollow chamber. A lid is movable relative to the housing between an open position and a closed position. The lid seals the opening to the hollow chamber when in the closed position. A portion of the lid is selectively positionable to form a pressure-tight heating volume between the hollow chamber and the portion of said lid. At least one heating element is associated with at least one of the housing and the lid. The at least one heating element is arranged within the pressure-tight heating volume.

Abstract: A joint assembly couples a linear actuator to a body. The joint assembly includes a first body having a first surface and a second body having a second surface. The first body is coupled with the second body. The first surface and the second surface have arcuate configurations that are complementary to facilitate rotation of the first body relative to the second body about a first axis, a second axis, orthogonal to the first axis, and a third axis, orthogonal to both the first axis and the second axis. The joint assembly also includes a damper disposed between the first body and the second body and configured to dampen translational motion of the first body toward the second body in response to movement of the linear actuator relative to the body.

Abstract: A bed lifter is configured to be disposed on a leg of a massage table, a tattoo artist's table, or other table in order to adjust a height of the table. The bed lifter has a base with at least one bed lifter leg, and a connection device. The base has a first end and a second end. The connection device is disposed on or in the base. The bed lifter can be added to an existing table to convert the existing table into a height adjustable table.

Abstract: Provided are a system and method for generating and transmitting tokenized payment information. In one example, the method includes transmitting a request for payment information to a payment network, receiving tokenized payment information of a payment account from the payment network, and transmitting the tokenized payment information to a merchant. According to various exemplary embodiments, the tokenized payment information may include a tokenized account number representing an account number of the payment account and a tokenized credential representing an additional credential of the payment account.

Abstract: A smart lower end system that can detect multiple events and failures during the generation of pressure pulses by a pulser is disclosed. Pulser failures may occur if the pilot valve fails to fully close or open, if the signal shaft fails to move and close pilot valve orifice, or if movement of the pilot valve or signal shaft is restricted. The components of the smart lower end system may cycle between sleep and wake states to allow for low power operation.

Abstract: A pulser driver assembly of a measurement-while-drilling tool that includes an improved flow switch is disclosed. The flow switch uses multiple accelerometers of different types that measure acceleration changes in a system. The accelerometer data is then filtered and processed by an onboard microcontroller. The filtered data is then passed to a fuzzy logic voting algorithm which systematically and robustly characterizes the signal, and identifies the flow state.

Abstract: An improved downhole battery control, monitoring, and management system is described wherein battery pack parameters can be measured and used to determine optimal and efficient battery usage scenarios for a downhole measurement system. A battery local controller network is configured and used to monitor, control, and manage the batteries deployed in a downhole measurement system. Battery parameters such as voltage, power usage, energy consumption, uptime, temperature, current, and other parameters may be monitored and/or communicated on the battery local controller network and used to make management decisions about which batteries to utilize in a given time period.

Abstract: A smart lower end system that can detect multiple events and failures during the generation of pressure pulses by a pulser is disclosed. Pulser failures may occur if the pilot valve fails to fully close or open, if the signal shaft fails to move and close pilot valve orifice, or if movement of the pilot valve or signal shaft is restricted. The components of the smart lower end system may cycle between sleep and wake states to allow for low power operation.

Abstract: A pulser driver assembly of a measurement-while-drilling tool that includes an improved flow switch is disclosed. The flow switch uses multiple accelerometers of different types that measure acceleration changes in a system. The accelerometer data is then filtered and processed by an onboard microcontroller. The filtered data is then passed to a fuzzy logic voting algorithm which systematically and robustly characterizes the signal, and identifies the flow state.

Abstract: An improved azimuthal gamma radiation measurement assembly configured to facilitate downhole measurement of naturally occurring radiation and the correlation of measurement information with highly accurate orientation information. The azimuthal gamma radiation measurement assembly includes a resolver section that receives azimuthal gamma sensor inputs, correlates those inputs with orientation information, and logs the combined data set for further evaluation.

Abstract: An improved gamma controller health detection assembly to facilitate reliable downhole measurement of naturally occurring radiation is disclosed. The gamma controller assembly includes one or more gamma sensors, a micro-controller, memory, and input/output ports among other components. The gamma sensors detect radiation and output pulses that are received by the microcontroller. The sensor data can be checked, selected, and averaged by the microcontroller, and sent uphole to another microcontroller or computer that can then further process, communicate, and display the data. The sensor data can be averaged and stored to memory or stored as independent values to memory. The gamma controller health detection assembly can be configured to run algorithms that detect if one or more gamma sensors appear to be malfunctioning or have previously malfunctioned.

Abstract: An improved gamma controller assembly to facilitate reliable downhole measurement of naturally occurring radiation is disclosed. The gamma controller assembly includes multiple gamma sensors, a micro-controller, memory, and input/output ports among other components. The multiple gamma sensors detect radiation and output pulses that are received by the microcontroller. The sensor data can be checked, selected, and averaged by the microcontroller, and sent uphole to another microcontroller or computer that can then further process, communicate, and display the data. The sensor data can be averaged and stored to memory or stored as independent values to memory. The gamma controller assembly can be configured to run algorithms that detect if one gamma controller appears to be malfunctioning and, if an apparent malfunction has occurred, adjust the sensor data that is being sent uphole.

Abstract: A peristaltic pump system including an arcuate pressing surface, a force element that applies an occluding force towards the pressing surface, a drive mechanism that drives the force element, a diaphragm disposed between the pressing surface and the force element that defines a pump cavity, an actuator strip disposed between the diaphragm and the force element that receives the occluding force, deflects to deform the diaphragm, and occludes the pump cavity, a support structure that retains the actuator and diaphragm positions relative to the pressing surface, and a restitution mechanism that recovers the open pump cavity configuration.

Abstract: An improved gamma controller health detection assembly to facilitate reliable downhole measurement of naturally occurring radiation is disclosed. The gamma controller assembly includes one or more gamma sensors, a micro-controller, memory, and input/output ports among other components. The gamma sensors detect radiation and output pulses that are received by the microcontroller. The sensor data can be checked, selected, and averaged by the microcontroller, and sent uphole to another microcontroller or computer that can then further process, communicate, and display the data. The sensor data can be averaged and stored to memory or stored as independent values to memory. The gamma controller health detection assembly can be configured to run algorithms that detect if one or more gamma sensors appear to be malfunctioning or have previously malfunctioned.

Abstract: An improved gamma controller assembly to facilitate reliable downhole measurement of naturally occurring radiation is disclosed. The gamma controller assembly includes multiple gamma sensors, a micro-controller, memory, and input/output ports among other components. The multiple gamma sensors detect radiation and output pulses that are received by the microcontroller. The sensor data can be checked, selected, and averaged by the microcontroller, and sent uphole to another microcontroller or computer that can then further process, communicate, and display the data. The sensor data can be averaged and stored to memory or stored as independent values to memory. The gamma controller assembly can be configured to run algorithms that detect if one gamma controller appears to be malfunctioning and, if an apparent malfunction has occurred, adjust the sensor data that is being sent uphole.

Abstract: A peristaltic pump system including an arcuate pressing surface, a force element that applies an occluding force towards the pressing surface, a drive mechanism that drives the force element, a diaphragm disposed between the pressing surface and the force element that defines a pump cavity, an actuator strip disposed between the diaphragm and the force element that receives the occluding force, deflects to deform the diaphragm, and occludes the pump cavity, a support structure that retains the actuator and diaphragm positions relative to the pressing surface, and a restitution mechanism that recovers the open pump cavity configuration.

Abstract: A peristaltic pump system including an arcuate pressing surface, a force element that applies an occluding force towards the pressing surface, a drive mechanism that drives the force element, a diaphragm disposed between the pressing surface and the force element that defines a pump cavity, an actuator strip disposed between the diaphragm and the force element that receives the occluding force, deflects to deform the diaphragm, and occludes the pump cavity, a support structure that retains the actuator and diaphragm positions relative to the pressing surface, and a restitution mechanism that recovers the open pump cavity configuration.

Abstract: A robotic data storage library comprising a virtual port and a method for providing a virtual port for a robotic data storage library are disclosed. The virtual exit port, for example, comprises one or more storage locations of the library that are defined as a virtual port. In one embodiment, for example, the virtual port comprises a virtual exit port for holding a data storage element that is to be exported from the library. In this embodiment, for example, the virtual exit port is defined prior to the library receiving a command to export a data storage element. In another embodiment, the virtual port comprises an entry port, an exit port or an entry/exit port. In yet another embodiment, a method for transferring a data storage element directly between an actual port (entry and/or exit) of a robotic data storage library and another location within the robotic data storage library not defined as the virtual port is disclosed.