Abstract: Devices and methods associated therewith for facilitating movement, removal and/or installation of components from treatment units (e.g., water treatment units and wastewater treatment units). The treatment unit can take the form of a granular media filter (e.g., upflow filter, downflow filter or bi-flow filter) or a sludge collection basin. One preferred device is one or more floats facilitating safe removal of components of a treatment unit. The float(s) can be operably associated with an air scour system of a water filter to remove the air scour system from a granular media filter bed. The float(s) can be operably associated with a collection grid of a sludge collection container facilitating safe removal of the collection grid from the sludge collection container. Another preferred device is a flexible piping/conduit operably connected to a pressurized air source and an air scour system to assist in removal/installation of the air scour system.

Abstract: Devices and methods associated with these devices for significantly improving the efficiency of an existing or new filter having a granular media filter bed. The methods and devices are designed to increase the height and hence overall volume of the filter bed to allow for longer filtration runs between washing or cleaning cycles of the granular media filter bed. One embodiment includes a multi-wash trough adapter that upon removal of an existing deep wash trough connects two shallow wash troughs or two shallow wash trough channels to an existing wash trough opening formed in a wall of a filter compartment. The shallow members have a height significantly less than the height of the existing deep wash trough, e.g., one third to one half of the height of the existing deep wash trough allowing the volume of the granular media filter bed to be significantly increased.

Abstract: Devices and methods associated therewith for facilitating movement, removal and/or installation of components from treatment units (e.g., water treatment units and wastewater treatment units). The treatment unit can take the form of a granular media filter (e.g., upflow filter, downflow filter or bi-flow filter) or a sludge collection basin. One preferred device is one or more floats facilitating safe removal of components of a treatment unit. The float(s) can be operably associated with an air scour system of a water filter to remove the air scour system from a granular media filter bed. The float(s) can be operably associated with a collection grid of a sludge collection container facilitating safe removal of the collection grid from the sludge collection container. Another preferred device is a flexible piping/conduit operably connected to a pressurized air source and an air scour system to assist in removal/installation of the air scour system.

Abstract: Devices and methods associated with these devices for significantly improving the efficiency of an existing or new filter having a granular media filter bed. The methods and devices are designed to increase the height and hence overall volume of the filter bed to allow for longer filtration runs between washing or cleaning cycles of the granular media filter bed. One embodiment includes a multi-wash trough adapter that upon removal of an existing deep wash trough connects two shallow wash troughs or two shallow wash trough channels to an existing wash trough opening formed in a wall of a filter compartment. The shallow members have a height significantly less than the height of the existing deep wash trough, e.g., one third to one half of the height of the existing deep wash trough allowing the volume of the granular media filter bed to be significantly increased.

Abstract: Devices and methods associated with these devices for significantly improving the efficiency of an existing or new treatment unit having a granular media filter bed supported above an underdrain for removing impurities passing through the filter bed. The devices and methods are specifically designed to prevent clogging of the underdrain to improve the operation and efficiency of the treatment unit. The devices and methods are directed to providing trapping structures and methods that allow a washing fluid to pass through the trapping structures but traps impurities in the washing fluid that have the potential of partially or completely clogging the underdrain. Further, one or more sensors are provided to determine if the trapping structure is performing properly.

Abstract: In some implementations, geolocation polling can include actions of receiving a location update from a user device of a user, determining an earliest time of arrival of the user to a home, determining, based on the earliest time of arrival, a time interval for a next location update, and providing instructions to the user device of the time interval for a next location update.

Abstract: An apparatus including a bracket, an upper rack engagement tab, a lower rack engagement tab; and a lock pin hole. The bracket has a rack attachment member and a guard attachment member. The lock pin hole is defined by the rack attachment member and structured to receive a lock pin having a stabilizing leg coupled to a lock pin head. Each engagement tab is coupled to the rack attachment member. Each engagement tab includes a stem portion coupled to the rack attachment member and a head portion having a greater cross-sectional area than the stem portion. The guard attachment member defines a guard attachment hole positioned at a rack guard spacing distance from the rack attachment member, and the stabilizing leg has a geometry such that the lock pin head is urged toward the lock pin hole when the stabilizing leg is passed through the lock pin hole.

Abstract: Systems for use in one or more sludge or waste collection devices (e.g., containers, vessels or basins). One such system is a sludge removal system for removing sludge from one or more sludge collection devices. The sludge removal system includes one or more sludge removal grids disposed in one or more sludge collection devices. Each sludge removal grid preferably includes at least one header and a plurality of sludge collection laterals. Another such system includes a fluid distribution system for distributing one or more fluids in one or more sludge or waste collection devices. A movement restricting or prevention member is provided in both the fluid distribution and sludge removal systems to prevent or restrict movement of the sludge collection laterals and the fluid distribution laterals away from or towards a floor of a corresponding collection device without anchoring or fixing the laterals to the floor.

Abstract: An edible piñata system may have an edible piñata including edible upper and lower shells, a hanging rod for attaching the edible piñata to a hanging assembly, a support plate for supporting the edible piñata and edible contents, and the hanging assembly for supporting the edible piñata, hanging rod, and support plate to suspend the edible piñata for consumption. The edible piñata system may be made by a method for producing an edible piñata.

Abstract: Systems and techniques are described for monitoring screen activity of a computing device and performing designated system actions based on the monitored activity. In some implementations, activity data indicating usage of a computing device by a user within a property over a particular time period is obtained. Sensor data collected by a monitoring system that monitors the property over the particular time period is then obtained. An activity monitoring rule that specifies (i) one or more conditions associated with usage of the computing device by the user, and (ii) an action to perform in response to satisfaction of the one or more conditions is identified. A determination that the activity data and the sensor data satisfy the one or more conditions specified by the activity monitoring rule is made. The action specified by the activity monitoring rule is then performed in response to the determination.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for state and event monitoring. In some implementations, images captured by a camera are obtained, the images depicting an area of a property. Two or more images of the images are provided to a machine learning model. An output of the machine learning model is obtained, the output corresponding to the two or more images. One or more potential states of the area of the property are determined using the output of the machine learning model, each state of the one or more potential states corresponding to an image in the two or more images. An action is performed based on the one or more potential states.

Abstract: Systems for use in one or more sludge or waste collection devices (e.g., containers, vessels or basins). One such system is a sludge removal system for removing sludge from one or more sludge collection devices. The sludge removal system includes one or more sludge removal grids disposed in one or more sludge collection devices. Each sludge removal grid preferably includes at least one header and a plurality of sludge collection laterals. Another such system includes a fluid distribution system for distributing one or more fluids in one or more sludge or waste collection devices. A movement restricting or prevention member is provided in both the fluid distribution and sludge removal systems to prevent or restrict movement of the sludge collection laterals and the fluid distribution laterals away from or towards a floor of a corresponding collection device without anchoring or fixing the laterals to the floor.

Abstract: Systems and techniques are provided for charging devices at a property using battery-charging drones. In some implementations, a monitoring system is configured to monitor a property and includes a battery-powered sensor configured to generate sensor data. The system includes a drone that is configured to navigate the property and charge the battery-powered sensor. A monitor control unit is configured to obtain a battery level from the battery-powered sensor and compare the battery level to a battery level threshold. Based on the comparison, the monitor control unit determines that the battery level does not satisfy the threshold. Based on the determination, the monitor control unit generates and transmits an instruction to a drone for the drone to navigate to the battery-powered sensor and charge a battery of the battery-powered sensor. The monitor control unit receives data from the drone that indicates whether the drone charged the battery of the sensor.

Abstract: Devices and methods associated with these devices for significantly improving the efficiency of an existing or new filter having a granular media filter bed. The methods and devices are designed to increase the height and hence overall volume of the filter bed to allow for longer filtration runs between washing or cleaning cycles of the granular media filter bed. One embodiment includes a multi-wash trough adapter that upon removal of an existing deep wash trough connects two shallow wash troughs or two shallow wash trough channels to an existing wash trough opening formed in a wall of a filter compartment. The shallow members have a height significantly less than the height of the existing deep wash trough, e.g., one third to one half of the height of the existing deep wash trough allowing the volume of the granular media filter bed to be significantly increased.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage device, for using a drone to monitor a community. The drone may include a processor and a storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations may include receiving an instruction to deploy based on a determination, by a community monitoring system that an event was detected at a property of the community, navigating towards the property along an initial navigation path, obtaining local monitoring system data from a local monitoring system of a property of the community, generating based on the local monitoring system data a navigational model that identifies a location of each of one or more surveillance objectives, determining an adjusted navigation path to a location of a surveillance objective of the one or more surveillance objectives, and navigating along the adjusted navigation path.

Abstract: A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property includes a connected scale device that is configured to receive a package, determine a weight of the package, and after determining the weight of the package, arm the connected scale device, and a monitoring control unit that is configured to receive, from the connected scale device, data indicating that the connected scale device received the package and the connected scale device is armed, and based on receiving the data indicating that the connected scale device received the package and the connected scale device is armed, communicate, to a user device of a resident of the property, a notification indicating that the connected scale device received the package.

Abstract: An apparatus including a bracket, an upper rack engagement tab, a lower rack engagement tab; and a lock pin hole. The bracket has a rack attachment member and a guard attachment member. The lock pin hole is defined by the rack attachment member and structured to receive a lock pin having a stabilizing leg coupled to a lock pin head. Each engagement tab is coupled to the rack attachment member. Each engagement tab includes a stem portion coupled to the rack attachment member and a head portion having a greater cross-sectional area than the stem portion. The guard attachment member defines a guard attachment hole positioned at a rack guard spacing distance from the rack attachment member, and the stabilizing leg has a geometry such that the lock pin head is urged toward the lock pin hole when the stabilizing leg is passed through the lock pin hole.

Abstract: Techniques and systems are described for generating and using a sound localization model. A described technique includes obtaining for a building a sound sensor map indicating locations of first and second sound sensor devices in respective first and second rooms of the building; causing an autonomous device to navigate to the first room and to emit, during a time window, sound patterns at one or more frequencies within the first room; receiving sound data including first and second sound data respectively from the first and second sound sensor devices that are observed during the time window; and generating and storing a sound localization model based on the sound sensor map, autonomous device location information, and the received sound data, the model being configured to compensate for how sounds travels among rooms in at least a portion of the building such that an origin room of a sound source is identifiable.

Abstract: An example apparatus includes a bracket having a rack attachment member and a guard attachment member, and upper and lower engagement tabs that are coupled to the rack attachment member and have a stem portion and a head portion. The rack attachment member has a lock pin hole above the lower rack engagement tab. The lock pin hole is sized and positioned to provide sufficient cross-sectional area within a rack engagement distance to allow passage of a bracket lock pin therethrough within the rack engagement distance. The apparatus further includes a bracket lock pin having a stabilizing leg coupled to a lock pin head, where the stabilizing leg fits through the lock pin hole and the lock pin head does not. The stabilizing leg urges the lock pin head toward the lock pin hole when the stabilizing leg is passed through the lock pin hole.