Abstract: A seat belt pretensioner for a seat belt device in a vehicle, the pretensioner including a frame, a ball housing attached to the frame and a drive wheel located within the ball housing. A spool is connected to the drive wheel and is fixed to one end of a seat belt webbing so that the webbing may be wound around the spool. The pretensioner further includes a pipe connected to the ball housing and a gas generator connected to the pipe. At least one power transmission element is carried in the pipe and is driven by gas provided from the gas generator to contact the drive wheel and rotate the spool to retract the seat belt. A seal member is located between the at least one power transmission element and the gas generator. The seal member is sized to plug the pipe at an inlet to the ball housing.

Abstract: A seatbelt retractor for a seat belt device in a vehicle. The retractor includes a frame and a spool configured to be fixed to one end of a seat belt webbing so that the webbing may be wound around the spool. The spool is rotatably mounted at both ends to the frame and configured to rotate in a webbing extraction direction and a webbing retraction direction. The retractor includes a staged torsion bar positioned end to end in the spool along an axis of rotation of the spool. The retractor also includes a shift assembly to shift between the stages of the staged torsion bar. The shift assembly includes a shift link locked by a shift collar and a shift ring meshed in a shift plate.

Abstract: Technologies are provided for non-monotonic eventual convergence for desired state configuration (“DSC”). In some situations DSC cannot move toward a desired state without first moving further from that state. For example, a file that needs to be replaced with a newer version but that is currently executing (desired state of “operating”) cannot be replaced without first being stopped. But stopping moves in the wrong direction relative to the desired state, which is to have the service operating. This moving away so as to be able to move forward is a problem for conventional DSC systems that results in failures. The solution to this problem is non-monotonic eventual convergence (“NMEC”) which enables a DSC system to configure a target system for a desired state by moving further away from a desired state if that is needed to eventually reach the desired state.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor that includes a torsion bar is positioned in a spool. The second end of the torsion bar is engaged with a locking mechanism mounted to the frame. The torsion bar is configured to be locked at the second end while the first end rotates with the spool so that the torsion bar deforms to absorb force. The locking mechanism includes a lock base and a locking hub that is mounted to the second end of the torsion bar and is releasably connected to the lock base to prevent the second end of the torsion bar from rotating. The locking hub is configured to be released and rotate relative to the lock base to thereby permit rotation of the second end of the torsion bar with the first end of the torsion bar and the spool.

Abstract: A seatbelt retractor for a seat belt device in a vehicle. The retractor includes a frame and a spool configured to be fixed to one end of a seat belt webbing so that the webbing may be wound around the spool. The spool is rotatably mounted at both ends to the frame and configured to rotate in a webbing extraction direction and a webbing retraction direction. The retractor includes a staged torsion bar positioned end to end in the spool along an axis of rotation of the spool. The retractor also includes a shift assembly to shift between the stages of the staged torsion bar. The shift assembly includes a shift link locked by a shift collar and a shift ring meshed in a shift plate.

Abstract: An energy storage device is provided for a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The energy storage device includes first and second end connectors connected to respective ones of a piston and crankshaft, and a flexible connection rod portion rotatably connected with the first and second end connectors. The flexible connection rod portion elastically buckles above a predetermined cylinder pressure threshold to store combustion energy and provide a more constant pressure combustion process.

Abstract: A new compound exhibiting particularly advantageous antibacterial properties, and having the structural formula: L-pyroglutamyl-L-1-aminoethyltetrazole (or N-(1-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)ethyl)-5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxamide). Also, the use of this compound in microbiological culture methods and media intended for the detection, identification, enrichment, counting and/or isolation of target microorganisms that may be encountered in samples taken for clinical diagnosis or microbiological health control purposes.

Abstract: Engineered nanoscale multicomponent particles are introduced and are called “quants.” Methods and apparatuses for producing such multicomponent nanoparticles are provided. A single quant can be manufactured to contain a variety of different internal component molecules. Likewise, a plurality of such quants may be manufactured wherein the plurality of quants are suspended in an aqueous solution. Typically, quants are produced in quantity and concentration adequate to support human scale therapeutics. In some embodiments, millions or billions of quants are suspended in a volume of aqueous solution for delivery to a patient. When manufactured to the same specification, the plurality of quants are uniform in size, uniform in chemical composition, and therefore uniform in functionality. Functional uniformity is an essential aspect of quants, manifested in design and production.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor that includes a torsion bar is positioned in a spool. The second end of the torsion bar is engaged with a locking mechanism mounted to the frame. The torsion bar is configured to be locked at the second end while the first end rotates with the spool so that the torsion bar deforms to absorb force. The locking mechanism includes a lock base and a locking hub that is mounted to the second end of the torsion bar and is releasably connected to the lock base to prevent the second end of the torsion bar from rotating. The locking hub is configured to be released and rotate relative to the lock base to thereby permit rotation of the second end of the torsion bar with the first end of the torsion bar and the spool.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking cache line consumption. An example system may comprise: a cache comprising a plurality of cache entries for storing a plurality of cache lines; a processing core, operatively coupled to the cache; and a cache control logic, to: responsive to detecting an update operation with respect to a cache line of the plurality of cache lines, set a cache line access tracking flag associated with the cache line to a first state indicating that the cache line has been produced; and responsive to detecting a read operation with respect to the cache line, set the cache line access tracking flag associated with the cache line to a second state indicating that the cache line has been consumed.

Abstract: Technologies for filtering network packets on ingress include a network interface controller (NIC) to retrieve classification filters based on packet classification identifying information of a network packet received by the NIC, wherein each of the classification filters is usable to identify rules for identifying any operations to be performed on at least a portion of the received network packet. The NIC is further configured to compare the first classification filter to the packet classification identifying information to determine whether the determined packet classification identifying information meets criteria of the first classification filter. Additionally, the NIC is configured to associate a classification filter identifier of the first classification filter with the received network packet and send the received network packet and the classification filter identifier of the first classification filter to a processor of an apparatus associated with the NIC. Other embodiments are described herein.

Abstract: A seat belt system for protecting an occupant of a vehicle, the system having seat belt webbing connected to a seat belt retractor that includes (a) a frame; (b) a spool with the seat belt webbing wound around, wherein the spool is rotatably mounted to the frame and configured to rotate in a webbing extraction direction and a webbing retraction direction; (c) an energy absorbing device for absorbing energy when the spool is rotated in the webbing extraction direction after an emergency event has occurred; and (d) a mechanism for selectively cancelling the operation of the energy absorbing device by preventing motion of the spool in the webbing extraction direction.

Abstract: A laser sight system for switching between one color of projected light, and a second color of projected light, depending upon ambient lighting levels. The system includes laser projectors of at least two colors, and optionally, a light level sensor having a setpoint and a setpoint adjuster. Actuation of an appropriate laser projector may be determined by sensing ambient light. The system may include a flashlight for general illumination, and a manual selector for selecting among three modes of operation. In one mode, only the laser projectors operate. In another mode, only the flashlight operates. In another mode, the lasers operate subject to the light level sensor, and the flashlight operates when the low light level laser is operating.

Abstract: A seatbelt retractor for a seat belt device in a vehicle. The retractor includes a frame and a spool configured to be fixed to one end of a seat belt webbing so that the webbing may be wound around the spool. The spool is rotatably mounted at both ends to the frame and configured to rotate in a webbing extraction direction and a webbing retraction direction. The retractor includes primary and secondary torsion bars positioned end to end in the spool along an axis of rotation of the spool. The primary and secondary torsion bars are configured to be locked at second ends of the torsion bars opposite to the first end. The first ends of the torsion bars are configured to rotate relative to the second ends so that the primary and secondary torsion bars deform to absorb force when a vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with real time closed captioning or highlighting are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an apparatus may include an audio interceptor to intercept an audio portion of an audio/video output stream of a multi-media application; a speech recognizer coupled to the audio interceptor to, in real time, process the audio portion of the audio/video stream, recognize speech within the audio portion, and automatically generate text corresponding to recognized speech, or keywords within the recognized speech; and a controller coupled to the audio interceptor and the speech recognizer, to control operations of the audio interceptor and the speech recognizer. The automatically generated text or keywords may be outputted as closed captions or highlights to complement video content of the audio/video stream. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking cache line consumption. An example system may comprise: a cache comprising a plurality of cache entries for storing a plurality of cache lines; a processing core, operatively coupled to the cache; and a cache control logic, to: responsive to detecting an update operation with respect to a cache line of the plurality of cache lines, set a cache line access tracking flag associated with the cache line to a first state indicating that the cache line has been produced; and responsive to detecting a read operation with respect to the cache line, set the cache line access tracking flag associated with the cache line to a second state indicating that the cache line has been consumed.

Abstract: A laser sight system for switching between one color of projected light, and a second color of projected light, depending upon ambient lighting levels. The system includes laser projectors of at least two colors, and optionally, a light level sensor having a setpoint and a setpoint adjuster. Actuation of an appropriate laser projector may be determined by sensing ambient light. The system may include a flashlight for general illumination, and a manual selector for selecting among three modes of operation. In one mode, only the laser projectors operate. In another mode, only the flashlight operates. In another mode, the lasers operate subject to the light level sensor, and the flashlight operates when the low light level laser is operating.

Abstract: Technologies for filtering network packets on ingress include a network interface controller (NIC) to retrieve classification filters based on packet classification identifying information of a network packet received by the NIC, wherein each of the classification filters is usable to identify rules for identifying any operations to be performed on at least a portion of the received network packet. The NIC is further configured to compare the first classification filter to the packet classification identifying information to determine whether the determined packet classification identifying information meets criteria of the first classification filter. Additionally, the NIC is configured to associate a classification filter identifier of the first classification filter with the received network packet and send the received network packet and the classification filter identifier of the first classification filter to a processor of an apparatus associated with the NIC. Other embodiments are described herein.

Abstract: A seatbelt retractor for a seat belt device in a vehicle. The retractor includes a frame and a spool configured to be fixed to one end of a seat belt webbing so that the webbing may be wound around the spool. The spool is rotatably mounted at both ends to the frame and configured to rotate in a webbing extraction direction and a webbing retraction direction. The retractor includes primary and secondary torsion bars positioned end to end in the spool along an axis of rotation of the spool. The primary and secondary torsion bars are configured to be locked at second ends of the torsion bars opposite to the first end. The first ends of the torsion bars are configured to rotate relative to the second ends so that the primary and secondary torsion bars deform to absorb force when a vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with real time closed captioning or highlighting are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an apparatus may include an audio interceptor to intercept an audio portion of an audio/video output stream of a multi-media application; a speech recognizer coupled to the audio interceptor to, in real time, process the audio portion of the audio/video stream, recognize speech within the audio portion, and automatically generate text corresponding to recognized speech, or keywords within the recognized speech; and a controller coupled to the audio interceptor and the speech recognizer, to control operations of the audio interceptor and the speech recognizer. The automatically generated text or keywords may be outputted as closed captions or highlights to complement video content of the audio/video stream. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.