Abstract: A computer-implemented semantic analysis system for ranking search results has instructions including the steps: receive a query about a first document authored by a person; read in data identifying the first document; read in a second document about the person authored after the first document; identify indicator terms in the second document related to whether or not there is a significant discrepancy between the second document and the first document; read in weighting factors for the identified indicator terms; determine an aggregate weighting factor that decreases with an increasing number of indicator terms found; and calculate a score of how much of a discrepancy there is between the second document and the first document using the weighting factors. When multiple first documents are returned for multiple persons, present the links in order from high score to low score.

Abstract: A computer-implemented semantic analysis system for ranking search results has instructions including the steps: receive a query about a first document authored by a person; read in data identifying the first document; read in a second document about the person authored after the first document; identify indicator terms in the second document related to whether or not there is a significant discrepancy between the second document and the first document; read in weighting factors for the identified indicator terms; determine an aggregate weighting factor that decreases with an increasing number of indicator terms found; and calculate a score of how much of a discrepancy there is between the second document and the first document using the weighting factors. When multiple first documents are returned for multiple persons, present the links in order from high score to low score.

Abstract: A computer-based kitchen renovation system reads in an address of a residence from a user and an image of a current kitchen to be renovated. The user then selects a design for the renovated kitchen from a limited set of designs. The image of the current kitchen is then analyzed to determine a quantitative kitchen layout. The address, quantitative kitchen layout and the selected kitchen design are then used to determine a cost estimate for the kitchen renovation.

Abstract: A digital controller controls contingency discharges of a utility from a reservoir to a plant during a first time period and compensatory charges from the plant back to the reservoir during a second time period. The utility can be electric power. The plant and reservoir are connected by a grid. The reservoir may be any electric power storage device. When the utility is electric power, the contingency discharges make up for the power not generated by the plant due to an accident. The compensatory charges replenish the reservoir.

Abstract: A statistical facility event monitor has a computer implemented event percentile meter. The event percentile meter counts the number of randomly initiated events that cause a monitored facility to consume a monitored utility over a monitored time period. The event percentile meter then calculates a cumulative distribution function for the randomly initiated events. The event percentile meter uses the cumulative distribution to determine the event percentile for the monitored facility. The event percentile meter then outputs the event percentile.

Abstract: A computer-implemented semantic analysis system for ranking search results has instructions including the steps: receive a query about a first document authored by a person; read in data identifying the first document; read in a second document about the person authored after the first document; identify indicator terms in the second document related to whether or not there is a significant discrepancy between the second document and the first document; read in weighting factors for the identified indicator terms; determine an aggregate weighting factor that decreases with an increasing number of indicator terms found; and calculate a score of how much of a discrepancy there is between the second document and the first document using the weighting factors. When multiple first documents are returned for multiple persons, present the links in order from high score to low score.

Abstract: A system performance monitor displays the performance of a system that carries out one or more tasks. The monitor has a front end including an input and output device, a back end, and one or more subsystem schema databases for storing data about said tasks. The system that carries out the tasks has subsystem schemas that have members that carry out the tasks. The records of each database are indexed by the members of the corresponding subsystem schemas. When a user selects a member of a subsystem schema, the back end retrieves the records from the database using the member index. After the records are retrieved, they are formatted to be graphically displayed on the output device. The graphical display may be a time-cloud scatter plot where each data point is located according to the start time and end time of a particular task in the retrieved records.

Abstract: A digital controller controls discharges of a utility from a reservoir to a plant during a first time period and recharges of said utility from the plant back to the reservoir during a second time period. The reservoir can be any storage device. When the utility is electric power, the discharges make up for the power not generated by the plant due to an accident. The digital controller may use a balanced nonlinear transfer function to control the recharges based on the discharges. If there is a long duration discharge that extends beyond the end of the first time period, the digital controller may use a Monte Carlo simulation along with a tail distribution for the long duration discharge and the balanced transfer function to forecast the recharge required during the second time period.

Abstract: A system verifies whether or not an employee is actually on a job at a location during a standard time period, such as a work shift, by sending alerts to the employee's smart phone. The employee must respond to the alerts. The alerts are sent at random time intervals with a certain average rate. The average rate, called a Poisson parameter, can be varied over the course of a shift.

Abstract: A system performance monitor displays the performance of a system that carries out one or more tasks. The monitor has a front end including an input and output device, a back end, and one or more subsystem schema databases for storing data about said tasks. The system that carries out the tasks has subsystem schemas that have members that carry out the tasks. The records of each database are indexed by the members of the corresponding subsystem schemas. When a user selects a member of a subsystem schema, the back end retrieves the records from the database using the member index. After the records are retrieved, they are formatted to be graphically displayed on the output device. The graphical display may be a time-cloud scatter plot where each data point is located according to the start time and end time of a particular task in the retrieved records.

Abstract: A system performance monitor displays the performance of a system that carries out one or more tasks. The monitor has a front end including an input and output device, a back end, and one or more subsystem schema databases for storing data about said tasks. The system that carries out the tasks has subsystem schemas that have members that carry out the tasks. The records of each database are indexed by the members of the corresponding subsystem schemas. When a user selects a member of a subsystem schema, the back end retrieves the records from the database using the member index. After the records are retrieved, they are formatted to be graphically displayed on the output device. The graphical display may be a time-cloud scatter plot where each data point is located according to the start time and end time of a particular task in the retrieved records.

Abstract: A digital controller controls contingency discharges of a utility from a reservoir to a plant during a first time period and compensatory charges from the plant back to the reservoir during a second time period. The utility can be electric power. The plant and reservoir are connected by a grid. The reservoir may be any electric power storage device. When the utility is electric power, the contingency discharges make up for the power not generated by the plant due to an accident. The compensatory charges replenish the reservoir. The digital controller may use a transfer function nomogram to control the compensatory charges based on the contingency discharges.

Abstract: A digital controller controls contingency discharges of a utility from a reservoir to a plant during a first time period and compensatory charges from the plant back to the reservoir during a second time period. The utility can be electric power. The plant and reservoir are connected by a grid. The reservoir may be any electric power storage device. When the utility is electric power, the contingency discharges make up for the power not generated by the plant due to an accident. The compensatory charges replenish the reservoir. The digital controller may use a sectionally linear transfer function with a maximum to control the compensatory charges based on the contingency discharges. The transfer function may be balanced using a trim function so that on average, the compensatory charges will make up for the contingency discharges.

Abstract: A statistical facility monitor has a consumption percentile meter. The consumption percentile meter reads in utility consumption data from a monitored facility over a period of time. The consumption percentile meter then reads in a cumulative distribution of consumption percentile versus normalized utility consumption for similar reference facilities. The cumulative distribution is based on other facilities in the same facility class as the monitored facility. The consumption percentile meter uses the cumulative distribution to determine the consumption percentile for the monitored facility relative to the reference facilities. The meter then outputs the consumption percentile.

Abstract: A digital controller controls contingency discharges of a utility from a reservoir to a plant during a first time period and compensatory charges from the plant back to the reservoir during a second time period. The utility can be electric power. The plant and reservoir are connected by a grid. The reservoir may be any electric power storage device. When the utility is electric power, the contingency discharges make up for the power not generated by the plant due to an accident. The compensatory charges replenish the reservoir. The digital controller may use a sectionally linear transfer function with a maximum to control the compensatory charges based on the contingency discharges. The transfer function may be balanced using a trim function so that on average, the compensatory charges will make up for the contingency discharges.

Abstract: Drunk driving causes terrible misery. A new type of auto insurance called SoberTeen™ Driving insurance may help that. SoberTeen driving insurance is auto insurance that provides a 10% to 30% discount to young drivers who always drive sober and are willing to let an insurance company monitor their cars to verify it. Intoxication can be determined from measuring braking force, accelerator use and proximity to nearby cars. A “nonintrusive load monitor” algorithm can figure out if a driver is intoxicated, even if different drivers use the car. The insurance product may be set up so that the policy premium is based on monitoring a young driver during a one month probationary period, but there is no actual monitoring during the next year of insurance coverage. That way, driver privacy is protected.

Abstract: A process and system for shielding a turbulent fluid stream, comprising emitting a laminar flow of a shielding gas transversely to the flow direction of the turbulent fluid stream preferably from a porous wall. The turbulent fluid stream may be hot and may contain a coating material. By projecting or directing the turbulent fluid stream at the surface of a substrate to be coated, the heated coating material is deposited on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A weld shield apparatus provides an atmosphere of inert gas within a conduit in an underbead region where an external weld joint is to be produced. The weld shield apparatus includes a diffuser structure having a convex exterior surface that is defined by a wall structure, the convex exterior surface is shaped to fit within the conduit and to be separated from an inner wall of the conduit by a clearance space. The diffuser wall structure is comprised of a porous material which enables gas communication between an inlet to the diffuser and the convex exterior surface. A seal is positioned immediately upstream from the diffuser structure and is positioned to engage the inner walls of the conduit so as to prevent the passage of gas in an upstream direction. A source of gas is coupled to the inlet to the diffuser structure and enables inert gas to pass through the porous material and to flow in a laminar manner, via the clearance space, past the underbead region and into the downstream region of the conduit.

Abstract: An essentially fluxless solder joining process comprises a solder coating to be applied to a surface under controlled pressure conditions enabling the volume and shape of the solder to be desirably controlled. Coatings produced by essentially fluxless processes enable joining processes to be carried out in an essentially fluxless manner with highly desirable processing flexibility.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing a selected atmosphere at and within an opening to the interior volume of a furnace. Two or more paralleled diffusers adjacent to the furnace opening laminarly emit different fluids and provide a multilayer fluid curtain over the opening. The curtain has a composite modified Froude number from 0.05 to 10, and a thickness at emission of at least 5% of its extent in the flow direction. Partially covering the outside of the curtain is an optional, substantially flat, outer shield with an aperture coinciding with the furnace opening, which reduces the necessary flow rates of fluids. Optional side shields around the sides of the curtain also reduce the necessary fluid flow. A preferred diffuser comprises a porous tube in a housing with an outlet directed to emit fluid across the furnace opening. The outlet is covered with a screen to disperse the fluid flow and to protect the porous tube.