Abstract: An air ring comprises a circular plenum in fluid communication with a source of pressurized air. An upper and lower annular lips are in fluid communication with the plenum through upper and lower channels and are arranged to supply air to the blown film bubble. A plurality of vanes are disposed in the upper channel and extend radially inwardly from the plenum to the upper annular lip. The vanes divide the upper channel into a plurality of radially extending channel segments. Each vane has a selected length and a distal end proximal the upper annular lip, the distal end being spaced from the upper annular lip no greater than about 20% of the length of the vanes. A powered plunger extends between the vanes of each of the channel segments to vary the cross-sectional area of the channel segments.

Abstract: A system for providing advanced characterization of an optical fiber span is based upon the use of a pair of optical time domain reflectometers (OTDRs), located at opposing end terminations of the span being characterized. Each OTDR performs standard reflectometry measurements and transmits the resulting OTDR trace to monitoring equipment in a typical manner. The pair of OTDR traces is thereafter combined in a particular manner (“stitched together”) to create an OTDR trace of the entire fiber span (essentially doubling the operational range of prior art OTDR measurement capabilities). The transmit portion of one OTDR may be paired with the receive portion of the other OTDR, with time-of-light measurements (or signal loss measurements) used to determine optical path length and/or optical signal loss of the span. Using a multi-wavelength light source in the paired transmit/receive arrangement allows for a characterization of chromatic dispersion of the span.

Abstract: A circuit includes a half-bridge circuit is configured to provide a switching voltage responsive to respective high-side and low-side drive signals. High-side slew control circuitry is configured to provide a high-side slew-compensated control signal responsive to a high-side enable signal and a slew current signal representative of a slew rate at a switching output. A high-side driver is configured to provide the high-side drive signal responsive to the high-side slew-compensated control signal. Low-side slew control circuitry is configured to provide a low-side slew-compensated drive signal responsive to a low-side enable signal and the slew current signal. A low-side driver is configured to provide the low-side drive signal responsive to the low-side slew-compensated control signal. A capacitor is coupled between the high-side and low-side slew control circuitry and is configured to convert the slew rate to the slew current signal.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include receiving, at an operating system executing on a processor, a write request from a program to write data to a memory. The write request includes a virtual memory address and the data. It is determined that the virtual memory address is not assigned to a physical memory address. Based on the determining, the unassigned virtual memory address is assigned to a physical memory address in an overflow memory. The data is written to the physical memory address in the overflow memory and an indication that the write data was successfully written is returned to the program. Future requests by the program to access the virtual memory address are directed to the physical memory address in the overflow memory.

Abstract: A function module for electrical applications and method of making a function module for electrical applications. The function module includes: a functional member having a piercing area with at least one aluminum conductor trace; and an electrical connector having at least one piercing member. The at least one piercing member is configured to pierce through the at least one aluminum conductor trace in an electrically conductive manner and provide a form-fit connection between the functional member and the electrical connector within the piercing area. The functional member and the electrical connector are joined together within the piercing area by means of a solder connection.

Abstract: A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled conditions, such as lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes a tower shuttle mechanism that provides operational flexibility by decoupling the loading and unloading operations of the grow towers from the vertical farming structure and, therefore, allowing multiple grow towers to be extracted for harvesting in a batch process before loading new grow towers into the vertical farming structure in a separate process.

Abstract: A method for providing a casing (11) for a prefabricated column (1) of chromatography column material in order to manufacture a chromatography column, wherein the casing (11) is generated by additive manufacturing, includes the steps of rotating the column (1) of chromatography column material with respect to a casing material feed in a manner to successively cover a casing surface (8) of the chromatography column material along a contact area path (12), and of arranging an amount of flowable casing material (9) at a current contact area (7) along the contact area path (12) at the casing surface (8) of the column (1) of chromatography column material in order to generate the casing (11) for the chromatography column by successively adding the solidified amount of casing material (9) at the contact area (7).

Abstract: Detailed herein are examples of instructions and their hardware support for floating-point comparison that makes use of the distinction between signed integer comparison and unsigned integer comparison to make an analogous distinction between floating-point relationships including unordered and those that do not. These instructions may reduce the number of instructions required to compare and conditionally execute operations in a program, including instructions to load values and instructions to explicitly test for the unordered condition.

Abstract: A technique for controlling access to one or more attractions is achieved using a number of access keys, each being issued to one or more users. An electronic queue management part manages a virtual queue in respect of each attraction and receives electronic requests for attraction access, each request relating to an access key and being for the users associated with it to access a particular attraction. Receipt of each request causes the respective users to be added to a corresponding virtual queue. A time at which each group of users reaches the front of the virtual queue and can access the attraction is determined. The users access the attractions by presenting an access key to an access control part, in communication with the electronic queue management part. Only a user presenting an access key at the correct time for accessing the attraction is allowed access to the attraction.

Abstract: In some examples, a wireless device includes a communication interface to communicate with a wireless network, and at least one processor configured to, receive, from an access point (AP), information including a network address policy of the wireless network. The at least one processor is configured to further, in response to the information including the network address policy, use an address of the wireless device according to the network address policy.

Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations, the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to be inserted in the controlled growth environment, for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-bearing modules for re-use. The controlled growth environment may include vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers along one or more grow lines.

Abstract: A wireless remote controller includes a housing including front and rear enclosures defining a PCB cavity, a PCB disposed within the PCB cavity, a switch, communication circuitry to generate wireless signals, and a button to actuate the switch. The button includes a button body having a button portion and first and second button sidewalls having a retaining finger to engage the support board. The button width is substantially the same as the housing width. The wireless remote controller may include a mounting cavity formed in a rear surface of the housing which includes first and second converging cavity sidewall extending from a base. A mounting plate removably secures the wireless remote controller to a wall and includes first and second converging mount sidewalls each including a rail. The cavity sidewalls and the mount sidewalls include a first and second rail and a first and second channel.

Abstract: Embodiments include exerciser device placement in the development of an integrated circuit. Aspects of the invention include obtaining a design of an integrated circuit and creating a dynamic power blockage map for the integrated circuit. Aspects also include updating the integrated circuit design by placing one or more exercisers on the integrated circuit, wherein a location of the one or more exercisers on the integrated circuit is based on at least in part on the dynamic power blockage map. Based on a determination that the updated integrated circuit design complies with one or more design constraints, aspects further include outputting the updated integrated circuit design.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed, comprising a detector unit comprising a detector configured to detect an actuation action performable via the detector unit to an actuation button of a medical device to cause the medical device to eject at least a portion of a medicament comprised in the medical device. The detector is configured to detect the actuation action based on a detection of a force and/or a touch applied to the detector unit as part of the actuation action. The apparatus further comprises an electric unit connected to the detector and configured to store and/or provide information related to the detected actuation action. Furthermore, an according method and a computer program for controlling this method are disclosed.

Abstract: An approach for controlling light exposure of a light sensitive object is described. Aspects of this approach involve using a first set of radiation sources to irradiate the object with visible radiation and infrared radiation. A second set of radiation sources spot irradiate the object in a set of locations with a target ultraviolet radiation having a range of wavelengths. Radiation sensors detect radiation reflected from the object and environment condition sensors detect conditions of the environment in which the object is located during irradiation. A controller controls irradiation of the light sensitive object by the first and second set of radiation sources according to predetermined optimal irradiation settings specified for various environmental conditions. In addition, the controller adjusts irradiation settings of the first and second set of radiation sources as a function of measurements obtained by the various sensors.

Abstract: In some examples, a system includes a plurality of network controllers, a WI-FI wireless local area network (WLAN) over which at least a first network controller and a second network controller of the plurality of network controllers are to communicate, wherein a link between the first network controller and the second network controller through the WI-FI WLAN is a synchronized link.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for heating plastic preforms, having a transport device which transports the plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path, the transport device having a circulating transport and a plurality of holding devices for holding the plastic preforms, having a plurality of heating devices which are arranged stationarily along the transport path, in such a way that the plastic preforms transported along the transport path are heated by these heating devices, the heating devices each having a plurality of heating lamps, and the apparatus having a detection device which is configured to detect a failure of the heating lamps, wherein the apparatus has a control device which is configured to control the apparatus in dependence on a number of heating lamps detected having failed.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a 3D printer includes the steps of providing information obtained in a factory calibration indicating a center of an inner diameter of a tip orifice in a metal extrusion nozzle and a center of a tip surface for the nozzle and inductively sensing the nozzle with an eddy current sensor when secured to a print head on a gantry or robotic arm of the 3D printer to identify a sensed location of the center of the tip surface of the nozzle. The method includes determining a location of the center of the inner diameter of the tip orifice on the nozzle on the print head and utilizing the provided information to locate the center of the inner diameter of the tip orifice.

Abstract: In some examples, an electronic device receives configuration information relating to network connectivity with a network of a vehicle, the configuration information including a credential. The electronic device establishes, using the configuration information, a connection with the network of the vehicle to access a service, and revokes the credential in response to a termination of the access of the service.

Abstract: A manufacturing system includes a tape advancing through the manufacturing system and a station of the manufacturing system. The tape includes a first portion having grains of an inorganic material bound by an organic binder. The station of the manufacturing system receives the first portion of the tape and prepares the tape for sintering by chemically changing the organic binder and/or removing the organic binder from the first portion of the tape, leaving the grains of the inorganic material, to form a second portion of the tape and, at least in part, prepare the tape for sintering.