Abstract: A blind is arranged such that minimal force is required to rotate the tilt drum to tilt the slats from the fully open to the fully closed position and back, with each of the front and rear tilt cables sharing the load nearly equally throughout the entire path from the fully open to the fully closed position and back.

Abstract: A suture button for a surgical procedure provides an anchor for pulling and maintaining suture tension through a transosseous tunnel during an operation such as meniscal root repair in the knee. The suture button includes a body having a first tapered longitudinal end, a second tapered longitudinal end, a first side, a second side, an anterior surface and a posterior surface. A first concave notch is defined in the first side, and a second concave notch is defined in the second side. The first notch is open to a first suture dock in the first side, and the second notch is open to a second suture dock in the second side. Each of the first and second suture docks includes a seat to centrally position suture material in some embodiments. A center passage is defined through the suture body at a location between the first and second suture docks.

Abstract: A power assist module for use in roller tube driven products, such as roller shades. The module may be pre-wound prior to installation in a roller tube and retains its pre-wound condition, even after use, when removed from the roller tube.

Abstract: A system may include a display and a processor. The processor may be configured to: receive aircraft traffic data and ownship data; generate and update a linear map based on the aircraft traffic data and the ownship data; and output the linear map as graphical data to the display. The display may be configured to display the linear map to a user. The linear map may depict a one-dimensional relationship between an ownship and designated traffic. The linear map may convey a range between the ownship and the designated traffic and may convey a closure rate between the ownship and the designated traffic. The linear map may include: a graphical threshold indicator; a graphical ownship indicator; a graphical scale; and a graphical designated traffic indicator.

Abstract: In one aspect, a lift station configured for use with a covering for an architectural structure includes a housing and one or more lift spools disposed within a spool cavity defined by the housing. Additionally, the lift station also includes first and second outriggers extending outwardly from opposed sides of the housing of the lift station. The first outrigger is configured to define a first cord guide surface for guiding a front lift cord between a front side of the covering and the spool cavity of the housing. Similarly, the second outrigger is configured to define a second cord guide surface for guiding a rear lift cord between a rear side of the covering and the spool cavity of the housing.

Abstract: A power assist module for use in roller tube driven products, such as roller shades. The module may be pre-wound prior to installation in a roller tube and retains its pre-wound condition, even after use, when removed from the roller tube.

Abstract: A power assist module for use in roller tube driven products, such as roller shades. The module may be pre-wound prior to installation in a roller tube and retains its pre-wound condition, even after use, when removed from the roller tube.

Abstract: Inventive concentrated solar power systems using solar receivers, and related devices and methods, are generally described.

Abstract: In some aspects the invention is directed to methods of analyzing a polynucleotide which include steps of directing to a nanopore an excitation beam having a predetermined polarization state; translocating a polynucleotide through the nanopore, wherein nucleotides of the polynucleotide are labeled with fluorescent labels having absorption dipoles and wherein the nanopore spatially orients the fluorescent labels so that during translocation the adsorption dipoles are substantially unresponsive to the excitation beam; detecting changes in fluorescent signals generated by the fluorescent labels as nucleotides with fluorescent labels exit the nanopore and absorption dipoles thereof become responsive to excitation by the excitation beam with the predetermined polarization state; and identifying nucleotides exiting the nanopore from the changes in fluorescent signals.

Abstract: Electric Grid Analytics Learning Machine, EGALM, is a machine learning based, “brutally empirical” analysis system for use in all energy operations. EGALM is applicable to all aspects of the electricity operations from power plants to homes and businesses. EGALM is a data-centric, computational learning and predictive analysis system that uses open source algorithms and unique techniques applicable to all electricity operations in the United States and other foreign countries.

Abstract: A federated display system includes multiple head down displays (HDD) driven by two or more display processing computers (DPC). Each DPC includes two or more display nodes independently managing display processing, graphics generation, and I/O functionality (either within a single processing unit or a multiprocessor environment). Each display node is linked to a mezzanine control plane (MCP) independent of the display nodes, which MCP includes dedicated optical channels to each member HDD of the system and a switching fabric to control the routing of graphical signals from the graphics generators of each node to the optical channel connected to the desired target HDD. The switching fabric includes a master selector for designating any node of a DPC as a master node capable of controlling the switching fabric via its processing control or graphics generation functions.

Abstract: A federated display system includes multiple head down displays (HDD) driven by two or more display processing computers (DPC). Each DPC includes two or more display nodes independently managing display processing, graphics generation, and I/O functionality (either within a single processing unit or a multiprocessor environment). Each display node is linked to a mezzanine control plane (MCP) independent of the display nodes, which MCP includes dedicated optical channels to each member HDD of the system and a switching fabric to control the routing of graphical signals from the graphics generators of each node to the optical channel connected to the desired target HDD. The switching fabric includes a master selector for designating any node of a DPC as a master node capable of controlling the switching fabric via its processing control or graphics generation functions.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for design of a suite of multispectral (MS) sensors and processing of enhanced data streams produced by the sensors for autonomous aircraft flight. The onboard suite of MS sensors is specifically configured to sense and use a MS variety of sensor-tuned objects, either strategically placed objects and/or surveyed and sensor significant existing objects to determine a position and verify position accuracy. The received MS sensor data enables an autonomous aircraft object identification and positioning system to correlate MS sensor data output with a-priori information stored onboard to determine and verify position and trajectory of the autonomous aircraft. Once position and trajectory are known, the object identification and positioning system commands the autonomous aircraft flight management system and autopilot control of the autonomous aircraft.

Abstract: A backpack strap spool for rolling up an excess length of a backpack strap. A roller is rolled against the backpack strap, allowing it to be rolled into a tight roll next to the arm loop of the backpack. A loop is connected to end tabs of the roller and restrains the strap against the roller. The loop has several holes to adjust the tightness of the loop against the strap and roller, preventing the strap from becoming unrolled. Accessories may be clipped or inserted into the unused holes of the loop.

Abstract: A pillow cover which includes a pocket for receiving a pillow and blanket or sheet material extending away from the pocket to provide a combination pillow and blanket. This provides a comfortable sleeping object which allows for additional covering of the arms and/or body while also providing a sleeping surface for the user's head. The blanket or sheet material may end in a covering flap along one or more of its edges. These covering flaps provide a cavity for receiving a portion of the user's body, such as an arm. These flaps may further be secured on one end with a seam to form a partially closed pocket, or the flaps may be free along their ends.

Abstract: Energy Analytics Learning Machine (or EALM) system is a machine learning based, “brutally empirical” analysis system for use in optimizing the payout from one or more energy sources. EALM system optimizes exploration, production, distribution and/or consumption of an energy source while minimizing costs to the producer, transporter, refiner and/or consumer. Normalized data are processed to determine clusters of correlation in multi-dimensional space to identify a machine learned ranking of importance weights for each attribute. Predictive and prescriptive optimization on the normalized energy data is performed utilizing unique combinations of machine learning and statistical algorithm ensembles. The unstructured textual energy data are classified to correlate with optimal production to capture the dynamics of one or more energy sources of physically real or theoretically calculated systems to provide categorization results from labeled data sets to identify patterns.

Abstract: A cord drive assembly for raising a covering relative to an architectural structure may include a housing and at least one cord drive component mounted for rotation within the housing. Additionally, in one embodiment, the cord drive assembly may include a biasing element installed relative to the housing such that the biasing element applies a biasing force against a braking member of the cord drive assembly that biases the braking member against the cord drive component to hinder rotation of the cord drive component relative to a second cord drive component positioned within the housing.

Abstract: An LCD is described. The LCD includes an LCD panel and a backlight. The LCD panel includes a plurality of LCD elements arranged in an array, each element configured to change its light transmission based on a voltage applied to the LCD element. The backlight is configured to provide light to the LCD elements of the LCD panel. The backlight includes one or more visible light elements providing visible light to the LCD panel, and includes one or more non-visible light elements, different from the visible light elements, providing non-visible light to the LCD panel at a wavelength such that the non-visible light increases the photoconductivity of the LCD elements.

Abstract: A suture construct apparatus, including a self-cinching suture member having a first strand, a second strand, a sleeve defined on the second strand, and a self-cinching suture member fixed loop with a sheath positioned on the self-cinching suture member. The suture construct apparatus may further include an anchor disposed on the self-cinching suture member, a self-cinching suture member shuttling suture disposed on the self-cinching suture member fixed loop, and a sheath removably disposed around at least a portion of the self-cinching suture member. The first strand may pass through the sleeve and form a self-cinching suture member free end. The first strand may also be axially moveable through the sleeve.