Abstract: Thermal management systems comprising a thermoelectric component, a two-phase heat transfer unit, and a controller. The heat transfer unit has a phase-transition chamber and microfeatures in the phase-transition chamber that induce capillary forces to a working fluid that drives the working fluid through the phase-transition chamber. The controller is configured to operate the thermoelectric component and the heat transfer unit such that the heat transfer unit cools one side of the thermoelectric component to a first temperature and the thermoelectric component changes the temperature of a target material on its other side to a second temperature of +/?60° C. of the first temperature within 0.5-20 seconds.

Abstract: A resource management system for a service industry business includes a recommendation engine that initiates one or more service actions and/or device actions based on inputs from one or more sensors and/or an obtained customer location within a building or facility. The resource management system automatically distributes, assigns, schedules, and/or reserves one or more resources for the benefit of the detected customer based on one or more recommendations of the recommendation engine.

Abstract: A flood defense system for homes, structures and other buildings consisting of a watertight film (16) adhered by a sealant tape (10,12,14). The film (16) has high elongation properties to stretch and fill gaps, cracks, and other paths of liquids into buildings. The sealant tape (10,12,14) has high tack properties and is thick such that it can conform to textured surfaces which are often found on exterior walls. Together the sealant tape (10,12,14) and film (16) form a watertight seal which can be rapidly applied and later removed with no modification to existing building.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes an LED string affixed to a lamp support connected between first and second lighting sockets and includes an non-conductive coupling and a pair of conductive support segments. Each support segment is connected between the coupling a corresponding lighting socket, either directly or via an intervening endcap. The LED string includes an LED module and a pair of interconnects. The LED module includes one or more LEDs and power circuitry for coupling a supply voltage to the LEDs. The interconnect pair may include positive and negative interconnects. A fixed end of each interconnect is electrically and mechanically connected to a corresponding support segment. The first support segment is electrically coupled to a positive terminal of a voltage source and the second support segment is electrically coupled to a negative terminal of the voltage source, the interconnect pair conveys a supply voltage to each LED module.

Abstract: A resource management system for a service industry business includes a recommendation engine that initiates one or more service actions and/or device actions based on inputs from one or more sensors and/or an obtained customer location within a building or facility. The resource management system automatically distributes, assigns, schedules, and/or reserves one or more resources for the benefit of the detected customer based on one or more recommendations of the recommendation engine.

Abstract: A resource management system for a service industry business includes a recommendation engine that initiates one or more service actions and/or device actions based on inputs from one or more sensors and/or an obtained customer location within a building or facility. The resource management system automatically distributes, assigns, schedules, and/or reserves one or more resources for the benefit of the detected customer based on one or more recommendations of the recommendation engine.

Abstract: A resource management system for a service industry business includes a recommendation engine that initiates one or more service actions and/or device actions based on inputs from one or more sensors and/or an obtained customer location within a building or facility. The resource management system automatically distributes, assigns, schedules, and/or reserves one or more resources for the benefit of the detected customer based on one or more recommendations of the recommendation engine.

Abstract: A vehicular part transaction system and method. A transaction coordinator can receive a part request from a purchaser via a computer network; send a respective bid invitation to sellers via the network; store associated sent-timestamps based on when bids are sent; receive a part offer from one of the sellers via the computer network; forward the offer to purchaser via the network; receive an acceptance from purchaser via the network; determine a transaction for part offer; charge the seller the transaction fee; and forward an acceptance notice, via the network, to the purchaser and seller. The transaction fee can be reduced for a fast response time. Optionally, a seller and/or a purchaser can be subscribed, which can independently provide a respective benefit thereto and/or can conditionally provide a respective benefit thereto.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a frame on the vehicle, the frame operable to accept the window. The frame having a first edge and an opposed spaced apart second edge. A shade having a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end mounted to the first edge of the frame. The assembly further including at least one magnet wherein the at least one magnet is connected to the free end of the shade. The shade is operable to extend away from the first edge of the frame and connect to the second edge of the frame. The magnet attached to the free end of the shade connects to a ferrous material provided on the second edge of the frame. The magnet attachment allows for a user to blindly extend the shade assembly to an extended position.

Abstract: The development of a natural language interface component can be highly manual and time-consuming. This is especially true when the problem being addressed is based on a class of back-end applications rather than one particular back-end application. Aspects of the present invention support the automated generation of a natural language interface component for a specified back-end application (or more precisely, the automated generation of a natural language interface component that is specific to the ontology for a specified back-end application domain) wherein the generated component includes an agent network.

Abstract: A surface wave radar system including a receive antenna array (20, 22) for generating receive signals, and a data processing system (24) for processing received data representing the receive signals to mitigate ionospheric clutter. The received data is range and Doppler processed, and a spatial adaptive filter (52) is trained using training data selected from the processed data. The training data includes ionospheric clutter data and excludes cells which contain target data and substantial sea clutter. The processed data is filtered using the filter (52), which may be based on loaded sample matrix inversion. The antenna array (20,22) may be two-dimensional having an L or T shape.

Abstract: A headphone device comprised of two separate units which hang on each ear by means of capturing the edge of the top and rear portions of the ear between a flexible ring and attached cloth. Each side is slid onto the ear and firmly held in place by the positioning of the ring, rather than compressive force, which is found in current headphone devices. The speaker element is connected to the cloth on the outer side of the device.

Abstract: A surface wave radar system including a receive antenna array (20, 22) for generating receive signals, and a data processing system (24) for processing received data representing the receive signals to mitigate ionospheric clutter. The received data is range and Doppler processed, and a spatial adaptive filter (52) is trained using training data selected from the processed data. The training data includes ionospheric clutter data and excludes cells which contain target data and substantial sea clutter. The processed data is filtered using the filter (52), which may be based on loaded sample matrix inversion. The antenna array (20,22) may be two-dimensional having an L or T shape.