Abstract: A kiosk for steaming and pressing a garment includes: a chamber; a hanger arranged within the chamber and configured to receive a garment; a first steam nozzle arranged below the hanger and configured to expel a first steam jet toward an interior surface of the garment. The kiosk further includes a wand configured for manual manipulation over select regions of the garment to remove wrinkles from select regions of the garment and including: a head configured to mate with a mount arranged inside the chamber; a second steam nozzle arranged on the head and configured to expel a second steam jet of pressurized steam; and a steam supply line configured to deliver steam from a steam generator to the second steam nozzle and defining a length to enable the head to extend within the chamber.

Abstract: One variation of a method includes: receiving a garment within a chamber of a kiosk; accessing a garment type and a fabric type of the garment; allocating a volume of a cleaning fluid for application on a target region of the garment, predicted to contain odorous molecules based on the garment type, based on the fabric type; dispensing the volume of the cleaning fluid onto the target region of the garment via a nozzle to modify odorous molecules in the target region of the garment and perfume the garment; articulating a steam nozzle to expel a steam jet across an interior surface of the garment, tension local regions of the garment, and locally heat regions of the garment above a transition temperature; and cooling the garment below the transition temperature to set the garment in an unwrinkled state.

Abstract: A laundry kiosk is provided according to an aspect of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the laundry kiosk contains a user interface component to receive laundering choices for a garment from a user and an apparatus to process the garment according to the received choices. The laundering choices include one or more of a combination of cleaning, pressing and drying. A suitable enclosure is also provided to hold the apparatus and the user interface component.

Abstract: A laundry apparatus contains a steamer for providing steam, a first unit for blowing the steam towards a fabric and a second unit for blowing a hot gaseous matter towards the fabric, wherein the hot gaseous matter is formed by heating the gaseous matter also with the steam. An apparatus for removing wrinkles from garments contains a hanger for hanging a garment, a steam tube to blow steam into a sleeve of the garment, and an expandable component underneath the shoulder. The expandable component is in a compact state when the sleeve of the garment is initially hung from the shoulder, and in an expanded state to close the passage between the sleeve and a torso of the garment, wherein the steam blocked by the expandable component operates to remove wrinkles in the sleeve.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to generating query suggestions. In some embodiments, a system for generating query suggestions for retail may comprise a database comprising a query index, the query index comprising a search tree having a plurality of nodes, each of the plurality of nodes comprising a query and one or more query scores for the query, and a control circuit coupled to the database and configured to receive a query prefix from a user interface of a retail channel, retrieve, based on the query prefix, query candidates and the query scores corresponding to the query candidates from the search tree of the query index, and select, based on the query scores corresponding to the query candidates, one or more query suggestions from the query candidates.

Abstract: A context switching system includes a processor and a scheduler. The processor is configured to execute a first thread. A first context associated with the first thread is stored in a register set of the processor. While the first thread is being executed, the scheduler is configured to select a second thread from a set of threads, and receive and store a second context associated with the second thread in a register set of the scheduler. The second thread is to be scheduled for execution after the first thread. The scheduler is further configured to swap the first and second contexts when the execution of the first thread is halted, thereby executing the context switching. Further, the processor is configured to execute the second thread based on the second context. While the second thread is being executed, the first context is stored in the data memory.

Abstract: One variation of a method for autonomously processing a garment within a kiosk includes: accessing a set of garment characteristics of the garment, the set of garment characteristics including a garment type and a fabric type; based on the set of garment characteristics, selecting a target processing temperature, a target processing humidity, and a set of steam-processing parameters including a steam nozzle path and a steam nozzle speed. This variation of the method also includes: heating air within the kiosk toward the target processing temperature; injecting steam into the kiosk to drive humidity within the chamber toward the target processing humidity; articulating a steam nozzle along the steam nozzle path at the steam nozzle speed to impinge a steam jet across an interior surface of the garment, tension local areas of the garment against the steam jet, and heat local areas of the garment above the transition temperature.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to generating query suggestions. In some embodiments, a system for generating query suggestions for retail may comprise a database comprising a query index, the query index comprising a search tree having a plurality of nodes, each of the plurality of nodes comprising a query and one or more query scores for the query, and a control circuit coupled to the database and configured to receive a query prefix from a user interface of a retail channel, retrieve, based on the query prefix, query candidates and the query scores corresponding to the query candidates from the search tree of the query index, and select, based on the query scores corresponding to the query candidates, one or more query suggestions from the query candidates.

Abstract: A laundry apparatus contains a steamer for providing steam, a first unit for blowing the steam towards a fabric and a second unit for blowing a hot gaseous matter towards the fabric, wherein the hot gaseous matter is formed by heating the gaseous matter also with the steam. An apparatus for removing wrinkles from garments contains a hanger for hanging a garment, a steam tube to blow steam into a sleeve of the garment, and an expandable component underneath the shoulder. The expandable component is in a compact state when the sleeve of the garment is initially hung from the shoulder, and in an expanded state to close the passage between the sleeve and a torso of the garment, wherein the steam blocked by the expandable component operates to remove wrinkles in the sleeve.

Abstract: A system may include a pulse-width modulation mode path configured to drive a load at an output of the system in a first mode of operation, a linear mode path configured to drive the load in a second mode of operation, a common mode control feedback loop configured to set a value of a common mode output signal at the output in the second mode of operation, and an auxiliary circuit coupled to the common mode feedback control loop and configured to maintain a state of the common mode feedback control loop during the first mode of operation as the state was or will be during the second mode of operation.

Abstract: An electronic control system provides selectable linear and pulse-width modulated (PWM) operation with reduced disruption when changing from PWM operation to linear operation. The system includes an output stage that has a push-pull driver coupled to the load, which may be a motor, a haptic device, or other device requiring current-mode control. The system also includes a pulse-width modulated (PWM) driver for providing pulse-width modulated drive signals to gates of the transistors of the output stage when a pulse-width modulated mode is selected, and a linear amplifier stage that provides a linear analog signal to the gates of the transistors when a linear mode is selected. A pre-charging circuit pre-charges the gates during a pre-charge cycle that is initiated when the operating mode changes from the PWM operating more to the linear operating mode.

Abstract: A laundry kiosk is provided according to an aspect of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the laundry kiosk contains a user interface component to receive laundering choices for a garment from a user and an apparatus to process the garment according to the received choices. The laundering choices include one or more of a combination of cleaning, pressing and drying. A suitable enclosure is also provided to hold the apparatus and the user interface component.

Abstract: An electronic control system provides selectable path operation, such as linear and pulse-width modulated (PWM) operation and provides path transition management to improve operation. The system supplies a current or a voltage to a load in response to an input signal or value and includes an output driver, and multiple selectable control paths. The system includes a control circuit that selects between the first control path and the second control path in response to a path selection indication to drive the output driver. The system may include an evaluator that determines the path selection indication in conformity with an amplitude and a slew rate of the input. One or all of the control paths may have a response time to changes in the input signal or value, and the control circuit may delay switching from the second control path to the first control path to compensate for the response time.

Abstract: A laundry kiosk is provided according to an aspect of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the laundry kiosk contains a user interface component to receive laundering choices for a garment from a user and an apparatus to process the garment according to the received choices. The laundering choices include one or more of a combination of cleaning, pressing and drying. A suitable enclosure is also provided to hold the apparatus and the user interface component.

Abstract: An address fault detection system includes write and read access circuits and a fault management circuit. The write access circuit receives an address and reference data for a write operation associated with a memory and parity data generated based on the reference data, and writes the reference data and the parity data to first and second memory blocks of the memory, respectively. The read access circuit receives the same address for a read operation associated with the memory and reads another reference data and another parity data from the first and second memory blocks, respectively. The fault management circuit compares the read parity data with parity data generated based on the read reference data to detect an address fault in the memory. The written and read reference data are different when the address fault is detected, and same when the address fault is not detected.

Abstract: A transaction management system includes a storage circuit and a processing circuit. The storage circuit stores a current tag value of a tag ID of a device and a tag value associated with a transaction initiated by the device. The processing circuit receives a reset query to determine an availability of the device for reset. When the device is to be reset, the current tag value of the tag ID is updated. Further, the processing circuit generates an acknowledgment in response to the reset query such that the device is reset based on the acknowledgment. The updated tag ID ensures that responses for transactions that are initiated by the device before the reset are discarded.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for efficiently maintaining a transaction sequence witness service to ensure that requests to read data provide consistent results across all storage nodes in a distributed system. When a storage node receives a request for a data object, the node may obtain—from transaction sequence witness service—the latest sequence number associated with the object. If the sequence number indicates the object has been modified in the period of time since the currently stored version was stored, the node can obtain the current version from persistent storage.

Abstract: A transaction management system includes a storage circuit and a processing circuit. The storage circuit stores a current tag value of a tag ID of a device and a tag value associated with a transaction initiated by the device. The processing circuit receives a reset query to determine an availability of the device for reset. When the device is to be reset, the current tag value of the tag ID is updated. Further, the processing circuit generates an acknowledgment in response to the reset query such that the device is reset based on the acknowledgment. The updated tag ID ensures that responses for transactions that are initiated by the device before the reset are discarded.

Abstract: An address fault detection system includes write and read access circuits and a fault management circuit. The write access circuit receives an address and reference data for a write operation associated with a memory and parity data generated based on the reference data, and writes the reference data and the parity data to first and second memory blocks of the memory, respectively. The read access circuit receives the same address for a read operation associated with the memory and reads another reference data and another parity data from the first and second memory blocks, respectively. The fault management circuit compares the read parity data with parity data generated based on the read reference data to detect an address fault in the memory. The written and read reference data are different when the address fault is detected, and same when the address fault is not detected.

Abstract: An electronic control system provides selectable linear and pulse-width modulated (PWM) operation with reduced disruption when changing from PWM operation to linear operation. The system includes an output stage that has a push-pull driver coupled to the load, which may be a motor, a haptic device, or other device requiring current-mode control. The system also includes a pulse-width modulated (PWM) driver for providing pulse-width modulated drive signals to gates of the transistors of the output stage when a pulse-width modulated mode is selected, and a linear amplifier stage that provides a linear analog signal to the gates of the transistors when a linear mode is selected. A pre-charging circuit pre-charges the gates during a pre-charge cycle that is initiated when the operating mode changes from the PWM operating more to the linear operating mode.