Abstract: A power distribution control system for controlling a plurality of power assets connected to a power grid is provided. The system includes a server which can identify a set of power assets selected from sources, loads, and stores that are to form a string and provide to the string instructions for response to a change in the power grid. The system further includes a router for each of the power assets in the string, for receiving instructions from the server and for controlling the respective power asset. The power assets in the string are selected by the server to have different response times and/or response profiles, such that the string of assets present a collective response to the change, the collective response being defined by the server.

Abstract: A cleaning device (10) comprising: a body portion (12); a nozzle member (14) mounted on the body portion and comprising a nozzle head (16), wherein the nozzle member is configured to allow passage of liquid and/or air from a reservoir in the body to the nozzle head; and an orifice (40) in the nozzle head configured to allow the liquid and/or air to exit the nozzle head, wherein the orifice is configured to shape the exiting liquid and/or air into at least one liquid sheet having a length greater than a width at a target cleaning distance.

Abstract: A power distribution control system having a string of power assets comprising at least two different power assets selected from sources, stores and responsive loads is disclosed. The assets and associated local routers communicate with a central server and attempt to fulfil high level aims of the server by negotiating times and quantities of power transfer between themselves. Preferably a database stores parameters in relation to the power assets. Preferably a control system at the server anticipates future activity, such as future peaks in demand or supply, in the grid, and local power assets prepare in response. Preferably the power assets communicate between themselves on a peer-to-peer basis and collectively confirm to the server their ability to modify their collective behavior in response to an event in the grid.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes associating a user with a collaboration group at a collaboration server, tracking activity of participants in the collaboration group at the collaboration server, processing a message received in the collaboration group at the collaboration server, assigning a priority to the message for the user based on the activity of the participants in the collaboration group, and presenting a notification of the message to the user based on the priority of the message. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a part. The part is designed using a CAD system to generate a CAD part model of the part. Features of the part are identified from the CAD part model of the part. A parametric specification of the part is generated using the features of the part. The parametric specification of the part is saved as a parametric part model. The parametric part model is used to fabricate the part.

Abstract: A power distribution control system for controlling a plurality of power assets connected to a power grid is provided. The system includes a server which can identify a set of power assets selected from sources, loads, and stores that are to form a string and provide to the string instructions for response to a change in the power grid. The system further includes a router for each of the power assets in the string, for receiving instructions from the server and for controlling the respective power asset. The power assets in the string are selected by the server to have different response times and/or response profiles, such that the string of assets present a collective response to the change, the collective response being defined by the server.

Abstract: An oral cleaning device (100) including: a nozzle portion (30) configured to direct a plurality of liquid droplets; an actuator (120); a mode selector (130); a liquid reservoir (38) wherein in operation liquid is moved from the liquid reservoir into an orifice (36) at the proximal end of the nozzle; a system (12, 13, 14, 24) configured to drive a plunger or piston element (16) toward the proximal end of the nozzle to create a spray of liquid droplets when the moving air comes into contact with the liquid; a control unit (15) configured to control the system to drive the plunger a predetermined number of times in response to a single actuation of the actuator, where the control unit is further configured to accept input from the user via the mode selector, and the mode selector is configured for the user to select a number of liquid bursts that will be delivered in response to a single actuation of the actuator.

Abstract: A lubricating composition comprising a base oil of lubricating viscosity and one or more lubricant additives, wherein the base oil comprises or consists of a base stock which comprises or consists of at least one isoprenoid compound comprising: (i) one or two oxygen-containing moieties independently selected from ether and ester moieties; (ii) a first acyclic isoprenoid moiety containing 1 to 5 isoprenyl units; and (iii) optionally, a second acyclic isoprenoid moiety containing 1 to 5 isoprenyl units with the proviso that at least one isoprenoid moiety contains 3 to 5 isoprenyl units where the isoprenoid compound contains a single ether moiety.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes associating a user with a collaboration group at a collaboration server, tracking activity of participants in the collaboration group at the collaboration server, processing a message received in the collaboration group at the collaboration server, assigning a priority to the message for the user based on the activity of the participants in the collaboration group, and presenting a notification of the message to the user based on the priority of the message. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting vascular contamination by surgical anesthetic using non-invasive IR spectrophotometry. One embodiment is a method for operating an instrument such as an enhanced pulse oximeter to monitor a patient receiving local anesthetic marked with dye that absorbs infrared light. Light is applied to and detected from tissue of the patient. A signal representative of the detected light is processed to derive patient oxygenation information. The detected light is also processed to derive information representative of the presence of the dye-marked anesthetic. The oxygenation information and the information representative of the presence of anesthetic are displayed. The oxygenation monitoring and display and the anesthetic monitoring and display can occur separately or concurrently. Fluorescing dyes and fluorescence detection approaches are used for anesthetic detection in some embodiments.

Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to display a Geographic Information System (GIS) map, derive a data based on a user action associated with the map; associate a thumbnail image to the data; and display the thumbnail image representative of the map.

Abstract: A method of tracking a subject includes receiving from a source a depth image of a scene including the subject. The depth image includes a depth for each of a plurality of pixels. The method further includes identifying pixels of the depth image that image the subject and deriving from the identified pixels of the depth image one or more machine readable data structures representing the subject as a model including a plurality of shapes.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for describing and tracking edges within the field of view of one or more imaging devices. In one example, the present system defines a row of pixels taken across a width of the edge, and then determines a binary edge descriptor for the edge by comparing at least one of grayscale values and contrast of pixels within respective pixel pairs from the row of pixels, the result of the comparisons setting bits within the binary descriptor.

Abstract: A lubricating composition comprising a base oil of lubricating viscosity and one or more lubricant additives, wherein the base oil comprises or consists of a base stock which comprises or consists of at least one isoprenoid compound comprising: (i) one or two oxygen-containing moieties independently selected from ether and ester moieties; (ii) a first acyclic isoprenoid moiety containing 1 to 5 isoprenyl units; and (iii) optionally, a second acyclic isoprenoid moiety containing 1 to 5 isoprenyl units with the proviso that at least one isoprenoid moiety contains 3 to 5 isoprenyl units where the isoprenoid compound contains a single ether moiety.

Abstract: A power distribution control system having a string of power assets comprising at least two different power assets selected from sources, stores and responsive loads is disclosed. The assets and associated local routers communicate with a central server and attempt to fulfil high level aims of the server by negotiating times and quantities of power transfer between themselves. Preferably a database stores parameters in relation to the power assets. Preferably a control system at the server anticipates future activity, such as future peaks in demand or supply, in the grid, and local power assets prepare in response. Preferably the power assets communicate between themselves on a peer-to-peer basis and collectively confirm to the server their ability to modify their collective behavior in response to an event in the grid.

Abstract: Low power water filter monitoring systems and methods of operation thereof are provided. An example water filter includes a water flow signal receiver configured to receive a water flow signal from a refrigeration appliance. The refrigeration appliance provides the water flow signal whenever water is flowing through the water filter. The water filter can monitor its lifespan based on a total amount of time the water flow signal has been received. Another example water filter includes an ambient light sensor and one or more water filter status indicators. The one or more water filter status indicators are only operated when the ambient light sensor is receiving ambient light.

Abstract: Low power water filter monitoring systems and methods of operation thereof are provided. An example water filter includes a water flow signal receiver configured to receive a water flow signal from a refrigeration appliance. The refrigeration appliance provides the water flow signal whenever water is flowing through the water filter. The water filter can monitor its lifespan based on a total amount of time the water flow signal has been received. Another example water filter includes an ambient light sensor and one or more water filter status indicators. The one or more water filter status indicators are only operated when the ambient light sensor is receiving ambient light.

Abstract: A method of tracking a subject includes receiving from a source a depth image of a scene including the subject. The depth image includes a depth for each of a plurality of pixels. The method further includes identifying pixels of the depth image that image the subject and deriving from the identified pixels of the depth image one or more machine readable data structures representing the subject as a model including a plurality of shapes.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for recognizing and tracking a user's skeletal joints with a NUI system. The system includes one or more experts for proposing one or more skeletal hypotheses each representing a user pose within a given frame. Each expert is generally computationally inexpensive. The system further includes an arbiter for resolving the skeletal hypotheses from the experts into a best state estimate for a given frame. The arbiter may score the various skeletal hypotheses based on different methodologies. The one or more skeletal hypotheses resulting in the highest score may be returned as the state estimate for a given frame. It may happen that the experts and arbiter are unable to resolve a single state estimate with a high degree of confidence for a given frame. It is a further goal of the present system to capture any such uncertainty as a factor in how a state estimate is to be used.