Abstract: A capsule for a heat-not-burn (HNB) aerosol-generating device may include a first frame, a second frame, a first heater, a second heater, and/or an aerosol-forming substrate. The first frame has a first interior face and a first exterior face. In addition, the first frame defines a first opening. The first heater may be secured to the first frame so as to cover the first opening. The second frame is connected to the first frame. The second frame has a second interior face and a second exterior face. Furthermore, the second frame defines a second opening. The second heater may be secured to the second frame so as to cover the second opening. The aerosol-forming substrate may be between the first heater and the second heater.

Abstract: A portable power pack having a housing, a rechargeable lithium battery positioned in the housing, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a wireless charging coil, a light emitting diode (LED) flash light, a universal serial bus (USB) port, a direct current (DC) port, and a power management circuit. The LCD can be positioned on the housing and configured to display a status of the portable power pack. The wireless charging coil can be positioned in or on the housing and configured to wirelessly couple with an external wireless charging coil of an external device through electromagnetic induction in accordance with, for example, the Qi wireless power transfer standard. The USB port supplies a charging current to charge a portable electronic device, while the DC port supplies a starting current to jump start an engine of a vehicle that is electrically coupled with an external battery.

Abstract: A bipolar electrosurgical fusion/sealer and dissector is provided that is arranged to simultaneously fuse and cut tissue captured between jaws of the instrument. The jaws include particularly positioned, shaped and/or oriented electrodes along with a compressible landing pad to perform the simultaneous fusion and cutting of tissue. An electrosurgical generator is arranged to supply RF energy through the instrument and monitors a phase angle of the supplied RF energy and adjusts or terminates the supplied RF energy based on the monitored phase angle to optimally fuse and dissect the tissue.

Abstract: The techniques described herein implement an automated frame skipping approach used to generate a reduced set of frames for processing. In one example, the automated frame skipping approach is used to more efficiently generate a stitched map of a geographical area being surveilled by an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A stitched map is an image mosaic that is created using the reduced set of frames such that the geographical area being surveilled by the aerial vehicle is accurately depicted.

Abstract: Described herein is a battery system that allows a battery pack to operate in different modes at different times. Each of the different modes may provide its own set of functionality that affects how the battery pack operates and/or reacts to external input signals. A mode may change how the battery pack discharges power by, for example, altering whether terminals are enabled or disabled. A mode may change how the battery pack's hardware operates by, for example, disabling or enabling portions of the battery pack's hardware. A mode may change what battery-related services are provided by the battery pack and available to an end user by, for example, enabling or disabling the sending of battery status information from the battery pack.

Abstract: A method of forming a batch of porous adsorbent filaments may include providing a precursor mixture, forcing the precursor mixture at a fixed rate through an orifice and then through a multiplicity of perforations in a belt, where the belt moves across and in tight registry with said orifice to form a batch of precursor porous adsorbent filaments, and drying the batch of precursor porous adsorbent filaments to form the batch of porous adsorbent filaments. The batch of porous adsorbent filaments may have a moisture content of at least about 20 wt. %.

Abstract: A product for the extraction of lithium from a brine, the product including particles bound by a binder, the binder including a gelled polysaccharide including a group establishing an ionic bond with a divalent cation, a trivalent cation and mixtures thereof, the particles being essentially particles of a lithium adsorbent.

Abstract: A method of forming a batch of porous catalytic carrier filaments may include providing a precursor mixture, forcing the precursor mixture at a fixed rate through an orifice and then through a multiplicity of perforations in a belt, where the belt moves across and in tight registry with said orifice to form a batch of precursor catalytic carrier filaments, drying the batch of precursor porous catalytic carrier filaments to form the batch of porous catalytic carrier filaments, and firing (i.e. calcining) the batch of greenware porous catalytic carrier filaments to form the batch of porous catalytic carrier filaments. The batch of porous catalytic carrier filaments may have an average pore volume of at least about 0.1 cm3/g.

Abstract: A product based on a metal-organic framework (MOF) and the method for producing same, the product containing particles bound by a binder, the binder including boehmite, the particles being essentially MOF particles and, optionally, particles of a ceramic material other than boehmite.

Abstract: A method of forming a batch of shaped adsorbent particles may include applying a precursor mixture into a shaping assembly within an application zone to form a batch of precursor shaped adsorbent particles, drying the batch of precursor shaped adsorbent particles within the shaping assembly to form the batch of shaped adsorbent particles, and ejecting the batch of shaped adsorbent particles from the shaping assembly. The batch of shaped adsorbent particles may have a moisture content of at least about 20 wt. %.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for speech synthesis. The methods, systems, and apparatus include actions of obtaining an audio representation of speech of a target speaker, obtaining input text for which speech is to be synthesized in a voice of the target speaker, generating a speaker vector by providing the audio representation to a speaker encoder engine that is trained to distinguish speakers from one another, generating an audio representation of the input text spoken in the voice of the target speaker by providing the input text and the speaker vector to a spectrogram generation engine that is trained using voices of reference speakers to generate audio representations, and providing the audio representation of the input text spoken in the voice of the target speaker for output.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining audio data for a long-form utterance and segmenting the audio data for the long-form utterance into a plurality of overlapping segments. The method also includes, for each overlapping segment of the plurality of overlapping segments: providing features indicative of acoustic characteristics of the long-form utterance represented by the corresponding overlapping segment as input to an encoder neural network; processing an output of the encoder neural network using an attender neural network to generate a context vector; and generating word elements using the context vector and a decoder neural network. The method also includes generating a transcription for the long-form utterance by merging the word elements from the plurality of overlapping segments and providing the transcription as an output of the automated speech recognition system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for speech synthesis. The methods, systems, and apparatus include actions of obtaining an audio representation of speech of a target speaker, obtaining input text for which speech is to be synthesized in a voice of the target speaker, generating a speaker vector by providing the audio representation to a speaker encoder engine that is trained to distinguish speakers from one another, generating an audio representation of the input text spoken in the voice of the target speaker by providing the input text and the speaker vector to a spectrogram generation engine that is trained using voices of reference speakers to generate audio representations, and providing the audio representation of the input text spoken in the voice of the target speaker for output.

Abstract: A self-seating system is described. The self-seating system includes a guest interface for communicating with an arriving guest information relating to a seating assignment and a processing device communicating with the guest interface. The self-seating system also includes more than one directional display providing guidance to the guest as to the location of their seating assignment. The directional displays is selectively activated and deactivated through communication and signaling by the processing device. The self-seating system further includes a seating sensor communicating with the processing device as to when a guest is seated at a particular location.

Abstract: A table management system is described. The table management system includes a host display device for displaying table placements within a room. The host display device includes more than one staff identifier device coupled to staff personnel and more than one table sensor including a communication device. The table management system also includes a server running a table management system algorithm and an aggregator device in communication with the server and in communication with the more than one table sensor. The aggregator device receives presence information and staff information from the more than one table sensor and communicating that information to the server. The server runs a software algorithm for managing table assignments and communicates table assignment information to the host display device.

Abstract: A method of forming a batch of shaped adsorbent particles may include applying a precursor mixture into a shaping assembly within an application zone to form a batch of precursor shaped adsorbent particles, drying the batch of precursor shaped adsorbent particles within the shaping assembly to form the batch of shaped adsorbent particles, and ejecting the batch of shaped adsorbent particles from the shaping assembly, The batch of shaped adsorbent particles may have a moisture content of at least about 20 wt. %.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining audio data for a long-form utterance and segmenting the audio data for the long-form utterance into a plurality of overlapping segments. The method also includes, for each overlapping segment of the plurality of overlapping segments: providing features indicative of acoustic characteristics of the long-form utterance represented by the corresponding overlapping segment as input to an encoder neural network; processing an output of the encoder neural network using an attender neural network to generate a context vector; and generating word elements using the context vector and a decoder neural network. The method also includes generating a transcription for the long-form utterance by merging the word elements from the plurality of overlapping segments and providing the transcription as an output of the automated speech recognition system.

Abstract: A customer support system diverts a customer to an integrated support service to serve the customer better in situations where the use of a single mode of interaction is insufficient. Embodiments of the invention find use where an email or SMS is sent to a customer's smart devices with a link to visual content which helps customer better understand the information.

Abstract: An auxiliary power system and methods for providing auxiliary power in relation to a vehicle, the system comprising: an auxiliary power unit comprising a compact turbine engine, a generator coupled with the compact turbine engine, and a rectifier unit coupled with the generator, the auxiliary power unit configurable to provide one of an AC output and a DC output; and at least one ancillary component for adapting the auxiliary power unit with an electric drive motor in relation to the vehicle