Abstract: The present invention regards a method for measuring displacement of a surface at a region of interest when the region of interest is exposed to a load.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an airflow management system, particularly for a lawn mower, especially a robotic lawn mower. A battery-operated robotic lawn mower has an active airflow management system that includes at least one first air vent positioned on an underside of the mower, at least one second air vent, an internal housing surrounding a motor, a fan, and at least one cooling air channel located within the housing and around said motor. An air flow path is defined between the first and the second vents, and the at least one second vent has a lower air flow capacity than an air flow capacity of the at least one cooling air channel such that, in operation, a greater volume of air is drawn through the first vent than the second.

Abstract: A cutter guard for a rotating blade of a lawn mower, particularly for a robotic, self-guided or autonomous lawn mower forms a cutting bowl in which the blade is mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis. The guard comprises a generally planar guard section surrounded by an arcuate section, transverse edges of which define an opening in the cutter guard, which in operation is pointed to the front of the lawn mower, to allow uncut grass to be accessed by the cutting blades. The arcuate section comprises a plurality of apertures.

Abstract: A method of filtering noise in a three-dimensional position measurement system comprising receiving distance data representative of the respective distances between at least four spatially dispersed known points and an unknown point, performing triangulation calculations to determine at least two solutions to the three dimensional position of the unknown point relative to the known points, calculating a symmetrical bounding surface such as a sphere or cube which just encloses the said solutions, comparing the maximum dimension of the bounding surface with a first predetermined error threshold, and if the maximum dimension is less than the first error threshold, determining the center position of the bounding surface and outputting the center position as a noise-filtered position for the unknown point.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, the invention provides a method for establishing communication between a computer program in a computing system and a controller held in a hand of a user, comprising: capturing image data in a capture area in front of a display, the capturing configured to identify a two-dimensional location of the controller in the capture area; and capturing one-way sound communication between a location proximate to the display and a location at the controller, the sound communication being used to compute a third-dimensional location of the controller in the capture area.

Abstract: A cutter guard for a rotating blade of a lawn mower, particularly for a robotic, self-guided or autonomous lawn mower forms a cutting bowl in which the blade is mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis. The guard comprises a generally planar guard section surrounded by an arcuate section, transverse edges of which define an opening in the cutter guard, which in operation is pointed to the front of the lawn mower, to allow uncut grass to be accessed by the cutting blades. The arcuate section comprises a plurality of apertures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an airflow management system, particularly for a lawn mower, especially a robotic lawn mower. We describe a battery-operated robotic lawn mower with an active airflow management system, said active airflow management system comprising: at least one first air vent positioned on an underside of said mower; at least one second air vent; an internal housing surrounding a motor; a fan; and at least one cooling air channel located within said housing and around said motor. An air flow path is defined between the first and the second vents; and said at least one second vent has a lower air flow capacity than an air flow capacity of said at least one cooling air channel, such that in operation, a greater volume of air is drawn through the first vent than the second.

Abstract: A method of filtering noise in a three-dimensional position measurement system comprising receiving distance data representative of the respective distances between at least four spatially dispersed known points and an unknown point, performing triangulation calculations to determine at least two solutions to the three dimensional position of the unknown point relative to the known points, calculating a symmetrical bounding surface such as a sphere or cube which just encloses the said solutions, comparing the maximum dimension of the bounding surface with a first predetermined error threshold, and if the maximum dimension is less than the first error threshold, determining the centre position of the bounding surface and outputting the centre position as a noise-filtered position for the unknown point.

Abstract: A gyroscopic pointing apparatus for an electronic device, particularly a games console, that is provided with means to detect when the mobile component is pointing at the screen upon which it controls a cursor to provide a mechanism to correct for drift in gyroscope readings and an improved method of dynamically recalibrating the zero point of the gyroscopes. The pointing detection mechanism may be provided by the combination of an infra-red LED and an infra-red sensor in either permutation on the mobile component and fixed component respectively.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, the invention provides a method for establishing communication between a computer program in a computing system and a controller held in a hand of a user, comprising: capturing image data in a capture area in front of a display, the capturing configured to identify a two-dimensional location of the controller in the capture area; and capturing one-way sound communication between a location proximate to the display and a location at the controller, the sound communication being used to compute a third-dimensional location of the controller in the capture area.

Abstract: An apparatus for managing flexible lines has first and second spool members secured together by a hinge which allows the spool members to be folded between an open condition in which the spool members are in co-planar, side-by-side positions and a folded, closed condition in which the spool members are folded towards one another until they are aligned and substantially face-to-face. Each spool member has a groove extending in an at least substantially continuous loop which receives successive windings of a line or strip as it is wound in a figure eight pattern between the two spool members in an open condition. When winding is complete, the spool members can be folded together into the folded, closed condition.

Abstract: An object-focused workflow system for processing a received object in accordance with a declarative workflow specification. The specification includes modules and attributes, where module execution results in the evaluation of attributes, and may include the initiation of a side-effect action performed by an external component. Whether modules are to be executed for a particular received object is determined by associated enabling conditions. Attributes may be evaluated in accordance with computation rules and a combining policy, where the computation rules specify how values are to be contributed to an attribute, and the combining policy indicates how those contributed values are combined in order to assign a value to the attribute. Tasks in the workflow system may be executed eagerly in order to improve the performance of the workflow system.

Abstract: The system and methods of the present invention relate to integrating real or simulated data into a network planning tool.

Abstract: A process for porting air inflated flexible resin impregnated cured in place liner by pulling without loss of pressure is provided. A selectively openable bulkhead fitting is installed at the pull-in end. The filling may be installed in the end of a pull-in liner; on a porting sleeve or secured to an inflated pulled in or inverted liner. A port is formed through the bulkhead fitting by cutting a hole through the valve assembly. A steam fitting with an exhaust hose is coupled to the bulkhead fitting while maintaining pressure in the inflation bladder. Steam for curing the resin is then introduced into the inversion apparatus to cure the resin and is exhausted through the exhaust hose.

Abstract: A cover underlies the sole and heel of a shoe or boot to prevent debris from same contracting the floor surface. The cover sole is of a size to extend outwardly beyond the edge of a footwear sole and heel. Material having a back and a loop pile of synthetic polymeric material is formed to provide the sole and forwardly and rearwardly located straps. Fabric closure elements of the hook type in place on certain of the straps engage the loop pile on a companion strap to retain the cover on a piece of footwear.

Abstract: A graphical user interface (GUI) is provided for use in conjunction with attribute evaluation utilizing computation rules and a combining policy. The graphical user interface displays a visual representation of the evaluation of attributes. The GUI displays a representation of the evaluation status of attributes and their associated computation rules during execution. The display may be updated dynamically to provide a user with a visual representation of the progression of attribute evaluation. The representation of evaluation status may include representations of the values assigned to, as well as the state of, data items and associated computation rules. States may be visually represented in the display in various ways, such as using various colors or labels associated with the data items and associated computation rules. Further, the particular data items and computation rules for which evaluation status is represented may be user selectable.

Abstract: A graphical user interface (GUI) is provided for use in conjunction with attribute evaluation utilizing computation rules and a combining policy. The graphical user interface displays a visual representation of the evaluation of attributes. The GUI displays a representation of the evaluation status of attributes and their associated computation rules during execution. The display may be updated dynamically to provide a user with a visual representation of the progression of attribute evaluation. The representation of evaluation status may include representations of the values assigned to, as well as the state of, data items and associated computation rules. States may be visually represented in the display in various ways, such as using various colors or labels associated with the data items and associated computation rules. Further, the particular data items and computation rules for which evaluation status is represented may be user selectable.

Abstract: An object-focused workflow system for processing a received object in accordance with a declarative workflow specification. The specification includes modules and attributes, where module execution results in the evaluation of attributes, and may include the initiation of a side-effect action performed by an external component. Whether modules are to be executed for a particular received object is determined by associated enabling conditions. Attributes may be evaluated in accordance with computation rules and a combining policy, where the computation rules specify how values are to be contributed to an attribute, and the combining policy indicates how those contributed values are combined in order to assign a value to the attribute. Tasks in the workflow system may be executed eagerly in order to improve the performance of the workflow system.

Abstract: An object-focused workflow system for processing a received object in accordance with a declarative workflow specification. The specification includes modules and attributes, where module execution results in the evaluation of attributes, and may include the initiation of a side-effect action performed by an external component. Whether modules are to be executed for a particular received object is determined by associated enabling conditions. Attributes may be evaluated in accordance with computation rules and a combining policy, where the computation rules specify how values are to be contributed to an attribute, and the combining policy indicates how those contributed values are combined in order to assign a value to the attribute. Tasks in the workflow system may be executed eagerly in order to improve the performance of the workflow system.

Abstract: A logical data architecture for fetch-intensive database applications includes a first and a second logical database. The second database includes materialized views over the first database. Updates are propagated from the first database to the second database using so-called view maintenance techniques. In preferred embodiments, the first database may be optimized for update transactions and the second database may be optimized for read transactions. At least one of the materialized views included in the second database is based on a pre-defined application read transaction. The update processing overhead associated with view maintenance is substantially performed at the first database.