Abstract: A system and method for automatically updating biometric data for a user by preferably retaining an ongoing digital collection of images/biometric captures/IOT (“Internet of Things”) captures taken over the life of the user. Changes in appearance of the user due to age, health, facial hair, hair color, hair length and many other evolutionary changes are automatically captured and contribute to the learning set. Accordingly, the system itself gets smarter and faster with every subsequent authentication. In one non-limiting embodiment, a target of the most recent 500 captures are retained, and tuning may suggest a greater number of captures should or could be used. Preferably, with each new capture the oldest capture in the ongoing digital collection is automatically deleted by the system.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a system includes a buffer configured to store a plurality of pixel blocks of an image, a first processor unit configured to receive a pixel block of the of the plurality of pixel blocks and select whether to separately encode or jointly encode pixel components of the pixel block by computing eigenvalues for the pixel components, a second processor unit configured to compute, responsive to the first processing unit selecting to jointly encode the pixel block, (i) an eigenvector for the pixel components of the pixel block based on the eigenvalues and (ii) endpoints on the eigenvector for encoding the pixel components, an encoder unit configured to encode, responsive to the first processing unit selecting to jointly encode the pixel block, the pixel components of the pixel block jointly based on the eigenvector and the endpoints.

Abstract: A fire suppression system is disclosed. The fire suppression system comprises a first storage cylinder configured for storing a first suppression solution. The system comprises a second storage cylinder operatively connected to the first storage cylinder. The second storage cylinder is configured for storing a second suppression solution, wherein in response to a detection of a fire condition, the first storage cylinder is configured to release the first solution into the second storage cylinder to cause the second solution to be delivered first during a first phase of a discharge.

Abstract: A dishwasher having a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber has a chassis supporting the tub. The chassis has a base and defines a space below the tub, and a terminal box having at least one enclosure wall defining an interior is located within the space. A wire connection box is located within the interior of the terminal box. The wire connection box includes a housing and multiple terminals, and is configured to receive and couple the electrical connection for the dishwasher and the electrical mains power line.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide a sterilisation apparatus for sterilising a channel of a surgical scoping device. The apparatus includes: a gas supply having a conduit to deliver an ionisable gas to the channel of the surgical scoping device; and, a sterilisation instrument, separate from the gas supply and the conduit, configured to be inserted through the channel of a surgical scoping device. The sterilisation instrument includes an elongate probe. The elongate probe includes: a transmission line for conveying radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) energy and/or microwave EM energy; and, a probe tip connected at the distal end of the transmission line for receiving the RF and/or microwave EM energy, the probe tip comprising an electrode assembly configured to produce an electric field from the received RF and/or microwave frequency EM energy to generate a plasma of the ionisable gas delivered to the channel from the gas supply.

Abstract: Injectable compositions that can be added to parenteral nutrition are provided. In particular, a stable injectable composition is provided which includes water, and at least one of about 800 ?g to about 4,000 ?g of zinc, about 40 ?g to about 400 ?g of copper, from about 4 ?g to about 90 ?g of selenium, or from about 1 ?g to about 80 ?g of manganese per 1 mL of the injectable composition. Methods of preparing and using of the stable injectable composition are also provided.

Abstract: A system for quickly deploying WFM systems in contact centers is provided. A user or administrator can quickly install a WFM application on a deployment server. The administrator can provide the WFM application access to the contact center data where the WFM application can import data from the contact center about one or more customers, agents, queues, teams, and any other items typically associated with contact centers. The imported data may also include presence data about the agents, teams, and customers. Based on the imported data, the WFM application may execute one or more workflows to automatically determine information such as maximum and minimum hours, break patterns, and shift data about the agents and teams.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically updating biometric data for a user by preferably retaining an ongoing digital collection of images/biometric captures/IOT (“Internet of Things”) captures taken over the life of the user. Changes in appearance of the user due to age, health, facial hair, hair color, hair length and many other evolutionary changes are automatically captured and contribute to the learning set. Accordingly, the system itself gets smarter and faster with every subsequent authentication. In one non-limiting embodiment, a target of the most recent 500 captures are retained, and tuning may suggest a greater number of captures should or could be used. Preferably, with each new capture the oldest capture in the ongoing digital collection is automatically deleted by the system.

Abstract: Injectable compositions that can be added to parenteral nutrition are provided. In particular, a stable injectable composition is provided which includes water, and at least one of about 800 µg to about 4,000 µg of zinc, about 40 µg to about 400 µg of copper, from about 4 µg to about 90 µg of selenium, or from about 1 µg to about 80 µg of manganese per 1 mL of the injectable composition. Methods of preparing and using of the stable injectable composition are also provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for concept based searching or recommendation based on a concept networks are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of a concept based approach to the search and analysis of data, including the creation, update or use of concept networks in searching and analyzing data are disclosed, including embodiments of the usage of such concept networks in artificial intelligence systems that are capable of utilizing concepts expressed by users to return or evaluate associated entities or content.

Abstract: A wakeboat creates a wake, the performance level of the wake varying depending upon the mass of the wakeboat, the wakeboat including a hull; an engine supported by the hull; a controller supported by the hull; a processor coupled to the controller; a memory coupled to the processor; a sensor configured to measure at least one parameter of the wakeboat, the controller being coupled to the sensor and being configured to receive data from the sensor, the controller being configured to derive the present mass of the wakeboat from said sensor data, the controller being configured to determine the present wake performance level of the wakeboat based on the present mass of the wakeboat; and a tablet computer coupled to the controller, the controller being configured to use the tablet computer to indicate the present wake performance level of the wakeboat.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing system may access color components of a pixel region in an image, and then determine a color variance for each of the color components. The computing system may further determine a desired bit allocation for each of the color components based on the color variance associated with that color component. The computing system may then determine a total bit allocation for the pixel region based on the desired bit allocations for the color components, as well as a number of unallocated bits available for allocation. The computing system may further determine a final bit allocation for each of the color components by allocating the total bit allocation to each of the color components according to the desired bit allocation for each of the color components. The computing system may then encode each of the color components using the associated final bit allocation.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method involves accessing a first pixel block of an image, the first pixel block comprising pixels, each associated with multiple pixel components, determining whether to separately or jointly encode the multiple pixel components of each of the pixels of the first pixel block, determining that the multiple pixel components of each of the pixels in the first pixel block are to be jointly encoded based on (1) determining, based on the multiple pixel components of each of the pixels, a line defined within a three-dimensional coordinate system in which each of the pixels is represented as a three-dimensional point and (2) determining that the line satisfies a predetermined criteria, and encoding the multiple pixel components of each of the pixels in the first pixel block as a single quantized value based on a projection of the three-dimensional point associated with that pixel onto the line.

Abstract: A computing system may access first alpha values associated with first pixels in a first pixel region of an image and determine a bit budget for encoding the first alpha values. The computing system may then select a first alpha-encoding mode for the first alpha values to reflect a determination that the first alpha values are all fully transparent or all fully opaque, and encode the first alpha values by storing the selected first alpha-encoding mode as part of a metadata without using the bit budget to encode the first alpha values individually. The computing system may then update a record of unallocated bits available for allocation based on the bit budget unused in the encoding of the first alpha values, and allocate, based on the record of unallocated bits, bits to encode a set of alpha values different from the first alpha values.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing system may access first alpha values associated with first pixels in a first pixel region of an image and determine a bit budget for encoding the first alpha values. The computing system may then select a first alpha-encoding mode for the first alpha values to reflect a determination that the first alpha values are all fully transparent or all fully opaque, and encode the first alpha values by storing the selected first alpha-encoding mode as part of a metadata without using the bit budget to encode the first alpha values individually. The computing system may then update a record of unallocated bits available for allocation based on the bit budget unused in the encoding of the first alpha values, and allocate, based on the record of unallocated bits, bits to encode a set of alpha values different from the first alpha values.

Abstract: A wearable local muscle vibratory stimulator includes a frame including a concave surface for conforming to a treatment surface of a subject. The stimulator further includes an electromagnetic oscillator located in the frame for applying vibratory stimulus to a treatment region of the subject located beneath the treatment surface. The stimulator further includes a waveform generator coupled to the oscillator for generating an electrical signal that causes the electromagnetic oscillator to oscillate. The stimulator further includes an accelerometer coupled to the oscillator for measuring frequency and acceleration of oscillation of the oscillator. The stimulator further includes a controller user interface for receiving user input regarding a desired frequency and acceleration of oscillation of the oscillator.

Abstract: A pump intake adapter for pumping shallow levels of fluid from a surface to be drained, the pump intake adapter including a connection on the pump intake adapter to convey the fluid away from the pump intake adapter; an intake surface on the pump intake adapter; and a portion of the intake surface of the pump intake adapter that in operation does not contact the surface to be drained, and creates an open conduit between the pump intake adapter and the surface to be drained through which fluid may flow, the open conduit being in fluid communication with the connection on the pump intake adapter. Other systems and methods are provided.

Abstract: Disclosed herein includes a system, a method, and a device for compressing image data. The device includes one or more processors, coupled to memory, configured to identify a plurality of sub-blocks of a block of image data including a first sub-block and a second sub-block. The one or more processors are configured to identify a first data characteristic of data of the first sub-block and a second data characteristic of data of the second sub-block, determine a first compression technique based at least on the first data characteristic of the first sub-block, determine a second compression technique based at least on the second data characteristic of the second sub-block, and compress the first sub-block using the first compression technique and the second sub-block using the second compression technique.

Abstract: This disclosure describes efficient communication of surface texture data between system on a chip (SOC) integrated circuits. An example system includes a first integrated circuit and a second integrated circuit communicatively coupled to the first integrated circuit by a video communication interface. The first integrated generates a superframe in a video frame of the video communication interface for transmission to the second integrated circuit. The superframe includes multiple subframe payloads that carry surface texture data to be updated in the frame and corresponding subframe headers that include parameters of the subframe payloads. The second integrated circuit includes a direct access memory (DMA) controller. The DMA upon receipt of the superframe, writes the surface texture data within each of the subframe payloads directly to an allocated location in memory based on the parameters included in the corresponding one of the subframe headers.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence systems utilizing a chat driven interface that includes a chat portion and a display portion are disclosed. The user may interact with the chat portion of the interface in a human understandable and comfortable manner (e.g., through natural language). The artificial intelligence system uses the context of the interactions in the chat portion of the interface to drive the presentation of content in the display portion interface and the chat portion such that the content presented in the display portion of the interface reflects the intents or concepts expressed in the chat portion of the interface, and the chat portion and the display portion of the interface are kept in synchronicity.