Abstract: A single longitudinal mode ring Raman laser including: a pump source outputting a pump light power, resonantly coupled to a first ring resonator; a optical measurement and piezo-actuator for stabilising the resonant coupling of the pump light power to a first ring resonator; a first ring resonator including a Raman gain medium, wherein the Raman gain medium receives the pump light power and undergoes Raman lasing generating resonated Stokes power at the corresponding Stokes output wavelength; the first ring resonator acting as a feedback loop for the pump light power and the resonated Stokes power and outputting a portion of the Stokes power as the laser output.

Abstract: Methods for performing work operations and management of hierarchical datasets are performed by systems and devices. Changes to portions of information in datasets are made via client devices, and such changes are intercepted by an independently-operating tracker. The tracker flags portions being changed as work needed, along with any other dataset portions from which the portion to be changed depends. A work service independently discovers portion(s) designated as work needed to perform work thereon, while dataset branches/leaves not flagged are ignored in discovery. Upon work completion, any changes made to the portion(s) that underwent the work, or to any depending portions, while the work was performed are identified. Such changes result in aborting the performed work and setting work needed indications for any changed dependents. Work is re-performed for the portion when all portion and dependent portion work completes. Work is then performed for higher-level portions that are flagged.

Abstract: A pump assembly comprising a housing, a support frame that can be attached to the housing, and a rotor that can rotate within the housing. The housing consists of resilient material and comprises an interior surface, an inlet portion including an inlet for fluid, an outlet portion including an outlet for the fluid, and a diaphragm portion. A housing-engaging surface area of the rotor will form a sealing interference contact with the interior surface, and a chamber-forming surface area of the rotor disposed radially inward from the housing-engaging surface area will form a chamber with the interior surface. When the rotor rotates within the housing as in use, the chamber can convey fluid from the inlet portion to the outlet portion. The diaphragm portion will bear against the chamber-forming surface as the chamber-forming surface travels from the outlet to the inlet, to prevent fluid passing from the outlet to the inlet and to expel the fluid from the chamber through the outlet portion.

Abstract: A system and method of creating customized characters and selectively displaying them in an electronic display, such as an augmented reality or virtual reality display is provided. A digital character may be provided by a character provider for customization by others using the system. Such customizations may be instantiated in user devices that provide electronic displays. Instantiation of the custom digital character may be conditioned on one or more trigger conditions, which may be specified by the character customizer. For example, a digital character customized using the system may be conditioned on triggering events in the real-world or in a virtual world. When a relevant triggering condition is satisfied at a user device, the custom character (i.e., information for instantiating the custom character) may be transmitted to that user device. In this manner, the system may push custom characters to user devices that satisfy the triggering condition.

Abstract: Apparatus comprising a first image projecting device for projecting a first image, an optical arrangement located optically downstream of the first image projecting device such that the first image appears to a viewer, to be located on an opposite side of the optical arrangement to said first image projecting device, forwardly of the apparatus at a first image plane, the apparatus further comprising a secondary image and an at least partially transparent screen or surface, the second screen or surface positioned on the same side of the optical arrangement as the viewer and is for displaying the secondary image on the screen which appears to the viewer to be located behind the first image plane.

Abstract: An internal floating roof for a storage tank includes a rim, a first plurality of girders, including a first girder, a second plurality of girders, including a second girder, a deck sheet, a first cap channel, a second cap channel, and a pontoon coupled to the first girder. The first plurality of girders extend in a first direction across the rim, wherein the first plurality of girders comprises a first girder. The second plurality of girders extend in a second direction, cross-wise to the first direction. The deck sheet is disposed on a first top surface of the first girder and a second top surface of the second girder. The first cap channel is coupled to a first top channel of the first girder. The first cap channel comprises a first foot configured to press a first edge of the deck sheet against the first top surface of the first girder. The first foot is welded to the deck sheet along a first length of the first cap channel.

Abstract: Transportable storage devices are communicatively coupled behind one or more dedicated “edge” data servers to take advantage of the benefits of the data servers and transportable storage devices while limiting their disadvantages. Each edge data server ingests data from one or more client devices and copies the data to one or more of the transportable storage devices for eventual transport to a cloud data center for upload to a cloud storage system. Object identifiers of objects stored on the transportable storage devices are maintained in a namespace of the data servers after decoupling of the transportable storage devices from the data servers so that the object identifiers remain visible to client devices.

Abstract: Transportable storage devices are communicatively coupled behind one or more dedicated “edge” data servers to take advantage of the benefits of the data servers and transportable storage devices while limiting their disadvantages. Each edge data server ingests data from one or more client devices and copies the data to one or more of the transportable storage devices for eventual transport to a cloud data center for upload to a cloud storage system. Multiple versions of a segment of data (e.g., of a file or a blob) are maintained at various points in the disclosed system and the disclosed technology ensures that the most recent version is the version ultimately stored on the cloud storage system.

Abstract: Described herein is a system and method for performing a clustered coherent cloud read cache without coherency messaging. At a cloud reader agent having a read cache, a request for a particular portion of data is received from a client. The request includes an identifier of the node making the request, a current time on the node making the request, a last stubbed time of the particular portion of data, and/or an identifier of the particular portion of data. When the particular portion of data is stored in the read cache of the cloud reader agent, the cloud reader agent can determine whether the cached particular portion of data is valid based, at least in part, upon the received identifier of the node making the request, the received last stubbed time of the particular portion of data, and/or, a stored time associated with the cached particular portion of data.

Abstract: A sizer tooth assembly for a mineral sizer is described. The tooth assembly includes a horn protrusion extending from a rotatable support, the horn protrusion having a pair of opposed front and rear faces; and a shell structure encapsulating the horn protrusion and defining the outer shape of the sizer tooth; wherein the shell structure comprises exactly two cover formations which are non-releasably secured to one another but not to the horn protrusion, to define when so secured a unitary tooth assembly. Each of the two cover formations seats upon and presents an inward engagement face to a respective one of the pair of opposed front and rear faces of the horn protrusion; and each such engagement face of a cover formation and its corresponding face of the horn protrusion are provided with a complementary arrangement of projections and recesses configured such that when the two cover formations are non-releasably secured to one another the shell structure is releasably connected upon the horn protrusion.

Abstract: A security driver loads early in the boot process for a compute instance and detects processes that are subsequently launched and/or terminated. The detected processes can be recorded, and then scanned with any suitable malware scanning tool(s) once a user mode is available on the compute instance, including any processes that are terminated before such scanning tools are launched. After the operating system is installed and a user mode is available, other scanning tools may also be deployed (e.g., in the user mode) to augment security of the compute instance.

Abstract: A security driver loads early in the boot process for a compute instance and detects processes that are subsequently launched. The detected processes can be recorded, and then scanned with any suitable malware scanning tool(s) once a user mode is available on the compute instance. After the operating system is installed and a user mode is available, other scanning tools may also be deployed (e.g., in the user mode) to augment security of the compute instance.

Abstract: A system and method of creating customized characters and selectively displaying them in an electronic display, such as an augmented reality or virtual reality display is provided. A digital character may be provided by a character provider for customization by others using the system. Such customizations may be instantiated in user devices that provide electronic displays. Instantiation of the custom digital character may be conditioned on one or more trigger conditions, which may be specified by the character customizer. For example, a digital character customized using the system may be conditioned on triggering events in the real-world or in a virtual world. When a relevant triggering condition is satisfied at a user device, the custom character (i.e., information for instantiating the custom character) may be transmitted to that user device. In this manner, the system may push custom characters to user devices that satisfy the triggering condition.

Abstract: An image projection apparatus comprising a frame structure having first and second opposing panels (6, 8) and a further panel (26) extending between the opposing panels (6, 8) and defining an opening, the frame structure supporting at least one image projection device (10, 12) mounted to the frame structure and arranged for front-projection of an image onto a gauze scrim ((14) covering the opening, and one or more reflective surfaces ((22, 24) mounted to the opposing panels (6, 8) of the frame structure and extending rearwardly. Also disclosed is a system (40) and method of presenting live entertainment comprising projecting a computer-generated image onto a surface (46), electronically driving in real time the projected image and controlling the projected image by way of an operator (52) hidden from one or more viewers (54) of the projected image, the operator (52) able to produce a reaction from the projected image in relation to an action of the one or more viewers (54).

Abstract: A method for manufacturing modular retaining wall blocks in natural stone, wherein the blocks are trapezoidal blocks having top and bottom surfaces with channels that receive offset connectors in multiple orientations for building upright, offset, and curved walls. Stone from a quarry is cut or split to form substantially rectangular elongate blocks having top and bottom surfaces, opposed side faces, and opposed ends. A series of channels running parallel to the side faces is cut in each of the surfaces, the top channels lying across from the bottom channels but offset therefrom. The elongate blocks are then cut between opposing pairs of channels to form trapezoidal blocks having front and rear faces.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a material moving machine comprises a pilot hydraulic switching system. The pilot hydraulic switching system comprises a control unit, a first directional valve, and a second directional valve. The control unit is configured to operate the first and second directional valves to shift a variable position actuator valve between a static state, a retract state, and an extend state. The actuator valve comprises a first and second control element. In the retract and extend states, the first and second directional valves control fluid flow to the variable position actuator valve with a positive net pressure on either the first or second control elements and a negative net pressure on the other control element to move the material moving implement. In the static state, the first and second directional valves control fluid flow equally on the first and second control elements.

Abstract: A load-handling vehicle, including a body; a boom, pivotally mounted to the body at a rear end region so that the boom can pivot up and down about an axis extending laterally with respect to the vehicle, wherein the boom has a load carrying implement attachable at a forward end region thereof; a steerable ground engageable propulsion arrangement; an electrically powered drive for the propulsion arrangement; a platform positioned at the rear of the body and to the side of the boom; and a battery pack positioned on the platform.

Abstract: A DC-to-DC power converter includes a reference voltage generator and a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable memory. The memory stores a temperature coefficient, and the temperature coefficient is based upon a temperature response of said reference voltage generator over a range of temperatures. The DC-to-DC power converter also includes a controller coupled to the reference voltage generator and the memory and operable to retrieve the temperature coefficient from the memory, and adjust an output voltage of the DC-to-DC power converter based upon the temperature coefficient.

Abstract: A device for detecting a being left within a vehicle includes a sensor that detects when a being (e.g. a pet, a child, etc.) is within a vehicle and the operator of the vehicle has moved away from the vehicle by more than, for example five feet. Upon detection of such, the device emits a sound to notify others nearby of the being that was left within the vehicle. The sound is preferably different than a sound of a typical vehicle theft alarm system. In a preferred embodiment, determination that the operator has left the vehicle is by a loss of a signal from a personal transmitter that is attached to the operator's key ring or worn by the operator. After moving away from the vehicle by more than five feet, the signal from the personal transmitter decreases and initiates determination if a being remains within the vehicle.

Abstract: Methods and reagents are disclosed for improved detection of inorganic oxidizers, such as but not limited to chlorates, perchlorates, permanganates, dichromates, and osmium tetraoxides. In one aspect of the invention, latent acid-generating reagents are employed that are chemically stable at room temperature but undergo an acidic transformation when exposed to an elevated temperature or radiation. The latent reagent can be activated by heat or radiation (e.g., UV radiation). The resulting acidic reagent can then transfer a proton to the anion (i.e., chlorate, perchlorate, etc.) of the target analyte, forming an acid (i.e., chloric acid, perchloric acid) that is more easily vaporized and, hence, more easily detected. In another aspect of the invention, heat-sensitive inorganic salts and/or photosensitive onium salts are disclosed as reagents to carry out this method.