Abstract: The present invention relates to a pipe coupling comprising: a tubular casing, having a longitudinal gap between a first free end and a second free end, for fitting around a pipe; and a tensioning system for tightening the casing around the outer surface of the pipe, the system comprising: at least one fastener having a first end and a second end, for tightening the casing around the pipe; a first member, coupled to the first free end of the casing, configured to engage with the first end of the or each fastener; and a second member, slidably coupled to the second free end of the casing, configured to engage with the second end of the or each fastener, the second member being longitudinally slidable from a first position, in which the or each fastener is free to move radially out of engagement with said second member, to a second position in which the or each fastener is in retained engagement with said second member.

Abstract: Electret webs include a thermoplastic resin and a charge-enhancing additive. The charge-enhancing additive is a substituted-benzoic acid or a substituted-benzoate salt. The benzoic acid and benzoate salts are substituted by a hydroxyl or amino group at the ortho position or 1 position of the benzene ring. The benzene ring may contain additional substituent groups. The substituted-benzoate salt may have a monovalent, divalent, or trivalent metal counteraction.

Abstract: According to examples, a learning based, end-to-end compression system may include an encoder, which may receive a complex hologram image and encode a latent code for a real component and an imaginary component of the hologram image. The system may also include a quantizer to quantize the latent code and a transform block, which may entropy-code the quantized latent code to obtain a compressed image. The system may further include a generator to decode the compressed image and a discriminator, which may classify the decoded image to obtain an uncompressed image. In case of holographic video input, the encoder may encode a frame to obtain a standard compressed frame and a residual to a latent code. The generator may decode the standard compressed frame and the latent code to obtain a reconstructed residual, and the discriminator may combine the uncompressed standard frame and the reconstructed residual.

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: In an embodiment, a method involves receiving a pixel array, compressing the pixel array by, for each pixel block of multiple pixel blocks: accessing pixel values associated with pixels in the pixel block, determining a range of the pixel values and an endpoint pixel value in the range, determining quantization levels corresponding to different values within the range of the pixel values, selecting a quantization level from the quantization levels for each of the pixel values in the pixel block, and encoding the pixel values in the pixel block using their respective selected quantization levels and the endpoint pixel value.

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: A pipe coupling for connecting together the ends of two pipes. The pipe coupling including: a tubular casing for fitting around the pipes; a tensioning system for tightening the casing around the outer surface of the pipes; and a guide member, coupled to and extending away from a first axial end of the tubular casing, for radially aligning and guiding one of the pipes into the tubular casing. Further including an assembly having a pipe coupling and a pipe, the pipe coupling being pre-installed on one end of the pipe, and configured to receive a second pipe.

Abstract: In one embodiment, one or more computing systems may determine a first display content to be displayed on a display. The first display content may be associated with one or more frames. The one or more computing systems may determine an optimization operation for the first display content based on one or more first parameters associated with the display or one or more second parameters associated with the one or more frames. The one or more computing systems may adjust the one or more frames based on the optimization operation. The adjusted one or more frames may have at least one optimized attribute comparing to the one or more frames before being adjusted. The one or more computing systems may output the adjusted one or more frames to the display to represent the first display content.

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: A fluid line quick connector serves to join fluid lines together in vehicle applications, as well as in industrial-manufacturing, aircraft, marine, and agricultural applications, among other possibilities. The fluid line quick connector has a retainer assembly with a primary latch and a secondary latch. A data matrix is provided, and can be in the form of a quick response (QR) code, as an example. In use, when the secondary latch is in the open position, the data matrix is partially or more concealed. And when the secondary latch is in the closed position, the partial or more concealment is absent and the data matrix can be properly read.

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: In an embodiment, a method involves receiving a pixel array, compressing the pixel array by, for each pixel block of multiple pixel blocks: accessing pixel values associated with pixels in the pixel block, determining a range of the pixel values and an endpoint pixel value in the range, determining quantization levels corresponding to different values within the range of the pixel values, selecting a quantization level from the quantization levels for each of the pixel values in the pixel block, and encoding the pixel values in the pixel block using their respective selected quantization levels and the endpoint pixel value.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing system may determine a quantization range having a first quantization endpoint and a second quantization endpoint. While fixing the second quantization endpoint to an initial value determined based on the color range, one of a plurality of first candidate values for the first quantization endpoint is selected based on a plurality of corresponding first quantization errors. While fixing the first quantization endpoint to the selected first candidate value, one of a plurality of second candidate values for the second quantization endpoint is selected based on a plurality of corresponding second quantization errors. The computing system may define quantization levels corresponding to the bit depth using the quantization range defined by the first quantization endpoint and the second quantization endpoint, and then encode the one or more color components of the pixel region using the quantization levels.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method involves accessing a first pixel block of an image, the first pixel block comprising pixels, each associated with three color values, determining whether to separately or jointly encode the three color values of each of the pixels of the first pixel block, determining that the three color values of each of the pixels in the first pixel block are to be jointly encoded based on (1) determining, based on the three color values 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 three color values 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: In one embodiment, a computing system may determine a quantization range having a first quantization endpoint and a second quantization endpoint. While fixing the second quantization endpoint to an initial value determined based on the color range, one of a plurality of first candidate values for the first quantization endpoint is selected based on a plurality of corresponding first quantization errors. While fixing the first quantization endpoint to the selected first candidate value, one of a plurality of second candidate values for the second quantization endpoint is selected based on a plurality of corresponding second quantization errors. The computing system may define quantization levels corresponding to the bit depth using the quantization range defined by the first quantization endpoint and the second quantization endpoint, and then encode the one or more color components of the pixel region using the quantization levels.

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.