Abstract: A washing machine appliance includes a wash tub positioned within a cabinet, a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub and defining a wash chamber for receiving a load of clothes, a drain pump fluidly coupled to the wash tub for selectively draining wash fluid from the wash tub, a drain hose fluidly coupled to the drain pump for draining wash fluid from the wash tub, and a controller operably coupled to the drain pump. The controller is configured to operate the drain pump until the wash fluid is drained to a target wash fluid level, determine that a predetermined amount of time has passed since stopping operation of the drain pump, and operating the drain pump after the predetermined amount of time has passed to drain an excess amount of the wash fluid from the wash tub.

Abstract: A household appliance includes a camera assembly operable to obtain an image. A method of operating the household appliance includes obtaining a first image of an exterior of the household appliance and a second image of an interior of the household appliance. The method may also include obtaining a reading from a sensor. The method further includes generating a real-time interactive visual representation of the household appliance from the first image and the second image. The visual representation may also be generated from the sensor reading. The method further includes displaying the real-time interactive visual representation of the household appliance on a remote user interface device. The method may also include receiving an inspection input at the remote user interface device. The method further includes receiving a control input at the remote user interface device and activating the household appliance in response to the control input.

Abstract: The present invention is a unique method for tubular object visualization. The method involves rendering the exterior of the tube invisible while keeping the interior visible. This “One-sided-transparency” technique renders a more complete view of the tube's interior. When applied to virtual colonoscopy (VC), it compares favorably to existing methods.

Abstract: Networked product containers such as vending machines identify the presence of a potential customer via sensors, and present customized interactive marketing content to consumers. Consumers interact with a touch screen to win prizes, make purchases, or have a fun and interactive experience. The prizes and purchases offered by the product container may be determined by the product container or by one or more content servers in communication with the container. The content server may also provide digital content for display on the product container and remotely update the product container's content. The networked product container also includes a wireless access point to provide nearby wireless-enabled devices network connectivity via the product container.