Abstract: A vent arrangement is provided to a mask to discharge exhaled gas from the mask to atmosphere. The vent arrangement is structured to diffuse the exhaust vent flow to produce less air jetting, thereby increasing the comfort of the patient and their bed partner. The vent may include a first wall, a second wall defining an outer perimeter, and a plurality of gas washout vent holes positioned between the first wall and the second wall, the vent holes having an inner edge positioned within the outer perimeter of the second wall.

Abstract: A payment card benefit assessment system and method includes a computing device accepting payment card benefit catalog information from a payment card issuer and payment card transaction data from a payment card processing network. The payment card transaction data is analyzed to group cardholders into one demographic clusters and to determine an estimated benefit value for each of the demographic clusters. Individualized payment card benefit options are presented to an individual cardholder based on the individual cardholder's payment card transactions and the determined estimated benefit value for a corresponding one of the plurality of demographic clusters.

Abstract: Various components and subcomponents of a pluggable modular system for electrical junction boxes are described herein. In various embodiments, a jbox interface chassis is configured to be wired and fastened within an electrical junction box to provide a hot-swappable pluggable interface between the wires in the electrical junction box and each of a plurality of hot-swappable pluggable modular devices. The jbox interface chassis may include a front pluggable interface configured to electrically mate with a corresponding rear pluggable interface on a casing of each pluggable modular device. As an example, the jbox interface chassis may include a plurality of slots or holes to receive a corresponding plurality of blades or pins on the casing of each pluggable modular device. Additionally, device adapters are described herein to convert a wide variety of legacy electrical devices into pluggable modular devices.

Abstract: A wireless parking meter with an improved antenna location is described. The antenna may be located within a covering protruding from the top of the parking meter, allowing radio frequency (RF) signals to be transmitted through a portion of the parking meter with high permittivity to the RF signals. Additionally or alternatively, the antenna may be located within the parking meter housing above a lower parking meter mechanism housing so that RF signals can be transmitted through the dome covering of the parking meter, which may have a high permittivity to the RF signals.

Abstract: When a consumer carrying a device is automatically detected within a pre-defined and constrained space, ticket identifying information is automatically obtained from the device and relayed to a backend ticket redemption server. The ticket redemption server validates a ticket for the consumer from the ticket-identifying information and relays a confirmation to a ticket redemption agent's device and the consumer is checked-in for ingress onto a transportation system or into a venue destination of the consumer.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for facilitating rental of a private parking space by an urban resident are provided. Motor vehicle parking spaces located in a residential area are managed through a server. Smart parking devices that are each physically proximate to least one of the parking spaces are interfaced to the server. Vehicle occupancy sensors that are also each physically proximate to least one of the parking spaces are interfaced to the server. Parking availability indicators that are each associated with at least one of the parking spaces are interfaced to the server. The parking spaces are supplemented with a private parking space under legitimate control by a resident of the residential area. Use of the private parking space is managed through the server and the smart parking device nearest to the private parking space. Parking availability the parking spaces is indicated through the nearest parking availability indicator.

Abstract: A bearing housing for a turbocharger is disclosed. The bearing housing includes a first end proximate to a turbine wheel of the turbocharger and a second end proximate to a compressor wheel of the turbocharger. The bearing housing further includes a central chamber disposed between the first end and the second end and configured to house, at least, the shaft. The bearing housing further includes an oil drain disposed radially outward of the shaft and configured for directing oil out of the bearing housing and an oil core disposed radially outward of the shaft and radially inward of the oil drain, the oil core configured for communicating oil towards the oil drain and having an inner wall. The bearing housing includes one or more strakes protruding radially inward from the inner wall, the one or more strakes configured to direct oil within the oil core towards the oil drain.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for delivering fluid are provided. Devices include a housing configured for intravaginal deployment and retention, at least one reservoir configured to contain a fluid, and a fluid dispensing mechanism configured to dispense the fluid past the cervix and to the uterus of the subject. Methods include intravaginally deploying and retaining a device in the subject, and dispensing the fluid from the device such that the fluid is driven past the cervix to the uterus of the subject.

Abstract: In order to optimize a method for stiffening a metal component by pressing a fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component in such a way that the method can be integrated into the serial production of the car body, it is proposed that the fiber-reinforced plastic insert be picked up by means of a robot-controlled application head and pressed onto the metal component.

Abstract: This invention concerns a laser solidification apparatus for building objects by layerwise solidification of powder material. The apparatus including a build chamber containing a build platform, a device for depositing layers of powder material on to the build platform, an optical unit for directing a laser beam to selectively solidify areas of each powder layer and a spectrometer for detecting characteristic radiation emitted by plasma formed during solidification of the powder by the laser beam. The invention also relates to a spectrometer for detecting characteristic radiation generated by interaction of the metal with the or a further laser beam. The spectra recorded using the spectrometer may be used for feedback control during the solidification process.

Abstract: In a turbocharger for receiving exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine and for delivering compressed air to the internal combustion engine, a backplate may include a lubricant stall protrusion, such as a rib, may be placed in recirculation or collection recesses of the backplate to stall recirculating lubricant flow and direct the lubricant into a bearing housing lubricant core and drain to reduce an amount of lubricant proximate piston rings and leaking into a compressor housing of the turbocharger. When an lubricant deflector is used, the lubricant stall protrusion stalls recirculating lubricant that is outboard of the lubricant deflector, and may have an outer protrusion edge closely matching the outboard contour of the lubricant deflector to minimize a flow gap there between.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling variable-focus functionality to reduce user discomfort in a mixed-reality system implement acts of obtaining a vergence depth of a gaze of a user, determining that the variable-focus lens for providing focus on virtual content viewed by the user is currently configured to provide focus at a depth that differs from the vergence depth, detecting that a triggering condition is present, and, in response to so detecting, selectively dampening an adjustment made to the variable-focus lens. In some implementations, the dampening causes the adjustment made to the variable-focus lens to reconfigure the variable-focus lens to provide focus at a depth that differs from the vergence depth.

Abstract: A predictive maintenance system and method for a dental handpiece includes a condition sensor for sensing a condition of the handpiece to obtain sensor data and providing wired communication of the sensor data and a device identifier from the handpiece to a delivery unit. The system is configured to store sensor data, a device identifier and a time stamp in data logging equipment to obtain a usage history for the handpiece. The system determines a maintenance condition of the handpiece based on the sensor data and/or the usage history of the handpiece. In response to a severity of the maintenance condition, the system provides a preventative maintenance indication of a future failure for the handpiece or stops operation of the handpiece.

Abstract: A handpiece maintenance system and method identifies a dental handpiece and operates in a diagnostic cycle to power the handpiece and determine predictive maintenance condition thereof. The handpiece maintenance system includes a temperature sensor and/or an acceleration sensor to measure the conditions of the handpiece during the diagnostic cycle. The predictive maintenance condition of the handpiece is based on data from the diagnostic cycle and other stored data for the identified handpiece. A system is also configured to determine a predictive maintenance condition of the handpiece based on sensor data read from a handpiece and historical usage data thereof.

Abstract: Features are disclosed for performing functions in response to user requests based on contextual data regarding prior user requests. Users may engage in conversations with a computing device in order to initiate some function or obtain some information. A dialog manager may manage the conversations and store contextual data regarding one or more of the conversations. Processing and responding to subsequent conversations may benefit from the previously stored contextual data by, e.g., reducing the amount of information that a user must provide if the user has already provided the information in the context of a prior conversation. Additional information associated with performing functions responsive to user requests may be shared among applications, further improving efficiency and enhancing the user experience.

Abstract: Biometric templates are created for biometric data captured for a user. Each template is processed to generate a unique token. Each template and token pair is stored in a record of an index along with a link to at least one an external service of the user. During a transaction at a transaction terminal, biometric data for a user is captured and a template is generated. The index is searched with the template to obtain a corresponding token and a link to the external service. The external service is provided the token to identify the user and return personal data for the user from an account of the user with the external service. The personal data is processed for the transaction at the transaction terminal.

Abstract: A method for improving client subnet efficiency by equivalence class aggregation includes receiving a Domain Name System (DNS) query from a client, determining, based on predetermined class criteria, that the client is associated with an equivalency class, searching a cache associated with the equivalence class for an answer corresponding to the DNS query, and upon locating the answer, serving the answer to the client. If it is determined that the cache does not include the answer, the method proceeds with querying, by a recursive server, an authoritative server using client subnet data associated with the equivalence class, receiving the answer from the authoritative server, storing the answer to the cache associated with the equivalency class, and serving the answer to the client. The client subnet data may include a representative CIDR block, the representative CIDR block being used to make queries on behalf of all clients associated with the equivalence class.

Abstract: Examples of the disclosure are directed toward generating a causation score with respect to an agent and an outcome, and projecting a future causation score distribution. For example, a causation score may be determined with respect to a hypothesis that a given agent causes a given outcome, and the score may indicate the acceptance of that hypothesis in the scientific community, as described by scientific literature. A future causation score distribution, then, may indicate a probability distribution over possible future causation scores, thereby predicting the scientific acceptance of the hypothesis at some specific date in the future. A future causation score distribution can be projected by first generating one or more future publication datasets, and then determining causation scores for each of the one or more future publication datasets.

Abstract: This invention concerns a laser solidification apparatus for building objects by layerwise solidification of powder material. The apparatus including a build chamber containing a build platform, a device for depositing layers of powder material on to the build platform, an optical unit for directing a laser beam to selectively solidify areas of each powder layer and a spectrometer for detecting characteristic radiation emitted by plasma formed during solidification of the powder by the laser beam. The invention also relates to a spectrometer for detecting characteristic radiation generated by interaction of the metal with the or a further laser beam. The spectra recorded using the spectrometer may be used for feedback control during the solidification process.