Abstract: A disclosed system provides protection to a window or windshield and includes a high-strength, high-toughness, transparent covering material, and attachment members. The covering material may be removably secured over the window or windshield via the attachment members. The covering material includes a handle, attached to covering material, which is configured to transmit an applied force from the handle to the covering material. The covering material is configured to bend or break in response to a force applied to the handle. A barrier material having a raised profile extending from a surface of the covering material is also provided. The barrier material is configured to divert liquid, incident on the covering material, to edges of the covering material. An embodiment covering material includes a polycarbonate material having a thickness of between 1 mm and 6 mm. The covering material includes coating materials that provide scratch resistance and protection from ultra-violet radiation.

Abstract: A track filler may include an elongated body. The body may include a first sidewall having a first top end and a first bottom end, and formed along a first side of the body, a second sidewall having a second top end and a second bottom end, and formed along a second side of the body, opposite the first sidewall, and a topwall joining the first top end and the second top end. The body may form at least a partially hollow interior portion, and may also include a plurality of periodic notches along the first bottom end of the first sidewall and the second bottom end of the second sidewall and extending toward the first top end and the second top end, respectively. The body may also include a plurality of periodic grooves extending partially through the topwall, wherein each of the grooves extend from a notch at the first top end to a corresponding notch at the second top end.

Abstract: One variation of a food production station includes: a manual assembly zone; an autonomous assembly zone; and a controller. The manual assembly zone includes: a prep surface; and a receptacle configured to receive a sequence of food hoppers configured to store ingredients for manual preparation of food products on the prep surface. The autonomous assembly zone includes: a sequence of module housings supporting the prep surface and configured to house a sequence of food dispensing modules configured to dispense ingredients into food containers; and a conveyor located within the sequence of module housings and configured to transfer food containers along the sequence of food dispensing modules for dispensation of ingredients into food containers. The controller is configured to: receive food orders; and coordinate motion of the conveyor and trigger the sequence of food dispensing modules to dispense ingredients into food containers to assemble food products according to food orders.

Abstract: One variation of a food production station includes: a manual assembly zone; an autonomous assembly zone; and a controller. The manual assembly zone includes: a prep surface; and a receptacle configured to receive a sequence of food hoppers configured to store ingredients for manual preparation of food products on the prep surface. The autonomous assembly zone includes: a sequence of module housings supporting the prep surface and configured to house a sequence of food dispensing modules configured to dispense ingredients into food containers; and a conveyor located within the sequence of module housings and configured to transfer food containers along the sequence of food dispensing modules for dispensation of ingredients into food containers. The controller is configured to: receive food orders; and coordinate motion of the conveyor and trigger the sequence of food dispensing modules to dispense ingredients into food containers to assemble food products according to food orders.

Abstract: A track filler may include an elongated body. The body may include a first sidewall having a first top end and a first bottom end, and formed along a first side of the body, a second sidewall having a second top end and a second bottom end, and formed along a second side of the body, opposite the first sidewall, and a topwall joining the first top end and the second top end. The body may form at least a partially hollow interior portion, and may also include a plurality of periodic notches along the first bottom end of the first sidewall and the second bottom end of the second sidewall and extending toward the first top end and the second top end, respectively. The body may also include a plurality of periodic grooves extending partially through the topwall, wherein each of the grooves extend from a notch at the first top end to a corresponding notch at the second top end.

Abstract: One variation of a method for blending food products includes: receiving a cup containing food products; locating a lip of the cup on a lower seat of a cup plate; rotating a blend plate about a pivot axis from a blend position to a closed position to locate an upper seat of the blend plate against the lip of the cup; driving the cup plate, about the pivot axis, toward the blend position; driving the blend plate against the cup plate to seal the upper seat against the lip of the cup; activating a blender blade of the blend plate to blend food products in the cup; driving the cup plate against the blend plate to seal the upper seat against the lip of the cup; driving the blend plate toward the closed position; rotating the blend plate toward the blend position; and delivering the cup.

Abstract: A disclosed system provides protection to a window or windshield and includes a high-strength, high-toughness, transparent covering material, and attachment members. The covering material may be removably secured over the window or windshield via the attachment members. The covering material includes a handle, attached to covering material, which is configured to transmit an applied force from the handle to the covering material. The covering material is configured to bend or break in response to a force applied to the handle. A barrier material having a raised profile extending from a surface of the covering material is also provided. The barrier material is configured to divert liquid, incident on the covering material, to edges of the covering material. An embodiment covering material includes a polycarbonate material having a thickness of between 1 mm and 6 mm. The covering material includes coating materials that provide scratch resistance and protection from ultra-violet radiation.

Abstract: A modular system for autonomous food assembly includes: a skid operable in a first configuration configured to transiently install on a vehicle and in a second configuration configured to transiently install in a kiosk; a set of food dispensing modules configured to transiently install on the skid and store and dispense food based on food orders; and a fixed infrastructure configured to distribute power from a first power source in the truck to the set of food dispensing modules in the first configuration, from a second power source in the fixed kiosk to the set of food dispensing modules in the second configuration, and to the set of food dispensing modules; a controller installed on the skid and configured to receive food orders and control the set of food dispensing modules to dispense food orders from the truck in the first configuration and from the kiosk in the second configuration.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus, such as a lighting fixture, includes a substrate, an electronic device such as a chip-on-board light emitting diode and a thermal interface located between the substrate and the electronic device. The thermal interface includes at least two distinct materials, including a dielectric material and a thermally conductive material. The dielectric material includes a cutout into which the thermally conductive material is located. The dielectric material can completely surround the perimeter of the electronic device or can be located proximate portions of the electronic device that are prone to arcing in order to protect the substrate from arcing. The electronic apparatus operates at a reduced temperature as compared to an electronic apparatus that does not include the thermal interface. Methods for making an electronic apparatus having a thermal interface with a discrete dielectric material and thermally conductive material are also described.

Abstract: The value of a target variable is predicted by obtaining historical values for the target variable at each of several time points and obtaining previously predicted values and currently predicted values for each of several predictor variables, the predictor variables being different from the target variable. Values are assigned to parameters of a forecasting model to obtain the best fit of the previously predicted values for the predictor variables to the historical values for the target variable. Finally, a value of the target variable is predicted from the currently predicted values for at least a subset of the predictor variables using the forecasting model and the values assigned to the parameters of the forecasting model.

Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for forecasting information. One representative embodiment involves obtaining data that has been provided by each of a number of individual people; dividing the people into clusters by utilizing a statistical clustering technique; calculating statistics of the data in each of at least some of the clusters; and combining the statistics for such clusters so as to obtain a combination forecast.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus, such as a lighting fixture, includes a substrate, an electronic device such as a chip-on-board light emitting diode and a thermal interface located between the substrate and the electronic device. The thermal interface includes at least two distinct materials, including a dielectric material and a thermally conductive material. The dielectric material includes a cutout into which the thermally conductive material is located. The dielectric material can completely surround the perimeter of the electronic device or can be located proximate portions of the electronic device that are prone to arcing in order to protect the substrate from arcing. The electronic apparatus operates at a reduced temperature as compared to an electronic apparatus that does not include the thermal interface. Methods for making an electronic apparatus having a thermal interface with a discrete dielectric material and thermally conductive material are also described.

Abstract: The value of a target variable is predicted by obtaining historical values for the target variable at each of several time points and obtaining previously predicted values and currently predicted values for each of several predictor variables, the predictor variables being different from the target variable. Values are assigned to parameters of a forecasting model to obtain the best fit of the previously predicted values for the predictor variables to the historical values for the target variable. Finally, a value of the target variable is predicted from the currently predicted values for at least a subset of the predictor variables using the forecasting model and the values assigned to the parameters of the forecasting model.

Abstract: Provided is a technique for evaluating an asset, such as a share of stock in a corporation, by processing historical data for value of an asset and historical data values for various exogenous variables to obtain a formula for calculating a measure of a tendency of the value of the asset to change as a result of changes in the data values for the exogenous variables, the formula being a function of the exogenous variables. Projected data values are then obtained for the exogenous variables, and a measure of the tendency of the value of the asset to change based on a change in at least one of the exogenous variables is estimated using the formula and the input projected data values.

Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for providing resources to participants over an electronic network. In one representative embodiment, a collection of resources is maintained, such that both the collection and the resources can be accessed by a participant over the electronic network at any given time; points are assigned to individual resources based on an amount of participant access of the individual resources over the electronic network; and the collection is modified based on the points assigned to the resources.

Abstract: Provided is a technique for evaluating an asset, such as a share of stock in a corporation, by processing historical data for value of an asset and historical data values for various exogenous variables to obtain a formula for calculating a measure of a tendency of the value of the asset to change as a result of changes in the data values for the exogenous variables, the formula being a function of the exogenous variables. Projected data values are then obtained for the exogenous variables, and a measure of the tendency of the value of the asset to change based on a change in at least one of the exogenous variables is estimated using the formula and the input projected data values.

Abstract: Provided is a technique forecasting the direction in which the price of an asset will move by identifying a group of exogenous variables that are likely to influence observed prices of an asset. Then, historical data for values of the exogenous variables and historical data for the observed prices of the asset over a time period are processed to obtain a formula for calculating price estimates for the asset as a function of the exogenous variables. The formula is calculated using an input set of observed values for the exogenous variables at given point in time, so as to obtain a price estimate for the asset at the given point in time. Then, a similarity measure is determined by comparing the price estimate for the asset at the given point in time to the observed price for the asset at the given point in time. Finally, a direction in which the observed price of the asset will move is forecast based on the similarity measure.

Abstract: Provided is a technique for displaying information. Initially, a number of data points is obtained, each data point including an estimated statistic. A measure of the statistical significance for each estimated statistic also is obtained, and a graph of the data points is displayed. According to this aspect of the invention, a display characteristic (such as intensity, size, brightness, hue, saturation or any other color characteristic) of each data point is a function of the measure of statistical significance of the estimated statistic included in such data point.

Abstract: The present invention relates to supported catalysts based on Re2O7/(—Al2O3 for use in the preparation of cycloalkadienes in a metathesis reaction, a process for preparing cycloalkadienes in the presence of these supported catalysts and also the use of the resulting cycloalkadienes for preparing fragrances.