Abstract: Technologies for expanded beam optical connectors are disclosed. In an illustrative embodiment, a lens array attached to a substrate includes several lenses aligned to optical fibers positioned in grooves in the substrate. The lens array also includes optical fiducials, such as opaque optical fiducials. Auxiliary optical fibers are aligned to the optical fiducials. Light can be sent through the auxiliary optical fibers and onto the optical fiducials, and a pattern of light can be detected after the optical fiducials. The pattern of light can be used to determine a position and/or orientation error of the lens array. The error can be used as feedback in several possible ways, such as repositioning the lens array, positioning a guide pin to match the position and direction of beams through the lenses, or adjusting a parameter of a manufacturing process.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for generating a digital menu for an establishment. In accordance with some embodiments, a system for generating a digital menu for an establishment is configured to: retrieve menu data from a point of sale (PoS) system at the establishment; retrieve supplemental information for the retrieved menu data; generate the digital menu based on the retrieved menu data and the supplemental information; and transmit the digital menu to an electronic device for display to a user.

Abstract: An input device includes a keycap, a first electrode disposed to move in response to movement of the keycap, a planar array of electrodes extending at least partially under the keycap, and a sensor. The planar array of electrodes includes a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode extending between the second electrode and the third electrode. The sensor is coupled to at least one of the second electrode or the third electrode and configured to generate a signal indicative of a change in capacitive coupling between the second electrode and the third electrode. The change in the capacitive coupling may result from movement of the first electrode.

Abstract: A propulsion system for a boat comprises a plurality of aerofoils connected to a main mast. At least one of the aerofoils is a displaceable aerofoil adapted to be displaced along the main mast between an open position and a closed position. When the displaceable aerofoil is in its open position the aerofoils together form a sail of open sail area. When the displaceable aerofoil is in its closed position at least some of the aerofoils overlap to form a sail of closed sail area, the closed sail area being less than the open sail area. The propulsion system can include a displacement mechanism to displace the displaceable aerofoil between its open and closed positions; at least one of the aerofoils having a solar panel thereon; and/or a stub mast extending along and free to rotate about a stub axis and connected to the main mast by a stub pivot.

Abstract: A method for automatically filling a container with water and/or ice from a dispenser in a refrigerator door or within a refrigerator cavity includes the steps of: placing a container adjacent the dispenser; determining a volume of the container by using a camera associated with the dispenser, capturing a picture of the containing, visually estimating a volume of the container via a microprocessor associated with the camera or a cloud-based application associated with the camera, and converting the estimated container volume to an estimated weight based on densities of water and/or ice; filling the container with water and/or ice from the dispenser based on the estimated weight; and terminating filling of the container based on the estimated weight. And the refrigerator carrying out the method.

Abstract: A module for a fire-mitigating surge arrester includes: an inner arrester module including an electrically conductive assembly; a cartridge including a first end, a second end, a sidewall that extends between the first end and the second end, and an exhaust region in the sidewall, the sidewall surrounding the inner arrester module; a first electrical component in contact with a first end of the electrically conductive assembly and the first end of the cartridge; a second electrical component in contact with a second end of the electrically conductive assembly and the second end of the cartridge; and a reinforcement structure on the sidewall, the first electrical component, and the second electrical component.

Abstract: A system and method of minimum turn coverage of arbitrary non-convex regions. Coverage planning is the task of generating a path that ensures the tool carried by the robot covers all regions of interest. The number of turns in the path can affect the time to cover the region and the quality of coverage (tools like cameras and cleaning attachments commonly have poor performance around turns). In recent turn-minimizing coverage methods, the region is partitioned to be covered by the least number of rectangles of width equal to the tool's width. The partitioning problem is typically solved using heuristics that have no optimality guarantees. A linear programming (LP) approach is disclosed to generate an axis-parallel coverage plan that minimizes the number of turns taken by the robot. The LP method solves this problem optimally in polynomial time. Coverage plans are generated for real regions using the LP method.

Abstract: A hydraulic system can include a hydraulic actuator including a piston rod slidably disposed within a housing having a base-side port and a rod-side port, a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic reservoir, an accumulator, a first control valve operable to selectively control flow from the pump to the base-side port and from the base-side port to the reservoir, a second control valve operable to selectively control flow from the pump to the rod-side port and from the rod-side port to the reservoir, a third control valve operable to selectively allow flow between the base-side port and the accumulator, and a controller for operating the hydraulic system and including a ride control mode in which damping is provided to the hydraulic actuator by operation of the first, second, and third control valves.

Abstract: Various aspects of the disclosure generally relate to a collapsible storage container with multiple sleeves. In some implementations a two-sleeve variant is described. In some implementations a three-sleeve variant is described. Both variants may be used to contain appropriately sized and shaped objects, for example bread, maps, posters, blueprints, plans, etc.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing bird collisions with glazing utilizes a UV light source and a perforated opaque object. The UV light source is located adjacent an edge of a glass panel and is configured to project UV light rays onto a planar surface of the glass panel. The perforated opaque object is located between the UV light source and the planar surface of the glass panel, such that UV light rays passing through the perforated object cast onto the planar surface of the glass panel a UV shadow visible to birds and substantially invisible to humans.

Abstract: Various aspects of the disclosure generally relate to a collapsible storage container with multiple sleeves. In some implementations a two-sleeve variant is described. In some implementations a three-sleeve variant is described. Both variants may be used to contain appropriately sized and shaped objects, for example bread, maps, posters, blueprints, plans, etc.

Abstract: Touch sensor panels (or touch screens) can improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) using touch electrode patterns for differential drive and/or differential sense techniques. In some examples, a touch sensor panel can include a two-dimensional array of touch nodes formed from a plurality of touch electrodes. Each column (or row) of touch nodes can be driven with a plurality of drive signals. For example, a first column (or row) of touch nodes can be driven by a first drive signal applied to one or more first touch nodes in the first column (or row) and a second drive signal applied to a one or more second touch nodes of the first column (or row). In some examples, the first drive signal and the second drive signal can be complimentary drive signals. In some examples, each row (or column) of touch electrodes can be sensed by differential sense circuitry.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for a feature-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system and method that generates radio maps for environments that are not accessible for surveying. More accurate radio maps are generated for an unsurveyed environment by determining a best estimate of a mobile device state from harvested traced data that maximizes a posterior probability of the mobile device state given measurements, landmarks and loop constraints.

Abstract: Various aspects of the disclosure generally relate to a collapsible storage container with multiple sleeves. In some implementations a two-sleeve variant is described. In some implementations a three-sleeve variant is described. Both variants may be used to contain appropriately sized and shaped objects, for example bread, maps, posters, blueprints, plans, etc.

Abstract: Integrated circuit packages may be formed having at least one optical via extending from a first surface of a package substrate to an opposing second surface of the package substrate. The at least one optical via creates an optical link between the opposing surfaces of the package substrate that enables the fabrication of a dual-sided optical multiple chip package, wherein integrated circuit devices can be attached to both surfaces of the package substrate for increased package density.

Abstract: Touch sensor panels (or touch screens) can improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) using touch electrode patterns for differential drive and/or differential sense techniques. In some examples, a touch sensor panel can include a two-dimensional array of touch nodes formed from a plurality of touch electrodes. Each column (or row) of touch nodes can be driven with a plurality of drive signals. For example, a first column (or row) of touch nodes can be driven by a first drive signal applied to one or more first touch nodes in the first column (or row) and a second drive signal applied to a one or more second touch nodes of the first column (or row). In some examples, the first drive signal and the second drive signal can be complimentary drive signals. In some examples, each row (or column) of touch electrodes can be sensed by differential sense circuitry.

Abstract: An input device such as a stylus for providing input to a touch-sensitive surface with reduced sensitivity to leakage current variations over temperature is disclosed. A passive stylus may include one or more diodes in parallel with one or more bleed resistors. The non-linear load of the diode and resistor network can be operative to provide a stylus electric field in response to a stimulation signal from an electronic device that can be capacitively coupled to, and sensed by, the electronic device. The signal sensed by the electronic device can be a function of the total leakage current, which can vary greatly as a function of temperature and frequency. In order to improve performance, the diode and resistor network, including the bleed resistor(s) and diodes within that network, can be selected and/or designed to provide a reduced variation in the leakage current and more accurate stylus detection.

Abstract: A handheld cryoanesthesia or analgesia device for cooling a target area on cutaneous membranes, mucous membranes, and tissue of the mucocutaneous zone having an elongated body and a thermoelectric cooling system disposed within the elongated body. The thermoelectric cooling system is configured to physically contact and thermally couple the target area of the cutaneous membranes, mucous membranes, and tissue of the mucocutaneous zone to induce cryoanesthesia or analgesia. The thermoelectric cooling system includes a thermally-conductive cold tip, a thermally-conductive cooling power concentrator thermally coupled to the cold tip, at least one Peltier unit module thermally coupled to the cooling power concentrator, a heatsink thermally coupled to at least one Peltier unit module, a power source, at least one thermal sensor, and a controller operably outputting a control signal to the Peltier unit module to maintain a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing bird collisions with glazing utilizes a UV light source and a perforated opaque object. The UV light source is located adjacent an edge of a glass panel and is configured to project UV light rays onto a planar surface of the glass panel. The perforated opaque object is located between the UV light source and the planar surface of the glass panel, such that UV light rays passing through the perforated object cast onto the planar surface of the glass panel a UV shadow visible to birds and substantially invisible to humans.