Abstract: In some implementations a system can be configured to reduce the burden of pairing user devices with playback devices. For example, all users (or user devices) who commonly operate within a particular environment (e.g., a home) can be configured as authorized users of playback devices within the particular environment. When one of the authorized users pairs a user device with a playback device, all of the user devices for all authorized users can be automatically paired with the playback device as a result of the single pairing. Thus, only a single authorized user is burdened with the pairing process in order to pair all authorized users with the playback device.

Abstract: One embodiment provides for a media playback device comprising a memory device to store instructions; one or more processors to execute the instructions stored on the memory device, the instructions to cause the one or more processors to provide a playback queue manager to manage one or more media playback queues including a set of media items associated with a scheduled event and a playback routing manager to determine an output destination for the set of media items based on context associated with the scheduled event, the playback routing manager to route output of playback of the set of media items to one or more of multiple different connected media playback devices based on the context associated with the scheduled event.

Abstract: Disclosed is a honeycomb catalyst support structure comprising a honeycomb body and an outer layer or skin formed of a cement comprising an amorphous glass powder with a multimodal particle size distribution applied to an exterior surface of the honeycomb body. The multimodal particle size distribution is achieved through the use of a first glass powder having a first median particle size and at least a second glass powder having a second median particle size. In some embodiments, the first and second glass powders are the same amorphous glass consisting of fused silica. The cement may further include a fine-grained, sub-micron sized silica in the form of colloidal silica. The cement exhibits a coefficient of thermal expansion less than 15×10?7/° C., and preferably about 5×10?7/° C. after drying.

Abstract: Disclosed is a honeycomb catalyst support structure comprising a honeycomb body and an outer layer or skin formed of a cement comprising an amorphous glass powder with a multimodal particle size distribution applied to an exterior surface of the honeycomb body. The multimodal particle size distribution is achieved through the use of a first glass powder having a first median particle size and at least a second glass powder having a second median particle size. In some embodiments, the first and second glass powders are the same amorphous glass consisting of fused silica. The cement may further include a fine-grained, sub-micron sized silica in the form of colloidal silica. The cement exhibits a coefficient of thermal expansion less than 15×10?7/° C., and preferably about 5×10?7/° C. after drying.

Abstract: A motor housing includes a motor support portion defining a central axis and including a first end and a second end, a wall surrounding the motor support portion, a surface offset from the wall toward the second end in a direction parallel with the central axis, a cooling air passageway oriented generally parallel with the central axis and offset from the central axis, and an inlet, opening directly into the cooling air passageway, at least partially defined between the wall and the surface. The inlet is configured to permit entry of a tangential airflow into the cooling air passageway, and the inlet is configured to permit entry of a radial airflow into the cooling air passageway.

Abstract: A motor housing includes a motor support portion defining a central axis and including a first end and a second end, a wall surrounding the motor support portion, a surface offset from the wall toward the second end in a direction parallel with the central axis, a cooling air passageway oriented generally parallel with the central axis and offset from the central axis, and an inlet, opening directly into the cooling air passageway, at least partially defined between the wall and the surface. The inlet is configured to permit entry of a tangential airflow into the cooling air passageway, and the inlet is configured to permit entry of a radial airflow into the cooling air passageway.

Abstract: An open-hub centrifugal blower includes a hub rotatable about an axis, an outer rim concentric with the hub, a plurality of blades coupled to the outer rim, a plurality of spokes interconnecting the hub and the outer rim, and a cooling rib extending from at least one of the spokes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a centrifugal fan including a hub adapted for rotation about a central axis and a plurality of blades arranged about the central axis and coupled for rotation with the hub. Each of the blades includes a curvature in a plane that extends through the blade and is tangent to a cylinder which extends through the blade and is centered along the central axis.

Abstract: A method for splicing optical fibers includes securing a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber within an apparatus, stripping a coating from about the first optical fiber by a first laser beam generated from at least one laser, and stripping a coating from about the second optical fiber by the first laser beam. The method also includes cleaving an end of the first optical fiber via a second beam from the laser, and cleaving an end of the second optical fiber via the second laser beam. The method further includes splicing the ends of the optical fibers together via a third laser beam from the laser, thereby creating a fused connection between the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber, and removing the first and second optical fibers from within the apparatus.

Abstract: A low splice loss optical fiber transmission line is disclosed which has a first optical fiber portion and a second optical fiber portion, the first and second optical fiber portions having different mode field diameters. The optical fiber transmission line is advantageously loss-flattened. Additionally, a method of making an optical fiber transmission line is disclosed such that the loss due to the spliced connection is reduced during the fabrication of the optical transmission line.

Abstract: A method for splicing optical fibers includes securing a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber within an apparatus, stripping a coating from about the first optical fiber by a first laser beam generated from at least one laser, and stripping a coating from about the second optical fiber by the first laser beam. The method also includes cleaving an end of the first optical fiber via a second beam from the laser, and cleaving an end of the second optical fiber via the second laser beam. The method further includes splicing the ends of the optical fibers together via a third laser beam from the laser, thereby creating a fused connection between the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber, and removing the first and second optical fibers from within the apparatus.

Abstract: A centrifugal impeller with high blade camber exhibits relatively high non-dimensional pressure and flow performance while maintaining a high operating efficiency. This invention suits itself towards applications where high operating efficiency is required in a relatively small package space or where low noise and vibration are required. The impeller blades are characterized by: a) a high positive camber at a radially inward region of the blade, for example, a maximum camber value of at least 7% of the blade chord, which occurs at x/C<0.4; and b) a large trailing edge angle, for example, a trailing edge that forms an angle of at least 70 degrees with the impeller tangent. The ratio of blade chord to impeller diameter is at least 0.15.

Abstract: A system for verifying the authenticity of a document that bears a number of fields of strings of variable characters such as a check bearing date of issue field, payee field and numeric and alpha amount fields, includes a computer at the document issuing and printing station that controls the computer. A secret program selects certain characters from the strings, transforms those characters into other characters by various methods to generate a unique string of characters to print on the document as a unique code. Any remote authenticating station can authenticate the document with a computer that contains the same secret program used at the time the document was issued. The strings of variable characters born by the document are read into the computer at the authenticating station. The secret program causes the computer to generate an authenticating code from the data read into the computer from the document. The computer compares the authenticating code to the unique code born by the document.