Abstract: An on-demand hot water dispenser includes a housing, a water heating system received in the housing, and a faucet connected to the water heating system through the housing for dispensing hot water into a container. A drip tray is positioned below the faucet and a screen covers the drip tray to support the container during dispensing of the hot water.

Abstract: An on-demand hot water dispenser includes a housing, a water heating system received in the housing, and a faucet connected to the water heating system through the housing for dispensing hot water into a container. A drip tray is positioned below the faucet and a screen covers the drip tray to support the container during dispensing of the hot water.

Abstract: A vacuum-type coffee maker includes an upper brewing unit and a lower carafe. The upper brewing unit includes a vessel and a collar disposed around a lower portion of the vessel. The collar includes a magnetic array defining an upper magnetic coupler. The lower carafe includes a vessel having a collar disposed around an upper portion of the vessel. The collar further includes a magnetic array to define a lower magnetic coupler. In assembly, the upper magnetic coupler is magnetically coupled to the lower magnetic coupler when the upper brewing unit is received on the lower carafe. A heating element is disposed in a base portion of the lower carafe. The lower carafe is removeably received on a support stand, and the heating element of the lower carafe is powered by the support stand in use during a brewing sequence.

Abstract: Described herein are implementations relating to a method for an apparatus to communicate with a device. One embodiment includes transmitting a clock signal to the device, receiving from the device, an asynchronous signal, and extracting information from the asynchronous signal based on the clock signal. In one embodiment the clock signal has a periodic elementary pattern. A period of the clock signal, in one embodiment encompasses, more than one clock cycle. Further disclosed are an apparatus to communicate with a device and a system for communication with a device.

Abstract: A vacuum-type coffee maker includes an upper brewing unit and a lower carafe. The upper brewing unit includes a vessel and a collar disposed around a lower portion of the vessel. The collar includes a magnetic array defining an upper magnetic coupler. The lower carafe includes a vessel having a collar disposed around an upper portion of the vessel. The collar further includes a magnetic array to define a lower magnetic coupler. In assembly, the upper magnetic coupler is magnetically coupled to the lower magnetic coupler when the upper brewing unit is received on the lower carafe. A heating element is disposed in a base portion of the lower carafe. The lower carafe is removeably received on a support stand, and the heating element of the lower carafe is powered by the support stand in use during a brewing sequence.

Abstract: Described herein are implementations relating to a method for an apparatus to communicate with a device. One embodiment includes transmitting a clock signal to the device, receiving from the device, an asynchronous signal, and extracting information from the asynchronous signal based on the clock signal. In one embodiment the clock signal has a periodic elementary pattern. A period of the clock signal, in one embodiment encompasses, more than one clock cycle. Further disclosed are an apparatus to communicate with a device and a system for communication with a device.

Abstract: An electrically conductive polymeric article exhibiting enhanced conductivity including a polymeric material capable of exhibiting electrical conductivity; the polymeric material being rendered electrically conductive by treatment with UV or near UV irradiation in the presence of a viologen salt.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the automatic determination of cable connections on a patch panel employs a reduced number of RFID antennas. A plurality of RFID antennas, each positioned so as to be in close proximity to each of a set of device ports of a patch panel, each comprises a series of resonators that correspond to the individual device ports (i.e., cable connector locations) in the set. The resonators may comprise in-line circuitry within the antennas, or other means for producing given impedance values at the cable connector locations. In operation, the power supplied to a given antenna is varied (e.g., in a step-wise fashion), so that the antenna field may be advantageously shaped to include a given subset of the device ports in the set and to exclude the others, thereby allowing the system to read individual RFID tags (connected to particular device ports) selectively.

Abstract: An RF antenna grid design in which the antenna array is installed on a patch panel cover allows for the retrofitting of an RF antenna grid on existing patch panel based systems without disrupting network operation. An apparatus for determining connectivity between device ports on a patch panel and cable ends having corresponding RFID tags attached thereto comprises a patch panel having a plurality of device ports and a patch panel cover comprising a plurality of RFID antennas, where each of the RFID antennas comprises one or more protruding portions thereof, each of the protruding portions of the RFID antennas being in close physical proximity to one or more of the plurality of device ports when the patch panel cover is positioned in a fixed positional relationship to the patch panel (e.g., when the patch panel cover is “attached” to the patch panel).

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for identifying one or more errors and/or one or more stranded resources in a connection-oriented or circuit-switched network. By way of example, a technique for identifying at least one of an error and a stranded resource in at least a portion of a connection-oriented or circuit-switched network comprises the following steps/operations. Field data is obtained directly from one or more elements of the network. At least a portion of the obtained field data is examined to determine an existence of at least one of an error and a stranded resource with respect to one or more element-level constructs. Data synthesized from at least a portion of the obtained field data is analyzed to determine an existence of at least one of an error and a stranded resource with respect to one or more network-level constructs.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for mediating communication between applications over a message transport bus. A software wrapper includes a virtual bus wrapper presenting an interface to the applications, with the interface being presented such that the message transport bus is transparent to the applications. The wrapper also includes a bus specific wrapper to adapt the message transport bus to the virtual bus wrapper, as well as a support wrapper. Changes to the applications being supported or to the message transport bus can be accommodated by changes to the virtual bus wrapper or to the bus specific wrapper, respectively. In particular, changes to the bus specific wrapper allow migration to a new or changed message transport bus or a system using a different message transport bus without a need to adapt each application to the new bus.

Abstract: An electrically conductive polymeric article exhibiting enhanced conductivity including a polymeric material capable of exhibiting electrical conductivity;