Abstract: Various beverage preparation systems and methods are disclosed. The beverage preparation system can include a container manipulation assembly having a support assembly and an elevator. The support assembly can be configured to receive a container. The elevator can be connected with the support assembly and can be configured to translate and/or rotate the support assembly. In some embodiments, the beverage preparation system includes a wand manipulation assembly having a wand unit and a mechanical linkage. The linkage can be configured to move the wand unit into and out of engagement with the container on the support assembly. The wand unit can provide a flow of fluid, such as steam, to liquid in the container to heat and/or froth the liquid.

Abstract: A media appliance and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a housing is adapted to be mounted within a wall. A panel forms a front portion of the housing and the panel includes vents and the panel may be mounted substantially flush with the wall. A media player, which includes a set-top box, is disposed within the housing. A pair of ports, disposed within openings defined by the housing, are configured to receive respective connectors. The pair of ports are coupled to the media player and one port is configured for providing a connection to a television and the other port is configured for providing a connection to an external source of signal for the television, as well as power for the media player.

Abstract: A multiple access slotted wireless communication system comprising a plurality of terminals and a multi-access receiver is described. The multi-access receiver can decode multiple transmissions in each slot of a frame from terminals in its field of view. Each terminal has an active state for transmitting and an inactive state. After receiving acknowledgement of a successful transmission by the terminal, the terminal enters the inactive state for at least a transmission delay time. This may be the remaining time that the terminal is in the field of view of the multi-access receiver. This may be achieved by the terminal using a probability of transmission to determine whether or not to transmit in the next frame. The terminal may also be configured to select the slot in a frame, and this may be based upon information such as which slots were acknowledged. The receiver may use compression to transmit acknowledgement messages.

Abstract: A number of computing devices (13) are controlled from a touchscreen display system (11) using a Touch Intermediator Machine (TIM) (12) receiving information indicating the location of one or more touches on a connected touchscreen panel (11). The TIM (12) determines whether the pattern of touches received matches one of a pre-programmed set of interface manipulation gestures. If so, the TIM (12) alters the user interface presented on the connected touchscreen display system (11) depending on the gesture detected. If not, the TIM (12) determines the connected computing device (13) associated with the location of the touch received and updated co-ordinates of the touch received within an area on the touchscreen display system (11) associated with the connected computing device (13). The TIM (12) transmits information to the relevant connected computing device (13) regarding the touch received.

Abstract: A separable robotic interface is provided. The separable robotic interface includes a carrier portion, configured to attach to a free end of a robotic arm, and a probe portion, configured to be attached to a toolhead. The carrier portion includes a spring-loaded plug, coaxial with and arranged to slide lengthwise within the carrier portion, one or more ball bearings, arranged within holes of the carrier portion, and an axial lock feature. The probe portion may include a probe, which includes one or more recesses on lateral exterior surfaces of the probe and configured to receive ball bearings in order to axially lock the carrier portion to the probe portion in response to the probe portion inserted a predetermined distance into the carrier portion and the axial lock feature is activated. The probe portion is further configured to radially align with the carrier portion in response to an alignment feature engages the carrier portion.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a media system communicates with an aggregate device that includes multiple media output devices. When providing media data for presentation, the system adjusts for device clock drift by resampling the media data provided to a media output device based at least in part on a device clock rate difference between a device clock of one of the media output devices and a device clock of another of the media output devices.

Abstract: Techniques for encoding optimization for obfuscated media are described. Generally, a portion of media is designated as sharing protected for a media sharing experience. According to various implementations, the portion of media is obfuscated using a key image to prevent the portion of media from being viewable in the clear by one or more participants in the media sharing experience. A particular participant can be designated as sharing privileged such that the particular participant has access to the key image and can use the key image to deobfuscate obfuscated media. According to various implementations, encoding of a media sharing experience is optimized based on one or more attributes of obfuscated media included in the media sharing experience.

Abstract: A communication system is disclosed. In an embodiment, the communication system includes a user node for receiving data from a remote application program, the data including message data for communication to a central application program operatively associated with the remote application program; plurality of geographically distributed gateway nodes; one or more access nodes for receiving the message data from the user node via a first communications interface, and communicating the message data via a second communications interface to one or more of the plurality of geographically distributed gateway nodes; and a hub for communicating with the one or more of the plurality of geographically distributed gateway nodes to receive the message data for communication to the central application.

Abstract: Various beverage preparation systems and methods are disclosed. The beverage preparation system can include a container manipulation assembly having a support assembly and an elevator. The support assembly can be configured to receive a container. The elevator can be connected with the support assembly and can be configured to translate and/or rotate the support assembly. In some embodiments, the beverage preparation system includes a wand manipulation assembly having a wand unit and a mechanical linkage. The linkage can be configured to move the wand unit into and out of engagement with the container on the support assembly. The wand unit can provide a flow of fluid, such as steam, to liquid in the container to heat and/or froth the liquid.

Abstract: A computerized vehicle control system for fleet routing includes a fleet of vehicles where each vehicle in the fleet of vehicles is configured to travel over streets and including an engine and wheels. Each vehicle further includes an in-vehicle electronic device comprising digital logic circuitry and a port configured to couple with a vehicle computer installed in the vehicle and in communication with a plurality of sensors disposed about the vehicle. The in-vehicle electronic device further comprises a display. The computerized vehicle control system further includes a vehicle management system comprising memory and computer hardware and configured to communicate over a network with each in-vehicle electronic device in the fleet of vehicles.

Abstract: System and methods for managing dynamic electronic documents on a private distributed ledger comprise establishing a dynamic electronic document comprising a first state object, wherein the state object references a prior approved first transaction; proposing a second transaction comprising as an input the first state object and as an output a transaction command to alter the state object as well as what parameters are required to validate the second transaction; validating the proposed second transaction; and updating the state object on a private distributed ledger to reference the second transaction.

Abstract: System and methods for managing dynamic electronic documents on a private distributed ledger comprise establishing a dynamic electronic document comprising a first state object, wherein the state object references a prior approved first transaction; proposing a second transaction comprising as an input the first state object and as an output a transaction command to alter the state object as well as what parameters are required to validate the second transaction; validating the proposed second transaction; and updating the state object on a private distributed ledger to reference the second transaction.

Abstract: Various beverage preparation systems and methods are disclosed. The beverage preparation system can include a dispensing unit configured to receive beverage, such as a shot of espresso, from a beverage preparation machine. The dispensing unit can include a dispensing unit with a first end and a second end. The dispensing unit can be rotatable between an upright position and an inverted position. The dispensing unit can be configured to receive the beverage through the second end when the dispensing unit is in the upright position, and can be configured to receive cleansing fluid through the second end when the dispensing unit is in the inverted position. In some embodiments, when the dispensing unit is in an intermediate position between the upright and inverted positions, the dispensing unit is configured to dispense the beverage out of the first end and into a cup or other vessel.

Abstract: A Network Splitter, using three network connections. Splitting of the data paths occurs up stream from the networks connection, between the PHY, and the MAC, of the OSI model. Splitting is done by connecting the transmit data and transmit control of the layer representing the connection of the first network device, to the receive data and receive control of the layer representing the connection to the second network device, and connecting the transmit data and transmit control of the layer representing the connection to the third network device to the receive data and receive control signals of the layer representing the connection to the first network device. In this way, packet network data is being sent to a second network connection from the first network connection, and packet data is being transmitted from a third network connection to the first network connection.

Abstract: An electronic gaming machine, an electronic gaming system, and a computer-implemented method for providing three dimensional selection games in a gaming system are disclosed. The electronic gaming machines includes: at least one processor; at least one persistent data store; at least one receiver to receive game data for storage in the at least one persistent data store; and a display device configured with a user interface to display: 1) a multi-faceted gaming surface comprising at least two gaming surface representations; and 2) a portion of the game data as a first set of 3D game components on one or more of the at least two gaming surface representations in accordance with a set of game rules for a given game, each one of the 3D game components having a symbol associated thereto.

Abstract: A multiuser communication system comprises multiple transmitters and a multiuser receiver that detects multiple transmissions via iterative soft interference cancellation. An initial acquisition module and single user decoder module are also described. The multiuser receiver acquires and subtracts known users in the residual signal before acquiring new users in the residual signal, which is performed iteratively until no new users are detected or a stopping criterion is met. To aid receiver acquisition, the transmitters insert discrete tones into the transmitted signals. These allow the multiuser receiver to obtain initial estimates of the frequency, time, gain, and/or phase offset for each user. To improve the quality of cancellation the receiver refines estimates of gain, time, frequency and phase offsets for each user after each iteration, and calculates time varying SINR estimates for each user. The multiuser receiver may be satellite based, may be a distributed receiver, or process users in parallel.

Abstract: An electrical stimulation lead includes a stimulation cuff having an exterior surface and an interior surface that defines a nerve channel having a nerve channel axis. A plurality of electrodes are disposed on the interior surface of the cuff. A longitudinal opening extends through the cuff and further extends along an entire length of the cuff, wherein the opening is operable to receive a target nerve from a region outside of the cuff to within the nerve channel. A mount is disposed on the exterior surface of the cuff and radially offset from the nerve channel axis. A lead body is radially offset from the nerve channel axis and a plurality of conductors extend through the lead body, mount and cuff, with the plurality of conductors electrically coupled to the electrodes. The electrical stimulation lead may include a plurality of slots to permit tissue ingrowth.

Abstract: Systems, methods and devices for an inline integrity checker are disclosed. The systems, methods and devices may include detection of impedance to a perforating gun disposed in a wellbore using a controller; a built-in impedance device; a shooting safety panel housing at least partially surrounding the built-in impedance device for restricting access to the built-in impedance device; one or more input devices for altering an impedance or resistance threshold level; and one or more alarms for indicating a condition exceeding the impedance or resistance threshold level as determined by the controller.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for operating a conveyance system (e.g., a conveyor belt, tilt plane, robotic arm) of a mobile drive unit (MDU) independent of the MDU's navigation system. The MDU may be configured to obtain, convey, and deliver items within the workspace. Navigation information related to navigating the MDU within a workspace may be obtained. Operations of a navigational system of the MDU may be performed to move the MDU to various locations within the workspace in accordance with the navigation information. Conveyance information related to physically obtaining and/or delivering an item within the workspace may be obtained by the MDU (e.g., via conveyance-related fiducial markers and/or sensors of the MDU). At least one operation of a conveyance system of the MDU may be executed which may cause the item to be physically relocated based at least in part on the conveyance information.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method and a system for separating suspended particles that have differing sedimentation velocities, comprising placing the particles inside a hollow device which upon rotation, spins the suspension into a thick film within which sedimentation of the particles occurs, rotating the hollow device at a speed and for a time that allows fast-sedimenting particles to sediment into a layer of more densely packed particles while some of the slow-sedimenting particles remain outside of the dense-particle-pack, and slowing the rotation of the hollow device in a manner to prevent remixing of the layer of dense-particle-pack with a layer containing some of the slow-sedimenting particles. This method may have application in many technologies including the rapid separation of bacteria from blood components.