Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a measuring unit configured to measure a stopping time period in which rotation of a developer carrying member is stopped; a correcting unit configured to control an image forming unit to form a pattern image, control a detecting unit to detect the pattern image, and correct an image formation condition of the image forming unit based on a detection result of the detecting unit; and a correcting unit configured to correct a correction amount of the image formation condition, which is corrected by the correcting unit, based on the stopping time period measured by the measuring unit.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a side face of a device body and a bypass tray. The bypass tray is supported so as to be turned around a turning fulcrum part with respect to the side face between a close position along the side face and an open position being held at a predetermined angle with respect to the side face. The bypass tray includes a facing surface and a first positioned part. The facing surface faces to the side face in the close position and is capable of stacking the sheet in the open position. The first positioned part is arranged on the facing surface below the turning fulcrum part. The side face includes a first positioning part. The first positioning part is fitted with the first positioned part in the open position to restrict movement of the bypass tray in the width direction.

Abstract: A driving force transmission device includes a sun gear that rotates upon receipt of a driving force, an internal gear that has a hollow portion and internal teeth on an inner surface of the hollow portion, the internal gear being disposed coaxially with the sun gear, a planetary gear that rotates and revolves in mesh with the sun gear and the internal gear, a rotating member that supports a rotating shaft of the planetary gear, and rotates about an output shaft as the planetary gear revolves, and a retaining member that contacts with one end of the rotating shaft of the planetary gear on one surface side of the rotating member to retain the rotating shaft.

Abstract: A power supply device includes a DC power supply circuit to output a DC voltage, an AC power supply circuit to generate an AC voltage, and a power supply control circuit to control the DC power supply circuit and the AC power supply circuit. The AC power supply circuit outputs a superimposed voltage in which the DC voltage is superimposed with the AC voltage. The power supply control circuit controls the DC power supply circuit to output the DC voltage according to a DC output value corresponding to the AC voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image carrying member, an intermediate transfer belt having conductivity, a toner image on the image carrying member being primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer member in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt, the secondary transfer member secondarily transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt to a transfer material, a power supply applying a voltage to the secondary transfer member, the toner image being primarily transferred from the image carrying member to the intermediate transfer belt by having a voltage be applied to the secondary transfer member from the power supply, a contact member in contact with the intermediate transfer belt, and a constant current diode, an anode side thereof being connected to the power supply, and a cathode side thereof being connected to the contact member.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus including a first circuit and a second circuit insulated from the first circuit includes an adjustment unit and a detector in the first circuit, a controller in the second circuit, and first and second communication units in the first and second circuits, respectively. The adjustment unit is configured to adjust power. The controller is configured to control the adjustment unit. The detector is configured to detect a parameter. The second communication unit is configured to perform wireless communication with the first communication unit. The first communication unit is operated with power supplied to the first communication unit by a signal generated in the first communication unit due to a signal output from the controller to the second communication unit, and transmits information about a result of detection by the detector to the second communication unit. The controller controls the adjustment unit based on the information.

Abstract: A support member that supports an elastic member constituted of an elastic body contacting the surface of an image bearing member has a first surface that extends in a rotation axis direction of the image bearing member, and a second surface that includes a normal vector, which intersects with a normal vector of the first surface, and extends in the rotation axis direction. In the rotation axis direction, the first surface is fixed to two fixed portions of the frame, and a first vibration absorbing member is disposed between the two fixed portions so as to contact the frame and the first surface.

Abstract: A cleaning member includes a core and first and second foamed elastic layers wound around an outer peripheral surface of the core in a double-helical pattern. The compressive stress F1 of the first foamed elastic layer is greater than the compressive stress F2 of the second foamed elastic layer. The cleaning member cleans a member to be cleaned with the first and second foamed elastic layers in contact with a surface of the member to be cleaned.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a mounting unit configured to mount a development unit including a developing member, a pressing member configured to press the development unit mounted on the mounting unit to separate the developing member from a photosensitive member or bring the developing member into contact with the photosensitive member, and an urging member configured to urge the pressing member, wherein, when mounting the development unit on the mounting unit, the development unit moves in a first direction from the pressing member toward the development unit, parallel to a direction in which the pressing member and the development unit are arranged side by side, wherein the pressing member is movable in the first direction, and wherein the urging member urges the pressing member to move the pressing member in the first direction.

Abstract: A cartridge includes a photosensitive member, a roller including a core metal shaft and a coating layer, roller supporting portions, and a regulating portion for regulating a position of the roller with respect to a longitudinal direction of the roller. The roller supporting portions are provided so as to support one end portion and an other end potion of the core metal shaft, respectively, with respect to a direction of a rotational axis of the roller. The roller is further provided with cylindrical holes disposed at respective ends of the core metal shaft with respect to the direction of the rotational axis and extending in the direction of the rotational axis with the rotational axis as a center. The roller is supported by the roller supporting portions at inner peripheral surfaces of the holes.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a developing cartridge, detachably mounted on a photosensitive drum cartridge which is detachably mounted inside an image forming apparatus and includes a drum holder and a photosensitive drum. At least one sidewall of the drum holder is provided with a supporting part. The developing cartridge includes a frame and a developing roller. At least one side-end surface of the frame is provided with a supported element. When the developing cartridge and the photosensitive drum cartridge are mounted, the supported element receives a force applied by a force-applying component of the image forming apparatus, such that the developing roller is maintained pressed against the photosensitive drum. The angle between the direction of the force and the normal direction of the contact interface between the supported element and the supporting part is larger than or equal to the friction angle between the supported element and the supporting part.

Abstract: An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes: a plurality of photoelectric elements for receiving an incident light. The photoelectric elements are arranged into a plurality of unit cells, and each of the unit cells includes a first photoelectric element and a second photoelectric element. The first photoelectric element in each of the unit cells captures a first pixel in a first phase, and the second photoelectric element in each of the unit cells captures a second pixel in a second phase, wherein the first phase is different from the second phase.

Abstract: The inventors have discovered a method to improve image quality in holography and, for the first time, utilize lenses made from birefringent materials to advantageously split an incoming beam of either coherent or incoherent light into two coincident beams with different focal lengths that interfere with one another and thus create holograms free of electro-optical or pixelated devices. This discovery has many advantages over current methods to create holograms in which many components, including multiple lenses, other electro-optical devices, and/or beam paths are necessary to create holograms. The current invention provides a purely optical holographic process which has better performance and holographic simplicity, in addition to being able to miniaturize holographic processes more than is currently possible in state of the art holography systems.

Abstract: In the present invention a new atomic clock is proposed comprising: at least one light source adapted to provide an optical beam, at least one photo detector and a vapor cell comprising a first optical window, said optical beam being directed through said vapor cell for providing an optical frequency reference signal, said photo detector being adapted to detect said optical frequency reference signal and to generate at least one reference signal, wherein—said atomic clock comprises a first optical waveguide arranged to said first optical window, said first optical waveguide being arranged to incouple at least a portion of said optical beam, said first optical waveguide being sized and shaped so that said first guided light beam is expanded, a first outcoupler is arranged to outcouple at least a portion of said guided light beam to said vapor cell, —the thickness t of the atomic clock is smaller than 15 nm.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods to boot a computing system of an autonomous vehicle. In particular, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can initialize a basic input output system (BIOS) of a computing system comprising one or more computing devices of an autonomous vehicle. The computing system can utilize data stored in the BIOS and data stored in one or more files comprising a kernel of an operating system of the autonomous vehicle and a random access memory (RAM) drive to verify the kernel and the RAM drive. Responsive to verifying the kernel and the RAM drive, the operating system of the autonomous vehicle can be booted.

Abstract: A multi-resonant wide band controller decomposes the wave energy converter control problem into sub-problems; an independent single-frequency controller is used for each sub-problem. Thus, each sub-problem controller can be optimized independently. The feedback control enables actual time-domain realization of multi-frequency complex conjugate control. The feedback strategy requires only measurements of the buoy position and velocity. No knowledge of excitation force, wave measurements, nor wave prediction is needed. As an example, the feedback signal processing can be carried out using Fast Fourier Transform with Hanning windows and optimization of amplitudes and phases. Given that the output signal is decomposed into individual frequencies, the implementation of the control is very simple, yet generates energy similar to the complex conjugate control.

Abstract: A technique for controlling a process using slow or non-periodically received process variable measurements enables more robust controller responses to setpoint changes and disturbance changes even when the process variable measurement feedback signals are reviewed at a rate on the order of the rate associated with the response time of the process dynamic or variable being controlled. The control technique implements iterations of a control routine to generate a control signal using a reset or rate contribution component that, in some sense, defines an expected process response to the control signal. When a new measurement of the process variable is unavailable to the controller, the reset or rate contribution component is maintained at zero or at some other previous level when generating the control signal.

Abstract: This working apparatus for a component or a board includes a head unit and a control portion. The control portion performs control of calculating a rotation angle in a horizontal plane of the head unit from displacement of the center of a first imaging portion and displacement of the center of a second imaging portion and correcting the center position of a working mechanism portion on the basis of the amount of rotation-induced displacement of the center of the working mechanism portion due to the rotation angle, a first amount of displacement in a first direction in the horizontal plane being not induced by rotation of the center of the working mechanism portion, and a second amount of displacement in a second direction in the horizontal plane being not induced by the rotation of the center of the working mechanism portion when moving the head unit.

Abstract: A computer-based method controls a dynamical system in an uncertain environment within a bounded probability of failure. The dynamical system has a state space and a control space. The method includes diffusing a risk constraint corresponding to the bounded probability of failure into a martingale that represents a level of risk tolerance associated with the dynamical system over time. The state space and the control space of the dynamical system are augmented with the martingale to create an augmented model with an augmented state space and an augmented control space. The method may include iteratively constructing one or more Markov Decision Processes (MDPs), with each iterative MDP represents an incrementally refined model of the dynamical system. The method further includes computing a first solution based on the augmented model or, if additional time was available, based on one of the MDP iterations.

Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to receive weather data including a plurality of measured data points in an area around a vehicle, from a remote weather server. The processor is also configured to receive a path from a vehicle subsystem. The processor is further configured to combine the data points and path to form a predictive model reflecting expected weather conditions along the path at future times, the model based on predefined parameters defining expected weather behavior and send the model to a requesting vehicle subsystem.

Abstract: A system and approach for storing factors in a quadratic programming solver of an embedded model predictive control platform. The solver may be connected to an optimization model which may be connected to a factorization module. The factorization module may incorporate a memory containing saved factors that may be connected to a factor search mechanism to find a nearest stored factor in the memory. A factor update unit may be connected to the factor search mechanism to obtain the nearest stored factor to perform a factor update. The factorization module may provide variable ordering to reduce a number of factors that need to be stored to permit the factors to be updated at zero floating point operations per unit of time.

Abstract: An approach for changing behavior of users of a building automation system by employing gaming function logic and providing feedback to the building automation system users.

Abstract: A design software, e.g., a graphical user interface (GUI) software, may be used to design and/or configure a load control system. The design software may be executed on a network device (e.g., a personal computer, a laptop, a tablet, or a smart phone). The design software may allow for easy configuration of load control panels and effortless multiplication of configured panels during the design of the load control system. Each load control panel may have a plurality of control devices, such as load control devices (e.g., power modules, dimming modules, and/or switching modules), system controllers, and/or power supplies. The design software may allow for the configuration of load control panels having different types and numbers of control devices. In addition, the design software may allow for the multiplication of load control panels having the same configuration (e.g., the same type and number of control devices).

Abstract: An intermediate sump warning system having a sensor associated with a gate of an intermediate sump. The sensor is connected to a controller that activates a warning signal when the sensor detects that the gate is in an open position. The controller also deactivates the unloading system when the gate is open.

Abstract: Embodiments provided herein relate to: suggesting, automatically implementing, or both suggesting and automatically implementing, one or more household policies to be implemented within a household environment. The household policies include one or more input criteria that is derivable from at least one smart device within the household environment, the one or more input criteria relating to a characteristic of the household environment, a characteristic of one or more occupants of the household, or both. The household policies also include one or more outputs to be provided based upon the one or more input criteria.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices relating to administration of a portable electronic key are disclosed. The portable electronic key is configured for controlling access to an electronic locking device. A motion detection sensor detects a movement of the portable electronic key. Based on the movement of the key, a wireless communications link is established between the portable electronic key and an access administration device for exchanging messages related to access control information.

Abstract: Devices that transfer and communicate tap dial position changes to a remote location are bulky, cost prohibitive, and electronically noisy. A method and device for providing real-time readings of data from remote utility substation equipment, digitizing respective real-time information, and transmitting said digitized data over a utility provider's secure network to an operations control center, thus making said critical field data immediately available to a utility Operations Control Center and significantly reducing field manpower resources required to monitor critical operational data.

Abstract: An energy storage system for a building includes a battery asset configured to store electricity and discharge the stored electricity for use in satisfying a building electric load. The system includes a planning tool configured to identify one or more selected functionalities of the energy storage system and generate a cost function defining a cost of operating the energy storage system over an optimization period. The cost function includes a term for each of the selected functionalities. The planning tool is configured to generate optimization constraints based on the selected functionalities, attributes of the battery asset, and the electric energy load to be satisfied. The planning tool is configured to optimize the cost function to determine optimal power setpoints for the battery asset at each of a plurality of time steps of the optimization period.

Abstract: A device control method and apparatus, a cloud control method and apparatus and a device control system. The device control method includes: receiving a page opening request, the page opening request indicating opening a content page of the device; acquiring a generating template of the content page according to the page opening request; acquiring content data of the content page; generating the content page according to the generating template and the content data; and providing the content page.

Abstract: A programmable controller for homes and/or buildings and their related grounds, such as thermostat, that has a display and an external interface. The external interface may be use for uploading electronic images and/or other information from an external data source, and may use the uploaded electronic images and/or other information for programming and/or updating the controller and/or for viewing the electronic images and/or other information on the display of the controller.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing an icon for display by a user interface from an automation device that the icon depicts. Specifically, present embodiments are directed to methods and systems capable of detecting, with processing circuitry of an automation device, a shell program on a workstation via an automation control network. Further, embodiments are capable of providing icon configuration data to the shell program from the automation device, wherein the configuration data controls characteristics of an icon representative of the automation device for display in a visualization of the workstation.

Abstract: A thermostat configuration system includes a first thermostat having a processor, a transceiver, a storage area and a control button. The processor generates configuration data for the first thermostat and stores the configuration data in the storage area of the first thermostat. The processor then causes the configuration data to be transmitted to multiple target devices using the transmitter, including at least a second thermostat.

Abstract: Embodiments of an aerobic septic system health monitor, and a method of its use, incorporate a microcontroller, with associated software, in communication with an aerobic septic system (electro-mechanical) controller that, in turn, is connected to at least one aerobic septic system component and component sensor. By using the microcontroller and software, highly specific monitoring and feedback is available to a user. This approach also offers a clear and easily accessible interface between the user and the aerobic septic system, whereas no such interface exists on prior art systems. The monitor also offers multiple redundancy to address system failures, unlike prior art. Finally, it enables several forms of preventative maintenance that simply don't exist in prior art systems. In some embodiments, the monitor may serve as the aerobic septic system controller, either overriding or supplementing the installed controller or replacing it.

Abstract: A ladder-library management apparatus that manages a library used in a machine connected via a network includes an incorporated-information storage area that stores incorporated information in which the machine is associated with identification information of a device connected to the machine and a version number of the library used for the device, a library storage area that stores library data in which the identification information, information about the device, and information about the library are associated with each other, and a library server that adds or updates the library provided in the machine on the basis of the library data stored in the library storage area and that updates the incorporated information stored in the incorporated-information storage area.

Abstract: A numerical controller reads out an instruction block included in a machining program, obtains machining information indicating a feature of a tool path instructed by the read instruction block, and stores a machining conditions related to a movement of a tool in association with the obtained machining information. Further, the machining information obtained together with the instruction block is determined, and a machining condition in the movement of the tool instructed by the instruction block is changed based on the determined machining information and the stored machining condition.

Abstract: A carriage assembly includes a housing having first and second pieces each defining a recess that has a bearing surface with raised dimples. The first and second pieces are assembled to each other such that the recesses are aligned to form a cylindrical hole. A bushing is received in the hole and has an outer surface disposed against the dimples of the first and second pieces. The dimples are deformed during assembly to secure and locate the bushing within the cylindrical hole.

Abstract: This control device for a machine tool is provided with: a display unit that displays information relating to a machine tool; a display control unit that controls the display of the display unit; and a storage unit. A display setting of the display unit that corresponds to an operation of an operator or the condition of the machine tool is stored in advance in the storage unit. The display control unit acquires an operation of the operator or the condition of the machine tool, reads the display setting corresponding to the operation of the operator or the condition of the machine tool from the storage unit, and changes the display of the display unit on the basis of the display setting.

Abstract: Redundant automation system and method for the operation thereof in which a reference device is used to provide simplified addressing of a main automation device and a substitute automation device in the redundant automation system for controlling a technical apparatus, where the reference device is configured to activate a first connection path between further automation components, which are connected to the field bus, and the first automation device, and is furthermore configured to recognize a failure of the first automation device and thereupon to activate a second connection path between the further automation components, which are connected to the field bus, and the second automation device.

Abstract: A system for order fulfillment using one or more robots includes: a server configured to receive an order comprising an order item; inventory storage operably connected to the server, the inventory storage comprising order items; an actor robot operably connected to and selected by the server, the actor robot configured to perform one or more of picking the order item from inventory storage, moving the order item, and positioning the order item; and an order robot operably connected to the server, the order robot configured to collect the order item, wherein the order item is positioned by the actor robot so as to be accessible to the order robot, so as to perform order fulfillment using one or more robots.

Abstract: An architecture for a control system in a network, and devices and techniques for implementing the same. The architecture may comprise a logic controller isolated from the network by an interface controller and a bridge interface between the interface controller and the logic controller.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a configuration information unit, a data conversion unit, and a common data management unit. On the basis of configuration information of each machine, the configuration information management unit generates a conversion table that associates system common information with dedicated information for each machine that corresponds to the system common information. The data conversion unit converts dedicated data for each machine into common data in accordance with the dedicated information for each machine in the conversion table and converts the common data into the dedicated data for each machine in accordance with the system common information in the conversion table. The common data management unit stores, in a common data storage unit, the common data thus generated and transfers the common data stored in the common data storage unit to the data conversion unit.

Abstract: A monitoring system for vacuum production line for laminated glass. In some examples, the system includes at least one data acquisition card, a towline, a controller, and a maintenance robot. A pressure detector and a valve are provided for each of the plurality of laminated glass units on the production line. The towline includes a composite rotary joint and an evacuation tube disposed therein. The controller receives data from the pressure detectors and determines if any of the laminated glass units has a leak condition. If a vacuum leak is detected, the controller can alert to the operator, and can also sends the maintenance robot to shut off the valve for the leaking laminated glass unit.

Abstract: A robot system including a force-controlled pushing device which causes, when a robot is guided and moved, an object provided at a tip end of the robot to be brought into appropriate contact with another object. The robot system includes the robot, the force-controlled pushing device, a robot operation input measuring part, a robot movement command calculating part, a pushing direction setting part, a target pushing force setting part, a force measuring part, and a force-controlled pushing device movement command calculating part. The pushing direction setting part sets a pushing direction of the force-controlled pushing device, based on at least one of: the position/orientation of the first object; a force-controlled pushing device movement command for moving the first object; the position/orientation of the movement mechanism part of the force-controlled pushing device; the position/orientation of the robot; and a robot movement command for moving the robot.

Abstract: A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system. The self-propelled device can further include an internal structure having a magnet holder that holds a first set of magnets and an external accessory comprising a second set of magnets to magnetically interact, through the spherical housing, with the first set magnets.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for controlling a remotely-controlled device are disclosed. The remotely-controlled device control system could include one or more remotely-controlled devices; a controller comprised of a data collection module, at least one active module, at least one module description file (MDF), a robot description file (RDF) for each remotely-controlled device, and a processing unit (PU); at least one data source, and a marketplace. The PU may be configured to receive at least one active module; receive, for each received active module, input data of its associated MDF provided by the data collection module; generate, for each received active module, output data as a function of to the input data received by the processing unit, and provide the output data to a destination system.

Abstract: A process for controlling a plurality of mobile-radio equipped robots in a talkgroup includes receiving, at a mobile-radio equipped robot via a wireless communications interface comprising one of an infrastructure wireless communication interface for communicating with an infrastructure radio access network (RAN) and an ad-hoc wireless communication interface for communicating with an ad-hoc network, a group voice call containing a voice-command. The mobile-radio equipped robot determines that it is a target of the group voice call, and responsively text-converts the voice-command into an actionable text-based command. The mobile-radio equipped robot subsequently operates a mechanical drive element in accordance with the actionable text-based command.

Abstract: Described is a flight control computer that includes a multi-core processor. Independent flight control programs of the flight control computer are loaded onto and execute from each of the independent processor cores of the multi-core processor. Each flight control program receives an input and independently computes a core output state. The core output states are exchanged among flight control programs operating on the different processor cores and a flight control output for the flight control computer is determined based on the independently generated core output states.

Abstract: A smart self-driving system includes a body, such as a piece of luggage, supported by a plurality of wheel assemblies. One or more front proximity sensors are coupled to the body and configured to detect an object moving in a given direction while the body is in a rear follow position behind the object. One or more side proximity sensors are coupled to the body and configured to detect the object moving in the given direction while the body is in a side follow position on the side of the object.

Abstract: A local obstacle avoidance walking method of a self-moving robot, comprising: step 100: the self-moving robot walks in a first direction, and when an obstacle is detected, the self-moving robot translates for a displacement M1 in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and step 200: determining whether the self-moving robot is able to continue to walk in the first direction after the translation, if a result of the determination is positive, the self-moving robot continues to walk in the first direction, and if the result of the determination is negative, the self-moving robot acts according to a preset instruction. The method enables the robot to accurately avoid a local obstacle, provides a concise walking route, shortens the determination time, and improves the working efficiency of the self-moving robot.

Abstract: A predicted course estimating apparatus for estimating a predicted course of the own vehicle, includes: a data acquiring means for acquiring turning data that indicates a turning direction of the own vehicle; a filtering means for removing a high-frequency component that is included in the turning data; a course predicting means for calculating an estimated value for course prediction of the own vehicle, based on the turning data that has been filtered and a speed of the own vehicle; a determining means for determining whether the own vehicle is traveling a part of a road where the shape changes; and a characteristics changing means for changing the extent of removing of the high-frequency component by the filtering means when it is determined that the own vehicle is traveling a part of the road where the shape changes.