A room privacy device sounds an audible alarm when a door to a room is not closed and sound is detected in the room. This helps prompt people in the room to close the door to maintain the privacy of the conversation and/or prevent sound in the room from disturbing others outside the room. In some embodiments, the room privacy device includes a door sensor for detecting whether a door is open, a microphone for capturing sound, and a speaker for providing an audible alarm. The room privacy device also includes a processor that causes the speaker to sound an audible alarm based on a signal from the door sensor indicative of the door being open and a signal from the microphone indicative of sound being detected.

A computerized monitoring system and method for detecting electrical equipment failure. The system includes a sensor that detects a sound level representative of ultrasonic emissions radiating from electrical equipment to be monitored. A computer system in communication with the sensor is programmed to determine whether the electrical equipment is experiencing one or more of arcing, tracking, or corona based on the sound level detected by the sensor. In some embodiments, the computer system continuously monitors for these conditions based on the sound level detected by the sensor.

The present invention relates to a personal protection service and method, comprise: a user terminal requesting a personal protection service by transmitting basic user information, a situation setting message, and etc., when an emergency arises; a personal protection service server connecting to the user terminal through a mobile communication network to provide an Individual Safety Guard service; and a terminal of an institution connected to the personal protection service server and a social safety network. When an emergency arises, a user who encounters danger presses an emergency button on a terminal to immediately request to the personal protection service server that the emergency be transmitted to the terminal of a guardian or an institute linked to the social safety network to respond within a short period of time, and the location of the user terminal requesting rescue is tracked so that safety personnel can be immediately dispatched to provide safety.

A method and device for the remote control of a function of a vehicle is disclosed. Images of the vehicle are recorded by a camera which is integrated in the mobile control unit. A visual signal is generated at a predetermined position on the vehicle, where remote control is only enabled if the visual signal is recorded by the camera. The device for the remote control of a function of a vehicle includes a mobile control unit with an integrated camera to record the images of the vehicle. A signal generation unit is arranged at a predetermined position on the vehicle for the generation of a visual signal and the vehicle includes a function unit for the control of the function. The function unit is formed in such a way that remote control is only enabled when the visual signal is recorded by the camera.

The invention provides a remote control system, including a cloud server, a first device and a portable electronic device. The first device includes a transmission interface for connecting to a second device. The portable electronic device sets up a transmission path to connect with the first device via the cloud server. The first device transmits type information including a type of the transmission interface to the portable electronic device through the transmission path. The portable electronic device encodes original data based on the type information to generate encoded data conforming to the transmission interface, and transmits the encoded data to the first device through the transmission path. The first device transmits the encoded data to the second device through the transmission interface, so as to control the second device.

A vehicle may traverse a portion of a vehicle transportation network, which may include a processor of the vehicle executing instructions to identify a first vehicle operation assistance information item, and, on a condition that an immanency for the first vehicle operation assistance information item is within a maximum relevant immanence and a utility metric for the first vehicle operation assistance information item indicates high utility, present a representation of the first vehicle operation assistance information item by, on a condition that a first urgency identified based on the immanency indicates a warning urgency or an advisory urgency, controlling a primary graphical display portion to present a first portion of a graphical representation of the first vehicle operation assistance information item, and controlling a secondary graphical display portion to present a second portion of the graphical representation.

A method and system are provided in which maintenance vehicles collect information from sensors and operators, forward the collected information to a server, and, is response, receive maps and operator instructions.

A method and device for associating a remote with a component. The method and system may include receiving a control command from the remote. Upon receiving the control command, an identification signal may be transmitted to a display. The identification signal may include information for identifying the component. The remote may be associated with the component based on the identification signal.

A system and method for displaying a vehicle location on a user device includes an in-vehicle infotainment system and the user device coupled to the in-vehicle infotainment system of a vehicle. A global positioning system generates a vehicle position signal at the vehicle. The in-vehicle infotainment system communicates the vehicle position signal to a user device. The user device generates a display comprising the current vehicle position.

Processes and apparatuses for co-processing pyrolysis effluent and a hydrocarbon stream in which a char produced by the catalytic cracking of the pyrolysis effluent is recovered and utilized to provide energy, such as heat to the catalytic cracking zone. The char can be burned in various combustion zones associated with the catalytic cracking zone. The char is produced from a renewable resource.

Helical wick candle and method of manufacturing this candle. The candle typically comprises a candle with meltable fuel such as wax, and at least one helical wick with a helical radius of at least ¼″ or greater. This helical wick is configured so that as the candle burns, the burning tip of the wick doesn't remain stationary, but rather circles the axis of the wick so as to burn more of the wax than would otherwise be possible with a prior art straight wick candle, at least when the diameter of the candle is larger than the pool of melted wax surrounding the wick. This results in higher fuel burning efficiency, often 1.5× or higher, as well as various interesting artistic shapes as the wick burns. Various wick sheath methods to improve the rigidity and burn resistance of the wick during the burning process are also discussed.

A candle wick trimming device including a cutting assembly having first and second elongated members that are pivotably coupled together. A distal portion of the first elongated member has a cavity defined by a floor and a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom. One of the sidewalls defining the cavity forms a first cutting edge. A distal portion of the second elongated member closes the cavity when the cutting assembly is in a closed state. The second elongated member also has a second cutting edge at its distal-most end. The first and second cutting edges interact to shear a candle wick to a desired length and force the sheared portion of the candle wick into the cavity.

The present invention relates to a combustion device 100 for burning refractory hazardous gases and a burning method for the combustion device. More particularly, the combustion device 110 for burning refractory hazardous gases, which is provided in a scrubber system 1 for burning waste gases, the combustion device 110 includes: a first porous body 141; a second porous body 142; and an igniter for forming a flame surface 143 at the interior of the combustion device 110, wherein the flame surface 143 formed by the igniter is located between the first porous body 141 and the second porous body 142, and so as to form the flame surface 143, at least one of the first porous body 141 and the second porous body 142 is moved to conduct excess enthalpy combustion.

Helical wick candle and method of manufacturing this candle. The candle typically comprises a candle with meltable fuel such as wax, and at least one helical wick with a helical radius of at least ¼″ or greater. This helical wick is configured so that as the candle burns, the burning tip of the wick doesn't remain stationary, but rather circles the axis of the wick so as to burn more of the wax than would otherwise be possible with a prior art straight wick candle, at least when the diameter of the candle is larger than the pool of melted wax surrounding the wick. This results in higher fuel burning efficiency, often 1.5× or higher, as well as various interesting artistic shapes as the wick burns. Various wick sheath methods to improve the rigidity and burn resistance of the wick during the burning process are also discussed.

This disclosure relates generally to valves, and more particularly, to gas valve assemblies. In one example, the valve assembly may include a valve body with an inlet port, an outlet port, and a fluid path extending between the inlet and outlet ports, one or more valves situated about the fluid path, one or more valve actuators for selectively moving respective valves, one or more sensors for sensing one or more parameters within the fluid path, and a controller secured relative to the valve body and in communication with the one or more sensors for determining one or more valve assembly conditions based on the one or more sensed parameters. Illustratively, the controller may be configured to communicate information from the valve assembly to a combustion appliance controller that is located remotely from the valve assembly through a communications interface of the controller and across a communications bus.

An charge element disposed proximate to a combustion reaction is caused to carry a voltage while also being prevented from arc-discharging or arc-charging to or from the combustion reaction, by a current limiting element in electrical continuity with the charge element.

This invention relates to a burner (1) for burning a suspension of solid fuel in oxygen containing gas. A portion of the suspension is passed through a first conduit (10) which contains a bluff body (12) and helical vanes to impart turbulence and swirl to the suspension. A further portion of the suspension is passed through a second conduit (40) which is coaxial with the first conduit. Means for varying the relative sizes of each portion are provided. The arrangement allows improved fuel/air mixing, flame shape, heat transfer and control of NOx emissions.

A system and method for electrically charging a combustion flame with a power supply.

The invention relates to a device for evaporating volatile substances, comprising a heat source (5) evaporating volatile substances from a refill (2), a heat detector (4) which can detect the heat from said heat source (5), and indicating means (7) connected to said heat detector (4) emitting an indication when the heat detector (4) detects the heat from said heat source (5), and characterized in that said heat detector (4) is placed above said heat source (5). The invention allows the indicating means to be activated virtually in a simultaneous manner with the placement of the heat emitter.

A substantially planar wick is formed with a two- or three-dimensional pattern. The contours of this pattern are determined by the desired flame characteristics or the desired visual aesthetics of the pattern itself.

Described is a device (11) for controlling the combustion of a burner (1), comprising: •first means (12) for measuring the fuel flow rate (Vg); •second means 13 for measuring the flow rate of the comburent (Va) •first operator means (14) for controlling the opening of an inlet valve (5) as a function of the quantity of fuel to be supplied to the burner (1); •second operator means (15) for controlling the comburent flow regulator means (8) as a function of the quantity of comburent to be supplied to the burner (1); According to this invention, the device (11) comprises a unit (16) for controlling the first operator means (14) and the second operator means (15) as a function of the values measured by the first measuring means (12) and by the second measuring means (13).

The present invention consists of a saving gas device which, being placed downstream of the pressure regulator and upstream of the consuming devices, in a natural gas or liquefied petroleum gases supply facility, improves the gas consumption efficiency by means of a recirculation, filtering and centrifugation process. The action exerted on the steam trap of the device, retains the impurities the gas contains, thus improving retention of particles and achieving the gas to come out substantially pure, as well as achieving gas molecules rearrangement by means of a centrifugation coil, obtaining flow stabilization and improving the circulation thereof.

A saddle horn assembly attached to the tree of a saddle in lieu of a conventional saddle horn consisting of a post of rectangular prismatic configuration with a receiving chamber for insertion of a quick release locking pin, a cap with a quick release locking pin attached to and protruding from the bottom thereof that allows the cap to be detached and reattached to the post within seconds, and a dally traction device with a central void of complimentary dimensions to the post, having a hyperboloid external configuration and being symmetrical in both the horizontal and vertical planes such that the device may be rotated and/or inverted about the post so that it may be quickly and easily manipulated to numerous positions to generate even wear about the exterior, thus increasing the longevity of the device and improving the safety and effectiveness of dallying.

An equine training apparatus used in conjunction with: 1) a bridle supporting a bit, 2) a noseband, 3) riding reins connected to the bit, and 4) a breastplate, the apparatus comprising a head communication assembly comprising a cord member having a first end attached to a first O-ring, a second end attached to a second O-ring and noseband connection means between said first end and said second end and dividing said cord member into a first fork and a second fork; a sliding member in slidable engagement with said first fork and said second fork; and fork-body connection means for anchoring said sliding member to any of a breast plate, neckstrap, girth, cinch or the like. The sliding member acts as a pulley about which at least one fork is disposed and, when anchored to body tack via fork-body connection means provides a pivot point about which each fork may act; the sliding member effectively divides force applied through the reins into a mouth force component and a nose force component.

A perch-shank device is disclosed as having a perch with an upper, central, and lower portion. The upper portion has an eyelet for attaching a headstall or chinstrap. The lower portion directly connects to a mouthpiece. The invention also includes a shank having an upper and lower portion, wherein the lower portion has an eyelet for attaching a rein and the upper portion of the shank is connected above the lower portion of the perch adjacent to one of the central and upper portion of the perch.

There is disclosed an improved shock absorbing, light-weight, thermally insulative orthotic pad designed for use in a pad and boot assembly for hoofed livestock. The pad is comprised of a mixture of flexible spheroids and elastomeric materials. In a preferred embodiment, elastomeric material generally is more concentrated at the top portion of the pad, and spheroids dispersed in a matrix of elastomeric material concentrated at the bottom section of the pad. The spheroids have a lower density than the elastomeric materials and possess better thermally insulative properties, and in a particularly preferred embodiment, at least some of the spheroids are comprised of closed-cell polypropylene foam. A method of making the light weight pad is also disclosed.

A joint-supporting device comprises tensile members extending from above the joint to below it, supplementing the tensile characteristics of the joint's tendons, ligaments, and other structure. The tension members extend between a proximal cuff above the joint to a distal cuff below it, and pass over a pad at the apex of the joint, redirecting the tension members. In order that the cuffs are supported in position so that the tension members can effectively support the joint, they are spaced away from the joint by compression members bearing on proximal and distal bolsters, in turn located positively by the boney structure of the joint. In order that the structure of the invention not interfere overly with the normal function of the joint, the device employs dilatant materials having the property of varying their hardness upon motion. The dilatant material is disposed so as to limit the relative angular velocity of the members of the joint. The dilatant material can be disposed in pad form, arranged to be compressed by the tensile members as the joint is extended, and/or as the core of a composite tensile member, sheathed in a cover woven of high tensile strength filaments or yarns.

According to an aspect of the invention a device for braiding horse hair while minimizing damage to the horse hair is provided. The device includes at least one semi-rigid, resilient material being intertwined with the horse hair into a braid and to form and retain the braid into a decorative shape. In an embodiment, the at least one semi-rigid, resilient material intertwined with the horse hair to form and retain a decorative shape.

A seat support device for a riding animal or a pack animal, a saddle tree, and a saddle with such a saddle tree. The seat support device comprises a right multi-linked lug arrangement with a first link section and at least a second link section and a left multi-linked lug arrangement with a first link section and at least a second link section. A pivoting device with a pivot axis is each formed case between two adjacent link sections, so that two adjacent link sections are pivotable towards one other around a pivot axis substantially within a pivot plane which penetrates the pivot axis substantially perpendicular.

Methods and apparatus for recording and retrieval of optically readable data employ a recording medium (100) which comprises an optically active material (108) able to induce a change in properties of the medium in the presence of optical radiation having a first characteristic, such as a first optical frequency, and wherein the change in properties can be inhibited by optical radiation having a second characteristic, such as a second optical frequency. During recording, a region of the recording medium (100) is irradiated with a first beam (506) of optical radiation having the first characteristic, the beam having a sufficient intensity within a central portion of the irradiated region and being of sufficient duration to cause an optically induced change in properties of the recording medium. Simultaneously, the region of the recording medium (100) is irradiated with a second beam (508) of optical radiation having the second characteristic, the second beam having a local intensity minimum within the central portion of the irradiated region, and a local intensity maximum in at least one portion of the irradiated region adjacent to the central portion which is sufficient to inhibit the optically induced change in properties of the recording medium. A similar method is employed for retrieval, however the intensity of the first beam (506) is reduced to prevent changes in material properties within the recording medium (100).

A recording head is configured to write and read data sectors to and from a recording medium, such as a heat-assisted recording medium. A read channel is coupled to the recording head. Phase-locked loop (PLL) circuitry of the read channel is configured to detect a change in a phase error at a location of the data sector. The phase error change may be indicative of a mode-hop that occurred while writing the data sector to the medium. The PLL circuitry is configured to determine a phase offset using the phase error. A controller is configured to effect re-reading of the data sector location using the phase offset to recover the data sector location.

An apparatus includes a slider of a recording head comprising a plurality of electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources and a ground pad. Each of a plurality of electrical components of the slider is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads. At least one of the electrical bond pads is a shared electrical bond pad coupled to at least two of the electrical components. At least one diode is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads and at least one of the electrical components.

A method and apparatus for detecting tightness of a pick-up head, and a method and apparatus for controlling the moving of the pick-up head are disclosed. The method for detecting the tightness of the pick-up head includes moving the pick-up head to an inner area of the disc reading device when then disc reading device is powered on, moving the pick-up head to an outer area of the disc reading device within a predetermined time period, moving the pick-up head from the outer area of the disc reading device to the inner area at a constant speed by a first fixed force, and recording the moving duration for moving the pick-up head from the outer area of the disc reading device to the inner area at the constant speed.

An information recording method of the present disclosure is an information recording method for recording information on a write-once information recording medium, including one or more recording layers, each of the recording layers being spiral-shaped on which a land track and a groove track are alternately repeated as recording tracks, each of the recording tracks being divided into blocks, each of the blocks being a minimum unit in which recording is performed. The information recording method includes: recording the information on the information recording medium in a unit of each of the blocks; and controlling recording on the information recording medium. In the control step, switching is performed whether to perform recording in a block to be recorded in which the information is to be recorded next among the blocks based on recording conditions of the recording tracks adjacent on both sides of the block to be recorded.

According to one embodiment, a failure prognosis device includes circuitry configured to determine whether a sign of failure exists in a head, based on a signal quality value and a floating quantity of the head, the signal quality value being based on an error between a reproducing signal acquired from the head when reading data stored on a storage surface of a disk and a predetermined target signal, and output a determination result.

A main pole has a front end face including a first end face portion and a second end face portion. A plasmon generator has a near-field light generating surface. A surrounding layer has a first surrounding layer end face and a second surrounding layer end face located on opposite sides of the first end face portion in the track width direction. A gap film has a first gap film end face and a second gap film end face located on opposite sides of the near-field light generating surface in the track width direction. Each of the first and second gap film end faces includes a portion located between the first and second surrounding layer end faces, but does not include any portion interposed between the first surrounding layer end face and the first end face portion or between the second surrounding layer end face and the first end face portion.

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a HAMR head. The HAMR head includes a main pole, a waveguide and a NFT disposed between the main pole and the waveguide. The NFT includes an antenna, and a portion of the antenna is disposed at a media facing surface. By increasing the volume of the antenna extending from the MFS, the temperature of the NFT during operation is reduced.

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to contact at the disk by the recording head in a hard disk drive. In one embodiment, a direct current is applied to an element in a HAMR head. An alternating current is then applied to the element over top of the direct current to cause the HAMR head to dither. By monitoring the head signal at the dither frequency, a touchdown or contact of a NFT on a disk may be detected based upon variations in the produced signal.

Methods, apparatuses and systems for detecting defective sectors on a recording medium, the method including calculating a servo gain for each servo sector of a track of a recording medium of a storage device; determining whether the servo gain of each servo sector exceeds a threshold value; and upon determining that the servo gain of a servo sector exceeds the threshold value, determining data sectors included in the servo sector to be defective sectors.

Methods that include depositing a first layer over the entire surface of a structure, the structure having a magnetic reader and a magnetic writer, wherein the magnetic reader and the magnetic writer are positioned adjacent to each other on a substrate and the magnetic writer includes a near field transducer (NFT); depositing a second layer over the entire surface of the first layer; depositing a photoresist material layer over the entire surface of the second layer, the photoresist material layer having a bottom surface in contact with the second layer and an opposing top surface; exposing the photoresist material layer to radiation through the bottom surface of the photoresist material layer via the NFT to form a first exposed region; and exposing the photoresist material layer to radiation through the top surface of the photoresist material layer to form a second exposed region.

A magnetic disk device according to an embodiment includes a disk including a data area, a head configured to read and write data from and to the data area, and a controller configured to determine under a first condition whether the data area includes a defect, and to determine, under a second condition of a higher defect detection sensitivity than the first condition, whether a first area around a first defect area includes a defect, when detecting the first defect area under the first condition.

In a case where (i) a reflectance calculated from a reflected light amount obtained from a longest pit (P1max) or a longest space (S1max) in a first pit row is defined as a first reflectance and (ii) a reflectance calculated from a reflected light amount obtained from a longest pit (P2max) or a longest space (S2max) in the second pit row is defined as a second reflectance, the first pit row is formed such that the first reflectance becomes substantially identical with the second reflectance.

A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write apparatus is described. The HAMR write apparatus is coupled with a laser that provides energy. The HAMR writer has a media-facing surface (MFS) and a laser-facing surface. The HAMR write apparatus includes a free-standing reflector and at least one waveguide. The free-standing reflector resides on the laser-facing surface and has a concave reflective surface oriented to receive the energy from the laser. The waveguide(s) are optically coupled with the free-standing reflector and direct energy from the laser toward the MFS.

During field operation of a heat-assisted magnetic recording data storage device, a laser adjustment procedure is performed. The laser adjustment procedure involves writing on a recording medium at least three tracks. If a bit error rate of a middle tracks has increased, the laser current is swept while recording test tracks to determine a new laser current that results in a minimum bit error rate. The new laser current is used for subsequent write operations.

A method implemented by a status-monitoring device connected between a storage device and a corresponding output unit includes: a) determining presence of a storage device according to a first packet from the storage device; b) when it is determined that the storage device is present, generating a pulse signal according to a second packet from the storage device; c) generating a driving signal indicating a status associated with the storage device according to at least a logic level of the pulse signal; and d) sending the driving signal to the output unit for driving the output unit to output an output signal indicating the status.

An optical-information recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention is capable of carrying out position detection of a reproduction image even if reproduction image data with incomplete alignment marks (markers) is obtained. A relative correlation value is calculated from a first correlation value retained by a first correlation-value retaining unit and a second correlation value retained by a second correlation-value retaining unit, and pass/fail of a position detection result of the marker is judged according to the relative correlation value. The pass/fail of the position detection result is judged by mutually comparing the detection positions of the markers judged as passes by the relative correlation-value judgement, the positions of the markers judged as fail by the relative correlation-value judgement or the mutual position judgement is complemented, and the position of two-dimensional data is detected based on the pass-judged markers and the complemented markers.

There are provided an optical disk and an optical disk recording method which are capable of stable data reading in a case where a recording linear density is increased. According to an optical disk of the present disclosure, a run-in pattern recorded in a groove track and a run-in pattern recorded in a land track are made different patterns so that no great change is caused in the amplitude of an acquired signal due to interference between adjacent recording patterns, and thus, data may be stably read.

First and second signal patterns are used to write corresponding portions of first and second adjacent tracks to a magnetic storage medium. A characteristic of the first signal pattern is changed based on the second signal pattern, the changing of the characteristic reducing an adjacent track interference affecting the second track.

One or more processors determine wear for a robotic device. The one or more processors divide a direction of travel of a robotic device into zones. Each zone has an associated counter that counts how many times the robotic device has entered a given zone. The one or more processors update a count for a zone in response to the robotic device entering that zone. The one or more processors determine a level of wear for a component associated with the robotic device. The level of wear is based, at least in part, on a total of counts for the zones.

Embodiments of the invention provide a device for measuring pitch and roll torques. The device comprises a sensor plate having a horizontal cross member, a vertical cross member and a surrounding member connecting ends of the horizontal and vertical cross members, wherein the horizontal cross member and the vertical cross member intersect each other at a centre region of the sensor plate; a VCM coil attached to the sensor plate and configured to generate a pitch and a roll torque when an electrical current is applied to the VCM coil; a first strain gauge attached to a surface of the horizontal cross member and configured to detect a horizontal strain caused by the pitch and roll torques; and a second strain gauge attached to a surface of the vertical cross member and configured to detect a vertical strain caused by the pitch and roll torques.