International Business Machines Corporation

Jeffrey A Newcomer

William Louis Brodsky

John S Werner

Arkadiy O Tsfasman

Robert K Mullady

Byron S Green

Madhusudan K Iyengar

Roger R Schmidt

Prabjit Singh

David P Graybill

Gerard V Weber

George T Galyon

King M Chu

Ronald P Corrado

A device is used to monitor, in real-time, one or more environment conditions of an environment in which a user is located. Based on the monitoring, an alert condition relating to the environment is detected. Based on detecting the alert condition, on-demand testing of a sensory component of the user is initiated. The on-demand testing tests for a selected condition relating to the health of the user.

On-demand testing for selected conditions

Acoustic attenuating ear muffs is provided with a first ear pod including a first ear cup having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a first acoustic attenuating member including a first opening coupled to the first ear cup. A second ear pod includes a second ear cup having an inner surface portion and an outer surface portion, and a second acoustic attenuating member including a second opening coupled to the second ear cup. A connecting member links the first ear pod to the second ear pod. A first selectively deployable plug member is arranged between the inner surface and the first acoustic attenuating member. A second selectively deployable plug member is arranged between the inner surface portion and the second acoustic attenuating member.

Acoustic attenuating ear muffs with mechanically actuated attenuation plugs

Acoustic attenuating ear muffs include a first ear pod having a first ear cup provide with a first acoustic attenuating member including an outer surface, and a first opening. A second ear pod includes a second ear cup having a second acoustic attenuating member including an outer surface portion, and a second opening. A first selectively deployable plug member is mounted to the outer surface of the first acoustic attenuating member. A second selectively deployable plug member mounted to the outer surface of the second acoustic attenuating member. An acoustic sensor is operable to detect ambient noise. An actuator system is operable to shift the first and second selectively deployable plug members into corresponding ones of the first and second openings based on ambient noise detected by the acoustic sensor.

Electronic attenuation adjusting hearing protection device

A plug comprises power contacts and a plug trip contact. During a plugging action between the plug and a receptacle, the plug trip contact makes a trip connection with mating contacts in the receptacle. Electrical power to the receptacle allows a current through the trip connection, which causes disconnection of the power to the receptacle. A receptacle comprises receptacle power contacts and receptacle trip contacts. During a plugging action between the receptacle and a plug, trip contacts in the receptacle makes a trip connection with a mating contact in the plug. Electrical power to the receptacle allows a current through the trip connection, which can cause disconnection of the power to the receptacle. The receptacle can be included in an enclosure having a trip breaker with a trip mechanism. An electrical system can have an electrical device with a line cord connected to a plug having the trip contact.

Electrical arc protection using a trip contact

A plug comprises power contacts and a trip jumper having jumper contacts configured to make a trip connection, during a plugging action with the plug and a receptacle, with mating trip contacts in the receptacle. When the receptacle is connected to electrical power during the plugging action, a current over the trip connection can cause disconnection of a receptacle power contact from the power. A receptacle comprises receptacle power contacts and a trip circuit having receptacle trip contacts configured to make a trip connection, during a plugging action with the receptacle and plug, with mating trip contacts in the plug. When the receptacle is connected to electrical power during the plugging action, a current over the trip connection can cause disconnection of power to a receptacle power contact. A system can have an electrical device with a line cord connected to the plug.

Electrical arc protection using a trip jumper

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a plug and receptacle. The receptacle may be configured to receive power and may include two or more sockets configured to electrically couple to two or more pins of the plug. A shorting contact included in the receptacle may be configured to contact two sockets of the two or more sockets. Further, shielding ribs included in the receptacle may be configured to block the shorting contact from contacting the two sockets.

Electrical arc protection using a rotational shield

A first value is received and is associated with a noise level of an environment that a user is in. It is determined whether the first value exceeds a first threshold. A second computing device is notified when the first value exceeds the first threshold. The notifying indicates that the user must leave the environment.

Noise level tracking and notification system

An apparatus is provided for facilitating cooling of an electronics rack of a data center. The apparatus includes: an airflow director mounted to the electronics rack to redirect airflow exhausting from the electronics rack through an airflow return pathway back towards an air inlet side of the rack; an air-to-liquid heat exchanger disposed within the airflow return pathway for cooling redirected airflow before exiting into the data center near the air inlet side of the rack; an air temperature sensor for monitoring air temperature of the redirected airflow; and an automated isolation door associated with the airflow director for automatically blocking airflow exhausting from the air outlet side of the electronics rack from passing through the airflow return pathway back towards the air inlet side of the rack responsive to temperature of the redirected airflow exceeding a defined temperature threshold.

Airflow recirculation and cooling apparatus and method for an electronics rack

An apparatus is provided for facilitating servicing of an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a light source, which includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes. The plurality of light-emitting diodes are secured to the electronics rack or a floor tile disposed adjacent to the electronics rack, and are configured to illuminate at least a lower portion of the electronics rack at either the air inlet or air outlet side of the rack. A power supply is also provided for selectively supplying power to the plurality of light-emitting diodes. In one implementation, the light source includes an elongate light bar, which is configured to mount to either the inlet door or outlet door of the electronics rack, and the plurality of light-emitting diodes are secured to an elongate housing structure which pivotally couples to a base plate for adjustment of a direction of illumination by the light-emitting diodes.

Light source for illuminating an electronics rack to facilitate servicing thereof

An automated method and system are provided for facilitating monitoring of energy usage within a data center. The method includes automatically determining energy usage of one or more electronics racks of a data center by automatically ascertaining time-based energy usage of the electronics racks. The automatically ascertaining includes obtaining multiple measurements of instantaneous energy usage by each of the electronics racks in the data center over a period of time, and then separately averaging the multiple measurements for each electronics rack to obtain the time-based energy usage of each electronics racks. The method also includes outputting the time-based energy usage of the electronic(s) racks to facilitate monitoring of the data center.

Method and system for automated energy usage monitoring within a data center

An exemplary embodiment is a system and method for a device reliability test circuit. The method includes applying a DC voltage across the device for a period, wherein the DC voltage is less than the rated voltage of said device, and determining a failure point of the device based on applying the DC voltage.

Growing community of inventors

Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Jeffrey A Newcomer