1. A device for use in dispensing the contents of a collapsible tube, the device comprising:
a hollow cylindrical member containing surfaces defining an elongated slot for receiving a tail portion of the collapsible tube;
surfaces defining a plurality of spaced-apart notches positioned along a periphery of a first end of the cylindrical member;
an elastic flexible tether having a proximal end thereof anchored to a second end of the cylindrical member, the tether being positionable within at least one of the plurality of notches contained within the first end of the cylindrical member, whereupon positioning the tail portion of the collapsible tube within the elongated slot and winding the cylindrical member relative to the tube, the tube partially collapses urging the contents toward an open end thereof, whereafter stretching and positioning the flexible tether, positioning a terminal portion of the tether over the tube and within a selected notch, the terminal portion of the tether engages the selected notch, thereby securing the tether to the first end of the cylindrical member and retaining the thusly wound tube in a selected position;
a first cap member having surfaces defining an aperture therethrough, the first cap member attachable to the second end of the cylindrical member, the tether anchored to an outer surface of the first cap member; and
a dispensing mechanism positionable within the hollow cylindrical member, the dispensing mechanism capable of dispensing dental floss, the dispensing mechanism comprising:
a base member positioned within the cylindrical member transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member;
a stud extending from the base member; and
a bobbin for supplying the floss, the bobbin comprising:
a support member positionable within the cylindrical member transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member;
a centrally positioned female member extending from a first side of the support member for receiving the stud; and
a centrally positioned spindle extending from a second side of the support member for containing the supply of floss, wherein inserting the bobbin through the first end of the cylindrical member, outer surfaces of the support member engage inner surfaces of the cylindrical member, wherein the female member receives the stud to secure the bobbin within the cylindrical member, wherein the floss is disposable through the aperture contained within the first cap member to be retrievable by the user.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the tether includes a nub positioned proximate to the terminal portion, the nub being of greater width than any width of the plurality of notches, wherein positioning the terminal portion of the tether within the selected notch and releasing the tether, the nub is urged against an inner surface of the cylindrical member to secure the tether to the first end of the cylindrical member.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the first cap member further includes positioned on an inner surface thereof a central recessed portion for receiving a terminal end of the spindle upon attaching the cap member to the cylindrical member.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the tether is not engaged with the tube while winding the cylindrical member relative to the tube.
5. A device for use in dispensing the contents of a collapsible tube, the device comprising:
a hollow cylindrical member containing surfaces defining an elongated slot for receiving a tail portion of the collapsible tube;
a securing mechanism connected to the cylindrical member for securing the cylindrical member to the dispensing tube to retain the tube in a selected position upon winding the tube about the cylindrical member; and
a dispensing mechanism positionable within the hollow cylindrical member, the dispensing mechanism capable of dispensing dental floss, the dispensing mechanism comprising:
a first cap member attachable to an end of the cylindrical member, the first cap member including surfaces defining an aperture to dispose the floss therethrough and a centrally positioned recessed portion contained on an inner surface thereof;
a base member positioned within the cylindrical member transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member;
a stud extending from the base member; and
a bobbin for supplying the floss, the bobbin including a support member positionable within the cylindrical member transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member, a centrally positioned female member extending from a first side of the support member for receiving the stud, and a centrally positioned spindle extending from a second side of the support member for containing the supply of floss, a terminal end of the spindle disposable within the recessed portion of the first cap, wherein positioning the bobbin within the cylindrical member, outer surfaces of the support member engage inner surfaces of the cylindrical member, wherein the female member receives the stud to secure the bobbin within the cylindrical member, wherein the floss is disposable through the aperture contained within the first cap member to be retrievable by the user.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein the securing mechanism comprises:
surfaces defining a plurality of spaced-apart notches positioned along a periphery of a first end of the cylindrical member; and
an elastic flexible tether having a proximal end thereof anchored to a second end of the cylindrical member, the tether being positionable within at least one of the plurality of notches contained within the first end of the cylindrical member, whereupon positioning the tail portion of the collapsible tube within the elongated slot and winding the cylindrical member relative to the tube, the tube partially collapses urging the contents toward an open end thereof, whereupon stretching and positioning a terminal portion of the tether over the tube and within a selected notch, the terminal portion of the tether engages the selected notch, thereby securing the tether to the first end of the cylindrical member and retaining the thusly wound tube in a selected position.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising:
a detection component that identifies image data of two-dimensional (2D) format;
a quality ranking component that tests a quality of the 2D image data and, based on the test, assigns a quality rank to the 2D image data, and scores a result of each of a plurality of processes for converting the 2D data to 3D format, and based on a comparison of respective result scores, selects at least one of the plurality of processes to employ to convert the 2D image data to 3D image data, wherein the plurality of processes includes at least one of a process that uses color to determine a depth of an object or a process that uses motion to determine the depth of an object; and
a conversion component that converts the 2D image data to the 3D image data based at least in part on the assigned quality rank and the selected at least one process.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the quality rank relates to whether the 2D image data is suitable for conversion to 3D image data.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein to test the quality of the 2D image data, the quality ranking component applies criteria relating to at least one of a noise level, a bit rate, a bit quantization, a resolution, a file size or duration, or a file format associated with the 2D image data.
4. The system of claim 2, further comprising an override component that, in response to a request, causes the conversion component to convert the 2D image data to 3D image data regardless of the quality rank assigned.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a serving component that, in response to a request, provides for viewing either of the 2D image data or the 3D image data.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the conversion component uses a cluster of machines to convert the 2D image data to the 3D image data.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface component that presents, on a display device, at least one field responsive to an input signal, the at least one field including:
a field that, in response to an input signal, causes the conversion component to convert the 2D image data to 3D image data.
8. The system of claim 5, further comprising an interface component that presents, on a display device, at least one field responsive to an input signal, the at least one field including:
a field that indicates that content initially presented for viewing in 2D format is available in 3D format, and in response to an input signal, causes the serving component to provide the content in the 3D format.
9. A method, comprising:
analyzing, by a system including a processor, content uploaded to one or more networked servers;
based on the analyzing, determining, by the system, whether the content includes 2D image data;
in response to determining that the content includes 2D image data:
determining, by the system, a quality of the 2D image data based upon predetermined criteria to the 2D image data;
scoring, by the system, a result of each of a plurality of processes for converting the 2D data to 3D format; and
based on a comparison of respective result scores, selecting, by the system, at least one of the plurality of processes to employ to convert the 2D image data to 3D image data, wherein the plurality of processes includes at least one of a process that uses color to determine a depth of an object or a process that uses motion to determine the depth of an object; and
in response to determining that the quality of the 2D image data meets the predetermined criteria, converting, by the system, the 2D image data to the 3D image data using the selected at least one process.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises at least one of a noise level criterion, a bit rate criterion, a bit quantization criterion, a resolution criterion, a file size or duration criterion, or a file format criterion.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the converting employs a computing cluster including a plurality of machines.
12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
based on determining that the quality of the 2D image data does not meet the predetermined criteria, generating, by the system, a notification that the quality of the 2D image data does not meet the predetermined criteria; and
in response to a request for conversion of the 2D image data notwithstanding the notification, converting, by the system, the 2D image data not meeting the predetermined criteria to the 3D image data.
13. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to a request, providing, by the system, either of the 2D image data or the 3D image data for consumption.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing, by the system, a notification that the 3D image data was originally 2D image data.
15. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting, by the system, the 3D image data in a video stream to a mobile device.
16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a system including a processor to perform operations comprising:
evaluating content of a video file to determine whether the video file is in a 2D format;
in response to determining that the video file is in a 2D format, applying a quality test to the video file to determine whether the video file is suitable for converting to a 3D format;
in response to the video file passing the quality test:
scoring a result of each of a plurality of processes for converting the 2D data to 3D format;
based on a comparison of respective result scores, selecting at least one of the plurality of processes to employ to convert the 2D image data to 3D image data, wherein the plurality of processes includes at least one of a process that uses color to determine a depth of an object or a process that uses motion to determine the depth of an object; and
converting the video file to the 3D format.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, the operations further including:
in response to the video file failing the quality test, prompting for an override signal indicating that the video file is to be converted to the 3D format notwithstanding the failing of the quality test; and
in response to receiving the override signal, converting the video file to the 3D format.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, the operations further including:
in response to one or more signals received from at least one remote node, transmitting either the video file in the 2D format or the video file in the 3D format for playback at the at least one remote node.