Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling an electrical stimulation system to increase the resolution of the stimulation region with multiple independent power source electrodes is proposed. In the apparatus, the electrode set contains at least three electrodes of which two adjacent electrodes are of the same power polarity to control the location of the composite stimulation signal and the others are of an inverse power polarity to balance the total power polarity and narrow the stimulation region. The method for the apparatus comprises steps of: receiving a target stimulation location and level, generating at least one parameter to adjust power settings of the electrodes, thereby obtaining a composite stimulation signal corresponding to a virtual channel of which a location and level match the target stimulation location and level.

Abstract: A MIMO wireless system with Diversity processing is provided having Turbo Codes Decoders for computing orthogonal multipath signals from multiple separate antennas. The invention decodes multipath signals that have arrived at the terminal via different routes after being reflected from buildings, trees or hills. The Turbo Codes Decoder with Diversity processing increases the signal to noise ratio (SNR) more than 6 dB which enables the Wireless system to deliver data rates from up to 600 Mbit/s. A Turbo Codes Decoder block is provided to compute baseband signals from multiple different receiver paths. Several pipelined max-Log-MAP decoders are used for iterative decoding of received data. A Sliding Window of Block N data is used for pipeline operations.

Abstract: A light-emitting element mount (4) is fixed onto a base (8), and a semiconductor laser element (1) is fixed onto the light-emitting element mount (4). An anchor member (5), which is in the shape of a roughly rectangular plate, is fixed onto the base (8). An optical fiber (2) is fixed onto the anchor member (5) by means of an anchoring material (6). The optical fiber (2) is aligned and optically coupled with the semiconductor laser element (1). A cut-out (9) is formed in the part of the base (8) corresponding to the anchoring material (6) (below the anchoring material (6)). Thus the anchor member (5) is fixed onto the base (8) so as to straddle the cut-out (9). Since the cut-out (9) is formed below the anchor member (5), a spot heater (10) or like can be used to heat the anchor member (5) from the bottom surface thereof. Thus, the anchoring material (6) on top of the anchor member (5) can be efficiently heated.

Abstract: A nursing system of the present invention can position where a person to be nursed through a sensor network widely deployed in an environment, instantaneously detect if the person to be nursed has an accident, and forward a message to inform a relative or medical staff. An autonomous robot will actively move beside the person to be nursed and transmit real-time images to a remote computer or PDA so that the relative or medical staff can swiftly ascertain the situation of the person to be nursed and the person to be nursed in case of emergency can be rescued as soon as possible.

Abstract: A context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) decoding device and a coding method thereof are provided. The device comprises: a context memory address calculator, calculating an address identifying a memory location in a context model memory for storage of a context model in next cycle; a mixed context memory, in which the context model of the context memory address calculator is stored and from which the context model is read; a two-bin context adaptive binary arithmetic decoder, outputting several parameters for updating the range and offset of the context model, based on the context model of the mixed context memory and deciding several bins; and a binary syntax element comparator, judging whether a current binary sequence corresponds to the value of syntax elements, based on the bins so as to select a correct memory address.

Abstract: The invention relates to a versatile optical storage driving device for multimedia video system incorporated with functions of a compact-disc (CD) driver, a digital versatile disc (DVD) driver, a frequency modulated (FM) radio and a MP3 music CD player, such versatile optical storage driving device is characterized in the possibility of being a built-in and/or external-connected CD-ROM/CD-RW driver operated through the operating system with personal computer (PC) on or being a stand-alone CD-ROM/CD-RW driver operated by itself with PC off, and being a digital picture viewer and video player capable of displaying photograph/picture and video disc through a built-in/external-connected display device as well as being a digital recorder capable of recording video signal, such device comprises: a video/audio input/output selector; a video/audio encoder/decoder; a microprocessor; a optical storage device; a memory card reader; a display controller; a status display; a power amplifier; and a speaker.

Abstract: A lightweight structural concrete with screw-ability and nail-ability similar to wood is composed of a non-structural and ultra lightweight aggregate such as expanded perlite or a combination of expanded perlite and polystyrene beads of a particular size distribution and volume amount, entrained air cells of another specific size distribution and volume amount, and dense cementitious composition of a cement binder, a fine grade structural filler no larger than concrete sand grade, a pozzolan, and optional micro-fibers for reinforcement. This structural concrete matrix is optimized to hold 13 gauge T-nails and bugle head wood screws with thread ranging from 8 to 11 threads per inch and diameter of 0.10? to 0.137?. The resulting concrete will have consistent screw-ability and nail-ability similar to that of wood.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a semiconductor device with group III-V channel and group IV source-drain and a method for manufacturing the same. Particularly, the energy level density and doping concentration of group III-V materials are increased by the heteroepitaxy of group III-V and group IV materials and the structural design of elements. The method comprises: preparing a substrate; depositing a dummy gate material layer on the substrate and defining a dummy gate from the dummy gate material layer by photolithography; performing doping by self-aligned ion implantation using the dummy gate as a mask and performing activation at high temperature, so as to form source-drain; removing the dummy gate; forming a recess in the substrate between the source-drain pair by etching; forming a channel-containing stacked element in the recess by epitaxy; and forming a gate on the channel-containing stacked element.

Abstract: The present invention provides a self-aware power control system and a method for determining the circuit state. The self-aware adaptive power control architecture comprises of a multi-mode power gating network, a current monitoring translator, a variable threshold comparator, a slack detector, and a bi-directional shift register. The multi-mode power gating network controls the amount of supply current and hence the circuit speed. The power gating network can be composed of either N-type MOSFETs for virtual ground insertion or P-type MOSFETs for virtual supply insertion. The number of MOSFETs in the multi-mode power gating network can be configured according to the supply range and step difference of the supply current. Then, by monitoring the current characteristics drained by target circuit, the circuit state can be determined. No delay matching circuit is required. Together with other peripherals, the supply current can be down controlled to a minimum acceptable level.

Abstract: A device capable of receiving one or more digital stimulus signals and accurately measuring an open-loop gain of an amplifier comprises: a digital charge converter (DCC), a charge integrator, an A/D converter, a control logic circuit and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU). The DCC and the charge integrator are composed of a plurality of switches, one or more sampling capacitor, at least one integrating capacitor and an operational amplifier under test (OPAUT) with a single-ended output or differential-ended outputs. The DCC, the charge integrator, and the A/D converter are controlled by control signals generated by the logic control circuit and can be reconfigured as a first-order Sigma-Delta modulator capable of receiving at least one of the digital input stimulus signals. The ALU calculates the open-loop gain of the OPAUT with single-ended output or differential-ended outputs according to the digital stimulus signals and the digital output of the first-order Sigma-Delta modulator.

Abstract: A lightweight structural concrete is composed of coarse structural aggregate sized between ¼? to ½? occupying 15% to 25% of total concrete volume, large non-structural lightweight aggregate such as expanded polystyrene bead of a particular size distribution and volume amount, small size non-structural lightweight aggregate or entrained air cells of another specific size distribution and volume amount, and a dense cementitious composition comprising cement binder, pozzolan, and fine structural filler no larger than concrete sand ASTM C33.

Abstract: A baseband processor is provided having Turbo Codes Decoders with Diversity processing for computing baseband signals from multiple separate antennas. The invention decodes multipath signals that have arrived at the terminal via different routes after being reflected from buildings, trees or hills. The Turbo Codes Decoder with Diversity processing increases the signal to noise ratio (SNR) more than 6 dB which enables the 3rd Generation Wireless system to deliver data rates from up to 2 Mbit/s. The invention provides several improved Turbo Codes Decoder methods and devices that provide a more suitable, practical and simpler method for implementation a Turbo Codes Decoder in ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) or DSP codes. A plurality of parallel Turbo Codes Decoder blocks is provided to compute baseband signals from multiple different receiver paths. Several pipelined max-Log-MAP decoders are used for iterative decoding of received data.