Abstract: Systems and methods for automated, rapid composting are disclosed. An air-tight housing prevents odors from leaking out. The housing is thermally insulated to enable the compost to achieve sufficient temperatures for rapid composting. A chambered system, generally including an optional hopper, a reactor, and a cure tray, physically shields odorous material from the external environment. A mixing wand mechanically mixes and/or breaks up the compost material and enhances air flow therethrough. A drip tray segregates liquid byproducts from the solid compost material. An air pump draws in air, while a carbon filter may absorb odors before returning the air to the external environment. A motor provides mixing, and facilitates opening and closing of the two trap doors separating the chambers. An electronic controller automates the composting process while allowing certain settings to be adjusted.

Abstract: A semiconductor package includes an encapsulant, a semiconductor device within the encapsulant, and one or more terminals for electrically coupling the semiconductor device to a node exterior to the package. The package further includes bonding means coupling the semiconductor device to the one or more terminals. The semiconductor package is configured to dissipate heat through a top surface of the package. To directly dissipate heat via the top surface of the package, a thermally conductive layer is coupled to the semiconductor device, and the layer is exposed at a surface of the package.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and device that allows efficient mixing of multiple video images with a graphics screen while utilizing only one video buffer. The present invention partitions the sole video buffer, pre-scales the plurality of video images and inserts them into the partitioned video buffer in a predetermined range of buffer addresses. The present invention mixes the partitioned video including the pre-scaled video images with the graphics screen to produce a video display including both a video screen and a graphics screen.

Abstract: A method may include comparing a first content addressable memory (“CAM”) entry with a first key value to generate a first comparison result; comparing each of multiple second CAM entries with a second key value to generate multiple second comparison results; and generating a match signal if the first key value matches the first CAM entry and the second key value matches at least one of the multiple second CAM entries.

Abstract: This invention provides an antenna apparatus (60) for use in a non-contact type IC card into and from which data can be written and read by electronic apparatuses having a communication function, by virtue of inductive coupling. The antenna apparatus comprises a loop coil (61) and a magnetic member (62). The loop coil is produced by winding a conductive wire in a plane and configured to perform the inductive coupling. The magnetic member covers one region (61a) of the loop coil, provided at one side, from one surface of the loop coil, passes through the loop coil, and covers the other region (61b) of the loop coil, provided at the other side, from the other surface of the loop coil. The entire region of the loop coil is thus covered.

Abstract: The method comprises, in the time domain, echo cancellation processing (40) by subtracting from the microphone signal a reference signal delivered by an adaptive circuit for modeling the acoustic coupling between the microphone (18) and the loudspeaker (16). Successive frames of the signal are subjected in the frequency domain to processing (42) for suppressing the residual echo that remains after the echo cancellation, together with noise reduction processing (44). The residual echo suppression processing comprises estimating respective values for the power of the residual echo over a plurality of defined frequency bands for successive signal frames, then calculating and applying a variable gain specific to each frequency band and to each frame, the respective gains being smaller whenever the estimated relative power of the residual echo is high for the frequency band under consideration, and vice versa.

Abstract: A camera housing positionably coupled to an electronic appliance is disclosed. Preferably, the camera housing is positionable in two discrete positions such that the camera can be positioned to face towards or away from the user. The appliance includes a recess sized to receive the camera housing. A cellular telephone includes a camera housing which is positionable in two discrete positions. In the first position, the camera faces the user. In the second position, the camera faces away from the user. The camera housing is coupled to the cellular telephone by a hinge mechanism that latches the camera into one of the two positions.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for identifying, accessing, and managing service applications for use with associated consumer electronic devices in a home network system. A client side process, executed by a client computing system in the home network system, operates in conjunction with a server side process executed by a server computing system that is coupled with the client computing system via the Internet. The client computing system is implemented by a gateway device coupled with each of the devices via the home network.

Abstract: A light bulb changing tool comprising a holding structure configured to engage a light bulb, the holding structure configured along an axis, the motorized holding structure configured to actuate in a first direction and a second direction. The light bulb changing tool further includes a force generator configured to selectively force the light bulb against the holding structure and a control unit configured to remotely communicate with the holding structure and the force generator, wherein the electronic control unit sends control signals to drive the holding structure to selectively move in the first direction and the second direction and/or to activate the force generator. The tool further comprises an arm member for positioning the holding structure in a desired configuration to engage the light bulb, wherein the arm member is coupled to the holding structure. The holding structure further comprises a rotator mechanism configured to rotate the holding structure in the first direction about the axis.

Abstract: An adapter includes a device-side component and a wall-side component. The device-side component has a male socket receptacle to receive an electrical plug and a male socket opposite the male socket receptacle. The wall-side component has a female socket plug to insert into an electrical outlet and a female socket opposite the female socket plug. The male socket is configured to interface with the female socket, regardless of orientation of the male socket with respect to the female socket.

Abstract: A fast accurate multi-channel frequency dependent scheme for analyzing noise in a signal processing system is described herein. Noise is decomposed within each channel into frequency bands and sub-band noise is propagated. To avoid the computational complexity of a convolution, traditional methods either assume the noise to be white, at any point in the signal processing pipeline, or they just ignore spatial operations. By assuming the noise to be white within each frequency band, it is possible to propagate any type of noise (white, colored, Gaussian, non-Gaussian and others) across a spatial transformation in a very fast and accurate manner. To demonstrate the efficacy of this technique, noise propagation is considered across various spatial operations in an image processing pipeline. Furthermore, the computational complexity is a very small fraction of the computational cost of propagating an image through a signal processing system.

Abstract: An integrated circuit may include multiple programmable metallization cells (PMCs) and a multiple bit lines. Each bit line may be connected to a anodes of a different set of PMCs, and provide a read data path from a selected one of the set of PMCs. Access devices may each provide a controllable impedance path between at least one cathode and a common source node.

Abstract: A regulated power factor corrected power supply apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an input rectifier circuit for receiving an input AC voltage and outputting a full-wave rectified DC voltage. A single-stage isolated buck-type converter is coupled with the input circuit. The converter circuit comprises an isolated buck-type converter circuit including an isolation transformer. An output rectifier and semiconductor tap switch are coupled to a secondary winding of the isolation transformer. The tap switch couples a larger portion of the secondary winding to an output bulk capacitor during the portions of the input sinewave half-cycle, which are low in amplitude. The tap switch enables the single-stage isolation buck-type converter to operate over a much larger portion of the input sinewave, but also allows the converter to operate at high-efficiency over the majority of the input sinewave.

Abstract: The present invention discloses systems for and methods of transcoding first video data in a first format, such as AVC, into second video data in a second format, such as MPEG-2. A method in accordance with the present invention disables deblocking filters, bypasses macroblock encoding for certain picture types, such as B-pictures, and re-uses motion vectors. In one embodiment, motion vectors for the second video data are set substantially equal to motion vectors for the first video data, when the two differ by less than a threshold value. In other embodiments, only macroblocks that contain all zero-valued blocks bypass the transcoding process, thereby simplifying the transcoding process further. Other embodiments further simplify the transcoding process by requiring that B-pictures are not used as reference pictures, reference pictures in the second video data are restricted to be the same as reference pictures in the first video data, and bi-predictions are not allowed.

Abstract: Systems and methods electrically connect a first electronic device or electrical component, having a external electrical connector, to a circuit board of a second electronic device. A low-cost, user-installable connection system isolates mechanical stresses imposed on the external electrical connector to within the user-installable connection system, thereby preventing the mechanical stresses from reaching the circuit board in the second electronic device. If the connection becomes faulty, only the low-cost, user-installable connection system must be replaced.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a reversible electrochemical sensor for polyions. The sensor uses active extraction and ion stripping, which are controlled electrochemically. Spontaneous polyion extraction is suppressed by using membranes containing highly lipophilic electrolytes that possess no ion-exchange properties. Reversible extraction of polyions is induced by constant current pulse of fixed duration applied across the membrane. Subsequently, polyions are removed by applying a constant stripping potential. The sensors provide excellent stability and reversibility and allow for measurements of heparin concentration in whole blood samples via protamine titration. The sensors can also monitor a polyion concentration and an enzyme activity, wherein the polyion decomposition is directly proportional to the enzyme activity in a sample. Additionally, the sensors can monitor an enzyme inhibitor activity.

Abstract: A secure virtual private network (VPN) is described herein. The secure VPN implements standard VPN software with diagnostics to ensure a client device coupling to the VPN is secure. The diagnostics include a policy, a library and an engine where the policy determines what the requirements are for permitting the client device to couple to the VPN. The library stores programs for checking if the client device has any problems. The engine gathers information related to the client device and executes the programs stored within the library. When a user attempts to couple to the VPN with a client device, the server initiates the policy, library and engine to check for issues, and then the user is informed of the issues and/or a mechanism automatically fixes the issues. After the client device is verified as secure, it is able to couple to the VPN for data transfers.

Abstract: A speculative start point selection for motion estimation iterative search improves the efficiency and quality of the integer-pel motion estimation iterative search by speculatively selecting the start position of the iteration. The start position is selected by comparing the Sum of Absolute Differences (SAD) value of a 0 motion vector, a predicted motion vector and a global motion vector (GMV) and selecting the position with the smallest SAD value. A refinement scheme with a threshold improves the efficiency and quality of the motion estimation iterative search by performing several comparisons to ensure the proper motion vector is selected. Applications of this improved motion estimation search include stabilizing an image as well as many other applications where motion vectors are used.

Abstract: A device stores a plurality of applications and a list of associations for those applications. The applications are preferably stored within a secondary memory of the device, and once launched each application is loaded into RAM. Each application is preferably associated to one or more of the other applications. Preferably, no applications are launched when the device is powered on. A user selects an application, which is then launched by the device, thereby loading the application from the secondary memory to RAM. Whenever an application is determined to be associated with a currently active state application, and that associated application has yet to be loaded from secondary memory to RAM, the associated application is pre-launched such that the associated application is loaded into RAM, but is set to an inactive state.