Abstract: An enzyme electrode and its producing method are disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate having a carbon surface; forming a gold surface on the carbon surface and forming an electrode; modifying the gold surface by L-cysteine; modifying the gold surface by N,N?-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide; and chemically bonding the modified gold surface with a glucose oxidase.

Abstract: A system and method of correcting baseline wander (BLW) are disclosed. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converts an analog input to a digital output, and a slicer maps the digital output to one of a plurality of predefined values. A BLW correction unit generates a BLW correction value according to a difference between an input and an output of the slicer. A correction controller generates a fine correction value and a coarse correction value according to the BLW correction value. Specifically, the fine correction value is used to correct the digital output of the ADC, and the coarse correction value is used to correct the analog input of the ADC.

Abstract: Initially, an ion beam is formed as an elongated shape incident on a wafer, where the shape has a length along a first axis longer than a diameter of the wafer, and a width along a second axis shorter than the diameter of the wafer. Then, a center of the wafer is moved along a scan path intersecting the ion beam at a movement velocity, and the wafer is rotated around at a rotation velocity simultaneously. During the simultaneous movement and rotation, the wafer is totally overlapped with the ion beam along the first axis when the wafer intersects with the ion beam, and the rotation velocity is at most a few times of the movement velocity. Both the movement velocity and the rotation velocity can be a constant or have a velocity profile relative to a position of the ion beam across the wafer.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for gamma correction are disclosed. An adjustable blending unit is utilized for adjustably blending a linear gamma function with a nonlinear gamma function, thereby resulting in an adjustable gamma curve. The nonlinear gamma function is adjustable by a blending parameter such that distance of the gamma curve to linear gamma curve may be changed.

Abstract: An apparatus having an excitation source that includes at least one laser diode and also having a handpiece with a disposable, bendable tip cannula is disclosed.

Abstract: A system of signal emitting modules is disclosed. The modules emit light or other signals to warn oncoming traffic that a road or other pathway has changed or is traversing a tortuous pathway. The modules are interconnected in a sequence so that they flash on and off in a pattern that leads the driver or observer along a path with less confusion than with randomly flashing or steady lights or reflectors. The modules are self-powered and can be arrayed first and programmed following deployment. The programming can be done with “mesh” technology, an external controller, or by dialing a specific number in each of a plurality of distributed controllers. The modules can improve highway safety by reducing driver confusion. The modules are arrayed to prevent a driver from seeing them from an oncoming direction. The driver coming from the opposite direction will have his or her own guiding system.

Abstract: A readout system with enhanced dynamic range for an image sensor is constructed with a pixel circuit and a readout circuit. The pixel circuit includes at least a first amplifier with a first gain and a second amplifier with a second gain for amplifying signals from the image sensor. The readout circuit includes at least a first readout sub-circuit and a second readout sub-circuit for corresponding reading output of the first amplifier and output of the second amplifier respectively.

Abstract: A method and system of extracting a perceptual feature set for image/video segmentation are disclosed. An input image is converted to obtain a hue component and a saturation component, where the hue component is quantized into a number of quantum values. After weighting the quantized hue component with the saturation component, the weighted quantized hue component and the saturation component are subjected to a statistical operation in order to extract feature vectors. Accordingly, the method and system provide overall segmentation results that are very close to human interpretation.

Abstract: An overdrive system adaptable for a dynamic gamma generator is disclosed. A current gray-to-voltage converter (G/V) converts image data of a current frame from gray code to voltage level, and a previous gray-to-voltage converter (G/V) converts image data of a previous frame from gray code to voltage level. The voltage level of current frame and the voltage level of previous frame are inputted to an overdrive-voltage lookup table to retrieve an overdrive voltage level. Afterwards, a voltage-to-gray converter (V/G) converts the retrieved overdrive voltage level from voltage level back to gray code, resulting in an overdrive gray code. Accordingly, the overdrive gray code is compensated. Alternatively, the overdrive gray code is used to update an overdrive-gray-code lookup table, an output gray code of which is fed to the source driver.

Abstract: A portable sign stand comprises a mast for supporting an article (preferably a sign) thereon and a plurality of support legs for supporting the mast. A heart plate assembly comprises a heart plate for pivotally receiving and attaching to top ends of each of the plurality of support legs and a center tube having a hollow interior for slidably receiving the inner mast. The center tube extends upwardly a predetermined distance from a top edge of the heart plate. This predetermined distance is at least two inches in order to protect a user's fingers in the event of an inadvertent or intentional dropping of the inner mast downwardly through the hollow interior of the center tube to its minimum height position. In the most preferred embodiments, the minimum predetermined distance is at least about four inches, because this distance permits an average user's hand to be entirely wrapped about the center tube without the risk of a pinch injury if the mast is suddenly dropped to its minimum height position.

Abstract: A layout of a voltage/current reference system is disclosed. A first voltage/current reference circuit (for example, a bandgap reference circuit) and a second voltage/current reference circuit are respectively laid out on either side of a substrate, such as edges or perimeter sides of the substrate. A reference voltage/current is derived by averaging respective output reference voltage/current values of the first and the second voltage/current reference circuits. Accordingly, the noise influence on the voltage/current reference system is minimized.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of calibrating sensitivity gain. In a preview mode, an imaging device is calibrated by a standard light source, therefore obtaining standard sensitivity gain of the preview mode. In a capture mode, the imaging device is calibrated by the standard light source, therefore obtaining standard sensitivity gain of the capture mode. A gain ratio of the standard sensitivity gain of the capture mode to the standard sensitivity gain of the preview mode is determined, and is then used to deduce the exposure parameters of the capture mode according to the exposure parameters of the preview mode.

Abstract: A binning circuit and method for an image sensor is disclosed. A column amplifier (CA) is first reset, and thus generates a CA reset signal. A capacitor and a switch network are coupled between an output of the image sensor and an input of the column amplifier. A correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit controllably receives the output of the column amplifier. The switch network is controlled in a way such that an image signal of a first group of the image sensor is transmitted and stored in the CDS circuit, and an image signal of a second group is then added to the stored image signal of the first group.

Abstract: A chloride ion-selective electrode comprises: a reference electrode in contact with a reference solution; and a chloride ion-selective membrane as the interface of a sample and the reference solution, wherein the chloride-ion selective membrane comprises a chloride ion ionophore, a chloride ion-exchange resin, a plasticizer, and a polymer matrix.

Abstract: A method of calibrating an autofocus (AF) lighting device of a camera is disclosed. A reference image is captured with light projected from the AF lighting device, and a relative position of a central coordinate of the projected light with respect to a central coordinate of the reference image is stored. When operating the camera, the AF lighting device is activated to emit light after a shutter button of the camera is pressed halfway down, and a preview picture is displayed on a panel of the camera. A central position of the emitted light is then transposed toward a center of the panel according to the stored relative position.

Abstract: A device for protecting a PLL in reading signals on a defect disc from disturbance and instability is provided. The device includes a defect detection unit, a logic combination unit and a PLL. The defect detection unit receives a plurality of defect detection signals to detect various defects for setting a plurality of defect flag signals, wherein the plurality of defect detection signals include at least an envelope of RF signal and bit modulation signals. The logic combination unit performs logic operation on the defect flag signals in order to detect a specified defect. Wherein, when the specified defect is detected, the PLL uses different bandwidths to compensate a digitalized RF signal affected by the specified defect. A method for protecting a PLL in reading signals on a defect disc is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described that efficiently program charge-trapping memory cells by dynamically switching sense amplifiers and corresponding drivers depending upon data to be programmed. When a number of sense amplifier/drivers can be operated simultaneously, cells to be programmed to a same level are selected and programmed simultaneously employing up to the number of simultaneously operable sense amplifier/drivers.

Abstract: A black level compensation (BLC) circuit is disclosed. The BLC circuit includes a switched-capacitor (SC) integrator configured to compensate a readout amplifier of an image sensor. An output of the readout amplifier is clamped to a reference voltage at which a black level of the image sensor is defined. According to one aspect, a bad pixel detector is used to detect a bad pixel or pixels and disconnect the BLC loop when the bad pixel or pixels are detected.

Abstract: An organic/inorganic white lighting device is disclosed. The organic/inorganic white lighting device includes an anode, an organic/inorganic lighting layer, and a cathode. The organic/inorganic lighting layer is disposed between the anode and the cathode. The organic/inorganic lighting layer includes organic material and an inorganic micro/nano structure of Zinc Oxide (ZnO), wherein the organic material is capable of emitting blue light, the inorganic micro/nano structure of Zinc Oxide is capable of emitting green-yellow light, and the blue light and green-yellow light are mixed for generating white light.

Abstract: A soft tissue tensioning system comprises a manual suture tensioning device having a bar and a finger guard which is orthogonal to the bar. A lateral suture cleat is disposed on each lateral end of the bar, and a primary suture cleat extends about a top and a bottom of each of the opposed lateral ends of the bar.