Abstract: The presently claimed invention provides an electrochemical analytical apparatus for electrochemical bath analysis. The apparatus comprise a static electrode and a rotatable unit. As steady liquid flow can be generated on the electrolytic surface of the static electrode by the rotatable unit through rotation, the static disk electrode does not involve any movement during the bath analysis such that the design of the electrical contact in the electrode can be substantially simplified.

Abstract: A method prevents shoot-through currents and reduces body-diode conduction time in an inverter circuit by changing dead times for transistors in the inverter circuit. A sensing resistor senses temperatures of transistors in the inverter circuit. A delay generator changes delay times in response to receiving the temperatures of the transistors from the sensing resistor. A dead time generation unit changes the dead times for the transistors in response to changes in the delay times.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for generation of a beacon identifier (ID) for increased security of a system for a location based service. The system includes a beacon device, such as a BLE device, a mobile device, and a server. The beacon device is configured to generate a beacon ID based on a beacon device identifier, such as a unique device identifier, of a beacon device and a time value. In some implementations, generation of the beacon ID includes a pseudorandom function and a shared key that is established between the beacon device and the server.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for selection of synchronization targets. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for selecting a synchronization target for a network device, within operational network constraints, when the network device loses its current synchronization target. When a network device loses its current synchronization target, the stratum index of the network device is downgraded to an artificial stratum index before a selection of a new synchronization target is made. The artificial stratum index is broadcast to children network devices. Downgrading the stratum index to an artificial stratum index allows for selection of available synchronization target network devices with stratum indices higher than or equal to the network device's stratum index. After selection of a new synchronization target, the network device's stratum index is updated, and the new updated stratum index of the network device is broadcast to the children network devices of the network device.

Abstract: Methods are described for detecting an edge of an object within an image with a fractional differential operator. Methods are also described for calculating 3D information using a strip pattern and the disclosed edge detection method. The fractional differential operator may be a modified Riesz space fractional differential operator. When calculating the fractional derivative of the image, a kernel approximation, in which a scaled Gaussian kernel function or a simplified scaled Gaussian kernel function, is applied to discretize the modified Riesz space fractional differential operator locally. The disclosed method improves the accuracy of edge detection, eliminates the need of applying additional fractional integration for noise suppression, and requires a smaller mask length to achieve desired accuracy.

Abstract: Two or more power converters are connected in parallel to supply power current to a joining node through connecting resistors. An output voltage before the connecting resistor in each power converter is sampled and divided by a sampling ratio to generate sampled voltages for each power converter. A current sharing circuit for each power converter receives the local sampled voltage and another sampled voltage from another power converter. The current sharing circuit generates an adjustment voltage that is injected into a feedback loop. The adjustment voltage modifies the output voltage of the power converter, adjusting and balancing the power current delivered by that power converter. Power currents from several power converters are reduced and balanced when the same sampling ratio is used for all power converters. Current hogging by one power converter is prevented.

Abstract: A Power-Line Communication (PLC) receiver has a filter, a time domain processor, a frequency-domain processor, and a forward-error-correction decoder. A narrow-band frequency detector attached to the frequency-domain processor examines the frequency-domain signal for a highest-power sub-carrier frequency. This highest power is compared to an average power of all other sub-carriers and a narrow-band interferer is detected when the highest power is significantly above the average. When the interferer is detected N times in a time period, a control layer adds this sub-carrier frequency to a removed list and recalculates filter coefficients to add a notch filter at the frequencies of the removed list. Updated filter coefficients are loaded into the filter to implement notch filters. When the current power of a sub-carrier signal on the removed list falls significantly below the average power, the sub-carrier is deleted from the removed list and coefficients recalculated to remove the notch filter.

Abstract: A compact device useful for measuring an absorption spectrum of a liquid, such as water with organic contaminants, is provided. The device comprises an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) each emitting light with a unique spectral peak. A reflector shaped as a half ellipsoid reflects the emitted light to form a reference beam. The reflector has an opening to allow part of the emitted light to form a measurement beam after passing through the liquid. Two photodetectors measure the reference beam and the measurement beam to give a reference intensity and a measured intensity, respectively. The LEDs sequentially emit showers of light one-by-one, giving plural pairs of reference and measured intensities for estimating the absorption spectrum. The device receives energy from a separate power-providing device through wireless power transfer. The power-providing device harvests motional energy of the flowing liquid to generate electrical energy.

Abstract: A Sampling Frequency Offset (SFO) tracking and estimation circuit performs SFO compensation on incoming data. A SFO acquisition module makes an initial coarse estimate using a Network Time Base (NTB) from the Media-Access-Controller (MAC) layer, or from the physical layer using adjacent synchronization symbols. A preamble channel estimator compares a frequency-domain preamble symbol to a reference symbol to generate a first channel estimate. As additional symbols are received, converted to the frequency domain, demodulated, and error corrected, the resulting data are re-error-encoded and compared to the same symbol stored before error correction and demodulation to generate a decision feedback channel estimate. The conjugate of the decision feedback channel estimate is multiplied by the last channel estimate to generate a new SFO estimate that is scaled by a filter constant and used to adjust SFO compensation. Each symbol generates a new estimate without using pilots.

Abstract: An Electro-Static-Discharge (ESD) protection device has a Silicon-Controlled Rectifier (SCR) with a triggering PMOS transistor. The SCR is a PNPN structure with a P+ anode/source within a center N-well, a P-substrate, and an outer N-well that connects to a cathode using N+ well taps. The P+ anode/source is both the source of the triggering PMOS transistor and the anode of the SCR. A trigger circuit drives the gate of the triggering PMOS transistor low, turning it on to charge the P+ drain. Since the P+ drain straddles the well boundary, making physical contact with both the center N-well and the P-substrate, holes flow into the P-substrate. The P+ drain is located near guard rings that suppress latch-up. The holes from the P+ drain flood the region under the guard rings, temporarily weakening their effect and reducing the trigger voltage.

Abstract: Methods are described for detecting an edge of an object within an image with a fractional differential operator. Methods are also described for calculating 3D information using a strip pattern and the disclosed edge detection method. The fractional differential operator may be a modified Riesz space fractional differential operator. When calculating the fractional derivative of the image, a kernel approximation, in which a scaled Gaussian kernel function or a simplified scaled Gaussian kernel function, is applied to discretize the modified Riesz space fractional differential operator locally. The disclosed method improves the accuracy of edge detection, eliminates the need of applying additional fractional integration for noise suppression, and requires a smaller mask length to achieve desired accuracy.

Abstract: Techniques for effectively and accurately measuring psychological influencing factors, such as the white coat effect and mental stress, that may affect or otherwise influence biometric measurements, such as blood pressure measurements, are described. Embodiments of a measurement validation system herein may utilize a method for determining an artery location on a living subject's skin and positioning a tonometry pressure sensor on the artery location for tonometric blood pressure measurement to obtain pressure pulse data for a subject. In operation according to embodiments, measurement logic of a measurement validation system may utilize the pressure pulse data to extract blood pressure data, heart rate data, blood pressure variability data, and heart rate variability data. The foregoing data may be utilized in identifying whether the blood pressure measurement properly and accurately reflects the situation of the subject.

Abstract: The invention provides a coating or film adapted to be arranged between a separator and at least one electrode of a rechargeable battery. The coating or film comprises a first material capable of forming a porous layer and allowing a passage of ions therethrough; wherein, in response to temperature change, the first material porous layer is adapted to substantially close pores in said first material porous layer to thereby substantially reduce or prevent further passage of ions through the first material.

Abstract: Using multiple imaging modes in whole slide image screening is potentially useful to reduce false positives. To use multiple imaging modes, a method for locating anomalies on a medical sample from an image thereof uses an anomaly-detection process that comprises using plural base classifiers individually to classify an object-of-interest suspected to be an anomaly. Each base classifier respectively extracts features of the object-of-interest and generates, according to the extracted features, a score indicating a likelihood of the object-of-interest being anomalous. The anomaly-detection process further comprises using an aggregate classifier to combine the scores generated by the base classifiers to determine whether the object-of-interest is the anomaly.

Abstract: The presently claimed invention provides a plating additive for electrodeposition, and the corresponding fabrication method thereof. The plating additive of the present invention enables to electroplate holes on a substrate with good height uniformity within a feature and among features at different diameters.

Abstract: A hybrid Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) has multiple stages. A first stage and a final stage each use a Successive-Approximation Register (SAR) ADC to generate the Most-Significant-Bits (MSBs) and the Least-Significant-Bits (LSBs) over successive internal cycles. Middle stage(s) use a faster flash ADC with multiple comparators in parallel to generate the middle binary bits, which are then re-converted by a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) and subtracted from the stage's input analog voltage to generate a difference that is amplified by a residual amplifier that outputs an amplified voltage to the next stage. The first stage also has this multiplying DAC structure to convert the MSBs to an amplified voltage to the first of the middle stages. Finally, digital error correction logic removes redundant binary bits between stages. Initial and final SAR stages of 4 and 8 bits with a 4-bit middle stage provide a hybrid ADC of 14-bit precision.

Abstract: A charging device to wirelessly charge a target device, including: a coil antenna having a first surface facing a first direction at which the target device is placed for charging and a second surface facing an opposite direction from the first direction, generating a first magnetic field; a plurality of pairs of metallic small loop transmission coils arranged to the second surface side of the coil antenna, to generate a second magnetic field in response to the first magnetic field to enhance the first magnetic field, the first and second magnetic fields being directed in the first direction; and wherein a first one of each pair of metallic small loop transmission coils is coupled to a second one of the pair in parallel and a size of the first one of each pair is different from that of the second one of the pair, such that when a distance between the target device and the first surface is changed, one of the pair of metallic small loop transmission coils is enabled to be resonant with the coil antenna.

Abstract: The presently claimed invention relates generally to a method and an apparatus for pilot decontamination for massive MIMO system and, more particularly, to a massive MIMO communication system based on channel estimation with topological interference alignment.

Abstract: A method of determining stiffness index of an arterial network is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: obtaining a pulse waveform related to the arterial network; estimating a source pulse based on at least one predetermined feature of the pulse waveform; determining a plurality of characteristics of the pulse waveform based on a relationship between the pulse waveform and the source pulse; and calculating the stiffness index of the arterial network based on the plurality of characteristics of the pulse waveform. An arterial stiffness index measuring device employing the above methodology is also disclosed therein.

Abstract: A gateway (GW) acquires an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of a user equipment (UE) without requesting a mobile management entity (MME) of a core network (CN) to provide it. The GW detects arrival of a S1AP message for the UE. If the GW does not have the IMSI of the UE, and if a NAS payload of the S1AP message is ciphered, send to the UE a rejecting message indicating detaching the UE from the CN, causing the UE to request re-attaching to the CN in a S1AP message that is an Initial UE Message, which contains a temporary identifier of the UE. Then alter the Initial UE Message with a fabricated temporary identifier not recognizable by the MME and send the altered message to the MME, causing the MME to ask the UE to identify itself with the IMSI, which is read by the GW.