Patents Assigned to Applied Science & Technology
  • Publication number: 20170345214
    Abstract: A hybrid-resolution panoramic VR generator places High-Resolution (HR) patches from a ring of HR cameras onto a 360-degree Low-Resolution (LR) image from a LR camera pointing upward from the ring into a panoramic mirror that captures the combined field of view of all the multiple HR cameras, but at a lower resolution. Ghosting artifacts caused by parallax errors between adjacent HR cameras are eliminated because object placement is determined by the 360-degree LR image. Each HR image is homographicly projected into 3 projections by grouping objects of different depths to obtain homographic matrixes. The 360-degree LR image is upscaled to HR and a query patch is searched in search windows in the three projections for up to two adjacent HR images. Best-matching patches are weighted by similarity with the query patch and blended to generate a reconstructed patch placed at the query patch location in a reconstructed HR panorama image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2016
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: Hong Kong Applied Science & Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Kwok Wai HUNG, Luhong LIANG, Xuejiao LIU
  • Patent number: 9811946
    Abstract: A hybrid-resolution panoramic VR generator places High-Resolution (HR) patches from a ring of HR cameras onto a 360-degree Low-Resolution (LR) image from a LR camera pointing upward from the ring into a panoramic mirror that captures the combined field of view of all the multiple HR cameras, but at a lower resolution. Ghosting artifacts caused by parallax errors between adjacent HR cameras are eliminated because object placement is determined by the 360-degree LR image. Each HR image is homographicly projected into 3 projections by grouping objects of different depths to obtain homographic matrixes. The 360-degree LR image is upscaled to HR and a query patch is searched in search windows in the three projections for up to two adjacent HR images. Best-matching patches are weighted by similarity with the query patch and blended to generate a reconstructed patch placed at the query patch location in a reconstructed HR panorama image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kwok Wai Hung, Luhong Liang, Xuejiao Liu
  • Patent number: 9722758
    Abstract: This invention provides a method for a first communication device, such as a base station, to estimate a channel-quality profile of a channel when a second communication device, e.g., a user equipment, returns only channel-quality indicators (CQIs) of selected subbands and a wideband CQI. The profile is obtained by including, for any two neighboring frequencies of the selected subbands, an estimated CQI of a middle frequency between the two neighboring frequencies. After translating the CQIs of the two neighboring frequencies into corresponding linear CQI values, a linear estimated-CQI value for the middle frequency is determined by subtracting an offset from an average of said corresponding linear CQI values. The offset is determined according to a frequency separation between the two neighboring frequencies. Preferably, the offset is linearly proportional to the frequency separation. Interpolation, preferably linear interpolation, is used to obtain linear CQI values of other frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Jiewei Ding, Man Wai Kwan, Jihui Zhang, Kong Chau Tsang
  • Patent number: 9713120
    Abstract: A method for reducing paging traffic between a gateway (GW) and plural base stations (BSs) is provided when paging user equipments (UEs). A cache map, which records most-recently visited BSs of selected UEs, is used to limit the number of BSs in the paging of each selected UE, thereby reducing paging traffic. Furthermore, paging requests sent to the same BS node are grouped into one batch in generating a transport-layer payload, reducing the number of generated transport-layer messages. When used in a LTE system, piggybacking paging requests as provided by the SCTP reduces paging traffic and windowing/congestion control overhead at the transport layer. Transmission efficiency is thus improved. In addition, the number of paging requests sent out by the GW node per one paging interval is controlled to be not greater than a pre-determined maximum value to further limit paging traffic for avoiding occurrence of a paging storm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Ka Ho Mui, Shijun Fan, Yau Yau Yolanda Tsang, Yee Simon Wong, Hua Shen
  • Patent number: 9713284
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a fluid cooling assembly which facilitates turbulent flow inside the assembly so as to achieve better heat dissipating effect. The cooling assembly comprises an enclosed chamber with an inlet and an outlet for fluid to pass through; together with a heat spreader; a plurality of micropillars and a plurality of heat dissipating fins installed inside the assembly. When fluid flows through the chamber, these elements in combination are adapted to create an enhanced turbulent flow upon the fluid so as to effectively dissipate heat from said heat spreader through the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Ziyang Gao, Ya Lv, Yat Kit Tsui
  • Patent number: 9706269
    Abstract: A bio-sensing processor chip acts as an auto-configurable platform to support a wide variety of bio-sensors. Nano-wires with attached bio-receptors for specific bio-molecules, ECG, and SPO2 bio-sensors drive analog voltages or currents to analog inputs of the bio-sensing processor chip. These analog inputs are divided into three sections. An input sensor detector/decoder detects which analog inputs are active and configures an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to convert first-section inputs to 12 digital bits, second-section inputs to 16 bits, and third-section inputs to 20 bits. An Analog Front-End (AFE) is bypassed for the first section inputs but amplifies and filters second and third section inputs. A Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) sends the converted digital values to a nearby external device using NFC or WiFi transmitters. When no battery is detected, energy is harvested from NFC signals from the external device, and one-shot measurements are made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company, Limited
    Inventors: Ho Ming (Karen) Wan, Sze Wing Leung, Hok Mo Yau, Guang Jie Cai
  • Patent number: 9704819
    Abstract: A power electronic package includes a first substrate, a second substrate oppositely disposed from the first substrate, one or more chips disposed between the substrates, and at least three spacers. The spacers control a height variation of the power electronic package and protect the chips and other electronics from experiencing excessive stress. The height of the spacers is determined based on a height of the chips, on a height of solder blocks that connect the chips to the top substrate, and on a height of solder blocks that connect the chips to the bottom substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Ziyang Gao, Ya Lv
  • Patent number: 9703068
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an imaging module comprising an electromagnetic actuator to provide focus-related and image stabilization-related functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwok Sing Cheng, Kin Ming Fan
  • Patent number: 9698836
    Abstract: Systems and methods which provide mitigation of self-interference in spectrally efficient full duplex (e.g., transmit and receive using the same frequency simultaneously) communications are described. Embodiments provide an interference mitigation structure having a multi-tap vector modulator interference cancellation circuit operable to cancel time varying multipath interference in the analog RF domain. A multi-tap vector modulator interference cancellation circuit of embodiments may comprise part of a multi-stage interference cancellation circuit, such as a multi-stage interference cancellation circuit comprising a multi-tap vector modulator interference cancellation circuit and a digital residual interference cancellation circuit. A digital residual interference cancellation circuit of embodiments provides residual interference cancellation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Wen Qin, Yuanyuan Du, Jiewei Ding, Man Wai Kwan, Angus Chi Keung Mak, Kong Chau Tsang
  • Patent number: 9679340
    Abstract: A method for delivering distance education for real clients, each either a teacher client or a student client, at multiple teaching sites and a system using the method are provided. A multi-layer arrangement is used to arrange computing servers to be one first-level server and one or more second-level servers each communicable with the first-level server. Each server serves real clients located in a pre-determined site. Furthermore, each server sets up a virtual client to execute the teacher client's activity command so as to locally generate application-specific data, which are then stored in this server. When a communication link to a student client is re-established after an activity interruption, resynchronization of the student client's learning-activity state with the teacher client's is regained based on the locally-generated application-specific data stored in the server that serves the student client without a need to burden other servers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Reserach Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Kar-Wing Edward Lor, Wing Hei Au
  • Patent number: 9680512
    Abstract: A message retrieving system and method for signal collision mitigation and the method thereof are disclosed. The message retrieving system transmits two orthogonal signals over two isolated antenna during a time period that it expects to receive the response. Two virtual channels are artificially created and the collision of response signals originated from the respondents is mitigated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Chen, Song He
  • Patent number: 9661695
    Abstract: A low-headroom current driver does not use an op amp or resistor. A sensing transistor having its source connected to a drain of an output transistor senses variations in an output current. The gate, source, and drain voltages of the sensing transistor are mirrored to a sense mirror transistor to control a sense current. The sense current is mirrored to a reference source transistor to generate a mirrored sense current. An error between the mirrored sense current and a fixed reference current is stored as charge on an error-storing capacitor. The stored error charge creates a negative-feedback compensation current that adjusts a gate voltage generated by a feedback-driving transistor. The adjusted gate voltage controls the gate of the output transistor to compensate for the sensed variation in output current. The sensing current is also compensated using a sense-mirror tail transistor connected to the sense mirror transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Guangjie Cai, Ho Ming (Karen) Wan, Chun Fai Wong, Tai Yin Wong
  • Patent number: 9648539
    Abstract: For an ultra dense network (UDN) having small cells of highly overlapped coverages, a user equipment (UE) selects in a handover process a preferred base station (BS) from candidate BSs for minimizing occurrence of handover events. The UE computes finite differences consisting of a first-, a second-, and one or more higher-order differences, according to received signal strength (RSS) values obtained for each candidate BS. A preference level, which is a total number of finite differences having consecutive order numbers, including the first-order difference, and being positive or non-negative, is computed for each candidate BS. One or more favorable candidate BSs from the candidate BSs are identified such that the group of such favorable candidate BSs has the same preference level that is maximum among all the preference levels computed for the candidate BSs. The preferred BS is selected from the group of such favorable candidate BSs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Yun Hou, Man Wai Kwan, Eddy Chiu, Kong Chau Tsang
  • Patent number: 9641141
    Abstract: Even harmonics are suppressed by a harmonics-reducing bias generator that drives bias voltages to cascode control transistors in series with driver transistors in a power amplifier. A first bias voltage is generated by mirroring pull-up currents in the power amplifier. A p-channel source transistor and a p-channel cascode current-mirror transistor also mirror the power amplifier pull-up current to a midpoint node. An n-channel sink transistor and an n-channel cascode current-mirror transistor mirror the pull-down current in the power amplifier to the midpoint node. An op amp compares the midpoint node to VDD/2, and drives the gate of a p-channel feedback transistor. Current from the p-channel feedback transistor flows through an n-channel cascode current-mirror transistor that generates a second bias voltage. The second bias voltage is adjusted until the midpoint node reaches VDD/2, causing the pull-up and pull-down currents in the power amplifier to better match, reducing even harmonics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Shiyuan Zheng, Zhiwei Wu
  • Patent number: 9638584
    Abstract: A differential on-chip temperature sensor circuit can be implemented in a standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process using PNP transistors. A pair of transistors have collector currents that are sensitive to voltage, both directly and due to saturation currents. A scaling resistor connects to the emitter of one transistor and its voltage compared to the other transistor's emitter voltage by an error amplifier that generates a bias voltage to current sources that are proportional to absolute temperature since the saturation current sensitivity is subtracted out. The current is mirrored to sink current through a multiplier resistor from an output. An amplifier connected across the multiplier resistor compares a reference voltage to set the DC bias independent of temperature sensitivity. The temperature sensitivity is proportional to the ratio of the multiplier resistor and the scaling resistor, and is multiplied by a mirroring factor. A differential output is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Chun Fai Wong, Leung Ling (Alan) Pun, Kam Hung Chan, Kwok Kuen (David) Kwong
  • Patent number: 9640523
    Abstract: A lateral p-n diode in the center of and surrounded by a vertical Silicon-Controlled Rectifier (SCR) forms an Electro-Static-Discharge (ESD) protection structure. The lateral p-n diode has a cross-shaped P+ diode tap with four rectangles of N+ diode regions in each corner of the cross. A P-well under the P+ diode tap is also an anode of a vertical PNPN SCR that has a deep N-well in a P-substrate. The deep N-well surrounds the lateral diode. Triggering MOS transistors are formed just beyond the four ends of the cross shaped P+ diode tap. Each triggering MOS transistor has N+ regions at the edge of the deep N-well and in the P-substrate that act as the cathode terminals. A deep P+ implant region under the N+ region at the edge of the deep N-well decreases a trigger voltage of the vertical SCR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Xiaowu Cai, Beiping Yan, Zhongzi Chen
  • Patent number: 9617653
    Abstract: The presently claimed invention provides an electrochemical analytical apparatus and a method for evaluating performance of electroplating formulations of electrolyte solutions used for via filling. The electrochemical analytical apparatus comprises an electric power generating device, an electrical output signal measurement device, an electrochemical measurement device, and a motion generator. The electrochemical measurement device of the present invention comprises a supporting structure, a cavity, a cavity electrode, and a surface electrode. The electrical output signals of the cavity electrode and the surface electrode are measured during electroplating for calculating a filling performance value. The presently claimed invention provides an accurate, fast and cost effective method for evaluating performance of electroplating formulations, following with choosing the electroplating formulation of the highest FP value for actual microvia filling process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Yaofeng Sun, Minghui Gao, Shu Kin Yau, Min Gao
  • Patent number: 9619723
    Abstract: The present invention employs a first step of stationary face recognition, followed by a facial expression test, a continuous movement tracking test, and a 3D perspective check to identify and authenticate a subject, prevent photo spoofing and facemask spoofing, and determining whether the subject is a living person. The method requires a subject to present her face before a camera, which can be the built-in or peripheral camera of a mobile communication device. The method also requires displaying to the subject certain instructions and the real-time video feedback of the subject face on a display screen, which can be the built-in or peripheral display screen of the mobile communication device or mobile computing device. The 3D perspective check uses a single camera to take two images of the subject's face for the calculating the stereoscopic view data of the subject's face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Felix Chow, Arvin Wai Kai Tang
  • Patent number: 9575032
    Abstract: The presently claimed invention provides an accurate, fast, and cost effective method for determining the additive concentrations of at least two inhibitors simultaneously in an electroplating bath by using different electrical load conditions. The method of the present invention is able to determine additive concentrations of different inhibitors effectively during on-line feedback control for adjusting the amount of additives in the electroplating bath to maintain the additive concentrations within pre-defined limits during device production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Yaofeng Sun, Minghui Gao, Hai Xia
  • Patent number: 9547887
    Abstract: An image processor generates a Super-Resolution (SR) frame by upscaling. A Human Visual Preference Model (HVPM) helps detect random texture regions, where visual artifacts and errors are tolerated to allow for more image details, and immaculate regions having flat areas, corners, or regular structures, where details may be sacrificed to prevent annoying visual artifacts that seem to stand out more. A regularity or isotropic measurement is generated for each input pixel. More regular and less anisotropic regions are mapped as immaculate regions. Higher weights for blurring, smoothing, or blending from a single frame source are assigned for immaculate regions to reduce the likelihood of generated artifacts. In the random texture regions, multiple frames are used as sources for blending, and sharpening is increased to enhance details, but more artifacts are likely. These artifacts are more easily tolerated by humans in the random texture regions than in the regular-structure immaculate regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company, Limited
    Inventors: Luhong Liang, Peng Luo, King Hung Chiu, Wai Keung Cheung