Abstract: Time-varying scent determined by audio-meaningful events, such as gun firing, in an audio signal is generated by first computing a spectrogram thereof. A fingerprint, each having feature points, can be extracted from the spectrogram over a time window. The plurality of feature points is hashed to give a hash code. A sequence of hash codes obtained over multiple time windows is correlated with predetermined hash-code segments of known audio-meaningful events stored in a database. A matched audio-meaningful event having a highest correlation is identified. The scent-generating recipe corresponding to the matched audio-meaningful event is retrieved. Atomizers are used to vaporize scent-generating substances to generate the time-variant scent. Since the hash code has a fixed length and a smaller size than the plurality of feature points, storage requirements of the database and computation requirements of correlation calculation are reduced by using the hash code rather than the plurality of feature points.

Abstract: A heat-not-burn tobacco-type device for heating a cigarette has a heater and a vaporizer. The heater heats the cigarette at a heating temperature not greater than 450° C. for discouraging formation of harmful substances, such as tar and carbon monoxide, during heating the cigarette. The vaporizer is used to vaporize a liquid for producing smoke and/or for enhancing a taste of the cigarette. The vaporizer and the heater are arranged to work simultaneously or independently to generate two bodies of aerosol, wherein these two bodies of aerosol pass through two independent gas channels and meet together for a smoker to inhale thereafter. Hence, the device not only meets visual needs of the smoker in the smoke and/or enhances the taste of the cigarette, but also discourages generation of the harmful substance.

Abstract: A cutting nozzle for a gas torch, such as a postmixed oxy-fuel gas torch, comprising a body with a torch end adapted to engage the gas torch, a discharge end, and a peripheral surface between the torch end and the discharge end. The body has a plurality of bores for respectively conducting fuel gas, preheat oxygen and cutting oxygen through the nozzle, each of the plurality of bores extending from the torch end and terminating in a respective discharge orifice at the discharge end of the body. A set of the plurality of bores are preheat oxygen bores connected to an oxygen source at the torch end for discharging the preheat oxygen at the discharge end. A plurality of air bores each have an inlet orifice located on the peripheral surface of the body and open to an air source, and a discharge orifice in or proximal to the discharge end.

Abstract: A piezoceramic based atomizer for atomizing high viscosity liquid is provided. The atomizer comprises a storing tank as a reservoir for storing the liquid, a receiving tank connecting to the storing tank, a piezoceramic based nozzle for forming micro-droplets of the liquid, and an external ultrasonic oscillation circuit. The nozzle comprises a liquid absorbing medium with at least one sunk area at one end for pumping and delivering the liquid, a holder for holding the absorbing medium, a micro-perforated membrane whose one side is attached on the side of the liquid absorbing medium having the sunk area, and an annular piezoceramic adhered to the other side of the membrane. The nozzle is configured such that the sunk area can balance the feeding rate and atomization rate of the liquid as well as hold the back pressure underneath the micro-perforated membrane, facilitating forming micro-droplets of the high viscosity liquid continuously.

Abstract: A bubble atomizer includes a cartridge having an open end, a liquid absorbing member provided inside the cartridge, a firing chamber covering the open end and formed with liquid outlets and liquid inlets through which liquid enters the firing chamber from the cartridge, and heaters mounted inside the firing chamber. The heaters are connected with a power electronics unit through a cable. Each heater has a thickness in micron to sub-micron scale. When a pulse signal generated is applied to the heaters, current generated heats up the heaters and vapor bubbles are formed on the heaters that generate pressure and push the liquid out of the firing chamber through the liquid outlets to thereby form droplets.

Abstract: A proximity-based audio sharing system includes two identical units in wireless communication with each other. Each unit includes: a wireless transceiver module configured for communicating audio signals with the wireless transceiver module of the other unit; an audio output device connected with the wireless transceiver module and configured for playing back audio signals transmitted from the wireless transceiver module; a mute control circuit connected with the wireless transceiver module and the audio output device, and configured for selectively muting the audio output of the audio output device; and a microcontroller unit connected with the wireless transceiver module and configured for controlling the wireless transceiver module and the mute control circuit, and transmitting a control signal which includes a link signal and a mute control signal to the microcontroller unit of the other unit when the two units are in touch or in proximity of each other.

Abstract: A proximity-based audio sharing system includes two identical units in wireless communication with each other. Each unit includes: a wireless transceiver module configured for communicating audio signals with the wireless transceiver module of the other unit; an audio output device connected with the wireless transceiver module and configured for playing back audio signals transmitted from the wireless transceiver module; a mute control circuit connected with the wireless transceiver module and the audio output device, and configured for selectively muting the audio output of the audio output device; and a microcontroller unit connected with the wireless transceiver module and configured for controlling the wireless transceiver module and the mute control circuit, and transmitting a control signal which includes a link signal and a mute control signal to the microcontroller unit of the other unit when the two units are in touch or in proximity of each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the wet production of granules from powdered materials, in particular raw materials for the production of glass. The process of the invention comprises the following successive steps: (i) the powdered materials to be granulated are divided into at least two portions: a first portion and a second portion; (ii) a binder liquid is added to the first portion of powdered materials; (iii) the first mixture thus obtained is agglomerated in the granulator in order to obtain granules (a); (iv) the second portion of powdered materials is added to the granulator; and (v) the new mixture obtained is agglomerated in the granulator in order to obtain granules (b). This sequenced granulation process allows granules to be obtained that have a degree of moisture that assures their stability and their ease of handling eliminating the drying step.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the wet production of granules from powdered materials, in particular raw materials for the production of glass. The process of the invention comprises the following successive steps: (i) the powdered materials to be granulated are divided into at least two portions: a first portion and a second portion; (ii) a binder liquid is added to the first portion of powdered materials; (iii) the first mixture thus obtained is agglomerated in the granulator in order to obtain granules (a); (iv) the second portion of powdered materials is added to the granulator; and (v) the new mixture obtained is agglomerated in the granulator in order to obtain granules (b). This sequenced granulation process allows granules to be obtained that have a degree of moisture that assures their stability and their ease of handling eliminating the drying step.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer-readable program code for dynamically controlling slip is disclosed. The method monitors the time of an actual interrupt, wakes up, interacts with the physical environment, and then notes the completion time and reduces a wait period. The wait period ends in a scheduled interrupt time. By reducing the wait period based on the difference between the actual interrupt time (instead of the scheduled interrupt time) and the completion time, slip is prevented from accumulating and is reduced.

Abstract: An improved method of optimizing the instruction set of a digital processor using code compression. In one embodiment, the method comprises obtaining an assembly language program to be used for the optimization process; calculating the static frequency of each instruction type from the base instruction set; sorting the instruction types by frequency; determining the number and type of instructions necessary for correct program execution; creating a compressed instruction set encoding; re-evaluating the compressed instruction according to the foregoing steps; and generating an instruction set encoding for the compressed instruction set. Improved compressed instruction formats and register structures useful in a processor are also disclosed. A computer program and apparatus for synthesizing logic implementing the aforementioned data cache architecture and pipeline performance enhancements are further disclosed.

Abstract: Two pairs of deblock instructions for performing deblock filtering on a horizontal row of pixels according to the H.264 (MPEG 4 part 10) and VC1 video codec algorithms. The first instruction of each pair has three 128-bit operands comprising the 16-bit components of a horizontal line of 8 pixels crossing a vertical block edge between pixels 4 and 5 in a YUV image, a series of filter threshold parameters, and a 128-bit destination operand for storing the output of the first instruction. The second instruction of each pair accepts the same 16-bit components as its first input, the output of the first instruction as its second input and a destination operand for storing an output of the second instruction as its third input. The instruction pairs are intended for use with the H.264 or VC1 video codecs respectively.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for performing operations (such as Viterbi decode) in digital processors using a reduced number of cycles. In one aspect, the invention comprises efficient methods for performing multiple “butterfly” add-compare-select (ACS) operations using an improved dual butterfly (DVBF) extension instruction added to the instruction set of a user-configured processor. The DVBF extension allows performance of two butterfly operations in a single cycle. In another aspect, an improved path metric addressing scheme is disclosed. An integrated circuit (IC) device incorporating the aforementioned features, and method of designing such IC, are also disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for real-time control using a data processor. In one aspect, the invention comprises an improved processor having one or more extension instructions (and associated supporting pipeline hardware) which are specially adapted for use in a real-time control algorithm running on the processor. In one exemplary embodiment, the processor is a 32-bit pipelined RISC device having custom multiply (CMUL) and multiply-accumulate (CMAC) instructions added to the extension instruction set to optimize algorithm performance in real-time linear time-invariant (LTI) applications. Specialized extension hardware, and methods for generating a processor design adapted for real-time control applications are also disclosed.

Abstract: Integrated circuit design often involves combination of blocks of circuit from different sources to create new designs. However, a simulation of a block developed using a given method may not be compatible with another simulation created using another method. A method for modifying hardware simulation having one internal timing regime to enable interoperation with another simulation having a different internal timing regime is described. In particular, it involves modification of models in a domain in which variables are used so that they are interoperable with models in a domain using signals.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for integrated circuit (IC) design, including management of the configuration, design parameters, and functionality of a design in which custom instructions or other design elements may be controlled by the designer. In one exemplary embodiment, a computer program rendered in an object-oriented language implementing the aforementioned methods for designing user-customized digital processors is disclosed. Design iteration, component encapsulation, use of human-readable file formats, extensible dynamic GUIs and tool sets, and other features are employed to enhance the functionality and accessibility of the program. Components within the design environment comprise encapsulated objects which contain information relating to interfaces with other components in the design, hierarchy, and other facets of the design process.

Abstract: Method, computer program, system and apparatus for operating system dynamic event management and task scheduling using function calls. Method, computer program product, and system for non-preemptively scheduling tasks in a computer system. Scheduler and scheduling method that schedules tasks that are broken into a number of short actions, without preempting the actions as they are executed and without assigning a priority to tasks. Invention decreases the overhead as compared to existing methods and systems.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for performing operations (such as Viterbi decode) in digital processors using a reduced number of cycles. In one aspect, the invention comprises efficient methods for performing multiple “butterfly” add-compare-select (ACS) operations using an improved dual butterfly (DVBF) extension instruction added to the instruction set of a user-configured processor. The DVBF extension allows performance of two butterfly operations in a single cycle. In another aspect, an improved path metric addressing scheme is disclosed. An integrated circuit (IC) device incorporating the aforementioned features, and method of designing such IC, are also disclosed.

Abstract: Method, system, apparatus and computer program product for interrupt scheduling in processing communication. In one embodiment the method includes: a sending computer program and a receiving computer program, coupling at least one registered signal identifier and a corresponding registered signal function with said receiving computer program; sending a communication including a request signal identifier by said sending computer program to said receiving computer program; receiving said communication sent at (B) by said receiving computer program; and performing said corresponding registered signal function without context switching of said receiving computer program if said request signal identifier received is coupled with said registered signal identifier. A system, router, computer program and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus optimized for compiling instructions in a data processor are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of address calculation is disclosed, comprising operating a compiler to generate at least one instruction; canonicalizing the address calculation in a plurality of different approaches: in one exemplary embodiment, the first approach comprises canonicalizing the “regular” 32-bit instruction addressing modes, and the second for the “compressed” 16-bit instruction addressing modes. In another aspect, a plurality of functions (up to and including all available functions) are called indirectly to allow addresses to be placed in a constant pool. Improved methods for instruction selection, register allocation and spilling, and instruction compression are provided. An improved SoC integrated circuit device having an optimized 32-bit/16-bit processor core implementing at least one of the foregoing improvements is also disclosed.