Abstract: The invention is directed to a microfluidic device, which comprises distinct, parallel levels, including a first level and a second level. It further includes: a first microchannel, a second microchannel, and a node. This node comprises: an inlet port, a cavity, a via, and an outlet port. The cavity is formed on the first level and is open on a top side. The inlet port is defined on the first level; it branches from the first microchannel and communicates with the cavity through an ingress thereof. The outlet port, branches to the second microchannel on the second level. The via extends from the bottom side of the cavity, down to the outlet port, so the cavity may communicate with the outlet port. In addition, the cavity comprises a liquid blocking element to prevent an aqueous liquid filling the inlet port to reach the outlet port.

Abstract: A method and system. A common route is designated as a traveled route of a mobile device for a series of consecutive movements of the mobile device in a mobile network along a path of locations from an origin location of the path at an earliest activity of two or more activities of the mobile device to a destination location of the path at a latest activity of the two or more activities. A ratio is computed as a ratio of (i) a sum of a coverage area of a start cell in which one activity of the mobile device was initiated and a coverage area of an end cell in which the one activity of the mobile device was terminated to (ii) a distance between a centroid of the start cell and a centroid of the end cell such that the distance has a positive value. A confidence value as a function of the computed ratio is determined.

Abstract: There is provided a solid-state imaging device including: an imaging pixel including a photoelectric conversion unit which receives incident light; and a phase difference detection pixel including the photoelectric conversion unit and a light shielding unit which shields some of the light incident to the photoelectric conversion unit, in which the imaging pixel further includes a high refractive index film which is formed on the upper side of the photoelectric conversion unit, and the phase difference detection pixel further includes a low refractive index film which is formed on the upper side of the photoelectric conversion unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a gas-phase growth apparatus in which an upper part of a circular susceptor 13 on the upper surface of which a substrate 17 is arranged is provided into a circular opening 12a formed at a bottom wall of the flow channel 12, while rotating the susceptor, the substrate is heated by a heater 14 provided under the susceptor through the susceptor, a reaction gas is supplied into the flow channel, and a thin film is produced on the substrate, wherein a rotation driving device 18 for rotating the susceptor is arranged in a state of surrounding the heater, and includes a cylindrical rotation member 19 for supporting the circumferential edge of the susceptor by the top end.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, computerized apparatus and computer program product for minimum coordination passage scoring. Given a candidate passage in a document collection potentially matching a query received, a set of overlapping terms between the candidate passage and the query is determined. For each overlapping term in the set, a first measure of a weight of the term in the query, a second measure of a weight of the term in the candidate passage, and a third measure of a specificity of the term in the document collection are calculated. A function of the first and second measure is evaluated to obtain a value reflecting a condition on the relation therebetween. A minimum coordination score representing a relative similarity between the candidate passage and the query is determined based on the value and the first, second and third measures obtained for each of the overlapping terms.

Abstract: A system and method for remote monitoring and management of an instant issuance system is provided. The embodiments provide secure communication between different entities within the instant issuance system. Security can be established via mutual authentication between the communicating entities of the instant issuance system prior and/or concurrent with a communication taking place.

Abstract: Provided is an endoscope system that maintains the hue of an endoscopic image even in a case where a wavelength shift occurs in light for observation. An endoscope system includes a light source unit including at least one first light source that emits light including two color components with mutually different wavelengths; an image sensor having at least a first element part that has a spectral sensitivity for a first color component and a second element part that has a spectral sensitivity for the second color component out of the two color components of the first light source; and a processor that images an observation object using the light emitted from the at least one first light source of the light source unit and obtains a first signal value of the first color component obtained in the first element part of the image sensor, and a second signal value of the second color component obtained in the second element part.

Abstract: A touch input device includes: a frame having a plurality of frame holes; a flexible printed circuit board coupled to one surface of the frame and having a plurality of holes corresponding to the plurality of frame holes; a sensor electrode disposed on the flexible printed circuit board; and a sensor integrated circuit (IC) electrically connected to the sensor electrode and configured to sense a change in capacitance value of the sensor electrode.

Abstract: An optical waveguide device and a head-mounted display apparatus using the same are provided. The optical waveguide device used for transmitting an image light includes a light entering surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, and at least one planar reflective structure. The image light enters the optical waveguide device through the light entering surface. The first side surface is parallel to the second side surface. The at least one planar reflective structure is disposed between the first side surface and the second side surface, and the planar reflective structure is parallel to the first side surface. The planar reflective structure and the light entering surface have a distance therebetween.

Abstract: Ambient service apparatuses and methods associated with providing ambient service in a premise are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an apparatus for providing on premise ambient service may be provided. The apparatus may include a profile engine to interact with a cloud ambient service provider to receive at least one of a profile of a user of a premise or a profile of one or more visitors of the premise, wherein the profiles are associated with the provision of ambient service to a visitor of the premise on behalf of the user. The apparatus may further include a management module coupled to the profile engine to interact with one or more peripherals at the premise to provide ambient service to one or more visitors of the premise, on behalf of the user, based at least in part on the user or visitor profile. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.

Abstract: A method of rendering email includes receiving with a networked computing device at least one filter criterion; receiving with the networked computing device an email message; and, responsive to a determination by the networked computing device that the email message meets the at least one filter criterion, diverting the email message from delivery to an inbox and providing an immediate display of the email message in its entirety to a user.

Abstract: An enclosure for providing a local convergence point for a fiber optic network may include an enclosure frame and an end panel defining a plurality of ports. The enclosure may include a feeder compartment to receive through at least one of the ports an optical source cable from the network. The enclosure may include a feeder compartment panel pivotally coupled to the feeder compartment and configured to pivot. The enclosure may also include a feeder splice tray removably coupled to the feeder compartment panel and configured to receive one or more optical fibers from the optical source cable. The feeder splice tray may be configured to communicatively couple at least one optical fiber of the optical source cable to at least one distribution fiber configured to facilitate communication with a destination device configured to receive an optical signal from the network.

Abstract: An image sensor includes: a plurality of microlenses arranged in a two-dimensional pattern; and a plurality of pixels that are provided in correspondence to each of the microlenses and receive lights of different color components, respectively. Pixels that are provided at adjacent microlenses among the microlenses and that receive lights of same color components, are adjacently arranged.

Abstract: A system and a method for conducting credit card transactions through a mobile device of a user. The mobile device comprises an image acquisition unit and a mobile application operated by the mobile device. The system enables acquiring an image of a client's credit card, using the image acquisition unit; analyzing data of the image; outputting details of the credit card from the analysis; verifying the output details, wherein the verification is further carried out through the mobile application; verifying authorization of inputted monetary transaction, wherein the mobile application enables verifying the authorization by communicating with the billing center, associated with at least one credit company associated with the credit card over at least one communication network, wherein the communication is carried out by the mobile application using the mobile device; and conducting monetary transactions using the verified credit card details.

Abstract: Provided is a printer that continues printing using an alternate paper feed port when the paper stocked in the paper feed port being used for printing becomes exhausted while printing, providing excellent usability and preventing using inappropriate paper. A printing device capable of alternate printing using a second paper set in a different paper feed port when first paper set in a first paper feed port and used for printing is depleted, includes: a print job receiver that receives print jobs including printing conditions; a paper information acquisition unit that acquires paper information about paper set in the paper feed ports; a no-paper detector; a paper feed port selector that selects a paper feed port based on the printing conditions and paper information.

Abstract: A method of decoding spatially related indicia includes: at an imaging controller, controlling an image sensor to capture an image containing a plurality of indicia; at the imaging controller, detecting image positions of each of the indicia; at the imaging controller, for each of a plurality of indicia pairs: determining whether the image positions of the indicia in the pair have a predefined spatial relationship; and responsive to determining that the indicia in the pair have the predefined spatial relationship, presenting (i) values decoded from the indicia in the pair, and (ii) an indicator that the decoded values are related.

Abstract: A vehicle traveling control apparatus includes a determiner, a selector, and a switcher. The determiner determines a feature quantity of a third vehicle traveling ahead of a second vehicle for a plurality of targets present in front of the second vehicle traveling ahead of a first vehicle as an own vehicle when generating a target route and controlling a follow-up traveling of the first vehicle. The selector selects, among the plurality of targets, the third vehicle to be followed by the first vehicle based on a determination result of the feature quantity, when the second vehicle departs from a position in front of the first vehicle. The switcher switches the target route from a first target route generated based on a traveling trajectory of the second vehicle to a second target route generated based on a traveling trajectory of the third vehicle upon the departure of the second vehicle.

Abstract: Disclosed aspects relate to symbol management. A set of depictogram usage information may be mined with respect to a set of depictograms. A set of language attributes for the set of depictograms may be determined based on the set of depictogram usage information. A depictogram reference object may be compiled using the set of language attributes for the set of depictograms. A set of input data which includes a subset of the set of depictograms may be analyzed. The subset of the set of depictograms may be evaluated using the depictogram reference object. A set of output data may be provided.

Abstract: High-mobility semiconductor fins are formed on an insulator layer using techniques allowing precise control of fin heights. Lattice-matched fins are grown epitaxially on sidewalls of an essentially defect-free portion of a semiconductor template. The fins are formed within laterally extending trenches in a top dielectric layer, the thickness of which determines fin height. The trenches extend orthogonally to the template. Epitaxial overgrowth above the top dielectric layer is removed by planarization. The fin template and top dielectric layer are removed, leaving sets of parallel fins on the insulator layer. The fin template can be replaced by an isolation region for electrically isolating sets of fins.