Abstract: Embodiments provide an oil pan that includes an oil pan having a reservoir configured to hold oil and defined by one or more oil pan walls and an oil pan bottom. The oil pan includes one or more capacitance sensors coupled to a portion of the oil pan walls and configured to sense a capacitance. The oil pan includes a capacitance measuring unit electrically connected to the one or more sensors via one or more conductors and configured to receive each of the sensed capacitances via the one or more conductors and determine capacitance values for each of the sensed capacitances. The oil pan also includes a processor configured to receive the capacitance values and determine the oil level in the oil pan based on the capacitance values.

Abstract: An intelligent television can provide various interfaces for providing video-on-demand (VOD). The user interfaces include unique visual representations and organizations that allow the user to utilize the intelligent television more easily and more effectively. Particularly, the user interfaces pertain to the display of VOD content and better organizations thereof. Further, the user interfaces provide unique process of transitioning between the VOD content.

Abstract: A solenoid fluid control valve for controlling fluid flow. The solenoid fluid control valve may comprise a transceiver that receives a signal via a controller area network (CAN) bus, and a micro controller unit that decodes the signal to determine a temperature. The micro controller unit may send a signal to a driver circuit based on the temperature. The driver circuit may send a current through a coil in response to the signal, wherein an armature moves in response to the current through the coil. The movement of the armature may direct a cooling fluid flow.

Abstract: Two substrates are mechanically and electrically coupled together using a combination of a fast cure electrically non-conductive epoxy for mechanical attachment and a slow cure electrically conductive epoxy for electrical interconnects. The two epoxies are selectively applied between the two substrates as a stack, and the stack is subjected to a temperature that is sufficient to cure the fast cure electrically non-conductive epoxy in a short period of time but does not damage the substrates or components coupled thereto. In some applications, the temperature is less than 100 degrees Celsius and the time period is less than 5 seconds. The stack is removed from the heat and the slow cure electrically conductive epoxy continues to cure over a longer second period of time, such as a few hours to a day.

Abstract: A method of and device for forming vias on an electronic board (such as a PCB board) comprises forming one or more holes on the electronic board, placing a nanomaterial inside the one or more holes, and forming one or more filled holes on the electronic board. The nanomaterial can be nanocopper, which can be either push/pull into the holes on the electronic board or a combination of push and pull. The push/pull can be performed by using a mechanical device or by a person. A capping layer can be on both side of the via. The vias formed by using the nanomaterials provides a high efficient vertical heat transferring path from one side of the electronic board to the other side of the electronic board.

Abstract: A test apparatus and method for testing a shoe comprises a base, with a shoe fixture for fixing a shoe against displacement, and an actuator, including a shoe contactor, mounted to the movable portion of the actuator connected to the base so that a shoe fixed to the shoe fixture can be placed in alternating stress conditions. The movable portion of the actuator is displaceable between a first position in which the shoe contactor is positioned away from the shoe fixture and a second position in which the shoe contactor is positioned proximate to the shoe fixture to contact and deflect the shoe.

Abstract: A circuit arrangement is disclosed for controlling the switching of a field effect transistor (FET). A current controlled amplifier may be configured to amplify a current in a current sense device to generate an amplified current, wherein the current in the current sense device indicates a current through the FET. A comparator may be coupled to the current sense amplifier to compare a voltage corresponding to the amplified current with a voltage reference and to generate a comparator output based on the comparison, wherein the comparator output controls whether the FET is on or off.

Abstract: A cylindrical array of tightly spaced optical discs are each positioned vertically on edge to form a horizontal stack. Lifting a subset of optical discs enables that subset of optical discs to be grasped by their perimeters with much more room for robotic grippers between adjacent optical discs. An optical disc storage container includes a molded tray for vertically aligning a plurality of optical discs into the cylindrical array. The molded tray includes a bottom surface and side surfaces to support the optical discs and one or more openings formed in the bottom surface. A lifting mechanism is positioned along the one or more openings and is configured to lift the subset of optical discs a short distance relative to the remaining optical discs in the array, thereby enabling robotic grippers to grab the portion of the lifted optical disc protruding from the non-lifted optical disc array.

Abstract: A stretchable interconnect includes a plurality of electrically conductive traces formed as a complex pattern on an elastic substrate. The form of the electrically conductive traces is such that when the elastic substrate is in a relaxed, or non-stretched, state each of the electrically conductive traces forms a tortuous path, such as a waveform, along the elastic substrate. The tortuous path of the electrically conductive traces provides slack such that as the elastic substrate is stretched the slack is taken up. Once released, the elastic substrate moves from the stretched position to the relaxed, non-stretched position, and slack is reintroduced into the electrically conductive traces in the form of the original tortuous path.

Abstract: An LED lighting unit may include a flexible circuit substrate having a an obverse side and a reverse side. The obverse side may include a plurality of mounting points for LEDs and the reverse side may include a thermal conduction material. A plurality of LEDs may be mounted to the plurality of mounting points and may be in thermal communication with the thermal conduction material. A heat sink may be attached to the reverse side of the substrate and may have a hollow conical-frustum geometry. The heat sink may include a top circumference, a bottom circumference, a top opening, a bottom opening, at least one cooling fin extending into an interior of the heat sink.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining off-temperature accuracy information of a solenoid fluid control valve. The method comprises performing a current sweep at a first temperature, and for at least one command pressure, determining an error in a control pressure based on the current sweep. The error may be determined at the first temperature. A metric may then calculated based on the current sweep, and a pressure error offset may be determined for a second temperature based on the metric. The pressure error offset may describe a difference between the error in control pressure at the first temperature and an expected error in control pressure at the second temperature.

Abstract: A formed graphite sheet is shaped and sized as a protective shield positioned over an electronic component coupled to a PCB. The formed graphite sheet is used to protect a body of the electronic component from heat applied during the assembly of the electronic component to the PCB, such as the heating steps used in SMT and through-hole technology.

Abstract: A disconnectable snap button connection for connecting electronic devices to fabrics, the disconnectable snap button connection and a method for making the same is described herein. The disconnectable snap button connection includes a component, a piece of conductive material, a piece of non-conductive material; wherein the piece of conductive material is attached to the piece of non-conductive material, a male portion of the disconnectable snap button, wherein the male portion of the disconnectable snap button is attached to the component, and a female portion of the disconnectable snap button, wherein the female portion of the disconnectable snap button is attached to the piece of conductive material. When the male portion of the disconnectable snap button is inserted into the female portion of the disconnectable snap button, a connection is made between the component and the piece of conductive material.

Abstract: A cascade power system includes a non-isolated buck converter in cascade with an isolated Class-E resonant circuit, where the Class-E resonant circuit operates at high frequency, for example 4 Mhz. Further, the non-isolated buck converter is configured as a current source coupled to the Class-E resonant circuit which provides a buck converter output voltage as input to the Class-E resonant circuit. The Class-E resonant circuit includes capacitive isolation for the cascade power system output. The cascade power system further includes a feedback control circuit for regulating a system output voltage. A feedback signal is used to adjust a duty cycle of the buck converter, thereby adjusting a buck converter output voltage. The buck converter output voltage is provided as input to the Class-E resonant circuit.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to methods and systems of displaying content on a television, including: receiving an indication associated with a selection by a user; determining, based on the received indication, a global panel to display via the television; retrieving from memory, a first content information for display in the global panel; and displaying, via the television, the retrieved content information in the specified global panel.

Abstract: A method of optimally generating a power failure warning (PFW) signal has been disclosed here in such a manner that adjusts timing of PFW signal generation according to load conditions in case of input AC voltage loss. A PFW voltage threshold value can be set at a lower value under light load conditions and at a higher value under heavy load conditions. PFW signal generation can also be triggered by a timing mechanism that is set when a bus voltage drops to a voltage threshold value. A countdown time of the timing mechanism is set according to a determined bus voltage drop rate. In this manner, issuance of the PFW signal is delayed for lighter load conditions and the power supply unit is capable of extending normal operation under lighter load conditions before the PFW signal is issued.

Abstract: A gate driver circuit which may include an input; high-side and low-side outputs; a signal conversion circuit configured to generate a high-side drive signal at the high-side output such that a delay time separates a transition of the high-side drive signal and a transition of a low-side drive signal at the low-side output; and a monitoring circuit configured to monitor a voltage at an output of a half-bridge and to pull the low-side output to a level for turning off a low-side switching device of the half-bridge on a condition that the voltage exceeds a voltage threshold. The monitoring circuit may control the low-side drive signal such that the delay time is a minimum delay necessary to prevent shoot-through of the half-bridge. The signal conversion circuit may generate the high-side drive signal such that the delay time is a minimum delay necessary to prevent shoot-through of the half-bridge.

Abstract: A power transmission pad is configured to provide wireless power transmission to a receiving device where the receiving device is orientation-free relative to the pad. The pad functions as a transmitter and is magnetically “hot”, meaning the pad generates a magnetic field when powered on. The receiving device, such as a cell phone, tablet, or other portable electronic device, is placed within the magnetic field for the purpose of charging the device battery. In contrast to conventional wireless battery charging systems, there are no restrictions on the orientation of the receiving device relative to the pad. The power transmission pad includes a sweep frequency generator for generating power transmissions across a frequency spectrum. An optimal frequency is determined for maximum energy transfer to the receiving device, and the sweep frequency generator is locked to the determined optimal frequency.