Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide hierarchical, differential privacy enhancements to federated, machine learning. Local machine learning models may be generated and/or trained by data owners participating in the federated learning framework based on their respective data sets. Noise corresponding to and satisfying a first privacy loss requirement are introduced to the data owners' respective data sets, and noise corresponding to and satisfying a first privacy loss requirement are introduced to the local models generated and/or trained by the data owners. The data owners transmit model data corresponding to their respective local models to a coordinator, which in turn aggregates the data owners' model data. After introducing noise corresponding to and satisfying a third privacy loss requirement to the aggregated model data, the coordinator transmits the aggregated model data to the data owners to facilitate updating and/or re-training on their respective machine learning models.

Abstract: The invention provides a power converter apparatus for converting an alternating current (AC) power input to a direct current (DC) power output. The apparatus comprises a plurality of n single-phase power converting circuits arranged in parallel, where n is equal to or greater than 2, wherein one of said n single-phase power converting circuits comprises a single-stage AC/DC converter module having an operating AC/DC converter; and each of a remaining n?1 of said single-phase power converting circuits comprises a two-stage converter module having an AC/DC converter as an input stage and a DC/DC transformer as an output stage.

Abstract: Described is a method of calibrating a camera. The method comprises obtaining geographical coordinates of a selected physical point location within an image view of the camera and measuring an angle between an x-axis of a real-world coordinate system passing through said selected point location with respect to true north. The method includes using said obtained geographical coordinates, said measured angle, and projection data derived from characteristics of the camera to derive modified projection data for transforming a two-dimensional pixel coordinate system of the camera image view into a three-dimensional geographical coordinate system for point locations within the image view of the camera.

Abstract: Described is a method and device for detecting a discontinuous transmission (DTX) state or a partial DTX state at an uplink control information (UCI) receiver in a wireless communication system. The method comprises receiving a linear block encoded signal on an uplink (UL) at said UCI receiver and processing said signal after resource element (RE) demapping to obtain a soft bit sequence. The soft bit sequence is then transformed into multiple sub-sequences. Correlation metrics are determined for two or more of the multiple sub-sequences or two or more sub-sequence groups derived from the multiple sub-sequences or sequence segments derived from the sub-sequence groups. Then, a determination is made if a DTX state has occurred by evaluating the determined correlation metrics.

Abstract: Described is a bandpass filter comprising a multi-layered body, a first resonator conductor formed on a first layer of the body and a second resonator conductor formed on a second, tower layer of the body. The first resonator conductor and the second resonator conductor comprise a first coupling area formed by only a partial overlap of the first resonator conductor and the second resonator conductor. A length of each said resonator conductor is in the range of ?g/3 to ?g/5, where ?g. is a center wavelength of the bandpass filter passband.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods, devices, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium for managing lifecycle of a knowledge base (KB) in chatbot systems. The method includes receiving an update request and updating a current-version KB as a new current-version KB. The method also includes receiving a first test request from a knowledge point (KP) operator and determining whether the new current-version KB passes a first test; and in response to the determination that the new current-version KB passes the first test, submitting the new current-version KB as a new submit-version KB. The method further includes receiving a second test request from a KP manager and determining whether the new submit-version KB passes a second test; and in response to the determination that the new submit-version KB passes the second test, storing an original production-version KB as a pervious-version KB and submitting the new submit-version KB as a new production-version KB.

Abstract: Described is a method of processing data packets in a communications network. The method comprises receiving a first data packet of a data packet flow from a network device and determining an instruction set for processing said first data packet. A flow key for said first data packet is determined. The first data packet is processed according to the determined instruction set. The method includes receiving a subsequent data packet and determining if a flow key of said subsequent data packet matches said flow key of said first data packet. If yes, the subsequent data packet is processed using the instruction set determined for said first data packet.

Abstract: Described is a method and device for detecting a discontinuous transmission state (DTX) at an uplink control information (UCI) receiver device in a wireless communication system. The method involves receiving a linear block encoded signal on an uplink (UL) at said UCI receiver device and processing the received linear block encoded signal after resource element (RE) dernapping to obtain channel estimation data. The method includes determining from said channel estimation data a DTX metric for one or more selected resource blocks (RBs) and determining if a DTX state has occurred by comparing the determined DTX metric to a calculated, selected, or predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Systems and methods providing optical structures providing a large field of view (FOV) for personal portable displays are described. An optical structure of embodiments comprises a catadioptric optical configuration configured to produce a magnified curved intermediate image, wherein the magnified curved intermediate image is furthered magnified with proper reflection angle and transmitted to viewer's eye. The catadioptric optical configuration may comprise two curved mirrors and a polarization prism. Optical structures comprising such catadioptric optical configurations may utilize relatively small sized image sources to produce a large FOV. Such optical structures are well suited for use in large FOV optical see through (OST) head-mounted displays (HMDs).

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods, devices, and systems for selecting a candidate six dimensional pose hypothesis from among a plurality of six dimensional pose hypotheses. For example, the systems, devices, and methods described herein may be used to quickly, accurately, and precisely select a candidate six dimensional pose hypothesis from among a plurality of six dimensional pose hypotheses so that the selected candidate six dimensional pose hypothesis substantially overlaps with an image of an object to be identified from an image of a plurality of objects. In this manner, an object can be identified from among a plurality of objects based on the selected candidate six dimensional pose hypothesis.

Abstract: Systems and methods which provide data exchange using a distributed ledger, wherein data is exchanged off-chain and information for accessing the off-chain data is exchanged through the blockchain, are disclosed. Embodiments may provide a hybrid blockchain data exchange platform storing large amounts of data (e.g., IoT data) in a data server outside of the blockchain, wherein a data consumer may obtain data from the data server using a token obtained from the blockchain. Embodiments of a hybrid blockchain data exchange platform provide for accuracy and security of the data without requiring storage of the full contents of the data within the blockchain, and/or provide data exchange in which the irrefutability of the data exchanged is ensured.

Abstract: Systems and methods in which multi-dimensional metric monitoring is used with respect to multi-wavelength scattering for smoke detection are described. A multi-dimensional metric may dynamically track a slope of a relationship between scattered light of multiple wavelengths of scattered light being monitored. A multi-dimensional metric monitoring smoke detection algorithm may utilize multi-dimensional thresholds with respect to monitoring of the multi-dimensional metric for initiating a fire alarm and resetting the fire alarm. An optical measuring chamber utilized for providing multi-wavelength scattering signals utilized in deriving a multi-dimensional metric for smoke detection may be configured for wide-scattering-angle signal collection, such as using a light trapping sub-chamber having a light-guide diaphragm assembly configured for wide-scattering-angle signal collection.

Abstract: The present invention includes systems and method for generating Virtual IDs (VIDs) and corresponding Virtual ID Chains (VICs) to anonymize and represent transactions between users, data sources, Virtual ID Management Platforms (VMP), and Third-Party Service Providers (TSPs). VIDs of embodiments are virtualized identifiers that may be used to anonymously and uniquely identify transaction participants. VIDs may be generated in a distributed manner as a party receiving transaction-related information generates a VID corresponding to the sending party. VICs of embodiments are virtualized arrays of VIDs that represent the sequence of interactions between parties to a transaction. VICs are preferably stored in association with transaction logs descriptive of the transaction represented by each VIC to facilitate subsequent processing. A VIC may be iteratively resolved to obtain one or more non-virtualized identifier corresponding to transaction participants represented by the VIC.

Abstract: Described is a method of processing a signal received at an uplink control information (UCI) receiver in a wireless communication system. The method comprises processing a signal received on an uplink (UL) at said UCI receiver to transform said received signal into a likelihood calculation of possible transmitted codewords (?1 . . . ?i . . . ?N) and determining a maximum magnitude ?max value from said likelihood calculation. The method includes comparing said maximum magnitude ?max value to a selected, calculated or predetermined scaled threshold S·? where ? is a threshold and S is a scaling factor for the threshold ?. The comparison step is such that, where |?max|2>S·?, the method comprises determining that the signal received comprises a linear block encoded signal. In the method, prior to said comparison step, the scaling factor S is selected from a plurality of scaling factor options.

Abstract: Systems and methods which use an optical sensor and an electromagnetic sensor in cooperation for detecting concentrations of one or more materials in solutions are described. In operation according to embodiments of a cooperative optical and electromagnetic sensor material concentration detector, both an optical sensor and electromagnetic sensor are used in cooperation to detect a concentration of a material having a physical feature that is otherwise incompatible with one or the other sensors and/or a material for which measurement is affected by another material present in the sample. Embodiments are, for example, configured to provide a cooperative implementation of optical and electromagnetic sensors operable to detect concentrations of metal ions and acid in a solution, such as for use in real-time material concentration detection.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for visually inspecting gemstones. The apparatus contains a first light source, a sample stage adapted to receive a gemstone thereon, and a rotating stage located below the sample stage. The rotating stage is adapted to rotate relative to the sample stage. Embodiments of the invention therefore provide a portable and automatic gemstone inspecting apparatus that provides multiple inspection methods centrally without the need to use other external devices.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods, devices, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium for recognizing a human action using a graph convolutional network (GCN). The method includes obtaining, by a device, a plurality of joint poses. The device includes a memory storing instructions and a processor in communication with the memory. The method also includes normalizing, by the device, the plurality of joint poses to obtained a plurality of normalized joint poses; extracting, by the device, a plurality of rough features using a modified spatial-temporal GCN (ST-GCN) from the plurality of normalized joint poses; reducing, by the device, a feature dimension of the plurality of rough features to obtain a plurality of dimension-shrunk features; refining, by the device, the plurality of dimension-shrunk features based on a self-attention model to obtain a plurality of refined features; and recognizing, by the device, a human action based on the plurality of refined features.

Abstract: Described is a power connector device for separating an electrical connection under direct current (DC) voltage or alternating current (AC) voltage between an electrical connector element and an electrical contact element. The power connector device includes the electrical contact element. The electrical contact element has a first conductive part and a second conductive part spaced apart one from the other so as not to be directly electrically conductively connected to one another. The power connector device includes a semiconductor switch for maintaining an electrical connection between the electrical connector element and the electrical contact element during separation of contact between said electrical connector element and said first conductive part to thereby prevent arcing during electrical disengagement of the electrical connector element from the electrical contact element.

Abstract: Systems and methods which provide a high-throughput point source light coupling structure implementing a condenser configured according to one or more condenser configuration rules are described. Embodiments of a high-throughput point source light coupling structure utilize a birefringent plate configuration in combination with a condenser and point source to provide a light coupler structure for a birefringent-static-Fourier transform interferometer implementation. According to some examples, the optical axis of a first and second birefringent plate of a birefringent plate configuration are not in the same plane. A condenser of a high-throughput point source light coupling structure of embodiments is provided in a defined (e.g., spaced, relational, etc.) relationship with respect to the point source and/or a camera lens used in capturing an interference pattern generated by the light coupling structure.

Abstract: Systems and methods which provide iterative multi-directional image searching are described. Embodiments utilize a multi-directional searching pattern for defining one or more searching areas within a source image. A searching area of embodiments provides a searching area within a source image for searching for a template image in the multiple directions of the multi-directional searching pattern. A location of the searching area within the source image may be updated iteratively, such as based upon motion vectors derived from the searching, until a template image match position is identified within the source image. Embodiments transform the template image and the searching area within a source image to 1D representations corresponding to each direction of the multi-directional image search. Embodiments accommodate rotation and scale variance of the subject (e.g., object of interest) of the template image within the source image.