Abstract: Obscured feature detectors are disclosed. An obscured feature detector includes a sensor plate array including three or more sensor plates, each of the three or more sensor plates configured to form a first end of a corresponding electric field and to take a sensor reading of the corresponding electric field. The corresponding electric field varies based on a proximity of the sensor plate to one or more surrounding objects and on a material property of each of the one or more surrounding objects. The three or more sensor plates include a first sensor plate that has a first shape and a second sensor plate that has a second shape that is different from the first shape of the first sensor plate. The obscured feature detector also includes one or more common plates to form a second end of the corresponding electric field of the three or more sensor plates.

Abstract: One or more channels are provided in the surface of a conductive layer of a PCB substrate in an area on which a component is to be placed. The channels can help reduce or prevent shifting of the component during reflow soldering through surface tension/capillary forces of the solder paste material in the channels. Such channels also can be used, for example, by an image processing system to facilitate accurate positioning and/or alignment of the component. The image processing system can use the location of the channels alone, or in combination with other features such as a solder mask or other alignment marks, to position and/or align the component with high accuracy.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus monitor health by detection of sleep stage. For example, a sleep stage monitor (100) may access sensor data signals related to bodily movement and/or respiration movements. At least a portion of the detected signals may be analyzed to calculate respiration variability. The respiration variability may include one or more of variability of respiration rate and variability of respiration amplitude. A processor may then determine a sleep stage based on one or more of respiration variability and bodily movement, such as with a combination of both. The determination of sleep stages may distinguish between deep sleep and other stages of sleep, or may differentiate between deep sleep, light sleep and REM sleep. The bodily movement and respiration movement signals may be derived from one or more sensors, such as non-invasive sensor (e.g., a non-contact radio-frequency motion sensor or a pressure sensitive mattress).

Abstract: This disclosure describes optical assemblies that can be fabricated, for example, using wafer-level processes. The process can include providing a wafer stack that includes an optics wafer, and molding spacers directly onto the surface of the optics wafer. The spacers can be molded, for example, using a vacuum injection technique such that they adhere to the optics wafer without adhesive.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring blood pressure of a user comprises a clip having a base with two side members adapted to releasably receive a portion of a body of the user therebetween with an adjustable pressure pad mounted to one of the two side members, spaced apart from the other of two side members by a separation distance, a magnetic field sensor mounted to one of the two side members with a magnet mounted to the other of the two side members opposite to the magnetic field sensor and spaced apart by the separation distance, a motor operably connected to the adjustable pressure pad wherein the separation distance is selectably adjustable by the motor. The method comprises applying the clip to a portion of a body of the user, measuring an arterial pulsatile waveform of the user located within the clip with the magnetic field sensor; and intermittently applying pressure user an adjustable pressure pad.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes broadband optical emission sources that include a stack of semiconductor layers, wherein each of the semiconductor layers is operable to emit light of a different respective wavelength; a light source operable to provide optical pumping for stimulated photon emission from the stack; wherein the semiconductor layers are disposed sequentially in the stack such that a first one of the semiconductor layers is closest to the light source and a last one of the semiconductor layers is furthest from the light source, and wherein each particular one of the semiconductor layers is at least partially transparent to the light generated by the other semiconductor layers that are closer to the light source than the particular semiconductor layer. The disclosure also describes various spectrometers that include a broadband optical emission device, and optionally include a tuneable wavelength filter operable to allow a selected wavelength or narrow range of wavelengths to pass through.

Abstract: A system, including: a sensor that monitors containers as the containers move along a production line; a rejection device; a controller communicatively connected to the sensor and the rejection device, wherein the controller is programmed to determine whether a container is associated with a match condition in response to a signal received from the sensor, the match condition reflecting that the container is associated with predetermined properties or characteristics, in response to a match condition, determine a pass result, and otherwise determine a fail result, determine a velocity of the production line, dynamically determine a correction amount for a reject position, track a position of the container on the production line, and in response to the fail result, outputs a signal to actuate the rejection device that removes the container from the production line based on the velocity of the production line, the dynamically determined correction amount, and the position of the container on the production line

Abstract: Steering wheel sensor systems are described in which a sensor array is attached to or integrated with a steering wheel and provides information about the forces exerted on the steering wheel for interacting with or controlling other vehicle systems.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device has an asymmetric field overlap and is operable to measure proximity independently of object surface reflectivity. In some instances, the optoelectronic device includes a plurality of light-emitting assemblies and a light-sensitive assembly. In some instances, the optoelectronic devices include a plurality of light-sensitive assemblies and a light-emitting assembly. An asymmetric field overlap is attained in various implementations via various field-of-view axis, field-of-view angle, field-of-illumination axis, field-of-illumination angle, optical element and/or pitch configurations.

Abstract: A system, including: a sensor that monitors containers as the containers move along a production line; a rejection device; a controller communicatively connected to the sensor and the rejection device, wherein the controller is programmed to determine whether a container is associated with a match condition in response to a signal received from the sensor, the match condition reflecting that the container is associated with predetermined properties or characteristics, in response to a match condition, determine a pass result, and otherwise determine a fail result, determine a velocity of the production line, dynamically determine a correction amount for a reject position, track a position of the container on the production line, and in response to the fail result, outputs a signal to actuate the rejection device that removes the container from the production line based on the velocity of the production line, the dynamically determined correction amount, and the position of the container on the production line

Abstract: Ultraviolet radiation is directed within an area. The target wavelength ranges and/or target intensity ranges of the ultraviolet radiation sources can correspond to at least one of a plurality of selectable operating configurations including a virus destruction operating configuration and a bacteria disinfection operating configuration. Each configuration can include a unique combination of the target wavelength range and target intensity range.

Abstract: This disclosure describes an optoelectronic to provide ultra-precise and stable packaging for an optoelectronic device such as a light emitter or light detector. The module includes spacers to establish precise separation distances between various parts of the module. One of the spacers serves as a support or mount for an optical element that comprises a mask.

Abstract: A method of releasably adhering an ultrasonic sensor to a structure, the structure having an operating temperature range, the method comprising: applying a coupling agent between the structure and the sensor at an installation temperature, the coupling agent having a glass transition temperature (Tg) below the operating temperature range and below the installation temperature, the coupling agent being in a viscous/viscoelastic state over the operating temperature range; and urging the sensor against the structure with the coupling agent therebetween such that the sensor adheres to the structure.

Abstract: A high-resolution thermopile infrared sensor array having monolithically integrated signal processing and a plurality of parallel signal processing channels for the signals from pixels of a sensor array, and a digital port for the serial output of the pixel signals are provided, wherein the sensor array is located on one or more sensor chips. The thermal piled infrared sensor array possesses low power loss, high integration density and high thermal and geometric resolution. Each signal processing channel (K1 . . . KN) has at least one analogue/digital converter (ADC), and is assigned a memory region in a memory (RAM) for storing the signals from the pixels (SE).

Abstract: A solution for controlling mildew in a cultivated area is described. The solution can include a set of ultraviolet sources that are configured to emit ultraviolet radiation in an ultraviolet range of approximately 260 nanometers to approximately 310 nanometers to harm mildew present on a plant or ground surface. A set of sensors can be utilized to acquire plant data for at least one plant surface of a plant, which can be processed to determine a presence of mildew on the at least one plant surface. Additional features can be included to further affect the growth environment for the plant. A feedback process can be implemented to improve one or more aspects of the growth environment.

Abstract: Techniques are described for implementation of the requirement of Resolution 612 of International Telecommunications Union that oceanographic radar systems broadcast a Morse-coded call sign for station identification at least once every 20 minutes.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures formed with annealing for use in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices. The semiconductor structures can include a substrate, a nucleation layer and a buffer layer. The nucleation layer and the buffer layer can be epitaxially grown and then annealed. The temperature of the annealing of the nucleation layer and the buffer layer is greater than the temperature of the epitaxial growth of the layers. The annealing reduces the dislocation density in any subsequent layers that are added to the semiconductor structures. A desorption minimizing layer epitaxially grown on the buffer layer can be used to minimize desorption during the annealing of the layer which also aids in curtailing dislocation density and cracks in the semiconductor structures.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cardio-pulmonary health monitoring apparatus. The apparatus comprises a contactless motion sensor configured to generate one or more movement signals representing bodily movement of a patient during a monitoring session; a processor; and a memory storing program instructions configured to cause the processor to carry out a method of processing the one or more movement signals. The method comprises extracting one or more sleep disordered breathing features from the one or more movement signals, and predicting whether a clinical event is likely to occur during a predetermined prediction horizon based on the one or more sleep disordered breathing features.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a device using a layer with a patterned surface for improving the growth of semiconductor layers, such as group III nitride-based semiconductor layers with a high concentration of aluminum, is provided. The patterned surface can include a substantially flat top surface and a plurality of stress reducing regions, such as openings. The substantially flat top surface can have a root mean square roughness less than approximately 0.5 nanometers, and the stress reducing regions can have a characteristic size between approximately 0.1 microns and approximately five microns and a depth of at least 0.2 microns. A layer of group-III nitride material can be grown on the first layer and have a thickness at least twice the characteristic size of the stress reducing regions. A device including one or more of these features also is provided.

Abstract: A method of forming bump structures for interconnecting components includes applying an insulating layer over a device substrate, coating the insulating layer with a dielectric material layer, forming a pattern with photolithography on the dielectric material layer, etching the dielectric material layer to transfer the pattern to the insulating layer, etching the insulating layer to form pockets in the insulating layer following the pattern, applying photolithography to and etching the dielectric material layer to reduce overhang of the dielectric material layer relative to the insulating layer, removing material from top and side walls of the pockets in the insulating layer, and depositing electrically conductive bump material in the pattern so a respective bump is formed in each pocket.