Abstract: Apparatus and methods for antenna arrays for beamforming are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a mobile device includes a front-end system including a plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits, an antenna array including a plurality of controllable antennas each connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits, and a control circuit. The plurality of controllable antennas include a first controllable antenna including a plurality of antenna elements interconnected by a plurality of material regions. Additionally, the control circuit is configured to control the plurality of material regions to control an antenna characteristic of the first controllable antenna.

Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to a band pass filter that includes LC resonant circuits coupled to each other by a capacitor. A bridge capacitor can be in parallel with series capacitors, in which the series capacitors include the capacitor coupled between the LC resonant circuits. The bridge capacitor can create a transmission zero at a frequency below the passband of the band pass filter. The LC resonant circuits can each include a surface mount capacitor and a conductive trace of the substrate, and an integrated passive device die can include the capacitor. Band pass filters disclosed herein can be relatively compact, provide relatively good out-of-band rejection, and relatively low loss.

Abstract: A tea making appliance may include a base, a particulate guide, a tea leaf container, a motorized leaf distributor, a reservoir, a water pump, a heating element, and a controller. The base may define a dispenser cavity. The particulate guide may be directed at the dispenser cavity. The motorized leaf distributor may be provided to selectively provide tea leaves to the particulate guide. The water pump may be in fluid communication with the reservoir upstream from the dispenser cavity to direct water thereto. The controller may be configured to initiate an automated brewing operation that includes receiving one or more data points regarding a physical user condition, selecting a personalized tea style based on the received one or more data points, and dispensing a predetermined tea mass of the personalized tea style automatically in response to selecting the personalized tea style.

Abstract: An electrical header for use in an electrical connector assembly includes a body for mounting to an object and having an opening formed therethrough for receiving an electrical terminal. The body further defines a plug on a first side thereof for engaging with a mating electrical connector of the assembly. The plug includes a pair of first opposing sidewalls extending from the body at a first height and defining a locking feature for engaging with a corresponding locking feature of the mating connector, and a pair of second opposing sidewalls extending from the body at a second height, less than the first height. The first and second pairs of opposing sidewalls are adapted to mate with a first mating connector oriented in a first direction, and mate with a second mating connector oriented in a second direction distinct from the first direction.

Abstract: Provided is an industrial printing system that performs peer-to-peer distributed processing of production printing. The industrial printing system performs production printing and includes a plurality of site servers. A plurality of site servers performs distributed processing of print jobs. Each site server has a storage unit, a processing determination unit, and a processing management unit. The storage unit stores a capacity table showing the capacity that can be processed in the print process and the post-processing process. The processing determination unit determines other site servers that can process jobs from a plurality of site servers based on the capacity table stored in the storage unit. The processing management unit sets a schedule for processing jobs by other site servers determined to be processable by the processing determination unit and sends jobs to other site servers to request processing according to the schedule settings.

Abstract: A field device of automation technology having a function for checking quality of a network connection includes an operating electronics and at least one communication interface for connecting to a communication network having one or more network participants and for building a communication connection, wherein a communication stack and a PHY are associated with the communication interface, wherein the communication stack and the PHY are embodied continually to gain and to store communication information regarding the communication connection, wherein the operating electronics is embodied to read out communication information from the communication stack and from the PHY, and by means of an algorithm to subject the communication information to computation and based on the result of the computation to classify a communication state.

Abstract: A method of operating a laundry treatment includes receiving an input for a selected washing operation for a laundry load; determining a filtration requirement of the laundry load of the selected washing operation; implementing a responsive action in response to determining the filtration requirement of the laundry load, the responsive action including an activation state of a selector input on a user interface; and performing the selected washing operation according to a determined set of operating parameters.

Abstract: A robotic labeling system includes a package locating system and a package identification station identifying a package orientation. The robotic labeling system includes a label application station having first and second label printers and first and second label applicators. The label printers are both capable of printing a shipping label and a customer specific label. The first label applicator applies a first label (either the shipping label or the customer specific label) to a first side of the package while the second label applicator applies a second label (other of the shipping label or the customer specific label) to a second side of the package different than the first side. The printing and application of the labels is based on the orientation of the package.

Abstract: Solid-state imaging apparatuses are disclosed. In one example, an apparatus includes a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate includes a pixel array that is arrayed in columns and rows. The second substrate is stacked on the first substrate, and includes first and second analog circuits that overlap with the pixel array in a third direction intersecting the column and row directions. A pixel divider section divides pixels in the array into a first area and a second area. The first and second analog circuits respectively connect to pixels in the first and second areas, and are adjacent to each other with a circuit divider section interposed therebetween, the circuit divider section being located with an overlap with the pixel divider section in the third direction.

Abstract: Methods related to radio frequency front end systems. In some embodiments, the method can include providing a first module configured to provide multi-input multi-output (MIMO) receive operations for a first plurality of mid bands and a first plurality of high bands. The first module can be further configured to provide transmit operations for the plurality of mid bands. The first module can include a first node. The method can include providing a second module configured to provide transmit and receive operations for a second plurality of mid bands and a second plurality of high bands. The second module can be a power amplifier integrated duplexer (PAiD) module. The second module can include a second node. The first module and the second module can be coupled by a signal path at the first node and the second node, respectively.

Abstract: A system for providing chat-based customer callbacks, wherein a callback application server transmits prompts and receives requests for customer callbacks, an interaction manager determines agent availability and arranges callback handling, and a session management server initiates callbacks, and methods for providing chat-based customer callbacks using the system of the invention.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic apparatus, in which both oblique light characteristics and sensitivity can be improved. The solid-state imaging device includes pixel array unit in which a plurality of pixels is two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix and multi-stage light shielding walls are provided between the pixels. The present disclosure is applicable to, for example, a back-illuminated type solid-state imaging device and the like.

Abstract: A system for integrated consumer interaction via media broadcast, comprising an immediate communication system that communicated with a media provider and a communications system, wherein the consumer submits a request to a content provider for interaction that is then handled by the immediate communication to establish an interaction with a communication system, and a method for providing integrated consumer interaction.

Abstract: Systems and methods for duplexer circuits having signal cancellation paths are provided. In one aspect, a duplexer circuit includes a first transmit filter configured to receive a first radio frequency transmit signal from a power amplifier, and a first receive filter configured to receive the first radio frequency transmit signal from the first transmit filter. The circuit also includes a first low-noise amplifier configured to receive the first radio frequency transmit signal from the first receive filter and amplify the first radio frequency transmit signal and a cancellation path configured to receive a second radio frequency transmit signal from the power amplifier. The circuit further includes a phase shifter configured to apply a phase shift to one or both of the first and second radio frequency transmit signals, and a second low-noise amplifier configured to amplify the second radio frequency transmit signal.

Abstract: Present disclosure provides a method including isolating DNA from a source, thereby providing a composition including the isolated DNA. The isolated DNA has at least first and second target regions, where the length of the second target region is greater than the length of the first target region. The method further includes quantifying a total mass of the isolated DNA, quantifying a first quantification cycle (Cq) of the first target region and a second Cq of the second target region, and calculating a Q-ratio for the isolated DNA by dividing the second Cq by the first Cq. The method further includes determining a value for a quality-mass constant (kQm), estimating a required input mass by dividing kQm by the Q-ratio, and preparing the isolated DNA for sequencing if the total mass of the isolated DNA in the composition is equal or greater than the required input mass.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved method and apparatus for thermal monitoring for a metal additive manufacturing system. An emissivity value of a top surface of an object to be manufactured is determined based, at least in part, on an arithmetic product of a predetermined roughness value and a predetermined slope-related value. The predetermined roughness value and slope-related values are predetermined based, at least in part, on measurements of a previously manufactured object. The system sinters a metal to form the top surface of the object to be manufactured. An infrared sensor detects radiation from at least a portion of the top surface of the object to be manufactured. A temperature is generated based, at least in part, on the detected infrared radiation and the emissivity value and the generated temperature is applied to a temperature utilization component of the system.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining a risk score reflecting the risk that a police officer may be involved in an adverse event in the future having a computer system preprocessing data to create residual features; the computer system iteratively running models using the collected data and residual features; the computer system identifying the model that best predicts whether a police officer may be involved in an adverse event in the future; and, the computer system generating a risk score by running the model.

Abstract: A system or method for an imaging system is provided for inspecting a heliostat. The imaging system includes a platform and a camera mounted on the platform and a heliostat having a plurality of mirrored facets. The camera is positioned to acquire a first image that serves as a reference image and a second image that is a reflected image from at least one facet. The camera stores image data associated with the first image and the second image, and wirelessly transmits the stored image data to a computing apparatus. The computing apparatus compares the first image with the second image and determines a performance parameter associated with the heliostat.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for saturation detection of power amplifiers are provided. In certain embodiments, a power amplifier system including a power amplifier and a saturation detector is provided. The power amplifier includes a gain transistor that amplifies an RF input signal to generate an RF output signal, and the saturation detector includes a detection transistor that is thermally coupled to the gain transistor. Additionally, the saturation detector monitors an input voltage to the gain transistor to generate a saturation detection signal indicating a saturation of the gain transistor.

Abstract: Embodiments can provide a visual indicator system, attachable to a medical imaging patient bed. The visual indicator system comprising: one or more light strips, each light strip comprising a plurality of lights; a distance meter, attachable to one end of the medical imaging patient bed; a storage device, configured to store one or more preconfigured finger gestures; and a microcontroller. The one or more light strips are attachable to the medical imaging patient bed; wherein the microcontroller is configured to illuminate the one or more light strips after the one or more preconfigured finger gestures are made with respect to the one or more light strips. A position of the illumination of the light strip corresponds to a position of performing the one or more preconfigured finger gestures and one or more distance measurements received from the distance meter.