Abstract: An apparatus for removing noise due to a DC offset voltage from the frequency band of interest of a signal. Input noise errors are moved out of the band of interest by changing the noise gain of the system without placing a switch in the signal path. The resistance through which an input signal passes to the amplifier remains unchanged, but the noise gain is selectively changed by use of a single switch that inserts an additional resistance from a zero signal source in response to a switching signal, thus switching the amplifier between two states with different noise gains. The output signal may be passed through a sigma-delta modulator and an exclusive-or gate clocked at a duty cycle such that the signal gain of the amplifier is unchanged while the different noise gain states cancel out, thus relocating the input noise errors to harmonic frequencies of the switching signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for creating data dependency in a neural network without the need for historical data or training is described. An “auxiliary path” that is adjacent to the main path of the neural network contains neurons that receive input data, creating non-linearity beyond that normally present in the network. The outputs of the neurons in the auxiliary path do not directly feed into the layers of neurons in the main path of the network as inputs, but instead are used to “adjust” the input weights to neurons in the main path by selecting which of existing, pre-determined weights are used for any given input. No training phase is required, and the weights in the network do not change, but instead existing paths are simply opened or closed to inputs depending upon the inputs, effectively altering the input weights to the neurons in the main path.

Abstract: A humidification system has a tube configured to transport gases. The tube is configured to be soaked prior to use and has a bead to hold liquid. Heat applied to the bead causes the liquid to be released as vapour. Gases flowing through the tube are heated and humidified by the vapour.

Abstract: A printing unit includes: a unit chassis for mounting over a media feed path; first and second elongate printheads mounted on the unit chassis and positioned in an overlapping arrangement across the media feed path; a first aerosol extractor positioned downstream of the first printhead relative to the media feed direction; and a second aerosol extractor positioned downstream of the second printhead and the first aerosol extractor relative to the media feed direction. The first and second aerosol extractors are positioned at a same distance from their respective first and second printheads.

Abstract: A printing unit includes: a base plate defining an elongate slot extending across a media feed path; an elongate printhead positioned in the slot for printing onto print media fed along the media feed path; an aerosol extractor positioned downstream of the printhead relative to a media feed direction, the aerosol extractor providing an airflow through a print zone associated with the printhead; and air guides projecting from a lower surface of the base plate towards the media feed path. The air guides are positioned at opposite ends of the printhead and include respective guide walls for directing the airflow towards the aerosol extractor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving the efficiency of a D class amplifier, particularly at lower output levels. A class D amplifier having a load with inductance, such as a transducer, is configured to concurrently act as its own buck regulator. A capacitor connected to ground and to both ends of the transducer through switches functions as the buck regulator in connection with the inductance of the transducer, providing the class D amplifier with additional voltage levels such as might be provided by a G/H class amplifier but without the added complexity or expense of the G/H configurations. Better efficiency is possible than that provided by a 100% efficient conventional buck regulator. No envelope detector is required, nor any change to the gain of the digital signal to the class D amplifier. Both synchronous and asynchronous applications are possible. Feedback may be used if desired, but is not required.

Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating authentication of a user with a plurality of applications are described. One method includes authenticating a user with a first secure application based on information received from a smart credential stored on a mobile device via a local wireless connection. The method includes obtaining a remote challenge from a remote authentication service and a mobile challenge, signing the mobile challenge with a private key, and transmitting a signed version of the mobile challenge, the remote challenge, and a public key to the mobile device. The method further includes receiving a signed version of the remote challenge and a certificate indicating validation of the mobile challenge, and transmitting the signed version of the remote challenge to the remote authentication service. Based on receiving an authentication result from the remote authentication service, access is granted to a remote secure application via the browser.

Abstract: A session management involves registering at least one IPTV application in a registration table so that the registration table includes at least a respective identifier of the IPTV applications. The IPTV applications are invokable at a set top box and can be so-called embedded applications and/or browser-based applications. An event requiring the invocation of an IPTV application at the set top box is detected and triggers a look-up in the registration table. The registration table is thus used as source to indicate those IPTV applications that are potentially available and can be launched at the set top box. One of the registered applications is launched for the purpose of handling the detected event.

Abstract: A room manager can generate mappings for a real-world room that support a shared XR environment. For example, the real-world room can include real-world objects and surfaces, such as a table(s), chair(s), wall(s), door(s), window(s), etc. The room manager can generate XR object definitions based on information received about the real-world room, object(s), and surface(s). For example, the room manager can implement a flow that guides a user equipped with an XR system to provide information for the XR object definitions, such as real-world surfaces that map to the XR object(s), borders (e.g., measured using a component of the XR system), such as borders on real-world surfaces, semantic information (e.g., number of seat assignments at an XR table, size of XR objects, etc.), and other suitable information. Implementations generate previews of the shared XR environment, such as a local preview and a remote preview.

Abstract: A room manager can generate mappings for a real-world room that support a shared XR environment. For example, the real-world room can include real-world objects and surfaces, such as a table(s), chair(s), wall(s), door(s), window(s), etc. The room manager can generate XR object definitions based on information received about the real-world room, object(s), and surface(s). For example, the room manager can implement a flow that guides a user equipped with an XR system to provide information for the XR object definitions, such as real-world surfaces that map to the XR object(s), borders (e.g., measured using a component of the XR system), such as borders on real-world surfaces, semantic information (e.g., number of seat assignments at an XR table, size of XR objects, etc.), and other suitable information. Implementations generate previews of the shared XR environment, such as a local preview and a remote preview.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for voice activity detection. A multiphase differential output rotating capacitive sampler achieves a frequency down conversion over as many specific frequency bands as are required for analysis. A chirp is created in the rotating sampler as the sum of arbitrary frequencies across the desired analysis band multiplied by a window function. The chirp is sampled at a rate of rotation synchronous with the last state of burst of the chirp, allowing a non-phase synchronous pattern in the coefficient values and allowing a high-Q and arbitrary decomposition of the signal. After the sample is taken, the next clock signal to the sampler is used to define the output voltage of the sampler by shorting the output, which is entirely capacitive, to ground. Processing occurs in the analog domain rather than digitally, avoiding the need for FFTs and allowing for greater speed and lower power consumption.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing a fast Fourier transform in the analog domain with passive components. A complex analog signal that is shift and scale invariant is derived from analog circuit properties. A butterfly circuit processes such signals using only passive components by mapping the Kirchhoff current and voltage laws into operations on the signals. A fast Fourier transform circuit of any desired width is constructed from such butterfly circuits. The passive networks require no power as the operations are on the presented signal; energy is taken from the source signal so no battery or power supply is needed. Thus, when the signal becomes quiescent, the power consumed is zero. Further there is no need of a clock or other timing device; rather, it is the operation of Kirchhoff laws in the network, which apply essentially upon arrival of the signal, that is made analogous to the desired operation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for using the known phenomena of quantum gate tunneling in semiconductor transistors to define the DC state of a charge-coupled amplifier is described. A first stage in which the tunneling current is bipolar (by pairing PMOS and NMOS transistors) in combination with a second stage with a controlled common mode voltage that can be used to control the first stage tunneling current, and thus the common mode voltage at the input. This can be done without the use of additional elements that may degrade performance or power consumption, since the input devices both process the input signal and maintain the DC operating point of the circuit. The approach may be advantageously used not only in charge-coupled amplifiers as described herein, but also in other capacitively coupled circuits such as charge balancing analog to digital converters (ADCs) and digital to analog converters (DACs).

Abstract: A programmable impedance element consists of a plurality of nominally identical two-port elements, each two-port element having an impedance element and two switches, the two-port elements arranged in a chain fashion with a structured set of switches such that a range of impedances can be obtained from each cell by dynamically changing the connections between the impedance elements in the cell. The common cell is constructed by connecting the nominally identical two-port impedance elements in a way that the number of possible combinations of the impedance elements is reduced to the subset of all possible combinations that uses the minimum possible number of connections. This structure allows the creation of matched impedances using industry standard devices. The connections between impedance elements are switches that may be “field-programmable,” i.e., that may be set on the chip after manufacture and configured during operation of the circuit, or alternatively may be mask programmable.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing signals in the analog domain. A signal is derived from analog circuit properties that is shift and scale invariant. Although the circuit properties are not quantized as in traditional digital signal processing, the signal is immune from effects of the properties, such as common mode noise, absolute voltage or current level, finite settling time, etc., as a digital signal would be. The shift and scale invariance allows for mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of signals. By combining these operations, various circuits may be constructed, including a voltage controlled amplifier, a time gain amplifier, and an analog-to-digital converter. The circuits are constructed using almost no non-linear, active devices, and will thus use less power for a given speed than comparable digital devices, and will often be faster as there are no delay elements and no need to wait for the circuit properties to settle.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to creating and administering artificial reality collaborative working environments and providing interaction modes for them. An XR work system can provide and control such artificial reality collaborative working environments to enable, for example, A) links between real-world surfaces and XR surfaces; B) links between multiple real-world areas to XR areas with dedicated functionality; C) maintaining access, while inside the artificial reality working environment, to real-world work tools such as the user's computer screen and keyboard; D) various hand and controller modes for different interaction and collaboration modalities; E) use-based, multi-desk collaborative room configurations; and F) context-based auto population of users and content items into the artificial reality working environment.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing signals in the analog domain. A signal is derived from analog circuit properties that is shift and scale invariant. Although the circuit properties are not quantized as in traditional digital signal processing, the signal is immune from effects of the properties, such as common mode noise, absolute voltage or current level, finite settling time, etc., as a digital signal would be. The shift and scale invariance allows for mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of signals. By combining these operations, various circuits may be constructed, including a voltage controlled amplifier, a time gain amplifier, and an analog-to-digital converter. The circuits are constructed using almost no non-linear, active devices, and will thus use less power for a given speed than comparable digital devices, and will often be faster as there are no delay elements and no need to wait for the circuit properties to settle.

Abstract: An analog element for use as a neuron in a recurrent neural network is described, the analog element having memory of a prior layer state and being a continuous time circuit rather than having a discrete clocking interval. The element is characterized and described by the Laplace s-domain operator, as distinct from a digital solution that uses the z-domain operator appropriate for quantized time descriptions. Rather than using an all-pass filter, the analog equivalent of a unit delay in the z-domain, a finite gain integrator, which is a simpler circuit, may be used to provide the delay in the analog s-domain. The resulting circuit may be easily implemented at the transistor level.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing signals in the analog domain. A signal is derived from analog circuit properties that is shift and scale invariant. Although the circuit properties are not quantized as in traditional digital signal processing, the signal is immune from effects of the properties, such as common mode noise, absolute voltage or current level, finite settling time, etc., as a digital signal would be. The shift and scale invariance allows for mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of signals. By combining these operations, various circuits may be constructed, including a voltage controlled amplifier, a time gain amplifier, and an analog-to-digital converter. The circuits are constructed using almost no non-linear, active devices, and will thus use less power for a given speed than comparable digital devices, and will often be faster as there are no delay elements and no need to wait for the circuit properties to settle.

Abstract: A method for performing a fast Fourier transform. The bin spreading effect of conventional FFT methodology may be removed by a mathematical technique that relies on an incomplete replacement of the input data sequence. In the present approach this replacement is accomplished by a “round robin” method. In this approach no window function is required and the FFT calculation proceeds after each new sample is added round robin fashion to the input sequence. The resulting output bins from the FFT show the signal evolution with time, overlapping as in the known art but by a single sample. The output of a FFT so constructed is not time invariant, but rather there is a rotation present in each output bin when viewed as an analytical signal. This rotation is predictable and hence removeable, but is also exploitable as a means to remove the bin spill over.