Abstract: A low numerical aperture fiber output diode laser module, which having several independent diode lasers, and collimated and converged the light beam, for the coupling the light to the core optical fiber with a core diameter of 105 um and a numerical aperture of 0.12. Compared with general products with a numerical aperture of 0.22, the light output angle is reduced to 55%, and use a general blue laser diode for verification. Use an optical software for facilitating the design and optimization of the parameters of the optical lens module.

Abstract: Methods and systems for automated slide handling for imaging applications are described herein. In certain aspects, an automated slide handler may be operatively coupled to a slide hotel and/or one or more imaging systems described herein. The automated slide handler may be a robotic arm with up to 6 degrees of freedom. Automated slide handling may include sample preparation, such as sectioning and staining. Suitable imaging systems include a fluorescence microscope or an imaging mass cytometer. Methods and systems disclosed herein enable high throughput profiling of tissue sections.

Abstract: An excess heat-generating element is coupled to a heat sink through a heat conduction path. A thermal switch is mounted in the heat conduction path. A temperature-sensitive element is coupled to the heat conduction path on a same side of the thermal switch as the excess heat-generating element. A temperature monitor is mounted adjacent the temperature-sensitive element. A temperature controller has an input coupled to the temperature output of the temperature monitor and an output control line coupled to an input of the thermal switch. The temperature controller switches off the thermal switch, in response to detecting a temperature below a temperature threshold from the temperature output. When the thermal switch it off, it impedes heat flow from the excess heat-generating element to the heat sink, and the heat flow is redirected to increase heat flow from the excess heat-generating element to the heat-sensitive element.

Abstract: Video processing methods and apparatuses for processing a current block in a current picture by reference picture resampling include receiving input data of the current block, determining a scaling window of the current picture and a scaling window of a reference picture. The current picture and reference picture may have different scaling window sizes. A ratio between a scaling window width, height, or size of the current picture and a scaling window width, height, or size of the reference picture is constrained to be within a ratio constraint. A reference block is generated from the reference picture according to the ratio, and used to encode or decode the current block.

Abstract: A method for adaptive MV precision is disclosed. According to one embodiment, whether to use or not to use the adaptive MV precision for a current block is determined according to a prediction mode/partition type of the current block. If the adaptive MV precision is used, a current MV precision is determined for a current MV of the current block, and the current MV is encoded or decoded at the current MV precision. If the adaptive MV precision is not used, the current MV is encoded or decoded at a finer MV precision. In another embodiment, a value of a current adaptive MV precision flag is selected for a current block to indicate whether to use or not to use the adaptive MV precision for a current block according to a prediction mode/partition type of the current block.

Abstract: A method for signaling adaptive loop filter (ALF) settings is provided. A video decoder receives data from a bitstream for a block of pixels to be decoded as a current block of a current picture of a video. The video decoder parses whether to use adaptive parameter set (APS) for filtering the current block without determining whether to select a particular APS from a plurality of APSs. When the APS is used to filter the current block, the video decoder parses a first filter selection index for selecting a filter from a set of filters in the APS. When the APS is not used to filter the current block, the video decoder signals a second filter selection index for selecting a filter from a set of default fixed filters. The video decoder filters the current block based on the selected filter. The video decoder outputs the filtered current block.

Abstract: Video processing methods and apparatuses for processing a current block in a current picture include receiving input data of the current block, determining a reference picture, determining whether picture sizes of the current and reference pictures are different, determining whether horizontal wraparound motion compensation is enabled for predicting the current block, performing motion compensation for the current block to obtain a reference block from the reference picture, and encoding or decoding the current block according to the reference block. Horizontal wraparound motion compensation is disabled when the picture sizes of the current and reference pictures are different.

Abstract: A laser package is mounted on the printed circuit board. At least one thermal via extends through the printed circuit board, coupled to the laser package. A thermal bridge is coupled to the at least one thermal via on the bottom of the printed circuit board. A thermal paste connects the thermal bridge to a conductive ground plane on the bottom of the printed circuit board, and to a mechanical housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of prediction for video coding using MH (Multiple Hypothesis) mode are disclosed. According to this method, a block is partitioned into a first partition and a second partition. A first candidate and a second candidate are derived for the first and second partitions respectively. At least one of the first candidate and the second candidate is derived using a candidate list derived for a regular Merge mode (or also called as normal Merge mode). An MH prediction generated by blending a first prediction corresponding to a first candidate and a second prediction corresponding to a second candidate, and the MH prediction is applied to a part of the current block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of Inter prediction for video coding using UMVE (Ultimate Motion Vector Expression) are disclosed. According to this method, a base candidate is selected from an original Inter candidate list, where the base candidate has a base prediction direction. One or more extended candidates are derived by adding one or more offsets to the base candidate, where said one or more extended candidates have a same prediction direction as the base prediction direction. The extended candidates are then inserted into the original Inter candidate list to form an extended Inter candidate list for encoding or decoding. According to another method, the UMVE mode is treated as an additional AMVP (Advanced Motion Vector Prediction) mode.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of coding VR360 video sequence are disclosed, wherein wraparound motion compensation is included as a coding tool. According to the method, a bitstream corresponding to encoded data of the VR360 video sequence is generated at an encoder side or received at a decoder side, where the bitstream comprises one or more PPS syntaxes related to wraparound motion compensation information in a PPS (Picture Parameter Set). The VR360 video sequence is encoded at the encoder side or decoded at the decoder side based on the wraparound motion compensation information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for Adaptive Loop Filter (ALF) processing of reconstructed video are disclosed. According to one implementation, a method receives reconstructed pixels of a current block and determines one or more clipping values for the ALF processing, wherein a target clipping value is always signaled at an encoder side or parsed at a decoder side even if the target clipping value is zero. The method then derives a current ALF output for the current block, wherein the current ALF output has a weighted sum of clipped differences and each of the original differences is calculated between a first reconstructed pixel at a non-center filter location and a center reconstructed pixel at a center filter location, and each of the original differences is clipped according to a corresponding clipping value to form one clipped difference. The method then provides filtered-reconstructed pixels.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for video coding using Low-Frequency Non-Separable Transform (LFNST) mode, a coding unit (CU) is partitioned into one or more transform blocks (TBs). A syntax is determined at an encoder side or at a decoder side, where the determining step is performed by signaling the syntax at the encoder side or by parsing the syntax at the decoder side if one or more conditions are satisfied. The syntax indicates whether the LFNST mode is applied to the current CU and/or which LFNST kernel is applied when the LFNSF is applied, and the conditions comprise a target condition corresponding to that all target TBs in a target TB set have a TS mode indication as false, and the target TB set is selected from the TBs in the current CU. The current CU is encoded or decoded according to the LFNST mode.

Abstract: A method includes forming a fin structure over a substrate; forming a gate structure over the substrate and crossing the fin structure, wherein the gate structures comprises a gate electrode and a hard mask layer over the gate electrode; forming gate spacers on opposite sidewalls of the gate structure; performing an ion implantation process to form doped regions in the hard mask layers of the gate structure and in the gate spacers, wherein the ion implantation process is performed at a tilt angle; etching portions of the fin structure exposed by the gate structure and the gate spacers to form recesses in the fin structure; and forming source/drain epitaxial structures in the recesses.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for video coding are disclosed. According to this method, a bitstream corresponding to encoded data of the video sequence is generated at an encoder side or received at a decoder side, where the bitstream comprises a first syntax related to AMVR precision, and wherein the syntax related to the AMVR precision is coded by context coding bins with at least two contexts. One or motion vectors for the target block are encoded, at the encoder side, or decoded, at the decoder side, utilizing information comprising the AMVR precision.

Abstract: In one method, the current block is partitioned into multiple final sub-blocks using one or more stages of sub-tree partition comprising ternary tree partition and at least one other-type partition, where ternary partition tree is excluded from the sub-tree partition if a current sub-tree depth associated with a current sub-block is greater than a first threshold and the first threshold is an integer greater than or equal to 1. In another method, if a test condition is satisfied, the current block is encoded or decoded using a current Inter mode selected from a modified group of Inter tools, where the modified group of Inter tools is derived from an initial group of Inter tools by removing one or more first Inter tools from the initial group of Inter tools, replacing one or more second Inter tools with one or more complexity-reduced Inter tools, or both.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for video coding incorporating enhanced multiple transform (EMT) are disclosed. According to one method, the number of candidates for EMT in the horizontal direction or vertical direction is reduced depending on the current block size. According to another method, an EMT flag, one or more EMT indices or both are signalled only if the total number of non-zero coefficients in at least a part of the 2D coefficient block is greater than a threshold, where the threshold is equal to 1 or larger. A method and apparatus for video coding using non-separable secondary transform (NSST) are disclosed. According to this method, a total number of non-zero first coefficients in a partial block of the 2D coefficient block is determined and used to determine whether to apply the NSST process.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for video coding are disclosed. According to one method, a bitstream is generated or received, where the bitstream includes a first syntax and a second syntax. The first syntax is related to a target number of bits used to represent a set of third syntaxes and each third syntax specifies one subpicture ID for one subpicture in a set of subpictures. The second syntax is related to a total number of subpictures in the set of subpicture, where a first number that can be represented by the target number of bits is equal to or greater than the total number of subpictures. According to another method, the subpicture ID syntaxes have different values for different subpictures.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for block partition in video encoding and decoding are disclosed. According to one method of the present invention, input data associated with a current block in a current picture are received, wherein the current block comprises a luma block and a chroma block to be encoded or decoded, and wherein a minimum block size is constrained to be no greater than a constrained minimum size for the luma block regardless of whether a dual partition tree or a single partition tree is used for the current block. The luma block is partitioned into one or more luma leaf blocks and the chroma block into one or more chroma leaf blocks using the dual partition tree or the single partition tree. Said one or more luma leaf blocks and said one or more chroma leaf blocks are encoded or decoded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of Inter prediction for video coding are disclosed. According to one method, a sub-block motion vector prediction (MVP) mode is turned off for small size coding units (CUs). In another method, if the neighbouring reference block for a current coding unit (CU) is in a root CU region, the neighbouring reference block is not used to derive a Merge candidate or a modified neighbouring reference block on the shared boundary of the root CU is used to derive the Merge candidate for the current block. In yet another method, a shared sub-block Merge candidate list is derived for sub-CUs within a root CU region or an MER (Merge estimation region). If a neighbouring reference block is within the same MER as a current sub-CU, the neighbouring reference block is not used for deriving a candidate for the shared sub-CU Merge list.