Abstract: Bias circuits and methods for silicon-based amplifier architectures that are tolerant of supply and bias voltage variations, bias current variations, and transistor stack height, and compensate for poor output resistance characteristics. Embodiments include power amplifiers and low-noise amplifiers that utilize a cascode reference circuit to bias the final stages of a cascode amplifier under the control of a closed loop bias control circuit. The closed loop bias control circuit ensures that the current in the cascode reference circuit is approximately equal to a selected multiple of a known current value by adjusting the gate bias voltage to the final stage of the cascode amplifier. The final current through the cascode amplifier is a multiple of the current in the cascode reference circuit, based on a device scaling factor representing the relative sizes of the transistor devices in the cascode amplifier and in the cascode reference circuit.

Abstract: According to one aspect, an electric toothbrush may include a handle, a brush head, a rechargeable battery, an electric motor, and a pair of electrical contacts. The handle may have a first end region and a second end region defining a longitudinal axis therebetween, the handle defining a volume from the first end region to the second end region. The brush head may include bristles, the brush head releasably securable to the first end region of the handle. The rechargeable battery may be in the volume. The electric motor may be at least partially disposed in the volume, the electric motor in electrical communication with the rechargeable battery, the electric motor in mechanical communication with the brush head. The pair of electrical contacts may be in electrical communication with the rechargeable battery, and the pair of electrical contacts axially and radially spaced from one another, relative to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to state-based autonomous-vehicle operations. In particular, the methods, devices, and systems of the present disclosure can: determine, based at least in part on one or more actions of a passenger associated with a trip of an autonomous vehicle, a current state of the trip from amongst a plurality of different predefined states of the trip; identify, based at least in part on the current state of the trip, one or more computing devices associated with the passenger; generate, based at least in part on the current state of the trip, data describing one or more interfaces for display by the computing device(s) associated with the passenger; and communicate, to the computing device(s) associated with the passenger, the data describing the interface(s) for display.

Abstract: Improved inspection techniques are described herein for checking for the presence of and identifying surface defects on a honeycomb body. The improved inspection utilizes measurement of travel of an outer surface of the honeycomb body to collect images of the outer surface. The images are combined into a composite image showing the outer surface of the honeycomb body. The composite image is analyzed to identify surface defects.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing device is disclosed. The device can include a reactor and a solid source vessel configured to supply a vaporized solid reactant to the reactor. A process control chamber can be disposed between the solid source vessel and the reactor. The device can include a valve upstream of the process control chamber. A control system can be configured to control operation of the valve based at least in part on feedback of measured pressure in the process control chamber.

Abstract: A system and method that automatically monitors product use, such as the type and amount of agricultural and/or horticultural product stored in and dispensed from a cartridge over time and/or by geographic location. Monitored data are stored in memory such as a tag on the cartridge and may be transmitted to a server for storage, aggregation, and analysis. The cartridge may be authenticated before being authorized for use for the benefit of a current user in dispensing the product. The cartridge may be refilled after confirmation of authorization codes on the cartridge and refilling equipment tags. The cartridge may be calibrated automatically based on the bulk density or other parameter of the product in the cartridge. Data may be aggregated from a plurality of cartridges automatically. As-applied data from individual cartridges may be used to verify, independent of operator input, treated area coverage and product application rate.

Abstract: A cargo bed divider system for a pickup truck includes a first guide rail connectable to a first lateral side of a cargo bed, a second guide rail connectable to a second lateral side of the cargo bed, a cargo bed divider supported between the first guide rail and the second guide rail, and an adjustment mechanism connectable to a forward end of the cargo bed and the cargo bed divider. The adjustment mechanism selectively moves the cargo bed divider between a first position adjacent the forward end of the cargo bed and a second position adjacent to a rear end of the cargo bed.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems are provided for automatically performing a task on a remote computer. During a registration stage, the system receives personal information of a human user, obtains an IP address and a device configuration for a computing device, and stores the personal information, IP address, and the device configuration in record in a database. The system receives a request to interact with a remote website to perform a task, the request including the personal information of the human user. The system then retrieves the record from the database using the personal information. The system creates a virtual machine based on the device configuration for the computing device, selects one of a geographically distributed set of proxy servers having an IP geographically address resembling the IP address for the computing device, and executes instructions causing the virtual machine to interact with the remote website using the proxy server to perform the task.

Abstract: The current disclosure relates to the manufacture of semiconductor devices, specifically to methods of forming vanadium metal on a substrate. The methods comprise providing a substrate in a reaction chamber, providing a vanadium precursor to the reaction chamber in a vapor phase and providing a reducing agent to the reaction chamber in a vapor phase to form vanadium metal on the substrate. The disclosure further relates to structures and devices formed by the methods, as well as to a deposition assembly.

Abstract: The invention relates to the monitoring of products by means of active radio tags. According to the invention, packagings of products are provided with an active radio tag that detects at least one environmental condition and/or at least one packaging state, and which emits a signal at time intervals, which provides information about a unique identifier and at least one state in which the respective product is found. The signal is picked up by a receiver that extracts the unique identifier and the state information and transmits same together with location information to an external server.

Abstract: The invention relates to the monitoring of products by means of active radio tags. According to the invention, packagings of products are provided with an active radio tag that detects at least one environmental condition and/or at least one packaging state, and which emits a signal at time intervals, which provides information about a unique identifier and at least one state in which the respective product is found. The signal is picked up by a receiver that extracts the unique identifier and the state information and transmits same together with location information to an external server.

Abstract: The invention relates to the monitoring of products by means of active radio tags. According to the invention, packagings of products are provided with an active radio tag that detects at least one environmental condition and/or at least one packaging state, and which emits a signal at time intervals, which provides information about a unique identifier and at least one state in which the respective product is found. The signal is picked up by a receiver that extracts the unique identifier and the state information and transmits same together with location information to an external server.

Abstract: The invention relates to the monitoring of products by means of active radio tags. According to the invention, packagings of products are provided with an active radio tag that detects at least one environmental condition and/or at least one packaging state, and which emits a signal at time intervals, which provides information about a unique identifier and at least one state in which the respective product is found. The signal is picked up by a receiver that extracts the unique identifier and the state information and transmits same together with location information to an external server.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented methods and systems provide solutions for mitigating misdetection of display devices in connection with a subscription service. In some examples, the described methods and systems receive a content request from a display device, where the content request is correlated with a particular subscription service account. In some examples, the systems and methods further determine that the display device is not associated with the particular subscription service account. To verify the display device, the systems and methods utilize display timings and scan timings associated with a verification token to prove that the display device is validly located and can therefore be trusted in connection with the subscription service account. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Herein disclosed are systems and methods related to solid source chemical vaporizer vessels and multiple chamber deposition modules. In some embodiments, a solid source chemical vaporizer includes a housing base and a housing lid. Some embodiments also include a first and second tray configured to be housed within the housing base, wherein each tray defines a first serpentine path adapted to hold solid source chemical and allow gas flow thereover. In some embodiments, a multiple chamber deposition module includes first and second vapor phase reaction chambers and a solid source chemical vaporizer vessel to supply each of the first and second vapor phase reaction chambers.

Abstract: Methods of forming thin-film structures including metal carbide material, and structures and devices including the metal carbide material are disclosed. Exemplary structures include metal carbide material formed using two or more different processes (e.g., two or more different precursors), which enables tuning of various metal carbide material properties, including resistivity, current leakage, and work function.

Abstract: A wireless communication network such as a 5G communication network can use MIMO technologies to enhance bandwidth between a wireless communications base station and one or more user equipment devices within a service area of the base station. RF signal repeaters can be utilized to provide one or more additional physical channels for communication between the MIMO base station and the MIMO user equipment. These RF signal repeaters can be regarded as increasing the MIMO channel diversity within the ambient environment.