Abstract: Illustrative methods and systems may determine whether a rideshare is verified based on received rideshare data. A verification code may be assigned to a rideshare trip. The verification code may be provided to a rider of the rideshare trip. The verification code may be received by a vehicle device assigned to the rideshare trip via user input or communication from the rider device. Whether the rider has entered the correct vehicle for the rideshare trip may be verified based on the verification code assigned to the rideshare trip and the verification code received by the rideshare vehicle.

Abstract: Ultra-compact inductor devices for use in integrated circuits (e.g., RF ICs) that use 3-dimensional Dirac materials for providing the inductor. Whereas inductors currently require significant real estate on an integrated circuit, because they require use of an electrically conductive winding around an insulative core, or such metal deposited in a spiral geometry, the present devices can be far more compact, occupying significantly less space on an integrated circuit. For example, an ultra-compact inductor that could be included in an integrated circuit may include a 3-dimensional Dirac material formed into a geometric shape capable of inductance (e.g., as simple as a stripe or series of stripes of such material), deposited on a substantially non-conductive (i.e., insulative) substrate, on which the Dirac material in the selected geometric shape is positioned. Low temperature manufacturing methods compatible with CMOS manufacturing are also provided.

Abstract: Illustrative methods and systems may determine whether a rideshare is verified based on received rideshare data. A verification code may be assigned to a rideshare trip. The verification code may be provided to a rider of the rideshare trip. The verification code may be received by a vehicle device assigned to the rideshare trip via user input or communication from the rider device. Whether the rider has entered the correct vehicle for the rideshare trip may be verified based on the verification code assigned to the rideshare trip and the verification code received by the rideshare vehicle.

Abstract: A magnet-less multi-port ring combiner comprises a set of ports extending from the circumference of the magnet-less multi-port ring combiner. The set of ports are positioned at ¼ increments around the circumference of the magnet-less multi-port ring combiner. The set of ports comprise a first input port configured to receive a first input signal and a second input port configured to receive a second input signal, wherein the first input signal is 180° out-of-phase with the second input signal. The N-way magnet-less multi-port combiner comprises more than four ports.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses a hybrid switched capacitor array power amplifier (H-SCPA). The H-SCPA may have an array of storage elements divided into sub-arrays. A first sub-array may be configured to receive a delta sigma modulated (DSM) signal. A second sub-array may be configured to receive a Nyquist-rate signal. The H-SCPA may provide an output based on the received DSM and Nyquist-rate signals. The first sub-array and second sub-array may have different architectures. The DSM signal may represent the least significant bits of the signal and the Nyquist-rate signal may represent the most significant bits of the signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to a low-voltage temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may include a waveform generator, a complementary-to-absolute-temperature (CTAT) voltage generator, a voltage reference, two comparators, and digital logic. A waveform of the waveform generator may be compared to both the CTAT voltage and the voltage reference. The output of the comparison of the CTAT and the waveform may be a pulse-width modulated signal that is temperature-dependent. The output of the comparison of the voltage reference and the waveform may be a signal with constant pulse width. The digital logic may receive the pulsed signals and take a ratio of the two signals to determine a temperature.

Abstract: Ultra-compact inductor devices for use in integrated circuits (e.g., RF ICs) that use 3-dimensional Dirac materials for providing the inductor. Whereas inductors currently require significant real estate on an integrated circuit, because they require use of an electrically conductive winding around an insulative core, or such metal deposited in a spiral geometry, the present devices can be far more compact, occupying significantly less space on an integrated circuit. For example, an ultra-compact inductor that could be included in an integrated circuit may include a 3-dimensional Dirac material formed into a geometric shape capable of inductance (e.g., as simple as a stripe or series of stripes of such material), deposited on a substantially non-conductive (i.e., insulative) substrate, on which the Dirac material in the selected geometric shape is positioned. Low temperature manufacturing methods compatible with CMOS manufacturing are also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses and methods for a tunable digital power amplifier (DPA). The tunable DPA may be coupled to a reconfigurable capacitor to form a frequency tunable DPA. The capacitance of the reconfigurable capacitor may be adjusted to optimize the DPA to operate at a desired frequency band. The single tunable DPA may operate over a wide range of frequencies.

Abstract: Illustrative methods and systems may determine whether a rideshare is verified based on received rideshare data. A verification code may be assigned to a rideshare trip. The verification code may be provided to a rider of the rideshare trip. The verification code may be received by a vehicle device assigned to the rideshare trip via user input or communication from the rider device. Whether the rider has entered the correct vehicle for the rideshare trip may be verified based on the verification code assigned to the rideshare trip and the verification code received by the rideshare vehicle.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses and methods for transmission beamforming. A multiphase beam steering transmitter may include a transmitter array of multiple transmitters. A transmitter may include a multiphase logic decoder that directly controls a power amplifier to perform a vector addition of a beam phase and amplitude. A transmitter of the array may include a multiphase clock generator that outputs basis phases with embedded phase modulation data which are output to the multiphase logic decoder. The multiphase clock generator may receive a modulated clock signal. The PA may be a multiphase switched capacitor power amplifier. The multiphase logic decoder may output two phases adjacent to a desired phase as inputs to clocks of the SCPA. The multiphase logic decoder may further output a control signal that determines which cells in the SCPA are activated and when.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to voltage reference circuits and methods of designing same. The voltage reference circuit may include a main stage and one or more auxiliary stages. The output of the main stage may be a reference voltage. The auxiliary stages may provide a feedback voltage that reduces a temperature dependence of the reference voltage. Each stage may include two or more transistors. The transistors may operate in a sub-threshold mode to provide the reference voltage.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to a low-voltage temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may include a waveform generator, a complementary-to-absolute-temperature (CTAT) voltage generator, a voltage reference, two comparators, and digital logic. A waveform of the waveform generator may be compared to both the CTAT voltage and the voltage reference. The output of the comparison of the CTAT and the waveform may be a pulse-width modulated signal that is temperature-dependent. The output of the comparison of the voltage reference and the waveform may be a signal with constant pulse width. The digital logic may receive the pulsed signals and take a ratio of the two signals to determine a temperature.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses and methods for a tunable digital power amplifier (DPA). The tunable DPA may be coupled to a reconfigurable capacitor to form a frequency tunable DPA. The capacitance of the reconfigurable capacitor may be adjusted to optimize the DPA to operate at a desired frequency band. The single tunable DPA may operate over a wide range of frequencies.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses and methods for transmission beamforming. A multiphase beam steering transmitter may include a transmitter array of multiple transmitters. A transmitter may include a multiphase logic decoder that directly controls a power amplifier to perform a vector addition of a beam phase and amplitude. A transmitter of the array may include a multiphase clock generator that outputs basis phases with embedded phase modulation data which are output to the multiphase logic decoder. The multiphase clock generator may receive a modulated clock signal. The PA may be a multiphase switched capacitor power amplifier. The multiphase logic decoder may output two phases adjacent to a desired phase as inputs to clocks of the SCPA. The multiphase logic decoder may further output a control signal that determines which cells in the SCPA are activated and when.

Abstract: A magnet-less multi-port ring combiner comprises a set of ports extending from the circumference of the magnet-less multi-port ring combiner. The set of ports are positioned at ¼ increments around the circumference of the magnet-less multi-port ring combiner. The set of ports comprise a first input port configured to receive a first input signal and a second input port configured to receive a second input signal, wherein the first input signal is 180° out-of-phase with the second input signal. The N-way magnet-less multi-port combiner comprises more than four ports.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses a hybrid switched capacitor array power amplifier (H-SCPA). The H-SCPA may have an array of storage elements divided into sub-arrays. A first sub-array may be configured to receive a delta sigma modulated (DSM) signal. A second sub-array may be configured to receive a Nyquist-rate signal. The H-SCPA may provide an output based on the received DSM and Nyquist-rate signals. The first sub-array and second sub-array may have different architectures. The DSM signal may represent the least significant bits of the signal and the Nyquist-rate signal may represent the most significant bits of the signal.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a switched capacitor power amplifier. In one embodiment, an SCPA includes a first capacitor array for coupling charge to a common node using first component of a signal. A second capacitor array couples charge to the common node using a second component of the signal. Relatives amplitudes between the first and second signal components may set a fine phase of the signal produced at the common node. Clock signals may be generated and used to set course phases of the signal. In one embodiment, the first and second signal components are in-phase and quadrature signals. In another embodiment, multiphase clocks are generated, and particular clocks having adjacent phases are selected to produce an output signal having a desired phase.

Abstract: A communication-management method involves a recurring polling scheme, wherein network nodes are polled by a base station according to optimized and/or user-preferred polling intervals assigned to each network node. The polling interval assigned to a given node may be optimized to minimize and/or achieve user-preferred thresholds for energy consumption and latency associated with each network node in the sensor network. Optimized and/or user-preferred polling intervals may be constrained in accordance with various network performance considerations, for example, a recommended update interval for each network node, characteristics of the network nodes themselves, the duration of the timeslots at which the network nodes are polled, and/or other network performance considerations.

Abstract: A communication-management method involves a recurring polling scheme, wherein network nodes are polled by a base station according to optimized and/or user-preferred polling intervals assigned to each network node. The polling interval assigned to a given node may be optimized to minimize and/or achieve user-preferred thresholds for energy consumption and latency associated with each network node in the sensor network. Optimized and/or user-preferred polling intervals may be constrained in accordance with various network performance considerations, for example, a recommended update interval for each network node, characteristics of the network nodes themselves, the duration of the timselots at which the network nodes are polled, and/or other network performance considerations.

Abstract: A communication-management method involves a recurring polling scheme, wherein network nodes are polled by a base station according to optimized and/or user-preferred polling intervals assigned to each network node. The polling interval assigned to a given node may be optimized to minimize and/or achieve user-preferred thresholds for energy consumption and latency associated with each network node in the sensor network. Optimized and/or user-preferred polling intervals may be constrained in accordance with various network performance considerations, for example, a recommended update interval for each network node, characteristics of the network nodes themselves, the duration of the timselots at which the network nodes are polled, and/or other network performance considerations.