Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermally preconditioning a vehicle may include tracking a position of a user and determining a trajectory of the user based upon the user's position, classifying the user's trajectory as a vehicle approach, validating the vehicle approach, and thermally preconditioning the vehicle when the vehicle approach is validated.

Abstract: A method for analyzing environmental sounds to identify repeating noises due to power equipment for purposes of controlling noise pollution is disclosed. Ambient sounds are sampled with microphones and the resulting data analyzed by an edge computing device. The samples are compared to stored data with a convolutional neural network by the edge computing device which also performs pitch shifting and cycle shifting to reduce false negatives. Positive results are reported via LoRa and/or 4G to a cloud platform and/or backend server.

Abstract: An automobile vehicle information system includes a touchscreen having a touchscreen capacitive sensing grid. The touchscreen displays graphics and detects touch events using the touchscreen capacitive sensing grid. A virtual touchscreen and display device is in communication with and receives the touch events detected by the touchscreen via a first digital communication link. The virtual touchscreen and display device generates graphics and maps touch coordinates to intended functions. A location of a failed virtual switch is mapped by the virtual touchscreen and display device based on screen coordinates provided by the touchscreen, the virtual touchscreen and display device generating a switch failure signal identifying the failed virtual switch. A control unit diagnoses the switch failure signal and generates a default action according to a virtual switch type.

Abstract: An automobile vehicle information system includes a touchscreen having a touchscreen capacitive sensing grid. The touchscreen displays graphics and detects touch events using the touchscreen capacitive sensing grid. A virtual touchscreen and display device is in communication with and receives the touch events detected by the touchscreen via a first digital communication link. The virtual touchscreen and display device generates graphics and maps touch coordinates to intended functions. A location of a failed virtual switch is mapped by the virtual touchscreen and display device based on screen coordinates provided by the touchscreen, the virtual touchscreen and display device generating a switch failure signal identifying the failed virtual switch. A control unit diagnoses the switch failure signal and generates a default action according to a virtual switch type.

Abstract: Fluorinated metal nanoparticles (f-MNPs) are metal nanoparticles and/or semiconductor nanoparticles having a plurality of fluorinated alkyl ligands attached to the surfaces of the nanoparticles where the f-MNPs are greater than 20 nm in cross-section. The f-MNPs can be used as a surfactant to form active f-MNPs stabilized aqueous droplet, which can be used in a light-mediated microfluidic device where droplet movement, merging, splitting, and sorting can be carried out as directed by one or more laser beams focused onto one or more spots of light-mediated microfluidic device.

Abstract: A reaction control and mass spectrometry workstation for coupling an X-ray spectroscopic characterization instrument with an in-situ reaction cell, including a reactant gas composition control module and an online gas composition analyzing module. The workstation further involves a modification based on the original vacuum pipeline section. After the modification, the original vacuum pipeline section is connected to three customized gas ports, and the modification is characterized in that the vacuum manifold unit is additionally provided with a mass spectrometer sampling port, a sampling capillary, and control valves. The present disclosure has the following advantages. The sampling time delay can be ignored in the mass spectrometry, and the sampling is continuous real-time in-situ analysis with high time resolution.

Abstract: A reaction control and mass spectrometry workstation for coupling an X-ray spectroscopic characterization instrument with an in-situ reaction cell, including a reactant gas composition control module and an online gas composition analyzing module. The workstation further involves a modification based on the original vacuum pipeline section. After the modification, the original vacuum pipeline section is connected to three customized gas ports, and the modification is characterized in that the vacuum manifold unit is additionally provided with a mass spectrometer sampling port, a sampling capillary, and control valves. The present disclosure has the following advantages. The sampling time delay can be ignored in the mass spectrometry, and the sampling is continuous real-time in-situ analysis with high time resolution.

Abstract: A microfluidic platform including a microfluidic layer and a contact layer. The microfluidic layer is embedded with a microfluidic structure including a micro-channel and a fluidic sample contained in the micro-channel. The contact layer is able to be attached to the microfluidic layer, and includes a first heater for heating a first area of the microfluidic structure to a first temperature and a second heater for heating a second area of the microfluidic structure to a second temperature. The microfluidic layer and the contact layer rotate together during operation. A method for controlling a sample in the micro-channel of the microfluidic structure.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a centrifugal microfluidics control system and a method configuring the same. The system may comprise a centrifugal tube; a centrifugal unit for accommodating the centrifugal tube and providing a centrifugal force to the centrifugal tube; a control unit fixed in bottom of the centrifugal tube; and a microfluidic supporting unit coupled to the control unit in the centrifugal tube. The control unit may change an orientation of the microfluidic supporting unit to change a direction of the centrifugal force applied to the microfluidic supporting unit.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives a trigger to set up a bearer path connecting a first party (A) and a second party (B) via a media connection function. The method determines a predicted time gap between when the media connection function is expected to receive a bearer packet from the first party (A) and when the media connection function is expected to receive a bearer packet from the second party (B). The method uses the predicted time gap to delay connection setup toward whichever of the first party (A) or the second party (B) is expected to receive the bearer packet first.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method receives a trigger to set up a bearer path connecting a first party (A) and a second party (B) via a media connection function. The method determines a predicted time gap between when the media connection function is expected to receive a bearer packet from the first party (A) and when the media connection function is expected to receive a bearer packet from the second party (B). The method uses the predicted time gap to delay connection setup toward whichever of the first party (A) or the second party (B) is expected to receive the bearer packet first.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a centrifugal microfluidics control system and a method configuring the same. The system may comprise a centrifugal tube; a centrifugal unit for accommodating the centrifugal tube and providing a centrifugal force to the centrifugal tube; a control unit fixed in bottom of the centrifugal tube; and a microfluidic supporting unit coupled to the control unit in the centrifugal tube. The control unit may change an orientation of the microfluidic supporting unit to change a direction of the centrifugal force applied to the microfluidic supporting unit.

Abstract: An analog front-end circuit comprising: a first current mode differential charge amplifier for a first sensing line, comprising: a unity gain buffer with current replication circuit, wherein the first sensing line current being fed to the unity gain buffer with current replication circuit to generate a pull up and a pull down output currents; and a current mirroring and amplification circuit, wherein the pull up and pull down output currents being fed to the current mirroring and amplification circuit to generate a positively scaled and a negatively scaled output currents; a current combining circuit for combining the positively scaled output generated for the first sensing line and a negatively scaled output current generated for a second sensing line to generate a differential current; and a differential current-to-voltage converter for converting the differential current to an output voltage usable by touch controller application.

Abstract: An analog front-end circuit comprising: a first current mode differential charge amplifier for a first sensing line, comprising: a unity gain buffer with current replication circuit, wherein the first sensing line current being fed to the unity gain buffer with current replication circuit to generate a pull up and a pull down output currents; and a current mirroring and amplification circuit, wherein the pull up and pull down output currents being fed to the current mirroring and amplification circuit to generate a positively scaled and a negatively scaled output currents; a current combining circuit for combining the positively scaled output generated for the first sensing line and a negatively scaled output current generated for a second sensing line to generate a differential current; and a differential current-to-voltage converter for converting the differential current to an output voltage usable by touch controller application.

Abstract: An optical sensing apparatus and a method for detecting characteristics of a sample.

Abstract: An optical sensing apparatus and a method for detecting characteristics of a sample.

Abstract: Disclosed are optical sensing devices and methods for detecting samples using the same. The optical sensing device comprises a source unit configured to generate a polychromatic light beam containing p-polarized and s-polarized components; an interferometric unit configured to split the light beam into a probe beam passing a first path and a reference beam passing a second path and to recombine the probe beam output from the first path and the reference beam output from the second path; a sensing unit disposed in the first path to introduce a first SPR effect associated with a target sample to the probe beam; and a detection unit configured to detect target sample characteristics by obtaining an intensity spectrum of the recombined light beam. The introduction of a polychromatic light source in the optical sensing device increases the detection dynamic range and the detection sensitivity.

Abstract: An optical sensing device including a source unit configured to generate a polychromatic light beam containing p-polarized beam and s-polarized beam; an interferometric unit configured to introduce birefringent retardation for generating optical path difference between the p-polarized beam and the s-polarized beam; a SPR sensing unit configured to receive both p-polarized beam and s-polarized beam and induce a SPR effect to the p-polarized beam associated with a target sample; and a detection unit for detecting target sample characteristics by obtaining an interference spectrum of the p-polarized beam and the s-polarized beam from the SPR sensing unit.

Abstract: A microfluidic platform including a microfluidic layer and a contact layer. The microfluidic layer is embedded with a microfluidic structure including a micro-channel and a fluidic sample contained in the micro-channel. The contact layer is able to be attached to the microfluidic layer, and includes a first heater for heating a first area of the microfluidic structure to a first temperature and a second heater for heating a second area of the microfluidic structure to a second temperature. The microfluidic layer and the contact layer rotate together during operation. A method for controlling a sample in the micro-channel of the microfluidic structure.

Abstract: An optical sensing device including a source unit configured to generate a polychromatic light beam containing p-polarized beam and s-polarized beam; an interferometric unit configured to introduce birefringent retardation for generating optical path difference between the p-polarized beam and the s-polarized beam; a SPR sensing unit configured to receive both p-polarized beam and s-polarized beam and induce a SPR effect to the p-polarized beam associated with a target sample; and a detection unit for detecting target sample characteristics by obtaining an interference spectrum of the p-polarized beam and the s-polarized beam from the SPR sensing unit.