Abstract: The disclosure is and includes at least an apparatus, system and method for a ramped electrical interconnection for use in semiconductor fabrications. The apparatus, system and method includes at least a first semiconductor substrate having thereon a first electrical circuit comprising first electrical components; a second semiconductor substrate at least partially covering the first electrical circuit, and having thereon a second electrical circuit comprising second electrical components; a ramp formed through the second semiconductor substrate between at least one of the first electrical components and at least one of the second electrical components; and an additively manufactured conductive trace formed on the ramp to electrically connect the at least one first electrical component and the at least one second electrical component.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are implementations of methods and devices for stacking printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies (PCBA) with a single reflow process which decreases impact on surface mount technology (SMT) component and solder joint reliability. A method includes transferring solder paste on to a bottom PCB and forming a bottom PCBA by placing SMT components on the bottom PCB. A middle PCB is stacked on the bottom PCBA and solder paste is transferred on to the middle PCB. A top PCB is stacked on the middle PCB and solder paste is transferred on to the top PCB. SMT components are placed on the top PCB to form a stacked assembly. The stacked assembly is reflowed in a single reflow so that all solder paste simultaneously or nearly simultaneously melts to bond SMT components to respective PCB boards and to bond respective PCBs to each other.

Abstract: The disclosure is and includes at least an apparatus, system and method for a ramped electrical interconnection for use in semiconductor fabrications. The apparatus, system and method includes at least a first semiconductor substrate having thereon a first electrical circuit comprising first electrical components; a second semiconductor substrate at least partially covering the first electrical circuit, and having thereon a second electrical circuit comprising second electrical components; a ramp formed through the second semiconductor substrate between at least one of the first electrical components and at least one of the second electrical components; and an additively manufactured conductive trace formed on the ramp to electrically connect the at least one first electrical component and the at least one second electrical component.

Abstract: Disclosed are processes and materials for adhesive circuit patterning which strengthen and protect printed circuit traces and adhesive bonded joints of surface mounted devices in flexible or stretchable electronics in a single process. A method for adhesive circuit pattering include deposing a circuit pattern on a thermal adhesive film. One or more surface mounted device(s) are attached to a cured printed circuit to form an assembled printed circuit. The assembled printed circuit may be placed on a stretchable substrate. The thermal adhesive film is melted on the assembled printed circuit and the stretchable substrate to protect and reinforce joint bonds and the circuit pattern of the assembled circuit pattern and attach the assembled printed circuit to the stretchable fabric in one melting or curing step.

Abstract: A method for forming a circuit pattern on an integrated substrate structure includes providing an insulating surface which includes a pattern forming portion. An activation ink is deposited only on the pattern forming portion to form a non-conductive isolation layer. A first metal layer is formed on the non-conductive isolation layer by electroless plating. A patterned portion of the first metal layer is isolated from a remaining portion of the first metal layer to form the circuit pattern. A non-conductive masking layer is applied on the first metal layer. A second metal layer is formed on the non-conductive masking layer. A surface mount land pattern and pad configuration is determined. A solder mask layer is applied to the patterned portion. A protective layer is applied to protect pad areas not covered by the solder mask layer. An electrical component may then be mounted to the pad(s).

Abstract: The disclosure is and includes at least an apparatus, system and method for a ramped electrical interconnection for use in semiconductor fabrications. The apparatus, system and method includes at least a first semiconductor substrate having thereon a first electrical circuit comprising first electrical components; a second semiconductor substrate at least partially covering the first electrical circuit, and having thereon a second electrical circuit comprising second electrical components; a ramp formed through the second semiconductor substrate between at least one of the first electrical components and at least one of the second electrical components; and an additively manufactured conductive trace formed on the ramp to electrically connect the at least one first electrical component and the at least one second electrical component.

Abstract: There is provided a method of facilitating distributed data search in a federated cloud. The method includes generating, at a computing cloud of the federated cloud, a search tree structure for indexing a data set in the computing cloud; mapping a selected set of nodes of the search tree structure to respective peer nodes of a peer-to-peer tree structure spanning a plurality of servers in a plurality of computing clouds of the federated cloud, the peer-to-peer tree structure configured for routing a query for searching a data item in the federated cloud; and informing, for each selected node, the plurality of types of attribute conditions associated with the selected node to the corresponding mapped peer node such that the corresponding mapped peer node has associated therewith the plurality of types of attribute conditions.

Abstract: There is provided a polymer composition comprising a first polymer phase and a second polymer phase, wherein: a) the first polymer phase comprises a thermoplastic polymer matrix modified with an adhesive functional group or a group which is a precursor of an adhesive functional group; and b) the second polymer phase comprises a thermoplastic polymer capable of acting as a self-healing agent and being chemically reactive on healing of the polymer composition.

Abstract: A method for encoding and decoding multi-colored color code for storage of digital data into two-dimensional color codes, where the input data can be either a text file, audio or video files, the color codes comprising 4-bit color cells, allowing for improved and with higher density of data storage and easier decoding to retrieve the original content. After optional steps of applying compression and encryption, the resulting bit-stream is broken into 4-bit units, which is used to translate into 16-color cells. The resulting color cells are distributed around the output color code, to increase the ability of correcting errors that crop up during code transfer.

Abstract: A method of estimating a steering vector of a sensor array of M sensors according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes estimating a steering vector of a noise source located at an angle ? degrees from a look direction of the array using a least squares estimate of the gains of the sensors in the array, defining a steering vector of a desired sound source in the look direction of the array, and estimating the steering vector by performing element-by-element multiplication of the estimated noise vector and the complex conjugate of steering vector of the desired sound source. The sensors may be microphones.

Abstract: A device and method for removal of ambient noise signal from a photoplethysmographic measurement is provided. The method comprises obtaining a first signal waveform based on detecting light based on a first light illumination; obtaining a second signal waveform based on detecting light based on a second light illumination; tuning the first light and second light illumination such that the maximum amplitudes of the first and second signal waveforms are maximized and within a predetermined saturation range, such that ambient light interference for the first and second signal waveforms is reduced; obtaining a third signal waveform based on detecting ambient light; obtaining respective maximum and minimum values of the first and the second signal waveforms; and deriving signal values of the first and second signal waveforms with the removal of ambient noise by subtracting AC and DC average values of the third signal waveform from the first and second signals.

Abstract: A portable communication device, such as a remote speaker microphone (RSM) (100) is provided with a movable paddle (104) providing a combination speaker grill and push-to-talk actuator. The RSM incorporates drainage paths (110) to prevent moisture from collecting around the movable paddle (104). An internal speaker (502) is retained within the RSM (100) in a stationary manner with sufficient front and back volumes impervious to the actuations of the movable paddle (104). The movable paddle (104) provides improved tactile feedback over a large surface.

Abstract: A method of estimating a steering vector of a sensor array of M sensors according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes estimating a steering vector of a noise source located at an angle 0 degrees from a look direction of the array using a least squares estimate of the gains of the sensors in the array, defining a steering vector of a desired sound source in the look direction of the array, and estimating the steering vector by performing element-by-element multiplication of the estimated noise vector and the complex conjugate of steering vector of the desired sound source. The sensors may be microphones.

Abstract: A portable communication device, such as a remote speaker microphone (RSM) (100) is provided with a movable paddle (104) providing a combination speaker grill and push-to-talk actuator. The RSM incorporates drainage paths (110) to prevent moisture from collecting around the movable paddle (104). An internal speaker (502) is retained within the RSM (100) in a stationary manner with sufficient front and back volumes impervious to the actuations of the movable paddle (104). The movable paddle (104) provides improved tactile feedback over a large surface.

Abstract: A method of measuring an artifact removed photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal and a measurement system for measuring an artifact removed photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal are provided. The method comprises obtaining a first set of PPG signals from a plurality of detectors at respective measurement sites using a first illumination; obtaining a second set of PPG signals from the plurality of detectors using a second illumination; obtaining at least two pairs of PPG signals, each pair comprising one PPG signal from the first set and one PPG signal from the second set, and for each pair, computing an artifact reference signal to obtain a candidate PPG signal; and choosing one of the candidate PPG signals as the artifact removed PPG signal.

Abstract: There is provided a sensing device comprising an electromagnetic wave emitter for emitting electromagnetic waves to a surface; an electromagnetic wave detector for detecting the emitted electromagnetic waves that are reflected from the surface; and a force transmitting member configured to transmit a force applied thereto for detection, wherein the force transmitting member is positioned relative to the electromagnetic wave emitter and electromagnetic wave detector to substantially prevent waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave emitter from travelling directly to the electromagnetic wave detector.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for self-calibration of small-microphone arrays are described. In one embodiment, self-calibration is based upon a mathematical approximation for which a detected response by one microphone should approximately equal a combined response from plural microphones in the array. In a second embodiment, self-calibration is based upon matching gains in each of a plurality of Bark frequency bands, and applying the matched gains to frequency domain microphone signals such that the magnitude response of all the microphones in the array approximates an average magnitude response for the array. The methods and apparatus may be implemented in hearing aids or small audio devices and used to mitigate adverse aging and mechanical effects on acoustic performance of small-microphone arrays in these systems.

Abstract: An optical measurement device and a method for optical measurement are provided. The device comprises an illumination assembly configured to output light to a surface portion of a user for measurement; a detection assembly configured to detect the output light reflected from said surface portion of the user as a signal; an amplifier module coupled to the detection assembly configured to apply a gain to an AC component of the signal; a microcontroller coupled to the detection assembly configured to assess a DC voltage level of the signal; wherein the microcontroller is configured to control the light output at the illumination assembly based on said assessing the DC voltage level; and further wherein the microcontroller is configured to select a gain value for said applying the gain based on said assessing the DC voltage level. Specific embodiments of the device relate to a photoplethysmograph or pulse oximeter.

Abstract: There is provided a polymer composition comprising a first polymer phase and a second polymer phase, wherein: a) the first polymer phase comprises a thermoplastic polymer matrix modified with an adhesive functional group or a group which is a precursor of an adhesive functional group; and b) the second polymer phase comprises a thermoplastic polymer capable of acting as a self-healing agent and being chemically reactive on healing of the polymer composition.

Abstract: A system and method for generating virtual microphone signals having a particular number and configuration for channel playback from an intermediate set of signals that were recorded in an initial format that is different from the channel playback format. In one embodiment, an initial set of intermediate are Bark-banded such that each intermediate signal may lead to a corresponding power spectral density (PSD) signal representative of the initial intermediate signal. Further, one may generate cross-correlations signals for each pair of intermediate signals. Next, from the PSDs and cross correlations, one may more efficiently calculate corresponding channel signals to be used for playback on respective channel speakers. Thus, the PSDs of each channel signal may be generated at chosen angles (as well as other design factors). Further, each channel signal may also be further modified with a corresponding cancellation signal that further enhances the resultant signal in each channel.