Abstract: An organic and inorganic material test system includes at least one test container, a first and second set of electrodes embedded in the at least one test container, a set of transmit circuits coupled to the first set of electrodes, and a set of differential drive-sense circuits (DDSCs) coupled to the second set of electrodes. A first transmit circuit coupled to a first electrode is operable to produce a first transmit signal at a first frequency for transmission through contents of a first test container. A first DDSC coupled to a second electrode of the first test container includes a pair of drive-sense circuits (DSCs) and an output operational amplifier. The pair of DSCs are operable to generate receive signals at the first frequency. The output operational amplifier compares receive signals to produce a signal representative of the contents with respect to positioning of the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: A method for execution by one or more computing devices of a massive data ingestion system includes receiving data for storage in the massive data ingestion system. The method further includes storing a data segment of the data in a cache memory of the massive data ingestion system. The method further includes retrieving, based on one or more retrieval parameters, the data segment from the cache memory. The method further includes error encoding, in accordance with error encoding parameters, the data segment to produce a set of encoded data slices, wherein the error encoding parameters include a pillar width number and a decode threshold number, and wherein the decode threshold number is a minimum number of encoded data slices needed to reconstruct the data segment. The method further includes storing the set of encoded data slices in a set of storage units of the massive data ingestion system.

Abstract: A method includes determining whether a hit ball comes to rest on a grid. The method includes, when the hit ball does not come to rest on the grid, assigning zero points to the hit ball. When the hit ball comes to rest on the grid, the method includes determining whether the hit ball comes to rest within an accuracy zone of the grid and whether the hit ball comes to rest beyond a long drive marker of the grid. The method includes, when the hit ball does not come to rest within the accuracy zone and does not come to rest beyond the long drive marker, assigning a first number of points. The method includes, when the hit ball does not come to rest within the accuracy zone and comes to rest beyond the long drive marker, assigning a second number of points. The method includes, when the hit ball comes to rest within the accuracy zone and does not come to rest beyond the long drive marker, assigning the second or a different number of points.

Abstract: A method for use in a touch-sensitive panel includes generating electric fields by applying drive signals to a plurality of row electrodes and a plurality of column electrodes included in the touch-sensitive panel, and sensing at least one information signal capacitively coupled to the touch-sensitive panel by detecting impedance changes associated with the plurality of row electrodes and the plurality of column electrodes. The impedance changes are converted to received data. Based on the received data a transmission pattern associated with the at least one information signal is determined. The method further includes associating the transmission pattern with an access code.

Abstract: A drive-sense circuit module includes at least one regulated source circuit coupled to a load, and to a loop correction circuit. The regulated source circuit generates a drive signal, which has a regulated characteristic and a controlled characteristic. At least one reference circuit applies a reference signal to the loop correction circuit that establishes a reference value of the controlled characteristic. The loop correction circuit senses an effect of one or more load characteristics on a sensed value of the controlled characteristic of the drive signal and generates a comparison signal based on the sensed value and the reference value of the controlled characteristic. A regulation signal is generated based on the comparison signal and used to regulate the regulated characteristic of the drive signal.

Abstract: A foot force detection system includes first and second shoe force detection units. The first shoe force detection unit includes a first plurality of pressure sensors operably coupled to produce first force data, a first processing module operably coupled to produce a first digital representation of the first force data and a first communication unit operably coupled to the first processing module. The second shoe force detection unit includes a second plurality of pressure sensors operably coupled to produce second force data, a second processing module operably coupled to produce a second digital representation of the second force data, and a second communication unit operably coupled to the second processing module. The first and second shoe force detection units communicate with each other via the communication units.

Abstract: A touch screen display includes a plurality of electrodes configured to facilitate touch sense functionality based on electrode signals having a drive signal component and a receive signal component, a plurality of drive-sense circuits coupled to at least some of the plurality of electrodes to generate a plurality of sensed signals, and a processing module. The processing module is configured to cause the touch screen display to receive the plurality of sensed signals. A stream of capacitance image data associated with the plurality of cross points is generated based on the plurality of sensed signals. The stream of capacitance image data is processed to detect a touchless gesture.

Abstract: A programmable drive-sense unit includes a drive-sense circuit operably coupled to a load, the drive-sense circuit being configured to drive and simultaneously to sense the load via a single line, and produce an analog output based on the sensing the load in accordance with a first set of programmable operational parameters. The programmable drive-sense unit also includes an analog to digital circuit operably coupled to the drive-sense circuit, where the analog to digital circuit is operable to generate a digital output based on the analog output and in accordance with a second set of programmable operational parameters.

Abstract: A capacitive touch screen display operates by: providing a display configured to render frames of data into visible images; providing a plurality of electrodes integrated into the display to facilitate touch sense functionality based on electrode signals having a drive signal component and a receive signal component; generating, via a plurality of drive-sense circuits coupled to at least some of the plurality of electrodes, a plurality of sensed signals; receiving the plurality of sensed signals; generating capacitance image data associated with the plurality of cross points that includes capacitance variation data corresponding to variations of the capacitance image data from a nominal value; and processing the capacitance image data to determine a touchless indication proximal to the touch screen display based on a touchless indication threshold.

Abstract: A capacitive imaging glove includes electrodes implemented throughout the capacitive imaging glove and drive-sense circuits (DSCs) such that a DSC receives a reference signal generates a signal based thereon. The DSC provides the signal to a first electrode via a single line and simultaneously senses it. Note the signal is coupled from the first electrode to the second electrode via a gap therebetween. The DSC generates a digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the first electrode. Processing module(s), when enabled, is/are configured to execute operational instructions (e.g., stored in and/or retrieved from memory) to generate the reference signal, process the digital signal to determine the electrical characteristic of the first electrode, and process the electrical characteristic of the first electrode to determine a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode, and generate capacitive image data representative of a shape of the capacitive imaging glove.

Abstract: A defusing cell includes walls and spheroid elements. The walls are physically connected together to form a first perimeter, a second perimeter, and a hollow center region. A wall has a length and is an angle with respect to the first perimeter. The first perimeter is separated from the second perimeter by a distance based on the length and an angle of the wall. The second perimeter is larger than the first perimeter. The spheroid elements are arranged in a pattern to distribute and disperse an impact force impacting the defusing cell from the second perimeter with respect to the first perimeter.

Abstract: A low voltage drive circuit includes a transmit digital to analog circuit that converts transmit digital data into analog outbound data by: generating a DC component; generating a first oscillation at a first frequency; generating a second oscillation at the first frequency; and outputting the first oscillation or the second oscillation on a bit-by-bit basis in accordance with the transmit digital data to produce an oscillating component, wherein the DC component is combined with the oscillating component to produce the analog outbound data, and wherein the oscillating component and the DC component are combined to produce the analog outbound data. A drive sense circuit drives an analog transmit signal onto a bus, wherein the analog outbound data is represented within the analog transmit signal as variances in loading of the bus at the first frequency and wherein analog inbound data is represented within an analog receive signal as variances in loading of the bus at a second frequency.

Abstract: A computing device of a storage network, the computing device including memory, an interface, and at least one processing module operably coupled to the memory and the interface, where the at least one processing module is operable to error encode a data segment in accordance with error encoding parameters to produce a set of encoded data slices. The at least one processing module also sends via the interface, a first subset of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via a first routing path of a plurality of routing paths to a set of storage units, where the first routing path has a performance level greater than a first performance threshold, and sends, via the interface, a second subset of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices via a second routing path of the plurality of routing paths to the set of storage units.

Abstract: A communication system comprises three low voltage drive circuits operable for coupling to a wired bus, wherein a low voltage drive circuit of the three low voltage drive circuits includes a transmit section operably coupled to convert transmit digital data into an analog transmit signal that includes one or more transmit frequency components. The communication system further comprises a receive section operably coupled to convert an analog receive signal that includes one or more receive frequency components into received digital data. The communication system further comprises a drive sense circuit for coupling to the wired bus and after the three low voltage drive circuits are operably coupled to the wired bus, each of the three voltage drive circuits is configured for communication among the three low voltage drive circuits, for one-to-one communication, for one-to-many communication, and for many-to-one communication.

Abstract: A low power force detection system includes variable capacitors, a drive sense module, and a processing module. A drive sense circuit of the drive sense module is operable to provide an analog and frequency domain signal to a variable capacitor. The drive sense circuit is further operable to detect a characteristic of the variable capacitor based on the analog and frequency domain signal and to generate a representative signal of the characteristic. The processing module is operable to generate a digital value based on the representative and to write the digital value to memory.

Abstract: A method comprises determining, for an interaction between a user computing device and an interactive computing device and in accordance with data type communication restrictions, a first data type of a plurality of data types for supporting the interaction is restricted to transmitting via a screen to screen (STS) communication via a transmission medium. The method also includes determining a second data type of the plurality of data types is allowed for transmitting via a second communication type that is one or more of a Bluetooth communication, a wireless local area network communication, and a cellular network communication. When the available communication types include the STS communication and the second communication type, the method also includes facilitating execution of the interaction utilizing the STS communication for transmitting data having the first data type via a drive-sense signal and utilizing the second communication type for data having the second data type.

Abstract: A low voltage drive circuit (LVDC) includes a digital to analog input circuit operable to convert transmit digital data into combined analog outbound data, where the transmit digital data has a data rate based on a host input clock, and where a first portion of the combined analog outbound data has a first oscillation rate based on a first transmit channel clock and a second portion of the combined analog outbound data has a second oscillation rate based on a second transmit channel clock.

Abstract: A method includes transmitting, by a plurality of drive-sense circuits of an interactive display device, a plurality of signals on a plurality of electrodes of the interactive display device and detecting, by a set of drive-sense circuits of the plurality of drive-sense circuits, a change in electrical characteristics of a set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes. The method further includes interpreting, by a processing module of the interactive display device, the change in the electrical characteristics to be caused by a change in capacitance, interpreting the change in capacitance as a digital pad generation indication, generating a digital pad on the interactive surface, and interpreting, by the processing module, changes in the electrical characteristics of one or more sets of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes within the digital pad as functions to manipulate data on the larger area of the interactive display device.

Abstract: A method for execution by an input/output (IO) control module of an integrated circuit (IC) includes determining whether a programmable IO interface module is for dynamic or static use. The programmable IO interface module includes a configurable front-end module and a configurable back-end module. When the programmable IO interface module is for the dynamic use, determining to configure the programmable IO interface module as the dynamic use of a configuration of a plurality of configurations. The plurality of configurations includes a bidirectional interface, an input, an output, a concurrent drive and sense interface, and a concurrent transmit-receive interface. The method further includes configuring the front-end module in accordance with the configuration, configuring the back-end module in accordance with the configuration, and determining whether to change the configuration to another configuration of the plurality of configurations.

Abstract: A method for generating a docket number includes determining, by a computing entity, whether a specification of an application includes a detailed discussion for a single invention or for a plurality of inventions. When the specification includes the detailed discussion for the plurality of inventions, the method includes generating, by the computing entity, a common specification number. The method further includes generating, by the computing entity, a common specification designator. The method further includes generating, by the computing entity, a plurality of invention numbers. The method further includes generating, by the computing entity, a plurality of protection type designators. For the first invention, the method further includes combining, by the computing entity, the common specification number, the common specification designator, the first invention number, and the first protection type designator to produce a first docket number for the first invention.