Abstract: A nail guiding device of a nailer includes a guiding portion for guiding the nails along a straight path. The nailer has a reception recess with which a guiding member is pivotably connected. A guiding plate includes two grooves defined along two sides thereof. The strike plate and nails are slidably moved along the guiding plate between the two grooves. The guiding plate has first and second slots. The guiding member has a pivot pivotably inserted in the reception recess, a first guiding portion, a first rail, a second rail parallel to the first rail and a second guiding portion. The guiding member has a resilient arm connected thereto which contacts an inside of the body of the nailer. The first and second rails swing through the first and second slots so as to guide the nails to be ejected along a straight path.

Abstract: A phytase having improved thermostability is disclosed. The phytase has a modified amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein the modification is one of mutations A to D. The mutation A is to substitute amino acids at positions 143 and 262 with cysteine, the mutation B is to substitute amino acids at positions 259 and 312 with cysteine, the mutation C is to substitute amino acids at positions 205 and 257 with cysteine, and the mutation D is to substitute amino acids at positions 264 and 309 with cysteine.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of video coding using generalized bi-prediction are disclosed. According to one method, the generalized bi-prediction is extended for Decoder-Side Motion Vector Refinement (DMVR), where unequal weighting factor pair is allowed to form the template of the current block or the final predictor. In another method, the generalized bi-prediction is extended to pattern-based MV derivation (PMVD), where unequal weighting factor pair is allowed to combined reference blocks pointed by motion vectors derived based on PMVD. In yet another method, the generalized bi-prediction is used for Merge mode. When the final Merge MVP selected corresponds to bi-prediction using an unequal weighting factor pair, a new weighting factor pair is derived using neighboring reconstructed pixels of the current block and corresponding motion compensated pixels. In yet another method, the size of a set of weighting factor pairs is dependent on block size.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for denoising a reconstructed picture in a video coding system. The method can include providing two or more candidate non-local denoising technologies, selecting a target non-local denoising technology from the two or more candidate non-local denoising technologies for a patch group, and denoising the patch group of the reconstructed picture with the target non-local denoising technology. Besides, two parallel processing methods are provided for forming patch groups with predictor-based searching algorithms.

Abstract: A gas diffuser unit for a process chamber includes at least one controllable diffuser, a power source, and a controller. The at least one controllable diffuser is configured to generate controllable forces acting in various directions on a gaseous material in a flow of the gaseous material introduced into the process chamber, to spread the gaseous material inside the process chamber. The power source is coupled to the at least one controllable diffuser, and configured to supply power to the at least one controllable diffuser to generate the controllable forces. The controller is coupled to the power source and configured to control the power supplied by the power source to the at least one controllable diffuser.

Abstract: A staples push unit of a tacker includes a guide plate located at a staple outlet of the tacker. A motor is located in the tacker and has an output shaft to which a driving gear is connected. A slide and a push plate connected to the slide are movably located in a slot in the tacker. A rack is formed at one side of the slide and engaged with the teeth of the driving gear. A spring board has one end engaged with one end of the slide. When activating the motor, the driving gear drives the rack to move the slide, and the spring board is bent. When the teeth of the driving gear are disengaged from the rack, the spring board bounces back and drives the slide and the push plate to eject a staple. The push plate is guided by the guide plate.

Abstract: A disc grabbing device including a body, a drive shaft, a first cam, a second cam, multiple first movable parts and multiple second movable parts are provided. The drive shaft is rotatably disposed in the body. A first cam and a second cam are disposed on the drive shaft, and rotate together with the drive shaft. The first movable parts are disposed in the body and correspond to the first cam, and move to a disc hold position or a disc release position along with the rotation of the first cam. The second movable parts are disposed in the body and correspond to the second cam, and move to a disc release position or a disc hold position along with the rotation of the second cam.

Abstract: A medium of interest is interrogated according to ultrasound elastography imaging. A preliminary elasticity-spatial-map is formed. This map is calibrated against a reference elasticity-spatial-map that comprises an array (232) of different (240) elasticity values. The reference map is formed to be reflective of ultrasonic shear wave imaging of a reference medium. The reference medium is not, nor located at, the medium of interest, and may be homogeneous. Shear waves that are propagating in a medium are tracked by interrogating the medium. From tracking locations on opposite sides of an ablated-tissue border, propagation delay of a shear wave in the medium and of another shear wave are measured. The two shear waves result from respectively different pushes (128) that are separately issued. A processor decides, based on a function of the two delays, that the border crosses between the two locations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deblocking reconstructed video in a video coding system. The method receives reconstructed pixel data, wherein the reconstructed pixel data is configured into LCUs (largest coding units) and each LCU is divided into blocks. The method then identifies horizontal block edges of the blocks in the LCUs, applies first vertical filtering to the reconstructed pixel data corresponding to one or more first lines above a first horizontal block edge in the first edge group, and applies second vertical filtering to the reconstructed pixel data corresponding to one or more second lines above a second horizontal block edge in the second edge group, wherein a first number of said one or more first lines is smaller than a second number of said one or more second lines.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for coding video data using Inter prediction mode or Merge mode in a video coding system are disclosed, where the video data is configured into a Base Layer (BL) and an Enhancement Layer (EL), and the EL has higher spatial resolution or better video quality than the BL. In one embodiment, at least one information piece of motion information associated with one or more BL blocks in the BL is identified. A motion vector prediction (MVP) candidate list or a Merge candidate list for the selected block in the EL is then determined, where said at least one information piece associated with said one or more BL blocks in the BL is included in the MVP candidate list or the Merge candidate list. The input data associated with the selected block is coded or decoded using the MVP candidate list or the Merge candidate list.

Abstract: A tubular resonant filter comprises a multilayer sheet in a rolled configuration comprising multiple turns about a longitudinal axis, where the multilayer sheet includes a strain-relieved layer, a patterned first conductive layer on the strain-relieved layer, an insulating layer on the patterned first conductive layer, and a patterned second conductive layer on the insulating layer and the patterned first conductive layer. The patterned first and second conductive layers and the insulating layer are interrelated to form a rolled-up inductor connected to a rolled-up capacitor on the strain-relieved layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing of coded video using in-loop processing are disclosed. The method operates by receiving input data to said in-loop processing, wherein the input data corresponds to reconstructed coding units of the picture; configuring the input data into multiple filter units; selecting a filter from a candidate filter set comprising at least two candidate filters associated with said in-loop processing for one of said multiple filter units; applying said in-loop processing to said one of said multiple filter units using the selected filter to generate a processed filter unit, wherein when said one of said multiple filter units comprises at least two reconstructed coding units, the selected filter is applied to all of said at least two reconstructed coding units; and providing processed video data comprising the processed filter unit. The apparatus provide circuits to carryout the operations of the method.

Abstract: In order to overcome the issue caused by a decoded block vector (BV) pointing to a reference block overlapping with an unavailable area, various methods are disclosed. According to one method, if the reference block overlaps with an unavailable area, the reference pixels in the unavailable area are generated for IntraBC prediction of the current block by padding from neighbouring available pixels. The padding can be done in the horizontal direction and then the vertical direction. The padding may also done in the vertical direction first and then horizontal direction. In another method, if the reference block overlaps with an unavailable area, the reference pixels in the unavailable area are generated for IntraBC prediction of the current block by using previous decoded pixels in the unavailable area. A pre-defined value may also be used for the unavailable area.

Abstract: Semiconductor device structures and methods for forming the same are provided. A method for forming a semiconductor device structure includes forming a gate structure over a semiconductor substrate. The method also includes forming spacer elements adjoining sidewalls of the gate structure. The method further includes forming a protection material layer over the gate structure. The formation of the protection material layer includes a substantial non-plasma process. In addition, the method includes depositing a dielectric material layer over the protection material layer. The deposition of the dielectric material layer includes a plasma-involved process.

Abstract: Methods of palette coding to reduce the required coding process are disclosed. According to one method, smaller blocks are derived from a large block. The histogram of the large block is derived based on the histograms of smaller blocks in the large block. According to another method, one or more palette tables are derived based on multiple blocks. One palette table is used for each of the multiple blocks. According to yet another method, index map transpose is performed in the parsing stage according to the transpose flag of the index map. Accordingly, a buffer to store the transpose flags can be saved. According to still yet another method, the palette predictor update is performed using an index mapping table to avoid the need for shuffling the contents of the palette predictor stored in a palette buffer.

Abstract: A layout-generation method for an IC is provided. The layout-generation method includes accessing data of a schematic design of the IC; generating a hypergraph from the schematic design; transforming a plurality of constraints into a plurality of weighted edges in the hypergraph; continuing partitioning the hypergraph by the weighted edges until a plurality of multilevel groups are obtained to generate a layout; and verifying the layout to fabricate the IC.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of line buffer reduction for context adaptive entropy processing are disclosed. The context formation for context adaptive entropy processing depends on block information associated with one or more neighboring blocks. When a first neighboring block is on an upper side of a horizontal region boundary or on a left side of a vertical region boundary of the region, the block information is replaced by replacement block information to reduce or remove line buffer requirement for storing the block information of neighboring blocks on the other side of the region boundaries from the current block. The context adaptive entropy processing is CABAC encoding, CABAC decoding, CAVLC encoding, or CAVLC decoding.

Abstract: A hidden-lock door panel for use in a container includes a door panel body, a covering lid, a first lock, and a second lock. The door panel body includes a hidden space. The covering lid is disposed corresponding to the hidden space and slidably connected to the door panel body. The first lock and the second lock are both disposed in the hidden space. The first lock is an electronic lock and is used to control whether the covering lid can be released to slide. The second lock is used to control the door panel body to be unlocked or locked with respect to the container. Accordingly, unknowing persons are prevented from opening or breaking the door lock.

Abstract: A fault inrush transient current restraining type virtual synchronous inverter and thereof is disclosed. The invention solves the problem that a virtual synchronous inverter will be burned due to inrush transient current in an extreme situation of a symmetrical fault occurring on the grid side by setting an information collection module for inverter output voltages and currents, a virtual synchronous inverting control module, a fault detection and synthesize module, a hysteresis comparison control module and a post fault clearing switch back grid-tie control module.