Abstract: A vapor chamber may include a first plate, evaporator wick structure, second plate, condenser wick structure, and plurality of heat pipes. The first plate includes a first inner surface, a first outer surface, and plurality of chamber walls extending from the first inner surface and having second and third chamber walls. The evaporator wick structure is disposed on the first inner surface. The condenser wick structure is disposed on a second inner surface of the second plate. The second plate is coupled to the plurality of chamber walls and plurality of heat pipes. At least one set of the heat pips is disposed through one chamber wall and another set of the heat pipes is disposed through the opposite chamber wall. Each of the heat pipes includes an inner chamber surface and pipe wick structure. The pipe wick structure is disposed on the inner chamber surface and coupled to the evaporator wick structure.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for operating a rear-facing perception system for vehicles are described. An exemplary rear-facing perception system contains two corner units and a center unit, with each of the two corner units and the center unit including a camera module and a dual-band transceiver. A method for operating the rear-facing perception system includes pairing with a control unit by communicating, using the dual-band transceiver, over at least a first frequency band, transmitting a first trigger signal to the two corner units over a second frequency band non-overlapping with the first frequency band, and switching to an active mode. In an example, the first trigger signal causes the two corner units to switch to the active mode, which includes orienting the camera modules on the center unit and the two corner units to provide an unobstructed view of an area around a rear of the vehicle.

Abstract: A three-dimensional heat transfer device includes a vapor chamber and a plurality of flatten heat pipes. The flatten heat pipes are disposed on the vapor chamber and arranged along an extension direction of a short side of the vapor chamber. Major axes of cross-sections of the flatten heat pipes are parallel to a long side of the vapor chamber.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting trailer angle are provided. In one aspect, an in-vehicle control system includes an optical sensor configured to be mounted on a tractor so as to face a trailer coupled to the tractor, the optical sensor further configured to generate optical data indicative of an angle formed between the trailer and the tractor. The system further includes a processor and a computer-readable memory in communication with the processor and having stored thereon computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to receive the optical data from the optical sensor, determine at least one candidate plane representative of a surface of the trailer visible in the optical data based on the optical data, and determine an angle between the trailer and the tractor based on the at least one candidate plane.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and method for lane marking localization that may be utilized by autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles traveling within the lane. In the embodiment, the system comprises a locating device adapted to determine the vehicle's geographic location; a database; a region map; a response map; a camera; and a computer connected to the locating device, database, and camera, wherein the computer is adapted to: receive the region map, wherein the region map corresponds to a specified geographic location; generate the response map by receiving information form the camera, the information relating to the environment in which the vehicle is located; identifying lane markers observed by the camera; and plotting identified lane markers on the response map; compare the response map to the region map; and generate a predicted vehicle location based on the comparison of the response map and region map.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a vapor chamber configured to accommodate a cooling fluid. The vapor chamber includes a first cover, a second cover, a first capillary structure, and a second capillary structure. The second cover and the first cover are attached to each other to form a chamber therebetween. The chamber is configured to accommodate the cooling fluid. The first capillary structure is located in the chamber and stacked on the first cover. The second capillary structure is located in the chamber and stacked on the first capillary structure. The second capillary structure is different from the first capillary structure. A projection of the second capillary structure onto the first cover is smaller than a projection of the first capillary structure onto the first cover.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide a system and method for iterative lane marking localization that may be utilized by autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles traveling within the lane. In an embodiment, the system comprises a locating device adapted to determine the vehicle's geographic location; a database; a region map; a response map; a plurality of cameras; and a computer connected to the locating device, database, and cameras, wherein the computer is adapted to receive the region map, wherein the region map corresponds to a specified geographic location; generate the response map by receiving information from the camera, the information relating to the environment in which the vehicle is located; identifying lane markers observed by the camera; and plotting identified lane markers on the response map; compare the response map to the region map; and iteratively generate a predicted vehicle location based on the comparison of the response map and the region map.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a heat pipe assembly having a first heat pipe and at least one second heat pipe. The first heat pipe includes an inner wall surface, an outer wall surface, and at least one opening. The inner wall surface surrounds a first cavity, and the outer wall surface faces away from the inner wall surface. The at least one opening penetrates the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface. The at least one second heat pipe includes a second cavity and a connecting port. The connecting port connects the second cavity to the first cavity through the at least one opening.

Abstract: Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for capturing an image. In one aspect an electronic camera apparatus includes an image sensor with a plurality of pixel regions. The apparatus further includes an exposure controller. The exposure controller determines, for each of the plurality of pixel regions, a corresponding exposure duration and a corresponding exposure start time. Each pixel region begins to integrate incident light starting at the corresponding exposure start time and continues to integrate light for the corresponding exposure duration. In some example embodiments, at least two of the corresponding exposure durations or at least two of the corresponding exposure start times are different in the image.

Abstract: A prosthetic heart valve includes a stent having a collapsed condition and an expanded condition. The stent includes a plurality of cells, each cell being formed by a plurality of struts, and a plurality of commissure features. The heart valve further includes a valve assembly secured to the stent, including a cuff and a plurality of leaflets, each leaflet being attached to adjacent commissure features and to the stent struts and/or the cuff.

Abstract: A heat pipe including a pipe body, a first capillary structure and a second capillary structure. The pipe body has an evaporation portion and a condensation portion. The condensation portion is connected to the evaporation portion. The first capillary structure is disposed in the evaporation portion. The second capillary structure is disposed in the condensation portion and is connected to an end of the condensation portion that is located away from the evaporation portion. The second capillary structure is not in direct contact with the first capillary structure.

Abstract: A heat pipe including a pipe body, a first capillary structure and a second capillary structure. The pipe body has an evaporation portion and a condensation portion. The condensation portion is connected to the evaporation portion. The first capillary structure is disposed in the evaporation portion. The second capillary structure is disposed in the condensation portion and is connected to an end of the condensation portion that is located away from the evaporation portion. The second capillary structure is not in direct contact with the first capillary structure.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems of sampling-based object pose determination. An example method includes obtaining, for a time frame, sensor data of the object acquired by a plurality of sensors; generating a two-dimensional bounding box of the object in a projection plane based on the sensor data of the time frame; generating a three-dimensional pose model of the object based on the sensor data of the time frame and a model reconstruction algorithm; generating, based on the sensor data, the pose model, and multiple sampling techniques, a plurality of pose hypotheses of the object corresponding to the time frame, generating a hypothesis projection of the object for each of the pose hypotheses by projecting the pose hypothesis onto the projection plane; determining evaluation results by comparing the hypothesis projections with the bounding box; and determining, based on the evaluation results, an object pose for the time frame.

Abstract: A prosthetic heart valve includes a stent having a collapsed condition and an expanded condition. The stent includes a plurality of cells, each cell being formed by a plurality of struts, and a plurality of commissure features. The heart valve further includes a valve assembly secured to the stent and including a cuff and a plurality of leaflets, each leaflet being attached to adjacent commissure features and to the stent struts and/or the cuff.

Abstract: A heat pipe including a pipe body, a first capillary structure and a second capillary structure. The pipe body has an evaporation portion and a condensation portion. The condensation portion is connected to the evaporation portion. The first capillary structure is disposed in the evaporation portion. The second capillary structure is disposed in the condensation portion and is connected to an end of the condensation portion that is located away from the evaporation portion. The second capillary structure is not in direct contact with the first capillary structure.

Abstract: A system and method for large-scale lane marking detection using multimodal sensor data are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: receiving image data from an image generating device mounted on a vehicle; receiving point cloud data from a distance and intensity measuring device mounted on the vehicle; fusing the image data and the point cloud data to produce a set of lane marking points in three-dimensional (3D) space that correlate to the image data and the point cloud data; and generating a lane marking map from the set of lane marking points.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a vapor chamber configured to accommodate a cooling fluid. The vapor chamber includes a first cover, a second cover, a first capillary structure, and a second capillary structure. The second cover and the first cover are attached to each other to form a chamber therebetween. The chamber is configured to accommodate the cooling fluid. The first capillary structure is located in the chamber and stacked on the first cover. The second capillary structure is located in the chamber and stacked on the first capillary structure. The second capillary structure is different from the first capillary structure. A projection of the second capillary structure onto the first cover is smaller than a projection of the first capillary structure onto the first cover.

Abstract: A multi-loop clock signal generator includes a first phase-locked loop circuit configured to generate a control signal and a voltage-controlled oscillator configured to generate an output clock signal based on the control signal. The clock signal generator includes a second phase-locked loop circuit configured to generate an adjusted first divider value for the first phase-locked loop circuit. The clock signal generator further includes a target frequency calculation circuit configured to calculate a target frequency for the second phase-locked loop circuit based on a target frequency ratio of the second phase-locked loop circuit calculated based on frequency offset ratios of the first and second clock signals with respect to a reference signal.