Abstract: A method at an electronic device with an array of indicator lights includes: obtaining first visual output instructions stored at the electronic device, where the first visual output instructions control operation of the array of indicator lights based on operating state of the electronic device; receiving a voice input; obtaining from a remote system a response to the voice input and second visual output instructions, where the second visual output instructions are provided by the remote system along with the response in accordance with a determination that the voice input satisfies one or more criteria; executing the response; and displaying visual output on the array of indicator lights in accordance with the second visual output instructions, where otherwise in absence of the second visual output instructions the electronic device displays visual output on the array of indicator lights in accordance with the first visual output instructions.

Abstract: A device may include: a highly doped n+ Si region; an intrinsic silicon multiplication region disposed on at least a portion of the n+ Si region, the intrinsic silicon multiplication having a thickness of about 90-110 nm; a highly doped p? Si charge region disposed on at least part of the intrinsic silicon multiplication region, the p? Si charge region having a thickness of about 40-60 nm; and a p+ Ge absorption region disposed on at least a portion of the p? Si charge region; wherein the p+ Ge absorption region is doped across its entire thickness. The thickness of the n+ Si region may be about 100 nm and the thickness of the p? Si charge region may be about 50 nm. The p+ Ge absorption region may confine the electric field to the multiplication region and the charge region to achieve a temperature stability of 4.2 mV/° C.

Abstract: Invoking one or more previously dormant functions of an automated assistant in response to detecting, based on processing of vision data from one or more vision components: (1) a particular gesture (e.g., of one or more “invocation gestures”) of a user; and/or (2) detecting that a gaze of the user is directed at an assistant device that provides an automated assistant interface (graphical and/or audible) of the automated assistant. For example, the previously dormant function(s) can be invoked in response to detecting the particular gesture, detecting that the gaze of the user is directed at an assistant device for at least a threshold amount of time, and optionally that the particular gesture and the directed gaze of the user co-occur or occur within a threshold temporal proximity of one another.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, system and computer program product for service retention in a computing environment. According to the method, a deprovision request for deprovisioning a target service instance provisioned in a computing environment is received. In response to the deprovision request, a retention policy associated with the target service instance is determined. The retention policy indicates an action to be applied on the target service instance. The action causes a resource usage level of the target service instance to reduce. Based on the retention policy, the target service instance is modified to obtain a retention service instance provisioned in the computing environment for use in restoration of the target service instance.

Abstract: In a method for encryption of sensitive data, an encrypted user private key is received in a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) in a worker node in a container management system, the encrypted user private key being an encrypted version of a user private key for decrypting a message from a user in the container management system. The user private key is obtained in the TEE, and the encrypted user private key being decrypted into the user private key with a provider private key that is received from an encryption manager for managing the container management system. With these embodiments, the user private key may be transmitted to the worker node safely, such that the worker node may use the user private key to decrypt messages from the user. Therefore, the security level of the container management system may be increased.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media having functionality to prove immutability of blockchains without accessing user data. A user may submit data for storage to a data management server and the data management server may generate one or more data records corresponding to the data at a database and one or more blocks at a blockchain, each block corresponding to of the data records. Block information associated with the generated blocks may be transmitted to a remote computing device for storage at a database. Prior to storing the block information, the remote computing device may sign the data using a private key or other cryptographic technique. To validate a block, raw block information may be retrieved from the blockchain and compared to the signed block information. If the signed block information matches the raw block information, the block may be determined to be valid (e.g., unchanged).

Abstract: The present invention provides a self-healing anti-icing ACSR with composite microporous structure, which is formed lower layer pores with a small diameter (durable storage remediator) and upper layer pores with a large diameter (increase a proportion of air cushion to improve anti-icing performance) by growing a uniform porous aluminum membrane on the surface of an aluminum base body. By optimizing the diameter and thickness of the lower layer pores and upper layer pores, and under the action of air pressure, capillary force and surface energy, a low surface energy remediator is immersed in pores, so an anti-icing ACSR with durable excellent anti-icing self-healing performance is prepared. The invention improves the anti-icing performance of the ACSR in practical applications and the self-healing of the anti-icing performance after being damaged, thereby extending the anti-icing life of the ACSR and improving the durable anti-icing performance thereof.

Abstract: Examples described herein relate to a ring resonator. The ring resonator may include an annular waveguide having a waveguide base and a waveguide core narrower than the waveguide base. Further, the ring resonator may include an outer contact region comprising a first-type doping and disposed annularly and at least partially surrounding an outer annular surface of the waveguide base. Furthermore, the ring resonator may include an inner contact region comprising a second-type doping and disposed annularly contacting an inner annular surface of the waveguide base. Moreover, the ring resonator may include an annular detector region disposed annularly at a distance from and covering at least a portion of a surface of the waveguide core and contacting the outer contact region.

Abstract: An example operation may include one or more of initializing a smart contract (SC) and appending it to a blockchain, registering each of a plurality of participants as a party to the SC, receiving from at least some of the participants an encrypted confidential input commitment, appending the encrypted input commitments to the blockchain, decrypting the encrypted input commitments, executing by the SC at least one business rule using the decrypted input commitments to obtain a business rule result, and identifying a prevailing participant based at least in part on the business rule result.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product provides a way to separate connected or adhered adjacent characters of a digital image for license plate recognition. As a threshold processing, the method performs a recognition of character adhesion by obtaining character parameters using an image processor. The parameters include a horizontal max crossing and a ratio of width and height. A first rule-based module is used responsive to the character parameters to distinguish the adhered characters (character adhesions) that are easy to judge, leaving the uncertain part to a character adhesion classifier model for discrimination. Character adhesion data is obtained by data augmentation including the adding of a random distance between two single characters to create class like adhered characters. Then the character adhesion classifier model of single character and character adhesion data is trained. Any uncertain part can be distinguished by the trained character adhesion classifier model.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to deploying a workload on the best/highest performance node. Nodes configured to accommodate a request for a workload are selected. Information is collected on each of the selected nodes and the workload. Predicted response times expected for the workload running on each of the selected nodes are determined. The workload is deployed on a node of the selected nodes, the node having a corresponding predicted response time for the workload, the workload being deployed on the node based at least in part on the corresponding predicted response time.

Abstract: A query string for an encrypted database storing a plurality of encrypted data records is received from a requestor. The query string is segmented to obtain at least one word. The at least one word is encrypted with the irreversible encryption algorithm to obtain at least one encrypted word. At least one first encrypted item with a co-occurrence weight higher than a preset threshold based on the at least one encrypted word and a co-occurrence statistics model is acquired. The co-occurrence statistics model is built to provide co-occurrence weights, each indicating a probability that the at least one encrypted word appears in a first encrypted data item of the plurality of encrypted data records. At least one second encrypted data item corresponding to the at least one first encrypted data item is acquired from the plurality of encrypted data records.

Abstract: Embodiments provide systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media configured to leverage blockchain technologies to provide failsafe action and fault mitigation processing for autonomous systems. Such autonomous systems may include self-driving cars, logistics or manufacturing robots, or control processes in chemical manufacturing and processing facilities, or construction machinery or sites, and may utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and/or machine learning (ML) algorithms to control operations. These algorithms may be imperfect and subject to error. The disclosed blockchain-based techniques perform data analysis in a parallel and distributed manner (e.g., locally at the autonomous system and remotely at a node of a blockchain platform) to validate the information provided to the AI and/or ML algorithms, as well as the outputs of the algorithms.

Abstract: The present application provides a memory cell, a memory array and a method for preparing the memory cell. The memory cell includes an active area, an isolation structure and a contact enhancement layer. The active area is a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate. A top surface of the active area has a slop part descending toward an edge of the active area within a peripheral region of the active area. The isolation structure is formed in a trench of the semiconductor substrate laterally surrounding the active area. The contact enhancement layer covers the edge of the active area and in lateral contact with the isolation structure. The slope part of the top surface of the active area is covered by the contact enhancement layer, and the contact enhancement layer is formed of a semiconductor material.

Abstract: An example operation may include one or more of creating, by a blockchain user of a blockchain network, a world state checkpoint transaction requesting world state validation, endorsing, by one or more endorser nodes or peers, the world state checkpoint transaction, transferring endorsements to the blockchain user, recording, by an orderer node or peer, the endorsed world state checkpoint transaction into a block, validating and committing all transactions in the block, calculating and signing a hash of a current world state, by all blockchain nodes or peers of the blockchain network, and verifying, by the blockchain user, world state integrity from the calculated and signed hashes of the current world state.

Abstract: A method at an electronic device with an array of indicator lights includes: obtaining first visual output instructions stored at the electronic device, where the first visual output instructions control operation of the array of indicator lights based on operating state of the electronic device; receiving a voice input; obtaining from a remote system a response to the voice input and second visual output instructions, where the second visual output instructions are provided by the remote system along with the response in accordance with a determination that the voice input satisfies one or more criteria; executing the response; and displaying visual output on the array of indicator lights in accordance with the second visual output instructions, where otherwise in absence of the second visual output instructions the electronic device displays visual output on the array of indicator lights in accordance with the first visual output instructions.

Abstract: Examples described herein relate to an avalanche photodiode (APD) and an optical receiver including the APD. The APD may include a substrate and a photon absorption region disposed on the substrate. The substrate may include a charge carrier acceleration region under the photon absorption region; a charge region adjacent to the charge carrier acceleration region; and a charge carrier multiplication region adjacent to the charge region. The charge carrier acceleration region, the charge region, and the charge carrier multiplication region are laterally formed in the substrate. When a biasing voltage is applied to the optoelectronic device, photon-generated free charge carriers may be generated in the photon absorption region and are diffused into the charge carrier acceleration region.

Abstract: A memory device includes a memory array including memory strings, each memory string comprising a plurality of first memory cells, a plurality of second memory cells, and one or more dummy memory cells between the first memory cells and the second memory cells. The first memory cells are between drain terminals of the memory strings and the dummy memory cells, and the second memory cells are between source terminals of the memory strings and the dummy memory cells. The bit lines are respectively coupled to drain terminals of the memory strings. The word lines are respectively coupled to gate terminals of the first memory cells and the second memory cells. A word line driver is configured to apply a first voltage signal to each of the word lines that are coupled to the gate terminals of the first memory cells during a pre-charge phase.

Abstract: Invoking one or more previously dormant functions of an automated assistant in response to detecting, based on processing of vision data from one or more vision components: (1) a particular gesture (e.g., of one or more “invocation gestures”) of a user; and/or (2) detecting that a gaze of the user is directed at an assistant device that provides an automated assistant interface (graphical and/or audible) of the automated assistant. For example, the previously dormant function(s) can be invoked in response to detecting the particular gesture, detecting that the gaze of the user is directed at an assistant device for at least a threshold amount of time, and optionally that the particular gesture and the directed gaze of the user co-occur or occur within a threshold temporal proximity of one another.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are computer-implemented methods, computer-implemented systems, and non-transitory, computer-readable media for managing transactions on blockchain networks. One of computer-implemented method includes obtaining, by a scheduling device on a blockchain network, transaction data including a plurality of original pending transactions to be executed on the blockchain network among a plurality of accounts, the transaction data being stored on the blockchain network. The scheduling device performs a consolidation analysis of the plurality of original pending transactions to determine a plurality of modified pending transactions among the plurality of accounts, and a number of the plurality of modified pending transactions is less than a number of the plurality of original pending transactions.